“Stay safe my little one, if you need me, just call my name and I will come.” the older whispered, words like a lullaby comforting the smaller boy and making him shed a few tears.

Jongwoon woke with a start, unsure of what woke him at first. It was not until he noticed the sun’s rays shining through the window that he realized he was in his bed and he had overslept. Rushing from his room, he winced as pain shot up his body. A quick look down proved why.  His knees were scraped and his body covered in cuts as memory’s of last night flooded his mind. But, how had he ended up in his own bed, in his own home? All these questions swam in his head, yet, the image of the man whose last words comforted him, would not appear. Jongwoon sighed as he began gathering his supplies to fix food for his father.

Useless, unneeded, a disaster.

His father’s cruel words of hatred, each one stung as bad as the other forcing tears to fall from his eyes. He was at fault for his mother’s death. He was the one who killed her and that killed him. Suddenly, the doors opened revealing Jongwoon’s father. The boy smiled as the slightly balding man with salt and peppered hair stormed forward claiming his seat at the table.

“Father, I prepared dinner for you.” Jongwoon announced placing the food before the man.

“I am not your father, do not call me that.” Mr. Kim snarled making the young boy flinch at the words.

“I’m sorry,” Jongwoon whispered as he stood beside the man, waiting for him to finish the meal. He twiddled his thumbs wishing for the silence to break, but nothing happened. His father still ignored him, his meaty hands tightening around the utensils now and then. Jongwoon took a deep breath before trying to get the man’s attention.

“Please, love me. It’s all I ask.” he whispered, yelping when the man suddenly stands, his hands shooting out to grab the boy, holding him against the wall.

“Love you? Love you? I loathe you, I wish you were dead!” the man screamed slapping Jongwoon across the face and making the child cry.

“You are useless, nothing, disgusting. You Jongwoon, are worthless to this world, a murderer.” Mr. Kim hissed, his voice dripping with hate. Jongwoon was silent as he continued to endure his father’s hateful words and spiteful beating’s. His stomach curled as his knees buckled.

Useless, nothing, disgusting, a murderer.

These words echoed in the young child’s head as he fell to the ground in tears. He was disowned, no one loved him, he was tossed aside. The abuse kept coming until finally his father’s anger dwelled down some allowing for the boy to escape.

Jongwoon rushed to his room closing the door and rushing to hide in the closet away from his father and prying eyes. Useless, nothing, disgusting, murderer. He was all those things and he felt ashamed. Because of him, his mother was dead, because of him nothing got done, because of him, there was nothing.

More tears fell from his eyes as he curled into a ball, his imagination returning to the strange dream he had the night before of the man who kept him safe, a man with no name.

SUJU-SUJU-SUJU

Solitude was the safest thing for him. No one to worry about, or worry for. And yet, last night he had been pulled to help that small boy from the village. Worse, he had felt his cold dead heart twitch. He closed the book with a snarl as his head fell back against the leather chair, his eyes wandering to the bed Jongwoon had slept in the night before. He had made a mistake to allow the boy to see him. In his life of solitude, the being he was, Jongwoon did not belong.

Anger pulled in his chest, the boy was too small for his age, too thin. The things his father had told him, it made Kyuhyun angry just thinking about it. He wanted the boy back in his arms safe, but that couldn’t be.  A frustrated sigh left Kyuhyun’s lips. He had tried to fix his mistake by clearing the boy’s memory of him, but he knew he had only partially done so. He could not bring himself to completely take away the memory of the boy who had made his broken heart beat again. It was a task that had only been done once before, when his last mate had been with him.

“Curse you.” Kyuhyun hissed standing up and pacing his room. He wanted to see Jongwoon, no, needed too. But, he could not risk it. He had already put the boy in danger by being near him last night. He would not let Jongwoon hurt anymore. And the promise, why had he told the boy that? Hopefully, he would forget that, along with him allowing Kyuhyun to remain in lonesome solitude. Another frustrated sigh, this was harder than he thought as images of Jongwoon sleeping so peacefully in his arms curled beside him.

The sun was setting, could he risk visiting the boy, or would his selfish act hurt another that he loved? As the minutes ticked by, his feet unconsciously moved him closer to the door until eventually he arrived outside a small home on the outskirts of the small village Jongwoon lived. He walked carefully towards the window he instinctively knew Jongwoon inhabited. His move was like gliding on air. His black cloak covered his whole body making it hard to tell what gender he was to others, not to mention it was to dark for anyone to even notice him.

Kyuhyun paused when he heard sniffling from inside the home. That noise, he recognised it. It was the same pained noise he heard last night from Jongwoon, he hated that noise. Despite everything his body and heart were telling him, Kyuhyun knew to not be seen or to rush to the boys side. He had to remain in the shadows, protecting him from afar. That was all he could do for him.

“Be safe my little one,” Kyuhyun whispered, his eyes focusing on the small form huddled under the tattered blankets that hid Jongwoon from sight. Taking a seat below the window, Kyuhyun decided to stay the night here, it was a compromise that would be the safest for both himself and Jongwoon.

The small child still quivering under the covers made Kyuhyun’s protective sense heightened as he began humming a soft lullaby he had learned years ago in his earlier travels. He continued to watch the younger until he noticed the boy still and fall asleep. A small chuckle left Kyuhyun’s lips, it seemed this small child, had made it impossible for him to leave.

It was hours later, before Kyuhyun’s head popped up as the night air stilled and became colder. He knew what was about to happen, his features already changing with the approaching danger. He would not let them near his little one.

A stray gust of wind rushed around him, leaving two figures dressed similar to him, standing in it’s wake.

“I wondered when the two of you would appear.” Kyuhyun smirked, his features disagreeing with his casual demeanor.

“Haven’t seen that face in a while coldKyu.” the taller of the two chuckled, his face soft and lips pouted. The smaller figure sighed before popping a lollipop from his mouth.

“Sungmin, calm down. Cho Kyuhyun, what are you doing here?” the smaller asked, command lingering in his voice.

“You're no fun Ryeowookie,” Sungmin pouted more. Kyuhyun remained silent, these two were a problem.

“Nothing, go away.” he growled. Sungmin sighed as Ryeowook walked forward. Kyuhyun watched him closely, a growl forming low in his throat as he approached the window and looked inside.

“If I took his soul, would you stop me?” Ryeowook suddenly asked, sparks cackling from the man’s finger tips.

“Touch him sparky, and the elites lose a member.” Kyuhyun threatened making the older chuckle at his words. Ryeowook turned to Kyuhyun with a smile on his face before looking at Sungmin.

“I’m done here, keep an eye on your pet Kyuhyun, I have a feeling we will meet again.” Ryeowook laughed as he went to stand beside Sungmin.

“It has begun.” he whispered making Sungmin chuckle. Kyuhyun watched as the two figures talked, suddenly Sungmin turned to face him, that pout still lingering on his face.

“Kyu, fate, is destiny wrapped in blood.” he whispered before turning to leave with his partner, another cold wind signaling their leave. Kyuhyun shook his head, he had chosen to leave that life of fate and destiny behind, they had no right to come after him, and Sungmin had no reason to feel sorry for him. He turned his head to look at Jongwoon once more, a smile forming on his once more soft features. No, the small child did not deserve this world he lived in, but, unknown to either male, a bond was forming, a destiny revealing itself, a prophecy coming true.