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Soft moonlight glistened off the sword that slashed through the night as Sejun barely managed to get out of the way. He stumbled back on the soft grass. He gulped and clung to his sword with both hands, shaking slightly. They had been fighting for so long, it had already become dark. His knees felt weak and the hands clinging to his sword were so numb he wasn't sure they were actually holding anything at all.
His opponent, Seungwoo, didn't look much better off. His broad shoulders were moving up and down with each breath, and soft purple strands of hair stuck to his forehead. "This is pointless." Sejun whispered desperately as Seungwoo lifted his sword and advanced on him again.
"I got my orders. You did too. One of us dies here." Seungwoo sounded just as out of breath as he looked. His steps were wobbly and his sword kept slipping through his hand. Still, he swung it to the side, before charging in and slashing at Sejun again. He barely managed to block in time, his sword clashing with Seungwoo's. They both stubbornly held them there, their faces mere inches apart. Sejun scowled and Seungwoo bared his teeth slightly. His breath fanned hotly into Sejun's face.
Their bodies were pressed together so closely Sejun only had to move his feet an inch to touch Seungwoo's. The thought of sending up a kick to his stomach crossed his mind, but not only would that be dishonourable, it would also require far too much movement and he simply didn't have the energy anymore. Their eyes were locked in a stare-down as their swords vibrated with the last bits of strength they were throwing into the fight. Sejun felt fear run cold through his body and he trembled, nearly losing his footing. He couldn't back down, as much as he wanted to, because Seungwoo was right; one of them had to die.
Sejun wasn't a fighter, he never had been. He was too easily scared and he hated hurting others. But when you're born into a clan of assassins, currently in the middle of a heated feud with another clan, what choice do you have? He could've gone for jobless outcast, and then he would've slowly starved to death after his family disowned him. So instead, he had accepted the training and become a fully fledged assassin, ready to take on jobs. He hadn't thought they would throw him into the lion's den right away and send him after the rival clan's eldest son, Seungwoo, who apparently got the exact same command from his clan upon the completion of his training.
Seungwoo, however, seemed made for the job. He wasn't scared, he was strong and he was extremely skilled with a sword. Even as he feared for his life, Sejun had to admire him. The flow of his movements, and the way he nimbly jumped from attack to attack, moving his feet as though he was light as a feather. He was so fast, yet he didn't manage to kill him, at least not yet, so maybe Sejun wasn't so hopeless after all.
It didn’t particularly help that he and Seungwoo grew up together, though. As kids the both of them would sneak out and find each other in the woods. They would spend their evenings first building their treehouse hideout, and then they would spend them inside, laughing and playing to their heart's content.
It had always been such a safe place, and Sejun had really needed one back then with his family on his back about his training and the prospect of having to put it to use. But now he was staring into the eyes of his safe place, and he found himself trembling with fear. Suddenly, Seungwoo stepped back, pulling Sejun from his thoughts. He pulled his sword away from his before swiftly bringing it back down again at his face.
Sejun was lucky his reflexes were strong; he didn't remember telling his arms to lift his sword above his head, but Seungwoo's met metal, not flesh. A pathetic scream left his lips far too late and his eyes were blown wide. His breath came in short bursts and he knew he couldn't hold this for very long, but it felt like Seungwoo couldn't either.
The blade that clashed with his had no force behind it, sliding away weakly after only a few seconds. Sejun quickly scrambled up and stumbled a few steps away, glaring at him. Seungwoo simply looked exhausted. He too grasped his sword with two hands now, but it still dragged on the floor as he charged again, his usually fierce and bright eyes looking rather dull.
Sejun braced himself, but right then they heard an unearthly howl come from the woods nearby, freezing both of them. "Wh- what was that?" Sejun stuttered, unable to hide his fear.
"I don't know." Seungwoo sounded just as shaken. His eyes were searching the forest wildly, trying to find the source of the strange noise. Sejun kept his eyes firmly on him, in case he were to use the temporary distraction for a surprise attack, but Seungwoo seemed intent on scanning the forest. He exhaled shakily and turned his eyes toward the tall trees as well. Everything was quiet for a moment, but then the agonizing screech sounded again, closer now.
"It's coming this way." Sejun whispered. "We gotta run."
"We can't." Seungwoo said, and of course he was right. If they left without fulfilling their mission… Sejun gulped.
"There's no use in both of us dying. We can finish this somewhere else!" He was shouting now. They both knew now what was heading for them and frankly he was absolutely terrified. That wasn't a sound an animal could have made; it had to have been a demon. Usually they took the shape of regular humans, but some of them didn't manage, and they got stuck as horrifying mixes of several creatures, both existing ones and non existing ones. Getting stuck mid transformation was horribly painful and often led to the demons going crazy, rampaging through whatever terrain they found themselves in. And this one had found itself in the forest right next to them.
There was a special elite troop dedicated to fighting these things, but neither Sejun nor Seungwoo had had any training, at least Sejun assumed not. He wasn't even sure if their swords could harm the creature at all. He'd heard that the elite forces used specially crafted swords and daggers made from a special kind of silver, and neither of their swords were anything close. Yet Seungwoo stood there, his sword raised in his weak, trembling hands, accepting certain death. Sejun wanted to yell more but right then they heard a loud crash very close to them.
Several trees a bit away from the edge of the forest keeled over, landing on the floor of the forest with lots of crunching sounds and loud thuds. Sejun winced. What were they getting themselves into? They watched, frozen in place, one by stubbornness and the other by pure fear, as the demon appeared from behind the trees. It was the size of a van, with several humanlike body parts, but even more non-human.
It had it’s, what could only be described as a beak, open widely, several tongues darting in and out, constantly changing shape. It didn't appear to have any eyes, nor much of a head for the beak to attach to. Its torso was mostly human, except for the webbed claws at the end of the arms. It had a tail, some sort of weird combination between a bird's tail and that of a donkey, and it seemed to also constantly change shape.
Its one leg was human, but the other was that of a deer, small and thin. It didn't seem to be able to properly hold its weight. A weak spot. Sejun's brain was already moving past the panic that still locked the rest of his body in place. If they couldn't penetrate it's skin, they could try breaking the leg. It would slow it down long enough for them to flee.
Before he could will his legs to move, however, the creature charged. Seungwoo yelled and slashed at it with his sword, but it bounced uselessly off its arm. He had gone for its human parts, thinking those were weaker. Sejun desperately wanted to scream at him, to tell him to break its leg and run, but he could only watch as Seungwoo struggled to hold the thing off. The demon screeched again, making both of them wince. It snapped its beak at Seungwoo and, to Sejuns horror, managed to grab his arm. It used the arm that wasn’t holding his sword off to claw at Seungwoo, the sharp nails tearing into his clothes.
Finally, Sejun snapped out of his daze. He charged forward, dropping his useless sword and instead pushing off in a jump to land on the leg of the demon. He heard a sickening crunch when his feet made contact and the creature immediately let go of Seungwoo to screech and turn to the source of the pain. Sejun fell to the floor and rolled away right as the beak snapped shut where he had been. He scrambled to get away, the demon following him clumsily, crawling forward with its arms. Once he had guided the thing a safe distance away he got up and ran with a wide arch around it to where Seungwoo was.
He was just in time to see Seungwoo collapse to the floor, his face ghostly white. Panic clawed at him as he sprinted to the other. What if he had died? It should have been a good thing, it would mean Sejun didn’t have to die. Yet dying seemed like a better option right then. He suddenly fervently wished he had lost their fight sooner, so that Seungwoo would’ve already been safely back at home, celebrating his victory and initiation with his family. He kneeled down and shakily searched for a pulse as he heard the demon stumble around behind them, for now unsure of where he had gone.
Seungwoo still had a pulse, he was still breathing, and Sejun exhaled, relieved. The gashes the creature had made looked bad, but they weren’t too deep. He could make it. Sejun didn’t know where he got the strength, perhaps it was pure panic or adrenaline that drove him, but he picked Seungwoo up and slung him over his shoulders before taking off into the woods, where he was sure he could lose the demon. He couldn’t take him back to the village, both his and Seungwoo’s family would kill him, but he couldn’t just leave him like that either.
The truth was, he had never wanted Seungwoo to die. He had gone into the fight knowing he would lose, if not by skill difference then by his own doing. He hadn’t been the one to attack, not once during their hours-long fight. He had only defended, using his sword to block and his speed to dodge. He couldn’t kill the only person that had ever made him feel like he belonged somewhere, like he was loved. And so now he couldn’t let him die, he wouldn’t. He trudged on for what felt like hours, but was probably mere minutes, until he found a familiar path worn into the undergrowth.
He followed it to the base of a thick, old tree and looked up at their hideout. Carefully, he lowered Seungwoo to the ground, muttering an apology before venturing up the thick stem to the branches that held the treehouse. He quickly threw the rope down and climbed back down after it. He then swiftly crafted a harness that could hold the other man and bound him in it. In the distance, far back to where they came from, he heard the creature screech in rage at losing their trail. At least, that’s what he hoped it was.
He climbed back up and heaved Seungwoo up into the treehouse. His arms were no longer numb, but throbbing with pain at the effort, but he kept at it until he was safely laying in the make-shift bed that was now far too small to hold his long body. If the situation weren’t so dire Sejun would’ve joked about it with him and they would’ve laughed. He could almost picture it, almost hear that loud cackle that would escape the other’s lips whenever he didn’t have to hold himself back politely. His stomach twisted and he felt tears prickle his eyes. He didn't think he would ever hear that laugh again.
But now wasn’t the time to cry, he first had to make sure Seungwoo would survive, so he swallowed his tears back and got to work, first carefully removing the torn clothing. There were more gashes than he had hoped, but at least only one of them was actually deep enough to be of concern, the others would heal on their own. Sejun carefully washed the wounds before removing his own coat and firmly pressing it against the wounds. He bound it there with his shirt, leaving him with only his pants to protect him from the harsh cold of the night, but at least it would stop the bleeding.
He sat back and crossed his arms, unable to do more than sit there and wait. It was too dangerous to try and have Seungwoo drink, as he was still unconscious. At first the cold was bearable, but the further into the night the worse it got, and after a mere hour Sejun was shivering from head to toe. Seungwoo still hadn’t woken and he was really starting to worry now.
What if he didn’t wake up? A voice in the back of his mind said that that would mean he could return home victoriously, but what kind of victory would it be without being able to sneak off to tell the other in secret, and celebrate it? He shook his head, more than it already was doing on its own, and sighed.
He thought back on the countless nights they had spent here, in the hideout, as their family was carrying out their jobs and their babysitters were asleep. Just mere weeks ago, they had met up there, and the initiations into their respective clans had still felt like a faraway nightmare. Seungwoo had managed to steal some home made cookies from his older sister and they had shared them while looking up at the stars from the roof of their treehouse. It had been the most at peace Sejun had ever felt, and he had rested his head on the other’s shoulder, falling asleep there. The next day he had heard his training was over, and he hadn’t been able to see Seungwoo since.
Now here he was, watching over his unconscious body, worry seeping into his mind with every second passing. He kept checking for a pulse and drop in temperature, but Seungwoo’s vitals stayed stable. Yet he didn’t wake. Exhaustion threatened to take over as Sejun’s eyes drooped, but he forced himself to sit upright, awake and alert in case Seungwoo would wake. He couldn’t even say for sure if he would wake up himself if he fell asleep now; the cold was biting at him more and more every second.
He wrung his hands together, trying to warm them up to check Seungwoo’s pulse again, when Seungwoo finally stirred. It had to have been about four hours, but finally he opened his eyes and Sejun cried out in delight, throwing his arms around the other.
“You’re awake! Oh god, I was so worried! I thought you wouldn’t wake up anymore, I thought I’d lost you…” He choked back his tears.
“Why?” Seungwoo said strained. Sejun quickly got back up to give him some breathing space. “Why didn’t you leave me there? You would’ve won.” The words were barely audible, and they shocked Sejun to his core.
“I never wanted to win,” he blurted out. “I couldn’t kill you, and I couldn’t let that thing kill you.”
“Why not? It would’ve been so easy.” Seungwoo frowned, looking up at him hazily.
“I don’t want easy! Don’t you get it? I never wanted this to happen! I never wanted to be an assassin, I never wanted to be assigned to kill you and I definitely never wanted to fall in love with you!” He yelled before he could stop himself, and he hurriedly stood up, blushing furiously. “Forget I said that, oh god please forget I said that. I’ll show myself out. You can tell everyone you won. I won’t come back.” He turned quickly and moved toward the exit, but a weak hand grasped his wrist, and although it would’ve been easy to break the grip, he let himself be dragged back.
“No, don’t go, please.” Seungwoo whispered, a pained look on his face.
“Why? So you can kill me yourself?” Sejun turned towards him again, glaring at him, tears burning his eyes. Seungwoo simply shook his head and tugged at his arm again. Sejun sighed and sat back down.
“I don’t want to.” Seungwoo said, his voice hoarse but clear.
“Didn’t seem like it earlier.” Sejun huffed, crossing his arms again. His entire body felt numb with cold.
“If I had wanted to win, do you really think you could’ve stopped me?” Seungwoo chuckled weakly. He lifted one arm, wincing, and placed his hand on Sejun’s arm gently. “I tried to let you win, I attacked so recklessly, yet you barely managed to block or dodge.”
“I was trying not to hurt you.” Sejun sighed, the warm touch bringing feeling back to his arm, but also reigniting the shivers. He saw worry flash across Seungwoo’s face, and it hurt to see, so he pulled his arm away, avoiding eye contact.
“You’re freezing.” Seungwoo whispered. “Where are your clothes? Why did you undress?”
“I had to use them to stop your bleeding.” Sejun gestured to the haphazard bandaging on Seungwoo’s chest.
“Oh. Oh dear. How bad was it?” Seungwoo frowned, patting at the bandages and wincing.
“You had quite a few cuts, but only one of them was really serious. I hope it heals on its own though, I have nothing here to close it with…” Sejun gestured around to the empty treehouse.
“Right. How long was I out? It must’ve been hell without your coat.” Seungwoo moved to undo the knots in the clothes that were wrapped around him, but Sejun put his hands on his, stopping him.
“Don’t; you need to heal. I’m guessing it’s been about 4 hours, maybe a bit more. Just leave them on for now.” Sejun sighed, his head numb with tiredness and cold. He couldn’t stand this much longer. “Look, now that I know you survived I would like to get the hell out of here. You can be seen as the hero you are, you’ve got the battle scars to prove it. I’ll find a different village, one where I’m not known as the son of the Lim clan.” If I don’t freeze to death first, he thought bitterly.
“Wait. Please, just stay with me." Seungwoo implored, grabbing his hand again. "We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”
Sejun nodded stiffly, too tired to fight him. "Alright. I'll stay for now." He was surprised at how steady his voice sounded. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest. Why wouldn’t Seungwoo just let him go in peace? He had finally voiced his feelings for him, and obviously they were not reciprocated, so then why did he want to keep him here? All this time he had thought he could just keep the feelings bottled away until they disappeared, but all they had done while he desperately tried to forget them was grow.
He remembered the first time he realized he was starting to grow a bit too fond of the other. They had been on a walk that evening, along the river that ran not too far from their hideout. It was already getting dark by the time they turned back and Sejun, being younger than Seungwoo, had gotten a little bit scared. He had told the other, and Seungwoo had pulled a small jar from his bag. It held some oil that had the sweet and soft scent of cherry blossom petals.
He had let Sejun keep it, so he could sniff it whenever he felt too scared, and then he had taken Sejun’s hand firmly in his before walking on. The gestures were small and simple, but they had Sejun feeling so safe and warm and fuzzy inside, and from then on he knew he never wanted to lose Seungwoo, no matter what.
"Come here, I can keep you warm.” Seungwoo’s soft, sleepy voice pulled him from his thoughts. He tugged softly on his arm, bringing him closer until Sejun was laying against him, the heat of his body melting Sejun’s frozen limbs.
“Why are you-” Sejun started to ask, frowning, but Seungwoo shut him up by pressing his lips against his gently. Sejun sucked in a surprised breath, his eyes widening.
“You said you loved me.” Seungwoo whispered after pulling back, a soft smile on his lips.
“I said no such thing.” Sejun huffed, fighting the blush that was creeping up his neck.
“I’m sure your exact words were ‘I never meant to fall in love with you’.”
“Nope, that never happened.” He felt himself grow redder by the second. Seungwoo just kissed him? And now he was teasing him? He tried to make sense of it but he was absolutely exhausted from the fighting and running, and the cogs in his brain were coming to a halt. His eyelids felt heavy now that he could finally rest his body and he was no longer chilled to the bone.
Before they could fully fall closed, he heard Seungwoo whisper quietly next to his ear: “I love you too, Sejunnie.” And his eyes shot open again.
“You what?” He spluttered. “How? Since when? Why?”
Seungwoo simply smiled and pressed their lips together again, pulling him even closer. This time, instead of just laying there too surprised to do anything, Sejun kissed back, melting into him. They were both too weak and tired to do much more than simply hold each other in the embrace, but it was more than enough. Sejun felt like he was floating through the clouds above, Seungwoo’s soft lips fitting perfectly with his. The kiss was soft and sweet and lasted a lifetime, though it felt like mere seconds to the both of them.
“I love you.” Seungwoo whispered, pulling away. “I’ve always loved you. It just took you saying it first for me to fully realize it.” He gently pushed a strand of hair away from Sejun’s face.
“Dumbass.” He mumbled, his eyes falling closed at the sweet touch of the other’s hand. He felt his breathing slow down and his consciousness slip away, so he nuzzled his face into Seungwoo’s shoulder. He couldn’t be sure if the “I love you too.” that lay on the tip of his tongue actually left his lips, but it didn’t matter. Seungwoo knew. They both knew now, that nothing, not even their own families could stop them from loving and being with each other. And that would always be enough.