Thank you for waiting patiently. It's a little hard to resume writing or drawing after so long, not to mention RL is so please bear with me. And just a reminder that if this fic reaches the benchmark (subscribers, upvotes, comments), I will have something special planned for my readers to be involved in.

So many things happened; Minho with my favorite TROS family ヽ(≧▽≦)ﾉ, Taemin's hip tattoo (Taemin-ah you brat, SHOW US THE WHOLE THING ಠ益ಠ), and Taemin's military enlistment o(╥﹏╥)o. Don't forget to stream SHINee's Atlantis MV to show your support!

“You seemed to be in a better mood.”

Minho glance behind a book he had taken to reading in Changmin's bookstore. “Am I?”

“You've been sulking for days,” Changmin comments, sitting across from him. “Loitering here, bothering the patrons, not even putting the books back - I take it that your problem has been solved.”

Minho puts his book down, looking affronted. “I did not sulk.”

“You were reading self-help books and idol magazines, particularly paying close attention about their ideal partner,” Changmin points out with a deadpanned look. “If that's not sulking then I don't know what is.”

Minho opens his mouth to deny it but promptly closed it.He's not wrong but like hell will he admit it.  After saving Taemin he secluded himself away from the human. He'd like to say he did it for Taemin's sake but a small part of him had wanted to hide away from Taemin's fearful eyes. Initially when they first met Taemin had been scared of him but not to this extent. Due to the time they spent together, the fear feels more intimate making him feel a type of vulnerability that shouldn't exist.

With no where else to go he ends up taking space at the bookstore all the while, as eloquently put it, sulking.

After returning their whole dynamic change and more out in the open. Even after Taemin has assuage his fears and accepted him back, Minho still didn't feel at ease. Even with the apology and acceptance, he could still feel the hesitancy whenever Taemin approaches him. He doesn't know how to change that, doesn't know what to do. It just made him all too well aware how different they are.

A human and a demon.

And even then it's not as simple as he wants to call it.

“You're just imagining things,” Minho denies weakly, looking anywhere but Changmin's smug face, throwing the book he had been reading over his shoulder. “I'm just... contemplating is all.”

“Oh?” Changmin looks smug as he sips his tea. “And what are you contemplating about?”

“None of your business,” Minho grunts, grabs his untouched tea to drink to hide his blush.

It had actually been hard to be away from Taemin for so long. Aside from Taemin's fearful eyes he remembers how Taemin feels so small in his arms. How the human shivered and flinched in his unyielding arms.

How the warmth left him when he handed Taemin to Onew.

Minho!

It was the first time Taemin had called him by his name with such emotions. Even now when he can finally return, Taemin hadn't called him anything else but “hyung” or “demon hyung”. Taemin calls his name for other's sake, when will he be able to hear his name for his own?

“Call it what you want,” Changmin comments, amusement laced in his tone. “Would you prefer the word brooding instead?”

Minho clears his throat, schooling his face to clear all emotions. “Have you been able to determine the origin and make of our... guest?” Intending to change the subject.

He's talking about one of the kidnappers he brought in. Luhan had an icicle at Taemin's throat and the only reason he's not burnt to a crisp is because of Taemin. Just from Luhan's smell alone Minho knew something isn't right.

The thought of the kidnapper actually hadn't crossed his mind. Too busy thinking about his changing relationship with Taemin.

“His physiology suggests he was once human,” Changmin starts. “But humans don't have powers nor can survive without food – he can eat what I give him but he's starving for something else. I suspect demonic elements are in play.”

At that, Minho straightens up. “Demonic?”

“He requires human energy to sustain himself,” Changmin's face is grim as he continues. “Not blood nor flesh of a human – their essence is what he craves.”

“How did you know?”

“He confessed. Quite desperate if I may add. He needs to feed once in a while otherwise he becomes aggressive and withers away. I did observe how he feeds; he draws the human essence out of their body until there's nothing left. Drains them dry. I had to dispose of the corpse afterwards.”

“This poses a problem as there are more of them just like him.”

“If there are more of them they will also feed in the same manner as him,” Changmin drums his fingers on the table in thought. “The humans have already took noticed of the multiple disappearances but there's a bigger problem.”

“What's that?”

“If they were once human, how did they become like this in the first place?”

Minho crosses his arms and closes his eyes as he thinks. He ran through all the possibilities and can only think of one thing.

“We may not be the only demons here.”

Kai shudders at the cold breeze nipping his face, his head ducked into his arms. He doesn't know how long he's up here but it's getting chilly.

He hasn't moved, hasn't left his spot in the clocktower since his encounter with the dangerous man. He remembers the malice filled eyes and the wicked curl of his smirk, the strength of his hands that can hold him with ease and the dark flames twisting around them.

Just the thought of him has him clutching his arms tight, stinging with pain. He can't risk stepping out, whoever that man is would find him and kill him.

“Kai?”

Kai turns around to the voice with his arms raised ready for a fight. Upon seeing who the person is, he relaxed a bit. “Sehun.”

Sehun hops off from the ledge. “So this is where you've been hiding. Aren't you cold?”

“What do you want, Sehun?”

“You never came back to the compound,” Sehun replies. “Suho was worried – we thought you were dead.”

Kai gripped the crook of his arms to ground himself. His face doesn't give anything away but his mind screams with terror. “Well clearly I'm not,” he stiffly answers. “You can report back to Suho and leave.”

He turns around thinking it's the end of discussion when Sehun had grabs his arm. He flinch at the contact but Sehun doesn't loosen his grip.

“Don't you have any idea what's going on?!” Sehun's voice is laced with worry. “Xiumin and D.O. barely came back alive from fighting the murderer who killed Kris!” His voice steadily increases to hysterical. “D.O. was barely conscious and we have no idea what happened to Luhan! For all we know he could be good as dead while you're holed up here with no clue of what's going on!”

Kai's eyes widen at the news, turning to Sehun with shock. “What happened to Luhan?”

“We don't know,” Sehun let's go of Kai's arm with a shove. “All we know is Xiumin picked a fight he can't win and only he and D.O. came back. Luhan's probably burnt to a crisp.”

The feeling of guilt creeps up on Kai. Luhan was partnered with him to find their meals, immediately ditching him when he saw Taemin. He has no idea what happened after that.

Taemin.

The same man who almost killed him, who beat Xiumin's team, who probably killed Luhan, is the same man who mentioned Taemin. How Taemin can mixed up with someone as dangerous as that man. Someone innocent and kind as Taemin wouldn't be able to stand a chance against that monster.

“Kai? You're looking a little pale,” Sehun looks at him with worry. “When was the last time you ate?”

“I'm fine,” Kai manages, his hand clutches the wall. “I'm not hungry.”

“You don't look so good,” Sehun comments. “Before we go back to the compound we'll go find something to eat first. There should be some people still around -”

“Hello?”

A familiar voice calls out from the stairwell of the clocktower and from the sound of it is coming closer. Kai could feel all the color drained from his face.

He said he wasn't hungry but that's a lie. He hasn't ate since Taemin treated him to ramen but it's not enough.Hasn't left the clocktower all this time to satiate his hunger. He could feel his hunger increased tenfold at the prospect of his meal coming closer. His hand clenches the fabric of his pants, a mockery attempt to control himself.

He doesn't want to eat Taemin.

He could feel himself salivating at the thought.

“What impeccable timing,” Sehun gives a knowing look, “I'll leave you to it”, and disappears from view.

Alone, Kai unsteadily straightens himself just as a familiar fluff of hair rounds the corner revealing Taemin. Normally Taemin's appearance would bring a smile to Kai's face. He's feeling all sorts of things now; worry, dread, helpless... hunger.

“Kai!” Taemin smiles brightly only for the smile to waver when he takes in Kai's appearance. “Kai are you okay? What happened?”

Kai instinctively took a step back when Taemin quickly closes the distance. The soft worry evident on Taemin's face makes Kai want to melt in his spot. “I'm fine,” he manages to say. He keeps saying he's fine but that's the opposite of how he feels.

Suddenly Taemin puts a hand over Kai's forehead. Kai's eyes widen and his breath hitches in his chest at the sudden contact. Taemin's hand felt so warm, looking up at him with concern he doesn't deserve. It took all he had to not lean into the soft hand.

And all too soon the hand retreated, startling Kai back to reality. “You're so cold!” Taemin exclaims. “Have you been waiting here for me? How long have you been up here? You shouldn't have stayed here – we could have met again somehow.”

The barrage of worry isn't something that Kai is used to. To be the focus of Taemin's worry. For a moment his hunger subsided, taking it all in. Taemin's fluff of hair, the blush from his cheeks to his ears from the cold, eyes deep and dark that he could get lost in staring at them.

He bets Taemin would taste just as sweet.

Kai doesn't know what came over him as he clasps Taemin's hands with his own.

“Kai?”

He looks down at their hands. His larger, cold hands engulfing Taemin's small warm hands, leaching off the warmth it exudes. It's not enough. He wants to engulf Taemin whole.

But something – Taemin's hand caught Kai's attention, puts a pause to his hunger. “That ring...”

“I wasn't sure when I would see you so I've been wearing it all this time in case I ran into you again,” Taemin smiles, bringing up his hand for Kai to see. “I knew your ring looked familiar so I looked for mine. And look, it's a couple ring. Isn't it pretty?”

Looking down Kai's breath hitches in his chest. Taemin's ring is simple without an engraving and yet it held a magnitude of his attention. With both rings side by side it looks like two became one as his vision turns hazy.

--

A younger looking Taemin with longer hair is wearing a high school uniform, looking up at him cutely. “Jongin, help me win that.” Pointing at a golden colored sugar turtle hanging on the chueog-ui yeos ppobgi stand.

“Why don't you play for it?” he finds himself asking.

“It's because I'm not good at this game,” Taemin jutted out his bottom lip, emphasizing his pout. “Help me please?”

“You're supposed to be the hyung here,” he sighed without heat as he takes out the money from his backpocket to play. He wasn't able to win on the first try but the vendor has a consolation prize, allowing him to blindly pick a random toy capsule from a box. After picking one he opens it to reveal a couple ring set.

“Is this plastic?” Taemin reached to take it only for it to be out of reach, causing Taemin to pout. “Hey!”

He smirked. “I'm the one who paid for it and I played it so this is mine.”

“Fine!” The pout on Taemin's face looks so cute when he's sullen. “Then I'm playing the next game.”

It took Taemin two more tries to win the golden turtle. He follows Taemin up to the archway nearby that overlooks the buildings below. They are sharing some snacks they bought beforehand but the golden turtle has his undivided attention.

“C'mon hyung~ Let me have some!”

“Oh nahhhhhh. I'm the one who won it,” Taemin sticks his tongue out. “I swear that ahjumma is discriminating against me, didn't even offer me a consolation prize like you did.”

“That's because I'm handsome,” he said, his voice full of smug. “At least a piece please? Hyung~”

Taemin looks playful, contemplating if he should share. Eventually Taemin breaks off a piece and drops it in his open hand.

“Seriously?! This is just a flipper! Hyung~”

This causes Taemin to laugh. A laugh so melodious to his ears that it doesn't make him angry at all, even joining in. A bigger piece is given so he's satisfied for now.

“You can have the grape flavor one,” Taemin said, splitting the jelly candies up between them. “Strawberry is my favorite.”

He looks down at the jelly candies split between them, noticing he got more than Taemin's share. Come to think of it Taemin had given him more than half of the golden turtle he won. He didn't notice because he receives the broken pieces little by little.

An idea came to him. “Taemin can you show me your hand?”

Taemin looks curious, giving him his hand. He takes out the toy capsule he won and puts the smaller ring onto Taemin's finger.

Taemin looks surprised at the ring on his finger. “What the – did you just proposed to me?!”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You were whining about it earlier so I'm giving it to you. It fits you perfectly.”

Taemin examines the ring closely, holding it up to catch the light. “That's because this ring is for girls. You won a couples ring. You should have save it when you have a girlfriend.”

“So you don't want it?”

“No it's mine now, no take backs.”

It causes the both of them to laugh. He puts the other ring on his own finger and shows it to Taemin. “Now we match. There's nothing girly about it.”

“Mine is prettier.” Taemin had a cute frown, taking his hand to compare. “No fair, your hands are bigger than mine. It's not girly when you're wearing it.”

Chuckling, lacing Taemin's hand with his own. “But I like your hands. They fit perfectly in mine.”

Taemin glared at him but there's no heat behind it. A flush of pink on his cheeks travels up to his ears. He looks down on their laced hands and turns to look at the view before them. Buildings stretched in front of them as the slowly sun sets behind the mountains far away.

He chances a glance at Taemin out of the corner of his eye. The orange shine of the sun glimmers on his skin while the breeze tussles his locks.

If this is a dream with just the two of them, he would never want to wake up from it.

--

“Kai?”

Kai felt lost, looking down at their joined hands. He doesn't understand where it had come from and it felt so clear like he's actually there. He could taste the sweetness of the golden turtle in his mouth, the breeze sinking into his school uniform, the touch of Taemin's hand as he put a ring on it.

He looks up at Taemin, whose looking back at him with curiosity. It doesn't look like time passes. The vision feels like a piece he's been missing, fills him with warmth and happiness. But at the same time it feels sad, the ache clenches in his chest that makes him want to reach out for it.

“Taemin,” the name feels heavy on his lips. “Where did you get that ring?”

Taemin frown, looking down on their clasp hands, not removing himself from Kai's grip. “I got it when I was in high school,” his mouth purses. “My friend gave it to me.”

Kai wants to ask more. That vision he saw, does Taemin have the same memory? Does he know Taemin from before? Does Taemin know him from before? Were they connected in some way?

Were they friends? Were they lovers?

"Jongin!"

“Who-”

“What are you doing, Kai?”

Kai drops Taemin's hands in surprise and turns at the voice. Sehun who has been out of sight to let Kai take his meal in privacy returns, looking at them with an interested gaze. He moves to stand in front of Taemin protectively, putting him away from Sehun.

“I don't have all day Kai,” Sehun approaches them, narrowing his eyes. “You shouldn't play with your food.”

Kai glares. “Taemin is not food.”

“Oh?” Sehun arches an eyebrow, looking over Kai's shoulder at Taemin hiding behind him. Kai moves to keep Taemin out of view, causing Sehun to grin. “So it's Taemin.”

Kai's jaws are set, keeping his eyes on Sehun. He draws himself to his full height but they're both the same height. Although Sehun is not sadistic as Xiumin, he doesn't want even a chance of him touching Taemin. He doesn't like that look on Sehun's face or whatever he's possibly thinking.

“Kai, what's going on?” Taemin asks behind him, his voice stiff with fear.

“Yes Kai,” Sehun mockingly repeated his name, coming closer. “Tell us, what's going on. Tell me why you wouldn't let me near him.”

“Back off Sehun.”

“Or what?” Sehun meets Kai's eyes, crowding close to his personal space. It took all of Kai's self-control to not step back. “Is he the reason why you wouldn't return? I saw the way you two are together, so sickeningly sweet.”

“I'm telling you to back off!”

“Do you actually like him?!” Sehun sniggers at the idea. “That's hilarious. A wolf shouldn't make friends with the rabbit he intends to eat.”

“He's is my friend,” Kai grits his teeth. “He is not to be eaten. I'll fight you to protect him.”

Sehun abruptly stops laughing, all humor drained away. “You're willing to turn your back on us?!”

Kai doesn't answer, his hand clenches into a fist. He doesn't like where this is going, doesn't like that tone Sehun has.

“Alright then, I won't eat him,” Sehun takes a step back, putting his hands out as a pacifying gesture. “Your Taemin won't be eatened.”

Kai glares, doesn't let down his guard as he slowly relaxes his stance. That look on Sehun's face is still there.

“But he's not useful to me alive.”

Strong gusts of wind surrounds them, blinding Kai. The winds are strong enough to make him stumble, forcing him to bring his arms up to shield himself.

A gasp behind him has him look back.

Taemin has been blown out of the clocktower.

His body felt heavy and slow as he turns to reach out for Taemin. He lunges for the edge, his arm stretches to grab him.

He misses.

“TAEMIN!!”