[J06] TAKING FLIGHT
Prompt Code: J6
Title: Taking Flight
Rating: pg 15
Side pairings (if any): none
Word Count: 7507
Summary: Kyungsoo is a terrible Viking
Warnings: bastardisation of norse mythology? (or none)
AN: I really love using fics as a platform to look up stuff ^_^
To say that Kyungsoo was not a good Viking would be a gross understatement. At eighteen, he should have found his calling by now, and have had at least three years training at it. But he was terrible at everything he tried- and he had tried a lot of vocations. He was rubbish at leatherworking, always putting raw leather in the wrong soak, or mixing up which tan should be used where. He was awful at boat-building, cack-handed every time he put his chisel to anything. Pottery was certainly not his forte, and he couldn’t cook either.
But the last straw for his village was his unfortunate inability to wield an axe. First of all, he could barely lift the thing, but when he went to attack the training dummy, it slipped from his clammy fingers. The momentum carried it in a dangerous line, and it landed with a sickening thunk in the side of one of the other trainees.
It had been a catastrophe.
Luckily, Vikings in general were more than capable of dealing with such wounds, especially seasoned raiders, but Kyungsoo was already considered worthless in the community and the chief had had enough. Though his parents had both pleaded on his behalf, he was to be banished for his wrongdoings. He was a liability, no matter how hard he tried. So that was it. He was being sent away on some impossible mission as if he was too naive to understand what it meant.
They laughed as they pushed him onto the boat. Kyungsoo stumbled backwards and landed on his rear, careful not to squash the small burlap bag filled with food that his parents, who had already bid him farewell, had given him. They didn’t expect him to return. It was all he had, apart from the clothes he was wearing- worn leather with a fur trimmed hood, and fur lined boots. The boat rocked dangerously as he stood up. It wasn’t a big boat, but it was still meant for more than one person to steer. Why were they giving it to him? They took a long time to craft: was his banishment really worth sacrificing a boat like this?
“Maybe if you really can reach Odin’s temple, we’ll let you come back and live with us.” One of them said gravely, the tallest of all the people his age: Chanyeol. His eye twitched a little, trying to contain malicious laughter no doubt. Kyungsoo never liked him.
“Yeah! All you would have to do is bring back something to prove it!” They looked at each other, sharing some meaning that Kyungsoo couldn’t grasp, “but you probably wouldn’t even last three days, so there’s no point counting on that!” Kyungsoo glowers, feeling the insult cut right through to his core. He should be used to being made fun of like this, but he doesn’t think he will ever get used to others so boldly calling him worthless.
The elder Viking was standing watch from a little ways away, overseeing everything and making sure that the process went smoothly. He never liked Kyungsoo from the start either, so he didn’t say anything when Chanyeol shoved the side of the boat with his foot, sending it off and nearly making Kyungsoo fall again. He saved himself just in time, however, dropping his pack and desperately trying to steer the ship to the best of his ability. It was not meant for just one person and every time he put the oar into the water the entire thing swerved dangerously to one side, spinning uncontrollably in the strong current. He wanted to call for help, but he knew no one would help him now: the whole purpose of this was to get rid of him.
The boat careened down the river, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol grew smaller and smaller in the distance. As hard as Kyungsoo tried, there was no way to control the boat and he was at the mercy of the harsh currents. After a short while, he gave up trying to change his fate, and let the river decide for him, letting it take him where it would. Even as he sailed over rapids, all he could do was cling onto the side of the small vessel and hope it wouldn’t be destroyed on the rocks below.
-
By the time the boat finally ran into a silt filled riverbank, he was soaked to the bone.
He was so cold and night was falling so it was only going to get colder. He needed to get dry as soon as possible, or he would freeze to death, but either way he would probably die, so it didn’t matter.
Initially, Kyungsoo felt like he should stay near the boat, but after thinking about it he couldn’t see any good reason to do so. Instead, he bravely picked up his pack and, shivering, walked into the edge of the forest. Maybe his clothes would dry as he walked, he hoped. If he could find a clearing, then maybe he’d be able to start a fire for the night. Maybe. He wasn’t too great at starting fires.
Surviving the night was a challenge, but he made it by rolling up underneath all the fallen leaves he could find and using hot stones buried just below him to keep warm. The fire was out by the time he woke up, but that didn’t matter because he started walking again not long after he rose. His hair was full of leaves and his clothes were still slightly on the damp side, but there was no one to impress here. Kyungsoo didn’t care.
He missed his family already and it had only been two days of walking through the unknown forest. He feet hurt and he had no idea where he was headed, but he kept going anyway. What was the point in stopping, other than to sleep or eat? As he walked, despite doing his best to eat only a little of the provisions that he was given by his mother, he ran out fairly quickly. Searching through the wilderness to forage for food was another of his screw up talents, but somehow he managed to keep himself alive. Tree bark didn’t taste good, and it was hard to eat, but it was still edible. He cut his fingers on his tiny knife, but minor injuries were far less important than food so he persevered.
After six days walking, he began to forget what his own voice sounded like, so he hummed quietly to himself. Gradually, he picked up the confidence to sing real songs; with no one around to make fun of him it was much easier to belt out his favourite songs. And when it was dark, singing kept the shadows at bay.
After more than a week of walking alone, he noticed that the landscape around him was changing: there were less deciduous trees and piles of rotting leaves, and more coniferous trees with needle-like leaves, and was that- snow? A sharp incline indicated that he was moving uphill now, and it was then that he realised he was farther away from home than he had thought. Back home, there was always a mountain in the far distance that could be seen through the fog, and sometimes not at all. This must be it. He didn’t cry, though he wanted to. If he started crying now, he knew he would never stop.
-
Night descended upon Kyungsoo, and he felt as though he was being watched, which was ridiculous because he was alone up here in the mountains. Thoroughly, awfully alone. Teeth chattering, he curled up on the ground next to his tiny fire and hoped that the cold wouldn’t kill him tonight. He noticed how thin he had become and wondered which sleep would be his last. One of these days soon he probably wouldn’t wake up, but he closed his eyes anyway.
The watched feeling persisted, and no matter how many times he told himself it was his imagination, he couldn’t shake the notion that someone- or something- was out there. Waiting.
He sat up, eyes searching the dancing darkness around him. “Hello?” He called out. There was no response. Of course, What had he expected? Rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, he curled up again and tried to stay as warm as possible.
Then he heard a noise. A ruffle-y kind of noise, like his mother shaking out some woven linen, or wings flapping. It must have just been a bird, Kyungsoo reasoned, after he stayed still for a while and nothing else happened. As he drifted off to sleep, finally, he swore he heard someone laughing.
The voyeuristic feeling lingered for another day, and small sounds all around him, from the crack of a stick in the distance, to very human laughter, worked him into an anxious mess. Was he going insane? He sang to himself in a vain attempt to block everything out. The sounds were getting closer and closer and it was all Kyungsoo could do to hold himself together.
He wasn’t expecting it when a black silhouette the size of a bear came charging at him from nowhere. He screamed, falling backwards and tumbling down the side of the mountain a little ways, before grappling onto a tree. He clung onto it like a lifeline, too terrified to let go, even when he was able to push himself to his feet. Laughter echoed through the forest, ricocheting off the mountain face and sending shivers down Kyungsoo’s spine.
This must be the end. The gods had sent creatures to eliminate him. He was done for. Kyungsoo trembled, and hid his face, hoping that they would at least kill him swiftly, whatever it was.
“Are...are you ok?” A soft voice asked. A hand placed on his shoulder made him jump and he looked up into the face of a man. His face showed concern, and his eyes had a dark depth that was startling. Kyungsoo couldn’t look away.
“I-I-I...yeah.” Was all Kyungsoo was able to stutter. He clenched his fingers around the tree bark and wondered if he even still looked human.
“Hey, Sehun, get over here,” the strange man called out, without taking his gaze off Kyungsoo. Another tall man came into view, less friendly looking that the first. He eyed Kyungsoo with mild disdain then glared at the first man. Both of them were dressed in black cloaks with glossy feather trim collars, their hoods up to protect against the cold. They looked like they had only been travelling for a little while.
“Look at him, Sehun.”
“I don’t see the problem.” Sehun said, barely opening his mouth.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” The mystery man shook his head in exasperation, “Would you like some help, sweetheart?” He asked, leaning in a little closer and unpeeling Kyungsoo’s fingers from the tree.
“No offense, but what are you doing in the forest if you get so scared like that?” Sehun directed the question at Kyungsoo, and one eyebrow raised. Kyungsoo felt heat rising to his face at the subtle mockery.
“I’m looking for Odin’s Temple.” He said with falsa arrogance. Both strangers shared a look, then openly laughed at him, their faces transforming into radiant masks. Kyungsoo was humiliated. Fuming, he stalked off in the opposite direction, wishing he were a better Viking.
“Wait! Sweetheart, come back, we-I didn’t mean to upset you.” The first man caught up with him quickly, and fell into step with him as easily as if Kyungsoo were a child. Kyungsoo hated how flustered he got at the endearment, even if he was using it to be condescending.
“Leave me alone.” Kyungsoo snapped.
“Hey, hey. No need to be like that, precious. What if I told you we could help you get there?”
“...Really?” Kyungsoo looked up at the man with suspicion, “how do I know I can trust you? I don’t even know your name.
“I don’t know yours, either, sweetheart.” The stranger points out, “My name is Jongin. What’s yours?” His smile was blinding, and Kyungsoo had to look away. Jongin lifted his face with a crooked finger under his chin. Kyungsoo panicked, eyelashes fluttering. He’d never had anyone even feign interest in him like this before, let alone a man.
“Uh. K-Kyungsoo.”
“Well, Kyungsoo, we can help you get to Odin’s temple. What do you say?” Kyungsoo stared at him dumbly for a moment, before the question really registered in his mind. Did he really mean that? Maybe he was just messing with him. But he seemed so earnest! He really wanted to believe him. Maybe this would prove to be a huge mistake, but,
“Ok.” He agreed. Jongin nodded, and slung an arm round his shoulder, walking him back to Sehun who looked extraordinarily unimpressed.
-
Both Sehun and Jongin were much better at surviving on their own than Kyungsoo was, to his embarrassment. They both knew how to hunt, cook, make better fires, stay warm and above all, how to defend themselves. Kyungsoo saw the finesse with which they handled their weapons and wondered if he would ever be that skilled at anything one day.
As a group they walked together through the forest. It was nice to hear someone’s voice other than his own, even if Sehun spoke of things he didn’t understand. Every time Kyungsoo asked him a question he would receive a vague or confusingly worded response. It was frustrating, but Jongin made him feel better, telling him that Sehun just liked to sound smarter than he really was, and calling him sweetheart, or precious. The nicknames made his heart flutter.
Whenever they stopped to rest, Jongin always sat close to him, close enough that he could feel the warmth emanating from him. Kyungsoo tried to convince himself it was just for warmth, but something told him that maybe it wasn’t just that. When the man fed him small mouthfuls of food it made his heart beat faster. Sehun would scoff on the other side of the fire but Jongin paid him no heed, and wiped Kyungsoo’s lips clean with his thumb. Somehow they were always able to find food, even in the harsh frozen environment of the mountainside. Surely he would have died if they had not found him.
Kyungsoo fell into a comfortable routine with the two other men, sleeping together in a huddle to keep warm at night in their small tent (Jongin always a little closer than Sehun) and singing travelling songs together. It hardly mattered anymore that their destination was far away, company was worth more to him than fulfilling some impossible quest.
“I know how to set a fire, I’m just really bad at it,” Kyungsoo insisted. Jongin had promised him earlier to help him make the fire for tonight when the time came, but he didn’t want him to think that he was totally ignorant. He had had that problem when Jongin was teaching him how to set traps and cook meat properly, and it had been embarrassing enough then. Even children knew how to start fires.
“Ok then, you go ahead.” Jongin smiled warmly, “I’ll jump in if you need help, alright?”
“Alright.” Kyungsoo agreed dubiously. He looked at the pile of sticks beside him, all of various sizes, and thought about where to begin. He picked up a selection of smallish sticks and was about to start arranging them, but Jongin stopped him before he could do so, placing his large hand over Kyungsoo’s.
“Hey, wait, wait. Start with something smaller. Use your knife to shave off some bits of bark for tinder. It’s easier to use flax, but we ran out.” He explained, pointing at a larger log that one of them had found. Kyungsoo was always amazed at how they managed to find dry wood in a snowy forest like this one. “Then use those small sticks as kindling.”
“Oh.” Kyungsoo avoided meeting his eye, cheeks blooming pink. So much for knowing how to build a fire. Keeping his head down, he scraped some curls of wood from a stick until he had enough to fill both his hands. Then, mindful that he was being watched still, he carefully laid his twigs over the top. He made sure that they converged at the top, and worked his way through the sticks until he ran out.
“That looks beautiful.” Jongin said, handing him a flint stone and a serrated shard of iron. “Almost a shame it’s going to burn, huh?”
“Yeah.” Kyungsoo held the iron above the tinder, the flint in his other hand, and prepared to strike it.
“Hold on.” Jongin intervened. He took Kyungsoo’s hands and guided his motions. Kyungsoo liked the contrast of their hands- Jongin’s were a bit bigger than his own, and he had a naturally darker skin tone. He set the iron shard down so it was touching the ground. “This will make it more stable, and you’ll get a better spark this way.”
“I see.” Kyungsoo hit the iron and grinned, exultant, when his tinder caught alight after only two tries.
“I knew you could do it!” Jongin exclaimed, pulling Kyungsoo into his side. It wasn’t the burning embers that sent a flush of warmth through him then.
-
Kyungsoo woke up shivering. He reached out around him to see where Jongin and Sehun had gone, but he couldn’t reach anyone in the inky blackness. Softly, he called out their names, but there was no response. He tried reaching out again, patting the nearby ground, but all he found was their empty bedrolls. Beginning to panic, Kyungsoo called out their names again, louder. They must have left him- but why wouldn’t they bring their belongings with them? It made no sense. Perhaps they had gone to relieve themselves, and gotten lost. Or hurt. At the same time. He had to look for them! Drawing out his little knife from its place in his boot, he got up and headed into the eerie forest, ignoring low tree branches that stroked his arms and made him jump. A rippling, airy sound, loud enough in the silence to frighten him, made the knife almost slip out of his hand.
“Kyungsoo?” Jongin’s voice, unexpected, really did make him drop the knife then. It tumbled into a heap of snow, “Kyungsoo, sweetheart, where are you?”
“You lost him?” Sehun’s irritable scolding came then.
“He’s not here. We need to find him.” Kyungsoo heard footsteps in the snow, coming his way. He scrambled to find his knife before they found him. His frigid fingers closed around the hilt just as Jongin stopped in front of him. Kyungsoo looked up at him guiltily. Though he couldn’t see his face, Jongin seemed relieved to see him.
“There you are.” He said quietly. “What were you doing?”
“I-I was looking for you: you weren’t there when I woke up, so I worried you were hurt or...or something.”
“Oh, Kyungsoo. No, we are fine. Come back to sleep, there is still a long while until daybreak.” Jongin helped him up, tugging him so hard that Kyungsoo went flying into his broad chest. Jongin held him there for a moment, and Kyungsoo was glad that he couldn’t see the redness rising on his face. When they curled up to go back to sleep, Jongin laid his hand gently on his stomach.
After a few days, Kyungsoo almost forgot about the mysterious vanishing act. Nothing changed; they continued singing songs together and telling stories of the gods and other fantastical creatures. Kyungsoo told them about his family, and how he came to be in the mountain like this.
Sometimes Sehun and Jongin woke up with feathers in their hair. From their hoods, they said. It was funny to see them like that, and Kyungsoo liked picking them out and combing Jongin’s hair. He offered to comb Sehun’s hair too, but the aloof man declined.
“How far away is Odin’s temple from here?” Kyungsoo asked, teasingly. He knew by now that they probably wouldn’t ever get there, and that they were just kidding about helping him. He didn’t mind though; he was happy just spending time with the two men. Even Sehun seemed to like him a little more now.
“Uh,” Jongin frowned and looked to Sehun as if he might have the answer. He glared at him, seeming to communicate something that Kyungsoo didn’t understand. Jongin frowned back and Kyungsoo felt a little lost between them.
“It’s still quite far from here.” Jongin said, hesitation evident in the way he spoke. He looked in the opposite direction, staring out into the distance. It was a lovely view- snow tipped fir trees covering the valley like a warm fur lined coat- but Kyungsoo stared instead at Jongin. He was lost in thought, watching the horizon pensively.
“Yes. And there is much to be done before we reach there,” Sehun said cryptically, eyeing Jongin. The man in question shrugged, glanced quickly at Kyungsoo, then continued walking. Sehun made a short noise of disgust, and followed after him, his long legs making it easier to keep up with him while Kyungsoo lagged behind a little ways.
Kyungsoo woke up in Jongin’s arms. It was still early in the morning, the sun not having risen yet. Jongin’s heat was pleasant, and his closeness even more so. Trying not to wonder what the people back home would think about this, he bit his lip and leaned against him. He smelled good, like foreign spices, and Kyungsoo breathed it in, dazed. He was coming to the dawning realisation that he was falling for this man, despite him being, well, a man. It didn’t matter. Kyungsoo was fine with it. He would never return back to that tiny village anyway, so regardless what they would have thought of him, they would never be able to hurt him. No, only Jongin had that power now. The man shifted ever so slightly in his sleep, pulling him closer, and Kyungsoo smiled against his chest.
He closed his eyes, intending to relax until Jongin woke up, but they shot open again when the tent opened. It was only Sehun, but Kyungsoo was still embarrassed. Despite only being able to see his silhouette, he knew Sehun was angry about something. He looked ruffled, and he was muttering indistinctly to himself. The vehemence increased when he saw Kyungsoo, making him cringe. Maybe he had been wrong about Sehun starting to like him after all.
“This is getting ridiculous.” Sehun kicked Jongin, waking him up roughly. Jongin jerked awake, immediately settling a disgruntled stare at his friend. Sehun reciprocated with an icy glare of his own. “Get. Up.” Was all he said before exiting the small tent again. As soon as he left, Jongin deflated. He sat up slowly, bringing Kyungsoo with him.
“Sorry about him sweetheart. It’s not you he’s angry with, don’t worry.” Neither of them made to move, locked in a silent conversation with no words. Jongin’s eyelashes fluttered, and he broke eye-contact, looking instead at his mouth. He cupped Kyungsoo cheek gently, setting his insides aglow. Kyungsoo wanted to kiss him then. His lips parted, and Jongin’s mimicked his. Kyungsoo leaned in-
“Get up!” Sehun slapped the side of the tent, effectively ruining the moment. Jongin winced, letting his hand fall.
“Alright. Since Mr. Grumpy Feathers seems intent on walking in the cold for as long as possible today, let’s get this tent rolled up, hm?” Jongin made a displeased face.
“Yeah. Why is he so…” Kyungsoo waved his hands, failing to find the right word.
“Uptight?” Jongin smiled, “It’s not something I’m allowed to tell you, I’m afraid.”
“Oh.” Kyungsoo wondered what the reason could be, and came up short. While Jongin was like an open book sometimes, Sehun was a locked chest. Secretive and mysterious. He always seemed annoyed when Jongin told Kyungsoo about their past, and their childhood.
Packing their things away, he found two blue-black feathers in their bedrolls, and another four outside. It was not the first time he had found so many, but Kyungsoo thought that if their hoods were losing so many feathers, it was a wonder their cloaks didn’t go bald.
“Hey, why don’t you sing for us again, Kyungsoo? You sing so well, like a songbird.” Jongin encourages. Kyungsoo grins, brimming with pleasure at the compliment, and obliges happily.
They were sat around the fire again, passing the time waiting for their food to cook by telling stories. The fire made Jongin look incandescent, and Kyungsoo was having a hard time not openly staring, as he did almost every night.
“Muginn and Huginn? Surely you know of them?” Jongin asked, poking at a log with a smaller stick as he crouched over the fire pit.
“Of course I do,” Kyungsoo scoffed, “They are the ravens that gather information for Odin. They fly around the world and then perch on his shoulders to tell him everything they saw.”
“That’s right, but I bet you don’t know any more than that.” Jongin teased. Kyungsoo wrinkled his nose.
“No, you’re right. There are not many stories about them.”
“That’s because they are secretive creatures. They prefer it when they know more about everything else than others know of them.” Sehun interjected, before Jongin could speak. The two of them shared a look again, speaking in expressions. Jongin reluctantly gives in, shoulders sagging.
“How about the story of when Thor and the giants had a drinking competition, instead?”
-
“Jongin, this is getting- no, this is beyond ridiculous.” Kyungsoo awoke to the sound of Sehun’s voice. Kyungsoo realised he was alone again in the tent, which meant that Sehun had to be arguing with Jongin outside. He sounded extraordinarily angry, although he kept his voice quiet. What on earth could be the problem? Kyungsoo was too afraid to even roll over, in case they heard him and stopped talking. He wanted to know what was going on.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Jongin tried to placate him. Kyungsoo could see the familiar way he’d raise his hands in his mind’s eye.
“No you’re not.” Sehun hissed, “you’re not sorry at all. You only ever think about what you want- in fact, do you even think at all? It’s all ‘I want, I want’ with you. You have a job to do, but you’re not doing it. Stop wasting your time on that stupid human boy!”
“He’s not stupid!” Jongin defended him. Kyungsoo felt a rush of something, affection maybe, flooding his body.
“He can barely make a fire without you there holding his hand all the way through it.”
“Maybe I want to be there to hold his hand through it.” Jongin argued back.
“There you go again with your wanting-” Sehun stopped short in his tirade, during which the silence swelled with tension until Kyungsoo could barely breathe. He strained to listen harder as Sehun dropped his volume even further.
“You can’t be serious- you’re such an idiot! You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you? You’ve actually gone and fallen in love with the boy!” Jongin made no counter argument. Was he talking about him? Did Sehun mean to say that Jongin had fallen for Kyungsoo? The thought made his heart race. He had done his best to keep that part of him under lock and key, in case Jongin was just a flirt by nature, but now he wasn’t sure if he could continue.
“I don’t believe this.” Sehun griped. “I don’t believe this. You’re so unbearably stupid.” Sehun continued to mutter to himself until Kyungsoo could no longer make out what he was saying. He could hear him pacing back and forth, the snow squeaking as it gave way underneath his heavy footfalls.
“I’m going to tell him.” Sehun announced.
“No!” Jongin gasped, “No you can’t! Sehun, please! You can’t tell him!”
“What other choice is there?”
“I-! I don’t know.” Kyungsoo had never heard such emotion in Jongin’s voice before, and it moved him.
“You know exactly what you have to do.” Sehun said. He must have walked away then, because he heard the sound of his cloak whipping in the air, then nothing. The air was so still that Kyungsoo thought time itself might have stopped. He waited a long time for Jongin to return to bed, but nothing happened. Who was ‘him’? He was certain they didn’t mean Kyungsoo, no, Jongin sounded far too afraid for that.
He had almost drifted off to sleep when the tent door opened and Jongin shuffled his way in.
“Oh, sorry sweetheart. I didn’t mean to wake you. Nature calls, you know?” He lied. It surprised Kyungsoo how much it hurt to hear the blatant untruth.
“It’s ok.” He replied. Kyungsoo felt like he was swimming in secrets; maybe he was out of his depth with these two.
Sehun vanished the next day. He didn’t return in the morning, and he didn’t appear the next day, or the day after that. Jongin told him not to worry about it, but Kyungsoo couldn’t help it. Jongin became even closer than before, almost as if Sehun leaving made him bolder. He was constantly touching him, holding his gaze, and it was making Kyungsoo nervous. Without Sehun there to alleviate the mood between them Kyungsoo knew that sooner or later one of their resolves would crumble. It was going to happen, Kyungsoo could feel it. The question was only when.
“We aren’t that far from the top of the mountain. Odin’s Temple is just beyond the point where the clouds meet the stone.” Jongin said, one evening. It came out of nowhere, and reminded Kyungsoo that he had come here with a mission. They were perched on a rocky outcrop, overlooking the valley far below. If Kyungsoo squinted, he could see his village, the fire in the village centre a distant yellow star.
“Oh?” Kyungsoo asked. What could he mean by bringing this up now? Did he mean to fulfil only his promise to take Kyungsoo there? Would he leave afterwards? He wasn’t able to finish his contemplation, because Jongin turned to him, lifting his face with gentle fingers. Kyungsoo was captured by his eyes, and couldn’t have looked away even if he wanted to. His breath caught in his throat at the intensity behind Jongin’s gaze.
“I do not want to leave you.” He confessed.
“Then don’t.” Kyungsoo replied, trying to make Jongin understand that he wanted to stay with him, too. Jongin let out a soft, relieved laugh, and leaned in. Their lips touched, and Kyungsoo’s eyes fluttered shut. This was it; the moment he had been waiting for. His hands flew to clutch at Jongin’s sleeves- it was everything he’d dreamed of and more. Kyungsoo felt like he was flying; when Jongin pulled away, Kyungsoo followed him, not willing to put an end to this moment just yet. Jongin laughed. Were those tears in his eyes?
“Come with me.” He whispered against his ear, before pulling him up and leading him to their belongings, which they had left in a haphazard pile earlier. Jongin was quick to pull out their sleeping furs, spreading them down over the frozen ground. The taller man tugged Kyungsoo down to lie on them, and draped his body on top of him, looking down at him with starry eyes.
“You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.” He sighed, before kissing him again, and unfastening the knots that held his clothes together. The cold air on his bare skin made him shiver, but Jongin’s touch warmed him. Although it hurt a little at first, Jongin’s sweet words made him forget about the pain, and his gentle hands only heightened the burn inside him.
Afterwards, they lay there together, holding each other close. Their bodies were so tangled that Kyungsoo would have been hard pressed to tell where he ended and Jongin began.
“Will you sing for me?” Jongin asked, his voice hoarse. “A lullaby?”
“Of course.” Kyungsoo murmured, then began to hum a lilting melody.
-
It was still warm; the sleeping furs swaddled around him were cosy and he didn’t want to move just yet. He replayed the memories of the night before in his mind, and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He rolled over, so he could embrace Jongin again, dizzy with joy. His hands fell on air.
He wasn’t there. Confused, Kyungsoo sat up and looked around. The small tent lay rolled up next to the cold charcoal of the fire, untouched. There weren’t even and footprints in the snow. Jongin had completely disappeared.
Kyungsoo sat still for a long time, before the cold crept into his bones, and he had to put his clothes back on. He refused to believe that Jongin was just gone. He wouldn’t just leave him, not after last night. Of course he wouldn’t. Right? He loved him. They loved each other. It was as simple as that, wasn’t it?
But as the hours passed, and the sun reached its zenith, Kyungsoo was forced to accept that Jongin wasn’t coming back any time soon.
He set his mouth into a determined line. Jongin had said it wasn’t too far to the mountain peak, and therefore to Odin’s temple. He knew enough now to survive fine on his own now, he was absolutely sure; he just had to get there now. He didn’t make a sound as he packed his sleeping rolls, but tears rolled over his cheeks.
So this was what it felt like to have your heart broken.
As he was just finishing packing everything up, something caught his eye: a dark smudge in the snow a little ways away. He squinted, and went to investigate. It was a feather, blue-black and glossy, about the length of Kyungsoo’s hand. It must have come from Jongin’s hood, he reasoned. He gripped it tightly in his fist, and internally warred over whether he should keep it, or leave it here.
In the end, he tied it into his shirt, and hoped it wouldn’t prove to be a bad idea in the future.
Kyungsoo didn’t sing as he walked. Singing reminded him of Jongin, and thoughts of the man he loved hurt. Just walking hurt, but he pushed through the sting. He focused on the necessities, doing only the bare minimum to live. He just needed to get to the top of the mountain, nothing else mattered. If there was nothing up there, then he could die knowing that he at least tried his best. Maybe in a hundred years’ time people would find his body and wonder if he made it to Valhalla.
Every so often, he found another feather. Each one, he attached to his clothing, until he was a mess of them. He didn’t stop to wonder what he looked like.
On his fourth day of walking, it faintly registered in the back of his mind that he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him. It took him another hour before he realised why: he had reached the point where the clouds touched the stone. Not far now, he thought to himself, pushing on.
The damp fog cleared, and Kyungsoo found it harder and harder to breathe. He was getting lightheaded, but he knew he had to keep going. That was all he ever did after all- try. If he stopped now, then all his effort up till now would have been for nothing.
He trudged past an opening in the mountainside. He would have overlooked it entirely had he not spotted a single black feather sitting atop a small rock, just inside the cave. He frowned. Something about its deliberateness made him want to explore further. In fact, now that he thought of it, all the feathers seemed to have been placed on purpose. Maybe Jongin was leading him here? Maybe he would be waiting inside. He knew it was silly to cling to a hope like that, but he couldn’t help it.
It darkened considerably the deeper into the cave he went. He didn’t like it- the stalagmite and stalactites reminded him of teeth and it was like he was walking into the mouth of one of the great creatures from Jongin and Sehun’s tales. He kept bumping into them because he couldn’t see where he was going. He really hoped that wherever this led, it was worth it.
A red-orange glow up ahead rekindled his urge to move forward- a fire! That meant there had to be someone in here! He ended up disappointed, however, when it turned out to just be a torch embedded in the wall. The whole cave from there onwards was lined with them, so he concluded that there had to be someone in here. He just had to keep looking.
As Kyungsoo travelled further the cave widened, and he saw an archway ahead, carved ornately with heavenly symbols. Kyungsoo stopped to marvel at it, running his fingers over the details. It was so lifelike, so perfect; no human could have carved this. A cool wind blew through the doorway, setting his teeth on edge. Was this Odin’s Temple?
There was only one way to find out: he took a step forward, knees shaking.
The moment he entered the huge chamber, two lines of huge flames erupted from the floor, leading up to the far end of the chamber. A figure was seated there, on a throne. He looked huge, twice the size of a normal man at least. His beard was braided and knotted intricately, and one of his eyes was scarred shut. Two large black dogs lay at his feet- one of them took interest in him, looking up in curiosity, but ultimately decided that he wasn’t worth its time.
Hesitant, Kyungsoo took a step forward, and then another, and another. Slowly, cautiously, he edged his way towards the mysterious man. Could it really be Odin?
The flickering light of the fire made it hard to see, but he thought could see two birds sat on either side of his throne. Huginn and Muginn, the bringers of knowledge. It had to be Odin.
As he drew nearer, one of the birds- ravens, he saw now that he was closer- squawked loudly, flapping its wings. The other turned to it, screeching terribly, and soon it looked like they were fighting.
“Hush!” The god rumbled, his voice like an earthquake. Kyungsoo gripped his pack tightly, willing himself not to show fear. The birds immediately silenced, looking as demure as it were possible for birds to look.
“So.” He spoke again, slowly, as though he had all the time in the world to be heard. “This is the mortal. This quivering creature before me: this is the one?” He turned his head slightly to the ravens, “I question your taste, Muginn, but if he consents, I will not refuse”
“W-w-what?” Kyungsoo stepped back, ready to run if he needed to. This didn't sound good for him.
One of the ravens fluttered down onto the ground before him. As it landed, it spun, and transformed into a human in a flurry of feathers and wingbeats.
“Jongin.” He breathed.
“I knew you could do it,” Jongin smiled, moisture threatening to overflow from his eyes. Kyungsoo paused for a minute, looking the man over and making sure it was really him, before lunging forward and drawing him into his arms. In that instant, he completely forgot about the god on his throne beside him.
“Jongin!” He cried into his chest, “why did you leave me?” Jongin’s arms crept around his middle, hands rubbing soothing circles into his back.
“I didn’t want to.” Jongin pleaded, “I didn’t want to leave you- but I had a job to do, and Sehun threatened to tell if I stayed with you.”
“That’s because you were being irrational.” Sehun droned from behind them, “you still are.” He complained.
Kyungsoo glared at him; as far as he was concerned, Sehun was the root of this mess. Sehun winced at the intensity of his stare, opened his mouth, then closed it again, sulking.
“Hey,” Jongin whispered, caressing his cheek with the back of his fingers and bringing his attention back to him. “We- we have a proposition for you.” He began, “Odin has the power to change your form: if- if you wanted, you could become like us. You could stay with me.” He rested his forehead against Kyungsoo’s and everything else in the universe fell out of existence.
“I could?” Kyungsoo choked up. He was crying now too.
“Yeah.” He laughed, eyes crinkling up, “You would have to help us gather information, but that’s the only downside. So, how about it? Will you stay?” His face was so open, so vulnerable. Kyungsoo smiled through the tears, and nodded, unable to say the word yes out loud. Jongin laughed triumphantly, picking the shorter man up and twirling him around. Kyungsoo clung tight, crying out in surprise. Their pirouette slowed to a halt, but Jongin didn’t let him go.
“You know...I never got to tell you that I love you.” Kyungsoo mumbled shyly, his face drifting closer to Jongin’s. Jongin sighed happily,
“I never got to tell you that I love you either.”
“Ahem.” Odin himself interrupted the two lovers, amused, “If you two have finished reuniting, would you tell me your decision?” Without releasing his hold on Kyungsoo, Jongin turned around to face his master.
“And so?” The god spoke only to Kyungsoo. The human gulped, but braced himself. It was now or never.
“I wish to become a raven, like Sehun and Jongin.” He announced clearly, looking Odin straight in the eye. The god of knowledge smiled benevolently.
Kyungsoo’s skin began to tingle, pulling and stretching his bones. It was unpleasant, but Jongin held his hand throughout it. He closed his eyes until it was over, focusing on Jongin’s fingers tangled with his instead of the sharp prickling sensation flowing over his body. When the discomfort faded, he looked around him, then down at his body- he was a bird. He spread his wings, and tried to mimic what he saw Jongin do to transform. It came to him more easily than even he expected.
“Congratulations.” Odin intoned, “You will start work in the morning.”
“Thank you!” Kyungsoo bowed low, unable to fully articulate how grateful he was.
“Ravenhood suits you.” Jongin commented proudly, looking him up and down. Kyungsoo smirked.
“Thank you Jongin... or should I call you Muginn?” Jongin flushed scarlet,
“No, I prefer it when you call me Jongin.” He mumbled, staring at Kyungsoo's mouth. Kyungsoo wanted to kiss him, but with Odin and Sehun there he knew it would be bad timing. “C’mon,” Jongin urged, taking Kyungsoo’s hand and running. He led him back through the tunnel Kyungsoo had just entered from, both their laughter and footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Kyungsoo felt like a child again; and in a way that was true. He had just been reborn into a new life. Jongin looked back at him, eyes sparkling, and Kyungsoo knew he had made the right choice.
“Ready?” Jongin called behind him, as they burst from the cave, stopping just short of the edge of the precipice. A stone crumbled off the ridge, and tumbled down into the abyss below.
“Yes!” Kyungsoo cried back, finally letting go of Jongin’s hand and running without him. He jumped, transforming in mid-air and taking flight. It felt glorious to have the wind beneath his wings. Kyungsoo had never felt so at ease than in the skies with Jongin. He looked back, and saw that Jongin had followed him without hesitation. “Race you!” He cawed.
“You’re on!” Jongin crowed back, swooping underneath him and appearing on his other side.
Kyungsoo wasn’t even sure where they were racing to as they floated over the valley, ducking and soaring across vast stretches of land. The sounds of their laughter could be heard for miles. Once they had had their fill of flying, they tumbled to the ground in a grassy field. They left a trail of flattened green stalks as they transformed into their human forms, tangled together in a mess of limbs and panting heavily.
“I’m so happy,” Jongin sighed, staring down at Kyungsoo with adoration. “I never wanted anyone more than I want you, I feel so lucky to have you here, with me.”
“We’re both lucky to have each other.” Kyungsoo agreed, reaching around to grasp Jongin’s dark hair, and pulling him down to kiss him again. If anyone were to ask Kyungsoo what his idea of bliss was, it would be this. Kyungsoo knew that there were still things to resolve, and this didn’t make everything perfect, even though it felt like it right now. But he chose to ignore those doubts for the moment, pushing them away from his mind and focusing instead on the man he loved.
Things would be different from now on.