At First Light

            It was nearing dawn, so Kyuhyun quietly exited the bedroom and snuck up the stairs.  He didn’t want Ryeowook to hear him and wake up.  They’d been up until late.  Halfway up, he felt fur skim his leg and the sound of little paws racing up the steps and no longer felt surprised when he was being followed by the little ghost cat.  “Hey, Bangshin,” Kyuhyun mumbled, hurrying up the stairs.  The hallway was dark, but he knew right where he was heading and it wasn’t his room.  The door stood open invitingly and he walked right into it and sat down at the foot of the bed.

            The two ghosts were lying on the bed, softly speaking together, when they suddenly looked down the bed at the intruder.  Both Donghae and Eunhyuk sat up, staring at the man.

            “I feel like you should have to knock, since you know we’re here and this is our room,” Donghae said.

            Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes.  “You haven’t paid rent in seven years.”

            Donghae rolled his eyes.  “Fine.”

            “I thought we should discuss me bringing in Siwon, since I plan to call him today, and you’ll disappear once the sun comes up.  He made so much money off the last movie I wrote, he may just head here the same day to hear out the concept to the new movie.  If I can talk him into staying at the guest house, should I offer him this room?”

            A slow grin crossed over Eunhyuk’s face and his eyes went black, which made Kyuhyun shiver.  Just because he could hear the ghosts talk didn’t mean he wasn’t a little frightened by them still.  “I think that’s an excellent plan,” the blonde whispered.

            “In the meantime, keep up the good work with Sungmin, if you would.  He’s my lying, cheating ex who’s just hanging around to try and get me back.  He happened to leave me for Siwon, coincidentally.  I’d rather him not get too comfortable here.  I don’t want Ryeowook thinking he has anything to worry about.”

            “It’s the least we can do, if you’re finally going to get Siwon here for us,” Donghae agreed, winking at the screenwriter.  Kyuhyun had to admit that the actor was less spooky than his vengeful boyfriend.  But he’d be happy when they were gone altogether and he wouldn’t have to wonder when he’d run into one of them in the middle of the night.

            Just then, Heebum rushed into the room, meowing loudly.  He’d been sleeping soundly at the foot of the bed with Ryeowook when Kyuhyun had snuck out of the room.  He thought he’d closed the door behind him, but apparently, the living cat of the house could get through doors just fine.  Heebum rubbed up against something on the ground and Kyuhyun could only assume it was the ghost cat, which everyone else in the room could see except him.

            “Kyu?”

            All three of them turned to look towards the doorway, hearing the younger owner of the Sleeping Cat calling for his new lover in the dark halls of the guest house. 

            “I’m in here!” Kyuhyun called out.

            Ryeowook walked a couple steps into the room, rubbing his eyes, but stopped cold when he looked over at the bed and saw his boyfriend sitting with the two ghosts.  His face suddenly grew pale and he began to shake a little. 

            “Please tell him not to be afraid, we don’t mean him any harm,” Donghae quickly said, his brows furrowing at the sight of the panicking human. 

            Kyuhyun jumped to his feet and rushed over, wrapping his arm around Ryeowook.  “Donghae wants me to assure you that they won’t harm you.  They wish you weren’t afraid of them.”

            Ryeowook looked up at him questioningly.

            “I was just discussing our plans.  When I invite Siwon to stay, we’ll try to get him to stay at the guest house and give him this room.”

            Ryeowook’s eyes went wide.  “Why?”

            “All the better to haunt him with, my dear,” Kyuhyun informed him.  “Just because they don’t want to scare you doesn’t mean they don’t intend to mess with the person who caused all their misery.”

            Ryeowook nodded.  “I guess I should clean in here then…tomorrow morning,” he amended.  Clearly, he had no intention of cleaning when the ghosts planned to be in the room.

            “You might have to take down the picture as well, although it’s a thoughtful gesture,” Eunhyuk said, standing up and pointing at the picture of them on the wall.

            “He said you should probably take down the picture as well.”

            Donghae got up and tentatively took a few steps closer to the young owner, who backed up into the wall.  “I just wanted to get a better look at him,” the actor confessed.  “He never comes in the room at night.  Eunhyuk’s seen him many times, but I haven’t.”

            “He’s never seen you before, Ryeong,” Kyuhyun explained.  “He’s always locked in the room and you don’t come up here at night.  He’s just curious.”

            Ryeowook took deep breaths, giving the ghosts questioning looks. 

            “He’s been looking around for a key that opens the chest in the attic lately.  Tell him that it’s in room one, in the drawer of the jewelry box,” Eunhyuk informed him.

            Kyuhyun gave him a curious look.

            “Just tell him,” Eunhyuk said, leaning against the wall.

            Kyuhyun pointed to the taller ghost.  “Eunhyuk said that there’s a chest in the attic.”

            Ryeowook nodded.  “My aunt’s.”

            “You’ve lost the key?”

            “We’ve never been able to find it since she passed, but it’s supposed to have a bunch of albums and other family heirlooms in it,” he explained.

            “Eunhyuk says that it’s in the drawer in the jewelry box, in room one.  Where’s room one?”

            “On the first floor,” Ryeowook said, staring at the ghost.  “I don’t let people rent it.  It was where my aunt slept,” he explained.  “Heechul and I have torn up the house looking for the key…I guess we never checked there.  Thank you.  But how did you know if you can’t go downstairs?”

            “Who said I can’t go downstairs?” Eunhyuk questioned.

            Kyuhyun grimaced.  “I don’t think I should tell him that.”

            “Can he go downstairs?” Ryeowook asked.

            Kyuhyun shook his head.  Ryeowook looked over at the ghost, who nodded.  The little owner smacked his boyfriend in the arm.  “No lying!”

            “Donghae gets locked in the room all the time because Heechul and Ryeowook close the door, so he can’t go downstairs, but I can.  Now Donghae can.  But most of the time, I have no reason to go downstairs.”

            “He rarely does,” Kyuhyun said.  “And Donghae couldn’t when you closed the door.”

            Ryeowook nodded.  “I’d rather you not.”

            Eunhyuk grinned.  “He falls asleep on the couch sometimes watching television and I watch him.”

            “And you wonder why ghosts get a bad rep?” Kyuhyun asked.

            Ryeowook looked over to where Heebum was sitting on the floor, clearly batting at Bangshin.  “Alright, since we’re actually having a conversation—which is probably the strangest thing I’ve ever done—I’m just going to ask…why can’t I see the cat?”

            Both owners looked over to where the cat was.  “Bangshin?  Why don’t you ever turn visible for Ryeowook and the others?”

            There was just a loud meow. 

            Donghae shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.  “You know how cats are.  They always like to remain mysterious.”

            “He really has no clue,” Kyuhyun said, yawning.  “Should we go back to bed?”