“So you decided to mind my words,” the voice on the phone told him.

“It’s not like I have many options to choose from right now,” Youngjae answered. His words came out heavy and if it could have been avoided in any way he wouldn’t have made this call in first place but there was no one else to ask for help right now because he simple didn’t know who else to trust and even if he had absolutely no prove he somehow believed that Jaejoong wanted to help them. He thought it through and he saw no reason that hurting Himchan would help Jaejoong in any way so even if he was not to too much into helping id didn’t look like he was out to harm him.

“It took you long enough to call me,” Jaejoong answered and Youngjae did not like how conceited his voice sounded. He felt that Jaejoong liked that he had to work with him because he was the only one that could help. Youngjae would have liked a bit more sincerity.

“Do you have any idea how much strength I need just to talk to you?” Youngjae asked him getting more and more displeased at how lightly the other took this conversation.

“Actually I can’t, since I’m from one of the old clans I don’t feel the way you do, but I’m glad you did despite of your struggle,” he told him.

He noticed how the wind started to carry some raindrops with it and guessed it wouldn’t take long to start raining. Youngjae wished he could make this phone call somewhere else besides the rooftop preferably somewhere indoors but it was the best location right now because it was out of Himchan’s hearing reach but near enough for him to notice what was happening inside the apartment. He was glad that they at least had a secure place to stay thanks to Jaejoong, the only worrisome thing about it was that Himchan could not feel at ease at place like this and his health was suffering because of it.

“So what is your plan?” Youngjae asked Jaejoong hoping the other one actually had a plan because he himself was running out of ideas.

“I talked with Junsu and he knows a group of influential hunters. Go to them to talk so that they can convince the hunters to leave you alone for a while until we have figured out what is going on,” Jaejoong told him.

“Are you crazy?! They want to hunt Himchan down and you want us to go to them to talk. As if they would actually talk to us,” he argued. Youngjae had hoped Jaejoong would have some information for him so he could find out what was going on but instead he came with the plan to throw him to the wolfs. He was on the verge of just disconnecting the call but Jaejoong on the other line backed him to listen.

“They are going to listen to you if Junsu talks to them first. Junsu is friends with two of them so they won’t hurt you without reason.”

“So you’re telling me now an immortal is friends with hunters,” Youngjae said not believing in which direction this conversation was going.

 “Yes, he plays soccer with them all the time,” Jaejoong told him.

“Are you joking right now? I’m here trying to talk to you about how we can save Himchan from not being killed and you are joking about them playing soccer,” Youngjae was almost screaming into the phone by now.

“I wish I was. Anyway just trust me about this. If you tell them to stay away from Himchan we are gaining more time. Even if the council has made orders they will not participate in executing them. They want the hunters to do it to keep their hands clean. It would be for the best to get the hunters on your side for as long as possible to buy us more time. It will take a while for the council to make a move on their own,” Jaejoong explained to him.

“Us? I thought you don’t want to have anything to do with it. That this was not your battle anymore.”

“And I told you I’m not going to let someone of my clan die. I’m trying to help the best I can. I got Junsu to talk to the hunters but I need you to talk to them too. If we get them on our side we have powerful alleys. They are a good of hunters that is well respected and powerful, we could use their help.” While he listened to Jaejoong trying to convince him it had started to rain. He was standing at the rooftop with just a shirt on and even if he did not freeze he wished that he had taken a jacked with him just not to get soaked.

“Listen, I’m just trying to do the right thing here. By staying away I have done the wrong thing long enough. I know I was selfish and it was wrong but back then I felt like I had no other choice. I want to do the best I can right now and that is to help Himchan. I’m not telling you to trust me or to do exactly as I say but I just want you to know that I wouldn’t do anything that could hurt Himchan or any of the persons that are close to him,” Jaejoong told him and Youngjae could hear the sincerity in his voice. 

“I just hope the council will not take actions on their own while we are having unnecessary discussions with hunters,” Youngjae said.

“You have to understand that the members of the council are immortals of old age. They do things the way they always did them. They let others play the game for them and declare wars that the young and innocent have to fend. You work for Himchan and get paid for it, from what I know you even consider him your friend but there are times I remember when people like you were put under mind control by the council so they followed every order given even to kill themselves and the easiest way to control someone is food deprivation. They got no blood until they behaved the way the council wanted them to behave. They don’t like the way Himchan sees the world and they will never understand that things can work a different way because they are way too gridlocked in their obsolete mindsets. I know how they work because I dealt with them for a long time so trust me on this,” Jaejoong explained.

“I can’t make decisions on my own right now. I at least have to discuss it with Daehyun but I’ll try my best,” he affirmed.

“I’ll text you the address and I’ll try to find out as much as I can. You can stay at the apartment as long as you need to.”

“Thanks for that,” Youngjae said and ended the phone call as soon as he had said it because he could no longer stand it. He had this strange feeling of doing something unmoral, something that he should under no circumstances do. He was shivering but not because he felt cold but more because he kind of felt disgusted by his doings. It was a feeling that was hard to comprehend and he wanted it to vanish as fast as possible and maybe it was the reason why he stood in the rain watching the lights of the city beneath and let the rain fall on him. His hair begun to start dripping and sticking to his face and even if he at first wanted to get away from the rain he now himself get drenched as if the rain could help to wash this feeling away.

“You’re all wet,” he heard Daehyun saying behind him.

“Yeah, I know. It’s not as if I’m going to catch a cold or anything,” he answered.

“That’s not what I meant. I was more revering to the fact that your white shirt is sticking to your body and I quite like the view,” Daehyun told him coming closer.

“I don’t think it’s the right time for that,” Youngjae said turning towards him. Even if he said those words and knew that they were right he did not want them to be. He longed for Daehyun’s presence right now.

“Me neither but I feel I could need this tenseness inside to get away a bit, even if we just suppress it,” he argued and Youngjae could not really find anything to respond since he felt the same. They had been together those few days but other things had been on their mind constantly.

He felt how Daehyun put an arm around him and he let himself fall in the others embrace. The well-known feeling of Daehyun’s body against his let him relax immediately. When Youngjae had been e of the things he had mist was the radiating warmth of a human body but after knowing Daehyun for so long he loved how Daehyun’s cold touches felt on his skin. They stood there for a while just enjoying each other’s presence before Youngjae turned towards Daehyun and put the wet fringe out of Daehyun’s eyes before pulling closer and kissing him passionately. Daehyun returned his kisses and he could feel how Daehyun pulled him even closer towards him. They only broke their kisses to draw breathes while the intensifying rain kept falling and soaked them as the lights of the city glistened behind them as dusk approached.

+++

Somewhere whilst lying on the bed covered in dark thick blankets watching the city lights get brighter as dawn turned into night time it had started to rain. The lights got a blurry mess and Himchan started to focus on the drops and how they made their way down the gals leaving ways for the next drops that landed. There was a strange feeling inside of him, as if something had been taken away from him that he didn’t even knew he had in the first place. Something was missing and since he did not know what exactly he knew there was nothing he could do to get it back. It felt like a hole inside his soul and it was getting bigger with every moment that passed. It was hard to concentrate on something else but this feeling inside of him and it was weakening him, making him feel vulnerable and helpless. He felt as if he was losing control, as if everything was spiraling out of his reach and he was frozen in place unable to do anything about it and almost ludicrously he was clinging his hope to a mere human who had no knowledge of what was going on and could not help him even if he knew. He felt like a child holding onto a teddy bear in hope the plushie could somehow take away all his sorrow just with his presence alone.

Strangely there was something contending about the thought of getting everything taken away from him, leaving him with nothing to do and nothing to decide, which meant nothing to care about either just managing to exist as the only thing to do and maybe he would have given in to this thought if it was only for his existence but there was someone else that he was responsible for. He had turned Zelo into one of his and he was bound to him so losing control could mean losing him, too and this was a thought Himchan could not bear.

Himchan who was currently lying in what seemed to be the master bedroom searched for Zelo’s presence and tried to calm himself down just by focusing on it. Apparently Zelo had noticed something because he could feel his presence coming closer.

“Are you okay?”  Zelo asked him and Himchan wanted nothing more than lie to him and tell him everything was fine, not to worry the boy more then he already was, but he knew he couldn’t lie to him and the truth was he could hardly remember a time that he had felt this bad. There had been a time where his mother had hired someone to find a cure and he was given some kind of medication that had had more side effects than it had done him good but at least he had been at home and not in a penthouse belonging to persons he didn’t trust and his life feared for. He felt as if with every breath he took his energy was fading and he decided instead of telling something to Zelo that was not the truth it would be best not to say something about this topic at all.

“Where are Daehyun and Youngjae?” he asked instead. His throat felt dry and his voice sounded low and rough.

“Youngjae is not here. I don’t know where he went. Daehyun is in the room right next to this talking with Yongguk,” Zelo answered and he could hear the confusion in his voice. If they were in the room beside them Himchan should actually hear them clearly but he didn’t. He tried to concentrate on the sound and he heard a clock ticking and the buzzing of the fridge and some muted voices somewhere but he could not clearly hear the actual conversation. If Youngjae was not in the apartment that could only mean that he was planning something. They had everything they needed for the moment so there was no reason to go outside but nevertheless he had gone somewhere. Himchan couldn’t shake the feeling that Youngjae trusted Jaejoong and would listen to him more that he would listen at what Himchan was telling him and he couldn’t even be disappointed or upset about it because Jaejoong offered him solution whereas Himchan was still lost about what was actually going on.

Zelo left the room for a second and came back an instant later with another blanked. Himchan hadn’t even noticed that he was freezing but now that Zelo but the extra blanket over him he saw the goose bumps on his arms.

“Thank you,” he said to him and wished he could do more for the boy instead of it being the other way around. He tried to hide the feelings inside him from Zelo as much as he could but he knew he could never block them entirely. It was different if the bond was old and time would eventually drift them apart at least that was what Daehyun had told him but for now the bond was fresh and thinks had to be shared. Himchan guessed it was some kind of protection for newly turned like a mother that new what her newborn needed even if it could not speak yet.

Himchan felt tired but at the same time he was too restless to think about sleep. He knew he had to calm down his mind first so that his body could rest but he had no idea how to do so. His head was aching and his eyes had a hard time to focus on something and he hadn’t noticed Daehyun coming into the room until he was standing right beside his bed. He looked concern and Himchan noticed that he looked pale and tired. It seemed he wasn’t the only one that had a hard time and it hurt him that everyone was only concerned about him instead of looking out for them. If they weren’t by his side they wouldn’t have gotten into the trouble in the first place.  In Daehyun’s hand was a glass containing dark red liquor making his senses come alive the second he smelled the iron scent of blood but the feeling faded as soon as it came. He tried to sit up but he lost his balance halfway along and felt back onto the bed. Zelo had to help him with the second try. As he took the first slip he couldn’t stop. He gulped down the blood as fast as his body allowed him too and even as the glass was empty he still tried to get the last drop. He caught himself tracing the edge with his tongue in hope there was still something left but he couldn’t restrain himself from doing some. He wanted more. He craved to get more and he tried to sense where he could get more but as his senses caught the familiar smell of the only human in the apartment he shuddered by his own thoughts and became ashamed by himself. He almost threw the glass back to Daehyun. Himchan hated it that he had so little control over his own body.

“Why did you do that?” Himchan shouted at Daehyun.

“Because you needed more blood,” Daehyun reasoned.

“Then you could have asked me,” Himchan said harshly but not as loud as he wanted to because now even his voice started to fail him.

“But you drank it,” Daehyun said clearly not getting what Himchan was angry about.

“As if I could do anything else,” Himchan told him

“You really needed more.”

“And because you think that you just act on your own. Because you no better what is good for me than I do,” Himchan screamed with hoarse voice.

“Himchan I…,” Daehyun started.

“Out! Leave this room,” Himchan interrupted him in commanding tone and he knew that Daehyun had no other choice than to obey. After Daehyun left the room he sank back in his bed and tried to calm himself down but all he could do was worry. All the time being together with Daehyun and Youngjae there had never been a situation similar to this. They had always done what he had asked them to do and in return he had allowed them to stretch the limits of what their job was and let them patrol the streets if they felt like it. His mother had always told him he was too lenient with his servants but he never considered them as such. In his maybe a bit naïve and simplified perception they were but friends who helped him out. He saw Zelo also leaving the room and heard someone talking outside but he was not interested in listening.

“I’m not really a good cook but I’m an expert when it comes to this,” Yongguk said as he entered the room shortly after Zelo had left it and Himchan did not have to look what was inside the bowl because the spicy smell of instant noodles immediately hit his nose.

“You do know that it was a nutrition value of a plastic bag,” Himchan told him not feeling hungry but grateful that Yongguk had even thought about making something for him.

“But it tastes awesome,” he reassured him sitting down on the bed.

Himchan sat up again now feeling a bit better since he had new blood in his system and took the bowl and chopsticks from Yongguk and started eating. At least Yongguk had not lied and he had indeed managed to boil the noodles to perfect consistence and since it was forever since he ate instant meals for the last time he enjoyed the taste.

“And?” Yongguk asked.

“Not bad,” Himchan answered observing a disapproving look on Yongguk’s face.

“So that’s your favorite food?” Himchan asked him finding it strange that Yongguk put such emphasis on how it was cooked.

“Yes. Especially raw,” he answered.

“Raw?” Himchan asked back.

“Yes just put the powder on top of the noodles and eat it like that,” he explained seriously.

“You’re not kidding?” Himchan asked suspicious.

“No. It’s like eating chips or something,” Yongguk answered.

“If it wasn’t already unhealthy you make it even worse by eating uncooked noodles instead of eating something cooked,” Himchan nagged.

“Because it takes no time cooking,” Yongguk explained and Himchan remembered that he could normally eat whatever he liked because they had a cook that made it for him unlike Yongguk who had to care for himself.

“What are you thinking of?” Yongguk asked apparently noticing that Himchan had been lost in thoughts for a moment.

“Nothing. Just that it feels like the first time we had this kind of casual conversation with each other,” Himchan said not wanting to tell what he had really thought about.

“Yeah, your right,” he replied taking the now empty bowl out of Himchan’s lap and putting it on the nightstand showing no intend to bring it back to the kitchen.

“What do you do in your free time?” Himchan asked not wanting the conversation to end pretending everything was okay.

“Move over,” Yongguk said and lied himself next to Himchan.

“I like to help at an orphanage not far from my apartment,” he told him.

“Oh okay,” Himchan said not really knowing what to answer.

“I really like children and it’s fun to play with them,” he explained.

“What do you like about them?” Himchan asked knowing that it was a strange question but he had not had much contact with children so he asked himself why Yongguk liked it.

“I don’t know. The way they see things without prejudice and predisposition and the way the can do things over and over again without getting bored and isn’t it just great to hear them laughing,” Yongguk told him with a sparkle in his eyes that Himchan had never seen before. He dared to snuggle closer to Yongguk and put his head on his shoulder enjoying the heat that radiated form his body warming him more than the two blankets and tried to pretend that they were just two lovers that talked to each other after a stressful day before falling asleep in each other’s embrace.

“I rarely have contact to children,” Himchan told him.

“You should come with me one day,” Yongguk proposed.

“I don’t think it is possible,” Himchan said worried.

“Why not. We could go in the evening when it’s already dark and put the small ones to bed,” he said and Himchan tried to imagine it and even if it was an idea that seemed so far away right now he pictured it while letting sleep engulf him.

+++

While Youngjae was on the phone again talking with somebody concerning their situation Daehyun found himself reminiscing about the past. It had been a long time since he last thought about how they got to know Himchan. Both of them had no reputation for working for one of the most influential families of immortals and yet they had found themselves assigned to work for their child. Himchan had been just a small boy than and they had seen him grow up to the man he was now but sometimes Daehyun still saw a bit of the silly hyper kid shining through and he was afraid that if things stayed as they were he would lose this part of him. Himchan was feeling sick again and he had the apprehension that it might be connected with their cooperation with Jaejoong that went against Himchan’s will. Maybe it was not only taking a toll on them but also on him. He wanted to talk with Youngjae about it but he did not know how to start this conversation. He knew Youngjae was just trying to do his best and it didn’t seem fair to accuse him of something he was not even sure he was guilty for.

“We are going this evening,” Youngjae told him apparently having finished his conversation.

“Isn’t it a bit early? Shouldn’t we talk this through?” he asked him.

“We don’t have time for that. Every minute we sit here doing nothing the council gets closer on finding Himchan,” Youngjae explained and he had this commanding tone that he rarely used that sounded harsh and callous and let Daehyun remember the time when he first met Youngjae immediately.

“I know we don’t have time but let us at least explain to Himchan why we are doing it,” Daehyun said.

“I don’t think that we should do that but Jongup can explain it to him,” Youngjae suggested.

“You want Jongup to tell him while we are away so that he gets all the anger and blame?” Daehyun asked shocked by this proposition.

“No, I want Jongup to go with us,” Youngjae explained.

“What? No, he can’t come,” Daehyun argued.

“We can’t appear in a room full of hunters with just the two of us,” Youngjae said.

“But we can’t leave Himchan with a just turned child and a human,” Daehyun replied.

“He is safe here,” Youngjae tried to argue sitting down on the couch opposite from Daehyun.

“That’s what we thought at the lake house to and if we can come just a minute later Himchan would be prisoner of the council by now.”

“But we were on time because Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu helped us and that’s exactly what they are doing now,” Youngjae told him.

“I still think we shouldn’t take Jongup,” Daehyun disagreed.

“And what? Because you think we shouldn’t take him we are going to do so?” Youngjae asked annoyed. Daehyun knew he had a point but he just was not comfortable with the fact that Himchan was without anybody how knew him long enough to know what to do when he was feeling even worse. If Daehyun’s apprehensions were correct that could easily happen if Jongup went against Himchan, too.

“Don’t you think the two of us will be enough?” Daehyun asked trying it another way.

“No, I still think Jongup should come with us,” Youngjae said not declining the discussion.

“And I think you should ask what Jongup’s opinion is,” Jongup said as he entered the room.

Neither of them said a word because Jongup was right, they had argued without even bothering to ask if he wanted to come.

“And your opinion is?” Youngjae asked after Jongup did not say anything further and Daehyun hoped he would decline.

“That I’m going with you,” he said destroying his hopes.

“That’s good,” Youngjae said looking a bit pleased that it went his way and Daehyun was not the slightest bit content with Youngjae at the moment.

“And I’m going to tell him,” Jongup said further.

“No, you shouldn’t do this. This is our plan we should tell him,” Daehyun still disagreed.

“But Youngjae is right he is already displeased with you, you shouldn’t bring it to the boil,” he said and left the room.  Daehyun than tried his best to close his ears to the heated discussion that took place in the room beside them. Even if he was capable of hearing every word he just choose not to. He had the feeling he could not take the things Himchan would be accusing him of and he wished Himchan would understand that they wanted the best for him and if they had any other option that they would take it. The strong bond that they all shared seemed to slowly fall apart and everyone was somehow displeased with one another. Daehyun had never thought that it might come to this point and he had always thought that if they would ever come into a dangerous situation they would rather grow closer together than to fall apart.

“We can go now,” Jongup said as he came back. Daehyun could see in his eyes how fatigue and stressed the other was. It was only logical that it was even harder on Jongup to argue with Himchan when it was on the two of them because his bond was even closer and he was amazed that he was even capable of doing it.

“And it would be better if we go now and come back as soon as possible,” he continued. Youngjae and Daehyun complied and fetched everything they needed and they left the room without even saying their goodbyes.

The drive was a silent one only disturbed by the radio and the heavy sound of the rain falling on the windshield. Contrary to the fight earlier Daehyun hoped that his time everything would just work out like Youngjae said and this group of strong and influential hunters would actually agree on helping him even if to him this plan still sounded ridiculous. After an hour or so the navigation system told them that they had arrived at their destination.

Jongup who had been driving parked the car and they made their way to the building. Youngjae rang the bell and the door opened without questioning. They got into the elevator and waited until they arrived at the right floor. Daehyun tried to focus his senses and stay on alert. If they were meeting with hunters he had to be prepared to get attacked at any time and he wanted to make sure he was ready to fight if it was the case. They went to the door that was already opened a gap and it seemed someone was already expecting them. Daehyun made sure he was the first one to enter.

As he went into the living room he was confused about what he saw. There was a male sitting on a black leather couch with a head even smaller than Youngjae’s and a cute and innocent look and on his lap was a white chihuahua with a bit of  brown at the ears smiling at him. He just couldn’t be a part of the dangerous and respected group of hunters and Daehyun was sure they had somehow made a mistake here.

Author’s note: Since the story has now reached a half point somewhere along this or last chapter (I can’t really tell since every chapter I start gets much longer then I had originally planned) I wanted to update you with some information concerning the story. As you may have noticed updates take me much longer then in the beginning because I lack some inspiration right now. I wrote almost 50k words already and I never intended to write more than 20 so please understand that I need some time to construct the second half so that it doesn’t get boring because I honestly don’t want to rush it to an end right now just because I have a writer’s block. It wouldn’t be a nice thing to do for everyone that showed interest in this story so I wanted to ask you to wait a bit for further updates. I hope you understand. Thanks for reading the story so far. J.J.