Under a Dark Moon [Oneus AU]

Mediator

"Let's talk."

Seoho always hated those two words, since what always followed was unpleasant discourse. The conversations that came after them never ended well, and he knew this would be no exception. Youngjo was angry, that much was clear.

"I have nothing to say."

"Well, I do," Youngjo scoffed. "I care about her, Seoho. She means something to me, and I can't just make that go away for your sake."

"I'm in love with her," Seoho countered. "I cannot make that go away either. I'm afraid we are at an impass."

Youngjo felt his eyes glowing brighter as his claws involuntarily extended from his fingers. He tried his best to bite back his anger, but a low growl began to reverberate through his chest.

"Why are you doing this? You know how I feel about her, how I've always felt about her."

"I also know she's mortal, hyung. You can't give her the kind of life she's always imagined, and you know that," Seoho countered with a huff. He folded his arms over his chest.

"Of course I know that! It's been a plague on every relationship any of us have had over the centuries," Youngjo growled out. "None of us can give the people we love a normal life, but we shouldn't have to be alo--"

"I can," Seoho cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "I can give her a normal life. I can make her a wife and give her children. Everything she wants, I can give it."

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not," Seoho insisted, a solemn expression settling over his features. "It's true. I gave up my position in the tribe when we left Shaw Manor. I forfeited my title to Anisa. The Spirit... abandoned me."

Youngjo was silent for a moment, almost ready to call him a liar. If it weren't for that look on his face, that sad, shameful look, Youngjo wouldn't have believed such an insane claim. His eyes widened when he realized that Seoho was telling the truth.

"Pabo!" Youngjo snapped, shoving Seoho backwards.

The younger boy couldn't stand his ground no matter how hard he tried, so Seoho fell back on to the wooden deck beneath him. Youngjo was too much stronger than him now to stay on his feet.

"Why would you do that? Why would you give up everything?!"

"I had no other choice," Seoho shook his head. "It was the only way..."

"You could have fought! You didn't have to be a coward, Seoho, don't you dare say there was no other way!"

"Anisa has an entire tribe behind her, hyung! Did you really believe we could beat her without losing someone we loved? Would you be able to forgive yourself if Dongju or Hwanwoong were killed? What about Keonhee or Gunhak? And Luella. What if she died because of us?"

"You chose death over your family, over us! Was it for Luella? Just so you could be with her?"

"Of course not," Seoho frowned. "I did it for all of us. You know how she is, how she fights dirty. It only takes a little bit of bearroot on the end of an arrow to slowly, painfully kill any one of us. Or all of us! This was the only way to guarantee that we all lived. I had no choice. I had to protect my family, hyung."