“Took you quite some time, huh?” Tae asked playfully. He was still sitting in his chair, exept now it was facing the entrance, not the fireplace.

Yoongi could not answer anything to Tae’s question, but it probably didn’t require an answer either. All Yoongi could do was stand there with the front door right behind him, legs shaky, hands weak and barely holding the woodbrush he managed to collect after he’d run back to the hut. He couldn’t come back to Tae without the woodbrush for the fire, because he told him to bring it and Yoongi knew he had to obey.

Even with the hazy state of mind Yoongi was in, he couldn’t not notice a definite shift in the atmosphere in the hut. First of all, Tae wasn’t wearing his heavy black cloak anymore, only black satin robe and black pants. Second, the room somehow had better lighting. Yoongi managed to look around a little and realized there were more candles now: almost all the table top was covered in them, some were on the floor. Each one was birning. The backlight from the fireplace and unsteady lights of candles made Tae’s face look darker somehow, and his eyes seemed to be even blacker than they were before, as he was giving Yoongi an unreadable gaze.

 “Put the sticks down, take your coat off and and take a sit” Tae’s tone indicated that he was very much enjoying himself .

Yoongi’s body reacted like a puppet to the puppeteer’s strings: he put the brushwood down slowly, letting it scatter on the floor, then proceeded to take his coat off with numb hands.  Yoongi’s lips were salty when he them and he could feel his shirt stick to his sweaty back after running fast, and he was still catching his breath. While detaching himself from the coat he couldn’t look at Tae’s face, but he knew the other man was watching him from his chair, his gaze was almost physically touching him, and its touch was cold but velvety.

“At the table.” Tae’s voiced led Yoongi to the next action when the blue coat was off him and lying on the floor. Apparently hanging it back on the hook was not required. Yoongi wanted to hang it on the hook desperately, but he couldn’t do this simple action. The mentioned interntion indicated though, that somewhere deep down the hollow well of Yoongi’s poisoned mind there still were his own thoughts, echoing hopelessly, unable to reach the surface and change anything. Yoongi was still conscious, but the operational function of his mind was taken from him, letting something else take the lead. All Yoongi could do is be a silent witness.

Yoongi approached the table, still under Tae’s unmoving eyes, and sat at it. Before him were many burning candles and, suddenly, an empty white plate he couldn’t recall seeing there earlier. The plate was too white and porcelain, and even though Yoongi was not an expert in royalty, he could tell that the plate was definitely too sophisticatred for a hunter’s hut. Tae moved his chair to the table too and now was facing Yoongi. There was no plate before him though. Yoongi wanted to make a comment on that but he couldn’t speak.

“Did you really think I’d let you go?” Tae laughted and leaned forward over the table, moving his face closer to Yoongi’s, who wanted badly to stick his back to the wall behind him instead of facing Tae, but gravitated an inch closer to him anyway, moved by a force stronger than his own desire to back off. Tae’s eyes were menacing. “I was just testing you. I wanted to see if you would dare to run – and you did.” He smiled. “I like it. Not that you could’ve succeed anyway… But I sure appreciate the attempt. I like the brave ones better.”

Tae was looking at Yoongi with a smirk. Yoongi could feel his face burn and probably turn red, not sure if it was solely because of the close candle fire, or because Tae was obviously eye-tracing features of his face. He gulped, but it was more of an instinct than a conscious action. His mouth was dry. Tae looked at Yoongi’s throat, then at his lips, and his own lips, which looked very predatory.

“Ughh, by the way.” Tae seemed to shake it off a little. “Made you something to eat while you were… outside.” He jerked his head to the side like an animal. “You know… You took too long with the woodbrush so I couldn’t wait anymore and had to come up with something… more interesting than the dish I’ve planned.”

Tae nodded at the plate, inviting Yoongi to look down on it, and when he did it was definitely not empty anymore. To Yoongi’s surprise, a single blood-red flower was now lying on the white porcelain. It seemed like the flower was pulsing, somewhat like a real heart, but once again, it might as well be a disfunction of Yoongi’s vision, corrupted by the enchantment.

Tae took the flower in his hand delicately, and held it up to Yoongi’s mouth.

 “Eat it. It’ll make you less thirsty.” Yoongi’s deeply settled mind questioned the fact that he could drink a ing flower, but he had no choice but to open his mouth and bite a petal carefully. The petal was surprisingly sweet. Then Yoongi started chewing on it a little. With his predatory grin, Tae was watching him. Surprisingly the petal appeared to be full of sweet juice which started to pour into Yoongi’s mouth as he kept chewing. The liquid was burning hot against Yoongi’s toungue. He swallowed the first petal and immediately felt the urge to eat the whole flower. He took it whole in his mouth, brushing his lips against Tae’s fingers where he was holding it. He had a mouthful of sweet burning substance in his mouth now, and it tasted better than anything he’d ever eaten or drunk. Tae didn’t take his eyes from Yoongi’s mouth for a second. Yoongi felt the drips of the flower juice dripping from his lips as he was chewing it, then he swallowed the flower. Tae’s mouth fell a little open while his eyes were locked on Yoongi’s lips, covered in watery pinkish red juice. He ran his thumb on Yoongi’s lower lip and took his hand away.

“Feeling better?”

Oh, Yoongi deifinitely was. He wanted to nod but he still couldn’t contol his body. The flower he’d just devoured was positively burning inside of his stomach, spreading the warmth through his whole body, sending strange ideas to his mind. The feeling was somewhat similar to the best stage of being drunk, when you’re already tipsy but not yet trashed, and that multipled by hundred.

Yoongi saw the room starting to spin, the shadows from birning candles on the walls making weird shapes. Tae was still looking at him, as if he was expecting to see the effect the flower had on his guest.

“Yes, I know you feel better now, darling.” Tae smiled. “For this one last time, I want you to feel really good.”

The meaning behind Tae’s last words skipped Yoongi’s ears. He was currently losing the remains of his consciousness, falling deeper into the hands of burining feeling the red juicy flower gave him. It was relaxing and making him feel lightweight, like his body was not only now owned by him anymore, but also not existent at all, as if it moved to some other level of being. Yoongi became sensitive and aware of the very air around him. He closed his eyes expecting he’ll feel like spinning, but he wasn’t. It was so damn nice to be drunk on that flower.

With his eyes closed he heard Tae move, probably get up from the table, and take few steps away, and then there was silence. Yoongi wanted to peek at Tae, but his eyelids were too heavy to move. He had to put as much effort as he had to simply open them. Tae was standing in front of the fireplace again, his back to Yoongi, one had on the fireplace top, as if he needed it to stand still. His figure was strong, and heavy and gracefull in the unsteady light.

“I know you’re watching me, Yoongi.” Tae said softly, his voice deep and low. “And you better be on the bed when I turn around.”

These words Yoongi actually processed and they’d burned him even more.Tae’s desire to have Yoongi on the bed was one of a kind, and set off all the alarms in Yoongi’s mind and, well, lower belly. For the first time Yoongi acknowledged that he was actually aroused, and he was suspecting strongly that the flower-high had everything to do with him being this now. Somewhere deep inside Yoongi regretted noticing it, because now the feeling could not be avoided.

Yoongi stood from the table, walked to the bed and sat on the edge of it, putting his hand on the harsh brown blanket it was made with. He wanted to fall flat on his back, take a deep breath, watch the ceiling float above him and concentrate on not showing his arousal to his demonic host, but that was obviously not an option while his own body was still not responding to his requests. He had to sit and he had to stare at Tae, waiting for his next move. Tae meanwhile was still standing before the firelace.

Few moments had passed before Tae turned around slowly and approached the bed, then sat next to Yoongi. Yoongi’s breath fastened. Tae was sitting few inches from him, looking him right in the eyes. He put his hand over Yoongi’s hand on the blanket, still staring at him. The corner where the bed was located was the darkest, it made Tae’s eyes seem darker and deeper too, like two soft and comforting black holes. The flower’s poison was getting stronger in Yoongi’s blood that seemed to pulse everywhere around his body, roaring in his ears, and Yoongi was in the mood for screaming and/or touching himself and\or Tae, but he couldn’t do neither. Tae seemed to notice and enjoy Yoongi’s current condition.

 “Already so eager?” Tae asked him, adding fake surprised to his tone.

Yoongi wanted to answer “yes”, but he couldn’t. He wanted to move and touch Tae, but he could not either. The remains of his consciousness were buried deep down under Tae’s enchantment and the effects of the red flower he’d eaten. For Yoongi’s relief Tae moved his hand up to his shoulder and started to untie carefully the edges of the plain white shirt he was wearing. He didn’t untie it all the way, just enough to reveal Yoongi’s chest. Tae brushed his fingers over Yoongi’s soft skin of, traced his shoulder blades and then up to his neck and chin, and then touched Yoongi’s lower lip. This made Yoongi catch his breath and close his eyes as if it would help him feel more.

“I’m sorry I can’t let you move”. Tae said quetly, his voice low and somewhat sad. “It would be too dangerous. I can’t let you escape”. He moved closer to Yoongi who’d opened his eyes again in time to see Tae’s face closing. His face was suddenly showing the traces of inner struggle, his eyebrows were furrowed and when their eyes locked for a moment Yoongi thought he saw pain in his eyes, as if moving hurt him somehow. But he didn’t have a chance to look at Tae’s face much longer because the latter put his eyes away and went to kneal for Yoongi’s ear instead, his hand resting on the crook of Yoongi’s neck, moving down to his chest slowly.

“I’m sorry I have to do this to you, but I have no choice” Tae’s lips brushed Yoongi’s earlobe. “I’m sorry, Yoongi.”

Tae’s lips went down to Yoongi’s neck, not actually kissing, just toching his skin and leaving traces of hot breath on it. Yoongi’s mind went almost blank. Then, with the hand on Yoongi’s chest, Tae pushed him down and Yoongi’s back met the bed. Not letting him understand what was going on, Tae climbed on top of him and Yoongi thought it was too fast for a human to move like this. The movement made Tae bend a little over Yoongi, catching his breath. When he looked up at Ta, the painful expression was present on his face again. But the next moment Tae moved to Yoongi’s neck again and started kissing it, slowly forst, but then many wet kisses landed on Yoongi’s chin, then neck again, his shoulderplades, his shoulders. Tae’s hands moved to untangle the remains of his shirt, revaling Yoongi’s stomach. He touched it softly.

Then suddenly and groan of pain escaped Tae’s mouth. Yoongi couldn’t see what caused it, but Tae was definitely hurt, he jerked back a little and bended down, covering his own belly. Then he looked back at Yoongi with pain in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time for anything else.”

Everything started to happen very quickly. Tae sat on his heels above Yoongi, ripped apart both sides of Yoongi’s already untied shirt, steadied him by grabbing his neck with one hand,  the other is still holding his own stomach. Tae’s eyes started to burn yellow instead of black. The next moment Yoongi saw two black clawed tentacles appearing from behing Tae’s back, they were hovering above him and, well, definitely belonged to him. Yoongi figured they were not used to give soft kisses, these were deadly weapons.

The fear, buried deep down under the enchantment and the effects of the pulsing flower, seemed to crave his way back to Yoongi’s mind now, as if the effects he’d been under started to wear off a little. Yoongi managed to take his eyes off the tentackles and look down on Tae’s stomach. Suddenly he saw black liquid pouring from between Tae’s fingers right where he was pressing them.Tae was bleeding, or whatever it was running throught his veins, now it was leaving him through an opened wound. Tae’s head went down, as if he was unconscious, and tentacles seemed to soften and move down a bit. Then tentacles, once risen, fell behind his back and Tae’s unconscious body fell over Yoongi’s.

Whatever control Tae seemed to have over Yoongi’s actions previously, now it was all gone, along with Tae’s consciousness, presumably. For a few moments, Yoongi wasn’t moving at all under Tae’s weight, and then he figured he could control his movements yet again. Little by little he freed his libs, afraid that the creature he was dealing with could regain his consciousness. After all the efforts, Yoongi fell from the bed right on the floor. The hit he took reminded him of his own body once again, because it still felt funny and numbish. He lied on the floor for a minute, trying to figure out his futher actions. Very quicly he came up with the most obvious option: he had to run for his life.

Yoongi sat on the floor beneath the bed where Tae was still lying unconscious, flat on his stomach, face buried into the pillow. Thick black blood pouring from under him had flooded the bed. There was no sign of tentaclaes which were about to rip Yoongi apart moments ago, Tae looked almost like a human, only black thick liquid dripping from him and Yoongi’s memory of being bewitched and almost torn apart with clawed tentacles reminded him Tae was not human at all. Yoongi stood oh his feet, shaking, not taking his eyes from the bed. He walked slowly to the table to take his backpack. His mind was clearing more and more.

With his backpack and his blue coat in his hands, Yoongi was standing at the door ready to leave the damned hut with its inhabitant. He looked back at Tae once again: the creature was still lying there, bleeding and definitely dying. Out of shock Yoongi had experienced, he should’ve felt the relief watching the demon who was about to kill him die slowly, but still he wasn’t. Yoongi shook off the odd pity he was now feeling towards Tae, and went through the door.