Taekwons Healing

he stroked his hair with one hand

"relax it doesn't bother me that you're a gay celestial"

" in the old days, some celestials were born sexless and could change their genders to whatever they wanted to did you know that?"

he shook his head in the negative ziesoo looked amused

"did you know that many gods also had sexual relations with all kinds of things including some animals and even trees and flowers?"

he shook his head no again his eyes widening in surprise

"it's true you can look it up if you want when you read the stories about some of their sexual exploits and you see the crazy bizarre origins of some gods,

thinking about it that way, being gay does not seem all that weird or bad at all, in fact, it's totally normal in comparison, imagine trying to have sex with a tree or a demon beast if you can"

this image made taekwon giggle despite himself

ziesoo smiled ruffled his hair "it's good you can still laugh at least I'm glad, eat up you're going to need your strength if you're to fully recover"

He stood and walked into another part of the room

Gratefully taekwon began to eat the hot meal,

slowly swallowing down sliced up boil eggs, noodles, and a soup

No one really cared about him yet this stranger who didn't know him...

He paused and started when ziesoo returned and set a beer down in front of him

Before taking a seat in a chair next to the bed, his own beer grasped in his hand

"Sorry" he apologized with a shrug

"don't have any sodas or juice or anything healthy and I just had the eggs and left-over soup in the fridge"

"Thanks anyway," Taekwon replied cracking a smile at the guy's honesty

"beer is fine, beggars can't be choosers, and given that you've saved my life, drinking beer for breakfast is the least of my worries," Taekwon said

Ziesoo chuckled opening his own beer with a fizzy hiss and taking a swig

"That's the spirit, my friend," he said leaning forward and knocked their cans together in a cheers gesture

he chuckled again flashing teeth

Before taking a swig

Right then Taekwon took a mouth full of beer and when ziesoo grabbed his hand suddenly shaking him

making him spit and cough up spilling beer everywhere in the process

"Shit!" he cursed "sorry your ribs" he cried hugging him suddenly

Taekwon pushed him off coughing still trying to catch his breath

"What? "he demanded gasping

"It was stupid but I shouldn't give you a beer you're on meds for the pain,

"We gave you some in the blood iv drip, I forgot so no alcohol for you I'm sorry" he explained quickly

Catching his breath finally

"Thanks for that" he huffed more bemused than annoyed

he took another mouthful of beer anyways

"Yah" ziesoo cried," I said don't drink that"

He narrowed his eyes at him

"You saved my life and after getting the crap kicked out of me, I deserve a beer Hyung"

Ziesoo mouth opened and closed in shock

"I'm so done with saving cubs" he replied and got up and walked out of the room

He came back after he finished the beer, he glowered at him at the sight of the empty beer can

"how old are you anyways? was that your first beer?"

"I'm twenty" Taekwon replied and I've had a beer before I'm not that young I just have a baby face" he complained

"that's still one year younger than the legal drinking age" ziesoo huffed

"what are you going to do call the cops on me?" Taekwon replied with amusement

"how about you?" Taekwon asked watching him stand next to the bed with his hands in the pockets of his sweat pants

"how old are you that you're already an alpha even though you're so young? and you're really high level too"

"I'm twenty-four" Ziesoo answered "and if you're going to stay here, you need to do what I say at least sometimes"

"Since when was I staying with you?" Taekwon responded in surprise

"I didn't save your life so you can go back to your old dorm and get smacked around by those mutts even worse than before understand me"

ziesoo said sternly "in fact had I not had you here injured right now I'd be over there kicking all their asses to hell and back for what they did to you but you got my undivided attention until you fully recover because you matter more" he growled

Taekwon looked at him with a bewildered expression

"my dad kicked me out of our clan because he can't stand me anymore, I'm the runt in my family I don't have any strong powers and even in my own pack I can barely hold my own and repeatedly get picked on,

I can't go home again, how do I matter more? I'm useless, to a strong alpha, like yourself I don't understand why you saved someone like me in the first place" he finished

This disgusted ziesoo even more, what kind of father kicks out his own son? especially a celestial father? did he not understand how important and precious every single survivor of their kind was to their people?

they couldn't afford to lose a single one! not even a low-level cub like Taekwon when their kind numbers had dwindled in population due to machinations of the Black Witch, tiger kind was almost rendered extinct! other clans had it way worse,

with some entire celestial races having been wiped out or with only one or two survivors left

with no way to procreate and regenerate the next generation of celestials it meant the end of their kind unless some kind of miracle occurred

which was why the behavior of taekwon's pack and now he had mentioned it his clan disgusted him so too

ziesoo moved to the bed putting his arms around him hugging him warmly

"you will move in here with me," he said stroking his hair

"you'll be safer and you're my cub now so you stay"

"your cub?" taekwon said pulling back

"I'm not a pet! you can't own me just because you saved me! you know I'm not like some stray cat you picked up what's with you we barely know each other and now you're demanding I move in with you?"

"You called me Hyung first" ziesoo pointed out

"then don't call me a cub anymore" taekwon shot back at him immaturely peeved for no reason

he himself could not understand what the hell was wrong with him? why was he was mouthing off to one who had saved his life?

"I wasn't calling you a cub but it's what you are" ziesoo explained stroking his cheek with his thumb

"something that's really cute and harmless, looking at you, I only want to pet you and protect you but you've been mistreated and thrown away, so you're not trusting me, you're hissing and scratching at me even though I'm just trying to help you" he finished

taekwon couldn't believe what he was hearing he thought he was cute? he wanted to protect him?

on the inside, his heart was doing a happy dance but his head wasn't in agreement just yet

"what are you?" taekwon breathed "why are you caring so much?"

"because that little cub has potential" ziesoo replied "that cute harmless kitten can grow into a big strong beast just like me too when he matures,

I'd like to see that with my own eyes someday, but it will only happen if you stay next to me and be safe from now on, but even saying this, I don't know what I might teach you, I've never raised a cub before I have never had my own pack before either,

I don't know what kind of alpha I will be towards you I want to be good but I could be really bad given that I lack experience, I can only go by my gut feelings, so please don't misunderstand me"

taekwon sighed his resolve was crumbling "why me though? I'm nobody"

"why not you?" ziesoo replied, "you're in trouble and you need help should I have left you alone to die back there then?"

"No!" taekwon cried "of course not I didn't want to die"

"then be a good cub and let me take care of you ok" ziesoo persuaded him

," you go to school around here right? at my university?" Taekwon asked

"I have heard about another alpha that claims the territory on the other side of campus so is that you? the one they call a prince?"

Ziesoo hesitated in answering while Taekwon watched him expectantly

"I'm not a prince" he corrected him slowly

"I am The Prince"

"my full name and the title is, Prince Ziesoo Young of Tigers my dad I'm sure you've heard of him His Majesty King Hedari Young of Tigers"

he explained

Taekwon's jaw was on the floor along with his heart and stomach

he was lying in the bed of the literal prince of their kind he had even saved his life and given him his precious blood to heal his body

he was unworthy how dare he even breathe in his presence if his father found out about this, he was so dead he wouldn't just be beaten up

he would be beheaded for daring to taint such an important person for their kind he was in big trouble!

"I'm a freshman started this semester because I took a year off before I wasn't originally supposed to go to university, but I changed my mind

I work at a restaurant in the area too, so if you're looking for part-time work I can help you out

with that too I'm good with the manager"

ziesoo continued to explain unaware of his internal crisis

Taekwon didn't know what to make of him he was a bit of an oddball a royal prince who lived humbly like an ordinary down earth guy

in a small cheap apartment near the campus and even worked part-time

a very powerful and strong alpha with good looks but he had no pack or mate to speak of

he was a bit gruff and rough around the edges despite his obvious silver spoon upbringing

but he was surprisingly kind and soft-hearted and just a bit charming he had never met anyone like him a literal walking contradiction

"you're staying, right?" ziesoo asked again

"Jeeze yes!" Taekwon replied, "do I even get an option?"

He laid down again pulling the sheet up to cover himself talking to this one made him tired

he needed to heal and time to figure out what he was going to do

ziesoo removed the tray from him and ruffled his hair for the umpteenth time

not that taekwon minded n particular but he couldn't seem to keep hands away from his hair

when he was near him it seemed his natural first instinct was to pet him

"I'll go get your stuff from your dorm for you just sleep till I get back then Tae"

He added on the end "can I call you taetae?"

"Yah!" taekwon protested sitting up again

"what?" ziesoo asked frustrated

taekwon hit his hand away from him "I'm twenty, not six, stop petting me and enough with the cute pet names already calling me cub is already bad enough please" taekwon sighed

"you don't like to be petted and you don't like pet names what do I do with you?"

ziesoo said suddenly grabbed his chin in his hand lifting his eyes to his and gazed down at him with narrowed eyes

"I didn't want to pressure you or bully you because you're injured right now but enough is enough"

he let down the energy barrier that covered his body keeping taekwon protected from his direct touch

golden celestial flames appeared on his hand that was holding his jaw

burning brightly, it quickly raced over both of their forms until it completely covered their bodies

Taekwons eyes went wide as dinner plates he knew without a doubt what those golden flames meant

"you're slowly driving me a little crazy here, I'm trying to hold back because you're injured you need to rest and fully recover before you're capable of taking me on in any capacity,

plus, I'm in a really bad mood, because I've been waiting and waiting, to find my true mate, whether male or female and right when I do people have been hurting you,

you're nearly dead, I almost lost you forever before I even got to meet you, do you have any idea what that's doing to me?"

he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth, it was so warm and soft Taekwon found himself fighting his own response to him wanting to kiss him back

"Are you still going to argue with me little cub?" ziesoo asked in a gentle tone

his amber-eyed gaze was heated and lethal on taekwon senses

taekwon slowly shook his head "NO" he whispered "I won't argue anymore"

"will you stay with me?" he pressed him taekwon swallowed and nodded slowly in agreement

ziesoo's amber gaze held his entrapped as his insides shook

his heart was pounding too hard in his chest

"good I'm out as in leaving the building you're gonna be alone till I get back and you can't move around well with those ribs" he reminded him

"Aieesh!!" taekwon responded "just go already"

"if you need the bathroom it's up the hallway to your left" ziesoo told him

"and you can feel free to watch tv in the living room make yourself at home while I'm gone" he said

he gently stroked his jaw with his fingers one last time before letting him go

leaving the place taekwon felt the absence of his presence after he left like a tangible thing

he exhaled slowly sinking into the pillows and closed his eyes exhausted

and with too many thoughts and feelings racing around in his head he slept