After Jongin’s failed attempt to tell his parents about the man he’d seen in the water, which they promptly told him must have been his reflection, he gave up on trying to explain it.  He knew it was hard to believe anyway, so he took to practicing with the sword in the yard whenever he could.  Imaginary monsters fell under his haphazard swings while his mother did chores and watched.  His father spent most days away from the hut, working the fields or off hunting, but he returned every night and would help Jongin with at least the basics of wielding his blade, promising in a hushed tone to get him a better one soon.

                As promised, not too much later, Jongin received an improved sword made of straight, smooth wood, the likes of which resembled the actual weapon instead of the stick it had been.  Even more overjoyed, he ran around with renewed fervor, shouting, “This is Demon Killer!”

                He wasn’t skilled at wielding the blade, but having fun helped keep his mind distracted from thinking about what he’d seen in the woods that day.  Though no one else seemed inclined to believe him, he knew he’d seen something.  And the more he thought about it, the more he figured it had to be a demon because he couldn’t have been a human.  Could he?

                As scary as the thought was, he was also sure that if he told his parents, they wouldn’t believe him.  Even more, they’d probably ban him from the woods for a long time.  It wasn’t that he was fixated on the figure he’d seen, but he was curious to the point that he started spending a lot of time staring at the forest, wondering what it would be like to go and find the thing in the water himself.

                He didn’t remember the path to the pond, but if he wandered around enough, he’d find it again wouldn’t he?  And if he was quick enough, he could get back before his parents started to worry about him.  The problem was, they didn’t let him out of their sight for any length of time that would allow it during the day so the only option was to go at night, after they fell asleep.

                With a tentative plan in mind, Jongin threw himself back into his sword training, slaying dragons and imaginary monsters on a daily basis.  Despite his intentions, it was a lot harder than he thought it would be to stay awake after his parents.  The first couple times he tried, he failed miserably, closing his eyes to ‘pretend,’ only to wake up the next morning.  At last, he succeeded!

                Heavy lids tried to close of their own volition when Jongin sat up in bed and peered over at his parents, staring at their faces to make sure they were both sleeping.  His heart raced in his chest as Jongin crept out from under the covers and grabbed his coat, shoes, and sword before he tiptoed into the chilly night air.  Winter had yet to come but it was almost fall with colder nights and breezy days.

                Easing the door shut, Jongin gripped his sword tight, convincing himself he was more than prepared.  There and back.  Should be easy enough.  Mutely, he cheered with his free fist and nodded to himself, sword hovering in the air in front of him, dimly visible in the half moon’s light.  Once more, the tree line frightened Jongin, towering in front of him with all manner of shadows hiding beneath the branches.  The sounds were creepier when he couldn’t see anything but nothing happened the last time so that meant he’d be fine this time too, right?

                Convincing himself of that was far easier than it should have been as Jongin strode into the woods – no he wasn’t shaking – squinting through the trees to locate the pond.  It was like searching for a marble he dropped in the straw without knowing where it fell…  Jongin stared at the foreign landscape, getting more and more lost with every step.  A glance back showed nothing familiar and he had no idea how to get home which only added to his growing fear.

                He whimpered when he heard another strange cry and held tight to his sword with both hands, bottom lip trembling with the onset of tears.  Why had he thought this was a good idea?  His courage continued to abandon him when he saw sets of glowing, yellow eyes peering at him from the shadows.  Then he saw it: a pair of silver eyes looking back, unblinking in the shadows and much taller than he.  Another soft cry escaped from the back of Jongin’s throat and he stepped away without turning around, holding his sword up defensively.  His teeth chattered and he yelped, flailing in panic when his heel caught on something, sending him stumbling back until he ran into what he hoped was a tree.

                “You’re back,” a soft voice murmured above him.

                Staring up, Jongin saw the same pair of silver eyes blinking at him and realized the tree he’d run into was some sort of creature…  “Yah!” he screamed, dropping his sword as he threw himself forward, running as fast as he could.  “Momma!  Dada!” he shrieked, stumbling and flailing blindly, almost knocking himself out when he ran into a tree.

                “It’s alright, Jongin,” the same voice called from just behind him as he picked himself up and turned around to stare at the figure, holding his head with a pained whimper.

                Tall, hidden in shadow and visible largely because of the shining silver eyes, Jongin still didn’t know who or what he was dealing with.  “Stay away,” he whined pitifully, unable to move for the tree behind him.

                “You dropped your sword,” the figure murmured in a conversational tone, drawing closer on quiet footsteps.  “Here,” he smiled, a dimple appearing in the right cheek when he was close enough for Jongin to see more of his features in the dim light.  The blonde man grabbed Jongin’s right hand and pressed the hilt of the sword into his palm, curling his fingers around it.

                Still terrified but also curious, Jongin blinked at the kneeling figure, recognizing him from their current distance.  “I saw ya,” he exhaled.

                “And I saw you,” the male laughed lightly, the sound more soothing than Jongin thought it would be.  “I didn’t expect you to return,” he admitted, threading his fingers together under his chin while he peered at the little boy serenely.  “But I’m glad.”

                Jongin remembered what he had thought about the figure in the pond the other day and he inhaled, gripping the sword tighter.  “Are ya a demon?”

                “And if I am?” he smiled in return, swaying from side to side so that the loose, white pants rustled the leaves on the ground.  A long-sleeved black shirt revealed thin wrists where the fabric bunched at his elbows.

                “Yer goin ta kill me aren’t ya?” Jongin continued with a trembling bottom lip.

                “Now who told you such a thing?” the other male asked, rather bemused by the question.

                “That’s what demons do.  Isn’t it?” Jongin asked, confused.

                The other tilted his head to the side and regarded him for a long moment before he extended his hand.  “I’m Yixing.  And no.  I’m not going to kill you,” he assured the little boy, waiting for him to take his hand.

                Unmoving, Jongin stared at the slender fingers and the smooth skin.  Yixing hadn’t stated he was a demon but that was the feeling Jongin was getting.  And yet… he gave him back his sword and hadn’t attempted to hurt him otherwise.  Trying hard to control the shaking in his body, Jongin traded his sword to his other hand and reached out to grasp Yixing’s carefully, feeling welcome heat curl around his cold limb.  “What are ya goin ta do?” he finally asked while Yixing pulled him up with ease.

                Yixing smiled, resting his free hand on the slender shoulder as he held him close, partially protecting him from the chilly evening with his body.  “I’m going to take you home,” he promised, running the backs of his fingers against one of Jongin’s cheeks.  “Come on, little one,” he urged, beginning to walk with Jongin’s hand still captured gently in his.

                “Comin,” Jongin responded in a semi-daze.  This was not how he’d expected his night to go…

                “So what brought you out here at night?” Yixing asked in a conversational manner without ever looking down at the young boy.

                Jongin wasn’t sure if he should respond but he didn’t really have anything better to do.  Holding tight to Yixing’s hand, he answered, “I was lookin fer the pond.”

                “The pond?” Yixing questioned, brow furrowed in amused confusion.

                “The one I saw ya in,” he nodded.

                “You were looking for me tonight?” Yixing smiled, obviously pleased by the answer.

                “I thought ya were a demon,” Jongin admitted and though he still had reservations on the matter, he could worry about it later, when he wasn’t lost in the woods with no idea how to get home.

                “And what were you going to do if I was a demon, little one?” Yixing murmured, slowing down to wait for an answer.

                Jongin the trembling sword out with his off-hand and stated, “I was goin ta use Demon Killer!”  As soon as the words left his mouth, he wasn’t sure it was the best answer he could have given and he looked up at Yixing nervously.

                For a moment, the taller male just peered at him, expression unreadable, until the sweet face smiled and he squeezed Jongin’s hand.  “I see.  I’m guessing there’s a story behind Demon Killer then,” he urged, nodding to himself when Jongin mutely agreed.  “Can I hear it?” he requested, tugging the boy along once more.

                Relieved that his guide wasn’t upset with him, Jongin beamed and nodded.  In a flurry of words, he repeated an abbreviated version of the story his mother told him about the demon in the woods and how he decided he was the prince in the tale.  By the time they reached the edge of the woods, Jongin was completely at ease in Yixing’s quiet, serene presence.

                He grinned at the taller male as he knelt in front of Jongin.  “My little prince,” Yixing chuckled, running his palm over the smooth, dark chocolate locks of Jongin’s hair before he rested it on top of the steady shoulder.  “I’m glad you came tonight,” he admitted with quiet sincerity, eyes crinkling with additional warmth.

                “Me too!” Jongin giggled, wriggling in place.

                “Now.  You need to take good care of Demon Killer,” he reminded the young boy, wrapping his fingers around Jongin’s hand.

                “I will,” Jongin promised, full lips pulled up into a beaming smile.

                For a moment, Yixing’s smile faltered and his expression turned thoughtful, but then it passed and he cupped Jongin’s cheek with his right palm.  “When you are ready.  Come and see me again.  Yes?” he asked, peering into the innocent brown eyes before him.

                “Promise!” Jongin assured him, nodding and no longer afraid.

                “I will wait for you, little prince,” Yixing breathed, removing his hand from Jongin’s cheek so he could kiss his fingertips and brush them against his forehead under the bangs.

                “I don’ know when I’ll be back,” Jongin reminded with his index finger raised between them, shaking it at the kneeling male.

                “That’s alright,” Yixing laughed, grasping both shoulders and pushing Jongin back to arm’s length.  “I’ll be here.  You’ll see.”

                Jongin wasn’t sure if should believe that or not but there was nothing else he could do.  “Thanks, Yixing,” he smiled and waved instead, taking a step back to slip out from under the warm, slender fingers.

                “Thank you, little prince.”  Yixing stood up and clasped his hands together in front of him as he watched Jongin retreat back to his house.  It had been a long time since he’d felt anything other than emptiness and solitude ade the isolation of his voluntary slumber.  He could not remember the last time he’d smiled so much in a single night.  No.  He could, but…  How long had he been sleeping for anyway?

                Yixing closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of being awake and… intrigued.  It was strange that one so young would call to him so loudly.  He blamed the boy’s innocence and his dreams of grandeur which only served to magnify his warm aura.  Yixing laughed to himself, shaking his head at his own foolishness.  For now, he would wait to see if his little prince would return.  Days, moons, years…  What was just a little more time in the sea of ages that had already passed before his slumber?

                Besides, it was amusing the boy had thought to come as a demon slayer, with a wooden sword no less.  Would he think such things the next time he saw him?  Really, he was curious.  That alone was incentive enough to remain in the area.  Well, that and to have the opportunity to watch little Jongin grow up.  Yixing smiled with a shy look when he imagined what sort of man the boy would become.

                He would give him time: to learn, to grow, to become a man.  It might even be fun to watch from afar.  What else was he going to do in the meantime?  So long as he stayed quiet here, it should be fine.  Enough time had gone by, hadn’t it?  Silver eyes fluttered open and he looked up to the starry sky in mute inquiry.  Perhaps and perhaps not, but still…  He would wait and see what came of it.

                After Jongin’s undiscovered adventure, save the knot on his head which he blamed on falling out of bed, he became set on learning more about hunting.  His mother had reservations about him going into the woods with his father on every outing, but they both agreed it was a good thing.  Hunting was a skill Jongin would need and the sooner he could take over for his father, the better.  He was fortunate his father supported his alternate desire to continue learning how to use his sword as well.

                Every chance Jongin got, he begged and pleaded his father to work with him in sword fighting and archery, when they weren’t both busy with other chores.  Because of the extra practice, even though he was one of the youngest children in his group, Jongin challenged them to mock fights with his blade whenever possible.  Their battles ended with him chasing one of his friends or being routed by two or more taking revenge for a previous defeat; real fights were rare though, as were significant injuries.

                Not surprising, his friends didn’t believe his story of the man in the woods, or that he snuck out to find him and got lost.  Well, that part was believable but when he tried to tell them Yixing guided him home, they much wrote him off.  Sehun and Tao gave him the time of day but Chanyeol laughed over his tale while Baekhyun and Jongdae told him to grow up and stop making up stories.  Joonmyeon was too nice to tell him to his face, but he knew the oldest of their group felt the same way too.

                Disgruntled but not entirely discouraged, Jongin stopped telling them about Yixing and refused to try and make them believe in something they didn’t want to.  That was fine by him.  He’d go see Yixing when he was able to travel the woods without getting lost again.  He wasn’t sure why it was so important for him to go back and see Yixing but every time he started to question it, his forehead would itch and he’d get distracted by another thought instead.

                To that end, he focused on getting stronger, becoming more proficient with his weapons and learning the surrounding woods.  On hunting trips with his father, he was frustrated that he never saw Yixing, even when he was told to wait alone.  He suspected it was because the blonde man wouldn’t reveal himself unless he wanted to, which was annoying.

                That was alright though.  He’d just get better at hunting in the meantime.  “You’ll see, Yixing,” he nodded to himself, staring at the familiar pond.  “I’ll be the best hunter and fighter in the village.”  He patted Demon Killer at his side, the wooden sword stashed in his belt for safe keeping.

                “Jongin!” his father called in a quiet whisper, grabbing his attention.  “Come on.  I found a trail ta follow,” he nodded, waving his son over.

                “Comin, dada,” he responded, taking his bow off to follow along, resuming the hunt with focused intent.

                Despite the added training and skill development, it wasn’t until years later that his parents allowed Jongin to hunt without his father.  He could go in group outings with his friends but at the age of ten, Yixing still failed to appear before Jongin in the company of his peers.  They even went swimming in the pond in search of his mystical man but all they found were plants and a couple fish and turtles, the latter of which made a good soup.  No.  It wasn’t until Jongin was twelve, when he gained permission to hunt on his own, that he finally caught a glimpse of Yixing.

                The bow rested easy in his palm, smooth wood warmed by his body heat while the arrow was only half-knocked, ready to aim at the nearest target.  Something moved in the bushes and Jongin tracked it with careful stealth, each step quiet in the early afternoon hours.  His real sword, pitted and somewhat warped, hung in a worn scabbard at his hip, ready for use if need be, but he found most creatures did not bother him in the woods.

                Rustling in the brush ahead made him pause as he took a deep breath and pulled the arrow taught, waiting.  Disappointment blossomed when it was nothing more than a rabbit that bolted from its hiding spot, streaking past him recklessly.  That was odd…  His eyes turned from the fleeing creature to where it had come from and he gasped in surprise, releasing the arrow by accident.

                Moving faster than any human should have been able to, Yixing caught the projectile before it could hit him, smiling in amusement at the stunned expression on Jongin’s face.  “My little prince.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to shoot me,” he laughed, closing the distance between them as he handed the arrow back.

                “Yer here, “Jongin murmured, accepting the projectile by rote as he looked up at Yixing who did not seem to have changed a day since the last time he’d seen him.

                “My how you’ve grown, Jongin,” Yixing smiled warmly, reaching as if to touch him and then pausing, waiting to see the younger boy’s reaction.

                “And ya caught an arrow,” he blinked, looking at the item in his hand.  When Yixing did nothing more than smile at him, Jongin’s mind turned over the facts in a blur and he came to a single conclusion.  “Ya really are a demon, aren’t ya?” he asked, taking a hesitant step back.  He hadn’t wanted to believe it but no human moved that fast or refused to age or had silver eyes…

                Yixing continued to smile, even as he moved too fast, removing Jongin’s sword without resistance.  As the young man gasped and stepped back in alarm, Yixing positioned the weapon so that the tip rested against his chest, his hands supporting the blade while he extended the hilt towards Jongin.  “Well then, my little prince,” he murmured, calm despite the situation.  “Would you have Demon Killer fulfill its namesake this day?”

                Jongin stared at the demon and then at the hilt of his sword which was just within reach, confused by the entire situation.  Stashing the arrow back in his quiver, he hesitantly reached for the sword with a shaking hand.  His fingers wrapped around the hilt, conforming to the familiar material as he stared into silver eyes and swallowed hard.

                What should he do?

                “Well?  What are you waiting for?” Yixing inquired, removing his hands so that they hung loosely at his side, paying no attention to the point of the blade poking his chest.

                What was he waiting for?  Jongin didn’t know.  Here he was, in the middle of the forest, face to face with a confirmed demon at sword point, and he had no idea what to do.  “But… yer not a bad demon,” he murmured, brows knitting together in confusion.

                “Am I not?” Yixing smiled, the dimple appearing in his amusement.

                Jongin narrowed his eyes at the question.  Truth be told, he had no idea what kind of demon Yixing was, but evil and cruel like the one in his fairytale did not seem to apply.  “Are ya?” he asked after a long pause, during which his expression smoothed out and he waited for an answer with his sword hand trembling just a touch.

                “The question, my prince,” Yixing stated smoothly, picking his right hand up to clasp the edge of the blade between his fingers, “is are you ready to find out?”

                That was not the answer he’d been expecting.  Filled with fear and excitement, Jongin pulled the tip of the sword away from Yixing’s chest, listening as the smooth metal whispered between his fingertips.  “What do ya mean by that?” he asked suspiciously, keeping the weapon hovering between them, though it continued to droop.

                Yixing laughed and guided the tip of the blade down with his right hand again, holding Jongin’s gaze as he stepped close, eliminating the distance between them.  “I mean that I will help you become the Prince you so admire, if you will let me.”  He reached up to comb the fingers of his left hand through Jongin’s hair only once.

                Jongin shivered at the strange but pleasant caress and blinked.  “Why?”

                “Because I think it would be fun,” Yixing smiled, the expression bright and innocent.  The fact that it would also put him in constant contact and close proximity to Jongin was the other driving factor.  “And I like you, my little prince,” he winked, leaving the statement in the air for the younger male to interpret however he desired.  Of course he was still too young yet, but he’d waited this long.  What were a few more years in comparison?

                “What would I hafta do?” Jongin asked, his eyes still narrowed as he took a half step back.

                Pleased by the response, Yixing blinked at him with a deceptively neutral look.  “First, my prince.  I must teach you to fight,” he promised, lunging forward before Jongin could find the time to react.  With astonishing ease, he drove Jongin to the ground as the human gasped in panic and fear.  Hovering over the wide eyed boy with his left hand beside his head and the right poised over his face, claws gleaming in warning, Yixing sighed, “That will never do, little one.”