It took Seungri time to get used to the idea that the same gravel-voiced, gentle-handed man he'd grown up next to was the same demon that obliterated a facility in North Korea in a matter of moments. Daesung was gracious about his adjustment, not asking him questions or hovering over him. Six months, abouts, it took him, but after that was over, he was quick to fall in bed with Daesung.

Daesung had told him the first time they had that this was the consummation of some kind of bond between them. Seungri didn't care. He had felt pulled to Daesung more and more these days, wanting the demon in the most ual sense of the words. In private (ei. Seungri's apartment), Daesung let himself loose, lounging around and just existing in demon form on Seungri's couch. Since he started to let his demon characterists out from behind his human shell, Seungrii had been irrepairably drawn to the other man, melting into him if their hands so much as brushed in a hallway. More than once, his knees had given way when they so much as hugged. So, he didn't really care about this bond, mate thing, because it was already affecting him and he was more than ready to keep Daesung, if need be.

"Do you ever plan on telling Bigbang?"

Daesung's head snapped up. "No. I didn't. Why do you ask?"

"Isn't this the kind of thing we should be open about?"

"Do you remember your reaction to me? And you're my mate - my own thoughts and acceptance of my position were transferred to you even then, keeping you calmer than you would have been and you were more than a little panicked even beyond that."

"Well, I mean, I could tell them if you'd rather?"

"I don't want anyone to know." Daesung replied, eyes narrowing. "Not if I can help it."

"Dae~, c'mon. This is important."

"If you want me to tell Bigbang that I'm a demon, you have to come out as gay to the media."

Seungri went still. "That's pretty big."

Daesung nodded. "I know. Only my secret will get me killed if I tell the wrong people."

"It can't be that bad. We've grown up with these men."

Daesung sighed. "You want them to know so badly? Bring them in, then."

Seungri jumped. "Really?"

"Go ahead."

Seungri did as he was bade, bringing the other three members into the room where Daesung was sitting, eyes closed and head tilted down. 

"Ri said you had something to tell us?" Jiyong prompted when he sat down. Yongbae was frowning in worry. Seunghyun looked a little sick, like he was expecting something terrible. 

"Do you remember those documentaries they used to show in high school about the Facilities and the demons inside?"

They all exchanged looks, Yongbae frowning harder. "Yeah. What about them?"

"I was a subject in Facility 78 some years ago now. I'm one of the demons."

Jiyong huffed and rolled his eyes. "Guys, you're supposed to save this kind of stupid prank for April-"

Yongbae's hand locked in a vice grip around the leader's arm, steering Jiyong's gaze from Seungri to Daesung, who's eyes were glowing a brilliant gold, black lines creeping across his face.

"How are you doing that?" Seunghyun whimpered, leaning away from the younger man. 

"I told you, I'm a demon." Daesung sighed and closed his eyes, dropping his head again. 

Yongbae swallowed. "How long?"

"All my life. I was born this way."

Jiyong straightened. "You don't look bloodthirsty to me."

"That would be because I'm not."

"Killed anybody?"

"Only recently."

That didn't make the other three any more comfortable, Seungri stepping in.

"Someone was tracking him and they caught me." The maknae explained. "He killed them to save me."

Jiyong's eyes were flickering, a sure sign of his thinking, "It wa syou that destroyed that Facility on the news, isn't it?"

"It was.That was my old Facility."

"I see." Jiyong folded his hands in his lap. "If that's the case, then thank you."

Daesung raised his head again, eyes and face back to normal. "Pardon?"

"Thank you. For saving Seungri."

Daesung looked like he wanted to crawl ino a hole and die. Seungri's heart ached for the other man, regretting forcing him to do this. "And?"

"And I hope next time you're keeping such a massive secret, you'll haev the balls to tell me instead of making Seungri force you to." Jiyong spat out. 

"You knew?!" The other four members gasped.

"Not for sure." Jiyong appeased. "But I was really intensely interested in the demons when I was younger and I memorized a lot of their patterns and things. Daesung's introversion and distance was a large tip off, not to mention how gravelly his voice sounds and how, despite the doctor saying you shouldn't sing anymore because of your throat, you always seem to maintain the same ability, as if you're fixing the damage you've done over the course of a performance."

Daesung's lips quirked up. "Is your mouth going to be cheap about this?"

"Something like this? No. It's the same as Seungri's gay status. I've known all along, but it's a game changer for everybody. This is serious ."

Seungri rubbed the back of his neck. "Daesung says we're mates, too."

Yongbae Daesung. "And that means?"

"We're mates." He shrugged. "Partners, lovers, bonded."

The two nodded slowly together, consideringly. Seunghyun shook his head. 

"I'm so sorry, Dae."

The demon cocked his head. "What for, hyung?"

"For what you went through. I can't imagine . . . " He got up from his chair and hugged Daesung, pulling the othe rman tight to his chest and almost shaking. "I'm so sorry."

"It's done. I'm alive, they're not, and I think that's worth more than anything."

Seunghyun gave him a watery smile, hands cupping his face. "More than you can imagine."

"Who is it you're bringing me to meet again?"

"My grandmother."

"Why?"

"She's the only one who knows I'm gay." Seungri explained. "So I was showing her pictures of you and she thought you looked familiar. Then I showed her some of the shots from Fantastic Baby, with the blonde hair, and she demanded to meet you."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes! Now c',mon. Even if you're uncomfortable, you're still going to get awesome food out of it. Deal for a few hours, would you?"

Daesung sighed, resigned, and followed Seungri inside the house. 

It had been so many years since he'd laid eyes on her.

Hwayoung was old now, all aged with dropping skin, white hair and frail bones. She wasn't the pitiless nurse who stitched him back together some sixty years ago, though that resistant fire still gleamed in the black of her eyes. She still did her hair in the same military level of severity, dressed in proper fashion with a skirt and blazer. She regarded him with the same standoffish companionism she'd shared in her twenties. 

"How I should have guessed." She barked out, a sharp laugh issuing from her. "I should have known there would be no freedom from you."

He bowed his head, a smirk creeping up his lips. "Haunting, am I?"

"More than that. I only started to think of you recently - blessedly free of your face until my husband died. And then my favourite grandson comes to visit me, tells me he's got a steady man he thinks he loves, and take a guess at who he shows me? Nothing other than your timeless face. I thought that maybe there was a chance it was just some boy who looked too much like you. He started with your pictures from traineehood, walking me through your evolution, told me that you got more and more handsome as the days passed by. And then he shows me that face, that same style in your hair, the same resilence in your eyes. Imagine the nights I spent up, wondering about how you're treating my favourite extended child, wondering how your mind reacted not only to the torture, but the freedom. I watched, I payed attention during the civil war and I knew when the communists pushed past Facility 78. I knew you would run. You were smart like that. I . . . I hoped you would."

He inclined his head. "Have you been happy here? In Seoul, like you said?"

"I have. I have been very happy. I shielded my children from the world's horror, how terrible people are, and they have become good people. And they in turn had their own beautiful children. But it seems I could not shield everybody."

"Then I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I did not mean for your children to understand our reality."

"Ah. But I should have known. I was drawn to you, likely fate knowing the fruit of my womb would be linked to you indefinitely. But, if there had to be a demon to follow me from there, I could not be more pleased that it is you."

Seungri looked between them. "Wait, waitwaitwait. You know Daesung?"

"BNF7 0354. I was one of the nurses responsible for keeping him alive after they were finished with him."

"You worked in Facility 78?"

"I did." Hwayoung glared Seungri into silence. "Seunghyun calls you Daesung. Is that your name?"

"It is now."

"Is that so?" She gave him a crooked grin. "Then welcome to the family, Daesung. Take good care of my grandson or I'll have to kill you."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Hwayoung."

Seungri collapsed down onto the couch. "Wow. What else haven't you told me, Granny?"

"I'm biual and I've slept with women before."

Seungri's jaw hit the floor and Hwayoung started cackling.

"Are you serious?!"

"Of course. Why do you think I'm the only person in the family that doesn't mind you getting on your knees to-"

"I GET IT!" Seungri covered his ears. "I've learned so much about you today that I didn't want to know."