"Make me yours." 

"Do you know what you're asking? " Yuju breathed out harshly, eyes glittering like diamonds. Yerin kissed her on the nose affirmatively, eyes soft yet determined.

" Yes. Brand me, mark me, carve yourself into my soul. I want you to bond me, puppy. So you'll never be alone again."

Yuju shuddered, turning away as clarity flooded back into her eyes. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought.

"Yerin, you can't ask this from me, this can never be undone. It's not fair to you. You'll never be free if we do this." 

"I don't care." Yerin tightened her hold around Yuju's neck, rubbing herself up against the rigid shaman. "I know what it means, puppy. I am willing." 

Yuju closed her eyes, shivering into the depths of her soul. She was tempted, oh so much. Yerin was giving herself entirely over to her. A magical bond between two mages could be an equal contract, an ally to share power and pain with. It was carved into the soul and never lightly undertaken, because such bonds could never be truly undone. For Yerin to propose this was of magnitudes worse, because she wasn't a full mage for all that she was partially Awakened. It could never be an equal contract with her being unable to control her end of the bond.

Mages could bind any number of spirits to their service in a temporary contract, but could only ever bond one permanently as an ally. They could also mark mundane humans the same way, but it was not unlike marking cattle, with an implied contract of servitude. There was no cost to the mage in these cases, but the one being marked was bound to the caster’s will. 

Slave marks could still be broken. Soul bonds, which could only be voluntarily formed, could not. Yerin was asking for something deeper, but without the ability to channel and manipulate magic to exercise her end of the bond, she was placing herself entirely into Yuju's power. It would be a one way street. Yuju would always be able to feel her, sense her emotions, no matter how far they were apart, and be able to exert influence over her if she chose. 

Yuju had feared that Yerin was going to leave, and now Yerin was giving her the keys to her freedom. They would never be truly apart, even if they were separated, if she went through with this. 

"I trust you, Yuju." Yerin said softly, caressing the shaman's face. "You'll never hurt me, and I want to do this for you." 

"It's too much…" Yuju muttered, automatically leaning into Yerin's touch and closing her eyes. "You don't have to do this." 

"But I want to," Yerin murmured back, flicking Yuju's nose affectionately. Something flashed in the assassin's eyes, partly determination, partly something else. 

"I love you." It was the first time Yerin had ever declared it so formally. Yuju looked up, meeting her gaze. Their eyes locked, and Yerin let down her defenses, her inner insecurities laid bare before her puppy. 

"You're afraid, but why?" Yuju wondered aloud, reaching up to trace the outline of Yerin's eyes. Yerin closed them, snuggling into Yuju's embrace. There was a moment’s struggle, before she made her decision. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, deceive her puppy. Yuju had a right to know, to choose with her. She had considered it, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She didn’t want to treat Yuju like some target to be manipulated. Her puppy was too important to her for that.

"I don't want to be alone, puppy. They’re coming for me. Don't let them take me. Please. "

The connection closed, Yuju could only feel the thudding of their hearts from their bodies pressed close to each other. Yerin’s deeply seated fear resonated with her, calling out from one wounded soul to another, and the shaman wavered. 

"I'll protect you." Yuju promised quietly, smoothing Yerin’s still damp hair with one hand. "No one gets to you without going through me."

"It's not enough." Yerin whispered, tugging at the front of Yuju's shirt. "Mark me, baby. It's the only way to be sure." 

“But…” Yuju hesitated, and Yerin raised soft eyes to her, shining with unshed tears.

“I don’t trust myself, puppy. They’ll find me, and they’ll make me turn. I won’t be able to stop...I’ll hurt you, and everyone else.” Yerin in a deep breath, forcing down her fears. “I don’t want to go back to that life…”

“Then don’t.” Yuju kissed Yerin’s hairline. “If you need to run, I’ll come with you. They’ll never catch us.”

“You would do that for me?” Yerin looked up, visibly surprised. Yuju nodded.

“You are the most important to me. If it keeps you safe, we can go.” The shaman’s eyes clouded over. “I stayed here because you were happy with everyone around you...and it was safer back then.”

“I thought the same for you too…” Yerin mumbled, resting her head against Yuju’s shoulder, toying with the stray strands of hair that wisped down the front. Yuju took that hand, kissing each of Yerin’s knuckles affectionately.

“I’ll run with you to the ends of the world if need be. Where you are, I will be.”

It was the closest thing to a confession Yuju had ever come to. Yerin fell silent, burying her face into Yuju’s chest. Yuju waited patiently, humming deep in as she waited.

“I don’t want to run anymore.” Yerin said after a moment, her face still buried in Yuju’s front. “I’m tired of being afraid.”

“I will be with you.” Yuju assured her, running her fingers through Yerin’s hair. “No matter what you choose, I’ll be here for you.”

“And that’s why I’m going to go back.”

Yuju froze. “What?”

Yerin looked up, face set in determination. She cupped Yuju’s face with both hands, looking full into the shaman’s face.

“As long as they exist, I’ll never be free of them.” A weary, sardonic smile graced Yerin’s face. “I’m the one that got away. As far as I know, I’m the only one who ever did.” She locked gazes with Yuju, who was trembling ever so slightly.

“Some things need to end. But I can’t do it without you. I need you, puppy.”

“It’s too dangerous. What if they kill you?” Yuju argued. Yerin shook her head.

“They won’t. I’m the prodigal, their one failure. They’ll try to break me back into becoming their good little soldier again, but they won’t kill me.” Yerin smiled tiredly. 

“There’s only so much I can take on my own, Yuju. Everyone breaks, given time. I need you to guard my heart, so I can find my way home to you again.”

“You don’t have to do this.” Yuju whispered urgently, leaning her forehead against Yerin. “We’ll get out, run away, they can’t find us if we leave Korea entirely.”

“With you like this now?” Yerin sighed softly, bringing up one hand to smooth Yuju’s hair behind her ear. Yuju tensed, knowing what she meant, but Yerin refused to let go despite the shaman’s instinctive attempt to pull away.

“Yuju. You know something’s wrong. I can’t help you at all, not like Eunha can.” Yerin sounded tired. “If something happens, I can’t do anything at all.” There was a strong undercurrent of self-mockery in her tone, and Yuju shook her head, pressing her cheek against Yerin to console her.

“It’s enough that you are with me. I don’t need anything else.”

“Puppy, I don’t like seeing you in pain. It’s bad enough that I can’t help you… I want to do something for you too.” Yerin’s voice was pleading, and Yuju avoided her eyes, not wanting to waver in the face of that look. Her weakness for Yerin in general was bad enough. She couldn’t cave like this. Not when Yerin’s safety was on the line.

Taking a deep breath, Yuju squared her shoulders.  “And what does that have to do with going back?” There was a dangerous note in the shaman’s voice as she tightened her hold on Yerin. “You can’t leave me, I won’t let you.”

Yerin leaned submissively into her hold. “Do you know what Tristar is best known for, puppy?” She didn’t wait for Yuju’s answer, continuing on to answer her own question.

“Magical tools and research... they have the best resources and archives in this part of Asia.” Yerin exhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts. She had her puppy’s attention, she knew. But then again, she always did.

“There has to be a way to help you with your problem. If I go back, I’ll have access to a lot more information with my clearance.” If, of course, she still had the same level of clearance as she did before her defection. Yerin didn’t think it was important to share that particular detail. The point was to get back in; she would figure out how to regain access later on.

“Umji can hack them if it comes down to that.” Yuju growled. Yerin tapped her on the nose, shaking her head.

“Those databases aren’t linked to the network at all. You need physical access. They set it up that way ages ago. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” 

Yuju would have tried to argue further, but Yerin placed a finger over the shaman’s lips to silence her. Her puppy gave her a resentful look, but Yerin only followed up with a quick peck on her lips before leaning back to meet Yuju’s eyes directly.

“Something else bigger than us is going on too, Yuju. I’ve never done much good in my life, and it’s a little late, but they’re up to something in the city.” Yerin was uncharacteristically serious. “People are vanishing off the streets. I can read the signs my brethren leave behind. They’re involved with something, and the ones that are gone...they’re all minor talents. Partly Awakened, puppy. It reminds me of what I used to do.”

“But I don’t want you to be hurt.” Yuju whimpered. Yerin pulled the cringing shaman into her embrace, patting her on the head. 

“I’m doing this for you, puppy. I’m no saint. I don’t even care about all those people, but I need to know if what they are doing will be a threat to us. I still remember what they made us do.” Yerin closed her eyes, remembering. 

“Whatever they were involved in, we were made to capture blood mages or anyone affiliated with those arts. Dead or alive, we had to bring them in. Preferably alive.” Yerin shuddered. “Some of my squad mates, those who were too badly hurt...they were called in, and they never made it back out. All of us had minor gifts, you know. Just like the ones disappearing now.”

“You think they are taking Awakened folk for something? Some kind of blood ritual?” Yuju questioned, tilting her face up to look at Yerin. “You really shouldn’t go back then, what if they take you for whatever they’re doing?”

“I still have value, puppy.” Yerin grinned sardonically. “I kept samples from the imugi, before we blew it all up. They’ll want that, if I know them well enough.”

Yuju pursed her lips. “It’s too risky. I don’t like it.”

“No risk, no gain. They’ve noticed you already, but they don’t know you’re a blood mage. I can’t let them find out. I won’t let them touch you.” Yerin growled. Yuju nuzzled at her.

“They can’t get to me. I can take care of myself.”

“Don’t be too sure of that.” Yerin’s eyes were sad. “If they get to me, I’ll be the one handing you to them myself. I can’t risk that. I don’t know what else they’ve done to me, I don’t want to be the reason you die, puppy.”

“It’s that bad?” Yuju straightened, examining Yerin carefully as her senses opened up. Yerin leaned into her, exhausted.

“Years of conditioning, babe. I don’t even know what triggers I have. I’ve done things before, and I don’t remember how or why. That’s why I need you to mark me. It’s to keep you safe from me. ”

Yerin gazed at her seriously. “There’s no one else I trust more to give myself to. I don’t want to be forced to serve another master, Yuju. My heart is already yours, what’s a little more?”

Yuju held her tightly. “You trust me this much?”

“On my life, heart and soul. Everything I have, it’s yours.” Yerin breathed, relaxing into Yuju’s embrace. Yuju kissed her on the forehead, silently assenting to the request.

“This might hurt.” Yuju warned, moving them both to the bed so that they could sit down. Yerin smiled, caressing Yuju’s face.

“If it’s you, that’s fine.”

It felt like fire, molten lava seeping through the cracks in her soul. Yerin shuddered, clutching almost painfully onto Yuju, fingers digging into her puppy's shoulders and gritting her teeth as she tried desperately to relax. 

It wasn't easy. Even as much as she trusted Yuju, letting down her mental defenses and leaving herself completely exposed and vulnerable frightened her. Let me in, Yuju murmurs, even as she clings onto the taller girl, feeling something invade her awareness like a creeping tide. 

It was closer than skin on skin, more than the hot breath in her ear, the distant yet painfully close heartbeat beating in time to her own. Yerin gasped, her inner world expanding infinitely as the link was first established, her entire focus wide yet utterly narrowed into the one person she trusted unconditionally. Yuju breathed, and she felt it, the patterns of their emotions mirroring with the same wonder as the shaman carefully merged her consciousness into Yerin's. 

Yerin was shaking in her arms, curled up docilely on her lap, as Yuju explored the connections, forging an intimacy neither had felt before. It was a sharing, leaving nothing hidden. Yuju felt Yerin’s shame as memories were laid open, revealing the things the other woman had done past and present. She had been no angel, and the connection wavered as Yerin instinctively retreated, but Yuju kissed her reassuringly, sending soothing vibes into the link. She did not judge, though there was a sharp twist of jealousy when the memories rewound to moments where Yerin had been physically intimate with others. The assassin felt it, reaching up to cup Yuju's face as she rested her head against her shoulder. 

Yours now, and no one else's. 

She could not change the past, only the future. Yerin closed her eyes, giving herself entirely over to Yuju, feeling the shape and texture of her puppy’s soul entangling into hers. Yuju cradled her tenderly, as if she were the most precious treasure in all the world. There was rage at those who used to hurt her, sympathy for the little girl trapped alone in the dark, and shared joy at the memory of their first encounter. Nothing was held back, and they shared everything, good and bad, joy and despair, forging a bond that would never be broken except by death.

There was a subtle question within Yerin, and Yuju lowered her head, opening herself up as well, since Yerin did not have the means to look without her intervention. In contrast to the fully formed memories Yerin had, Yuju’s were oddly fragmented, clouded even, as if parts of it were broken off and torn away. There was a quiet sadness as Yuju shared this, the loss and uncertainty triggering a sympathetic understanding from Yerin, who leaned up to nuzzle at her puppy. Even if they had been broken before in the past, they had each other now, and that was what mattered in this moment.

It was odd, having someone practically inside your head, feeling them as if you were one person, thoughts and emotions echoing across their wide open bond. The resulting swirl of sensation was almost overwhelming, and it was Yuju who stepped away first, trying to catch her breath as she opened her eyes in the real world. She was immediately caught up in the smiling eyes of her partner, Yerin having sat up fully on her lap in the meantime, straddling her puppy in an intimate embrace. The only thing now holding up her towel was the fact that they were pressed up tightly against each other, and Yuju was suddenly very aware of the warm heat in her lap. Was that her own reaction, or was it Yerin’s? Did it matter? The shaman felt her pulse quicken automatically in response, her breath hitching as Yerin leaned in close, almost close enough to kiss, but not quite. Yuju’s eyes were wide, hands clutching the sheets beneath her.

“How do you deal with this?” Yuju exhaled breathlessly, overwhelmed by the surge of feeling. Yerin chuckled, caressing Yuju’s cheek fondly, her eyes clouded with emotion. She could sense her puppy’s confused arousal, and it was turning her on as well. Though technically, she totally started this chain, and Yerin her lips lasciviously, tracing a finger from the base of Yuju’s ear down the line of her neck, watching with amusement as her puppy swallowed nervously, latching onto her with confused, desperate eyes.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Yerin purred, tilting Yuju’s chin up slightly. Yuju gazed at her trustingly, uncertain but willing to learn, and something within Yerin moved, a combined surge of lust and self-loathing that she knew all too well. Suddenly she felt dirty, and made to move away, but Yuju grabbed her by the wrists, pinning her in place. There was firm set to the shaman’s lips, and belatedly Yerin remembered that Yuju had full access to her thoughts and feelings right now.

“If it’s you, it’s alright.”

Yuju repeated her own words back to her, gazing deep into her eyes. Yerin closed her own, leaning her forehead against Yuju’s. She felt vaguely unclean, plagued with guilt that she couldn’t have saved her first time for Yuju. Her puppy rubbed noses with her, accepting her feelings as they were.

“I might not be your first, but I will be your last.” There was a strongly possessive note in Yuju’s deep voice, and then an awkward chuckle. 

“At least you’ll know what you’re doing? Because I don’t know how.”

That sparked a laugh from Yerin. How could her puppy be so adorable? The assassin opened her eyes again, her gaze sparkling with mischief at her suddenly shy pup. 

“ My turn to mark you now then, puppy.” Lips ghosted down the side of Yuju’s face, leaving a heated trail in its wake as the shaman shuddered, wrapping her arms around Yerin’s waist. The assassin chuckled lowly, whispering into her ear.

“Let me take care of you this time.”