Ateez Hongjoong - Tumblr Posts

You better be watching Seonghwa Vlive right now and wish the baby a happy birthday

This sounds so interesting! Can’t wait for the first chapter!

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Masterlist]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Coming soon

The Witch & the Lamb — k.hongjoong

library of illusion masterlist | next »»

➮ witch!Hongjoong × fem!Reader wc: 33.5k (i am so sorry) summary: Hongjoong lives on the edge of a village nestled in the Carpathian Mountains and mostly keeps to himself except when he comes to town to sell his wares. After the town’s governor’s daughter catches his eye, it starts to cause problems for him. Problems that are made worse when he’s accused of being the source of the village’s problems. genres/themes/au: angst, slight fluff, smut; fantasy, horror, supernatural, biblical & demonic; non idol au, historical setting, demon warnings: adult dialogue, female reader, historical period setting (think Puritan or like Salem witch trials but fantasy and with more creative liberty lol), mentions of: alcohol & food consumption, witches & witchcraft, religious text & ideology, harm against animals; attempted SA, Hongjoong is treated like shit by the villagers & later accused of witchcraft, major & minor character deaths (heed this warning, i’m not playing around. This shit is dark), sexual content (18+ mdni), see smut warnings under the cut!

taglist have been moved to the reblogs. join my taglists: main | series Strikethrough means I cannot tag you. MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED.

a/n: I said I was going to write a backstory for Hongjoong and here it is. It’s kind of long so read with caution. Do NOT ignore the warnings. They are there for a reason. Hongjoong isn’t the asshole, the villagers aren’t the asshole, this is a total ESH (everyone sucks here) kind of situation. Everyone does what they do for a reason. That being said, please enjoy this part and keep an eye out for the next part which will introduce the rest of the priests aka Yunho, Mingi, San, Wooyoung, and Jongho. Thank you so much for reading and as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

smut warnings: dirty talk, virgin!Reader, fingering (f receiving), oral (f receiving, m receiving), unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!), rough sex, breeding kink, praise (f receiving), and I think that’s it? There are two sex scenes in this so if I missed any, I’m sorry! Just let me know!~

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

A sense of community is something many people strive for, especially in rural areas but for Hongjoong, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

He hated the idea of community. Mainly because his community hated him.

Maybe hate was the wrong word, but strongly disliked covered it pretty well.

Hongjoong was well aware that he was considered an outsider of his community. Never mind the fact his home had been there longer than the village. These woods had always been his home. He’d grown up in them, played alone in them, explored them as a teen. As far as he was concerned, they were his woods.

And he didn’t like anyone in his woods, especially not the villagers.

Unless that villager was you, of course.

You stepped out into the cool autumn morning, the gray clouds overhead threatening to bring rain. You had errands to run, items to trade, and chores to do and to get it all done in a timely manner, it required you to start your day early.

As you started for the small village square where the market was always set up, you caught sight of movement out of the corner of your eye. Nicolas had spotted you and no doubt was ready to make his move.

It was well known amongst the people in your age range that Nicolas had eyes for you. He’d made his intentions clear from the start but to you, he was no better than the pests that bothered your animals. A fly buzzing around the eyes and ears, a bug to be swatted at.

As you continued your walk, Nicolas’ path intercepted yours and soon he was standing directly in your way. Instead of giving into the urge to push him out of your way and earn the ire of your parents and possibly Nicolas’ parents, you forced a polite smile.

“Good morrow, Nicolas,” you murmured, trying to step around the man. “Why are you behaving so bizarrely, Y/N?” he asked, a smirk present on his face. You wanted to slap that look off his face but chose against it. Better to grin and bear it. “No reason,” you answered.

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

You tried not to roll your eyes. “I am not in the mood for your games, Nicolas. I have errands to be done,” you said, stopping to look at him. “Go your way and I shall go mine.”

Before he could say anything else, you managed to duck around him and continue down the path. You were walking past the square where the marketplace had been set up. Your eyes wandered over where several of your neighbors and members of the village were set up to sell their wares.

It wasn’t uncommon on this day of the week for people to sell things. They’d worked all week and now had something to show for it. Your eyes were drawn in particular to one spot. A small cart with furs, antlers, bones, and plenty of other animal parts. Your eyes traveled to the owner and a smile crossed your face.

It was Hongjoong. He was currently talking to Gideon about something you couldn’t hear but when Gideon nodded and the two traded, Hongjoong handed over a couple rabbit pelts and some leather in exchange for a knife. As Gideon walked away, Hongjoong looked up, meeting your gaze. He sent a nod in your direction which you reciprocated before turning away.

You couldn’t afford to be distracted by him when you had plenty of errands to run.

You went about your errands, trading the jams your mother had made with the kind old widow who lived next to the church. You also took the cheese you had extra of to her sister who lived next door. She loved the goat cheese you made and would spend actual coin on it. She also always had the loveliest baked goods which she shared with you on occasion. 

As you left her home, you bumped into someone, dropping your bag of scones onto the ground. You mumbled an apology and knelt to pick up the bag but a set of hands beat you to it. Looking up, you saw the face of the young pastor who had joined your village only last winter, Yeosang.

You stood upright as he handed the bag to you. “My apologies,” he said softly, a kind smile on his face. “I didn’t see you standing there.” You took the bag, mumbling a thanks. “It’s my fault,” you replied. “I was not paying attention.”

Yeosang’s smile widened slightly. “No doubt distracted by the baked goods Mrs. Goode gave you?” he asked, a slight hint of amusement to his voice. Your cheeks burned but you couldn’t help the smile spreading across your face. “She likes the cheese and jams my family makes,” you explained. Yeosang nodded thoughtfully.

“As do I,” he answered. “Your mother was kind enough to offer me some last month. Do you make the cheese yourself?” he asked as you turned to start the trek back to your place. You nodded silently. “Your mother tells me you’ve been making cheese since you were a young girl,” he continued. You nodded once more. “Aye, I have,” you answered.

“I like making things. I do not get to craft much but baking, cooking, jam and cheese making is one of my favorite pastimes,” you explained as you headed back towards the market. You caught sight of Hongjoong as he was carving something with the knife he’d procured from Gideon. He glanced up, meeting your gaze and gave you a smile before noticing Yeosang beside you. Yeosang noticed Hongjoong and sent him a polite nod which Hongjoong returned.

“I have business to attend to,” Yeosang said as he turned away from Hongjoong to look at you. “Have a pleasant day,” he added, giving you a small bow before turning and heading back in the direction of the church. You turned towards the market where Hongjoong was showing someone the selection of dried herbs he had. As they came to an agreement, you slowly approached, waiting for them to depart before approaching the stand.

“I’m almost out of rabbit pelts,” he said, not looking up as he tucked the knife away in the leather sheath at his hip and looked up, his eyes widening in surprise before a smile spread across his face. “Well, well, well.” he said with a smirk, not unlike the one Nicolas had given you earlier.

The difference was that while you didn’t much care for Nicolas, you definitely liked Hongjoong.

“I have no need for rabbit pelts,” you replied, a smirk spreading across your face as Hongjoong crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his cart. “No need for rabbit pelts?” he asked, tilting his head curiously. “Not even one?”

You shook your head. “I have nothing to trade for it,” you answered. Hongjoong smiled before standing up straight and turning to his cart. He started shifting things and sifting through a bag before pulling something out and turning to you and closing the short distance.

“I ask for nothing,” he started, presenting a pure white pelt of fur. You glanced down at it and back up at him. “It’s pure white,” you noted. Hongjoong smiled warmly. “Aye,” he answered. “It’s beautiful, is it not?”

You nodded, reaching out cautiously to touch the soft fur. “And so soft,” you whispered. Hongjoong motioned for you to take it, prompting you to withdraw your hand. “I could not,” you said quickly. Hongjoong shook his head and wordlessly took your hand and placed the pelt in it. “I already told you,” he said softly. “I ask for nothing in return. Think of it as a gift.” 

Your cheeks burned as you looked at the fur in your hands. “Thank you,” you said softly, looking up to meet Hongjoong’s dark brown eyes. Of all the men in the village and that you’ve seen passing through, Hongjoong was the most beautiful. He was not a member of the community, his family having settled in the woods long before your village was established.

You’d never seen the cabin he called home but you’d heard much about it from the stories Hongjoong told you. You wanted to see his home, see where he lived and what kind of home he kept on his own.

Hongjoong took a step forward, eyes darting around to make sure no one was watching too closely before he slipped something into your hand. “Come see me in a month and I might have another white pelt for you,” he said softly, a smile on his face as he backed away.

You nodded, unable to speak before muttering a departing goodbye and hurried away from the market, hand gripping the paper he’d pressed into your palm. Once you were a good distance away and able to slip out of sight, you unfolded the paper to read what he’d written.

There’s a full moon tonight, come see her with me? I can show you the new constellations for the season.

Your lips pulled into a smile as you read his note over and over before folding it up and tucking it away in your dress. You headed out of your hiding space, glancing back to find Hongjoong speaking to another village elder, showing off his items for trade. 

You headed for your house, smiling to yourself as you walked, a skip in your step.

When your family first moved to this village, Hongjoong’s family had already lived in the woods and you were a mere 12 years old. You vaguely remembered his parents, mainly his mother. She was gorgeous and had a different kind of beauty than you’d grown accustomed to.

She wore loose gowns and her hair down. She didn’t seem bound to the same rules and regulations the women of your village were, preferring to be free and not hide her natural beauty. The day she passed was a day you’d remember forever. Hongjoong was barely 17 when his mother passed away from some mysterious illness.

You didn’t see him or his father for weeks as they mourned. You had almost thought they left until months later, when you saw Hongjoong’s father speaking to one of the village elders, trading what seemed to be a lot of furs for seed, tools, and a few goats.

After that, you started to see Hongjoong more frequently, trading his own furs as well as various dried herbs he collected himself. You’d always admired him from afar, not feeling brave enough to approach him until one day you ran into him while on a walk with one of your friends from the village. She was apprehensive of Hongjoong but you were not. 

You were intrigued by him and his life which seemed like a big mystery to you. Hongjoong was surprised that you weren’t put off by his presence, having grown accustomed to the rumors and the rest of the village avoiding him and his father. He knew what they said about his mother and what they said about him.

You were different though. You treated him with nothing but kindness and respect, something he hadn’t experienced with the other kids in the village. You even offered your condolences about the passing of his mother, telling your friend off when she called his mother a witch.

That day, Hongjoong knew he could trust you. When his father died some months after he turned 18, you were the first person Hongjoong went to, the only person to see his walls break down and cry openly. You’d been there to dry his tears and tell him everything would be alright. You were there to offer him kindness in a dark period of his life and keep him afloat,

That was the day Hongjoong knew he loved you.

From that day on, Hongjoong would sneak into your village and you would sneak out of your house to meet with him. The two of you would sneak around to the forest and venture into the trees. Hongjoong would show you all his favorite spots including a small wildflower clearing. It was here he would show you the stars and tell you about them.

He’d learned astronomy and astrology from his mother. She knew the constellations, planets, and stars and would teach him from a young age. She also taught him about the natural world, something he passed onto you.

As your friendship grew throughout your teens, a romance started to blossom until one night, Hongjoong confessed his feelings for you, sealing it with a kiss. Your first kiss. Compared to the rest of the people in your village, Hongjoong was so different. He wasn’t confined to the same rules that seemed to govern your village.

Hongjoong made it clear he didn’t share the same faith as your neighbors. He believed in something different and he did his best to teach you his beliefs in a way that made sense to you. He felt a strong connection to the earth and nature, something you respected.

The more time you spent with him, the more you started to understand him and his way of life. You wanted to be as carefree and as happy as he was. Your time together grew and often, you would lose track of the time and come home as the sun was beginning to peek through the trees. It was innocent in every way but when your mother caught you trying to sneak in after a night out, you knew you would have to be more careful in the future.

You’d been caught more than a few times but always by your mother. If your father had caught you sneaking back in, your punishments would be much more severe. Your mother usually just tacked more chores on and refused to let you leave the house.

After a few days, your transgressions would be forgiven and forgotten and you’d be back in the woods at midnight to meet Hongjoong again. He was like honey, drawing you in with his sweetness. You couldn’t get enough of him.

As you reached the front door and opened it, you greeted your mother and walked over to where she was boiling something over the hearth. “Mrs. Goode gave us some pastries,” you announced as you walked over and set the bag down. “She loved the jams as did her sister,” you continued as you started putting away the things you’d collected on your errands.

“Did she give you any of those scones she makes?” your mother asked as you turned, bag in hand. “Aye, she did,” you answered, walking over to show your mother the pastries who smiled as you started to empty the bag, placing the pastries in a basket on the mantle of the fireplace.

“What’s this?” your mother asked, noticing the white rabbit pelt. “Oh, nothing. Just a gift,” you answered, turning away and starting to put the rest of the goods away. “Oh?” your mother asked. “From whom?” 

Before you could answer, the front door opened and your father entered the house. You excused yourself and headed up to your room to put the rabbit pelt away. The rest of the day you spent inside, helping your mother around the house, mending some of your father’s shirts as well as your mother’s favorite apron.

Once the inside chores were done, you headed out to do some of the gardening and tending to the flower garden but also the small herb garden you’d started after learning from Hongjoong. Your mother was surprised by your skill with the garden but she didn’t complain as she loved having fresh mint and rosemary on hand.

After your chores were done, you were allowed to rest for a bit before you helped your mother in the kitchen prepare dinner so when your father came back from meeting with the other town elders, it would be ready.

It was a simple stew, made even more delicious by your additions from the herb garden and some of the mushrooms you’d foraged on one of your trips to the forest. Hongjoong had taught you everything you knew about the wild plants and edible vegetation that grew there.

Your mother never said anything and was grateful for the additional ingredients most of the villagers didn’t have.

After dinner, you sat down to read a book you were borrowing from the church, something Yeosang had lent you a few days prior. Your mother was seated by the fire, making a new quilt for the upcoming winter season. She’d already finished one for her and your father’s bed but she knew you needed a new one.

Your father sat in his chair at the table, mumbling to himself as he cleaned his pipe. After finishing a few chapters of the book you were reading, you closed the book and looked at your mother. “May I be excused? I am quite tired and if I go to bed now, I can get up earlier and visit the chicken coop to get fresh eggs for breakfast,” you explained. Your mother looked up from her quilting and nodded silently.

“Goodnight then,” you said, getting to your feet and walking over to kiss your mother’s cheek. “Don’t forget your prayers,” your mother said as you walked over to where your father sat and bid him goodnight as well before heading up the stairs to your bedroom. 

Once inside, you removed your shoes and pretended to get ready for bed. You climbed into bed, fully clothed and pulled the covers up to hide your plain clothes. You lay there for a few hours before you finally heard your father join your mother in their room, shutting the door. You gave it another hour before deciding it was safe to get up.

Carefully, you pulled your boots back on and grabbed your cloak. You made your way downstairs as quietly as you could before heading for the door. You opened it, careful not to make too much sound and stepped out under the pretense of going to the outhouse.

Once you were outside, you made sure the coast was clear, pulled your hood off and made your way to the forest, avoiding walking where you could be seen. As soon as you were in the trees, you grabbed your skirts and started making the trek to the clearing where you knew Hongjoong would be waiting.

You arrived as the clouds parted, moonlight filling the clearing and allowing you to see everything in the silver light. You could make out a figure sitting in the middle and walked over. You knelt down, throwing your arms around Hongjoong’s shoulders and surprising him.

“Starlight,” he said as he pulled you into a hug, burying his face in your hair. “You made it,” he murmured, hugging you tightly. You pulled back to look up at him, giggling as he cupped your face, thumb caressing your cheek before moving to your bottom lip.

“I missed you,” he said softly before closing the distance, pressing his lips to yours. You kissed him back, your hand moving to the back of his neck, fingers curling into his hair. “Sorry,” you said softly. “I got caught sneaking back in the other morning,” you added.

Hongjoong clicked his tongue and smiled at you before leaning in to kiss your forehead. “You have got to be more careful,” he mumbled against your skin. “I went out the front door this time,” you replied. “I think if she catches me coming in through the door, I can pass it off as going to the outhouse,” you explained. Hongjoong snorted before shaking his head.

“Such a clever girl,” he whispered. You looked skyward. “So,” you said, breaking the conversation. “What constellations do we have to look forward to tonight?”

Hongjoong spent the next couple hours pointing out different celestial bodies, telling you which ones they were and telling you about their properties in astrology. You lay next to one another on a blanket he brought to place on the grass as a barrier between your bodies and the ground. You weren’t sure when but at some point, you fell asleep, face buried in his chest as he hummed a melody, gently stroking your back.

As you awoke, you peered up at him. The moon had shifted in the sky, the light now coming from behind you and illuminating his face. He looked peaceful, eyes shut as he hummed that same lullaby. “Hongjoong?” you asked, your voice breaking the quiet.

His eyes fluttered open before landing on your face, a soft smile gracing his features. “What is it, Starlight?” he asked, his hand stilling on the small of your back. “How long have I been asleep?” you asked earnestly. Hongjoong glanced up at the sky, taking note of the change in the positions of the moon and the stars. “Hmm, maybe about an hour,” he answered.

You sighed, letting your head fall back onto the arm that was tucked under you. “I should probably head back,” you murmured. Hongjoong let out a quiet chuckle, moving his hand up to caress your cheek. “That would probably be for the best,” he hummed.

Neither of you made any attempts to move and you whined, rolling into him, pressing your face into his neck and inhaling his earth scent. “I don’t want to go back,” you whined. Hongjoong let out a low laugh this time, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you against him.

“You never want to, love,” he answered, the pet name sending a flutter through your stomach. “Can’t I just run away and come live with you?” you asked, pulling back to look up at his face. Hongjoong chuckled, leaning in to press his lips to your forehead. “As much as I would love that, Starlight,” he started. “I think your parents might figure out where you are and come to collect you.” You let out a groan of frustration. “Of course they would…”

Your eyes opened as a thought hit you and you quickly sat up, Hongjoong following, a look of concern and confusion etched onto his face. “Starlight?” he asked softly but you turned to look at him, excitement in your eyes.

“What if we both ran away?” you asked, catching him off guard. “We could leave together!” Hongjoong studied your expression as your words hung in the air. “You would do that?” he asked, scooting closer towards you. “You’d leave your village, your people, your family? Leave it all behind for me?” he asked, reaching up to cup your cheek. You leaned into his touch, eyes shutting as you reveled in the warmth of his hand.

“I would,” you answered. “If it meant I got to be with you always.” Hongjoong rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. “Do you think we’d make it?” he asked, his hand sliding down to the side of your neck. You nodded, watching his eyes dip down to where his hand rested against your neck. “I think we could make it. Maybe settle in a different part of the forest or even a different village. Maybe on the other side of the mountains,” you continued, feeling his thumb brush against the front of your throat.

“Or maybe we could settle down near the sea,” he countered, looking up to meet your gaze. “Build a little cabin near the shore.” Your lips pulled into a smile. “You’d build me a little cabin?” you asked softly. Hongjoong nodded, leaning closer. “I’d build you a hundred cabins if it pleased you,” he whispered, his lips inches from yours.

You giggled softly. “Now what would I do with a hundred cabins, Hongjoong?” you asked, laughing when he broke into a smile. “Okay, I’ll build you just one. But a really nice one,” he retorted. “One I could always add onto,” he continued, leaning forward and pushing you onto your back. You giggled as he hovered over you, lips barely brushing your own.

“Add on to? Why would you need to add onto the cabin?” you asked as he smiled down at you. “If we decided to expand our family,” he answered, pressing a short, chaste kiss to your lips before kissing a trail down the side of your neck. “Children, you mean?” you asked and he pulled back to look at you, nodding. “Only if you want them, of course,” he replied.

You pulled him down into a kiss, muffling the groan that escaped once you felt his hands on your hips. “I do,” you finally said when he broke the kiss. “I do want your children.” Hongjoong let out a sigh, shifting his body so his hips rested between your thighs. It was the most intimate position you’d been in with him.

“You want to carry my babies?” he asked softly, nipping playfully at the skin of your neck, moving up to whisper heavily in your ear. “You want me to get you pregnant?” he asked, hand sliding under your skirt and dragging his nails up the outside of your thigh. “Want me to do that right now? Make you mine and give you a baby at the same time?”

You let out a giggle as his breath tickled your neck. “Hongjoong! What if someone walks by?” you whispered. He pulled back, giving you a smirk. “No one ever walks past here, Starlight. These are my woods. People know better than to enter my woods,” he replied, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek.

“Well, I entered them,” you retorted. Hongjoong let out a chuckle. “You’re the only exception,” he replied. “You’re not just anyone. You’re my guiding star. These woods are just as much yours as they are mine, Starlight.” Your cheeks grew warm at his praise and suddenly, he was sitting up, taking your hand and helping you up.

“It is getting late, sweetheart,” he said as he glanced at the sky. “I don’t want you to get in trouble or not get any sleep before you start your chores in the morning. Come,” he added as he got to his feet, holding out his hand for you to take.

Once you were on your feet, he started to walk you in the direction of the village, taking care to help you over the fallen trees and broken branches until you reached the edge of the woods. Hongjoong turned you to face him, taking your face in his hands and pulling you into a kiss. “I hate parting,” he hummed as he pulled you into a tight embrace.

“One day we won’t have to part,” you replied, looking up at him. Hongjoong smiled, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Alright, Starlight,” he said softly. “You should head back. I don’t want you to get in trouble.” You nodded, starting to walk away but he held your hand. “I love you,” he said softly, making you break into a smile. “I love you,” you replied.

Once the words left your lips, he let go of your hand and watched as you exited the trees, sneaking around the back of the buildings until he was no longer in sight. As you reached your home, you stopped by the outhouse to do your business before heading back into the house. 

Shutting the door, you heard a creak and turned to find your mother standing at the base of the stairs, a candle in her hand. “What are you doing?” she asked in a hushed tone as you removed your hood. “I had to use the outhouse,” you answered. “I woke up with the urge.”

Your mother said nothing, only nodded and then gestured for you to head upstairs. You did so, her following you. As you reached the landing you bid her goodnight and went into your room, shutting the door. You quickly stripped down and put on your nightgown before getting into bed, forgetting your prayers altogether as you fell into a deep slumber.

—————————————————————

The following morning, your mother again asked what you did last night but you reiterated that you got up to use the outhouse. She asked why you were dressed and not in your nightgown and when you were unable to provide an answer, she knew you had snuck out yet again.

“How many times have I told you?” she scolded as you got ready to head to the chicken coop, your mother carrying a basket and accompanying you. “It’s dangerous to go out at night. Only devils, demons, and beasts wander the night,” she continued. “And you are no devil or demon nor beast, are you?” 

You shook your head in response as you worked. She tacked on extra work after you collected eggs. You were to milk the goats, clean their stalls, clean the house as well as tend to your gardens and help her with the laundry.

It wasn’t work you weren’t used to and you knew she was only doing it to keep a close eye on you. That night, you knew you wouldn’t be able to sneak out to see Hongjoong but you hadn’t made any plans to meet anyway. The next night you still weren’t able to sneak out without arousing suspicion.

On the third night, you received an unexpected visitor as you got up to get a glass of cider. You could hear your parents snoring in the other room as you tiptoed down the steps, barefoot in your nightgown and made your way over to the kitchen. You had just grabbed the pitcher when you heard a soft tapping on the window behind you.

Turning around, you were met with Hongjoong peering into the window. You gasped, setting the pitcher of cider down and rushed over to the window, carefully unlatching and opening it. “What are you doing?” you hissed at him as he smiled, leaning on the window sill.

“I haven’t seen or heard from you in three days,” he whispered back. You glanced towards the stairs before looking back at him. “Mama caught me coming in and saw me in my plain clothes so I couldn’t talk my way out of it,” you explained. Hongjoong’s eyes wandered down to your nightgown before looking back up to meet your gaze.

“Maybe you should sneak out in your nightgown instead,” he whispered, giving you a mischievous smirk. You playfully swatted at him. “I just need to wait until she’s not as on guard before I can sneak out again,” you added. Hongjoong leaned further in, peering into the empty room. “Or I can come in,” he offered. Your eyes widened, brows rising as you placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back slightly.

“That is far too risky,” you replied. He leaned in closer, face near yours. “I promise I’ll be quiet, Starlight,” he whispered. You shook your head again. “No,” you replied, gently pushing him back. Hongjoong pouted but you stood firm, leaning in to kiss him. “I promise I will come see you. How about next week? Saturday night?”

Hongjoong smiled, leaning in for another kiss. “Alright,” he whispered. “I guess it’ll have to do. But don’t forget the week after that. The new moon. I want to show you something amazing.” You smiled, pressing another kiss to his lips. “It’s a date,” you replied.

“Now get out of my window. You’re gonna get me in trouble!” you hissed. Hongjoong chuckled, leaning in one last time for a kiss before he finally pulled away and started to head back to the woods. You shut the window and went back to the pitcher, pouring yourself a glass of cider.

As you sipped it, you heard the stairs creak. Your father appeared at the base of the stairs with a candle. “Oh, you’re up?” he asked. “It’s late. What are you doing up?” You held up the cup of cider. “I woke up thirsty so I came to get some cider,” you answered.

With a nod, your father started for the door, no doubt heading to the outhouse. You finished your drink and set aside the cup before heading back upstairs to your room. As you settled into bed, you heard your father climb the stairs and the door to your parents room shut.

The rest of the week passed by without incident, your mother’s watch grew lax and you were certain you were in the clear. It was the morning of Saturday and you were running errands for your mother once more, checking the market for any sign of Hongjoong but found none.

You were leaving the Smith’s home when a shrill wail sounded from near the well. You turned your head as a crowd started to gather, the elder minister, Jonas, pushing his way through the crowd to get to the epicenter, Yeosang in tow. You froze as the wails continued. You were vaguely able to pick out some words but most of it was a jumbled mess of wailing and cries.

You stepped off the front stoop and slowly made your way over to the crowd. Part of you wanted to see what was going on but you also had to pass by the area on your way back to your home. You stopped at the edge of the crowd, standing on your tiptoes to try and see past the villagers but before you caught sight of anything, you felt a gentle hand on your arm.

Turning your head, you saw Yeosang meet your eyes before he firmly but carefully dragged you away from the commotion. You twisted around to glance back at the crowd but Yeosang continued to pull you away. “Don’t,” he said softly. His voice was quiet but his tone was very firm.

You turned back around and walked with him, avoiding the crowd as you headed home.

“What happened?” you whispered, glancing at him. He shook his head. “Mrs. Collins says something is wrong with her child, the youngest,” he replied, keeping a hand on your back as he guided you towards your home. 

“Oh no,” you said softly. “Not the baby, surely?” you asked. Yeosang’s silence confirmed it for you. “She claims it’s some sort of bewitchment,” he continued, a look of disdain crossing his features briefly. “More likely some illness is the culprit.” You looked up at him as he seemed to contemplate something before his attention shifted.

“How are you?” he asked softly. “I’m all right,” you answered. “Been busy and my duties have kept me inside,” you explained. “But hopefully soon, I’ll be able to come out more. I miss the fresh air.” Yeosang stared at you for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

“You miss the forest,” he said. It wasn’t a question. You glanced at him, cheeks growing warm under his gaze. “I know more than you think I do,” he continued. “I’ve seen you coming out of the forest.” Your heart skipped a beat. Your panic must have shown because Yeosang placed a hand on your shoulder. “I would never tell your secret,” he said reassuringly.

“Hongjoong needs a friend and if it's you, then I am happy for the both of you.”

Your heart rate slowed back to normal and you took a deep breath. “What if it’s not just friendship?” you asked quietly, glancing over to where the crowd was now dispersing before looking back at Yeosang.

He studied your expression before speaking in a low voice. “Have you done something that would be considered improper with Hongjoong?” he asked. Your eyes widened. Had you been improper with him? The memory of Hongjoong’s weight on top of you the other night came to mind but that was the extent of it.

You shook your head. “No,” you replied. “Nothing like that. He’s never taken more than a kiss,” you admitted, cheeks burning under Yeosang’s gaze. You missed the look that Yeosang gave initially but he quickly changed it.

“Well if that’s all he’s taking, then I won’t say anything,” he said, his tone light as the two of you continued towards your front door. Yeosang stopped, guiding you to turn towards him and looked around before speaking in a low voice.

“I really am happy that Hongjoong has you but I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you. Please, Y/N, be careful. Not everyone in this village would be so kind or welcoming of your… friendship with him.”

Before you could respond, the door beside you opened and you turned your head to find your mother standing on the other side. She looked from you to the young pastor and back before noticing his gentle grip on your sleeve.

As quickly as she noticed, Yeosang let go of you and stood upright, clearing his throat. You turned to look at him, scrambling for something to say. “Th-thank you for walking me back,” you said quickly, bowing your head. “It’s been a pleasure to talk with you again.” Yeosang gave you a warm smile.

“The pleasure has been mine,” he replied. Without another word, you slipped past your mother who greeted Yeosang before bidding him farewell and shutting the door. She rounded on you as you walked over to the kitchen to unload your haul.

“Do my eyes deceive me or have you been spending time with the youth minister?” she asked, approaching you as she wiped her hands on her apron. You glanced up, noticing her excited expression. “He just walked me home, mama,” you replied. “There was a commotion in the market today and he guided me around it and walked me to the door. That’s all.”

You bustled about, putting away jars and the bread you got from trading, your mother hot on your heels. “Is that who you’ve been sneaking out of the house to see late at night?”

You froze, hand in the bag of pastries as you were putting them away.

‘No,’ your mind said. ‘I’ve been seeing Hongjoong.’

The temptation to tell her the truth was strong but you knew if you did, your mother would never let you out of her sight again. But if she thought you were spending that time with Yeosang? She’d probably encourage it. ‘What’s one harmless lie?’

You turned to look at her, glancing around. “Is father home?” you asked softly, to which your mother shook her head, excitement building again. Taking a deep breath, you merely nodded. Your admission made your mother squeal with delight.

“Oh, he is a fine young man!” she exclaimed as you forced a smile and went about your chores, removing your cloak and grabbing an apron. “He is,” you simply replied, not wanting to feed too much into it. ‘And so is Hongjoong.’

You turned to look at your mother. “So, what can I help with?”

After finishing your chores for the day and preparing for a day of rest on Sunday, you headed out to the garden to bring in some fresh rosemary for your mother to add to dinner. You checked your stores of fungus but found you were running low.

“Oh, it’s alright,” your mother noted as you told her you were almost out of mushrooms. “We don’t have to add them this time.” You removed your apron and donned your cloak, fastening it as you headed for the door. “Nonsense,” you replied. “I know a spot close by where they grow. I’ll be back in a moment.”

You pulled open the door, stepping out into the cool air as the sun was beginning to set. You walked towards the forest, passing houses on your way. “Y/N!” a voice called. You turned to find Nicolas waving you over. You quickened your pace as he said something to one of his friends and made a beeline towards you.

You stifled a groan as he stopped you, blocking your path, grabbing your arm which you pulled back immediately. “Where are you off to so late?” he asked, that signature smirk on his face that made you want to smack it off. “None of your business, Nicolas,” you replied and tried to step around him.

Nicolas matched your movements, letting out a chuckle. “Come on, Y/N. Why do you always shut me out? All I want is to be friends,” he asked, taking a step forward, forcing you to take one back. “I don’t want to be friends with you, Nicolas,” you retorted, voice low and full of ire.

“Why not? I really like you, Y/N. Everyone knows you’re probably going to be my wife one day, so why fight it?” You let out a sound of disgust, pushing him aside and hurrying into the forest, taking one glance back before making your way through the woods on a path you knew well.

Your attempts to lose Nicolas were in vain as he followed you into the trees. “Come on back, Y/N! It’s not safe here at night!” You ignored him, continuing on your path to the small patch where your favorite mushrooms grew at the base of the pines.

Nicolas was hot on your trail as you reached the spot and started searching in the low light for a few good mushrooms. “You’re fast,” Nicolas noted as he stopped to lean against a tree, watching you forage. “What are you doing?”

“Foraging,” you snapped as you found a few mushrooms and started to carefully unearth them. “You really are a strange person,” Nicolas said as he walked over, crossing his arms and leaning against the tree you were currently knelt by.

“You know, this is quite a compromising position,” he said, a chuckle escaping him as you glanced up at him. “There’s nothing compromising about this,” you replied, turning away from him and continuing to collect the mushrooms.

“Oh come on, Y/N,” he said. You felt his hand roughly grab your chin and turn your head to face him. “I know you like me,” he continued. “I know when a woman acts disgusted, it actually means she wants you.”

You jerked your head back, glaring up at him in the dying light of the sun. “No,” you said, shaking your head. “It doesn’t and I don’t know who taught you that but they’re wrong. When a woman acts disgusted it’s because she’s actually disgusted. You are rude, crass, and the last man on this green earth I would ever marry!”

Your voice echoed around the forest as your words set in. Nicolas let out a deep sigh. “I’m tired of waiting for you to come around, I guess I’ll just have to force you,” he snapped. You tried to back away, getting to your feet clumsily as Nicolas made his move.

He forced you back down, kneeling as he grabbed your wrists and tried to force you to the dirt. “Let go of me!” you shouted as he managed to force you down onto the forest floor. You struggled against his hold as he rolled you onto your stomach, taking your hands behind your back as you kicked and tried to scream.

You felt his hand tug at the skirt of your dress, trying to force the hem up and you struggled harder, screaming insults and curses at him. He managed to keep your hands pinned as he started to loosen the ties of his trousers.

“Give in, Y/N, it’ll be more enjoyable,” he huffed.

You wriggled and writhed under him, trying to free your hands or wear him out enough to break free, coughing up dirt and dust as he resumed pulling your dress up. “Don’t touch me!” you growled. “My father will have your head on a pike, Nicolas!”

You heard him chuckled before there was a loud metallic thud and the weight on top of you dissipated. You looked over your shoulder to see a dark figure standing above you and a now unconscious Nicolas, holding a shovel. “Y/N?” a familiar voice asked, the figure moving to kneel beside you.

It was Hongjoong.

You pushed yourself up before collapsing into his arms as the shovel hit the ground. His arms went around you instinctively as you sobbed into his chest. “It’s all right, love, I’m here,” he said softly, stroking your back as you continued to cry.

“Here,” he continued, guiding you to your feet and helping brush the dirt off your dress. “What are you doing here?” he asked, taking your face in his hands. “I was just foraging for some mushrooms,” you said between sobs. Hongjoong clicked his tongue before pulling you in closer. “He f-followed me,” you continued.

Hongjoong glanced down at the unconscious form of Nicolas, his dislike of the man having grown tenfold. He could kill him but he wouldn’t. He would let the villagers decide what to do with him. “Come on, love,” Hongjoong said as he stooped down to pick up your small bag of mushrooms. “Let’s get you home.”

You shook your head. “I want to stay with you,” you objected but Hongjoong pressed a kiss to your forehead, calmly shushing you. “You need to go back home. I’ll walk you. I’ll explain to your parents what happened. I came across Nicolas trying to assault you and stopped him. With the state you’re in, they’ll have no choice but to believe me.”

You nodded slowly as Hongjoong carefully led the way out of the forest. The sun had almost set by the time you reached the village and very few people were still outside, those who were, eyed the two of you as you made your way to your house.

Upon reaching the door, it opened and the worried face of your father turned into confusion when he saw Hongjoong. “If I may explain?” he asked before your father could get a word in. Your father stood in the doorway, eyeing the man for a moment before relenting and letting the two of you in.

Your mother rushed over, gasping at the state of your dress and tear stained face. She guided you to sit down as your father rounded on Hongjoong. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.

“I know what this looks like but Y/N can vouch for the events. I was coming back from burying one of my goats in the forest when I heard screaming. I followed the sound and found your daughter being attacked,” Hongjoong explained.

“I rushed over and managed to incapacitate the man and immediately helped her up and brought her straight back here,” he continued. Your father turned from Hongjoong to look in your direction. You glanced up, eyes full of tears and nodded. “It’s true,” you added.

“Why were you in the forest alone?” your father asked.

“I went to get some mushrooms, to add to the stew,” you explained, to which Hongjoong handed the small cloth bag to your father. “Nicolas followed me into the forest after I told him to leave me be,” you continued, taking a deep breath.

“Nicolas?” your father asked, turning to look at you fully, brows furrowed in confusion. “Aye, Nicolas,” you heard Hongjoong reply. “He was the one attacking her.” Your father turned to look at Hongjoong. “Why would Nicolas attack her? What could he possibly want?” your father asked. Hongjoong fell silent, hoping the realization would come to your father.

“I asked you a question, boy,” your father snapped. Hongjoong sighed and glanced at you before addressing your father.

“He was trying to force himself on her,” he answered. “He had her pinned down and was trying to –” Hongjoong’s voice cracked. “Are you accusing him of trying to rape my daughter?” your father asked incredulously. “He’s not accusing him,” you interjected. “Nicolas tried to rape me. He pushed me down and tried to lift my skirt and –” your voice faltered as your mother pulled you into her embrace. “If it hadn’t been for Hongjoong, Nicolas would have succeeded.”

Your mother patted your head, shushing you gently as she rocked you. A fresh wave of tears rolled down your cheeks as you sobbed softly. Your father turned to Hongjoong, running a hand over his face. “Where is Nicolas now?” he asked.

“In the forest as far as I know. I hit him with a shovel. He was out pretty good. Still breathing. Unless he came to, he should be right where I left him,” Hongjoong answered. Your father nodded before gesturing to the door. “I will need to go get some of the others but we will need you to show us where Nicolas is,” he continued as he led the way to the door.

You looked up as Hongjoong followed your father. He glanced back at you. “Thank you,” you called out. Hongjoong nodded and your heart ached, yearning to run to him and kiss him for saving you but in front of your parents, all you could do was express your gratitude through your words.

Your father opened the door and just like that, they were gone.

The next morning, you learned from your mother that Nicolas was indeed still where Hongjoong said he was and was still passed out. It took a few of the villagers to carry him through the forest back to the village and that your father had personally thanked Hongjoong for what he’d done.

You were unable to meet with Hongjoong that night and for the next week, your mother kept you inside and away from the forest. She ran your errands instead while you stayed inside. News of Nicolas’ transgression had spread throughout the village and by the middle of the week, the entire village knew what he had done and with the backing of your father’s testimony, Nicolas was to be punished accordingly.

His sentencing came almost a week after the incident. He was to receive fifty lashes, publicly, spend a day in the stock, and receive a brand on the back of his hand. Your father wanted you to attend the sentences being carried out but your mother advocated for you to stay home so you wouldn’t have to see Nicolas again.

Hongjoong’s name was kept out of it all and when your father recounted the tale to the ministers, he testified that you had walked home alone and that an unseen figure had knocked Nicolas out and ran.

It upset you that your father refused to speak a word on the good deed Hongjoong had done but if you said anything about Hongjoong, it could make the townfolk’s beliefs shift in favor of your assailant.

You were checking the pot hanging over the hearth, stirring the stew when you heard a knock at the door. Your parents were out, attending the public whipping so you were home alone. You wiped your hands on your apron and walked over to the door, cracking it open.

At the threshold was Yeosang, he turned quickly as the door opened and he looked relieved upon seeing you. “Can I come in?” he asked softly. You opened the door further, hearing the crack of the whip and cries of pain in the distance.

Yeosang quickly entered the house, allowing you to shut the door and muffle the sounds of torture. Yeosang looked around before turning to look at you. “How are you?” he asked quickly. “I wanted to check on you as soon as I heard.”

You forced a smile. “I’m okay,” you replied softly. Yeosang closed the distance between you, gently lifting your face to look at him. “You don’t have to lie or put on a brave face around me, Y/N. What you went through… I can’t even imagine.”

You pulled back, turning to resume cooking. “It’s okay, really. Nicolas didn’t get far. He was knocked out cold before anything could really happen.”

Yeosang stepped forward cautiously. “Right,” he answered. “The unseen figure in the forest.”

You picked up the spoon and stirred the pot, hoping to distract yourself with cooking. “Your father said you didn’t see who it was but I have a suspicion,” Yeosang said softly, stopping just behind you. “It was Hongjoong, wasn’t it?”

You turned quickly to look up at him. “Please, don’t bring this up. I don’t want to cause any more trouble!” Yeosang held up a hand to calm you before he placed that same hand on your shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise,” he whispered.

“And you aren’t causing problems. Nicolas made his choices. You did nothing wrong. He has to face the consequences of his actions. Whatever you may think or may have heard, you are not to blame in any of this.”

You nodded slowly as he retracted his hand. “I merely wanted to check on you,” he added, making his way over to the door. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.” You watched as he reached for the door. “Why?” you asked suddenly, catching him off guard.

Yeosang turned to look at you. “Why what?” he asked, seeking clarification.

“Why did you want to make sure I’m all right?” you asked again. Yeosang studied your face for a moment before responding. “Because I care about you, Y/N. I care about you a great deal.”

He gave you a kind smile before bowing his head and opening the door, stepping out and shutting it behind him, leaving you to contemplate the meaning of his words. He cared about you? Did he care about you as a neighbor? As a pastor? Or as a man? Questions consumed your mind as you returned to the stew over the hearth while you pondered.

After dinner that night, you sat in your room, dressed for bed as you stared at the same spot on the floor for what felt like hours. There was a soft knock on your door and you looked up in time to see your mother peer into your room. “Have you said your prayers?” she asked to which you nodded. A lie, but your mother didn’t need to know that. You had much more on your mind than praying.

Your mother entered your room, shutting the door and walked over to sit beside you. “I heard the young pastor came to visit you during Nic- the sentencing,” she said, stopping herself from saying the name. You nodded wordlessly. “He clearly cares a great deal about you,” your mother said, a hint of joy to her voice.

“Perhaps he will ask you to m–”

“I’m really tired, Mama,” you whispered, cutting her off. She fell silent before taking your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Of course, my dear,” she said, bringing your hand up to place a kiss on the back. “Get some sleep. We have service in the morning.”

She got up and headed for the door, you watching as she opened it. “Mama,” you called out suddenly, making her turn to face you. “I love you,” you said, giving her a small smile. She returned the smile before replying. “I love you, too.”

As soon as the coast was clear, you headed out of the house. With things dying down after the incident with Nicolas, you felt you would be able to visit Hongjoong once again.

You had opted to keep your nightgown on, throwing your cloak over it and headed out of the house, keeping as quiet as possible as you snuck into the forest, following the path to Hongjoong’s place once more.

Upon arriving, you saw that the lights were out and wondered if maybe you should go back but you decided against it, your urge to see him stronger than the urge to let him rest.

He wouldn’t be mad at you for that, would he? He couldn’t.

As you reached the door, the goats were in their shed for the night and made no sound upon your approach, so you were able to actually knock on the door, softly at first.

Either Hongjoong was a light sleeper or he had just settled down for bed because you heard a light shuffling before a dim light emanated from the window. You heard the latch for the door slide and it opened a crack, the light of a candle peering out from the darkness before the door opened wider.

“Starlight?” Hongjoong asked as he realized it was you. “Did I wake you?” you asked softly as he checked the woods around the cabin. “No, no,” he answered before ushering you in. “I just wasn’t expecting you.”

You turned as he set the candle down on the table and moved to light the fire in the hearth. “I just wanted to see you,” you explained as he set a few logs on the growing blaze. “It’s alright, Starlight,” he said with a chuckle.

You moved to kneel behind him as he stoked the fire, trying to get it to grow. He let out a small noise of surprise as you wrapped your arms around him, resting your head against his shoulder.

“I missed you,” you whispered. He grabbed one of your hands, bringing it up to kiss. “I missed you too, Starlight.” The two of you sat there in silence as the crackling of the fire filled the space. Finally Hongjoong started to turn and you released him.

“I haven’t been able to ask,” he said softly, cupping your cheek. “How are you doing?” he whispered, eyes searching your face. “I’m fine,” you answered. “I don’t want to talk about that,” you said softly.

“I didn’t come here to talk about that.” Hongjoong nodded as you got up and walked over to the table. He stood up, following your movements and taking your hand in his, bringing it up to press against his chest where you could feel his heartbeat.

“Then what do you want?” he asked gently, reaching his hand up to caress your cheek. You looked up at him, leaning into his touch before moving your hand up to the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

Hongjoong fed into your touch, hands sliding to your waist and pulling you closer as his lips parted yours, his tongue sliding into your mouth. He tasted like strawberries and you pulled back to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned he’d done something wrong. “You taste like strawberries,” you said softly, eyes dipping to look at his lips. He chuckled before speaking. “I had some before bed,” he admitted.

You looked around. “Do you have any more?” you asked. Hongjoong shook his head. “I ate some of them, the rest I’ve started to pickle,” he explained, nodding towards a set of jars sitting on the mantle of the fireplace.

You pouted before looking back up at him. “I guess I’ll just have to kiss you some more,” you said, pulling him into a kiss. Hongjoong laughed into the kiss as your need grew, hands moving to pull at his shirt. Hongjoong stopped you, pulling back to look at your face.

“What are you doing, Starlight?” he asked, holding your hands still. You tried to pull free and continue. “I want more,” you simply said but he didn’t relent. “Want more what? Starlight, I need you to be absolutely certain you know what you’re asking for.”

You stopped struggling to look at him. “The incident with Nicolas made me realize that I don’t want anyone else, Hongjoong. I want you and only you,” you explained, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Hongjoong’s eyes flickered back and forth between yours.

“Are you absolutely sure, Starlight? Do you even know what you’re asking?” he asked softly as you reached up, caressing his cheek, tracing down to his lips. “I want you to make love to me, Hongjoong,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

“I want you to make me yours, give me a baby, I don’t care. I just want you to claim me,” you added.

Hongjoong swallowed thickly before he pulled you into a kiss, his tongue slipping back into your mouth, stifling the moan that had been building up in your chest. His hands moved to your hips, guiding you carefully back towards his bed.

“On the bed, sweetheart,” he said softly. You did as he asked, undoing your cloak and letting it fall to the floor before sitting down on the edge of the bed. Hongjoong dropped to his knees, starting to undo your boots and pull them off one by one. He looked up at you, his hands sliding up your legs, pushing your nightgown up to your knees.

“Lie back for me,” he instructed. You did as he asked, propping yourself up on your elbows. Hongjoong guided you back onto the bed until you were in the middle, climbing over you.

“What’re you–” you started to ask but he simply shushed you, his hand moving from your lips and sliding down to your chest. His hand ghosted over your chest, sliding further still, past your stomach until he reached your most private area. He carefully and without breaking eye contact, pulled the hem of your nightgown up.

“I want you to do something for me,” he said softly, licking his lips. You nodded silently, looking up at him. “I want you to touch yourself,” he said, taking your hand and guiding it under your nightgown.

Your cheeks burned under his gaze. “T-touch myself?” you asked softly. Hongjoong nodded.

You thought back to when you’d attempted to touch yourself but had grown both ashamed and frustrated at your inability to make yourself feel good. You nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact with him. “And how did it feel?” he asked, keeping your hands in place. “It was… fine,” you answered, cheeks burning as one of his brows rose questioningly. “Fine?” he asked. “Just fine?”

You nodded. “I don’t think I did it right,” you blurted out, your eyes widening at your own admittance. Hongjoong’s lips threatened to curl into a smile but instead he cleared his throat, tearing his eyes from yours for a moment as he glanced down to where both of your hands disappeared under your dress.

“Show me.”

You nearly choked on your own breath at his command.

“S-show you?” you asked. “Show you what?” Hongjoong leaned in, pressing his forehead to your temple. “Show me how you touch yourself, pet,” he replied softly, his breath hot against your ear. “Show me so I can teach you how to make yourself feel good.”

You glanced up at Hongjoong who was tracing your features with his eyes before meeting your gaze. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked softly. You shook your head. “I… I want this I’m just…” you trailed off. “I’ve never…”

Hongjoong smiled, taking your face in his hand and turning you to look at him. “I know, sweetheart,” he replied. “That’s why I’m taking this slow.” You nodded slowly and cleared your throat, licking your lips. “I don’t know how to start. Should I just–?” you turned to look at Hongjoong but your words were cut off when he pressed his lips to yours.

You moaned into the kiss as he pressed your fingers into yourself, finding the wetness between your thighs. Hongjoong groaned against your lips as he guided your fingers, pressing against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

You gasped as he guided your fingers to circle the nub, his lips parting yours as his tongue explored your mouth. This was nothing new to you. Hongjoong had kissed you like this plenty of times before but him guiding your hand beneath your skirt was definitely new.

“Go on, darling,” he mumbled against your lips. “Show me how you touch yourself.” You whimpered as your fingers pressed against yourself clumsily. Hongjoong removed his hand, taking your chin in his fingers and pressing a tender kiss against your lips.

An urgency took over, his tongue slipping back into your mouth and dancing against your own as your fingers tried to massage and stroke yourself but it was no use. You weren’t sure what you were doing. It was messy and clumsy and you whined against Hongjoong who pulled back, to meet your gaze. His hand joined yours, fingers guiding yours as he pressed against the bundle of nerves again.

The moment it made contact, your mind went blank. “Feel that?” he whispered as your eyes slid shut. “That’s where you wanna touch,” he continued, guiding your fingers in a circle. “And this,” he added, moving your hand further down, pressing your fingers against your slit. “Is where you can also touch but like this,” he continued, guiding your fingers and pressing the tip into your hole.

You let out a gasp, eyes opening to meet his. “Don’t worry,” he cooed. “We’ll take it slow.”

Hongjoong guided your fingers back up. “This is the clitoris,” he explained, showing you how to massage and circle the nub just enough to give you some pleasure. “Keep going, sweetheart,” he whispered as his hand moved from yours. You watched as he brought his fingers up to his lips, wetting them before his hand disappeared under your skirt.

“Spread your legs for me a little,” he urged, fingers finding your slit when you obeyed. “Good girl,” he cooed.

“This might be uncomfortable at first,” he explained. “But if we’re going to do this, I have to prepare you.”

“Prepare me?” you asked, slowing your ministrations. Hongjoong nodded. “You wanted me to make love to you, right?” he asked to which you nodded. “Then I have to make sure to get you ready. If I don’t, it might hurt you and I don’t want to hurt you.”

You nodded as you looked up at him, cheeks burning and lips wet with both your spit. “Keep going,” he urged and you continued to move your fingers against yourself, letting out a soft whimper as it started to feel good.

You felt the tip of one of his fingers slowly enter your hole and you froze. Hongjoong’s hand stilled. “Don’t tense up, sweetheart. Just relax.” You nodded, trying to will your body to relax against the intrusion.

“Keep touching yourself,” he reminded you. “It’ll help relax you. Try speeding up a little.” 

You did as he instructed, letting out a small whimper as the friction increased, a heat starting to spread from the pit of your stomach to other parts of your body. Hongjoong continued to ease his finger inside you, keeping his eyes on your face as he did until he stopped. “Is… is it in?” you asked curiously. Hongjoong nodded. “How do you feel?” he asked. It wasn’t uncomfortable like Hongjoong mentioned. It was a foreign feeling. You’d never felt anything like it before.

“It feels… odd,” you answered. Hongjoong chuckled, carefully pulling his finger back until just the tip was in and before you could ask what he was doing, he moved his finger back inside you, setting a slow pace, pumping in and out of you. “Oh, that’s different,” you whimpered. You felt him curl his finger and you let out a moan at the sensation of his finger rubbing against a soft spongy spot inside you.

“Does that feel good?” he asked softly as he continued to move his finger. You nodded, unable to speak, only whimpering and whining as he continued. After a few moments of this, he pulled his finger back and leaned down, taking your lips in a searing kiss. You squealed into the kiss when you felt his finger reenter you this time with a second one.

“It’s okay,” he murmured as his hand stilled. “I have to stretch you if I’m going to fit,” he continued. “If what’s going to fit?” you asked, breathing heavily. Hongjoong removed his hand from between your legs, grabbing your hand and guiding it to his groin. “You wanted me to make love to you, Starlight,” he replied.

You felt your walls contract around nothing as your hand met something hard. “But for this to be able to fit, I have to do this,” he continued, his hand returning to the space between your thighs, fingers slipping back inside you easily. You let out a moan as his fingers sank into your heat.

“Here,” he muttered, gently nudging your thighs apart. “Spread your legs a little more for me.”

You did as he asked, letting out a moan as his fingers slowly pumped in and out of you. The slight sting was quickly replaced with a dull ache which subsided into pleasure not long after. You felt his fingers move, attempting to stretch your walls more. “No matter what, this might hurt,” he continued as he curled his fingers against the spongy spot that had your back arching off the mattress, a whimper leaving your lips as a tension wound tightly in the pit of your belly.

“But I promise I’ll be gentle,” he added.

You let out a whimper, turning your head to bury your face in his chest, making him chuckle as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of you.

“How does it feel?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he watched you writhe under him. “S-so good,” you whined, fingers digging into the linens of his bed. “Yeah? Feels good?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I think I can do better than that.”

His fingers moved faster, the coil in your body winding tighter and tighter as the pressure built. You let out a gasp as you felt cool air against your naked lower half. Hongjoong had shifted, positioning himself between your legs as his fingers continued to pump in and out of you. 

He gave you a mischievous smirk before lowering his gaze, his lips parted, tongue slipping out to wet his lips before you felt his tongue against the bundle of nerves you’d been working earlier but completely lost interest in when Hongjoong’s fingers entered you.

You let out a loud moan, falling back against the bed as his tongue flicked against you expertly, teasing, rolling, and licking against you as his fingers moved in tandem. The coil that had been winding inside you finally broke, the tension in your body finally reaching a breaking point as a rush of heat and wave of pleasure washed over you, spreading from your stomach to the tips of your fingers and toes as you let out a moan, your legs shaking.

Hongjoong continued to lap at the sensitive nub before finally pulling back, his fingers also slipping out of your hole. You raised yourself up, propping up on your elbows as he appeared, cleaning his fingers. The sight alone had a fresh wave of want coursing through your body.

You grabbed the front of his tunic, pulling him into a passionate kiss which surprised not only him but yourself. Hongjoong chuckled as he broke the kiss and pulled you up into a sitting position. 

“Let’s get this off you,” he said softly tugging at your nightgown. “But then I’ll be naked,” you replied. Hongjoong chuckled as his hands worked to gather the material. “That’s the idea, love,” he answered. “But you’re still dressed,” you continued. 

“Shouldn’t we both be naked?”

Hongjoong chuckled and sat back, looking down at you with the skirt of your nightgown in his hands before he reluctantly let go of it, instead grabbing the back of the collar of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, discarding it quickly on the floor with your cloak and boots.

You’d never seen him without a shirt on before so this was entirely new to you. Before he could continue, you sat up and moved your hand to rest against his chest, feeling his heart thump under your splayed fingers. Your hand moved up past his collar to his shoulder before moving down to his bicep, squeezing gently as your hand explored. Hongjoong tried to push you onto your back but you took control instead, forcing him back and climbing onto him.

Your boldness took him by surprise as you straddled his hips, resting your hands against his chest as you continued to explore with your fingers. Your hands wandered lower and lower, stopping by the ties of his trousers. You looked up to meet his gaze, finding his eyes already watching you.

“Go ahead,” he said softly. You lowered your eyes, hands moving to the ties and undoing them with shaky fingers. Hongjoong waited as you took your time, undoing the ties to his pants before looking back up at him briefly. You scooted back, pulling his pants as you did.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting but seeing him completely nude for the first time wasn’t as intimidating or daunting as you were expecting. Your eyes scanned his lean body, taking in his toned abs and thighs. You’d never seen a man naked before so you were unfamiliar with what you were seeing. Hongjoong watched as you reached out carefully, gently placing your hand against his cock as it rested against his stomach.

It was hot against your hand and smooth on the underside. There were a few veins that ran up the sides towards the head, which was darker than the rest. It felt hard and firm in your hand as you wrapped your fingers around it apprehensively. Hongjoong let out a hiss and you started to retract your hand but he stopped you, grabbing your wrist. 

“Don’t,” he said softly. “It feels good, I promise.”

You nodded wordlessly before lowering your eyes to his length. You wrapped your fingers around it with renewed confidence and gently moved your hand up towards the tip before back down. Hongjoong let out a groan, head falling back against the bed as you moved experimentally.

Before he could say anything you leaned over, giving the tip of his cock a shy lick. The moment of your wet tongue made contact, Hongjoong let out a growl, grabbing your wrist and pulling your hand off him before he flipped you onto your back, hovering over you. 

“I’m sorry,” you squeaked out but he shook his head. “Don’t be,” he replied. “I had to stop you. If I didn’t I might have done something that wouldn’t feel good for you. I don’t want to do that for your first time.” You nodded quickly as his hands moved to your waist before starting to gather your chemise in his hands. He finally managed to slide the fabric up and remove it entirely, letting it fall to the side and leaving you completely bare before him.

His eyes scanned your body, taking in every detail and committing it to memory. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured as his hands moved to your knees, pushing your legs apart as he leaned forward. “So, so beautiful,” he continued, pressing a short kiss to your lips before his kisses continued down the side of your neck and to your chest. You let out a gasp as you felt his wet tongue against your nipple, letting out a whine as he suckled softly, his hand moving up to knead your other breast as he flicked his tongue over the pert bud in his mouth.

He let it fall, pressing kisses across your chest before repeating the same motions, swirling his tongue around your nipple and taking it gently into his mouth. You could feel the tip of his cock prod firmly at your thigh, eager to be buried inside you. It was hot and pulsated.

“Hongjoong,” you whimpered, one of your hands moving to comb through his hair as he let your nipple fall from his lips. “Yes, kitten?” he asked softly, looking up to meet your gaze. “Are you going to fuck me?” you asked, uncertain where the confidence came from. Hongjoong drew level with you, taking your chin in his hand firmly.

“Where did you learn such filthy language?” he asked. You let out a gasp as you felt the tip of his cock press against your slit. “And no,” he answered. “I’m not going to fuck you.” He reached between your bodies, taking his length firmly in his grasp and guiding the head to your slit.

“I’m going to make love to you,” he continued, pressing into you, the head of his cock slipping into you without much restraint. “Because you’re mine, starlight. You’re mine and I’m yours,” he added as he slid into you, slowly stretching your walls. It stung only a little as he bottomed out, stilling as he allowed your body to adjust to the intrusion which was significantly more than two of his fingers.

“H-Hongjoong,” you whimpered as your walls contracted rhythmically around his cock. “Yes, my love?” he murmured in your ear, his hot breath hitting your neck. “I’m okay,” you said softly. “You can move.” Hongjoong pressed a few kisses to your neck, ignoring the thin layer of sweat that was starting to cover both of your bodies.

He pulled back slowly, keeping his eyes on your face for any sign of discomfort. He gave you a shallow tentative thrust, his cock filling your walls quickly. The motion had you gasping but you waved him on. It wasn’t painful, just an entirely new experience. Hongjoong set a slow, steady pace, thrusting into you carefully so as not to hurt you.

“Hongjoong,” you whined. “Please don’t hold back. I’m okay,” you encouraged him. He shook his head. “You really don’t want that, sweetheart,” he warned you. “If I don’t hold back, I might hurt you.” You reached up, cupping his cheek. “I want to experience everything you can give me, please, Hongjoong,” you pleaded.

“Please give me everything. Don’t hold back.”

Hongjoong let out a groan, his head dropping into the crook of your neck. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice muffled. You nodded, your fingers curling into his hair. “Make love to me the only way you know how.”

Hongjoong let out a huff, one of his hands moving to the back of your thigh and pushing it forward against your side, allowing him to sink further into you. You let out a gasp and the new angle and before he really let go, he nuzzled your nose with his. “Hold onto me,” he instructed. You did as he said, wrapping one arm around his neck.

Once he was certain you were secure, he didn’t hold back, his hips thrusting into you hard, making you cry out from the intensity. The sound of his skin hitting yours filled the cabin, drowned out only by your moans and cries of pleasure as he slammed into you, pounding you into the mattress below.

“Oh, g– oh yes. F-feels so good,” you whimpered as his cock hit against the spot that had you seeing stars earlier. “Yeah? You like it? Like it when I fill this sweet little cunt?” he asked in a growl. Your walls fluttered around him, attempting to suck him in and keep him buried inside your warm walls forever.

“Look at your greedy little hole. Trying to suck me in. You want me to bury my cock inside you and never leave, huh?” he asked. You’d never heard such filthy language before but when Hongjoong said it, it only increased the pleasure you were feeling. “Yes,” you gasped. “I love it! I want it all the time!”

Hongjoong let out a low laugh, almost a scoff as he continued to fuck into you, his hips hitting yours. “Such a good girl, letting me fuck her like this in my bed. I wanted to take it slow and make love to you all night but you were just so impatient. Needed me to fuck you like a bitch in heat. Isn’t that right?”

You let out a wanton moan at his words. “Yes. I am!” you cried out.

“What are you?” Hongjoong asked, his thrusts growing more erratic as he neared the edge. “I’m a bitch in heat. I’m your bitch in heat!” you answered. Hongjoong let out a low groan, his hips stilling as he pulled out of you quickly. You barely had time to register what was happening before he had you on your stomach, legs spread, back end propped up as he re-entered you and slammed into you roughly.

You cried into the sheets as he fucked into you harshly, hips slapping against your ass as he burried his cock deep inside you with every thrust. “You’re my bitch? Letting me fuck you like this. I bet you’ll let me fill you up too, right? You gonna let me breed you, darling? Fill you with my seed?” You whimpered into the sheets, unable to speak. You felt Hongjoong’s hand around the front of your throat as he pulled your head up.

“Let me hear you say it. Say you want me to fill you up and breed you,” he repeated. “Say it.”

“P-please Hongjoong,” you gasped. “F-fill me up. Breed me like a bitch in heat. Fill me with your seed-!”

You let out a gasp as you felt Hongjoong’s teeth sink into your shoulder as he came with a groan, burying his cock as deep as he could as his release spilled inside your walls, coating it and filling every crevice with each pump.

“That’s it,” he groaned, his voice hoarse as he pushed your chest against the bed. “Take all of it,” he growled, giving you a thrust. “Be a good girl and take all of it.”

You tried to catch your breath as you both came down from your respective highs. Soon, Hongjoong was pulling out of you and the next few minutes were a blur of him cleaning your skin with a damp cloth, whispering sweet praise in your ear about how well you did and how much he loved you.

Once you managed to calm yourself and regain your breathing, you lay in his bed, covers pulled up as you lay on your side, looking at Hongjoong who stared back at you. “You really are the most beautiful person I think I’ve ever seen,” he said softly, reaching out to caress your cheek. “No prettier than you are,” you answered.

Hongjoong let out a shy chuckle before leaning in to kiss you. Your hands started to wander and he stopped you as you rolled him into his back. “Patience, love,” he said as you pressed kisses against his cheek and neck, kissing down to his collar before he stopped you. “The sun will be rising soon,” he said softly, caressing from your temple to your chin and back, cupping your cheek.

“As much as I would love for you to stay and wake up to this beautiful face in the morning, your parents will not be pleased if they find your bed empty.” You sighed sadly, dropping your head onto his chest. “I don’t want to go back…” you whispered. Hongjoong sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. “I know, love,” he said, lifting your head to look at him.

“But give it a few more months. Let me save up so we can leave this place together. We can find a place to settle down. Maybe near the sea. We can start a life together.” You leaned into his touch, sighing contentedly. “Okay,” you answered finally, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. “Let’s get you dressed,” he said as he helped you up.

Once your clothes were back on, he quickly and carefully led you out of the cabin and towards the village, stopping at the edge of the forest. He pulled you towards him, hidden behind one of the large trees. “What are you–” he cut you off with a kiss, wrapping his arms around you and holding you close. Breaking the kiss, you looked up into his eyes before taking a deep breath. “I love you,” you whispered. He took your face in his hands. “You mean it, Starlight?” he asked softly.

You nodded, looking up at him, his face partially illuminated by the light of the moon. “Do you love me?” you asked, not caring how naive you sounded. Hongjoong’s lips curved into a smile. “I love you more than the stars love the moon,” he answered. “I love you more than the moon loves the night. You’re my everything,” he continued.

“I meant it earlier when I said give me time to save up so we can leave this place together. I want a life with you,” he added. “I want to marry you, give you a home, and children. I want our happily ever after. I just need time.”

You nodded, trusting him entirely. “I understand. Just a few months and then we can go. Run away and leave this place behind.” Hongjoong pulled you into a kiss. “You need to go before your parents discover you gone,” he said when he pulled back. “Can I come see you tonight?” you asked softly. Hongjoong shook his head, chuckling. “So eager to see me again? Get your chores done, Starlight. Come see me in a few days.”

You nodded, starting to part before rushing back and kissing him again. Hongjoong chuckled softly, pushing you gently in the direction of your house. “Go, my love. Don’t get caught!” he whispered and you reluctantly left him behind and snuck out of the tree line, making a break for your house.

You managed to sneak back to the window you’d used to leave earlier. Once you were back in your room and in bed, you lay awake, reliving the moments of the night. The way Hongjoong touched you, kissed you, and made love to you. You knew that you would never want to be with another soul. Hongjoong was the one.

—————————————————————

Your parents didn’t confront you about your nightly escapade and so you felt as though you might be in the clear. A week passed by during which you continued to sneak out to see Hongjoong. As your love deepened, so did the sexual relationship between you. The second time you found yourselves in his bed, he was much gentler than he had been that first time, wanting to make it up to you though he had nothing to make up for.

Things in the village hadn’t changed much. Folks crops were still going bad before the harvest, livestock was getting sick and dying but your time with Hongjoong just strengthened the claim he was not to blame. How could he when he spent most of his days either tending to his garden, foraging, or hunting?

On the rare occasion that you were allowed to leave the village during the day, you joined him in the forest to forage. He showed you where to collect berries that were safe to eat and sweeter than anything you’d eaten before. He also helped you gather different herbs for cooking but also for healing, showing you how to prepare them into pastes and balms.

Hongjoong had so much knowledge to give and you were eager to learn, something he always appreciated.

You had spent a better part of the afternoon in the forest with Hongjoong and after stealing a few kisses, he sent you on your way back to the village so you wouldn’t get into trouble for being out too long. Upon returning home, you saw your father was not there but your mother was.

She greeted you as you entered, basket in hand. “What’s that?” she asked as you set the basket down and removed your hood. “Berries and a few herbs from the forest,” you said simply as you uncovered your fruits of labor. Your mother walked over to inspect the haul and watched as you picked up a berry and held it up for her.

“It’s sweet, go on, try it,” you encouraged. Your mother took the berry apprehensively and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before her eyes widened in shock. “Those are so sweet,” she noted as you smiled widely and started to pull out the herbs to dry.

“Where did you find those?” your mother asked as you moved about the kitchen. “There’s a small clearing not far where the berries grow on bushes in a huge cluster,” you explained. “They’re good for eating and for making jams or pies,” you explained. Your mother watched you before she spoke up.

“And where did you learn this from?” she asked, making you hesitate. Your entire village was aware of Hongjoong’s existence but you weren’t sure if your mother put any stock into what the villagers were saying about him. “A friend,” you said softly, hoping she would drop it.

“A friend?” she asked and you merely nodded as you started to collect the berries in a jar. “Would this friend happen to be the man who lives in the woods?” You froze, setting the jar down to avoid dropping it. “And if it is?” you asked quietly as your mother approached.

“That man is not to be trusted,” your mother started, taking your arm gently but you pulled back, looking at her. “Says who?” you asked, a surge of confidence coursing through you. “Because he is a witch,” your mother answered, looking indignant at your sudden rebellious nature.

“They only call him that because he was raised differently than we were,” you retorted. “Hongjoong is not a bad person, Mother,” you explained. “He just knows more about the forest and natural medicine. That doesn’t make him a witch!” Your mother shook her head. 

“He’s a witch, Y/N,” your mother repeated. “He consorts with demons and devils in the dark of night!”

You shook your head this time. “No he doesn’t, Mother! He doesn’t even believe in demons. He’s just a man who lives a little differently than we do. He’s not evil, he doesn’t make pacts with devils in the dead of night. He studies the stars,” you continued to explain.

Your mother looked absolutely horrified. “Has he been teaching you this devil work?” she demanded and you sighed. “No, Ma,” you answered. “It’s not the devil's work. It’s just the stars. The ancient Greeks and Romans studied the stars and their movements, they weren’t branded as heretics so why is Hongjoong being branded as one?”

Your mother opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by a knock at the door. Your mother threw one last look of concern your way before moving to answer the door. You peered over her shoulder from where you stood to find the visitor on your doorstep was none other than Yeosang.

“Oh, hello Pastor,” your mother greeted. Yeosang smiled warmly at your mother. “Good afternoon, ma’am. I was wondering if I might borrow Miss Y/N for a moment? I have something to discuss with her. It won’t take too much of her time and she’ll be back to her errands as soon as I’m done.” Your mother turned to look at you and nodded.

“The pastor would like to see you, Y/N,” your mother said, making her way back over and taking the jar of berries. “Best go see what he wants. I’ll finish this,” she said as she nudged you gently. You wiped your hands on the cloth and headed for the door where Yeosang stood.

You followed him out of the house, shutting the door behind you as you walked. “Has something happened?” you asked as he led you away from the prying eyes. “No, nothing like that,” he answered, walking out of sight of the market with you following.

“Yeosang, what is–”

“You need to be more careful, Y/N,” he said suddenly, glancing around quickly before looking back at you. “What?” you asked softly. “You need to be more careful. Coming out of the forest at night, anyone could see you and who you’re with.”

Your eyes widened as it dawned on you what he was implying. “Y-you saw me?” you asked. Yeosang nodded, taking a deep breath. “I’m not going to say anything, you know that, but you really need to be more mindful of the fact that anyone could have seen you. You’re lucky it was me and not someone like Jonas or Gideon.”

You nodded silently. “That would not bode well,” you said softly.

“No,” Yeosang answered. “It would not.”

You looked up at him. “Thank you,” you said softly. “For not saying anything.” Yeosang bowed his head. “You know,” you started as he walked you back to your door. “My mother thinks you are interested in me,” you continued. Yeosang looked at you, bewilderment on his face. “Does she?” he asked, fighting the urge to smile.

You nodded. “It’s really thanks to you that I’m not in more trouble. Mama thinks I’m sneaking out at night to see you.” Yeosang fought the urge to laugh. “Well, if it gives you your freedom,” he said as you stopped by the door. “Then I’m happy to help.”

You thanked him again and bid him farewell before heading back into the house, dodging your mother’s questions as you went about your chores.

The following Sunday morning the entire village gathered for Sunday service. You sat between your parents in the back, pretending to listen as Jonas droned on about sin and forgiveness. You often mentally clocked out of these services considering you didn’t really play into this particular branch of faith anymore. Not since meeting Hongjoong.

After Jonas said his bit, Yeosang got up and spoke about the importance of forgiveness but reminded everyone that forgiveness doesn’t come easily. He also added that forgiving someone isn’t for their benefit, it’s for oneself.

When service finally ended, you felt even more drained than you did before attending. As you filed out with your parents, Yeosang stopped you. “How are you holding up?” he asked, ignoring the looks from the other villagers, namely your parents.

“I uh… I’m fine,” you said softly, uncertain as to why he was checking in again, especially in such a public setting. You saw the look of confusion pass over your father’s face as he looked from you to Yeosang curiously but your mother managed to nudge him along.

Yeosang gently pulled you to the side where no one could hear before speaking. “I know we spoke yesterday but I wanted to offer if you ever want to talk to someone, I’m here for you. As a friend,” he continued. “Nothing more.”

You nodded, forcing a smile. “Thank you,” you replied. “I appreciate it.”

You thanked him once more before joining your parents outside for the walk home. “What did he want?” your father asked, eyeing you suspiciously. “Nothing,” you answered. “He just wanted to check in. Make sure I’m okay.” 

Your father fell silent but your mother had a knowing smile on her face.

The rest of the day passed in a blur but without work to do, you felt extremely bored and restless. Getting up, you walked over to the door. “Where are you going?” your father asked loudly. “For a walk,” you replied, grabbing your cloak. “I can’t just sit around. I’m too restless,” you added as you fastened your cloak.

“Stay out of the forest!” your father called as you opened the door and stepped outside.

The village was mostly deserted, no doubt the villagers sitting inside their homes as your family had. You glanced in the direction of the forest but turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Your walk took you around the entire village before you returned home but you weren’t ready to go back inside and just sit so instead you walked towards the forest, stopping at the tree line to look up. The wind blew through the treetops that stretched towards the gray sky.

You closed your eyes, inhaling deeply as the breeze swirled around you, a cold shiver running through your body. The calm was interrupted by a shrill scream and your eyes snapped open, turning your head in the direction of the sound. You looked around but saw no one, not even at the windows.

You heard another shrill scream and sighed, making your way in the direction of the sound. You crossed the village square, passing between two houses to the space behind. You heard a shuffling sound coming from one of the pens behind the house.

You glanced around before making your way over, stepping cautiously.

There was a loud piercing cry ringing out from one of the sheds behind the house closest to the forest. You walked over, leaning over to peer into the darkness of the small pig shed. As you drew closer, you stopped at the fencing.

There was a loud crunching sound and you glanced around once more before pushing open the gate, letting it shut behind you and making your way over to the shed. You took a deep breath and leaned over, peering into the small quarters.

What came into view was nothing short of horror. The pigs in the shed were all dead, slaughtered by some dark creature that sat in the corner munching on what you assumed was another dead pig. You watched in horror as it turned its head, red eyes glowing as it stared, its gaze burning into yours. Before you could scream, your eyes popped open and you sat upright, gasping as you looked around. 

You were in your bed, safe and sound. ‘A dream?’ you wondered as you glanced around. How long had you been asleep? When had you even gone to bed?

You swung your legs over the edge of the bed and got up, walking over to the window that looked out over the back yard, darkness creeping into the space behind your house and between the trees. It was almost night time. You looked towards the sky and a voice came to your mind. Hongjoong’s voice.

‘The new moon is in two weeks. I have something I’d like to show you.’

“The new moon is tonight,” you whispered, scanning the sky. Without another word, you headed for the door, opening and making your way downstairs where your parents were just sitting down for dinner. “Oh,” your mother said, quickly standing up. “You’re awake. Let me get you a bowl.”

You walked over to the kitchen. “I can get it,” you said, urging her to sit down. “We weren’t sure if you were going to wake up,” your father said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Your mother walked over as you filled a bowl with stew from the pot. “Are you feeling well?” she asked, feeling your forehead. You nodded silently. 

“I was just tired after service. I’m fine, really.”

You moved to sit across from your father, setting your bowl down as your mother poured you a cup of cider. Once she was back in her seat, she reached for your hand, taking your fathers and bowed her head. You followed suit but kept your eyes open, staring at the table as your father said grace.

Dinner was a silent affair as you ate with only your mother occasionally asking your father questions. Once dinner ended, you helped clean up before excusing yourself to your room. You sat on your bed for a few minutes before changing into your nightgown. You were still planning on going out after your parents went to bed but you needed to play the part of going to bed. You’d just wear your cloak over your gown.

Before bed, your mother checked in on you once more and only after reassuring her you were okay, just tired, she finally left and went to bed. You waited until you heard them both snoring before you carefully grabbed your boots and snuck downstairs, grabbing your cloak and slipping your boots on.

You opened the door, grabbed one of the lanterns, and headed outside, pulling your cloak on and making your way around to the backside of your house and snuck through the shadows to the edge of the forest where you lit the lantern and kept the light low before making your way into the forest. You weren’t sure if Hongjoong was at the clearing so instead of making your way there, you headed for his cabin, carefully stepping over branches.

You followed the usual path to his cabin and noticed the light coming from the window.

You reached the gate, pushing it open and shutting it behind you so the goats didn’t get out. You were greeted by a chorus of bleating. As you reached the door, it opened and Hongjoong appeared, looking shocked as you reached the threshold, a smile on your face.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked, stepping back to let you in. “It’s the night of the new moon,” you reminded him as you set your lantern down. “You said you had something you wanted to show me tonight.” Hongjoong’s confusion dissipated and he smiled. “The new moon was last night, Starlight,” he said, crossing the distance, taking your face in his hands before kissing you. You pouted into the kiss. “So you can’t show me?” you asked.

Hongjoong chuckled before moving to grab his coat. “I think I can still show you,” he replied. He grabbed your lantern and opened the door. “But we have to hurry,” he added. You grabbed the skirt of your gown and hurried out the door.

Hongjoong led the way, stopping to help you over the fallen trees and branches., offering his hand for the larger logs. After traversing the forest for some time, Hongjoong stopped, turned down the light on the lantern and set it on a tree trunk. “We’ll grab it on our way back,” he said softly, taking your hand and leading you into the clearing.

Your eyes widened at the sight before you. The clearing, which was void of moonlight, was full of thousands of what seemed to be glittering stars that danced and moved about. You turned to look at him. “What are they?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Fireflies,” he answered, wrapping an arm around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. “Thousands upon thousands of fireflies.” You reached a hand out as one of the lights floated towards you, a small insect landing on your palm.

“They’re beetles,” he explained. “They create the glow to attract mates.” You felt his hand on your stomach slide down slightly, his other hand resting on the side of your waist. “They glow and fly in a special way that attracts another for the sole purpose of mating.”

You felt his lips on your neck. “So they dance?” you asked softly. Hongjoong let out a chuckle, smiling against your skin. “Yes,” he answered. “They dance.” His hand slid lower and lower until you felt him start to pull the hem of your skirt higher.

“What’re you doing?” you murmured, giggling as his breath tickled your neck. He turned you to face him, cupping your face as he examined your features in the dark. “Loving you,” he said simply, closing the distance and kissing you.

You allowed him to guide you down to the ground, letting out a gasp as his hand slipped under your nightgown, finding your core with ease. You let out a whimper as he dragged his fingers through your folds, finding your clit with precision.

“Just lie back, Starlight,” Hongjoong whispered, drawing circles against the nub before dipping his finger down to your entrance. “Let me make you feel good, yeah?” he whispered. His lips pressed against your as he slid his finger into your wet cunt.

You moaned against his lips, lips parting and allowing his tongue to slip into your mouth. He set a steady rhythm, pumping his finger in and out of you before adding a second, gliding them both into your warm walls.

“I really would love to take you back to the cabin,” he murmured, pressing wet kisses against your cheek towards your ear. “But I’m not a patient man. I want you too bad right now.” You stifled a groan by biting your bottom lip as he curled his fingers, brushing against the soft spongy spot inside you.

“Th-that’s okay,” you managed to breathe out. “I don’t mind.”

Hongjoong chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to your temple. “That’s my girl,” he replied, curling his fingers again, moving faster and bringing you closer to the brink of orgasm.

Just as you were about to fall over the edge, he stopped, abruptly pulling his fingers from you. “Hongjoong, wha–” you started to ask but he pressed a hand over your mouth as he cleaned his fingers. “We’re not alone,” he whispered. “Stay here and stay quiet.”

You nodded as he got to his feet and started to walk a short distance away. You could hear twigs snapping underfoot but knew it wasn’t coming from Hongjoong. After a few moments of footsteps and twig snapping, you finally heard a voice speak. It was Yeosang.

“Oh, Hongjoong,” he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. “I thought I might find you here,” he continued. “What do you want, Yeosang?” Hongjoong asked, cutting straight to the point. “I went to your cabin to find you but it was empty,” Yeosang started.

“I asked what you wanted Yeosang,” Hongjoong interrupted. You could tell by the tone in his voice he wasn’t playing games. You heard Yeosang sigh from where you sat. “Look, I know you aren’t responsible for what’s going on in the village,” Yeosang started. “But you need to stop whatever spells you are doing. At least until this blows over. The villagers are getting restless. They think you’re cursing them.”

Hongjoong scoffed and you could hear him shift his weight. “I really couldn’t care enough about them to curse them, you know that, Yeosang,” he retorted. You could picture the look on Yeosang’s face. The kind smile he always bore.

“I know that,” he replied. “But they don’t. All I’m saying is you need to be careful. If not for my sake or your own, at least for Y/N,” he added. You couldn’t see Hongjoong in the darkness but you could imagine him tensing up.

“What do you know about my relationship with Y/N?” Hongjoong asked. “Only that you’re… friends,” Yeosang answered, using the same emphasis he had with you. “And I know she cares about you. I also care about you. Just… think about it, okay?”

Hongjoong said nothing but you were certain Yeosang didn’t need him to. “Have a good evening,” Yeosang said softly and then a moment later, you could hear his footsteps lead away from the clearing until you could no longer hear him over the sounds of the forest around you.

Moments later, Hongjoong return to you, kneeling down. “We should probably head back to the cabin,” he said softly. You pouted in the darkness. “I wanted to stay here,” you admitted. Hongjoong chuckled, taking your hands and helping you up. 

“So we can draw more attention like that?” he asked softly. “No,” he shook his head as he kept a hold of your hand and led you back towards the trees. “I’ll just be boring and make love to you in the safety of my cabin, in the comfort of my bed.”

You giggled as he led you back, grabbing the lantern as he passed the stump. “It would have been more romantic if we stayed in the clearing,” you mumbled as Hongjoong led the way back. “Another time, my love,” he said softly. “You promise?” you asked.

Hongjoong came to a stop, pulling you closer and taking hold of your chin, tilting your head back. “I promise,” he replied before kissing you. He took your hand and led you through the forest back to his cabin where you knew you’d be safe, warm, and where no one would bother you.

—————————————————————

Your sleep was interrupted the following morning by the sound of your mother opening your door. “Y/N,” she said sternly as you opened your eyes, sitting up and looking around wildly. Did you sleep too late? What was going on?

“Wh-what’s wrong?” you asked as she bustled about, grabbing your clothes. “Get dressed, hurry,” your mother said, setting your clothes on your bed before she exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

You dressed quickly, now aware of the sound of yelling coming from outside your house. You pulled your boots on and hurried down the stairs where your mother stood by the window next to the door, peering outside looking nervous. 

“What’s going on?” you asked, joining her and looking out the window. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “But something bad must have happened.” You watched as a crowd gathered and you could see the familiar outline of Yeosang. You darted for the door, ignoring your mother’s warning hisses of your name and opened it, stepping out into the misty morning.

Outside, you could hear the yelling much more clearly.

“Someone has killed my pig! Gutted her and took her head!”

You froze by the door as you listened to the clear voice of Gideon. 

“My poor Eliza opened the door and found the head sitting there, propped up like some kind of prank!” Just under his voice, you could hear a woman sobbing, no doubt Eliza from finding a decapitated pig head.

“It’s the devil’s work, I tell ya!” another voice said, one you recognized to be Josiah. “Witches!” a woman’s voice rang out. Your heart skipped a beat as more and more villagers chimed in, laying bare their own misfortunes.

“My vegetables have gone bad before even ripening! This isn’t normal!”

“Witches are responsible!”

“They must be!”

“I’ve lost two goats this month alone! Someone’s cursed the village for sure!”

“People please!” another voice rang out. This one you recognized to be Yeosang. “We don’t even know if this is witchcraft!” he continued, ignoring the cries of the villagers. “Hysteria will not help our situation!”

The crowd started to protest, a mixture of angry to panicked cries. The voice of Jonas rang out over the crowd. “Pastor Kang is right. Hysteria will not solve this! The church will conduct an investigation to determine if the source is indeed witchcraft.”

“Investigate the hermit in the woods! He’s probably the culprit!”

You felt anger surge through your body at the mention of Hongjoong. “He’s not a hermit!” another voice rang out. “I’ve seen him at the morning markets trading and selling furs and herbs!”

“He’s a witch!” one voice rang out and you recognized it to be Abel. “His mother was a witch! She probably passed it on to him!”

“Yeah! Witch!”

Your heart rate quickened as the villagers started to shout in the affirmative, calling Hongjoong a witch. Before you could even start towards the crowd. Yeosang spoke up again. “Let’s not point fingers until we know for certain!”

His words fell on deaf ears as more people started to shout. You watched Yeosang turn to Jonas, a pleading look on his face. Jonas finally spoke up. “That’s enough! We will conduct an investigation and if we find evidence of witchcraft, we will question this man but until then, everyone go about your business and leave this matter to the church!”

There was a subtle murmur throughout the crowd as it started to disperse, clearly placated enough to calm down. You watched as everyone went their separate ways until Yeosang appeared.

He met your gaze and immediately started walking in your direction. You glanced around as he approached and gently took your arm, guiding you away from sight before he turned to speak.

“I need you to do something for me,” he said softly. You nodded, watching him as he glanced around once more. “I need you to stay out of the forest,” he explained. You opened your mouth to protest but he held up a hand.

“Not forever,” he added. “I know you won’t stay away from Hongjoong that long. I just need you to stay out of the woods until the investigation concludes and we prove that it’s not witchcraft to be blamed. I really don’t want you getting mixed up in this mess. I know Hongjoong would agree with me,” he added when he noticed you were about to say something.

“Just for a few days,” he continued. “Please, Y/N.”

You sighed heavily and nodded. “Fine,” you answered. “But I still want to warn Hongjoong,” you said quickly. He contemplated for a moment before nodding. “All right,” he said. “I think that would be best.”

You turned to start back towards your house but turned back to face him, taking his hand in yours. “Thank you, Yeosang,” you said before letting go and heading back home.

That night, you did exactly what you said you were going to do. Once night fell and your parents were asleep, you snuck out and made your way to Hongjoong’s cabin without stopping once.

Once you arrived, you shooed the goats out of your way and pounded on the door in quick succession. It only took Hongjoong a moment to reach the door and open it.

“Y/N, what the—” Hongjoong said as he opened the door, looking over your state.

“The villagers are blaming you for their crops,” you explained quickly. Hongjoong took a step back, allowing you inside before he glanced around outside and shut the door, turning to face you. “What’s going on with their crops?” he asked. “They’re going bad before harvest,” you replied.

Hongjoong shook his head, a scoff leaving his lips. “Have they never heard of pests?” he joked as he moved across the cottage to the hearth. “Hongjoong, this is serious!” you said as he started to bustle around. “Take a seat,” he said softly, ignoring your concerns.

“Hongjoong!” you exclaimed. “They think you’re a witch and that you’ve cursed them!”

Hongjoong sighed and turned to face you, a black cast iron kettle in his hand. “They’re going to think what they’re going to think, Starlight,” he replied. “These are uncertain times and people are guided by their fear,” he continued, moving to pour the contents of the kettle into two cups before returning the kettle to the fireplace.

You watched as he picked up both cups and moved to the table, setting them both down. “Have a seat, Y/N,” Hongjoong urged gently, sitting down. You finally relented and moved to sit adjacent to him. “I’ve spent my whole life with these allegations,” Hongjoong continued as you peered into the cup before you. “I’ve been called a witch all my life. This is nothing new,” he added, giving you a warm smile.

“It just scares me that they could retaliate wrongly and you could get hurt,” you said softly. “You mean a lot to me, Hongjoong, and the thought of losing you--” you trailed off, tears starting to form in your eyes. You heard wood against wood as Hongjoong shifted his chair to move closer before he took your hands in his. “I’m so thankful that you care about me so much, Starlight,” he said softly.

“But you needn’t worry,” he continued. “Besides, you know they’re right. I am a witch.” You looked up at him in time to catch a wink he sent your way. “But that hasn’t stopped you from being my friend. It hasn’t deterred you from spending time with me. You don’t think any differently of me.”

You shook your head. “You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, Hongjoong,” you said softly. “Even more so than my own community. I’ve never met someone like you.”

Hongjoong moved his chair directly across from yours, closing the distance between you. “And that’s all I could ever want. You’re the only person in that entire village whose opinion I care about. The others could continue to spread lies and as long as you don’t believe a word of it, that’s all that matters to me.”

You sighed, taking his hand in yours. “I’m just worried what they might do with the allegations. They might act on them, Hongjoong and if they did, I don’t know what they might do!”

Hongjoong set his mug down and took your chin in his fingers, tilting your head back to press a kiss to your lips. “You worry too much, Starlight,” he said softly once the kiss broke. “The village folk have been calling me a witch for years and nothing has come of it,” he continued. You shook your head.

“Yes, but this time, things are actually happening, Hongjoong! They have real reasons to try to blame you for this!” you said exasperatedly. You didn’t understand why he wasn’t more upset about this. Hongjoong let out a sigh. “Alright,” he said softly. “Will it please you if I promise to be more careful and stay out of the village for a few days? Just until things blow over?”

You nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over you. All you wanted for him to be safe. Hongjoong wasn’t just your friend. You loved him. You wanted him to stay safe. “Drink your tea,” Hongjoong said softly, stroking your cheek before he picked up his mug and downed the rest of his and got up.

“I don’t want you to be caught out late again. You can only lie to your mother so many times,” he added as he moved to rinse out his mug. “It’s still kind of early,” you murmured. “I thought I might stay for a bit. I missed you.”

Hongjoong set his mug aside and walked over to where you sat, taking his seat again and leaning in. “You’re so cute,” he said softly, kissing your cheek before getting up and going about his nightly routine. “You can stay for a bit,” he said as you sipped your tea. “But as soon as that’s empty,” he continued, pointing at the mug. “You have to head home.”

You glanced down at the tea, now half empty. You set the mug down as Hongjoong added another log onto the fire. You got up, walking over to where he knelt and knelt behind him, wrapping your arms around him, resting your head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to leave,” you said softly. Hongjoong took one of your hands in his and kissed the back of it. “I know, love,” he said softly as he pushed the log around to make sure it caught fire.

“But I don’t want you to get in trouble for sneaking out again. Last time you were caught, I didn’t get to see you for two weeks, remember that?” he asked, turning his head to look at you as you raised your head. “Even if it’s just in passing, I prefer seeing you outside the house, not locked up inside.”

You pouted which Hongjoong kissed away. “So go finish your tea and I’ll walk you back.”

You shook your head. “No,” you retorted, holding onto him tighter. Hongjoong chuckled as he set the fire poker aside and stood up, bringing you to a stand as well. “Be a good girl and drink your tea,” he repeated but again you shook your head. “No,” you replied. “I don’t want the tea.”

Hongjoong gently took your wrists as you wrestled him. “If you don’t want tea,” he said, amused at your attempts to fight him. “What do you want?” 

You hugged him tighter. “Just to stay with you a little longer.”

Hongjoong noticed the change in your voice and turned in your arms. “Starlight,” he started but you interrupted him. “Can’t we just run away, Joong?” you asked as he took your face in his hands. “We need time to prepare, sweetheart. I can’t just get up and leave in the middle of the night.”

“Why not?” you asked, pulling back. You couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just leave. It would be so easy. “Because of everything in here,” he answered, gesturing around. “Everything in this house is all I have. If we were to leave, we would need food, clothes, a cart, hell, possibly even money! Moving across the country isn’t easy!” he snapped, getting up and walking over to the table, placing his hands on the top and leaning against it.

He’d never lost his temper with you so you sat still, uncertain of what to do or say.

You knew moving wasn’t easy. You’d done it more than once.

“I know it’s not easy,” you said, your voice soft and meek.

You heard Hongjoong turn before you felt his hands take yours and guide you to stand. “I’m sorry, Starlight,” he said softly. “I know you know what it’s like to move. To uproot your entire life and take all your possessions. I’ve never done that,” he continued. “I’ve never been away from this forest. I’ve lived here all my life.”

You said nothing, merely nodding along to his words.

He took your face in his hands, forcing you to look up at him. “I’m sorry, Starlight,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have yelled.” You leaned forward, hugging him and burying your face in his chest. His arms settled around you. “I love you so much,” he murmured.

“I know you’re looking out for me and I can’t express how much I appreciate it but I’ve survived worse than this. I’ll be okay,” he said, resting his cheek on your head. “And tell Yeosang thank you. I know he’s looking out for me as well.”

“He’s asked me to stay out of the woods for a few days while they investigate,” you blurted out. Hongjoong snorted and sighed. “I actually agree with him on that,” he replied, lifting his head as you looked up. “Of course, I’d love for you to come see me but I don’t want you getting mixed up in this either.”

You nodded, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I told him I would but only if I came and warned you first,” you admitted. Hongjoong let out a laugh before kissing your cheek. “Thank you for coming to warn me, Starlight. I appreciate it.”

Despite wanting to spend the night with him one more time, Hongjoong managed to talk you into returning home and walked you to the edge of the forest where you spent far too long saying goodbye with kiss after kiss before finally returning home.

Over the next few days, you kept your promise, only going into the small patch behind your house to forage for mushrooms. The church conducted their investigation and while they did, the villagers grew even more restless, waiting for a result. More crops went bad, another pig was killed in the middle of the night and the villagers were at their breaking point.

You were inside, about a week since you spoke to Yeosang, helping your mother make bread when there was a knock at the door. Your mother moved to answer it and you heard the surprise in her voice. “Oh, Pastor Kang!”

You glanced up as your mother turned to look at you, Yeosang standing in the doorway. “Good ‘morrow, Mrs. Y/L/N,” he said, his tone light and pleasant. “I was wondering if I might have a word with Miss Y/N.”

Your mother turned, waving you over. “I promise not to take up too much of her time,” he added as your mother passed you to return to the bread. “Take as much time as you need!” your mother called, making you stifle a laugh and step out of the house, shutting the door behind you.

“Come,” he said simply, beckoning you to follow him. You did as he asked, following him as villagers walked around, thankfully none of them paying any attention to you as you walked with the young pastor.

As you rounded the corner, Yeosang guided you behind the building, you turned to look at him and noticed he looked very nervous. You’d never seen him like that before and it made you nervous too. 

“Yeosang,” you started as he glanced around, making sure you were alone. “What is going o-”

“The villagers aren’t pleased, Y/N,” he stated plainly. “They’re convinced Hongjoong’s the root cause of the crop and livestock issue. They want his head.” Your stomach sank as Yeosang spoke quickly. “I was at a council meeting and despite my best efforts, they are set on punishing the person they think is the culprit,” he continued.

Your heart raced, palms growing sweaty as you grasped for a solution in your mind. “W-why are you telling me all of this?” you blurted out. Yeosang reached out, placing a hand on your shoulder. “I know you have a special connection with him. He’ll listen to you,” he answered.

“You need to warn him. Maybe it can buy him enough time to gather enough supplies to leave before something terrible happens.” Your heart sank into your stomach. ‘No,’ you thought. ‘It’s too soon.’

You shook your head. “He won’t leave,” you answered firmly. Yeosang stared at you. “His life is in imminent danger. He must leave,” he explained. You shook your head. “He won’t leave,” you repeated. “Not without me.”

Yeosang stared at you wordlessly as the implications of your words sank in. “I see,” he finally said softly. You looked up at him. There was a look on his face you couldn’t place but he quickly changed expressions before speaking again. “Could you be ready to leave tomorrow night?” he asked softly.

You stared up at him, eyes wide. “What?” you whispered. Yeosang glanced over his shoulder as he heard footsteps and children laughing. He gently grabbed your arm and moved you around to the other side of the shed where you would stay hidden. 

“Can you be ready to leave with him tomorrow?” he asked again. “I don’t know when the villagers are going to put their plan into action but it should be at least one more night before they go after him. If you can both be ready to leave tomorrow, I can sneak you out of the village and then the two of you can continue on.”

You stared at him in awe. He was going to help you? Help Hongjoong? “You would do that?” you asked quietly. “You’d help us leave?” Yeosang nodded. “I know Hongjoong isn’t responsible for these misfortunes. It’s someone else, I just don’t know who,” he answered. “And if Hongjoong won’t leave without you, then I’ll make sure he leaves with you.”

You felt your chest tightened, tears threatening to spill as the urge to hug or even kiss the man before you took hold but you resisted it. “Thank you, Yeosang,” you said softly, taking his hand. “Don’t thank me until you’ve spoken to Hongjoong,” he said, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “Speak to Hongjoong and then come find me tomorrow morning after the services,” he added.

You nodded and thanked him again.

The walk back was short and you thanked him once more as you entered your home, head swimming as you tried to make sense of everything. Your mother came into view, curiosity filling her features. “Well?” she asked expectantly. “What did the pastor want?” You forced a smile but before you could answer, the front door opened and your father entered the house.

“Oh, father,” you said as he shut the door and turned to face the two of you. “Y/N,” he said simply. “Go to your room,” he continued. “I must speak with your mother.” You knew by the tone of his voice he was not in the mood to be trifled with and so you nodded, thankful for his interruption and made your way to the stairs. Once in your room, you sat against the wall by your door and very carefully opened it, allowing the sound from downstairs to carry.

“There’s nothing to be done,” you heard your father say, his voice full of exhaustion. “The villagers have made up their minds. They want his head.” It didn’t take you long to work out that your father was talking about Hongjoong. “They think he’s the cause of their misfortunes and I’m inclined to believe them. He’s a witch and has made some kind of pact to ruin our village. Several of the town girls have claimed to have been approached by him. What he asks of them I dare not repeat. He’s a disgusting, vile, and wicked creature and he must face the consequences of his actions.”

Silence fell downstairs before your mother spoke. “Y/N speaks highly of him,” she said simply. Another beat of silence followed before your father answered. “And what does she know? She’s but a mere lamb. She doesn’t know his true nature. Or perhaps he’s bewitched her just as he’s ensnared the others. Either way, he must be dealt with.”

“Will they kill him?”

Your heart skipped a beat as you held your breath, waiting for your father’s response.

“Aye,” he answered and you felt your heart sink into the pit of your stomach. ‘They’re going to kill Hongjoong?!’

You scrambled up as quietly as you could as you heard shuffling. “I will speak to her,” you heard your father say, followed by the sound of his heavy footsteps heading for the stairs. You shut your door carefully and moved to sit on your bed by the window, looking out at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

There were a series of soft knocks at your door. You turned your head as your door opened, your father peering in. “Can I come in?” he asked softly. You nodded silently as he entered and shut the door. He walked over and took a seat beside you, silence falling over the two of you.

“I know you have a fondness for the hermit in the woods,” he started. “Hongjoong,” you whispered, fingers curling into a fist on your thigh. 

“What?” your father asked, turning his head to look in your direction. 

“His name is Hongjoong,” you replied, finally looking up at him. “And he’s not a witch.”

Your father sighed. “I don’t know what he’s been filling your head with,” he started. “But that man is not like us.” You stood up quickly, putting space between you and your father. “He was just raised differently!” you retorted. “He’s a good man! He keeps to himself, doesn’t cause problems, works hard, and just because he doesn’t conform to your standard of living, he must be a witch, right?” you continued, your voice raising.

Your father looked taken aback. You’d never raised your voice at your parents before. “There have been witnesses,” your father finally said, getting to his feet. “Young women who say he approached them, attempted to seduce them,” he continued. “Liars. They’re lying! Hongjoong would never!” you yelled, heat spreading from your face to your chest. You were seething.

“You’re all quick to pin the blame for your misfortunes on someone who you view as an outsider instead of looking inside yourselves and wondering if maybe the problem is your own. One you’ve created. Hongjoong has done nothing wrong! He doesn’t care about the villagers. He doesn’t care whether the village is prosperous or not. He keeps to himself because he knows no one will come to his defense,” you continued.

Your father listened as you unloaded on him. “Well I will advocate for him! Hongjoong is a kind, intelligent, and resourceful man. His soul is pure and he cares about the forest and the animals and plants inside it. He could care about you too if you’d let him. He doesn’t care if we prosper or fail. He cares about the true nature of the soul.”

Your father’s eyes narrowed, brows furrowing. “You speak as if you truly know him,” he started. You hesitated. “I do know him. I love him,” you blurted out. Your father’s confusion was replaced with anger. “Love?” he scoffed. “What do you know about love?”

You glared at him. “I know love because Hongjoong has shown me what true love is. He loves me, father. That is how I know those women are lying. He loves me and only me.”

Your father shook his head. “Has he poisoned you? Filled your head with his nonsense?” he asked before his eyes widened. “Has he put his filthy hands on my daughter?” he asked, his voice rising in volume. “He’s only shown me love and what it means to love someone as deeply as we love each other.”

You watched as your father’s ire only grew. “He dared to put his hands on my child?!” He turned, starting for the door but you stepped forward.

“I’m not a child!” you shouted. Your father turned to look at you. “I am not a child,” you repeated. “I am a woman and I’m Hongjoong’s lover. The only one he has.”

Your words hung in the air as your father stared at you. He crossed the distance and before you could register what was happening, he struck you across the face, a stinging gracing your cheek just under your eye from where he hit you. It was an almost blinding pain and you brought your hand up quickly to cover the spot, tears welling up in your eyes. “Be quiet, whore,” your father hissed.

“He will pay for his crimes and then you will face punishment for your sins,” your father snapped, boots pounding the wooden floor as he crossed the room and exited, slamming the door behind him. You tried to follow but your attempts to open the door were met with nothing.

The door had been barred from the outside. You slammed your fists against the wood, screaming to be let out. You tried again to open the door but to no avail. You turned to look at the window, the gray clouds had rolled in, darkness starting to settle in. You had to get out. You had to warn Hongjoong.

You moved to the window, opening it and looking outside to find the space behind your house vacant. You looked around for something to help you climb out seeing as it was a long fall down. Your eyes landed on the bed and you moved quickly, tearing the linens from the mattress. You grabbed a blade from your sewing kit and nicked the material before starting to tear it apart into strips, working quickly. 

Once you were certain you had enough, you started to tie them together, making the knots secure before tying one end to the leg of your bed and throwing the rest of your makeshift rope out the window. It reached almost to the ground and you carefully started to climb out the window.

The climb down was clumsy but you managed to get to the ground without making too much sound or drawing the attention of your parents. Once on flat ground, you pulled your hood up and took off, making for the forest, ducking behind homes and other buildings until you reached the tree line. As soon as you were in the cover of the forest, you ran, holding your skirts in your hand as to not trip over them as you leapt over branches and stones.

Your lungs burned and your heart pounded but you didn’t dare stop until you saw Hongjoong’s cabin come into view. Smoke rose from the chimney and light emanated from the windows as you approached, pushing open the wooden gate and hurrying past his garden and the goats that bleated at you.

You reached the door, breathless, and raised a fist, beating erratically at the wood. There was a shuffling from inside before the door opened and Hongjoong looked at you, amused until you stepped forward and collapsed. He managed to catch you before you hit the floor and his amusement turned to concern as he helped you inside, shutting the door.

“What on earth is going on?” he asked as he guided you over to the table, helping you sit down. “They villagers!” you gasped, grabbing his hand as he turned to start making tea. “They want your head. They’re still blaming you for their misfortunes!” Hongjoong scoffed, starting to pull from your grasp.

“This again, Y/N? We just talked about this, I don’t care what they-”

“Damn it, Hongjoong, they’re going to kill you!” you shouted.

He froze, kettle in his hands as he stared at you. “They’ve made up their minds. Yeosang told me to warn you!” you continued, trying to get up but Hongjoong moved over, setting the kettle down and kneeling in front of you, taking both of your hands in his. “And you’re certain?” he asked, looking up at you.

You nodded. “I trust Yeosang,” you replied. “He doesn’t want anything to happen to you. He told me to warn you. He said if you can be ready tomorrow night, he’ll help us leave.” Hongjoong ran his fingers through his hair before looking up at you. “Wait. Help us leave?” he asked. You nodded. “I told him I know you wouldn’t leave without me. Not after the plans we made, right?”

Hongjoong’s expression softened. “Oh, Starlight,” he said softly, reaching up to cup your cheek. “Of course I’d never leave without you. But… tomorrow night? I don’t know if that’s enough time…” he trailed off, looking around his cabin. “I would have to leave almost everything behind.”

You glanced around. “I could help you pack,” you offered, drawing his attention. Hongjoong’s lips curled into a smile and he took your face in his hands. “What about you?” he asked. “Don’t you need to pack?” You shook your head. “All I have are the clothes I wear. I don’t need anything from my house. All I need is you,” you replied.

Hongjoong pulled you into a quick kiss. “Okay,” he said softly, getting to his feet. “We’d better get to work,” he added. You removed your cloak and started to help him pack up. He told you which were the most important items as well as what he could spare.

You worked diligently as the sun started to set and packed up what you could. “I’ll have to leave the animals,” he said softly. “Unless there’s space in the cart,” he added, looking around at what you already managed to pack.

You opened your mouth to respond but a sound from outside caught you off guard. You turned to Hongjoong who glanced at you before moving to the window to peer outside. You rushed to his side. “What is it?” you whispered, trying to peer out but he pushed you back.

“You need to hide, now,” he said, grabbing your arm and pulling you towards the back wall. You watched as he shifted a small shelf, exposing a hidden panel that he then pulled open. “Hongjoong? What are you doing?” you asked as he grabbed your hand.

“I need you to hide, Starlight. Don’t argue with me! Just do as I say, please!” he pleaded as he guided you to crouch. You crawled into the hole in the wall and turned as he knelt down. “I’m going to close this door and put the shelf back. Stay here. If I don’t come back in ten minutes, follow this tunnel to the exit and then I want you to go home,” he explained.

You opened your mouth to protest but he spoke over you. “I want you to go home, do you understand?” he asked. You’d never seen him look so serious before. It scared you.

You nodded silently. He cupped your cheek gently, leaning into the small space. “I love you, Starlight.” Before you could answer, he leaned in, pressing a kiss to your lips before he backed up and replaced the panel. You heard the shifting of the shelf and sat in the darkness.

A loud pounding at the front door sounded and you froze as you heard Hongjoong walk calmly over to the door and open it. “Good evening, gentlemen,” you heard him say in a pleasant tone. “How can I help you?”

“Cut the horse shit, witch!” one voice rang out and there were several murmurs of agreement. Hongjoong fell silent before he let out a sigh. “Yeosang,” he said softly and your eyes widened as you heard Yeosang speak. “I am so sorry, Hongjoong,” he started. “I didn’t want it to come to this but I need you to come with us for questioning.”

There was a moment of silence before you heard Hongjoong speak. “Can I at least put the fire out so my home doesn’t catch fire?”

You heard several people protest but they fell silent. “Of course,” Yeosang replied. You watched the back of the panel as the light on the other side was extinguished. You heard footsteps head for the door and then the door shut.

You did as Hongjoong asked, waiting for ten minutes and then an extra five before you finally decided to move, a chill settling in to your hiding place. You followed the tunnel, crawling for what felt like minutes before you finally found a small wooden board blocking your path. It had vines woven into the gaps in the wood. You pushed it aside and pulled yourself out of the hole before replacing it and brushing yourself off.

You looked around and saw you were about thirty meters behind Hongjoong’s cabin, the exit of the tunnel at the base of a tree. You started back towards the cabin, being careful not to make too much sound. You saw and heard nothing so you quickly and quietly made your way back to the village, by passing your home as you headed for the church which is where you were certain they had taken Hongjoong.

Your suspicions were proven true when you arrived and snuck behind the church, avoiding the men who stood out front. You carefully climbed onto one of the posts, holding onto the building for stabilization. You peered through the window where you could see Yeosang, Jonas, and your father speaking with a few other of the villagers.

You lowered your head so as not to be spotted and pressed your ear against the side of the building but couldn’t hear anything other than muffled voices. You carefully climbed down and crawled under the space under the church until you were under where you assumed the group was standing.

“We will hold him here while we question him,” you heard Jonas say though his voice was still muffled. You heard your father speak but were unable to make out what he said. “No,” you heard Jonas reply. “This is a church investigation and he will be held here for the duration of his questioning.”

You heard several voices speak at once but quiet as Yeosang spoke this time. “Trust us to do this. If he is involved, we will find out.”

“And if he’s not involved?” you heard your father ask. “Then he will be released,” Yeosang answered. You heard several voices protest but Jonas interrupted them. “If he be innocent, there be no need to hold him.” You nodded silently to yourself.

As the group started to break up and several footsteps made their way to the door you heard your father speak again. “When you went to his cabin, was she there?” he asked and you assumed he was speaking to Yeosang.

Your suspicion was confirmed when Yeosang answered. “I did not see her inside,” he replied. “I stood in the doorway and I didn’t see any sign of her.”

You started to crawl out, checking the area to make sure it was safe for you to exit. Once you did, you headed back towards the house. Your makeshift rope was still there surprisingly so you carefully and quietly climbed back up into your room and pulled the rope up and shut the window as your door opened.

You turned to find your mother. “Where have you been?” she demanded. You removed your cloak wordlessly and set it aside. “I’m getting ready for bed,” you announced. Your mother moved to grab your arm but you pulled away from her. “I asked you a question, girl,” your mother snapped. “I’m not a girl,” you retorted. “I’m a woman. And I don’t have to tell you where I’ve been but I’m sure you already know.”

Your mother glared at you before letting out a heavy sigh. “Your father is furious. It’s not like you to sneak out like this,” she said, causing you to laugh. “I’ve been sneaking out for years,” you quipped. “I’ve just gotten really good at hiding it.”

Your mother stared at you in shock. As she opened her mouth to reply, the door downstairs opened and she glanced at the door before turning back to you. “Get dressed for bed. I will handle your father.”

She left without another word and you went about your nightly routine. You didn’t hear another peep from downstairs and neither of your parents checked in as you climbed into bed. You tossed and turned, unable to relax until you finally fell into an uneasy slumber.

—————————————————————

The next morning you awoke to the sound of rapid knocking at your door and your eyes opened quickly. As you sat up, the door opened and your mother entered, shutting the door behind her and rushing to your bedside. “Get up,” she whispered, pulling the covers back. “Get dressed.”

You got up and grabbed your clothes from your mother but before you could ask what was going on, there was a heavier knock and the door opened. Your father strode in. You had expected him to look beside himself with anger and while there was still a hint of anger to his expression, there was none in his voice when he spoke.

“Get dressed,” he said sternly. “And meet us downstairs.” He glanced at your mother before looking back at you. “Now,” he snapped and then turned, exiting as your mother rushed after him. Before closing the door, she gave you an apologetic look but what she was sorry for, you didn’t know.

Once you were dressed, you headed down the stairs and upon passing through the door frame into the kitchen, you froze in your tracks, staring at the guest standing in your parents’ home. He looked up to meet your gaze, giving you a warm smile.

“Yeosang,” you said softly as you looked from him to your parents and back. “What’s going o—”

“Get in here and sit down,” your father snapped, cutting you off. You stared at him, anger coursing through your veins at being spoken to like a child. You hesitated, challenging your father’s authority knowing he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you in front of Yeosang. 

“Y/N,” Yeosang said, his soft voice a drastic contrast from your fathers. “Please, have a seat.”

You glanced at your father, glaring at him before moving to sit in the chair. Yeosang moved to sit across from you while your mother sat next to you, your father on the other side. You could feel the awkward atmosphere, thick with tension as the four of you sat in silence.

“Y/N,” Yeosang started, clearing his throat, drawing your gaze. “Your parents have discussed something they feel is important with me and I want you to know that you’re not in trouble,” he explained, with that same, kind smile on his face.

“Oh she’s in trouble,” your father said and you glared at him, biting your tongue to keep from saying something in retaliation. Yeosang chose to ignore what your father said and continued speaking.

“Your parents’ feel that it’s due time for you to marry,” Yeosang said, skipping straight to the point. You felt your heart skid to a stop. ‘Marriage?’ You turned your head to look at your mother who refused to meet your eye. You didn’t dare look at your father, afraid it might set you off.

“Since evidence of your relationship with Hongjoong—” 

“Don’t say that name in my home!” your father hissed, almost arching his back like a barn cat in the face of fear. It made you feel a little more relieved that your father, and perhaps the whole village, were still scared of Hongjoong. Not that they had anything to fear. Hongjoong would never do anything to cause harm to another soul if it was not warranted.

Again, Yeosang chose to ignore your father, convincing you that he was, indeed, a saint.

“Since it has come to light, your options for marriage are limited,” he continued. You held back the urge to laugh but managed to keep it down. You were planning to marry Hongjoong. And nothing, not even being held for questioning for crimes he did not commit, would stop that.

“It has been proposed—”

“No,” you said, without hearing the rest. You weren’t sure what was going to be said and part of you feared that Nicolas was the only willing soul and you would rather die than marry him. “No?” Yeosang asked, curiously. “You haven’t even heard all of my proposal.”

You shook your head. “No,” you repeated. “I’m already promised to someone.”

Silence fell over the table before your father spoke. “You insolent, ungrateful, wench!”

You turned to look at him and caught the full strike of the back of his hand. The blow caught you off guard, knocking you out of your seat. Your mother let out a cry and got up, moving to try and help you up. “We have a guest!” she shrieked as your father got up, intent on advancing on you.

Before he could land another blow, Yeosang was standing in front of him.

“If you lay one more hand on her, I will have you arrested for assault,” he said, his voice even and calm. Your father took several deep breaths before glaring down at you. “I’ve had enough of your disobedience, girl!” he shouted.

“We’ve raised you, clothed you, fed you, and this is how you repay us? By sneaking around with some backwoods witch?! Parading around like a whore?!”

“That’s enough!” Yeosang said, raising his voice above your father’s, shocking both your parents and yourself. You’d never once heard Yeosang raise his voice in anger. “Do you think insulting her is going to make her listen to you?”

“Even if he was as sweet as pie, I still wouldn’t listen to him,” you hissed, raising your hand to your swollen cheek which was now tender to the touch, making you wince. Yeosang turned to look at you, a pleading look in his eyes. He turned back to your father. “You’ve made your point,” he added.

“Yelling at, insulting, and beating your daughter won’t make her behave the way you want her to. She’s an adult. You can’t treat her like this,” he continued. Your father looked downright angry at Yeosang now. “How dare you tell me what to do in my own home!” he spat.

“Would you like my help or not?” Yeosang asked, raising his voice over your father’s once more. “If you do, I suggest you stop or I will walk out that door right now,” he added, pointing towards the front door. That seemed to shut your father up and he smashed his lips together, murmuring in anger before he moved to sit back down.

Yeosang turned and knelt down, offering his hand. “Are you all right?” he whispered, eyes falling to your cheek. You nodded wordlessly as your mother helped you up. “Just let me handle this, okay?” he added in an undertone. “You trust me, right?”

You looked up at him, eyes searching his for a moment before you nodded. “I trust you.”

You sat back down and Yeosang returned to his seat across from you.

“As I was saying,” he started. “Your options for marriage are limited as the rumors have already spread.”

“Not even Nicolas wants you,” your father interjected and you watched as Yeosang glared at your father. “One more remark like that and I will rescind my offer,” Yeosang said and your father fell silent once more, hopefully for the last time. ‘Offer?’

“In the face of your limited options, I’ve come to offer a solution,” Yeosang explained, lacing his fingers together and resting his hands on the table as he looked at you.

With bated breath, you waited for him to explain his solution.

“I’ve offered to marry you.”

The silence that fell over the table rang in your ears as you processed his words. ‘Marry… Yeosang? Surely, he can’t be serious. He must be jesting!’

Your mother nudged you, stirring you out of your train of thoughts. “M-marry you?” you stammered, pure shock clouding your mind. A million thoughts raced through your mind but there was only one that mattered. ‘What about Hongjoong?’

“I’m sorry,” you said, shaking your head. “I can’t marry you.”

“You will marry him,” your father snapped. “He is the only option to save your reputation. Our reputation.” Yeosang, clearly annoyed by your father’s interruption, turned to your mother, a polite smile on his face and spoke in the sweetest voice possible.

“Could I speak to Y/N, please? Alone.”

Your mother’s eyes widened and she nodded wordlessly, getting up from her seat and moving to where your father sat. She gently pushed him until he got up and the two of them went into the other room where you could hear your father grumbling under his breath as they climbed the stairs.

Once you were alone, you turned back to Yeosang. “What are you doing?” you hissed as he got up, moving to take your father’s seat and taking your hand. “Please,” he said softly. “I need you to play along and trust me. I know you and Hongjoong made promises to marry each other and I fully intend to prolong the marriage as much as possible until his name is cleared and you can leave the village together,” he explained. “I’m doing this to protect you.”

You shook your head. “And if they never clear his name? What then? You can’t put it off forever.”

Yeosang let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his dark locks. “I’ll figure out a secondary plan but I need you to trust me. I’m working to clear his name and if I can’t get it cleared, I will figure out a way to get you two out of here so you can be together. Please, just trust me, okay?”

You stared at him for a few moments before sighing and nodding. “Okay,” you answered. “I’ll play along for now.” Yeosang gave your hand a gentle squeeze before getting up and moving back to his seat. “Is the thought of marrying me really that distasteful?” he asked in a playful tone. You snorted, shaking your head as you heard your parents heading back down the stairs.

“Not at all,” you answered, looking up at him. “And maybe under other circumstances, I’d jump at the chance but—”

“You love Hongjoong. I understand.”

When your parents returned, your mother took her seat beside you, your father back in his place. You cleared your throat before speaking. “We’ve spoken,” you answered, looking at Yeosang before turning to look at your mother. “And I’ve agreed.”

The look of relief that washed over your mother’s face brought a smile to your face. Even if it was a lie, at least she could live without the worry for now.

When you disappeared into the night with Hongjoong, however, she could worry then.

Your parents started the necessary procedures for Yeosang to begin courting you which gave you two the excuse to spend time one on one where he would update you on Hongjoong’s case. The good news, there was no evidence to suggest Hongjoong was responsible. The bad news, the villagers did not seem appeased by this as their misfortunes continued.

“Do you think someone else is causing the problems?” you asked one night while lying in bed, a bundling board separating you. “I think that’s possible,” Yeosang whispered. “Now that I look at it from a different perspective, I can see how a witch might be involved but I know it’s not Hongjoong.”

You turned onto your side, peering over the board at Yeosang. “Let’s say for argument’s sake, there is a witch cursing the village,” you started, drawing his attention and he turned his head to look at you, a smile spreading over his face before he stifled a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” you asked, brows furrowing as he tried to force his laughter to subside. “Lay back,” he said, turning onto his side. You did as he asked and lay back down. You heard him shift on the other side of the board. “Look at me,” he whispered and you glanced up, seeing just his eyes peering down at you.

“This is what you looked like,” he added, another wave of quiet laughter coursing through him. You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped from you as you rolled onto your side, propping yourself up to meet him face to face.

“Okay, I get it now,” you said, your giggles subsiding. “But I’m serious. Let’s say for argument’s sake there is a witch. Who do you think it is?” Yeosang’s laughter also subsided and he regarded you with a serious look. “You’re asking me to accuse someone?” he asked.

“Hypothetically,” you added. Yeosang fell silent before lying back against the mattress. “I do not actually know,” he answered. “I do not think I can safely guess.” You let out a groan and fell back against the mattress, your head hitting the pillow softly.

“You wanna know who I think it is?” you asked. You heard him chuckle. “I have a feeling you’re gonna tell me anyway,” he answered.

“I think it’s the least suspicious person,” you answered. “The least likely candidate. Someone you would never even think to accuse.”

Silence fell over you two for a beat before you heard the sheets rustle and Yeosang’s eyes appeared over the board once more. “You think the witch is Ms. Goode?” A smirk crossed your face. “So you would guess her?” you asked. Yeosang’s eyes narrowed. “Well, who would you guess, then?”

You sat up, turning to look at him, the same smirk on your face as you leaned in. “You.”

Yeosang’s eyes widened. “Me?” he asked incredulously. You nodded as you leaned back. “But it wouldn’t explain why you’re so adamant on helping Hongjoong.” you continued. “Perhaps it’s Jonas!” you whispered. Yeosang sat up, fixing you with a stern look.

“This is what happens when people start throwing around accusations,” he said, all amusement gone from his voice. “It’s only hypothetical, Yeosang. I don’t actually think it’s Jonas.”

—————————————————————

Yeosang continued to keep you informed of the status of the investigation and to postpone the wedding as long as possible. You were getting more and more anxious as you waited for Hongjoong to be cleared. 

You had been confined to the house, unless Yeosang or your mother were accompanying you. It was picking at your sanity and you were slowly losing grip on reality. You had spent all day inside, only being let out to tend to your garden and use the outhouse.

As you were finishing up dinner, your father got up and cleared his throat. “I have to call a meeting,” he announced. You looked up at him and then to your mother. She said nothing as your father stepped away from the table and headed for the door.

Once it shut, you turned to your mother. “Meeting? What about?” you asked. Your mother shook her head as she cleared away your father’s bowl and cup. “Are you finished?” she asked to which you shook your head.

“Mother, what meeting?” you asked. Your mother set the bowl down, a little harder than usual and turned around to meet your gaze. “I did not ask because I do not need to know. And neither do you. Finish your dinner and go about your chores.”

You watched as she turned away and resisted the urge to groan as you turned your gaze down to your bowl and pushed bits of potato around. After a few minutes of this, mind reeling with what your father could possibly be calling a meeting for, you finally stood up, grabbing the bowl and moving to clear your place.

Your mother took the bowl from you without a word and you went about the rest of your chores. As you were wiping down the table, a knock rang out. Your mother wiped her hands and made her way through the kitchen, disappearing into the living room. A moment later you heard the front door open.

“Pastor Kang? Is everything alright?” you heard your mother ask and looked up, trying to peer through the doorway into the vestibule. “Sorry for the late call, Ms. Y/L/N but I was wondering if I could borrow Y/N for a moment?” 

Your heart skipped a beat, hope building in your chest that you might get a moment to step outside, away from the watchful eye of your mother. “Her father just left,” you heard your mother say, sounding apologetic. “She really shouldn’t be going outside.”

“I understand,” you heard Yeosang reply and were about to protest, even though it wouldn’t help your case in the slightest, when you heard him add on. “It would just be for a short while. I’ll have her back before her father even leaves the meeting hall. I promise.”

You could hear your mother sigh and quickly went back to work as footsteps started back towards the kitchen, stopping at the door. “Y/N,” your mother called and you turned to look back at her. “Pastor Kang wants to see you,” she continued. You set the rag in your hand down and wiped your hands before heading for the door.

Your mother caught you, firmly grabbing your arm. “Be sure to be back before your father gets home. Else he will really be mad and you won’t be able to leave until after you are married.” You nodded wordlessly and your mother let go, turning to watch as you walked over to where Yeosang waited. You stepped out of the door and shut it behind you.

“To what do I owe—”

“Hurry,” Yeosang said, taking you by the elbow gently. “We don’t have much time. If I’m to have you back before your father gets home, we’re going to have to make haste.” He started to guide you away from the house and behind the buildings so as not to be seen.

“What? Make haste?” you asked as you grabbed your skirt in your hand and lifted it off the ground to be able to move more freely without risk of tripping over the hem. “With all the men in the meeting, the church is empty,” Yeosang said as you hurried to keep pace.

“What?” you asked, halting in place. Yeosang noticed you weren’t following and turned around to return to your side. “We cannot stop!” he urged, placing a hand on your back. “We must hurry!” He guided you along behind the houses until you reached the church.

Yeosang checked to make sure the coast was clear and led you inside.

You’d never been inside the church at night or when it was this empty before. There was an unsettling and eerie atmosphere about it. The rafters were completely shrouded in darkness and anything could be lurking up there, hiding in the blackness.

“This way,” Yeosang said, pulling you out of your dark thoughts. He led you further into the church towards a door that led to a room off to the side. “I’ve never been back here,” you whispered to him. “There are rooms back here,” he explained, showing you the narrow corridor. “When we have visiting clergy, they stay here,” he added.

Yeosang led you down the hall to the room at the end and unlocked it with a key he produced. “He’s in here,” Yeosang explained. “We keep him locked back here because it’s safer than what the villagers had suggested. Only Jonas and I have a key to get back here.”

Once the door was unlocked, Yeosang called out. “Hongjoong, it’s just me, Yeosang. I have a visitor with me.” He turned to look at you and nodded before turning the knob and pushing open the door. 

Inside was a modest sized room with a single bed, bedside table, and a small wardrobe. A half melted candle sat on the bedside table along with an empty plate and a cup. Sitting on the bed, back against the wall was Hongjoong. He looked up and the relief that passed over his face was the same that you felt upon seeing him.

You rushed into the room, nearly tripping over your skirt as you climbed onto the bed and threw your arms around him. Hongjoong caught you, pulling you tightly against him as you sobbed into his shoulder. “Shh Starlight,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse as he gently rocked you. “It’s alright.”

You heard Yeosang clear his throat from the doorway and turned to look at him. “I can only give you a few minutes,” he explained. “I will go keep watch and come get you when it’s time to go,” he added. You nodded and he shut the door, his footsteps receding.

You turned back to Hongjoong. He had a partially healed cut on his bottom lip and a bruised eye. You took his face gently in your hands. “What have they done to you?” you whispered. He smiled weakly. “Nothing I can’t handle,” he replied, pulling your hands away and placing a kiss on the back of each one.

“What about you?” he asked, looking up at you. “Yeosang told me your parents are keeping you confined in the house?” he asked. You nodded. “They’re trying to force me to marry Yeosang,” you mumbled, settling in his lap.

He reached up, taking your chin in his fingers, and tilted your head back. “Maybe you should,” he said softly. You knocked his hand away and sat up straighter, to look at him, narrowing your eyes. “What are you even saying?” you asked, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes.

“I’m thinking logically Starlight,” he said softly, caressing your cheek. “I know Yeosang is advocating for me but let’s not kid ourselves. The villagers are intent on seeing that I hang for this. They aren’t giving in or listening to reason,” he continued to explain. “I think if you marry Yeosang, it will protect you from their wrath should things go awry.”

You shook your head, almost as if you were shaking his words out of your head. “What about us? What about our future?” you asked, your voice soft. Hongjoong smiled a solemn smile, cupping your cheek. “It was a nice dream, Starlight,” he started. “But I think at this point, that’s all it will ever be: a dream.”

You looked away, blinking back the tears that had been threatening to spill since you entered the room. “Look at me,” Hongjoong said softly. At first, you ignored his request but when he asked again, you couldn’t hold back. You turned to meet his gaze.

“I love you so much,” he said softly, cupping your face and wiping away a few of the stray tears that actually managed to spill. “More than anything, Starlight. More than my own life,” he continued. “And you know nothing will ever change that but you need to marry Yeosang.”

You pulled away from him, moving to get up only for him to gently grab your wrist and prevent you from going any further. “Please, Starlight,” he pleaded. “If not for your own sake, do it for me? So when I leave this world, I know you’ll be okay—”

You pulled your wrist from his grip. “Stop talking like that!” you snapped. “Stop talking like you’re going to die!” You started to walk towards the door. “If you keep talking like that, I will walk out of here and—”

“And what?” Hongjoong interjected, getting up from the bed. “And never come back?” he asked. You turned to look at him, tears flowing freely down your cheeks. “Don’t threaten me, Y/N. That is the cruelest thing you could do to me,” he said as he walked over and took your face in his hands. “You’re not that cruel, Starlight.”

A small sob escaped you, prompting Hongjoong to pull you against him and wrap his arms around you, allowing you to cry against his chest. “I’m only thinking of you, Starlight. If I am convicted of this, I don’t want to take you with me.”

“I do,” you said, your voice cracking. “I don’t want to live without you!”

Hongjoong was about to respond but a soft knock interrupted the both of you. The door cracked open and Yeosang peered in. “I’m sorry,” he started. “But we have to go.” You clung tighter to Hongjoong, pressing your face into his shirt.

“It’s alright, Starlight,” Hongjoong whispered. “Promise me we’re going to leave,” you whispered. “Like we planned. That this is all going to blow over and we’re going to leave like we planned and build a cabin by the sea,” you continued. Hongjoong glanced past you to where Yeosang stood before he finally returned his gaze to you.

“I promise, Starlight.”

You pulled him into a tight hug before he whispered in your ear. “If something happens to me, I need you to find my box and hide it.” You pulled back to look at him, confusion on your face. “What?” you asked softly. “In the crawlspace, the one you hid in, there’s a box buried there. If anything happens to me, I want you to go into the crawlspace, dig it up and take it deep into the woods where no one will ever find it and bury it. Promise me, Y/N.”

“But—” 

“And whatever you do, do not open it. You understand me?”

“Hongjoong, I—”

“Promise me, Y/N!” he cut you off. You stared back at him before nodding slowly. “I promise,” you said softly. Hongjoong pulled you into a quick kiss before Yeosang stepped forward to break your reunion apart.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” Yeosang said, gently pulling you towards the door. “We can’t stay here. The meeting will be ending at any moment.” You glanced at him quickly before looking back at Hongjoong. “Wait,” you said, pulling from his grip and rushing back to Hongjoong, pulling him into a kiss.

Hongjoong kissed you back with as much passion as you threw into it. After a moment, he pulled back, cupping your cheek. “I love you,” you whispered, looking into his eyes. “And I love you, Starlight,” he responded. “I’ll always love you.”

Yeosang urged you to move and reluctantly, you pulled away from Hongjoong and allowed the pastor to guide you out of the room, turning to watch as he shut the door, Hongjoong disappearing from sight as he locked the door behind him. He slipped the key into his pocket and guided you back down the hall and into the main room.

“I’m working on securing supplies and a carriage,” Yeosang explained as he led you out of the church and started the trek back to your house. “If I’m able to secure them, I will send you a message when you and Hongjoong will leave,” he continued. “You must be ready to go as soon as I give you that message, am I clear?” he asked.

You nodded wordlessly, staring at the ground as you walked. You felt his hand grab your arm gently and turn you to face him. “Do you understand?” he asked, tipping your head back and forcing you to look at him. “You have to be ready to go before then. Whatever important items you need must be packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

You nodded again. “Yes,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “I understand, Yeosang.” The two of you stared at one another for a moment longer before Yeosang let go, gesturing in the direction of your house. “Let’s go,” he said softly.

The rest of the walk was made in silence, the cool night air full of the sounds of crickets, punctuated by the occasional hooting of an owl. Once you reached the door, Yeosang stopped you, taking your hand gently.

“Regardless of if the villagers accept Hongjoong’s innocence or not,” he started, his voice low. “I give you my word that I will get you and Hongjoong out of here. That is a promise.” You forced a smile, thanking him as you reached for the doorknob.

Yeosang stopped you once more. “Do not lose hope, Y/N.” 

Once you were back inside, your mother came to check on you and you did your best to convince her you were fine with a fake smile and short but enthusiastic replies but in reality, all you felt was exhausted and more full of despair than you had before visiting Hongjoong.

You asked to be excused early and went up to your room, letting out a sigh as you shut the door and leaned against it. You looked around your room, eyes taking in everything and started over towards the small sewing table where your handicrafts sat, some half finished.

Your fingertips brushed over the embroidery as you looked around at it all. Yeosang’s voice came into your mind. ‘... at a moment’s notice.’ You looked over to your wardrobe, a newfound determination in your chest as you walked over and opened the door.

You rifled through the clothes and found what you were looking for. A linen bag. You packed away one dress and one nightgown, figuring you could always make more clothes once you and Hongjoong got to your destination.

You grabbed a few other sentimental items to pack into the bag. Once you were sure you had everything you wanted or needed, you pulled the drawstrings closed and hid the bag in the back of your wardrobe. You then undressed and pulled on your nightgown as you heard the door downstairs open.

You quickly climbed into bed and pulled the covers up. You could hear your parents downstairs talking but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Rolling onto your side to face the wall, your back to the door, was a good move because a couple moments later, the door opened slowly.

You didn’t move, pretending to be asleep until the door shut quietly with a click. You lay there, waiting for sleep to come as you listened to your parents move around the house until they both entered their bedroom and eventually it fell quiet.

You weren’t sure how long you lay there, staring at the wall but eventually sleep finally took you and you passed into a deep slumber without dreams.

Hours had passed since you left and Hongjoong had picked up the book Yeosang had given him a couple days ago. He had been reading it slowly, to make it last longer not knowing if or when he might get another.

When Yeosang returned, he had brought Hongjoong another candle before retiring to his home for the evening. Hongjoong had lost track of time since then but the current candle was almost completely used up by the time he reached the next chapter of his book.

He had just turned the page when there was a light knock at his door. He looked up as the door opened. He had expected it to be Yeosang but was surprised when he saw that it was Jonas instead. The elder minister almost never visited him unless to question him.

Hongjoong watched as Jonas closed the door and turned to face him, looking around the room. His eyes landed on the book in Hongjoong’s hands. “I see Pastor Kang is keeping you entertained,” he said simply. Hongjoong nodded silently, waiting for the old man to tell him why he’s visiting him.

“Did you have a visitor?” Jonas asked and Hongjoong’s heart sank. ‘Shit.’ Hongjoong said nothing as he watched Jonas who smiled. “I’m not mad,” he said. “It was nice of Yeosang to bring Miss Y/N to come see you.”

Hongjoong closed his book, setting it aside on the bed and shifted to sit up, narrowing his eyes at Jonas. “How did you—?”

“Know?” Jonas asked, finishing his sentence. “This is my church,” Jonas explained. “You really think I wouldn’t know the comings and goings of my own church?” he asked. “I thought you were smarter than that,” Jonas added. “You strike me as a smart man, Hongjoong,” Jonas continued. “Well, not extremely smart,” he added with a chuckle.

“After all, a witch ought to know better.”

Hongjoong watched him carefully. “Know better? Than what?”

“Than to cross an even more powerful witch,” Jonas replied. Hongjoong eyed him suspiciously. “So you know who it is, then?” Hongjoong asked. Jonas let out a chuckle. “Do I know who it is?” he asked, sounding highly amused.

Hongjoong was starting to get annoyed. He wanted to know why the old man was in his room and why they were even having this conversation. “Will you just get to the point?” Hongjoong asked, sounding as every bit annoyed as he felt.

“The point?” Jonas asked, his smile falling. “Of course.”

“Have you been paying any attention to the village?” Jonas asked, suddenly changing the subject again. Hongjoong shook his head. “Why would I?” he asked. Jonas nodded thoughtfully. “Of course,” he said. “Why would a reclusive witch who lives in the woods pay any attention to his only neighbors who live in the village just outside the forest?”

Hongjoong resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m serious, old man,” he growled. “Just get to the point already! I grow tired of this conversation.”

“You really aren’t as observant or as powerful as I thought,” Jonas said with an amused hint to his voice.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes. “What?” he asked softly. “Aren’t witches supposed to be able to sense these things? Know when another witch is around?” Jonas asked. Hongjoong stared back at him. “Sometimes,” Hongjoong answered. “You have to actually look for it though.”

Jonas nodded, keeping his eyes on Hongjoong. “Well, look for it,” Jonas encouraged. Hongjoong eyed him suspiciously again. ‘Why is he so adamant?’ he wondered to himself. Jonas said nothing else, waiting for Hongjoong to do something.

Reluctantly, Hongjoong let out a sigh and closed his eyes, channeling his own power and testing the area around him, feeling for a change in the air. A shock went up his spine and his eyes snapped open, meeting the dark gaze of Jonas.

“You?” Hongjoong whispered, eyes widening.

“Ah, finally,” Jonas said with a chuckle. “See? I knew you were a smart man.” Jonas started for the door. Hongjoong moved to get to his feet but Jonas turned to face him, eyes completely blacked out. A chill swept over Hongjoong and he was unable to move. It wasn’t due to fear. It was Jonas’ doing. 

“You son of a—” Hongjoong choked out but Jonas waved his hand, forcing Hongjoong’s mouth shut. “Be silent,” Jonas hissed. “I simply wanted you to know who was responsible for your downfall.” He turned to open the door and Hongjoong managed to break some of the control Jonas had over his body.

“Why?”

Jonas stopped, opening the door and peering into the room. “Why?” Jonas asked, mimicking Hongjoong’s question. “Because you were there,” Jonas answered. “That’s all you need to know. The villagers will find you guilty and you will die for it. The why does not matter. Not to you anyway.”

The door shut and Hongjoong finally regained control over his body. He rushed to the door and tried pulling at the knob but it wouldn’t budge. He pounded on the door. “Come back here you son of a bitch!” Hongjoong yelled into the wood.

After trying and failing to open the door, he finally returned to the bed to sit down, covering his face with his hands. He sighed and lifted his head to stare at the wall across from him. He had to get out of this room somehow.

He glanced around at the windowless box he was confined in.

‘But how?’

A few days passed since you’d visited Hongjoong and they were no closer to releasing him. You tried to keep up appearances, pretending to be excited for your wedding to Yeosang but each day that passed without word from your fake betrothed felt like another knife in the chest.

He hadn’t been by since sneaking you out and you were starting to lose hope again.

Your father found out about Yeosang’s visit and he had grown angry that your mother had let you leave without her. Despite agreeing to let you marry Yeosang, he was growing distrustful of the young pastor. Yeosang kept delaying the wedding, citing the case with Hongjoong and that he wants it to be resolved before marrying you.

He also didn’t seem to understand why Yeosang kept advocating for the release of Hongjoong and his claims of the latter’s innocence. The villagers were growing more and more restless, wanting some form of action to be done.

Many were demanding Hongjoong be dealt with swiftly so the curse on the village would end but at every turn, Yeosang was fighting them, demanding patience so justice could be done correctly.

Five days after your visit to Hongjoong, action came but not in the way the village or you expected.

After dinner, you were made to go to bed early and tossed and turned long after your parents went to their room. You had received new blankets for your bed after tearing apart the old ones and had them pulled up to your chin as you turned over onto your side again.

You let out a groan as the urge to urinate hit you and you begrudgingly sat up, pulling your boots on without tying the laces and got out of bed, grabbing your cloak. You carefully opened the door and headed downstairs as you put your cloak on.

Your parents initially had you locked in your room at night but when you mentioned having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and would have to pound on your door until one of them got up to let you out, they stopped locking it so they could get their sleep at night.

Outside was mostly quiet, the sound of crickets filled the air punctuated by the occasional owl hoot. You did your business, letting out a sigh as you sat on the bowl. Sleep had been avoiding you for the last couple days as you spent most nights tossing and turning.

Once you finished your business, you opened the door and stepped out, shutting it softly before turning to head back to the door. As you reached it, you felt a hand cover your mouth and an arm wrap around you, pulling you away from the door and into the shadow of your house. You kicked and struggled against your would-be attacker.

“Y/N it’s me!” a familiar voice hissed. They turned you and removed their hand from your mouth. “Yeosang?!” you whispered. “What the h—”

“I’m sorry!” he said quickly, keeping his voice down. “I tried waving at you but you didn’t see me,” he explained. You placed a hand over your heart and tried to calm your breathing. “What are you doing out here?” you finally asked.

Yeosang straightened up. “I have been waiting outside your house for hours, waiting for you to come out,” he explained. “What? Why?” you whispered. “To give you this,” he said, taking your hand and pressing a folded piece of paper into your palm.

“I don’t have much time. I have to get back,” he said, glancing around. “Wait!” you said, grabbing his arm. “How is Hongjoong?” you asked. Yeosang sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know, truthfully. My key has disappeared and Jonas won’t let me in to see him. He keeps telling me Hongjoong is fine but for some reason…” he trailed off, looking worried.

“You don’t think Jonas has done something to him?” you asked. Yeosang shook his head. “No, he wouldn’t. Anyway, it won’t stop anything. I’ll just have to pick the lock and get in there.” You stared at Yeosang as he mumbled to himself before he looked up to meet your eyes.

“Go inside. I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he urged, gently pushing you towards your door. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Before you could say anything, he turned and headed in the direction of his home, disappearing into the darkness. You contemplated opening the note but decided against it and went back inside, heading up to your room and shutting the door.

Once inside, you removed your cloak and boots and sat on your bed, unfolding the piece of paper to read in the low light of your candle. Written on it in Yeosang’s hastily scribbled handwriting were four simple words.

The next day you went about your chores like normal, tending to the garden, getting eggs, helping your mother around the house. You stayed silent for the most part, only speaking when spoken to, something your mother noticed to be odd.

When she asked about it, you made up an excuse that you were just tired. Your mother fussed, checking for any sign of illness and you reassured her you were fine and that you were having a hard time sleeping at night. “Lots of tossing and turning,” you simply said.

Your father spent most of the day out of the house, helping one of the neighbors with a new pig shed after the last one had been partially destroyed by something in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, the pigs were fine.

You had hoped to see Yeosang at any point that day but you knew he was probably busy arranging yours and Hongjoong’s escape for that night. An excitement had been bubbling up inside you after reading the note last night. It wasn’t until that morning that it hit you. Soon you would be leaving the village and your old life behind and beginning a new one with Hongjoong.

Things were starting to look up.

At dinner, you sat and ate quietly while your mother and father spoke. He went on about the pig shed and the other incidents that had been happening. The villagers, your parents included, still seemed to believe Hongjoong was responsible despite him being confined to the church.

As you were finishing your meal, your exhaustion seemed to catch up to you and you were having a hard time keeping your eyes open. “Y/N?” your mother asked as you almost fell asleep at the table.

“I’m all right,” you said softly. “I’m just really tired.”

Your father exchanged glances with your mother. “You haven’t been sneaking out at night, have you?” he asked sternly. You shook your head. “No,” you answered truthfully. “I just haven’t been sleeping well the last few nights.”

Your father returned his attention to his meal. “Perhaps Yeosang should stop delaying and make good on his promise to marry you. Maybe spending the night in his bed will help you sleep better.” Your mother chastised him and you ignored his words.

“M-may I be ‘scused?” you asked, slurring your words. Your mother nodded, reaching up to cup your cheek. “Of course dear,” she answered. “I’ll take care of your plate. You go on up to bed.”

You struggled to get up, your limbs feeling heavy and a weakness taking over your body. Your mother got up from her seat and helped guide you to the stairs and after a long struggle to climb them, she finally got you into your room where you collapsed onto the bed.

Your mother exited the room, shutting the door carefully and returned downstairs where your father sat. “I think I used too much,” your mother admitted as she looked at your cup. “Just keep an eye on her throughout the night,” he answered as he finished his food.

“I’m off to meet with the others,” he started, getting to his feet. Your mother looked at him apprehensively. “Is this really necessary?” she asked as your father grabbed his coat and pulled it on. “Yes,” he answered.

“The pastors aren’t doing anything about it,” he explained. “It’s up to us to keep our community safe from dangers. I will be back once it is done.”

Your mother watched as your father headed for the door and exited.

Yeosang was sitting by the window, reading from his book, when he heard the sound of shouting. Looking up he glanced out the window and saw a group of men walking towards the front steps of the church. He set the book down and got up, grabbing his coat, and headed for the door.

Once outside, he approached the men quickly.

“Good evening gentlemen,” he said politely. “How can I help you?”

“We’ve no time for your pleasantries,” a man Yeosang recognized to be Abel, said. “We’ve come to enact justice.” There were several murmurs of agreement as Yeosang looked around the group. His eyes landed on your father and a frown grew on his face.

“Y/F/N, what is this about?” he asked. Your father narrowed his eyes. “The villagers are restless, Pastor Kang. Uneasy even. They know the witch is being held in the church, our place of worship. They feel it is being tainted with its presence and that it must answer for crimes committed against our community. We must purge the village of its curses and its filth!”

The others agreed loudly and Yeosang stepped closer. “Is that really why you’re here?” he asked. “Or is it perhaps for another reason? A more… personal one?” A brief look of fear crossed your father’s face before being replaced with anger.

“Step aside, Pastor, and let us handle the heretic.”

Yeosang shook his head. “No,” he replied. “We have not concluded our investigation.”

“Damn your investigation!” another man shouted. “We’re tired of waiting! You have the culprit inside the church! He’s the witch!” Yeosang held his hands up in an attempt to calm the small mob. “Gentlemen, please! Let’s not act rashly.”

His pleas went unheard as the men grew more and more restless. “I’m sorry, Pastor Kang,” your father said. “But you can’t stop us. We’re here to serve justice.”

“This isn’t justice!” Yeosang said loudly. “You’re condemning an innocent man to a painful death!” The men ignored him and pushed past, climbing the steps and pushing open the doors to the church with Yeosang in tow.

“Stop! You cannot do this!”

“Go get him, Pastor Kang,” your father said. “We will wait.” Yeosang hesitated. “I do not have a key,” Yeosang responded. One of the men, who Yeosang recognized as Gideon, pushed him roughly, almost knocking Yeosang to the floor. “Liar!” he spat. Your father stepped in, placing a hand on Gideon’s chest. “Calm yourself, Gideon,” he said.

“He’s protecting the witch!” Gideon spat, pointing at Yeosang. “He should be punished, too!” Your father pushed Gideon back. “Watch your words, Gideon! He is a man of the cloth!” That seemed to snap Gideon out of his momentary lapse in judgment. He turned to Yeosang and bowed his head. “My apologies, Pastor,” he said softly.

“I am not lying,” Yeosang explained. “My key has disappeared.” The men grumbled in annoyance. “What is all this noise?” a voice called from the podium. The men and Yeosang turned to find Jonas standing there. “Sorry for the intrusion, Pastor,” your father started. “We’ve come for Hongjoong.”

Jonas looked from the men to Yeosang. “We just want to talk to him,” Abel said. Yeosang turned to glare at him for lying in a holy place. “Talk? By all means, let them talk to him, Pastor Kang,” Jonas said. Yeosang turned to him.

“I do not have a key,” Yeosang answered. “Mine seems to have been misplaced.”

Jonas reached into his own pocket and produced the key. “Use mine,” he said. Yeosang stared at him with a pleading look. “These men are not here to talk to him,” Yeosang explained. “They’ve come to enact what they feel is justice upon a man we are not even certain is guilty!”

Jonas looked from Yeosang to the men who fell silent. “I see,” Jonas said softly. “In that case…” Jonas said, trailing off as he set the key on the podium. Yeosang’s brow furrowed in confusion but before he could speak, something hard hit the back of his head, white hot pain bursting throughout. He cried out in pain, stars blinding his vision as he fell to his knees.

There was a mad dash, shuffling of feet. He barely heard the sound of your father thanking Jonas before his vision went dark and he slumped to the floor, blacking out.

Hongjoong heard a commotion coming from the main room of the church and looked up as a cry of pain rang out, sounding suspiciously like Yeosang. There was a stampeding of heavy footfalls before he heard the lock to his door being unlocked and the door flew open with a loud bang.

His eyes widened as several of the men of the village entered his room and moved towards him. “What is going on?” Hongjoong demanded as they grabbed him. “Be silent, witch!” one of the men said before stuffing a piece of cloth in Hongjoong’s mouth.

“We’ve come to deliver vengeance and rid our village of your filth!”

“Death to the witch!”

The men dragged him from the bed and started pulling him through the door where Hongjoong was met by the smug expression of your father. ‘Of course.’

“Take him to the tree,” your father stated plainly. Hongjoong tried to pull away but the men had a strong hold on him and dragged him down the hall and into the chapel. Hongjoong noticed Yeosang passed out on the floor before looking up towards the podium where Jonas stood.

Hongjoong tried to fight against the hold the men had on him, screaming against his gag, but it was no use, the men dragged him from the church, despite his kicking and struggling against them. The last thing he saw before being dragged out of the church was the smug expression of Jonas, his eyes blacked out and then the doors swung shut.

Yeosang woke up, his head pounding as he tried to get up. He managed to push himself up to his knees and reached up to the spot where he’d been struck which was tender to the touch. He pulled his hand back, thankful to see he was not bleeding.

He looked around the empty room before he came to his senses.

“Hongjoong!”

He got up, stumbling for a moment. He used the wall as support as he made his way down the hall to the room at the end where he found an empty bed. “No,” he murmured, stumbling back into the chapel and over to the door, throwing it open and ambling down the steps. 

As he reached the ground, a fresh wave of pain coursed through him, strong enough to make him retch. He managed to get a grip on himself and made his way through the village, using what he could to keep himself upright and on his feet.

A flash of lightning illuminated the village briefly, followed by a deep rumble of thunder in the distance. A storm was coming.

Maybe if he hurried, he would be able to stop them.

Consciousness came to you slowly. You woke with a heavy head and your limbs still heavy from sleep. You tried to sit up but found you could barely move. This was not the usual grogginess that followed your sleep.

You forced your eyes open, your vision slowly coming back as the ceiling of your room came into view. You blinked a few times, trying to force the sleepiness from your eyes. As the rafters merged, you tried to pull yourself up into a sitting position.

You turned to look out the window and noticed it was pitch black outside. “How long have I been asleep?” you mumbled. You tried to get up on wobbly legs and stumbled towards the door. You stopped by the wardrobe and opened it, grabbing the sack you’d packed.

You didn’t bother being quiet as you wrenched the door open, a loud clap of thunder sounding in the distance. You descended the steps as quickly as you could and stopped, catching sight of your mother sitting in her rocking chair as she mended one of your father’s coats. She looked up, taking sight of the bag in your hand.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, looking up at you. Taking a deep breath and tightening your grip on the bag you finally put your foot down. “I’m leaving,” you answered. Your mother stared at you for a moment before going back to her mending. “Nonsense,” she replied. “You’re getting married soon. You can’t leave.”

You stared at her incredulously. “What?” you whispered. “You’re not leaving. That’s final.”

You scoffed and started for the door. “Y/N Y/L/N!” your mother shouted and you turned to face her. “I’m an adult,” you snapped. “You may be my mother but you cannot hold me here against my will. I am leaving!”

The front door opened behind you and your father appeared, clothes covered in dirt. You looked at him, taking in his appearance. He didn’t acknowledge you at first, instead addressing your mother. “It is done,” he said, sounding exhausted.

You turned to your mother who lifted a hand to cover her mouth. “It was for the best,” she said in response. You looked between the two. Your father finally noticed you and looked at the bag in your hand. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I’m leaving,” you answered.

Your father let out a cold laugh as he moved to sit in the chair next to your mother. “No you’re not,” he answered. “There’s nowhere for you to go.” You glared at him. “It doesn’t matter. I’m tired of staying here, listening to your nonsense! I’m leaving!”

“You really are an ungrateful brat,” your father said, shaking his head.

“Excuse me?” you asked, taking a step closer.

“We gave you life, kept a roof over your head, clothed you, fed you, taught you, and this is how you repay us?” your father asked. “With contempt and disobedience?”

“I never asked to be born!” you screamed. “I didn’t ask for any of this! You’re my parents! You’re supposed to do those things! That’s the bare minimum!”

“Do not raise your voice at your father!” your mother snapped.

“Fuck you,” you spat. “Fuck both of you.”

Your father got up and advanced on you but you were ready for him. When he tried to hit you, instead you swung your bag at him, hitting him in the side of the head and making him stagger. “I’m not your property or some beast you can beat into submission!” you shouted. “I am a human! A woman! I deserve respect as such and you will not lay another hand on me!”

“Where do you think you’re going to go!?” your mother shouted. “Your lover is dead!”

You froze as you reached the door, hand on the knob. You turned back to look at your mother who had a hand over her mouth. “What did you just say?” you whispered. “The witch is dead,” your father repeated. “We hung him from a tree and buried his body in the woods.”

Your heart sank, heat rising to your face as you tried to hold back tears.

“You’re lying,” you spat. “Yeosang would never allow you to—”

“Jonas gave us his key,” your father interrupted as he got to his feet, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. “Here,” he said, his voice void of any emotion as he tossed whatever it was at your feet. “Proof that your precious witch is dead.”

You looked down at your feet, kneeling to pick up the object which turned out to be a necklace, a small gasp escaping you as you recognized the pendant. It was Hongjoong’s. You would know this amulet anywhere.

You looked up at your father who had a smug smile on his face. “Believe it now? Your lover is dead and his soul rotting in Hell where he belongs.”

The anger that had been bubbling inside you reached a boiling point and rage fueled your actions. You dropped the bag and lunged for your father, ducking his attempt to hit you and knocked him to the ground, striking him anywhere you could reach. When your mother tried to stop you, you knocked her aside, grabbed one of her knitting needles and raised it above your head.

“Y/N NO!” your mother screamed. You brought it down, stabbing it into the floor next to your father’s head, panting heavily. You leaned over him. “You try to follow me,” you said in a low tone. “And I won’t hesitate to kill you,” you hissed. “You are not my father. I hope Satan himself rises from Hell and drags you there for what you’ve done.”

You got off him, offering a swift kick to his side before turning to your mother. “And you belong with him. What kind of mother stands aside while her husband beats their child and murders an innocent man. You two deserve each other and I hope you enjoy the fires of Hell.”

Without another word, you headed for the door, stopping to grab your bag, before you wrenched open the door and left, slamming it hard behind you.

©️ kwanisms 2024 | all works on this blog are protected under copyright. Do not repost, continue, or translate my works. All graphics made by me unless stated otherwise.

love fucking hurts

“i miss you more than anything”

split dye hongjoong u will always be iconic

♡ gifs of hongjoong that make me feel so sane ♡ [01/∞]

Pretty

Kim Hongjoong x gn reader

Even while you fall apart under him, Hongjoong can't help but find you pretty.

✫彡wordcount: 600

(>ᴗ•)genre:

smut, p w/o plot

ಠ_ಠwarnings/contents:

literally just debauchery, softdom hj, (kinda) dacryphilia, nicknames (pretty), praise, hickeys, overstim, hair pulling, possessive dialogue, hand holding tehe, forehead touches(i'm not sorry), short little drabble cause hj brain rot, not edited

SMUT UNDER THE CUT MDNI

Everything surrounding you is him. Every sense is flooded by him.

He moans softly in your ear, sweet praises that have you twitching around him. "My pretty," he rasps. "Take me so good," he praises. "So g- so good for me."

His hips never fault in their precise rolls, grinding against that spot inside you that makes you grip his shoulders and pull him impossibly closer.

Between his moans he takes advantage of the way you hold his head against your jugular, sucking dark hickeys into your skin and lapping his tongue over them.

The constant flow of pleasure he gives you is catching up after what feels like the twentieth orgasm of the night (but in reality is only the third).All of the sudden it's so stuffy in the bed room. Each breath you take barely fills your lungs enough to keep you alive, it feels like. And it doesn't help that his scent is the only thing you can seem to register when you breath in.

Hongjoong, being the attentive partner he is, takes quick notice and holds onto your hand as he pulls it off of his head so he can sit up. The way his cock, still buried inside you, moves with the change of his position makes you whine, holding onto his hand for dear life as it settles against your g-spot.

He asks you something, you know he does. But all you can think about is the constant pressure that hits you just right. When he lets go of your hand and cups your face, leaning closer: his cock twitches inside you.

Your hips bucks against his as you cry out, hands gripping his hair tightly. It leaves a stinging sensation that has him bucking up right back at you before he regains control of himself and holds your hips down in place, sliding almost all the way out.

"Breath, baby," he coos, rubbing soft circles that contradict the rough hold he has on you. You follow his lead, attempting to match your breath to his. It becomes easier to breath, locking your eyes with his and watching him smile so gently. "You okay?"

You nod, shake your head, nod again. "M'good." He lets out a breathy chuckle, letting one of his hands wander up to one of your nipples. It's a ghost of a touch, light as a feather, but it has tears building up in your eyes all over again. You mumble incoherent nonsense, trying your damnedest to get closer to his touch.

"Calm down, pretty. Take some breaths." The tears in your eyes slide down your temples, and you almost miss the way that he smirks before swiping them up with the thumb that previously abused your tender nipple. "You know what you are, huh?"

"I'm Hongjoong's."

"Mhm. And you know what I am?"

"You're mine, Joong."

His lips meet yours in a tender embrace, nothing but a peck.

"Can you give me one more?" He asks as he goes in for another kiss.

"Yes," you say with a shaking breath once he pulls away.

"You're sure you can take it?" He holds both your hands now, spreading your arms out to either side of your head. His thumb strums over your hot skin.

"Yea-"

The word barely leaves your swollen lips when Hongjoong slams back inside of you, leaning his forehead against yours.

Through the loud moans that leave you and the colliding of your skin, you can hear him moan, "I'm going to ruin you, pretty."

Stupid Games, stupid prizes

February Filth Fest : Day One

Kim Hongjoong x gn reader

"Right? Because I don't. Fucking. Share. Not my Baby."

a/n: lets GOOOOOOO (also i had to stop myself cause this story could have gone on forever LMAO)

(>ᴗ•)genre:

smut, very very slight angst

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents:

not edited,angry/jealous/possessive sex, drummer joong, healthy communication(i'm a whore what can i say!!!!), semi-public, tipsy reader, pet names(primarily baby, pretty & joongie), spitting, hair pulling, scratching, hickeys, restraint, fingering, unprotected(wrap it)

tags: @cherryxsang

SMUT UNDER THE CUT MDNI

Saturday went by just like any other. Wake up late with your boyfriend, laze around the apartment, go to his bar where he and his band preformed, do his hair while he did his makeup and spend the rest of the night cheering them on.

Until ,that is, your routine was broken when you decided to play a drinking game with a group of friends and began feeling the effects. Usually, you just sat and supported him from the sidelines but the amount of alcohol you'd drank was making you brave.

You know for a fact that your favorite song is coming up to finish the set and you lean your hands on the person next to you with an exaggerated gasp. "Hey," you tapped on his shoulder incessantly, "Binnie, let's dance."

"Why don't you dance with your boyfriend?" Changbin, the poor soul, is much drunker than you. You roll your eyes and meet Hongjoong's on stage for a split second.

"My boyfriend plays the song, stupid... How drunk are you?"

"Nope."

You laugh, sliding off the stool and dragging him with you. The both of you laugh as he pulls the chair down with him, stumbling to catch it.

You don't even recognize how long the dancing goes on until one of the band members yells "fix on" and both you and Changbin yell excitedly, slapping each others arms. He lifts you a few inches off the floor and carries you back to your drinks. Your friend Yunjin hands them over with a smirk.

"Fix on!" You all cheer before taking a swig. All too soon, the feeling of the cool liquid is washed away with heat as you begin dancing again. Yunjin joins, and you twirl each other around. Changbin frowns dramatically.

"Twirl me," he pouts, crouching down a bit so you can effectively grab his hand and twirl him. Her returns the favor and twirls you around over and over. You catch a glimpse of Hongjoong standing as his rap part is coming up.

As he begins, you lean back into Changbins chest. He wraps an arm around your shoulders as you sway-dizzy and drunk. You lose yourself in Hongjoong's voice as if you haven't heard him preform this song a million times already.

His eyes bore into you -more specifically the man attached to you- the entire time.

When he stops, he licks his tongue over his top lip: catching his breath as he watches you. You grab onto Changbins wrist, still over your shoulder, to ground yourself as he sits on the edge of the stage and motions you forward.

Changbin, Yunjin, your drink, the rest of the song- all forgotten as your slot yourself between his legs. "Enjoy the show?"

"Always do," you answer truthfully, leaning to catch his lips. The both of you are already breathing heavily, so it doesn't last as long as you'd like.

When you go to pull your head back, he won't let you. His hand, still holding his drum sticks, catches the back of your head and pushes you back to him- gently colliding your foreheads. His other hand gets ahold of your jaw, making you pout. He purses his own lips and you know what he's about to do. Although your face heats up with embarrassment, you open your mouth even more for him. His spit makes it's way into your mouth and when a bit dribbles out, he uses his thumb to swipe it back in.

Similar to how he trapped your head, you trap his thumb. You take it between your teeth and smirk as you bite down gently. "Let go, Baby," he whispers into your cheek followed by a small peck and a mumbled promise, "you don't want me to punish you more than I already want to."

You let his finger go, kitten licking it as he pulls it away. His hand trails down your torso and down to your pants, hooking your belt loop and pulling you closer. "You tryin' to piss me off? Or you just so needy you couldn't wait for me?"

"What did I do?" You whine, rolling your head against his, moving down to kiss him again. He grips the back of your neck and pulls you away before you can.

"How much did you have to drink?" You look up at the sky, thinking. "Yunjin-ah!" You jump as he yells, calling her from the other side of the room. The band is packing up by now, but it's still relatively loud in the bar. "How many did you guys have?"

She holds up three finger and nods as he gives a thumbs up in response. "I was getting there..." you complain, flattening you hands on the cool stage on either side of his thighs. He's quiet, eyes searching the room and stopping at Changbin. He's barely conscious, slumped against his friends back. But that doesn't stop Hongjoong from giving him the stink eye. "Ahh," you draw out, catching his attention, "Joongie is jealous~" you slur, laughing as you lean into his sweaty shirt.

"Can't I be?" He asks, cradling your head against him, thankful for the noise so that you can't heart his heart thrum against his ribs. "Maybe I wanna be the only one to dance with you." Even in your drunken state, you realize that he sees Changbin as the competition. He'd probably see Yunjin that way if she weren't in a committed relationship. Hell- he sees the extra friendly cashier at the 7Eleven that way. "Maybe I wanna be the only one to touch you."

He can feel the way your breathing is speeding up. "Maybe I should fuck you on stage and show everyone how good you are for me.Just for me..." He shivers as your hands slide up his back, clawing at him through the fabric. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Letting everyone know whose you are. Letting them know that he doesn't share. Right?" When you don't answer, only kissing his peck gently from where your head is hidden, he pushes you back. "Right? Because I don't. Fucking. Share. Not my Baby."

--

You've significantly sobered by the time that everyone else has left the bar, leaving you and Hongjoong to clean the rest of the mess up and lock up. Your still stumble a bit, but he made sure to do all the heavy lifting to put up the chairs and made sure you drank a lot of water.

Just as you grab the keys from behind the counter to lock up on your way out, he wraps his arms around your waist. "Jesus," you exclaim, smacking his leg with the hand towel on your shoulder. "Scared the crap out of me."

Wordlessly, he turns you around and lifts you up onto the counter. The cool wood makes you shiver as it hits your legs. He dives into your neck, leaving opened mouth kisses wherever he can find the space to. "Let's go home, Joong." You speak through your moans. You try to push him away, making the expanse of your neck smaller by leaning forward.

He grabs a handful of your hair and tilts it to the side, giving himself as much room as he wants. You brace yourself on his bare shoulders, nails digging into his skin. He latches his lips around the junction between your neck and shoulder, sucking and swirling his tongue. "Jo-"

"Shut up." He pulls away long enough to say those two words- then he's attacking your neck for the next ten minutes. He leaves marks, and leaves you unbearably horny. You try to grind up against him, try to get any friction at all. He uses one hand against your hip and the other to maneuver your head however he likes.

"Hongjoong, stop!"

He pauses, breathing heavily and looking at you with his pupils blown way out of proportion. "Are you okay?"

"What are you doing, Baby?" He pulls your hips closer, pushing against you with a small sigh.

"I," he begins, "I'm jealous. And angry."

"At what?"

"At you." He admits. "At Changbin. Myself. Just fucking angry."

"Did I do something?" You ask, placing a hand to his cheek and letting him nuzzle into it. "Why are you so angry with me?"

"No! God, no! I'm not- I'm not angry at you, My Pretty. I'm angry... because of you? I dunno." He pulls away and runs a hand through his damp hair. "I feel like I just need to let everybody know that your mine. And that- that I don't like them touching you."

"Oh, Joong." You hop off the table top and wrap your arms around him, pressing yourself up against his back and holding him close. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that made you uncomfortable. I won't dance like that again."

"Wasn't the way you were dancing... was the way he was holding you." You truthfully don't remember what he's talking about, so he shows you. He flips your positions and wraps his arm just above your chest, holding onto your shoulder. "Like this. Like he was your boyfriend. Couldn't stand it. Almost went down there and- fuck."

"I'm sorry," you say again, searching your head for better words- but it's hard to focus when his hard cock is pressing against you like it is. "I wo- Well, I c- I got a little too drunk. We were playing a stupid drinking game."

"You know what?"

You hum in response, freezing as his breath fans down your neck. "When you play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. You know what your prize is?"

"No?" You had a vague idea.

"I'm going to fuck you until I'm the only thing you can think about. You win."

He scoops one of his arms under your knees and picks you up, pressing you tightly to his chest as you yelp. He lifts you up to the stage, and holds out his hand as your knees wobble. You lower yourself to the cool floor and listen out as he climbs up.

You should have known he'd make true on his promise to fuck you on stage.

"So pretty, Baby." He squats down and runs his fingers across your jaw. "Maybe I should bring you up here more often." You sit patiently, looking up from your knees as he unbuckles his belt. "Gimme your hands."

He bundles them up together and pulls the belt tight. Using it as leverage to push you to your back as he slowly descends. "You know how fucking angry I was when I saw him touching you like that? So close to parts of you that only I get to touch?"

He roughly unbuttons your pants and pulls them down with one tug. He shoves two fingers into your mouth, and smiles as your tongue swirls around them. At too soon, he pulls them away and lets them find their way into your underwear. "I'll give you a hint, how about that?" You mouth falls open in a silent moan as his fingers plunge into you. "I was livid."

You cry out a moan, bound hands holding onto his wrist as he thrusts his finger. "Joongie," you yell, "pleas- please slow down!" He pushes away one of your legs as it tries to wrap around him, chuckling.

"Oh, My Pretty..." He kisses your hand before grabbing the belt and holding them above your head. "That's not going to happen. You're going to cum for me." You push against his hold, whining as he pushes another finger into you. "Aren't you? You're gonna cum in the way only I can make you?"

"Yes! Yeah, yes! Please!"

"Then fucking do it, Baby."

He swallows your loud moans with his mouth, groaning into you. He works you through your orgasm, kissing down your bruising neck as you float back to Earth. "Ready, Pretty?"

"Yes," you purred, "want it. Want you."

He barely has the patience to lower your underwear and free himself, sliding into you the very next second. "God, Baby," he rasps, "feel so good. All for me."

"Just for you," your words awaken something inside of him and he begins hammering down into you, making you slide before he lifts your hips up and places them over his, leaving your back floating and your head resting on the freshly mopped floor. "Just for you, Hongjoong. I'm all yours!"

He groans loudly, throwing his head back and running a hand over your stomach, feeling your gut clench. You're gasping for air, bound hands still rested above you long after his hands had left. You tug on the leather, whining and rolling your hips to get his attention. "Wanna touch you," you pout, holding your hand toward him. "Please, Baby, need to touch you!" He pulls you up by the makeshift restraint and kisses you, hips halting as he focuses on tonguing you.

Your head is officially fogged up, buzzing with the after affects of alcohol and swirling with the pleasure he gives you. When he goes to lower you back down you, you grab onto his elbow before he can. "Let me fucking touch you, you are mine." His eyes shimmer with something dark, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He unravels the belt quickly and lets you push him down, hands roaming all over his exposed torso and arms. He lays back, hands rested on your hips as you grind on him. "If I fuck you well enough," you begin, "will you cum inside of me?"

He grabs your hair and pulls you down to rest your head against his. "Don't say things like unless you want me to ruin you, Baby."

You leave a quick, teasing kiss on his lips and sit up straight on his cock, making him whine.

"Maybe I want you to."

Your color

February Filth Fest : Day Twenty

Kim Hongjoong x gn reader

a/n: GOOD GAWD IM HOWLING

"Red is your color, Baby."

✫彡wordcount: 700

(>ᴗ•)genre: smut drabble

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: not edited, collar/rope, bondage, overstim, oral, dacryphilia, dom hj, use of a non-verbal safe word, pet names(joongie & baby,angel), name calling(brat&slut), hj calls the reader every compliment in the book(pretty, beautiful, handsome, an angel, ect), brief throat fuck

FFF tags: @cherryxsang @k-drizzle

SMUT UNDER CUT MDNI

Hongjoong would never hurt you. Mind, body, or soul. Which is not to say he won't make you cry your eyes out by making you cum until you break. So when you decided to piss him off and tease him all day when you knew he was busy: he does just that.

You're tied up in intricate silky ropes. They hold your legs apart and make your writhing useless. You aren't going anywhere as he works you with his mouth.

You've came an ungodly amount by now. Your legs are shaking in place and you can't wipe away the waterworks as he holds your bound hands at your stomach. Whenever you gulp down your sobs, the collar on your neck feels like it's choking you ever so slightly. "Joongie, please! I can't cum anymore! I can't do it!"

He doesn't say anything, he keeps his mouth on you. "Joongie, please!"

You feel another Earth shattering release coming up, and you decide you can't handle it anymore. You snap your fingers quickly, over and over. He's off you in a single second, breathing heavily as he looks up at you. You can barely see him through the tears in you eyes, but his concern comes through in his voice.

"Okay, Baby?" He wipes the collection of slobber and cum off of his chin with his hand, half-hazardly wiping it on the bed.

He pulls himself up off his stomach and unties your hands. They immediately grab ahold of his wrists and shakingly try to pull him closer.

"Aw, Angel, I'm sorry..." He cuddles up to your body, still tied down to the sweat soaked sheets. He listens closely to your uneven breathing, wiping your face with his long sleeve.

"My dumb brat," he coos, sickeningly sweet. "It's okay, Joongie is here. I got you."

"T-too much," you cry, holding onto him tightly, whimpering as the cold air settles around your wet sex, legs unable to provide warmth as they're tied apart. He toys with the collar on your neck, smiling. "You did so good. Took so much."

His eyes travel down your completely exposed body. You look so, so good. Completely vulnerable and trusting him with your body in his hands. The ropes he picked out complement your skin perfectly. The red collar around your neck with a little gold H hanging off of it makes his mind go fuzzy. "So beautiful. Such a pretty, pretty, slut." He moans as he rubs your sore hips. "My pretty slut, right?"

"Yeah," you manage to mumble, groaning as he quickly unties your binds and flattens your legs for you. "Y-mhm." All of the words leave your mind as he rubs your hips gently and kisses your shoulder.

"Can my handsome little brat suck my cock?"

"Yes."

He sits up and tugs you to the very edge of your bed, letting your head dangle. He rubs up and down your chest as you reach up a wobbly hand and pull down his pants enough to get at his cock.

"You're an angel..." He praises as you stroke him slowly. Even though he's nearly rock hard, you still take the time and work him with yours hand to catch your last few breaths before you swallow him whole. He moans as he hits the back of your throat, and it's moments like these he's eternally grateful you agreed to let him throat train you.

"You look... you look so fucking good, Baby." The ropes are tangles around your legs and torso loosely, and the way his cock indents on your throat and knocks against the collar from the inside has him losing his mind. "Red is your color, Baby. Look fucking delicious."

You sputter around his cock at the sudden words and he pulls away, laughing gently as he holds your head up. You gaze up at him and pout. "Why are you laughing, Joongie?"

"You're so shy, Baby. Losing it over little compliments like you don't cream my cock every chance you get. S'cute."

"Hongjoong!"

—

Tough luck

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: this is self indulgent asf i'm not gonna lie to you. i've missed a few days cause i just couldn't write anything but i came back strong with this one

"Tough luck, Hongjoongie."

✫彡wordcount: 1.3k

(>ᴗ•)genre: smut

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: not edited, pegging, bratty&whiny hj, name calling(affectionately for the most part), light degradation, sucking a toy&toys in general, fingering, hair pulling, begging, spit as lube, slight dacryphilia, pet names

FFF tags: @cherryxsang @k-drizzle

SMUT UNDER CUT MDNI

"You're gonna take whatever I put in your mouth," you speak lowly as you grab your boyfriends jaw, weighing him down to the end with your body. "Right, Joongie? Be good for me?"

"No." The brat. He couldn't be good if he wanted to, so he stopped trying a few months back and openly admitted to being your brat. "Want your pussy in my mouth." He tries to unstrap the toy from around you, grabbing at the buckles around your thighs blindly.

"Stop it!" You grab his wrists and pin them by his head. Admittedly, he could get away if he wanted to but you both knew he needed wanted to be dominated. So he smirked up at you and whined, grinding his painfully hard cock to your wet pussy through the gap in the straps. "You want me to fuck you raw or do you want to be a good boy and slobber on my cock to get it ready?"

"S...slobber on your cock, Baby."

"Good boy," you kiss his forehead and climb up over him, straddling his face and letting your toy rest on his cheek as he looks up at you. "Make yourself useful. Be my good man-whore."

He opens his mouth and pulls your hips almost flush with his face, nose pressed against your stomach as he takes the toy fast and deep into his throat. He gags around it and grabs onto your ass, fingers digging in deep as he looks up with tearful, proud eyes. Your breath catches as you look down at him, using all of his willpower to stay still until you decide to use him. "There's a good boy... make it real wet for us."

A yelp passes your throat as he wraps his arms around you and sits you both up, gasping as the silicone leaves his mouth. You're in a the air for a good moment as he sits up, your legs draped around his shoulders, holding onto his hair tightly as he lowers you onto your back. "F-fucking brat, Joong!"

He holds onto your sides as he sinks his mouth back on your cock, looking up through his lashes innocently. "You're asking for a spanking, Starlight." He bats his eyes like he did nothing wrong, slowly bobbing his head, making sure to let of his spit cover the toy. He knows you love him, but if he pisses you off enough-and he has tonight-that you will fuck him with only spit as lube. He uses his fingers as an expression of his remorse, slipping one of his hands between your legs and under the toy that rests just above your clit.

"Ah, now you don't want to act like a brat?" Your head lulls back as his fingers slip inside your wet warmth. "Funny."

His mouth and fingers work in tandem, filing the room with lewd noises as the toy hits his contracting throat and his fingers turn your cunt into a soaking mess. You feel yourself slipping, and you won't let it happen. Not today. Today, he's going to be good. Wether he likes it or not.

You grab onto his dyed locks and force his head to stop as he takes it at the deepest point. "Take your filthy fingers out of me, or I won't fuck you for weeks." They slip out quickly, joining his other hand as he holds onto your thighs tightly, breathing through his nose heavily. "Such a greedy thing, aren't you?"

He sputters as you thrust impossibly deeper, clenching his eyes shut as tears fall. He hears you coo mockingly, petting his head gently with one hand while the other keeps him choking on you.

"If you think crying is going to get you out of this, Joongie... you're stupider than you look."

As soon as your grip loosens, he's climbing over you and holding your face gently. "Please," he groans, voice hoarse and deep. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Want your pussy, Baby, please! I don't want a stupid toy, pl-"

You hold the back of his neck and moan into his mouth as you kiss, gently wiping the spit off of his chin with your free hand. You rub your fingers down his spine, the ghostly feeling makes him shiver. He almost falls onto you completely as you wrap a hand around his cock. He pulls away to plead, but you beat him to it before any words can leave his lips.

"Brats don't get what they want. They take what they're given. You don't mind, though? Do you? You like whatever I give you. Attention whore~."

"Baby, please. I don't want a toy... want to few you around my cock." He's lying, of course. He does want your toy inside him. But, then... he's also telling the truth. He does want your warmth wrapped around him.

He wants everything, all at once. Anything you give him is heaven. He doesn't know why he's so difficult with you. He doesn't know why he says what he does. "Can't make me cum with a stupid toy." Maybe he likes it when you're rough, and that's why he pushes your buttons.

Maybe that's why he loves it when you wrap your legs tightly around him and flip your positions. You hover over him, looking down with anger in your loving eyes. "Can't make you cum? Tough luck, Hongjoongie. That isn't why I do it anyway," you mock a laugh, wiping up the remains of his tears. "You know why I do it... don't you, Starlight?"

"Cause I'm your fuck toy." He says it with a prideful smile, holding his arms around you as you lean closer, connecting your sweaty foreheads. "I'm your fuck toy."

"Awe, is my good boy coming to play? Finally, finally?"

He nods gently against you, kissing you quickly and gently. "I want whatever you give me, Baby. I want..."

"Want my cock?"

He stutters, looking down, "Baby... Wan- can you... Fuck!" He yells, head thrown back in frustration.

"You need my help, Lovebug?"

"Please..."

You gently grab onto his shoulders and turn him over, laying his face sideways on the comforter as you raise his hips ever so slightly and swipe his hair out of his face.

"Baby," you draw out.

"Baby." He copies, dreamily.

"Baby, please."

"Baby, please."

"Fuck my whore ass."

"Fuck my whore ass." He moans, melting into your warmth as you cage him underneath you. "Oh my God, Baby. Please, fuck me. Fuck my ass, please." He pleads on his own, hands reaching back to spread himself for you.

You tug at the little buttplug inside of him, teasingly. "Baby, please," you urge with the same guiding tone.

"Baby, please! Please, I want it! I'm sorry I'm such a brat, I want it!" He wiggles his hips under you, and your hold him still with one hand on the small of his back.

"Stay still, dummy."

"Stay st- fuck." He laughs heartily into the mattress, distracted by your laughter so - doesn't notice that you've removed the toy from him.

"Ready, Joongie?"

"Yes, Baby. Please. M'going to be good."

You slide into him easily, lubed up with his spit. "My good little brat."

He braces himself with his hands sprawled on the blanket, moaning and smiling in bliss as you rock into his prostate. "Love it... I love it." You chuckle, telling him you know he loves it.

Just like you know he loves being your brat.

Just like he knows you love having him as such.

—

—

Piña Colada

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: it is unbelievably hot right now and i have romantical feelings for hongjoongs arm tattoo : thus this came to life

" But his hands are like sandpaper, His eyes are dark and dull, Months of dehydration have really taken their toll " -Popsicles , Emily Kinney

✫彡wordcount: 800

(¯ ³¯)♡genre: fluff

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: none, enjoy it freely ! not proof read

    Another sigh leaves his chapped lips as he turns on the bed to face you. Both of your sweat soaks the sheets from the unbearable heat outside. Even with the large fan you have propped up to blow right on you, the heat is sweltering in your apartment.

   "I can't sleep." He states.

  "I can tell." You chuckle, pulling at his shirt. "Don't be a prude, get comfy."

   You leave the room while he sits up. He has to essentially peel the shirt off his flushed skin. He throws it to the basket as you return, a plastic wrapped popsicle in each hand.

You kneel on the bed beside him, handing him the 'blue punch' flavored sweet. You peel open the piña colada flavor and take it for yourself, a mischievous smile as you drink the little amount that's already melted. "Piña colada is my favorite..." He whispers as he nibbles at the blue punch.

"Mine too, and I got up and got them. I ventured into hell for these!"

"Ventured int- Baby, it's ten feet away!"

"Yeah! Ten feet of pure, un-air conditioned, hell!"

  He holds the plastic between his teeth as he grabs you by your sweaty waist and tosses you to the middle of the bed, climbing ontop do you. "Ah, mercy! Mercy, Joong!" You yell as he tickles your sides.

"Can I have some?" He asks as he halts his assault, voice muffled as his teeth hold his popsicle. When you shake your head with a pout, he continues to tickle you. He leans into your neck as he laughs, listening to your breathless giggles like it's the sweetest sound he's ever heard.

"Uncle! Uncle! I give up, you can have some!"

"Yay!" He plops next to you and opens his mouth with a grin, smiling fondly as you let him bite off a small chunk of the flavored ice. "Thank you, Princess."

"Yeah, yeah, my pleasure," you say, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Totally not mad about you stealing my piña colada..." You pout dramatically as you take the next bite, sucking the flavor out of it as it cools down your throat and soothes your weather induced fever. He pouts right back, looking down at the popsicle in his hand.

    "C'mere," he drapes his arm and lets you cuddle close, unbothered by your added warmth. You rest your head just above his elbow and sigh as he lowers the cold treat to your temple. He pets back a few sweat soaked stands of hair that have fallen into your face and smiles as your eyes flutter shut.

You can feel him staring and open your eyes as you take another bite. You offer it up to him and hold it as takes one himself. "What?" You ask as he chews quietly.

    "I'd share my piña colada with you forever..."

"That's so sweet... I would hoard them and keep them all to myself."

He laughs loudly, sweaty hair thrown back as he tilts his head back. He takes the popsicle off your temple as he shakes his head. He offers you a bite before he takes his own. You sit up and kiss all over his bicep with your cold lips. He shivers slightly, watching as you trace his tattoo.

"I'll share my piña coladas with you, Joongie." You say before you leave a long kiss on the ink. "But I won't be happy about it," you tease.

   "Come lay down, Princess," he whispers as he runs a calloused finger over your hunched back. You readjust yourself to lay across his stomach, your naked skin sticking to his.

    He looks down at you with dull, love filled eyes. "Can't wait for this heat wave to go away so we can really cuddle. I can't sleep well without being all over you." You laugh quietly, taking a mouthful before handing over the last of the popsicle. He hands it back and he gestures for you to have it, and you gladly do.

    Bathed in the summer moonlight, empty popsicles in hand and fan blowing on your near naked bodies. Listening to his deep breaths as he falls into sleep slowly, his rough hand slowing it's movements on your stomach until it stills completely.  You look up and see his eye lashes fluttering as he falls deeper into his slumber, holding you close and muscles relaxing as he feels you.

    You would share your piña colada popsicle with him forever too.

—

Breath

Yandere Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: i wrote the last few paragraphs while very sick so i apologize if they're kinda messy

"I feel like I can't breath."

✫彡wordcount: 1.7k

♡´･ᴗ･`♡(ಡ‸ಡ)genre: yandere, angst

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. near drowning, physical violence, degradation, love bombing, yandere ideology, not proof read

MATURE UNDER THE CUT MDNI

You knew you shouldn't have done it, but the unlocked door was too tempting. You didn't even get down the hall before he snatched you up and dragged you back home.

You expected him to yell, to throw you around, to do anything. But he simply drug you gently to the bathroom and started filling the tub with cold water. "Hongjoong?" You ask from your place kneeled in-front do the tub, looking to where he sits on the closed toilet.

"Hush, Baby."

"Wha-"

"Hush!"

You turn back around in a hurry and fiddle with your shaking hands in your lap. Left in silence to wonder what he was planning as you watched the water rise slowly, mockingly. You knew you shouldn't have done it. You just wanted to have a few moments of freedom. Now it was all torn away because Hongjoong has inhuman hearing and sleeps lightly.

"I'm really sorry, I jus-"

"Be quiet, Baby. Just be quiet. Stop digging your own grave."

His soft and slow tone makes you all the more uneasy. You can feel the rage radiating off of him. Why isn't he doing anything? Why won't he just yell at you and get it over with?

The tub fills with the icy water just a few inches below the edge and he instructs you to turn the tap off. He sits behind you as you sit back down, trembling in his hold. He runs his hands up and down your hoodie clad arms. "Where did you think you were going?"

"I was going to come back, Hongjoongie! I swear, I just wanted to take a walk or-or go to the park and you never let me anymore! I'm really sorry," you begin crying as he pushes your head forward slowly.

"Do you know how I feel without you? I feel like I can't breath."

"I'm so s-"

    The cold water surrounds you in a second flat. The water fills your mouth as you're dunked without warning, oxygen leaving your lungs fast as you panic. His fingers fist your hair and keep you under even as you fight against him out of instinct.

    You sputter up water as you cough the second he yanks you up. "Joongie," you sob, holding his fist as he tightens his grip.

    "Fucking sucks, doesn't it?" You swallow a deep breath as you feel him begin pushing you again, mentally and physically preparing yourself. You brace yourself on the porcelain edge, gripping tightly.

    Your sopping hair covers your face as he pulls you up again. The edge of your hoodie is soaked and it weighs you down like a brick. "Please, please, Joong! I won-"

   You don't have a change to take a breath this time. You feel him stand behind you, pushing your head even further into the water and holding you completely still.

    When you emerge again, you hear him, "-cking brat." You plead and plead, but it falls on deaf ears. "Don't complain now. You put me through this every time you try and leave. It's only fair, Princess."

   "No!" You scream as you try and stand, pushed back down and stomach pressed into the edge as he cages you under his weight. "Stop, please, I lo-"

   You scream as he forces you down, undoubtedly bruising your stomach as he lets his weight hold your body down. The bubbles raise around his hand as you scream before you force your mouth shut, squeezing your eyes and trying to control your breaths. You can hear his muffled yelling, but none of the words seem to reach you. 

    You don't bother to plead the next time he lets you up for air. "I wish I didn't have to do this," he coos, standing slowly, but keeping his death grip on your locks. "Take your hoodie off, it's getting in the way."

    You move, albeit slowly, to remove the fabric. "I'm sorry, Joong. I wasn't thinking..."

    "I know. My dumb girl," he slaps your cheek lightly and moves away completely to let you pull it over your head. "That's why you can't fucking pull stunts like that. What if someone tried to snatch you up, huh?"

     "I didn't-"

   "Course you didn't, Princess. Take it off, too." He pulls of the strap to your bra, and lets it snap against you when he lets it go abruptly. Instead, you eye the door to freedom once again. "Don't fucking do it."

   You do it. You scramble to your feet before you even know what's happening. You don't have a plan, so you aren't too surprised when he comes up behind you and slams you into the couch. Your sopping hair and his wet sleeve soak the fabric of the couch, but neither of you care as you struggle. "Get off me," you scream. "Stay still," he screams back.

    "Joongie, please! I am so sorry, please don't-" you pause for a moment. What was he even doing to you? Drowning you? He only kept you under the water for twenty seconds at most. "Please, stop!"

     His hand finds its way to your throat and the both of you still completely. He looks almost as shocked as you, but it fades quickly. "Be a good girl, and take your punishment. Then we can go back to bed... doesn't that sound nice? I'll keep you nice and warm and make you some tea... just have to take a few more dunks. Just so you know how it feels when you fucking run. Maybe then you won't be so selfish. Okay, Baby? Don't make this so difficult."

    "Just a few more?"

  "Just a few more, Princess. I promise."

-

    "You- You prom-ised!" You sob loudly, knees aching as you kneel on the slippery titles, hands held behind your back with one of his hands while the other ruthlessly maneuvers your head in and out of the water.

It was far past a just a few more at this point. It was half an hour later and he had made sure to make that feel like an eternity.

     "Got to make sure the lesson sticks, Little One."

   The next time he submerges you, you simply can't take it anymore. You trash around, knocking your collar bones on the tub and slipping around on the wet floor as you scream. Lungs past being on fire. They are charred and burned beyond belief. You can't bring yourself to open your eyes or breath or stay still like he told you to do. You can only scream. Then your arms are free and the water begins whirring in your ears.

    He finally pulled the plug and leans back with you, wet arm draped over your naked chest and holding you close as you blubber on about how sorry you are and how you didn't mean to hurt him like that and how you will never do it again.

He shushes you, peeling away all of the wet hair from your face and rubbing your heated cheeks gently. "It's okay, Princess. It's over... You're gonna be good for Hongjoongie?"

"Yes," you cough, holding his wrist tightly, "I'm going to be good. I'm sorry, Baby. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was being selfish..." A part of you knows what you're saying isn't right. But you as a whole, you don't have a single care in the world as he holds you close and warms you up. "I'm going to be so good for you, Hongjoongie... I love you."

"I love you." he kisses your cold temple, "my stupid Princess. Let's get warmed up."

He lifts you gently and holds your soaked form close. "Hope you learned a lesson... Don't want to hurt you like that ever again."

"You won't have to, Joong. Promise, I'll be good."

"Hope so." He whispers as he sets you on the tall dresser in your room. You whine as his warmth leaves you exposed to the air conditioning, wrapping your arms around yourself as he leaves the room.

"Joong!"

"Have some patience." He chuckles as he returns with a large towel. "C'mere, Princess. Let's get you dried off."

He has to stand a bit on his tip-toes to reach your head and dry your hair, working quickly as he sees you shivering. "Cold?"

"Yes."

    "Now you know how it feels." He pauses for a long moment, blinking away a few stray tears before you can see them. "Can't fucking breath without you. Don't pull that shit again."

    It makes your heart hurt for him a bit. Did he really feel so cold and tired without you? That must be why he's so clingy... "M'sorry."

  "It's okay. You know better now... right?"

    You nod with a small,sad,smile as he dries off your shoulders. "I... I'm sorry that I put you through that. I didn't... I di-" He shushes you gently as you cry, drying your back as he holds you. He whispers how much he loves you, tells you it's okay, says he never leave you.

He lifts you up and lets you wrap your legs around him as he flops the both of you into bed. He takes sweater off and throws it away, then turns to dry your knees. He props them up and kisses the forming bruises gently. "Hate to be so rough with you." You cry as he presses down with the towel and wipes your leg dry. "I know it hurts, Princess, I'm sorry." He repeats it on the other leg and scrambles to his feet.

He tosses the towel to the side and pulls a large hoodie from the open closet before diving back into bed. His hands feel so warm and comfortable as they lift your limp body and work you into the hoodie. He ties the hood tightly with a small bow and kisses your chin as he pulls up the fluffiest blanket on the pile that is your bed. "Don't cry anymore," he pouts as he thumbs away your water fall of tears. "My Princess... I love you."

You lean into his touch as he cuddles closer, wrapping his leg over your hip and pulling you inhumanly close. You listen to his breathing carefully, just to make sure it's there. "I love you, Hongjoongie."

-

heyy ❤️ can I request an alt ending for Breathe? like where he breaks the reader after that punishment yk smth like blankly staring at a wall bascially like a mindless person and he regrets it after

Breath

Yandere Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: wow this is sad

✫彡wordcount: 700

♡´･ᴗ･`♡ (ಡ‸ಡ)genre: yandere, heavy angst

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. PTSD, mind-break, not proof read

main story: read it here

MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

He shushes you, peeling away all of the wet hair away from your face and rubbing your heated cheeks gently. "It's okay, Princess. It's over... You're gonna be good for Hongjoongie?"

"Yes," you cough, holding his wrist tightly. You try to forget the feeling of the water leaving your lungs but can't, no matter how hard you cry or how hard you press into his warmth. "Please don't do it again." You don't know if you could stand to be near water for a single second more. You want to be as far away from the bathtub as humanly possible. "I- I'm... cold."

"Come on," he heaves you up and carries you to your shared bedroom, holding your sopping wet head close to his chest. "Let's get you warmed up." He lowers you both to the floor and reaches for a towel on your bedside table.

When he turn back to you, he's sad to see a glaze over your eyes. "It will pass, Baby." He gently dries off your locks, kissing your forehead before wrapping the towel around your head and reaching over you. When his hands graze against the back of your neck, you feel like you're back under the water. You cling your arms around his waist and claw at the back of his shirt.

"Please, I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey, it's alright." He wraps the blanket that he was grabbing when he accidentally bumped your head around your shoulders and bundling you up tightly. "It's over, Princess. No more, I promise."

He promise meant all but nothing after he had lied and told you you would only have a short punishment. You want to tell him to take his promises and shove them, but you can only cry as he lifts you up and wraps the blanket around your legs as well.

If he wanted to show you what it felt like, he succeeded. You can't breath. Your lung are full of air, and you don't feel a single bit of it. You only feel the ghost of the water around your face and the sensation of it choking you. You can barely feel your own fingertips as they wrap around Hongjoongs hand in an act of pure familiarity. You don't want to see him, hear his taunting voice, feel his hands anywhere near you. But you need him to ground you as your mind runs haywire.

     "Do you want some hot tea, Baby?" You nod slightly, letting go off him and curling up as he gets up.

You flatten your hand over the fluffy dinosaur plush he got you for your second anniversary, back when he was much more normal. You love Hongjoong in any form he comes in, but... you can't help but miss that time. Maybe, somewhere in the multiverse- there's a version of you and him that is truly happy without tearing each other down. You rub your hands over it's soft fur. And you can't feel it.

When Hongjoong returns with a hot cup of your favorite tea, he finds you exactly how he left you. Curled up in the blanket and hand over the belly of the dinosaur, staring blankly while tears build up in your eyes.

    He sets it down to cool and curls up behind you. "I'm sorry I was so rough, My Baby. I was so upset..." When he doesn't hear a single peep from you, he peeks up over your shoulder. "Princess? Please, don't give me the silent treatment." None of his words register in your mind. The way he holds your waist is lost to you. You don't even feel detached, you just don't feel at all. "Hey." He taps on your cheek. "Yah, it's not funny," he turns you over and gently leans over you, heart dropping into his gut when he sees your eyes.

Void of any emotion. Like a shell of the girl he loves.

"Oh, no, Baby. Baby, please. I'm so sorry, please." He crawls on top of you and wraps his arms around your shoulders as he cries, completely lost on what to do to help you. "No, oh no, Baby."

—

Shells

Chapter One

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: executive producer creds to my gf because she helped me come up with this and she's my angel

"Aren't they so pretty?"

✫彡wordcount: 5k

♡´･ᴗ･`♡(✯◡✯)genre: yandere, fantasy, (eventual)smut w/plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents(chapter specific): non-explicit gore, ptsd, captivity

MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

"Abandon ship!"

    A safe journey. They told you it would be. An unsinkable ship. The captain said. Nothing to be worried about. They may not have known it, but all of that was lies.

It was not a safe journey. The ship was not unsinkable. There was something to be very, very worried about.

"Hyunjin!" You call out for your brother as you run across the deck: pushed and shoved by the chaos around you. The ship had struck something in the freezing water. It was filling with water quickly, soaking your shoes and the hem of your pants. People slipped around as they fought for a spot on the safety boats. "Hyunjin!"

    "Here, (Y/n)!" He pushes through the crowd and grabs onto your shoulders the second he gets to you. "We have to get on one of the boats, the ship is sinking too fast to repair!"

    "Too fast t- you said this ship was inpenetrable!"

  "We must have scraped something, there's damage, all the way 'round t- come." He notices a spot open on the side of the ship and pulls you to it before someone else can get there. The boat that's supposed to be there is already deployed, lowering slowly.

     "Jump up." He says. And before you know it he's lifting you up by your waist, settling you on the edge of the ship. "There's still room!" He yells down, "stop lowering!"

  "Hyun-"

"What the fuck are you doing?" First mate, Minho, joins Hyunjin in yelling at the premature escapees."Fucking cowards!" The bad mouthed man continues as he wraps a comforting arm around your shaking form.

  Hyunjin leans away from the edge and begins, holding your cheeks gently as he speaks. "You'll have to jump and swim to the boat. You'll be safe until rescue comes. Don't drink sea water, and don't take your clothes off no matter how hot you feel- you'll just freeze to death from hypothermia. Do you understand?"

    "What?" You grab onto his sleeves as he lifts you to your feet, shaking on the rocking vessel.

   You hold onto one of the ropes to stable yourself as he lets go. You nearly slip into the water when someone yells, scaring you. "Sirens!" Your heart stops in your chest as you look over your shoulder and see the patrons of the boat you were about to jump in and join. Being pulled from the safety of the wooden boat and into the freezing depths by clawed hands. The dark blue water becoming tainted red with their blood. "Get out of the water!"

A wet mop of short red hair raises just below you. Fully black eyes catch yours quickly. It's black scaled cheeks rise as it smiles under the water.

You slip when a stray limb is thrown and collides with the ship with a thunk.

"No!" Hyunjin grabs onto your ankle before you can fall into the water. Minho scrambles away, quickly returning with a rope and fighting with it as he tries to untangle it.

Dangling just a few feet above certain death, a song from one of the sirens lures your eyes to it, away from the redhead.

     It's a blue haired mermaid, buff shoulders raised above the cold water. A loud splash is heard underneath you, and you look back just in time to see the end of a metallic black tail before it disappears into the darkened water. "(Y/n)! Don't listen to him!" Your brother yells as your kick at his hands with your free foot, brain fighting itself as you both try to stay above what you know is an inescapable death and try to get to the singing creature.

Multiple have already been lured in by the multiple vocals around you, some have even jumped into the water willingly. "Listen to me, don't listen to them! Look, listen, once we get out of here we're going to go to Australia! Remember? Remember, Australia! So you can open a girls school and teach them everything Mom taught you! Don't fucking listen to that devil! Are you so weak? Fight back! Fight back, (Y/n)!"

You fall limp in his hold for a moment as you come back to your own mind. Then panic takes over your entire being. A flash of black overcomes the buff creature and takes it down into the water with it. "Hyunjin! Minnie, pull me up! I don't want to die!" You sob as loud as possible, wether to drown out the screaming and splashing around you or to make sure he hears, you don't know. "I don't want to die, Jin, please!" 

    One of his hands slips off your leg and to the very edge of your boot. He curses loudly as you're dropped a few inches, nearly touching the water. Your finger tips graze the water and you feel the death that awaits you as the redhead siren reappears further away, near where a spot of black is painting the water like an oil spill- where the other creature once was. Others have spread out, luring your acquaintances further out and away from the redhead.

"(Y/n), hold on! We've got you! Plug your ears!" Minho yells as he creates a noose with the rope and slips it under Hyunjins fingers, tightening it around one of your legs. He tosses the end to some good citizens who've noticed the threatening position you're in, and joins in holding your leg to take off some of the pressure that's growing on your hip.

You slam your hands over your ears as the redhead begins singing, directly at you as he inches forward. "You fuck!" Minho yells as it grows ever closer. "I'll fucking fry you for dinner, you shrimp!" The creature doesn't seem to be phased by the mans threats, focused solely on luring you into his arms.

"I don't want to die!" You repeat as your tears trail down your forehead and drip into the stilling sea. It's gone nearly quiet. Just the remaining people aboard who have immunity to sirens songs and the occasional crunch of a bone as a siren breaks its catch apart.

"Your tears taste delicious." The mermaids voice makes you let out a guttural cry. It rings in your head even as you press your hands as close as possible. The creature comes uncomfortably close under you again as they begin pulling you up, screaming over his honey laced voice to try and save your mind.  It is a him. A beautiful him. "Don't be afraid."

"You leave her be, devil!" Hyunjin yells as he desperately pulls you up, watching in pure terror as the creature raises his arm and grazes his black stained hand against your shoulder.

"Don't be afraid." He repeats before he lowers himself into the water, watching un-moving as he lets them pull you back over the edge.

    "(Y/n)! Oh my God!" Hyunjin inspects your shoulder, seeing no signs of injury. No signs a siren ever touched you besides the stain of the creatures black blood. Minho leans down with him and holds your knees steady as they shake. The good citizens, a man you don't know and your cousin Yeji, seem to be the only ones left on the boat beside your trio.

   It's true that many descendants of sailors have gained immunity over decades, but you never imagined it was this little amount.

    "Look for any boats left, most of them seem full," Minhos words make your stomach churn. There was over three dozen people aboard. All of them now in the bellies of sirens? You were inches away from joining them in that fate.

    You squeeze your eyes shut as you see the redheads void-like eyes in your mind.

    "There!" Yeji screams as she points out a life boat upright, a few mere feet away. You stand shakily and cry harder as you see it.

    "We'll never make that," you sob, grabbing onto Hyunjin as you slip in the still-rising water.

"She's right," the man agrees, giving you a glance before he mentions, "some of them are still out there. They'll wait us out if they're hungry enough. Redhead over there hasn't moved an inch. Must be starving."

"What the hell is wrong with you? He almost ate my sister!"

    "And he will! It's pointless to try and wait them out, they can stay here for weeks if they wanted to. The second he starts singing again, she's dead meat! I say we just hand her over and distract them, make a dash for the boat."

     "What the fuck?" The four of you chime together, Minho grabbing the man by his sweat soaked collar and ready to defend you.

"Why don't we give him a taste of pig, huh?" He insults the man, spit flying as he yells.

A low chuckle admits from the side of the ship, and it's the redhead. He's holding himself up on the edge, looking over it with a smirk. You back as far away as possible, cowering into Yeji as she places her hands above your own for extra protection. "I've never had pig... but you look mouth water right now, Mister 'Hand Her Over'."

Everyone is quiet. Hyunjin is brandishing a broken oar at the siren. Minho lets go of the man and steps in front of you and Yeji. The man stares in shock and horror.

"Come and join me, bastard." He sings out to the man, barring his sharp teeth in a smile as he watches the cowardly man's eyes glaze over.

No one makes a move as he starts stumbling forward in the knee deep water. "Come just a bit closer," he coos, propping himself up on his elbows and cocking his head to the side as he watches your confused face as the man comes forward.

   "What the fuck," Hyunjin backs up out of the mans straight path, oar dropping to his side in his pure confusion. He's the closest to them, and he makes it a point not to stop the man as he comes face to face with the creature.

    "Won't you join me, Mister?" The man climbs up the edge and steps right off. The mermaid winks your way before dropping in to follow him.

   Everyone runs to the edge and leans over, gasping at the sight.

   He's holding the man who threatened you by the top of his head, holding him completely still under the water. With a smile up your way, he turns his hand and snaps the man's neck.

—

    "How long ago did you check the radio?" Minho whispers as he looks over to you and your family, huddled up in a corner of what's left of the ship.

Hours ago, it feels like, a group of sirens joined forces and snapped the boat in half as the redhead looked on with an amused smile. The half you were left on was completely afloat somehow, leaving you safe for the time being until rescuers arrived.

"Give it a rest, Minho." Yeji groans as she turns into your hold, wrapping you up in her purple cardigan. "Some of us are trying to sleep. Freaking insomniac..."

   "Sorry," he mumbles before laying his head back down. "Freaking napper."

    "Napper? Is that even a word?"

  "Yeah, it is."

   "Where did you ever hear someone say 'napper'?"

   "Just now. I said it."

   "Yo-"

   You laugh quietly at their bickering, but quickly slam a hand over your mouth as there's a splashing sound. Hyunjin pulls the both of you closer as Minho stands up with a flashlight to see. The partial vessel rocks slowly with his careful movements as he steps closer to the rough edge.

    "What was it?"

  "Fish." He says before turning around. A clawed hand wraps around his ankle and yanks him down. His head bangs against the edge before he's submerged.

   All three of your scramble to the edge in a hurry, yelling for him. Hyunjin curses. Yeji prays.

    "Minnie!" You yell, scanning the water as Yeji uses the dropped flashlight to look for him.

    You swear you hear a small growl, but you don't have time to digest it as he splashes around, gasping for air.

   Hyunjin reaches for him, but his arm falls just a few inches short: like the sirens are toying with you. "Swim, swim!" He tries, before he's yanked back down. "Fuck, what do we do? Think! Think!"

    "I can't think with you yelling in my ear!"

    You grab the broken oar and begin trying your damndest to paddle closer, only making it a fraction of an inch when the redheaded devil appears and pushes you further away, smiling as your eyes lock. You yell, scrambling to the middle of the float. "Why are you doing this to us?!"

    "My (Y/n)," he coos. Your heart drops as he all but moans your name, reaching for you before Yeji uses the flashlight to smack his hand. "Bitc-" He takes a sharp breath, stopping himself. Hyunjin takes the oar from your shaking grasp and threatens him with it. He makes a loud string of clicking noises before he dashes back into the depths, unable to be seen in the dark even as Yeji tries to follow him with the bright light.

    "Jin!" Minho yells, emerging moments later, close to the edge.

   He drops the makeshift weapon, grabbing at him and pulling him closer.

    His wet hands slip from the polished wood and he almost falls back when you reach into the water and grab his wrist. As you do, though...

     Something grabs yours. You're pulled in right next to him and trapped in a strong hold even as your thrash. Something sharp painfully breeches the skin on your jugular and you're peacefully falling asleep under the water as the torches of the rescue boat come into view.

—

You awake with a start, gasping in a breath of desperately needed air. You turn on your side quickly as you begin coughing up salt water. Your mind is foggy, admittedly. But you know that something is terrible wrong.

   Tears fill your eyes as you quickly come to your senses and look around. You find yourself in a cave of sorts. Moss climbs up the jagged walls. You're laid next to a pool of water that seems to go down forever and turn into darkness even though sunlight shines through a pair of large holes in the rock ceiling.

    Your panic almost sends you into the water as you remember the horrors of the sea. You manage to scoot away and further into the room-like cave. As you turn around, you find it's even more room like than you originally thought.

     It's very large. Sunlight is filtered down through a large tarp that's decorated in embroidery of sea plants, pinned up over a large hole in the ceiling.

   At the very back of the sediment room, shrouded in darkness, is a pile of fabrics and furs which seems like a makeshift bed, a bunch of scraps even balled up to make a pillow. There's a large chest that's sat next to it, worn with years of sitting in such a dreary place. On the other side of the room, across the bed is a back sheet that hangs over a doorway of sorts.

   You wrap your arms around your cold self and take a weary step forward, unaware of the dark eyes that track your every move. Your clothes are dry, the sun is warm. But you feel oh so cold. You stop under the middle of the filtered sunlight and bask in the warmth to try and figure out if you've died and gone to the afterlife.

    It feels all too real.

   You kneel down and cry. What for?

     Uncertainty. If you're not dead, where are you? If you've survived the sirens attack, how? You touch the last place you remember feeling anything. The sore wound makes you recoil from your own touch. If he sunk his teeth into you... why didn't he devour you? Why is the creature toying with you like this?

    Anxiety. Is your family okay? Is Minho? Did he even make it out of the water? What will the devilish mermaid do with you? What does he want?

    Pain. Your neck aches more than any bruise ever has. Your muscles are sore and tense. Your lungs feel heavy, like they've worked over time.

    A tiny splash.

    You whip around and fall to your behind. The redheaded siren of your waking nightmares is right up on the smooth rock shore, looking at you with wide, unblinking eyes. "Hello, My (Y/n). Did you sleep well?" He lays down on his forearms he awaits your answer, metallic black tail splashing behind him slowly.

    You cry harder as you come to the realization that this isn't the afterlife. This isn't a fever dream. This is reality. Your tears blur the appearance of the handsome creature before you. "Awe, Precious. Don't cry."

   "W-why are you...doing this?" You ask shakily. "Please, let-let me live. I have so mu- please!" You turn yourself over and kneel, placing your head on the warm rock floor as you sob.

    You miss the way his tail separates into legs much like yours. He snatches up a pair of shorts on the edge.

    You almost have a heart attack when you hear footsteps approaching. You body betrays your mind and you look up to see that siren has grown legs. "Don't bow to me." He says simply, sitting cross-legged in front of you. "You don't bow to anybody."

    You don't listen, bending back down to avoid his unfaltering gaze. "Stop that!" He smacks your head lightly. "Listen to me. Get up and let's have a talk."

   You sit up slowly and back away only to be followed. You scoot back, he scoots forward, until you're stopped by the bed of fur. He pushes you back into them and smiles. "Get comfortable."

    You lay uncomfortably still on the softest fabrics you've ever touched, staring up at the drawings on the ceilings. He sits by your hip and nearly places a hand on your thigh, before setting it in his own lap. "I bet you have so many questions, My Darling. I will answer them all."

   "Where am I?" You ask, voice coiled tight.

  "My home."

    Youre eyes flick to him for a single second, looking away quickly when you see his eyes trained onto you like a predator. "An...and who are you?"

   The words you hear next are some that make you feel sick.

   "I'm Hongjoong, your mate." You simply look over at him, hands balling into fists, grabbing the fabric under you tightly. "I sense you have more questions."

"No, yeah. What?"

He moves slowly as not to spook you, laying on his stomach besides you, not caring that he's soaking the fabric. How could he care? He's finally so so close to you.

   There's nothing you can do. No where you can go besides the water. That is probably a worse idea than staying still. You'd be in his element, in some place you don't even know.

"We were marked by the Huntress to be together until the end of our souls."

You bite your lip as it quivers,"I don't understand."

He grabs your hands gently and turns it palm up. He blows on it gently and it glows the same color as his tail from what you can remember.

Hongjoong

You stare in disbelief as it fades as quickly as it came.

He holds out his palm and gestures for you to do what he did. He shivers with pleasure as your breath washes over his palm to reveal your name, in your handwriting. He watches it fade with a smile before looking up at you.

"I know you must be very confused... scared. But I promise you, every fabric of my being, nothing with hurt you. I won't hurt you. I will take such good care of you, my beautiful mate..."

   "I ha-" you take a deep breath to calm yourself, swallowing your sobs, "I have more questions?"

    He lays his head on his arm and gets comfortable, ready to answer every question you throw his way. "Go ahead, Precious."

—

All of your questions answered for the time being, you allow yourself to feel a bit less crazy. However, just having been abducted by a shapeshifting mermaid who's fated to be your husband-mate-partner for the rest of eternity by the Goddess of mermaids: you do feel the right to be shaken up.

   He left to the room behind the black sheet after you were quiet for a few minutes. He sets a folded pile of fabric at your feet. "Whenever you're ready, you can change into these. They may not fit the best... but I will get you some of your own soon!"

   He smiles brightly, and it's nothing like the smile you saw before he lured the man on the ship to his death. It's... cute. His sharp teeth nowhere to be seen as he flashes you a glance of his much more human looking teeth. In fact... he looks almost completely human. The only dead give away of his lineage is the scales on his cheeks, fluctuating between pink and blue hues.

    You curl up on yourself and cry silently. He takes the cue, and sits down at the end of the bed, watching you quietly.

   Another question hits you like a ton of bricks.

"Hongjoong...?"

   "Yes, My Precious?" He responds eagerly, sitting up like a dog sitting for a treat.

    "Is..." You clear your throat and hide your face in your elbow, "is the people I was with alive?" You violently sob at the thought of it, grief wracking your body before he's even responded.

   "Oh, (Y/n)!" He crawls up next to you and holds your shaking form gently. In your state, you don't even bother to shake away his shockingly warm embrace. "They are alive... They were rescued."

   "Real-really?"

  "Of course. I would never... My friend stayed behind to make sure. Don't worry, he was full." He says the last bit bluntly, like it's an every normal thing. To him, it is. To you, it's a reminder of what was the most traumatic experience of your life to date. "Precious," he whines as you sob harder, hands over your face like your ashamed to be upset over the death of so many innocent people.

    You lean your face into the makeshift pillow and let it cover your heated face as you wrap your arms around your cramping stomach, consequently folding them over his arms to get there. He purrs as your skin collides, and it makes your skin form goosebumps. He comes closer and lays right on you, cold and damp clothes clinging to yours. You feel his wet hair soak into the fabric of your shirt as he rests his forehead on your back.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers, although he has a smile on his lips as he revels in the feeling of your warmth. He's waited so long. Too long. He doesn't care that his path to getting you is tainted by blood. As long as he's finally crossed that path and gotten to you.

He has waited his entire life. He doesn't mind that he'll have to help you bounce back. He will gladly wait on you hand and foot to see you happy. So when your stomach growls, he speaks up eagerly.

"Are you hungry?" He sits up so abruptly that he doesn't have time to unravel from your form, bringing you up with him. "I can go and get some fishes for you! You like fish, don't you? It would be harder to find some berries, but I can do that too... Maybe over at near Taedmere?" He keeps going on speaking to himself until he feels your gaze on him.

    You look at him with the ghost of a smile on your lips as you listen to the creature ramble like a child fixated on a cartoon book. You don't notice he's stopped until his cheek scales turn a bright red color, a few shades brighter than his hair.

   The both of you look at each other with a similar look of 'uh-oh, I was just caught'. "C-" You bite your lip, "can you?"

    "Of course!" He all but runs and jumps into water, resurfacing a few moments later and slapping down his soaked shorts on the edge. His scales are slowly turning black as he gets ready to hunt. "I'll be back soon, My (Y/n)."

You wait until the water settles in his wake and stand slowly, picking up the clothes on the end of the bed. You wonder wether or not you should change right there, but decide against it after you remember how silently he snuck up on you earlier. You eye-ball the black sheet, and then come to the conclusion of 'fuck it' and pull the sheet back to change in the relative privacy of the room.

It becomes clear that this is his 'restroom'. Bottles of strange liquids that must be soap, bars of something a similar color, an odd looking toothbrush all up on a little shelve above a mountain of clothes, even what looks like a built in toilet.

You quickly change into the clothes and it's apparent that they are his. They're baggy and no matter what you do, the pants won't stay over your hips. You don't want to piss off a creature with multiple built in sets of weapons, so you don't go digging for something that will. You just pull the shirt as low as it will go and sit back down on the bed.

You're picking through your thoughts with a fine toothed comb when he returns. A little splash of his tail acts like a doorbell, and he smiles with his sharp teeth- spooking you. He holds a hand over his mouth and apologizes, quickly flashing a more human smile as he lifts up a small net with a few things in it. "Tada~"

He sets it down and reaches for his shorts, putting them on under the water before emerging for your modesty. He slides it over to a small fire pit on the side of the room with his foot, eyeing up your new attire with a prideful look.

He pats the space next to him and you hurry over as you catch a glimpse of his claws, remembering just how devilish he's built to be. "Do you know how to start a fire?" He asks. You nod your head, yes. "Would you, Precious?"

    You nearly flip yourself into the pit to start the fire, making him chuckle. "Take your time. I still have to gut them." You nod silently again, working diligently as you wonder why the hell a mermaid has a fire pit in its den. You cringe at the sound of his claws slicing open the fish, images of the claws that slashed open everyone aboard stuck in your head until you shake them away.

   The silence is deafening. You can't bare to listen to the gore anymore. "Hongjoong?"

  He responds like he always does, eyes on you as he speaks, "Yes, My Precious?"

  You shake off the uneasy feeling the nickname leaves behind. "Why do you have a fire pit?"

    "I get cold sometimes in m... I get cold. Why do you ask?"

  "Well, it's just... I heard, just like word of mouth- I don't know if it's-"

  "You can speak freely, Darling. Don't be so shy."

    You clear your throat and back away as the fire sparks to life. You look in the fire and poke at it as an excuse to avoid his gaze. "I heard sirens don't get cold... that they're cold blooded."

    "Some are. Ones that don't shape shift. They don't have any human blood lines. Stupid pure breeds." He scoffs as he slices open the last of the three fish.

    "So..." You struggle to keep speaking, most uncomfortable in a conversation that you have ever been, "you're kind of human?"

    "Kind of. My mother used to be human."

  "Used to?"

  "That's a conversation for another day, Precious."

    "You said you'd answer any of my qu-" You shut your mouth and feel every ounce of confidence fade as he flashes his eyes black at you with a scowl. "Another day," you nod, taking the skewered fish form his hand shakingly.

"Oh!" His outburst makes you jump. He grabs the bag he almost discarded. "I have something for you, My (Y/N)."

"Oh?" You shift on your knees and prop up the stick between them, looking over anxiously as he digs in the netted bag.

    "I found them while I wasn't hunting," he sets them down on the ground between you.

    Two large, pretty, shells. They look like regular flat shells: save for their color. One is a glowing yellow and the other a 'normal' dark green green. "Shells?"

    "Aren't they so pretty?" He asks, voice laced in desperation for your approval as you pick up the glowing shell in disbelief. His face is decorated with a pale pink on his scales.

   He sees the wonder in your eyes and explains what he knows you must be thinking. "Humans haven't been that far down yet," he smirks. "You're probably the first to see one like this..."

    "Aren't they pretty?" He asks again, holding up the green shell for you to take. Your fingers graze against his as you take it slowly.

    "Pretty."

-

-

Fill you up

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: based on a very long and very feral conversation me and my friend had about this edit

"I'm gonna fucking fill you up, Sweetie."

✫彡wordcount: 1.1k

(>ᴗ•)genre: p w/o plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents: not proof read, a few lines talking abt fertility issues, no build up(striaght to it lets goo!!!), kinda switch dynamics,established relationship, unprotected, breeding, overstim, hair pulling, an insane amount of dirty talk, multiple cream pies, pet names (namely sweetie&joongie, daddy &mommy a few times), slightly possessive, very slight degradation

SMUT UNDER CUT MDNI

        "I'm going to fucking fill you up, Sweetie." His sweet promise is a stark contrast to the way he rams his cock into you from behind. The sound of his hips snapping against your ass almost drowns him out, but he knows it doesn't when he feels your fertile pussy clench around him.

    You shakily hold yourself up on the armrest of the couch, knees and elbows buckling as he fucks you to your second orgasm. "Please, Joongie! Give it to me!" You neighbors are surely writing a complaint as they listen to the nonstop scraping of your furniture and your loud moans. You've been at it for over half an hour, and he still hasn't came into your abused cunt.

     He had tore your clothes off the second you crossed into you home when you came home from the doctors. They gave you the green light after your newest fertility treatment and he was saving up every last drop for your little pussy. He hadn't fucked you with anything other than his fingers for months and he refused to cum or touch himself.

    "Please, cum for me! I wan' it, give it to me, give it-me!" You were near floating the second you felt his cock for the first time again, and now you were absolutely over the moon. "Fuck- I love it, Baby, I love it, love it, gimme," you mumble into the fabric of the couch as you finally let yourself face plant. "I want your babies," you wail.

     "Don't worry, my sweet girl," he moans as he leans over your back, pushing your hair out of the way and licking your earlobe. He absolutely revels in the way your gummy walls clamp down on him in response. "Daddy's gonna give you every drop. Gonna fill you up," he huffs as he slows his hips to a leisurely pace, "gonna make you a Mommy. You want my babies... Mommy?"

    "Fuck, good Je- yes!" You try and throw your hips back, stiffened by his weight on-top of you. "Please," you almost cry, "please, give me your babies. Wanna make 'em, make so many for you, gonna give you..ah! Please, Joong!" Your tired hand searches him out as he leaves you.

"Let me see you when you take it," he groans as he pulls you down to the middle of the long couch and flips you over. He holds your hips as he slams into you, forehead pressed against yours as he stares into your soul. "Look so pretty, Sweetie. So pretty while I fuck my babies into your cunt~." He presses so so deep inside of your cunt, desperately claiming you as his. "All fucking mine to fuck. This gorgeous cunt is just for me- just for my babies, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, give me all- every drop, I can make it into the best- holy fuck! The best babies, the best for you. I know I can, just fucking give it to me. Please, Daddy!" He whimpers as your legs wrap around his pistoning hips and try and trap him closer, all while your hand grab the ends of his long hair and yank as you yell for him to cum inside you.

"My eager cumslut wife. You want it so bad you're crying? So pathetic for me," he coos sweetly as he wipes your tears. His words make you squirt on the spot, cream escapes your gushing hole and forms a lewd ring around his painfully hard cock. Your tightly wound voice begging for him even as your sloppy pussy cums around him pushes him over the edge and throws him into the deep end.

   His months of edging are apparent when he fills your womb to the very limit and makes his seed drip down your ass and stain the couch. He lazily licks as your neck as he cums and cums and cums.  "So good, M- amazing, amazing!" He whines as he shakes in your hold, leaning into your hand as you sooth his aching scalp. "Feels too good!" He tries to pull away when your locked feet push him back and make the both of you scream out.

   "Stay, stay like that, keep it- gotta keep it in."

    "Can't, I can't, I- cum again, please!" The way your cunt is so warm, so full of him, pulsing around his cock for the first time since forever... it's too much. He's already hard and pushed to the edge again.

    "So do it, Joongie. Fuck more into me, make sure it takes." And he does, saturating your insides beyond belief as he cries into your shoulder just how ecstatic he is to have you around his cock.

    When he pushes his limit just far enough, just before the brink of insanity, he reaches around and grabs your ankles tightly. He pushes them, holding them up and keeping you hips up in the air. "God," he moans as he sees your cunt absolutely gushing. "You're gorgeous..." His eyes rake up and down your sweat, spent form and he can't find a single flaw.

     "My wife," he moans sweetly as you drag your fingers over his forearms. You swing you legs to one side and prop up your ankles on his shoulder, giving him freedom of his hands while also keeping your cunt from over spilling. "All mine..." He whispers lowly as he drags his fingers from the very end of your cunt and pushing all the cum on his fingers back into you as you shiver.

    He swipes up all of the spilt cum on your body and works it back into you, dragging his fingers on your walls teasingly before he leaves you empty all over again.

     His cock is twitching at your soft whines, growing harder by the minute. You place your hand over your belly and smile, catching his attention. "What's that pretty smile for, Sweetheart?"

    "Gonna make sure it takes this time. Gonna try real hard," your tone is bittersweet, blinking away the pain in your eyes as you look up at his caring face.

    "S'not all on you, Sweetie." He divides your legs and slots himself between them. His hard cock lays on your pelvis, showing you both just how deep he fucks you. "I just gotta make sure I keep you full, then- don't I? You want that?"

   You reach you hand between you and slip his cock into you. Even just the tip filling you up has cum seeping from you again. "Dirty girl," he chuckles, leaning his head into your shoulder and nipping at your skin.

    He bites down just as he slams in and starts a merciless pace from the get-go, making you scream and grab at him stupidly. Your hands go everywhere. Scraping up his back. Leaving nail indents in his ass as you pull him closer. They settle in his messy curls. Tugging harshly as he whimpers.

"My fucking Goddess." He mewls, grabbing at your tits through the very little space between your bodies. You've locked around him like a koala, he isn't going anywhere until you decide your full enough.

He repeats, "I'm gonna fucking fill you up, Sweetie."

-

-

Shells

Chapter Two

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: read part one here ! thank you for 600 followers what the heck 😭💖

"Our Hongjoongie will take good care of you."

✫彡wordcount: 2.7k

♡´･ᴗ･`♡(✯◡✯)genre: yandere, fantasy, (eventual)smut w/plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents(chapter specific): angst, captivity

MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

   You went to sleep that night in Hongjoongs tight grip, lured to unconscious by his deep breathing, praying you would wake up back on the ship on the way to Australia. Hoping that you'd awake in Yeji or Hyunjins arms. Wishing that the sound of Minhos voice would be the first thing you heard.

Instead, God laughed in your face. Your were still in the sirens lair. You were in his unfamiliar arms. You woke to the sound of his humming.

    You lazily lift your hand from his hold and press it against your ear with a whine, making him chuckle. His hand feels like it touches your bones as he runs it over your neck wound gently. "A sirens song won't affect you anymore, Precious. I made sure..." He bites his lip as he looks at the red marks.

In the shape of his sharpened teeth: puncturing you deeply and marking you as his, finally.

It stirs something inside of him that he's never felt. Pure, unfiltered, joy.

"What do you mean?" Your question barely reaches him.

He ghosts his knuckle over the bruising injury with a smile. "My bite," he hums. "It makes you immune to a sirens powers and makes sure they all know you're mine." He pulls you impossibly closer, like he hasn't had you pressed to his chest all night long.

"One day," he begins dreamily, "you'll mark me." He has to stop himself from going into more detail when he senses your unease. Instead, he keeps those thoughts to himself for your sake and hikes his leg up your side to feel you closer. "My (Y/n)."

He listens closely to your uneven breathing, committing the pattern to memory so he knows when your anxious in the future. And he does know your anxious. He knows he should give you more space to get adjusted, both mental and physical space, but you feel so unbelievably good in his arms. You fit like the missing puzzle piece you are. Slotted in his arms, kept warm in his nest, safe in his den. He can't help it, he's on an ego-trip at how homey he's made it for your arrival. "My (Y/n)," he whispers into your back.

The sun is just beginning to shine through the tarp on the caves roof. It shines on the water and makes it glisten mockingly. You wish it would have swallowed you whole before the sirens even came to the wreckage. You wish it would eat you up and save you from your waking nightmare.

Instead, it was the source of them.

A head that peeks up out of the water and ripples it has you grabbing at Hongjoong in instinct. "Hongjoong," you huff as you wrap your hand around his wrist. His hearts almost drops to his gut when he sees the fear radiating off of you.

His blackened eyes follow yours to the messy mop of blond hair peeking out joined by a set of metallic black eyes. "Sweet Huntress," he sighs as he throws his head back, "San! You fuckin' creeper!" He flips ontop of you and makes you lay flat, covering your nearly exposed body with his own. "You can't show up here unannounced anymore," he complains as the water splashes.

He rubs your back in an attempt to be comforting as he watches his friend stand out of the water. "And put some shorts on, damn."

     "Sorry," San, as you now know him, chuckles. "I just wanted to meet her!"

Hongjoongs weight is slowly lifted off you and quickly replaced by one of many blankets to cover you up. You lay there nearly still and look over your shoulder at him. "It's alright, Precious, he's a friend." He speaks softly as he helps you sit up, wrapping the fabric around your body. He tugs you between his legs and wraps his arms around your shoulders, placing his chin on your head as he leans against the smooth wall. "(Y/n), this is my brother, San. San... this is my mate."

     You're thankful for the thick blanket as it covers your shivering, pulling it closer as the blond man inspects you from just outside of the bed. He sits cross-legged at the border of the sheets and looks your face up and down. He looks past you to Hongjoong and his eyes flick from shining black to red.

"She is, isn't she?" Hongjoong mumbles as he runs his knuckles across your cheek, "my pretty mate."

You're a bit confused as he continues to seemingly communicate with the man behind you silently, eye brows furrowing as he seems to ask a question. "Do you want to talk with San? He says you seem scared of him."

You feel you have no choice but to answer him when he leans down and whispers in your ear, "Don't be rude, Precious."

"H...Hello, San."

"Hello!" He holds out his hand and waits patiently for you to unravel one of your hands from under the blanket. "It's nice to meet you."

His hand is warm and wet. Water drips onto the bed from his arm as he shakes your hand enthusiastically. Hongjoong kicks him away after a long moment of contact.

    "Your mate won't be happy if she smells someone else on you." He comes up with an excuse to push him away from you.

     "Angel isn't that possessive."

     "Yeah, she is."

San pouts, shifting a bit before he smiles, "yeah, she is." He looks back up to you, "Angel is my mate! Maybe you two can meet soon, I bet she'd love to have some more girlfriends."

"Does that sound good, Precious? Once you get settled in she could come over and teach you some things. She was in the same situation as you not too long ago." He admires your features from the side as he toys with your hair.

"Yeah...sounds good."

"Awe," San coos loudly, making you jump. "I remember when My Angel was so shy! Ah, memories..." He sighs dramatically, laughing a bit. "Don't worry," he starts more seriously as he watches him wrap his hands up in your hair. "Our Hongjoongie will take good care of you. Speaking of which... Hongjoong?"

The redhead tilts his head to the side. "We're supposed to go get some things..." San drags on, watching the gears in Hongjoongs head turn. "Oh my- we were going to go to Taedmere. Stupid..."

"Yah! I'm older than you, show some respect."

    "Show some respect," he mocks as he stands up, "meh meh meh. Meh mehh, stupid." He laughs as he runs to the water and jumps straight in.

    He curses under his breath as Sans shorts resurface and lands with a plop. "I forgot about that, I was so cozy with you." He speaks lowly as he nuzzles his head into the back of yours. "You'll be okay for a few hours, right? I have to get some things for you. But I can stay if you'd like."

He can't help but feel a bit hurt when you say so quickly, "I'll be okay."

He hums, slipping out from behind you and coming to be in front of you, trailing his hand up your exposed leg and watching the goosebumps form. "I'll be quick as I can." He promises to your dismay, leaning forward until he's a few inches away from your face, scales burning bright red on his cheeks. "Could I have a goodbye kiss, Precious?"

You swallow thickly and hold his chin to turn his face to the side. You push your lips to his cheek, just below the blushing scales. "Bye, Hongjoong."

"See you soon, My (Y/n)."

—

    He peeks his head up out of the water slowly and silently, scanning the room for you. He smiles when he sees you curled up comfortably on the bed he made. The blanket that he uses the most pulled over your head like a hood, already subconsciously seeking his scent as his mark heals.

    He dives back down quietly and out of the tunnel system. He finds San where he left him and clicks at him, grabbing one side of the large chest.

   They carry it to lay next to his chest as silent as mice and San bids him goodbye. Leaving him as he shakes off his hair.

     He makes sure to dry off and change into a new set of clothes after he remembers the way your rolled away from the wet spot he left behind before. Then he softly pushes you to your back and straddles you gently. "Precious," he hums lowly as he leans over you.

    He can't help himself as his lips come in contact with your cheek. He moans as he feels your skin under his lips. His kisses down your jaw to the mark and licks the wound with his rough tongue, making you whine in your sleep. He looks up trough his lashes and watches your eyebrows furrow as you fight to get your arms free from the blanket. He licks it slowly, closing his eyes in pure bliss as your subconscious wraps your arms around his head. He lays down on you slowly and holds back a snarl of pleasure as you trail a hand down his back.

       You legs wrap around his hips and he has to tear himself away before you get him too carried away. He doesn't want anything to happen until you come after him, wide awake. Your legs fall limply and you roll slowly, taking him with you as he lets you drag him around on the bed.

   You settle with him on his back, arms wrapping around his neck loosely and your head buried in his neck, right where you will someday leave your mark. He can hardly wait for the day, but for now he's happy with you curled up on him and sleeping soundly.

He toys with your hair for a long while, leaving short and long braids and twists that match his. He does so for so long in fact, you wake up all on your own. You blink confusedly a few times before you register the situation your in and sluggishly roll away from him: leaving him to pout on his lonesome.

"I have some things for you," he whispers as he rubs his finger tips over your bare arm. You shake his hand off and sit up, taking his favorite blanket with you- which makes him form a large grin. He wipes it away in a second flat so you don't catch on as you turn around.

"What things?"

    "Come, look." He scrambles off the bed and kneels at the chest, waiting patiently for you to join him. You drop the blanket, to his dismay, and slowly lower, holding his shirt down to cover yourself as you sit. You look at him wearily and then back to the chest. "Open," he taps on the top excited.

     You lift it open slowly and come face to face with a chest full of things. Fabrics, mostly. Along with small pieces of jewelry, what looks like a box of chalk, and a worn out leather-bound book. You glance over to him and find him looking at the treasures with a prideful smile. You turn back and pick up the book slowly.

    The title is in a language you don't even recognize, and you wonder how he expects you to read it. "It's a translation book. Until you get settled and such, you can busy yourself by learning my language." He explains with a smile, picking up the box of colorful chalks. "You can use this to learn, and to draw if you enjoy it... do you?" He asks eagerly, handing them over shakingly.

    "Oh, yeah... I guess I do." You set it in your lap gently and thumb through the book, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar glyphs and riddled with anxiety about what he means by 'settled in'. "Thank you, Hongjoong."

  He purrs as he hears his name roll of your tongue, hiding his blush by turning to the box and gathering up the fabrics. "I didn't find much that may fit you well, so I'll have to tailor you some clothes." He lets it all drop to a dry piece of the floor and beckons you closer. "Try these on, Precious."

    You quickly stand and slide the pants over your legs, thankful for the cover even it they are a bit big. At least they hide your eyes from Hongjoongs nonstop gaze. There is barely a second you can recall that he hasn't had his eyes on you when you were in the same room. Even back at the wreckage, his eyes were super glued to you.

    "Do they fit?" He rolls away from the fabrics he was sorting and lands on his knees in front of you.

    He looks up at you like you are the God who placed the stars in the sky.

   "Are they comfy?" He grabs the belt loop on the baggy bottoms and pulls you closer under the guise of seeing how they fit. He pinches the excess fabric to one side of your hip and smiles up, "easy fix, My (Y/n)." His hands have a mind of their own as they trail to the back of your thighs and pull you closer to him, making you tumble and hold onto his head for stability as he rest his head against your lower stomach. His hand stay put, which you thank the Gods for, as he holds you close, purring.

He holds back his tongue as a comment about how good you smell fights to escape, and all that comes out is a soft sigh of your name. He looks up with something sad in his eyes for a split second. Something sad that you can't even latch onto and register before it's gone and he's smiling again.

"Come try the rest on."

—

    He went to sleep that night with you in his protective hold, pulled to unconsciousness by your shallow breaths, praying that he would never wake up from this beautiful dream that the Huntress has finally given to him. Hoping that she would let you adjust quickly and become the part of him that was always hallow. That you'd come around relatively quickly.

    But it seems like the Huntress likes to challenge him. You're no long in his arms. He wakes up to your crying in the semi-separated room.

    He's at the doorway in a millisecond flat, slapping the wall next to the sheet and calling out your name. He so desperately wants to rush in and comfort you, to make it al better. "(Y/N)!"

    You go quiet the second you hear him. He can hear your anxious breaths through the thin separation. "Precious... can I come in?"

"No, stay away from me, freak!"

The words sting right to his heart. Like it had been whipped with a leather belt until it was raw and bloody.

He can't help the small whimper of hurt as his brain races a million miles a second. As it chokes out of his throat, you sob in pain.

He makes up him mind that he never wants to hear that sound again and flings the sheet out of the way, racing to you. He rambles on asking you what's wrong and all you can do is cling to the blanket and try to warm up your freezing bones. He cups your face and you immediately melt into his warmth, unable to see his flabbergasted expression as you search for his body heat through your tears; going as far as to open the blanket and invite him in.

"Precious, what's wrong..." He slips into the blanket and clicks at you in attempt to comfort you as he wraps his arms around your icy body.

"I'm so cold, Hongjoong." His heart drops at the sound of your voice. He hurriedly tilts your head to the side and looks at his mark. His eyes grow wide with pure panic.

     "Oh, no, no, no," his thumb barely ghosts over it, but it makes you cry loudly, clawing at his shoulders. It's much paler than the rest of your body, spilling its whiteness across your neck and reaching out like a watercolor. The teeth marks are raging red.

    "Make it s-stop!" You stutter out in anguish, "Please, Hongjoong!"

    He can only stare in pure heartbreak as it dawns on him.

   Your body is rejecting his mark.

—

Shells

Chapter Three

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: thank you all so much for reading 🧡 enjoy some good angst hehe i promise the next chapter will be more lighthearted

"That's what I'm here to find out."

✫彡wordcount: 2.5k

♡'･ᴗ･'♡(✯◡✯)genre: yandere, fantasy, (eventual)smut w/plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents(chapter specific): not edited, captivity, sickness, suicide attempt(kinda?), panic attack, mood swings, a single slap(not towards reader)

Shells tags: @ddaeing @the-flavour-of-deaths-ass @wnewoo @catwhisk

MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

San and his mate are the first ones to arrive after Hongjoong cries out in anguish. They don't bother to announce themselves when they get to the den. San scoops up his shorts and shimmies them on while Angel snatches a piece of fabric to cover her lower half.

They find him how he's been for the past twelve minutes. The same position that he's been in since he called for help through the tribe bond.

Cradling your shaking, pale form in the blanket that you've grown attached to. Balling his eyes out in your neck as you cling to him for warmth.

You don't notice them, and neither does Hongjoong until San speaks up in a frightened voice.

"Hongjo-"

"San!" He stands quickly, making you yelp as it feels like he's rattling your bones like a wind chime. You stay clinged to him despite the fact it hurts. You don't want to face the over-polite mermaid or the stranger woman. "You have to help," his voice is broken, depressed, nothing like the scary and demanding voice you heard on the wreckage or the calm and passionate one you've grown to expect from him. "She's rejecting my bite."

The woman gasps and places a hand over her mouth in shock, nearly collapsing into her mate with wide eyes. San steadies her on her wobbly feet before approaching the two of you slowly.

    "Put her down, Hyung."

   "What?" Hongjoong growls, brown eyes quickly turning a deep black as he feels threatened, squeezing your trembling body closer to his, hiding your face in his chest.

   "You need to get away from her, it's ma-"

   "Don't tell me what to do!" He yells, pushing San back as he gets to close for his comfort, backing up into the wall of the small room.

   "Hongjoong, she need to be a-"

  "No!"

    They stop their screaming match when you whimper loudly, shaking hands going over your ears. Sans gaze softens and he looks down at his feet. Hongjoongs eyes quickly go back to a comforting warm brown, his scales flushing blue. "Precious," he whispers, placing his hands over your own.

    "Hongjoong, you need to listen to us." The woman speaks lowly as to not frighten you more, "you aren't thinking straight."

   "I'm listening," he grimaces, never taking his eyes off of you.

    "You need to let go of her. It's only making her body reject you faster." She states matter-of-factly, approaching much slower than San did.

   "I told you that you were being too clingy," San murmurs quietly, following behind his mate until they have the two of you cornered.

    Hongjoong outright hisses at his brother, baring his teeth and wrapping his arms around you tighter, "she needs me!" You shiver and begin crying as another yelling match ensues between the men, the woman sighing and holding her hand on her hip.

    "Why don't you ever listen to me? I already have my mate and she's fine! I told you, and look what happened, fucking dumbass!"

   "Show me some respect, brat! I raised you when nobody else would take in a mutt!"

   "At least this mutts mate isn't dying!"

"I'm dying?" You whine, looking up at Hongjoongs seething face. "Hongjoong?" You whisper through your tears.

"How dare you?"

"How dare I? H-"

She slaps the both of them simultaneously, shocking them and scaring the daylights out of you. Both of their eyes flash black, Sans going back to normal when he sees it was just her. But your captors eyes stay pitch black, sharp teeth peeking out from his lip as he growls lowly.

You push away from him and fall back without his support, collapsing into the hard cave floor.

   She stops him before he can reach for you, slamming him back onto the wall with a dull thud. "Shut the hell up, and get your head out of your ass if you want her to live! Don't you remember Yeonjuns mate? Huh? How he did the same exact thing and refused to listen and we had to bury her?" Her voice cracks with rage and unbridled sadness, "so sit down." She slams him down onto his behind and crouches, looking back to see as San lifts you up by your shoulders gently and pulls you out of the room.

    "Hongjoong-" You whimper, making him shiver.

   "Just let me get her comf-"

  "No! Leave it to the mutt," she spits his words back at him venomously, clearly angry at how he addressed her mate. "Let's have a talk, Joong."

   She sits down, right in-front of him incase he decides to make a run for you. "Don't be an idiot like he was. Don't make us bury another innocent girl. Don't make us banish you... we need you, and we'll need her soon. Get out of your own head and listen."

   He takes a shaking breath and retracts his teeth, eyes slowly lightening as he leans back into the cool wall and hugs his knees to his chest.

    "You need to be away from her. Her body is in shock from your hormones. You will go with San to fetch Yu-"

  "I can't leave her like this, she needs me."

   "No she does not." She stands her ground and sizes him up even though he is her superior. "She needs to see Yunho and go from there. If he says, 'oh,well she's just in shock from the cold' or 'oh, it's an infection', then you can coddle her all you want. But if he says, 'she is in shock from your hormones', then I will personally be keeping you ten feet away. Understand?"

   "B-"

  "Understand?!"

  "...Yes, Angel. I understand."

--

You awake with a start, groaning loudly as pain like no other wracks your body. The last thing you remember was San dragging you away. You passed out the second he dropped you on the nest.

Scanning the cave slowly, you find yourself alone. Or so it seems until the brunette woman from before is suddenly infront of you. You yelp, causing a string of coughs to rattle your lungs as you crawl away from her and slump against the wall.

She, like San, stays just outside of the border of the nest. She's kneeled down with a wooden cup in her hands, smiling gently at you. "Hello." She speaks softly.

"Where's Hongjoong?" You ask shortly. You may not be comfortable around him, but you certainly aren't around a stranger. Especially a siren stranger. You would feel safer with him. You would feel warmer.

"He's out to fetch the doctor with San. The will be back soon, don't worry," she settles down and crosses her legs under herself, holding out the cup. "Some herbal tea. It may not do much, but it will warm you up."

You eye the cup suspiciously, sniffing the air as if it will tell you if the drink is dangerous.

"It's just herbs, I promise. Hongjoong would have my head on a stick," she jokes lightheartedly and urges the cup forward, sitting just at the border of what seems to be safety with a small smile.

She doesn't seem threatening. Probably only five feet tall and no claws or teeth to be seen. But the scales on her cheeks give her away. And you refuse to trust any siren after what you've witnessed. "No, thank you." You cower into the corner where she can't reach and hope you haven't angered her.

"Okay, then." She nods and sets the cup down beside her, eyeing you up and down. "I'm Angel." She says.

You hum in response and curl up in the blanket tightly, keeping it just below your eyes so you can see if she makes a move.

"Sans mate."

"Mhm."

Despite the fact you're clearly uninterested in conversation, she speaks again. Only this time, you don't mind what she has to say. "I was kidnapped as well."

"What?" The words slip out before your brain comprehends, another fit of coughs tormenting you as you try to swallow them back down. The words seem surreal. Is that what has happened to you? Does kidnapping count if it's by a creature whom you're fated to be with by a God you didn't know existed?

It makes your head pound harder to think about.

"Mhm...four- or was it five? Five years ago."

"Five years?" You nearly choke. She's been here five years without escape? It makes your heart break for the both of you. It makes you wonder how many other humans have been kidnapped and turned.

"Yup. I was on my way back home from school abroad. Ship got sliced to Hell and there came the tribe." She seems to notice your unease as your lip trembles. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean t-" She cuts herself off and sighs, looking around the cave until her eyes land on your chest, and the fabric piled around it. "Hongjoong is a designer, did he tell you that?"

You appreciate Angel's attempt to take your mind off of the situation, but your mind is still racing over the fact that there is certainly no escape for you. "N-no."

"Of course he didn't, he hates to brag but also he secretly loves it. He was bragging even about how cozy he had made his den for y-" She watches wordlessly as you stand and drop the blanket, legs shaking as you carry yourself to the edge of the water. "(Y/n)?"

   Five years? You can't survive two days without your family. You'd wither away within the week at this pace.

You stare at your reflection for a moment, barely registering the shuffling behind you as she stands up.

   Maybe it's the raging fever. Maybe it's your existential dread. 

    Whatever reason...you let yourself fall face first into the source of your pain.

"(Y/n)!"

    The yell is muffled by the water flooding your ears. The water clings to your clothes and hair, hugging you tightly. You let the water cleanse your soul before you open your eyes; seeing Angels blurry figure leaned over the edge, watching as you sink.

You close your eyes again and you're back home with Hyunjin setting the table as you and Yeji chase your little siblings around. Minho walking in like he owns the place and snatching you up over his shoulder while he scolds you about being so mean to the little ones. Your father knitting in his chair and watching the lot of you fondly. Your mothers ashes watching over you from the lit fireplace.

       She tugs at her makeshift skirt as she searches the water for you with purple glowing eyes. She curses under her breath, panic evident as she dives in after you.

     The splash shatters the peace you've made for yourself. Your back softly collides with the sea floor, your lungs are begging for air- but you refuse. The dirt knocks loose and floats around you. A hand tugs at your shirt, but you open your eyes and fight back, pushing her away with all your might. The loud clicks from behind are lost to you as you struggle against her as she tries to drag you back up.

    The fight makes it all to hard to hold your breath, and you open up your lungs and let the sea water flood them. She screams, bubbles rising up as she desperately tries to pull you up.

She's pushed away by a flash of red and you're being raised to the surface as you flail. You collide with the ground harshly and cough, lungs eternally grateful for the strange man who threw you up even though you give him the darkest glare you can muster as you spit up water.

His pale blue hair hides his expression as he surfaces from the hips up, but you can feel his gaze focused on you. Hongjoong surfaces right behind him, not bothering to be modest as he climbs up quickly and scurries over to you.

"(Y/n), what the hell was that," he screams, lifting you off your back and turning you to your side, making your lungs empty the rest of the water.

"Get off me," you screech back, crawling away from him and into the bed. Uncaring as you soak it. You fold yourself up and push your back into the corner, hiding your face in your knees as you sob and snot all over your pants.

Multiple splashes later, you can hear multiple sets of wet feet approaching. You peek up and see that it's the man and Hongjoong, San comforting Angel by the smoldering rocks that once was a fire.

"What the fuck was that?" You're shocked by his words, eyes wide and teary. Why are your emotions being like this? You hated him five minutes ago and now all you want is to hold him and cry. "You don't know what's down there, you could have gotten hurt!"

"I know what's down there, what's down there kidnapped me!"

He gasps, scales and eyes burning red with emotion. "I didn't ki-"

"Yes, you did, don't try and lie to me! I want to go home," you sob, fisting up a scrap of fabric from the bed and throwing it at his face.

"Okay, let's-"

You cut the man off with a high pitched scream, throwing the next fabric at him. "Get out! Get out! Go away!"

    San cradles Angel close to him as she cries, watching the scene unfold with a heavy heart. He goes to stand and intervene as you kick at Hongjoong, inductively wanting to protect his leader even if he's mad at him. She grabs his wrist and shakes her head, and he sits back down slowly: holding her as they watch silently.

    Hongjoong slams your ankles to the ground and holds them still and you writhe. "Stop!" He growls loudly, eyes glowing a bright red. You still under his gaze and sob loudly, opening up your arms weakly.

He gives the man a quick glance before diving into your arms and lifting you up, holding your soaked form flush against him and holding your head as it bobs with your cries. "What's happening to me?"

    You watch cautiously over his shoulder as the man kneels down, now covered by a loose pair of shorts. He sets a small briefcase next to him and catches your eyes quickly.

"That's what I'm here to find out."

--

Shells

Chapter Four

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: thank you for the support during my break, i've been working on this chapter for a good long while so i hope you enjoy it 🩶

"And from all this gloom, life can start anew..."

✫彡wordcount: 2.6k

♡'･ᴗ･'♡(✯◡✯)genre: yandere, fantasy, (eventual)smut w/plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents(chapter specific): captivity, sickness, medical malpractice(technically!?), needles, not proof-read

Shells tags: @ddaeing @the-flavour-of-deaths-ass s @wnewoo @catwhisk MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

San has to physically restrain you after Hongjoong pulls you from the nest, holding you in a strange headlock with your arms squished against your head. Angel wipes her eyes and sits by your feet, holding them down with a shocking force.

    Yunho, as you briefly caught, rummages through his brief case in a clear panic as Hongjoong-curled up in the corner with his hands over his ears to block your cries for him- screams at him to hurry.

     "Please, Hongjoong, don't let them hurt me! Don't let them hurt me! Why are you doing this," the words lash at his already bleeding heart. And the screech you let out as you see Yunho retrieving a large syringe makes it collapse on itself.

     "Please, Precious," he cries from his hiding place, unwilling to let you see him crumbling, "Yunho will take care of you. He is the best doctor in the c-"

     "No! No!" Your yells make him whine, and in return; San holds you tighter and screams at the poor blue haired doctor.

     "Knock her out already, dimwit!"

   "Sannie!"

    Angels grip loosens as she scolds her mate, allowing you to toss and turn for a moment before a voice booms out and still the chaos.

   "Just what is going on here?" It shakes the walls, knocking Yunho to his behind and scrambling to get the dropped syringe. The remaining sirens all stand at attention and bow their heads.

    Hongjoong eyes flick to you in a warning way as you blubber and push yourself up.

      "Hello, I asked a question! Why is she still awake?"

    Your eyes finally meet the voices owner and you're lost for thought. Blonde hair past his waist, spread on the surface of the water as he floats. An aura of authority radiates off of him. But, you don't feel scared. This siren doesn't active your fight or flight.

     "Yeosang, I ca-"

    "I don't want to hear from you." He snaps at Hongjoong, turning his attention to Yunho, who's rapidly approaching you from behind. "About time, Yunho." He speaks lowly as the syringe pricks past your skin and a cool liquid floods your senses. "I could hear her screaming from Ormasse. I could barely think."

"I'm sorry, Prince."

"Yeah, yeah." He pulls himself up on the ledge and inspects you as you dizzily crawl towards the safety of the bed. "I assume you haven't done the exam yet. She seems a difficult one."

Hongjoong holds his breath and slowly lowers himself back to the floor, watching as Angel gently leads you away from the bed and towards the sunlight.

"No, she has quite a bit of fight. It took us half an hour to get her out of the nest, she caught on t-"

"Get it done quickly so we can help her. No more human deaths on my watch. Whatever she needs we will provide as a clan. Am I understood?"

They all chime quietly in union, and he's gone before your head rolls back to face the water. You think for a moment he was a fever induced hallucination, but the tense nature of the sirens and the ripples in the water tell you otherwise.

San carefully rests you in Angels lap, and you don't have the strength to fight anymore. "What did you do to me?" You slur quietly, shaking from the chill in your blood stream.

"A sedative. Do your limbs feel heavy?" Yunho picks up your hand by the pinky and lets go, watching it flop back to your side. "Perfect." He turns and drags his case closer, metal objects catching the light and blinding you briefly. "I'll just need to check a few things to determine if the soul mark is the cause. Nothing invasive, a normal checkup and a some tests."

The tears fall freely from your eyes like they're droplets from a broken faucet, unstoppable as they glide down your face and onto Angel's thighs. She soothingly rubs her hands on your shoulders and you look up at her with big eyes.

"Yeji?"

"Yej-" She looks to Hongjoong confused, squeezing your shoulders softly.

"Yeji, I'm so cold..." You stir in her lap softly and lay face down, holding her close in your delirium, "sing me a song... the one Mama sung."

Hongjoong crawls closer as Yunho uncaps a needle and flips your arm, working to find a vein while you're distracted. "The one Mama sung... uhm-" She looks to San, who shrugs and shimmies close on his knees, watching you suspiciously as you cuddle into his mate.

"So dear friends," you mumble, "your love has gone... only tears to dwell upon." Hongjoong scrambles to your side the moment he hears your weak singing, uncaring of the stern look Yunho gives him.

He flops onto his stomach beside you and reaches for your limp hand, gently laying his finger tips over yours, crying silently as it shocks him. But he doesn't move, not one bit. He stays close as Yunho finishes his examination, your shaking voice magic to his ears, even as you trail off to sleep.

    "And then from all this gloom, life can start anew. And there'll be no crying soon..."

--

    "I have news."

    Hongjoong finally moves as Yunho speaks. The first time he's done so in hours. He groans as he moves his head away from you to look at Yunho. His eyes are dark and dull.

    You're still slumped in Angel's lap, the soft strokes she gives your head keeping you in a deep slumber. San had protested and said that she should move away because they don't know what's wrong with you and he'd kill you if you got her sick. But she didn't budge either.

     She kept herself leaned over you protectively, doing her best to comfort you in your unconscious state and going as far as making San bring her a blanket to lay under you and sing you as song as you stirred.

   San went from sulking in the corners to pacing the room to screaming at Yunho to hurry up and back again.

    Yunho, the poor doctor, was simply trying to focus as he watched your blood sample. And when his slit eyes finally caught a glimpse of what he was looking for, he fell over in his chair.

     "What is it, is she dying?" Hongjoong pesters as he sits up. "Tell me." His voice booms with an authority that makes the others lower their heads, and your body instinctively rolls towards him. He has to hold back another wave of tears as his heart aches to reach out for you.

     "No. She's not dying." Everyone's eyes are on him. "She isn't reject the bite either."

    Hongjoong breaths a sigh of relief as he immediately takes you up in his arms and scurries to the nest, pressing his back to the cool wall as he cradles you close.

    "She's accepting the bite faster than anyone I've ever seen. Her body is in shock from her own hormones, not yours." Yunho speaks precisely, professionally, digging around in his bag, "she needs more human hormones in her system, is all..."

    He strokes your cheek with his thumb. Thanking The Huntress that he wasn't the cause of his Precious's pain. Barely registering the words that are being spoke around him, unaware of the glare San continues to give him.

    When Yunho approaches with a syringe filled with dark red liquid, Hongjoong cups your neck so he can't prick you: simply glaring at the man as he steps into your nest. "Who do you think you are?" He growls.

     "Hyu-" A simple glare from him shuts San up, leaving him glowering as he squeezes Angel close.

    "Get out of our nest!" His voice sounds out loudly, shaking the walls of the cave and waking you with a start.

     Your heart thunders in your chest as your eyes flick to the water where your last memory was situated, feeling his hands over your neck, the sudden heat of the world. "Hong-" You can barely slur out his name before his teary eyes are on yours, the life back in the in an instant as he sees your opened eyes.

    "Precious, oh thank The Huntress, my (Y/N)," he peppers your face in kisses: uncaring as you cringe at the attention.

    "What's happening?" You turn your torso, eyes immediately landing on Yunhos feet past the border of your safety. "Get out of our nest!" Your words echo Hongjoongs, his heart soaring with pride as you fully turn and push the man, albeit weakly, causing him to finally back up. You fall out of his lap and push the mans leg until he lands a few inches away before flopping down on your side and coughing.

San holds Angel back with a hand on her stomach as she tries to approach, letting Hongjoong handle the situation as he rubs your back soothingly. "Get it out, Baby." He peeks at the syringe in Yunhos hand heart tired of breaking at your pain, "what is it?"

     Yunho takes a breath to speak before his eyes land on you, clicking in their language instead. All of the sirens seem a bit taken back. Hongjoong hides it the best, simply nodding and holding your hair out of the way. "Give it to her." Angel nearly gags, turning into San's chest so she doesn't have to witness as Hongjoong holds you down softly as Yunho forces the needle to break through your skin.

"It shouldn't take long." You peek at Hongjoong with wide eyes as Yunho speaks.

"Don't worry, Precious, it's just some vitamins, you caught a sickness from the water." His words ease the weight of the fluid as it spreads through you, and you don't bother to realize how Angel is actively gagging.

"It should kick in soon, I'll stay until it does to make sure that it's the right dosage."

--

The mated duo had long left, leaving the three of you in an awkward silence for a long while until you got the energy back to sit up on your own.

Hongjoong dives down, however hesitant to leave you, to gather some food. You admit that you would have rather had Yunho go, but as he keeps his space from the nest and minds his own business unless you speak first- you find yourself enjoying his company as the minutes drag on.

"How could you tell?" You ask suddenly, spooking the siren.

"Sorry?" He shuts his book and gives his attention to you.

From your spot in the far corner of the nest, curled up in your favorite blanket, you clarify, "that the water made me sick. It seems impossible to tell... I thought for sure that my hormones were killing me, it felt like a period time nine-hundred." He seems taken aback as you chuckle quietly, shuffling in the rickety chair. "I'm curious, is all. You don't have any equipment or labs I'm assuming."

He fixes his posture and clears his throat before speaking. "I could see the virus in your blood. I have very good eyes." Before you can open your mouth to ask, he responds, "not all sirens can see what I do. It takes some focus and practice and a lot of headaches but I can see pretty much every molecule if I try hard enough."

"That's... that's really cool." Your soft laughter catches him off guard for certain this time. "So you can see like..." You look around the cave and point at the wall, tapping it excitedly, "you can see all the different sediments?"

He nods softly and smiles as you get up close the the wall and inspect it. "That's crazy!" You exclaim as you fall back into the corner with eyes filled with curiosity.

By the time Hongjoong resurfaces, you and Yunho are cracking joke left and right as you share stories. He tells you how he pissed Hongjoong off by saying his stitching was uneven by half a millimeter and you tell him about the time you cut your brothers kite to win a bet that yours would fly longer. You're in the middle of laughing at the fact that a siren named Wooyoung is apparently very easy to distract despite fact that he has super-hearing when he sets the net down, catching the both of your attention.

"Joong!" You jump up, leaving the safety of the far corner with the blanket wrapped around you. He watches you, eyes filled with emotion as the nickname reaches his ears. "Did you find us something good?" He's almost as shocked as Yunho was when you cracked your first smile. But his happiness at the fact that you're already getting better overshadows it.

"Y-Yes, I got a species that you haven't tried before, I hope you like it~." He coos as you bend over the fire pit and begin working. There's no doubt in his mind that you'll be a good den-mother to the tribe. The only set back is that you don't have enough time to adjust as he'd like now that your body is processing his mark faster.

He smiles over Yunho, who smiles back. "I think I've probably over stayed my welcome," he speaks softly as he gathers up his things, "she's adjusting better than I could have imagined, as long as you keep her on track with treatments, she'll be ch- better in no time!"

"Ah no," you protest, peeking over your shoulder at the two as Yunho hands over a small bag of syringes, "won't you stay for supper?" Your puppy dog eyes are no match for a siren, and they simply chuckle at your antics.

"I don't think we're quite prepared for dinner guests, Precious," Hongjoong feels light headed as you turn your pout specifically to him.

"Soon?" Your begging eyes nearly have him giving into your every request, ready to force Yunho to stay for food just to see you smile once more. But he knows better.

"Soon, Love."

"Perfect!" You turn back to the fire, lighting it up quickly and tossing the blanket back to the nest. "Come help me then, I'm starving," your small giggle makes him fall to his knees and slide to you, quickly working to prep the fish.

Yunho looks on for a moment with a heavy heart. Once you found out the truth about your condition and treatment, you'd surely never smile at Hongjoong like you are now again.

He sets the bag of syringes down, praying that you never find out the truth about what's inside of them.

He dives into the water without another word and leaves the two of you alone in your temporary domestic bliss.

--

Shells mini masterlist

i made the mermaid joong art plz don't steal it 😭

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Shells

Chapter Five

Kim Hongjoong x fem reader

a/n: i know i said DJANGO chap two would be next but i've wrote over five thousand words for it and lost the train of thought and wraaaaa 😭 a/n2: EVERYBODY STAY CALM OKAY EVERYBODY STAY CAAAAALM I COULDNT HOLD MYSELF BACK ANYMORE OKAY IM SORRRRY

"For now, he's content to just press his body onto yours and cage you in the nest he made just for you."

Shells Masterlist

✫彡wordcount: 2.7k

♡'･ᴗ･'♡(✯◡✯)genre: yandere, fantasy, smut w/plot

ಠ_ಠwarning/contents(chapter specific): wet dreams, masturbation, mutual masterbation(?), somnophilia technically, no actual smut, more plot development mwhahaha

Shells tags: @ddaeing @the-flavour-of-deaths-ass @wnewoo @catwhisk @silentcry329 @dear-dreamie @atinycafe @is4b3ll3s s @stvrfir3

MATURE UNDER CUT MDNI

The nest is so warm. It feels safe as the thunder rumbles seemingly nonstop. His arms are wrapped around you tightly and squeezing you close protectively as he hears your heart thud in your chest. "Are you scared of the storm, My Precious?"

      A soft nod is his only response, a whimper pressing past your lips as a particularly loud crack of thunder echoes in the cave. "Don't worry, Joongie will protect you." His hand softly rub your stomach and trail down to your bare thighs.

    When did you take your clothes off?

      His hands are so warm and calming as he caresses every inch of skin he can reach before one finally lands on your epicenter. He cups your heat warmly and moans into your ear as he grinds onto your hip, whispering obscenities about how well you'll take his cock one day soon.

     He kneads your plush flesh in his hand for a moment, seemingly basking in the feeling of your juices wetting his palm before he pulls away and crawls down your body, his eyes trained to you like the predator that he is- shining darkly as his scales flush a bright red that rivals his hair. "Will you let me?" He croons deeply as he comes face to face with your wetness.

    "Mmm please, Joongie," your soft moan wakes him with a start, eyes flicking black as he searches the den for any potential danger.

     "Precious? Are you quite alright?" He whispers as he curls closer to you, feeling your head and frowning deeply as he feels your heated skin.

   Is your fever back so soon? It's been three days since your first dosage and you've been fine. Why all of the sudden should you be s-

    "Nngh," another moan stops all of his movements, frozen like a statue as he catches a glimpse of your hips rolling subconsciously. He backs up and off of your body, forcing himself to ignore the small whimper that leaves you as he heat disappears.

    You've got his, and now your, favorite blanket balled up and pressed between your thighs, moving your hips lazily for any kind of friction. "Like that," you purr subconsciously, and that's all it takes for all of his blood to rush downwards, a raging hard on in his sleep shorts in a second flat as his eyes flick up to your blissfully unaware face.

    Your jaw is slightly agape, eyebrows furrowed together as you hump your hips upward clumsily.

     "Oh sweet Huntress," he curses under his breath, slapping a hand over his mouth to cover any noises you may have caught over the storm outside.

   He backs away further, pressing himself to the cool rock wall. He doesn't want you to wake up and think he was the cause of whatever clearly wet dream you're having. And, Gods, is it wet.

     His blackened eyes are trained on the small patch that you rub your core on over and over. You've soaked through the shorts that he made for you to sleep in and are smearing your eagerness on his blanket with continued soft moans trilling off of your tongue.

     He's just about to get up to relieve his hardness elsewhere for your own modesty, knowing full well you can't control this dream your having and knowing even more that if you ever ever knew he had jacked off beside you that he would never so much as get an innocent smile thrown his way.

   But then?

   "Oh, Joongie," it trails off your lips and causes a pang of arousal to hit his gut roughly, biting into his hand with his own sharp teeth as his tip leaks into his shorts.

    Is this his own dream. His mate having a wet dream about him is his wet dream? There's no way. No way.

    "Fuck harder, Hong," you slur and stammer in your sleep, and he has to free himself of his fabrics immediately. Gone is any of his modesty or care for yours. If you're having a wet dream about him, he can just say he had one about you. That's what he's making himself believe is happening even.

     The electric spark he feels when you roll and hike your knee up on his thigh assures him that it's real, however. That he, in fact, is not having the best dream of his life.

    But he chooses to ignore that as he slowly strokes his girth. You look so delicate and beautiful as you smoosh your head deeper into the nest that smells like your mate. He matches his strokes to the way your hips swirl and grind as deep into the balled up blanket as possible. Your body must still be processing his bite too fast. Your horniness is exactly what he was feeling since he bit you, and what he would expect of you in a few weeks if you had been taking his bite normally.

    But he isn't complaining, he's thanking the Huntress as one of your hands seeks out his body heat subconsciously and grips onto his thigh, digging your nails into his skin. "Mate," the word that rumbles off your trembling lips nearly has him cumming on the spot. Five days in, and he's never so much as heard you utter the word besides with disgust. But this time- oh this time. It's laced with honey and desperation and a passion he's never heard from you.

     "Mate," he whispers back as he fists his length roughly, biting his lip to hold back the growls he so badly wants to let out, afraid that he'll wake you before either of you have a chance to relieve the build up of intense hormones that come with the bite he left on your neck.

    He feels an immense amount of guilt for watching you in such a vulnerable state without your expressed permission, but he'll be damned if he lets the opportunity slip away. You'll never know, and he'll never tell. But that doesn't stop his from feeling a bit guilty. What does stop him- what washes away all doubt of his actions is when you lay flat on your stomach and reach your hand under yourself, into your shorts.

     The smell of your sweet, sweet aroma finally hits him full force and he paints his stomach white with his own pleasure, a quiet growl that he can't hold back ripping out of his clenched teeth.

     And even in his pleasure induced delirium, he doesn't dare miss the way that your body seizes up and the wet patch in your shorts grows tenfold before you slump to the warmth of the nest and nuzzle his pillow with a delicate whine.

     "Hongjoong," you murmur through you deep breaths, clearly spent from your unconscious release. He tucks himself back into his own shorts and wipes his stomach on a spare piece of fabric before curling up ontop of you and holding you close securely, ignoring the way that he's still hard. It will go away on its own.

     He's taken more than what you would give in your waking state and for now, he's content to just press his body onto yours and cage you in the nest that he made just for you.

-

     You wake with a newfound pep in your step, metaphorically of course: because Hongjoong refuses to get off of his place on your back for a few hours. He trills happily and holds you close tightly, clicking in the language you don't understand.

   Unbeknownst to you, he's confessing his sins with that sickly sweet tone and bright smile that has you holding back a smile of your own. He tells you exactly what happened with a smile on his face even though he feels like collapsing in on himself a tiny bit. Just to get it off of his chest.

    You fail to notice your dried up arousal until you get up and skip to the separate room to relieve your bladder, and then you're staring down at it dumbfounded. The splash of the water outside of the room lets you know he's gone for a bit.

      He told you, thankfully in the language you understand, that he had some matters to attend to with the tribe.

   So you waited for a few minutes to make sure he's truly gone off before you run out in one of your new outfits that he tailored for you in the past days, diving into the nest and shoving your soiled shorts to the bottom of the thick pile of fabrics.

    You also fail to notice that you had shoved it right next to the rag Hongjoong used to clean himself up, copying his exact shameful actions as you tried to hide the evidence of last night's subconscious rendezvous.

     You don't remember exactly what had happened in your dream, but you do remember that it made you want to kiss him when you woke up. And that fact scares you.

So, you distract yourself with the chest of goodies he gifted you on that second day before all hell broke loose. With your ever growing collection of shells, a small knife, and the wires from a discarded ball gown, you sit down by the fire to work: listening to the storm rolling outside.

-

Hongjoong pushes his way all the way to the front of the crowd and up to the small throne, sitting himself down next to the smaller, empty chair.

"Begin." Is all he clicks. And nobody makes a move.

Annoyance is clear on his face as he scans the people, and it's not hard for them to tell that it's because he had to leave you. He's nearly bouncing to get back to your den, and he doesn't try to hide the fact.

"Today!"

One of the lower ranked sirens swims forward and refuses to look up as he communicates in a quiet voice, "Sir, a few of us had heard of your mate's condition. And we were con-"

"Unless you are going to pray for her speedy recovery and wish us luck, I don't want to hear it. Save your breath."

"Sir, we heard you're treating her with Tophra..."

"That we are. Is there a problem?"

"I thought that it was outlawed because of la-"

"It is. Nobody else is to use it. We used it to save your future den mother, does that fact bother you so much, Minjae?"

"No, Sir. We're concerned for her, is all."

"Don't be. Yunho knows what he's doing and so do I." His dismissive tone makes the young siren realize that their cause will be going no where, so he slides back into his place amongst his brothers and gives Angel a sad glance from across the room.

"Next matter of business?"

-

     "Of all the comrades that e'er I had...They're sorry for my going away," your voice echoes in the quiet den, loud enough that it drowns out the rippling of the water as the top of Hongjoongs head emerges. His brown eyes shimmering and scales on his face a light pink as his ears twitch, focusing in on your voice.

    "And all the sweethearts that e'er I had, they'd wish me one more day to stay..." Although the treatment had stabilized your hormones and slowed the progression of you accepting his bite, it hadn't fought off all of your symptoms. Just the most painful ones.

     You sang. Very much, and very well. The past three days in the den have been filled with soft lullabies that you remembered from your childhood. More often than not luring you and Hongjoong both to sleep.

      You nested- scraps of fabric that he insisted were useless after he finished fixing a garment to fit you, you padded your sleeping area with even more- even if they did little to nothing. Sleeping deeper into the morning despite the fact that you were an early riser back home.

Your bones ached when you were away from him for too long, growing cold and tired on your lonesome.

And above all, you slowly began accepted him as your mate. Though you still preferred the words 'My Hongjoong' instead. Mate sounded too primal.

"So fill to me, the parting glass... Good night and joy be with you all. Good night an- JESUS!" You yelp as he hops out of the water noisily, shorts already on. You hold your project to your chest and muster up a glare to throw his way, only met with a cheeky smile as he joins your side by the fire. He begins skinning an unfamiliar animal, his smile unwavering.

You flatten out your hand over your DIY secretively, which gains a peek from him. "What's that?" You both ask simultaneously, a smile pulling at your lips as he chuckles.

"A secret. What's that?" You turn your body to keep working on it as he works on what is clearly dinner.

"A mammal," he explains shortly, smirk tugging at his lips as he moves to look over your shoulder- pushed away as you place your palm to his forehead and push him back. He laughs and leaves you to it, "okay then, Precious."

You both work separately until he taps your back, a wooden plate of food ready for you to share. "One more minute." You stick your tongue out in concentration, jumping slightly when he places his palm flat on your back and rubs gently.

"Your food will get cold," he pouts and he rests his head on your back, humming softly as he listens to your heart.

"I'm almost..... done!" You turn with your hands cupped together, hiding your project effectively. "Close your eyes," you blush softly as he looks at you with wide and sparkling eyes.

"It's for me?" He asks as he complies, listening to your movements closely as you crawl behind him and latch something onto his neck loosely.

"For you," you whisper as you give into your strange urges and hug him from behind, stroking his bare chest softly, "open."

His eyes flick down to the loose necklace in a millisecond flat, tears welling up as he sees the dark green shell he gifted you on your first night in his care. It's surrounded by littler ones of various colors and shapes, all dangling by his heart. "You-"

    "Mhm, I made it for you. I want you to wear it."

    You don't know the effect that your words have on him. Gifting is a way of courting in his world, and accepting is a way of also accepting the person. This is the first time you've gifted him something, and it's handmade of all the things you've accepted from him.

    "You don't have to but I pricked myself quite a few times so I'd ap-"

    "I'll wear it. I'll wear it every day, I'll never take it off!" His eagerness makes you laugh. A soft and comfortable sound that he cherishes, he gets to hear it so rarely. "I want t-" He cuts himself off as he runs his finger tips on the shells.

     "Hm?" You rest your chin over his shoulder and peek at him, a gently smile on your lips- which he seems to be zeroed in on, his eyes slowly darkening. You let go of him and back away slowly, lowering your eyes.

   "Kiss you." His short, broken, sentence makes you look up as he approaches: slotting himself between your legs and pressing his chest to yours and pushing you down to the cool floor, the necklace resting between you. "Mate."

    "Hongjoong-"

    "Mate. Kiss you," he pants as he rests his forehead on yours, his next word a desperate and drawn out whine, "please?"

    Your head moves to nod, and not even a fraction of the way there his lips are collided with yours as a feral groan rips through his throat. His hands grip at your cheeks, holding your face close to his as yours wrap up in his damp hair. A collection of clicks and purrs come from him as you moan into him softly. He just feels so right. His lips. His warmth. His love. It all feels right now.

He wants to hold you and never let go, but he remembers that you still have to breathe more than he does and pulls away from your lips just enough to let you inhale deeply- still ghosting over your soft skin. "Hongjoong," you coo softly, grabbing one of his hands and blowing on his palm, making him shiver with pleasure as your name shows up once again.

"My (Y/n), I'll always wear your shells."

-