ad meliora

feykijung​:

kijung wonders if hyunwoo has grown kinder, or his own memory of him was smudged by the hands of grief. his presence is warm the way donghyun’s is bright, and he thinks, if they’re to be a bonded pair, that they’ll suit each other well. perhaps foolishly, kijung hopes he can remain in contact with them both this time. he still hesitates to call it friendship, and there is danger in surrounding yourself with people you don’t want to lose if you’re an immortal, but…well, he’ll think about it.

“are you happier?” kijung asks, figuring it only fair that he poses his own question after answering hyunwoo’s. he isn’t sure if hyunwoo looks happier, but maybe. he doesn’t look like he’s suffering, at least, and sometimes, after seeing and experiencing as much as they have, it’s all you can ask.

these are questions kijung can appreciate, somehow easier to answer than how have you been? and more sincere too– harder to lie in response to. kijung has an inkling that even with all the time that passed between them, they’ll still speak the truth with one another, and it’s…nice, despite kijung’s previous reservations.

maybe it’s nice because hyunwoo doesn’t ask more questions. there’s no suspicion, or inquiry about how kyuhwan was turned– no request for further details at all, and while kijung wouldn’t mind (carefully) speaking about his best friend, it comes as a relief. family. “yes,” he replies. that’s what mei and kyuhwan are to him. a mother, and now an eternal best friend and brother. “i’m glad too.” some vampires don’t have anymore. kijung always pities them, because he is far more lucky.

the question catches him off guard — it’s something he hadn’t expected and yet should have expected, all at the same time. the question is one that he hasn’t really considered before. not in the time frame that they had known each other. of course, hyunwoo has suffered loss too, but he doesn’t believe it came around until long after the last time they’d met each other. he’d lost minsoo, but that had been relatively recent in the long stretches of his memory. and he’d found minsoo again, years later, which had been a blessing he’d never thought he’d be lucky enough to receive. 

but is he happier? is he happier than the last time they had met? hyunwoo doesn’t think he can answer that question. the thing is, his time with haneul had been some of the most precious times in his life. she had been warm and kind, and had taught him a considerable amount of patience. as a child, he had always tended towards the more impulsive side, and that had changed as time passed and he grew up. with haneul, he had learned about strength, patience, kindness, and love. he wishes their lives could have been easier, but he doesn’t think that they suffered unduly. 

the times had been hard, that was all. after a long pause, where he had carefully considered his words, he finally says, “i don’t know if i’m happier now than i was before.” his voice is soft and contemplative. “i don’t think i was particularly unhappy back then... life could have been easier, but i think i was still happy, then.” 

     he makes a soft sound while shaking his head, and he doesn’t think there’s anything he needs to ask hyunwoo to do for him, though there’s a brief thought of asking the familiar to maybe toss the garbage since it’s dark outside but he brushes off that thought. he’s been throwing the trash out the morning after instead of at night like usual, but it hasn’t really hindered his schedule at all. 

     chancing a glance at the garbage bags he had left by the front door, hyunjin shrugs instead. “i just need to take your cup and plate … so maybe if you could wipe the table while i do the dishes that would be great!” he asks instead, thinking that was enough help from hyunwoo as it was. “there’s a cloth on the counter that should still be damp since i just used it!”

       he doesn’t say anything else, taking the dish that he had delivered the pastry on and hurrying away to go and wash it. it’s the last thing he needs to clean so he opts to handwash it instead of turning on the commercial dishwasher. once he’s finished with that, he dries his hands and does a last check of everything in the store before deeming that he was ready to close for the night. “are you ready hyung?” he calls out from the back office, putting on his jacket. “you can leave the cloth on the counter … i’ll deal with it tomorrow morning.”

there’s something about having been alive for so long that has honed hyunwoo’s perception of even small tells, especially of those he knows particularly well. now that he’s bonded once more with donghyun, he has his enhanced senses once again, too. all of these combined means that hyunwoo notices when hyunjin’s eyes flicker towards the garbage bags piled up by the door, the minuscule tilt of his head, and he pauses. 

“i’ll toss the garbage first, then wipe the table,” he offers gently. even so, there’s no room that he leaves for hyunjin to really protest, not that he thinks the other would protest. it’s fairly clear that hyunjin, easily scared as he is, isn’t willing to go out in the dark alone to toss the garbage bags. not that hyunwoo blames the younger (or even minds), given that the nights can be dangerous, especially for an unbonded witch like hyunjin who is quite non-confrontational.

feysohye​:

sohye is fifteen, but she feels like she’s aged much more than the two years she’s lived since her thirteenth birthday. learning to control her power has been a tumultuous journey, one that has left her far more world weary than the average fifteen year old. she’s been lucky though, there’s a lot of people in her life—witches and familiars—who have helped her, taught her, and kept her safe. if it wasn’t for them, she might have succumbed to the whispers of the dead, and one of many things the last two years have taught her is a grater appreciation for the people she cares about.

however, there was one absence over the past two years that didn’t go unnoticed. she can’t blame hyunwoo. she’s only been bonded to aera for two years, but she’s known her familiar her entire life, the idea of being torn from her … sohye doesn’t want to think about it, but she’s sure that if she was in hyunwoo’s shoes, she’d disappear and stop talking to everyone too. but still, she misses him. misses his pretty face and the comforting nature of his presence, and the way he always seemed to be able to make time for her.

she sees him seconds after he sees her, their eyes meeting across the room, a bright, wide smile instantly spreading itself across her face. “hyunwoo oppa!” she exclaims, running towards him and almost tackling him in a hug. even though she’s grown since the last time he saw her, she only barely reaches his chest, but that doesn’t stop her from giving him the biggest, tightest hug she can manage. “I missed you,” she tells him when she finally pulls away. “and you missed a lot! I’m a full witch now! I have control of my power and everything!”

as soon as sohye had known what a crush was, she had one on hyunwoo. an attractive, older guy who was always nice to her? how could she not have a crush on him? she’d thought, maybe, since she hadn’t seen him for a while, that her crush may have faded into nothing. but here he is, handsome as ever, seemingly there just for her, and sohye’s discovering that it’s true when they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. “it’s really good to see you,” she tells him, softer, praying the blush on her cheeks isn’t obvious.

he can’t help his own tiny little smile from spreading across his face at her obvious excitement and enthusiastic greeting, and he wraps his own arms around her, the girl he remembered from two years ago having grown up a lot. it makes him feel a little bit bad for having disappeared for so long without a word — although he’s sure that she would have eventually heard of the reason. it wasn’t really a secret, after all, no matter how taboo it was considered to discuss such a painful topic openly. 

but regardless, the open enthusiasm and genuine warmth from the young girl has him smiling, small though it is. it comes easily, more easily than it has in the past two years, and he wonders if maybe secluding himself with his grief was not the right step to take. “i missed you too, sohye.” he says gently, a heavy hand lifting and gently resting on her head, patting it like he had when she was just a little bit younger, when she was a child. in his eyes, she will always be a child, he thinks, despite how obvious she is with her shy affection. 

“you’ve become a full witch?” he asks with a proud tone in his voice. he takes her face between his hands, squishing her cheeks gently, his lips curved up at the corners. “you’ve grown so much, sohye. you gained control of your powers... and you’ve gotten so tall and pretty, too.” the fondness in his voice is nearly palpable despite the muted emotions that he’s been having such a hard time calling to the surface. 

     “santa claus?” he echoes, confused because he honestly hadn’t really looked into the festival at all until hyunwoo had asked him to go to it with him. hyunjin didn’t have any plans to go at all, so it was a bit of a surprise for him when he had briefly read up about it to try to find things to do there. he was still a bit surprised that hyunwoo had approached him first about it, and he’s genuinely not quite sure how to go about this. 

     like … (was this a date? a real date? they’re holding hands.) 

     glancing up at the familiar with a soft sound when he feels a hand on his head, hyunjin just smiles a little and glances away. “are you conspiring against me to have me tell my christmas wishes to santa claus?” he asks, feeling very amused and he shakes his head slightly, even though he’s not opposed to the idea. he wonders if there’s even any physical gift he would want for christmas this year. 

     he realizes belatedly that the older male had asked him a question befoe distracting him with the thought of asking santa claus for a present, and he stares at hyunwoo for a long moment before he recalls the question. “skating?” he asks after, tilting his head slightly to the side. “i don’t think i’ve ever skated before … but i’ll go if you promise not to laugh if i fall.”

“there’s a santa claus,” he confirms with a laugh. “i heard there’s something very special about him. we should go check it out, i’m curious,” he says, even though he knows full well what the surprise is. hard not to, when he’s seen so many variations of the sort. “secretly, i’m just trying to get you to say all your wishes to santa claus so i can eavesdrop on you and fulfill them in the night, so you’ll believe santa claus really does exist.” 

he tries to keep a straight face but it’s incredibly difficult to do so when he’s clearly speaking without an ounce of seriousness in his body. but he really just wants to see hyunjin’s somewhat confused expression as the younger male tries to process whether he’s serious or not. that is, if everything goes according to plan. it could be the case that hyunjin would just not consider his words as possibly being true. 

     he can’t help but roll his eyes at the other’s words, shaking his head slightly in amusement even as he ducks his face so that hyunwoo wouldn’t see the fact that he had rolled his eyes. even despite finding the older’s words amusing, he didn’t want to appear rude or anything. “you’re so annoying, hyung,” he says without any heat in his voice, shaking his head slightly though, he’s also smiling to show that he doesn’t mean it at all.

     taking hyunwoo’s words for what they are, he disappears to finish cleaning up and closing up the shop. the other customers seem to realize that he’s trying to close up and start getting ready to leave, thanking him on the way out as well. hyunjin smiles and waves them out, telling them to have a good night and to come back whenever they want. he smiles, and heads to clean up the now-vacated table. 

     it’s funny to him, considering how much of an introvert he is, that he loves this job so much. he never would’ve thought that he would enjoy working in customer service like this. it’s a fun thing that he’s discovered, and he’s planning to continue running the cafe until he can’t do it anymore. 

     once he’s finished cleaning up everything — having purposely left hyunwoo’s table until the very end — he makes his way over with a damp cloth in hand and a small smile. “i’m done everything except for your table hyung,” he says, smiling. “are you finished your tea?”

he can’t help his fond chuckle when hyunjin ducks his head, and somehow he can already guess that the younger had probably rolled his eyes in exasperated amusement. "hmm... i’m so hurt,” he comments placidly, his lips quirking upwards at the edges as he watches the other, obviously not meaning his words at all, even just by the tone of his voice. 

when hyunjin finally does actually take him at his words, leaving to go and finish up the cleaning duties of the shop, hyunwoo quietly sips at his tea, idly tapping away at his phone. it’s a game that hyunjin had gotten him to download onto his phone. it’s nothing really special, rather, it’s just this game of collecting cats, and hyunjin had first gotten him to download the game by saying that there was a cat in the game that looked like him. once he’d started playing it, he’d found that there was a cat that reminded him of hyunjin, and donghyun, and even eunji. cats everywhere. 

he’s of course heard about the general nature of what bonding it. his father having told him vaguely about his own bonding with his familiar when he was just a little younger than donghyun. though he was a little young, he knows his mom also told him about her bonding. it’s something that comes with being a witch, he knows this. not all witches are lucky enough to be picked by a familiar but all witches are raised knowing it could happen. 

a part of him has always known how lucky he is to have been chosen by hyunwoo. and for the familiar to have stuck by his side for so long without bonding. 

quiet giggles leave the teen as they make their way to his room, so full of excitement and happiness that he can’t properly contain it. this is a big moment, a big step in his life and his relationship with hyunwoo. he knows after this they will be connected until the end of donghyuns days. it’s such a special thing and his heart feels so warm just thinking about it. 

“i’m not worried about it hurting or anything, hyung.” he nods, confident and ready. giving hyunwoo his full attention so that the older knows he is about to back out of this. that the time has finally come and he knows fully that this is what he wants. it’d taken a lot of time but he finally got here. “do i need to do anything? or just bring my magic up like when dad has me meditate?” it’s hard to not fall into twenty questions as donghyun has always been a curious teen, but he doesn’t want to accidentally draw this out any longer. 

he runs a soothing hand over the young witch’s hair. donghyun is always incredibly endearing with how sweet and soft he is, and hyunwoo thinks he’s the unbelievably lucky one to have the good fortune to have donghyun as his soon-to-be bonded witch. there’s no regrets in his mind for having waited this long for the other. he knows that donghyun had insisted at some point that perhaps it would be better for hyunwoo to bond with hyunjin, especially given the fact that they were pursuing some kind of relationship, but hyunwoo’s mind had been made up since donghyun had been two. 

“you just relax and focus on your magic,” he murmurs gently. his lips curl up at the corners and he takes donghyun’s hands in his. “the process of bonding is entirely initiated and conducted by the familiar,” he says in his soothing voice, taking on the role of educator even though it’s not one of their lessons. it’s at least a once in a lifetime chance that donghyun will have to learn about this, as they’ll be bonded for life. if anything, the past two decades have been the perfect time for hyunwoo to become more and more sure in his decision of his lifetime, platonic soulmate than he’d ever been with haneul and minsoo. 

“this is the only magic that a familiar can do,” he says softly even as he reaches deep within himself to pull up the magic he’s only used twice, now. the ritual comes to him like a long lost friend, and he follows its lead without hesitation. this bond has been a long time coming and hyunwoo has felt empty without the bond he’d lived with for so long.

When he had arrived back to his bedroom with the sardines there were a few things he expected. He thought that cat might be wondering around, maybe checking out the new scents. Or that maybe it had found a way out and he just comes back to an empty room. The last thing he thought it could be was just walking into the cat laying right where he had laid it, maybe sleeping, maybe just vibing.

He did not expect to open his door and find himself staring at an obviously naked man. 

he blinks, once. Then again.

“what the fuck?!” The words come out louder than he meant them too, startled but not attempting to run or attack the obvious stranger. Honestly, for finding someone weird and unknown standing naked at his window, his reaction isn’t really that… drastic. “who are you and how did you get here?” He questions, and just because it feels important he tacks on.

“and why are you naked?” 

fuck. 

that’s the first thing that crosses his mind when he hears the door open, the loud exclamation, and the sinking feeling in his stomach that told him he had been caught with his pants down. literally. it’s not even that his pants are down but that he literally has no clothes on. he is genuinely not sure at that moment what would be better. 

would it be better to stand there, absolutely naked, and try to respond to the other? or would it be better to transform back into his cat form and jump out the window? he genuinely isn’t sure, and he parts his lips to try to answer amidst his own panic before he crouches down instead, in an effort to hide his body. forget what he’s going to do, there’s no good solution here. 

“um. before i explain... can i get something to cover up with, if you don’t mind?” he asks, his cheeks flushed pink as he tries to cover as much of himself up as possible. guess he’s staying as a human, even if it’s just for the time being. 

feykijung​:

“i already ate,” kijung assures him, though he appreciates the offer. maybe drank is the more accurate term, but he prefers saying something more…normal, despite being anything but, and knowing anything but, for hundreds of years.

when he sits down, it’s a bit awkwardly, the mark of too long passed between two people, of so much unspoken that there may really be nothing to say at all. luckily, hyunwoo is the one to break the silence, as so many must be with kijung, and the words he chooses are curious ones, though ones kijung can appreciate. skipping the small talk– though in this case, maybe he could’ve used some as a warm up, as time to think about the truth and how much was worth saying and keeping to himself.

“do i?” he asks. is he? surely he must be. the last time he and hyunwoo spoke was during a war, and after kijung’s great loss– the start of the distance kijung grew between them. he has a life here now, and even with the continuing turmoil of the world, and humanity’s constant tumult, maybe this is the most peace kijung has ever known.

yet still, there is trouble. there is the thing that changed since they last met: kyuhwan. a fledgling. a best friend, turned against his will, heartbreak kijung inflicted, and guilt that may never go away. he spent months without regretting it– months of selfishness, convinced that the first 30 years would be difficult, but easy to suffer through in exchange for infinity without watching another friend die, or reading about it in a newspaper. he doesn’t realize he’s frowning until he drifts back to the present with a hum. “i suppose so.” yes, but where does he begin? “it’s difficult for it not to after 100 years, i think.”

what does he say? maybe just…the truth. for the start of it, anyway. “i have a fledgling. my best friend. it’s difficult. but between him and mei…” he has a family: a brother and a mother, and he doesn’t think he needs anything else. “it’s nice not to be alone.”

there’s a moment of awkward silence when hyunwoo thinks that kijung may not answer. he wouldn’t blame the other if that were to be the case. a long life lends itself to many secrets that people may not wish to disclose. hyunwoo understands that -- he understands loss, and he can sense that even under the burgeoning happiness lies a sea of sorrow and loss. negative feelings have far too strong of an impact, he thinks, their power is disproportional to the event itself. 

he understands the feeling of losing everything. he isn’t sure if that is what weighs kijung down, but he can only imagine that over the course of many, many years, that kind of loss would become all too familiar. it never hurts any less, though, he thinks — you just learn to live with it, if you have no choice. 

“you do,” he confirms quietly, and his lips curve up slightly at the corner. he waits for a few moments longer, wondering if kijung will continue on with an explanation, or if the silence will prevail. silence is not always uncomfortable, so hyunwoo doesn’t really mind — in a way, it’s simply nice to see a familiar face from a long, long time ago. 

a starter for @feysohye​ ! set in 2006 // past

siphons and spells is a rather unique place. while it’s not entirely unheard of for a witch’s shop to only appear in times of need, it’s still something that’s a little less common than just having a normal shop in the middle of the city. hyunwoo has never had a hard time finding it, but maybe that’s because of his familiarity with the owners.

but it has been some time since he’d last stepped foot into the magical store. that had been partially because of the emotional pain that had crippled him painfully and left him barely able to function. the only source of calm that he’d found during the past two years had really been donghyun, the chubby toddler who had stumbled around him and carried him in his kitten form. he just hadn’t had the energy to talk to anyone for quite a while, the sharp pain in his heart eventually dying down to a dull ache that still leaves him feeling hollow but not as incapacitated as before. 

and it’s now that he’s finally able to bring himself to talk to people, that he’s finally making his rounds to the people who he’d let slip by for two years. had it really been that long? it barely feels like any time has passed for hyunwoo, but perhaps that’s just what happens when a person lives as long as hyunwoo has. 

     “it’s for the ornaments! i brought a few, just in case we wanted to make more than one,” he adds after a moment, having though about suggesting both of them making the other an ornament but he also doesn’t have a christmas tree in his apartment to hang it up on. but he guesses they could make some for their mutual (and non-mutual) friends as well. “if not, i’ll probably donate it anyway, since i bought it for this.”

      he had bought them for specifically this occasion, not sure about how this outing would go and whether it would get boring or something halfway through. they’ve been on many not-dates in the past year or so, and it’s never happened—they’ve never run out of things to say to each other or things to talk about, and they don’t even mind just spending time together in silence but hyunjin’s brain likes to give him bad thoughts so he needed to make sure they had something to do other than just wnadering aimlessly around the plaza.

     those thoughts probably wouldn’t come to fruition, but he needed the backup plan to make his mind stop trying to implode in his brain. 

     “did you have any other plans?” hyunjin asks, glancing up at the other now that the original wave of embarrassment had passed. “i know a few witches who have a booth up so i thought we could check them out? i get most of my ingredients from donghyun, but it never hurts to have something as backup …”

hyunjin’s rambling only serves to put a small, fond smile on hyunwoo’s face, so affectionate and warm as they walk towards gwanghwamun square. it’s far too easy to get carried away in his obvious (or so he thinks) affection for the other, finding hyunjin so utterly endearing at almost all times. it’s strange, he thinks, to feel this strongly about a person that isn’t necessarily just in the way he’s used to. for all the years he’s been alive, his strongest feelings have always been associated with protectiveness. and he feels that with hyunjin too, he does — he thinks he always will, having seen the witch grow up. but the feeling of romantic love? much rarer. there had been one time, when he was still with haneul, but it had been a tumultuous time and his bond with his witch had taken priority, no matter the loss. 

“other than the ornaments, which you so thoughtfully provided for?” he says with a self-deprecating smile, and his eyes are fond. “i’d be happy to look at the different booths. but there’s a rink, and i was wondering if you would want to go skate for a while?” he suggests, having already planned out a considerable amount of different activities they could partake in. perhaps that was why he’d completely forgotten to bring the donation items for the decorations... 

     “it’s just a pastry, hyung,” he points out with a soft laugh, shaking his head and feeling amused, a bit fond.

     he had been a bit wary around hyunwoo when the familiar had first bonded with his cousin. he had sort of felt like he had been intruding on a relationship that he shouldn’t be intruding in, and had fully taken a step back. actually, he had taken quite a few steps back, going as far as avoiding both hyunwoo and donghyun for weeks before the oldest of the three of them had confronted him about it. he had cried, a lot, and he didn’t want to admit that but he couldn’t really do anything about the fact that he was a crybaby. 

     so now they’re back to their tumultuous relationship and hyunjin still doesn’t really quite know where he stands. he didn’t think that hyunwoo would choose him—why would anyone for that matter?—and he’s always known donghyun was better at everything too. 

     there’s a lot of confusing thoughts in his head, but all he knows is that he would rather have them both in his life than not have them at all so he had kept them both at an arm’s length for a while. but now, it’s kind of back to how it was before everything had happened. though, he’s still not quite sure what’s going on between him and hyunwoo. nothing has really changed and he’s probably more confused than ever. 

     it’s worse now than when hyunwoo had first started flirting back. 

     “i’m not sure how much company i can provide,” hyunjin says with a soft sigh, though his cheeks have flushed a soft pink in embarrassment, having caught hyunwoo’s glance towards the drawing and the following smile. knowing he had a bit more cleaning to do, he pushes through. “you’ll probably just get to watch me clean.”

“well, it’s a delicious pastry,” he says with a playful smile on his lips, his eyebrow arching. there’s something very sweet about hyunjin and the way he flirts — the way he has been flirting with hyunwoo since many years ago. hyunwoo had thought initially that the phase would pass, that the other would quickly grow bored with him. it certainly isn’t the first time that this has happened, after all. sohye had been very much the same, at that age, although she had quickly grown out of it. or perhaps it had just felt quick to hyunwoo. 

but he’s certain that more time has passed than it had with sohye, and still hyunjin remains by his side, still ever the same. they had had a bit of a rocky time when hyunwoo and donghyun had finalized their bond. despite the promise having been there for years, it had still been a big difference when their bond had actually been brought to life. hyunjin had obviously been awkward, and it had taken some time (and stubbornness on hyunwoo’s part) to convince the younger that the bond didn’t change anything between them — whatever they were. 

what has been a pleasant surprise for him is the fact that somehow, hyunjin has put up with his subpar flirting and shocking lack of experience and is still interested. hyunwoo doesn’t really understand, but he’d be stupid to let this opportunity for genuine happiness in a romantic relationship slip away from him. those have been preciously few, even in his long life. will they be happy forever? he doesn’t know. but a witch’s life is short enough that hyunwoo thinks it’s worth it to take the risk.

he watches the cat for a prolonged moment with his arms crossed over his chest. silently debating what he wants to do though it’s not to hard of a decision. the cat seems comfortable enough on his bed and taeyoon would feel a little bad moving him now after having just set him down. the walk to the kitchen won’t take him too long. 

“will you be alright here for a moment?” he questions to the cat though he doesn’t really wait for an answer. the teen pivoting on his heel to step out of his bedroom. he doesn’t worry about shutting the door. if he’s lucky maybe the cat will explore and rip of something of his mothers. or it could just try and make an escape. he’s sure there’s a window open somewhere. 

it only takes him about ten minutes to get to the kitchen, ask for something a cat could eat from the cook, and then head back up. “i hope you like sardines.” he calls as he pushes the door farther open with his heel. the bowl with the sardines is set on the floor near his bed, a small smile back on his face. he seems a lot more relaxed than he had when initially arriving back home. 

it’s only when he’s sure that the other is far enough away, using his senses that are still weakened and barely more than a human’s, that he considers changing back into his human form. it’s only in that moment that he realizes, when he’s about to shift, that if he does so, he would be absolutely naked. and of course, he doesn’t have any extra clothes. why would he need them? usually, he just sneaks back to donghyun’s place in his familiar form, where he has plenty of clothing to change into. 

there’s a part of him that also feels guilty about leaving the human without a word. it seems to hyunwoo that there’s already a large part of the human that is far too used to being left alone, and despite having no obligations or connections to this unknown stranger, hyunwoo feels like it would be cruel of him to simply abandon the other without while consciously knowing the other’s fears. 

feyhyunjin​:

     literally, just the fact that they’re holding hands is enough to make hyunjin’s cheeks flush at every little movement that hyunwoo makes. the fact that they’re connected like this—and that he’s also wearing hyunwoo’s scarf—is making today feel like a much bigger deal than it really is. like it might’ve been technically a date, but since they haven’t made anything official between them yet it’s hard to really discern how he’s supposed to react to anything.

     “yeah it’s kinda cold out,” he comments quietly, puffing out his cheeks. his glasses have been fogging up slightly because of his breath, but it’s not too bad. “but your hand is warm,” he adds after a moment, determinedly not looking at the older male. 

     he’s been in his own mind since hyunwoo had asked him to go to the festival, and had only been momentarily dragged out of it by the promise of either warm apple cider or some hot chocolate with whipped cream. he, of course, can make these drinks for himself in the cafe—and they’re also on his menu—but there’s a different feeling when drinking these hot drinks outside in the cold. with someone special. at that thought, hyunjin chances a glance up at the other, unable to help it. 

     changing his thoughts’ direction, he indicates the bag that’s slung over his shoulder. “i brought the food donations so we can make the ornaments!” he says happily, the tip of his nose red from the cold but he’s smiling.

hyunjin looks adorable. well, hyunwoo has thought that hyunjin is adorable for quite some time now, but the important thing today is that hyunjin is wearing his scarf. well, it’s true that he had given it to hyunjin because it was cold, and then never gotten it back. but he doesn’t really want it back — it looks better around hyunjin’s neck, anyways. 

but hyunjin when he says that hyunwoo’s hand is warm, all without looking at him? more adorable. he chuckles softly, squeezing the other’s hand. “too bad it’d look dumb for me to hold both of your hands,” he says playfully. his eyes crinkle up at the other, pleased when the other peeks up at him. his dimple dents his cheek as his smile widens, a close-lipped one that makes his whole face smiley. 

“you’re the best,” he says easily as he glances at the other’s bag. “i’m glad you thought about that, i completely forgot that was a thing.” there’s not really anything he’s particularly excited for today — just the prospect of spending a day with hyunjin, on what’s pretty much undeniably a date, already enough to make his heart warm. this kind of romance is not something that hyunwoo had ever thought he would find. 

she’s a little surprised to have received a response at all. 

eunji has known from a young age how serious her brother takes his roll as a protector. of course, she feels the same. it’s how they were raised, it’s in their instincts to protect. though she knows that’s in most creatures natures, for familiar it is pretty much exactly why they were created. and to her, hyunwoo has always been exactly what a familiar should be. she’s looked up to him since she was a little kid, wanting to be as strong and amazing as her big brother.

unlike him she never took on a witch and so she can’t say she knows what he is going through. she imagines it’s different than losing a parent or even a friend due to the passage of time. what would the breaking of a bond feel like? 

“oh dear..” she lets out a soft breath, body slouching just slightly for a brief moment only to barely bite back a hiss of pain. she didn’t want to draw attention to her healing wound, anting to focus on her hurting brother–after all she will be fine. “i’m sorry i couldn’t get here sooner.” she continued, gently setting a hand on the soft black fur and running her fingers lightly down his back. not crowding him but keeping him aware that she’s here. 

her hand against his head is warm and comforting, and he closes his eyes again. it feels nice to be petted by his sister, the one person who has known him for almost a hundred years, now. it had been weird at first to see her grow from being nine years his junior to perpetually the same age as him, and then seventy years younger as he had continued to age with haneul, while she never bonded. but time is always strange for familiars, one might say. 

but never has one day felt like a millennium, an endless era filled with pain and sorrow that threatens to drown him with every wave that washes over him. he turns his head slightly, mewing again, though this one has no real meaning, just a way of expressing to his sister that he’s still here. 

feykijung​:

hyunwoo is kind, a pleasant, peaceful presence, and kijung can’t remember if he was always this way. it’s been so long since they last spoke, with so much grief in between them and now, loss, new friendships, steps forward and steps backward. kijung wonders what hyunwoo sees when he looks at him, and if he thinks he’s changed. kijung hopes it’s for the better– that kyuhwan has made him warmer. a kijung of the past likely wouldn’t have opened himself up enough for his feet to carry him here.

he nods, lips almost quirking up in a smile. kijung wouldn’t be here if not for donghyun’s persistence, either. the combination was just enough for a friendship to form, and kijung is almost willing to really call it such. there’s something heavy about it, though, like a curse. kijung doesn’t to doom the witch hyunwoo seems to care so much for to an early death like so many of his other friends. hopefully, if hyunwoo becomes his familiar, he’ll be able to protect him. 

kijung certainly has time to chat, it’s just a matter of if he has the willingness. he knows, however, that in his heart, he does. his head tells him it’s a risk to grow so close to this pair: hyunwoo and donghyun both. what’s the worst that could happen? he loses them both to the cold embrace of death, just like so many others? he mourns again? rinse and repeat, a cycle lived out so many times, but this time it would be with an immortal best friend by his side. managable.

“okay,” he agrees, stepping further into the room. he’s uncertain of what to say afterwards. staying and chatting. kijung has always been more of one for silence. what does he do, say how have you been? 

the expression that crosses kijung’s face is one that hyunwoo has only seen very briefly, and it makes hyunwoo smile a little bit in return. it’s nice to see that kijung, after four hundred years of living, has finally reached a place where he is happy enough to smile. when they had met, the other had been sadder, or so hyunwoo felt. the fact that kijung is here means a lot, he thinks. 

kijung’s reply pleasantly surprises him, and he smiles at the other, the man who will always look like a child despite the wars he has seen and the realities he has lived. “come inside,” he says gently, and he holds open the door for the other. “i fear i don’t have anything to offer you in means of food or drink,” he remarks apologetically — blood is not a regular thing they keep stocked in the house, seeing as how none of them are harbouring vampires. not that kijung would need it, of course, but it’s simply good manners, and hyunwoo was certainly raised with those. 

most things with hyunwoo are so easy. 

donghyun feels silly for being so nervous as he melts into the older males arms, hugging him back happily and soaking in the comfort and safety that always follows with being close to hyunwoo. honestly, his hyungs hugs are the best. he use to tease his parents about it, but he still believes hyunwoo hyungs are the best. the feeling that encases him as he buries his nose into the olders shoulder is one thats almost hard to describe. 

he feels silly for being nervous because never once has hyunwoo ever made him feel like he isn’t wanted. never has the familiar made him feel unsafe. the older has always been his rock. the one who kept him grounded with the loss of his mom. 

the answer regarding bonding has always been an easy one he just took far to much time getting to it. and right now he’s so very glad he finally did. the joy he is already feeling from hyunwoos despite them not being bonded makes it so worth it. and he is already starting to look forward to being connected with his favorite person. a soft sigh and a whispered “i love you so much, hyung.” leaves him as he hears the response. 

why did he ever think hyunwoo would change his mind? 

his head tilts slightly so he can peer up at the older without moving out of the comfort and safety of his arms. “now is good—i already told dad and he gave me the rest of today off of lessons and the shop.” he admits a little shyly. but proud of himself and so ready to finally bond. 

his expression is just full of this unbearably deep fondness that is plain to see all over his face, hugging donghyun back without any kind of hesitation or uncertainty. “i love you too, my little flower,” he murmurs into the other’s soft hair and his lips curl up at the corners as he takes the teenager’s hands. 

“okay, let’s go up to your room. it might get a little overwhelming,” he says gently and he ruffles the other’s hair gently. “wow, you already talked to your dad? you really were prepared today,” he says with a fond smile on his lips and he waddles with the other, unwilling to let his soon-to-be bonded witch out of his arms. it’s been a long time coming, and now, now, maybe hyunwoo will finally be able to guide and take care of donghyun in the way he’d decided he wanted to ever since donghyun had called to him, a bright point of hope amidst the despair of losing minsoo. 

hyunwoo has bonded twice now, already. the process of bonding is initiated entirely by the familiar, and so he directs the teenager to sit down on the bed. “there’s a lot of different ways to do this,” he explains to the younger, his expression gentle as he tries to guide the other through the process of bonding. “whatever we choose to use, i have to let your magic into my body.” because the process is initiated entirely from his side, it’s true that hyunwoo could have pressured donghyun into bonding earlier than now, but his own respect and morals had halted that idea before it even had a chance to form. 

"it won’t hurt, so don’t worry. you might feel a little overwhelmed, though.” he chuckles a bit, and once he gets approval from donghyun to continue, it’s the simple matter of carrying out the ritual. it’s the only magic he’s ever been able to perform — the only magic he will ever perform. once bonded, his role will be to guide and protect donghyun, to serve as a partner and companion for the one his life will inextricably be linked with.

His open expression closes off a little as he enters the house, an older man greeting him and informing him of what he expected, that his parents are not home currently. he barely reacts, keeping his eyes on the cat as he makes his way up the stairs to his room. 

“just means no one is going to say anything about you being here.” he mutters to the cat in his hold, pushing his bedroom door open with his foot and gently setting the cat onto his bed. the excitement of bringing home a stray when he isn’t allowed cats in the house is a lot less interesting when there isn’t anyone at home to bother with it. he’s sure by the time anyone even gets home he’ll have gotten bored and let the cat out again–or it might have just run off.

but well, he has the cat right now. 

after shrugging off his jacket he found himself just peering at the cat. what could he do now? he did promise the cat some food. wouldn’t hurt to raid the kitchen. “want to come get a snack? or just nap here?” he questioned, knowing the cat wouldn’t reply. bringing food back up here might be easiest. 

if he had eyebrows in this form, they probably would have furrowed at the way that the human holding him barely reacts to the news that his parents aren’t home. it’s like he’s not even surprised, like this is ordinary news that comes all the time, and hyunwoo mews softly from the human’s arms. if that’s the case, then the familiar finds it a little bit sad — maybe the reason the human was desperate enough to bring even a stray cat home. 

the bed that he’s placed on is very soft, and he paws at the blankets, curling up and arranging himself comfortably before he opens luminous eyes at the human, mewing softly in question. not that the human will probably understand him. hyunwoo wonders if there might not be things that he should say, whether a human form would be better, but how exactly does one explain to a human that the cat he’d picked up off the side of the street wasn’t actualyl a cat?