#mx drabble

“I knew this apartment was too good to be true.” you scowled, signing and pressing your back against the door frame.

Changkyun stood directly behind you, head tilted up to watch the same, dampening spot as you did moments before. His hand rose from the pocket of his jeans, pressing into your hip to guide you out of the doorway so he could pass by, lips thin and focused.

“We’re going to have to call maintenance before that water starts flooding your bathroom.” He sighed gently, pulling his phone out to scroll through his contacts. “It just happened, right?” he asked, your annoyed side-glance the answer he needed to press the phone to his ear.

His body shifted back through the door, another little push of your frame to glide by bringing a whiff of his cologne into your nostrils. Eyes shut in frustration and meager attraction, your head rammed back into the frame, his body halting to look back and assure that you were alright before his lips moved and muffled words escaped as he stepped away to make the call.

Your level of frustration still had yet to end, his scent refilling the small space moments later with a pout of his lips and knitted brows. “He said he can shut off the water to your bathroom, but that’s the most he can do this evening. Apparently,” he sighed, running his hand over his face as he leaned back against your sink, equally as frustrated. “It’s not considered an emergency.”

“Seriously?” you hissed, your head beating against the frame once more before you pushed off and walked closer to your shower.

Your comment earlier was accurate, the apartment gifted to you by a friend, and neighbor, seeming too convenient for you to have come across. A single phone call led to them bringing up that the place was available and affordable, even in a nice part of town. There was only one catch, though: Changkyun, a friend of the same friend, had been told the same information, and you both wound up becoming roommates. The building was old, appliances recently updated but all else the same. It was your roommate that seemed to be the only charm of the place, his eyes boring into the back of your head as you turned around to catch his gaze.

“What am I going to do?” you asked him, putting your face in your hands with another sigh. “I have an interview in the morning, and I planned on showering tonight.” Your half-admitted schedule to the man you had only lived with for a limited time slipped out so comfortably that you forgot who you were speaking to, Changkyun’s wide grin filling your peripheral through the cracks of your fingers almost immediately.

“I have a shower.” he gleamed, palms pressed into the edge of your bathroom’s counter with a not-so-innocent look on his face.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

You felt silly piling all of your shower products into your arms and walking to Changkyun’s room, his entertained expression greeting you. Sat on his bed against the headboard, his headphones blared music as he watched you walk through his opened door, cocked brow and chuckle ignored when you made it into his bathroom.

“I won’t be long.” you claimed, shutting the door slowly.

“Take your time.” he said slyly, winking just as the door shut into its frame.

Your hand pressed against the cold, wooden door refused to move, frozen with the image of him in your mind. He told you to come in whenever you were ready to shower, that he would leave his door open, but he left out the part where he was sitting on his bed shirtless. The wink was the icing on the cake, your body finally pushing from the door to place your shampoo and conditioner into the shower.

Had you thought about it for a moment, you would have reconsidered the entire situation. An awkward pull between you and your roommate wasn’t ideal, his welcoming presence in the apartment always warming you and adhering to the mantra repeated about how scary it would be living with someone you don’t know. Changkyun had turned out to be the exact opposite, an understanding formed and a partial friendship built with the guy that gamed into the early morning and dished on the food you made with a boyfriend notion. He was a gentle catastrophe to your life, an underlying crush you hated to admit you had.

Stepping under the hot water with a deep breath, it wasn’t your own fragrances you could smell, but Changkyun’s. His body wash smelled fresh, the bottles opened and releasing the fragrance into the small space left you almost dizzy. You finally felt relaxed, though nervous that he was a wall away from your naked body, running through your normal routine.

No pipes bursting, no cold water, you didn’t even get soap in your eyes, but the universe still had it out for you. Lost in thought and still clouded by the image of Changkyun winking at you, which was something he had never done, brought you to pushing the curtain back in search of the one thing you forgot, a towel.

“C-Changkyun!” your voice was too small under the running water, an eerie silence combing through the apartment. Your eyes shut, breathing unsteady as your voice rose again, this time in a full yell for your roommate to hear you over his music. “Changkyun!”

“What! What?” his form rushed through the door, your naked body stood in perfect view where you pulled the curtain to the side. “Whoa.”

“Hey!” you cried out. Yanking the curtain over your frame quickly, you took note of how his eyes didn’t try to shift away even a centimeter.

“U-Uh, sorry. What’s up?” he asked, tone deeper than usual but still worried about you.

“I forgot a towel.” you claimed, hearing his tongue click. Your head moved around the curtain slowly, peering past the fabric with just enough time to see his index fingers point into the air and his body crouch, pulling one of his own from beneath the sink.

“No problem.” he grinned at you, holding out a cotton towel with a smirk on his lips. His eyes drifted over the exposed skin that he could see around the curtain, your tilted head drawing his attention back to the situation. The top row of his teeth sunk into his bottom lip, eyes blinking as his head nodded and he made his exit, chest puffed out trying to catch his breath from the scene.

Your body was dried by the large towel in minutes, hair puffed as you quickly pulled your clothes on. Every fiber of your being wanted to scold Changkyun for bursting in, but the thought that he only came running because he believed something was wrong led to you pulling the towel around your neck and making a run for your room. His eyes followed you, your arms holding onto the wet soap containers with all of your might as you fell into your room and shut the door behind you. Eyes closed and back against the cold wall, the scene of him biting his lip didn’t seem to want to leave your mind. With everything that happened in a moment's time, his scent continued to fill your senses. His towel around your neck nulled your worries from the busted pipe in your bathroom, even the awkward encounter with him, itself, only leaving a tight feeling in your gut.

Neither of you had tried to confront what happened, night falling in deep as you laid alone in your bed with the same image of him replaying. The way his eyes flashed with lust, his teeth biting into his bottom lip so hard it looked painful, his body at a stand-still only able to watch you. You twisted and turned in your covers, the arousal building in your body painful as you let out a faint whimper. Against the urge to relieve yourself to the thought of your roommate, your body couldn’t keep the will to fight, your hand running along your crotch from the outside of your shorts as you let out a gasp. His teeth ran over his bottom lip again in the memory, your eyes shutting and more pressure applied as you pant out his name.

It didn’t suffice, the built up of sexual tension you had witnessed frustrated you more than the wall currently ruined in your bathroom. Sitting up on your mattress with a huff, you nearly yelled out his name a second time. Your body craved release, one hard enough to make you shake, one only he could pull from you. Mind focused on Changkyun, you wrestled under the covers, legs kicking out in annoyance as a familiar scent caught your nose. His towel laid a few feet from you over your hamper, the cotton laced with only his smell from the constant use. He had made the mistake of pulling from the top of the stack; his most used towel, the one that held his scent like a candle and always would. Your pupils dilated, feet hitting the floor and pattering over to it. Fingers catching it at the edge, the smell of him only grew stronger, lifting the fabric to your nose to inhale him.

You were dazed, rushing back to your bed with the damp town in hand and Changkyun’s scent plastered through the cotton. Almost feral, your hand ran along your body again, riling yourself as your nose only smelled him. His name fell from your lips again, the slick arousal released from your body used to bring yourself towards one of the hardest orgasms you’ve ever experienced. The word repeated, body ignited with the friction you created but filtered by the image of him pressed over you doing it himself, the click of your door knob turning caused you to freeze in place.

“So-” he began, meandering through the door and shutting it back. Arms crossed over his chest, his eyes were glazed over with the same lust as before, tongue clicking in tandem with the door resting in its hinges. “Having fun?”

His feet carried him towards the end of the bed, the mattress lowering as his weight placed on it. Pressing one of his knees into the plush comforter, his eyes caught the sight he had been eavesdropping on from the other side of the door, his towel falling around your neck as you sat up in a rush.

“C-Changkyun I-” you stuttered, the palm of his hand flattening in your direction and halting the explanation trying to form on your tongue.

“I can even this out.” he said calmly, pulling some fabric from the back pocket of his jeans and placing it in front of you. “Stole those a while ago.”

Your underwear was now in plain sight, the casual pair that mysteriously vanished finally making its way back to you. Convinced for weeks that the dryer had eaten them, or maybe you dropped them and Changkyun respectfully put them back in your room and never mentioned it, they had actually been stolen and used for his own dirty deeds. Similar to what you were doing in the very moment, you blinked up at him, slowly pulling your underwear into your lap and staring at the article of clothing like it was a lost treasure. To him, it was.

“I guess the feelings are mutual.” he chuckled lowly, moving in closer to you.

His scent maximized as he leaned in, eyes boring into yours so deeply that the fleeing idea that he could hear your thoughts passed through your mind at the same moment his plump lips overtook yours. Eyes shutting, his hand rose to your cheek, a delicate hold on your face bringing you closer to him. His free hand brushed over your covers, finding his towel and your underwear before pushing them off the bed, making room for his frame to hover over you with ease. With the covers placed between your bodies, he groaned in frustration, the smell of your arousal thick in the air as he leaned back and took in a sharp breath.

“We should have done this sooner. Would have been less awkward and klepto.” he chuckled, pulling at the covers to slip his hardly-clothed body over yours properly.

Hand still guiding your face, he pressed his lips into yours more firmly, a gentle craze of his tongue over your bottom lip pulling a moan from your chest. The vibrations rocked against him, his crotch aligning with yours to gain friction. His touch was warm, shirtless torso hot above you as he panted, pulling from your face to rush kisses into the crook of your neck. Obedient, your light tug at his hip caught his attention, his shorts slipping down his legs and into the bottom of your bed in seconds. Hips rough and groans loud, the sound of him in your ear was euphoric, both of your corrupted minds finally catching a break.

His tongue licked stripes down your neck to your collarbones, littering light lovebites into the skin until he ran out of space and had to discard your shirt. The fabric between your bodies slowly diminished, clothing scattered beneath the covers quickly and bodies rutting against one another like two dogs in heat. He was ecstatic, your hand moving to the back of his neck to run your fingers through the hair at the base, leering him to continue, not to stop, and he wouldn’t.

He slowed for a moment, taking your lips between his in a deep kiss with little moment, breathing each other in as he pressed into you gently. It was a breakthrough, a convenient pass-time that would soon fill every void between roommates, a moment you’d never wish to take back.

“Fuck.” his teeth clenched when his length bottomed out in you, jawling tight and head thrown back in pure fervor for more.

His hips moved out of pure libido, your body adjusting and attaining to his thorough pace. Muscles tense under your grasp, your nails gently scratched at his back. His shoulder blades were prominent, keeping himself secure above you as his hips began to slam into you, your moans only garbled forms of his name.

“Yes, shit. Ahh.” he cried out, the hot covers over both of your bodies becoming a heater as they slipped down his back. Pushing in and out of you, his tongue slipped between your lips, twirling with your own as the orgasm originally subsited in you ignited once more. “Come on, baby.”

Your nails struck into his skin, abdomen tightened as you clenched around him, his own length throbbing within you. Holding himself back to let you finish, your arousal poured around him, his hips snapping for a final time before rushing out of you. Wrapped within his hand, his liquid dripped from his cock, releasing onto your stomach as his head fell back and Adam's apple bobbed.

Your breathing was completely out of normal sync, tongue panting just as much as his when you reached over to retrieve the bottle of water on your nightstand. His smile grew wide when you turned the bottle in his direction, watching the same liquid pour into his mouth as he swallowed and caught his breath.

“H-Hey, Changkyun?” your voice was low, almost tired.

“Hmm?”

“How many times did you cum with my underwear stuffed in your face?”

As you’d trundled through the dark, shrieking at every shifting shadow and unnerving whisper that had you not been in the vicinity of you would immediately write off as not even believable, you couldn’t understand how your boyfriend was so unfazed by everything that the staff had to throw at him. 

Chainsaws received nothing. Ghosts received no reaction either. Creepy dead bodies that only moved when you could see them in your peripheral? Not even a second glance. 

It was just as well that the rooms had been dark otherwise you would have had Shownu’s little smile to contend with, on top of the sudden werewolves that jumped out and gave you a very near heart attack.  Your boyfriend in question had spent his whole time in the attraction giggling at your shrieks of terror quietly to himself while, in the same breath, rubbing your back as you burrowed your head into his chest mumbling ‘it’s alright, you’re safe’. He wouldn’t admit it without you bringing it up first, but he did get a kick out of being a protector for you of sorts. You rarely needed caring for like that, and he was very glad you had enough sense (it meant more coddling for him and like was he going to turn that down? No) to not get yourself in trouble too often, but he couldn’t help but enjoy it on the occasion you did need some security, even in a somewhat silly situation like this. It showed that you trusted him, and that his embrace to you was the safest place to be. And the fact that you sounded adorable squeaking in fright at the strange witch that threw open her hut’s door. 

Nevertheless, when you finally felt the light of the late afternoon sun on your face (after Shownu had offered a polite thank you to the bootleg Kruger acting as one final scare) you broke away from your vice-like grip you had on your man and soaked up the sun. 

“Thank god it’s over,” you breathed.

“You’re the one that wanted to go in,” Shownu reminded, straightening his cap as he smiled at your stretched arms. So cute, he thought.

You scoffed. “Pssh, I was not! You wanted to go in there, so you could show off your frankly demonic immunity to scary things!” You narrowed your eyes at the man who merely gazed back down at you with a cute grin. “How are you never afraid? Of anything? At all?”

He shrugged. “It’s clearly fake.”

“I know but still! No prank, no jump-scare, no spider... nothing can get you!” you pouted. “You’re so weird.”

“So are you,” Shownu retorted, coming to your side once again and slotting his hand at your waist. You huffed at him but regardless slipped your arm round him too. It always made him smile at how far you couldn’t reach around him, but how you were never deterred. 

Making your gradual way throughout the funfair, bright melodies bubbling across the breeze through the gushes of screams from high above, you discussed where to go next.  Finally deciding on making your way to the other side of the park instead for dinner, you piped up, “Why are you so unafraid, Nunu?”

He glanced down, his eyes briefly meeting yours as he readjusted your necklace. The clasp had made its way to meet the pendant—a small emblem the colour of your birthstone that he’d gotten you for your birthday the year before—so he gently eased it to the back of your neck once again. Wordlessly, he let his finger brush your chin as he moved away once again. He was buying himself some time to think, evident by how his brow furrowed as it always did when he was deep in thought, and so you waited patiently.

His eyes met the sky and then the flurry of a roller coaster as it went by off to the side before returning to yours. “Because there are much worse things that are then much scarier.”

You nodded at his take. You wished you could just tell yourself that it wasn’t worth being scared of fake spiders and then just not be afraid anymore. You chuckled at the thought, realising what little use that would be, as that was Shownu’s job after all. Shrugging, you leant into his chest, enquiring simply, “Like what?”

He looked at you then and it became apparent that he had an answer to that one right away—he was always an open book after all. But it took him a few seconds to reply, taking the moment to inhale deeply before parting his lips.

“Losing you.” His words were quick and quiet, as if he didn’t want the world to hear them, just in case he jinxed it, but you heard him. They were so corny too, but the pink of his ears indicated genuine sincerity and you couldn’t deny the swell of your heart and the faint blush that rose to your cheeks. 

His other hand brushed through your hair lightly, tucking it behind your ear so he could thumb your cheek for a few moments, before he got too shy and pulled away once again.

Breathing in the scent of food, he cleared his throat. “I think I see a hotdog stand over there, do you want that or something else?”

It likely appeared that you were mulling over your food choice, but really you were still two steps behind, Shownu’s words repeating in your head. You’d been together for a long time, and so there was really no doubt that he loved you, but this added a whole new layer of depth.

You brought the two of you to a stop in the midst of your already snail-pace amble, accidentally ignoring his question and softly asserted, “I promise I’m not going anywhere,” before standing on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek.

He was caught off-guard slightly, but managed to hold himself together, threading his fingers through your hair once again as he smiled and let his forehead meet yours. He didn’t care if he had to bend down, he was just happy to peck your nose, helping you stretch the little extra distance to meet his lips. He caressed your neck, down past your shoulders and to the small of your back while your eyes fluttered closed. His touch was chaste, always treating you with care that you always appreciated, and you ran your fingers up his jaw before settling at the nap of his neck. 

Eventually you parted, you opting to fall back onto the soles of your feet and laying your head flat against his broad chest. However, that peace did not last either, as Shownu carefully ushered you into a walk once again. Of course, how could you have forgotten.

“Yeah alright, I get it, food is still more important,” you giggled, rolling your eyes at how food-motivated he could really be and laughing harder as he half-heartedly tried to cover, “christ, you really think with your stomach don’t you.”

Once again tucking you into his side, Shownu gave you a squeeze. “I love you so much.”

You sighed, a content smile drifting onto your lips. “I love you too, dork.”

~~~

AN: i feel i havent written any monsta x in forever :(( im sorry bebes ill try and write more :((

i also didnt call him hyunwoo for the soul reason that nunu became a viable nickname bc

is that not the cutest nickname ever?

You squinted at the narrow, cramped cursive text that covered the pages of your spellbook, wishing for the thousandth time that your late Aunt hadn’t been so hasty when recording her creations. Her handwriting was illegible at best, and most of her homegrown spell instructions were riddled with scribbles and footnotes that contradicted each other.

“It must be nice to be a genius.” You sighed to yourself, closing the textbook and staring wistfully at the ceiling. A small wreath, only about three inches in diameter, of smooth wood and white heather swayed from a long string attached to the low ceiling beams of your small cabin, almost playfully teasing you. It was her last parting gift to you before she left you alone in the world. It had been a year since she passed away but the heather had never yet wilted, something you were certain she’d accomplished with her powerful magic. You’d never gotten to ask the meaning behind the wreath but you could sense that it was important in some way you’d yet to comprehend.

Your parents had died from illness when you were too young to know them, leaving you alone with your mother’s much, much older sister. She’d raised you as her own and although you knew she was no spring chicken you were still extremely unprepared when she told you that the end was coming. She went peacefully in her sleep but it never felt like she’d truly left you, so you managed to avoid feeling too lonely.

“Auntie, couldn’t you have bought a typewriter? I can’t read this, and what I can read doesn’t make sense. Now I have to go out again.” You whined at the charm, receiving only taunting silence in reply.

You groaned again, pulling on your boots and cloak and trudging out of the cabin with a final sigh.

Your feet carried you towards the tree line of the forest you called home. Your cabin sat in a wide field that was dotted with wildflowers and surrounded by trees that seemed tall enough to touch the clouds in the bright blue sky above them. Your Auntie had always told you that a witch belonged in nature, but that it should be revered and respected. Nothing more than was needed should be taken, partly because wastefulness is considered evil, but mostly for fear of angering the protective spirits of the wood. They never showed themselves to others but you could feel their presence all around you, watching your every move from somewhere just out of sight, as soon as you stepped in their territory.

Your caretaker had been much more well-acquainted with the wood than you were. You had spent plenty of time playing there as a child, but she often ventured into them alone when you were young, leaving for hours at a time without explanation. You suspected that she was practicing advanced magic in private that she didn’t want you trying to copy. You never dared to follow her, knowing that she would catch you immediately and not wanting to suffer the consequences of your curiosity, but you’d always hoped that someday she would deem you worthy to accompany her. She’d kept so many secrets from you until her last breath, which you routinely tried not to let eat a hole in your heart. She had her reasons and they were her’s alone.

Your feet slowly made their way along the soft, mossy earth, your arms swinging freely at your sides, a small smile playing on your full lips. You felt so blessed to get to live somewhere so breathtakingly beautiful. The trees were so thick that only small, green-tinged rays of the sun were freckling the forest floor. You were so relaxed in the silent woods that you failed to notice the pair of eyes following you closely as you journeyed on.

You finally reached your destination, a tiny clearing in the woods with herbs and berries of differing varieties as far as the eye could see. You’d been fortunate enough to locate the little sanctuary not long after your Aunt passed and it had since become a beloved destination for you to find peace in solitude, ingredients for meals, and supplies for spells. It was, needless to say, an important place for you both in terms of your survival but also your spirit.

You knelt down, carefully picking stalks of herbs and collecting berries in your basket. You left a small cloth bundle, tied tight with a ribbon, on the ground nearby. This was almost certainly a garden being cultivated with the magic of forest spirits, so it was only polite to leave an offering as payment.

“I don’t like cucumbers.” A disparaging voice suddenly called over your shoulder.

You spun around and stumbled backwards in shock, tripping over an exposed root and crawling backwards on your hands, ignoring the stinging pain in your ankle.

A tall, thin man towered over you, watching you with thinly veiled amusement. He took a step towards you and you gasped, scrambling backwards into a bush as you desperately tried to put more distance between the two of you.

The stranger bent down on one knee and plucked your offering from the ground, untying the ribbon with nimble fingers, and pulled a sour face at the contents.

“It always has cucumber, why can’t they just be normal?” He grumbled, pinching the tiny sandwich between his forefinger and his thumb, a pout blooming spectacularly on his mouth and marring his elegant features.

Now that his attention was directed elsewhere you were able to get a proper look at him. He looked to be about your age, maybe a few years older, had a thin frame with broad shoulders and otherwise even proportions and was deceptively muscular. He had delicate cat-like features with high cheekbones, his face promising mischief. Straight brows hovered over almond-shaped eyes with glittering black irises, and a small, straight nose with thin lips and a sharp jaw. His hair was the color of fresh snow, messy and sticking up oddly in places, and upon closer inspection seemed to have some small leaves and twigs tangled in it.

In fact, the closer you looked at him the more wild he appeared. There were smears of dirt on his arms and face and his shirt was torn in strange places, like he’d fist fought with a thorn bush and lost badly. His pants were worn and had large grass stains at the knees. He looked like he hadn’t seen a proper bed or bath in ages.

Despite his forlorn appearance, he was truly stunning.

He turned to you with a scowl.

“Don’t you know how to make anything else?”

Your initial shock having subsided, you felt yourself practically swelling with indignation.

“I can, thank you very much. And those aren’t for you anyways, they’re an offering for the forest spirits.” You huffed, crawling forward gingerly on scuffed hands and knees to snatch the container from his ungrateful hands.

He looked at you incredulously before tipping his head back and laughing, earning another look of apprehension from you.

“Well the forest rejects your offering. Come back with something tastier.” He said, taking your basket from your unsuspecting grip.

“H-hey!”

Your mouth fell open in disbelief as you watched the man replacing everything you’d carefully collected in its original place.

A lunatic. 

There was no other explanation. He was a lunatic.

“Excuse me, but what gives you the right to decide my offering isn’t good enough?” You spat, trying and failing to get past him to retrieve your belongings.

“No one needs to give me the right to decide what I will and won’t accept.” He replied haughtily, tossing your now-empty basket in your lap.

You glowered at each other for a few terse moments before you burst into hollow laughter.

“What is so funny?” The man’s arms were folded across his chest now, his pout returning in full force.

You stopped laughing when you saw how serious your companion was.

“Are you really trying to tell me that you’re some kind of forest spirit?” You said, your voice deadpan to emphasize your disbelief.

“I prefer nymph since I have a physical form, and my name is Minhyuk.” He said matter-of-factly, watching you with tense, wary eyes.

You blinked once, twice, three times before speaking.

“You’re really...a nymph?” You asked, feeling every bit as stupid as you doubtlessly sounded.

Minhyuk rolled his eyes.

“No, I’m an elk.”

Your cheeks colored with humorless embarrassment. You’d always imagined forest nymphs to be more...fairly-like? Small and playful, happy creatures, perhaps with little translucent wings. Not like this...sassy man that was eating the berries you’d planned on taking with you, his expression surly. 

“So...you really won’t let me take anything unless I bring you something else?” You asked, your disbelief evident in your tone.

“Oh, you’re still here? I hadn’t noticed. A blueberry pie sounds nice. The old lady used to bring them every so often, so I’m sure that you have a recipe somewhere.” He said in between mouthfuls, ignoring your visible annoyance.

“Until then I guess you’ll have to find somewhere else to forage seeing as this is my house you’re in.”

“Wait, what about an old lady?” You asked, brow furrowing with confusion.

“Don’t you have a pie to bake?” Minhyuk stood, clearly signaling that your conversation was over.

“I’m not making you a pie, you brat!”

“Then I guess you won’t be making much else, either.”

The sight of his parting smirk would haunt you for days to come.

***

“Stupid nymph.” You hissed before you stuck your thumb in your mouth to nurse the bead of your cherry-red blood that was forming on the fingertip. You glared at the bush you’d been foraging through, unsure if your irritation was from your finger being pricked or from your lack of success. 

You’d been desperately trying to find high quality ingredients elsewhere for nearly a week but suddenly it was as if they were scarce, or worse, ceased to exist. The tiny garden, however, remained a treasure trove of wildlife, mocking you and your inability to access it without being accosted by an overly large child. You had no trouble finding an abundance of blueberries wherever you looked, though.

You had every reason to suspect that this was Minhyuk’s doing. Of course you couldn’t really confirm it was anything more than bad luck but you could have sworn that you heard him snickering each time you found nothing and grew more frustrated.

“I’m losing my mind.” You sighed, tugging your hair at the root.

“You’ll go bald if that’s how you cope with stress.” A smug voice from over your shoulder commented.

“You-” You spun around, tripping over your feet in your haste. You tottered forward, swinging your arms to try and break your fall. Minhyuk’s surprised face was the last thing you saw before you fell into something solid, something that was very obviously not dirt.

Minhyuk’s firm hands gripped your shoulders and pushed you back into a standing position an arm’s length away, his dirty cheeks flushed a dusty rose.

“Ugh, its you. Why am I always falling when you’re around?” You grumbled, your former ire returning after the shock of his sudden appearance faded.

“I can’t help it if you’re falling for me.” He replied with a self-assured smirk and a shrug. 

“Would literally rather dive naked into a pit of poison ivy.”

“That can be arranged. Why are you wasting time here anyway? Shouldn’t you be baking?”

“I already told you, I’m not making anything for a brat like you.” You snapped, crossing your arms with finality.

“Guess you’ll have to give up whatever experiment you’re working on then. You won’t harvest anything here without my blessing.”

So he was behind this after all. True to his word, you hadn’t been able to forage anything at all since your last meeting.

You fumed, turning over your options in your head. As much as you couldn’t stand Minhyuk it surely would be less effort to bake for him than it would be to try and find a new place to gather, wouldn’t it? Every fiber of your being was revolting against you as you considered this, screaming that it was the principle of the matter and you shouldn’t submit to such an arbitrary demand, but logic slowly won out.

“Fine. But you’re helping me.”

***

“I do hope that you’re better at magic than you are at baking.”

“I would be done already if you just let me use my magic to begin with!” You practically shouted. Your appearance mirrored your companion’s, your faces and clothing speckled with flour. Your hands were stained blue and your failed attempt at crafting a blueberry pie by hand sat ominously on the windowsill where it was cooling.

“It tastes funny if you don’t make it by hand. Nymphs can’t tell lies, you know, so trust me on this. It isn’t the same.” Minhyuk grumbled, his nose wrinkling with the depth of his pout.

“How many people  are honestly bringing you pies for you to claim to know the difference?” You whined, but you were met with silence instead of the snarky reply you’d come to expect. You couldn’t help recalling having a similar argument with your Aunt in your youth. She, too, had always insisted that food tasted better when made with powers of the heart rather than with magic.

You turned your back on the oven and found Minhyuk eyeing your ceiling with a somber expression on his face.

“Um...are you okay?”

His snapped towards at an alarming rate, his features carefully rearranging into their default expression of haughtiness. 

“I’m fine. Just wondering if you’re polite enough to make sure that thing isn’t poisonous before you try to feed it to me.”

You stuck your tongue out in response but your eyes wandered to where his had been fixed moments before, and you felt a curious sensation in the pit of your stomach when they found the white heather wreath swaying peacefully exactly where Minhyuk had been staring so intently.

“You were looking at that.” Your finger pointed at the wreath, your voice questioning even though you’d made a statement.

Minhyuk watched at you, momentarily stricken silent, his eyes searching yours for something unknown.

“So what if I was?” He challenged, narrowing his eyes.

“Do you know something about it? Its a token my Aunt left me.” You asked tentatively, watching Minhyuk’s face closely.

“So what if I do?” He countered with a stony voice, his shoulders squared.

“Can you please tell me more about it?” You could feel your hands starting to shake with emotion.  

“Do you know what white heather symbolizes?” He asked slowly, after some consideration.

You shook your head in reply.

“Protection and the granting of wishes. One of her final living acts was to make that for you. It takes an incredible amount of power to craft an undying flower for someone not innately attuned to nature. She was very talented. She loved you very much.” He explained, his voice soft, his eyes seeking out the wreath again rather than you.

“How do you know that?” You breathed, your voice quietly shaking from the tears you were trying to swallow.

“I helped her make it. Did you never wonder what she spent so much time doing alone in the woods? I met your Aunt when I was still small. I still remember the day that she brought you home. She was so enamored with you. She tried many times to get me to leave the forest and meet you, but I refused.” 

You watched a small, sad smile curl Minhyuk’s lips upwards ever so slightly, bringing a pang to your heart as you quietly waited for him to continue.

“She still made time to visit me even though she was busy with you. It was hard at first and I was jealous, it gets lonely in the forest, but I managed. She would come and talk to me for hours, show me spells of her own design, bring me all kinds of food, ask me how the plants were doing, and I would show her some magic of my own. Nymphs are not very different from witches, you know. We both use magic, just of a different variety. We commune directly with the spirit of nature and create, where as you create based on things that we’ve already made. Yeah, your aunt didn’t much care for that observation either.” Minhyuk laughed loudly at your disgruntled expression, but his eyes were soft and kind as he reminisced on his past, making him even more beautiful to behold. His laughter slowly died out, giving way for the sadness to creep back into his eyes as he looked to the ceiling again.

“When she knew that she was dying...she came to me and asked how to create life. I refused at first, afraid that it was too ambitious for her frail form, afraid it would harm her, afraid of what she wanted to accomplish...but she was relentless. She came every single day and begged. When I finally asked her why, her answer was simple: for you. She wanted to show you that she was always with you. So I showed her, and of course she was eventually successful. She asked me to watch over you but...I still couldn’t bring myself to meet you. So instead I made that garden and I’ve been maintaining it ever since.”

Minhyuk ended his story with a deep sigh, sounding as if a great weight had been lifted from him, and finally returned his gaze to you. Your breath caught when he took a step forward and extended a hand towards you, using the tips of his fingers to brush away the tears that had been streaming down your cheeks unbeknownst to you.

“Why did you wait until now to reveal yourself to me? You’ve really been watching me all this time?” You whispered, your voice cracking.

“I had no choice when you started only leaving offerings with cucumber in them. I can’t eat cucumbers, they’re too disgusting. And because...because she always wanted me to be your friend. You such were an ugly, loud, mud-covered brat when you were young but you’re...different now. So I thought I should grant her wish after all.” A deep crimson blush, made even more vibrant in contrast to his snowy hair, blossomed across his cheeks. It must have been contagious, because you could feel heat rising on your face as well.

“W-what do you mean I was an ugly brat?! I was a normal child.” You blurted out with indignation.

“No, you were gross, just like that poor excuse for a pie.” He answered, his sassy attitude returning despite the lingering pink tinge of his cheeks.

You took the insult in stride, choosing to ignore it rather than start another battle of wits that you were sure to lose.

“You said that you were lonely. Where are the other nymphs?”

“They’re all spirits now. When a nymph comes of age they can choose to keep their corporeal form or they can become spirits. Most choose to become spirits because, I mean, you’re becoming one with nature and what more could you want than that? We aren’t born very often so it makes for a lonely childhood, which is another compelling argument for choosing a spirit form- you’re never technically alone again. I chose to stay in this body.” He finished matter-of-factly.

“Why?”

“I loved the old lady. I didn’t want to leave her. She asked me to watch over you for her and I wouldn’t want to leave you either. Even if you were a snot-nosed brat.”

“Well, you know they say that the ugliest ducklings are destined to become the most beautiful swans, so I’ll thank you for thinking so highly of me.” You teased, tapping Minhyuk’s nose with your finger playfully.

To your general astonishment his saturated blush from before returned.

“I never called you beautiful.” He stammered, looking away from you.

“But, do you think I’m beautiful? Nymphs can’t lie, right?” You asked, smirking as you peered at him, trying to get a better look at his face.

“No, nymphs can’t lie. And yes, I do think you’re very, very beautiful.” He whispered, still refusing to meet your eyes.

It was your turn for your face to glow like a sunset. You’d asked, expecting a snarky answer, not fully believing what he’d said previously about nymphs being bound to their honesty. Your lips formed a small, wordless “oh” as you stared at him, awestruck.

“You’re still a terrible baker though, so don’t let it go to your head.”

***

You pulled the oven door open with apprehension, bracing yourself for another failure, and gasped loudly when instead your eyes fell on what appeared to be a flawless blueberry pie.

You bounced on the balls of your heels excitedly before carefully extracting the dessert from the oven and placing it on the windowsill to cool where you could admire it safely from afar.

“Ahh, I can’t wait to show Minhyuk!” You squealed, clapping your hands together.

“Can’t wait to show me what?” 

You whirled around, more shocked than you perhaps should have been to find Minhyuk leaning against your doorframe.

In the weeks that had passed since he shared his stories about your Aunt with you he had been a near constant presence in your home, always making stupid excuses for why he’s there like “I’m just making sure you aren’t hiding any cucumber in my pie”. You had offered to let him stay over since you felt a little bad for him sleeping in the outdoors alone, but he always shyly declined.

“Come, look!” You were already dragging him by the hand to the window to show him your handiwork.

“Wow, that doesn’t look half bad.” He whistled, eyeing it with great interest, eyes sparkling. He took a step towards it, arm outstretched, earning a whack on the shoulder from you.

“It isn’t ready yet! It still has to cool or you’ll burn yourself.” You chastised, moving protectively in front of your masterpiece, hands on your hips.

“Okay, fine, fine.” Minhyuk said, massaging his shoulder with one hand and stifling a yawn with the other.

“Sleepy?” 

He nodded, swallowing another yawn behind his large palm.

“Its getting harder to sleep outside at night these days. Getting cold. I heard that long ago, when humans were less prevalent on Earth, it was more common for nymphs to choose to keep their physical forms. I always wonder what they did to keep warm.”

“Why don’t you take a nap while the pie cools? After you eat maybe we can think of some solutions for that.”

Minhyuk nodded, too exhausted to argue. He refused to be led to the bed though, insisting instead to sit next to you on the couch and sleep sitting up.

His resistance didn’t last. Before long he slumped to his side, his head tumbling into your lap. You caught your gasp in your hand, stifling it and carefully setting down the spellbook you’d been perusing while he napped so your movements wouldn’t disturb him while he slumbered.

You watched him sleep, oddly comfortable despite the slight awkwardness of his face pressed into your bare thighs. Without thinking your hand found his hair, smoothing it gently, relishing in how impossibly silken it was, your fingers gliding through the soft strands like they were water.

Minhyuk’s eyes shot open and you went to pull your hand away, embarrassed, but he caught it in his, holding you firmly in place as he adjusted himself so he was facing you. He stared up at you, blinking the sleep from his eyes, not speaking or removing his head from your legs.

“I-I think the pie should be ready by now,” You supplied after several long moments of silence, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air. “Why don’t we go get some?”

Minhyuk didn’t move immediately and something in his expression was making you feel like you were frozen in place, like he was seeing right through you and counting each of your racing heart beats in slow motion.

He finally lifted himself from your lap and quietly made his way to the kitchen and sat at the dinner table, waiting expectantly. You retrieved the pie, regretting that you hadn’t tried it yourself first as you cut a generous piece for him and slid it on a plate. You were silently praying to anyone that would listen that it would taste as good as it looked.

To your surprise Minhyuk didn’t hesitate to pile his fork with the pastry and bring it to his waiting mouth. You had expected him to make some catty remark about you trying the first bite, or taking a tiny bite “just in case”.

‘He must really be exhausted if he’s being so docile.’ You thought to yourself as you watched him chew with bated breath.

When he swallowed you swallowed with him out of nerves. The seconds of silence seemed like they stretched into hours as you waited for his reaction, but it never came. Instead he simply loaded up his fork again and took another bite, closing his eyes while he chewed. He continued like this until his plate was as clean as when you’d taken it out of the cabinet.

“Well? How was it?” You finally inquired, unable to contain yourself any longer, your nervousness making your voice come out in a higher pitch than normal.

Minhyuk stood, the sound of the chair scraping the floor making you jump, and moved towards you as if in a daze.

When his lips met yours, they tasted strongly of blueberry and sugar. You were too surprised to move at first but the ice around you slowly melted as he held you and your arms slowly circled his waist as your lips molded to his, your eyes fluttering closed.

His hands crept down your waist, gripping your hips firmly as he deepened the kiss. You felt your legs starting to wobble while he explored your mouth, the sweet taste of sugar and fruit on his tongue overwhelming your senses. His hold on you was all that was keeping you upright and you were starting to wonder if this was going to be the way you died, in the arms of a beautiful man without a breath of air left in your lungs, when he pulled away at last, chest heaving while you both struggled to catch your breath.

Minhyuk leaned forward, kissing your forehead softly in stark contrast to the heated one he’d pressed to your lips moments ago.

“It was wonderful.” He whispered, his lips moving against your forehead as they formed his words. He took a step back, his eyes overflowing with affection, and moved past you and out of the room. You followed him as he stumbled into your room, his exhaustion evidently taking over as he collapsed into your bed face first.

The deep breaths he was taking were confirmation enough that he had fallen asleep. You smiled tenderly as you looked down at his sleeping form fondly. Warmth bubbled up from the very tips of your toes, spreading throughout your body in a wave, making you feel impossibly at peace. You sighed through your nose, contented. Seeing him sleeping in your bed just felt so...right.

You padded back to the kitchen as slowly and silently as you could muster so as not to disturb your slumbering guest. You moved to cover the remaining pie and put it in the refrigerator for later, but stilled as something odd caught your attention from the corner of your eye.

Your cauldron, which you’d abandoned with your last failed experiment still stuck like cement to the bottom of it, was bubbling merrily. You rushed over, panic-stricken, and gasped when your nose was assaulted with the scent of fresh florals. The failed potion from before had sprung to life, it’s contents now a color that reminded you of Minhyuk’s hair, a comparison that made your cheeks flush involuntarily.

Then, as if you were struck by lighting, you were rooted to where you stood with the gears in your mind turning faster than you could comprehend. You glanced back at the sleeping nymph, realization finally dawning on you. A soft gasp slipped through your lips and the rosy color on your face deepened to a blazing scarlet.

You tentatively dipped a ladle into the concoction, sniffing its contents gingerly before taking a hesitant sip. Your eyes squeezed shut, a smile winding its way through your lips. You’d finally done it. You laughed to yourself at the irony of the situation, your eyes settling on the heather wreath swaying delicately in the breeze from the open window.