"Hyukjae..." Donghae shakes the boy. Lightly. Sits on the bed. "Time to go to school."

The boy's been so difficult. To wake up. Because he ed his sleep. He stays up at nights. Struggles in the morning. The whole day. He goes to school. Goes to work. Comes home. Takes... a nap. He wakes up past midnight. Whines and procrastinates. Gives Donghae strange glances. Stares. Does his school work eventually. Then... sleeps sometime past four.

It's been like this for a week.

Donghae's unfortunately feeling it now. The connection is inconvenient in that way. He was ordered to stay out of it. It's already hard for Donghae. He still needs to make sure: that Hyukjae's not targeted because of him. But now Hyukjae's exhaustion's seeping into him. His stupid orders prevent Donghae free access, too. It requires a few attempts. Pushes.

However, there's one positive side: Hyukjae's so tired... he doesn't notice. So... Donghae does it. He's been tapping into their connection. Few times through the day. He doesn't have a choice, anyway. The boy is so sleepy. How would he notice he's in danger?

"Kid..." Donghae yawns. Pats his shoulder now. "Come on. You can fix your sleep over the weekend."

Hyukjae whines under his blankets. "No..."

"It's Friday," Donghae reminds. Looks around his room. The table. The little family picture. "It's just one more day of this, Hyukjae. You can rest tomorrow."

The boy actually whimpers. He sits up heavily. His hair's messy. His eyes have bags. His mouth is pouting.

"I've made breakfast," Donghae says. "Go wash up."

Hyukjae groans. Whines again. Slips out of bed. On the other side. To drop onto the floor. Remain there.

"Don't be like that, monkey..." Donghae stays sitting. Patiently. "Your parents want you to get your education, right?"

He hears Hyukjae curse. Donghae tries not to laugh. He's sometimes quite funny.

Donghae turns back to the picture. The one on Hyukjae's bedside table. He'd never looked at it closely. But now... Donghae has been. Every morning he comes here. He tries to see. To recognize. Remember. Whether he'd ever seen this man here. Or this woman.

He should've realized it earlier. It's so obvious now. But it only occurred to him... when Hyukjae pulled out that notebook. "My mom's notes..." he'd said.

It was his mother. This smiling one with her son on her lap. She'd given Hyukjae that spell. It means... she knew of Donghae. Knew his name. That's how she made her son seek him. Donghae recalls: the way Hyukjae trembled. Said his words: I'm under Donghae's protection.

She cast the protective spell. On this place. She wrote the spell for her son. To bind himself to a powerful demon.

"But I don't think I've ever met her..." Donghae murmurs.

There's a clatter. A gasp. Hyukjae's tripped in getting up. He hurries around. His eyes are wide. Wild.

"What? You said you knew her!"

"Sorry?"

"The woman! You said you knew her and she was important to you and you were sad she died!"

Donghae stares. He almost gives the twig a push.

"I'm not talking about her," he grumbles. Gets up. Moves the boy aside. "Go wash up and come eat."

"Wait, what?" Hyukjae scurries after him. "You weren't talking about the beheaded woman in your dream? Who were you talking about then?"

Beheaded woman--

"Why are you still thinking about that?" Donghae rounds on him. "I told you to stay out of my dreams!"

"I have! You haven't had any dreams since then!"

"Oh? And you know that how?"

Hyukjae presses his lips. Blinks. Shrugs. "I-I... think you didn't.... I dunno..." He shrugs again. "But who, um, who... are you talking about then?"

Donghae takes in his puffy face. This suddenly alert state. Because of Donghae's dream.

"Hyukjae. If I answer your question, will you answer mine?"

The boy's mouth drops open. He can't seem to answer. So he scowls. Huffs. Stomps away to the bathroom.

"Brat," Donghae hisses.

---

"Don't sleep," Donghae says.

The boy's back from school. Donghae's walking him home. He has to hold his arm. Hyukjae's eyes are closed. His feet are shuffling.

"You can't sleep until nine," Donghae says. "Okay?"

"Work..." Hyukjae mumbles.

"You don't have work today. You work tomorrow at ten in the morning. That gives you time to catch up on sleep. But you're not having a nap and then waking up to drive me crazy at midnight, okay? You're staying up."

"No..." Hyukjae whines. "I'm sho... chired..."

Donghae lets out a long-suffering sigh. "I know you are. You're making me tired, too. Idiot."

Hyukjae doesn't hear him. His head tips onto Donghae. He somehow continues walking. Donghae groans. Brings an arm around his shoulders. Makes sure he doesn't walk off the pavement. Hyukjae must've fallen asleep on the bus. Now he's having a hard time waking up. It's lucky the apartment's not far.

Donghae glances around. Loo