ateez one-shots

battle plea - park seonghwa

The battle horn was a brutal sound which shattered the eerie silence that had settled amongst the camp. The warriors were exhausted, no one knew that better than you. You had all been fighting this war for over a month with barely anytime to rest.

        Instead of growing stronger, your side was seemingly becoming weaker. The opposition had noticed this immediately, becoming more violent and fluid with their attacks. You didn't have a choice but to lead your warriors into a constant retreat— anything to buy you more time to try and think.

        You had make a silent pact with yourself on that day. It was becoming too much to bare, seeing people who you knew personally being injured and even losing their lives, and all because of you. Your blood made you dangerous, you had been reminded of this every single day since your birth. Your guard had made his best efforts to keep you safe for all these years.

         He had been fatally injured the other week. His wounds left him in a coma within one of the far end tents. His son— who was just older than you— had always stepped in to protect you when he needed. Especially now when it was crucial, he didn't hesitate in stepping forth as your personal guard.

         It certainly helped that you both found each other's presence quite enjoyable. His father's position had meant that Seonghwa had practically grown up beside you. He knew you better than anyone and at times you hated him for it.

         He had picked up on your strange aura from the minute those battle horns sounded. Instead of completing your usual route of dragging your fingers across the battle charts, muttering the names of each of your men to yourself, you were simply tucking your hair away into a knot on the base of your neck.

        "You better not be thinking about handing yourself over to him," He remarks firmly, walking over to be right at your side. "I wouldn't allow it."

         "Lucky for me that you're not my father," You retort smoothly, turning away from him as you know watching his expressions would only tug at your strings which could inevitably lead to you going back on your pact. "I can't see more men die, Hwa. They all have families and I'm taking them away merely because I'm too scared to die. I'm not scared anymore and I refuse to let these antics continue."

         You do your best to stop your trembling figure, knowing too easily that the older would pick up on this. He steps closer to you, ever so gently resting one hand on your shoulder. He softly traces the length of your arm before coming to a halt with your hand in his own.

"If you're not scared then why are you shaking like a leaf in the wind?," He asks you, tone filled with what you could've sworn sounded like fear of his own. "It's okay to be scared. To be honest with you, I am terrified." He let's go of your hand, allowing for it to drop by your side once more.

          Having felt yourself yearning for the warmth and reassurance of his touch, you turn around slowly to face him again, tears starting to form in your eyes.

         "I have to do this," Your words come out as a whisper but he hears you all too clearly.

         "Please," He frowns, his own eyes beginning to turn glassy as he reaches out to take your hands in his. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

You feel your heart tearing itself into pieces as you see how shattered he looks. Whilst you didn't verbally admit it, you shared his feelings of terror. It didn't take an idiot to know that handing yourself over would end up in your immediate death.

         They wanted your blood, the only way to ensure they received it all was to be the cause for your final breath to be drawn.

         "I wish our situation was different," Your voice becomes unsteady, your emotions starting to take over. "I wish we were just two ordinary villagers or even royals, just two people who could love each other without having to be on the constant run from a war."

         Upon hearing this, Seonghwa can't manage to hold back his tears for another moment. The streams glisten as they fall down his cheeks. He leans his head down, placing his forehead against your own. Your breaths mingle which provides you with a sense of comfort yet a sense of pain as you know you will have to leave him behind.

         "There has to be another way," He speaks as though he were pleading for someone to come to him with the answers. "I can't lose you."

         "You can, you have too," You mutter, closing your eyes as you shakily withdraw a breath. "You're strong and you can do this. I need you to look after your father and to look after my kingdom." He pulls his head away from yours, hands letting go of yours as they relocate to be holding your tear-struck face.

          "I refuse to do any of those things without you at my side. You are mine and I won't let you go out there. I could never forgive you for it."

You shake your head in disbelief of his words. Raising your own hands, you softly cover his with them.

          "Don't let our last moments be of us fighting, please," You beg him. "You have to believe that if there were any other way, I would've done that already. We have tried everything and nothing has worked. You have to understand that this is the final option."

         "You're giving up, you can't give up on me," His voice becomes frantic. You push his hands from your face as you step forward, pressing your lips to his for a final time. His lips taste like salt, but you don't care as his hands find their home on your waist. He holds you close. He knew that as soon as he pulled away, you'd be gone. You felt your heart breaking further with each moment that passed. The horns sounded again, this was the third time, meaning you had only five minutes before today's battle would commence.

         Your heart screams in objection as you force yourself to break away from the older's embrace. His tears flow more thoroughly as you slowly back away, gripping his hands in your own before allowing for them to fall through your fingers like sand.

        "I love you, Park Seonghwa," You exclaim. "Please don't forget me." Seonghwa clasps a hand over his mouth in order to choke back on a sob which rises in his throat. You quickly turn around, rushing out of your tent before he can stop you.

        You rush out onto the front lines, doing your best to stop your tears as you foresee the enemy lines approaching. The army general of your approaches your side, gently touching your elbow in comfort.

        "It's going to be okay Miss, we may be tired but we won't let you die," The light haired male assures you.

         "It's okay Woo," You smile tightly. "Thank you for everything." Before he has a chance to realise what you mean by your words, you quicken your stride straight into the path of the opposition. It takes only a few moments before you feel something piercing through your abdomen. Pausing where you stand, you gaze downward to see an arrow made of polished silver protruding from your body. Your blood doesn't fall from the wound as it would on anyone else. It was already being drained into the arrow.

         You could hear someone running towards you just as you fell to the ground. Laying on your back, you were surprised at the lack of pain you felt. You had always imagined that having your blood being drained from you whilst you still had your senses with you would be incredibly painful. Yet in this moment all you could think about was the dark haired male who currently cried whilst crouched beside you.

          "I love you too," Seonghwa whispers, gently raising your hand to his lips. He holds it firmly as he remains at your side. You don't have the strength to say anything as you just hold his gaze, doing your best to send across what you would've loved to say.

         "You'll be okay," Seems to be the main phrase which you want to convey across to the older. He understands, smiling weakly in your direction.

         "Always the optimist," He manages to emit the softest chuckle. Hearing that simple sound of joy from him tugged you're lips upward for the final time as you felt yourself exhaling a breath that seemed to end too soon. You couldn't inhale anymore as your vision blurred, inevitably fading to darkness as you lost all your senses.

You were gone.