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INFINTE – Before the Dawn

characters: Kim Kibum, Kim Jaekyung

minor characters: n/a

by Dorkazoid

“I’m a werewolf.” Key watched in anticipation the transformation on Jaekyung’s face when he told him the horrible truth. He was a werewolf and nothing could turn him back into a human. He was seven years old when he was bitten by one of the werewolves he had encountered while he was on a hunt with his father. Devastated, he ran away only to get beaten by the other shape shifters for him to man up.

Truth be told, Key was expect for Jaekyung to run away, to tell him to go away and never come back. But she didn’t. Instead, he watched her accept it in a collected expression, as if she was telling him it’s okay to be a werewolf.

“I know,” Jaekyung whispered, running her hand through his hair. Their eyes met and Key could tell how sincere she was just by saying those two simple words. And just with that, the fear in Key’s heart disappeared. The fear that he would never be accepted to the human world and the fear that he could never, ever love again.

He still remembered how he met Jaekyung the first time. It was his first day in a new school, somewhere in the almost-forsaken, unfamiliar town in Busan. Since he ran away, he knew better than to stay where his family was. Somehow, he felt the need to protect his own family by running away and never coming back.

Jaekyung is a riddle he could never decipher. No matter how many subtle hints were shown, he could never discern what she truly is. She was the girl of few words. She stutters a lot whenever she’s around people and she hated public speaking. In the outside, people would actually see her as someone introverted and withdrawn from others. Then again, Key discovered another side of her that he loves the most.

Jaekyung is the best listener and probably the most tolerant person Key could have met. He was lucky to have her, to get to hold her in his arms and kiss her as if tomorrow never ends. No matter how people label her as someone ‘odd’, Key doesn’t mind as long as he gets to be with her.

“You do?” he asked, surprised.

Jaekyung nodded with a smile. His head was on her lap and there was nothing more Key could ever wish for.

“How? You never saw me when I change,” he wanted to know.

Jaekyung leaned back at the headrest, giving him a wistful smile. “You can tell me the story.”

Key interlaced his fingers through hers, tugging them gently. “I was seven when I got bitten by a shape shifter,” he started, bringing her hand and brushing it to his lips. “It was horrible. That feeling when you feel something burning inside you and you can’t stop it. The only thing you can do is endure it. Endure it until it ends. I thought I was going to die. It didn’t stop after several weeks. I was a wolf slayer, an amateur one and I was on-training with my father. But when I knew I was a werewolf, I know I had to choose between staying and getting killed by my own father or running away and saving my own family.”

“And you chose to save them,” Jaekyung offered.

Key nodded, tears b in his eyes. “I got beaten when I arrived here. Their reason was for me to man up and start accepting what I was destined to be. I starved for weeks, thinking that if I would die then the world would be better. But then I met you… and I, well, I knew I have to live. For you.”

Jaekyung smiled, his eyes twinkling. Key couldn’t help but smile as well. “Does it still hurt?”

Key shook his head. “It does but I don’t care. You’re here.”

Jaekyung leaned closer, suggesting a kiss. Key responded, propping his elbow to support himself. Key inhaled her sweet, tragic scent and it resulted to a lustful desire, yearning to devour her entirely. Cupping his face in her hand, he gently planted his lips on hers.

The gentle kiss turned rough and Key was on top of Jaekyung, planting sweet, soft kisses on her neck to her collarbone. Jaekyung moaned, craving for more. If they don’t stop, then it will lead to something dangerously exciting.

“We should stop,” Key suggested, panting heavily. He didn’t want to stop but he knew he had to.

“I love you,” Jaekyung said, sighing.

“I love you, too.”

“When do you… turn into a wolf?” she asked.

Key scratched his chin. “Every third Friday of the month.”

“Do you just kill… anyone?”

Key wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him. It was a Thursday night and Key had been spending almost every single day with her, sneaking inside her room when her parents aren’t around or when they don’t check her room. They would either make out or talk about anything the entire day.

“At first, I do kill anyone,” he answered. “I couldn’t control it. But recently, I’ve been doing well in manipulating my urges to kill anyone. Sometimes, when I lose my temper, that’s when I shift and… kill. Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. But I have to admit, there are times when I can’t control my… um, desires when I’m around you. You just… arouse me.”

Jaekyung blushed, burying her head in his chest to hide her face. “That’s informative.”

Key chuckled. “Don’t be embarrassed. You don’t have to be so shy about it. In fact, you should be proud. You’re the only girl that could make me feel like this. And I promise you that you’re the only girl that I will love forever. Jaekyung, someday, I’ll prove to you my worth.”

Jaekyung smiled. “You don’t have to prove it. You’ve already done enough, Kim Kibum.”

Key inhaled deeply. “But I want to prove it to you.”

Jaekyung blushed. “I love you so much.”

“You’re my life,” Key told her.

Jaekyung’s pulse quickened when she heard him say that. Sometimes, Key says the mushiest things. It’s not like she doesn’t like it. In fact, she loved it so much to the point that she was actually thinking about marrying him someday. Jaekyung ran her hand through his hair.

“You’re changing tomorrow, right?”

Key nodded. “Don’t worry. I won’t—”

“I want to see it.”

Key widened his eyes. “See…? But Jaekyung, I don’t want to hurt you. When I transform, I change into something… something far worse than a tiger. I could hurt you. I’m still trying to manipulate my desire whenever I’m around you so... I can’t stop it. There are times when I actually forget the person who I’m with. And maybe, maybe I would forget you and hurt you instead. I can’t do that. I can’t bear to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me,” Jaekyung confidently told him.

“Jaekyung, I…”

Cold air ran through the atmosphere, creating a mysterious aura. The trees have grown tall over the last years, covering almost the entire town with its huge, gigantic branches. Key gazed at the sky, observing the white moon coming out of the clouds. Soon, he thought. So soon.

Behind him was Jaekyung, feeling afraid and tense every second passing by. Key had offered to take her even though he was entirely scared of losing control. What if he does lose control? What if he can’t stop and… he would accidentally kill Jaekyung himself? He can’t do that. Jaekyung is his life.

It was almost midnight and the full moon will come out in a matter of minutes.

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Key asked her again, looking timid. “You can still go back. But you have to run this time. I can’t assure you safety when I lose control.”

Jaekyung nodded with a smile. “I’m sure.”

Few minutes later, the moon had come out, full and enormous. Key instructed Jaekyung to take a few steps back and hide behind a huge, dark tree. Key stood on the edge of that gigantic rock that fully faces the moon. The light reflected against him.

Suddenly, he growled of pain. Jaekyung gasped, astonished by the sudden action. His bones were breaking and he was on the ground, kneeling and wincing in pain. He struggled, thrashed until he screamed to the ends of the earth. Jaekyung felt useless. She wanted to help him, to get him out of the pain but what could she do? She was just human, incapable of helping him.

Something sharp started coming out from his back. Jaekyung let out a short yelp, surprised of what had happened. What does she have to do to stop the pain? She closed her eyes, mentally praying for Key to be okay. Minutes later, the growling and gnashing of bones had stopped.

Was it over? Is Key fine?

Jaekyung slowly stood up, stepping out of the shadows. A dark, wolf-like silhouette could be seen past through the rock which Key stood on before he started shifting. A low howl could be heard, causing Jaekyung to stop walking. She trembled in fear. The only thing she could hold on was the belief she has for Key, that he loves her too much to hurt her.

He wouldn’t hurt her, right?

“Key…” Jaekyung called out like a plea.

The wolf stepped on the light, showing itself. Its yellow eyes pierced through Jaekyung’s body, as if mentally devouring her as a whole. The wolf growled.

“Key, it’s me,” Jaekyung repeated.

The wolf growled louder in response.

“Key… it’s Jaekyung,” Jaekyung said. Only this time, it was louder. She had hoped she would get through him.

The wolf crouched, preparing to attack her any minute now. It was just like what Key had said beforehand, he could probably forget the people he was with and involuntarily hurt them. Maybe this was bound to happen to Jaekyung, too.

“I don’t care if you hurt me,” Jaekyung whispers, kneeling before him. “Or even kill me, perhaps. I don’t care. But I just want to let you know, I love you. Even if I can’t make it into words to tell you how I really feel, just remember that I love you and I forever will.”

The wolf was getting ready to attack her, to consume her but something had stopped it. Something familiar made the wolf remember of what it really was before it shifted. He was human. And he loved this woman in front of him.

The wolf turned back into a human, such a miraculous thing. Jaekyung gasped in surprise, falling on her when she saw Key fully human again. But he was … and aroused. His eyes were dark, full of lust, love and passion altogether.

“Almost,” Key huffed.

Jaekyung ran to him, throwing herself and planting kisses all over his faces. Key, who looked taken aback, responded and tightened the hug. Crashing his lips against hers, he pulled her against his body, resting on top of her. The kiss has gotten rougher, more passionate… and Key wanted nothing more but to make love to her right here, right now.

“I’m ready,” Jaekyung declared.

“But… are you sure?”

Jaekyung smiled. “Yes. I won’t regret this.”

And that night, they made love for the first time, exchanging vows of true love they share with each other.

author's note: sorry if it seems rushed. i added a few, epic-fail [lol] just to make the scene intense. hope it's okay? this kind of reminds me of Twilight, you know. anyway, i had lots of fun doing this kind of oneshot. my first try of oneshot with a few, not-so-intense .