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“I’m telling you, he isn’t human!”
Hoseok glances out the window, peeking around the curtain comically. His phone is pressed against his ear, his sister sighing. He ignores her grumbling, watching his neighbor’s house avidly; he can see movement in the house, the other’s curtains thin enough he can see shadows moving through the rooms.
‘Hoseok-ah, seriously? He probably just works from home.’
Hoseok shakes his head, a pout on his face.
“No way, no way! I’m telling you, noona, he’s too weird to be a normal person.”
‘You’re too weird to be a normal person,’ Sumi mutters, voice petulant.
Hoseok purses his lips, watching as his neighbor’s front door opens. His eyes track his neighbor, watching closely as the man carries out a bag of trash. The man suddenly looks up, eyes locking onto Hoseok’s window. Yelping, Hoseok dives behind his curtain, heart hamering in his chest. His sister laughs at him, Hoseok having forgotten he was on the phone.
‘Did he catch you being a creep?’
“Noona, what do I do?” Hoseok whines, cautiously peering around the curtain again.
The man is still standing outside, arms crossed—he’s staring at Hoseok’s house, head tilted in curiosity. He spots Hoseok, a smile on his face; he waves up at him, Hoseok pursing his lips as he’s caught. He offers the other an awkward wave back, face on fire as the man winks at him.
“Noona, he saw me,” Hoseok moans, slumping down against the wall.
‘Guess you’ll just have to talk to him, then!’
Hoseok groans, head thumping against the wall.
Hoseok steels himself, throwing his front door open.
He takes a step outside, eyeing his neighbor’s house; the curtains are all drawn closed, the rooms dark save for one upstairs. Swallowing down a whimper, Hoseok moves towards the man’s house, tentatively knocking on the door. He can hear someone moving in the house, probably coming down the stairs—a few moments later, the door opens, his neighbor’s smiling face poking out.
“H-hi,” Hoseok stutters out, smile awkward on his face, “sorry to bother you—”
“Did you need something?” the man asks quietly, opening the door a little wider.
Hoseok rubs the back of his head nervously, expression growing more embarrassed. The man smiles at him, head tilting a little; he waits patiently, leaning against the doorframe.
“Ah, this is gonna sound so stupid,” Hoseok says suddenly, running a hand through his hair, “I just…”
His neighbor hums, waiting for him to continue.
“Are you human?” Hoseok blurts out, face-palming a moment later.
The man laughs in surprise, pushing away from the doorframe. He covers his mouth, eyes a little wide; Hoseok scrubs a hand down his face, mortified.
“I…you don’t think I’m human?” the man asks, voice full of mirth.
Hoseok shakes his head, turning around, “You know what—I’m just gonna head home, sorry to bother you—”
“Wait, no,” the man says, gently grabbing Hoseok’s arm, “I’m not mad, or anything. It’s actually pretty funny.”
Hoseok turns around, lips curling up as the man smiles at him encouragingly.
“You’re not…weirded out by it? By me?”
The man shakes his head, huffing out a little laugh.
“No, like I said—it’s funny. Did you…want to come in and talk?”
Hoseok nods after a moment, stepping into the house.
He learns his neighbor’s name is Taehyung.
He’s new to the area, having just graduated from college last spring; he works from home as a graphic designer, and loves puppies. Hoseok feels silly, the longer they talk. He’s a really nice kid, a few years younger than Hoseok, and he finds it really funny that Hoseok thought he was not human.
“So. What supernatural creature am I?” Taehyung asks gleefully, chin in his hands.
Hoseok laughs, taking a short sip from his mug. Taehyung had made them hot chocolate, sheepishly admitting he hated the taste of alcohol, and coffee.
“I dunno—maybe a vampire? A ghost?”
Taehyung laughs, delighted. Hoseok grins at him, taking another sip. It’s really good hot chocolate, with just a hint of spice.
“Really? I always thought I was more of a werewolf kinda guy,” Taehyung jokes, “or anything dog-related, really.”
Hoseok chokes on his hot chocolate, giggles spilling out. Taehyung grins at him, his smile wide and pretty.
“Ah, what about you, Hoseok-ssi?” Taehyung asks, leaning back in his chair, “what would you be?”
Hoseok’s grin softens, his shoulders shrugging gently.
“I…maybe fae,” he says quietly, glancing up at Taehyung through his bangs, “kind of silly, isn’t it?”
Taehyung shakes his head, smile kind.
“Why would that be silly? Fae are really cool, and fun.”
Cheeks growing warm, Hoseok waves his hand around, trying to shift Taehyung’s attention.
“Ah, yeah, I guess so.”
Taehyung bites his lip, watching Hoseok closely.
“For what it’s worth, I think you’d make a great faerie,” he says, voice low.
Hoseok opens his mouth to say something, jerking in surprise as his phone starts ringing. He grimaces, hastily standing up. Taehyung stands as well, curiosity on his face.
“Ah, sorry, my sister’s calling me,” Hoseok apologizes, bowing to the other man, “I should probably head home.”
Taehyung nods agreeably, following the man to the front door. He waves as Hoseok hurries to his own house, a strange little smile on the younger man’s face as he watches Hoseok disappear. He tilts his head, ears straining as he picks up the faint conversation from his neighbor.
‘Noona, I talked with my neighbor—I feel so silly now, thinking he wasn’t human. He’s so nice, and pretty, I think we’ll get along well.’
Taehyung hums, closing the front door; he turns around, making sure the curtains cover the windows. It wouldn’t do to have Hoseok find out just yet, he muses, a light shiver running through his body. His pops his back, the bones cracking until a set of wings unfurl; he cracks his neck, sighing in satisfaction as his body changes to accommodate him, features shifting.
“A fae, huh,” he whispers, chuckling as he catches his reflection in the hall mirror, “I can work with that.”