//macabre magic
@feyhawon
theyâve long since left the main event of the evening, taehyun leading hawon out through the least dense crowd he can find toward the nearest exit. his head was still swimming with whatever alcoholic concoction his peers had poured carelessly down his throat, and heâs certain his vision still sparkles with a thin layer of whatâs left of whatever harmless psychedelic charm once sat at the bottom of his glass. but the moon was high and the night was young and he knew all too well what that meant for the festivities of the witchesâ halloween bash; he knew from experience, from word of mouth and prior yearsâ parties, and he knew that this was a year he did not belong in that particular portion of the nightâs celebrations.Â
he also knew hawon should not be there either, and at the first sign of unbridled, indiscriminate affection among witches he knew and witches he didnât, taehyun had curled long fingers around hawonâs wrist, gently but firmly, and guided him wordlessly toward the door.
now, they walked, still tethered at the hand, but with hawonâs hand in his, through the nearest cemetery, air thick with the energy of spirits eager to crossover on an open pathway created by the moon hanging in the bright night sky.
hawon would know how comically stereotypical this was of taehyun, the jaeseung witch luring the object of his affections through the beds of the dead, perhaps to tempt his newfound partner in magic to dabble in necromancy or blood magic or worse. but taehyun had no intention of dragging hawon into any dark arts, too cautious of his own dabbling to subject his closest friend to its dangers. instead, he knew the cemetery would be a welcome peaceful contrast to the party theyâd just snuck out of: crisp, clean air buzzing gleefully with otherworldly magic; a wide empty space uncrowded physically but crowded spiritually.
there was some truth to the stereotypes, taehyun thought, as he snuck a glance at hawonâs expression out of his peripheral vision, certain he could see the moonlightâs casting its ethereal magic across the pink crown of hair. truth in that he had the slightest hope this might be a little romantic, in that strange, macabre way a cemetery on the night of the dead could be.
âfeeling better?â he tries, with a knowing smile, turning to hawon as they walk carefully across the varied terrain of full earth covered in manicured lawn, âwe could always go back, if you want.â
maybe itâs the gwiin blood that runs in his veins, or maybe itâs as simple as being an extrovert; hawon thrives in lights, loud noise, and large crowds. sometimes it feels like he literally feeds his magic off of the excitement of the crowd; each shriek of laughter from a group of girls lost somewhere in the thrall sending electric sparks up his spine, down his arms, and settling in his fingertips. maybe itâs just the influence of the full moon tonight, painting the world cold in shades from a cloudless sky. whatever it may be, hawon feels invincible. he feels high and floating above the masses of young witches in the best way possible.
and when taehyunâs fingers wrap around his wrist, drag him back from some sparkly fantasy and back to reality, he canât even be mad. he smiles sweetly, albeit lazily, and lets his best friend lead him through the party and out the door. hawon feels a little too invincible; if they had stayed much longer, heâd come crashing down too hard.
summer has long given up the fight and given way to autumn, the air crisper than hawon would really like. it makes him press a little closer against taehyun, another body familiar, but more importantly, warm. always warm. heâs content enough like this, even being lead away from the crowd. still a little tipsy, a little high on the enchantments that any good gwiin or hanu witch is sure to include in their parties, but safe with his fingers tangled into his best friendâs. he feels himself coming back to earth more and more the farther they get away from the event and the magic. thereâs a different sort of buzz in the graveyard that he can tune into.
âi feel great,â and as if to prove it, he squeezes the hand in his own. âiâd ask if weâre going to raise the dead tonight but iâm pretty sure theyâve done that themselves already.â halloween was the time for the spirits to walk among the living once again. thereâs no fun in animating a corpse with no one home. âwe probably shouldâve taken some snacks or something though. iâm too skinny to be a good sacrifice.â
a joke about the darker reputation of the jaeseung witches; hawon has absolutely no fear of taehyun executing him in the middle of a cemetery, even if he might have done something to deserve it at some point. but he does have that craving for salt and snacks from the drinks now pleasantly settled in his veins; they shouldâve snagged some chips or something on their way out. heâs not going to starve to death by any means, but he might start complaining in ten minutes.
he stops their trek through the tombs, holds taehyun there next to him for just a second. impulse has him stretching his body up, closing that gap to plant a kiss on taehyunâs cheek. because he wants to. because he can.
















