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Chapter Text

At first, Wangnan was utterly afraid. He had to look out for himself, and only for himself. After all, if he lost again at the 20th floor, he would have to sell all of his organs, and would die miserably, without accomplishing anything, without anyone knowing. All alone. So when Wangnan saw that man upon opening the door to the test area, he immediately knew he had to avoid confrontation if he wanted to pass, or simply continue living. It was a small, somewhat fragile figure, cloaked in black, with long, rather messy chestnut hair covering part of his face. It wouldn’t intimidate anybody if it weren’t for the corpses already laying at his feet, and the powerful aura surrounding him. The shinsu of a monster.

Wangnan could only breathe properly when the mysterious boy decided to ignore him and sit down a feet away from him, apparently refusing to fight for now. Wangnan doesn’t know why a monster like this one silently agreed to leave him unharmed, but he won’t dare questioning it.

He had to look out for himself, but his heart betrayed him once more. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt any of the people who crossed that door after him, either because he wasn’t strong enough and it would be foolish to fight them, or because he didn’t have the cold heart to do so. Who would let a little girl come this far? It was unfair for her opponents.

But then the mysterious boy stood up and spoke for the first time. A soft voice which didn’t belong with someone so frightening. It was cold and strained, like he was tired of everyone and everything. “There is no reason to vote, because you will all fail the test because of me.”

That voice moved something inside Wangnan’s heart. Why did he stay quiet all the time and decided to fight when it was disadvantageous for him? One move and everyone understood why: because he was confident in his abilities, he thought he could handle all of them at once, and he was right. FUG , Glasses had said. If that was true, then he was indeed a monster. They only came out alive because of luck. Time ran out just after the FUG boy cured himself with some weird red tentacles. He walked through the room as if nothing happened and took the elevator.

“Take him first. Who would want to ride with that guy?”

Although Wangnan said that out loud, he soon discovered himself watching the silent monster boy a little too much. He was so intriguing. Who is he? Why is he here? Why didn’t he kill them regardless of time running out? And to make things worse for his curiosity, the little girl, Miseng, approached the FUG boy with snacks, which he surprisingly accepted without a sound. This is so, so weird. So much Wangnan is unable to avert his eyes from the boy. Especially when everybody proved how powerful they are, and then this boy, who is even a little smaller than Wangnan himself, went to the shinsu machine and with only a touch of his hand he score d six times the number that was the highest score at the time. Brutal. Who in the world was this guy?

Viole, said the machine. Viole…

And then his future was to be decided precisely by this scary man. Viole had to choose the people who would pass this part of the test, who would be his comrades in the next section. So Wangnan did what he had to do. He threw away his pride and humiliated himself in front of Viole. He didn’t expect everyone trying to do the same, or to use other tactics to sway him in their favor. But what he least expected was Viole not even laughing at him for doing what he did. He just looked at them and said, in his quiet and soft voice, that he didn’t need comrades, because they weren’t qualified to be beside him.

Of course, the Flamethrower girl interpreted it as he was saying they were incredibly weak compared to him, and Wangnan couldn’t really blame him if that was the case, but that wasn’t it.

“I’m Jue Viole Grace, a nominee for FUG slayer. I live to kill… Jahad and his family.” Wangnan thought he saw a glimpse of his eyes, only for a second. They were big, golden, sad eyes. “…You can’t be my teammate. I’m your enemy.”

Thankfully, the administrator made Viole agree to play a game with him, which gave them a chance to pass the test as well. But Viole, he said he lives to kill Jahad and his family… Then Wangnan, to him too… He clutches hard at the red ring hidden in his clothes.

An enemy of Jahad…

But Viole didn’t do anything besides almost giving him a heart attack when he found that very same ring after they took their baths. Again, he c ould see those golden eyes for just a second, and now they wer e filled with coldness. But the questioning got cut off when the annoying kid (Prince was his name?) came in trying to challenge Viole. The slayer candidate simply returned the ring to him and said: “Be careful not to lose it. It looks precious.”

Why? Why did he let him go? Didn’t he just say earlier that he lives to kill Jahad and everyone related to him? So, so confusing. This only makes him think about Viole more and more. So he tries to distract himself by playing cards with the others, the ones he thinks he can trust. Wangnan knows this is the Tower, and he shouldn’t trust anybody, but they seem nice. E ven the silver-haired guy who lied about being a father in order to gain Viole’s favor, seems actually nice . And now, watching that man playing with Miseng, Wangnan is not so sure he lied after all. Everyone has their own stories. So when Glasses talked about getting out of the Tower and living together, in peace, everyone questioned their own paths . Wangnan is still determined to go up the Tower, but it’s true he would like to just live together with some friends. Maybe these people will become his new friends.

And Viole? What was his story? How did he get into FUG? Is FUG’s objective really his motivation to go up the Tower, or there was something more? Would he… would he want the same as them, to live in peace with friends? Seems unlikely, but Wangnan can’t stop himself from imagining Viole with them as well. No, he is a monster. Stop thinking foolish things, Wangnan.

And then, in the middle of the night, the administrator’s game started. They had to compete with Viole, and although they obviously had the advantage in numbers, Wangnan was sure they didn’t stand a chance in direct confrontation, so they settled with gaining allies, connecting their rooms, and take over Flamethrower’s room. But, to his surprise, Viole didn’t choose confrontation either. He went directly to the administrator and apparently didn’t even harm anyone on his path there. Maybe he didn’t because that would be wasting time, but confronting them would have be en so much easier than fighting a ranker. Then why?

But things got out of hand quickly. The annoying kid got betrayed by his followers and Nia… Nia was killed by that scammer bastard, while Wangnan could only listen to his agonizing screams over the pocket . Yes, Nia betrayed him, but he did it just to fight for what he wanted to protect. His lovely Nia didn’t deserve… a fate like that.

The first thought that came to Wangnan’s mind was that mysterious boy. Viole. Right now, he doesn’t care if they all fail the test, but that Lurker bastard can’t get away with this. And he needs Viole, he is the only one who can help right now. “When people are desperate, they are capable of making a deal with the devil”, the administrator had said. And indeed he is desperate. Wangnan snapped and shouted things he hadn’t said in front of anyone before. How he just wanted to eat delicious sweet and sour pork with his friends, and how he wants to change the Tower. When he threw the connector to Viole’s hand, he thought he saw a glimpse of his eyes again. This time, he was surprised. And again, a lingering sadness could be grasped there too.

And with Viole’s help, he did defeat Lurker. He punched the fucker again and again, but in the end Wangnan couldn’t bring himself to kill him. Even Lurker had his reasons, just like Nia. If he didn’t forgive him, it would make the things he told Nia before he passed away a lie. If he was able to forgive Lurker, the world would forgive Nia. That’s what it seemed like to Wangnan, at least.

“I will change! I’ll become the king of this Tower!! I’ll change everything in this Tower… that made you like this!! I’ll ensure that no one else ends up like you or Nia ever again! That’s the dream that drives me to go up the Tower!” He can sense Viole flinching at his back, but that doesn’t stop him, although that reaction lingers in his mind. “Even if people laugh and say it’s impossible, even if I fail thousands of times and get betrayed, I’ll never give up!”

After that outburst, all energy got drained out from him, and the only thing he managed to say was: “Thank you, Viole.”

He had forgotten about the test all together, but at the last minute, as Viole wasn’t paying attention (probably still too shocked by his outburst), he swapped the connectors and tricked him into passing the test with them. Now they are officially a team, but it was because he deceived Viole, the most frightening regular in the Tower. So of course he was terrified when Viole came up to the roof when he was alone at night. But all Viole wanted to know was: “Why… did you forgive him?” His voice sounds curious, but also... sad again. He is not condemning him for being stupid and forgiving a bastard like Lurker. “What do you want to change about the Tower so desperately?”

He just wants to know, so Wangnan gives him a sincere answer. “W-well… Nothing that great…” Viole’s questions are making him incredibly nervous, although he tries not to show it. “I-It’s just so frustrating. This Tower… creates walls between people. I just… I want to make a place where everybody can smile under the same roof. I want a wider sky.”

Still a little nervous, Wangnan looks up at Viole. For a second, the wind blows away his bangs and, for the first time, he can see Viole’s eyes clearly. A faint but incredibly adorable smile adorns his lips and his big, golden eyes accompany that expression perfectly. Their color is like warm honey, and Wangnan feels himself drown in that honey. “I see…” It’s all he says, with that soft voice that now feels covered in honey too, before leaving the roof.

After being left alone, Wangnan senses his face burning up and he covers his head with his arms. “Oh my god… What was that?” He never thought he would think this about someone like Viole, but he was so… so cute.

At that time Wangnan didn’t notice how whipped he was getting for Viole.

Chapter Text

That was the first private talk the two had, but of course, it wasn’t the last. Since catching a glimpse of that awkward yet beautiful smile, Wangnan couldn’t stop thinking about Viole. He started observing every move the other makes, while trying to get his unusual interest go unnoticed, of course. He doesn’t know if he is succeeding though. He feels so foolish every time his heart skips a beat upon suddenly hearing that quiet voice in the middle of a conversation with the other members of their team. If he wasn’t so silent all the time, maybe Wangnan wouldn’t be so nervous each time the other decided to speak up, even if it was just a little remark or comment.

And maybe Viole was unknowingly decided to give him a heart attack. There were at least two occasions in which Wangnan felt like dying from the strange reactions this mysterious boy provokes in him.

The first happened one day first thing in the morning. Everyone was still asleep, but Wangnan woke up early for the first time in ages. To tell the truth, he just had a nightmare about Nia and woke up with his chest feeling oppressed and a few silent tears crossing his cheeks. Sighing deeply, he went to the bathroom and washed his face, grumbling a bit but fully awake now. Why did he have to still dream about that? Feeling sorry for himself wouldn’t bring Nia back, nor would erase the suffering he went through. Perhaps if he did kill Lurker, he would feel better… No, he was convinced about what he had said, especially what he said to Viole. The thought of Viole made him feel strangely better, somehow. Maybe it was the memory of that tiny, awkward smile…

Suddenly his stomach started to growl, so he went to the kitchen of the rented house. The house Viole rented for them, he remembered himself. How could he afford such a nice house? It is big enough for their whole team of eight people to be able to live in comfortably. Sure, they don’t have individual rooms, but they don’t have to share a room with, like, four people or something. Overall, it’s awesome. It has a big kitchen too, and that’s exactly where he was heading to.

But there he was, the reason for his raising blood pressure. Wangnan knew Viole usually wakes up earlier than everyone else and he thought it may be for training, but apparently that wasn’t the only reason. There he was, humming a little to himself (wow, Viole did that?) while making breakfast. It still amazes him that Viole wanted to take part of the housework sharing like it was the natural thing to do, even though Wangnan guessed everyone would have allowed him not to do anything because a) they were afraid he might get mad if he was forced to do housework, or b) Viole really shouldn’t have to do anything since they should all be grateful he allowed them to live in the house he rented in the first place.

But there he was, making breakfast for everyone and seemingly so absorbed in his task that he didn’t even noticed Wangnan coming into the kitchen. His singing could use some work, but his voice still sounded so soft and… cute. When Wangnan coughed a bit to get Viole’s attention he saw something even cuter.

“Ah, Mr. Wangnan…! Sorry, did I wake you up?” Not only did Viole call him by that sweet way he has to address people, he was also… wearing an apron. And it wasn’t just any apron too. It was one with an extremely cute design, with little chestnuts on stripes, top and bottom of the fabric. When and where did Viole even get that adorable piece of cloth? So inappropriate for a slayer candidate, yet so fitting for Viole. “…Mr. Wangnan?”

Shit, he has to say something and not only stare like a fool at the bizarre yet adorable sight in front of him. “Ah, ehmm… good morning?” Now that was lame. What was Viole asking him again? Ah, right. “N-No! I woke up on my own just now, don’t worry.”

Viole simply nodded in silence, and continued to work on his chore. He seemed kind of relieved though. Wangnan used to think Viole was a scary monster, but that was far from being true. In fact, Viole is very gentle, even though he is still quiet as hell. So now Wangnan doesn’t fear adventuring himself to go near Viole and watch what he is preparing.

“Amazing, you are even cooking what each of us like. It would be much simpler to just prepare one dish for everyone, don’t you think?” Was it Wangnan’s delirious mind or Viole is actually blushing a bit? It was really pale though, but he thought the pink color was there. If only those long bangs didn’t cover almost half of his face.

“I just… like cooking, that’s all.” That’s all the answer he got, and sadly that didn’t give away if Viole was indeed nervous or embarrassed.

So, he decided to push further. That, and also curiosity took the best of him. “Viole, where did you get that apron?” He needed to know. It was too adorable to let it pass.

“Ah, you mean this?” Viole took the border of the apron between his fingers, distending the fabric. “My Master gave it to me. I told him I was cooking by myself sometimes, and he said it would look good on me.”

Well, that man, whoever he was, was right. It was unbearably cute, and it would be more so if those fricking bangs didn’t get in the way and he could properly see Viole’s face. However, the word he used… somehow made Wangnan think of inappropriate things. Stupid horny brain. “Master? You have a Master even though you are a slayer candidate?”

“Yes, of course. He is my martial arts teacher.”

Oh, so that man is the one responsible for Viole being such a fighting machine. Well, he has good taste. Viole seemed to want to say something more, but stopped at the last second. Noticing this, Wangnan waited for him to continue, but apparently he wasn’t going to say it, whatever it was. Damn, now he will have to live with his unsatisfied curiosity.

Suddenly, Wangnan realized something and didn’t stop to think about his next actions. “Ah, look! You are putting your hair on the frying pan. Careful, Viole.”

His hand moved on its own before he could think through what he was doing. He brushed the hair away from the frying pan and moved all the length of that Rapunzel-long ponytail to the side, over Viole’s right shoulder. He didn’t mean to do something so intimate, to touch his hair without asking permission or at least a warning, but the result was even worse. A pale neck was exposed to Wangnan’s eyes. It was the first time Wangnan felt… temptation around Viole. He is dangerously tempted to touch that exposed skin, to feel it with his fingers, with his mouth. With his fangs.

“Thank you, Mr. Wangnan.”

Viole’s quiet voice made him return into reality and get a hold of himself. What was he about to do? Wangnan shook his head vigorously and thankfully Viole got concentrated again on his eggs and toasts, so he didn’t notice this gesture. Since when did Wangnan have impulses of touching Viole? And so inappropriately, at that. What was he even thinking? But that skin was still there, and Wangnan had to force himself to avert his own penetrating gaze. It was difficult, though. His eyes were glued to the alluring image of that long hair over Viole’s shoulder, exposing that appetizing neck.

He found his chance to get away from Viole, before doing something stupid again, when a yawning Yihwa entered the kitchen. Wangnan ran away into his room again, like the devil was chasing after him, leaving a confused Yihwa and an oblivious Viole behind. Now that he thinks about it, Yihwa sleeps with Viole… So lucky, damn! Ok, he would have serious trouble if he indeed slept in the same room with Viole, considering all the trouble he had that time to not just bite into his neck. Still… she is so lucky. He would gladly take that kind of sweet torture if he could.

The second time was when their whole team decided to go out together to buy their groceries, because everyone wanted different things and they wouldn’t come up with a decent shopping list. For Wangnan, who has been watching Viole closely since they formed their current team (and probably from way before that too), it was obvious that Viole was feeling a little anxious. He was clutching his hands and walked behind all of them, but not that further away either. If Wangnan didn’t know better, he would have thought Viole was afraid of getting lost. But that couldn’t be true, right? Everyone was so absorbed in their conversations that they didn’t even notice his strange behavior, so Wangnan couldn’t ask anyone about it either. He would just expose himself either way.

They bought everything they needed and way more, although they had three or four fights because of it along the way. And then, the kids demanded to stop by an electronics shop on the way home. That’s when it happened. There was a video game console plugged-in in the middle of the store, so people could try games and feel tempted to buy them, and it seemed to attract not only the kids’ attention, but also Viole’s. Prince took the controller first and started stomping goombas in some new Mario game. Miseng stood by his side, cheering on him. And Viole… Viole was standing next to them too, but he was just observing closely, in total silence. Miseng, who was the first one to lose fear around him (they say children are more perceptive than adults with those kinds of things), took him by the sleeve, seemingly breaking the trance Viole was in.

“Mr. Viole, do you want to play?” Wangnan was going to intervene, to tell Miseng not to bother Viole, but the boy didn’t seem angry in the slightest. In fact, he looked confused.

“…Do you play with this thing? How?”

Wangnan froze in place, and Prince only laughed loudly at the unexpected ignorance. “You don’t know what a gaming console is, Viole!? How is that even possible!?” Yeah, it was strange indeed. Maybe Viole didn’t grew up in a rich family, so he didn’t have the chance to get every console like Prince probably did, but even Wangnan, who grew up poor his entire life, knows what a console is at least. What kind of life did Viole had until now? “You are so strange. Hey, since I’m so generous, I will show you. Here!” Prince tossed the control over to Viole’s hands, and the silent boy just stared at it for a few seconds. “There, play by yourself! You’ll love it!”

“But Prince, Mr. Viole said he doesn’t even know what this is. Here, I’ll teach you.”

Miseng took Viole’s hands into hers and helped him start pushing the correct buttons to make Mario jump on platforms and enter pipes. That’s when Wangnan saw it, and it melted his heart. Still serious as ever, Viole looked amazed by the game, like it was a marvelous new experience. Pure-hearted curiosity showed in his face, even with those fucking bangs still covering his eyes, and his lips parted to let out a quiet whoaaa in full awe.

“Fun, right?”

And with Miseng smiling next to him, the sight was too cute for Wangnan to take, so he looked away for a second, only to find Arkraptor also looking with absolute tenderness at the two, although he looked like a dad looking at his children and not like a confused stalker like Wangnan probably did.

“They are cute, aren’t they?” His heart stopped for a second when Goseng appeared by his side out of nowhere, with a teasing smile on her lips. “Miseng has always been cute, but with Viole this is something new, huh?” That’s what she thinks but Wangnan knew better, because he had already seen Viole smiling, and even if it was faint and just for a second, it was the cutest thing he had ever seen. So no, it wasn’t new to him but he was still affected like a fool. “You are staring too much at him, you know? I wonder how he hasn’t noticed.”

“I-It’s not like that…”

“Oh come on, Wangnan. I’m a woman; I easily notice stuff like that. But he is the one being stared at, he should have noticed by now even if he is oblivious to romance as most men are.” What is Goseng saying? Romance? Has Wangnan been seeing Viole with that in mind? No no no no no. Did he? Even if he is cute as heck and has Rapunzel hair, Viole is still a guy. And a FUG slayer nominee, at that. He couldn’t see Viole that way, he mustn’t. “But maybe it is not only technology that he knows so little about, but life itself. Maybe he is just being innocent.”

“S-Shut up, you don’t know what you are saying.”

“Yeah, right. Fool yourself, but you can’t fool me.” With that, Goseng went to talk with Yihwa, and Wangnan prayed she wasn’t telling the girl the same things she told him just now. Wangnan felt his face burning up a little.

And there he is, Viole being completely oblivious to his inner turmoil once again, playing along with Prince, silently but with noticeable enthusiasm, and Miseng cheering on both of them. It not only surprised Wangnan that Viole didn’t know something so basic as to what a gaming console was, but also how well he handled himself with the kids. Viole could be a good dad in the future.

For some reason, that simple thought made Wangnan feel strange. Angry. Why? He shook the uncomfortable thoughts away and came near the gamer trio with his usual upbeat attitude. Better to join in the fun than feeling upset for no reason.

Of course, when they left the store, they went out with a brand new game console in a shopping bag, courtesy of Viole’s seemingly unlimited credit card.

However, it didn’t end there. That heartwarming scene led to another one that very same night. After dinner, Wangnan set up the console and everyone joined the fun in the living room. At Miseng’s petition, Viole bought a game called Fall guys, which was an online battle-royale platformer game, where you play as an adorable fruity-colored jellybean. They decided to pass the controller between all of them after each full round of the game, and after a while everyone had their preferred customization for their jellybean. This event taught everyone that not only Viole didn’t have any idea of what video games were, but Horyang didn’t know much about them either, and was terrible at playing, so the children surrounded him too in order to teach him how to play properly. The ones more easily frustrated were Arkraptor and Yihwa. Especially Yihwa. They had to take the controller away from her in many occasions, before she burned it up. Prince would have been the most easily angered if he weren’t as good as he was at the game, of course.

And surprisingly, Viole learned really fast how to play decently. He started by imitating what Prince did, and soon enough he was doing pretty well, although not as good as Prince or Miseng, who apparently wasn’t only good at card games. But what caught Wangnan’s attention was, of course, how happy Viole seemed, even if his expression didn’t change one bit and he was as silent as ever. There was something soft surrounding him, like the shinsu in the air responded to his new calm and happy state. And it also managed to calm Wangnan’s heart and leave him smiling perpetually.

But all calmness went to trash when, after hours of playing, the other adults went to sleep and only Viole and the kids remained in the living room. Wangnan readied himself for bed, and after brushing his teeth, he went back into the living room to tell the remaining group to go to sleep soon. That was when he found said adorable scene: the three of them fell asleep when Prince was turning off the console, and both kids were snuggling against Viole’s sleeping figure. Wangnan’s movement stopped completely and he only could stare at the image in front of him. “Wah…”

Shaking his head to recover some of his lucidity, Wangnan tried to take the controller from Prince’s hands to no avail, so, frowning a bit, he shut off the console while trying not to disturb the boy that was still gripping at the controller with so much strength. Then, he stopped to stare again. Maybe he should take them to their respective rooms. They shouldn’t sleep uncovered like this, they might catch a cold. Those were the thoughts that lingered in Wangnan’s mind at the time, which were trying to cloud other, more inappropriate ones.

So the first one he took in his arms was Prince, who was already falling off the couch anyways. The next was Miseng, but the little girl was too tightly attached to Viole and didn’t want to let go. “Ok, Miseng, I know Viole must be warm and comfortable, but you have to go to bed.” Wangnan whispered in a slightly fatherly voice, but got annoyed immediately after because the girl still didn’t let go at all. “Please, I don’t want to wake you or Viole up…!” Finally, Miseng let go of Viole and, grumbling a bit in dreams, let herself be carried to her bed. Goseng was already sleeping, so she didn’t noticed how Wangnan tucked Miseng in bed and then ruffled her hair lovingly.

Finally it was Viole’s turn, and Wangnan couldn’t help but gulp loudly upon seeing him again, stretched out on the couch. Viole’s long hair was a mess and he had an incredibly peaceful expression. Wangnan dared to wipe aside Viole’s bangs so he could appreciate his entire face. There it was: a peaceful, almost too innocent sleeping face. It would have been even better if he could see those golden eyes once again.

He took Viole into his arms and carried him to the room he shares with Yihwa. Thankfully, the girl was soundly asleep, so she didn’t see him carrying the slayer candidate on his arms like Viole was his newlywed bride or something. That would have been embarrassing, although easy to explain. He was just trying to be nice and care for his teammates, nothing more and nothing less. So he left Viole on the bed, and gazed at his sleeping figure once again. His slightly parted lips looked so tempting. He really is beautiful, even if those stupidly long bangs insist on covering his face. Wangnan can’t help but swallow loudly again and then trace those lips with the tips of his fingers. “God, Viole…”

Before he could do any more regrettable things (were they?), he jumped back just in time when Viole’s body moved abruptly and a bang almost hit Wangnan straight in the face. “What…!?” When Wangnan managed to focus his sight again, Viole was sitting on the bed, looking on alert and a little frightened. Then, the boy opened his eyes completely and lowered the next bang that was already on his right hand, a hand that then went to his mouth, which was opened in surprise. “Mr. Wangnan…?” He still looked sleepy. He probably reacted on instinct when his lips were touched. Stupid Wangnan. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to attack you. Are you okay…?”

Wangnan could only laugh awkwardly. At least he didn’t seem to know what Wangnan almost did to him. What was he trying to do, actually? It was just… his lips looked so appetizing… “Ah, barely, but I’m okay! Don’t worry, I should have expected it. You are a FUG, after all.”

Viole flinched a bit at that sentence, and then hugged his pillow against his chest, like he was protecting himself from something unconsciously. The reaction made Wangnan a little sad, and immediately regretted what he just said. “But… I should have reacted earlier… You carried me here, right? I shouldn’t have fallen asleep if I was with the kids, in the first place. How…?”

Wangnan smiles softly at his confusion. “Maybe you are starting to feel safe around us. I mean, they are kids. You don’t have to be on alert if it’s them, you know.”

“No, I shouldn’t let my guard down, not with anybody.” It felt like Viole was trying hard to convince himself about this, and Wangnan’s smile dropped at that. “But I fell asleep with them hugging me. And then you… You managed to carry me here without me waking up until just now. If it were anybody else, I could be… I would be dead.”

“But it’s me, Viole.” Without thinking it through, Wangnan approached the bed and sat beside Viole, who flinched a bit again but didn’t move. Maybe he was invading his personal space, but Wangnan couldn’t help caressing Viole’s cheek softly with his fingertips. It may have been Wangnan’s misjudgment, but Viole seemed to lean a bit onto his touch. Just the thought of that being possible made Wangnan blush. “We are a team now. You don’t have to be on guard with us.”

“But…!”

With that Viole fell silent. However, Yihwa was waking up, and Wangnan didn’t react on time. Flamethrower, as he called her before they established as a team, was looking at them with an annoyed and at the same time confused expression. “What are you doing…?” She frowned now, completely irritated by the image in front of her. “Mr. Wangnan, did you try to attack Viole on his sleep!?”

“W-What!? No, of course not! Is that what you think of me!?” Surely he was completely red by that time, but Viole didn’t seem to understand the real implications of Yihwa’s words, thankfully. He just apologized again for him being the one attacking Wangnan when he woke up abruptly.

Wangnan didn’t feel capable of handling any more embarrassment, so he bid farewell to his two confused teammates, wished them a good sleep and ran to his own room, where Prince was still in unfathomable slumber. He covered himself completely with his bed sheets and took a deep breath, trying to calm his accelerated heartbeat. If Viole hadn’t woke up at that moment, what would have happened? Wangnan had touched his lips, which were so soft and warm… And then, when he woke up, he looked so afraid of having showed himself defenseless. Wangnan didn’t want Viole to feel unsafe, to feel scared. He wanted Viole to feel secure around them, around him… What kind of life had he been living until now, for him to react that way? Being with FUG must be harsh. So Wangnan set himself the goal to, at least, know more about Viole, so he can try making him feel at home, like he and their other teammates were starting to feel too. Although the memory of Viole looking so adorably vulnerable tormented him all night, he did feel better about the whole issue. Yeah, he knew what he had to do now.

So, after all of those strange sights of cuteness, Wangnan couldn’t help defending Viole when Yihwa started talking bad about him one morning, out of thin air. He was still half-asleep, scratching his tummy while walking onto the kitchen to get some watermelon as Goseng suggested. “I don’t think Viole is the kind of guy who does stuff like that.”

“D-Do you have any proof the rumors aren’t true!?” Yihwa’s loud voice, even if she was speaking politely as always, made his head hurt a bit. Of course she would still be suspicious about Viole, since he is a FUG and she is of the Ten Great Families, but still. Viole doesn’t even leave the house that much for those rumors to be true, in the first place.

“You know, now that I’ve spent time with him, he doesn’t seem bad… He’s gentle…” And cute, but that would remain hidden within his private thoughts. “And he lets us live in the house that he rented! He even does an equal share of the housework!” And he wears that adorable chestnut apron while cooking. “Moreover!!! You’re such a bad cook that he even does your share of cooking! Shame on you.”

“Urgh… That’s true… but…” Maybe he went a little too far with that one, but it’s not a lie, and Arkraptor nodded to every word in agreement, so if Yihwa wants to feel offended, so be it. She is the one being suspicious of Viole, who surprisingly (or maybe not so much at this point) has been nothing but kind to them. He is still too reserved and mysterious, but he is really generous too.

So Yihwa just walks out burning (literally) with frustration, after saying she will be the one following Viole if he was out looking for somebody. Well, maybe Wangnan should be following him too, since he did say he should learn more about the slayer candidate, but he shouldn’t be such a stalker like Yihwa is being right now. He will get his information in another way. So Viole went to meet somebody… Who could it be?

Wangnan spent the next few hours inevitably ruminating about it, to no avail. Of course, he doesn’t know anything about Viole at all, so he can’t even guess who that might be. So he was really surprised (and scared) when a serious yet beautiful girl with an eye patch and a man with an incredibly strong and dangerous aura came home with Viole, even if the man wanted to seem friendly and even brought fruit for them as a gift.

On one hand, poor Goseng is clearly terrified to be in front of these two FUG members. She is peeling an apple with trembling hands, while looking down the whole time. Arkraptor, on the other hand, remained with Yihwa, who was recovering from… passing out? Apparently Viole had to knock her out to prevent her from attacking this man. Well done, because this man is a high ranker and also a FUG. Who in their right mind would try to harm a man like this one? Yihwa, Yihwa would, because she is that stubborn in her anti-FUG stance. And then Horyang was out with Prince, to check on their opponents for the upcoming test. So that left only Wangnan to deal with this situation. Surprisingly enough, Miseng seems completely fine, unlike her older relative. This kid sure is incredible.

So the three FUG members are in front of him right now, each with a plate with watermelon slices. Hwaryun, as the red haired girl introduced herself, remains serene and quiet, while the man introduces himself as Jinsung, Viole’s martial arts teacher. So this is the so-called master that gave Viole the infamous (for Wangnan) chestnut apron. At first, Jinsung asked if they were bullying his precious Viole, seemingly worried about those nasty rumors that are circulating about him. Also, he somehow noted that Viole’s hands were dry or something, and questioned if they were making him do household chores. Yeah, that would be because of him washing the dishes with a few drops of bleach mixed in the water. That made it safer, he had only said, and looked strangely sad when he did. It caught Wangnan’s attention, but he didn’t dare ask about it.

And this whole time Viole remained silent, looking to the ground as if he were utterly uncomfortable with the situation at hand. The reason revealed itself soon enough. Without being asked anything, Jinsung started blabbering about how extraordinary his pupil is. They all know Viole is undeniably more powerful than normal regulars, but this man made it all the more clear. At one point of his enthusiastic and loving monologue, Viole just went out the room. Wangnan saw him leave through the corner of his eye, and lamented (again) that those long bangs didn’t let him see if Viole was embarrassed or pissed off at his master. Probably both.

At some point, Jinsung stopped talking and looked for Viole. And, of course, didn’t find him. “Huh? And where’s Viole?”

Wangnan is grateful he doesn’t have to be the one to answer. “He left… When you started saying stupid things.” replies Hwaryun, while eating her fruit nonchalantly.

“Maybe he is on the roof. He likes to be alone there.” mentions Goseng, now apparently way calmer than before. Maybe seeing Jinsung acting all father-like regarding Viole made her feel safer. Said man quickly says his goodbyes and goes to the roof as told, and Goseng takes Miseng in her arms, caring her to sleep somewhere more comfortable. How can Miseng sleep so defenseless in front of this people? Yeah, now they seem good enough, but still…

Wangnan’s suspicions are confirmed when Hwaryun opens her mouth again, now that they are alone in the living room. “You’re lucky. He decided to let you live. Congrats.”

According to Hwaryun, FUG picked up Viole on the floor of tests, because he is… an irregular. So that’s why he is so powerful and weird, like a monster. And that’s why FUG took in such a young regular. Because, well, he is not a regular, and that means he is capable of… killing Jahad, FUG’s most wanted desire, and maybe what Wangnan has to do too. He is not sure right now though. Now all he wants to do is to go up the Tower with his loved ones, with his team, with Viole, and change the Tower for good, as he said to Lurker and Viole that fateful night.

“But… why did he become a slayer? Does he have a personal vendetta against Jahad?”

The answer broke Wangnan’s heart and, at the same time, made him understand all the little bits of information he had gathered about Viole: the lonely stares, the kind yet unwavering distant attitude, his unbreakable resolve to pass the floor tests, and his wish to not have a team at all in the first place. “FUG knows what’s important to Viole. As long as that’s in their hands… Viole can’t get away from FUG. If he fails the test or refuses to live as a Slayer… all of his old friends will die. Viole wants to protect them.” A small, kind of sadistic yet perpetually calm smile appears on the pretty girl’s lips. “Surprised? Did you really think we were nice people?”

At night, Wangnan can’t seem to fall asleep. Jinsung and Hwaryun decided to stay for a while, so he lent his bed to the girl, and he and Jinsung are now staying on the couches in the living room. Staring at the ceiling, Wangnan replays his conversation with Hwaryun all over again. He couldn’t help his outburst. “How could anyone do that!? To use that kind of cruelty to reach your own ends!! Because he is an irregular, you force him to live a life he doesn’t want, and to be hated by everyone!! How could you do that!?” While saying that, he couldn’t shake the image of Viole smiling awkwardly and just for a mere second that fateful night. And he couldn’t forget the sense of loneliness that surrounded Viole all the time. It all made sense now. And it hurts Wangnan to no end.

Seeing he can no longer sleep tonight, Wangnan stands up from his couch, and frowns when he hears Jinsung praising Viole in his sleep. He acts so much like a father figure, yet he is one of the people that are using Viole for their own selfish wishes. It probably confuses Viole as much as it confuses Wangnan.

He decides to go out to the roof, to take in some fresh air and clear the thoughts in his head, but there he finds Viole looking at the fake night sky. “What? You are also awake, Viole?”

“Mr. Wangnan?” That soft yet serious voice makes him nervous once again, although this time is for a different reason. Now that he knows Viole’s secret, he doesn’t know how to confront him, what to say. He decides to joke about his master’s snoring first, and how he was dreaming about his precious pupil.

“The night view is amazing here. It would be nice to have a drink here.” It also feels really romantic, but he won’t be saying that, not when he is alone with Viole. Yet maybe being alone with Viole is exactly what made him think about that.

Wangnan shakes his head vigorously, and then stares at Viole’s profile, serious and lonely as ever. What could he be thinking? Is he missing his friends? Is he desperate to be with them again? Or at least know they will be safe, not in constant danger? If he fails the test… his old friends will die. Hwaryun’s words resonate inside Wangnan’s mind. Viole is doing all of this, being alone and hated by everyone, putting himself in danger in every test, training at the hands of FUG, all of this for those people, who Wangnan doesn’t even know. Viole’s friends.

“Viole.” The boy glances at him, looking kind of curious, even behind those long bangs Wangnan has started to hate. “I’m sorry I thought you were a bad guy. You’re an amazingly good guy.” He doesn’t even explain why he is saying this now, but hopes Viole will understand. “If I were your friend, I wouldn’t regret risking my life for you.” The towers with red crystals on top illuminate Viole’s face, which show his big golden eyes for a second. “Let’s pass the next exam no matter what… Friend.”

As he says that last word, Wangnan turns to look at Viole, who seems utterly confused. Wangnan slaps himself mentally for not being clear in what he wanted to say, even though he meant every word he said. After hearing Hwaryun out, he is sure he really would risk his life for someone like Viole. Someone so kind, willing to sacrifice everything for the ones he loves shouldn’t have to fight alone, shouldn’t have to live in fear and loneliness. Without thinking and letting himself be led by his feelings alone, Wangnan approaches Viole, who still looks confused and curious, and wipes those fricking bangs away from his eyes. There they are: big, bright, curious honey-colored eyes. It feels like they are pulling him in, like magnetism.

So he lets himself be guided by his instincts again, and, before he knows it, his lips are touching Viole’s softly, only superficially. He sees Viole opening his eyes in surprise and staying completely still. After a few seconds, Wangnan pulls away, but the soft, sweet sensation still lingers on his own lips. So, again without thinking it through, he goes out for more: another soft touch on Viole’s mouth, and this time, Wangnan dares to kiss Viole for real. What the heck is he doing? He just said he wanted to be Viole’s friend and now he is kissing him? But Viole is now reciprocating the kiss, his lips imitating the movement of Wangnan’s own, and his golden eyes are closed, like he is anticipating… more. No, that can’t be.

With great regret, Wangnan breaks apart from Viole and stares at the boy’s face. He is looking at Wangnan in wonder, as he doesn’t even understand what just happened. Wangnan doesn’t blame him. He himself doesn’t understand it either, and he is the one who started the kiss. He wants to say something, blabber some excuse at least, but he can’t. He is petrified in place, not knowing at all how to react now that he clearly took advantage of Viole’s lonely state. The boy, however, smiles briefly, faintly, just like he did that night, and Wangnan feels his heartbeat race once again.

It’s a blessing that Yihwa entered the roof right there, because Wangnan didn’t know how to deal with Viole now, and surely wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to kiss him again if Viole allowed him to. So he went to reflect his own feelings on Yihwa, harassing her with accusations of being jealous of Hwaryun, for example, or how she clearly wanted to be alone with Viole. And the boy just stays silent, apparently too confused or tired to ask anything further.

But it’s a fact now. He is, indeed, head over heels for Viole.

Chapter Text

Again. Baam has experienced many moments like this one since entering the Tower a few years ago. Rachel taught him many things, but, in the end, those were only words and cannot compare to real life experience. Therefore, when Wangnan’s lips covered Baam’s own, he was utterly confused. When he was still in the cave, Rachel taught him that action was called a kiss, but she only explained that there are different types of kisses and that the one she always gave him, on the forehead, meant caring for someone, a sentiment akin to being family.

For that reason, when Khun kissed him on the forehead that night on the Floor of Tests, Baam did not feel confused at all. He just comprehended that Khun was probably starting to care deeply for him, like family, but being Mr. Khun, he did not want anyone to know yet or see him being vulnerable like that, not even Baam. So he had to do it in secret. Baam empathized and pretended to be asleep, until Khun stopped gazing at his seemingly slumbering figure and left the room. It felt really nice, even better than when Rachel did it, and, at that time, Baam was a little alarmed by this. How could it feel better than being kissed by Rachel, who was his most important person? Now he knows why, he knows better. Khun’s affection was sincere, real. Rachel’s… Rachel’s was not.

Just remembering it makes Baam’s chest hurt, so he tries to get back to the starting point of this thought process. Then Wangnan’s kiss… What did it mean? It felt sincere, like Khun’s. A little troubled, again like Khun’s. However, Khun did not avoid Baam after that happened, maybe because he thought Baam did not know anything about it, or because it did not mean anything to be embarrassed about. With Wangnan, it seems to be a different case. Now he seems not to know how to look at Baam in the eye. Wangnan avoids being alone with him, and spends long hours training with Arkraptor, even though he barely trained at all before that incident. Therefore, Baam has not had any chance to ask about what happened.

It has already been three days since that night, but oh no, this will not continue like this for long. Baam will definitely find him alone one of these days and force him to talk. Baam might be polite and quiet most of the time, but he is equally stubborn and curious. He has to know, especially after seeing Wangnan so flustered about it. It felt nice… really nice. Maybe Baam wants it to happen again, if only to better understand it. Yes, he wants Mr. Wangnan to kiss him once again.

However, days have passed and Baam still has not found the opportunity to talk with Wangnan in private. Well, they are a numerous team after all, so it might be a given even if Wangnan were not avoiding him. Baam sighs deeply, letting out his frustration without thinking.

“Mr. Viole, what do I do with this radish?” A feminine voice almost reaches his ears, but Baam’s eyes are still glued to the frying pan in his hands. “Mr. Viole!”

“Ah.” That brings back Baam from his own world. He glances at his side and finds Yihwa looking at him with an eyebrow risen, clearly annoyed for not being heard. “Sorry, Ms. Yihwa. What were you saying?”

Now it is Yihwa’s turn to sigh, placing her hands on her hips after leaving the bowl of unevenly cut radishes on the kitchen counter. “It’s rare to see you so distracted, Mr. Viole. Ever since those FUG people came to our house, Mr. Wangnan and you have been acting strange. Did something happen?” Well, it does not surprise him that everyone has already noticed his odd behavior, even with him being mostly inexpressive, as he has been ever since he became Viole. It is just he is so confused, and Wangnan avoiding him is making him anxious too. “I-it’s not I’m concerned for you or anything!”

Another strange behavior. Baam really does not understand some of Yihwa’s attitudes regarding him. Yeah, he knows she does not trust him because he is with FUG, and that might be natural for someone from the Ten Families, or even for random people. After all, the only thing widely known about FUG is that it is a criminal organization and that it stands against Jahad. But these sudden reactions, as if she is embarrassed about something, those he does not get. Even after all he has learned, these social things are still kind of a mystery to Baam.

So he just answers in a quiet voice. In the past, he would have smiled at her kindly, but his Viole façade does not allow him to. He must remember to keep his distance. “Oh, it’s nothing, Ms. Yihwa, don’t worry.”

“I-I said I wasn’t worried!” Then she takes a deep breath, eyes closed. “Whatever. I was asking what do I do with this. Do we need them for that?” She points in the frying pan’s direction.

“Oh, yes, but its best if you let me do this. You aren’t good with fire yet.”

He is just being sincere, but the expression on Yihwa’s face tells him that his words offended her. Everyone knows it is true, though. Last time he tried helping Yihwa in the kitchen, she almost blew up the oven. “I know, I know. Being terrible at the kitchen it’s humiliating enough, but having a FUG helping me improve it’s even worse…”

“You’ll be better in no time, Ms. Yihwa.”

Again, he is tempted to smile at her, to try to comfort her, but he knows he needs to control himself. Being distant is hard when they are all such good people. How he misses the days when he could be true to himself, when he could laugh at Mr. Shibisu’s jokes or eat snacks with Mr. Rak. When he could have a friendly training session with Ms. Endorsi, and not train into exhaustion under FUG’s program. When he could spend the night at the balcony with Mr. Khun, watching the fake stars while he taught Baam many things, as Rachel once did at the cave. How… how he misses those days.

“…Mr. Viole!” That startles him. Once again, he was spacing out. “Are you alright…?”

“…Yes, I’m fine. Just watch closely what I do and repeat, ok?”

He needs to stop thinking about his old team and making his new comrades worry. He knows those days won’t come back anymore, but he can still protect his friends from a distance. He will not let FUG harm them, neither his former team nor this one. They don’t deserve to suffer for being involved with him.

That is when he sees an enormous flame growing in front of his eyes. “What…?” Then, a high-pitched scream pierces his ears. At some point, while Baam was lost in thought again, Yihwa apparently took the frying pan from his hands and tried to cook herself… which was a disaster, as expected. Now she doesn’t know what to do, she is just panicking by herself, doing nothing. “Ah, Ms. Yihwa! We have to extinguish the fire!”

“Y-Yes, you are right!” But it is too late for Baam to warn her. Dread dwells up inside Baam when Yihwa takes a little bottle from the counter and pours the liquid within it to put out the fire… and just makes it worse. “What!? What happened!?”

“…That’s wine, Ms. Yihwa, I was using it before…” Baam’s voice sounds quiet amidst Yihwa’s screams, while she goes to the sink and pours water into a jar, effectively putting the fire out this time. “Thank God…”

“Why didn’t you tell me that was wine!? …Don’t look at me like it was obvious!”

But it was…, Baam wants to say, but chooses to keep silent. He has already upset her with his brutal honesty today, and he does not want to be lit on fire like his poor dish was. Speaking of which, it is now just a pile of scorched black goo, stuck all over the frying pan. He can only take a deep sigh at the miserable sight in front of him. Back to square one.

“Jeez, what’s with all this smoke? Is Yihwa trying to cook again?”

A carefree voice, one he is starting to miss already, comes through the door. Baam turns to look that way immediately, feeling his heart bump up a little in expectation. There is Wangnan, along Goseng, carrying bags of groceries. “At least we have new ingredients to start over with.” He hears Yihwa say, but he can only look at Wangnan. Come on, Baam, hide your anxiousness.

“Yihwa, please, stop burning up the poor kitchen. Remember it’s not our ho-” But Wangnan stops talking when he sees Viole is in the same room. Baam can’t help feeling disappointed at his reaction, even though he did expect it. He misses Wangnan’s laid-back smile. Now the only thing Baam receives from him is an expression of awkwardness.

But now it is not the time to feel down. He has to try and ask him about that night. So Baam takes a deep breath in and gathers the courage to just force Wangnan to talk. Not as if he has to prepare himself that much, he has always been pretty straightforward, after all. “…Mr. Wangnan!”

However, much to Baam’s frustration, Wangnan just flinches visibly before leaving the shopping bags right there on the floor and disappearing through the door. He does not even stop when Goseng complains about him leaving her with all the work. Of course, in another situation, Baam would stay and help the two girls organize their groceries, but now he has to follow the escaping man. The last thing he can hear before setting off after Wangnan is Yihwa openly complaining about their collective strange behavior.

Where did Mr. Wangnan go? The house is big enough for all of them, but not so much that someone can hide inside and not be found easily. Lucky for Baam, Wangnan stayed in the hallway, looking at the kitchen door with a pained expression. He probably did not expect Baam going after him, and that is why he just stood there and gave away his position. However, when he sees Baam there, he immediately realizes his mistake and retreats into his own room. No, Baam will not give up that easily. He chases after Wangnan, arriving just in time to hold the door with one hand and not let him close it in his face.

“Mr. Wangnan!” His usually soft voice sounds as determined as he is, but when he sees Wangnan flinching again, he tries to tone it down a little. “Sorry… Can we talk, please?” The other man keeps looking at him, probably not knowing what to say. “Please?” Baam repeats, voice quiet but full of honey.

For some reason, Wangnan’s face looks a little red. “…Ok, come in.”

If he weren’t in his Viole persona, Baam’s face would have lit up. Now he has to conceal the party that is going on inside his mind. Wangnan sits on his bed, but Baam does not dare entering further into the room. The distance between them seems abysmal, but he knows it has to be this way. So he settles on resting his back against the door he closed behind him. How can he start talking about this? Well, he does not need to beat about the bush. Even if it makes Wangnan uncomfortable for some reason, he has to know.

“About that night… The kiss you gave me, what did it mean?”

“It was a mistake!” Wangnan answers immediately, standing up and scratching the back of his head nervously. Their eyes do not meet at all. “Sorry, Viole, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to do it.”

“It was… a mistake? …I see…”

Then that means Wangnan does not care for him? Odd, because it felt sincere, just like the one Khun gave him on his forehead. Baam perceived the affection in it, even if it also felt troubled. Baam thought he had learned to identify when someone kissed him with sincerity, after becoming aware of the differences between Khun’s and Rachel’s kisses, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he still has a long way to go. He cannot help feeling disappointed, even if he knows this is for the best. He has to put a wall between his new team and himself, after all. Therefore, if Wangnan does not feel affection for him, then it is best that way. He has not looked at Wangnan at all after hearing his answer, and his ears just register a faint blabbering in the distance. Maybe Wangnan is still excusing himself, but Baam cannot distinguish any words. Why does it make him feel this sad? Because Mr. Wangnan called him his friend, but now he says the kiss meant nothing, so which one is the truth? Maybe that kiss has nothing to do with Wangnan thinking of him as a friend. The kiss did not mean anything special but his words were true…? He really wishes he could understand these things better.

No, he has to get a hold of himself. Even if Wangnan does not see him like a friend, that would be for the best. “It’s ok, Mr. Wangnan. Then it was a mistake, right? I understand.” That is when Baam looks up again, with his eyes still concealed behind his bangs, as always. At least this way, Wangnan will not be able to see the disappointment in them. Wangnan looks surprised, though. Maybe his posture is giving him away? Baam tries to straighten his back, feeling self-conscious.

“Ah, ok…”

Baam just wants things to go back the way they were. Well, maybe he should not ask for that either. The wall, Baam, the wall; don’t get close to them. Every friend he makes is another hostage for FUG, he knows that, but the fear of loneliness wins over him once again. He cannot help wanting to be able to talk with Mr. Wangnan as they did before that night.

“Want to help with the groceries? We left Ms. Goseng and Ms. Yihwa with all the work, and we don’t want Ms. Yihwa trying to cook again, right?” Luckily, that makes Wangnan relax a little. He smiles almost as he always did and approaches Baam with renewed enthusiasm.

Well, maybe Wangnan does not feel affection for Baam, but if he can smile this way and Baam can protect him from FUG by keeping his distance, then he does not care. For now.

*****

How stupid can he be, to go and do something like that? Kissing a slayer candidate from FUG… That is insanity, he knows it, but he could not control himself. Viole looked so cute, so lonely… and did not even reject him! He looked confused though, maybe he was in shock… Why, Wangnan, why? He has been asking himself that question each sleepless night since that moment, not finding a logical answer to it. The only plausible reason is that he is, indeed, falling in love with Viole, the boy he thought was a monster, but in reality is gentler than anyone else, willing to risk his own well-being for the sake of his friends and thus living a life he does not want.

Yeah, Wangnan is a little love-struck, all right, but kissing Viole without permission was another thing entirely. And now Viole wants to know why Wangnan kissed him, of course, but Wangnan cannot tell him anything that does not risk exposing his still budding feelings and being utterly rejected by this boy. So he settles with saying it was a mistake, because, what else can he say? Viole does not seem like the type of person who would react well if he tells him it was a joke, or even understand a joke of that nature. Thankfully, Viole accepts his unconvincing answer just like that and invites him to go back to the kitchen, to help the girls they abandoned there. Wangnan cannot help sighing in relief.

But now something new is bothering him. Why did Viole look so disappointed!? Did he want the kiss to mean something? Then why did he accept his answer and backed up that easily? Even after hearing all of that from that Hwaryun girl, Viole is still a complete mystery for him. Well, Wangnan will settle for this too, though, because he desperately wants to be able to talk to Viole normally again, or at least look at him in eye without thinking Viole might want to kill him for kissing him without warning. Not like there is much to confess, but when he sees Viole acting normal again (and that is distant and silent, but at least not with awkwardness) he knows he is glad he did not say anything compromising.

Yeah, there is nothing to confess. He is just a little infatuated with Viole, that is all. He cannot stop remembering the horrible situation Viole is in, alone, with nobody knowing about it but him, and he doesn’t even know Wangnan knows, so he cannot be of any support for him. That is why he started training like crazy with Arkraptor. He has to make sure they win the next tests, or Viole’s friends might be in danger. Viole’s pure heart will be in danger.

Also, he cannot get that night out of his mind, but that is to be expected. The soft sensation of Viole’s lips against his, his ragged breathing when Wangnan let go of him, those confused yet not rejecting golden eyes… He wants more, but now that he said that was a mistake, he won’t get any more ever again, right? And now Viole is so close to him, remaking the dish Yihwa made into coal, and Wangnan is tempted to confess he lied, that the kiss meant something even if he himself does not really understand what yet. Stupid Wangnan.

*****

And so, like that, the day of the test came, and Wangnan still does not feel either he or his team is ready for it, even after his impromptu training sessions. But here they are, lined up in front of the test administrator and waiting for their rivals to show up. After being proclaimed leader of their team for winning the last test by stealing Viole’s remote control, Wangnan decided the name of their team should be Team Sweet and Sour, of course, in honor of Nia’s memory. No one had any better ideas for it, so they settled with this. Well, except for Prince, who even now fights with Wangnan for it, but his suggestion so was awful everyone voted for Wangnan’s idea anyways. Even now, the boy is still shouting at him about it, and Wangnan answers the same way, though he starts feeling childish for doing so, therefore he soon leaves Prince arguing alone.

Instead of that, he chooses to look at Viole, as he has been doing all this time, but he regrets it immediately. Well, kind of, if only because what he sees messes up his already infatuated heart. Miseng is offering some snacks to Viole, and both of them look so cute when they start eating side by side in an absolute but comfortable silence. Miseng manages to make Viole feel at ease just by doing that, and Wangnan cannot help being a little jealous about it. Maybe he should start buying sweets and snacks too…

“The rival team… has run away. I think they heard about Mr. Viole being on your team and got scared.” Both he and Goseng cannot help yelling a big WHAT after hearing that. The administrator has to be kidding, right? Then what will happen with their exam? If they can pass without fighting, it would be awesome, but he does not think it will be that easy. It never is in the Tower. “Oh, don’t worry about the exam. I prepared another interesting one.”

That sounds incredibly suspicious. They have to proceed with caution.

Or so Wangnan thought, but those very same thoughts disintegrate into thin air when they are taken aboard a flying ship. He can only delight himself in the scenery before him: the brilliant reflection of the sun on the surface of the transparent mass of water, the flying fishes leaping alongside their ship, the salty aroma of the ocean breeze, the refreshing drops bathing his face, and… and Viole, who looks so completely astonished by it all. Big honey-colored eyes, now uncovered, sparkle full of pure-hearted wonder, and the clean waters reflect beautifully on them. He even has Miseng sitting on his shoulders, perfectly completing the heartwarming image.

Viole looks like a little kid (a very quiet one, but an innocent kid nonetheless) who is seeing the ocean for the first time ever. Is it possible Viole really has not seen the seas until now? Maybe he comes from a floor without any oceans, but his reaction is still a little too, well, pure-hearted and innocent. It is so unbearably cute Wangnan has to force himself to look away and concentrate on the flying fish. He can hear Yihwa complaining about how they all act like noisy children, but she is putting tanning lotion on as she speaks, so she does not sound convincing in the slightest. Even the test administrator is wearing goggles and a cap, while carrying a floating tube. Everyone is so into the beach spirit, that no one is surprised when some of them, including Wangnan himself, even starting playing beach volley.

Maybe they should all go to the beach together when they have time to spare; it would be so much fun. The eight of them are like a family now, even if they all still seem to be keeping some secrets from each other. Especially Viole, the object of his constant attention, but Wangnan is not the exception either, so he knows he has no right to complain about it. Either way, times like this are extremely precious to Wangnan, so he will make sure they go on a trip to the beach one of these days. Maybe he could see this innocent look on Viole’s face once again. And maybe he could also see Viole wearing a swimsuit… No, Wangnan, stop.

His daydreams about a shirtless Viole with wet hair and pearly skin dissolve into thin air when the ship shakes terribly, as if it is being attacked by some sea monster. It is not far from the truth: the thing that is almost wrecking their ship is a gigantic… whale? Something like that. The test administrator says it is called Zigena, the sea creature famous for their Zigena flower. Are they really going to take the test… inside that thing? “You got to be kidding…”

However, apparently is not a joke at all. The administrator calmly explains they have to go inside the body of that enormous creature and retrieve a flower of Zigena. Of course, as if that is a simple feat to achieve. As they board the lifeboat provided by the administrator, they all watch the ominous animal in horror. Not only they have to steal a jewel from an endangered animal, but also they have to risk their lives while doing so. It is obvious that these bastards are making regulars do their dirty job. Nothing new at the Tower, eh?

They divide into two groups, but, to Wangnan’s misfortune, he and Viole end up in different sets. Wangnan’s will go in first, and Viole’s will wait for the Zigena to flip sides and enter through the other blowhole. He can only pray Viole and the rest will be safe, although his group is not safe either, obviously. The recent violent movement is proof enough. But Wangnan will not hesitate. Viole will be safe, he is strong, and he has Horyang and Yihwa with him. All he has to do is concentrate in finding that damned flower and pass this test as soon as possible. All of it smells trouble, a trap, but they have to complete it nonetheless. In order to move on. And for Wangnan, to help Viole keep his friends safe.

Yes, for Viole. Wangnan still wants to go up the Tower for the sake of fulfilling his dream of changing everything, and he wants to keep his team safe too, but most importantly, he knows now he is doing everything for Viole, the sweet boy who masks himself as a slayer. So when he sees a little piggy (or something like that) with a strange flower on his back, Wangnan immediately throws himself over it. He has to catch it at all costs. Arkraptor is the one to react more wisely, commanding Miseng and Goseng to combine their abilities to have better chances to catch it. However, it still escapes Arkraptor’s grasp, and Wangnan cannot help getting angry and insulting him, even if it was not his intention at all. He is even desperate enough to send Miseng through a suspicious hole alone. Arkraptor is right in saying she probably needed this to feel valuable to the team and grow some self-confidence, but still… She is just a little girl, and Wangnan is putting her in danger because of his confusing feelings for Viole.

Therefore, when Arkraptor asks about his sudden change of attitude, Wangnan cannot deny him an honest answer. He owes his team that much. “We shouldn’t fail this exam. If we do… one of Viole’s friends dies.” Arkraptor looks shocked at his words, but Wangnan continues nonetheless, adverting his eyes. “Every time we fail an exam, one of Viole’s friends dies. He is going up the Tower… to protect his friends.”

The image of that night, the lonely look in those innocent golden eyes that he insist in keeping covered, the tender smile that only lasted for a few seconds, the taste of his soft lips… Everything makes Wangnan’s chest warm and ache at the same time. And his own next words hurt even more, piercing deeply into his heart. “The place where Viole truly belongs to… is not here by our side.”

Why do these words hurt him this much? He truly is… in love with Viole, is that it? The more he thinks about it, the more convinced he is. But Viole… He knows Viole does not belong with them, with him.

“There are things I fear more than death.”

To make things even worse, at this time Wangnan did not know there was someone else with them inside the Zigena. Now, a message is glowing in all of their pockets. It’s from Prince, and says Viole is in danger. Wangnan feels his soul drop to his feet, because not only the object of all his efforts is now in peril, but also what kind of person or monster could put Viole in danger? It has to be a ranker, no doubt about it. So he runs alongside Arkraptor, with all his might. They do not have much time left to reach the point Prince signaled, where Viole and the threat would fall.

He never imagined the one threatening the most powerful member of their team was a shirtless guy with the most ominous presence he has ever sense. “So now… let’s start the game, babies!!”

Horyang and Prince, who know the situation better, are the firsts to launch against him, but the stranger counters Horyang’s attack as if it is nothing, claiming only an Opera would stop him, and only for mere seconds. Wangnan joins the fight too, of course, with Arkraptor and Yihwa, who arrived just in time too, but none of them even leaves him a scratch. Worst of all, he is focusing only on Viole, who is still falling down after the Zigena’s flip. An enormous power, like none of them has ever sensed before, gathers around the man with red eyes as he calls out his own attack, and Viole does not even flinch, gathering some blue, mysterious power of his own to stand up against it. Nevertheless, it is obvious that this is too much to withstand, even for Viole, so Wangnan is ready to jump recklessly in between them or unto the man’s back, to try to stop him even if he knows is futile.

But none of that happens. Instead, the two fighting men stop moving abruptly when both see Miseng coming out from a hole on the side. She is clearly too invested in catching the little pig with the flower that she does not see the danger she is in by jumping between those two. Viole reacts first, and his determined golden eyes change into surprise, then into deep concern, and finally… into unimaginable pain. In an instant, Viole is on the ground, covering Miseng with his own body, a gruesome wound opening on his back and bleeding all over the Zigena’s flesh. The mysterious man is standing next to him, holding the pig with one hand.

Wangnan runs towards them, with Arkraptor and Horyang following him, but they brake suddenly when the man looks at them with no expression. Wangnan cannot help trembling from head to toe, and he can see his comrades are in the same state, but he is no less determined to protect Viole and Miseng.

However, the man is willing to give them the other flower, the one that is not on the pig. Why? “Now that this little one has been born, I don’t need that flower anymore. I’ll just give it to you. Take it.” Well, with this, they have passed the test, but why though? “And tell him, when he wakes up, that it’s the reward for his courage.” Wangnan can see tenderness now on the man’s face, and wonders if he has been enchanted by Viole’s selflessness too. Probably, because he smiles proudly at Viole and then takes his leave. “The courage to protect a teammate while facing the strongest man.”

That is when they all he see it, on the man’s back. “Mazino… Urek Mazino!?”

So they tried to fight against an irregular, and one of the strongest beings in the Tower? They are lucky to be alive then. But that is not what is important now. Miseng looks shocked, sitting on the ground by Viole’s side, and copious tears come pouring out of her big, innocent eyes. Everyone runs towards them, and Wangnan turns Viole’s immobile body to make it face upwards, careful not to make his wound even worse. Amidst his team’s and his own concerned screams, Wangnan wipes the long bangs off Viole’s eyes, which are dull and lifeless, and they make Wangnan’s heart sink. There is so… so much blood around him. It feels like Viole’s life is flowing out of him, in the form of warm, red liquid, and Wangnan cannot do anything to stop it.

How did it come to this?

Now Viole is resting in his room, and his master from FUG is with him. How can Wangnan explain what happened and not be murdered by this man while doing so? He said he liked their team, so he would allow them to go up the Tower with Viole for a while, but now that his precious pupil put himself in danger like this because of them, maybe he is regretting that decision. Wangnan looks from the door as the man carefully caresses Viole’s forehead. A soft whisper comes out of the older man’s mouth. “Idiot…”

Seeing he can’t do anything, Wangnan goes into the kitchen and sits in front of an equally concerned Goseng, who offers him a cup of coffee. It has been two days already, and Viole still has not woken up. At least they passed the test and a conspiracy around the Zigenas was uncovered, but it caused a huge blow on the Yeon Family, and thus Yihwa has not even come out of her room since then. And of course, Viole is…

And now this man, Jinsung, is telling him they have to leave Viole’s side. He expected it, of course, but he is still taken aback by it. “I was wrong. I didn’t know this would happen… I will let you leave alive for Viole’s sake. Just forget about FUG and Viole, and get away from here. Leave tomorrow morning. ” Wangnan cannot stop staring at the man, dumbfounded. “I wanted Viole to make friends, but I didn’t know that would put him in danger.”

What can Wangnan say to that? He lowers his gaze, not able to bear the concerned look on this man’s face any longer. He knows Jinsung is right, and he has to be the only one in FUG who truly cares about Viole if he allowed them to be by his side either way, but it’s true they are far too weak to be of any help to their slayer candidate. It would be better if he has strong comrades who help him keep his friends safe. Sure, no one would have won against Urek Mazino, not even this guy beside him, so what happened now is not technically their fault, but it is true that if something like this happens again, Viole will surely put himself in peril again, in order to protect them. Such a gentle soul, under the clutches of FUG…

Still, he knows he cannot to leave Viole like this. He has to make sure he returns to his friends. Well, he has to stop lying to himself: he does not want to leave Viole’s side, he wants to be with him for as long as he can. Maybe he is… in love with Viole.

Therefore, he cuts the topic short and offers Jinsung to buy cigarettes for him. He is escaping, he knows it, but there is nothing else he can do right now. He goes to the market with the other men in his team. They all sit on a bench when they are finished with their shopping, and he can hear them argue about something, but he is not listening. He is still deep in thought about what Jinsung said.

It is when he hears Viole’s name that he starts listening for real. “Don’t borrow money from him. We need to leave here today. Isn’t it dangerous to go up the Tower with Viole? So…” He tries to bring up the topic on his mind, but they continue fighting, to his annoyance. “Argh! You jerks!! Listen to me!! I’m serious!!”

“So what? Why take Viole off the team?”

Arkraptor’s accusatory look makes Wangnan flinch, but Prince is the one to make him angry again. “No way! I need to buy my lighthouse and he’s got the money! If we’re going to leave someone out, it should be you! I’ll go up with him, you idiot!”

This little prick… “Shut up, jerk! I want to go up with Viole more than you do!” Then it becomes a super embarrassing fight to decide which of them wants to go up the Tower with Viole more.

Until Prince snaps. “Darn it! Then why do you want to kick him out!? To keep our team out of danger? Did you became a coward after you met that hip-hop freak!? You can’t tell us the reason Viole has to pass the test, because we might get scared and run away? Do you think we’re all selfish cowards!?”

Wow, this really surprises Wangnan. Maybe because Prince is the son of the guy who threatened so many people, including Wangnan himself, into accumulating loan after loan, but he didn’t think this kid would be such a committed friend. Yeah, he feared everyone would abandon Viole if they knew in how much danger they are by being Viole’s friends. Because every friend he makes is another hostage for FUG. Arkraptor is the one who voices his thoughts. “I want to help Viole meet his friends. Even if you said that, nobody would have run away.” Then he smiles at Wangnan, feeling completely confident in the rest of their team. “You know what? Viole should be thankful to have found such a good team.”

Arkraptor is right, of course, and Wangnan has to be thankful too. Viole is not alone against the world now, and Wangnan is not alone in trying to help him either. They are all in this together, and even if they are still kind of powerless, that reassures Wangnan like never before. It is so good to have friends, to have a family. He hopes Viole can perceive this too when he wakes up. Viole…

So, at night, he meets Jinsung on the roof and gives him some candy instead of cigarettes. Then he invites him to have dinner with them. “Oh, and… We decided to make our own path.” The confidence his team has bestowed upon him allows him to look cool even in front of such a dangerous guy. “It has nothing to do with FUG, the Ten Families, nor Jahad. It’s our own path, the path we want to take. But we’ll take Viole with us. Just wanted to let you know.”

With that, he leaves Jinsung behind, before he can murder him for his arrogance. It doesn’t matter, though. Nothing will take away his desire to help Viole, to be with him. He will help Viole even if it kills him.

So he talks with his team about it, he tells them everything he knows, even if he knows he will have to repeat himself afterwards, because Yihwa and Miseng are not present now. They are taking care of Viole, although Wangnan is still concerned by the possibility of Yihwa burning Viole up. Goseng is worried about the same things that clouded Wangnan’s mind when he first talked with Jinsung, but now they don’t matter to him, and he wants to convey it to them too. “Don’t worry. There will be a way.”

And the only method to discover that way is through the red-haired guide who told him about Viole in the first place, and Wangnan is determined to make her collaborate with them. “You told me secrets Viole keeps. You told me because I can take that path, right? Then I’ll take it.”

To his surprise, it doesn’t take much more to convince her. Apparently, there will be a chance for them to meet Viole’s friends in two years from now, at a place called the Workshop. Two years… He will have two years with Viole, and then say good-bye, right? No, he should not think like that, he knows that will be best for Viole. Still, it hurts knowing there will be a good-bye soon.

So he goes to Viole’s room, after knowing Yihwa and Miseng have come out. He sits by his side and looks at his still sleeping face. No, he is in something like a coma, right? He has been passed out for two days now. Poor Miseng has been crying ever since, convinced it is all her fault. And Wangnan… he misses Viole’s quiet voice so much. He smiles sadly at the image in front of him. At least the blood has been controlled, and the wounds have closed up on the first day. The only thing that is left is Viole opening his golden eyes once again.

“Everyone likes you, Viole, you can be sure of it. We will help you with anything you need, because we know you would do the same for us, or you wouldn’t have put yourself in such danger for Miseng’s sake.” Could it be too risky to kiss him right now? He is asleep, he will not know a thing, but someone could come in and catch him red-handed. Still, it is too tempting, even more when he brushes his bangs away and can see Viole’s sleeping face clearly. “When will you wake up, Viole?”

It is just a kiss. It is nothing that terrible, right? He looms over Viole and, without a second thought, he presses his own lips against Viole’s, delighting himself in the soft sensation. But he breaks contact when Viole opens his eyes suddenly. “I knew it wasn’t a mistake!” he hears Viole say in a hoarse voice, and he does not understand right away what he is referring to. He is too happy to see him conscious again.

“Viole? You are awake!” He jumps at Viole again, hugging him effusively, but he separates again when Viole moans from the pain. Ups, he should not have done that. Viole is still hurt and recovering, after all. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“…That doesn’t matter now.” Then Viole looks at him, big eyes full of determination. “This kiss, what does it mean? Why do you kiss me? Be sincere this time, please.”

He cannot deny an honest answer to those pure eyes. Viole has caught him red-handed, as he feared, so it does not matter now if he is sincere, right? It surprises him that Viole has not rejected him yet, though, so he ventures himself to ask for more. He is tempting his luck, he knows it, but the adrenaline does not allow him to think clearly. “But it is alright… right? You haven’t reject me, not even once.”

Viole looks at him with evident confusion. “Why should I reject you? How?”

“You should reject me if you don’t want this. Then you want this… right?”

Before he can think this through, his mouth is already on Viole’s, giving in to the desire bottled up inside of him. Viole freezes up bellow him, but then again, he is not pushing him away. Furthermore, he is returning the kiss now, with shy movements of his lips. He hasn’t kissed much, eh? That is so cute, it is irresistible. So he dares to go even further, pressing his tongue against Viole’s lips until he opens them and allows him to enter. God, it is even better than in his dreams. Yes, he has dreamt a lot about kissing Viole again, but he did not think the real thing would feel this good. And the quiet moans Viole makes against his mouth are fueling his desire even more.

But then Viole breaks the contact, and this action returns Wangnan into reality. Dear God, he has messed up badly, isn’t it? He wants the earth to swallow him right now, and disappear before Viole punches him across the face for kissing him. But what comes out from Viole’s mouth is even more surprising than whatever he would have expected next. “This type of kiss! What does it mean?”

“…What…?” He means… what Wangnan thinks he means? “You know what kissing is… right?”

“Of course I know!” Viole sounds so offended that Wangnan sighs in relief. But that relief is short-lived. “But I don’t know what this kiss means. It's different from doing it on the forehead, right? It feels different, at least…”

Wait… Viole knows what a kiss is, but he doesn’t know what a kiss on the lips means? Has he lived under a rock or something? Is he joking? If so, it is a terribly strange joke. No, it is not a joke at all; these innocent looking eyes tell him otherwise. He really does not know anything… “Viole…”

“Tell me, please, what does it mean? I have waited for this for days now, but I am afraid to ask someone else.”

Cold sweat runs across Wangnan’s back. Did he… did he steal Viole’s mouth virginity? And not only that, he stole his first kiss and Viole did not even notice it, because he still does not understand this type of kisses, for whatever reason. He guessed Viole has not kissed much by how clumsy his way of returning the kiss was, but he supposed it was because he spent so much time training with FUG, not because he had not kissed at all.

Wangnan has stolen the first kiss of a boy that is so innocent he does not even understand what just happened.

For the very first time in his life, Wangnan felt like utter trash.

Chapter Text

“Then what does it mean? Please, I need to know.”

Viole’s soft plea takes Wangnan out of his self-deprecating thoughts. Those golden eyes, thankfully now uncovered by those damned long bangs, are filled with determination and curiosity, and are looking directly into Wangnan’s own eyes. But what can he say? For what it sounds like, Viole does not even know much about love and relationships, so anything Wangnan says could be difficult to understand for Viole. He scratches the back of his head nervously, averting his gaze from the pure-hearted creature in front of him.

“Ahmm… what do you think?” That is the most irresponsible answer he could mutter, but is the only thing he could say to gain more time to think it through.

Viole flinches a little at the answer, then looks down as if in deep thought, the ever serious expression still on his face. “Well, Rachel said that kisses are a gesture of affection.”

Rachel? That is the first time he has heard Viole talk about someone from his past. A teammate from his old group? Or perhaps someone from FUG? Wangnan wants to ask, but it feels intrusive and not appropriate to interrupt his thoughts right now. Still, it fills him with curiosity; he always wanted to know more about Viole. However, it also makes him feel another, less pleasant emotion, especially because of the tenderness but also the sadness that enveloped Viole’s voice when he said that name. There is also the way he did not address her with honorifics, as he does with absolutely everyone else. Who is she?

Wangnan shakes his head mentally, trying to concentrate in what Viole is saying, and not in his lingering feelings of… jealousy? That is probably what it is. It is not serious though, but is indeed interfering in his attention towards the situation at hand. “And that person is right. Most kisses mean affection.”

“But these kisses you have given me are different from what I know. Rachel and Mr. Khun have always kissed me on the forehead, not the lips.”

Viole’s fingers move seemingly unconsciously to his own lips, tracing them slowly, and Wangnan feels yet again the piercing stab of guilt at his confusion. Still, those words also make Wangnan sigh in relief. There is another name now in the equation, and it seems both of them are really important for Viole, but also both of them have only kissed him on the forehead. Wangnan wants to think this is because Viole is so cute, and maybe these people saw him as a little brother or something like that. Wangnan hopes that is the case, to let subside his growing jealousy. And that would mean he is the only one crazy enough to kiss Viole without him even knowing what romantic kisses are. Therefore, he is the only one that has been utter trash. Not a very comforting thought.

“Well, yeah, it is a little different, isn’t it?” Wangnan tries to laugh it off, still averting his eyes from Viole.

But Viole has other plans. He tugs at Wangnan’s shirt with one hand, still looking down but effectively making Wangnan look at him. “I know Mr. Khun cared about me, that he saw me like a friend… maybe like family.”

And that girl Rachel? Wangnan wants to ask, since it seems Viole purposefully did not mention her. However, the words do not come out yet again. Viole sounds so sad, and Wangnan is not sure if it is because he misses his comrades, or if there is something else. So he keeps quiet and lets Viole continue.

“You said… if I were your friend. Then you called me your friend. Would you like to be my friend, Mr. Wangnan? Is that it?” What? What is Viole talking about? Oh, yeah, that night. The night of that first kiss, when he confessed he would be willing to give his life for someone so kind like Viole. How embarrassing, it really felt like a confession. But apparently Viole did not even take it as that, he did not even think they are already friends. “You shouldn’t want that, Mr. Wangnan…”

“Man, Viole, we are already friends. We all are. The team decided to go up the Tower with you. We won’t leave you alone even if it kills us.”

Viole’s eyes look even bigger now, looking at Wangnan with pure surprise. What? Is it really that surprising? Well, Viole did not think he was friends with Wangnan; of course he is surprised this extended to his whole team. And those big, golden eyes do not only look astounded, they look… watery. Like he is about to cry at any minute. And Wangnan is delighted by how many emotions Viole is starting to show, even if he is still serious and silent as heck.

“Really? But that is…” Viole’s hand clutch at both Wangnan’s shirt and the bed sheets beneath him, and he averts his gaze once more, letting the bangs cover his crystalline eyes. “That is because you don’t know in how much danger you are into, if you are with me…”

“Oh, we know.” That makes Viole look at him again, still with that surprised and teary look. “I talked with Hwaryun, the guide from FUG, and she told me your story. You want to go back to your friends, right?” Viole nods and swallows slowly, this time not breaking eye contact. “I already told this to everyone, and they are just as committed as I am into helping you get back with them. I already said it to your Master too. We are not backing out even if he tries to stop us. You can be sure of it.”

A soft whimper comes out of Viole, which takes Wangnan off guard, but it is Viole’s next action what completely throws him off. Viole is now hugging Wangnan tightly, his face buried in Wangnan’s chest. And he can only hug Viole back, wrapping his arms around that slightly trembling figure, and petting the disheveled chestnut hair.

“I’m sorry…” he hears Viole mutter against his shirt. It does not feel wet, so Viole is not crying, but his voice sounds weak and shattered. “I know I shouldn’t keep you guys by my side, but I… I don’t want to be alone.”

Wangnan’s mouth contorts into a warm smile. He knew Viole felt alone, he was right. This boy only wants to go back to the people he loves and for whom he is sacrificing himself day after day. “You don’t have to apologize. Say thank you instead, because of how amazing our team is. We might not be the strongest, but we are fully committed to you.”

“Thank you…” he now hears, in the same weak but now glad tone of voice.

So Wangnan lets Viole hug him for as long as he wants, petting his head almost unconsciously. Viole feels so warm against him; it is somewhat distracting, but also incredibly comfortable. He could drown himself in the sensation.

He does not know how many minutes passed by with them hugging like that. Any amount would seem too little. He would want this to never end, if possible. It is probably the time he has felt the most comfortable in his entire life, but most importantly, Viole seems to be feeling safe too. So this should not end. Viole deserves every minute of peace he can get.

However, it is Viole himself the one who breaks contact, if only slightly. No, don’t move, keep resting your head on my chest. , Wangnan cannot help mentally grumbling. Still, Viole only moved so he can stare at Wangnan’s face directly. His hands remain at Wangnan’s chest, tugging just a bit at his shirt. Those precious eyes are once again a little covered by the long bangs, but to Wangnan’s delight, they are still fairly visible. They are still a little watery, and are looking directly into his own eyes.

After a few seconds of only staring at each other in silence, Viole whispers something almost inaudible. “Sorry, Viole, did you say something?”

Then something happened that made Wangnan’s heart stop for a moment, and then race uncontrollably: Viole’s cheeks get a little rosy, and he is still looking directly at him with those big, honey-colored eyes. “...Aren’t you going to do it?” The whisper is still pretty soft, but Wangnan thinks he heard correctly this time. But do what exactly? Jeez, he could do so many different things to Viole right now, that is for sure, but all of them are extremely inappropriate. “You aren’t?”

Whatever the case, Viole wants Wangnan to do something, and he is looking excruciatingly tempting right now. What will you do, Wangnan? You know you have to control yourself.

“What-?”

But he could not finish his sentence, because the door of Viole’s room opens up suddenly and with a loud thud. Fortunately, Wangnan’s reflexes kick in on time, and he distances himself from Viole before anyone can see them in that compromising position. Unfortunately, and on the other hand, he kind of shoved Viole back without any warning, so he looks deeply confused by his actions, almost offended. Wah, sorry, baby, but how would I explain why we were hugging? Did I just call him baby? Wangnan scratches the back of his head nervously, trying to apologize to Viole without words. He seems to understand, or at least he does not look upset anymore, just confused. Wangnan lets out a sigh of relief.

That is when two girls enter the bedroom, seemingly too distracted with their own conversation to notice the strange atmosphere inside. Yihwa is carrying a medical kit (for what purpose, Wangnan does not know, because Viole’s injuries healed on the first day), and both are dressed up as nurses. It is a fairly cute sight, and it is all for Viole. Wangnan hopes Viole can understand how much he is being loved by his comrades.

Upon seeing Viole there, awake and well, both girls seem to be in shock, just looking at him wide-eyed. “Mr. Viole! You woke up!”

Yihwa is the first one to react and speak up, but Miseng is faster in actually reaching out to him. She runs towards the bed and launches herself into Viole’s arms, hugging him tightly. “I-I’m so glad you are awake, Mr. Viole…! S-Sorry for…” She is obviously crying. Her voice gets caught up in her throat, and she has to fight the sobs to speak properly. “I’m sorry for being such a burden all the time…”

Viole, on his part, seems to be fighting some urge too, but its is to smile warmly. Wangnan can already identify when he is trying hard to be cold on the outside, and it upsets him. He wants Viole to know he does not have to pretend to be distant and unfeeling in front of them. He wants Viole to feel safe around them, just like he seemed to be feeling just now, when they were hugging. Now it feels like they have taken a step back. Well, at least he must be happy, if he is trying not to smile.

And even though he is trying not so show it, Viole still pets Miseng’s head carefully, as if he cannot help it letting some of his true nature slip through. And Miseng just hides her teary face against Viole’s lap, refusing to look up. She is probably feeling too guilty and ashamed to even look at Viole. Wangnan knows it because, even if he knows Miseng is not in the wrong and it was all an accident, he would be feeling the same if he was in her shoes.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry so much. See? I’m good now.” Viole’s voice sounds plain, but Wangnan knows better. He must be trying hard to sound like that.

“But… but…” Miseng decides to look up then, with her face all covered in tears. “It’s still my fault…!”

“Shhh…” Viole grabs her from bellow her arms and lifts her, so she can sit on his lap. Then he proceeds to pet her hair once more. “Forget it, okay? I’m glad you are safe.”

At that, Miseng shows a teary, but bright smile she has not showed at all in the last few days, and kisses Viole on the forehead. God, they look so cute, Wangnan’s heart skips a beat. “I’m too… I’m glad you are safe, Mr. Viole.”

“Ah…” Viole looks astounded, however. That makes Wangnan’s face burn. He is obviously thinking about the conversation they just had about kisses. Wangnan is sure it is that, because Viole is now looking directly at him. “Mr. Wangnan?”

Luckily, he is saved by Yihwa, who interrupted the embarrassing question Viole was probably going to ask. “Jeez, you really made us worry, Mr. Viole.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, and she puffs her cheeks, as she does every time she is about to say something that embarrasses her and does not want to acknowledge. “I’m also glad you are okay.”

“Thank you, Ms. Yihwa.” The softness in Viole’s voice seems to have make her heart race a little, just as it did with Wangnan’s, because her face is all red and she is trying hard to avert his gaze.

Wangnan cannot help laughing a bit at her evident reaction, gaining a really pissed off look from Yihwa. Whatever, he simply lets her burn him with her eyes, and moves to closer to Viole and Miseng, who are still hugging in a very cute way.

“Everyone is happy that you are okay now, Viole.” Is it Wangnan’s impression, his self-indulgent brain playing tricks on him, or is really Viole smiling at him? It is faint, but he thinks its there. Wah, so cute. “W-Why-”

Wangnan gulps hard, trying to regain his composure and speak properly. Come on, don’t be so affected every time Viole does something cute. You won’t live much if you continue reacting this way. Specially since he is discovering that it is not that Viole does cute things; he is cute. Everything about him is cute, even though he works so hard to hide it.

Again, Wangnan shakes his head, trying to disperse the stupid thoughts in his mind. “Why don’t you come greet everyone? They will be delighted to see you are up again.”

Viole nods slowly and takes the hand Wangnan offers.

Everyone was thrilled to see Viole up and well. Prince even launched himself into Viole’s arms, completely ignoring the fact that he just woke up from a coma and he could be hurting or something, and he cried and sobbed uncontrollably, in a much less graceful way than Miseng. His snot dirtied Viole’s pajamas, but he did not seem to care. The children definitely like Viole very much.

Then everyone talked about Viole’s situation. And after being encouraged by Wangnan and everyone else, Viole agrees to tell them a bit about himself. “I owe that to you all.” He said, with a firm voice and determination flaming in his golden eyes.

So he told them he was once called Twenty-Fifth Baam, and that he was assumed dead six years ago, on the Floor of Tests. All because of FUG, because they wanted an irregular among their slayers. That is also what Hwaryun told Wangnan, and what he informed to the rest of the team, but this time Viole was present to see that everyone in their team is okay with all of this, and agreed to stay by side and help him get back to his friends. Two years, that is how much time they would need, according to the guide. In two years, Viole would be back with his original team, if they all collaborate. And they will do it. This new family Wangnan has found will do whatever it takes to help each other, and that includes Viole. He is as much part of the family than any of them.

And Viole allows himself to smile in front of them, sincerely, warmly. A smile that lights up the room, and honey eyes that sparkle like they are holding back tears of gratitude.

*****

And so time passed by, and it felt like everyday Wangnan fell more and more in love with Viole. That is an issue, he knows that, because each passing day is one day closer to the end of his time with him. Only two years; the words of the FUG guide torture him almost everyday. However, he is also doing his best to forget that fact, and spend the time he has left the best way he can. Everyday he trains with his team, and everyday they do silly stuff together. It feels like Heaven, to have a family in which everybody cares for each other like this. Even though he knows most of them are still keeping secrets, they are getting to know each other too, at least in the mundane things. But those are just as important, are they not?

But most important of all, or at least to Wangnan, is that he has the chance to know more about Viole. One thing he already assumed about Viole is that he cared deeply for his previous team, since he is sacrificing himself everyday to keep them away from harm, but he is still surprised by how much they mean for him.

For example, one day, Wangnan is helping Viole in cleaning up his and Yihwa’s room, and he finds something that catches his attention. It is a somewhat old ball of paper, right beside Viole’s pillow. Unable to keep his curiosity at bay, Wangnan rises an eyebrow as he picks it up.

“Viole, what is this wrinkled piece of paper? Do you want me throw it?”

To his surprise, Viole reacts immediately. Wangnan does not have time to smooth it out and see its contents, because Viole has already grabbed the sheet of paper from Wangnan’s hands and is squeezing it against his own chest. “No!!” Then his cheeks turn a little pink, and, for Wangnan, it is the cutest thing ever. “Ah… sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Want to tell me about it?” Wangnan is already used to sit on whatever he has near him (sofa, bed or even the floor) and pat by his side to tell Viole to sit beside him. And Viole does exactly that.

Viole seems dubious at first, but then nods slowly, though he is avoiding Wangnan’s gaze. “It’s an assignment from when I was on the Floor of Tests. The teachers asked the Scouts to gather friends to sign their sheet. It wasn’t my assignment, because I’m a Wave Controller, but because I didn’t have any friends until then, I wanted to do it too.”

As he speaks in a quiet tone, Viole plays with his fingers, intertwining them, letting them loose and then repeating the action over and over again. Wangnan has learned Viole does this when he is nervous, and Wangnan finds it adorable, to say the least.

Wangnan is a little hesitant to ask, but he does so anyway. The curiosity is killing him. “Can you show it to me?”

The team Viole misses so much, what kind of people are they?

Unexpectedly, Viole hands it over without resistance. “Here.” Maybe Viole really trusts Wangnan, and that possibility makes him grin like an idiot.

Stretching it as carefully as he can, Wangnan takes a look at the paper sheet. There are many names there, and each one conveys a personal feeling. It is evident that each of these people made their signature with special care. For Viole. Of course. How could anyone not want to sign this thing for Viole? How could anyone not love Viole? Well, maybe that is biased on his part because of how infatuated he is with Viole, but still.

Just as he is thinking that, he notices only one signature is done somewhat lazily, even if it is in perfect calligraphy. Someone named Hoh. Well, he did sign even if it was not an official assignment, so Wangnan assumes he is just imagining things.

And of course, among those names, there is one that he knows of and therefore immediately caught his attention, but he did not want to acknowledge it. Khun Aguero Agnes. The calligraphy is also perfect, but it is evidently done with upmost care, unlike the other one. And it is the second name on the list, only beaten by some Great Leader Rak Wraithraiser, written in all caps and exclamation marks. This one must he someone like Prince, someone incredibly loud and has to be the first one to do anything, or else he gets pissed. It gives Wangnan the feeling that this Rak is even more obnoxious than Prince, and the thought alone makes his head ache.

But if this Khun is the second one on the list, only beaten by a guy like that, it is obvious he is closer to Viole than anyone else.

And the only other name he has heard from Viole, the girl named Rachel who Viole did not address with honorifics, is not on the paper. Why? It was clear she was important to Viole, probably as important as the Khun dude, but she is not here. Wangnan wants to ask, but the words do not come out from his throat. He does not dare to ask. What if the answer makes him feel even more jealous and insecure?

Then, Viole’s quiet voice takes him out of his confused and somewhat depressing thoughts. “It may be just a worn-out piece of paper, but… but it’s precious to me.”

How? How could someone want to hurt a pure soul such as this one? While Viole hugs the paper against his chest, Wangnan reaches to him and surrounds Viole’s shoulders with one arm, bringing him close to his own body. “Mr. Wangnan?”

Big, honey-colored eyes look up at him, which look a bit wet, and Wangnan feels his heart melt. He must feel so lonely, he must miss them so much. What can he do to make Viole feel better? He is not alone, Wangnan will never let him feel alone again. He had already decided that would be his purpose during these two years they have left together.

So he gives Viole a wide grin, and pets the head that rests on his shoulder. “They may be Twenty-Fifth Baam ’s friends, but Viole has friends too, you know? What do you say? Do you want to make another one with Jue Viole Grace’s friends?”

“Ah… But… I don’t know…” It does not matter how much Viole wants to conceal his own emotions: his golden eyes are like an open window. He fully understands why they made him keep his bangs that long. If not, he would not manage to be intimidating at all, not with that cute face and those transparent eyes. “…Do you think the others will want to sign?”

Wangnan just laughs. Viole should not be this insecure, and Wangnan openly voices why. “Of course they will! And if they don’t, I’ll make them do it.”

A small laugh reaches Wangnan’s ears and his heart skips a beat. You might think he would have grown used to Viole’s smile by now, but no, especially because it seems to get warmer by each passing day, a symbol of Viole’s heart opening up to them. Well, mostly to him in particular. When they are alone, Viole acts more natural, more like the gentle person Wangnan knows he is. Viole is defrosting, slowly but surely.

“…Thank you, Mr. Wangnan.”

And this smile makes the slow process all the worthwhile.

Wangnan is willing to do anything for this smile.

So he is delighted when everyone is willing to sign the paper, even though Yihwa’s sign was a little more difficult to get. Ever the tsundere.

“Everyone signed, Mr. Wangnan!”

My God, Viole is smiling widely and directly at Wangnan. He seems so happy that he is not even trying to hide it. Of course, it is probably because he is alone with Wangnan again, sitting on his bed as they did some hours ago, when Wangnan proposed to have them sign the new paper. Viole allows his long legs to swing on the side of the bed, and is admiring the paper on his hands. “Ms. Goseng and Miseng were the first ones to sign, then Prince wanted to sign too, and he even draw a mini picture of himself in the corner.”

That kid, he wanted to give Viole an autograph, that is what he wanted to do. Wangnan would say who wanted that from a nobody like Prince in the first place , but it seems Viole did, because he is incredibly happy with Prince’s artwork. Well, whatever makes Viole happy, it is fine.

“Mr. Arkraptor looked confused and a little embarrassed by the idea, but he signed anyway, and Mr. Horyang, on his part, wanted to do one for himself too. He must be feeling lonely too, though he doesn’t tell us why.”

So Viole has caught on that too, huh? Well, it is to be expected. Viole is the one feeling the loneliest out of all of them, so it must be easy for him to know when someone else is feeling that way too.

“And Ms. Yihwa was a little harder to convince, but in the end she signed too. I’m so glad she did it even though she is still a bit reluctant to accept me.”

And those are things Viole does not understand in the slightest. Yihwa was not resistant to sign because she is thinking about her being from the Great Families and Viole from FUG. She has already moved on about that. Yihwa is… well, clearly interested in Viole. Romantically, like Wangnan. And that is what she cannot accept, unlike Wangnan. She has not got into terms with it, and its hard for her whenever Viole does something cute in front of her. Well, it is hard for Wangnan too, so he doubts it will become easier of Yihwa either. Viole would have to know about her feelings and reciprocate them, in order for her not to be so jumpy and nervous every time she exposes herself. Wangnan would know. He lives with that everyday.

However, just the thought of Viole reciprocating Yihwa’s feelings makes Wangnan’s chest burn and hurt. Why is he so jealous? Yihwa is a gorgeous girl, of course, and she is from the Yeon Family, so she is a great catch, but Viole simply does not belong with them. He belongs with that Mr. Khun or that Rachel he mentioned before. He… Viole does not belong neither with Yihwa, nor with Wangnan…

But it is not time to be thinking about it right now. What did he tell himself? He would make the best out of the time he has left with Viole. And this smile in front of him, with those eyes that seem like watery honey, are a great start.

He really could do anything for that smile. Anything at all.

*****

But there are times when even Wangnan cannot smile as he always does, and Baam has come to know that.

After being kissed by Wangnan the first time, Baam started pay ing close attention to everything Wangnan does. At first it was merely because he needed to find the opportunity to talk to him about the strange incident. But soon enough Baam found himself wondering what Wangnan would do next that would make him try hard not to smile. He should be worrie d, because, as he has repeated to himself countless times, he has to keep his distance from other people, and that includes his new team and Mr. Wangnan . However, it is extremely hard for him not to smile and feel at ease when he is with Mr. Wangnan. The guy is like a shining sun that casts away the darkness than surrounds Baam everyday ever since he was assumed dead. Baam knows it is just an illusion; he is not out of FUG’s grasp, he is still trapped by them. Nonetheless, Wangnan gives him a ray of hope with every bright smile he shows to him.

That is why it is so heartbreaking for Baam seeing Mr. Wangnan feeling down .

One day, when the team was wandering around town, Baam noticed Wangnan stopped at a restaurant. Looking a bit flustered, Wangnan stayed there for a while, staring through the window and not caring that the rest of their comrades continued on and were now far away. So Baam waited for him, curious as to what was catching Wangnan’s attention so much.

He took his time, but eventually Wangnan entered the restaurant, and Baam followed silently behind him. It is not like he is spying on Wangnan or something like that, but Baam feels that he has to be sneaky, for some reason. There seems to be a secretive mood in the air, that is all. So Baam keeps his distance when Wangnan chooses a place to sit and orders something Baam does not catch what it is. He should not be so frustrated about not hearing it, because he will soon know what it was, but Baam still bites his own lower lip. There has to be a reason as to why Wangnan wanted to go into this store with out telling the rest of the group.

“Here is your meal, sir. Please enjoy.”

A waiter leaves a plate of what seems to be… pork? With some veggies and sauce. Baam cannot help coming a little closer to Wangnan’s table, enchanted by the delicious smell . But why though? If he just wanted to have a meal, he would have invited the rest of the team, right? It is so strange.

“I’m sorry...”

That sounds make Baam all the more confused, that feeling is soon replaced by apprehension. It is Wangnan’s voice, whispering an apology destined to someone who obviously is not with him. His voice sounds cracked, and the hand that picks up the chopsticks is trembling, as are his shoulders. Baam’s heart shrinks upon hearing that sound, but he still hesitates to come near. He wants to respect Wangnan’s privacy as much as he can, but hearing him so vulnerable is too worrisome. Wangnan is always smiling, but now he is with his back facing Baam, so Baam can only assess his mental state by that voice and the trembles of his body. And those are not good signals.

So Baam goes nearer, trying to se e at least his profile. He actually succeeds without letting Wangnan discover his presence, but what he sees makes him throw out all cautiousness. Wangnan’s face is covered in tears, which are falling into the plate bellow him. Still, he is eating slowly, and the sound he makes as he swallow s suggest s he is having trouble doing it, as if the food is getting clogged up in his throat.

“Mr. Wangnan…”

Baam cannot stand what he is seeing anymore . He goes to Wangnan, arms wrapping around his shaking shoulders, trying to contain the pain Wangnan is probably feeling. His gesture was probably unexpected by the other. Wangnan probably did not even sense Baam was there to begin with. He seems startled, but he does not turn around, nor he tries to wipe away his tears and pretend nothing is wrong. He just stays still for a while, taking steady breaths, in and out, in and out. Baam holds him tighter, resting his head on top Wangnan’s and staying completely silent. He hopes his feelings come through Wangnan.

There are countless things he could say, but none of them come out of Baam’s throat.

I don’t understand what is happening.

I don’t like seeing you like this.

But if you want to cry, go ahead.

I’ll be here with you.

I won’t leave you alone.

So when you are okay again, please smile once more.

Baam’s silent pleas seem to be working, because Wangnan hugs him back with one arm, with so much force it hurts Baam a little. But it does not matter. He allows Wangnan to hold him and cry his heart out. Baam does not understand why this food makes him react like this, but right now it does not matter. The only thing that matters is that he helps Wangnan let all out, even if simply seeing him like this is breaking Baam’s own heart.

Everything that makes you feel bad, I will cast it away.

You have tried so hard to make me smile. Now I have to do the same.

So he waits long and excruciating minutes until Wangnan’s sobs start to subside. Baam caresses Wangnan’s messy blonde hair as he adjusts his head on Baam’s shoulder. After a while, Wangnan separates a bit from Baam and makes a gesture that invites Baam to sit beside him. So Baam does exactly that, moving a chair closer to Wangnan’s and sitting down right next to him .

“...Sorry to be such a mess.”

“It’s okay.” Baam says in his characteristic Viole voice. “I’m glad you are more calm.”

Wangnan lets out a little chuckle, but it is not at all like the laugh Baam is used to hear from him. It is sad laugh, like he is about to break in tears again at any moment.

“Yeah… I suppose I have to let go of Nia once and for all.”

That name. Baam knows that name, but he does not immediately remember why. Nia…

“...He is gone, after all…”

That is right. Nia was the name of the boy Wangnan wanted to avenge some months ago, when they first became a team. Th e boy was brutally murdered, and Wangnan wanted to do the same to the culprit, but he stopped himself before actually killing the guy. That night, Wangnan told Baam he wanted to end the c ycle of hate, he wanted to change the Tower. That was the night Baam took an interest in Wangnan, that he started feeling something new. Wangnan gave him hope, something Baam thought he would not feel again after joining FUG against his will. That night was a turning point for him, but he doubted Wangnan knew about it . Should he say it? Maybe that would lift Wangnan’s spirits.

No, this is not the moment. Wangnan is mourning his friend right now. This is not about Baam’s own feelings, is about Wangnan’s. So Baam chooses to ask about Nia, and his relationship with this food. And Wangnan tells him everything he wants to know, with no holds barred.

“That is why our team is called Sweet and Sour. In honor of Nia…”

Those words make Baam’s chest hurt and burn at the same time. Why does he feel so hurt about this? It is clear he is hurting because Wangnan is hurting right now, but he feels there is something else too. What could it be?

But this is not the time to be dwelling in the mysterious new feeling Baam is experimenting. So he holds Wangnan’s hand and places it on top of the abandoned chopsticks. Then, Baam picks up another set of chopsticks from the table and smiles at Wangnan, as warmly as he can.

“Let’s eat, okay? In honor of Mr. Nia.”

Tears once again blur Wangnan’s eyes, but they do not fall down. And he smiles, this time he genuinely smiles at Baam. That image makes Baam’s heart warm once more.

And when he tastes the pork, instead of just sweet and sour, Baam tastes a bit of saltiness.

*****

God, he had embarrassed himself so badly in front of Viole. Wangnan is supposed to be the one making Viole happy, and there he goes, crying in front of Viole, making him sad and almost cry himself. Those honey-colored eyes, wet with tears he barely managed to hold in… However, after Wangnan calmed down, Viole gave Wangnan a smile so warm that Wangnan thought he did not even deserve it. It was too lovely, and he knows Viole does not want to be expressive in front of others, but he still showed him that beautiful face. And Wangnan could not help smiling back, sincerely this time. Wangnan will never forget Nia, of course, but thanks to Viole, he thinks he can let go of the pain and the guilt he still feels, and someday remember Nia through the happy times they lived together.

Everything that happened today, however, encourages Wangnan even more towards changing the Tower. For Nia’s memory, for Viole’s future.

Those thoughts keep Wangnan wide awake at night. He stares at the ceiling for a long time, listening to Arkraptor’s soft snoring and reliving the moment when Viole smiled at him that afternoon, over and over again. When he realizes he will not fall asleep anymore, Wangnan comes out of bed and tiptoes out his room, as to not disturb his sleeping comrade.

Just as he steps out of his room, Wangnan lets out a deep sigh. He has sighed so much ever since this afternoon. And every time he did, Viole stared at him with those worried eyes that look like they are about to overflow at any moment, with warm but watery honey.

Still, t omorrow will be another day, to make those teary eyes turn into cheerful ones.

Wangnan passes by the mess the kids made in the living room. Goseng will be so mad at them in the morning. The thought makes him grin slightly. Not only Viole can make him smile through the hard times, after all. He has to thank his entire team too. He must be thankful to be surrounded by such good people.

After going up the stairs, Wangnan goes out into the balcony, the very same one in which he kissed Viole for the first time. The memory makes his heartbeat race. At the time, he did not know he was taking advantage of Viole’s unforeseen innocence. Who could have imagined that Viole did not even know what a kiss on the lips meant? Wangnan was so shocked, he still could not believe it. Strangely, that made Viole even more attractive in his eyes, he does not know why. Viole is just so pure. And Wangnan cannot help thinking maybe he is a pervert for feeling that way.

A muffled scream escapes Wangnan’s throat when he sees that the object of his troubled thoughts is right in front of him, arms resting on the railing while he observes the night ceiling. Wangnan cannot see his face yet, but imagines Viole’s eyes shining brightly as he watches the fake stars above. The odd sound that Wangnan let out seemed to catch Viole’s attention, as he turns back to see him.

“Mr. Wangnan?”

His soft voice sounds strained, as if he had n o t used it for a long time. How long has Viole being staring at the sky? Wangnan hopes he has no t caught a cold for being outside this late and god knows for how long. With a concerned expression, Wangnan goes to the railing too, standing right next to Viole.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Viole shrugs, his expression unreadable behind the long bangs covering half of his face. “Not really. I’m kind of used to the cold.”

The answer only makes Wangnan more concerned, and he lets Viole know it. “That doesn’t sound right at all. Well, it’s good that you are strong, but you shouldn’t have to get used to the cold night.”

A small smile appears on Viole’s lips, and Wangnan wants to kick himself in the head for thinking those lips look so kissable. “You are right… It’s not that I like the cold. It’s just that I didn’t have much choice but get used to it.”

Wangnan remains silent for a moment, thinking if the thing his impulses are telling him to do is acceptable, or at least not something he should not be doing by any circumstances. In the end, he settles on the judgment that it is not that bad of thing to do, so he comes closer to Viole and surrounds his body with one arm only, bringing him even closer, in a hug. Then, he covers them both with his jacket, shielding Viole from the cold wind of the night.

When he looks at Viole’s face, he is sure his own cheeks are kind of red. And the color surely gets more pronounced as Viole stares at him surprised, his big golden eyes now half visible. God, he looks so cute.

“T-Thanks, Mr. Wangnan. You didn’t have to do that.”

Although he says that, after a moment of hesitation, Viole lets his head rest on Wangnan’s shoulder and adjusts himself in the hug, clearly comfortable with the touch. Wangnan grins proudly. It took some time, but Viole really trusts him now. So he should n o t do things like kiss him or thinking inappropriate things about him. He must n o t ruin the relationship they have achieved.

Instead, he should say the other things he is thinking, the ones that could strengthen their relationship and not make it weirder.

“Viole.” The boy glances at him from the side. “About today… Thank you. I thought I didn’t want anyone to see me like that, but… After what happened today, I’m glad you were there with me. I’m glad I let out everything, and that you listened to me.”

Viole does n o t move, and Wangnan is feeling too shy to look at Viole’s face right now, so he cannot guess what Viole is thinking. “So, thanks, seriously.” He pets Viole’s head with his free hand , still without looking at his face, and messing that long chestnut ponytail in the process.

“I…” Viole’s voice wavers, and Wangnan finally looks at him, but Viole is not staring back at him. He is looking at the sky once again, his vision lost in something distant, and probably painful. “I should be the one thanking you, Mr. Wangnan. You always manage to make me smile, even though I actively want to remain unattached to you all.”

“But I want you to be attached to us!” To me at least, but he would not say that.

“But I mustn’t… My master allowed me to stay with you, but the FUG elders will just use you as bargain chips so I do whatever they want, just like my other friends. I can’t put you in danger like that.”

Wangnan frowns at his stubbornness. How many times would he have to remind Viole that they already made up their minds? “We all decided we will be with you despite the danger! It’s our own decision, and you don’t get a saying about that!”

Viole looks at him astonished, probably not knowing what to say against what Wangnan just stated. Well, Wangnan said Viole did n o t have a say in it, right? After a few seconds, Viole simply sighs, and then smiles warmly at him.

“Then I should give up on your safety?”

“Yeah, you should!” Then Wangnan notices what they are saying and scratches the back of his head with his free hand, the one that is not holding Viole against his own body. “It doesn’t sound right, but you know what I mean!”

The soft chuckle he gets as an answer makes Wangnan’s heart flutter. “Okay, okay.” God, he is so cute. “See? You always know how to make me smile.”

He is just being a clumsy fool, though. Well, if his awkwardness makes Viole smile this way , then it does not matter if he is an idiot. The thought makes him grin too.

However, Viole’s smile drops the next second, and Wangnan regrets it immediately. “I want to make you smile too.” Viole starts playing with his fingers, intertwining them as Wangnan has come to know Viole does so when he is nervous. He does not look at Wangnan’s face either. “...Today, I didn’t know what I could do for you. So I just hugged you, hoping that letting you cry in my arms would make you feel better. I wanted to tell you that you are not alone.”

Then Viole looks back at him at last, the honey in his eyes seeming crystalline once again. It is a beautiful sight, but Wangnan does not want Viole to make this face. His objective now is to make Viole the happiest he can, after all. Until he is reunited with his people.

“Did I do good?”

God, he only had to add daddy at the end of that sentence, and Wangnan’s heart would have exploded. Stupid horny brain. Instead, Wangnan pets Viole’s head once again. “Yeah, you did great.”

Again, that beautiful and affectionate smile that makes Wangnan melt. “I’m glad.” And once again, Viole rests his head on Wangnan’s shoulder, letting the warm of both bodies blend together against the coldness of the night.

“You know, Mr. Wangnan?” He looks at Viole curiously, waiting for what he wants to say. “Mr. Wangnan’s emotions tend to stick to me. If you are smiling brightly, I feel the urge to smile back, even if its inappropriate in my position as a Slayer candidate. And when Mr. Wangnan is sad, like you were this afternoon, it is like the world around me gets swallowed by darkness all of a sudden. And I didn’t know what to do to make the gray clouds go away. So I’m glad… I’m glad I did ok.”

Wangnan does not know if what Viole said just now means that he is special to Viole, or if it is only that Wangnan really has contagious expressions, but it does not matter right now. It just means that he has to smile more then, so Viole can smile back as he said. So he grins at Viole widely, and the gesture is met with a timid but sincere smile. A perfect smile.

But then something happens. Viole is looking at him with what seems to be… curiosity? And a little nervousness too. “Mmm? What’s wrong?”

“Ahh… It’s just…” Wangnan waits patiently at Viole, and bites back a chuckle because Viole’s cuteness makes him want to chuckle. So endearing. “I was thinking that, even though you aren’t avoiding me like before, you haven’t kissed me again.”

With that, Wangnan’s grin drops and his mind goes blank. He hoped Viole would forget about those things, but he has not. Should he be glad Viole has not forg o t ten ? Or should he be worried , because that was clearly a mistake?

“I didn’t dislike your kisses, Mr. Wangnan. They felt nice, you know? I wouldn’t mind if it repeats.”

It is clear Viole does not know what he is saying, but hearing Viole say he felt good when kissed by him, is too much for Wangnan to take. And the next phrase finishes him off.

“No, it’s not only that. I want to be kissed by Mr. Wangnan.” He is sure Viole can hear his heartbeat right now. It is too loud to not be noticeable. “Can’t I?”

How can he say no to that? Viole is, without a doubt, the most innocent and pure creature Wangnan has come to know. He should not taint that innocence, he is not worthy. But still, Viole has the right to choose who he will learn about these things with, right? And it seems Viole is choosing Wangnan. So who is he to deny that? Specially when he is yearning so much for Viole.

So he lets his instincts take hold of him once again. He pulls Viole’s body even closer, and takes Viole’s lips onto his own. The touch is soft at first, superficial, and Viole relaxes against it, half closing those melting honey eyes, which now seem to have a little desire held back in them. Not that Viole understands that, most likely. But to Wangnan, that is an invitation to deepen the kiss. His tongue gets hold of Viole’s and explores everything within that moist cavern. He has to hold back his instincts once again though, when the soft and muffled moans that Viole lets out threaten to make Wangnan go crazy.

“Mr. Wangnan…” It is the only thing Viole says before snuggling against Wangnan’s chest, covering his face. Which is a shame, because Wangnan is sure he saw Viole’s face tainted with a cute red color.

The disappointment soon dispels when he feels Viole taking his hand into his, and intertwine their fingers together. It may be too soon to expect too much from Viole, when he is just learning what kisses are, but it is a step forward. Maybe it is not impossible for Viole to like him back, even if just a little. Wangnan knows he should not fool himself, that Viole will return with his original team sooner than later, but right now he does not want to think about that. He just wants to keep feeling Viole’s warmth against him.

He can worry about the end later. Now, this moment is perfect, and that is all that matters.

Chapter Text

Is there any real possibility that Viole would like him back eventually? Wangnan does not know for sure. However, be it a good thing or not, truth is he has hope now. It may be tiny, but it is there, the spark of hope. After that night, when Viole asked to be kissed by him, everything between them changed, after all.

“Hey guys, have you seen Mr. Viole?”

Yihwa’s annoyed voice reaches Wangnan’s ears, from across the street. Although he cannot see her, she is probably frowning with her hands on her hips, while she taps her high heel. By now, Wangnan knows every habit his teammates have, so it takes no effort to picture her like that.

“Stupid Wangnan isn’t here either.” Prince’s voice answers, from farther ahead on the road. If he was not so very loud all the time, Wangnan would not have been able to distinguish his words that clearly. “Hey, don’t you think they disappear a lot lately?”

Wangnan gulps hard upon hearing that. Have they noticed it already? Wangnan thinks he has been quite careful, but it seems it was not enough. Still, the panicky thoughts that are starting to build up in his mind get distracted when the person caught in his arms lets out a giggle, one that a week ago Wangnan would not have imagined he would ever hear from him. Viole is smiling mischievously in his arms, and is trying to see what his team is doing without leaving his place in Wangnan’s arms. They are too far away though, so it is not possible to see them from this spot.

Right now, Wangnan and Viole are hidden in a dark alley, after sneaking away from the rest of their team during a stroll through the city. It is as if they were children playing a game of hide-and-seek, and this seems to entertain Viole quite a lot. Hence the cute giggles. Wangnan cannot help smiling fondly. Viole sure has opened up a lot with him lately, and every new expression Viole shows is a win for him.

“Brother Viole! Brother Wangnan! Where are you?”

Now Miseng is looking for them, followed by Goseng echoing her calls. Wangnan does feel kind of bad for worrying them like this, but he also does not want to let go of Viole, now that he has him in his own arms. So they should finish with this soon and return to their team before they get too worried. Or before Viole and him are caught red-handed.

“Mr. Wangnan…”

However, everything loses its importance when Wangnan hears Viole’s soft voice calling out his name. That is the signal he has been waiting for, after all. So, with one hand still holding Viole’s waist against his own body, Wangnan wipes those fricking long bangs out of those eyes he has come to love so much, and that are now drawing him in. Viole is staring expectantly at him, and his lips are slightly parted, as if inviting him to take them. And that is exactly what Wangnan does. His grip on Viole’s waist grows tighter and his other hand takes Viole’s chin, lifting it up a bit so he can have access to those lips more comfortably. And they taste heavenly, as always. In this past week, Wangnan has had the privilege to taste these lips quite a few times, and each time, it has only made him crave more and more of them. It is like he is addicted to kissing Viole.

“M-Mr. Wangnan…”

And the way Viole whispers his name, with each labored breath between kisses, just makes him go crazier. Dangerous. Viole is an incredibly dangerous boy, in a way much different than what Wangnan thought when he first met him in the 20^th floor test. He is addictive. Wangnan has to use all his self-control to end their secret exchanges with only kisses. After all, Viole just learned what kisses like these are (and only kind of), and Wangnan is already taking advantage of his innocence. He definitely cannot go any further, even if his own body is shouting at him to just do it.

“It feels good…” And Viole looks happy to have these secret encounters with Wangnan, and to be kissed like this by him. He smiles warmly, and looks a little dazed at the same time. Then he giggles again and hides his face against Wangnan’s chest, hugging him tightly. “We really shouldn’t be doing this, but I don’t care anymore…”

That is right. They should not be doing this, for many reasons, far more than what Viole might think of, but Wangnan does not care either. Well, he does care, but he is trying not to think about it. Because this is making Viole happy, and that compensates for everything that might go wrong. Even if he is still inexpressive as heck when they are all together, when he is alone with Wangnan, Viole smiles more frequently and talks more naturally. And Wangnan is more than happy to give the kisses Viole asks for in those situations.

Although, if he stops to think about it, everything is more like a game to Viole than anything else. It is not like they have a relationship or anything. Viole cares for him, of course, but he does not have any real knowledge about things like romance. He did not even understand why Wangnan suggested the others should not know about them, well, kissing and stuff. Thankfully, Viole thought it was because he should not have any close relationships with others, or else FUG would use them against him, so the less people that know how close they are now, the better.

Thing is, Viole does not notice Wangnan’s feelings, nor Yihwa’s, for example, and how continuing this relationship (if one can call it like that) might hurt both of them. Not like they can continue doing these things and their team not notice eventually, but still. Wangnan cannot stop himself. When Viole looks at him like he is feeling lonely and wants attention from him, Wangnan has to immediately satisfy that silent plead. Hence all the sneaking around, trying to find a place where they can be alone and kiss. Well, maybe he is just a horny bastard that cannot keep his hands (or his mouth, in this case) to himself. Either way, he cannot stop. He is too in love with Viole by now.

“...We should return, right?”

By saying that, Viole sounds just as resigned and disappointed as Wangnan is, for having to end their secret escape and return to their friends. How can he stop if Viole is so willingly giving himself to him? And their time together is going to be so limited, according to what that guide said. Then what is wrong in making the best out of it? Viole seems happy, way happier than he was when they first met. So there is not any problem with this, right?

If only convincing himself would be as simple as that…

Wangnan closes his eyes and remembers. Convincing Viole to not let anyone know about this ended up being way easier than how he thought it would be. That night, at the rooftop once again, Wangnan grabbed Viole’s shoulders and looked straight into those huge golden eyes that stared back at him with wonder.

“Listen, Viole, no one should know about this.”

“About what?” God, how clueless could he be? He looked so innocent though, so cute tilting his head like that. Wangnan could not be mad at him.

He could only scratch the back of his head, letting out his frustration that way. “About us, well, kissing.”

“Why?”

Viole’s question was so straightforward and sincere that Wangnan did not know how to answer it at the time. Why no one should know about this, whatever it is? Well, there was the fact that is too troublesome to explain to everyone. And that is kind of embarrassing. But most importantly, how will he explain that he is kissing Viole when he is, well, this inexperienced about love? He is clearly taking advantage of his ignorance. He is being a pervert, he knows that, but he could not say no to Viole when he asked so openly to be kissed by him. Who could resist that? Wangnan is not in the wrong, definitely not. Sure, sure, said a voice in his head, but he chose to ignore it.

And there is that Yihwa will be burning with jealousy (quite literally), even if she will not admit it. No, everything would go wrong if their team knew about this. And what about Viole’s master? What would he think about this? Judging by the way he dotted on Viole, and was so proud of his genius little apprentice, Wangnan might even get castrated. The simple thought of it sends shivers through his spine.

But Wangnan did not have to answer in the end. Viole answered his own question. “Ah… Yes, no one should know. If FUG knows that we are even closer now, they will use you against me. Maybe we should even stop all of this…”

No, this was not what Wangnan wanted when he suggested no one knowing about their relationship, even though Viole was obviously right. He still does not care about being in danger. He already decided he will stay by Viole’s side even it kills him. He was more concerned by their team’s opinions (especially about being judged as a pervert for taking advantage of Viole’s innocence). Well, if this convinced Viole to keep quiet about all of this, Wangnan should not complain.

“...But I don’t want to stop. I’m sorry, Mr. Wangnan. I don’t want things to go back to how they were. I want to be close to you.”

How? How could Wangnan let him go after this? Viole was smiling at him, but it was a sad smile that tells Wangnan that Viole was tired of being alone, and these things managed to keep him from feeling lonely. So Wangnan would continue with this, since Viole was the one asking for it. After all, Wangnan’s goal, for these next two years, is to make Viole the happiest until he goes back to his original team.

So who cares if it is risky and that is obvious that eventually the rest of the team will find out? Who cares if it is just a coping mechanism for Viole and he does not really like him back as Wangnan likes him? Well, Wangnan does care for that, but he chose not to think about it. It seems he is doing that a lot lately.

“Could you kiss me again, Mr. Wangnan?”

Viole’s timid request dispersed the thoughts Wangnan already said he should not be having at that moment. And of course he honored that request, taking Viole into his arms and covering him with kiss after kiss, until the sun started to rise.

“Mr. Wangnan? We should go back. The others will end up finding us if we don’t go back soon.” Viole’s 0concerned voice takes Wangnan out of his memories of that night at the rooftop.

“Ah! You are right! Let’s go back.”

Still, neither of them moves from their positions. Viole is still hugging him, and Wangnan is still firmly grabbed to Viole’s waist. Ending their secret escapes and return to reality is so difficult every time. Both let out a mischievous giggle while staring at each other’s eyes, correctly guessing what the other is thinking. They do not want to be apart.

“What do you say? One last kiss won’t do any harm, don’t you think?”

Those honey-colored eyes half-close in response, a sweet look that tells Wangnan to go ahead. So his mouth takes Viole’s once again, deeply and tenderly. And Viole grabs Wangnan’s shirt more firmly, as he gets lost in the kiss as much as Wangnan does. Again, the muffled, soft moans Viole emits are driving Wangnan crazy. He has to stop, and now it is not only because they have to go back.

So he breaks apart from Viole, who seems to still be in a daze, red lips parted as he takes in the air that he was starting to lack of. In an unconscious and really tempting manner, Viole traces his own lips with two fingers, probably feeling them a little sore. Jeez, stop, stop being so attractive. God, I want to kiss him again.

Instead, Wangnan shakes the thoughts off his mind and takes Viole’s hand, a wide grin on his face. “Let’s go.” He simply says, and Viole nods, his smile telling him he is more satisfied now with that last kiss.

Until he is feeling lonely again, right? This is just a coping mechanism for Viole, after all. A game.

Stop thinking depressing things, Wangnan, just stop.

As Wangnan tries desperately to not let those thoughts show up on the expression he is giving to Viole, both return to their team, unlocking hands right before calling them out.

*****

However, even with their greatest efforts, people eventually find out your secrets. Well, almost. At least they start to get very suspicious. Yihwa was the first one to confront Wangnan about it. She did not want to ask Viole yet, it seems.

“Aren’t you spending a little too much time together?” She says one day, holding back Wangnan in the kitchen after everyone else left, including Viole. She looks pissed off, arms crossed in front of her chest defensively, and high heel tapping against the floor tiles.

Wangnan is a little disoriented though, since he was tracking Viole with his eyes the whole time and now he is out of sight. So he just says without thinking: “Who are?”

“You and Mr. Viole! You are always sneaking around!” Ups, now she is pissed off, but what can he say to her? She is the last person he could tell what is really happening. Fortunately, Yihwa has come to her own conclusions. “Are you being accomplice to FUG’s crimes? Confess, Mr. Wangnan.”

Upon hearing that, Wangnan can only sigh, a marked frown on his face. “What? I thought you were over this. Even if Viole were doing something for FUG, he wouldn’t be doing it because he wants to. You already know that.”

For some reason, hearing that makes Yihwa blush a little. Wangnan cannot help letting out a chuckle at that, which angers her more. “O-Of course I know that! But as Viole’s teammates we can’t let him work for FUG, even if it’s against his will! No, especially if it is against his will. Don’t you think?”

Anyone would know she is simply trying to justify that she is interested in Viole and wants to have an excuse to watch over him, but she does have a point nonetheless. There are times when Viole leaves the house to meet up with his Master and the red-haired guide, but as far as Wangnan knows, it is not to request his assistance for FUG’s activities. It is mostly because his Master wants to see how his training is going, or simply because he wants to dot on Viole. That is what Viole has said to Wangnan, and the fade pink color on his cheeks told him Viole was not lying. It was so adorable, Wangnan hoped Viole’s master would continue to embarrass him like that just to see that cute expression on Viole’s face.

But clarifying that Viole is not doing things for FUG is not going to help in this situation, right? What can Wangnan say then? He cannot let Yihwa think Viole is doing bad things either. “He is okay, he is not doing anything bad, don’t worry.”

“Then why are you sneaking around with him so much lately?”

Wangnan gulps hard, and settles in answering with half of the truth behind it all, instead of lying completely. That is best, right? It should be more convincing. “It’s just that Viole misses his old team too much, and sometimes he goes away to be alone, to think about them. But I don’t want him to be alone, you know? He’ll just get more depressed. So I go after him and try to cheer him up. For now, it seems to be working.”

Yeah, he will not tell Yihwa what exactly he is doing to cheer him up, but nothing he said is a lie, even if it is not the complete truth. Yihwa looks convinced too, so that should be enough. She brushes her hair behind her right ear and sighs. Her foot has stopped tapping, at last.

“I have noticed it too, that he looks lonely, like he misses something terribly. The other day, Mr. Viole was helping me at the kitchen, and there was a moment when he just kept staring at nothing in particular. I called out to him, but he didn’t answer until I forced him to look at me. He seemed… so sad.”

That is not good. Wangnan did not expect to get worried about something different than being discovered. Not that he did not know that Viole still had fits of depression like what Yihwa just described, but it still breaks Wangnan’s heart.

And apparently Yihwa’s too, judging by the concerned expression in her beautiful features. “I know I give him a hard time with all the FUG stuff, but I know he is a good person, and he doesn’t deserve to be away from the people he loves, and feeling alone like that.”

“Yeah…”

“Mr. Viole… Even if he seems to like us too, he doesn’t belong with us, right?”

Wangnan knows saying that must have hurt Yihwa, because hearing it hurts him too. But it is true, no matter how much he wants to deny it or forget about it. Viole belongs with his old team.

“We must help him, right? He deserves to be happy. Even if he is with FUG, it’s against his will. He is... a really good person.”

Yes. That is why Wangnan would do anything to make Viole feel less lonely. So what he is doing, with all the sneaking around, is right... right? No, he should not excuse himself. He knows he is doing it because he is in love with Viole, and he is taking advantage of Viole’s loneliness and how clueless he is about life. But if it also makes Viole feel less lonely, let alone smile like he has been doing when they are alone recently, then it is worth more than just because it satisfies Wangnan’s desire for the slayer candidate.

Yes, it is okay. It has to be. He goes back with Yihwa to the living room and sees Viole sitting on the floor, next to the kids, with his ever-serious expression. But when he notices Wangnan is back, he lifts his head, leaving his eyes mostly uncovered, and gives the most beautiful smile to him, even if just for an instant. If he can make Viole smile like that, to Hell with all his doubts and insecurities.

*****

As time goes by, Baam finds himself feeling less and less lonely each day. He knows it is not only thanks to Mr. Wangnan, because he is also making new, happy memories with his entire team, but it is still mostly because of him. Baam has noticed that he feels something special for Mr. Wangnan, just like Rachel and Mr. Khun are special to him. Yes, Rachel is still special to him, he will not deny that. He will know in what way she is still special when he meets with her again, so he tries not to think about it for now. It will only hurt.

But what he feels for Mr. Wangnan is different than what he feels for Mr. Khun too, or at least that is what Baam thinks. It is been so long that he does not remember that well how he reacted when he was with Mr. Khun, to properly compare the two, and that devastates him. Will he even see Mr. Khun again? Mr. Wangnan said he would, that he will help him meet with Mr. Khun and his old team sooner than later. That makes him relax a little.

Again, Mr. Wangnan, even if he is not beside Baam right now, is making him feel better when he is drowning in depressing thoughts. If he was not in front of others, he would have smiled. However, Viole has to keep appearances. He should not smile that much, even if with Mr. Wangnan he is letting go of those restrictions quite a bit.

“Am I doing well, Brother Viole?”

That is Miseng, calling out to him. That’s right, that was what he was thinking about before. For some reason, everyone in his team has been taking turns (or something like that), to keep him accompanied all the time. Baam does not know what Mr. Wangnan said to them, but apparently they were worried because he and Mr. Wangnan disappear so much together lately, and they figured it must be because Baam is feeling lonely, and Mr. Wangnan is trying to not let him be alone and feel even more down.

Not that it is a lie, and it is not like he does not appreciate what his team is trying to do to support him, but Baam prefers to be alone with Mr. Wangnan. He has become really special for him. Baam can relax when he is alone with him, he does not have to pretend he is cold and unfeeling. He can smile more, or show how sad he is if he is feeling down. And at those times, Mr. Wangnan always makes him feel better again.

There are the kisses too, of course. Baam never had this kind of intimacy with someone before, and he likes it very much. There are days when he discovers himself actively seeking Mr. Wangnan’s gaze so he can tell him without words that he wants to be alone with him. And Baam gets away with it every time, because Mr. Wangnan, for some reason, is always watching over him. Just like Mr. Khun. It means Mr. Wangnan cares for him very much, right? That possibility brings a soft smile to Baam’s lips once again.

“Brother Viole! You are not looking at all.”

Oh, right, Miseng. Maybe as another measure to keep Baam from being alone, their team decided to split in pairs so they can follow a training schedule every day, and Baam was paired up with Miseng today. She is been feeling down lately because she thinks she is the weakest member of their team, and she wants so badly to improve. So Baam was trying to help her, but he inevitably got distracted by thoughts of Mr. Wangnan. This happens a lot to him lately. He misses being alone with Mr. Wangnan. He misses the intimacy, the conversations, the hugs, the kisses…

No, he should not be thinking about that right now. Instead, Baam shakes his head, trying to brush away the intrusive thoughts, and then goes to Miseng, who is trying to improve on body reinforcement. She did really bad on the shinsu test on the 20^th floor, after all, but Baam is not going to remind her of that. She has enough with her own self-deprecation.

“You are doing ok, Miseng, don’t worry. This is not something easy to learn.” He tries to reassure her, but he is only met with a pout from the little girl.

“But you do it like it’s easy, like it’s natural to you.” Well, that is true now, but he trained a lot too, to get to this level. Also, he is an irregular, so comparing herself to him is unfair. He is not going to say that, though. It will probably only upset her more.

So he settles with something simple. “I wasn’t like this at the beginning either, so don’t worry. You will get better in no time. And I’m sorry I’m not a great teacher. I still have much to learn.”

At that, Miseng gives him an astonished expression, big eyes sparkling in wonder. “Brother Viole still has much to learn? What’s left for us then?” Baam cannot help letting out a chuckle at that. Miseng is so cute.

“It’s true that I’m strong, I’m not going to deny that, but I’m not strong enough to be free yet, so I still have much to learn.”

“Ah…” She looks sad now, but Baam did not mean to upset her by saying that. “Sorry, we are the ones supposed to lift your spirits, and here I am making you remember bad things, and even try to cheer me up…”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me, Miseng. I’m okay.” Baam pets Miseng’s head, with a faint and soft smile on his lips. Thankfully, it seems to reassure her a bit, since she gives him a wide smile in return. “You know, Mr. Wangnan is really good at making me feel better, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“He said that is why you sneak around so much.” That startles Baam a bit. So he was right in thinking Mr. Wangnan must have said something to the team. “I understand. Brother Wangnan also cheers me up when I’m feeling down.”

That makes Baam smile again. “He really is something special, isn’t he?”

“Yup! But you also are great, Brother Viole. Even if you say you aren’t, I think you are a good teacher.”

Baam chuckles, a little embarrassed. “No, Ms. Endorsi, for example, would be a much better teacher than me in this. After all, she was the first one to train me in shinsu reinforcement.”

“Ms. Endorsi? You mean the Princess Endorsi?”

Baam does not understand why Miseng is so surprised, but he does not have time to ask. In that instant, someone comes flying right beside them, and clashes against the floor. It is Mr. Wangnan, which makes Baam even more worried that he would have been if it was anyone else. Why is that? He does not have time to ask himself that either. Baam runs to Mr. Wangnan’s side, with Miseng following after him. A few seconds later, Mr. Arkraptor is also with them. Apparently, he was the one who sent Mr. Wangnan flying.

“What happened!?”

Mr. Arkraptor seems a bit troubled. He makes his weapon disappear and then scratches the back of his head nervously. “We were training a few feet from you two, and he got distracted with something, I guess. He didn’t dodge my attack, and well, he is here now. When I saw he was distracted, I couldn’t cancel the attack, but I managed to make it less powerful, so I think he will be fine.”

Hearing that makes both Baam and Miseng sigh in relief. “Thank goodness…”

Nonetheless, Baam is still worried for him. Mr. Wangnan fell unconscious with a pained expression on his face. Baam examines his body, while trying to be careful not to move him too much. It is a little bruised, but it is not something that some bandages and a little shinsu cannot mend.

As he hears the rest of their team approaching them, Baam hurries to announce: “I’ll take care of Mr. Wangnan. You deal with the rest of the team.” Mr. Arkraptor seems surprised, but he nods at Baam’s words nonetheless. “Thank you.”

With that, the other two help Baam so he can take Mr. Wangnan on his back. They also distract the approaching people, so Baam can take Mr. Wangnan away in peace. Baam mentally thanks them and goes inside the training facility. There, he takes Mr. Wangnan to the infirmary. There is no one there, because in here you are expected to be able to take care of yourself and be responsible for your own injuries if you hurt yourself. Baam knows this place well because he has come here to train with his Master quite a lot.

Sighing deeply, Baam lays Mr. Wangnan’s unconscious self on the infirmary’s bed. Then he searches for cotton and alcohol, and starts disinfecting the wounds. They are not serious, as Mr. Arkraptor said. That makes Baam’s heart a little less heavy.

“Eh…?” Oh, Mr. Wangnan is waking up. “What happened…? Viole?”

Baam has to hold back the urge to smile when he hears his name. In the past, it would upset him to be called by that name, but now it makes him smile. How curious. Well, he did get over the bad feelings with time, as his Master, Ms. Hwaryun and his new team also call him Viole, but he thinks Mr. Wangnan is the only one that makes him smile when he hears that otherwise dreadful name.

“Yes, I’m here, Mr. Wangnan. Mr. Arkraptor knocked you unconscious for a minute, but it seems its nothing serious.”

“But how…? Argh!” It seems the alcohol is stinging in his wounds, so Baam retreats his hand at once.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Wangnan, but I have to disinfect the wounds. Please bear with it for a second, ok?” Right after saying that, Baam notices his own voice came out far sweeter than he would have used it in normal circumstances as Viole, but now he is alone with Mr. Wangnan, so he does not mind that much.

And Mr. Wangnan seems to agree, since he is giving him a silly grin, one that makes Baam heart flutter a little. “Ah~ I’m being treated by Viole! So lucky~”

“Is that so?” Now Baam is feeling a little embarrassed, but if it makes Mr. Wangnan happy, for whatever reason, it is okay.

So Baam continues to apply his treatment, and Mr. Wangnan takes the pain like a champion. Maybe it helps that Baam is pouring a little shinsu in every wound he finishes disinfecting, so the natural healing properties of the shinsu help alleviate the pain. “You are really good at this.”

Taking him by surprise, Mr. Wangnan pets Baam’s head, still with that wide grin in his face. The compliment and gesture remind Baam of Mr. Khun a little. His smile was different, but it had the same fondness behind it. Mr. Khun’s fingers were longer and thinner, but the petting on his head when Baam did something right is the same. Everything about it makes Baam’s heart shrink a little, but he manages not to show it on his facial expression.

“I’m glad.” He simply says instead, hiding his eyes behind his long bangs.

It seems Mr. Wangnan did not notice the change in him, because he is still grinning, completely absorbed in watching the movements of Viole’s hands. Good.

After a minute of comfortable silence, Mr. Wangnan suddenly moves, startling Baam and breaking his concentration. “That’s right! That’s why I lost focus and Arkraptor got me!”

Oh, that is true. Something must have caught Mr. Wangnan’s attention and caused this accident in the first place. “Why was that?”

“I heard you mention that you knew Princess Endorsi! Was that true?”

Miseng was surprised too when Baam mentioned that. Well, he supposes Ms. Endorsi is a famous individual, but he never thought of her like that. Back then, she was just starting to climb the Tower, so she was not well-known. Now that he thinks about it, Hatz too has become something like a celebrity, since he is such a strong swordsman and that man, Robdevil, bragged about supposedly having defeated him.

So Baam knows two celebrities right now. He is sure that, if Mr. Khun was not vanished from his own family and did not want to have a low profile, he would be a celebrity too. He is that outstanding, after all.

Suddenly, Mr. Wangnan takes Baam out of his thoughts, by grabbing his arm. “Was it true?”

“Oh, yeah, she was my teammate in the Floor of Tests. After that, I was taken in by FUG, so I haven’t seen her since.”

That is not good. It sounded depressing, and it actually is, but he does not want to be sad when he is with Mr. Wangnan. He is always trying to make him smile, so Baam does not want to make him worry. He is grateful though, for the safe space Mr. Wangnan provides to be more like himself and express his feelings.

And he was correct, Mr. Wangnan is worried about him. Without any word, he takes Baam into a tight hug, leaving Baam’s head resting against his own chest. Then he caresses Baam’s long hair, trailing it with his fingers to the very tips. The movements of those fingers across his hair give Baam a pleasurable sensation, calming him down and making him forget about what was saddening him in the first place.

“Mr. Wangnan…”

As usual, Baam lifts his head and looks directly into Mr. Wangnan’s eyes, with a silent plead in his own. And Mr. Wangnan always interprets it correctly. A second after, Baam has Mr. Wangnan’s lips over his, a soft touch that is more than welcomed. After a few superficial kisses, Baam parts his lips a little, just enough to invite Mr. Wangnan inside his mouth. And the invitation is taken immediately. It feels so good, to have his mouth explored like this by Mr. Wangnan. Their tongues intertwine, and soon Baam is gasping for air between each kiss. He also cannot help letting out some strange sounds. He does not understand why that happens to him when he feels good, but it seems to make Mr. Wangnan more adamant in kissing him, so it must not be anything bad, right?

Suddenly, Mr. Wangnan breaks apart a little, cuddling Baam in his arms. His lips are a little red, and Baam keeps staring at them, hoping he could continue tasting them. Why did he stop? Baam does not mind openly showing his disappointment. “Don’t pout like that. You look too cute.”, says Wangnan, with his usual wide grin.

“Why did you stop? I didn’t want you to stop.”

“You really don’t know how dangerous you are, huh?”

Not understanding what he is talking about, Baam tilts his head. Mr. Wangnan has said that a lot about him, but Baam never gets why. He always says it when he is also saying Baam is cute, so Baam supposes it is not a bad thing, but it is curious nonetheless.

There is also another thing that Baam does not understand. Sometimes, when they are kissing, Mr. Wangnan makes a troubled expression. Why? Even though this feels so good, at least for Baam. And he is doing that face right now. Is it not good for Mr. Wangnan? Is it because Baam does not have any experience? But Mr. Wangnan always says it feels good to kiss him, and he does not have any reason to explicitly say that if it is not true… right?

“...Am I good enough?” Baam just blurts it out after a long silence, so he probably got Mr. Wangnan by surprise.

“Eh?” Yeah, of course he would not understand. It is not like he can read Baam’s mind.

“At kissing.” Baam clarifies, while trying to hide the embarrassment that asking this causes in him. After all, he is acknowledging how bad he must be at something he really wants to do right.

However, he does not get a straight answer right away. Instead, Mr. Wangnan just looks at him with his eyes widely open. Then his hands move to his own chest, and he lets out a muffled scream, as if he is having a heart attack, or exploding internally, or something. “Mr. Wangnan? Are you alright?”

“Yeah! You are!” The effusive answer makes Baam flinch. Seeing his reaction, Mr. Wangnan laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head and averting his eyes. “You are getting better at alarming pace, even. Well, I suppose you learn everything fast, as your Master likes to remind us every time he has the chance.”

Baam is sure his cheeks get even redder at the memory of his Master complimenting him nonstop. But that is not what matters now. Baam take a deep breath in and then smiles warmly at Mr. Wangnan, wanting to convey what is on his mind. “I want to do it well. I want to be better at it, so I can make you feel good. Just like you make me feel, Mr. Wangnan.”

Again Mr. Wangnan looks troubled, but this time his reaction is mixed with nervous laughing and the same gesture he made just now, as if he is heart is imploding. “Jeez, don’t say that, and with that cute smile too. You’ll either give me a heart attack, false hope or a massive hard-on.”

Baam does not understand at all what Mr. Wangnan is referring to, and he demonstrates it by tilting his head. “Ah, don’t mind me. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“Okay...”

It does not seem like Mr. Wangnan will explain what just happened, and Baam is dying to make him talk, but when he is about to try, Mr. Wangnan clears his throat loudly, eyes closed. Then he opens only one. “Ok, we should go back with the others. They already are suspecting something because we spend so much time together and alone lately.”

“Is that a bad thing? I know you said no one should know about this, and I agree. The less people that know how close we are now, the better chances that FUG will not know either. But…” Baam looks down and plays a little with Mr. Wangnan’s shirt, wrinkling it in his hands. “I would like our team to know, so we don’t have to hide like this.”

That at least earns him a pet on the head from Mr. Wangnan, which makes him look up immediately. “Oh, don’t be so upset. It’s only for now, okay? I promise.”

With that, Baam smiles at Mr. Wangnan, beaming with renovated energy. “For real? Then it’s okay. I’ll wait.”

Mr. Wangnan simply laughs openly at his probably childish reaction. It does not upset Baam, though. Even though he is Viole now, Baam allows himself to act like this only in the presence of Mr. Wangnan and him alone, after all.

“You’re such a good boy.” And if it earns him these words and Mr. Wangnan petting his head like this, then much better.

Then Baam remembers why they were having this conversation in the first place. “Oh, but we don’t have to hurry, Mr. Wangnan. Everyone thinks I’m still treating your wounds, and that takes time.”

Baam places one finger over Mr. Wangnan’s chest and makes circles with it. And for some reason, Mr. Wangnan’s face gets colored by a red hue. Also, for some reason, his reaction makes Baam smile, although he does not understand why exactly.

“Oh, then we might take our time, eh?” Before having to close his eyes again, Baam sees a mischievous smile on Mr. Wangnan’s face, as his waist is suddenly grabbed and pulled against Mr. Wangnan’s body. “Shall we continue, dear Viole?”

A sweet smile blooms in Baam’s lips, as they are taken again by the man that is holding him tightly. The rest of their team could wait.

*****

After talking with Yihwa, it is obvious to Wangnan that she told the rest of the team everything they spoke about. The proof is that, from that day on, everyone has been very attentive to Viole’s behavior, and every time the two of them disappear, they are not followed, but when Wangnan comes back, he gets interrogated by whoever saw them walk away together.

It is nice that they allow him to be alone with Viole more often, but it is bad that they think that its only because Viole is feeling down. Well, originally that was the reason Viole stared at Wangnan and gave him the signal that he wanted to be alone with him. That was most of the times at first, but lately Viole has reached out to him simply because he wanted to. Wangnan is sure because he checks that Viole is ok every time. Not that it would stop him from taking advantage of Viole’s loneliness and cover him in kisses either way, but he still wants to make sure.

So, and because it seems to make Viole happier, they have continued with their escapes. Sometimes they take their time, striking up long conversations, cuddling and exchanging deep kisses. Other times are brief and hasty. A moment inside the bathroom, right around a corner on the streets, or in the morning right before everyone wakes up. Furtive kisses that come and go, soft and light, like the touch of butterfly. Risky, but rewarding.

God, this is bad, he knows it, but he cannot stop. Viole is just too addictive, and the desire within Wangnan only grows day after day. It is getting concerning, even. It is transforming into flames that kindle every time he merely touches Viole, and then they threaten to burn everything to a crisp. If Wangnan were the only one burnt by them it would be fine, but they might consume Viole as well. And Viole is still too clueless to life itself, for Wangnan to simply devour him. No, he has to control himself. He has to hide the evident erection that grows in his own pants at every chance he has to kiss those delicious lips.

Like right now, that Viole is in his arms once again. Another night in which they escape to the rooftop, when everybody else is asleep. This has become custom for them by now. A dangerous secret habit between the two of them. Why is it dangerous? Because of the very same problem he thought about just now. Unknown to his innocent Viole, there is something growing right there, inside Wangnan’s pants, and it is threatening Viole’s chastity. Well, it is not that level of danger right now, but either way it is getting more and more difficult for Wangnan to control himself. Viole cannot know about this, under any circumstances.

Or that was Wangnan’s plan.

“Mr. Wangnan…?”

Viole’s soft voice reaches Wangnan’s ears, but he barely registers it, as he is still absorbed in the daze that kissing Viole puts his brain in. That, and in the soft feeling in his hands. The moans that are still coming out of Viole, even though they just broke apart and are not kissing anymore, do not help at all. They are even growing in volume, and because they broke apart, Wangnan can now clearly see the evidently aroused expression on Viole’s face. His cheeks are flushed and he is panting. He is even trembling a little. How can he be so cute and sexy at the same time? He thinks this is the first time he has seen this expression on Viole, and it amazes Wangnan to no end. He does not understand why it is there, but he does not want it to go away. Never.

However, his love-struck daze comes undone when Viole tries to get away from him, by pushing Wangnan’s chest with little strength and averting his face. No, I want to see more. I want to hear more, Viole.

“M-Mr. Wangnan, please stop…”

That is when Viole takes Wangnan by both arms, effectively bringing him back to the Tower. What was he doing? What was the softness he was feeling in his hands until now? At last he is able to process it, and it makes him want to scream in horror and punch himself at the same time. He was cupping Baam’s ass all this time, squeezing it without any shame. He even put two fingers between those cheeks, rubbing there over the clothes.

This is bad… Really, really bad.

Is Viole mad? Of course he would. He pushed him away, after all. Well, he has not punched him yet. Can Wangnan take that as a good sign? No, no, no. He should not be expecting that now. He is a fucking pervert, that is what he is. Viole probably does not even know what Wangnan was doing means.

“R-Rachel…”

Eh? Why is Viole mentioning that name now? A sparkle of burning jealousy immediately takes hold of Wangnan’s heart, before he can even process it. That makes him squeeze Viole’s ass even tighter, and the action makes Viole let out another loud moan that fires Wangnan up even more. Jealousy and arousal are not a good combination.

Still, Viole does not complain about it. He just continues with that he was trying to say. “R-Rachel said no one should touch me there, not even her. T-That it is too intimate.”

Oh, that is what Viole was trying to say. He still avoids talking too much about his old team, but this Rachel person comes up more frequently than anybody else (except perhaps for that Mr. Khun), but it is mostly when Viole wants to explain why he knows something, and it is almost always limited knowledge. Wangnan is starting to really think Viole might have grown up under a rock or something, and this Rachel person was the only one teaching him things.

That makes her more like a sister or a mother to him, right? She might not be as threatening as Wangnan thought at the beginning.

What is he even thinking? Viole is not his. They are not even in a relationship. He does not have any right to claim Viole for his own, and even less to be jealous of people he does not even know.

Still… the jealousy is still there.

But he will swallow it for now.

Instead, he chooses to answer, with a nervous laugh. “A-And she was right.”

What will you do now, Wangnan? You screwed up. You screwed up big time. Specially since Viole, once again, seems to not understand what is happening. Is not this straight up abuse at this point? Look at him! He looks so confused! Argh, it’s just too cute! No, no, no, stop being a pervert, Wangnan!

Still, his panicky thoughts get interrupted once again. “She might be, if it was someone else.” Eh? What is Viole talking about? Wangnan was so lost in his self-blaming thoughts that he missed the changes in Viole’s attitude. “But it didn’t feel bad at all. It felt good, Mr. Wangnan.”

“Eh? Are you sure? You just pushed me away, you know.”

Viole looks embarrassed now, and is averting his gaze. No, don’t cover those big, cute eyes, please. “I’m sorry. It’s just… it was strange and new… It scared me a bit, because it felt so good.”

It seems Viole is living up to Wangnan’s words. He is provoking exactly the three things Wangnan said that day on the training facility, that would lead him to death one day: a heart-attack, false hopes and a massive erection. Right now, Wangnan is dying inside, and Viole simply looks at him with confusion, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil he is going through.

He does not know how to confront Viole’s curiosity and newly awakened… sex drive? Can you even call it that? He said he felt good, but that does not mean much. It is just a natural reaction to what Wangnan was unconsciously doing to him, even if he did not understand what it was or why Wangnan was touching him like that. This is going beyond being kind of a pervert. This is going way too far.

So before Viole can say anything else that threatens to make his heart explode or to make him jump on top of Viole and simply take him right here, Wangnan chooses to run away and live another day.

An incredibly loud I’m sorry echoes through the night.