Chapter Text
Jungsu scrolled through his emails, checking the agenda for the upcoming meeting of the coven council. Really, he'd never asked to be part of it in the first place, the very idea he had to do reading for it felt like a violation. But he had to suck it up, for Gunil. Potentially all of them, depending on how bad things were. The witch wouldn't have believed it was serious has Jooyeon not mentioned his hyung warning him. From what he heard, Hyunjin was a caring elder brother, but he didn't baby Jooyeon. There had to be somewhat of a threat.
Which is what he kept telling himself as he trawled through policy, propped up in bed on a Friday night - or Saturday morning, depending on how you characterised it.
He yawned, rubbing his sore eyes, and once he'd blinked the blur away, he noticed a message from Jooyeon.
> you awake hyung
> I can see you are
> yes I'm awake
> you ok?
It was odd for the vampire to text so late. If he did, it was usually on their group chat, rather than directly to one of them. Jungsu shook his head, focusing.
> are you busy
> no
Dots indicating he was typing popped up and down, until his message finally came through.
> can I come round?
Jungsu frowned, and replied quickly.
> of course
He feared Jooyeon had been lurking outside, as it can't have been more than 5 minutes before he was quietly pushing open the door and poking his nose through.
"Its fine" Jungsu waved him off, voice rough from lack of use "Hyeongjun's out tonight"
"Oh" Jooyeon revealed his entire body, sneaking in. He carried an opaque water bottle, black to match his all-black ensemble, a hoodie and track pants.
"Good morning" the witch greeted, checking the time. 3.35am wasn't the normal time to hang out with your friends, but he supposed neither of them were human, so normal maybe didn't apply.
"Hey" Jooyeon took a swig from his bottle, then went in for a hug. He was cold through Jungsu's thin sweater and pyjamas.
"What's wrong?" The elder questioned, manoeuvring them over to the couch.
"Stuff. I just wanted to vibe"
"Okay. Does that mean you don't want to talk about it?"
"Not yet" Jooyeon replied simply. In the dark of the night, his usually quiet otherworldly aura seemed to increase. The bottle of what was definitely blood didn't help, but Jungsu supposed he should be glad it was only that. The vampire took another sip.
"Jooyeon-ah, what if somebody had seen what's in that bottle" he chuckled.
"I'd rip their throats out and add their blood to it" he deadpanned.
"Hah hah" Jungsu ignored his giggling. "Very funny"
The younger grinned.
"Realistically hyung, they'd think it was fruit juice"
"Hmm. And would you like your fruit juice warm, sir?"
"Nah, it's actually quite nice cold. Like a melted slushy"
"I've got some ice?" Jungsu offered.
Jooyeon hopped up, and they found a glass in the kitchen. Jungsu enchanted his blender to be silent, prayed, then poured in the blood and ice and set it going. Making a blood slushy was not what he had anticipated his night would involve, but who was he to complain.
He poured it out into the glass once it looked somewhat appetizing. Jooyeon took a tentative sip, then nodded in approval.
"Could it be improved by adding anything?" Jungsu mused.
"Vodka maybe" the vampire frowned.
"That would be the most fucked up cocktail ever"
"Yeah"
"...shall we make it?"
Jungsu checked through his limited liquor store, and fished out the half-finished bottle of vodka.
"I'd say it needs a couple shots. It needs to be good, I'm running out of my supply" Jooyeon remarked, tasting it again. It mixed up oddly, but with a little swirling around it looked to be ok. Jungsu had learnt long ago not to think about the pairing of Jooyeon's diet.
"Ah" he sighed "perfect. Want to try some? It's vegetarian!"
"It's blood" he replied flatly.
"It's animal blood"
"That is the exact opposite of vegetarian!" Jungsu protested.
"Fine. But it's nice, trust me"
"I think I'll stick to normal mixers, thanks" the elder poured himself a drink.
"Oh?"
"It'll stop me worrying about Gunil" he admitted, going to sit back down "I know we thought of a plan, and he's far away, but I'm still worried. Oh, did you even hear?"
"Jiseok said you'd been making fairy cakes" the vampire nodded.
"We've got a few left, if you'd like one"
Jooyeon always wanted food, and he liked Jiseok, so Jungsu wasn't expecting a refusal. But the vampire hesitated, before agreeing. Again, Jungsu felt like he'd been so focused on his own romantic problems, he'd become blind to his friends'. As he sat back down, handing him a cupcake, he shuffled a little closer to him.
"Jiseokie's talented" Jungsu laughed gently.
"Yeah" Jooyeon sighed, something wistful in his dark eyes "he is"
The vampire had another gulp of his drink.
"Could I ask your opinion on something, Jooyeon-ah?"
"Sure"
"Should I tell Gunil about me? I don't want to keep secrets from him, but I don't want to make it seem like I was purposefully hiding. Or for him to know I was hiding"
Jooyeon nodded.
It's tricky. Sometimes you're just not ready for everyone to know"
"I'm not sure if things will change, even though nothing is really that different" Jungsu added.
"You feel like you know everyone will be happy, but I'm still not sure. What if they're not? What if I make things weird? I don't want people to think I'm hurting him"
"Jooyeon-ah?"
The vampire seemed to realise his previous words, and went red.
"I-"
"I know about you and Jiseok" Jungsu admitted, offering a hand.
"Oh"
"I think it's wonderful, if you're happy"
"I am" Jooyeon took his hand, and shuffled more into his arms "I...you know"
Jungsu nodded.
"See, that went ok"
The vampire cracked a smile.
"It'll be your turn soon, hyung"
"Fuck, do I have to?"
"It's that or you try my vegetarian cocktail" he winked, then sat up straighter "you know, my d-the old bat knows a vegan vampire"
"The definition of vegan being?"
"He only drinks coconut water. Well, apart from when he hunts, but that doesn't count its called blood frenzy for a reason-"
Jungsu laughed, and hugged him.
"I'm glad we had this chat"
"Me too hyung" he yawned.
Hyeongjun had to wake them up the next morning, after having passed out on the couch.
Gunil seemed to be off the grid. Jungsu had messaged him a little around lunchtime, but he'd heard nothing from him since. He supposed it made sense, seeing family in the country didn't guarantee good WiFi, but it was still stressing him out. He really didn't want to be the crazy boyfriend, which Hyeongjun kept telling him he was, but he was scared for the human. He spent most of Saturday evening checking the news for any random injuries, before Hyeongjun distracted him with promise of stories about Seungmin.
He found it difficult to sleep that night, the full moon seeming to mock him as its rays crept through the gap in his curtains. The witch woke up, tried a yoga routine then fell asleep, woke up again, and still it mocked him. He glanced at his phone, then thought better of it. Gunil was fine. He turned over his pillow, and flopped back down, trying to will himself to sleep. If it didn't work, he'd make himself a draught.
Consequently, he was tired and edgy the next day. His stupid, magic knowing mind had conjured up all sorts of crazy scenarios when he managed to put it to sleep, but he was so worn out by it he didn't have much left in him to worry. Hyeongjun even remarked that he looked exhausted.
"I know, I'm stressed" he sighed, picking at some leftovers for lunch "it just feels like quite a long time not to hear from him"
"Hyung, for the last time, Gunil-hyung isn't going to die visiting his family out of town. He probably forgot a phone charger or something"
"I'm stressing out the plants" he frowned, glancing at their windowsill.
"Do we need to call Jiseok?"
"It's ok, you're right" the witch checked his phone again - still no messages.
"I'm calling Jiseok"
Jiseok was busy picking up an extra shift at the cafe, so couldn't make it until later. Jungsu settled himself down on the couch, having a lazy day - or trying to, in between bouts of fear for Gunil. He was just nodding off through his tv's program when his phone buzzed.
> Yeah we should finish it when I'm back
> Sorry this is late, charger broke
> miss you too <3
"He's alive!" He called to the shapeshifter.
"Can you take a nap now hyung?"
Jungsu ignored him, happily replying to his boyfriend. He'd survived the full moon, now he had time to find out what was going on before he was next in mortal danger. Somewhere in amongst his worrying, he was staring to form a vague strategy for the upcoming coven meeting, and hoping Jooyeon's brother would tell him anything else.
The witch rubbed his eyes. Perhaps a nap would do him good.
Jiseok showed up in the evening, and after much begging from the two witches, Hyeongjun agreed to make dinner in exchange for free cake from Jiseok's cafe. It was all for show really, as the youngest was always far too kind cooking for them. Much to Jungsu's benefit, as his potion making skills didn't seem to extend to sauces.
"Yes!" Jiseok cheered, once Hyeongjun had relented.
"But you have to help"
"Of course" Jungsu nodded "I'll get things from the cupboards, what do you need?"
Hyeongjun began listing off ingredients. Jungsu peered in his cupboards, but for the life of him, he couldn't see some. Following a thorough search, and an additional few others missing from the fridge according to Jiseok, a grocery run was looking necessary.
"I'll go" the eldest volunteered. It was his duty as the hyung, and held the added benefit of him getting outside - he was pretty sure he hadn't left the apartment since coming home to it on Friday.
"If you're sure, hyung"
"Yeah. I need to get a change of scene"
"I'll text you a list of what we need" Hyeongjun added.
"I've got it-"
"I'll text you" the youngest grinned.
"Fine. I'll be right back"
It was colder than he expected outside, as he pulled down the sleeves of his hoodie. He supposed a storm was coming, as there was a chill in the air. He began walking to the corner shop, and felt a few drops of rain hit just before he ducked into the store. He nodded to the cashier, and began searching for what Hyeongjun had commanded. It was quiet in the store, as he hummed along to the radio playing, walking past another person shopping for this and that.
He picked up a chocolate bar, for good luck, and made his way up to the cashier.
"12.06" the bored teenager read out, gum snapping "want a bag?"
"Yes, please" Jungsu nodded, realising he'd picked up a few extra snacks and his hoodie pocket wouldn't suffice.
"Cash or card?"
"Card"
He packed up his things, and handed him the receipt.
"Thanks" he took it, getting out of the way of another customer. The rain had picked up, now a steady patter, and he put his hood up.
Ahead of him, he had two options. Take the normal way, and get the food cold and wet, or duck into an alleyway, enchant it, then take the shortcut home. Option 2 sounded far better.
It was getting later, the street he turned onto was almost deserted, apart from a trio of youngish looking men on the other side of the road. When the coast was clear, he hid in a small cut-through street, and quickly muttered an enchantment. That should keep them dry for the time being. Quickly, he messaged Hyeongjun he was on the way back, but when he raised his head, the three men from before were standing at the entrance to the alleyway. They leant against the wall, not directly looking at him, but their bodies looked stiff.
Jungsu paused, trying to weigh up his options before they called on him. They could easily have concealed weapons, and there weren't any good security cameras here. He could teleport, if he needed to. He'd have to leave the groceries here, and make sure not to overshoot, since he'd likely pass out on arrival, but it would work. He steeled himself, and began walking closer.
As expected, he could feel their eyes on him as he approached. Out of the corner of his eye, one of them started to move, and he walked a little faster. Jungsu gave them a wide berth, trying to avoid provocation.
"Hey!"
Fuck. He turned slightly.
"Can I help you?" Jungsu asked, trying to be cordial. They could just be a bunch of lost drunk people, but their eyes seemed too sharp for that. He didn't get a reply, but they kept staring at him.
"Ah, if you don't need aid, I've got groceries-" he began backing up.
"Tell him we're coming for him!" One shouted. Jungsu turned tail, and ran, but he didn't see them follow him.
He got back to the apartment soon, and retold the story in the kitchen.
"Weird. Tell who?" He frowned.
"They were probably just crazy, hyung" the shapeshifter shrugged, stirring his pan.
"Or they mistook you for a a fugitive" Jiseok added, poking at his side
"Probably just drunk, honestly" Jungsu agreed, and got back to hindering Hyeongjun's cooking.
"You've got this"
"I've got this"
"You love paperwork and legislation"
"I love paperwork and legislation"
"You'll suck them off for information"
"I'll- Seungmin!" Jungsu hissed. The mage in question snickered.
The council meeting was scheduled to start mid-afternoon, and Seungmin had very kindly offered to take over the shop until closing, in return for 3 months of free newts eyes. Jungsu had taken him up, and spent what little time he had in between serving customers making sure he had enough supplies out on the shelves. Then, during his hour lunch break, Seungmin had teleported over. He had been shooting that morning, and his hair and make-up was still done. If Jungsu got asked about a handsome assistant tomorrow, he may scream.
"Just trying to make you loosen up, hyung" the younger protested "it's a coven meeting, not the fucking mafia. It'll be fine"
"Its literally about territory disputes"
"Whatever" he rolled his eyes, flicking his immaculate eyelashes "still fine. You've planned how to find out more?"
Jungsu nodded.
"I think it will come up naturally, most likely but I'm prepared"
"Good. See you soon"
"Are you sure you'll be alright with the shop?"
"Yes, I've got everything under control" Seungmin laughed, pushing him towards the door "see you later"
He made it to the coven with plenty of time in advance, so grabbed a quick coffee from across the street, and took the time to message Gunil. His boyfriend was travelling back today, and though Jungsu wanted to see him, he was sure the human would want some time to himself.
> have a good journey <3
He waited a few moments, before his reply came through.
> thank you <3
> can I see you when I get back?
> of course
> when suits you
> I'd take time off work but I might get murdered
> so evening?
> sure :)
> Tuesday or Wednesday?
> tomorrow's great I miss you
> I'll come and sweep you off your feet
> foods on me
> you're already a snack
> ...
> i'm sorry that was bad
He chuckled to himself at his ridiculous jokes, then realised the time, and pocketed his phone, and got up.
Jungsu smoothed out his robes in the bathroom mirror, and moved a stray strand of hair. He needed to play the perfect little witch if he wanted to get anything out of this meeting, and that meant looking the part. His nervous energy had built over the weekend, and after that odd encounter last night, he needed to find out whatever he could.
He passed various other council members on his way up, and nervously stood behind an old mage in the elevator. Surreptitiously checking in the reflection, he realised who in fact it was - the deputy. Jungsu was surprised, he thought he would have accompanied the chair, but he supposed he could easily have been late. By the time he arrived at the floor of the council, most were in attendance, and the ornate room was almost full. He spotted the woman he'd sat next to last meeting, and weaved his way through the crowds to slide into his seat. He was about to strike up casual conversation, when a voice rang out.
"Quiet please! Good afternoon all"
Jungsu was surprised to see the slightly less ancient figure of the mage, rather than the ancient looking chair witch. Whispers broke out across the room, until one witch piped up.
"Can I enquire our chairs whereabouts?" She asked haughtily.
"Our chair is incapacitated at this time" he replied, and Jungsu didn't like the implication "so I shall be taking the council"
There was a slight smugness in his tone, as if he'd been proven correct about something. Jungsu focused back on the conversation, as the witches and mages surrounding him muttered.
"Rest assured the agenda remains the same, and our chair should be back with us for the next meeting. That being said, welcome all-"
"Should?" One of the older witches cut in "is he injured?"
"He will be with us for the next meeting" the mage amended, after a barely noticeable pause. "Please, let us focus on our first item..."
The first item on their agenda was carried out peacefully, though the deputy had less ease than the chair, from what little Jungsu had observed of him last time. Various witches asked questions, and as they got distracted debating something about waterweed conservation efforts recommended by the national coven, Jungsu felt himself getting drowsy. He was a plant lover, but he was here to find out if his boyfriend was the only human being gutted by werewolves.
"Alright, thank you for your input. Our next item is werewolf disputes, carried on from our last meeting" he indicated to another witch. This one wore robes in a dark purple, and his beard was on the shorter side. He cleared his throat, and began speaking.
"As you shall recall from our previous meetings, werewolf territory is being disputed currently. Though this usually would not concern us, there have been reports of injuries, requiring our involvement"
"Injuries to who?" Jungsu heard somebody mutter near him. Goo Gunil, for one he thought.
"How severe?" A younger mage piped up, hair in a series of braids.
"Ah" the deputy cut in "we cannot disclose specifics"
"Are they in so much danger?" Another frowned.
"It is simply procedure, continue please" he indicated purple robes, who kept speaking.
As he began detailing the areas affected, Jungsu wished he could discreetly put it into Google maps, and settled on committing it to memory. The deputy took over, putting forth measures for them to discuss. Jungsu looked around for the members who had been so rude about the werewolves last time, but they seemed to be staying quiet. He diligently nodded when somebody mentioned safety being important, but focused on finding out more.
"Reduction in access could be considered, if the situation continues to escalate-"
"How far is too far?"
"I assure you it is not immediate dangerous-"
"So the injuries are minor?"
"Can we introduce any of these measures if they are only minor? Accidents are bound to happen at an individual level"
"The situation required intervention-"
"Hold on, should we not speak to the leaders first? This has to be organised"
"Our chair has spoken to one of the pack leaders" the deputy said, and Jungsu watched him pale slightly. He got the feeling that information wasn't meant to reach their ears.
"Perhaps then we should wait until he is well to discuss further action, if the situation holds no great urgency" Jungsu spoke up, adding as much honey as he could.
There were a few confused nods next to him, as the tension in the room began to release.
"Yes, yes Mr Kim is correct" he nodded "the next item is community engagement in our latest refresher courses..."
Jungsu kept quiet for the rest of the meeting, which continued in a far more relaxed manner. It gave him time to consider how - if- the deputy would let more slip. He made sure to nod and smile politely, while keeping his ears out for any mutterings. Something was going on, everyone could feel it.
"That concludes this council meeting" the mage stood up, and bowed "thank you for your input"
The witch busied himself shuffling his papers as the council left, keeping the deputy in his sight. Carefully, he hung back, until they were the only people left to get the last elevator. He held it as he walked in.
"Thank you for your support, Mr Kim" the old mage nodded.
"It is no problem, sir" Jungsu tried to usher some righteousness into his voice "I believe we need to think carefully before we act"
"I couldn't agree more. Especially in situations concerning inter-magical unity"
"Especially"
"Mortality among- well, on this it would be better to be silent" the elevator doors opened, and he left with a brief bow of the head. Jungsu waited for them to close, before he blew out a breath. Somehow he had learnt lots, and nothing at all.
Tuesday seemed to drag on, despite the near-constant flow of customers. If he was being honest, all Jungsu could think about was Gunil. He knew he was being ridiculous, but it felt like he couldn't be sure the human was alright until he saw him in person. The coven had made him more wary, and though he really needed to know if Jooyeon had heard anything, he was coming to the conclusion he may have to tell his boyfriend the truth soon, before it was too late.
A tiny part of Jungsu's heart was leaving him to belong to the elder man. Jungsu wanted to make sure it wasn't thrown back out.
After what felt like days, not the mere hours it had been, he served his final customer, and closed for the evening. He and Gunil had agreed to meet at his apartment, before heading out, so he swept the floors while enchanting the rest of his cleaning products quickly, then got going. The sky was just beginning to get darker, as he fished out his keys. Much to his surprise, Hyeongjun was alone - he had expected Seungmin to be present. Then he remembered, he had a late night shoot tonight. The witch chuckled to himself. No doubt the shapeshifter would be grumpy later, with no mage to sneak into his bedroom.
He decided to change into a less formal shirt, and threw on a hoodie. They didn't plan to go anywhere fancy, but his old one probably smelt a little after a day running up and down his spiralling staircase. After checking his hair, and briefly dabbling some concealer over a particularly troubling spot, he sat down nervously on their couch. Hyeongjun was in his cat form, padding around, and Jungsu was pretty sure he was going out with Seungmin and Jiseok later. At the thought of Jiseok, he was reminded of his possible movie night invitation to offer to his boyfriend, though he wouldn't decide until after seeing him.
He scrolled through his phone mindlessly, until there was a gentle knock at the door.
"Coming!" The witch called, and padded over.
"Hey hyung-oh!"
Gunil pulled him forward by his waist, and kissed his lips chastely.
"Hey Jungsu-ah" he smiled softly, eyes warm.
"Is this going to be how you greet me from now on?" Jungsu asked, a little breathless.
"Probably" Gunil nodded "you're too pretty to stop myself"
"Sap" the witch hit his shoulder playfully.
"Should have read the small print, boyfriend"
Jungsu felt his insides go warm, and stole another kiss. He wrapped his around around the elder, prising his lips apart, and sighed into the feeling. He could already see himself becoming addicted.
Their moment was ruined when something bumped into his legs. A cat shaped something. Jungsu was sure if he was telepathic, Hyeongjun would be telling him to get lost.
He pulled away from his touch, scooping up the Hyeongjun and depositing him in his room, before returning to Gunil. He paused momentarily, then took the elder's hand.
"Lets go" Jungsu smiled.
"Sexiled by a lone cat" Gunil chuckled "but I guess we were going out anyway"
They walked out into the early evening, stealing another quick kiss in the elevator. Once Jungsu could get a good look at him, he couldn't help but notice Gunil still looked rather worn out. A slip of his sweater revealed a little bruise on his shoulder, though it was rather faint, and a small scratch on his temple. That being said, the bandages on his hand were long gone, leaving a barely visible mark that made Jungsu rather proud of his healing skills. He'd tell his dad, when he next decided to splash out on an owl, or on bribing Seungmin to take it for him.
"How were your family?" He asked, as they made their way to the restaurant.
"Good" Gunil nodded, smiling fondly "chaos as usual. I missed my apartment though"
"Your apartment" Jungsu snorted.
"Hey, I like my bed! Oh, that reminds me, you worked your magic on my plants, they've been much happier since you came over"
The younger had frozen at the word magic, and kicked his brain back into gear.
"Ah, well, green thumbs I suppose"
"I think it was your singing" Gunil shrugged. "I told one of my cousins how beautiful your voice is"
"Hyung" Jungsu blushed, nudging him. He felt his cheeks burn even hotter, when Gunil took his fingers and laced them together. He knew he had to find a way to tell him the truth, but he preferred to focus on how warm he made him feel, for now.
Their dinner was wonderful. Gunil had chosen a small and cosy restaurant, just the kind of place Jungsu liked, as if he had read his mind. As they talked about anything that came to mind, Jungsu wondered how it was possible he had missed him so much, even though he'd barely been gone.
"Do you have any plans this weekend" Jungsu blurted, just as Gunil had ordered some kind of chocolate desert for them to share "Friday, specifically"
The elder smiled. "I don't. Why do you ask?"
"We're having another movie night, if you'd like to come. They said they'd like to see you again" he noticed Gunil's slightly surprised expression "but of course you don't have to come!"
"I'd love to come, so long as I'm allowed to cuddle"
"I hope that cuddling means me"
"Nope, just the cat"
Jungsu giggled, and ignored his trepidation.
The plan was rather simple. They would drop a few hints at the movie night, and then Jungsu would invite Gunil back to his, rather than making the trip home. Then, he'd tell him that he was a witch. Depending on how well it went, he may or may not include the werewolf attack. And if he chickened out, he could just be inviting him back to fuck. Which wouldn't be too bad of an alternative.
Their chocolatey desert arrived, along with two spoons.
"That looks like pure diabetes" the witch remarked.
"Only the best for you, baby" Gunil winked, waving a spoon at him. He opened his mouth obediently, and hummed.
"Good?"
"Really good. Really sickly" he laughed.
"Tasty" he wiggled his eyebrows, and took a spoonful for himself.
"Are you sure you'll be ok getting home?" Jungsu frowned.
They'd gone for a walk in a nearby park after their dinner, which Gunil had insisted he paid for, before they'd both agreed to act like responsible adults who had work the next morning. Gunil reaffirmed he could come to group movie night at Jiseok's, and they'd made their way back to the street.
The human nodded.
"Yeah, the bus comes in like 3 minutes"
"Ok. I'll see you Friday, hyung" Jungsu leant in, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He couldn't resist, Gunil looked so handsome in the semi-darkness. As he was pulling back, he felt his hands snake around his waist, and pull him into a proper kiss.
"Don't miss your bus" he whispered against his lips.
"I don't care" Gunil replied, kissing him again.
Wednesday afternoon, Jungsu accompanied Jiseok shopping for snacks for movie night. The younger witch had been pestering him about it, and he had the afternoon off, so they met at lunch and got going. Jungsu thought he may as well do some regular shopping, so he carried round a basket of personal groceries, which Jiseok picked over the best types of crisps.
"So is he coming?"
"Who? Gunil?"
"Of course Gunil" Jiseok rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, he agreed to come"
"Wait, really? Oh shit let me add him to the chat-"
"Jiseok-ah we can't add him to our regular chat, it's in incriminating" Jungsu hissed, steering him out of the way of an old lady trying to get cheese and onion crisps.
"Sorry ma'am- obviously not our regular chat, hyung. A special movie night chat"
"Does that exist?"
"Its about to" he grinned "I figure, it's how we initiate Gunil-hyung. It started with him wanting to fuck you, and it ends with him becoming our mutual bestie"
"Jiseok there are kids in this store" Jungsu sighed.
"Oh, right. Very close friends who hold hands sometimes"
The older witch decided to ignore him, as they moved over to sweet snacks. Jungsu held both baskets, as Jiseok created the chat on his phone.
"There. Does hyung prefer any specific snacks?"
"Not that I know of" Jungsu shook his head "I think he likes most things. Better just get a selection, keep everyone happy"
He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket.
"Aww, your boyfriends so polite" Jiseok mocked.
"Unlike you lot" he frowned in mock disgust.
"Realistically, how much alcohol do we need? Are you planning on getting him blackout before, you know, the thing"
"Um, I hadn't really thought about it" Jungsu lied, like the liar he was. In truth, he had spent the whole of last night once he and Gunil had parted thinking about it, all of that morning thinking about it, and would likely spend the rest of the time leading up to it thinking about it.
He knew he wanted to tell him, and he knew he'd have to sooner or later. Alone after a nice night seemed as good a time as any. But regarding the how, he was still figuring it out.
"I just...I don't know how to tell him" Jungsu admitted.
"Yeah. That's fair"
"Do I tell him everything? Only my Thing?"
"I don't mind you telling him about my Thing, personally" Jiseok shrugged "Ew that sounds sexual"
Jungsu laughed, bumping his shoulder.
"I think I want him to remember. Pleasantly tipsy, rather than blackout drunk"
"Hmmm. Do you reckon Jooyeonie will be drinking?"
Jungsu bit his lip as he thought.
"I actually haven't heard from him for a few days. I didn't realise he was coming, honestly" he hadn't thought to check the rest of the guest list, now he thought about it.
Jiseok went pink, and stared intently at the differing bottles of wine, before picking out a cheap one. Still staring, he spoke.
"Jooyeonie has had some stuff going on, with his um, stuff. Supply"
Admittedly, a public supermarket wasn't the best place to talk about their vampire friend's day to day activities.
"Is he alright?"
"I think so. And he's definitely coming"
Jungsu tried to scan Jiseok surreptitiously for any bite marks. He couldn't see any, and nowhere was covered that was suspicious. The witch knew it wasn't his business who Jooyeon was biting, and tried to stop himself from meddling, as Hyeongjun would tell him. He had enough of his own issues to think about.
"That looks like enough to me" the elder nodded to their basket full of unhealthy snacks and alcohol.
"I agree, let's go home" Jiseok nodded "I'll tell everyone what we've got, they can bring more if they want"
The next day seemed to fly by, as did Friday morning, though Jungsu was sure his nervous energy was spurring time on. He'd called his boyfriend yesterday, and Gunil had seemed so happy to meet his friends again, Jungsu felt guilty about the rug that was about to be pulled out from under his feet. He'd said as much to Hyeongjun.
"You don't have to tell him, hyung" the shapeshifter had said softly "we're not going to force you to"
"I do though, if I want to keep him. I really like him, Hyeongjunnie, you know that"
"I like hyung too, he's genuinely a nice guy. And even after being attacked by werewolves"
"I don't want to push him away" Jungsu replied "I'm fucking praying I don't"
"Have you got any kind of plan?"
"Sort of" and he'd told him the basics of his Plan.
The Plan went like this. They all agreed a time to get to Jiseok's, specifically 10 minutes before they'd agreed on the movie night chat with Gunil. That way they could get all of the magic talk out of their systems, then have a nice movie night with the human. Afterwards, as they all got more tired and tipsy, Jungsu would invite him back to his. Hyeongjun agreed to go with Seungmin, so he'd have the apartment to himself. From there, he'd tell him about the plants and healing, and maybe demonstrate, and if it all went to shit, he'd at least have a bed to roll up and cry in nearby. Seungmin had told him the last part of the plan was unnecessary, but what did he know. If by some miracle Gunil didn't think he was a lunatic, he may tell him about the others, though that was still undecided.
"There you go, ma'am" Jungsu carefully handed the fairy the shrub. It was a particularly rare variety, and one he was rather proud of.
"Thank you" she inclined her head.
"Would you like a bag for that?" He offered.
"I'm fine, thank you"
"Have a good evening" he bowed, scanning the shop - as far as he could tell, no other customers were left.
"You too" she replied, then left. Jungsu sighed to himself, flicking his hand to change the sign in the door to Closed. Checking everything was in order, he locked up, and began walking home. Or, as it felt, towards his inevitable demise.
He and Hyeongjun got ready, the former fluffing up his hair while the latter chose his softest hoodie.
"Jun-ah?" Jungsu called.
"Yeah?"
"Come here I need help" the shapeshifter trudged in "do I look hot? Like, hot enough to still want me even if I told you I'd been lying the whole time I'd met you"
He rolled his eyes.
"You look great hyung, as always. But please calm down"
"I know, I know I'm sorry" he leant into the mirror, making sure his eyebrows were under control. "Is lip gloss too much?"
"Hyung we're going to Jiseok's, not clubbing"
"You're right, I should stick to subtle eyeliner"
He ignored the younger's long suffering sigh.
Once he was happy he looked appropriate, and then noticed they had to go, they locked up, and took the short walk up to Jiseoks. Just as he was starting to knock, the witch cried out.
"Its open, come in!"
The younger witch bounced up to them. To be fair to Jiseok, the snacks and drinks looked quite nice lined up on his kitchen counter.
"Nice socks" Hyeongjun remarked, looking down at the spooky pattern of cats on broomstick.
"Thanks. I thought I'd give Gunil-hyung a little hint"
"Hah hah"
Hyeongjun chuckled.
"The magically healing wounds wasn't a clue?"
"Oh god, don't remind me" Jungsu groaned, making his way over to pour himself a drink "he said I'd worked my magic on his plants the other day, and I nearly had a heart attack"
"Is that a euphemism?" Jiseok raised his eyebrows.
"Shush. You guys have to promise to keep quiet, until I tell you I've told him, please?"
"Of course, hyung" the youngest agreed "though I can't promise the others don't make dumb mistakes"
"Hey!"
"Its- is something burning?"
"Oh fuck the nachos-"
The younger witch ran to his oven, and hastily opened the door, before levitating them out and onto the counter. They only looked slightly singed, still edible. Hyeongjun gingerly took one, then nodded in approval.
"I got fancy fresh chillies to put on them" Jiseok offered.
"Sure" Hyeongjun took out a knife despite the protests "I'm saving your fingers, Jiseokie"
As he finished slicing them up, and they'd made some bowls of popcorn, Jooyeon arrived Though Jungsu thought skulked in would have been a better way to describe it. The vampire's hair was loose around his face, as he trudged into the room, black jeans and black hoodie on, and gave Jungsu a quick hug.
"Hey Jooyeon"
"Hey" he replied, voice a little rough.
"You ok?" Hyeongjun asked, setting the knife down and coming to pat his shoulder.
"Just hungry" Jooyeon tried for a smile, fangs glinting. Really, if there was one night Gunil would pick up he was a vampire, it would be tonight.
Jungsu smiled to himself as he and Jiseok not-so-subtly hugged, the taller burying his nose into the shorters beck, and making a quiet indignant noise as he was pushed back.
"When's Gunil-hyung coming?"
"Any minute now" Jungsu glanced at his phone. No messages from his boyfriend.
The sudden pop and following shout made him jump.
"Shit!" Seungmin cried.
"What did you do?" Jungsu hurried over to him, the others close behind. "Teleportation into the fucking wall?"
"Misjudged it" the mage hissed "slipped and caught my hand on the knife, whoever left it there"
"Sorry Seungmin-ah, that was me" Hyeongjun bit his lip anxiously.
The mage shook his head, blood beginning to bead and run from the gash.
"It's alright"
"It's alright when he does it" Jiseok rolled his eyes.
"Not the time" Jungsu ground out "you got any bandages? Jiseok?"
There was silence. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, as he turned his head. The vampire was breathing heavily. The room seemed to have darkened with Jooyeon's eyes, which were pitch black and narrowed. His canines had elongated, he had a vice like grip on Jiseok's hand, and Jungsu stiffened, ready for a fight.
"Jooyeon-ah?" The mage asked slowly.
He took a deep breath in.
"Hungry" he chuckled "you smell good, Seungmin"
"Snap out of it, Jooyeon" Jungsu warned.
"It's not him I want" the vampire walked closer to Jiseok "can't upset my baby"
He lunged, but Jungsu grabbed him around the waist, so his teeth ended up lodging themselves in Jiseoks's shoulder.
"Fuck!" The younger witch screeched, attempting to levitate some sort of weapon to him, and ending up with 2 wooden spoons batting at the vampire.
"Jooyeon!" Jungsu shouted, pulling at his waist.
"You got any venom, Hyeongjun-ah? I can enchant this-ah- bitch to stop bleeding" Seungmin ground out, blood now running down his hand.
"Um, yeah, sure-"
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hyeongjun transform into a snake, but he was more focused on the vampire he was holding back. Jiseok was starting to levitate himself in his panic, which did little to deter Jooyeon.
"Please, Jooyeonie" Jiseok begged, trying to prize him off. The darkness began to bleed away from his eyes.
"Get off you fucking leech!" Seungmin called.
"S'nice" he slurred, some blood escaping between the words, staining Jiseok's hoodie.
The wooden spoons kept hitting him, as Jungsu tugged him backwards. Just as he seemed to give in, the front door opened.
They all froze, to see Gunil in the doorway, jaw dropped.