Archive of Our Own ^beta

With a toothbrush in his mouth, Changbin went to the kitchen to water the fragrant flowers his older sister had given him two weeks ago.

She worked in a flower shop, so whenever there remained unsold plants, she would give them to her relatives.

She said it wouldn’t hurt to fill the place he shared with two of his closest friends with nature. And she was right, he barely had the time for promenades since his long walks involved taking the bus to go to college. Her flowers were a good way to bring nature to him; they also brought beauty to what represented his home.

Only pink tulips, white orchids, black irises, blue poppies, and orange chrysanthemums decorated his kitchen so far. They were aligned on his windowsill, bathed by the sunlight, enhancing the room with their colors and floral scents.

Changbin would even talk to them before leaving for college, reciting his lessons while eating his fruity porridge and swinging his legs from where he was sitting on the counter. 

Chan, the oldest— the ruler slash sage, would always scold him because they cooked on the counter, and he didn't want any butt on the very surface his food touched.

(Needless to say, Jisung, the youngest— the jester, would hop next to Changbin with a mouthful of bread to annoy Chan even more.)

This morning, the fragrant flowers were in full bloom.

Except one, the pink tulip whose soft petals were still securely twisted into a knot, as if they were hiding some treasure.

Changbin found it odd. It was the flower that was the closest to the light, it should have been the one blooming first. Perhaps that flower needed help? He leaned down to take a closer look, then decided to blow on the flower.

Plants reacted to stimulus, his sister had once told him.

It seemed to work because the petals began to open slowly.

Changbin was about to straighten himself and spit the toothpaste foaming in his mouth when he saw an unusual shape at the heart of the tulip.

As the petals moved away, revealing a sleeping figure curled into a ball on the pistil, Changbin realized it was a fairy. What else could this little thing be, anyway? It was asleep in a flower, naked and covered with pollen, exactly like in classic fairy tales.

Changbin stared at the fairy until the little beauty stirred away, stretching out and carefully tucking his long blonde hair behind his dainty ears. It was a boy, given his flat chest; a boy that confusedly stared at him before squeaking.

“Don’t look!” Changbin heard, observing the fairy trying to hide his body behind petals.

The little beauty was struggling, his rosy mouth knotting into a cute pout.

“What are you?” Changbin asked him, fascinated.

Truth to be told, if the fairy had been the opposite of cute and beautiful, he would have mistaken it for a bug and smashed it dead. But the fairy was simply too pretty, too endearing; little ears and a little mouth like a burgeon; little hands made of delicate fingers that gripped the petals; the only things that weren’t little were his long and toned legs.

“I’m a fairy!” The little beauty told him with a cute frown. He turned around and flapped his pretty wings for emphasis. 

They were light green with a tint of pink, shaped like flower petals. They were sparkling as well and so thin that the light passed through them.

“I didn’t know fairies existed,” Changbin gently said after wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand— he would clean it later. “But it’s nice to meet one.”

“I exist! I’m Hyunjin, a prince!”

“A prince? Where is your kingdom?”

“I don’t know…” Hyunjin trailed with a voice full of sorrow. He looked up at Changbin with his shiny black eyes, his hands were clutching the petal behind which he was still hiding. “Why am I here? Where is here?”

“You’re in my home. I was watering my flowers and I found you sleeping in the tulip,” Changbin explained. He crossed his arms on the counter to make himself more comfortable. “It seems like you lost your memory.”

“It does.” The fairy pouted. He looked around, familiarizing himself with his new environment. “Is this the human world?”

“Yeah. You’re in town. Were you living in a forest before?”

“I think so.” Hyunjin looked up at him again with his beautiful eyes. “Are you going to kill me? I remember that humans are dangerous and evil.”

“No. I’m not going to kill you,” Changbin reassured him firmly. “Humans are indeed evil, but I won’t hurt you in any way.”

“Why?”

“Um… Because I’m not evil.”

It seemed to make the fairy feel better as a smile bloomed on his lovely face.

Changbin propped his chin in his palms and observed the little beauty with wonder-filled eyes.

“You’re so cute and pretty,” he told him gently.

“I’m also cold,” Hyunjin informed him, looking even more vulnerable than a flower.

He looked down at the petal he was holding, plucked it with difficulty, then rolled it around his lithe little body like a dress. Satisfied, he delicately twirled on himself, like the fairies in music boxes.

He was so endearing.

“I’ll learn how to sew to make dresses for you,” Changbin let out, enchanted.

Hyunjin gasped as he laced his little hands together below his chin.

“You would do that for me?”

“Yes, princess,” Changbin affirmed. He felt like the chosen one, graced with the fact that a fairy so beautiful entered his life. He would never fail this gift from destiny. “From now on, I’ll be your knight. I’ll protect you.”

The little beauty flapped his wings in joy. 

“Who are you talking to?” Jisung’s curious voice echoed from behind.

Hyunjin squeaked and tried to hide behind petals again.

“A fairy.” Changbin decided to tell the truth for the sole reason that he trusted his friends. They wouldn’t hurt the fairy or call the government to prove the existence of magical creatures— even if they tried, they would have to go through him first, and Changbin was the middle one, the rebel, the protector; he had to protect the fairy now.

“A what?”

“A fairy. So please, don’t scare him,” he made Jisung promise.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes, so be quiet.” He hastily gestured for his friend to come closer. “Look inside the tulip.”

“I don’t see anything,” Jisung said while leaning over the flower and squinting his eyes. “I didn’t know you did dru—” But Changbin kicked his butt before he could finish his playful remark, so he let out a sigh. “Fine. Where is this fairy?”

“Hyunjin, you can show yourself now,” Changbin gently said.

He was smiling, eyes on the tulip.

He was serious, Jisung realized.

For Changbin to be this gentle and smiley, there must have been a real fairy there; a fairy that had his older friend under a spell given the delight twisting his facial features.

Jisung looked at the tulip again, noticing that the petals were moving.

Shyly, a blonde little head made its appearance among the pink petals, and then, the fairy completely revealed himself, looking at Jisung with hopeful, shiny eyes.

“I’m Hyunjin,” the pretty little thing said. “I’m a fairy.” His wings flapped behind his back, creating glitter dust.

“You’re so cute!” Jisung exclaimed, his smile wide. “Oh man, I would have never imagined meeting a fairy for real. Nice to meet you. I’m Jisung!”

Hyunjin mirrored his smile, happy to be accepted, and Jisung cooed even more.

“So cute! Where do you come from?”

“I don’t know…” The fairy pouted, the glow in his eyes darkening with sorrow.

“Oh no, I didn’t want to make you sad.” Jisung cast a glance at Changbin whose expression indicated that he should stop his investigation. He looked back at the little beauty with a warm smile. “It’s okay. We will help you find out where you come from!”

“Really?” Hyunjin was so small, so vulnerable, so full of hope.

“Yes, really,” Changbin asserted.

“You still haven’t told me your name,” the fairy voiced shyly in the direction of Changbin, cheeks rosy and pretty.

“Oh, I’m Changbin.”

Hyunjin adapted quite fast.

He was as fascinated by the human world as the three boys were fascinated by him.

Like a curious little kitten, he would accompany them everywhere, safe in the pocket of their t-shirts. He would go to college with Changbin to listen attentively to the academic lectures; he would keep Chan company whenever he was teaching an online class at home, laying on his belly with his face propped in his palms and with his bare legs happily swinging in the air; and he would help Jisung cheat for some of his tests by whispering the answers into his ear, expressive eyebrows knitted into an intensely focused frown.

Naturally, Chan scolded Jisung whenever that happened, justly accusing him of exploiting their magical friend— the innocent. And Hyunjin simply stood between the two boys, saddened because he had caused a quarrel between his bigger friends.

Uncontrollable tears would run down his rosy cheeks, stopping Chan and Jisung from arguing any further, and then, Changbin would come to scold his friends for making his pretty little fairy cry.

Every time after a fight, Chan and Jisung always carefully kissed the top of his head as an apology, which had the effect of pulling a radiant smile across Hyunjin’s soft features.

Despite all these, Changbin remained his favorite.

Changbin was cool. He had learned how to sew to create beautiful dresses for him to feel comfortable and pretty— cute dresses the fairy had picked himself from all the pictures Changbin had displayed on his phone. He had also created miniature versions of his own outfits: his black hoodie, his white t-shirt, and his football shorts.

Every piece was backless to leave freedom for Hyunjin’s shiny wings, and every shirt Changbin owned provided hooks over the shoulder parts so Hyunjin could hold them without falling.

The fairy found Changbin cute.

“You can’t crack an egg!” The little beauty giggled from where he was sitting on Changbin’s brawny shoulder.

(Yet, he could sew dresses for him.)

“You eat messily!” He giggled again, dusting off the crumbs of bread that had fallen over him.

“Your hair is funny today!” He giddily exclaimed one morning as he flew beside him, following him into the bathroom.

Hyunjin was a happy little fairy, preening under their endless compliments because he was just so cute, so pretty, so lovely, who especially enjoyed twirling in his cute dresses like the mesmerizing creature he was beneath Changbin’s enamored eyes.

Hyunjin watched movies with them, usually tucked under a tiny blanket on Changbin’s lap— and then on Jisung’s lap after he had whined for the fairy’s attention— and then on Chan’s lap because the fairy always murmured that the oldest among them also looked the loneliest.

Hyunjin pecked their cheeks each morning and pecked them again each night before he flew into his tulip to sleep.

Hyunjin took naps atop their heads when he was too sleepy, tangled with their soft strands of hair. 

Hyunjin cheered them up with his sole existence whenever they were too exhausted from juggling between college and their jobs at the same time. They were broke students who wanted to become a trio of established music producers called 3RACHA— they had once made the mistake of letting Hyunjin taste the sriracha sauce, resulting in the fairy squeaking in pain and them freaking out to the point they thought the fairy was going to die.

(They had showered the fairy with affectionate kisses after that, begging for his pardon and begging for him to stop crying given his tears always broke their fragile hearts.)

Hyunjin enjoyed twirling, jumping, dancing on their laps to show the cute dresses Changbin had sewed for him. He looked like the dancing fairy in music boxes, except he was more beautiful and so, so lovely— his shiny black eyes like black pearls, his plump mouth like a flower, his pretty little body like a doll.

They called him princess; their princess, and he loved that.

With time, their bond got stronger, especially his bond with Changbin.

Changbin treated him the way he called him: like a princess. He always worried about his health because often, the fairy would get sick from eating food he had never eaten before or from the cold. After all, he was most of the time barefoot and in dresses that didn’t cover much of his lithe body.

He was worried about his comfort. Wasn’t sleeping in the tulip uncomfortable? So, he told Hyunjin to sleep with him, and the fairy would sleep on his chest, curled into a ball, above where his heart was beating— the fairy confessed that it was because the sound of his heartbeats reminded him of the sound of the Earth.

Or, Hyunjin would sleep on the pillow beside his head, and Changbin would watch him sleep, watch the slow of his breathing, the beauty of his face, the softness of his existence, with a warm heart.

Together, they spent long nights talking; Changbin about the human world, and Hyunjin about the fairy world, despite not remembering much about his origins.

Sometimes, they talked about the hypothetical of them being the same species.

Hyunjin taking Changbin on adventures across the giant forest, the shimmering rivers, introducing him to bees, and ladybugs, and butterflies, but not spiders, they were scary.

Changbin taking Hyunjin on a rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel, a playground, a candy shop where he could taste all the jellies in the world— taking him to music festivals where they could dance together; to the theater where they could hold hands— and Changbin’s mind would wander, and wander, and wander, imagining a life where Hyunjin is human, where he can hold him against his chest, where he can completely feel him.

It was easy to fall for the fairy, his little beauty, his princess. He made him want to become a better human for him; to shield him from an unforgiving world that would torture and dissect him into pieces; to make him happy the way he was making Changbin — and his friends — happy.

Hyunjin was so loyal to him, loved him unconditionally, and always encouraged him.

Oh, there was something that the fairy always did which had him melting inside: he tiptoed on his shoulder to place his plump mouth against his cheek into a soft kiss just because he wanted to. And then he smiled, delighted by the fact that he had made Changbin happy with his kiss.

One cold day, Changbin took Hyunjin to the biggest forest in Seoul.

He was wearing a long coat and a tiny scarf, safely tucked in the ample pocket of Changbin’s puffer jacket while the latter was riding his mountain bike across the city, and then across the trees.

Above their heads, dark clouds decorated the sky whose snow couldn’t stop falling over them. It ate all leaves and all the distinctive sounds, leaving the forest cadaveric and silent. It naturally worried Hyunjin because all the flowers were dead, and with them, all the bees, the butterflies, the insects that could help him were gone.

“I’m sorry, princess. We should have come here sooner,” Changbin told the fairy, his deep voice laden with guilt.

He hadn’t had the time to focus on finding out where the little beauty came from given his busy schedules and how he entered into their life during their examination period. He had inevitably taken the fairy’s time for granted, thinking that as long as he was living with them, under their protection, he could wait. But the fairy had started getting homesick, sitting on his windowsill while hugging his knees and looking through the window with sorrow-filled eyes.

Just like how he was looking up at him now, with these same beautiful, yet oh so sad eyes.

“Forgive me,” Changbin said before leaning down and gently pecking the top of the fairy’s head that peeked out of his pocket.

“Can we still look for a beehive?” The little beauty requested in a hushed tone.

“Of course, baby.” Changbin smiled reassuringly. “Stay safe,” he added, letting Hyunjin tuck himself back in the pocket, preserving him from the harsh winds.

Changbin started carefully pedaling among the trees while looking at the skinny branches for a beehive. With the snow and the hard roots, he couldn’t risk tumbling over and hurt his fairy. Which was why he took his time, until he spotted a beehive a few minutes later against the trunk of an oak tree.

“Princess, there is a hive up there.” He put his foot flat on the snow-white ground to support his bike as Hyunjin peeked out of his pocket again. “Be quick but be careful.”

When Hyunjin stripped himself of his long coat to deploy his wings, the wind hit him like it hit a delicate flower. He squeaked, Changbin held him in his palm, worried, then suggested that he climbed on the tree instead.

“No!” The fairy protested with a cute frown. “I’m a prince. I can do it!”

“But I can get you up there,” Changbin reasonably argued, frowning as well because he didn’t want his little beauty to get snowed over, hurt or sick, or the three at the same time.

“No, you can fall from the oak tree and hurt yourself,” Hyunjin fervently protested again, sharing the same sentiment as he flew out of Changbin’s hold. “Stay here.”

Changbin followed him with his anxious eyes. 

“Be careful up there.”

“I will,” Hyunjin promised softly; he couldn’t help the blush spreading over his cheeks. Changbin was worried about him, and would likely trade his own life if it meant saving him.

Hyunjin liked daydreaming about this sometimes because he felt unconditionally loved and favored by the human boy.

Nimbly, he flew between the crooked branches towards the beehive that he found silent like the rest of the forest. It was no surprise that the bees were hibernating given the season. In winter, they sealed the entrance of their hive to keep the warmth inside. This reality saddened him because the timing was indeed wrong, but he had felt so optimistic when Changbin had told him they would be going to the forest today.

He cupped the tip of the cold beehive with his little hand and pecked it.

“See you when the flowers start to bloom,” he murmured, placing his forehead against the flat surface of the hive beneath which he could feel the peaceful thrumming of their heartbeats.

From the ground, Changbin called for him.

Hyunjin flew down to land on the hollow of his human’s palm.

“They’re sleeping,” he said, trembling from the cold, as Changbin instantly covered him with his other hand.

“It’s okay. We will come back in Spring,” Changbin gently told him while helping him get into his pocket. “Aren’t you happy to spend the winter with me?” He asked, a smirk of playfulness pulling on the corner of his mouth.

“I am!” The fairy animatedly exclaimed from the warmth of his pocket. “Are you?”

“I am delighted, princess.” Changbin began pedaling among the trees. “To be completely honest, I am not ready to let you go…”

He glanced down to find his little beauty staring up at him with rosy cheeks and beautiful eyes full of wonder, but upon noticing Changbin’s warm gaze on him, the fairy looked away shyly.

Winter break meant more time to spend with the fairy despite their part-time jobs.

Chan was a freelance teacher, Jisung was a cashier at a nearby supermarket, and Changbin sold honey pots every Saturday morning from 7 am to 2 pm at the Christmas market. They always made sure Hyunjin was never left alone, because life could be very lonely when you were a fairy who knew so little about the human world.

Each of them always brought presents for the fairy. Jisung brought fruits that weren’t sold— strawberries were Hyunjin’s favorites; Changbin brought samples of honey originating from many breeds of trees that Hyunjin knew by heart— he loved talking about his dear bark friends; and Chan taught him how to read and write since he was working at home.

“I’ve written down our names. Can you guess whose name is mine?” Chan set his pen down next to the sheet of paper where he had previously written his, Changbin’s, and Jisung’s names.

Hyunjin delicately kneeled on the paper before the names and pouted in concentration.

“Your name must be the shortest one,” Hyunjin exclaimed as he pointed out Chan’s name.

“That’s correct.”

“And Changbin must be the middle one.” His lips pulled into a soft smile. “Both of your names sound the same at the start, and the first three letters look the same too.”

“As expected from my princess.” Chan affectionately stroked the fairy’s head with the pad of his forefinger. His touch was very cautious, as if he was touching a snowflake. Hyunjin remained small and dainty, it would be easy to hurt him and Chan didn’t want to risk that. “You’re clever.”

“I am! I’m a prince after all!” Hyunjin chirped, leaning against Chan’s touch.

It turned out that fairies learned faster than children did. Maybe because Hyunjin wasn’t a child, but a young boy who looked like he could be Jisung’s age if he were human. He learned English fast as well by just listening to Chan’s online lessons like he was his student too.

He was given a miniature pencil Jisung had bought from the supermarket to help him write his revision cards. Of course, Chan accused him of exploitation again, to which Jisung had argued that the fairy was able to filter out information better than he did.

“Besides, he likes helping me!”

“I do!” Hyunjin squeaked, cute frown and pouty mouth, and wings fluttering behind his back, an extension of his determination.

Needless to say, Chan couldn’t resist the fairy. He would simply bend over in defeat to peck the top of Hyunjin’s head.

Winter break meant it was colder than usual and that the fairy would snuggle against Changbin for warmth. He would feel his strong body against his dainty frame; he would listen to the life beating inside his chest; he would smell the spicy scent of his cologne.

Changbin, on the other hand, wished he could feel Hyunjin the same way.

He wished he could hold him in his tight embrace; wished he could be intoxicated with his scent; wished he could hear his heartbeats, his breathing, the clear sound of his voice calling his name. The fairy had stolen a big piece of his heart, if not the entirety of it. He had made it thrum faster, made it swell to the point it burst with what he suspected was love. 

However, his feelings for the fairy remained pointless.

They weren’t the same species.

They weren’t meant to be together.

Through a fortunate chain of circumstances, they had met, but their fates wouldn’t be interlocked forever. Once Spring blew on Winter with a whistle, Hyunjin would seek the help of his bee friends and return to his kingdom where he belonged.

In the end, they were bound to part.

Changbin let out a defeated sigh laden with sadness.

“What’s wrong?” He heard Hyunjin’s soft voice from where the fairy was supposed to be asleep on his chest. 

It was midnight and Changbin’s bedroom was bathed in silence, with only their breathing slicing it like two paper planes.

Hyunjin’s locks were curled around his head. He was yawning, his little wings fluttering behind him as he stretched out. Then, he looked up at him with his innocent eyes as he hugged his legs against his chest.

“Nothing,” Changbin lied, a forced smile pulling across his face.

“I can hear that something is wrong.” Hyunjin’s pink lips knotted into a pout, like a pretty burgeon.

Changbin gently caressed his soft cheek with the tip of his knuckle.

“I just wish you were human sometimes,” he admitted, but this time, his smile was genuine; he could only smile in the face of the fairy’s innocence.

“Why?”

“So I could take you in my arms and never let you go.”

Hyunjin gasped cutely, rosy cheeks and pearly eyes shining beneath the moonlight.

“Sometimes, I wish you were a fairy like me,” he said softly.

“Why?”

Shyly, the fairy averted his eyes.

“We could get married…” He murmured, hugging his legs tighter against his chest.

Upon seeing his little beauty timidly confessing his desire to unite their fates together, Changbin’s genuine smile twisted into a grin.

“Married?”

“You’d become a prince too. And we’d rule my kingdom together!” Hyunjin elaborated with a voice full of wonder. A dreamy look adorned his lovely face. “We’d be together forever.”

Changbin reached to caress his cheek again, except the fairy, driven by his happiness, hugged his finger tightly.

“Can two boys marry each other in your world?” He was curious about their traditions. Hyunjin seemed very innocent, which was why there were topics they avoided in his presence. They didn’t want to taint their princess with these kinds of words. “How do you maintain your legacy if we get married?”

“What do you mean?” Hyunjin tilted his little head to the side. One of his soft locks fell over his face, so Changbin tucked behind his dainty ear with the tip of his finger. “Fairies are born in flowers. They’re born from true love. I was born in a daisy!”

“Does it mean two boys or two girls can have a child together?”

“Yes!”

Changbin’s eyes widened with surprise, but at the same time, it made sense.

“That’s so cool,” he exclaimed. There was still a thought in the corner of his mind, wondering if he would be a fairy capable of feeling sexual attraction— if he would have been horny, because if he was dating someone as wonderful as Hyunjin, he doubted he would be able to simply… not feel anything.

While his needs had understandably vanished with the arrival of his little beauty, he was convinced that if both of them were the same size, his body would react in tandem with his feelings. 

He felt terrible for nurturing these thoughts, given how innocent and small the fairy was.

“I don’t think me being a fairy is a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have my human perspective, and I think humans and fairies aren’t compatible.”

“You think we’re not compatible…” Hyunjin’s voice was laden with sorrow.

“You know I’m right,” Changbin told him gently while caressing his cheek again. He saw the quiver of the fairy’s lips, the tears brimming over his eyes, the contraction of his hold around his legs, which broke his heart. “Baby, don’t be sad… You’ll find your people soon, and we will likely never see each other again.”

His little beauty sniffled, wiping his runny nose with the back of his tiny hand.

Changbin wanted to touch him, to comfort him with a caress, but Hyunjin flinched away, standing up before gathering his pillow and blanket in his arms.

(It hurt.)

“You’re right.” He said with an unusual, emotionless tone. “I’m tired now. I’ll sleep in my tulip. Good night.”

Changbin shifted on his side to face the window, heart heavy. Despite the pain seizing his heart, he didn’t have any other choice. He couldn’t daydream about an impossible destiny together. He had to let the fairy go, no matter how attached they were to each other.

Out of selfishness, he wished he could keep the fairy with him forever, but it would go against all his principles. He promised the fairy protection and happiness; he had to keep that promise, even when said promise meant bringing the fairy home and parting ways.

He watched the fairy fly over the windowsill and disappear in his flower. A trail of sparkling dust hung in the air like a brook leading to where the fairy was currently sleeping. Changbin stared at it until his eyes fell shut from exhaustion.

That being said, what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.

There was little Changbin could do to go against his adoration for his fairy whose cheeks flushed whenever Changbin kissed his little cheek or complimented him.

It was seven in the evening. Relaxing beats were playing in the background through cheap speakers the boys had put in strategic spots of the apartment. The yellow bulb shone above them, illuminating the tidy kitchen of his dim light. Changbin was nonchalantly sitting at the counter with a pen twirling between his fingers and with a blank sheet of paper spread before him.

His eyebrows were knitted together, concentrated on what kind of song to write this time, and so were Hyunjin’s.

The fairy was kneeling down on the other side of the paper, hands delicately folded on his knees and a pout adorning his face. In his white hanbok, he looked like a prince, pretty and well-mannered. He had tied his hair into a ponytail, with two locks curling around his cheeks he would sometimes blow when they tickled his skin.

Upon feeling Changbin’s warm stare, his wings fluttered by instinct, and he looked up with his cheeks rosy. His pout turned into a bright smile to which Changbin responded with a soft one.

Looking at Hyunjin always brought peace in his often troubled mind.

“You’re so cute,” he said as he propped his face in his palm.

Shyly, Hyunjin tucked a lock behind his dainty ear.

“You’re cute too,” his little voice resonated in the vacant kitchen.

Changbin snorted.

“Cute? Me?”

He felt the opposite of cute right now. He felt like a gremlin: hair messy, hoodie he hadn’t washed in days, pimples here and there because he had inhaled two bags of chips with Jisung three days ago during another Lord of the Rings marathon.

(Hyunjin was munching on a piece of kiwi, comfortably seated on Changbin’s lap, unable to take his eyes off Legolas whom he found so cool.)

(Needless to say, because the athletic elf was apparently Hyunjin’s type, it had sprung a tinge of jealousy within Changbin’s chest.)

“Why not?” The fairy pouted. “I think you’re cute!”

“But—”

“Doesn’t my opinion matter?” He asked in a small, vulnerable voice.

“Of course it does,” Changbin instantly replied, filled with guilt— that seemed to please the fairy who was smiling again. “But between you and me, you’re still cuter. I bet there are many fairies who want your hand.”

“I bet there are many humans who want yours too!”

Changbin hummed pensively, trying to think of people worth dating, yet no one came into his mind.

“They may want my hand, but I don’t want theirs.”

“Don’t you… Don’t you feel lonely?” His little beauty asked once more while tilting his head to the side. “Like Chan. He is lonely too.”

“How do you know that Chan is lonely?”

“I can feel it.”

“What about Jisung?”

“Jisung has a lot of stress because of school. That’s why I’m always helping him, even if Chan and you both disapprove.”

“You’re so considerate.” Changbin reached to gently stroke the top of his head— Hyunjin leaned into his touch, humming contentedly, like a purring kitten. “What about me? What do you feel?” He curiously asked, although he hoped the fairy wouldn’t feel what his heart was hiding.

“You… I don’t know,” Hyunjin spoke softly. His cheek was squished against the pad of Changbin’s thumb. “It’s hard to tell because I feel many things coming from you.”

Relieved, Changbin leaned down to leave a delicate peck atop his head.

“To answer your earlier question. I don’t feel lonely, especially when I’m with you.”

Dust of pink spread across the fairy’s face as his little hands played with the hem of his dress.

“And I hope my company can help you fill the absence of your kind too. I know you miss them,” Changbin added. The images of his little beauty sitting alone on his windowsill while looking through the window with sorrow-filled eyes were still vivid in his mind.

Whenever he caught Hyunjin in his sad reverie, Changbin would pick him up and place him on his shoulder before announcing that they were going downtown. And then, Hyunjin would yell with happiness from the rim of the pocket he was clutching because he loved the feeling of the wind against his face and the sight of the snow falling from the sky.

More than that, he loved going on bike rides. He felt like he was flying, except it was less dangerous because he was safely tucked inside Changbin’s chest pocket.

“I do miss them even if I don’t remember much from my past, but I’m happy to be with you too— Oh!” He gasped animatedly, standing up with his wings fluttering behind him. “I love this song!”

He began twirling like the fairies in music boxes. His ponytail flew, following his graceful movements. He was happily dancing on the table, singing along the pop song, with a radiant smile decorating his lovely face.

He was so endearing, so pretty.

Changbin observed him, eyes enamored.

His heart was beating fast, warm, and swollen.

“If I was a fairy, I’d dance with you,” he let out dreamily.

“If I was a human, I’d dance with you,” the fairy chirped, twirling and jumping and holding the rim of his dress to twirl some more.

“What else would you do if you were human?”

“I would hug you tightly! I would hold your hand! I would write this song with you! I would crack your eggs because you can’t!” He was dancing, listing all the things he would do if he was their size: take Jisung in his arms, take Chan in his arms, tidy their place because it was a mess, find a job to help them, and on, and on, and on, until he stopped mid-twirl, wings stiff. “I know!” He shouted, excited.

“What?” Changbin blinked, taken out of his contemplation.

“Write a song starting with if!”

“If…”

“If if if, if the world was different…” Hyunjin was singing again, dancing around the sheet of paper like a petal flying through a morning breeze. “I would be the flower who blooms in the snow.” His soft, giddy voice resonated in Changbin’s ears, appeasing his mind to the point writer’s block was chased away in favor of creativity.

So, he started writing.

A song about his inner conflicts, the bad, the wrong, the sad, the ugly in his head laid out on a sheet of paper, so when he finished his song, when he lifted his eyes to see Hyunjin asleep, curled in the palm of his hand he didn’t use, only the good remained.

When Chan came back home an hour later, he found Changbin at the kitchen counter, with his face propped in his hands, gawking at a very animated fairy who was dancing in the air like a firefly.

Upon seeing this sight, Chan raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“Hello?” He announced himself while slipping off his shoes.

“Chan!” The fairy exclaimed happily in a squeak, still dancing before Changbin’s enamored face. “Welcome home!”

“Hey, princess,” Chan greeted Hyunjin. And then, at the attention of his friend, he loudly said: “I hope you’ve been writing at least one song. Like I asked you to.”

“Of course, I did. I even wrote two,” Changbin bragged. He leaned back against his chair with a smirk because Hyunjin was now twirling and calling his name to get his attention back on him. “Aw, baby. You’re so beautiful when you’re dancing for me.”

The little beauty chuckled as he shyly tucked a blonde lock behind his ear, cheeks rosy.

Curious, Hyunjin followed Jisung into the bathroom where the latter unzipped his pants to start peeing.

He flew over his shoulder, stared at what was happening below, and gasped.

“Your peeper is bigger than me. It’s scary.”

“It’s not meant for someone your size,” Jisung casually let out, looking down at himself.

“Chan taught me that human men stick their peepers inside human women to make babies,” Hyunjin said with a nose scrunch. “Humans are gross.”

“You’d love to have a peeper in your butt too, if you were human.” Jisung zipped himself up and walked to the sink to wash his hands. Hyunjin flew behind him and looked at him through the mirror. “Or the opposite, your peeper in someone else’s...”

Hyunjin gasped again, horrified.

At that moment, Changbin barged in, furious— but not for real, it was just a wave of temporary anger because he was a hot-headed and overprotective boy, especially when it came to his fairy.

“What are you saying to my baby?” He cupped Hyunjin in his hand and shielded him from his friend.

“What? Chan can’t just teach him about conception and leave it there. That’s not proper sex education!”

“I’ve seen humans have sex in movies too!” Hyunjin protested from Changbin’s palm. “I’m not a baby! I’m twenty like Jisung!”

“You’re a fairy,” Changbin pointed out, earning a cute pout from his fairy. “There are things not worth knowing. Trust me on this.”

He had thought a lot about Hyunjin returning to his kingdom; had thought about keeping Hyunjin untouched by human filth— be it sex or evil things typical of humans. They were species whose traditions were never bound to collide. Hyunjin knew enough about humans, and Changbin’s wish was to return Hyunjin to his kind with the same innocence he had found him the first time they met.

“Okay…” Hyunjin looked up at him with his shiny eyes full of trust.

Jisung wanted to remark that he sounded like Chan right now, but decided to brush his teeth, and not disturb the two who were fondly gazing at each other.

On a Saturday evening, the winds blew on the vast windows of the bedroom as it was lit by the bedside lamp. Changbin slipped on his warm sweater while looking at his sad fairy sitting curled upon himself on the windowsill.

He was wearing a purple kimono, with long and large sleeves passing over his little hands and white socks on his little feet that Changbin liked to tickle.

“Baby, don’t be sad. I won’t be long,” he told Hyunjin to cheer him up, his mouth curving into a reassuring smile. “It’s just one night.”

He had to take the evening off to see his family. Between classes, his part-time job, and Hyunjin, he hadn’t had the time to visit them as much as he used to. As a result, they accused him of hiding a girlfriend, which was half of the truth. He was hiding someone, and that someone was indeed as precious as a lover.

(If only destiny hadn’t played them.)

“I’m not sad…” Hyunjin pouted. 

His pearly eyes brimming with sorrow had Changbin’s heart constricting.

“Aw, princess. Are you lying to me?” He playfully said as he walked closer and leaned down to peck the top of Hyunjin’s head.

“I’m not lying!” The fairy pouted even more. His wings fluttered helplessly behind him. Shiny little wings.

“Really?”

“No…” He admitted, looking vulnerable beneath the moonlight. “I’ll miss you.”

It was endearing. It seized Changbin’s heart, his head, his instinct. It had him leaning down once more to peck the top of Hyunjin’s head over and over again until the little beauty giggled with happiness.

He stood up and adjusted the hood of his sweater.

“How do I look?”

“Handsome!” The fairy exclaimed, his eyes filled with admiration. “The most handsome boy I know! The coolest!”

“Thank you. I know my baby would never lie to me.” Changbin grinned.

“Never!” Hyunjin’s eyebrows knitted with determination. He took off and landed on Changbin’s shoulder where he clutched the tiny hooks to steady himself. “Are you excited to see your family?”

“Yes, I haven’t been able to see them much lately,” Changbin replied casually, bending down to grab his backpack by the narrow handle at the top.

“It’s my fault,” Hyunjin let out in realization. Small voice and sad eyes. “It’s because you have to take care of me—”

But before he could apologize, Changbin, who was about to touch the door handle, reached to stroke his cheek with the pad of his thumb instead.

“Hey, baby. I love being with you. Don’t doubt that.”

“But—”

“I’d rather be with you while I can. I have all my life to see my family, but I only have winter with you,” he elaborated in a gentle tone.

Hyunjin hugged his thumb tightly while squeezing his eyes shut, so Changbin pecked his head again.

“Don’t leave,” the little beauty whispered, voice full of emotions.

“I have to. Or else they’ll come here and I won’t be able to hide your existence.” Changbin pecked his fairy again and went into the living room where Chan was working on the couch with his laptop on his lap.

Upon seeing them, he lowered his headphones and asked: “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah,” Changbin replied as he crouched down to tie his shoes. 

Hyunjin was flying behind him, glitter dust spreading around him.

From afar, he looked similar to a firefly, except he was slightly bigger and cuter.

“Aw, it’s your first night without Changbin,” Chan remarked at the attention of the sad fairy hovering in the air with his hands clasped together below his chin.

“Yes…” Hyunjin trailed, looking at the oldest boy with shiny, sorrowful eyes. “It is.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow, before noon,” Changbin told him gently. He stood up and kissed the top of his head, then, in the direction of Chan: “Take care of my fairy for me.”

“Uh-uh. Your fairy.”

“Yes. My fairy,” Changbin crowed, confident and grinning, as the said fairy finally smiled at the mention of belonging to Changbin. “Come here, baby.” Carefully, he cupped Hyunjin in his palms and trailed kisses all over his little face.

Chan could hear the fairy’s giggles from his spot. A fond father-like smile appeared on his face while Changbin lingeringly kissed his fairy one last time before closing the front door behind him.

Little by little, the glow around Hyunjin’s frame lost its spark, and soon, only a small amount of glitter dust left his wings.

Finally, Hyunjin flew over him and flopped against his belly, limp and sad.

“Aren’t you happy to spend the night with me?” Chan asked him playfully. Gently, he stroked the top of the fairy’s head.

“I am!” Hyunjin instantly looked up with knitted eyebrows and a determined pout, opposed to the idea of making his human friend feel unwanted. He was so endearing. “I love you too!”

“But you love Changbin more,” Chan pointed out.

“Yes…” He admitted, his cheeks rosy. “He is my favorite. Do you have a favorite?”

“Between Changbin and Jisung?”

“Yes.”

“Nah. You’re my favorite,” Chan told him softly, which had Hyunjin hugging his belly tightly with his tiny arms that didn’t reach far. Still, he could feel the fairy’s faint weight against him.

“You’re the best human!” The little beauty squeaked, the glow emanating from his wings spurting their usual amount of glitter dust again. “You’re just saying it to make me feel better.

Chan let out a chuckle.

“You know me so well, princess. Is it working, though?”

“A little.” Hyunjin looked up at him with his pearly eyes filled with sadness again.

“Do you want to learn something new today?” Chan asked, knowing the fairy’s never-ending curiosity. Everything humans did fascinated him, which had the effect of distracting him for a while. “I’ll be composing a new track.”

“Yes!” Hyunjin exclaimed joyfully. He spun on his feet and sat across from the laptop screen with his knees brought to his chest. “Can you make fairy music?”

“Fairy music?”

“Yes. We have music festivals too. One to celebrate the sun, one to celebrate the moon, and another to celebrate the birth of fairies. We sing and dance and play instruments,” Hyunjin elaborated animatedly.

Chan gasped at the new pieces of information.

“You remember that?”

“Yes… But unfortunately, I don’t remember where I came from or why I woke up here.” The fairy sounded so vulnerable and sad that Chan couldn’t fight the need to bend on himself to peck the top of his head.

“It’s okay. Your memories will come sooner or later,” he said in a comforting tone. “How about you tell me what fairy music sounds like?”

“Yes!”

That was how they spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out what kind of flute carved in wood fairies played, or what the whistle of long leaves sounded like. Hyunjin’s imitations with his pink mouth or hand gestures helped Chan find the right instruments to make a short track he would likely use as an intro.

At some point, Hyunjin fell asleep curled against Chan. His wings were flat against his back and his little hands were curled into fists that were clutching the fabric of his t-shirt. His peaceful breathing triggered Chan’s exhaustion, and he found himself laying on his bed with the fairy sleeping in the hollow of his palm.

Later that night, Chan awoke from his slumber as he felt a weight circle his waist.

It was Jisung’s arm.

“How was your date?” Chan grumbled, remembering that his friend had left the apartment earlier this morning to see a girl he had met at the supermarket. “You’re coming home late.”

“It went well until she admitted that she was still in love with her ex,” Jisung complained in a tired tone. He hid his face in the crook of the older boy’s neck and took a deep breath. “So, I told her to buy our upcoming album to make amends. Business first.”

Chan patted his head in comfort.

“There are other girls out there.”

“I wish there were a fairy for me too,” Jisung said, his voice deformed by his position, with his cheeks squished against Chan’s pectorals. “I need loyalty. And someone who doesn’t lie.”

In the morning, when he heard the clinging of Changbin’s keys, Hyunjin flew like an arrow across the living room towards the front door.

As his favorite human stepped inside, he excitedly orbited around him while chirping Changbin! Welcome home! I missed you! 

Changbin had to wait until his fairy calmed down before carefully holding him in his hand and kissing him countless times because he had missed him too; he had missed his bright eyes, his beaming smile, his soft voice, his shimmering wings, and the happiness he brought into Changbin’s life.

He hugged his little beauty against his chest, careful not to crush Hyunjin against his palm, and went into his bedroom where he lazily flopped on his bed. 

“Where are the others?” He asked as he made himself comfortable on his back, with one arm folded under his head. He let go of the fairy who sat cross-legged on his chest; today, he was wearing a royal blue hanbok that Changbin had taken weeks to sew, and his hair was tied in a small bun atop his head.

He was so cute that Changbin lifted him in his hand and kissed him again.

(The first time Changbin had sewn him a dress, Hyunjin was seated on his knees, with his tiny hands resting over his thighs laced in a knot, and with a rose petal curled around his delicate frame. He patiently observed Changbin’s craft with curious eyes, getting kisses from the human boy from time to time because he was too cute and too pretty.)

“Jisung is still asleep and Chan went out,” Hyunjin replied when Changbin put him back down on his chest. “How was it yesterday? You look tired,” he then added, black eyes shining with worry.

“I am tired,” Changbin sighed. “But it’s fine, I’m home now.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Something always happens…” Changbin trailed, gently squishing Hyunjin’s cheeks to make him look like a fish. The latter frowned and batted his fingers away, which made his human friend laugh. “Humans are very flawed, you know.”

“Fairies are too.”

“Why would you say that?”

“We are almost human too. We just have wings with smaller bodies,” Hyunjin reasoned.

“You also can use magic,” Changbin pointed out as a counter-argument, referring to Hyunjin’s ability to keep flowers alive. To him, fairies were well-mannered beings who lived in harmony with each other and their environment— the opposite of humans. People always told him he looked at life with black-tinted glasses, but he liked to call himself a pragmatist. “Humans can’t. Thankfully.”

“Thankfully?”

“Magic would be another weapon for them.”

“Like in movies?”

“Worse than in movies.”

Hyunjin gasped, horrified. He had accidentally seen late-night movies when the three boys fell asleep on the couch, which led him to wake Changbin up because he got scared of the images and the sounds. He hadn’t slept much that night, trembling in Changbin’s comforting hand.

“See, princess. This world isn’t for you,” Changbin told him gently.

“But you’re from this world…”

“I know. That’s why I can’t keep you with me. I have to give you back where you belong.”

The little beauty nodded with his sad eyes.

“I understand,” he whispered, mouth pink and pouty.

“I wish it was winter forever, though,” Changbin let out too late. He blushed, feeling Hyunjin’s curious gaze on him.

But upon noticing Changbin’s embarrassment, the fairy’s cheeks flushed as well.

“What would we do during this forever? I’m a fairy. Life with you is limited. There isn’t much I can do here…”

“I know, baby,” Changbin said, sitting up. It felt strange to speak like this with Hyunjin, yet regardless of love, of his feelings, even if they were simply friends, parting ways would hurt so much. It would without a doubt leave a hole in his heart. “You’ve done enough for me.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Hyunjin protested, wings fluttering behind him. His eyebrows were furrowed, and a lock of hair fell over his face, so he blew on it, except it fell back on his face.

Chuckling fondly, Changbin tucked it behind his dainty ear for him.

“You exist. It’s enough.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that!”

“Why not?” Changbin laughed. Hyunjin’s reactions always amused him, especially his reactions to his shameless flirting. Be it a blush tinting his soft cheeks or him getting angry because their bond was hopeless and there was no need to nurture their secret, yet so obvious, feelings for each other.

(Yes, he was flirting with a fairy, as odd as it sounded.)

“Because I said so!” Hyunjin stood up, dusted off his hanbok, and took off. “I’m going to wake Jisung up.”

“How? He is a heavy sleeper, and you’re a tiny fairy,” Changbin teased him.

“I’ll kiss him!”

“Hey! You can’t do that!” he protested in turn, not liking this spark of jealousy igniting inside his chest.

“I can, and I will!” Hyunjin stuck out his tongue in defiance before flying out of the bedroom.

One day, to celebrate the release of their EP on musical platforms, and under Jisung’s insistence, the boys decided to throw a party. They bought tasty drinks, some of which were inebriating, and invited their friends for a listening party.

Naturally, Hyunjin stayed alone in the safety of Changbin’s bedroom until everyone would be gone. They couldn’t risk exposing his existence, they would never forgive themselves if something happened to their precious fairy.

He stayed alone, staring through the window at the stars, imagining them as his family. Each star, a fairy; each star telling him that he would return to them soon.

He felt so small beneath the starry night, so lonely too.

And the music was so loud, he couldn’t even sleep peacefully in his tulip. He tried stuffing his ears with pollen, but that didn’t tone down the noise.

He kept hearing his three friends laughing loudly as well, kept hearing stranger’s voices, giggles, shouts, some sounds more startling than others. He had spent the majority of winter here, with the boys who had accommodated him and his little frame; he was so fragile that even sounds could break him, so they learned to be calmer, gentler, simply more cautious of their words and movements in general.

They were already well-mannered boys, but they shaped themselves in such a way they were living with a crystal that could shatter at any moment.

Hyunjin was thankful.

(Once, Jisung unplugged the kettle and the cable hit the fairy who was watching him from behind. The fairy fell limp on the floor without a sound as his hair tinted in red and a pool of blood spread around him. Jisung screamed, cried, flopped on the floor, hands trembling and hovering over his small friend.)

(Changbin dashed out of his bedroom where he was studying as soon as he heard Jisung’s scream. He fell on his knees and begged Hyunjin to use his magic because, powerless, helpless, distressed, he didn't know what to do. What if his hands caused more harm than good if he touched the fairy to help him? His heart turned into marble at the thought, petrified and dead.)

(In the end, Hyunjin healed himself the way he healed flowers that were on the brim of wither: with sparkles coating his dainty frame until he was protected by a shimmering light.)

(Jisung had cried so much in Changbin’s arms, apologizing over and over again.)

(Both of them had kissed their little beauty until he giggled because he found it amusing how two grown boys could cry so much for him. Still, he was happy to be this loved.)

Upon hearing another laugh from his friends, Hyunjin flew out of his tulip and peeked out of the door that they had left open— just in case. He was wondering what was so funny that had Changbin so joyful and animated.

However, curiosity killed the cat, and Hyunjin felt his heart shatter like glass at the sight of a girl kissing his favorite human boy on the cheek.

She was kissing Changbin’s cheek where he did each morning and each night!

It hurt so much. His little heart was furiously thrumming in his chest, chased by jealousy and a painful love.

Wasn’t it unfair? To love someone he wasn’t meant to meet.

Wasn’t it unfair to want Changbin for himself? He who was a tiny fairy who couldn’t give Changbin what a human could.

He had no chance with the human boy, to begin with.

He couldn’t cup his cheeks, hug his chest, hold his hand, kiss his mouth, listen to his worries. The only thing he was able to do was tiptoeing on his shoulder to kiss his cheek, which probably didn’t feel half as much to Changbin as it did to him.

Compelled by his emotions, he pushed the door close and went back inside his tulip.

He cried himself to sleep.

He wasn’t even a good fairy. He didn’t remember much about his kind; his magic stopped at healing disease, old age, wounds yet he couldn’t heal the one bleeding his heart; he wasn’t even a good fairy, no memory, no magic, can’t be useful to his human friends, can’t be loved. Broken.

Chan, Changbin, and Jisung loved him because he was tiny and pretty, but they probably would treat a kitten the same way. He wasn’t human. He wasn’t a girl who could claim Changbin’s cheek and heart.

The morning after, he stayed limp in the safety of his tulip.

He didn’t want to face Changbin because it was equivalent to facing all his feelings, and it still hurt so much.

It hurt, even more, when Changbin started calling for him, pulling the petals away as he wasn’t giving any answer.

“Baby, are you awake?” His favorite human asked gently. 

But he smelled like weird perfumes, which Hyunjin hated, so he simply turned away and curled on himself with a pout.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Changbin was surprised. His fairy always had always been happy to see him, yet he was now turning away from him.

“You stink!” The little beauty accused him.

“Do I?” Changbin smelled his t-shirt and detected the faint fragrance of perfume. He felt guilty because he knew his fairy was sensitive to sounds and scents. He was so small, so delicate, anything could break him. “Oh.”

(He didn’t even drink last night because he didn’t want Hyunjin to see him drunk or to smell like beer.)

“I’m going to take a shower, then,” Changbin added softly, hoping his fairy would stop being this upset. “Chan made breakfast—”

“I’m not hungry!” Hyunjin shouted again while pulling a petal over his body to hide himself.

“Okay…” Changbin complied, saddened by the situation.

He left the room to take a long shower, taking the time to scrub his skin until it turned red.

After that, he went into the kitchen in the hopes of seeing his fairy in a better mood— the latter always gets giddy at the prospect of eating small pieces of strawberry or kiwi, fairies are creatures of nature and happiness.

But Hyunjin was nowhere to be found.

“Hasn’t Hyunjin come out yet?” He asked Chan and Jisung who were sitting at the table with their phones in hand.

“No. Why?” Jisung wrapped his mouth around the straw of his drink before sipping loudly.

“He doesn’t want to come out of his flower…” Changbin’s eyebrows knitted in worry. “He seems upset, I don’t know why.”

At his words, Jisung perked up.

“I knew the party was a bad idea! We left him alone all night!”

“The party was your idea,” Chan reminded him in a casual manner.

“Still! Changbin should have stayed with him,” Jisung retorted, face expressing solemnity.

“That’s what I would have done, except you know everyone would have looked for me. I can’t risk exposing Hyunjin’s existence like that,” Changbin reasoned with a frown.  However, Jisung’s stubborn look had him capitulating because he gave him a logical reason as to why his fairy was upset. “I have to apologize.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Chan patted his shoulder. “Hyunjin can’t stay mad at you for long.”

“He should if I did something wrong, though.” Changbin’s shoulders slumped, weighed by worry. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his fairy.

He went back into his bedroom, walked over the windowsill, and found his fairy lying in his flower in a foetal position.

“Baby, are you awake?” His voice was as faint as a whisper, not wanting to startle his fairy. He was so small, so fragile, Changbin was afraid that even his voice would break him if he wasn’t careful enough. “I came to apologize.”

But Hyunjin wasn’t responding. He simply tightened his hold over his legs and sniffled.

“Are you upset because of the party?”

It took a while before a tiny no was heard.

“Are you upset because of me?”

The no came a lot later this time, unsure and weak. 

So it was true, Changbin was the one who made his little beauty sad and upset like that.

“I don’t know what I did, but if I caused you pain, I’m sorry,” Changbin told him sincerely. He let out a frustrated sigh in the face of Hyunjin’s silence. “Baby, can you at least look at me? I want to see your face before going to my job interview.”

The human boy sounded so uncharacteristically unsure guilt seized Hyunjin’s delicate heart. He had no right to make Changbin sad, no right to expect things from him. He hadn’t done anything wrong. It was just Hyunjin and his stupid feelings.

Worried about causing nothing but pain, Hyunjin sat up to face Changbin, not realizing that his eyes were still shedding tears, red and puffy.

“You did nothing wrong!” He said in between hiccups, sniffles and pearly eyes, and messy locks that stuck to his wet cheeks.

“Then tell me, why are you crying?” Changbin asked softly. His hands itched to reach out and envelop his little beauty in a hug.

“It’s nothing…” Hyunjin trailed, gaze darting everywhere as he was struggling to find an excuse. “I was just missing home!”

“Really?”

“Really!” Hyunjin offered him a smile, extending his dainty arms to touch Changbin’s face.

Changbin knew his fairy was lying, but he let it pass this time because he was only protecting himself against the things Changbin had involuntarily done.

“I will bring you home soon,” he told the fairy, leaning into his faint touch. “Don’t cry anymore, okay?”

Hyunjin nodded, eyes still watery, and Changbin delicately pecked the top of his head.

“I’ll be back soon. Try to eat something while I’m gone.” Hyunjin nodded again, sniffling, so Changbin wiped his tiny nose for him before pecking his head again. “I’m leaving now.”

During his bus ride and his job interview— sales assistant in a sandwich bar, the image of his fairy’s tear-stained face wouldn’t leave his mind. 

It hurt to see his little beauty this saddened. He hoped Hyunjin would later open up to him about the things he accidentally did that provoked so many tears.

Hyunjin was a creature of happiness, he should always be filled with joy, not the opposite.

Speaking of which, still curled in his tulip, the fairy began to get frustrated with his state of mind. There was no point crying over something impossible, yet no point in trying to fight his feelings either. He felt lost and hopeless, and he didn’t know what to do, but he knew he didn’t want to cry whenever the thought of his favorite human crossed his mind.

Being sad made Changbin sad too, so he had to be a happy fairy again— a good fairy that brightened life because it was in his nature, until Spring made the flowers bloom and awakened the bees, until he could return to his kingdom forever.

He wiped his running nose and flew out of his flower towards the living room where he found Jisung flopped on the couch with his khaki backpack still hooked over his shoulder. He still had his winter jacket on, as well as his fluffy scarf, likely too lazy to take them off after such a tiring afternoon at work.

Oh, Hyunjin had cried all day. He hadn’t noticed the purple blanket of the sunset, the moon shining above his windowsill, and the stars scattered in the dark sky, too swamped by his sorrow.

“Jisung!” Hyunjin still perked up at the sight of his friend, relieved that he wasn’t alone.

“Hey, princess,” Jisung greeted him mid-yawn. “How are you doing?”

“Amazing,” the fairy willingly lied, his smile toothy and his eyes sparkly. He landed gently on his friend’s shoulder and curiously looked over the phone the latter was holding. “How was work? What are you doing?”

“It was tiring, the usual. But I got the number of a pretty girl today!” Jisung bragged with a smug grin.

“Are you in love?” Hyunjin’s rosy lips parted in a cute o shape, an innocent look adorning his face. He had learned from movies that humans asked each other’s numbers as a sign of romance. By this logical deduction, Jisung must have had a romantic interest in that pretty girl.

“No, I’m not in love. I was bored, so I asked for her number.” Jisung’s grin twisted in victory. “To be honest, I would have never imagined that she would positively respond to my shameless flirting attempt.”

“Oh…” Hyunjin’s eyebrows knitted into a pensive frown. He was playing Jisung’s words in his mind, thinking about him getting bored, and thus, courting a girl. “Is Changbin bored of me?”

“W-what? Why?” Jisung blinked in confusion.

“I saw a girl kissing his cheek yesterday…” The fairy murmured, voice filled with sadness. The luminous glow created by his wings withered like a flower losing its liveliness.

“Um…” Jisung let out, unsure about what to say. “All the girls who came to the party are our friends. Nothing more than that.” He reached to stroke Hyunjin’s soft cheek. “Changbin will never get bored of you. He loves you so much.”

“He does?” Hyunjin was looking at him with sad, sparkly eyes.

“Yes. If you were human like us, we’d introduce you to all our friends!” Jisung tried to cheer him up, but it was the opposite effect as tears were running down the fairy’s red cheeks. “Princess, don’t cry. I’m sorry to have said that—”

“I’m not human. I will never be human,” he whispered, his voice cracking. The words he spoke made everything real, hurt even more than the already painful thoughts.

“Hyun—”

But Hyunjin flew black inside Changbin’s bedroom like an arrow, back into the flower that brought him into these wonderful boys’ lives.

Jisung ran after him, panicking. He had never wanted to cause any more damage. He knew how fragile, how sensitive Hyunjin’s heart was; how tormented he must have felt at this very moment, faced with reality.

He found the fairy lying in his flower in a foetal position, trembling like a leaf.

He looked so small, so dainty. Jisung was worried that even his sadness would break him.

“Princess, what’s wrong? I’ll do my best to help you,” he gently offered his magical friend while sitting on the windowsill next to the flower pot.

He hadn’t flipped the switch, but the moonlight provided enough light for him to see enough of the bedroom, and especially of the crying fairy.

“You can’t help me…” Jisung heard his faint voice.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a fairy!”

“It doesn’t mean I can't at least try. It hurts me to see you like that.”

“But you can’t help me.” Hyunjin sniffled. “Forget about it. It will pass.”

“I’m worried about you. I care about you so much,” Jisung let out, feeling powerless.

The fairy turned around and looked up at him with red, watery eyes.

“I didn’t want to make you sad,” he apologized, distressed. Now, Jisung was sad too, just like Changbin. What kind of fairy caused sadness like that?

“Hey, you did nothing wrong.” Jisung offered him a sincere smile, reaching to squish Hyunjin’s swollen cheeks. He hated feeling useless, and even if he knew Changbin and Hyunjin’s situation had no solution, he could at least lend his ear, and make the little beauty think about something else.

It worked, Hyunjin batted his fingers away, protesting like he always did when they gently tapped his ponytail, or touched his cheek, or his nose, or cupped him in their hands, unable to fight the urge to kiss him all over his pretty little face.

“Stop it!” Hyunjin shouted, his rosy mouth knotted into a pout.

“But you’re so cute…”

“That’s right! I’m a fairy! I’m just cute!” Fat tears ran down his small face again. “I’m not human. Nothing can be done. I can’t be with Changbin even if my heart wants to. I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!” He was curled in on himself, trembling so much with damp pollen sticking to his tiny body. “Please, don’t tell Changbin…” He then said, limp, like all his energy, his vitality, had vanished.

“Hyunjin?” Jisung called, worried. Carefully, he scooped the fairy in his hand, hoping that physical contact and warmth would make the latter feel better. “You should tell him. I’m sure he’d love to know how you’re feeling. Because he wants to be with you too.”

“Then why was he with a girl yesterday?” Hyunjin whispered sadly, new tears threatening to escape.

“I think… You should ask him. You should speak with him.”

“No!”

“If you don’t, you will cry every day, and I will cry too!”

“Then I’ll find a hiding place to cry…”

But before Jisung could argue any further, Changbin stepped into the bedroom.

“What’s happening here?” The newcomer asked in an anxious tone.

Hyunjin looked up at Jisung with distress and flew back into his flower to hide.

“Nothing!” The little beauty said from beneath the petals.

Changbin raised a quizzical eyebrow towards Jisung whose face twisted into a fake smile.

“Nothing!” Jisung repeated doggedly Hyunjin’s words before standing up to leave the bedroom.

(He patted Changbin’s brawny shoulder in a friendly manner on the way out.)

When Jisung left, Changbin closed the door and walked towards the windowsill. He seated himself where Jisung previously was, leaning over the flower to see his fairy laying silently in a foetal position.

His wings didn’t produce any sparkle anymore.

It scared Changbin.

“Baby, tell me what is wrong,” he pleaded in a gentle tone. “I care about you so much. I was worried all day. Please, tell me what I did wrong, so I will never make the same mistake again.”

Hyunjin turned around to face him, messy locks and red cheeks.

“You did nothing wrong,” he murmured.

“Nothing?”

“I’m simply homesick…”

“I don’t believe you.” Changbin lifted his hand to touch his fairy, but the latter flinched away, looking at him with wide eyes. “Are you afraid of me?” Changbin’s heart was aching, he had never felt this kind of pain before. His little beauty, his fairy, his baby was afraid of his touch, of him. “What did I do?” He pleaded. His hand was still mid-air above the flower, shaking.

“Nothing!” Hyunjin told him with a distress-filled voice because tears gathered at the corner of Changbin’s eyes.

Rejection hurt so much, and Changbin rarely cried— it must have happened twice when he was little, yet tears were running down his cheeks for the first time in many years.

Hyunjin instantly flew up, his own heart racing, and extended his frail arms to touch Changbin’s chest, at the very place where his heart was beating.

“I’m so sorry, Binnie. I didn’t want to make you cry!” He hiccuped, hugging his favorite human with all his strength. “Please, don’t be sad!” He was crying. “I love you. Don’t be sad. Don’t cry because of me. I love you so much.

“You love me?” Changbin breathed out, relieved that his fairy wasn’t afraid of him, that he was hugging him, his tiny hands gripping the fabric of his t-shirt tightly.

“I love you,” Hyunjin spoke with difficulty, still crying. “I want to be with you.”

Upon hearing his confession, Changbin tenderly wrapped his hand around his fairy.

“I love you too…” He whispered. His feelings were real, he was in love with a fairy. A love so strong; the strongest he had ever felt. It was a hopeless love that couldn’t lead to anything, but it was there, and it was precious. “Even if we can’t be together, even if we will break apart soon, I love you.”

Nonetheless, Changbin found it odd to be in love with a fairy— it stood against his human perspective, yet loving Hyunjin was the most natural feeling in the world. He felt it in his bones, in his heart, in his soul.

Nothing had changed between them as the simple acknowledgment of each other’s feelings was enough.

Oh, but one thing had happened.

Hyunjin’s hair had turned pink.

He was bathing in his glass bowl of tepid water, rubbing a rose petal against his smooth skin to clean himself, and when he stepped out of his customized bathtub, facing the piece of a mirror the boys had put there for him, his eyes widened.

Because the color of his hair matched with the color of the rose petal he had laced around his waist like a bathrobe.

With his eyes fixated on his reflection, on his pink hair, he fell on his knees, heart thrumming in his chest like hammers tearing into the ground.

He told the boys it was because Spring was around the corner.

The truth? He had found true love.

On the first day of Spring, the sun shone above Seoul.

With a heavy heart, Changbin rode his bike across the city in the direction of the leafy forest.

Hyunjin was tucked in his front pocket, tiny hands clutching its hem.

It was their last moment together.

Changbin desperately tried chasing the terrible thought away, but it always came back in full gallop. It had been hard to observe Chan and Jisung swallow tears as they tenderly kissed Hyunjin one last time and forever. It was harder now; riding between the trees that were blooming; among tiny flowers scattered over the ground; through the mild breezes that brought the pleasant scent of earth and leaves.

“Everything is alright, princess?” Changbin asked while avoiding thick roots and dangerous rocks.

“Yes!” Hyunjin chirped from his pocket, looking up at him with his characteristic rosy cheeks.

So adorable, so pretty.

(He had always liked riding with Changbin. Long walks in the snow, along rivers, against the winds. As long as they were together, he enjoyed all their activities.)

“We’re almost there,” Changbin told him confidently.

They crossed the forest until they recognized the area where the beehive stood high in an oak tree.

There, Changbin caught a glimpse of bees, heard their buzzing, and saw a bunch flying down towards them.

“Hey!” Hyunjin greeted them as he waved his hand and flew out of the pocket.

Changbin, silent and fascinated, witnessed his little beauty talking to the bees.

“You know who I am?” He heard Hyunjin’s joyful voice. “My family is looking for me…? I’m sorry that I worried everyone in the forest… Frogs saw me here months ago but couldn’t follow us downtown? Awww… Don’t be sad! I’m back now! Yes, the human boy protected me all winter. My pink hair? Um… Shhh!”

Changbin attentively watched Hyunjin’s exchange with the fluffy bees. At some point, a blue butterfly and a ladybug joined their discussion, and Changbin finally realized that Hyunjin was in his element, with his friends that were happy to see him again, safe and sound, given how animated and giggly Hyunjin had become.

“Yes… I need to thank him for everything he’s done for me…” Hyunjin lastly murmured, turning to face him, eyes sad. “It’s time, Binnie…”

“Yes,” Changbin breathed out. His hands tightly gripped the handlebars of his bike. “I know…” He repeated as a forced smile spread across his features.

“I don’t— I want to stay with y—” Hyunjin tried to find his words, but his sniffles were soon followed by tears. “Thank you for everything.”

Compelled by his bottled up emotions, Changbin cupped his fairy in his palms with delicacy and tenderly kissed the top of his head.

“I’ll never forget you,” he told him. He closed his eyes, placed his forehead against Hyunjin’s small one for lingering seconds, before letting him go.

“I’ll never forget you either.” Hyunjin’s voice was like a murmur.

He leaned to peck Changbin’s cheek, the push of his soft lips, pink like a burgeon, leaving a mark that his favorite human would always feel.

His tiny hand touched Changbin’s cheek one last time, and as he flew away, his fingers caressed his skin until Changbin could only feel the breeze blowing on his face.

Changbin’s own hands were back on the handlebars, nails harshly digging into the skin of his palms to ground himself. His gaze followed his little beauty disappearing behind the leaves and flowers of the trees, surrounded by his insect friends.

The pain their separation caused him was unbearable even if it was bound to happen.

It had always been.

He had always known.

He had prepared himself for this day a long time ago; thought he was ready.

He wasn’t, he had never been, and he would never be.

As pain transformed into anger, Changbin rode through the forest like an arrow.

It wasn’t fair.

It was painful and it wasn’t fair.

But he brought the pain, the wound, wide open and deep like the void, upon himself, didn’t he?

He had fallen in love with a fairy when it wasn’t their destiny.

He purposefully fell from his bike that collided against a tree, beat the ground with his fists until his bleeding knuckles diverted him from the pain in his heart.

His eyes were so wet that he couldn’t see anything, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t reason.

It was suffocating.

And then, he inhaled, absentmindedly gazing at these meaningless trees, before standing up to grab his bike and returning to his life.

Alas, like flowers, like grass, like snow, like trees, like bikes, like glass bowls, like the scent of roses, fruits would always remind him of Hyunjin.

It was Summer, he was laying down on the grass of his mother’s garden with a strawberry between his fingers.

He wondered how the fairy was doing.

He bet his kingdom was celebrating his existence every day because Hyunjin himself was a treasure. A jewel, so precious.

Changbin put the strawberry inside his mouth and closed his eyes.

He wished these memories would remain… memories, but it was so frustrating, so distressing to live without the one his heart longed for.

A sob.

Another.

“Are you ready, my dear prince?” 

“No…”

A sigh.

“Hyunjin, we discussed this many times already,” a familiar voice resonated in his bedroom. “You’re a prince. You have to marry another one. It’s your duty.”

“No…”

“We’re not giving you a choice here. Royals always act in the interest of their kingdom!”  His mother, the queen, told him firmly.

He knew there was no point arguing with her. 

He knew she was right.

She had been right the day he escaped.

But he couldn’t bring himself to spend the rest of his life with a prince he had no love for.

“Mother, we don’t love each other,” he said in a faint voice, staring at the starry night from the small window of his bedroom. It was decorated with the prettiest flowers, enhanced with the thickest moss to shield their castle against heavy rain and strong winds, and crafted in the strongest wood— oak tree.

“You will learn to love him just as much as he will learn to love you.” She stood beside him, tall pink wings shaped like rose petals fluttering behind her back.

(The king’s wings were light green and pointy like long leaves, and Hyunjin was born with his parents’ colors tinting his blossom shaped wings.)

“I already love someone…” He whispered, images of Changbin appearing in his mind one by one.

“Do you want to make your parents sad again?” She told him gently, although Hyunjin sensed the resentment she hid in her tone. “You’ve been gone for months. My son was gone for months. My child. The one who is going to take over the kingdom. Don’t you know how much you mean to us? You’re my baby. I love you.”

“I do. Trust me, I do.” Hyunjin turned to her and held her hands. “I love you too.”

No word could describe how he was feeling ever since he returned to his kind.

He was torn between his family and the one he loved so much.

His true love.

His heart was ripped in two, bleeding for two.

He didn’t know who to choose.

He didn’t know how to stop hurting; himself, his true love, and his family.

What was his destiny?

“Mother… Why did my hair turn pink?” He asked her, pearly eyes looking for answers. “Why is a tale my reality?”

When he was a child, the oldest and wisest fairy of the kingdom would narrate tales to the children who always attentively listened to his words. One of the tales related the love story of a princess who had fallen in love with the prince of the adversary kingdom.

Naturally, their families who were at war for centuries were opposed to their bond. However, as the color of their hair matched each other, a soft pink like the reflection of blossoms in the river, indicating true love, the families agreed to a peace treaty.

The moral of the story was that love was the only weapon against war.

But Hyunjin’s story was nothing of the sort. It wasn’t a tale, it was the reality, and his love only caused pain.

“Should I turn my back on my true love?” He was lost, so lost. So distressed.

What the tale omitted to tell was that a fairy would die if they didn’t unite their heart with the one from their true love’s. A fairy would cough flowers, would bleed from the thorns.

“Am I going to die?” He murmured, eyes filling with tears.

Lately, he was crying a lot.

Lately, he was spitting out petals.

Maybe dying was the solution.

His existence would vanish and the ones he cared for would stop hurting.

He wouldn’t have to pick someone if he was dead, yet dying meant giving up on Changbin.

“So, it’s true,” his mother let out, eyes watering as she sensed the pain weighing her son. Gently, she cupped his cheeks between her slender hands and placed her forehead against his. “Oh, my baby. I don’t want you to die, but I don’t want you to leave me either.”

“I’m so sorry.” Hyunjin’s voice was barely audible, so faint, so devoid of life. “I shouldn’t have run away. I shouldn’t have hidden in a burgeon. I shouldn’t have cast a spell on myself to protect me from the things I didn’t want in my life. I wouldn’t be in this life-threatening situation if I accepted having to marry the prince.”

“My sweet child…”

“We would have ensured the safety of our kingdom. We would be happy. I’m so sorry, mother.”

Swallowing a sob, the queen took him in her strong embrace.

“It is how it is. There’s no room for regret.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Her breathing sliced the silence like a paper plane, and then, she breathed out a firm go.

Hyunjin’s plump lips fell open.

“But our kingdom…”

“Our kingdom will be fine. You won’t if you stay here.”

“Mother…”

“It is your destiny. Don’t you see?” She kissed his forehead. “I will always love you, and I’d be a fulfilled mother only if I know my child is alive with his true love.”

“Thank you, mother.”

“Visit us, okay? It doesn’t mean we will stop seeing each other.” She playfully squeezed his cheek, her face dampened by tears. “I’d love to meet this Changbin one day.”

Driven by his emotions, Hyunjin fell into her warm arms.

“What about father?” He whispered, overwhelmed with worry.

Upsetting his parents must have been the worst feeling in the world, but he had to fulfill his destiny.

He wanted to live. 

He wanted to be with Changbin, to introduce him to his parents, to the fairy world; the very world he came from.

They were put into this world for each other.

“You know your father. He will want to speak with this Changbin and warn him, like he warned all the fairies who asked for your hand. You know how he is,” she sighed, amused.

Finally, they were smiling again.

The day after, pale stars twinkled upon a bed of floral trees.

Hyunjin looked at his kingdom one last time; the beautiful lanterns, the vines, the flowers, the glow emanating from each fairy wandering or flying in the animated village. He blinked to imprint this image in his memory, and then turned his back and disappeared among the trees.

It would be safer to travel at night.

His father, the king, had ordered ladybugs to escort him until he reached his destination. A swarm would protect him from strong winds and rain, and hide his existence from humans.

They left Hyunjin by the window of Changbin’s bedroom, wishing him eternal happiness.

Hyunjin flew inside through the small opening and landed in the middle of the bed, small and silent, and dazzling.

It was dark, the apartment was quiet; the boys were likely outside with their friends at this hour. It was warm and familiar and smelled like Changbin. There was a lingering whiff of ramens as well because that was the boys’ favorite meal.

Nothing had changed, which was comforting.

He hoped Changbin still loved him, too. He would die from heartbreak if that wasn’t the case.

But he trusted the human boy, his true love.

Fluttering his eyes shut, he took a deep breath and laced his hands together below his chin.

“I’m giving up on my essence,” he murmured.

Slowly, his magic unleashed, leaving his frame like growing flames.

Even if it hurt a lot to be torn away from his very essence, love was worth the pain.

When Hyunjin opened his eyes, his long legs dangled from the bed.

He stood up, towering over every piece of furniture in the room— except the wardrobe that was still taller than him.

He was naked and without his wings; his wings were still on the bed, two pretty wings as thin as paper laying there lifeless.

Careful, he scooped them, fondly pecking each precious wing, before placing them inside his tulip, somehow still alive after all these months.

A smile pulled across his features at the realization that Changbin had taken good care of his flower. It even smelled like it did the first day they met. A soft, comforting scent.

After that, he dressed himself in Changbin’s clothes, pulling the collar over his nose to gather the familiar fragrance of his fabric softener, and sat on the windowsill, next to his tulip.

Changbin would be home soon.

Hyunjin felt his stomach churn weirdly for the first time, likely what humans described as a symptom of stress. The possibility of Changbin being with someone else crossed his mind, even if he trusted their special bond. He hoped destiny wasn’t playing with him.

So far, the fairy tales the wise fairy had narrated during his childhood became his reality: he had found his true love, and he had transformed into a human because of love.

He took a deep breath to relax himself.

There was no point in doubting himself anymore. He was here, he was sure of his feelings, of their bond, of his destiny; like his mother, like his father, like his village who had manifested their support because they didn’t wish for their prince to die.

At midnight, the distinct sound of keys being thrown over a table woke Hyunjin from his nap against the window. 

His heart began racing inside his chest as he heard the voices of the boys he missed so much. And soon, his breath caught in his throat.

Changbin’s footsteps towards his bedroom door.

The doorknob creaking.

The door opening to his favorite human looking down at his phone.

And then, in the heavy silence, Changbin froze, aware of a presence, before slowly looking up.

His phone fell down on the fluffy rug beneath their feet with a muffled sound. At that very moment, he was bewildered, head void of thoughts, unable to breath, to move, to think, to say anything. Only his heart was hammering against his chest like it wanted to get out.

They gazed at each other for a long moment until Hyunjin let out a faint don’t be scared of me. Because what if Changbin didn’t believe he was real? What if Changbin didn’t want him here?

His words seemed to take said boy out of his bewilderment.

“I’m not scared,” Changbin breathed out. His hand left the doorknob, still staring at the boy who was but a tiny fairy months ago, and quietly shut the door behind him. “It’s you…”

“It’s me.”

“It’s real…” He walked closer, eyes still fixated on Hyunjin.

He was his fairy, but without his wings. He was his princess, his baby, staring back at him with the same beautiful eyes, the same black orbs, the same fear of rejection like the first time they met. Except he wasn’t tiny and dainty anymore.

He was tall. He was lean, broad shoulders and toned arms and a small waist— his small dancer body that Changbin always found pretty and delicate became so sexy, so attractive. In result and by instinct, Changbin pulled him closer until his strong arms wrapped themselves around Hyunjin’s thin waist in a tight embrace.

Immediately, Hyunjin laced his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“It’s real,” he let out against the skin of Changbin’s neck.

He couldn’t help rubbing his head against Changbin’s, couldn’t help melting in his arms.

It was their first complete physical contact— not tiny hands touching a cheek, not a peck atop a pretty little head, but a full physical contact. It was their first time feeling each other entirely; their warmth, the sound of their bodies, the rhythm of their heartbeats, their scents dancing together, a mix of spices and sweets.

“I missed you so much,” Changbin said, face pressing against his neck.

“I missed you too.” Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut to prevent these tears born from the emotions that currently flooded his body.

Being in Changbin’s arms was beyond what he could ever describe. He had no words, only tears threatening the corner of his eyes.

“How…?” Changbin pulled away slightly to look up at him. “You’re so pretty— You’re taller than me,” he pointed out, gawking despite himself. 

“I told you I’d be taller than you.” Hyunjin pouted. “You don’t like it?”

“I do.” Changbin’s intense gaze lowered to his plump lips. “It’s easier like that.”

“Easier for what?” Hyunjin tilted his head to the side innocently.

“Mm?” Changbin looked back up at him, the intensity of his gaze turning heavier.

“Easier for what?” Hyunjin repeated, unlacing his arms to cup Changbin’s face with his elegant hands instead. 

But his true love didn’t reply, he simply tiptoed to catch his lips into a kiss, and once again, Hyunjin melted in his embrace.

He let his body respond to Changbin’s, let his mouth kiss Changbin back even if he had no experience in the matter. It came naturally, though. He kissed Changbin back, discovering all the sensations a kiss brought: excitation, love, the desire to never let go, to be one forever.

Changbin held him tightly, kissed him like he was addicted.

Hyunjin felt wanted, protected, loved, and soon, he felt addicted. Intoxicated by his masculine scent, by his strong hands gripping his thighs to haul him up, by his tongue that sent sparkles to the low of Hyunjin’s belly.

Hyunjin felt like he was about to lose himself to the new sensations; like he was about to faint.

“Why does it feel so good?” He whimpered, caging his true love between his legs to feel him, to chase warmth and pleasure he had never experienced before. 

“Hyunjin—” Changbin tried to break the kiss as he placed Hyunjin on his bed, but the latter pulled him down by the collar to capture his mouth.

“Don’t stop,” Hyunjin breathed, lacing his arms around his neck again.

It wasn’t like Changin could stop, anyway.

With Hyunjin’s pretty mouth and curious tongue? All he could do was comply and ravish him the way he wanted. He was losing himself to his bottled up feelings that transformed into desire. His body translated what his heart had always longed for, but as much as being with Hyunjin was the best thing in the world, he was the experienced one; his reason screamed to stop because they had all the time in the world to discover each other now.

“Hyunjin, wait,” he said against his plush lips, earning a dreamy hum in response. Hyunjin was staring at him with his alluring half-lidded eyes. Honestly, it was hard to resist. Hyunjin was exquisite, after all. “We should… Talk.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin gasped, cheeks flushing. He had lost himself to Changbin who he trusted completely and forgot he still had to give explanations. “Right. Sorry.”

Changbin smiled sweetly before leaning down to peck his mouth. He sat up to give room to Hyunjin to do so as well, but the latter decided to seat himself on his lap.

“It’s warmer here.” Hyunjin pouted, putting their foreheads together.

It was Changbin’s turn to blush as he wasn’t used to having someone like Hyunjin pliant on his lap. If his fairy version was endearing and pretty, this human version was everything that filled Changbin’s steamy dreams. 

He had fantasized about Hyunjin being human a few times before, dreamed about holding his hand and kissing him beneath fireworks, but the reality was much more exciting, much more carnal; everything was overwhelming, everything he clearly wasn’t prepared for.

But Changbin, confident, smug, big-boy Changbin, pulled himself together soon enough and wound his arms around Hyunjin’s waist to bring him closer.

“You’re cute in my clothes,” Changbin remarked, grinning upon seeing the beaming smile settling on Hyunjin’s face.

“They’re comfortable. Besides, I’m too big to wear the dresses you had sewn for me.”

“I still don’t understand, though… You were a fairy and now—” Changbin was at a loss for words. “You’re real and here and— How?”

“There are fairy tales where I come from,” Hyunjin spoke softly. “They’re supposed to remain tales until two became my reality.”

“How is that possible?”

“Because I fell in love with a human.”

“And that can turn fairies into humans?”

“No… Well, as far as we know, it never happened before.” Hyunjin hummed pensively, mouth knotting into another pout. “But in the first tale, my hair turned pink. It means I found true love.”

“So, you lied…?” Changbin frowned, remembering his fairy telling him his hair was pink because Spring was around the corner.

“I didn’t have a choice! I didn’t understand why it was happening to me!” Hyunjin defended himself, his eyebrows knitted together. “I was confused! It would have confused the both of us!”

“I understand.” Changbin kissed his shoulder to relax him. “Does that mean I’m your true love?” He couldn’t help the grin of victory pulling across his features.

Hyunjin had been his fairy, he would be his human too.

(Yes, Changbin had always been possessive like that.)

“You are, and I’m yours.”

“Mmm… I like this fairy tale,” Changbin let out, smug. He left a kiss on the side of Hyunjin’s neck this time. “What about the part where you turn into a human?”

“Again, it’s because of true love. A fairy has to give up on their existence in order to unite with the human they love,” Hyunjin elaborated, his tone now tinted with sorrow.

“Wait… You—” Changbin’s eyes widened in realization. “You chose me over your kind?”

He felt Hyunjin’s fingers grip the back of his shirt tightly.

“Is it a bad thing?”

“No,” he instantly affirmed. He was touched. His heart was swollen, burning with his love for the other. “No, not at all.” He hid his face in Hyunjin’s neck. “I would have done the same for you, I think. No— I’m convinced I would have fought the world for you.”

“You can’t fight the world as a fairy, though… We’re too fragile,” Hyunjin quipped to tease him.

“I would have found a way. Trust me,” Changbin asserted, full of pride.

It made his lover chuckle softly.

“My father would like you.”

(Despite marrying his son to another prince for an alliance purpose, his father wanted an in-law who would dedicate their life to protect Hyunjin from any harm. Now, Hyunjin was a capable fairy. He was clever and fast, and had the ability to make everyone around him fall for him. The village always showered him with compliments and gifts; their prince was lovely, after all. Kind and sweet, and with a heart made of crystal— which was why he needed to marry someone who wouldn’t hurt his feelings.)

(The prince that Hyunjin’s father picked for his son had shown chivalry and profound respect for their family, but alas, in the end, Hyunjin wished to unite with someone he truly loved.)

“Really?” Changbin grinned, then, his grin twisted into a gasp. “Wait. Your family, your kingdom. They approve of you becoming human?”

“They didn’t have a choice… A fairy dies if they don’t reunite with their true love,” Hyunjin told him in a hushed tone.

“A fairy suffers a lot, it seems.” Changbin cupped his cheek to rub his smooth skin with his thumb. “I’m sorry about that. It must have been so hard… But I’m not sorry about you being here with me. I’m so happy to have you again.”

“You are?” Hyunjin’s voice was thick with emotions. Pearly eyes and rosy cheeks.

“I looked for you, you know? I screamed your name so many times in the forest. I even followed bees to see if they would lead me to the fairy world,” Changbin let out in a bitter sigh. “But I couldn’t find you.”

“You did?” Hyunjin gasped quietly, his heart thrumming with love. 

“Yes. Every day.”

“I’m here now.”

“I’m so grateful,” Changbin murmured, before leaning up to peck Hyunjin’s lovely mouth.

They shared sweet, lingering kisses until they needed to regain their breaths. 

“Hyunjin?”

“Mmm?” Hyunjin hummed dreamily.

“Where are your wings?”

Changbin who had been caressing his back wondered where these shiny little wings could be. Did they disappear? Did they disintegrate? Did Hyunjin rip them off his back? He hoped not because that must have been so painful, and he didn’t deal well with the idea of his lover being in pain.

“They’re in the tulip,” Hyunjin told him softly.

They stood up while holding hands and Changbin leaned over the tulip.

Here they were, tiny and pretty, but so lifeless.

Somehow, it hurt to see his wings like that. He realized the implication of everything Hyunjin had to go through to reunite with him; he had been so brave, and all of these sacrifices were for Changbin. It swamped him with intense emotions. So, he let go of Hyunjin’s hand to carefully scoop his wings in his palms and kiss them one by one. Precious little wings.

“I’ll treat you well,” Changbin promised, determined. He would cherish every moment with his lover, like he did when he was a fairy. He kissed the wings one last time before carefully putting them back in the tulip. He then turned towards his lover and said: “You’re still my fairy, even without your wings.”

He tucked a lock of pink hair behind Hyunjin’s ear and tiptoed to peck his mouth.

“Are you going to call me princess too?” Hyunjin stuck out his tongue, a glint of mischief swimming in his black pools of eyes.

“Um… Well, you’re as pretty as one—” Changbin stuttered.

“So, no girl, no other princess , kissing you anymore. Right?”

“None! You’re the only one. Trust me.”

“I’m joking.” Hyunjin pecked him in turn, stepping back into his muscly arms for another warm hug. “How are we going to tell the others, though? What if they’re scared of me?” He asked in worry.

Changbin pondered over the question for a while before making up his mind.

“Like the first time.”

“Yes?” Chan arched an expressive eyebrow at Changbin who was standing still in the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

The apartment was very dark as only the dim lights of the kitchen were turned on.

“What’s up?” Jisung prompted from the comfortable couch, still in the identical position Changbin had left him one hour ago.

“Don’t be scared,” Changbin simply said, uncharacteristically calm.

“Last time you told me not to be scared, there was a fairy in our kitchen,” Chan pointed out matter-of-factly. He was typically seated at the kitchen table with his laptop open before him.

“Last time you were this calm, there was a fairy in our kitchen,” Jisung added in the same manner their older friend did.

“Exactly,” Changbin replied.

There was a long pause until… 

“Wait… For real?” Jisung exclaimed eagerly. “Hyunjin is here? He is back?” He hopped on his feet and padded closer with a hopeful face. Unlike him, Chan was frozen and silent. “You’re not joking, right?” Jisung stood in front of Changbin on jumpy legs.

Since both of his lifelong friends were staring at him expectantly, he called for his lover.

“Hyunjin. You can come out now.”

The distinct sound of the bedroom door creaking open sliced the silence, and when Hyunjin timidly stepped in the hallway, Jisung ran into his arms, his emotions all over the place.

“Hyunjin!” He shouted, full of joy and clinging to who he had spent winter with. “How have you become human? I’m so happy!” His voice was so thick of tears that he had started to sound funny. “It’s not fair, though! Why are you taller than me now?” Jisung whined, sniffling loudly.

Changbin and me? We are meant to be, after all.