The glass box shimmers under specks of sunlight that pierce their way through drawn blinds. A fume of jade green stirs in the clear cage it is held in, forming whispers with jerky, brisk movements. Rattles echo through the dark, empty bedroom as wind whooshes in circles inside it. The shelves clatter against the objects they hold.

The doorknob clicks.

The commotion stops as the owner of the room enters and swings his bagpack on the bed and fell on top of it himself. The trapped creature whimpers.

--

Kyungsoo has his eyes closed. Pinching the mid point of his brows, he throws his head back and sighs. "You are an idiot," he laments.

A whiff of a familiar scent, Kyungsoo glances to the box he assumes as a perfume bottle or something aromatic of that sort. It catches light and the fume snakes along the intricate patterns lacing the outside of the case. Kyungsoo looks away.

Jongdae only hums in response to Baekhyun's questions, earning a frustrated groan from the other. "Kyungie Boo," Baekhyun moans.

He is rewarded a sharp glare from Kyungsoo who sighs yet again. "It's not that hard." He grumbles about the older getting dementia from old age.

By then, Baekhyun has given up on his homework to wander around Kyungsoo's room. His eyes are caught on the glass case. "Wow," he says.

"Leave that alone," Kyungsoo says sharply, motioning Baekhyun to join him among the scattered books the latter has left.

Jongdae cracks an eye open, "Do what he says." He thumbs in Kyungsoo direction and makes an awkward gun shape with his index finger and the thumb. "He da boss."

Baekhyun finally complies after taking the object with him, weighing it on his hands then closing one eye to peer through it with the opened one. Kyungsoo gives him a dirty look which he replies with a shrug. Within a millisecond during a timed blink, Jongdae curious hands streched outwards and knocks the fragile items out of the delicate digits, onto the dusty linoleum.

The sickening shattering reverberates off the monotone walls.

When Baekhyun opens his eyes alarmingly though, the glass case looks completely unharmed. Kyungsoo has his thick brows knitted together, not in annoyance as the older glady notes. 

"Just leave it alone."

The box is now placed on top of the bed. Kyungsoo does not tell his friends that the green smoke inside has vanished.

--

The stairs creak under the pressure of forced, fatigued steps. Dragging his body upstairs to his bedroom, Kyungsoo slumps and staggers in an uneven zig-zag path. His aunt is yelling at her drunk husband but he knows that the words are directed towards him. Freeloader. Helpless. Trash. Tears prick at the reddening corners of his eyes, he is already tired from his part time job and school and projects. The room is soaked in black when he opens it, legs dragged down by the clawing hands of languor. 'Hnngh,' he exhales, an invisible fog of exhaustion escaping from the slighty parted mouth. He fumbles for the switch then decides against it. His bed has not moved, neither did his table or anything in his room. A step, another, another and another. Stop. There is something hard against him, warm, breathing. His legs give out in shock and he closes his eyes expecting to meet the cold floor. Instead, warm strong hands caught him in a vice-like grip. Tighter. He feels trapped. The more he struggles, the more stubborn his captor is.

"Please, just let me go." Kyungsoo begs, squinting his eyes shut.

A familiar fragnance blooms.

It's the glass case he thinks, he has angered the devil and he is going to be  cursed, haunted, tormented.

The grip on him loosened.

"Okay," his captor says.

"Huh."

"You told me to let you go." Strands of stray hair bounces with the shake of the head as the stranger turns away. Moonlight trails across the sharp jawline, the jutted adam apple down the exposed collar bones.

Kyungsoo scrambles forward and switches the light on.

The stranger turns back, facing him now. "Thank you." The words comes out no louder than the sound of dust bunnies rolling under Kyungsoo's desk. He is dressed like Aladdin, the nearest thing Kyungsoo can compare to, but looking a lot richer. Bits of jewellery, lost their shine from dust and crusted dirt, decor the outfit he has never seen in actual real life before because he has never celebrated Halloween. Kyungsoo stares, mouth agape, eyes wide. Sun bleached hair an appealing golden brown sits atop  of an outlandishly handsome figure with smooth chocolate skin. His own pale milky complexion almost laughable. The male shifts.
Kyungsoo gasped as the other's shoulder are exposed, sleeves drooping down. A hideous scar marrs the left shoulder, pink and jagged, running down armlength. Perhaps more. Kyungsoo squints, he really need to wear his contacts. There are spots of burgundy tainting the clothes, hinting more wounds and scars underneath. War? Robbery?

"Let's clean you up," he offers.

The tanned male, he says the colour is natural, apparantly is unfamiliar with modern systems. Namely operating the shower head, closing the bathroom door, squeezing body wash out of its bottle, et cetra, et cetra.

"I am afraid I need your most appreciated help." He says. So soft, his voice is soft and quiet that Kyungsoo has to strain both his ears and eyes. Kyungsoo chews on his lips when the male strips down to his ancient underwear. Kyungsoo is not sure what his genie is really, his history class or any class never taught him  about handsome guys that appears when you break a glass case.

"I am Kai by the way." A little louder. His voice is so unsure.

Kyungsoo stands still, rubbing his hand along his other elbow. His heels bounces up and down, anticipating. 

"Say it," he says. Closer.

"Call me Kai." Closer.

Kai closes the space in between them by pulling Kyungsoo towards him. "Why are you so nervous? You are not the one who was trapped in a box for around 200 years with battle scars." He moves so that his weight of his back cumber the door, in an attempt to keep it close.

Kyungsoo reaches forward, hand brushing against the long scar as he locked the door. "200... Are you immortal?"

"Yeah, something like that."

--

"Woah, immortal?!" Baekhyun leans forward, eyes widening to almost the size of Kyungsoo's.
"

Immortality," Kai answers calmly, "is the curse of eternal suffering."

Baekhyun shuts up.

"So, have you got your three wishes?" Jongdae beams, the curve of his lips curled merrily upwards. "If you haven't, you gotta share, bro. We can have one each."

Glancing at Jongdae and then back at Kyungsoo, Kai looks expectantly for an explanation.

"Genies grant three wishes, don't they?" Baekhyun pipes up, mussing his hair up a little, looking at the reflection of his friends in the mirror as he talks.

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to protest but is cut off by Kai.

"I never said I was one. I was a prince, trapped in a box by a witch. Both my memory and my existance were erased due to unknown reasons. I was let out because of many favorable circumstances and I am very thankful for it. That's all."

Jongdae relaxes and slumps backwards to the bed, allowing himself to be swallowed by Kyungsoo's cotton sheets. Black, Kyungsoo's favorite colour. "That kinda ."

Out of habit, Kyungsoo chews on his lips. His wandering eyes met Kai's ones. Dark orbs swirling in a rush of emotions.

"It doesn't have to."

--

Tight shirt hugs the firm muscles, clinging onto the contours of the toned back.

"Hey."

"My name is not hey, it's Kai."

Kai does not complain but Kyungsoo thinks he might be feeling uncomfortable in the smaller's meager clothes, pants ridding up his flexed calves. He joins the shorter on the bed.

"How is it like? The box I mean. You keep going back in there." Kyungsoo blurts out, tips of his ear getting red, hands clutching onto the soft fabric of his tee.

Kai breaths out. A long-suffering drag, like a puff of mist would appear. It does not. The room is warm.

"It's lonely."

They do not speak again until Kyungsoo comes home from his part time job.

"You missed dinner." A horrible shimmy when Kyungsoo wriggles out of his uniform like a catepillar crawling out of its cocoon. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

"Should I get you something?" Kyungsoo asks, looking at Kai who is sprawled out on his bed, looking intensely at glow-in-the-dark UFOs which are not yet glowing since the room is lit by the weak glow of the table lamp.

Kai shake his head, caramel hair jouncing. Shake. Shake. Shake.

"Should I go?" Kai speaks softly, like on the day they first met.

Kyungsoo's turn to shake his head. It has been a week since Kai was freed from his confinement but he hardly comes out, opting to stay inside the small box instead. Unless Kyungsoo knocks, Kai does not even come out to eat. Does he have food in the box? Does he have a bed, a table or lights?
Kai slams his eyes shut when Kyungsoo gets near. The bed sinks, the mattress tilts. 'I am going to roll off', he thinks. With a click, darkness envelopes the room. Kai opens his eyes, a hand is placed across his abdomen like a strap. To hold him down.

"My bed is pretty big," Kyungsoo chuckles, his breath ghosting along the soft hairs on Kai's nape. He does not have to turn to know that the smaller male is facing him.

"I know," he whispers back.

Kyungsoo's reply is a soft, contented snore.

--

Kai blinks, stretching his limbs in a full yawn. Dark, long lashes sweeping across tanned cheeks. He nudges the sleeping form.

Whack.

Tiny Kyungsoo. Tiny sleepy, great-aimed Kyungsoo.

"Sorry!"

Kai hopes he does not have a concussion.

"Hey," Kyungsoo starts. "Kai, do you know what day is it today?" He has one of his teensy weensy forefinger pressed against soft, slightly puckered lips in a playful manner. 

"What's the occasion?" Kai plays along, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Freedom!" Kyungsoo squeaks, pumping his fists into the air then throwing his covers up like a child. It engulfs him and Kyungsoo giggles, a small shaking lump under the opaque sheets.

"Come on," he grabs Kai's hands as he talks and gets up, hurriedly shoving some clothes big enough for Kai. "My aunt's family will be out for a whole week and a half!" He squeals, pulling a new shirt over his head. 'Oof' A muffled sound, Kyungsoo is stuck. Kai laughs as he grabs Kyungsoo's waist to bring him forward then releases the button that Kyungsoo has forgotten.

"There."

Huffing, Kyungsoo shoves Kai into the bedroom and closes the door.

"Change quickly!"

Kai yells back, voice a lot more confident and lighter, "I will!"

As soon as he comes out, small digits encloses around his wrist, pulling him forward excitedly. Kyungsoo chants 'Come on' like a mantra, steps defying gravity, floating lightly like he is walking on the moon. He looks so much younger, twinkling americano eyes, twitching button nose, beatific heart-shaped smile.

--

"Hey, remember that I have a budget okay?" Kyungsoo warns, hands placed on either sides of his slightly bent hips. Kai could somehow tell it although they are both seated down. Kyungsoo counts by putting his right hand up and folding each digits slowly. "We are going to have breakfast here, buy you two sets of clothes, buy groceries-" He snaps his fingers twice, a sharp stentorian noise. "Kai! This is important!" The corners of his lips pinched.

Kai puts both hands up in surrender.

"It's cold," Kyungsoo says, quick hands reaching up to fix Kai's scarf. Kai closes his eyes for quite a while, he is not sure if the smaller's hands are still there. He can still feel them, so warm.

Tap, tap.

"Eat," Kyungsoo says as he nibbles onto his sandwich, two front teeth sinking into soft bread. "Eat." He says again.

Approximately 20 minutes later, Kai finds himself locked up in a moving whatchamacallit, holding onto little rings dropping from the ceiling like a monkey grabbing swinging vines with many other people.

"This is your transport system?" He guesses, swaying back and forth, back and forth.

"Yup, called a bus," Kyungsoo pushes Kai against the wall behind him with brute force then turns around so that he is shielding Kai, bodies pressed against each other.

Hesitantly, Kai grabs a fistful of Kyungsoo's coat. "Where is your camel?"

"My what?" Kyungsoo stares at him quizzically, wide-eyed.

"Err, camel."

"Don't have one."

Gasping, Kai places a hand over his mouth. "Oh my, I am sorry." He adds, "Given your financial situation, you should not waste another cent. I humbly request you to head right back home."

"Kai," Kyungsoo sighs,"I am not very rich, true but nobody have camels here Kai. Vehicles, we have motor vehicles and I am going to buy you clothes. I have been saving up for it." His smile is radiant, eyes crinkling closed. "Now, tell me about yourself, we have at least 3 more minutes of the ride."

"I don't remember," Kai huffs, his head slowly thumping onto Kyungsoo's. "It's been too long and my existence is erased from the history. No one will remember."

As he glances up, he gets dragged out of the Bus, into a giant glass case with many dividers called rooms where goods are displayed. The moment he enters, someone tries to poison him.

"If you stink, come buy cologne." 

Spray spray here. 
Spray spray there. 
Here spray, there spr-

Kai bumps into a wall, a clothing rack and the a dressing room door. To add on, he magically have a pile of clothes in his arms. The moment he gets out, Kyungsoo grabs his shoulders and turns him round and round. He does it again for each different outfit.

Out of the blue, Kyungsoo slumps forward and shakes his head dramatically.

"This is no good," he says. "How dare you. You look great in everything!" He flails his arms around in big winding circles then takes a step back, observing Kai with a hand on his chin, index finger and the thumb forming a 'V'. The V slides side to side.

"Kyungsoo, wait." Kai shuts the door and comes out, doning what he worn from home. He escorts the smaller out till they are at a secluded corner. Digging into his pockets, he brings out a drawstring bag that contains some gold chains and gems and drops it onto Kyungsoo's open palms.

Looking away, Kai huffs and scratches his neck awkwardly. "I just remembered these might be of use. You can change this into the papers you use for payment."

"Dollar notes."

"Yeah, that."

Realisation sinks in after the initial moment of shock, Kyungsoo tries to return the items to their owner adamantly but to no avail. He should not use someone else's property however tempting it is. However, Kai shakes his head fervently and tells him that what is his is also Kyungsoo's.

"I am thankful," he says, looking up. "That I met such a great person like you, Kyungsoo."

His neck is so very long, stretched out like that. The bobbing adam's apple springs up and down with each swallows then hides in its own shadow when Kai nod his head and smiles at Kyungsoo.

--

In that countable number of days, Kai has adjusted so well to the modern world and he seldoms goes back into the box he was sealed in. Kyungsoo wallows in pride.

"So, I am 20 years old," Kai lilts the 'old' like a question, earning a tsk from Baekhyun. He sighs. "Why is a lowly job of serving fellow humans so difficult?"

"Well, I could find you something else but you won't be able to work with our Kyungie Boo." Baekhyun shrugs, flipping a page of the newspaper with a painful-looking jerk of his shoulder blades.

Jongdae asks, "Is that fine?"

"NO!" Kai and Kyungsoo shout at once.

"Gosh. I get it, overly-attached-boyfriends." Massaging his ear-drums, Jongdae leans back. A loud whack resounded through the room as Kyungsoo muster up all his might to hit the poor male with a pillow. A pillow obiviously made of steel.

"He is not my boyfriend." Hmph.

--

Kyungsoo finds it, the best opportunity he has to keep Kai by him. Sweet talk, he is great at that. Luring a prey in, he has great bait. When he mentioned jewellery left behind by his deceased parents that he finally decided should be given to his ever so kind aunt who took him in, bam. Score. His aunt nods eagerly, beady eyes glinting and so round. His money loving, gold-digging aunt. The jewellery of course, is actually Kai's. Either way, it works marvellously.

The most important matter is though, "And I was wondering, if a friend of mine can join me upstairs. The room facing mine is empty after all. He chuckles lightly, "He will definitely pay more rent then I can."

There, the job is done.

--

Kai moves in three days later, flashing a knowing smile to the short male. The latter inspects and cleans the former's room happily. Something is amiss.

"Kai, where is the box?" He looks at the other in worry, a million thoughts racing in his mind. Did it dissapear on its own? Maybe it would take Kai away with it.

Kai gives a frivolous shrug and a gleaming smile, "It's gone." He giggles, his whole frame shaking. He turns around with a mock-teasing expression. "Now, you are stuck with me forever."

A/N: Kai just hid the box...
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