Witch Hunt - Bang Chan x Reader (Fantasy AU)

- Chapter Nineteen -

You drove throughout the whole night. Chan fell asleep in the car, snoring softly as you drove. You were exhausted too, you hadn't slept all night and you didn't have the chance to get patched up by your brother when you stopped by his house so your entire body was still aching. That was first on your list after dropping Chan home.

Before he fell asleep he said he had a family member not too far away that could take him in for a while. You could tell you were getting closer, the destination was maybe less than an hour away. For a while you debated just driving off to nowhere, forgetting about your whirlwind of a life and spending your days filled with nothing but Chan.

You diminished the idea quickly knowing you couldn't take Chan out of his life like that. It didn't ease the pain of having to see him go. Even if he was asleep, you appreciated these last few hours with him, drinking in the sight of his sleeping face, imprinting every detail in your brain as best you could.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, you arrived at a small little town that looked like every grandmother's dream. Small cottages and bakeries were dotted along the road, a post office and a supermarket making the occasional appearance. You reached a dirt road leading off the main one and knew this was where Chan needed to go. You drove up the road a bit, only stopping when the cottage first came into view. You doubted whoever was in there was awake, but you still didn't want to run the risk of having an audience.

You turned the car off, swearing it grumbled sadly as the lights flicked off. You twisted in your chair so you were facing Chan. "Hey," you said gently, shaking his arm to rouse him from his sleep, "Chan, we're here."

He swung his head around a couple times, taking in the scenery around him, face scrunched up in confusion. "Where are we?" He mumbled, words slurred by his half-conscious state.

"We're at your aunt's house. It's time to say goodbye." You sighed, already feeling a knot forming in your throat.

"Oh..." He said quietly. You gave him a few more seconds to fully awaken before you got out of the car, opening the trunk to get his bag out for him. He met you there, taking his bag from your hands and slinging it over his back.

"I, uh, I don't really know what to say." You began.

"Is it bad if I say I don't really want to go." Chan said and you laughed. Your eyes were already stinging.

"No, I kind of want you to stay as well." You agreed. You looked up at him even though you were struggling to hold back tears. "But we both know that you can't. I would rather never see you again and know you're safe than have you risk your life every second you're with me. You're quite nice when you're alive."

This made Chan laugh, but the sound was choked with a sob. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you so you were flush against his chest. "It's been a hard week, I won't lie, but thank you." Chan whispered in you ear, holding you tight enough that it was nearly hard to breathe. "Thank you for protecting me and saving my ass about a hundred times." His deep chuckle made your body shake and you held him tighter, scared he was going to disappear when you let go.

"Well, you saved my life a few times as well, I think it's only fair." You answered, trying to wipe away the stray tears that managed to fall. You pulled back just far enough to see his face. "Thank you for being there for me. In a week you managed to turn me into a sappy, morally driven person, and that's pretty amazing."

"I'm going to miss you." Chan said, hands cradling your face. He leant down until his lips were pressed against yours. The kiss was salty with both of your tears, but it was soft and gentle. You clutched onto his shirt like your life depended on it, not aware that the feeling of his hands on your cheeks would make you feel so whole. You wanted to hold him there with you forever, but eventually you had to pull away.

"I'm going to miss you too." You said. "Danny's not much use without Sandy." Chan laughed at that. You were going to miss that most of all.

"Y-You stay safe, alright." Chan said, though he looked as if he knew that was a bit of a useless request.

"I'll try my best." You answered. "You have a good life, Chan."

Chan squeezed your hands pulling you in for one last hug before he stepped away. You held your breath as he walked off. You'd faced off with demons, vampires, werewolves, brushed up with death multiple times and had practically been disowned by your own family, all in the last week. But nothing was as hard as seeing Chan walk away from you, watching as he disappeared behind the front door of the quaint little cottage knowing that it was the last time you were ever going to see him again.

You stood behind the car for a while longer, letting the sobs overcome your body as you let your sadness and grief pour out of you unstoppered. When your body stopped shaking and your breathing had calmed, you climbed back into the front seat of the car. It felt empty on your own now.

You slowly backed out of the driveway, making your way back onto the road. You didn't know where to go from here. You didn't want to go back home, the chances of running into a family member was too high, and you couldn't handle seeing any of them.

So you drove aimlessly, just following the road as the horizon stretched on in front of you endlessly. The further you drove from Chan, the safer he was, but at no point did it stop the squeezing of your heart as you longed to turn around and run right back to him.

You kept driving until your lids grew heavy, your hands fumbling on the wheel as you parked beside the road, climbing in the back and falling asleep right there.

When you awoke your eyes were raw and puffy from all the crying you'd done the day before. Your chest screamed in pain, your broken rib still unattended to, and not to mention your hand was still throbbing. You forgot every ounce of pain the moment your eyes slipped over to the yellow envelope on your dashboard. You already knew what it was before you picked it up. The envelope was sealed shut with a circle of wax, Mammon's seal pressed into it.

Your first assignment.