Before the Dawn - Chp. 6
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: [[Okay. I'm sorry for being so late. I meant to update last week but the plot bunnies fled from me and I didn't come up with anything until yesterday]]
PLOT AND CAST LIST || PROLOGUE + CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO || CHAPTER THREE || CHAPTER FOUR || CHAPTER FIVE
((CHAPTER SIX))
They probably made it to the next town somewhere between dusk and twilight. Their caravan was soaked through the top but surprisingly; everyone was in quite high spirits. Well, everyone except for Taemin anyways. As their caravan pulled into the town and they moved to get out of the rain at the nearest, Taemin just hopped off the caravan, winding the leather reins in his hands as he led the horses away. There was a moment of pause and Minho nearly bowled into Jonghyun as he watched Taemin for a brief minute or so. The taller of the two looked down almost in irritation at Jonghyun’s head but instead of snarking at him, he just squeezed his shoulder lightly.
It worried him just a bit when Jonghyun gasped quietly and jerked away. There was a moment where, when Jonghyun looked back at him, it pulled his gut because the older man didn’t seem to recognize him.
“Jonghyun?” his voice was quiet and Jonghyun blinked. His head tilted before his eyes brightened and he smiled up at Minho. He looped his arms around the taller male and Minho suddenly realized that it was always Jonghyun who initiated physical contact. And if what he just saw said anything, he didn’t like it if someone touched him first.
“M’ okay Minho-pet,” was the cheerful chirp and Minho smiled down at him. There was a moment where Jonghyun’s eyes widened and Sulli, who had been returning to fetch them, blinked when he giggled and hugged him tighter. “Aw, Minho-pet you have such a pretty smile! Smile more often?”
“Hey Chief, the front desk won’t let us get rooms,” Sulli slapped Mir’s arm as he made his untimely appearance. Jonghyun just smiled at the two of them and Minho tried to dismiss the flutter-like feeling in his stomach that suddenly occurred at seeing the older man’s grin.
“Now why not?” and Minho followed as Jonghyun moved towards the inn. The smaller man’s brows knitted as he saw the far and few members of his guild scattered while Joon was trying to talk with the innkeeper. It was quite clear that he was having no luck to getting a few rooms for them. Joon cut off mid-sentence when he saw Jonghyun approach.
“Chief,” he greeted. Jonghyun smiled again. Joon, a little bit of an oddball that they picked up, but amazing with a blade, was a good man. He hadn’t tried to harm them just yet and until the moment he does, Jonghyun would probably keep him in the guild. Jonghyun looked up at the inkeep, and after a moment, he turned his head, hearing a squeak and something, or someone, ducked around a corner. A light smirk-smile combo lit his lips and Jonghyun turned back to the innkeeper.
“I think the Emperor has room reservations. Probably for someone named Kim Jonghyun or Lee Taemin,” he said simply. Cheundong and Minho stiffened. The small guild chief wasn’t talking about the empire’s Emperor was he?
~*~*~
Rainwater caused his hair to stick to his face and neck and he sighed, flicking his hair from his view with a quick shake of his head. Behind him, the horses nickered quietly, a little bit annoyed by the rain. Taemin looked over his shoulder and just whistled softly, the ancient tongue slipping from his lips in a low murmur. It amused him when the horses froze and looked at him wide eyed. Creatures and beasts were more aware of that particular ancient tongue than humans after all. Taemin smiled and just led the stunned beasts into a stable the inn provided. He had only managed to tie them up when sound rang out behind him. He reacted on instinct.
Magic exploded out from his palms in a haze of blues and greens; sweeping him head to toe and he swung his arm up, hearing a clang as something connected with the brace underneath his tunic. His wrist twisted, bending awkwardly to grasp the other person’s wrist and with a strength that belied his small size, he threw the attacker to the ground. His magic sung in the air and adrenaline, instinct and the thrill of a fight were blinding him. Taemin’s hand reared back, power and the Arts swirling around his wrist and arm and he was moving, moving, moving.
“Minnie! It’s Seung-gi-ah!” Jonghyun’s voice broke through the haze clouding him and Taemin’s eyes cleared abruptly. He looked at the target he was charging and with a low muffled curse; he canceled the magic quickly. It exploded out of sight and the backlash threw him backwards with a gasp. He would have hit the wooden pillar the horses were tied to but an arm curled around his shoulders, another settling at his hip and whoever it was curled them both forward. Air fled from Taemin’s lungs and he heard a low grunt as the two of them, well, mainly the one who caught him, connected with the pillar.
For a moment, Taemin’s vision swam and he swore that he was seeing double of everyone in front of him. Jonghyun’s voice pierced his ears and he heard the slightly hysterical shriek of, “Minnie!!” and Minho’s boom of “Sanghyun!”
Ah. So it was the other lordling. But he didn’t have time to think as they both began slipping forward, the momentum of the collision causing them to lose their balance. His foot slid in the dirt and his hand reached out to catch someone’s arm as they slipped forward. Cheundong’s hands left his frame and Taemin was jerked forward. His head dropped forward, hitting a shoulder and he exhaled shakily while behind him, Cheundong grabbed a hold of the pillar, his fingers digging groves into it.
“Minnie!” Jonghyun shrieked. Taemin blinked blearily, staring at someone’s arm as he tried getting his bearings again. It took a moment before the scent of wildflowers and hyacinths registered in his brain and he rasped, “Sulli?”
“At least you can still speak,” came the snip at his hair and he smiled into her shoulder before he straightened, hissing when his vision blurred for a moment. His hands moved from her arms and not a second later, he was glomped by a bundle of clingy, worried, and almost hysterical, Kim Jonghyun.
Taemin tried to ignore the piercing stare that Minho gave him as the taller man helped his cousin, a slightly frantic Krystal next to him. Taemin looked past him to see Luna helping a tall, handsome man to his feet, Mir at her side introducing the slightly bewildered Joon to the man mercenaries knew as “Emperor,” Lee Seung-Gi.
Absently, Taemin sighed quietly, his arms moving to hug the small Guild Chief back. Minho’s stare seemed to have darkened. Sometimes Taemin hated her. He hated her for agreeing to his stupid plan and he hated them both for making his life more difficult than he’d like it to be. He was an immortal for heaven’s sake. He didn't need to deal with all of this.
~*~*~
It was almost midnight when everything was actually sorted out. Introductions were made and over a mug of ale, Seung-Gi cackled in amusement when Jonghyun, whose nerves had no smoothed over somewhat, latched onto Minho’s arm and proudly declared him “My Minho-Pet!” Only Cheundong really took pleasure in seeing the conversation continue. Simply because Jonghyun was seated between Minho and Taemin and when no one was looking, the two of them exchanged amused glances (Taemin) to dark glowers (Minho). Well, it was actually when Jonghyun was enthralled in conversing with Seung-gi, so in reality, it was when Jonghyun wasn’t looking.
It was quite amusing as the night wore on…at least, until the odd group dispersed into their respective rooms for the night. Then the atmosphere dropped a bit.
“Pet, were you worried at all?” From his side of the room, Minho blinked and propped his head up on his arms to look at the other side. He nearly reeled in surprise when Jonghyun suddenly appeared in front of him. Jonghyun smiled at him and Minho blinked. “Were you worried at all Pet?”
“About what?” and Minho silently shuffled aside to let Jonghyun into his bed. His stomach flipped when Jonghyun let out a happy sounding coo and slipped in next to him. The other’s cotton pajamas fluttered lightly against his skin.
“If I didn’t come to save you? If we decided that there was nothing wrong with you being executed,” Jonghyun’s voice was lowering and absently, Minho wrapped his arms around the smaller male, bringing him closer so their chests met and Jonghyun’s hair tickled his chin. “If I let you die. Were you worried at all?”
“…” Minho was silent, his mind whirling at the question. Was he worried? Had he been worried that he would die? His brows furrowed and Jonghyun looked up at him before he lightly patted the other’s cheek. Minho looked down at him and he blinked. Instead of the bright, happy grin he was used to, Jonghyun smiled shyly back up at him. He was silent still and Jonghyun let out a nervous laugh, uncertainly flickering in his eyes. It was probably really insensitive of him to ask such a question at such an early moment.
“Never mind Minho-pet. Forget I asked such a stupid-“
“Yes and no,” and Jonghyun quieted. “I was worried yes, but I don’t think it was about not being saved or about dying. Dying, at that moment, didn’t bother me. Not being saved didn’t bother me either,” Jonghyun opened his mouth to question him when he was pulled closer, closer, closer. He almost stiffened and then he heard the drum of Minho’s heartbeat at his ears. “I think I was bothered and worried by the fact that had I really died, I’d never see you again,”
Jonghyun made a quiet sound and Minho chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the room when the guild chief squeaked breathlessly, “M-Me?”
Minho smiled gently and tilted his chin; murmuring a soft, “Yes you. My Jonghyun,” before he closed the gap between them.