THANK YOU FOR GETTING MY JOKES.

Also, these chapters just keep getting ier, don't they.

Jonghyun was sparring with Key in the training room at the church, just like they had been for the past couple weeks. They were the only two in the room as they fought hand-to-hand with each other, testing each other’s weak points. Jonghyun noticed an opening and went for it, effectively knocking Key to the ground and pinning his hands above his head.

They were both breathing heavily and staring at each other.

“It looks like I have you,” Jonghyun panted.

Key’s gaze was unfaltering and he chuckled and whispered, “I let you have me.”

Jonghyun felt his heart beat faster, and it wasn’t from the physical exertion. Hesitantly, yet assuredly, he let his face lower toward Key’s, and their lips joined together in a slow, heated kiss. He freed Key’s hands and let them wrap around his neck and entwine themselves in his hair. He let Key push him to the ground and roll on top of him, their lips never separating. Jonghyun slid his hands down to Key’s waist and pulled him closer, wanting to feel his body on his. Their warmth radiated off of each other. They forgot their surroundings as they succumbed to each other’s pleasure.

“Ah!”

Jonghyun shot up in bed, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. He rubbed his eyes with his palms.

He did not just have a ual dream about his best friend.

He groaned. Yes he did.

He fell back onto his pillow with a huff. He tried to tell himself that the coming apocalypse was just getting to him. He was just stressed. But the part of him that wasn’t full of bull knew that that wasn’t true.

With a sigh, he rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Hopefully with less dreams this time.

You were in a fantastic mood! It was the last day of school before winter break started, and even though the eclipse was in just a few days, you couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy with the holiday spirit. After all, you were the Chosen One. How could you not be in a good mood?

“If it’s blood,” Key was saying at lunch. “Couldn’t Jonghyun’s blood also be used by the vampires?”

You looked at him questioningly.

“I mean, you two are identical twins, you have the same blood and everything,” he continued.

“Um, no, Key,” you said. “The prophecy is about a girl, so Jonghyun can’t possibly be the Chosen One,” you corrected. “Obviously.”

“Of course,” Key exclaimed, exaggeratedly palming himself on the forehead. “How could somebody else possibly be as special as Mary Sue?” he questioned. “What on earth was I thinking?”

You smiled at him, glad that he understood.

“Where is Jonghyun, by the way?” you asked. You didn’t see him anywhere in the cafeteria.

Key and Amber shrugged in response.

“He said he wasn’t feeling well,” Amber explained. “He’s skipping out on lunch today.”

Jonghyun wandered the halls of the school, trying to avoid the cafeteria altogether. He found himself being drawn toward a faint melody being carried through the halls. It grew in volume as he drew closer and closer to its source, until finally he found himself just outside of the music room. He had never been here before.

Tentatively, he pushed the door open and went inside. The room was empty of people except for one person playing a grand piano. So this is what was creating that entrancing tune. He took a few more steps, and was suddenly startled to realize Donghae was the one playing.

So this is why Jonghyun never saw him in the cafeteria.

He stood silently, listening to Donghae’s song until it was finished, not wanting to interrupt. When Donghae finally brought his hands from the keys, Jonghyun spoke.

“That was beautiful,” he said softly.

Donghae turned around startled, but relaxed and smiled when he saw who it was.

“Did you write it?” Jonghyun asked him.

Donghae looked bashfully at the piano. “Yeah,” he answered. “It’s for Eunhyuk.” He turned around again to face Jonghyun. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

Jonghyun smiled and nodded in response.

“Do you play at all?”

Jonghyun laughed a little uneasily. “A little,” he answered. “I’m not very good though.”

“Nonsense,” Donghae said. With a warm smile, he scooted over on the piano bench and indicated for Jonghyun to sit next to him.

He hesitantly complied and stared uneasily at the keys.

“Play anything,” Donghae encouraged.

Jonghyun awkwardly placed his hands on the keys and slowly began playing a simple melody, a tune that was oddly familiar to him, yet he couldn’t quite place it.

After a few measures, Donghae joined in with some low chords. Jonghyun felt like they made the song somehow fuller and warmer.

“Something’s troubling you,” Donghae stated softly as they played.

Jonghyun considered this for a moment before answering, “I feel like life has gotten ahead of me.” He noticed Donghae glance at him thoughtfully for a moment. “I’m not sure I know who I am anymore.”

Donghae smiled and exhaled through his nose. “I know what that feels like.”

Jonghyun smiled too, remembering all the times the other had opened up to him about his feelings.

“How are you and Eunhyuk doing?” he asked, noticing how Donghae’s smile grew at the mention of Eunhyuk.

“I’m glad I was finally honest about my feelings,” he answered.

That wasn’t exactly the answer Jonghyun was expecting.

“Do you want my advice?” Donghae asked.

Jonghyun looked a little apprehensively toward Donghae, but he didn’t refuse.

Donghae let their music take over for a few moments before saying, “Be honest with yourself first.”

The final chords of their song reverberated between them as Jonghyun looked at Donghae, and Donghae gazed warmly back. Jonghyun would consider his advice. After all, he thought smiling, he was the Lee Donghae.

Jonghyun ducked beneath the swing of a leg and spun around behind Key. Key turned himself around quickly enough to block Jonghyun’s oncoming hook. He sent a jab of his own, which Jonghyun effectively avoided. It continued like this in the Hunters’ training room, the two of them sparring under a few of the Hunters’ supervision, while Jonghyun tried to keep his mind focused on things other than his dream the other night. He thought about the apocalypse in a couple days. Apocalypses tended to make good kills.

He sent another jab as a distraction, then tripped Key from behind. But Key held onto his arm and pulled him to the ground with him.

And suddenly they were in a position that was a little bit too familiar to Jonghyun, and images of his dream flashed through his mind. Jonghyun’s mind went blank and he couldn’t move. He could only stare down at Key. Key took advantage of the moment and flipped their positions, and Jonghyun tried really hard to keep his mind away from the thoughts ading it.

“You let your guard down,” Key stated. He stood up and offered a hand to Jonghyun, which he tentatively took and allowed Key to pull him up. “You can’t let down your defenses,” Key said. “Even if you think you already have me.”

Jonghyun blushed at his words and tried to look in some other direction that wasn’t where Key was currently. It was a little conspicuous though.

“You’ve been very distracted lately,” Key observed. “What’s on your mind?”

You’re on my mind. “Nothing,” Jonghyun said, trying to laugh it off.

Key eyed him doubtfully. “This isn’t nothing,” he said simply. “What’s been getting to you?”

You have. “I—it’s nothing, just… maybe I’m just nervous about the end of the world coming up,” Jonghyun stammered.

“Is that what it is?” Key asked.

No. Jonghyun nodded.

Key still seemed doubtful. “If there’s something else—“

“You don’t need to know everything about me, okay?” Jonghyun snapped.

He probably shouldn’t have done that. Key’s expression became rather hurt. He tried to hide it, but Key was never very good at hiding whatever he was feeling at the moment.

“Okay,” he said meekly, taking a step back. “I guess you and I are done here then.”

He meant the training. But Jonghyun couldn’t help but feel like he meant something else too.

Just then, Lay came up beside him and slapped an arm around his shoulders. He looked back and forth between Jonghyun and Key, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Key’s back as he walked away, a knowing grin plastered on his face all the while.

“You know,” Lay began. “If ever there was a time to confess one’s feelings…” he trailed.

Jonghyun rolled his eyes and sighed. “When did it become so complicated?” he muttered, more to himself than anything.

“Think of it this way,” Lay said. “In a few days, it will all be over.”

Jonghyun stared at the Hunter’s grinning face. That thought didn’t really offer him any comfort at all.

Lay seemed to notice this, because he sighed and said, “Come on, I’ll teach you some remedies for calming the mind.”

Jonghyun let him lead him out of the room. He could use a remedy like that.

He sighed as he looked over himself in the mirror. Talking with Donghae had brought him back to a time when things were simpler. When he was happy and he knew who he was.

Now, standing in Mary Sue’s room wearing the wig he had worn so many times before and reminiscing about the past, Jonghyun didn’t know who he was anymore.

He pulled at the strands that cascaded down his shoulders. He used to be secure in his identity. Now, ever since Donghae admitted his true love for Eunhyuk and redefined for Jonghyun the limits of love, Jonghyun had been questioning himself, and he felt like his world was falling apart.

He heard a disturbance at the window and turned quickly to see two men who had apparently climbed the vine to get into the room. He gasped when he realized they were both vampires.

One of them chuckled as he quickly surveyed the room and Jonghyun. “You really need a better security system, Chosen One,” he said, stepping forward predatorily.

Before Jonghyun could even utter a sound, they both forced themselves onto him. He struggled, but they were too strong and fast for him to defend himself, and were dragging him from the room in a matter of seconds.

In the back of his mind, the part that wasn’t screaming in terror, he wondered when life had gotten so ahead of him.

You scrambled up the steps of the church, panting heavily. Chanyeol had clearly felt your distress and was waiting for you in the chapel when you frantically tried to explain what had happened.

Jonghyun wasn’t home and you couldn’t find him. With the eclipse coming in just a day, you could only assume the vampires had kidnapped him to use him as bait or collateral to get to you.

You were too out of breath to get out a complete sentence. All you could do was pant out a string of words. “Jonghyun…vampires…kidnapped,” you said, hoping Chanyeol would understand.

It seemed like he understood. His eyebrows rose in concern and panic.

“What?!”