Sungmin’s face gaped towards his guest, he didn’t know if he should be proud or glad or annoyed or frustrated or just plain embarrassed by the scene playing before his eyes. Never, I mean, never in his whole life had he witnessed someone devour a food like this free-loader does, and to think that he do this routine of smelling, then asking, then smelling again, looking before eating the food on his plate. Sungmin could only blame himself for preparing a full course meal.

“H-Hey… just”

“Wuff?” kyuhyun looked up at him food falling off his cheeks that is currently stuffed with a slice of steak, potato, porridge and rice.

“Ugh, never mind…” Sungmin frowned looking away to the pitiful and disgusting sight of this full grown man eating his heart away.

After a few more heart wrenching scene of the steak being plummeted to the plate by the stranger’s bare hands, Kyuhyun sluggishly flop himself making room for his full stomach. “That was so great and really fulfilling.” The man craned his neck against the back support of the chair before he close his eyes in the sheer goodness of his meal.

Sungmin stared at the devoured meals and his messy table; he scrunched up his nose to the site. He’s used to eating or rather living alone and in a blink of an eye; here he was sitting with another man that can almost devour his whole supply of food in just one meal.

“H-How can you finish that amount of food like nothing?!” Unable to contain himself he spurted out his protest in disbelief. “Have you not had taken any meals in a span of days?”

Kyuhyun peeked from under his lids towards the flushed man in front of him he thought he should answer the truth that he had not eaten any meals for three hundred years already and it’s the first time he felt that urge to eat and he was so thankful to have tasted the most wonderful meal of his existence.

But he simply can’t, one thing’s certain if he told the other that small detail even if it’s a joke. Sungmin’s life will be put in danger, and he may be pull out from this special privilege of protecting the human he once saved.

He straightened up looking straight into the human’s eye.

“Yeah, I haven’t eaten such a great meal for days, forgive me for my inappropriate action.” Kyuhyun said in seriousness and sincerity but Sungmin looked at him completely weirded out.

“Okay, stop that, that’s totally creepy.” Sungmin pursed his lips, shaking his head in defeat. He gathered the plates and placed it towards the sink when Kyuhyun raised another weird question.

“Why do you use those?” It was the same question he had in mind before the taste of the food completely took it out of his mind. He raised the spoon and the fork who totally looked useless to him twirling it between his messed up fingers. “What are these?”

Sungmin looked over his shoulder and sighed for the umpteenth time that day taking a basin full of water from the pale on his side, settling it to the sink before sinking the dirtied plates on it rinsing it off with the left over sauces before taking it out again and cleaning it with a soap-full sponge.

“It’s called ‘utensils’ and we use it for eating…” Sungmin explained plainly.

“Don’t we use bare hands for that? Why use these bothersome things?” Kyuhyun retaliated.

“Because that’s messy and inappropriate!” Sungmin’s tone raised a bit due to his annoyance. “Look at how you eat? That’s plain disgusting.”

“Hey!” Kyuhyun complained. “I used what I deemed is appropriate. I see this ‘utensils’ a waste of energy, I really didn’t see the logic why you keep on using it.”

“Where have you been living? Under the rock?!”

“I didn’t live under rocks! I live in ca-“

Kyuhyun held his tongue and Sungmin stared at his immediate hesitance with narrow eyes. “Why did you stop?”

“Nothing.” Kyuhyun dismissed the topic much to the other man’s curiosity. If this stranger knew where he lives then why stay at his house?

“If you know how to get home then stop free-loading and get your out of here.” Sungmin spat at the other turning his attention towards the dishes.

“Get my what out of here?!” Kyuhyun exclaimed cheeks flaring at the profanity of Sungmin’s words. “Your tongue is really sharp and really disgraceful! You’re spouting such embarrassing words.”

“What the he-“ Sungmin saw the color staining Kyuhyun’s cheeks and he saw how embarrassed the free-loading twerp is with his choice of curses.

“Why are you blushing? I just said ‘’…” Sungmin said testing the reaction from the other and he saw it right away when Kyuhyun’s face lit up in embarrassment, eyes widening.

“You really have no shame!”

Sungmin smirked. He knew what weakness Kyuhyun have.

“I just said ‘’, why? Are your ‘’ sensitive? Or… you often got spank in your ‘’!” Sungmin laughed at how embarrassed Kyuhyun looked spouting words of incoherence and repeating things like ‘shameless brat’ and ‘totally nuts’ and ‘such vulgar words.’

“Stop it!” Kyuhyun shouted and in victory Sungmin said the word ‘’ once more before deciding that he had enough gas in his stomach.

“You’re such a weirdo.” Sungmin said grinning from ear to ear for the success of his bullying.

***

The library bell tinkled and the young man tapped his boots against the rag, loosening the tight scarf around his neck.

“Oh, you’re here? How’s the visitor?” The old man pried from the stack of books towards Sungmin who currently fixing himself in preparation for a day’s work.

“He’s so messy, and very old-fashioned.” Sungmin commented a small snicker escaping his mouth. The old man noticed the subtle change and his expression lighten. “I see you two get along well…”

“No, we’re not getting along… I’m bullying him.” Sungmin chuckled, another sight the old man haven’t seen for the last couple of years. Maybe letting the stranger stay at Sungmin’s house wasn’t such a bad idea, maybe it was all the younger needed to open up again.

“Well, don’t bully him too much. He might run away.” The old man preached returning to his stack of books.

“Well, that’ll be great. He eats for 3 people and I know my stocks won’t last if he keeps eating like that without earning it.” Sungmin said shaking his head, the idea of the free-loading man leaving his house was a good one. He will revert back to his old quiet life.

“Hmm, I don’t think he’ll be leaving soon though.” The old man voiced out. “I’ll give him a job at my brother’s bakery, I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to do those light delivery jobs.”

“Old man…” Sungmin sighed busying himself towards the stack of returned books. “You favor that stranger way more than you favor me.”

“Now, you’re being illogical.” The old man clucks his tongue, grinning at the unusual brightness Sungmin is showing, a huge improvement if he were to be asked.

But there is still something bothering the elder. Those unusual wounds he found around the stranger’s body, weapon used and the strange familiarity he felt around him. Something’s definitely not right…

Added to the other fact that Sungmin’s usual attitudes were swayed first by the stranger whom he didn’t trust one bit.

“By the way Sungmin… how’s your other friend?”

Sungmin looked up questioningly towards the older man, brows furrowed as he decipher who his employer meant by his ‘other friend’

Then he remembered the black haired man who already visited him a couple of times.

“Y-you mean Jongwoon?” Sungmin’s gaze fell on the books he was currently rechecking for damages, not entirely paying attention to what he was doing, embarrassment filling up his senses in an unknown reason.

“I see you two get along pretty well also, I heard he visited you the other day…”

Sungmin felt being caught red-handed committing a crime and he felt more heat creeping up his face. This unfamiliar reactions were brought up by the simple mention of the man’s name and he didn’t know how can he hide it from the observant eyes of the older man.

“He’s here to borrow books grand pa, why do you sound like you’re implying something else.” He commented trying to stack up the books without thinking straight.

The old man noticed the sudden change of attitude, Sungmin’s flustered. It was okay for him but somehow he disapproved with the flow of events.

He would not ask Sungmin about it, not now. He thought that verbalizing the subtle change of feelings, Sungmin’s harboring isn’t such a good idea. It will make it obvious and more real, and the unsuspecting young man will consider thinking about it.

Sungmin on the other hand sighed deeply when he didn’t hear any interrogations from the other man, he looked out the window, it was a fair day, despite the snow piled up on the ground. He admits that things seem to be getting less of a clockwork.

***

Kyuhyun flumped by the fireplace after eating his lunch, earlier that morning he had been told by the human to stay put in the house, coz if he did otherwise then he shouldn’t be bothered coming back anymore. But, it irked him to stay in an empty house.

He scowled at the fire crackling in the furnace, he didn’t like hot stuff, not at all but somehow he needed it, since a human body cannot stand an absolute zero. A temperature his seppen form usually possess.

He raised his bandage hand, he had really taken damage from his last encounter with the seppen of the frost, and it pisses him off. Yesung and him were quite on par yet in this human body, he seemed to be getting weaker since limitations are applied.

His thought travelled to the human. Sungmin.

“Sungmin.” He rolled out the name on his tongue, hearing his voice mutter the name he memorized for years. What makes the human special for him to endure undergoing such depleting change?

“Deep in thoughts I guess.”

A familiar voice startled him and from the slight open window a series of blown snow particles entered the small house forming a human-alike body, revealing the seppen of the spring.

“Damn, Kyuhyun. You really do look weak.” Donghae clucked his tongue shaking his head in mockery to the seppen of the storm’s current state.

“What are you doing here, you aren’t suppose to go down from the mountains for the time being.”

“I just came here to escape the solstice yet again, he’s being overly clingy. Anyways, how are you my ‘human’ friend? I heard you got beaten pretty bad.”

Kyuhyun smirked as if the words didn’t make his temple ached from embarrassment. “It’s none of your business. I just allow him to do that because Sungmin was there for a while and I can’t use my powers.”

Donghae laughed lightly at the defense. “Sure you do, if you did handle it pretty well then you wouldn’t come to this petty cottage and seek help from the human who caused this madness.”

“It is not his fault Hae-“

The poison in Kyuhyun’s words reached Donghae’s ear and the seppen of the spring pursed his lips. He was not stupid, he can see it, all very clear. Kyuhyun’s persistence and his compassion towards the human, it will all turn sour one way or another.

“Kyuhyun.” Donghae spoke and a vine made of ice wrapped it’s way to Kyuhyun’s body. The vines grabbed and squeeze Kyuhyun’s limbs and before the seppen of the storm can react the vines reached his neck, a sharp ice making it’s way to his throat.

“Donghae! What the hell!”

The aqua glint in Donghae’s eyes meet Kyuhyun’s. “You’re helpless, powerless and a mere mortal! If I decided it I can kill you now… don’t you realize what that ‘ningen’ has caused you? Kyuhyun…”

“I can protect him! I will do it! I don’t need to be reminded how frustrating it is to lose half of my powers but I needed to help him with the least I have!”

Kyuhyun’s chest once again burn, a penetrating pain made him winced and Donghae immediately shattered his vines.

“My chest! It-“

“You’re killing yourself! Do not do this anymore… that human-” Donghae screamed at the flinching seppen.

“Kyuhyun?” The door opened and Donghae disappeared as soon as it did but Kyuhyun kept on wincing, grabbing his chest in pain.

“Kyuhyun! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?!” Sungmin hurriedly kneeled in front of the other staring at Kyuhyun’s forced smile, muttering ‘I’m fine’ when he’s clearly not, drops of sweat in his forehead.

Kyuhyun saw a cut on Sungmin’s lips and his eyes widen, ignoring his agony for a moment he grabbed Sungmin’s shoulders.

“What’s that? Where did you get that? Did someone hurt you? Are you wounded elsewhere? Are you okay?”

Sungmin was taken aback by the worry, clearly evident on his freeloader’s eyes. It was panic, fear and guilt all together, and he cannot understand, why Kyuhyun, a complete stranger, would be so concerned with his well being.

“I-I just, just accidentally bit my lip when I bumped my head on the library storage…” Sungmin trailed off and the worry from Kyuhyun’s eyes faded, a pained smile in the other’s lips, relief wash over the worry.

“Thank goodness…”

Kyuhyun’s hand reached for his cheeks and caressed his lips with his thumb.

“Stop being clumsy…”

Sungmin was lost for words for it was the first time his heart plummeted against his chest, and the first time he properly looked at how unearthly beautiful Kyuhyun’s face is.

TBC

A/N!! WOW!!!! It’s been a year and 11 mos since my last update. I don’t know when I got the feeling that I could redeem this fic of mine, I was just so inspired. I hope I conveyed it properly, I know most of you can’t even remember this, I hope you still do, I hope you still find this beautiful and worth reading. I’m sorry for those who waited so so long. Thank you so so much. I hope I can update this as soon as possible. Thanks guys!!