Sehun met Han in college. Han, one of the most handsome humans to have ever graced the hallways (if one were to listen to giggly gossip), except Han was fae, a faery – but faeries didn’t have fangs and Han did. 

“My true form is not for the faint-hearted,” Han had said. “I will spare you the sight.” 

Sehun at seventeen had been slightly miffed to be considered faint-hearted by someone shorter and fairer than himself, but at twenty-five he knew not to ask even if his curiosity demanded it (what kind of faery had claws?).

He wanted to know Han’s true form, to see it for himself, but if he had known he would have to stare death in the eyes first, he could have waited another handful of years.

Life sometimes.

~

Sehun had agreed to work overtime, so it was nearing midnight by the time he bid his manager goodbye. He shared an apartment with Han – it had been Han’s idea when he had finished college and Sehun still had a few years left – and hoped there would be leftovers waiting for him in the fridge. He was starving, but he refused to stay outside in the frigid night any longer than he had to, which meant no detour to the convenience store.

It took him three minutes to notice the presence behind him, five minutes to conclude they were following him, and six minutes to throw caution to the wind and start running.

It was entirely due to Han’s insistence that he tended to forego the earbuds when he walked anywhere. He would have to thank him. 

Later. The set of footfalls had multiplied.

The streets were deserted, Tuesday night too early in the week for nightlife in this town. Hopefully he would be able to stay ahead –

He bumped straight into a hard chest when he rounded a corner. Hands clasped around his biceps and pinned him to the spot.

“No running,” a velvet voice murmured. Three pursuers, huh? Wasn’t that just ing fantastic.

He looked up at his captor and met flashing purple eyes. ing fantastic. The man’s nails dug into his skin.

A woman laughed behind him. He ignored her in favour of surreptitiously looking around; there were several houses around, but shouting for help posed the risk of innocents being murdered by these creatures. He didn’t know what kind they were yet, but friendly they most certainly were not.

“He’s got quite a pair of legs,” the woman trilled. “You think he’d care if we ate them?”

Sehun was going to throw up. Of course; brilliant; absolutely ing fantastic. They were eaters. 

“I think we should leave nothing but an ear,” the third, a man, said. 

“We could leave nothing at all,” said the man in front of Sehun, smiling handsomely. His teeth looked rather sharp and like they could easily tear Sehun apart. Bile gathered at the back of his throat. “He would never know what happened to his precious human.”

Sehun seized on that. “Who?” If anything, he could buy himself some time. But for what? His best bet was probably to pray to a deity he didn’t believe in.

“Your fae friend,” the woman answered, too close to Sehun for comfort. Her teeth dragged down his neck and he froze. “He is such a menace.”

“What did he do?”

“He killed one of ours,” she hissed. “So we’ll kill one of his.”

Claws sank into his arm, teeth into his neck, and he cried out. He couldn’t move – they were too strong – pain – 

“Careful,” the man in front of him said, grinning. “Let’s enjoy as much of him as possible fresh.”

An arm wrapped around him, covering his mouth and yanking his head backwards. 

“What first?” the second man asked. “We should leave the heart for last. I want to rip it from his chest while it’s still pumping blood to his veins.”

The woman’s claws were dragging long lines down Sehun’s arm, tearing through fabric and into his flesh. Blood oozed from the wounds and ran down the length of his arm to his fingertips, spilling onto the ground in thick droplets. 

“Let’s start with his arm.”

Sehun’s breath hitched – and then something landed heavily in front of them, a burst of wind sending all of them stumbling backwards. 

“Release him,” said Han, and his voice sounded familiar enough, but his body –

Sehun was dropped unceremoniously on the ground, and he instinctively scrambled away whilst he looked up at Han in wonder. 

A dark faery. Of course.

A murderous dark faery.

“This is my territory,” Han snarled, and one of his wings – black, leathery, massive – swung out and caught one of Sehun’s assailants. The man’s body slammed into the wall of a building, the crack resounding down the street and in Sehun’s ears. “Your grievance is with me. Leave Sehun out of this.”

The woman shrieked, and before Sehun had time to react, she was in front of him, eyes blown wide with rage. His voice broke on a scream as she trampled his bloody hand. She grasped his chin and his shoulder, and for a horrifying moment he knew he was going to die –

And then she collapsed on top of him, her head severed from her neck. A sob tore from his throat and he shoved her off him with his legs. 

“Sehun,” Han said, crouched in front of him – but far, as if he were afraid – or thought Sehun was afraid – “It’s all right. You’re all right. I’ll take care of you.”

“They,” he stuttered, but couldn’t finish. “They’re –”

“They’re gone.”

That hadn’t been his question, but Han’s answer sufficed. A quick glance around proved that, indeed, all three of them were decidedly dead, one way or another. He felt nauseous, so he opted to look at Han instead.

Dark faery Han, Han with bloodied claws and fangs, and flashing (worried) eyes, and wings easily twice the size of himself, but his voice was warm and his hands were making aborted motions towards Sehun.

“I’m all right,” Sehun breathed. “You’re all right.”

Han reached out to wipe at Sehun’s face. His hand came back bloodied; Sehun didn’t want to think about that, so he didn’t.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Han murmured. “Can you walk?”

Could he? He probably couldn’t. The world was starting to tilt now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

“No.”

Han straightened, and then he bent down to lift Sehun into his arms. “It’s all right. I’ve got you.”

Sehun would have to thank him later – and tell him he had never seen anyone more stunning.

Later.

Fun fact: I considered maiming Sehun more, but I eventually decided against it. Everyone rejoice! (I didn't have enough words, sadly, to get away with it.)

I at writing short texts, so the events may be... a bit hurried. Han is kiiind of a dark faery, but... I wouldn't really call it 'dark faery', per se. I just wanted wings and claws and fangs, so... Sehun just thinks he's a dark faery 'cause that's the only thing that makes sense to him, particularly in that moment. Sehun, when he's less affected by blood-loss and adrenaline and shock, will probably start to think more about what the assailants said (cough they were after him due to Han and it's apparently widely known that the two of them are close cough).

I was stuck on the title, so it became Et Alio Tempore after a friend suggested it and I liked the sound. It's supposed to be Latin for something along the lines of "at another time" or "later", but it's most likely not correct, lol. To hell with correctness, I say.

I'm not overly satisfied with this, but eh. Hope you enjoyed, still!