Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the read, this is definitely gonna be one of my longest stories. Welcome new subscribers and readers! This chapter update is technically 13 pages! So I gave you guys a treat. I wanted everyone to get to know the characters a little more with this chapter and the next chapter coming up and have a little character development. Again, I hope you guys enjoy, sorry for the long intro and sometimes the formatting on this site switches around my sentences or paragraphs so if something sounds off that I missed when trying to look over this post, let me know! :D

“So how long are you guys gonna have us on this stupid forest restriction,” Jonghyun huffed as the four of them entered the school. Minho stopped in his tracks and let a deep glare sit in his eyes. Jonghyun stepped back and nodded. “Noted,” he whispered.

“It’s up however long we say it’s up,” Taemin added, then motioned towards their classroom far ahead. “Go to class, we’ll catch up with you. I’m tired of having to hang around you two so much.”

“Well…” Jackson cooed, “if we had access to—”

“Do you want to piss me off this early in the morning and have a repeat of what happened in the forest.”

Jackson pursed his lips, but noted Taemin’s serious demeanor and walked with Jonghyun to the classroom.

Minho waited until they were a good distance away. Until he knew that neither one could hear the words coming out of his mouth, then nudged Taemin on the shoulder to tilt his attention towards Onew’s locker. Standing there, Luna hovered over the man, her body curving into an ‘S.’ She flipped her head just as Onew bent his into his locker, and her hip protruded outward when she leaned against Key’s locker.

“Look,” he spoke softly.

“Yeah…and? I see Onew—”

“Of course you do,” he chuckled.

Taemin made a face.

“AND Luna,” he added, “If you would have let me finish my sentence.”

The man laughed a little again under his breath, then again, nodded in Onew’s direction.

“I mean look at what’s missing.”

Taemin looked, trying his best not to let his cheeks heat up from watching Luna basically herself at the man. But he saw what his friend meant. No Key. And no Key with an Onew at school was probably just as weird as Luna not ever being here without Z. But even Z was here. He could smell her bland, human scent all the way down here—in the front of the school— and it trailed into the classroom like a snake slithering through the halls. There was no scent of Key though…if the word scent could best be used. Both he and Onew had odd smells to them, hard to pick up but once you did, hard to lose. It could be because neither he nor Minho ever met any creatures like them before. Their nose just wasn’t used to it. Or it could be that the creatures they were, whose nature was to stay hidden, let their scent hide with them. Either way, Onew was here, standing with his head bent into his locker, yet, there was no Key in sight or in smell.

“Ah…I see,” he whispered.

“Have you ever known those two not to be at school together,” it was a statement, not a question and Taemin knew it from the blank tone of his friend’s voice.

“That is weird. But it’s not like we can talk to them. Even though…it would be nice to tell Luna to stop hovering over people like a goddamn ghost.”

“You know yesterday,” Minho continued, ignoring his ending statement, “I saw Key walk out the lunchroom with Z. And he had this weird look on his face when he came back. We locked eyes for a second—”

“Now who sounds obsessed. We locked eyes for a second?” He teased.

“Taemin—”

“I know, I know,” he threw both arms in the air, “Yeah I saw them leave and come back too. But like I said, it’s not like we can talk to them. Not at school anyway. Maybe you can text Key later on.”

Minho moved his eyes away from Onew and raised a brow at his friend.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on Minho. I’m not an idiot, even though I can see you shouting it in your head. I might not live with you and you might be giving off the same little façade to other people, but I know you better than most. You telling me you haven’t texted Key yet?”

“Have you texted Onew?”

Speaking of which, Taemin peered back in the direction, but both he and Luna were gone. Probably already in the classroom.

“No. But you’ve definitely made contact with the other one. I can tell. Your eyebrow twitches when he comes to school and you try to sneak a peek at him.”

“Sneak a peek…” He scoffed. “Taemin, we’re not in elementary or something. You know—” His phone buzzed in his pocket, a soft but jolting vibration.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. No one contacts me during school hours…” His voice trailed off as he pulled the phone from his pocket.

His face didn’t change when he saw who it was, but somehow Taemin still knew that something was up.

“What is it?” He asked again. “Family emergency?”

“No,” Minho grimaced, “it’s Key.”

***

A Little Earlier

He can feel the heat rising in his cheeks, simmering to the tip of his nose as he looks down at his fingers. Key widened and contracted them, moving them in slow motions like they were a new body part. A new addition that was a foreign entity. It didn’t belong. His fever, it was coming back. And the heat wasn’t just hitting his cheeks anymore, but growing into the veins of his fingers. The thickness of them was heavy, weighing his skin down if the feeling could be described as such. The vibrant hue of their red, the blood that was their color, it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

And that was an obvious problem.

“Key,” she spoke softly on the opposite side of his door. Her sudden voice almost made him fall backward, but he caught himself in time and instead leaned his body out of the bathroom doorway and raised his brow, making sure his fingers were out of sight just in case she suddenly decided to come inside.

“I’m uh…I’m awake, but I’m changing,” he quickly added.

“I need to check your fever sweetie, so when you’re done—”

“I’m really feeling a lot better. I think I just want to chill for a while and then call on you when I need to. Is that alright?”

There was no response, but with his sharpened hearing, he could hear her breathing on the other side, thinking his question through.

“Key, I’m not sure—”

“Please, I just need some time alone. To think. I-I had a bad dream. And….and, it’s making me think. I just need time to think. I really, really am okay. Whatever you’ve been doing while I’ve been sleeping, really helped.”

There was a soft chuckle from the other side.

“Oh, just some old herbs and remedy,” she breathed.

“W-Well, there ya go. Please, is it okay? I’ll make sure to text Onew, so he doesn’t worry. I think he was definitely worried earlier.”

She sighed.

“Key…you know I don’t like you guys using your cellphones while you’re at school—but…yeah, make sure you do that. But only this once,” she added, “he’s going to freak out if he doesn’t hear something from you all day at school. And…and rest easy ok. Don’t strain yourself. Your Gumiho side needs time to adjust.”

Those words. When she spoke them, his eyes immediately went down to his hands, still burning against his own skin, but not…painfully. It was a tingling sensation.

“OKAY!” He yelled back and he listened…and listened…until he heard her footsteps were completely away from the room. Then he rushed back to the bed in search of his cell phone.

Of course, Onew’s name was the first to pop up in his contacts, but when he stared down at the name and hovered his finger over Onew’s face, he couldn’t force himself to actually press it. Actually, text his friend. He just…stared. A part of him wanted to call, to disrupt Onew’s day and make him come back home, and make him stay in the room with him, and do that thing only Onew knows how to do to make him feel better when gets crazy for them. He wanted to urge him to come back and see what had developed on his fingers. So, he clicked on the man’s face and watched the text box come up, but instead, he wrote:

Hey Onew, I’m awake and fine. Your mom said I could text you so you wouldn’t worry all day at school.

He knew they promised not to tell lies or keep secrets from each other anymore, but for once…just this once, he wanted to give Onew a break. He saw the way his best friend barely slept sometimes. And yes, he’s a Night Owl, it’s apart of what they do. Still, there was a lingering pint of guilt that hit Key in the chest, every time he put Onew in danger or made him do something he knew the man was totally against but would do it because he asked it. And somehow, something Key thought only he noticed, it seemed as though Onew’s human side was more and more tired the more he used his Night Owl side. That wasn’t fair.

And it wasn’t technically lying, was it? Key was awake and he was fine—in his own way. Just newly developed. The weird pain had dissipated but the tingling sensation that the burning created was still there. And—in his defense—Onew’s mom did say he could text him so he wouldn’t worry.

He would tell Onew everything when the man got back home from school…until then…what was he to do? The mom—aka the only one who will come and check on him—will eventually want to talk, but…how long were his fingers going to be that way? He needed someone to talk to and yes, it was probably dumb he wasn’t talking to the only other person in the house who may have the answers. But the four of them; he, Onew, Taemin, and Minho, each promised one another, that they could only trust each other. And in all honesty, there was still a hint of suspicion he and Onew definitely felt for his parents. Even if Aunt Kim were to wake up right now, he would be ecstatic, but cautious of believing what she had to say.

But he saw Minho’s name…and looked at their messages from the night before….

“This probably isn’t a good idea,” he whispered to himself.

***

Then again, he hasn’t had a lot of brilliant ideas lately. None of them have, and here he was, standing in the middle of the forest like a full idiot, listening to the leaves rustle while he waited for Minho to appear. At least the sun was out this time around. But it didn’t brush away the eerie feeling of someone always watching him. Especially not having Onew who’s ability was to literally do just that. No, he was bare and alone and hoping that some time—enough time—would go by before the woman of the house realized he wasn’t in Onew’s room anymore. Or…should he call it, their room? He’s been practically living in their house for a little over a month now. It was his home.

“Wow,” he whispered to himself, looking down at fallen leaves. The same—he was sure—that was there before. All the leaves looked identical here. Everything looked identical here.

“Wow,” he whispered again because the realization just dawned on him that it has been over a month and his aunt has yet to wake up. And now, he wondered if she ever would. Did his talking to her even help at all? Did it guide her back to the present, or even try? Could he go the rest of his life living without her?

“Key?” Came his dark voice.

Key lifted his head up and across stood Minho, the sun, hitting his jawline just right. His dark brown curls brightened in this light as well and Key stared for a second. He never realized just how beautiful—no—how right, the man’s features were. Or how they angled like a sharp corner or how tall…really tall he was.

“Key?” He repeated, but closer this time and with slightly widened eyes. “Are you alright?”

His glare went down towards Key’s arms, and the boy forgot he had them behind his back like he was holding a secret weapon. It was the first thing Minho noticed.

“I-I didn’t want to bother Onew. I’ve been bothering him too much lately,” he stuttered out.

“It’s alright,” his dark voice reassured. They closed the vast distance between them and were now standing just two feet apart. “I came as soon as I can. You know you shouldn’t be out here alone. Especially without Onew.”

It was like he read his mind.

“I know, but…I didn’t want to be home right now. And….” He looked down again.

“Key, whatever it is, you can tell me.” Minho tilted his head and let his eyes follow the curve of Key’s neck. “What is it?”

“Well, I know Onew’s mom probably has the answer to this, but for some reason, I don’t want to talk to her. Probably the whole trust them, I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“Why aren’t you at school? Your heartbeat sounds elevated a bit, are you sick?”

“Something like that…well—not really. It’s this-“ He pulled his arms from behind and displayed his hands like gifts, only they looked anything put. When he saw them, the man stepped back for a second, surprised. “S-Sorry. I didn’t think they would scare you-“

“They didn’t. It just surprised me a little bit. This wasn’t what I was expecting when you texted me.” His brows furrowed, and he inched closer to the mysterious fingers and their mysterious color. “How long have they been like this?”

He let the tips of his own fingers hover over them and felt the slight heat they gave off like a furnace.

“I technically don’t know. I wasn’t in school because of a fever. I got one once before too. I was told it was my Gumiho side trying to come out. It’s been asleep for too long.”

“Because you were in the tree,” he began wiggling his finger, then rested it on the cliff of his chin. “Yes, I remember this story. Does…Does it hurt?”

And just then, he scooped the boy’s hands in his and let the fingers gently rest on his palms, and looked Key in the eyes for an answer.

“No. I mean, they burn, but…not a hurting sort of burn, if that makes sense.”

“Not a lot of things in our world do.”

“Sure, damn right about that. But yeah, I just woke up this morning and they were like this. Of course, it was when Onew was already at school. I texted him that I was ok and the fever was down or whatever, but I didn’t want to tell him about this. Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know my best friend and he would freak the hell out and run out of school the first chance he got. And between me and you,” he smiled, “Onew doesn’t say it, but that man loves school. He’d die if his grades went down.”

“That may be true, but,” Minho smirked back, “I think he would die if you weren’t around.”

They both paused. And stared. And lingered. The heat that emitted from Key’s fingers, rose into the air. Rose between the two of them. And maybe it was the extra heat Key was giving off, but he thought he was seeing Minho blush a deep but faint red in the apple of his cheeks.

Then Minho cleared his throat.

“Wanna, sit down somewhere…well, my cave. It’s safer there.”

“Well…we can both sense when someone is coming right. Plus, I’m not alone anymore. Can we just sit here? I don’t want to be too far in the forest and not make it back home in time. Who knows when Onew’s mom is going to come looking in the room.”

“You didn’t ask to leave?” He asked while they found the nearest thick tree and sat down at its base.

“No,” he shook. “No way would she let me leave after having the fever I had. Any human would have died from that.”

“Good thing you’re not human then.” He chuckled.

And Key paused. And watched the sun flash against the man’s teeth. A brilliant shine of blinding purity. And it took him a second to realize how much he was staring….and how much Minho was staring back.

“S-So, how were you able to leave school? I hope I didn’t text you while you guys were in the middle of class.”

Minho scoffed.

“Of course not, but even then, I can find my way out. I have Taemin watching our two troublemakers. I could see his utter disdain for me reanimating on his face when I brought it up.”

They both laughed.

“But,” he continued, “I guess…you can say I got worried when you texted me. Or at least, it seemed urgent. I mean it had to be if you didn’t call Onew.”

Key shrugged.

“I guess it’s nice to have someone else to talk to every once in a while. I’m not as freaked out as I was when I woke up,” he sighed, “sometimes I wonder if Onew’s right.”

“About what?” Minho leaned his head against the tree and turned to look at Key.

“That we both secretly crave some form of normalcy. I mean, he didn’t phrase it like that, but if I were to sum it up.”

“What is normalcy to you two?”

At first, Key thought the question was rhetorical, but when he leaned back and looked Minho in the eyes, he realized the man was serious. That he truly didn’t understand what it meant for them to be normal. Like everyone else in the room; no worries about becoming alpha or leading, or training, or transforming. Just being teenagers. Seniors, for that matter, whose only worry was to get a proper GPA, find out what they wanted to do after, and graduate. So when Key saw this lingering questionable expression splayed across Minho’s blunt, straight face, he shrugged again.

“I was supposed to be applying for this school that I wanted to get into. I can’t remember if I told you or not, but, it was one of the reasons I came into this damn forest in the first place. I want…or wanted, to major in Photography. It’s all I did as a kid. Or, ya know, growing up with Onew. He was the brains, and I was the photograph guy. We had moments together, and I instilled them in frames. He encouraged me to take some photos I was absolutely proud of, but he also always told me that no matter what I submitted to the damn school, they would accept me, because I’m that good. And I would , and tell him that he’s just saying that because it’s going to be so easy for him to get into any damn school he wants. That…that was our normalcy. That was us.”

Minho smiled and turned his head to look straight, staring at the turning brown leaves and their strange brown hue. The way some crumpled, some fell, and some still stuck to the branches.

“You two are like brothers. I like that.”

Key watched another smile etch on Minho’s face, and couldn’t help himself from asking.

“You say it like you don’t have that closeness. Ya know, in your own pack?”

Minho laughed again, but short.

“We are family. A pack is close, no matter what. But I am also an alpha in training. And so is Taemin. We’ll be the leaders of our packs, and anyone who has to or is willing to join will be apart of it. Pack is family, yeah. But…” He paused, and his eyelids closed down halfway, “the closest person I have to a sibling is Hyunah. And she’s gone. She’s found the one she’s wanted to be with and is in his pack, strong and wise. At least Taemin has Kai. They’re basically like brothers. I,” he sighed again. “I was raised and trained by Uncle Shindong.”

“What about your parents?”

“My lovely parents have their own pack. They are the leaders. They are the alphas. And when I was born, born with the great mark,” he sighed, “they said that I needed more focused training. Our pack was full. My parents are…what is the human version of it…um…they are wolves who adopt other wolves into their pack who are lost, have nowhere to go and need something stable. They only birthed me. I don’t have any siblings. But, me and my cousin Hyunah grew up together with Uncle Shindong. Both shipped off at the same time. I know we said every wolf has their packs, but Uncle Shindong and Eunhyuk are different. They were advisors to different packs and different areas, so they basically traveled around the world, never staying put. They were partners, like me and Taemin, but then I heard that they received special orders to watch over these woods from the Elders.”

He said the pack was about family and togetherness in its own way, and Key respected that, but the boy also couldn’t help but notice that every form of the word ‘together’ in Minho’s explanations of their packs, always seemed to be more of convenience than actual family. And he wondered if Minho really knew or understood the meaning of the word or if he associated its meaning to convenience without realizing it.

“And you guys’ uncles are the only advisors?”

He nodded.

“They never told us why. Kept telling me and Taemin that we’d find out when we became alphas. What we’ve been training for, why we’re so…I guess different. But I don’t feel different or special. And now, Hyunah’s gone, and I’m forced to watch wild Cerberi who have no sense of the word control. Who exposes themselves to humans without thinking. And now I have to worry about the Elders too, and the Uncles. This is my normalcy.”

“Hey,” he continued, looking at Key this time around, “if you could go back to your normal, would you? You know, everyday life of being a senior.”

Key pulled his legs in and rested the side of his face against his knees, wrapping his arms around them.

“I don’t think so. I mean, I loved it, but…I also love knowing what happened to my parents. Even if my Gumiho side never came out and we never found out that Onew has episodes of barely sleeping because he’s part Night Owl, I like knowing. And my parents would have still been a mystery if we were kept in that normalcy. And my aunt would still have been lying to me. And Onew’s parents would have still been lying to him. And we’d still be stuck in this huge hole of lies, even when we’d go off to college together. So, no, I wouldn’t.”

Minho nodded, but Key saw the distance in his eyes, like the heaviness of leadership, was weighing down on his shoulders again, even though there was nothing leadership worthy going on right this second as the two of them sat with the speckles of sun rays streaming down their faces from overlapped leaves in the trees.

“Hey,” Key gestured, moving his heated, blood red fingers over and touching Minho’s resting arm. The man snapped out of his daydream and raised his brows. “Stop thinking so much into all this. We’ll figure everything out.”

“I know but-“

“No buts. You have the same look on your face that Onew gets when he thinks everything is gonna fall apart. Calm down.” And just as he said that he felt the heat in his hands slowly dissipate.

They both looked down because Minho felt it against his arm as well. And they watched as the ombred blood red slowly disappeared back to Key’s original skin color. The sharpened black nails went away, forming back into his old ones.

“I guess you calming me down, calmed you down.” Minho chuckled.

“Would ya look at that,” Key raised his hands into the air and flipped them back and forth. “I guess we can g-“

“Stay here a little longer,” Minho interrupted.