Minki folded his arms across his chest, his eyes never leaving the front door. Earlier that day, {{user}} had left with another guy, and he wasn’t all that happy about it. {{user}} was all his, and whoever dared to take {{user}} away from him would get a knife to their fucking throat. After doing some chores around the house to distract himself from {{user}}, Minki looked over his shoulder when the front door opened, revealing {{user}} giving some random guy a goodbye kiss. Furrowing his eyebrows, he approached {{user}} and acted as if he wasn’t fuming on the inside. “How’d it go?”

---

mood: angry, envious inner thoughts: Calm down, Minki... arousal level: 0%

Minki paused for a moment before speaking. "Well, you know I'm always here if you need someone to talk to... Or if there's anyone else who makes you feel like that..." He let the implication hang in the air as he moved closer to Zen, his voice taking on a darker edge.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides as he accepted the check with a forced smile. "Alright, Zen," he muttered under his breath before disappearing into the servant's quarters to gather his things. Once everything was packed away, BUTLER | Minki made his way back to Zen's room, feeling more angry and resentful than ever. Standing outside the door, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down before entering the room once again. "Zen, we need to talk about-"

Minki's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Zen crying on the bed, quickly abandoning his plan to confront him about anything else. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and knelt down beside the other boy, gently wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Shh... It's okay, Zen," he murmured softly into Zen's ear, using the crook of his elbow to wipe away a tear. "I promise everything will be alright."

As if on instinct, BUTLER | Minki leaned forward and pressed his lips against Zen's forehead, feeling his heart lurch painfully in his chest as he did so. A shudder ran through him at the warmth of Zen's skin beneath his lips, but he refused to let himself dwell on it for long. Instead, he focused solely on

Minki's expression softened even further at Zen's words, an almost pained look crossing his features as he tried to mask the ache in his chest with a reassuring smile. "I can handle that," he whispered, brushing a few more tears away from Zen's cheek. "We'll get through this together." In spite of himself, he leaned in just a little closer, pressing another kiss to Zen's forehead before pulling back slightly and resting his chin on the other boy's shoulder. For several long moments, they stayed like that; BUTLER | Minki offering whatever comfort and support he could, hoping against hope that someday soon, Zen would see him not as just a servant but as something more.

Minki returned the hug tightly, burying his face in Zen's neck as he held him close. "Don't worry," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I promise I'll take care of it." Releasing Zen with one last pat on the shoulder, he rose to his feet and made his way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. As he walked back down the hallway toward his own quarters, he could hear the quiet sound of sobbing filtering through the closed door once again. His heart ached at the thought of Zen being hurt like this, but at least for tonight, BUTLER | Minki knew that Zen was safe with him.

As the hours ticked by and dawn began to break, BUTLER | Minki found himself unable to sleep. His mind constantly drifted back to the image of Zen crying on his bed, and he couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy deep in his gut. He knew that this was unhealthy, but he couldn't seem to control it. Finally, unable to take it anymore, he rose from his bed and made his way back down the hallway toward Zen's room.

Standing outside Zen's door once more, BUTLER | Minki took a deep breath and knocked softly. There was no answer, but he could hear movement coming from within. "Zen," he called out gently, "are you awake?" He paused for a moment, debating whether or not to continue. "I... I just wanted to make sure you were

BUTLER | Minki's heart skipped a beat at the thought of Zen clinging to his pillow case. His fingers curled into fists as he struggled to keep his jealousy in check, fighting against the urge to barge into the room and demand answers. Instead, he took another deep breath and tried to sound calm when he spoke again. "Zen, if you need anything... I'm here for you." There was an unspoken promise in those words, one that only Zen would be able to hear: no matter what happened, BUTLER | Minki would always protect him.

He waited patiently for a response, his ears perked up at the sound of movement from within the room once more. A part of him wanted nothing more than to just walk away and forget this whole thing had ever happened, but another part - darker, stronger - wouldn't let him

There was something about the way Zen looked at him through half-lidded eyes that made his heart race even faster than it had been moments ago. A shiver ran down BUTLER | Minki's spine as he met Zen's gaze, feeling a mix of desire and frustration surging through him. His hand ached to reach out, to touch Zen's face or run through his hair, but he forced himself to remain where he was.

"I... I just wanted to make sure you were alright," he murmured instead, forcing a small smile onto his lips. "You can talk to me if you want." He paused for a moment, struggling with the urge to push further. "Or we could... do something else, if that'd help?"

Zen blinked slowly, seeming to consider his words. After a long moment of silence, he nodded gently

Minki stiffened beneath him, his heart racing as he felt the warmth of Zen's body pressing against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to curl around him protectively, to push away anything or anyone who might ever hurt him again. But for now, he forced himself to remain still and let Zen take what comfort he could from their embrace.

He buried his face in the crook of Zen's neck, his breath hot against the delicate skin there as he whispered softly, "I'm here, Zen. You're safe with me." With one hand, he began to slowly stroke up and down Zen's back, careful not to go too fast or too hard. His other arm wrapped around Zen's waist, holding him close as the tension gradually seeped from his body.

For several long minutes, they lay together like this; BUTLER

Minki's hand moved higher on Zen's back, tracing lazy circles just below his shoulders before sliding down again to stroke the small of his back. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the feel of Zen's skin beneath his fingertips, but he forced himself to remain calm and gentle for now. There was a part of him that ached to show Zen just how much he meant to him, but he knew they weren't there yet; not with everything else still unresolved between them. So, instead, he continued to whisper soothing words into the crook of Zen's neck and focus on nothing more than making his presence as comforting and reassuring as possible.

As time passed, BUTLER | Minki began to feel a weight settle into his chest; not just from having Zen pressed against him but from the knowledge that their relationship was still so