Kai swung again, hitting Kris in the back a second time before the giant could catch himself, spreading him out on the ground. But unlike Tao, he wasn't quite incapacitated and Kyungsoo only knew this made matters worse.

The younger brought Soo to his side and kept him close and they watched together while Kris made his way back up.

His Chattel was still down, but he was breathing more normally now, so at least they knew that he was getting better. For a few moments, the older was genuinely afraid that Kris was going to kill Tao in front of them.

"What the is this?" Kris was up again, but Kai kept him at a distance by pointing the racket at him.

The situation might have looked funny to an outsider, but in the moment everything was so tense and they'd already witnessed one explosion, he didn't want to be rocked by another one yet.

But when do eruptions wait for permission?

"There must be something wrong in your head if you really think you're going to approach Kyungsoo right after what you did to Tao," Kai held his position and Kyungsoo held the younger's side.

Kris took another step, most likely to try emphasizing his stature, but this didn't seem to phase the brave Chattel. That was always one of the most attractive elements about Jongin ... his fearlessness in whatever situation was unfolding around him.

Soo still remembered the first time they'd met and he was greeted by that aura of trouble. Kai had served as a disturbance in his world and it was the best rippling effect that he could have ever wished for.

He'd grown to adore that look, that anger buried beneath layers of cynicism, snark, and disparity that always stood out to him.

It'd only ever been unleashed twice; once at the bar when Kris first stole a kiss and wouldn't stop and the second was when his father threatened them. Each time it was to defend Kyungsoo ... this time his motives seemed no different, but the situation was so much more dangerous.

Kai wasn't going to stand down, but Kris didn't seem like he was afraid either ... they were two bulls who had finally been let out from their pens. The younger had been feigning for this moment for some time because he wanted to stand up for Kyungsoo's dignity.

And Kris probably wanted to make this into a fight ever since the incident at the club; everyone else might have accredited the punch to Chanyeol, but Kris might have actually remembered the real perpetrator.

"You're a piece of waste ... you think you can keep me away from something that's mine," Kris stepped forward again, pressing his body into the edge of the racket.

"Yours? If I'm trash than you're delusion ... you can't have ever thought he was really your's did you?" Kai's words were full of venom and he could tell they were striking by the way that Kris was staring at them now, "You've gone out on maybe two or three dates with him up to this point, you barely even know each other."

"If he's not mine then whose is he?"

"He's his own," Kai responded promptly, "and he's mine ... unlike you I didn't try to steal him or take him, I let him come to me on his own because I actually care about him."

"That's laughable," Kris was slowly smiling, "You're a Chattel ... he owns you, you really think he feels anything for you? You really haven't thought that he's just pulling strings to get in your pants? Nothing between either of you is valid and he knows that just as well as I ... you want to know why ... because you're not a person. You're not one of us. You're a ing subspecies, you shouldn't even exist ... you are a stain on this earth, what could he feel for you? Besides pity of course."

Kyungsoo wanted to vomit upon hearing this tirade; not because it was true but because he knew how much these sorts of things hurt the younger. Kai had always been sensitive to this way of thinking and it took a long time for Kyungsoo to set up a narrative with the younger that established that he didn't see things in this framing.

Kai finally responded, but instead of words he began swinging the racket again, first hitting Kris's shoulder before next going for his hip. The giant didn't seem bothered till Kai swung in blind fury again and smashed the wire into his face and he spiraled away.

The younger didn't stop though and he started yelling, releasing his anger while Kris tried and failed to deflect the smashes.

It was only a hit later, after getting Kris into a sitting position on the ground, did he swing too hard and bust the center of the racket before discarding it.

Kris's skin was glowing red in a multitude of places, but there wasn't any blood lost and the giant seemed more dazed and stingy than injured. Tao was finally up, but he was cowering in the corner now, away from the violence that had continued to rage on.

Kris took this as an opportunity and charged, launching himself up and at an unsuspecting Kai. He got a blow in with the back of his elbow to the Chattel's head, but Kai was fast and swept under him with his leg, knocking Kris back on the ground.

The giant refused to go out so easily though, and from his spot, he kicked Jongin down with him. As soon as they were both on the floor Kris attacked again, this time getting on top of the younger before he could prepare himself and he began punching.

Kris pinned the younger firmly to the ground and he continued the fight. Kyungsoo didn't know what to do, he couldn't make himself respond right now. It was exactly the same as the time with the smoke; he was in such shock he wasn't himself.

But he could hear Jongin cry out in pain and when he looked, he saw his love spit into Kris's face and the substance was laced with traces of blood. The older could feel his insides fracture and break up in his body.

He couldn't handle this, he couldn't watch anyone hurt Kai, not now, not ever, and so he forced himself to react. He ran forward to grab the giant's arms and pull him off so that the younger could recover.

It didn't matter if he got hurt right now, nothing really mattered as long as he was protecting Jongin and as soon as he made it to their position he grabbed Kris's bicep and forced him off of Kai.

"What the are you doing?" Kris turned around, blood lust in his eyes, "you should be helping me not tearing me away. Did you hear how he spoke of you? As if he could ever own you ... you're debasing yourself by letting him live."

Kyungsoo wanted to speak, but he couldn't find words right now; he just needed to remove Kris from Kai and give his lover a fighting chance.

Kris him and was about to retaliate for the interruption, but Jongin finally mad