Before the Dawn - chp. 3
TITLE: Before the Dawn
RATING: PG to PG-15ish?
PAIRING/FOCUS: Jongho (Main), Cheundong/Krystal (sub) [others to be determined]
GENRE: ...adventure, au, romance?
NOTES: Eh...I think this seemed a little bit rushed and I didn't mean for it to turn out the way it did. lol. I think Taemin seemed to be the focus of this chapter but oh well.
PLOT AND CAST LIST (UPDATED...SLIGHTLY) || PROLOGUE + CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO
( ( Chapter Three ) )
He woke up in the middle of the night, just randomly. His heart thudded loudly in the cavity of his chest and his palms were sweaty. A chill descended on him and his eyes darted around wildly. It was as if he was suffocating, as if he couldn’t breath, as if he was missing something. Light footsteps ringing out near his doors made him reach instinctively for the dagger beneath his pillow and a sudden, light touch to his forehead made his muscles relax. He could feel the sleep beginning to take over and the panic that had taken over his mind began its slow fade away. He fell asleep the moment his head re-hit the pillow.
“Well this is more frustrating than usual. I‘ve never had to break in to get home before,” the voice was light and the young woman turned, her eyes moving from the sleeping form towards the door. She blinked for a moment then smiled at the young man in the doorway. She draped a blanket across the form before crossing the room towards the door. He gently stepped aside, allowing her to close the door.
“When’d you get back?” she asked gently as they made their rounds through the guild. Long, thin fingers threaded through light brown hair before they locked at the back of his head and the young man answered, “A few moments ago. Didn’t want to wake you all so I just came in through the back door. Of course, some new face I don’t remember, ever, attacked me right off the bat. Threw him a sleep spell so now he’s probably going to get an awful crick in his neck in the morning,”
“Ah. We got a new member to the guild today. Although I don’t think it was by choice,” an eyebrow rose and he gave a faint smirk.
“So the threads are all coming together then? Hm,” she looked up, brows furrowing. There was a look of confusion across her face and he just laughed softly, patting the shorter guild member on the head. “Don’t mind me. Just babbling,”
“You’re weirder than normal Taemin-ah,” and the woman shook her head. “I told chief he shouldn’t have sent you on that solo. Did you get hit over the head a couple of times again?”
“Nah. It was an easy mission anyways. Just a bit of lifting and roof fixing in the next town over. My host was very nice though. She kept doting on me,” was the easy enough reply. He cocked his head and grinned as the young woman laughed softly. “Go to sleep. I’ll finish the rounds and ask about our new face in the morning,”
“But you just got back. Aren‘t you tired at all?” she pressed. He grinned and ruffled her set hair. She squawked.
“Nope. I slept the entire way back up. Hitchhiked and some woman and her escorts brought me back,” and he gently nudged her towards her room. He frowned playfully. “Don’t make me case a sleep spell. I can assure that the moment your head connects with the floor, it will hurt,”
“Alright. Alright. Just don’t stay up so late alright Taemin-ah? People don’t like it when you fall asleep on them during our missions,” he just smiled and waved her off. She lightly patted his arm and he just pushed her towards the room.
“I’m cute enough that they don’t care,” she just laughed again and headed into her room. “Sleep well,”
“Good night Taemin-ah,” and he waved before making his way out towards the front rooms of the guild.
For a moment, he stood in the foyer and just stared out at the front doors, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. His eyes darkened and a nonexistent breeze ruffled his oddly cut long hair about his shoulders, brushing at his neck and cheeks. His lips curled into a dark frown and he raised his eyes to peer just above the door, not at it but rather at the sky that twinkled with stars above the doors. He hissed, letting air leave through his lips in an irritated fashion before he pulled a hand from his pocket and brushed his hair away from his face. He spun on his heels. Lee Taemin had rounds to do.
~*~*~
It was probably early morning when the furious knocking rang out at the front doors. Some of the early risers, Luna, Sulli and Joon (who was rubbing the back of his neck with a grimace and wondering if he was dreaming when he saw that ridiculously pretty man the night before) included blinked before they moved towards the door. They probably got out into the front yard, reaching for the doors when there was the sound of dropping cloth. Joon squawked at the man’s sudden appearance and Luna nodded to him.
“Go wake up the Chief. I think he’d be amused that his lordling who said he wasn’t going to be his pet, has returned to the guild. Bright and early,” Mir grinned. “Much like a dog returning home,” he was gifted with something hard and heavy colliding into the back of his skull. He pitched forward just as the doors opened and Luna held back a grin when one of the two sub-leaders of the guild ended up in a sprawled on his hands and knees in front of the Lord of Westfall, Choi Minho, and another handsome man, Park Sanghyun, better known as Cheundong, the Lord Northglenn.
“We needn’t such a big welcome there,” the 2nd man said with a wide grin. He turned to Minho who stepped neatly over Mir’s crumpled form. “You didn’t mention how polite they were when you got home yesterday. Look at the welcome,”
“Wot’s wit the ‘oise so early?” the words were slightly slurred and Luna turned as their chief made his less than grand appearance. His multi-colored hair was fluffy and quite messy and Luna giggled at his bed head. His pants were hanging quite low on his hips, exposing the flat expanse of his stomach and he was pulling on a shirt, absently knotting and buttoning it where it was required. He yawned sleepily, a hand raising to cover his mouth before he peeked through an eye at the Mir heap. “Yah, Cheulyong-ah, you know I don’t like to be up before noon. What are you doing making so much noise?”
“Chief, you could’ve at least made yourself presentable first,” Sulli said with a soft sigh. Jonghyun just blinked sleepily then looked down at what he was wearing before looked on the ground where a block of what looked like petrified wood was sitting. His lips quirked faintly, his head tilting and Sulli asked, “Chief?”
“Minnie came home?” and he looked back up, almost not registering the fact that there were two lords standing in the entrance to his guild. He turned to face his guild members instead.
“Came home last night Chief, knocked out Joonie here and took over doing rounds,” the voice was lightly amused as the young man dropped from the roof. Jonghyun’s smile brightened at the sight of him and somehow, for some reason, it didn’t sit well in Minho’s stomach. Or maybe it was because the small chief didn’t even notice him. Joon let out a strange squawk that Mir (who was picking himself up now), laughed at and he waved at the tall youth entering their odd ball crowd. He was tall, towering a little bit over Jonghyun and his light brown hair had been pulled into a messy tail at the back of his head. His eyes flickered and only the perceptible noticed him stiffening when he looked over Cheundong and Minho but he smiled when nonetheless. “Morn’ chief. But you know, you shouldn’t be so rude, we’ve got guests,”
“Hm-ah!” and Minho, for a moment, actually wanted Jonghyun to forget seeing him as he landed hard on the ground with an armful of Jonghyun. Cheundong laughed and Minho glowered up at his cousin while the other guild members grinned. Jonghyun beamed at him and Minho’s stomach felt at little bit funny. “PET! You came back home!!”
“Yah, this isn’t my home,” Minho growled and Jonghyun just patted his dark hair before standing. The smaller man’s hand slid around to grasp his wrist, much like the day before, and easily jerked him up.
“Aww but pet, you’ll like it here eventually. You’ll hate going home at that point,” Jonghyun answered brightly. Minho lightly dusted himself off and retorted with a, “I don’t think so,” to which Jonghyun pouted lightly. He shook it off quite quickly and he smiled. “You and the Lord Northglenn will stay for breakfast though right? And Lunch? My girls are quite the talented chefs,”
“I don-” Minho was cut off by a sharp jab to the gut and Cheundong answered cheerily, “We’d love to,”
And Jonghyun happily clapped his hands together before he looped his arm with Minho’s and the small guild chief proceeded to drag Minho into the guild, his members watching in amusement. Cheundong looked amused and Taemin laughed. The members of the guild were following and eventually it was just Cheundong and Taemin. Cheundong moved forward and Taemin threw out his arm, blocking the other’s way. Cheundong looked confused as he looked over the slightly smaller male.
“Is there something I can assist you with?” the older male asked. Taemin just frowned and slowly drew his arm back, something clenched within his fingers. There was a pulse of blue-green from his hand and he opened his palm. Cheundong blinked in curiosity and then, his heart seized in his very chest and Cheundong took an involuntary step back, trying to escape the strange pressure that dropped. Taemin spun on his heels to face the older man, the spin speaking of both elegance and danger. Taemin crossed his arms. And all of a sudden, Cheundong was trapped. Trapped between the wall and this elegant, dangerous mercenary he never met. Taemin reached out, planting his hand palm first against the wall and his breath ghosted over the Lord’s skin, sending shivers up his spine.
“I hope you know exactly what you‘re doing lordling. Because if you don‘t,” the words were hissed with cold malice and Cheundong fought for his very breath as all air seemed to be squeezed from his body. His muscles tensed and his body screamed angrily for air. Taemin’s fingers dug into the wall and Cheundong felt his body seize and he gasped. His legs threatened to buckle and he managed a hoarse sound. Taemin frowned darkly at the lord. His head was bowed, his body tensed so much that he couldn’t move and his lungs screamed for air. “Should you and your fellow lord harm my guild, my family at all. Run. And run very far lordling,”
“We do not have that intention mercenary,” Cheundong managed nervously. There was something about this mercenary that seemed to give birth to fear in his gut. Taemin frowned, a little bit disbelieving before he stepped back and Cheundong felt air return to his lungs.
“Then you have my apologies,” Taemin said stiffly. There was a moment of silence between them and they both turned when someone entered through the doors. She blinked furiously and Taemin smiled. “Lord Northglenn, Jung Krystal. She and her sister live up the street from us. They visit often,”
“Children! My pet’s hungry!” came the sing-song voice of Jonghyun and Cheundong’s lips quirked slightly when he heard Minho’s irritated, “Again! I’m NOT your PET!”
“But PET!!” the trip could hear the whine followed by a crash and a yell of, “Goddamnit! Get off me!”
~*~*~
The manor was quiet as the two lords slipped into their home. Minho looked thoroughly irritated and Cheundong was contemplative. The both of them dismissed the maids and butlers before they entered Minho’s study and the both of them collapsed onto the long couch. There was a moment of silence then Minho managed hoarsely, “There is no way that a guild like that is capable of overthrowing the empire. They don’t even function like a guild. Did you see how unorganized they were?”
“I agree,” Cheundong nodded. “The only thing their capable of doing is burning their own guild down and the buildings next to them,”
“Their leader is so bizarre. I know he’s known for being odd but it’s as if he likes picking up strays or something. Why follow someone so uninterested in making a better life for the guild. Everything they did today involved civilian missions. Those don’t pay much,” Cheundong grinned.
“You sound concerned, that’s a first,” and Minho leveled him with a flat stare. He couldn’t help but smirk back at Minho and he asked, “Are we going back tomorrow?”
Minho looked at him, his expression still flat and he answered, “No,”
The two of them were at the doors of the Rathian guild bright and early the next morning. And every morning following that for the next 3 days.
On the fifth morning, something went wrong.
RATING: PG to PG-15ish?
PAIRING/FOCUS: Jongho (Main), Cheundong/Krystal (sub) [others to be determined]
GENRE: ...adventure, au, romance?
NOTES: Eh...I think this seemed a little bit rushed and I didn't mean for it to turn out the way it did. lol. I think Taemin seemed to be the focus of this chapter but oh well.
PLOT AND CAST LIST (UPDATED...SLIGHTLY) || PROLOGUE + CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO
( ( Chapter Three ) )
He woke up in the middle of the night, just randomly. His heart thudded loudly in the cavity of his chest and his palms were sweaty. A chill descended on him and his eyes darted around wildly. It was as if he was suffocating, as if he couldn’t breath, as if he was missing something. Light footsteps ringing out near his doors made him reach instinctively for the dagger beneath his pillow and a sudden, light touch to his forehead made his muscles relax. He could feel the sleep beginning to take over and the panic that had taken over his mind began its slow fade away. He fell asleep the moment his head re-hit the pillow.
“Well this is more frustrating than usual. I‘ve never had to break in to get home before,” the voice was light and the young woman turned, her eyes moving from the sleeping form towards the door. She blinked for a moment then smiled at the young man in the doorway. She draped a blanket across the form before crossing the room towards the door. He gently stepped aside, allowing her to close the door.
“When’d you get back?” she asked gently as they made their rounds through the guild. Long, thin fingers threaded through light brown hair before they locked at the back of his head and the young man answered, “A few moments ago. Didn’t want to wake you all so I just came in through the back door. Of course, some new face I don’t remember, ever, attacked me right off the bat. Threw him a sleep spell so now he’s probably going to get an awful crick in his neck in the morning,”
“Ah. We got a new member to the guild today. Although I don’t think it was by choice,” an eyebrow rose and he gave a faint smirk.
“So the threads are all coming together then? Hm,” she looked up, brows furrowing. There was a look of confusion across her face and he just laughed softly, patting the shorter guild member on the head. “Don’t mind me. Just babbling,”
“You’re weirder than normal Taemin-ah,” and the woman shook her head. “I told chief he shouldn’t have sent you on that solo. Did you get hit over the head a couple of times again?”
“Nah. It was an easy mission anyways. Just a bit of lifting and roof fixing in the next town over. My host was very nice though. She kept doting on me,” was the easy enough reply. He cocked his head and grinned as the young woman laughed softly. “Go to sleep. I’ll finish the rounds and ask about our new face in the morning,”
“But you just got back. Aren‘t you tired at all?” she pressed. He grinned and ruffled her set hair. She squawked.
“Nope. I slept the entire way back up. Hitchhiked and some woman and her escorts brought me back,” and he gently nudged her towards her room. He frowned playfully. “Don’t make me case a sleep spell. I can assure that the moment your head connects with the floor, it will hurt,”
“Alright. Alright. Just don’t stay up so late alright Taemin-ah? People don’t like it when you fall asleep on them during our missions,” he just smiled and waved her off. She lightly patted his arm and he just pushed her towards the room.
“I’m cute enough that they don’t care,” she just laughed again and headed into her room. “Sleep well,”
“Good night Taemin-ah,” and he waved before making his way out towards the front rooms of the guild.
For a moment, he stood in the foyer and just stared out at the front doors, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. His eyes darkened and a nonexistent breeze ruffled his oddly cut long hair about his shoulders, brushing at his neck and cheeks. His lips curled into a dark frown and he raised his eyes to peer just above the door, not at it but rather at the sky that twinkled with stars above the doors. He hissed, letting air leave through his lips in an irritated fashion before he pulled a hand from his pocket and brushed his hair away from his face. He spun on his heels. Lee Taemin had rounds to do.
~*~*~
It was probably early morning when the furious knocking rang out at the front doors. Some of the early risers, Luna, Sulli and Joon (who was rubbing the back of his neck with a grimace and wondering if he was dreaming when he saw that ridiculously pretty man the night before) included blinked before they moved towards the door. They probably got out into the front yard, reaching for the doors when there was the sound of dropping cloth. Joon squawked at the man’s sudden appearance and Luna nodded to him.
“Go wake up the Chief. I think he’d be amused that his lordling who said he wasn’t going to be his pet, has returned to the guild. Bright and early,” Mir grinned. “Much like a dog returning home,” he was gifted with something hard and heavy colliding into the back of his skull. He pitched forward just as the doors opened and Luna held back a grin when one of the two sub-leaders of the guild ended up in a sprawled on his hands and knees in front of the Lord of Westfall, Choi Minho, and another handsome man, Park Sanghyun, better known as Cheundong, the Lord Northglenn.
“We needn’t such a big welcome there,” the 2nd man said with a wide grin. He turned to Minho who stepped neatly over Mir’s crumpled form. “You didn’t mention how polite they were when you got home yesterday. Look at the welcome,”
“Wot’s wit the ‘oise so early?” the words were slightly slurred and Luna turned as their chief made his less than grand appearance. His multi-colored hair was fluffy and quite messy and Luna giggled at his bed head. His pants were hanging quite low on his hips, exposing the flat expanse of his stomach and he was pulling on a shirt, absently knotting and buttoning it where it was required. He yawned sleepily, a hand raising to cover his mouth before he peeked through an eye at the Mir heap. “Yah, Cheulyong-ah, you know I don’t like to be up before noon. What are you doing making so much noise?”
“Chief, you could’ve at least made yourself presentable first,” Sulli said with a soft sigh. Jonghyun just blinked sleepily then looked down at what he was wearing before looked on the ground where a block of what looked like petrified wood was sitting. His lips quirked faintly, his head tilting and Sulli asked, “Chief?”
“Minnie came home?” and he looked back up, almost not registering the fact that there were two lords standing in the entrance to his guild. He turned to face his guild members instead.
“Came home last night Chief, knocked out Joonie here and took over doing rounds,” the voice was lightly amused as the young man dropped from the roof. Jonghyun’s smile brightened at the sight of him and somehow, for some reason, it didn’t sit well in Minho’s stomach. Or maybe it was because the small chief didn’t even notice him. Joon let out a strange squawk that Mir (who was picking himself up now), laughed at and he waved at the tall youth entering their odd ball crowd. He was tall, towering a little bit over Jonghyun and his light brown hair had been pulled into a messy tail at the back of his head. His eyes flickered and only the perceptible noticed him stiffening when he looked over Cheundong and Minho but he smiled when nonetheless. “Morn’ chief. But you know, you shouldn’t be so rude, we’ve got guests,”
“Hm-ah!” and Minho, for a moment, actually wanted Jonghyun to forget seeing him as he landed hard on the ground with an armful of Jonghyun. Cheundong laughed and Minho glowered up at his cousin while the other guild members grinned. Jonghyun beamed at him and Minho’s stomach felt at little bit funny. “PET! You came back home!!”
“Yah, this isn’t my home,” Minho growled and Jonghyun just patted his dark hair before standing. The smaller man’s hand slid around to grasp his wrist, much like the day before, and easily jerked him up.
“Aww but pet, you’ll like it here eventually. You’ll hate going home at that point,” Jonghyun answered brightly. Minho lightly dusted himself off and retorted with a, “I don’t think so,” to which Jonghyun pouted lightly. He shook it off quite quickly and he smiled. “You and the Lord Northglenn will stay for breakfast though right? And Lunch? My girls are quite the talented chefs,”
“I don-” Minho was cut off by a sharp jab to the gut and Cheundong answered cheerily, “We’d love to,”
And Jonghyun happily clapped his hands together before he looped his arm with Minho’s and the small guild chief proceeded to drag Minho into the guild, his members watching in amusement. Cheundong looked amused and Taemin laughed. The members of the guild were following and eventually it was just Cheundong and Taemin. Cheundong moved forward and Taemin threw out his arm, blocking the other’s way. Cheundong looked confused as he looked over the slightly smaller male.
“Is there something I can assist you with?” the older male asked. Taemin just frowned and slowly drew his arm back, something clenched within his fingers. There was a pulse of blue-green from his hand and he opened his palm. Cheundong blinked in curiosity and then, his heart seized in his very chest and Cheundong took an involuntary step back, trying to escape the strange pressure that dropped. Taemin spun on his heels to face the older man, the spin speaking of both elegance and danger. Taemin crossed his arms. And all of a sudden, Cheundong was trapped. Trapped between the wall and this elegant, dangerous mercenary he never met. Taemin reached out, planting his hand palm first against the wall and his breath ghosted over the Lord’s skin, sending shivers up his spine.
“I hope you know exactly what you‘re doing lordling. Because if you don‘t,” the words were hissed with cold malice and Cheundong fought for his very breath as all air seemed to be squeezed from his body. His muscles tensed and his body screamed angrily for air. Taemin’s fingers dug into the wall and Cheundong felt his body seize and he gasped. His legs threatened to buckle and he managed a hoarse sound. Taemin frowned darkly at the lord. His head was bowed, his body tensed so much that he couldn’t move and his lungs screamed for air. “Should you and your fellow lord harm my guild, my family at all. Run. And run very far lordling,”
“We do not have that intention mercenary,” Cheundong managed nervously. There was something about this mercenary that seemed to give birth to fear in his gut. Taemin frowned, a little bit disbelieving before he stepped back and Cheundong felt air return to his lungs.
“Then you have my apologies,” Taemin said stiffly. There was a moment of silence between them and they both turned when someone entered through the doors. She blinked furiously and Taemin smiled. “Lord Northglenn, Jung Krystal. She and her sister live up the street from us. They visit often,”
“Children! My pet’s hungry!” came the sing-song voice of Jonghyun and Cheundong’s lips quirked slightly when he heard Minho’s irritated, “Again! I’m NOT your PET!”
“But PET!!” the trip could hear the whine followed by a crash and a yell of, “Goddamnit! Get off me!”
~*~*~
The manor was quiet as the two lords slipped into their home. Minho looked thoroughly irritated and Cheundong was contemplative. The both of them dismissed the maids and butlers before they entered Minho’s study and the both of them collapsed onto the long couch. There was a moment of silence then Minho managed hoarsely, “There is no way that a guild like that is capable of overthrowing the empire. They don’t even function like a guild. Did you see how unorganized they were?”
“I agree,” Cheundong nodded. “The only thing their capable of doing is burning their own guild down and the buildings next to them,”
“Their leader is so bizarre. I know he’s known for being odd but it’s as if he likes picking up strays or something. Why follow someone so uninterested in making a better life for the guild. Everything they did today involved civilian missions. Those don’t pay much,” Cheundong grinned.
“You sound concerned, that’s a first,” and Minho leveled him with a flat stare. He couldn’t help but smirk back at Minho and he asked, “Are we going back tomorrow?”
Minho looked at him, his expression still flat and he answered, “No,”
The two of them were at the doors of the Rathian guild bright and early the next morning. And every morning following that for the next 3 days.
On the fifth morning, something went wrong.