Before the Dawn - chp. 9
TITLE: Before the Dawn
AUTHOR: Kurokitsune09 ^^
RATING: PG to PG-15ish?
PAIRING/FOCUS: Jongho (Main), Cheundong/Krystal (sub-main) SulTae (sub-main)
GENRE: ...adventure, au, romance?
NOTES: I have just one thing to say: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! I SWEAR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LIKE THIS ORIGINALLY!!
PLOT AND CAST LIST (Image update: Jonghyun's appearance will change starting either chapter 10/11.)
|| PROLOGUE + CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO || CHAPTER THREE || CHAPTER FOUR || CHAPTER FIVE || CHAPTER SIX || CHAPTER SEVEN || CHAPTER EIGHT.
((CHAPTER 9))
Jonghyun probably hadn’t stepped out of his room for more than a few seconds when there was an angry war cry it seemed and a little bit surprised, he stepped back into Minho who wrapped his arms around him. Jonghyun probably would have stiffened if it wasn’t for seeing a blur of chestnut, black, and dark red flash past him, wrapped in a slight haze of green and blue. He recognized the magical signature immediately and Taemin’s name was halfway out of his mouth when Sulli appeared at the corner, eyes blazing and daggers held tightly in her hands.
“Lee Taemin you fucking stand right there and explain that to me right now!” Jonghyun blinked in surprise as Sulli shrieked angrily at him. It was rare that she ever got this angry, and to get this angry with Taemin, something must have been really wrong. Jonghyun always held a silent notion that the two of them were close. They were almost attached at the hip when they were still-Jonghyun frowned softly, cutting off his train of thought abruptly. Sulli’s eyes flashed and she shrieked, “Lee Taemin!”
“Shitshitshitshit,” Taemin hissed and he ran at the wall, running up on it for two seconds before he flipped off and one Sulli’s daggers dug right into the spot where his head would have been. His magic flared in response to the attack and with a low, inaudible groan, he held it back in. His eyes flickered and Taemin dimly realized that he actually had no place to run. His magic sang almost violently and he could hear that voice again. He winced.
“We can take care of the human girl. Let it go, let it go,” the voice was almost whispering at him and Taemin frowned tightly, a hand moving to the front of his eyes.
“That’s enough!” was his answer and for a moment, the voice silenced. Then pain exploded violently in front of his eyes and all control was wrenched from him in an instant.
~*~*~
Cheundong’s head snapped up and something he was talking to Joon about was stopped halfway in his mouth. His eyes narrowed and he cursed, suddenly and creatively before he ordered Joon to stay in his seats and not to follow him. The Arts swirled around his words and he made sure that he was protected before he lurched from his seat down towards the hallways.
He met up with a worried Krystal and behind her was Seung-gi. Without remotely thinking he sent the both backwards with a flick of his hand and he paused for a moment just to make sure they were safe before he continued on. He burst into the hall and the swirl of blue and green was so suffocating that he actually gagged for a moment. It was powerful and the color spoke of Taemin but the vehemence, the dark nature behind it all spoke of him.
“Lucifer that’s enough!” Cheundong’s voice boomed and his stomach lurched when the younger turned. A cold smirk was on his face and Cheundong could barely make out the form of Sulli sprawled on the ground behind him. He couldn’t tell if she was bleeding or not and that frightened him. Because he had absolutely no limits on what he did where as Taemin did. He never knew when to stop. “Damn it. What the fuck did you do Lucifer?”
“The human was challenging us,” was the purr and Cheundong hissed. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed.
“Give Taemin back control Lucifer,” a cold edge was creeping into Cheundong’s voice now and from the cover of their room and partially closed door, Jonghyun and Minho stood next to each other, well, Jonghyun hiding mostly behind Minho, watching in both fascinated horror and confusion. “Taemin” laughed softly and he flexed his hand, watching as magic swirled around his wrist and his eyes flickered when Jonghyun made a quiet noise. “I’m serious Lucifer. Give Taemin back control,”
“I’m afraid he’s in a lot of pain right now. So much in fact, that he probably won’t be in control for quite some time,” on the ground, Sulli, who was half-way conscious, became quite aware that the speaker may have been wearing the face of her Taemin but he was definitely not her Taemin. Not the Taemin who was decisive, deadly and scary beautiful as a mercenary and was dorky, cute and all too endearing as her friend. This wasn’t her Taemin. And obviously, Jonghyun knew him.
“What did you do to him Lucifer?” It surprised Cheundong for a moment that Jonghyun asked him, and addressed him by name. His mind whirled and then he came to the conclusion that Jonghyun had obviously met this Taemin before. And judging by how stony his face was becoming, it wasn’t a pleasant meeting or recollection. The small chief had moved from behind Minho and was standing on par with Cheundong, next to the young ex-lord and there was a strange tremble in the air. “What did you do to our Taemin-ah?”
“Now that hurts you know chiefling,” dark eyes flickered and Jonghyun frowned tightly. His hair fluffed a little bit and his eyes seemed to glow eerily. “He and I are one chiefling. I cannot do anything to harm him…much,”
“Give him back control Lucifer,” Cheundong knew that the other could hear the anxiety in his voice because no matter how soft and angelic both Taemin and Lucifer were physically; they were both dangerous. And sometimes, when Taemin wasn’t conscious or watching, Lucifer was just a little bit more dangerous than Taemin himself. The corners of “Taemin” lips quirked and it obviously didn’t sit well with Jonghyun because before he could speak, the small leader was on him.
There was a loud thud as Jonghyun threw the other mercenary bodily over his shoulder and it sickened the small leader when he realized that they way the other’s face twisted in pain gave him some sort of satisfaction. Behind him, Minho and Cheundong rushed towards Sulli and they helped the rather groggy girl to her feet. “Taemin” growled as he picked himself up.
“So this is how you repay someone who saved you isn’t it Kim Jonghyun?!” The snarl was cold, malicious and “Taemin” sneered when Jonghyun froze. “If I hadn’t been for me, if it hadn’t been for Taemin and I, you’d still be that tyrant’s little fuck toy wouldn’t you?”
Jonghyun’s eyes widened and Sulli, even in her state, wanted to charge forward, to scream at her fellow mercenary. Cheundong and Minho were silent and Jonghyun was terrified. Completely and totally terrified. The other sneered, feeling proud almost then his entire body jerked forward. Sulli almost screamed when Taemin hit the ground on his knees and he thrashed almost blindly. Then…he stopped.
“Fuck,” the single word was filled with everything that was Taemin, just Taemin, their Taemin. Jonghyun almost flinched when the younger looked up. Taemin winced and he stood, wobbly and a hand traveled to his shoulder almost awkwardly. He bit his lip as Mir and Luna arrived at their location, Luna panting and clearly very ticked and Mir looking slightly pale. Taemin didn’t need to ask to know that they heard him. “Chief-I,”
“Get out,” Jonghyun’s voice was quiet, inaudible almost but it cut into Taemin’s words like a knife through butter and Taemin flinched as if he was visibly struck. Jonghyun shrank into his room and he bowed his head. “All of you. Get the FUCK OUT!”
The Arts lashed out, Jonghyun’s door slamming shut and Luna and Taemin flinched as the magic began to take place. Luna looked pained and there was no doubt that they could feel the wards being placed. Thousand upon thousands. Taemin’s eyes closed and he let guilt eat at him before he tossed his head to the side and he vanished. Luna let out a mournful cry and Mir gently pulled her into his arms while Sulli wrapped her arms around herself. Cheundong didn’t know what to do; his mind wasn’t keeping up at all.
Inside the room, Jonghyun let his magic run free for the first time in his life and it covered him in a thick, soothing though sorrow-filled blanket. He leaned his head against the door and felt as if he was breaking down the middle. Memories and images of a dark world assaulted him and he buried his face into his knees.
He just wanted all of it to end. Just to end.
~*~*~
“Jonghyun,” the voice came sometime later and Jonghyun slowly raised his head from his knees. He let his head bop back against the door and he mumbled, “Go away Minho-pet,” His voice trembled faintly and he added softly, “Please,”
“Jonghyun, open the door,” Minho’s voice rang again. “Jonghyun, please,”
“Just go away Minho-pet,” Jonghyun buried his face into his knees again. He felt the door tremble as Minho knocked again and placed a hand flat against it. There was a small flare of light from his palm and his chest tightened when he heard Minho curse as the taller male was physically thrown from the doors. “Just go away,” and he moved from the door towards the bed. He crawled into it and buried himself under the blankets. “Just go away,”
~*~*~
She appeared in the room with a light flourish, her long hair swaying around her shoulders and she looked down at the small form huddled in the blankets. Her lips curled into a soft frown and she gently ran a hand down the sleeping form’s cheeks, brushing away at tear marks. She whispered in the ancient tongue and she murmured lightly. Her smile was sad and she moved away, disappearing as the door finally clicked open.
~*~*~
He shut the door gently behind him, locking it as he approached the bed. His heart clenched when he seemed to realize how small the other seemed. So small, so fragile. His movements were hesitant and he gently touched Jonghyun’s shoulders.
“Jonghyun?” the body jerked, waking up abruptly and in an instant, the smaller man was across the room, clinging a pillow to his chest and his frame hidden in a corner. His eyes were wide, wild and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. It hurt to see how much he was trembling and Minho crossed forward slowly, hesitantly and he repeated the older man’s name softly, “Jonghyun?”
“Don’t-Do-Don’t,” his heart broke in his chest and Minho wanted to cry and beat the fucker who reduced his Jonghyun to this terrified, confused mess before him and Minho was very sure that his target wasn’t going to be Taemin, or the other Taemin. He walked forward, moving closer and he gently reached out, his chest tightening when he shrank away. He gently touched his arm and the smaller man shrieked in complete terror, wanting nothing more than to jerk away. Minho caught him in his arms before he could and he thrashed. “Don’t touch me! J-just-“
“Jonghyun, Jonghyun it’s okay,” he murmured softly and the smaller male thrashed for another moment or two before he just stopped, his hands clutching at Minho’s shirt. His head bowed into his chest and his frame trembled. He pressed a soft kiss to the blond and brown gradient hair and the smaller man muffled a soft sound, a sob in his shirt and Minho just held him a little tighter. “It’s okay. I’m right here, I’ll be just right here,”
And he wasn’t ever going to let go.
~*~*~
It was as if the heavens were mocking him, angry with him as he sat up on the roof of the inn. A sudden, angry bitter wind was trying to rip him to bits and his skin was a bright red where the gales had tore at him. His hair was flying madly around his face and he ignored the worried screaming from below, on the ground where people were trying to find him. He couldn’t face them. Not when he had-and Taemin sighed, leaning back onto the roof, ignoring how the jagged edges pressed into his back and at his skin through his tunic.
Above him, he was staring into the dark sky, watching as the clouds rolled and the sound of thunder rumbled angrily in the far distance. Taemin actually knew that if the other immortal wanted to, he would have struck Taemin with or without an order from their mother. He could hear Lucifer’s crazed cackle in the back of his mind and he sighed, ignoring the dropping temperature as a sudden rain and snow combination poured down on him. He was tempted to relinquish control to Lucifer but decided against it; he didn’t need more shit thrown at their already somewhat miserable party.
There was a moment and Taemin decided. His magic swirled around him and he vanished from the roof, appearing with a less than grandeur flourish in the inn. A few patrons looked at him surprise and Taemin figured that he must have looked like a mess. The sudden change in temperature made goose bumps rise all over his skin and Taemin winced at the abrupt chill sweeping him head to toe. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he went hunting for some of the guild. He stalked through the inn and found the scattered, mismatched members of his party sitting around a table. There was a somber feeling in the air and Taemin knew it was his fault.
“Yah,” his voice was quiet but it still made Joon jump three feet in the air and Sulli clutched at her daggers. Mir and Luna scowled, something dark in their eyes made his stomach turn and Taemin looked at Cheundong who was frowning into his mug of ale. “Sanghyun-ah,”
“…” the other didn’t answer and Taemin continued quietly.
“I’m heading to the underground. I’ll be back later. I’m going to trust them to you alright?” Because I can’t trust myself. And Taemin smiled bitterly. Cheundong looked up, his eyes flickering and the older man smiled tightly.
“Yeah. No problem Min-ah,” Cheundong answered. He downed a mouthful of the ale and just as Taemin turned to go he uttered, “Be careful Min-ah. Years of your inactivity may have made it that much more dangerous than it used to be,”
“I know. I’m not worried,” Taemin answered. His eyes flickered and he gave the older man a lopsided grin. “If I’m not back in the morning, then worry alright?”
“That’s not funny,” Sulli voiced quietly, her voice trembling and Taemin paused. His eyes flickered and she looked up at him, eyes pleading or something. He paused, almost as if he was unsure then he looked away.
“I’ll come home,” and he vanished. Cheundong sighed, leaning back against his chair, rocking, balancing on the two back legs.
She always thought ahead didn’t she? Even if her threads were thrown into such disarray, where lives were crossed and torn; when lives were ruined because of the unknown, when lives were thrown together. Cheundong glanced over the people gathered at the table, taking in Sulli’s almost depressed form, Mir, Luna, and Joon talking and offering silent comfort to the only mage among them and then towards Krystal next to him. She was silent and he gently grasped a hand. She looked at him, eyes seeing and at the same time, unseeing.
“It’ll be fine Krystal-ah,” he murmured softly to her. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see,”
When he was given a faint, weak smile, Cheundong decided that this was a bet he didn’t minding losing to the weaver; as long as everything was fine in the end. He didn’t mind losing this bet to Jessica.
He really didn’t.
AUTHOR: Kurokitsune09 ^^
RATING: PG to PG-15ish?
PAIRING/FOCUS: Jongho (Main), Cheundong/Krystal (sub-main) SulTae (sub-main)
GENRE: ...adventure, au, romance?
NOTES: I have just one thing to say: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! I SWEAR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LIKE THIS ORIGINALLY!!
PLOT AND CAST LIST (Image update: Jonghyun's appearance will change starting either chapter 10/11.)
|| PROLOGUE + CHAPTER ONE || CHAPTER TWO || CHAPTER THREE || CHAPTER FOUR || CHAPTER FIVE || CHAPTER SIX || CHAPTER SEVEN || CHAPTER EIGHT.
((CHAPTER 9))
Jonghyun probably hadn’t stepped out of his room for more than a few seconds when there was an angry war cry it seemed and a little bit surprised, he stepped back into Minho who wrapped his arms around him. Jonghyun probably would have stiffened if it wasn’t for seeing a blur of chestnut, black, and dark red flash past him, wrapped in a slight haze of green and blue. He recognized the magical signature immediately and Taemin’s name was halfway out of his mouth when Sulli appeared at the corner, eyes blazing and daggers held tightly in her hands.
“Lee Taemin you fucking stand right there and explain that to me right now!” Jonghyun blinked in surprise as Sulli shrieked angrily at him. It was rare that she ever got this angry, and to get this angry with Taemin, something must have been really wrong. Jonghyun always held a silent notion that the two of them were close. They were almost attached at the hip when they were still-Jonghyun frowned softly, cutting off his train of thought abruptly. Sulli’s eyes flashed and she shrieked, “Lee Taemin!”
“Shitshitshitshit,” Taemin hissed and he ran at the wall, running up on it for two seconds before he flipped off and one Sulli’s daggers dug right into the spot where his head would have been. His magic flared in response to the attack and with a low, inaudible groan, he held it back in. His eyes flickered and Taemin dimly realized that he actually had no place to run. His magic sang almost violently and he could hear that voice again. He winced.
“We can take care of the human girl. Let it go, let it go,” the voice was almost whispering at him and Taemin frowned tightly, a hand moving to the front of his eyes.
“That’s enough!” was his answer and for a moment, the voice silenced. Then pain exploded violently in front of his eyes and all control was wrenched from him in an instant.
~*~*~
Cheundong’s head snapped up and something he was talking to Joon about was stopped halfway in his mouth. His eyes narrowed and he cursed, suddenly and creatively before he ordered Joon to stay in his seats and not to follow him. The Arts swirled around his words and he made sure that he was protected before he lurched from his seat down towards the hallways.
He met up with a worried Krystal and behind her was Seung-gi. Without remotely thinking he sent the both backwards with a flick of his hand and he paused for a moment just to make sure they were safe before he continued on. He burst into the hall and the swirl of blue and green was so suffocating that he actually gagged for a moment. It was powerful and the color spoke of Taemin but the vehemence, the dark nature behind it all spoke of him.
“Lucifer that’s enough!” Cheundong’s voice boomed and his stomach lurched when the younger turned. A cold smirk was on his face and Cheundong could barely make out the form of Sulli sprawled on the ground behind him. He couldn’t tell if she was bleeding or not and that frightened him. Because he had absolutely no limits on what he did where as Taemin did. He never knew when to stop. “Damn it. What the fuck did you do Lucifer?”
“The human was challenging us,” was the purr and Cheundong hissed. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed.
“Give Taemin back control Lucifer,” a cold edge was creeping into Cheundong’s voice now and from the cover of their room and partially closed door, Jonghyun and Minho stood next to each other, well, Jonghyun hiding mostly behind Minho, watching in both fascinated horror and confusion. “Taemin” laughed softly and he flexed his hand, watching as magic swirled around his wrist and his eyes flickered when Jonghyun made a quiet noise. “I’m serious Lucifer. Give Taemin back control,”
“I’m afraid he’s in a lot of pain right now. So much in fact, that he probably won’t be in control for quite some time,” on the ground, Sulli, who was half-way conscious, became quite aware that the speaker may have been wearing the face of her Taemin but he was definitely not her Taemin. Not the Taemin who was decisive, deadly and scary beautiful as a mercenary and was dorky, cute and all too endearing as her friend. This wasn’t her Taemin. And obviously, Jonghyun knew him.
“What did you do to him Lucifer?” It surprised Cheundong for a moment that Jonghyun asked him, and addressed him by name. His mind whirled and then he came to the conclusion that Jonghyun had obviously met this Taemin before. And judging by how stony his face was becoming, it wasn’t a pleasant meeting or recollection. The small chief had moved from behind Minho and was standing on par with Cheundong, next to the young ex-lord and there was a strange tremble in the air. “What did you do to our Taemin-ah?”
“Now that hurts you know chiefling,” dark eyes flickered and Jonghyun frowned tightly. His hair fluffed a little bit and his eyes seemed to glow eerily. “He and I are one chiefling. I cannot do anything to harm him…much,”
“Give him back control Lucifer,” Cheundong knew that the other could hear the anxiety in his voice because no matter how soft and angelic both Taemin and Lucifer were physically; they were both dangerous. And sometimes, when Taemin wasn’t conscious or watching, Lucifer was just a little bit more dangerous than Taemin himself. The corners of “Taemin” lips quirked and it obviously didn’t sit well with Jonghyun because before he could speak, the small leader was on him.
There was a loud thud as Jonghyun threw the other mercenary bodily over his shoulder and it sickened the small leader when he realized that they way the other’s face twisted in pain gave him some sort of satisfaction. Behind him, Minho and Cheundong rushed towards Sulli and they helped the rather groggy girl to her feet. “Taemin” growled as he picked himself up.
“So this is how you repay someone who saved you isn’t it Kim Jonghyun?!” The snarl was cold, malicious and “Taemin” sneered when Jonghyun froze. “If I hadn’t been for me, if it hadn’t been for Taemin and I, you’d still be that tyrant’s little fuck toy wouldn’t you?”
Jonghyun’s eyes widened and Sulli, even in her state, wanted to charge forward, to scream at her fellow mercenary. Cheundong and Minho were silent and Jonghyun was terrified. Completely and totally terrified. The other sneered, feeling proud almost then his entire body jerked forward. Sulli almost screamed when Taemin hit the ground on his knees and he thrashed almost blindly. Then…he stopped.
“Fuck,” the single word was filled with everything that was Taemin, just Taemin, their Taemin. Jonghyun almost flinched when the younger looked up. Taemin winced and he stood, wobbly and a hand traveled to his shoulder almost awkwardly. He bit his lip as Mir and Luna arrived at their location, Luna panting and clearly very ticked and Mir looking slightly pale. Taemin didn’t need to ask to know that they heard him. “Chief-I,”
“Get out,” Jonghyun’s voice was quiet, inaudible almost but it cut into Taemin’s words like a knife through butter and Taemin flinched as if he was visibly struck. Jonghyun shrank into his room and he bowed his head. “All of you. Get the FUCK OUT!”
The Arts lashed out, Jonghyun’s door slamming shut and Luna and Taemin flinched as the magic began to take place. Luna looked pained and there was no doubt that they could feel the wards being placed. Thousand upon thousands. Taemin’s eyes closed and he let guilt eat at him before he tossed his head to the side and he vanished. Luna let out a mournful cry and Mir gently pulled her into his arms while Sulli wrapped her arms around herself. Cheundong didn’t know what to do; his mind wasn’t keeping up at all.
Inside the room, Jonghyun let his magic run free for the first time in his life and it covered him in a thick, soothing though sorrow-filled blanket. He leaned his head against the door and felt as if he was breaking down the middle. Memories and images of a dark world assaulted him and he buried his face into his knees.
He just wanted all of it to end. Just to end.
~*~*~
“Jonghyun,” the voice came sometime later and Jonghyun slowly raised his head from his knees. He let his head bop back against the door and he mumbled, “Go away Minho-pet,” His voice trembled faintly and he added softly, “Please,”
“Jonghyun, open the door,” Minho’s voice rang again. “Jonghyun, please,”
“Just go away Minho-pet,” Jonghyun buried his face into his knees again. He felt the door tremble as Minho knocked again and placed a hand flat against it. There was a small flare of light from his palm and his chest tightened when he heard Minho curse as the taller male was physically thrown from the doors. “Just go away,” and he moved from the door towards the bed. He crawled into it and buried himself under the blankets. “Just go away,”
~*~*~
She appeared in the room with a light flourish, her long hair swaying around her shoulders and she looked down at the small form huddled in the blankets. Her lips curled into a soft frown and she gently ran a hand down the sleeping form’s cheeks, brushing away at tear marks. She whispered in the ancient tongue and she murmured lightly. Her smile was sad and she moved away, disappearing as the door finally clicked open.
~*~*~
He shut the door gently behind him, locking it as he approached the bed. His heart clenched when he seemed to realize how small the other seemed. So small, so fragile. His movements were hesitant and he gently touched Jonghyun’s shoulders.
“Jonghyun?” the body jerked, waking up abruptly and in an instant, the smaller man was across the room, clinging a pillow to his chest and his frame hidden in a corner. His eyes were wide, wild and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. It hurt to see how much he was trembling and Minho crossed forward slowly, hesitantly and he repeated the older man’s name softly, “Jonghyun?”
“Don’t-Do-Don’t,” his heart broke in his chest and Minho wanted to cry and beat the fucker who reduced his Jonghyun to this terrified, confused mess before him and Minho was very sure that his target wasn’t going to be Taemin, or the other Taemin. He walked forward, moving closer and he gently reached out, his chest tightening when he shrank away. He gently touched his arm and the smaller man shrieked in complete terror, wanting nothing more than to jerk away. Minho caught him in his arms before he could and he thrashed. “Don’t touch me! J-just-“
“Jonghyun, Jonghyun it’s okay,” he murmured softly and the smaller male thrashed for another moment or two before he just stopped, his hands clutching at Minho’s shirt. His head bowed into his chest and his frame trembled. He pressed a soft kiss to the blond and brown gradient hair and the smaller man muffled a soft sound, a sob in his shirt and Minho just held him a little tighter. “It’s okay. I’m right here, I’ll be just right here,”
And he wasn’t ever going to let go.
~*~*~
It was as if the heavens were mocking him, angry with him as he sat up on the roof of the inn. A sudden, angry bitter wind was trying to rip him to bits and his skin was a bright red where the gales had tore at him. His hair was flying madly around his face and he ignored the worried screaming from below, on the ground where people were trying to find him. He couldn’t face them. Not when he had-and Taemin sighed, leaning back onto the roof, ignoring how the jagged edges pressed into his back and at his skin through his tunic.
Above him, he was staring into the dark sky, watching as the clouds rolled and the sound of thunder rumbled angrily in the far distance. Taemin actually knew that if the other immortal wanted to, he would have struck Taemin with or without an order from their mother. He could hear Lucifer’s crazed cackle in the back of his mind and he sighed, ignoring the dropping temperature as a sudden rain and snow combination poured down on him. He was tempted to relinquish control to Lucifer but decided against it; he didn’t need more shit thrown at their already somewhat miserable party.
There was a moment and Taemin decided. His magic swirled around him and he vanished from the roof, appearing with a less than grandeur flourish in the inn. A few patrons looked at him surprise and Taemin figured that he must have looked like a mess. The sudden change in temperature made goose bumps rise all over his skin and Taemin winced at the abrupt chill sweeping him head to toe. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he went hunting for some of the guild. He stalked through the inn and found the scattered, mismatched members of his party sitting around a table. There was a somber feeling in the air and Taemin knew it was his fault.
“Yah,” his voice was quiet but it still made Joon jump three feet in the air and Sulli clutched at her daggers. Mir and Luna scowled, something dark in their eyes made his stomach turn and Taemin looked at Cheundong who was frowning into his mug of ale. “Sanghyun-ah,”
“…” the other didn’t answer and Taemin continued quietly.
“I’m heading to the underground. I’ll be back later. I’m going to trust them to you alright?” Because I can’t trust myself. And Taemin smiled bitterly. Cheundong looked up, his eyes flickering and the older man smiled tightly.
“Yeah. No problem Min-ah,” Cheundong answered. He downed a mouthful of the ale and just as Taemin turned to go he uttered, “Be careful Min-ah. Years of your inactivity may have made it that much more dangerous than it used to be,”
“I know. I’m not worried,” Taemin answered. His eyes flickered and he gave the older man a lopsided grin. “If I’m not back in the morning, then worry alright?”
“That’s not funny,” Sulli voiced quietly, her voice trembling and Taemin paused. His eyes flickered and she looked up at him, eyes pleading or something. He paused, almost as if he was unsure then he looked away.
“I’ll come home,” and he vanished. Cheundong sighed, leaning back against his chair, rocking, balancing on the two back legs.
She always thought ahead didn’t she? Even if her threads were thrown into such disarray, where lives were crossed and torn; when lives were ruined because of the unknown, when lives were thrown together. Cheundong glanced over the people gathered at the table, taking in Sulli’s almost depressed form, Mir, Luna, and Joon talking and offering silent comfort to the only mage among them and then towards Krystal next to him. She was silent and he gently grasped a hand. She looked at him, eyes seeing and at the same time, unseeing.
“It’ll be fine Krystal-ah,” he murmured softly to her. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see,”
When he was given a faint, weak smile, Cheundong decided that this was a bet he didn’t minding losing to the weaver; as long as everything was fine in the end. He didn’t mind losing this bet to Jessica.
He really didn’t.