tonight (let's be alone together)
tonight (let's be alone together)
For:![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mxrts
Rating: R
Length: 6,673
Summary: Set in a world where humanity lives inside towns surrounded by a wall, hunters are a group of soldiers who guard the fortress and fight werewolves. As Kyungsoo lies on the ground awaiting death, he is saved by a creature he is sworn to kill. werewolf!AU
Warning(s): violence, character death, graphic description of lycanthropy
Author's Note: Firstly, thank you to the mods for this wonderful exchange! You quenched our thirst for more Hansoo fics. :D Secondly, to my dear recipient thank you for the lovely prompts! I tried to give it justice as it really is an interesting plot. I hope you like this. :) I sincerely apologize if this isn’t what you wanted. I’m sorry T_T Thirdly, I want to thank the people who listened to me rant about everything. Lastly, I’d just like to give myself a pat on the back. I actually finished this fic despite school and life and procrastination YEHET :D
Title is from Fall Out Boy’s Alone Together. :)
Kyungsoo marches along the familiar cobblestoned road and finds his squad all geared for battle. He makes his way towards one of the horses and mechanically mounts it. A strange mix of alertness and suspense settles at the pit of his stomach. Anxiety keeps tugging at the back of his mind but for the longest time, he has already learned how to control these nerves, to keep his mind focused at the task; to kill the werewolves.
A report arrived two days ago about a pack of werewolves milling dangerously near the fortress. The Lord Commander had instantly given them order to dispatch these werewolves before they get closer and do more damage.
The recognizable creak of the main gate breaks the silence of the night and brings Kyungsoo back to the present. As he grabs his horse’s reins, he also steels himself for the commencing battle.
-
Kyungsoo treads through the dense shrubs and shallow roots as quietly as possible. He glances to his sides. Despite only seeing trees and darkness he knows his squad is out there somewhere. They had left their horses a safe distance back to keep their attack as noiseless as possible.
From a distance, Kyungsoo can already see an orange glow emanating through the trees. As he gets closer, he can also hear an excited chatter and sounds of merriment drifting in the air. Kyungsoo finds a tree wide enough to conceal his frame. He leans back to the tree and takes a peek behind him.
At the center of a clearing are five people laughing around a bonfire. Under normal circumstances, they can almost pass up as normal humans, albeit, a little ragged. Their hair is unkempt and uncombed, and their clothes are tattered and dirty. And when seen closely, they have piercing yellow wolflike eyes. Ostensibly, this is only what sets them apart from humans. However, even in their human form, werewolves retain their strength and heightened senses.
Kyungsoo feels it before he sees it happen. The way the noise suddenly subsides, the figures in the clearing immediately freeze and the air ultimately feels heavier. Kyungsoo watches as the Change takes the man standing by the fire.
Big black furry ears jut out from the man’s head where his human ears were once situated. The man’s face slowly morphs to make way for an elongated snout and a set of sharp fangs that suddenly stretches into form. A thick set of hair abruptly sprouts all throughout his body; with it also appears a thick bush of tail on his rump and claws from his fingers. From where the man stood before, now a six-foot werewolf is standing on its hind legs.
As stillness envelops the place, Kyungsoo grips the hilt of his sword hanging heavily on his side. Out of nowhere, a shrill whistle tears into the wind.
From all sides of the clearing, eight hunters materialize. Upon realization, the other four also Changes.
Kyungsoo unsheathes his sword and sprints towards the center. As he runs, Kyungsoo notices how the werewolf’s eyes flitted towards his blade. His weapon crafted in pure silver looks menacing, gleaming under the moonlight. The werewolf snarls at him, hatred evident in its eyes.
The werewolf attacks him first, quickly closing the gap between them with only a few strides. Kyungsoo ducks his head then instantly tackles the creature. The werewolf is pushed back a few steps but has rapidly regained footing.
Kyungsoo swings his sword in the air but the werewolf evades it and swiftly tears at his cheek. Kyungsoo instinctively touches the cut. It feels wet – probably blood – but it doesn’t seem deep enough to leave a scar. Leaving him no time to recover, the werewolf lunges at him again. Barely missing his head, Kyungsoo crouches down and spins to the other side.
He feels his cheek stinging more as the time passes. Sensing his discomfort, the werewolf takes its chance and leaps into the air. Kyungsoo tries to block his attack but he is still pushed to the ground. He immediately rolls over and quickly stands up.
They walk around in a circle, carefully eyeing each other. Kyungsoo tightens his hold on his sword and anticipates for the strike.
The werewolf gives a menacing growl before pouncing on him. Kyungsoo stays rooted on the spot, his eyes just staring straight at the creature. As it sprints towards him, Kyungsoo still remains unmoved.
However at the last second, Kyungsoo sidesteps the blow and swiftly buries his sword into its throat.
The werewolf spurts blood into Kyungsoo’s face before slowly sinking down to the dirt. Its lifeless eyes stare into nothing.
-
No human casualties incurred that night. Few of them are only injured at most.
Upon their arrival at the citadel, they are immediately met with rapid bustle. Wounds are quickly treated and dressed by the medic team.
When the Lord Commander came, Kyungsoo’s squad immediately falls into formation. The Lord
Commander stands in front them. His gait exudes authority and his posture demands attention.
“Hunters, you have fought bravely tonight. Your feat has brought us justice and vengeance for the people who had died at the mercy of a werewolf,” the Lord Commander recites loudly.
Though Kyungsoo appears agreeable, he doesn’t share the same conviction with most people. He twists his head slightly to the side and catches sight of his comrades. He is stricken by the fiery determination and fury showing in their eyes.
He sees Minseok, jaw set and eyes piercing. During one of their stakeouts on top of the wall, Minseok retold him of the night his little sister was taken away from them by the werewolves. She was never seen nor heard from again. And ever since then, Minseok vowed to never let that happen again – to him or to anyone else.
On the formation, standing close to Minseok with fists tightly clenched is Jongin. He is one of the youngest hunters in the village. He rarely talks to anyone but there are rumours and whispers about his past. His family was massacred in their house, making him the only one who survived. He grew up on his own with no relatives to take care of him and when he reached the right age, he immediately joined the hunters.
Looking at everyone else on his squad, Kyungsoo sees the vindication and the desperation to eradicate werewolves if only to ease their pain a little and to replace that which they had already lost.
“The courage you have shown tonight will not go unmissed. Everyone inside this fortress is in your gratitude,” the Lord Commander continues. “And so for that, I shall now end my speech and let you retire in your chambers early. Good night.”
Kyungsoo casts his eyes back front and feigns agreement with the rest of them. The only reason that he became a hunter was to escape his past life. Kyungsoo’s parents always had to take odd jobs just to support their day-to-day expenses. They were barely scraping by each day. It was no secret that the government heavily funds the citadel and highly treasures their hunters. Being a hunter was his ticket to a better life. So when he became of age he immediately chose to be one.
Kyungsoo is a subsister. And he will do anything to survive.
-
With the sudden advances of the werewolves in their area coming to light, the Lord Commander decided to increase the scouts outside the wall. The following week, after their wounds have healed up, Kyungsoo’s squad is once again sent outside the wall, this time to patrol.
Opting not to walk on foot in the forest, they saddle their horses and quietly make their round.
It is an unusually hot and stifling night. Sweat drips down from the side of Kyungsoo’s face down the edge of his armour. As they go deeper into the forest, Kyungsoo belatedly notes the eerie quiet enveloping the place. There are no usual hoots of an owl or just any nocturnal animals for that matter.
Even the sky looks suspiciously ominous, with the moon and stars completely hidden in sight by uniform greyish clouds that cover the entire sky.
As Kyungsoo is about to voice out his thoughts, an enormous black figure suddenly emerges from behind a tree and collides with his horse. Kyungsoo hisses in pain as the horse’s weight crushes his left leg. He tries to push the animal away but it won’t budge. Eventually wriggling his foot free from under his fallen horse, he turns to find his squad currently facing a pack of werewolves.
Realization dawns on him, making his stomach churn. They are being ambushed.
Kyungsoo rises to stand upright but only barely. His left foot hurts every time he puts his weight into it.
As he struggles to maintain his balance on one foot, a werewolf finds its way to him. He quickly draws his sword and wobbles into position.
He parries blows and swings his sword as much as he can. But with his foot continuously throbbing in pain, he finds it harder and harder to defend and attack. Soon enough, he limps away from the battlefield and into the forest, hoping that he can somehow lose the creature out of his trail. He has already lost his sword sometime back between the chaos and inopportunely he has also lost the feeling in his right arm from the last blow that he received. Gashes and bruises fill the parts of his body not covered by armour.
He continues making his way into the dark forest. He doesn’t know what direction he’s heading, just abandoning everything on instinct. As he navigates into the forest, he is suddenly pushed roughly into the ground. He flips over only to come face to face with the very creature that he is running from.
However before the creature can bring assault, a new werewolf comes into view and crashes into the previous one.
As he feels his strength slowly ebbing away, Kyungsoo vaguely registers the sight of the two werewolves fighting each other before everything turns black.
-
Death clutches Kyungsoo firmly by his neck. He fights and resists because no, he refuses to die right now, so he opposes death and struggles to keep living.
Most of the time he thinks death might be winning because darkness envelops him often. All he sees and hears is nothingness. And even in moments that he wakes up, all he can sense is pain, all over his body. He feels hot and heavy and tired that he wishes to go back to the darkness.
But something keeps him from going to the end; something pulls him back to life.
Kyungsoo reasons it as delirium, a hallucination caused by illness or dying. He assures himself that that must be it because what other reasons could there be?
That every time he comes out of consciousness, he sees someone taking care of him; but he is always too weak or too ill to get a proper look on the person’s face. One thing he keeps remembering though is a mahogany coloured hair.
-
The smell of food brings Kyungsoo out of his sopor. The first thing he sees when he wakes up is a rock ceiling full of stalactites. Feeling disoriented from the unknown surroundings, Kyungsoo groggily walks towards what looks like the exit. He squints as he is blinded by the sunlight but as his eyes adjust, he notices a guy squatting before a fire.
The guy has his back on Kyungsoo, looking quite busy tending something.
Kyungsoo notices the man’s mahogany hair sticking out on all directions which looks suspiciously like the hair he keeps seeing on his deliriums. Kyungsoo next observes the man’s clothing. He is wearing a white thin shirt and trousers that looks like they had been unwashed and overused. He is barefoot, Kyungsoo notes lastly.
The man slowly stands up and as he turns around, Kyungsoo forgets how to breathe.
The guy has a small petite face but he has bright golden eyes, straight-bridged nose, and soft delicate lips. Kyungsoo’s heart starts to beat faster, whether it’s because the guy is probably the most beautiful man he has ever seen or the fact that he is a werewolf, Kyungsoo is not sure.
There is a thick silence that settled between them, both figuring the other’s first move.
“H-hi. I’m Luhan,” the guy says tentatively. “Uh... Do you.. want to eat?”
The werewolf, Luhan, extends his hand to him, at the end of which is a grilled fish pierced with a stick. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in shock. Confusion and weariness suddenly hits him to the bone. When Kyungsoo stays frozen on his place, the guy clears his throat and continues.
“You know, I always wondered why you humans cook your food. But I gave it a try, and it was actually pretty... delicious?” Luhan says casually.
Kyungsoo watches unblinkingly at the werewolf’s attempts of poor conversation at him. As much as he doesn’t understand what’s going on, he knows that he should kill the werewolf otherwise Luhan would grill him next.
He reaches out to his side to retrieve his sword instead he grabs nothing but air. He looks down and notices for the first time that his armour is all gone.
Looking around wildly to find anything that he can use as a weapon, he spots a rock lying near him.
He quickly picks it up and raises it above his head, threatening to throw it at Luhan’s direction. It’s a pathetic substitution for a silver sword but it’s the only thing he has.
Luhan takes a step towards him making Kyungsoo reflexively take a step back.
“Stop!” Kyungsoo shouts vehemently. “Don’t come any closer!”
For a moment Luhan appears hurt that Kyungsoo almost regrets screaming at him, but the instant is immediately gone making Kyungsoo wonder if it was only an illusion.
However despite Kyungsoo’s obvious detest, Luhan still takes another step forward then another and
another. With his heart now beating wildly in his chest, Kyungsoo throws the stone directly at Luhan’s face. He easily swats the stone like it’s just some annoying fly and continues pacing towards Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo helplessly retreats farther until his back is already touching the cave wall.
Kyungsoo absolutely can’t believe his luck. First he succeeds in overcoming death but almost instantly after he recovers a werewolf will probably grill him alive since that said werewolf has also just discovered that cooking food is apparently delicious.
But instead Luhan smirks down out him and says, “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you when you were still asleep.”
At this Kyungsoo can’t help but raise his eyebrow. Luhan just indirectly confirmed that he was beside him in Kyungsoo’s state of vulnerability, taking care of him.
“Now eat. You still need to get better. You are in no condition to return inside your precious wall,” Luhan scoffs scornfully.
With that Luhan thrusts the stick with the grilled fish on the ground and sharply turns to go, leaving Kyungsoo more baffled than ever.
-
They established a strange relationship like that continuing for the next day. Whenever it’s time for eating, Kyungsoo constantly finds cooked food by the mouth of the cave. It usually varies from fishes to rabbits to fowls.
At night Luhan enters the cave and sleeps by the exit, leaving Kyungsoo to sleep by the farthest side of the cave wall. An unspoken boundary divides them from each other. Luhan never once tried to get into Kyungsoo’s side, to which he is extremely thankful for.
They don’t talk but somehow they communicate better that way.
-
Kyungsoo awakes from the chilliness of early morning and finds himself alone inside the cave. He carefully gimps towards the exit. As he gets outside, he expects Luhan to cook some games for them to eat as he does every morning but instead, he is met with quiet solitude.
The sky is still dark, hardly any stars and clouds to be seen although also no sign of the sun yet. Dews are dripping from the leaves to the damp earth. Kyungsoo inhales the fresh air and grins evilly to himself.
-
The forest is a deep labyrinth of various tree species but to Kyungsoo, everything just seems similar right now. He isn’t sure if he’s current path is even leading him to the fortress or to an impending doom, though he has only gone straight since fleeing the cave.
Sweat beads on the side of his face. Exhaustion came quickly to him, probably because he is still healing, making him pant heavily and walk laboriously. And the uneven terrain doesn’t specifically help his condition, making his journey harder.
As Kyungsoo tries to hop over a fallen tree, he loses his footing instead and falls on his knees to the ground. He grunts in frustration until he hears the sound of a twig breaking behind him. He slowly gets up and turns around. He tenses in his spot when he finds Luhan staring at him a few meters away.
“How... long have you been following me?” Kyungsoo asks nervously.
“About... two miles back?” Luhan answers honestly.
“Oh...” Kyungsoo huffs dumbfoundedly. “Then why didn’t you...?”
Luhan merely shrugs and says, “You’re not supposed to wander around the forest unarmed especially with an injury. Come on. We need to get back before it gets dark.”
Avoiding the question, Luhan turns and moves ahead. Sighing heavily, Kyungsoo weighs his choices. It’s true Kyungsoo can’t possibly defend himself in his current state plus he admits he is presently lost. With nowhere to go, he quietly follows behind Luhan.
The farther they march into the place, the more Kyungsoo struggles to keep going. Incidentally, Kyungsoo notices Luhan also falling into pace with him. Luhan still walks ahead, maintaining a respectable distance. But every time Kyungsoo pauses to take a break, Luhan also stops, pretending to check the leaves of this tree or that shrub. And whenever Kyungsoo staggers, Luhan immediately slows down and matches his pace with Kyungsoo’s, waiting patiently until Kyungsoo starts again normally.
Kyungsoo doesn’t understand but somehow, all these little things make him feel warm inside.
-
That night, Kyungsoo finds himself tossing and turning, basically unable to go to sleep. He lies on his side staring at Luhan’s motionless figure on the far end of the cavern. The moonlight coming from the entrance of the cave creates shadows on his face, making him look as ethereal and as unreal as ever.
Asleep Luhan gives Kyungsoo the liberty of finally gawking at him without the disadvantage of being
seen as creepy.
The contours of Luhan’s face can delude anyone into assuming that he is as harmless as a lost baby
deer. But as Kyungsoo’s eyes travel further south, he discovers the slight bulk in Luhan’s arms, the deep indention of his clavicles, and the snug fit of his trousers in his thighs.
Kyungsoo tries to remember if werewolves are supposed to be as strikingly gorgeous as Luhan is.
“Can’t sleep?” a voice suddenly booms in the dark.
Kyungsoo’s eyes flit over to find Luhan gazing at him intently. Heaving a deep sigh, he nods.
“Hmmm...” hums Luhan thoughtfully. “Do you.. want to talk about it?”
The incredible paradox of their whole situation puzzles Kyungsoo endlessly. Ideally, he and Luhan should’ve killed each other by now, instead they settle into a weird system of cohabitation, going against the normal ways of nature.
Kyungsoo sometimes wonders if Luhan is only keeping him alive to fatten him up before he devours him.
And more importantly, why does Kyungsoo even stay?
Frowning, Kyungsoo inquires, “Can I ask you something?”
“Y-yeah..” Luhan breathes hesitantly.
“Why did you save me?” Kyungoo utters curiously.
Chuckling slightly, Luhan answers, “You probably don’t remember this... but we already met.”
Taken aback, Kyungsoo hangs his mouth open.
“Since we were young, the elders have always warned us about humans and how evil you all are.
However, rather than being scared like most children did,” Luhan quietly starts, “It piqued my curiosity instead.”
Hearing it from a different perspective, Kyungsoo is surprised to find out that the opposite side is just as scared of them as the humans are of werewolves.
“Not knowing any better, I ventured alone through the forest to your fortress,” Luhan adds, “As I got there, I guess I came at the right time because the gate was momentarily opened for some incoming hunters, so I sneaked in.”
“But wouldn’t your eyes uh.. give you away?” Kyungsoo interrupts.
“No. We are naturally born with black or brown eyes, but they only change to gold when we get older,”
Luhan explains.
Kyungsoo tries to imagine a much younger Luhan with brown eyes and mahogany hair. How adorable.
“Anyway there was a festival that day, I think,” Luhan continues. “There were joyful music playing, and colourful papers and lanterns hanging everywhere. People were out on the street dancing and celebrating so happily. And I immediately thought that the elders were clearly mistaken, that surely humans aren’t capable of doing evil things.”
As Kyungsoo keeps listening, a memory starts to resurface.
“However as I was walking around, I got lost on one of the alleys there,” Luhan retells. “Then suddenly there was this big kid and he shoved me to the ground. He started beating me up for no reason at all. I couldn’t fight back, but then... you came.”
Kyungsoo remembers that day clearly now.
He was taking his usual route home when he saw their neighbourhood bully kicking some kid to the dirt.
Unable to stand idly by, he ran towards the scene.
“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo yelled indignantly.
Chanyeol was admittedly a lot taller than him, but despite the obvious disadvantage, he knew Chanyeol’s weak point. He lunged toward the bully and seized him in a strong headlock. When he started to feel Chaneyol’s body sag heavily, he immediately let go. As the taller boy was still choking on the ground, Kyungsoo grabbed the other kid’s hand and dragged him to his house.
Now looking at Luhan a few meters away from him, Kyungsoo is glad he intercepted at that point.
As he gapes at Luhan, he notices the sudden pink tint appearing on both of Luhan’s cheeks.
“T-thank you...” Luhan mutters softly.
As his heart suddenly drums wildly in his chest, Kyungsoo feels himself blushing as well before quickly looking away.
-
Luhan is afraid of thunders, Kyungsoo learns about this the following night.
The sound of heavy rain rouses Kyungsoo from his sound sleep. Outside, massive raindrops continue to fall ceaselessly while trees bend along with the strong winds. As Kyungsoo attempts to go back to sleep, he hears a disrupted mewl and an incessant movement from the far end of the room. As he turns to look, a sudden flash of bright light briefly illuminate the room. He sees Luhan curled in a fetal position, seemingly uneasy.
Immediately a loud rumble of thunder crashes from the sky, overpowering the cacophony of the storm.
Before he can even react, Luhan swiftly rushes to Kyungsoo’s side, crossing their implicit barrier for the first time. Glancing at Luhan, he finds the guy huddled in on himself, whimpering quietly.
“L-Luhan..?” Kyungsoo stutters, poking softly on Luhan’s arm.
When he was met with absolute silence, he stares helplessly at Luhan’s form, wishing he can do something to ease the other’s fear.
Out of nowhere, Kyungsoo starts to sing. He hasn’t done so in a long time, but the melody and words come pouring out of his mouth like it was just yesterday. He picks a local song that mothers usually sing to their kids at night. It talks of blissful paradises and endless horizons; and gives promises of a better tomorrow.
When he finishes, he discovers Luhan silently peering at him from behind his long fringe. Surprising even to himself, Kyungsoo suddenly feels self conscious of everything. He turns around to face the other side.
After a minute or two, he feels Luhan’s arms wrap around his waist, locking him in a warm comforting embrace.
Kyungsoo falls asleep to the rhythmic rising of Luhan’s chest on his back.
-
They wake up the next morning cuddling and entangled in each other’s limbs. Gazing at Luhan’s face up close, Kyungsoo notices for the first time a small scar on Luhan’s lower lip. Reaching out, he tenderly runs his finger over it, wondering if maybe Chanyeol had managed to leave it there and if maybe he should have tightened his headlock on that bastard for doing this to Luhan.
Distractedly, feeling Luhan’s lips under his fingertips, he wonders how it would feel like to be kissed by them. As his eyes trail further up, he realizes Luhan has been observing his every action. Feeling the heat rising to his face, Kyungsoo detaches himself first.
-
By mid-afternoon, as Kyungsoo was exercising his foot, Luhan suddenly perks up and growls at the opening of the cave. Kyungsoo strains his neck out to see outside but finds nothing amiss.
Out of nowhere a werewolf appears by the entrance. It prances inside, entering the cave gracefully. As it steps closer, his thick black fur slowly wanes and his snout, ears, tail and claws gradually shrink. Standing before Luhan is a guy with a lanky figure and thick black mop of hair on his head. He is smiling goofily but his eyes look slightly unfocused and sleepy.
“Yixing!” Luhan exclaims gleefully.
“Luhan!” Yixing retorts playfully.
Kyungsoo watches mildly as Luhan strides toward the other werewolf.
“So, this is where you disappear to everyday?” Yixing asks.
Chuckling, Luhan nods, “Yes, but how did you find me?”
“I followed you,” Yixing answers easily.
A sudden silence settles in the place when Yixing turns to look at Kyungsoo.
“Oh, by the way,” Luhan interjects, “This is Kyungsoo.”
Yixing smiles politely, showing off a pair of dimples on his cheeks, “Hi. My name’s Yixing.”
Kyungsoo reciprocates a smile but it comes out more as a simper. For some reason, he feels awkward and out of place between the two best friends.
-
Yixing ends up staying until lunch, striking a conversation mostly with Luhan and Kyungsoo just listens
quietly.
Kyungsoo sees a side of Luhan which he has never seen before. Luhan laughs openly over something Yixing is saying that the side of his eyes crinkle and his jaw unhinges wide open. He looks ridiculous but every laugh sounds like music to Kyungsoo, making him smile affectedly. And Luhan has this habit that every time he expresses his mirth he leans towards Kyungsoo and he touches a part of the smaller guy’s body, be it the knee or the arm. Every warm touch sends tingles to every fibre of Kyungsoo’s being.
Looking at Luhan talking animatedly with Yixing, Kyungsoo feels like he’s falling and flying at the same time.
-
As the sun starts to set, Yixing also says his goodbyes. He excuses himself and reasons he has other places he has to go. Luhan send him off outside, leaving Kyungsoo alone in the middle of the cave.
However, unbeknownst to them Kyungsoo follows them laggardly, hiding himself behind the boulders.
“...have to be careful. Yifan is already looking for you,” he hears Yixing halfway, “He’s getting suspicious because you’re always not around.”
“Let him!” Luhan flouts angrily.
“If he finds out you’re hiding a human, you’re dead,” Yixing explains desperately.
“But he wouldn’t find out, would he, Yixing?” Luhan warns coldly.
“Of course, I wouldn’t tell him!” Yixing answers sharply. “You should be grateful it was me who found you. If it was someone else...”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Luhan sighs heavily.
“I’m just saying, you know how enraged he is with humans,” Yixing continues worriedly. “He’s the Alpha.
One command from him and the whole pack will go against you.”
Luhan hums thoughtfully, to which Yixing just sighs and replies with “Well, I have to go now. They’ll be looking for me soon too.”
As Yixing Changes back to a werewolf, Kyungsoo tiptoes back inside the cave and pretends to be busy tidying the place. He brushes dust off the rocks and replays Yixing’s words with a tightening around his chest.
-
Different thoughts run through Kyungsoo’s mind. He never thought Luhan has been risking his life all this time just to be with him. Guilt picks at the back of his mind but most of all, worry plagues his heart.
Just hearing about how Luhan’s pack would instantaneously turn against him makes Kyungsoo ache as
he is the root of all this.
“Luhan..” Kyungsoo suddenly blurts.
Luhan turns to him and beams brightly.
Hesitating for a moment, he mumbles softly, “I want to go back to the fortress.”
Luhan’s smile falls instantly making Kyungsoo look away in pain.
“I just... miss home and my family and everyone,” Kyungsoo adds quietly.
Luhan doesn’t reply quickly, but when he finally did, his voice comes out small and reluctant, “Is that what you want?”
No.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo answers in an undertone.
A thousand knives seem to pierce through his heart but he fakes a smile at Luhan instead.
-
The next morning Kyungsoo wakes up with dread at the pit of his stomach. Luhan agrees to escort Kyungsoo back to the fortress, though Luhan walks a couple of meters behind him.
As they hike together in palpable silence, a hunter suddenly emerges from behind a tree and points a sword to Kyungsoo’s chest.
“Kyungsoo?”
As Kyungsoo peers very hard, he realizes it’s Baekhyun, one of the members from his squad, who immediately lowers his weapon. But he’s hardly happy to see Baekhyun right now. He turns to look behind him but Luhan is nowhere to be seen.
“Kyungsoo, you’re alive,” Baekhyun continues, shock evident on his voice, “We looked everywhere for you but we couldn’t find you.”
At this point, Kyungsoo zones out and looks around him, hoping to find any sign of Luhan.
Disappointment fills Kyungsoo as he misses to find Luhan. His goodbyes are still hanging from his lips.
-
Days drag on slowly with hardly any work that Kyungsoo has much more time by himself.
He hates it.
His injured foot has healed completely but it seems his heart has been left behind somewhere in the forest, at a specific cave. Every chance it gets, his mind automatically wanders back to that place. Every minuscule thing pulls him back to thoughts of Luhan.
Many sleepless nights have been wasted just thinking about his decision. He tries not to regret, tries not to think of it as his biggest mistake to date. But it’s hard especially when his body recognizes the lack of another constant presence in his surroundings. He’s gotten used to always having someone else nearby.
And even on his dreams, memories still haunt him. He dreams of flashing golden eyes, bright toothy smiles and strong arms enveloping him. It sucks when he wakes up though, because reality crashes hard making him feel colder and more alone on his bed than ever.
Kyungsoo wishes he could go back to it all.
-
While Kyungsoo laments over his free hours, the other hunters view it as a small vacation. Most of them
end up lounging around the town or getting drunk in taverns.
Kyungsoo often spends time with his squad, opting to be surrounded by people to distract him than to be completely alone with his thoughts. During one of their chats, they talk about their current situation. Baekhyun immediately gabs about overhearing an officer say there are less werewolf activities nowadays.
While others see it as boon, Kyungsoo can’t help but feel it might be the calm before a storm.
-
Kyungsoo is busy keeping watch and staying awake on wee hours of the night by the main gate when it happened. A hunter comes rapidly riding on his horse, bearing grave news. He reports of a sudden attack on the northwest side of the fortress and the extreme probability of a breach on the wall. Alarm bells are immediately rung throughout the town and people are highly advised either to evacuate away from the northwest or stay locked inside their homes.
Due to the severity of the situation, the Lord Commander issued a decision to send most of the hunters to aid their brethren in the northwest, leaving their posts temporarily. Kyungsoo is one of the few who are assigned to stay on their stations. The main gate becomes uneasily quiet as hardly enough men remained.
As Kyungsoo quietly prays for the safety and success of his comrades, a loud crash brings him out of his reverie. The unexpended hunters all turn to see the slight bend in the wood of the main gate. Splinters bounce off the gate as more continuous loud crashes follow.
Fear suddenly snakes itself into Kyungsoo’s heart as apprehension settles in. The attack on the northwest might have just been the diversion while the main gate has been the sole purpose all along.
Kyungsoo turns to the people around him; it looks like he’s not the only one who instantly understood the giant fiasco they are left in.
“Hunters!” Kyungsoo suddenly bellows. “Grab your swords and get ready to fight!”
As everyone scrambles for their weapons, the wooden gate heaves its final creak and seemingly disintegrates into their faces. A huge wave of werewolves leaps into the vicinity. Despite the overwhelming display of number, Kyungsoo screams a battle cry with his companions.
He runs ahead and shoves his sword through a werewolf who jogs to meet him. He sees another incoming werewolf and quickly swings his sword to its neck. He blindly charges and repetitively slashes his sword until the creature isn’t moving anymore. In no time, his sword is dripping with blood.
As another werewolf lunges at him, he thrusts his sword into its eye but before he can deliver another blow, his sword gets suspended above his head. When he turns around to look, he finds another werewolf seizing his sword with its teeth. The creature spews Kyungsoo’s sword at the side away from Kyungsoo’s reach.
Kyungsoo as vulnerable as ever is immediately kicked to the soil by the werewolf. Gulping down the huge lump in his throat, he creeps back away slowly. As the werewolf roars at him, another werewolf bumps into it. Pinned to the ground, the second werewolf gnaws on the other’s neck until eventually it ceases moving.
Kyungsoo lies in shock as the scene plays in front of him. Disbelief runs through him as he recalls that this is the second time that a werewolf has saved him.
He raises his eyes to meet a pair of golden orbs staring intently into him.
“L-Lu...han?” Kyungsoo stutters, wide-eyed.
But before it can even grunt an answer, a sword has already sunk through its chest. Kyungsoo cranes his neck to see a fellow hunter delve the sword deeper before completely pulling it out. He cocks his head to Kyungsoo as if acknowledging Kyungsoo’s notional gratitude for him. The guy quickly sprints away, leaving Kyungsoo in his deep muddle of emotions.
Kyungsoo crawls towards where the werewolf is lying. He glances at the wound gushing with blood and places his hand on it, putting pressure as hard as he can.
Kyungsoo’s vision suddenly turns blurry and he’s keenly aware of something warm streaming down his face. The creature blinks at him, soft eyes glazing on him, and pats his cheek with the back of his claw, wiping away his tears.
Minute details of Luhan flash through his mind. Luhan smiling bashfully at him when they first met, how he was biting his lip the moment he first talked, Kyungsoo realizes he must have been nervous back then. Luhan following him around the forest when he attempted to escape, making sure Kyungsoo was safe even though he knew Kyungsoo was fleeing away from him. Finally, Kyungsoo reminisces that stormy night when they became each other’s source of strength.
“Yixing!” an oddly familiar voice calls in the midst of the noise from the ongoing battle.
Kyungsoo turns just in time to see Luhan crouch over the dying werewolf. His breathing suddenly hitches.
“Yixing! Yixing, stay with me!” Luhan pleads hysterically.
Yixing casts his eyes towards Luhan and smiles fondly at him. As Luhan tries to blink back the tears in his eyes and mask the distress he is feeling, the light in Yixing’s eyes suddenly snuff out. Luhan squeezes his eyes shut for a moment while clenching his fists tighter, lament apparent in his face.
When he opened his eyes, he looks at Kyungsoo, face wet with tears.
“Kyungsoo? What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” Luhan demands, worry plain in his voice and eyes.
Despite the inopportunity of the situation, Kyungsoo’s mind clears of unsurety for the first time like seeing a heavy fog part. Kyungsoo thought he was content living the life the way he did, but as they met, Luhan brought with him a vibrant splash of colours painting Kyungsoo’s ascertained pallid life. And when for a moment Kyungsoo thought he had lost Luhan forever, he realizes he definitely regrets letting Luhan go.
“I think...” Kyungsoo intonates, “I think I can’t live without you.”
-
Kyungsoo sighs as he watches the minutes tick by on the clock by the far end of the wall. He glances outside the open window and appreciates the tiny sparkling stars dotting the dark sky. Only a few more minutes until midnight, the whole town is blanketed in a peaceful slumber.
The battle didn’t continue for long after Yixing had passed away. Reinforcements had arrived and the main gate had been defended successfully. Even the northwest side remained unbreached. It was the longest night everyone had ever pulled through. When morning came, casualties from both sides littered the ground.
Kyungsoo had relinquished some of his duties and had asked for some kind of demotion. He requested to be restricted to only manning the wall rather than patrolling outside the walls or engaging in constant battles with werewolves. The Lord Commander was perturbed by his sudden petition but Kyungsoo stood stubbornly by his decision. Eventually the Lord Commander conceded to him and allowed him to stand guard on the wall.
Kyungsoo found out why most hunters dislike being put in the sentry boxes above the wall. The whole job is just plain boring and it requires him not to sleep.
That night he is assigned by the east side of the wall with a new young recruit named Sehun who is currently dozing off in his chair. Kyungsoo walks over to the kid and shakes him awake. Sehun wakes up disgruntled, looking around as if forgetting where he was.
“Hey, Sehun. Go on and sleep in the chambers. I can take it from here,” Kyungsoo says quietly.
“But...” Sehun starts to say.
“Really, I’m fine here alone. Go sleep in a bed,” Kyungsoo remarks gently.
Sehun merely shrugs before finally leaving the room, yawning and murmuring some thanks.
As the clock strikes midnight, Kyungsoo hears a light thud behind him. Turning around he sees Luhan standing in the middle of the room, smirking at him.
Making their relationship work is a lot tedious than Kyungsoo thought. He needed to be at a place where he was alone while Luhan finds a way to slip away from his pack and visit Kyungsoo unnoticed.
As Luhan closes the gap between them with long quick strides, Kyungsoo sees everything like it’s in slow motion.
Kyungsoo tilts his head to gaze up at him. Luhan’s lowered eyelashes casting shadows across his cheekbones, Luhan’s shiny lips and the small scar beneath it, the flush creeping up on Luhan’s face.
When he reached him, Luhan cups his neck tenderly and before long, Kyungsoo already has his eyes closed. As he feels soft warm lips meet his, Kyungsoo thinks to himself yes, this is definitely worth all the hassle.
For:
mxrtsRating: R
Length: 6,673
Summary: Set in a world where humanity lives inside towns surrounded by a wall, hunters are a group of soldiers who guard the fortress and fight werewolves. As Kyungsoo lies on the ground awaiting death, he is saved by a creature he is sworn to kill. werewolf!AU
Warning(s): violence, character death, graphic description of lycanthropy
Author's Note: Firstly, thank you to the mods for this wonderful exchange! You quenched our thirst for more Hansoo fics. :D Secondly, to my dear recipient thank you for the lovely prompts! I tried to give it justice as it really is an interesting plot. I hope you like this. :) I sincerely apologize if this isn’t what you wanted. I’m sorry T_T Thirdly, I want to thank the people who listened to me rant about everything. Lastly, I’d just like to give myself a pat on the back. I actually finished this fic despite school and life and procrastination YEHET :D
Title is from Fall Out Boy’s Alone Together. :)
Kyungsoo marches along the familiar cobblestoned road and finds his squad all geared for battle. He makes his way towards one of the horses and mechanically mounts it. A strange mix of alertness and suspense settles at the pit of his stomach. Anxiety keeps tugging at the back of his mind but for the longest time, he has already learned how to control these nerves, to keep his mind focused at the task; to kill the werewolves.
A report arrived two days ago about a pack of werewolves milling dangerously near the fortress. The Lord Commander had instantly given them order to dispatch these werewolves before they get closer and do more damage.
The recognizable creak of the main gate breaks the silence of the night and brings Kyungsoo back to the present. As he grabs his horse’s reins, he also steels himself for the commencing battle.
-
Kyungsoo treads through the dense shrubs and shallow roots as quietly as possible. He glances to his sides. Despite only seeing trees and darkness he knows his squad is out there somewhere. They had left their horses a safe distance back to keep their attack as noiseless as possible.
From a distance, Kyungsoo can already see an orange glow emanating through the trees. As he gets closer, he can also hear an excited chatter and sounds of merriment drifting in the air. Kyungsoo finds a tree wide enough to conceal his frame. He leans back to the tree and takes a peek behind him.
At the center of a clearing are five people laughing around a bonfire. Under normal circumstances, they can almost pass up as normal humans, albeit, a little ragged. Their hair is unkempt and uncombed, and their clothes are tattered and dirty. And when seen closely, they have piercing yellow wolflike eyes. Ostensibly, this is only what sets them apart from humans. However, even in their human form, werewolves retain their strength and heightened senses.
Kyungsoo feels it before he sees it happen. The way the noise suddenly subsides, the figures in the clearing immediately freeze and the air ultimately feels heavier. Kyungsoo watches as the Change takes the man standing by the fire.
Big black furry ears jut out from the man’s head where his human ears were once situated. The man’s face slowly morphs to make way for an elongated snout and a set of sharp fangs that suddenly stretches into form. A thick set of hair abruptly sprouts all throughout his body; with it also appears a thick bush of tail on his rump and claws from his fingers. From where the man stood before, now a six-foot werewolf is standing on its hind legs.
As stillness envelops the place, Kyungsoo grips the hilt of his sword hanging heavily on his side. Out of nowhere, a shrill whistle tears into the wind.
From all sides of the clearing, eight hunters materialize. Upon realization, the other four also Changes.
Kyungsoo unsheathes his sword and sprints towards the center. As he runs, Kyungsoo notices how the werewolf’s eyes flitted towards his blade. His weapon crafted in pure silver looks menacing, gleaming under the moonlight. The werewolf snarls at him, hatred evident in its eyes.
The werewolf attacks him first, quickly closing the gap between them with only a few strides. Kyungsoo ducks his head then instantly tackles the creature. The werewolf is pushed back a few steps but has rapidly regained footing.
Kyungsoo swings his sword in the air but the werewolf evades it and swiftly tears at his cheek. Kyungsoo instinctively touches the cut. It feels wet – probably blood – but it doesn’t seem deep enough to leave a scar. Leaving him no time to recover, the werewolf lunges at him again. Barely missing his head, Kyungsoo crouches down and spins to the other side.
He feels his cheek stinging more as the time passes. Sensing his discomfort, the werewolf takes its chance and leaps into the air. Kyungsoo tries to block his attack but he is still pushed to the ground. He immediately rolls over and quickly stands up.
They walk around in a circle, carefully eyeing each other. Kyungsoo tightens his hold on his sword and anticipates for the strike.
The werewolf gives a menacing growl before pouncing on him. Kyungsoo stays rooted on the spot, his eyes just staring straight at the creature. As it sprints towards him, Kyungsoo still remains unmoved.
However at the last second, Kyungsoo sidesteps the blow and swiftly buries his sword into its throat.
The werewolf spurts blood into Kyungsoo’s face before slowly sinking down to the dirt. Its lifeless eyes stare into nothing.
-
No human casualties incurred that night. Few of them are only injured at most.
Upon their arrival at the citadel, they are immediately met with rapid bustle. Wounds are quickly treated and dressed by the medic team.
When the Lord Commander came, Kyungsoo’s squad immediately falls into formation. The Lord
Commander stands in front them. His gait exudes authority and his posture demands attention.
“Hunters, you have fought bravely tonight. Your feat has brought us justice and vengeance for the people who had died at the mercy of a werewolf,” the Lord Commander recites loudly.
Though Kyungsoo appears agreeable, he doesn’t share the same conviction with most people. He twists his head slightly to the side and catches sight of his comrades. He is stricken by the fiery determination and fury showing in their eyes.
He sees Minseok, jaw set and eyes piercing. During one of their stakeouts on top of the wall, Minseok retold him of the night his little sister was taken away from them by the werewolves. She was never seen nor heard from again. And ever since then, Minseok vowed to never let that happen again – to him or to anyone else.
On the formation, standing close to Minseok with fists tightly clenched is Jongin. He is one of the youngest hunters in the village. He rarely talks to anyone but there are rumours and whispers about his past. His family was massacred in their house, making him the only one who survived. He grew up on his own with no relatives to take care of him and when he reached the right age, he immediately joined the hunters.
Looking at everyone else on his squad, Kyungsoo sees the vindication and the desperation to eradicate werewolves if only to ease their pain a little and to replace that which they had already lost.
“The courage you have shown tonight will not go unmissed. Everyone inside this fortress is in your gratitude,” the Lord Commander continues. “And so for that, I shall now end my speech and let you retire in your chambers early. Good night.”
Kyungsoo casts his eyes back front and feigns agreement with the rest of them. The only reason that he became a hunter was to escape his past life. Kyungsoo’s parents always had to take odd jobs just to support their day-to-day expenses. They were barely scraping by each day. It was no secret that the government heavily funds the citadel and highly treasures their hunters. Being a hunter was his ticket to a better life. So when he became of age he immediately chose to be one.
Kyungsoo is a subsister. And he will do anything to survive.
-
With the sudden advances of the werewolves in their area coming to light, the Lord Commander decided to increase the scouts outside the wall. The following week, after their wounds have healed up, Kyungsoo’s squad is once again sent outside the wall, this time to patrol.
Opting not to walk on foot in the forest, they saddle their horses and quietly make their round.
It is an unusually hot and stifling night. Sweat drips down from the side of Kyungsoo’s face down the edge of his armour. As they go deeper into the forest, Kyungsoo belatedly notes the eerie quiet enveloping the place. There are no usual hoots of an owl or just any nocturnal animals for that matter.
Even the sky looks suspiciously ominous, with the moon and stars completely hidden in sight by uniform greyish clouds that cover the entire sky.
As Kyungsoo is about to voice out his thoughts, an enormous black figure suddenly emerges from behind a tree and collides with his horse. Kyungsoo hisses in pain as the horse’s weight crushes his left leg. He tries to push the animal away but it won’t budge. Eventually wriggling his foot free from under his fallen horse, he turns to find his squad currently facing a pack of werewolves.
Realization dawns on him, making his stomach churn. They are being ambushed.
Kyungsoo rises to stand upright but only barely. His left foot hurts every time he puts his weight into it.
As he struggles to maintain his balance on one foot, a werewolf finds its way to him. He quickly draws his sword and wobbles into position.
He parries blows and swings his sword as much as he can. But with his foot continuously throbbing in pain, he finds it harder and harder to defend and attack. Soon enough, he limps away from the battlefield and into the forest, hoping that he can somehow lose the creature out of his trail. He has already lost his sword sometime back between the chaos and inopportunely he has also lost the feeling in his right arm from the last blow that he received. Gashes and bruises fill the parts of his body not covered by armour.
He continues making his way into the dark forest. He doesn’t know what direction he’s heading, just abandoning everything on instinct. As he navigates into the forest, he is suddenly pushed roughly into the ground. He flips over only to come face to face with the very creature that he is running from.
However before the creature can bring assault, a new werewolf comes into view and crashes into the previous one.
As he feels his strength slowly ebbing away, Kyungsoo vaguely registers the sight of the two werewolves fighting each other before everything turns black.
-
Death clutches Kyungsoo firmly by his neck. He fights and resists because no, he refuses to die right now, so he opposes death and struggles to keep living.
Most of the time he thinks death might be winning because darkness envelops him often. All he sees and hears is nothingness. And even in moments that he wakes up, all he can sense is pain, all over his body. He feels hot and heavy and tired that he wishes to go back to the darkness.
But something keeps him from going to the end; something pulls him back to life.
Kyungsoo reasons it as delirium, a hallucination caused by illness or dying. He assures himself that that must be it because what other reasons could there be?
That every time he comes out of consciousness, he sees someone taking care of him; but he is always too weak or too ill to get a proper look on the person’s face. One thing he keeps remembering though is a mahogany coloured hair.
-
The smell of food brings Kyungsoo out of his sopor. The first thing he sees when he wakes up is a rock ceiling full of stalactites. Feeling disoriented from the unknown surroundings, Kyungsoo groggily walks towards what looks like the exit. He squints as he is blinded by the sunlight but as his eyes adjust, he notices a guy squatting before a fire.
The guy has his back on Kyungsoo, looking quite busy tending something.
Kyungsoo notices the man’s mahogany hair sticking out on all directions which looks suspiciously like the hair he keeps seeing on his deliriums. Kyungsoo next observes the man’s clothing. He is wearing a white thin shirt and trousers that looks like they had been unwashed and overused. He is barefoot, Kyungsoo notes lastly.
The man slowly stands up and as he turns around, Kyungsoo forgets how to breathe.
The guy has a small petite face but he has bright golden eyes, straight-bridged nose, and soft delicate lips. Kyungsoo’s heart starts to beat faster, whether it’s because the guy is probably the most beautiful man he has ever seen or the fact that he is a werewolf, Kyungsoo is not sure.
There is a thick silence that settled between them, both figuring the other’s first move.
“H-hi. I’m Luhan,” the guy says tentatively. “Uh... Do you.. want to eat?”
The werewolf, Luhan, extends his hand to him, at the end of which is a grilled fish pierced with a stick. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in shock. Confusion and weariness suddenly hits him to the bone. When Kyungsoo stays frozen on his place, the guy clears his throat and continues.
“You know, I always wondered why you humans cook your food. But I gave it a try, and it was actually pretty... delicious?” Luhan says casually.
Kyungsoo watches unblinkingly at the werewolf’s attempts of poor conversation at him. As much as he doesn’t understand what’s going on, he knows that he should kill the werewolf otherwise Luhan would grill him next.
He reaches out to his side to retrieve his sword instead he grabs nothing but air. He looks down and notices for the first time that his armour is all gone.
Looking around wildly to find anything that he can use as a weapon, he spots a rock lying near him.
He quickly picks it up and raises it above his head, threatening to throw it at Luhan’s direction. It’s a pathetic substitution for a silver sword but it’s the only thing he has.
Luhan takes a step towards him making Kyungsoo reflexively take a step back.
“Stop!” Kyungsoo shouts vehemently. “Don’t come any closer!”
For a moment Luhan appears hurt that Kyungsoo almost regrets screaming at him, but the instant is immediately gone making Kyungsoo wonder if it was only an illusion.
However despite Kyungsoo’s obvious detest, Luhan still takes another step forward then another and
another. With his heart now beating wildly in his chest, Kyungsoo throws the stone directly at Luhan’s face. He easily swats the stone like it’s just some annoying fly and continues pacing towards Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo helplessly retreats farther until his back is already touching the cave wall.
Kyungsoo absolutely can’t believe his luck. First he succeeds in overcoming death but almost instantly after he recovers a werewolf will probably grill him alive since that said werewolf has also just discovered that cooking food is apparently delicious.
But instead Luhan smirks down out him and says, “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you when you were still asleep.”
At this Kyungsoo can’t help but raise his eyebrow. Luhan just indirectly confirmed that he was beside him in Kyungsoo’s state of vulnerability, taking care of him.
“Now eat. You still need to get better. You are in no condition to return inside your precious wall,” Luhan scoffs scornfully.
With that Luhan thrusts the stick with the grilled fish on the ground and sharply turns to go, leaving Kyungsoo more baffled than ever.
-
They established a strange relationship like that continuing for the next day. Whenever it’s time for eating, Kyungsoo constantly finds cooked food by the mouth of the cave. It usually varies from fishes to rabbits to fowls.
At night Luhan enters the cave and sleeps by the exit, leaving Kyungsoo to sleep by the farthest side of the cave wall. An unspoken boundary divides them from each other. Luhan never once tried to get into Kyungsoo’s side, to which he is extremely thankful for.
They don’t talk but somehow they communicate better that way.
-
Kyungsoo awakes from the chilliness of early morning and finds himself alone inside the cave. He carefully gimps towards the exit. As he gets outside, he expects Luhan to cook some games for them to eat as he does every morning but instead, he is met with quiet solitude.
The sky is still dark, hardly any stars and clouds to be seen although also no sign of the sun yet. Dews are dripping from the leaves to the damp earth. Kyungsoo inhales the fresh air and grins evilly to himself.
-
The forest is a deep labyrinth of various tree species but to Kyungsoo, everything just seems similar right now. He isn’t sure if he’s current path is even leading him to the fortress or to an impending doom, though he has only gone straight since fleeing the cave.
Sweat beads on the side of his face. Exhaustion came quickly to him, probably because he is still healing, making him pant heavily and walk laboriously. And the uneven terrain doesn’t specifically help his condition, making his journey harder.
As Kyungsoo tries to hop over a fallen tree, he loses his footing instead and falls on his knees to the ground. He grunts in frustration until he hears the sound of a twig breaking behind him. He slowly gets up and turns around. He tenses in his spot when he finds Luhan staring at him a few meters away.
“How... long have you been following me?” Kyungsoo asks nervously.
“About... two miles back?” Luhan answers honestly.
“Oh...” Kyungsoo huffs dumbfoundedly. “Then why didn’t you...?”
Luhan merely shrugs and says, “You’re not supposed to wander around the forest unarmed especially with an injury. Come on. We need to get back before it gets dark.”
Avoiding the question, Luhan turns and moves ahead. Sighing heavily, Kyungsoo weighs his choices. It’s true Kyungsoo can’t possibly defend himself in his current state plus he admits he is presently lost. With nowhere to go, he quietly follows behind Luhan.
The farther they march into the place, the more Kyungsoo struggles to keep going. Incidentally, Kyungsoo notices Luhan also falling into pace with him. Luhan still walks ahead, maintaining a respectable distance. But every time Kyungsoo pauses to take a break, Luhan also stops, pretending to check the leaves of this tree or that shrub. And whenever Kyungsoo staggers, Luhan immediately slows down and matches his pace with Kyungsoo’s, waiting patiently until Kyungsoo starts again normally.
Kyungsoo doesn’t understand but somehow, all these little things make him feel warm inside.
-
That night, Kyungsoo finds himself tossing and turning, basically unable to go to sleep. He lies on his side staring at Luhan’s motionless figure on the far end of the cavern. The moonlight coming from the entrance of the cave creates shadows on his face, making him look as ethereal and as unreal as ever.
Asleep Luhan gives Kyungsoo the liberty of finally gawking at him without the disadvantage of being
seen as creepy.
The contours of Luhan’s face can delude anyone into assuming that he is as harmless as a lost baby
deer. But as Kyungsoo’s eyes travel further south, he discovers the slight bulk in Luhan’s arms, the deep indention of his clavicles, and the snug fit of his trousers in his thighs.
Kyungsoo tries to remember if werewolves are supposed to be as strikingly gorgeous as Luhan is.
“Can’t sleep?” a voice suddenly booms in the dark.
Kyungsoo’s eyes flit over to find Luhan gazing at him intently. Heaving a deep sigh, he nods.
“Hmmm...” hums Luhan thoughtfully. “Do you.. want to talk about it?”
The incredible paradox of their whole situation puzzles Kyungsoo endlessly. Ideally, he and Luhan should’ve killed each other by now, instead they settle into a weird system of cohabitation, going against the normal ways of nature.
Kyungsoo sometimes wonders if Luhan is only keeping him alive to fatten him up before he devours him.
And more importantly, why does Kyungsoo even stay?
Frowning, Kyungsoo inquires, “Can I ask you something?”
“Y-yeah..” Luhan breathes hesitantly.
“Why did you save me?” Kyungoo utters curiously.
Chuckling slightly, Luhan answers, “You probably don’t remember this... but we already met.”
Taken aback, Kyungsoo hangs his mouth open.
“Since we were young, the elders have always warned us about humans and how evil you all are.
However, rather than being scared like most children did,” Luhan quietly starts, “It piqued my curiosity instead.”
Hearing it from a different perspective, Kyungsoo is surprised to find out that the opposite side is just as scared of them as the humans are of werewolves.
“Not knowing any better, I ventured alone through the forest to your fortress,” Luhan adds, “As I got there, I guess I came at the right time because the gate was momentarily opened for some incoming hunters, so I sneaked in.”
“But wouldn’t your eyes uh.. give you away?” Kyungsoo interrupts.
“No. We are naturally born with black or brown eyes, but they only change to gold when we get older,”
Luhan explains.
Kyungsoo tries to imagine a much younger Luhan with brown eyes and mahogany hair. How adorable.
“Anyway there was a festival that day, I think,” Luhan continues. “There were joyful music playing, and colourful papers and lanterns hanging everywhere. People were out on the street dancing and celebrating so happily. And I immediately thought that the elders were clearly mistaken, that surely humans aren’t capable of doing evil things.”
As Kyungsoo keeps listening, a memory starts to resurface.
“However as I was walking around, I got lost on one of the alleys there,” Luhan retells. “Then suddenly there was this big kid and he shoved me to the ground. He started beating me up for no reason at all. I couldn’t fight back, but then... you came.”
Kyungsoo remembers that day clearly now.
He was taking his usual route home when he saw their neighbourhood bully kicking some kid to the dirt.
Unable to stand idly by, he ran towards the scene.
“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo yelled indignantly.
Chanyeol was admittedly a lot taller than him, but despite the obvious disadvantage, he knew Chanyeol’s weak point. He lunged toward the bully and seized him in a strong headlock. When he started to feel Chaneyol’s body sag heavily, he immediately let go. As the taller boy was still choking on the ground, Kyungsoo grabbed the other kid’s hand and dragged him to his house.
Now looking at Luhan a few meters away from him, Kyungsoo is glad he intercepted at that point.
As he gapes at Luhan, he notices the sudden pink tint appearing on both of Luhan’s cheeks.
“T-thank you...” Luhan mutters softly.
As his heart suddenly drums wildly in his chest, Kyungsoo feels himself blushing as well before quickly looking away.
-
Luhan is afraid of thunders, Kyungsoo learns about this the following night.
The sound of heavy rain rouses Kyungsoo from his sound sleep. Outside, massive raindrops continue to fall ceaselessly while trees bend along with the strong winds. As Kyungsoo attempts to go back to sleep, he hears a disrupted mewl and an incessant movement from the far end of the room. As he turns to look, a sudden flash of bright light briefly illuminate the room. He sees Luhan curled in a fetal position, seemingly uneasy.
Immediately a loud rumble of thunder crashes from the sky, overpowering the cacophony of the storm.
Before he can even react, Luhan swiftly rushes to Kyungsoo’s side, crossing their implicit barrier for the first time. Glancing at Luhan, he finds the guy huddled in on himself, whimpering quietly.
“L-Luhan..?” Kyungsoo stutters, poking softly on Luhan’s arm.
When he was met with absolute silence, he stares helplessly at Luhan’s form, wishing he can do something to ease the other’s fear.
Out of nowhere, Kyungsoo starts to sing. He hasn’t done so in a long time, but the melody and words come pouring out of his mouth like it was just yesterday. He picks a local song that mothers usually sing to their kids at night. It talks of blissful paradises and endless horizons; and gives promises of a better tomorrow.
When he finishes, he discovers Luhan silently peering at him from behind his long fringe. Surprising even to himself, Kyungsoo suddenly feels self conscious of everything. He turns around to face the other side.
After a minute or two, he feels Luhan’s arms wrap around his waist, locking him in a warm comforting embrace.
Kyungsoo falls asleep to the rhythmic rising of Luhan’s chest on his back.
-
They wake up the next morning cuddling and entangled in each other’s limbs. Gazing at Luhan’s face up close, Kyungsoo notices for the first time a small scar on Luhan’s lower lip. Reaching out, he tenderly runs his finger over it, wondering if maybe Chanyeol had managed to leave it there and if maybe he should have tightened his headlock on that bastard for doing this to Luhan.
Distractedly, feeling Luhan’s lips under his fingertips, he wonders how it would feel like to be kissed by them. As his eyes trail further up, he realizes Luhan has been observing his every action. Feeling the heat rising to his face, Kyungsoo detaches himself first.
-
By mid-afternoon, as Kyungsoo was exercising his foot, Luhan suddenly perks up and growls at the opening of the cave. Kyungsoo strains his neck out to see outside but finds nothing amiss.
Out of nowhere a werewolf appears by the entrance. It prances inside, entering the cave gracefully. As it steps closer, his thick black fur slowly wanes and his snout, ears, tail and claws gradually shrink. Standing before Luhan is a guy with a lanky figure and thick black mop of hair on his head. He is smiling goofily but his eyes look slightly unfocused and sleepy.
“Yixing!” Luhan exclaims gleefully.
“Luhan!” Yixing retorts playfully.
Kyungsoo watches mildly as Luhan strides toward the other werewolf.
“So, this is where you disappear to everyday?” Yixing asks.
Chuckling, Luhan nods, “Yes, but how did you find me?”
“I followed you,” Yixing answers easily.
A sudden silence settles in the place when Yixing turns to look at Kyungsoo.
“Oh, by the way,” Luhan interjects, “This is Kyungsoo.”
Yixing smiles politely, showing off a pair of dimples on his cheeks, “Hi. My name’s Yixing.”
Kyungsoo reciprocates a smile but it comes out more as a simper. For some reason, he feels awkward and out of place between the two best friends.
-
Yixing ends up staying until lunch, striking a conversation mostly with Luhan and Kyungsoo just listens
quietly.
Kyungsoo sees a side of Luhan which he has never seen before. Luhan laughs openly over something Yixing is saying that the side of his eyes crinkle and his jaw unhinges wide open. He looks ridiculous but every laugh sounds like music to Kyungsoo, making him smile affectedly. And Luhan has this habit that every time he expresses his mirth he leans towards Kyungsoo and he touches a part of the smaller guy’s body, be it the knee or the arm. Every warm touch sends tingles to every fibre of Kyungsoo’s being.
Looking at Luhan talking animatedly with Yixing, Kyungsoo feels like he’s falling and flying at the same time.
-
As the sun starts to set, Yixing also says his goodbyes. He excuses himself and reasons he has other places he has to go. Luhan send him off outside, leaving Kyungsoo alone in the middle of the cave.
However, unbeknownst to them Kyungsoo follows them laggardly, hiding himself behind the boulders.
“...have to be careful. Yifan is already looking for you,” he hears Yixing halfway, “He’s getting suspicious because you’re always not around.”
“Let him!” Luhan flouts angrily.
“If he finds out you’re hiding a human, you’re dead,” Yixing explains desperately.
“But he wouldn’t find out, would he, Yixing?” Luhan warns coldly.
“Of course, I wouldn’t tell him!” Yixing answers sharply. “You should be grateful it was me who found you. If it was someone else...”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Luhan sighs heavily.
“I’m just saying, you know how enraged he is with humans,” Yixing continues worriedly. “He’s the Alpha.
One command from him and the whole pack will go against you.”
Luhan hums thoughtfully, to which Yixing just sighs and replies with “Well, I have to go now. They’ll be looking for me soon too.”
As Yixing Changes back to a werewolf, Kyungsoo tiptoes back inside the cave and pretends to be busy tidying the place. He brushes dust off the rocks and replays Yixing’s words with a tightening around his chest.
-
Different thoughts run through Kyungsoo’s mind. He never thought Luhan has been risking his life all this time just to be with him. Guilt picks at the back of his mind but most of all, worry plagues his heart.
Just hearing about how Luhan’s pack would instantaneously turn against him makes Kyungsoo ache as
he is the root of all this.
“Luhan..” Kyungsoo suddenly blurts.
Luhan turns to him and beams brightly.
Hesitating for a moment, he mumbles softly, “I want to go back to the fortress.”
Luhan’s smile falls instantly making Kyungsoo look away in pain.
“I just... miss home and my family and everyone,” Kyungsoo adds quietly.
Luhan doesn’t reply quickly, but when he finally did, his voice comes out small and reluctant, “Is that what you want?”
No.
“Yes,” Kyungsoo answers in an undertone.
A thousand knives seem to pierce through his heart but he fakes a smile at Luhan instead.
-
The next morning Kyungsoo wakes up with dread at the pit of his stomach. Luhan agrees to escort Kyungsoo back to the fortress, though Luhan walks a couple of meters behind him.
As they hike together in palpable silence, a hunter suddenly emerges from behind a tree and points a sword to Kyungsoo’s chest.
“Kyungsoo?”
As Kyungsoo peers very hard, he realizes it’s Baekhyun, one of the members from his squad, who immediately lowers his weapon. But he’s hardly happy to see Baekhyun right now. He turns to look behind him but Luhan is nowhere to be seen.
“Kyungsoo, you’re alive,” Baekhyun continues, shock evident on his voice, “We looked everywhere for you but we couldn’t find you.”
At this point, Kyungsoo zones out and looks around him, hoping to find any sign of Luhan.
Disappointment fills Kyungsoo as he misses to find Luhan. His goodbyes are still hanging from his lips.
-
Days drag on slowly with hardly any work that Kyungsoo has much more time by himself.
He hates it.
His injured foot has healed completely but it seems his heart has been left behind somewhere in the forest, at a specific cave. Every chance it gets, his mind automatically wanders back to that place. Every minuscule thing pulls him back to thoughts of Luhan.
Many sleepless nights have been wasted just thinking about his decision. He tries not to regret, tries not to think of it as his biggest mistake to date. But it’s hard especially when his body recognizes the lack of another constant presence in his surroundings. He’s gotten used to always having someone else nearby.
And even on his dreams, memories still haunt him. He dreams of flashing golden eyes, bright toothy smiles and strong arms enveloping him. It sucks when he wakes up though, because reality crashes hard making him feel colder and more alone on his bed than ever.
Kyungsoo wishes he could go back to it all.
-
While Kyungsoo laments over his free hours, the other hunters view it as a small vacation. Most of them
end up lounging around the town or getting drunk in taverns.
Kyungsoo often spends time with his squad, opting to be surrounded by people to distract him than to be completely alone with his thoughts. During one of their chats, they talk about their current situation. Baekhyun immediately gabs about overhearing an officer say there are less werewolf activities nowadays.
While others see it as boon, Kyungsoo can’t help but feel it might be the calm before a storm.
-
Kyungsoo is busy keeping watch and staying awake on wee hours of the night by the main gate when it happened. A hunter comes rapidly riding on his horse, bearing grave news. He reports of a sudden attack on the northwest side of the fortress and the extreme probability of a breach on the wall. Alarm bells are immediately rung throughout the town and people are highly advised either to evacuate away from the northwest or stay locked inside their homes.
Due to the severity of the situation, the Lord Commander issued a decision to send most of the hunters to aid their brethren in the northwest, leaving their posts temporarily. Kyungsoo is one of the few who are assigned to stay on their stations. The main gate becomes uneasily quiet as hardly enough men remained.
As Kyungsoo quietly prays for the safety and success of his comrades, a loud crash brings him out of his reverie. The unexpended hunters all turn to see the slight bend in the wood of the main gate. Splinters bounce off the gate as more continuous loud crashes follow.
Fear suddenly snakes itself into Kyungsoo’s heart as apprehension settles in. The attack on the northwest might have just been the diversion while the main gate has been the sole purpose all along.
Kyungsoo turns to the people around him; it looks like he’s not the only one who instantly understood the giant fiasco they are left in.
“Hunters!” Kyungsoo suddenly bellows. “Grab your swords and get ready to fight!”
As everyone scrambles for their weapons, the wooden gate heaves its final creak and seemingly disintegrates into their faces. A huge wave of werewolves leaps into the vicinity. Despite the overwhelming display of number, Kyungsoo screams a battle cry with his companions.
He runs ahead and shoves his sword through a werewolf who jogs to meet him. He sees another incoming werewolf and quickly swings his sword to its neck. He blindly charges and repetitively slashes his sword until the creature isn’t moving anymore. In no time, his sword is dripping with blood.
As another werewolf lunges at him, he thrusts his sword into its eye but before he can deliver another blow, his sword gets suspended above his head. When he turns around to look, he finds another werewolf seizing his sword with its teeth. The creature spews Kyungsoo’s sword at the side away from Kyungsoo’s reach.
Kyungsoo as vulnerable as ever is immediately kicked to the soil by the werewolf. Gulping down the huge lump in his throat, he creeps back away slowly. As the werewolf roars at him, another werewolf bumps into it. Pinned to the ground, the second werewolf gnaws on the other’s neck until eventually it ceases moving.
Kyungsoo lies in shock as the scene plays in front of him. Disbelief runs through him as he recalls that this is the second time that a werewolf has saved him.
He raises his eyes to meet a pair of golden orbs staring intently into him.
“L-Lu...han?” Kyungsoo stutters, wide-eyed.
But before it can even grunt an answer, a sword has already sunk through its chest. Kyungsoo cranes his neck to see a fellow hunter delve the sword deeper before completely pulling it out. He cocks his head to Kyungsoo as if acknowledging Kyungsoo’s notional gratitude for him. The guy quickly sprints away, leaving Kyungsoo in his deep muddle of emotions.
Kyungsoo crawls towards where the werewolf is lying. He glances at the wound gushing with blood and places his hand on it, putting pressure as hard as he can.
Kyungsoo’s vision suddenly turns blurry and he’s keenly aware of something warm streaming down his face. The creature blinks at him, soft eyes glazing on him, and pats his cheek with the back of his claw, wiping away his tears.
Minute details of Luhan flash through his mind. Luhan smiling bashfully at him when they first met, how he was biting his lip the moment he first talked, Kyungsoo realizes he must have been nervous back then. Luhan following him around the forest when he attempted to escape, making sure Kyungsoo was safe even though he knew Kyungsoo was fleeing away from him. Finally, Kyungsoo reminisces that stormy night when they became each other’s source of strength.
“Yixing!” an oddly familiar voice calls in the midst of the noise from the ongoing battle.
Kyungsoo turns just in time to see Luhan crouch over the dying werewolf. His breathing suddenly hitches.
“Yixing! Yixing, stay with me!” Luhan pleads hysterically.
Yixing casts his eyes towards Luhan and smiles fondly at him. As Luhan tries to blink back the tears in his eyes and mask the distress he is feeling, the light in Yixing’s eyes suddenly snuff out. Luhan squeezes his eyes shut for a moment while clenching his fists tighter, lament apparent in his face.
When he opened his eyes, he looks at Kyungsoo, face wet with tears.
“Kyungsoo? What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” Luhan demands, worry plain in his voice and eyes.
Despite the inopportunity of the situation, Kyungsoo’s mind clears of unsurety for the first time like seeing a heavy fog part. Kyungsoo thought he was content living the life the way he did, but as they met, Luhan brought with him a vibrant splash of colours painting Kyungsoo’s ascertained pallid life. And when for a moment Kyungsoo thought he had lost Luhan forever, he realizes he definitely regrets letting Luhan go.
“I think...” Kyungsoo intonates, “I think I can’t live without you.”
-
Kyungsoo sighs as he watches the minutes tick by on the clock by the far end of the wall. He glances outside the open window and appreciates the tiny sparkling stars dotting the dark sky. Only a few more minutes until midnight, the whole town is blanketed in a peaceful slumber.
The battle didn’t continue for long after Yixing had passed away. Reinforcements had arrived and the main gate had been defended successfully. Even the northwest side remained unbreached. It was the longest night everyone had ever pulled through. When morning came, casualties from both sides littered the ground.
Kyungsoo had relinquished some of his duties and had asked for some kind of demotion. He requested to be restricted to only manning the wall rather than patrolling outside the walls or engaging in constant battles with werewolves. The Lord Commander was perturbed by his sudden petition but Kyungsoo stood stubbornly by his decision. Eventually the Lord Commander conceded to him and allowed him to stand guard on the wall.
Kyungsoo found out why most hunters dislike being put in the sentry boxes above the wall. The whole job is just plain boring and it requires him not to sleep.
That night he is assigned by the east side of the wall with a new young recruit named Sehun who is currently dozing off in his chair. Kyungsoo walks over to the kid and shakes him awake. Sehun wakes up disgruntled, looking around as if forgetting where he was.
“Hey, Sehun. Go on and sleep in the chambers. I can take it from here,” Kyungsoo says quietly.
“But...” Sehun starts to say.
“Really, I’m fine here alone. Go sleep in a bed,” Kyungsoo remarks gently.
Sehun merely shrugs before finally leaving the room, yawning and murmuring some thanks.
As the clock strikes midnight, Kyungsoo hears a light thud behind him. Turning around he sees Luhan standing in the middle of the room, smirking at him.
Making their relationship work is a lot tedious than Kyungsoo thought. He needed to be at a place where he was alone while Luhan finds a way to slip away from his pack and visit Kyungsoo unnoticed.
As Luhan closes the gap between them with long quick strides, Kyungsoo sees everything like it’s in slow motion.
Kyungsoo tilts his head to gaze up at him. Luhan’s lowered eyelashes casting shadows across his cheekbones, Luhan’s shiny lips and the small scar beneath it, the flush creeping up on Luhan’s face.
When he reached him, Luhan cups his neck tenderly and before long, Kyungsoo already has his eyes closed. As he feels soft warm lips meet his, Kyungsoo thinks to himself yes, this is definitely worth all the hassle.