Archive of Our Own

It was on a random Tuesday that Hyunjin announced the news.

“I’m going to cut my hair.”

Since they had just started eating dinner, Jisung promptly choked on his peas, needing Changbin’s helpful hand to pat his back to breath once more.

“Hyunjin! Are you okay? Why would you want to do that?” Chan immediately fretted over the fae, leaning towards him with a concerned look on his face.

Indeed, it was quite a strange statement that the blonde had just made. Faes stored their magical energy in their hair. The longer the hair, the more powerful a fae was. Granted, they were usually already gifted magic-wise, so they didn’t need that many resources, unless they were about to enter a period where they knew they wouldn’t have the time to replenish properly. That was the case for end of the year exams, for example, when students rushed over papers to hand in and projects to finish. With the long hours of work and the little time for rest or sustenance, a lot of the fae population tended to let their hair grow longer.

However, it came with a cost. Storing so much magic on their person could lead to instability. The energy would accumulate and render any kind of spells hazardous due to the strain of controlling the raw magic that just wanted to get out.

There was a reason why the “pixie cut” was associated with members of the Fae nation. The short style allowed them to not only keep their powers in check, but also dissuaded any low-life thief from trying to cut off a lock of hair from their head. Indeed, it was much harder to do so with short than with long hair.

The only reason why Hyunjin had kept his blonde locks so long, was because of a past trauma. He’d been left alone in the forest as an infant, abandoned by his peers because of what they thought was an impurity: the mole underneath his eye. Any marks on the skin were seen as evil by the faes; it was said that those with marks would be more easily tempted to go to the dark side, to the Unseelie Court. Those would then become dark faes and use their magic to trick and corrupt.

Hyunjin was barely of flying age when his mark was discovered, despite his parents’ best efforts to hide it. The Counsel of his village had decided to abandon him in the Cursed Forest, away from any civilization or good-hearted people to help him. He had to learn to fight to survive on his own, letting his hair grow longer and longer to have as much magical energy stored as possible to help not only in defending himself, but also in feeding and sheltering his tiny body. It resulted in Hyunjin being one of the most powerful faes of his generation, skilled in many arts, although he never let the temptation of the dark side get to him, to the unseelie Court’s disappointment.

This amount of power had been a problem however, when Hyunjin was in his teenage years and found his way back to civilization. Everyone saw him as a threat. No fae wanted to take him under their wing, for fear of not being able to control him, while the other races either wanted to exile him back to the Cursed Forest or to simply kill him.

Hyunjin’s savior had been the headmaster of the greatest school for magical beings on this side of the continent. The old man had invited the boy into the boarding school, showing him what he could learn and what life amongst other people of his age could look like. He vouched for him towards the other communities, promised to take responsibility for the powerful but unstable fae, to house him at the school and teach him control, and in return, Hyunjin agreed to let himself be guided.

What truly saved him was probably the fact that he was put in a dorm with seven other boys who would then become his best friends. Chan, the reliable witch and the unofficial leader of their group; Minho, the annoyingly perfect elf; Changbin, the clumsy werewolf; Jisung, the overexcited dryad; Felix, the adorable dragon; Seungmin, the quick-witted siren; and Jeongin, the sly gumiho.

They went along so well that they’d all decided to share a house after graduation, forming a very unusual but tightly knitted coven. Chan was, of course, the head of their little group and as such, felt very responsible towards each of the boys. That meant that he did tend to worry too much whenever one of them was behaving uncharacteristically.

“Are you struggling with your control? I have some potions that could help if you wan-”

The witch didn’t even get to finish his sentence that Hyunjin was already shaking his head with a little smile.

“I’m fine, hyung. I’m not losing control, on the contrary. I’ve never felt more stable than I do right now. Which is why I managed to take some time to reflect on the reason why I still hoard so much energy with me all the time, when it gets tedious to reign back every day. I came ot the conclusion that living here, with you guys, makes me feel safe. I know that, no matter what, I’ll have a roof over my head, food in my belly and someone to talk with whenever I need it. I’m not living on survival mode in the forest anymore. So, I don’t need to keep my hair that long. I want to cut it because I feel safe now.”

Hyunjin’s explanation took everyone by surprise, but a few of the coven boys had obvious tears in their eyes. The fae wasn’t sure if it was because of his confession or because they were sad that they wouldn’t get to play in his long hair anymore.

“Well” Chan stuttered, sniffling while offering Hyunjin a smile, “if it’s what you chose, of course we’ll support you through this Jinnie.”

It was obvious that the leader was worried, but he always made a point of giving his coven members complete autonomy and liberty in their choices. So, he was going to take this in stride and help his boy out with whatever he needed.

“Did you already chose where you were gonna burry your hair?” Changbin asked, his voice gruff and protective at the same time.

Hyunjin nodded. “There’s a gro-”

“Don’t!” Minho sharply cut him off. “Don’t say it, not even to us. No one should know where you hide it. It’s too dangerous.” He crossed his arms over his chest, visibly rattled.

Hyunjin knew that. Faes usually cut their hair alone, and then buried the hair in a secret place so that no one could find the magically-charged locks, since they acted the same as very powerful artefacts. In fact, fae hair is a renowned ingredient in all sorts of potions, elixirs or spells, normally providing a concentrated form of magic that was invaluable. However, those types of potions, spells and other artefacts didn’t require more than one single strand of fae hair, and it was always supposed to be given voluntarily by a fae. Chan for example, had asked Hyunjin once or twice for a hair for one of his more complex potions, including the one he did during his last year of school to pass his witching exams.

However, since faes normally keep their hair short, they must cut them pretty regularly and then burry their hair since it cannot be destroyed by any means. Leaving the freshly-cut hair out in the open would be a great source of disaster, since if someone happened upon it, they could use it to all sorts of nefarious means. Even worse, fae hair can be fickle and have a mine of its own; if it sensed that they did not have their owner’s approval to be used in a certain way, they tend to turn dark and curse anything that they’re in contact with.

Which is why it was important for Hyunjin to choose his burying place carefully, and to not divulge said place to anyone. Even though the boy felt like he could wholeheartedly trust all the members of his coven with such a secret, it would do them no good to have to carry such a heavy burden. Their lives could be at risk simply because some ill-intentioned people would stop at nothing to get their hands on a strand of hair from a fae.

“I have found the perfect place to hide my hair” Hyunjin simply said, sending Minho a reassuring look. The older nodded, visibly relaxing.

“It’s… it’s going to be such a change, hyung” Jeongin pouted, scouting closer from where he was sitting next to Hyunjin. “We won’t get to help you take care of your hair, or to braid it…”

Hyunjin chuckled, knowing how much the younger liked to help with maintaining his blonde mane in a somewhat civilized state. “You’ll still be able to help me brush it if you want Innie. It’s just gonna be shorter, but I won’t shave it all!”

“As long as you cut it properly” Felix huffed from the other side of the table, a puff of smoke escaping his nose. “Do you want to practice cutting someone’s hair before doing it on yourself? Just so we make sure that the result is not completely horrible”? the dragon joked. “You can practice on me if you want” he offered very generously, passing a hand in his shoulder-length black hair.

“Nah, it’s okay Lixie. I’ll manage” Hyunjin smirked, playfully bumping his foot in the freckled boy’s shin under the table.

“Did you decide when you were going to cut your hair?” Seungmin asked, observing the fae carefully. His blue eyes pierced straight through Hyunjin’s soul, as if trying to extract he’s deepest secrets, but the fae knew that his friend was just making sure that this decision truly was of his own volition.

“I’ll do it tomorrow night, during the new moon” Hyunjin leaned forward, grabbing Seungmin’s hand to show him how truthful his was being about this venture, and that his choice was made.

The new moon would be very fitting since it announced new beginnings. This would be a new beginning in Hyunjin’s life, finally letting go of his past to look forward.

“I know we won’t be able to come with you when you do it, but could we… help you prepare, tomorrow?” Jisung asked shyly, which was very out of character for the excitable young dryad.

“Prepare?” Hyunjin hummed questioningly.

“You know like… wash your hair, dry it, brush it… maybe braid it too, one last time?” Jisung blinked at him pleadingly, his fingers twitching from his eagerness to play with the fae’s blonde locks.

Hyunjin smiled, being reminded of just how much he loved his coven members and their caring ways. “Yeah sure, you can help me out tomorrow.”

A few joyous shouts came out from the boys, as Hyunjin laughed at them. He truly could’ve never asked for a better family.

“I call dibs on washing his hair!” Jisung yelled the next morning, once everyone was done with their breakfast. A few groans answered him, but the dryad didn’t care. He simply stood up, taking Hyunjin’s hand in his and pulling him to the bathroom.

The fae followed him, obediently sitting by the tub’s side while waiting for Jisung to get all of the products and towels needed. He observed the spry little dryad pensively, thinking back on how their relationship started.

If someone had told Hyunjin that he’d end up in the same coven as Jisung, back when they first met, he would’ve either laughed at their face or punched them. Just sharing a dorm with the boy was excruciating. They didn’t fit together at all, their opinions and personalities clashing in every way, apart from the fact that they both stood their ground and lashed out easily. That made for an explosive mix, which had caused more than one shouting match on school grounds. At one point, Chan had been so fed up by their petty arguments that he locked them both in a room, putting spells on the door and telling them that the only way they would be let out was if they talked things out together.

The boys had begrudgingly started talking, sorting out their animosity. Jisung admitted, after a long and awkward stare down, that he’d been scared of being replaced by Hyunjin in their friend group. Despite his exuberant personality, Jisung still had trouble with his self-worth and the fact that everyone was paying so much attention to Hyunjin frightened him.

For his part, Hyunjin admitted that he was jealous of Jisung and his friendly personality. Being a loner by force of nature, Hyunjin wished he possessed even just half of Jisung’s social skills. Once all of that was out in the open, it became much easier for the two boys to see the things they had in common, and the places where they completed one another. They quickly started doing things together, like shopping, going to the movies or bitching about other students, and in no time at all, they became the best of friends, usually able to understand each other better than anyone else.

So, when Jisung jumped at the opportunity to help Hyunjin wash his hair, it came as no surprise to the fae. The dryad must’ve known how important this was to Hyunjin, despite him announcing the news so flippantly.

“So, tell me what’s going through that pretty head of yours” Jisung asked, coming back with the hair products while Hyunjin took off his shirt to not wet it.

“Honestly? I’m at peace with my decision” the fae stated, turning the water on to the cool, refreshing temperature that he preferred.

“But?” Jisung insisted, taking the shower head and inclining Hyunjin’s torso over the tub, before gently passing the jet over the fae’s hair.

“But it’s still scary” Hyunjin admitted, letting the water flow over his head, closing his eyes to protect them. “I know that I’m safe here, with you guys. Ever since you took me in, back during out school days, and especially when we decided to form our coven; I knew then that I had nothing to fear anymore. No wild beast would attack me during the night, no human would hunt me down for the thrill of the chase… I don’t need to store so much magic with me anymore. Still, I have a hard time reconciling with the fact that I’ll be… not totally defenseless, but definitely less powerful.”

“Is that why you’ve been asking Changbin hyung for those combat training lessons? And why you’ve picked up fencing from Minho hyung? To be able to better protect yourself without your powers?” Jisung asked as he lathered shampoo over Hyunjin’s hair, making sure to give him a scalp massage while he was at it.

The fae groaned in pleasure, slumping down more over the side of the tub. Water was dripping down his neck, all the way to his upper back, but he didn’t care.

“Yeah, that’s why” he nodded, happy to hear no judgment in Jisung’s acknowledging hum.

After a few minutes of silence, and of Jisung’s scalp massage which almost made Hyunjin fall asleep, the dryad spoke up once more. “You’re one of the strongest persons I know, Jinnie. With or without your powers, with short or long hair… You’re more than capable of getting through whatever life throws your way.” The dryad sounded sincere, if not a little choked up as he passed his fingers through the entire length of Hyunjin’s hair.

The fae chuckled. “Are you crying, Sungie?”

“No, some shampoo got in my eye, that’s all!” The boy heavily denied, turning on the shower and putting the jet over Hyunjin’s head unexpectedly. “Now shut up, I gotta focus!”

The fae spluttered, loudly complaining about getting water in his mouth. It devolved into a water battle, filled with shrieks and giggles, after which both boys emerged from the bathroom, a bit sheepish and completely drenched.

Felix laughed when he saw Hyunjin enter his room, still trailing water behind his shirtless form. “I guess it’s my turn to help you out. Come here” the dragon smiled, patting the space next to him on his bed.  

The fae didn’t even hesitate, throwing himself over the blankets, not caring that he was wetting everything. After all, Felix was the best person to deal with that out of everyone in the coven. The two boys snuggled together, Felix wrapping his arms around Hyunjin and putting his chin over the fae’s head. The dragon then let out a long, slow exhale of warm air out of his nose, slight smoke accompanying it.

Not only did Felix truly enjoy skinship, loving to snuggle up to anyone at any time of the day, his body temperature was also the warmest. That meant that his hugs were warm, cozy and comfortable all at the same time. It was also perfect when you were wet and wanted to quickly dry up. The warmth from Felix’s skin and breath could make water evaporate in just under a couple of minutes. Hyunjin loved to let Felix dry his hair by simply breathing on it, because not only did it mean that he would get a hug, but it also avoided all the frizz and heat-damage that he would normally get from using a towel or a hairdryer.

“Are you comfy, Jinnie?” Felix asked, always checking with his cuddle partners that his body heat didn’t get to much.

“Cozy” Hyunjin mumbled into the dragon’s shoulder, letting out an appreciative sigh as his body relaxed.

“That’s good to hear” the freckled boy smiled, one of his hands going to massage the back of the fae’s neck. “If you’d told me five years ago that one day, you’d snuggle with me and find it cozy, I would’ve laughed in your face” he teased.

“Hey! You know it’s not my fault that I was a recluse antisocial brat!” Hyunjin protested, lifting his head to look at the dragon’s golden eyes.

“Of course it wasn’t your fault, and I’m not blaming you” Felix appeased him. “I just want to highlight how far along you’ve came. Remember the first time I dried you like this?” he asked, tilting his head to the side like a puppy.

“How could I forget.” Hyunjin huffed, flicking a stray strand of hair back over his shoulder. “Those assholes in the grade above us thought it would be funny to throw me in the siren’s lake during a freezing winter day. Thank the spirits Seungmin wasn’t too far off, and he fragged me out of there. And you helped me stay warm through the night so I wouldn’t die of hypothermia.”  Hyunjin recalled, lifting one of Felix’s hands to play with his fingers.

“Well, it was more like Chan forced me to hug you all night and you were too out of it to protest. I was so scared of you back then” the dragon chuckled, intertwining their fingers. “I thought for sure that when you would wake up, you’d kick my butt or something. But all you did was blink up at me and then snuggle closer” Felix smiled fondly at the memory. “That day marked the moment when you finally allowed us to touch and hug you.”

“I mean, who could ever resist one of your hugs, uh?” Hyunjin amended, feeling his skin now being completely dry, and his hair only slightly damp.

“Still, we were proud of you for crossing that step. And today, I want to say that I’m really proud of you for once again pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing what you know is good for you, even if it seems scary.” The dragon caressed Hyunjin’s hair softly, running his long nails in it to detangle the knots. “I can’t imagine how scary it must be for you to let so much of your powers go like that, all at once, but I’m deeply honored that you see the coven as a safe-enough place to allow you to do this.”

Hyunjin blushed and hid his head in Felix’s shoulder once more. “Lixiiiiie, stop it! I’m getting shy! Just dry my hair, will you?” he pouted.

The dragon laughed but obeyed, blowing one more time on Hyunjin’s blonde locks, completely drying them. “There we go, it’s done.”

Still, Hyunjin made no move to get out of the bed. “Can we stay like this for a little longer?” he asked, cuddling closer to Felix’s warm body.

“Of course we can, little fae” Felix smiled, indulging him easily and rubbing Hyunjin’s back. “We can stay here as long as you want.”

“Not too long, because I told Changbin he’d get to brush my hair after my shower… but just a little more” Hyunjin mumbled, letting the cozy embrace pull him into a light slumber.

When Hyunjin stepped into Changbin’s room, he was met with opened drawers and cabinets, and the older sheepishly standing in the middle of the room, with his hands behind his back. “You can… chose which one you prefer” he said while looking down at his feet, obviously shy.

Hyunjin walked up to one of the drawers with his mouth opened in surprise. These were all the expensive brushes that Changbin used to groom his coat. Or, at least, the ones he lent them so they could brush him up when he was in his wolf form. They were definitely precious to him, and he never ever allowed any of them to use the brushes in any other situation.

This was an honor, truly, that Changbin was allowing Hyunjin to choose amongst his brushes which one he preferred. A few years ago, when the fae was still young and immature, he might’ve made a comment about how the brushes smelled like a wet dog or something, but he knew the amount of care that Changbin put in washing and cleaning each of them after a grooming session. Chan had even given him a paper talisman to put in his drawer to remove the canine fur smell.

These brushes were some of the most pristine and luxurious ones that could be found in the magical world, since Changbin’s family heirloom allowed him to spend quite a lot of money on them.

He actually had been the one to offer Hyunjin his first hairbrush. The memory popped up suddenly in Hyunjin’s mind while his fingers were caressing the different types of bristles on a row of ornate brushes.

“Do you remember the one you gifted me, all those years ago?” the fae asked softly, his eyes still trained on the inside of the drawers.

“How could I forget?” Changbin smiled, sitting on his bed while waiting for Hyunjin to choose.  “You were still a young cub back then, and barely knew how to use a shower.” The werewolf didn’t protest when Hyunjin sent a spark of magic flying against his chest, taking the hit good-naturedly. “What? It’s the truth!”

“You make it sound like I never cleaned myself up,” Hyunjin grumbled, finally picking a golden hairbrush with soft but numerous bristles that would leave his hair untangled and voluminous.

“I’m not sure taking a bath in the river behind the school once a week could count as being clean” Changbin lifted an eyebrow, although he welcomed Hyunjin when the fae sat on the floor below him and slotted himself in between Changbin’s legs.

“It did the job, it was just a tad too cold though.”

“It migth’ve done the job, but he did nothing to help with the tangled nest that was your hair. It was absolutely atrocious” Changbin remembered, brushing delicately through the fae’s locks, starting at the bottom.

“Well, I knew that my hair was the source of my powers, and I didn’t feel safe enough yet to allow anyone to touch it. It’s the same thing as if you had to give your sun talisman to complete strangers and trust them enough to give it back to you when the full moon came!” Hyunjin defended himself.

The werewolf winced, imagining having to give away the one thing that made full-moons bearable to live through. “Yeah, not ideal… but we still managed!”

“Didn’t it all start because of something a teacher said?” Hyunjin raised a brow, his head bobbing with the movements of the brush.

“Yeah… Mrs Pummington” Changbin bristled, his body tensing but his hands staying gentle on Hyunjin’s hair. “She was talking in the hallway to the headmaster. She said, and I quote: this boy is as wild as the mane he’s got on his head. We’re never going to tame him” the werewolf recited by heart, with a fake nasally voice that reminded Hyunjin so much of their spells teacher. “I hated her so much for talking about you like that, and I said so to her face. How could you want to tame someone? That’s so dehumanizing! But… she did have a point about how you looked. You were always disheveled and frankly dressed like Tarzan, and I thought that maybe if you took care of your physical appearance, it might help your mental state as well. That’s where the brush idea came from.”

“It was because you couldn’t stand my wild boy look any longer?” Hyunjin huffed, laughing.

“It was because I wanted to offer you a way to put order in your life, starting with your hair” Changbin gently scolded the fae. “I knew it was important to you, since it’s where your powers stem from.”

“Well, it was the right call” Hyunjin approved, floating in a content haze with his eyes half closed from the feeling of the brush against his scalp. “Once I started taking care of my hair, everything else kind of snapped into place. I looked and felt better, I had more energy to organize my things, my time, my schoolwork… It pretty much set me on the right track.”

“So I’m basically the sole reason why you graduated high school” Changbin teased, putting the brush down by his side.

“By the gods, you’re so full of yourself” the fae rolled his eyes. “But it is true that you contributed to my success” he amended. “Don’t think for one moment that I’m going to thank you, though” he smirked.

“Ungrateful brat” Changbin mumbled, glaring down at him. “You better run to the living room, Innie is waiting for you. If you’re not gone in three seconds, I’ll mess up your hair and we’ll have to do this all over again! 1 – 2 – ”

Hyunjin frankly wouldn’t mind doing this all over again, but he went along with Changbin’s game and jumped on his feet, running out of the werewolf’s room while cackling maniacally. He truly was the best target to rile up.

“Hyung!”

“Innie!”

“I missed you” the gumiho pouted, latching onto Hyunjin for a hug as soon as he sat down on the sofa next to him.

“I was barely gone for an hour, and I was still inside the house, Innie” the fae laughed, but did hug the younger back.

“Still, it was too long. The others were hogging you and I didn’t like it” the maknae complained, earning a coo and a scratch behind his big white fuzzy ears from the fae.

“Don’t pout foxy, hyung’s here now. You can braid my hair if you want.”

“Yes!” Jeongin whispered-shouted, pumping his arms in the air before spinning them around so that Hyunjin’s back would face him, starting to gather the newly cleaned and brushed hair in separate strands.

“I’m going to miss being able to do this” the gumiho sighed.

“You’ll still be able to braid Felix’s hair. He’s really going for that long look right now, so you can practice your skills on him.” Hyunjin said, looking at the boy from the corner of his eye, though he didn’t move his head to not ruin whatever hairstyle Jeongin was doing right now.

“It’s not the same, though. Your hair is so… You know. Magical” Jeongin whispered as if it was the biggest secret in the universe, caressing the blonde locks reverently and admiring how they shone and sparkled under the natural light coming from the window.

“Yeah, so magical that it almost blinded you the first time you braided it.” Hyunjin huffed.

“It wasn’t your hair’s fault! It was the first time someone else touched it and it acted on instincts to protect you!”

“By casting a flashing spell that illuminated the whole dorms and caused you to see white for a few hours because it wanted to ward you away.” The fae lifted an eyebrow. “Thus, proving my statement that magical hair is not always the best thing to have, nor the best to practice your innocent braiding skills on. At least, Felix’s hair won’t try to attack you.”

“Your hair only attacked me once! After that, it understood that we weren’t dangerous to you” Jeongin shrugged, unbothered. He even went as far as petting Hyunjin’s head while cooing a few soft words to his locks. The fae rolled his eyes but let the youngest do what he wanted. “Plus, the first time I tried to braid it, you were injured, so of course your hair would be more protective of you.”

“I mean, if I hadn’t broken my arm during that combat training class, I’d never have let you touch my hair in the first place” Hyunjin admitted easily.

“But you looked so miserable with your arm in a cast and trying to tie your hair up with one hand” Jeongin recalled, finishing up the elaborate braid that he’d started. “I couldn’t let you leave the dorm in that state. And you did agree when I asked if I could help, even if you were grumbling and mumbling the whole time” he laughed.

“And then, my hair flashed you and you almost went blind. And the next day, you were back at my door, asking to braid my hair again. Honestly, at that moment I really thought you didn’t have any survival instincts” Hyunjin laughed.

Jeongin took a couple of flower pins from his pockets and slid them into Hyunjin’s braid, fiddling with it until he was satisfied with the look. “Well, it paid off, didn’t it? Because since then, you actually let us help you out when you need help, and not only with your hair” the gumiho said wisely, and Hyunjin couldn’t contradict him.

“You sly little fox. I knew you had a plan in mind since the first day I met you” he chuckled.

“Yeah, and the plan worked: you’re a part of our coven now” Jeongin answered with a shit-eating grin.

With a gasp and a grin, the fae turned around quickly, attacking the younger with a pillow. The attack devolved into a messy fight, which was quite unfair since Jeongin was reluctant to touch Hyunjin’s head for fear of messing up his artwork.

“Are you done with the kids?” a voice asked Hyunjin as the fae stepped out in their garden. They had all fallen in love with the two-story cottage house as soon as they’d seen it, but what Hyunjin – and Minho – liked the most was the cute garden, which led into the forest that was boarding the back of their property. He often went there to find some respite after a hectic day, and today definitely qualified for that.

“Yeah, I let them all say their goodbye to the hair” Hyunjin joked, flipping his braid over his shoulder to show it off to Minho.

“It’s my turn, then” the elf smirked, showing Hyunjin the pen and sketchbook he held in his hand.

The fae rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree, simply making his way into the forest, knowing his hyung would follow. They had walked this path many times before, and could find their way with their eyes closed to the little river that flowed up to the north side of the house. Seungmin sometimes went to that same river when he needed to switch forms for a while and shed his legs for a tail. However, he preferred to do so in the little pond that formed a few hundred meters away from the spot that Minho and Hyunjin were currently in. Their favorite location was completely surrounded by trees, with barely any space in between them and the water to be called a bank. The two forest creatures would of course not spend time on said embankment, since they preferred to be climbing branches and hiding in the foliage. There, you could feel a sense of security and peacefulness from being hidden from the world.

It was something that Minho and Hyunjin shared, that need to hide away from everything once in a while. At first, the fae thought it was because companionship was too much after all of his years pent alone in his forest. Usually, once school ended, he couldn’t wait to get out of that place. The screams and laughter of the other students, the calls from the teachers, desperately trying to give them homework, the strident bell, the rush of the hallways, and even the dorm in the late afternoon just accumulated into a mass of noise and headaches that Hyunjin did not wish to deal with. So, he’d slip off at sunset to go into the gardens of the school, to find some alone time, to observe the stars and recentre himself after a long day.

Every time he’d do so, it would cause a panic back in the dorm. His roommates didn’t know where he kept slipping off to, and they didn’t know if he intended to even come back or not. It would lead to some more stressful discussion and angry lashing out, Hyunjin unwilling to justify himself and the others unable to understand what he needed.

That was until Minho arrived. He was a late comer to the school, only doing his final year of schooling with the rest of them. He’d understood Hyunjin’s need for peace and quiet pretty much as soon as they met, although he did teach the fae an unvaluable lesson: peace didn’t have to equal loneliness. You could spend good quality time resourcing yourself quietly with someone else. Someone who made that time feel more special, and less like you were isolating yourself.

That lesson was learned when the elf started crashing Hyunjin’s alone time in the gardens by simply going to sit by his side and taking out his sketchbook, drawing whatever he fancied that day. At first, Hyunjin had been annoyed, but too tired to protest. Then, slowly, he realised that having Minho there didn’t truly bother him. In fact, it made him enjoy those moments even more, being able to bask in the quietness and knowing that someone else was appreciating it with him.

It then became a habit, the two boys escaping out together when they needed it, and the fact that they weren’t alone did help to calm the rest of their dormmates’ anxiety. Hyunjin had never thanked Minho for that; for helping him get those moments of peace he needed, for understanding him, for taking his side over the rest of the boys. But between them, words were rarely needed.

Such was the case today. They stayed together in silence, enjoying the birds singing, the ruffle of the wind in the foliage and the gurgle of the stream under them. Hyunjin closed his eyes to nap and Minho opened his sketchbook to draw. And when they both felt like moving again, the elf showed Hyunjin what he’d been working on.

“That’s a portrait of me” the fae gasped, his eyes taking in all the details on the paper. Minho had taken extra time sketching his hair and the flower pins that Jeongin had put in his braid.

“I needed to draw a reference before you cut them, so I can remember it after” Minho shrugged.

Hyunjin knew that it was more than that. Minho loved to draw eventful moments, things he found important to remember later. He guessed this was one of those moments, at least in the elf’s mind. But as usual, they were men of few words, and they weren’t going to go any further on that subject.

“Let’s go back home, the sun is almost setting” Hyunjin smiled, starting to climb down.

Without a noise, his hyung followed him, and if ever they brushed hands more often than usual while walking side by side on their way back home, who was he to comment on it?

“Hyunjin?” someone knocked on the door to his room, interrupting the fae’s finishing touches to his ritual.

“Hmm? Oh, Seungminnie, come in. What can I help you with?”

The siren made his way in the room, holding a polaroid and an album under his arm. “I wanted to ask you… you don’t have to agree, if you don’t want to, but could I take a picture of you?” He shyly asked, looking everywhere but at his friend.

“So suddenly? Are you trying to make a fake mugshot or something?” Hyunjin teased, wanting to lighten up the atmosphere.

“No! Of course not!” Seungmin grumbled, setting the album down on the fae’s desk and fidgeting with his polaroid. “I just want a memory of you… like this, to put in the coven album.” He vaguely pointed at Hyunjin’s figure.

The fae understood what he meant, he truly did. He just didn’t think his friends would take this change so much to heart. He thought that, on the contrary, they would be happy and encourage him to change his old ways, to shed his past and be someone new. Guess he didn’t take into account their nostalgia.

“Yeah, you can take a picture for the album, Minnie.” Hyunjin agreed with a soft smile, already sitting by his window and arranging himself. He did want to look pretty.

Seungmin cheered happily, taking his camera and kneeling in front of Hyunjin, so the boy would be slightly above the objective, with the beautiful colors of the sunset peeking through the window behind him. The flowers glinted in Hyunjin’s hair, but the blonde locks themselves looked like they were glowing, lighting up the fae’s skin with a healthy golden glow.

“Don’t move” the siren instructed, taking the time to position himself perfectly, before snapping the shot. “There we go.”

They both waited in silence as the picture printed itself, Seungmin gently shaking it while waiting for the colors to appear. 

“Do you already have a spot in the album where you wanna put it?” Hyunjin asked, opening said album and riffling through it. He was met with a barrage of memories as pictures from their school year all the way to their present met him. There was that time Jeongin had replaced the headmaster’s shampoo with red dye, a picture of Changbin, Jisung and Chan after they won their first dueling tournament, a shot of Minho drawing peacefully at their kitchen table with a flowerpot in front of him. Pictures of big and small moments next to each other, resuming their lives in the past decade.

Hyunjin almost teared up, but the next page he turned rendered him speechless more than nostalgic. There was a whole chapter of the album dedicated to him, and mostly to his “firsts”. His first day at the dorm, his first class with the boys, his first prank with Felix… There was even a shot of him with his arm in a cast and Jeongin braiding his hair for the first time – technically, it was the second since the first time he’d been blinded, but it could count as the first successful time.

Unable to think of anything to say, Hyunjin just looked up at Seungmin with his mouth agape.

“I started this when I first met you” the siren explained, rubbing the back of his head. “The moment we first saw you I knew you were gonna end up in our coven. Call it instinct, or premonition, I just knew it. I kind of wanted to document each step you took towards that, so I took pictures every time you did something that led you closer to us. Now, with you cutting your hair… it kind feels like the last step to you trusting us.”

“So you have like… a whole photo journal of me from when we first met to today?” Hyunjin gaped.

“I have one on each of the boys. It’s good black mail material” the siren shrugged.

“I have the weirdest coven mates” Hyunjin shook his head, while Seungmin took the album from his hands. He turned the pages until he arrived at the end of the fae’s section, right underneath a picture of their last sleepover, where you could see all the boys sprawled in a heap over mattresses in the living room.  Obviously, Seungmin wasn’t on the picture since he was taking it, but he never seemed to mind, preferring to be behind the camera than in front of it. Under the picture, a note was delicately handwritten, stating: Hyunjin’s first time talking unprompted about his past.

The fae bit his lip, remembering the moment. He had in fact decided to tell the boys about what little he remembered about his life with his parents during that sleepover without anyone needing to ask, simply wanting to share good memories with them.

Seungmin slid the newest picture in the album, underneath the sleepover one, and took a pen out of his pocket. He took his time writing, his tongue poking out of his mouth, before looking satisfied. Under the picture of the fae sitting at his window, with his hair glowing and the sunset at his back, was written the words: Before Hyunjin’s first haircut.

“I’ll leave one more space on this page to get the after picture” Seungmin smiled, closing the album and getting up. “I’ll let you finish to prepare yourself. But before you go, I think Chan wanted to call a meeting in the living room. We’ll be waiting for you, take your time” he reassured, sending the fae one last look, before leaving the room.

Hyunjin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to refocus himself. All of the emotions of the day were getting to him, but he knew he had to keep them at bay if he wanted to do things properly. He finished his last preparations, checking twice that everything he’d need was ready, before leaving his room.

All the boys were waiting for him in the living room. Hyunjin stepped up to them nervously, hugging his satchel by his side.

“I… uhm… I’m ready. I should get going, now that night has fallen” he said, sending a look out the window, into the moonless night.

“Before you go, Jinnie, we wanted to tell you once more how proud we are of you doing this.” Chan stepped up, offering the fae a comforting smile. “And I have one more thing for you. You don’t have to use it, but I thought that it could be useful, and it will make this all easier on you as well if you take into acco-”

“Chan, you’re rambling.” Minho cut him off dryly.

“Oh… Sorry” their leader blushed, finally handing Hyunjin the small, wrapped package that he was holding. “Here, it’s for you.”

Hyunjin made an inquisitive noise in the back of his throat, taking the package and removing the wrapping paper carefully. His eyes widened as he stared at the pair of ornate, golden scissors now laying in his hand. It was very obviously enchanted, the magic thrumming in his fingers and going up his wrist in a gentle tingle.

“Since you’ve never done this before, I put a spell on the scissors to help you cut everything evenly, just so you don’t come back here with an awful hair cut” the witch chuckled. “I… also enchanted it so that every hair that’s cut with it cannot be used by someone with evil intentions. That way, even if someone discovers where you hid it, they won’t be able to use it for their own gain” he added shyly.

Hyunjin felt the tears come back up once more and had to sniffle them away discreetly before bowing to their leader. “Thank you, hyung. I’ll cherish them, and use them well” he promised, carefully putting the scissors in his satchel. “And thank you, for everything you did up till now that allowed me to take this step today” he added in a smaller voice, but knew that everyone had heard him by the smiles that painted their faces.

“Be safe Jinnie, and come back to us when you’re ready” Chan sent him off with a blessing, his words accompanied by sparkles that shimmered as they landed on Hyunjin’s shoulders, the magic protection taking effect immediately.

The fae nodded at his coven one last time, before turning around and making his way out into the night.

When Hyunjin woke up the next day, it was because of shouts echoing around the house.

“CHAN HYUNG! JEONGIN DISAPPEARED!” Felix yelled, banging on what Hyunjin guessed was Chan’s door.

“What the fuck do you mean, Lix hyung? I’m right here!” 

“CHAN HYUNG! I CAN HEAR JEONGIN’S VOICE EVEN WHEN HE’S NOT HERE! I THINK HE TURNED INTO A GHOST!”

“What the hell are you yelling about this early in the morning?” A disgruntled Minho mumbled next, before a door was slammed open.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN JEONGIN DISAPPEARED?”

“Well good morning to you too, Chan hyung” Minho sighed.

“Why are you all screaming about me disappearing? I’m right here!”

“AAAH! I TOLD YOU IT’S A GHOST!”

“I’M NOT A GHOST!”

Hyunjin chuckled and decided to go out to help his friends solve their little problem.

“Good morning, everyone. What seems to be the problem?” the fae calmly asked as he made his way out of his room and into the hallway where everyone was slowly gathering.

“Ah, Hyunjin, Felix was just saying that-”

Chan cut himself off when he got one good look at their resident fae, his mouth hanging open.

“Wow, hyung… Short hair suits you so well!” Jisung whispered, in awe.

“It’s weird to see you like this… but I like it!” Felix chirped up, running to Hyunjin. He stopped right in front of him, wiggling his fingers in the blonde’s face. “Can I?”

Hyunjin chuckled. “Yes Lixie, you can touch my hair.”

The dragon squeaked happily, blowing out a little bit of smoke before burying his hands in Hyunjin’s now short locks, reveling in the feeling of the strands under his fingers. “They’re still so soft and fluffy, but they do look a bit healthier!”

“How are you feeling, Jinnie?” Changbin asked, stepping up to their friend. He was obviously ready to support him, almost as if he was expecting the fae to stumble around weakly.

However, what Hyunjin had discovered the night before, while cutting his hair, was that it didn’t make him any weaker. On the contrary, he felt more in control, now that he didn’t have to constantly keep his powers on a tight leash, and it allowed him more freedom and ease with his magical energy.

“I feel really good” he assured, smiling at the werewolf.

“I’m glad for you, hyung!” Jeongin’s voice echoed around them once more, making half of them scream in fright.

Hyunjin chuckled, reaching forward, his hand closing on apparent emptiness. “Thank you Innie. I see that you’ve found my gift?” As he said so, the fae moved his hand up and around, Jeongin suddenly appearing out of thin air. Hyunjin handed him back the talisman he’d just taken from around his neck, which looked like a braided strand in the shape of a flower.

“It’s really nice hyung! But what is it exactly?” the gumiho inquired.

“An invisibility amulet” Minho answered in a reverent voice, looking at the object in Jeongin’s hand. “Made out of fae hair?”

“I thought you could use some help sneaking around, to do your pranks” Hyunjin told Jeongin, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

“Wait… hyung, you made this out of your own hair?” Jeongin gasped.

“There… was something on my nightstand” Seungmin suddenly piped up, sending Hyunjin a surprised look, before rushing off to his room.

All the boys at once did the same, all of them rushing to their rooms to try and find something. The fae laughed, letting them go and walking to the kitchen to start pouring himself a well-deserved mug of coffee.

“HYUNJIN! Oh by the spirits you shouldn’t have!” Chan was the first one to come back, looking at Hyunjin with tears in his eyes while cradling a small pouch in his hands.

“It’s for your potions and spells, hyung. I know it’s hard to find some, so I thought I could at least contribute.”

“Yeah but… raw, fully powered and willingly donated fae hair, Hyunjin? That’s more precious than anything else I own! I can make… hundreds of things from this alone!”

“Well then, I hope you’ll use it well” Hyunjin smiled, taking a sip of coffee.

“Can I kiss you?” Changbin interrupted them abruptly, striding into the kitchen. “Don’t answer, I’m going to kiss you.” The werewolf took Hyunjin’s face in between his hands and kissed both his cheeks with a resounding smack. The fae cried out while making disgusted sounds, but he didn’t struggle in the embrace.

“Well, here I thought my gift was great. What did he get you, Binnie?” Chan laughed, sitting at the kitchen counter, quickly being joined by Jeongin who was still admiring his amulet.

“He got me a sun talisman, woven with his hair! Do you know what that means, hyung? DO YOU?” the werewolf excitedly shouted, jumping up and down, almost smacking Hyunjin’s mug out of his hand.

“It means you won’t have to change your talisman every month?” It was Jeongin who answered, perking up.

“EXACTLY! I won’t have to buy a new sun talisman after every fool moon! I can just keep this one for the REST OF MY LIFE!” Changbin shouted and laughed at the same time, picking Hyunjin up in his arms and spinning him around.

“Alright, alright, put me down!” The fae complained, although he was smirking.

“You think keeping the same talisman for the rest of your life is exciting? I won’t have the change bowstrings ever again” Minho gasped, entering the kitchen with his trusted weapon. Normally, Chan enforced a strict “no weapons in the common areas” rule, but today was special. “Jinnie made me a string out of his hair, which means it will never break! I could use it a thousand times and it will still be as good as the first time!”

While Changbin and Minho were in awe of their gifts, trying to outdo each other, Seungmin came into the kitchen with a little pouch and an inquisitive look. “Hyung? I’m… not sure how you want me to use it?”

Hyunjin approached him and opened the pouch, revealing the golden powder in it. “Your gift didn’t actually require my hair, just the fairy dust that’s on it. I read in one of Chan hyung’s books that you can use it to make infusions for your voice, if you strain it. It’s supposed to be back to normal after just one sip” Hyunjin explained.

“Really?” Seungmin’s eyes widened in understanding. “Thank you! That’s amazing! I’ll try it out next time I sing, for sure!”

Hyunjin smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Hyunjin…” a voice sniffled, and everyone stopped and looked at the doorway. There, Jisung stood with a flower bouquet in his hands. “You… you shouldn’t have…”

“Aw, Sungie, don’t cry!” Hyunjin hurriedly took the dryad in his arms, hugging him while the smaller boy swallowed back his tears.

“Why don’t you tell us what you made for Sungie?” Chan encouraged with a smile.

“I wrapped up a bouquet with a braided strand of hair, so that the magic could seep in the flowers and keep them alive… well, pretty much forever” Hyunjin explained, rocking Jisung back and forth. He lowered his voice next, so the dryad knew that his words were just for him. “I know you suffer when you go to places with no plants or traces of nature. But if you keep this bouquet on you, you’ll always have a part of nature with you to feel better.”

Jisung let out a loud, embarrassing sob into the fae’s shoulder, which everyone agreed to tease him about later. Before they could though, Felix unknowingly came to Jisung’s rescue.

“Hum… hyung? I’m sorry I… I don’t mean to interrupt or anything I… I just couldn’t find anything in my room. It’s not that I want you to feel obligated to get me anything!” he hurriedly denied, shaking his hands. “I really don’t want you to feel that way! But I also don’t want you to have actually given me a gift and maybe I’m just too dumb to actually find it and then I don’t want to have lost your potential gift, but also maybe there is no gift in the first place and I don’t wanna sound pushy or like a spoiled brat but-”

“Lixie. Breath” Minho reminded him, going to rub the dragon’s back.

“Oh, Lix, I would never forget about you” Hyunjin exclaimed, checking in with Jisung to see if he was good enough for the moment, before pushing himself off the dryad to go see the freckled boy. “I do have a gift for you, but I made it for your hoard, and I would never dream of touching it without your permission. So I kept it on me so I could give it to you directly” the fae explained, taking something out of his pocket.

The dragon opened wide, sparkling eyes when he saw what was resting in Hyunjin’s palm. A bracelet woven in golden locks, sparkling with fairy dust, and topped off with one of the flower hair pins in the center. It glittered and glimmered under the light, making the walls sparkle with golden reflections.

“Pretty” Felix cooed, his hand hovering over the jewel. “For me?” He checked once more with Hyunjin. When the fae nodded, Felix took the bracelet and ran to his room, giggling. The rest of the coven followed him with knowing smiles, peeking into his room from the open doorway.

Felix went at the foot of his bed, where a mountain of glittery things was accumulated. It wasn’t all precious gems, you could also find some more sentimental objects in there, such as the first plushie that Jisung had gifted him, or a claw that Jeongin lost a while ago. Gently, Felix put the bracelet on top of the pile, before climbing over it and curling himself into a ball, purring happily in top of his hoard.

“You didn’t have to do all of this for us, Jinnie, but I’m glad that you did” Chan thanked the fae softly, the others nodding in unison.

“Was there any hair left from what you cut, after all the gifts that you made?” Minho inquired sceptically.

“No” Hyunjin said proudly. “I didn’t have to bury anything. I used it all on you guys, I thought it was definitely more worth it, and I feel safe knowing that my hair and my powers are with you guys at all times.”

“What are you all waiting for out there, come here and cuddle. I need my complete hoard” Felix grumbled at them from his curled-up position, his deep voice rumbling. He patted the spaces next to him, expecting the rest of his “hoard” to come join him. He’d decided long ago to include them in the list of precious possessions he needed to protect at all costs, and they’d all simply gone with it, not wanting to fight a dragon’s instincts.

One by one, they made their way to the pile of objects, everyone complaining about not being comfortable and shifting around to try and find something softer to lay on, but they all made it work, smiling at each other dumbly once they did.

If you’d told Hyunjin five years ago that he’d found himself in that position one day, he’d have laughed in your face. But today, as he passed his hand in his newly short hair, it all just seemed to fit perfectly in place. His life, his coven, his best friends. Everything was as it should.