It was painful, to swallow that fact. Changjo’s eyes were looking down but he knew changhyun could still see the disappointment on his face so there was nothing for him to say anymore. Ricky made it so clear for him to stay away.

“so jonghyun-ya…. Keep your distance”

Ricky stood up, his gaze still locked on jonghyun’s lowered head. It was time to leave, but then changjo grabbed his arm. Halting his steps.

…

“fine”

The exhausted teen greeted his mom as he made his way back to his room, ignoring the continuous eerie stare his granny was giving. Even her pretty, 30 something looking face couldn’t hide the fact that she was monstrous. But he was used to it, enough to a point where he’d pretend that she was invisible.

“So jonghyun-ya…. Keep your distance”

He flipped back and forth on his single bed, eyes flickering and bright. Physically he was completely worn out, every move felt sore but the words changhyun had said played a merciless game inside his mind. He scoffed and sighed, everything to keep this suffocating game from swallowing him.

But then, the ringing of his phone practically had become his salvation as he grabbed it and practically yelped at the name of the caller.

YOO CHANG

But before he could even think about answering it, the call ended. His furrowed brows and extending pout weren’t enough symbolize how offended he felt. His battling egos and conscience made the air even heavier as it plugs the boy’s chest. So, grabbing his coat the boy slyly sneak passed his mother and went out for some genuine space.

The sound of hip hop and cusses were his sweet sinful melody as the boy hummed along to the song, ignoring the world. Instead he paid attention to the road he was going, step by step further away from his own thoughts. The cold midnight breeze was painfully refreshing as he inhaled the smokey, tar scented air finally lighter that the ones he breathed at home.

Everything was fine, when something caught his blue tainted eyes. In that cold, busy street he saw someone, very familiar. Beige sweater, white long fluffy knitted scarf wrapped around his neck as it dances to the breeze and the red stains all over it. A terrifyingly beautiful sight.

But then as his conscience kicked in, his dark almond eyes were no longer tainted. It was completely blue to the core as the boy choked on his reality crashing down. His mouth gaped but no such sound could be manifest as drips of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

“r..rri..rickihh….”

Changhyun stood frozen by the edge of the big three lane road, somewhat in a trance, there were no more traces of smiles on his pale bruised face. All that colored him was the bloodstain by the rim of his washed out lips and scratches all over his cheekbones.

And as if reality had mimicked jonghyun’s greatest fear at that moment, the beaten up young man took a frail step forward, broken heavy breaths accompanied each slow shifts.

Pain resonated from his steam of breath.

“Yoo…Changhyun! Stop!!!”

The boy turned around, eyes blistered with traces of tears as he looked at jonghyun. A withered smile slowly made  way as the boy wiped his torn lips, taking away some of the blood off his face when suddenly all those numbing injuries became unbearable the moment he felt changjo’s arm wrapped tight around him.

His eyes were dry but if his heart could cry, it would’ve flooded jonghyun’s chest with agonized tears drenching them both in torment. It was painful, to finally have someone who was willing to understand, to have someone to heal him when all this time he had endured it alone.

The world had shaken, that amazing sets of walls inside him crumbled the moment changhyun felt the rising of changjo’s chest on his chin, as the unspeakable isolation rusted into the air. Like yanking out a stuck knife deep within his flesh, the relief was even more painful than the penetration.

“im alright…. G..go home changjo”

“Are you ing kidding me, no! im never letting you go, understand”

“why…. Why do you care so much for me? unh…”

With that last sentence, every single strength on his limbs corroded. Ricky fainted in the arms of the boy who were once a nuisance. Changjo gasped as he tried supporting the sudden weight on his body but it was bearable, ricky was very light. So thin that the taller lad could easily flip the boy on his back and piggyback the young teen back home.

Huff and puffs rushed out of jonghyun’s lungs after the few blocks sprint as the boy banged the door with every single energy he has left. His jaw jammed tight as he grits his teeth, waiting for the door to open. Times like this made seconds felt like eternity.

But to his devastation, the only entrance opened was the house security camera with his granny’s face on. The boy begged, pleads and practically cried for help as he kept shifting changhyun who was slowly getting heavier.

“you’re not taking the damned angel’s child inside jonghyun. Take him away”

The boy screamed in desperation but it was no use so he rushed out, as one particular person kept ringing inside his head.

“oh god…. Wh..what should I do… dad…”

DAD. Something sparked despite the panic that was clouding his mind, changjo snapped the tangling necklace off his neck as a hopeful smile appeared on his grim face the moment he stared at the pendant, a key. The boy sprinted endlessly across the city, carrying ricky on his back to a place that was invisible.

“hyung! Please stop!!! You’re not sober, you can’t go there like this”

“MOVE YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF MORTAL FLESH!”

[VEHICLE HORN]

Gasping for air, oxygen felt scarce as the boy shoots up from the sofa bed. Grunting at the intense sudden surge of pain, which was quickly seeping inside his skin. But the warm patches of pass all over his body somehow managed to soothe the aches, making it barely bearable. Then after the post-nightmare panic and agonizing feelings subsided, changhyun finally realized that jonghyun was just beside him, brows furrowed as the concerns blasted from his expression.

Hissing gently to the pain when his skin made contact with the leather surface the moment he leaned back, the boy exhaled rather loudly. Letting go of the burning sensations on his body as he stared at the roof, waiting for changjo to ask him, probably even console him.

“I’m not going to ask, ricky….. from the view it, it’s so damn clear that he beat you. Again.”

“mhmm…. He didn’t do it on purpose…. He was…. Drunk”

“really?! That almighty angel could get drunk?! That’s impressive”

Jonghyun snarled at the still protective tone changhyun was using, the blues on the boy’s face made his heart boiled. While ricky on the other hand, was not surprised but slightly impressed at how keen jonghyun really was.

“so you did know… what he actually is..”

“ ughh, annoying pale skin and glowing golden eyes, he’s being too obvious anyway for me to just act dumb. And I bet you too… know… what I am….”

Those last words didn’t came out as stern as he planned it to be, instead it broke from his lips trembling and timid.

“yeah, well the idea of it….. half-blood; demon or some other creatures. Im not so sure”

“ugh lord.. promise you won’t laugh… g..gg..!”

“GUMIHO alright!”

Jonghyun looked away as his jaws moved in hostile manner, jamming tighter each breath at ricky’s tongue that was sticking out; bitten probably to stop himself from laughing but after a few seconds, he failed rather miserably.

“Explains the super nose I guess, haha”

“shut up.”

“no seriously, I didn’t expect that at all! I thought you were a wolf or at least a vamp or something…… turned out you’re a cute fluffy fox. Haha”

“ are we really not going to talk about this?”

Ricky bit his tongue in different type of manner this time, choking at the meaning of ‘this’ and how much his guts twisted at thought of explaining it. But it was inevitable, changjo was dead serious, and an angry gumiho wasn’t any less scary than any other demons.

sorry T^T no picture for this chapter ........ wuuu... but still i hope you enjoy reading it nontheless <3 

and it is a bit long hoho, oh gosh ......