Only Time Will Tell (Ateez/ Stray Kids Fan Fiction)

Seven

He opened the door and flipped the switch, the LED light shined down on the desk and the small sound equipment. He put his laptop case on the small couch and took it out. Placing it on the desk, I handed him the wires and he plugged them in.

He plopped down in his chair and I pulled up a stool next to him. A smile formed across my face as I saw the familiar tracking patterns and vocal arrangements. He plugged the audio jack into his laptop and turned on the speaker so we can hear it.

His ears turned red as he started to play the track and he hid his face with his sleeves. I tilted my head as the piano played a soft, yet sad melody. I heard him humming and mumbling words under his breath as the melody kept playing.

As it came to an end I paused it and looked at Hongjoong. He turned away as he wiped his eyes and I saw that he teared up. Without thinking twice, I turned and pulled him into a hug.

"The song is beautiful." I simply said as he hugged me back.

"It is still not completed yet." He said pulling away and he pulled out a notepad from the little cubby beside the desk.

He stuck the pen in his mouth and pulled off the cap, I watched as he began jotting down words. The tiny moment was gone again, like it never happened and I shrugged it off. I leaned towards him and I put my opinions into some of the lyric arrangements.

After a few hours, we checked the time and it was two in the morning. By this time, I was laying on the small sofa and watching youtube clips on my phone. Hongjoong was working on some remixes of their old songs and trying to map out the song listing for their new album.

My eyelids grew heavy as the BTS song The Truth Untold started to play and I started to drift off listening to the soft melody.

*Hongjoong's POV*

"I think we should put Mingi's voice in the beginning after Yunho sings his little part in the beginning of Answer (Ode To Joy). What do you think, Addison?" I paused the music and swiveled around in the chair.

I let out a chuckle as I saw that she was passed out. I could hear August D blasting through her airpods. A small smirk creeped across my face as I gently pulled the ear buds from her ears and putting them back in their case. I lifted her phone to pause the video, when it dinged and a message appeared on the top of the screen.

Unknown Number sent you a photo.

Unknown Number: You better make your choice now sweetheart. It is either them or me, and you know I always get what I want.

My heart sank as I tapped on the notification. Whoever this person was, it gave off an uneasy vibe. My head shot up as I saw that the photo was of her and I in the studio, her hand reaching to wipe the spec of food from the corner of my mouth that I didn't realize was there.

How did they get this? KQ has a tight security system the Korean companies do not play around when it comes to the safety of their idols.

I went to the door and opened it. Peeking my head out, the halls were empty. Closing the door as I came back inside, her phone started to vibrate. Without hesitation, I swiped my finger across the screen and put it on mute. Putting the phone to my ear I could hear a menacing chuckle.

"Tick Tock, babygirl. I am getting very impatient. Now stop playing around with your boy toys and come back to where you should belong."

My hand squeezed the phone and my jaw locked as I kept on listening.

"If I do not have an answer by the end of the week, I will start picking people off one by one. This is your final warning, princess." The call ended and I stood there frozen.

Who was this guy and why was he threatening her and my family? I scrolled back through the messages and it was like she was playing along with his game. Has she been lying to us these last few days? Is she really going to leave?

Questions raced around my head, making my vision sway side to side. I locked her phone and placed it on the desk. I pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa and placed it over her. I smoothed the hair from her face and she smiled, leaning into my hand.

She cannot leave. I will not let him touch a pretty little hair on her head. She is a part of this family and I will protect them at all costs.

I pulled my phone out and texted Yunho and Seonghwa. They came trudging into the studio, their hairs in all directions and clearly half asleep, Mingi was like a zombie walking in behind Yunho. Without saying a word, Yunho helped me put away the equipment and Mingi went straight for Addison.

I heard Seonghwa whisper/yell at Mingi and I turned around to see Seonghwa taking Addison from Mingi's arms. I glared at him and he returned the stare.

"I got her, help Yunho and Hongjoong." Seonghwa growled at Mingi and Mingi rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath.

We were all walking out of the room and her phone went off again.

"Hongjoong." Mingi said, his voice was laced with an uneasy tone that sent shivers down my spine. We froze in the middle of the lobby as he showed me the screen.

Unknown number is calling.

I quickly took the phone from him and answered it. Putting it on speaker phone, the guy's voice came through from the other end.

"You have bodyguards, I see." I looked around and saw some of the staff walking around the lobby. Every single one of the staff members had phones to their ears.

"She cannot hide behind you guys forever. That is right, Hongjoong, Mingi, Yunho and Seonghwa. I have my target set on what is mine and I will not give up without a fight." I spun around, hearing voices all around me, I tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from; but it was no use.

"Game, set, match. See you soon." The line disconnected and the phone felt like a brick in my hand. The other three met my eyes, fear sparkled brightly in them and they looked like they were no longer tired.

Without another word, we all left the company closely knit together, and rushed back to the dorm. Yunho, Mingi, and Seonghwa bombarded me with questions that I did not have the answers to. I told them all to go to bed and I went to take Addison from Seonghwa, but he stepped back pressing her to his chest.

"I have her. Get to sleep." He said, as he moved away from me. I gave up and nodded my head.

"Okay." I said and I watched as they disappeared into their room. All the doors closed and I walked to my room, closing the door behind me.

Leaning against the door, i heard someone talking and I opened it a crack. I saw Yunho trying to get Mingi to stay in his room and I saw as the big puppy tried to pull his best friend back, but the young rapper refused to budge.

To my surprise, Seonghwa allowed Mingi into the room and I heard him tuck Addison into bed and some more rustling around as Seonghwa gathered some extra blankets for Mingi to sleep on the floor. I grabbed an extra pillow and ran it over to the other room, For him and Yunho who decided not to fight with him and to just give in and sleep next to Mingi.

Making sure everyone was safe and sound, asleep in their assigned rooms (In exception to Yunho and Mingi who was camping in Seonghwa and Addison's room); I walked back into my room. Keeping the door open so I could hear the others, I fell fast asleep to the hushed snoring of my family.