Archive of Our Own

"I can’t do this anymore, Hyungwon. I haven’t had a proper sleep in four weeks.”

Hoseok’s eyes dart from side to side, scanning his flat. All the lights are on and he’s on his phone with his back pressed against the wall of his kitchen. He knows (he guesses from the all the movies he’s watched) ghosts can pass through walls, but he feels safer in this position anyway.

“For the last time, it’s probably just pipes.” Hyungwon’s voice comes through the phone clearly, despite the loud bass pounding in the background.

"It’s not pipes. How could it just be pipes when things are literally getting knocked off my table, the lights are flickering and there’s the sudden burning heat that comes and goes. And! And I can swear I hear whispering at night!”

Hoseok doesn’t want Hyungwon to think that he’s scared shitless. But he’s scared shitless.

“The lighting is probably because you live in an ancient apartment that’s horrifically broken. The things being knocked off your table is probably randy mice. And lastly, you’re really over worked so the whispering is probably you hallucinating.”

Hoseok’s never been the kind of person to completely shut off people’s more unordinary beliefs, (Minhyuk’s deep devotion to star signs for example) but he always had a hard time with ghosts. So he can’t blame Hyungwon for his logical reasoning. The whole thing was illogical. But Hoseok was convinced, there was no other explanations for the things that have been happing to him recently.

“So you’re saying it’s either a ghost or I’m going crazy.”

“Well,  talking about ghosts sounds pretty crazy to me. Now can I get back to tying to get laid. Club alleyways aren’t the most enjoyable places to stand.”

Hoseok had kinda forgotten that it was midnight on a Friday night. Honestly he was just
happy for someone to pick up, unlike Minhyuk had done to him previously.

“Don’t you think the safety of your best friend is more important then getting laid!”

Hoseok can almost hear Hyungwon rolling his eyes. “Not my fault the bartender is super hot and super muscular. Plus Minhyuk is my best friend.”

“Not more muscular then me?”

“I would think your safety would be more important then your “no one we’ve met is more muscular then me record”.”

“Well if you can’t help me with my ghost problem then you could at least help with that.”

“Why don’t you call one of those “ghost hunters”, they love scamming scared, lonely people.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“Don’t actually do that. I was being sarcastic, Hoseok.”

“No, it’s a good idea. I like it.”

“Hoseok, please don’t. You’re one of my best friends and I don’t want you to lose your money to some asshole.”

“I’ll be fine. Plus, you have a guy to get to back and bang.”

“Hoseok-“

Hoseok hangs up.

He realizes that it’s too for him late to ring anyone.

That means he’s alone.

With the ghost.

The light bulb in the kitchen busts.

He screams.

&&&

“Ha! Got another one.” Changkyun says as hangs up his phone.

“What are you talking about now?” Jooheon asks, sitting on their shared couch, looking at his phone.

“Another person requests my special services.” Changkyun says with a smug grin on his face.

“You know that makes you sound like you’re offering something very different to fake ghost busting.” Jooheon bitterly retorts.

Changkyun knows Jooheon hates what he does. Always has. Jooheon thinks It’s cruel to profit of people’s fear. Changkyun has always justified it by saying it works as a placebo for people. But Jooheon seems to think he only does it for fun. Which he does, but that’s not the only reason. What Changkyun tries to convince Jooheon of is that; he doesn’t trick people because he’s malicious. It’s kept food on his table after leaving university. So why stop now?

(And also because he’s really good at it.)

"I prefer paranormal spirit activity removal services.”

“You don’t need to add paranormal to spirit.” Jooheon offers. “I mean, have you ever heard of a spirit that wasn’t paranormal? Ghosts by definition are paranormal.”

“Yeah, well.” Changkyun stutters, trying to think of a good come back. “What ever.”

Changkyun walks from the living room to his bedroom in a huff.

“What are you doing?” Jooheon asks tying to turn his head to Changkyun’s bedroom, but then realises that it’s impossible for it move in that way.

“I need to prepare for tomorrow.” Changkyun half shouts from the bedroom.

Jooheon loses interest in social media and out of pure boredom decides to see what Changkyun’s up to.

He leans on the doorway, observing the other man rummaging through his wardrobe. Changkyun turns to his roommate, holding a leather jacket in one hand and a sparkling, indigo poncho in the other.

“Which should I go for this time around? Grizzled hunter who’s seen shit and has fought off many demonic entities in his time? Or the mysterious mystic who channels the power of the old gods to banish evil?”

“So who’s the poor fool you’re tricking this time?” Jooheon asks, completely disregarding what Changkyun had asked him.

“I think I’ll go with the mystic. It’s easer to play. ‘Don’t have to do so much running around and pretending to hit stuff.” Changkyun mutters to himself while looking at the clothes in his hand. Then he looks up at his roommate. “Ah, yes. My client. His name’s Hoseok. Sounded rather scared when I answered the phone. Lives in an old building, so it’s probably prone to the usual light flicking, broken heating and loud pipes, that people usually think are ghosts. ‘Don’t know what he looks like, but he had a pleasant voice.

&&&

Hot. He was hot.

Changkyun is standing in the living room of Hoseok’s flat. It’s now he realises that he’s forgotten his whole opening speech, because he didn’t expect his client to be that good looking.

The Adonis looking asshole was leaning on the back of his couch, facing Changkyun. A strong, toned body and a pretty, soft face? Matched with endearingly dorky ears? This guy just wasn’t fair. Changkyun doesn’t know whether he should hate him or want to grab his face and kiss it. In the end, he settles for the later.

Hoseok looks at him expectantly, waiting for Changkyun to start the conversation. But Changkyun’s brain has broken and all he can do is blink and pray to god that he returns the art of communication to him.

“So?” Hoseok eventually prompts.

This knocks Changkyun from whatever fugue state he was in. “Ah, yes. Where was I?”

“You were introducing yourself."

“Oh right, sorry.” Changkyun clears his throat. “I’m Im Changkyun, child of Circe, magister of the lightning circle and expeller of supernatural entities.” He finishes with an over the top, flourishing bow and reminds himself that if he ever does meet any actual Wiccans or Witches to apologise profusely to them for the massive amount of bullshiting he’s about to do.

“That’s,” Hoseok pauses. “an impressive title.”

Changkyun claps his hands together. “So I assume you’re having a spirit problem. I would like to know about your situation before, you know, jumping straight into the banishment.” 

“Oh! Of course... um. You can sit here if you want.” Hoseok gestures to the couch and Changkyun sits down with a polite nod.

“Do you want a drink or anything?” Hoseok says, standing awkwardly.

Changkyun prefers coffee over tea any day but he feels like the character he’s portraying would be a herbal tea enthusiast. 

He’s about to answer when Hoseok cuts him off. “I don’t know why I asked you that question. All I have is instant coffee that’s a bit past it’s use by date or water.”

Changkyun doesn’t know what kind of coffee has a use by date so he opts for water instead. 

“So.” Hoseok starts after he’s sat on the chair opposite Changkyun and hands the other man his water. “I’m not sure where to start. I mean I didn’t even believe in ghosts until recently.”

“Just start with the first paranormal thing you noticed.” Changkyun smiles at Hoseok in an attempt to calm him.

“Well, the first thing I remember was how hot it got suddenly. Like a searing heat. Then lights started behaving erratically, just suddenly turning off for long periods of time. Also my bookshelf fell over and a few other things have been nocked over.” Hoseok presses his lips together and looks down. “Then there’s the whispering. I hear it sometimes before going to bed. I can’t make out much, but it sounds scared and desperate. And very much in pain.” Hoseok turns his head back up to meet Changkyun.” They say for someone to become a ghost, they have to die in a terrible way. Right?” Changkyun nods. “Then, I worry about the things this ghost could’ve gone through. Whatever it was, it wasn’t nice.”

Changkyun has a lot of fun with his job. He takes a lot of enjoyment out of tricking rich weirdos that think ghost are real and like throw their money around. But sometimes when he’s low on cash, he takes jobs like this. Jobs were normal people are just scared. Just want relief. So they put their trust in Changkyun. And to make to worse, Hoseok’s the first person to actually care about how the ghost feels.

Changkyun rests his hands on Hoseok’s, causing the other man to look up again. “Don’t worry. We’ll fix this.” He gives Hoseok a reassuring smile and he returns it with bright, friendly eyes and a warm smile of his own.

Changkyun has a lot of fun with his job, but it’s times like this when he really fucking hates it.

&&&

The mix of pungent smells that assault Hoseok’s nose reminds him of the disgusting herbal remedies his great aunt use to force down his throat when he was sick. Changkyun decides to make the smell worse by placing the little bags of absolute nose death in each corner of his apartment.

“Why do you have to put these bags everywhere?” Hoseok says, covering his nose with his hands.

“They’re protecting herbs. They’ll ward off evil spirits.” Changkyun replies while hanging another bag of mixed herbs.

“But don’t I already have an evil spirit?”

Changkyun pauses for a moment. “Yes. But the herbs will make it weaker, and harder for it to manifest here so the bashing will go smoothly.”

Changkyun hops down from the stool he was standing on and walks up to Hoseok and gives one of the bags to him. Hoseok takes it carefully and inspects it while trying not to breath in through his nose. 

“There’s three herbs mixed in there. Rosemary is for purification. Angelica makes a shield when put in each corner of the of your house, that’s why I need to put the bags in different spots. And the asphodel should help the spirit move on into the afterlife.” Changkyun says while he points at the bag in Hoseok’s hand. Hoseok takes an opportunity to look at the other man’s hands, they’re perfectly manicured and coated black in nail varnish. Many bracelets hang on his wrists as well. He really looks like what Hoseok would imagine when someone said the word Wiccan. With the dark and flowing fabrics he wore, the dangling earrings and the midnight black hair that falls over his eyes. Hoseok wonders that if you want to learn about magic is one of the steps dressing like this.

“Do all Wiccan’s look like you?” Hoseok asks suddenly.

The change of subject catches the “Wiccan” off guard as he struggles to say something. “I don’t know. I guess? I mean everyone is different.”

“But you must meet with other Wiccans. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“And they must dress a certain way.”

“Yeah.”

“So...”

Changkyun has learned a few things about herbs and protection spells so he could lie better. But he’s never been asked about fashion. He honestly doesn’t know what to say.

“Each person is an individual, they dress in they’re own way. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve finished with the herbs and would like to move on to the banishing spell.”

Hoseok follows Changkyun as he strides off to the living room.

“Did I offend you? I didn’t mean to. I think you’re very stylish and handsome.” Hoseok realises he probably shouldn’t of said that last part. ”I-I mean not handsome. Wait no. You are handsome. I didn’t mean to say that you’re ugly or anything. Good looking. That’s what I meant, I meant good looking.” Hoseok stumbles over his words and scratches his neck, his cheeks a reddish hue.

“I- no, Hoseok. You didn’t offend me.” Changkyun chuckles. “I just wanted to move on.”

“Oh. Right.” Says a very embarrassed looking Hoseok.

“I’m going to move your coffee table so I have a place to sit and do the banishing ritual if that’s okay with you.”

Hoseok nods. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

Once Changkyun has the room set up in the way he likes (a few comfy pillows and some candles lit around him) he sits cross legged on the floor and closes his eyes. Hoseok has no idea what the other man is going to do, and to be honest he’s slightly afraid.

“Should I be here for this?” Hoseok asks tentatively, standing just a meter or so away from Changkyun.

“Your presence is not required but you should probably stay. If you are going to stay, you shouldn’t interrupt no matter what happens. Okay?” The “Wiccan” opens an eye to stare at Hoseok.

“Okay.”

Yeah, Hoseok is definitely nervous.

“Oh, mother Circe let your power run through me for I am your conduit. Oh, great and infallible goddess please grant me the power to banish this spirit from this realm and return it to whence it comes from.” 

There’s no great light or strong winds. There’s no phantasmal presence. Changkyun simply flops to the ground. Hoseok would be a bit disappointed if he wasn’t worried about Changkyun.

He resists the urge to move closer to Changkyun as the man had told him not to interfere. After a minute of nothing, Hoseok quietly asks “Are-are you okay, Changkyun?”

Meanwhile Changkyun’s trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

When another minute of dramatic silence passes Changkyun decides that it’s probably been long enough and arises with an overdramatic gasp.

Hoseok almost immediately runs to his side.

“Are you okay?! What happened?! Is ghost gone!?” He fervently asks Changkyun.

Changkyun has to laugh at how adorable Hoseok looks with his large and distressed eyes. “I’m fine and yes, the spirit is gone.”

Hoseok should be relieved but he instead fusses over Changkyun’s well being until the “Wiccan” has to leave. Hoseok doesn’t know why he cares so much about a man he’s just met. Half of him says he’s just a nice person, while the other thinks it’s just because he finds Changkyun a bit attractive. Though he doesn’t like to think he’s that shallow.

“But what actually happened then. You were out for a good few minutes?” Hoseok asks Changkyun as they stand in front of his front door. 

“What happened is quite complex for non magical people to understand. I entered a sub-realm where I could communicate with the spirit. That’s all I can really say.” 

“That sounds amazing.” Hoseok says with a type of childlike awe that makes Changkyun hate how trusting the other man is of an obvious grifter. But Changkyun really shouldn’t be hoping for someone to see through his ruse.

“I should get going now, Hoseok.” Changkyun says, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

“I haven’t payed you yet, silly.” Hoseok chuckles. “It was sixty, right?”

“Thirty.” Changkyun corrects.

“Really? I thought it was more.”

“Nope. It’s thirty.”

“Alright, if you say so.” Hoseok goes to his counter, takes a thirty out of his wallet and hands it to the “Wiccan”.

“This was nicer then I expected it to be.” Hoseok says.

“Yeah, the same goes for me.” 

They both stand awkwardly for a few seconds.

“Well, gotta go now.” Chankyun says as he opens the door.

“Bye.” Hoseok waves lamely as the door shuts.

Hoseok kind of wishes another ghost could haunt his apartment, because he’s already missing that strange man.

&&&

“Honeeeeeeeey.” Changkyun whines from his spot on the living room carpet.

Jooheon simply steps over him as he makes his way to the kitchen. “Please tell me it’s not “pretty boy” again.”

“He was so cute.” Changkyun mumbles.

“It’s been four days.” Jooheon says as he walks back into the living room with a bag of chips in hand.

“I feel so bad for grifting him, Honey.”

“Yes, and you gave him half price because you pitied him so much. You’ve already told me this nine times.” His roommate settles down on the couch and turns on their PlayStation.

“I have a weakness for pretty boys.” Changkyun stares off into the distance again, then turns to Jooheon. “Did I tell you about his ears?”

“Yes. And his arms and his eyes and his lips and his butt and his-“

“Okay, I get it. I talk about him a lot.”

“So, are you going to come and watch me play Overwatch or what?”

Changkyun knows that if he doesn’t get up from his mopping patch on the carpet and placate Jooheon, then his roommate will get annoyingly sulky.

“I’m never going to see him again. Am I?” Changkyun says after he slumps down next to Jooheon.

“Maybe the ghost will come back.” Jooheon says, only half focusing on the words coming out of his mouth.

“There wasn’t even a ghost in the first place, dipshit.”

“Hey! Don’t call your best friend dipshit.” Jooheon says, still more focused on the game.

“Sorry.” Changkyun mumbles as he sinks down further into the couch.

Changkyun sits there for about two hours  backseat gaming, which annoys Jooheon greatly, especially after his fourth loss. Changkyun’s roommate finally gets sick of it and heads to his room, leaving Changkyun alone to his regret stew.

He should of asked him out. He still has Hoseok’s number from when he called him, he could ring it? But that would probably be weird. 

Changkyun sighs again and looks at his phone forlornly, willing Hoseok to ring him. 

And then he does.

“Hello?” Changkyun says when he picked up the phone.

“Changkyun you gotta help me.” Hoseok’s voice sounds distressed and scared this worries Changkyun greatly.

“Hoseok? What is it? Are you okay?”

“It’s back, the ghost is back.”

Changkyun relaxes a bit when he realizes that Hoseok not any actual danger. 

“What happened?”

“It threw a glass at my fucking head.”

“What do you mean it “threw a glass at your head”?”

“It threw a glass at my head! How hard is that to understand?! I thought I was going to die!”

“Okay, calm down. I’ll be right there.”

“Please come quickly, Changkyun.” Changkyun really didn’t like the fear in Hoseok’s voice

Changkyun rushes to get his keys and quickly shouts a “I’m going out for a bit!” to Jooheon. He was confused. How could that of happened to Hoseok? Maybe he was lying to him. Changkyun couldn’t think any other reasonable explanation, because ghosts aren’t real.

Right?

&&&

"Hoseok! Hoseok?! Where are you?!” Hoseok heard Changkyun shout.

Hoseok immediately pops his head out from behind a dining table he fashioned in to a barricade with a frying pan in each hand.

“Changkyun!” He says with a grin on his face.

The first thing Hoseok’s surprised about is how fast Changkyun got to his flat. The second is how different the other man looks from when they first met. He’s still got the black nail varnish, but that’s where the similarities end. Instead of his hair being perfectly styled, it’s tussled over his face. Instead of being dawned with fancy draping fabrics, he’s wearing a black hoodie and black ripped jeans. He looks more like a kind of moody teenager then a powerful Wiccan.

“You look different.” 

“Yeah well, it’s an off day.” Changkyun deflects then quickly adds. “Why are you holding two frying pans?”

“Protection, obviously.”

“And you think frying pans are going to protect you from a ghost?”

“I don’t know, Changkyun. I don’t shit about ghosts. That’s why called you.” Hoseok says. “Now get here quickly, before it comes back.”

Changkyun rushes behind Hoseok’s “barricade”.

“So the spirit hit you? How?” Changkyun asks, trying to make sense of this strange situation.

“I was minding my own business, listening to music and it flings a glass vase at my head. I don’t know how. Do you understand how?”

Honestly, Changkyun doesn’t understand a fucking thing. Nothing makes sense right now. The only logical conclusion that he can make is Hoseok found out he’s a fake and is now messing with him. If this is the case, he should end this ruse quickly.

“So what did you do after the ghost threw that vase at your head?”

“I grabbed my weapons, hid behind the table and called you. Now, don’t you have some powerful Wiccan magic you can use on this thing to make it go away?”

Changkyun chuckles. “Look you can just tell me you figured it out.”

“Figured what out?”

“That I’m a fake.”

“You’re a what?!” Hoseok exclaims. 

“A fake. You know, not a real ghost hunter.” Changkyun says and almost immediately their makeshift barricade is flung across the room.”

Changkyun’s eyes are wide with shock as he and Hoseok press their backs against the wall.

“What the hell was that?!” Changkyun turns to face Hoseok.

“The fucking ghost!”

A sudden sickly hot gust of wind blows through Hoseok’s flat. Changkyun can feel the heat lap over him like waves. Searing into his skin. The gust starts getting stronger as the curtains begin to move erratically and pieces of paper are spun across the room. The curtains are ripped from the windows and other bits and bobs light enough to be swept up by the wind start swirling around the room in some sort of vortex. Changkyun can feel his clothes being pulled by the untameable force. 

Then there’s the deafening screaming that almost sounds like wind and almost sounds like a thousand souls howling in pain.

“We need to get the hell out of here!” Changkyun shouts over the wind.

He grabs Hoseok’s hand and tries to pull him but Hoseok’s strength greatly out numbers his.

“Why aren’t you moving?!” Changkyun shouts.

“My music!” Shouts and runs into a room.

“What the fuck, Hoseok!?” It’s a good thing Changkyun runs after the other because he narrowly misses a chair being thrown at his head. 

By the time he reaches the room Hoseok ran into, the older is standing outside it with a laptop and hard drive in his arms. 

“Okay we can go now!” 

“Thank god.” Changkyun mumbles to himself and grabs Hoseok’s hand again, this time taking him off guard and yanking the other man along with him.

“Changkyun!” Hoseok protests, but follows him anyway and mangers to grab his keys while the faker pulls him out of his flat.

The door to Hoseok’s apartment slams behind them and they can finally hear again. That doesn’t stop Changkyun from running though. He runs until Hoseok stops him at the stairwell.

They catch their breath for a few seconds, standing in there own sweat, before they say at the same time.

“Ghosts are real?” 

“You’re a fake?”

&&&

“No. Absolutely not.”

Hoseok had just finished opening Changkyun’s couch out into a bed and now is rummaging through his linen closet for sheets.

“I don’t have anywhere else to stay.” Hoseok says as he finds a pillowcase that’s his exact favourite shade of blue.

“A hotel perhaps? Or a friend’s?” Changkyun retorts.

“One of my friends — Hyungwon has a rat infestation at the moment and the other — Minhyuk brings a new guy home every night. And my wallet is back in the apartment.” Hoseok moves back to the living room and starts to make the bed.

"And who’s fault is that?”

“I had to get my hard drive, I have lot of songs that I’ve worked exceedingly hard on. I am not losing them.” 

Hoseok stops mid way though making the bed to address Changkyun directly. He stands face to face with the other man and has to fight a smile when he realises Changkyun’s just the slightest bit shorter then him. “Think of this as your way of making up for being a dirty liar.”

“I didn’t really lie.”

Hoseok just stares at the shorter one.

“I mean it’s not like you asked “hey are you a real ghost hunter per chance?” It was just sort of implied, so I only sort of lied.”

“I am really fighting to urge to hit you with a pillow right now. And I’m usually quite the pacifist, just saying.”

“You know you can’t just stay here forever. Right? Like you have to do something about the ghost.” Changkyun says after Hoseok has already gotten comfortable on the bed.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll get a ghost hunter, because that worked so well last time.”

Changkyun hates having crushes on people, it always ends up with him doing stupid shit. One time in year ten he jumped of a pier into freezing cold water for a boy who didn’t give a shit about him. Then in university he downed seven beers, one after the other and got so wasted he thought he going to die, all because a cute guy told him to. And now he’s going to do the stupidest thing he’s ever done for a sweet man with a cute smile and dorky ears.

“Maybe I could help you.” He says, trying to avoid Hoseok’s eyes.

Hoseok just stares at the younger, Pretty,  pink lips parted slightly. They make Changkyun think that maybe he won’t regret this one.

“I-I mean, that banishment didn’t work. But I know a lot of different ways to get rid of a ghost. You know, from researching how to trick people.” Changkyun stutters. “I know it’s not much, but I want to help.”

“You would really do that?” Hoseok gets up from the bed and stands in front of Changkyun.

“Yeah, it’s the least I can do. Since I lied to you and stuff.” Changkyun mumbles.

Hoseok hugs Changkyun.

“Thank you.” Hoseok mutters to a very surprised Changkyun.

Maybe Hoseok was turning around on Changkyun. Honestly, the reason he was so quick to start was simply because he wanted to. He liked Changkyun when they first met, he was sad that the other man turned out to be a swindler. This act of goodwill made Hoseok think that maybe his first proper impression of the shorter is wrong.

&&&

Hoseok had turned around on Changkyun. He had done a full one eighty straight back to disliking him, because in this moment while he has his head is buried in his hands and he’s silently crying out of pure frustration, after three hours of searching the web and going to many strange and unsavoury websites (read: weirdly sexual) they had gotten nowhere near close to helping his ghost situation. The worst thing about it is Changkyun’s not even trying anymore, he’s just going on to Hoseok about wolves or some shit.

“I’m just going to have to rent a new apartment. Aren’t I?” Hoseok mutters to himself, on the verge of tears.

“What was that?” Changkyun stops his constant stream of words.

Hoseok removes his head from his hands and breaths in sharply. “Nothing. Everything’s good.”

Hoseok is trying not to be angry with Changkyun. Anger doesn’t look good on him. Not because he’s actually intimidating, on the contrary, it’s because Hyungwon always said it looks wrong “like a bunny with scowl”. His words exactly.

“Are you sure? Because we haven’t really gotten anywhere and that must be affecting you.”

Hoseok’s about to answer when the door to Changkyun’s flat opens.

“Changkyun don’t worry, Hyunwoo has forgotten about the twenty you owe him!” A voice shouts as someone walks into Changkyun’s apartment.

“Why were you out for so long?” Changkyun asks the man with bleach blond hair that’s walked into the kitchen.

“I went by Hyunwoo’s and he wouldn’t stop talking about this guy that was at the club a couple nights back. I think he’s in love.” The blond plops a bag of groceries on the small dining table Changkyun and Hoseok have been siting at for the past few hours. “Here’s your snacks, by the way.”

Hoseok is now looking at the blond, still questioning who he is and what he’s doing here. 

Changkyun picks up on Hoseok’s awkwardness and realises he hasn’t introduced Jooheon. “Oh! Hoseok. This is my roommate Jooheon.”

Hoseok’s about to introduce himself back when he’s cut off.

“Oh my god. You’re pretty boy, aren’t you.”

Hoseok blinks, tying to understand what the hell Jooheon is going on about.

“I can tell from the ears. Changkyun described them well.” Jooheon continues.

Changkyun suddenly kicks Jooheon’s shin which makes the other man yelp in pain. 

“Jooheon doesn’t know what he’s talking about sometimes.” Changkyun laughs awkwardly. 

Hoseok pouts slightly in confusion, which is almost cute enough to make Changkyun cry. 

“I’m Hoseok?” He says, still a little off put.

“It’s good to finally have a name instead of referring to you as pretty boy.” Jooheon says, before Changkyun has the opportunity to shut him up again, then he adds. “So what brings you to our dinky little flat?”

“Hoseok’s going to stay with us for awhile while I help him with his ghost problem.” Changkyun answers simply.

Jooheon’s attitude almost completely changes and he goes quiet. “Oh, well. Let me leave you to it then.” He walks to his room silently.

“He knows about my job. He doesn’t like it.” Changkyun mutters.

“Doesn’t he know it’s real?” Hoseok asks.

“I just found out it was real. I haven’t had the time to tell him.”

“Are you going to?”

“No. Probably not. I mean the guy’s afraid of bugs, I think he’ll explode if I tell him ghosts are real.”

“That makes sense.” Hoseok says, then notices Changkyun starring at him.

“What are you looking at?” Hoseok asks.

“Nothing.” Changkyun quickly turns his head down. “We should, urr keep working on getting rid of your ghost.” 

Hoseok just smiles and takes no real notice of Changkyun’s peculiar actions. He’s kind of cute (in a way), Hoseok wishes the other man was better person, and that they met each other in better circumstances. 

About thirty minutes in to researching Changkyun says “Hey! Hoseok look at this!” and quickly turns his computer around. Hoseok looks the page displayed with mild curiosity. It looks like the same new age-y bullshit they’ve been wading through for the past few hours, Hoseok doesn’t know why Changkyun is so excited.

“I don’t understand.” States Hoseok.

“I remember looking at this website awhile back when I was searching more for information so I could trick people better. I remember it being really weird, it talked about the undead in the most specific way. No the usual wishy washy bullshit. I eventually had to leave because I was getting really strong headache from looking at it.”

“So you sure it’s reputable?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“The last time you said that about a website, it had furry porn on it.” 

“I promise I looked through this one properly.” Changkyun argues. “It says “for lower level spirits all you need to do is an Celtic incantation (listed below) and invoke the spirit’s name in the process. But be to sure to take weapons that will keep the spirit at bay, for they don’t go down without a fight”.”

“My ghost is low level? It threw a glass at my head and made giant gusts of wind appear!” Hoseok complains.

“Believe it or not, that qualifies for low level. You don’t wanna know what the higher ones can do.”

Hoseok was distracted by the fact that his ghost was apparently tame that he didn’t proses the last part. “Wait, what do they mean by weapons? I thought ghosts were incorporeal?”

“Steal can weaken them apparently.” Changkyun explains. “I think we should go shopping.”

“That doesn’t clear up the how we’re going to get the name of this ghost.” 

“You're right.” Changkyun ponders for a moment. “You got any ideas?”

“I could go to my landlord, he would probably have records of who has lived my flat.” Hoseok’s suggests.

“Good thinking. But how do we know which one is your ghost?” Changkyun says, impressed by Hoseok’s quick thinking.

“We could go to the library and search for newspapers —they have records of people deaths — see if any match.” Hoseok starts speaking faster, almost like he’s excited about what’s going to happen. “It might take a bit long, but I think it’s a good option.”

“I think that sounds great, really great.” Changkyun’s is starting to get more hyped as well.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”

“Are we really going to do this?” Asks Hoseok.

“I think so.” Replies Changkyun.

&&&

They decide to go to the supermarket first, mostly because Hoseok wants to put off talking to his landlord for as long as possible. Changkyun’s taking a ridiculously long time, stopping and looking at every little thing. He also has made Hoseok lug around a variety of steel cooking equipment because he “has beautiful- wait, no not beautiful, good muscles and should put them to good use”.

“Do we really need that much salt?” Hoseok asks, leaning on the shopping trolley, hoping that he won’t have to lug even more heavy shit.

“We need a lot of salt to make a protection circle.” Changkyun reasons while lugging a bag big enough to house at least a medium sized dog, into the trolly.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Hoseok shifts up straight when he realises an elderly woman is looking at him and his trolly full of steel cooking equipment.

“Maybe.” 

“Oh, great.” Hoseok says with slight fear.

Hoseok has been alternating his feelings on Changkyun. He thought the other man was attractive at the beginning, then he disliked him for lying, then he thought he was maybe a good guy for offing to help. Now Changkyun’s annoying him slightly, yet Hoseok is kind of enjoying his company. Honestly, he doesn’t what to think at this point.

“Look, some things say that this will work but other things said the herbs and prayers would work. I don’t know what is made up nonsense and what is an actually a real way of defeating a ghost.” Changkyun explains as they move to the check-out.

“How did you even find out about all these different ways of battling ghosts in the first place?”

“I googled “how to kill a ghost” and read a wiki how article.”

“Really?” Hoseok hopes Changkyun is joking. 

He wasn’t.

“I trust wiki how.” Changkyun mumbles.

“I can’t believe I trusted you.” Hoseok sighs as they wait in line for the check-out.

Changkyun takes Hoseok’s throwaway line to heart. “I want you to know I feel bad for tricking you. You’re not usually the kind of person I go for. I try to go for the rich eccentrics. People who can afford to lose money.” He pauses for a second. “I desperately needed money after uni and I thought I’d put my stupid acting degree to use.”

“You still trick people.”

“I’m not trying to give myself a sob story so you’ll pity me. I just want you see that I’m not a complete asshole. I mean I’ll admit that what I do isn’t nice.”

Hoseok contemplates this for a bit. He knows the world isn’t black and white like movies tell you they are. Good people do bad things and bad people do good things. He just hopes Changkyun’s a good person who knows he’s doing something wrong and not a bad person who thinks he can justify his morally dubious choices by doing something good. Either way Hoseok’s stuck with him so he may as well give him a second chance. “Okay, Changkyun. I’ll go easier you.”

“I’m glad. And hey, who knows, if this works out well, I can become a real ghost hunter.”

“Let’s hope this works out well then. I’m not really in the mood for dying.”

“Hey, If I die as least I’ll will be with a pretty boy.” Changkyun says quietly.

“What does that mean?” 

“I-I uh- Shit- um. Well you know, you’re pretty and-“

Chankyun got cut off by the woman manning the check-out. “That’s an interesting collection of things you boys have there.” She says trying to make small talk. “What’s it for?”

Hoseok tried to think of a good lie. “Well-“

“We’re hunting ghosts.” Changkyun says bluntly.

Hoseok kicks Changkyun’s shin, making a huffy face that the other man can’t help but think (despite the pain) is kind of adorable. 

“Oh, that’s interesting.” Changkyun can tell the the cashier is trying to be open minded but is having trouble.

“Yeah it’s like that Bigfoot hunting stuff they do in America, but ghosts.” Chankyun continues despite the dirty look Hoseok’s giving him.

“Well that sounds like a lovely thing to do for a nice young couple like yourself.” She decides on saying.

“No that’s- we’re not-“ Chankyun starts.

“Oh, it’s such a lovely thing to do. Isn’t darling?” Hoseok interrupts, suddenly clinging to Changkyun’s side, running his hand over the other man’s chest.

“I-I” Changkyun stutters.

“Well, ‘must be moving on. We have things to do.” Hoseok says, patting Changkyun’s chest and picking up the shopping bags the cashier had placed down.

&&&

“What was that?” Hoseok says later, in the parking lot.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, darling?” Changkyun retorts mischievously.

“I wanted payback for the dumb thing you said, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It was funny.” Changkyun reassures, then processes what the other had said. “Wait what dumb thing?”

“You just told her we’re going to banish a ghost.”

“Look, Hoseokkie.” Changkyun puts an arm around Hoseok’s shoulders. “People say weird shit like that all the time. For example those guys that hunt Bigfoot. They believe it’s real but everyone just thinks they’re crazy. So we can tell people about ghosts all we want, but they won’t believe us. Even though this time the thing we’re hunting is actually real.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Hoseok muses.

“Good boy.” Changkyun pats the other man’s chest. “Now, can you please hop in the car and drive us home?”

Hoseok would be lying if he said that he was excited to for the next part of their plan. He was dreading it. Just thinking about talking to his grumpy, old landlord filled him with distress. Let alone convincing him to give Hoseok the records to everyone who had lived there.

What Hoseok didn’t know is that something far worse would be waiting for him. 

Yoo Kihyun.

&&&

Changkyun looks at Hoseok standing eerily still. The older man was supposed to knock on the door, but he just stands there, completely unresponsive. Changkyun waves a hand in front of his face. Still nothing.

“Hoseok?” He says, leaning forward from his spot next to Hoseok to meet his gaze.

Hoseok jolts, blinks, and presses his lips together. “What is it, Changkyun?” 

“The door.” 

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Hoseok replies, still dazed.

Changkyun knows that talking to one’s landlord is not a particularly enjoyable experience. But Hoseok seems strangely scared of opening this door. Changkyun wonders how bad this guy must be.

“Are you alright? Like how evil is this dude?”

Hoseok chuckles halfheartedly. “It’s more about something I did. Something bad I did. And I’m not really sure how my landlord has taken it. If he even knows about it. Which I hope he doesn’t.”

“Perfect, sweet boy Hoseokkie did something wrong?” Changkyun would be lying if didn’t say that finding out the man who has been jugging his bad life choices, own bad life choices didn’t make him a little bit happy.

“Yes, Changkyun I did something stupid. People do stupid things, I accept that. It’s just the stupid thing you did, was to me, and I haven’t forgiven you yet.”

“Yet?”

“You’re cute but, you’re still on thin ice.”

“Cute?” Changkyun can’t help but smile with a shit eating grin at that. 

Changkyun swears Hoseok’s face goes a shade redder, like an awkward teenager. 

“I-I-I” Stutters the taller man. Then he suddenly turns and quickly knocks on the door.

Changkyun’s smug grin is still present as the door opens. 

Hoseok, however. All the colour drains from his face. 

“Kihyun.”

A man about Changkyun’s height, with a sharp nose, sharp eyes and an even sharper jawline, opens the door.

“Hoseok.” He shifts awkwardly, tone, dead.

“Is your dad home?” Hoseok asks.

“No, he’s at a doctors appointment. Asked me to watch his flat. There’s been a few break ins around here and you know how paranoid he gets.”

“Yeah.” Hoseok adds, halting the conversation.

Changkyun shift his eyes between the two. 

God, they have history, don’t they. He thinks.

“Hi, my name is Changkyun. Me and Hoseok actually came here for something important. Maybe you can help.” 

Kihyun looks Changkyun up and down. “Ohhh.” He drags out, almost like he’s realised something. “Sure, Changkyun. What was it you want?” He says, trying to be nice but Changkyun can tell that there’s hidden malice.

“We need a record of everyone who’s lived in the building.” Says Hoseok.

“Why?” Asks Kihyun.

“We’re hunt-“ Hoseok’s hand finds Changkyun’s mouth before he could finish his sentence.

“Research.” Hoseok says quickly. “I found an heirloom in my apartment with initials engraved on it and I wanted to know who it was. Maybe find that person’s family so I could give back to them.”

Kihyun shakes his head and mumbles. “Still a soft fuck.” He then lifts his head up. “Okay. You can come in.”

&&&

“Don’t.” Kihyun’s hand grabs at Changkyun’s and pulls it away from the glass case. “Don’t touch that.”

Changkyun had seen some weird things in people’s houses in his days of “ghost hunting” but this takes the cake. Dead butterflies. An entire wall of dead butterflies. 

“Why are there so many?” Wonders Changkyun.

“Well it wouldn’t be a collection if he had one or two.” Kihyun explains.

“Let me rephrase my question then. Why the hell does your farther have a collection of dead butterflies?”

“He thinks they’re pretty.”

“Yeah, and I think dogs are cute, but you don’t see me killing them and hanging them up on my wall.” Changkyun mutters.

“Ow!” Hoseok yelps from the storeroom closet.

“‘You alright, Hoseokkie?” Changkyun shouts.

Hoseok’s taken up the task of rummaging through his landlord’s shit, trying to find the documents. Mostly because he wants to avoid Kihyun. Which is understandable, but now Changkyun’s stuck with a complete stranger, trying to make small talk.

“Yeah just grazed up against a nail.”

“Sorry about that. Dad’s not the most tidy person.” Kihyun shouts, then looks like he regrets even speaking to Hoseok. 

It’s taking everything thing in Changkyun’s power to not ask Kihyun what they’re deal is. But he knows the best thing is to ask Hoseok after they leave.

“Aww, there’s a teddy bear in here.” They both hear Hoseok say to himself.

Kihyun smiles at that, laughs almost.

Changkyun is so fucking curious.

Then Kihyun turns to Changkyun. “Hoseok’s really a delicate person. Take good care of him. I know I didn’t.”

Just before Changkyun breaks and is about to get Kihyun to spill everything, Hoseok comes back into the lounge room. “I found the records! Changkyun, I found the records!” 

Hoseok lays them out on the table and Changkyun leaves Kihyun’s side to examine them with the taller.

After a few moments of looking Chankyun notices something odd. “This building. It says on the outside it was built in 1901, right?”

Kihyun and Hoseok both nod.

“Then why do these records only go back to 1956?” Changkyu says with eyebrows furrowed.

“Well,” Kihyun starts to explain. ”There was a fire back in ‘56. It burnt all the records of the previous tenants. Honestly it’s a miracle the building it’s self survived. I mean wth the insurance, the owner was able to upgrade the interior, so that was a plus-“

Changkyun already starts to tune Kihyun out because, it makes sense now. 

“The heat!” Changkyun exclaims and makes both Hoseok and Kihyun jump. Changkyun then turns to Hoseok. “The searing heat. It makes sense now. Ghosts usually are said to be cold beings. But! If it died in the fire then that explains the why it gets hot in it’s presence!”

Hoseok’s eyes widen and grabs Changkyun’s hands. “Which means we only have to look for newspapers published in 1956! That narrows down our search!”

“But a lot of people probably died in that fire. How do we know which one is your ghost?”

“Read a list of people who died and hope that we get the right one quickly enough?” Hoseok suggests, then turns to face Kihyun. “Kihyun, do you know anything about the fire?”

Kihyun just stands there for second, his face filled with complete and utter confusion. “I- no. Nothing. That was like two owners ago, I doubt my father would know anything about it either.” He blinks, shakes his head quickly and says. “I’m sorry, but what the actual fuck is going on?”

Hoseok runs up to Kihyun and holds his shoulders. “I’ll tell you later, but I doubt you’ll believe me. That aside. Thank you Kihyun. Really, thank you.” Hoseok hugs him and mutters. “And, I’m sorry.”

“Hoseok?” Changkyun says, feeling very out of the loop.

“Right, yeah. We should be going. See you later, Kihyun.” Hoseok detaches himself from a very confused Kihyun.

“Okay. Bye, I guess.” Kihyun says as Hoseok grabs Changkyun.

“I hope you and your boyfriend find what you’re looking for!” Kihyun shouts as they shut the door. “What the fuck was that about.” Kihyun mutters to himself after they leave.

&&&

Hoseok groans as he lays his head on the car wheel and a long, lame honk rings down the street. 

“‘You wanna tell me what you’re thinking?” Asks Changkyun.

“Why does everyone think we’re boyfriends?” Hoseok jokes as he lifts his head from the wheel slightly.

“Chemistry. We have good chemistry. Good body language too.” Changkyun jokes back.

Hoseok laughs and plants his face back into the car wheel.

“You laughed at one of my jokes for once. Do I get a prize?” 

“I think I’m just finally use to your bad sense of humour now.”

“Bad?” Changkyun says with mock horror. “How very dare you, sir.”

Hoseok laughs again. 

“I think you’ll find that it is quite cute. Just like me.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s cute.”

“No, but you said I’m cute.” And the smug grin has returned.

“Shush, you.”

“If it helps, I think you’re cute too.” Changkyun says and oh how easy it is to make Hoseok blush. It’s honestly adorable. “Now, ‘you wanna tell me what you’re actually thinking about?”

“Yoo Kihyun. And what an idiot I am.”

“Do you want to tell me about you and him? Because there’s definitely some kind of past there.” Changkyun asks tentatively.

Hoseok lets out a long sigh. “Okay, so. His dad is my landlord. Kihyun moved into the apartment two doors down from mine about a year ago. I thought it would be a good idea to be friendly with him because his dad scared the shit out of me and maybe if I was friends with his son then he’d be nicer to me. So I brought food and we watched movies together then movies and food turned into making out and other things.”

“Other things.“ Changkyun says slyly.

“You want me to go into detail?” Hoseok raised his eyebrows at Changkyun. “Anyway, our “relationship” was pretty tumultuous. He wanted simple sex, no strings attached, and I wanted something more. Then he found out that in the beginning I only befriended him to make his dad like me. Let’s just say he was not happy with that. We haven’t really talked since then. Well until now.”

Changkyun doesn’t really know what to say. Or how to comfort him. That was kind of heavy and Hoseok really opened up to him, he can’t help but be a little happy about that. But there’s also something else he’s exceedingly happy about.

“So you’re gay?” Changkyun says.

Hoseok finds it funny that out of all the things Changkyun could of said, he says that. “Pan, but yeah. Is that a problem?”

Changkyun has to repress the urge to joyously yelp.

“No way, man. I’m gay as fuck.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Oh god, do I put out a straight vibe? Please don’t say I put out a straight vibe.”

“No. I just wasn’t one hundred percent sure.”

They just stare at each other for a few moments, not saying anything. Until Hoseok clears his throat. 

“We should head to the library.” 

Changkyun blinks a few times. “Oh, yeah. Sure.”

They stay silent for the whole drive.

&&&

The city’s main library is a sight to behold. It’s three stories tall, with ornate stone carvings on the outside. Inside, the floors are mahogany and the there are marble pillars dotted across the large space. Sliver lines the banisters of the spiral staircases, and it is decorated with fancy, yet comfortable upholstery.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve been in a place this ornate before.” Hoseok exclaims as they pass through the book covered halls.

“Really? I would think pretty and mystical places would right up your alley.” Changkyun says, more focused on finding the place the librarian kindly pointed out they asked where the old news paper clippings would be.

“Doesn’t mean I have the time or money to go to “pretty and mystical places”.”

“What’s your job?” Changkyun asks as they mount the stairs.

“Why do you want to know?”

“You know mine, I should know yours.”

“I guess that’s fair.” Hoseok finds it interesting how Changkyun asks him questions like this, it almost sounds like he wants to actually befriend the taller. Hoseok should now except this, after opening up to Changkyun like the oversharing idiot he is. Hoseok’s not complaining though. He actually enjoys the younger’s company now, it’s kind of a light amidst the fear and chaos. 

“I’m a freelance music producer. I offer my services to companies, music labels, independent people; anyone who asks, really. I actually just finished up a track on some rapper’s mixtape.” Hoseok explains as they reach the second floor.

“That’s so fucking cool, dude.” Changkyun says when they hit the shelves that hold what they’re looking for.

Hoseok tries to quip back with something, but gives up and says. “Thanks.” 

That weird, dumb smile that Changkyun does whenever he makes Hoseok’s words stumble and face heat up, is back. And Hoseok kind of wants to punch him, kind of wants to kiss him.

“Okay, so, the old newspapers we’re looking for should be at the top.” Changkyun explains, pointing a very high bookshelf.”

A shiver runs down Hoseok’s spine. “It’s, um. Tall.”

“Luckily these bookshelves have ladders attached to them, eh?” Changkyun elbows Hoseok, when he doesn’t respond. He looks at the older, he’s pale, like he’s just seen a ghost (pun intended).

“Are you okay, Hoseokkie?” 

“Yeah, ‘mgood. It’s just, y-your going to climb up the ladder. Right?”

“Sure. Why are yo-“ Then it clicks in Changkyun’s brain. “Ohhh. You’re afraid of heights.” 

“Not afraid. Just don’t like them.” Hoseok managers to get out.

Changkyun smiles. “That’s adorable.”

“Shut it, you. There’s gotta be things you’re afraid of.”

“The meaninglessness of existence.” Changkyun deadpans.

“Okay?” Hoseok says, confused.

Changkyun starts climbing the ladder. “Don’t worry my prince. I’ll slay the evil bookcase and get your treasure!”

Hoseok just pouts at Changkyun, and Changkyun he thinks its the most perfect sight he’s ever seen.

Changkyun searchers for awhile, mulling over the different years until he reaches 1956 and sees an old, dusty bundle of papers tied together with red wool. He tries to grab at it, but it’s just out of reach (curse his ever so slightly shorter then average hight), so he stands on the tips of his toes at the top of the ladder and his hands just clamp onto the bundle. Though, as his hand hits it, it sends dust particles flying, more importantly, right up Changkyun’s nose. Surprised by the incursion he immediately throws himself back, forgetting that he was on his tip toes, he loses his balance and oh- oh no- he falls.

Luckily he falls into something quite soft; Hoseok’s arms. Or more accurately onto. Because almost as soon as Hoseok tries to catch Changkyun, he pushes Hoseok to the ground, with him planted right on top of the older with his hands either side of his face.

They spend what is way to long looking at each other to be classed as anything other then gay. Thanks mostly to Changkyun staring right into Hoseok’s eyes because they look so pretty when wide with shock.

“Are you okay?” Hoseok eventually asks after the stupidly long silence between the two.

“I’m good. Never better.” Changkyun said that last part as a joke but then quickly realises the he quite likes the position he’s in right now.

“Are you... going to move?” Hoseok asks, expectedly. 

Changkyun rolls of Hoseok with an “oof”.

He looks back at Hoseok who’s cheeks and ears are red. Changkyun doesn’t know if Hoseok’s twenty five or fifteen the way he blushes so easily.

“You look cute when you blush.” Changkyun says simply.

Hoseok doesn’t know how to compute the compliment when he’s already so flustered from having Changkyun on top of him. So he just laughs. Laughs so hard and falls back onto the floor, because his life his ridiculous. First a ghost invades his flat, then he’s forced to see his ex, and now a cute guy is flitting with him.

After his laugh devolves into little squeals he sits back up and says. “Alright, lets find a table and look through this book.”

Changkyun is slightly confused by Hoseok’s small fit, but follows anyway.

&&&

Searching for the newspaper that held information on the fire was proving to be unfruitful. They had to return to Changkyun’s apartment after being kicked out from the library because they were about to close. Hoseok is currently tugging at his own hair, trying to figure out why this is taking so long. It was one year. Sure a year has three hundred and sixty five days (not including leap years), but it’s a fire, you’d think it’d be front page stuff. They are going through the papers chronologically and knowing Hoseok’s luck the fire probably happened on 31st of December.

He just finishes reading the paper for the 14th of May when he decides to take a break and look at his phone. How were they still on May? They’d been looking for hours.

(Admittedly, they haven’t been that focused, but that’s beside the point.)

Hoseok scrolls through the messages he’s been too busy “hunting ghosts” to read. Most are from Minhyuk (via the group chat they share with Hyungwon) desperately asking him to get Changkyun’s “star chart” (Hoseok has no idea what that is), so he “can test their compatibility”. 

Hoseok regrets telling them anything about Changkyun. At least he didn’t tell them about the ghost, that would of made it even worse.

Sick of wading through the texts consisting of Minhyuk picking “ship” names for Hoseok and Changkyun (HoKyun and ChangSeok, both names Hyungwon deemed terrible), and Hyungwon trying his best to be the reasonable one their friend group, Hoseok decides to talk to Changkyun.

“Hey, Changkyun?”

“Yeah.” He says, not looking up from his newspaper.

“This going to be dangerous. Isn’t it? Getting rid of the ghost.”

Changkyun doesn’t want to bullshit Hoseok. “Yeah. I mean, I’m just as clueless about taking on a ghost as you, but it’s got to be.”

“Yeah.” Hoseok says as he looks down. “Oh god, why am I doing this?” He mutters. “I have friends that care about me, albeit dumb friends, but I love them. They’re going to be so pissed if I get hurt.”

Changkyun puts his newspaper down. “Hey, me too. You haven’t see Hyunwoo. Dude, he’s tall and broad and muscular ‘n shit. he could kick my ass if anything happened to me. He probably wouldn’t because he hates violence, but my point still stands.”

Hoseok laughs, and Changkyun would be a massive fucking liar if he said that making pretty boys laugh wasn’t his favourite thing to do.

“Not more muscular then me?”

Changkyun hold his hand flat and tilts it from side to side while making an “ehhh” noise. “I’d need to see you battle it out to make a definitive decision.”

Hoseok rolls his eyes and pulls another paper from the pile, but Changkyun’s hands stop him. 

“Hey.” Changkyun says, holding Hoseok’s hand. “I’ll protect you. If anything bad happens to you, I’ll protect you.”

Hoseok smiles. “I’ll protect you too.”

Changkyun looks at their intertwined hands, looks at Hoseok’s bright, shiny eyes, and thinks.

This shit’s way to emotional for me.

Changkyun coughs. “You know what? When this is over, I think I’m going to hunt ghosts for real.

“Sure.” Hoseok says, doubtingly.

“I will!”

&&&

Tapping his pen on the table, Changkyun looks at the time on his phone. The numbers on the clock display an hour that no human being with their right mind should witness. He should ask Hoseok if they can stop now.

“How’s it going on your end Hoseokkie?”

Changkyun slowly lifts his head up when he doesn’t hear a reply, to see Hoseok sleeping, his head smooshed into the table with his hand lying, lifeless next it. Changkyun thinks it’s sweet how Hoseok’s cheek is squished against the table. 

He knows that Hoseok has been worried (and scared shitless) since the day he met him. So he comes to the conclusion that Hoseok should get a proper rest, they could continue looking through the newspapers tomorrow. Changkyun just wishes he could get the sleeping man to his bed by simply picking him up.

“Why do you have to be so beefy, eh?” Changkyun mutters as he walks to Hoseok’s side. 

He places his hand on the sleeping man, rubbing his back gently. “Wake up, Hoseok.”

Hoseok’s eyes slowly open, he groans and stretches his arms slightly. “Did I fall asleep? I’m sorry. I’ll get back to looking.”

Changkyun looks at Hoseok’s lips as he presses them together. The way they curve is so pretty and Changkyun wonders if Hoseok is capable of having an ugly feature.

“No, no. I actually woke you up so you could go to your bed and have a proper sleep. Since you’ve been so overworked recently.”

“Oh. Okay.” Hoseok stares up at Changkyun with eyes like saucers.

Changkyun explains to Hoseok as they walk the bed that he would of carried the other if he were a stronger man. 

“Yeah sure.” He says as he lies down on the bed.

“Well I’m probably going to bed as well. See you in the morning?” Changkyun says as he points his bedroom door.

Hoseok doesn’t know if it’s the sleep deprivation or the fact Changkyun looks really nice with his hair skewed and his eyes heavy with lack of sleep, but he decides to say. “Stay.” Then he awkwardly scratches his head. “For a bit. I mean if you want to that is.” 

Changkyun wants to question why Hoseok has asked him to stay but something in him decides not to bother. 

“Okay.”

So here Changkyun is, cradling a man in his arms who’s almost as strong as his wolf obsession when he was twelve. 

“Thank you.” Hoseok says, and Changkyun can feel the other man’s breath on his chest.

“For?”

“Caring about me.” Hoseok says as his eyes flutter shut. “Not just making sure I sleep well, but also helping me with this bullshit.”

Changkyun really shouldn’t be thanked for anything he’s done in the past few days. All the things he’s done for Hoseok has been out of guilt and a childish attraction. He met Hoseok by scamming him for god’s sake. Hoseok had to be a good person, a real diamond in the rough to forgive him that quickly.

“I shouldn’t be thanked, Hoseok. Most of what I’m doing is out of guilt.”

“Well, you’re being thanked so shut up and take it, Changkyun.”

Changkyun chuckles. “Alright. No problem, baby.”

Then Changkyun’s eyes widen as he realises he actually called Hoseok baby. Why the fuck did he do that?

”Wait no. Not baby, uhh. I meant b- b- b- bunny. A cute soft bunny.” Changkyun realises that that still sounds gay. “No. Err- uh- ahh shit.” He eventually gives up.

Hoseok just laughs at him. He likes Changkyun’s awkward cuteness. He thinks the other man is funny too, once he got use to his humour. He likes his dumb way of flirting. He honestly just likes him. He wants him around. He’s not sure if they’re going to see each other after this all ends. He wants to though, he wants to see more of Changkyun.

Hoseok slowly weaves his fingers through Changkyun’s hand. “Changkyun.” He murmurs. “I was thinking, maybe when this is over we could go out on a-“

Suddenly, Jooheon stumbles through his bedroom door, one eye open and pyjamas skewed up, muttering to himself “where the fuck is the toilet again?”.

He then turns to see Changkyun and Hoseok cuddling and says. “Oh, shit were you guys having a gay moment? I’m sorry.” Then walks back into his room.

“Anyway. What were you saying?” Changkyun breaks the sudden awkward silence.

“I was saying it’s late and we should probably go to bed.”

“Right, yeah.” Changkyun says, still holding Hoseok.

“So you should probably go to your room.” 

“Right, yeah.” Changkyun says as he detaches himself from Hoseok, walks to his door. He knows the older was going to say something else, something way better. But he’s not going to push it. So he just leaves with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Hoseok’s cursing his cowardice. “Stupid, dumb, stupid, dumb, dumb.” He mutters, then finishes with an “idiot!” as loud he could manage without drawing attention, while throwing himself back on the makeshift bed.

&&&

Ramen, ramen, ramen. Where the hell is the ramen in this god forsaken apartment? Hoseok thinks as he rummages through the cupboards. Yes it’s 9 am. Yes Hoseok knows that ramen is not a breakfast food. But he’s had a terribly ruff week and he just wants his favourite food for fucks sake. And no he’s not using his annoyance at the lack of the warm, tasty goodness that is ramen to cloak the fact that he’s still annoyed he didn’t ask Changkyun out.

He’s definitely not doing that. 

He lets out a moderately pathetic whine as he slumps over the dinky dining table that is only big enough to seat two people comfortably, four if you were desperate.

“Shitty sleep?” Came a voice above Hoseok.

Hoseok looked up to see Changkyun’s roommate — Jooheon, Hoseok reminds himself — sitting opposite him.

“No. I just want some ramen, but you guys have none.” He mumbles in response.

“Yeah we do. It’s in the cupboard under the sink.” Jooheon says as he points his finger toward said cupboard.

Hoseok looks where the blond had pointed to and finds, nestled in between dish soap and high duty grime remover, the beautiful sight of a ramen packet. It was the crappy boil for two minutes and it’s done, kind, but Hoseok wasn’t complaining.

“Why was it there?” Hoseok says as he takes the packet out and turns on the stove.

Jooheon shrugs. “I dunno.”

“And I thought my flat was a mess.” Hoseok mutters to himself.

The awkward silence that falls between the two while Hoseok waits for his ramen to cook is the one of the worst things Hoseok has experienced this week, and he had a ghost try to kill him.

Jooheon eventually speaks up. “Sorry for ruining your gay sleepover.” He says with genuine remorse.

Hoseok almost chokes on his spit. “It wasn’t gay. We were just snuggling.”

“You looked like you were about to kiss. It was gay.” Jooheon simply states.

“We were not, shut up!” Hoseok yelps.

Jooheon smiles a sweet smile (not like Changkyun’s smug one). “You’re cute together.”

Hoseok is so awkward, he doesn’t know what to do. So he looks down and mumbles. “Thanks.” 

Then he hears the sound of his ramen bubbling over. 

“Oh shit!” He yells as tends to his precious ramen.

After fixing the small disaster, Hoseok slumps his ramen into a bowl and shakes the flavour packet over it. He knows it’s not going to be the best ramen he’s ever had, he just hopes it’s not the worst.

He turns back to Jooheon to see him now standing, inspecting a newspaper.

“What’s with all the newspapers?”

“Oh, we’re looking for a fire that happened in an apartment block. Nothing interesting.” Hoseok says as he puts his ramen on the table.

“What? This one?” He turns the paper around and there, displayed right on the front is a big picture of Hoseok’s building on fire.

Hoseok immediately grabs the paper from Jooheon’s hands. “How did you find this?” 

“I just picked it up.”

“We looked all night for that paper. And you just found it straight away?”

“Yeah.” Jooheon says indifferently.

“The world is a cruel place.”

Then Hoseok grabs Jooheon’s face. “But you. You are amazing. I love so much, I could kiss you right now.”

“Why don’t you do that to Changkyun. I think he’d enjoy it more.”

Hoseok’s face goes from delighted to pouting in about three milliseconds. “I take that back. I don’t love you anymore.”

“What’s happing?” Changkyun is suddenly standing in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eye.

As Hoseok rushes over to Changkyun and grabs his hands, he hopes the sleepy man didn’t hear what Jooheon had just said. “Jooheon found the right article!”

Changkyun’s tired eyes widen. “What? Really?”

“Yeah!” Hoseok reaffirms.

Changkyun goes over and hugs a surprised Jooheon tightly, then tries to lift him up, but fails miserably. 

“Wait. How many people does it say died in the fire?” Changkyun asks Hoseok.

Hoseok’s face drops when he looks down. “Oh.” 

“How bad is it?” Asks Changkyun, while detaching himself from Jooheon and returning to his previous spot.

“Twelve?” Hoseok admits.

“Okay. That’s not so good. Gonna have to read a few names out while the ghost tries to kill us. But who knows, could be the first.” It won’t be, knowing their luck. But it could.

Hoseok walks to the kitchen doorway, stands opposite Changkyun and smiles. “I know it’s not ideal, but we’re going to do it. We’re really going to do it.” He grabs Changkyun’s shoulders. “We’re going to get my apartment back!”

Changkyun smiles fondly at how excited the other man is. His eyes are so bright and filled joy, his smile is wide, and he’s bubbly. It’s adorable. He’s so gorgeous. Changkyun really wants to kiss him. “I know. I’m so happy for you, ba-“ Fuck he was going to call him baby again. But he’s already started the word, what does he do? “Baaaaaaby. Dammit! Couldn’t think of another word.”

Hoseok stares at Changkyun. He’s pretty sure the shorter man likes him, he just needs to ask him out. “Changkyun, I-“

“Could you two please be gay, “ghost hunters” somewhere else? I wanna go to my room.” Jooheon says as he buts between the two.

Why does keep happening to Hoseok? 

“So are we going to your apartment?” Changkyun speaks up.

“Yeah. Let’s finish this.” Hoseok declares in a firm and badass way.

“Well, not now. I was thinking at night because we would draw less attention to ourselves.” Changkyun explains.

“Let’s finish this. Later, then.” Hoseok declares again, in a less cool and badass way.

&&&

It’s a door. 

It’s just a door.

Admittedly, a door with a powerful. spectral entity that will probably kill them in a heart beat. But, it is still a door.

Changkyun hopes he’s not blowing this out of proportion, that it won’t actually be that bad. How bad could a demon-spirit that died a horrible, fiery death really be? The whole time they’ve been looking for a way to end this ghost Changkyun’s never actually considered what it’s going to be like to go up against a spirit, he doesn’t know why, maybe he didn’t want to admit that the idea scared him. He has to stay strong, he’s Hoseok’s only hope. 

Changkyun gulps. “You got the incantation?” He breathes out shakily.

“Yep.” Hoseok answers, while his body stands motionless.

“You’ve looked it over?”

“Yep. ‘Don’t remember it off by heart, but as long as I’ve got my phone it will be okay.” Hoseok says.

“It’s long. I’m gonna have to read it out, and there’s twelve possible names I have to say at the end. That means I might have to do it twelve times, and it’s long.” Hoseok panics. “We could be in there a long time. In there with the ghost. In there with the ghost, Changkyun! For a very long time!” 

Changkyun steadies the older by putting his hands on his shoulders. “Hey, it will be okay, Hoseokkie. We know what we’re doing. Kinda.”

“Kinda.” Hoseok says, looking down, unconvinced.

Changkyun swallows. He has no idea what to say, he’s just as scared as Hoseok. He’s good with words. He’s good at making people believe things that aren’t necessarily true. He just needs to think of something.

Then he does. And it’s good. He just needs the courage to say it.

“Hoseok, look at me.” He looks up at the younger. “We’re going to get through this. I know this. That’s why I’m going to take you out on a date after end this thing.”

“A date? Like a friend date?”

“I was thinking more of a gay date. I thought it would be like a prize at the end, something for you to look forward to. Something to make you more determined.” Changkyun’s courage runs dry and his face heats up. “I mean if you want that, that is.”

Hoseok smiles, big and wide. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Good. So you ready to do this then?” 

“I know it’s over done, but. Ready as I’ll ever be.” And Hoseok turns the door handle.

&&&

“Ghostie ghost, come out! Don’t you wanna end us in a fiery death, so you can get, like, revenge or somethin’?” Changkyun shouts. They’ve been at it for ten minutes, with still no sign of a spectral being. On the plus side, it’s given them time to set up the salt lines, confining the spirit to the lounge room. But Hoseok getting really bored standing (read: hiding) in the doorway of the kitchen, peering in on Changkyun, waving a steel rod around.

“Having fun with your rod, Changkyun!?” Hoseok shouts from the kitchen. 

Changkyun stops what he’s doing and stares at Hoseok with a judgemental face.

“You can blame yourself, I’ve been hanging around you too much, your bad humour is rubbing off on me.” Hoseok answers.

Changkyun’s about answer the older with a honestly really good and witty come back, when Hoseok suddenly shouts “Changkyun! Behind you!”

Changkyun turns to see a horrible, flame covered shape. And a wave of heat washing over him.

“Hoseok, start reading!” He shouts over his back, reading his steel pole.

Hoseok’s wobbling hands hold tight to his phone as he searches for the right tab in his notes that holds the key to their plan. He starts to read out the old, Celtic incantation. He knows his voice is shaky and he’s probably butchering it to pieces but he hopes to whatever god that will listen to him that this will work, because the sight before him, shakes him to his very core.

The being is made of pure fire. Like braids, the flame interweaves its self around and around, forming a body. Ember and flame fly off its skin and sparks crackle off its hands. Hoseok can’t help but hear a light scream echoing continuously throughout the flat, throughout his body.

Changkyun’s trying to his best to fight off the fiery apparition, but it’s a constant cycle off swing through the spirit, dissipate it, and then it appears behind him. Hoseok’s just standing there, reading out this incantation, trying out these different names. Changkyun is putting his life on the line going up against this thing and Hoseok’s only on his third reading. He feels like he’s doing nothing, that he’s not helping anyone.

He really feels useless when the ghost gets it’s first proper hit on Changkyun. 

The last few times they’ve clashed, it had only ever gotten a few nicks off him, clawing his jacket and leaving a few unwanted and frankly, unfashionable slashes. But it’s smart, it knows how Changkyun reacts to it’s attacks now. When he hits it, when it dissipates into the same red smoke it’s done before, when Changkyun expects it to be behind him, it’s not. It’s at the other side of the room and extends a hand and throws Hoseok’s old; red couch at him. Hits him in the stomach, knocks the wind out of him and sends him flying.

Changkyun’s now pinned by couch at the other side of the lounge room. Hoseok is trying to stay calm and do his job. He’s on his fourth read through and he hopes this time it will be the one. The entity starts to glide towards Changkyun, hand outstretched and he’s trying his best to pull the couch off of him, but he’s too winded, too weak. And it’s not right name. The ghost is still there, and it’s coming for Changkyun.

“Changkyun!” Hoseok shouts and he knows what he needs to do.

“Lee Hoseok, do not step outside the salt circle, it is supposed to keep you safe and away from the fucking ghost!” Changkyin shouts as Hoseok drops his responsibilities, runs toward the couch pinning the younger man, finally puts his muscles to good use and lifts the giant, red pain of furniture.

“Hoseok.” Changkyun whispers and the older feels a hot breath run down his spine.

Hoseok quickly passes his phone to the Changkyun before he is forcefully (and quite rudely) thrown against the same wall he just peeled the younger from. 

“Oh, come on!” Hoseok yelps.

Luckily Hoseok is not nearly as winded as Changkyun was, and mangers to get up rather quickly. Quick enough to see the ghost going for Changkyun again. Hoseok runs towards the hallway that holds doors to his bedroom and bathroom.

“Oi, leave him alone, you spectral fuck!” Hoseok shouts, trying to lure the ghost to him. “Changkyun, keep reading out the incantation. I have a plan.” 

Hoseok moves the salt that blocks his hallway while Changkyun nods and continues Hoseok’s job, though more then a little concerned about the older.

Hoseok darts to his bathroom, tries to ignore the hot wind and the feeling of a spectral hand reaching for him, by concentrating on his plan. 

Water beats fire.

Water beats fire!

Hoseok stumbles into the bathroom, fumbles with his shower head for a bit before deciding to yank it off the wall brace, pointing it at the spirit and firing.

It doesn’t work. 

It passes right through.

It is at this moment Hoseok has the thought. Well. I’m fucked.

That is, until he sees Changkyun behind the ghost, with his steel pole in hand. He swiftly brings to the pole down on the spirit, evaporates it, grabs Hoseok’s hand and runs into the kitchen.

“This way, we’re both safe.” Changkyun says as he pulls them over the salt line. 

“Why weren’t we both here from the beginning?” Hoseok questions, out of breath as the spirit thrashes against the barrier. 

“I needed to distract the ghost from you.”

“But I was behind the salt line. I was fine.”

“You know what, that’s a great point, fuck.”

But as those words leave Changkyun’s mouth, the barrier caused by the salt line starts to flicker and deteriorate. “Ah! That’s right, they don’t last long under strain! I knew there was a reason.”

“Changkyun, start reading again or we’re dead men!”

Changkyun snaps his head back down to the phone and mumbles “sorry”.

The spirit is so close to them now. Hoseok’s trying not to look it in the eye, but there’s something oddly entrancing about it’s form. He’s looking into where it’s face would be and can almost make out a mouth, or more accurately a smile, a toothy one.

Then, the spirit backs off. It looks like it’s taking a deep breath in, composing it’s self. And before either of the two men can realise, a giant ball of raging flame heads straight towards them. 

Luckily the fireball doesn’t get through, but the the barrier is severely weakened. It definitely won’t hold against another hit. 

“Changkyun hurry!” Hoseok is really starting to panic. 

Changkyun is on the fifth reading. Five out of twelve. That’s not even half way. If this isn’t the right name, there is no uncertainty about it. They’re going to die.

“This is it. This is the end. I’m going die. Death by fireball sent from an old ghost, next to a really, really handsome guy. Never thought I’d go this way.” Hoseok laughs the way you do when you realise your life is so unbelievably fucked that it’s kind of funny.

And then, it happens. 

Changkyun finishes the incantation for the fifth time this night, and says the fifth name.

“Lee Siyeon!”

And like that, just as the ghost readies it’s final attack on the two hopeless “hunters” it backs away. Let’s out one last, heart wrenching, soul scaring scream, and quickly, it’s flame covered skin turns cold and dissolves into ash.

They both stand there, not saying anything, just blinking in disbelief. Because, one: they defeated an actual raging spirit. And two: they’re not dead.

“Well, guess five times the charm.” Changkyun eventually says, and laughs his fucking ass off. “I really thought we were going to fucking die there, man.”

He turns to Hoseok, who is crouching on the floor, unmoving and unspeaking. He then decides reach his hand out and help the older up. Hoseok accepts, staring at Changkyun with wide eyes and a mouth forming a small “o” shape.

“Well, are you going to thank me and my amazing “getting squished by a couch and then almost letting us die” skills?” Changkyun jokes, but Hoseok is still unresponsive.

“Hoseok?” 

Changkyun process the next few moments like this: Why is Hoseok not saying anything? Why is Hoseok moving closer to me? Wait, what is touching my lips? Oh, Hoseok is touching my lips. Wait, why is Hoseok touching my lips?!

Oh.

Hoseok is kissing me.

And Changkyun didn’t think the day would have anymore surprises in it. But here it is. Hoseok with one hand on Changkyun’s cheek and the other on the back of his neck. Kissing him. With the prettiest lips that Changkyun’s ever seen, the ones that he’s been staring at since they met. And it’s so, so good. He would probably kill someone just to be able to do this forever.

But it ends, like all things must.

Hoseok lets out a shaky breath. Then, the look of panic washes over him. “Oh god. I’m sorry! I don’t what came over me.” Hoseok thinks for a second. “The adrenaline! It was the adrenaline!”

“No it wasn’t.” Changkyun says, trying not to laugh at how adorable Hoseok is being.

“No, it wasn’t.” Hoseok sighs.

“It’s okay.” Changkyun moves back into Hoseok’s personal space. “I didn’t mind.”

“Really?” Hoseok says as he drapes his arms over the younger’s shoulders.

“Not at all.” Changkyun says, defiantly, before pressing his lips against Hoseok’s.

This time was even better. 

Hoseok is out of breath by the time they part. “You know, we should check to see if the ghost left any scorch marks. Because if it did, my landlord is going to kill me.”

&&&

Three months later.

“Look, Hyungwon. Can you call back later? I’m kinda busy.”

Hoseok’s eyes scan the old, rundown mausoleum. Some of the bricks in the walls have cracked and fallen out, gathering dust on floor. Because of this, moonlight streams in and illuminates the dirty, stone ground. He’s pressed against a wall with Changkyun next to him, lighter and petrol canister in hand. Hoseok knows (from his previous encounters with ghosts) that spirits can pass through walls, but he feels safer in this position anyway.

“But this is the problem, Hoseok. You keep avoiding calls and you won’t tell us where you go or what you’re doing. I’m worried that this Changkyun guy has dragged you into some bad shit.”  Hyungwon’s voice comes through the phone clearly, despite the loud banging sound in the background.

“Where the fuck did it go?” Changkyun whispers to Hoseok. 

Hoseok shrugs his shoulders and continues talking to Hyungwon. “Everything is fine. Me and Changkyun are just dealing with a... pest problem.”

“A pest problem? You do realise that you’ve used that excuse beforehand.” Hoseok winces as Hyungwon says that. He’s never been a good liar.

Changkyun looks around, then whispers again. “We should take the opportunity burn the body since it’s gone.” 

Hoseok nods and they walk over the ornate, stone coffin. “Though, I don’t like how it’s just disappeared.”

Hoseok hears what sounds like a struggle going on over the phone and then hears. “Hey! Hoseokkie!” It’s Minhyuk. Probably the source of the banging in background earlier.

Hoseok hears a “Minhyuk please don’t” in the background before he continues talking. “You left this weird, demonic circle, thingy at my place last time you came over. I’ve been trying to open it. What is it?”

Hoseok covers his phone with his hand. “Babe, what does that round, gold thingy do again?”

“The spirit dial?”

“Yeah.”

“It unleashes a spectral army upon the world once opened.”

A look of pure fear flashes across Hoseok’s face. “Oh, right, yeah. Forgot that.” Hoseok takes his hand off the phone. “Minhyuk, you probably shouldn’t try to open that.”

Hyungwon seems to have wrestled the phone back off Minhyuk. “Look what I was trying to say is. We’re your friends and we care about you. We just want to know what’s going on with your life.”

Hoseok glances at Changkyun carefully coating the body in lighter fluid as he figures out what to say.

“Guys, trust me as your friend, that when I say, what me and Changkyun are doing together is hard to understand and you probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you. But, it’s awesome, and so much fun. And being with him, is the absolute best.” 

Changkyun smiles, gives Hoseok a wink and Hoseok beams back at him.

Hoseok can almost hear Hyungwon massaging the space between his eyebrows as he speaks. “That’s all well and good, but I still think you should tell us what’s going on.”

It’s when Hyungwon finishes his sentence, Hoseok sees it. Lurking in the doorway, all ragged clothes and gaunt, dead eyes. This night’s ghost. He elbows Changkyun and points towards it. Changkyun mumbles an apt “shit” and fumbles with the lighter, trying to get it to light.

“Call you back, Hyungwon.” Hoseok mumbles, staring at the ghost while putting his phone in his pocket and bending down to grab the steel knife he dropped earlier.

“You wanna be any slower with that.” Hoseok hisses at Changkyun, who’s still trying to get the lighter working.

“I’m trying, baby.” Changkyun hisses back.

And before Hoseok can chastise his boyfriend any more, the ghost disappears and reappears behind them.

The two men jolt, Hoseok turns as quickly as he can to stab the spectre, hoping to dissipate it. But as Hoseok flings his arm out in a slashing movement, the spirit grabs his hand and sends a spark of cold up his arm. Numbing it and rendering it useless for a few seconds. Then, the ghost waves it’s hand and flings the lighter out of Changkyun’s grasp and finishes with a disappearing act.

Changkyun immediately runs off in the direction of the lighter while Hoseok shouts his name behind him. He spots it in a pile of rubble and skids to a halt, leaving dust behind him. He exclaims a “ha!” and reaches for the little steel fire making instrument, trying to grab it. Not before he’s thrown across the room, hitting the back of the coffin him and Hoseok were just standing next to, through.

“This why you shouldn’t go running off. Remember the night of the river incident?” Hoseok looks down at the sorry sight of Changkyun.

“That rope was begging to be swung on and used to drop kick that ghost.” Changkyun defends himself as Hoseok helps him up.

“Ghosts are ethereal. You can’t drop kick ‘em, babe.” Hoseok looks over to see the current ghost they’re fighting. It’s standing completely still, like it’s waiting for something. “You go and grab the lighter again while I distract it. Okay?”

“Okay. But we really need to bring some back up lighting equipment.”

“Next hunt.” Hoseok says as he walks over to the spirit, knife in hand. As he’s walking to it he sees it shift it’s energy into one of the crumbling statures, and oh, it’s now possessing it. 

“Come on!” Hoseok whines as he readies his knife. 

He tries to slash it, but knives aren’t really known for chopping stone. Then he hears a “Hoseok, here” as Changkyun rushes past him on his way to collect the lighter and passes him his steel pipe. Hoseok smiles as his gip tightens on the pole. This will do he thinks as swings the pole across the statue’s middle, taking a large chunk out of the old stone.

Meanwhile, Changkyun is shifting rubble, trying to find that glint of sliver he saw before. Honestly, he would have better luck finding the candy Jooheon hides in his room. 

Hoseok is in the middle of his next big swing when the ghost possessed statue hits him in the gut with a powerful blow, knocking him to the ground. As the stone menace leans over him, Hoseok spots a point in it’s ankle were the stone looks cracked and weak. He kicks it with as much force he can manage, knocking it off balance, sending it crumbling and cascading to the ground.

Changkyun is finally blessed with the sight of sliver between the cracked, old bricks laying on the floor. He scrambles over to it, quickly picks it up and holds it tight to his chest. And before he can announce it to his boyfriend, he hears him shout. 

“Changkyun, watch out!” 

Then, he feels something pulling at his back and before he knows it, he is flung across the room, again. Except this time, something lucky happens. He’s thrown quickly, but his mind thinks quicker. He realises he’s being thrown over the coffin they were trying to light earlier, and he thinks of a kind of dumb, kind of brilliant idea. He sticks his hand with the lighter in it down as he passes over the coffin, and hopes.

He’s on the floor when Hoseok shakes him conscious. He must of banged his head pretty bad against the wall. But he wasn’t out that long, because he’s awake to see his work in action. The body successfully lit on fire and the ghost nowhere to been seen. 

“Why are these ghosts always flinging me around?” Changkyun groans as the older helps him up.

“Well, when you’re trying to burn their former bodies and banish them from this plane of reality, I think they get a little mad.” Hoseok laughs and brings his boyfriend into a tight embrace.

“You set it’s body on fire mid-air. Do you realise how insane that is?” The taller mumbles into Changkyun’s ear.

“Insanely amazing?” The shorter asks as they part just slightly so they can look at each other.

“Incredibly amazing.” Hoseok says and then, hand firmly holding the back of his boyfriend’s neck, he kisses him and Changkyun smiles.

“You were too, baby.” Changkyun says as Hoseok steps backwards.

“I know.” Hoseok says as his back presses against the wall and he loops his arms around Changkyun’s neck.

And Changkyun kisses the older way past the point of being decent. He doesn’t know when Hoseok hooked his leg around his waist, or if the fire raging behind them has stopped or gotten out of control. And honestly, he doesn’t care.

This is exactly what he wants.

The End.