"Heechul!!!!" 

 

Siwan was delirious in fear. His only friend was now unconscious on his lap and he had no idea what to do. 

 

"Heechul!!! Wake up!!!" 

 

He felt a slight movement from the younger, indicating that he was still conscious. Siwan heaved a sigh of relief. 

 

"Heechul ah... Are you able to stand?" 

 

With the two working together, Siwan managed to get the younger boy on his back. Grunting, Siwan moved the boy up hitch on his back as his grip tightened around the elder's neck. 

 

Soon, they arrived outside a metal door. Fumbling with his keys, Siwan unlocked it and walked inside, careful not to hit Heechul's body against anything as to prevent him from hurting any further. 

 

"Where are we?" Heechul mumbled into Siwan's ear. 

 

"My home." Siwan smiled and slowly let the boy fall softly into the bed. 

 

"I should take a shower first. I'm dirtying your sheets..." Heechul was about to get up when Siwan held him down. 

 

"I'll go bathe first, then you bathe afterwards, okay?" 

 

Heechul nodded slowly, before lying down on the bed. 

 

Once Siwan entered the bath, Heechul felt bad about dirtying the elder's sheets with his sweat drenched body and slowly got up to move himself to the couch instead. Half an hour passed and Heechul, being Heechul, grew restless. 

 

"Yah, Siwan are you gonna be done soon?" he asked wearily, walking into the room. Lifting his head, he saw the elder with a towel around his waist, a deeply scarred back facing him. 

 

"Don't look!!!" Siwan yelled in fear. He cowered in a corner, the towel now draped around his shoulders as to cover the scar on his back. 

 

Heechul's heart broke at seeing the usually chirpy boy, now in his most vulnerable state, cowering away from the younger. 

 

"S-Siwan ah..." Heechul took a few tentative steps towards the boy curled up on the wooden floor, who only seemed to move further away from him. 

 

"Siwan ah... Don't be afraid... It's just me..." 

 

Slowly, the elder moved towards Heechul towel still wrapped tightly around his shoulders. "C-couldn't you knock or something? Idiot..." Siwan was blushing a deep crimson red, and Heechul couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. 

 

"Sorry, I just wanted to check up on you..." 

 

Siwan shook his head and smiled sadly at Heechul.

 

"Don't be." 

 

Heechul lifted his head, scanning Siwan's covered body, noticing the number of scars on it. His heart ached at the sight. 

 

"Your back.... Is that what I think it is?" 

 

Siwan stayed silent before replying, "Those are my 'wings' they're broken for now, though." 

 

"Mind if I take a look...?" 

 

Siwan hesitated, seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours until he finally stood, his back facing Heechul. 

 

"The last time I've showed anyone was two years ago.... Don't tell anyone about this, please...." 

 

"I won't. I won't tell anyone for as long as I live."

 

Slowly prying the white cotton off the elder's shoulders, Heechul slowly exposed the two large vertical scars on either side of Siwan's back. Heechul reeled back in shock. 

 

"What kind of monster..." 

 

The sight brought tears to his eyes as he sobbed quietly, hating Siwan's mother, if she was even worthy of the title, who had inflicted all that pain in Siwan. 

 

"Hey, hey... Don't cry..."  

 

It was the first time Siwan had seen the boy cry. He usually put up a brave and uncaring front so times like these were rare. 

 

Siwan turned around and cupped the younger's face with his hands, his soft thumbs wiping away the tears in his eyes. Heechul reached a shaky hand out and behind Siwan. Feeling the uneven, thin hump of the scar hurt him even more. He wrapped both arms around the elder, whispering into his ear, "From now onwards, I'm not gonna let others hurt you, ever again. I'm gonna protect you." 

 

Siwan grinned and chuckled softly. 

 

"Then I'll protect you too," he turned to look at Heechul, placing a hand on the side of his face, slightly caressing his jawline, "for as long as you protect me." 

 

"But it's kinda unfair, you know." 

 

"Why?" 

 

"The fallen angel has shown you his broken wings, but the vampire hasn't revealed himself yet." Siwan grinned cheekily. Heechul hesitated a bit, before opening his mouth to reveal the four knife-like teeth. Siwan stared at it in awe. 

 

"Can I... Touch it?" 

 

Heechul nodded. Siwan moved his finger up to run it down the sharpness of Heechul's incisor, running his finger across the tip of the tooth. 

 

"You won't bite me, right?" Siwan joked. Heechul pulled away and raised an eyebrow at him. 

 

"Give me a good reason why you would think I would." 

 

Siwan merely shrugged. "No reason in particular." 

 

"Also... Your teeth..." 

"Hm?" 

"They're pretty" Siwan mumbled, cheeks a light shade of strawberry. Heechul, on the other hand, went the same shade as a tomato. 

 

"Th-thanks..." 

 

Siwan grinned and ruffled the younger's hair. 

 

"Siwan ah... Is it okay if I stay here tonight? I don't feel like going home..." 

 

Siwan grinned widely. 

 

"Just tell your parents first so that they won't get a heart attack." 

 

After a long phone call of convincing and wary questions from his parents, Heechul finally got the consent to stay over at Siwan's place. 

 

Stepping out of the shower, Siwan handed Heechul a grey long-sleeved shirt and a pair of navy blue cotton pants, not bothered by the fact that the towel was barely enough to cover him. 

 

"Is this revenge for me seeing your body just now?" Heechul raised an eyebrow as he dried himself off. Siwan merely giggled and shoved the clothes into his toned chest. 

 

Once Heechul had finished dressing, he went to the living room and saw Siwan in a pink apron, cooking something. 

 

"What are you making?"

"Dinner, obviously. Looks like I'm gonna have to feed you again, huh?" Heechul rolled his eyes and lightly pushed his friend to the side, taking over the pot. 

 

"Nope. Today I'm gonna cook for you, just to shut you up." 

 

Siwan's eyes sparkled with joy. 

 

"Really?! It's been so long since someone made food for me, hehe..." 

 

There's that idiotic smile again... 

Heechul thought, smiling to himself. 

 

"I'm making kimchi fried rice, okay?" 

 

Siwan's eyes widened in adorable shock. 

 

"Yah, Jung Heechul! How did you know that my favorite food was kimchi fried rice?" 

 

"Lucky guess," He shrugged and replied. Siwan eyed him suspiciously before going to the living room. 

 

Not long after, the dinner was ready. 

 

A heavenly aroma of kimchi spices filled the house and Siwan's mouth, parted open slightly, was watering at its edges. The moment the pot of rice was placed on the table, Siwan dug in greedily. Heechul laughed. 

 

"Yah, are you sure you're an angel? You eat so messily..." 

 

Siwan simply replied with his idiotic, happy and contented grin, before continuing to stuff his face with Heechul's home-cooked food. Within minutes, the entire pot had been scraped clean of every grain of rice. 

 

"That was the best kimchi rice I've ever tasted!! Yah, Heechul ah, you'd better come over to make me more next time, arrasso?" 

 

Heechul smiled. 

 

"Gladly."

 

Turning his head back to the movie playing on Siwan's phone (he couldn't afford to buy a TV), Heechul suddenly felt something heavy fall onto his lap, and something fluffy rubbing against his arm. Looking down, he saw the elder lying down on his lap, facing the screen. Sitting there watching the movie, they slowly drifted off to sleep on the couch...