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The autumn air was fittingly crisp, and Hak let out a shaky breath to warm his hands as he shifted on his feet outside Yona’s front door, waiting for someone to answer. He’d only been waiting a moment surely, yet he grew more restless with each passing second. Ever since they were in grade school and his grandpa would drop him off to play, Hak had become such a familiar presence at Yona’s house that he eventually started letting himself in. He did this for years and never batted an eye, but now that he and Yona were dating, he thought better of it. Not to mention Grandpa Mundok would skin him alive if he found out Hak had been waltzing into a young girl’s home unannounced, repeatedly.
Hak cringed a little, closing his eyes and pressing a hand against his forehead. Since when did he have all this nervous energy? He didn’t need to overthink his presence just because he and Yona were together now. Before he could spiral further, the door swung open to reveal Yona’s mother, Kashi. Hak straightened automatically, and she gave him a gentle smile while ushering him inside.
“It’s good to see you, Hak.” Her voice was quiet, swallowed up by the grand open space of their foyer.
Making an effort to sound relaxed, he replied, “You too, Mrs. Hiryuu.” Kashi gave him a meaningful look that conveyed she saw right through his facade.
“There’s no need to be so formal with us now after all these years. I’ve always thought of you as family, and Il and I are both so pleased you and Yona are finally ‘official’.” There was a playful lilt to her voice as she made air quotes with her hands, making his cheeks heat slightly but also relaxing some of the tension his body had been holding. Hak gave her a genuine smile in return and murmured his thanks. “Yona is upstairs in her room getting ready. Let me know if you two need anything before you head out.” She gave him a slight nod by way of farewell and glided down the hallway towards the kitchen.
Releasing a heavy breath, Hak jogged up the stairs in front of him. He was as familiar with the layout of Yona’s house as his own, muscle memory leading him to Yona’s bedroom door more so than conscious thought. He stopped briefly outside the door, lingering nerves fluttering through him not entirely unpleasant. A smile ghosted across his face in anticipation as he knocked softly, though he didn’t wait for a reply before easing it open.
His eyes fixated on her immediately, and all remnants of anxiety seemed to melt away, his body anchoring at the sight of her. She was on the far end of the room standing in front of a vanity mirror, trying to pin a witch hat on her head at a slight angle. He drank in the rest of her outfit with unmasked appreciation; the black satin fabric of the witch’s hat and matching dress contrasted deliciously with her pale complexion, as if she truly had magic that could absorb the moon and reflect its glow beneath her skin.
Hak couldn't stop his smile from growing as he openly admired her, and it grew broader with her apparent unawareness of it. Intent as she was at her task, it didn’t seem she heard him come in. A silent laugh on his lips, he crossed the room in a few confident strides and planted himself at her back, snaking his arms around her. He relished the little startled gasp she made at his sudden presence and touch.
“Hak, wait! Don’t mess up my costume!” She tried to squirm away, but Hak held her firmly, arms savoring the way the dress’s corset bodice defined her waist. He closed his eyes and tilted his head down into her neck, releasing a teasing exhale against her skin. The feel of her made him dizzy with glee, still a little unbelieving that these touches were now something he was allowed to do. Well, generally speaking anyway, if not at this exact moment.
A frustrated groan sounded from Yona, and she stamped her foot. “Hak, I mean it, I just got everything situated the way I want it to look!”
Smirking, Hak pulled back slightly and turned Yona around to face him. He kept his hands on her waist but held her at a short distance so she was no longer pressed against him. “You know we’re going to be walking from door to door? Outside? Unless you plan to stand perfectly still all night, your costume isn’t going to stay exactly in place.”
Yona crossed her arms and tilted her chin up defiantly, but before she could retort, her eyes took him in and widened. She pushed back against his chest with a gasp.
“Hak! What are you wearing?!”
Arms held out still circling the spot Yona had abruptly vacated, Hak glanced down at himself. Black converse, black jeans, black zip-up hoodie. He lifted his head back up to meet her gaze and said slowly, “Um, clothes?” When her only response was a peeved look, he said mischievously, “What, would you prefer I wasn’t wearing any?” The visible blush that climbed her neck and cheeks thrilled him to no end.
“That’s not what I meant,” Yona said, clearly embarrassed but maintaining her resolve. “Where is your Halloween costume? You’re not dressed up!” Her indignant tone was only making his chest lighter as it swelled with endearment… likely the opposite effect she was hoping to have with her chastisement.
He let out an amused breath. “Considering I can legally purchase a lottery ticket, I figured I was too old for—wait, what are you doing?”
Yona had turned away mid-sentence and begun frantically but methodically combing through her belongings, pawing around the mess of disorganized clothes, make-up, and accessories sprawled across her vanity and dresser. Hak quirked his head to the side, observing. He couldn’t help thinking yet didn’t dare point out that this behavior was a much bigger risk to her costume than his hug had been. Instead he just stood there while she tore apart her room and threw it into further disarray.
After her dresser was entirely empty, its contents on the floor, Yona stopped with her hands on her hips and huffed in frustration. Hak was about to ask her again what on earth she was looking for when she gasped and whizzed past him towards the closet. He barely had time to blink before he turned and saw she was trying to pry a storage box off the top shelf. He pursed his lips to suppress a laugh at the sight of her pulling out a step stool after the first attempt to reach said shelf was unsuccessful. He didn’t think he would escape unscathed if he poked fun at her height while she was in this frenzied state. With the box finally in hand, she plopped onto the ground with a thud and began tearing through its contents as well.
Carefully, he walked over to where she sat on the ground and crouched next to her. He was getting ready to suggest she give up whatever crazed search she was undertaking when she exclaimed and hoisted an object triumphantly in the air. His gaze followed it, but his confusion remained intact.
“All this for cat ears?” In Yona’s grip was a headband completely covered in fluffy black faux fur, matching black triangles with pink centers perfectly poised atop it. It was part of Yona’s Halloween costume from last year, he realized belatedly, which left him even more puzzled than before. He highly doubted that Yona had the sudden urge to wear a repeat costume.
“Here you go!” Yona beamed as she planted the ears enthusiastically on Hak’s head. She drew her hands back and clasped them against her chest with a pleased hum and an actual, honest to god sparkle in her eye.
Hak blinked a few times, processing. Finally, he said indignantly, “You can’t be serious.”
Yona crossed her arms, trademark defiance returning in full force. “You can’t go door to door without a costume, it’s just not right.” At his deadpan expression, she continued, “This could have been avoided if you just wore your own. Why didn’t you dress in the shinobi cosplay you wore to that convention last year with Tae-woo and Han-dae?”
“I regret telling you about that.”
Yona smirked playfully. “How come? Don’t you want to reprise your role as Naruto Uzahaki—“
Hak groaned dramatically and buried his face in his hands. “Noooo, please stop. Han-dae came up with that dumb name and wouldn’t drop it.” His cheeks felt hot against his palms as he muttered into them, “I’m clearly more of an Uchiha anyway…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing!”
“Well, from what I heard, you were very dedicated to your character.” Hak splayed his fingers slightly so he could glare at Yona between them, eliciting a delightful giggle from her. He could feel his annoyance dissipating already, damn her.
Defeated, he dropped his hands and sighed in resignation. “Fine, you win. But I refuse to be considered a cute kitten," he stated sharply, shooting daggers at the matching cat paws she had just pulled out and started to offer him. At his look, she suppressed a grin but returned them to the box without protest. "I’m a dark bastion of evil and I will not settle for less.”
“Of course,” Yona said gravely. She pushed the box to the side and slid nearer across the carpet, closing the distance between them. She tilted her head back to look directly in his face, and he was momentarily stunned by her proximity and directness. Her voice remained serious but her expression teasing as she said, “You’re my witch’s familiar, after all.”
A slow grin grew on Hak’s face and his eyes went half-lidded as he leaned down to meet her, their breath mingling together. “Is that so?” She shifted towards him imperceptibly as her eyes closed, murmuring a halfhearted mhm in response. Hak tipped even further, wanting to tempt that gravitational pull but stopping just shy of allowing their lips to make contact. And before she could close those last few millimeters between them, he abruptly changed his trajectory and licked the tip of her nose, capitalizing on his newly acquired feline mischief. She squealed in mock disgust, but her face radiated joy as she drew back laughing, and he couldn’t help but feel like her smile would be the only thing he needed to carry with him throughout the night.