Chapter Text
Magic was by no means a new thing in their world. Sure, there weren’t too many witches or sorcerers just galvanting about, but there were enough that magic was a standard thing to be tested for in youth. It was important to identify a magically inclined person early on so the proper training could be implemented.
Even still, seeing Jimin and Yoongi perform rather complicated magic with a mere wave of their hand would never seem completely normal.
Seokjin had known them since he was a child, and had never quite gotten used to their blasé attitudes in regards to their craft. It wasn’t like they couldn’t be that way, their magic was far older than most of the spells they used so it was little wonder that they could perform so easily.
“Yoonie get your tribble out of my work space,” Jimin’s familiar light voice sounded with thin annoyance.
“Why are you griping to me? You don’t even need your work area for this kind of thing. You’re just being petty.”
Seokjin smiled to himself as he recognized the first dregs of imminent bickering.
Yoongi and Jimin were... old to say the least. No one really knew how old but their ease with magic and familiarity with one another spoke volumes. Not to mention the way they could seemingly hold an entire conversation without once speaking. They had obviously been at each other’s side for a long time. And with their familiarity came what he had affectionately come to call their ‘old couple bickering’. It was as though they were the same as his grandparents yet their bond transcended through, what might potentially be, centuries of time together.
Jimin sent a glare to his lover who was reading a large tome. “He gets fur on everything ! And then when I actually have to use the space, I have to take the time to clean it up before I can do anything!”
Yoongi sent him a bored glance. “I figured experience would dictate that you’d clean it up before use anyways…”
“I do! But I don’t enjoy having to take the extra steps to get rid of his ridiculous fur!”
Seokjin chuckled lowly from his position on one of the various sofas, normally used for waiting clients, while the two witches worked on whatever was needed of them. In many ways watching their odd method of communication was similar to watching some kind of television drama. Except in their case, neither Yoongi nor Jimin realized how comedic their interactions came off as.
“Also - I think this is a double ended complaint, because Raven is no better. She leaves fur on my things too but you never see me getting on your ass about it.”
Jimin pouted. “That’s because you aren’t petty about things like that and I am!”
Yoongi nodded sagely, “And therein lies the root of the problem.”
“ You proposed to me , remember,” the other declared, “you knew what you were getting into.”
“I did, which is why I know you’re not genuinely upset right now, you’re just kicking a fuss because you feel like it,” Yoongi said as he turned a page.
Seokjin laughed, smiling unapologetically when Jimin tossed a playful glare at him. “Things always go the same way, Jimin-hyung.”
“You know, if I wanted two people to give me sass, I’d just duplicate Yoongi.”
The mint haired witch appeared mildly offended by that. “Bold of you to assume you could even duplicate me, Minnie, I am one of a kind.”
Jimin rolled his eyes, “Tell that to the perfectly replicated dog I spell casted for that couple who were fighting over ownership.”
“Now you’re comparing me to a dog? Feeling the love here.”
Seokjin felt fond watching them. It had scared him somewhat as a child to see them go back and forth as they were, but it had quickly become familiar territory as he came to know them better.
He tilted his head in question, “I know I’ve had to have asked this before, but have you two always bickered like this?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Jimin threw a look at Yoongi for his negative reply.
The other witch raised a brow, “It didn’t get bad until that one trip to Europe.”
Jimin outright gawked at the accusation, “Excuse you, things just came to a bit of a head then because you were being so damn indecisive about everything.”
Yoongi set down his time with rising exasperation. “You melted my cauldron, how is that ‘a bit of a head’?”
“I could’ve set your hair on fire with that attitude.”
Seokjin shook his head and settled back on the couch to watch. He had to wonder at what point the bickering between the two had become his ideal method of communication between significant others.
The front door opened, a nervous looking person stepping through.
Jimin perked up and set down whatever he was handling to approach the client happily. “Hello! Were you the one that phoned in earlier for a possible reading?”
“Oh y-yes that was me, my name is Kihyun.”
“Excellent, if you take a seat somewhere, I’ll come get you once I have my stuff set up for things,” Jimin chirped.
Kihyun settled onto the couch across from Seokjin and sent a curious look to him. “Are you a customer too..?”
He smiled kindly, “No, just a visiting friend. Don’t mind me.”
The customer jumped at the sound of a tome thudding to the floor in another room. “W-What was that?”
Jimin cast a nonchalant glance towards the doorway connecting the two rooms but shrugged. “It’s just my Raven making a mess for me.”
“Oh okay.” The man fiddled his thumbs for a moment. Though he gaped when moments later a black cat emerged from the room with its tail up and waggling slightly. “Is your raven a shapeshifting familiar??”
Jimin paused and then laughed, easily tilting slightly so his partner in crime could leap up onto his shoulder. “No no, her name is Raven. I’m sorry, I forget that just calling her that might insinuate a bird.”
Kihyun grinned, “So wait, you’re a witch and you have black cat as your familiar? You’re proving stereotypes correct!”
Yoongi sent his beloved a smirk, “You hear that Jimin? You’re proving yourself to be a basic bitch.”
Jimin bristled and sent him a glower. “Well I’m still not entirely convinced you didn’t steal Yeontan from someone else, you swamp goblin!”
From his cushion beneath Yoongi’s work station, Yeontan huffed.
Seokjin shook his head with amusement plastered all over his face.
Clearly irked, Jimin cleared his throat and focused back on the customer. “My stuff is set up whenever you’re ready for the reading.”
Kihyun shot up almost immediately.
Yoongi rose from his seat and bent down to place a kiss on his head. “Jin-ah and I will be just outside.”
Jimin smiled prettily and it was almost as if the tiny spat had never occurred in the first place. “Thank you Yoongi.”
Seokjin rose with a small huff, “What manual labor am I being dragged into this time?”
The mint haired witch looked scandalized. “How dare you call my plants manual labor. Get out there and apologize to them, kid.”
When they were eventually let back in, Seokjin said loving farewells and promised to bring others to visit the next day. On his way out, their dongsaeng told Jimin to find a different color to wear. Jimin waved his hand with a delicate flourish, no doubt instigating a spell meant to be annoying, and began cleaning up his workspace.
Yoongi paused and studied his husband carefully. The brilliant orange of his hair paired with the black clothing was definitely a statement piece. “You look like the living embodiment of Halloween with those colors.”
Jimin scoffed and continued gathering up his tarot cards. “It’s better than having a UFO on my head.” He didn’t have a personal problem with the hat, but he definitely had his head knocked by that very brim when kissing.
“It’s a nice hat ,” Yoongi defended, “and Francesa sent it to me. Or don’t you remember with that failing memory of yours?”
Francesca was a pretty old witch too, based out of Italy. They had met her while touring Europe at one point in their long lives and made quick friends with her.
He leveled the other with an unimpressed gaze. “You are literally five decades older than me, you’ll be dust by tomorrow.”
“Oh sure, okay.” Yoongi drawled indignantly. “But I stopped aging by 25 thank you very much.”
Jimin smirked, “It was old enough for you to start shrinking, you grandpa.”
Yoongi returned the expression easily. “You’re just mad because you never grew past the height of a common gnome.”
“MIN YOONGI YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!”
It wasn’t entirely uncommon for Jimin and Yoongi to find their shop almost entirely occupied with their apprentices and friends.
Yoongi had long since taken on Seokjin and Namjoon as his underlings. He taught them the essentials of magic, but also challenged them with more advanced topics that he knew would benefit them as they developed their powers.
Jimin meanwhile had taken in Hoseok, Taehyung and, most recently, Jungkook. The trio all at once was..well a lot to handle sometimes but Jimin liked to think he did it with poise. The three of them had boundless energy at times and the different styles to their magic added to the controlled chaos of the situation.
They had both ended up seeing the young apprentices as their adopted children without really meaning to. It just seemed to have been a logical progression to their bond.
That particular day found Seokjin, Namjoon and Hoseok in their midst, all of them messing with various spells and tomes. It had been a dreary day which meant their activities were confined to the interior of the shop because neither Jimin nor Yoongi were willing to risk their priceless materials to the elements.
Though, of them all, Jimin knew he was struggling the most with keeping his concentration. His mind was consumed with the court case his youngest dongsaeng was engaged in. He had requested all of them stay away until things were finished and his sentencing finalized. It hadn’t stopped Taehyung from going.
So he had pawned Hoseok off to Yoongi for the day so he could distractedly brew potions while he awaited news from Taehyung.
The wait was agonizing.
Then he noticed a movement out front. He kept his eyes on it and hurriedly finished his current brew when he recognized the figure stumbling towards the entrance. There was a horrible sinking feeling in his gut.
Jimin shot up from his seat as soon as Taehyung entered the shop. His face screwed up with concern, “Taehyungie, what’s wrong??”
From his work station, Yoongi paused and regarded the situation with a keen eye.
The other was obviously bothered by something. His face showed evidence of previously shed tears, and his tightly knit brow spoke of concern and careful consideration. “Jungkookie just g-got his sentencing from the Magistrate…”
Jungkook was almost an adult, and was studying carefully to find his own way into the magical arts. He hadn’t grown up in a household that bore the same gift as he, so he had a lot of catching up to do in a short span of time. Jimin and Yoongi had already known of his talents and immediately leapt on board to help the young mage-in-training.
Jimin frowned. “They accused him of mimicry, didn’t they? What punishment has been decided?”
Taehyung’s bottom lip wobbled dangerously.
The emotional reaction didn’t go unnoticed by any of them.
Namjoon and Seokjin clutched at each other’s hands anxiously.
Yoongi stood from his work station and approached carefully. “Taehyung?” was his soft inquiry.
“T-They’re going to strip him of his magic…” he breathed softly.
The lights of the shop flickered dangerously before going out momentarily. The entire temperature of the room shifted into something chilly and eerie.
The others flinched at the sudden change and looked around in bewilderment.
“Jimin…” Yoongi called cautiously.
Jimin’s fists has clenched tightly, his expression set in an eerie calm. “They’re going to strip his magic for mimicry ?”
Taehyung let loose a quiet sob as he nodded.
“They-...” Namjoon swallowed, “they can’t really do that can they?”
“I’m going to that goddamn hearing.”
“Jimin-hyung-“ Seokjin tried.
“No!” He spun on heel and faced them all. “No, I am not going to let such a petty thing end so drastically. When Yoongi and I agreed to let the Magistrate handle things like this, we left a clause that said if we ever felt the need to step in that we could do so.”
Yoongi huffed a small sigh, “That is true. In all technicality, the Magistrate must adhere to any decision we might make on any given matter.”
“B-But how do you guys have that kind of power??” Hobi asked in bewilderment.
Jimin smiled grimly, “Because we created the Magistrate. We are far older than any of the magical society laws and order in this part of the world.” He slid on a jacket with a flourish, preparing himself for the one man storm he was about to lead.
Yoongi rounded his workbench and put placating hands on his lover’s shoulders. “Can you do this without losing your cool or do you need me?”
The slightly smaller one heaved a long and shaky breath and put his hands over his beloved’s. “I’ll be okay Yoonie, but I have to do this for our Jungkookie.”
He smiled thinly in return. “I know you do. Go be the hero for our boy.”