Title: Little slave; university au!
Pairing: Hoseok x reader
Genre: Fluff
Word count: 7.6k
Warning: curse words.
Summary: When a series of bad luck, or bad decisions really, land you in the palm of the most wicked TA at campus, what choices do you have other than to do his bidding?
Note: Hello! Thank you for reading this fic. It's the second part of my bts university au series but of course can be read as a stand alone.
Note: I'm reposting this from my previous blog.
(Credit. Deviders by: @chachachannah and @enchanthings ; The pictures are from Pinterest)
You need new friends.
New friends who won't make you play drunk truth and dare. New friends who won't be sitting somewhere in their dorms snickering at your misery. New friends who won't make you do things you do.
New friends who aren't the most chaotic trio on the whole campus, a.k.a. Taehyung, Yoongi, and Jungkook.
You went to hide under the desk of your professor's office the moment you heard shuffling outside the doors. Crouching low, tucking yourself in, and trying to keep quiet. Flashbacks of the past night were coming back to you.
You were tired of being named the fun-sucker by your friends and had agreed to a round of shots. You first mistake.
And in your slightly drunken state you let them drag you in the game of truth and dare where they made you pick dare. Your second mistake.
Then, you made the third mistake that night by accepting Jungkook's dare of sneaking in Mr. Lee's office and to bring one of his infamous crystal paper weights as a proof that you did complete the dare.
"It's to prove you ain't a scaredy pants." In Jungkook's drunk words precisely.
And now all those mistakes have lead you here in your current situation. You swear if you die right here you're going to haunt their ass-
You cut off your thoughts as you heard the sound of the door opening. Holding your breath in, you kept quiet as you listened to the sound of the footsteps nearing the desk.
Who could be here at this hour? It's still too early for the cleaning staff to come and way too late for any students or teachers. Don't tell me Mr. Lee forgot something before and decided to come back. Oh shit oh shi-
You ceased your internal panicking when you saw a pair of shoes just below on the other side of the desk. In the very little light coming from the small lamp on the desk—that was always left on—you saw that they were a pair of sneakers. Okay, not Mr. Lee.
It was silent for a while and then you heard the sound of shuffling of papers as if something was being moved on the desk.
Then the footsteps started retreating and you released a sigh of relief. Alright lets just get out of here now before someone else decides to show up.
Your relief was short lived though. Just before the person could reach the door there was a sudden, loud thump as if something or someone fell painfully on the floor. You tried peeking from your hiding place and look for the source—which seemed to be the small window on the upper side of the wall. You could faintly hear a person—or more, you couldn't really tell—but before you could get up and investigate further you realised that the steps had halted at the loud sound.
The person stood there silently for a couple seconds longer, in which you prayed that he would not think much of the sound, then he took a few more steps and you heard the door shut.
Finally letting out the breath you were holding, you slowly peeked out of your hiding space—the lamp illuminating the office in a gentle glow. Seeing no one around, you enhaled a deep breath and pushed yourself a little more out of the confined space; you looked towards the closed door—no one seemed to be standing outside either.
Wait. Your eyes narrowed in on something just beside the door. Are those...shoes?
"Gotcha." A voice whispered just behind you.
You got up at once, raising from your half crouch, hurriedly turning towards the person and just as you opened your mouth to let out a startled scream you found a palm pressed against your mouth making your scream come muffled against it.
You looked up at the owner of the hand and were met with dark eyes which seemed to be twinkling. The lamp was positioned behind the man—which you could confirm was most probably a student, now that you could somewhat see him—and it drowned his face in darkness, casting a shadow on his face making it harder to recognise him.
You stared silently at the man, brain coming to a full stop as he just stood there. He opened his mouth, a smile heard in his voice as he said, "looks like it's my lucky day."
This voice, it's somewhat familiar...no way...
As he turned his head slightly to the right it became washed in the orange glow of the lamp illuminating his features and it caused you to immediately thought of every curse word you could knew. Because not only did you get caught in your teacher's office late into the night—looking very suspicious, not to mention— but also the person who caught you was none other than the menace of the whole student body, the cocky bitch of a TA.
Jung Hoseok.
He took a step forward. You took one back. He took another. You didn't have space to move behind further.
He leaned closer to you, invading in your space and you tried hard to lean as far away as possible no sure what was gonna happen. He set his hand on the desk you were leaning against, your eyes widened and then there was a click.
Sharp white light flooded the office, the main lights switched on. Now you could see his face, a lazy smile on his lips, looking at you with eyes of a predator.
You heart was thundering in your chest—honestly, you were scared. Hoseok was not one to be messed with. You knew that and that information was making your palms sweat.
"Do you have an explanation as to what you were doing here at this hour?" He scanned your face from top to bottom and then back up, locking eyes with you.
You just let out a pathetic muffled whimper.
"Oh, my bad," he removed his hand where it was planted ln your mouth and shuffled backwards a bit but did not remove his hand from the desk beside you, his second hand moving onto the desk chair effectively trapping you in, in case you tried to make a run for it—which you don't think you can. Your legs feel like jelly.
"I can- i can explain, please," seeing as he was giving you a chance to speak you believed you still had hope and you didn't want to waste a second of it not defending yourself, "I'm not here to do anything suspicious, i swear! Look I was roped into doing this stupid dare by my stupid friends. I was just gonna get in here, collect- collect proof that I completed the dare and then go back I swear it was harmless please trust me-"
"Y/n" The utterance of your name from his mouth halted you in your rambling, "you're in mr Lee's class. I remember you. May I ask who gave you this dare?"
Now, you were many things but not a snitch, "just stupid kids at a party, we were all quite drunk," your voice grew smaller at the twinkling look in his eyes.
"Loyal huh? I like it usually, guess I'll have to make do with only you."
"What- what do you-"
"Okay, so, you broke into a teachers office this late at night, somehow passing through the lock by- how did you unlock the door by the way?"
You pursued your lips, you knew you shouldn't say anything, you knew and yet when he moved just a centimeter closer and raised a single eyebrow, you squeaked out:
"i pick- I picked the- the lock..."
Your answer caused both his eyebrows to raise.
"So you're a professional at this-"
"It was just stupid easy to pick the locks! They are so cheap it didn't take much effort! A child could do it," you rushed out in a panic, contrasting his calm disposition.
"Oh I wouldn't know. Never needed to test the security of the locks, he stated as he looked down at his hand on the table where one of his fingers had a key on a ring around it.
"Let me get this all in order. You broke into a teachers office by picking the locks to the door, came here with the intention to steal-"
"No!"
"Shh." He took his hand off the chair and pressed a finger against your lips, effectively shutting you up.
"And got caught red handed in the act. Hmm, how should we deal with you? You could've taken sensitive information." You knew there was no information to steal. Mr. Lee always took all his answer sheet, future questions and mark sheets with him home. Something about not trusting the campus security.
"Look. I told you I wasn't here doing something wrong."
"How am I supposed know that? You could've been here doing god knows what. Not to mention mr. Lee will undoubtedly trust my words over yours if it came to that."
He was right. You really were stuck here.
He was smiling down at you like he also knew this fact. You were not liking the situation you were in one bit.
"What do you want?" You sighed.
Withdrawing himself completely from you, "now we're talking," he took several steps back and brought his palms together in a clap once, "you see I'm a busy man, lots of things to do at once. And having a helping hand would really be beneficial for me," you definitely didn't like where this was going.
"You could see it as a way to make up for your mistakes and no one will hear a word about tonight."
"You're asking me to become your slave."
"Not a slave. Just a helper." He smiled sweetly at you. You somehow hated it more than the sly smirks from before.
You were hesitating. Thinking of ways to get yourself out of this mess.
He saw that, "or we can go talk to mr. Lee himself what his thoughts are on your actions? If you'd prefer that?"
What other options did I have.
His eyes were saying the same thing your mind came to realise. None.
The next morning you woke up to the sound of your phone blaring.
Thinking about the fact that you didn't have a morning class and how you wanted to sleep in more, you reached under your pillows with an incoherent grumble and retrieved your phone.
Jung Hoseok
You sat up at once, rubbing your eyes to wake yourself up. Looking at the time you noted it was a little over seven thirty.
"Hello?" You said on the phone, already dreading what he'll say next. If you were being honest you half hopped for last night to be just a nightmare.
"Meet me on the first floor of the social sciences building in fifteen minutes."
No hello? Wow, rude.
"But-but I don't have a morning class?"
"I don't see why that's a problem? I have work for you so you better hurry unless you know-"
"Alright. Alright! I'll be there just give me a moment." You were flabbergasted, how can someone so beautiful be this cruel!?
"I gave you fifteen minutes. Now hurry." He ended the call.
You wanted nothing more than to dive back in your sheets and sob.
You entered the campus canteen at half past eight. Hair a mess and annoyance radiating off of you.
Roaming your eyes around you found the reason of your bad mood on a table in the back. You stormed up to him, "you're an ass."
He looked up from his toast, "you finished with your work?" He asked with a grin.
"Yeah." You all but seethed out of your mouth.
The work he was talking about was why he had called you in the morning. He asked you to come meet him at the social sciences building and then when you arrived at seven fifty, he was nowhere to be found. You called him, like any sensible person and what he said left you speechless for a second.
"hey, where are you? I'm here."
"Oh. Good. Now go into our history classroom and there you will find a bundle of study materials on the desk. Distribute them all for today's class."
"But where are you?"
"Home, where else?"
"What the-"
"Now finish your job and meet me in the cafeteria in around half an hour."
"What do mean- hello? Hello?"
He left you with all his work and didn't even show up.
"Why did you call me here now? To wipe your mouth with a napkin after every bite?" You hissed, still angry.
"Eat."
"What?"
"I said eat," he put his elbow up on the table and rested his head on it, giving you a devilish grin, "you're gonna need all the energy you can get for the rest of your day."
Now your anger vanished, replaced with dread.
You were done with your first class, which just so happened to be Mr. Lee's. As per Hoseok's request you sat in the front row with him only a couple seats over. You could feel Taehyung's confused glances directed at you at the beginning, wondering why you ditched him today but you couldn't tell him what happened last night and honestly you weren't in the mood to talk to him right now.
At the moment you were running towards your next class because even though he was quite tbe entire class when it ended Hoseok made you carry the stack of assignments to mr. Lee's office which made you loose precious time to get to the class in time.
This will be over soon. A couple days and Hoseok would surely let you go. Yeah you just need to hang of for a couple days more.
Little did you know.
From the next day he started working you like an ox in a field.
"Carry these files to the top floor. What? You don't want to?" You ended up being late for your lunch.
"Hello?" You had asked in a small voice. "Bring me an iced americano from the cafe on the other side of the campus. They make it best." He hung up before you could even reply.
"My bag felt heavy so I called you over, take them to my next class, will you? I gotta meet up with a friend." You stumbled in your place as the book bag was tossed in your face.
You were especially pissed off when he called you over to the library to,
"Flip the next page. My hands are tired." It's a damn comic book you ass. He looked up with a pout, his eyes wide and innocent. A wolf in a sheep's clothing.
You couldn't even scream out your frustration like you normally did and instead let out an almost audible sob. You were tired so very tired, when will this torture end.
This morning you were already up when your phone buzzed. Hoseok's terror made it impossible for you to sleep properly, especially since he himself was an early riser and liked to call you first thing in the morning to hand you over that day's first task.
So that meant you were very much awake when he said:
"Come over. I'm sending you my address."
You sputtered, wondering if you heard him right. "What? Your place- no wait- why?"
"Agh you're so loud, did you forget? You're my slave. You do as I tell you. Now hurry." He sounded bored. You couldn't guess what it was even if you tried to. It was a Sunday, that meant it couldn't be a something related to the classes and since he didn't tell you to stop by anywhere you weren't supposed to fetch him anything either.
You sat down heavily on you bed, brain in scrambles, what did he want from you this time? You were almost getting good at guessing, considering it's been about four weeks since that godforsaken night when he caught you.
Since then he's asked of you all sort of odd requests, working you to the bone. Although this last week he mostly called you for help with grading class test or reviewing assignments. So you had to spend quite a lot of time at the library. At some point it almost felt like you were friends, but the moment that thought crossed your head he would make you run half way across campus to fetch him a coffee. And just like that the illusion would shatter.
But now you had no idea. He never asked for you to visit him.
You didn't even have time to spend with your actual friends at all.
You sighed.
Before you could think of something weird you were up and ready to leave. You'll face whatever he threw your way and if he crossed any lines you'll break his nose. His threats be damned.
—
Wiping your sweaty palms on your pants you checked the address once again, confirming you were at the right place. Raising your hand you knocked softly then cursed at yourself wondering if someone even heard. As you stood there like a statue contemplating to knock harder, the door cracked open.
You straightened your back, prepared to throw your fist at Hoseok if need be but were surprised to see a girl your age at the door.
"Hi?" She tilted her head in confusion.
You mentally kicked yourself before answering, "Hi! I'm here for Hoseok," Her eye lit up, she opened her mouth to reply but a loud commotion was heard in the background and she was yanked from the door as it shut in your face.
It was an understatement to say you were shocked into silence. Your lips parted you stared at the closed door.
In two seconds the door opened once more and you were prepared to ask the girl if she was okay but the person standing in front of you was someone else.
"You're late," Jung Hoseok ruffled his wet hair as he stepped aside to let you in, "you gonna come in?" He raised a brow at your still figure.
You hurried inside, forgetting all about your fist and his face. Well not his face, because that's where your attention currently was. His whole body looked damp as if he just came out of a shower as a grey towel hung around his shoulders. His shirt a little wet at places as if he put it on in a hurry, the fabric clinging sinfully to his lean stomach.
Yoh gave your head a shake, what the fuck am I thinking!?
When you forced your eyes back up they locked to his dark ones. He was in his own world just like you were. You cleared your throat to get his attention.
"So," you shifted your wait on your feet, "what did you call me here for?"
He came back to his senses at the sound of your voice and blinked looking around the room. He opened his mouth to say something when you remembered something and cut him off.
"Wait! Who was that girl who opened the door? She suddenly disappeared-"
"Jung!" A second door up in the corridor burst open as the same girl stormed out, only this time her neat black hair was a mess and the glasses she was wearing were askew.
"I cannot believe you picked me up and threw me like a bag of potatoes-" She noticed your gaze, stopping in her rage laced tangent and smiled a crazy smile—or at least it looked crazy in her current state—and turned towards you, "hello! Sorry for his existence, I'm his roommate! Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too um," You looked back at Hoseok as he stood there with his eyebrows furrowed.
"Oh don't mind him. He just didn't want me to meet the object of his affections. Torturous affections, I mean." She grinned like a kid at him which seemed to piss him off more.
He grabbed your hand and dragged you towards a room opposite the one his roommate came out of. Your panic came back in full force now as he shut the door but instead of locking it he went to his desk chair and sat down.
"What are you looking at? I called you over to work, are you seeing the mess in this room?" He gestured around you, "get to clean it up."
It was only now that you realised that you were standing in his room, his personal space and it felt weirdly intrusive to be here. But as you registered what he said a frown took over your face.
"Clean your room?"
"Yeah the vacuum is outside in the hall and-"
"Hoseok, don't you think it's a little too much? Asking me to clean your room?"
"-most of the clothes are clean just fold them and throw 'em back in the cupboard." He simply closed his eyes, settling his feet on the desk with his hands behind his head.
Chewing on the inside of your cheek you clenched your fist and took a deep breath. There was no reasoning with him, so you bent down and picked up a shirt from the floor, starting to fold it. He said most were clean. You threw it in the closet behind you. He can decide what's washed and what's not on his own.
In fifteen minutes you'd folded most of the clothing from the floors but it wasn't even half of it. There were still more his bed and chairs, pieces of fabric hanging off them. Just how many outfits he owns?
"Do you play fashion show in your room everytime you go out? Literally your whole closet is out on the floor." You picked up an pair of jorts, "ew, who wears these."
"People with a good fashion sense, don't worry your pretty little brain about my fashion choices or else you'll burn those last couple brain cells away too." He looked at you with a tilt of his head.
You wanted to punch him. But decided that it would not do you any good to piss him off.
"All these clothes and I didn't see one underwear. Do you not own one?" You said instead. "Or did Jung Hoseok is actually a gentleman who folded them himself to save himself the embarrassment." voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Why? Did you want to see them? Didn't take you for a perv-"
"Oh my god is that a speedo-" Hoseok's eyes snapped open as his frantic gaze zeroed in on your hands. But they were empty. You burst out laughing, "oh shit judging from your reaction do you actually own one?"
He scowled as you kept giggling, "just get done with it already. Next is the bed."
You walked to the bed, "so this is your trick to get girls in your bed? Is that an invitation for me?" You wiggled your eyebrows playfully. You were stuck slaving away your Sunday in his room, might as well entertain yourself.
Hoseok shot a look at his bed and then his gaze lingered on yours. You expected a retort from him but not this. His eyes intense, an unknown expression on his face. Contemplation.
That look gave you a weird feeling in your stomach, suddenly not very keen on entertainment. And so you tried to break the tension, or whatever it was.
"Are you sure you want me near your bed? What if I get my hands on your porn magazines?" You turned towards the bed starting to pick up the clothes strewn there.
Hoseok scoffed, "what do you take me for? A teenag- NO WAIT!"
He scream just as you lifted the mattress to pull the sheets intending to throw them in the laundry basket. You froze, watching as he stood up, one hand stretched in a pausing gesture. An evil grin spread across your face as you threw the clothes in your arm unceremoniously in favor of lifting the mattress as fast as you could.
But Hoseok was faster. He jumped on top of the bed, trapping your hand under it. He started crawling up on the bed but you moved back and in your hands was a booklet.
"Aha! What do we have- AAH!" You screamed as Hoseok jumped off the bed and started to descend on you. You twisted and turned, trying to keep the magazine out of his reach but he followed your motions. You ducked under his arm and started running around the room, Hoseok hot on your tails. You pushed his desk chair at him, turned and tried to climb up on the bed. One foot up you felt an arm snag your waist. In an attempt to throw him off you turned, and lost your footing.
You fell in a mess of limbs on the bed. Your hair spread around you and on your face, one hand stretched far, still trying to keep your possession protected from him while Hoseok lay on top of you. Before you could form any coherent thought--to your surprise--he burst out laughing, you've never heard him laugh so pleasantly. Hm, not so bad. Before you realised it you were laughing with him.
When the laughter started dying down you felt how ticklish your locks felt on your face. You tried shaking your head and blowing upwards to get them to move. To no avail.
Hoseok moved up suddenly and leaned his weight on one arm, gently he brought his other palm close and brushed your hair away with his fingers. Your vision cleared and locked with his. And there it was. That same intense contemplative look.
Not even a second had passed when you heard knocking outside the door, "are you guys okay?" It was his roommate.
Hoseok hurriedly rolled away, "yeah! We're fine."
"Oh. Alright then, just thought I heard a lot of noise and a loud thump," Hoseok winced a little, "just...be safe I guess." And then she was gone.
You have no idea what happened. Or what else might have happened just now. But you didn't want to think about it and so, you got up hurriedly, "I'll go get the vacuum and continue with cleaning." And with that you left the room.
Hoseok stayed on his back staring at the ceiling his gaze unfocused and pulse in a frenzy. He got up and decided to leave the room as well.
Just as you were about to enter the room again, vacuum in hand, Hoseok opened the door. You both stood under the door frame silently before he moved away, letting you pass. He left, closing the door behind him.
—
The door shut softly behind you as you bid Hoseok goodbye, finally done with cleaning.
Hoseok stood there in his living room, looking at the closed door, deep in thought.
"What was that?" He jumped in his skin turning to see his roommate standing beside him mirroring his actions and staring at the door.
"What? I told you I've got myself a little bird wrapped around my fing-"
"Oh shut up," She narrowed her eyes at him, "from what I saw you were the one shaking in your boots since this morning."
"What? No I wasn't."
"Hoseok honey for the love of all things wrong with you, you fussed over your clothes for fifteen minutes, hid all our freshman year pictures and took a shower before noon."
"I shower everyday." He huffed, insulted.
"Not on Sundays, not before playing dead on the couch till eleven o'clock at the very least." She pushed past him to sprawl on said couch. "Not to mention you called her to 'clean your room?' Hoseok, you're anal about cleanliness. Your room sparkles like our Dean's bald head."
She narrowed her eyes at him, "tell me," leaning forward with glimmering eyes, "what is going on?"
"It's literally what I said! She was here to help me clean-"
"Blackmailed, there's a difference. Look Hobi, I don't know what game you're playing but this is not gonna work."
"Worry about yourself. Or has Park finally asked you out for a date? Oh yeah, my bad, you refer to them as hangouts" Her face crumpled at his taunt, her eyes narrowed.
He huffed in annoyance, "you know what just forget it. I've got work to do and you should go do whatever lovesick fools do." With that he started walking back to his room ignoring her shouts.
"At least I'm not being as pathetic as you! Even those clothes you threw out on the floor were washed! All of them! I would know since you used my expensive detergent! Seriously dude if you want to see her that often this is not how you-"
The door slammed behind him leaving him in silence.
You didn't hear from Hoseok the rest of the day. And thus when Monday rolled up you foolishly let yourself believe that maybe he's finally bored with you and you'd get to live your life. You told yourself it was a good thing.
You were with Yoongi at the university convenience store getting snacks for your movie night with your friends. The first one in weeks. You were scrolling through your phone as Yoongi burned a hole through the store worker scanning your items, when the loud ring tone of your phone rang out.
You quickly silenced it looking up at Yoongi's questioning eyes.
"I'll just quickly take this and then we can get going."
"Who is it? Everything good?" He asked.
If only you knew. You wanted to say but instead smiled and said, "no one! Just a classmate. Everything is oka-"
"Just how long this thing with Jung Hoseok will go on for?"
All the words died on your lips. Staring at him in horror you croaked, "you knew?"
"Of course I did, just what do you take me for." He sighed, the bags of junkfood slung around his arm as he made to exit the store.
"How did- how long? Do the other two know?" You stumbled after him.
"I notice things, unlike those dumbheads. Well Taehyung is more focused on his new relationship so I wouldn't blame him and you know Jungkook. As for how long? About a month," You were shocked to know he'd known about this whole arrangement since almost the beginning.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"It didn't seem extreme at first. Entertaining even," That made your eyes narrow. "But recently it has been a little too much. I wanted to talk to you about it but didn't know if you'd appreciate me bringing it up."
You were chewing on your lips. He was right, you were embarrassed about the whole thing and didn't want to talk about it and though it was not all it still was part of the reason, at the start at least.
"Hey. Look at me. You don't need to feel embarrassed okay? It was fun in the beginning but I can see that it's affecting you in more ways now. But the only thing I'd ask is: how long will this go on? And you know it's not just the whole you acting as his valet thing, but we'll focus on that for now."
He took out a piece of candy from the bags hanging from his arms and offered it to you, "you're not being yourself, you've been missing our game nights and hangouts for some time you know? We miss you. Please try and sort out whatever it is you two have going on. I'll see you later."
With one hand holding the candy while the other clutched you phone as it began vibrating once again, you looked at Yoongi's retreating back and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
—
You entered the private study room with two coffees and a piece of strawberry shortcake and started scanning for a brown headed man. Which wasn't difficult since the room was pretty empty. You quickly spotted him in the far corner and hurried over to his desk.
"Here." He looked up at you voice. Surrounded by stacks of papers with sleep evident in his face it took him a moment to register you were there.
"Oh," He sat up straight. "Yeah, um thanks." You set down the items and watched as he opened the lid of one of the iced americanos and took two mouthfuls like it was water. You were honestly a bit disgusted.
"I'll leave you to your coffee now. Bye." You checked your wristwatch and decided that if you leave right this moment you'll make it to your friends by the end of the first movie, maybe they will let you choose the second one-
"Where are you going?" He interrupted your thoughts. "Can't you see how many assignments I have got here to grade? I will need help with that, sit down."
If he could feel your distress in the air then he said nothing, simply took another sip of his coffee and went back to work.
"I'll do them later this night, just give them to me and I'll take them back home and finish them by tomorrow morning." You attempted to get him to let you leave. You really didn't want to miss out on yet another hangout and firmly believed that there was still time to salvage it. But you should have known, the moment you picked his phone up it was already too late.
"None can do. I need them done by the night, so sit down and get started." He didn't even look up at you. When you didn't move he looked up at you wrangling you fingers, "or did you forget that you do as I say?" He warned.
Immediately you froze. Not because you were scared, you realised you hadn't been scared for a long time now. Even started feeling something pleasant somewhere back then. Instead what you felt now was anger. Frustration and just pure anger. You remembered Yoongi's words. Yoongi was right just how long you would keep playing this game. How can he still reduce all you did for him and the time spent together to nothing but that stupid threat?
"Are you just going to stand there-"
"Enough." He felt the change in the atmosphere and snapped his head up, eyes wide.
"Enough of this Hoseok," you voice came out even stronger that you felt. "I'm tired of this and I can't do this anymore."
He opened his mouth to say something but you were not in the mood to listen. "I was supposed to be with my friends right now. I was supposed to be with them all those times when you had me sit with you doing something stupid. But I'm done now and I can't do this anymore."
You took a deep breath, voice getting calmer, the dam was open and and there's no stopping you.
"And you know it's not just that. It was almost going good after some time, for moments it felt like we were friends and I was helping you as such but then you'd go on about your threat and how I was your slave and it was honestly frustrating." You didn't wanna sound weak but your next words were vulnerable, "I thought you cared if only a little. Getting an extra drink for me, being mercyful for once when grading my assignments, cracking jokes, acting playful, you even gave me your hoodie when it was late and it had started to rain once. I thought we were friends because honestly we both knew it was stupid to blackmail me for this long but I still went with it because I thought we were getting closer. But you don't care"
Pulling your shoulders back your voice hardened again, "go tattle to whoever you want to about whatever suits you. Whatever happens then would be better than what is happening right now, I don't care anymore."
Hoseok sat stunned on his seat as you turned and disappeared from his sight.
When he came to his senses he stood up in a haste to try and catch up to you. What he'll even say to you? No idea.
But in his hurry he banged the table with his hip causing his half finished coffee to fall and spill all over the wooden surface. He was quick to gather the tissues from the pastry container that came with the coffees. As he dabbed at the liquid, praying it won't leave a stain, he noticed the strawberry cake and another cup of frappe—both of them for you. Now forgotten. The table and a few of the assignment copies ruined like the night he'd planned, working beside you.
It was Friday. Hoseok was, for once unshowered on a week day and his room a little less than pristine.
That was how his roommate, who had barged into his room found him. Slumped against his desk with wrappers of chips and cups for water strewn on the floor.
"Alright," coming into the room and taking a seat on his bed she continued, "what are we doing?"
Hoseok lifted his head and scrunched his brows, "about what?"
"You being a miserable moron."
He scoffed, "what are you talking about? I'm fine."
"Yeah and I had a threesome last night. Now that we're done playing 'who tells the biggest lie' can we talk about how you've still not acknowledged you little crush and how you absolutely smashed your chances with that crush?"
"God, it wasn't a crush" He groaned, "you know I was stretching my time anyway, I wasn't even expecting the arrangement to last this long. You know how it is, I get my work done and let them go in a week or two. She just happened to stay longer and I kinda got used to it."
"Hoseok." Her voice was stern but also exasperated, she seemed genuinely tired of his shit.
He sighed. She was wrong. It wasn't that he hadn't acknowledged his crush it was that he didn't know how to act on it. He'd been stupid and now you probably hate him. Rightfully.
"I know. Okay? I know I ruined it. I just wanted to keep seeing her and now she won't even look at me." He had seen you at class the next day you told him off and you were back in your seat at the back with you friend. "Can't do anything now though. She hates me for taking advantage of her."
"That's what she said? You know you were being an ass the first couple weeks but was it always the same even later on? From her perspective too?" Her words were making him confused because of course it was always like that, he was overbearing towards you.
"Think about what she actually said Hobi," she started to head out but before leaving completely, "and take a shower."
He sat there and thought over what she had said. i thought you cared because you had cared. And he had been selfish and careless with you.
When you had seen the text on Saturday you thought you were mistaken.
Hoseok: meet me at the icecream parlor at five
You contemplated not going. Wondering what he was calling you for. But at the end decided to go anyway. To get done with this whole fiasco at last but also because you hadn't talked to him in days and after weeks of spending hours together it felt odd.
Rounding the corner you almost believed he won't show up, that he'd forgotten what happened on Monday and had found a new way to torment you.
But you saw him sitting there on the outdoors table, his back facing you and before you could change your mind you walked the rest of way, quickly reaching him.
You sat down without a word, eyes on your hands and avoiding him.
"Hi." he called out softly.
Now you had to look up, "hey." You said as you noticed two cups of ice cream in front of him.
"Oh. I just went ahead and ordered for you as well. If you want you can get something else-"
"No. It's fine." You pursued your lips. You saw it in his face, he was feeling bad, for whatever reason. Harassing you with work? Being annoying? Hurting you? Justified. But you couldn't be mad at him because you believed in some sort of budding friendship that wasn't there.
He scooped some of the chocolate dessert but then promptly put down his spoon. "I'm sorry."
You looked up at him, fingers playing with the plastic spoon. You didn't know what to say so he continued on.
"I'm sorry. I was being a piece of shit. I've always been that way, hell even enjoyed it before," He winced, "but I know I fucked up and I want to sincerely apologise for that."
You didn't realise how much you wanted him to acknowledge his wrongs until you heard it out loud. "I also want to say sorry for treating you like the way I did and for keeping you from the people close to you." He took a breath, "also for hurting you for..." You knew he meant the last part of your conversation.
"I appreciate the apology. Truly." And he knew you meant it, "for being insufferable and about my friends, I accept those apologies. But you don't need to be sorry for my accusations of you not caring. There were no feelings, I understand that. I tried to make something out of nothing and ended up hurting myself-"
"But there was." His firm voice startled you. When you met his eyes you saw how they were filled with desperation. "I was always finding ways to keep you near for longer and excuses to call you over often." He looked at your confused eyes and gulped but carried on, "I was being selfish and inconsiderate because I didn't know how else to keep your attention on me and get to know you more. I didn't know what else to do because I was an idiot who couldn't work out a normal way to tell you that... That I liked you."
"What?" Now, you expected a hundred different things when you came here but hearing this? It had you reeling.
"I know, shocking right? I mean who in their right mind blackmails the girl they have a crush on. But that night I found you at our professor's office and just knew I couldn't let go of the opportunity. I was an idiot then. And an even bigger one because I thought I could be normal about it. But what even was normal about the last month and a half." He sighed rubbing his face, "I know, I know you hate me and I don't blame you-"
"Do you really think I did all that because you threatened me?" He blinked owlishly, letting out a confused huh?
"I said do you really think I would've stayed this long because of some flimsy threat like that?" You scooped some icecream into your mouth then swallowed before continuing, "at the beginning? Maybe. I thought I would have to deal with you for a few days and at the time it definitely sounded better than dealing with my professor. I would be honest, I didn't took particular notice of you before that night but somewhere when I got to know you more I realised it was almost tolerable to spend time with you. Half of the time at least."
"So...what you're saying is..." He trailed off.
"Yes. What I am saying is that half the reason I spent time with you was because I wanted to. I was hoping for something more I guess."
"But then I went and ruined everything because I couldn't get my actions to match my feelings. I'm such an idiot." He said, dragging his hands down his face.
"Not going to argue with that."
"No. Wait. We've got this all wrong." He slid his icecream far away leaving you confused and then looked expectantly at you to do the same. When you did, he took a deep breath and, "let's start this right. Tomorrow night? Are you free?"
"Uh yeah?"
"Then let me take you out to dinner. I want to get to know you and spend time with you."
You were speechless and that made him nervous. Had he interpreted your words wrong?
In his hurry he added: "The normal people way."
You chuckled at that, "you mean by not asking me to sign a slavery contract?"
"If you wish then I'll be the one signing the contract this time around," He leaned back on the chair, "ready to bend backwards at your beck and call."
You smiled with a shake of your head. "Alright. Tomorrow night. But you're picking the place."
He grinned and gave a slow nod. His clear brown eyes shining as he looked at you. And you were excited for this new beginning.
That night when you had agreed to take part in this stupidity you hadn't known you would go from being his little slave to the one who ruled his heart.
Maybe you had your idiot friends to thank, for the stupid dare which landed you here in the first place. But you'd rather die than admit that.
Looking at his heart shaped smile as he tried slurping the now melted icecream, which made him scrunch his face in a disgusted expression, made you heart feel warm. Even though he might act like an ass some times, you liked him.
And it was honestly a little cute to imagine him having a crush on you—you couldn't wait to hear all about that in the near future. All in due time.
𝗔/𝗻: Thank you so much for reading! Send your feedback by comment/reblog/or send an ask! I would really love to hear from you about anything literally!!
hey, just as a btw, a fic or a series not uploading for a year doesn't mean its abandoned.
Sometimes the authors have shit going on, other wips, or! it just needs to sit and marinate for a bit. Collecting all the flavor and details it wouldn't have otherwise.
it's okay for updates to take a while.
And if you're impatient? Why not leave a nice comment telling us (the author(s)) what you love about the fic or series? say that you love it, and are "waiting eagerly for the next chapter" and/or that you "would love to see x or y happen because it would mean-"
This could be a new fandom vibe because of all the "i have to drop this while people are still interested" energy, but its not universal, and i don't believe its good for the fandom ecosystem.
Have patience, and have compassion. Remember that authors are human and these fics? (or comics, animatics, whatever) This is our art. We care about it just as much, if not more than you.
Oh oh is this about your love triangle fic?? In any case here's my two cents lol
Honestly I agree that Yoongi feels like the grounding kind of love. Like the anticipation of a coffee yet to be brewed, knowing that you'll find your favorite cup sitting in the upper corner of your cabinet. It's the comfort.
And Jungkook? To me he feels like the explosion of colours on a semi painted canvas whose painter once lost they're motivation. He feels like a breath of life when you don't expect. Intense and exciting, as you said, but also something which will stick with you like a mundane activity. Like waking up from an afternoon nap and making yourself some quick snacks to makeup for a missed lunch, it's not something special but you also don't do it everyday.
Does anyone else think of Jungkook as the kind of person you want by your side, but not necessarily the one you need? Like… he feels more like that fast, explosive teenage love — intense, exciting, unforgettable, but fleeting.
Meanwhile, Yoongi? He feels like the one you need — the serious kind of love. Steady, grounding, supportive. The one who listens to you. The one who brings calm to your chaos. Basically… the love that lasts.
Pairing: Mercenary!Jungkook x ?? Female!Reader
Summary: When past comes knocking on your door wearing the face of unknown dangers, you can either refuse acknowledging it and be a sitting duck or find out what it was that turned your world upside down all those years ago—that has come back yet again to hunt you—with a stranger promising to keep you safe, by your side. One thing is sure: secrets will unfold. And it would not be anything you could've imagined.
Word Count: 8.4k
Genre: Fantasy au; adventure; action. Fluff; angst; future smut(??)
Rating: 18+ (violence and mature themes)
Warnings: Fighting ig. Not much for this chapter
Published: 9th March 2025
Note: Hello! This chapter is being reposted from my previous blog. I've been really excited to share this fic with y'all and really hope that you like it. Thank you for taking your time and giving it a chance. This fic is my baby.
Glossary and Map: here
Esati Masterlist
They say winter is cruel. Harsh and unforgiving. Anyone unfortunate enough to encounter it at its worst seldom survives it. It only knows how to take, how to steal—the warmth from your blood, the hope in your eyes, the life from your soul. The white snow spread like a blanket over the lands and waters alike: beautiful yet a warning of destruction for all.
All but one. Alastair has found no comfort other than these sharp winds and freezing soils in a long time. He took in a deep breath of peace, something he hadn't had the pleasure of for days—or had it been weeks?
It's been so long since he started his travels. Traveller. He liked calling himself that, much better than introducing himself as someone who's being hunted.
It's been so long; being on the run didn't grant him a minute of peace, but now he could feel a stillness in his mind. A quiet, which only came from knowing no eyes were following him anymore.
He walked higher up the mountains; the path was rocky and difficult to climb, but he managed even in his current state. It also ensured that had anyone been on his trail, he'd have easily known.
But as much as these snowy mountains were liberating to his mind, his body was not in the same condition. After being chased, hunted, and hurt, his body was battered and starting to feel more numb with each passing hour.
A final feeling washed over his mind. Like he knew it was coming. He was dying.
And it seemed fitting. Appropriate. Considering there wasn't anything left for him to do. He fulfilled his duty and played his part in the play of universe, for which he was chosen by Cianbhàta himself. After all, he hadn't escaped for his own safety. It was something greater than his existence that needed to be protected.
But now, he could sense it. His time was up.
No. No, he couldn't die like this. Not yet.
It felt selfish of him to still be holding on to this useless life. He tried hard, convinced himself it was over, but still, he couldn't figure out why he felt this strong need to keep moving.
His foot sunk in the soft snow, and he stumbled; leaning against a leafless tree he looked past the branches, up at the gray sky. Looking and searching, hoping to catch a glimpse of the almighty so he could get his answers himself.
He closed his eyes and sat down completely with his head against the rough, cold bark. "Oh almighty," he called out in a croak.
"Forgive your subject for being greedy, asking for more than you've graciously offered to us already. My body is giving up, but my heart is tearing apart," cough, "screaming, screaming at me that I'm leaving something unfinished," His eyes opened, filled with tears of anguished helplessness, "give me a sign. A reason, to-"
He coughed sharply, gasping and wheezing as the numbing winter air pushed its way past his lips, burning a path down his throat. Black spots started blinking across his vision, sorely standing out against the blurry white of the snow. This is it. This is how he will meet his end; he was sure of it.
Accepting his fate, he let his eyes close shut. His bones ached, and his skin was frozen cold. Just as he thought this was it, his ears picked up a faint sound. He didn't pay it any mind; if someone was here to capture him, it would be useless. He would be dead before anyone reached him.
But the more he heard, the clearer the voice became. A cry. He must be losing his mind. He blamed his growing incapability to differentiate in sounds and scenes the more he breathed in the bitter cold air.
But the cries started again.
His eyes snapped open, he was sure now that the cries were real.
Gaining a burst of strength he didn't know he was capable of anymore, he dragged himself up with the help of the tree and listened for more sounds—trying to locate the direction where it was coming from.
His feet started moving in a direction with thicker vegetation on their own, like they already knew where to go before his ears could actually locate the source.
He rushed past more bare trees, shrubs, and boulders and came face to face with a series of rocks protruding from the mountain, covered in a thin layer of snow, and then looked around trying to figure out the source where the sound could be coming from—which he now realised couldn't be heard anymore.
To his right, there were more trees packed together tightly, and he considered going in that direction when he heard the tiniest whimper, which he would've missed if he hadn't strained his ears to catch any noise.
The sound was coming from the rocky surface; confused, as there was no way something could get stuck between them, he looked around some more trying to figure it out when he noticed a hole in the far left side of one of the rocks near a tree growing close to the black rocks.
The hole was—he found out upon a closer look—no bigger than the size to fit a small dog, it seemed that the snow couldn't reach here because of the thick roots protruding from above, and the shrubbery that was still green and flourishing in the winter, but that's not what surprised him—it was the woven bamboo basket and a thick green blanket covering it and the whimpers that were coming from that basket.
He pulled it out, pulled the covers back, and revealed—
A child.
A very cold child with blue lips and the faintest of breaths puffing past its mouth.
Urgency immediately seized his limbs as he brought the infant out of the basket and close to his chest. It is going to die; this was the only thought echoing in his mind.
He took off running in search of someone. Anyone. He couldn't let the child die.
He ran and ran, holding the baby close to his chest, tucked in his coat.
"Is someone out there!? Help!" There was no response. He knew the tribals lived in this place, but he couldn't be sure of the exact location. And he hadn't been in his right mind to try and get a sense of the direction to figure out where he was at that moment.
"Please," he begged, "it will not survive, please," he cried up towards the sky. The black dots were back in his vision, stronger than before, but before he could succumb to the darkness, he took one more careful look at the child in his arms and assessed its soft breaths.
What a beautiful child. Shame I couldn't save you.
With that final thought, he tucked the tiny being close and let darkness take him under.
—————
Warm. Everything felt so warm. Alastair hadn't felt warm in months. He shifted in his position, drifting in and out of consciousness.
The sound of fire crackling was what brought him out of his slumber at last. He blinked his eyes open, still a little dazed, and found himself lying on a cot in front of a blazing fire. He closed his eyes back immediately; his head hurt, and so would have his legs if they didn't feel numb already.
He tried to move his head, his neck protesting after being in that position for too long, and at first he couldn't, but his stubbornness won over his fatigue, and finally he managed to lift his head just a couple of inches. He tried to take in as much as his eyes allowed in that position and discovered that he was placed in a dark room. It seemed the walls were made of mud and the floor was wood.
Before he could think about how he got here, he heard the door behind him creak open. A chilly gust of wind entered the place along with the visitor. He tried turning his head again and just barely managed to lift it when the person came hurrying in front of him.
"Oh! You're awake," the person, who now he could see was an old woman, asked him happily, "must be confusing to wake up here, but not ya worry, ya were saved by our gatherers." The woman continued, oddly cheerful, in her accented voice as she came around to sit on the mat beside his cot, her arms carrying something he couldn't focus on as she kept talking.
"Found ya freezing on the ground, oh, and ya girl is fine too! Strong child, Cianbhàta himself preserve the child."
Only now did he realise that the thing she put down on the floor wasn't a bundle of clothes but a child. The child—the girl—he found in the snow. She was staring at him, her dark eyes looking innocently up at him, and she definitely looked better too.
He was relieved. A little surprised how she survived long enough to make it here, wherever it is they were at, but he felt safe, and so he let the relief consume him.
He summarised what he remembered and what he was told just now and reached the conclusion that he was saved by these people—likely a mountain tribe—and was in their home right now; he saved the child, and now they think it's his child. That she's his daughter.
He opened his mouth to correct her, tell her that she wasn't his. That they might need to find her real parents. But somehow all that managed to escape was, "thank you for saving us."
"Not a problem! It brings honour to help our brothers in our community." The woman said kindly and got up off the floor, "I'll go fetch more firewood and something for ya to eat, ya must be hungry too. I fed the child while ya were sleeping, so not worry about her." And with that she left the room.
He got up on his elbows and pulled himself into a sitting position; groaning, he looked at the infant now playing with her blanket.
She looked magical in the glow of the fire, and he felt an inexplicable affection for her.
He stared at her, with a mind full of hundreds of things, thoughts flowing faster than the warm water springs, but then she looked back up at him with those same dark eyes, and his brain stopped in its frenzy. She reached out, a hand making motions as if to grab the smoke rising from the fire. That was the moment everything became clear to him.
He'd decided. He will spend the rest of his life living and protecting this child; after all, she gave him a second chance at life. A will—a reason to live.
He will take this child as his own. He will do all he can to become a father for her.
And for the next decade and a half, he did just that.
huff huff
Hurried footsteps echoed in the silence of the forest. With nothing but the sound of tired pants that carried their way through the saplings emerging from the frozen cold soil, raising their heads to greet the summer only to be trampled by the heavy steps running from everything it had ever known.
"Aghh," a yelp was heard as a lock of dark brown hair got stuck in a branch hanging too low.
What am I doing?
A sharp turn towards a safer path with fewer branches on the way down.
I'm running. He told me to run.
The moss on the uneven ground slipped from under your foot, making you stumble.
Am I dreaming?
You quickly got up, instincts telling you that you had to keep moving. There was no time to collect the few things that spilled from your bag at your fall; you only grabbed the leather journal and kept running. A few coins spilling out from your pouch tucked in your waist. The sound of them hitting the rocks painfully loud.
The forest became a blur; you couldn't focus on anything other than the pounding in your heart and the pain that your brain didn't have the time to register—both physical and emotional.
The way downhill was not too steep, but there were places where soil had shifted away, making it harder to navigate where there was solid ground and where you'll encounter a gaping hole ready to swallow your feet. You'd never been to these parts of the mountains. You never needed to; you lived on the other side. But you have no other option; this was the path your father said was safe and asked you to run to.
Your father. The man who made you leave. The one you were getting farther away from with every passing second. The man who you might never see again.
"Pa."
You let out a sob. Leaning a hand against a leafless tree to brace yourself. This place was a lot warmer than the snow-covered hill you called home; you were sweating—your tears getting mixed with the salt. The evening sun, halfway hidden down in the horizon, warmed your skin, but your insides were freezing cold.
You left home. left him. How did it ever come to this?
Before today you had been living in a bliss, unaware of the possibilities that such a storm could stir up in your life, one that you never would see coming and snatch everything you held dear.
You sniffled, thinking back to how everything was so normal and okay just this morning. And now it's not.
You stumbled, taking one step forward then the next. The sun had long disappeared, the moon hidden behind the clouds. The misty wind carried you forward, whispering a soft melody. You walked and walked, feet aching and heart heavy; your tears had dried off, but all you could do was move.
There was a light shining in the distance. You didn't know how long you had already walked, but just a little more. A few steps. Another few.
You reached the door, banging hard on it. The door opened, a middle-aged woman peeking out.
She said something. She was talking to you. You were so tired. She was shouting now.
But you couldn't hear her. Solid ground met the side of your head as you fell. Unconscious and numb.
An owl let out a hoot, breaking the quiet of the dawn. A gust of cool breeze made its way across the empty spaces among the trees, yet to be warmed by the rays of sun. The same breeze rushed into your home, tickling the hair on your neck, announcing their arrival through the jingles of the bells on your window. You forgot to shut them. Again.
You looked out the window at the fog weaving a blanket of white in the evergreen canopy it claimed as home till the sun rose and chased it away. For a moment, just one heartbeat, you thought of home. Remembered the cold of snow, the steam rising from potatoes straight out of the coals and in your gloved hands.
You let out a shaky exhale, willing the memories away.
You picked up the woven basket and strapped the hunting knife to your waist. On your way out you grabbed the hooded cloak off of the hook. Dressed in the dark green of the forest, you ventured away from the deeper parts of the wood where you lived on your way to collect the 'dawn lilies.' They could only be found near riverbanks and must be plucked before the sun came out. You ran out of those after making the previous supply of burn ointments.
The grass was soft under your boots, the morning dew getting soaked in the bottom of your pants. The air was crisp and tinged with a chill; one wouldn't be able to live in the dewy and wet cold of a place such as this without proper gear, but you had always been a little more resistant to the cold. Still, you made a mental note to grab some gloves when you would go to meet Kenzie the week after.
Winter was just around the corner, and you ought to be prepared for the changing season.
On your way to the river, you made a detour and took the longer path. Dense shrubbery with no definitive footmarks, a less walked path. Crouching down in a few spots, you checked on the snares you had set up yesterday. The wires and ropes twisted in the way you had learnt when you were seven. Three out of five and no luck. It looked like one of them was triggered, but whatever it was, it got away.
But the fourth one did not disappoint, as you found a marmot trapped and wriggling. Carefully moving it, you untangled the rope from around its body.
You took the knife out from your belt and nodded your head once, "Thank you for giving your life to sustain mine," and swiftly pushed the knife deep in its neck. Swift kill.
You checked the fifth one too. Empty. And continue on your way to the river.
Emerging from the forest line, you ran your gaze along the length of the riverbank, making sure no wild animal was there that would feel threatened by you or threaten your life. It would be unusual, though—for any predator to be here. You have never seen any wild animal that could put your life in danger in all the time you lived here. You concluded that these parts of the woods must not be suitable for them, hence making it safer for you to live.
As you look around, there are only the occasional critters roaming the forest floor. Small animals, those you saw plenty of. You made your way towards the small flowers growing close to the water and began collecting them.
You got up soon, flowers and some wild berries collected in your basket. It also held the meat from the marmot that you had just cleaned in the river, wrapped up in large leaves. Scanning the area once more, you got ready to make the trek back to your home.
I'd have to make another trip to collect some water later in the day.
On the way back, you took the shorter path. The one you used regularly. Munching on the berries as you walked.
————————————————————
"Thank you, Mayah."
The tall girl gave you a smile in response as she heaved up the crates you had brought with you and started walking back towards the open door of the shop. 'Rennie's' written on a wooden board in bold letters. You pulled a wooden case from the wagon and handed it over to the other man, Kane, who stood there with arms stretched out.
"Is that the last one?" He asked, taking the heavy box.
"Yes, that is it." You grabbed your satchel and hopped off the wooden platform. "Take these ones straight to the storage,or else the potions may go bad." And he followed the girl into the shop.
Turning back to the carter, you handed him a silver coin; he examined it and then immediately said, "This would not be enough, miss."
You looked at him, confused. "Why not? It always takes this much. I would know; I travel to Fubroch every month."
You made ointments and health potions—a skill you had learned since childhood. That was what your father did, and you decided to continue on the same path as him.
Once a month, you would travel from your home, half a day's journey away from Fubroch, and sell them at the market here. You were not keen on making contact with many people—the lesser knew of you, the better—so it was comfortable for you to have secured a vendor who bought your products to then sell them himself, and on a fair rate too. This is how you've been doing business for the last few years.
"Ah, miss, you know nothing of the raids that happened down South?" You pushed your lips, eyebrows pulled down, raids?
Before you could question him about it, he continued, "razed the whole town in days," he shook his head, "coins and cattle all gone. Those Aberrants," he sighed and tried coaxing the bulls attached to his wagon, who had started moving restlessly, "even the Lord turns his eyes another way when it comes to those Diels."
He continued to grumble some more before saying that he had to get going. You pulled a few copper pieces out of your pocket and handed them to him. As you watched him leave, you realised that someone was standing behind you.
"Kenzie," you said, turning back to the elder man.
"You look tired, miss." Kenzie replied, his wrinkle-covered face was kind as ever, and his voice warm. Meeting him always reminded you of a family you didn't have.
"The journey was long, and I left late today too. I'm fine, though. But that doesn't matter; what was that Carter talking about? Aberrants?"
"We shall talk inside, miss," his deep eyes swept the surroundings, and he started walking towards the back door. "Mayah? Bring a cup of water and also brew some tea, dear."
His daughter gave a short nod and went further inside the store, entering another set of doors.
You took a seat on the cot, and Kenzie did the same. "This far out, people are calling them raids," he started talking.
"And... they aren't?" You asked. You were never one to poke and prod about anything that had nothing to do with you. But this time you were curious; after all, this was not the first time you were hearing the name:
"Aberrants," he continued after taking a sip from the cup Mayah handed him. You thanked her when she did the same for you and mirrored him, "the second army of the Lord, I believe you know that much."
You nodded, also aware of how Lord Cras doesn't really have much control over them and lets them run wild. "They are bad news." Was what Pa once said. But that's all; word of their presence never came close to where you lived, and you never encountered them.
You stayed away from things that did not concern you. That's how you've lived.
"They came to a village south of Glenross first. Out of the blue, like they always did. No one knows where they come from or go to. But when they left," a grimace pulled itself on his face, "the village had become lifeless."
"Did they...?" You asked, your brows meeting in the middle as lines appeared between them. You feared they were killed.
"No. They just took everything. Valuables, grains, horses—"
"I suppose that's what a raid sounds like." You interrupted him in the middle, giving your empty water cup to Mayah, who came with a cup of tea in exchange—which you took with a grateful smile. His lips pursed as his eyes darted to his wall, on a painting of the forest on his right, before moving it back up the next second.
"Not quite. It was more than just that. Those deils brought a curse on the lands," Curse? This is not the first time you're hearing of something like this, but something about the tone in the old man's voice made you think of the stories from your childhood. The ones you had shut the doors to a long while ago, yet on the days the wind is stronger, you can hear their whispers rising with dust from between the cracks in the wood.
"By word of mouth, they drained the fertility from the soil and spat poison in the waters. The people became ill, so deathly ill." He coughed, chugging the rest of the water from his cup. "Nothing has come out of that town in the past half of the year. No yield, no supplies, no tax money that the incompetent Lord demands," Kenzie finished, his breath slightly laboured.
You made a note to make extra potions for him to use throughout the cold months. It did look like an extra harsh winter was casting its shadowy wings over the country. It is possible that your next trip down here might be the last one for this year.
You took his words in, trying to make sense of them. "And that's what caused an upsurge in prices?" You asked.
"No, that was not it. It has been months since the incident in there. They chose a small village at that time, but recently," he tried to continue but stopped as his daughter came back in the room, a hot water bag in hand.
"Don't speak so much at once, Pa," She scolded him gently in her soft voice. You looked at them, talking; your eyes that were tired just now had a glassy film to them, and your body stilled for just a second as she placed the bag on one of his shoulders. You turned your head away, focusing on the conversation.
"Then what caused it? All of a sudden?" You prodded, clearing your throat.
This time Mayah was the one who spoke, "It was after last month, when the same happened in Cunkeld." You've never been there, but you knew it took some time to reach there from Fubroch.
Her face took on a grave expression, "this time though the country is suffering. Taxes are higher and commodities got expensive, we expect it to only get worse during winter."
You listened intently, forgetting about the tea in your hand.
"I fear what they are doing is more than just raids or spreading poison for just the wealth," sighed Kenzie, his eyes shut; you wanted to ask why he thought that and what more he believed was there. But you didn't. The less you got involved, the better, and you believed that you had already questioned about things more than you should have.
Kenzie didn't look like he would be answering more of your questions either; he needed to rest. And so, you bid goodbye to Mayah, who handed you a small bag of coins. "I know it's not the whole amount—"
"Don't stress. Pay me the rest when you've sold all the stock," you smiled at her. Waving Kane off when he tried to walk you back.
Leaving out from the front this time, you slung your satchel across your body and decided to find a tavern for the night. It was late afternoon; the sound of bells ringing came from the center of the town having. The journey back would take hours, and it would be past midnight by the time you reach home. Not that you had any problem with traveling at night. But the wagon carters might not be too keen on that.
It didn't matter; you had errands to run either way, so you won't mind spending just one night here. And you were tired. You left later than expected in the morning; something had felt off, and you had checked around the perimeter. Although nothing was out of place, you still decided to be cautious, and it took some of your time.
So you started walking in the opposite direction of bells, on your way to the smaller market stalls.
"How much for the lotus seeds?"
You asked around about different items, things that you needed for your workshop as well as other necessities. Soaps. New wires for snares. Some red clay.
You bought a few things and left behind a few others. There was not enough money for everything. You had to prioritize carefully.
A cat purred loudly as you neared a stall with fabrics of all colours arranged orderly. You scratched the cat on the head, and she went back to hissing at the stall on the left, one with shiny green apples. It was when you were inspecting a brown shawl that the vendor noticed you.
"What you lookin' for, girl?" an old-aged woman asked.
You looked up, hands pausing, "gloves for winter, leather."
The woman began rummaging around and produced a pair in a minute, "shoulda fit you, six silver pieces."
Your hands, previously reaching for said gloves, stopped in their tracks. "A bit too much, don't you think, madam?" Finally getting some movement back, you plucked the gloves, inspecting them, almost hoping to find some defect so that you can bargain for less.
"Leather comes precious these days, no bargain," She sniffed, then with a furrow in her brows, said, "No supply, so we're low on material; some rumored monster in the forest. No bigger monster than the cold and hunger, I say." She scoffed.
You looked at the leather gloves, clutching your coin bag with one hand, deep in your satchel, "Can't do more than 3 coins, I'm afraid."
The woman's face took on a look of annoyance before she sighed, a look of understanding passing over her face. "Tell you what, here," She produced a pair of woolen gloves, "sellin' them for three silver and two copper, but they are the last ones, on a discount, take it."
You picked up the ones she tossed your way. You really would've liked the leather ones, preferable when working near water. You put your hands through, noticing how it swallowed your hand and still had space to sneak half a dozen grapes.
"Do you have a size smaller? They seem a bit big." You asked, biting your lips, hands tugging the wool between your fingers.
"Told you they are the last ones. They'll work just fine; the weaving is higher too, will stop the cold and water."
You left, walking further away from the crowd, with black wool adorning your hands.
————————————————————
The tavern you chose for the night was brimming with patrons. Tables full of people eating and drinking. Located on the outer part of the town, it was not your first time at this place, but yet it managed to look new to you every time.
You got yourself a room on the second story. The rooms here were cheaper due to the dripping roof when it rained and poor insulation caused by paper-thin walls. But for you it was more than enough.
You would have preferred to go straight to bed, but having forgotten to eat at the market earlier, you were currently on your way up the stairs after getting some food.
Gathering your skirt with one hand, you lifted your foot up to take the first step, only to stumble back as a body slammed straight into you. Hard.
"Ah! Whoa, be careful, mister!" You exclaimed as you righted yourself with the help of the wall.
As you looked up, wondering how you didn't hear his footsteps, especially on creaky stairs, your eyes made contact with a hand—outstretched, as if trying to reach you in case you needed assistance. You looked up, eyes now fixed on the dark face wrap covering half of his face, and a hood was pulled low, casting a shadow on the other half.
He looked scary at a glance, but when you looked a little below, you caught his eyes. Dark and wide. And beautiful.
You stood there breathless, tracing the kohl lining his eyes with your own.
He pulled his hands back and jerked his body, sitting down on the floor. Reaching for something near your skirt.
You jumped back, startled.
But he was only grabbing for the apple that had rolled away on the floor, which he must've been holding when he bumped into you.
He looked up at you, apple in hand, "Hope I didn't startle you."
You looked down, shook your head once, and opened your mouth to say something, but he straightened and was up in a flash.
He stepped closer, and you noticed how he was towering over you, the black of his flowy tunic—untucked from his leather pants—brushing against your arm crossed in front of your belly.
"Don't go bumping into things," he leaned down now whispering beside your ear, "you might get hurt."
You were barely breathing and didn't even notice that he had unfurled your fist and tucked something in there.
By the time you regained your senses, he was already walking in the direction of the bar.
You looked down when you finally felt the weight of something in your hand and saw that it was none other than the fruit he was carrying. A bright green apple.
You looked after him for another second before deciding not to think much of him and walked up the stairs. Off to get some sleep and start the journey early tomorrow.
Knock knock knock!
You woke up to frantic knocking on your door. Heart thundering, matching the raps of wood on the other side, you got up.
The knocking stopped.
In the silence of the darkness spread over the room, you stood still. One look out of the window and you confirmed it was early, the sun yet to rise.
For a moment you convinced yourself it was your imagination—a nightmare, maybe. It wouldn't be the first time. You decided to just go back to slee-
Knock knock knock!
The knocking resumed.
You walked up to the door and in a hesitant but loud voice questioned, "Who is it?"
The knocking stopped. You held your breath. Waiting for an answer.
Knock knock knock.
You felt through the slit in your skirt for the small blade on your thigh. Feeling nothing, you recalled having placed it on the side table. You grabbed it. Just in case.
"Who is it?" You placed a hand on the handle, another holding the blade.
A moment of silence. Just as you were about to question again, a voice called out,
"Open the door," a deep voice answered.
Body frozen, you took a big gulp of air. Where have you heard it? Warning bells were ringing in your head, telling you how this situation felt familiar.
You backed away, hand leaving the handle. I need to get out of here. In blind panic you started considering your options. You certainly couldn't fight whoever was outside. Maybe you could climb down the window?
But you stood still. You focused on the voice; it was familiar. Something in you was telling you that you should open the door.
Another knock, and you were opening the door before you could stop yourself.
The door cracked open just a sliver, but the stranger didn't make any attempt to make the gap wider or push his way in right away, unlike what you would have expected. It gave you a moment of clarity, and you came back to your senses. Raising your eyes, you were met with a half-covered face and dark eyes, lined with kohl. You knew where you had seen them.
"You are—"
"You need to come with me."
There was an urgency to his voice. His eyes were locked on yours, urging you to take a dive into the essence of midnight they held. A lock of hair fell in front of his eye; he pushed it back.
"Who are you?" The words were a whisper, but in the quiet of dawn they rang loud and clear.
One of his hands reached up, pulling the dark piece of cloth, hiding half his features, down. He gazed at you while you stole glimpses of the rest of him. Full cheeks but a sharp jaw. Soft lips but a tense tilt to them. If it were any other situation, you would have been captivated by his contrasting features. But now was not the time.
Breaking you out of your thoughts, the man in front of you glanced back at your room, then back at you, lips pursed for a moment, before he parted his lips and answered, voice clearer now without any obstruction. He answered your question.
"Someone who is going to make sure you don't bump into anything and get hurt."
You stepped back on instinct as he made his way in.
"I'm not going anywhere with you," He was crazy, and you had finally shaken yourself out of his spell. You needed to get him out of here and then get yourself out. Probably leave this town for good.
"You don't have a choice. Either you come with me or we die."
Your brows shot up in disbelief at the situation. This can't be happening. Was he messing with you? Trying to trick you? Make you think he's here to save you—from what?—and then thrust the blade deep in your ribs when you let your guard down.
You opened your mouth. To question him or cry out for help—you weren't sure. But you didn't get a chance.
Not when you heard a dull thud.
You looked behind his back, but your door was already open halfway, and no one stood there. The sound had been distant; it must have come from the room on the other end of the corridor.
While you didn't think much of it—too preoccupied with thinking how to get away—the man in front of you turned and walked back to the doorway. He only peeked outside for a single moment before sucking in a breath through his teeth and shutting the door close, rushing back towards you.
"Stay quiet!"
You jerked away, back against the wall. "What do you think—" you pulled the knife out, brandishing it in front of you, "—you are doing?"
"Shut up." He gritted through clenched teeth, eyes on the door.
"What—"
In the time it took you to release half a breath, his left hand rose, wrapping around yours, twisting your wrist, and bending your arms back. He tugged you towards him, forcing your right hand behind your back, making you loose your grip on the knife.
You stood there, chest to chest, as he peered down at you with hooded eyes, while yours squinted as you wriggled trying to get free.
"Shhh," he shushed you, putting the palm of his other hand up above your mouth and walking you a step back towards the wall. Your eyes widened as he trapped you there, with just enough force to keep you that way and not hurt you.
Heart thundering in your chest, your head pounded, matching its beats. You tried to come up with all the possible ways to get yourself out, but the warm exhales leaving his parted lips left your brain a scrambled mess.
It was stupid. To let this stranger in. You just might have invited your own death over, dressed in rugged leather, with gleaming orbs of darkness for eyes.
You shut your eyes tight as you felt him lift his hand up, releasing your mouth. You could scream, but what use would that be? Those blades you saw strapped to his back, they could slit your throat before the scream could fully form.
Expecting the press of the blade on your skin, you tried to prepare yourself. But soon were extremely surprised when a gentle finger tapped on one side of your jaw, just below your ear.
"Listen."
Blinking back at him, you squinted your eyes at his command. With no understanding of the situation, you had no other choice but to oblige. That's when you heard it.
Bang
That definitely came from the same direction as the sound before.
"What was that?" You whispered. Creases appearing on your forehead as you tried to listen more carefully.
"We should go." He stated calmly and stepped back. Putting his head against the door, he started listening for something.
"No. I don't understand anything, and unless I do, I'm not going—"
"You're not listening!" He hissed, and for the first time, his carefully managed emotions cracked, giving way to compelling urgency. He moved back to stand in front of you. "If we don't leave now and they find us, it will all be over."
They? Who is he talking about?
You eye him, your gaze full of skepticism, and it is then that you hear a muffled sound, neck snapped towards the wall as if you could see past the wood; you deduce it sounded like a scream. Your blood ran cold.
"That was a scream. We c-can't leave; we need to—" Your breath hitched when you faced him again and came face to face with a knife.
"You're in no position to worry about that." It took you a moment to realise he was holding the knife by the blade, urging you to take it. It was yours; he must have picked it up from when you dropped it.
"But—"
"They are after you."
He you dead in the eyes and tilted his head, hair falling in his eyes, silently asking you to cooperate.
It was just like five years ago. The weight of your feet doubled, sinking you deeper in a darkness you knew too well. Your head spinning, a whirlwind of different shades of green flew past you. And you were fifteen again. Your father was asking you to leave, to run away. And you wanted to cry. "They are coming for you."
"Hey." He touched your shoulder softly, "It's okay; we'll get out of here. You can trust me."
"I don't." You replied shakily.
His eyes gleamed, "Good." You thought you heard a smile in his voice, but when you looked back at him, his face was as stoic as ever.
He motioned for you to follow as he cracked open your door just barely enough for his thumb to fit. He peeked out—assessing the corridor. Finding it bare, he pushed the door halfway open and stepped out, then motioned for you to follow.
You eyed the distance separating you and him, the doorway right in the middle. You could lock him out right now, when he was distracted. There was no proof he was telling the truth—that he was actually helping you. But deep inside you had an inexplicable inkling that doing that would not work in your favour.
You gathered the few things you had and were out the door, following close at his heels. You meant it—you didn't trust him, but at this moment he seemed like your best bet at figuring out what was going on.
And maybe, just maybe, even shine some light on a past you couldn't quite let go.
Giving your head a shake internally focused on the current situation at hand and started walking in the opposite direction from where the sounds had been coming from.
Behind you, the stranger shut the door behind you and urged you to move in front of him. He stood there for just a second longer before matching you step by step.
You walked faster, turning the corner before he did and missing the guy emerging from the other end. He locked eyes with the man walking behind you but didn't pay any mind, his attention focused somewhere else.
The other man—about to enter your room—stopped there for a second, hands on the doorknob. They were warm. The metal of the knob shouldn't be warm in this chilly tavern. Unless someone had made contact with it not too long ago.
The moment you both rounded the corner, safely out of sight, your partner wasted no time in taking huge steps forward, leaving you no option but to increase your speed as well. Not even two breaths passed before you heard thundering footsteps hot on your heels. You turn around, and your eyes meet with that of a man.
The man is dressed in peasant clothing, but it doesn't hide the sword at his waist. Hair a reddish brown, you only caught a brief glance of his enraged expression because the next thing you knew, a hand was grabbing your wrist tight and breaking off in a sprint.
The man gave chase. You change direction, disappearing from view, but you could hear him coming. The stairs were only a few steps away; you quickly tried to make your way there, eager to descend the stairs but felt yourself get tugged in the opposite direction.
"Not there," he said, moving up the stairs, you following behind.
"We will be trapped up there! We need to get out of this building if we want to loose that man."
"We are not trying to loose him," he calmly stated even as you both ran up the stairs. You reached the top floor and saw a large iron plate suspended in the middle, ropes dangling in front of it where there should have been a log hanging. You realised this place was once used as a bell tower.
"What now?" You asked him as he kept walking forward and did not stop until you reached the other side of the spacious place. The large open windows on all sides letting the cool wind in, spreading goosebumps all over your arm.
"Did you think these were just accessories?" He motioned back at the handles peeking out from behind his back, a pair of twin short swords.
Your lips parted open and eyebrows raised up, "Are you—"
With a bang, the man slammed open the door where you both had just come from.
"Stay back."
Before you even registered what he said to you, you saw him pull one of the swords out and sidestep the other man who had already started lunging at him with his own sword out. Their blades clashed, a ring echoing in the empty space. Similar sounds followed the one before with the grunts of the two men adding to the cacophony of noises.
"Mako," the stranger let out a laugh, the sound light as the air, after deflecting his opponent's last blow, "I thought they would send their best?"
The man, Mako, raised his sword, aiming for the chest, but the black-haired stranger blocked him and raised his leg, kicking him in the gut. The man stumbled, almost doubling over before he took a swing at his feet. Hurriedly he stepped back as the Mako stood straight, slashing the air in front of his face.
This Mako was clearly trained in fighting, and you would be worried if your savior didn't seem just as good at it, if not better.
"You seem to know me," he heaved a breath, and they both circled each other, "but you don't seem to know who you're messing with." The man swung repetitively at him, but he couldn't land a single scratch on the stranger. After another swing, he shoved him back with a powerful push. "I get the girl, and you go free," he heaved.
You felt your heart drop but stayed silent. This was no time to panic.
Coming to a standstill, not a single drop of sweat visible, he replied, "I know what I am doing. The girl is going nowhere."
Mako, now furious, let out a yell and charged at him with more vigor. He met his swings with his own slashes and started walking backwards. Nearing one of the windows, he changed to offense and pushed back hard. Sending the man a couple steps back. He prepared for another attack and picked up speed, running at him.
Just where he wanted his opponent.
At that precise moment, the stranger stepped to the side in a swift movement. The man missed him, but before he could turn and deliver another attack, he was onto him, thrusting the sword at his neck.
Mako's upper body dangled out of the window, and his hands became useless as he tried to grip the railing to keep himself from falling over. He could easily have pulled himself inside had it not been for the blade keeping him there. He grunted, letting out curses directed at the owner of said blade.
"As I said, I know who I'm dealing with, but maybe you don't." He whispered lowly—doe eyes gleaming—so only the man in front of him could hear.
Breathing calmly and getting the beating of your heart back to normal, you stepped out from the corner; eyeing the door, you wondered if you could make a run before either of their companions came looking. But you were curious too.
Walking behind him, you chanced a glance at the man hanging out of the window. His gaze trained on you, and he did something unexpected. He had a wide grin that made you uncomfortable. You stepped back, away from his sight, and eyed the other man.
The fighting couldn't have lasted more than five minutes, and even though you weren't the one brandishing a sword, you felt winded.
"What are we going to do with him?" You voiced your question at the same time he shifted the sword to his other hand.
Mako screamed just as the stranger swept both his feet off the floor in a single sweep of his foot and sent a punch directly at his chest.
You watched in horror as the man fell out of the window and ran, leaning against the railing as you saw him groaning on the pile of hay. Alive. You released a shuddering breath and twisted your body to face your savior.
The first rays of sunlight began shining from the east, making their way through the scattered clouds. Their glow was soft and warm, and as he stood there looking back at you, his eyes glowed iridescently.
But that was not what caught you off guard. It was the upturn of pink lips, white peeking out between them.
"Haven't done that in a while," He groaned, stretching his arms back and sheathing his sword.
He was smiling; it was the first one you witnessed. He was smiling after he threw a man out the window. Something was wrong with him.
You couldn't will your eyes to look away. Perplexed. A little scared. Amused.
A question ringing out in your head: where do you go from here? But another quickly emerged, pushing past it—
"Who are you?"
Dark-lined eyes locked with your wide ones. His grin faded, and instead his mouth attained a genuine, friendly quirk.
"Intelligence gathered and former mercenary," he offered his hand in greeting, "Jeon Jungkook."
As you stared at his extended hand and up at his face, you came to a conclusion. One your subconscious had already realised the moment he appeared at your door.
Wherever you go after this, it won't be back home.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠♡
𝘛𝘢𝘨-𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯! 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥.
other words to use instead of quiet?
Abeyance - a state of temporary inactivity; suspension—used chiefly in the phrase, "in abeyance"
Caesura - a usually rhetorical break in the flow of sound in the middle of a line of verse; interruption
Cessation - a temporary or final ceasing (as of action); stop
Dormant - asleep, inactive
Dumbstruck - made silent by astonishment
Hermetic - impervious to external influence
Hush - calm, quiet; silent
Inarticulacy - the quality or state of being incapable of speech
Interpose - to be or come between; interrupt
Interrupted - consisting of or containing a stop in articulation
Interspace - an intervening space; interval
Interstice - a gap or break in something generally continuous
Latent - present and capable of emerging or developing but not now visible, obvious, active, or symptomatic
Lull - a temporary pause or decline in activity
Moratorium - a suspension of activity
Moribund - being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence
Muffle - to deaden the sound of
Mum - silent
Mute - to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of
Nonvocal - not having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound
Pause - a temporary stop
Peaceable - quietly behaved
Quell - quiet, pacify
Quiescent - marked by inactivity or repose; tranquilly at rest
Quietude - a quiet state; repose
Repress - to prevent the natural or normal expression, activity, or development of
Reserved - restrained in words and actions
Respite - an interval of rest or relief
Reticence - the quality or state of being inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech; reserved
Serenity - a state of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude
Settle - to become quiet or orderly
Shush - to urge to be quiet; hush
Silence - absence of sound or noise; stillness
Soundproof - impervious to sound
Speechless - not speaking; silent
Squelch - to completely suppress; quell; silence
Stifle - to withhold from circulation or expression
Still - free from noise
Stilly - in a calm manner; quietly
Stupefy - to make stupid, groggy, or insensible; astonish, astound
Stunned - to make senseless, groggy, or dizzy by or as if by a blow; dazed
Sulk - to be moodily silent
Sullen - gloomily or resentfully silent or repressed
Surcease - cessation; especially: a temporary respite or end
Taciturnity - temperament marked by disinclination to talk
Tongue-tied - unable or disinclined to speak freely (as from shyness)
Tranquillity - the quality or state of being free from disturbance or turmoil
Uncommunicative - not disposed to talk or impart information; reserved
Voicelessness - having no voice; mute
Wordless - silent, speechless
Hope this helps with your writing. Do tag me, or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!
More: Word Lists
writing fanfiction is the most fun awesome thing on earth. also terrible horrible awful one thousand agonies
jungkook and hobi recording ‘i wonder…’ ♡