Chapter Text
"you what." matthew deadpanned.
keita smiled sheepishly. "i know! but it's not as bad as you think!" he held out his hand and a bag of coins appeared. "here, look how much is inside."
narrowing his eyes, matthew huffed and took the bag. he made sure to shoot keita a blank look before he pulled on the draw strings and felt his heart stop at what laid inside.
"WHAT!"
"I KNOW!"
gold glittered brightly in the pouch and he took one out to observe. the coin glinted underneath the fluorescent lights above them and he gasped. these coins were new, like new new, never have been used. placing it back inside the pouch, he closed it delicately, his hands trembling a bit. god, this was a lot of money. more money than they make in a year. how on earth did keita get his hands on it.
"hyung..." matthew said in shock. "how did you get this? please don't tell me you sold our remaining bit of fairy dust," he begged.
keita crossed his arms clearly offended. "of course not! i know better than that! it's more so, i made a deal with um, ahaha-" the older cut himself off and looked everywhere but the younger.
"hyung," exasperated matthew. the silence was really starting to concern him.
feeling the worrying aura of the other, keita sighed. "i may or may not have made a deal with vampires..." he meekly said.
"i'm sorry, with WHO!?"
keita shrunk back at the shout. okay, now he's starting to think making that deal was a bad idea. matthew looked like he was about to throttle the older and make him drink toad slime. he shivered at the thought.
matthew rubbed at his temples. "hyung, why on merlin’s name would you make a deal with vampires? please tell me you at least know them?" he asked hopefully and was praying that keita had at least some brain to not be totally stupid.
it was one thing to make a deal with a fellow supernatural being, but it was absolutely another to make one with vampires of all groups. hell, even fae folk were considered less dangerous! vampires were constantly driven by the impulse to feed and to hunt. many going as far as abusing their abilities to get what they desire. those without any protection and prevention charms could easily get caught underneath a vampire's thrall. by then, you're basically a vampire's puppet until it wears off.
"sort of? kamden says he knows them and we trust kamden, so i just went in without really think about it," keita confessed quietly. now that he's hearing himself say it, he may have been off a marble or two.
rubbing the back of his neck, keita shuffled his feet. "that's not all. you're not going to like the deal at all. you might want to sit for this."
matthew's worrying was increased by ten folds at the statement. he's either going to die from a heart attack or die from an anxiety attack. he doesn't know which he preferred.
"basically kamden needed help with something so i headed over. arriving there i was met with two vampires sitting in his living room. obviously i was shocked because when was kamden friends with vampires? we ended up chatting and they're really nice!" keita added quickly, hoping that it'll ease the tension he's feeling from the other.
"they then talked about this event that the highest ranking vampires would hold every year for the blood moon and how they needed to find an escort. here's the thing though, they don't need just anyone. they needed someone who fits the description they had told everyone which is bright, bubbly, and basically just a ball of sunshine..."
keita looked guilty at the younger who was eyes wide staring at him with slight horror. "hyung, please tell me you did not," matthew started and keita nodded with even more guilt. "kamden mentioned you first! and i was unsure about the idea, but then they talked about how much they would pay and now we're here." he finished, fingers twiddling with the pouch of coins nervously.
"i cannot believe you guys offered me to be an escort without even asking!" matthew wailed.
"kamden offered you first!"
"still! hyung, i thought you cared about me!"
"i do!"
matthew glared at the older. "clearly not enough!" realizing how worked up he was getting, he breathed in and sighed.
on one hand, he really did not want to be an escort for the vampires. it wasn't like he couldn't handle them. matthew was more than capable to handle vampires. he's one of the strongest witches in the area and if not, the strongest within miles. him and keita both of course, so he wasn't too worried about his safety. it's just a personal distaste. he endured a bad history with bloodsuckers in his student years and it resulted him in keeping none close to him. of course, their shop was always open to vampires. in fact, it's open to all supernatural beings alike. there's no discrimination of any kind and they prefer to keep it that way no matter how much matthew despises vampires.
but on the other hand, that was a lot of money. just half the bag could get them supplies that were more rare in name and near impossible to locate without having links and connections. not to mention an order he has that's scheduled to be done by next week, but since it was missing a crucial ingredient, the completion time was set back by another week or so.
biting his lip, matthew weighed his options. being an escort can't be too bad right? just a single night at an event that'll probably last a few hours max.
"if you aren't up for it, we can always return the money and let them know. they seem nice enough to understand!" keita exclaimed suddenly, clearly feeling the guilt claw up his throat.
matthew shook his head with a smile. "no, i'll do it. we need the money, but next time hyung just ask me first, okay?" the older nodded his head rapidly. "so am i meeting up with them beforehand?" he asked and keita brightened up, obviously happy that matthew wasn't too upset with him.
"yes! they said to meet them at star creators's cafe around midday tomorrow."
ah, star creators cafe. matthew hasn't been there in a while. he wondered how seowon and woonggi were doing. the two haven't stopped by their shop in a while after opening up the cafe.
"also hyung? let kamden hyung know i'm going to turn his phoenix into a pile of feathers the next time he pulls something like this again," matthew joked, but keita wasn't sure if the other was joking based on the straight face he had on.
entering the cafe, matthew let a small grin slip on his face as he breathed in the familiar scent of magic and coffee. he definitely forgot about how much he loved this place and it's comfortable atmosphere. he glanced around trying to spot the potential duo he was supposed to meet, but frowned when there was no sight of any duo. whatever, maybe he was early. he ordered an ice americano and sat down near the windows, fully prepared to wait for an hour or more. vampires were unpredictable. they stayed and went as they pleased. another thing matthew hated about them.
he wasn't sure how long he spent people watching, but a silk voice startled him out of his thoughts. "seok matthew?"
matthew turned his head and felt his heart skip a beat at the sight before him. standing there were two tall and incredibly handsome men. actually scratch handsome, they were god damn, jaw dropping beautiful. one had a soft smile while the other held a deadpan gaze, but even so they were most definitely good-looking. they were tall, most likely taller than he was and was dressed in casual clothing that should not look that good on them.
realizing that he should be saying something and not gawking at them, matthew stood up and bowed.
"that would be me. i'm assuming you're the vampires that are friends of kamden's?" he asked with a tilt of a head, hoping his cheeks weren't pink.
the one with a smile just smiled wider and matthew felt his lips twitch at the whiskers that appeared on the taller's cheeks. how very cute.
"we are. shall we sit?" the vampire suggested with that silky voice again. does the other one sound the same? that attractive?
focus matthew, focus. these are vampires for merlin's sake.
once they seated, matthew beamed at them. "so, what are your names?" he questioned curiously, taking a sip of his drink.
"i'm sung hanbin and this is zhang hao," the other introduces. zhang hao had still not said a thing and seemed a bit too focused on eyeing matthew down. the witch ignored it, but allowed his magic to thrum underneath his finger tips ready to lash out if needed. the vampire couldn't possibly be so dumb to attack in broad daylight.
"it's nice to meet you two! you guys aren't going to order anything? i really encourage you to! the drinks here are really good and there's different creations for all supernatural beings."
hanbin chuckled. "it's alright, we're going out to eat soon so we're saving our appetite," he responded with a sweet tone. "but thank you for your suggestion."
matthew smiled brightly. "no problem!" hanbin seemed friendly enough. not rude or demeaning. he wondered if these two really were different like keita had said. ah, it's too early to make assumptions. noticing how a few more people entered the cafe, he quickly put up an eavesdropping spell. better safe than sorry.
"so what exactly is the situation here?"
hanbin sighed and glanced over at zhang hao who met his gaze with a nod. "i'm sure your friend keita told you bits and pieces?" matthew hummed, "only about how you need an escort to this blood moon event of yours."
hanbin held back a small wince as he began to talk about their problem.
"unfortunately we had dug ourselves into an early grave. i'm not sure how much you know about vampires, but we hold mates or partners if you will, with high importance. who we choose to mate with is based on our own emotions and compatibility," the other said.
matthew nodded along. he knew plenty about vampires. he was a student after all. spending hours and hours researching everything about every supernatural being. it was his living as a witch to know the histories of clients that stop by his shop. knowledge helps with efficiency and accuracy as well as to know who and what to steer clear of.
in regards to mates, vampires mate for life. granted, they do partake in many relationships and partners throughout their lifetime, but once a mark has been placed, their fates were sealed. it's also not uncommon for vampires to be mateless. some just prefer solitude and enjoy being alone. however, vampires usually mate with their own kind. for these two to be okay with having him as their fake pretend partner was a bit... confusing. matthew glanced over them and noticed the way the two were seated closely. shoulders practically touching, pinkies grazing each other on the table. surely, they were in a relationship themselves?
"based on that look, yes we are in a relationship," hanbin stated and matthew flushed, cheeks turning pink.
"ah, sorry sorry," he muttered out in embarrassment having been caught reading them.
the other laughed, eyes turning into crescents, "it's okay. i know what you're thinking. why on earth would we need an escort if we're already mated? during an outing one night, we talked about wanting to add another to our life, another partner. of course, a vampire nearby overheard and had informed his own coven about what he had just gathered. from one ear to another, word got around pretty fast."
how troublesome. they should invest in buying some eavesdropping charms matthew thought.
"pretty soon everyone was trying to set us up with their friends, relatives, daughters and or sons. it got to a point where zhang hao grew fed up with them and snapped that we already had a third and weren't interested." hanbin explained, clearly tired from the drama.
matthew pitied them. drama was never fun. especially when it involved your love life. he still remembers his time back at the academia. everyone was constantly pushing to get him to date, but he hated nearly all the people there. everyone except keita. the rest were all stuck-up witches who only wanted to gain power for their own benefit.
what an interesting amount of information though. it's no wonder that many would want to mate with the duo. the two were extremely handsome and seemed to hold themselves well. if people were flocking in attempt to join them, they clearly must hold some rank in their coven.
"that must have sucked. i get it though. sorry you had to go through that," matthew sympathized. "i do have one question if you don't mind me asking?"
"we don't mind, ask away."
"you're okay with the fact that i'm a... witch?" he drawled out slowly.
witches and vampires don't see eye to eye too often. actually, witches don't see eye to eye with most supernatural beings. if anything were to get out of hand and danger others, witches would be the one to put a stop to whatever may be happening. in turn, this resulted in more negativity towards witches than positive. not to mention the hatred based on fear of how strong witches can be.
to matthew's surprise, zhang hao was the one to answer him. "we are. contrast to beliefs, we don't care who we date and or are seeing. vampire or not, what matters to us is the individual and their soul." the vampire answered in a smooth voice.
that was not the response he expected and he was definitely not expecting zhang hao to sound like that. interesting. perhaps these vampires aren't like the rest. they certainly don't act like any he'd come across.
"okay," matthew replied back, pleased with the answer he had gotten. "tell me more about this event."
"it's basically a party. think of rich humans throwing a ball. that sort of vibe. however, instead or celebrating a birthday, it'd be the blood moon. it's usually held by the higher ranking covens and all vampires of lower covens are required to attend."
it's a good thing matthew doesn't have a problem with large crowds and groupings. it did meant that he'd have to stay on alert the whole night. a witch on vampire territory? they'd tear him to shreds or at least they'd try. however, he'd be showing up as hanbin and zhang hao's lover. they wouldn't attack someone's else mate unless they were asking for a death wish.
"sounds fun. will i have to converse with anyone?"
hanbin grinned at matthew cheekily. "around a few. hao hyung and i aren't part of the higher covens, but we are in one close to it based on our family bloodlines. people will most likely come up to ask you a few things, honestly it's just mindless chatter."
squinting his eyes, matthew frowned. there was nervous energy surrounding the other. not necessarily bad energy, but it put him on edge. "there's something you're not telling me," he softly accused.
zhang hao rolled his eyes. "we're princes. it's why people were so interested in becoming our third mate." he bluntly stated, not bothering to beta around the bush any longer.
matthew's brain stopped. um, what?
"hao hyung," hanbin hissed before throwing matthew a pair of apologetic eyes.
"oh wow, okay."
matthew wasn't just talking to vampires. he was talking to a pair of vampire princes. they were royalty. oh my god, they were royalty. that explains the large sum of money sitting in the pouch back at his shop. they were rich as hell.
noticing how awkward hanbin had become, matthew brushed off the prince comment. it's clear the other doesn't want to address that fact. he won't push it.
"tell me about yourselves," he said, changing the conversation. "like things they'd probably ask me about you guys. oh! are you guys older than me?"
the vampire was relieved at the topic change and gave out their ages. "you're older than me! that means i'll have to call you guys hyungs," matthew giggled.
hanbin and zhang hao both glanced at each other and nodded with a ghost smile. the younger pouted. "so not cool. using your telepathic powers when your fake lover is right here," matthew dramatically cried. getting over it immediately, he dove into another topic.
"what will you guys call me? i'm fine with anything! well, anything but baby and babe," the witch said honestly, cringing a bit.
"how about i call you seokmae?" hanbin suggested.
matthew felt his heart flutter a bit. that's new. the little nickname sounds so, what's the word? intimate.
"s-sounds good!" he stuttered out with pink cheeks.
"i'll just call you my love or darling i suppose," zhang hao said and shifted his posture so he's now leaning forward, his chin resting on his propped up hand. there was a faint smirk playing on his lips. the new position allowed the taller to look at matthew more closely than before and the witch wasn't sure if he liked it or he hated it. with wide eyes, matthew opened his mouth to speak before he got interrupted by a loud shout of his name.
"matthew!!!"
looking over, woonggi was skipping over to them and he brightened up considerably. completely forgetting the vampires in front of him, he got up and met the other in a hug. the two of them giggled once parted and woonggi pulled fondly on the younger's cheeks.
"woonggi! i haven't seen you in forever! why haven't you or seo won hyung visited me," the younger pouted.
the older just smiled and laughed, "so sorry! we've just been so busy opening up another cafe in itaewon!"
"matthew!! my little sundrop!" a new voice shouted.
behind woonggi was seo won, a dazzling smile on his face. "hyung!" matthew screeched excitedly and moved to embrace the other in a hug.
oh how he missed the two. they were such angels, quite literally. always willing to offer loose feathers of theirs whenever they molt and sneaking him ingredients from their trips to the heavens. what he missed especially was the energy they had. bright, glowing, and always so pure. it's like a breath of fresh air for his mind and for his magic. time with them were always cherished.
"oh? who are these gentlemen?" woonggi asked, eyes full of curiosity.
matthew blinked. "these are um," he paused. what was he supposed to say? clients? no, because they aren't. technically he was the client since he's getting paid.
"his boyfriends. sung hanbin, a pleasure to meet you," the vampire said and stood up to properly greet the angels.
he flashed them a sweet smile and woonggi gasped, hands flying up to cover his mouth. zhang hao stood up next and smiled for the first time the entire meeting. "and i'm zhang hao. a pleasure as well," he greeted with a warm tone.
seo won was the one to snap out of it first and turned back to the witch in his arms.
"we didn't stop by your shop for a while and you went and got not one, but two boyfriends!" the older shrieked loudly and matthew looked around the cafe in fear, but relaxed when he realized it was just them. the two probably closed the cafe when they found out he was here.
the tips of matthew's ears were red and heat was storming up his neck as he tried to stutter out a response.
hanbin laughed, the sound soft and airy. "it's fairly recent. isn't that right seokmae?"
silence engulfed them.
woonggi screamed excitedly and bounced over to the two vampires, shaking their hands aggressively. "it is so wonderful to meet the two who stole our little matthew's heart!"
"tell me, do you guys have any ill intentions with him? you may be vampires, but surely you must know that you'll never win against angels," the other said in faux cheeriness.
both the vampires gulped and shook their heads. "i assure you, we have no intentions on harming a hair on matthew's head," zhang hao nervously replied. it was clear he was a bit uneasy by how fast the other was able to tell what they were.
mortified was what matthew was feeling right now. down right mortified.
"hyung! stop him," matthew hissed up at seo won. "before i will."
seo won smiled at the younger. "he just wants to make sure you'd be safe." but seeing the cute little pouty expression, he sighed.
"alright, alright. woonggi, you're embarrassing the poor kid." he relented.
the angel whined. "aww, but i was just getting to the good part."
"please stop," matthew begged.
woonggi pouted. "okay, okay. no more interrogating." the angel reluctantly obeyed.
hanbin chuckled at the trio before glancing at the watch on his wrist. "as much as this had been fun, we've got to go. running late to a few plans of ours."
matthew nodded. their conversation from before wasn't exactly finished and he wondered if they'd be meeting up again to do so. he expected some form of goodbye, but he clearly wasn't expecting zhang hao to gently lean down and kiss his forehead.
"we'll see you tomorrow, okay my love?"
with shock coursing through his system, he nodded up to the other with a red cheeks. mind too blank to ask them how they were goin to contact him.
once they departed, matthew turned towards the two angels who were equally as shocked as he was. "you have a lot of explaining to do. we need to know all the deets!" woonggi squealed.
the door to his shop opened and matthew quickly cleaned up his hands before dashing into the main room with a smile.
"hello! welcome to-" he cut himself off mid sentence at seeing hanbin and zhang hao standing at the entrance.
"hey," hanbin greeted with a wave while zhang hao was gazing at his shop in wonder. a part of matthew was delighted to see that the other looking around in awe. him and keita did their best to make the place look more welcoming and comfortable rather than dark and creepy.
muttering a quick spell underneath his breath to lock up and hide his shop away, matthew bounced over to the two. "what brings you here? i was under the assumption we'd meet at the cafe again!"
"we figured it'd be easier talking somewhere where we could be at ease. if you're busy, we can come back later?" the taller offered, unsure if they're being a bother.
matthew waved his hand in the air with a laugh. "you're fine! business was slow today anyways. we can talk in my living room."
he led them through the back and up a winding flight of stairs before making it to his living room. "here we are! make yourself at home, i'll be right back with drinks. hope you don't mind chamomile tea," matthew chirped. "sounds lovely, thank you." hanbin smiled.
leaving the room and into the kitchen, matthew made sure to double check his wards and protection spells. not that he doesn't trust them, it was just a precaution. he also wanted to make sure the two weren't followed by other witches who may have the intent to harm them.
bringing the tea back into the room, matthew sets it down gently. "you guys are pretty bold coming here. most witches wouldn't react very well upon seeing vampires enter their shop." he informed, pouring a cup for each of them.
"you reacted quite well though," zhang hao observed.
matthew rolled his eyes. "we'll obviously. i know you," he teased. "plus, while i understand the history between our two groups, my shop is open to all supernatural beings as well as humans. i don't tolerate discrimination of any kind. i find it rather distasteful." he muttered, scrunching his nose.
hanbin's eyes widened as he sipped at the tea. "wow, this is the best chamomile tea i've had like ever." matthew beamed at the praise. he took pride in brewing his tea, always making sure the leaves were the best of the best.
"i'm glad you like it! now, shall we continue our conversation from yesterday? i'm so sorry for interrupting it by the way. i haven't seen my friends in a while so the excitement caught up to me," he apologized with a shy grin and sat on the opposite couch of the one they're sitting on.
the two shook their heads. "it's quite alright. it was pleasant seeing you three catch up. really lit up the entire room with how brilliant your smile is." zhang hao admitted out.
if possible, matthew's spirit grew even more and the two vampires watched with fascination at how bright the younger became. "keita hyung always says that! he thinks that's why people and creatures find it easy to shop here than at other witches shops!" the witch shared happily.
"anyways, back to business. what else do i need to know about this event?"
"there is one thing. some vampires are very... how should i put this?" hanbin frowned, trying to figure out a good word.
he nudged at zhang hao but the older of the two shrugged and hanbin rolled his eyes.
matthew sipped at his tea, "overbearing?" he provided. hanbin nodded with a weak smile. "yes! if you ever do get uncomfortable, just let us know. you're free to roam around if you prefer to, but we do recommend you stay by us."
"not that you can't handle yourself! most vampires wouldn't harm another vampire's mate, but since we aren't technically mated some will still try to make an attempt at you," the older stated, biting his lip in worry.
matthew caught a small glance of a fang and wondered why he's never seen them before now. they must be retracting them. giving them a smile, he sets his cup down.
"aren't you an overprotective lover," he teased and hanbin looked like he was caught like a deer in headlights. "i just, i-" the vampire tried to stutter out. it was obvious the other was embarrassed.
with a giggle, matthew allowed his magic to slip a little and the candles in the room flickered. "i'm just teasing! i'll most likely stay by your side. after all, i will be a witch in your territory which wouldn't be good for me if i were alone. you'll protect me won't you?" he joked, batting his eyelashes.
"we will. they wouldn't dare lay a finger on you," zhang hao said determinedly and hanbin nodded along. the two was looking at matthew with equal looks of protection.
the witch blinked in surprise. he was truly not expecting them to actually take what he said seriously. his magic swirled inside him, swooping in bashfulness and his stomach was in a flurry of knots. why was he letting these vampires control his emotions? it's not like him, but somehow he can't find it in him to stop this new attraction.
nervously laughing with red cheeks, matthew diverted the topic when he spotted his familiar walking into the room.
"token!" he exclaimed brightly.
the cat let out a meow and trotted over to him, nuzzling around his legs. picking the cat up, he pushed the feline up to his cheek. "hey there handsome, where have you been all day?" he questioned and the cat just simply purred. his cat was just the cutest.
"token, meet mr. hanbin and mr. zhang hao. guys, this is my familiar," matthew introduced with a grin.
the cat made eye contact with the vampires and was staring at them with unwavering golden eyes. the two sat there nervously. meowing to be put down, once placed back on the floor, token strutted over to the two.
matthew watched as his cat pawed on zhang hao's leg and the vampire hesitantly picked him up. the witch bit back a snort at the sight of the other holding the cat arms length away from his face. have this man never held a cat before?
"uh, hey there?" zhang hao greeted awkwardly.
hanbin had his head turned away, body shaking from how hard he was holding back laughter, but matthew couldn't hold his back any longer.
he dissolved into a fit of giggles and hanbin followed suit. zhang hao offended, gently put the cat onto the floor and crossed his arms. "stop laughing!" he demanded.
it only made the two laugh even harder. once they calmed down, matthew wiped at his eyes and grinned brightly at the older.
"sorry sorry, we'll stop," he breathed out, the last of the giggles leaving his system.
"you’re so awkward," hanbin snorted out and winced when zhang hao punched him in the arm. "serves you right," the older muttered with pink cheeks.
suddenly remembering what he was supposed to ask, matthew clapped his hands. "that's right! what's the dress code?"
hanbin gasped, "i totally forgot! hao-hyung and i already have our outfits and we wanted to ask you for your measurements so we can send them to our tailor."
"hope you don't mind showing off a little skin," zhang hao butted in.
"how much skin we talking?"
it wasn't like he was insecure, but the idea of showing revealing skin to vampires was just a bit.. uncomfortable. especially the neck area.
"most likely just the stomach. our tailor already has an idea in mind. if that's too much, we can convince him to change it more to your liking," the older added, only wanting the younger to be comfortable.
matthew shook his head, his magic once against thrumming underneath his skin in response to his emotions. cropped was fine. he's worn plenty of cropped clothes before.
"no worries! that's fine with me!"
"mmh, the outfit should be set to arrive in a few days after the tailoring has been done. we'll pick you up the day of the event," hanbin said. "probably around evening."
nice, he’ll have the whole day to get ready. before, he didn't care too much about the event, but now all he wanted to do was look extra nice and pretty. as well as snicker at the baffle looks vampires will throw his way when they see a witch in the arms of their beloved princes.
"perfect. now, let's get to know each other in case they ask personal questions." matthew excitedly beamed.
over the next few hours, the trio learned a lot about each other. from how hanbin is a dance instructor for a few dance studios around the area, how zhang hao is a violinist and part of an orchestra, and lastly how matthew was waiting for a response back from the witch's academy he once attended for an occupation as a part-time professor. truth be told, matthew was enjoying the time they're spending together. they proved to him that vampires could be more than what he once believed. they were kind, gentle, and especially really caring about the ones they love.
imagine his shock when they told him their coven was a mixture of supernatural people and not just vampires. while not common, covens aren't necessarily required to only be of witches or vampires. if done right, covens can consist of a mix of any supernatural beings as long as the leader of the coven is a witch or a vampire. it was frowned deeply upon in the old days, but now the stereotypes were lessened as they dove into a new generation.
there was eight of them, six excluding hanbin and zhang hao. matthew first learned of yujin, the youngest of the bunch. a werewolf, though still just a pup. there was two other werewolves as well, both older by the youngest by a bit and pups themselves, gunwook and gyuvin. the three were new additions to the coven, having been found alone and abandoned by their pack a couple years back. how horrible. once matthew figures out the name of that pack, they're going to be banned from ever stepping foot in his shop. he will not be giving his service to such monsters.
next was ricky who was a vampire as well, but was turned rather than being a pureblood. the older vampires had took the younger in when he was thrown out of his family after the incident. some parents really shouldn’t be parents he thought. then there was taerae, a fae. he never would've guessed their coven would have a fairy of all beings. fae folk tended to stay in the forest away from people due to distrust built up over the centuries. most of the distrust were aimed towards witches who had held these magical beings in captivity to farm their dust and wings. last was a demon who went by jiwoong. his demon named remained a secret. the man was said to have left his family due to the blatant homophobia when he had came out and had settled to remain in the overworld instead.
what an unusual bunch indeed. he wondered how well they get along, but sensing the pure love and adoration pouring from the two in front of him, he has no other reason to think that they are unhappy.
"you guys sound like a happy bunch," matthew appraised.
"we are! yujin wants to meet you actually!" hanbin said and matthew quirked an eyebrow up. "you told him about me? good things i hope," he joked.
hanbin and zhang hao both immediately sat up, eyes wide in equal panic. "good things we swear! we only told them about our situation and our first meeting and he said something about wanting to meet our future—"
zhang hao immediately placed his hands over hanbin's mouth, shooting matthew a fake smile who was staring at them with amusement. "friend! he was going to say friend. any friends of ours he wants to be friends with." the older said, voice pitching a bit. hanbin nodded his head rapidly from behind's zhang hao's hands with a muffled "yea!"
taking a second to register what just happened, matthew started laughing and the two vampires just sat and watched with adoration. brown hair curled and tussled, eyes turning into small crescents, cheeks pink, and smile just as bright as the last. the two gulped and looked at each other. they were so screwed.
"you guys are idiots," the younger giggled out. "i was just joking. of course you guys told them about me. it'd be weird if you didn't. i'm attending an event with you after all."
"matthew!!" a voice shouted.
loud stomping was heard from the stairs and out popped keita out of breath. "matthew! i- oh! hello again," the witch huffed out to the vampires, bent over and catching his breath.
the two nodded in greetings and watched as keita flopped onto matthew, whining into his hair. "matthew! my sweet, little dove. i have the worst news!" he complained and matthew frowned.
"what? did haruto lose another tail?" the japanese nine-tailed fox was always losing a tail each time he failed his experiments on talismans. it never fails to amuse him.
"worst! i have to attend a witch's council meeting next monday!"
matthew winced. "ouch, what did you do this time hyung?" at that, keita pulled back with a pout.
"nothing! i swear! i was on my best behavior this month. oh wait," the older witch blinked before jumping up in excitement.
"wait! what if the meeting is about the application i put in for a spot on the council! i totally forgot i did that! you're the best matt!"
keita placed a kiss on matthew's head before leaving the room in a rush. glancing back at the vampires, matthew offered a sheepish smile.
"sorry about him. sometimes hyung is a little off due to constantly working with herbs."
"you guys seem close," zhang hao observed.
matthew nodded. "yea! he's my best friend since we studied at the academy together. he's very loud, but you can always count on him."
noticing how late it's gotten, hanbin stood up. "it's getting late. we have to head back now before the others worry. it's been pleasant spending time with you seokmae." matthew beamed at the nickname. "it was fun! we should do this again sometime after the event. if you guys like to stay friends that is?"
zhang hao smirked and leaned forward, "of course we'd like to stay friends." hanbin smacked the back of the older's head and just flash a sweet smile at the younger.
"we'd love to stay friends. here, let's exchange contacts. remember, your outfit should arrive in a few days!"
after exchanging contacts, matthew opened his shop back up and waved goodbye as the two left. token stretched and walked up to him, tails curling around his ankle. the witch bent down and smiled, scratching behind his familiar's velvet black ears.
"so what do you think of them?" token meowed with a purr and matthew chuckled. "i like them too. come on you little cutie, we have some potions to make."