Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Plu assisted Arty with his knee treatment, during which his grandparents brought them snacks. He was glad to see the worry in their eyes ease, which had alarmed him when he returned with Arty's things. Arty's demeanor and his effort to look okay were so perfect that he managed to fool them. They didn't expect Arty to sleep so long and deeply during the day. It wasn't all that surprising when Plu thought about everything Arty had been through in the last few days, but his grandparents didn’t know the details.

When they had finished eating, they began unpacking. Plu helped Arty set up all the electronics. He guessed right that Arty had set up a computer den at his home. Before he could ask anything, Arty started talking.

"My family is rich, and for a long time, our mother bought our love with money. She was my greatest teacher in manipulation. She had a problem with communication and flexibility. For a long time, she couldn't stand not having everything under absolute control. She was always fixated on her own view and didn't accept that it could be different or that she was wrong."

"You talk as if it weren't like that anymore. So why the break from the family?" Plu asked, not understanding where Arty was getting at.

"It got better, but it wasn’t fixed, especially for me. I'm the youngest, and everyone is fixated on me. I don't know when it happened, but I became the link and mediator in our family. With that came a different kind of control and toxic overprotection, this time not only from my mother. It's hard to breathe in my home sometimes.
Anyway, this (Arty pointed at the computer) was my first escape. I became a gamer. I'm good. If I didn't have other interests or opportunities, I would probably make a living from it. Actually, I make a living from it. I wanted to be financially independent because there were times when I got infected with too much manipulation from my mother, and got money from my brothers, exploiting them. Basically, I let myself be bribed. I hated this and wanted something I earned with my skills, not with manipulation.
So, I became a streamer, playing video games, creating guides, commentary, reviews, and the like. After a while, I earned a lot of money. I have many sponsors. My guidance, reviews, and feedback are highly valued and sought after. My videos have millions of views," Arty explained without a hint of arrogance or boasting, simply stating facts.

Plu was fascinated and curious.

"Do you want to see?" Arty asked, probably seeing his interest. "I still have to check if I have everything set up correctly, and frankly, I need to unwind. You can watch me play, but I have to warn you. When I'm in this mood, I usually choose a game that is in the style of Slasher horrors."

"Hahaha, I get it. You can become a Slasher and kill all your enemies in your imagination," Plu laughed.

"Not really, it's more about the horror atmosphere. Ghost spooky games make me think, whereas slasher games are a little different. Although there is a spooky element because the killer usually stalks his victims obsessively."

"I understand why you have so many fans. You haven't shown me anything yet, but you're already talking about everything so passionately that I hang on your every word. Well, show me your skills, Arty," Plu said, making Arty smile widely.

Chapter Text

Non flicked the dust off the stairs and sat down with a pile of papers. It was getting dark, and everything was quiet. He was calmer than he had expected. In fact, he had never been so relaxed when he was so close to his family, even though it was almost across the whole of Bangkok. The oppressive hand that hovered over him from miles away was not reflected in his mind this time.

Much harder than being relatively close to his family was watching Pat leave. Especially because he could see from his boyfriend how much he didn't want to leave him alone in this part of town. He really had nothing to fear. Non had acquaintances here. He would love to say friends, but he couldn't. Many of those who lived here or often appeared here were in a similar situation to him. They were hiding from someone and needed help. This neighborhood was a special secret community that accepted people without question and provided the means it could, whether it was to hide deeper or escape.

It was built by an old Granny who, sadly, Non was not lucky enough to meet because when he got here, she had been dead for several years, but her legacy lived on. As a young woman, she ran away from her abusive husband on the verge of death. She was saved by a passing stranger who treated her wounds without question, gave her food and money, and then disappeared. It was exactly what she needed, and so she swore that she would become a similar stranger for others.

When Non first got here, he was highly suicidal, and if it weren't for these strangers, he probably would have given up. When he recovered a bit, it took him a long time to understand how it was possible to keep this community a secret and how someone hadn't abused it yet. Then he understood that everything was built on trust and pure rumors. Nothing was officially written anywhere. It was an unregistered and unknown shelter. Only when those in trouble, community members, or any stranger who knew about this neighborhood saw that someone needed this place, did they direct them here.

Non helped with money because he couldn't afford to do anything more yet. He hoped that maybe Pat would check on some sick people before they left Bangkok. Non smiled and finally focused on what he was holding in his hand.

He needed to carefully flick through the report his source had left here. It wasn't hard to get detailed reports on the goings-on in the flower empire and his mother's and Uncle Win's company. Before Non disappeared, he had left back doors everywhere. It wasn't like he could get the information he needed with a flick of a button, but he had ways. Unfortunately, due to secrecy, it had to be timed just before he arrived in Bangkok.

Non sighed when he saw the report. Their businesses were collapsing, and by trying to cover it up and quickly patch it up, they were undermining their foundations even more. Non wasn't sorry that they might lose their fortune, but he did mind that so many people would lose their jobs. That was why Non hadn't destroyed his family in the business sector yet, even though he could. He first needed enough money, influence, and courage to destroy his family and save all the innocents involved.

He was faced with sad and uncomfortable moments while checking in on his family. The only thing that encouraged him was a date with Pat that he couldn't wait for.

Chapter Text

When they arrived, Pine's pack was already waiting for them. Pine checked Run and was relieved that he seemed ready for any theater that was going to take place. His pack enjoyed this shenanigans, and given that this was Run's first semi-official appearance as Pine's mate, he expected something stupid from them.

"Hello, let me officially introduce myself. As you know, I'm Run, who is expecting your pack leader's child. I've met some of you before. It's nice to meet you all. Pine talks about you a lot," Run said in a firm voice. Pine was proud of how he handled it.

"I'm sure it’s not always in a good light. I speak for all of us when I say that the pleasure is ours and we are grateful for your presence in our leader's life," Hack said. "And now. Squad, line up!" Hack barked out of nowhere, whereupon all his idiots saluted and lined up in front of Run.

As Pine had expected, his pack was acting theatrical. He just didn't expect them to choose a military performance. Run's face was a mixture of shock, confusion, and amusement. At the end of the introduction, Run was visibly choking on laughter.

"Stop with the theater," Pine commanded when it looked like his pack was going to ask Run stupid questions.

Pine wasn't pleased with this because they were way too touchy with Run, but it brought two positive things. First, they were all relaxed before the unpleasant conversation, and second, Pine confirmed that his pack hadn't noticed any change in them either. Their newly gained harmony belonged only to them.

"What did you find out?" Pine said after everyone calmed down.

“We tracked down the beta. Sadly, he is someone unimportant who was paid and had no idea what he was supposed to deliver. He was convinced it was some prank, and the package was supposed to contain something similar to Jack in the Box. But thanks to how he got the information and how he was paid, we found out that the troublesome bitch…”

“Um, um,” Run interrupted Hack, putting a hand on his belly. He most likely wasn’t pleased with the language in front of their unborn child. Pine had no idea how much their pup could hear, but he wasn’t going to argue with Run.

“Go ahead, but let’s keep the language in check in front of our pup,” Pine said, seeing half of his pack stifling laughter. He glared at them and released a little of his dominant pack leader pheromones, enough to make them afraid. It worked like a pinch to remind them who the leader was.

“I see, I’m sorry,” Hack said to Run.

“A problematic scheamer?” Nathee said, checking Run’s expression before continuing, “She indeed snuck back into Thailand. We haven’t been able to find her yet. She’s using a different identity, but we are searching.”

“What worries us is that we have information that she’s up to something bigger. We don’t want to take any chances even if it’s unconfirmed.” Nanfah said.

“The weird thing is, from what we know about her, she shouldn’t have the money or be smart enough to do it,” Nannam added.

“She stole Pine’s sperm, quite skillfully,” Run noted.

“Yes, it was her idea, but she paid a fortune to have someone arrange it and figure out how,” Wayu said.

“Who said she didn’t do the same now. Some horny rich people are easily manipulated,” Run said.

“Did you look into what she did abroad, who she was hanging out with?” Pine added.

“Not enough, apparently, we’ll arrange it. In the meantime…” Hack began.

“We are going to increase your protection,” Nannam added.

Pine and Run nodded.

When they were leaving, Pine noticed Run was sad. Something inside him told him that this had nothing to do with the troublesome bitch.

"Something's wrong?"

"No, I just realized that I probably won't be going to the theater for a while. I like movies and plays. And when you mentioned theater, I realized that."

"That's not a bad idea. We have time, so let’s go now," Pine suggested.

"Okay," Run agreed, excited.

As Pine got behind the wheel and looked at Run, who was also watching him, they both suddenly realized that this was going to be their first official date. Not just a random date where they stopped for a meal while discussing their situation or on their way to a checkup or something concerning the orphanage.

Chapter Text

They stayed silent for eternity. At least that’s what it felt like to Third, although it was probably two minutes at most. Third’s sister was throwing hostile glares at Khai and getting ready to slice him into tiny pieces. Whether he would be sliced depended entirely on Khai’s answer. That was what Third feared. He believed that just a few days ago, Khai would have been able to charm his way out of this sticky situation, even with Ink. But now Khai wasn’t himself.

“I’m waiting for an answer, Khai. And please let go of Third’s hand,” Ink said.

Both Third and Khai winced. Khai looked at him, and Third saw the lostness. Third realized that they really needed to talk, no matter how much he didn’t want to. There was no avoiding it, not anymore. So, Third did something that surprised the other two present. He took Khai’s hand, which held his wrist, and squeezed it for a moment for support.

“Khai, I promise we’ll talk. I won’t avoid you anymore. But please leave now so I can talk to my sister.”

“Are you sure? I can sta…” Khai said.

“No, go home and get some sleep.” Third didn’t let him finish. Khai nodded, which Third returned. Before Khai let go of Third’s hand, he squeezed it.

Third was aware that not a single gesture of theirs had escaped his sister’s notice, but for the moment, he didn’t care. They reached a silent understanding, which was new to both of them.

“What the hell was that? Are you dating now? He did something to you, didn’t he? I’ll kill him.”

"Calm down. It's not what your wild imagination is telling you. It's a bit complicated, and you've ruined it all. Up until now, I've pretty convincingly kept him in the mindset that he's delusional and that I don't remember him from childhood or that I'm not who he thinks I am. He's been more suspicious the last few days, but your presence has confirmed it without a shadow of a doubt, so thanks, sis. Your timing couldn't have been worse." Third said, trying to sound angry even though he knew he was failing and sounded more like a sulking little brother.

"Well, sorry, baby brother. We all agreed that you sounded sad on the last few phone calls and not like yourself. I was the closest, so I'm here to check on you and give you a firm hug. Are you very angry, or can I hug you?"

Third couldn't refuse. Although they were protective and a little too much most of the time. Third loved his family dearly and missed them.

"I have a cake, let's slice a piece for each and talk," Ink said after a long, warm hug.

Third first demanded that she swear to him that she would only tell the others the shortened version, because he suspected that otherwise he would have his whole family here the next day. She didn't like it, but understood. Ink was paradoxically the most angry with Khai but also the most understanding of Third's attempt to become independent. Which didn't stop her from being nearby with a mattress to throw under his feet in case he tripped and fell. She liked to meddle but managed to keep it within a reasonable limit.

When he told her everything truthfully, she approved of his approach and praised how cunning he was. She was genuinely surprised by Khai's endurance.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. We need to talk."

"True, the adult, unbiased part of me would say to tell him from your heart how much he hurt you in the past. I know it was just a childhood first love, but he trampled on your heart, and worse, he betrayed you as a friend. You'll have to talk about this sometime," She reasoned.

"But?"

"But as your sister, I would advise you to torment him a little more."

"And how?"

"That's a good question. My approach would be physically painful for Khai, so you have to think about it yourself."

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm staying for a few more days, but I can extend it. Why?"

"I think your presence and not letting Khai get close to me will be torture enough," Third said.

"I like how you think, my lovely brother."

Chapter Text

Non couldn't close his eyes after their last exchange... He couldn't even properly name what it was between him and Thawin. Non was increasingly affected by each closeness and touch. He would be lying if he said he didn't like it. When Thawin touched him, even if it was possessive, Non never felt like the devil wanted to control him or hurt him. Instead, he felt incredibly precious in his hands.

If Thawin had wanted more intimacy, Non wouldn't have resisted, which scared him. Luckily, Thawin had been at full strength in two days and was giving his attention to Non's family. Non knew about the nightmares Thawin had sent them last time, but this time, he had taken it a step further. They weren't just nightmares. Thawin made them hallucinate. They saw their terrors vividly.

Snakes and creeps followed Min. Tawan was followed by herself, wearing only torn, dirty rags and leaving bloody tracks. Bullies with guns followed Uncle Win. This time, Thawin included Non's father and grandmother. His dad was followed by debt collectors, ex-lovers, and, in his nightmares, he was turned into a sex-slave. Grandfather followed grandmother Klin, and in dreams, she was abused by her dead husband.

Thawin showed him everything, mainly because he told him that whenever they thought of hurting Non, their terror would multiply.

They shook with fear whenever Non was close by. The worst part was that Non was starting to like it. He had a growing feeling that the terror Thawin was putting his family through was deserved. It was true. They deserved to be punished for all the evil they had done. But before, Non's moral code had been too high to allow him to approve of it.

Non's thoughts led him to an interesting dilemma that he had never explored further. Perhaps it was because he had never had any means to truly punish them.

He had always realized that his way had no future. The oppression of his family would only increase, and Non's soul and body would wither away more and more. Until a few weeks ago, the only way out was death. He had been denied suicide, but Non had never doubted that his family would kill him one day, although it would probably be by mistake or accident.

A few times in the past, thoughts of revenge or bringing justice had crossed his mind. But they were always just initial thoughts. He had never thought of how it could be carried out. He didn't even dare to properly think about it. It terrified him, because he had known only one equation of terror since he was a child. If he rebelled, the punishment would be even worse and would also affect innocent people around him.

These thoughts confirmed to Non that his wish was right. He wasn't sure if his words would be good, but he knew he couldn't put it off much longer. Watching Thawin and his sincere enjoyment of the terror he unleashed on his family, Non realized one more thing.

Thawin was a complicated demon who enjoyed evil but had a sense of justice. He was handsome and sexy, but too powerful and calculating. Non was convinced that without control, Thawin would destroy the world with a snap of his fingers.

Non could no longer lie to himself that he wasn’t attracted to Thawin, and not just physically. He needed to find a way to keep his devil in check.

Chapter Text

Ryan sat down on the ground, keeping the bucket safely close, and looked at the others. He could see that they were feeling the same. Their eyes were scared and full of questions. Even Puck didn't look as smug this time.

Ryan lay down and looked up at the ceiling, which wasn't a ceiling but the universe. He had no idea why that was until the sight of the universe began to calm him down. He realized that he shouldn't have questioned how this worked and trusted Jane. He was a little scared of their mentor, but he trusted him, though he didn't know why.

"Stop thinking and focus," Jane said.

Ryan was sure he was talking to him. He took a breath and forced his thoughts to stop. The view of the universe really helped. He closed his eyes and was surprised that he felt like he was alone in the room. He dared to peek with one eye to check if he had accidentally moved somewhere else. He immediately met Jane's stern gaze, so he closed his eyes.

Ryan tried to focus only on himself and cut off everything, especially his thoughts. The moment he thought he had succeeded, he felt sick. The whole world was spinning with him, and soon it was unbearable. He needed to use his bucket, realizing that he was not alone. All of them were now hugging the buckets as if their angelic lives depended on it.

Their hour in the practice dimension passed quickly, for which they were all grateful. Ryan felt lightheaded. He had no idea that angels could be like humans, and he had a new understanding for all those suffering from motion sickness. All the trainees breathed a sigh of relief when Jane sent them home.

When Ryan got home, he fell into bed. He hugged his pillow, and although he was tired, he couldn’t fall asleep. Angels didn't need much sleep, but they felt exhausted and needed to recover their grace, their essence that gave them angelic power.

While resting, Ryan thought about his first day as a trainee. He was sorry that he couldn't get to know his fellow trainees better. Then he thought of looking at the notebook. He didn't know why, but he had a great desire to read it. The problem was that he couldn't find it anywhere.

Ryan bitterly realized that he had probably forgotten it in the Guardian Angels building. He questioned whether to leave it for tomorrow, but he didn't want to delay it. What if he couldn't find the notebook anymore?

The building was still open. It was no problem to get inside. Only certain rooms were accessible at certain times or under supervision.

His first steps were towards their classroom. He was relieved that the room wasn't locked. He peeked carefully in and was met with darkness. He made a light in his hand to search the room. Sadly, he found nothing. He didn't know what to do. Ryan was convinced he was in big trouble. He was lost and wandering the halls.

He was surprised to find a door to the practice dimension. Maybe heaven had taken pity on him and led him to the right place. Ryan wasn't sure if it was allowed to come unsupervised, but a small peek probably wouldn't hurt. He took the handle, and it moved.

He was partly hoping it would be locked, but before he could open it, someone's hand stopped him. Ryan collapsed to the ground in fear. It was a wonder he didn't scream. It turned out that a small peek could hurt.

"Looking for something?" Jane said, waving Ryan’s lost notebook.

Ryan was relieved that it was Jane who had caught him, but also terrified that his mentor had his notebook. Jane lifted him back to his feet, smacked him lightly on the forehead with the notebook, and handed it back to him.

"Let's go, you little troublemaker," Jane said, surprisingly friendly.

Ryan didn't know where they were going, but he gratefully followed his mentor.

Chapter Text

Boss was adaptable. His job had taught him to be flexible and prepared. Things never went according to plan. He was proud of his improvisational skills, which kept Black talking to him instead of disappearing after he confronted him about following Sean and White.

But now he was lost. He never would have thought he would get Black into his apartment so quickly, or ever. For Boss, it was a big unknown. When Boss brought someone he wanted to have sex with into his apartment, they were all over each other from the moment they entered the building. When it was Oat or another acquaintance or friend, they talked on the way. But with Black, there was a dead silence and distance between them.

As soon as they entered his apartment, things got worse. Black checked his place, and Boss felt suddenly shy and self-conscious, almost like an inexperienced virgin. He slapped himself in his mind and showed Black his bar so he could choose what he wanted to drink.

Black was displeased that Boss didn't have beer but only rum, cognac, and wine. He finally chose wine and surprised Boss when he downed the first glass and held it out to him to pour it again.

"I won't pour you another one until you promise not to drink it all at once instead of savoring the wine," Boss said, hugging the bottle of his fine wine protectively.

"I know. I just needed to quench my thirst quickly," Black replied and shook the glass to prompt Boss again.

"You mean your annoyed thirst?" Boss asked as he reluctantly filled Black's glass.

Black didn't answer, just snorted to signal Boss not to be too smart. Boss was relieved when Black sat down in a chair facing the window to watch the busy Bangkok. It was late afternoon, and soon it would start to get dark. But for now, it was too light to do anything. Boss shook his head to repel his dangerous thoughts, poured himself some wine, and pulled up another chair next to Black.

One look at Black as he slowly sipped the wine was enough to tell him that his companion was in no mood to talk, and so they sat in silence, drinking the wine and looking out the window.

They soon finished the first bottle, and Boss was about to get a second when Black quickly pinned him in the chair, straddling him. Before Boss could react, Black's lips were on his, and they indulged in passionate kissing. It felt amazing but wrong. Boss had to muster all his strength to force the kiss to stop.

"Wait, we shouldn't do this," Boss said, panting.

"Are you a virgin or what? Don't you want this? I know you want me." Black snapped.

"Yeah, I want you, but not like this to fuck your problems out of your mind. It seems like you're a virgin at dealing with things that don't go according to your plan and ideas rationally."

"Stop talking like you know me," Black said, getting up from Boss's lap, ready to leave.

Boss grabbed his wrist to stop him. Black swung at him with his other hand, and only with a huge amount of luck did Boss manage to dodge, but since he was still holding Black's wrist, they both ended up on the ground. Boss didn't hesitate and pulled Black into a hug, preventing him from leaving.

"Talk to me before you do something irrational." Boss urged, worriedly.

Black clicked his tongue and then kissed Boss again so fiercely that there was a little blood involved as they bit each other.

Black easily freed himself from the grip and, to Boss's relief, sat back in the chair.

"You are annoyingly stubborn, just like my brother."

"I'll take it as a good thing," Boss also returned to his chair. It seemed that now Black was in the mood to talk.

Chapter Text

Rome didn't think they would encounter any problems on the island. He remembered that he had spent several days on the island with a wounded guardian of the map before they could continue on their way to hide. The island leader's family was part of the system of protecting the magical maps. The details were only known to the Island leader himself. Perhaps he had already shared the details with his son or grandson, as he was growing older and wanted his family to continue helping them, but Rome didn’t know for sure.

Rome had noticed how uneasy Pick had been since they stepped on land and blamed it on his unnecessary worries. The locals didn't like pirates but were reasonable. But when he discovered his old friend dying, he had to admit that Pick was right with his bad feeling. Everything was even worse when they entered the forest. Rome got instant chills and felt torn inside. Something pulled him deeper into the forest, but at the same time, Briney Deep called him back to safety. He wasn't alone, everyone had a bad feeling.

Rome stayed between Emma and Pick. He wasn't sure if they had surrounded him on purpose, but he was grateful for it. They made him feel better.

When they reached the swamp, Rome found it hard to breathe. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart and flooding him with sadness and pain. That wasn't all he felt. A familiar, sickening feeling was coming at him from all sides. It felt like the witches’ eyes were watching him.

Rome only realized he was standing on the edge of the swamp when Pick stood next to him and took his hand.

"There's something in the swamp," Rome announced sadly.

"What do you mean?" Pick asked, confused, watching the green water.

Rome didn't know the answer. Emma appeared next to him and took his other hand. At that moment, the wind rose slightly, filled with the grief of nature. After a while, Emma burst into tears and let go of Rome, who suddenly felt weak.

"Sorry, Rome, I needed to borrow some magic. There are dead bodies of a witch and a nymph in that swamp. They fought each other, and the witch took refuge here to steal the power of nature of this forest. The nymph found her before she could kill all the nature of the island and neutralized her. Unfortunately, the damage was too great. Nymphs are healers. She couldn't let it stay like this, so she had to sacrifice herself.
You see, the witch's body released all the evil magic and poisoned parts of nature. That's why some parts of the forest are poisonous even though they shouldn't be, like the branch that pierced the Island leader," Emma explained.

"How did she sacrifice herself?" Rome asked, even though he knew the answer.

"She fell into a sleep from which she cannot be awakened, so that her life force could heal the nature here. I can't tell how many years ago it happened, but I know it will take many more years to heal the damage."

"So they're basically still fighting, the healer and the witch," Pick said sadly. "Do what you must, Emma," their captain added.

"Thank you, I need to honor her sacrifice and help." Emma thanked him.

"What do you need?" Rome asked and was surprised by the guilty and sad look she gave him.

"I need to perform a purifying ritual, and I'll need your help. There's witch magic in you. Your small sacrifice is necessary for the ritual to succeed,” Emma answered, making him gulp.

Chapter Text

When they entered Off’s apartment, Gun had a strange feeling. Part of it was because he was entering the apartment where the singer he admired had lived for many years, which was ridiculous considering they were now living together. But mostly, he was worried about meeting Off’s family. He had no idea how they would react to him.

Gun didn’t have to worry. They accepted him as one of their own. Off introduced him, and after he answered a few general questions, no one paid any special attention to the new guy.

Gun was a little overwhelmed by the family moments, but he liked it. He played with Off’s niece and nephew and helped his mother prepare small snacks. He was only alerted when Off’s family started asking about Off’s new detective series after he said he had already had his first workshop.

It turned out that Off’s father and sister were huge mystery fans. They asked if the series followed the usual detective tropes, such as a lone wolf detective with a cold persona dealing with past trauma, a revenge-seeking detective, or a brilliant genius like Sherlock Holmes. They threw various tropes at them one after another until Gun wondered how many there were. But when he thought about it, it made sense. It still worked, so why not use proven tropes?

Lately, Off's family enjoyed watching the series High Potential and shared that it might be cliché, but it was fun to watch a single eccentric mother with a genius mind solve cases. They hoped it would be something similar.

Gun was surprised and worried they were pressuring Off for answers so much. Off, on the other hand, just smiled. When the children got everyone’s attention for a moment, Off leaned over.

"Don’t mind them. They always question me like this. They know I can’t tell them much, but they ask anyway. So if they try to get something out of you, ignore them or change the subject. They won’t get mad." Off assured him.

Then they continued talking about Off’s detective drama for a while, but Gun was now more relaxed. Finally, they concluded the discussion with everyone agreeing that they hoped the new series would avoid the trope of the damsel or boy in distress. They didn’t have to worry about that. Off’s series wasn’t a romance or a BL. It was a pure thriller mystery. At most, there were elements of bromance, which was also a trope, but still welcomed.

"So how are you feeling? Better?" Off asked when they were walking to a nearby restaurant.

"Shouldn’t I ask that?" Gun said.

"Well, we can ask each other, right? I'm feeling better. It was good to feel normal for a moment and not like a celebrity."

"Sorry Off, I didn't know I was treating you like that."

"I didn't mean you specifically. You're treating me like you suggested, like a friend, but a friend you're protecting from a stalker. You don't have to worry about it. I get it, and I don't mind."

"Okay, and to answer your first question. I enjoy spending time with your family. They're fun and they accepted me as your friend without any problems."

"Yeah, they like you, especially kids. You charmed them," said Off with a slight hint of sulking.

"I was just playing with them," Gun defended himself.

"Hey, stop chit-chatting. We are hungry," Off's sister called out to them, forcing them to pick up their pace.

When they entered the restaurant where they had reserved a private room, Gun got chills. He quickly scanned the room. He didn't notice anything suspicious, but his gut told him something else. Before they moved to the lounge, he texted the bodyguards who were on standby an alert for possible problems and asked them to survey the area.

Something was wrong, and he knew it. Gun had to quickly identify it.

Chapter Text

Punn felt sorry that he had overwhelmed Krathing so much with his explanation. He tried to speak simply, but most things just couldn’t be said otherwise. He knew he had given him a big headache with what he said. He wanted to make up for it somehow and make Krathing relax. His detective was also still pissed because of the scapegoat. They couldn't catch a break since they met at that bar when Punn was hunting.

( You shouldn't have talked to Krathing so complicated.

No, you did well, Punn. If you had simplified it even more, it would have been too hard to understand.

Don't underestimate the detective. He's got his head in the right place. He might be overwhelmed now, but he will handle it. So you shut up, (The Demon pointed at the Suicidal), and you stop feeling guilty (The Demon pointed at Punn). Or were you too influenced by our scarecrow?

Hey, I'm not a scarecrow.

Ahhhh, that's annoying, you are all annoying. We should just burst into some doors of memories that vampire left us.

And what, let Punn be overworked and collapse?

Punn can survive.

You stupid idiot, don't you understand what that would mean? Do you want to suck Krathing dry?

Stop it, all of you. We are not opening any doors for now. We have enough to do. Krathing had a good idea. I can't ignore the amulet any longer. I was going to wait until I found something in the library, but that will have to wait. It won't be difficult to conduct a simple experiment. I can make my own harmless cocktail and test how it works on my blood, on Pang or another artificial vampire, and also on a human to see all the reactions. )

Punn didn't continue his discussion with his personalities because everyone was suddenly alerted. Punn dropped everything he was holding because he smelled blood, Krathing's blood. His detective was in the kitchen preparing food. Punn ran after him and found him with a bloody knife and a cut on his finger. It was a small wound, so Punn was surprised by how much Krathing was bleeding. Then he realized it wasn't just a wound on his finger but on his palm.

"What happened?" Punn asked.

"Nothing. I was just clumsy. Actually, it's your fault. If you hadn't brought all those healthy ingredients, I wouldn't have thought to use a knife. Can you help before I bleed out?"

Punn sucked a bit of Krathing's blood from his finger to force the production of an enzyme, which he mixed with his saliva and licked the bleeding wounds. He was surprised that he was now fully aware of the use of the enzyme, although this was not the first time he had treated wounds. He used a minimum of enzyme so that it did not enter Krathing's bloodstream, but only treated the superficial wounds.

"Now tell me what happened," Punn asked when he was done and washed the bloody knife while Krathing looked in amazement at the cuts that were slowly disappearing.

"I was cutting vegetables to have a healthy snack to munch on, and as I was thinking about what you told me, I cut my finger, but I got frightened and threw the knife in the air. I automatically grabbed it in the palm of my hand to keep the knife from falling to the ground. It was a reaction, I didn't think."

Punn couldn't help but laugh. His detective was adorable.

"You look cute when you smile," Krathing remarked, pinning Punn to the kitchen counter.

"And what are you going to do about that?" Punn dared Krathing, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"You had your snack with my blood. I think I deserve some snack too," Krathing said. Before Punn could say anything flirtatious, Krathing kissed him passionately.

Chapter Text

They remained silent for a moment longer. Thawin let Tam swim in the cold water while he considered how he should proceed in separating Tam from the pool spirits. It was a complicated process that not only required preparation but the act itself would take Tam out of his normal life for several days.

“P’Thawin, considering how pensive you are, I guess it’s not possible to break our bond now, so could we go home?” Tam asked.

Thawin was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Tam come out of the water all wet and cold. His nose was already red, and he was shivering. Thawin quickly hugged him and increased his body temperature to warm Tam.

“Can I come in?” Thawin asked outside Tam’s bedroom door as he teleported them back to the mansion.

“Yes, you don’t have to ask.” Tam protested, chattering his teeth.

“I have to, that’s what we agreed on, and I respect that.” Maybe that would change someday, but for now, he wanted Tam to have his own sanctuary in this mansion, like he had his study.

Thawin then wrapped Tam in a blanket and went to run him a warm bath. Thawin waited for the bathroom door to close behind Tam and left.

“When do we start?” Tam asked as he emerged from his room after more than an hour.

“I know it was hard for you to get to this point, but sadly, it won’t happen that quickly. I need to prepare, and quite frankly, the timing sucks because you have school starting. First, I need to research some things. It’s a complicated spell. I’ll explain everything to you in time. I don’t want to burden you now. You need to walk before you run, which is much harder when you want to run in several disciplines at once. You can’t help me with the preparation, so it would be best if you only focus on one life discipline, school. You start in two days. I promise I’ll let you know as soon as I have a concrete plan.”

Tam didn’t answer, just nodded. Thawin was surprised by this, expecting a protest and a demand to participate in every step. It was probably because this time it was about his bond. Although he was ready to let go, it still wasn’t easy.

Luckily, Tam was fully distracted with university.

The first day went without any problems. Thawin tested how long he could leave Tam alone a few times, which had been longer than the last time, and also the distance. Tam was thrilled with the first day and kept telling him about his experiences for the rest of the day.

During Tam's second day at school, Thawin had to run the errand twice. He had two emergencies with his customers. Thawin was connected to his alarm candles in the mansion. Although he tried to act quickly to set off the alarm, he wouldn't be surprised if Tam noticed the residual vibration in the mansion. He hoped Tam wouldn't sulk.

Tam didn't know one of the customers yet, but the other candle belonged to the hero they had helped at the train station. He was rescuing again, this time a cat stuck on the roof that the little boy was trying to reach. Thawin didn't have to intervene. He was just there to make sure the little boy wasn't too eager to help. He also noticed the usual shadow surrounding the hero was brighter. Tam’s intervention with the letter may have been slowly working.

Thawin hoped this information would help him in case Tam was upset that he hadn’t taken him on his errands with him. He had to chuckle that he was so afraid of Tam’s reaction. He had to admit that he had gotten used to Tam mostly accompanying him. They were slowly becoming a set, and Thawin was no longer so scared of that.

Chapter Text

After Liftoil jumped at them, Alan was so scared and panting that Tankhun almost felt sorry for his cousin. However, he couldn't help but laugh like the others, which caused Alan to sulk. Tankhun explained that he had it coming because he and June intruded into his bedroom. Alan had to admit that it was true. Everything was resolved when Tankhun praised Alan and June's work with the pods and seeds.

While June and Liftoil were getting ready to leave with Uncle Butler, Alan took Tankhun aside and told him that he and Liftoil looked great together. He also offered to listen if Tankhun needed or wanted to. Before his cousin returned to his life in the world, Tankhun might take advantage of it, but he wasn't sure what he would tell him about him and Liftoil yet.

After they set off on their journey, Tankhun was worried about Liftoil and June being okay. As Uncle Butler had said, the terrain was rough without a well-trodden or maintained trail, and they were slightly climbing. It soon became clear, however, that Tankhun didn't need to worry about the two of them because it was he, Alan, and Uncle Butler who began to pant. Suddenly, he felt old, and looking at his two suffering companions, they felt the same.

“Should we take a break?” Liftoil asked innocently, noticing that he and June had moved away from the others.

“No, we are good,” Alan said stubbornly breathless.

“If you say so, Phi,” June said, chuckling.

Since their pride wouldn't allow them to waste time with too many breaks, they continued to pant for breath, looking at Liftoil and June's backs. Tankhun was only grateful the younger ones slowed down.

When they finally arrived, they were all petrified with awe. The oak tree was enormous, which wasn't the only thing they sensed from the tree. There was no doubt that it was no ordinary tree. There was a mysterious power in the tree, in every leaf and branch. If trees had a ruler, Tankhun wouldn’t be surprised if the ruler was right before their eyes.

He didn’t know why, but something in his gut told him to pay respect to the tree. Tankhun looked at Liftoil and June, who were in front of them. They had already bowed their heads. Tankhun, Alan, and Uncle Butler followed suit shortly after.

“The oak is bigger than I remember. It’s been a long time, and even as a child, I thought the tree was huge, but back then, everything seemed big to me, so I admit I am still surprised,” Uncle Butler said.

“In my dream, it was huge, but not in such proportions,” Liftoil noted.

“What now?” Alan asked.

“I don’t know, let’s look around,” Tankhun said.

Before they could do so, a strong wind arose, preventing them from moving, all except Liftoil, who continued toward the tree.

Tankhun didn’t want Liftoil to face anything alone, and so, even if it took great effort, he tried to get closer to Liftoil. When his little chaos noticed, he walked over to him and took his hand. At that moment, the wind stopped blowing around the two of them, and they continued towards the tree.

When Liftoil touched the tree, Tankhun’s mind went dark. He didn’t know what had happened, but he was sure that they had been transported to another place, or at least their minds. He still couldn’t see anything. He only felt Liftoil’s hand holding him tightly.

Chapter Text

All patients were secretly informed beforehand about the new treatment method and the risks, and asked not to tell anyone. They were all active or retired ninjas, so they didn't see a problem with it. A few even mentioned that they suspected foul play. Most wanted to volunteer to be the first to try the treatment. Their first patient was among those volunteers. He was a man, a few years older than Prem, whose disease was moderately severe.

When Ten and Dynamite started the treatment, everyone was barely breathing. They were all nervous except Ten and Dy, who were focused only on the patient.

After a few minutes, the problem arose. The patient wasn't in as much pain as expected, thanks to Ten's healing and pain relief, but he was restless. Before they started, they gave him something to calm him down, and Prem could see that he was trying not to move, but his body wasn't listening. Ten said right at the beginning that no one else was allowed to touch the patients, otherwise it would disrupt the chakra flows.

Prem didn't know if he had overstepped, but the man's panic was increasing, so he did a binding jutsu. He tried to put the imaginary rope only on a few key parts of the body that would prevent the patient from moving. He hoped he hadn't ruined anything. Luckily, it worked, and the patient stopped fidgeting so much. Ten gave him a grateful look.

The first part of the treatment took almost half an hour, which seemed like three hours. Everyone watched Ten, who was examining the patient, and waited for the verdict. The man was exhausted but still tried to mold a small amount of chakra at Ten's request.

"The first part was successful. I can sense that the virus is no longer responding to my healing and the patient's chakra. Now we will wait for possible complications," Ten announced, and everyone was partially relieved. They knew this was just the beginning.

"How long will we wait?" Metha asked.

"At least an hour, we'll see how his condition is," Ten replied.

"Great job, both of you. I think it's time to declare a quarantine," the older doctor said.

"Quarantine?" Fire asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, it'll be a fake quarantine and just so we can have time for treatment. Now that we know the first step worked, it will take a long time to complete everything. Soon, other staff who aren’t privy to our plan would appear. This way, we can avoid it. Everything is agreed with Kage," the older doctor explained.

"Prem, thank you for your quick reaction. It helped significantly, and your jutsu didn't affect us at all, which I was afraid of," Ten thanked him.

"Shouldn't we use a rope for the next patient?" Dy asked.

“No, that wouldn’t stop the patients from moving, and they would get hurt even more if they tried to free themselves from the rope,” Ten paused for a moment as if he realized something before continuing. “Actually, ropes are not used to restrain patients. You confused me, but it would be the same with commonly used belts, vests, or jackets. That’s why I would like to ask you, Prem and Metha, to help us. Your binding jutsu will be at the highest level, and this imaginary rope, even if it is used only on specific parts of the body, will work as a whole.”

“Prem should do it. His chakra control is better than mine. Even if the elements are not used in this jutsu, Prem will still be better with his wind and water instead of me with fire and lightning,” Metha suggested.

“If it helps, count me in.” Prem agreed.

Then the waiting game began. There were no complications with the man, and they were able to continue with the other patients. Except for the most difficult cases, where it took the longest, it took less and less time to neutralize the pathogen.

The last ones left were those with a dominant lightning chakra. As their theory was confirmed, when the patients molded their chakra and sent a small impulse through their bodies, it hit Dy’s healing pulse, and the pathogen was neutralized. Now all that was left was to get rid of the fungus. As it turned out, the fungus in the first patient had started to turn gray, and there were signs that it would fall off on its own in a few days. However, as Prem expected, none of the patients wanted to wait. After Ten will rest a bit, they will proceed to the final step of the treatment, searing fungus.

Chapter Text

Maetee didn't know what had gotten into him and seriously wondered if someone had possessed him. Why else would he decide to accompany T-Rex home and confront Watee. He just didn't want to leave T-rex to face his brother alone. It felt wrong. He knew that T-rex would have handled it without him, and maybe even better, but he wanted to help.

He was out of it the whole way and could only concentrate on driving. At that moment, if some mass murderer had taken a chainsaw and cut him up, Maetee was sure that not a drop of blood would have come out of him. Not even ghosts and monsters had a chance to scare Maetee. He was more terrified of the whole situation, even though he realized that he was exaggerating.

But in the end, it turned out to be the best thing he could have done. He hadn't planned to declare his love for T-Rex yet, but somehow it happened, and they were officially boyfriends. Watee might hate him even more when he realizes that he helped them, but Maetee didn't care. He was happy.

His happiness was soon slightly trampled. He hated that T-Rex was busy at work, and they hadn't seen each other for three days, and could only talk on the phone. Maetee longed for another great date. They haven't even kissed yet.

"What are you blushing for? Come help us."

Maetee blushed even more when Looksorn caught him thinking about kissing T-Rex. But then he froze when he saw what scary things she was holding in her hands. He loathed this month. October was extra scary for him. People were obsessed with Halloween and scary things all month. Didn't they realize how dangerous it could be? They could easily attract the attention of real ghosts and monsters.

Maetee forced himself to concentrate and tried to control the amount of spooky decorations that Looksorn had filled his cafe with. He scanned the room and had to gasp when he noticed one particularly strange decoration.

"A chainsaw? Are you crazy? What if someone takes it and attacks us?" Maetee scolded Looksorn.

"Don't be silly, it's just a toy, I just decorated it to look real, look." Looksorn took off the chainsaw and threw it at Maetee, who squealed in fear. Instinctively, however, he caught the object. It was indeed just a plastic toy. He was surprised at how real it looked.

"What's going on?" The most beautiful voice Maetee knew broke out in the cafe. Maetee ran towards the newcomer so quickly that it almost seemed as if he had teleported.

“What are you doing here? I thought we wouldn’t see each other until the day after tomorrow at the earliest.” Maetee sank into T-rex’s open arms.

“One patient’s session was moved due to illness, so I also rescheduled the patient I had booked after that. I checked by phone if my patient was alright and could wait a few more days. I missed you and wanted to see you for a little while,” T-rex said.

“I missed you, too. Looksorn bullies me with scary things,” Maetee said, and let his hair be stroked.

“Oh no, there, there. I’ll get revenge for you,” T-rex said. Maetee pulled away and saw T-rex glare at Looksorn, but after a moment, he winked and smiled at her, who smiled back.

“Here, let me give you a special charm that will protect you,” T-rex said before Maetee could complain that they were making fun of him. Maetee didn't understand what he was up to, but he was soon a puddle of goo as T-rex kissed him on the forehead.

T-rex was right, the kiss on the forehead worked like a charm because nothing scared Maetee in his eerily decorated cafe for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

Black loved his brother more than anything, but sometimes White pissed him off. One reason was how he sometimes treated him like a little kid. Black couldn’t argue much because he knew that he also sometimes babied White. He was comforted by the fact that Sean was in the same position as him. White urged them not to cause any mayhem on their trip. Black felt a little offended that White was convinced that they would create mayhem when they weren’t under his watch, but didn’t want to argue.

White hugged them all, including Gram, before they set off, wished them luck, and begged them to stay safe. That cured Black’s irritation. He hated leaving his baby brother behind, but there was no other way.

Luckily, Nonthaburi wasn’t that far away. If they could find the creep quickly and interrogate him, and if nothing went wrong, they could still head back at night. White had found them a place to stay, but Black and Sean would have preferred to get back to White as soon as possible. It sucked that they had to search for their target mainly in the evening when he would crawl out of hiding like a rat.

Plus, Gram was getting on their nerves. He became too talkative and wasn’t used to Black and Sean’s behavior. They bickered constantly, but it wasn’t anything serious. They just talked like this, and quite frankly, he and Sean enjoyed it. Gram spoiled it for them by trying to be a mediator. He was a busybody, almost like White.

They didn’t find their target in the first two bars, but they found out which bar their creep was probably in. Even though it was a big and crowded bar, they managed to spot him soon, but that was just the beginning of their problems.

“White was right. We are going to cause mayhem,” Black said, stretching slightly to prepare for battle.

“Good to know we agree,” Sean added, his fist clenched. Sean seemed to notice what Black had.

“What? What’s going on?” Gram was confused.

“Nothing much, we just found our target, who just drugged a drink of his next victim, and his previous victim is waiting for him with a knife,” Black explained, pleased that Sean was discreetly showing Gram what he was talking about.

Black noticed the girl before anyone else. His gut rang an alarm instantly. She was on the edge, ready to end her own life or someone else’s. Thanks to her, he actually saw their target, because she didn’t take her eyes off him. It wasn’t hard to guess what could have happened to make the girl stoop to this.

“Do you have a plan?” Gram asked surprisingly calmly. His expression was the calmest Black had ever seen, and his eyes were almost as angry as Black and Sean's. They weren't heroes, but they for sure hated scums like that.

"I do. Sean, can you lure him out? I will take care of the girl with the knife, and Gram, you take care of the other girl so she doesn't drink that drugged beer. Inform the tall bartender. He's the boss and looks distracted, probably because he's trying to pay attention to his guests. There must be rumors circulating about someone who harasses young girls."

They didn't question his plan. They just nodded in agreement.

Black watched as Sean skillfully rammed into their target to spill his drink, which annoyed the creep, and he disappeared to the bathroom with Sean following him. Gram did his part, and Black intercepted the girl's path when she wanted to follow Sean and the creep.

"I know you want to do this and you hope it'll help you, but he's not worth it. And it won't help either. I can help. I can be your weapon of revenge. I wanted to rearrange his face and other parts of his body anyway. He has valuable information on other scums. So, how about you give me the knife and just watch?" Black said calmly, casually, looking at her honestly in the eye, the way White had taught him to talk to a traumatized person.

She burst into tears, gave him the knife without objection, and fell into his arms.

"I don't even know why I trust you," she whispered.

"I'll prove to you that you made the right decision," Black said, lightly patting her head.

Chapter Text

Jira didn't realize how long they had been in the hostel until he returned the keys and checked out. Since the receptionist was aware of who Jira really was and also that he didn't intervene when the creep tried to approach Jira, he gave him back the money he had paid in advance to avoid trouble with Jira's family. Jira looked at his watch to confirm the time. He didn't have to because Koh's stomach was growling. It was almost lunchtime. But Koh didn't notice because he was still in deep thought, probably about what Jira had told him about his hatred of AI.

As they loaded Jira's things into Koh's car, he noticed that someone he didn't want to see was watching them. It was his unpopular watchdog. He was something like a friend of his oldest brother. They weren't friends in the true sense of the word. The watchdog enjoyed special treatment, and Jira's brother could use him for whatever he needed, knowing it would be arranged.

The watchdog, whenever he could, aggravated the situation between Jira and his family so that they would be stricter with him. He also liked to tease Jira, which Jira didn’t mind because his attempts at teasing weren’t clever, and he wasn’t stupid enough to bully or beat Jira. His actions didn’t particularly hurt Jira. Still, he didn’t like him, and whenever he had the chance, Jira would cause him some mischief.

“Should we go eat something after we drop your things at my place? I’m hungry,” Koh finally came to his senses and gave Jira his full attention, which was accompanied by him being touchy again, to Jira’s delight.

“Okay,” Jira agreed and thought about what to do to their pursuer.

“Do you want to order takeout or eat out?” Koh asked.

“Let’s go to the mall,” Jira said, an idea forming in his head.

“What? Can we not?” Koh said ruefully.

Once they were safely in the car, Jira explained who would be watching them for the rest of the day and why he wanted to go to the mall. Koh was still displeased, as it turned out, he didn't like crowded places. That explained why Koh had chosen a table in the private section at the restaurant the previous night. Jira assured him that there wouldn't be that many people in the mall now. He felt a little sorry for Koh, but he knew their stalker hated strolling through the mall even more.

Koh was visibly relieved that Jira was right about the people. Even at the restaurant they had chosen, there were only a few people, even though it was lunchtime. After they ate, they went to explore the stores. Jira noticed movie trailers shown and thought of the perfect mischief.

The watchdog seemed like a scary mafia guy, but he was a scaredy-cat who hated blood. They were playing a gore movie, which Jira momentarily questioned why they were airing so early, but since it was age-restricted, he didn't think much of it. Koh didn't look too enthusiastic about his choice of film, but when Jira explained it to him, he agreed. Jira promised him that he would be rewarded for every gore scene and that it wouldn't be crowded.

There were only a few people in the entire cinema, including two other couples. There was plenty of blood and gore in the film, but in the end, it turned out that the gore was balanced by a rather interesting story. Their movie date met all expectations. Their watchdog almost had a heart attack many times, and Jira could hear him feeling sick. The best part was that he had apparently been ordered to keep watching them, so he couldn't afford to leave.

Koh enjoyed the story more than he expected, and also Jira's attention. Jira enjoyed the satisfaction of punishing their watcher and the sneaky hands of his fake fiance, complemented by smooches whenever the scenes were too gory. Jira noticed that the two other couples were doing the same thing. It must have been common for couples to go to gore movies to enjoy sneaky, intimate moments.

Chapter Text

Off was being weird, and Gun didn’t like that, because he wasn’t sure what was causing it. They had been in a committed relationship for some time and even lived together. They were together so often that Gun could tell what was going on with his alpha. He improved his ability to listen to his omega instinct after meeting Off’s mother, who helped him recognize signals and alarms. His intuition was great when it came to Off. But now Gun was at a loss and confused.

At first, he thought it was because of the article about Off being sterile. Gun never thought about it as a problem. Even if it were true, which Gun strongly doubted, they would have handled it somehow. They could adopt or something. It would have been wonderful to give Off his own child, but if it wasn’t possible, Gun believed they would be okay.

Soon, however, Gun realized that while infertility was partly on Off’s mind, it wasn’t the main reason for his strange behavior. He was way too secretive and suspicious. The biggest problem was that Gun didn’t want to snoop around. He trusted Off, that wasn’t the issue, which scared him a little that he trusted Off so much after his bad and painful experiences with his ex-husband. Gun was curious, though. He had an inkling it might be something silly, and Off was just overthinking it, but…there was also the slight possibility that Off was hiding something important, something life-changing. These thoughts left him petrified. Common sense and heart told him that was the most unlikely possibility, but they weren’t loud enough to completely calm Gun.

Gun just needed to know, yet he didn’t. It had been a long time since he was so torn. What made everything complicated was that it was an easy thing for him to find out what Off was hiding. He had caught him staring at his laptop a few times, and whenever Gun appeared, Off would close everything so Gun wouldn’t accidentally see something. Gun was convinced that he could hack into Off’s computer and satisfy his curiosity without anyone noticing. Gun knew how to cover his tracks.

Suddenly, Gun was petrified with fear. He stared at his hand that was almost touching Off's computer. Off and Mix were playing in Mix’s room, and Gun went to prepare some snacks. On his way to the kitchen, his eyes fell on Off's laptop, which was just lying casually on the table, drawing attention to itself. It was too tempting for Gun's subconscious, and he didn't even realize that he was sitting down at the laptop and about to do something that he would definitely regret right away.

Gun snapped out of his petrified state and let out a loud sigh of relief that he had managed to stop in time. He will believe his brain and heart and continue to trust Off. He was probably preparing some surprise for him and Mix. Gun wouldn't want to ruin Off's effort to do something memorable. Now, when he thought about it, he was sure that this was what Off was hiding, some special event for their family. Gun liked surprises to a certain extent. He only hoped Off wouldn't ask Tay for help. Their friend could go too big for Gun's liking.

With a smile on his face, Gun walked to the kitchen to prepare the snack before Off and Mix noticed his delay.

Chapter Text

Tankhun couldn’t see anything. When he tried to talk, nothing came out of his mouth. He still felt Liftoil’s hand, clenching him tightly. Tankhun wasn’t sure what was happening to them, and still couldn’t tell if it was only their mind that were transported somewhere or also their bodies. It was strange because Tankhun was somehow sure that it wasn’t just that the tree wanted to project something into their minds. He felt being pulled somewhere.

Then, suddenly, he heard different screams from all directions. He felt Liftoil flinch, so he moved closer to where Liftoil was. Without letting go of their clasped hands, he embraced his little chaos. Liftoil leaned into the hug.

The screams were unbearable. Tankhun could recognize voices of various ages, especially the children’s ones tore his heart. The worst thing was that the screams weren’t just out of fear. In those voices, Tankhun could hear terrible pain and torture. They couldn't see anything, yet were engulfed in a grisly atmosphere.

Then a new sound appeared among the screams. It was as if something heavy was shifting on the ground. As the sound drew closer, another sense awakened. They could smell rotting flesh. It was still dark but a little clearer. Tankhun could make out many dead bodies around them, but the rot came from the black mass of something standing in the middle of the bodies.

Tankhun sensed that everything good leaving the bodies was being absorbed into the black mass. He guessed it was stealing life force from its victims. The figure was growing bigger. Tankhun sensed another thing from that black mass. It was the fear of dying.

Then, the black mass was struck by a warm light, causing the process to stop and reverse. Now the dark figure was shrinking. The light was purifying the darkness.

But it soon stopped, and the light went out. At that moment, a bear's roar was heard, and a paw appeared, which stepped on the dying light. For a moment, darkness returned, and only the outlines of the bear's paw were visible. Then the paw began to shrink, and the light grew larger again.

The tree tried to tell them a grisly story, but it was even more confusing than Liftoil's puzzling premonitions. However, Tankhun was certain that in some way, they had witnessed a dark magician attacking Liftoil's village, trying to gain immortality or prolong his life, and also how Liftoil's father had died, and the bear had been cursed.

"What happened? You really scared us. As soon as you touched the tree, you froze. You started to pale, and your eyes widened, completely absent. The wind stopped as you touched the tree, but we couldn't get closer than a few steps or even touch you." Alan was hovering over them when Tankhun and Liftoil were brought back as suddenly as they had been pulled somewhere else.

Tankhun and Liftoil looked at each other in confusion. The things they saw were partly clarifying yet confusing. They will need to go over every hint the tree gave them.

"I think our minds were inside the tree," Liftoil said mystically, and Tankhun agreed.

"Nature and this tree... their magic or mind works differently than ours. It will take some time before we understand what the tree was trying to convey to us. But I am absolutely certain of one thing. This forest is special because of this magical tree that gives it power," Tankhun explained.

"I know another thing. The tree would not interfere in the human mages' affairs if it were not pleased with how your family takes care of the forest and the animals and how you respect nature," Liftoil said to Tankhun, Alan, and Uncle Butler.

Tankhun could tell that too. The tree was connected to Liftoil. Perhaps because of his premonition ability, he could better understand the tree, or the tree could communicate through him. However, the help with the bear curse and what happened to the dark magician was provided to them because of Tankhun's family.

"How did the tree know what we needed?" Alan asked.

"The tree was witness to what happened in another forest. Nature is interconnected," June said, making everyone understand and agree.

Chapter Text

Off was glad Gun didn't realize he was jealous of Gun's suitors. His stupid question of whether he would fight for Gun had exactly one answer. Off already liked Gun too much. Maybe it would all go from hell, and it would be a wasted effort, but Off found it more difficult to just give up than to try. He hadn't yet found a solution to his problem of winning Gun's heart, though.

Off was glad that a day with his family was waiting for him. He hoped to relax, and maybe he would come up with some idea. However, he was a little taken aback by Gun's mood. Before they moved to eat, it got better, and Gun was more himself, but that changed the second they entered the restaurant.

From the moment Off met Gun, among a few other interesting things, he knew one main thing about him. He was a great bodyguard. Although he seemed casual and didn’t look like a bodyguard, not only in appearance but also in behavior, he was constantly on alert. Gun always knew what was going on in the room and had everyone in sight. Last time, he even noticed the icy water while he was fighting with a stuntman.

If Off had not been watching his protector so closely, he would never have noticed the change in his behavior. Gun noticed something, and Off had a great desire to ask what was going on. But he also didn’t want to alarm his family with possible problems.

He looked at Gun and hoped his protector would notice the unspoken question. Luckily, Gun did because he immediately got a message from him, which he didn’t even notice Gun had sent.

Something is going on, but stay calm.
I'm handling it. Just stay in my sight.
Also, it would be great if your family didn't separate from us.
Can you arrange it?

Off nodded. He knew just the right topics he could use so his family would be engaged and distracted. The conversation worked for him, too, because while they were choosing their food, Off relaxed a bit. Only thanks to Gun secretly informing him via messages was he in the picture. His protector momentarily disappeared after he informed him that two more bodyguards were sitting at the table just next to their private room.

When he returned, Gun sent him a message.

Found a possible source.
Might be dangerous.
Need some confirmation before I take action.

Off was glad his family didn't notice anything yet, despite his nervousness growing. It reached its peak when a man entered the room, who was probably one of the other bodyguards, because he spoke quietly to Gun, who then ran out. Off didn't wait for anything and followed Gun. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't not go.

Off ignored the bodyguard who said to stay put. He turned around, and although he didn't know what face he showed, it made the bodyguard who had run with him stop protesting. Out of the corner of his eye, Off noticed another bodyguard talking to his father and informing him.

When he finally caught up with Gun, he found him holding one of the waiters with his head pressed against the wall and his arm twisted painfully behind his back.

"What did you try to put into our food?" Gun said in a menacing voice.

This information shocked Off to such an extent that he suddenly felt weak. Gun must have sensed it because he looked at him and smiled to reassure him.

"Sir, we should move and question him somewhere private," the bodyguard, who had run with Off, said to Gun.

Gun nodded, making some calls while still having the waiter in tight hold.

If Off questioned his affection for Gun, now it was all cleared. Gun was sexy as hell or heaven. In Off's eyes, Gun was a dangerous angel.