Fic: The Heist (Part XI)
Dec. 11th, 2015 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
boxxsaltzTitle: The Heist
Author: Boxxsaltz
Pairing: Yoona/Yuri
Rating: R
Summary: There was no job and no money worth the kind of brokenness Yoona endured ever again…except maybe this once.
Part XI
Heavy. All Yoona felt was heavy.
Voices blended.
“We don’t know.”
“What about-”
“Move her.”
“I’ll stay.”
Yoona drifted back off.
-/-/-/-
A break in the darkness. Soft lights and blurred images. Cloudy. No focus, only fuzz.
“I wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
Juhyun?
Brown eyes appeared before her.
Voices. Too, too loud voices hit her ears. Her head hurt. Her body ached.
“Please, move aside.”
“Juhyun?”
“Miss Im, can you hear me?”
Heaviness returned. She drifted.
-/-/-/-
Crushing weight gripped her entirety. Drowsiness clung like skin. There was a haze in her mind. Memories fired off in short spurts, one right after the other:
Yuri. Tiffany. Gun shots. Yellow suits. Pipes. Impact. Falling tiles. Darkness.
Where was she?
Yoona gasped.
“Yoona?”
Wide eyes, stinging from the sudden influx of light, cut to the voice. A blurred face drew slowly into focus. A smile spread across pouty lips.
“Hey there, pyro. Looks like we’ve switched places.”
Yoona tried sitting up.
“Whoa, whoa you don’t wanna do that.” Sunny crossed the room, easing her back down with a gentle push to her shoulders. “You’ve got a nasty knot on your noggin that’ll put you right back into that deep sleep if you’re not careful.”
Yoona opened her mouth to speak. Her throat was dry. She swallowed to ease away the arid ache. She could only manage to croak out few words. “What? Where?”
“You’re at Heechul’s hospital. Before you ask, we did it. Mission’s complete. You’re about seven days late to the party. Bummer, too. Went out with a bang and I don’t mean that figuratively.”
Seven days? The stiffness in her limbs became known. She was a dead weight decorated with tubes and draped in a periwinkle spotted gown covered by a thick blanket. Something was wrapped around her head, tight and itchy. Breathing hurt around her ribs. She took shallower breaths. A sharp one sent a pain through her when she remembered-
“Ju?"
“She’s safe." Sunny gave her a reassuring smile. "She's here. I took over watch for her. She's a sweet girl, hates to leave your side. Sooyoung's with her now making sure she eats.”
Yoona relaxed with a breath. The action sent a shock of pain through her. She hissed. Sunny frowned.
“I'll get the nurse. He’ll want to check you.”
Sunny left.
Yoona turned her neck finding the clock that ticked annoyingly on the wall. It was early. Seven days was a long time.
The nurse came in with Sunny in tow. He checked all of Yoona’s vitals, firing off questions to determine her mental health. Some were cloudy, but all the important things were intact. Hands busied themselves with the wrap around her head, changing it out for new bandages. She suffered a severe concussion and a list of bruised ribs. She was lucky to be alive, said the nurse. With the pain medication wearing, Yoona felt anything but. He quickly gave her more.
“Anything else?” asked the nurse.
“Water,” said Sunny.
He left and came back with a cup and straw. Sunny held it to Yoona’s lips. She sipped with cloaked embarrassment. Having others take care of her was something Yoona wasn't used to. Especially from someone who wasn't Seohyun.
Seohyun.
Yoona wanted to see her. She was impatient to see her.
“You're better?” Yoona asked once she swallowed a final gulp.
Sunny sat the cup aside and sank back down into the chair against the wall, hands deep in her hoodie pockets. There were bags beneath her eyes. She looked so tired.
“Scars never completely heal, but I'm okay.”
Then Yona remembered. “Tiffany?”
Sunny's face fell. The last mention of Tiffany was from Minho’s lips. She's dead. Yoona's insides flooded with ice. She shouldn't have left her there alone. She should've called one of the others. She should've done something.
Sunny gave her an empty smile. “Only therapy will tell."
Relief came followed by devastation. Tiffany may be alive, but her life was altered forever.
“I'll call Soo and let her know you're awake.” Sunny got up with a long exhale.
“Thanks.”
“We did well, Bambi.”
Yoona mirrored Sunny's weak smile. A few bumps, scrapes, and bruises, but they did it.
-/-/-/-
Her eyelids had grown heavy when someone entered the room. Lights remained off, but not even darkness kept her from recognizing that soft pad of feet or the familiar scent wafted her way when they approached the bed.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Yoona whispered back. It felt wrong to disturb the silence with too loud voices. She didn't want to disrupt the calm finally returned with Seohyun’s presences. She sank into it, worried tension easing.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a million bucks.” She smiled at Seohyun’s smile. It felt like ages since she'd seen that face. “Are they treating you okay?”
A nod.
“Are you okay?”
“Now I am.” Seohyun smoothed the back of her fingers against Yoona’s cheek as if she were porcelain.
For so many years it was the other way around. As much as she didn’t like being waited on, having Seohyun there, knowing she was watching over her, was comforting. She figured she could endure this helpless state a little while longer.
Yoona kissed her knuckles. She heard Seohyun’s breath hitch. “You scared me.”
“I’m here. As promised.” Though in that second before the blast, Yoona thought she would be a goner.
It was frightening just how enticing the darkness that consumed her when the explosion hit was. She slipped right into it, floating in the nothingness, drifting in a void absent of heartache, pain, or danger. She fought through it. The tug of knowing Seohyun waited for her in the land of the living kept her fighting. And here she was. Breath in her lungs and blood in her veins. Her eyes focused on the blush in Seohyun’s cheeks. Just as alive as she was.
Reaching up, Yoona traced along the bow of her cheek. Seohyun leaned into the gentle touch. The urge to pull Seohyun down gripped her, but she withstood. She wanted to take Seohyun back in slowly - patiently. She wanted to feel her little by little, let her ease into her bones. Yoona's stomach fluttered.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You.”
Seohyun smiled. The corner of her mouth touched the tip of Yoona’s finger. She traced the tip along a fleshy bottom lip. “Is it over?”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
“I’m all yours.”
Pink seeped into Seohyun’s cheeks before it was whisked away by a contemplative look. “I met her.”
Yuri. Yoona didn't need her to clarify to know. A clash of emotions swept through her. At the top of it all was fear followed by hope that she was okay. That the truth didn't do more harm than good. Yoona didn't know how it could. The secrets beneath everything Yuri stood on were deep as well as wide.
“She was here.” Yoona’s hand dropped back against the bed. Seohyun sat on a stool, hands folded pretty and poised in her lap. The crease in her brow said she was conflicted. “She came to see if you were okay.”
“It’s over with her.”
“Not completely.”
She was right. Yoona could feel it in herself that she was right. Parts of Yuri lingered in many of the soft spaces. It left her feeling bittersweet. Yuri was like the key she'd been looking for, a precious piece she needed. But once the lock was opened, it was Seohyun waiting for her on the other side. She burst out like a wave. It was a breach in the dam and Seohyun was the overflow. It was too much to handle all at once. Yoona still found her heart racing and her fingers shivering when she remembered the words of love dripped from those soft lips.
Yoona placed her hand on Seohyun’s knee and slid it up until she could take those chilly fingers into her own. It felt right. Everything with Seohyun felt right. It may not be completely over with Yuri, but after this hill, Seohyun was there waiting for her at the bottom on the other side. Seohyun was her ending.
“We’ll go slow. Okay?”
“I’ve waited this long.”
“Wait a little longer?”
Lips covered hers, answering her with a kiss. Kissing Seohyun was like a breath of fresh air. Her entirety thrummed. She felt as if her very being were vibrating.
“I’ll never get used to that.”
“Don't.” A sigh drew out of Seohyun's mouth when Yoona dragged a tongue along her lip. It reminded her of all the things she'd yet to discover about her. Her heart skipped. What future waited for them would be very different than their past. And Yoona couldn't wait.
“My surgery is in two days.”
Yoona almost forgot. “Here?”
“Taeyeon said they have some of the best doctors.”
It was strange to hear her talk of the team. “I’ll be right here.”
“I know.” She eased in, kissing Yoona once again. “Wait for me, too?”
There was no question about it. She would wait a lifetime for Seohyun if it meant keeping her.
-/-/-/-
She wasn’t allowed to leave. Not that Yoona was ready to hit the grind just about yet, but hospitals no matter how classy, were stuffy and the nurse assigned to check up on her spent a little too much time feeling up her ribcage on his rounds.
Ignoring the wheelchair allotted to her for mobilization, Yoona took to her feet, making her way slowly from her room. The hallways were cold. She shivered and tugged the collar of her robe tighter. The hall with its many doors and long, linoleum walkways, reminded her of the labs in Ion. She remembered the projects and plans and files. She remembered the ghastly view of the man on the stretcher. What had come of him? A sickening feeling in Yoona’s gut told her he was no longer.
Movement through a door window slowed Yoona to a stop. Surrounded by treadmills, mats, medicine balls, and bars were Sunny and Tiffany. The latter sat in a wheelchair planted in front of a set of parallel bars. A doctor stood close by, speaking to them both. Tiffany’s brow creased in concentration while Sunny remained stiff and expressionless.
“You should be resting.”
Yoona cut her eyes over to Sooyoung walking up on her side. She rolled her eyes away back to the glass. “I've had enough.”
Tiffany gripped the bars. She pushed herself up from the wheelchair. Sunny held out her hands, ready to catch her at any moment. Her arms were wobbly. She was still too weak. But just like Yoona, Tiffany wasn’t the kind who liked to be grounded long.
“Heechul thinks she'll walk again.”
Tiffany got up to her feet when her arms gave and she dropped back down. Sunny went to cup her face, but Tiffany turned away. Sunny tried again, forehead pressing to Tiffany’s. Shoulders shook and Sunny embraced her.
Yoona blinked away. She didn’t want to watch anymore.
“What happened on your end?”
Air blew past her lips, eyes screwing up to the ceiling. “We were found out before we could get even a fraction of the code into the system. We had to act fast, get ourselves a distraction.” Sooyoung scratched the back of her head with an uneasy laugh. “Sniping a criminal mastermind’s sister doesn’t go over well.”
“Soojung?”
She nodded. “Jung flipped. Security flooded the place. Taeyeon barely got us out of there. That car’s got more bullet holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.”
Yoona allowed herself to feel a moment of success when she remembered. “Jessica won’t let that go.”
“Taken care of. Kwon outed her three days after the attack with the information you gave her. No one’s seen her since. Not to mention Donghae’s body has gone missing, too.” Sooyoung met Yoona’s gaze that shifted up at her. “Tiffany told us everything that happened.”
If there was one image she wished she could erase from her mind it was Tiffany lying there on the floor, the hilt of a knife in her back, unable to move. The absolute look of defeat in Tiffany’s eyes in that moment when she realized was crushing. The only thing that made it better was that Tiffany was still alive and that their attempt was not in vain.
“Where does this put Yuri?”
She was exposed as much as they were now. She was the real reason why their cover was blown. The attempt to protect her seemed to backfire though there were benefits. Yuri was no longer in the dark, something that could save her life is she was careful.
“The Neolist might leave her alone, but there’s no telling for how long. They’ll go into hiding for a while until the uproar dies down. We might not’ve stopped them completely, but they’ve been stalled. Eyes are on them now, too. It’s a slant victory.”
“I’ll take it,” said Yoona. She glanced back at the room. Tiffany was still in her wheelchair. Sunny knelt in front of her, looking down at her bare feet. A single toe moved and Sunny beamed.
“Hungry?” Sooyoung pulled off and Yoona followed her into the elevator. She pressed the floor that led to the cafeteria. “I’ll be leaving soon.”
“For good?”
Something akin to heartbreak pricked in her chest. It had been so long since she had friends like this. Though brought together by a cause, they were forced to care about one another like they’d been companions for years. Knowing these next few days with Sooyoung, and the others, could be the last was saddening.
Sooyoung gave an uneasy laugh. “Already put in my two weeks notice with Taeng. Tokyo doesn’t sound like such a bad place to lay low.”
“You always pinged my otaku-dar.”
Sooyoung punched her softly in the arm. Yoona laughed. “You should disappear for a few months, too.”
“I will.” Yoona didn’t know where yet, but she would as soon as Seohyun was well enough to do so she would. “I’ll keep your name on speed dial if I ever need a hire.”
“Anything for you, pipsqueak.”
The elevator opened. Yoona’s step hitched when pain throbbed through her. Sooyoung offered and arm. She strung her own through it, using her tall frame to steady her steps.
“I do have one favor to ask you.”
“What?”
Yoona grinned. "It'll be our secret."
-/-/-/-
Yuri answered the door on the fifth ring. She should’ve given up after the second, but one thing Yoona knew about Yuri was that persistence wore her resolve.
A face peeked through a sliver of a crack in the door. Yuri's lashes fluttered in fleeting surprise.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Can we talk in the parlor?”
Yuri didn’t move.
“Please?”
Lips pursed, she let her in. Yoona used the doorjamb to walk inside. She took her steps slow, breathing controlled to keep from wincing every step. Maybe it was a bad idea convincing Sooyoung to help sneak out of the hospital, but what she found on Yuri’s end was worth the strain.
Boxes stacked in piles against the wall with marker scrawled labels and furniture sat covered in white, plastic tarps. That homey feeling Yoona once had walking into the Estate was gone. This place would soon be barren and it didn’t look like it would be long.
In the parlor, Yuri sat in her usual seat while Yoona eased into a chair, body leaned against the armrest. She’d need to make this short before they figured where she’d run off to and before the pain meds wore off.
“You’ve packed.”
“A little.” Understatement.
“Going somewhere?”
“Somewhere.”
Short answers. Yoona picked up on it quick. Her presence was unwelcome. No reason to drag this out. “You came to see me.”
Yuri’s eyebrows lifted. She looked caught. “Yes, I did.”
“Find what you were looking for?”
“Do you know what happened?” Yoona shook her head. Yuri gave a deep sigh. A hand combed through thick hair, pulling it away from her makeup-less face. “I went searching for you after you left my office. At first, they wouldn’t let me, but something felt off. I found your friend first. That’s when I heard the explosion. I thought the entire building was about to come down. I knew it had to be you down there.”
“How did you find me?”
“I sent a team down. When they found you, I-" She bit her lip. "Yoona, I thought you were dead. So much blood…” Her eyes drifted off.
“Here I am.”
“Here you are.” Eyes held on her, unmoving. As if Yuri couldn’t believe it herself. Seven days to Yoona felt like a lifetime stuck in that darkness. To anyone waiting for her to come out of it, it must’ve been an eternity. “We didn’t think you’d wake up.”
Yoona's throat tightened. With those words, she realized just how severe everything had been.
“I always bounce back.”
Yuri’s smile was weak. “I guess I should thank you for telling me about Jessica and my father. I had no idea.”
“You don’t have to."
“But, I do. My father, Jessica, even my closest friends were playing me like a fool. The shock hasn’t worn off. I don’t know how to deal with all of it. Knowing my name will always be connected to this even though I had no part makes me sick. Then there’s you.” Eyes flickered back to her from where they’d drifted away. Her gaze was hard. Yoona’s stomach knotted. “I should’ve known. Nothing lined up from the moment you showed up at my door. Now I know why you were so interested. Now I know how you knew so much about me.”
“What I learned about you wasn’t from a file.”
The way she bit her lip, how she loved to be kissed on the neck, her hidden passion for cooking, the patient and easy way she unfolded, the sincerity in her words, and her desire for more than being caged into the business were all things Yoona didn’t know coming in. They were thing’s Yoona wouldn’t care to remember if Yuri was nothing more than an assignment to her.
“Are you trying to tell me none of this was a lie?”
“Not all of it.”
Heat rushed through her. Every memory, every touch, every kiss, every flutter remained. In another universe, one where she was not a hire and Yuri was not a subject, perhaps they’d end differently. But in this lifetime, with past lovers and scars with rusty hooks still lodged into their souls, their end was bound to be bittersweet.
“If only that made it hurt less,” Yuri muttered. Yoona dropped her head. “There is one thing I know you weren’t lying about. It’s selfish, but I couldn’t visit you again. She loves you.”
“We’re all we have.” Like it was in the beginning days and how it would be going forward. Many came to sit within their house, but at the end of it all, there honestly was no room for any others.
“Then you’ll have no trouble letting me go.”
If only it were that easy. “I’m sor-”
Yuri shook her head before she could even get it out. Sorry could not evaporate all the destruction Yuri faced. Her entire world was flipped. Though she was being strong in the moment, the clench of her fists and the rigidness in her shoulders told she was anything but. Yoona being here wasn’t helping. Yuri felt the same way Yoona did. Get away. Get as far away as she could and let time heal the wounds made.
“Despite everything. Thank you, again.”
Yoona pushed on a smile. “I hope you get that restaurant.”
“Maybe.”
Silence.
“I should go.” Yuri nodded. Standing Yoona bowed. “Goodbye, President.”
“Goodbye, Yoona.”
Walking out that door, she knew, she’d never see Kwon Yuri again.
-/-/-/-
Balloons, a box of cupcakes, and cheap party favors. Yoona blew into the noisemaker as she entered Seohyun's room. Eyebrows creased in confusion lifted in amusement at Yoona's hip-wiggling dance across the floor.
"Today's the big day!"
She brandished a party hat and secured it onto Seohyun's head, setting the elastic strap in place. The smile she held was priceless. There was nothing more uplifting than knowing she'd be able to spend many more years seeing it after today.
"You know I can't eat that before surgery."
"I know. They're really for Sooyoung." It was part of the trade-off for taking her to see Yuri.
Setting the cupcakes aside, Yoona climbed onto the bed. Like magnets, their hands found one another. Mismatch balloons bumped about on their string Yoona tied to the bar of the bed. She stared up at them.
“How do you feel?”
“Nervous.”
Yoona was too. Right in the pit of her stomach was a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't imagine how Seohyun felt then. Words like surgery though big didn't hold the same amount of intimidation when it was happening to you or a loved one. Even though the doctors were hopeful there was always that one percent of failure. There was always the possibility that it wouldn't work.
A hand squeezed hers. Yoona found steady, brown eyes. “It'll only be a few hours.”
Five or more was not a few.
“I'd wait a lifetime.”
Chin resting on Yoona’s shoulder, she whispered, “I love you.”
Butterflies of a different kind fluttered from her gut into her chest. She could taste the confession on her tongue. She could feel it formed nice and strong in her throat. But all Yoona could manage to get out was,
“You, too.”
Seohyun smiled. She knew. She probably always did. And she probably knew that at one point Yoona would be able to say it back, voice confident and clear, the way she'd ever been able to do before.
The door opened to a familiar Doctor. He grinned at the balloons. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
Yoona climbed off the bed. “Take her away, doc.”
He grabbed the bars on the bed, wheeling her towards the door. Yoona’s heart began to race.
“Bye.”
“See you soon.”
Yoona held her smile until Seohyun was wheeled through the doors.
-/-/-/-
Hours.
Yoona endured them in the waiting room despite doctor’s request for her to rest. She took her medication and allowed them to probe and poke her to get off her case.
A bag of chips crinkled as she popped the last orange, triangle bit into her mouth. A dated drama played on the screen across the room. The children's toys cramped into a chest against the wall looked more entertaining than the TV. But no one supplied more mystery than the woman walking towards her.
Yoona sat up, offering a smile in return to Taeyeon's. Since the explosion, Yoona hadn't seen her once. She existed only in whispers and quick mentions between Heechul and Sunny.
Taeyeon gestured to the chair. "May I?" Yoona nodded. She sank into a seat one over, letting the bag on her shoulder fill up the space between. "How is she?”
Yoona titled her head towards the large doors that lead to the operating rooms. No doctors had come out to bring her bad news yet. She took it as a good sign.
“I’ll know in a couple hours.”
“She’ll make it.”
Yoona nodded. She believed it, too.
"And you?"
“What do you really want?”
AN: Thanks for reading, lovelies. It has been fun getting to read all your comments and theories. I appreciate all the support, love, and kind words. Until next time :)
Author: Boxxsaltz
Pairing: Yoona/Yuri
Rating: R
Summary: There was no job and no money worth the kind of brokenness Yoona endured ever again…except maybe this once.
Part XI
Heavy. All Yoona felt was heavy.
Voices blended.
“We don’t know.”
“What about-”
“Move her.”
“I’ll stay.”
Yoona drifted back off.
-/-/-/-
A break in the darkness. Soft lights and blurred images. Cloudy. No focus, only fuzz.
“I wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
Juhyun?
Brown eyes appeared before her.
Voices. Too, too loud voices hit her ears. Her head hurt. Her body ached.
“Please, move aside.”
“Juhyun?”
“Miss Im, can you hear me?”
Heaviness returned. She drifted.
-/-/-/-
Crushing weight gripped her entirety. Drowsiness clung like skin. There was a haze in her mind. Memories fired off in short spurts, one right after the other:
Yuri. Tiffany. Gun shots. Yellow suits. Pipes. Impact. Falling tiles. Darkness.
Where was she?
Yoona gasped.
“Yoona?”
Wide eyes, stinging from the sudden influx of light, cut to the voice. A blurred face drew slowly into focus. A smile spread across pouty lips.
“Hey there, pyro. Looks like we’ve switched places.”
Yoona tried sitting up.
“Whoa, whoa you don’t wanna do that.” Sunny crossed the room, easing her back down with a gentle push to her shoulders. “You’ve got a nasty knot on your noggin that’ll put you right back into that deep sleep if you’re not careful.”
Yoona opened her mouth to speak. Her throat was dry. She swallowed to ease away the arid ache. She could only manage to croak out few words. “What? Where?”
“You’re at Heechul’s hospital. Before you ask, we did it. Mission’s complete. You’re about seven days late to the party. Bummer, too. Went out with a bang and I don’t mean that figuratively.”
Seven days? The stiffness in her limbs became known. She was a dead weight decorated with tubes and draped in a periwinkle spotted gown covered by a thick blanket. Something was wrapped around her head, tight and itchy. Breathing hurt around her ribs. She took shallower breaths. A sharp one sent a pain through her when she remembered-
“Ju?"
“She’s safe." Sunny gave her a reassuring smile. "She's here. I took over watch for her. She's a sweet girl, hates to leave your side. Sooyoung's with her now making sure she eats.”
Yoona relaxed with a breath. The action sent a shock of pain through her. She hissed. Sunny frowned.
“I'll get the nurse. He’ll want to check you.”
Sunny left.
Yoona turned her neck finding the clock that ticked annoyingly on the wall. It was early. Seven days was a long time.
The nurse came in with Sunny in tow. He checked all of Yoona’s vitals, firing off questions to determine her mental health. Some were cloudy, but all the important things were intact. Hands busied themselves with the wrap around her head, changing it out for new bandages. She suffered a severe concussion and a list of bruised ribs. She was lucky to be alive, said the nurse. With the pain medication wearing, Yoona felt anything but. He quickly gave her more.
“Anything else?” asked the nurse.
“Water,” said Sunny.
He left and came back with a cup and straw. Sunny held it to Yoona’s lips. She sipped with cloaked embarrassment. Having others take care of her was something Yoona wasn't used to. Especially from someone who wasn't Seohyun.
Seohyun.
Yoona wanted to see her. She was impatient to see her.
“You're better?” Yoona asked once she swallowed a final gulp.
Sunny sat the cup aside and sank back down into the chair against the wall, hands deep in her hoodie pockets. There were bags beneath her eyes. She looked so tired.
“Scars never completely heal, but I'm okay.”
Then Yona remembered. “Tiffany?”
Sunny's face fell. The last mention of Tiffany was from Minho’s lips. She's dead. Yoona's insides flooded with ice. She shouldn't have left her there alone. She should've called one of the others. She should've done something.
Sunny gave her an empty smile. “Only therapy will tell."
Relief came followed by devastation. Tiffany may be alive, but her life was altered forever.
“I'll call Soo and let her know you're awake.” Sunny got up with a long exhale.
“Thanks.”
“We did well, Bambi.”
Yoona mirrored Sunny's weak smile. A few bumps, scrapes, and bruises, but they did it.
-/-/-/-
Her eyelids had grown heavy when someone entered the room. Lights remained off, but not even darkness kept her from recognizing that soft pad of feet or the familiar scent wafted her way when they approached the bed.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Yoona whispered back. It felt wrong to disturb the silence with too loud voices. She didn't want to disrupt the calm finally returned with Seohyun’s presences. She sank into it, worried tension easing.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a million bucks.” She smiled at Seohyun’s smile. It felt like ages since she'd seen that face. “Are they treating you okay?”
A nod.
“Are you okay?”
“Now I am.” Seohyun smoothed the back of her fingers against Yoona’s cheek as if she were porcelain.
For so many years it was the other way around. As much as she didn’t like being waited on, having Seohyun there, knowing she was watching over her, was comforting. She figured she could endure this helpless state a little while longer.
Yoona kissed her knuckles. She heard Seohyun’s breath hitch. “You scared me.”
“I’m here. As promised.” Though in that second before the blast, Yoona thought she would be a goner.
It was frightening just how enticing the darkness that consumed her when the explosion hit was. She slipped right into it, floating in the nothingness, drifting in a void absent of heartache, pain, or danger. She fought through it. The tug of knowing Seohyun waited for her in the land of the living kept her fighting. And here she was. Breath in her lungs and blood in her veins. Her eyes focused on the blush in Seohyun’s cheeks. Just as alive as she was.
Reaching up, Yoona traced along the bow of her cheek. Seohyun leaned into the gentle touch. The urge to pull Seohyun down gripped her, but she withstood. She wanted to take Seohyun back in slowly - patiently. She wanted to feel her little by little, let her ease into her bones. Yoona's stomach fluttered.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You.”
Seohyun smiled. The corner of her mouth touched the tip of Yoona’s finger. She traced the tip along a fleshy bottom lip. “Is it over?”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
“I’m all yours.”
Pink seeped into Seohyun’s cheeks before it was whisked away by a contemplative look. “I met her.”
Yuri. Yoona didn't need her to clarify to know. A clash of emotions swept through her. At the top of it all was fear followed by hope that she was okay. That the truth didn't do more harm than good. Yoona didn't know how it could. The secrets beneath everything Yuri stood on were deep as well as wide.
“She was here.” Yoona’s hand dropped back against the bed. Seohyun sat on a stool, hands folded pretty and poised in her lap. The crease in her brow said she was conflicted. “She came to see if you were okay.”
“It’s over with her.”
“Not completely.”
She was right. Yoona could feel it in herself that she was right. Parts of Yuri lingered in many of the soft spaces. It left her feeling bittersweet. Yuri was like the key she'd been looking for, a precious piece she needed. But once the lock was opened, it was Seohyun waiting for her on the other side. She burst out like a wave. It was a breach in the dam and Seohyun was the overflow. It was too much to handle all at once. Yoona still found her heart racing and her fingers shivering when she remembered the words of love dripped from those soft lips.
Yoona placed her hand on Seohyun’s knee and slid it up until she could take those chilly fingers into her own. It felt right. Everything with Seohyun felt right. It may not be completely over with Yuri, but after this hill, Seohyun was there waiting for her at the bottom on the other side. Seohyun was her ending.
“We’ll go slow. Okay?”
“I’ve waited this long.”
“Wait a little longer?”
Lips covered hers, answering her with a kiss. Kissing Seohyun was like a breath of fresh air. Her entirety thrummed. She felt as if her very being were vibrating.
“I’ll never get used to that.”
“Don't.” A sigh drew out of Seohyun's mouth when Yoona dragged a tongue along her lip. It reminded her of all the things she'd yet to discover about her. Her heart skipped. What future waited for them would be very different than their past. And Yoona couldn't wait.
“My surgery is in two days.”
Yoona almost forgot. “Here?”
“Taeyeon said they have some of the best doctors.”
It was strange to hear her talk of the team. “I’ll be right here.”
“I know.” She eased in, kissing Yoona once again. “Wait for me, too?”
There was no question about it. She would wait a lifetime for Seohyun if it meant keeping her.
-/-/-/-
She wasn’t allowed to leave. Not that Yoona was ready to hit the grind just about yet, but hospitals no matter how classy, were stuffy and the nurse assigned to check up on her spent a little too much time feeling up her ribcage on his rounds.
Ignoring the wheelchair allotted to her for mobilization, Yoona took to her feet, making her way slowly from her room. The hallways were cold. She shivered and tugged the collar of her robe tighter. The hall with its many doors and long, linoleum walkways, reminded her of the labs in Ion. She remembered the projects and plans and files. She remembered the ghastly view of the man on the stretcher. What had come of him? A sickening feeling in Yoona’s gut told her he was no longer.
Movement through a door window slowed Yoona to a stop. Surrounded by treadmills, mats, medicine balls, and bars were Sunny and Tiffany. The latter sat in a wheelchair planted in front of a set of parallel bars. A doctor stood close by, speaking to them both. Tiffany’s brow creased in concentration while Sunny remained stiff and expressionless.
“You should be resting.”
Yoona cut her eyes over to Sooyoung walking up on her side. She rolled her eyes away back to the glass. “I've had enough.”
Tiffany gripped the bars. She pushed herself up from the wheelchair. Sunny held out her hands, ready to catch her at any moment. Her arms were wobbly. She was still too weak. But just like Yoona, Tiffany wasn’t the kind who liked to be grounded long.
“Heechul thinks she'll walk again.”
Tiffany got up to her feet when her arms gave and she dropped back down. Sunny went to cup her face, but Tiffany turned away. Sunny tried again, forehead pressing to Tiffany’s. Shoulders shook and Sunny embraced her.
Yoona blinked away. She didn’t want to watch anymore.
“What happened on your end?”
Air blew past her lips, eyes screwing up to the ceiling. “We were found out before we could get even a fraction of the code into the system. We had to act fast, get ourselves a distraction.” Sooyoung scratched the back of her head with an uneasy laugh. “Sniping a criminal mastermind’s sister doesn’t go over well.”
“Soojung?”
She nodded. “Jung flipped. Security flooded the place. Taeyeon barely got us out of there. That car’s got more bullet holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.”
Yoona allowed herself to feel a moment of success when she remembered. “Jessica won’t let that go.”
“Taken care of. Kwon outed her three days after the attack with the information you gave her. No one’s seen her since. Not to mention Donghae’s body has gone missing, too.” Sooyoung met Yoona’s gaze that shifted up at her. “Tiffany told us everything that happened.”
If there was one image she wished she could erase from her mind it was Tiffany lying there on the floor, the hilt of a knife in her back, unable to move. The absolute look of defeat in Tiffany’s eyes in that moment when she realized was crushing. The only thing that made it better was that Tiffany was still alive and that their attempt was not in vain.
“Where does this put Yuri?”
She was exposed as much as they were now. She was the real reason why their cover was blown. The attempt to protect her seemed to backfire though there were benefits. Yuri was no longer in the dark, something that could save her life is she was careful.
“The Neolist might leave her alone, but there’s no telling for how long. They’ll go into hiding for a while until the uproar dies down. We might not’ve stopped them completely, but they’ve been stalled. Eyes are on them now, too. It’s a slant victory.”
“I’ll take it,” said Yoona. She glanced back at the room. Tiffany was still in her wheelchair. Sunny knelt in front of her, looking down at her bare feet. A single toe moved and Sunny beamed.
“Hungry?” Sooyoung pulled off and Yoona followed her into the elevator. She pressed the floor that led to the cafeteria. “I’ll be leaving soon.”
“For good?”
Something akin to heartbreak pricked in her chest. It had been so long since she had friends like this. Though brought together by a cause, they were forced to care about one another like they’d been companions for years. Knowing these next few days with Sooyoung, and the others, could be the last was saddening.
Sooyoung gave an uneasy laugh. “Already put in my two weeks notice with Taeng. Tokyo doesn’t sound like such a bad place to lay low.”
“You always pinged my otaku-dar.”
Sooyoung punched her softly in the arm. Yoona laughed. “You should disappear for a few months, too.”
“I will.” Yoona didn’t know where yet, but she would as soon as Seohyun was well enough to do so she would. “I’ll keep your name on speed dial if I ever need a hire.”
“Anything for you, pipsqueak.”
The elevator opened. Yoona’s step hitched when pain throbbed through her. Sooyoung offered and arm. She strung her own through it, using her tall frame to steady her steps.
“I do have one favor to ask you.”
“What?”
Yoona grinned. "It'll be our secret."
-/-/-/-
Yuri answered the door on the fifth ring. She should’ve given up after the second, but one thing Yoona knew about Yuri was that persistence wore her resolve.
A face peeked through a sliver of a crack in the door. Yuri's lashes fluttered in fleeting surprise.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Can we talk in the parlor?”
Yuri didn’t move.
“Please?”
Lips pursed, she let her in. Yoona used the doorjamb to walk inside. She took her steps slow, breathing controlled to keep from wincing every step. Maybe it was a bad idea convincing Sooyoung to help sneak out of the hospital, but what she found on Yuri’s end was worth the strain.
Boxes stacked in piles against the wall with marker scrawled labels and furniture sat covered in white, plastic tarps. That homey feeling Yoona once had walking into the Estate was gone. This place would soon be barren and it didn’t look like it would be long.
In the parlor, Yuri sat in her usual seat while Yoona eased into a chair, body leaned against the armrest. She’d need to make this short before they figured where she’d run off to and before the pain meds wore off.
“You’ve packed.”
“A little.” Understatement.
“Going somewhere?”
“Somewhere.”
Short answers. Yoona picked up on it quick. Her presence was unwelcome. No reason to drag this out. “You came to see me.”
Yuri’s eyebrows lifted. She looked caught. “Yes, I did.”
“Find what you were looking for?”
“Do you know what happened?” Yoona shook her head. Yuri gave a deep sigh. A hand combed through thick hair, pulling it away from her makeup-less face. “I went searching for you after you left my office. At first, they wouldn’t let me, but something felt off. I found your friend first. That’s when I heard the explosion. I thought the entire building was about to come down. I knew it had to be you down there.”
“How did you find me?”
“I sent a team down. When they found you, I-" She bit her lip. "Yoona, I thought you were dead. So much blood…” Her eyes drifted off.
“Here I am.”
“Here you are.” Eyes held on her, unmoving. As if Yuri couldn’t believe it herself. Seven days to Yoona felt like a lifetime stuck in that darkness. To anyone waiting for her to come out of it, it must’ve been an eternity. “We didn’t think you’d wake up.”
Yoona's throat tightened. With those words, she realized just how severe everything had been.
“I always bounce back.”
Yuri’s smile was weak. “I guess I should thank you for telling me about Jessica and my father. I had no idea.”
“You don’t have to."
“But, I do. My father, Jessica, even my closest friends were playing me like a fool. The shock hasn’t worn off. I don’t know how to deal with all of it. Knowing my name will always be connected to this even though I had no part makes me sick. Then there’s you.” Eyes flickered back to her from where they’d drifted away. Her gaze was hard. Yoona’s stomach knotted. “I should’ve known. Nothing lined up from the moment you showed up at my door. Now I know why you were so interested. Now I know how you knew so much about me.”
“What I learned about you wasn’t from a file.”
The way she bit her lip, how she loved to be kissed on the neck, her hidden passion for cooking, the patient and easy way she unfolded, the sincerity in her words, and her desire for more than being caged into the business were all things Yoona didn’t know coming in. They were thing’s Yoona wouldn’t care to remember if Yuri was nothing more than an assignment to her.
“Are you trying to tell me none of this was a lie?”
“Not all of it.”
Heat rushed through her. Every memory, every touch, every kiss, every flutter remained. In another universe, one where she was not a hire and Yuri was not a subject, perhaps they’d end differently. But in this lifetime, with past lovers and scars with rusty hooks still lodged into their souls, their end was bound to be bittersweet.
“If only that made it hurt less,” Yuri muttered. Yoona dropped her head. “There is one thing I know you weren’t lying about. It’s selfish, but I couldn’t visit you again. She loves you.”
“We’re all we have.” Like it was in the beginning days and how it would be going forward. Many came to sit within their house, but at the end of it all, there honestly was no room for any others.
“Then you’ll have no trouble letting me go.”
If only it were that easy. “I’m sor-”
Yuri shook her head before she could even get it out. Sorry could not evaporate all the destruction Yuri faced. Her entire world was flipped. Though she was being strong in the moment, the clench of her fists and the rigidness in her shoulders told she was anything but. Yoona being here wasn’t helping. Yuri felt the same way Yoona did. Get away. Get as far away as she could and let time heal the wounds made.
“Despite everything. Thank you, again.”
Yoona pushed on a smile. “I hope you get that restaurant.”
“Maybe.”
Silence.
“I should go.” Yuri nodded. Standing Yoona bowed. “Goodbye, President.”
“Goodbye, Yoona.”
Walking out that door, she knew, she’d never see Kwon Yuri again.
-/-/-/-
Balloons, a box of cupcakes, and cheap party favors. Yoona blew into the noisemaker as she entered Seohyun's room. Eyebrows creased in confusion lifted in amusement at Yoona's hip-wiggling dance across the floor.
"Today's the big day!"
She brandished a party hat and secured it onto Seohyun's head, setting the elastic strap in place. The smile she held was priceless. There was nothing more uplifting than knowing she'd be able to spend many more years seeing it after today.
"You know I can't eat that before surgery."
"I know. They're really for Sooyoung." It was part of the trade-off for taking her to see Yuri.
Setting the cupcakes aside, Yoona climbed onto the bed. Like magnets, their hands found one another. Mismatch balloons bumped about on their string Yoona tied to the bar of the bed. She stared up at them.
“How do you feel?”
“Nervous.”
Yoona was too. Right in the pit of her stomach was a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't imagine how Seohyun felt then. Words like surgery though big didn't hold the same amount of intimidation when it was happening to you or a loved one. Even though the doctors were hopeful there was always that one percent of failure. There was always the possibility that it wouldn't work.
A hand squeezed hers. Yoona found steady, brown eyes. “It'll only be a few hours.”
Five or more was not a few.
“I'd wait a lifetime.”
Chin resting on Yoona’s shoulder, she whispered, “I love you.”
Butterflies of a different kind fluttered from her gut into her chest. She could taste the confession on her tongue. She could feel it formed nice and strong in her throat. But all Yoona could manage to get out was,
“You, too.”
Seohyun smiled. She knew. She probably always did. And she probably knew that at one point Yoona would be able to say it back, voice confident and clear, the way she'd ever been able to do before.
The door opened to a familiar Doctor. He grinned at the balloons. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
Yoona climbed off the bed. “Take her away, doc.”
He grabbed the bars on the bed, wheeling her towards the door. Yoona’s heart began to race.
“Bye.”
“See you soon.”
Yoona held her smile until Seohyun was wheeled through the doors.
-/-/-/-
Hours.
Yoona endured them in the waiting room despite doctor’s request for her to rest. She took her medication and allowed them to probe and poke her to get off her case.
A bag of chips crinkled as she popped the last orange, triangle bit into her mouth. A dated drama played on the screen across the room. The children's toys cramped into a chest against the wall looked more entertaining than the TV. But no one supplied more mystery than the woman walking towards her.
Yoona sat up, offering a smile in return to Taeyeon's. Since the explosion, Yoona hadn't seen her once. She existed only in whispers and quick mentions between Heechul and Sunny.
Taeyeon gestured to the chair. "May I?" Yoona nodded. She sank into a seat one over, letting the bag on her shoulder fill up the space between. "How is she?”
Yoona titled her head towards the large doors that lead to the operating rooms. No doctors had come out to bring her bad news yet. She took it as a good sign.
“I’ll know in a couple hours.”
“She’ll make it.”
Yoona nodded. She believed it, too.
"And you?"
“What do you really want?”
From her pocket, Taeyeon handed her a key. “This is a key to a safe. Inside you will find new documents for you and Seohyun along with enough money to get you settled into your new place. Sooyoung will send an address of its location-” Yoona’s phone vibrated “-now.”
She pocketed the key beside her phone. “You’ve already paid me.”
“It’s a gift.”
A gift Yoona didn't need. The person she was at the beginning of this mission would've accepted it without a moment's thought. Now, after it all, the money almost felt dirty. In the midst of it all, the assignment no longer stood as an escape. The bonds forged, the hits taken, the hearts broken, they changed the name of the game. The look in Taeyeon's eyes said it had done the same for her. It was not just for Hyoyeon or redemption. If so, she wouldn't look so torn. And Yoona knew why.
“You’re leaving too aren’t you?”
“Tiffany is better with Sunny."
"She'll miss you."
Taeyeon gave a sad smile. Yoona would never know what was completely hidden behind those smiles.
“Lastly-" Taeyeon reached into her pocket. "-about the ones responsible for your father’s death.”
Yoona almost forgot. It was one of the main reasons why she agreed to this. A wrinkled envelope. held clutched in slender fingers Yoona went to take it but Taeyeon held on.
“I wanted to thank you, Yoona. For everything. I wish there was more I could offer, but this is all I can give. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Yoona's throat tightened. She didn't know why. It had something to do with what Taeyeon was saying and the way she said it. It was a final farewell, an apology, a confession, and an extension of gratitude all in one.
“Remember that.”
“I will.” She let go of the envelope to leave. Yoona felt as if something huge had been severed between them.
Footsteps carried her away down the hall. Yoona started after her. Her heart raced.
“Wait,” she called after Taeyeon’s back. She stopped, neck turning to peer over her shoulder. There was still one thing that ate at her - one more thing she couldn’t let go without an answer. “How did she die?”
“I was driving us that day,” she said, eyes far off and lips pulled into a frown. “It was all an accident.”
Taeyeon turned.
And she left.
Yoona looked down at her lap. The envelope burned in her hands. She cut at the tab with a nail and pulled out a sheet of folded paper.
There was only one thing on it.
A single name.
Kim Taeyeon.
fin.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Claps to you
Date: 2015-12-12 05:14 am (UTC)--
EDIT:
Congratulations as I'm pretty sure this one of the few stories of yours where don't kill off everyone :3
--
As always another wonderful story and I have already used 5 tissues whilst reading this chapter alone it was so amazingly intense and the plot itself was so well executed.
Thanks for this, probably adding this to another of my favourite fics from you x
Re: Claps to you
Date: 2015-12-15 05:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 06:03 am (UTC)Anyways, THAT MINDFUCK-INDUCING PLOT TWIST ASIDE, DO YOU KNOW HOW PLEASANTLY SURPRISED I AM THAT YOU ACTUALLY MADE YOONHYUN END GAME.
"Everything with Seohyun felt right. It may not be completely over with Yuri, but after this hill, Seohyun was there waiting for her at the bottom on the other side. Seohyun was her ending." ILY. <3
Poor Yuri and poor Taeng. (Poor Soojung lmao) It really was a bittersweet ending but in light of all the angsty ways it could have gone down I'd say that was a very happy ending (I will proclaim right now that Seohyun survived the surgery and Yoonhyun lived happily ever after frolicking through libraries) Also bless Tiffany's hopeful toe!
Thank you for writing another adrenaline inducing fic. It's been a serious adventure and a half following these updates. :3 I'll look forward to what you put out next. Merry early Christmas!
no subject
Date: 2015-12-15 05:06 pm (UTC)I mean..it was always Seohyun from the beginning. My lovelies. I should give them their own legit fic one day because I actually like them together. It was as happy as any angst end could go. And, yeah, I assure you Seohyun does survive.
Thank you for enjoying the adrenaline rush. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you have a grand holiday.
no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 06:26 am (UTC)HO
LY
SHIT
WHAT.
LIKE WHAT.
I need like an entire month to digest what just happened..... whhhhhaaaatttttttt
Loved the story boxxy, jazzing it up with jess being the baddy 😏 also, yoonhyun just melts my heart, although yoonyul was yumm, yoonhyun felt like home. And that glimpse of 2ny aswell SUCH A BLESS. Sunny's gonna be good for tiff, she really does care for her a lot.
BACK TO THE ENDING OMG WHAT A TWIST!!
TBH did not see that coming... seriously bittersweet and like i can totally imagine how conflicted yoona mustve felt then...
Lastly, i'd just like to say thanks so much for writing this awesome fic! It's been a while since i've last read a GOOD badass soshi fic... idk maybe next time when theyre ALL alive and in one team (as ot9 i mean) haha just a thought, though that doesnt mean that i didnt enjoy this one either!
Looking forward to your next piece! x
no subject
Date: 2015-12-15 05:10 pm (UTC)You know what? Jessica actually makes such a great villain. I should use her more often. She sells it so well.You didn't see it coming? Really? I felt like I was dropping major hints throughout that all pointed to it. Got you good then.
Thank you for reading. It felt good writing some action soshi again. You know if I wrote one with ot9 I'd have to kille off at least three of them in the process, right?
lol thanks for reading. See you next time
no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 10:43 am (UTC)I WANT MORE OF ALL THE THINGS.
I’m totally reading that one link you sent me and I’m like asfjsf;dsfsdflf I wanttttttttt. I’ll harass you it about next time you’re online.BUT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT D@ HE1$T. I’LL MISS TYPING THAT.
1. THEY DID IT. LIKE, THEY ACCOMPLISHED SHIZZ. My wife and the Neolists are still out there, but whateverrrrrrr. YOONA LIVES. SUNNY LIVES. TIFFANY LIVES. SEOHYUN LIVES.
2. YOONHYUN ARE CALMLY HAPPY. THIS WAS SO IMPOSSIBLE BEFORE. They can finally have their Happily Ever After.
Yuri was like the key she'd been looking for, a precious piece she needed. But once the lock was opened, it was Seohyun waiting for her on the other side.—FREAKING BEAUTIFUL.
AND THEY KISSED. Nothing blew up afterwards, either!!!
3. RIP YoonYul. They were doomed from the beginning. What a fun ride, though. Bittersweet, indeed.
4. CAN I SAY THIS AFFECTED ME:
“Soojung?”
She nodded. “Jung flipped. —I read that over and over. I can imagine Jessica freaking losing it once she sees her evil sister shot down. BY SOOYOUNG’S SHARP SHOOTER HANDS. Don’t go, bb. ;((( I’m sure it broke my wife’s spirits.
5. FANY’S TOE. HOPE!!!!!! ARE YOU BOXXSALTZ?????? 2NY!!!111!!!!
btw: I totally made the ded Stiffany joke, too. hahahahhaaha
6. THAT. FREAKING. ENDING. Once I read it, all these memories of Taeyeon’s behavior swirled around my head and everything made sense. I’m almost mad I didn’t think of it first. It’s a type of redemption for Taeyeon, I’m sure. Even though, if we know anything about her character, she’ll probably be wracked with guilt until she dies. I wonder how Yoona will take it once it really sinks in.
What a delightful read, boxxylips. If it wasn’t 5:38am, I’d write something more heartfelt. But, this is what you get so stop yer bellyachin’. I await your next fic. And just <33333333
no subject
Date: 2015-12-15 05:14 pm (UTC)1. Now I’m rethinking I should’ve had them fail and everyone die.
2. You’re welcome for all the kisses you greedy thing
3. You know you wanted more steamy yoonyul. girl i know
4. OKAY I WAS SAD TOO!
5. For all the mess Tiffany had to go through lol had to give her some hope. lololol the joke couldn’t be helped.
6. How did you - YOU - not see it coming? You know all my tricks and yet. lol at least I can still catch you off guard with something. So difficult to do with you
Thanks, my dearest. Now go on and finish GG so I can soak it all in and it can make me contemplate life
FINALLY
Date: 2015-12-12 06:42 pm (UTC)Ok, first of all I NEED AN EPILOGUE. DO YOU HEAR ME?! AN EPILOGUE. Maybe put in some YoonHyun fluff and celebration with the rest of the Cube gang (Taeyeon probably would be missing tho. Just something, I don't want this to be the end. ;-;
First of all YoonHyun and YoonYul. Unfortunately I felt that YoonYul was doomed from the start. It could never have been a real thing. Meanwhile, YoonHyun we knew would work out. It just took Yuri for Yoona to realize Seohyun was what she needed all along, and she already had that. So kudos to you for that wonderful setup.
The rest of the people. Tiffany & Sunny & Sooyoung are alive (yay!). Krystal's been gunned down, Sica's... secretly plotting her revenge? She's still alive. XD Nice quick thinking to whoever decided to pew Krystal. lol they probs just saved the day. But anyways these girls have finally saved the day so YAY GO CUBE PEOPLE
Taeyeon. Oh Taeyeon. Knew there was something broken in her, something in her feeling guilty. Couldn't pinpoint it though. If there's anyone here that didn't get a happy ending (other than Yuri, Neolists, Jungs), it's her. What a pity.
This fic was quite a ride. I'll admit that it wasn't exactly my type, but let's just say I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Meanwhile. BLOODLINE. OMG YAS I CANT WAIT FOR IT. I LOVE BLOODLINE (more than this haha) AND I REALLY REALLY WANT MORE OF MY BEAST YUL AND PRINCESS YOONA. DON'T KEEP ME WAITING!
I'll see you next time. ;) Cheers!
Re: FINALLY
Date: 2015-12-15 06:52 pm (UTC)Yeah, Yoonyul was pretty much set up to self destruct. But I think if circumstances had been different, the two may’ve ended up a little differently. But then there was always Seohyun :3
Started as a mission for self gain and ended up saving the day. How heroic of them lol. Sica is probably plotting some terrible revenge and on Yoona in particular. She was oddly focused on Yoona. And our poor Taengoo is gonna have a lifetime of dealing with her burdens. Her ending is nowhere near happy but she got somewhere.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and I’m glad you like Bloodline. It’ll take me a bit to get back into the gears of the fantasy world. Maybe after the holidays when life slows down a little bit and I can really hit the fic hard again.
Thanks again
no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 07:54 pm (UTC)The previous chapter was SO intense like it held my breath the whole time, then this chapter come and I can breathe again lol
It's so devastating to see their conditions and to face farewell, but I like the way they deal with it.
2ny melts me. All that sincere action. Tiffany's so strong. So strong. It broke my heart to read about her. But then the scene of her trying hard, and Sunny was by her side all the time. Gosh, so much strength and love omitted from them.
I love SooNa dynamics since the time Sooyoung jumped and Yoona had to catch her lol Sooyoung is such a fun person and matched well with Yoona. She had her own struggle and life-and-death moment, but her gleeful character is so much win haha <3 (and yay for a speed dial reserved for her!)
Then YoonYul :') the reason why I clicked the story lol (but I got faltered in the middle by YoonHyun) it has come down to this </3 they were lovely, really. Even if Yoona first came for her own gain, she was sincere with Yuri and Yuri changed a lot by meeting Yoona. I really hoped for a strong Yuri, and here she is :3 despite she's still in the process of acknowledging she's been fooled by almost everyone, even the family, she had a strong will to overcome it. Reaching her real passion is possible now too <3 Time to get herself to control her own life, not even Yoona can. While the neolists hadn't really ended yet, Yuri knows it all now and it's at least good. She's not completely clueless like before and she can prepare herself just in case.
no subject
Date: 2015-12-12 07:59 pm (UTC)YoonHyun!!! Nothing really changed with the way they interact other than a label and more touches and kisses :3 they're still blushing here and there, it's so cute lol Seeing how bold Yoona were with Yuri, it's adorable seeing her totally smitten by Seohyun.
Both of their loves are so admirable. With the past they had, it's amazing to come to this point. All the waiting for each other are worth it. I find them the same with 2ny haha their relationships <3
And Taeyeon :') The person mostly responsible for all of this lol so much on her hands, but she still kept on going. The trusts she put on her team was intriguing until the end and vice versa. A leader at heart, really. The others couldn't help but drawn into her very own leadership. She definitely had so much dark pasts. It all seem weighing her down a lot, being the peak was Hyoyeon. Now she can let it all go. Even the team.
And damn, I knew what'd come when she mentioned Yoona's father killer. I knew it. But I still teared up by the name 'Kim Taeyeon'.
Feels just bursted out and I couldn't help it lol sigh Taeyeon...
I've always enjoyed your writing and this one is the same too :) even if I jumped ship from YoonYul to YoonHyun lol every chapter is intriguing. It always held my interest.
I also like open ending haha there's so many possibilities for the characters. Like idk if Seohyun and Tiffany can be cured, but the hope and love are there.
p.s
Oh, I noticed this "how she loved to be kissed on the next," was it meant to be neck or anything?
But anyway, other than that, It's all good :D
Great job and thank you for the amazing story! :D
no subject
Date: 2015-12-15 07:22 pm (UTC)Ah how to even reply to this comment. I read it through and I just nod and say, “yes, yes that. yes good. spot on!” 2ny are strong as individuals, but they’re stronger together. One reason why Taeyeon is okay with leaving Tiffany with her. SooNa’s relationship is one of my fave friendships. Soo’s probably one of the first good friends Yoona’s had in a while and she won’t let her go completely. I like to think that they stay in contact.
Hahaha I reeled in most with the yoonyul. I’m guilty of this start with one pairing then switch mid-fic thing and so many hate me for it hehehe. They helped each other out in unexpected ways that’ll def help them on the next season of life. Yuri has become stronger and Yoona softer. Where Yuri will go, she will go with a new head and where yoonhyun will go will be a fun new ride. They’re stronger now.
Ah, our Taeyeon. A mystery until the end. A silent hero. There’s no telling where she’ll go and the possibilities for her, and all the others are endless.
Thanks for catching that typo! I fixed it :D
And thank you very, very much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts. I loved reading all your words and thoughts. Appreciate every last one of them.
Take care.
YAAAS (11 - the end!!)!!!
Date: 2015-12-12 10:16 pm (UTC)Gosh, bitter-sweet feels at reading "fin". It has been so fun and emotionally engaging to read about Yoong's journey and all the amazing characters we got to meet and learn about along the way. Thank you for that journey. (P.S. Can I start booking my ticket for the next one? Where is the Boxxsaltz Express taking us next??? Jungsis? 2ny? Dark!Yulti? Mermaid Taeny ;P)?? I'll keep a look out for it.
Also, any chance of a PDF of "The Heist"? If not, no worries, I'd just like to add it to my fangirl fanfic collection :).
Anywayssssss, I'd now like to fangirl about this update!!!!!
They live!!! YAAAAAAAS!!
YK crew, Seohyun, Yuri, and Yoong live!! Ngl, reading that SY sniped Baby Jung and Sister Jung lost it made my heart break a little (I know she was a Neolist, but sisters mourning sisters... family is my soft spot).
2ny
That scene where Sunny supported Tiff during therapy made me feel the feels. Tiff has a long way to go, but no matter how it turns out, it sounds like she'll have a strong emotional support in Sunbun. And Tae lets them go at the end -- *feeeeeeels*.
Yoonyul ended nicely.
There was so much lying and secrets that they couldn't have possibly made up and stayed friends at the end, but damn was the ride passionate. It seems like their time together helped opened new parts of themselves. Hopefully, Yuri gets her dream: authentic lady love, possibly kids, Golden Retriever, and that hole in the wall restaurant. Get it, Yul. Get your happiness.
AND THAT YOONHYUN!
They're finally together and starting on that 2nd chance. OMG, my body was literally tensed during all of the hospital scenes just waiting for the "and then she died"... I mean it still could happen because we leave off before the surgery is over, but heck, I will take my happy headcannon and run before anyone can tell me otherwise >:P!!! Learning about their past and all the present ish they had to go through to get to where they are now just really makes their resolution so nice.
AND FINALLY OMG THAT LAST REVEAL!!!
Daaaaaaaaaaaamn.
Once again, thank you for taking all that time and energy to write and share "The Heist". I've thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to whatever you write next (even dark, dark soul-crushing pieces). Take care and rest up! :)
Re: YAAAS (11 - the end!!)!!!
Date: 2015-12-15 07:05 pm (UTC)A PDF will be released in the future.
Honestly, writing Soojung being sniped was sad for me to do. But I did it :( Soojung was such a badass character too ugh. Our 2ny bbys with their background love affair. They needed a happy end after so much. They’ll miss Taeyeon miserably and so will Taeng.
And then there’s Yoonyul and Yoonhyun. At one point I said to myself, “maybe yoonyul could happen” but then I went back and reviewed how this all began. I think they were good for each other in the time they had. Yuri’s still got a lot of discovery and YoonHyun have a fun, rocky, weird ride to go on now with feels.
No problem. It was fun to write. I’ve always wanted to do an action based soshi fic so this was my action baby. Thank you for always taking the time and energy to read and comment and spread the word of my fics. You’re stellar.
From the person in love with my your mind
Date: 2015-12-13 06:09 pm (UTC)I won't say that I didn't see a YoonHyun ending coming; they're practically everywhere since chap 1; slipped in casually, almost unseen but there (hence my comments about them on the earlier chapters), but I still couldn't help but root more for YoonYul. Yoona might have only seen Yuri as an escape but for me, that's a good option, too. I see Yuri as a chance for a better future while Seohyun as a force that held Yoona back, a routine; a comfortable pseudo-reality Yoona had become too accustomed to that she had blinded herself into believing that THAT was enough. I don't know, Boxx. YoonHyun's whole set-up is too conditioned I can't believe their 'feelings' for each other is real. For me, theirs is more of dependency. Only an illusion of love. Don't hate me for this. It's only my opinion. I'm not telling you to change anything. I'm just saying I don't like these two together. I know I sound defensive but I just don't want to be misinterpreted.
By the way, its unfortunate I got like 0% success with my theories lololol. I had fun making them, though, so thank you for that. I hope there'd be more mind-boggling in your next fics. Keeps me excited every time a new chapter comes up. ^^
Thank you for writing this lovely fic. I'll be waiting for the next one patiently. Stay cool, Boxxy.
P.S. 2ny!!!!!!!!! //showers you with love// they made me so happy, u dont even know :<<<
Re: From the person in love with my your mind
Date: 2015-12-15 06:53 pm (UTC)To think Yuri could be something better is to think that Yoona even wanted something better. There isn’t a problem with someone wanting to remain with part of their past and there’s not a problem with wanting them to move onto something new as Yuri would be. I don’t think Yoona settled at all. And I don’t think Yoona is the type of person to want a “better”. Seohyun, for Yoona, is the best regardless of all the others who came through and even Yuri. I think the issue is that we didn’t get to see Seohyun’s entirety. She’s equal to Yoona but that was over shadowed by her deterioration through this fic. Yoona had to take care of her way more now than she’s had to before. This is where I believe the appearance of dependency come from. This hill they’ve gotten over with secrets let out and Yuri really being part of Yoona’s growth will definitely change Yoonhyun. Their future like they thought before is going to be much different. What routine they had has been broken. They’re at a different place now. Anyhow, the way they navigate through this new chapter is obviously going to bring up some challenges, new discoveries, and more. This singular snapshot into what they’ve been can only show so much of what they could be. They’re not the same people anymore and that’ll make a difference.
On the flip side, there’s Yuri. Yuri isn’t at a place to handle someone like Yoona. The realization that Yoona began this on lies and the destruction of her world around her puts Yuri in a bad spot. She’s very much a person who emotes first which puts her much too vulnerable. This isn’t to say they wouldn’t have worked (as Yoona said Yuri could’ve been someone (and that’s not a lie)) but it would’ve taken a good amount of time. Like if they met again. Where this fic ended after everything that happened, Yoona and Yuri being together would’ve felt out of place. There’s too many fresh wounds on Yuri’s side for that. Almost everyone she surrounded herself with betrayed her. Including Yoona. Broken trust is very difficult to mend. So them apart is better than together. They’ve all got shit to work through.
Enjoy your future reread. Thanks for all of your comments. You’ve always been opinionated in your ideas so none come as a surprise to me or an offense. All it comes down to is different ways of thinking and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Byebye~
no subject
Date: 2015-12-17 07:25 pm (UTC)wait wait waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait, so YoonHyun's fathers were a part of Taeyeon's team all along and that day, they were all together inside that doomed car (along with Hyo) but only Taeyeon survived? who.the.hell.is.she anyway? Were they also against Neolist on that mission? So many questions, so little info
Mang, I'm still not over that ending but I love the "getting through the hardship/victory" theme you put out (just like in The Dreamkeeper), I find myself living vicariously through them hahahhaa.
A pat on the back (or a shake on the salt-shaker) for you, another job well done (I sound like Taeyeon here)
....now....onto Bloodline :'(((((((((((((((
Rex
Clap clap clap
Date: 2015-12-17 07:26 pm (UTC)It is amazing.
I am dying to read "Dissonance" since Seo it's my bias (I know it's not completed, but still).
Thank you.
PS: I hope you will consider a Yoonhyun stand-alone piece (a little, or a lot, of steam wouldn't hurt) at some point.
no subject
Date: 2016-04-16 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-04-17 06:58 pm (UTC)When brainstorming the fic, I originally had it in my head that it would end in YoonYul with Seohyun's feelings being unrequited. Once I started plotting it out, that didn't make sense anymore considering all that was going to happen between Yuri and Yoona and I didn't like it.
Despite plotting, a lot of core ideas come to me once I actually start writing and being with the characters, so after writing the first two chapters and sitting in YoonHyun's relationship, I knew I wanted it to end as YoonHyun. I liked the idea much more with Yoona's feelings for Seohyun being uncovered as she started to let go of guilt and a lot of the pain she held onto for a long time. The whole redemption theme was a big part of it. Yuri helped Yoona do that, and in turn, Yoona helped Yuri get over her past. Same as Taeyeon tried to rid her guilt by helping Yoona and telling her the truth of what happened.
If you go through from the beginning, I dropped little nuggets of their feelings for one another that started off as being cloaked in unconditional friendship to an obvious love when Yoona began to compare Yuri and Seohyun to one another.
lol I've given you a longer answer than necessary, but there you are!
no subject
Date: 2016-04-18 12:21 am (UTC)Would you be up for writing an epilogue to this? It could be of just YoonHyun's happy life together and Yoona reminiscing about the past struggles they had leading them to where they are now :)
no subject
Date: 2016-04-18 10:46 pm (UTC)I'm not the epilogue type. Part 11 kinda served as an epilogue for me, but for a little bit of insight on how I see things being you can check this: http://boxxsaltz.tumblr.com/post/135256146300/what-happened-with-everyone-after-the-end-are
OMFG
Date: 2016-08-13 01:03 pm (UTC)Geez! OMG... I never felt so shaken with a fanfic's ending before LOL So that's why it was so important for Taeyeon to bring her in even though Fany was against it? Maybe she was right, had Yoona found out before the right time she'd destroy them.
Was it the same episode that killed Hyoyeon? Because I think Taeyeon had already killed a lot of people to feel guilty just about this one... So it must have been the same she "failed"?
Man, this is so fucking amazing! I won't be able to sleep tonight. I'll recommend (correction: force) every single friend of mine to read it.
Love your stories, you never disappoint me. You should try to publish books, I'd buy each one of them. <3