Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun. Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he d about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Acts 13:11

Gently, Key Taemin's back.

"It's okay." He whispered over and over until Taemin's pitiful sobs subsided.

Wearily, he exhaled.

"I'm sorry." He apologised softly. He felt ashamed.

Taemin had lost himself. He was ashamed of wanting to take a wife's husband and a child's father. He was ashamed of his affection for another man.

He was ashamed that he had always and forever given his body away, just for the brief moment of ecstasy.

And he was ashamed that Key did not scold him.

All he deserved was condemnation. And yet Key looked at him as if he loved him.

"Would you like to sleep at my place tonight?" Key asked him. Taemin shook his head.

"If my dad finds out I..." he sighed deeply and buried his face in his hands. Key didn't insist on speaking further, he understood what Taemin was trying to say.

"Then let me walk you home." Warily, his limbs aching, Taemin stood up.

Key closed the café and together they walked out into the cold.

They hadn't gone far when a snide voice sounded in the darkness.

"I thought gay parades happened only in the city." The two stopped for a moment. Key rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance.

"Very funny. You can tell that joke to your father after he my ." With a disgusted look, Key looked at his abuser.

"What did you say?" Kai's words sounded disparaging.

With a step, he moved closer towards the two of them. Feeling a little disgusted with himself for spending so much time with Taemin he looked at the two.

"Just off." Key said and wanted to continue walking. He didn't need to listen to this now and Taemin certainly didn't either.

"You better off!" shouted Kai at him. There was no mistaking the anger and hatred in him.

"Both of you!" he added in contempt, his gaze fixed stonily on Taemin.

Their eyes met. Detest was clearly visible in Kai's. Their years of friendship no longer had any meaning for him. Nothing from their time together was visible in it anymore. 

As if the two had never laughed together. As if they had never promised each other eternal friendship.

"Let's go." Key said addressing Taemin and grabbing him by the arm.

"I don't even want to know what was going through your head when we changed clothes at the gym back then." He spat after Taemin.

Angrily, Key turned to the black-haired man.

"You must have-"

Taemin's cruel laugh struck fear into Key. Bitter, sour and filled with pain, it sounded in the darkness. Somehow it didn't sound human.

Kai also took a step back. Confused, he looked at the vulturing man.

"Don't overestimate yourself." Taemin could only bring out with difficulty among his biting laughs.

"What did you say?" Kai clenched his fists.

Taemin let go of Key and slowly walked towards his former best friend.

"I'm into men, not boys with anger issues!" he angrily hoisted at him, his eyes glaring.

"You ing..." the pain spread quickly through his head.

It thundered with every blow Kai threw at him. He enjoyed every hit and every scratch.

Incessantly he continued to laugh under Key's helpless screams and Kai's merciless fists.

Finally he got what he deserved.  

Taesun's fist trembled. The paper in his hand crumpled relentlessly under the pressure.

How long was this going to go on? He chastised himself for not stopping the behaviour from the beginning.

But he was firmly convinced that Taemin would eventually give up. Sooner or later, when he realised that this godless man had forgotten him, he would give up and stop writing these fatuous letters.

He did not want to read these words, but he could not stop himself. The more he read the more he wanted to destroy Minho. He knew that the people from the city only brought misfortune. And this man had brought the greatest evil on his family.

These words were vile and disgusting.

Taesun heard the front door open.

Taemin looked into the yellowish light of the kitchen. Light shone on the sign in the hallway.

'God bless this house and all those going in and out,' he read again and had to laugh.

His limbs ached. He could not concentrate on one spot, everything hurt.

His head was bursting as if an incessant tangled undergrowth was growing further and further inside it. It wanted to get out and pressed against his head with all its cruel strength until it would eventually break his skull open.

With each passing moment it grew bigger and nastier.

Tired, Taesun got up and stepped into the dark hallway.

"Go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow." He said.

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