Subscribe | Upvote | Comment

...Let Me Keep You

“Awwww!” cooed the beguiled group of female librarians. They flocked around their object of immense interest like bees swarming a hive. “You look so cute, Kyungsoo!” they swooned, hands pressed to their cheeks.

About a half of dozen women from the age of eighteen to fifty years old possessed star-glimmering eyes and moony expressions as they fawned over the prim and preppy Do Kyungsoo, immaculate in his newly purchased apparel.

The second Kyungsoo had stepped through the library’s welcoming doors, he received an instant and generous amount of amazed reactions from people he remembered encountering yesterday during his first visit. The petite youngster had ditched his specially-made, dark-colored articles of clothing for garbs that were more fitting and upscale, but not excessively appealing (because Jongin complained about his poor wallet). Instead of a dark brown corduroy, a pair of pastel purple skinny jeans sheathed his pronounced stick-like legs, cinched around his slim waist by a woven leather belt. His thick frock coat and stiff buttoned shirt were replaced by a pale blue cotton V-neck under a beige cardigan and navy zip-up jacket—the pieces of clothing were loose-fitted but correctly sized for his narrow, petite frame. His leather shoes were also switched out for a pair of popular high top converses that Jongin seemed to favor.

Kyungsoo liked it. He really, really liked it—this new style he was trying out. Everything from the jacket to the shoes were comfy and snug. He appeared sophisticated like how he originally wanted, yet wasn’t overly monotonous that could’ve betrayed his inner child. Sure the fabrics smelled ‘stringently manufactured’ as Minseok would put it, but the clinging scent would gradually fade, he pliantly determined.

Not only that, Jongin liked it. Kyungsoo smiled giddily when he recalled the impressed approval he received from his human. That moment had been so vivid to the young vampire. He could recall the scene with exact clarity. After he had eagerly slipped on his new set of handpicked clothing, Kyungsoo had emerged from the dressing room and made a mad dash for the full-length mirror. He had beamed at his reflection, body swathed in color and softness, and gave a little experimental spin, giggling. Then he had turned around and held out his arms in emphasis towards Jongin, who had been quietly waiting for his little one’s appearance, slouched against a shelf of folded jeans.

Kyungsoo had breathlessly asked, “Do I look good, Jonginnie?” His probing doe eyes had begged for an honest answer.

Smoldering mocha eyes had widened marginally at the transformed version of Kyungsoo, stunned by the fully blossomed beauty once hidden under a boring canvas. Then those eyes had softened, entirely hypnotized by the short, small form of the boy as if dazedly transfixed.

“...You look more than good, Kyungie,” Jongin had answered, voice soft and earnest. A mixture between a warm and dazzled smile had graced those thick lips.

Kyungsoo suspected that his human had a whole other arsenal of words that he wanted to use instead of just good. Beautiful, maybe. Amazing could be another, or perhaps fabulous.

Now Kyungsoo was being adored by his acquainted admirers that encaged him in an impenetrable barrier (wait, he could just crawl past their legs). His dainty chin was poised up modestly, a tiny flush of pink dusting his ultra-pale cheeks as he sheepishly wrung his thinly tapered fingers, not meeting anyone’s singularly infatuated gaze.

Because truly, only Jongin’s opinion mattered the most.

But seriously, humans must be that dimwitted to be easily and effectively charmed by a mere wardrobe change. Kyungsoo had been attracting ladies—and an occasional curious gent—left and right in a five mile radius. Was there no end to his oozing loveliness?

...

Clunk! Jongin offhandedly tossed the book on the growing pile that accumulated in the duration of his engrossed-in-working-while-thinking ordeal. It was a habit of his to stress over what was plaguing his mind while being productive. His hands wouldn’t keep still, darting here and there, as were his flitting eyes.

The dancer couldn’t stop hearing Kyungsoo’s sweet voice as it echoed in the enclosed realm of his mind.

“He’s not dead.”

“He’s not dead.”

“He’s not dead.”

Something heavy settled in Jongin’s chest. He paused abruptly in his restless ministrations, staring down at his work table, yet staring at nothing. A familiar face flashed before his blank eyes—facial features so distinct, it was impossible to forget even as time went by.

A handsome baby face framed with untamable curls. Small, elfin eyes with beady pupils that twinkled. Thin, shapely lips perpetually curved up in a wide grin.

...Chanyeol.

For three years, there had been no leads pertaining to Park Chanyeol. For three years, there had been no reassuring message from Chanyeol to indicate that he was fine and healthy. For three years, the Parks had been searching and hoping in vain to find their son and bring him back home where he belonged.

Therefore, after three tragic years, fruitless efforts of searching ceased and not much else happened—except that Chanyeol’s family and closest friends had mourned their loss. It would never be the same without that the tall, curly-haired boy who was like a cheerful dose of sunlight and laughter.

Jongin heaved a depressed sigh and rested his elbows on the work table. He rubbed at his weary, downtrodden face, pinching the ridge of his nose stressfully. You need to stop dwelling in the past, he scolded himself. But that reprimand caused the tall male to sag in his chair, because apparently, he failed in doing so, making a contradictory out of himself. From the start, Jongin had been isolating himself by moving out of his parents’ house at the age of seventeen. In addition, he hardly initiated a conversation or developed any other interest other than his usual hobbies. Since he had considered Chanyeol as his only confident and friend-for-life at a stubbornly young age, he hadn’t established a strong bond with anyone else. No one could replace or substitute for the head-over-limbs moodmaker. That was that.

But maybe...someone could make Jongin shed his defensive walls and open up his heart again.

In a single instance, a pale-skinned, owl-eyed cutie pie dominated all other thoughts. A bright, dreamy gleam shone in the dancer’s mocha eyes. At the same time, a fond, amused smile played on his lips.

Kyungsoo looked so perfect in the clothes I bought him, Jongin revered contently as he stacked a bunch of books on a cart. And now that I think about it, I hadn’t had that much fun shopping since I was a kid.

The tan-skinned male recalled how blinded he felt when Kyungsoo had stepped out from behind the dressing room corridor to gleefully pose in front of him. Before, his little one had donned solid articles of clothing that molded against his tiny body like a thick pelt. But now, Kyungsoo comfortably wore garments that clung to his slender frame (excluding the form-fitting skinny jeans). The introduction of soft, crisp colors had produced a type of ethereal glow around Kyungsoo, and as he presented himself with his tiny arms outstretched like an angel spreading its wings, Jongin had automatically responded to the younger boy’s question and had swept him up in a celebrative hug.

Jongin sighed, drowning in a tub of bliss that the memory provided for him. But when he heard his boss’s nagging voice nearby in the checkout area, he flinched and quickly redirected his attention back to his job, beginning to wheel the book-crammed cart out of the back room.

The last thing that plagued Jongin’s mind was acknowledging how eerie it was that Kyungsoo knew something that he didn’t. It made him shudder ominously.

“He’s not dead.”

...

On a solid white door with the sign reading ‘No unauthorized personnel allowed’, a snow-white hand curled into a lax fist succinctly pounded against it.

Knock, knock.

“Hm?” The young security guard slouched in his rolling chair tore his bored gaze away from the wall of monitors to glance over his shoulder at the direction of the noise. He waited for another knock to confirm if he hadn’t conjured it up or not, but...there was nothing else.

“Humph,” snorted the guard and lolled his head over to the monitor screens again. “I must’ve been imagining things,” he mumbled sourly to himself. Being holed up in a dark room to his lonesome with only video feeds of people to accompany him was having negative effects to his appliance-fried brain.

And yet...

“Oh, I assure you,” purred a honey-dripping voice from the darkness, “you’re not imagining things, cutie.”

The young mall cop nearly bolted out of his chair when he whirled around in half-fright, half-startlement. An intruder! his mind screamed.

But when his tired eyes landed on the intruder, his mind went blank and his throat dry.

Be...beautiful, the guard inwardly gaped.

The beautiful intruder stepped forward gracefully, a playful smile on his full lips and hands knotted behind his back that conveyed no harm. The washed out glow from the monitors casted a heavenly glow around the unannounced person, magnifying the smooth complexion of snowy skin that was stark against the surveillance room’s dark depths.

A detectable blush colored the guard’s cheeks and he scrambled up to his feet, trying to look vigilant and authoritative but failing. His hands were clammy and voice evident with awe as he demanded, “Who...who are you? How did you get in here?”

The pale-skinned trespasser lifted one poised hand and pointed at the door that the young guard swore hadn’t opened. “I got in through the door, duh.” Then the person pointed at himself, dark eyes twinkling. “And as for who I am...well, it’s not necessary that you should know my name, youngling.”

Too entranced by the stranger’s flawless face and sugary voice, the mall cop only uttered, “Uhhhhhh, okay.” His eyelashes fluttered rapidly, face slipping into a loopy expression. “Can—can I help you with something? Are you in need of assistance?”

The eagerness to please elicited a stunning smile from the beautiful person. He drifted forward until he could feel the radiating heat from the blushing mall cop. Oh, how he wanted to devour the heat and replace it with a cold, empty husk. He would do it with complete and utter mirth.

“Yes, I would be very happy if you did, indeed, help me,” he cooed. “Can you locate a certain someone for me using the surveillance videos? He’s very dear to me and I was tragically separated from him.” A false sigh of forlorn spilled from his lips, effectively invoking sympathy from his newly acquired puppet.

“S-sure,” conceded the young man, falling back into his rolling chair woodenly and sliding his fingers across the monitor buttons. “If you tell me where and when in the mall you last saw your, er, dear person, I can pull up the video feed.”

Tapping his cheek thoughtfully, the alluring male sorted through his long list of preferable choices. “The large fountain on the bottom floor around...ten o’ clock, perhaps?”

With swift precision, the correct camera was chosen and zoomed in on a single monitor screen. The time stamp was inputted, rewinding the recording.

“Here,” blurted out the hypnotized guard, gesturing at the video playing at regular speed. “Do you...do you see the person you’re looking for?”

“Hmmm,” hummed the lovely trespasser debatingly, leaning closer to the screen as his keen eyes waited to catch a glimpse of familiar physical characteristics. The guard shot him furtive glances (that he did notice but pretended not to), anxious by his silence—scared to disappoint him.

Ten awfully long minutes passed which made the mall cop squirm uncomfortably and tap his impatient fingers on the keyboard.

“What in the world?”

The sharp tone made the young security guard jump. “Wh—what’s wrong?”

A pale finger pointed at two figures in the screen. “Rewind it for a couple of seconds and then play it.”

The order was quickly complied to, and the intruder’s attractive eyes widened in disbelief. He was in a state of shock at what he saw.

Am—am I dreaming? Is Kyungsoo really with a HUMAN?! Minseok freaked out, his panic mode on overdrive, then horror dawned on him. Oh no, when Master Joonmyun finds out, that human will be vampire kibble.

“Is everything okay?” asked the human worriedly.

Minseok forced himself to keep up with his theatrical act and smiled brightly at the human, his crescent eyes disappearing. “Yeah, everything’s fine! Now I can catch that little booger of mine and his new...friend.” Minseok had to choke that word out. “Thanks so much! I’ll take my leave now!” With a jaunty wave, he was gone in a flash.

The once-bored security guard scratched his head in puzzlement. “How does ‘dear person’ become ‘little booger’?”

...

Minseok had deserted the mall in five seconds flat, his strong legs surging him forward past the common area and out into the car-clogged streets as he brought his thumb to his lips and nibbled on it in inner turmoil.

Thisisbadthisisbadthisisbad, he fretted, mind racing with a legion of jumbled thoughts. I just can’t believe it. Out of all people, Young Master Kyungsoo fraternizes with a HUMAN!

The panicking chubby-cheeked vampire zipped down an avenue and veered a corner, startling passerbyes. In his head, Minseok recalled the distinct features of the human being more-than-friendly with Kyungsoo.

Tall. Lean. Tan. Dark-haired, he mentally jotted down. I have to report this to Master Joonmyun right away. Minseok blanched, regret etching his cherubic features. I’m sorry, Kyungsoo, but my priority is to find you—and having you become familiar with a human will only make leaving worse.

With a burst of speed, Minseok tracked down his master with great urgency.

...

Kyungsoo was trilling with infectious giggles as he jounced into the apartment, twirling and leaping towards the living room as Jongin shut the door closed, his lips curved in an amused grin as he watched his perky little one prance about.

“Jong-in-nie is SO cool when he dances!” sang the cutie pie, flapping his short arms exuberantly.

The said dancer blushed deeply because only Kyungsoo’s compliment would have an immense, meaningful effect on him. And when his shorter-than-four-foot admirer tried to mimic the dance moves he’d demonstrated today, he was on the verge of a blissful heart attack. Watching Kyungsoo nimbly but poorly copy his body movements was freaking adorable—he should’ve recorded that on his phone.

Still hyperactive from an upbeat day, Kyungsoo ran around the coffee table in dizzy circles like a dog chasing its tail. Jongin had to whip out his hand to snag up the raven-haired boy by his jacket.

“Whoa!” Jongin exclaimed as he tried to get a solid hold on the giggling boy who was kicking out his legs that were suspended above the floor. “Hold on a second, kiddo. Here, take off your jacket.”

Hearing the older male’s request, Kyungsoo wiggled off his jacket to which Jongin added to the pile of his stuff accumulating on the couch. The small, owl-eyed boy beamed up at Jongin as if he was staring at his most favorite person in the whole wide world.

As a matter of fact, he was.

Flattered and touched, Jongin smiled back and ruffled his little one’s silky raven locks.

“Hey, Kyungie, I’m going to take a quick shower,” he said, placing Kyungsoo back on his feet. “But since it’s only the evening, we can...hang out here and watch TV if you want.”

An admiring sparkle shone in Kyungsoo’s doe eyes. TV? Ooh, he loved that rectangular, image-moving screen! “Okay!”

...

To Minseok, it felt like the crisp, cool air of the oncoming autumn season was away to be replaced by an arid desert setting. The air around him was unnerving as it was dead quiet.

If Minseok hadn’t been distressed by the drastic decline in humidity, he would’ve said that his master’s sharp, tempestuous words would’ve ‘broken the ice’.

“...A human?”

The raging disbelief bottled up in an air-tight container was ready to fracture its prison’s walls and unleash itself. Almost instantaneously, the slit-eyed vampire flinched as a tiny cut split his lower lip. A thin line of purplish-red blood dribbled down from the laceration. Instinctively, his tongue darted out to lap up the blood, his venom healing the itty-bitty wound.

In a flash of blurry movement, his master towered over his kneeling form on the ground of the unoccupied park. His voice withheld a snarl as he demanded, “Are you for certain, Minseok?”

Fear-driven, the apprehensive subordinate jerked his head in a terse nod. Discreetly in his mind, Minseok whispered a feverish sorry to his young master for being a tattle-tell. Forgive me, Soo.

The imposing shadow towering over Minseok flitted back a few steps. Raising his meek chin, the chubby-cheeked vampire saw that his master was madly pacing back and forth—Master Joonmyun paces a lot when he’s trouble-minded, Minseok thought with a sigh—his thin brows knitted together and hand cupping his softly-sculpted chin. As Joonmyun muttered, his voice grounded out a beautiful, low melody.

“Not again... This is not good... How am I supposed to...?”

Joonmyun must’ve calmed down somewhat because Minseok could feel the muffled touch of moisture in the air once again—which he took as a reassuring sign to speak up.

“How do you want find Kyungsoo now?”

Pace stopping midway and heels swiveling, Joonmyun regarded his inquiring subordinate with a look that indicated a blue print being hastily drawn out.

“Have you gone to sample the scent of the human who was with Kyungsoo for reference?” asked the superior one.

A firm nod. “Yes, master. I went back and had the scent memorized.”

“Good, good,” approved Joonmyun, an ardent gleam in his dark, round orbs. “With that, you and I will canvass the areas where we found traces of Kyungsoo’s scent—like at that library—and see if the human’s scent intermingles with his. From here on out, we’ll have to be open-minded and not miss anything this time.”

When Minseok rose from his kneel, Joonmyun came over and clapped his guard gratefully on the shoulder.

“Minseok...” There was a thoughtful pause before a slight smile graced Joonmyun’s lips. “For once your silly detours made a breakthrough in something.”

And Minseok grinned sheepishly.

...

They had played old board games.

“Po-ro-ro! Po-ro-ro!”

They had conceitedly taken a hundred of selcas together.

“Po-ro-ro! Po-ro-ro!”

But everything paled in comparison to how much Kyungsoo loved watching the kids’ show Pororo than anything else.

“Po-ro-ro! Po-ro—KRONG!”

“Ack!” Jongin toppled off the couch at the outburst.

Too preoccupied with his newfound interest to notice his fallen savior, Kyungsoo bounced on the couch and clapped his hands gleefully. His sweet voice belted out melodious trills as he sang, “Po-ro-ro! Po-ro-ro!”

...It was a sad day when you were replaced by an animated character for the ‘most favorite person in the world’ title.

With a downhearted (kicked puppy) expression, Jongin poked his head over the top of the coffee table to frown (ahem, pout) at the lack of attention that his little one neglected to provide.

Stupid penguin. Just because you wear goggles, you think you’re all that. The dancer scoffed, glaring at the TV—or more precisely, the waddling blue penguin. How dare you steal my Kyungie away from me.

Then Jongin almost choked on his saliva. Did he really think that Kyungsoo was his?! How many times did he think like that already? Well, he always did refer to Kyungsoo as his little one...

A looming shadow in his peripheral brought Jongin back to reality. Just as he was tilting his chin up, a small, bird-resembling body launched off the couch and—

“Ah! Kyun—OOF!”

Jongin’s back roughly slammed onto the rug-draped floor and a light, yet misplaced weight dug into his flat stomach. He choked out a breathless cough, caught off guard by the overzealous tackle.

Fortunately he didn’t mind the rowdy antics when a smooth, cold cheek nuzzled his warmer one; small, dainty hands braced against his firm neck and shoulder for support. The dancer’s wheezing rasps slipped into content sighs.

“What was”—Jongin croaked out a hoarse cough—“that for?” As he achingly propped himself up in a suitable sitting position, Kyungsoo had primly situated himself in his crisscrossed lap. The smaller boy wore a jubilant beam, displaying two neat rows of pearly-white teeth and healthy pink gums.

“Because I’m happy!” crowed Kyungsoo.

An incredulous look. “...Why?”

The response was rapid-fire quick. “Because I’m with you, silly! You always have something fascinating to show me, and you always do your best to take care of me, and you—”

A big, tan hand covered the owl-eyed boy’s blabbering mouth, but the owner of the hand was smiling compassionately, the same warmhearted compassion reflected in his dark eyes. “I get it, kid,” chuckled Jongin. “No need to confess your undying love for me,” he joked.

Kyungsoo freed his mouth by cupping Jongin’s hand and pressing it to his cheek. His round eyes did that thing where it enormously probed for an honest answer, out the dormant soul from his question of interest. “But what if I want to confess to you that I love you?”

...Did he just say what I think he just— Jongin’s mind had internally shut down until...one...two...three...

HE JUST INDIRECTLY TOLD ME THAT HE LOVED ME!

Sent flying loose from his bow, a thousand of cupid’s stupid, love-inducing arrows made target with the rapidly beating muscle in the taller male’s chest. The staggering blow caused his heart to eccentrically pump blood, hard and fast, in and out of his throbbing arteries. Was he undergoing cardiac arrest? He could vividly imagine the cry of ‘man down, man down!’ piercing through the quiet air like a wailing siren. Dammit. Jongin should’ve written a will in preparation for his death. Eighteen years of breathing was not enough to simply end in a silly, tragic way.

Jongin, being the pathetic human being he thought himself to be, stammered out feebly, “I-I g-guess you could—i-if you wanted to. But that’s your choice, not mine!” He practically blurted out the last part mindlessly.

In response, Kyungsoo giggled sweetly, unjudgmental of the older boy’s flustering. He loved seeing the rush of blood that undeniably surfaced underneath the canvas of rich, tan skin every time he made a heartfelt comment. It was a priceless moment to cherish because Jongin rarely blushed or reacted instantaneously unless around Kyungsoo.

That only indicated that Kyungsoo was an important person to Jongin...and that the owl-eyed boy’s irresistible charm had chained another helpless victim in its grasp.

Being a vampire, Kyungsoo idly wondered, did it mean that every human was susceptible to fall prey to his looks and voice?

He infinitesimally tightened his hold on his human who was trying to recover from his emotional overload. No, thought the young vampire resolutely with an inward head shake. Jongin was different. Of course, everyone on the planet was different—no two were the same—but in this case, Kyungsoo meant how uncircumstantial it was that fate had tethered their lives together. Kyungsoo could’ve been saved by any human that fateful night, or maybe he wouldn’t have encountered a human at all, and yet here he was, clinging to a living human male who, by far, was unknowingly weaker than him and wasn’t even about a fraction of his true age.

Since Kyungsoo had met Jongin, his view on the world had...broadened itself. Feelings he hadn’t experienced before became a new experience every day. He was learning what it was like to be a human—eating, dressing, and living just like them.

Not only that, Jongin had begun to become an integral part of Kyungsoo. The young vampire recalled how unbearable it was when an inch of distance separated them. He always found himself instinctively seeking out Jongin for something—whether it be to hold his hand or ask him a question—and the spider web of his thoughts were seamlessly interwoven with Jongin and Jongin and Jongin every other second.

Rising to his feet, the little vampire reached down and gently tugged at the calloused hands of his savior. He tugged and he tugged, pretending to be too weak to make his savior move a budge. That indication prompted the taller male to comply with the smaller boy’s wishes by hauling his slouched form off of the floor. As if now a habit, he linked his fingers through the tiny, slender digits that welcomed the action. An appeased smile was directed his way, then he was towed over to the comfy couch where he was pulled down to lay, his legs stretched out and shoulders propped up against the armrest. Meanwhile, the delicately-built vampire rested his petite physique on top of his human’s larger build. Strong yet gentle arms were draped around his body in an unconsciously possessive manner. Kyungsoo sighed contently, tuning out the background noise of the TV and the apartment complex’s indoor plumbing, cozy within the embrace of his human.

Kim Jongin...had become his anchor in life—something that tethered him to this world both physically and mentally. Would their souls also be tied together one day? Kyungsoo fervently hoped so.

“Jonginnie?” he murmured.

“Hm?”

“Can you tell me about your family?”

There was a brief pause of hesitation. “Why do you want to know about my family?” Jongin ventured skeptically. He studied the pale boy using him as a mattress inquiringly. Avoiding the gaze directed at him, Kyungsoo twiddled with his human’s cotton shirt, crippling with shyness.

“I was curious...because I saw those pictures of you,” Kyungsoo admitted diffidently. “B-but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Jongin raised a hand to lightly caress Kyungsoo’s softly-curved chin with the back of his knuckles; it reassured the younger boy that his question wasn’t intrusive. “I don’t see why not? We have time.”

He gestured at Kyungsoo to come closer, so the young vampire decided to cuddle up against his human’s well-toned side, an arm cradling him close. Lips a hairbreadth away from his little one’s smooth forehead, Jongin began to tell the shortened summary of his wonderful family at a methodical pace. He spoke of his hardworking and supportive parents—his father a respected doctor and mother a friendly receptionist—who both worked at a prestigious hospital together. He spoke of his two older sisters—one married and the other attending college—who made it their daily chore to and bother him because he was their baby brother. He spoke of his precious dogs—two toy poodles and a regular poodle—who he had to leave behind because his apartment didn’t allow pets.

Kyungsoo listened attentively, his vigilant eyes never straying from his human’s handsome, solemn face. He explicitly understood the underlining messages that became clear as Jongin spoke on.

Jongin was lonely. Jongin was grieving. Jongin was discontent.

Did Jongin purposely isolate himself in a way to cope Chanyeol’s absence? Chanyeol must’ve been a very important person to him to cause such an impact, thought Kyungsoo.

After the last word of Jongin’s recollection died on his lips, they sank into a thoughtful silence. Kyungsoo had buried his face in the groove of Jongin’s neck, enjoying his human’s warmth and comfort while Jongin rubbed distracted circles on the younger boy’s back. The sound of the clock’s ticking was pronounced within the pregnant silence.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock...

“Kyungsoo?”

Something about the way how his name was laced with underlining agony made the little vampire snap his head up. “Huh? What is it, Jonginnie?”

Those dark, tantalizing eyes were fixated elsewhere as Jongin asked hoarsely, “Kyungsoo...just talking about my family made me think...what about your family? Aren’t you worried that they haven’t found you yet? What happens if they discover that you were with me the whole time? They’d probably think I’d kidnapped you.”

The raven-haired boy mulled over the problems seriously—inwardly cringing when he thought of his overbearing parents and other kinsmen—yet all he could dwell on was probably the same problem that agonized his human.

I don’t want to leave you.

“My daddy will find me,” Kyungsoo asserted with heavy conviction, but then his sure tone became softer. “But don’t worry about him or anyone else.” He circled his skinny arms around Jongin’s neck so he could pull himself closer, gently knocking his forehead against the latter’s. “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he firmly stated.

“But don’t you want to go home?” Jongin whispered, his warm breath tickling Kyungsoo’s face.

Kyungsoo drowned himself in the deep color of mocha that sought for a type of remedy that would ease confliction. He already knew his answer—he’s known it all along since that night when he let a human stranger become his beloved savior.

“No...” he whispered back. “I want to stay with you.”

Then quietly and gratefully, those mocha orbs melted into a steel of fierce determination and earnest intention.

“Then let me keep you. Here...with me.”

All Kyungsoo had to do was dip his head to fleetingly press his lips against another.

“Yes, please.”

...Yeah, so...I updated? /gets smacked with a fan/

/rubs bump/ Okay, okay. The reason why I didn't update earlier was because this chapter was a booger. Grrr. I couldn't find the right words to use until I went all nuts typing this weekend. I wanted this chapter to be more than just good, because this chapter gave the title its name. Oh, and I also tried fixing any mistakes I spotted in previous chappies.

Anyways, I MISSED YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Even though I don't deserve it, but can you PLEASE leave a comment or upvote? /puppy-dog eyes/ I'd like to say HI to all my new subbies that I gained during my short hiatus! Welcome to my world of failure randomness!

BIG QUESTION: Do any of you guys have a Windows 8 computer? If you do, when you go on the AFF website, is everything aligned left and you can't see pictures? Ever since the format change, the website has been weird to me. Is there any way to fix it or give the admins a notice? Thank you in advance!

And my usual ending: Kaisoo-ness.

Cr: to real owners