Mystic Messenger Lemons & One-shots

Requested: Zen x MC ~ Finding Your Zen

Contains mention of domestic violence.

Dating your manager had been a terrible idea. He was handsome, talented and generally a piece of scum. Not that you knew that when you were finally persuaded to be his girlfriend. But as the weeks wore on and you scored bigger and bigger roles opposite handsomer and handsomer men, your boyfriend's love became a little more... violent.

But you endured it. Being an actress was a tough business nowadays. If you didn't have a good manager, then you'd never get any parts. If you didn't have a tough manager, the directors would insist that you provide them with certain services to be in their movies. It was a nightmare and you would never have recommended joining the profession. But you couldn't quit. You loved this work, just not the people you worked with.

The exception being Zen. You had never meant to start an affair with him, but when he found out about what your manager was doing to you he promised to protect you whenever he could. That made him irresistible to you. So when his lips met yours on the second week of filming a movie together, you did nothing to stop him and everything to encourage him. And your manager was becoming suspicious.

"You know, I don't like how close you're getting to Zen." He spat out the name with venom.

"I-I-I'm not getting close to him! We're just opposite roles! It's all just acting!" You stuttered out. You weren't sure why he was bringing this up again, he had already brought up and acted on this insecurity to your face. In fact, you were currently sitting at your kitchen counter with ice on your lip to try to bring down the swelling.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Just knock it off. I'll take you off this movie."

"You wouldn't!" You looked at him in fear.

"Try me."

You didn't. You went to sleep knowing that tomorrow you'd have to explain yourself to Zen, once again. It was a long, dreamless sleep fortunately.

The next day, you woke up and drove yourself to the studio where you were shooting. The first stop was make-up.

"What do we have to cover up today, MC?" Your make-up artist sighed. They were used to this and had tried to pry out what happened from you to no avail.

"My lip. Maybe a bright red? Today we're filming the big kiss scene anyway. So it's going to have to be pretty tough anyway."

"Mm. Yeah, fine. You know you could talk to me, right?"

"I--" You began but were quickly cut off.

"Talk to you about what, Tae-hee?" Your manager slipped into the room.

"You know, I thought this was a manager-free zone. It really makes it difficult for me to get in the zone with someone like you in here." Zen stood in the doorway. He towered over everyone in the room and provided a sour look just for your manager.

"I'm just checking on my beloved client and girlfriend. No need to get your precious silver hair in knots." He sighed but left anyway.

Happily, Zen locked the door behind him. He quickly flew over to the chair you sat in, squishing Tae-hee out of the way.

"Oh princess, why do you stay? I could take much better care of you." He stroked your face and pet your hair. Tae-hee looked away, embarrassed.

"This is my big break. I don't have any money for a manager, especially one who is as good as he is." You whispered as you rubbed your face against his hands.

Zen groaned. This was an excuse. You were just too scared to leave. Too scared to be alone without someone who "loved" you. But he loved you. He loved you so much. He had talked to Tae-hee about this, who suggested that perhaps it wasn't love he was feeling, but lust. You were an incredibly beautiful woman, with incredible talent. Zen knew he definitely felt lust for you. But after spending so much time with you in script read-throughs, cast get-togethers and private time spent in his dressing room, he was a little bit... obsessed. Every day he came to work hoping and praying that his lips would meet yours. And you let him any chance he got. That was love, right? Your manager was the only one getting in the way.