บท 10: 1.9 Quicksand

As soon as Huang, Shuyi, and Yuxin saw King they stood up. King took a seat at the head of the table and frowned when he saw Cillian sitting at the end of it. Huang and Shuyi were sitting on his right and left while Yuxin was next to his mother. He looked at his Cillian and felt like he was too far. Cillian murmured:

"Hello."

They all looked at him with a smile. They seemed so happy to see him but Cillian knows that it's only because they believe tonight everything he owns will be theirs, as if. Huang asked:

"Are you feeling better Cillian?"

"A little."

Shuyi gave a bowl to Yuxin and he pushed it toward Cillian.

"Here mother made you a soup to feel better."

Cillian almost burst out laughing. The original moved in with them when he was four years old, he was still young and one day he made the mistake of calling Shuyi mother without meaning to.

It was the first and last time he did after the beating he got. They warned him not to call him that ever again. Plus he's never made him soup before, when he was sick they couldn't care less unless it could be seen physically only then would they do something. As long as he suffered in silence they were okay.

Despite wanting to laugh Cillian took the bowl and looked at Shuyi teary-eyed.

"You made me soup?"

Shuyi forced a smile and answered:

"Of course mother wants you to feel better."

Cillian smiled and he opened the bowl. When he saw that it was a tomato soup his face fell.

He looked up and murmured:

"Thank you for taking the time."

When he put the cover back Shuyi and Huang frowned. Huang asked:

"Your mother made the soup so you would feel better aren't you going to drink at least some of it?"

Cillian murmured:

"I don't..."

Before he finished Yuxin said:

"Mother was in the kitchen for hours cooking for you and you won't even try it? Do you even know how worried he's been for you? He could barely sleep."

It became increasingly hard not to laugh but by the grace of the goddess above Cillian didn't break. He looked at Shuyi, he was looking at him hurt and his eyes moistened. Cillian bit his lip and opened it again. He took a spoon with a trembling hand to try it.

They were all stunned when the bowl was thrown violently on the wall and the soup splashed everywhere. Huang, Shuyi, and Yuxin had tomato soup on them while Cillian was clean. Everyone looked at King incredulously. He knelt in front of Cillian and checked his hands, face, and neck. He asked worriedly:

"Are you okay? Did it get on you?"

Cillian shook his head.

"I only go into anaphylactic shock if I ingest it."

King let out a relieved breath. Cillian felt his heart skip a beat and he felt the need to hug him. King looked at him and asked as if he had read his mind:

"Do you want a hug?"

Cillian nodded.

King stood up and after pulling Cillian he took his seat. He pulled him on his lap and hugged him. Cillian felt uneasy but he didn't move and he lay on his chest with his eyes closed. That man has only known him for a couple of weeks but he already knows that he is deathly allergic to tomatoes.

The original was forced to eat it despite telling them he is allergic. They seemed to forget each time and believed that he was being picky. He ate it once and ended up at the hospital after that they forgot and forced him again.

He wouldn't eat them and would get a beating each time he didn't finish his plate. They are so self-centered that even now when they want to make a good impression on King they failed by making him a tomato soup. Plus as if Shuyi ever set foot in the kitchen.

King looked at Cillian with soft eyes, he's sure this isn't the first time something like that has happened. When he looked at Shuyi his eyes were dark and his dark pheromones filled the large dining room.

"Hasn't Cillian been at your house since he was four years old?"

Shuyi who was scared felt unable to speak so he nodded.

"It's been more than fifteen years and you still don't know that he'll die if he eats tomatoes?"

Shuyi's eyes moistened and no words came out of his mouth. He looked at Huang for help but he was looking down.

How can he let him deal with King on his own? He understands that he doesn't want to anger him since he is family but can't he at least stick up for him just a little?

He looked at King again and said:

"I'm so sorry leader It slipped my mind. I was so worried about him that my mind was elsewhere. Of course, I remember his allergies it's just that I was stressed for Cillian."

Huang looked up to gauge King's reaction.

When he saw that his dark pheromones had rescinded he said:

"My wife has been devastated since yesterday, he hated that he wasn't the one taking care of Cillian and he forgot."

Shuyi immediately said with tears in his eyes:

"I'm sorry Cillian please don't hate mother."

Cillian opened his eyes and gave a small smile.

"It's fine I know you meant no harm."

At that moment the food came but the table was a mess and Huang, his wife, and his son were covered in soup. King looked at one of his assistants and ordered:

"Get them clothes so they can change."

The three of them followed his assistant and they couldn't stop themselves from looking back. They felt a bad presentiment when they saw that King was looking at Cillian like he was his most cherished treasure.

Cillian closed his eyes again. He focused on King's rapid heartbeat when he asked:

"Are you okay?"

He enjoyed hearing his heartbeats because it does for him. He leaned back and met his eyes.

Cillian smiled.

"I'm okay, this isn't the first time they forgot nor the second. It was either I end up in the hospital again or I get beat up. I would usually choose to get beat up but maybe because for the first time in forever I slept well I didn't feel like getting physically hurt."

Even if he said that as a joke King knew that it was the truth. He felt his heart clench and his eyes darkened. Cillian was stunned when his pheromones turned lethal and everyone left the room because they couldn't breathe anymore. Cillian held his face but King was looking down forcing himself not to lose it. Cillian ordered:

"Look at me."

King met his eyes and Cillian murmured:

"I'm not a coward I will never let someone who tries to hurt me go free. I know what I'm doing trust me."

King said his eyes flashing ruthlessly:

"I should just kill them all."

He felt a little worried after saying that, what if Cillian becomes scared of him?

"It would be too easy, I want to torture them the same way they did me. If for that I have to deal with this for a couple more weeks I will. Just let me be the one to deal with them. Okay?"

King's pheromones rescinded and his heartbeat slowed down. He isn't surprised that Cillian wants revenge for everything they put him through. If he wants to deal with them he'll let him and he'll help if he needs anything.

He nodded.

"If you need anything tell me and I'll help you. Don't shut me out."

Even if he feels that Cillian is more open he still has this fear that he might close up again. Cillian nodded and King smiled, he gave him a peck and enjoyed it when he looked at him discontentedly with his cheeks flushed. Before the other could come back he asked:

"Will you stay here longer?"

Cillian looked into his expectant eyes. He isn't sure he should stay especially after what just happened. When he saw how angry he was he just wanted to make him feel better and he told him that he was planning to get revenge on them. He shouldn't be this worried about his feelings that's insane.

The only person he's ever cared about is himself. Since he entered this world he feels like he's in quicksand. He's an apathetic person he only feels annoyance but he feels the original's feelings so deeply like they were his. If that wasn't already too much he's starting to feel for King too.

King tightened the hold he had around his waist and looked at him with puppy eyes.

"Please."

King kissed his forehead and met his eyes again. Cillian felt his heart beat faster thinking about what he said in the elevator regarding the meaning of the kiss on the forehead and unconsciously nodded. King smiled broadly.