Never Again

IV

He sat there, cocooning the child close to him. He would pat his back every time he moves and watch his sleeping face.

Boring old things... however, they are fulfilling.

Kim Rok Soo's heart is being filled to the brim with just the child's presence.

"what am I going to do?"

He's tempted to kidnap the child and take him back with him, but Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo will skin him alive. Imagining the worst scenario that could happen to him made him frown.

"ugh."

"shh." He coaxes. He slightly opened the windows; the sun rays touched his face but what caught his eyes was the child's burning hair.

'Beautiful.' He thought.

He pats his head. A smile plastered on his face.

"grew up fast and healthy..." that way he can bring him back to the dark continent. "and be my bride."

Hearing the soft rustles from outside, Kim Rok Soo finally let go of the child and tucked him on the couch. He pats his head and kisses his temple, "I'll see you again, little chick."

He smiled and snaps his fingers.

He landed on one of the tree branches close to the carriages. He sees the count and countess open the carriage door with pale faces.

They'll recognize his pheromones but it doesn't matter. At least they need to understand that someone is after the child.

"ah..."

"Uncle..." the red dragon spoke, "Can I stay?"

"you want to?"

"hm..." Ryung nodded and said, "if I turned into a red hound that would be fine right?"

"alright..."

"take care of my brother then..."

"you mean the emergency food?"

Ryung rolled his eyes and said, "Have you thought of black egg's name?"

"not yet..." Kim Rok Soo replied, "but soon."

"okay... I'll be going then!"

Kim Rok Soo watched the dragon polymorph into a reddish brown hound. Several knights tried fending off Ryung but the newly awaken Cale welcomed the hound with open arms.

"you are going all out with taking care of the child..."

"Why are you here, Hoo-shik?"

"Soo Hyuk-nim said to bring you back by hook or crook."

"that's some kind of faith screaming..."

"don't worry..." Joo Soo Shik slowly disappears into the shadow, "my faith will save me..."

Kim Rok Soo then steps into the shadow and disappears.

**

Upon arriving at Henituse County¸ Cale took the hawk and the hound back to the detached annex where his room was. He had a smile on his face, too excited about things.

He touched the necklace and giggled brightly.

"Ryung..."

"yes... is he busy?"

The dragon in his hound form said, "oh... Uncle said he'd drop by after some errand..."

"oh... he seems to slack but he's working hard..." Cale comments and opened the book that Kim Rok Soo bought him that night at the imperial city.

"what are you studying?" Ryung asked. The hawk was also confused.

"it's a book about history..." he said.

"wah... something Uncle would read."

"he likes books like this?" the cute redhead asked.

"yes... his room is as immaculate with all kinds of fantasy and historical records... dark continents grand library also belongs to him..."

Cale was excited to hear more stories of the foreign land. Ryung very much told him everything he asked.

"I wish I can go there too," Cale said.

"you'll come soon... just grow up safe and healthy... Uncle will take you there..."

"alright..." Cale happily said.

Cale imagined himself going to the forbidden land with Kim Rok Soo. Without meeting him for a week or two, he would spend his time reading about the history of all continents. It's not that he needed to know¸ he was curious about the world that Kim Rok Soo had seen.

He would wait by the windows and sleep on the couch. For two weeks, he patiently waited for Kim Rok Soo to come.

"he's late..." Cale muttered one evening. He was hugging his legs, a shoal on his shoulders as he sits by the window of his room.

"who's late?" the voice once again resounded, but Kim Rok Soo didn't come from the window. He came out of the large mirror he had in his room.

The older man was wearing ordinary clothes. White long sleeves, and blank pants. His eyes widen at the marks decorating the man's arms and neck.

Kim Rok Soo warmly looked at him. Cale didn't control his instinct, he ran as fast as he could and greeted the older man with a tight hug. Kim Rok Soo did not refuse as he took him in his arms and walked over to the window seat, he previously sat down.

"were you waiting for me?"

"hm..." Cale inhaled the older man's pheromones.

"are you happy?"

"I am..."

His silent and short answers pulled an honest smile from Kim Rok Soo.

"is that so? It seems that I've spoiled you much."

Cale heartily laughed as he gazed at the man who was holding him right now.

"Hyung..."

"hm..."

"My birthday's coming..." Cale shyly continued, "Will you come?"

Kim Rok Soo who gazed at him with such warmth made a nose-to-nose gesture and said, "I will..."

Cale, whose loneliness disappears immediately, kissed the man's cheeks and said, "I'll look forward to it!"

.

.

.

.

However...

On the day of his birthday.

Kim Rok Soo didn't come...

Cale miserably waited for him on that day.

TBC

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