I walk aimlessly down the halls, more fleeing from Taemin than looking for an actual food source. Fleeing from someone that I can’t have without his brothers or dad or who ever beating the crap out of him. I clench my fists and glare at the floor as I walk, wishing – praying – that there would somehow be a way for Taemin and I to be together. That the rest of the world would just go *poof* and be gone.

“Are you lost?” I turn to see a slim, well built young woman with long black hair and a slightly tilted body standing behind me. I recognize her immediately as Taemin’s sister, the one that had helped Taemin’s dad back onto the bed.

“Y-yeah,” I stammer. Damn, she’s pretty. “I’m just looking for the kitchen.”

“Oh, dinner already ended,” she says apologetically. I give her a lopsided smile, a bit miffed about the fact that I can’t get food for Taemin, but she brightens up. “I can get you food anyway.”

“You can?” I ask curiously. “It won’t get you in trouble?”

“No,” she laughs. “Come with me.” She turns and I follow her, trying not to over think it as she slows down to take my wrist into her slim hand.

“I think I can find my way around,” I murmur, but she just smiles and looks at the floor.

“If I don’t hold onto you, you might get lost,” she teases, “and Taemin would probably murder me for losing his boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I mutter bitterly, reminded all too well of my predicament.

“Really? You two seem very close,” she says cheerfully. A servant dressed like the one before passes us and bows.

“Hello Miss Yuri,” the servant greets. Yuri nods.

“Hello,” she returns before leading me off again. Behind me, I can hear the servant scurrying away. I tense as Yuri’s hand inches lower, but she immediately shifts it up again.

“Where are we going?” I ask. She beams proudly.

“The kitchen,” she says. I look around at the old fashioned house and frown a little, thinking about how dingy the kitchen must be. I shudder at the thought of eating anything from the place that I have imagined in my head, which amounts to little more than an open fireplace and a bunch of dead carcasses.

, I’m going insane, I think angrily. Yuri giggles next to me, and my head snaps to where she’s laughing quietly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

“What’s so funny?” I ask a little defensively. She lets out one more bubbly laugh and looks up at me.

“Don’t be scared of the food here. It’s the best in the area,” she says proudly. I nod skeptically, my mind filled with images of the dingy restaurants and snack stands that we’d passed in the limo.

“Somehow I don’t doubt that,” I say slowly. She pouts.

“Hey, don’t underestimate this town,” she scolds gently. “Even though the people here are poor, and there aren’t a lot of jobs or money to go around, my father built this town from scratch.”

“Why does he live here, in this old fashioned temple?” I ask as she runs a corner .I notice that the torches on the wall are actually fluorescent light bulbs, glowing dimly on ornate light holders. I chuckle to myself. So it isn’t so authentic after all.

“He came from an old fashioned family. When he came here, he wanted us to live like he had so we could grow up like he had.” She smiles wistfully, looking fondly at the walls that have been painted from top to bottom with intricate phoenixes and dragons.

“Where is he from? What’s that weird language that you’re all speaking?” I ask, tilting my head. She giggles.

“Chinese,” she says. “We learned it at a young age to preserve our dad’s culture.”

“That’s impressive,” I murmur. “All I know is English and Korean.”

“That’s already pretty good,” she says, smiling kindly. She stops in front of a curtain of straw and pushes it aside. “This is the kitchen.”

Okay, so it’s not as bad as I thought. It’s… cozy. Most of the surfaces are stone. The walls are made of dull red bricks, and the stove glistens with a metallic iron color. Pots and other utensils hang from the wall, and there a sink in the corner with a cabinet under it. In the other corner, there’s a modern-looking refrigerator. Actually, there’s a few of them, all of them large and polished.

“Take some of the leftovers in there,” she offers, pointing to the fridge. I nod gratefully and open it, looking at the large containers and parcels of food wrapped in brown paper and tied with brown string. I pull out two of the bundles and put them on the counter. I unwrap one and see some form of sticky rice ball.

“What is this?” I ask. She giggles.

“Try it,” she says. I pick one up and pop it into my mouth. It’s cold, but it’s also sweet and chewy, filled with red bean. I laugh with surprise.

“It’s good,” I admit. She giggles and picks one up. She pops it into and notices some grains of rice sticking to her fingers.

“Even the rice is sweetened,” she says softly. Her body’s so close to mine that I have to fight off the urge to flirt. No, no, I’m going to stick with Taemin. I back away slightly as she pops her fingers in , off the grains. She smiles sweetly, innocently.

“Alright, then,” I say when she doesn’t make another move. I open the second parcel. Inside are a few chilled buns with white dough wrapped around some unknown filling. I pick one up and bite into it. It’s cold, but it’s good, filled with roasted pork. I smile.

“It’s made from rice too,” she says. “My father likes to eat the things he used to eat in China.”

“It’s good,” I say. I take the two partials and put them into what looks like a microwave. “How to I work this?” I ask.

“Oh, you just press this…” Yuri puts her hand on my shoulder and stretches forward. I swallow, but I remain calm. Composed.

I love Taemin. I love Taemin. I love Taemin.I think the same thought over and over again, trying not to flinch as her body pulsates. What takes maybe a few seconds for her to press one damn button seems like hours before she pulls away.

“Th-thanks,” I say. I wait for her to make another move, but she doesn’t, so maybe I was over-reacting? I turn and look at the microwave, watching the food rotate in the lighted box.

“So… Shall I take you back, then?” she asks when the machine beeps. I take the two parcels out.

“Y-yeah,” I say. She takes my arm and tugs lightly, smiling almost-innocently.

Am I over thinking this? Please tell me I’m over thinking this.

Onew’s POV

I sit again on his bed, holding his clothes. My heart’s torn in two again. I stare at Taemin’s clothes next to me, then Minho’s shirt in my arms.

I love them both, I realize. Taemin’s a light in my life, a smile that will make every problem vanish. Minho’s my best friend. I want him to myself. I want him in my arms, no one else’s.

But I also want Taemin. I also want that luminescent creature of the day, that perfect crystal that I know Minho will treat wrongly. The only one Minho can be with is me. I’ll be sure of it.

But I want them both.

The gears in my head click. There’s no reason I can’t. The way this is working, there’s no reason I can’t. I smile and lay Minho’s and Taemin’s clothes onto the bed. I get up and go to Minho’s office, where I sit in his chair.

It’s his chair. It smells like him. I can almost imagine that it feels like him. I my hand over the familiar leather and smile.

My phone buzzes. I pick it up and smile at who’s calling.

“Yuri,” I say cheerfully, happy at the mere thought of my plan.

“It won’t work. He’s not interested,” Yuri grumbles. I can pretty much hear her pout. I frown. How uncharacteristic of Minho to not go for an attractive lady like Yuri.

“Well, go to plan B then,” I say with a sigh. I really didn’t want to do this to you, Minho.

“Got it,” she says. I snap the phone shut and lean my head back.

Taemin and Minho. I shall have you both. I shall… I’ll take care of you and love you. I swear I will.

With this plan, I’ll have you both in my arms.

A/N- Okay, he’s a sick puppy. He’s a SICK, SICK puppy.

More to come, comments are love!