The wooden floor was cold under him, but he was willing to endure it. It had becomes his nightly routine to sit in his father's study to listen.

They all called him insane - some even joked that they'd have to test his mind soon enough - but his father strictly said it was because he could hear things better than they could before he made comments on the possibility of ghosts or the supernatural. It wasn't a secret in the medical community that he believed in the paranormal.

Baekhyun heard the staff's whispers about their master all the time. They claimed his insanity and questioned why they still worked there, but money would flash in their face and they'd shut up again on pay day.

There were those few, though, whom he liked. They didn't question things when he was around, and they were kind to him. His wet nurse still gave him treats when he did what he was told, or when he came back inside before she had to go and find him. The servants didn't trust him alone, but she knew he was capable, and he liked that about her.

Seeing that his mother died at his birth, she made the house lighter.

Baekhyun shifts, but stops, his fingers pressed into the wood, when there's the sound of a servant making his way to the record room. It passes and he breathes out through his nose, shuffling further against the hard wall as he struggles to remain quiet. He's often told that he can hear sounds that no one else picks up easily, but he wasn't taking any chances.

He had a feeling that, if his father knew what he did at night, he'd be punished. It's happened before. It was the first time he became aware of the door, when he heard it coming up and being set back down as he stood in the doorway, listening for the soft clocking of a type writer. He was thrown into the hall and the door slammed to keep him out. He met his fate later that night.

It didn't keep him away. Keeping in mind that there was something he hadn't mapped out yet, his curiosity made him return when he was sure his father was sleeping the next night. He knew where the creaks were in the floor and how to avoid him, and working in the dark was no problem when he did it daily.

The low sound of a floor creak is picked up by Baekhyun, signaling that he was at the absolute end of the hall. He breathes out faster and slowly scoots along the floor, one hand stretched out in front of him.

It flinches back from the cold metal, but settles after feeling the smooth, long surface that he was used to. It was always locked, so it was useless trying to get it open.

Baekhyun suspected that a servant went down there and played music, or maybe one of them sang when they got alone, but it was always the same mournful song, and he loved it.

There's nothing so far but silence, but he knew it would come. It always did. The first night he investigated he tried opening the door, but, when it refused, it must've triggered whoever was inside, because there was the heavily muffled sound of a voice that faded away awfully quickly.

The grandfather clock in the room ticks softly, but the increased silence only made it louder until it seemed it could wake up the whole household. Baekhyun swallows and carefully crosses his legs, his blank eyes blinking when they begin to sting. The spot on his arm reminds him of his shot earlier that day with a gentle throb, but it always goes away by next morning.

So far, his father's cure had been unsuccessful, but he wasn't giving up. Monthly vitamins, shots, and other odd remedies have only prevented things that his vulgar wet nurse sometimes joked about. She was starting to believe that he wasn't going to be able to have children after this is all over, but she also wasn't stopping it.

Baekhyun perks up when the melody starts. The wood was too thick to hear clear words, but the sound of them was perfect enough. The beautiful sound of a normally baritone voice reaching falsetto and middle notes made him melt into the floor.

Baekhyun was sure it'd sound even better with piano. They even had one in the grand hall, and he's been trying to come up with a piece, but it was coming along very slowly. He wasn't the best at the piano when he couldn't see where his hands were going, no matter how hard he tried to count the keys with his fingers, but it was enough for a few slow songs, though he stumbled. His wet nurse did her best to teach him while his father was out with work every day.

Baekhyun sighs gently when the song tapers off, the voice cracking into what sounded like cries. His heart lurches into his throat; This was new.

Then, the creak down the other side of the hall alerts him and Baekhyun stiffens, the heavy footsteps coming towards the door. When they stop, he makes a move for the desk two paces away. It had a carved wooden panel across the two front legs that blocked it off from the door, so he scurries inside the hiding hole, hoping whoever it was wouldn't look for him too hard.

The door is rusty when it creaks open, and the step pattern is recognizable as his father's. Baekhyun breathes slowly from his nose, hands on his knees as his legs remain tucked up close to his body. The door stops creaking, which said that it had been opened over halfway. It usually stopped after that amount of distance. The creaking resumes and the door closing is next.

The steps begin their journey closer, and Baekhyun begins to tremble. The closer they get to the desk, the more he believes his father probably had some paperwork left to do and decided to finish it now, only to find his son where his feet should go.

Ice pours down Baekhyun's spin, and he holds his breath when the steps stop. Something on the desk rattles gently, like it was being pulled out of many items, and then a small scuffle and a hard thump are heard. Metal grinding on metal alerts Baekhyun that his father was unlocking the door, and the creak of the hinges gives him hope.

Maybe he'd been down too long. Did his father usually help the mysterious singer out at this time? After he left?

"Baekhyun?!" he hears, but it's not a voice he easily recognizes. The baritone was the same as the singer, but he didn't know who it was down there, or how the stranger knew his name. The sound of metal rattling catches Baekhyun attention.

"Shut it, mutt, and shift." His father's voice demands and Baekhyun flinches from it's sudden intensity. Footsteps on stone, and then the door is creaking shut and settling into place with a jarring bang.

Despite his initial shock, he's drawn to it's opening. Frightened hands grip the handle and take their time lifting it up, but just enough so that his ear could filter out the sounds around the wood. It was all he needed.

The sounds echoes slightly and reminds him of the stories his wet nurse used to tell him about dungeons and caves. Nails clicking on stone say that there's more than one species down there. He's proves correct when an animal makes a whining noise, and then a bark.

"I said shut it." His father warns and Baekhyun's confused. Where did the male go? 

The dog yelps and there's an echoing sound of a kick to something. Baekhyun flinches again, but he keeps his ear pressed to the crack. The dog growls menacingly in response to it's injury.

"You threaten me now, but you can't hurt me as long as I hold the chain."

The growling stops and Baekhyun's heart reaches out for the creature. What was his father doing?

"Now, are we going to fight today?"

Baekhyun's eyebrows knit together in confusion, and he hears a defeated sigh come from the creature that brings tears to his eyes. Was his father experimenting on the animal?

Then, the rattling metal begins again and the shuffling of feet. The metal is pulled tight and a human sound comes out of the door instead of animal.

"Baekhyun!"

The said boy gasps and takes his ear away from the door, slowly lowering it and scurrying to his feet, lightly skittering over to the door and making his panicked escape.

The weather was windy, so they don't let him get too far from the house until it settles, and then it's only in the usual boundaries. He was tired of walking the same paths and feeling the same trees.

This time, though, it was different. He was so caught up with the events of the night before that he didn't even move from his place on the swing in the front yard. The contraption itself was frightening enough, but the wind gave it a new sensation of getting lost when he'd accidentally spin and land facing a new direction.

His father left early that morning, making a quick comment about needed research for some cure before the ruffled sound of him putting on his coat alerted Baekhyun that he was actually leaving at that second.

The echoed sound of the door closing afterwards was only a reminder.

Baekhyun stops his swinging by pressing his feet into the ground, but he continues to rock, shivering when the wind blows cold air over the country side. His blank eyes blink from the breeze and he takes in a deep breath, happy that those who dressed him this morning prepared him for the weather.

He rests his head on the rope to his left and thinks quietly to himself. The times of slavery and prisoners was over, right? Did his father kidnap someone once and never let them return?

"Baekhyun! Lunch!" His wet nurse's voice carries over the wind and he pin points it's direction to where the house should be, clearing his mental map and standing up. He faces his desired location and slowly begins his walk back. 

He almost trips on the side of the steps, but a servant helps him in the correct direction and he's grateful for it. The warmth of the house is welcome, but now it seemed colder in a sense. His mind dares to wander back to the beings under the house, and he wonders if anyone else was aware of this.

No, probably not.

Baekhyun's brought to the table in the room he's always associated a high ceiling with. The sound echoes higher up into the air than the other rooms. Something's set in front of him and it's scent comes up to his nose, making his stomach growl.

Did those being below receive such food? Did they get any at all? How long have they been down there?

The thoughts make Baekhyun shudder, but he obediently picks up his utensils and proceeds to use them, even if his appetite was fading.

The noodles going into his mouth seem to lose their heat and flavor, but he chews and swallows them nonetheless. It wouldn't do any good if the word got out that he was feeling under the weather.

When his bowl is empty of all solid objects, he picks it up and drinks the broth. His wet nurse gives his head a small rub of approval and the bowl leaves the table with a soft sound.

"You can practice your piano for the rest of the day, Baekhyun." She encourages and he nods. The dining table was four paces from the exit behind him, but he had something different in mind.

"Can I rest instead? I'm still feeling a bit cold." Baekhyun asks and hears the exhale of breath she gives off when she's supposedly smiling. He takes this as her permission and he carefully pushes his chair out, hands touching the end of the table to gain his balance and orientation.

The stairs are three feet away from the doorway to the dining room. He spins, with his hand touching the edge, and seeks the first step out with his foot. One hand remains at the wall until it touches the end of the railing they put in for him, and his toe hits a hard surface. He lifts the other one to rest on the step, hand steadily measuring distance and his mind counting steps.

Seventeen later, he's on the upper level, and he continues to hold onto the railing as he walks the distance to his room on the left. He floats his extra hand out to find the handle, twisting the knob and feeling it's resistance. It's always been a bit stubborn.

The soft carpet of his bedroom was a comfort. His father made sure that everything was soft and slightly padded so he didn't harm himself if he became disoriented. He had already memorized every inch of the space, though, and was confident not to lose his way in such a small area. There wasn't much to hurt him, either.

He crosses the carpeted space slowly, counting steps until he's sure the wooden frame of his bed would touch his calves if he went any further. His hand stretches out and he feels the softness of his comforter.

The sturdy mattress holds him when he sets his weight on it, the heat trapped inside of his coat starting to become too much. He carefully pulls it off and sets it beside him as he thinks to himself. What was he to do with this information? He was susceptible to harm if they wished to hurt him. Maybe that is why his father has kept them captive - for his safety.

What a wonderful father, if it's true, Baekhyun thinks to himself. They were chained up, so it's possible he could ask them why they intended to harm him. He's heard stories that his father told him of why he shouldn't go out in public. He used to think it was because his father was ashamed of him, but then he learned it's because people like to target vulnerable people like him for their trickery and malice.

The stories of the city made him scared, any way. It sounded like too much noise he'd have to siphon through. He's rather take things slowly.

Thinking to himself more, Baekhyun stands up and takes his coat with him, leaving behind the heat he accumulated under him in the bed to move towards the direction of the door. His hand finds the handle and he twists it open.

On another thought, he'd like to play the piano. No one with such a feel for music could be considered bad.

He follows the railing on the other side of the stairs, taking his time to find each one under him before placing his weight. Too many times he's made the mistake of missing and slipping down them. It almost got to the point where he would've been assigned a helper at all times, but he resisted.

When the smooth wood of the first floor reaches his feet, he keeps to the left and follows the wall to the living room. The piano was in the furthest corner.

"Baekhyun?" His wet nurse asks, something ruffling - possibly a towel in her hands. He stops moving and blinks forward, but tilts his head slightly to show that he was listening.

"Can you assist me with the piano?" He asks and she walks closer, her soft footfalls clicking on wood. Her hand gently grips his arm and she pulls him away from the wall. With blind trust, he follows her guidance over, hearing the echo of his own steps and how they seemed to get shorter the closer they got to the corner. He's weaved between the piano and the bench, then pressed on to sit down. She pulls the cover up and steps back. Her breathing was a comfort in the sudden silence that followed the end of her actions.

Baekhyun's hand finds the keys carefully, and he dares to press down hard enough to cause a note. It breaks the silence and he fights the urge to coil back from the contrast, but it wasn't the correct note. He was taught from the beginning what note was in the middle of the piano keys, and he was three notes too high.

He finds the center and goes up from there, trying to decide which note the song began on. If he couldn't come up with a harmony, he could at least remember all the notes. After a bit of random searching, he finds the first note and then trails down to look for the second.

The longer he goes, the easier it is for him to guess the placement, and his nurse remains quiet as the slow workings of the song come together. It's rough, but, when it finishes, Baekhyun leans away before going back in to try again. This time, he deducts the distance easier on his journey. He hums along with it until it comes out faster and faster, playing the tune more efficiently.

He leaves another moment of silence. feeling warmer inside.

"That was beautiful, Baekhyun. What are the words to it?" His nurse asks and he almost flinches, forgetting she was there. He swallows and blinks a few times to relieve the burn.

"I don't know."

"You don't? I think I might. Can I?" She asks and Baekhyun shuffles to the side of the bench slowly, hands making sure the edge was far away enough from him, but enough room for her to sit. He feels her presence and he sighs, hearing her clothes shift as she brings her hands up, "I've heard this song before, actually. The people in my old p - village...used to sing this to each other sometimes."

Baekhyun's head tilts slightly when he hears the falter in her words. He was aware she came from another place, so maybe it was a word they used that he wasn't aware of.

"Who did you hear this from?" She asks, a curiosity in her voice that tried on playfulness.

"I don't know." Baekhyun answers honestly. She sighs and her hands begin to play chords that mixed just perfectly - to the point where Baekhyun closes his eyes, as if it made a difference to his listening skills. She goes across the notes, finding things he never even thought of looking for. He reaches up to stop her, and she starts from the beginning so he can hum with it, and she hums with him.

This revelation makes him smile softly, even though he thought the expression was pointless when he couldn't see what it looked like. His head lolls to the side, finding rest on her shoulder. She relaxes to accommodate him and continues her playing, making that smile-sigh that he enjoys.

That night, Baekhyun found himself making a plan. His ear was pressed against the door, feeling the metal handle against his nose - risking his chance of being caught to listen closer. The voice sings his sad song and Baekhyun wants to find the key his father had on the desk and ask him why he was so sad.

The creak of the door is his last warning, but he catches it too late, scrambling up and trying to scurry under the desk, hoping that maybe the sounds of his body dragging across the wooden floors wasn't too loud and his father wasn't paying attention, but the footsteps are soft. He's still stiff with fear as they draw closer, and he knows that he's been found.

He jumps and could almost cry when a gentle hand touches his shoulder.

"Baekhyun."

It was his nurse. Baekhyun releases a small sob, feeling like a child about to be punished, unable to handle his fear and shame. The resonating notes of the song were still echoing in his soul.

"Baekhyun, it's okay."

Another hand tries to bring him closer, Baekhyun seeking a source of comfort, and he finds it when his nurse offers her arms for his well being. She rocks him gently as an assurance that she wasn't there to turn him in.

"I know, Baekhyun. It hurts, doesn't it?" She whispers and he nods, one of his hands falling over his heart, feeling how it twisted from the music, "I will make it better."

She leaves and he misses her warmth, but he can hear how she scuffles across the floor to an unseen desk. There must be two of them, but he hasn't scoured the other as much as the first. It didn't really matter too much to him.

There's glass clicking against each other and a faint suction noise - Baekhyun recognizes it as the syringe his father uses on him. He starts to curl up in resistance, hating the pain that came with the shots, but it never came. She never kneels by him to give it. Instead, he hears a liquid being forced out of the syringe and into one of the glass bottles.

"He can't subdue it anymore. I won't let him. Not when I understand now." She promises and Baekhyun wraps his arms around himself. Baekhyun can hear the distant creak of the floor and he feels ice down his spine.

"Father." He whispers in alarm. She sounds to be putting things back in order, and then she's hurrying into the space besides Baekhyun.

What did she mean by what she said? Was one of her villagers under the house? 

His father opens the door and the creaking stops halfway, but comes back when it closes behind him. There's the soft crack of a sputtering candle mixing with the sound of his nurse's breathing and his own heartbeat in his ears.

The key jangles from it's burial place on the desk, and then his father is kneeling to open the door with a thick turn of metal. The hinges creak and the stone-shoe scrape is their indication that he's going down.

They make their escape when the dog barks, and Baekhyun covers his ears to let his wet nurse take him back to his room, welcoming silence.

Things were different then. His morning shot didn't burn like it usually did. His father left for his cure research early, and breakfast was quiet. The servants didn't even mumble under their breath when they served a single person.

He could feel his nurse's presence while he ate, and a small glass bowl contained the vitamins his father wanted to give him for the day. When he put them in his mouth, however, she appeared by his side and told him to spit them out.

He didn't understand why she wanted his father's work to end, though, but he trusted her enough to listen, and the bitter pill-covering flavor wasn't present on his tongue for once.

Instead, he prepared himself. The servants were asked why he was missing that day's butter knife, and they brought another in, but they were unaware of the original folded in the sleeve of his night shirt. He blinked like normal and allowed himself to be helped to his room.

They dressed him like normal, saying that he was fixed in a black over shirt and brown trousers, like he'd understand the colors, but he mused them. Over the years he was drilled in color combinations, like he'd live on his own one day and need to chose his own fashion. He always thought he'd find a caring wife who'd help him, if any woman would marry such a cripple.

He's heard that word under the servants breath, occasionally. He wasn't fully aware of the scorn hidden inside the meaning.

Blue with green or brown. Red with black. Black went with everything. Red and yellow made orange. Yellow and blue made green. White went with everything as well. He wasn't sure when he'd need it, but his father insisted.

Outside he felt exposed. Maybe it was the lack of the vitamins, but it felt different, like things were watching him. He sat on his swing, his body shaped into a gesture of an uncomfortable situation. The air was still, and he could feel the sun kissing his skin as he sat in it, but it didn't help. He was sure that there was something in the distance that knew he was there and was looking for him - hunting him down for God knows what reason, but it didn't feel like any sort of natural need that drove it.

When he shuddered for the third time, he discovered an odd quality about himself, and, for a moment, he thought he smelt something nearby, but he passes it off as the cooking fire or chimney smoke carrying in the wind and mixing with the scents of the forest.

Then, the rustling was undeniable. It started further away, but was getting closer. It stopped some unfathomable distance, but he didn't want to risk it. Baekhyun stands up and tries to distinguish where the house was, turning around in the general direction.

Maybe it was his scared body language, but a servant runs over to help him inside.

He was beginning to doubt that the vitamins were actually helping him, along with the shots. Though he still could not see, everything was becoming clearer, and it was beginning to hurt. He could hear things from the other side of the house now, even if it was just a breeze through a crack in the doors. He could smell what was for dinner, and when it was just getting cooked, while he was outside. He could tell the difference between the meats in his soup, even when the life had been cooked out of them.

He asked his nurse, and she said it was normal. When they sat down for piano again, the sound was clearer, like he had been underwater. It was a mystery how he hadn't heard the front door opening and his father walking in, but the familiar smell of cologne woke him up, and the angry voice tore his wet nurse from his side.

Though he couldn't see what was happening, the fright in her voice brought his own terror, but he could do nothing but stand there in utter confusion, trying to listen to what was happening.

"To your room!" Is what he can make out the most and he follows his father's authoritive voice obediently, but his orientation was lost. He tries to scurry away but he walks too fast to keep track and bumps into a side table, something falling on top of him. Hands come to his rescue - the new maid - and they help him back up and away. The sounds get quieter as his father brings his nurse somewhere unseen and his heart never stops beating at the fast pace it made, even when his bedroom door is closed behind him and he finds his bed, hands shaking.

His worried cries break through and he finds his pillow, bringing it to his mouth in case someone could hear him - stronger hearing or not. His hot breath collects in the fabric and he has to pull away to get the needed oxygen.

Foot-falls up the stairs make him take action, and he ducks under his bed, wiggling until he finds the far wall. His bedroom door opens and his father sighs lightly, but the anger fades as he slowly shuts the door, knowing where his frightened son was.

"Baekhyun."

Baekhyun doesn't respond, but, by the point of his father's voice, he's sure he's by the side of his bed. His feet run against the carpet and he's kneeling down now.

"Baekhyun, come out."

Baekhyun shakes his head, eyes blankly staring at the carpet in his hands. His father sighs again and Baekhyun tries to subdue his trembling.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"You h-hurt her. I know you did."

"She was taking advantage of you. Her people, Baekhyun, would hurt you." He explains and Baekhyun swallows, but the words don't register anymore.

"What did you do to her?" He asks and his father doesn't answer for a while.

"She won't be coming back soon. I only needed her until you were weaned. She overstayed her welcome." He explains and Baekhyun feels the wetness in his eyes.

"Don't kill her." he pleads, pressing his forehead into the carpet.

"Kill her? Baekhyun, I would never." His father insists and Baekhyun sniffs, his legs crossed in a strange way to fit under the bed, "I only let her go from her service."

Baekhyun closes his eyes and nods sadly.

"It will be hard for you. I know she was your mother-figure, but the new nurse will be kind. I'll make sure of it."

Baekhyun stops listening.

It was that night that he moved into action. He left his bed earlier that night, finding the butter knife stashed in his mattress. His trek to the study was one of the most silent he's ever made, and his actions stealthy. His awareness had increased over the short amount of time, but he had adjusted well.

His hand is slow as it goes over the desk top. A small pile of metal pieces, tools and other stuff sat in a porcelain cup, but he finds the ring on the top of the key and pulls it out delicately. Running his fingers over the door's surface, they fall into the key hole and he carefully maneuvers the key prong into the slot.

He twists it until an audible click has him pulling back, carefully setting the key into the pocket of his night gown. It clinks against the knife, but the room was empty. He winces when the hinges creak - he didn't even let the stranger sing.

Anxiety washes over him and he adjusts himself to descend, placing his feet it front and carefully lowering himself down onto his . A short burst of chilled, musty air greets him, holding a certain musk and spice to it. The cold from the stone steps seeps through the fabric and into his skin. One foot goes ahead to find the next step and he slowly goes down to the next one, taking his time to lower the old door back into place. One of his hands finds the stone wall for him to follow.

Chains rattle and he pauses to listen. The sounds of a dog stretching reach his ear, but he continues until he runs out of steps to go down, settling on the floor and listening again. Metal clashes on metal as something suddenly lunges and he flinches. The dog whines, and the sound of it reflects off something solid nearby - a cage.

Noticing his safety, Baekhyun gets to his feet and trails his hand on the wall. It tapers to a corner and he continues around the perimeter. When his hand meets the metal of the cage, he lowers himself onto his knees, hand carefully curling around a horizontal bar. The chains rattle closer and he wonders where the stranger is when warm breath washes over him, but it wasn't threatening. A cold nose presses into his fingers delicately and the dog whines again.

Then a horrible sound reaches his ear and he jerks back in surprise. Bones snapping and rolling assaults him - the soft, distinct sound of something moving. He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't pleasant and he covers his ears to stop it.

When it's over, he can hear something cutting through the flesh over his ears, and he takes them back immediately. The soft, sad song he's come to love fills the silence and softens his nerves.

"Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges - all your perfect imperfections..."

Baekhyun places his hands on his knees, mouth opening when the words finally register, and they fit perfectly.

This was the stranger.

"Baekhyun." The song cuts off for the desperate voice to call his name, and Baekhyun nervously swallows.

"Who are you?" He asks, summoning all the confidence he could muster. The chains rattle again - the man shifting his position, and the cage vibrates enough for Baekhyun to pick it up.

"Chanyeol."

"Why are you here?" He asks.

"Because we're not human."

Baekhyun pauses, his eyes staring at nothing.

"Yes we are."

"Baekhyun."

There's a plea in the voice, and he can feel the air flowing in front of him. Baekhyun raises his hand and it's suddenly being grasped, pulling him forward with a gasp.

"How do you know my name?" He asks when the cage bars are suddenly pressed into his chest, the hand holding his dropping it to wrap around him through the restriction. Baekhyun can feel the cold metal around Chanyeol's wrists. He should've been scared, but there was a strange sensation he felt where their skin touched, and the masculine aura around the stranger was oddly dominant and comforting.

"Mate..." Chanyeol breathes and Baekhyun feels it against his neck. It makes him shudder, "Did you not see me shift in front of you?"

Baekhyun blinks and feels his heart rate quicken when the stranger takes in deep breathes of Baekhyun's scent.

"I can't see. I've never seen." He explains and Chanyeol's suddenly letting him go, but hands and find Baekhyun's cheeks, as if this stranger could see his clouded eyes in the darkness that the room was probably in.

"What have they done to you?" Chanyeol asks, a tone of anger in his voice.

"What do you mean shift?"

"How could they do this to you? Oh, Baekhyun..."

Something wasn't making sense. Chanyeol wasn't making sense. The breath washing over him was getting more frequent, the pulse felt from their contact getting faster. Chanyeol was getting angry.

"They've hurt you. They've done this to you." He seethes and Baekhyun wants to pull away, but he can't, "Let me claim you, Baekhyun. Let me claim you and I will take us away from here."

Was he willing to drop everything for this man he just met? What did he mean by claim?

"I don't understand." Baekhyun shakes his head and Chanyeol moves around his body again, keeping him pressed against the cage wall.

"You're mine, Baekhyun. You've always been mine." Chanyeol's voice depends until it makes Baekhyun shudder in his hold, his eyes blinking more.

Was this Chanyeol his true father? Is that was this was? Would claiming him announce his true bloodline? He already said they weren't human, so they must be related.

Both of them stiffen when they hear something from above, the creaking of the door muffled by the stone and wood, but clear enough. Chanyeol's hold on him tightens, as if he could pass through the bars.

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun nervously breathes, his hands grabbing Chanyeol's shoulders, not sure if he was trying to push him away or hold on. The key and knife in his night shirt's pocket feel heavy when the shuffle of the metal items permeates the door, and then a huff of frustration.

"Baekhyun, please," Chanyeol pleads, his hands wrinkling the fabric on Baekhyun's back, "Tell me to claim you."

"How will that help?" Baekhyun asks softly.

"I will have something to fight for."

The door creaks open above and there's a pause in sound.

"Baekhyun?"

The said man begins to tremble in Chanyeol's hold when his father calls out his name. He starts to slowly shake his head, as if it could dispel the inevitable before it happened. 

Almost against his will, he's calmed when something soft and warm presses to his forehead, and there's a low, almost inaudible rumbling coming from Chanyeol's throat that makes him relax.

"Baekhyun, if you come up now, I will spare your punishment."

The panic returns and he almost makes a noise that he doesn't recognize making - the way his vocal chords tightened together would've created a sound he's never made before. He shifts uncomfortably in his position when the need to make that noise begins to build like the urge to cry, and, when it releases, it's akin to the sounds the hidden dog could've created instead.

He just whined like an animal, and it seemed so natural to him in that moment that he almost forgot that humans didn't whine like dogs.

Baekhyun attempts to pull away from Chanyeol to go to his father, wanting to obey, but Chanyeol's grip on him tightens further and the growling gets louder - more threatening.

Steps on the stone ring through the air and Baekhyun struggles a bit more. Something metal is set down on a surface - a candle, maybe.

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol pleads and Baekhyun's fingers wrap around the cage bars above him, unable to escape the embrace. The steps reach the floor and his father sighs.

"The star-crossed mates. How tragic."

Baekhyun's terrified demeanor changes from the words, replaced by confusion and shock. That means that Chanyeol was purposely brought here, and Baekhyun was part of this.

Maybe they really are related somehow. Does that mean his father - this man - made him blind?

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun mutters, nodding his head.

The arms around him are suddenly pulling away, pushing him aside. Baekhyun falls backwards and the bone-crackling sound fills the air. It makes him cringe, especially when the stretching sound is more prominent. The dog from before barks and snarls, and the cage rattles when something large rams into it.

"Don't make this difficult for all of us." Baekhyun's father explains in strict monotone. The dog continues his growling, and something breaks, "Don't force my hand."

His voice was breaking this time, which meant something wasn't going right. There's more snarling, and then metal is creaking. The chains snap and the dog's nails click on the stone.

"Get back!" His father warns and Baekhyun curls into a ball, trying to get away from all the noise all at once. There's the horrible sound of the bones snapping, and a short twist that ends his father's voice. Chanyeol's harsh breathing was only barely louder than his heart beat.

Baekhyun's arms had bent over his head for protection, but then they're being eased away by warm hands. He flinches at first, but the comforting growl returns and he understands who was touching him.

"Baekhyun."

The said male uncovers his head and stares blankly in a direction he wasn't sure about anymore. Chanyeol's hands go to his arms and try to help him up, but he refuses.

"Baekhyun, we need to leave."

"Did you kill him?" Baekhyun's voice is soft when he speaks.

"He wasn't your father, Baek." Chanyeol explains and Baekhyun feels the wetness gathering in his eyes.

"Are you my father?"

Chanyeol's laugh is deep and rumbling. Strong arms weave themselves under Baekhyun's legs and around his back, lifting him off the cold stone and into the air. He holds on for dear life when his only source of orientation is stolen from him.

"No. I don't know who your father is, but no human could've produced a wolf." Chanyeol determines and Baekhyun blinks faster in his confusion.

"Wolf?" He asks and Chanyeol's body shifts as he walks, each step felt through the vibrations. Baekhyun's hold on Chanyeol's shoulders tightens in alarm. At their calmer proximity, Baekhyun can tell that the spice-musk came from Chanyeol. For some reason, this calms him.

"You really don't know, do you?" Chanyeol sighs when his legs start hiking up for the climb up the stairs. Baekhyun's body was taut ask they go up, and Chanyeol bends down to push against the door with his back. It's thrown away with a clanging noise and the cold air goes away to greet the safe smell of the study, "You're like me. We're wolves - werewolves."

"Werewolves only exist in stories." Baekhyun objects, wondering why he felt affected by the closeness of their bodies, or what the sudden heat in his veins meant.

"No, Baekhyun. We are real. I will show you - I promise."

The gentle up and down movements are the only sign that they're going somewhere, but Baekhyun can't keep track of them. When they pause to open and close doors slowly, he's able to distinguish location, but it's fuzzy and mixing his brain up.

The thick sound of the heavy oak front doors opening reaches his ears and Baekhyun removes one hand from around Chanyeol's neck to press his palm against the surface.

"Where are we going?" He asks and Chanyeol pauses.

"Away. I'm bringing you to my pack. I will claim you when you're safe." He explains.

"But I'm in my night clothes."

The flimsy fabric barely covered his body just as it, and the night air probably wouldn't agree with it very well. He'd prefer something warmer.

But, the longer Baekhyun sat in Chanyeol's arms, the more he realized he hasn't felt another layer of clothes against him, and the mysterious dog hasn't appeared either. Maybe there was some truth to Chanyeol being this creature, but there was no way Baekhyun himself was.

"Does it matter?" Chanyeol asks and Baekhyun releases a soft scoff.

"It's cold outside, and I'm improper." Baekhyun defends.

"I assure you, no one is as improper as I am right now." Chanyeol assures, and they begin moving again. Baekhyun's arms return around Chanyeol's neck and hold tightly.

There's a sound of one of the servants yelling in alarm, and their feet running across the hard floors of the mansion, but Chanyeol's sprinting faster, the air rushing past Baekhyun's ears and jostling him as powerful legs move them across an unseen land. The soft sounds of the night blur as Baekhyun forces himself to focus on the warm arms around him and how this was his new rock amongst deep waters, instead of the familiar, mapped out bubble he had just left behind.

It was much later that they finally stopped running, and Baekhyun is more than a little concerned when he can't even hear the usual harsh breaths a person gives off from so much activity. The time has blurred together from his lack of orientation, but Baekhyun was sure Chanyeol should be dying after being cooped up for so long.

Baekhyun's set down on what feels like a rock outcropping. The cold seeps through his clothes and he fights the urge to shiver when a crisp, early morning breeze flows over him. He carefully places his hands on his lap in this strange place, catching Chanyeol's scent on himself.

"Chanyeol." He softly breathes and a warm presence is by his side, a hand touching his. It gives him comfort.

"I'm here, Baekhyun." he assures and Baekhyun nods in understanding.

"Why were you in the cage?" He asks and a second hand falls on his own, warming his skin from the cold.

"Because he knew I was going to get you, and then he couldn't experiment anymore," Chanyeol bitterly explains, "But now he can't experiment anymore."

"He was experimenting on me, wasn't he?" Baekhyun swallows the sadness in his voice - the betrayal.

"You weren't born blind. He made you this way," The hands leave and Baekhyun's plunged into confusion again, "I will bring you back, but, first, we must find my pack. They're not too far from here."

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun brokenly cries when the sound of the latter's voice appeared to be getting further away. The sound of rustling gets closer and warm hands cup his face.

"Baekhyun."

"Will you sing to me." Baekhyun softly asks, feeling shy suddenly from how close he guessed Chanyeol to be. Chanyeol's baritone comes out in a chuckle and their foreheads press together.

"Everyday I will sing to you." He promises and his lips press into Baekhyun's forehead to seal the deal.

"Will you sing for me now?" Baekhyun asks and he can sense Chanyeol kneeling in front of him. His hands are clasped again and his heart begins to beat wildly in excitement.

"What would you like me to sing?" He asks and Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat.

"'Cause all of me loves all of you - love your curves and all you're edges. All your perfect imperfections..." Baekhyun sings the only line he's learned and he can hear Chanyeol's voice rising to meet his.

"Give your all to me. I give all to you. You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I'm winning, 'cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you. Give me all of you."

Baekhyun smiles when the familiar song fills his ears and thrums into his heart. Chanyeol stops just long enough to give his own words.

"You were listening. I always hoped you were listening," He breathes happily, "You sing it better than I do."

Baekhyun shakes his head in objection and blinks his burning eyes, wishing he could see what Chanyeol was thinking about. His wet nurse used to say that the eyes were the gateways to the soul, but it seemed that his gateway was blocked.

"Come here. We better go soon." Chanyeol insists, and his arms and going under and around Baekhyun again. They resume their previous position, but at a slower pace so Chanyeol can sing to him.

"Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts. Risking it all though it's hard..."

Baekhyun sinks into the beautiful melody, thinking that maybe this sudden change wasn't so horrible after all.

The cold dissolved when he suspected the sun came up, but he didn't even know what the sun looked like. He's heard too many stories and not enough explanations. He slept most of the way, anyway, while Chanyeol sang. When he woke up, it was because Chanyeol roused him.

The sound of civilization makes him nervous the closer they get to it. Fires crackling and people talking alert him that this must be the place Chanyeol intended for them to go.

His father's words echo in his head about how they just wanted to hurt him, but he pushes it back and refuses to release Chanyeol when they stop walking.

"Chanyeol!"

A male voice calls out his name and they resume walking, but Baekhyun can sense Chanyeol's excitement. Someone gets close and Baekhyun stiffens.

"Who's this?" the voice asks and Baekhyun can hear the unseen people at the settlement taking keen notice of their lost member coming back.

"This is Baekhyun - my mate." Chanyeol proudly announces.

"Is that why you've been gone for so long?" The voice asks and Chanyeol shifts Baekhyun to hold him better.

"I was held captive by a mad man, but I've freed us both."

"Oh, you know it was because I went down to find you." Baekhyun states, his expression staying the same, and Chanyeol chuckles lightly

"What would I do without your smart mouth." He sings and Baekhyun blushes against his will, but falls silent.

"Well, Baekhyun, we thank you for bringing him back. My name's Junmyeon, but you can call me Suho." the voice replies.

"Chanyeol?"

"Yoda!"

More voices join in and Baekhyun blinks, feeling like he was missing something he couldn't see.

"Junmyeon, he's blind." Chanyeol whispers and Baekhyun can sense the other backing off from whatever he was trying to do with the news.

"Oh."

Feet beating the ground get closer until Baekhyun's sure a swarm of new people were there. He holds on tighter and Chanyeol growls low in his chest for comfort, and for warning.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'll explain everything later, but I have to do this." Chanyeol quickly explains and Baekhyun blinks faster when they start moving again. He's surprised when the sound of an old door bursts open and the sound makes him jump, but then they're backtracking to close it and Baekhyun can feel something soft under him.

It has an old, stale scent of Chanyeol on it, so this must be his home. Though the bed didn't feel like a specific shape, it had a furry feel to it, and crunched underneath, so it must've been animal furs over old grass.

He doesn't get to chew on the thought for long when Chanyeol's body is suddenly over him, holding him down with warmth and spicy musk. Baekhyun flushes and wiggles in confusion, wondering what gain Chanyeol would get from smothering him.

He wasn't going to hurt him, right? Not after all this talk of mates, right?

"Give me all of you." Chanyeol demands, his voice dropping low enough to make Baekhyun's heart speed up.

"I already have."

Chanyeol makes a few rumbling sounds that calm Baekhyun down, and a hand cups under his neck to move his head to the side, the other hand taking the collar of the night gown and pulling it down. Baekhyun felt terribly exposed, but didn't move. When Chanyeol's mouth latches onto the skin of his neck, he could feel a shiver go through his body.

Then teeth are scraping against him and he can feel his blood freeze in panic. People don't usually bite each other for fun, right?

Baekhyun gasps - a bit too loudly - when sharp canines pierce the skin, but it wasn't the pain he expected. A new sensation washes over him and he finds his hands groping around until they settle on Chanyeol's back and hold him in place, enduring whatever was pulsing through him.

It seems to burn through whatever strange fog he's been under his entire life, his senses balancing out to stronger, but bearable, amount for each. A deep instinct inside of him awakens and he can feel his biological clock begin ticking in his abdomen, like it was waiting for the perfect moment to spring forth his true nature. His scent sharpens and he can taste the same musk that Chanyeol had in his attaching to his own as if they were the same, but different.

His body arches upwards and Chanyeol growls again, getting him to calm down to he wouldn't hurt himself, and it seems to work until Baekhyun has to close his eyes, because the small amount of light in the home hurts them.

And it's then that he notices that he could see the light, and see Chanyeol's shoulder, and see the thatched ceiling to the house and the wood that made up the walls. Chanyeol retracts his teeth and the area over, but Baekhyun couldn't move. When he can see the giant with his own eyes, still sensitive, tears well up and spill down the sides.

"What color is your hair?" He asks and Chanyeol smiles - Baekhyun sees a smile.

"Black." Chanyeol whispers, watching as Baekhyun's eyes flicker around the room and actually move instead of staring straight ahead. He lifts a hand from Chanyeol's back to place it slowly on his jaw, seeing how touch and sight matched.

A bubble of something rushes up his throat until Baekhyun pushes Chanyeol down, feeling his teeth sharpen unnaturally, but he doesn't have time to wonder on this before he finds the skin of Chanyeol's neck, giving the same treatment by biting down until his teeth broke through. The rumbling in Chanyeol's chest resumes to encourage him and Baekhyun finds himself returning those sounds.

The ground seemed so unstable than when he couldn't see it. His arms were still on Chanyeol for assurance as they leave the small hut, the light around them bright and blinding, but Baekhyun didn't want to close his eyes; He didn't want to return to the darkness.

The grass deceives him into thinking that something was hiding under it, but it was relatively flat. The same voices and people from before come back and circle them, but all Baekhyun saw were faces of excitement an relief - what Chanyeol had the first moment he could see again.

"Baekhyun." Junmyeon breathes and he recognizes the voice, but he was too caught up in his own amazement to reply just yet.

"What color is that?" Baekhyun asks Chanyeol, tearing the other away from catching up with his friends to see what Baekhyun was pointing at. His head goes straight up to the large orb in the sky and he smiles.

"The sun? Yellow, but it can change colors too. Sometimes it's orange."

"How does it change?" Baekhyun asks, letting his eyes fall on his mate. Chanyeol looks down as well with a perplexed smile, and Baekhyun decides that he likes it when Chanyeol smiles.

"You'll just have to see."