┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓕𝓪𝓻𝓮𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵 ˚｡➶˚┊

She couldn't stop.

Jungkook stayed by her side as they traversed the corners of the farm. She knew they didn't have much time. Park could only stall for so long, and that was assuming he was stalling right now. They had Park, dark clouds, and tall plants on their side. Otherwise, they were left to their own devices.

Y/n led the way. Kastor and Hoseok were on the other side, preparing to split if necessary. Y/n and Jungkook were in the same situation. As they approached the first corner, the fence posts got higher. She saw the camera, pointed down and facing their direction. Y/n pulled Jungkook behind it, just in case.

"There are torches up here. Let's grab one and light shit up," Jungkook whispered, though his tone was darker than she remembered. Not in the mood to argue, she nodded and went forward.

They took a torch from off the post, her kneeling and about to light it. She glanced at Jungkook for permission. "What about Hoseok and Kas? Do you think they're in position yet?"

She smelled smoke a mere second after she said it. Jungkook ripped the torch from her and placed it on the ground, watching as the stalks of the greenery caught fire. It was funny how quickly something could turn to nothing.

"Get out of here, I'll run and get the other one," she said, pushing Jungkook back.

"No way-"

"You did that one, I'll get the other! No time to argue! Go!"

She made sure she did a half-whisper half-yell to him as to not alert workers to their positions. Still, she took off, sprinting at top speed to get to the second corner. She already heard confusion from the people working in the maze of plants. Some crops were short, others were medium, most were tall. Their sizes varied depending on where she was. There were patches of multi-colored berries scattered everywhere, same with fruits and vegetables.

Y/n passed by them in a crouched sprint, not spotting anyone nearby. There were screams, people yelling about the chaos. Y/n made it to the corner just in time for the first two fires to spread. She tossed the torch down and watched it went ablaze. As soon as the scorching heat picked up, she dashed away. There was a shout that sounded like it was in her direction, but she ignored it and continued.

Y/n ran away as fast as she could, the mask covering her face. Her hood came off, her messy hair exposed. The night sky covered most of her body. Despite that, she shivered, wishing she could disappear-

'Bang!'

A figure crashed into her, sending her flying to the ground. She cried out as the man got on top of her, wrapping his hands around her throat and squeezing. She had no idea who it was. A guard or worker, but the lack of armor made her believe it was an underpaid farmer. If they were even paid, that was.

She gagged and coughed. Her vision went red, her legs sprawled out as she adjusted to the lack of oxygen. As soon as her eyes faded in and out of focus, she used all her strength to knee him in the midsection. He grunted, his grip loosening. That gave her the opportunity to push him off.

Y/n's hand went to the knife hidden in her pants. She pulled it free and stabbed him, kicking him down. He hit the grass, blood squirting out of the gash on his neck. She coughed and rubbed her sore throat, her voice refusing to come out for a few beats. Y/n tested it until she could form a sentence. Yet her vocal chords still screeched and cried from the pain they endured.

Not having any time to waste, Y/n fled. She wasn't sure where to go. Although they had discussed an escape plan, it slipped from her mind. The adrenaline was too high. It clogged her senses until her nose and lungs burned. Her eyes filled with tears, snot dribbling down her face until it landed on her lips. She licked it off, not having the time to deal with it.

The forest welcomed her as she jumped in, diving to the dirt and drawling behind the nearest tree. She heard the screams in the distance. Same with the flames. Next came the smell of thick smoke. After, taps of rain hit her. She froze up, the dirt going from hard to soft as more drops pitter-pattered down. Within two minutes, the storm came. She cursed mother nature for bringing rain on such a day.

Y/n got up before she was stained with too much mud. When she turned, she saw half of the farm was gone. Not all of it thanks to the rain, but half of it was burned to the ground. She could see Park and Yoongi dashing between workers with buckets of water, putting out the last of the flames. That meant Park would be occupied tonight. She wondered if the Emperor would punish him. She wondered if there was anything she could do to stop it.

The adrenaline faded enough to give her time to think. That was when she lit up and remembered part of the plan. Y/n went back to the rendezvous point, staying in the middle of the forest. There was a tree with crimson-colored bark, which was why they made it their rendezvous. She leaned against it, waiting. Two minutes passed. Three. Five. Ten. By the eleventh minute, she paced, kicking at the dirt and rubbing her hands together. Finally, Jungkook came bursting through the bushes, out of breath with his curly hair covering his face.

"Where are the others?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," she said as he approached, giving her a quick embrace. "Did anyone see you?"

"I don't know. The farmers look too busy dealing with the fires to search for anything else."

"They probably think it was an accident," she mumbled, rubbing her head. "For now, anyway. When they realize all four corners were burned, they'll know it was an attack. It doesn't help that Jin already filmed the promo."

Jungkook was about to reply, but more footsteps came. They ducked behind the tree, peeking out to see Captain Jung. He had soot covering his face and clothes. Any remnant of Jung Hoseok was gone, replaced by a wide-eyed rebel that had his mouth hanging open and gasping for air.

"Hobi," she said, rushing out to grab his shoulders. "What the hell happened?"

"They know it was an attack," he whispered, the left side of his hair burnt thanks to the flames. "Kastor, he's..."

"What? What the hell happened to him?" Jungkook asked, stomping over with narrowed eyes.

"He's gone. They took him. I watched them grab him, but he just told me to run," Hoseok replied, tears clogging his eyes. "I ran, but I didn't see what happened to him. There were no screams, so I doubt he's dead, but..."

"He got taken for interrogation," Y/n finished, letting go of Hoseok and slumping to the ground. The sizzling flames in the distance didn't stop her ears from tuning out. The ringing sensation flooded inside her brain until her eyes strained. A clump of red clung to the edges of her vision as her hands gripped the dirt beneath her. The rough soil dug into her palms, her nails creating scratch marks on her skin from how hard she was pressing. Even the thick stench of smoke couldn't bring her mind back to the present.

The two rebels spoke above her, Jungkook's voice raising on more than one occasion while Hoseok stayed quiet. Almost like he expected it. Like it was pointless to hope for everyone to make it out okay.

They discussed a plan Y/n didn't listen to, the minutes ticking away as the fires dialed down. Soon enough, they were gone, and an eerie silence remained. The rotting smoke still held onto her nostrils, just like how she was holding onto the grime staining her clothes.

By the time Jungkook forced her up, she had no idea where they were going. All she saw was Kastor's face. The face that made her breakfast when she was having a rough day. The face that did the manual labor so she wouldn't have to. The face that rubbed her back whenever she was on the verge of tears. The face that loved her, even if he never said it.

She didn't know what to do, or if there was anything to do. She let Jungkook drag her through the forest. Eventually, after going around and around in what felt like circles, they made it back to their town. Back to their home. She didn't realize they had been running for that long.

As soon as Jungkook tried to pull her inside, she turned and threw up on the grass. Hoseok rubbed her back like Kastor used to do. It only made more come out.

Y/n didn't have the effort to cry. There it was again, the numbness. It crept up her spine and told her she should have expected this. Any strong emotions she had fizzled away in favor of an emptiness that had her shuddering. In the course of a few hours, she lost and forgot him. It was the only way she could survive.

"Come on, let's get inside and get you changed," Jungkook said, tugging on her arm.

Despite her reluctance, they got her changed and cleaned up. Still, after it was over, she went outside and sat in the rain. She tucked her knees against her chest and let her hair get drenched. Jungkook watched from a distance, never moving to interrupt her temporary serenity.

An hour passed. Maybe two. Then, she heard familiar gallops. Park and Shadow came into her view, the beast stopping a few feet in front of her. Park slid off the animal and sprinted to her, kneeling to tilt her chin up.

"Y/n, what happened? Are you hurt?" Park asked.

"It's Kastor."

Park's face fell. "Where is he?"

"The guards, they took him. Likely for torture."

Park backed up, dropping her chin. She stood, wiping her face as if the rain wouldn't damp it with moisture in mere seconds. She observed the way Park wobbled before hopping back on Shadow. He clutched the reins and pulled, but Y/n didn't let it happen. Much to Jungkook's dismay, Y/n hoisted herself on Shadow, Park jolting at the feeling of her arms wrapping around his stomach.

"Take me with you. I don't want to be here tonight," she whispered.

Although his body was shaking, he didn't move to push her off. Jungkook went to confront her, but she held up her hand and forced him to stay quiet. Jungkook slumped his shoulders, pushing back his wet hair and entering the home. She made sure he got in safely before she rested her head on Park's back. He let out a breath. She could feel the way it clasped to his lungs and threatened to break them.

Then, Shadow sprinted away.

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

Park didn't stop pacing.

She watched him go back and forth, gnawing on his fingernails while his eyes jumped around his cramped room. They were in the castle. She figured she had an excuse to go to the castle more often: she was helping Angelica. This killed two birds with one stone. One, she could investigate. Two, she kept Park safe. If the Emperor came to take Park for punishment, she wouldn't let it happen. Park didn't know those were her intentions, which was likely the only reason he let her stay the night.

"Pacing won't solve anything," she said, Park not bothering to slow down. "Park. You need to sit."

"Kas could be in this castle," Park replied, dismissing her concerns. "How am I supposed to sit when he could be getting tortured in the basement?"

"I don't want anything to happen to him, but you said yourself it's too late. Patrols are wandering the halls. If you're caught out of your room..."

"I get punished," Park mumbled, kicking at the floor. "God dammit!"

He kicked the wall, Y/n hopping up and springing into action. Before he could damage the poor wall again, she wrapped her arms around his waist and back-hugged him. He stiffened in her grasp. Although she felt bad, she knew it was the only way to stop him from hurting himself.

"If we're going to save Kastor, we need to think. You need to think. Where would the Emperor take prisoners now since his tower is gone?"

"We've never thought about that," Park said, running a hand through his hair. "Normally we just execute traitors. Are you sure you didn't see a body?"

"I'm sure. Hoseok guaranteed it."

"Ah yes, let's trust the pessimist leader of the rebellion. Great idea."

"Park," she said, sternly. She backed off and spun him around, forcing their eyes to lock. "Stop it. Listen to yourself. You're not going to solve anything reacting like this."

"Well what the fuck else am I supposed to do? Twiddle my thumbs? Go ask the Emperor if any grumpy old men are hanging around? You got any suggestions, princess? I'm all ears."

She guided him to his bed, him reluctant the entire way there. She pushed him down and made him sit. He glanced up at her. She couldn't tell if he was angry at her, the Emperor, or both.

"You need to be patient. There's nothing we can do now except wait. None of us are happy about this, but if we overwhelm ourselves, we'll make rash decisions," she said.

"Ironic coming from you."

"Excuse me?"

"You're always speaking and acting without thinking. Making spontaneous decisions. I don't blame you, you're a leader, but it doesn't change how hypocritical you sound right now. Must I remind you of your quick decision to raid the junkyard? Or your decision to raise your hand at the address? Or-"

"Park. Shut up."

He did, huffing like a teenager and laying down. She crawled next to him, watching as he kept his body turned away from her. Although they were never exactly the closest in the rebellion, the new distance felt foreign. Uncomfortable. It had her rubbing her cold arms despite how humid New Theon always was.

"I won't be able to sleep tonight," he said.

"You get used to loss," she replied, shifting so her back faced him. "Goodnight."

"I don't know how you aren't losing sleep over this. Kastor's a member of your rebellion. He's your friend."

"Who said I'm going to sleep? The second I close my eyes, all I'll get are nightmares. Kas is another name to add to my list of friends I've lost. Maybe it doesn't surprise me anymore. Maybe I've grown numb to it."

Park didn't reply. They were quiet for several minutes. The truth was, Y/n was terrified. The idea that Kastor was being tortured as she laid there had her trembling.

As the time ticked away, she traced patterns on her arm. Her nails were long. It wasn't like she had much time to cut and shape them. She couldn't remember the last time she was able to. Normally Jungkook did them for her, but with her spending more time with Park, she hadn't had the energy. There was a certain comfort to being in the castle with him. It made her feel important; not because she was with him, but rather because she knew the Emperor wouldn't hurt him as long as she was around.

Two minutes later, there was a knock on the door. She thought Park passed out based on his lack of movement, but he snapped up and went to open the creaking wood. There stood Min Yoongi, Y/n pulling the covers over herself in an attempt to hide.

"The hell are you doing here this late?" Park asked.

"Don't make me regret this," Yoongi said instead of answering the question. "The Emperor is on his way. I overheard him talking to his guards about paying you a visit. Doesn't sound like the friendly type. I'm guessing it has to do with the farm. Just thought I'd warn you."

"Why?"

"You helped put out the fire. I panicked, you acted. I owe you, and I hate being in debt more than I hate being alive. Consider my debt repaid. The Emperor should be blaming me, not you. Get away from him if you can. Do whatever you have to do to avoid the punishment."

Even from her position, she could see how stiff Park was. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Mr. Min."

"Goodnight, Commander Park."

Yoongi left, Park shutting the door and lingering there for far too long. By the time he came back over, he didn't speak. He didn't offer a solution. He didn't talk about the warning he heard.

"Well?" she asked, Park not meeting her eyes just yet. "What are we going to do? You heard him, we don't have much time." Park leaned on his side, his gaze falling on hers. She paused for a beat, cherishing the contact. "Park, you need to talk to me-"

He cut her off by getting on top of her and taking off his shirt. Wordlessly, he kissed her, holding her face and deepening it right away. She kissed back and grabbed the sheets as she was used to doing. He undid his belt, the 'clang!' sound it made causing her to jump. He pulled his lips away at that, helping her out of her clothes until she was left in her undergarments.

There were footsteps in the hallway, Park making sure the covers were pushed back so their bodies were on display. She caught on, bringing him back into a passionate kiss that had them both melting into each other. He held her leg, wrapping it around his waist as they made out on his bed.

Before they could go any further, the door swung. Park parted from her, but slowly. She couldn't tell if it was an act or if he genuinely didn't want to pull away.

They saw the Emperor standing in the doorway, frozen. For the first time, Y/n saw the Emperor stall. He had never hesitated before. Yet there he was, unable to form words at the sight in front of him.

Park cleared his throat, holding her body so the Emperor wouldn't see. "Sir, I'm in the middle of something with our guest," he said, putting emphasis on 'guest'. "Surely you remember Miss L/n, the Moros representative?"

The Emperor finally regained his composure, setting his shoulders. "I apologize for interrupting. I only wanted to inquire about the farm."

"I assigned Mr. Kim to the case. We believe it was bad weather that knocked over the torches. Sir, I must recommend we change the lighting techniques used. Open flames near that many crops is a recipe for disaster. We've been saying it for years, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

Park brought his eyes back to Y/n, chuckling and smiling. She played along, laughing when he brushed his nose across hers. He pecked her lips, glancing at the Emperor when he was done.

"Is there anything else, or can I go back to my woman now?" he asked, her thighs pressing together upon hearing those words.

The Emperor took a second longer than needed to reply. "That's all. Again, my apologies for intruding."

Then, the Emperor left. Y/n expected Park to keep going, but he slid off her and put his clothes back on. He tossed her the fabric that once covered her body, her waiting before getting changed.

"Sorry," Park said. She could tell he didn't mean it. "Not in the mood. I did that-"

"So he wouldn't hurt you," she interrupted. He sat on the edge of the bed, not facing her. Still, she could see his small nod.

She took a risk; she went closer, sitting by him and peering at the stone wall. It was bland. Lifeless. Colorless. It was the opposite of who Park was. Or, at least, the Park Y/n grew to know. The Park that grinned at the very sight of trees and bugs and flowers.

Y/n took another risk and leaned her head on his shoulder. He froze up as she closed her eyes to enjoy his warmth. A few beats later, he wrapped his arm around her waist and sighed. She snuggled closer, her hand falling to his thigh.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she mumbled.

He kissed the top of her head. "Sure."

"I'm only here because I don't want him to hurt you. If that means faking sex to help you, then don't apologize." She then peeked her head up, noticing how his lips were pointed downwards. "Park, look at me." He did. She couldn't resist; she put her hand on his cheek. "Even if we aren't faking it, you can back out at any time. I don't want you to do something you don't want to do. If me touching you right now is a problem, tell me."

Y/n went to pull her hand away, but he grabbed it, forcing her to stay in place. "Don't go," he whispered, almost as if he didn't mean to say it. He swallowed. "This is okay. It feels okay."

"Okay," she whispered back, rubbing her thumb back and forth his skin. "If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell me. You're not trapped with me. The second I do something you don't like, yell at me. I would never hurt you. I promise."

"You slapped me for scaring you."

She chuckled. He did too. "You choked me for calling you a bitch."

"To be fair to myself, you are into choking."

She laughed with him, her head falling back to his shoulder while his arm wrapped around her. They stayed there, listening to the rain that picked up and tapped against the walls outside. They stayed like that until he tilted her chin up, leaning down to claim her lips as his. The time slipped out of her mind as they kissed, Park using his free hand to grab hers and hold it against his chest. When they parted, he kept his forehead on hers.

"I really hate you," he murmured.

"Super romantic."

"There's a point to this," he said, his lips almost forming a smile. Almost. "I'm glad you're here, even if you're a pain in the ass."

"Would it kill you to compliment me without insulting me in the same sentence?"

"Honestly, princess, it just might." He gave her a peck. "Thank you for helping me take my mind off Kastor. Do you think we'll find him?"

The answer was no. Kastor either got kidnapped by the Emperor's guards or killed in action. Even if Kastor was alive, the odds of him surviving torture were slim to none. But, Park lived in a castle surrounded by misery. He got beaten almost every day, and would have been hurt today if it weren't for Y/n's appearance. The last thing he needed was pessimism. So, she held his hand and smiled.

"Don't worry, I know we will."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓕𝓪𝓻𝓮𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵 ˚｡➶˚┊

A/N: How do you guys feel about the Park-Y/n relationship so far, and what are you looking forward to seeing next from them?