Days passed. I knew I should probably move on, keep getting farther away from the city, but I couldn't bring myself to. Behind his shy, friendly front, there was so much loneliness in his eyes. Sadness, even. He told me all the bits and pieces of his life that he remembered, mostly from when he was younger. About the little girl he played with, the servants he liked to prank, his father. Never once did he mention the queen...but wasn't she the one who did this to him? I didn't want to push the subject. Maybe he was avoiding it. 

"Hye Mi?" I looked up from the soft glow of the fire and found Taemin sitting across from me already. This was how it went - when the sun set, I would start a fire, he would get his legs, and we would talk. The days were a bit lonelier since I spent my time looking for food in the forest and racking my brain for ways to get us both out of here. If no one was supposed to be able to get in, how did I? 

"Yeah?"

"I've told you about me...what about you...?"

"What about me?" My eyes nervously shifted to the sky. I never liked talking about myself, even to those I was close with once upon a time. 

"I don't know...everything?" He brought his knees up to his chest, hiding part of his face behind them. 

"I'm bad at that."

"What?"

"Letting people in."

"Well what do you know? I'm not exactly a person anymore, am I?" He grinned at me, his eyes disappearing into two curved lines. I chuckled at his response, stretching myself out and resettling with my knees drawn to my chest.

"Um...well...I guess I'll tell you why I ran away?" I looked at him hesitantly, and he nodded encouragingly. "I don't know if you know what's been going on the world lately, but the queen...well, she's crazy. I think she's actually insane, to be honest. I heard she was taking kids between the ages of fifteen and twenty away to some undisclosed location, and these are just rumors, but I heard she's having them experimented on. You know how into her looks she is, no offense, and well, from what I've been told, she's trying to find a way to seal her youth and beauty or something...I don't know. Anyways, so one day a decree went up in my town, asking for all the able bodied youth between those ages to report to the castle, and I panicked. I mean, who wouldn't? So I packed my bag and I ran. And here I am."

"I'm glad you ran away."

"Huh?"

"Because now...you're with...me..." He smiled softly, letting his gaze wander to the sky. I left out the part of abandoning my cousin, but I guessed I would just have the time to tell him later. She would be fine. She has to be fine. She's strong...and someone has to have found her by now. She's fine. "Hye Mi?" 

"Wha- sorry..." I shook my head and found my eyelids growing heavy. 

"Are you-" A loud crash came from the forest causing our heads to jerk in that direction. Taemin looked at me, confused, and I returned the same face to him. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you...trust me?" His eyes were a bit frightened, but they showed a determination I hadn't seen in them before. I slowly nodded and he helped me up. His hands were unbelievably soft, and he was actually quite strong for such a skinny guy. He started pulling me to the water when I hesitated.

"Where are you..."

"You said you trusted me, right?" With that, he made his way into the water, never letting go of my hand. Another crash came from the forest, this time a lot closer. I stiffened when my feet hit the water, but it was surprisingly warm. Soon I was waist deep, and his tail had reappeared. "I'm going to..uhh...you'll see..."

The tips of his ears reddened and he pulled me closer to him, planting a soft kiss on my lips before I could say anything. Then, I was underwater. 

I waited for my lungs to start begging me for air, for me to start fading into blackness from my lack of oxygen, but I was perfectly fine. Breathing, in fact. 

"How did you do that?!" I immediately covered my mouth when a few bubbles floated in front of me. In the dim moonlight, the water was barely lit. I could see Taemin, his iridescent tail swishing every so often, his hair floating softly around him. He smiled at me, not saying a word. Then he took his shirt off. "H-hey!"

I felt a blush rising in my cheeks, but he merely shrugged. "It's annoying wearing clothes underwater. N-not that you have to take off yours! Just for me...it is..."

"I didn't know you could do that..."

"Take off my shirt...?"

"No! Make other people breathe underwater...I don't know!"

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." He swam around me, sticking his tongue out. "I...uh...if you find yourself needing air again, just you know...kiss me again..." His cheeks were tinted pink and he avoided making eye contact again. I smiled. He was so...unexpected. 

"I guess to make sure..." I mumbled to myself. What was I thinking? I barely knew this guy. Heck, he said it himself. But this was my life we were talking about...soo...

"What was that?" He appeared next to me again, an inquisitive look lining his features. I took this chance to peck him again before swimming as far back and as quickly as I could.

"S-sorry!" I watched as he lifted his fingers to his lips and smiled to himself. I couldn't help but do the same.

I managed to fall asleep underwater somehow, but I felt safe knowing Taemin was there. If I started choking, he'd save me. That's what I told myself for the billionth time as my eyelids finally shut. 

The next morning I found myself on the shore, wrapped in a blanket from who knows where. My eyes wandered to the surface of the water, then to the edge of the forest. Smoke was rising a few feet in, near the abandoned buildings. I ran a hand through my hair, which was completely dry somehow, and shivered when the blanket slid off my shoulders. 

"Hye Mi! You're awake!" Taemin's head popped out of the water and he smiled brightly at me. "You talk in your sleep, you know?"

I brought the blanket back around me and snuggled inside, returning the smile. "Sorry..."

"You apologize a lot. Don't." He gave me a stern look before pulling himself closer to me. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

UH so hi. What's uuuuuuup? EHE. Sorry I never update anything anymore. I had severe writer's block, then I started college, so I didn't even have time to think about writing, and well, now it's summer. After reading so many other good fanfictions I realized how short my chapters are LOL. But I kind of like making them short...so they're an easy read, I guess? Anyways. I think I might've changed the direction of this story than what I originally intended since I don't really remember where I was going with this, but I hope to start updating more regularly. I really want to finish the other ones I have up, especially the Jonghyun one, because I have plans for a spinoff on that already and it's like not even close to being done orz

Anyways. I had a root canal the other day so I can't really eat and I'm like hungry all the time so I'll distract myself by writing. I hope everyone's having a wonderful break, and if you're not on break, I still hope you're enjoying yourself!