The man had been there two days now. Two days of peace for Sungmin. Kangin was so preoccupied entertaining his guest that Sungmin received a temporary solace. While they would spend their time together – mainly sitting in the living room talking – Sungmin would pretty much be left to his own devices. He would be expected to cook when they were hungry, give them drinks if they were thirsty and clean the house, but other than that he could do what he wanted. Not that he had any hobbies. Most of the time, he would just sit in the room with the two men, listening to what they spoke about, never contributing.

To say he didn't feel jealous would be a lie. He felt so jealous he could hardly breathe. It had always been just him and Kangin and in blows this man from nowhere and changes his life. Takes his Kangin from him. The only words he spoke to him were orders. The man spoke to him even less. Every now and then he'd try to include him in the conversation by asking his opinion on the topic, but most of the time he would just smile at him every time their eyes met. The man could tell he was making Sungmin uncomfortable, so he tried to lessen it in this way, but to no avail.

Sungmin could feel the man's eyes on him every time he was in view. It felt like they were burning right though his clothes onto his skin. He felt completely exposed. If he ever caught him, the look he would be giving him would be one of discovery, like he was seeing something for the first time: shock and curiosity. He was clearly intrigued by him. Kangin, taken in by the conversation which seemed to flow naturally was oblivious.

On the night of the third day, during one of their evening conversations, Kangin had gotten himself drunk on the beer that he had insisted on having. The man didn't drink a drop, stating forcefully that he doesn't drink. By the time twelve o'clock came around, Kangin was pretty much indecipherable in his drink stained slur. The man, feeling it futile to try to squeeze any more conversation out of him, turned to Sungmin who sat with his head resting on his arm that was pivoted on the arm rest. Before watching his breathing to see if he was still awake, he spoke:

“Sungmin, I think Kangin should go to sleep now,” his voice as low and polite as ever.

Reacting to the shock of hearing his name being spoken, he lifted his head to look at the man. His eyes were as deep and dark as ever, looking at him sleepily.

“Uh, okay. I'll take him......” he started.

“Do not worry about it. I know the way, I will take him,” he said, signing it off with a gentle smile.

Knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to carry him, he agreed, nodding his head. Taking this signal, the man stood up and lifted Kangin, slinging his arm over his shoulder and supporting his weight around his back. The movement seemed effortless, followed by him manoeuvring him towards the stairs and up. Sungmin followed him, walking just behind in case he dropped him. When in the bedroom, the man laid Kangin down on the bed and turned to exit.

“Goodnight Sungmin,” he said politely with a bow.

“N-night,” Sungmin replied timidly.

The man then proceeded to exit the room and close the door behind him.

Sungmin started to undress Kangin, carefully as not to wake him. Then he undressed himself, leaving on his boxer shorts and putting on a t shirt. Climbing onto the bed next to Kangin, he covered them both up and nestled himself up close to him, putting his head on his shoulder and wrapping his arm over him. Kangin's whole body moved up and down in waves that mirrored the motion of his breathing. With every movement, Sungmin moved with him. Steadily, their breathing synced. These moments were few but Sungmin cherished every one of them. Some nights he'd even delay his sleep just to feel Kangin's warmth for as long as possible. This was one of those nights. He lay awake for some time moving in Kangin's rhythm before he was lulled to sleep by the gentle lullaby of his shallow breathing.

They slept in that embrace for the whole night.

In the morning, Kangin woke first. When he came round and realised that Sungmin was cuddled up to him, he harshly pushed him away from him, instantly waking Sungmin up with a start. He stared at him wide eyed as Kangin dragged himself out of bed. He was clearly groggy from the night before as he let out a deep moan as he stood up and headed towards the exit. Without so much as a word to the surprised man, he left.

On the bed, the shell of a dejected man recoiled, pulling his bended up to his knees and burying his face deep into them. His body shook as another piece was chipped from his heart but he suppressed his tears.

Pulling himself out of bed, Sungmin shuffled himself over to his chest of draws to recover some clothing. This is nothing new. Its what he always does, he kept telling himself, but it didn't stop every movement, every breath, from feeling like it was shredding his heart more and more. Get a hold of yourself.

Sliding his top up over his aching body, wincing as it brushed over his cuts and bruises, he tossed it aside. Then he opened up his draw and started to search through his tattered jumpers to find one that didn't look too bad. Blinded by the sadness that had encased him, Sungmin didn't even notice that Kangin hadn't fully closed the door when he had left; it was open half way. He also didn't notice two dark brown eyes watching his every movement. The marks on his body were clearly visible from the distance the onlooker was stood. His eyes moved over the marks, tracing from the old scars to the fresh raw cuts, memorizing each one. Now was he witness to the extent of the physical abuse. The curtains were drawn on the show when Sungmin found an adequate jumper and carefully put it on. He repeated the process with a pair of jeans.

After half-heartedly brushing his hair, he turned to exit the room. On turning he came face to face with the man who was now practically in his doorway. Shocked by his sudden presence – or what he thought to be sudden – Sungmin let out a low cry.

“Do not be startled,” the man spoke with his gentle tongue. The look he gave him was once again one of intrigue, but this time laced with a kind of knowing. Stepping forward as if wanting to know more, the man moved towards Sungmin. Reacting to this, Sungmin took a step backwards. The man's eyes softened a bit before he took another step forward, this time bigger. Sungmin repeated his previous action.

Clearly put out by this, the man made an attempt to sooth him: “Do not be scared, I will not hurt you. I would just like it if we could talk. I would like it very much.” Then he smiled, a beautiful half smile, but his eyes still had that cold depth that prevented the smile from having its full intensity.

Who is this man? Sungmin thought as his words had no effect on him. Fear building, Sungmin quickly looked around him as he took a large step back.

“Please......” he uttered.

“I only want to talk,” the man repeated.

The man was about to take another step forward when the sound of Kangin coming up the stairs, promptly followed by him his entering the bedroom interrupted them. Sungmin released a long shattered breath of relief, only to be followed by fear again as he spoke.

“uh...... What are you doing in here?” he projected the question towards the man, not even looking at Sungmin but furrowing his brows at the man.

“Sungmin and I were just having a conversation,” the man answered.

Looking slightly unconvinced, he turned to Sungmin. “Is this true?” He asked him.

He's speaking to me...........

“Y-yes,” Sungmin stuttered, his heart beat increasing due to the fact that Kangin was acknowledging him.

Still unentirely convinced, and if truth be told, not entirely wanting to be, he eyed him closely, flicking his glance over his face before returning it to the man who's face was neutral. Grinning, he looked down at the ground. Then his face turned sour and in the blink of an eye a back hand slap whipped across Sungmin's face. Instinctively, Sungmin dropped to the floor and slid himself back against the wall, pulling his knees to his chest and throwing his arms around his head to shield himself from any other blows that more often than not came.

Leaning down close to his ear, he spat: “What have I told you about talking to people when I'm not here? Huh?” grabbing a chunk of the quivering man's hair tightly and pulling his head up to look at him.

“N-n-not t-to....” he stuttered.

“Correct. So don't!” he shouted, pushing his head back down and letting go of his hair.

Straightening himself back up, he took a deep breath and rubbed his face in an attempt to re-compose himself. Glancing over, he observed the man who was curiously watching the scene that was playing out before him. His expression was unreadable as always, his deep eyes lingering on the pathetic sight of the man curled up and quivering on the floor. Kangin followed his line of sight and smirked when he found the object of his attention.

“Pathetic uh? He'll get over it. Lets go,” he ordered, walking over to the man and manoeuvring him around and towards the exit. The man allowed himself to be moved with no struggle. When he was out the the door, Kangin turned his head slightly and shouted over his shoulder:

“Yah! You have better sort yourself out! Breakfast isn't going to make itself.”

Sungmin felt like his joints had seized. He was stuck in this position like a pathetic statue. He wasn't so much upset at what Kangin had done – he had done much worse after all – he was upset that he had been there. Sungmin felt like he was used as some form of entertainment. Like he did it to impress the onlooker. His new favourite toy. In honesty, Kangin had done it to teach him a lesson and to show the man that Sungmin was his. He has always hated anyone speaking to Sungmin, even if he was there, he just can't stand it. He needed to instil fear in Sungmin or he could lose him forever. In some twisted way he loved him. Or maybe he just loves to have someone to control. Maybe for all these years he has been confusing the two?

*

It was in the year of 2002 when they met. Bored of the same old bars, Sungmin and his friends had decided to got to a bar in another town. It was only a small place but the drinks were cheap, the music was good and the atmosphere was soothing. That was where he met Kangin. He was eighteen at the time and Sungmin was seventeen.

The bar was Kangin's local so he generally spent his time there sat at the bar chewing the fat with the bartender whom he was very familiar with. When Sungmin and his friends arrived, they headed straight for the bar to order drinks. When Kangin saw him, he was instantly attracted to his feminine good looks. Never being the shy type, he sparked up a conversation.

“New here?” he enquired.

Surprised, Sungmin turned his head in the direction of the speaker, a beautiful wide smile gracing his face. He almost looked like he was glowing and his beautiful big eyes looked up at him innocently.

“I am,” he replied.

“I'm Kangin. Its nice to have you here,” he said – perhaps a little too charmingly – extending his hand towards him.

Sungmin took it straight away and shook it gently. From that first touch Kangin knew that he had to make Sungmin his so he spent the rest of the night talking to him. Although Sungmin seemed a little shy sometimes, his confidence shone through and conversation came easy. He practically ignored his friends all night. Kangin was just so nice and friendly to him that he couldn't help himself.

When it was time to go, they exchanged phone numbers.

The weeks passed steadily with Sungmin frequently coming to the same bar to see Kangin. He also often went to Sungmin's town to go to the bars there.

They shared their first kiss on the eighth night of seeing each other. It was soft and gentle and filled with all the things that Sungmin had hoped for in a first kiss. He knew from that moment that he was the man that he was fated to spend the rest of his life with.

From then on they were inseparable. They ended up moving in together after only two months of being together. Most thought it wreck-less but to them it seemed like the perfect thing to do. The house they moved into was one they got cheap because it was out in the middle of nowhere so no one wanted it.

The first year was one filled with happiness. Kangin worked and Sungmin looked after the house. Neither of them really knew when or why the change happened. It was a gradual change that spread throughlike a sickness, marring all of their encounters with its diseased flecks. It started with emotional abuse: Kangin stopping him from leaving the house and talking to him less and less as the weeks passed. The little that he did speak to him became laced with distaste. Then came the physical abuse. The beatings started off slow, with the odd punch now and then, but soon increased with the odd punch turning into the odd punch and kick at a higher frequency. They no longer 'made love', it was more some animalistic ritual leaving Sungmin marred for weeks, with no recovery time in between instances.

Sungmin didn't know what had changed Kangin. To his knowledge, he had done nothing different that could have triggered it. In an attempt to reverse it, he would go out of his way to do everything that Kangin wanted and to improve himself. But none of it was any good.

Gradually his appetite started to deplete causing his physical appearance to disintegrate. This triggered of f further emotional abuse from Kangin who degraded him by constantly directing insults towards him regarding the state of his body.

No matter how he was treat, Sungmin couldn't leave. Some days would be like it was in the first year, and these were the days that Sungmin held onto. The ones that kept him anchored to Kangin. They somehow made up for everything and in the instant that they happened, he would forgive everything. Not that he really blamed him for anything. He blamed himself, berating himself for not being good enough, telling himself that he deserved everything he got. It was his punishment.

On the day that the man came, Sungmin was too far gone to see anything but Kangin.

*

After laying curled up on the floor for close to ten minutes, Sungmin forced himself to get up, fearing the repercussions if he didn't. Taking a look at his face with the new bruise forming on his left cheek, he wiped away any tears that were still threatening to fall. Then he went down stairs and headed straight to the kitchen, bypassing the living room where the sound of the two men could be heard speaking.

Making a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast for the two men, he timidly entered the living room to announce it was ready. Kangin looked at him with a look that screamed 'its about time', whereas the man avoided looking at him. Then Kangin stood up and made his way to the kitchen where the food waited, the man in toe. Sungmin waited near the doorway for them to exit before following. Once again, after Kangin had exited the room, the man waited, offering for Sungmin to go first. That was the first time that he looked at him, his eyes focusing on the newly forming bruise before seeking Sungmin's glassy eyes with his deep ones. No connection was made as Sungmin held his gaze on the floor before turning and exiting, the man following close behind, watching his tender frame sway in its movements.