Chapter 12
 

Alarm

“It’s all in your mind,” Eunhyuk said to his reflection and heard the faint echo pass his words around the vacant bathroom. “You’ve been very tense lately. What you saw isn’t true!” It’s true anyone would be out of their windows moving into an old house with mysterious groans, creaking doors, long shadows and frequent whispers.

“There’s no need to frighten yourself,” Eunhyuk assured himself quietly as he wrapped his hand around his throat, suddenly feeling tight and thirsty. Bending over himself, Eunhyuk cupped his palm under the faucet and let the cool water pour on it before bringing it to his mouth. Washing the inside of his throat left him somehow satisfied. He turned off the faucet and looked himself over.

He seemed to be over his shock already, now that nearly an hour had passed since he’d last seen the shadow. “It wasn’t real,” Eunhyuk said to himself slowly, keeping his gaze locked on his eyes through the reflection. “Matter of fact, no one else is seeing this but you. So stop hallucinating!” After a long moment of deep staring, Eunhyuk squirmed away from the piercing stare of his mirror image, squared his shoulders and left the bathroom.

****

Cheerful colors decorated Angelica’s small bedroom. Eunhyuk tossed his head left and right, taking in the new designs on the now pink wall. Angelica squealed with joy, asking in her own way whether he liked the new look of her bedroom. Eunhyuk looked at her, waving her tiny limbs in quick circles as she continued to squeal and drool.

Angelica was a very cheerful child. That was her thing. She just wasn’t normally cheerful around Eunhyuk. ‘Maybe it was all the colors’ he thought. Today she had a silky pink stretchie and a bright orange blanket draped over one of her ankles. ‘Outrageous colors,’ Eunhyuk thought as he approached her. “They suit you well enough, little angel.” Eunhyuk smiled, “You have quite the style already, don’t you?”

She looked at him, her expression a little confused. “I like things that are kind of plain and simple. My favorite color is gray.” Angelica carefully examined his face. Certain he was Eunhyuk, her worst companion, she scrunched her face and started bawling her eyes out maniaclly.

Shock contoured Eunhyuk’s face. She had just been giggling to mere air! His mouth dropped open but no sound came out. Angelica continued to yell until help finally came to her saving.

“I’m here, Angi. Daddy’s here. Shush!” Donghae’s voice was soft and assuring, but the baby wouldn’t calm down until she was nestled between his arms and Eunhyuk is out of her sight. “Hush little darling, hush,” Donghae continued to sing-song in her ears. When she finally calmed down a little bit, He turned to face Eunhyuk and mouthed, “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking on her!” Eunhyuk mouthed back and exaggerated his signs.     

Donghae shut his eyes to subside his temper and felt Angelica clamp herself around him more. “It’s okay baby. It’s okay,” he told her in the softest voice he could muster. “Papa Hyuk didn’t mean to wake you. And he’s so sorry he did, darling. Shush, sleep now. Sleep.”

“I didn’t wake her up. She was awake and playing too,” Eunhyuk whispered with a scowl on his face.

“Get out,” Donghae muttered. Eunhyuk glared at him before storming out. He wasn’t about to lose his temper on Donghae because of a small misunderstanding, but it hurt him how his lover was taking sides now that he was a parent. Before Angelica, something like this would never happen. Eunhyuk stomped his way out and went to wait in Donghae’s room.

He was basking in silence when Donghae’s voice startled him, making him jump. “What was all that drama back there?” Donghae staggered past him. Eunhyuk opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He should avoid quarrels at all cost. “What? Have nothing to say?” Donghae crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited for Eunhyuk to speak.

“I’m sorry,” Eunhyuk managed, a little breathless from having held in his breath for long intervals while thinking.

“What is it?” Donghae sighed and squinted his eyes.

“Nothing. Like I said, I was just check—”

“Not that. I’m asking you what is it with you trying to prove something about our baby.” Donghae mused. “I see her smile at you, but you insist she scowls whenever you’re around. I say she was asleep, and you say she was wide awake and playing! What’s with that, Eunhyuk? Can’t you relax a little? You don’t know for sure if she’ll turn out wicked because of her seed. In fact, she needs to be loved because it was never her fault, all that has happened. So… if you tried to love her, and I’m not saying it’s going to be easy for you, it’d be great.”

Eunhyuk was amused. This wasn’t the frustrated-about-this-demonized-child Donghae he knew. This was the loving parent he has come to know over the past few weeks and wasn’t quite accepting of. “I do love her because she’s you—she’s a part of you, and you know how much I love you. But Angi doesn’t let me near her. Whenever she catches a glimpse of me, she cries her eyes out. This is not a lie, and you know it,” Eunhyuk said.

“Just like how most babies are, if I may add,” Donghae defended. “Eunhyuk, please? Stop and listen to what you’re saying.” Donghae stopped to talk a breath and then slowly forced a smile. “You know what I think, babe? I think you’re jealous.”

“Jealous! Of a baby. Me!” Eunhyuk parroted in disbelief. “Could you possibly say anything stupider?”

“It’s just what I think.” Donghae raised his hands up in surrender. “Don’t get offended now,” he murmured.  

Before he could answer, Eunhyuk heard voices outside. Strange noises. A Baby’s squeal. Donghae seemed to have heard it too. The voice was too close to their door as if the baby was right in front it. But Angelica wasn’t a toddler yet, and they were home alone tonight. So it would be really creepy if he opened that door and found his baby laid there. He looked at Eunhyuk who stood tense by his side and frowned. “What was that?” The voice had stopped and disappeared as if was never there from the start.

“Should we check it out?” Donghae asked, his hand already seeking Eunhyuk’s for comfort. His flash of fear was gone when Eunhyuk tugged him to his chest and kissed the side of his head. “It’s an old house,” he said reassuringly. “We’re bound to hear strange noises from time to time. Don’t let it spook you out, Okay?” Eunhyuk found himself to be stronger the stronger one in this relationship, and decided to act even stronger for Donghae’s sake. He kissed Donghae’s hair once more before pulling away. “I’ll go check it out.”

Donghae squeezed his lover tight. “We’ll go together,” he murmured into Eunhyuk’s shoulder. “We should probably keep Angi with us. Right?” “Of course,” Eunhyuk said. Stepping away but Keeping Donghae’s hand in his, Eunhyuk started towards the door. Eunhyuk stuck his head out through the door while Donghae grabbed onto him from behind. Together the exited the bedroom and stood there in the hallway.

No one was there. The house seemed empty too, save for the two of them and the sleeping Angelica. Without a word the two of them walked the path towards her room with quiet footsteps. Eunhyuk was about to get the doorknob to open when Donghae tugged on his shirt urgently. His eyes were fixed on something at the ground story, wide and frightened. Eunhyuk leaned away from the door and followed Donghae’s gaze.

There was a man half-hidden in the shadows, he was holding something stuffed in his arms. Eunhyuk’s throat suddenly felt tight and dry. Donghae’s squeezed his arm hard enough to leave a bruise. His hand was wet and cold as ice. Just then Eunhyuk realized how much they both were shaking. The man moved as if to hide deeper in the shadows when the sound happy “goo-goos and gah-gah” sliced through the air.

A chill tightened the back of Eunhyuk’s neck when he realized the sound was coming from down stairs.