“What’s this?” 

Kyungsoo’s head rose from his chopping board, the salmon forgotten in his hands when he took note of the familiar letter with teal-coloured scrawl that could only be the product of Taehee’s craft. It was her favourite colour, which he knew not because she’d explicitly told him but because it was predominantly the colour she wore every single day. 

Melody held it out for him, shaking the paper in his face to snap him out of his daze, “Hello? Is Kyungsoo home?” she asked while rolling her eyes. 

The cut on her finger had apparently been deeper than she’d initially fought, and after Kyungsoo had driven her to a nearby hospital to get some stitches, he’d dropped her off only to be horrified at the state of her house. Melody had shamefully tried to cover up the mess, but the young wolf had only barged through her figure, expression darkening more and more as he went through her kitchen cabinets only to come up with nothing. She had no food, no sense of cleanliness, and no excuse to spare her. 

One of Kyungsoo’s main pet peeves was cleanliness. He could not, god forbid, live with someone with a messy lifestyle. Unfortunately that was exactly what he got. There was no further discussion when he’d decided that he’d stay over for the week to clean up her place and look after her while her finger healed, although Melody had told him again and again that her finger didn’t even need stitches to begin with. She was a magical creature that could heal rapidly if she wanted to, and yet one look at Kyungsoo’s face was enough for her to drop the arguments. 

He snapped out of his daze, “It’s Taehee’s wedding invitation.” he said, before resuming to slice up the fish with dextrous fingers.
Melody’s eyes rounded, “Taehee? Whose getting married?”
“Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo spared her a glance, chuckling at her befuddled expression, “Skinny, same height as I am. Beautiful hands.” 
She couldn’t help but snort at the last word, “Got a thing for hands?” 
“It’s called being observant,” he threw her a scowl, “Get me some salt.” 
Sniggering, she worked her way around the kitchen and Kyungsoo forced his eyes on the fish when he felt her delving through the mess inside the cabinet to retrieve the desired container. His eyebrow twitched as he heard the clanking of condiments, imagining the mess and chaos that would probably give him a headache if he’d had to go and search for the salt himself. 

He almost jumped out of his skin upon feeling her shoulder brush against his, a wave of heat causing goosebumps to skitter up and down his spine and causing him to restrict the gasp that threatened to fall from his lips. Narrowing his eyes at the girl, he wondered whether she felt the effect of the bond as strongly as he did. But one look at her face told him that she wasn’t affected, and if she was, she was pretty good at hiding behind a curtain of nonchalance. 
He swiped the salt out of her hands and took a blatant step away from her, clearing his throat awkwardly before resuming his work. Melody could only stare with a raised, brow, for she had already felt the whiff of his emotional imbalance the moment her shoulder had touched his own. 
She knew he was having a harder time dealing with the effect of the imprint, she felt his uncomfortable nerves tingle along her own skin. Kitsunes, in comparison to the other lycanthropes, had a powerful sense of control. They had the ability to isolate their feelings and keep their thoughts safe from the enemy, which was part and parcel of their characteristics, ones they were trained to perfect due to their direct association and service to the Godly traditions. 

‘So,’ she settled herself on the opposite side of the counter, framing her face with her hands, ‘a wedding, huh? When is it planned for?’
‘In a month.’ 
‘What?’ her jaw almost dropped, ‘Why so early?’ 
He looked up at her with a straight face, ‘Because she fell pregnant.’ 
The embarrassment that showed through the slight nervous twitch of his lips was enough to make her own mouth curve up in a teasing smile. She couldn’t help but think that his reaction to the situation was cute. He was, by far, one of the purest individuals she met in her life, and that alone said a lot about his personality. While most males she had encountered were always voicing out their desire for ual encounters, Kyungsoo was a gentleman and seemed to have his wolf under control. She could barely feel his calling for her, it was just like an itch that got under her skin once in a while. 
And she kind of liked it, liked the fact that he wasn’t as demanding or straightforward. 
More than anything, she would take pleasure in digging up what Kyungsoo was trying to bury in the deepest parts of himself. 

‘Is it the first?’ 
Kyungsoo nodded once more, a dusty shade of pink layered over his cheeks while he made sure to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. She stifled a chuckle behind a cough, but made sure that he couldn’t read what was going on inside her mind. 
Reality slowly crashed when she realized how soft she was being with the russet-coloured wolf. Melody reeled herself back in and tried to force herself to concentrate on maintaining her composure. She couldn’t believe herself, it had barely been over a week and already she could feel her walls breaking down. What happened to that promise she had sworn to her mother? 
These two conflicting battles were still ongoing inside her, a tug of war that she couldn’t possibly see an end to unless she managed to fall head over heels for the man standing before her. Gazing at him now, she wouldn’t be surprised if she did actually give her heart away to Kyungsoo. He was what every girl dreamed of; hard-working, a good cook, someone who you could depend on. 
Melody cursed inwardly. 

‘I heard that.’ 
. He wasn’t supposed to. When her brown orbs flashed orange and met his own, she saw the amber swirls of his pupils, a sign that he’d managed to get a glimpse of the chaotic mess she called her mind. 

‘That’s invading my privacy.’ Melody argued when she retreated her body back in hopes that her physical withdrawal would be enough to stop him from probing into her mind, ‘and speak for yourself, wolf boy.’ 
‘I don’t mind,’ he replied nonchalantly as he transferred the sliced salmon into a clear glass dish before sprinkling a rain of pepper and salt over the meat, ‘It’s not like I have anything to hide.’ 
She didn’t know how to respond to that, his answer shocking her into silence as she pondered over the meaning of his words which technically, defied all meaning. 
He was implying that he had nothing to hide from her. He was implying that what he felt was the only truth. 
And here she was, trying to hide the truth from the said man in order to protect her own future. 

‘What?’ he asked, bringing her back to reality as she stared into those brown orbs, wide and round and somehow speaking much more than his words ever would. There was a vulnerability in them, a delicate sense of purity that seemed to shine from within. He really had good intentions and Melody could see that, could feel it itching across her skin like a comfortable blanket cocooning her in a warm embrace. 
She managed to shrug it off by acting cold and unaffected, although she was certain he heard her heart pounding against her chest, ’It’s nothing.’ 

Kyungsoo prepared grilled salmon and roasted vegetables for dinner, a meal that Melody would’ve taken months to perfect that he had executed within less than two hours. As they ate and exchanged bits and pieces of information, she noticed how elegantly he spoke, how his manners were ones that defined a gentleman, and how straightforward he seemed to be. He was blunt, but in a very discreet manner. He was gentle and yet firm. Sometimes he’d laugh, and his eyes would crinkle up and curve at the corners so that his face would scrunch up like a small child’s. It was during those rare moments that Melody saw the kid in him, the softness of his soul. It was no secret that Do Kyungsoo wore his heart on his sleeve, and Melody had to admit that she respects him for that. 
He was brave, and she was nothing but a coward.
Melody was kicked out of her own kitchen after dinner, forced to sit and choose a movie while she heard Kyungsoo bustling about and cleaning up the kitchen. A searing warmth ran across her chest, one that made feel tight with emotion. 

She wasn’t used to being pampered, wasn’t used to having someone look after her. The feeling was weird, alien, foreign. 
And Melody didn’t know if she could like it or not.
‘Here.’ A mug was suddenly placed within her hands. Looking up, she saw Kyungsoo sit down beside her as the couch shifted at the additional weight, before dragging her eyes towards the screen in an attempt to appear busy. 
‘Did you choose a movie yet?’ 
‘Did you watch The Patriot?’ she asked.
‘I don’t watch that many movies.’ Kyungsoo shrugged, ‘So I probably didn’t.’ 
Melody gasped, ‘my god, have you been living under a rock? The patriot’s a classic.’ 
‘No, Pride and Prejudice is a classic. I haven’t heard of the Patriot.’ 
‘How about Les Miserables?’ 
‘Nope.’ 
‘The Devil Wears Prada?’
‘It’s vague.’ 
‘Harry Potter?’
‘Read the books.’ 
‘Not the movie?’ 
’No.’
Melody shook her head, ‘I’m going to rock your world.’ 
‘Movies aren’t really my thing.’ 
‘Trust me,’ she turned towards him with shining eyes, actually excited at the fact that he was totally inexperienced and that there was at least something he clearly wasn’t good at, even though it was the most trivial thing, ‘by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be a pro.’ 

The wedding was to take place at the end of May, just in time to welcome summer and warm enough that the bride wouldn’t have to be cowering against the cold in her beautiful wedding dress. This major event had ultimately put my relationship with Luhan on hold, which I was totally fine with considering that there was no rush and that I was slightly intimidated by the whole blood bonding process. The girls got more and more excited as they talked about it and the house had undergone a major cleaning session in order to be spick and span for the wedding. It had been decided by the alphas that inviting the guests over to their own house was the better option, it would allow alliances and ties to be proposed and would emit a sense of friendliness instead of the threat of competition, which wasn’t what they were opting for. While the wolves had duties to deliver the wedding invitations to the various packs across the country, the girls had taken over the design of the event, which they would chat on about endlessly for days on end until I felt like my ears could actually bleed. 

“Do we really have to talk about this all the time we see each other?” I asked once in exasperation, to which I received a bunch of narrow-eyed stares and scowls thrown my way. I decided to retreat while cursing inwardly about the pettiness of girls under my breath. I felt Luhan laughing at the other end of the house and my mood darkened even more. 

My wolf — It was still weird to call him in such an intimate manner. He wasn’t ultimately mine, for god’s sake— had been asked to go on a trip of his own to the southern part of the country, for he was well acquainted with the families that lived in that area. When I discovered that he’d take over a week, I hated to admit that my heart dropped a little and blamed it on the imprint’s influence. 
“You got everything?” I had asked him the morning before he was off, watching the said young man pack his lunch into his bag that he would hold in his jaws while traveling in wolf form. One of the advantages of being a lycanthrope was that they didn’t have to pay for public transport and could rely on their running abilities to get them wherever they wanted. 

Luhan looked up at me through his brown bangs, and I resisted the urge to brush them away from his forehead. It wasn’t even midday yet and sweat already dotted his hairline, providing him a glistening sheen that reflected in the sun. 
“Why do you look so tense?” he’d asked teasingly. I released my crossed arms to show him I wasn’t, but my nervousness got the better of me and I resumed my position, leaning against the door frame. 
“I’m not,” I mumbled, though I didn’t even bother to conceal my worries this time. 
Frowning, Luhan got up and I felt his concern wash over me, “It’s only for a short while.” He said, hand reaching out to cup my cheek, “You’ll blink and I’ll be right back.” 
“Oh no, take your time.” I shrugged, “It’t not like my life stops just because you’re gone.” 
“And here I thought you were actually going to miss me.” 
“You have high expectations.” 
He pulled me to him so suddenly I stumbled against his chest. Tilting my chin upwards, amusement was dancing in his eyes, “And you’re in denial.” 
I proceeded to smack his shoulder, but he blocked my fist with his hand before he laughed, leaning down to peck my lips. 
“Stay safe, no wandering around after night time.” he sent me a pointed look as I quickly bit my lips when I felt its tingling numbness, a magical after effect of his touch. 
“Careful, you’re starting to sound like Kyungsoo.” 
“I heard that!” Came the said russet-coloured wolf’s response from one of the rooms on the second floor, and Luhan chuckled warmly while brushing a stray strand of hair away from my face. 
“Always so bitter,” he leaned over, kissing me gently on the forehead, and when I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment, I knew that he would be gone by the time I opened them again. I could still feel the reminiscent warmth of his lips tingling my flesh, sparks scattering across my skin and making me sigh in part contentment and part sadness. 
It was weird how much of my life depended on his own. I learned that though I awfully disliked having my feelings tied down to him so much, I couldn’t do anything about it but appreciate them. Although I’d probably die before admitting that to him. 

The rest of the week was void of noise and the bustling familiarity of the house wasn’t as per normal.  The wolves’ absence could be felt; in the emptiness of the rooms and the lack of voices that usually carried throughout the house. I wasn’t used to my surroundings being this quiet and somehow it made me feel restless just to sit there and wait for their arrival, which wouldn’t be due until the next weekend. The girls managed to amuse themselves by going out to dinner during the week, and we had our planned movie nights as we always did in hopes of distracting ourselves from the fact that there was a wide, gaping emptiness that filled the room and pressed down upon our shoulders. 
The alphas were the one ones around, much to Krystal and Mihye’s contentment. They deserved it, for this week was one where they were able to relax and let loose just for a little while, to spend the time with their respective mates and actually enjoy their company without having so many responsibilities holding them back.

Kyungsoo returned during mid-week with Melody towing along behind him and scratching the back of her neck in apparent nervousness. She didn’t speak much when we were all together, probably intimidated by the amount of girls that inhabited the space, but when I went to do the dishes that particular evening, she followed me into the kitchen and started rinsing off the plates as a sign that she wanted to help. 
‘How’s it going with Kyungsoo?’ I take this chance to ask her about their relationship, which I instantly feel the girl turn red at the ears. She avoids my gaze when I look at her, adamantly focusing on the plate she’s busy rinsing off as though it has become the most difficult task she had ever done in her life.
‘He’s alright.’ She mumbled, ‘There’s not much to say.’ 
‘Are you still worried?’ I probed some more, knowing that I was treading sensitive waters because for as far as I knew about their relationship, it was still a rocky path that would take some time to be smoothened out. 

‘It’s not me that I’m worried about.’ she looked at me then, her eyes serious and a darker maroon that flashed orange. it was strange how her and Kyungsoo seemed to have similar coloured orbs whenever they exhibited bouts of emotion. She looked out of the window with a soft sigh, ‘I’m more worried about what will become of him if something ever happens to me.’ 
‘Don’t you think you’re thinking a little too far in the future?’ I ask tentatively while handing her another plate. 
‘If I don’t take into consideration everything that may affect our relationship, then who will?’ turned down at the corners, ‘I don’t want to burden Kyungsoo.’ 
‘But you’re not—‘ 
‘Of course I am,’ she raised her voice so suddenly that I flinched, the back of my neck raising in goosebumps as I felt the sheer seriousness of her tone, the bitter aftertaste that seemed to linger in , ‘He’s so stupid, always putting others before himself. He doesn’t even think of himself. That’s what bothers me the most.’ 
Her tone seemed to hold so much irritation that it caused a stifled smile to make its way across my lips. It reminded me of the days back when I couldn’t withstand Luhan’s existence because he was just being an annoying jerk. She had the opposite problem: that Kyungsoo was too much of a gentleman and a soft soul that looked after others before looking after himself, which somehow managed to push her buttons. 
It was funny to think that someone like Kyungsoo had the ability to spark annoyance in someone else, much less his so-called mate.

‘I guess it’s in his nature,’ I mused with a slight teasing grin while I couldn’t help wondering how Kyungsoo seemed to have his work cut out for him, ‘He’s so used to taking care of people that he barely thinks of what he wants.’ 
Melody snorted, but didn’t add anything else. We washed the rest of the dishes in silence, until she broke it with two words that caused the blood to run cold in my veins.

‘I’m scared.’ 

I froze in mid-action before turning towards her, eyes finding her own brown orbs that were filled with worry of the inconsistent future, of all the unsaid questions I could see roaming through her mind and the consistent apprehension that most of these might not have the answers she needed. 

It was only for a few seconds that I got a good glimpse of Melody’s vulnerability, before she looked away and the moment was lost. Her jaw locked into place and I felt her retreat inside her shell. But now that I saw what her inside looked like, I wasn’t about to let go. 

‘We all are,’ I murmured as I dried my hands on the kitchen towel. She settled down on one of the chairs surrounding the island, and I did the same, sitting on the opposite side, ‘I think it’s normal to be scared of what you don’t know.’
Her lips tightened at the edges, ‘I’m fine with getting hurt. It’s not something new,’ her tone was soft and yet held so much pain that it made my own heart squeeze between my lungs, ‘But I don’t want him to get hurt.’ swallowing, she then bit her lip, ‘He doesn’t deserve that.’ 
So she did care more than she let on. Melody might have seemed like a complete at our first encounter but she was a good person, deep down where it counted. And I understood her more than she could imagine, for I was the same. I was always misunderstood for being scary, for talking in a rough manner and having a permanent scowl etched on my face. It must have taken a lot of courage for Melody to tell me what was eating away at her insides. It was something I shouldn’t be taking for granted.

‘I think the best thing to do is to believe that everything will work out.’ I told her, ‘You can’t give in to what the myth says. Because that’s what it wants you to do.’ 

The said russet-coloured wolf suddenly blundered through the kitchen at the appropriate time, which I took as my cue to leave them alone. Walking to my room and flopping down on Luhan’s bed, I stared up at the ceiling and wished more than anything for Luhan to be here at this particular moment. It was just one of these days where I missed him a little bit more than usual. The hollowness in my chest had widened and I couldn’t wait till the day he’d be back from his little escapade.

The wolves made their appearance as the week, each one dirtier than the next as they spoke of the stories involving the other clans that had been shared with them during their stay. I was getting more and more anxious while waiting for Luhan, the only distraction being my part time job that managed to put him out of my mind.  By Thursday night, when Baekhyun was the one to make an appearance at the door — much to Taehee’s joy who jumped into his arms the moment she caught sight of her mate — I was practically gnawing on my nails in nervousness. My mind started flickering through the various scenarios of bad things that could happen to Luhan through his forest traveling. It was something to go hunting at night and be patrolling the perimeter; it was his job, it was something familiar that he did. But he’d been gone for over a week and there was no helping the little knot of worry I felt as I thought of all the things that could go wrong.

Friday night came around and there was still no sign of him. It was the eve of the wedding ceremony and Suho’s constant flittering around didn’t invoke any comfort. He looked just as anxious as I was, and though he’d told me that Luhan was safe and that he could still hear him, I was doubtful as to whether that statement was true. 
I hung out in the front porch, leaning against the wooden railing as I heard the commotion of the wolves inside when they settled down in the living room. The wedding decorations had already been set up during the week and I one of the pale turquoise ribbons that lined the edges of the porch, letting out a soft sigh. It was already dark out, shadows created by the light of the moon and casting a soft ominous glow onto the forest that lay beyond me. 
Where was he and what the heck was he doing? I kept asking myself these questions over and over again, hating how uneasy my heart was beating. 

The dark seemed pretty scary too, it wasn’t helping that there was a small chill in the air that formed goosebumps along the back of my arms. I crossed them over my chest in hopes of dispelling the cold, in hopes that it would halt the fear crawling up my spine at the numerous possibilities that this night could hold. 

I heard a crack. 

I froze. 

Could it be—?
I turned towards the sound, Luhan’s name falling silently from my lips as I took a hesitant step towards its source. I could feel my heart beating at hundred miles per hour, but grabbed my courage with both hands and slowly crept forward towards the blackness, eyebrows furrowed as I tried to make out the dark shapes silhouetted by the moon’s light. 
It wasn’t helping, for I couldn’t see anything at all. Another crack sounded and, jumping slightly, I called out a ‘Luhan?’ 
No answer. I pressed my lips together, taking another step forward until I was practically face to face with the eternal darkness. I tried calling out his name once more, but only silence answered. 

And suddenly, something sprung from the shadows. 
I screamed, tumbling back and feeling my legs buckling as I fell to the ground on my . Groaning at the impact, I didn’t have time to blink as I felt a weight press down atop my body, a furry face ing into my face. 

Two silver orbs looked back at me, open and gentle, amused and familiar. 

My heart soared. 
‘Luhan?’ I murmured as I cupped his face with both hands. The wolf seemed to nod and smirk slightly, before I pulled his head to mine and breathed out in part relief and part happiness. 
‘Oh my god,’ I exhaled a breathe I didn’t know I had been keeping, ‘You crazy mutt. Why are you so ing late?’ 
He made a sound of protest against my curses, but nuzzled his face against mine, nose insistently ing into my neck as I held onto his warmth and made sure that he was here, in person, that he was well and real and present. 

‘Where have you been?’ I couldn’t help but ask when I pulled his face away from mine, so I could look into his eyes. They reflected the light from the moon, glistening with sincere apology as they insistently probed every feature of my face. I threw him a glare, ‘Everyone’s already here. Why’d you take so long to come back? The least you could do is actually give me an answer, you dumb wolf.’ 

Before my eyes, he changed back into his human form. I hadn’t realized that my breath had caught in the middle of my throat as I gazed at his face and took in all of his features. He had a few scraps of dirt clinging to his features, a few minimal cuts that weren’t too severe, and yet the concern washed through me.

‘What happened to you?’ my hands didn’t hesitate to turn his face this way and that, examining all the blemishes he’d acquired, probably from tree branches or twigs he’d scraped by during his run. 
‘It’s just scratches, nothing major,’ he said as he pulled my hands away and cradled them in his own. He was smiling, eyes crinkling softly in what seemed like part amusement and part affection, ‘Missed me?’ 
‘Missed you?’ I scoffed, ‘Well, I—‘
He suddenly leaned closer, ‘You did, didn’t you?’ 
‘You think too highly of yourself,’ I retorted, pushing his head away only to fail when his arms suddenly wound around my waist and pulled me in so that our noses were brushing. 
I gulped. 
‘I missed you.’ he murmured softly, warm breath washing over my face and causing a few tingles of electricity to jump up and down along my spine. 
‘A-Anyway,’ I stammered my way through words and tried veering his concentration away from the situation by asking, ‘How was the small trip?’ 
Luhan’s face washed with a sort of serenity, an indication that he was really glad about this whole ordeal of visiting other families. Leaning back to sit more comfortably on the ground, he didn’t hesitate to pull me along with him, not caring as a yelp escaped my mouth when I fell in between his legs. 

He continued talking as though it was the most normal thing in the world, ‘It was alright. It was nice to see them,’ his lips curved up in a smile, gaze softening, ‘All the cubs grew up so much I barely recognized them.’ 

I chuckled, ‘Children do grow up too fast.’ 

‘Yeah,’ he titled his head back, gazing at the moon that glinted off the surface of the trees and skimmed over the forest, ‘You’ll meet them at the wedding. I’m sure they’ll love you. They asked so many questions about you that I felt like my ears were burning off.’ 
I groaned, ‘Great. Am I going to have to play a million questions again?’ 
‘It’s a little sacrifice you have to make if you wanna be mine.’ 
‘Can I take back my words?’ 
His arms tightened and he snuggled closer to my neck, nose brushing against the sensitive skin as he chuckled, ‘Nope. It’s non-refundable.’ 

A comfortable silence settled between us. I took this time to appreciate every little detail about him, every surface and crevice of his body pressed against mine to give out a warmth that only he could provide. There was a sense of comfort, a sense of security and protection evoked throughout his touch. It felt like coming home to a place of peace and serenity, something I hadn’t felt in a long time until I met him and understood what home really meant.

His breathing slowed to a steady pace and assumed that it was the tiredness taking over. I pulled him away and slung his arm around my shoulder before struggling to stand up. 
‘Let’s get you to bed,’ I told him. He blinked at me, dazed for a minute as my words registered through his brain. He nodded then and allowed me to drag him up the stairs. Soft greetings were exchanged as the wolves caught sight of him, and while I sent him off to take a shower, I bumped into Melody in the hallway as I was bringing him a fresh set of clothes. 

‘You’re looking happy,’ she noted, practically scaring me out of my wits as she appeared behind me. 
I jumped, head whipping back to face her. My cheeks flushed as I hadn’t realized I had been skipping until she mentioned so. 
‘Your wolf came back safe and sound, didn’t he?’
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak in such an embarrassing situation.
‘Well, have fun.’ she walked right past me but I didn’t fail to notice the smirk dancing across the curve of her lips. I was about to retort back a reply just to save my pride, but before I could do that I watched her bump into Kyungsoo’s emerging figure from his room.

I watched her stumble slightly to the side, making sure to avoid contact which failed royally when the said wolf gently stabilized her with a hand on the small of her back. 

‘Careful.’ Kyungsoo said in the most Kyungsoo tone ever, steady and gentle, firm and kind. He didn’t look at all affected by the situation, but Melody’s face clearly said otherwise. She was as red as a fuming engine and as though he’d burned her, she took a giant step back from his touch. 

‘I’m fine,’ she stated, chin held high before walking past him. 
I sent Kyungsoo a pointed look and a sly smile before entering Luhan’s room, but not before catching sight of his scowl and narrow-eyed glare he sent my way, intense enough to kill me if he could. 
From what I saw, they seemed to be making progress with their relationship, not intimately but in a way that friends would act towards each other. 
Although in Melody’s case, it was clear that she had lower self-restraint and was definitely showcasing signs that there might be something more, that it was already something more to her. 

I walked back into Luhan's room to see the said wolf sprawled out on one side of the bed, limbs relaxed and body freshly washed from the shower. His eyelids fluttered open at the sound of my footsteps, heavy and drowsy with sleep. I padded over, climbing over his body and playfully pushing his middle as I did so.

He hummed before wrapping an arm around my waist while rolling me over so that I was pressed against his body. His warmth was a blessing after spending so many days without his presence. 

Turning his face towards me and nuzzling his nose into my cheek, he breathed a soft murmur, 'What time do we have to get up tomorrow?'

'Probably early morning, as per Taehee's words.' I shivered, his touch rendering me warm and fuzzy all over.

He groaned like a little kid and buried his face into the crook of my neck, 'I'm tired.' he whined.

'Everyone else is too,' I rolled my eyes, 'Go sleep.' 

I turned my head towards him when I received no answer, only to find his silver orbs gazing at me with so much intensity I felt like squirming. 

'What?' I asked, inwardly thanking my voice for sounding stable though I clearly wasn't. 

He kept quiet as I stared at him. The silence dragged on for what seemed like ages, and when I was about to ask him if he wanted a picture of my face(of course, me being the sarcastic I was), Luhan suddenly moved closer before pressing a soft, chaste kiss onto the edge of my lips. 

I blinked at him, slightly confused and flushed with heat, 'What was that for?' I asked lamely.

He just smiled at me and let out a soft chuckle before pressing his lips once more to mine. It was soft and delicate, as though he was professing his feelings through that mere action. It left me breathless even though it was slow and steady and caused a fiery warmth to ignite in the middle of my chest.

When we parted for air, he murmured a soft, 'Thank you.' 

'For what?' I frowned.

'I don't know. Just--' he moved his shoulder to indicate a shrug, 'for staying, I guess.' 

I knew what he meant by that. He said those words so lightly and yet they held so much weight. I felt a smile of my own tug at the corners of my lips and I couldn't help grinning at him the dim light of the room, not caring whether it made me look like an idiot. He was the most sensitive soul sometimes that it made my heart ache with sweetness, and though I felt like retorting at his statement or telling him off for sounding so sappy (like I'd be doing in normal circumstances), the expression on his face told me otherwise; he was serious and sincere and I just didn't have the heart to break his small bubble of gratitude. It was one of these moments where Luhan was the most vulnerable, where he bared his soul open for me to see, and I wasn't about to close that door in his face.

So I just raised my hand and ran it through his locks, gently combing my fingers through to showcase my affection. 

'I could say the same to you, ahjusshi.'

And when I fell asleep that night, I knew that I had a permanent smile on my face.

ERRR MAAAAA GAWWWWD ALL THE FLUFF EWWWW LET ME JUST GO BARF IN A CORNER /throws up/

Luhan and Seulmi are getting cuter and closer by the minute, and their blood ritual is soon to be revealed in the next chapter! Seriously though, hats off to Luhan for breaking down Seulmi's walls cause man she is one tough cookie. Good job for him! 

Now is Kyungsoo's turn; did you guys want to know more about Kyungsoo and Melody's relationship? CAUSE I'M SO DOWN FOR WRITING THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY /Kyungsoo is my secret bae tbh/ 

Thanks as always for reading and for supporting this story. Comments are always loved and cherished :,) thank you for taking the time from your day to read this if you are, it means a lot to me <3 

- nutmeggu