Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cale lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in shock.

He was glad that Choi Han and the children were in Harris Village now - no one could see his confusion...

Or would it be better to say horror?

Cale stayed home to sleep, despite the children's indignation. After sleeping until dark, he decided to open his eyes - he needed breakfast... Or dinner.

Suddenly, however, a voice full of mixed emotions rang in his head - the Crybaby's voice. Confused, as if the information seemed unbelievable, cautious, as if he didn't really wish to tell it to Cale, doomed and full of compassion.

<Cale...>

There was silence for a moment. Cale waited patiently for him to continue, but it was only when he was about to hurry Crybaby up that he continued.

<We did a long check and... We think you got complete immortality.>

Cale froze. The idea of going out for breakfast had been forgotten - in addition, his appetite was completely lost, erased by the cold lump of terror in his stomach.

He lay there, hesitant to ask the Ancient Powers any more questions, and they were silent, must have sensed Cale's mood. Crybaby, who had once lost all his loved ones long ago and had lived for years unable to bring them back, understood him especially.

Cale remembered those moments when he wondered about the lifespans of the people around him. He himself was supposed to live barely more than a normal human life - so sometimes it became sad that Choi Han and Raon would live much longer than he would.

But then he stabbed himself with the root of the World Tree and the Ancient Powers said that it, when absorbed, strengthened his plate and... gave him traces of immortality.

Then the Ancient Powers said it would only strengthen his regeneration and increase his lifespan. Of course, Cale sighed heavily demonstratively, but mentally rejoiced that maybe now he could spend more time with Choi Han and Raon - then they wouldn't be so sad.

Cale still remembered Choi Han saying that he had given part of his life in order to not be alone. And, considering his past...

'I wouldn't want him to see me die.'

Cale knew very well the feeling of losing someone close to you. That's why he didn't want Choi Han to experience it again...

But he himself also wouldn't want to see Choi Han die.

However, now...

<...What do you mean by immortality? Can I die at all?>

After a short pause there was an answer from Glutton.

<...You can, but... It would be very difficult. With all that regeneration...>

<Really?! We just told you about immortality, and you're already thinking about how to die?!>

Super Rock's indignant voice thundered in Cale's head.

'Huh.'

Cale grimaced.

Of course he would want to die. He'll live a long life, constantly watching the deaths of loved ones, and then...

Thanks to the efforts of a certain swordsman, he would lose Raon and that very swordsman on the same day.

And though that day will not come soon enough, despair flooded into Cale's chest.

***

Cale had hardly recovered by evening, when Choi Han and the children returned. After much talk in an effort to help him calm down, the Ancient Powers retreated to a distant corner of consciousness.

Their efforts even helped a little. Cale realized several things to himself - first, the time when he would have to part with his close people would not come for a long time. Second, he would be able to enjoy a truly long life as a slacker.

And third, though the Ancient Powers didn't like it, he could always try to die.

'Huh...'

But now, as he looked at Choi Han wiping crumbs from Hong's face, the desire to ever die or part with his loved ones disappeared completely.

So Cale tried his best to force himself not to think of bad things and to find mitigating things in everyone...

'Hong and On will find their own families and leave home anyway.'

It was true. They weren't going to live in this house forever - it was absolutely obvious, and Cale understood and accepted that fact. Come to think of it, it would even be a little fun to watch a family of werecats grow and coexist with the wolf clan in Harris Village over the years...

Cale smiled slightly. The thought wasn't a bad one.

Then he shifted his gaze to the right, to the little hurricane sweeping away the cookies.

And Raon? Sooner or later he must have children... And then Cale could watch them live... And then grandchildren... What attributes would they have?

Cale thought of other people, thought about how long the Roan Kingdom would exist, and even thought about climate change, technology, and global cataclysms...

But...

Cale looked at Choi Han who was eating a steak.

A long time ago he said he wanted to stay by Cale's side. To help him with the farm...

Come to think of it, he was always there for him and, to be honest, it was... Comfortable.

Yes, Cale felt comfortable, warm and cozy at the thought that the man who knew him best, the one he'd met the second day after coming into this world, his best friend's uncle and faithful knight was always there for him.

At the thought of it ending...

An unpleasant picture of the gravestone that would surely be placed in the Harris Village flashed in his mind.

'No...'

Cale exhaled convulsively in horror. Then, however, a life-saving thought came to him.

'He could become a wanderer...!'

Perhaps then he could be near Cale again...?

...It didn't look like it was that simple. There must have been a bunch of conditions.

Besides...

A chill of terror ran down the back of Cale's neck.

'He could become a god.'

Cale froze.

Become a priest of Choi Han and be able to at least talk to him...?

It wasn't exactly a bad thing, but still...

«Cale-nim, why aren't you eating? Shall I cut you a steak?»

Choi Han was looking at Cale carefully, noticing that he wasn't in the best state.

Cale looked down at his plate and really noticed the steak, which had been quite mashed with a fork, but not cut up.

Choi Han always noticed when he was feeling bad. Keeping an eye on his well-being, grumbling when Cale skipped meals or stayed up late... Once Choi Han even picked him up in his arms and carried him to bed, and then stood in the doorway and put his hand on his scabbard...

Mixed feelings flared up in Cale's chest at these thoughts. He opened his mouth, answering quietly.

«Yes, thank you... I'm just tired.»

«Strange human! You stayed home to sleep! How are you tired from sleeping?!»

Raon's howl of indignation and bewilderment echoed back. Choi Han, on the other hand, smiling slightly, took a plate from Cale and quickly sliced the meat.

Involuntarily, a slightly tired but genuinely happy smile appeared on Cale's lips.

'If at least Choi Han could...'

Cale would never risk the natural flow of kittens or Raon's life, dooming them to loneliness and no rebirth, but...

Choi Han couldn't be reborn anyway. His life was his only one, and it would probably be nice to extend it as much as possible...

Besides, Cale was his family. Choi Han was always there for him and... And it wasn't like he was going to start his own, other family...

A strange feeling rose in Cale's chest in a wave. Cutting into his chest with heat, baking with pepper, twisting his heart in a strange wave...

Cale smiled at Choi Han as he pushed the plate toward him...

'If I am going to be immortal, I want to be immortal at least with him.'

A selfish thought flashed through his mind.

An intense desire not to let Choi Han leave him, an adamant conviction that he wouldn't mind never finding another family...

'Oh.'

Cale mentally gasped as he realized what he had just thought.

He felt ashamed.

'What did I even... Choi Han deserved a normal family. Kids, a house of his own... A wife.'

A strange knot in his stomach twisted tighter, causing Cale to pierce a piece of meat with his fork so hard that the plate made a pitiful clinking sound.

Cale froze.

'Weird.'

A sense of shame flared up even more.

He had never been so selfish. On the contrary, he would have been very happy to see the children's families, or to be at Alver's wedding, or to wait until Bud had a girlfriend...

But...

For some reason, when he tried to imagine Choi Han's family, his imagination seemed to show a solid red cross, preventing him from imagining the perfect girl for him or the kids.

Or a different home.

'His home is here.'

Anger at who knows what and a strange sense of frustration shattered the near-quiet mood to pieces.

Cale frowned.

'What the...'

Perhaps the story of the novel Birth of a Hero kept him from imagining Choi Han in a simple family life...? But shouldn't Cale wish happiness for his loyal knight?

Staring at his plate, blankly watching the splinters and blood dripping from the appetizing steak onto the tablecloth, Cale smirked bitterly, not noticing the shocked looks of the children on himself.

He wished Choi Han happiness.

But...

He wished him happiness beside himself.

At that moment, Cale realized that he really wanted to make at least Choi Han immortal.

***

«Cale-nim, is something wrong?»

Cale was sitting in his rocking chair, staring at a book.

He wasn't reading, of course - he was just trying to avoid the creepy, piercing gaze of Choi Han.

'Am I going crazy...?'

Cale had never noticed these emotions of his. He didn't realize that he had become so attached to Choi Han...

Somehow he had become his bay of tranquility, the only one to whom he could really open his soul, the one who would understand him from half a word...

But now it was playing against him.

His brain was feverishly running through options, trying to find an excuse for his strange behavior. For now, Cale was not ready to tell Choi Han about his immortality...

He wasn't sure he'd ever talk about it. After all, he could have just waited until Choi Han died, telling him the tale all along that the traces of immortality had made his lifespan almost equal to his... 

And after Choi Han's death, he could just make graves for him... 

And then for himself as well.

His mood plunged even lower into the abyss as the hideous images flashed before his eyes again.

An aging Choi Han, lying in bed, dying.

And Cale, perfectly healthy and looking just as he looked now, staring at him in despair.

Cale felt cold.

Cale stared at the book, imagining how Choi Han's body would become completely cold, how his breath would disappear...

«I had a nightmare. I dreamt that you were dead.»

A ridiculous excuse slipped from his tongue.

There was silence.

Suddenly Cale came consciously out of the strange, horrible obsession. He flinched, dropping the book from his hands and awkwardly trying to intercept it.

But he didn't have to do anything - despite his confusion, Choi Han was on one knee in front of Cale in an instant, catching the book and returning it to him.

Cale stared silently into the black eyes, feeling his breath stop, a strange emptiness in his head, and a fever in his chest.

That's why.

That's the reason.

'I can't let him away.'

Cale didn't want to see him die, grow old, didn't want him to go anywhere, didn't want to let go of him for even a minute...

For the sake of it, he was willing to do anything...

«Cale-nim, I...»

For some reason, Cale could sense happiness in those black abysses. It was as if he could hardly contain a smile...

«I'm there for you. I won't die for a long time. You know that my lifespan is the same as Raon's, and that's another millennium...»

A smile did appear on Choi Han's lips, but it was bitter.

«I will outlive you, so don't worry. I'll be there and... I won't die, I swear, Cale-nim.»

«Choi Han...»

His heart froze in excitement, and a happy smile appeared on his lips.

Consciousness grasped at Choi Han's sincere words, as if they were permission to act. Thoughts swirled, suggesting possibilities, solutions, steps that Cale had been afraid to think about before.

«Thank you, Choi Han.»

Cale's smile grew even wider, and his gaze took on a strange tenderness.

'He really wants to be there for me.'

***

It had been a month since the obsession had taken over his mind. He kept thinking, pondering, talking to the Ancient Powers...

<Are you sure?>

<Yes.>

Certainly they didn't like the mood of Cale, who was currently standing in the elf village, waiting to be called.

He came to talk to the World Tree. Who better to know how to make someone immortal than the one who made him immortal?

<What will you do if someone finds out about your visit here? Maybe you shouldn't after all...>

But Cale ignored the voice of the Super Rock in his head. The Ancient Powers tried with all their might to talk him out of it, for some reason believing that he was about to sacrifice himself again. Cale had no idea why - he was just going to ask the Tree for another branch, or ask for another way...

'Damn tree... It'll be helpful to me, my ass...'

After the way it had screwed him up so badly with immortality, he was even ready to threaten to burn it.

In any case, his life and health were perfectly safe, so the Ancient Powers' concern was incomprehensible to him.

«Please, follow me!»

And so, finally, the young elf came to escort Cale to the Tree. 

After walking the familiar path, Cale, who had been left alone with the Tree as usual, walked over and leaned his forehead against it.

«Well, greetings.»

The tree must have noticed the irritation in his tone - there was concern in its voice when it answered.

<Hello, Cale Henituse... Why are you here?>

Tree directly asked why he had come here.

How rude.

Cale smirked.

«I think you owe me for the terrible deception with the Blade. Wasn't it said that it would be good for me?»

Tree was clearly confused.

<Yes...? Isn't it good for your plate to be stronger and your health to be better...?>

«You didn't say anything about immortality.»

There was a silence, broken only by the quiet rustle of leaves.

<Isn't that a good thing?..>

There was genuine bewilderment in the tree's voice.

Cale sighed.

«Good thing or bad thing, you could have at least warned me. I wouldn't have changed my mind, but at least I could have prepared myself mentally. You know, it's not nice to find out that everyone you know is going to die before you do.»

<Oh.>

There was a sound of remorse in Tree's sigh, as if it realized its mistake.

Come to think of it, it's unlikely that such a creature would have friends to grieve for, or the awareness of time.

It was as if the Tree had not intentionally caused this inconvenience to Cale...

But he was going to use it anyway.

<...What can I do for you?>

The guilty voice said what Cale had been counting on.

In a serious tone, he asked the question - he was a little nervous, afraid that the method might not exist...

«Tell me how I can make another human immortal.»

There was silence once more.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Tree still answered.

<I'm not going to ask you what it's for.>

The tree fell silent. Cale, after waiting almost a minute, hurried impatiently.

«Well?»

As if reluctantly, Tree continued.

<You see, I can't give you another root, and a mere human wouldn't survive a stab to the heart. This way was unique to you.>

'As I thought.'

Silence hung again.

Cale was beginning to get annoyed...

<There is a way, but it's...>

«Just say it.»

Cale's heart was pounding like crazy for some reason.

He was worried... Or perhaps afraid.

Cale had time to think many thoughts over the past month, but only now, having learned a way to get what he wanted, would he finally be able to plan and decide something.

Meanwhile, the Tree continued.

<Do you know how you became immortal? The energy from my root, from my oldest part, went to the center of your circulatory system, and then spread through your body. Now, after a few years, immortality has become part of every cell in your body.>

Cale pondered.

Then to make someone immortal you have to spread the energy through their body, as it happened to him...?

That means...

«Should I find another source of immortality...?

Cale sank into thought, trying to figure out what it could be. Even dragons were limited in their lifespans. Perhaps the Tree would send him in search of some kind of Phoenix feather or something?..

It would be quite a disappointment to tell Choi Han all about it and then not find what they're looking for...

How much time would they spend searching...? It would be nice if the Tree already knew the location.

However, the next phrase interrupted his train of thought by dropping a bomb on it.

 <Your body is now the source of immortality.>

'Huh?'

Cale froze.

«What did it mean?»

A bad feeling was awakening in his heart.

Could it be...

<If you gradually fill another person's body with your energy, he too will become immortal.>

Cale frowned.

'What is this tree trying to say? Fill with energy...? How's that?'

Is energy like mana? But Cale doesn't know how to transmit it. 

Then he'll have to learn? The problem would be that he wouldn't necessarily be able to do it...? 

Somehow it seemed that the problem was different...

Goosebumps ran down the back of his neck. 

«How... Could it be done...?»

<Digestion.>

«...What...?»

Cale thought he'd misheard. 

The word the Tree spoke did not lead to anything good... 

However... 

<Digestion.>

The Tree repeated his statement. 

Cale smiled nervously. 

'Ah.'

He understood what it meant.

Choi Han wouldn't like that.

«Do I need to give him my blood to drink?»

Cale was pretty sure of his horrible version. He imagined how outraged Choi Han would be when he heard this idea...

How many liters of blood would have to be decanted to pass on immortality...?

Besides... Can it really be that simple?

The cold foreboding didn't go away.

A rustling sound resembling bitter laughter came from the Tree.

<No. It might be part of the process, and it wouldn't be unnecessary for the other's body to better accept the new energy for it, but... No.>

Cale frowned puzzled. 

Then what...?

If not blood... If the blood isn't enough, then...

<You must feed him with your flesh.>

Cale froze.

Flesh?

<It doesn't matter in what way. You can cook it, or even add it in his food. Roasted meat, stewed, even raw. Anything will work. The important thing is that you have to feed him with your flesh for several decades. Of course, if you could feed him your heart, that would complete the process faster... But I don't think you could extract it on your own.>

Cale's mind struggled to process this information.

How in heaven's name was he supposed to do that?!

'For several decades...'

Cale opened his mouth, but remained silent.

He had no more questions for the Tree. It didn't lie and tell him a way to give immortality to another man, but...

<There's one more nuance.>

Cale tensed.

What could make things worse?

«Tell me.»

The tree rustled its leaves sadly.

<This way can be used only once by you. I am the World Tree, my very essence is greater than yours. I can give immortality to many, it's only a question of the number of ancient roots.>

Cale froze for a second, waiting for the Tree to continue, but...

«That's it?»

<Yes, that's it.>

'Huh.'

Fortunately, Cale didn't really care that the way could be used only one time - he wasn't going to deprive anyone of a rebirth. Choi Han was a unique case.

Cale even exhaled with relief, smiling...

«Thank you for the information.»

***

Cale lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in horror.

He couldn't tell Choi Han about it.

Maybe he could talk him into drinking his blood, but this...

Cale shuddered with fear as he imagined walking up to Choi Han and saying, 'Hey, it turns out that I'm immortal, and the World Tree said that if you eat my flesh, you'll become immortal too. Isn't that great?'

Involuntarily Cale wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering.

'First of all, he's going to burn the World Tree.'

Cale chuckled nervously.

It wasn't goddamn funny, but for some reason it made him laugh.

Telling...

...Choi Han...

...That Cale would deliberately hurt himself... 

...For his sake?!

Unable to stand it, Cale laughed.

«That's impossible.»

Cale sat on the edge of the bed.

He hadn't even considered the option of just forgetting about this plan and doing nothing. Silently waiting for Choi Han to die, only to regret it for the rest of his life...

A long, long life.

'I don't want to be his priest - I want him by my side.'

...And it wasn't just that.

'I took part of his only life.'

Cale closed his eyes.

No matter how much time passes, he will remember.

Remember, how because of his own mistake he got caught up in the Sealed God Test...

And how Choi Han came to him to save him...

Giving part of his life.

«He is crazy...»

<Unfortunately, I haven’t been normal for a long time.>

Choi Han's words rang in Cale's heart.

At that time he claimed that it was beneficial to him, that he just didn't want to be alone...

Of course, some of it was true.

Except...

'You never know how life will turn out.'

Cale bit his lip.

Choi Han wasn't stupid - he absolutely knew that even after Raon died, life wouldn't stop. At that point, Choi Han might have people he didn't want to lose... And who wouldn't want to lose him.

However, he did not hesitate to give part of his life for Cale. He was even in such a hurry that he did not listen to important information from Alver...

The years passed, but the feeling of gratitude in Cale's chest did not disappear.

Neither did the feeling of guilt.

'If it hadn't been for me...'

Cale had simply stolen a piece of life from Choi Han - and not even given anything in return.

But now...

'I can thank him.'

It's possible that until some point, Choi Han won't even notice immortality... If it's done carefully...

'I'll give him back his life span.'

He'll give it back with extra.

And will never leave him alone.

Of course, he preferred to tell Choi Han about it, ask him, and make a decision together, but...

'There's no way he'd agree to do it on those terms.'

So he would have to lie again. It was ridiculous, but...

In the end, the Ancient Powers were right.

He would sacrifice himself again.

Cale sighed heavily.

Chapter Text

Cale stared out the window, nervously tapping his finger on his desk.

It was early November, and he still had no idea how to proceed with the plan...

Of course, he wasn't going to tell Choi Han to eat a raw piece of suspicious meat without any explanation. That would be strange, frightening and just disgusting.

The only answer was to cook the meat. But...

Cale shifted his eyes to the kittens and the dragon flying over the table.

They were in the kitchen - the kittens learning how to make cookies, and Choi Han was sitting on a chair with his hands tied with a towel. The expression on his face was extremely guilty.

Involuntarily, a smile appeared on Cale's lips, and his gaze took on a tender touch. It was at that moment that Choi Han looked back at Cale.

The expression on his face became quite confused.

«Cale-nim, don't look at me like that, please...»

Choi Han sighed heavily.

It was unbearable.

Cale covered his trembling lips with his hand, but that didn't do much to restrain his laughter.

Half an hour ago, a crime against food occurred in the kitchen when Choi Han tried to make Bulgogi. Seeing "finely chopped" in the recipe, he expertly sliced the meat... Into fine dust.

Unfortunately, after this abuse, the beef was not suitable even for meat balls - so now Choi Han was sitting with his hands symbolically tied as a sign of protest from the children...

'Wait.'

Suddenly Cale's quiet laughter broke off.

This was not the first time Choi Han had tried to cook Korean food. However, Veacrox stubbornly modified the recipes, reducing the spiciness or reworking the dishes to what he thought would taste better.

Of course, the result was divine, but...

It wasn't Korean food anymore.

In any case, it was as if Choi Han was eager to taste the food from his homeland again.

'This... This is an opportunity...'

Cale could just offer Choi Han Korean food - it wouldn't be suspicious, because he was the only one who could cook it for him.

The problem was the children.

Of course, if there was something interesting going on at home, they wouldn't miss it. Even if the overly spicy Korean food is actually of little interest to them...

Sighing heavily, Cale looked at his watch.

The day was already coming to an end. Another day had passed, and he still hadn't figured out how to approach Choi Han. Idiotic ideas kept running through his mind in ridiculous pictures.

Cale sighed again, resting his elbow on the chair rail and leaning his head against his palm.

'Maybe I should kidnap him...?'

Maybe he should come up to him in his sleep, drug him with sleeping pills, teleport him somewhere... Then handcuff him and feed him Pulgogi made from Cale's own meat...

'It's hot...'

For some reason it was a little hot in the room, even though Raon, who maintained a comfortable temperature in the house with magic, usually didn't make a mistake about the temperature.

Of course, Cale decided not to upset the child, who was engrossed in kneading the dough, but instead restarted the strange train of his thoughts.

His eyes once again stumbled over Choi Han's hands, bound with a towel.

Certainly the idea of handcuffing him wasn't a bad one, the trouble was that he'd easily tear them off.

'Shit.'

Besides, any sleeping pills would probably not work on him, unless a huge dose was used. But...

Cale wasn't burning with the desire to accidentally kill Choi Han. That was a little at odds with his plans.

'Maybe bribe the waiter at the restaurant...?'

He could invite Choi Han to a restaurant, hand the dish to the waiter, and tell him to serve it...?

'Nonsense.'

He couldn't invite Choi Han to a restaurant once a week for decades.

Cale sighed heavily again.

<Maybe you should just tell him?..>

There was the unusually quiet voice of Sky Eating Water.

Cale froze for a second, stunned.

'You... Did you just not curse once for a sentence?!'

Cale was a little shocked.

However, before Water could respond, Cale heard Super Rock's voice.

<Or maybe you should just give up on the idea. You know how he'll react if he finds out, don't you?>

<It would have been better if he'd thought of something else already...>

<Don't tell him!...>

<He should understand it himself...>

The conversation of the Ancient Powers faded away - apparently they had retreated into a realm of consciousness where he couldn't hear them and they couldn't hear him.

Cale stared puzzledly at one point for a moment, trying to understand what the Glutton was trying to say, but as a result he decided just to return to more actual things to think about.

'They're right about one thing.'

If Choi Han finds out what Cale has done... 

Of course he won't leave him. He won't leave or end his relationship with him. 

He just... 

Cale gulped. 

He never wanted to hear that weak voice or see that cold look again. 

'Better to keep him ignorant.'

Years, decades, centuries will pass... And at some point it will no longer be scary to say that once upon a time Cale a little bit... 

'Huh, I might as well lie to him that I just gave him blood to drink.'

In fact, he could just pretend that this blood had accidentally gotten into his food. 

Cale smiled. 

He looked at the calendar, which showed only a year, a brief moment of the life that awaits the two of them. 

'Oh!'

Suddenly he noticed that November 8 was marked with an exclamation point on the calendar. 

'Birthday...!'

Cale opened his eyes wide in enlightenment, then smiled. 

Finally he knew how he was going to act. 

It was even a little symbolic. 

Peace of mind finally swept over his soul. 

All that was left to do was to think over some minor details. 

***

Cale was nervous. 

He had asked Choi Han to come to the kitchen at midnight tonight, and now the hands of the clock were slowly approaching the appointed time.

As he waited for X hour, Cale was chopping vegetables for the salad... 

And he was very nervous. 

'He won't notice, will he...?'

Cale threw a glance at the large skillet already on the table. Cale had purposely bought an amulet to keep the food from getting cold - he wasn't cooking here, of course. 

He was lucky that the children let him go for the day, not even wondering where he had gone. They must have been preparing a surprise for him and were only glad they didn't have to chase him away... 

Suddenly Cale caught the sound of footsteps - apparently Choi Han was already on his way here.

'Ah, damn...'

Cale put his palm to his heart, beating in a frantic rhythm.

Would he really do it...?

<You can still back down.>

Super Rock was right.

Now Cale could still pretend that nothing had happened, take the fragrant-smelling dish off the table, and serve only appetizers. They would have a good time with Choi Han, celebrating the coming Birthdays, and then they would go their separate ways to their rooms...

'No.'

His heart pounded even harder, no longer from fear.

A strange feeling swept over Cale's head, forcing him to pull his hand away from his chest.

A smile appeared on his lips.

His heart kept pounding, as if ready to fly out of his ribcage...

'I need him.'

The Ancient Powers answered nothing.

Meanwhile, after a light knock, the door slowly opened.

«Cale-nim...?»

Choi Han's whisper broke the strange atmosphere a little, making Cale flinch.

«Y-Yes, come in...»

The nervous state came back, causing Cale to stammer. Without looking at Choi Han, he quickly finished cutting the cucumbers before pouring some pickle and putting them away in the fridge.

Then he turned to face the table.

Choi Han stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, staring curiously at the frying pan with the lid on. Of course, after all, Cale hadn't told him why he was calling him - just asked him to come to the kitchen at twelve o'clock at night...

Suddenly it dawned on Cale just how strange that seemed. What on earth could Choi Han have been thinking?

With all his strength he pushed the strange thoughts of what he might have been thinking, what he thought and what he expected, Cale asked Choi Han to sit down.

«Why don't you s-sit down...?»

Of course, his voice let him down, as if in cahoots with his heart, beating frantically in either terror or joy.

'I had to have a drink.'

Cale wished he had drunk at least a bottle of wine before starting this dangerous task.

Meanwhile, Choi Han cautiously pushed back his chair and sat down.

He seemed nervous, too - obviously not knowing why Cale had called him here.

Panicked thoughts filled Cale's head again...

«Cale-nim... What are we going to do?»

Suddenly he realized that he had just been silent for five minutes now, standing in the middle of the kitchen. What could be more suspicious than his behavior now!

Exhaling, Cale smiled nervously, answering.

«Eat.»

And silence hung again.

Somehow all Cale could do was stand, clutching the back of his chair tightly with his fingers. Dark spots went before his eyes, and there was a strange noise in his ears, in which, if Cale thought about it, he could have discerned the beating of his heart.

His mind, however, was blank.

Completely blank.

He just stared at the face of Choi Han sitting at the table in front of the frying pan...

<Come to your senses, you look stupid and suspicious!>

<He doesn't look stupid, he's stupid.>

<Сale, you still have time to change your mind. Tell him the meat's burnt...>

The last phrase abruptly snapped Cale out of a strange stupor.

'No.'

Ignoring the insults of the ancient powers, he finally unclenched his hands.

Apparently realizing that Cale had finally returned to his proper state of mind, Choi Han asked a question - judging by his concerned look, it was his way of trying to help him gather his thoughts...

«...And what are we going to eat?»

However...

'Ah, why is he making that face...!'

Сale could see the anticipation, interest and excitement behind Choi Han's concern.

But...

What are they going to eat?

'Me!!!'

Cale felt as if he were suffocating.

«K-Kore...»

Cale froze.

Then he closed his eyes and exhaled.

Opening his eyes, he smiled calmly.

«Korean food. Happy Birthday, Choi Han.»

His heart tickled pleasantly when Choi Han's dark eyes opened in surprise and joy.

«Cale-nim, that's...»

The warmth in his eyes, the soft smile and sincere happiness made the heart that Cale had struggled so hard to make calm flutter again.

«Thank you.»

...And then explode with shame.

'Ah.'

Cale averted his eyes.

'Why couldn't I have just cooked Korean food for him...?'

Choi Han hadn't had a chance to eat it in so long - three of Cale's lives combined, no, maybe even four. Cale knew how much Choi Han longed to feel the smell of his native food, the taste of it...

But Cale preferred to lounge in the rocking chair.

'Why am I...?'

He couldn't understand why every time Choi Han talked about Korean food, he preferred to pretend he wasn't here.

Somehow, the very thought of cooking for Choi Han seemed unbelievable and strange and...

'It's embarrassing.'

Cale bit his lip, barely answering.

«I-It's n-nothing...»

Then he turned away, taking out the dishes.

He knew that now Choi Han would inevitably ask one question.

«Cale-nim, why... Why only me...?»

Of course, Choi Han was curious as to why it was just the two of them in the kitchen, why at a time like this.

So Cale once again made an attempt to gather his thoughts and return himself to normal behavior.

And to stop acting like a schoolgirl trying to give chocolate to a boy she likes.

'What?'

Cale, who had just taken the plates in his hands, froze.

There was an emptiness in his head.

The thought that had just flashed jokingly through his head somehow seemed incredibly dangerous...

«Because...»

...So he ignored it.

Instead, he decided to answer Choi Han's question.

«...That... I wanted to present you with something really special.»

Choi Han's eyes glittered at those words, while Cale froze.

'???'

It seemed as if his thoughts, his words, his actions were conspiring against him today.

His heart rumbled again, like a big drum.

It was getting hot.

'Doesn't that mean I'm gifting him myself...?'

How had it come to this?

How had the damn phrase turned this way?!

He could only be glad that Choi Han didn't know the truth, and therefore would understand the phrase... In the usual way.

Exhaling again, Cale decided to continue his sentence.

'Ah?'

When he looked at Choi Han, he thought he noticed a laugh in his eyes.

A blush flashed across his cheeks.

'He thinks I'm an idiot.'

In his head, as if trying to bring him to his boiling point, rang out.

<You are an idiot.>

Surprisingly, it was Super Rock.

'Why?!!!'

The Ancient Powers kept insulting him who knows why, and the look on Choi Han's face...

«Cale-nim, don't feel embarrassed, I have a gift for you too.»

Cale froze again.

'А?..'

The puzzle came together in his head.

'Does he think I'm embarrassed...?'

Indeed.

If one added up all of Cale's behavior from the moment Choi Han walked into the kitchen...

«Huh...»

...It looked like he was embarrassed, not afraid.

His heart was beating like crazy again.

After all, he was only afraid, wasn't he...?

«I am not...»

Cale was about to retort to Choi Han's words, which were certainly not true, when two thoughts struck him.

'If I'm not embarrassed, what am I afraid of? He'll figure it out!!!'

'He's...got me a present...?'

Interest must have reflected on Cale's face.

«I'll give it to you after your present.»

A gentle and kind smile appeared on Choi Han's face. Somehow it worked as a calming effect - in a second all the worries flew from Cale's heart as if they had never existed.

«Okay.»

After smiling back at Choi Han, Cale finally set the plates on the table, pulled out various appetizers, and placed two glasses on the table.

Then he opened the lid covering the frying pan.

«Is that Bulgogi?!»

The enthusiasm on Choi Han's face was so pure and sincere that Cale's heart once again pricked with conscience. 

He could have pleased him like this before.

There was no need to make it a holiday present.

In the next minute, however, thoughts flew out of Cale's mind.

He had a plate in his left hand and a cooking paddle in his right.

One step separated him from the beginning.

<This is your last chance to give up...>

Once again ignoring the Super Rock, Cale put some food on Choi Han's plate.

He could give up on a lot of things, he could even give up on the life of a slacker...

But he couldn't give up on Choi Han.

After placing the food on his plates, he sat down in his seat. Of course, there was a small portion of real beef in the frying pan at the right side - Сale wasn't exactly whishing to eat himself. That would be... Weird.

Nevertheless, he still had to at least taste the dish, and besides...

Cale reached for the bottle. However...

«Cale-nim, let me make it myself.»

Choi Han stood up and took the bottle of wine in his left hand. Cale wanted to give him the corkscrew, but suddenly...

Choi Han's right hand flashed through the air in a split second, as if gently running across the neck of the bottle.

Cale's heart raced fast in his chest.

'Scary punk.'

Who opens an expensive, century-old bottle of wine like that?!

The neck of the bottle slid neatly to the side, as if it had never been attached to the bottom.

«Done.»

Pride could clearly be read in Choi Han's eyes.

Cale felt the need to say something before the situation became ridiculous and Choi Han felt stupid.

«...That was cool.»

Choi Han flinched, nearly spilling the precious wine, and Cale...

'Ah.'

Suddenly he felt hot, as if he had put his face close to an open fire.

Somehow now he felt stupid himself.

There was an awkward silence, but Cale was glad that he could see the brightness in Choi Han's eyes, even though his expression was somewhat embarrassed.

There was a gurgling sound as the wine poured into the glasses in a scarlet stream.

His heart began to pound too fast again.

Cale took his glass in his hand, and...

«To being together as long as possible.»

There was a clinking sound as their glasses touched lightly.

Cale pretended to drink a little and froze.

He was afraid.

No, he was terrified, really.

Choi Han knew that flavor perfectly well, and Cale was afraid that...

«...This wine...»

Cale squeezed his eyes shut, preparing an argument as to why...

«It's so sweet! I've never tasted wine this good!»

'А?..'

Cale froze.

That... Wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

Shouldn't this wine have a strong iron flavor?

Cale sipped some, fearing that he had mistaken the bottles.

'Huh?!'

«It's just gorgeous...»

Cale watched in horror as Choi Han finished all the wine in his glass in one gulp...

«This... I could get used to this...»

...Wine half mixed with Сale's blood.

Choi Han's greedy gaze was directed toward the bottle, where there was still half left. In fact, Cale had two more of these, but... 

'I've been making this wine for a week!!!!'

Cale spent an entire week carefully, little by little, decanting the blood into bottles - an unnecessary portion of the wine he had drunk for courage.

In fact, the original plan was to dilute the drink by only a quarter, but Cale got a little carried away, trying to calm his nerves after thinking about what would happen to him if Choi Han found out...

Nevertheless, he didn't notice. He didn't notice, drinking the wine and praising it, and.

'W-Why is my blood so sweet...?'

Did Fredo talk about this very thing? Not only was his blood healing for vampires, but it literally tasted good...?

In the midst of these thoughts, Cale almost missed the moment when Choi Han poked a piece of meat on his fork.

'Oh.'

Cale blushed.

'That's...'

Choi Han raised his fork slowly. When he saw Cale looking at him intently, he smiled - he probably thought he was just worried about whether it tasted good...

He was partly right.

'I hope he likes it...'

A strange thought beat in Cale's head as he froze, watching Choi Han's lips touch the piece of meat, an then how he put it in his mouth...

«Mmmm... Very tasty, Cale-nim!»

Cale's heart skipped a beat or two.

«R-Really?»

Choi Han chewed carefully with visible enjoyment on his face.

«Yes... I think this is the best meat I've ever eaten in my life... It's... What is this meat...?»

Choi Han ate another forkful of marinated meat.

«It's too tender. It's just... It's just great.»

'He likes it.'

Cale exhaled, and for some reason his breath hitched like he'd run a couple of kilometers.

«...Cale-nim?»

Choi Han paused for a moment, looking worriedly at Cale. Apparently, he thought he wasn't feeling well, when in fact he was...

«Eat. I was just a little worried about the taste.»

Choi Han smiled and ate some more, and Cale put his legs together, feeling strangely hot.

He was almost shaking.

His head was empty, only the wonderful sight of Choi Han eating his meat with pleasure was before his eyes.

'He... '

The sight was driving him insane. 

Watching Choi Han taste him, savoring his meat with pleasure... 

Cale with great difficulty held back a moan, instead exhaling, turning away, and pouring more wine for Choi Han. 

«Do you want more...?»

A gentle smile was on Cale's face as he put a second portion on Choi Han's plate. He didn't understand what was happening to him, but...

...The truth was that he had never felt so good.

'This... This is just crazy.'