Archive of Our Own ^beta

“When you said ‘fun’, I didn’t think you meant solving a missing person case.” 

Kai slaps a branch out of the way, groaning when it hits him back in the face. Taehyun huffs out in amusement when he hears the sound of a slap echo through the woods; the forest doesn’t show mercy, especially not to idiots. 

Taehyun hovers over a root with ease, hands behind his back. He doesn’t bother looking over to Kai; warnings always be damned with him. 

“He’s not missing.” 

“He hasn’t been spotted in three weeks. That’s a missing person.” 

“He’s not missing. He’s here. Close by. I can sense his energy.” Taehyun leans forward, checking in a bush. He can sense it, the lingering of dark magic. Something that shouldn’t be dabbled with. 

“Coming from you, that’s very concerning,” Kai mutters. 

“Don’t be such a coward.” 

“I don’t think that’s the issue here. Taehyun, with all due respect, you are terrifying. And I have no—“ 

Taehyun holds up his hand. “Hush. He’s here.” 

“Who is here?!” Kai exclaims. 

“Quiet.” 

The bushes ruffle. Kai yelps, clutching onto Taehyun’s arm. Taehyun doesn’t do much to shake him off, instead shifts his position slightly so he is given freedom to move around a bit better. 

Taehyun bends over, and reaches into the bushes with one swift motion. He comes back up with a squiggling white fur ball in his clutches. 

“Oh my fuck—“ Kai clutches his chest. “Thank god, it’s just a ferret.” 

“That’s not a ferret,” Taehyun says.

“No, Taehyun, that’s a ferret.” Kai, honest to god, doesn’t know how to emphasize the situation better than this. 

“That’s not a ferret.” Taehyun sticks his finger out. The white monster hisses at it. “That’s Choi Beomgyu.” 

“Choi Beomgyu?!” Kai repeats, just for good measure. Just to make sure he hasn’t lost his mind just yet. “From a year above? The guy who went missing?” 

“Yep,” Taehyun says. He retracts his finger. “Cursed, I believe. It’s not a professional mage who did this to you. The spell is too sloppily done for that.” 

“What?” 

“There are loose ends. He’s not fully morphed.” 

Kai clutches his hair. “What does that mean?!” 

“Means he’s still got his own mind,” Taehyun says, “and if we try, we could get him back to his usual state.” 

The ferret’s — Beomgyu, that is Beomgyu, Kai has to remind himself — legs kick. He squirms, wiggles, but Taehyun’s hold is one of steel. Eventually Beomgyu gives up, baring his teeth. 

Taehyun rolls his eyes, turning the ferret to face him. “Stop hissing at me Beomgyu, I’m here to help.” 

Beomgyu doesn’t really seem to care about that. He’s probably roughed up in the way living in the woods and being forcefully changed into a different form leaves you roughed up. He tries snapping at Taehyun, but Taehyun only raises a brow at him. 

“So…” Kai clasps his hands together, “what do we do with him?” 

“That’s a good question. I might have to ask my mother or Soobin,” Taehyun replies. “But I think we’ll be plenty wiser if we go through our library.” 

“Soobin’s coming back?!” Kai’s voices raises an octave as he goes. He remembers the last time the entire family gathered. It’s not that it’s dull without him there, but it feels complete somehow, and a whole lot warmer. 

Taehyun nods. “With Yeonjun, unfortunately.” 

“Why are they coming?” 

“Blood Moon. Soobin’s always been important in helping the spirits cross, especially now that he has started taking necromancy a bit more seriously.” 

“He did?” 

“Yeah. It was driven by the death of his rat.” 

“Hedgehog,” Kai corrects him. 

“That.” Taehyun gives in easily. “He’s been determined ever since.” 

Kai hums. He rocks back and forth on his heels, eyes fleeting between Taehyun and Beomgyu’s sour-looking face. At least, he guesses it is. He would be very sour too, if he were be stuck in a situation as shitty as this. 

“So… Do we just keep him?” Kai asks. 

“It’s the only thing we can do for now,” Taehyun says. 

Beomgyu hisses. Taehyun takes his snout between his fingers and shuts him up. Beomgyu squeaks and struggles, but nothing sways Taehyun. The guy has a demon living in him for God’s sake, a little stretched out ball of fur is nothing. If animal protection was around to see this, Taehyun would probably get an earful.

“Hey, Tyun?” Kai tries, holding out his arms. “Why don’t I hold him?” 

Taehyun only shakes his head. “He would slip through the cracks of your fingers. He’s a biter.” 

“He bit you?!” Kai screeches. 

“Only lightly. But he won’t do it again.” Taehyun raises Beomgyu to eye level. “Will you, Beomgyu?” 

Kai swears he sees the ferret shudder. He gets it. He really does.

So, that’s how they find themselves in Taehyun’s room. Beomgyu is sitting on a little chair of his own in an oddly humanoid manner. His little ferret arms are crossed and if Kai looks close enough, he can tell he’s scowling. Kai has a lot of questions. He has learned he shouldn’t always want the answer, especially if Taehyun is involved. The tiny chair Taehyun conveniently owns is self-explanatory, though. Kai can feel the dolls’ eyes burning in his back. 

He sits up a little straighter, clearing his throat. “So, what’s the next step.” 

Taehyun has his head rested on his desk, chin rested on his hands. He’s examining Beomgyu head to toe with a pointed gaze. His irises are burning a soft orange. Aha, this isn’t Taehyun. Kai still can’t quite wrap his head around the fact that the boy who’s become his best friend is also sharing his body with a demon. He wonders if Calumcifer hears their conversations too. Probably. If anything, he thinks Calumcifer already knows. 

The two come in a package deal. Kai shakes the thoughts of him. “Tyun?” 

“One second.” 

Triple voices, Kai swallows down a scream. Yep, still Calumcifer. His hands glow orange, veins lighting up as he runs them over Beomgyu, grimacing at the knots and instabilities. He closes his eyes. The glow starts fading out and when he opens them again, Taehyun’s eyes are back to brown. 

“Right, so, as I suspected. He isn’t fully shifted.” Taehyun’s voice is like honey, especially compared to whatever Calumcifer has going on. 

“Yeah, no shit.” Kai gestures at Beomgyu with both hands. “Look at the way he’s sitting!” 

Beomgyu lets out a screech. Probably protest. 

Taehyun frowns. “Beomgyu, we’re doing our best. Even if you complain, you’re still a ferret.” 

Beomgyu makes an odd clicking sound. His paws fly around in exasperation. If Kai squints, he can imagine Beomgyu’s face, expressions so shocked it will make you feel a bit offended.  

Taehyun shakes his head. “I can’t find the root of the problem. I think I’ll have to wait for Soobin to arrive.” 

Beomgyu squeaks. He flutters his ferret lashes — yeah, Kai is going to keep emphasizing the fact that Beomgyu is a fucking ferret — and melts a bit into his seat. His paws clasp together by his cheek. Do ferrets have cheeks? 

“He has a boyfriend,” Taehyun mutters. “Unfortunately.” 

Beomgyu deflates. He punches the air. 

“He doesn’t like you anyway.” 

Beomgyu screeches again. Paws balled into fists, flying in the air. It’s all so absurd Kai is numb to it. Taehyun only blinks at Beomgyu, letting him go on his angry tirade. It seems mid-rant that Taehyun gets up, upsetting Beomgyu even further. 

“Kai, come.”

Kai stumbles after him, chair clunking against the ground. He nearly drops it, but manages to catch it on time. “Where are we going?” 

“To the library,” Taehyun replies. 

“What about Beomgyu?” 

Taehyun looks over his shoulder only to see Beomgyu with his head in his paws. “I think he needs some time alone.” 

“Tyun, what are we looking for?” 

Taehyun looks down from where he’s hovering. “Animal morphings and curses.” 

He continues running his eyes over the highest shelf, hands folded behind his back in that very Taehyun way of his. Always calculated and strained. Kai thinks he’ll die before he sees Taehyun relax. Kai traces the covers of the books with his fingers, blows the dust off them. Honestly, he doesn’t know batshit about what he’s doing. He was hoping Taehyun might feel particularly helpful, but it seems he’s running around in his own mind. 

“Which section is that?” Kai eventually asks. 

Taehyun slowly comes down. His robes puff up as he goes, something like a scene from Alice in Wonderland, right as she flies down the rabbit hole. It’s insanity, he thinks, to be close to Taehyun the way he is. Whenever he’d seen him stomping down the school halls he never thought this would happen. It wasn’t that he was scared of Taehyun—maybe a little bit. Taehyun is scary—but he never knew how to approach him. Taehyun is hard to read. 

He doesn’t know where he got the courage to approach him that first time. However, Taehyun had looked so mopey, frowning as he glared holes into the shadows. 

Taehyun doesn’t say anything as he leaves, something Kai has gotten used to. It’s to the point that he doesn’t need Taehyun to say anything, just knows the shift in the air when Taehyun is no longer by his side. This freaky house is leaving its mark on him. 

He’s spent more time here than he has at his own house, though he’s still a bit skeptical about sleeping here. He did it a handful of times, but each time he swears something has awakened from the dead. He’s glad Taehyun agreed to cover his mirror whenever he’s over. He’d done it without any protest even, only that unnerving blank expression of his. He swore he’d seen a twitch of a brow, though. 

Kai hurries to jog after Taehyun. If he doesn’t, he might not ever find Taehyun back again and he will become another one of the ghosts in the walls. He shudders. He heard they could be quite mean. He does his best to follow the feeling of impending doom and eventually finds Taehyun somewhere on the other side. 

Hands folded behind his back, posture stiff. His eyes are narrowed slightly, staring at every title on the shelf. Kai doesn’t know how many spell books one needs, or how many spells there even are for it to fill a library. 

“They’re not only spell books,” Taehyun says. 

Kai freezes. “How did you know?” 

His ears start ringing, cold sweat beading on his forehead. If Taehyun knew even half of what he thought, he would be done for. He would never be able to save his face, or friendship with Taehyun. In fact, he doesn’t think he would even be able to save his life. Taehyun might unleash his wrath, and Kai does not want to be there to see it. 

“Sometimes, you think very loudly.” Taehyun doesn’t seem fazed. He never is. “I don’t do it on regular basis, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s hard to turn it off after using it, though.” 

“That’s how you’ve been communicating with Beomgyu?” 

“It’s the only way. I’m not listening to what you’re thinking. Usually, Calumcifer is too loud for that, too.” Taehyun shakes his head, lips pulled into a thin line. “It’s not here. I should’ve known. Shapeshifting is a whole different problem.” 

Kai furrows his brows. “I thought magic was versatile.” 

“It’s not magic, per se,” Taehyun says. “But yes, it is versatile. It’s just that shapeshifting comes with… complications.” 

“What.” 

“It is hard to restore the body if the mind has been trapped for too long,” Taehyun explains. “However, it’s clear Beomgyu’s soul is still very much preserved. It shouldn’t be hard, but I do need to know what to do.” 

“So what do we do?” 

“My next guess is to wait for Soobin to return. He’s better at tracking down sources. That’s why he does the guiding of spirits. He knows how to sense them better.” 

Kai nods, letting it settle. He never knew there were so many layers to this thing, different elements to excel at. 

“And if we find the source?” he asks. 

“We will find the caster,” Taehyun says. “If we find the caster, chances are we know what spell they used. And if we do, we will know how to reverse it.” 

“Smart.” 

“Of course I am,” Taehyun says. “Now, let’s go along. I will inform my mother about the situation.” 

Taehyun clasps his hands behind his back, stepping forward with that odd stillness of his. Not a hair out of place, not a muscle moved. He walks like a ghost, unaffected by everything in the world. Back in school Kai had found it terrifying, especially with the way his big, black eyes would always be wide open and staring into everyone’s soul like he knew the exact spots in hell reserved for who. He probably does. That’s the most concerning part. 

Kai’s sneakers squeak against the tiles, creaking worse than the doors. Kai cringes as they echo down every hall, followed by an ominous growl. Kai is so sure they’re keeping a beast underground, but Taehyun claims they don’t have a cellar. 

Still, he rushes after Taehyun, making sure to be at least within arm’s reach. Honestly, as long as Taehyun’s around he’s sure nothing can hurt him. 

The kitchen smells like coming home. It smells like life and cheer. Kai wants to press his nose into it, or maybe make it into a nice candle so he can remember the scent it has. 

Mrs Choi emerges from behind the kitchen counter at the first sign of their presence. She’s nothing but wide smiles. “Kai! Oh, darling, it’s so good to see you!”

Kai bows his head. “Hello, Mrs Choi.” 

Mrs Choi waves him off. Instead she wraps both her arms around him, patting his back. “Gosh, why so formal?” she asks once she lets go. “You’ve been here plenty, Kai. We adore you.” 

Kai scratches his neck. “Sorry, I’m… shy.” 

“No need for that!” She waves the air, chuckling. “I baked cookies. Would you like some?” 

“Mother, I have something to tell you,” Taehyun interjects. 

Mrs Choi doesn’t spare him a glance, dancing through the kitchen. “We can do that over tea, can’t we?” 

Taehyun sighs, then nods. “Alright.” 

Mrs Choi hops off to her little tea brewery. Every flavor is sorted into a jar, labeled in swirly fonts. Her fingers dance over them. She looks over her shoulder. “How about a little fruit tea? ‘t Is the season after all.” 

Kai nods. “Oh, yeah, that’s nice.” 

“Coming up! Taehyun, get the cookies.” 

Taehyun blinks, eyes flashing orange. The tin rinkles from the shelf, comes flying through the room. Mrs Choi dodges without looking, huffing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. She hums and aligns the teacups. dropping onto the table. It leaves a dent in the metal. 

“Apologies,” Taehyun says. “I’m not quite good at the coordination yet. Feel free to take one.” 

Kai quietly removes the lid, taking out a cookie shard. “Oh! Choco chip!” 

“Taehyun said you liked those!” Mrs Choi quips in. 

“I told you he likes mint chocolate, Mother,” Taehyun mumbles. 

“Oh. Whoops!” 

“It’s fine! I like these too.” Kai munches off a bite. He immediately groans, clutching his chest. “They’re so good!” 

“I’m glad you like them! Goodness me.” Mrs Choi comes to sit down next to them, tray wobbling in her hands. The teacups are rimmed in gold, black cats chasing each other over the porcelain. Quite literally. “Next time I’ll make something mintier.” 

Kai moves his fingers to let the kittens pass through. “It is fine, really! I love these lots too, they might become my new favorite flavor.” 

“Sweetheart, it’s no big deal. You’ve been keeping our Taehyun so happy.” 

“Mother,” Taehyun urges on, this time with more finality, “there are more pressing matters than my affections right now.” 

“Of course, of course. Here is your tea.” Mrs Choi sets down the tray, then sits down across the two. “So, what might it be?” 

Taehyun holds his hands together, lips pursed. “We have found the missing classmate. However, he has undergone an unwilling metamorphosis. I was wondering if we could turn him back.” 

He then reaches out to his cup, taking a long sip. “Oh, that’s nice. Thank you for the tea, Mother.” 

“Oh, goodness me.” Mrs Choi’s face twists into a frown. “Hmm, well… The Blood Moon is right around the corner. The spiritual energy is very high during those times. I think you could utilize the state of chaos to pull some strings.” 

“His soul is still in tact,” Taehyun tells her.

“All the better! This shouldn’t be too hard. Though, there might be some complications.” 

Kai’s ears perk up. He leans forward over the table. “Complications?” 

“Nothing concerning!” Mrs Choi assures. “Definitely nothing life threatening.” 

Kai wonders why that doesn’t do anything to put him at ease. He reaches for another cookie shard, nibbling on it in distress. 

“So what must we do?” Taehyun asks. 

“Let me assess him,” Mrs Choi says. “It’ll give me a better view of the situation.” 

“I’ll fetch him.” 

Taehyun glides out of the room before either of them can make comment on it. His long black skirt flows after him, heels clicking. He looks like a night time sea, black waves and nothing to see beneath them. 

“So,” Mrs Choi smiles. It’s unlike her usual ones. A knowing glint lingers in her eyes, makes them twinkle. “Would you like some more tea?” 

Kai raises his hands, waving them. “Oh, no, no this is fine.” 

“Okay.” Mrs Choi sets down the teapot, leaning her head on her palm. “Taehyunnie has been talking about you an awful lot. He really likes having you around.” 

“I’m glad.” Kai chuckles. He’s not really sure what else to do, with his heart speeding up a bit. He clutches onto it before it flies away from him. 

“As am I! He’s never had a friend before.” Mrs Choi sends him a soft gaze. “I know he won’t ever admit it, but he’s been brighter ever since you’ve come into his life.” 

“He is?” 

“Of course, sweetheart! He doesn’t smile, but you can feel it.”

Kai looks down into his lap, cheeks feeling hot. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Taehyun really is an odd one, but Kai wouldn’t know how else it should’ve been. There is something so inherently Taehyun about every small thing he does. A little odd, but never out of place. Nothing makes sense when he’s around Taehyun. That’s the fun of it.  

He runs his fingers over the edge of the teacup. The kittens mewl, rolling over each other as they play. “I really like him too.” 

“Oh, Kai, I know. Thank you for that, too.” 

“Nothing to thank me for,” Kai says. “It’s just the way it is.” 

His heart thumps against his chest bone, blood coursing. He can feel Mrs Choi’s smile shining softly, affectionate. He looks up at her, lips spread into a thin smile. “Do you thi—“ 

“Here he is,” Taehyun’s voice interrupts. 

He’s holding Beomgyu in one hand, letting him rest on his forearm. Beomgyu seems to has lost any fight he had left in him, letting his body sag off like wet noodles off a strainer. Misery looks horrid on his little, fuzzy face. 

“Be nice,” Taehyun whispers into Beomgyu’s ear. 

Beomgyu doesn’t have the energy to shudder. He only sinks into himself further, becoming something more akin to drab. Taehyun sets him down on the table and resumes his spot. He pulls up his nose at the cold tea, but continues sipping it nonetheless, letting his cookie sog up in it. Kai’s eyes widen at it, but honestly, he shouldn’t be surprised. Taehyun waits for his ice cream to melt before eating it. 

Mrs Choi is on the case in no time. She purses her lips, eyes soft. “Oh, you poor soul. How did this happen?” 

Beomgyu squeaks. It’s like the anger and frustration brings him back to life. The stages of grief truly are getting a little juggled in the little guy. He throws his body into his story. His long, stretched out torso dances along. He stomps his feet, tugs at his fur. Kai doesn’t speak ferret, but he supposes he’s getting the gist of it. 

“Oh, you poor thing!” Mrs Choi laments. “Gosh, those parks can be treacherous, you never know what you will encounter there. So many people to fear.” 

“Why?” Kai asks. “What did he say?” 

“He didn’t see who did this to him. He was just strolling when suddenly he hears this piercing voice. And before he knew it…” Mrs Choi shakes her head. “Oh, darling. We will try whatever we can, alright?” 

Mrs Choi brings out the sheets for one of Taehyun’s doll beds. They’re silk, shining pink. Goodness, she sure knows how to make a guest feel at home. She fluffs up the pillows, then pats Beomgyu’s little head as she tucks him in. Beomgyu gives a closed-lipped smile, eyes closing. He snuggles into the sheets and squeaks. 

Mrs Choi laughs. “Of course, Beomgyu. It’s the least I can do.” She turns to the rest of them. “You two sleep well, too. Now, good night.” 

“Good night, Mother,” Taehyun says. 

Kai whispers a good night of his own. The room gets a few degrees chillier once the lights are off, but Taehyun’s eyes are still brown in the dark. No demons, just Taehyun. Taehyun is staring at him, wide-eyed. It’s hard to tell if he’s already asleep or still awake, though when he’s sleeping his irises usually fleet. 

He reminds Kai a bit of an owl, ogling at everything stiffly. He then turns to lay on his back, arms crossed over his chest. Usually he’d pull the sheets over his head as well, but never when Kai sleeps over. Not everyone can run on low oxygen, he’d said. Kai appreciates the thought. 

“Tyun-ah,” Kai whispers. 

“What?” Taehyun asks. 

“Is it alright…” Kai motions at the sheets, at them, everything around him, “this?” 

Taehyun frowns. “Of course. You wouldn’t want to be sleeping on the floor, Kai. You don’t know what you might encounter there.” He turns his head to face him. “We’ve done this before. Why do you ask now?” 

“Oh, nothing. I was just… making sure.” 

“It’s fine.” 

“Okay…” Kai trails off. The gears in his mind are turning, desperate to drag himself out of the hole he just dug. It’s too obvious. This is the exact awkwardness he wanted to avoid, though he’s sure he’s the only one feeling it. He clears his throat. “Beomgyu seems cozy.” 

“He finally has a bed,” Taehyun says. “It can only be better than the dirt.”

Kai can only imagine. He watches Beomgyu curl up in his silk sheets, purring in content. His little paws clutch onto the sheets, pulling them up to his nose. It’s precious, Kai has to admit. It makes the situation just a tad bit better. The little things. 

“It’s weird how… human-like he is,” Kai comments.  

“That’s because he’s human.” 

Kai supposes he’s right, however that may work. There’s a lot in the world he can’t understand yet, especially in this somehow in between type of reality Taehyun and his family live in, where things that shouldn’t be possible are happening like it’s nothing new. 

He’s still amazed by how unfazed Taehyun is by most things, how the line between life and death, soul and body is almost non-existent. There are less lines, and all are far easier to cross. Kai sighs out, sinking into the mattress. 

“Can you do it?” he asks. 

Taehyun blinks. “Do what?” 

“Turn him back.” 

“Of course I can.” 

Kai has to hold back a laugh of endearment at the confidence. He should’ve expected it; Taehyun always knows what to do and where he stands. He knows his power and the extent of it—or maybe the limitless nature of them. He’s sure Taehyun could kill him in the wink of an eye—magical or not. This would probably be just another task to him. 

“That’s… good,” Kai manages to get out. 

“It’s a challenge, but it’ll be fine,” Taehyun says. “And I will have enough of summer left for other things too.”

“Such as?” 

“I will have to make Yeonjun’s stay as uncomfortable as possible.” 

Kai shoots up. “Huh?!” 

Yeah, he didn’t forget Taehyun’s previous shenanigans. He can still see those beady eyes, drained of life. Nasty, crooked feathers. He might be going insane alongside Yeonjun

“It brings me joy,” Taehyun states, simple as that. 

“Joy?!” Kai exclaims. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Oh, my god. Oh, my god.” 

“It’s the little things in life, Kai,” Taehyun says. “I thought you would know that.” 

“You have this all planned out?” Kai falls back into the mattress. Taehyun bounces up next to him, stiff in his position.

“I plan out everything, Kai. This, however, might have gotten a little extra care.” 

“That sounds so ominous!” 

Taehyun shuts his eyes. “He’ll live.” 

In all honesty, Taehyun thinks it ridiculous his mother prepares an entourage every time Soobin returns. He cares for his brother, too, of course, but it’s a bit much. Calumcifer gets restless when there’s too much magical energy around. They’re harder to contain like this, but Taehyun has spent a good amount of forever with the demon to know their quirks and how to tone them down.

Yeonjun’s beat down Volvo come up their driveway with much difficulty. The breaks creak when it halts. Even the family’s old Bentley drives with more ease than this piece of scrap metal. The family is positioned on the front steps, all waiting in position. 

Kai nudges his side. In a hushed voice he asks, “Are they always this dramatic?” 

Beomgyu rattles in an affirming way. He’s hanging around Taehyun’s neck. After seeing the commotion—the pastries being baked, the rearrangement of the rooms to look just a bit more festive—he was set on being at the party too. Taehyun was going to tell him there was no party, but Kai wouldn’t let him. Let him have the small joys, or something like that. 

“Only my mother,” Taehyun says. “She likes celebrations.” 

“Right…” Kai trials off. “Who are these people?” 

“I don’t know.” 

That shuts Kai up, too bewildered to even conjure any thoughts. It’s absurd, even Taehyun admits. He watches as the car rocks to a stop, grindstone crunching underneath the tires. The entire car shakes as the doors fly open. Soobin is the first to jump out. He rushes over to give their parents a hug. 

Yeonjun comes out seconds later, sunglasses and his lazy stance. He follows Soobin’s greeting, albeit a bit more awkward. Taehyun is sure he heard his bones crack in his mother’s embrace. He lets himself revel in it. These must be the small joys Kai was talking about. 

“Taehyun!” Soobin grins from ear to ear. He hops over, about to drag him into an embrace as well, only for something to freeze him in his tracks. Taehyun feels half-relieved for the intervention. 

Odi squeaks on Soobin’s shoulder, beady eyes narrowing at Beomgyu. Beomgyu hisses back, back curling up. Sometimes Taehyun wonders if the caster mistook ferrets with cats. Or perhaps it’s just Beomgyu who isn’t aware of regular ferret behavior. 

“Odi,” Soobin warns. “Be nice.” 

Odi, as expected, doesn’t listen. He crawls down Soobin’s arm, hiding in his sleeve. All that can be seen is two beady eyes, red in the low light. They’re peeking from the opening, probably asserting the new playing field. 

“Sorry, ever since I revived him he’s been a lot moodier,” Soobin says. He sounds exasperated, digging into his sleeve to find the little ball of spikes. “I’ve been trying to get him closer to Yeonjun, but it’s a little hard on both sides.” 

Taehyun nods solemnly. “I understand. Odi must be having a hard time.” 

Taehyun sees Yeonjun glare at him from over Soobin’s shoulder. He simply raises a brow at him. There’s nothing Yeonjun could do against him anyways. 

“Jun, could you please hold Odi for me?” Soobin asks his boyfriend. 

Yeonjun tries his best to mask his scowl. “Baby, he doesn’t like me.” 

“That’s why you two should try to get close!” 

Yeonjun holds his hand out, reluctance heavy in his actions. His fingers tremble as the spike ball closes in on him. 

“They can smell fear,” Taehyun says. 

Yeonjun shoots him another glare, though it melts away when Odi chomps down on his finger. He screams out, cradling his hand. The hedgehog falls to the ground and starts scurrying. 

“No!” Yeonjun yells. He starts running after the thing. “Get back here, you rat!” 

Soobin sighs, thought there is a small smile on his lips. He turns his attention back to Taehyun. “I thought you didn’t like pets. Since when do you have a weasel?” 

“Ferret,” Taehyun corrects. He pokes Beomgyu to get him into the conversation. “And this isn’t just a ferret, it’s Choi Beomgyu. I was thinking to reverse his curse during the Blood Moon.” 

“Ah, makes sense,” Soobin chuckles. “Do you need help? And, hello, Beomgyu.” 

Beomgyu perks his head up, chirping a greeting with a grin. It’s like he revived from the dead, overly enthusiastic. Taehyun shuts his eyes, inhaling sharply.

Beomgyu wraps both his paws around Soobin’s index finger, shaking it enthusiastically. He squeaks out, Soobin humming along to what he’s saying. He giggles. “I see. It’s nice to see you too.” 

“I think I can manage this on my own. It’s not a strong spell,” Taehyun interrupts. “But, if you could maybe find the root of the curse.” 

“I see.” Soobin purses his lips, then nods. Taehyun can see the way his eyes are scanning over Beomgyu. It’s calculated, lingering on the key points. He hums, mostly to himself. “I take it you haven’t found the source of the curse yet?” 

“You’re better at tracking. However, it is no one we know. I don’t recognize the patterns in the curse,” Taehyun admits. “They’re not complex, but they’re unfamiliar.” 

“Interesting. Gives me something to puzzle on.” Soobin holds out his hands, lips stretched into a smile. It brings out his dimples, those treacherous dimples. “Then, should I take Beomgyu with me?” 

Taehyun doesn’t get the time to answer; Beomgyu scurries down his arm and hops into Soobin’s hands like he’s imagining a fairytale getaway. He grins up at Soobin, eyes closed and trying to be cute. Kai snorts from behind Taehyun. 

“Okay.” Taehyun blinks, though he doesn’t linger on the situation too long. He spins around, linking his arm with Kai’s. “Kai, let’s get ice cream.” 

“O-oh… Sure!” Kai grins, patting Beomgyu’s head. “Hang in there.” 

Beomgyu doesn’t seem like he will be having a hard time doing that. He waves them off, almost as if he wants them to leave already. Kai rolls his eyes, chuckling. “Okay, Tyun! Your treat!” 

The two of them find themselves in the same spot they always go, right where the trees let the sun through. Kai lies back into the grass for a moment, only to come back up again to take a bite of his ice cream. He throws his head back to let the light fall on his face. 

“Man, the sun is so nice!” he exclaims. “It’s the perfect weather to go to the beach.” 

“It’s fine,” Taehyun mutters. 

Kai cracks open an eye. “Not a fan of sunshine?” 

Taehyun shakes his head, glaring at the line where sunshine and shade meet. He pulls his legs up a bit higher to his chest, pulling his long skirt down just a bit more. “It makes Calumcifer too excited. They yap around my head like some puppy. How embarrassing.” 

It’s hot outside. Not scorching, but hot enough to not be doing anything, yet still sweating. He doesn’t know how Taehyun manages in his all black attire, covering him up from head to toe. Well, he supposes with the way the shadows shiver in fear around Taehyun’s presence, he’s managing just fine. 

“You’re so mean to them,” Kai says.  

“If you had them inside you all the time you’d agree they deserve it.” 

“Yeah, I’ll take your word for it.” Kai rolls over onto his belly. He rests his chin on his hands, squinting up at Taehyun. “Any other plans for this summer?” 

Taehyun blinks, gaze faraway. “Well… not quite. We have the Blood Moon duties, of course, so that’s a plan. I’m not sure how long the ferret concern will last us.” 

“I’m sure it’ll fix itself up quickly,” Kai says. “My plan for the summer is to eat as much ice cream as I possibly can. And taste every flavor the shop has.” 

“Then you should stop only picking the mint chocolate one.” Taehyun’s tone is pointed, though it fleets on humor. He picks at the long grass, collecting enough of them to weave them into a little sheet. 

“I’m getting there!” Kai places the spoon between his lips. “Let me think what else.” 

“More plans?” 

Kai hums. He runs his mind over everything he allegedly had planned, though they are mostly just vague concepts. He wants to stay up all night with Taehyun, he supposes, go to cafes with Taehyun, walk through the park with Taehyun. Really, if he were to do anything he’d be happy, as long as it was with Taehyun. 

“Nah, I don’t think we need more plans.” Kai shrugs. ”I’m sure you’re going to drag me along to wherever, anyways. Got haunted mansions listed to visit?” 

“Every house is haunted, Kai,” Taehyun says. “Not all ghost show themselves. They don’t usually have the ability to.” 

Kai flops onto his back, hands resting on his stomach. “Goodness me.” 

“You sound like my mother.” 

“She’s rubbing off on me.” 

Taehyun’s eyes brighten up just a bit. He picks at the daisies, incorporating them into the basket he has somehow whipped out of nowhere. He works so fast, and in ways Kai will never understand. He looks so focused on his work. It’s all in his eyes, Kai has come to realize. He doesn’t show it on his face, but his eyes tell all. They darken, sparkle or turn glassy. 

Taehyun blinks. “Should we try the strawberry flavor next time? Calumcifer hates that one.” 

Kai grins. “Sounds good to me.” 

Yeonjun finally drags himself into the living room, clutching Odi in a death grip with some protective gloves. He should’ve invested in those earlier, but Soobin’s father was kind enough to lend him his. He drops the hedgehog onto the table next to Soobin before wiping the sweat off his forehead. It’s too hot to be stupid.

Beomgyu jumps in surprise at the new, unwelcome visitor. His eyes go big. He looks up at Yeonjun. 

Yeonjun nods in exasperation. “I know right?” 

Yeonjun scowls at the little spike ball. Odi squeaks something along the lines of, What’re you looking at, asshole?

Yeonjun rubs his face into Soobin’s arm. “Sooob, Odi is being mean again.” 

It comes out muffled and nasal, even more so than usual when Yeonjun whines. Soobin chuckles under his breath. Despite how sweaty his boyfriend is, he runs his fingers through Yeonjun’s hair. “Shh, baby, I need to focus.” 

Yeonjun shifts in his seat, now leaning his head on Soobin’s shoulder. “What are we doing?” 

“I am trying to trace whoever left the curse.” Soobin runs his hands over Beomgyu’s stomach, earning him a squeak. Soobin laughs. “Someone this bad shouldn’t be able to cast spells in the first place.” 

“Can’t you ask Beomgyu who did this to him?” Yeonjun asks. 

“He doesn’t know,” Soobin sighs. “I already asked Taehyun.”

Yeonjun’s mouth falls open. “How does he understand?” 

“Perks of the demon. I can pick up bits and pieces looking into his mind, but it’s very fragmented.” Soobin squeezes his eyes shut, navigating a bit up Beomgyu’s torso. He tenses up. “Wait! Hush, shush, I’m picking something up!” 

“What?!” 

“Quiet!” 

Yeonjun leans back. “Aye, aye, darling.” 

Soobin’s eyebrows fumble together. He mutters something incomprehensible, moving up and down. His tongue pokes out the inside of his cheek. “Fuck, I lost it. The casting was too unstable.” 

He sinks down into his seat, rubbing his face. Yeonjun has only seen him this distressed a couple of time before; after he was sure he screwed up an exam and when Odi decided to nibble through their walls. 

“Is there anything we can do?” Yeonjun asks, rubbing Soobin’s shoulders. 

Soobin presses his lips into a thin line. “I got a lead. I know the vague location. I’m hoping that the closer we get, the stronger the energy will become.” He grins. “Wanna go on a little date?” 

Yeonjun gasps. “What about your spirit duties?” 

Soobin waves his hands. “Ey, I’ve been doing those since I’ve been eight. I’ll do just fine.” 

“Eight…” Yeonjun repeats. That’s a whole lot of years of experience. 

Soobin shrugs, a little cocky, but Yeonjun supposes he’s allowed to be. “I am somewhat of a prodigy.” 

“I figured…” 

“It really isn’t that hard. I think you could do it too. It’s basically customer service and sending some hardheaded assholes into eternal damnation if I must.”

“Sounds…” Yeonjun coughs, “fun.” 

It really doesn’t, but maybe it’s because Yeonjun has spent quite some time appeasing people who only know how to complain during his college days. Working in a restaurant had been the worst and best time of his life, but the good parts only came in the form of extra cash and some fun people to work with. 

“It really is. Trust me. It’s especially the celebration that follows that’s the best.” Soobin claps his hands. “And! Despite the name, no blood involved.” 

“Oh, thank the heavens.” Yeonjun slumps into the table, face first. Beomgyu gives his head a quick pat to which Yeonjun looks up with a grin. He runs his finger over Beomgyu’s head. “The ghosts are still scary, though.” 

“They’re just ghosts,” Soobin says. ”They can’t hurt you.” 

“But they can scare you!” 

“Eh, I suppose.” Soobin stretches out his arms with a groan. “Are you ready?” 

Yeonjun tilts his head to the side. “Ready for?” 

“We’re going to chase a lead. It’s not stable, but it’s a general direction.” 

Yeonjun springs up from his spot. “Oh my god, let me get my shoes.”

Soon enough, they’re well on their way. Growing up in the city, about everything in the town amazes Yeonjun. He’s starry-eyed at how peaceful it is, swinging their intertwined hands with his entire body. It’s like some type of movie scene of a romantic getaway. 

“So what are we looking for?” Yeonjun asks. 

Soobin’s face is set in concentration. “I’m trying to trace the source of the spell. Every caster has a type of autograph, to call it something. It kinda lingers onto them, and though the lead I got wasn’t clear, it did lead us to…” Soobin halts in the middle of a park. “Somewhere around here.”

“That’s, uhm,” Yeonjun coughs into his fist. “A whole lot of somewhere.” 

Soobin giggles, squeezing Yeonjun’s hand. “We’ll do fine. It’s stronger here. I’m sure we’ll get it in no time. I saw ribbons. Look out for ribbons.” 

Yeonjun salutes him. “On it, captain!” 

“God, you’re embarrassing,” Soobin says. His mouth is smiling, though. He still gives Yeonjun his kiss before they get to work. 

Yeonjun sometimes wonders how Soobin sees the world. He’s told Yeonjun before, that he can see the forces of magic—ley lines, if Yeonjun remembers correctly. He can see them run through buildings, over the ground, like some nautical map. The lines are clear, though, something he can ignore. He wonders if tracking spell casters looks the same. 

He follows Soobin’s lead, though he does try to see if anyone in their path is wearing anything remotely frilly. They’ve walked about half the park without any sign. 

“Wait!” Soobin raises his nose like some police dog. “I found it. I found it! Jun, hurry!” 

“Coming, my love!” A little theatrical, but Soobin likes him that way. 

Soobin marches forward, though not before grasping Yeonjun’s hand and dragging him along with him. He leads them somewhere by the bushes. “There. There’s the culprit.” 

Yeonjun’s heart speeds up, hands turning clammy. This is it, the twisted person who caused this entire mess. He was expecting anything terrifying, evil, probably charming as villains usually are. However, not this. He freezes up, looking up at Soobin. Then he looks back at the view greeting them. 

“That is…" Yeonjun doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That is a kid.” 

Soobin crouches down. “Hey, did you by any chance turn a guy into a ferret. There is no point lying, I can read minds.”

“Ai, Soobin, don’t ask her like that!” Yeonjun exclaims. He lays his hands on Soobin’s shoulders, trying to steer him away. 

“We need to make sure,” Soobin says. He points an accusing finger. “Speak up, where did you find the spell? Do you know just how much trouble you caused?”  

The kid blinks at him. A few beats pass, a calm before the storm. Yeonjun holds his breath watching the scene unfold. Soobin stares back at the girl, a gaze so nasty it makes even Yeonjun’s stomach churn. And then her bottom lip starts wobbling. She wails. 

Yeonjun rushes forward, crouching down in front of the kid. “Soobin!” 

“She shouldn’t have cursed someone, then!” 

It’s ridiculous how serious and exasperated Soobin sounds. Sometimes—just sometimes—his boyfriend has no social awareness. Yeonjun looks at the little girl, trying to assess just what the fuck to do before her parent probably jumps out to scold them into oblivion. 

“She’s a child!” Yeonjun hisses over his shoulder. His hands hover around the child, before he balls them into fists, then back open because he shouldn’t do that. That looks bad. “No, no, please don’t cry. He’s just stupid.” 

“Hey!” 

Yeonjun points a finger at him. “Mouth, shut.” 

Soobin grumbles something under his breath. Yeonjun hopes they aren’t profanities. He ignores his boyfriend’s sulking, instead focusing all his energy on the little girl. 

“Hello, I’m Yeonjun, and the silly man over there is Soobin,” Yeonjun says. Soobin looks less than pleased, but honestly, he’s the least of his concerns right now. He’ll cuddle him later. “What’s your name?” 

“Sooji,” the girl mumbles. She looks down at her feet. 

“That’s a pretty name,” Yeonjun says. “And that’s such a pretty bow in your hair.” 

Sooji doesn’t reply. She looks down at her shoes, same pink bow on the tips. Must’ve come in a matching set. 

“Sorry, he really is a little stupid,” he tells her. “But it’s because something really bad happened. Our friend got turned into a fuzzy little creature, and we really need to know how to fix it before we can’t turn it back anymore. Do you know anything about that, Sooji?” 

Sooji plays with the hem of her skirt, swaying back and forth. 

“Did you maybe play with something?” Yeonjun asks on. He has to admit he’s getting a bit impatient, but he doesn’t want to push her away. Yelling at her wouldn’t solve things anyway. 

“My grandma’s book,” she then mumbles. 

“Hm?” Soobin closes in on them. “What was that?” 

Sooji shrinks into herself. 

Yeonjun sighs. “Apologize.” 

“But—“

“Choi Soobin.” 

“I’m… sorry.” Soobin mutters the words under his breath, eyes turned down. 

“What are you sorry for?” Yeonjun eggs him on. He has to admit, it’s a little funny seeing Soobin this way. Despite the serious weight of the situation, he likes poking fun at him. He already knows Soobin is going to be sulking about this for at least an hour later. He’ll cuddle it out of him later. 

“Sorry for getting upset at you,” Soobin says. 

“Good,” Yeonjun says. “Very good. See, Sooji? He’s not angry, he’s just worried about our friend. What did you say? Your grandma’s book? What did it say?” 

“My grandma said it was magical,” Sooji says. “I wanted to try it. I wanted to get a pet, but mommy didn’t let me. So I wanted to make one.” 

“Oh my,” Yeonjun says. “Do you… maybe remember what happened?” 

“I don’t know…”

“Do you remember what you did maybe?” Yeonjun urges. He has to remind himself to keep the patient, gentle tone. 

Sooji shakes her head. “I didn’t get a pet.” 

“Did you see anything?” Soobin asks. 

“Nothing.” Sooji heads dips even further. “It didn’t do anything.” 

“What?” Yeonjun falters for a bit. He looks up at Soobin in a questioning gaze, but Soobin only shrugs in response. 

“The spell didn’t work,” Sooji mumbles. “I didn’t get anything.” 

Soobin runs his fingers through his hair. “Shit.”

Yeonjun narrows his eyes at him. “Language!” 

The shadows in the house can hide a lot, Kai comes to realize. Or maybe it’s just Taehyun who knows how to blend into them. He beckons Kai closer, mischief glinting in his eyes. That’s all he can see of him, really, the brown tipping over into orange, but not quite. Kai slips into the dark behind him. 

“You know, you used to be ruthless,” he says. “This is quite mild compared to your previous work.” 

“Because I no longer want him dead,” Taehyun replies. 

There’s a chilliness to the statement that makes it clear he was very much attempting it before this. Pushing the edges, seeing how far he can take it. 

“So…” Kai scratches his brow, “you’re going to have him chronically hiccup?” 

“It should wear off in an hour,” Taehyun tells him. ”Besides, it’s only every time he tries to be affectionate with Soobin, which he is a lot.” 

“You’re evil, you know?” 

“Thank you.” 

Kai shakes his head, laughing under his breath. Taehyun is cute in the most unexpected ways; even when he tries to affirm his truly evil and scary nature, Kai wants nothing more but to just cuddle him. He shouldn’t let that get the better of him; he’s sure Taehyun is dangerous, but he always seems to forget it when he’s around him. 

He asks, “How do you even curse a person?” 

“Jinx,” Taehyun corrects. “Curses are meant to harm, jinxes are petty and should pass on their own. They shouldn’t be dangerous.”

“Shouldn’t be?” 

“If the circumstances are right they can become fatal.” 

“Right…” The more you know. 

Taehyun turns around fully, making sure he’s looking Kai in the eyes. “Nothing is going to harm him, Kai.” 

“I’m not worried about that!” Kai splutters. 

“Sure.” Taehyun’s back is back to facing him again. “It’s going to be just fine, really. It’s just hiccups. It’s uncomfortable at most.” 

“Fine… If you say so!” Kai exclaims. “So, how do you hex someone?” 

“Well, since I’m good at spells, I can cast them nonverbally. It’s really just that. Spell him. Usually their minds are the most torturous parts of jinxes.” 

“I’ll repeat, you’re evil.” 

Taehyun’s irises flicker. “Okay, stick by me. You have to see the magic.” 

Kai sees magic every time he’s around Taehyun, but he won’t say it. He also won’t admit that he loves seeing Taehyun like this the most, mischievous and giddy. Mrs Choi was right; there is a glint in his eyes. They shimmer, deep brown with golden flecks.

“Why are you smiling?” Taehyun asks. 

It doesn’t sound anything outside of Taehyun’s usual tones, but it still makes Kai shrink away. He doesn’t know what to answer. “I’m just happy to see you happy.” 

“Oh.” Taehyun blinks. Once, twice. “Thank you.” 

Kai scratches the back of his head. “Uh… No problem.” 

Taehyun doesn’t ponder on it for too long, and Kai doesn’t know whether to be grateful or to lament it. He doesn’t know how much longer he can drag this out any longer. On the other hand, he doesn’t think Taehyun would even catch onto his feelings. Sure, he’s observant and sharp, but not in this aspect. Kai would call him dense, even. Taehyun and Feelings don’t mix, yet with Kai the two get mixed up into one big mush of confusion. 

“He’s coming,” Taehyun then says out of the blue. 

Kai frowns, but soon enough he sees Yeonjun hobbling down the stairs. He’s humming to himself, by now far more used to the creaking and whispering from beneath the floorboard. Though, looking closer Kai can see why. He’s wearing goddamn AirPods. Smart. Taehyun really should give Yeonjun more credit. 

However, the smart move might very much work against him today. This house will never let you know what’s waiting for you. Aside from Taehyun moving like he doesn’t exist, the extra blockage puts him at a great disadvantage. 

Taehyun grabs Kai’s bicep. Kai stutters in surprise. He looks down at Taehyun’s hand, then back at Taehyun. On loop. His skin is jittering, tingling in excitement. Is this the first sign of a jinx? Magic looks like it should crackle, buzz a little bit. Or perhaps he’s been shaped by the Harry Potter movies. He’s never seen Taehyun use a wand. 

Taehyun blinks more. A funny type of blinking Kai assumes. Kai clears his throat, but doesn’t say anything more. Taehyun doesn’t push either. The hand stays, though. It’s not going anywhere. 

“Watch this,” Taehyun says. 

Kai nods. A little too enthusiastic, if he were to judge by the ache in his neck. He hides himself behind Taehyun—or how much he can, with the height difference between them—and peeks over his shoulder. Yeonjun is about to jump down the final step. Just as he’s about to jump, Taehyun’s eyes flash orange. Yeonjun’s eyes mirror the color. He lands, then shudders. He pulls out an earphone, eyes running over every corner. He furrows his eyebrows, muttering out a “weird” loud enough for the both of them to hear. 

“Huh? Nothing happened.” 

“Wait for it.” 

“Soobinnie!” Yeonjun cheers. Just as he’s about to engulf his boyfriend in a hug, however, Yeonjun jolts. He slaps his hand over his mouth.

Soobin chuckles. “Baby, you got the hiccups?” 

“They weren’t here before!” 

“Okay, okay. Let’s get you some water.” 

Yeonjun pouts, clinging onto Soobin’s arm. He jolts again. It doesn’t stop with one this time, hiccups interrupting every sentence he attempts to speak. Soobin ruffles his hair before taking his hand and dragging him into the kitchen. 

“See, they won’t even know he’s jinxed. Just thinking it’s a bad hiccup,” Taehyun says. “It’s really funny. Whenever someone had a hiccup here, Mother would make us do a handstand and drink water at the same time. Want to see?” 

“Why… A handstand?!” 

Taehyun shrugs. “Superstition.” 

Now, that is ridiculous. Kai lets out an airy laugh, mostly disbelief. It’s not that funny, admittedly, but he can’t stop laughing. He’s wheezing, clutching his stomach. He doesn’t know if it’s the statement, or the stoic way Taehyun said it. He never thought Taehyun would be in disbelief of something. Taehyun who lives in the supernatural and has a demon living in him, has superstitions too. 

“You know, I truly don’t understand you sometimes,” Taehyun says. 

“Likewise.” Kai nudges his shoulder. “Isn’t that just the fun of it?” 

Taehyun doesn’t answer. He tugs at Kai’s sleeve, dragging him in the same direction Soobin and Yeonjun disappeared into. Kai’s heart flutters a little when he instead goes to grab his hand with determined steps. 

The scene they’re met with is nothing short of ridiculous. When Taehyun told him they’d be doing handstands, he had his doubts, yet it’s exactly what was happening. Yeonjun has his legs propped up against the wall, arms trembling to keep up his weight. 

“Soob,” he wheezes out, “I don’t think I can hold it much longer.” 

“You’re doing great!” Soobin encourages. “Okay, hold that, I’m gonna get some water.” 

Yeonjun groans, face burning up. He huffs. And then his arms give out. He tumbles down, curling up into a fetal position as he rubs his biceps. Soobin is by his side in an instant, but touching him only makes Yeonjun jolt. 

Kai snorts, only to slap a hand over his mouth. His pupils shake. They wait a few beats, counting down. It’s eerily quiet, so that even the creaking and groaning from within the walls permeates through the air. Kai holds his breath, though Taehyun seems unbothered. 

“Wait for it,” is all he says. “Any moment now.” 

Kai should start wondering if maybe Taehyun has psychic abilities as well. 

“Taehyun!” A voice roars from across the room. 

Taehyun breathes out. A laugh. “You ever wanted to fly, Kai?” 

Kai’s mouth falls open. A single nod. Before he knows it, his hand is in Taehyun’s. There is no further warning. There never is with Taehyun. Flying doesn’t feel like anything he has ever felt before. It gives the same sensation as taking off, the same jittering in the bottom of his belly, but it’s  far more thrilling. Ever hair on his body stands upright as the ground disappears beneath his feet. 

He lets out a scream, hanging onto Taehyun’s hand. Never a dull day in the Choi Manor. 

“Now that that situation is cleared up,” Soobin gives Taehyun a pointed look. Taehyun remains indifferent, though Kai would dare say he looked quite proud of his work. Soobin’s face twists into a scowl, “let’s get down to things.” 

“Which is?” Taehyun asks. 

He rummages around in the freezer. The thing looks so out of place in the otherwise old-timey and scary looking place, but they use it diligently. Finally he comes to join everything at the table. He wordlessly presses the ice pack to Yeonjun’s head before he comes to sit down. 

Yeonjun gapes at him, hand grabbing the thing before it can slip down. 

Taehyun doesn’t spare him a second glance. “What did you find?” 

“So, the good news is, I found the caster,” Soobin says. “The bad news is, she has no idea. Therefore, there is no way to undo the curse from her end. However! We do have an expert in the family. Our great-aunt, she used to mess around with metamorphism all the time.” 

Yeonjun slaps his thigh. “Problem solved! We can ring her up, then!” 

“She’s dead,” Taehyun says. It doesn’t sound like a problem. 

Yeonjun pales. “Do we have to summon a body again?” 

“No, baby. No, don’t worry about that.” Soobin squeezes his hand. He looks over at Taehyun. “You know where to find her book, right?” 

Taehyun nods. “Of course I do. The night’s about to be great.”

Somehow the glint in his eyes is doing nothing to appease Kai. At all. 

Beomgyu is lounging around Kai’s neck, body vibrating as he chirps. It seems he has started adapting to his new frame, utilizing it to its fullest extent. At first he’d looked lanky, too humanoid. He still had his moments, of course, like refusing to walk on all fours no matter how uncoordinated. Still, there is no denying the shift in demeanor. 

He stretches out, enough to slap Taehyun on the shoulder. He then squeaks something into his ear. 

Taehyun nods. “Yes.” 

“What’d he say?” Kai asks.

“If he will die if he eats ice cream.” 

“Oh.” 

Kai reaches into his bag. He fumbles around until he finds the little lunchbox—if he can call it that. He holds out a piece of cheese. Beomgyu slinks. He takes the block in his paws, pouting. 

“I’m sorry, Gyu," and Kai really is, “for now this’ll have to do.” 

Beomgyu huffs, letting his little body deflate. He looks like a furry pancake. Kai sighs. He runs his fingers over Beomgyu’s head, giving it a big ol’ rub. Beomgyu purrs, snuggling into the touch. 

It’s funny how the three of them are collected like this. In school they weren’t really considered friends. They didn’t exchange anything more than greetings or questions about homework. It’s not the most conventional way to get to know each other, but Kai does quite like Beomgyu’s company. Even if their communication goes through Taehyun most of the time. He’s surprised at how snuggly Beomgyu is, too. He’s always clinging onto one of them. Even Taehyun. Especially Taehyun. 

Kai narrows his eyes at Beomgyu. Beomgyu frowns. There’s something so pointed about those beady eyes that makes Kai’s cheeks flare up in shame. He huffs, shoveling a spoonful of bubblegum flavor into his mouth. He cringes. Yeah, that definitely was better when he was seven. 

Taehyun is stirring into his cup like it’s a cauldron. The blue tint really isn’t doing anything to help the idea. He takes a little lick at it. His lips pull into a thin line. “I like the strawberry cheesecake one. That’s my favorite.” 

“Yeah, I was being too adventurous,” Kai says. He huffs out a laugh. “Sometimes you just gotta stick to what’s good.” 

“No excitement in that,” Taehyun says. 

“Oh, you’re getting very brave there, Taehyun.” 

Taehyun blinks, then stiffens up. His eyes fleet to the sky. They glow. “We should head back,” he says. “The sun is about to set.” 

“Oh, right!” Kai dusts off his clothes. “We need to conjure your aunt?” 

Taehyun shakes his head. “Oh, it’s far easier than that.” 

“What?” 

“You’ll see.” 

“All… right…” Kai claps his hands. “Let’s get going, then!” 

He links his arm with Taehyun’s, dragging him along. Taehyun’s eyes widen slightly, but he keeps his blank face. He lets Kai drag him along to wherever, something akin to a rag doll. Beomgyu hops after them, somewhere between using all fours and struggling to stay on two legs. He’s trying. It’s impressive. 

Taehyun tugs at Kai’s sleeve as a signal to stop. He then crouches down, holding out an arm for Beomgyu to climb up. It’s such a familiar routine, something so easy about it. Kai doesn’t ever want summer to end. 

Easier, it shows, doesn’t mean ethically correct. But then again, Kai doesn’t know how socially acceptable it is to drag spirits out of the after life just to make small talk. 

Kai kicks at the dirt by his feet. “This is a health hazard. And illegal, by the way!” 

“Shh, voice down,” Taehyun mutters. “Also, this has been here for so long, it’s just bones left.” 

“Then why are we digging?!” 

“Great aunt wanted to be buried with her spell book. And it so happens to be that this is the only book we have that specializes in metamorphoses. She had a bit of a fixation, you see.” Taehyun pauses, frowning. “But after she turned her husband into a mouse and had the cat eat him, she figured it was safer to take the book with her even in death.” 

“Why didn’t she just burn it?” Kai asks. 

“It was still her life’s work. She adored it.”

Taehyun sticks his shovel into the ground again, this time sending a worm flying along with it. Kai screeches as it lands right in front of his shoes. The worm wriggles around, probably in despair at getting ripped from its home and family.

“Oh, this is so wrong,” Kai mutters. He rubs his face, trying to bring his blood pressure down. “So, so wrong.” 

“You’ll get over it.” 

Kai shakes his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m still spending time with you, oh god.” 

“There is no god here.” 

“Yeah, you made it pretty clear.” 

“Good.” Taehyun points at the extra shovel by the toolbox. “Now, help me dig. Watch out.” 

Kai barely gets the chance to dodge the dirt—and probably human remains—flying his way. “Taehyun!” he exclaims. 

Taehyun’s head pops up above the edge of the grave. “My apologies, but I did warn you.” 

“Give me the time to respond!” 

“I apologize.” 

He doesn’t sound like he’s sorry a bit, but Kai will take it. He plops down on the grass so he can actually see Taehyun and not just the movement of a shovel every now and then. It’s impressive how quickly he worked through the layers of ground like that. Kai adds it to the list that make Taehyun otherworldly. 

“So… You do this often?” he asks. Ah yes, the most lame lines of lameness. Kai really needs to start working on that. 

“When I was younger, together with Soobin,” Taehyun answers anyways. “As of lately we haven’t been doing it. Mainly because we’ve grown out of it, but nostalgia is a wonderful feeling to have.” 

“That’s… nice.” 

“What did you do when you were young?” 

Kai blows out a breath, thinking. He can’t even remember. “Collect bugs? Eat them?”

Taehyun huffs, filled with humor. “With your siblings, I meant.” 

“Oh!” Kai exclaims. He claps his hands, then scratches his head. “Well, we just made music together. A lot of it. We all learned how to play instruments. We were convinced we would become a band together, and we’d always force our parents to watch us.” 

“You play well,” Taehyun says. 

Kai’s heart drops to his stomach, fluttering in there instead. Taehyun knows how he plays. He has heard him play. And he liked it. “Oh? Have you heard?” 

“You played at the school recital. And for the Christmas celebration.” Taehyun stops to look at him. “You’re very good, Kai. You dance over the keys. The notes come to life. Your voice is very nice, too.” 

“Oh…” Kai looks down, cheeks hot. “Thank you. I didn’t know you watched.” 

Taehyun doesn’t reply, only digging further. He continues scooping up dirt and ground critters until a distorted clang rings through the air. Kai shoots up. He rushes over to the edge. There he’s met with Taehyun’s sharp-toothed grin, a crazed look in his eyes. 

“Bingo,” he mumbles. “Kai, can you get down with me?” 

“I’d rather not.” 

“Alright. Then hand me the crowbar.” 

Taehyun holds out his hand as Kai fumbles through the toolbox they’d gotten from Soobin. He’d been confused at first, and Soobin’s little grin was doing nothing to comfort him. He gets it now, though. Oh, he understands it all too well. 

Taehyun dusts off the coffin. He takes the tool from Kai with a small ‘thank you’ before cranking it between. It all looks to effortless when Taehyun does things. He’s so floaty in his movements it makes Kai wonder just how much power he possesses. If he wanted, he could probably destroy the universe. He’s glad Taehyun is as… Well, as Taehyun as he is. 

Despite how utterly terrifying and stomach churning the scene is, Kai can’t help but look at what Taehyun is doing. Watching him in his element, so concentrated and sure of what he does, makes Kai’s head spin a little. 

Taehyun is always confident, but this elevates it to a different level. His body moves like it already knows what to do, meticulous and planned. Kai can ignore the fact that he’s cracking open a grave. That’s alright, really. He looks attractive doing it. 

The coffin cracks, sounding an awful lot like when Kai broke his arm when he was twelve. Tree climbing wasn’t for him. He never let his sisters sway him into bad ideas ever again. Kai coughs, bouncing away from the grave. He hears some shuffling and Taehyun mumbling a small greeting to the corpse. 

Then, a hand holding a book pokes up from the dirt. A few seconds later, Taehyun’s head follows. It’s covered in mud and grime. “I got it,” he says in that same monotone, yet somehow it feels a little brighter. 

“Great job!” Kai throws him a double thumbs up. “So? Now what?” 

“We put her back to rest and then I’ll go over it with Soobin.” Taehyun’s eyes glimmer. “Gonna help me bury her, or is that too scary, too?” 

Kai ended up helping, though not after claiming he was fearless. Something about ethics and a disdain for dead bodies. Taehyun couldn’t help the amusement from bubbling. He had shoved the shovel in Kai’s hand without a comment, though he couldn’t stop his heart from thumping. 

“Soobin,” Taehyun calls his attention. “I got it.” 

Soobin looks up from his work. He’s at the kitchen table, a small candle flickering by his side. A ghost light, Taehyun recognizes it at. It’s a special light with which attracts ghosts. Ghosts are like moths, really; pretty lights make them lose their minds in the best way. Usually the red light of the blood moon does the trick, but when they reach into the darker parts of the woods it might not be as strong. Mostly, Soobin enjoys the preparations to the fullest. He’s always this meticulous. 

“Oh, Tyun.” Soobin’s lips spread into a grin. “Had fun?” 

“It was enjoyable.” Taehyun sits down across him. “The grave wasn’t as deep as I expected it to be, but it was rather hard to crack open.”  

“Aha.” Soobin’s face then twists into something more teasing. He’s smirking, and his eyes twinkle. “So… did you go with Kai?” 

“Of course I did,” Taehyun says. “Who else would I have gone with?” 

“You could’ve gone alone. Like you always do,” Soobin points out. He hums, scratching his head in feigned thought. How infuriating. “Didn’t you say it’s too bothersome to work with other people? To many voices at once? Was that it?” 

Taehyun frowns. “Just say what you want to.”

“You like him.” 

“Of course I do. He’s my friend.” 

“No, Taehyun. Not like that.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“This is different, Taehyunnie.” Soobin shakes his head, small smile adorning his lips. “You’re glowing when you’re with him.” 

Taehyun frowns. “I don’t glow anymore. Calumcifer agreed not to.” 

“Not like that,” Soobin repeats. “Look, your eyes sparkle. And you don’t hesitate to drag him along to anything you have planned.” 

“Because he’s my friend.” 

“You like being close to him,” Soobin says. “Don’t you? You like hugging him, listening to him talk. You like it when he takes you along with him and you like when he makes time for you.”

Taehyun blinks. “I don’t get it.” 

Soobin chuckles. “Don’t worry, you will. And if what I’m saying is utter bullshit, you will know too. But I can sense it on you.” 

“So what do we need to know for the curse?” 

Soobin rolls his eyes. It’s so obvious, the way Taehyun is trying to shift the subject, but he says nothing of it. Instead he flips through the mud-clad pages. The dirt clatters onto the table. Soobin flicks away a stray root. “Right, what section are we on… full body transformation, mind unaffected… mammals… Okay, yes. I think we’ll have to keep flipping until we stumble upon something.” 

Taehyun only nods. He watched the concentration slip onto Soobin’s face, the small scrunch between his brows and the pout on his lips. Soobin hums when he thinks, eyes skimming over the pages with quick precision. Silence fills the air apart from the diligent flipping of pages, careful not to rip them. Dirt doesn’t do much good to old artifacts. 

The question lies on Taehyun’s tongue, though he’s unsure of how to bring it. Instead he opts for, “Where is your… boyfriend…” 

He has his lands in his lap, sitting eerily still. He doesn’t say a further word, only blinking as Soobin lets the question sink in. His eyebrows furrow, then his face clears up. Then he frowns again. He looks at Taehyun, searching for any hint of joking on his face. 

“He’s asleep,” Soobin answers, though he sounds unsure. “Why? You want to jinx him again?” 

“Maybe tomorrow.” 

“Now what you really want to say.” 

Taehyun fumbles around with the frills on his sleeves. “How did you know you… liked him?” 

Soobin’s mouth curls up. “You really want to know? You’re not going to concoct this into a villainous little plan, right?” 

“Maybe. If it’s good.” 

“Hm, nothing too evil, okay?” 

“No promises.” 

Soobin chuckles at that. He reaches forward to pat Taehyun’s head. Taehyun doesn’t respond to it, but Soobin can feel him relax ever so slightly underneath it. Taehyun has a peculiar way of caring, has his own way of showing it. It’s less flashy, comes forward in the small actions, in the small ways he showed he’s comfortable around a person. 

“So, Yeonjun and I… well, we were friends first. I think it was him who approached me first. Actually, no I’m sure. And he ended up becoming a constant.” Soobin grins to himself before continuing. “He would always be there, and we would always talk. About anything, really. Or we would just sit together in silence. Introducing each other to our own little worlds, and finding excitement in that. Seeing each other’s flaws and still enjoying being together.” 

Taehyun pulls his nose up. “Appalling.”

“You asked,” Soobin only huffs through a smile. “Anyways, along the way I guess we both just realized we wanted to do more than what friends do. Have them around all the time, be close—physically, too. And it’s when the little things make your heart flutter, or if even if they infuriate you, you will always want to keep them around. Happy when they’re happy, sad when they’re sad. Something like that.” 

Taehyun bobs his head. “Okay.” 

“Do you get it?” Soobin asks? 

“No.” 

Soobin sighs, but only to dampen the laugh. Taehyun is too adorable. “Anyways, let’s get to the spell, shall we? And get the kettle on the fire, we’re gonna need it.” 

Despite how cooly he handled confrontation earlier, Taehyun can’t quite shake the feeling. He doesn’t like it when Soobin has that glint in his eyes, the one that says he knows he’s right. Soobin has always been better at sensing things, whether it be ghosts or emotions. He lies in bed, arms crossed over his chest as he tries to sleep. 

Even when he closes his eyes, he can’t escape it. It’s not like he dislikes Kai; quite the opposite actually. He’s quite inclined to the boy, and he does enjoy his company a lot. He likes talking to him, as well, likes the way his eyes light up when Taehyun shows him another inch of his world. 

Kai looks pretty when he’s filled with wonder and amazement. And despite Taehyun’s distaste for it, he looks wonderful under the sun, too. He comes to life under the golden light, glows in this shade of honey. 

You’re getting soft, a voice in his head teases. 

Well, that shattered Taehyun’s mood. He squeezes his eyes shut tighter. “Go to sleep, Cal.” 

How can I? All I can hear is your thoughts!

“Then get over it.” 

Calumcifer laughs, hard and empty. It grates Taehyun’s nerves. If you’re just going to bother me with this, you should just get it out of your system. Tell Kai about it already!

“Be quiet. I want to sleep,” Taehyun hisses. 

Taehyun can see Calumcifer roll their eyes, or maybe it’s bc well, Calumcifer’s eyes right now are essentially his own. Taehyun stiffens up. No, that’s not supposed to happen. He should not be able to do that.  

You know just how easy it is for me to take over right now? Calumcifer taunts. You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?

“You wouldn’t dare,” Taehyun says. He doesn’t remember the last time his voice has trembled like that. The last time he has let it betray him this way. 

What will you do about it? 

Taehyun squeezes his eyes shut tighter, trying to get his mental barrier up. Nothing. He should think of nothing. 

You know, if you don’t tell him, I’ll tell him for you, Calumcifer says. Easy solution, and you have none of the responsibility. 

“You can’t do that,” Taehyun spits out. 

That sounds horrible. He doesn’t want to imagine Kai’s face after finding that out, the shock, or maybe the betrayal. Cal shouldn’t be the one to tell him. He shouldn’t be. That is Taehyun’s job and Taehyun’s alone. 

And if I do? The mocking is going to get the better of Taehyun. 

“I will have you exorcised.” 

Looking forward to it, then. Prepare yourself. 

“Cal, no. No, I refuse! Stop it!” 

Oh, he got you good. You’re raising your voice at me.

“Don’t tell him. Please,” Taehyun begs. His heart squeezes, fingers trembling. 

Calumficer scoffs. What do you take me for? Of course I won’t. 

Taehyun deflates. The panic settles enough for it to fade out. He almost has it in him to thank the demon, before he hears a taunting voice in his head sing, I’m still having my fun with it, though. 

“Calumcifer, I will—“ 

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as his body lights on fire. His back arches, choked sound slipping past his lips. He twitches a bit before the mattress disappears from beneath him. He’s levitating. How fucking great.

“Beomgyu, I need your advice.” 

Beomgyu stops patting the dough Mrs Choi gave him to work with. The woman herself is nowhere to be found. Beomgyu squeaks something along with a nod. Probably a confirmation. They can’t communicate with words, but Kai has become pretty good at understanding Beomgyu’s body language. 

Beomgyu squeaks again, pointing at the chair. He wipes his paws on his little apron—probably one of Taehyun’s dolls’ once again—and shifts over to the other side of the table so he can face Kai while working. 

Kai quickly understands and sits down. He sighs, cupping his face. “I have a bit of an issue.” 

Beomgyu twirls his hand for him to elaborate. All the ingredients have been laid out for him, or well, all the decorations. He’s been hopping around, dusting all the cookies in rainbow sprinkles as a base, Kai supposes. Some of them are very elaborate, sketching out flowers, all neatly put into place. Someone’s got time to kill. 

Kai sighs. “I like Taehyun. Like, in a crush type of way.” 

Beomgyu rolls his eyes, rattling. 

“Don’t you dare say it was obvious!” Kai gasps when Beomgyu sticks out his tongue. “Okay, fine! Fine! Yes, fork spotted in the kitchen. I get it!” 

Beomgyu pulls up his shoulders, then goes back to collecting chocolate chips. He smacks them onto the dough in an almost artistic manner. Kai has never seen someone put that much attention into the patterns. Then again, Beomgyu did excel in their art class. It’s a given. 

Beomgyu makes a noise, asking him to continue. 

“Okay, so my problem is,” Kai starts, “I don’t know what to do? Like, do I tell him?” 

Beomgyu chirps enthusiastically. 

Kai shakes his head. “What if he curses me? Or bites. He bites. Or, well, he used to. Have you seen those canines, though? They look like they could draw blood. I should ask him if he’s got vampiric blood.”

Beomgyu gives him a pointed look. The way he slams down the chocolate chip is a lot more aggressive than needed. The dough squishes out beneath the force, leaving a crater. Kai shudders. Ferrets can bite, too. And Beomgyu as a human was already unhinged as was. Kai lets out a sigh, reaching for the bowl of chocolates and goes to help Beomgyu decorate. 

“Have you ever heard of the supernatural before this?” Kai asks. 

Beomgyu shakes his head. He crosses his arms in an X before gesturing at himself. He grumbles something with a frown, before punching the cookies. 

“Yeah,” Kai agrees. “I guess a metamorphosis is the worst stumble into this world. I’m glad I met Taehyun, though. He’s scary, don’t get me wrong, but he’s also so sure of himself and confident and, I swear, I have never seen him swayed.”

Beomgyu chirps. Something teasing, Kai assumes. He can see it in the way Beomgyu’s fluttering his lashes, making stupid kissy faces. 

Kai gives him a poke. “Stop that. You’d agree too. Taehyun is pretty cute, right? Especially when he gets all wide eyed. Or when something catches him off guard! His eyes get even wider, then, and he freezes for a moment. Like a deer in headlights.” 

He sighs, munching on a chocolate chip. Beomgyu smacks his hand. 

“Ey,” Kai whines, “you’ve got enough.” 

Beomgyu screeches loud enough for Kai’s hands to fly to his ears and block out the sound. 

“Fine!” he yelps. “Fine, I’m sorry!” 

Beomgyu’s got a smug little grin on his face. Kai tosses a sprinkle at him. Beomgyu doesn’t dodge it, but he doesn’t seem to care all that much either. His body vibrates with something reminiscent of a giggle. He even clutches his stomach, doubling over. It only gets worse when he catches Kai’s miserable expression. 

Kai snorts. “Glad to see you’re having fun.” 

Beomgyu wipes away a fake tear, then clasps his paws together. Oh, he’s getting down to business. He chitters and nudges Kai’s finger, then points upstairs. 

“No…” Kai drags out a weak protest, but Beomgyu’s not having it. Instead, he gets more passionate. He takes Kai’s finger in both paws and starts dragging him. Or well, he tries to. Kai chuckles. “Okay, fine. I’ll go to him.” He pats Beomgyu’s head. “Enjoy your baking.”

Beomgyu swats him away, though there’s a grin on his face. Kai salutes him one last time before he slips out of the door. 

“Tyun, Tyun, Tyun!” Kai rushes into Taehyun’s room, only to freeze in his tracks. It’s nothing out of the usual, but it’s still a sight Kai has to get used to. 

Taehyun—or well, Taehyun’s body—is floating mid-air, limbs spread into a starfish position. 

“Oh… Calumcifer, hi…” Kai drops himself onto Taehyun’s bed, going to lie down as well. 

Taehyun’s body flips over so he’s facing Kai. His eyes are glowing yellow, a devious grin spread over his lips. “Kai!” 

“Hey,” Kai greets them again. “So, what are you doing out?” 

“Taehyun was in a weak emotional state. It’s easy to take over.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, he’s been having a lot on his mind.” The edges of Taehyun’s lips quirk up. “It’s honestly torturous to be stuck in his body sometimes. It’s always ‘Kai this, Kai that’. So tiring. He should just—“ 

Taehyun’s body twitches. Kai stiffens up, eyes going wide. “Don’t drop him!” 

There’s a deep growl. Triple voices, the classic. “Of course I won’t! His pain is mine!” The demons hisses. “Don’t worry about it. It was nice talking to you, Kai, but Taehyun is beating me up from inside out. Bye-bye, Kaikai!” 

Their eyes close and when they open up again, they’re brown and very annoyed. He stays afloat in the air for a while; he always needs some time to recover after Calumcifer takes over. His body needs to readjust to mortality and the limited abilities humans have. The most important part, however, is restoring the mental cage he keeps the demon in. 

Kai snorts. “Welcome back, Tyun.” He scoots over on the mattress, patting the space next to him. 

“That good for nothing demon,” Taehyun grumbles. He slowly sinks down onto the bed, face first into the cushions. 

“What even happened?” Kai asks. He wiggles down a bit to be on eye level. 

“Caught me in a moment of distraction,” Taehyun mutters. It comes out muffled, but Kai can hear it well enough. 

“I didn’t know you had weak moments.” 

“Though it might be hard to believe, I am before anything a human. The supernatural abilities are all the demon. They can’t kill me, as the host. And though they like to act up, we do enjoy each other’s company.” 

“Weird.” 

“Truly.” Taehyun finally turns his head to face Kai. He looks too cute like this, with his cheek squished against his pillow. “What brings you here?” 

“Oh… I kind of forgot.” Kai grins, sheepish. He scratches his nose. “Hm, that’s funny. But I guess I just wanted to see you.” 

“That’s nice.” 

“I really like you, Taehyun. Of course I’d want to spend time with you.” 

Taehyun frowns, then nods. He rises up in a similar fashion of a vampire rising from the grave. Without further notice he steps over to his desk. See, Kai thought the little guillotine resting on the corner of it was nothing but decoration, but he’s proven wrong when Taehyun summons a doll from his shelf and lays it in position. 

“What are you doing?” It’s obvious, but Kai can’t help but ask. He can never be too sure, not with Taehyun. 

“Beheadings,” Taehyun says.  

“Oh.” 

Yeah, oh. That’s probably a fitting reaction. What isn’t, however, is Kai rolling off the bed and joining Taehyun’s side to actually watch what he’s doing. Kai thinks he’s actually losing his mind. He doesn’t mind it, though. That’s the worst part. 

He gives it his all when he watches Taehyun secure the lunette. “So, outside of the whole ferret situation, is there anything else to do during the Blood Moon?” 

“Guide stray spirits back on their path,” Taehyun responds. 

Kai gasps. “Ghost hunting?!” 

“I…" Taehyun shakes his head, eyes crinkling up. “Yes. Yes, it could be compared to ghost hunting.” 

“Cool,” Kai breathes out. “So what? You like capture them in those ghost hunting devices and eliminate them?” 

“No.” Taehyun breaths out of his nose. “Soobin likes to compare it to customer service.” 

“Explain?” 

“You find a spirit and gently coax them into going to the underworld. If they act up, then you can eliminate them.” 

Kai sinks down into his seat, legs sprawled out. “Gosh, so much effort.” 

“It’s important to respect the undead," Taehyun tells him. He’s making sure to emphasize his words. “Else they might cause trouble. Nothing is worse than a vengeful spirit. They’re a whole handful.” 

“Uh…” 

“Don’t worry. They won’t get to you.” 

Kai swears he sees something sinister flash in Taehyun’s eyes. The little blade of the guillotine flashes in his eyes, sharp enough to cut. The dolls head bounces down the table and onto the ground. It thunders into the carpet a few times before it finally stills. 

Taehyun gets up from his spot and picks it up. He holds it between his index finger and thumb, inspecting it from every angle. He dusts it off for a bit before adding it to his collecting above his bookshelf. It’s creepy as hell, if Kai were honest. 

Kai isn’t someone who gets scared easily, but dolls are a big no-no. He can handle anything but dolls. There is something so menacing about their big, empty eyes. Something murderous. He watches Taehyun get the next doll. 

“Tyun, why do you do this?” Kai asks. 

“It calms my thoughts,” Taehyun replies. 

There must be something calming about it, but Kai can only assume. If he thinks about it more, yes, the clean slice of the blade must be hypnotizing. Enough to clear any other excess thoughts in the brain. 

Taehyun lifts the bald again, holding it in position. However, he hesitates. His head snaps up, looking over at Kai. “Do you want to try?” 

Kai’s jaw drops. “Me?” 

“There’s no one else here, is there?” 

There’s a stutter in Kai’s movements. He’s trying to process the situation, too. Taehyun stares at him with a curious gaze. “You don’t have to, but I thought you could clear your head too.” 

“What was Calumcifer talking about.” Kai wants to smack himself in the face, but it’s the only thing he can think about. It’s been running his mind like a mantra. Taehyun thinks of him. Taehyun thinks of him a lot. “You don’t have to answer! But, well, I’ve never seen them so giddy.”  

Taehyun sighs with his entire body. “That wretched demon.” 

“Hm?” 

Taehyun sighs. He pushes his chair back and drops his hands in his lap. “I have feelings for you, and oddly enough I don’t hate it.” 

“What.” Kai’s brain short-circuits. Surely he didn’t hear that right. He didn’t hear that right. He laughs to himself, only to realize Taehyun is frowning at him. He quiets down. “What?” he repeats. 

“I like having you around and I don’t mind you touching me. I don’t mind you sharing space with me,” Taehyun says. “And, you make me happy. That’s the most odd part of all. You make my insides light up.” 

“You like-like me?” Kai emphasizes. He points at himself, eyes big and mouth hanging open. “Me?” 

Taehyun looks Kai up and down. He tries his best to look annoyed, but Kai can see through it. He can see the slight blush forming on Taehyun’s cheeks, spreading over his nose. “I do.” 

“How—?” 

“I just do. You’re funny and sweet and very pretty. And you don’t mind doing what I like with me, even if it’s ridiculous to you. I like taking you along too. I like being around you.” Taehyun blinks. “We should kiss now.”

Oh, the situation just gets more insane. Kai feels like he has to hold onto his heart before it runs. “Now?!” 

“Yes.” Taehyun closes his eyes. “You can kiss me now.” 

Kai splutters, hands flailing for something. He curls them into fists by his side, squeezes his eyes shut and presses a quick peck to Taehyun’s lips. He pulls away with an uneasy smile on his lips. 

Taehyun’s eyes flutter open. He frowns. “That’s it?” 

“What?” 

Taehyun rolls his eyes. He pulls Kai closer by some invisible force, sending them both tumbling onto Taehyun’s bed. Taehyun seems unfazed, not a single hair out of place. He looks up at Kai with big, owlish eyes. 

“Try again,” he says. 

Kai’s breath hitches in his throat. He sighs out, gives himself a little pat on the back for encouragement. He then leans in. Taehyun’s lips are surprisingly soft, velvet against his own. He doesn’t really know what to do next. The only kisses he has seen was on television, all overly dramatic thumb biting. Kai sighs out. 

But then something happens. Something catching him completely off guard. It starts as a tremor, Taehyun shaking in his arms. His eyes widen. He immediately pulls away, trying to assess every part of Taehyun he can. However, then he hears it, the soft sound of rattling. 

He parts his lips. “Tyun-ah.” 

Taehyun looks up at him, bleary. He tugs at Kai’s shirt. “Lay down next to me.” 

Kai complies, awkwardly rolling off Taehyun and plopping down beside him. “Did you just… purr?” 

Taehyun hums, eyes falling shut again. He snuggles into Kai’s side. “Oh, yeah. That happens sometimes.” 

Kai wonders just how much of Taehyun there is to discover. He’ll leave it up to the future. 

“They’re dating,” Yeonjun says. He sucks on his popsicle obnoxiously, sunglasses low on his nose. He’s wearing his cap backwards, not fully pulled down. He looks a little silly, if Soobin was going to be honest, but it’s adorable nonetheless. 

Soobin looks up from his book. “You think?” 

He follows his boyfriend’s line of sight, only to see his younger brother and his friend—quote, unquote— strolling around their garden. There’s a small grin on Kai’s face, and he’s gigglier than usual. Taehyun is blank as per usual. It’s nothing out of the blue. 

Soobin pulls up his shoulders. “What makes you say?” 

“Just look at them. Holding hands and all.” Yeonjun sighs. He rolls over. The arm rests of the garden chair dig into his back as he maneuvers a way to get into Soobin’s lap.  “Just like us when we first started out. Hands on each other at all times. Should we relive the memories?” 

Soobin pats Yeonjun on the head. “Hm, nope. You’re all sweaty and disgusting right now.” 

Yeonjun gasps. And then he whines. He kicks his feet, pouts. He does everything in his power to piss Soobin off. It’s working. That’s the worst part. Something about Yeonjun’s kissy face makes Soobin want to punch him. Lovingly. On the lips. 

“Anyways,” Soobin clears his throat, returning to his story, “I’m not sure. I know Taehyunnie likes him—he never lets people that close to him unless he’s fond of them. I’m not sure if they’re together, though.” 

“Hm, should we ask?” 

“You really have a death wish.” 

“What is a case of hiccups against the truth?” 

“You couldn’t kiss me!” Soobin looks down at his lap. “Or touch me…” 

He shouldn’t have said that, he realizes only seconds too late. Soobin’s eyes go wide as a devilish smile spreads all over Yeonjun’s face. It’s more terrifying than Cal could ever be. 

“Oh, I see. That’s what you’re hung up about, huh?” Yeonjun teases, poking at Soobin’s side. “And here you were, acting like you didn’t like me touching you. Gosh, Soobinnie, you’re so cute. Like a grumpy kitten.” 

“No…” Soobin purses his lips together. 

Yeonjun coos, pinching his cheeks. “So, so, so cute!” 

Soobin rolls his eyes. Just as he’s about to open his mouth again, a bad feeling overtakes him. A really bad feeling he can’t shake. It starts in the pit of his stomach, then spreads out all over. It makes him a little sick, if he were honest. 

“Jun, by the way. Have you seen Odi?”

Yeonjun’s eyes darken. “Don’t speak of the demon’s name. He will appear if you do.” 

Soobin rolls his eyes. He kisses Yeonjun’s nose. “That’s the point, babe.” 

Yeonjun pouts. Soobin grins, cupping his cheeks. He leans in. Yeonjun’s eyes flutter shut. Oh, he’s so ready. He’s ready for the smooches. After the little jinx he realized just how dependent he was on those. He needed Soobin’s kisses or he would be feeling withdrawals. Dramatic, a voice in his head—which sounds awfully much like Soobin’s—whispers. He brushes it off. 

However, a crash in the distance shatters all his happiness. He wonders if the jinx has evolved. 

Soobin stiffens up above him. “We should check that out.” 

“Nooo!” Yeonjun protests. He knows it’s pointless, but he can try. 

Soobin chuckles. He pats Yeonjun’s butt before getting up. Yeonjun rolls onto the ground, trudging after him. He never thought he’d have to double functions as a babysitter—and for Satan’s little offspring, nonetheless!—, but here he is. 

The clanking gets louder, now accompanies by hissing and screeching. Yeonjun is already dreading what he’s going to find; he’s heard those monstrous tones before. The picture is already clear in his head, menacing and downright evil. He’s not sure how he’s going to cope, but he supposes using Soobin as a shield should be plenty protection. The little rat actually kind of, sort of likes him. 

Soobin doesn’t see the terrors of the little beast. He thinks he’s the cutest little munchkin out there, but Yeonjun knows better. He’s sure Soobin will see it too. All it takes is time before the gremlin shows its scaly skin hidden by the fuzz. Good things come to those who wait. 

The noise leads them into the kitchen. Yeonjun feels his stomach twitch with every step further he takes into dangerous territory. Sure enough, what they meet in the kitchen is nothing but a mess. It looks like a hurricane made its home in there and then decided it was too cramped. 

Soobin’s senses immediately heighten. He immediately falls to the ground. “Odi? Odi-yah?” He leans down to look underneath the cupboards. “Odi baby? Where are you?” 

Odi baby sure knows how to make a grand entrance. The walls rattle, followed by a screech from hell. Their heads snap up, following the sound. There he is, the hedgehog in all his glory. It’s followed by loud screeching. 

That’s where they see all the commotion. Beomgyu is clinging onto the table’s leg for dear life, wailing. Now Yeonjun doesn’t know what exactly happened, but he’s entirely sure it’s Odi’s fault. The little pest is hanging off Beomgyu’s tail, his teeth clamped down in a death grip. There is no way for Beomgyu to escape. What he can do, however, is pathetically call for Soobin’s help. It’s the best tactic, Yeonjun has learned. When in face of danger, desperation takes its stride. 

“Odi!” Soobin yells. “Oh my god, I told you to be nice!” 

Without any regard for his own wellbeing Soobin reaches forward. He clutches the monster in his hand. It’s more out of shock than anything, but Odi opens his mouth and finally releases Beomgyu. The poor ferret—boy? Ferret boy?—catapults forward. Yeonjun swoops in to catch him. Beomgyu’s little paws curl into Yeonjun’s shirt, his eyes big. He’s shaking. 

“Oh, you poor thing,” Yeonjun mumbles. “He got you as well.” 

He cuddles Beomgyu a little closer to him, glaring over his shoulder at the hedgehog. 

“Odi, why would you do that?” Soobin sounds exasperated. 

Odi stares at him with the eyes of the devil, a pit of nothingness and evil. 

Soobin shakes his head. “That’s not how you play with others.” Odi rattles. Soobin gasps. “Don’t use that tone on me!” 

Yeonjun chuckles uneasily. He’s seen this scene a thousand times before ever since Odi had been revived. He looks down at Beomgyu. “Smooth escape?” Beomgyu shudders. “Yeah, let’s go.”

The moon is out. It’s not full yet, only the outer crescent missing. Kai looks up at the sky, Taehyun tucked into his side. They’re on Taehyun’s balcony, hanging over the railing. Taehyun is glowing in the moonlight, the silver falling onto his skin like crystals. It colors his eyes a deeper dark. 

“You look oddly lively today,” Kai says. 

“The spirits are out," Taehyun replies. 

Kai’s face drops. “Yeah, never mind.” 

“You could notice it too. The air is stuffier, the wind a little colder.” Taehyun inhales deeply. “Quite the summer night. Close your eyes.” 

“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel very… safe.” Kai rocks on his heels. “You know, when you make someone aware of the danger, that’s usually when they start focusing on—“

“Kai, be silent. There is no danger.” Taehyun slips his hand into Kai’s, lips twitching slightly. “Don’t worry. They won’t do anything to you with me around.” 

Kai purses his lips. He looks away. It’s not like Taehyun hasn’t seen him blush before, and above that the night is definitely hiding it. He just doesn’t quite know how to cope when Taehyun looks at him with that gaze; the shimmer in his eyes and the prelude to a smile, they’re driving Kai over the edge. 

He snuggles closer into Taehyun’s side. “Heh, will you protect me?” 

“The spirits don’t dare get close to me. I won’t need to protect you.” 

Kai pouts. “You’re no romantic.” 

“In any other occasion, of course I will protect you. I like you,” Taehyun says. He’s not looking at Kai when he says it, but the grip he has on him tightens. “If anything were to happen to you I’d drag you out of the afterlife myself. I can do it, you know? It’s just frowned upon.” 

Finally he turns his head. The gaze in his eyes is slightly crazed—something he’s been starting to see on Taehyun’s face a lot more. Kai doesn’t hesitate. He leans forward, giving Taehyun a quick peck on his lips. It’s over too soon and a little timid. Kai clears his throat. His face feels a lot hotter than it had a while ago. 

Taehyun frowns. “Do it properly.” 

“I— What?” 

Taehyun grabs Kai’s chin, pulling him towards him. Their lips crash together, making Kai squeak out. It’s a squeak Beomgyu would be proud of. Taehyun tastes like the cookies they’d both snatched from the batch earlier—secretly, of course; the snacks were off limit until the celebration kicked in. Turns out Taehyun isn’t one to comply to rules. He should’ve known, with all the ideas Taehyun strings him along with. 

Taehyun’s chest rumbles and a soft buzzing sound runs through Kai’s body. He giggles against Taehyun’s lips. “”You’re so cute.” 

Taehyun grumbles something under his breath before kissing Kai again. And again, again. It’s like he’s never going to stop. Kai doesn’t want him to, all dopey on dopamine and serotonin. He wraps his arms around Taehyun, cuddling him close. Taehyun’s eyes look bigger up close, irises shining like black pearls. 

Kai grins, resting their foreheads together. “I’m glad I met you.” 

Taehyun smiles. His eyes crinkle up, the fangs in the corner of his mouth on full display. He doesn’t answer, doesn’t need to. Instead he hides his face in the crook of Kai’s neck, hug tightening. 

“Ayo, what the fu—?!” 

The voice gets muffled into a muted yelp. It sounded an awful lot like Yeonjun. Kai brushes it off; not like it was a secret anyway. 

The next morning they’re all gathered for breakfast. Taehyun frowns at Yeonjun from across the table. Ever since he’d come down, he’s been giving Taehyun this odd look. It’s smug, the corners of his eyes squinted. He slurps his coffee loudly, staring straight into Taehyun’s eyes. He’s getting too brave these days. Taehyun makes sure to zap him passing him. 

Yeonjun yelps, nearly dropping his cup. He uses his entire body to salvage it, sputtering out a plethora of cuss words. Soobin doesn’t look up from the newspaper, patting Yeonjun on the shoulder with a small “careful, there”. Taehyun sighs out in content. What a lovely morning. Once recovered, Yeonjun glares at him. Taehyun raises a challenging brow at him over his hot chocolate milk. 

“Brat,” Yeonjun mutters. 

Taehyun only blinks back at him, letting his eyes flash orange. 

That does the trick. Yeonjun cowers away, reaching for Soobin’s sleeve. Soobin wraps his arm around him, letting Yeonjun rest on his shoulder. They flip through the local news together, each case more dull than the previous one. Yeonjun is too brave when he’s with Soobin, Taehyun realizes, like he’s certain Soobin will swoop in to save his sorry ass. A coward, but a smart one. 

Taehyun rolls his eyes. 

“Good morning!” Kai chirps, finally swooping in. Beomgyu echoes the sentiments from around Kai’s neck, openmouthed grin adorning his features. 

“Excited to turn back?” Mrs Choi chuckles, swooping in with a tray of steaming buns as her husband lays the condiments on the table. 

Beomgyu nods. The excitement sparkles around him like a bright yellow shimmer. He hops down onto the table, seemingly babbling along to anything. Yeonjun tosses him a piece of ham. Beomgyu happily chomps down. It’s the brightest he’s seen Beomgyu thus far. Kai laughs, patting Beomgyu on the head before sitting down next to Taehyun. 

He sneaks his hand into Taehyun’s under the table. “Hi,” he whispers. 

The corner of Taehyun’s mouth twitch. “Hi.”

His chest does a funny thing, the one it always does when Kai is around. It warms up, tingles all the way into his fingers. It’s unfamiliar, but it’s nothing hindering. He plays with Kai’s fingers, fidgeting around, linking them. He can see Kai smiling from the corner of his eye. 

“Now,” Mrs Choi says, finally coming to the table as well, “let’s get down to business. A little run down on what we’re supposed to do.”

Soobin finally sets the newspaper aside, as if the news really was that interesting. The most that happens around here is a cow in the ditch or a child winning an art contest. Taehyun had come close, but they thought his art to be a little too concerning to showcase. 

“Okay, first off,” Mrs Choi starts, “Soobin, you will be searching for and detecting wandering ghosts. Oh, right! Let me explain! The Blood Moon is when the barrier between our world and those of the dead shifts, causing a bit of an opening. Ghosts can slip out and cause all kinds of problems. It’s fine, of course, but they need to return by the end of the night or there will be an imbalance.” 

Yeonjun pales. “Oh, goodness. They’re going to be everywhere?”

“Everywhere,” Mrs Choi affirms. “But it’s okay, they’re only out to have a good time. So no worries! See it as one big party.” 

Yeonjun swallows thickly. “I… I’ll try.” 

“They won’t bite,” Taehyun adds. Just for good measure. “Not unless you provoke them, of course. They might leave a little mark on you, then.” 

Yeonjun glares at him, cursing him in silence. 

“Okay, continuing,” Soobin announces. He chuckles nervously. “What else, what’s next?” 

“Your father and I will be tending to the bonfire, of course. Yeonjun, if you would help us with that? And with carrying all the food, too.” 

Yeonjun salutes. “On it!” 

“What about Kai and me?” Taehyun asks. 

Mr Choi chuckles. “Oh, Taehyunnie, you know ghosts avoid you like the plague! Besides, you’re going to have to help our Beomgyu out. You’re going to have to set up for that.” 

“Oh, right.”

“You’re going to have to do it when the moon is at its highest," Mrs then says. "I suggest you go to the backyard, to catch as much of the light as you can.” 

“Will do, Mother.” 

“We’ll make sure to gather in time,” Mr Choi adds. “You should use all the energy you can get.” 

“Beomgyu is staying with us, then,” Kai says. 

“I think that’s the wisest decision,” Taehyun says. “I need to run him down on what’s going to happen to him as well.” 

“Good,” Mrs Choi says. “Then that’s all settled. I think we can all start selecting our robes before the ceremony.” 

“Isn’t there anything else to be mentioned?” Yeonjun asks. He looks at Taehyun over the table, too obvious for the blanks to be left empty. 

Soobin elbows Yeonjun in the side, muttering something under his breath no one can quite catch. Yeonjun only pouts, like the mature adult he is. The chattering dies down. 

Mrs Choi straightens up. “Hm? Did something happen?” 

Somehow, all eyes fall upon them, carrying from curious to worried. Kai looks at Taehyun, then awkwardly chuckles at everyone else. 

Taehyun sighs, rolling his eyes. “Kai is my boyfriend. We’re in love and happy.” He grabs Kai’s hand. “Let’s go, Kai.” 

He drags Kai out of the room, Beomgyu hopping after them. Then all chaos breaks loose; voices over voices and screams of joy, cries of relief, but they leave it behind them. Taehyun’s grip on Kai tightens. Kai swears he sees him beaming. He lets Taehyun’s glow take over him, shining back just as brightly. 

The night is red. Taehyun looks beautiful in that shade too. They’re dressed up in black lace, almost sheer. The sleeve reach almost up to the ground, small black gems embroidered into the silk beneath it. It’s all very fancy, but Kai didn’t expect any less with the dramatics they were going for last time. Kai still remembers prancing around in the white robes. Just like a pretty princess. 

Taehyun’s telekinesis has gotten better, seeing him lift all the candles with ease, but Kai still would rather keep a safe distance. He hasn’t forgotten the dent in the table. He also hasn’t forgotten about the possibility of it being his head. 

Beomgyu is napping around his neck, probably exhausted from all the work they’ve been putting into preparing, as well as the excitement buzzing in his veins. He can’t imagine just how happy he’s feeling, but he can feel an ounce of it spreading to him as well. 

He drags after Taehyun carrying a box filled with… questionable objects. He doesn’t want to know what’s in the jar, but it smells absolutely putrid. The knives aren’t looking very friendly either. Kai shudders.

“Hey, Tyun-ah!” He calls after him. Taehyun only hums, all of his energy going into the levitating. “What’s the knife for? You didn’t mention anything about live offerings so…” 

Taehyun drops the candles in the grass. It’s not yet graceful, but at least there wasn’t a crater. “Just to cut a bit of Beomgyu’s fur.” 

“Oh, alright.” 

“Live offerings are a thing of the past,” Taehyun says. “And they are just much less doable. Blood is still blood, as long as it’s fresh enough. However, this doesn’t require any of that. We’re not waking the dead or summoning something from another world. We’re just trying to grasp a concept lost somewhere within this realm.” 

Kai, honestly, doesn’t understand. Still, he lets Taehyun instruct him on where to place stuff, while Taehyun mutters some enchantments under his breath. It looks like he’s blessing the objects, but then again, Kai isn’t sure. He’ll ask him about it later. 

However, in the middle of inching the candle just a bit to the right, he feels a shudder run down his spine. He looks up to see the ground coated in white. It looks like he can run his finger through it, mist pulled thin and swirled out. He gasps. When he squints his eyes, only to make out limbs, faces. 

He gasps. It’s almost like an overcrowded festival, where you can’t see the stage because of all the bodies covering it. 

“What is it?” Taehyun asks. He comes over to Kai’s side. 

“So the spirits come out for real,” Kai says. “How did I not see it before?” 

“Because you weren’t aware of them.” 

“This is… oddly beautiful.” Kai’s eyes shimmer in awe. He looks over at Taehyun. “It looks so cool. What are they doing here? Why are they gathered?” 

“See it as a social gathering,” Taehyun muses.

“Woah.” 

Taehyun breathes out through his nose. He continues assembling a bit, eyes going up to the sky. “The moon is rising.” 

“How much time do we have left?” 

“You should wake Beomgyu up. He shouldn’t be too drowsy when we start working.” 

“Oh,” Kai says. “Okay, alright. I will!” He reaches for his shoulder, prodding into Beomgyu’s side gently. “Gyu, come on. Wakey-wakey.” 

Beomgyu stirs. He curls up further around Kai’s neck. Kai chuckles, then continues nudging him. “C’mon, Gyu, you gotta enjoy your final moments as a ferret to the fullest!” 

That does the trick. Beomgyu’s eyes flutter open. He yawns, purring. Kai gives him a few seconds to fully wake up before he sets him down on the ground. Beomgyu wobbles around a bit, finally shaking off the final bits of sleep. He hops over to Taehyun, tugging at his skirt. 

Taehyun turns around, picking him up. Beomgyu crawls up and goes to rest in his favorite spot. Kai is honestly going to miss Beomgyu lounging around their necks; it looks especially cute with the way he’s chirping into Taehyun’s ear. 

Taehyun exhales through his nose. “No, you won’t be naked.” 

“Okay, but, to be fair, you’ve been naked this entire time,” Kai comments. 

Beomgyu screeches. 

“Translation?” Kai asks Taehyun. 

“He said, fur doesn’t count. That’s different. You don’t get it, Kai.” 

Kai lets out a full-bodied laugh. “Don’t worry, Gyu. It’s all gonna be fine. Tyunnie’s really skilled.” 

Beomgyu looks like he’s pouting. Kai shakes his head, reassuring him one last time before plopping down into the grass. In the distance, the bonfire flickers and if Kai listens closely he can hear the chatters of the Choi Family. Despite the low light of the moon, the night is bright. It might be the iridescent glow of the spirits, or maybe it’s the way Taehyun lights up when he settles into his element. It’s like Kai can see the magic roll off him, the true extent of his power. 

The moon continues rising, coloring their world the shade of blood. Soon enough everyone gathers around. Though the usually bright nature is still in the air, there is a waft of seriousness permeating the air. 

“What do we do?” Kai asks. 

Mrs Choi smiles. “We let him do his thing. He knows what to do.” 

Finally, Taehyun crouches down. He lets Beomgyu down in the center of the circle, then lights the candles one by one. It’s rhythmic, the way he moves, the way he proceeds. He reaches for the knife, laying it to his forehead before he takes an inch of Beomgyu’s fur and slices it off. He brings it into the flames and lets the wind carry it away. 

He dips his fingers into the pot, running it along the edges of the circle, then over Beomgyu’s head, down his snout. Kai almost feels bad; that stuff smelled horrid. 

Then he takes some dried herb, something Kai can’t recall. It was quite a lot to take in. He brings that into the fire as well. The smoke fill Kai’s nose with a sharp smell. Taehyun swirls it in patterns, eyes shut. He then lays it down in front of Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu is looking at everything with big, shaking eyes. Kai tries to find his gaze, and when he finally does he sends him a thumbs up. You’re doing good, he mouths. He’s sure Beomgyu understood. 

Taehyun chants something in a language Kai can’t grasp, his eyes burning orange. He holds his hands up to the sky, almost as if he’s grasping for the heavens. He continues chanting, though it only grows louder. He finally brings his hands back down, cutting through the smoke. 

He lights up, for real this time. It’s as if orange flames curl up around his limbs, licking at him. He sends them over to Beomgyu. It’s so bright Kai has to squint. It’s accompanied but a gust of wind, sending shockwaves through the air. The candles go out and the trees swing. 

Once it’s settled, Kai brings down the arm shielding his eyes. He gasps. Beomgyu slowly comes floating down, feet sinking into the high grass. The magic dissipates from his frame like blood in the ocean. 

Taehyun looks over at him, pride all over his face. Kai doesn’t know what comes over him. Before he knows it he’s running over to Taehyun, wraps his arms around him and spins him around. 

“You did it!” Kai cheers. 

Even in the dark, Kai can see Taehyun’s face glowing. The smallest hints of a smile tug at the corners of his lips. When he sets Taehyun down, he engulfs him in an even deeper hug. 

“It was nothing,” Taehyun says into Kai’s shoulders.

“Bullshit!” Kai exclaims. “That was the coolest shit I’ve ever seen! And you’ve done a lot of cool shit.” 

Yeonjun clears his throat, nudging Kai’s side. Kai looks up, only to see him pointing at the whole ordeal happening around them. Kai’s body freezes as he finally sees what exactly Yeonjun is pointing out. Kai’s a little torn between letting Beomgyu feel the joy or breaking it to him right away. 

“Oh… Oh my god. Oh my god!” Beomgyu falls to the ground, hugging himself. “I have a regular sized torso again. Oh, this feels like heaven.” 

“Uhm, Beomgyu…” Kai coughs awkwardly. 

Beomgyu looks up. “What?” 

“We restored most of you.” 

“Most… of me?” 

It’s not like everyone meant to look, but it is something that would catch eyes. Beomgyu follows the line of everyone’s gazes. He pales. His hands fly to the top of his head, patting and tugging and— He freezes. “No,” he whispers. “No… No, no! No, this can’t be!” 

“I think they’re cute,” Kai offers, only to be greeted with a cry. He can only describe it as wallowing despair. 

“What do you mean?! I have fucking ferret ears!” 

“Well, at least you’re human,” Taehyun points out. Kai chokes on air, sending Taehyun an incredulous look. Taehyun purses his lips, shrugging. “It could have been worse, is all I’m saying.” 

Beomgyu lets out another cry. Taehyun pokes at them, only to earn him a full on wail. Beomgyu crouches down, clutching the two fuzzy additions to his head. He curls up into himself. 

Taehyun clears his throat. “Maybe the lunar eclipse will give us more luck. Who wants snacks?”