The ringing of a cellphone sounded in the room. Key groaned from under the covers and answered it.

"Hello?" He answered sleepily. The blonde's eyes almost popping out of his skull when he heard the voice at the other end of the line.

"Where the hell are you Kibum?!" Jinki demanded. Key gulped looking down at his bare chest and the figure who laid calmly next him equally .

"I'm in my house, I don't feel well" he said, and heard the other sigh.

"Ok, I'll go check up on you, I’m already in my way so I'll take a few minutes" Onew announced, clear that he regretted the way he had behaved yesterday.

"No no! Jinki, it's" he was cut by the line going dead "" he muttered getting quietly out the bed and getting some clean boxers and storming to the bathroom.

He cursed as he got a quick shower and prepared himself.

When he got out of the shower, a knock on the door told him that his friend had arrived. He really had hoped that it would give him enough time to get decent and hide Taemin in time, but it didn't work.

He walked to the door and after a deep breath and a lot of mental panic and preparation he opened it.

"Wow Key, you look like " Onew commented, receiving a "good morning to you too" from his friend.

"What are you doing here" He asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"Well I came to check up on my friend who clearly doesn't feel well because his wearing only boxers and he hates being shirtless" Onew answered looking around the room and going back to Key.

"Well you saw me, now everything is ok, you can go to work now" Key said gesturing to the door, fidgeting nervously at his friend's strong stare.

"Is that a bite on your neck?" Onew asked, pointing at said spot. In that moment Key froze. He slowly turned his head to the mirror that he had on the entrance hallway. Right at the base of his neck there was and angry red bite mark already halfway healed, but he could tell that it would leave a scar.

"Key, what happened? Did a mutant attack you?! Let's go to the hospital" Onew said starting to walk towards the door. Key felt like prey. Like a cornered animal, without a way to escape the situation. Onew grabbed Key's hand and started to pull the other boy along.

A dangerous growl made Onew stop mid step. Both men turned their heads to meet with a very angry looking Taemin. Onew let go of Key's hand and raised them in surrender. After Onew gave a few steps back and created enough space between Key and himself, Taemin walked over to Key and wrapped his arms around the others waist, angry growls directed at Onew never stopping.

"What's going on?" Onew asked, scared of the behavior that the youngest was displaying, nd that fact that he was in a place where no mutant should ever be, just like himself.

"Mine" said Taemin in a low threatening voice, pulling Key closer and glaring at Onew.

"Key, what is he doing? What are you doing?! you know that they can't enter the city" Onew said, raising his voice a little, which earned a louder growl from Taemin. Onew raised his hands again, signaling that he meant no harm. Right then Onew took notice that Taemin was half just like Key.

"Key, what exactly where you doing last night" Onew questioned, a knowing look forming in his face mixed with disapproval and fear. Key sighed and turned to look at Taemin.

"Why don't you go and wash yourself, you can use some of my clothes, they should fit you" Key told the boy that had attached himself to his waist. Taemin gave him a concerned look but Key only smiled and nodded.

As if silently agreeing, Taemin pulled back and headed in the direction of the room, directing a last glare at Onew. After Taemin left the room, another sigh left Key's lips.

When Key was about to walk up to Onew, when Taemin appeared from the room with some sweatpants and a white t-shirt in hand for the human. Key smiled gratefully at Taemin for showing such care towards him, and then sent the boy over to take a bath.

"Ok so now, would you like to explain please?" Onew asked, watching his friend get completely dressed.

"You can't tell anyone what you saw" Key simply stated slipping into the shirt.

"I know, that’s obvious, most of the things we do are a secret, but clue me in, I promise that I wont-" Onew started to say looking at his friend.

"We did it" Key simply said, not really finding the point in postponing the inevitable. As it was even possible, Jinki's eyes grew two times their side. He followed the younger who walked to the kitchen and offered the elder a glass of water, which he declined. Key walked over to his taking a sip from his own glass and sitting on his favorite armchair while he looked at Onew. Onew staid quiet for a moment.

"So you two.....you mated" Onew said, trying to make sense of what his friend had told him. Key remained silent.

"This has to stop" Onew muttered, his friend's eyes widening.

"What?" Key asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"You need to stop this madness" Onew told him. Key stood up fuming.

"I won't stop just because you say so, I'm perfectly fine, no one will know I'll be caref-" Key started to say, voice quieting down when he saw Onew's tearing eyes.

"Tao's dead" Onew said. They were lies but Kibum didn’t knew that. He might as well be dead, no one having seen the man after so long.

"And if you don't stop you'll be next” Onew continued, tears running down his cheeks.

"How?" Key asked, falling back to his seat in shock.

"He made mistakes, he got involved with one of them just like you and me, he got involved with Yixing remember. He told me that they met during one of the missions, and they started seeing each other, just like we are doing. You knew that, we all knew that. But he went too far, just like you did just now. He couldn't hide well, and they found out. He’s gone" Onew told Key, trying to stop the tears from his eyes.

"Please, I don't want to lose you, you're like my other brother, if I lose you I don't know what will happen to me, I won't lose you, I know I was wrong with what I said, but you need to understand that this is wrong, I am one of them now, but you’re still human, so please try to understand" Onew insisted, Key's face hardening with each word.

"Leave" was the only word the left Key's mouth.

"What?" Now was Onew's turn to question.

"I said leave Jinki" Key repeated, using the man’s real name to make his point clear.

"But Key" Onew repeated trying to get some sense into Key's head.

"I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE JINKI!" Onew looked taken aback by the sudden outburst of his friend, but obeyed none the less, after all he was in a compromising position himself. When Onew walked outside of the house, Key didn't hesitate in slamming the door shut in his friends face.

Key stood there for a while, hands pressed against the wood of the door. He felt his anger bubble up and his hope crumble as well. For all he knew, Onew was right, Tao could be dead and all because of his carelessness. But then again, no matter how careful one is, if you’re a target, no matter how well you hide, you will always be found. He gasped startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You ok?” Taemin asked his mate, softly rubbing his shoulders.

“Yeah…” Kibum nodded and tried to smile as an attempt of reassuring the younger man. He turned around and slowly wrapped his arms around Taemin and hugged him close. Taemin hugged him back and buried his nose on his neck, staring at the door uneasily.

“You sure you’re ok? I heard you shouting” Taemin tried to push forward, pulling back and looking at Key’s face. The human only huffed a little and looked up at Taemin.

“Onew just being himself… he said that Tao’s dead… but he’s not sure, I could tell… or at least I hope.” Key told the mutant, softly caressing his chest. Taemin hummed and smiled a little at Key, capturing the human’s lips in a soft tender kiss.

As if he was spelled with some kind of magic, Key felt like everything as alright. He felt as if nothing else mattered and no one would ever pull them apart from each other ever. It was when those arms wrapped around him, that he felt home, that he felt secured.

Kibum was the first one to pull away, a small smile playing on his lips. Taemin smiled back and rested his forehead against Key’s

“I love you Kibum, have I told you that?” Taemin said looking at his mate in the eyes. Kibum chuckled and nodded.

“You make sure to remind it to me every time I see you, I love you too Tae, more than what you can imagine” Key told his boyfriend with a grin, caressing the back of Taemin’s head tenderly. Taemin chuckled a little and kissed his mate once again.

After that the couple spent the whole day cuddling on Key’s couch watching movies and having fun. Around some time in the day Minho dropped by and spent time with Key and Taemin.

Taemin really enjoyed Minho’s presence once he grew used to the other human. He was funny and liked to tease Key. Opposite to Onew he was a little more easygoing with certain things. He didn’t hate mutants, he even worried about them. The man even confessed that he wanted to join the militia of the dome to follow Jinki and make him proud.

“I… I really wish I could see the outside someday as well, and who knows, maybe befriend a mutant” Minho joked with a grin looking at the tv. Kibum in response choked with the coke he was drinking, and Taemin laughed wholeheartedly because of the irony of the situation.

“Yeah, I’m sure mutants would reeeeally enjoy your company” Kibum commented after he regained his breath, taking a napkin and cleaning himself.

“Come on, don’t be mean Bumie, I’m sure they would” Taemin said with a grin, laughing at Key’s face and his red ears after hearing the nick name.

“Yeah well, we can catch up again some time, I need to go, check if my lost brother found his way home finally” Minho said with a smile. The man got up stretching his back with a yawn.

“Yeah you go, and be careful on the streets kid” Key said with a smile looking as Minho walked himself outside.

“It was great spending time with you, hope to see you again soon” Taemin said with a grin waving at Minho when the other waved back at him.

“I had fun too Tae, and yeah yeah I will be careful Bumie umma!” Minho said, running out the door with a laugh right as a shoe was thrown at the door.

Kibum chuckled shaking his head as he looked at Taemin.

“Come on, I should take you back to the outside before we endanger ourselves. Taemin pouted but smiled nodding.

“Yeah let’s do that, it’s for the better.” He said and with that the prepared themselves and headed off. The way out was way more calm than the way in. They shared some jokes and even stopped for some treats on the way. By the time they reached the exit the sun was setting.

Kibum looked at his boyfriend smiling lovingly. He reached out for him to hug him and took a deep breath to talk. Taemin moved as well to return the hug. When the pair was about to fill each other’s embrace, a strong force pulled them apart.

The human didn’t even had time to reach as he was slammed to the floor and pinned down right there. A deafening roar was heard as Jonghyun’s hands curled into fist on the neck of his shirt. Jonghyun’s teeth turned into fangs and his eyes showed anger as he looked down at the human. His display of anger was so evident, that not even Taemin dared get close at the moment.

“You listen, and listen well Kibum” The mutant said through tightly gritted teeth.

“Jong, please don’t” Taemin started, shutting up when Jonghyun glared at him. When Taemin nodded in agreement to staying still, Jonghyun turned his head to face Kibum.

“I could care less, what you two did with each other, my brother loves you and you love him and I’m ok with that, I respect it but… if you ever, EVER, endanger my brother like how you did today, It will be the last day you see, understand” Jonghyun said, pressing Kibum even more against the dirt. Key gulped and nodded.

“Yeah…. I understand Jonghyun…. I’m sorry, really”  Key nodded a little, groaning when Jonghyun punched his face.

“Ok… I-I deserved that” Key groaned gritted his teeth because of the pain.

“Jonghyun! That’s enough” Onew shouted, shoving Jonghyun off of Kibum with his new mutant force. Onew glared at Jonghyun before looking at Kibum and offering his hand towards the human to help.

“Don’t worry brother, I will never turn my back on you ever again” Onew smiled at Key with that brotherly smile that Key had missed so much. Kibum blinked and smiled a little with a short nod, taking his friend’s hand firmly and getting on his feet.

“But Jinki, he took my-” Jonghyun tried to justify himself still utterly angry.

“Yes I know, he did a mistake and he knows it, just like we all have, we all made mistakes and now we live with them” Onew said looking at Jonghyun in the eyes.

“Jinki, you haven’t done” Jonghyun said calming down a little and looking at Onew, trying to reassure the other that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Yes I have, I have been neglecting my family… my duties, everything I had in my life before being out here, along the way I just thought, that I wasn’t leaving that much behind, that this was worth it, but now I see that I have left behind so much more… I may not be able to go inside the dome like before anymore, but I will keep on protecting everything I love again, yes I will protect you Jonghyun, and all the mutants I can, but I have to protect Kibum and my brother as well” Jinki said determined. Jonghyun seemed to have some trouble accepting everything that happened with Kibum still, but he nooded in agreement none the less.

“Ok, if it makes you happy Jinki, I’m ok with it” Jonghyun agreed, holding Jinki’s hands and smiling at him lovingly.

“Good, now let’s go home, it’s getting dark” Onew said, giving Kibum one last tight hug before walking off with the mutant.

“I really had a lot of fun Key, thank you for bringing me to the city. This….  This was the best thing in the world, and I am glad I got to share it with you” Taemin said nearing the human with a smile. He softly cupped Kibum’s face and with a tender finger wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

“I really had fun as well, and I am happy that I get to spend such wonderful times with you as well. Sure the end of the day wasn’t what I was expecting, but I am not even sure what I expected to be honest” Key said with a chuckle, flinching a little at the pain on his lip, before hugging his mate close.

“Yeah… sorry about Jonghyun, he gets like that sometimes….” Taemin apologized hugging Key close.

“Don’t worry about that Tae… One more thing… don’t go out tomorrow ok… you nor your friends… there will be a scouting mission, something about mutants roaming close by, they will send us to take care of it… Please I don’t want anything bad to happen to you” Kibum informed the mutant, gulping thickly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everyone stays safe, even Onew” Taemin said trying to reassure his lover. Key smiled at him and nodded before joining their lips one last time. The kiss didn’t last long, Kibum pulling back because of the pain on his lip. The human chuckled lightly nd pressed their foreheads together.

When they pulled away, Taemin left and Kibum stood there looking at the retreating mutant. He took a deep breath and remained there until the figure of his lover disappeared in the distance.

“Ok Kibum… let’s go back… back to our life” Key told to himself as he turned around and headed back home with a sigh.

After all ….

this was it…

This was…

Kibum’s reality …

---- 

Man I am on fire!!!

So I can feel this story slowly nearing a closing, I can’t possibly tell how many chapters more, but they won’t be a lot more.

I really enjoyed doing this and I have equally high hopes for my future stories!

I really hope you liked this chapter! And as always

Don’t forget to comment, upvote, subscribe etc!

So until the next chapter!

Peace out<3!!