Russia, 1814

    Taemin roamed the cold streets of Moscow. He had tracked the immortal through China throughout the last half century, and he was determined to contact him by any means necessary.

    Taemin approached the castle from behind and snuck in through the servants’ corridors. He made his way up to the kitchen asking around about Minho. He had gotten so close to finding the man within the last sixty years but this was definitely the closest he had ever gotten. He stalked the halls, keeping an eye out for any sign on Minho.

    Taemin was about to turn a corner when a small page boy ran into him. The boy backed up, “Are you the one known as the collector?”

    Taemin raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Who’s asking?”

    “Mr. Choi asked me to hand you this letter.”

    Taemin took the letter from the page boy and read the words addressed to him.

        Collector,

    Though I have greatly enjoyed our game of cat-and-mouse, I have to move on from the King’s palace. I have a day’s headstart, and if you want to catch up, I’m heading east. Best of luck to you little kitty,

Minho.

Taemin grew increasingly angrier. He tore the note to shreds and raced out of the palace. Taemin made his way east, trying to find the immortal.

Paris, 1918

Taemin looked into the window of the room that minho had been renting for the past year. This time he was sure that he had caught up to the elusive immortal. He climbed in through the loosely latched shutters and approached the bed. The other was not there, but Taemin was sure that he would come back soon. Taemin went through the wardrobe, finding no clothes, but when he went to the rustled bed, he knew that Minho had been here just an hour before.

The impact of bombs shook the building, he knew that they would soon be hitting the little inn. Taemin, though immortal, was not fond of blowing up. He rifled through the drawers of the bedside table, finding one little slip of paper.

KItty,

    You were so close, if only you’d been just a little earlier! Leading you on a wild goose chase has been so much fun, my little kitten. Maybe you’ll actually catch me one of these days. Better luck next time,

Minho

Taemin crumpled the letter in his hand. He had been so close this time and had only missed him by the smallest of margins. Taemin was determined to catch Minho this time. He made his way further west in an attempt to escape the battleground of this long and bloody war. He left the city and made his way further west, predicting Minho’s next stop to be the Americas.

Seoul, 2016

After nearly a hundred years of chasing, Taemin was ready to catch the immortal and have the conversation he was so desperate to have. Taemin waited outside of the bar that he had seen Minho walk into just an hour before. He was determined to end this game of cat and mouse once and for all. He was in cat form, making him less conspicuous than he would be in human form with his cotton candy hair and lavender eyes. He sat next to the door, waiting for the immortal to leave the little dive. He didn’t have to wait long, though, as the clock struck eleven, Taemin found the object of his desire stumbling out of the front door.

Taemin morphed into his human form, not startling the elder at all.

“Kitty! How lovely to see you! I was wondering when you’d finally catch up to me.” The elder beamed with delight. “Now, why is it that you have been chasing me for over two hundred years? Is it because you were unable to collect my soul? Or is it something else entirely?”

Taemin’s mouth turned up in a half smile, “Yes, my dear immortal, it has been so much fun to chase you, but I’ve grown tired of our game.” He looked around at the other people milling about. “Now, why don’t we go somewhere a bit quieter and have this conversation in private.”

The elder nodded, “That sounds splendid, why don’t we?”

Taemin led Minho into an alleyway, satisfied that they had sufficient cover, he the elder and pressed him against the brick wall next to him. “Do you know how crazy you’ve been making me?!”

Minho chuckled under his breath, “Have I? I wouldn’t know.”

Taemin pressed into Minho’s neck and inhaled deeply, “Two hundred years is too long for us to be separated. I almost didn’t make it.”

The elder smiled warmly and brushed Taemin’s bangs from his face, “But you did so well, Kitten. You made our game worth it, I knew you could hold on.”

Taemin leaned into the elder’s touch, “Please don’t make me wait that long ever again, hyung,” he asked as a small tear escaped from the corner of his eye.

“Never, my beautiful kitty.” He gently wiped the tear from Taemin’s cheek. “But you will be generously compensated.”