‘What was that?’

Sungmin asked himself staring at the blank ceiling, Kyuhyun’s eyes remained in his field of vision even if it has been long since they looked at each other, it wasn’t a heart stopping moment nor was it something different, what made him stayed in that moment was the familiarity he had seen those eyes, he just can’t seem to remember when.

The sky from outside the window was tranquil, he could see the stars and the clear sky, vast and inviting.

“Kyuhyun... who are you?”

He was startled by a soft opening and closing of his front door.

***

Kyuhyun went out, he sensed a presence and he cannot pinpoint if it was foreboding or it was from home, he didn’t want to harm Sungmin if a trouble might arise so he chose to walk the dark roads of the village, and it wasn’t long before he sensed it again.

“Who are you?”

He asked quietly and a cold air blew from the north.

“You’re so uptight Seppen of the storm”

A white cat himself from behind the seppen, heterochromatic eyes illuminated by the bright moon.

“Hiro…” Kyuhyun recognized the demon as their King’s alter, and his appearance only meant one thing, his eyes glinted with the slow fall of snow. “You being here means only one thing and it isn’t a good news either…”

“I guess you probably have a gist of what’s happening” the voice from the demon echoed in the wind. “you’ll probably have a hard time keeping your human alive”

“So Jongwoon made his move, he’s using his necromancy to kill Sungmin.” the seppen of the storm clenched his fist. “What made him so interested in Sungmin’s soul…”

“The Seppen of the Frosts have all the rights, that human indeed was supposed to die that day.” Hiro said eyes boring. “Why did you save that human.”

“I don’t need to explain myself.” Kyuhyun said in a dead tone. “I saved him because he’s not meant to die.”

“What made you so sure. You’re paying the price as we speak, you’re shattering…”

“Kyuhyun?” there were a torch in the dark and Kyuhyun turned face drained. “Sungmin?”

“What are you doing out here?” Sungmin’s voice was shaking. “It’s dark out here”

Kyuhyun stared at eh heterochromatic eyes disappearing in the dark before he turned to meet the worried human. “I’m sorry I thought I heard something… what made you go out.”

“Well for one, my so called ‘guest’ went out of ‘my’ house in the middle of the night” Sungmin replied with annoyance in his voice. “Thank heavens I was awake or else someone might enter my house because you left the door open.”

Kyuhyun’s brows furrowed, “If I didn’t left it open how can I go back?”

Sungmin looked at him incredulously. “That’s why you’re not supposed to go out in the middle of the night.” he smugly relied. “So whats up?”

“Nothing” Kyuhyun shrugged his shoulders. “It’s cold out here lets go back.”

“Kyuhyun I don’t want my freeloader wandering around the village at night.” Sungmin’s eyes were searching his, looking at him with plea. “If you want to stay with me don’t do this.”

‘stay with him’

Those words meant more than it should and it sounded music in Kyuhyun’s ears, It made him feel warm and happy with some unknown reason. He smiled. “You sounded like you want me to stay longer, in contrast to what I heard from you earlier.”

Embarrassment colored Sungmin’s face and he looked away as fast as he could. “I-I’m just setting the boundaries, if- if you want to be a freeloader you should adhere to my rules.”

Kyuhyun laughed following the human as they both threaded back home.

***

“I hate him”

Sungmin muttered under his breath the third day he walked home and arrived at a mess on his kitchen, Kyuhyun didn’t know how to cook nor do anything but he chops woods for the oven and the fireplace, despite the need for them to keep warm, Kyuhyun never liked the fireplace, he rather freeze than to stay close to it.

“Hey Kyuhyun come here!” he shouted and in an instant the taller man appeared head hung low as if waiting for Sungmin’s scolding. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know how to do it like you do…”

“What’s so difficult about cleaning?” Sungmin sighed feeling a bit sorry. “Come here”

Kyuhyun kept his head low as he inched closer to the other. “You should do it like this…” Sungmin showed him how to get water from the pale and soak the dishes on a basin. “You should take the soap from here… and rub it against the dishes like this” he showed Kyuhyun who were so focused in remembering the complex steps Sungmin was showing him.

“Here you try.” Sungmin rinsed his hands and let Kyuhyun imitate him, glancing towards him every now and then to see if Sungmin approved of what he is doing.

“It’s not that hard here…” Sungmin reached for Kyuhyun’s hand and held him and in an instant he saw the moments he was saved 20 years ago, those blue eyes, that touch.

He was supposed to let go but he didn’t instead Kyuhyun stared at him and there it is again that familiarity, his breath stopped, time stopped.

“Why are you so fragile it breaks me…” Kyuhyun’s words were nothing like his usual choice of words, his heart was breaking and Sungmin can see it reflected as they stare at each other, Kyuhyun’s deep voice was breaking, as if it’s about to cry.

“Why are you so sad…” Sungmin asked unknowingly, his voice shaking. “Why do you look at me like that?”

“Because you’re so fleeting…” Kyuhyun answered. “You’re as fleeting as a snow flake.”

“Who are you?” Sungmin answered without thinking.

Kyuhyun’s eyes quiver and he let go of Sungmin’s hand, he turned away and sighed. “Thank you for letting me stay I think I need to leave soon…”

Kyuhyun didn’t want to, he despise every word he just said but now he had a clear view of what he’s feeling, this protectiveness, this would kill them both.

“Stop saying words I don’t understand” Sungmin replied angrily slamming the dishes in his hands back to the basin. “You’re free to leave whichever you choose to do. Stop confusing me”

It was a jumble on Sungmin’s mind and chaos in Kyuhyun’s. Sungmin walked out of the room first and into the empty road. Snow fall quite heavily, sympathizing with his anger.

He went towards the empty plaza pass the village end and into the opening of the forest. It was getting dark and he didn’t have any means of light, he cant trek towards the cave of seppens at this time, he saw a white cat on the middle of the road towards the forest, as if blocking his path, the cat looked at him as if warning him.

At the side of Sungmin’s vision he noticed a bulked figure of a man stumbling, walking lazily towards him he stared, trying to figure out if he knew the man and it turns out it was the tax collector from the other day.

“Mister, what are you doing?” he asked heart hammering against his chest, something wasn’t right, this man smelled even if he’s a good few meters away, he smelled awful, like a rotting flesh.

His gut told him to run, he took a step back and the cat from the road hissed angrily towards the limping figure. Sungmin froze like he was paralyzed, the tax collector only grunt as he inched nearer.

Seeing a lose branch beside him Sungmin picked it up as soon as the man pounced on him, he was scared but he managed to blocked the man with the branch and pushed him away. He felt his skin crawl as he recognized the unfocused eyes of the man, he was indeed decomposing.

“Help!” he shouted as he felt hands clasped on his foot and he lost his balance falling face forward his head hitting the edge of a rock bleeding to the snow as he got dragged towards the dark forest, it was cold and strong, gripping him like it was meant to break his leg. His vision getting blurry. He tried to escape the hold but the man grabbed a stone hitting his knee with it, he cried in pain, tears flow unconsciously from his eyes. He grabbed his searing knee trying to block it from being hit again.

“HELP!!” he screamed when the wind blew hard and the fall of snow became very still before it poured once more, like a blizzard the grip from his feet disappeared and he opened his eyes to see a tall man, hair grey blue grabbing the neck of the rotting monster.

The air around this tall man was turbulent, he threw the body on the ground and on his hand appeared a long and sharp shard of ice.

A seppen.

That was the first thought crossing through Sungmin’s mind but it dawned on him…

“Kyuhyun?”

The face of the seppen was pale, chiseled and sculpted looking at him with a glint of pain searching his sprawled figure on the ground, apologetic and mad at the same time.

Kyuhyun’s eyes were blue and Sungmin understood where he have seen Kyuhyun, he finally remembered.

“Close your eyes Sungmin, I don’t want you to see this.” he murmured audibly but Sungmin can’t.

Kyuhyun ed the ice and sliced the head of the rotting man beneath his feet.

-tbc-

A/N” it’s been years, I wonder if you still remember this, I’m really sorry for the update that took forever. I hope all of you would still read this. Thank you <3