A quick note. Tao and Jongin share some of the same features: red eyes, light blonde/white-ish hair, and...well, you'll see. So mysterious~

And happy holidays!

When Jongin and Kyungsoo returned to campus, the clouds were an ominous shade of grey.

"Maybe it'll snow?" Kyungsoo said, face tilted up to the sky. The wheels of his suitcase caught on his heels, and he stumbled. Jongin's arms shot out to catch him, his own suitcase dropping in the process.

"Don't let yourself get hurt because of a hope," he said, chuckling. 

"But I haven't seen snow in a while," Kyungsoo huffed.

The dorms were as quiet as expected over winter break, though--to Jongin's distress--Kris and Tao were lounging in the common room. Both were fast asleep and snoring loudly, and the two were able to creep by without waking them.

"Great," Jongin muttered, leaning against the wall of the elevator. "Two of the nastiest people are still here. And they're probably here to beat me up again."

Kyungsoo glanced at him sideways. "They're just doing their job."

The doors of the elevator slid open, revealing a dark and silent floor of dorms. Kyungsoo's arm slipped through Jongin's as they went down the hall towards their respective rooms.

"Job, schmob," Jongin grumbled. "I bet they just like to hurt innocent...hm." He paused. "I'm not so innocent, am I?"

Kyungsoo pressed closer. "Maybe not, but that's okay."

Jongin stopped in front of his room, hand fishing in his pocket for the keys. In the dim light, he gave Kyungsoo a worried look. 

"Are you, uh, okay to go to your own room?" he asked, hand resting on the doorknob.

Kyungsoo looked towards the end of the hall, shrouded in shadows like curtains. "...I don't know."

"I'll walk you down, then."

"Could I stay with you?" 

Both boys were quiet for a moment.

"You--you could," Jongin finally stuttered. "But my episode starts tomorrow. I don't want to risk...well, attacking you, I guess."

"Ah." Kyungsoo released his grip on Jongin's arm. "Okay."

Without another word, he his heel and felt his way down the hallway.

Jongin watched darkness engulf the cat hybrid before entering his own room, something heavy lodged in his chest.

December 26th

Edgar Allen Poe died at age 40 in a hospital pretty far from his home from unknown causes. Some say it was alcoholism. Others say it was pure grief. No one knows. That's pretty interesting, isn't it?

In the end, though, no one really cared to find out. Which is a little sad.

Kyungsoo was five chapters in to The Monstrumologist when a banging noise erupted out in the hall. 

The book went flying, as did Kyungsoo. He leapt off the bed and slid behind it, head barely peeking over the headboard and whole body quaking. Whatever it was outside didn't let up; if anything, the noise got louder.

It took a few heartbeats for Kyungsoo to realize someone was calling his name.

"Soo! Soo, please open the door, please, Soo--" There was a strangled sob. "SOO!" Then everything fell silent.

Kyungsoo crept towards the door, grabbing Sehun's electric flyswatter as he passed his desk, and peered through the peephole. Absolute darkness.

Ignoring the pleas to turn and jump out the window, Kyungsoo his room's light and flung open the door.

Jongin crouched in the middle of the hall, holding his head and shivering. His wolf ears flicked left and right, and his tail slammed the ground. When the light washed over him, he looked up.

"Soo," he gasped. "It's--it's early. It was supposed to come tomorrow."

"What?"

Jongin stood up and grabbed Kyungsoo by the shoulders. "My episode!" he shouted, crazed with desperation. "It's a day early! Yonghwa isn't going to be here until tomorrow!" Tears were flowing freely, and he yanked his hands back.

Kyungsoo watched as Jongin spun around and banged his head against the wall. "Hey, don't do that--"

"They're in here," the wolf hybrid growled. "The voices are in here. If I can get them to shut up--"

Kyungsoo pulled Jongin back with as much strength as his weak body would allow before he could hit his head again. "Don't do that!" he shouted. "We'll figure something out, just--just--I don't know, but don't hurt yourself, okay? Please."

Jongin slid down the wall, gripping his head again.

Kyungsoo snatched his phone from its place on the shelf above the bed and skimmed over his contacts. He didn't know any of the guards' numbers; Sehun was in Hawaii; Baekhyun and Chanyeol were out too...

Kris Wu

His finger froze. Since when did Kris have a contact in Kyungsoo's phone? Right, from eighth grade, when Chase pushed him down the stairs and Kris delivered retribution. Kyungsoo glanced at Jongin, who was drawing something on the floor and mumbling. The wolf certainly wouldn't like it if Kris showed up, but what other choice was there?

With a thick gulp, Kyungsoo dialed the number.

It rang a few times, enough to make Kyungsoo afraid no one was going to pick. Just before he was prepared to hang up, the dialing tone ended, and someone's voice came through.

"Hullo?"

"Kris, Jongin's episode came early and he needs help."

There was the sound of rustling sheets and a groan. "What?"

"Jongin's having his episode--it's early--and he's freaking out and I don't know what to do."

" . Third floor?"

"Room 308."

"I'm coming."

Kyungsoo threw his phone on the bed and knelt down beside his boyfriend, who had started crying into his knees. "Kai, someone's coming to help. Okay? Kris is coming to help."

"I don't like Kris." 

"He's the only one I can find right now." Kyungsoo the wolf's hair and pulled his head onto his shoulder. "Relax, okay? I'm here."

Jongin whimpered and wrapped his arms around the smaller hybrid. "You won't leave, right?"

"No. I won't leave."

They were silent until Kris and Tao rounded the corner from the staircase.

"No one's hurt?" Kris asked, deep voice a commanding rumble.

Kyungsoo shook his head.

The tall tundra wolf hybrid looped Jongin's arm around his shoulders and stood, motioning for Tao to join him on the other side. "Amber's in the health office," Kris said.

Just as they took their first step, Jongin let out a blood-curdling wail.

"Wait, wait, no! No!" He started thrashing, looking back at Kyungsoo. "Soo?"

Kris and Tao glanced back at Kyungsoo at the same time. The cat hybrid moved to lay a hand on Jongin's shoulder. 

"I'll come with you, okay, Kai?" he said. "Just go with them calmly first. I'll be right there."

Jongin growled, then nodded and stilled.

The health office lights were all on when Kyungsoo finally got there after packing snacks, a blanket, the teddy bear Jongin liked, and some clothes for the both of them. Tao stood across from the side door (the front had been locked and alarmed), rust-red eyes startlingly similar to Jongin's.

"You did the right thing," he said.

Kyungsoo paused in the doorway, staring at the Doberman hybrid he had heard so many horror stories about. "I--oh. Thank you."

Tao smiled, a surprisingly gentle expression on his sharp features. "He's down the hall. Yonghwa's office."

"O-okay."

Kyungsoo hefted his considerably-sized backpack and started down the hall, stopped by Tao speaking again.

"I've got Werewolf Syndrome, too," he said. "That's why Jongin's scared of me. And that's why most people don't like me."

Kyungsoo turned halfway to look at Tao. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked, the option of running away very tempting as he found himself under Tao's intense eyes. 

The Doberman shrugged. "Maybe because you don't know anything about me yet," he said slowly. "And I want you to know a more about me than others think they do."

A thick, pregnant silence hung in the bright lights of the health center hallway, broken by Kris stepping out from one of the rooms. 

"Hey, Kyungsoo, Kai wants you."

Kyungsoo threw one last glance at Tao, who had returned to his usual stony-faced expression but afforded a nod.

Meanwhile, in the caretaker's office, Amber tried to get in contact with Yonghwa.

"That little piece of ," she growled, redialing the ox hybrid's number for the sixth time. "Twenty-four-seven, my ."

Jongin was curled up on the couch, still shaking violently. "Where's Soo?" he asked.

As if on cue, the cat hybrid stuck his head into the room. "Kai?"

Jongin sat up and stretched his arms out wordlessly. Kyungsoo complied immediately.

Amber sighed and sat down on Yonghwa's desk. "You have saved my  once again. Yonghwa's not picking up, Kris and I are going to fall asleep at any second, and...well, Jongin's episode is early, so  . It's a legitimate disaster."

Kyungsoo looked up at the bear hybrid from within Jongin's tight grip. "Oh. Uh. You're welcome?"

Jongin started tugging at Kyungsoo's backpack. "I smell food," he said, burying his nose into the top of the bag. 

"I, uh, heated up some ramen for you." The backpack came off, and the styrofoam cup wrapped in plastic was passed from Kyungsoo's hands to Jongin's along with a pair of chopsticks. 

Amber threw her hands up. "Hallelujah."

All five people slept soundly, crammed into the small caretaker's office, until eight in the morning, when Yonghwa came in, panicking.

"Oh G-d," he said, freezing in the doorway at the sight of so many people sprawled across the floor and couches.

Amber was on her feet in a second, Yonghwa's shirt clenched in her fist.

"I call you fourteen times at midnight, and you don't pick up any of them, and Kris sends one text message and you come?" she half-shouted.

"It was midnight, Amber, midnight."

"I know full well what you do at midnight, Jung Yonghwa--"

Kris laid a hand on the bear hybrid's arm and pulled her away gently. "Now is not the time for a fight," he said.

Kyungsoo was shooed out of the room to let the caretaker, the guard, and the two Dragons discuss what to do with the wolf hybrid. He hovered in front of the door for a minute, then sighed and plodded towards the front of the health center. 

Just like the night before, the skies were dark grey and laden with the threat of precipitation. A cold wind swirled the last autumn leaves by Kyungsoo's feet, and their skittering reminded him of tearing paper.

Tearing paper. That's what his father used to do when he was angry but decided physical contact would do nothing. 

It didn't usually work out that way.

Kyungsoo shook his head and took the small steps down, then stopped again. Someone was aproaching the health center, and it wasn't someone that Kyungsoo was happy to see.

Chase didn't spot Kyungsoo until he was a few feet away. When he did, his mouth curved into his familiar nasty, knife wound-like smile.

"Soo!" he cried, taking one step--then another--and another. "I didn't know you were here for the break."

"I d-didn't know you were, either," Kyungsoo stammered, old fear rising up.

Chase tilted his head. "Looks like your hair dye is fading. Aren't you due for another fancy...whatchamacallit, touch-up?"

Kyungsoo's hand went to his hair. "I--I think s-so."

"Why do you even care, huh? It's just hair. But of course you'd care, you f-ggot." Chase draped his arm across Kyungsoo's shoulders, and Kyungsoo flinched.

"I n-need to go back in...K-Kai's waiting for m-me--"

"Kai? You mean Kim Jongin? What you want him for?" Chase's eyes widened. "Don't tell me, that guy's your boyfriend?"

Kyungsoo didn't trust himself to speak. 

"Hah!" Chase wrapped his arm around Kyungsoo's neck. "So he's a f-g too?"

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD!"

The roar that tore out of Kyungsoo's throat scared both of them, perhaps Kyungsoo even more so. Chase let go and took a step back, fazed for just a second before doubling back.

"Are you telling me what to do?" he hissed, thick boar ears flopping wildly on his head. 

Kyungsoo shrunk slowly back, gasping when Chase grabbed him by the jacket sleeve. 

"Please let me go," the cat hybrid pleaded, scrabbling at Chase's hands.

Chase opened his mouth to speak, but instead looked up, blanching.

"I knew I heard something," a very familiar husky voice growled.

Jongin's hand flashed out, easily knocking Chase's hand off of Kyungsoo and pulling the cat into a warm chest. Kyungsoo instinctively snuggled into the solid body.

Chase was still for a second. "I knew you were a , too," he said, smirking as if he had discovered something groundbreaking.

A loud crack split the air, and Chase staggered backward, hand creeping up to cradle the side of his face.

"You ," he said, then turned and ran.

Jongin released Kyungsoo from his grip. "Tao's gonna come out to whup me now," he said, fidgeting. 

The Doberman hybrid in question dashed out at that moment, followed by Amber.

"Dammit, Kai," Tao said, beginning to drag Jongin back inside.

Abruptly, Kyungsoo stretched up on tiptoes to kiss Jongin quickly on the lips, resting there for a very long second before pulling away and meeting the incredulous stares.

"I'll be in the lobby. Let me know when you need me," Kyungsoo said, then pushed by and raced into the bathroom.