Chapter Text
Who knew waking up today would lead you to experiencing a weirdness you have never experienced before.
Out of all the first impressions you’ve had in the long time you’ve been living, being cried on a random Wednesday was definitely a first.
As if the potential stalker wasn’t enough of a shock that day, some random man with a clingy pomeranian suddenly broke down when you asked him a question. Said man then proceeded to cling onto you with an iron grip on the concrete sidewalk while people passed by with bewildered gazes.
The stranger had offered to buy you coffee and food as an apology. You agreed.
So now you sit in front of Yeontan’s owner, Taehyung, whose eyes—still swollen from how hard he had cried—looked everywhere except you.
At least he had the decency to feel a little embarrassed.
“I-I’m so sorry I cried on you like that. I swear I’m more kept together than this! It-it's just… you looked like someone I knew.”
There was a softness in his golden eyes that almost felt sacred as it stared at you. It held a sweet sadness reminiscent of a mourning husband staring at his amnesiac wife. It oozes of a longing you’ve seen in a man who has finally seen his lover after a long time being apart, a longing you definitely do not deserve from someone like him.
You averted your gaze, unable to handle the weight of emotions pouring out of his eyes.
Looking around, you silently appraised the coffee shop he had brought you to. With its high ceilings, elegant decorations and premium-looking seats, you first thought the coffee you'd be having would have a drop of faerie blood with how expensive it'll be. You had the shock of your life when you saw the humble prices on the menu.
Yeontan rested on your lap through it all, seemingly more content to stick to you rather than his owner. His fur is soft enough to distract your mind that was going into a spiral when it finally dawned what you were about to do a couple of minutes earlier.
You were just about to ask Soomin for another invitation to a feeding.
And the realization shook the very foundation you had built yourself up on.
You, who was raised by your meek mother and her fear of being revealed as a Faerie, had almost walked back into that den so willingly for the power money could provide you with.
It wasn't the same you who warily eyed the crimson invitation almost a month ago nor was it the same woman from months ago who’d rather work two jobs than to risk her family’s safety and secret.
The waiter eventually came in to save you from the unbearable awkwardness and placed your orders down; a frappe for you, matched with a big choco chip cookie while Taehyung got himself tea and a cupcake.
Taking a bite of the gigantic cookie, you barely refrained yourself from moaning from how the warm choco chips had practically melted into your mouth.
Soobin would love this.
“This place is amazing I tell ya, sometimes I drive down here from Seoul whenever I want to get away from society for a moment.”
If you had the means, you would also do the same. Half a cookie in and you're already marking the coffee shop to regularly visit from whenever you're visiting. You took a mental note to buy something for your mom and Soobin.
"It's a far drive, no?"
"People would recognize me in Seoul so I'd rather drive down here when the city feels overwhelming."
You stare at your companion, trying to remember where you had seen his face before. Something about his presence just seemed so familiar , it wasn’t deja vu nor was it a quick delusional thought your mind had concocted up from out of nowhere. It felt like a muscle memory almost, except it was your soul who felt naturally drawn into him.
It was creepy how you could almost imagine how he would have laughed and how bright his smile would be.
Who is he?
You’ve been living in Seoul for three years now but you swear on your stardew valley save that you’ve never seen him in the hundreds of billboards and LED screens that littered the city every other block.
The ringing recognition felt deeper than a face plastered on electric posts or any digital recreation and seeing it before you. Seeing him quietly enjoying his food felt wrong, like he should be more enthusiastic as he stared back at you with crinkled eyes that seemed to contain the twinkling lights of the galaxy itself. It made you sad.
But why are you even sad for a stranger you barely even knew?
Sensing your gaze, Taehyung looked up from his cupcake and answered your unsung question with an almost bitter smile.
"I design for V, the fashion brand." Seeing the confusion still written on your face, Taehyung continued. "I'm also a curse breaker for Eden's Artifacts."
Your jaw drops.
This man who had sobbed on you in the busy streets of Busan happens to be the one and the only curse breaker for one of the biggest artifact sellers in the world?
Seeing your reaction, Taehyung sheepishly scratched his nape.
"Yeah… After earlier, I wouldn't believe it myself but I’m quite capable." Taehyung wryly said, pulling out his mythril steel ID with his credentials engraved beautifully into the card to show you. The unique rainbow reflection of lights on the metal alone validated his story.
Mithril is not an easy metal to obtain after all unless you’re the king of Elves and a close friend of the dwarves.
But wouldn't that mean he has ties with the Kim Coven?
You sobered up, sitting a little straighter at the thought.
It was known to anyone who had an interest in ancient runes and artifacts how great Eden's Artifacts are, it was the sole reason people knew who the Elf King was after he had disappeared off the earth after the great war. Their curse breaking service draws people from every corner of the world because out of all the handful of people with the purifying ability, Eden’s Artifacts' curse breaker is the greatest there is.
The only person who could shave off a century-old malicious curse as if they’re just shimmying clothes off of someone.
And that person happens to be the man sitting in front of you. The man who had clung and cried on you.
"So you're affiliated with the Kim Coven?"
"Would… would that be a deal breaker?" He asked with a wince.
While reappearing before someone who has links to the Kim Coven could lead you to the Sanguine Regius himself, somewhere deep within you seems to wilt at the thought of pushing Taehyung away in favor of keeping your anonymity. Even thinking about it felt like committing a sin against the Heavens.
Power and money, you'd have it all and more if Kim Seokjin were to find you again. But you don't know his intentions yet, not that you're sure you'd want to hear them. He may be one of the strongest vampires but nocturnals are not immune to the parasitic desire for power—something a drop of your blood could provide and more.
You have a family to provide for and protect. No matter how pristine his reputation might be outside of his activities with the Kim Coven, there was no telling what kind of shadow follows Kim Seokjin.
"A little."
Shock streaks across Taehyung's face.
"Why though? They're a great bunch of people, no? Million dollar charities and demon subjugations, isn't that a good thing?"
You paused, staring at the man before you.
No matter how trustworthy the man seems, his link to the Kim Coven weighed your tongue down.
"I don’t want to say, but it’s nothing bad. Just a personal opinion."
Taehyung nodded and sipped on his tea. If he was disappointed he didn't show it.
You had thought another wave of awkwardness was afoot but luckily, Taehyung spoke up.
"You don't need to answer but I wanted to know how's your phone after Yeontan jumped you? If we have damaged it, please let us buy you a replacement." Taehyung offers, bowing his head and Yeontan excitedly yips as if agreeing with his owner.
Immediate you shake your head. The difference between being bought a new phone and being apologized to by food is as stark as night and day. While Taehyung gives off nothing but the pureness of children, the more paranoid, the daughter her mother raised, couldn't help but be suspicious of it.
What if he adds a tracking spell on it?
"No worries, it's just the tempered glass that broke. I'll probably have it changed on my way home so there's no need for a new phone."
Taehyung shrivels up like a pouty dog and you immediately waved the disturbing image away.
"You seemed so busy before everything, we are really sorry for knocking your day off. Yeontan doesn't usually act like this, he's an absolute angel before today I promise!"
Seeing him defend his dog's honor so valiantly got a giggle from you and he brightened—no, radiated.
"I wasn't doing much. If anything, I was thankful you guys had interrupted me before I had done something."
Don't do it stupid
But seeing Taehyung look at you with wonder-filled eyes and an eagerness to hear what you wanted to say, your heart wavers and you let yourself slip. There was just something about him that eases a conflicted heart.
Maybe it was his eyes that seemed to urge the words out of your mouth, as if his stare has the ability to hypnotize and unearth all the secrets you had promised to bury deep.
"Let's say that a friend found herself in a situation and the only way she thinks will help her out of there was selling her—"
"Immediate no, that's very dangerous " Taehyung cuts in, face hardened. "Tell her— them , that Eden's hiring for an all-rounder. Man the cashier, restock and minor enchanting, all with a flexible schedule and good pay!"
The man looked the most passionate you have ever seen a person be as he practically declared his company's hiring out loud in the cafe near a campus. The nearby patrons' head swerved in his direction, interested. Taehyung shrinks back into his seat, immediately regretting his actions.
"I'm sorry for bursting out like that." He says, expression melting down to the mellow and barely-hidden excitement version of him from earlier. "I just can't stand it if someone's risking their safety if I can help it."
What an absolute angel.
“Does your boss even know you guys are hiring?” You said between fits of endeared laughter.
He rolled his eyes. “Well, he does now. What is he gonna do about it? Fire me? I’m his money maker.”
You laughed again and Taehyung gave you a small boxy smile before going back to his tea.
The conversation flowed surprisingly well after that.
You learned more about his job as a part time designer for Vanté, from the models to the current sketches he's yet to bring to life. Taehyung is an entertaining storyteller with his quirky voice changes when recalling someone's words, and his wide but not imposing hand gestures.
It was endearing.
He could've made a good puppeteer back in the ancient days with how he gesticulates and spoke like he's recalling a fantasy novel when all he’s recalling is an encounter with a human royalty during one of his curse consultation.
His openness had eventually loosened your lips too and before you even realised it, little facts about you and your family had slipped out.
Talking to Taehyung almost felt like healing. Every word he speaks and every laugh he lets out was like a soothing balm to the soul, it made you forget the stress of yesterdays and the annoying echoes of today’s problems.
Though oddly enough, the silent melancholic tinge hidden within the mirth that crinkled his eyes does bother you in the same way it does when Soobin hides his pain or when your mother used to smile at you and tell you that she was fine after a bad day.
By the end of it all with the sun setting and casting a beautiful orange color in the sky, Taehyung was beaming like a beacon. But before the both of you truly parted, Taehyung, with Yeontan back in his arms, then offered his business card to you.
"Just… consider it please. Don't try to endanger yourself by selling your blood to vampires, I don't—" Taehyung trails off, trying to find the right words to say. "You might think that it's because you looked like my friend that I’m offering but that's not it. I'm not so cruel as to ignore someone in need of help, so please…"
Taehyung pushes it into your hand and you take it, but not without going through the mental gymnastics in the short time it took you to take the card.
"Thank you for today, Tae. I had fun."
A sad smile grew on his face. “I did too, despite this being a random encounter.”
Earlier, you had been so eager to escape the awkwardness of a spectacular first meeting but with your goodbyes sitting at the edge of your tongue, you find yourself rooted onto the ground and unable to walk away.
Was saying goodbye always this hard outside of family?
Yeontan whimpers, pawing at your leg before asking to be carried again but you shake your head and gently ushered him towards Taehyung who has a sad smile playing on his lips.
"Can I get a hug before you go?" Taehyung asks before immediately following it up with a panicked: “You're free to say no of course! It's not like I would also let the stranger who cried on me hug me too! It's very understan—”
“Sure.”
Taehyung froze.
“Sure?” He repeats in complete disbelief.
“Sure, come here.”
You opened your arms, ignoring the blaring alerts in your head and the angered, disappointed voice screaming in your head scolding you for letting someone embrace you. It was weird. You would have never entertained such a request. In fact, if it was someone else, you would've slapped them for even daring to ask.
But something about Taehyung, the man full of warm kindness despite the whisper of sadness and grief in his eyes, compelled you to open up to him—or in this situation, open your arms for him.
When your words finally sunk in, Taehyung surged into your arms, almost knocking you off of your feet like Yeontan had done earlier.
You felt his grief in the tightness of his embrace, and in his hands resting behind your head and the small of your back. It spooked you at first how he seems to have trapped you into his hold but then he let out a huge exhale as if expelling all the sadness out of his body, and you eased up.
Taehyung cried in your arms again but this time, you let him.
[07:12] You: just got randomly scouted for Eden's Artifacts lol
[07:12] Zoominnn🌸: WHAT
[07:12] Zoominnn🌸: What happened to hello? Good morning? WDYM SOMEONE SCOUTED U FOR THE KIM COVEN???
[07:13] You: bumped into someone and he took me out for coffee then told me they were looking for someone who can be an all-rounder
[07:13] Zoominnn🌸: Oh wow there's a lot of unpack there
[07:13] Zoominnn🌸: First of all☝️
[07:13] Zoominnn🌸: U RLLY WENT OUT WITH SOMEONE???
[07:13] Zoominnn🌸: LIKE REALLYYY??!
[07:13] Zoominnn🌸: Second of all
[07:14] Zoominnn🌸: That's such a bizarre first date
[07:14] You : it wasn't a date LMAO
[07:15] Zoominnn🌸: But u said took u out for coffee
[07:15] Zoominnn🌸: OH WAS HE A ONE NIGHT STAND?
[07:15] You : N O
[07:15] You: would u believe me if i say he's someone who just randomly cried on me?
[07:15] Zoominnn🌸: Say wut now
[07:15] Zoominnn🌸: Babes ik ur gorg but never in my life have i ever heard of someone crying upon seeing such beauty
[07:16] You: oh shush
[07:16] You : stop complimentin me i might fall in love and steal u from ur fiance
[07:16] Zoominnn🌸: Pls do, dis alpha next to me is getting to my nerves w all the nesting instincts
[07:16] Zoominnn🌸: They forgot im human and therefore cannot experience heat next month
[07:17] Zoominnn🌸: Jinyoung says u can try btw lol
[07:17] You: he should worry, i already live with u
[07:17] Zoominnn🌸: try it and I'll snitch on the bloodsucker🤪🤪 -Jinyoung
[07:17] You : MINNIE HE'S THREATENING ME
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: N e ways
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: BACK TO THE SCOUTING
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: U sure u want to work at eden?
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: Isn't that directly handled by jung hoseok himself?
[07:18] You: the guy who scouted me said hoseok doesn't really show up, doesn't even leave their manor unless he's called into the battlefield
[07:18] You : so i think its safe :pp
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: no man is truly safe, dont trust any -jinyoung
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: if u say so babes
[07:18] Zoominnn🌸: just know that if anything fishy happens, we’re ready to fight and hide a body for u
[07:18] You: ily u babes
[07:19] Zoominnn🌸: stay safe petal ily u too
Your stalker has somehow followed you to Seoul.
The bag was unfortunately not the last time you had heard from him. Before you had left, there were flowers sent to your family home in Busan and it was similar to the white, blue, and red blooms laid horizontally on your living room table.
If anyone were to see the bouquet laid before you, they would think of it as a sweet gesture, an innocent gift by a secret admirer but you think differently.
Flowers like forget-me-nots, red carnations, and white lilies all painted a picture of a man longing; for what? It scares you to think about what this man could even want from you.
You’ve only had one relationship and it was back in high school which ended poorly when his parents found out and forced him to break up with you because they wanted their only son to be wed to a fellow elf for the sake of growing their dwindling population—which is far smaller than faeries. Even then, he wouldn't have done something as cryptic as this in his attempts to win you back.
It made your skin crawl thinking of the possibility of catching someone’s persistent eyes.
What have you done except fight with the saleslady to capture the eye of the man from the store?
“You want me to ask my pack to sniff around? I can ask Jinyoung to stay with us for a couple of nights for protection too.” Soomin’s hand squeezes your shoulder, grounding you. Her concern bleeding through the fabric of your hoodie. “It’s your call, petal.”
“I don’t want to impose on your pack, babes.”
She sighed.
You could hear the argument brewing at the back of her head at your decision in her exhale alone but there was also defeat, resignation in knowing she can’t convince you. Yet . “But the moment this happens again, I’m calling them, alright? Nothing will ever convince me not to when it comes to your safety.”
“Of course.”
Soomin places a quick kiss to your hair and stands, snatching the bouquet from the table and dropping it into the trashcan.
Despite your goodbyes a week back, you ended up meeting Taehyung again for the job interview.
If you can even call it that.
The man didn't even try to interview you, he barely took a glance at your resume before declaring you as the all rounder for Eden's Artifacts.
Truth be told, Soomin had been hesitant to drop you off at Eden’s. She had asked you plenty about your decisions, whether you truly trust Taehyung to not snitch on you to the Kim Clan. She claimed that she didn't know a Kim Taehyung that directly belongs to the Kim Clan.
“But then again, there's that Fall that they had privately taken care of a couple of centuries ago and has never reported properly. This Taehyung guy might’ve been the one they picked up.”
It was all speculation though, with no concrete evidence. Taehyung doesn't look like he might've been a part of the celestials except his peculiar eye color—which is a feature a lot of other creatures similarly possess like the reptilian hybrids and the half-blooded werewolves.
The job seemed simple enough despite the daunting title. Managing the cashier is easy as you've had prior experience; as well as keeping the place clean, doing simple enchantments, basic appraisals, and checking the inventory. In the short time you had been there for the interview, there's only been one customer that asked to detail down the enchantments on her grandmother's pearl necklace.
Despite being world renowned, the shop gets an average five customers per day and most of them supernatural. Taehyung said it was because the world got technology to do some of the enchantments’ jobs like tracking and sunblocks so the only reason people visit is to have protection spells casted on an item or have a curse dispelled from it.
Even its own owner doesn't visit the store, the high profile requests are hand delivered by Taehyung to wherever the elf king might be hiding.
The salary is surprisingly high, almost thrice the average you got from both of your past jobs. Taehyung just shrugged when you pointed out how unreasonable it was.
“You’re doing all the work here, of course you're getting compensated properly.”
It's been a week since you started working in Eden's Artifacts, and it was the most fun you've had while working. It is almost unfair how much time you had in your hands while being paid plenty.
Lunch is free since Taehyung would always bring spare sandwiches or order deliveries for the both of you, and when you think you're starting to get bored, he would pull you into the inventory room to try out some of the artifacts with the silliest enchantments or curses like the pair of shoes a lady had cursed to trip her ex-husband every time he would glance at a woman.
But today, Taehyung had to be away for a curse consultation in Taiwan.
A portrait had been found by a human family who just moved into a new home after a month of having paranormal activities and the death of their grandmother. The family requested his personal help as they didn't want to dare take the portrait out of the house so Taehyung visited them instead.
It has been an uneventful day so far, not that you were complaining of course.
There were two teens that checked out some of the antique displays on the corner, and a lost kid who had wandered in before his mother came in to pick him up and left with rushed goodbyes but other than those instances, you were having a relaxed day.
Hour three and you decided that you had scrolled far enough on your timeline and pulled your laptop out to start on your album review essay.
Five hundred words into the lyrics analysis, the door chimes jingled and a woman in a black medical mask and a black trench coat walks in, holding a blue gem necklace encased in glass between gloved hands. Placing it on the counter with a small bang, she then looked expectantly at the slightly ajar door behind you and wilted when a tall and buff tan man didn't walk out.
Honestly? Understandable.
“Welcome to Eden. What can I help you with today?”
“I-I just need a personal screening for my mo-mother's necklace.”
She was tapping impatiently on the glass and her eyes kept wandering off to Taehyung's office, something that made you mentally raise your eyebrow at.
Taehyung had mentioned a couple of people that would come in with bad intentions, something you had optimistically assumed he meant angry old people demanding things not whatever this woman might be planning.
“Oh sorry, our curse breaker is currently abroad for another case but I can help you with tha—”
“NO!”
You reeled back, surprised by her volume and the woman grew more frantic with her tapping and searching.
Reaching down, you hovered over the button on the pager under the counter and warily eyed her as her fists curled on the side of the glass case.
“I need Kim Taehyung himself to check it himself, it's a very important piece of jewelry! Not to be handled by you !”
In the brief moment you had to recover from the shock from her words, you were reminded of that store clerk and her sneer. You were being belittled again, despite wearing the uniform of the renowned artifact shop, people seem to see through the mithril ID and uniform, and perceived worn shoes and carefully budgeted food shopping.
But despite the rising anger, you force out an apologetic smile and slowly reach out for the box with the other free hand, not just to take it away for the screening but in fear that the woman might use it against you.
You just hope you'll be able to push the button faster than the fragile box flying towards you or the merchandise behind you.
“He won't be back for a long while but I've been authorized to do screenings as well, ma'am. So how about—”
“No no no! I want him!”
In her efforts to take the glass encasement away, the box briefly grazed your palm but it was enough to activate whatever she had enchanted on it and your body seized .
The strength in your legs disappears and you fall to the floor, heaving as a sweltering heat creeps up from your fingers, to your neck and eventually, your entire body. Colorful curses flowed out of your mouth as the sound of the door chimes echoed in the still silence left by the accidental activation of her enchantments.
You couldn't even find it in yourself to be angered by her who had just left you vulnerable on the floor when there's a whole different problem to focus on.
Heat scorched and burnt up your body, it crawled and crept into your veins like a hungry forestfire.
But then you feel it.
The undeniable thirst and the itch of lust surfacing from the ravaging, molten warmth engulfing your body.
The woman must've coated the damn box with a potent aphrodisiac.
Gods fucking damn it.
You weakly reached up for the pager, pressing the button with trembling fingers before pulling your phone from the pockets of your pants and dialed up Taehyung, cursing under your breath as it rang.
“Hey, I just got the emergency notice from the pager—”
“Taehyung please…”
You hear the sound of a chair screeching as he stands before a loud bang echoed from the other side of the line.
“What happened? Why do you sound like that?”
Shame burns as brightly as your lust when you barely caught yourself from letting out a moan. Hearing his concern in his deep voice, had your body aching with a loud, resonating desire.
You mentally swore to curse that woman into the next life if you ever see her on the streets.
“Some girl… Tae, I accidentally came into contact with a potent aphrodisiac,”
“Shit, fuck—wait, I'm coming. There should be an antidote in my office, can you try and get there while I fly?”
You couldn’t even let the thought of Taehyung’s apparent ability to fly sink into your head when all your mind could note was how he had hissed his curses out.
It caused a ripple in your soul and it echoed in the confines of your skull, body burning hotter with every resonation.
The image of the man hovering on top of you plays in your mind; sweaty hair stuck to his forehead and eyes screwed blissfully shut as his naked body trembled from the unbridled want his toned body could barely handle. He would open those golden eyes and stare back at yours fully dilated and clouded with an uncharacteristic hunger that could devour you whole.
Would he hiss like that as he pushes it in?
“Y/N?”
You bit your lip.
Gods fucking damn it
“I-I’ll try.”
You winced at how unsure you sounded but the man on the other side was satisfied enough by your answer.
“Good, I'll be there in a minute. Check the counter if there’s a cure-all vial hidden somewhere, okay”
Opening the drawers and feeling around the storages for a vial felt like climbing the mount everest while on your knees. Your world was spinning, red seeped from the edges of your vision as the feverish need for someone’s touch grew more unbearable with every second passing.
Anyone, anything . You don't care anymore as long as the gnawing hunger is satiated.
But even with your wits slipping away from you, you knew it hasn’t been a minute since Taehyung had dropped the call with the promise of help.
He slid next to you with concern marring his beautiful face. His lips were moving but you couldn't hear a single thing he was saying, the cloud of lust cramping up your brain and stuffing it with cottons, blocking any information from being processed.
He placed a hand on your forehead and you leaned into him like it held the cure but he's already pulling away before you could indulge yourself into his soothing touch. You whined but it fell on deaf ears as the man rushed into his office and returned with a pale green vial in hand.
Helping you sit up, he placed the antidote into your lips and tipped the contents over.
A tick.
Then another.
But there was no change in the ravishing heat you were feeling.
“It-it's not wu…working.” You weakly said and panic streaks across Taehyung's beautiful face.
“Gods damn it.” He hissed as he rushed back into his office to try a different antidote.
But the results were the same.
They didn't work.
He places a hand over your head and a golden glow seeps out.
And Taehyung panics .
“I think they might've had a different supplier. This brew is more potent than the last times they've tried...”
“Wh-what do we do?”
He bit his lips and crossed his arms, fingers tapping frantically against his bulging bicep. Heat flared within you, body aching for someone's touch—Taehyung’s touch, so close yet so far away.
He was talking again but your mind is clouded with nothing but the thought of climbing his lap and offering yourself up to the man like a deprived whore.
You wouldn't care how desperate you'd look to him, the echoing ache in your core overpowering your consciousness.
Taehyung cupped your cheeks and brought you closer, close enough for your sensitive senses to feel his exhales fan across your face—your eyes rolled to the back of your head, it had felt like a balm against your feverish skin—before repeating his words.
He smells like white florals with the subtle tinge of sandalwood and the sweetness of green apples. It was angelic and warm, almost as warm as the love that seemed to pour out of his eyes as he stared back into yours.
It was honest, and it whispered a secret vow that even your clouded mind had processed as protection.
“I'm gonna…fetch Hobi hyung okay? He-he’ll know… here.”
In the midst of it all, panic emerges and you begin to shake your head.
“N-no… please no one else.”
Another wave of need bordering on rabid desire crashes into you and you cry out. Taehyung pulls you into his chest with a shaky exhale, trembling hands gingerly cradled your head before running his fingers through your hair.
“Sorry my lily, but I've got nothing else to help you.”
“Then help me… please ”