I'm sorry I can't resist the temptation to write this T^T enjoy reading guys ^^

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Kai POV

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“What is that?”

Dust spread along the black storm, as we sped up through the dessert. Riding in the speed of light was the gift for storm rider, but we’re not the only kin who could travel in the same way. There’s another race who was the mutual enemy of Riders. In their humanoid form, they were born to have thirst over blood and chaos and so they often stumbled became bandits or criminals. When they were in trance, they shaped like a bear, with claws sharper than any swords, a nose which hundredth time more sensitive than any hound, and the strong feet which was be able to run in the same pace with our ride.

I told Luhan, the name was the Beast.

Beast worked for Machine, gathering scholar, merman and the other races to be slaves in exchange for gold. They gained pleasure from killing the riders and steal their bracelet as trophy. And, from my old experience escorting an Android to the Cloud Shrine with my team, apparently for a Beast, Android was in the same pot with their favorite food, honey. Our Android Priest almost lost her arm, before, if Sehun didn’t attack the beast first and save her.

Unfortunately now, we’re in the beast territory. I don’t blame it to Luhan, for taking a long morning bath and make me think something wrong happen and busted him in the bathroom and had my ears ringing from his unexpectedly loud yet beautiful shrill. No, I don’t see anything I like, sadly. Somehow I manage to avert my gaze -and dodged any bathing essential thrown at my direction- while explaining to him it’s 10 in the morning and he’s already bathing for 2 damned hours and then, we're just happen to accidentally pass by a hungry beast in our way.

“Is it enemy?” Luhan who sat in front of me (cause I don’t want to risk losing him from the strong wind around us) peeked from my shoulder to see the bear roaring loudly. He shrunk back into my chest, whining, “oh, we’ll gonna die…”

“Yeah, sure we will, seeing him in such a high spirit.” I found myself laughing, as the adrenaline rushed in my veins. It has been a while since I met any beast. They might be dangerous but mostly they were defeated in War and imprisoned at North Land. There’s only a few left, them who hide in deep forest and lone dessert.

“Are you insane?” Luhan glared at me but strangely I just want to kiss him deep and hard. His expression somehow stirred the inside of my body, awakened my cell into awareness. We’re this close, both to desire and our death. I could speed up more, going up high and higher until the beast frosted from the dropping temperature of the sky layers, while I will only get warmer from our shared heat. “He’s gonna kill us, and you… laugh?” Luhan startled me, practically questioning the joy in my voice which was indeed in a wrong place and wrong time.

“No, he won’t.”

I might keep talking about love and bond in between riders but I think it’s the right time to show how it was done. Love tied us to our ride, shaping it to whatever we wants and fueling them with our spirit and strength. Bonds was the contract based on trust in between riders, we’re all equal and worked in team we’ve called guild. More storm riders we’ve had in our guild, the stronger bonds we had with each other and we had better chance to win a battle.

“How?”

Luhan’s question drifted into wind when the black cloud formed behind us. He raised his head again and witnessed it when thunder suddenly struck the beast and knocked it out into unconsciousness. His eyes widened and his grip on my neck and shoulder tightened, “Kai, he’s….”

“My, my…”

I stopped my bike, just in time when a storm rider stood in front of us while fixing his bracelet. Luhan was still hugging me for his life but I soothed his back, motioned him to stop being scared cause this stranger was no enemy to us. Besides, Luhan started clawing my skin with his nails it kinda stung.

“Chen.” I nodded in acknowledgement at him, “glad you were around.”

Chen probably not the fastest storm rider but he’s one of the deadliest. He controlled thunderstorm which maybe not a safe ride for his guest but him always welcomed them who wanted to give it a try.

“I’m guarding Mermaid Bay.” He pointed at the east side of the dessert, knowing that I can see the broken gate of the burnt city even though it’s still miles away, “and I heard you were calling for back-up.” His small eyes twitched into a thin line and his foxy smile widened when he turned his attention to my android friend.

“I see you had a very sweet package on your lap, brother.” Chen chuckled.

I can feel Luhan shivered in more fear. Great, he clawed deeper now. Thanks, Chen.

“Not a package.” I sighed, giving up keeping Luhan from bruising me and letting him do as he wishes. “He’s a friend. I helped him to find his brother.” It seemed talking about Luhan’s brother gained a positive reaction both from Luhan and Chen. At least, Chen stopped looking at Luhan in dirty way and Luhan stopped trying to make me bleed.

“A scholar in Mermaid Bay, hmm…” Chen muttered, thinking if he was seeing ones, before he said, “there’s a bunch in University, all undamaged from explosion, mostly shocked from losing a short time of memory and probably some panicked for being undressed.” He chuckled again, now darker, as he saw Luhan flustered in red, “you know, sweetie, somehow experiment could turn wrong.”

Surprisingly, Luhan nodded. Even giggled while muttering, “ scholar, hehehe…”

“Yeah you’re right, sweetie,” Chen shook his head, pretending he’s just woke up from nightmare, “not quite a nice sight, those oldmen.”

Luhan giggled again.

Half of me wanted to claw Chen’s eyes out of its place for this disturbance pulsating inside my stomach, but it’s not mature to feel jealous. Luhan wasn’t my wife, so I took a deep sigh and looked around.  It’s a sunny day in the Great Kalinka Dessert. The sky was clear and blue I could feel the strong wind blew towards the southern continent. For other races dessert maybe a rough place to pass by, even Luhan could only survived from the heat and dryness because he was under protective barrier of my storm ride. But for me, for any Storm Rider, dessert was the only place where winds could blow wherever they want without trees or mountain or buildings interfere in between. As the spirit of the wind, Storm Rider also found their most freedom and solace at this inhabited place.

“Let’s go to Mermaid Bay.” I turned to Luhan and then Chen, “you’re still in guarding duty, right?”

“Yep, and I’ll ask around for this Scholar Lu.” Chen smiled wickedly at us, “special help for my brother’s sweetie.” Before I could strangle him for mocking me, he waved a pleasant goodbye especially for Luhan before thunder struck him and in no time he disappeared aside for a trail of smoke.

Luhan stared at the nothingness where Chen used to stand, “whoa,” the beauty gasped while looking up at me, “he rides thunder?”

 “Well,” I started again my ride and continue our journey in a normal speed. “Some Stormriders infused their power into vehicle, animal, robot, even weapon. In Chen case, he traveled with his thunder since his ride destroyed in war and he refused to make a new one.” The look in Luhan eyes asking me what kind of accident happen with Chen’s ride, even when I’m not staring back, it enough creating a ticklish feeling under my skin. Too adorable.

“Have you lost your ride?” Luhan innocently asked.

“No.” But I lost a friend and I couldn’t say it without blaming myself. There’re so many what if after that day, but what probably bugging me was, what if Sehun survived and turning to hate me cause I was just stupefied, watching him disappeared into ocean while I could use the time to save him?

“Kai, I’m hungry let’s eat there.”

We arrived at an Oasis. It was strange, I recalled the map inside my head and I don’t remember this place existed at this coordinate. However, there’s a market surrounded by buildings in front of us, creating a small dessert town. I wanted to say to Luhan we better hurried to Mermaid Bay, cause this place seemed off out ordinary and our priority was finding Li Quan.

Sadly Luhan already smelled the roasted duck from the nearby stand and can’t stop salivating over it until I hopped down my ride and help him down as well. Soon after, my ride disappeared into bracelet and suddenly Luhan can feel the heat around him. The boy gasped in discomfort, so I opened my black jacket and made him wore it outside his thin clothes.

“It’s hot.”

“Told ya.” Was my short answer.

Luhan looked around, seeking the source of the nice smell before the boy hooked my arm with one hand, the other pointing at the smoky stand inside the market, “there! That’s the roasted duck peddle.”

“Wait.” Before he did something stupid like getting lost in this Oasis, I took his left wrist and formed a silvery bracelet around him, “this is a Wind-Bond.” I explained, “as long as you wear it, no matter how far you go, you’ll always come back to me.” I think my words had two meanings now I had to face blushing Luhan, but I tried to focus. “Just call my name,” I summoned another smoke to be around him, protecting him from the heat, “I’ll be near.” 

Luhan exchanged gaze from the bond and me, before he sighed, “I don’t actually need this,” he said, “but thank you.” a smile thinned his lips, again I found myself stunned seeing those lips and I feel my desire tried to crawl out my skin.

 “Besides.” Luhan smile turned mischievous, “I don’t have intention to be away from you. Come on!”

It startled me when Luhan start dragging me into the town, his fingers entwined with mine. The blond was fascinated with the unique design of the buildings and he looked around at traditional stands which selling things uncommon in 21^th century. As I followed him, I feel I was back into the past. I never really be in there, but the vibe of this place, the way people dressed and the tools they used, it probably from hundred years ago. Somehow a strong barrier was held around this place and keeping the time still, let it disappeared from the future.

“Excuse me, how much are they?”

I saw Luhan asked for a portion of duck leg, but when the seller said it’s ‘Two Durham’ he titled his head in confusion with a Visa in his hand.

“Wait, you don’t take Visa here?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

I strongly wanted to explain that hundred years ago, Visa wasn’t even invented, but when I heard the answer from seller, I turned at her and whispering softly, “Excuse me, Ma’am, what year is it?”

The woman gave me a strange look but not an answer.

“Tell me.” I asked her again.

“Kai, what’s wrong?” Luhan muttered, the duck leg was already resided in between his pink lips, “do you have any Durham on you? Let me borrow-…”

“Century 003, Year 45, July 15^th.”

It was exactly today’s date, but the voice wasn’t coming from the woman. All of sudden, time was freezing around us, only left for a black haired boy in black outfit, sitting on a wall while looking at me and Luhan with bored expression. Unconsciously my hands moved to pull Luhan behind me. Even though the boy was slouching lazily like that I could feel the strong aura around him.  

“Welcome to my Sand Globe. My name is Tao, I’m the one in charge here.”

The boy muttered under his breath, even doing so far by ignoring us and feasting over his red apple, “You might know about snow globe, it was so popular around the world. Makes me wonder, what so special with snow, anyway. It’s not so different with sand, all created from dust.” His eyebrows furrowed in disappointment, as he sighed and took another bite of his apple.

Eww, this guy was creepier than Kai. I think I heard Luhan grumbling to himself and I can’t be more agree with him.

“What are you guys doing in my city?” Tao finally took a glance at us.

I opened my mouth but I could only gape when Luhan suddenly spoke, “we’re traveler and we came here to eat roasted duck.” He waved the duck leg happily I swear I heard the woman muttered under her breath, something like, ‘you’re not paying that yet.’ I didn’t even realize the time was tickling again and people around us started moving again.

Then, the boy was already stood in front of us, eyeing Luhan and his duck leg, “I see.” He said with no emotion in his voice, before his gaze pierced at me, “and you, storm rider? What can I help you?”

“Do you own this city?” I carefully asked.

“Well,” the boy looked around and let a small smile appeared on his face, “I do, since they asked for my protection from Machine. That’s why I created the Sand Globe to cover this Oasis from anything, including your race, Storm Rider. No offense, you’re the Official Guard of this World but somehow your fight could be messy to other, peaceful races.”

“I think so, too.” Luhan nodded, probably he recalled the time we met with Chen. I admitted, it’s not a really nice first meeting.

So now I understand why this place was so old-fashioned. I heard about similiar place at the north called the Sanctuary. Sehun was raised in there. He told me, a Time Guardian was assisted to protect the city from the invasion of Machine and put the barrier around to keep it invisible. I used to think he was just making fun of me, cause he really used to. It kinda annoying to deal with the mischief he caused, all the time, but he was cute so I always forgive him.

“Why do you think I need help?” I asked the Time Guardian.

“Only people who seek help can see through the barrier.” Tao walked to the food stand and paid the woman with two Durham, “come with me,” he said to us, “I’ll show you around the city.”

I looked him walked in front of us, hesitating to follow, but Luhan walked passed me while whispering. “I don’t think he’s a bad guy. Creepy, yeah, but he looks fine.”

I don’t think he was, but it’s not wrong to feel cautious, I said to myself while I began walking with them, hearing him explaining the concept of Sand Globe to Luhan. He pointed at the buildings, mostly were housing settlements, but the people also built their public facilities like the garden around the Oasis, the technology room (some of people had technophobic since they became slave for the Machine so the technology was strictly used only in this room), bath-house, and the market itself.

“That’s why you don’t accept visa here.” Luhan chuckled, “how about education? Did the younglings go to school?”

“Mostly their parents taught them the basic education, but for young scholars they usually went to college in Mermaid Bay to get further education.” Tao said, “Ah, now it reminds me, yesterday there’s a huge explosion in that city,” his gaze found me, looked concerned, “do you have any information about it, Storm Rider?”

“We know.” Again, Luhan answered it for me. He sighed while pulling out the shield from his pocket, “it’s my entire fault.”

*

“So, what’s your story?”

Sitting under a tent and enjoying lunch prepared for us, I finally let down my guard. I let Luhan told him about our journey, it’s short but I admit it became the busiest days I’ve ever had, after the war ended. Just like I thought, Luhan will blame it to himself for not be able to give his brother a gift and a warning earlier. I wanted to defend him, like yesterday, saying it will never be his fault. It seemed Tao was thinking the same with me. He told Luhan to not place such a huge weight upon himself. Tao also said, destiny was something we shouldn’t interfere even though a Time Guardian like him could return them to the past to prevent it to happen.

“So, I heard in your story,” There’s something else which gained interest from Tao, the boy smiled in such a gleaming way, “Luhan, you’re an Android.” He even chuckled lightly, and made me think if he knew something about Luhan’s race, which Luhan himself didn’t know about it.

“Umm, is there something wrong about that?” being a cutie pie he was, Luhan asked Tao in worry. I took a liberty to reach his shoulder and patted him to ease away the tense on his gesture.

Tao took a glance over me, then he returned to stare at Luhan again, “I guess you’re not reaching age 17 yet.” When we threw him a same question ‘why?’ from our gaze, he chuckled again and said, “there’s a story about my father fiancée who was happen to be an android. When she reached age 17, a Priest came from Cloud Shrine and made her chose, stay as she was and became Priest for the rest of her life, or taking a quest to be a real woman. In the end she became a priest and left my father.”

Suddenly Luhan was already so close to me, without I realize. I can feel his skin got warmer but his voice was cracked in fear when he murmured, “What happen to her?”

Tao shook his head in pity, “she couldn’t complete her quest.” His face was full with sympathy but his voice remained cold, “my father was always care for her, love her and wanted her to be his wife, even though she was incomplete. But, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t love him back. That’s why she failed and had to be a Priest.”

Luhan was stunned, while I felt stung after hearing the Time Guardian’s story. It’s hurt, to feel again the unrequited love I’ve had for Sehun kicked in and remind me about the time he chose to save Dio over his life. I wonder, last night if Luhan could make me fall in love again, now I had to face the reality that Luhan was created not to feel love. I can always believe he could learn to love me, but my past experience about love kept poisoning my mind with,

‘Don’t try, you’ll be failed. Then, your broken heart wouldn’t manage to be repaired and in the end there’ll be only loneliness to be your pair.’

*

“We’ll never meet your brother, if we keep distracted like this.”

Sunset was turning the dessert sky into red. Dipping his legs into the water, Luhan was sitting alone near the edge of the pond, before I came and sit next to him. He smiled at me, didn’t answer my statement cause his eyes looked stormy and his emotion mixed his expression. For a while, we’re just watching the sunset in silence, enjoying Tao’s hospitality who kept insisting us to stay for a night.

‘It’s a peaceful land, so just enjoy it for a while. Maybe, when you departed from here, you can think clearly about everything, especially things in between both of you.’

I told him there’s nothing in between us but he gave me the gleam smile from before, before he dismissed himself after giving us a place to stay for the night.

“Kai, what is love?”

Luhan’s word startled me. I know about love and how important it was to my kind, but when those honey colored eyes found mine, with the last of red light shimmering through the pale skin of his face, I couldn’t even manage to speak a word. I just stared back at him in shock, before I bit the inside of my cheek to stop me from the stupid nervousness.

I took a deep breath, “it’s not easy to explain.” I looked at the dark sky upon us, slowly, the stars appeared and the moon raised from the horizon, “somehow love was pretty simple. It was a feeling in between two people, trusting each other with their hearts. But in a complicated way, love was tied to other feelings, like when you love someone you can be happy, in peace, sad, angry, or even turning mad.”

Luhan didn’t give any reaction so I turned to him, watching his eyebrow furrowed and his mouth turned pouty as he repeating the key words of my explanation. I feel the warmth again, all around him, and I really want to circle my hand around his back, tucking him close to my heart so he would hear the blood rushing through my veins and pumped my heart, hard and fast.

“My parents said,” he sighed, “Android was just like a perfect robot. It shaped in human, minimizing the humanity in the exchange for maximizing the function. I can eat, move and think, but my brain couldn’t decipher the sign from interaction with others while my body could, so I don’t have idea why I’m feel warm and fuzzy when people was being nice or why I feel like burning when they’re mocking me for, you know, being gender-less.”

So you really not have anything down there?! My wrecked mind, how could you expect me to ask Luhan something like that, and my eyes, stop looking at him hungrily or I pull you both out of my skull.

Not even -hole?

I seriously wanted to drown myself into the water now, but Luhan looked at me again while saying, “I studied about expression, so I know a bit about it. Like, when you flirted to me, I will be blushing and I guess it’s because I like it.” as he said that, our face feel warmer by itself. I feel the happiness seeped through me, to hear his honesty and he was so cute with pink tint on his cheeks, “and, last night, when I saw your body, suddenly I want to do something with you, but I still couldn’t find out what it was.”

My mouth itched to talk, but I prefer to take this slow cause Luhan was too innocent for me and I don’t want to ruin this beauty just because of curiosity. So I cleared my throat and said, “It’s okay. When you’re back to your city, you can study about it.”

“You’re right.” He smiled, the storm in his eyes soon cleared and he scooted next to me, hugging my hand and rested his head on my arm, “you’ll accompany me until I went back to Mariposa, right?”

“Of course.” I laughed, “You’ll die without me.”

“No, I won’t.” he grumbled but only for a second, when he saw me laughing, he stopped being grumpy and laughed along with me.

*

It’s a beautiful room we’ve had, placed near the oasis. Built from sand clay, this apartment had one bedroom and small washing room near the front door. I told Luhan I take the couch but apparently we’ve got a big mattress enough for two, and Luhan kept insisting to share it together.

“I don’t want to discriminate you, but you’re not boy enough for us to sleep together.” I reminded Luhan when I walked out from wash room and standing at the end of the bed.

“And I’m not a girl so I won’t get pregnant even though you sleep next to me.” he patted the place next to him, inviting me to crawl in.

“Seriously?” I feel myself chuckling as I slipped under the blanket and rested on my side, facing him, “you think girl got pregnant just like that?”

He threw me a dirty look, I don’t know what he was thinking and I don’t have intention to find out whatever is it. I turned off the lamp and shifted my body to get myself comfortable, before I feel his warmth brushing my shoulder. I smiled at him, “do you want a good night kiss?” I offered.

The heat scooted away from me, along with a low, “no, thanks.”

I was still looking at his slender back for a while, still smiling seeing at how fragile this boy was but it was easy for him to make the love slowly returned into my heart. I love him, not in a brotherly way, not only because I need to protect those lithe back, not only because I wanted to keep him around. I need him for my future. He’ll be the one who fill the empty space in my bed, he’ll be the one I’ve hold and he’ll be the one I’ve build my house for.

I want this boy as my wife. That’s the kind of love I’ve had for him.

“Good night, Luhan.” I closed my eyes, a content whisper escaping my lips, “I love you.”

*

ok, how was it?