My Little Red Riding Luhan

I clearly remember my mother’s kindly ringing words when she was sitting on the edge of my bed while she was telling me the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Every blessed night. Because I asked it. I don’t know how much she could be bored with that his only child wasn’t willing to listen to other tales but my mum never let it show on her face. She always told me that story with such empathy, such love, as if it hadn’t been only my favourite, but hers too.

I don’t know why I loved it so much. Maybe I had always believed in that Little Red Riding Hood is not just a ing stupid character, but she is the only one who can tame the Wolf. Who keeps the beast in check with her love. That was my own story. I believed in the existence of this alternative ending and maybe deep in my heart I believed that I could be the one who can tame the Wolf. In spite of being a boy.

„Luhan, I know that it’s already too late outside but please, take these to Chen.”

„Okay, Umma.”

„I told you not to call me that. It’s annoying.” Suho grimaced and Luhan just laughed. He couldn’t help it. The boy usually behaved like their mother so that’s why his roommates liked to with calling him Umma. Suho always became angry because of it but the real case was that he liked the whole “Umma” thing because it meant that the others appreciated him in their own way.

„Umma, there’s a hole on my trousers!” Baekhyun stepped into the kitchen complaining but Suho just looked up at the ceiling.

“Idiots.” Then he gave Chen’s bag to Luhan, who just left his roommates there with a smile on his face, while Baekhyun was trying to convince Suho to sew his trousers because that’s his favourite and he won’t go outside anymore.

But Luhan didn’t go to the front door yet, but in his room. He realised that it had been already cold outside, so he shouldn’t leave just wearing a sleeveless shirt because he knew he could easily catch a cold. So after putting down the plastic bag on his bed, he went to his wardrobe and took out his favourite red sweater. After he put it on, he looked into the mirror once again to fix his hair. Then he finally decided to go.

“Oh Luhan. Going away so late?” Hearing his name he stopped in the door, then he turned towards Lay nodding. “Be careful, it is said that a strange creature has appeared on the streets. Or just Chen said that he had seen something weird so we shouldn’t necessarily believe him.” Yixing rubbed the back of his neck, then smiled. “Be careful at least. Hurry back.”

“Thanks.” The older laughed, then he stepped over the doorstep and closed the door behind himself. “Strange creature, huh?” He whispered to himself, then he set off in the staircase letting out a big sigh.

It was already dark in the building but he didn’t the light. They lived on the second floor, and the way to the door downstairs wasn’t so long. Just a few landings. Nothing could happen until he reaches the door, right?

Or?

All of a sudden Luhan heard hurried steps, then an arm appeared from the darkness and before the boy could let out a scream, somebody pushed him against the wall and hard lips pressed to his. The feeling caused him quietly groaning but he couldn’t escape, his attacker was stronger than him.

“You wanted to come to me, didn’t you?” A hoarse voice whispered into his mouth.

“Not really.” He panted. Now the other body pressed him stronger against the wall and a shiver ran down his spine as the other’s warm breath was caressing his earlobe.

“Then change your destination. I have some plants with you.”

“Sehun, not now.” He tried to push the boy away but it was useless. Sehun took a step back but it was because his own will, not because of Luhan’s pushing.

“Why? Where are you going, Little Red Riding Luhan?” Sehun asked and his gaze was wandering on the boy’s body from his feet to his red sweater. Luhan, despite the dark, could clearly see the other’s eyes twinkling curiously. He swallowed.

“To Chen. Suho sent me to give these to him.” He lifted up the bag and Sehun’s look slid to the sack.

“What are you carrying in it?” He asked suddenly but Luhan just shrugged.

“Vitamins and medicine. You know, Suho always buys such things for us and because Chen has been living in his own flat, Suho has been still sending him these. He is really like our mother.” Luhan laughed. Then he wanted to step away from the wall to leave Sehun when the younger boy grabbed his arm.

“I also want to send something to Chen.” He looked deep into Lu’s eyes, who just surrendering himself quietly nodded. After it he followed the boy to his first floor flat.

“I didn’t know that you knew him.” Luhan started to think while they stepped into the flat, but the younger male just shrugged and turned towards him.

“Because I don’t. I just needed a reason with which I was able to lure you here.” He smiled impudently. That was the smile which Luhan was never able to resist, however he tried it now.

“I should hurry. They will think that I am lost.” He was biting his lower lip while he tried to avoid looking at Sehun. He knew that if he did it, he would never be able to get to Chen.

“But I’m hungry.” Sehun said, and there was something hiding in his dark eyes from which Luhan knew he couldn’t escape.

“Then eat something.” The older shrugged but at that moment long fingers encircled his wrists and after a few moment he found himself on the couch under Sehun’s slim body. He was surprised by the sudden action, but then holding his breath he looked up at the figure above him whose eyes were already full of lust.

“I meant I was hungry for you, my Little Red Riding Hood.” Sehun murmured, then he leaned down to Luhan and started to kiss him as slowly as he could. Lu wasn’t able to normally answer him, just a long moan escaped from his mouth. Sehun pinned his arms down with one hand while the other one found his way under Luhan’s clothes. Then he drove his lips to the elder’s neck and started to leave red marks on the white skin. He released his prey’s hands but by that time Luhan didn’t have the power to push Sehun down from himself. He was just gasping for air, fingers digging deep in Sehun’s hair, whose tongue was already wandering on his abs pulling up Luhan’s sweater and shirt with his nose.

Luhan urgently had to find out something before he lost his mind completely because he knew that if he wouldn’t get to there in time, they would look for him and maybe they would find out his and Sehun’s little secret. Because it wasn’t the first time when he disappeared for a few hours without leaving a trace. Nobody knew about their relationship. They kept it as secret because they didn’t want such a big attention for themselves and the fact that Sehun lived one floor below them made the things easier.

The younger male moved there about a year ago and their first meeting happened shortly after that. Suho decided to greet the new tenant so he invited Sehun for a greeting dinner in their flat. Sehun caught Luhan’s attention right away. He was quiet, handsome and there was something mysterious in his eyes which made his appearance more attractive. Luhan became addicted to him from the first second when he saw the boy.

“They… they know about you.” Luhan whimpered suddenly under Sehun’s hard kisses and the boy raised up his look in confusion.

“You mean…?”

“I mean they spread gossips about you. They say that something strange appeared in the town.”

“Who says?” Sehun asked immediately and the shine disappeared from his eyes. Another thing replaced the playful twinkle. Something dark and frightening.

“Lay warned me because Chen had seen something. Probably you. But I don’t know who can know about it or that he found out that it was you.” Sehun’s features hardened and then with slowly movements he got off Luhan. “You should be more careful.” Luhan sat up, then he cupped the other’s face gently in his hands.

“Something strange, huh?” Sehun murmured lost in the distance, but when he felt Luhan’s warmth against his skin, he looked at the other boy. ”Say, you aren’t afraid of me?”

“Should I?” Luhan tilted his head to the side innocently. He seemed to be such beautiful and fragile like a china doll. And Sehun wouldn’t have been able to let him get hurt for nothing on the world. But he wasn’t able to stay away from him. He was just simply unable to do it.

“Maybe.” He shrugged in the end. “Who knows when I will lose the control over my own body.”

“Then I will be here for you.” Luhan assured him. “I will be here and I won’t let it happen.” And he placed a little kiss on Sehun’s lips, then stood up. “But now I really have to go.”

“Luhan!” Sehun shouted at him weakly standing up from his place. The older male turned towards him. “I love you. My Little Red Riding Hood.” He smiled and stepping to Luhan he kissed him again but now not with such vehemence like the start of their meeting.

“I love you too, my Wolf.” Luhan chuckled, then he stepped out from Sehun’s embrace and left the boy alone in his flat. He really needed to go. But maybe that wasn’t his smartest decision.

Sehun wasn’t able to stay still. Luhan only left him ten minutes ago, but he could only think about in every seconds what Luhan had said. Chen saw him… Or just possibly him. But it was enough for them to reveal his secret in the near future. Just a few more people and the gossip will spread through the town, they will hunt him and he will have to leave this town. Again. Just like he has always done throughout his life so far. He always had to leave all of his homes because he simply wasn’t able to remain invisible. But now there would be a big price for his negligence: Luhan. He was the reason because of who he had to restrain himself. He was the reason because of who he couldn’t allow the beast inside of him to take the control and do what it wants. Luhan was the reason because of who he wanted to stay.

“I don’t let it come to light.” He murmured to himself, then stood up from his place. He decided to detect how much this Chen knows about him.

Chen looked up at the clock. Luhan was late. But Suho called him more than half an hour ago that the boy had set off. So he should be there by now. He worried. The pictures from that day when he had seen that creature were playing again and again on his mind. It was extremely fast and although it looked like a wolf, Chen was a witness of such a thing in which he wasn’t sure if it can exist at all. The wolf transformed. It turned into a human.

“Where could he be?” He asked himself but then he heard some noises from the front door. Somebody was knocking. “Who’s there?” He asked almost unnecessarily because he knew that it should be Luhan who had arrived.

“Luhan.” A dull voice answered. “Open the door for me.”

“It’s open.” Chen said while he was fixing some stuffs in the living room, but when he turned around he became rooted to the spot. A boy was standing in front of him. A boy but not Luhan. He was slim, tall and his dark eyes bored straight into his. If he looked at him closely, he was barely two years younger than him. “Who are you?” He asked calmly but an inner voice told him that it wasn’t good at all.

“Sometimes I don’t know either.” The boy said coldly and he took a step closer to Chen. “But they call me Sehun most of the time.” He cocked his head to the side.

“What do you want from me?”

“Just talking. So I think we should sit down.” Sehun looked towards the sofa. “Can I?” He asked but not waiting for the answer he just sat down on the couch crossing his legs. He raised his look up at Chen and as the light of the lamp glinted in the dark eyes, Chen realised, it’s better to obey Sehun.

“And… about what do you want to talk about?” Then he swallowed and took a seat on the couch but he let a few meters between Sehun and him. He kept the respectful distance.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I just have a question for you.” Sehun flashed his snow-white smile for a moment and Chen had to blink a few. He looked at the younger male’s mouth frowning, and tried to understand what he had seen. He hoped that he was just imagining. He hoped that those were normal teeth. “A birdie or to be exact, Luhan chirped that you had seen a strange creature on the street. Is it true?” Raising up one of his eyebrows he stared at the other male. Ha wanted a straight answer because he had to hurry. Luhan could arrive at any time.

“From where do you know him?” Chen asked unintentionally and Sehun leaned closer to him as if he had wanted to tell him a secret.

“We know each other… pretty well. If you know what I mean.” He grinned letting the white, sharp canines become clearly visible. Chen tried to stand up but Sehun grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him back to the sofa. “But you didn’t answer my question.” The younger raised his voice up, and now his pupils narrowed and his dark eyes turned into yellow. Something popped into Chen’s mind.

“You. It was you who I saw on that day!” He shouted and tried to tear himself out of Sehun’s grasp. He was afraid. He realised that who was sitting in front of him and that it wasn’t just his imagination. They exist. Or he exist. “Werewolf.” He whispered and felt that the boy’s nails or claws were slowly perforating his shirt and gently making their way deep into his flesh. He decided to do something against it. He grabbed the pen on the table next to him and stabbed it into Sehun. The boy screamed and Chen taking advantage of the brief moment when he didn’t pay attention to him, pushed him down from himself and jumped off the couch.

“Stop!” Sehun growled and at that moment he completely lost his control over the beast. His back sharply curved then strained with a painful crack. His fingers were digging in the couch and the claws which had ripped up Chen’s clothes, now tore the furniture to shreds. He achingly whined. He felt all of his bones slowly breaking into pieces causing more unbearable pains and Chen was watching this scene in horror. He couldn’t move but stare at the bloodthirsty wolf which stood there now instead of the young boy and raised at him its yellow, sinister eyes.

“Oh my God.” He whispered and started to run again. But Sehun was faster. In a blink of an eye he jumped at Chen and overbore his new prey on the floor. Now Chen growled in pain. Sehun panted in his neck, his sharp teeth softly scratched his skin. He almost saw in front of his eyes that now this was the end when somebody suddenly knocked on the door.

“Chen, I’m here!” Hearing Luhan’s voice both of them froze. Chen let out a relieved sigh but he swore at the fate too. Because Luhan was also in danger now. “Chen?” The front door opened and Sehun jumped next to the wall at that moment. He didn’t move from there. He was still keeping his eyes on Chen but it seemed that he didn’t want Luhan to see him in this form.

“Go away!” Chen whined but his voice was too weak for the boy to hear it.

“Oooh, what happened here?” Luhan stepped in the living room with surprise on his face. He looked around in the room. “And what happened to the couch?” He wondered then saw Chen on the floor. “Oh my God.”

“Go away.” Jongdae tried anew when Luhan ran to him but it was unsuccessful again.

“Chen, why is your shirt bloody? And what are these scratches on your neck? And… what is this all about?” There was panic in Luhan eyes and Chen took a deep breath. Slowly he sat up and put his hands on the other’s shoulder.

“You have to go away.” He said but at that moment Sehun started to growl behind them and Jongdae shivered. Luhan froze. He knew this voice, he knew this feeling in his stomach. He knew the animal standing behind him.

“Sehun…” He whispered and slowly turned around. Sehun looked straight at him snarling. Yes, Sehun. Because Luhan knew that his true self was just hiding behind the wild exterior, he knew that the beast hadn’t fully taken the control over his body yet. There was still hope. He could save him. “Sehun, it’s me. I know that you can hear me. This is not you, and you know it well. So please… please come back. We can solve it, okay?” He tried to ask him but the wolf was just still standing in front of him but at least it wasn’t snarling now. It was just standing and looking at him with empty gaze. As if it didn’t know if it could trust Luhan. “Everything will be okay.” And Luhan’s voice cracked and tears welled up in his eyes. He held out his hand towards Sehun. The wolf took a cautious step. Its nose was just a few inches far from Luhan’s palm when the front door suddenly opened and somebody fired a shot. The wolf’s pupils narrowed and the monster in Sehun rose up again because of the attack. He jumped at Luhan snarling then bit into his side with a sharp move. A new shot. But it didn’t hit the target again.

“Don’t!” Luhan screamed but it wasn’t for Sehun. He wanted to stop Xiumin who was standing in the door pointing a gun at Sehun. “Don’t shot him down!” He tried to stand up when the wolf let him go and started to approach Xiumin growling and pinning its ears back against its head. But he fell back to the floor. He was painfully clutching his bleeding side but he wasn’t willing to give up. He had to save Sehun.

“For God’s sake, it attacked you, Luhan!” Chen shouted at him then ran to the boy.

“This is just an animal. Why do you want to protect it?” Xiumin continued the battle of words but he kept his gaze on the wolf. Both of them were waiting. Waiting for who will attack first.

“He is not just an animal! You don’t know anything. Why are you here at all?!” Luhan shouted completely losing his mind but Chen pinned him down. He couldn’t allow him to move too much because they couldn’t know how deep the wound on his side was.

“I am just doing my job. One of the neighbours called the police station that he had heard strange noises from here and they sent me to look what it is because I was patrolling not far from here.” And his fingers tightened the trigger but Sehun was faster. He immediately reacted to the sound and before Xiumin could pull the trigger, the wolf jumped at him and closed its teeth around his wrist. Minseok dropped the gun and Sehun took advantage of the opportunity. He released the man’s hand and overbore him on the floor with a powerful push. The wolf snarled at Xiumin under him and wanted to bite his throat when Luhan screamed behind them.

“It’s enough. Sehun… it’s enough.” He cried and tore himself out of Chen’s hold. “Please…” Suddenly he hugged the neck of the wolf and for the others’ biggest surprise, nothing happened. The animal just stood there, then gently sniffed Luhan’s hair as if it was sorry for what it had done previously. As if it understood what the boy had said and listened to him.

But Minseok didn’t believe that the wolf was harmless. Taking advantage of the opportunity, suddenly he grabbed his gun and although Sehun turned towards him to bite his wrist again, it was too late and a shot was fired. The animal jumped off him whining.

“No!” Luhan’s heart skipped a beat but he couldn’t do anything. Despite the injury, Sehun reacted faster than him, and by the time he would have realised what was happening, the boy in the skin of a wolf ran out of the room to avoid Xiumin’s shots. “Sehun!” This was the only word which he was able to shout but it was useless. His wolf had already been far away from them.

“Damn it.” Sehun hit the floor with his all strength because it was the only stable thing on which he could take his anger out. He wasn’t able to stand up yet. He was just lying on the floor of his flat while the blood was barely running from his thigh already. But he had to wait. His injuries healed slower in human form and he was waiting. He was waiting till the area hit by the bullet was slowly healing and neither wounds, nor scars remained. As if nothing had happened.

But the memories were all there in his mind. The picture when he attacked Chen letting his wolf-self overwhelm him, the picture when Luhan begged him to stop and the picture when the boy’s tears for him landed on the floor. He couldn’t accept what he had done. He knew that there was no excuse for it, and he knew the consequences. He had to leave the town tonight.

Finally he stood up from the floor and took his well-known suitcase. Routine action. He did this so many times but it was the first when he regret it. This wasn’t him. He wouldn’t attack humans.

“Especially not Luhan…” He whispered and tears welled up in his eyes.

“What about me?” He suddenly raised his head up because of the soft voice and then turned around in disbelief. Luhan was standing in front of him and he looked straight at him. “Are you going somewhere?” He asked gently and took a step closer to the boy.

Sehun wasn’t able to do anything but nod silently while his gaze slid to Luhan’s neck. He held out his hands and gently the three bloody scratches.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Luhan shivered. The wounds were still fresh. They hurt.

“It wouldn’t be better somewhere else. They wanted to keep me in the hospital but I left. The wounds are not so deep and I wanted to be with you.” Luhan smiled then hugged Sehun. He buried his face into the other’s shoulder and inhaled deeply his nice smell. His lovely wolf smell.

“I have to go away.” Sehun said fighting with his tears but Lu just tenderly shook his head.

“Then I will go with you.”

“You can’t.” After this Luhan raised his head up and his dark, clearly sparkling eyes bored into Sehun’s.

“Why not?” The delicate words reached the boy’s heart again and now he wasn’t able to hold back his tears. He tightened his embrace around Luhan and leaned his head on the boy’s shoulder.

“Because I would hurt you again. And I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to hurt you.” He was afraid of losing the boy, but he was more afraid that once he wouldn’t be able to control himself and he would do something irreversible to Luhan. Or he would kill him.

“I know you won’t hurt me. We leave this place and everything will be fine. We can solve it together.” Lu whispered and Sehun was just wordlessly nodding still burying his face in his shoulder.

“You promise?” He asked sniffing like a little child. And he really was. A little child who had to learn that ability which the fate gave him for some reason.

“I promise.” And Luhan gently raised Sehun’s chin up with his hand, looked into his eyes and gave him a delicate kiss on his lips. That was the seal of his words which assured Sehun that he would be always beside him. Everywhere he goes, anything happens. Sehun was his Wolf and he was Sehun’s Little Red Riding Hood. Who tamed the wolf in the end…

“Sehun, tell me a story, please~!” Luhan asked his boyfriend while they were lying on the bed in each other’s arms. Despite the peaceful, quiet night, Luhan wasn’t able to sleep.
“Are you a kid or what?” Sehun but Lu knew he had already won.
“Hey! I just need your voice to fall asleep.” He pouted at Sehun who just let out a resigned sigh.
“Okay. Is the story of Little Red Riding Hood good for you?”
“No! It has a sad ending because the wolf dies.” Luhan grimaced, but Sehun just tightened his arms around him and gave a little peck on his lips.
“But not in this tale.” he smiled. “Not in this tale.”