Hellhounds || Chanminsung ✔️

18

"How long have you known?"

"Just a few weeks ago when my dad left his office door open. I snuck a look at his work and found photos of you."

"How did he find out?"

"You and I took a photo together on our way to class once. The mark was in the photo and he saw it. I tried explaining that it was a hickey, but he didn't believe me. Now, he knows there's demons in the area. He even gave me a damn bottle of holy water to keep with me."

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I was speechless. How could this happen? I didn't even know hunters were still around. Chan told me once how he was hunted. He killed the man. Then his son, of course, when the kid got older and came after him.

Oh wow, I'm dating an old man. You're just realizing this now? I'm slow, leave me alone.

I grab out my phone, dialing one of their numbers. I couldn't tell who's I clicked first.

"What's wrong?"

"U-um..." I can't reply. Heavy breathing is the only thing that comes out. My chest feels tight.

"Angel, what is it? Did Hyunjin do something? Are you two okay?"

Hyunjin grabs the device out of my hand. "This is Hyunjin. I think he's having anxiety or something, but I-I need your guys' help. It's serious."

"Come over. We'll talk over coffee. Hold the phone to Jisung's ear, please."

The taller does so.

"My love," they say together. "Vanilla and honey. Think about vanilla and honey."

Vanilla and honey. Safe words. Chan's skin was porcelain vanilla, Minho's golden honey. I imagine the touch, the feel of it. The smell of them evaded my nose, easing me. The tightness diminishes.

"I'm okay. We're on our way back."

-

Chan paces the room while Minho holds my hand in a death grip. I hope this hand doesn't break too. Hyunjin sits on the couch looking guilty. The atmosphere was quite tense, but it wasn't his fault.

"Do you love your dad?"

"What-? I-I... what kind of question is that? Of course I do."

"Then we can't kill him."

Hyunjin pales.

"What are we going to do? We can't leave. We can't kill him. Fuck, it's just one thing after another," Minho shakes his head, pissed.

"We might just have to get help. We could try convincing him he's crazy. He's known me for a few years. I'll confront him about it," I say, already picturing how it could go.

He'd be baffled, embarrassed almost for thinking that I was dating demons. I mean, who in their right mind thinks that anyway?

Or the other option. He interrogates me, trying to get me to break. Maybe he'll go as far as to throw holy water at me. Try to get me to draw a demon trap around them. Does he think I'm a demon?

Or maybe he'll kill you on the spot. He wouldn't do that. He'd just get arrested for attempted murder. Maybe he'll call your bluff. You could always pretend to be completely oblivious. Say you don't have boyfriends. That's stupid. Shut up. You could pretend that you're a hunter, as well. Say that you're hunting them and you already killed them. He won't believe that; you don't know the first thing about hunting. Ugh, so many options, yet none seem good enough. Have fun dying.

"Sung, did you even hear us? What's the matter?" Chan grasps my chin, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Oh, nothing. They're just arguing again," I smile lightly, kind of loving their confused expressions.

"Who?"

"No one important."