Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Sicheng stares at the ginormous blade that remains in the field. His body frozen, hearts racing like never before. His skin is sticky and flaky from all sorts of blood coating his skin. His muscles ache, magic wasted, but he isn’t tired. The adrenaline courses through, forcing him to witness the true strengths of what some of the newer generations have to offer.

At first, the battle was going on as any usual battle would be on Sicheng’s table. But they soon became overwhelmed by a few enemies. From the south side of the battlefield, a ginormous blade shoots up from the earth.

It was despicable.

He blitzes over, staring up with great rouse.

Sicheng recognizes this signature to be Sunghoon’s. He summoned a giant blade such as this? It stands terribly tall. Maybe as tall as a watch tower.

A Titan-sized weapon.

There are bodies Sicheng recognizes strewn across the field within Sunghoon’s vicinity. He must have been enraged when he saw the state of his friends. It seems that Sicheng can’t escape the similarities to Jisung. And he fears some of these people may fall into a similar tragedy one day. He shakes his head, swallowing thickly.

In front of Sunghoon is half of the body of the devil who led this rebellion. A ranked S devil. In the end, they couldn’t fight against a towering blade that would cost all of Sunghoon’s magic.

It’s terrifying that Sunghoon is the same rank as him.

This is why people say Jisung and Sunghoon are counterparts of one another.

One who wields armor. And one who wields blades.

⚚

“I’m beginning to think all of them are… literal spawns from hell.”

“Pssh, you don’t say?” Jeno sighs.

“Yeah, I can see it. Even Riki is doing unbelievable shit on the fields.” Yuta muses. They’re at Jeno’s place, and Sicheng never knew how rich the man was. His home is like a mansion. A heavenly mansion at that. “Makes sense that they’re also close friends. Two peas in a pod.”

“Are we sure it isn’t BamBam influencing him?” Yuta thinks for a moment before cursing himself.

“That’s a good chance. But you gotta consider that the kid is incredibly rebellious.” True, Sicheng has met Riki, and boy, is he a chaotic spirit. Hongjoong definitely got the calmer pea of the set. Meanwhile, it takes both Yuta and BamBam to monitor Riki.

“Jisung, are we sure you and Sunghoon are not like Yin and Yang?” Mark wonders.

“Uhh, I don’t know, to be honest. Everyone’s been saying that, but I don’t really care about that kind of stuff.” Jisung leans to rest his elbows on his knees. “How’s the battles over at Vraxorid by the way?”

The demons cast their gazes, lips thinning.

“It’s getting annoying,” Yuta vaguely admits. “But it’s nothing as serious as… whatever the hell is happening on your lands.” Jaehyun seemingly agrees, nodding.

If it’s just the beginning, Sicheng can’t imagine how extreme the battles can get, considering that demons are chaotic. Literally and figuratively.

Sicheng has fought a few demons while on missions, and let’s just say… they’re merciless. But they’re not as taunting and cruel as devils. Demons like adrenaline. Devils like misery.

Yuta looks over at him, shooting a smile of assurance.

“Oh, we’ll be fine. We have the craziest knights.” That, without a doubt, is true. When they have the fastest demon of their era, a demon who can increase or decrease magic input and expulsion, and so on. “Of course, they have us too!” Yuta reaches over to pat Jaehyun, who’s lying on the floor.

Of any place, he chose the floor.

But yes, both Yuta and Jaehyun’s abilities are also highly desired in the Vraxorid military. Yuta, for field action, and Jaehyun, for his exceptional skills of cursing and protection.

“Give us some credit for having crazy knights, too.” Jisung included.

“Like you?” Mark quips.

“No, there are more people,” Sicheng has to agree with Jisung that there are indeed stronger knights than Jisung currently. But he has faith that Jisung will climb the ladder in the next few decades.

“But I do worry for the younglings,” Jaehyun points out.

“Younglings is interesting for someone like you.” Jeno deadpans.

“That’s rich coming from you,” Jisung sighs, gesturing to Mark. The demigod shoots Jisung a look of challenge, and the devil only rolls his eyes in return.

“Where’s Taeyong and Jungwoo anyway?” Mark points out.

“Oh, Taeyong’s out on a mission. Jungwoo is over at Vraxorid with the healing squad.” Jeno assured the Sphinx.

“What is there to do now?” Jisung asks. They haven’t been on a team mission in a while. If they want missions without their leader present, then they need Taeyong to permit the process. If only Jeno were officially the vice leader, he would be able to carry out the procedures himself.

“Oh, we should do more lessons,” Sicheng reminds, grinning at Mark. The younger agrees. It’s been a year of learning, and he’s done exceptionally well. He’s able to understand basic sentences, which makes Sicheng delighted.

But there’s still more Mark must improve on and learn more.

“It’s okay. Some words are hard to describe.” The younger nods, content with the pace they’re going at.

“Rock, paper, scissors. Whoever loses teaches Mark for today.” Yuta suddenly announces.

⚗︎

Sicheng joins Yoongi, Minghao, Hongjoong, and Juyeon at Vraxorid. Yoongi opens the door, and everyone walks in, eyes scanning the infirmary for the people they need to see.

He hears someone call his name and realizes it’s Sunghoon. He approaches the younger, the latter knowing who he’s looking for. “They’re right here.” He gestures to the two beds right behind one of the curtains.

Yuta is in terrible shape, and Jaehyun is sitting next to the other, napping against the wall. They’re bandaged up pretty well for their mauled conditions. He heard the news that there was a break in their forces when battling. They won, but with little manpower they had left.

According to Sunghoon, Sunwoo, and Riki outdid themselves and pushed past their limits. He should express his gratitude to them when they wake up.

“Sicheng,” Yuta beams at his presence.

Relief washes over him, walking over and caressing his suitor’s face. The demon leans into his palm, skin warm, tender, and rough with the bandages. Yuta’s lips are one of the most charming signatures of Sicheng’s hearts. The lips that have whispered all the loving words he feels, the lips that have kissed him into bliss, the lips that shone with smiles and healed his soul.

To see Yuta still smiling after a terrible fight makes him feel partially comforted.

Sicheng doesn’t know the full details of the battle, but he knows there was a chance he could have lost Yuta this time, maybe in the next few years, as this continues.

The thought of losing Yuta scares him terribly. He can’t imagine seeing his deceased face— he can’t see it. And he hopes he never has to. The weight pulls heavily, his hearts hanging on thin strings until they fall into the pits of despair.

“There’s no need to cry, love.”

Yuta reaches to wipe at his face, rough bandages rubbing against his skin. It scratches in a way that makes him feel awake— alive. Sicheng sniffles, shaking his head. Gathering his composure, he takes a seat to lean in and press a kiss on Yuta’s forehead.

He’s just glad he can see him even if he’s not at his strongest. Weak, strong, imperfect— this is everything he wants in his beautiful tale.

⚗︎

Sicheng knows he told Yuta to wait for the day to come, but he just can’t live without the thought of Yuta’s emblem on his skin. He needs to know he’s alive at least, and it’s terribly selfish.

The Vraxorid Empire is having its own dispute going on, like Avrotus, but it’s a lot less complicated than whatever is happening here. But after visiting him a few months ago, he couldn’t hide the fear.

With each passing day, month, year, and decade, his fear has only begun sprouting into something terrible. Scared he’ll never be Yuta’s, even though he knows they have each other. Like an invisible string of words tying them together. But he wants to make that string visible, show other satanic races he isn’t a “pitiful, unmated beauty” that he appears to be. But it’s not really about peers— he couldn’t care less about them.

It’s about being completed, full.

On top of that, what if it never happens? What if Sicheng dies in battle before getting to know what it really is to be mated with the devil he loves? He’s beginning to believe he must experience all that he can before he may never. He’s one hundred twenty-three, which makes Yuta one hundred twenty-five. They’re still so young.

He’s thought about it for so long— weeks— weighing the chances and events of tragedies, and he finally concludes that he wants to mate with Yuta now.

The battles are less messy in Avrotus, and Vraxorid is just beginning with their own disputes. But if they act on it in no time, there isn’t much to worry about. If things start to get hard once again, well… he’ll suffer and live through a new tragedy he can never brace.

And so, he carefully walks Yuta through the conversation when he stays over at the demon’s place. He also asks for the older’s opinion, if he wants to mate at this time.

“I don’t want to make you feel obligated. So if you believe that it’s not the right time, I’ll respect it.”

Yuta looks at him in awe, and he reaches to hold his hand and cup Sicheng’s face. He kisses his hand and climbs his way to littering his face with feather-like kisses. “As I said, I’d wait an eternity if you asked.” Sicheng holds his breath, heart racing with passion for the man who has always been here for him. Patient and loving. “Let’s do it.”

“Right here, right now?”

He smiles, nodding. “If you want to.” And of course, Sicheng wants it. He wants all of Yuta and wants Yuta to have all of him.

They close the distance between each other, starting with slow and gentle kisses that soon become open-mouthed and biting. Hands that once rested in content began exploring the surface of clothing before reaching for skin, more intimacy.

Sicheng gasps when Yuta’s fingers brush against his nipples before twisting and pulling. He watches as the older takes delight, smirking with a heated daze.

They pull each other up and make their way into Yuta’s room, leaving a trail of discarded clothes behind.

By the time Sicheng’s legs hit Yuta’s bed, the demon lays him down, lips mapping out his body. He feels hot, gasping as Yuta squeezes his inner thighs, punching a whine out of him as lips latch onto his chest. He’s always loved Yuta’s display of strength, the security he promises in how he holds him. Sicheng knows he’s slightly taller than Yuta, but that doesn’t stop the older from protecting, loving, and worshipping him. Yuta will manhandle him in any way, any form.

He clasps a hand over his mouth, flinching as their hardened members brush against one another. He hears Yuta chuckling, and his breath fans his neck, lips brushing his ear. “You’ve always been so shy. My pretty, shy devil,” He whispers, low and teasing.

“You’ve always been a tease,” Sicheng pants, biting his wrist as Yuta begins to work him open, skillful at this point.

Within a few more moments, Sicheng can’t repress his mewls, writhing just by the work of his lover’s fingers. His voice is raw and throaty, scratchy, and it’s embarrassing.

“Come on, love. Let go. It’s just me hearing your treasured voice. You’re always safe,” He reminds.

How could he not refrain when Yuta knows how to reach his hearts in so many ways? How he reaches his sweet spot with ease, imprinted in each other’s familiarity? He lets go, whimpering and moaning as his fingers reach deeper, stretching him well and deliciously.

He can’t help but melt against Yuta’s sheets, gripping onto the soft fabric as Yuta traces his body with tongue and lips, leaving love bites and loving praises onto his pristine skin.

“Yu…ta—” His breath quivers. He’s more than ready, but Yuta hushes him and begins to mercilessly massage his sweet spot, leaving him a sobbing mess of pleasure, and he needs release. No, he needs the older in him. To mark him up and leave his emblem anywhere he’d like on his body. To finally connect with a soul that resonates with him.

His thighs are trembling, that familiar intensity building in his crotch as Yuta continues his ministrations. Oh, how Sicheng recalls a lusted memory of only coming on Yuta’s fingers and tongue all night.

But Sicheng wants to come with his lover. He grabs his wrist, whining and shaking his head. Yuta coos and presses kisses across his face, finally giving in.

When Yuta finally starts pushing, Sicheng is left breathless by the older’s intensity, a delicious burn, and pace he knows how to set for both of them.

“Please,” He pleads mantras. “Please, I love you. I love you,” He hiccups. He means it for every syllable, every word that leaves his precious lips. A hand cups his face, lips against his as they moan into each other’s mouths.

“Hell, you are so lovely. The sweetest I could’ve ever asked for,” Yuta pants against his lips, snapping his hips. “My sweet mate.”

Being Yuta’s mate is a dream in hell, and Sicheng loves it to hell. For they are satanic races, sinners, and everything flawed.

They love each other’s flaws and chaos.

Yuta’s hips continue to thrust, relentless and powerful, hitting his sweet spot on without fail. They can do anything like this for hours, from evening to dawn. The fact sparks arousal and fantastic fantasies within the devil, punching a particular moan out of his mouth that’s too lewd even for his soul to comprehend. Because he knows they have that type of stamina, and he wants to use it to its best extent.

He wants to be mated like they mean it, and he tells Yuta just that.

“Fuck me— Fuck me and mate me like you mean it. From evening to dawn,” He stutters through sobs, scratching at Yuta’s back.

Yuta groans in response, and he pulls out, flipping Sicheng over, and ramming him from behind, and Sicheng sobs into the mattress. “You don’t know the things you do to me with your words, sweetheart,” Yuta hotly says against his ear, his chest pressed against the arch of Sicheng’s back.

Sicheng pulls at the sheets, aimlessly nodding to his words. “Please,” He begs.

He shivers as rough skin traces his lower back near his ass, massaging a particular spot on his spine. It spreads a warm numbness throughout his legs and crotch, keening.

“Would you like it here?” Like a tramp stamp. Sicheng can imagine Yuta worshipping the mark all the time as they make love, if it were there. Only a place where Yuta can see it and hoard the beauty all to himself. It makes Sicheng excited, but Yuta’s hand glides up his chest and wraps around Sicheng’s throat.

The younger gasps as the other squeezes just the right amount that leaves his body feeling like jelly. His head feels a little lighter, in a good way. His back is arched, his thighs are quivering, seeking release as Yuta continues thrusting faster, which is leaving Sicheng too immersed in pleasure.

“Or would you like it here?” Yuta clarifies, stroking the sensitive skin of his throat.

To present to the world and show everyone to whom Sicheng belongs.

He loves the idea so much, so proud and happy of their love. He nods frantically, incoherent yes’s, and Yuta grabs his jaw and forces Sicheng to face him, lips and teeth crashing, saliva running down their chins.

He’s flipped onto his back once again, and he takes a few breaths, watching Yuta push his hair back, muscles flexing and glistening in sweat. The way his hooded and lustful eyes meet his only pulls him further into the depths of desire and yearning. They’re screaming with want— claiming.

“Prepare yourself, love,” He licks his lips. Yuta’s fingers revert to his demon claw, slitting his arm to collect his blood. Like ink, he begins to draw a pentagram on Sicheng’s neck.

And now, it’s time to make his vows to Yuta.

“I vow to love you for wherever you are, no matter how far, and how close. No distance will wear down my love for you.”

As the blood settles against his skin, Sicheng becomes hotter, breath hitching as everything suddenly grows overstimulating. The glide of sheets feels too rough, the air too cold, and Yuta’s hands on his hips are burning. His thrusts leave Sicheng seeing beyond earthly imageries, and he comes undone with a loud cry, panting, whining, and shaking as Yuta continues to thrust until he’s filled with the hotness of Yuta’s seed.

Whispers reach his ears, praises of comfort healing his recovery from the most intense orgasm he’s ever had in his life.

“Are you okay, my love?” A hand pushes Sicheng’s bangs back, clearing his vision of tears as he meets Yuta’s softened gaze.

Sicheng nods, wiping his face. He pushes himself up, keening as Yuta is still nestled inside him and kisses him, deep, and grateful.

“More than okay,” He smiles with shaking hands.

⚚

They’re at it for the sixth time of the night, Sicheng’s hands planted on Yuta’s shoulders as he continues to ride him. He’s staring at the pentagram he drew onto Yuta’s neck, the opposite side of where Sicheng has his mate’s: Yuta’s left. It’s gradually transforming, bleeding into the skin to form beautiful geometric patterns that are distinguishably unique. It’s Sicheng’s mark, and nothing will be able to replicate its preciousness.

“I vow with my love to understand you in infinite ways possible. Whether in silence or a different form, I will always know who you are.”

With the after-effects of an emblem forming, Sicheng shouts in surprise as Yuta grounds his hips and begins to thrust into him like there’s no tomorrow. The devil falls against his mate’s chest, cursing and biting his shoulder as he braces for another blissful orgasm of the night.

⚚

Sicheng stares at the mirror, touching Yuta’s emblem on his neck. It’s magical. It feels as if Yuta is right beside him when he’s only a few steps away. A lovely and comforting presence. It’s like a map on skin, intricate black patterns that make it Yuta’s. It spreads from the right side of his neck, a little over his jawline, and a little past his clavicle. He can sense the pride in Yuta through his own mark.

Yuta approaches and wraps his arms around his waist, pressing kisses along his shoulder up to where his emblem is, leaving the younger shivering in delight.

“We’re a matching set. We’re each other’s now.” They both look in the mirror, admiring their emblems on their skins.

“Yes, we are.” Sicheng rests his head against his mate’s chest, relaxed and content. “I love you.”

“I love you infinitely,” Yuta whispered.

⚗︎

“Wow, what the fuck did Yuta do to you?” Jungwoo sips on his tea, eyeing Sicheng’s neck as the devil shows him the emblem. The others are right by him while Yuta is out to fulfill a short mission.

Jisung stares with the widest eyes known to Sicheng’s memory, and Jaehyun is whistling, laughing at the three youngest.

“My poor eyes!” Jeno dramatically covers his eyes and runs around until he trips over a potted plant of Taeyong’s.

“I think Hyung is a monster at this point…” Jisung concludes, and he is covering the Sphinx’s eyes.

“I’m twenty-one! Go away,” Mark reminds and pushes the devil to the side.

“Is it that bad?” The older wonders. He doesn’t believe that the love bites are that… intense?

“My Sichengie, you, being pale as heaven, look as if you were almost devoured by Yuta.” Jungwoo pinches the bridge of his nose. “I think I’ll have Jacob blind me or something,” He mutters under his breath. Jacob Bae, the compassionate, is a wonderful angel to know. Very humorous and kind.

“I can help you with that,” Sicheng grins, spotting yellow spots on Jungwoo’s face.

“No, thank you!”

Taeyong intrudes and stands between them, scooching Jungwoo away.

“But, congratulations!” Taeyong pats his head. “We’re happy to see you two finally made yourselves official!”

“I must say,” Jaehyun speaks up, “You should probably wear a long turtle neck. Probably your combat body suit.”

Sicheng melts against the seat, nodding. He’ll just have to wait until the love bites disappear. He could amplify the healing through his regenerative abilities, but why would he? If it’s from Yuta’s love, he’ll savor every last mark of it.

Nonetheless, he’s grateful to have supportive friends sitting here with him, and they can’t wait for Yuta to come over to also congratulate the demon.

⚗︎

Seventy-five years later, through promotions and endless battles, Taeyong brings in a new person to the team.

“Everyone, I would like you to meet Johnny. He will be joining our team!” Standing next to him is a tall man. He’s definitely taller than Jungwoo, which says a lot.

The man looks quite hardened, definitely strong, given his magic signature levels and the fact that he’s a dragon. He can’t help but gulp, slightly intimidated. But the dragon waves with a smile, and everyone greets him.

“Hello, my name is Johnny Suh, the paragon. I’m currently ranked S.”

Everyone begins to introduce themselves, and in the next moment, they’re all asking Johnny a bunch of questions about his life story.

He’s exactly a hundred years old. He came from the Wulfrun faction of Thosotor, meaning he has dark magic. He’s been looking for a supernatural team to join, and apparently, he and Taeyong have encountered each other a few times in the past.

Of course, as a new member, he offered to learn sign language for Sicheng. Sicheng himself couldn’t tell Johnny no, as a noble knight couldn’t leave a comrade misunderstood and silent.

“You will always be heard in one way or another. As a comrade and in hopes of being friends, I want to make sure you are equally heard.”

“Thank you, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

Yuta translated, fist-bumping Johnny.

The dragon is a smooth talker, easy-going, and hilarious. He always gets Mark to laugh, no matter how odd his statements may be, and he seems to get everyone to enjoy themselves in the smallest things they’d never think of. For example, he got Sicheng back into the roots of his combat skills— acrobatics and some form of dance, he isn’t sure what to call it. Perhaps contemporary.

It’s a wonder. This man knows how to reach the original passions, which Sicheng is grateful for. A way to reconnect with his past self and incorporate it into the present and future.

He’s watching Yuta design something on a piece of paper. The demon liked to design symbols and drawings, but with their busy life, their passions were left sitting in the attic of their dreams.

Sicheng peers over, watching Yuta draw a magnificent artwork of flowers, flames, and hell.

“My hell is full of you, and you only,” He explains, showing the final product to him. His words and love are something greater than any muse could ever accept. Sicheng stares at it in awe, marvelling at the beauty. Yuta’s art and words reveal a greater pride in their love for one another. His admiration for Sicheng.

“It’s beautiful.” He leans down, pressing a kiss on the tip of Yuta’s nose.

Off to the side, Jeno, Jisung, and Mark are all bickering and wrestling each other, trying to win a game of ‘Patent’. Some sort of economic game that literally destroys friendships. But at least they’re fuming it out through wrestling.

The masterpiece is handed to Sicheng, and he immediately hangs it up when he comes home.

⚗︎

If Sicheng thought Johnny was strong, he’s powerful! As a devil, who’s now ranked A, he’s questioning whether Johnny should be ranked S+ or R.

He’s staring at a field of rogue dragons that were immediately destroyed by a single roar of dark magic coming from Johnny.

He’s on a mission with everyone but Jeno and Jisung.

Both Taeyong and Yuta are whistling while the rest of them stare in disbelief.

“Hyung! I think they assigned you the wrong rank,” Mark eventually speaks.

“You can say that again.” Jungwoo anxiously comments.

Taeyong meets gaze with Sicheng and cocks his head to the field. The devil nods and blitzes over one of the bodies, examining it. He uses a foot, nudging their head. He doesn’t sense any signatures coming from them. Just to be sure, he crouches and whips out a blade. He picks up their wrist and stabs right through their palm. No reaction.

He has a feeling there may be survivors despite Johnny’s fatal attack. The furthest point of the field is where the magic impact is weakest.

He turns and signals the others to wait. Then he does the same procedure to another furthest away in the field.

He crouches near another body and grabs their hand. That’s when the enemy lurches at him, trying to grab him. Out of reflex, Sicheng jabs his palm into their neck, firing his magic. In response, he gets blood all over him, and the enemy blacks out.

Sighing, Sicheng turns around to be face-to-face with Yuta.

Oh, how cute.

He pulls his mask down to his neck, smiling as he pats his mate’s face. All to assure the older he’s okay.

Sicheng signals to the others, giving an all clear.

“It’s okay,” He signs.

“I know, just got scared for a moment, since dragons are powerful and all that,” Yuta mumbles, and Sicheng can’t help but adore him, hugging him. “Let’s go back now, yeah?”

⚗︎

Sicheng walks through the Laesaneian Empire with Yuta, Jaehyun, and Jisung. He hadn’t expected it to be so… sandy. It’s a desert after all.

It’s hot and humid, but as satanic races, they are unfazed by the temperatures. The humidity, though, is a new factor to consider, but it’s not so bad overall. Avrotus and Vraxorid are definitely hotter than this place.

They’re wandering through the town of Nedjurun, Avsama city, looking for a particular home that is described as luscious of plants compared to most buildings.

“I’m impressed,” Jisung comments. “The structure and architects aren’t as plain as I though it’d be.” The mud-brick homes are shaped into rectangular and come-like designs with painted patterns. There are plenty of plants that are used for decoration, but Sicheng can’t deny that he was expecting no plants at all.

“It’s nice.” Yuta agreed as he looked around.

Sicheng catches Jaehyun eyeing some of the food stalls they’re walking past, and he taps him on the shoulder. “Do you want to eat something?”

Jaehyun nods, directing his interest in some hawawshi.

“Let’s pick something up for Mark. I’m sure he’ll like some food.” Jisung quips.

They agree and decide to buy some food for themselves and the others who are currently over at Mark’s place.

By the time they are at the doorsteps, Johnny opens the door before Jisung can knock. He most likely smelled them from a mile away anyway.

“Hey, guys, come in.” They greet the dragon and make their way into Mark’s home, placing down bags of food.

Jeno appears in the hall, greeting them. “What’s up? You guys brought food?”

“Yeah, figured you guys may be hungry.” Yuta answers.

“How’s Mark holding up?” Jeno grimaces, which isn’t a very hopeful sign.

“His fever hasn’t gone down yet.”

Sicheng frowns at that. The youngest has always worked so hard to the point of exhaustion and sickness.

“Hasn’t it been a week?” Jisung asked, baffled.

“Yeahhhh uh, I don’t think you should see him right now when Jungwoo is crashing out.”

Everyone raises their brows. An angry Jungwoo shouldn’t be that bad, right?

“Nah, you’re just scared of him,” Yuta pats his shoulder.

“No, I wouldn’t even recommend it to my greatest nemesis,” Johnny said.

Yuta waves their warnings off, and Jisung looks at Sicheng to see if he’s going to stop his mate. “That’s his problem, not mine.” He shrugs. They all chuckle in response.

To Sicheng’s surprise, Johnny was able to pick up sign language faster than Mark. A lot more efficient and comprehensible.

In the next second, Yuta blitzes back to Sicheng’s side, eyes wide. “Yeah, let’s give Jungwoo some space.” There’s evident fright in his emblem, and everyone is laughing at his reaction.

“We warned you.” Johnny shakes his head.

⚚

Eventually, when Jungwoo has found his cool, he leaves the room, frustrated.

“My magic is doing nothing against his illness,” He huffs, crossing his arms. Sicheng hands him some food; he must be starving for trying to heal Mark as best as possible. Instead of reaching for the food, Jungwoo reaches for a hug, and Sicheng freezes, unsure what to do.

“I don’t understand why my magic won’t work,” He softly sniffles. Moving the food around in his hands, Sicheng rubs his back to comfort the younger. He’s always done his best to heal those in need, and Jungwoo hates to see people suffer. Indeed, he is the lover of life.

“That’s okay, Jungwoo, you did your best,” Taeyong assures the angel.

“It’s not your fault anyway,” Jeno says. “It’s whatever is in his system. Can you take a look, Jaehyun?”

“Are you indicating that Mark may be cursed?” The demon’s brows furrow. “I’d expect the three of you to detect it within seconds if so.”

“Believe me, we’d assume it too, but we haven’t. Could be worse.” Jungwoo comments.

“Okay, okay,” Jaehyun sighs, getting up. Sicheng transfers the angel to Johnny to cling to, wanting to see Mark.

Yuta and Jisung follow them through the hallway. As they walk, Sicheng looks around, noticing lots of family portraits of the current team. And then he stops, looking at a single family portrait of Mark’s family when he was only five.

He lost his family when he was just seven. They all caught an unknown disease, separating him from them until he was seven. Mark has pulled through and done his all in hopes of making his family proud, and Sicheng knows they will always be proud of Mark.

But Mark will never get to hear those words from his loved ones ever again.

“He has us,” Yuta softly says, wrapping an arm around his back.

Sicheng nods in agreement, with a small smile. They’ll make the best memories possible and continue working together more than just a team, but as a new family.

They enter Mark’s room, finding the man wearily breathing as he rests. He looks terrible, worse than the last time Sicheng saw him.

He’s utterly pale, sweating buckets, and his eyes seem to be swollen through tears of pain.

Everyone silently grimaces, watching Jaehyun begin casting a spell to find any traces of curses.

But how would Mark catch a curse? Was it during a mission?

“Anything?” Jisung asked.

They hope he says no, but given Jaehyun’s puzzled expression, it means something is wrong.

“I don’t know how to put it, but he’s got some sort of curse lingering. It’s so subtle, even I can barely detect it.”

“What?” Everyone asks.

“I don’t know, I’ll have to look into it some more. Can you two inform the others?” Jaehyun asks Yuta and Jisung. The two nod and take leave. Sicheng sits on the edge of the bed, watching Mark’s chest rise unevenly in short breaths.

“What books do you need?” He eventually asks Jaehyun. Being a devil and all, curses aren’t his thing or knowledge. Even then, not a lot of demons can properly execute curses. It’s one of the most complicated magical laws only a few can understand; demon or not.

Sicheng even recalls Yuta complaining about barely understanding and casting curses. It’s risky and dangerous. So he only uses simple curses if necessary, which Sicheng only recalls seeing his lover use once, and it was almost a disaster as well.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll make Yuta and Riki fetch them for me.”

“Riki?” He raises a brow.

“Yeah, the kid owes me since he asked to teach him how curses work. Unfortunately, it’s not going well. He’s creating curses that are hard for me to break.”

“That’s surprising for someone like you.”

Jaehyun chuckles as he maneuvers his hands over Mark’s body, trying to pinpoint the exact problem of the curse. “Well, Riki’s got a long way to go.”

Jisung returns to the room, expression appalled. “Uh, I think the news made Jungwoo even more mad.”

⚚

After some research, Jaehyun believes that Mark’s bloodline is actually cursed. It connects with his parents’ deaths, a pattern throughout the family tree.

“What the hell did his family do to earn a curse?” Johnny asks, bewildered.

“Great question,” Taeyong mutters as he lifts a family book of Mark’s family. They hate snooping around the house that isn’t theirs, but they need to find out if anything was hereditary. That being the curse itself.

“Since it’s been dragged on for ages… I can’t guarantee he’s going to live.” Jaehyun sadly informs.

“No, there has to be a way.” Jisung disagrees, placing a sheet of paper down. “Any concoction? Can’t we take him to a wizard or fae? I’m sure they’ll find something that will help him.”

“It’s a curse, Jisung. Not some disease.” Jeno deadpans.

As much as Sicheng would like to join their conversation, Jungwoo is latched onto him, his mood down for who knows how long. They’re on the couch, the devil patting the younger’s head.

The team plans to head out and gather information. If they do, then they’ll go on a search mission for anything.

“Okay, we’ll be out for a week. How long do you think you can keep Mark in a safe state?” Taeyong asks.

“As long as you need,” Jungwoo mumbles.

“Okay, I think those who should stay with Mark are Sicheng, Jungwoo, and Jeno. I highly doubt anyone would dare attack Mark at these times, but he does have a lot of nemeses due to his youthful success.”

Just like Jisung and many other young, successful people, they gather a crowd of endless nemeses.

“You can never overestimate.”

“Yes, that’s the mindset.” Taeyong snaps his fingers.

“Let’s go, so we don’t waste any more time,” Jaehyun says, and everyone agrees.

Yuta approaches Sicheng, taking his hand and kissing it. “I’ll be back. Keep them safe, my strong devil.” Sicheng nods with a promised grin and kisses the crown of his head before letting go as Yuta joins the other half of the team.

“Stay safe and come back with anything helpful!”

⚚

It’s been five days, and Sicheng and Jeno make sure Jungwoo is getting enough rest and nourishment while keeping Mark as healthy as possible.

Some of Mark’s comrades also swing by to check up on him, dropping off commodities for them in gratitude for their demanding schedules.

𖤍

“Thanks for taking your time to look after Mark,” Kim Minseok, or Xiumin, the feline tormentor, bows. He is accompanied by Kwon Soonyoung, the precisionist, and Song Mingi, the giant mane.

“It’s no big deal, really, thank you for these.” Jeno smiles.

“Of course! If you need assistance or need to report anything, just come find me at the fort.”

“Thank you, we will.” Jeno translates for Sicheng, and the three men bow and take their leave.

𖤍

Sicheng is currently cooking up a meal from whatever he can make from what the sphinxes had given them. Some veggies, rice, and chicken for tonight.

Once finished, he knocks on the counter to get Jeno’s attention. “Can you please get Jungwoo to eat?”

The demigod nods and walks away as the devil finishes plating the food. He goes over to set up the table, placing cups, the plated food, and utensils.

Jungwoo and Jeno enter, sitting in frustrated silence.

“I swear, if those two don’t come back with anything, I’m killing them.” Jungwoo tearfully mutters as he munches away on the food.

“C’mon, don’t be so harsh.” Jeno tries to stay positive, but it seems Jungwoo isn’t having it.

“Mark is dying. We can’t do anything but stall for whatever time he has left. It can be any moment, any second.” He hisses through teeth, and Sicheng can’t help but tense at the Angel’s temper. He understands where he’s coming from. Mark is a beloved member and friend. To watch him suffer— dying— makes them restless and stressed.

As the two begin to talk over food, Sicheng gets up to use the restroom. He needs space. He can’t deal with their constant arguing. He’s overstimulated and tired himself.

He’s already caught a few people trying to sneak into this home. And because of that, he hasn’t been sleeping.

He closes the door and sighs, leaning against it. He can’t lose someone as wonderful as Mark. He can’t lose anyone. Not again. Not again.

Then Jinrak flashes across his mind.

His cold, dark eyes—

He pushes off the door and turns on the tap to its coldest temperature if possible, splashing water on his face. It’s sharp and chilling, a rejuvenating sensation. He takes deep breaths, trying to calm his heart rates. As he opens his eyes to look down, he sees violet. A dark, dark violet that almost appears as black, and he immediately gasps, pushing away with bleary vision. His back is pressed against the wall, trapped in horror.

He needs to breathe, breathe, breathe—

Knock! Knock!

He stops, holding his breath to listen. His hearts still beat against his ears, making the silence hard to decipher.

“Sicheng, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jeno’s voice is muffled behind the door, but he’s loud and clear.

Sicheng looks back at his hands.

Nothing.

Just translucent water running down his skin.

He quickly dries his hands and holds the doorknob, taking deep breaths. Like an actor, he controls his facial expression, trying to remain calm.

He unlocks the door and pushes opened, meeting a concerned Jeno before him.

“Hyung?”

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?” He nods, offering a questioning gaze.

He hesitates, glancing to the side. “Well… your signature spiked like immensely.” Sicheng bites his inner cheek. Should he tell him?

As he lifts his hands, he notices Jungwoo standing nearby with a worried look. He can’t have people worry about him when there’s someone more important to worry about. Mark needs their help and attention at all costs. Sicheng simply tripped over a rabbit hole of memories.

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

“But are you okay? You know you can tell us anything, right? We’re here for one another.” Perhaps he would have told Jeno if Jungwoo wasn’t present. He doesn’t know about Jinrak. At least, Sicheng doesn’t think Jungwoo would know about Jinrak.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”

Jeno looks like he isn’t buying his explanation. He takes a glance at where Jungwoo stands and steps away with a curt nod.

“You should get some rest.” He mutters before leaving.

Sicheng looks over at Jungwoo, who has a frown, the angel approaching to take Sicheng’s hands, gently rubbing them with his thumbs. “Take some rest, Sicheng. You’re stressed.” By his stern tone, he’s irritated, but Sicheng can bear it.

Sicheng tries to play it off with a smile, but Jungwoo looks at their hands, solemn and careful. “Your hands were shaking the entire time.” The devil immediately tenses, unsure how to react. “I know there’s a lot on your mind. But know that I’m always here to support you and help in any way. We’re friends, remember?”

Of course they are. And Sicheng really does appreciate their friendship, but something like this… should be unsaid. The past shouldn’t interfere with the present.

He nods and hugs the angel, hoping the other knows how much he appreciates his concern. Really, Jungwoo is the nicest man ever. Too kindhearted for him.

“Thank you. But everything is fine.” He does his best to assure the other.

“If you really say so,” Jungwoo sighs, dragging Sicheng back to the table, his food barely touched. “Eat and rest up. Jeno will be here with you to make sure you actually sleep.”

Sicheng complies, doing his best to stomach the food he had made. The divine ones had already finished their meals, dishes in the sink.

“Don’t worry about washing them, Jeno will do the dishes.”

Sicheng glances at the demigod, seeing the other firmly reading a book in the living room.

“I will be with Mark for the next few hours again,” Jungwoo says, and they nod.

“I’ll keep track. Four hours max.” Jeno calls out.

Sicheng sits on the couch across from Jeno, reaching for his own book. However, younger begins a conversation he thought he could escape.

“You can tell me now,” He says. Sicheng pauses, glancing over. This time, the demigod is looking right at him with firm eyes that indicate he’s not moving from the topic.

“There is nothing to tell.”

The demigod is clearly not moved and begins to sign. “Please. I’m worried. And I want to help you desperately. Don’t push it to the side for it to grow worse.” The fluency of his sign language almost makes Sicheng want to cry. “I think you don’t want Jungwoo to know, which is making me think of something… sensitive. So, how about we talk it out through sign language? The both of us?”

Sicheng raises his hands, hesitating. Should he? He looks back at Jeno, and he hates the way the other is worried. To be the cause of more distress to a friend.

He gives in.

“I just… don’t want to add on to the stress. We need to focus on Mark.”

“Yes, but we can’t work things out when there are other concerns that hinder our teamwork. I don’t want to say that you are, but you’re carrying something intense. It’s not healthy.” Jeno takes a deep breath, smoothening out his frown. “Try to be selfish for yourself.”

Sicheng sighs, frowning. “I could never. For the greater good for you guys, I’d hide things deemed a concern only for myself.” But he must agree with Jeno. “But… I think I do need to tell you. Because you know.” The younger looks at him, confused.

“It’s about Jinrak.”

Then it hits the demigod. His eyes widen, not as wide as saucers, but wide enough to paint the general idea.

“I’m just so worried about Mark. I don’t want to lose anyone precious. Anyone of whom I’ve grown close to… and he came across my mind, and I started seeing…” His hands ball into fists, unable to finish it. He can’t put it through. He just can’t. “Forgive me.” He quickly signs, fighting back the ache in his throat and the burning sensation in his eyes.

He’s brought into a hug, and he relaxes, finding the assurance of his friend’s. Jeno kneels before him, signing, “I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s not easy, and to be reminded of a tragedy… it fucking sucks.” Sicheng silently chuckles at that, wiping away the tears that dare prick his eyes. “But it shows you truly care. That you don’t want history to repeat. It’s okay to be scared. We’re here for each other.”

Sicheng nods, trying to recompose himself.

“But if you start feeling overwhelmed and reminded, don’t be afraid to come to me, Yuta, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Minghao, and Jisung. We can share the things we loved about him. That he lives on within the greatest memories. Not the worst.”

Jeno hums, a gesture of asking if Sicheng agrees, and he does. He wants to always remember Jinrak as the good devil he was. Not the ill-fated devil who succumbed to the enemies.

“Thank you.” He hugs Jeno.

“I’m always happy to help,” The younger whispers.

“But don’t tell anyone.”

“Are you at least going to confide in Yuta?” Of course he is. He trusts Yuta with his own life. He nods, and Jeno smiles, relieved.

With that, Sicheng can rest better, getting in a little over three hours of sleep.

⚚

As Jeno is washing the dishes, he asks Sicheng to get Jungwoo to sleep now that it’s been four hours.

Sicheng opens Mark’s bedroom door, tapping Jungwoo on the shoulder.

“Jesus!” Jungwoo hisses. “You’re so quiet, I will never get used to it.” He rubs his temples.

“It’s time for you to sleep.”

The Angel complies, getting up and leaving. Now, Sicheng takes Jungwoo’s place, watching over Mark. The sphinx is literally on his deathbed. His cheeks are sunken in from barely eating. They try to feed him as best, only taking a few nibbles before he either vomits it, or just can’t stomach anymore. It’s terrible.

He reaches over, pushing his bangs back, and he’s hot to the touch; it’s unbelievable!

“Please get better.” He prays for their friend.

⚚

The others come back a day earlier than expected.

They’re rushing in as Sicheng is cooking up breakfast.

“Whoa, whoa, hold your horses. What’s with the rush?” Jeno asks, holding Yuta firmly.

“Yuta kept insisting something had happened because he sensed Sicheng’s immense distress,” Taeyong explained.

Oh, dear. It was his dilemma in the restroom.

Sicheng puts down the knife, assuring everyone he’s okay. “Everything is fine. I was just spooked by a spider.” True. He hates those damn arachnids even if he’s a devil.

Yuta looks at him, wanting to say more, but Sicheng can’t help but silently plead not to make more of a show than it already is. Yuta breaks free of Jeno’s hold, immediately hugging Sicheng. He doesn’t say anything, just hugging him to comfort him, and Sicheng can’t help but fall into his embrace, holding his mate tightly.

And smoothly, Jeno redirects their attention.

“So, did you guys come back with anything?”

“Yes, we did!” Johnny graciously whips out a… heart?

“What the fuck.” Jeno deadpans. It’s huge, almost the size of a watermelon.

“It may not look like much, but it’s the heart of a hydra.” Sicheng can’t help but look at them, baffled. They managed to kill a hydra? Then again, Taeyong is there with literal solar magic.

“The heart of a hydra is the cure to Mark’s cursed illness. He’s gotta eat the entire thing though.” Jaehyung explains.

“What makes you so sure he has to eat that?” Jungwoo appears, leaning against the entrance to the hallway of bedrooms.

“According to Mark’s family’s hidden diaries from the archives—”

“You broke into the Laesaneian Archives?!” Jungwoo shrieks.

“Hey, this is going to save Mark. Whatever it takes.” Jisung reminds. That seems to stop Jungwoo from yelling, taking a step back.

“Ahem,” Taeyong clears his throat. “As I was saying, the diaries mentioned that the curse was implemented upon the family due to violating a contract with a devil. To restore the peace, a hydra’s heart must be consumed to bear the dignity of the lost oath.”

“That’s great and all, but how are we going to have him finish that shit in one sitting?” Jungwoo asks.

They all sit in silence, trying to come up with an idea.

Mark can barely stomach food, and he’s constantly sleeping. It’d take a miracle of magic energy to be returned to him to wake up.

“I have a proposition,” Taeyong finally speaks up. “But you’re going to hate it. But it’s the only option I can think of.”

“Just tell us,” Yuta sighs.

“Jaehyun will curse Mark.”

Okay. Absolutely not. He’s already cursed before he was even born!

“No!” Everyone shouts in unison. Even Sicheng can’t hold back his aggressive gesture toward the leader.

“Most curses are temporary! It takes a great time to bind a curse for eternity!” Taeyong defends his idea. “Jaehyun is one of the few demons to understand curses entirely with his… saturated brain. I don’t know. But he can dismiss it once Mark completes it.”

“But it might hurt him,” Jaehyun warns. “But I have to agree that this may be the only shot we have.”

“I hate you maniacs, you know that?”

“You mean you love us?” Taeyong interprets, and Jungwoo doesn’t disagree.

“Be my guest.” He turns around and walks into the hallway, and a few others leave to watch the scene unfold.

“We’re going to stay here. Don’t want to overcrowd the room,” Yuta notifies the others. They nod, disappearing behind the walls.

Now it’s just them, and Sicheng knows Yuta is going to ask.

“That wasn’t just some spook. It felt like a full-on panic attack,” He whispers. Sicheng senses his worry.

Sicheng pulls Yuta to the couch, sitting him down. He takes a deep breath and begins to explain what happened last night. His composed expressions soon contorted in sadness and despair. Despair for the fact that he couldn’t be there to help Sicheng. The devil assures that Jeno talked things through with him. He feels better, but the paranoia will always remain. In a world of magic, there are always inevitable deaths. It’s just a truth he has to acknowledge, no matter how much he hates it.

“I see. I’m glad you talked things out with him.” The demon pulls him against his chest, hugging him. “Thank you for communicating this to me as well. Life gets messy, we get messy. But that’s part of a step of growth, and you’ve grown so much.”

Sicheng exhales, closing his eyes as he listens to Yuta’s hearts beating. He never realized how truly tired he was, his eyes growing heavy. His breathing slows, his body transitioning into a state of rest.

“Sleep, love. I won’t be going anywhere.” Of course, Sicheng knows Yuta wouldn’t. He wouldn’t doubt him in safety.

⚚

Mark recovers within the next few hours. He’s terribly famished, and he’s making up for the missed opportunities to eat.

“It’s nice to eat again, guys. I can’t thank you enough for saving my life.” He tearfully says through bites of watermelon. “I fucking miss my watermelons as well. Thank you, everyone,” He says again and again.

“Please don’t speak and eat at once.” Jungwoo grimaces.

“Sorry, I’m just so grateful,” He sobs.

Everyone is laughing, and Taeyong is hugging the hell out of Mark, cooing and calling him a cutie.

Sicheng is patting the man’s head, glad to see him be himself.

It takes teamwork to work together. And it takes massive teamwork to keep each other in check.

⚗︎

Sicheng was sent on a solo mission to track down a traitor in the snowy mountains that divide the Pheattotia Empire and the Crethage Empire.

Though he thinks that this job is more suited for Ricky. Sometimes the military does a shitty job at assigning missions to people who are less suited for the context.

He blitzes through and around, given some clues where the traitor may be hiding.

At best, it is estimated he should complete the job in five days. He wants to get it done in three.

On his second day, he catches a whiff of a devil’s signature and closes the distance. Just enough to spectate and analyze what his prey is doing.

He notes they are a ranked B knight with snow magic. Maybe this is why Ricky wasn’t assigned, or else it’d be a snow fight between two devils. Sicheng will forgive the Avrotus military for now.

They’re trudging through the snow, seemingly trying to hunt a snow hare.

Sicheng grabs his daggers as his target is capturing the hare. He blitzes right behind, using his free hand to jab their back with his magic. They instantly fall, paralyzed, and Sicheng takes out all seven hearts, blue staining the snow.

He flicks off the blood and senses something daunting right behind him. He looks above and sees a wendigo.

Holy fuck.

He evades its attack, blitzing away. Out of anything— anything he could have encountered, it just had to be a damn wendigo. He’s only two hundred two, and dealing with bullshit like this?

If he gets bitten by it, he will turn into a flesh-eating devil. He needs to get away, but it roars a blast of ice faster than he can even think, trapped.

It roars, feral, and hungry.

He’s going to become wendigo lunch.

Sicheng can’t move any of his limbs. All he can do is face this monster that will either eat him or leave him alive to consume his kin.

He braces for pain.

Instead, the earth trembles and he hears the sound of sharp crackling and sizzling ring in the air. He opens his eyes and sees that the wendigo is frozen.

He looks at the trail of ice and spots a dragon. An ice dragon.

“Oh my gosh, are you all right?!” They shout, running over.

They analyze the ice he’s trapped in and easily pinpoint the weakest spot on the case. He flicks it, and the ice immediately shatters. Sicheng shakes his limbs, stiff and cold from the ice.

He faces the stranger and bows to them, deeply and gratefully.

“Hey, it was no biggie,” They assure him, but he must. Sicheng could have been dead or worse.

Sicheng crouches and writes in the snow.

“Thank you for saving my life. I owe you.” They read a slight, confused expression on his face.

“Can you not talk?” Sicheng shakes his head, and the dragon makes an ‘o’ expression. “So, you’re like mute?” He nods. “Oh, God— I’m sorry, that sounded rude.”

“It’s all right.”

The dragon awkwardly laughs and decides to extend his hand. “Oh— well, my name is YangYang, the shiverclaw. Rank B. Ninety-nine years old!”

“Dong Sicheng, the satanic assassin. Rank A. Two hundred two.”

They whistle. “Wow, you must be strong. Plus, you do look like an assassin with that get-up.” Of course, they point at his mask. Usually, he wears black all the time, but for this mission, he had to get white to blend in with the environment for obvious reasons.

“Anywho, what brings you out here?”

“I just finished assassinating a traitor.” YangYang’s eyes widened, eyes flickering over to a mangled body of blue.

“Oh! I see. Well, do you need guidance back to uhhh,” He looks at him, observing. “Are you a demon or devil?”

Wow, this kid is definitely an entertainer, that’s for sure. He seems fun and nice to talk to. And for some reason, Sicheng can’t help but think about inviting this dragon to the team.

“Devil.” He continues to write. “I know this is so sudden, but would you like to join my supernatural team? I’d like to be your friend.” His hearts are racing out of pure shyness. He is never one to initiate a friendship, too shy. But his guts are telling him that this dragon will be a nice addition to the element of their team.

⚚

Sicheng introduces YangYang to Taeyong as he needs the leader’s approval for a new member. The demigod is clearly excited that Sicheng has finally made a move to make a new friend. He would, of course, interview and see his skills.

Most of all, Taeyong likes YangYang’s witty personality.

“Welcome to the team!” Everyone greets YangYang, glad to meet a new teammate.

“You made a friend,” Yuta smiles at Sicheng fondly and proudly.

He shrugs, grinning. “Well, he saved my life from a wendigo.”

“Is that right?” Jisung comments, sending a salute to the ice dragon. The younger returns it, smiling bright and wide.

“Well then, he’s earned my greatest gratitude and respect.” Yuta comments, patting Sicheng’s ass. The devil moves his hand away, pinching his mate.

“Johnny?!” The ice dragon spots the dark dragon as the other enters the room.

“YangYang?!” Johnny points at the younger.

“Oh, well, it's great that we have people who are familiar with one another!” Taeyong chimes.

YangYang is like a warm sunshine, even if his magic is icy cold. Sicheng has hung out with him and with others, and YangYang knows how to make the funniest puns. They might be funnier than Jaehyun, no offense to the demon. But Sicheng is grateful to have met YangYang.

The others have been translating whatever Sicheng says with ease, and YangYang tries his best to pick up the language.

“You… want to uhhhh,” YangYang scratches his head, his face reading concern. “You want me to kill Mark?”

“What?!” The sphinx shrieks.

Sicheng shakes his head, crossing his arms into an X-shape.

“He’s saying you and Mark should spar sometime.” Yuta laughs.

“Ohhh, I see now!” YangYang copies the gestures, doing his best to remember them.

⚗︎

Nine years later, Jeno introduces the two phoenixes to their team.

“Na Jaemin, the sapphire pire. Rank B.” A blue phoenix that casts blue flames.

“Osaki Shotaro, the malestrom. Rank A.” A lightning phoenix, the fastest of their race.

They’re both the same age as YangYang— one hundred eight.

To their surprise, Jeno is currently courting Jaemin as well!

“Oh? Lee Jeno has finally found himself a potential partner?” Jungwoo teases, patting the man’s back. His ears are turning pink, looking away from everyone’s teasing gaze.

“I only found out now???” Taeyong sulks, lying on the ground as he hugs his knees.

“Hyung, I think everyone found out just now.” Jaehyun points out.

Sicheng begins to think otherwise, turning to look at Jisung and Mark. They meet his gaze, and they immediately straighten.

“I knew for a while,” Mark admits. Why is he confessing as if he stole Johnny’s food? Jisung slaps his forehead, sighing.

“Well, apparently he told me first.” Jisung eventually joins in.

“Not me?! Your big brother?!” Taeyong pretends to cry, going over to his friend, and Jeno teleports away.

“You’re not my big brother!”

While the demigods are dealing with their own fiasco, everyone welcomes Jaemin and Shotaro.

And wow, what a stark contrast these two phoenixes have. Jaemin is a burst of constant energy! He’s zooming around, talking to everyone without a beat of rest. He’s seemingly close to Jisung and Mark as well, mostly comfortable with them. Same with Shotaro since they’re both childhood friends.

Now, with Shotaro, the man is definitely calmer, and he looks like a soft, innocent man. But his magic signature and rank tell otherwise. Can be soft-spoken at times, and Sicheng is quite endeared to meet these two bundles.

“Wow, hyung, you look so charming!” Jaemin comments, observing him a little too close for Sicheng’s comfort, but he presumes this is something natural for the other.

“Yeah, Jaemin isn’t one who knows personal space,” Mark notes.

“I can see that very much.” Sicheng graciously pushes the man’s face away, smiling out of fondness. Jaemin goes off to talk to Jaehyun; the poor demon can’t get a good nap in here, it seems.

He can’t help but note that Jaemin’s smile reminds him a lot of Yuta’s. Full of teeth, purity, and cheeriness. Then he looks at YangYang and begins to feel the same.

Sicheng turns to his mate. “I haven’t noticed until now, but Jaemin and YangYang have beautiful smiles like yours.” Yuta raises a brow, and happiness blooms from his mark, leaving Sicheng’s ears to burn up.

“They do have quite the smiles, but whose is more beautiful?”

Just to tease him, Sicheng replies, “All three of you.”

“You’re supposed to say me, your beloved mate!” The demon dramatically sighs, reaching over to brush his knuckles against his mating emblem on Sicheng’s neck. “Was it my smile that allured you, hm?”

Shuddering, he pushes Yuta away, and the demon cackles, winking at him.

“Mark!” Jaemin announced, “You, Jeno, and Jisung are going to teach me sign language!” It sounds more like a declaration, and they seemingly agree with ease.

“Me too!” Shotaro quips. Yuta approaches the man and pats his shoulder, endeared by the younger’s puffed-up cheeks.

“Everyone can help,” Jungwoo assures the phoenix.

⚗︎

His face hits the hard, cold stone, his muscles searing as his wrists feel like they’re going to fall off.

Sicheng glares up at the enemy, seething as they observe him, sneering at his defeat.

“You think you could sneak past a malevolent team full of dragons, vampires, and ghouls?” Malevolent teams are supernatural teams that wreak havoc on the innocent.

With this particular mission, he was sent with the Holaze to gather intel about their next targets to evacuate the towns. Unfortunately, Yugeyeom’s magic could surpass the natural senses of dragons and vampires’ sense of smell. Now, they’ve caught both Sicheng and Yugeyeom.

Chanyeol! Send for backup!

Oh shit— On it!

Sicheng hears Yugeyeom shuffling, trying to get himself out of their restraints, but it’s no use. Sicheng decides to remain still, but he hasn’t given in. He’s trying to buy time, thinking of a way to get out without someone dying.

Unfortunately, he can’t sign to Yugeyeom to stay fucking put, and the younger devil gets kicks in the jaw.

“Tsk, you should learn from your friend how to stay still and obedient.” Seemingly, the leader or vice leader comments, adding a set of cuffs to their bound arms.

Sicheng feels a hand glide across his back, and he feels something climb up his throat. It’s disgusting and chilling to his bones. He wants to whoever’s hands are on him and slam his blades in their heads in this instance.

“You can’t even fight back. Not when these cuffs are imbued with sealing magic.”

Sicheng feels all the blood in his face drain, cold, and dumbfounded. Where could they gather materials such as sealing properties?! His breath gets caught in his throat. They’re actually in trouble this time. No one will be able to pinpoint their location because they can’t even detect their magic signatures.

They take delight in his silent distress, smiling crookedly.

“Ah, sphinx caught your tongue?” They bring a blade to his chin, prodding at his fabric.

“What could you be hiding under that mask?” Another approaches and tears it. It’s violent and rough; he swears he could have torn a muscle since the mask is part of his body suit from the neck.

“Leave him alone!” Yugeyeom shouts, but they’re ignoring him.

The hand on his back pulls him up, facing the enemy who’s taking the lead. He’s infuriated, pissed off that they think they’ll toy with them? Never.

“Hm, hiding such a pretty face. You shouldn’t put that to waste, doll.” They comment, and Sicheng jerks his head away, maintaining a cold glare. Their eyes drift down and spot Yuta’s mating mark on his neck. “Ah, you’re mated.” Their tone is venomous, prickling his skin as they trace the geometric patterns along his sensitive skin. “Would be a shame if we…” Their blade presses against his neck, cold and cruel. “Tarnished it.”

His hearts races against his rib cage, looking at the enemy. He’s still keeping up his poker face, but just barely hanging. He can’t imagine Yuta’s emblem becoming tarnished. To be mauled from its beauty that Sicheng cradles in his hearts.

“Still can’t speak?” They frown, pushing harder. He takes in a sharp breath, praying his skin won’t break. Never under this fragile blade that doesn’t know true despair.

“To your dismay, he’s mute.” Yugeyeom takes their attention, seething at them. Sicheng meets his gaze, fighting a despairing frown from pulling his lips down. But he hopes he can see through his eyes how terrified he is. How scared they are in such vulnerable positions.

The enemy glances between them, thinking.

“Is he your mate?” He asks Yugeyeom.

Silence.

Sicheng is fighting even harder for a poker face. This dragon cannot be serious. Yugeyeom explodes into laughter, twisting on the floor like a little caterpillar.

“Hell no— no offense. But hey, at least you were considerate enough to assume a homosexual relationship.”

“Of course, we’re going to assume since both of you are satanic races,” A random vampire quips.

Sicheng sighs, looking around the room. There are three windows available. But the dragon grabs his chin to keep him still.

“Well, there’s no fun in mangling a beauty if his mate isn’t here. Or should we deliver him to the doorsteps of his mate?” They tilt their head, eyes glinting at Sicheng. Their grip tightens, and Sicheng knows his jaw is going to bruise from the immense strength.

After moments of silence, they release him.

“You’re no fun if you can’t even talk or scream.” They stand up and brush their pants, walking away.

“Instead, we’ll let our vampires devour you two to their content.”

Sicheng meets Yugeyeom’s anticipating gaze. They’ll have to hold out depending on the vampires’ moods. They can’t fuck up, or they’ll definitely die.

But Sicheng also can’t help but question what a supernatural team is doing with vampires? The Rocuria Empire is on thin ice with the rest of the empires, with their monarchial rule and doctrines of being hostile to all other races.

He’s pulled up with Yugeyeom, and they’re tossed into a basement with their arms bound against the cold wall. It’s uncomfortable in the position, but they’ll have to bite and hope help comes in time.

Sicheng can’t even imagine how panicked Minghao must be.

“Are you okay?” Yugeyeom asks, and Sicheng nods, taking a deep breath. To worry Yuta about his situation would be terrible. The only thing he is grateful for is that the sealing cuffs also seal the emblem’s power. Yuta can’t sense his emotions nor his presence. If Yuta is constantly focused, then he will notice something has definitely happened.

But he still wouldn’t be able to find them.

That’s when boots clack against the floor, and they look up to see six vampires standing before them. Just great. Just what they needed.

Sicheng scowls as they split up and crouch beside him, tearing his body suit to find skin.

“These two smell delicious. Let’s take our time with them.” One of them notes.

They cut into his wrists, injecting a needle to transfer blood into a jug right beside him.

“You won’t get away with this,” Yugeyeom grits as he tries to kick them, but their ankles are shackled to the ground as well.

“I’d like to think otherwise.”

⚚

Sicheng doesn’t know how long it’s been, but his body is terribly sore. Muscles stiff, arms numb, and he feels nauseous and weak.

He wearily looks over at Yugeyeom, who seems to be hanging on better than him at least. The amount of blood drained has been drawn out for too long. For sure, they’ve been down here for at least ten hours.

Yeah, the team is going to lose their shit over this on top of Minghao…

The thought of his teammates shines hope for him. He misses them so much, but if only they could find a way out, he’d stop worrying.

He flinches when the door opens with a loud bang, and in comes the leader.

He’s here to interrogate them again. And for some reason, they think interrogating a mute man will actually get them answers. They gave up on Yugeyeom, finding his attitude too much of a hassle.

They’ve been threatening to do the worst to him, but they haven’t done anything but kick him, stab him in the legs, and drain his blood. This is nothing.

“So, what are you trying to get from us?” The ask, playing with… needles?

Sicheng remains silent, looking at them. He’s not going to give in if they’re planning on plucking his eyeballs out with those needles. When they get rescued, he’ll be able to regenerate whatever body part they took from him.

“Oh, dear, I don’t think you want to know what these needles can do to one’s mind.” He twirls with it and flicks it into his palm.

Hot pain spreads throughout his body like hellfire, stealing his breath away in utter shock. He suppresses a scream, choking on air as he tries to recover from the pain. He hears Yugeyeom shouting for his name, but all he can think about is remaining silent. Don’t give in to the interrogations, no matter the cost.

“I don’t know if you have any spatial user comrades that use… weapons. Perhaps you’ve heard of Park Sunghoon, the dark cache?” Sicheng snaps his eyes at them. What are they trying to say? “Like him, he’s got an inventory of various blades. This,” He raises a fistful of needles. “These are known as Extremities Needles. Ring a bell?”

No. Sicheng doesn’t fucking know his weapons.

“If not, these heighten the pain sensors in many supernaturals. The more pricked they get, the crazier they become, overwhelmed by the extremities of agony.” He raises another needle to his other palm, and Sicheng watches, ragged breaths hitching.

He lunges forward, biting his lips so hard that they bleed as the intensity of pain grows. This is worse than getting burned by Minghao. This is worse than being hit with divine light! It hurts. It hurts. It hurts!

“Leave him alone! C’mon, are you too scared to deal with me? Too scared of my antics?” Yugeyeom is trying to distract them, get them away from Sicheng.

He’s thrashing against his restraints, gasping and heaving for it to stop. But they keep adding more and more when the highs come down, only for it to grow worse than before.

He keeps chanting to himself:

Commit.

Commit.

Commit.

At some point, he blacks out, lightheaded from all the pain.

But the next time he wakes up, he sees another dragon crouched by his side, her claws scraping at his skin.

“It’s about time you woke up; now you’re going to deal with some of my lovely poison.”

Sicheng doesn’t have the strength to even cry in horror from the agony. They should have killed them long ago. But now that he thinks of it, if she’s poisoning his bloodstream, that means the vampires are done with content. They don’t need to feast on them anymore.

His head falls to the side, too heavy to control. He sees Yugeyeom throwing up black, to his horror. The younger doesn’t have black blood, but green. To see black instead of green means her poison is lethal even for a devil’s anatomy.

Fuck…

He feels queasy and even more sick. His body feels like it’s searing, but also chilled by ice. His eyes feel like they’re about to combust, pressure too tight in his head. He hopes this team gets cursed by Jaehyun and crushed by Yuta.

Destroyed by all of his friends.

⚚

Through haziness, agony, and the need for oxygen, he blinks, seeing that he’s in a different place. Everything is white and brighter than the basement. He feels around. His wrists hurt like a bitch— everything does. But his back is cushioned by the softness of a mattress.

What happened?

He thinks he sees someone who looks like Yuta. He’s not sure, but it feels like him. The tremors going through his body tell him it’s Yuta. The familiarity and strength of it.

He keeps blacking out and regaining consciousness. His mind was muddled with a mix of reality and illusions.

And finally, when it seemed like an eternity, he wakes up and blinks. He’s looking around and seeing his friends gathered around him as he lies down. Now, instead of white, everything is green and rich in natural healing particles.

“He’s awake!” It sounds like Mark.

A hand caresses his face, and he looks up to see Yuta’s relieved gaze, the older pressing their foreheads together.

“I’m so sorry, my love. They did their best to come as fast as they could… please rest and take your time.” The older whispers, feeling his tensed hands.

He’s still trying to comprehend words, but all he knows is to press against Yuta’s head, feeling himself connect with his mate.

“Oh, my god. Sicheng, you’re making me grow white hair before I even reach my fifth century!” Taeyong shouts. He hears a slap, and Jungwoo’s voice follows.

“Not many of us live up to our fifth century because we’re always battling.”

He reaches and taps Yuta’s hand, gesturing to him to help him up. The demon complies, supporting his back. Wow, he really needs to rest and eat. His vision spins, full of spots and haze.

He rubs his eyes, blinking and greeting his teammates.

“What happened?” He doesn’t remember anything but pain and suffering. “Is Yugeyeom okay?!” That’s the real question.

“I think you should be worrying about yourself first,” Johnny reminds.

“One question at a time, Sicheng. Don’t worry, everything has been taken care of. Most of all, both you and Yugeyeom are doing well in recovery. But you had it worse.” Jungwoo explains, kicking Jaehyun away for room.

“To answer your other question, we are in one of Maekubia’s best hospitals. Hence the plants.” Taeyong explains. “The backup team had to transfer you from hospital to hospital since the poison couldn’t be fought off well until faes and the natural properties of these healing plants could properly heal you.”

Sicheng nods, blinking his sore eyes away.

They catch him up, explaining that the malevolent team was captured and under arrest. They’re sentenced to life in prison, and Sicheng was definitely relieved by the news.

However, Minghao isn’t taking it well by the fact that he got Sicheng and Yugeyeom trapped for fifteen hours. As a leader and a harsh critic himself, Sicheng knows Minghao will never let this go from future stealth missions. He needs to see him when he’s all healed.

“But what did they do to you?” Jungwoo’s hand pokes his legs, most likely indicating he knows of all of his previous injuries.

“You don’t have to tell now, love,” Yuta reminds. Worry seeps into his emblem, but Sicheng can’t help but shudder at the gruesome memories. It’s better to let it go instead of keeping it hidden and insufferable.

He turns to Yuta, tilting his head to the right as if to say: I’ve got it.

He goes on to explain what had happened within what would be almost fifteen hours of captivity. Everyone was infuriated as expected. He even senses Yuta’s wrath through his mark, his hands holding his arms tighter.

They’re looking at him, horrified and speechless. Jungwoo, Mark, and YangYang look like they’re going to vomit. Jaehyun, Jeno, Jisung, and Johnny can’t hide their pinched expressions. Jaemin and Shotaro look like they’re ready to kill. Taeyong and Yuta look utterly heartbroken.

Really, Sicheng must be a very unlucky man. Perhaps he’s cursed with an ill-fated life after what happened long ago…

“Oh, Sicheng,” Everyone gathers around, exchanging hugs with him. They all wrap him in a sense of warmth and comfort, and it builds up into tears of safety and peace, and he lastly holds Yuta tightly, resting in the crook of his neck as he stares at his emblem.

He reaches to touch Yuta’s emblem on his own neck, thinking about the horrors and disgust if his emblem were tarnished.

He’d never forgive himself.

“Thank you for sharing with us, know that you will be served justice,” Taeyong assures him, rubbing his shoulder.

Sicheng nods, thanking everyone for being here with him.

Taeyong, Jeno, and Jungwoo leave to accompany the leader to inform the authorities of the incident.

Everyone keeps him company, telling him stories and events that had happened while he was on his mission. One by one, they leave to carry out their personal tasks, and all that’s left is him and Yuta.

Sicheng is playing with his hands, looking at his mark once in a while. Anything he stares at his emblem, he can’t help but receive this sensation on his neck; sensitive and vulnerable.

Yuta doesn’t ask. He doesn’t need to. Sicheng will tell him when he’s ready, and now that everyone has gone, he can let go.

“They threatened to tarnish your emblem.” He senses horror coming from his mark as anticipated. “I didn’t want it to happen. The only reason they didn’t was that I’m mute. But the chances that they’d do it. If they did it knowing I do have a voice… I don’t think I’d forgive myself.”

“Sicheng, why would you need to forgive yourself?” Yuta’s tone is deep and angry, hands remaining firm on Sicheng’s. “They’re at fault, if they ever did it, know that they wouldn’t take another breath in this world.”

“I know you would.” Sicheng croaked. He is proud of his mark. He loves it, a cherished possession of eternity. “It just felt like my world could have ended last night.” A silent heartbreak that leaves both of them quiet. A pained silence that dwells in their despair and tears.

Even if someone were to tarnish an emblem, they would be able to regenerate their skin and the mark itself, since it’s like a tattoo. But it’s the action of symbolic destruction that does damage to mates. To taunt and mangle a symbol of love and oaths.

“Oh, Sicheng,” Yuta softly whispers, kissing his hands. His sadness resonates deeply, and Sicheng leans over to kiss him. “A world without you is a hell of utter destruction.”

Indeed, he’d think the same for his mate.

⚚

Minghao comes to visit, and he’s bowing to him, literally on the floor. Panicking, Sicheng pulls him up, shaking his head.

“Minghao— it’s fine, really.” He assures his friend. The leader shakes his head. He looks terrible, absolutely devastated. The sight of his friend leaves Sicheng shocked as he has never seen Minghao lose his composure.

“Sicheng, you don’t understand. As a leader, I was supposed to keep you guys safe! They tortured you! What kind of a leader am I?” Minghao shouts, guilty. Tears are streaming down his face, and Sicheng wipes them away, trying his best to soothe the younger.

He turns to look at Yuta, who’s watching in solemn sympathy. The devil cocks his head to the door, and the demon understands and gets up, leaving the room.

“I had no choice but to abandon you and Yugeyeom. How could I do that to you? You’re supposed to trust me, and I’m supposed to make sure none of you get hurt— die.” Minghao holds a firm look, tearful, and it breaks Sicheng’s hearts. It really does. Minghao is younger than him, so matured, and bearing the weight of responsibilities and consequences as a leader

“Could you ever forgive me? For leaving you? For not returning faster?”

Sicheng looks at him, pinched and burned. Pinched by his words, and burned by his despair. It spreads like fire between them. Of course, Sicheng forgives him. He trusts Minghao with his life, like many other friends. But he also trusts Minghao as his leader. For making the best calls possible.

“I do forgive you. There was never a time I ever blamed you for leaving us. You’re a leader, a meticulous one at that.” He tries to help dry his friend’s face. “To be a leader, sometimes you must make sacrifices for a greater outcome. You did just that, and I’m proud of you.”

Minghao watches his gestures, eyes softening.

“Sicheng, you’re the kindest devil ever,” He croaks and sniffles. “Thank you for trusting me as a leader and as a friend.”

The older nods, wetly smiling, and hugs his friend. He looks over at the door, where Yuta watches. He’s frowning, sensing concern and admiration at once. Sicheng raises his hand, offering a thumbs up to his mate, and Yuta smiles, small and assured.

⚗︎

“Bro,” YangYang takes Sicheng’s attention as they’re taking a breather from the sparring session. Sicheng raises a brow, listening. “The others are attempting to hook up Jaehyun with blind dates.”

Sicheng’s face scrunches. Like— what? Why are they suddenly trying to get Jaehyun to date?

“Why?” The younger shrugs.

“I think Johnny said along the lines, ‘He’s hopeless and a lost cause if someone doesn’t look after him when we’re not around’. But I think Jaehyun should start exploring.”

What interesting takes. “When did this start happening?”

“For a week.” And no one bothered to tell him? Does Yuta even know? “Well, Jungwoo asked me to ask you if you have any people in mind that would be interested in Jaehyun.”

“Did you guys already try Jungkook?” YangYang shakes his head.

“Jungkook is courting a phoenix, actually.” Oh, well, never mind about that demon then.

“Yugeyeom?”

“I’ll note that down.” The dragon chuckles.

“Who has he even met so far?”

YangYang thinks, leaning against the wall. He brings out his hand, counting fingers, and just seeing him do that makes Sicheng feel bad for his poor friend. He remembers Jaehyun mentioning he wasn’t really interested in finding a partner. But it has been two centuries. Perhaps it’s time for a change.

“Jihyo, Dahyun, BamBam, Minghao—”

Sicheng blitzes over, grabbing his shoulders. “Minghao?!” He signs aggressively. No offense, but Minghao and Jaehyun are not a great duo in terms of communication. And his childhood friend?! Who proposed that?!

He asks YangYang, and he says, “Jisung.”

That man is foolish. He sighs and pinches his nose bridge. “I’m assuming it didn’t go well?” He looks back, and YangYang scratches his nape anxiously.

“Yeah.”

As expected.

“Did Jaehyun not voice his opinion about dating?”

The dragon shakes his head. “No. Hasn’t really disagreed. He just went along with it.”

“I see.” They go on to talk about some options for their ‘hopeless’ friend, when Yuta, Jisung, and Shotaro appear.

“What’s up? Did you guys finish sparing?” Shotaro asked.

“We were just talking about Jaehyun’s blind dates.” YangYang answers.

“Blind dates?” Yuta asks, confused. He looks at Sicheng, and the devil shrugs. He just found out a few minutes ago. “How come no one told me?”

“Because you’d give the worst options for Jaehyun.” Jisung deadpans.

“Says you,” Sicheng points at Jisung. The other devil looks at him, wide-eyed. “You suggested Minghao?! I’ll kill you!”

“What?!” Jisung throws his hands in the air. “I thought Minghao was just lonely. But apparently, he likes solitude!”

“Jaehyun does too!”

“Whoa, let’s calm down, everyone.” YangYang is holding Sicheng back from jumping at Jisung. Why are dragons so strong?!

“Wow, I’ve never seen these two argue before,” They hear Yuta comment to Shotaro. Sicheng eyes his mate, but the older grins, saluting away.

“Well, let’s see how Jaehyun is with Yugeyeom!” YangYang redirects their attention.

“You think Yugeyeom is a better option?” Jisung disagreed.

“Better than your suggestion.”

In the end, it didn’t work out either. Jaehyun showed no interest in a comrade as usual. Taeyong, Jungwoo, and Johnny eventually gave up, letting Jaehyun find his own partner if the chance ever arises.

“Why are you guys so adamant about Jaehyun finding a partner anyway?” Jaemin asks, prodding Johnny’s head.

“So we can find more interesting members to join!” Taeyong throws his arm over his eyes. “Like what Jeno did!”

“Like what I did?!” He pulls Jaemin to his side, eyeing their leader.

“Yeah, it’s like marriage into the family.” Mark ends up laughing at Johnny’s analogy. Meanwhile, the younger couple’s faces are burning up. Especially Jeno. Jaemin doesn’t seem to be shy about it at all, cooing up in Jeno’s face much to the demigod’s dismay.

“We’re like married, though.” Yuta raises his and Sicheng’s hands. Sicheng is so done and lightly smacks his lover’s shoulder.

“You guys already happened. Our family has to branch out, you know?” Taeyong sulks, going over to Shotaro. “Shotaro, you’re young and adorable. You could snatch anyone!” The phoenix blinks at him, fighting to retain his laughter. Right behind them, Jaehyun and YangYang are also fighting for their life to hold in their laughter.

“Leave him alone, Taeyong. You need to find someone yourself!” Jungwoo groans.

“You too!”

“You’re the oldest.”

Oooooo, burn.

Everyone bursts into laughter, and Sicheng hears the most horrific gasp Taeyong could have ever made.

“Get your bitchass out of here and find someone to swoon, lover man.”

“Oh, I will!”

Sicheng rolls his eyes and leans against the bench, grinning at the scene before them. Then he looks over at Jisung, who watches with a smile. A tight smile.

In remembrance of an unspoken past that shouldn’t be brought up now.