Hyukjae furrowed his brows, putting the can of beer down rather clumsily as he straightened up in his seat. Leaning forward, he adjusted his grip on the rifle and locked it into position. The male bit back a scoff at the frantic expression on the stranger’s face. He pretended to the trigger just to see the look of pure horror morph on tanned skin. Oh, how priceless. Amusement bubbled within him as the stranger started yelling incoherently, flailing his arms about as though telling him not to shoot. A smirk tugged on Hyukjae’s lips as he pressed the trigger. Slumping back into his chair, he picked up the can of beer once again and chuckled. “I got you, kid.”

Waiting patiently, the male was more than prepared to have something flying past his head as the door was flung open. Ducking swiftly as a brick missed his hairline by centimetres; he turned around and stared at the furious stranger. “You! I thought you were going to shoot me!” The brunette hissed, pointing accusingly at Hyukjae. Said male bit back a snigger, finding the fuming male quite comical. His whole face was red from breathlessness and he was hopping about like a child. Despite all that, the stranger was quite handsome. Hyukjae would give him that.

“I think a ‘thank you’ is in order. Nonetheless, you’re welcome. Now you get to live another day. Congratulations.” Hyukjae stated dryly, averting his attention back to the empty roads. He ignored the curses the brunette threw at him and tipped the can to his lips. Much to his dismay, it was harshly torn from his grip and tossed out of sight. The clatter of metal rang in the stifling silence as alert orbs were consumed with darkness. The male rose to his feet immediately, the force of his action sending his chair toppling backwards. Anger blazed in his eyes as he yanked the brunette by the collar, lifting him up so that the other’s feet dangled inches off the ground.

Now, Hyukjae was a generally patient and understanding guy. It would take a lot to piss him off. However, should you take his liquor away from him, be certain that danger was round the corner. The brunette was positively terrified, clawing uselessly at the hand that held him while kicking at the air. Seconds merged into anxiety and Hyukjae finally let go after what seemed like eternity to the other. Picking up his rifle, the male growled lowly and headed towards the exit. Warmth tightened itself around his ankle and Hyukjae paused, back still facing the brunette.

“I’m sorry. My name’s Donghae.” The addressed male cocked an eyebrow yet again. Yes he had a habit of doing that when he was annoyed. He held his ground until the hand around his ankle retracted before continuing towards the door. “Hey wait! I just gave you my name. Didn’t your mother teach you it is only polite to return the gesture?” Resting his hand on the door knob, Hyukjae rolled his shoulders back. Jesus Christ, this boy surely had a way of getting on his nerves. Putting on a sickeningly sweet expression, he whipped his head around and smiled. “I don’t recall asking for your name, kid.”

 A groan rumbled from his throat when Donghae held him back by his arm. He glared at the shorter, watching with satisfaction as the brunette gulped nervously and let his hand drop to his side. “Don’t leave me please. It’s scary having to survive on my own.” Hyukjae felt his heart clench at the pitiful whimper and sighed heavily. Already regretting the words that have not left his mouth, he chucked his rifle at the startled Donghae. “Make yourself useful.” Seeing the spark ignite in the brunette’s orbs, Hyukjae bit onto his bottom lip. Maybe having the shorter around him may not be such a bad decision after all.

--

No. This was definitely a bad decision. Hyukjae placed his hands on his hips, an air of exasperation hanging around him as the brunette stumbled like a drunkard. Ruffling his matted black locks in mild frustration, the male looked around and spotted a motel a few streets in front. Donghae collided into him before he could say anything and the raven spun quickly to catch the panting boy. “I’m sorry. Let’s continue.” The brunette mumbled weakly, struggling with the weight of the rifle. The eye bags under his eyes were more prominent under the street lights and his face was gaunt. Hyukjae felt bad.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, the taller ce more to look at the motel, calculating the amount of time he would need to get there. Humming in satisfaction once he deemed the timing doable, he glanced back at Donghae and frowned. The boy had doubled over in fatigue, knees wobbling and breath shallow. His knuckles were white from clutching at the heavy rifle like his life had depended on it. Hyukjae his bottom lip between two rows of straight teeth, disliking the internal war in his mind.

Trained to be the toughest soldier since birth, the raven was thought never to show any signs of weakness. He learned to conceal his emotions and despise the weak. Donghae was clearly someone incapable of winning a decent fight and the most logical thing was for Hyukjae to leave him to his own devices. Nemesis was everywhere and having the shorter tag along would only hinder him. However, as a soldier, it would be cowardly of him to ignore a citizen in need of help. A move too.

Crouching down, Hyukjae slung the rifle over his own shoulder. The brunette snapped his head up, the panicked expression back again. Unable to stop himself, the raven snorted at the raw disbelief painted on Donghae’s face. Mirth subsided quickly as the doe eyes began to water and an unfamiliar sensation tugged at Hyukjae’s heart. The raven faced his back to the shorter, somewhat thrown off guard by how adorable the other looked. Damn… this was not good. Placing a hand to his chest, he massaged it as though it would make his heart rate slow down. Stilling completely, the silence consumed him and the weird sensation ebbed away. Thank ing God.

Casting a glance at the shorter, the raven almost groaned out loud. Donghae was tugging at his worn shirt hem, bottom lip trembling as crystal clear liquid began to trickle down smooth cheeks. ‘Why? You should have shot him along with Nemesis, ing head.’ Hyukjae’s previous plan of having the shorter walk to the motel vanished in an instant as the other whimpered like an abused pet. ‘! ! !’

Pushing his thoughts away, the male bent his knees and scooped Donghae into his arms with ease. He did his best not to look down, trudging forward stoically. The younger squeaked at the sudden action, wrapping his frail arms around Hyukjae’s neck. His cheeks coloured pink as he shyly peeked at the taller under his long lashes, mesmerised by the sharp jawline and pale skin that stretched across defined cheekbones. There were a few specs of dirt scattered on the raven’s face but Donghae thought it just added to his overall manly appeal.

“You shouldn’t stare. You make me nervous.” Hyukjae bluntly stated gruffly, sparing the shorter a brief glance. The other yelped, trance broken. He unconsciously buried his face into the raven’s neck, embarrassed to the core. Nervous? Why on earth would someone as scrawny as him make Hyukjae nervous? Scrunching his nose up in confusion, Donghae pressed his ear to the rather heated skin. His body went rigid when he heard it. A shy smile graced his thin lips as he chewed on his inner cheek. ‘Oh.’ The other’s heart beat rang loud and clear in his ears, rhythmic and strangely erratic.

--

Donghae tensed at the foot of the bed, ears tinted the shade of tomatoes. The grip he had around his own arms tightened till it reached an unbearable extend. He dropped his hands to his sides, feeling the blood throb through his veins. On his left, Hyukjae mirrored his posture, face muscles stiff. The both of them were looking at the bed. Not two beds unfortunately, but the queen size bed standing tall and proud in the middle like a trophy. There were no sofas and the floors were not clean enough to be slept on. Hyukjae closed his eyes with a sigh, pinching his nose bridge in frustration. Through his spherical vision, he caught sight of Donghae fretting like a caged animal. This was going to be a very long night.

--

The raven sat up abruptly on the bed, flinging the thick duvet off his warm body. He pulled at his shirt, grimacing as the fabric slowly peeled off his sticky torso. He glanced at the other side of the bed, his forehead creasing. Donghae had curled himself into a ball, the duvet pulled over his head. Hyukjae briefly wondered if the shorter was still alive. The room was so stuffy, even with the windows open it was difficult to breathe. The ball twitched much to the raven’s relief a second later, informing him that Donghae was only pretending to sleep.

Slinging his feet to the carpet reluctantly, Hyukjae advanced to the dresser and grabbed his wallet and room key. “Where are you going?” The squeaky voice shocked the raven and he locked eyes with the shorter through the mirror. Donghae had popped his head out of the duvet, fringe plastered to his forehead. Hyukjae felt like a stake had been driven into his heart. He wasn’t the only one suffering from this impromptu arrangement. Running a hand through his hair, he waved the room key in the air. “I’m going to check if there’s a room available. It’s apparent that neither of us are going to get a wink of sleep in this situation.”

To say that the raven was taken aback would be a major understatement as Donghae furiously shook his head. It reminded the taller of those cheap bauble head souvenirs one would buy. “Please don’t leave me! I’ll take the floor if you like! I’m… afraid of the dark.” The brunette had uttered the last part so softly that Hyukjae nearly missed it. His resolve crumbled like dust when his mind processed the mumbled words. The two stared at each other through the mirror and both wallet and key were finally put back to where they belonged.

Donghae heaved a sigh of immerse relief, grabbing a pillow as he slinked to the floor. “No. Sleep on the bed. You need it more than I do.” Hyukjae intervened without even thinking. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, stunned that he had just said that. In the distant part of his messed up brain, the familiar voice of his Lieutenant Colonel echoed faintly. ‘Damn son, you’ve gone soft!’ Hyukjae chuckled despite himself. Had he? Crossing the room, he flung open the cupboard, searching for spare mattresses. “The bed’s big enough. I’d feel horribly guilty if you sleep on the floor.” Donghae’s voice called out shyly and the raven’s heart started to pound mercilessly against his chest.

Indeed he had. Stealing a glance at the brunette, Hyukjae decided that going soft may not be such a bad thing after all. Shutting the cupboard doors softly, he strode to the foot of the bed before pausing. Clearing his throat, he pointed at his shirt. “Do you mind? It’s quite uncomfortable.” His voice came out low and uncertain. He sounded just like a lovesick teen in front of his crush. Hyukjae had laughed at kids stuttering like idiots but here he was, doing the exact ing thing. How pathetic.

The colour on the brunette’s cheeks could rival a baboon’s . Burying his face into his palms, he managed to squeak out consent. ‘Cute.’ Hyukjae thought absentmindedly to himself as he grabbed at the neck of his black shirt and pulled it off in one go. Raising his head and shaking his bangs out of his eyes, he was surprised to see a pair of orbs peeking shyly at him. His stomach churched and the raven felt self-conscious for the first time in years. Sliding mutely into bed, he pulled the duvet to his chin and faced his back to the other. The weird sensation was back again. Was this what his mother described to be butterflies?

--

The moon hung like a jewel in black velvet, flirting with the grey clouds that wrapped around its crescent frame. The soldier kept his eyes trained to the thing, body so rigid that his muscles had begun to ache. He shifted closer to the edge when a soft whimper sounded from his left. His heart rate picked up pace as the noises only grew more frequent and louder. Casting a semi worried glance over his shoulder, his eyes widened in alarm when he realised that Donghae was trembling.

Hyukjae sat up immediately, pressing a hand into the mattress as he leaned over the tinnier body. Perspiration covered the boy like a glossy sheet, making his bangs stick to his face like glue. The raven gasped when tears seeped from scrunched up eyes and onto the wet pillow. Scrambling closer, Hyukjae started to shake the other awake. He flinched when his hands made contact with searing skin. Furrowing thick brows, his actions grew more violent.

Donghae jumped into a sitting position, eyes rolled back and mouth agape. The other chocked on the hand tightly wound around his neck, trying to pry the fingers away as the boy increased his strength. “Donghae! Donghae; let me go!” Hyukjae gasped desperately, resorting to punching the other in the jaw. That did the trick. The brunette slumped over on his side, no longer trapped in his nightmare.

“I got you, kid.” Hyukjae muttered hoarsely, looping both arms around the other’s slender waist. He brought their bodies close together, down Donghae’s tensed side in hopes that he would calm down. Fortunately for him, that seemed to have effect as the wails died down and only sniffles remained. The brunette shuddered as cold feet touched his.

The boy whimpered, turning around to bury his face into the elder’s neck. He inhaled sharply, senses tingling as the scent of sandalwood hit him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!” He whispered, sighing when long fingernails trailed over his crumpled shirt and rested on his hip. Arms pulled him impossibly closer and Donghae shuddered. “I got you, kid.” Hyukjae repeated again, already halfway to the land of dreams. That reassured the younger for he sighed, this time with relief. Stealing one last glance at the man he met just a few hours ago, Donghae confirmed that he had never felt more protected in his life.