Outside the smog coated city, beyond the safety of their walls, there were creatures known as shape changers or shifters that could appear as humans. They took human mates and eventually slaughtered them to feed the young produced. It was a horror that leaked into their city from time to time, men, women and children disappearing off the street without a trace.

It was this horror that had Kibum freezing in place as he approached the door to his workshop, staring in disbelief at what he found at his doorstep. It wasn’t every day you returned home and found a stag on your doorstep, let alone see a stag at all. All deer were prized game now and avoided the city, they knew better than to deal with people – which was what set off alarm bells for him. Would a deer venture into the city? Or worse yet, what if it wasn’t a deer?

As he approached the stag looked up, just barely, groaning as it lowered its head again, huffing in exhaustion. “What in the world happened to you?...” Kibum muttered, not daring to touch the young stag yet, but still concerned. It didn’t look particularly injured, but it must have been desperate to have collapsed at his door. After managing to manoeuvre the cart around the stag and into the workshop, Kibum rushed out to the nearby water pump with a bowl to fill it and returned to place it before the stag. “Here, drink something, my friend.”

The stag gave him a slight look of suspicion before thirst seemed to take over and it began to drink fast and desperately, splashing water over the side of the bowl.

Pleased that the stag was drinking, Kibum went inside and left the stag be. Once it had had enough to drink it would be on its way.

……………………………………………………………………………..

He’d eaten, changed into casual clothes and put on his apron before he returned to the workshop, beginning to carve a stag from a piece of the redwood he’d brought back when there was a knock on the workshop door. People would usually knock on the shopfront door if they were to visit him, so he was more than a little confused, but Kibum stood to answer it anyway.

Opening the door, Kibum barely got to greet whomever it was when there was a pair of lips pressing soundly to his own. He didn’t know what to do in this situation as the man only a little taller than himself pushed into the workshop and shut the door behind him. It was only then that Kibum found himself again and pushed the man away, shoving him back against the door.

“How dare you!” He shouted. “Just who do you think you are to – ” His sentence, whatever it was going to be, trailed off when he realised the stranger was holding the bowl he’d left for the stag outside.

“I am not sure of human customs.” The man said softly, holding out the bowl to Kibum. “I am sorry if I have offended you, but I did not know how to thank you.”

Kibum took the bowl, cheeks flaring red. He’d heard of shape changers before; they were rare, feared, hunted and unearthly beautiful. This man lived up to the later without a problem. “You don’t have to stay.” He muttered, feeling embarrassed but also knowing better than to have a shape changer in his house. If anyone knew they would both be killed.

“I know.” The shifter said, glancing around the workshop. “But I did want to thank you.”

“Well, you’ve thanked me. You can leave.”

Tilting his head a little, the shifter stared with sadness into Kibum’s eyes. “You can’t wait to be rid of me?”

“To be honest? Yes. Look, do you know what happens to people who keep shape changers in their homes? They get killed.” Kibum stated, feeling guilty when the man flinched at the harshness of the word. “I gave you water to send you on your way, is that not enough for you?”

“No.” The man replied.

Kibum huffed, hands on his hips. “Well, maybe it will just have to be.”

“I will leave, there is just… I just want to thank you one more time.” The shifter whispered, stepping forward and into Kibum’s personal space, fingers reaching for the smaller man’s chin with calloused fingertips.

Though he wanted to pull away, Kibum just couldn’t bring himself to.

There was a reason why shape changers were considered dangerous and he was very quickly experiencing it first hand as lips touched his and Kibum felt all of his inhibitions melt away, fingers gripping at the thin shirt the man wore. Anything this shape changer wanted he would get.

……………………………………………………………………………..

Kibum woke the next morning in his bed, sore and tangled in the sheets. Alone and groggy, he rolled over, hands coming to his hair which was dishevelled beyond that caused by sleep.

“You’ve woken.”

His head shooting up, the shape changer stood in his doorway, a cup of steaming tea in his hands. “Y-you didn’t leave?” He muttered, slowly sitting up as Minho – the name he’d cried more than once the previous night – walked to the bedside and handed the cup to him.

“No. I couldn’t.” Minho replied, brushing some hair from Kibum’s face. “I’ve never encountered such a creature as you. How could I leave?”

“You don’t have to stay.” Kibum mumbled, sighing when Minho leaned his forehead to his own, calloused fingers teasing at the nape of his neck, thumb brushing at the hair behind his ear. “It’s dangerous for you here.”

“I know. And I will leave. But I will come back.” Minho told him, a certainty in his tone that couldn’t be ignored.

Kibum looked into his eyes, completely entranced, imprinted. “Okay.”