Once the last cork was pushed into the bottles, Jinki carefully moved them to the nearby table for whenever Jonghyun happened to leave. He knew that the man was going to leave eventually for their agreement was complete, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He had thought, hoped, that he’d have more time with him. He pressed his lips together and ran a hand through his hair. Jonghyun could very well wake up in the morning and leave, and Jinki wasn’t sure if he was ready to swallow his feelings for the warrior and watch him go. For the first time since he gave up his last love, he was in love with another. For years he thought he’d never find love again, but he couldn’t doubt the feelings he felt for Jonghyun for what they were.

             He loved him. He wanted to know how Jonghyun’s lips felt when they were kissed, or how he liked to hold hands. Did he like intertwining fingers, or just curl around palms? He wanted to know what Jonghyun’s dreams were, his aspirations, his goals. He once again enjoyed traveling and he couldn’t ignore that the only difference from the most recent time and the previous hundred, was Jonghyun being beside him. There was so much of the man he didn’t know and come very soon he’d lose his chance to.

             “But I have to let him go.” He muttered to himself, fidgeting with the leftover ingredients laying over his alchemy table. Once they were put away and the area cleaned up, he headed around the separation wall toward the bed. Jonghyun was turned away from him, facing the other side of the bed. Walking past to change his clothes confirmed his suspicions that Jonghyun was already asleep. He pressed his lips together and focused on getting ready for bed. The only thing that could take him from his thoughts was sleep. He sighed heavily as he relaxed against the mattress, snuggling his cheek into his pillow and closing his eyes.

-----

             Feeling the bed dip, Jonghyun opens one eye to peek. Seeing Jinki’s broad back facing him, he chews on his bottom lip before taking the chance. “Are you okay, Jinki?”

             “Holy Julianos!” Jinki curses, startled from his light sleep at the sound of the other man. “I thought you were asleep.”

             “Barely. Who’s Julianos?” Jonghyun questioned before adding, “And you didn’t answer my question.”

             Jinki hadn’t moved, still curled up with his back toward him. “I’m fine and Julianos is the God logic, wisdom, and the arts of magic.”

             “You just… seemed off after I told you I’d leave soon.” He quickly ran his tongue over his dry lips, hesitant to say the last bit. “Like you’re disappointed I’m leaving.”

             A few moments ticked by before he heard Jinki sigh softly, “Our agreement is complete. I knew you wouldn’t want to stay here more than you needed to.”

             Jonghyun reaches then for Jinki’s side, but his hand falls softly before his fingers touch him. “I was thinking that, maybe, our deal could be extended.”

             In a swift motion, Jinki turns over, running his hand over his hair to get it from his face. His cheek is squished slightly by the pillow as he moves his right arm under it. “What do you mean, Jonghyun? Our deal was to bring me here. It’s complete.”

             “What if I propositioned another?”

             Jinki’s eyebrow twitched up, “Go on.”

             “I’ve been thinking about our travels since Windhelm and I came to the conclusion that I probably couldn’t make my way back even if I had an updated map.” He swallows thickly feeling the nervous lump in his throat and lowers his gaze from Jinki’s. “I was wondering if you’d me to Windhelm. I’d ask for further, say back to Whiterun, but I know you must go to Riften.”

             “Sounds to me like you just want to travel more with me, Jingles.”

             “Shut up,” Jonghyun grumbled before softly smiling, lifting his gaze once more. “Does that mean you’ll me?”

             With a very exaggerated sigh, Jinki replied, “I wouldn’t want you freezing to death on your way down because you got lost. I’ll take you.”

             A smile pulled at his lips, soft around the edges as he gazed at Jinki’s face, so pretty in the still flickering flames of the torch on the wall just above them. All it would take to kiss him would be a little shifting and leaning in, but before he could muster the courage to make that move Jinki was smiling and gently pushing against his chest. “We’ll leave in a few days. I have to discuss a few things with Kibum before we go. Goodnight Jonghyun.”

As the man rolled over once again, Jonghyun kept thinking about the way his lips gently parted when he was finished speaking, the pink of their color and how much he wished he had kissed them. “Goodnight Jinki.”

-----

             Jonghyun scratched his tummy as he shuffled out of bed. He grabbed an apple from the shelf on his way from behind the wall and it was just against his lips when he noticed someone was using the Alchemy table. Someone that wasn’t Jinki. “Who the hell are you?”

             There was a dark blue robe on the man’s frame. His dark hair was cut shorter, pushed back from his face messily. His ear twitched as he straightened. “I am Kibum, Jinki’s Master Wizard. You must be the stray he’s grown fond of.”

             “Oh please play nice Kibum.” Jonghyun’s attention whipped over toward the voice his neck cracked a little. Jinki was kneeling by his garden picking a few things. Once he had what he needed gathering in his arms, he stood up with a smile. “Jonghyun, meet Kibum. Kibum, meet Jonghyun.”

             “Mm quite.” Kibum gently shook his hand, eyebrow raised.

             “Are most of the mages here elves?”

             Jinki snorted at the question, while Kibum flicked his gaze between the two. “No. Many elves stay here over other races because they feel safer here.”

             “Interesting,” Jonghyun commented, biting into his apple finally and chewing. “What’s he doing here?”

             “He’s helping me get ready for Mzulft.” Jinki laid the plants on the table for Kibum to look through. “We really have no idea what’s awaiting me. Especially if something has happened to my mages I sent. They were two of my best.”

             “Aren’t you afraid to go there alone?” Jonghyun softly asks, leaning against the shelf near the two mages.

             Jinki shrugged as he picked the petals off a few purple mountain flowers. Then he smirked, “Are you worried about me, Jingles?”

             “No!” Jonghyun scuffed, but his expression fell as he pouted. “Okay maybe. You’re soft.”

             “It makes me quicker.” He placed the petals into the mortar for Kibum to grind as he looked at Jonghyun with a sweet smile. “I’ll be fine. You know I can handle myself quite well.”

             “I don’t-”

             “You two are insufferable, honestly.” Kibum huffed, the pestle clacking against the stone of the mortar. “Don’t you have something else you could be doing?”

             “Someone has their skirt in a twist.” Jonghyun scowled before smiling at Jinki. “Can we go exploring?”

             “Exploring?”

             “Yeah! I’ve never been to Winterhold. You could show me the town. Maybe there’s a shop I can buy a few things I need at.”

             “Alright,” Jinki ignored the look Kibum was giving him the best he could. “Go get dressed. We’ll stop by the storage room and see if there’s anything you need in there before you buy it.”

-----

             “Do you ever get tired of all the snow?”

             When Jinki glanced over his hood fell from the top of his head. “You get used to it. I quite enjoy it over the scorching heat you feel in the middle of Skyrim.”

             “It is far prettier than the rolling plains I remember growing up on.” A snowflake landed on his nose and he sneezed violently. Jinki erupting in laughter made him glare and elbow him in the side as the made their way toward the shop to their right.

             As they approached the shop Jinki stopped on what could be called the porch. “You should go in alone. I’ll be waiting out here.”

             “You’re being weird again.”

             “Aren’t I always?” Jinki flashed a soft smile as he lifted his hands to warm them up with his breath. “Go on. I’ll be right here for the walk back.”

             Jonghyun squinted at him before stepping through the door. Jinki leaned against the wood of the place and produced a small flame in his palms to keep them warm. His eyes shifted across the white pillowy expanse of what was left of Winterhold. There were a few guards shuffling about and that weird man who tried to sell everyone chickens he didn’t have, but otherwise, there wasn’t anything of interest or excitement.

             That was until the roar blew through the small town and the ground beneath him trembled. He stepped from under the cover of the shop, fire already increasing on his hands, swirling up his wrists and between both of his hands. Sure enough near the entrance of town was a dragon. Guards were quick to pull their bows, but the arrows didn’t seem to do much damage. A fireball was shot at it’s head, which only seemed to anger the beast more.

             He was summoning a frost atronach when he heard Jonghyun exclaiming from behind him. “What did you blow up this time?”

             “Go back inside, Jonghyun.”

             Completely ignoring the order, the man stepped toward him. It was then he looked where the commotion was. “Whoa, what the that’s a dragon!”

             “Go back inside! You don’t have your armor on.” Jonghyun’s jaw clenched as he stared him down, about to disagree, but then he was being tackled against the ground as the dragon spewed his ice breath straight at them. Jinki lifted his head to look at him, huffing a little. “Please go back inside. I can’t focus on the dragon worrying about you.”

             If the circumstances weren’t literally life or death, Jonghyun might have taken the opportunity to press up and kiss him. Given that they were in fact in the middle of a dragon attack, he decided to just nod in agreement. “Alright. Don’t get yourself hurt.”

             “Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” Jinki pushed off and spun, shooting fire dead center at the dragon. He looked over as he held up a ward to stop the ice from hitting him. He yelled over the rushing sound of the ice breath. “Go!”

             He pressed his lips together into a thin line and looked at him fighting the dragon before ripping the image from his line of sight and rushing back into the shop. He pressed his back against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. There were very few times in his life he felt as helpless as he did then.

-----

             As silence fell Jonghyun felt as if he could breathe again. He was just about to look outside when the door opened. Standing there was Jinki. He had a scrape along his cheek and his hair was in disarray, but he was okay. Before he could say anything Jonghyun was crashing into him, wrapping his arms tight around him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

             “I-” Jinki’s arms were held hesitantly away from him before he relaxed and returned the embrace. “I’m fine, Jingles. Just a little tired.”

             He pulled away, pink dusting his cheeks, as he took a step back. He lifted his hand to gently touch the slightly bleeding cut on his cheek. “How’d you get this?”

             “A stray arrow.” Jonghyun eyes widened, causing Jinki to chuckle. “The dragon moved before the guard could stop the shot. I’m fine. Did you get what you needed?”

             “I did.”

             “Then, do you mind we cut the exploring short?”

             “Not at all.”

-----

             Kibum sighed deeply as he spotted the two men stepping through the big archway into the room. “What mess could you get into going to the store?”

             Jinki gave a goofy grin, “A dragon attacked. I fought it.”

             The Master Wizard shook his head, before pointing toward the nearby table. “Sit. Jonghyun, go get him something to eat.”

             Jonghyun glanced over to Jinki and only moved when the man smiled. “It’s really not that serious.”

             “Uh huh. I’ll be the final say in that.” Golden light circled his hand as he lifted it to Jinki’s cheek.

             “I could have healed myself.”

             “You could have.” Jonghyun stepped closer, holding some bread in his hand and a glass of water in the other. Kibum smiled kindly as he lowered his hand. “You sit here and rest. Eat that.”

             “I have that meeting with-”

             “Not anymore.” Kibum stepped back and wiped his hands on his robe. He glanced at Jonghyun, “Think you can keep him from doing too much?”

             “I can try.”

             “Good. I’ll be back.”

             As Kibum left Jonghyun shared a look with Jinki, gesturing to the now empty archway. “Is he always like that?”

             “Always has been.”

             After slipping into the chair across the small table from him, Jonghyun softly commented as he played with the end of the cloak Jinki let him borrow. “He seems to really care about you.”

             “He’s a really good friend.” Jinki nibbled on his bits of bread that he had pulled off, studying Jonghyun softly. “Are you okay?”

             “Why wouldn’t I be?”

             “I tackled you pretty hard. I could have bruised you.” He hummed before continuing, “Besides, I mainly meant emotionally. You distant mentally since I made you go back into the shop.”

             “Oh, I’m fine.” He flashed a little smile, arms held loose around himself. “It was odd being out of the fight like that. I felt helpless.”

             “I, for one, am glad you listened to me.”

             “Oh yeah?”

             “Yeah.” Jinki laughed quietly, tapping his fingers on the table gently as he grew solemn. “I couldn’t fathom going to find your mother and telling her you died protecting the highest ranking mage in Skyrim.”

             “But I did listen. Now eat and maybe you can teach me how to use that weird grinding bowl thing.”

             “Do you mean the mortar?”

             “Mortar? What kind of bull name is that?”

             Jinki barely coughed himself out of choking on his water from laughing too hard.

-----

             The next morning everything was settled and it was time to leave. Kibum was going over a few last minute things that needed Jinki’s absolute attention, which Jonghyun managed to drown out mostly from his spot sprawled out on the bed. His armor was fully on him and he wasn’t about to stand around with it on more than he had to. He pressed his head back to look behind him when he heard Jinki speaking. “Are you ready, Jingles?”

             “I’ve been waiting on you!”

             “For once.” Jinki already had his extra furs along his shoulders, the thick cloak underneath it all. His hands were hidden in the big sleeves of his robe. “Come on. I want to make good time.”

             After heaving himself off the mattress, Jonghyun pouted, following him out from behind the wall. “Now it just sounds like you wanna get rid of me.”

             It was then he noticed Kibum standing in the middle of the room. “I doubt it’d be that easy.”

             “Kibum.” Jinki softly warned causing the other mage to simply smile.

             “Be safe. Whatever awaits you in Mzulft I would rather like my Archmage returning.” Kibum clasped him on the shoulder softly before stepping away. He then glanced at Jonghyun stepping in tow. “In the short time you are with him still make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”

             “I’m not the one who removed the glowing sword.” Jinki softly commented, a smile hidden by the hood he had pulled over his hair.

             “That was ONE time.”

-----

             The blizzard was finally letting up as the approached the mill. Their pace was leisurely, snow billowing around their feet as they kicked it with their steps. “I’ve been thinking.”

             Jinki was heating his face up with his hands when Jonghyun spoke and he didn’t lower them when he responded, causing his voice to be slightly muffled. “That never leads to good things.”

             “Oh, shut up.” Jonghyun tightened his furs around his body as he stared off into the horizon, Windhelm starting to come into view. “There’s a town just south of the city. I thought maybe we could stay there for the night.”

             “Why? I thought you liked Windhelm.”

             “Parts of it sure. The blacksmith is one of the best in all of Skyrim.” Jonghyun took a glance at Jinki then, quickly reverting his gaze when he realized the mage was looking at him. “Windhelm isn’t a safe place for you. Kynesgrove is close enough that it won’t take us to pass nightfall, but far enough… maybe you’ll feel safer.”

             “Thank you, Jonghyun.” The warmth in Jinki’s voice could almost take the fridge cold from his bones. “For thinking about me.”

             “You respected my fear of mages when in Winterhold. It’s only right I respect yours of Windhelm and the hatred within those walls.”

             Playfully Jinki nudged Jonghyun’s arm with his elbow, “Maybe I can even teach you how to swim.”

             “You’d want to?”

             “Everyone should know how to swim, Jonghyun.” Jinki hummed, “Why don’t you know how to?”

             “Oh, um, my dad was supposed to teach me that summer, but…”

             “Oh, understood.”

             “I’d really appreciate it if you would teach me though.”

             After a few paces, Jinki , “I promise to not let the demon water get you.”

             “Oh do shut up!”

-----