*One month since Baekhyun started rooming with Zitao.

           A blade grazes the skin just below Zitao’s ribcage on his left side as a forearm presses against his throat, crushing his trachea until he’s lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. For some reason, Zitao can’t feel his legs at all and the figure’s knees rest against Zitao’s arms, securely locking them to the ground by his side, rendering Zitao defenseless. In Zitao’s eyes, the man straddling him only appears as a black figure with no distinct features. It’s unnerving not to be able to see who your attacker is and even with Zitao’s heightened senses, he finds there’s nothing distinct about this man. There’s no tangible specificity to his character apart from his ragged voice, no smell, no taste, and even his touch is off-putting because Zitao can feel this man pressing down on him, but in an almost ghostlike manner.

           “Creatures like you should not exist,” the black figure above him rasps. The blade presses in further, but not enough to break the skin just yet. “It’s my job to rid the world of animals like you. I’ll be doing the world a favor if I just end you now.” He presses the blade until it breeches the outer layer of Zitao’s skin and he can feel warm liquid puddle near his midsection. Zitao can’t say anything, can barely hiss as the blade goes deeper. “Just one swift movement and I can shove this blade through your gut and into your heart. Doesn’t that sound nice? You can consider it a mercy killing. You won’t have to suffer anymore for what you are.”

           Zitao grunts, his body desperate for air. The desire to free himself grows as the knife presses further into his abdomen. He struggles against the ghost like weight of the figure, summoning up energy from the animal within, the animal this man believes should be abolished. Countering the man’s weight by rolling to his side, Zitao finally frees his right arm, grabbing the figure and forcing him to topple over.

           Now that Zitao has the advantage, he kicks the knife away and holds the man down by sitting on him, hands immobilizing the man’s arms. Instinctively, he leans in until his teeth are grazing the man’s throat ready to rip it open as he makes the kill. The man is whimpering and suddenly his voice changes when it calls out.

           “Zitao! It’s me! Please!”

           Zitao leans back to view the figures face as it slowly becomes clear. The man’s eyes are clenched in pain, teeth gritting together as he stifles a hiss.

           “What are you doing? Get off!” The man is writhing beneath him.

           Zitao blinks, eyes clearing from the glaze of the dream he was just having.

           “Get off! It hurts!” Baekhyun practically screams, kicking his legs against Zitao’s bed in an attempt to free himself from the other’s clutches. If Baekhyun was half asleep when he first tried to wake Zitao up, he’s definitely awake now after being thrown down and bitten, of all things, and this is not what he signed up for when he decided to make sure Zitao went to class regularly instead of skipping like he would prefer to do.

           There’s a small hint of blood trailing down Baekhyun’s neck and realization hits Zitao like an unmanned bulldozer. He sits up, taking some of his weight off of Baekhyun’s midsection but he keeps hold of the other’s hands. A second instinct kicks in and Zitao drops forward, lapping at the bite mark on the right side of his roommate’s neck causing him to squirm in confusion and surprise. Baekhyun’s blood coats Zitao’s tongue the taste of it spiking an unknown heat within his gut and he has to force himself to stop. He’s it enough for the wound to heal.

           “I’m sorry,” Zitao whispers against Baekhyun’s skin, his mind heady with the scent and taste of him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wasn’t awake. I was having a bad dream.”

           With a huff, Baekhyun relieves the tension in his body. “It’s fine. You didn’t do it consciously. But could you let me up.”

           Zitao takes a deep breath, filling his mind and body with the scent of his roommate allowing it to act as a sedative to relax his nerves before he rolls over lying between Baekhyun and the wall. “Does it hurt?”

           His roommate slides off the bed to stand, rubbing at the tender skin of his neck. “Not as much as it did a second ago,” he says, pulling his hand into his line of vision to inspect it. “I’m surprised I’m not bleeding. I was sure you broke the skin.”

           Zitao watches, peeking his tongue out to the remaining taste of Baekhyun off his lips, willing himself not to think about how much he would like to taste it again, to feel Baekhyun’s blood pooling in his mouth and gliding down his throat, to bite at that throat and stake a claim, marking Baekhyun in a manner that only his kind would understand.

           “You bit me,” Baekhyun says in an accusatory tone. “Why would you bite me?”

           Zitao shrugs, gazing at the irritated skin on his roommate’s neck. “Instinct.”

           “You’re so weird.” He turns, heading towards the bathroom, but Zitao grabs his arm and yanks him to the bed. “Let go! I want to see how it looks. I need to make sure you didn’t give me rabies or something.”

           They continue struggling for a moment until Baekhyun relents because it’s obvious Zitao is much stronger than him. “Don’t worry. It’s fine,” he reassures him. “I it after all.”

           “Like that’s supposed to make me feel better,” Baekhyun huffs, wiggling enough to elbow his roommate in the chest.

           Baekhyun’s on his back with Zitao at his side, his arms tightly wrapped around Baekhyun’s torso to make sure he’s not going anywhere, snuggling his face into the nook between his shoulder and neck. “I can it again if you want.”

           A garbling noise emits from Baekhyun as he scrunches his shoulder to protect his neck. “You’re even weirder than usual when you wake up. What is wrong with you all of a sudden?”

           “I’m still sleepy,” Zitao whines, sounding like an exhausted puppy who’s annoyed about being woken before he got enough hours of sleep. Everyone knows puppies need a lot of sleep to make it through the day. “Just let me sleep.”

           “As much as I would love to go back to bed, class is important and why do I have to be your pillow?” Baekhyun flops his legs like a mermaid out of water because they’re the only part of his body that isn’t being smothered by his gangly roommate.

           “If I leave you alone, you’ll just keep trying to wake me up.”

           Baekhyun continues flopping between words, trying to escape but not actually using enough force to be successful. “That’s because it’s almost time for class and if I don’t force you to go, you’ll never pass.”

           Deciding there was far too much movement going on, Zitao drapes his leg over Baekhyun’s so that he’s now using his roommate as a very literal body pillow. “Let’s just go back to sleep and forget about class,” he murmurs. “One day never hurt anyone.”

           “Lies! I’ve been here for a month and you’ve missed at least five days because you were too lazy to get out of bed.” The now human body pillow heaves a deep breath, lying still and feeling heavily weighted down. “We can’t just skip class.”

           “Yes we can,” Zitao argues. “I really didn’t sleep well last night. Can’t you just let it go? It’s not like we’re going to get in trouble. No one’s going to say anything. Besides, if I go to class I’ll just fall asleep anyway.”

           “That’s easy for you to say. They’re all afraid of you.” In the month that they’ve spent together, Baekhyun’s slowly began to understand that Zitao is different. He keeps people at a distance, instills a sense of fear within them, and threatens them with his darkened eyes like he’s some kind of predator. He didn’t notice it at first because those looks were never really focused at him, but he’s seen it when someone new comes into the little bubble he’s created. He glares at their classmates when they come over to talk to Baekhyun and sometimes it feels like he’s barely tolerating Yixing and Kyungsoo when they eat together.

           It’s just like Yixing and Kyungsoo said, Zitao’s always been different with Baekhyun. For some reason, he doesn’t seem so harsh when he’s around his roommate, doesn’t seem so menacing. Even though it sounds a bit strange to put it this way, he seems much more human when he’s with Baekhyun and Zitao likes it like that. He likes being able to joke around with his roommate. He likes their silly banter and Baekhyun’s playful punches when he gets annoyed. He likes that Baekhyun’s a little bossy; that he doesn’t let Zitao get away with anything when it comes to school. These mundane things make Zitao feel normal, something he’s never really felt before.

           Right now, Zitao likes that he has someone who isn’t afraid of him or sees him as a superior, what wit him being next in line for alpha male and all. He likes that he has someone who considers himself equal to him, someone he can hug close while trying to convince him to skip class like any other average high school student would in this situation when his friends bugging him to go and he’s too tired to care. He likes that they’re friends because he’s never really been able to use the word before. Zitao’s had comrades and packmates, bodyguards and watchdogs, but never friends, especially not a best friends and that’s something he would like to work up to being with Baekhyun if time allows him.

           Zitao isn’t exactly an ideal prospect for a best friend and he knows it’s not even safe for Baekhyun to be around him right now what with trackers hunting him and all, but he still wants to try. Now that Zitao’s had a chance to actually get to know someone out of his designated list of allies, those people his parents deem worthy enough to associate with, he thinks it might not be so bad to actually communicate with people other than those affected by the same genetic abnormality that he and his packmates are gifted with. It’s not like he chose to be what he is and their people have grown past the problem of being controlled by their nature, so it’s not like they have trouble being around normal humans. It’s not like Zitao is going to suddenly lose his mind and kill everyone in sight like his ancestors did in the old days. They’re past that. They can function in society like everyone else, regardless of their hidden animalistic natures. 

            Zitao doesn’t like to think about it too much, doesn’t like to see himself as different than those around him. He doesn’t like labeling it or accepting the fact that he’s the descendent of such a dark race of half-human, half-canine creatures. He rejects that part of himself, but it comes out on it’s own because it’s a part of his nature and that’s not something he can change. He feels it when he gets a little possessive over Baekhyun or when he’s in a situation where he has to fight, like with the trackers. He especially felt it when he bit Baekhyun, felt the power of his true nature surge within him and he hates himself for almost wanting to follow along, letting it guide his actions. Zitao just wants to be normal, like everyone else, whatever that implies and for some reason when he’s with Baekhyun that’s how he feels, normal and he likes it.  

           “Zitao?” Baekhyun calls because they’ve been quiet for a few moments and he wonders is the boy’s gone to sleep already. He receives a half-conscious hum. “What have you been dreaming about recently? I’m just curious because this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you have a bad dream. You’ve been mumbling in your sleep a lot this week.”

           Zitao tilts his head up so that his face isn’t pressed directly against Baekhyun’s arm. “It’s always the same,” he explains. “Someone’s always trying to kill me, to suffocate me, but I can never make out who it is. Sometimes it feels like a ghost is pressing down on me or something even after I wake up.”

           “Sounds scary. No wonder you look so tired all the time,” Baekhyun mumbles, unconsciously resting his hand atop the arm Zitao has draped across his chest as an attempt to comfort him. His head drops to the side to gaze at his roommate’s sleepy visage. Zitao’s eyes are squinted in their already darkened, puffy lids, but his lips are sporting a pleased smile. “I guess it won’t hurt to catch up on some sleep.”

           “So you’re not going to argue with me anymore.” Zitao grins, knowing he’s won this battle, but that doesn’t mean the war on whether or not they should go to class is over. Baekhyun is definitely the persistent type, especially when he feels strongly about something like attendance policies, but he thinks it’s okay to let this one time go. Really, Baekhyun doesn’t feel like going to class much anymore, especially not after being assaulted by his roommate. He’ll consider this as Zitao owing him one; one what, he doesn’t know yet.

           “Just close your eyes and go to sleep.” Baekhyun looks back up at the ceiling trying to get comfortable with this death grip Zitao has on him. “Try not to kill me again, okay?”

           Zitao murmurs an agreement before his body goes slack and he drifts off into a dreamless sleep. His grip won’t let up, so Baekhyun makes the most of his situation, turning a bit to get a better position so that he can catch some extra Z’s. He has to admit he’s been losing sleep too because Zitao’s woken up on more than one occasion having a fit and sometimes it’s tough for him to go back to sleep in the early hours of the morning. Right now, the warmth at his side feels pleasant and sleep comes surprisingly easy for Baekhyun considering his slightly uncomfortable position.

           If anything, Baekhyun takes pleasure in the idea that Zitao will wake up to find his arm completely numb under the pressure of Baekhyun’s body. He thinks that Zitao deserves at least that little bit of punishment for holding him hostage and using him as a body pillow.

           As per usual, Baekhyun wakes up first and is surprised to find his face crammed into Zitao’s chest. It’s hot, stifling almost, but Baekhyun’s trapped in his roommate’s too tight grip to get free. For a moment, he tries to wiggle his way out of Zitao’s arm only to have them tighten further, so he stills himself, resigned to wait until the other wakes up and releases him from his grip only Baekhyun suddenly has to pee really badly and he refuses to wet the bed because he hasn’t done that since he was four.

           “Zitao?” Baekhyun whispers. Using the bottom half of his arm because that’s the only free part on his body, he shakes at the sleeping male’s side. “Wake up, Zitao. It’s hot and I have to pee.”

           There are a few mumbled words from his sleepy roommate but no change in his grip or state of consciousness. Frustrated, Baekhyun starts pinching at Zitao’s sides, practically yelling now. “Wake up! I swear if you don’t let me go, I’m going to pee on you!”

           “Too loud,” Zitao groans moving his arm to drape it over his face as he rolls to lie on his back and Baekhyun escapes feeling triumphant as he rushes into the bathroom to relieve himself.

           By the time Baekhyun’s finished, Zitao’s sitting up on his bed still half asleep with his phone pressed to his ear. “You shouldn’t be calling me,” he says, voice still harsh with sleep. “I am being careful…I know, I know…Has anything suspicious happened around home? Any accidents?” He glances up at Baekhyun as he reenters the room, looking completely suspicious as he turns his face away as if hiding from his roommate as he whispers into the phone. “Yeah. I know…Don’t do anything stupid and don’t call me unless something happens…Yeah, I’m fine, seriously. Bye.”

           Even though he knows he shouldn’t be nosy, Baekhyun can’t help himself from asking, “Who was that?” because no one ever really call Zitao and they’re together almost all the time, so it’s only natural for him to be curious. Even so, he mentally slaps himself after the words come out because it’s really none of his business.

           “No one you need to worry about,” Zitao says, sliding his phone onto his nightstand before rolling out of bed and heading into the bathroom. Baekhyun tries not to dwell on it, but he can feel the warning in Zitao’s tone, as if telling Baekhyun he shouldn’t be inquiring about these things. Before Baekhyun can really let it sink in, Tao pops out of the bathroom with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, blue foam dripping down one side ready to stain his white shirt. “D’ya wanna grab lunch?” he garbles through the foam. “I’m starving.”

           Baekhyun laughs telling Zitao not to talk with his mouth full before he gets up and starts pulling on his gym uniform. He never had a chance to get dressed earlier because Zitao held him hostage and he thinks it’s best not to draw too much attention to them by at least wearing some part of their school uniform. Zitao does the same once he’s freshened up. They wait until it’s a decent time to go to cafeteria without looking suspicious, grabbing takeout containers and stuffing them with food thinking they can share whatever extra they grab, maybe even save it for later.

           They manage to avoid any of Baekhyun’s friends. Zitao doesn’t have any friends to worry about so that’s not a problem. Before too long, they’re back in their room gulping down food like they haven’t eaten in weeks.

           “Break is coming up in two weeks. Do you have any plans?” Baekhyun asks as Zitao shoves a second dumpling into his mouth. They’re sitting on the floor between their beds, their trays of food from the cafeteria laid out between them for the taking like an offering ready to sate their hungry stomachs.

           He shakes his head, chewing fervently. “I don’t really make plans,” he says mouth still half full.

           “Oh,” Baekhyun sounds almost disappointed as he crunches on a pickled radish.

           “What about you?” Zitao asks only half interested.

           “Going home.” Baekhyun steals a dumpling off Zitao’s tray. “I need to pick up a few things since the weather’s changing. It’s easier than having Mrs. Jung send them.”

           Zitao nods in understanding. “Make sure you tell her to send some food with you when you come back.”

           Baekhyun laughs and there’s a lull in the conversation as they both fill their mouths, missing breakfast definitely wasn’t a smart idea but the extra hours of sleep were great. After a while, Baekhyun clears his throat and glances up at his roommate, “If you want,” he pauses wondering if their close enough for him to make this offer. Gulping down some water he continues. “If you want, you can come home with me. It’s only a few days and my parents won’t be there so you won’t really be intruding and Mrs. Jung would probably like to meet you and you could eat good home cooked food and…”

           Zitao shoves another dumpling in Baekhyun’s mouth to shut him up because he’s rambling and Zitao’s found out through experience that once Baekhyun’s starts up he won’t stop without assistance. “I don’t want to impose,” Zitao says.

           Baekhyun shakes his head with quick jerks as he talks through his food. “No really, it won’t be a problem. You can think of coming with me as a way to make up for the fact that you bit me earlier and believe me it hurt. Besides, the house is really big and no one’s going to be there.” He stops to finish chewing his food, swallowing to clear his mouth. “I’ll be there by myself most of the time and well, I’d really like it if you came. That’s if you don’t have anything else to do and I totally understand if you’re busy or if something comes up, but if you don’t really have plans…”

           “Fine, fine,” Zitao says raising his hand to quiet Baekhyun. “I’ll go if nothing else comes up.” He just really wants Baekhyun to shut up for a moment.

           “Really?” Baekhyun seems excited and Zitao can’t help smiling as he nods. Honestly, Zitao’s never really had a friend invite him over and he can’t deny that he’s a bit interested in seeing where Baekhyun’s stays. Now that he really thinks about it, he’ll probably be worried about Baekhyun the whole time he’s away if he doesn’t go with him, wondering if he’s okay, if anything happened, if he’s in danger because anyone associated with Zitao is at risk of being attacked. It’s probably for the best that Zitao goes with Baekhyun home because he probably wouldn’t feel safe having his roommate go anywhere on his own.

           Even now, it’s hard to find Baekhyun without Zitao by his side at all times, whether it’s going to class, the cafeteria, the gym, the school store, basically anywhere Baekhyun is his roommate’s sure to be there with him. They do everything together and at first it caught their schoolmates off guard seeing Zitao so close with someone but now they’re considered a package deal. Yixing and Kyungsoo know that if Baekhyun’s invited then they should expect Zitao to come along. It’s too the point that it would be odd seeing one without the other.

           “Okay, you’ll have to think about what you want to eat so I can tell Mrs. Jung the menu. She can cook anything.” Baekhyun chews on the ends of his chopsticks as he decides what to eat next. “My house isn’t really close to anything,” Baekhyun adds on. “There’s a national park close by and lots of hiking trails. It’s really not much different from being here, so there’s not much to do, but it’ll be fun to show you around.”

           Zitao picks up a fishcake biting off half of it as he watches as Baekhyun mentally plans their trip. 

           “We could get a ride into town and maybe see a movie of something. I can show my favorite places and we could try out the local food together and…” Zitao tunes him out at this point because he’s sure Baekhyun will relay all of his plans to him again at a later time when everything’s more definite and they’re actually on their way to his home. The more he thinks about, the more excited he becomes. He’ll get to learn a little bit more about Baekhyun, see what his home life is really like. A part of him wonders if he’ll ever be able to tell Baekhyun his secret, if he’ll ever feel safe enough to reveal such information and if Baekhyun will be open enough to accept it. A part of him thinks Baekhyun will be okay even if he knows the truth, but another part of him is terrified at the idea of giving out such a personal piece of himself because it’s not something he readily accepts within himself and it’s not something he likes talking about even to his packmates.

           As his excitement stirs at the prospect of getting closer to Baekhyun by going home with him, so does a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that tells him he needs to be careful, that he shouldn’t let his guard down under any circumstances. At the moment, their school and it’s tightened security acts as a safe haven for them. Outsiders can’t bother them while they’re in the confines of the school grounds, but there’s really no knowing what obstacles they may face once their outside school walls and more susceptible to the dangers that are following Zitao in the form of trackers and possibly even other’s of his kind. Unlike his previous roommate’s, Zitao actually cares about what might happen to Baekhyun. He doesn’t think he can handle seeing Baekhyun hurt or put in jeopardy, especially not because of him. For now, he just has to wait it out and hope for the best, which isn’t something Zitao’s accustomed to doing. There’s not much hope within those that are seen as abominations, those that are forced to live by blending in and hiding their true natures.

           But still Zitao feels that there’s at least a bit of hope left for him because how can he not feel hopeful when he has someone like Baekhyun by his side.

A/N: I’ve been struggling with writing so much lately it . My inspiration always comes in short bursts and dwindles away just as quickly it comes. I’ve been writing pieces of updates here and there for everything, but I haven’t managed to finish any of them. And with this one I kind of skipped ahead and it’s kind of crappy and I just wanted to produce something and feel a bit accomplished because I need break through whatever this funk is. I don’t know…I guess this is getting me to where I want to be with this fic. It should get better…maybe…hopefully. I’m going to dig a hole now…kbye

As always thanks for reading, subscribing, and commenting. I truly appreciate all the love! <3 Jae