The following morning, Tao woke up with a throbbing headache since he hadn't slept well the night before. He quickly prepared breakfast and proceeded on cleaning the house, waiting for his uncle and his aunt to appear out of their room.

While doing so, he the tv, just so he could have some noise-company and what appeared on the screen almost made his heart drop.

There on the big screen was a picture of a familiar object and the newsreporter reading the morning news about said picture. It was a picture of a silver bracelet Tao always wore ever since he was a small kid, a sole memory of something his parents had left behind for him tying him to them.

The newsreporter announced the news about the 'party', 'burgulary', 'intruder who knew how to harm people' and of course 'whoever recognized the owner of the bracelet might possibly be of any help' and Tao could almost faint on the spot.

If his uncle knew about this, he was sure his body would end up mangled and buried somewhere six feet under the soil. Quickly turning off the tv, he hoped no one in the house had heard the news. Yet.

But just like any concealed truth, they eventually would be revealed one way or another. And that was how Tao found himself cowering in front his very angry uncle a couple of days after the breaking news.

"I told you to be careful, you useless runt! I ought to skin you alive!," his uncle bellowed furiously before slamming down a walking stick on Tao's delicate skin.

He cried out in pain and surprise as his left hand clutched the now turning scarlet red, bruised skin. It was ripped open mercilessly. Tao begged and apologized with tears running down his cheeks, but his uncle wouldn't have any of it. With every blow, Tao could feel his skin burning in pain. His back felt as if it was ripped open multiple times. And that was when he did something he should've done ages ago.

Tao pulled himself up with the remaining strength he had and fled as fast as he could. His uncle called out to him to return, but he ignored the calls. All he could focus on was escaping his uncle's evil clutches. He ran and ran as quickly as he could. Reaching the streets, he hoped his uncle would stop and leave him alone but that didn't happen ofcourse. His uncle followed hot on his heels, cursing profanities loudly until everything came to a halt when the area was suddenly surrounded by a dozen of men dressed in black suit.

The poor boy who was trying so hard to stay away from his evil uncle hadn't noticed a tall figure standing right in his way resulting in him smacking face first into the solid body. 

Tao cried out in surprise when he fell on his behind and apologized quickly before looking up at the cause of the collision. His breath hitched when he saw no one other than Mr. Handsome standing there glaring down at him with those dark bushy eyebrows.

Recovering quickly from his situation, Tao hastily tried to scurry away, trying to make another escape but now from someone else, but was unfortunately prevented by the other. His left arm was trapped and he felt himself being hauled up by the other harshly. Oh, he was so doomed.

"Please, please, let me go. I am sorry. I didn't mean to," Tao apologized profusely, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"Are you alright?,"

Surprised at the concerned question coming from Mr. Handsome, Tao looked at the other almost shamefully.

"You idiots! Let me go so I can give that boy a good beating!,"

Hearing his uncle's angry words, Tao whimpered involuntarily trying to loosen the grip of Mr. Handsome on his left arm.

"Please, sir... I need to go... I... I...," Tao whimpered.

"You imbecile!,"

And hearing more angry words, Tao then decided to make another decision. He knelt down awkwardly since Mr. handsome was still holding onto his left arm and pleaded for help.

"Help me, please. I will do everything. Just help me, sir... I don't want to be with him. Will you please help me? I can't take it anymore," he sobbed.

Tao pleaded, from time to time turning around to see if his uncle was still behind him. When he saw his uncle finally free from the men in black, he scrambled up from his kneeling position and hid himself behind Mr. Handsome, hoping to at least get some protection temporarily.

Seeing his uncle nearing fast, Tao clamped down on the back Mr. Handsome's white shirt and begged for help desperatedly.

"Please, help me!,"

Before Tao's uncle could do any more damage, Mr. Handsome had already ordered the men in black to capture the angry man.

"Let me go, you goons!,"

"Mister, if you don't calm down right now, I can only do one thing and that is to have you arrested and have you taken down to the police station," Mr. Handsome finally said in a calm yet demanding tone.

"And who the hell are you to order that?!," Tao's uncle spat out.

"Wu Kris, certified lawyer of district Seoul at your service,"

Upon hearing the name, Tao saw his uncle crumble and quiver in front of Mr. Handsome whose name he now knew was Kris. Who was this Kris who could make his uncle scared like a coward? He seemed to be someone with a high status or something.

"Mr-Mr. Wu... hehehe... hahaha... I didn't recognize you there. I deeply apologize for that," A pause. "And I really didn't mean what I just said," the man blabbered out pathetically.

"Oh really? What I just witnessed sure didn't look like you didn't mean it," Kris retorted looking at the man in disgust.

"Uh... I... it was just... I didn't... look my nephew there can be disobedient from time to time and if you don't teach him well then he'll never learn!," the man defended himself.

A minute or two passed before Kris finally gave his next order. Tao's uncle was taken away (with so much struggling and pitiful cries) by a couple of men before he gave the rest permission to disperse themselves. When everything was clear, Kris finally turned his attention to the poor boy he was still holding onto. And he couldn't help but feel how warm the other was under his touch.

"Are you alright?," Kris asked quietly.

"Y-yes... sir... thank you very much for saving me," Tao bowed gratefully ignoring the pain on his body.

"Good... you sound better I see," 

"Uh... err...?," Tao didn't understand what the other was saying.

"I am not done with you yet. Your uncle may not be here to inflict pain anymore, but I am still here and I need answers,"

Tao's eyes widened in horror. His savior had actually two sides! And he happened to run into the bad side and there was no one in sight to help him out. He had just walked himself a the dangerous lion's den. He suppressed a whimper when the other tugged him along to god knows where.

"I... I am sorry," Tao apologized meekly.

His apology held in everything, for the pain he had caused the other the other night, for being a trouble for the other because he was trying to run for his life and of course for stealing the scroll. But, he really didn't mean it!

"Let's have you patch up first before we start talking,"

"O...O-kay,"

A half hour later, Tao found himself sitting on a soft mattras waiting for Kris. The latter had ordered him to stay there and not move an inch and Tao had obeyed. The only thing he could do was look around himself. His eyes took in the room and was awed at the size of it.

The room itself was big enough for a family of five and it was really clean and neat. There wasn't really much inside though, only a bed, a bookcase, a tv and a desk. Nothing more. Really classy and yet not out of the ordinary.

When Kris appeared again, he was holding onto a basin filled with water and his long sleeves were rolled up halfway to avoid getting in the way. Tao followed the other with his eyes carefully, waiting for an order or just anything. It was quite awkward since he had never been social with anyone, thanks to his uncle and aunt who had locked him up all these years.

"I need you to take off your shirt," Kris suddenly ordered before turning around and heading over to his bookcase before sauntering back with a white box in his hands.

When he saw Tao hesitating with those big, sad and pleading eyes, he heaved a sigh. Maybe his words came out wrong.

"You are hurt and it'll get infected if you don't treat them," Kris explained, setting the first aid kit down and taking a seat next to the poor boy.

It finally downed onto Tao what the other was saying, so he carefully did as told. It hurt a lot though, but he needed to be treated.

"Ok, hold still. I am going to clean your wounds, alright?,"

Tao merely nodded.

He hissed in pain when he felt the warm cloth touch his body. Even though he knew the other was working on his wound very carefully, he couldn't help but cry upon feeling the unbearable pain from time to time. By the time Kris had finished patching him up, his eyes had already turned red from crying.

"Okay, all done," Kris finally announced, throwing the dirtied cloth inside the basin and getting up to throw away the contents.

A couple of minutes later, Tao found himself all dressed in Kris' clothes, sitting opposite Mr. Handsome with a cup of water and an actual warm meal the other had his chef provide for him. Thanking the other for the food and treating his wounds, both lads fell silent again.

Tao could feel he was being observed and he could actually picture himself all bared to the soul. It was creepy and uncomfortable, but he didn't dare utter a word. Because, what if Mr. Handsome disliked him talking back, what if Mr. Handsome found him annoying, what if-

"How are you and that man related?," Kris finally asked after a long silence Tao actually had to process what the other was actually saying. He blinked a few times before he found his voice back again.

"He... is my uncle... my father's younger brother,"

"Where is your father? Do you live with this uncle of yours?,"

"My father has already left long time ago and so uncle and aunt took me in,"

"I am sorry to hear that,"

"Hmm... yeah... me too... but I have no choice. Now, I don't know what is going to happen to me," Tao shrugged his shoulders, letting go a tired sigh.

"What do you mean by that?," Kris inquired, quirking his left brow.

"With uncle locked up I assume, aunt is going to throw a fit and I will never hear the end of it. They had already threatened to throw me out of their house, so...,"

"I don't understand why they would do that,"

And so Tao started with his tale on how he was left in the care of his uncle's and aunt's hands. He told the other about the times he had to work as a slave just to get a little bit of food in return. He told about the times when he would be insulted by either one of them, he even told the other about him not having ever went to school since he was of age. When Tao slowly came to the end of his tale, Kris could already feel his heart break for the other.

How could such people exist in the world? The poor, innocent boy had been confined of everything a normal kid needed in his life. His parents were taken away and even love was taken away from him. And yet the boy grew up all healthy and well mannered, well except for that other day. Kris made a mental note to question the other about it later. For now, he seemed to quite enjoy watch the other nibble the food like a hamster or panda and felt the sudden urge to protect the other. Cute.

Kris didn't know why, but that night when he first set eyes on the figure of the other, he was quite intrigued by how perfect the other looked in those tight black pants and leather jacket and actually longed to know about the other. He had been living a boring life since he had graduated from University of Law and only lived to solve cases thrown at him since he was the best of the best. He had never once lost a case since he entered the world of the lawyers. He even assumed that he was only brought to earth just to work and basta. 

There was no time for fun. Going out on Saturdays or Fridays didn't exist in his schedule. He had no time to find someone to date, much less get married and settle down. Kris simply didn't feel like tying himself down to someone else. So, the only thing he could do was bury himself in piles of work.

His uncle had already grown two heads on trying to match him with the perfect girl in the same branch, but he had refused forcefully. He wasn't interested in any of them and secretly wanted to be with someone he truly fell in love with.

When his uncle decided to throw a party, so he could finally find his 'perfect' candidate, Kris thought he was going to lose his cool and strangle his uncle. But, that night when he had decided to just go back to his office, he had never thought he'd actually find someone there (since the area was restricted for any guests), and was quite surprised, this boy (who was now sitting in front of him), actually caught his attention.

He was however surprised when one moment he was facing the boy, the next moment he woke up with a blanket covering his body. Kris had been angry about someone entering his area without permission, but the small action of the other had actually made him feel cared for, even if it came from a stranger who was a thief in the first place.

"Then tell me, why were you in my office the other night?," Kris finally demanded looking at the boy who froze mid-eating.

"Uh... err... please... don't be angry. I really didn't mean to. I swear, I don't like stealing either, but it was my uncle and he said, I had to do it for him," Tao replied meekly avoiding inquiry eyes.

Seeing no reaction from the other, Tao pursed his lips before getting down on his knees and bowing a couple of times, asking for forgiveness and chanting that he didn't mean it and was sorry. He never saw the shocked expression from the other because of his action.

He really wanted the other to forgive him for what he had done the other night and promised to make it up however the other wished. All he wished for was not to be put in jail.

"Hey...," 

Upon hearing the soft baritone voice of Mr. Handsome, Tao looked up to find the other's face close to his. His heart accelerated, his mind went blank, he could feel his body stiffen and his stomach was making weird somersaults. What was going on with him? He had never felt like this before. It was weird and he couldn't find words to describe it.

Soft and warm hands cupped his left cheek and Tao found himself mesmerized at the action. He felt himself drowning and drowning in a pool of warmth radiating from those brown eyes.

"Everything is going to be ok, alright? You don't have to be afraid. I am here, I promise," Kris said, a soft smile adorned his face.

"O... okay... you... you are not going to send me to jail?," Tao asked curiously, just to be sure.

"No, I won't,"

And Tao found himself smiling, trusting the other and falling in love without himself knowing it.

Since the incident of Tao with his uncle, Kris had decided, no vowed to protect Tao and made sure the latter was staying close. He offered the other a place to stay and food to eat and even brought the other out shopping, just because the other deserved it. He wanted Tao to be happy, he wanted to make happy memories and try wipe away the bad ones.

And he was doing a great job in doing that even if he had to say it himself. Everyone could see that he was putting a lot of effort in it which wasn't wasted thankfully. But, one problem that he couldn't solve was the fact that whenever he'd wake up in the morning, he'd see the other up and already, cleaning the house. Even though he had given orders to his maids not to let Tao do the work, the latter always had a way to blackmail the maids into letting him.

"Tao! How many times do I have to say you don't have to work in this house! I have maids for the job," Kris reprimanded, yanking the broom out of the other's hand. 

A pout appeared and Kris felt himself go all weak. No, no, no... he couldn't let this go. It has been too much and he wasn't going to let the other off with something so innocent as a... pout.

"Don't give me that look. You know very well I don't like it when you work. I have taken you in so you can live with me, not work for me," Kris emphasized on the word 'for', making the other flinch.

"But... but... there is nothing for me to do!," Tao sighed out.

"That is the thing. I don't want you to do anything!,"

"I feel like a... a... how do you call it?,"

"Freeloader?,"

"...yes... freeloader. I don't want to feel like a freeloader. I want to do something back. You are so nice enough to let me stay here and if I stay here without doing anything, how am I going to repay you? I don't have money," Tao whined cutely, swinging Kris' hand back and forth.

Kris heaved a sigh. A throbbing headache was making its way to his skull. It was the same argument over and over again since day one Tao started living with him. Even though he had assured the other he could stay with him without paying anything, Tao still had to insist on doing something back. How was he going to make the other change his thoughts? Maybe...

"You can repay me by accepting my heart," Kris suddenly blurted out.

He cringed in himself. That sounded cheesy? Corny? He didn't know. Where did he get that anyway? Must have been him watching too many dramas. Anticipating the other's reaction, Kris could feel his heart fluttering and hoping for a positive answer. 

Although he might or might not have been trying to be too subtle with his actions, he was hoping somewhere deep down his heart that Tao at least liked him a bit.

"W-what do you mean? How can I accept your heart? Are you going to cut it out?," A gasp. "No! Then, you'll die!," Tao looked possibly alarmed and worried at the same time.

Kris ran a hand through his hair a little bit frustrated. Of course Tao wouldn't understand those words. He seriously had a long way to go before the other finally understood what he meant.

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A/N:

Merry Christmas everybody. Hope my dearest readers have spent a lovely Christmas with their families and beloved ones. Mine's particularly boring, since I really have no idea what to do than work. /sigh

Anyways... somebody please kill me right now. I am starting to write more chapters instead of a one-shot. It originally was supposed to be a one-shot, but things got too long for my liking, so I had no choice but to cut it in pieces so you guys won't have too hard of a time to read the whole story. I think you guys can basically guess what is going to happen next since it is a fairytale everybody knows how it ended. 

Right, I hope I can finish this off soon, because I have another story waiting for me to be updated and I am really trying to update as soon as possible, but sometimes I really lack motivation. So, please be kind and generous with me. Thank you you all. Love you <333

Don't forget to subscribe, comment and upvote for me :) Thank you very much dearies~~!!