Curiosity Killed the Cat

The Curiosity

The darkness was his home, his only friend, his lover. It concealed him and wielded him as the weapon he was made to be. Never once did it fail him when he needed it the most. Never once did reveal him to the world. It was his mask, his identity. 

And now, in the middle of the night, it cloaked him from the light as he crept upon a small one story house. He easily slipped through a forgotten to be closed window and made his way soundlessly through the house. 

This boy was well off by the looks of it. Not rich, but not down in the dirt either. He wondered what it was the boy did to get himself killed, but never did he ever ask. It would mean getting to know his mark and that could make things difficult in the end. It’s not something he needs to happen. 

The assassin found the door he was looking for. Silently he turned the cold knob, pushing the door open slowly. He came to stand at the foot of the bed, his mark sleeping peacefully, unbeknownst to him the danger that lurked a few feet away. 

The assassin, Tao, stepped closer to his mark, a curiosity striking him to know what he looked like. A curiosity that starts it all. Because we all know the saying…The curiosity killed the cat. 

The boy was beautiful. Something Tao never expected. His round cheeks pushed against the pillow making him look like a child. His rosy lips parted for breathing. The way he curled into himself, hugging the sheets around him to say he was lonely. It all made the assassin hesitate as he pulled out his gun. The wonder of what this boy had done to gain a bounty on his head still floated through his mind.

And in his hesitation the boy tired, feeling the intense stare burning through him. His eyes blinked, heavy with sleep, until they recognized an unfamiliar figure standing in front of him. Wide they became, a fear and a question of why filling them. 

They were the same eyes Tao saw many times before. So why now did they make him falter? Why now did they mean something to him other than another payment to his bank account? Why now did his heart race with anything other than adrenaline from another kill? Why now did he hesitate to pull the trigger? 

The gun was still raised to the boys head, the assassins finger hovering over the trigger he knew he had to pull. It was his job. This is what he did. Never before had he been stopped in his tracks because of one’s beauty. 

The gun lowered but his stare stayed strong as he backed away from the frightened boy before him. He didn’t know what he was doing. He had never backed out of a kill before. What going to happen to him when he reported back? 

It wasn’t until he reached the doorway that his mark spoke. His soft words almost lost in the darkness. 

"Thank you." 

Tao gazed back at the boy, something he shouldn’t have done because now his mark was closing the distance between them. His arms inclosing the assassin in an embrace he had never felt. The boys head pressed into his chest and he could feel the tears seeping into his dark clothing. 

"Thank you." He murmured again. 

The assassin pushed the boy away. He couldn’t understand why his heart was beating like this. What had he done to him? What had he done to deserve this? 

"Don’t thank me." He finally managed to choke out. "They will send others." 

He slipped into the darkness before anything other words could be spoken. And he was right. They did send others. But what Tao couldn’t understand was why he sat around and waited for them. Why he protected this boy. He felt like he was under some sort of spell as he killed any danger that came. 

It wasn’t until the fifth night that the boy strode out onto his back patio, looking up into the tree’s where the assassin hid. There was a soft smile on his lips as he spoke. 

"You can come in if you’d like. I made extra food." 

Tao was unsure of what to do as he watched the boy disappear back into his house. Did he go? Did he stay and watch from afar? 

He decided on the former option, his curiosity yet again getting to him. The back door had been left unlocked and Tao slipped in quietly. He started the boy who when he entered had is back to him. The smile again graced his face, his eyes crinkling. His mark motioned to one of the empty chairs the kitchen table. He took the farthest from him. 

The food the boy had made was amazing. The assassin had never tasted such a heart warming home cooked meal in his life. Sure he lived in style, dined at only the best restaurants, but never had he had food cooked for him like this. 

This continued for the next few nights. They ate in silence and it was comfortable. Tao always watched the other with hawk like eyes. He loved seeing how he went about things and the boy only smiled back when he saw it. But there was one night where his mark broke that silence. It startled the assassin. 

"My name is Xiumin." 

The words were quiet but they rang in Tao’s ears. A beautiful name for a beautiful boy was the first thought that popped into his mind. Tao looked down at his empty plate. 

"Tao."

He said it softly. He glanced up to see the other looking at him with a radiant smile. It was a smile so beautiful that Tao couldn’t keep his own from forming. 

This boy was his downfall. The reason he now held a bounty above his head. He was the curiosity that killed the cat. But he would do anything to protect him, no questions asked. And sooner or later he would find out who  it was that wanted him dead and he will be the last kill he ever makes.