Kim Seokjin glowered at the sleeping black cat in the corner of his office. It was shamelessly comfortable on its bed, white paws covering a tiny face underneath. He scoffed as a dry gurgle echoed to the high ceiling. How dare it have the audacity to snore.
If he didn't have to face the repercussions, he'd lock it in a storage closet or switch the little cretan out with another one at a local adoption.
Air whooshed against his balcony windows, slapping the glass in one mild sonic boom. If those panels ever broke, he'd never let Hoseok hear the end of it. The locks on the sliding door clicked, and at last, the other man wormed through a skinny opening. The smell of heavy clouds drifted to Jin in his seat, the incoming fresh rain opening his airways. When the balcony closed, Hoseok held out his arms and shook the waterfall of jet black feathers cascading from his skin. Like a bird ruffling it's wings, the angel wagged and shifted them into comfortable formation.
Of all their new abnormalities, he wondered how Hoseok adapted to his. Wings were supposed to be on one's back. Except, similar to a raven or a crow, his wings attached to his limbs. Thoughtlessly, Hoseok jerked his elbows. The oddity shot back into his upper arms like it never existed.
He said, "I want to talk to you. Man to man."
Jin pushed the paperwork he'd been skimming to the side of his desk. "Whatever you need."
"You need to tell her about the curse."
"Me? Why me?" The CEO's face twisted as though he'd tasted something sour.
Hoseok lowered himself into an armchair before the desk. "She trusts you the most."
"I doubt that." Jin picked up a pen, ready to dive back into his work.
Hoseok leaned forward in his seat. "Humans put their faith in the people they run to. You sheltered her on more than one occasion, you petitioned for her protection. She. Trusts. You."
Mortals were quick to throw hope in the direction of their first savior, Seokjin knew. Grey might not look at him the same way she looked at Jungkook or Taehyung or Jimin now, but she hid behind him at the meeting a few days ago. She faced his shadows in the Great Hall, knowing he wouldn't strike against her. In her eyes then he'd seen her rock-solid determination grating against his own fury, her love for humanity hardening her into a fighter. She'd go to war for the beings she loved.
He rubbed his temples and squinted his eyes shut as the next thought crossed his cluttered mind.
One day, would she do that for me?
He snarled, his answer coming out far more aggressively to Hoseok than he first hoped. "She doesn't need to know. If it works, it works."
"Without telling her there is no guarantee. Right now there is a chance that she's receptive." Hoseok's expression was stubborn, immovable. He was agitated and he used his hands to talk.
"And if I don't heed your advice?"
"You've learned nothing. How many examples do you need? Is the past not enough"
Jin rolled his neck, the irritation almost getting the best of him. Not at Hoseok, but at being reminded of what they'd lost--who they'd lost. All they seemed to do these days was lose.
He understood why Hoseok couldn't be the one to break the news. It was entirely Jin's burden for letting her touch the 41st floor in the first place. And of course, his dear friend would give him a chance to come clean, be honest, not jeopardize his position with the girl. Hoseok was an honest competitor in the art of war and would not knowingly sabotage Jin to advance.
"When do you suggest I tell her?"
The typically cheerful man sat back, satisfied with getting somewhere. "This weekend. The company ball."
Jin groaned, running a hand over his face. "Shit. I forgot about that."
"How could you possibly forget about one of the company's largest events?"
"I gave all the planning responsibilities to Rin so that she could work with Grey. I have to send letters to the RSVPs, the venue, the caterers--,"
Hoseok blinked, unimpressed. "You don't have that many left to organize, Seokjin."
Jin clenched his jaw. "Thank you for the depressing reminder."
"I'm sorry," Hoseok stood from the chair and wandered back to the window. He slid one panel aside, the wind tossing his pink hair over his forehead. "If this is the last time you or any of us have a chance, do it the right way. Leave everything out there in front of her. She will decide what she wants. We've set the final course into motion. The battlefield should be level if we're to go to war."
Jin heard his friend leave in a gust of powerful wings and rushing wind. Though he garnered so much envy for the only angel in their cadre that could still taste the sky, he admired the man's remaining moral code anyway. Jin faced his papers again, trying and failing to focus on the fine print; he was chained to an endless storm of his own musings. At the mercy of his thoughts.
How hard would he fight to be on the receiving end of Grey's affection? Was she worth beginning a war?
Truly, she was. She was from the first moment she'd came into his office.
:::
Grey tapped a pencil against her forehead, jolting awake when her eyes closed and the entirety of her heavy head lolled. More than once she'd thought about bothering Jin in his office to fight the boredom. Maybe sneaking back to the 41st floor for a nap or a piece of chocolate. She could go on a scavenger hunt for Jungkook--pick him out from the shadows and then go stand in one to see if she would bump into him or not. She wasn't sure how his powers worked exactly, but she guessed that would prove entertaining.
She sort of missed him at breakfast today. Actually, she sort of missed them all. The kitchen was empty this morning, so she had to use a stool to reach the cereal she found on the top shelf. On the bright side, she found a bowl and silverware with her initials on it too in the first cabinet she checked. The girl ate in silence, and when she got down here no one really acted as her welcoming committee.
So, the stretching hours gave her time to sink into herself and grab hold of reality. Amelia was still in the hospital. Grey would need to visit again soon. Buy more flowers. Besides that, she welcomed the distraction that KSJ gave her. Phone calls, spread sheets, filling out planners for a year--though she noticed Jin hadn't scheduled any events for the upcoming year, only this fall and winter. Furthermore, she decided that she liked Jungkook's daily morning check-ups. She liked how Tae sought her out when she entered the room. She liked thinking of them, and then it hit her.
She missed Jimin, the smartass, too. He was a handful, but recently he didn't seem as uncontrollable in the small times they'd passed each other by through the halls in the afternoon. He was calm, collected--still hitting her with a sultry wink, but slightly reserved if that was possible for him. Without thinking, Grey shook her mouse to wake up her computer.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she came to the search bar of her internet browser. She was pushing the envelope with this... inviting trouble, to say the least. Inviting complications.
She already assumed that two of them paid her some newfound attention. Even if she did what she planned on doing in this moment, that wouldn't necessarily add a third individual to her list. Technically, it wouldn't even matter at all since the implications of what she wanted were practically nonexistent.
Jimin would never like her.
So, in that search bar she quickly typed the key words and pressed enter, peering over her shoulder at Jin's door for assurance that it was closed. Since it was, she turned back to the screen--to Jimin's magazine covers, spreads, and shots on the catwalk. All of his modeling photos.
That's what I'm talking about.
She scrolled slowly, unsure of what to call this spirit taking over her. This stupid, childish desire. Because as she inhaled one image after the other, she was drowning in guilt and yet on the brink of squealing aloud. She clicked on one picture to enlarge it, his messy blond hair and red sweatshirt sticking out more than anything on the page.
The brooding eyes... the flawless skin... his beautiful damn lips.
Those touched her? She shook her head, laughing. She'd naturally been lucky, but damn!
"Grey? You alright?"
The mouse flew from the girl's hand as she jumped, her swivel chair rolling back from the desk. In a frenzy, Grey clamped down on the mouse again, exiting the picture, exiting the window, logging out of her computer because she just needed to get the hell away from the pleasure that blossomed in her chest.
"You're really red. Are you too warm? Do you need a water?"
Grey peered up at Rin over the monitor, praying that her guilt wasn't written on her forehead in permanent marker. "Rin! What do you need?"
Her toffee colored hair was up in a high ponytail, bright and pretty face beaming down without question. Her pearls bounced as she held up a rectangular piece of paper decorated with a wax seal displaying Jin's initials. "I came to formally invite you to the company ball this weekend! You already know the theme."
"A Midsummer Night's Dream Masquerade." Grey watched the girl drop the invitation on her stack of planners. She said, "Is it too late to change that? It's such a mouthful."
Rin pressed her lips into a flat line. "The company voted on it months ago, it's perfect to celebrate the end of summer, and our guests have probably shopped accordingly, so it's way too late," she clapped three times, rampant excitement displayed in the way she practically bounced from heel to heel. "Thanks to your last minute adjustments it's going to be amazing."
"I just helped with desserts and hors d'oeuvres. You got the ballroom. We'll finalize everything together tomorrow. It's teamwork."
She nodded, clasping her hands before her lap as Grey peeled away the wax seal and removed the thick paper. Lavender and pale pink gossamer ribbons tied around the edges, the text curled and beautified in the type of cursive they use for fairy tales. It was the color of parchment, and for some reason it also smelled like strawberries.
"I forgot what this play was about," Grey admitted.
"Love potions, a faerie court, lovers switching their interests and fighting about it when there's competition for who they want. I don't really remember the specifics. At the end of the day it was just a dream and there's a mega wedding at the end. Shakespeare was all about the drama."
"Right," Grey dropped the invitation into her purse and slung it over her shoulder. "You look like you were about to invite me out?"
"How about a coffee run? We can do a quick rundown of the events for tomorrow and maybe some girl chat. It's been so long since another woman I can relate to entered this building."
It'd been a while since Grey had spoken to another human female with Amelia drifting in the land of dreams and Luca becoming more of a mother than a house cat. She locked the cabinets at her desk and grabbed a few loose papers to look at while they walked. "Any ideas of where you want to go?"
Rin said, "The Parlour is having a sale on their summer drink menu since August is basically over. I'd kill for anything over ice." She stalked by Grey's side, climbing into the elevator after her and pressing the button for the lobby. As the doors closed, Jungkook passed by, his dark gaze landing directly on Grey. Her heart fluttered.
Rin's face liquefied into awe. "Was hot bodyguard staring into your soul just now, or was it just me?"
Grey shook her head for Rin, glad they were descending. "Definitely your imagination."
"You're blind. He got a good look at you. What's going on there?" She put her hands on her hips.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The chrome doors opened, the girls blended into the busy lobby. A few employees waved at Grey, a few called out to Rin. Yoongi was at the receptionist's desk, leaning his back and elbows against the wood and watching her leave. She waved at him, smiling. He nodded, disappearing into obsidian mist as the people behind the counter turned their backs to him.
"Why don't you tell me the agenda for tomorrow while we stroll?"
Rin sighed, smile widening as the doormen opened the doors for her and Grey. She began to ramble about the ball; who would be there, what to wear, when it was best to arrive. That easily she became distracted.
:::
The Parlour was toasty in contrast to the cool afternoon breeze--a sign that the ovens had been on and firing all day. Candy and powdered sugar sweetened the air, the glass display nearly overflowing with pastel colored treats and gourmet donuts. A line sliced clean through half of the cafe from the register to the door. A new server behind the register did his best to take orders, review receipts, follow the special instructions. She was oddly proud enough to note that it had never been this hectic when she worked here.
With Rin, she waited patiently at the end of the queue. It did not take as long as she expected for them to be listing off their orders and handing over money. For herself, she ordered a vanilla iced coffee. For Jin, she grabbed the same. He had to be looking for something refreshing while locked up in that office. She wondered how he was, why stress seemed to live between his shoulders and buzz in that elegant head of his.
After taking their receipts, the girls took a table by the back in a cozy booth. Rin's phone blinked with notifications as she tossed it onto the table. She turned it over, ignoring the rampant vibrations to lean her head on her hands. "You got the right order for Jin, you know."
Grey leaned her back against the seat. "How can you tell?"
"I was an intern for a while under him. I handled the coffee runs and he requested vanilla iced coffee a lot. More than anything else." She ran her sky blue nails through her ponytail.
Grey played with her own unmanicured hands in her lap. "Did you enjoy being an intern?"
"I did, I really did. We became super fast friends. I'm sure you've seen by now how funny and carefree he can be. We listened in on phone calls together and he sometimes let me file his invoices. I learned a lot. But the absolute best part? You wouldn't believe."
She ignored the incessant tugging of annoyance at the back of her mind. Jin was loose around her too, right? Maybe not super open, but at least she lived with him. Though, they never bumped into one another and he never seemed to be around when she came to eat...
No. Grey we aren't doing this. I am not jealous of her.
Steeling her nerves, she pushed the negativity aside and focused solely on her coworker, who she perhaps prematurely considered her friend at KSJ.
"What was the best part?"
"Seeing all his handsome partners come in and out of the office! There were so many of them, I barely even remember them all. But Grey, you missed a show. A buffet of amazing guys."
Ah. Her housemates.
"I think I've seen them," Grey said.
Her pretty brown eyes narrowed mischievously. "Hot bodyguard is one of them. Though, I don't understand why he's Jin's security when he could have his own company."
Grey raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Her face fell, joy deflating like a balloon that had been popped. Rin's mood eclipsed into something empty, sad. "I-I don't know."
It was Grey's turn to frown. She crossed her arms, brows arching in concern. "You were just on a full rant, what do you mean you don't know?"
Rin's slender fingers grazed her lips, her bewilderment too raw to be fake. "I don't know. It happens sometimes. I get on a roll and it just stops. It's hard to explain."
Grey offered, "Short-term memory loss?"
Rin shook her head. After a few seconds, she smiled apologetically. The pep returned to her shoulders and bouncy head like it'd never left. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"
Is she serious?
Grey tried again. "We were talking about Jungkook? The hot bodyguard?"
Rin's face scrunched up. "Who is that?"
"How about your internship?"
She laughed uneasily. "Grey, you're freaking me out. I've never had an internship at KSJ. I've been hired at the receptionist desk for years now."
"But you just said--,"
"I didn't say any of that!" Rin's phone vibrated loud enough to make them both stare at it. She flicked it over to examine the caller ID. Then, she sighed and swiped the bottom of the screen to answer the call. "I have to take this, mind if I step out for a sec?"
Grey shook her head, mouth suddenly dry. Rin excused herself from the booth and stalked through the entrance, ducking away from the front windows to maybe find a quieter space. Grey stared at her vacant spot.
"Excuse me," a musical voice tore Grey from the trance. She found the woman that addressed her standing at the side of the table with two vanilla iced coffees in her hands. Her red nails were long, carved to a point at the ends. Long locks of crimson hair curved around her full chest. Grey followed the trail from the drinks to her face, charmed by her tan skin and bow-shaped lips.
Her eyes were a blazing gold. Like two jars of molten lava, smoldering and setting fire to whatever they landed on. Grey's resolve turned to ash under that polite stare. Something--an overbearingly ominous presence--wrapped around her mind, around her heart the same way a heavy wind would encircle and snuff out a candle. She wanted to speak, but found that she could only behold the creature that delicately sidled into the seat across from her. The light in Grey's soul shuddered as her limbs, her body went slack.
"Getting into your head was a lot easier than I thought," the woman giggled. The ice in the plastic cups sloshed as she slid the coffees towards Grey.
Even if she wanted to, the human girl couldn't catch them. Her limbs would not yield to her command. Every action, every word Grey tried to conjure was suffocated by the evil that was chilling her very core.
"Humans are so fucking difficult to control, did you know that? You guys are like defiant little children. Always fighting against my hold." She took a deep breath, crossing her arms atop the table and leaning forward like her and Grey were on a simple date.
"It's so nice to finally meet you. My name is Vanity." She extended a dainty hand across the space between them. "What's yours? I'll let you go enough to answer."
Instantly, Grey blinked, her voice becoming hers. "Are you paralyzing me?"
"Wrong answer." Vanity's hand closed into a fist. At the same time, Grey felt the bitter cold clamp over her vocal chords. A cloud of white smoke blew from her nostrils. "But, I am paralyzing you. It's our first meeting. I should ease you into this."
She used a long nail to play with the gold necklace around her throat. "Anyway, I wanted to get a look at you... see what they've dragged in from the street to occupy themselves. I'm halfway impressed. You're not a complete disappointment for a human.
"However, you are also nothing close to me. So severely lacking in what I have that it's almost comical how much time I've wasted worrying about you. I've stayed on Earth for far too long."
Grey latched onto each poisonous word. The message was venomous, but the sound... it carried over her lips in such a painfully beautiful song that she could have listened all day. Vanity shimmied out of the booth and pulled down her tank top.
"I'm done here, mortal. Do me a favor?"
Grey nodded, more than eager to receive instruction.
"Forget that you encountered me. Go on like this never happened."
Vanity strolled from The Parlour, her red varsity jacket fanning in the wind. As soon as the door closed behind the immortal, Grey slammed back into her own body. The weight in her chest was gone and so was her recollection of the past five minutes. She knew nothing, except for the fact that she was breathing like she'd taken one of her afternoon jogs.
:::
(A/N) Heavenly reader,
Next release: 6/27 (June 27th)
You are positively beautiful and you make such an impact on this world. Just a reminder in case no one has told you in a while.
With love,
M