Man in the Woods: Rozdział II [ENG]

He stared blankly at the world outside the car window, not minding what was happening around him. The blue, summer skies and the birds chirping happily in the trees couldn’t help his mood anymore, as they did a few days ago. When they reached the outskirts of Seoul, his body started to shake involuntarily, and a few choked sobs left his mouth. He would rather go to Hell than return to this cursed place, but there he was, sitting with Baekhyun in a police car, driving once more through the forest to the mansion. Crying, with his hand clamped silently over his lips, he felt how Baekhyun hugged him tightly, telling him that everything will be okay, that he won’t leave him alone no matter what. Finally, Tao gave in, feeling the scent of the other’s body; he snuggled his face to the man’s chest, breathing in his scent and not even trying to calm himself down. Through half-lidded eyes he saw the concerned and somewhat pained look on the officer’s Park face, but at that moment he couldn’t care any more.

After his mental breakdown, when Chanyeol (he let them use his first name) told him that he has to go back to the house he just managed to escape from, Baekhyun did some small talk with the said man, and the with the chief of the department. Tao didn’t really know what was said then, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The important thing was, it was decided that, because of his poor mental health at the moment, Baekhyun will accompany and live with him in the mansion as his caretaker. The young boy was really grateful to his Hyung, that he didn’t leave him alone is such situation. It took them (mostly Baekhyun, because Tao practically hadn’t had any personal belongings) two whole days to pack the needed things, because they didn’t know for how long they would be made to stay there. Also, the older man made sure to let Tao know, that no matter what happens, he will be always welcomed to his home. Because neither Baekhyun or Tao owned a car, on the third day came Chanyeol in a police car, ready to take them to their destination. They looked at him surprised, when they saw two suitcases, and he answered to them with a nice smile, that because of Tao’s condition when he left his ex-boyfriend, it was decided that Chanyeol was going to live with him, to ensure that through investigation, no one will harm them. It helped Tao a little to know, that someone in power would be there to protect him, but his mind was still filled with pessimistic thoughts.

When through the thickness of the forest he caught a glimpse of the so hated villa, he felt like puking his insides out. Baekhyun looked at him with worried expression, asking him silently if he was feeling okay, and Tao lied to him that yes, averting his gaze and once more looking out of the window at the forest surrounding them. In the next second, his eyes caught something, that definitely shouldn’t be there. With silent, wide eyes, he looked at the blonde Asian man, who was standing beside one of the trees, watching Tao with eyebrows furrowed a little, as if thinking of something really hard. Tao was taken aback by the beautifulness of the man. He was tall and muscular, which could be easily seen through his tight t-shirt. His eyes, dark and somewhat shiny, were watching him carefully, making the boy forget about everything else. Then, the young man’s eyes traced lower, through the straight nose to the full, plump lips, that parted slightly at that second, as if to say something. In the next moment they closed though, and the beautiful man frowned even deeper, disappearing fast between the trees.

He blinked a few times, simply confused, not sure whether what he saw was reality, or just a trick of his imagination. Then, he remembered the blonde color he saw while running away through the forest, was the same as this mysterious man’s hair. Tao furrowed his brows, trying to remember this particular moment, and came to conclusion, that not even the color was the same, the place where he have seen it was also similar, if not the same. When the car stopped at the pavement across the entrance to the villa, and Tao was still deep in his thoughts, searching cautiously the bushes around the house, Chanyeol turned to him with furrowed brows and a concerned face.

“Tao, have you seen something out of place in the forest just now?” he asked, watching his reaction warily. For a second, the raven haired thought about telling him about the mysterious person, but something told him not to do this. So, he only shook his head reassuringly, still not being able to smile.

“No Hyung… it’s just that this place makes me nervous” he answered quietly, looking away and letting Baekhyun hug him affectionately.

Chanyeol looked at them for a few seconds more, but nonetheless smiled to him warmly, and got out of the car.

He helped them take their suitcases inside, and Baekhyun asked Tao quietly, whether he could show them a little around, so that he didn’t need to take them everywhere by himself.

Still a little distracted by a man behind the trees, the young man didn’t even postpone much; with and unreadable face he showed them the kitchen, two bathrooms downstairs and three upstairs (each beside a bedroom), and told them to pick whichever ones they like. Then he pointed with his finger to the far left end of the corridor, informing them with a monotone voice that it was his bedroom.

He then took his suitcase from Chanyeol’s grip and directed in the room’s direction. Halfway he was stopped by Baekhyun, who smiled to him warmly, and said no to stay in there long, for he will be right now preparing dinner. Before entering the bedroom he choose, Chanyeol assured him also, that if he feels insecure or if anything feels for him off, he can call him anytime, and Tao smiled to him a little with gratefulness.

The raven haired boy closed the door after him, and tossed the suitcase in the corner, not really caring what happened to it. He plopped on the bed just across the door, standing right before the big, thin wall of glass. He sighed and sneezed a little, when the dust that covered the whole room reached his nose.

“Long time no see…” he murmured to himself, looking out of the window, at the endless amount of green forest before him.

The room was his first bedroom, when he came to the mansion. Until he was in there, nothing bad happened to him. But then, his ex-lover requested that he move to the master’s bedroom, and Tao happily complied, content that his lover wanted him in his own bed.

The moment he stepped out of his own room, it became inaccessible for him, because the man wanted Tao always by his side.

After some time, the Chinese boy was able to steal the key to the room, and was sneaking here in search for a good place to hide, in times the man was going wild all around the house.

After a while he propped himself on his elbows, and started to look slowly around the room. As he expected, in a slightly opened wardrobe there still were his old clothes (well, not so old, but for him, they were like from past era), all colorful and straight from fashion houses. He then looked at himself – simple black jeans and a, also black, jersey. A lot of things have changed, since the last time  he wore one of those things. Next to the wardrobe was a huge flat TV hanging on the wall, but the remote to it was nowhere to be found. Not that Tao planned to watch here any television, he long lost any interest in it. Then there was his desk, with a few of his sketches still sprawled across the wooden surface. He must have forgot them then, but he wasn’t in a mood to check, what things he was designing at that moment. There was nothing more in the room, and so the man once more let his head fall on the bed, sighing silently, and closing his eyes, attempting to take a little nap to ease his nerves.

He laid there for a few seconds, but then he felt, like he was watched from afar. He knitted his brows, and opened his eyes, warily looking around himself, feeling a rush of adrenaline strike through his veins.

Anything changed in the room, only a light shade of orange illuminated everything, as the sun started to slowly go down. Then something clicked in Tao’s head and he looked outside the enormous window, protecting his eyes with his hand, so he could see easier.

He was scanning the forest for a few minutes now when he spotted it, and his heart picked up his race, and he didn’t really know why.

Between the two trees, that were directly across his bedroom windows, he once more saw the mysterious guy from earlier. This time he was comfortably resting against the tree, with his hands on his chest, and his dark orbs fixed on his prey.

Tao gulped loudly under the blonde’s attentive and hard stare. He felt how his body unconsciously raised itself from the mattress and he walked up to the glass, bringing his face closer to it’s cold surface, so he could see better.

When the forest man noticed him, his stance didn’t change, but his muscles tensed visibly, like he was prepared to escape. It seemed, that he could run any time now, and the boy brought his hand to the glass, resting it there, and opening his lips, to ask the other to stay. But then he remembered, that he probably couldn’t hear him from up here, and he closed his lips once more.

The tall man’s eyes now didn’t leave the young man’s for even one second, and Tao didn’t really want to break the eye contact too.

Those eyes… they were beautiful for him. Deep, with thick dark brows, that didn’t really match with the blonde hair, but at the same time, they were weirdly making the man even more handsome.

He felt his breath hitch for a moment, when right hand of the man left his chest, and slowly combed through his hair, taking a lonely strand out his eyes. Tao didn’t even realize, when the glass around him became all steamy from his hot, ragged breath.

Forest man also seemed to notice it, and a playful smirk rose to his plump, full lips, his dark orbs never leaving Tao’s. The raven couldn’t resist the urge to bite his lower lip, and bring his body even closer to the window, leaning his forehead on its surface.

It seemed to him, that the other also took a step forward, carefully going out from between the trees; he seemed mesmerized in the moment the same way Tao did.

Then the door to his room clicked quietly, and he jumped suddenly in surprise, losing the sight of the blonde for a moment. He looked at the door, frightened. Chanyeol looked at him with sorry in his eyes, but seeing how he was glued to the window, he quickly came to his side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He looked at the forest, and even though it started to dawn, he scanned it thoroughly. Tao looked there also, and he found with a little disappointment in his heart, that the mysterious man was gone.

Then, Chanyeol turned to him; he was no longer in his police officer uniform; just simple, blue jeans and a plain white shirt.

“Tao, have you seen something there?” he looked him deep into his eyes, searching for an answer there. Tao opened his lips once more, thinking hard whether to tell the man about his discovery, but something in his head almost yelled at him not to do this.

What if he tells Chanyeol about his, and he will take care of the guy? And Tao was pretty sure, that he wanted to see the blonde once more.

So he closed his mouth and stared at the man apologetically, scratching his head a little in embarrassment.

“You know… there was this little deer wandering around in the bushes near the house, I got lost in watching him…”

The tensed muscles of the man relaxed visibly and a relieved smile returned to his face. He laughed a little under his breath, patting lightly Tao’s shoulder.

“Then that’s good, Taozi. I’m glad that not everything around here you hate.”

“Oh, there you are” they looked into the doors direction and saw Baekhyun, with his inseparable pink apron on. His hair were a little ruffled, as always when he was cooking, and he was breathing faster than usual.

“This mansion is really, really big. I get why you don’t like it so much, Tao” he huffed, trying to make his hair look a little better, when he saw Chanyeol “Well, nevermind” he shrugged it off quickly, not giving Tao enough time to think of any kind of response “Take a quick shower Taozi, and come down for dinner. You too” he pointed to Chanyeol, who sent him a flashy smile.

“I can even come there now and help!” he offered proudly, and Baekhyun laughed.

“If you say so” he teased, and the two men exited the room.

Tao smiled a little to himself, and once more walked up to the window, looking into the forest. For a second he thought that once more he saw a bit of blonde hair, but in the next moment it was gone and he sighed heavily, directing into the bathroom.

This was really weird. After all of the things he had gone through, it would be understandable to think, that he would hate strangers, or even men. But he just… didn’t. Well, of course he wasn’t really welcoming for them either, he preferred to be accompanied only by his closest friends, and now that he was here to guard him, Chanyeol. He also didn’t really like to be touched by other people, excluding Baekhyun, who always was clingy, and Tao had to admit, that he liked to hug him too, because he always smelled like his favorite cookies.

But this man… this man seemed, no, he was, different. Tao saw him only two times, and also at the same day, but he had a weird feeling, that he had seen him somewhere else before.

Where, he couldn’t even think of such a place. He would surely remember such a handsome face.

With a loud thud his head landed on the tiled wall of the bathroom. What he was even thinking about? About some weird guy that was probably a stalker? But on the other hand, he didn’t really hide with his presence… He cursed a little in Chinese under his breath and stepped into the shower, turning on the water.

A loud hiss escaped his mouth, when warm water hit his bruised body, and he wanted to slap himself for his forgetfulness. Earlier he didn’t have a lot of time for himself, so he just took some cold showers to ease the pain… now Baekhyun insisted on him to take warm baths, and for his bruises he offered him some cold bandages.

After a few painful moments, the pain subsided and the raven let his muscles relax a little. He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift away and fill itself with the pictures of the mysterious man. He felt his body grow hot at the memory of the blonde’s lips and his fine body.

Tao shook his head and poked himself in his cheek, pouting at his own thoughts.

“Stop it, you silly. You just now escaped one freak, are you going to let yourself fall into trap of the other?” he murmured to himself with a frown, finally going out of the shower and carefully drying himself up with a fresh towel, Baekhyun packed him to his suitcase.

His hair was still a little ruffled and damp when he came out of the bathroom, but he decided to leave them that way, not that he had someone he could be pretty for once more.

He walked up to his closet, not really knowing why, because he took with himself all the clothes he needed in the suitcase.

Throwing one last look at the window, and the impenetrable darkness outside, he bit his lips and opened the wardrobe.

Picking out, once his favorite, leather panther jeans, and a white t-shirt, alongside with some chains, which he tucked to his pants, he smiled unknowingly a little to himself.

Maybe there was still a reason, he could look up to the next day a little more.