Skz Hurt/comfort - Tumblr Posts

you can burst into flames.

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pairing: seungmin x gender neutral reader

content warnings: hurt/comfort, reader has a fear of thunderstorms, reader goes nonverbal

rating: e (for everyone)

summary: seungmin helps you get through a thunderstorm by showering you with tender love and singing to you.

🕯️ volcano — seungmin & han (2 kids’ show)

A myriad of candles lit up the bedroom you’ve shared with your lover for a few years, casting its yellow glow over the sheltered space while the world outside took on the wrath of the thunderous storm that has carried on for the past several hours. Your soft snores were the only sounds heard apart from the violent pattering of the rain against the windows and the occasional boom of thunder, your head rested on Seungmin’s chest as you’d finally slept.

The two of you had just settled on the couch to watch a movie together when it first started raining, a small detail you’d taken note of yet paid no mind to at first. Although as the weather worsened, so did your anxiety. Seungmin was well aware of the person you became whenever the first strike of lightning occurred – almost as though you had been replaced before his very eyes as your muscles tensed and your eyes clouded with fear. He’d tried to comfort you as soon as he knew what would come, though nothing can really prevent you from panicking, and this was a fact that aggrieved him deeply since he would do anything to make you smile once again although this was beyond his power.

When the power went out as a result of the storm, the trembling and whimpering began. Seungmin was not allowed to leave your side for even a second as you gripped the hem of his shirt. And so he gently took your hand and guided you towards the hallway closet where you stored the innumerable amounts of candles you liked buying, and then took you with him towards the kitchen to find a lighter. Throughout the entire process, you could hear him murmuring sweet little nothings as a form of encouragement while moving at the pace you’d set. He sat you on your bed, and immediately began lighting as many candles as he could, creating as much light as he could before he settled beside you. Arms pulling you into his comforting embrace, your back pressed to his chest as he whispered about how brave you were being. You didn’t think so, since you felt a little ridiculous being so afraid of something so silly at your age, but the sincerity in his voice made you feel validated.

“I’m sorry,” you whimpered after jumping at a particularly loud crack of thunder. “This is so stupid, and we were having such a nice time before all of this.”

Seungmin pressed a tender kiss to the back of your head, settling his chin on top of your head as his thumb rubbed gentle circles on your shoulder. “Sorry for what? There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

You couldn’t help but pout slightly, sitting up so you could look at him. He merely chuckled at the sight, hand reaching up to push a strand of hair away from your face and you could see the tiny flames from the candles reflected in his eyes. It took everything in you to not melt into his touch, your heart immediately steadying. Love was engraved in every touch, every word and you adored it. You adored him in a way you couldn’t even begin to describe. “I’m sorry you’re dating someone with childish fears.”

His expression suddenly turned serious as he furrowed his brows and frowned up at you. “It’s not childish at all, what are you talking about? I don’t want to hear any self-pitying from you, I want you to know that you’re being very brave, and I love that about you.”

He looked so stern you couldn’t help but smile a little bit, rolling your eyes playfully. But as you glanced at him again, you could see the expectant expression on his face as he waited for you to say the same words he always forced you to say in moments like these. So you sighed, moving around on the bed so that you could rest your head on his chest. However, right as you opened your mouth another thunder seemed to shake the room, which caused you to scream in surprise instead. His arms immediately wrapped themselves around your trembling body, hands squeezing whatever he could grab as a way to make sure you knew he was there with you.

With your eyes squeezed shut, you mumbled over and over again: “I’m being brave right now. The storm can’t touch me. I’m safe with Seungmin. I’m being brave right now. The storm can’t touch me. I’m safe with Seungmin. I’m being so brave right now, and Seungmin is proud of me.”

Seungmin’s lips pressed against your hair once again as he settled into a more comfortable position from underneath you. “I am so, so proud of my baby right now.”

Although the rain had shown signs of slowing down over the past hour, it seemed to intensify now, and your body began trembling once more. Seungmin was at a loss right now, he couldn’t think of anything else to say or do while the two of you rode out the storm. It wasn’t the first time that he’d had to help you through something like this, and he was always so willing to calm your mind and settle your heart each and every time; though it always seemed as though he would run out of things to do or say as the storms carried on. As you balled up his shirt into your shaking fists, he cleared his throat.

“You know,” he began, voice soft yet loud enough to be heard over the noise. “Hannie and Chan have been working on a song together. It made me think of you.”

This piqued your interest, releasing a shuddering breath as you momentarily looked up to let him know you’ve heard him since your voice seemed to have stopped working. He understood immediately as his eyes remained fixated on the dancing flames of the candles he’d placed in front of your bedroom television.

“You know Hannie’s always been good with words.” Seungmin smiled slightly at the thought, his fingers finding their way to your hair as he played with it. “Would you like to hear it?”

Without hesitation, you reach over his lower torso to squeeze his hip. Another crack of thunder was heard, and you jumped.

“I’ll protect you, it’s okay to hurt,” he began, your eyes shutting as his melodic voice rang through the air. “I’ll embrace the wounds you shed. To me, you’re already a sin…”

A soft smile tugged on your lips, your heart and breathing steadied at last, your muscles relaxing. Seungmin could feel the weight of your body change almost immediately as he continued to sing, and his heart soared at the realization of the effect he had on you. “...You were so warm when you hugged me tight. I guess I teared up for a moment, because it was the first time…”

Anything outside of this embrace seemed to fade away at your lover’s soulful singing, the warmth of his body and his fingertips that traced swirly figures on your skin bringing a sense of peace you didn’t expect. You sighed in content.

“...You can burst into flames, you can wound me next to you if you like, I can be anything…”

As the first of your snores were heard, Seungmin finally relaxed completely. You’ve endured another stormy night, and his own heart warmed at the sight of your sleeping figure. He didn’t stop singing, though, determined to finish the song at this point – the song that had reminded him of you the first time he read the lyrics, the song he’d unintentionally associated with you and he wasn’t the least bit sorry about it.

“...you are my volcano.”

word count: 1.2k 🕯️ posted: 12 • 02 • 2023

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# @grandpafelixx

Hi green! Since you've left me some lovely requests, I thought I'd leave you one! I'm in love with the friends to love trope, so if you could do something like that with Felix, I'd eat it up. I'm thinking of something like the reader (gn please) has a really hard day and decides to go to Felix, but then it starts raining, so when Felix opens the door, reader is soaking wet and distressed. You can do anything from there! Again, I love your writing, so anything you come up with will be undoubtedly amazing. Hope you're doing well! <3

everything is you.

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pairing: felix x gender neutral reader

content warnings: hurt/comfort, mentions of parental abandonment years prior, mentions of recent death of a parent, smoking weed, daddy issues

rating: 13+

summary: through every single hardship you'd ever endured, felix always waited for you, ready to bring you into the safety of his embrace. so when you're stuck amidst the complicated emotions following your father's recent passing, the first and only person you sought for comfort was your best friend.

Echoes of the youth you’d spent in this house haunted the eerie hallways of this vacant home. Every inch of this familiar place has remained the same, though you certainly haven’t. Sitting on the front porch floor, a joint you’d just rolled burning between your fingers as you watch the rain pour outside, a vacant expression on your face as you decided on what to do. The initial plan was to walk towards your best friend’s house, which was a short walk away but the sky seemed to have other plans. And so you remained there, stuck sitting beside a box full of letters addressed to you, but that had never been sent – all written by your father. 

Too many times you had driven past him on your way to visit your best friend, making the point to keep your eyes on the road in case your father sat out front like he sometimes tended to do. The two of you had never been on good terms, especially since your mother left when you were a teenager to chase another man who’d made empty promises to her, and your father didn’t know the first thing about caring about another human being. It wasn’t a surprise to anybody when you left without a word the very minute you were old enough to do so and never returned. And yet, here you were, years since you’d gone – a box of letters he’d written to you though never sent, and you knew you didn’t have the nerve to open them alone. 

An exasperated sigh escaped your lips, pulling your phone out of the back pocket of your jeans for what was possibly the millionth time only to be met by the same symbol of no signal available for you to message Felix, the aforementioned best friend – the boy you’ve known since you could barely form a sentence due to living so close to each other. He was the kind of guy who would smile a little bit wider whenever his eyes landed on you, the one to allow you to lash out when you were angry despite how sensitive he was because he wanted you to feel better, the one to remember your birthday and plan something intimate and special even if nobody else bothered, the one to pay attention to the little things you would mention in passing and always remember – he was very much in love with you, had been for a very long time and you were well aware. But he never mentioned it directly, and you decided that you wouldn’t bring it up either because you knew that the reality of this lifetime is that you were made to destroy and hurt while he was made to heal and rebuild and you couldn’t risk having him be the next victim.

In moments like these, while alone with your thoughts that slowed down from the flower you smoked that still seemed to suffocate you all the same, you wished things were different. If only you were a stable human being, good enough for him to safely lay his head on your shoulder the way a lover would do, someone who’s sane and loving and all things good – all of which you were not – then perhaps he would be sitting beside you already, encouraging you to open the first letter while being ready to kiss your forehead at the first sign of distress. It’s selfish, and you knew, but as the screen of your useless phone remained blank you couldn’t help but wish his name would pop up. 

Your mind swirled with thoughts that made it harder to breathe with each passing second. The box of letters beside you. No signal. Felix’s smile. Childhood home. Your mother leaving. Your father’s cold demeanor. Yourself.

Not willing to wait for the rain to end, but also not wanting to dwell in here any longer, you grunted as you put out your joint and walked inside. A plastic sheet that covered one of the cushioned chairs in the living room was the only thing you took before making a b-line back outside. You lazily throw the sheet over the box, struggling only slightly to lift it before leaving the shelter from the rain, instantly drenched as the it offered no mercy. Barely able to keep your eyes open, you followed the same path you’ve walked a thousand times throughout your life, the pull of your best friend’s comfort and warmth being the true source of your rush as your pace quickened.

The neighborhood was the same, with the same married couples still residing in them – though most of their children were gone, already having moved on in their adult lives as their parents awaited for the next holiday to see them again. Everywhere you looked, a memory tied you to Felix as though his entire, beautiful being had been burned into your consciousness forever. Perhaps he had been, not that you would complain about it one bit if that were the case.

Felix’s childhood home came into view at last, and you all but sprinted clumsily with the box in your hands as your mind, body and heart yearned for his strong arms around you. Your heart was pumping blood through your veins harshly by the time you’d made it to his front door, dropping the box at your feet before banging on his wooden door. The air was having a hard time reaching your lungs and you realized that you were crying now that the rain was not hammering onto your skin – flashbacks of a similar scene played in your head, your teenage self distressed after you’d read your mother’s goodbye letter and your grief engulfed you and sent you down a spiral while the scene of your father sitting on the dinner table reading his newspaper and sipping coffee as you screamed at him to see you and your broken heart left at the departure of your mother. Your fists shaking as you gave up, falling onto your knees in despair just as the door swung open. 

A wide-eyed Felix stood before you, shocked to see you in such a state and so late at night. It only took him half a second to react as he practically threw himself onto the ground and pulled you into the safety of his embrace despite how drenched you were. A sob you hadn’t realized you’d been holding back escaped your lips, and the gravity of the fact that you were officially alone dawned on you. Your heart ached in a way you couldn’t describe and all you could truly focus on was the fresh scent of his blueberry shampoo and vanilla soap on him as you briefly realized you must’ve caught him getting out of the shower. 

“Hey, hey,” Felix attempted to pull away slightly to speak to you but you tighten your hold on his torso, not quite ready to let go yet. “I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

You said nothing, silently cursing yourself for being so weak – crying over a man who had never even smiled in your direction. 

“Felix, darling, what was all that noise?”

The sound of Felix’s mother’s sleepy voice caused you to jerk away from him, cheeks heating up in shame. You were on your feet in a second, bowing deeply to the kind woman who’d supported you through all of your hardships. 

“I– I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking when I came here, making all that noise. I just–”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Lee waved you off with a concerned smile. “I’ve been telling you for years that you’re welcomed here at any time of day. Come in, darling, you’ll catch a cold. Come!”

Felix moved out of the way so that you could enter his home, pushing you away when you tried to grab a hold of the box you’d carried through the rain so that he could take care of it himself. You knew that you must’ve looked deranged, but there was no hint of judgment in their eyes as they watched you take your shoes off at the entrance. Mrs. Lee guided you into the living room by the shoulders despite the fact that you knew your way through the house like the back of your hand. The tenderness of such a simple touch made your sight blurry with tears that you refused to release this time. 

“Darling, go take a warm shower and Felix will bring you a fresh towel and some spare clothes for you to change into, deal?” Mrs. Lee raised her brows as she waited for your response, you merely nodded. “Good, have you eaten?”

“N– No.”

“I’ll heat up some leftovers from tonight’s dinner, then.”

With that, she rushed over to the kitchen. You remained in the same spot though, letting the rain drip onto the floor as your body trembled from the chill the weather outside had instilled into you. Felix gently dropped the box on the couch, paying no mind to the wet plastic sheet that was still covering its contents. 

“Y/N,” Felix said, voice low and warm. “You told me you were coming tomorrow in the afternoon. Why are you here?”

“I lied,” you sighed defeatedly. “I just didn’t want you to worry too much and I thought that I could– I thought that I would be able to go in there myself. And I really was fine, really…until I found that stupid box.”

He glanced back at the box behind him, sighing. Felix didn’t say anything, choosing instead to lead you towards the second floor and into the bathroom he typically shared with his sisters, closing the door behind you. 

While standing under the scalding hot water in the shower by yourself, you couldn’t help but scold yourself at the lack of impulse control. You could have knocked like a normal person, instead you simply decided that you would bang on his door as though your life was in danger which in turn startled everyone in the house and probably the neighbors as well. The thing that had you so upset was not something that couldn’t wait until tomorrow, it wasn’t urgent at all. It was just a dumb box filled with letters that you’d never received while your father had been alive. So dramatic, you chided. 

Just when you were about to shut the water off, you heard the bathroom door open quietly while you assumed Felix gathered your wet clothing and replaced them with fresh ones along with a towel. Once the door closed again, you drew the curtains back to be proved right. You dressed quickly, not bothering to brush your hair as you made your way back down and into the kitchen only to find that Mrs. Lee was no longer there, instead you found Felix looking for chopsticks for you to use while you ate. 

“I told my mom to head to bed,” Felix informed you without looking up, placing the chopsticks on a napkin beside your warm plate. “What’s in the box?”

Your feet felt heavy with each step you took closer to your meal – to him. You leaned your lower back against the counter, gingerly taking the plate into your hands. “My father wrote me letters. A whole lot of them. But he never sent them.” 

Felix’s eyes remained on you, taking his place right beside you, leaving only a hair’s distance in between. In order to not get distracted by this silly fact, you shoved your first bite into your mouth even though you didn’t feel particularly hungry. He didn’t seem to notice, only waiting patiently like he always did. 

“The house hasn’t changed a single bit since I left,” you swallowed, voice thick. “I could tell exactly where he spent the majority of his time– the same spot at the head of the dinner table where he left stacks upon stacks of newspapers he never did bother to throw out, the reclining chair right in front of the TV where his weight had left its mark over the years, and his room that was a complete mess of clothes and books and papers and everything he ever used was thrown onto the ground.”

Another bite. Felix still said nothing. 

“My room was left intact,” you continued. “It almost felt like time had stopped when I left, and the clock only continued when I walked in again. It was clean– my father kept his own room in chaos but cleaned my room. Not a speck of dust anywhere, and I checked.” 

A third bite and then you set the practically full plate back onto the counter, you didn’t have the appetite to finish it. Felix wordlessly cleaned the area and left your plate in the fridge. 

“I think the only thing that changed there was that all the family photos were taken down.” You pinch the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut as your breath becomes slightly shaky. “Not even put away, he just– took them and smashed them on the floor and left everything there. I can’t help but wonder just how long ago that was, and how many times he turned a blind eye to the broken glass as he stepped over them.

And then I went down to the basement, and everything was pretty much the same except for this stupid box. All of the letters with my name and address written on the envelope and I just– I lost it. I don’t know what to think anymore, of him…of anything.”

Felix’s arms suddenly wrapped around you tightly, surprising you for a second before you returned the gesture. Your heart was beating erratically in your chest despite this not being the first time he’d hugged you, but this one felt like it did when you were a teenager. It was strong, yet gentle; protective, yet freeing. Although it’d only been a few weeks since you’d seen him, you missed him deeply. You had left town, and he remained here with his family and his happy childhood memories – though you visited often and he did as well, but still; you missed him deeply. 

“I think that your father loved you in his own twisted way,” Felix murmured in your ear at last, arms tightening around you. “He was hurting, too. And you still didn’t deserve any of the things he did and didn’t do to you, because you were hurting and you were the child. But I think he loved you.”

Tears welled up in your eyes once more, hands shaking as you gripped Felix’s blue hoodie. 

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ☀️

The rain had stopped after a while, so you and Felix took advantage of that and sat on the roof right outside his bedroom window like you’d done a thousand times before. Overlooking the neighborhood in the dead of night as you lighted up the freshly rolled joint between your lips, inhaling the comforting flower before exhaling its smoke. The weight on your shoulders and mind was lifted as your anxiety dulled and your body relaxed. You passed the joint to Felix, who mimicked your actions. 

Your tears had long since dried, and the box had been left in the living room as you decided not to look at them tonight. Instead, you focused on the serene atmosphere that surrounded you and Felix like a warm hug. He passed the joint back to you, though you didn’t immediately bring it up to your lips again, letting it burn slightly between your thumb and index finger. Your eyes slowly found their way to Felix’s that had already been on you, analyzing you in the same way he had always done. You couldn’t tell if the glitter in his eyes were a reflection of the stars in the sky, or if they were truly his though they looked enchanting anyway. His smile widened when he noticed you meet his intense gaze and your heart burned at the sight, thinking back to your train of thought back on the front porch of your childhood home right before you’d come here. 

After all of these years, all of the tears, grief, arguments, and lashing out – he remained beside you, eyes on you as if you’d placed the sun in the sky yourself. You would never understand how he could stay by you when everyone else had left, there was nothing special about you other than your cutting tongue and vengeful heart. Though you couldn’t help but soften at the sight of him and his optimistic way of seeing the world. He was far too good, too pure for you or anyone else. And yet he sat there, subtly inching closer to you though you had still noticed. 

Lee Felix was in love with you, and had been for a long time. You were well aware, and had been for a long time. Though he never mentioned it directly and you decided that ignoring this would protect both you and him; but after all of this time, perhaps you’d maybe fallen in love with him too. It would be impossible not to let your own smile widen at the sight of his brown eyes watching you with so much genuine gentleness, to not feel your heart quicken every time he touched you, to not think of him when your bed was empty and cold, to not wish with every aching cell in your body that you were not as damaged as you were so that maybe, just maybe you would have a chance of deserving such a rare soul. 

Despite knowing all of this, you allowed him to move closer to you as the joint became smaller and smaller with each pass between the two of you. Eventually, your arms and legs were touching, and you could practically feel Felix’s erratic heartbeat. 

“What are you thinking about?” You surprised yourself by asking him, pointedly staring at the streetlamp directly in front of Felix’s house. His breath hitched slightly, though he didn’t say anything for a few moments. 

“I don’t know,” he eventually mumbled with a half-shrug. “Everything, I guess.”

“What is everything, Felix?”

His eyes met yours, wide with curiosity as he attempted to read you. Your own veins were pulsing with adrenaline from your boldness, though somehow you weren’t as mad about it as you thought you would be.

“I– I’m not sure.”

“I don’t believe you. What is everything?”

This was everything against what you’d done since you noticed his feelings for you, this was not keeping a safe distance. But you couldn’t help it, it was as though your heart had finally gained control over your brain and was pushing you to confront your own feelings for the first time in years. Because the truth is, your heart did burn for him in a way you couldn’t explain; it fluttered and skipped a beat a thousand times whenever he was around and it had been for as long as you could think back. You didn’t deserve him, but he thought the world of you – so maybe that was worth something. 

“Everything is–” Felix’s eyes searched yours, his breathing picking up slightly. “Everything is you.”

If your heart either exploded or simply stopped beating, you wouldn’t be surprised in the least. His words sent a chill down your spine, and you couldn’t stop the smile that snuck onto your face. 

“Good.” You stated, putting out what little was left of your shared joint on the roof before moving to straddle him, and you might as well have pushed him off and onto the ground before with the way the wind seemed to have been knocked out of him. His eyes were so wide, so surprised yet so excited. “To me, everything is you, too.”

His eyes scanned yours for a moment before he released an incredulous, airy chuckle. He didn’t get the chance to say anything, however, as your lips met his for the first time and the world melted away.

word count: 3.3k ☀️ posted: 12 • 05 • 2023

💬 a note from green;

Thank you so much for the request! I truly, truly enjoyed writing this for you. I just sat here and the words just kept flowing and flowing and I just couldn't stop, so I hope you enjoy it! (Side note though: I'm sorry if this a bit darker for your taste, I read it back and was like 'yikes, didn't mean to start off like that'.)

Anyway! I appreciate your compliments, always. Your feedback is something I genuinely look forward to every time I post, and so I'm happy that we're mutuals out here supporting each other because honestly – you're a magnificent writer as well, so I can promise that every time I think of something new for you, I'll grab my phone and tell you all about it no matter where I am!

Again, I hope you enjoyed this and thank you!

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# @grandpafelixx

hi love !! i recently discovered your blog and to say im in love with your works would be an understatement<3

i was wondering if i could request a hurt/comfort fic with minho and gn reader? where the reader is struggling financially (for whatever reason) and minho wants to help them but they're hesitant, being ashamed of their problems.

if its too much then its completely fine !! take care, sending you lots of love<3

i'm on your side.

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pairing: minho x gender neutral reader

content warnings: hurt/comfort, death of a sibling, grief, mentions of an orphaned child, financial struggles, christmas

rating: 13+

summary: following the devastating death of your sister, you find yourself navigating a world that throws you into the deep end of piling bills and worries that you were unsure of how to handle.

The empty locket in your hand had never felt so heavy, the silver bee engraved onto the front seemed to somehow come to life the longer you stared through the blur of unshed tears. Your entire body shivered as you sat on the front steps of the hospital, white smoke forming with every breath exhaled though none of this was something that pained you as much as the loss of your sister. The thought of returning home, where her small son had slept for the past six months since his mother was admitted to the ICU was something you simply could not bear. It was unthinkable. He was too young to know pain, your chest burned with anguish as your mind echoed the last hour in excruciating detail and tears rolled down your cheeks as a wail ripped through you. 

People stared and your phone buzzed incessantly in your pocket but you hardly noticed any of it. Your throat ached from your screams of despair that only stopped when someone placed their tender hands on your shoulders, the ones you didn’t need to look to know who it was because the only person brave enough to touch you in this state would only be Minho – your lover and source of support for the past year. His touch alone reduced you to hiccups as you melted into his embrace. 

“She’s gone!” You sobbed, finding it difficult to breathe. Minho tightened his arms that wrapped around you, you could vaguely feel him shaking as he, too, grieved your sister’s death. “This isn’t fair! It’s not fair! She had no right!”

“I know, my love, I know.” 

“What am I going to tell her son?” You moaned, heart tightening at the thought. “He’s too young to really understand why he’s never going to see his mom again…how will I explain?”

He was rocking you gently as a weak attempt to calm your disconsolate state. “We can figure it out later, he’s sleeping at Chan’s place right now so we have time to think about it. I’ll be with you, so you’re not doing it alone.” 

Tears were no longer streaming down your face, eyes instead glued on the snow covering what had once been the greenest grass you’d ever seen. The world around you began to fade away as you felt yourself becoming numb – barely even able to feel Minho’s grip on you as your cries weakened to sniffles. 

“Baby? Where did you go?” Minho’s voice was the softest you’d ever heard it. 

You glanced around, briefly taking note of the people who stood around watching the scene of your grief. “She had no right,” you mumbled almost to yourself. “The holidays are next week…we were in the middle of making plans to bring the kids here to celebrate here with her. I don’t understand– she was fine just a second ago. She had no right. What will I say to the kids?”

Minho’s plump lips pressed against your temple and remained there for a good moment before he replaced his kiss with his forehead. “Your sister fought so hard, she tried so hard to get better, baby, and I know you know that.”

His words were like a stab in the chest, and a choked sob escaped you once more. A desperation like this was not something you’d felt before, and it was something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemies. Your hand opened to reveal the empty locket she’d given you just a moment before her passing, she had asked you to wrap it up for her son as well as print a photo of the two of them together to place inside of the locket. She wanted him to always have her over his beautiful, beating heart no matter what became of her; and you’d scolded her for thinking so negatively, promising her that she would pull through and watch her own son grow up into a wonderful young man, but she’d only smiled at you with grief. Thinking back, you couldn’t help but wonder if she knew this would be the last time you’d see her alive. 

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 🎄

It was still dark outside when you watched the drowsy employees open the front doors of the toy shop. Minho sat behind the steering wheel of his car, wide eyes gauging your reaction though you only glared forward. He’d tricked you into coming here, saying that he wanted you to walk in there and pick any and all the gifts you thought your nephew would enjoy without worrying about the prices – adding salt to injury. 

Over the last couple of days, you and Minho seemed to argue incessantly – mostly about financial matters. You were behind on bills, adding the costs of your sister’s stay at the hospital and the coming holidays you had desperately wanted to make the best of for your nephew and Minho kept insisting you to let him carry some of your burden, but you simply refused. Your nephew was left to you by your sister, and it would be a betrayal if you admitted that you were incapable of taking on such responsibility. Minho meant well, and you were very well aware, but you wished he would just let things go instead of being so infuriating like this. 

“Y/N, I know you’re upset–”

“Oh, you think so?” You couldn’t help but respond sarcastically with a scoff, crossing your arms over your chest. “I told you I was going to figure things out, I don’t need your help.”

He was quiet for just a moment, visibly growing frustrated with you though trying to mostly keep it to himself. Your eyes remained glued to the entrance of the toy shop as you watched a few people walk in for some last minute shopping. 

“Baby, Christmas is in two days, and you still don’t have anything ready for him.”

“So? Plenty of people buy gifts the day before!”

Minho sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Y/N, do you really think that’s practical at all? I’m offering you a chance to make this a day that he remembers after all the shit he’s had to deal with. Why do you continue to fight me like I’m your enemy when it comes to things related to money? I’m on your side, and I thought you knew this. I have more than enough money to spare, I want to give it to you so that you both can live comfortably.”

“But I don’t need your money to take care of him and myself, Minho! My sister entrusted me with her son, and who would I be if I can’t even do that? If I have to depend on somebody else to do what she wanted me to do?” Your voice cracked slightly as a sob bubbled up, though you forced yourself to push it down. You were tired of crying, tired of arguing with your boyfriend, tired of seeing your nephew’s sorrowful face, tired of not being enough to fix everything. 

“Y/N, you wouldn’t be depending on me though,” he insisted stubbornly, causing you to roll your eyes in exasperation. “Baby, I think your sister would understand if you let me pay a few things here and there. You’re still working, you’re still doing everything else that you need to do to make sure he has the best life you can offer, you’re just letting me help you even if it’s a little bit. If anything, my love, your sister would appreciate you putting your pride aside for just once– just once, so that this sweet kid can have a good day opening presents. And no, I know these presents won’t fix anything, but it’ll make him temporarily happy, just long enough for you to figure out the therapist costs and everything. Don’t you think he deserves that? I am offering you a chance that not many people get, Y/N, you can walk in there and put everything you want without worrying about the prices. Please, let me help you on this if you won’t let me help you in anything else.”

His words circled around your brain, and you knew he was right despite how angry and uncomfortable the thought made you. So instead of saying anything, you unbuckle your seatbelt and hop out of his car before slamming the door behind you. You didn’t wait for him to walk inside together, your cheeks heated in shame as you wordlessly took on his offer. You hated this no matter what perspective you tried to look at it from, this is not how you wished you could care for your nephew, but if this is what it takes for him to thrive for now, so be it. Minho quickly fell into step with you as you fetched a cart, a grin very clear and wide on his face which only made you scowl. 

After a few moments, though, you heard him sigh beside you as he grabbed you by the elbow so you’d stop and turn to look at him. “Please, don’t be like this. I keep telling you, Y/N, I am on your side. All I want is for you to share your burdens with me, especially if I have the means to help you. I love you, and it would be selfish if I just stood on the sidelines as you struggled like this. Me helping you doesn’t make you anything less than a fierce person who puts their family first, you’re strong and resourceful, you’re always fighting everyone and everything in order to move forward – you must be so exhausted. Let me fight some of your battles every now and then, just until you can stand on your own again. I’m not here to take care of every single hardship, I’m not here to take control of anything. I’m just here to help my soulmate out sometimes and I don’t think that’s a sin, is it?”

You said nothing at first, only sighing before pressing your forehead onto his chest in defeat. He chuckled lightly, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into the familiar warmth of his embrace. 

“Today, I’m helping you with the presents, and tomorrow we can figure out something that helps but doesn’t overstep any boundaries you might have, how’s that sound? I could be the one to bring groceries every week, I’ll be happy with only being responsible for that while you continue paying for everything else like you want to, yeah?”

A muffled groan made it past your lips before you pulled away to look up at him. “I’m so lucky to have you, Minho. I don’t know what I did to end up here, but I’m happy you’re on my side.”

He smiled at you tenderly, cupping your face with both hands and caressing your cheeks with his thumbs. “I will always be on your side, I can promise you that. I adore the two of you, and I want to stay here for a long, long time.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before your lips crashed onto his. You were still uncomfortable with the idea of having someone else take part of your financial burdens, but you also knew that you were in safe hands with him. You trusted Minho, and the thought alone made your heart flutter. 

word count: 1.8k 🎄 posted: 12 • 07 • 2023

💬 a note from green;

Okay, so this one really had me thinking! When I received your ask, I immediately knew it would be Christmas theme considering that we're already at that time of the year where we spend a whole lot of money on gifts for our loved ones. Also, it wouldn't be me if I didn't add a sprinkle of tragedy into my work.

Anyway, thank you for reading my work and I'm so happy you love it! Thank you for the challenge and the request! Sending you lots of love back!

P.S. I also love your writing <3

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스트레이 키즈 ── OT8. ( stray kids )

🌏─────SHIBARI | 0.9K — HEADCANONS | MDNI | i love shibari with my entire soul and i feel like we as a society don’t talk about it enough — particularly about how emotional it can be if done right. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER)

🌏─────POTHEADS | 1.8K — HEADCANONS | MDNI | green decides what kind of stoners the stray kids members are. (NO READER) REQUESTED

🌏─────IN THE ABSENCE OF YOU | 4.4K — HEADCANONS | in which the members of stray kids navigate the world of fatherhood without you. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

⭐️─────CAUGHT IN THE ACT | 15.6K — HEADCANONS | the reactions of each member of stray kids when they're caught kissing you by another member. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

방찬 ── CHAHN BAHNG. ( bang chan )

⭐️─────USE OF THE SAFE WORD | 1.9K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | chan had always been the sweetest human ever, but after you’d both had a rough week, you both find out that you had different ways of decompressing. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

🌏─────HOW HE CARES | 2.2K — ONE-SHOT | an episode of 2 kids’ show reveals just how deep your friendship with chan runs. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

🌏─────SAFE HAVEN | 1.6K — ONE-SHOT | chan takes care of you while on your period. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

이민호 ── LEE MINHO. ( lee know )

🌏─────I’M ON YOUR SIDE | 1.8K — ONE-SHOT | following the devastating death of your sister, you find yourself navigating a world that throws you into the deep end of piling bills and worries that you were unsure of how to handle. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

🌏─────PUPPY LOVE | 1.0K — HEADCANONS | in which high school lee minho is so madly in love with you that he's willing to follow you anywhere, anytime. (MALE READER) REQUESTED

⭐️─────BONDS OF PASSION | 7.2K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | in a night of profound emotional connection and intimacy, you and minho explore your bond through the intricate art of shibari, culminating in a tender embrace that deepens your love and gratitude. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

서창빈 ── SEO CHANGBIN. ( changbin )

🌏─────WHEN COLORS CARESS | 2.8K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | you and your lover, changbin, explore the depths of your relationship through an intimate art session, where changbin’s skin becomes your canvas for emotional expression. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

황현진 ── HWANG HYUNJIN. ( hyunjin )

🌏─────ERASE ME FROM YOUR MEMORY | 0.6K — ONE-SHOT | half a year after you and hyunjin break up, you find that you’ve somehow healed. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER)

🌏─────CINEMATIC SECRETS | 3.2K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | in the hushed shadows of an empty cinema, you and hyunjin find yourselves doing anything except watch the film. (MALE READER) REQUESTED

⭐️─────RAIN-SWEETENED HEARTS | 4.5K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | on a rainy evening, a deepening connection unfolds between you and hyunjin as you explore your newfound intimacy in the cozy sanctuary of your studio apartment. amidst clumsy yet heartfelt moments, your bond blossoms into a magical dance of tenderness and desire, celebrated under the gentle rhythm of the falling rain. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

한지성 ── HAN JISUNG. ( han )

🌏─────‘TILL FOREVER FALLS APART | ~7.2K — SERIES | MDNI | in which two disabled idols find comfort in each other’s arms. (FEMALE READER) STATUS: ON-GOING TAGLIST: OPEN

이용복 ── LEE YONGBOK. ( felix )

🌏─────EVERYTHING IS YOU | 3.3K — ONE-SHOT | through every single hardship you’ve ever endured, felix always waited for you, ready to bring you into the safety of his embrace. so when you’re stuck amidst the complicated emotions following your father’s passing, the first and only person you sought for comfort was your best friend. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

⭐️─────THE LAST STRAW | 3.5K — ONE-SHOT | after a final argument with your toxic, manipulative mother over your irresponsible younger brother, you decide to cut ties with your family, only to be overwhelmed by doubt and panic until your supportive boyfriend, felix, reassures you that choosing yourself was the right decision. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

김승민 ── KIM SEUNGMIN. ( seungmin )

🌏─────YOU CAN BURST INTO FLAMES | 1.2K — ONE-SHOT | seungmin helps you get through a thunderstorm by showering you with tender love and singing to you. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER)

⭐️─────STILL FRAMES | 7.5K — ONE-SHOT | after fainting during a photography class outing, you're tenderly cared for by a seemingly cold classmate, seungmin, leading to an unexpected and heartwarming connection between the two of you. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER)

양정인 ── YANG JEONGIN. ( i.n )

🌏─────BLAME ME IF YOU WANT | 1.1K — ONE-SHOT | you deluded yourself into thinking you and jeongin were meant to last forever. but after some time where he felt distant, you come to find out why. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER)

🌏─────EUPHORIA | 3.4K — ONE-SHOT | MDNI | as you and jeongin engage in an intense and synchronized exploration of your desires, the pleasure between you reaches a crescendo. your intimate connection is solidified with tender expressions of love and a deep, satisfying closeness that comes with trying new things. (FEMALE READER) REQUESTED

⭐️─────ECHOES OF US | 12.6K — LONG-FIC | after a painful breakup, you and jeongin struggle to maintain a civil front for your mutual friends, but when he accidentally calls you by your old pet name, unresolved emotions resurface, forcing you both to confront the lingering feelings between you. (GENDER NEUTRAL READER) REQUESTED

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Do You Love Me Too?

Pairing: Hyunjin x fem!reader x Jeongin Genre/AU/Trope: Angst, fluff(?), hurt comfort(?), College!AU, friends to friends to potential lovers(idk if that counts😭) WC: 1.4k Summary: You like him so why can't he see that? But as for the other, he likes you, why can't you see that? Is it so hard to find someone who loves you in this life? Warnings: unrequited love, language(? I don't remember just in case), mentions of stomach cancer, now I'm too lazy to wrote the rest so tell me if I missed something A.N. This was supposed to be posted last Friday but y'all are getting it today. Enjoy!🤗

Growing up, you had two best friends. One, was named Jeongin and the other, was Hyunjin. Anywhere Hyunjin went, you went, and so did Jeongin. It’s been like this since before you could remember. Of course each of you made a few other friends along the way but none were quite like your trio. 

But there was something different about your group. A little more different than any other average friend group. You were friends with benefits. Well at least with Hyunjin. You couldn’t exactly say the same for Jeongin. 

When you were alone with Hyunjin, that meant that he had full control. Even right before a hang out, he’d come extra early to spend “special” time with you. You could never say no to him. After all, you have had a crush on him since freshman year of highschool. Being in college didn’t change that.

The two of you never thought you’d get caught. But little did y’all know, that Jeongin had known from the start. The flushed cheeks, swollen lips, purple marks along the neck, new set of clothes from what you wore earlier. How could he not notice. Especially since he’s loved you since childhood. He always saw you chase after Hyunjin and never him. But, what right did he have if he was not the one you liked? So he ignored everything and pretended that he never knew a thing. 

That was up until, for the first time, you ran into his arms. He was stunned. This wasn’t something that would usually happen so why happen now? But then he heard your sobs, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“I-Innie… I just don’t get it. What does she have that I don’t? Did you know I liked Hyunjin too?” You look up at him with teary eyes. Jeongin was so flustered he just blurted out the truth. “Y-yeah!” It only made you sob harder. He was worried but unsure of what to do. 

You continued to ramble. “Everyone knows I’m in love with him BUT him! Am I that unlikable? I’ve chased after him for so many years. I’ve done everything he’s wanted. H-he tells me he loves me when we have intimate moments so why is he with another girl now!? He holds me while kissing my forehead so why is he doing that with another girl now!? He makes me feel special but was that all a lie!?” 

Jeongin held you tightly and shushed you down. “No, you’re not that unlikable. Maybe he just doesn’t see you that way. Maybe it’s right person wrong time. If he can do all that with you why can’t I? Why can’t I make you feel special? Why can’t I hold you? Why can’t I tell you that I love you?”

“Cuz’ you’re not him, Innie. No one’s like Hyunjin.” He felt his heart shatter. Of course he wasn’t. After all, as blind as Hyunjin was, so were you. Why couldn’t you see his gigantic, heart, eyes, that only held you? Was he that hard to love? ~~~ After that, you began to ignore both of them. Jeongin also ignored both of you. Hyunjin was a little confused.The rest of the school was baffled. Neither of you have ever grown apart like this. Not even after an argument. Y'all would always make up somehow. So this was a little weird. Hyunjin was worried. His two closest best friends have never done this so he called the both of you for a meet up. Sitting in the cafe was insufferable. Not to mention that Hyunjin also brought his girlfriend, Lia. You looked everywhere but at Hyunjin, too sure you were going to cry if you did. Jeongin simply didn't know if you knew that he accidentally confessed to you so he's been keeping his distance.

Hyunjin sighed loudly. "So are we just going to sit here all day? What's going on with my bestfriends? Did I do something wrong?"

"NO!" Both you and Jeongin yelled at the same time. Hyunjin sighed once more. "Then what is it?" You didn't want to speak more than you already did. Because you knew if you did, you'd accidentally tell Hyunjin how much you've loved him from the start. So you rose from you position and left. 

Now it was Jeongin's turn to sigh. "I'll go talk to her and walk her back to the dorms." With that, he also left, leaving Hyunjin and Lia behind.

He called out after you. "Y/nnie! Wait!" But you continued to ignore him. He huffed before running to catch up with you and whipping you around by the wrist. That was when he saw the tears streaming down your cheeks. 

"You should've just left me alone. This is so embarrassing." You said as you were wiping away your tears. Jeongin's eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around you. "It's not. This is what bestfriends are for, aren't they?" You chuckled and gently hit him on the shoulder. "Oh, shut up." He laughed with you. "There's my Y/nnie. That's the smile she always wears." You don't know why but your heart fluttered. "My Y/nnie..." You repeat to yourself quietly.

Jeongin walked you the rest of the way to your dorms. He hugged you and then he turned to leave. But then you gently grabbed and tugged his sleeve. "Innie?" His heart pounded against his rib cage. "Y-yeah..?" You took a deep breath. "Did you mean what you said the other day? You know, when you said that I should do everything with you instead." He nodded his head. "Then does that mean that you like me?" 

Think, Jeongin, think. If you don't come up with something she'll find out. He quickly turned to you with a soft smile. "No. I just wanted to make you feel better. Besides, I don't have to like you to hold you do I?" You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. "Oh, thank God! I wouldn't have the heart to reject you. Thank you, Jeongin. For being so good to me." 

His gaze faltered. You were relieved that he didn't love you. So how would it turn out when you knew that he does? 

But Jeongin didn't let you see that. He just smiled and said, "Yeah."

After you went inside, Jeongin finally let his tears flow freely. How could he be so stupid to ever think that you'd give him a chance. To ever think that your view on him would even change the slightest.

Later that night, you called Hyunjin. "Hello, y/n?" You wanted to slap yourself from ever avoiding him when you heard the worry lacing his voice. "I'm sorry, Hyunjin. None of this was your fault. Me and Jeongin talked ours out so..." You paused, not sure of what to say.

"...so we're all good?" Hyunjin finished for you. You smiled, not that he could see it. "Yeah... we're good." ~~~ Back at school, everything went back to normal. Three best friends enjoying their time. As per usual, you'd bring Hyunjin strawberry milk during lunch. Except this time, he rejected it.

"No, thanks. Lia's getting me something."

"Oh..."

Jeongin could see how the happiness in your eyes faltered. So he snatched the milk carton from your hands.

"Nice! Y/nnie, I knew you loved me. Strawberry milk just how I like it."

"Oh, shut up!"

You punched him on the shoulder and the two of you had your own little time, just horsing around. With Jeongin distracting you, you didn't even notice when Lia came in. That was until you heard her say, "Jesus, you two. You guys would look so cute together. Why don't y'all date already." She giggled and Hyunjin agreed.

Both, your's and Jeongin's cheeks flushed red and you both stopped bickering. "For the record, Jeongin is like a little brother to me. No thanks." You fake gagged.

Jeongin could feel a sharp pang in his heart. Little brother... he'd make sure to keep that in mind. "Ew, Y/n? Absolutely not. I'd rather date a pig."

"Well fuck you too, Yang Jeongin!"

He stuck out his tongue at you as you began bickering with him again. ~~~ In class, the only class that you had with Hyunjin, Lia, and Jeongin, the teacher assigned a group project. So of course you all banded together. Nobody knew how Jeongin made it into this class because out of everyone, only he majored in law while the rest of you majored in visual arts. He claimed that he was taking this art class to get to know his two best friends better. Not that either of you believed it. But it is what it is. 

The project was to create a one of a kind art piece that reflected a little bit of each and everyone's art style and emotions. You immediately chose love. Being the hopeless romantic you are, how could you not? Hyunjin chose excitement, Lia chose Joy, and Jeongin chose sorrow. Jeongin's was a bit different from the rest but the rubric did say everyone. 

Everyone agreed to meet up at the campus study rooms. But Hyunjin and Lia cancelled last minute. Something along the lines of, "We have to go meet with some other people so we can't make it. SORRY!" So now, it was you and Jeongin stuck in a study room for a couple of hours, brainstorming up a plan. 

You began to grow tired and your head was nodding off until you were fully asleep. Jeongin just thought it was the funniest thing to take a few pictures. But he forgot to turn off his flash so it woke you up.

"What the hell, Jeongin! Delete those right now!"

"Make me!"

You chased Jeongin until he gave in. But once he did, you tripped over your own feet. Not wanting to fall face first, you grabbed onto Jeongin. Which inevitably led to him falling on top of you. Both of you were breathing heavily but couldn't find the strength to push the other off. Nor could either of you break eye contact. You wouldn't exactly say that you haven't been falling for him either. But this was something new and weird you weren't ready to explore.

Jeongin found this as a chance. A chance for you to see him as worthy. He slowly leaned down, finally breaking eye contact as his eyes flickered between yours and your lips. The closer he got, the harder it was for you to deny the feelings between the two of you. You felt his lips brush against yours when your phone rang, snapping you both out of the trance. 

After practically shoving Jeongin off of you, you picked up the phone. Hyunjin's voice rang in from the other side.

"Hey, y/n. Are you still with Jeongin?"

"Yeah... why?"

"Where are you guys, I'll come meet with you guys."

"Just you?"

"Yeah."

"Where's Lia?"

"I'll explain that later."

"Oh, well we're still at the study rooms."

When Hyunjin arrived, he almost fell into your arms. He began to explain how Lia and him had broken up and how his heart was in shambles. Both you and Jeongin were extremely confused. Hyunjin and Lia had seemed so perfect just hours ago and now they broke up. It was a bit off considering how head over heels they were for each other. ~~~ Hyunjin ended up talking to each of you alone. Jeongin first. He didn't even hesitate. He immediately went straight to the point.

"You like Y/nnie, don't you?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"No! That's impossible. She's like an annoying sibling."

"Nobody looks at their annoying sibling like they'd do anything for them and fall to their knees if that sibling asked them to."

Jeongin was a bit speechless for a minute. But then he asked a question.

"And if I did? Why would that matter to you?"

"Because I like her too."

"What!? What about Lia? Weren't you just so devastated that she broke up with you?"

"Lia was someone that helped me."

"In what way?"

"She became my fake-partner for a month."

"The hell does that mean?"

"She pretended to like me for month. In return, I'd help her with her reputation and her classwork."

"Well why did you feel the need to tell me that you liked Y/n too?"

Now Hyunjin was a bit speechless. It was hard for him to explain the situation. He didn't know how to put it into words.

"Because... I want you to be good to her."

"You do know she likes you right?"

"Yeah."

"So why don't you take good care of her yourself?"

"We're not meant for each other."

"Speak in words I can understand, Hyunjin! Quit speaking like Shakespeare wrote you!"

"She's not gonna do any good with me."

"You already slept with her for God's sake! Are just gonna use her and dump her!?"

"That's what I mean! She'll only end up heartbroken with me! I pretended to be in a relationship with Lia so that she'd get over me and realize that you're waiting for her! I'm dying, Innie! There won't be a me anymore! My stomach cancer's already in stage 3!!"

Jeongin went silent. He just nodded his head as he headed out the door. When he walked past you, looking distressed, you became worried. But all he said was, "Hyunjin said he wants to talk to you now." ~~~ Hyunjin kept it short with you. 

"Do you like Jeongin?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Why are you asking me about this?"

"Because my two best friends seem to be a good match. I don't want them to end up alone like me."

"You're stupid."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, because you'll never end up alone. You'll always have me and Innie by your side. That's what friends are for."

As much as Hyunjin's heart was warmed, it also hurt. Knowing that a warm person like you couldn't be his hurt a little too deep.

"Let's go out drinking. For the sake of being friends this long." ~~~ Jeongin knew he had to watch over you so he couldn't drink much. He also wasn't in the nicest mood especially after what Hyunjin told him. Hyunjin couldn't drink. His condition didn't allow him to. You on the other hand, not knowing much, drank to your heart's content. 

"Cheers for Hyunnie's breakup! Cheers so Innie can finally find a girlfriend!" You drunkenly shouted before passing out in between the men. Jeongin turned to Hyunjin. But he couldn't hold his gaze for long.

"When are you planning to tell her?"

"Never?" Hyunjin chuckled tiredly. "I don't want her to know."

"Don't you think it's better for her to know now than later?"

"But if she finds out now, she'll be very careful with me and we won't be able to be the fun best friends we always are. You know how she is."

Now Jeongin got to chuckle. "She is like that." Both men smiled fondly at you. Your mouth wide open, already drooling on Hyunjin's shoulder.

"I'll tell her. Just not now."

Jeongin nodded his head, deciding to put his trust in Hyunjin. Eventually, they decided that Jeongin would take you home and Hyunjin would go on his own. 

In the back of the taxi, on the way home, you looked up at Jeongin, studying his features.

"Innie?"

"Oh, you're awake."

"Is that you, Innie?"

"Mhmm."

He could tell that you still weren't sober but still decided to keep the conversation going.

"What is it, Y/nnie?"

"What do you think of me? Am I good enough?"

"Of course you are. I think you're an amazing person. Anybody would be lucky to have you."

"Then do you like me?"

"Do you think that I like you?"

"I don't know!" You began to pout and he just thought it was so cute. He couldn't exactly pull out his phone, so he took a mental picture of this very moment. "Why can't you like me, Jeongin!? Am I ugly!? Am I too much of a sister to you!?"

That's when you started crying and Jeongin couldn't help but fall even deeper in love with you.

"There's just some things I can't tell you." He whispered into your hair.

You were already getting drowsy again when you softly mumbled. "Can you at least love me back the way I love you? I've just been waiting for you to say that you love me."

He could feel his cheeks warm when you said that. Maybe one day he could tell you how much he loves you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ another a.n: I have more so there might be a part 2 but I didn't know how to word it. and ik, the ending is pretty ass but thats all I have so far

revenge

PAIRING: han jisung x reader GENRE: hurt/comfort WC: 551 WARNINGS: mentions of cheating, cursing

Han turned his head slowly towards you, confusion in his face. Just yesterday, you’re still sharing a plate of fries with your boyfriend, how come today he posted a picture kissing another girl? The gears in Han’s head were working overtime, trying to guess what you were thinking.

“I already knew,” you said when he stared at you 5 seconds longer than he usually did. You put a spoonful of ice cream in your mouth, trying to suppress the tinge in your heart. It’s no news to you that your boyfriend has been talking to other girls. It was partly your fault because you never cared when some of them came forward to you.

It doesn’t make it hurt less.

“How?” Han asked, voice laced with horror. You just shrug in response. “What the actual fuck?”

“Let him be” you sigh, scooping the ice cream. “I don’t even love him that much,” you said.

It doesn’t make it hurt less.

When you said yes a year ago, you weren’t thinking about being in a relationship. You like him, sure, he’s charming, naturally, everyone wanted to be with him. But you found out soon enough that it’ll be a burden for you. So you tried to keep it casual. You were dating but it doesn’t feel that way. It’s not like he tried anyway. You knew from the start that you’re just another score on his board.

Again, it doesn’t make it hurt less.

“Wow, he’s an ass,” Han hissed, scrolling violently on his phone. “Do you want me to beat his ass?”

“Don’t embarrass yourself,” you responded. He curses under his breath, making you glance at him. Once… twice, until a lightbulb goes on in your head. “Actually…” you started. Han looked up to you, anticipating. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay to want revenge, I won’t judge,” Han said. For the first time today, you let out a laugh. “I’ll even help if you want to key his car or any funny ideas you have.”

“I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend,” you blurted out.

“Pretend to be your what?” Han asked, voice rising an octave. “Are you crazy?”

“Maybe I am.” your answer makes Han visibly gulp. He was waiting for you to say that it’s a joke and that you’re not seriously thinking about that scenario right now, but you were quiet. Too quiet that he feels bad for thinking beyond playing pretend.

“Fine, one month, let’s orchestrate a scene,” Han said with a low voice. He inches closer to where you sit and your brain short-circuited for a moment.

“I’m joking,” you squeak. No, you thought to yourself, you need to clear your mind first before doing risky stuff like this.

Han let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He was ready to risk it all for you, ignoring his fickle heart.

“It’s not worth it,” you said to him again. Getting revenge will only give him satisfaction, showing that he succeeded in breaking you. You don’t want that. Han nodded his head in agreement.

It’s not worth it, but that doesn’t make it hurt less.

“We’ll find something to get back on him,” Han said, ruffling your hair a bit.

And for a second your heart mended, because at least you’re not completely alone.

a/n. i don't know what i'm doing with this one actually but the idea is good enough in my head

What's Left

Broken! Minho x Hurt! Reader

The night was heavy with the scent of rain and earth, the air thick and suffocating. Y/N stood at the edge of the crumbling balcony, their hand gripping the cold stone railing. The city below was cloaked in shadows, a sea of lights swallowed by the storm clouds gathering above. They had been standing there for what felt like hours, watching the world move on without them.

Behind them, Minho stirred.

"You think standing out here will change something?" His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it cut through the silence like a blade. Y/N didn't turn around. They didn't need to. They could feel him—his presence clinging to the air, dark and suffocating. It was always like this with Minho. He never stayed away for long.

"I don't expect anything to change," Y/N replied, their voice hollow, distant. "I just needed a moment."

"A moment?" Minho’s laugh was sharp, cruel. "A moment won't fix you, Y/N. A moment won't fix us."

Y/N’s grip tightened on the railing, knuckles white. The words hung between them, heavier than the storm that threatened to break above. They both knew it was true. Nothing was going to fix them—not the endless nights of silence, not the fleeting touches, not the words unsaid. Not even the twisted bond that tied them together could make sense of what they had become.

And yet, Minho was still there. He was always there.

When you finally turned to face him, Minho was leaning against the doorframe, his silhouette half hidden in the shadows. His eyes were cold, hard, and yet there was something in them, something fragile—something you could never quite reach.

"Why do you stay?" your voice was barely more than a breath, a whisper caught in the storm.

Minho’s lips curled into that familiar, crooked smile. It was the kind of smile that never reached his eyes. "You think I have a choice?"

Y/N didn’t answer. They both knew the truth. Whatever twisted, rotted thing existed between them, it had been there for too long. Minho’s heart, battered and broken, still belonged to you. As much as he tried to deny it, to fight it, he couldn’t escape the hold you had on him.

"You’ve always had me, Y/N," Minho said, pushing off the doorframe and stepping closer. His voice was softer now, laced with something darker, something almost... tender. "Even if you don’t want me. Even if I’m nothing but a shell."

Y/N watched him approach, the storm rumbling in the distance. There was something tragic in the way Minho carried himself, as though the weight of his own existence was too much to bear. His eyes, once so full of life, were now hollow, haunted by memories neither of them could forget.

"It’s not about wanting you, Minho," Y/N whispered, their chest tightening. "It’s about what’s left."

Minho stopped just inches from them, his gaze locked on theirs. For a moment, there was only the sound of the storm, the wind howling around them, and the distant crash of thunder. Then, slowly, Minho reached out, his fingers brushing against your cheek. His touch was cold, almost mechanical, but you didn’t pull away.

"It’s always been about what’s left," Minho murmured. "And what’s left is mine."

you closed your eyes, the weight of his words pressing down on you like a physical force. you could feel it—the darkness inside him, the decay that had taken root long ago. But beneath all of that, buried deep within the ruin, there was something still alive, something that pulsed weakly, but steadily.

His heart.

"It’s broken," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the storm. "You’re broken."

Minho laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "I’ve been broken for a long time, Y/N. But you knew that, didn’t you? You knew it from the start."

you opened your eyes and met his gaze. In that moment, there was no anger, no hatred. Just the two of them, standing in the ruins of what had once been. Fragments of what remained.

"I don’t want to fix you," you said softly. "I never wanted to."

Minho’s smile faltered, just for a second, and in that moment, you saw him. The real him. The one who had been hiding behind the cruelty, the madness, the darkness. The one who had been waiting, hoping, for something—anything—to change.

But nothing ever did.

"Then why do you stay?" Minho asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

You reached up, your hand covering his, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, you felt warmth. Not from Minho, but from the connection between you both—faint, fragile, but still alive.

"Because," you said, their voice steady, "what’s left is still mine."

It’s yours—that rotted heart of his, shriveled and shabby, riddled with holes and decay, half-eaten by maggots and worms it might be, but it’s still yours. Even when his eyes flicker with madness, when his smile curls at the edges, jagged and wrong, there's a part of him that never strays too far. You own the crumbling pieces, the ones he hides beneath layers of venom and spite. He may not admit it—he’d rather burn the world than speak it aloud—but in the quiet, in the spaces between his cruelty, it’s there.

Beating. Faint.

Still yours.

황현진 BOYFRIEND HYUNJIN WHO...

bf! hyunjin who likes to squish your face and take pictures of you, so he can blackmail you by threatening to send them to everyone unless you give him a kiss.

bf! hyunjin who spams your instagram comment section whenever you post. "woah do you have a bf?" "all mine 😘"

bf! hyunjin who likes to copy your outfits and act like they're all his ideas

bf! hyunjin who makes spotify playlists to romanticize every moment he spends with you, whether its a road trip compilation or a midnight baking mix

bf! hyunjin who likes to send you red roses when he's far from home and adds fancy little handwritten notes for you to find

bf! hyunjin who brags about you to his friends and feels more proud than jealous when other boys admire you.

bf! hyunjin who changes your lock screen to a selfie of him when you're not looking, so you'll have a constant reminder of him

bf! hyunjin who complains about you stealing his sweatshirts but secretly loves to see you in his clothing

bf! hyunjin who sends you real love letters written on paper, instead of just text messages or emails

bf! hyunjin who pulls you outside so you can slow dance in the pouring rain

bf! hyunjin who likes to sketch you in his notebook whenever you aren't looking; when you're cooking, sleeping, or tapping away on your computer

bf! hyunjin who lets you try out new hairstyles on him and loves to post selfies of him all dolled-up, even if he has sparkly pink bows in his hair

bf! hyunjin who buys your perfume and sprays it on his pillow when you're not with him and he misses you

bf! hyunjin who buys a ring only a few months into dating and hides it in his closet for when he thinks you're ready, because that's just how much he loves you.

⏤ die with a smile ࣪ ⤹

after a horrible nightmare, seungmin wakes in a panic. you comfort him.

꒰ kim seungmin + gn!reader ⏤ 2.2k words ꒱ oneshot

༄ content info & warnings !! apocalyptic au. established relationship. hurt/comfort; angst and then fluff ⋆ depictions of major character death (don’t worry everybody lives). zombies. violence against said zombies. seungmin disassociates a little.

✉️𓂃 ࣪˖ gmc if you see this… no you don’t! anyways, this is inspired by die with a smile by bruno mars & lady gaga, hence the name. originally this was going to be wayyy longer & much sappier, but i don’t know if anybody would wanna read allat. with that being said, lmk if a pt 2 is wanted! enjoy :) feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Seungmin tries to shout, but all that comes out in place of his voice is a hoarse, desperate whimper as he tears down the highway as fast as his legs will carry him. His throat clicks dryly when he swallows and he finds himself growing nauseous at the horrified panic that is beginning to settle in the pit of his stomach. He ignores it and presses on.

His limbs grow heavier with exhaustion at every pounding step he takes, but there's no time to pay the burning in his calves any mind as he wildly races over the decaying asphalt. His focus is fixated solely on his lover just up the road, who is ruthlessly cutting down a disgusting horde of revived corpses with an old axe.

Adrenaline courses through Seungmin's veins as he finally nears the cluster of the zombies swarming his partner. Without a second thought, he rips a pistol from his thigh holster to aim just as you catch sight of him with wide eyes. You duck with a gasp right before the sound of gunshots reverberate loudly through the air, leaving the gory skulls of three zombies pierced right through the center a breath later.

Seungmin grimaces at the remaining handful of cadavers dazedly turning to limp in his direction - set off by the noise, no doubt. Thankfully, you had taken care of most of them before he'd arrived, leaving the weakest of the horde for him to deal with.

Seungmin pays careful mind to you as he kills off the last threats, conscious of how much ammo he uses. When they all fall limp to the ground and no longer twitch with cognition, the two of you pause with bated breaths as you await another possible ambush.

A beat passes. Another, and another - nothing comes. Seungmin's shoulders sag in relief, and the overexertion suddenly slams into him like a truck now that the adrenaline is beginning to seep out of his veins. The realization is quickly wiped from his mind, however, when a warm, sweaty body collides into his own, completely encompassing his figure in a bone-crushing hug.

He feels the relieved sobs that drench the shoulder of his worn jacket before he hears them when you bury your face there, inhaling his musk. He's sure he doesn't smell pleasant, but Seungmin doesn't have the heart to push you away and make a stupid joke about what just happened. Nobody is promised tomorrow — every day spent on this earth, apocalyptic or not, is an austere reminder of that.

He's pulled away from the ceaseless ramble of his mind when you look up with a sniffle, eyes rimmed red with tear tracks adorning your cheeks. Seungmin gazes back in silence and softly rocks the two of you back and forth, his palms rubbing a soothing tempo into the dip of your shoulder blades. Neither of you speak; your actions are more a conversation than any words could be at the moment.

You clear your throat after a moment of simply taking in the slopes of his facial features, brushing away a stray lock of hair that drapes over your eyes. "That was close, yeah?" You murmur, stepping away on shaky legs. Seungmin doesn't comment on the way your words tremble and nods in lieu of response, adjusting his thigh holster as he eyes the horizon.

"The next city is about five miles out," he sighs with a grimace. A strong gust of wind threads through his hair, and you shiver beside him at the unbidden reminder of the dropping temperatures due to the approaching winter. Seungmin notices and easily shakes off his jacket without hesitation, pushing it into your chest as he ambles back whence he came.

"Let's get the car," he calls over his shoulder as he walks away. No pair of footsteps follow his own, so he assumes you’re simply standing to put on the jacket before walking. "I don't know if we'll have enough gas to make it in one trip, but it should be alr-”

A scream rips through the air and something primal flips instantaneously in Seungmin's brain. He whips around, pupils dilating in alarm, to find an undead plastered against your back with its rotten teeth sunken deep into the flesh of your neck.

Seungmin would've stood and balked if his instincts didn't kick in. Instead, he finds himself bolting back to you with his gun in hand once again. It takes him two seconds to aim and shoot, precisely killing the zombie they once believed to be dead.

But it's two seconds too long; the virus is swiftly spreading through your body. The infection is already becoming glaringly evident near the bite mark: your once beautiful complexion now grows deathly pale, and the skin surrounding the wound is beginning to raise and turn a harsh shade of purple. Seungmin feels the blood draining from his own face as he draws to a stop, panting in disbelief.

He's a few feet away when his arms fall limp at his sides, gun still in hand, leaving him to simply stare. There's nothing to do. You’re crying again, this time in silence. Seungmin distantly feels teardrops trickling down his own face, fat and hot and ugly, but he takes in the sensation from a place seated deep in his mind. It feels like he's watching the scene unfold through a windshield from the backseat of a car, where he's strapped into a seat and too fuzzy to properly move.

He blinks. The movement is slow, he notes. That's not right, though, because he's never slow. Everything feels muted and distant — this can't be real, right?

Seungmin shakily croaks out your name, frozen in place. His gun drops forgotten to the pavement below as he helplessly watches your body begin to twitch and the infection mark pulse. His heart squeezes painfully in his chest while his stomach drops somewhere far below the lowest depths of Hell.

You say something back, but your voice is too small to carry across the distance that yawns between you two. His breath stutters and he moves to step closer despite the danger. He just wants to hold you one last—

"SEUNGMIN! Dude, wake up?!"

Seungmin jolts upright with a gasp, gaze flying in a startled search around the room as his chest heaves. He kicks the covers off his legs and springs up, trying to ground himself with the familiar, suffocating stench of burnt wood that begins to overwhelm his nose. He's sweating, he realizes, as he leans against the wall and focuses on finding an even breathing pattern.

It takes him several moments to calm down, and once he comes back to himself he realizes you’re gently rubbing circles into the small of his back while whispering reassurance into the quiet of the room, sans your shared low breaths and the crackle of the fire.

Seungmin slumps to the floor with a fatigued groan, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. You crouch down beside him and pat his arm in sympathy. "Nightmare?" You frown, moving to sit beside him.

A wave of nausea rolls over him at the reminder of what had him so worked up in the first place. "Yeah," he huffs as he drops his arms, lips pulling into a tight line as he mulls over how to explain the dream best.

"We were traveling like usual," Seungmin starts after a moment of collecting his thoughts. You sidle closer, attentive despite your weariness from your lack of sleep. It's currently your shift to keep watch, but Seungmin accidentally cut his rest time short all thanks to the absolutely wonderful dream he had. What a sick joke.

"For some reason we had been separated. When the dream started, I was running to you down an old highway. You were fighting off an entire horde by yourself, and I was nowhere to be found.

"When I finally make it over there, I help you take down the few that were left — we wait a bit, like usual, you know, to see if they're actually dead. Nothing moves after a while, so we hugged out of relief. You could’ve... died, you know?” He breathes, before shaking his head and continuing.

"You cried on me," he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips. This one, though, isn't one of glee. He goes on, "It's almost winter in this dream. There's a cold breeze, so I give you my jacket and I head back to the car which was where I came from.

"But as I'm walking, you don't follow," he says, fighting against the way his throat threatens to close up again. "I just assume you're putting on my jacket. But then you s-scream, and I turn and you're—”

He doesn't notice the tears clouding his vision until one falls, and he winces in humiliation. "Sorry, I know it's dumb, but it just felt so real and then you got bit and I watched you turn—"

"Hey, hey," You worriedly mumble, intertwining their fingers. You squeeze hard, and Seungmin welcomes the pain because it keeps him barely tethered to reality. You clamber into his lap, cupping his thin cheeks in your palms and swiping away the stray tear. "Min, I'm right here with you. I'm alive, okay? We're safe right now."

He wraps his arms around you, burying his face into your neck as more tears escape him and soak your skin. "Nobody's promised tomorrow," he gasps out between sobs, recalling how he thought the exact same in the nightmare.

He feels the way your frame slumps against his own, presumably at how devastated, how heartbroken, how lost your lover sounds. "I know," you can only whisper sadly as he continues to cry. "That just... it just means we should love each other like it's the last night we'll ever have, right? We s-should," you sniffle, your own tears building up, "cherish each moment together, even in this hellscape."

Seungmin only bawls harder. You fall silent after that and let him get it all out — it's not often you two have such solace in a space this soundproof and secure to stay in for the night, so now is a good opportunity to be free in volume. Neither of you are sure of when the chance will arise again.

When the brunt of his cries eventually quiet down into occasional hiccups, you push off of him and dab at your drenched neck with the hem of your ratty tee while passing him a canteen of water. He takes it gratefully and sips, careful of overconsumption; it's better to save it for more dire situations.

While he drinks, you find your seat beside him again. The two of you stay there side by side for a while, just admiring the flames as you both get lost in your respective thoughts. Seungmin is the first to break the silence after who knows how long.

"If the world hadn't ended, do you think we would've had a meet-cute or meet-ugly?"

The question prompts a giggle out of you as you cocks your head to face him. The melodious chime of it brings a grin to Seungmin's face, too, and he thinks — no, knows — it's a sound he'll never tire of.

“A meet-ugly for sure. I used to work at a café, so maybe you could’ve been a customer that I accidentally spilled hot coffee all over. Mm, yeah,” you say with a nod. “And then I would’ve been at a loss on what to do after that, so I’d try to make it up to you by buying you dinner?"

"That's awfully detailed," he snorts, and you smack his arm in playful reproach. "You put some thought into this?"

You roll your eyes, an exasperated smile tugging at your lips. “Duh. After ten years of wandering around an apocalyptic world together, your mind tends to think of everything as time passes.”

“Meh, meh, meh,” he mocks you playfully, just to ignore the mushy feeling forming in his chest. “Just say you’re in love with me at this point.”

You flip him off with a scoff, but scoot closer anyway to press your weight against him and rest your head on his shoulder. Now that he thinks about it, neither of you have ever actually spoken the words aloud. Like, ever. Which isn’t really a surprise — there’s no need to verbalize what’s between you two when it’s glaringly obvious in both of your actions already.

But something gnaws at Seungmin. The words itch in his throat, threatening to spill off his tongue now that the moment is so tender and the night is still. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, right? So why not do everything he’s capable of while he walks this earth?

“Hey, baby…”

You continues to stare at the fire, eyes beginning to droop as you give a quiet hm? in response. He can tell sleep is beginning to creep up on you, lulling you into a rare calm and drowsy state, but he doesn’t mind.

“I love you.”

You mumble something sleepily in reply. Seungmin is sure you heard him, but he’ll simply tell you again when you’re more lucid in the morning. And again, when the two of you pack up and continue the trek to whatever location is next. And again, he concludes, for the rest of his days.

After all, every day he wakes is truly a blessing, despite the wretched curse the world has fallen under. So, why not make the most of what time he has, right?

2024 © nxtt2-u on tumblr. do not steal, repost, or edit.

taglist : @pochaccomin

die with a smile ⟢ kim seungmin.

SUMMARY. after a horrible nightmare, seungmin wakes in a panic. you comfort him.

INFO. 2.2k words. gn!reader. apocalyptic au. established relationship. hurt/comfort ; angst and then fluff.

WARNINGS. depictions of major character death (don’t worry everybody lives). zombies. violence against said zombies. seungmin disassociates a little.

NOTES. gmc if you see this… no you don’t! anyways, this is inspired by die with a smile by bruno mars & lady gaga, hence the name. originally this was going to be wayyy longer & much sappier, but i don’t know if anybody would wanna read allat. with that being said, lmk if a pt 2 is wanted! enjoy :) feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Seungmin tries to shout, but all that comes out in place of his voice is a hoarse, desperate whimper as he tears down the highway as fast as his legs will carry him. His throat clicks dryly when he swallows and he finds himself growing nauseous at the horrified panic that is beginning to settle in the pit of his stomach. He ignores it and presses on.

His limbs grow heavier with exhaustion at every pounding step he takes, but there's no time to pay the burning in his calves any mind as he wildly races over the decaying asphalt. His focus is fixated solely on his lover just up the road, who is ruthlessly cutting down a disgusting horde of revived corpses with an old axe.

Adrenaline courses through Seungmin's veins as he finally nears the cluster of the zombies swarming his partner. Without a second thought, he rips a pistol from his thigh holster to aim just as you catch sight of him with wide eyes. You duck with a gasp right before the sound of gunshots reverberate loudly through the air, leaving the gory skulls of three zombies pierced right through the center a breath later.

Seungmin grimaces at the remaining handful of cadavers dazedly turning to limp in his direction - set off by the noise, no doubt. Thankfully, you had taken care of most of them before he'd arrived, leaving the weakest of the horde for him to deal with.

Seungmin pays careful mind to you as he kills off the last threats, conscious of how much ammo he uses. When they all fall limp to the ground and no longer twitch with cognition, the two of you pause with bated breaths as you await another possible ambush.

A beat passes. Another, and another - nothing comes. Seungmin's shoulders sag in relief, and the overexertion suddenly slams into him like a truck now that the adrenaline is beginning to seep out of his veins. The realization is quickly wiped from his mind, however, when a warm, sweaty body collides into his own, completely encompassing his figure in a bone-crushing hug.

He feels the relieved sobs that drench the shoulder of his worn jacket before he hears them when you bury your face there, inhaling his musk. He's sure he doesn't smell pleasant, but Seungmin doesn't have the heart to push you away and make a stupid joke about what just happened. Nobody is promised tomorrow — every day spent on this earth, apocalyptic or not, is an austere reminder of that.

He's pulled away from the ceaseless ramble of his mind when you look up with a sniffle, eyes rimmed red with tear tracks adorning your cheeks. Seungmin gazes back in silence and softly rocks the two of you back and forth, his palms rubbing a soothing tempo into the dip of your shoulder blades. Neither of you speak; your actions are more a conversation than any words could be at the moment.

You clear your throat after a moment of simply taking in the slopes of his facial features, brushing away a stray lock of hair that drapes over your eyes. "That was close, yeah?" You murmur, stepping away on shaky legs. Seungmin doesn't comment on the way your words tremble and nods in lieu of response, adjusting his thigh holster as he eyes the horizon.

"The next city is about five miles out," he sighs with a grimace. A strong gust of wind threads through his hair, and you shiver beside him at the unbidden reminder of the dropping temperatures due to the approaching winter. Seungmin notices and easily shakes off his jacket without hesitation, pushing it into your chest as he ambles back whence he came.

"Let's get the car," he calls over his shoulder as he walks away. No pair of footsteps follow his own, so he assumes you’re simply standing to put on the jacket before walking. "I don't know if we'll have enough gas to make it in one trip, but it should be alr-”

A scream rips through the air and something primal flips instantaneously in Seungmin's brain. He whips around, pupils dilating in alarm, to find an undead plastered against your back with its rotten teeth sunken deep into the flesh of your neck.

Seungmin would've stood and balked if his instincts didn't kick in. Instead, he finds himself bolting back to you with his gun in hand once again. It takes him two seconds to aim and shoot, precisely killing the zombie they once believed to be dead.

But it's two seconds too long; the virus is swiftly spreading through your body. The infection is already becoming glaringly evident near the bite mark: your once beautiful complexion now grows deathly pale, and the skin surrounding the wound is beginning to raise and turn a harsh shade of purple. Seungmin feels the blood draining from his own face as he draws to a stop, panting in disbelief.

He's a few feet away when his arms fall limp at his sides, gun still in hand, leaving him to simply stare. There's nothing to do. You’re crying again, this time in silence. Seungmin distantly feels teardrops trickling down his own face, fat and hot and ugly, but he takes in the sensation from a place seated deep in his mind. It feels like he's watching the scene unfold through a windshield from the backseat of a car, where he's strapped into a seat and too fuzzy to properly move.

He blinks. The movement is slow, he notes. That's not right, though, because he's never slow. Everything feels muted and distant — this can't be real, right?

Seungmin shakily croaks out your name, frozen in place. His gun drops forgotten to the pavement below as he helplessly watches your body begin to twitch and the infection mark pulse. His heart squeezes painfully in his chest while his stomach drops somewhere far below the lowest depths of Hell.

You say something back, but your voice is too small to carry across the distance that yawns between you two. His breath stutters and he moves to step closer despite the danger. He just wants to hold you one last—

"SEUNGMIN! Dude, wake up?!"

Seungmin jolts upright with a gasp, gaze flying in a startled search around the room as his chest heaves. He kicks the covers off his legs and springs up, trying to ground himself with the familiar, suffocating stench of burnt wood that begins to overwhelm his nose. He's sweating, he realizes, as he leans against the wall and focuses on finding an even breathing pattern.

It takes him several moments to calm down, and once he comes back to himself he realizes you’re gently rubbing circles into the small of his back while whispering reassurance into the quiet of the room, sans your shared low breaths and the crackle of the fire.

Seungmin slumps to the floor with a fatigued groan, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. You crouch down beside him and pat his arm in sympathy. "Nightmare?" You frown, moving to sit beside him.

A wave of nausea rolls over him at the reminder of what had him so worked up in the first place. "Yeah," he huffs as he drops his arms, lips pulling into a tight line as he mulls over how to explain the dream best.

"We were traveling like usual," Seungmin starts after a moment of collecting his thoughts. You sidle closer, attentive despite your weariness from your lack of sleep. It's currently your shift to keep watch, but Seungmin accidentally cut his rest time short all thanks to the absolutely wonderful dream he had. What a sick joke.

"For some reason we had been separated. When the dream started, I was running to you down an old highway. You were fighting off an entire horde by yourself, and I was nowhere to be found.

"When I finally make it over there, I help you take down the few that were left — we wait a bit, like usual, you know, to see if they're actually dead. Nothing moves after a while, so we hugged out of relief. You could’ve... died, you know?” He breathes, before shaking his head and continuing.

"You cried on me," he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips. This one, though, isn't one of glee. He goes on, "It's almost winter in this dream. There's a cold breeze, so I give you my jacket and I head back to the car which was where I came from.

"But as I'm walking, you don't follow," he says, fighting against the way his throat threatens to close up again. "I just assume you're putting on my jacket. But then you s-scream, and I turn and you're—”

He doesn't notice the tears clouding his vision until one falls, and he winces in humiliation. "Sorry, I know it's dumb, but it just felt so real and then you got bit and I watched you turn—"

"Hey, hey," You worriedly mumble, intertwining their fingers. You squeeze hard, and Seungmin welcomes the pain because it keeps him barely tethered to reality. You clamber into his lap, cupping his thin cheeks in your palms and swiping away the stray tear. "Min, I'm right here with you. I'm alive, okay? We're safe right now."

He wraps his arms around you, burying his face into your neck as more tears escape him and soak your skin. "Nobody's promised tomorrow," he gasps out between sobs, recalling how he thought the exact same in the nightmare.

He feels the way your frame slumps against his own, presumably at how devastated, how heartbroken, how lost your lover sounds. "I know," you can only whisper sadly as he continues to cry. "That just... it just means we should love each other like it's the last night we'll ever have, right? We s-should," you sniffle, your own tears building up, "cherish each moment together, even in this hellscape."

Seungmin only bawls harder. You fall silent after that and let him get it all out — it's not often you two have such solace in a space this soundproof and secure to stay in for the night, so now is a good opportunity to be free in volume. Neither of you are sure of when the chance will arise again.

When the brunt of his cries eventually quiet down into occasional hiccups, you push off of him and dab at your drenched neck with the hem of your ratty tee while passing him a canteen of water. He takes it gratefully and sips, careful of overconsumption; it's better to save it for more dire situations.

While he drinks, you find your seat beside him again. The two of you stay there side by side for a while, just admiring the flames as you both get lost in your respective thoughts. Seungmin is the first to break the silence after who knows how long.

"If the world hadn't ended, do you think we would've had a meet-cute or meet-ugly?"

The question prompts a giggle out of you as you cocks your head to face him. The melodious chime of it brings a grin to Seungmin's face, too, and he thinks — no, knows — it's a sound he'll never tire of.

“A meet-ugly for sure. I used to work at a café, so maybe you could’ve been a customer that I accidentally spilled hot coffee all over. Mm, yeah,” you say with a nod. “And then I would’ve been at a loss on what to do after that, so I’d try to make it up to you by buying you dinner?"

"That's awfully detailed," he snorts, and you smack his arm in playful reproach. "You put some thought into this?"

You roll your eyes, an exasperated smile tugging at your lips. “Duh. After ten years of wandering around an apocalyptic world together, your mind tends to think of everything as time passes.”

“Meh, meh, meh,” he mocks you playfully, just to ignore the mushy feeling forming in his chest. “Just say you’re in love with me at this point.”

You flip him off with a scoff, but scoot closer anyway to press your weight against him and rest your head on his shoulder. Now that he thinks about it, neither of you have ever actually spoken the words aloud. Like, ever. Which isn’t really a surprise — there’s no need to verbalize what’s between you two when it’s glaringly obvious in both of your actions already.

But something gnaws at Seungmin. The words itch in his throat, threatening to spill off his tongue now that the moment is so tender and the night is still. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, right? So why not do everything he’s capable of while he walks this earth?

“Hey, baby…”

You continues to stare at the fire, eyes beginning to droop as you give a quiet hm? in response. He can tell sleep is beginning to creep up on you, lulling you into a rare calm and drowsy state, but he doesn’t mind.

“I love you.”

You mumble something sleepily in reply. Seungmin is sure you heard him, but he’ll simply tell you again when you’re more lucid in the morning. And again, when the two of you pack up and continue the trek to whatever location is next. And again, he concludes, for the rest of his days.

After all, every day he wakes is truly a blessing, despite the wretched curse the world has fallen under. So, why not make the most of what time he has, right?

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