Taemin’s thin legs were tired and gave way. He fell by the bedside to where Onew was, still panting heavily in his sleep.

“Onew hyung, tell Key you don’t want to leave me!” Taemin cried, gripping his hyung by his arm shaking him.

“Tell Key Umma you’ll take me away with you!”

“Onew hyung…”

“I haven’t heard you say you love me…”

“I haven’t told you I loved you…”

“Please don’t leave me…” Taemin broke down, head crashing into his arms, tears escaping like an overflowing sink.

The trio sat close to Taemin, each taking turns to comfort the poor boy. It was a gloomy morning.

Adam had been standing outside Taemin’s room and he heard Key talking, about Onew and his kind heart, his empathetic soul. Adam’s impression of Onew started to change. He walked back to their shared bedroom and saw his wife’s frail back facing him, sleeping.

“Eve, I’m sorry.” Adam crept up behind her and kissed her behind her ears, “I didn’t mean a single thing I said to you yesterday. Please forgive me.”

Eve opened her eyelids gently and turned around to face her lover. She reached up to give Adam a light warm kiss on his lips.

“I forgive you. I love you, Adam.”

Adam was pretty astounded. He couldn’t recall the last time he heard Eve said that to him, and he felt sorry that he hasn’t been assuring Eve of his love to her as well.

“I love you too, yeobo. You’re the best thing that happened to me.”

Adam helped Eve sit up on the bed, her head coming to lie on his well-built chest. As she told her husband of Taemin’s adventures in their absence, Eve felt all the sensations Taemin has described to her the night before.

He explained to Eve about the three beasts coming to see him yesterday, and what he heard earlier this morning next door. He told Eve how sick Onew was, and how heartbroken Taemin is when he heard about them leaving by today.

Eve let a tear slip out of her gorgeous eyes onto Adam’s chest.

“Yeobo, don’t cry. I’ll try to make things work. Trust me.” Adam tried to convince, he wasn’t very convicted himself.

All morning Adam tried to think of ways to help cure Onew of his sickness. He could look for Po, but Po’s not at home. He could get fairies and pixies, which are also nature’s healing spirits, but they are not easy to find. Time is really running out. Adam could only settle for his final choice: the Sea Witch.

The sea witch is very powerful and could concoct all sorts of potions to heal or to kill, but she also believes in the saying that ‘There is no free lunch in the world’. To obtain something from her, one must give up something of equal value to her. But Adam couldn’t think of anyone else but to seek for her help.

Adam stood outside his house and whistled for his dragon. Yes, Adam tames and owns a legendary dragon, all black and handsome. The dragon, Yong, could fly high into the endless heavens and dive low into the bottomless sea. It could manipulate rains and winds, but often hid itself in the secluded rock cliffs away from the glaring Sun.

Yong appeared promptly and majestically, making Adam all proud and boastful. He helped Eve up on the neck of the dragon and mounted on himself, holding onto the long horns of the black beast. Eve has decided to accompany Adam to wherever he goes, though he resisted because it was dangerous.

“Go to the sea witch.” Adam commanded.

Unlike fairytales where the sea witch lives under the sea, this one in Nornia lives by the sea but still alone of course.

The sea witch has a body of an octopus but a head of human, her seaweed hair always swaying with the sea breeze.

Adam and Eve dismounted from the dragon, walking hand in hand in the sand towards the sea witch’s cave.

“My beautiful sweetheart, I know you’d come back to me one day.” The sea witch smirked, as if expecting Adam all along.

“Cut the crap, witch. I need something from you.” Adam spat.

“Omo darling, that’s not the way to talk if you’re asking for a favour.” She snarled.

“Look, I need a healing potion.” Adam said flatly.

“And what do I get?” She demanded.

“I’ll give you my house.”

“Ani, I don’t need that. Look at my gorgeous cave.” She waved her hands around.

“Then what do you want?” Adam is getting irritated.

“How about Taemin?” The sea witch has been eyeing Taemin the day she laid her eyes on him.

He’s so pretty yet so handsome.

“No way!” Eve cried out loud, “Never!”

“Well, it seems you’re not too sincere about the potion then.” The sea witch laughed horribly, preparing to walk away.

“Is there anything else you want?” Adam asked earnestly.

“Adam, on account that you used to be my one true love, I’ll give it to you,” The sea witch said ready to give her terms, “If you give me your voice, and your wife’s splendid hair.”

“Deal.” Adam said without further thought. 

A lot of fluff!!!!!! But that's like the only way I can think of to keep Onew with Taemin, you understand right?:( 

Hoohoo, thanks for reading! ♥