Archive of Our Own

Prologue

It’s about an hour and a half until New Year, and Johnny has absolutely no plans. With his family on the other side of the world and his friends scattered around the country, it’s nearly impossible to get together. Johnny didn’t want to spend another New Year’s Eve alone, but alas, he has no other choice.

Until his phone rings, and Johnny picks it up immediately after seeing the contact name: Jeong Jaehyun

“Hello?” Johnny says first. “Why are you suddenly calling? Aren’t you with your family?”

“Yeah, but I thought I’d give you a call, I know you always feel lonely around this time.” Jaehyun answers, the sounds of people laughing can be faintly heard in the background. “What do you plan on doing?”

“Ah, the usual, pour myself a nice glass of wine and sulk.” Johnny snickers, looking out his apartment window to glance at the city view that will soon be covered in bright fireworks and smoke. 

“Speaking of drinking,” Jaehyun continues. “My friend gave me this invitation to some New Year’s Eve party on a yacht. I can’t go, obviously, so I told him I’d give it to someone else. You want it?”

Johnny puts his free hand in his pocket. For the last three years, he’s spent New Year’s Eve indoors on his own, usually ordering takeout or watching a movie before the countdown. For a while, it was bearable. But the years went by and Johnny saw people less and less, leaving him to set off cheap party poppers in his apartment alone and sleep right after midnight. Perhaps drinking outside with company would be a good change.

“Where exactly is this party?”

“Uh, it’s by the beach, so pretty close for you actually.” Jaehyun assures him. “You could drop by and I’ll give it to you.”

Johnny walks to his mirror, then to his closet. He scans all his clothes, deciphering what he could wear to end this year with a bang. He wasn’t the biggest party person, but the thrill of dressing up excited him. After going through most of his evening wear, he spots a dark blue suit that he hasn’t worn in a while. He grabs it by the hanger and brings it in front of the mirror, smirking.

“I’ll come by soon.”

_____

Johnny arrives at the beach, parking his car and taking one last look in his side-view mirror. His messy blonde hair was slicked back and the satin dress shirt under his suit was slightly unbuttoned to show off his collarbone. He wore a gold necklace to finish the look, a gift from his mother for Christmas. He grins to himself in the mirror. Damn, do I really look like this? He thinks. It’s been a while since I went out and felt good about myself.

He lines up, handing the bodyguard his invitation as he unclasps the velvet rope and lets him in. The yacht is almost at half-capacity, the line outside stretching across the pebble beach. Johnny didn’t know anyone else at this party, but as long as there was free food and drinks, he could manage. 

He’s looking for food when he accidentally bumps into someone. “Ah, sorry.” The stranger apologizes.

“My bad,” Johnny replies. The stranger was a man dressed in an all black suit with a bow tie. A few strands of his black hair fell on his forehead and he had a strong scent of perfume lingering on him. He's a bit shorter than Johnny, looking up at him and seemingly cowering under his gaze. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I-“ He clears his throat. “I need to find my friends.” He bows to Johnny and walks away. Johnny shrugs it off, the poor man was probably flustered. 

He explores the yacht, spotting a table full of finger foods. His mouth waters as he eyes the servings of fruit, assorted cheese, hummus, and meat. It takes a while for him to notice that another person is at the table, tasting the food and pouring himself a glass of wine. He was wearing a bright red velvety suit, standing out from other people on the yacht. He approaches the table and picks up a stick with cheese, sausage, and fruit. 

“Hey, leave some for the rest of us,” Johnny jokes to the stranger in the loud suit. “Nice suit, by the way.” 

The stranger makes eye contact with him and covers his mouth, coughing a soft “thank you” as he chews his food. Johnny looks back to the rest of the guests and realizes how the two of them could draw attention just by the colors of their suits. 

“I don’t think we understood the assignment.” Johnny says, gesturing towards the guests dressed in much darker colors. This makes the stranger laugh and agree, trying his best to not spill his wine. 

He subtly looks Johnny up and down. “Your suit is pretty nice too,” He utters while holding his glass. “What’s your name?”

“Johnny,” He holds out his hand. “You?”

The stranger takes it and politely shakes it. “Taeyong.”

“Is it your first time at this kind of party?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Taeyong answers. “I’ve never been to one.”

“Are you enjoying it?”

“A lot! The food’s great!” He smiles excitedly. “And I somehow got an attractive stranger to approach me.”

Johnny’s eyes widen at his bold statement. “How can I not? You stand out too much for me to not say something.” 

Taeyong laughs again, his hand slightly grazes Johnny’s arm. They both stare at the view, the sea stretching far beyond the city. Johnny takes a deep breath, enjoying the outside air before the smell of smoke fills it. He’s thankful that Jaehyun gave him the invitation, this was so much better than rotting in his apartment alone.

“So…” Taeyong breaks the silence first. “What brings you here, Johnny?”

“Eh, not much. Just an excuse for free drinks. You?”

“That’s crazy, I’m here for the same reason!” He giggles.

There’s a wide grin on Johnny’s face when he notices how cute Taeyong’s giggling is. “Did you come alone too?” 

“No, I brought my friends, although I don’t know where they are now.” Taeyong tiptoes and looks around.

“I can help you find them.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay. I’m sure they’re fine.” He stares near the entrance, seeing his two friends walk out together hand-in-hand. “Did you come alone, Johnny?”

“Yeah, my friend gave me this invitation. He knew I needed some social interaction this New Year’s Eve.” Johnny gets champagne from the waiter passing by.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well,” Johnny starts. “I kinda spent New Year’s Eve alone recently. It’s hard to meet people when everyone’s so far apart.” He takes a sip of champagne. “God knows I need company, and drinks.” 

“In that case,” Taeyong takes a step closer. “I’m glad I could help.”

Johnny ends up talking to Taeyong longer than he expected, the fireworks bursting in the sky interrupt their conversation for a while. Taeyong admiring the fireworks gives Johnny ample time for him to observe how the fireworks light up his eyes and how his pink hair falls gracefully onto his forehead. He takes in the sharp curve of his jawline, Taeyong fiddling with the tight black turtleneck with his slender fingers. Johnny remembers how soft and delicate Taeyong’s hand was when he shook it, it’s almost as if it’s never been calloused.

“Are you going to go soon after this, Johnny?” Taeyong meets his gaze, mildly aware that he’s been staring at him the whole time. 

“Probably. What about you?” Johnny twirls the glass in his hand. “Do you have a ride home?”

“Yes, technically, but I’m not so sure if I want to go yet.” Taeyong bites his lip. “In fact, I’d rather be at your place.” He says in an almost whispery tone.

Johnny’s mouth is slightly agape after hearing it. He’s only been out for an hour and someone has already taken interest in him. It motivates him to go out to social events more, the first New Year’s resolution that he’s willing to carry out.

“Do you want to…” Johnny points at his car in the parking lot. “I can drive us there”

There’s a mischievous glint in Taeyong’s eyes when he registers that Johnny is inviting him to his place. He downs the rest of his wine and gets one last snack before answering. “Yes, I want to.”

A light peach shade spreads across Taeyong’s cheeks and the tips of his ears. Johnny couldn’t tell if he was cold, tipsy, or if he enjoyed his company a little more than he thought. He secretly hopes it was the latter, reaching his hand out to Taeyong to test his theory. Taeyong takes it fervently, and Johnny traces Taeyong’s knuckles before leading him outside to the parking lot. He unlocks his car and opens the door to the shotgun seat, gesturing Taeyong to go inside. He gets in the driver’s seat, taking out his keys and turning the ignition. As he exits the parking lot, Taeyong puts on the seatbelt, Johnny seeing him grin from the rear view mirror. Taeyong looks to his side to the buildings and billboards passing by them as Johnny drives. He wonders if Taeyong wasn’t from the city, not used to all the lights and sounds but enjoying it anyway. 

The atmosphere changes when Taeyong absentmindedly rests his hand on Johnny’s thigh. Johnny looks down at his hand, licking his lips as he takes one hand off the steering wheel to grasp Taeyong’s hand. They both snicker, sneaking glances at each other. 

“What are you doing?” Johnny asks.

“Nothing,” Taeyong smiles innocently as if he didn’t set Johnny on fire just from a single touch. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” Johnny gazes at him from the rear view mirror. “Save it for when we get there.”

Both of them smirk as they focus on the road. A light blush is evident on Johnny’s cheeks and he prays that he gets to his apartment faster, the adrenaline rushing inside him. He dares to not gaze at Taeyong again, his eyes through the mirror could be a fatal distraction. Soon enough, they arrive at his apartment complex. Johnny leads Taeyong to the elevator and presses the button of his floor. The elevator doors close, the backs of their hands touch and linger. Johnny takes Taeyong’s hand and intertwines their fingers as they watch the floor numbers go up. 

The elevator dings. Johnny brings Taeyong to his apartment, snickering as he unlocks his door and pulls him inside. As soon as Johnny closes the door, Taeyong grabs him by the collar of his shirt and kisses him. Johnny holds his waist, the heat between them rising as Johnny leads him to the bedroom.

Of all the things Johnny expected to be doing on New Year’s, hooking up with a hot stranger wasn’t one of them.

_____

Johnny's eyes flutter open when he feels his bed creak. His bedroom is still dark, but he could make out Taeyong’s silhouette hurriedly picking up his clothes and getting dressed. “Hey,” Johnny softly calls to him. “Can you stay for breakfast?”

Taeyong smiles brightly at the request, but there was a hint of sadness that Johnny couldn’t pinpoint. “Last night was wonderful, it really was.” Taeyong says, fixing his clothes and tucking his turtleneck in his pants. “I’m sorry that I have to do this.” He pulls out a pouch from his pocket.

“What are you talking about?” Johnny props himself up with his arm.

Taeyong grabs a small handful of golden dust and sprinkles it on Johnny.

“Taeyong, what’s going on? What are…you…”

Johnny suddenly feels drowsy, his vision blurring as shimmering dust falls onto his head. Johnny’s head collapses onto his pillow. The last thing he sees is Taeyong’s pitying gaze as he walks away from the bed. 

________

“How was the party last night man?” Jaehyun asks through the phone.

“I have no idea,” Johnny answers, walking around the city block. “I don’t remember shit from last night other than I drank, drove home and passed out.”

“It must have been quite a night then.”

“I’d know if my brain could just remember, but it can’t.” Johnny scratches his head. “Just woke up with a huge headache and glitter on my chest and I don’t even know where that came from either.” Jaehyun laughs on the other end due to Johnny’s rant. “Also, did you see the news earlier today?”

“The mermaid sighting?”

“Yeah, what was that about?”

“No clue, maybe the conspiracy people paid a shit ton for that to end up on the news.”

Johnny holds in his laughter, remembering that he’s in public. “Those people must be crazy, what do they gain from making stuff up like that?” He adjusts his backpack as he continues walking.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Um, just getting some late night coffee before I head home. Oh, and uh, are you gonna be free anytime soon?

“Well, I'm still gonna meet some other family and friends, but I probably will next week? Wanna hang?”

“Definitely. I’ll see you soon man.”

Johnny hangs up and puts his phone in his pocket. His headache thankfully got better so he could eat out and stroll around the city. Johnny smiles to himself, grateful that Jaehyun checks up on him the most. He wishes he could see him more often, but he’s a busy man and Johnny doesn’t hold that against him. Even then, he finds time to give him a call and listen to all his rants and stories.

Johnny finds the closest Starbucks on the street and enters. It’s around 9pm and people were seated with their laptops, notebooks, and bags on the tables, drinking their orders. College students . Johnny recognises the deep bags under their eyes and the stressful scribbling of notes and cue cards. Johnny doesn’t miss college that much, but he does miss having everyone in his proximity and always being able to be with someone.

He lines up, reminiscing the times where he and his friends would study together and barely get anything done because they were messing around. His thoughts are interrupted when the man in front of him tells the barista his order.

“15 Cube Sweet Potato snacks please.”

Johnny whips his head towards him. What is this guy doing ordering that many? Johnny never tried those snacks, usually getting himself a classic Iced Americano to take home. The man ordering wore an oversized grey hoodie with baggy blue jeans and white shoes, his hood over his head. As the cashier packs his order, he looks behind him and makes eye contact with Johnny. He immediately turns away, Johnny quirking his eyebrow at his reaction. The stranger anxiously taps his fingers on the counter as he waits for the cashier to hand him his snacks. When she finally gives it to him, he drops his money on the counter and rushes out the door. Everyone in the store freezes, looking at each and questioning if they saw the same thing. Johnny is confused as well, and when his eyes go back to the counter, the cashier mentions that the stranger left his phone.

“No worries, I’ll return it to him.” Johnny tells the cashier. He takes the phone and heads out, eyes squinting to find the owner. It only takes him a few blocks down the street before he spots a familiar grey hoodie. “Excuse me! Sir! You left your phone!” He yells out to him. The stranger turns around, but as soon as he sees Johnny, he runs away. 

“Hey! Wait!” Johnny chases after him. The stranger is quick and light on his feet, but Johnny's huge strides lead him closer to him. The man makes a sharp turn into an alleyway, ignoring Johnny completely. Johnny turns to the alleyway, hands on his thighs as he pants. He looks up and is met with a dead end. What kind of person wouldn’t want their phone back? Johnny thinks, catching his breath as he straightens up. He walks into the alleyway, wondering how the fuck the strange man disappeared into thin air. So much for trying to be nice.

Something near the dead end catches his eye. It was one of the potato snacks the stranger hoarded earlier, left behind on the dirty street. But Johnny could only see half of the bag, the other half seems to be merged into the wall. Johnny tilts his head in confusion. That’s strange. It’s like an object clipping in a video game. Johnny leans down to pick up the bag, watching as the other half of it reappears when he removes it from the wall. He furrows his brows in confusion, questioning his own eyesight. Is this a portal? Johnny feels like he’s the protagonist of some thriller fantasy movie where he finds some hidden world behind this wall.

No. Surely, there’s no way…right?

Johnny gulps, taking a chance as he extends his arm forward to touch the wall. His hand goes right through it. He gasps at his discovery. Intrigued, he steps closer to the wall. His whole body passes through like it’s nothing, a chill runs down his spine and makes him shiver. He wasn’t in the city anymore. He was transported to an entirely different world.

He finds himself on a see through glass bridge, looking down at the ocean flowing underneath him. The air is foggy and cold, a slight breeze passes by him. He cautiously walks forward. What the hell is this place? 

Johnny jumps at the sound of water splashing. He looks down again and swears he sees a black tail, much larger than a regular fish. His heartbeat starts to quicken. Something about this place wasn’t right, and Johnny prays that whatever is in the water isn’t dangerous.

_____

“Human!”

“…What?”

“There’s a human…on the bridge.” The mermaid says in a low tone to the vampire sitting on a blanket by the beach.

“Are you serious?”

The mermaid nods. “I saw him, and I think I know who it is.” He sits up on the shore of the beach, leaning in close to whisper a name in the vampire’s ear.

The vampire perks up. “I have to tell him!” He transforms into a bat and hurriedly flies back into the forest.

_____

“Hello?” Johnny says softly, knowing that no one will respond. God, this really is like a movie. How long has this been here? His mind races. Johnny liked watching fantasy adventure movies with monsters and magical creatures. He knew they could never actually exist to hurt him. But with him discovering an entirely different world hidden away in the corners of the city, he’s not so sure anymore.

He’s contemplating on whether or not he should turn back and forget about all this when he sees a faint golden speck floating towards him, a trail of shimmering dust behind it. Johnny thinks it’s a firefly, holding his hand out to it. Instead of landing on it, the mysterious golden speck circles around him. Johnny watches it fly around him, surrounding him with lines of sparkling glitter. It’s a beautiful sight that eases Johnny, taking his mind away from the scary fog around the bridge. 

Suddenly, Johnny feels his eyes drooping. He didn’t feel sleepy before, so why now? The more he observes the glowing speck, the drowsier he becomes. His knees start to feel weak, desperately fighting to stand but to no avail. With no reasonable explanation, Johnny loses consciousness, his body hitting the glass below.

_____

The sunlight streams through the curtains, landing on Johnny soundly sleeping on a bed next to the window. It’s when he hears the sounds of birds chirping outside that he shuffles in bed, rubbing his eyes. He props himself up with his arms and scans the room. He looks to the door, the frame covered in vines and small flowers. The covers that draped over his body was a white blanket with pink roses. The soft mattress was on a light wooden bed frame with flowers and leaves wrapped around it. To his left, there was a dainty bedside table with a lantern and a ceramic plate holding jewelry. 

This looked nothing like Johnny’s apartment.

Johnny sits up, still dressed in the same clothes he was last night. He rubs his neck, wondering whose place this is and how he got here. He pinches his arm hoping that this was all a weird fever dream that he could wake up from.

He turns to the bedside table and spots a written note under the plate. He lifts it up carefully and reads it:

Good morning <3

Please don’t leave the 

room until we come back

~ T.Y.

Johnny doesn’t recognise the initials or the handwriting. Has someone taken him hostage? The note looks far too kind for it to be sinister. There was even a small doodle on the side that resembles fairy wings.

His attention turns to the door, the sounds of footsteps going up the stairs heard from outside. There seems to be two people outside the door, arguing. Johnny leans forward to eavesdrop.

“You do realize how bad of an idea this is?”

“Yes, but did we have a choice?!”

“He was going to turn back! You should have let him turn back instead of bringing him here!”

“What if he didn’t?! Someone could have seen him!”

Johnny hears one of them sigh.

“Alright, what’s your genius plan then? Hiding a six foot tall man in your house?”

“It’s only for today. We can let him leave when it’s dark.”

The door swings open, causing Johnny to flinch and hit his head on the bed frame. “Ow!” He exclaims, gently rubbing his head.

“Oh, you’re up.”

Johnny looks up at his supposed captors. The first thing that draws his attention is the man on the left, who had large pink wings on his back, matching his pink hair. He had a sharp jawline, plump lips, and eyes that seemed to sparkle. He wore a pink fleece cardigan over a simple white shirt and light brown pants. 

He then looks to the man on the right, who has a much more serious expression. He had black hair, his bangs touching his eyebrows. His face was incredibly pale and he had strong cheekbones. Johnny’s eyes dart to his neck where he sees a bite mark with dried up blood on it. He wore a black button up over a dark tank top and leather pants. 

“What are you looking at?” The man in black speaks first.

“Um…” Johnny has so many questions, but his brain immediately goes, “Did you guys kidnap me?”

“Well, it’s not necessarily kidnapping…” The man in pink answers. “More of…hiding you here so no one can see you…?“ He shrugs his shoulders.

“That’s still kidnapping.” The man in black says in disbelief. “You have nothing to worry about though. We’re not here to hurt you.”

Johnny doubts that statement, but considering his stature, he could fight both of them off easily if the situation came to it. “So…why am I here? What is this place?” He gestures towards both of them. “And what the hell are you guys?”

“Those are very good questions,” The man in black says with a sarcastic grin and nudges the man in pink on the side. “You can answer them.”

The man in pink’s eyes darts from the man in black to Johnny. “So…long story short, you followed me and now you’ve found yourself on this super magical island where all sorts of beings live in secret to be protected from humans like you, you get the gist, right?” He flails his hands as he continues. “And if a certain someone finds out you’re here, we’re all dead fucking meat.”

Johnny tries to make sense of it all, but the rambling leaves him with more questions than answers.

“The thing is,” The man in pink puts his hands together and brings it close to his mouth, as if he’s about to deliver bad news. “I don’t understand how you,” He points at Johnny. “A human , somehow made it across the barrier.”

So that’s what the wall was supposed to be. It clicks in Johnny’s mind. A barrier. He didn’t understand how he made it past either, but it didn’t look like the two men (or beings, so to speak) in front of him had answers.

“Alright so…if everyone on this island are magical creatures or whatever, what exactly are you guys then?”

The man in black looks at Johnny, offended. “Is it not obvious?!” He says, pointing to his neck and the other man’s wings.

“Oh hush!” The man in pink shushes his friend. “I realized we haven’t introduced ourselves. My name is Taeyong, and I,“ He turns around to show off his wings. “am a fairy!”

Johnny smiles at Taeyong’s cute action, making him feel slightly more at ease amidst all the confusion. “And my friend Doyoung over here-“

“Does not want to be involved!” Doyoung crosses his arms. It’s at this moment where Johnny catches a glimpse of the two sharp fangs where his canines are supposed to be.

“He’s a vampire.” Taeyong leans closer to Johnny like he’s telling him a secret. “He acts all cold and shit, maybe that’s because he is cold, like body temperature wise, but he’s a real softie. You should see him around his mermaid boyfrie-“

“Don’t fucking tell him that!” Doyoung hits Taeyong’s back. “Jesus, you’re oversharing at this point.”

Taeyong giggles, and for some reason, Johnny’s heart skips a beat.

“I’d like to ask,” Doyoung turns to Johnny. “Why exactly did you follow Taeyong?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Johnny raises both his arms up. “I was at Starbucks and he was ordering a ridiculous amount of those sweet potato snacks and for some reason he ran away and left his phone on the counter, so I chased after him to give it back and-“

“Oh my god, that’s why this is happening?!” Doyoung whips his head towards Taeyong, who avoids eye contact. “Who runs away when someone wants to return their phone?!”

“Exactly!” Johnny excitedly jumps up from the bed, happy that he and Doyoung were on the same wavelength. “It’s strange!”

“You are way too nice, I would have stolen the phone to be perfectly honest.” Doyoung grins at him.

“Alright! Enough ganging up on me!” Taeyong yells and faces Doyoung. “What was I supposed to do? He-“ Taeyong hesitates when he looks at Johnny. “He was running after me.”

“Because he was trying to return something?!” Doyoung pinches his nose bridge. “I can’t believe you’re my friend, oh my god, we’re so fucked.”

As the three of them calm down, Johnny asks last one question:

“What am I supposed to do here? Just sit still?”

“Stay in here for now so no one sees you.” Taeyong answers. “You can leave at night.”

“And speaking of leaving,” Doyoung checks his imaginary watch. “I will head back.” He turns to Taeyong. “Don’t let anyone else know he’s here, okay?” Taeyong gives him a thumbs up and Doyoung exits the bedroom, leaving Johnny and Taeyong alone.

“Are you hungry?” Taeyong asks, but answers it for him. “I can make you breakfast, sit tight.” He quickly goes downstairs.

After having a rather pleasant conversation with the two creatures, it dawns on him. All the creatures that he and Jaehyun truly believed didn’t exist were all inhabiting this island hidden in the outskirts of the city. Johnny plops back down on the bed. I can’t believe those conspiracy theorists were actually onto something.

There’s a knock at the bedroom door, and Taeyong opens it, carrying a tray with pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup on top. 

“Oh, that was fast.” Johnny says.

“Yeah, it’s easier when you have-“ Taeyong slowly lets go of the tray, letting it float towards the bed and lay beside Johnny. “Magic.”

“Thank you,” Johnny inches the tray closer to him, picking up the wooden fork on the side. “This looks delicious.”

“Oh stop!” Taeyong waves his hand dramatically. “It’s just a simple breakfast. Anyone can make it, even without magic.” A light blush tints the tips of his ears. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

Johnny looks up at Taeyong, anticipating his request. “It’s not really a favor, it’s an order. If you don’t follow it, you’re gonna get in big trouble here.” Johnny is even more on the edge of the bed, instinctively leaning forward so Taeyong could tell him.

“Don’t tell anyone about this place, or what happened today.” Taeyong sounds serious now. “You can go home later and forget about it, or keep it to yourself. Just don’t tell on us, okay?” Johnny agrees to keep his mouth shut. If he told anyone, the conspiracy theorists would probably go nuts and do some crazy shit. 

“You better keep that promise.” Taeyong grins. “Or else, you won’t get free breakfast in bed next time.” He snickers, and Johnny could feel a warmth on his cheeks. Next time?

“Just call me if you need anything.” Taeyong walks to the door, his pink wings fluttering when he looks back at Johnny, his gaze lingering before he closes the door.

Johnny brings his attention back to his pancakes. He slices a piece and eats it. It tastes like home.

_____

It’s the middle of the day and Johnny is eating the meal Taeyong made for him. Taeyong brought another chair upstairs to keep him company and to answer the endless questions Johnny had.

“If Doyoung is a vampire, why is he out in the daytime?” Johnny says, holding his plate up to his face and scooping up the crumbs. “I mean, wouldn’t he be burning?”

“He would be,” Taeyong answers, fiddling with the food on his plate. “But my friend made him a special sunscreen he can wear so he could survive under the sun.”

“And…what is this friend?” 

“He’s a witch.”

Johnny nods. “Interesting, so all of you just live here together? And there’s no conflict?”

“There was conflict at first, but the island is big enough for everyone to have their own space. We have our differences, but we’re civil enough not to cause any trouble.” Taeyong lets out a sigh. “This is the only home we have, after all.”

Taeyong looks down to the floor, a subtle sadness in his voice that Johnny doesn’t dare pry into.

“Are there certain beings running this place? A system or a leader or what?”

“You really do ask a lot of questions.” Taeyong snickers, finishing up his food.

Johnny shrugs his shoulders. “Listen man, I-“ He gets surprised when his plate and utensils float away from his hand and onto Taeyong’s, neatly arranging itself with Taeyong’s plate. “I hope you don’t take offense to this, but I actually never believed you guys existed.” He bites the inside of his cheek, slightly embarrassed that he’s saying this in front of a fairy. “People told me all sorts of shit about you guys, and I shook my head and called them crazy.” He laughs, looking around at the cottage-like bedroom and the beautiful forest that stretched past the windows. “Now I feel like an absolute idiot.”

“You don’t have to be, I’m not offended at all.” Taeyong gives him a cheeky smile. “It’s actually better for us that people don’t believe we exist, we live more in peace that way.”

The door opens and Taeyong gestures the plates to the door. Johnny watches as they float out the door and two glasses with freshly squeezed orange juice float inside the room and into Taeyong’s hands. 

“So, thank you,” He gives a glass to Johnny. “For being normal, and not spending your life trying to find us.” They clink their glasses and drink in unison.

Johnny catches Taeyong staring at him for a while, and Taeyong blinks once he realizes that he didn’t answer Johnny’s question. “It’s mostly the nymphs running and protecting this place, you know what those are, right?” Johnny shakes his head. 

“They’re basically these graceful creatures that are connected to certain parts of nature.” Taeyong explains. “Like the lands, the waters, the skies. And don’t get me wrong, they’re all really kind and welcoming, but,” He raises his eyebrows. “they can be real scary. You could cause a storm if you make them upset.”

“Oh my,” Johnny takes another sip from his juice. “I’ll make sure I won't run into them then.”

“I don’t think you need to worry much.” Taeyong drinks from his glass as well. “Each nymph has their own area they watch over. You really just need to steer clear of one creature here.”

They laugh and talk for what must be hours, Taeyong staying in the bedroom to talk to Johnny for as long as he could. They don’t notice that it’s dark outside until Doyoung knocks at the door, telling them that Johnny could leave already.

Taeyong agrees to walk Johnny across the bridge. They pick up from their conversation at Taeyong’s cottage, Johnny walking slower than usual to match Taeyong’s pace. Eventually, they reach the end of the bridge where the barrier is. 

“Well, it’s been nice having you,” Taeyong turns to Johnny, a smile plastered on his face. Johnny couldn’t tell if Taeyong was happy that he was leaving or if something else was hiding behind that smile. “In the most polite way possible, I hope you never come back.” He scrunches his nose.

“That’s certainly a way to say you never want to see me again.” Johnny sends him a teasing grin.

“Rules are rules, Johnny, I can’t keep breaking them.”

Johnny is about to walk across the barrier when, “Wait,”

He turns back to Taeyong. “Yes?”

Taeyong holds out his pinky. “You’re keeping that promise right?”

“Of course I will, what’s with the pinky?”

“Just to seal the deal properly.”

Johnny tries his best to hide his smile, approaching Taeyong and wrapping his pinky around his. It was a bit smaller than his, Johnny finds it adorable. 

“I promise.” Johnny says.

They stay like that for a while, their eyes meet, and Johnny feels his heart beat faster than normal. It’s when his stomach starts to tingle that Johnny pulls away first.

“Goodbye, Taeyong.” He waves at him, giving him a playful wink before turning around and walking through the barrier.

Once Johnny is out of sight, Taeyong exhales, as if he’s been holding his breath. He hears the sound of wings flapping behind him, looking back to see a bat transform into Doyoung.

“How much did you tell him?” He asks the fairy.

“A totally normal amount of information that he’ll probably forget anyway.” He flashes Doyoung a bittersweet grin.

“Did you tell him about…” He quirks his brow, signaling to Taeyong without having to say anything.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” He turns back to the entrance of the bridge. “He’s not coming back.”

Doyoung throws his arm over Taeyong’s shoulder, pulling him close. They both turn around and walk back into the forest, Taeyong’s hand around Doyoung’s waist, his head leaning on his shoulder.

_________

After showering, Johnny lies in bed, having no urge to sleep at all. He closes his eyes, but all he could think about was the glass bridge leading to a forest, the cottage bedroom, and the fairy and vampire who let him (or technically kidnapped him) inside the magical island. His lips curl into a grin when he pictures the fairy, his pink hair matching the blush spread across his face and his wings reflecting off the sunlight. He knows Taeyong told him that he could forget about everything that happened today, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t. He couldn’t forget how kind Taeyong was to him, the food he made for him, and how at home he made him feel.

He lightly slaps his cheek. Stop it . He thinks. You’ll never see him again.

After tossing and turning for a few more minutes, he finally goes to sleep.

_____

Johnny opens his eyes, finding himself in the middle of the forest. It was the forest where Taeyong and the other creatures lived, but something wasn’t right. Most of the plants were either trampled on or burned, and the trees were covered in marks, as if someone attempted to cut them. There were no other signs of life, no animals wandering around or insects crawling on the trees. Johnny walks straight through the forest, carefully stepping over the plants on the ground. He suddenly stops in his tracks when he finds a tree stump. He steps closer and bends down to take a better look. 

The tree stump had moss growing at the sides, small fungi scattered around it. It seemed like it was here for ages, and for some reason, Johnny feels strangely attracted to it. He lifts his hand up, reaching out to touch it. Incoherent whispers echo in his mind. He tries to ignore them, but they get louder and louder in his head. He gently places his hand on the stump.

His chest tightens all of a sudden. The voices that used to whisper were now shouting in his ears, yelling and screaming out of pain. Several images flash too quickly for Johnny to comprehend anything. He sees axes, torches, fire, thunder, floods, people running away, a couple holding a baby, and a man laying on the ground. Everywhere he looked, there was destruction and chaos. The high pitched ringing becomes higher and higher. He covers his ears tightly. Make it stop, please. MAKE IT STOP!

_____

Johnny jolts himself awake, sitting up on his bed. He puts his hand on his chest, trying to calm down his panicked breathing. He looks at his bedside table and checks the clock: 3:21am.

He stands up and tries to find something to do to ground himself. He looks at the plants near his window. I should water them. He thinks. They’re starting to droop. He goes to the living room area, his watering can is placed on top of the coffee table. He fills it up and brings it to the bedroom. He goes near his plants and leans down to water them.

His breathing settles down. He puts the watering can down and collapses onto his bed. He checks his heartbeat. Back to normal. 

He sighs, putting his hand under his head. What the hell was that dream? He asks himself. What could it mean?

He remembers the forest and how different it looked in his dream. He remembers how Taeyong thanked him for not trying to find them and how the island was designed to protect them from humans. The vision he had in his dream gave Johnny a very bad ache in his stomach and countless other questions.

He needs answers, and there is only one place he could get them.

_____

He heads out of his apartment, dressed in a black hoodie, sweatpants, and a black beanie. He follows the same route to the alleyway, the sun slowly setting on the horizon. Johnny didn’t want to be seen by whoever Taeyong was referring to, he thought it was best to go when it was getting dark. He faces the dead end again, hoping that Taeyong or Doyoung or anyone on the island could tell him what it all meant.

If something bad was going to happen, he needed them to know.

He hesitates, wondering if going back was the right thing to do, but he couldn’t consult anyone else on this matter. If he did, he’d endanger everyone on the island. It was the last thing Johnny wanted.

He passes through the wall and strides across the bridge. He’s a lot less scared now, the remaining sunlight fading into the ocean below him. He takes in the orange streaks reflecting into the water, changing shapes as the waves move along.

He reaches the other end of the bridge, treading lightly on the ground and praying no one else sees him. A breeze passes him, Johnny relishes the fresh air away from the city. He could stay here for days and not miss the polluted air and the loud beeping of cars.

He walks along the shore of the beach. So far, he’s only seen the island from the view of Taeyong’s bedroom window. Actually walking around is much more relaxing than Johnny ever imagined.

He hears water splashing and two voices overlapping each other. He looks up to see a silhouette of a man with wings, flying high to avoid the splashes of someone swimming in the ocean.

“Ah! Stop! You’ll get my wings wet!” The two of them laugh, playing in the water like children. It makes Johnny smile as he carefully approaches the scene. The winged being turns to the shore and freezes when he sees him.

“Johnny?!“ Taeyong says, almost falling into the water due to his wings being frozen from shock. The being with him swims back to the shore, it’s black tail lurking underwater. 

Taeyong safely lands on the shore, eyes wide at Johnny’s return. “You’re not supposed to be here! I thought you weren’t going to come back.”

“I didn’t intend to, okay?” Johnny replies. “But don’t lie, you’re happy that I’m back.” He teases. Taeyong rolls his eyes. 

“Um, hello? I would like to be introduced please.”

Taeyong turns back to his friend politely sitting on the beach. “Right! Sorry,” He pulls Johnny by the arm. “This is Yuta, and as you can see-“

“Holy shit,” Johnny’s jaw drops open. “You’re a mermaid?!” Yuta nods and lifts his black tail to show Johnny. 

“Hey, why weren’t you this impressed when I showed you my wings last time?!” Taeyong complains, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Fairies are cool too, you know.”

“I know, but I’ve heard about mermaids more than fairies.” 

Yuta snickers at Johnny’s statement. Taeyong puts his hands on his waist. “Whatever,” He scoffs. “Anyways, why exactly did you come back?”

“Ah, you see,” Johnny explains. “I need to talk to you about something,” His eyes shift from Taeyong to Yuta. “Maybe we can talk in private?”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Yuta raises his eyebrows at Taeyong. “You need alone time, I get it, I’ll catch you later.” He waves to Johnny as well. “Hope I get to talk to you soon, Johnny!” He dives back into the water, making sure to whip his tail and splash the two of them before swimming away. The sleeve of Johnny’s hoodie gets wet.

“He does that a lot.” Taeyong tugs his arm. “Come with me, hurry.” They pick up the pace, heading back to Taeyong’s cottage before anyone else could see him.

Johnny enters the cottage. He mostly saw the inside of the bedroom, but the kitchen and living room area were cozy as well. There is a pastel colored sofa with white knitted blankets draped over it and a simple coffee table with a kettle and some painted coasters. The kitchen is spacious, multicolored cupboards and drawers line the walls. The dining table was fit for around five people, Taeyong pulling out a seat for Johnny. He sits down, noticing the empty glasses on the table, Taeyong most likely had people over for dinner.

“What was it you wanted to talk about?” Taeyong pulls out a seat for himself.

“I had a dream,” Johnny brings his hands together, looking more serious now. “It wasn’t a good one. It was kinda scary even.” Taeyong leans forward to hear him out. “I…was in a forest that looked exactly like this one, but it was different. It looked like it was destroyed somehow.”

Taeyong listens intently, nodding as Johnny continues. “Then, I saw this tree stump. And I don’t know why, I went towards it and touched it.” Johnny gulps. “And all of a sudden, I’m hit with all sorts of images and voices that I couldn’t understand and it was overwhelming and I woke up in a cold sweat and-“

Johnny is interrupted by Taeyong’s hand on top of his, gripping it for comfort. “That must have been really terrifying for you.” Taeyong says, a concerned yet calm expression on his face. He pulls away when he realizes what he’s doing. “So, um, what do you think it means?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I came back, because I thought you’d know.”

Taeyong shakes his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t specialize in those kinds of things.” He lifts his head up, almost as if a lightbulb had turned on. “…But I do know someone who does.”

He quickly stands up. “Wait here.” He heads out for a while.

Johnny patiently waits for him, and after a couple of minutes, he could hear Taeyong talking to someone outside the front door.

“This better be worth it Taeyong, you interrupted my beauty sleep.”

“Trust me, we need you on this.”

He opens the door, and Johnny stands up to greet the man Taeyong brought, their arms linked together. “Johnny, this is Ten,” He gestures towards his friend. “He’s the witch I talked about last time.” 

“So this is Johnny!“ Ten reaches his hand out to him. “Can’t believe this is how we meet but I’m glad to be of service.” He shakes Johnny’s hand. “We must get to work. Taeyong, get me the biggest pot you have and fill it up with water.”

Taeyong opens the cupboard and brings out a large steel pot. He runs the faucet over it, making it half-full with water. Ten and Johnny sit down at the table and Taeyong uses his magic to lift the heavy pot onto the table. “Thank you, Taeyong.”

Ten cracks his knuckles and pulls out some herbs and other ingredients from his sling bag, tossing them into the pot. Taeyong hands him a wooden spoon for him to stir. The mixture in the pot starts to bubble, Ten drops a few more things into it. 

“One last thing,” Ten leans over the table and pulls a strand of hair from Johnny’s bangs. He winces at the slight tinge. “Sorry, it’s necessary.” Ten apologizes. “Now, close your eyes and don’t open them unless I tell you to.” Johnny obeys the witch, shutting his eyes. 

“Tell me what you saw in your dream.”

“I saw…the forest here that had some damage,” Johnny starts. “and there was a tree stump covered in moss in the middle. When I touched it, I felt this heavy pain in my chest.”

“Did you see anything specific when you touched it?”

“I saw…fire, there was rain, and there were people screaming.” Johnny’s voice is a bit shaky. “I saw a couple, they had a baby…and the forest was flooding, there were torches, a man on the ground…”

The more Johnny described, the more the mixture in the pot bubbled, changing its color. Ten stirs it more, blowing some of Taeyong’s extra fairy dust into it. “Keep your eyes shut, Johnny, I think it’s almost there.”

The mixture shines brightly, casting a light on all three of them. Ten and Taeyong look down, an image formed in the water.

“What’s happening? Can I look?” Johnny asks. Taeyong taps his shoulder, signaling him that he could open his eyes. He looks down at the mixture. It shows an image of the tree stump he saw in his dream. Instead of it being covered with moss, there were shapes carved into it. Three stick figures connected to each other.

“What…does this mean?” Johnny looks to Taeyong and Ten, the witch looking distressed.

“Crap,” Ten utters under in his breath. “It’s not finished.”

“What do you mean?” Taeyong asks him.

“I need more time,” Ten answers. “It only shows a part of it. It’ll take longer to get the whole story.”

Story? Johnny questions. What story was there to tell?

“Oh, Johnny. I’m sorry,” Ten says, looking apologetic. “I need more time to piece this all together.”

“What? What are you talking abou-“

“Taeyong, I need to bring this back to my place. You don’t mind right?” Taeyong shakes his head. “We’ll tell you next time you come by, okay?” Ten rushes out the door, carrying Taeyong’s pot outside.

So much for finding answers. Johnny sighs. Is it really this hard to find out?

Taeyong closes the door after Ten leaves. "I'm sorry about that, Johnny. Sometimes Ten's spells take longer than usual." He sits back down at the table. "But it'll work, and we'll know what it means soon."

Silence washes over them, Johnny wondering if he should call it a day and head back to his apartment, but Ten's worried expression keeps playing in his mind. What could it all mean?

Taeyong could tell Johnny was on edge. "Would you like some tea?" 

Johnny is more of a coffee kind of guy, but who is he to deny the kind fairy's offer? 

"Yeah, thank you."

Taeyong stands up again, heading to his kitchen counter as his cupboards open and a container of tea bags descend onto the counter. "Would you like chamomile tea or…?" 

"That's good, yes."

Taeyong's lips curl into a grin as he fills his kettle with water and turns it on. Two mugs float towards the table, one lands in front of Johnny and the other near Taeyong's seat. Johnny observes the design on the mug, there were small bees scattered on it, and a blue bird flying. It looks like it had been painted a while back.

"Did you paint this?" Johnny asks, pointing at the mug.

Taeyong nods, bringing the kettle to the table. "Yeah, I, uh," He places the kettle down, and two tea bags dance in the air and land in their mugs. "I like painting them myself, gives it more personality. Save the bees, you know?" He awkwardly chuckles, sitting down and pouring hot water into their mugs.

Johnny smiles fondly at Taeyong, the fairy's endearing habits ease him a little. He holds the mug by the handle and takes a sip of tea. He suddenly puts it back down when the hot liquid scalds the tip of his tongue.

“Don’t drink it right away,” Taeyong says, mug in hand. “Let it cool down.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Johnny’s head tilts down in embarrassment. “I’m just worried about the dream.”

“I know,” Taeyong’s voice is low, he looks at Johnny with concern. “Try not to worry too much. l’m sure Ten will have an answer by tomorrow morning, will you come by then?” Johnny nods, blowing the steam emitting from his mug.

Taeyong clinks the sides of his mug with his fingernails. “So, Johnny,” He says. “While you’re here, since you asked so many questions last time,” He turns to him, setting his mug back on the table. “I would like to ask about you.”

Johnny’s eyebrows furrow. “Why would you want to know about my boring life as a human?”

“Just to make it even.” Taeyong smiles sweetly at him.

“Fine,” Johnny sighs. “Ask away.”

“What do you do back in the city?”

“Um, well, I wake up, most of the time I go to work, stay there from nine to five, maybe get coffee nearby, then go home and sleep, and the cycle continues.” Johnny picks up his mug again and drinks his now cooled down tea. It’s smooth and warm in his mouth, a relaxed sigh comes out after he swallows it. “Told you it was boring.”

“It can’t be that boring,” Taeyong says. “What do you do on weekends then?”

“Stay home, take care of my plants, download some movies and shows to watch, maybe I’ll eat out or I’ll bring back wine and get drunk by myself in my apartment.”

Taeyong lets his elbow rest on the table. “What about your family and friends?”

“Oh, my mom and grandparents live halfway across the world, in my hometown in Chicago.” Johnny sips his tea. “I have friends here in Seoul from college but most of them moved away after graduation. The closest one to me would probably be my best friend, Jaehyun, although he’s quite busy as well.”

“What about your dad?”

Johnny pauses for a while, inhaling before answering. “He died when I was a baby.”

Taeyong wanted to ask more, but he knew he’d be digging in too deep if he did. “Why are the rest of your family in Chicago?”

“I was born here but raised in Chicago,” Johnny explains. “My mom would tell me how she met my dad here in Korea. When I graduated high school, I told her I wanted to go here for college, so that maybe I could feel more connected to him. She let me go and now I live here.” Johnny nods, his hands wrapped around his mug.

“But don’t you ever feel lonely?”

Johnny takes a deep breath, biting his lower lip. “Yeah, it’s only natural that I feel lonely. I’ve gotten used to it though, it comes with age.” Johnny lifts his mug again, gulping down his tea until a quarter of it is left. 

“Even so,” Taeyong looks down at the table, drawing circles with his finger. “If you ever feel like that…my door is always open.”

Johnny’s eyes shift from his mug to Taeyong. Taeyong looks up at Johnny, meeting his eyes. “I mean, don’t come too often because it’s still quite risky but,” His cheeks match his pink hair. “I, I have a lot of free time,” He giggles. “I’ll just be here and we can talk, you know, like this.”

Something about the way Taeyong stutters when he says it makes Johnny snicker. He appreciates the gesture, and for some reason, his heart is doing backflips in his chest.

There is a knock at Taeyong’s front door. Taeyong unlocks it from his seat and it swings open to reveal Doyoung, looking surprised when he sees Johnny. “Oh?” He points at Johnny. “What are you doing back here?” He shifts his gaze to Taeyong. “Did you invite him?”

“No, I came here myself.” Johnny says, finishing the rest of his tea.

“Why?”

“Johnny had a dream about the island,” Taeyong answers for him. “We consulted Ten about it but he needs more time to figure it out.”

“Should I be concerned about this?” Doyoung leans on the doorframe, rubbing his arm nervously.

“We’re not sure yet,” Taeyong finishes his tea as well. “We can only find out tomorrow.”

It’s incredibly late into the night. Johnny checks the cuckoo clock hanging on Taeyong’s wall: 9:38pm.

“It’s late, I have to go,” Johnny stands up. “Thank you for the tea, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Taeyong nods. Doyoung steps out of the doorframe, him and Taeyong waving goodbye to Johnny who heads back to the city through the bridge.

“Tomorrow?” Doyoung turns back to Taeyong, letting himself inside and closing the door. “How much longer are you guys going to do this?”

Taeyong shrugs his shoulders in response and picks up the two mugs on the table for him to wash. “I have no fucking idea.”

_____

Johnny arrives at his apartment, physically and mentally exhausted. He immediately goes to the bathroom and takes off all his clothes, running warm water over his entire body. He shuts his eyes, letting himself relax. He hopes he doesn’t dream about it again when he goes to sleep, not wanting to wake up in a cold sweat again.

He gets out of the shower, rubbing his face as he looks at himself in the mirror. His face was more flushed than usual. Is it because of the shower or was my face always like this?

He dresses up in his pajamas and checks the conditions of his plants. They weren’t drooping anymore, the stems standing straight and the leaves greener than ever. Johnny climbs into bed, pulling the covers over his body and closing his eyes. He tries to take his mind off of his dream, shifting his position so he could hug his pillow. He thinks of things that make him happy to distract himself.

Taeyong was the first thing on his mind.

_____

“It's not looking good, guys."

It's around midnight, a full moon barely covered by the clouds in the sky when Ten drags Taeyong and Doyoung to his den. They're inside a huge tree hollow, potions and herbs line Ten's built in shelves. They surround a dark wooden table with Taeyong's pot at the center, the mixture inside bubbling and glowing.

"What are we going to do?" Taeyong asks, a worried expression evident on his face.

Ten ponders on it. Doyoung beside him anxiously chews on his fingernails while looking down at the pot. "You have to tell him." Ten turns to Taeyong, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I can't be there tomorrow, I agreed to help Kun with his duties."

Taeyong's heart quickens its pace. After hearing Ten's interpretation of Johnny's dream, he didn't know how to feel. He especially worries about how Johnny would take it, his heart aches just thinking about it.

"Promise me you'll tell him?" Ten asks him, seeing Taeyong shaking a little. Taeyong nods reluctantly. Ten pats his back and bids him and Doyoung goodnight, ushering them outside the den and waving.

Doyoung turns to Taeyong. "How are you going to tell him?" He says, licking his fangs nervously. "It's so much more than I thought."

"I don't know," Taeyong bites his nails, his wings slightly drooping. "I don't even know how to start."

________

Johnny wakes up from the sunlight filtering through his windows. He gets up and checks the clock: 8:45am.

He leaves his bed and heads to the bathroom. After doing his skincare routine, he goes to his closet, opening it and contemplating what to wear. He takes out a few shirts, hoisting them to his chest and looking at himself through the mirror. He cycles through some more outfit combinations, switching from jackets to cardigans, sweatpants to jeans, caps to beanies, and more.

Why am I trying so hard to look good? Johnny realizes he's been spending too much time deciding what to wear. He finally settles on an outfit: a white graphic tee, blue jeans, and a black snapback. He ties the sleeves of his grey sweater around his shoulders, it hangs freely on his back. He looks at the mirror satisfied, a grin slowly forming. He toasts some bread and makes himself a simple grilled cheese sandwich to eat on the way.

He heads to the alleyway and passes through the barrier with ease. He takes huge bites of his sandwich, admiring the birds flying in groups above in the orange hued sky. Johnny doesn't usually take walks in the morning, but days like this could change his mind.

"Looks like someone dressed up."

Johnny flinches at the sudden voice coming from the other end of the bridge. It sounds deep, low, and tired. He shoves the remaining bite of his sandwich in his mouth and looks forward, his eyes meeting a familiar vampire.

"You call this dressing up?" Johnny asks him, gesturing at his outfit.

"You definitely look more put together for an early morning," Doyoung comments, holding an umbrella in his hand. "What's the rush? He's always gonna be here."

It concerns Johnny how he immediately knew who Doyoung was referring to. "Just wanted to look presentable, that's all." He puts his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "It's wired in me to rush before my nine to five shifts."

Doyoung looks like he wanted to vomit at the mention of a regular scheduled job. "Eight hours at a desk almost everyday?! Oh, you poor thing." He pouts.

"Hey, I need the money, what do you do here anyway?"

"I-"

"Doyoung!"

Both of them turn to the shore of the beach and see Yuta laying on the sand and waving a seashell in the air. "Oh? Hi Johnny! You’re here to see Taeyong again?!"

Johnny shyly waves back and turns to Doyoung to avoid answering the question. When he looks at Doyoung, he sees him...smile. This is the first time Johnny has seen him genuinely smile. He gazes at Yuta with such an intimate fondness, his free hand waving back at him. It's almost as if Johnny was merely a bystander in this precious moment between them.

Taeyong was right. He thinks. Doyoung is a softie when it comes to Yuta.

Doyoung breaks his gaze from Yuta and shifts his focus back to Johnny, who smirks at him. "Don't say anything, I know." Doyoung says, failing to hide his smile when he looks at Yuta frantically calling him. "I have some business to attend to," He licks the bottom of his sharp fangs. "Taeyong is home, I know that's who you're actually here to see."

They part ways, Doyoung heading down to the beach to see the pretty seashell Yuta got for him, and Johnny walks to Taeyong's cottage.

He reaches the front door and knocks on it gently, hoping it was not too aggressive but loud enough to alert Taeyong. He hears footsteps and the door swings open slowly. 

"Hi, Johnny," The fairy answers the door, yawning. "Didn't think you'd come this early."

He lets him inside. Johnny looks towards the kitchen, ingredients and utensils floating around a pan. He sits down, watching a salt can tip over, a pinch of it falls on the pan. It looks like Taeyong is making an omelet for breakfast today.

"Did you sleep well?" Taeyong asks, checking the pan.

"Yeah, better than I expected." Johnny naturally sits down at the table, arms crossed in front of his chest. "It's because I thought of you." He teases, leaning back on the seat and crossing his legs under the table.

"Ah," Taeyong looks away, putting a spatula under the omelet to transfer it onto a plate. The tips of his ears start turning pink. Cute.

"How about you?" Johnny asks, noticing the dark bags under Taeyong's eyes as he brings the plate to the table. "You look tired."

"Actually, fairies don't need that much sleep," Taeyong sets the plate down. "It depends on what kind of fairy you are, night fairies can stay awake longer than morning ones," He yawns, his wings fluttering on his back, almost as if they were trying to wake him up. "I just so happen to be the latter."

Johnny watches as Taeyong stretches his arms upwards, his shirt going up and exposing a bit of his bare stomach. Johnny catches a few glimpses at it before Taeyong lifts himself up to sit on the kitchen counter. Johnny definitely wasn't thinking about how pale his stomach was and how he had a small flower tattooed on his waist. Nope. Not at all.

"I- um…" Taeyong gestures to the plate in front of Johnny. "Have you eaten? You want a bite?"

"Oh, I ate, it's okay," Johnny politely refuses. "It's your food, at this point, I feel full just being here." He snickers. "One of these days, I should make you something to thank you."

Taeyong's wings flutter more and he gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He taps his fingers on the counter and stays silent.

"Taeyong, are you okay?"

Taeyong blinks and remembers that Johnny is here. "Yeah, um, I'm fine."

"Is this...about the dream?" Johnny asks slowly. "Did Ten see something terrible?"

"N-no! It's not-" Taeyong flails his hands around in a panic. "It's...just, a vision, nothing too concerning." Taeyong wishes Ten was here with him to break it to Johnny, but he was alone.

"Where is Ten anyway?" Johnny looks to the front door. "Is he not coming?"

"He had other plans this morning," Taeyong replies, calming down a bit. "The nymph who looks after our part of the forest has taken a liking to him since he first came into the island years ago." He attempts to shift the topic. "So now, he always calls him whenever he needs help with his duties."

"Ah," Johnny nods. Taeyong thinks he successfully avoids the topic until, "So what was in the vision?"

Taeyong takes a deep breath, gripping the counter. “Ten said it’s not too concerning. I think it’s just the memories of the forest manifesting itself as your fears and worries in your dream. Nothing bad is going to happen.” 

Johnny raises his eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Taeyong nods, his voice stern. “I’m sure.”

“Then why was Ten so worried last night?”

“Because they were old memories of the forest. I don’t know the whole story because it happened way before I came to the island.” Taeyong swings his legs back and forth. “But according to Ten, this forest used to be only for the nymphs. Many of them resided here. It was a sanctuary for them. He didn’t tell me why, but something happened that caused humans to find the forest and raid it. Only a handful of nymphs survived.”

Johnny looks down at his hands, playing with his fingers and listening. 

“After that happened, the nymphs who survived decided to rebuild it. They took care of it as best as they could, and they found other beings who lost their homes and invited them here.” Taeyong explains. “That’s how the forest came to be, I guess.”

Johnny exhales, the tension he held inside since last night relaxing. “So…it’s fine, right?” Taeyong nods, sending him a small smile.

“Thank god,” Johnny says, putting his hand on his chest. “Wait…does that mean you lost your old home too?”

Taeyong hangs his head low, but straightens up to answer Johnny’s question. “Yeah…you see, fairies are born from flowers. I used to be in this gorgeous flower meadow with several other fairies. It was great…until it became a tourist spot for humans, and so many of them would sit on our flowers to take pictures. They basically crushed our homes…” His voice sounds gloomy.

Johnny stands up from his seat and walks towards Taeyong as he continues. “I know it’s not as bad as I say it is. I mean, Doyoung’s old castle got burned down, I heard Yuta was hunted a lot at sea but…I didn’t have anywhere to go…until Kun found me.”

“Kun?”

“Yeah, he’s the nymph who takes care of our part of the island. I…owe my life to him, we all do.”

Taeyong’s eyes start to get teary, so he changes the topic. “And he’ll definitely kick my ass if he sees you lurking around here!” He chuckles, trying to hide his sniffling. “I think you should go, Johnny, I told you everything, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you’re right, I should go.” Johnny’s about to head to the door when, “Wait…can I hug you?”

“…What?”

“…Nevermind.”

“I mean, yes! Yes, you can.”

Johnny goes to Taeyong, slowly wrapping his arms around his shoulders, careful to not touch his wings. He’s so warm and delicate in his arms, he almost wants to protect him from any danger. “I’m sorry, about your home and everything.” He pats his back. “Humans really are the worst species on this Earth.” He snickers, feeling Taeyong snake his hands around his waist and lean his chin on his shoulder. Johnny feels himself blushing, and it’s at this moment that he gets a closer look at Taeyong’s wings. They spread a little past his torso, silhouettes of flowers and animals shine brightly on it. They seem fragile, almost like they were made of glass, yet so intricately detailed.

“Thank you, Johnny.” Taeyong says, relishing in the warmth of his chest. 

Johnny pulls away first, holding Taeyong’s shoulders. “I’ll see you?” Taeyong nods, and Johnny heads out the door and goes towards the bridge, his hands in his pockets.

Taeyong stays there, frozen inside his cottage. After a while, he exhales and leans back on the counter, placing his hand over his chest and feeling his own heartbeat quicken its pace.

_____

Johnny lays down in his bed, scrolling through his phone late into the night. There’s a heavy weight on his chest when he replays the conversation him and Taeyong had earlier that day, about the meaning of his dream, how the forest used to be, and how Taeyong lost his home. He recalls how Taeyong’s eyes shined, holding in tears.

Did I do that? Johnny asks himself, feeling bad that he unintentionally made Taeyong remember a huge loss. He slaps his forehead. I shouldn’t have brought it up.

Johnny continues to scroll through recipes, trying to figure out what he could cook for himself the next day. He chances upon a baking recipe and clicks it. He checks his fridge and pantry if he has all the ingredients he needs. Then, he remembers Taeyong.

A lightbulb clicks in his head.

_____

“You’re…making cupcakes?” Jaehyun asks his friend through the phone.

“Yup, why not?” Johnny answers, whipping his hair back and putting a stick in the cupcakes to see if they were fully baked. “Why? A big, strong man like me can’t make silly little cupcakes?”

“No, that’s not it,” Jaehyun chuckles, the sounds echoing from the phone laying on Johnny’s kitchen table. “Why are you making cupcakes all of a sudden? At this hour?”

“What?! Midnight’s not a bad time to start a new hobby!“

Johnny opens his phone camera and shows Jaehyun his freshly baked cupcakes on the cooling rack. 

“Those look really good!” He compliments Johnny’s minimal baking skills. “But how exactly are you gonna decorate it? It looks really difficult.”

“Nonsense, man! I can do it, I just need to be focused.”

“Why did you choose such detailed ones? Good luck with that shit, decorating is not easy.”

Johnny audibly gasps. “Wow, do you have not a single ounce of faith in me? You’re my best friend, you’re supposed to hype me up even if I’m not capable of doing stuff!”

“Last time I checked, that wasn’t in the criteria!” 

They both laugh, Jaehyun staying up late to watch Johnny attempt to put frosting he made on the cupcakes. 

“You seem different.” Jaehyun says, Johnny’s phone propped up against a water bottle so he could see his face.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, you sound happier.”

Johnny stops piping and stares at Jaehyun through the phone. “Was I not happy before?”

“That’s not what I mean, like,” Jaehyun tried to find the right words. “There’s a certain glow to you, you look happier.”

Johnny smiles to himself. He heads to the fridge and pours himself a glass of water. He drinks from the glass when Jaehyun asks out of the blue:

“Are you…seeing someone?”

Johnny almost chokes his water out, coughing. “What?! Why would that be the case?” He laughs, getting tissues to clean up his mess. “You know I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”

“Johnny, don’t underestimate me. I can read you like a fucking book.” Jaehyun crosses his arms. “And all I see is a guy desperately decorating cupcakes in the dead of the night for a certain someone.” He states his point. “Now, spill.”

“There’s nothing to spill!” Johnny shrugs his shoulders, observing the absolute mess that is his kitchen table. “Except water and frosting, fuck.” He says under his breath, getting more tissues to wipe his table.

“Johnny, if you were sane, you would be baking on a weekend, not the night before a workday.” Jaehyun says. “You’re so love struck that you didn’t think this through, I love the dedication though!”

Johnny glares at him. “…Oh would you look at the time! You have work too, right? I gotta go, goodnight!”

“Hey! I’m not done wi-“ Johnny taps the red button and hangs up before Jaehyun could finish his sentence.

Johnny sighs, looking down at the cupcakes and seeing how much more he has to do. He checks the time on his phone: 1:27am.

He cracks his knuckles and his neck, eyeing down the piping bag. He gets a hair tie and puts his hair in a half ponytail. Let’s do this.

_____

Johnny finishes his work day, tiredly shuffling his feet towards his apartment and unlocking his door. He throws his bag down on the sofa and goes to his bedroom, falling face first onto the bed. He’s drained, sleepy, and exhausted. After a few minutes of groaning, he pushes himself up from his bed and heads back to the kitchen.

He opens his fridge, carefully getting a huge paper box and setting it down on the table. He lifts the cover up, the frosting and decorations on his cupcakes have successfully chilled. He closes it up and finds the prettiest ribbon he has from his previous food deliveries to wrap the box. He uses his remaining energy to pick up the box and carry it outside of his apartment.

He goes the same route, making sure the box in his hands doesn’t tilt or fall. It would be a waste of his efforts if it gets ruined. He quickly strides to the alleyway and passes through the barrier. He walks on the bridge, looking up at the sky to see if there were any more stars here than in the city. Only a few visible, Johnny bets there would be more in the sky much later, but he can’t stay for long.

He makes it to the end of the bridge. Out of nowhere, a bluebird flies towards him, Johnny couldn’t inch away because of the fragile box in his hands. The bird lands right on top of him, like he was a tree.

“Johnny?“ The fairy calls out to him. “Oh, I see you’ve met Ruby!”

“Ruby?” Is he referring to the bird?

“She must like you a lot, or she thinks you’re a nest.” Taeyong giggles. “Ruby, come!”

The bird flies off of Johnny's head and lands on Taeyong's hand that stretches out towards her. It climbs up Taeyong’s arm, nestling itself on his shoulder. “She’s my little flying companion, isn’t she pretty?”

Johnny knew what pretty was, and he was right in front of him.

“So, what’s with the business attire?” Taeyong points to the box in his hands. “And what’s in that box?”

“Oh-“ Johnny looks down and realizes he didn’t change from his work clothes. He’s still wearing his white long sleeved button up and slacks. “I just came from work.” He opens the box to show Taeyong. “I told you I’d make something.”

Taeyong’s mouth is agape. “You made cupcakes?!”

Johnny nods. “I made for Doyoung, Yuta, and Ten too!”

Johnny heads down to the beach where Doyoung and Yuta are. He sits down by the shore, handing them their respective decorative cupcakes.

“These are…” Doyoung observes the black bat placed in the frosting. “Interesting.”

“Oh come on, love.” Yuta says, admiring his that had a mermaid tail on it. “Just say they’re cute!”

They both take a bite of it at the same time, looking at each other and nodding. “These are really good!” Yuta tells Johnny and gives him a thumbs up.

“They are…decent.” Doyoung comments dryly.

“Are you really that repulsed to complimenting me, Doyoung? I worked all night on these!” Johnny complains. “Am I like garlic to you or something?”

Doyoung gives him a fake laugh. “Haha, very funny stereotype.” He takes another bite of his cupcake and whispers to Johnny. “I’ll give you credit for the buttercream frosting, it’s quite good, that’s all.” 

Johnny smiles at Doyoung. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Johnny looks back at the forest and sees Taeyong flying back towards them with Ruby alongside him. “Sorry, Ten seems really busy, I’ll save him his cupcake.” He plops himself down on the beach, looking expectantly at Johnny.

Johnny opens the box again and lifts a cupcake with pink wings perched on the white frosting. “This one is yours.”

Taeyong takes it fervently, zeroing in on the detail Johnny put on the wings. It leaves him speechless. It was like a pink butterfly landed on the frosting. Doyoung and Yuta notice and inch closer to look at it. “Hey!” Doyoung starts. “Why did you put more effort into his?! All I got was a boring ass bat.” 

“Because it was for a boring ass vampire,” Johnny says in a condescending tone and boops Doyoung's nose. "Also, it took me the longest to make, let him relish in my efforts."

"It's so cool!" Yuta stares at it like it's an artifact in a museum. "Have you ever thought of pursuing something in baking?"

Johnny shakes his head. "Ah, it's just a hobby, I'd be a terrible baker, I made such a mess last night for these."

"Thank you," Taeyong says so softly that Johnny wouldn't hear it if he wasn't right next to him. "Really, thank you, this is...a really nice thing you did."

"No problem, Taeyong," He nudges his arm gently. "And trust me, this won't be the last." He beams at him. Taeyong takes a small bite of the cupcake, careful not to let the wing topping fall out.

Johnny relaxes while the beings finish up their treats. He unbuttons his top a little and rolls up his sleeves, leaning back and propping himself up with his arms. He closes his eyes and breathes in the fresh air, the sea breeze passes them. Johnny relishes in this serene moment, Yuta in front of him showing Doyoung an old music box he found buried under the ocean floor, and Ruby is perched on Taeyong's shoulder, the sound of her chirping calms him. It's almost reminiscent of the times he and his college friends would hang out at night and stargaze on a picnic blanket, pouring out their worries and their dreams. For a moment, Johnny felt like he wasn't alone. 

In the corner of his eye, he catches Taeyong staring at him. They make eye contact and Taeyong looks away, cooing at Ruby so he didn't have to face Johnny. The bird nips at his ears, pinker than ever. Johnny wonders if he was just imagining things, or if the way Taeyong looks at him is the same way Doyoung looks at Yuta. An intimate fondness present between them that's so intruding yet comfortable.

Johnny remarks that it's getting late, he waves goodbye to the creatures and promises to bring more homemade treats for them. He walks home empty handed, Taeyong took the box from him to save the cupcake for Ten, a spellbook decor on top of the white frosting.

He passes through the barrier back into the city, casually going in and out of two different worlds. He takes his sweet time walking through the streets, the lights from street lamps and billboards illuminate the way. Jaehyun's words through the phone that he nearly forgot about, return to his mind and replay like a broken record.

There’s a certain glow to you, you look happier.

_____

"You haven't told him yet?"

It's midnight when Doyoung and Taeyong are in his cottage, Taeyong has his hands covering his mouth, biting his thumb.

"If he hears it, it will break him, Doyoung." 

"The more you delay it, the more it will hurt him when he finds out eventually." Doyoung cuts open a blood orange and sucks the juices through his fangs. "You owe it to him to tell him the truth. It's the whole reason he came back. You promised Ten you would."

"I know." Taeyong puts his head in his hands and sighs. He plays with the small makeshift box he made to store the cupcake Johnny made for Ten. 

"So what are you going to do?" Doyoung asks. "Keep sneaking him into the island in hopes that Kun doesn't see him? We can't hide him forever."

"Sure we can, if Kun comes close, we can always have Ten distract him." Taeyong tries to ease the tension, but Doyoung's serious expression doesn't waver. He starts to pick at the skin near his nails.

"That's not the only problem we have because of Johnny."

Taeyong looks up at Doyoung. "What do you mean?" 

"...You're catching feelings for him, aren't you?"

Taeyong freezes up, not saying anything. Even his wings stayed still. 

"I...I'm not. I don't know-"

"Taeyong." Doyoung says, monotonously. "Don't try to lie. Even if you were a good liar, your ears give it away." Doyoung leans back on the seat and clears his throat.

" Oh Taeyong, thank you for making me food, oh Taeyong, I slept well because I thought of you," Doyoung says in a lovey-dovey voice. "Oh Taeyong, I made you these super intricate cupcakes for you and your friends because I lo-"

"Shut up!" Taeyong throws the seat cushion under him at Doyoung. "...How much did you hear?"

"Just some here and there," Doyoung takes another bite of his blood orange. "A heightened sense of hearing is both a blessing and a curse." He shudders, thinking about the other gross things they would say to each other if the circumstances were different.

"Oh please!" Taeyong shoots back. "You should have heard the shit you said about Yuta before you started dating." He clasps his hands together. " Oh, I could never be with Yuta, he's too good and too beautiful for me, oh, what shall I do with myself? Does someone like me deserve someone like him? Oh, what peril!"

"...Touché." Doyoung gives up.

They both snicker, the tension between them disappears after they tease each other.

But then, Doyoung asks. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I don't know how he feels about me, would it even work?"

"Well, you guys liked each other before, right? Although, he doesn't remember that." Doyoung fiddles with the drained blood orange in his hand. 

"Yeah, but it was different. We both wanted a high that night, and we gave it to each other. I thought after I erased his memory, it would end there and I didn't have to worry about it but…" Taeyong continues his train of thought before it disappears. "Now he's back, and now I find myself wanting more than just a one night stand."

They both sit there, deep in thought. He, Doyoung and Yuta spent one night outside to have fun, and Taeyong chose to sleep with someone just for the sake of it, thinking it wouldn't bite him back. But now that same person walks to his place just because he wants to, and for some reason, he can.

"I know I make it seem like I don't like the guy, but," Doyoung sighs. "I can tell he's a good guy. It's just...the situation." Taeyong nods, knowing that he broke several rules just to be close to Johnny.

"...I'm scared." Taeyong utters.

"Of what?" Doyoung leans his elbows on the table. "Johnny finding out what you're hiding?" He pats Taeyong's hand. "It has to come out eventually."

"I know." Taeyong picks at his lips, his wings feel like they're shivering. "I just don't know which one he'll find out first."

________

Johnny didn't realize how often he went to the island until he saw the barrage of reminders he set for himself to buy ingredients and make food. Almost every weekend (He thankfully learned to prep on Fridays instead due to the sleep deprivation he suffered the first time he baked), he'd come by and bring the treats he made for the beings. Cookies, bread, cake, and brownies were brought into the island and they'd either share it by the beach or inside Taeyong's cottage. Sometimes, Taeyong would be making dinner for them, and Johnny would offer to help.

"Slice these carrots for me." Taeyong puts some carrots and a small knife on the cutting board. Johnny sits down at the table and starts slicing the carrots. Taeyong watches him. "You slice like that ?" He points out Johnny's hand holding the carrot in place, his fingers are too near the knife. "No, no, you could get hurt like that." Taeyong walks over to him. "Curl your fingers inwards, like this." He places his hand on Johnny's and does it for him. "This way, your fingers are away from the knife."

"Boo!" Doyoung shouts from the sofa, his arm around Yuta. "Get a room!"

"What?!" Taeyong whips his head towards Doyoung. Johnny secretly thanks Doyoung for taking his attention off him, a light peach shade creeping on his cheeks. "I'm just trying to help him! You and Yuta are basically joined at the hip!"

"Leave them alone, love," Yuta says, his hand snakes around Doyoung's waist and he slings his leg (Taeyong gave him legs for today, Johnny was confused the first time he saw Yuta walking with a pair of legs) over Doyoung. "It's their way of flirting." He whispers, making his boyfriend giggle. 

Yuta turns around to Johnny. "You should stay over sometime! Isn't it tiring walking back and forth?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Johnny goes back to slicing the carrots. "I start to appreciate the scenery more when I walk here, but I guess...I don't have any plans next weekend."

"You go here almost every weekend," Yuta points out. "Come on! Sleep over! I'm sure Taeyong doesn't mind you sleeping here. Right, Taeyong?"

Johnny turns to Taeyong, who takes the cutting board when Johnny is finished slicing and pours the carrots into the pan. "Of course I don't mind," He looks at Johnny and whispers. "You can sleep in my room."

"I heard that!" Doyoung exclaims. "You never let me sleep in your room, why does Johnny get special treatment?!"

"Because he's the guest! I'm not making him sleep on the sofa." Taeyong says, sauteing the vegetables in the pan. "Plus, you come here everyday, You and Yuta can have the sofa." Doyoung groans. 

"What about Ten?" Yuta asks. "He's not busy next week, we should invite him too! I haven't seen him in a while." 

Taeyong's excited expression fades, but he turns back to focus on the vegetables. "Yeah, sure, of course he can come."

Doyoung notices but chooses not to comment.

Taeyong finishes cooking and calls everyone to the table. He serves them a carrot and kale vegetable saute, and shimmering dust surrounds the floating plates as they float onto the table. They dig in, continuing to plan what they wanted to do for the sleepover. They finish up with a dessert of Johnny's homemade fudge brownies, remarking that his baking skills have improved over the weeks. Eventually, Johnny tells them that he should get going.

"Don't forget, okay?" Yuta reminds him. He gives him a confident thumbs up, making sure to set a reminder in his calendar. 

"You better come empty-handed! I'll cook!" Taeyong says. "Let's walk ba-"

"I will walk Johnny back." Doyoung cuts in. "You should rest, Taeyong." Doyoung opens the door for Johnny, giving Taeyong a look before he goes outside.

Johnny and Doyoung walk in silence for a while. It's not awkward, but Johnny didn't know what to say to him.

"I have something to tell you," Doyoung breaks the silence. "I know Taeyong won't tell you and I think you should know at least this much."

"What are you talking about?" 

"...Do you remember the yacht party during New Year's Eve?"

"Yes, I do! My friend gave me an invi-" Johnny pauses. "Wait...how did you know I was there?" He tilts his head.

"Because we were there too, Johnny." Doyoung turns to him, hands behind his back. "Me, Yuta, and Taeyong."

Johnny racks his brain, desperately trying to piece it together. Then, he remembers a man dressed in all black with a lingering scent of perfume wafting in the air.

"I bumped into you that night, didn't I?"

"Would you look at that?" Doyoung says, fascinated. "I guess Taeyong's magic isn't as strong when it comes to you. You're starting to remember."

"That was you? Jesus, your perfume was so strong!"

"Yes, that was me- wait, it was?!" Doyoung's tone changes mid sentence. "Crap, I knew I should have worn something different!"

"Wait, where was Taeyong then?"

"He was with you."

With that sentence, a rush of memories flooded Johnny's brain. He sees him and Taeyong talking over drinks, the way he touched his arm every time he made him laugh, how gorgeous he looked when the fireworks reflected in his eyes, how he let him inside his car and drove him to his apartment, his hand on Johnny's thigh, the elevator ride to his floor, and the way Taeyong pulled him by the collar for a passionate kiss.

"We slept together?!" Johnny grabs his head, tugging at his blond strands.

"Bingo," Doyoung snaps his fingers. "See? Didn't even need to say it." He shrugs his shoulders while looking at a panicked and confused human.

"Why didn't I remember?" Johnny massages his scalp, still very much confused. "And why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know Taeyong won't do it." Doyoung crosses his arms. "You were going to know eventually, might as well get it out now."

Johnny feels like he's been hit by a truck. Instant impact and so much to process. He thinks about how heated it must have been between them that night. Touching and kissing in places too intimate to say out loud. The mere thought of it sends Johnny's hormones in a frenzy, his face heating up. It was as if he reverted into his hormonal teenage self.

"You good?" Doyoung asks with concern, staring at Johnny, his face red as a tomato. Johnny just looks at him, his eyes screaming " NO" in Doyoung's face.

"He erased your memory that night, by the way," Doyoung answers his other question. "Do with that what you will, just, don't tell him I told you." He leans in to whisper. "If you end up confronting him about it, blame it on Ruby. She's cute, but she can be such a tattletale."

Doyoung's one sided beef with a bluebird just makes Johnny burst out laughing. "The bird?!"

"Yes, the fucking bird! Taeyong lets her get away with anything! But me? Oh, he'd kill me if he was heartless enough!"

Both of them laugh, clutching their stomachs. Doyoung nearly loses his balance while Johnny throws his head back. They calm down for a while, Johnny panting as he begins to process everything again. He's about to wave goodbye to Doyoung when, "Wait, one last thing."

Doyoung clears his throat. "Don't hurt him." He says with a much more serious tone. "Taeyong can be a handful...he's impulsive and stubborn but...he's my friend and I want to look out for him."

"Don't worry," Johnny assures him. "I have no intention of doing that."

"I know, I can tell," Doyoung says, "Just making sure."

They bid each other goodbye, and as soon as Johnny passes through the barrier again, he lets out a sigh. He touches his cheeks, they are burning. The thought of him and Taeyong sleeping together doesn't leave his mind easily. Is this why Taeyong's stares linger on him? Why he treated Johnny so well from the start?

God, why did Doyoung have to tell me that?

____

Doyoung walks back to Taeyong's cottage. He lets himself inside, Yuta has already gone back to the beach, leaving Taeyong to clean up. 

"Why were you guys laughing so hard?" Taeyong says, not turning to Doyoung to focus on washing the dishes.

"You heard us?"

"Yeah, you guys were so goddamn loud." Taeyong's voice is stern. Doyoung treads lightly.

"...Are you angry?"

"No, why would I be?" Taeyong lifts a plate to Ruby, who sits beside the kitchen sink eating the leftover food debris before Taeyong washes it.

"...Are you...jealous?"

"What- no, why would I-" He scrubs the sponge on the plate aggressively. "You have Yuta, I'm not- Johnny can laugh with whoever he wants, I don't-" He sighs. "I don't care."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I just," Taeyong takes a deep breath. "I just feel scared. I'm sorry that I took it out on you."

"Is it because Yuta wants Ten to come? I can tell him, he'll under-"

"No, it's fine." Taeyong finishes washing the dishes and dries his hands. "If Yuta wants him there, then he will be. I was starting to miss him too."

"...But you didn't keep your promise to him."

"That's not true, I will tell him...eventually."

"Taeyong, it's been weeks." Doyoung rests his hand on the sink, his gaze piercing Taeyong. "How much longer?"

Taeyong gulps. He pets Ruby, stroking her feathers to avoid Doyoung looking at him.

"...Next week." Doyoung says, point blank.

Taeyong faces him. "What?"

"You have until next week. You have to tell him then."

"But I-"

"Taeyong, You promised Ten. It's the least you can do."

Doyoung turns to Ruby, lifting his finger and petting her head. "Goodnight, Ruby." He transforms into a bat and flies out the open window.

Taeyong stays still, both hands gripping the kitchen sink. Ruby looks up at him curiously. She inches closer to him and nuzzles herself on his arm.

A single tear falls down Taeyong's cheek.

_____

The week flies by faster than Johnny expected. It’s Saturday morning when Johnny packs an overnight bag, making sure to bring his best pajamas. Late afternoon is when Johnny heads to the island.

He passes by the same Starbucks he always does, the same place where he saw Taeyong the first time. Technically, the second time. Johnny corrects himself, remembering what Doyoung told him last week. He shakes it off, continuing to walk the route he knows like the back of his hand.

He passes through the barrier once again, it’s routine for him at this point. He walks on the bridge, adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder. Usually, he’d be carrying baked goods for the beings but Taeyong insisted that he’d cook for everyone.

“Johnny!” He looks up and sees a witch waving at him.

“Ten!” He extends his hand to him. “Long time no see!”

“Sorry, I was pretty busy, I think Kun likes me too much.” A cheeky smile is plastered on Ten’s face. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

“Oh, Taeyong told you about my vision, right?” Ten puts his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry, did you…take it well?”

“Yeah! Yeah, it’s fine, Ten.” He pats his hand. “Let’s go inside.” 

Ten wraps his arm around Johnny's and leads him to Taeyong’s cottage. The door swings open and Taeyong greets them happily. “Glad you guys are finally here! We’ve been waiting for-“ Taeyong looks down, seeing Ten’s hand around Johnny’s arm. “Uh, come in!”

Doyoung and Yuta are already cuddling on the sofa when Johnny sets his bag down. Taeyong is almost done cooking and asks Johnny and Ten to help him carry the vegetable pizza he made from his oven to serve at the table. He rushes to his fridge to get a homemade hummus.

“Why aren’t you making them do anything?” Ten gestures towards Doyoung and Yuta chilling on the sofa while Taeyong hands him the hummus.

“There’s no point,” Taeyong says, closing the fridge. “As soon as they’re together, they’re glued together. It’s so gross.”

“I heard that!” Doyoung exclaims, turning his head towards Yuta. “And we’ll be even grosser.” He kisses the side of Yuta’s head, making him giggle like a giddy high school girl.

Both Taeyong and Ten simultaneously make gagging noises while Johnny laughs. Everyone gathers at the table and sits down, digging into their food almost immediately. They exchange stories of how they’ve been, Ten updating his spell book and trying out new spells, Doyoung and Yuta talking about the trinkets they collected from the previous decades, and Taeyong and Johnny showing a list of recipes they want to do.

“Johnny should just live here and be your cooking assistant,” Ten suggests to Taeyong. “That way, you have a helper in the kitchen, and I could see this guy more.” He nudges Johnny beside him playfully.

“Ah, moving is such a big decision though,” Johnny replies. “I’d come more often but I have work on most days.”

“Guess we’re both pretty busy people.” Ten smiles at Johnny, scrunching his nose.

Johnny looks at Taeyong, his expression doesn’t look too friendly. It seems to be directed at Ten. Did something happen between them?

“Oh, Ten, while you’re here,” Yuta says, voice bursting with excitement. “You and Taeyong should do the thing.”

Ten and Taeyong look at each other, then back at Yuta. “Which thing are you talking about?” Taeyong asks him, leaning forward from his seat. Yuta acts it out with his hands and imitates the sounds of fireworks.

“Oh,” Ten realizes. “ That thing.” He looks at Taeyong, smirking.

“What thing?” Johnny says confused, his seat in between Taeyong and Ten.

Ten brings out a small pouch and takes out a red colored ball. It was only around the size of half his thumb. Ten plays with it in his hands.

“I didn’t think you’d bring it today.” Taeyong says.

Ten holds it up for everyone to see. “I knew Yuta would ask for it eventually, so I came prepared.” His eyes dart to Taeyong. “Think fast!”

Ten throws the ball in the air, everyone’s eyes follow it. Taeyong quickly points his finger at it, and golden shimmering dust flies towards the ball and causes it to burst, red and gold lines that resemble a firework.

Yuta claps, amazed at the witch and the fairy while Doyoung rests his hand on Yuta’s leg, looking at him fondly. Johnny’s mouth is agape. “Woah,” He turns to Ten. “What was that?”

“My best discovery,” Ten opens his pouch and brings out more colored balls. There were green, pink, orange, and blue ones too. “I call these my spell bombs.”

“Bombs?” Johnny questions.

“Yup,” Ten nods. “Don’t worry, these ones are non-toxic,” He fiddles with a few of them in his hand. “Usually if you threw these at someone, you could either give them a really bad rash overnight or make them unconscious. I make them and keep them with me just in case there’s an emergency. But combined with Taeyong’s magic, it becomes harmless.” Ten throws them up in the air, and Taeyong points his finger at them and all of them explode one by one.

“It is now me and Taeyong’s favorite party trick,” Ten beams. “Works every time.”

Johnny claps for them. “That’s so fucking cool!”

Ten pretends to bow from his seat. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

Ten throws some more in the air, him and Taeyong making a whole fireworks show for everyone to enjoy. He focuses on Taeyong, watching how the colored bombs reflect in his eyes. It was just like what happened at the yacht that night.

He is even more beautiful now that I remember.

Taeyong catches him staring at him and shyly turns away, drinking from his glass. 

The group talks for what seems like hours, laughing until they cry. Doyoung falls off his seat once, Yuta protecting his head and making sure he doesn’t accidentally hit the table. Taeyong, Ten, and Johnny laugh even harder, burying their heads in their arms and slamming their hands on the poor table. Johnny calms down, tears about to fall from his eyes. He catches his breath, realizing that this is the most he's laughed in a long time. Even if he only knew them for a couple of weeks, it felt like they had been friends for years. The rest of them calm down, Yuta pulling Doyoung back on his seat.

Johnny yawns, and everyone stares at him.

"Aw," Ten coos at Johnny. "Looks like someone is sleepy." He pokes his cheek.

"Come, Johnny," Taeyong is yawning as well. "You can sleep with me upstairs."

The group just looks at him. Taeyong's whole face turns pink when he registers what he said.

"Ah! It's not- I didn't mean-" He pinches his nose bridge, the wings on his back flutter in a panic. "I- you have a separate bed, Johnny, I'll show you." He gestures to Johnny to come upstairs.

Ten looks at them, then Doyoung and Yuta, who head to the sofa. "Wonderful, I'm fifth-wheeling a bunch of lovebirds."

"You wouldn't be if you brought Kun." Yuta winks at him, Doyoung pulling his arm towards the sofa so they could sleep.

"Ah! Don't mention him!" Ten threatens him.

"Be quiet!" Taeyong exclaims, leading Johnny upstairs to his room. "Ten, you can join them on the sofa."

Ten whips his head to Taeyong. "Wait- I have to be on the sofa?! With them ?!" He points at Yuta and Doyoung lying down on the sofa.

"It's that or the floor, take your pick." Taeyong teases, the lights in the first floor turning off at the snap of his finger. "Goodnight!"

Taeyong opens the door to his room and lets Johnny inside. Johnny looks to the right, a mattress laid on top of a thin metal bed frame on the side across from Taeyong's bed. Ruby jumps on the pillow at the sound of the door. 

"Hi Ruby," Johnny says softly, holding his hand out so Ruby could land on his palm. "Did you warm up the bed for me?" He lifts his hand near his face. Ruby inches closer and rubs her head on his forehead as her way of saying goodnight. "Thank you, Ruby."

She flies out of his hand and onto Taeyong's. She chirps, Taeyong nods like they're speaking the same language. Taeyong lays a soft kiss on her head and she flies into her open gold cage, perching herself on the bird swing.

"Ruby seems comfortable with you already." Taeyong says, leaning back to lie down on his bed. 

Johnny smiles and lies down as well, adjusting the pillow under his head. There's a moment of silence between them, it's comfortable. The atmosphere of Taeyong's room almost reminds Johnny of his own apartment. It felt like home.

"Can I ask you something, Taeyong?" Johnny asks, turning his head to see Taeyong shuffling on his bed, positioning himself to lie on his side so his wings move freely on the bed. The one thing Taeyong doesn't like about having wings.

"Sure."

"How long have all of you been friends?"

"Hmm," Taeyong smacks his lips. "Well, the year I came to the island, Doyoung was already living here since the year before." He continues. "If I'm correct, then he's been living here for twenty years. A few years later, Yuta came along. Ten was the last one to join, arriving just ten years ago I believe? What a coincidence." He snickers. "But yeah, we all just...clicked instantly. We've been close ever since."

"You guys remind me of the friends I had in college," Johnny says. "It kinda sucks that I don't see them often anymore…" He sighs, his hand on his stomach.

"Hey...it's alright," Taeyong assures him. "You have us."

Johnny grins, a warmth spreading across his cheeks and a tingle in his stomach. But then, he remembers how Taeyong looked at Ten earlier and wonders.

"Did...something happen between you and Ten?"

"Hm? Oh, no, we're fine." Taeyong replies, confused. "What made you think that?"

"It's just...you were giving him a certain look."

The more Johnny thinks about it, the more he realizes that Taeyong only looked at Ten like that because Ten mostly talked to him.

"Are you...jealous of Ten?"

Taeyong scoffs at the thought. "What? That's- that's not it. At all. Why-" His ears start to turn pink and Johnny notices it even when it's dark. "Why do people think I'm jealous? Even Doyoung sai- No, you know what? I don't care, I don't!"

Johnny giggles at the way Taeyong answers in such a flustered manner. He couldn't take him seriously with the dainty pink wings on his back and how cute he looks when he scrunches his nose in annoyance.

Johnny stands up and grabs the metal frame of the bed, pulling it towards Taeyong's bed. He goes to the other side and pushes it, making sure it was right beside Taeyong. Taeyong watches as Johnny lies down again, his face only inches away from his. Taeyong gazes at him, not sure what to say.

"You can tell me what's on your mind," Johnny whispers, his breath brushing against Taeyong's nose. "I'm all yours tonight."

Taeyong blushes even more. "Stop it, you're too close." Taeyong jokingly tries to push him away, but Johnny is as solid as a rock that he barely moves a centimeter. Taeyong gives up, studying Johnny's deep brown eyes and the way his blond hair falls on his face.

"Johnny?"

"Hmm?" Johnny hums.

"Thank you," Taeyong whispers, as sincere as he could be. "Ever since you came, I think everyone has become a bit happier. You're great company, and a great baker too," His gaze darts from Johnny's eyes to his lips. "I really like...spending time with you."

Johnny gives him the brightest smile, his teeth showing. "I like their company too," Johnny reaches to hold Taeyong's hand. "And I like spending time with you too."

They both close their eyes, relishing in each other's presence as the sounds of crickets outside echo in the night.

"...Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"...Nevermind, I forgot what I was going to say, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Taeyong."

_____

Johnny’s eyes flutter open when he hears the sound of trees rustling outside. He wakes up to Taeyong’s soft snoring, their foreheads almost touching. He smiles, tucking Taeyong’s hair behind his ear. The sunlight through the window hits Taeyong’s face, his textured skin more visible. It's when Johnny is this close to him that he notices that Taeyong has a scar near the corner of his eye. It looked like a rose. Johnny thinks he wouldn't mind waking up next to this for the rest of his life.

He sits up slowly, Taeyong stirring at the slight creak of the bed frame. He stays asleep, and Johnny cautiously stands up, trying his best not to make another sound. He looks up and sees Ruby, her head bobbing up and down.

"Good morning." Johnny mouths to her. He lightens his footsteps and opens the door gently to go downstairs. 

When he gets to the end of the stairs, he holds in a snicker when he looks at the sofa. He goes closer, his footsteps as quiet as a mouse. He sees the three beings sleeping peacefully and wonders how the hell they were able to sleep like that.

Doyoung was on top of Yuta, his head to his chest, and Ten was using Doyoung's butt as his pillow, his legs dangling off the edge of the sofa. He feels bad for Ten, there wasn't much space for him when Doyoung and Yuta took up most of it. None of them looked uncomfortable, surprisingly. 

Johnny gazes out the window, bright sun rays shine through the trees. It was a beautiful morning. Now that Johnny thinks about it, the only places in the forest he's been to was Taeyong's cottage and the beach. He wonders what the rest of the forest was like. Surely, a quick morning stroll wouldn't hurt anyone.

He unzips his bag on the floor, bringing out an extra set of clothes for him to change into. He goes inside the bathroom and switches clothes. He then puts on his shoes and carefully opens the front door, leaving the cottage.

He walks around, surrounded by tall trees and plants growing out of them. There were flowers on the ground and moss covered rocks. Johnny feels like he is going on a nature walk, like the ones he used to do on field trips back in high school. He takes his time, admiring the various plants and bugs he comes across. This forest held so much more than he thought.

When he looks in front of him again, he sees a huge tree. It wasn't like the trees he passed by, its trunk was much wider and its long and thick branches were about twice the size of the other trees. Johnny marvels at it, walking closer. There were a few bird nests on top of the branches, a couple of multicolored birds gaze down at Johnny curiously. He grins at them, hoping that they weren't afraid of him.

He reaches out to touch the bark, its rough texture under his fingers. It seems quite old, like it has been on the island for decades. But why was this tree so much older than the others?

"What are you doing?" An unfamiliar voice behind him asks.

Johnny whips his head back to see who it is. He sees a man with fluffy black hair, his wavy bangs on the sides of his face. He wore a flowy white long sleeved shirt and white pants. He was barefoot, his feet digging into the soil. How the hell did he walk without shoes? Johnny wonders.

"Why are you touching my tree?" The man asks again.

His tree? Johnny flinches his hand away. "Oh my- I am so sorry," He bows apologetically. "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." He assures Johnny with a gentle tone. "Are you new here?" Johnny nods.

"Who brought you here?"

"Taeyong did." Johnny says, unable to lie.

"Taeyong?" The man sucks air through his teeth. "Ah, he should have at least consulted me before bringing in someone new." He says under his breath. "And how long have you been wandering around?"

"Just for a few minutes."

"Have you met Ten?" Johnny nods again.

"That's strange," He tilts his head. "Ten would have told me if there was someone new."

Johnny stays quiet, fiddling with his hands. He didn't expect to run into another being so early in the morning.

"Oh, I'm so rude, I didn't even introduce myself." The being chuckles to himself. "I'm Kun. I look after this part of the island."

Kun... Kun. Shit. Johnny curses in his mind. I ran into the one creature I wasn't supposed to!

"What's your name?"

"I- uh," Johnny tries to think of a fake name. "I'm John." Great, wonderful.

"John?" Kun snickers. "It doesn't sound like you're from Seoul, are you a foreigner?"

"Yes, I'm from…" Johnny hesitates. "...Cincinnati?"

"You're from America?" Kun says, surprised. "Heavens, how did you get here?"

"Oh, you know," Johnny laughs nervously. "By plane."

"Wait, you look very familiar," Kun points at him. "Your facial structure is amazing!"

Johnny gets distracted by the sudden compliment. "Oh! Thank you, people say I got it from my-"

"Wait."

Kun's excited expression fades away. The more he looks at Johnny, the more he realizes that he had no signs of being magical. He was...normal.

"You're...you're a human." Kun's voice is now stern.

"No, wait, I-"

"You're a human, " He emphasizes on the last word. "What are...how did you-"

"Kun!"

They both turn to the sound of Ten's voice, running towards them while Taeyong, Doyoung, and Yuta follow behind him.

"Ten, what's going on?! How did he get in here?! He shouldn't be here!" Kun's voice gets angrier. He looks down at his hands, then back at Ten. "Is the barrier weakening?"

"No, the barrier is fine."

"Then why is he here?!" He yells and gestures towards Johnny, his gentle and calm aura disappearing. "Get him out!"

"Kun, listen, let me and Taeyong explain-"

"Yes! Please!" Kun huffs. "Tell me why he's here!"

"Kun...he's Junseo's son."

Johnny's eyes widen at the mention of his father's name. He turns to Kun, who is on the verge of tears. "Junseo?" He looks at Johnny again. "You're Junseo's son?"

Johnny just stands there, speechless.

Kun approaches him. He lifts his hand to touch Johnny's face, but retreats it. "How old are you now?"

"I'm 27." Johnny answers honestly.

"...Has it really been that long?" Kun asks himself, holding in tears. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Chicago with your mother."

Johnny takes a deep breath and backs up a bit. "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" His gaze shifts between Ten and Kun. "How do you know my parents?! How do you know my dad's name?!"

Ten and Kun give each other a look, Kun nodding. "Because...he was one of us."

Johnny feels as if time stopped. "...What?"

"He was a nymph, Johnny." Ten adds.

Johnny almost stumbles. "...No. No no no no no that- that's impossible!" His throat becomes drier as he speaks. "Aren't you guys immortal?! There's no way he was….no, he- he died years ago!"

Everyone stares at Johnny, not knowing what to do.

"Just because we live for hundreds of years doesn't mean we can't die." Kun says.

"...What happened to him?"

Kun sniffles. "...Junseo was one of my closest friends. I'd do anything for him, even if it was against the rules." He gulps nervously. "One day, he came back from the city and told me how he met the most beautiful woman, a Korean-American who was staying in Seoul for a year. He was so happy talking about her that I couldn't…" He blinks, his eyes shiny. "I couldn't stop him from seeing her."

Johnny listens intently, his eyes begging Kun to tell him everything.

"They were only together for two months when he got the news that she was pregnant...and he couldn't contain his happiness." Kun's lips curl into a grin, a tear streaming down his cheek. "He was jumping up and down and everything." He wipes his tears with his sleeve. "Months later, you came along."

The image of Johnny's parents being so excited to have him makes Johnny want to cry. He bites his fingers as Kun continues.

"They didn't know where they could raise you, this was the first time any of us encountered a half-human and half-nymph baby. He asked me if I could sneak your mom into the island so she could take care of you." Kun's voice starts to shake. "...But I don't know, some humans must have overheard us...and we didn't realize that they followed us back on boats...until one of them threw an axe at Junseo's tree."

Johnny remembers the axe marks he saw in his dream, afraid that he already knew what Kun was going to say next.

"They were looking for you...and Junseo told me to hide you and- and your mother," He stutters. "And there were people throwing torches at us and- and they had axes and chainsaws and-" Kun clutches his chest, his breathing becoming faster. "I- I tried my best to save him! I really did! But they cut his tree…" More tears start to fall, and Ten runs to him and holds him before his knees could hit the ground.

"I'm sorry Johnny, I'm really really sorry."

Johnny stands still, taking in everything while Kun is crying in front of him, Ten telling him to breathe. 

"Ten, I can't- I need him out of here, he- he looks so much like Junseo." Kun says in between breaths.

Johnny slowly turns around and sees Taeyong and Yuta frozen in place. Doyoung approaches him, his gaze softening. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, it was everything Ten saw in your dream."

"If Ten saw it," Johnny's voice begins to shake. "Why do I only know this now?"

"Taeyong didn't tell you?" Doyoung asks sincerely.

The moment Johnny looks at Taeyong and locks eyes with him, he had the guiltiest look on his face. Johnny walks towards him, Taeyong keeping his eyes on the ground and cowering under his gaze.

"You knew this entire time, didn't you?"

Taeyong doesn't say a word, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he gulps. In that moment, all Johnny knew was anger.

"...You are so fucking unbelievable."

Johnny rushes past Taeyong, bumping his arm as he runs back to the cottage. He pushes the door open, Ruby on the kitchen counter screeching because of the sudden noise. He grabs his bag from the floor and slings it over his shoulder. He heads out of the cottage and doesn't look back. He furiously strides to the bridge, ignoring Taeyong calling his name.

"Johnny, wait!" He hears him shouting from behind, the sound of his wings flapping. "Please!"

Grey clouds cover the sky and droplets of water start to fall. Johnny didn’t care, he just wanted to get out of the island as soon as possible.

“Johnny, listen to me!” Taeyong grabs onto Johnny’s arm. “I- Kun made the mistake of sending you out! We can go back and talk to him so we can fix-“

“No!” Johnny yanks his arm away from Taeyong’s grip. He turns back to him, eyes filled with fury. “Taeyong, you don’t get to decide who made a mistake when you’ve made the biggest one yet!”

Rain pours over them. Taeyong lowers himself on the ground, drops of water land on his wings.

“I didn’t even get to know him!” Johnny yells. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to know who he was and what happened. But every time I asked, it was always the same. He was a good man, Johnny. He made your mom very happy. He would have been so proud of you. But no one ever told me what happened! Not even my own mom could tell me the truth!”

Johnny feels as if there were a thousand needles pricking his neck, his throat getting tighter and tighter. “Do you know how much that fucking hurts, Taeyong?! To have something like that hidden from you because people don’t think you can handle the truth?!” He catches his breath. “I’m a grown man, I should be told things even if they hurt!”

Taeyong says nothing, looking at Johnny apologetically. Their wet hair sticks to both of their faces. Johnny couldn’t tell if Taeyong was crying.

“…I specifically asked you to help me, to tell me what that dream meant. And instead of telling me what was in Ten’s vision, you-“ Johnny tugs at his shirt, the uncomfortable feeling of clothes sticking to his body just makes him angrier.

“You lied to me, Taeyong.”

Taeyong had nothing else to say. Johnny was right. He lied to him. He stands there, as still as a statue. He never knew Johnny calling his name in that tone could evoke so much fear in him.

“Johnny, I-“

“Tell me why.” Johnny’s voice is hoarse. “Why did you hide this from me for so long?”

Taeyong doesn’t utter a word, staring at Johnny desperately.

“Taeyong, why did you-“

“Because I didn’t want you to leave!”

Silence washes over them. Both of them are drenched in rainwater, and Johnny has never felt further away from Taeyong.

“…What?”

“I knew that once I said it, you would be devastated like you are right now, I didn’t want to do that to you, Johnny! Maybe it’s because I care about you too much and it destroys me to see you like this! I didn’t want you to leave and never come back!” He sniffs, his tears stream down his neck. “I didn’t mean to hide it for this long.”

“Well…you just dug yourself a deeper hole.” Johnny’s hand forms a fist, his fingernails digging into his skin. “If you really fucking cared about me, you would have told me that morning!” Johnny shouts, his voice becoming more and more broken with each word. “And to think that I actually-“ He scoffs. “I thought that maybe…with you I wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore.”

“Johnny…please let me-“

“No! You’ve done enough! You kept something that important from me just so you could keep me around! You are the most selfish fucking person I’ve met in my entire life, Taeyong!”

Taeyong’s eyes widen, his heart breaking into a million pieces.

“What even are we?!” Johnny throws his arms in the air. “I mean, we fucked once during New Year’s which I just remembered recently. We’re comfortable with each other, we cook together, we sleep next to each other like it was nothing, and the way you look at me makes me think there’s a chance for something more, but…I was stupid enough to come here every week and bake for you and your friends thinking we could…” Johnny trails off.

“Please, Johnny.” Taeyong’s hand clutches his chest. “Let me fix this.”

“Taeyong, I think this is beyond fixing." Johnny says, his voice low and sorrowful. "Whatever the hell we had before…it’s gone.”

Johnny turns around and walks towards the barrier. Taeyong behind him falls to his knees, his wings flutter weakly before starting to droop. He puts his head in his hands and unleashes all his pent up sadness. A bat flies towards him, transforming into Doyoung, who puts a comforting hand on Taeyong’s shoulder as they watch Johnny disappear through the barrier.

_________

It's been a week since Johnny left the island. The previous days, he went to work like nothing was wrong, plastering a fake smile to avoid any concern from his boss and coworkers. He had numbed himself so well that he nearly forgot what he was sad about, focusing all his attention on his work.

But the weekend hits, and it dawns on him that he couldn’t visit the island. Not anymore.

He spends most of the day in bed, mindlessly scrolling on his phone to try and ignore his pain. But he comes across another baking recipe and the first thing he thinks of was, "They would love this, 

Taeyong would love this."

Tears start to form in his eyes. No matter how much he pushed down the pain and numbed himself, it eventually came back to him. The way everyone's faces would light up when Johnny visited with baked goods, the way Doyoung and Yuta warmed up to him, the way Ten was so welcoming and friendly since they met, and the way Taeyong's ears turned pink and his wings would flutter whenever he was there with them, helping him cook.

But Taeyong hurt me. He remembers. And I hurt him back.

The confrontation on the bridge plays in his mind. How he angrily pushed past everyone and wanted to leave so badly, how Taeyong called him so many times and he refused to look back until he mentioned how Kun was in the wrong for wanting him out of his sight, how he was filled and blinded by his rage that he said so many awful things to Taeyong. The last thing he saw before he left the island was Taeyong's face, tears streaming down to his neck, devastated and heartbroken.

Johnny grabs his pillow and brings it to his face, wet tear marks on the pillow sheet once he takes it off. The tears don't stop, Johnny groans as he reaches to his bedside drawer to get a box of tissues. As he sits up to wipe his face, he looks at his house plants near the window. Leaves were starting to fall off and the stem was bending down. Didn't I water those yesterday? Why do they look like they're about to die?

Johnny stands up from his bed to get his watering can, filling it up with water. He comes back into the bedroom and sits down, tilting the watering can and watching the soil absorb the water.

"Please…" Johnny whispers to the plants, hoping it would do something. "Please stay alive, I'll feel very lonely if you die."

He sighs, sniffling as he tries to wipe away the dried tears on his cheek. There is a weight on his chest and it only becomes heavier when he looks around his empty apartment and wishes someone else filled the room with laughter. He wishes someone would tell him to help with the cooking or set the table, or have someone tease him and ask him about his future or how he spent his day. Johnny never wanted to admit how lonely he felt, brushing it off by saying he was better off on his own.

But whenever he visited the island every week, he got a taste of what home was. There was warmth and comfort and serenity. He fit in, like the puzzle piece put into place. It was all he ever wanted.

Once it was stripped away from him, his apartment no longer felt like home.

Johnny tugs at his hair, begging himself to keep it together. It was almost seven in the evening and he hadn't made himself dinner. But what was the point of cooking or baking anything when he had no one to share it with?

He takes a deep breath and stands up again, getting his phone from the bedside table and sending a text message. There is only one person he could trust in times like these. After a few minutes, he gets a text back, saying that he was on his way.

_____

"Jesus Christ, what happened?" Jaehyun asks as he enters the apartment and closes the door behind him. He looks around, there are unwashed dishes in the sink and clothes lying on the counter and on the chairs. Jaehyun knew Johnny like the back of his hand, and although Johnny wasn't the cleanest person, he knew how to take care of his place well. He could tell that something was wrong.

Johnny walks to the table, holding two plates of spaghetti. It was the only thing he had the energy to make, but it was better than heating up microwaveable meals when a friend is over. He puts one plate in front of Jaehyun and the other in front of his seat.

"It's like you're going through a break up or something." Jaehyun comments on the state of Johnny's place.

Johnny doesn't reply. He only sighs and sits down, gesturing to Jaehyun that he could start eating.

Jaehyun becomes concerned. "...Are you?"

"...I don't even know."

They eat quietly for a bit. Jaehyun waits for Johnny to speak first, not wanting to pry when he's clearly not in a good mood. The sounds of utensils scraping the plate were the only things they heard.

"Jaehyun," He calls his friend. "Hypothetically speaking, if someone you thought you could trust lied to you and kept something really important from you, you'd be pissed as hell, right?"

Jaehyun nods. "Of course, that's pretty much breaking someone's trust, it's close to betrayal in my opinion."

Thanks for adding salt to the wound. Johnny wants to say, but he holds back. He asked Jaehyun a question which deep down, he already knew the answer to. He didn't want to drive away the one friend he had in his proximity.

"And…hypothetically, what if you still feel like shit for being angry at that person even if they were technically in the wrong?"

"Johnny, this doesn't sound very hypothetical." Jaehyun says, leaning in to ask in a low tone. "What's going on? Did something happen recently?"

As much as Johnny wanted to say nothing, he knew it would cloud Jaehyun's mind if he didn't let him know. He decides to tell him in the most vague way possible, not mentioning anything about a secret island or mythical creatures or what really happened to his father. He doesn't think Jaehyun would believe that anyway, but he didn't want it to spread to people who intended to hunt the creatures.

"Is this the same guy you made cupcakes for at midnight?" Johnny nods, his head hung low because of shame.

"Ah, that explains it kinda." Jaehyun says. "If you ask me, I think you still care about him."

Johnny almost laughs in his face. "Care!? Why would I-" He drops his fork on the plate. "He hurt me, Jaehyun. He lied to me. Why would I still care about him?"

"You have every right to be angry and hurt, Johnny. I don't blame you. But the fact that you feel guilty for telling him off shows that you still care. At least that's what it looks like to me."

Johnny takes a deep breath. Jaehyun was right. He, unfortunately, still cared about the fairy. He both loves and hates how Jaehyun could read him like an open book.

"Okay…and if you're right," Johnny's fingers tap the table. "Even if you're right, what the hell am I supposed to do? It's not like I can just march back like it was nothing. I doubt he wants to see me anyway after everything I said to him."

"Well," Jaehyun puts his utensil down. "You don't know that. If you want to take my advice, I'd say give it a try. Knock a few times and see if he answers. You never know, maybe it's actually eating him alive inside and he can't bring himself to face you again after what he did."

Johnny exhales. "What are you trying to say, Jaehyun?"

"I'm saying it's possible for this to be fixed," He brings his hands together and looks Johnny right in the eye. " If you want it to be fixed and if you make a move for it to be fixed."

_____

It's been an hour since Jaehyun left. Johnny lies in bed, thinking about the advice he gave him. He contemplates on getting up again, but the weight on his chest clings him onto his bed. How long has this loneliness bothered him and prevented him from moving forward?

If you ever feel like that…my door is always open.

That's what Taeyong told him. Johnny wonders if he'd still open his door for him, even after he called him selfish. Even after he left him on the bridge that day and didn't look back. Did Taeyong even want him to come back?

You never know, maybe it's actually eating him alive inside and he can't bring himself to face you again after what he did.

Does Taeyong feel guilty? Johnny asks himself. He definitely looked like he did when Johnny found out. He was begging him to stay and talk it out. Maybe he was sorry. Maybe there's a chance to fix this.

Johnny pushes himself off his bed before he could procrastinate any longer. He gets a coat from his closet and wears it to go out. He quickly jogs towards that alleyway, ignoring the fact that it was cold outside and all he had on was a hoodie, sweatpants, and a coat.

He finds the alleyway and stares at the barrier, separating the city from the island. He's passed through it so many times, and yet, standing in front of it now makes his heart race. But Johnny wanted to make this right, to apologize to Taeyong and make up so the group could come together again. He walks towards the barrier, reaching his hand forward.

His hand touches the rough wall. Johnny stops himself before he walks into it. Confused, he taps the wall again. Johnny eyes widen when he realizes that it doesn't give way to him, not like the previous times. All that was in front of him was a dirty, black wall. A dead end.

He hits the wall, whispering to it to let him in. He checks the other part of the dead end, hoping that his hand would pass through smoothly. He becomes increasingly frustrated when it doesn't work and starts punching it hard over and over again.

Please, No. He begs. Don't do this to me now.

He gives up, leaning his arms and head against the wall. He sighs, his breath visible in the cold air. That was it. His one way ticket to the island. It didn't let him in this time. Why?

Johnny pushes himself off the wall and darts. He doesn't know where he's going, the people and places he runs past were all a blur to him. After running mindlessly for a while, he reaches the pebble beach. He pants, watching the ocean waves crash onto the shore. The beach was empty, a perfect place to wallow in his sorrow alone. It reminds him of the beach on the island, and it makes him want to cry more.

He sits on the pebbles, tucking his legs into his chest. A cold breeze passes him and he shivers, wrapping himself in his coat. A tear falls down his cheek, but he quickly wipes it away. He looks at the endless ocean, stretching far and wide. He buries his head in his arms, and remembers the times he had on the beach at the island.

He picks up a small pebble and throws it towards the ocean, skipping twice before going underwater. He closes his eyes again, but flinches when he feels a pebble being thrown at his feet. He observes it. It's the same one he threw. He looks towards the ocean, and in the dark, he can make out a very familiar elegant black tail. A head slowly emerges from the water, the creature sweeps his wet hair out of his face.

"...Yuta?"

"Johnny!" The mermaid whispers to him. "Thank god, it's really you. I was hoping I wasn't going to have a hard time finding you."

"You were looking for me?"

"Of course, why else would I be here?" Yuta lies next to Johnny, his tail submerged in the water. "How have you been holding up?"

"Terribly," Johnny snickers. "Look at me, I'm in my pajamas and it's fucking freezing out here."

"Why are you out here anyway?" Yuta asks the human.

"I was…trying to get through the barrier but…" He looks down at his hands, noticing the scarlet red marks on his knuckles from punching the wall. "It didn't work."

"Oh no, I guess Kun was really serious when he said he would close it."

"He closed it?" Yuta nods at his question. So that's why. Johnny sighs. "...How are the others?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen Taeyong since you guys…yeah, um, Doyoung offered to take care of him. Ten is with Kun, I believe. They…haven't gone down to the beach in days." Yuta says, crestfallen.

"Oh, Yuta," Johnny reaches to pat his hand. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, it's because I got mad at Taeyong and-"

"No, it's okay," Yuta assures him. "I get your reasons, for both you and Taeyong, but…it's going to be fixed, right?" He looks up at Johnny expectantly. "That's why you tried to go back, right?"

"Yeah…" Johnny rubs his hands together to try and keep warm. "But now that the barrier is closed, I don't really know what to do from here."

"Actually, the reason why I came here was because Kun sent me." Yuta explains. "He wants to bring you back so he could talk to you about everything properly."

"Kun? He wants me there? But…how am I supposed to go there without the bridge?"

"He told me to take you back in this." Yuta swims back into the ocean and goes underwater. When he comes back up, he lifts a small wooden boat and pushes it towards the shore. It was covered in vines and it looked like it had been under the sea for a while, but strangely stable.

"...You're saying I ride a boat to get there?"

"Yup, there's no barrier if you go through the water. How do you think I got here, Johnny?"

"Right," Johnny pretends to bonk himself on the head. "That completely slipped my mind."

"Just get on." Yuta smiles at him. He holds the boat steady so Johnny could hop on. He pushes it forward, swimming beside it as it continues on it's own. 

"Yuta?" 

"Hmm?" The mermaid hums.

"...Do you think Taeyong would want to see me again?"

"Honestly, I'm not too sure. I hope he does, because it would be really awkward if he saw you again."

Johnny silently chuckles as he leans back on the boat. Yuta guides the boat in the right direction, a trail of vines behind them. Johnny looks up at the sky, a full moon clear and visible in the night. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, a moment of peace.

_____

The sun is peeking from the ocean view when Johnny arrives on the island. He gets off the boat and Yuta tells him to go back to Kun's tree. He waves to the mermaid and promises to talk later.

Johnny strolls through the forest, taking his time until he reaches Kun's tree. When he finally sees it, he notices that Kun is sitting underneath it, legs crossed and eyes closed. As Johnny approaches him, he opens his eyes and looks at him with a smile. "Oh, Yuta found you faster than I expected," He stands up, his hand on the trunk of his tree. "Would you like to go for a walk?”

Johnny nods. They walk side by side, and Kun turns to Johnny, his hands behind his back. "I'm really sorry about how I acted last week, I was so overcome with emotion that I took it out on you, and I'm sorry you had to find out this way." Kun apologizes sincerely.

"No, Kun, don't say that." Johnny assures him. "It's better that I know now, and…I understand why you reacted that way. You lost your friend, and almost lost your home. But you've built something wonderful…"

The sounds of birds chirping and insects flying around fill in the silence. Johnny still had so many questions, but one was plaguing his mind.

"...What was my dad like?"

Kun inhales and ponders over it. "Junseo was…brave, always looking on the bright side of things, a bit quick to make decisions, but always had the best intentions and wanted what's best for his loved ones." His lips curl into a grin. "He was a great person and…a great friend. If I could turn back time and take you to see him, I would. But I don't have that kind of power."

Johnny feels as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. All those years growing up, his father was a faceless, reminiscent figure that he never knew, floating around him whenever he asked questions about him, but they were never answered. When Kun finally gave him an answer, Johnny was glad to know that his father was real. A real person (or nymph, more accurately).

"And speaking of that, I have something to show you," Kun smiles at Johnny. "Follow me."

They go deeper into the forest. Johnny feels a tinge in his stomach as they walk. They get closer and closer, and Johnny looks forward to see where Kun has taken him.

There was a stump in front of them. Johnny recognises the stump as the one he saw in his dream. His heart starts to feel heavy and he approaches it and leans down. "This was his tree?" He turns to ask Kun. He nods, a somber expression on his face. He reaches to touch it, his fingers graze over the tree lines of the stump. It must have been at least a thousand years old. Kun walks toward him and places his hand on his shoulder, comforting him. After a while, Johnny stands up and closes his eyes, praying that his father was resting in peace.

"I want to give you something." Kun says as Johnny turns to him. He tells him to open his hand, and Kun reaches into his pockets and brings out a small brown bag and a necklace with a sapphire tied at the center. "These are plum blossom tree seeds, these will grow well when spring comes. I figured now that you're one of us, you should have something of your own here."

"What about the necklace?"

"Ah, it was Ten's suggestion." Kun blushes when he mentions Ten. "After I closed the barrier in the city, I realized you had no other way to get here, and I'd feel awful making Yuta do all the work. Think of the sapphire as another way here. All you need to do is dip it in the ocean and a boat will appear to take you here."

Kun hands Johnny the necklace first, Johnny tying it behind his neck. He then gets the bag and opens it to find a couple of seeds inside. He feels like he belonged, treating the island as his second home. And Kun gave him something of his own.

"You can plant it over there." Kun points to a planting hole around three feet away from the stump. It was as if it had been saved for Johnny. Johnny walks to the spot and places the seeds into the soil, using his hands to move the dirt and bury it. He promises Kun that he'll come back to water it as he had other things he needed to do on the island.

"...Do you know how Taeyong is?" He asks, standing up and dusting his hands.

"I don't think he's left his cottage," Kun says, crossing his arms. "But I can sense that his magic is weakening."

Johnny's heart stops. "...Weakening?"

"When a fairy is at a low state emotionally, their magic starts to weaken." Kun explains. "This happens every now and then, seasonal depression mostly, but this one seems…much more grave than usual."

It was because of me. Johnny thinks, his heart aching as he imagines Taeyong in pain. It was my fault.

"Go to him." Kun says, almost sounding like a command. "You two seem to care about each other a lot, at least from what Ten and Doyoung told me. It would be a waste if you won't see him."

Johnny agrees and waves Kun goodbye as he heads back through the forest. After a couple minutes of walking, he recognises the front of Taeyong's cottage. He takes a deep breath, praying that he wouldn't be shunned away. He wants to make up with Taeyong, for things to go back to the way they were, being with each other in the kitchen with their friends chattering on the sofa. 

He stands in front of the door, lifting his hand up to knock. He hears footsteps of someone coming downstairs from inside, biting his lip nervously. The door unlocks, slowly swings open, and Johnny locks eyes with a tired, pale vampire.

"Oh? You're here…" Doyoung says, surprised. "You talked to Kun, right? I heard. How did it go?"

"It was fine," Johnny replies, caught off guard at how calm Doyoung was considering he hurt his best friend. "I feel…a little better now. But…" His hands wrap his coat around his body, still shivering in the cold. "I have some unfinished business here."

"Come in, you look like you're freezing." Doyoung lets him inside.

Johnny obliges and steps inside. He looks around and spots Ruby sitting near the kitchen sink. He sighs, the house feels bare without the sound of boisterous laughter and food being cooked. 

Empty. Johnny thinks. It's too empty .

"Why are you being so civil with me?" Johnny asks Doyoung who walks to the kitchen. "I hurt Taeyong, I thought you'd go batshit crazy."

Doyoung chuckles while reaching into the cupboards to find a container with bird seeds. "Did you say that on purpose?" He scoffs, trying to hide his grin as he brings out a container of seeds for Ruby. "If this was a different situation, I'd call you clever for that one."

They smile at each other, Doyoung opening the container and pouring it onto a small bowl. Ruby jumps towards it and eats it happily.

"I'm not entirely mad at you," Doyoung says, stroking Ruby's head with his finger. "While it's true that you hurt Taeyong, he broke his promise to me too. I told him to tell you the truth last week, but…he didn't follow through." He crosses his arms. "You're here to talk to him, right? Why else would you come all the way here in only your pajamas and a coat when it's cold as shit outside."

Johnny nods, slightly embarrassed. He's glad that he's able to talk comfortably with Doyoung, but he remains on edge as he wonders if Taeyong would be willing to talk to him, let alone look in his direction.

"He's in his room," Doyoung says, like he read Johnny's mind. "He's resting, or at least I hope he is. He never really left his bed."

Johnny's heart drops at that statement. "...Do you think he wants to see me after everything I said?"

"I think he does. He's the one who hurt you first after all. I can tell he regrets it a lot." Doyoung gestures towards the stairs. "Go talk to him, he's probably sick of seeing me anyway."

Doyoung wishes him luck as Johnny goes upstairs, lightening his footsteps. He reaches the door of Taeyong's bedroom. He gently knocks, and Taeyong groans from the other side.

"Ah, Doyoung," He whines. "Just go home, you don't have to stay here for me."

Johnny turns the knob of the door and opens it, gulping as he glimpses at Taeyong lying on his bed. From his view, he sees the dark bags under his eyes and how pale his face is. His wings seem to have lost color, fluttering weakly on Taeyong's back. Perhaps this is what Kun meant by Taeyong's magic weakening.

It takes a while for Taeyong to notice who's at the door, and his eyes widen when he makes eye contact with the human.

"Johnny?" His voice whispers, almost in disbelief.

"Hi…"

"...Hi."

They stare at each other, neither of them uttering a word. Taeyong awkwardly shuffles in his bed and sits up, his fingers tapping on the mattress. Johnny takes a deep breath.

"...I came here to say that…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you selfish when you were just trying to protect my feelings, I-"

"No, Johnny. Stop," Taeyong interrupts him. "It should be me apologizing to you. I'm the one who messed up."

Taeyong looks right at Johnny. His eyes are glossy, desperation and guilt behind his soft gaze. "I am so sorry for lying to you. You were right, I kept it from you for selfish reasons and I shouldn't have. I was so afraid to lose you, but that's no excuse for me to break my promise to you. I'm sorry, Johnny, I'm truly sorry. I hope you believe me." 

His voice starts to crack. "And…it's completely understandable if you don't forgive me. You can go back and forget about me and all this, I…won't stop you from doing that."

"Believe me, I tried," Johnny replies. "But…I couldn't help but miss this place, and miss our friends,"

He takes a step forward, not breaking eye contact with Taeyong. "...And you, most especially."

"I…I missed you too." Taeyong blinks, not expecting that kind of response from him. "Does this…mean you forgive me?"

"I'm getting there." Johnny sends him a small smile, and Taeyong smiles back, relieved. Better to be on the road to forgiveness than to not try at all.

Taeyong looks down at Johnny's hands, they were pink from the cold, but the red marks on his knuckles catch his eye. "Where did those come from?" He points at it.

"Ah, these," Johnny says, bringing his hand close to his face. "I tried to go back here through my usual route to the bridge, but it turns out Kun blocked that one." He snickers. "Thought it would be a great idea to punch it and then run off to the beach, but hey, Yuta found me and took me back on a boat, and I had a pleasant conversation with Kun earlier. It's really nothing to worry about." He rambles.

"Still," Taeyong sounds concerned, a worried expression on his face. He pats the side of his bed. "Sit, I have something that can help."

Johnny doesn't see his wounds as a big deal, but he listens to Taeyong anyway, sitting next to him on the bed. Taeyong reaches from under the bed to pull out a small box that is full of tiny bottles. They look like potions. He picks up one with sparkling blue liquid inside.

"Ten and I made these long ago, never thought I'd use them." He opens the bottle and pours a tiny amount onto the tips of his fingers. "Here, give me your hand."

Taeyong holds Johnny's hand and uses his fingertips to rub the liquid on his knuckles. The liquid had a cooling sensation and didn't sting at all. Johnny couldn't zero in on it because he was staring at Taeyong, admiring the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was concentrating. It reminds him of how he looked when they would cook together in the kitchen downstairs. Cute.

"There, it should heal soon." Taeyong says, not letting go of Johnny's hand. Johnny notices how soon is an understatement as the marks on his knuckles disappear instantly. 

"Jesus, you're cold." Taeyong remarks. He grabs his other hand and rubs them with his own to warm him up. "How are you not freezing to death? Do you want me to make you a hot drink?"

Johnny's cheeks flush pink as he feels Taeyong's warmth on his hands. He politely declines the hot drink. "It's alright, Taeyong. I…don't feel that cold anymore."

The sounds of birds and insects outside fill the air. Johnny doesn't feel the need to talk, fondly watching Taeyong blow his hot breath onto his hands to keep him warm. He smiles, releasing the tension in his shoulders now that he and Taeyong aren't on bad terms anymore. 

He questions why his relationship with Taeyong is so important to him. Why was he so distraught when he hurt him? Why did he turn pink whenever he was around? Why did things like brushing hands or playful teasing make his stomach tingle? Why does he want to be around Taeyong? He never felt this close and open with his friends before, the closest would be Jaehyun, but Johnny was content with their friendship. With Taeyong, he wanted…something else.

The lingering stares, the casual intimacy, the flirting, the flusteredness, the way Taeyong makes him feel. The pink flush on the tips of Taeyong's ears has to mean something. The night they had on New Year's in his apartment means something. Johnny never felt like he had to be guarded when he was around him, Taeyong didn't shun him away like he thought he would. Why? Why am I like this to him?

In the midst of it all, it suddenly clicks, and Johnny's heart begins to quicken its pace.

"...Taeyong." He whispers, ever so softly that Taeyong wouldn't hear it if he wasn't so close to him.

"Hmm?" The fairy hums in response.

Johnny doesn't reply. Instead, his eyes fall on Taeyong's lips. He closes his eyes and leans in, planting a delicate kiss on the corner of Taeyong's lips. He doesn't push him away, and when Johnny opens his eyes again, Taeyong sits there, speechless. 

Johnny senses that he's done something wrong. "Wait I- Taeyong, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have-"

"Do it properly." Taeyong replies, his lips curling into a grin.

"...What?"

"If we're going to kiss and make up, might as well do it properly."

Taeyong gazes at Johnny's lips, his hand reaching to cup his cheek. He traces his jawline with his finger, eyes darting from his face to his lips. He leans in and kisses Johnny, wrapping his hands behind his neck. Johnny places his hands on Taeyong's waist, deepening the kiss. Taeyong pulls away to giggle. "You wouldn't be kissing someone you're still mad at, right?" 

"I forgive you, Taeyong, really." Johnny's hand snakes up to cup Taeyong's jaw. "Now, can we…"

Taeyong leans in again, but before their lips could touch, someone pushes the door open. They whip their heads to see Doyoung standing at the doorway, hands on his hips.

"I told you to make up with him, not make out with him." Doyoung pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "God, do either of you listen to a word I say?"

"You can hear us from downstairs?!" Johnny asks, surprised.

Taeyong whispers in his ear. "Yeah, he kinda has super-hearing, which is really inconvenient in times like this."

"Even if I didn't have super-hearing, I'd still hear you guys," He points towards the door. "You didn't close the door, idiots."

"As if you and Yuta are so subtle." Taeyong teases the vampire. "Do you want me to tell Johnny about you two at the beach that time?" He raises his eyebrows and it effectively gets Doyoung to lay off.

"Whatever, I should return to him." Doyoung smiles at them. "...I'm glad you guys are back to normal." He bids them goodbye and goes downstairs to leave them alone.

Johnny and Taeyong turn to each other laughing, embracing each other tightly. A lone tear falls down Johnny's cheek and onto Taeyong's shoulder. Taeyong pulls away to see that Johnny is crying.

"Oh? What's wrong?" He asks, wiping Johnny's tears. "Does something hurt?"

"No, nothing hurts," Johnny sniffs, his shiny eyes looking at Taeyong. "I'm just really happy."

He presses his forehead against Taeyong's. "I feel at home." 

"Me too." Taeyong replies, giggling. 

_____

A few months later…

"It has flower buds!" Taeyong points out the small white buds sticking out from the tree's thin branches. 

"Really?" Johnny says, leaning down to water his tree. It had grown much faster than he thought, and spring was approaching as well. "I hope they blossom soon."

Johnny leaves the watering can beside the tree. He stands up and walks towards Taeyong, holding out his hand. The fairy takes it and intertwines their fingers together. They look at the tree proudly, Taeyong has helped Johnny care for it ever since Johnny told him about it.

"Hey! We're going in first!" They turn back to see Doyoung calling to them, his hand around Yuta's waist.

"I can't wait for this game night!" Yuta tells the vampire excitedly. "What's that game called, love? Monopoly?" Doyoung nods.

"You guys have seriously never played it before?" Johnny asks the beings, who all shake their heads.

"What's it about, Johnny? Capitalism? Getting the most money and property?" Taeyong asks him genuinely.

"It must be boring then!" Doyoung yells back at them. "Why do humans enjoy such boring games?"

"Oh, trust me," Johnny smirks. "The shit that goes down in Monopoly is far from boring."

"In that case, I won't lose to Doyoung." Taeyong winks at Johnny.

"Try me." Doyoung replies, his voice stern. Doyoung and Yuta walk back to the cottage, joined at the hip.

Johnny turns to Taeyong and out of nowhere, grabs his waist and lifts him up. This causes Taeyong to laugh loudly, clinging onto Johnny's neck. His wings flutter rapidly from the surprise. "Ah! What are you doing?"

Johnny looks at Taeyong lovingly, not answering him. He grips his waist tightly, fairy dust lands on his hands. Taeyong caresses his hair and lays a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Is there something on your mind, Johnny?"

"...This is the happiest I've felt in a really long time." Johnny answers, beaming at the fairy.

Taeyong smiles at him. "In the decades I've been alive, I've never been happier." He lowers his head and his lips meet Johnny's, he could feel a grin creeping on his lips as they kissed. Johnny puts him down and they head to the cottage holding hands.

Johnny takes one last look at his plum blossom tree.

He sees the white buds start to bloom, opening its petals to reveal tinges of yellow and red.

________

Epilogue

"It looks like Johnny's tree is doing well." Ten points to the plum blossom tree to his left. He takes a closer look at the flowers, blooming in all its glory. 

"Of course, I only gave him one of the best spots in the forest." Kun replies proudly.

"Be honest, Kun," Ten calls his companion, who watches him marvel at the tree. "You wouldn't be treating Johnny this nicely if he wasn't Junseo's son."

Kun rolls his eyes. "I have to honor my friend's son. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

Kun strolls around the tree, admiring the flowers that bloomed on the thin branches. He is excited for the spring season, the forest looked the most beautiful during that season.

"Will you be alright?" Ten asks. "Now that Johnny will be here more often, even if he reminds you of Junseo?"

"I will be…eventually." Kun takes a deep breath. "It's not his fault that he inherited Junseo's features, although I can see a bit of his mother's eyes in him."

Ten nods, understanding that Kun will need more time to get used to it. He returns his attention to the flowers, tiptoeing and reaching to touch them. "They are beautiful, aren't they, Kun?"

The nymph gazes at the witch, taking in the sharp curve of his jawline and his gorgeous side profile. "Yes," Kun says.

"Beautiful."