( LOVERBOY. )

White Love

iceprince!hongjoong x fireprincess!reader

genre: fantasy, fluff, angst, hongjoong being an absolute flirt-

word count: ~24k

synopsis: there seems to be an eternal winter set in wonderland caused by the ice prince hongjoong, and you- the fire princess who has been laying low for a while- set out to end it. what you don't expect is to find him freezing to death trapped in a tower, and as you save him, you find out that the mages in wonderland are uprising to end the original bloodline- titled prince and princesses. creating a small team with your childhood friend seonghwa and a water mage yunho, you and hongjoong fight against the threat to your life while uncovering secrets and finding unexpected friends and love.

You've had enough of the cold.

You didn't hate winter- it used to be your favourite time of the year, especially the part where you'd brew yourself some coffee and burn your tongue while you sat out in the snow, gloved hands both warm from the cup of coffee in your hand but freezing because of the chilly air.

You loved snow, you loved the white blanket of cloud on earth, and you loved sitting in front of the fire- something you really couldn't do the rest of the year. You loved the cloudy skies and the cool palette of colours that came only in winter. You also loved cuddling to your friends or cats or dogs in winter, putting a hand in someone's pocket and warm both your hands, playing with someone and shoving ice down their back, earning satisfied screams as you giggled and ran away, making snowman and snow animals and having a snowball fight.

But this time, the winter wasn't ending- it had been well past the time for spring to arrive. The trees were still bare, lakes still frozen and it felt like the temperature was dropping every passing day. It should have been summer by now, but nobody dared complain.

It was because of him.

People were careful when they called his name or talked about him- they didn't want the wind to carry their complains to his ears in case he got angry- which couldn't end well. It was already cold enough.

Hongjoong, his name was. The Ice Prince.

Wonderland lived up to its name- a place full of wonders. Anyone with an affinity for magic who couldn't adjust to the lands of the humans settled in Wonderland. It was a free place for all humans whether they possessed magic or not, given they lived peacefully. Of course, the majority was of the Wonderers- the name given to those who possessed any sort of magic.

And you- well, you tried to pass away unnoticed. Your magic was, if not more, as dangerous as Hongjoong's- where his was the gift of ice, yours was the gift of fire.

Polar opposites, that's what you both were, in every aspect. He was a Prince. Every child grew up hearing stories about the Prince of Ice- and he'd built quite a reputation for himself. There were just so many rumours about him that you didn't know what to believe.

The Prince froze his enemies and then shattered their bodies.

The Prince burned him with his cold.

The Prince is just a young kid.

The Prince healed my freezing skin.

The Prince played in snow with my child.

You had no idea what to believe, and whenever you pictured him, you pictured a middle-aged man, even though most of the people had told you he was around your age. You just couldn't help but form this picture of a sulking old man sitting on his ice throne all dressed in white when you thought of him.

But you were no one to judge- you weren't quite in the place to complain when you were living two different lives. Most of the people knew you as a person with a little affinity for fire- enough to light stoves and burn the fire even in the winter, enough to burn metal if you tried long enough.

However, you were called the Fire Princess too- though no one had made the connection yet. It was just that you were too good at your disguise- and you weren't as dramatic as this Hongjoong person. You didn't involve yourself in any sort of politics or drama. The reason you were called the Fire Princess was because you had once saved Wonderland from flooding by a hurricane when you had steamed off all the water threatening to drown your homeland.

That was 5 years ago, and you had since kept a very low profile, getting well adjusted to your mundane life- an owner of a bookstore café. It was cozy and fit well with the vibe of winters, but-

The winter needed to stop.

You were wondering what the reason was- what had the Ice Prince all... disturbed? Was he okay? Was he doing this on purpose? Did he like to see the people suffer because of this endless winter?

Your friend Seonghwa- who basically lived in the café though he was a part-timer- was the only one alive who knew of your true identity. He was your childhood friend and the closest thing you had to a family. You looked at him as he sat in front of the fireplace- he really wasn't handling the cold well anymore. His fingers and toes would often swell due to the cold and you made him stay near you for the time-being. You could keep the café warm enough for him all day long, everyday as long as he needed.

You picked a candy and made your way next to Seonghwa, handing him the candy with a smile as you sat down. "Are your fingers better now?"

"They are, but as soon as I go out and stay too long, they start to freeze again," he sighed, shaking his head.

"I wonder what's got this Hongjoong's panties in a twist," you mumbled, and Seonghwa slapped your arm, but you only shrugged, "What? It's not like he's gonna hear me."

You had a point- but Seonghwa was too involved in the gossip that ran around, and he only shushed you, saying you never knew when the cold could get worse than it already was because he heard one of us complaining.

"Do you think I should get out of my hole and go talk to the Prince of Ice?" You asked after a moment, genuinely wondering if it was time that you confronted this man.

Seonghwa shook his head no rather strongly, making you laugh a bit, "You've kept a low-profile. If you go now and end this winter, it's gonna be too obvious that you're the one they've been searching for."

You supposed he was right- anyone would make the connection this time. One is an incidence, twice is a coincidence, and thrice would be a pattern- your cover would blow.

"But Seonghwa," you leaned forward, "I'm so tired of this cold, I'm beginning to hate it. I really think I should make things normal, see what's up and what's going on. Maybe I can't do anything about it, but at least I can try, for everyone's sake."

"You're gonna miss winter when it's gone," Seonghwa laughed, and you bit your lip to keep from smiling- one of the major reason that you loved winter was that you could burn from within without attracting attention. You could release fire here and there without making it strange. In summers... you really didn't handle the hot weather well, which was ironic.

"Maybe this time, I won't," you said your weak retort, ignoring his snickers and thinking. Should you, or should you not?

You did.

Early morning the very next day, you packed a bag with some simple belongings- some clothes, food, weapons, books for when you got bored and a map. Seonghwa came to see you off as you instructed him on how to take care of the bookstore while you were gone.

"I know," Seonghwa laughed, "Anyone who's curious gets to stay as long as they want and read books, in which case coffee is on the house."

You smiled, "Don't scare the poor souls away, will you?"

Seonghwa smirked- he knew you were talking about his shadow magic. He had a tendency to prank people when he got bored, and you had hence prohibited him from using magic inside the bookstore and the café. "I won't. Promise."

Pleased, you gave him a hug, telling him to look after himself and make sure he didn't stay out long, and he told you to be careful and come back if it got too dangerous. "I can turn him to ashes if he tries anything, you know," you told him, referring to Hongjoong.

"He can turn you to ice just as easily, so don't do anything stupid," Seonghwa pinched his nose bridge, already regretting ever agreeing and not stopping you- but he couldn't.

You left while the sun was rising, going north- you could feel the heat in the air and could feel where it was the coldest- north it was. You didn't need to wear much clothes to protect from the cold since you could warm yourself, but to prevent unwanted attention you had donned a long coat and boots- the latter being a necessity since the ice was getting thicker the further you travelled north.

It wasn't going to be a long journey- it would take two days at most, travelling on horses for the most part until you'd reach the mountains, which was when you'd had to resort to walking.

The mountains stretched some hundred miles, and you were worried just how you were going to find someone who you'd never seen- especially because you knew that when you'd get close, it'd confuse your senses and maybe you'd end up getting lost (not a big deal, you could find your way back somehow) or never finding him (big deal).

Or maybe he'd find you first- which was a big possibility. You'd have to mask your magic as soon as you were closer- but that would result in you feeling the actual cold. So you were weighing your options- risk getting detected by Hongjoong who you're going to find anyway, or risk freezing in the cold and maybe miss the chance to find him?

You shrugged- you'd go with the risk of getting detected. It could work as a shortcut.

The two days to the mountains were as uneventful as they could be. You had tagged along with two older women going in the same direction, exchanging food and gossip, from which you learnt more about what was going on in Wonderland.

You used to be the center of gossip, either as a subject or as a contributor. But ever since the incident 5 years ago, your life had changed. It wasn't the incident itself that changed your life but how people started treating you differently, which made you move and start fresh, Seonghwa soon following after you simply because he wanted a change too- and you were glad he had.

You learnt from the ladies that it was getting restless in the south- the water magicians were causing problems again just like 5 years ago, maybe to provoke the others or call out the fire princess for revenge for their brother. You listened with mundane curiosity, only nodding or reacting with a gasp sometimes, the ladies unknown to the fact that you were the fire princess they were talking about.

Once you reached the mountains and started travelling alone, you really started to feel the gravity of the situation. You really had no idea how the Ice Prince was going to be like. He could be ruthless. He really could kill you if you weren't fast enough. He could do anything to you.

For a while that you hiked, you mused about the other possibilities. Maybe he was just a kid, trying to get his powers in control- much like you had struggled in your early teens. Or maybe he was an old man who looked like cotton candy, all white hair and white beard- like the Santa Claus humans believe in.

Or he could be an angry old man too.

While you were snickering at the thought of the Ice Prince being a wrinkly old man, you reached the foothill of the mountain range, sighing when you looked up to the endless height all covered in a thick blanket of ice.

You sighed, clutching your necklace- a gift from your late mother which acted as a siphon, willing more heat into your body to keep yourself from freezing- it really was cold here. You noticed a group of men a few feet away, all bundled up, probably going their way up to hike too. Thinking it would be better to travel with a group rather than alone yet again, you decided to join them, stopping when a tall boy with dark hair and red streaks noticed you.

"You wanna go up the mountain?" He asked, scanning you once, and you could immediately feel his magic- something to do with water.

"Yep," you nodded, looking back at the group of men, "Are they all going?"

"We collect ice to sell, from the frozen lake. Blocks of ice," he told you, nudging you to follow him, "What's taking you up the mountains in such cold?"

"Just going to... visit a friend who lives in the north," you said casually, but he didn't miss your unintentional pause, and he didn't probe further either.

He introduced you to the old men, who laughed when you denied extra coats and mufflers from them, saying you had a 'little' affinity for fire magic and that would keep you warm.

"I hope it does, we don't want to bring your freezing corpse back," one of the men laughed.

"Uncle!" The boy- you had noticed the only young company they had- shook his head, "Don't mind him- he loves joking about death. It's how he rolls."

"I don't," you smiled, "So, what's your name?"

"Yunho," he smiled this time, and you thought he was incredibly cute for such a tall giant, "And you are?"

You told him your name, taking the stick he gave you as you started walking up, "What do you think about this never-ending winter?"

"To be honest, I'm kinda sick of it, even when business has been good lately," he smiled guiltily, eyes darting to the men as if afraid they'd hear him, "I miss summer."

"Me too," you sighed wistfully, "Even though winter was my favourite season, I'm beginning to hate it."

"I wish the Fire Princess could set his ass on fire," he snorted, making you laugh out loud, "He needs a taste of fire, this Ice Prince."

"Have you ever seen him? The Ice Prince, his name is Hongjoong, right?"

"So we've heard," Yunho said, offering you his hand as you stepped on a rock too high for you, "I haven't seen him, but he has-" he pointed to one of the men- the one with a rather aged face, he probably looked older than he actually was, "he's only seen him from afar, but he says you'd recognize him instantly."

"Because of his overwhelming magic?" You wondered.

"He lives up to his name," Yunho said, "Hair and skin as pale as snow. His eyes are... icy too."

"Oooo," you grinned, "Is he young?"

"What are you thinking?" Yunho wriggled his brows as he laughed and you shook your head, stifling your laugh, "He is probably in his 20s."

"Ah, I thought he was a... I don't know. Old man? Grumpy old ice man with a cold heart."

"That's what people usually tend to think," Yunho chuckled, "Much like the Fire Princess. People used to think she'd be a woman who'd be 'as hot as fire'. They were rather disappointed to find her only a scrawny teenager."

"And what's wrong with that? Everybody is a kid before they turn 'hot as hell'," you pouted, your voice giving away your disappointment and Yunho raised a brow.

"I suppose you have a point- I wonder where she is now. Have you ever had the chance to see or meet her?"

"Not really," you shrugged, "Have you?"

"Sadly, no," Yunho sighed wistfully, "I'd like to see her though."

"You wanna see if she is hot as hell?" You poked his arm, making him grin.

"No, I just... I have water magic, you know. Most of us have a grudge against her, you know the history," he told you, and you realized too late that you were treading on dangerous waters, literally.

"Do you think what she did was wrong?" You asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't, actually," he sighed deeply, "Our own people- the water mages were wrong. They have no right to control the flow of nature. I'm glad Wonderland was saved from the flood and destruction, but at the same time... I think it was unnecessary to make a spectacle of his death."

"Spectacle?" You gaped at him- what was he talking about?

"I heard she burned that water mage alive in front of hundreds of people," Yunho looked at you.

"Well, do you think she could have gotten away alive if she had?" You frowned, "Don't you think she would have been detained at the spot?"

"I don't know- I've heard a lot of versions of the event," Yunho admitted, "I don't know what to believe anymore."

You nodded- people had made various versions of the actual incident. And you were the last person who was going to tell them what really had happened.

After two hours of hiking, you all sat down in a circle to eat, and you lit them a fire, preventing it from burning off thanks to the strong wind at this height. They roasted chicken and vegetables on the fire, exchanging stories of their times in the mountain and you listened eagerly.

The men were a friendly bunch, you found out as you talked to them. They were pretty used to the snow since they worked in the mountains, and you learned that Yunho was one of the men's nephew, learning to adjust the temperature of his water magic- but none of them had water magic so Yunho was on his own.

"I could teach you," you offered, his eyes lighting up, "I have to control the temperature of my fire magic too- it should be the same thing."

"As much as I like the offer, is this really gonna come in handy to me?" Yunho wondered.

"Of course," you told him, "Think of the possibilities. You can extend your magic to ice and fire- you can freeze water and make vapours too- you can be the Ice Prince and Fire Princess, Yunho."

He giggled at that, making you join, "I like the sound of Fire Princess."

"I'm serious!" You laughed a bit, "Think about it- water so hot you could burn someone from the inside out- you know our bodies are one-third water."

"Why would I need to do that!" Yunho groaned, "I don't want to burn people alive!"

"You should always be prepared," your tone was grim, "You never know when someone is gonna come after you."

Yunho looked at you as you said that, a curious glint in his eyes. Just who were you? "Do you have people coming after you?"

"Fire magic is rare as it is, and in the winters it gets worse," you admitted, "Just like water magic- not rare but people take it for granted."

You travelled north along with the group until it was dark and they were tired, leading you to the cabin- you learned that there were such cabins for travellers and hikers situated every few miles, open to everyone. After a few fruits you decided to rest, tired from all the hiking you had done, your legs aching because you had never hiked such a long distance in one day.

The next morning, drinking some warm tea and eating fruits, Yunho told you that the rest of them were going to the lake only a few miles west from here.

"Are you still going north?" He asked, standing beside you as you peeked down from the height, wowing at the scene in front of you- it was winter wonderland, literally. The trees had icicles hanging from them, and everything in sight was just a beautiful shade of white.

"Yes, I don't know how long I have to go, but I have a map so I should be fine," you shrugged, and Yunho failed to stifle his smile, shaking his head as he put his hands in his pocket, and you narrowed your eyes at him, "What?"

"You do know there's nothing up north anymore, don't you?" He was grinning shamelessly now.

"Ah, is that so?" You shrugged, "I'll just explore a bit. I have to meet my friend a bit further up north."

"Hey, there's literally nothing up there. No cabins- no one is able to go further because of the blizzard. Are you sure you have a friend up there?"

You bit your lip, wishing Seonghwa was here- he would have saved your ass. You were not a good liar, opting to shut your mouth when you couldn't say the truth.

"You're going to the Ice Prince, aren't you?" Yunho was smiling.

"And why would I go to him? I haven't even seen the dude," you pouted.

"I have high suspicions of who you are, and don't try to deny it- you're a bad liar."

You pursed your lips, looking at him, "Whatever you're thinking, you're probably wrong."

"Maybe I am," he sighed, rather happy with how the situation turned out, "But you're not really denying anything either."

You looked at Yunho who was grinning in victory and you rolled your eyes, "Whatever. Yeah, I am going to see the Ice Prince and maybe I'll set his ass on fire too. Someone has to."

Yunho laughed, "Can I tag along? I'd love to see the sight."

You scanned him- he really was all positive vibes, chill and happy. You sensed no danger from him, and his presence was relaxing- something quite rare. "If you want to learn about your magic, you can tag along."

"Alright," he jumped happily, "I'm going to tell my uncle then- don't run away!"

You waved at him, sighing as you looked at the sun peeking from behind the clouds. Yunho really was different, considering he was a water mage too. He wasn't like the rest of them who were bitter towards all fire mages since the incident, and the fact that he didn't believe anything he heard about the incident said a lot about his personality.

Yunho came back with his bag and yours, taking out a muffler and wrapping it around his head and burying his nose inside too, "There's gonna be a strong blizzard up there. We'll freeze to death- unless you have a way to keep me warm. I'll probably be the only one dying- you won't let me freeze to death, will you?"

"I won't," you laughed at how his eyes searched your face, "Come on, I'll even teach you how to keep yourself warm with your own magic."

"Alright, I'll trust you on that- if you ditch me out in the cold, my uncle remembers your face- he told me to tell you that."

You saluted, grinning, "Alright, sir. Shall we?"

-----------------

"The storm's crazy," you shook your head, Yunho close by as you hiked up the snow- it was very thick and your boots were sinking in the snow much more than before, "What the hell is up with this Hongjoong?"

"I know right," Yunho shivered a bit- even when you had created a circle of warmth around the two of you, it still didn't stop the chill from entering your body. You weren't using all your magic though, keeping as much reserved as you could manage without getting sick in the cold, "Do you think he might be... I don't know- in some sort of trouble?"

"Let's hope not," you muttered. It was unlikely. He was probably being a little bitch and testing his powers here, unaware of the magnitude of it. Or maybe he was aware and doing this on purpose-

You paused- you didn't want the incidents from 5 years ago to repeat again.

"Is something wrong?" Yunho frowned, and you opened your mouth to speak but then shut up.

"Nothing," you managed to say, motioning him to carry on walking, "Just had a thought."

"Are you... worried about what's gonna happen when you do meet him?"

"Yeah," you nodded, "This could turn out really bad, actually. Now is the time to back out, Yunho."

"I tagged along to learn about my magic, so I think I'll stick," he said and you smiled at that.

Finding a little cave, the two of you went inside, eating the lunch box the uncles had packed you two, deciding to eat less to save the food for when you'll actually need it. You warmed water for both of you, sitting in front of a fire that burned without wood- suspended in the air.

"So, how much can you do with your magic currently?"

"I can handle the water part well," Yunho told you, crossing his legs, "Bending, controlling the flow- not the best with a large amount but I can handle it okay."

You nodded- it was good enough for a normal mage, "You're not from the original bloodline, are you?"

You were referring to the greater mages, as people called them. You and Hongjoong both were from the original bloodline, hence dubbed Prince and Princess of your elements. "Do you think I'd tell you if I was?"

You made an impressed face as Yunho grinned, shaking his head, "I'm not. I'm... normal."

"Way to phrase it," you muttered, "Okay, so considering you're 'normal', that's good enough. Can you manifest water right now and burn out this fire?"

Yunho nodded, raising his hand and concentrating for a few seconds, water forming in his hand drop by drop until it swirled around his hand and he sent it to the fire which burned out with a sizzle.

"Good," you said, and the fire burned again without you moving an inch, and Yunho gaped at you, "Can you manifest your magic without movement, with a thought?"

"I thought only the greater mages could do that," he raised a brow, but you shook your head.

"Anyone who's well trained can do that. It just requires a lot of focused concentration. You can learn that too. You'll need to use your imagination- picture creating a body of water in front of you. Your hand isn't the outlet actually- it just helps you with the focusing part."

"You're making it sound easier than it is," Yunho laughed nervously, "Should I try?"

"You can, but it's gonna take some time. Just try picturing it daily until you can feel it- it's gonna require a lot of glaring in the space- which is exactly what you're doing right now."

Yunho groaned- he had been glaring daggers at the fire. You shook your head as you smiled, "You don't need to be angry to manifest it either. It'll come naturally- don't forget to practice like 8 hours a day."

"8 hours!" Yunho wailed, and you glared at him.

"Do you want me to kick you down from where we came from?"

"No ma'am," he saluted, straightening, "So what about the temperature part?"

"That's harder than manifesting your magic with a thought, so I say you get to that first."

"Can you control your fire's magic?" He asked. You put your hand in front of Yunho, a flame drawing from your index finger, "Go ahead and touch it."

Yunho frowned at you, but you shook your head, "It's not gonna burn, I promise. Go ahead."

Skeptical, he put his fingers right above the flame as if feeling for heat, but you raised your finger and let the flame make contact with his skin, Yunho drawing his hand back reflexively, but then testing it himself, touching your flame, and then you lit your hand in cold fire.

"That's... amazing- it's only a little warm- how is it possible?"

"It can be hot too- hot enough to burn my own skin," you told him, "Your magic can hurt you too- never forget that."

Yunho stared at you- his suspicions about you were turning into belief and your show of magic abilities wasn't really helping your case. "You know what? I'm gonna assume you are the Fire Princess."

"But I'm not," you smiled.

"I'm gonna assume until I actually see the Fire Princess in front of me," he smiled, "Until then, you are her."

"Do I look like a Fire Princess though?" You wondered out loud, "People assume she has fiery red hair and eyes that glow like fire-"

"You're definitely looking like the scrawny kid they talk about," Yunho snickered, making you slap his arm.

"I'm not scrawny and definitely not a kid anymore!"

"You tell yourself that," he grinned, "But I'll say... your eyes. You do know they kind of glow whenever you use your magic more?"

You gaped at Yunho- "You're not serious."

Yunho gaped back at you, "Has no one told you that?"

You shook your head no, "I just don't really use my magic much, so I guess people didn't notice. The cold fire requires more strength so that's why you must have noticed."

"Well," Yunho shifted, "My case rests. No set of eyes glow even when you use all of your magic. I guess that rumour was true after all."

You raised a brow, "What rumour?"

"The water mages remember your eyes," Yunho said, "From when you steamed all the water."

"Oh," you nodded absently, looking at Yunho and realizing a second later that you had fallen in his trap when you saw him smirking, "But I'm not the Fire Princess."

"Whatever you say," he laughed, shaking his head and you laughed a bit too. You were going to keep denying it shamelessly.

As the two of you walked further up, you couldn't believe just how easily you had shown Yunho your magic and how relaxed you were with him. You wondered if it was because he reminded you of a younger you- back when you were still learning the strengths and weaknesses of your magic, so curious about how you could control it better. The two of you engaged in small talk as you walked, helping each other whenever a tough spot came, and you found the blizzard getting stronger than before, Yunho shivering now despite your circle of warmth.

"He must be close," you wondered, looking at Yunho and finding his teeth chattering- you couldn't increase the temperature of your warmth anymore- it would require too much magic, "You should have told me you were feeling cold, Yunho. Why didn't you?"

"Didn't want to bother you," he simply said, passing a weak smile.

"I would have been bothered more if I had to deal with your frozen corpse," you muttered, "Take off your gloves."

"Are you crazy?" Yunho frowned at you, hugging himself and you rolled your eyes.

"Take it off- just this one," you pointed to his hand beside you, and as he took off his glove, you took off your own, folding your fingers in his, raising your hands as you looked at your joined hands, "You're hands are... very big."

Yunho laughed out loud, "Yours are small," he squeezed your hands, muttering 'tiny', noticing that he had stopped shivering. "Is this easier than creating that circle around us?"

"This is nothing to me," you told him, "The circle required magic- this is just my subconscious, you could say."

Yunho nodded, thanking you for not letting him freeze, and you continued following the source of the blizzard which grew so strong that you had to melt any snow that made way to your face, asking Yunho if he could lend you some power.

"Don't drain me too much," he warned, "Otherwise you'll have to deal with my corpse."

"I know how much you hold, Yunho, don't worry," you told him and he nodded, lending you as much as you wanted, until you found another cave- it was getting dark so you decided to rest.

Once again, you built a fire on which Yunho cooked some raw chicken, you wowing because he had way too may food supplies in his bag- he was probably wearing all the clothes he owned at this point. As you two ate, Yunho asked you just what you planned to do once you were face to face with the Ice Prince.

"Ask him politely to put an end to this winter and keep it to the mountains," you sipped on your tea, "I haven't thought about what to do if he denies."

"You really came without a plan, didn't you?" Yunho shook his head, "How did that friend of yours even let you go?"

"He believed I'd set the Ice Prince on fire if he denied, so maybe I should do that?" You wondered, making him laugh.

"Okay, Princess," Yunho shook his head, and you once again denied you weren't the Fire Princess. "Come on, no one else other than the Fire Princess would dare confront the Ice Prince without a plan."

"Some people are just dumb and think they can rule the world, you know," you shrugged, "maybe I'm one of them."

"Maybe you're both," Yunho pointed, and you had to acknowledge that.

When you were done eating, you took out your sleeping bags, and you stood wondering what to do with your magic- you couldn't control the fire when you were asleep. Yunho looked at you from where he sat on his bag, yours next to him.

"Sorry to inconvenience you," you finally said, "But I can't hold the fire when I'm asleep. So... the only option you have is to stay in contact with my skin to keep you warm while we sleep."

Yunho shook his head at the way you worded that, smirking a little, "How do you suggest we do that?"

"Well," you took off your sweater, leaving you in a half-sleeved T-shirt, "just hold my hand or arm as we sleep- and if I turn... I don't know, man, do whatever it takes to stay alive at this point. I don't want to deal with your frozen corpse in the morning."

Yunho laughed at that, a little nervous, "Sorry for inconveniencing you, princess, but you brought this upon yourself when you offered to teach me magic," he said as you lay down beside him, sleeping bags side by side, burning the fire out, the moonlight slowly filling the cave and giving you a little vision as your eyes adjusted to the darkness, your hands joined as you lay side by side, "You're basically a walking furnace, aren't you?"

"I am, and don't you go calling me princess," you laughed a bit, "that sounds so weird."

"That's all I'm calling you from now," he grinned, and you told him to shut up and sleep, smiling as he squeezed your hand unconsciously.

----------------

You, of course, woke up with Yunho hugging you as the big spoon.

And oh, he was a big ass spoon. He was basically engulfing your figure, one arm draped over your waist and over your own arm, hand on your hand, and you lazily played with his hands as you took your time to wake yourself up fully.

You couldn't help but smile at your joined hands, feeling a little giddy inside- the events really had turned out so unpredictable. You hadn't expected to make a friend out of your journey, let alone feel like a stupid giddy teenager with hormones because a guy was sleeping with you like that.

You mentally slapped yourself- this wasn't your first time sleeping with a guy, technically. You and Seonghwa had a habit of lying down on bed and gossiping until you passed out- but Seonghwa really didn't count. You decided to blame your fluttering heart to the lack of love in your life- you had a habit of driving away anyone who tried getting closer. You really didn't want anyone to know you were the Fire Princess. It would have only caused complications. Plus, the town you now lived in was small, and all the guys around your age knew you liked being alone. You hadn't gotten much action the past few years, if you were being honest.

And here you were with the man who was calling you princess, having found out your deepest secret two days in staying with you. You thanked the force above that Yunho had no filter and was honest and rational, not doubting you even when he was a water mage. He was just... different. Nice.

Yunho unconsciously tugged at you, bringing you closer and you decided it was time to wake the hell up. You tried putting his arm up and sliding away, but it was heavy- you later realized he was awake.

"Good morning to you too," Yunho scoffed.

"You're so heavy, let me go!" You groaned, making him snicker as he finally put his arm up and you lit a fire, no longer in contact with Yunho, "someone slept really well."

"I did, actually," Yunho rubbed his eyes. His cheeks were flushed- morning face, you had seen it yesterday too. It was kinda cute.

"I'm hoping to find that little brat today," you referred to the Ice Prince, "so eat up to your fill. He better prepare a feast for us when we arrive."

Yunho laughed, "What's got you in a bad mood, princess?"

"Even I'm beginning to feel cold," you sighed, "And we're running out of food. If we don't find him today we'll have to go back."

"Alright," Yunho finally got up, "Let's do that."

Eating only an apple each for breakfast and running on coffee, you turned a notch down on your siphon, allowing you to access a bit more power as you and Yunho ascended the mountain, the blizzard now in full force and you had to hold Yunho's hand not only to keep him from freezing but also for his physical strength as he led you into the eye of the storm.

"There's no way he's doing this on purpose, unless he's an evil maniac," you shouted- you really couldn't hear each other well anymore due to the strong wind, "He must be in some sort of trouble."

"I think so too!" Yunho basically dragged you up, "Is this like when you lose control of your magic? Would you set the world on fire if you did?"

"Exactly like that," you confirmed, "I once nearly burned my own self and the whole house."

Yunho grimaced, and you kept moving forward- maps were useless. You both were utterly lost and maybe doomed too. You needed to get to the Ice Prince today and see what all this fuss was about.

It had been a few more minutes of walking to the apparent source when you sensed magic- and not of a single person, but-

There were at least 10 people with ice magic and other magic here.

You tugged at Yunho's hand and when he looked at you, you motioned him to stay quiet and went behind a big rock to take cover.

"There are at least 10 mages here," you began, "can you veil your magic so they won't sense you?"

"I've never needed to do that," Yunho looked sorry, but you shook your head and told him it was okay.

"We have to deal with them anyway- I'm sure you know basic offence and defence, right?"

Which was how you ended up using Yunho as a bait.

As a water mage, he could easily pass by as someone who came for the ice and isn't affected by the blizzard because most of the water mages can control ice to some extent too.

You were in front of a building- you didn't know what else to call it, it was all steel and rocks from the outside, and it was quite huge as well, like a mini-palace of sorts, probably built this way to keep the cold away. Three men were stationed at the entrance, two a few feet ahead and Yunho strolled in, saying hi all well-mannered, saying he was passing by for ice and talking about how the storm was so bad.

You didn't have much time- Yunho was barely keeping himself together, since he was no longer in contact with you and your magic that kept you warm. You couldn't risk his life. So as soon as the men relaxed from their tense position, playing along with pretending that they knew nothing about the storm, you came in range and sent some smoke their way, making them choke hard and pass out, Yunho running to you and holding your already extended hand hastily, teeth chattering.

"This was easier than I thought," Yunho commented.

"Only because they didn't feel me, and because you're an incredible actor," you grinned at him and he grinned back. "Now let's deal with the guards at the entrance- stick with me, okay? They won't sense me."

"Okay," Yunho said and you two walked right ahead, hoping the two men wouldn't notice the absent guards towards their left, and as soon as they noticed you, they came for you, but they were out when you choked them on the very air they breathed, and Yunho stood with his mouth hanging open, shaking his head at you.

“What?” You shrugged, unaware of the source of his surprise.

“There’s absolutely no way you’re not her,” he said, narrowing his eyes at you, “No fire mage could have as much control as you- suffocating the men without burning their lungs from the inside out? Who the hell trained you if you’re not her?”

“Let’s pretend you didn’t see that,” you pursed your lips in amusement, beckoning him forward, standing in front of the steel doors where you paused before you opened them, and turning towards him. “Now is the time to back out, Yunho. I don’t know how dangerous it can get from here, and I cannot guarantee your safety though I’ll try my absolute best, but… now is the time to reconsider this.”

Yunho huffed, jumping up and down enthusiastically, shivering once because he had let go of your hand, “I’m going in there with you, whether you like it or not, simply because you’re a tiny girl and I want to protect you.”

“This tiny girl could set your ass on fire,” you muttered, smiling as you opened the door, telling him to put up a defence because you were going full offence from here.

The lobby was huge, all ice and blue and white, a chandelier hanging in the middle. You had no time to admire the beauty of the interior- men after men came, hurtling their magic at you, sending sharp icicles that could slice your skin open but they melted before they came in your focus- you had a ring of fire around the two of you, and Yunho was glad for that. He wasn’t sure if his water magic was going to be any use in front of these very skilled ice mages.

“Who the hell are you?” One of the mages muttered, and you turned to him- a rather tall man with dark hair and even darker eyes, if that was possible.

“Who do you think?” You sent a shot of fire at him, but he put up an ice shield, making you stop, “Where is the Ice Prince? Take me to him.”

“As if,” he scoffed, “You’re not taking him anywhere- who sent you? Are you here to save him or kill him?”

Save him? Were you right about this?

You heard Yunho groan and you noticed he had just deflected a sharp icicle aimed for you, and you set the man on fire, leaving him gasping for air as he burned the fire out from within, which proved your theory that these men were not under-skilled.

You raised your hands- you really had no time for this chit-chat. In a matter of seconds, all the men in your vision were gasping for air and passing out, and you put the ring of fire out from around you.

“We need to lock them and tie them good,” you muttered, and Yunho immediately started dragging the men in a corner piling them in front of you- there were 6 of them.

This was not good.

As you bit your lips, thinking, Yunho looked at you, also waiting for an explanation. You finally sighed, “We don’t have much time- we should check to see where the Ice Prince is at before we think about what to do with this lot. They’ll stay out for a while. Let’s go.”

You and Yunho made your way around, checking room after room, until Yunho found a narrow passageway that led upstairs to a tower-like structure you had managed to see a glimpse of from the outside. You took the lead, Yunho right behind you, and you noticed it was getting colder and colder- frost covered the walls in decorative patterns. You squeezed Yunho’s hand- he would freeze without you.

There was a single door, and you could instantly feel the strong presence inside, as could Yunho as he looked at you. “It’s too dangerous,” you told him, taking off your necklace- the siphon and putting it around his neck, “This should keep you warm- go downstairs while I deal with this.”

“But it’s too dangerous for you alone-“

“No buts,” you shushed him, “Trust me, I got this. Now go. I don’t want to drag your corpse out now, do I?”

Yunho smiled, trusting you and before he started to go down, you stopped him, “Do not touch the necklace’s notch. You’ll find this building on fire if you do, so be careful.”

“Oh- is this a siphon?” Yunho asked and you nodded, and he raised his brow as if to say ‘you keep proving my point’, grinning as he ran downstairs.

You breathed, turning around and touching the doorknob, melting the locks and opening the door after a moment-

You did not expect to see the Ice Prince chained to the walls, head on his knees, making himself appear smaller than he was, his silver hair- almost white- falling messily, icicles hanging from his hair-

Gosh, he was freezing himself.

You walked to him cautiously- it looked like he was unconscious. Slightly poking him, you realized that either he was, or he was out for a moment, but the sudden irrational fear crawled inside you that there was a possibility that he was only a step away from death.

“…Hongjoong?” You tried calling him but he didn’t respond, and you gently pushed his figure to the back, revealing his face-

Gosh, he was… beautiful- even when frost was covering his eyelashes and his lips were blue and frosted. You touched his face- he was freezing from the inside out, and the gauntlets on his hands didn’t help, especially since they looked like they were made to block his magic, the iron covering his hands completely, his arms falling limply to his side.

Biting your lips, you pulled at the chains- you’d had to melt them without burning them, but it was too risky. You didn’t want to burn his hands, so you only melted the chain from near the wrists and his gauntlets, freeing him from the wall, and then you lay him down, putting a hand on his forehead and sending a little spark of fire inside him- enough to start the process of waking him up from his frozen state. You took out a kerchief, wiping his eyes as the frost on his eyelashes melted, then wiping his face as colour seeped through his skin, and you realized he wasn’t as pale as you thought he’d be.

The room was still ice-cold, making your breath materialise in the air, so you decided to start with putting the temperature of the room down, getting up and walking to the window as you started to melt the ice-

You didn’t even hear him wake up from his sleep and you only turned when it was too late-

He was upon you and pushed you, making you instinctively hold on to him as the window shattered and you two were then hurtling out to your death- your screams ringing in the air as he tried to choke you, realizing his hands were still blocked.

You only had time to scream, “I’m here to save you, you fucker!” before Hongjoong’s eyes changed, and he put his blocked hand out, making an icy slide to save you from breaking your head open on the rock (or save himself, probably, because he had plans to kill you) and then you two were rolling down on the soft snow, halting slowly and you coughed, spitting ice out from your mouth, finding Hongjoong on top of you, pinning your hands down.

“Who sent you?” He practically growled, his icy blue eyes burning you.

“I came to save you, you idiot,” you groaned, kicking him on the stomach and pushing him off, sending him moaning in pain loudly as he clutched at his stomach- he was probably weak right now, “I came to end this never-ending winter and see what got your icy ass in trouble, and you- you decide to push me out of that freaking tower?”

“Then why are my hands still inside this?” He put them in the air as if proving a point, and you rolled your eyes.

“I’m a fire mage, for fuck’s sake. I could burn the flesh off your hands if I tried breaking that. You’d like that, I’m sure.”

He stared at you for a moment, the icy wind circling around you two as you realized you were in the eye of the storm, and you raised your brows impatiently. He sighed, “How do I get this thing out?”

“I don’t know, man, try breaking it,” you groaned, getting up and squealing in pain as you saw the shards buried in your arms, “I’m gonna kill you later.”

He said nothing, and you shook your head because the only shard of broken glass he had gotten was on his cheek, sending blood trickling down, already frozen to his skin.

Yunho came outside, calling your name and Hongjoong instinctively sent a bolt of ice in his direction, which you melted before it could cut him, glaring daggers at him. “That’s my friend, you idiot. We mean no harm. Stop acting like a brat while we figure this out."

Hongjoong only sighed, bringing his knees to his chest again as Yunho rushed to you, examining your hurt state, glaring at Hongjoong. “I have healing magic- let me try healing your arms."

You nodded- most water mages had an affinity for healing. Yunho pulled the pointy shards out of your skin, healing them with a swipe of his finger over the open wound. By the time he was done you were seething in pain and anger, dimming it down a notch when you saw the guilty look in Hongjoong’s eyes.

“You gonna tell me why you were locked in that tower?” You asked, and Hongjoong sighed.

“Where are the ice mages?”

“Out cold, but not for too long,” you said.

“They planned to kill me, but I am too powerful, so they were trying to weaken me before getting rid of me.”

“You in your weakened state have put the entire land in eternal winter,” you muttered.

“I’m sure you like the cold,” Hongjoong raised his brow, “Fire Princess.”

Yunho met your eyes, and you pursed your lips- no point denying it now, really. “I may like the cold but it got too much for everyone, Hongjoong. And you…. You were freezing from the inside. You do know that you were only a step away from death, don’t you?”

Hongjoong’s eyes flashed, and you realized that he had no idea, “You really mean me no harm?”

“Unless you try to kill me or my friend here, no, I mean no harm.”

Hongjoong sighed, getting up, “We should lock the men first. Do not underestimate their skills. We can get to this…” he looked at his shackled hands, “later.”

With that, the three of you went inside, Yunho dragging them to the nearest room and you helping while Hongjoong watched, and when they all were in the same room, Hongjoong looked at the ceiling, drawing sharp icicles down and trapping them such that they couldn’t move without hurting themselves or killing themselves, and you whistled- he wasn’t joking around.

“Now,” Hongjoong said as the three of you went to the lobby, “How do you suggest I get rid of these?”

You thought for a minute, “Try freezing them and breaking them?”

“You could try melting them,” Yunho suggested.

“It’s too risky, I’d burn him,” you bit your lips, but Yunho was shaking his head.

“If you can suffocate the men without burning their lungs, you can surely try breaking this without melting him too.”

Hongjoong raised a brow at that, but you shook your head. It was too risky.

“What if,” Hongjoong began, “You melt from the outside and I freeze from the inside? It’s gonna break it, right?”

“Technically, it should, but don’t blame me if I burn you,” you put your hands in the air and Hongjoong only shrugged to give you an okay.

Taking his imprisoned hands, you looked at him, finding his eyes glowing as he focused on controlling the amount of magic he sent, and you realized your eyes must be glowing too- did they glow like fire? You shut your eyes, focusing on feeling your magic, stopping when you felt the ice of Hongjoong’s and working backwards from there, until the iron started crumbling in your hands.

Hongjoong flexed his hands, making an impressed face at you, “Thank you, I guess.”

“You guess?” You sighed, but smiled. He must have been through a lot for him to be like this- so distrustful of everyone.

“Make yourself at home,” Hongjoong offered.

“Don’t tell me this is your home,” you frowned.

“It has to be,” Yunho smiled, “I mean, look at that,” he pointed at the chandelier, and you noticed that it was made of ice- blue flame glowing in the middle that could only be the flame of ice rather than of fire.

“You live alone, and these- people, they came for you, why?” You looked at him, “Also if this is your home I’m expecting there is food here because I am famished.”

Hongjoong scoffed, leading you to the kitchen, groaning at the mess the men had made of his home, “Has no one come for you yet? I mean, you are the Fire Princess. You don’t pretend to be someone else, do you?”

You looked guiltily as Yunho who grinned, “And what if I do? Should I have built myself a fire palace and set the whole land on fire?”

Hongjoong winced, “I did not sent the blizzard on this land on purpose, Princess. You must know. And you still haven’t answered my question.”

Hongjoong put some fruits on the table and you and Yunho took the frozen fruits, you touching them lightly to make them normal before you started eating the strawberries and the grapes, “No one except the water mages come after me- you know because of what happened 5 years ago. But I’ve been living in peace for quite a while now.”

Hongjoong looked suspiciously at Yunho- after all, he was a water mage too. “You won’t be in peace for longer. There’s been a… movement going on, you could say. They’re planning to get rid of the original bloodlines. They’ve already killed my uncle, who was the only remaining member of the original family apart from me here in Wonderland. Do you have someone in your family?”

“Well, they all died 4 years ago- just how long has the movement been going on?” You frowned- your parents had died a rather suspicious death. You had tried finding out more but you had no idea and found no clue.

“Long enough,” Hongjoong said, as if to tell you that your family’s death might have to do something with that, “The other originals have all left this land for the fear of their life. It’s only you and me now, Princess.”

You rolled your eyes at how he called you princess- as if he was being sarcastic, nothing like the endearing way Yunho called you. “What do you suggest then, Prince? If they got you, they could get me too.”

“Well, lucky for you, there are only a few fire mages around here. Their plan was to fight ice with ice, fire with fire, you know the deal. But they’ll come after me- these were only a few men. The rest are coming soon, so we should get the hell away from here as soon as possible.”

“And go where? With you looking like… this,” you scanned him, and he raised his arms.

“Me looking like what?”

“Like the Ice Prince,” you looked at Yunho, “Tell me someone will look at him and not make the connection right away.”

“She’s right,” Yunho said, “You look like the Ice Prince. Your hair and eyes kind of give you away.”

“So?” Hongjoong pointed at you, “Her eyes turn amber and glow when she uses her magic!”

“But she could pass as a normal fire mage, you, on the other hand… it’s gonna be hard.”

Hongjoong groaned and you looked at Yunho in amusement, “I’m so glad I look normal enough.”

“Well,” Hongjoong put a cherry in his mouth, “Is there somewhere we can go and lay low for a while?”

You noticed how Hongjoong had casually joined your gang and was going to follow you wherever you go. You looked at Yunho, “Why am I so tempted to ditch him here?”

“Hey!” Hongjoong looked offended, “Fine, I can go my way. Don’t come crawling to me when they come after you!”

“Crawling?” You scoffed, “You don’t come crawling to me when they get you again! Oh wait- you won’t be able to. You’d just set the whole world on ice and hibernate.”

Yunho snorted, failing to hold his laugh as the two of you bickered back and forth, finally getting up and stopping you two from jabbing fingers at each other’s faces. “Okay, okay, stop. We go together from here- it’s better to stick together.”

“You’re not the Water Prince, are you?” Hongjoong eyed Yunho suspiciously.

“I’m not,” Yunho raised his hands, and Hongjoong eyed the necklace he was wearing, making Yunho look at you and take the necklace off.

“I almost forgot,” you breathed, putting the necklace around yourself, you had been warming the room subconsciously anyway, “Anyways, we should definitely leave this place. As much as I hate it, the only place I got is where I live right now, so… let’s go there and plan from there. And Hongjoong? Please try putting this blizzard out if you can help it. But take it down bit by bit- I don’t want anyone to be suspicious of you.”

Hongjoong nodded- he could do that.

Packing food for the journey and asking Hongjoong to cover himself like a normal man who gets cold, the three of you left the house, Hongjoong icing the door shut and sending a mini blizzard around the house for precautionary measures.

You and Yunho naturally took the lead, Hongjoong following close by as you discussed which route to take.

"Should we drop by the site?" Yunho asked, mentioning the cabins where the men who had accompanied you up would be, "We could get a hot meal definitely."

"Let's do that, I'm starting to abhor the idea of more fruits," you muttered.

"Won't it be too suspicious if I drop by?" Hongjoong almost mumbled as if he didn't really want you to hear that, but you did, and you pursed your lips.

"Just blend in, can you? If anyone asks, your name is... Jongho. Can you do that?"

"I don't know about the 'blending in' part," Hongjoong shrugged and you glared at him.

"That is the least you can do for all of us."

"Now don't you go giving me shit about my appearance. You should have been born with hair the colour of fire. You'd know how it'd feel to stick out like a sore thumb then."

You glared at him, "I'm not giving you shit about your appearance, Prince. All I'm asking of you is to act friendly when you meet anyone and try to keep a low profile. Not so hard, is it?"

"It is, Princess, because everyone seems to recognize me no matter how hard I try to stay low. I'm sure you of all people know how that feels."

"Now, now," Yunho stepped in between you two, patting your back to calm you down, "Those men won't say a word if I ask them to."

"They better not," Hongjoong only kept glaring at you and you made a face when you had enough, making him snort, "So very charming."

"I wonder what's keeping me from setting your smartass on fire," you sighed.

"I'd like to see you try, Princess. Let's see whose fire burns more," Hongjoong's eyes glowed, and Yunho waved his hands awkwardly between you two.

"I'm changing the topic. So where are we going?" Yunho asked you.

"I live south, near the sea," you smiled a bit when you thought of home, "I own a bookstore café. Try not to ruin the warm atmosphere of that place when I take you there, will you, Prince?"

He only snorted, ignoring you, and you continued, "I have a friend who practically lives there. I think you and him will get along well."

"Me and him?" Hongjoong frowned, "and why do you think so?"

"You'll see when we get there," you smirked, and Hongjoong straightened as if to say no force on this Earth could do so.

----------------

You could barely keep your laughter in when you saw Hongjoong obeying Seonghwa- it wasn't that Seonghwa was ordering him around, but when he'd give him a simple task like 'hand me that', or 'get me that from outside', Hongjoong would find himself doing the task without complaining.

You supposed the poor boy had been alone long enough and found something comforting about Seonghwa- everybody seemed to. There was just something about Seonghwa's nature that was so caring and motherly that everyone found themselves comforted by his presence.

You recalled when Hongjoong had challenged you when you'd said he'd get along well with Seonghwa. He'd been so persistent on not getting along with you, at least. Even Yunho and him would share a giggle over jokes every now and then, but you?

You wondered if Hongjoong hated you. Sometimes he'd listen to what you said, but sometimes he'd act like a... brat and spoil your mood. You wonder if he annoyed you on purpose.

He had definitely annoyed you all the way down from that damned mountains of the north. He had failed to keep a low profile in the cabin and Yunho had to ask the uncles to keep their secret because of the threat on your heads, which had led them to make the connection about you too. Though they were impressed and maybe a little intimidated by the presence of two of the originals, they had treated you two well, giving you warm meals and a place to sleep as a thanks for keeping them all warm during your trip up.

You had made it back without much happening, and when you entered your home with the two boys, Seonghwa's jaw had dropped.

"So which one of them is your boyfriend?" Was the first thing that Seonghwa had asked and the two had immediately burst into laughter and groans while you had scolded Seonghwa and told him all about what happened as he made you all coffee and gave you something to eat.

"So he's the Ice Prince," Seonghwa smiled, "Nice to meet you. You look younger than I thought."

"And how old did you think I'd be?" Hongjoong out one leg over the other.

"I don't know- I used to think my age- I guess you are. But she-" he pointed at you, "used to imagine a wrinkly old man, so my ideas mixed a bit..."

"Wow," Hongjoong shook his head at you, "I don't remember thinking of the Fire Princess as a wrinkly old hag."

"I don't remember thinking of the Fire Princess as a scrawny kid, but here we are," Yunho sighed and you yelled at the two, tempted to throw your dessert at them but Seonghwa calmed you down with a touch, and you only huffed.

Seonghwa had told stories about your pasts, especially embarrassing stories about how you'd set everything you touched on fire when you were recovering from the incident 5 years ago, having a laugh over it as he showed off his burns that he got from you proudly.

"These are friendship marks," Seonghwa showed them off as if it was a badge. You rolled your eyes as the others shook their head at you, disappointed.

"I should have friendship marks too," you muttered, feeling sorry for Seonghwa. He had refused to let go of the scars even though he could have gotten them healed, saying it was a reminder that you got through the hard times with him, and your own burns, which Seonghwa didn't mention because they were too personal, were a reminder of that. Seonghwa looked at you pointedly as if to remind you of your own burns, and Hongjoong didn't miss that look.

You had two rooms in your house at the back of the bookstore, so the guys decided to share the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts in your room, the smaller of the two with a queen sized bed and a table at one end, not much to the room.

The next day was busy for you- you had to go out in the town for supplies and to catch up on the gossip which would reveal if Hongjoong was right about this uprising- if you could call it that- and see if people were suspicious about your guests.

When you came back, Seonghwa had already prepared a meal for the four of you, and you instantly slumped in the chair, telling Seonghwa about how your day was, and Hongjoong watched you two interact with curiosity- the way you and Seonghwa rolled was too smooth and natural. Even Yunho fit right in and he sometimes felt like an outsider.

After eating, Seonghwa was instructing Hongjoong to pick up the dishes and telling him where to put what, which was why you were holding back your amusement. They really got along well, and you were glad, though you could feel Hongjoong still felt awkward.

You and Hongjoong were still arguing with each other every moment you had a chance, calling each other prince and princess like it was a curse word, and though Yunho and Seonghwa would try to calm you down, they decided to team up and enjoy watching you bicker back and forth instead as they sipped on their drinks.

"You set your own hair on fire!" Hongjoong laughed as he recalled a story Seonghwa had told him, "Is this why your hair is so dark but looks like rust in the sunlight?"

"Says the person who put on frost mascara," you raised a brow, "I should have plucked your unbelievably pretty lashes when I had the chance."

"At least you acknowledge they're pretty, Princess," Hongjoong smirked.

"Crazy how the only thing remotely pretty about you are your lashes, but your ugly personality is just so overpowering that I only noticed your lashes when you were almost dead. Now what does that say about you?"

Yunho hooted, Seonghwa giving him a clap saying 'that's my girl', and Hongjoong clenched his jaw.

"I don't know if you're trying to flirt with me or fight with me," Hongjoong muttered, and you pretended to throw up.

"Flirt with you? I'd rather set my own self on fire, Prince."

"Would you now?" Hongjoong leaned in a bit, "Interesting."

"What is your problem?" You leaned in as if trying to figure him out, "Do you want me to hate you? Because you're doing a damn good job."

"You're really the Princess of Fire, aren't you?" Hongjoong smirked, "It's just so easy to get you all hot and angry, it's tempting, really."

"And you really are the Prince of Ice, aren't you?" You leaned back, "Should I melt that frozen heart of yours?"

"You're really bad at this," Seonghwa ended up laughing painfully, making all of you laugh with him, "I really can't tell if you're fighting or flirting anymore."

"I can't either," Yunho wiped his eyes from laughing too hard, "She really sucks at this."

Hongjoong danced in his seat in victory, but Seonghwa shook his head at him, "Your retorts are too weak, Hongjoong. You both are unbelievable."

"Hey!" Hongjoong yelled at him, "At least I'm not the one subtly flirting!"

"I'm not flirting!" You glared at him, the fire in the fireplace catching intensity, "You know perfectly well what I meant!"

"Yeah, go ahead, melt my frozen heart, Princess," Hongjoong grinned, pausing when your eyes glowed, and Seonghwa realized what was happening, instantly rushing to you and putting his hand on your shoulder but shrieking in pain because you were burning.

You hadn't meant to lose control, but something about Hongjoong... and the way he worded that- it reminded you of a particular incident from 5 years ago when you had that fight with the Water Prince, and you were triggered- you were feeling so hot. You were burning from the inside.

"Yunho- can you bring cold water, quick!" Seonghwa's eyes were wide with worry, and Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa in confusion and worry, then looked at you with your eyes glowing and hair rising as smoke seeped out from your skin, making you get up and fall on your knees on the floor.

Seonghwa noticed the guilt behind Hongjoong's eyes, "It's not you, Hongjoong. She went through something in the past- sometimes she gets triggered and this happens."

"Is there something I can do? She's burning from the inside, isn't she?"

Yunho came inside with a bucket of cold water and Seonghwa placed it in front of you, using his shadow-phantom hands to place your hands inside the water but it instantly evaporated, and before one of them could get up and get more, Hongjoong leaned in front of you, motioning to Seonghwa that it was okay.

"Hey," Hongjoong said softly, calling your name- you could hear him call your name but it felt as light as a whisper because of the roaring in your ear and the pain in your chest- you couldn't breathe. Hongjoong tried taking your hand but you shook your face absently as you flinched away, trying to tell him to be careful, but he took your searing hot hands anyway, and you reveled in how cold they were.

"It's okay, you can't burn me," Hongjoong whispered, taking your other hand as well and sending the cold inside your skin bit by bit, until you started to shiver and then fell unconscious on his lap.

"Well," Seonghwa wowed, "This definitely saved me from dragging her out and burying her in the snow and worrying my ass off for hours until she got okay."

Yunho winced as he heard that, "That bad?"

Seonghwa nodded, taking your limp figure in his arms, "Let's get her upstairs."

Hongjoong and Yunho followed, opening the door to your room and he lay you on the bed, spreading your blanket over you, checking to see if your necklace was okay. The other two looked around your room, finding it strangely empty as if no one lived here, only a few of your belongings in sight.

"She doesn't like getting attached to a place," Seonghwa explained, "she won't admit it but she's gotten very attached to her café."

"I can see why," Yunho nodded, "she practically lives there. This is only for sleeping, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," he smiled, "Let's go to sleep- it's late. She'll be out cold for a while too."

Hongjoong couldn't really sleep that night- he kept recalling how your eyes changed and you went in that trance, and something about it reminded him of when he was first caught and had given up, hence setting this never ending winter in motion.

Feeling a bit stuffy, Hongjoong decided to go out and get some air, wearing snow boots if he changed his mind for a walk, almost screaming when he shut the door, took a turn and saw you sitting in the snow with your knees drawn to your chest and bare feet and legs buried in the snow.

"Gosh, you scared me," Hongjoong muttered and scared you, making you flush because you hadn't expected to get caught sitting here like this. He sat beside you, "Are you... okay?"

"I am... I don't know," you looked away from him, "I still feel like I am on fire."

Hongjoong touched your hand to check- you weren't completely normal, you were still hot as if you were running a fever. "Do you always come and sit in the snow like this?"

"Seonghwa buries me in the snow or puts me in the tub and piles ice on me," you muttered, finding yourself laughing a bit at that and Hongjoong joined, "Usually does the trick, as stupid as it sounds."

"How long have you been out here?"

"An hour or more," you admitted, and Hongjoong shook his head.

"Let me..." he looked at you for permission and you nodded. He took your hand, interlacing his fingers with you, staring at your joined hands. "Does the siphon not work properly?"

"It does, it's just... the fire magic is too much for me. I feel like I wasn't build to handle it."

"You're built for the fire magic," Hongjoong assured you, "You have to embrace it. I don't wear a siphon- they did no good at keeping my own magic in control."

"Well," you scoffed, "You almost froze yourself too."

"I was trapped, of course I did. I felt helpless. But you... I won't ask what happened unless you want to tell me, but whatever happened... don't hate your magic because of that."

You stared at him, his eyes almost dark blue as tendrils of his hair fell over them. "Have you ever hated yours?"

"More times than I'll admit," he sighed, "with people like us... our relationship with magic really is a love-hate one, isn't it?"

You smiled as you nodded, already feeling better as you felt your body getting cooler, "It is. I think this winter was the first time I felt my magic was a blessing."

Hongjoong nodded- Seonghwa had mentioned something about how you were secretly making the fire in all the fireplaces in the town warmer, "I guess something good did come out of all this. But can I ask you something?"

You looked at him and he hesitated a bit before asking, "You could have left me to die. There was no reason for you to save me."

You heard the question behind that statement good and clear. You squeezed his hand, "You reminded me of myself. Nobody should have to die like that, all alone engulfed by their own magic. I knew the risk- I knew you could be a madman who was having fun with this winter, but even if you were, I couldn't leave anyone like that."

Hongjoong nodded, but it still didn't make sense to him. Were you just being kind? What was your reason? You laughed as you saw his confused state, "I didn't need a reason to save you, Hongjoong, it's as simple as that."

Hongjoong smiled not at your answer but because it was perhaps the first time you had called him by his name and not a sarcastic spat of his nickname 'prince'. As if you had heard his thoughts, you surprised him by saying, "Don't let it get to you, Prince."

Hongjoong laughed out loud for the first time in a while, and you smiled at how endearing and lively his laugh was.

"You know you sound better when you're laughing and not being an ass," you commented.

"Don't get used to it, Princess," he raised a brow at you and you rolled your eyes.

You didn't take your hand away from each other even when the both of you knew that there was no need to keep holding them anymore.

-----------------

If you had thought that last night's interaction was going to shift your hot-and-cold relation with Hongjoong, you were very wrong because the two of you were back to nonsensical bickering as if last night hadn't happened at all.

"Why would you waste your energy on boiling water again and again when all you could do was touch it!" Hongjoong threw his hands in the air, "Tell me, Yunho, how does this make sense?"

Yunho looked at you as if to ask you for your explanation, and you began, "Not everyone flaunts their magic at every opportunity, you cold piece of shit who sends blizzards out just for the heck of it."

Yunho snorted, "But he didn't do that on purpose?"

"I'm not talking about this time, I've seen enough random blizzards to know which were natural and which weren't," you glared at Hongjoong as if to prove your point, who didn't say anything because you were right, and then you turned to Yunho, "And you! Whose side are you on!"

"No one's," Yunho laughed, clearly enjoying this, "Was just asking, calm down."

"You're telling her to calm down? That's like asking fire not to burn you," Hongjoong muttered.

"Shut up and come for lunch," Seonghwa called and the three of you immediately got up, joining Seonghwa at the table, and Yunho commented on how Seonghwa was basically the mother of this house.

"I am, and what about it?" Seonghwa grinned proudly, making even Hongjoong smile.

"He loves doing this," you dig into the bowl of rice, "you should see him clean this place, he cleans as if-"

"I'm gonna have to stop you there," Seonghwa warned you and you immediately shut up, "Anyways, Hongjoong, can you tell me more about the people who are rebelling against the original bloodline? Because I think I have something to tell you guys."

"What is it?" You asked, but Hongjoong began.

"There are a very few originals and most of them have left this land to blend in with the humans, which I believe is because they got wind of the uprising, if you can call it that," Hongjoong glanced at you, "She and I are currently the only ones remaining, and since she... killed the Prince of Water-"

"But she did not kill the Prince of Water," Seonghwa said as if he was stating the obvious, and both Hongjoong and Yunho looked at you, Yunho more in surprise and Hongjoong more in amusement.

"Is that what she told you?" Hongjoong raised a brow, and Seonghwa put his chopstick down a bit too furiously, glaring at Hongjoong.

"I am an eye-witness, and if you do not believe this, you can get out of this house right now."

"Seonghwa, there's no need-"

Seonghwa only raised his hand, looking at Yunho and Hongjoong as if daring them to challenge his statement, and Hongjoong stared between you and Seonghwa back and forth as you said, "I told you, Seonghwa, that there is no need to keep defending me. I may not have killed the Prince but he died because of me-"

"He did not," Seonghwa glared at you this time, shutting you up- you two had argued enough about this already, "So?"

"I believe you," Yunho said and you looked at him in surprise, "If you had really killed him and made a 'spectacle' out of it, you would have killed me or Hongjoong too. You're far too kind and nice to have done that."

You felt the sudden urge to hug Yunho but instead found yourself waiting for Hongjoong's answer, and his icy blue eyes scanned you, "I mean... if you say so. Just saying what I heard."

"Well, I hope you get your facts straight," Seonghwa smiled as if nothing had happened and urged Hongjoong to continue, which he did hesitantly, "So the Prince of Water is dead... right?" You nodded, "That leaves only the two of us, as far as I know. I don't know how they haven't found you yet, but they got to me first- they have been after me for quite a while now. I just thought it was petty revenge or something at first but I heard the gossips, I heard them talk, so I know that it's a thing now."

"But what are they going to get from getting rid of us?" You frowned, "I mean, it's not like we're ruling this land or taking over their properties or something. We're just... kids, trying to live a normal life."

"That's what you and I know, and that's what people who know us know," Hongjoong looked at Yunho and Seonghwa, "But if I have to blame someone, I have to blame the Prince of Water. He strengthened the belief that the original bloodline thinks of themselves as superior and wants to change the flow of nature and whatnot. You know all that he did, don't you?"

Yunho nodded, "Most of the water mages weren't on his side, but when he started threatening his own kind... there was nothing we could do. And only the people close to the Prince know of how things got bad to the extent that the Princess of Fire had to intervene and put a stop to this, but that only enraged them, mostly because they thought that as water mages, they should have been the one to stop him, and because they suspected her intentions, that she was going to follow in his footsteps."

"That makes sense..." you nodded as you tried to digest all the information.

"What I don't understand is," Yunho began, shifting so he was facing you, "Why you weren't denying the rumours. What really happened that day, princess?"

Hongjoong raised a brow at how he'd called you princess- Yunho hadn't called you that much since you'd arrive here- hadn't been too long so you didn't feel awkward about it, but even Seonghwa smiled at the contrast between Yunho's and Hongjoong's way of calling you princess.

You pursed your lips, looking at Seonghwa- would they believe you? Seonghwa nodded- you knew he was urging you to try, and whether they believed you or not would say a lot about them and where you all stood.

But that's what you were afraid of. Yunho was your friend, and you knew it would hurt if he didn't believe you. Even Hongjoong, who was a little shit if you could sum it up, was something like a friend now and you cared about what they thought of you.

"It was my father- he told me to put an end to all this. He was sick- he had a leg problem so he couldn't go out and solve this feud with the Prince of Water. Apparently our fathers went way back. Anyways, I didn't expect things to spiral out of control- it started with a normal conversation with the water mages, some of my friends including Seonghwa with me. But then... it was like he was possessed. He started fighting with his own friends and it got physical, and then he took off his siphon and lost control. His mother had air magic so she tried to change the direction of the incoming flood but it was no use- she asked me to step in."

You sighed as you recalled the events, a shiver running down your spine, "I made the hurricane evaporate before it could touch the land, but somehow... it burned the Prince too."

"What do you mean?" Yunho frowned.

"Make a water ball," you asked Yunho, and he raised his hand in the air, making a water ball swirl in the air, and you sent fire for it, making it evaporate.

"It didn't hurt you, right?" You asked, and Yunho nodded, "But somehow, it burned the Prince. I didn't even realize- I turned and he was burning as if I'd set him on fire."

"But that's... impossible," Hongjoong frowned, "There's no way that could have happened."

"I saw it," Seonghwa looked grim, "I know she was only focusing on the flood- I could feel her magic better than anyone else since I'm familiar with it. But the Water Prince... I have suspicions that she was framed. That this was all a grand scheme to frame the Fire Princess but I was always confused because why would they need to do that?"

"Until you heard about the uprising," Yunho finished.

Seonghwa nodded, "I heard gossips too- even though I didn't tell you," he looked at you, "but it seemed too far fetched of an idea. But what Hongjoong went through, trapped for months... while you were gone, a few men came in this town asking if there was a fire mage here. I asked them what made them think so, and they said the fire is warmer than normal fire."

"And only a fire mage could have felt that," you narrowed your eyes as you leaned forward and tried to connect everything, "do you think even fire mages are in league with the uprising?"

"Mages of all kinds," Hongjoong assured you, "In fact, the ice mages were going to fetch a fire mage to end me, which was why I attacked you when I gained consciousness."

"I still don't hear you apologizing about it, you ass."

"Why should I? It was defence."

"It's called defence when someone attacks you in the first place!" You looked at him with disbelief in your eyes as he grinned shamelessly, throwing a little spark of fire for him which he caught between his fingers and turned to a snowflake, sticking his tongue out at you.

"You kids," Seonghwa shook his head, "Maybe the men came to fetch you to be the fire mage that ends Hongjoong, since they wouldn't have known that you were also the other original they needed to end."

"Plausible," Yunho commented, "Which means they'll be back."

Silence fell as you all thought about it, "Should we be prepared?"

You looked at Yunho, "I don't know. Should we?"

"It would be wise to prepare- you don't want to go through what I went through," Hongjoong looked at you, "it's not like you can hibernate yourself. Or would you turn yourself toast?"

You turned to him haughtily, "Do not test me, Prince."

"Hongjoong," Seonghwa warned, shaking his head, and Hongjoong was about to protest but he realized why Seonghwa was shaking his head- something about him taunting your magic would trigger you again, which led him to think just what had you gone through again.

"Anyways," Yunho got up, feeling the thick tension in the air, "We have two originals here, so we're better and stronger than anyone who comes. We just have to be careful and watch our backs for now, don't we?"

Seonghwa nodded and you got up as well, "I need to go to the market. Does anyone wanna come?"

Both Yunho and Hongjoong raised their hands and you folded your arms as you looked at Hongjoong, "Give me one solid reason why I should let you accompany me."

"And why aren't you asking Yunho?" Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at you.

"Because he won't be a pain in my ass during the short trip, Prince," you told him and Yunho did a silly dance to further spice it up between you two.

"I'll be on my best behaviour," Hongjoong promised.

You should have known he meant it sarcastically.

"You eat mint-choco?" Hongjoong made the most disgusted face he could muster as you were picking out ice-cream flavours.

"You're literally eating a rainbow ice-cream, you kid," you snorted.

"At least I'm not eating toothpaste flavoured ice-cream."

Yunho almost choked on his own ice-cream as he heard that, "You both should have settled on cookies and cream. Can you two let each other live?"

You both smiled as if you were enjoying this, and Yunho rolled his eyes, muttering 'get a room'. You picked another rainbow ice-cream.

"Ha, are you finally trying it?"

"It's for Seonghwa," you told him, and he gaped at you.

"Seonghwa's not a kid for eating rainbow ice-cream but I am?"

"He gets to be a kid sometimes because he's not being one 24/7," you looked at him pointedly, and Yunho laughed out loud.

"You guys are getting better at this!" Yunho clapped, "Definitely better than 'should I melt your frozen heart'- ow!"

You made Yunho shut up as you pinched his arm, noticing Hongjoong's attention elsewhere, following his eyes to see he was staring at the kids playing in the snow outside.

"I'll wait outside while you get the rest done," Hongjoong told you both and you nodded, taking Yunho with you as you walked down the aisles and Yunho read the grocery list Seonghwa had made.

You were utterly surprised, to put it simply, to find Hongjoong playing with the little kids and having a snowball fight when you went outside after the two of you finished shopping.

"I did not expect him to get along with kids," Yunho muttered, sharing your disbelief of the situation.

"He's literally cheating in the snowball fight," you laughed as you noticed how he was only pretending to make snowballs when in reality he had them ready in a matter of seconds.

You watched him laugh out loud as he ran from the attacks, throwing snow at the kids and running around, saving a little girl who must be on his team, stopping when he noticed you and getting hit with a snowball in the process, making the kids yell in victory.

"Are you done?" Hongjoong asked.

You nodded, waving the bags in the air, "Should we all have a snowball fight?"

Hongjoong smirked, and you made 3 teams, the kids joining you- but really...

This was war.

You were melting any attack that came for you, as was Yunho. Hongjoong's snowballs were turning into ice-balls now, hard ice balls and you yelled at him.

"You'll hurt us!" You glared at him, making a snowball and wrapping it in cold flame, "Have a taste of this!"

"You can't win against me, Princess," Hongjoong only waved a hand to deflect it, "I'd be surprised if you win against Yunho-"

Which was when Yunho sent a snowball for Hongjoong's face and it hit home, making you howl in victory.

"You!" Hongjoong laughed, sending a giant snowball for Yunho, "Have a taste of this!"

Yunho laughed, falling on his butt on the soft snow as he let the snow ball fall on him, popping out of it like a snowman, making the kids watching laugh and run to him as they shaped the snow.

"Kids!" You clapped your hand, grabbing their attention, "This guy here can make really good snowmen!"

The kids immediately ran for Hongjoong who rolled his eyes, Yunho thanking you as he got out of the snow, shivering. The two of you sat on a bench recovering from the cold while Hongjoong really did make the best snowmen of every sizes and shapes, teaching the kids how to.

You watched Hongjoong with mundane curiosity- it was like a veil had shed from his personality, revealing a simple person who enjoyed playing with the kids in the snow and laughed without a worry in this world. It made you wonder just who Hongjoong was- not the ice prince but simply Hongjoong.

Though you had only met a while ago, there was something comforting about the way you all clicked and though you'd never say it out loud, there was also something comforting about the nonstop bickering between Hongjoong and you. It was a nice change in your home- the café, because Seonghwa and you were the type to mostly stay silent and busy yourself with your own work. Having new friends certainly lifted up the mood.

Even the customers in your café liked Yunho- you supposed he was the type to make place in everyone's heart. Yunho had been helping around more in the mornings, mostly serving. Hongjoong was always hiding somewhere in the bookstore, and sometimes you'd catch him have a little conversation about books with someone who came to stop by.

Hongjoong noticed you hadn't commented on his behaviour since you guys had left the store, and he wondered whether it was because you were surprised (he hoped in a good way) or because you simply weren't interested and had nothing to say.

But his lips curled in a smile when you later sat with him late at night drinking coffee in front of the fireplace while Yunho and Seonghwa went out for a walk, and finally commented on it.

"You look like you had fun earlier," you said, keeping your voice neutral.

"I had," Hongjoong smiled, gazing at the fire, "it's been long since I had that kind of fun."

"What?" You laughed a bit, "You're telling me that you have ice magic but you didn't go around playing with the snow and making someone slip in the snow?"

Hongjoong looked at you, amused, "What do you think my life was like before everything happened? Do you think I owned an ice-cream truck and went around town?"

"You're seriously telling me you never made someone slip in the snow when they annoyed you?" You looked at him in disbelief.

Hongjoong held your stare but then gave in, "Okay, maybe once, maybe twice. I stayed low mostly. It's not like you used to go around setting people on fire, did you?"

"Not much fun you can have playing with fire," you nodded grimly, "But ice, man! If I had your magic I'd have a little snowman accompany me everywhere I go."

"Which would speak for how lonely you are," Hongjoong retorted, "Speaking about that, is Seonghwa the only friend you have?"

"And what about it?" You frowned, "You like him, don't you?"

"I do, it's just... how did you get here?" Hongjoong looked around, "I mean... how come you, of all people, run a bookstore café with their childhood friend?"

"That sounds like a backhanded insult, but I'll ignore that," you said and Hongjoong smirked, "We used to live in the same town, until that incident happened. Things got too much for me, every water mage was after me, and then some. I had to leave town, my family came with me. It was only mom and dad anyway. We settled in a nearby town, but then they passed away in an accident. I went back to Seonghwa, since he was the only family I had. We decided to move here then."

Hongjoong nodded, "Can I ask what kind of an accident it was?"

"I'm actually not sure," you replied, "some sort of a ship accident when they were going to Mist Island-"

You paused. The incidents couldn't be related, could they?

"I know what you're thinking," Hongjoong's voice was low, "there's a chance that it's connected to the uprising. But we can't be sure. Don't let it get to you- it might have been just an accident-"

"But..." you looked at him, "They drowned. If there were water mages on board, they would have lived, wouldn't they? Maybe they couldn't save everyone and that's understandable, but... maybe I should find the survivors and interrogate them."

Hongjoong noticed your choice of words, "Hey, we can't be sure. Don't attract unnecessary attention, your life's already in danger as we speak-"

"If there's a chance that it wasn't an accident," you breathed, the fire in the fireplace turning red, "and they died because of me, I won't forgive the water mages- and I mean all of them."

"Hey," Hongjoong got up, noticing your glowing eyes, bending in front of you as he put a hand on yours, cooling you down, "it's gonna be okay. We'll find out, okay? And remember- you don't have to blame all the water mages if that was the case. Yunho is your friend, and he's one of the kindest people we know, isn't he? He is a water mage, and he is your friend. Be wise about this, will you?"

You took a deep breath, nodding, the fire dimming back to normal, "Sorry, I- I nearly lost control, I'm sorry-" you noticed his hand on yours, taking it and examining it to check if it was okay, "I could have burned you, Hongjoong."

"You couldn't," he only smiled, "you can't burn me, you should know."

"I can definitely set your ass on fire," you raised a brow.

"I'd rather you melt my frozen heart, Princess."

You rolled your eyes, but your heart fluttered unexplainably at that as you scanned Hongjoong's face, taking in his features, realizing you two were closer than ever with him bending down in front of you.

"I might burn and hurt you in the process," you managed to say, your voice barely coming out more than a whisper.

"Well, good for you," Hongjoong leaned in to whisper in your ear, "I like playing with fire."

You laughed a bit as he drew back and took his seat, smirking at you. "I'm not even sure if you were flirting or just being yourself."

"I can do both at the same time," he winked at you.

"Gosh, I should have left you in that tower," you finished your coffee, getting up, "You look prettier when you're hibernated and all frosty."

"At least you're admitting that I'm pretty, Princess," Hongjoong got up too, bringing his cup with him.

"Don't let it get to your head, Prince," you scoffed, mentally cursing yourself because Seonghwa was right- you sucked at this.

"You're prettier too," Hongjoong said, and you turned to look at him, finding him grinning devilishly, "When you're all angry and hot-"

You sent a bolt of fire his way and he snubbed it with merely a wave, making you send another for his butt which he dodged expertly.

"Come on, what did I say?!" Hongjoong cried out, laughing in disbelief when you started grinning.

"You like me angry and hot, I'm going to give you angry and hot."

You both kept sending fire and ice for each other, running around and laughing out loudly, cursing at each other and giggling like kids, not even noticing when Yunho and Seonghwa entered and stood in the doorway frozen while they watched you play like kids in your own little world.

"Should we maybe go for another round?" Yunho muttered, "I feel like I'm interrupting somewhere."

Seonghwa scoffed, "Fire and Ice? Who would've thought."

Yunho looked at Seonghwa and laughed, "You think they...?"

"I know that they are going to become a thing," Seonghwa nodded at him, smiling, "can't say I dislike the idea. Come on, let's give them five more minutes, then I'm ending this-"

You gasped as you realized the snowball Hongjoong had sent for you hit Seonghwa square in the face.

"I- I didn't mean to-" Hongjoong attempted to say but ended up laughing as he saw Seonghwa sigh in disappointment.

"Come out!" Seonghwa glared at Hongjoong, "Let's have a man-to-man snowball fight!"

Yunho stood grabbing Seonghwa's arm trying to hold him back but ending up in tears because he was laughing so hard as Seonghwa sent phantom hands and started dragging Hongjoong out, Hongjoong screaming in help, and you pinched the bridge of your nose, smiling.

"Let's not be kids about this," you told Seonghwa, who let go of Hongjoong.

"Rich coming from you," Seonghwa raised a brow at you and you blew a kiss at him, sticking your tongue out.

-----------------

You and Yunho were trying to practice your magic, you teaching him about the basic principles and how he should be able to control his magic better, and you discovered that Yunho was a quick learner, apart from being very patient and cooperative. It was probably why he learned and listened to you well, and he would do even better if-

If Hongjoong wasn't practically breathing down your necks as you taught him.

"Shouldn't he be learning from me?" Hongjoong questioned, "water and ice are related. Fire and water are enemies in all sense."

"It's actually better when you learn from your enemy- not that Yunho is mine," you said, "it's better when you know how to defend yourself against the magic that is the most threatening to you, don't you think so Yunho?"

"Definitely," Yunho nodded, grinning at Hongjoong, "you should learn a bit from her too."

"You're enjoying this way too much, aren't you?" Hongjoong scoffed, "ice and fire are equals, I'd say. No one lived to tell which one's better if they battled it out."

"Should we check and decide once and for all?" You offered, and Hongjoong raised his hands in the air in surrender, making you shake your head. You noticed Seonghwa coming out and propping himself in the chair next to Hongjoong with a knitting set in his hands.

"You should learn with me," Hongjoong told Seonghwa, "After all, what goes better than cold and dark?"

"Now don't you go corrupting my friend," you glared at him, ignoring when Hongjoong asked you just how he was 'corrupting' Seonghwa, turning back to focus on Yunho.

"Sorry for being distracted, Hongjoong doesn't let me breathe," you muttered, and Yunho told you it was okay, "so, where were we?"

"Water has memories," Yunho told you, "doesn't every magic have memories?"

"Water is always there, in one form or another," you told him, sitting down and touching the snow, "this snow was water at some point. But water bodies, like lakes and oceans, they have memories. So if it's been in contact with anything, you can access the memory."

"I've heard about it," Yunho nodded, running his hands over the snow- you stared shamelessly because at this point, you had a thing for his hands, "But isn't it like something specific to the Water Prince maybe?"

"No magic is specific only to the original bloodline," you corrected him, "We just have more strength of everything in our magic. If you train long and hard, you can open every chamber of your magic. You do know that even the originals can't access every chamber of their magic, don't you?"

"I heard you have to keep one or two closed so it doesn't consume you," Yunho looked at you and you nodded in confirmation.

"Since you're not an original, you don't have to worry about it consuming you- you can open every chamber because you'll only be accessing some of it- you can't delve in completely."

"That theory sucks, by the way," Hongjoong commented, "What if he ends up unintentionally focusing all his energy in one chamber? What if it consumes him?"

"It won't consume him if it's only one chamber- rather he'd become a master of it," you corrected.

"That's only your theory. No one has done it before."

"I know it works, Prince," you huffed, and Hongjoong was about to speak up but Seonghwa put a hand on his arm.

"Don't ask how, ever," he warned, "she went through literal hell herself to find this out."

Hongjoong opened his mouth to speak but shut up instantly- literal hell? For you, literal hell could only be your own magic-

Hongjoong's eyes went wide in realization as Seonghwa nodded- it must have had to do something with the incident 5 years ago, he realized. He watched you put your hand through the snow and turn it into water- such control, such power... you must really have gone through literal hell to know all of this. It made him wonder just how it had happened. Had you lost control of your magic?

It was the next day when he got his answer as you rushed through the bookstore, row after row, to find Seonghwa but finding Hongjoong instead, and he took in your state.

"Everything okay?"

"Where's Seonghwa?" You asked, trying to catch your breath.

"He went out for grocery- what's wrong?"

"I have no time to explain, he's in danger," your eyes glowed for a second before you came back, "Help me find him."

Hongjoong immediately got up, not questioning how you knew, calling Yunho over and Hongjoong used his tracking magic, the three of you running to the site.

You had almost reached the store when you spotted Seonghwa's magic- phantom hands in the air as a signal, and you tugged Yunho's arm-

"Water mages," you looked at him, "You shouldn't go if you don't want to be in their blacklist."

"Seonghwa's my friend too," Yunho simply said as he took your hand and ran to where Seonghwa was.

Hongjoong stopped you, raising his hands and marking the men- there were 4 of them, and Seonghwa was barely holding, his face etched into a pained expression.

"Stay back," you said, "I'll handle this."

With that, your eyes glowed as you raised your hand and swiped it, knocking all of them unconscious in seconds and Hongjoong made an impressed face.

"That's certainly handy," he commented, and you shrugged, rushing to Seonghwa who was out of breath.

"I felt it- are you okay? Was I late?" You asked as you grabbed Seonghwa by the shoulders, examining him. He laughed a bit, patting your cheek.

"I'm fine, but you definitely could have arrived earlier- I was losing hope. But I guess the fire you put in my necklace definitely works."

"Sorry," you muttered but Seonghwa told you he was joking and that it was fine.

"Are all of them water mages?" Yunho frowned as he looked at the fallen bodies, "I don't think I recognize any of them."

"Seems like it," Hongjoong sighed, "We should do something about this before people notice."

Which was how you ended up with the 4 men tied to the chairs in your basement, waiting for them to wake up so you could start questioning them. When one of them stirred, you all met eyes and Seonghwa wrapped his dark magic around the man's hand, rendering him unable to use his magic. The man blinked a few times, adjusting himself to the surroundings, looking around and then ended up laughing like a maniac, which had you nervously bite your lip as you looked at Hongjoong.

"I didn't expect such a weird group of friends, Princess," he looked at each of them, "keeping friends close and enemies closer, aren't you?"

"And why would I need to keep my enemies closer? I'm sure you must have an answer to that?"

"I must say, I didn't expect the Ice Prince in your company," he scanned Hongjoong, his lips curling in a devilish smile, "Had a good time with my friends in the mountains?"

Hongjoong got up, circling around the man, "Who's behind this uprising?"

"Wouldn't you love to know," the man practically spat, his dark hair falling on his face, and when Hongjoong's eyes glowed in anger, you stepped in.

"If you value your life, you'll answer my questions," your eyes glowed and your voice was steel, "You do know I was framed for your Prince's death, don't you?"

His eyes flashed, "Is that an excuse for burning him to death? Is this how you're going to save your hide now?"

"Were you present 5 years ago when all of that happened?" Yunho asked, "Did you see the Princess burn him to death?"

"Who else could have?" The man scoffed, "What's your point, girl?"

"I don't care whether you believe me or not," you leaned in front of him, "Do you have any knowledge of the incident that drowned the rest of the original fire bloodline?"

Hongjoong called your name in warning while Seonghwa and Yunho gasped in realization, the man staring at you, thinking, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please," you scoffed, "All of Wonderland knows exactly how the last of the fire bloodline died, and you don't know what I'm talking about? Tell me, do you know the water mages that were on board? Or..." your hand was on fire now as you threatened to burn him, "Were you on board?"

"I wasn't!" He cringed away from the burning sensation that neared his hand, "I don't know the water mages who were!"

"I can smell the lies on you," you whispered, bringing your hand closer to his, "Would you like to burn to death like your Prince?"

Hongjoong called your name in warning again but Seonghwa stopped him and Yunho too, who looked like he would get up any second now. You waited until the man sighed, giving in.

"I may know one of the water mages who were on board- not personally. I'm not sure, but I think I have an idea- he goes by the name of Kwangsoo."

You nodded, taking a step away from him and he sighed in relief, Hongjoong making you back away further as he took over.

"Who sent you and who is behind this stupid idea to end the original bloodline?" Hongjoong's voice was as icy as his magic, making you shiver a bit as you joined Seonghwa and Yunho, Seonghwa rubbing your back.

"Does it matter?" The man asked, "It's been going around for decades now, longer before you were born, the both of you. It's only rising in magnitude now, that's why you noticed."

That was news to all of you- it seemed like the ones who were a part of the uprising were taught about how it began and all that too. Hongjoong made the man talk, learning some history and their plans with him and you, finally stopping and standing back with you.

"Shall we kill them or let them go?"

"I don't kill people," you raised your hands in surrender, "be my guest, do whatever you'd like."

So Hongjoong let them go with a message to convey to their little gang- do not mess with the Ice Prince and the Fire Princess, who're living in peace and will continue to do so unless provoked.

Later that night, Hongjoong joined you when he found you sitting bare-feet in the ice again, shivering a bit. He shook his head at you, "You know, you don't have to do this every time you feel as if you're burning- I'm here. I'm here for you."

Something about the way he said that made you look up and stare at him for a good minute, "I didn't want to bother you- plus, it's awkward to ask you to do that."

"So you're considerate and shy?" Hongjoong grinned, making you roll your eyes and throw a fistful of snow at him, "But really, it's not gonna be awkward if we don't make it."

"I'm not quite sure if I understand," you muttered, watching Hongjoong sigh and offer you his hand.

"Walk with me?"

The two of you walked with hands joined as he sent his magic to cool your insides down, and you suddenly felt wary of how it would look like to anyone else who noticed. Hongjoong looked like he was comfortable with this- you, however, were both comfortable and nervous.

"Earlier today... would you really have burned the man for answers?" Hongjoong finally asked you.

You pursed your lips, "I would say no but now that I think about it... I'm not quite sure."

"That's okay, you know?" Hongjoong squeezed your hand, "I think it's a bit suspicious- your parents' death. We should make sure, just in case, but... are you sure you can handle the truth?"

"That's exactly why I was out there in the snow thinking," you smiled sheepishly, "It would be ugly if I lose control again."

"Again?" Hongjoong asked, "When did that happen last time?"

"I suppose you should know," you looked at him, "When the Prince of Water was burned to death, I was the obvious suspect. I was... imprisoned, like you, for a while. That's how it happened- I ended up burning my own shackles and the very ground I sat on. They had to let me go- if it weren't for my father, I would have set Wonderland on fire."

"Ah," Hongjoong realized there really was a reason you were so considerate when you first saw him- he must have reminded you of yourself, "How do you think that happened, the Prince?"

"A simple trick of fire and an air mage is the most probable answer," you said, "We fire mages tend to burn a man from the inside out- not the outside, like setting a person on fire. Fire mages have a bit of a... dramatic flair, you could say."

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Hongjoong was grinning, "I heard ice mages make it dramatic too- slowly freeze a man."

"What a spectacle," you muttered bitterly, sharing a laugh with Hongjoong, noticing your still joined hands realizing you were okay now, "You can let go of my hand- I'm normal now."

"And if I want to keep holding on?" Hongjoong looked at you, his long lashes casting a shadow on his eyes in the strong moonlight.

"I really don't get you," you laughed, flushing despite yourself, "Do you have a thing for holding hands?"

"I like how warm your hands are, actually," Hongjoong raised your joined hands as if looking at them, "I may be the Ice Prince but I like the warmth, just like you like the cold."

"We're polar opposites," you stopped walking, "crazy how we fit with each other, isn't it?"

Hongjoong smiled warmly at you, tucking your hair behind your ear, patting your cheek, and you stood with lips parted, watching him scan your face until his smile grew into a smirk. "Flirting back, are we?"

"I really should have left you in that damned tower," you muttered, beginning to go away but Hongjoong pulled you back to him, wrapping his arms around you, never letting go of your hand. You tried wriggling out of his embrace as you groaned, but he only held you tighter, laughing a bit, and you couldn't tell if he was being playful or what.

"I'm gonna set your ass on fire if you don't let me go, Hongjoong," you warned, though you were smiling.

Hongjoong shifted so he could whisper in your ear, "It's been a while since I've hugged a human and not a snowman, Princess, let me be."

You weren't sure if he was joking or not, so you only stood awkwardly, finally melting into the hug after a few seconds. "You feel like a snowman."

"And you feel like home- warm and safe."

You finally wrapped your arms around him after that, letting him get his share of hug that he had craved so much, stealing warmth and cold from each other.

-----------------

"Either you go with me or you don't go," Seonghwa gave his verdict, turning back to cleaning the library while you stood with the broom in your hand and jaw clenched.

"It's dangerous, why don't you understand that if something happened to you, I won't be able to take it?"

"As happy as I am to hear that," Seonghwa let out a short laugh, "I'd rather we go together. I may not be an original but you know I can look after myself better than the others. And you're taking Hongjoong with you, someone you only met a few weeks ago. That hurts my pride."

That was a fact you could not deny, "But... Seonghwa, I wouldn't be too sad if something happened to Hongjoong now, would I?"

"I hear you loud and clear, Princess!" Hongjoong shouted from the other row where he and Yunho were arranging books, and you heard Yunho's breathy giggles, "Back at you!"

You pointed a thumb backwards, looking at Seonghwa smugly as if your point was proven, "See? We won't be sad if something happened to one of us."

"But Yunho's going too!" Seonghwa started cleaning furiously.

"We're using him as a guide and we're going to drop him off afterwards- maybe even earlier if the situation calls."

"I can look after myself too!" Yunho shouted.

"I'd be sad if something happened to you!" You shouted back.

"Hey, what's with the discrimination!" You heard a furious shuffle as Hongjoong came to you, laughing in disbelief, "You wanna go, Seonghwa? Let's go, all of us."

"Hongjoong," you warned, but you were cut off by him.

"They're adults, good with their magic and can take care of themselves," Hongjoong's voice was not sarcastic anymore, and you knew you were being unfair about this. You sighed, shaking your head as you went back to cleaning, and Seonghwa stifled his laugh when he saw steam rise from your head, deciding to not comment on it in case you really did burn his ass like you always threatened to.

The four of you shut the café and Seonghwa met with the grandma next door to tell her they'd be gone for a few days. Hongjoong didn't need to be told to wear a hoodie and cover his head- silver hair like his could be seen and recognized from quite a distance, and with the threat hanging on his head and yours, you guys were better off safe than sorry.

It was quite a week that you travelled- constant bickering between you and Hongjoong in the day but in the nights when both of you had trouble sleeping, you'd sit watch and get to know each other. You didn't realize how it became a routine- something you were beginning to look forward to, when the two of you weren't Prince and Princess but Hongjoong and... you.

Yunho and Seonghwa had been the most cooperative, as if they were afraid you'd both ditch them because it was dangerous and go on your own. Yunho learned his magic with you and Hongjoong while Seonghwa practiced his deadly magic as well- there really was a lot you could do with shadows and phantoms. But you realized with every passing day that the four of you got along really well, and that you were going to miss them when you would part ways. You secretly wanted to keep them all to yourselves, and you were going to offer them the mundane life of running the bookstore café with you before you'd part ways.

You were on your way to the coast where most of the water mages dwelled, having passed as a group of friends travelling. You all had ditched the idea of carriages after people started to notice Hongjoong and you- you supposed it was just the aura you both gave that caught people's attention. You and Seonghwa were just bickering over something stupid when Hongjoong heard an arrow whoosh your way and pushed you both to the ground, an ice shield automatically forming around the four of you.

You heard the distant yells of 'ice prince' along with the loud buzzing in your ears as Hongjoong shook you from your initial shock, and you pushed Seonghwa and Yunho behind you as you stood beside Hongjoong.

"There are 6," Hongjoong muttered, "They must have been following us for a while now. What do we do?"

"I'll handle this," Seonghwa stood up, and you watched a black smoke seep out of him as he sent phantom hands, knocking the men off their feet, but one of them sent a strong light your way which negated Seonghwa's magic and he shook his head.

"Drop the shield, Hongjoong," you said, "take cover, you two."

With that, you sent arrow after arrow of fire while Hongjoong both defended and attacked, Yunho yelling half in surprise and victory when he managed to create an ice shield of his own, Hongjoong sharing a grin with him. Seonghwa sat with his knees on the ground, sending an imperceptible thread of shadow and blinding the men.

"Should we run or should we do something about them?" Yunho asked.

"I say knock them unconscious and run," you muttered, "I'm not killing if you're not."

So you did that, tying the men together and leaving them in the middle of the forest to their fate while you continued travelling.

"This is exactly why I did not want you along with me," you glared at Seonghwa, "You could have been hurt and I could have done nothing about it."

"You could have been hurt too, if it weren't for Hongjoong," Seonghwa glared back, "What I'm saying is that we're in this together, whether you like it or not."

"I don't," you said, "and you both are staying with Yunho's family until we come back with information."

You and Seonghwa argued for a bit until Hongjoong intervened, telling you both to shut up. You huffed in anger and started walking a bit behind, Yunho joining you while Hongjoong gave you a knowing look- he'd made Seonghwa understand.

"You know she loves you a lot," Hongjoong said, "She wants you safe, and she doesn't want to worry about you."

"She thinks of me as a burden," Seonghwa sighed.

"No, she doesn't. She thinks of you as someone precious enough that she would lose herself if she lost you," Hongjoong smiled as he said that, "I think that's better than taking me as a scapegoat."

Seonghwa laughed, shaking his head, "She cares for you too, more than she'd like and would ever admit. I understand why she's comfortable with you- she thinks of you as an equal, someone who'll have her back without worrying the hell out of her- but she worries about you too- not the same reasons as me."

"Good to hear," Hongjoong was grinning and Seonghwa scanned his face, a knowing smile creeping on his face.

"You like her, don't you?"

"Me? Her?" Hongjoong barfed, "ew, no."

"You keep telling yourself that," Seonghwa laughed knowingly while Hongjoong brought his icy hands to cool his now warm cheeks.

Meanwhile, Yunho was patting your back. "I understand why you want us to stay, but... the way you talk to Seonghwa, I'm not sure he understands your intentions. Or if he does... he just doesn't like the way you voice them."

"And how do I talk?" You asked.

"Aggressively-caringly," Yunho laughed, "It's like watching siblings fight- they'll never admit they love each other but they'll also give their life for the other."

You finally smiled at that, "We'll be fine too, Seonghwa needs to understand. I know he understands, it just.... you said it," you laughed in defeat.

You reached the village where Yunho's uncle lived, recognizing the group of men you'd met that day during the mountain hike, and they welcomed all of you, including Hongjoong. They shut the windows, telling you all that you could be comfortable.

"Is there a reason why they aren't a part of the uprising like most of the mages?" You asked Yunho out of genuine curiosity as you examined the group of men who were playing board games, Hongjoong joining them in a game of chess and Seonghwa watching them excitedly.

"They really don't agree with the ideology," Yunho told you, "What's the point in killing the originals? There's always gonna be someone who's more powerful than the rest of us- it all comes down to whether they wield their power with the wrong intent or not."

"Exactly," Yunho's uncle propped down on your table, "The Prince of Water was my friend- he always thought of himself as superior. He had this planned for a while, and what happened to him... he had it coming."

"You do know who I am, don't you?" You asked, "you don't think I killed him?"

"You were just a little girl," he sighed, "I wasn't there, but my friends over there-" he pointed to Hongjoong's table, "they saw it, saw the whole thing. There was no way even an original could stop a flood and burn a man at the same time- plus I know how dramatic fire mages are. They don't set fire like that."

You smiled knowingly at Yunho, who smiled back, "Thank you for having us. It must be risky even for you- we won't be long here, just take care of my friend Seonghwa till we come back."

"Are you going to inquire about the ship accident that drowned your parents?" He asked, and you nodded- he was quick. "There's no use inquiring around. I know it was done on purpose- there were water mages on the ship, but they aren't to blame- it was one of the Illusioners."

"Illusioner? As in people who can make you think your magic isn't working and stuff like that? Aren't they extinct or something?"

"They live in a close community, the few remaining ones. I heard one of them was aboard. That's the only explanation that makes sense as well."

He was right, and this changed everything. After a quiet meal where you sorted your thoughts out, you hugged Seonghwa and Yunho, telling them to stay safe and wait patiently.

"I don't know how long it's gonna take, but if I'm dead, you'll know it. So don't go back before that."

"Don't say things like that," Seonghwa scolded, hugging you tighter, "You better come back."

With a kiss to your forehead, he let you go, and Yunho ruffled your hair, the two of you waving at and thanking everyone for their hospitality, donning your cloaks and setting out, the salty tinge of seawater in the air hitting your nostrils now that you had been inside for a while. Upon the instructions, you both took the ship that lead to Mist Island, where the Illusioners should be.

You told Hongjoong all about what you'd learned, and he agreed with that theory- it was the strongest lead you had so far. You had to find the person responsible for the accident, but...

"I don't know what I'm going to do once I find the Illusioner," you told Hongjoong when night time fell and you sat at the edge, watching land fade away.

"If you want me to... I could kill him for you."

You looked at Hongjoong in surprise, but his eyes were steel. He really meant it. You shook your head, "Would that solve anything? It would only fuel the uprising if people learn we killed one of the rarest mages."

"What are we going to do about the uprising anyway?" Hongjoong asked, "They're gonna keep coming after us. I don't want to leave Wonderland, even if it feels unsafe."

"You have a home with me, Hongjoong," you looked at him, "You don't have to go anywhere."

"I thought you couldn't stand me, Princess," Hongjoong scoffed, "Are you really offering that?"

"As long as you stop being a pain," you told him, making him laugh, "but really. Isn't it cool, us 4 running the café and just living life? We could expand the business. You could open an ice-cream truck right outside, maybe go around town, grow a beard like Santa."

Hongjoong shook his head at you, "You really enjoy my suffering, don't you?"

"Can't say I don't," you grinned.

"Thanks for the offer," Hongjoong sighed as he looked at the sky, "I'll think about it."

"Look at you pretending to think about it- you even left your stuff back there!" You slapped his arm, and he gasped in realization, "Should we make a detour and go to the tower, get the rest of your stuff too?" You teased, "I'd like to bring home the ice chandelier-"

Hongjoong flicked your forehead, making you howl in pain and try to flick his forehead but he leaned back, making you lean further in until you were almost on top of him and he had to hold your waist to keep you from falling. "If you wanted to be on top of me, you could have asked nicely."

You rolled your eyes, going back to sitting and Hongjoong only laughed at your embarrassed state, putting an arm around your shoulder and bringing you closer, cuddling into your side. "You're very clingy, Prince."

"You love it, Princess."

You made a face but you were too tired to argue further, so you put a head on his shoulder as the two of you watched the calm waves of the sea pull you further away from Wonderland.

The next evening, you reached Mist Island, the mountains large enough to make you shiver a bit- it had an eerie feel to it, just like its name. "Funny that it's called Mist Island," you said, "I really can't see much."

Hongjoong nodded- there was a strange fog spread over the surface of the ground, making the place seem haunted, the only reason you weren't scared being that it was day and it felt okay. "You think someone make this fog on purpose?"

"Definitely," you grinned, "If I had an island to myself, I'd have an eternal fire burning somewhere too- for the people to recognize it from far away."

Hongjoong laughed at that, "How dramatic."

You narrowed your eyes at him, "Have you forgotten how you built a freaking ice palace? With the ice chandelier? You're seriously gonna call me dramatic when you look like that? Have you dyed your hair, Prince?"

"I have not!" Hongjoong pouted, "Stop giving me shit about my appearance!" You grinned- you actually were pretty sure that you had a thing for Hongjoong's hair now- it was just such a beautiful shade of white and silver and the faintest hint of blonde, and it went so well with his icy blue eyes. "You can stop staring at me now, Princess. I'm not even sure what you're thinking, and I'm not sure I wanna know."

"Come on," you poked his arm before putting yours around his, "you know I like your hair."

"Do you now?" Hongjoong smirked.

"Nah, I just said that to make you feel better," you rolled your eyes, "Can we move now?"

Hongjoong pouted and was muttering some curses while you dragged him further into the island, trying to formulate a plan but getting distracted whenever Hongjoong pointed at something or teased you over something, and you wished you had Seonghwa with you- he was the only one who could shut Hongjoong up.

You were just walking through the forest following the sound of the city when a woman stepped in front of you all of a sudden, seemingly appearing from the fog, making you bite your tongue to keep from screaming.

"The original fire and ice mages," the woman scanned you both and you instinctively held on to Hongjoong tighter, "to what do we owe the pleasure?"

You couldn't feel any magic from her, and she looked normal enough- dark hair and darker eyes- but something about her was making the magic in your blood scream. "We come in search of the Illusioners. Just some questions to ask- all in peace," Hongjoong assured, and you nodded.

The woman let out a short laugh, "In peace? Questions? I don't think those two go well together," she suddenly put her hands up and you reacted instinctively, creating a shield, but-

You failed.

Your magic wasn't working.

"You're an Illusioner," you muttered, and she grinned, making you both drop to your knees, and you had no time to look how Hongjoong was holding up, seeing more people join the woman before everything went black.

-----------------

You woke up in chains again.

You weren't sure if this was a dream or reality, but when you saw Hongjoong chained in front of you, his skin going paler and frost spreading on his lips and eyelids, you realized this was real. You really were chained, yet again.

Just like 5 years ago.

"No, no, no," you mumbled, staring at your gauntlets, preventing you from using your magic, and you panicked. You had no time to think, no time to plan, you just panicked as memories crept up your mind-

You were burning, and you would die.

There was nothing left in this world anymore. Just burning, hot fire. You were going to set Wonderland on fire before burning from the inside out.

You shook your head- there was no time to dwell on the past memories that always triggered you, now was not the time to be triggered and start burning from the inside out, but-

You couldn't help it. You could feel your magic roiling restlessly inside you.

You were going to burn from the inside out, and there was no Seonghwa to help you-

"Hongjoong," you almost whispered, looking around- you were in a basement, of all the places, just like that time, "Hongjoong!"

He didn't stir. He was out cold, and he was probably freezing from the inside too, just like you were burning. His head was hanging painfully to his side, chains around his waist holding him half-up like yours were.

You couldn't burn- not without getting Hongjoong out. You had to save Hongjoong, just like he had saved you so many times without even knowing. Just like you had saved him when you first met him.

You shut your eyes, trying to stop your restless magic from clouding your brain as you tried to think- these gauntlets were somehow presenting you from using magic altogether. Five years ago, you didn't have the ability to use magic without your hands, but this time it seemed it didn't matter.

You were so scared- for Hongjoong, more than yourself. For the innocent people on this island. For the destruction you'd cause if you lost control. Just what was the Illusioner thinking when she tied you both like this? Did she not know the amount of destruction you were capable of if you lost control?

Illusioner. Makes you think you are unable to use your magic.

Was this an illusion? Or were your gauntlets an illusion?

You looked down at your gauntlets, wondering if they were real. It certainly felt real- especially since it weighed your hands down, but... were they just for show? Could you somehow use your magic itself to break through the illusion?

You concentrated the magic to your hands- to hell with it if the metal would burn and melt the flesh on your hands. This was your only chance at making it out alive and saving Hongjoong and the rest of the island.

I am the Princess of Fire.

You brought your hands to the siphon, struggling to turn the notches down so you could have access to your full powers.

I am the Princess of Fire, and I will not be afraid of my own magic.

You shut your eyes in pain, willing your magic to travel to your hands, melting the gauntlet.

I will not be afraid of my magic, because it cannot burn me.

These were the last words your father, the original fire mage, had told you to keep close to your heart, because as soon as you were scared of your magic, it would start hurting you. You never understood why and how you could not be scared of the magnitude and hazard of your magic, but now it was starting to make sense.

Your mother had always told you that there needed to be something you wanted to protect- if not your own self (which should be the case), something so precious to you that you would risk your life to protect that. As you opened your eyes and looked at Hongjoong, you understood what she meant.

It was crazy how you had such a soft spot for the Prince of Ice you'd met only a few weeks ago. You'd never expected him to care about you either, but he clearly did. You'd learn how his family had left Wonderland in the fear of their life, but Hongjoong felt at home here- despite the threat to his own life. Despite going through something similar than what you had- what had broken you down completely. You were in awe of how strong he was- he embraced his magic, even when it hurt him like it was hurting him now. He only needed someone who believed in him to be okay.

You recalled your conversation from one of the nights when you were on your way to the coast and couldn't sleep, Hongjoong with you for 'night watch' as you both stared at the full moon. You finally asked him how long had he been imprisoned, since the winter season had come naturally enough but it only had gotten prolonged.

"5 months," Hongjoong sighed, "give or take."

"5 months?" You gaped at him, and he only smiled, "That's crazy, Hongjoong. How did you not, I don't know, freeze from the inside out, become an ice statue and shatter while engulfing Wonderland in some crazy blizzard that would freeze everyone too?"

Hongjoong laughed at your panicked state, "I think it's because I came to terms with my magic or something like that. I used to hate my magic too- people always said I felt too cold, even to the touch. My hair wasn't always white as well, believe it or not-"

You let out a scandalous gasp and Hongjoong slapped your arm before continuing, "People started to hate me, and I first thought I was the problem, but then I realized that I really wasn't. Those who actually care stick with you, whether you look like and feel like a snowman or not."

"Well," you grinned, "you make a pretty snowman. But, Hongjoong, you know I was imprisoned too. I barely made it three weeks before I started to melt everything around me. It's impressive that a prolonged winter was the only thing you really caused."

"You really should love yourself more, Princess," Hongjoong caressed your hair with a sad smile, and you noted how this time he didn't have that sarcastic tone every time he called you princess, "You should know that you matter, if not to anyone else, than to yourself. If no one's gonna love you, you have to love yourself."

"I have Seonghwa," you said, "And I had my parents- I know they loved me... but- then why was I so weak?"

"You weren't weak," Hongjoong shook his head, "Don't ever think of yourself as weak. The fact that you didn't set Wonderland on fire but only started burning from your own self before anything else, that means you didn't believe in yourself. Sometimes it happens- no matter the amount of people who love you and believe you, you end up doubting yourself."

"And I suppose in your case, since no one believed in you... you believed in yourself?"

Hongjoong nodded, "Well, you have one more person who believes in you now. Give yourself some credit, Princess. You're stronger than you think you are. Know why? Because despite the fire in your body, that fire doesn't drive people away- it attracts them. The people in your town know that you are the Princess, they just don't show it- because they believe in you. You keep them warm. I have heard them talking about you and how their homes are always warm. You heal the people's hearts without even realizing."

You gaped at Hongjoong- you had never realized the people knew. But... they had always been good to you. You had sometimes suspected that they knew, but now that Hongjoong confirmed it...

You stared at the gauntlets, watching it melt away and fall apart with a crack- it didn't hurt you. You stared at the broken gauntlets in confusion, your mouth opening in surprise when the gauntlets faded into smoke-

The gauntlets were an illusion.

You looked at Hongjoong- he probably didn't realize this was an illusion and was fighting with something inside his head- he was frowning. Perhaps he was battling with his magic. You melted the chains- those were real, and rushed to Hongjoong, touching his face and flinching away at first, because he was beyond ice cold.

You cupped his face, holding it up as you drew his hair back, "Hongjoong, listen to me. Everything is an illusion. You can break free. Hongjoong?"

Hongjoong groaned in response- he didn't seem well. You joined your foreheads, spreading warmth on his body through the skin contact, whispering his name again and again, drawing back when his groan went louder, your hands never leaving his face.

He finally opened his eyes, the frost on his lashes melting away as he looked at you in confusion. "Those gauntlets aren't real," you told him, "it's an illusion, Hongjoong. You can break free. Come on, you can do it."

"Help me," he looked down at his gauntlets and you understood, sending your magic through them, just like that time, while Hongjoong sent his ice magic, making the gauntlets crack and fade away, and he flexed his now free hands, looking at you in surprise as his vision became clearer, as if the mist on his eyes was now gone.

"That was quick," you muttered, laughing, and Hongjoong- still in his chains- bent forward to cup your face, his hands now warm, joining your foreheads again.

"You melted my frozen heart, Princess," he breathed, "exactly how I wanted you to."

You don't know who did it first, but you were kissing each other, quick and good before drawing apart, "We have to get away first, Prince."

With that, you broke apart his chains and melted the door knob, "As long as you realize that the only thing stopping your magic is you, you can break free of any illusions, understand?"

Hongjoong nodded, and the two of you went up the stairs, knocking out two mages before ascending, finding yourself in a dark lobby, instinctively holding on to each other. You heard some movement at your back and lit a fire around the source, trapping the same woman that you'd met. She panicked for a second, and then the fire went out-

"It's still there, the fire," Hongjoong whispered, "she's just making it seem like it isn't."

"Well, well," the woman scoffed, "Didn't expect you two to be so... chummy."

"I need answers, or you burn to death," you left Hongjoong's hand to bring the fire closer to the woman, inch by inch, "Which one of you Illusioner bitches was on board on the ship that killed my parents?"

"You can't kill me- you won't. Just like you couldn't kill the Prince of Water. Just like you couldn't kill the people who imprisoned you. Because your heart is soft, Princess."

"Her heart may be soft," Hongjoong was seething, "But mine isn't."

Your circle of fire burned blue- the hottest of flames, and the woman let out a scream as the fire spread barely inches away from her, "Tell me, Illusioner. Who is responsible for her parent's death?"

"Would you let me go if I told you I was?"

You narrowed your eyes, "Is this your way of saving your friend- or whoever it is you're taking the blame for? Because I don't think you should be doing that when you could burn to death."

"It was me," she glared at you both, "It's true that it was a natural accident- there was only one water mage aboard and he minimized the damage, but some people were bound to die. I just made sure your parents were one of them- I wouldn't have noticed there were fire mages aboard if they hadn't used their magic to try and save people."

You expected your knees to go weak and fall, maybe cry, but you only nodded absently, Hongjoong putting a hand on your shoulder, whispering your name.

"Leave her here, like this," you said to Hongjoong.

"NO!" The woman screamed, putting her arms around herself, her forehead glistening from the sweat, but you smirked.

"You're an Illusioner huh? Maybe make yourself believe there's no fire surrounding you and try stepping through it?"

With that, you turned and grabbed Hongjoong's hand, going outside, noticing a circle of blue fire around every Illusioner and you gaped at Hongjoong. He grinned, "Didn't want anything interrupting you, Princess."

"I didn't even notice," you sighed, "Let's get the hell out of here."

------------------

"I win," Yunho announced, raising his arms in victory as he slumped back on his chair, making the three of you gape.

"Not fair!" Hongjoong looked at him in disbelief, and so did you.

"He's one lucky guy," you scoffed, sharing a laugh with Seonghwa.

"Play games with Yunho, 10 out of 10 times you lose," Seonghwa laughed, all of your attention drawing to the door when the bell sounded and customers entered. Seonghwa got up, gathering the dices and cleaning the table, Yunho going to the counter to take their order.

"Walk with me?" Hongjoong asked, and you smiled, telling Seonghwa you'd be back in a while.

"I could get used to this," Hongjoong smiled as you two walked the empty path to the river, no one out so early in the morning.

"This?" You raised your joined hands, wriggling your eyebrows.

"I was talking about us running your bookstore café and living such a mundane life, but-" Hongjoong brought you closer with a smirk, "I could also get used to this."

It had been a couple of weeks since the encounter with the Illusioners on Mist Island- the fire circles that had trapped the mages were actually hot enough to make them sweat but cool enough to not burn them, leaving them confused and panicked until one of them would take the risk and realize it was only a trick- an illusion. You had both left with a simple message- do not bother us. Don't try to interfere in our lives, and we won't interfere in yours. It was relatively peaceful now- the uprising had died down a little since the mages you'd encounter so far had all made it out alive, which sent a clear message- you meant no harm.

You'd gone back to Wonderland and Seonghwa had almost cried when he saw you unscratched, and Yunho had decided to join you after all- but he joined you a week later, after wrapping up everything back home. The bookstore café was your home now- you'd clear up the store room so the boys could have an extra room, but you guys tended to fall asleep wherever you liked- you loved that it was so comfortable.

It was also really, really comfortable with Hongjoong- ever since that day, you guys were back to your routine of teasing each other until one of you screamed in frustration, but then finding comfort in each other's arms too, sharing light kisses every once in a while as you tried to figure out the change in your relationship and what exactly it meant.

You shook your head at Hongjoong who was muttering sinful things in your ears- something to rile you up and make you blush furiously, but you knew he'd never even touch you without your permission.

"I really, really want to kiss you right now," Hongjoong whispered in your ear, "And cover you in frost."

"You could do that," you said, "And I could cover you in ashes. I'm sure the black soot would look great on you."

"So romantic," Hongjoong laughed, the two of you sitting down by the river, and you looked at Hongjoong- his skin looked warmer now that winter was gone, his white shirt making his hair shine even brighter. Hongjoong turned to look at you, "What are you looking at?"

"You," you bit your lip as your hands travelled to his neck, bringing him in for a kiss.

This time it wasn't the light kisses and pecks you'd been sharing for weeks now- you wanted to dive further. You did as you leaned into him, a groan of surprise leaving him as his hands snaked to your waist, shifting you on top of him so he could meet the fervour of your kiss better, smiling into it.

"You're burning hot right now, you know that?" Hongjoong laughed a bit, your pink cheeks looking lovely to him.

"Good thing I have you to cool me down, isn't it?" You almost whispered.

"Gosh, I think I love you, Princess," he smiled widely as he caressed your face.

"You think?" You laughed, pushing him back on the soft grass as you kissed him, "I think I can tolerate you now, Prince."

"See? This is why I like you," Hongjoong muttered, and you slapped his cheek lightly.

"Shut up and let me kiss you."

"Make me."

You did. And as you pinned his hands on the ground, frost in the shape of flames sketched itself on the grass, leaving a trace of all things good.

You were the Fire Princess, and he was the Ice Prince. And you couldn't have been more perfect for each other.

bear hugs — cl.16

pairing: charles leclerc x bearman!reader | ollie bearman x oldersister!reader

word count: 10k

warnings: mentions of food, specific clothing/outfits detailed but no specific body descriptions used, tooth rotting fluff, charles and reader being awkward and cheesy, lots of giggling, charles and y/n are just two shy babies who kiss softly, pretty emotional scene where y/n and ollie are the cutest siblings taglist: @iamapersonwholikesunicorns @arieslost @weekendlusting

You groaned as your peaceful sleep was disturbed, but by what exactly you weren’t sure. You rolled over, eyes slowly blinking at the way the morning light was pouring through the curtains. Oh. Your phone was ringing. You stretched out an arm to grab your phone from where it had been charging on the bedside table all night. Just who was calling and waking you up? You winced as your phone screen shone far too brightly for your poor eyes. Reading the caller ID you huffed and threw your phone onto the bed next to you, before throwing an arm over your eyes to go back to sleep. Sometimes your brother could be so annoying.

Your phone stopped ringing and in the silence you felt yourself gently slipping back into sleep. Until the ringing started again, growling you felt around for your phone before answering with a short tone, “What Ols? I was asleeeeep…” You whined,  “Turn your camera on!” Ollie practically yelled at you. You shut your eyes with a groan, doing as he asked, “Ollie stop shouting-” “Ferrari called.” You stopped at his interruption and sat up suddenly, wide awake as you stared at your little brother, “W-wha…?” “I’m driving for them. This weekend. Carlos is sick and so I’m standing in for him.” Ollie stared at you, practically vibrating on the spot with how excited he was. 

“What the fuck Ollie?!” You gaped at your phone, tears already welling up in your eyes, “Are you serious?” Your brother’s laugh rang through the speaker and you watched as he nodded on screen, “Yeah I just got the call!” “Ols this is insane…” Your voice trailed off as he beamed at you, “I’m shaking to be honest… is that weird? I feel like that’s weird-” “Uh you just got a call from Ferrari that you’re driving in F1 this weekend, I think it’s pretty normal all things considered.” You reasoned, he released a shaky exhale, “You’ll come and watch from the garage with Dad right?” “Obviously, dumbass.” He stuck his tongue out childishly as you checked the time, “I guess we’ll be there in like an hour?” You paused for a moment, “Hey Ollie?” “Hmm?” You smiled at the way his excitement was so visible, “I’m really proud of you, you know that right?” “I love you.” Was all he said in reply, “Love you too stinky, now go eat some breakfast! I’ll be there soon.” You clicked ‘end call’ and sat on your hotel bed in silence. What an insane weekend. You didn’t think you could get any prouder of him after his amazing performance in F2 and gaining that all important P1 position and yet here you were about to dress in Ferrari red and watch your brother race one of the most famous F1 circuits in the world for one of the top teams. 

You fell back against the pillows with a squeal, kicking your legs and giggling in excitement. You grabbed your phone and texted your Dad,

Jumping out of bed you quickly showered before thanking whatever higher power was out there that you’d packed some cute red clothing options this time round including your vintage Ferrari jacket. You grabbed a pair of your favourite jeans and a plain white t-shirt before quickly showering and fixing your hair. After getting dressed and finishing your routine you made sure to grab your bag and you were off to the track. 

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You were used to being in the garages for the F2 races, you’d been to more than your fair share of them to support Ollie, but this was another level. The amount of people; mechanics, PR, sponsors, supporters, engineers, photographers. Your ears were already ringing and you hadn’t even heard the cars yet. A shout of your name grabbed your attention and you turned in the garage to see your brother hurtling towards you, “Y/N!!” You were practically winded as he hugged you tightly, “I’m so glad you’re here!” “Hey stinky.” You wrapped your arms around him, “Oooooo bear hug!” You joked. Ever since you could remember it had been a running joke in your family to call every hug a bear hug, after your last name. You often joked that no one could give hugs like the Bearman family, and only you and your family members could give a certified ‘bear hug’.  “How you feeling?” Ollie stood back up straight, fixing his cap, “Excited!” “Good.” He nodded at your jacket, “Bet you’re glad you brought that now!” You laughed, “Maybe I subconsciously knew…” A cough from behind you made you spin round and you gasped as a man stood right behind you, “May I please get past you? Thank you.” You felt him skim past your back and your knees practically melted at the slight accent and lilt in his voice, your eyes followed him as he walked to the other side of the garage to talk to some of the mechanics. Ollie gave a snort from beside you, “Hellooooo? Earth to Y/N!” His hand waved in front of your face and you slapped it away, looking at him with wide eyes, “Ollie. That was Charles Leclerc. The Charles Leclerc just spoke to me.” 

Charles exhaled almost nervously as he walked past you. He had no clue who you were but he wanted to find out. You’d immediately caught his eye as soon as he’d walked into the garage and now he was hooked. He turned back subtly to look at you and felt his stomach sink as he watched you laugh with Ollie. Of course a pretty girl like you would already be taken. In your Ferrari jacket his mind started racing with thoughts of how you’d look with his number on your back or on your cap. Wait what? He didn’t even know you and he was fantasising about you. Clearly you were someone important to his new junior teammate and he needed to focus on the task at hand. 

“You know you’re drooling,” Your brother joked and you hissed at him, punching his shoulder, barely taking your eyes off of Charles. Ollie rolled his eyes, “In my excitement I forgot about your little crush-,” A slap to his stomach had him doubling over and shutting up as you glared at him. “It’s not a crush!” You defended, “I just… respect him as a driver.” He scoffed, “Yeah right. Well when you’re done fangirling, I need your help.” You shook your head to clear your daydreams and turned to him, “What do you need?” 

Your brother beckoned you to follow him back through the garage. Weaving between people and winding your way through the halls, he opened the door of his driver’s room and sank down onto the small couch that had been placed there. You watched as for a second his excited demeanour dropped, a hint of nervousness peeking through. He fumbled with his hands, cracking and clicking his knuckles, thumb absentmindedly scratching over the back of his hand. You sat down next to him and said nothing, just let your hand fall on top of his and give a gentle squeeze, “You’ll be fine.” With that one sentence you simply sat in silence. Ollie’s head dropped to your shoulder and you rested your head on his, understanding he just needed you there. All day he’d acted like he wasn’t nervous. He’d remained cool as a cucumber in front of the cameras and media, he’d sat through interview after interview, he’d met far too many people to remember who they actually all were, he was doing his best to get to grips with a new car after just one practice session and he had still not shown any signs of nervousness where the public or potential F1 employers could see. But you knew. Here in this room he wasn’t Ollie Bearman, F1 rookie or Ferrari's weekend hero, he was just your little brother and you’d give him that safe space as long as he needed. 

You weren’t sure how long had passed just sitting on the couch but the hubbub and buzz of noise outside seemed to have increased even though it was muffled by the thin walls of the driver’s room. Ollie had since shifted to half-lie on the couch and you could see he’d fallen asleep, dozing before he needed to get in the car and focus for qualifying. You knew it was your brother’s way of getting the track ingrained in his head, so you wouldn’t disturb him yet.  A knock pulled you from your reverie and you were quick to head to the door so they wouldn’t knock again and wake Ollie up. You opened the door a crack and poked your head out, “Yes? Oh-” You blinked up and saw two green eyes staring back at yours, “Hi? I thought Ollie would be in here?” You heard your brother groan on the couch behind you clearly disturbed by the talking and so you quickly exited the room, making sure to quietly close the door behind you. “He is! He’s just taking a nap!” You explained with what you hoped was a friendly and not-too-creepy smile. Charles nodded in understanding, “I bet it’s been a pretty intense weekend.” You gave a small laugh, nodding, “Yeah it has been for all of us!” Charles found himself getting a little flustered at your smile. When he’d knocked the door he hadn’t expected the pretty girl he’d seen earlier to answer. It had taken him a few seconds to psych himself up to even ask you if he could pass earlier and now here he was face-to-face with you in his teammate’s room doorway. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve this chance but he would not let it go to waste! 

“How are you finding it so far?” His heart skipped a beat as your face lit up, “It’s incredible! Definitely a step up from F2.” Ah so you’d been supporting Ollie for a long time. A best friend? Maybe a girlfriend? High school sweethearts? “So not your first time at a race then?” Charles asked curiously, “Definitely not! I don’t think I’ve ever missed one of Ol’s races since he got into F2.” Charles groaned internally, clearly you were off limits, but did his best to look interested. You gave a giggle at the impressed face Charles made, “That’s certainly dedication!” You nodded, “Of course!” “It’s good you get to be here for his first F1 weekend then. You seem like a very important person to him…” Charles gave a subtle dig for information and you were none the wiser to his motives, “Well he’s my little brother so of course I would be!” Charles froze, Ollie was your what? You were his sister? Charles wasn’t sure if that thought made him more nervous or more relieved. “You’re Ollie’s sister?” He asked incredulously, “Yes…” You replied hesitantly, unsure why his reaction was so serious. Charles felt himself exhaling in relief before he looked at your face, an eyebrow raised and your arms crossed, “Is that so unbelievable? I mean I know we don't look as alike as other siblings but...” He shook his head, 

“No, no!” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and looked away, not wanting to see your reaction to his next statement, “I just uhhh, I thought you might have been a girlfriend or something…” You couldn’t help the way the laughter tipped out of you, “Ew! No way!” You held a hand out to Charles, “Hi, I’m Y/N Bearman.” You emphasised your surname and Charles felt a grin stretching across his face that matched your own, “Charles.” You sighed internally at the sight of his dimples popping out and resisted the urge to poke them. “I actually noticed you earlier and I thought you were far too pretty to be any regular garage guest.” You giggled at his bold flirting, “Well I’m glad that you noticed me back then… There was no way someone as good looking as you can walk around without grabbing attention… Especially in the red suit…” With a wink, Charles found himself speechless, not something that was a common occurrence, especially when it came to flirting and talking to women, but he loved it.  “So now we’ve cleared up that little mishap, could I maybe get your num–”

The door to the room behind you opening caught your attention and both you and Charles watched as Ollie appeared, stretching and inhaling deeply, “Oh there you are.” Charles felt his stomach flip with anxiety, hoping Ollie hadn’t heard him flirting with you. That would not look good for him or help his teammate's mental state. But damn, if he wasn’t more than a little disappointed… You seemed to have recovered quite well though, brushing off the previous conversation easily, “Good morning sunshine, sleep well?” “Mhmm,” Ollie leaned against you and nodded, “I needed that.” “We all need a pre-race nap sometimes,” Hearing Charles' voice caused Ollie to wake up fully, standing upright as he acknowledged the older driver. 

“You’ll be fine mate.” Charles placed a hand on Ollie’s shoulder and squeezed, “I actually came to find you, thought I could talk you through how to handle some of the corners with the steering?” Ollie gave him a look of appreciation and together they headed back towards the garage. You felt yourself melt that Charles was doing his best to help your little brother and you watched with a dopey grin on your face as the two of them made their way down the hallway, “I’m gonna go find dad!” Ollie waved at you to signal he’d heard you before he was gone. 

You took a moment, going back into the room and closing the door behind you. Holy shit you’d just had an entire conversation with Charles Leclerc, he had called you pretty and was he about to ask for your number? You huffed and rolled your eyes. Your brother had the shittiest timing sometimes. 

❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀

With big red headphones on, you anxiously watched the screen. Your hands were clasped in front of you and you nervously brought them up to your face, almost not wanting to watch just in case anything went wrong. You got nervous watching Ollie every time he raced, but this weekend the stakes were higher and your nerves were more frazzled. Q1 had gone well but now the pressure was on. Pace was being set and each car seemed to be lapping faster and faster. You turned to look at your Dad who didn’t look any better than you. You reached across and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. He smiled at you before you both turned your attention back to the big screens at the back of the garage. As your brother set out on his flying lap you found yourself yelling encouragement along with the mechanics and engineers in the garage, despite the fact he couldn’t hear you. “Come on Ollie!” You looked at the times up on the board already and willed your brother to get even a tenth of a second off their times. 

You couldn’t have cared less about his time though as long as he made it back safely. You watched your brother’s car fly across the finish line and you waited with bated breath for the confirmation of his time to come through. You felt your dad’s hand squeeze yours before you were both cursing under your breath, 0.036 seconds. That’s all there was in it. You felt your Dad wrap you up in a hug, exhaling in relief that your brother had made it through qualifying safely. 

You knew he’d be beating himself up when he came back to the garage and you took the bright Ferrari red headphones off your head, “Dad, I’m gonna go and wait for him,” Your dad nodded, already in conversation with some of the Ferrari engineers about how they could make race day easier for Ollie. You headed to his room, wanting to be there when he got back and you’d barely taken a seat before the door swung open and in came a slightly tense looking Ollie. “I know you’re going to tell me I did a good job and I appreciate that but I’m almost more frustrated that it was so close.” He sighed and you rubbed his shoulder comfortingly as he took a seat next to you, “I’m proud of you Ols.” He smiled gratefully as the door was pushed open an inch, “Uh… hello?” “Charles?” You were confused as the Monegasque man’s head poked round the door and he nodded at Ollie, “Solid drive mate!” Ollie grumbled next to you and you whacked his thigh, “Ow!” He huffed at you, and you glared at him as you tilted your head in Charles direction, “Sorry, thank you Charles.” Charles gave a laugh, “It’s okay, it happens to the best of us.” Another knock sounded through the room and one of Ollie’s engineers called for him to go and discuss some seat adjustments for the race. You stood up as he went to leave, “Hey! If you think I’m not giving you a bear hug after all that, you’re very much mistaken.” Ollie laughed and turned back round, wrapping his arms around your shoulders as you wrapped yours around his waist, squeezing slightly and hoping he could feel just how proud you were, “Love you stinky.” “Love you too dummy” He pulled away and left the room, closing the door behind him, 

“Bear hug?” You looked at Charles who stood there with a slight smile across his face and a raised eyebrow, “Mhmm! They’re very special and you actually can’t give them without the necessary qualifications.” “Ah.” Charles said seriously, “And what qualifications are those?” You giggled, “The Bearman surname!” Charles felt a laugh rumble up from deep in his chest at your giggle. God you were spellbinding. “Your brother did an amazing job today.” You smiled in appreciation, speaking genuinely,

“Thank you.” “What are you up to this evening then?” “Oh uhhh… well I’ve been watching a new series recently so probably just watching a couple of episodes and maybe ordering room service…” You facepalmed internally at how boring you were making yourself sound to an F1 driver, “Sorry that probably sounds kinda sad huh?” Charles shook his head and waved his hands to emphasise himself, “No, no! It actually sounds… pretty nice…” For the briefest moment you considered how to reply before your mouth was opening and you couldn’t stop yourself, “You’re welcome to join me if you want?” you froze. Oh fuck. Had you just invited Charles Leclerc to binge watch Netflix with you and eat off the room service menu while you wore sweatpants and a crusty old t-shirt? “You don’t have to-” “I would love to-” “Oh.” You nervously giggled at each other before your eyes dropped to the floor, too shy to keep looking at him. “I would love to join you… if that’s okay?” You nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!” “Give me your number and I’ll text you when I’m on my way?" He held his phone out to you and you nodded, typing your number in and handing it back to him, “Great! You guys are staying at the same hotel as us tonight right?” You made a noise of confirmation, “Mhmm, they moved us for the weekend. I-I’m in room 604” You could have sworn Charles blushed as you said your room number. 

You were so flustered that it appeared your brain wasn’t working correctly, your tongue getting tied as you tried to continue the conversation, “Uh, you don’t need to bring anything, clothing is optional.” “Excuse me?!” Charles froze as he stared at you. Did you just tell him that clothing was optional? He didn’t think you were that bold, or that you had an angle. His mind drifted to the thought of you opening the door naked for the quickest second before you realised you mistake and pulled him out of his thoughts, “Fuck no! I meant comfy clothing is optional! Like you can wear whatever, like sweatpants or even pyjamas if you wanted to, or-or-or if you really wanted you uhhh you could wear no clothes I guess but- wait no this isn’t me trying to get you naked I promise!” You finished your ramble panicking just as a loud laugh burst out of Charles. Your head dropped into your hands and you whined in embarrassment as Charles' hands found his knees, unable to stand up straight at how hard he was laughing. “Fuck you’re cute.” You inhaled sharply, eyes shooting down to the floor and biting your lip softly through a smile, “Oh?” “Mhmm” You felt your cheeks heat up as it sunk in that he’d called you cute, after you’d embarrassed yourself no less! “Anyway…” Charles attempted to move the conversation forward, desperate to make you gasp again like you had a moment ago, “I’ll be there later,” He moved towards the door, leaning in as he did so “I hope clothing is optional for you too.” And with a brush of his shoulder against yours he was gone. Noise from the hallway and nearby garages poured in through the open door and you didn’t move until Ollie came back, “What happened to you?” “N-nothing! Just talked with Charles a bit.” Ollie wiggled his eyebrows and you scoffed giving him a shove, “Come on, I’m done so we’re gonna go back to the hotel! I need sleep.”

❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀

You rushed around your hotel room, ensuring any stray socks or underwear were tucked away in your case and any possible embarrassing items were safely hidden out of sight. Thankfully you'd found a slightly less crusty and slightly less old t-shirt in your suitcase and you'd thrown that on over over some shorts that were a considerably more socially acceptable choice than your tattered travel sweatpants.

Your eyes swept around the room and gave one final check. Charles had texted five minutes ago to say that he was on his way up and so you knew there would be a knock at the door any second. Grabbing some extra pillows from the closet, you placed them on the bed and pulled up Netflix just in time for the door to sound. “Coming!” You raced over to the door before stopping, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, checking your appearance one last time in the mirror. You opened the door, “Do you have a spare toothbrush?” “Ollie?!” “Yes…? It’s me? Your brother?” Ollie looked at you suspiciously as you stuck your head out of the door and looked up and down the corridor, “Are you expecting someone?” You choked on air, “Me?! Expecting someone? Pfft, no!” Though you had been thanking those higher powers earlier in the day, you now cursed them out as at the end of the corridor the elevator dinged, both yours and Ollie’s heads snapped to look as the doors opened and there stood Charles. Ollie looked at you and gave a laugh, “Not expecting anyone, hmm?” Your eyes widened. “He’s not here for me!” Ollie crossed his arms and looked at you expectantly, “Oh no?” You felt your heart race as Charles came down the corridor. You sighed and looked at Ollie, trying to sense how he felt about it, “If it makes you mad or upset or uncomfortable then no, he's not here for me.” 

Charles approached the two of you and slowed his pace, sensing a conversation was happening that he didn’t need to hear, but still he couldn’t deny that he was curious. It was obvious you were talking about him. Ollie’s arms dropped to grab your shoulders, “Y/N, you’ve already given up an insane amount for me to be able to pursue this… Why would I ever be mad about you wanting a fun date night?” You pursed your lips, “It’s not a date.” Ollie’s facial expression dead panned, “Yuh huh, okay, and I’m gonna win the race tomorrow.” You flicked his forehead and heard Charles stifle a laugh to the side. “Just wait here, I’ll get you the toothbrush.” You grumbled going back into the hotel room. Charles coughed nervously as he stood in front of Ollie. Though he was younger than Charles, he was taller and Charles found the way he was staring at him ever so slightly intimidating. “Don’t keep her up late, don’t do anything to upset her and if you make her cry I’ll turn you into the wall tomorrow.” Ollie glared at him and Charles chuckled nervously, “Noted. I would never want to make her cry,” Ollie watched as Charles stared after you with a dopey smile, “I do wanna make her smile though, her smile is pretty.” Ollie coughed a laugh into his hand, Charles was seemingly already down bad and he knew you were too. “Can I ask a question?” Ollie nodded, “Shoot.” “What did you mean by she’s given up a lot for you?” Ollie sighed, shuffling his feet almost uncomfortably. “Dad couldn’t travel with me because of work, Mum couldn’t leave our other siblings at home because they were too young so it was Y/N that moved around with me and travelled with me.” Charles nodded, encouraging Ollie to continue, “She didn’t go on dates or go out clubbing with friends or get a boyfriend because she left it all behind for me. She even decided to not go to uni... She says she doesn’t mind but…” He trailed off, “You still feel bad?” Charles finished for him. Ollie shrugged, “Wouldn’t you? She says she got to travel more than anyone else her age and got to experience tons of stuff while seeing the world so I guess to her it doesn’t matter as much.” Charles hummed, starting to understand just how close you and Ollie were. “You know when Arthur got sick last year it was Y/N that took care of him and drove him to the hospital?” Charles head whipped up to look at Ollie, “That was Y/N?” “Yep. She drove him to the hospital and stayed with him all night, then brought him back home the next day. She made him soup and helped him take all his medicine on time and stuff.” Charles found his heart growing even warmer. He’d remembered how panicked both he and his mother had been when they learned the youngest Leclerc was extremely unwell, until his mother had received a call to say someone was looking after him - now he knew it was you! Ollie smiled to himself, glad that in some roundabout way he was now able to do something for you. It was clear you and Charles were already both smitten with each other. “Got it!” You reappeared at the door and flourished the toothbrush under his nose. “Thank you!” “Mhmm! What were you guys talking about?” “Race strategies-” “The room service menu-” Your eyes narrowed slightly as they gave different answers at the same time and you looked between them, “O…kay…? Cool… Well, you need to relax.” You gave Ollie a look and he saluted, turning round and heading back to his room a few doors down, “Yes coach!” You shook your head before turning to Charles and opening the door wider, “You coming in?”

He smiled and made his way into your room, noting how you’d added a few little touches here and there to make it feel like home even though you were thousands of miles away, “Cute pictures,” Charles wandered over to the vanity where you had put up some small pictures of your family and friends at home, pictures of you and Ollie at various tourist spots round the world and a few family pets. “It makes the distance a little less… distance-y.” “I get it.” “Soooo uhhh…” You stood in the middle of the room and nervously kicked your foot into the floor, “I see we both decided to wear clothes.” Charles smirked and you couldn’t help the chuckle that burst out, “Indeed we did.” “I can’t pretend I’m not slightly disappointed…” He gave you his best attempt at a wink and you hid a smile behind your hand, “I’m still working on it…” He huffed. As he stood there pouting you took in the sight of him in front of you. Dressed in soft grey sweatpants and a white sweatshirt he looked like the epitome of cosy soft boyfriend vibes. “Are you hungry?” Charles took the lead and you were internally thankful for that. “Kind of? We could have a look and see what takes our fancy? Although I’m pretty sure that the majority of the items listed are not approved by your PT…” Charles waved you off, “We all break our diets more regularly than you’d except.” “Tell me about it… I keep having to remind Ollie that chicken nuggets are not nutritious and healthy all the time.” Charles tipped his head back and let out a laugh and you found yourself unable to stop giggling along with him. The laughter eased the remaining tension and you settled onto the bed, patting the spot next to you to encourage him to sit. 

The two of you sat on the bed, perusing the menu and selecting what you wanted before he called down to order it. While you waited you talked about anything and everything. The race tomorrow, how warm it was in Jeddah, your favourite places you’d travelled to, musicians you listened to regularly. You found yourself falling into conversation with him so easily, it was difficult to remember that you’d only known each other for a few hours. When the food arrived Charles was firm in getting you to stay sat down while he answered the door, determined to treat you like a princess.

“Charles, I can walk to the door!” You giggled, “Non! You will wait here and I will go.” He bowed before he walked to the door and you rolled your eyes, a smile plastered across your face. “Here you are, madame, your food.” “Why thank you kind sir.” Taking the plate from him you fluffed up the pillow behind you, clicking on your laptop to reload Netflix. “What do you feel like watching? Drive to Survive?” You asked, doing your best to hold in your laughter when Charles’ head shot up, looking ever so slightly traumatised, “Absolutely not!” You fell into laughter as he climbed onto the bed next to you, “How about a Studio Ghibli movie?” he nodded, taking a bite of his food, “The music is beautiful! I think you’d really like it!” “Let’s do it!” You nodded, clicking on Howl’s Moving Castle and loading it up. 

The two of you watched the movie in silence for a while and you watched as Charles’ fingers tapped along in time with the rhythm of the music. You felt yourself getting swept up in the story, not even noticing Charles’ eyes on you. “I love this part!” You sat up a little and Charles followed suit, subtly moving his arm to rest behind you. You glanced around to see his hand almost over your shoulder and you felt your cheeks heat up quickly. “S-sorry!” He went to move, “N-no, it’s okay…” You looked at him and moved a little closer until your thigh was touching his and his arm was fully around you. Charles smiled down at you as you settled back down and got comfy. God he could get used to this… He daydreamed for a second about getting to do this with you after every race weekend. For the rest of the film, you stayed firmly in Charles embrace, even daring to place one of your hands in his as the characters on screen also held hands. Soft smiles and shy glances were all you exchanged occasionally. You did your absolute best to fight the wave of sleepiness threatening to overtake you but with the heat from Charles’ body and the cosy bed and the soft music of the film, you couldn’t help the way your eyes slipped shut. Your head dropped to rest between his shoulder and chest as the credits rolled and Charles looked down as best he could to see you asleep. He smiled to himself, refusing to move even when his shoulder started to cramp up. He looked at the clock on the wall across the room and realised he had better sleep. After all, he still had a race to drive. He slowly shuffled, careful to support your head as he laid you down on the pillow. You sighed in your sleep and shuffled closer to him, seeking out the warmth he provided. Charles found himself facing an internal battle. Did he stay and risk you feeling uncomfortable and offended or leave and risk you feeling upset he didn’t stay? As he debated the correct answer, you made the decision for him. Half-awake you tugged on the sleeve of his sweater. “Don’t go… warm…” You whined and he completely melted, sliding onto the bed next to you and lying on his back. You felt his heart race as you cuddled into his side and rested your head on his chest. Charles gently ran his hand up and down your arm soothingly as you dozed on his chest. “Hey Y/N?” He said lowly, “Mhmm?” You blinked sleepily, “Would it be okay if I kissed your forehead amour?” You nodded, “More than okay,” With a contented sigh, you relaxed once more, Charles leaning down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. There was a pause before he leant down to kiss your forehead again, only to find his lips against yours. The two of you pulled apart quickly, you were now wide awake and sat up next to him while he led there in shock, eyes wide. If you weren’t so surprised, you probably would have laughed at the way Charles lips almost seemed stuck in a pout before he raced to sit up and apologise, “Fuck I’m so sorry!” He cried, “You’re sorry? I’m sorry!” Your eyes mirrored his, “I shouldn’t have just leaned down to kiss you again.” “It’s okay Charles really… I…” You went quiet for a moment and he gently reached for your hand, “What is it?” You bit your lip, not daring to look at him. “I-I…” “Take your time amour.” He smiled at you encouragingly as his thumb gently rubbed over the back of your hand, “I kind of liked it…” You whispered, eyes squeezing shut, “Only kind of?” He asked, genuinely, not wanting to scare you. “C-can we try again?” You opened your eyes and felt him gently tilt your chin to look up at him, “You want to try again?” You nodded and Charles shook his head, “Non mon ange, I need to hear you say it. I’m not going to kiss you without you telling me it’s okay-” “Please. Charles. I want you to kiss me… I just might not be very good at it, you see I haven’t really had much practice so please forgive me if its bad…”

Any remaining words died on your tongue as Charles cupped your face with the hand that had been holding your chin and his other arm wrapped around your waist and tugged you a little closer to him. “Just follow my lead ma belle.” Your eyes fluttered closed as his breath swept across your lips. You expected to feel his lips against yours but you were pleasantly surprised at the feeling of his lips kissing your forehead once more. Your eyes stayed shut as he pressed a soft kiss to one cheek, then the other. A quick peck to the nose left your giggling, before he placed a kiss to your jawline that left you breathless, “Please… Charles…” His lips were almost on yours again and you felt them brush yours slightly as he spoke, “Please what mon ange?” “Kiss me.” Any little part of you that had been frustrated by his teasing only moments ago was certainly glad of it now. It made the moment his lips touched yours all that much sweeter. Any nerves melted away as he held you gently.

There was no heavy panting or biting, no licking or sucking. Just his lips caressing yours. Your head spun as he finally pulled away to let you take a breath just for a moment. You chased his lips, not quite ready to let him go yet and he let out a contented hum at the way you pressed your lips to him once more. He swore he fell even harder when you smiled into the kiss. You gasped when he pulled you into his lap and the kiss fell apart as you both dissolved into giggles. Your tummy flipped in the most delightful way as his nose gently rubbed against yours, “Was that okay?” Your hands linked around the back of his head and found the short hair there, gently threading your fingers through and twisting it round. You leaned down to whisper, “My turn…” His eyes closed, blissfully as you traced your own kisses across his face, in awe of the way his long lashes sat on his cheeks. You placed a small kiss on top of the freckle on his cheek and giggled at the way his stubble tickled your nose and lips, he opened his eyes and watched your wiggling your nose, “Tickles.” He placed his hands on your hips and softly rubbed his thumbs just under your shirt. You smiled down at him and nodded, “Words ma belle.” “Yes Charles, you can.” He smiled up at you and pouted to ask for a kiss, “Merci ma belle.” He slid his hands under your shirt to gently hold your hips and feel the soft skin there. You rested your head on his shoulder, enjoying the closeness and the comfort he was providing. “I’m so glad I asked you to come over.” A kiss to your forehead was your answer, “Me too…”

Neither of you moved for a few minutes, just feeling each other breathe. Feeling how your heart rates slowed after racing from the excitement of kissing. You hadn’t even noticed yourself getting sleepy again but Charles had. “Ma belle, I need to go…” You nodded but didn’t move, Charles chuckled, “Ma belle?” “Do you have to?” Charles cooed at how sleepy you sounded, “If I stay here I won’t sleep, I’ll just want to kiss you and hold you all night and I have a race tomorrow.” You conceded and lifted your head but remained in his lap, “That was actually my plan.” Charles head tilted, “Distract the competition so Ollie can sneak through.” Charles head dropped to your collarbone with a laugh, “So sneaky mon ange…” You nodded, climbing off of his lap and taking a seat next to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stood up but found himself unable to help leaning back down to kiss you just once… twice… three times more. You pushed his chest and smiled, “Go Charles! I’ll see you in the morning.” He let himself out of your room and as soon as the door had closed you were squealing into your pillow, giddy with excitement and stomach full of butterflies.

And if Charles did the same thing when he got back to his room? Well that was his business.

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“Good morning!” “You are far too happy this morning. What happened with Charles? Did you kiiiiiiiiss him?” You glared at Ollie who stood in the door of your hotel room making kissy faces at you. “Whatever happened between me and Charles is between us.” You grabbed your bag and headed towards the elevator at the end of the hallway, Ollie easily falling into step beside you, “So something did happen?” “Maybe! I don’t see how it’s any of your business anyway.” Your brother knocked his shoulder into yours, turning serious, “It’s not. It’s just nice to see you so happy.” You stood in front of the elevator doors and turned to Ollie, “Thanks Ols.” “But also I need to know if I need to crash him into the wall today.” “hUH?!”  

When you reached the Ferrari garage, you were excited to support your brother but also excited to see Charles again. You spotted him not long after entering the garage, his back was to you but even seeing the back of his head was enough to send you into a smile that alerted everyone in the near vicinity that you had it bad for the man wearing number 16. One of the mechanics stood with him greeted Ollie and Charles turned round, face breaking into an identical grin at the sight of you in a Ferrari red dress. Your Dad elbowed you, “Is there something going on I need to know about? Spill the tea bestie” He wiggled his eyebrows and you snorted, leaning into him and bumping your head against his shoulder affectionately, “There’s no tea to spill dad, and Ollie, stop teaching Dad phrases you think he needs to know!” Your Dad and Ollie laughed as you made your way over to Charles, “Hi.” “Hi. You look beautiful.” Charles found himself breathless as he took in your full appearance. “Did you get any sleep?” A goofy grin crept across his face, “Filled with dreams of you ma belle, I slept wonderfully. And you?” You nodded, “Something similar I guess…” “You guess?” “Mhmm…” You gasped as you felt his hand slowly grab yours, his fingers interlocking with yours, “Charles! What if someone sees?” “I don’t mind people seeing me holding hands with the prettiest girl at the race today.” You gently tapped his chest and shook your head, “You’re so silly.” You looked across the garage as you heard Ollie’s laugh and Charles’ face turned serious, he gave your hand a gentle squeeze to get your attention, “I actually wanted to say that I totally understand that you’re here for Ollie today. It’s lovely to see you but I’m not going to take you away from supporting your brother when he needs you.” You gave his hand a squeeze back in appreciation, “Thank you Charles. We’ll catch up later though! Good luck, race safe!” 

Charles felt his cheek turning as red as his car as you placed a gentle kiss to his cheek before darting across the garage with a giggle. He stared after you with a dumb lovestruck look on his face, one hand coming up to hold his cheek, “Oh my friend, you have it bad, no?” Charles whirled round to see Carlos and some of the engineers staring at him, amused looks on their faces. “I wish they hadn’t let you leave the hospital today.” Carlos laughed, wincing slightly as he did so, “And miss our little Charles in love? No way! This is more entertaining than the race will be.” 

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You stood with Ollie in the garage as he waited until the last second to get in the car. “You ready?” He inhaled, “I guess we’ll find out huh? It’s now or never…” You smiled at him, handing him his helmet. You had your pre-race routine with Ollie that consisted of making sure he had one last sip of water, helping him put his helmet on before kissing where his forehead would be inside the helmet and finally a bear hug. You’d done it before every race since he was in his karting days and his debut F1 race would be no different. Charles caught sight of this and smiled. It was good that the young driver had such a great support system. In a slightly weird way he was almost envious that he didn't have someone to do those things for him. He watched as you held Ollie's bottle up to his lips before placing it to the side, buckling his helmet up once it was on his head. Charles' heart grew warm as he watched Ollie bend down so you could reach to kiss his forehead. You and Ollie were unaware of your audience, just completely in your own little bubble. "Can't believe I have to bend for you to reach my forehead now." It was a throwaway comment from Ollie but it left you with tears welling up in your eyes. Oh how he'd grown. When this ritual first started he was just a kid. Far shorter than you, almost looking too small for his kart. He had been so young but his dreams were big. You felt your bottom lip quiver as you watched your brother's dreams become reality in front of your eyes. You knew he felt guilty that you'd given so much up. "Bear hug?" You asked, holding your arms out. Ollie wrapped you up in the tightest hug he could manage, "Thank you." He didn't need to say what for. You knew. "If I had to, I'd do it all over again." He squeezed you just a little more before he was pulling away and climbing into that red car that he'd long dreamed of. You felt your dad come alongside you and pull you into his side, the two of you both misty-eyed with tearful smiles.

Watching his car leave the garage for the grid you couldn't help the way you looked around for Charles. You caught sight of him and approached him, "Are you alright ma belle?" You wiped your eyes hastily, "Yeah, just a little overwhelmed?" Charles gave an understanding nod, "It makes perfect sense mon ange." You cleared your throat, "But I have another pre-race ritual to complete." Charles eyes shot to yours, "unless you already have one and then I won't interfere-" "Please." You gave him a soft smile and took his helmet from him to allow him to do up his suit properly, "What do you still need to do?" Charles looked almost shy as he gave his request, "Could you help me put my helmet on?" Your cheeks felt warm as you nodded, gently tugging on his helmet to pull it down when he grabbed your wrists, "Wait." "What?" Your eyes searched his, worried you'd somehow hurt him or done it wrong, his face broke into a grin, "Can I get a kiss before my helmet goes on?" You looked around the garage, everyone busy with their own jobs and not really paying you much attention. "Are you sure?" Charles nodded. You looked for a small space of skin not covered by his balaclava and pressed a light kiss to his cheek just under his eye. His eyes shut as if he was savouring the moment before he nodded at you to pull his helmet down. He watched your face contort into an expression of concentration as you buckled his helmet up with so much precision and care. "What comes next?" "Help me with my gloves?" His voice was muffled through the helmet, you nodded and took his gloves from him. Helping him put one on and squeezing that hand before switching to the other one. "Can I suggest one last thing?" He nodded, "I think you should have a bear hug." You couldn't see his smile through his helmet but the way he enthusiastically pulled you into his arms told you all you needed to know. You stood there for a moment just enjoying the feeling of his arms around you. You rested your head on his chest and sighed. His hand gently caressed up and down your back before he was being called to climb into his car. You squeezed him one last time for good measure before he was gone and off to line up for the start of the race.

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Your throat was sore from all the yelling and screaming you'd done at the screen, your legs were about to give out from the adrenaline rush and your cheeks hurt from the smiling you'd done. You had tears in your eyes again as you watched your brother cross the line in 7th for his first ever F1 grand prix. Turning to hug your dad you nodded at Carlos who sat across the garage. He gave you a warm smile and a knowing wink as the garage began rushing to the podium for Charles. You were bouncing on your feet as you waited to see Ollie, Charles, either of them, both of them?

The pitlane was packed as fans, teams and reporters all swarmed down to the podium. And there, pushing his way through all of it, was Ollie. You couldn't help the scream that left your throat as you sprinted to him. Pulling him into a huge hug. "Oh my god bear." You practically sobbed, "I'm so fucking proud of you!" Ollie slid his helmet off and his face was lit up, "Oh my god that was amazing! Intense, but amazing!" You giggled as he moved his neck experimentally before wincing, "Yeah I'm gonna need a physio appointment like... as soon as possible." You let out a laugh, "Dad was already on it by about lap four don't worry!" "Thank fuck." Your brother exhaled, eyes widening dramatically. You observed the way the podium was getting increasingly busy. "Go." Ollie looked at you, "You know you want toooo..." He sang, "But..." "No buts, butts are for sitting." Ollie, closed his eyes as if he would hear no further arguments. He leant in close, "I think it would mean a lot to him too." "Ollie I can't just g-" "Excuse me, Carlos?" Ollie called to the older driver, "You're going the the podium aren't you?" Carlos motioned that he was, "Are you going to?" You looked at Ollie and he gave an encouraging nod, "Go!" You looked at Carlos, "Lead the way."

It was packed. You wondered if Carlos should really be making his way through the crowd given his condition, but they almost seemed to part for him. It certainly made things easier for you so you couldn’t complain. You stood next to Carlos right in front of the barrier underneath the podium. You were just in time. The announcer spoke Charles' name and he walked out onto the podium, he had a huge grin that stretched from cheek to cheek. He stood there for a moment before looking down at his team Charles felt his heart stop. There was no way. Was there? You were stood celebrating his podium? Charles had never wanted a podium ceremony to be over quicker in his life. He was dying to get back down there and hold you in his arms again, maybe even kiss you if he was lucky. As he was handed his trophy he looked down once more, pointing at you. To the cameras it would look like he was pointing at his mechanics, or even Carlos. But you knew. Even though he was fairly far away from you he could still see how your eyes shone up at him. The way they sparkled not just under the floodlights of the track but from the way you were just looking at him. You weren’t aware of anything around you. Not Carlos smirking at the way you and Charles watched each other, not the music, not the champagne, nor the fireworks that now exploded in the sky above Jeddah rivalling the fireworks that were going off in your tummy at the way Charles gazed at you with so much adoration. 

As soon as he could, Charles was racing off the podium and Carlos led you back to the Ferrari garage where he would soon appear. You waited, almost pacing back and forth. Ollie watched you knowingly, “You really like him huh?” You froze, “Is it that obvious?!” Ollie scoffed, “Uh? Yes!” You rolled your eyes before Carlos called your name, “Y/N you can wait in his room if you want? It’s opposite Ollie’s.” You nodded and wound your way through the now familiar corridors of Ferrari’s garage. You made it to Charles' room and settled down on the couch. Now to wait. 

You didn’t have to wait long before the door was bursting open and a champagne drenched Charles was striding across the room, placing his trophy down on the couch before sweeping you into his arms, nose tracing up your neck, “Ma belle…” “Charles! That tickles!” Charles laughed and your legs went weak as you felt his chest rumble against you. “Wanted to do this as soon as I got out of the car.” He mumbled. You gently held his face in your hands and brought his face up to look at you, “Congratulations handsome.” Charles smiled, leaning in before catching himself and stopping with a groan, “Can I kiss you? Please say yes ma belle… Please fuck… I need to kiss you, it’s all I've wanted to do since the race ended, need to kiss you, please?” “Yes, Charles.” “Thank you amour.” His lips met yours and you sighed as you tasted the sweet champagne from his lips. He was sticky and sweaty but he was so Charles. You hummed happily before he gently bit your lip, eliciting a whine from you. He growled a little at the sound before pulling away, “We need to stop ma belle.” “Awww…” You pouted and he laughed, poking the lip that was jutting out. “I’m not going to do this with you in my driver’s room of all places, especially when I’m sweaty and covered in champagne.” “I don’t know…” Your arms circled his neck as you leaned into him, “I think it’s a good look.” His hands found your hips and he couldn’t help the way his thumbs traced tiny circles.

“You know… I think you should come to F1 races more often…” “Oh?” “Mhmm” Charles looked at you, “I think your ritual got me my podium today.” You stared at him for a second before laughing, “You think so?” He pressed a final kiss to your lips and nodded, “Absolutely!” “Then I think I need to come and stand in the Ferrari garage more often.” Charles pulled you into a hug, “That sounds perfect.” 

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y/nbearman

Liked by olliebearman, scuderiaferrari and 23,196 others y/nbearman little weekend photodump ft. very on brand red outfits, the nicest hospitality and garage I've ever stood in, Ollie's first F1 race and post-race dinner and Dad's first TV interview for sky sports

View all 4,157 comments olliebearman Think that was definitely Dad's favourite part of the weekend ⤷ y/nbearman Papa bear for commentator 2025? Comment liked by skysportsf1 and olliebearman ⤷ olliebearman ICON

bearmanfan they have the cutest sibling relationship I swear 🥺 lalaleclerc PLS TELL ME Y'ALL ALSO SAW CHARLES LOOKING AT HER IN THE GARAGE ⤷ charleswifey omg yesssss 😭 he really thought no one was looking but there was a whole ass camera on him ⤷ y/nbearman wHAT? ⤷ lalaleclerc oops 🥹

charles_leclerc can't wait to have you in the garage again ma belle Comment liked by y/nbearman ⤷ y/nbearman looking forward to it handsome ⤷ f1f1fan wait. WHAT? ⤷ bearmanfam Y/N AND CHARLES?!

scuderiaferrari We're so glad you had a good weekend! Ollie is our new fave 🫶🏼 ⤷ charles_leclerc ouch ⤷ carlossainz55 I've been gone less than one weekend 🧍‍♂️ ⤷ y/nbearman you're so real for this admin I approve ⤷ scuderiaferrari ❤️❤️

charlesandcarlos I had no clue who this girl was until they said on the commentary that she was Ollie's sister, damn they have good genes ⤷ y/nfanpage isn't she the prettiest!! ⤷ olllie charles has good taste Comment liked by charles_leclerc ⤷ charlessss does anyone know what she does for a living? ⤷ bearmanfam it's actually so sweet 🥺 she gave up on going to uni and following her own career path for a while to travel with Ollie and support him in F2! she's basically his PA, manager, photographer, nutritionist, therapist, best friend and sister rolled into one ⤷ charlessss holy shit 🧍‍♀️ we STAN her

bearmanhug is it just me that thought we'd get a really mushy post from y/n like when Ollie finished the F2 season last year? ⤷ ferrarifan no same here ⤷ y/nbearman oh it's incoming don't worry 🤭 ⤷ ferrawri OH FUCK WE AREN'T READY

❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･❀

y/nbearman

Liked by olliebearman, charles_leclerc and 21,874 others y/nbearman to say that I'm proud of you is an understatement. you make me proud every day no matter whether you win or lose not just on the track but off too. but this weekend I'm in absolute awe of you. the results you've achieved just show the hard work and dedication you've put into this sport. I know your passion to succeed and improve will take you far! this is just the beginning of amazing things to come. forever proud of you and I've always got your back. I love you to the end of the line baby bear ❤️❤️❤️ tagged: @.olliebearman

View all 3,562 comments olliebearman love you too sun bear Comment liked by y/nbearman

bearmanfam OH MY GOD THERE'S SO MUCH TO UNPACK 😭 ⤷ bearmanfam ollie once said in an interview that his sister always makes him smile and lights up his day and that's why he calls her sun bear! she calls him baby bear because he's younger than her ⤷ charlesandcarlos I'm pretty sure she used red hearts bc he drove for Ferrari this week 🥹 Comment liked by y/nbearman ⤷ bearmanfam omg YES ❤️ ⤷ charlesandcarlos CONFIRMED ❤️

charles_leclerc superb driving today! you should absolutely be proud. keep driving like that and it won't be long until we'll be sharing the track every week @.olliebearman Comment liked by y/nbearman and olliebearman ⤷ carlossainz55 no doubt about it!

lewishamilton amazing job today kid 💜 leclerclove The way the old photos are in black and white and the photos from the weekend are in colour like it's a new era 😭 ⤷ smoothoperatorrr omg I didn't think of that 😭😭 ⤷ charleswifeyyyy The childhood pictures are so fucking cute too 😭

landonorris great results today! can't wait to see what you do in the future! ferrariiiii "I love you to the end of the line" AS IN THE FINISH LINE?! ⤷ f1fan STOP OH MY GOD 😭😭😭 carlossssainzzz I'm not ashamed to say that I sobbed like a baby reading this post 🥹 like it's so clear that they love and support one another ⤷ scuderiaferrari we're crying too! 🥹❤️ Comment liked by y/nbearman and olliebearman

f1fannnn all the drivers commenting their support and congratulations 😭

fanoferrari "this is just the beginning" I-🥹😭 ⤷ olsbearmannn "you make me proud every day"

maxverstappen1 An amazing drive mate!

my boredom and desire to not do what i’m supposed to be doing know no bounds, so here are some Haikyuu!! team banner headers 

Like/Reblog if you use :)

silly guy radar explodes

Astarion walking into the fight with Cazador, skin glowy and moisturized, recently fed off of thinking blood, hair freshly curly girl-routined, surrounded by allies (one of them on fire... several of the others in possession of at least 2 different "disentigrate that old man" spells), dressed to the nines in the finest clothes the world has to offer, pockets jangling with the 30k gold and the copious amounts of jewelry we have given him throughout the journey, chapstick: on, four ghouls he summoned with his newly acquired Necromancy of Thay knowledge b-boying along beside of him, big wet kiss mark on his forehead: fuck you!

Cazador, with 2 bucks and cobwebs in his bank account, no steeze, no friends, no real plan of attack except the 8 dudes he found on craigslist, and yet all the audacity in the world: I got this... He has NOTHING ON ME!!!

The Silk Series Masterlist

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((Coming soon!))

•( prequel ) arranged marriage au! Mafia au! romance

You’ve spent your whole life dreading the day you’d be forced into an arranged marriage. That is, until the day you’re introduced to Kim Namjoon.

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BLACK SILK

•(part 1) arranged marriage au! Mafia au! romance, mature, smut

A king among men, Kim Namjoon owns half this city. But behind closed doors, it’s just you and him. ((writer’s audio q&a))

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CHAMPAGNE SILK

•( part 2 ) arranged marriage au! Mafia au! romance, mature, smut

Nearly a year after becoming Kim Namjoon’s bride, the two of you share an intimate morning together in his villa safe house.

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The Ultimate Dark Academia Book Recommendation Guide Ever

The title of this post is clickbait. I, unfortunately, have not read every book ever. Not all of these books are particularly “dark” either. However, these are my recommendations for your dark academia fix. The quality of each of these books varies. I have limited this list to books that are directly linked to the world of academia and/or which have a vaguely academic setting.

Dark Academia staples:

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

Vita Nostra by Maryna Dyachenko

Dark academia litfic or contemporary:

Bunny by Mona Awad

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

White Ivy by Susie Yang

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

Attribution by Linda Moore

Dark academia thrillers or horror:

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Dark academia fantasy/sci-fi:

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

Dark academia romance:

Gothikana by RuNyx

Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake

Dark academia YA or MG:

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Crave by Tracy Wolff

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Dark academia miscellaneous:

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip

Us Before You

(BTS HYBRID HOUSE) 

🐾  (PART 1)  🐾  (PART 2)  🐾  (PART 3)  🐾 EPILOGUE 🐾

Summary; Hybrid house consists of humans; Seokjin, Namjoon, and Hoseok, and Hybrids DOGBOY! Taehyung, DOGBOY! Jimin, and CAT! Yoongi. together they have the happiest family possible, everyone loves everyone equally. So what happens when stray hybrid FOX! Jungkook turns up at the edge of their property? they love him too of course…

Pairings: Jeon Jungkook x Everyone, Jungkook centric, Everyone x everyone, poly! au, eventual Reader X Everyone. 

Word count: 5.5K

Tags: hybrid, polyamory, smut, fluff, mentions of Abuse, stray hybrids, blood, gore, gangbang, threesome, hurt/comfort, mentions of suicide, 

Authors note; this piece definitely has its ups and downs, the graphic part where the reader comes in is at the end- this is the first part of a two-part series. Enjoy ~ M

- Hybrid house consists of humans, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Seokjin who are all in a relationship together.

- Namjoon and Seokjin met in college and the two where longtime friends before one drunk night changed it all. drunk kisses and drunk words come to mean sober thoughts. 

- And Namjoon didn’t even think he was gay before that night that but fuck he defiantly is. and Seokjin has been casually bi since he could breathe.

- And then 2 years into their relationship the two of them both meet this gorgeous dancer at a friends Halloween party; a sunshiney man named Hoseok, and they decide to invite him into their relationship after a few hangouts turn into dates which turned into sleep overs which turned into sharing kisses after hoseok had said it had been years since he was kissed. 

- But of course- to talk about any of them- is to talk about their hybrids too. 

- Jin has a dog hybrid named Taehyung, (given to Seokjin as a pet when he was a child- but who his parents gave away when he went to college. Seokjin finds him in a shelter years later and recognizes him instantly, and adopts him on the spot). 

- Hoseok has a cat hybrid named Yoongi (stray- adopted after Hoseok and Namjoon found him by the train tracks on their morning run soon after the 3 of them moved into their first apartment together).

- And Namjoon has a dog hybrid Jimin (adopted from his original owner who abused him, Namjoon witnessed the abuse and convinced the owner to give Jimin to him by threatening to call the police)

- With all of the hybrids and 3 people living in a two-bedroom apartment nothing fit well. They piled two kings into one room and made a giant bed out of it but still, someone always ended up suffocated, legs fall asleep when the puppies pile over seokjin’s chest and yoongi can never get out to get his evening quiet time. The other room was just a closet for the 6 of them, and even then clothes were spilling out the door- nothing organized, nothing perfect or just the way that they wanted- with a yard and more than one bedroom and a kitchen large enough so that seokjin dosent hipcheck jimin when the puppy lingers in the morning so sleepy he can barely hold onto his cup of coffee.   

- But they didn’t have a lot of options. Hoseok owns a successful dance studio that makes a fair amount of money, but it fluctuates with the market- when people have more money to spend on extra classes for their kids he has a little bit more wiggle room- but not enough to take on a mortgage or pricey rent. 

- Namjoon is a fairly well-known lawyer but his career has barely begun to take off and he doesn’t make nearly enough to afford the size of house they need even if he combined his savings with Hoseok’s.

- But there is another factor- Seokjin, who has wanted to be an actor since the time he could watch movies. But he works at a café in-between jobs and most of it goes into the communal pool of money that’s used for rent and untilites and feeding 6 people.  And he’s a bit of a trust fund baby- his father is a Ceo and wants him to run his company and forget about his wild (and childish in his words) dreams of being an actor. 

- He even paid for Seokjin’s college (where he was a business major but a secret double major in acting and dance). Most of his access to family funds were cut off when his father found out, but luckily it was after he graduated with honors for both. 

- as they look at houses, little cottages that are barely larger than their apartment- or attached units that have strict no- noise polices after 9pm- he can’t help but wonder if he’s making the right choice, his dream over finiaantial stability. he knows that if he agreed to take over the family business they would be able to afford a house much much larger than they would ever need. that the’d be able to live comfortably for good, and never have to worry about another late bill every again. 

- he makes his choice without telling the others, and He takes Namjoon and Hoseok and their hybrids to look at this cozy half glass modern cabin on the outskirts of town. 

- And the entire time their hybrids are running around- saying how much they love it and how much they want to stay- for the house to be their new home.It has a room for each of them, a wide backyard that borders some woods and a lovely garden, a theater room, a large kitchen, and a dining room. there’s even a little cozy breakfast nook that namjoon can already see himself turning into a little office. floor to ceiling modern windows that open onto the backyard and woods out back- a little nature preserve that apparently has walking trails too- or so the realtor boasts. 

- Jimin and Tae roll around in the grass of the backyard and the kept garden getting their clothes all grass stained but no one has the heart to tell them to stop. While Yoongi falls asleep on one of the lounge chairs in the sun, butterflies hanging on the purple bushes here and there. 

- Meanwhile, Namjoon just reaches for Hoseok and Seokjin’s hands. Lifting their palms to his lips. But his eyes are dark with longing and sadness- not happiness. Because they can’t have this. 

- “We can’t afford this, why would you show them what they can never have Seokjin?” Namjoon isn’t mad, not really- but their hybrids are a little sensitive. Jimin especially. 

- Yoongi would let the memory of the house fade quickly; Tae would get over it eventually. But he’s thinking of the conversation he’s going to have with Jimin when they get home and how disappointed he’s going to be; he’s going to cry. his puppy has always been the most sensitve of their little cadre and it’s one thing that namjoon’s always loved about it- and sought to protect. 

- Seokjin smiles at Namjoon and Hoseok before he reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out the deed to this house. “How the fuck did you do this Hyung” Hoseok says, amazed because the asking price was well over their budget- there are even bank papers here- and on the line to cosign, it’s not just Seokjin’s name- but Hoseoks and namjoon’s, all they have to do is sign it over and it’s theirs.

- But Namjoon doesn’t buy it- the two of him know Seokjin’s history- what he’s had to give up for the sake of his dream.  “What did you agree to do Seokjin? Please tell me you didn’t go to him…”

- Seokjin just smiles sadly “I start as CO on Monday at his company.” 

- Hoseok recoils “but your dream Seokjin- you can’t give up.” 

- Seokjin stuffs his hand in his pockets and looks at the two puppy hybrids lounging in the grass, at sleepy Yoongi who looks at home already, and at the two men he’s come to love so much it hurts him sometimes. They already look at home next to purple butterfly bushes that are just beginning to bloom in the early spring air. seokjin dosent hesitate- never would when it comes to the people he loves and his dream- he’ll choose them every time. 

- “This is my dream.” 

Keep reading

Sebastian x Reader(Ch.3)

It’d been a few days since you had seen Lord Phantomhive and his esteemed butler. Although your father had a habit of forcing you into doing things you weren’t particularly eager to do, you felt that partnering up with a demon to solve a substantial amount of murders and kidnappings would at least be entertaining. Besides, you still needed to know why this particular demon had such an effect on you. With you, yourself, being half-demon, you had met your fair-share of demons and other supernatural entities. But never have you had experiences with them, such as the experience you’ve shared with Sebastian; and from what you can tell, he’s never had such a thing happen either. You were also bemused as to why it took you so long to sense Sebastian’s true nature. You would use this mission as an opportunity to find out why Sebastian Michaelis was different from any other demon; and you had no doubt that he would be doing some investigating of his own.

*You and your father were now standing in front of the Undertaker’s building*

Keep reading

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞

"Hi, my name's Nico!"

pairing: platonic!nico di angelo x older sister reader

summary: you found your pugsley addams

warnings: brief mention of injury, grieving a family member

category: one-shot but not really

a/n: this is probably awful but do i need to fulfil my big sister urge to protect our beloved nico? yes. yes i do. i got this idea listening to Here With Me by d4vd, if you want something to listen while reading <3

“Hi, my name is Nico!”

Tousled dark brown hair, big brown eyes, a toothless grin, and a squeaky voice. Strangely, he doesn’t cower at your eyes, sizing him up. Either he doesn’t care or he’s clueless to your judgment. You're sure it’s the latter. 

How could this tiny boy, with too much life in his eyes, and too much excitement in his voice be a child of Hades? Considering your father’s exciting track record with children, this wasn’t what you were expecting when Chiron mentioned you had a brother moving in soon.

He’s just so… lively. 

The blinding daylight outside poured through your agape curtains and it surrounded his small frame like a giant halo. 

The sight was violent.

It gave you a headache. 

“What’s your name?” He waits antsy for your answer and you debate on even giving him one. 

Father told you he didn’t have any living children besides you. Considering the boy in front of you, it was a lie, or he had forgotten about him. Either way, you plan on arguing about it later. 

How dare he give you a roommate. Let alone a roommate barely in the double digits. This boy could have a tantrum today, and you didn’t sign up for babysitting.

“My side.” Your fingers point to the left of the cabin which is furnished with a bed, shelves, a desk, and a nightstand you got shipped to camp. “Your side.” 

Lazily, you point to the right. The lone bunk bed that initially occupied the space is tucked there, ready for the roommate you never thought would arrive. 

After three years, you had debated on getting rid of it, maybe donating it to the Hermes cabin. Gods know they need it but you guess keeping it was the right choice. 

“Inside voice only. No laughing, no whining, no groaning, no screaming, and especially, no crying.” 

The boy’s face falters into a slight frown. Your unblinking, emotionless face had settled into his awareness. For the first time since he’s arrived, he looks down at his feet. “Okay.” 

Your vision follows his movements as the boy retreats to his side of the room. His suitcase drags across the floor, making a wretched sound and it shoots irritation straight into your chest. 

Harsh words threaten to spill from your lips but they get caught at the back of your throat.

At least he’s compliant, you consider. Better bubbly and compliant than bubbly and stubborn. 

★・・・・・・★

“Psst.”

Did you imagine it? The sound was so faint and quick, you weren’t sure if it even happened. 

Voices in passing weren’t foreign to you. The occasional energy likes to linger around. 

If it was that, you refused to spare a single movement to signal you heard anything at all. A bothersome ghost wasn’t really in your plans tonight. 

There wasn’t a twitch in your face or a pause in your breathing that gave you away. And as you do every night, you remain laid on your back, hands lightly folded and rested in the middle of your stomach. 

“PSST.” 

Great. 

The second time was filled with so much urgency you couldn’t conclude it as a trick of the ear. Suddenly, you’re filled with dread. And it wasn’t from the possibility that when opening your eyes, you may find an entity looming over you. Honestly, you wished that’s what you were expecting. At least then, you’d be more interested. 

But no, you knew the sound came from no one other than the pest who sleeps across the room. Even now, you are fully aware of his small presence beside your bed. 

You had to give him credit. At no point did you hear him approach.

A silent stride just like yours? Maybe you actually are related. 

“What?”

Nico tenses up, his hand flings back to his side. He was just questioning if you were even alive, judging from your barely rising chest. Not sure what to do after your lack of response, he thought giving you a little poke would get a reaction but from your tone just now, he was glad he didn’t get to test that out. “T-the statue…” Nico didn’t dare look over, gaze set on your blank face. “What about it?” “It blinked.” 

Nico rubs his sweaty palms on his pajama pants, feeling the looming presence of Hades's statue. 

The past few nights, while lying in his bed, he kept returning to the same conclusion. He couldn’t be the only one who thought sleeping in a room with a giant statue was kinda creepy. 

Sure, it was just stone, but at times, it felt like it was looking at him. He thought he was just imagining it at first. Bianca did say he had a habit of spooking himself out but it didn’t stop him from sleeping with the sheets over his head. 

Tonight, however, amongst the deliriousness of waking up, he made the mistake of looking over. His vision was hazy, but he was sure of what he saw. The statue had blinked. Clean and quick as if it was supposed to do that. It was more than he’s ever seen you blink, and he’s been with you for almost a week. 

“It does that sometimes.”  

“What?” Nico’s voice was laced with so much emotion you could imagine what face he was making. Behind your eyelids, you envisioned the scared face Mr. D made you identify recently in therapy. It was so comedic to you, you almost smiled. 

“Go back to sleep.” A whine immediately leaves Nico’s lips, and your hand moves up, arm bent at the elbow, your pointer finger in the air. “No whining.” “But—” “Still whining,” you point out, and Nico remains quiet for a moment. Taking consideration of his silent movements earlier, you assumed he retreated to bed, but as he cleared his throat, you wished you could roll your eyes with them closed. 

“I’m scared.”  

“And what do you want me to do about that?” 

“I don’t know. When I’m scared, my sister—” 

“I’m not your sister.” 

Nico frowns but remains in his spot unmoving. As the seconds passed, your awareness of his presence started to irk you.

“Ugh.” 

The tired glare on your face makes Nico cower, and you sling your legs to the side. Another sigh leaves you and you march over to his side of the room. He waits as you rip the fitted sheet from the top bunk and throw it over the statue. 

“There. Happy? He can’t stare at you if he can’t see you.” 

“Now it just looks like a ghost,” Nico shifts, fear still on his face.

There’s a smack as your palm meets your forehead. A child of Hades scared of a ghost? You were about to tell him to get used to it but before you can nag him an idea graces your mind. 

Quickly, you walk over to your desk, hands searching for a black marker. Once in your grasp, you drag a chair to the stone and stand on it. 

Two circles for the eyes and one smiling open mouth. 

Moving away to see your drawings, you decide it was a refreshing sight compared to the usually stoic face of the god. 

“Better?” you ask, tone still bored as you cap the marker.

Nico’s eyes light up, a smile growing wide on his face. Who would be scared of a happy ghost? He nods brightly, and you make your way down, eyes rolling at the entire situation. “Go to sleep,” you command, and Nico nods, more willing than he was a few minutes ago. As you both return to the covers, the boy glances across the room one more time. “Good night,” he calls, and you stare at him for a moment. 

He always says it despite you never saying it back. Under your gaze, he waits expectantly, but it never returns. Just as every night, you lie down without a word. 

★・・・・・・★

Capture the flag isn’t your cup of tea. 

In the summers, you never participated. The bright sun, the humidity, it all made you want to claw your skin off. 

Usually, you get out of it but Mr. D pointed out there was no reason not to participate since most of what you hate about it isn’t a problem this time of year. One comment from him and Chiron takes it upon himself to ensure you attend. 

You hated it. 

Forced to strategize with Thalia and Percy, you are reminded the weather wasn’t the only thing you despised. It was dealing with everyone else too.

"I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."

"Oh." Percy hesitated. "Don't you think with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"

"Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've had more

practice at defense. What do you think, Y/n?” 

Your gaze flickers between the two waiting expectantly for your opinion. 

The tension between them has been something else since they’ve come back from retrieving Nico and losing Annabeth in the process. It’s not like there wasn’t any tension before but right now, you can smell the power struggle and it stinks. 

“I don’t care. Argue amongst yourselves.” 

With that, you turn on your heels, looking for the boy who surprisingly isn’t standing behind you like a shadow. Your eyes search the crowd for a few seconds until you spot what looks like a pile of floating armor next to the Stoll’s. 

A small sigh leaves your lips. Whoever gave him that definitely is setting him up and judging by the poorly contained laughs of the Stoll’s, you can guess who’s rooting for Nico’s downfall. 

The boy, painfully unaware of this, just beams at you, too excited for the game ahead. Lazily, you make your way towards him and immediately, he’s bouncing happily, his mouth ready to bombard you with questions. 

Your palm rises before he could and he freezes, obeying your silent command. “You need to tighten that.” 

He looks down at himself, his helmet swinging down into his eyes and he struggles to pull it away. “Which part?” 

“All of it,” you snap. The sadness that flashes in his eyes shouldn’t have affected you but you straightened up, closing your eyes to recollect yourself. “We’ll get you better armor afterward.” 

Nico nods, gaze softening as you adjust the straps of his armor. You tug on them as much as you can, jerking the boy left to right with the movement. 

Once every strap couldn’t be tightened anymore, you step back to take a look. It didn’t do much but at least his plate is snug against his chest.

“Okay kid, stay out of the way and be careful with that thing.” Nico looks down at his sword, which is probably too heavy for him. “We need to get you another weapon too. Gods, who did your orientation?” 

Nico points over at the Stoll’s who are occupied with other campers. Sending a glare in their direction you huff, “Of course.” 

"Heroes!" Chiron calls, swiftly getting everyone’s attention. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

“Do I get magic items!?” Nico screeches causing you to cringe. Whipping your gaze in his direction, he cowers sheepishly, his eyes filled with hesitant apology.  “No. Remember what I said. Stay—” “Stay out of the way and be careful with my sword.” Nico finishes your sentence and he smiles at the evident distaste in your expression. 

Your eyes flicker along his frame. “And don’t get hurt.” 

★・・・・・・★

Nico, to no one’s surprise, got hurt. 

Honestly, you couldn’t be upset at him, it’s not his fault he got caught in a spell cast. 

A certain Circe camper did a fine job at missing her every target, leaving Nico standing in the outfield like a giant bullseye. The force alone sent him back a few feet and he slid across the field like a rag doll for a few more feet afterward.

As he lay there limp in shock, you genuinely thought he died. Before you could wield the ground to swallow up his attacker, he groaned and stumbled back on his feet. 

Lucky for her, disappointing for you. You haven’t gotten around to doing that trick in a while. 

“Well, you definitely have blunt force trauma injuries, everywhere,” Fletcher says, removing his hands from Nico’s abdomen. The boy reclined in the cot flinches at the bruises already forming along his ribs. 

It looked pretty bad. So much so that you decided it would be cruel to tell him to stop crying.

“But you don’t have internal bleeding in your lungs so at least you won’t drown in your own life source.” 

Despite the smile Fletcher flashes at Nico, it doesn’t affect the look of horror on his face. 

“Nothing Ambrosia and Nectar can’t fix. You’ll be fine in a couple of days.” Fletcher helps the small boy sit up in the cot. He passes him a small cup of Nectar and orders him to drink up while he gets what he needs for the sling Nico’s arm will be in for a little bit. 

A sniffle leaves the boy as he observes the drink he’s left with. “What does it taste like?” “It depends on the person,” you sit back in your chair. “Usually tastes like something nostalgic, a favorite food or drink. You won’t know until you try it.” 

Nico nods, hesitantly taking a sip. As the flavors settle on his tongue, his eyes progressively widen. Next thing you know, he’s swallowing it like he hasn’t had a meal in days. 

“It tastes like the almond cookies they had at the Lotus Casino!” 

You nod in response, having some memory of Nico telling you about the Casino he and his sister lived at for a while. He’s told you plenty about it, you just weren’t listening most of the time. 

“I liked those the most because it reminded me of the cookies my mom would buy us.” 

Nico looks down at the cup, his smile faltering by the second. There’s a shadow clouding over his orbs and you quirk an eyebrow. The sadness overtaking his features looked strange. Sure you’ve seen him upset but you knew enough to recognize this expression as anguish. 

“What is it?” Your words came out more monotone than you intended. Shifting in your seat, you wondered why you even asked. Vulnerability wasn’t really something you sought after. It puts a bad taste in your mouth. 

“I was just wondering if Bianca would taste the same thing… but she never ate the cookies with me.” 

A hum leaves your lips. You don’t know much about that sister of his but you knew two things: first, you were here while he was hurt and she wasn’t. Second, her absence made Nico upset. 

“I understand.” Your vision is set on the small window beside you. Set on the fields of campers ahead, you ignore Nico’s burning stare. “I don’t like the taste of my nectar or ambrosia.” “Why?” “The flavors remind me too much of things I want to forget. Your sister probably didn’t eat those cookies for the same reason. It’s too much. Too many things tied to the things you like the most.” 

Nico’s silent, staring at the paper cup in his hands as if he was searching for something. 

“Nico, there’s one thing you need to know.” He averts his gaze over to you. “You’ll make friends, you’ll have lovers, you’ll have family but at the end of the day, the only person you truly have is yourself.” 

The boy shifts in his place, eyebrows furrowing. “Don’t let people steal parts of yourself from you. They’re going to disappoint you, expect it, and don’t be sad about it.” 

Silence followed somber and stuffy silence. For once, you were glad Fletcher returned in all of his child of Apollo gleam. He was better at cheering Nico up than you were, that’s for sure. 

★・・・・・・★

“What do you mean ‘He’s gone?’” Percy slowly retreats from your advances. Twice already, he’s stared at the glowing eyes of a child of Hades and the second time was even more intimidating. 

“He just disappeared,” Percy stutters out. “It looked like shadows took him, and then he was gone.” 

Schist. You didn’t even know the little rat could shadow travel. By now, he could be anywhere. You’ve been on him about training, but he still had that childish clumsiness to him. His chances of survival would be out of pure luck. 

A groan leaves your lips, knowing you’d have to go find him. If it were anyone else, you would have let them be, but this unfamiliar urgency in your chest wouldn’t allow it. You had to find and drag him back by his ear if you had to. 

Your eyes roll at the son of Poseidon, and you turn on your heels without a word. So much drama because of that sister of his. 

Rushing down the stairs of the pavilion, you conjure the shadows to form a portal that’ll lead you straight into the forest. 

Di Angelo, you better be alive when I find you. 

★・・・・・・★

How does a 10-year-old with short legs get so much distance? 

After hours of searching and instigating some fights with monsters, he was nowhere to be found. Concluding that, maybe, hopefully, he found his way out of the forest, you have to settle with waiting for him to return. If he returns.

Tired legs take you up the porch steps and you shrug off your coat the moment you step through the door. As the warmth graces your chilled skin, a floorboard creaks.

“Nico?” 

“Y/n?” Your name comes out of his mouth like a desperate plea as he reveals himself out of the shadows. With rosy, tear-stained cheeks, and watery eyes, Nico bolts in your direction, and for a moment, you think he’s going to attack you. 

It would be a bold move. Though, with his speed, he could get a good hit but he ended up doing something much worse. 

He hugged you. 

His small frame flings into you, short arms grasping your waist as if his life depended on it. 

“Percy broke his promise,” he cries, hot tears running down his cheeks and dampening your shirt. “Bianca,” he shutters. “He told me she died.” His frame shivers harder, the action almost too violent for his frame. You weren’t sure how but his grip tightened, “What am I going to do?” Get over it. 

The hostile thought was a knee-jerk reaction. Your mouth was about to relay the message but you stopped yourself, the words getting caught in your throat. 

The logical answer didn’t feel right. Why didn’t it feel right? 

Suddenly you’re aware of the sunken feeling in your chest. Its foreign nature made it hard to distinguish whether it hurt or if it was discomfort. 

This is odd.

Nico cries and cries, and by now, the clothing of your shirt is sticking damp to your skin. The longer you stood there, stuck on what to say next, you felt an urgency as if your response was timed. 

Rarely were you lost for words. Actually, you can’t recall a time when you have but right now you stood with your mouth open like a fish out of water. “You stay here,” you say abruptly. Nico pulls away, eyes glistening in the ray of moonlight seeping into the room. He’s so small. 

Not that he’s not small on any other day. His narrow shoulders droop and turn into themselves from the weight of the news. He looked fragile, searching for something other than his grief and he’s searching for it in you. 

It wasn’t often someone came to confide in you. Your advice was always too abrasive, and cold, and never did you have the urge to give something different. 

That’s what made this moment so strange. As Nico waits expectantly, you can’t find it in yourself to disregard him. 

“You stay here,” you repeat, the words delivered before your brain could process them.“And you train, and make friends, and find your own way around life.” Nico frowns, sleeve wiping his nose. Amongst his sadness, something flickers in his eyes. “Stay here with you?” With you. 

You couldn’t begin to decipher what that question made you feel. Forget the question, its delivery was hopeful and that surprised you the most. 

The feelings were almost overwhelming and before it completely flooded your senses, you shoved it to the side.

“Who else?” You clear your throat in an effort to get yourself together. “Is there anyone else who lives here besides me? Does the statue count too?” The question was genuine but something about it made Nico crack a smile.

“Anyways, you’ll see her again.” You shrug, stepping out of his loose embrace. 

“I will?” “We’re the children of the dead. We can just find her.” Find her so I can kill her again.

Nico sniffles, the sound snapping you out of your thoughts. 

“Stop crying,” you blurt out, and the boy blinks, face pink. “Crying doesn’t fix anything,” is all you say before returning to your side of the room. 

Nico swallows, trying to suppress the tears. 

You were right. Crying doesn’t fix anything but even though it was true, his emotions were all too much for him. Sniffling softly and wiping his face with his sleeve, he retreats to bed. “Good night,” he says, voice quivering. 

Nico crawls into the covers, the fatigue hitting him the moment he rests against the spring mattress. Unexpecting, he wraps himself up, eyes shut tight in hopes he’ll be asleep soon. “Good night.” 

Nico’s eyebrows furrow. He finds some strength to lift his head just enough for you to be in his line of vision. Blinking in surprise, he swears he saw a smile on your face. It wasn’t teasing, or happy. It was comforting, as slight as it was. It wasn’t much but to Nico, it made him feel like he’d be okay. 

Without another word, you slid into your covers and went to sleep. 

★・・・・・・★

“Where’s the brat?” With crossed arms and a look of determination, you stood authoritatively at the double doors of your father’s dining room. 

The god sits at the very end of the grand table, skeleton butlers wait on either end of the room to serve him. On the polished mahogany wood, the bulbs of the many crystal chandeliers lined up across the ceiling reflect like ornaments. As Hades wipes the sides of his lips with a cloth napkin, the side of his mouth quirks as he catches Nico peeking behind your back like a child behind a mother’s skirt.

Since when have you been maternal? 

“I’m sorry, who?” Your father asks with fake confusion. The smile on his face already gave you a headache. You weren’t here to play games, you meant business. 

“You know who.”

Hades clears his throat and his eyes flicker over to Nico. Quickly, the small boy retreats nervously, eyes set on your back. “I don’t know where your sister is, boy.” 

“I don’t believe you,” you cut in. Nico wasn’t going to speak, the boy practically shivering in his father’s presence. Even as he refrains from confrontation, he’s in awe at your comfort towards the god. 

“There’s dead people in and out of this place. You think I would know?” Hades asks and a hum leaves your lips.

“I would think you’d at least keep track of your kids but if you’re going to be this useless to me, I’ll find her myself.” 

“Wait.” 

You halt turning on your heels and raise an eyebrow. There was a moment of disbelief, your father helping and not making everything so difficult for you, for once? You wonder who could have possibly granted this miracle. 

“She’s somewhere down here,” Hades says and you wish your expression could get straighter. “Wow, I would have never figured that out. Thanks.” Grabbing Nico’s sleeve, you begin dragging him out of the room. 

“She’s not in the meadows, I checked. I don’t think her life has been judged either but Charon said he rowed her in. I can feel she’s close.” 

You sigh. Finding her is proving to be more of a challenge than you thought. By now, you would think she’d be judged and categorized wherever the judges saw fit. However, from the dead ends, you’ve stumbled upon so far, you consider that she doesn’t want to be found. As annoying as it is, the chance to prove you can find her was enough to get you to keep going, “Noted,” you mumble, already deciding where you will look next. “Close the door on your way out!” “No.”

★・・・・・・★

“Okay, listen here…” You move a little closer, eyeing the name tag on the frightened guard. “Atrius. Have you seen Bianca? She looks like this kid.” Pointing at Nico, the ghost peers over your shoulder. 

“No, I haven’t seen her.” As definitive as that statement was, he didn’t sound so definitive. His bones clinked together as he shivered in your presence. 

“I don’t like when people lie to me.” You stare into his empty eye sockets. One moment passes and then two and then three and still he hasn’t budged. Irritation buzzed at the back of your skull. You had the time but none of the patience to play hide and seek. 

Nico stands a short way behind you, partially concerned for your victim. He wasn’t sure what you were going to do if you didn’t get what you wanted. The skeleton flashed him a look and even with no skin on his face, he could tell it was pleading. 

“Help me!” He was saying without a word. 

The boy doesn’t move from his spot though, instead looking away sheepishly. Pleading or not, he looked scary. That and Nico really wants to find his sister. “I’m not lying!” He insists and it annoys you even more. Quickly, in one movement, you grab his leg and tug so hard it comes straight out the socket. Tossing it to the side, your eyes don’t leave him as he yelps, falling straight to the ground. “Tell me where she is, or I’m tossing both of your legs into Tarturus. Last chance.” 

Atrius wails at your threat, the sound was so hysteric you almost missed his confession. “She’s hiding in Lady Persephone’s garden, amongst the pomegranate trees!” 

Nico flinches when you whip around. Already he was unsettled by your interrogation methods but nothing prepared him for your face.

You were smiling. Your eyes looked lit up. 

Not gracing him a look, you walked right past him. From his surprise, his brain never gave his body the signal to move. Instead, he averts his attention to a distraught Atrius whose more than relieved he finally got you out of his bones. 

Right as he’s about to look away, Nico jumps in his skin as the skeleton looks right at him once again. It was only then did he find the courage to move. Walking backward, he smiles sheepishly. “Um… thank you,” Nico’s tone is apologetic. Across the courtyard laid Atrius’s leg and the boy takes a step in that direction but is halted by the sound of his name. “You’re coming or not?” You ask him, foot tapping with impatience. 

Not wanting to keep you waiting, Nico forgets about retrieving the guard's limb. “Sorry about your leg!” He shouts behind him, hoping the apology was soothing enough as he joins your side. 

The young boy stares at the back of your sneakers as you make your way through the underworld. Already he’s seen some things that spooked him out too much. This was like walking through a horror maze for him. 

For you though, he notices you’re more comfortable around here than you did at camp. Your usually confident stride had purpose and authority. He wonders if he’ll ever walk through here the same way you do one day. A part of him hopes he does.

“Alright.” Nico halts, almost bumping right into you as you stop in your tracks. “We walk through here silently. Watch where you’re stepping, if you crush one of Persephone’s plants, I can’t help you.” 

The boy’s face contorted with fear. “What do you mean you can’t help me?” He couldn’t decipher the look you flashed in his direction but it sent your message well enough. Don’t step on one of her flowers and you won’t find out. 

Nico’s small nod is enough to get you moving. With silent and slow steps, you walk along the paved pathway toward the cluster of trees in the back. 

It hadn’t settled into Nico’s awareness that his sister was hiding. You could tell. He was still hopeful and excited to see her and you can imagine if he knew, he wouldn’t be happy about it. 

You’re not happy about it, that’s for sure. What even was her problem? If there was anything Nico deserved, it was to see her before she gets sent to the meadows or decides to reincarnate. 

Once you approach the trees, you shuffle through them. You’re thankful Nico’s naturally taken the role of your shadow because he mimics your sneaking, staying out of sight with you. 

He probably thinks your caution is due to Persephone arriving at any minute. You feel this strange tightness in your chest, he really has no idea you’re trying to sneak up on his sister so she doesn’t have the chance to run.

Right as the thought passes, you catch sight of something moving in the trees. Locks of brown hair wisp through them and the pulse in your neck picks up. It seems you’re not going to avoid a chase. 

Nico barely had time to catch up as you bolt through a straight diagonal through the trees. You admire her audacity to try and get away. The smile that stretches across your face is from amusement alone. 

As Bianca makes a sharp right, you gather the shadows at the tree's stumps and will them to consume your body. Nico blinks and suddenly you’re gone. His quick steps come to a stop as he looks around, trying to catch any sight of you. Then he hears a cry of pain and he moves fast in that direction. 

The only thing on his mind was the possibility you got hurt. Even if you were in your father’s territory, were there still monsters that could attack you? Even worse, what if you stepped on Lady Persephone’s plants? If you can’t help him in the scenario he did, what was he gonna do? 

His pace quickens as he hears another cry and finally, he bursts through a wall of vines. 

Still clouded by his concern, his brain barely processes what he stumbled upon. There you were, fingers grasping tight at his sister’s ear. Bianca groans and struggles in your pinching grasp and you look up at Nico with a gleam, like a fisherman who just got his catch of the day. “Got her.” 

“Nico?”

Bianca freezes at the sight of her brother. There’s a silence that follows and you’re surprised Nico didn’t immediately bombard her with questions. 

The girl straightens up once you let go of her and as your arm returns to your side, you catch the tears brimming Nico’s waterline.

Yeah, this is when you clock out. Your work here is done. 

“I’ll… wait for you over there,” you point through the trees and at the meadow of flowers that wasn’t too far. It’s enough distance to be an earshot away. 

Nico nods, his eyes unmoving from his sister. 

Once you’ve shadow traveled to your spot, you didn’t dare look in their direction. With your eyes planted on the flowers, you wait for Nico to return. 

The boy didn’t take too long which left you lost for words. He didn’t look happy when he met you in the garden. His eyes held a feeling a part of you understood. 

“I want to go home.” He frowns. 

Home. You didn’t even consider camp a home and you’ve been there for three years. 

“Okay.” Your voice was right above a whisper. 

Whatever happened back there was the end for him, the last time he would see her. Knowing how that felt, you waited. Just a moment, maybe two. If Nico had any reservations or second thoughts, you gave him time. When nothing came, you hoped whatever happened, he’ll find peace in it. 

The shadow gathered slowly, first at your feet then at your legs and soon the two of you were traveling through blurred shadows and harsh winds.

★・・・・・・★

“Who did this?” You weren’t sure if the streaks of water on Nico’s face were from his eyes or the toilet water soaked in his hair. 

The boy sniffles, cheeks and nose flushed from his embarrassment. After the incident, he rushed back to the Hades Cabin to wallow in self-pity but his assumption you wouldn’t be there was wrong. He didn’t want to admit what happened, scared he would disappoint you for clearly losing this battle.

His mouth opens to answer but nothing comes out. He considers lying but as you raise an eyebrow, he grows too anxious to come up with one. 

“Nico,” you say his name firmly and the frown on his face deepens. “It was Clarisse and her siblings, they-” he gurgles out through his watery whines and you sigh. “They…, I-” 

“Breathe.” You kneel to his height and take a deep breath, waiting for him to follow. He does, his chest filling with air and he releases it shakily. 

“They surrounded me in the bathroom and Clarisse shoved my face in the toilet.” 

His lip quivers as he recalls the memory. Nico’s eyes flicker across your hardening features and you rise from your spot. “Go clean up,” you demand, already heading to the door. 

“What are you gonna do?” “I’m going to fix it.” 

★・・・・・・★

Gravel crunches under your shoes, without a single weapon you persist into the camp’s arena. Clangs of swords and grunts could be heard from outside of the entrance and as you made your way through the doors, there were the Ares’s campers sweating and panting from their already hard day of training. 

Clarisse stands there authoritatively, the swing of the grand door grabbing her attention and the snug look on her face had set off a slight rage in your chest. 

You were ready to wipe it off. If only she knew what she had coming. “Did Nico tell on us?” One of her brothers asks mockingly, your presence already known to the entire group. They stood, waiting for a fight as they make no effort to sheath their swords. 

A smile almost graces your lips before you could even execute your plan.

“His big sister is fighting his battles for him.” They laugh and joke at your brother’s expense and something snaps in your mind. 

The ground suddenly sinks into itself, and Clarisse and her siblings stumble to the side in confusion. Before they realized what was happening, there was no chance to run. 

A sinkhole, perfectly round and deep enough to trap them forms right under their feet. They roll and drop to the bottom, coughing at the gravel waterfall surrounding them. 

You hear their shouts and complaints and you make your way to the edge. Looking down at them, you ignore their demands to be let out.

“No one messes with my little brother.” 

As if on cue, there’s a screech in the distance and it immediately fills their expressions with dread. A lopsided smirk appears on your lips and soon the shadows of massive wings appear overhead. 

You whisper a demand to attack in ancient greek and the harpies swoop down with a call like a battle cry. There’s a collective panic of your victims and a laugh leaves you, watching as they spear their swords in the air at every charge towards them. 

Calmly leaving the chaos you’ve caused behind, you find an audience. Unaware of their bewildered expressions, not because of the scene but at the joyful smile on your face, you hoped you’ve sent a message.

Be nice my brother or else.

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