Kyungsoo never found it difficult to fall asleep. Once he laid in the warm bed and pulled the covers up, he was immediately launched into the world of dreams and did not wake up until the morning breeze caressed his faces and first sunshine rays fell onto his pillow.

Kyungsoo also possessed another amazing ability, one that he had an oppurtunity to practise very often, as he spent a lot time with his lamenting mother and disapproving father. Whenever someone would yell at him or criticise him, he would completely tune them out. He would listen to what they had to say, but he would never take their rebuke to heart too much, choosing to solve the problem rationally afterwards without any pointless emotions involved.

Kyungsoo rarely cried, at least in his adulthood. Tears were something for the weak and he was not a weakling. Yes, he cried at his uncle’s funeral, he cried when he broke his leg and it hurt, he cried when his favourite horse was accidentaly killed during the hunting season. Other than that, Kyungsoo was not prone to crying.

However, the night of the quarrel with general Yong, nothing was as usual. Kyungsoo was exhausted as he entered his tiny room in the attic, but once he fell in his wooden bed and laid his head on a fluffy pillow and covered himself with a quilt stuffed with goose feathers, he found himself not tired at all, instead to doomed to a night of frustrated attempts to fall asleep and subsequent failures. He kept tossing and turning, general Yong’s words about how hated and worthless he was replaying in a loop as well as the image of Sehun’s red swollen face as the young boy hung his head low, skinny arms wrapped around himself in an attempt to shield himself.

And Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel useless, because he was unable to help the younger. He felt sick when he remembered how he so readily agreed with general Yong that Sehun deserved it. He felt like a traitor, a puppet trying pathetically to save its self-respect and hurting others in the process. He felt disgusting. And just when he thought he could not beat himself up over it anymore, a different face emerged in his memory, a sharp featured face with dark eyes filled with disappointment and quiet sadness.

And before Kyungsoo knew it, there was a tear sliding down his cheek. And another. Soon, his pillow was wet and Kyungsoo’s throat hurt from trying to muffle his sobs, body shaking under the thick covers, but he could not stop and more salty drops forced their way past his eyelids. Again and again was Kyungsoo reminded of the words the general said to him and the more he thought about them, the more he was convinced that the general was actually right and that Kyungsoo truly was a horrible person.

There was a horrible feeling in his gut that would not go away not matter how much he tried to, a bitter resentment that could not be calmed. And once Kyungsoo stopped crying the tears of pity, tears of anger took their place. It wasn’t until an hour and a bit later when the sky was light and the grass wet from the morning dew, signaling the arrival of a new day, that Kyungsoo finally calmed down and was able to get to sleep.

***

He was woken up not much later by Seungsoo, his brother. The young man shook his shoulder hard and told him to immediately go to breakfast to join the An family. Despite fatigue and nausea caused by severe lack of sleep, Kyungsoo managed to get up and dress himself in a reasonably short time considering his indisposition before descending down the stairs and joining both families, who were already sat by the spotless polished dining table. Kyungsoo quietly sat by his mother, not wanting to disrupt their conversation.

„Those Shin builders are absolutely despicable,“ his father had just started to complain, while stuffing his cheeks with cooked bacon and egg, „Riders know what the mayor was thinking when he hired them.“

„The lousiest I have ever seen,“ Mr An promptly agreed.

„The whole business smells fishy to me. Seems as if someone in higher places had complained to the prince of Glacielle about our trade with Ji,“ Mr Do grumbled, his lips and wiping his palms clean in a cloth grey from dirt that lay next to him on the table. He then reached for his beer mug to take a gulp.

„The prince doesn't like Ji?“ Hojin asked, eyes wide. All eyes at the table turned to him.

„Glaciellians never liked the capital, dear,“ Mrs An said and ruffled her youngest's hair.

„Why not?“ Hojin asked in a display of typical childish naivety and curiosity. Kyungsoo sighed as he prepared for a history lesson and looked around the table to see a similar reaction. He noticed Jiwoo was looking at him and he blushed and looked away when he accidently made eye contact with her.

„Because of the Millennium war,“ Mr An roared and Kyungsoo was forced to lift his elbows of the table when his mother put a plate with his breakfast in front of him.

„Which war?“

„Don't teach him these things,“ Mrs An interrupted their discussion from behind her glass of wine, „He's much too young for politics.“

„But I want to know, mum!“ Hojin protested and she sighed and shrugged in a display of indifference.

„You have to understand,“ Mr An started, putting away his breakfast and using his most solemn voice,“that long time ago, there were no dragon riders to protect us. We were not even part of this country. We belonged to the Icelands, a large country in the north and Glacielle was the capital of it all.“

„How large?“ demanded Hojin, now at the edge of his seat, eggs and bread long forgotten.

„So large, it would take you weeks to cross it on a dragon,“ Mrs Do chimed in and sat down next to her son, finally done with serving the others. Hojin let out an amazed gasp.

„But,“ Mr An continued, „the Icelands was a country ruled by an evil king. Greed stupefied his mind and he wanted more and more gold. He commanded that every citizen must hand in everything valuable in their possession. When people didn’t oblige, he killed them. People lived in fear, the spied on each other and denounced each other, it was horrible times. For years people silently tolerated the tyrant, but when a new land started forming in the south, people got new hope. At first in secret, then more publicly, they started calling after separating our province and joining it with the new country, where people could live a life of freedom and wouldn't have to worry about being dragged away at night. But of course, the Icelands didn’t want to give us up so easily. Luckily, the souther army had a very powerful leader. Who was that?“ Mr An asked Hojin, eyebrows raised. The younger thought about it for a bit before triumphantly shouting: „Kai!“

„Correct,“ his father smiled, resuming in his story, „Kai, the Head Rider. He brought an army to the north, stormed Glacielle and declared it his city. And since it lay in the very heart of our province, it was easy to claim us.“ Mr An paused to take a long gulp of the ale before continuing.

„The folk of today’s Northern province was happy, of course. But the Glaciellians weren’t. Not only did they lose their status of a capital to a city like Ji, they also have to pay them considerable taxes as a punishment for their brief rebellion and traitorous desertion. How that ended, we all know,“ the old man gestured towards their poster of Kai in battle of Whitestone. Kyungsoo shuddered involuntarily when he imagined what a massacre it must had been.

„Glacielle is not happy about any kind of money going to the capital’s treasure chest, much less money of a village that is part of the Northern province.“

„I never understood why they hated Ji so much in the beginning,“ Mrs An spoke up.

„Differences in religion,“ Mr Do asnwered, wiping his chin off of the remains of the egg, „Glaciellians are deeply religious. Ji doesn't have one formal religion because of all the foreigners. They deem the city sinfull. According to them, Underbelly is a cesspit.“

„Not that they are not right,“ Mrs Do muttered, but only Kyungsoo heard her.

„So what happened after Kai took the city?“ Hojin asked, eyebrows furrowed.

„Well,“ Mr An paused for a bit, eyeing the handle of his beer mug before grabbing it and taking another gulp. Kyungsoo was almost finished with his serving, looking forward to the minute he’d be able to leave, because he had heard it all in school every year at least twice, not mentioning church.

„Kai united our land with his country and we became the sixteenth and final province. We were and still are the largest too,“ the man smiled, showing his teeth and Kyungsoo didn’t even bother trying to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Like many things, he didn’t understand the ridiculous pride his fellow villagers took in being the biggest province there was. In a rare occasion, Kyungsoo found himself agreeing with Sehun on the matter. How sad if their province’s greatest asset was its size.

As he started thinking of the younger, there was that uncomfortable feeling in his gut again and Kyungsoo sighed, propping his forehead on his palms.

„After centuries of our unity, the weather became colder and harsher. In the end, the Icelands ceased to exist and all its people either moved here our froze to death in their hidings.,“ Mrs An meanwhile continued explaining.

„And then Kai became our leader?“ asked Hojin. Kyungsoo's father laughed heartily at that..

„Kai is not our leader, boy!“ the old man exclaimed, still chuckling, „Kai is a deity. He is our protector, someone who has been here long before we were born and will be here long after we die. We go to church to pray to him and hope that he will hear us out, we pray that he will come and save us when the time comes, we pray to him that our country stays prosperous and our kids healthy. He is the personification of all things good and all things powerful. But he does not lead.“

A long silence spread around the table. Mr An decided to finish his beer and the yellow liquid was dripping in big drops down his beard as he was gulping it down in one go. Kyungsoo's mother decided now was the right time to clean up and Hojin seemed to still think about what both men said. Kyungsoo’s mind was still occupied by uncomfortable thoughts of Sehun and general Yong.

„You look a bit down today, Kyungsoo,“ spoke up his mother suddenly, bringing the attention of the whole room to the youngest, „How was you watch?“

„It was okay,“ murmured Kyungsoo, not really feeling particularly well. The lack of sleep had caught up to him and there was still that sick feeling in his stomach he could not get rid off. His mother sighed and opened to say something, only to close it again. Kyungsoo knew what was coming and he wished Hojin had kept asking the history questions for a bit longer.

„Kyungsoo, don’t you think you should stop with the watches for a bit?“ his mother finally asked, „It exhausts you and you’ve been really absent-minded lately. Is there something bothering you?“ Kyungsoo looked up to see seven pairs of eyes staring at him intently and he sighed, shaking his head.

„I’m fine. Really,“ he reassured them and his mother nodded in defeat. His father, however decided not to leave the issue unresolved.

„What are you doing today, Kyungsoo?“ he asked, his voice loud as usual and said boy shrugged. „Only the watch in the evening.“

„Well,“ his father smiled wide, „we’re going fishing.“

***

There were few things involving other people that Kyungsoo actually liked. People were noisy, loud and often silly and confusing. But fishing was one of the activites Do Kyungsoo genuinely enjoyed. Maybe because of the mandatory silence.

His father used to take him fishing since he was very little and it became sort of their tradition. Neither the son or the father talked as they sat on the softly rocking boat, each firmly holding a fishing rod in their hands.

The water level was calm with occasional wavelet rippling the element. The birds were singing a song to celebrate a beautiful morning and sunshine finished its competion with the previous night’s mist, emerging as a victor.

The silence went long unbroken, until Kyungsoo’s father decided to speak up.

„The fish in the water are a lot like you, Kyungsoo,“ he said, still staring forward, not meeting Kyungsoo’s surprised gaze the younger turned to him with when he spoke.

„They wish for better things than they have in their small safe colony,“ his father continued. Kyungsoo kept eyeing him expectantly, not sure what his point was. In that moment however, a fish bit. Their boat started rocking violently and Kyungsoo’s father propped himself against its the wooden body. Together with Kyungsoo, he finally managed to get the fish out of the water and threw it on the bottom of their boat as it squirmed still. They killed it right after and tossed it in a bucket they prepared before.

It wasn’t until they once again steadied the boat when his father spoke up again.

„That is the reason why it’s so easy to make them take the bait.“

Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something and closed it again, shivers running down his spine.

„I have no idea what you’re talking about,“ he said finally and his father only shrugged, his eyes fixated on the spot where the cord of his fishing rod met the water level.

They spent the rest of the morning in silence and Kyungsoo was left to deal with his thoughts alone, the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach only intesified.

***

March was one of Kyungsoo’s favourite months. Life everywhere around him just started to wake up from its hibernation and days were getting longer and lighter.

Flowers budded by the Northern Road and made Kyungsoo feel all kinds of optimistic. All of the positive feelings disappeared once he got to his usual place, general Yong and Sehun already there. It seemed like the general was in the middle of scolding Sehun again and Kyungsoo sighed. He was not sure he could withstand another scene like the night before.

He greeted both men loudly to stop any argument that might had been going on. The general scowled when he saw him, but he stepped away from Sehun.

„Enjoy your watch,“ he said in a mocking voice. He then set off, throwing Kyungsoo a sword before disapperaing between the trees.

Kyungsoo turned to Sehun, wiggling his eyebrows at him, but the other didn't reply. Rather, he completely ignored him.

A bit confused at the younger's behaviour, Kyungsoo set up a fireplace and sat by it to warm his fingers, already numb with cold. Sehun, however, sat as far as he could away from the elder. He kept staring off in the distance and ignored any attempt at conversation Kyungsoo made.

At first, the elder was surprised and a bit confused, but after a while, bitter disappointment and anger started to take over. He kept turning his gaze towards the mountain, wishing he could see Jongin again, wishing he could fulfill the promise he gave the stranger. And most of all, finally find out who the stranger really was.

The only thing stopping him was the lanky brunette. Kyungsoo got angrier and angrier as the watch progressed and by the time the general checked up on them, he was fuming. And the bitter remarks the general kept uttering didn't help the matter.

By the end of the watch, he was prepared to punch Sehun right in that smug face of his.

It was only ill luck and his clumsiness, that Sehun dropped a red-hot log next to Kyungsoo, sending hundreds of flaming sparks towards Kyungsoo's pants.

„To hell with you!“ Kyungsoo cried, franticly swatting the sparks off of him. Sehun kept silent.

„Can't you speak?“ the elder snapped at him once he finished saving his pants. Sehun half-opened his mouth in surprise.

„Why?“ he asked coldly, frowning.

„Because I can't hear you apologising,“ Kyungsoo deadpanned.Sehun blinked before composing himself.

„I am not going to apologise to someone like you,“ he snorted.

„Now you're defending yourself. Did you magically grew some balls?“ Kyungsoo asked and immediately felt like the biggest moron. But he was already angry because he was stuck with the younger for the watch and wasn't able to see Jongin and in that state people say the stupidest things.

Sehun looked like he could not decide whether he should cry or yell. He was shaking like a leaf, face red with wrath. For a split second, it looked like he was going to run away, but then he raised his hand and striked Kyungsoo hard.

Kyungsoo had to step back, surprised by the force of the impact, before he punched Sehun himself. They fell to the hard ground, punching, kicking, biting and yelling, trying to hurt the other as much as possible.

Despite his usual incompetence, Sehun gained the upper hand and straddle Kyungsoo, holding his hands above his head. He looked like a madman as he looked down on Kyungsoo, eyes wide and breath shallow.

„Take it back!“ he yelled and Kyungsoo shook his head violently.

„Never!“ He cried. Sehun let his hands go for a moment to strike the elder again and Kyungsoo made use of the weakened grip on his wrists and broke free. He pushed Sehun off of him and kicked him in the stomach.

Sehun went down, curling in a ball. He clutched his abdomen and wheezed for air, eyes filled with tears.

And it that moment, it was as if a curtain fell off Kyungsoo's eyes. He could see everything clearly and he suddenly felt very sick. He was no longer angry, only shocked.

„Sehun,“ he gasped, extending his hand to help the younger up.

„Don't touch me!“ Sehun shrieked, moving away from as quickly as the pain would allow him. Kyungsoo just stayed there with his arm extended, mortified. Once the younger got off the ground, Kyungsoo immediately started apologising. Sehun, however, didn't look like he wanted to listen to anything Kyungsoo had to say and instead opted for getting away as quickly as possible.

Kyungsoo quickly ran after him and reached for his elbow to stop him, but Sehun only repeated his warning not to touch him.

„You've done enough, Kyungsoo,“ he snapped.

„Sehun, just listen to me!“ Kyungsoo cried, exasperated. Sehun sighed and turned back to him, arms folded and expression unreadable.

„I'm waiting.“

„I am really sorry,“ Kyungsoo started, „I was so angry I couldn't go up there today,“ he gestured towards the Dwarven mountain. He groaned in frustration at not being able to express himself.

„I snapped,“ he finished, hopeful that Sehun understood, however, the look the younger was giving him was worrying.

„Tell me Kyungsoo,“ said Sehun prudently, „what is it up in the mountains?“ Kyungsoo stiffened.

„Nothing,“ he quickly answered, crossing his arms. Sehun started circling him like a mouse would its prey.

„The villagers talk hardly about anything else,“ the younger continued, acute eyes fixated on Kyungsoo's face, analysing him.

„Hm?“ Sehun bid him to answer, „Is it a nymph?“

„It's not a nymph,“ Kyungsoo assured him firmly, „Is that what people say there is?“

„People say a lot of things,“ Sehun responded,his eyebrows furrowed.

„It's a person,“ Kyungsoo said and at that moment, he didn't care if he was making a mistake. He just needed to tell someone. Sehun's expression went from angry to curious.

„A person?“ he asked, stepping a bit closer. Kyungsoo took a deep breath and nodded firmly. He had nothing to lose anymore.

„Yes, a man. I found him injured a few days ago,“ he started explaining, „He had a festered wound and... He was dying, Sehun.“ He desperately wanted the younger to understand how desperate he was those last couple of days. How horrible he felt, because he knew he could not help Jongin and then how much weight fell off his shoulders when a simple spell worked.

„I had to help him. And I promised I would visit today,“ Kyungsoo kept trying to justify himself almost feverishly.

„Do you like this person?“ Sehun asked, his face suddenly lightened up.

It was an innocent question, however unexpected, and yet it made Kyungsoo's heart beat faster and cheeks flush. He opened his mouth to say something, but only stutter came out.

„It's okay,” Sehun said comfortingly, laying a hand on the elder's shoulder, „I will cover for you tomorrow.”

„You will?” Kyungsoo's head snapped up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

„Of course. What are friends for?”

„Thank you!” Kyungsoo exclaimed and engulfed Sehun in a firm hug, “Thank you,” he whispered in Sehun's shoulder.

„It's okay,” Sehun grinned and ruffled Kyungsoo's hair playfully, „The taller ones have to help the shorter ones.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at him, grabbing his backpacks from the ground, and set off towards the road. Sehun laughed and followed him.

***

“Are you sure you're going to be alright here by yourself?“ Kyungsoo asked, worried. Sehun offered him a small smile in return. The younger sat by a tall tree, the layered tree crown hid his face in the shadows as he leaned back against the trunk and relaxed his shoulders.

“I'll be fine,“ he said quietly, „You go ahead and do what you have to do.“

Kyungsoo nodded and prepared to take off.

“Thank you, Sehun. I mean it,” he stopped to say. The younger didn't answer, but nodded slightly. He didn't, however, meet Kyungsoo's eyes and continued to stare off in the distance and the other took it as his cue to leave.

The walk up the stairs was nice. The sun was preparing to set, sinking lower and lower on the horizon but it was still peeking through the forest and Kyungsoo basked in the occasional ray of sunshine, which provided at least some warmth in an otherwise cold spring day. The weather was getting colder in the last few days, oddly enough. Kyungsoo was even forced to wear a fur coat, which he regretted by the end of the hike.

Finally, he reached the top. He wiped off of his forehead by the back of his hand and sighed, out of breath. He set a fast pace right from the beginning, fueled by hope to finally know who exactly Jongin was. The stranger was an enigma, a riddle with a solution, which Kyungsoo could simply not find. First and foremost, he wanted to know. He wanted to crack the mystery and quench the burning thirst after truth.

With such intention, he knocked firmly on the ebony door of the shack. There was no response. With a sigh, he pushed the heavy board and stepped in.

He did not expect Jongin to sit right in front of the door, looking like a thunder.

“Hi?” Kyungsoo offered a greeting carefully. Jongin glared at him and Kyungsoo flinched a bit.

“I brought you blankets and clothing.” Kyungsoo took a deep breath and tried again.

“Thanks,” Jongin muttered in response. He pointed towards a plank, which was placed on top of two thick logs and told Kyungsoo to put everything there.

Kyungsoo dropped the backpack onto the improvised table and took a good look around to see what the shack looked now. It was not that different to what it was like before. The rugs were now placed in one corner, flattened against hard ground. In another corner was the pot Kyungsoo left behind and the table. It still looked miserable, but at least Jongin had something resembling a bed and a place to eat.

“It looks better now,” he commented on the change.

“Thanks,” Jongin answered, but still looked pretty lifeless. Kyungsoo decided not to press it.

“Let me take a look at those injuries then,” he reached over to lift Jongin's tunic, but Jongin caught his hand and gently pushed it away.

“They're alright.”

Kyungsoo felt a flash of annoyance but forced himself to ignore it. The visit didn't really go as he planned. He had no idea how to start a conversation about how Jongin got to where he was and the atmosphere was slightly awkward. It was almost as if the stranger wanted him to leave him alone and let the whole thing go. And of course naturally curious Kyungsoo wasn't going to let him.

“Want to go for a walk?” he asked and Jongin looked up to him, surprise.

“Surely, you must be sick of this room by now,” the shorter added, extending a hand to help Jongin up. The taller hesitantly accepted and let himself be led by Kyungsoo out of the door.

***

It was a beautiful evening. The sun was just setting and orange sunshine rays took place of the yellow ones, shining upon the crossroads and the dusty road leading up the mountain. Shadows got longer and the singing of birds louder. Kyungsoo led Jongin to the top of the stairs, the taller boy's arm hooked around his. The view downwards was something Kyungsoo found astounding every time he descended the mountain, no matter how many times he had witnessed it before.

The cascade of different shades of pink, orange and yellow reflected on the thick layer of mist, which was wrapped around the mountain like a shawl, spreading out and creating a massive white and gray frontier between the world below and the world above. When one looked in the distance, it looked as if one was surrounded by sea, gray and rough with massive, thick waves and no dry land in sight. It was a breathtaking view.

They stood on top of the stairs carved in stone and trampled down by many feet, watching as the sea was swayed by the wind and the bright orange changed into crimson red.

“So high up in the air,” Jongin suddenly spoke and Kyungsoo quickly turned his gaze toward him, “It's only you and no one else.”

Kyungsoo eyed him for a long time, trying to figure out of the stranger was mocking him. Ultimately, he decided Jongin was genuinely trying to communicate and answered.

“I find that to be the best feeling in the world.”

Kyungsoo expected Jongin to chuckle, snort, anything. But the taller only nodded, sitting down on one of the steps. After hesitating for a bit, Kyungsoo joined him.

“Are you from the capital?” Kyungsoo blurted out, as the unsated curiosity got the better of him. Jongin kept silent for a long time, he seemed to think about what to say. He picked up a pebble and played with it for a bit and Kyungsoo was getting more and more impatient. Finally, Jongin threw the pebble down the stairs. Only when the last echo of the bouncing pebble died away did he answer Kyungsoo's question.

“I am from Ji, yes,” he said in a low voice and Kyungsoo had to lean closer to hear him better, “my father is one of the officers there.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo whistled, impressed. Jongin smiled faintly and nodded.

“We are quite well off. I like the city life too.”

“And you grew up there?” Kyungsoo kept demanding more information, now fascinated.

“I did,” Jongin nodded, shifting a bit and stretching his legs, “my father had moved there shortly before I was born.”

“So your family are parvenus?” asked Kyungsoo while making himself a bit more comfortable as well. Jongin chuckled.

“You could say that. We are no different than the families with old money, though.”

They both a kept silent for a bit and just enjoyed the view and in Kyungsoo's case, the proximity of the other. He leaned a bit closer towards the stranger until their shoulders almost touched and rejoiced inwardly when the other didn't pull away.

“It must have been great, growing up in the city,” Kyungsoo whispered.

Jongin didn't answer. He continued to stare down on the massive mist clouds, which looked as if they were made out of cotton.

Kyungsoo, growing more and more curious, cleared his throat.

“So why are you here?” he asked then, after he gathered the courage necessary. He didn't dare to look up but he felt Jongin twitch next to him.

“I apologise if it's a private matter but-”

“-It's fine,” Jongin interrupted him, “I owe you explanation. But Kyungsoo,” Jongin leaned in even closer and almost whispered,“please don't tell this to anyone.”

Kyungsoo quickly looked up, worried. Jongin's face was wrinkled in worry. He was scared, the villager realised.

“Of course,” he agreed, “I will not tell anyone.”

“Not even that I am here, “Jongin added and Kyungsoo hesitantly agreed, because Sehun kind of already knew there was someone hiding in the mountains, but then again Sehun didn't count.

“People are jealous of my father's fortune,” Jongin started explaining, “They want to get him out of the way, along with me, since I am the only male offspring. They accused me of stealing a necklace, which belonged to a high lady. It is now dangerous for me in the city because of people they sent after me,” Jongin paused for a bit, “people who want to kill me.” Kyungsoo's eyes bugged out.

“Because of stealing a necklace?” he stuttered. It was unimaginable, such intrigues, such a dangerous game.

“So you escaped here? So they won't find you?” Kyungsoo asked disbelievingly. Jongin nodded.

“No one will search for me in here. I am not that important,” Jongin stressed out the word that and laughed.

Kyungsoo only shuddered, chills running down his spine.

“What will happen if they find you?” he demanded finally, exasperated.

“They will drag me back to the capital,” Jongin answered calmly, “A trial will take place and I will be sentenced to death.”

Kyungsoo sharply exhaled.

“That's horrible.”

“It's fine. I wanted to hide in Glacielle, but they found me there. I tried to fight, but...” Jongin gestured towards his now healed torso.

“So now you're going to hide in here,” stated Kyungsoo and Jongin nodded.

“At least until I am in full health again.”

Another long silence spread between them, both lost in their thoughts.

“I am sorry for acting like I did before,” Jongin interrupted the silence and he looked genuinely apologetic.

“But why did you?” Kyungsoo turned to him and found Jongin staring at him.

“... I didn't think you would come back again, “ sounded the answer after a long hesitation. Kyungsoo lifted his eyebrows.

“I said I would,” he objected.

“You did,” Jongin said and reached over. He took the fur coat off Kyungsoo's shoulders. The pale boy widened his eyes in confusion at what Jongin was doing when he throw it over his own, but all become clear when Jongin held one tip up and gestured Kyungsoo to move closer. He then carefully laid it over the shorter's shoulders and buttoned the coat up, leaving them both feeling warm.

***

Daily visits became a routine Kyungsoo got used to very quickly and happily. Everyday was a new opportunity to find out more about the mysterious stranger and to spend more time with him, something that Kyungsoo found he was getting addicted to very quickly. Jongin was a lot like him in so many different ways, but he was also a lot different and Kyungsoo found talking to him to be as rewarding as he found it pleasant.

Every time he visited he would bring something to help Jongin out, sometimes a home cooked meal, sometimes a shirt his brother didn't wear anymore, sometimes a book to make long days more interesting. He continued to treat Jongin's wounds, which started to look less sinister and fatal.

Sehun would cover for him every time and Kyungsoo found that in the later parts of the watch when he had to spend time with the heir, he didn't mind. He actually quite enjoyed Sehun's company too.

Nevertheless, all he ever thought about was Jongin. And so, when fifteen days after the dragon sighting and eight days after telling the younger about Jongin Sehun started to smile again, Kyungsoo didn't even notice.

Hi there!
I am going to be completely honest here, this was a horrible chapter to write. First my computer broke and I lost a lot of progress, then I accidentaly deleted one whole scene and after all that, I am still not completely satisfied with it.
BUT I swear it'll get better next chapter, which I am very excited to write!

Thanks so much to everyone who subscribed, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter too!

Love, Onion