Chapter Text
Discovering your groupmates weren’t human was not a situation that Sanghyuk ever expected to deal with. In fact it was the furthest thing from his mind, right up there
But hey, who was he to complain? Life as the only human in a group made up of super-powered mythical beings that had the ability to kill him was rather pleasant. Sure, he thought things sometimes got a little ridiculous, but he couldn’t deny that it made life a lot more interesting.
Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.
“Hyung, are you serious?” Sanghyuk whined as Hakyeon dragged him out of the small recording booth and onto the waiting room’s couch. “Do we have to do this now?”
Darn it all, he didn’t have time for this; he had homework to finish, tests to study for, maybe even some anime to catch up on. He was an extremely busy individual, and his leader was putting a serious dent in his perfectly laid-out plans.
Hakyeon smiled serenely and Sanghyuk immediately sat straighter, his entire posture becoming noticeably more ridged. “Please stop smiling at me like that.”
Hakyeon blinked, his expression turning into one of genuine confusion. “What’s wrong with my smile. I’m not doing anything.”
“Hyung, the last time you smiled at me like that you were trying to hide the fact that Hongbin hyung had gone fish,” Sanghyuk replied, his voice monotone and markedly un-amused. “That conversation ended with me passing out. So forgive me if I I’m a little on edge.”
“Sanghyuk, this is important. All the different societies have different codes of conduct. Just because we,” Hakyeon made collective gesture that Sanghyuk assumed loosely referred to the other members, “understand that you don’t know the rules doesn’t mean others are going to be as forgiving.”
“Come on, how bad could it be?”
Hakyeon raised a brow. “Do you want to get yourself killed?”
“Not particularly.”
“I thought so.” Sanghyuk slumped back into the couch, the very picture of a rebellious teenager. “You have to take this seriously Sanghyuk. In the past there have been entire wars started over seemingly inconsequential things. We just want you to be careful.”
Sanghyuk softened just a tad at the genuine worry in Hakyeon’s voice. “Fine,” he sighed, more weary than annoyed. “Take it away then.”
Hakyeon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Higher powers, grant me the patience to not strangle this child,” he breathed, too low for Sanghyuk to properly make out. But then he steeled himself and began. “To start, you need to understand that there are countless societies in the magical community. A significant amount of them live alongside humans, so it wouldn’t be surprising to encounter them as we’re promoting.”
This caught Sanghyuk’s attention. “Wait, does that mean all magical and supernatural beings exist then?”
“Yes and no. Sometimes fairy tales and superstitions really are just that, old wives tales. It’s human nature to try to explain what they don’t understand.” Hakyeon frowned lightly. “But from my experiences, the spirit of those stories are usually true.”
Sanghyuk thought back to the tales he’d heard as a young child. His mother had always been fond of fairy tales and legends, and he and his older sister had grown up with all of them. He could still remember falling asleep to her soft voice, spinning stories about dragons and fairies, of damsels and knights-in-shinning-armor, of magic lamps and wishing stars. “So, what exactly am I going to be dealing with?”
“Not including us?” Hakyeon looked thoughtful. “Off the top of my head, I can think of vampires, sirens, demons, and witches.”
“Oh.”
“And that’s only what I’ve personally come across. There are probably a lot more.” Hakyeon caught the look of panic that began to bloom across Sanghyuk’s face. “But don’t you worry, we’re all going to teach you the ways of being a human in the magical world, so things should be just fine.”
“What do you mean should—?”
“Let’s get started with something simple,” Hakyeon exclaimed, motioning to his person. “Angels. I really wouldn’t worry too much. Just be a decent person and you should be fine.”
“Well that’s nice to know.”
“Just make sure to never call an angel a harpy,“ Hakyeon frowned, crossing his arms. “Or vice versa. Harpies and angels are two different things. Don’t do that. It’s annoying.”
Sanghyuk nodded. “Got it. Harpies and angels: different things.”
“Keep that in mind and you’ll never have any problems.” He leaned over to playfully tap Sanghyuk’s forehead. “Any questions?”
Sanghyuk paused, expression thoughtful. “Not really. I guess… no, never mind.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Sanghyuk.”
“…cn s wngs…” he muttered.
“I didn’t catch that.” Hakyeon slid closer to playfully nudge his shoulder. “Tell me.”
Sanghyuk hesitated a little longer. “Can… can I see your wings?”
That caught Hakyeon off guard, if the way he pulled back was any indication. Sanghyuk was mentally scrambling for a way to play it off, ready to insist he’d been joking, when white feathers encroached on his vision. “Huh?”
One of Hakyeon’s wings wrapped around him like a protective shield, not quite touching but close enough to see the individual feathers. Sanghyuk noted, mesmerized, at how they looked just like that of a bird, though they seemed softer somehow, and were such a pure white it was otherworldly.
Hakyeon quietly savored the pure awe on his face. For once Sanghyuk looked like the young boy he was. “You can touch if you want,” he assured, “I don’t mind.”
Sanghyuk stole a quick glance at Hakyeon, who nodded encouragingly. Hesitantly, he slowly reached out, pausing just a hair’s breadth away from a feather tip. He still seemed a little unsure.
Hakyeon took it into his own hands, moving his wing so Sanghyuk’s fingers brushed against it.
Sanghyuk grimaced, but relaxed one he saw he wasn’t hurting Hakyeon in any way. “Wow,” Sanghyuk breathed at the downy warmth; he gently pressed his whole hand against it, feeling the pure muscle hidden beneath. “Can you actually fly with them?”
“Of course. What kind of angel would I be if I couldn’t fly?”
“But I thought you hated heights.”
“I do when I’m not in control of it.” His eyes went distant, his mind a million miles away as smile turned more dreamy. “But when I’m flying, it’s a different story. Its one of those feelings that just… it’s hard to explain, but it’s amazing.”
“Oh.” He stoked down the length of his wing, making sure to follow the path of the feathers. The last thing he wanted was to accidently hurt Hakyeon. “Can you show me sometime?”
Hakyeon smiled sweetly. “Of course.” He flicked his wing, the feathers at the tip playfully brushed against Sanghyuk’s nose. His surprised giggle made Hakyeon’s heart feel warm.
Maybe, Hakyeon thought as Sanghyuk snuggled happily into his feathers, things would work out after all.
++++++
When Sanghyuk walked into the dance studio a few days later he was greeted to the sight of Wonshik finishing up his own practice. He watched with rapt attention and more than a little awe as the rapper worked through the choreography, movements somehow both razor-sharp and fluidly graceful.
Sanghyuk quietly closed the studio’s door as quietly as he could, trying not to distract Wonshik. However, being part dragon must come with some sort of super hearing because Wonshik immediately looked up upon hearing the soft click of the door.
“Sanghyukkie, you’re early today,” he said, voice slightly out of breath.
“I thought I might as well get in some extra practice while I had the time.” His expression then became much more sheepish and apologetic. “Sorry for interrupting. I wouldn’t have barged in if I knew someone was here.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Wonshik gently interrupted, “It’s not like this is only my studi— oh fu— I mean frick! Sorry! Sorry kiddo.”
In his hasty attempt to reassure Sanghyuk had momentarily forgotten to keep his strength in check as enthusiastically clapped him on the back. It left a poor, very human Sanghyuk with a one-way ticket to the ground.
Wonshik scrambled to catch him, grabbing him by the back of his hoodie and pulling him back onto his feet. Sanghyuk, after taking a few seconds to calm his racing heart, shot him a disgruntled look.
Wonshik laughed sheepishly. “Sorry. Sometimes I forget about the whole stronger than the average person thing.”
“It’s fine. No harm done,” Sanghyuk said, though a part of him was still internally screaming about the utter lack of normalcy that was his life now. “If you don’t mind me asking, is this something that you have to be constantly conscious of?”
“Eh, sometimes,” Wonshik shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve been doing it for so long that it’s pretty much second nature by now. But I’ll be honest, it was rough at the start.” Wonshik saw Sanghyuk perk up, a thousand questions in his eyes. He smiled fondly, sometimes Sanghyuk acted more like a little kid then he gave himself credit for. “All right, if I’m going to give you the lowdown on dragons, then I suggest we take a seat. We’re gonna be here a while.”
Once the pair was comfortably settled against the mirrors, Wonshik with a water bottle in hand, he began. “So, in simple terms, dragons are an interesting bunch. I’m sure you’ve heard of all those old kid’s stories regarding dragons guarding towers filled hordes of treasure right?”
“Yeah, ever since I was little.”
“Well, I’m going to tell you right now that not all of it is true. Sure, there were some dragons who did that, but it wasn’t exactly a common thing,” Wonshik frowned. “Those stories are just stereotypes humans crafted up over the years.”
“Hakyeon hyung told me that a lot of those stories have some truth to them though.”
Wonshik looked thoughtful. “Well, yeah, kinda. There is some truth to it; I mean the whole giant, scaly reptile with wings that can breathe fore is accurate. And before you say anything,” Wonshik deadpanned, seeing Sanghyuk bristle up to make a comment, “I’m only half-dragon, emphasis on the half. Like I said before, I didn’t inherit the looks.”
Sanghyuk immediately deflated. “But what about the whole hoarding treasure thing? You said it was a stereotype, but he made a vague gesture with his hand.
Wonshik smiled, “In a way, yeah. See, dragons have a tendency to suffer from, for lack of a better term, obsessions. We each have something that we get really, really, enthusiastic about. So, I guess you could call it our hoard.”
A look of revelation crossed Sanghyuk’s face. “So… it that why you’re fixated on music and producing and stuff? Is that your hoard?”
“Pretty much.”
He blinked a few times. “This explains so much about you. Suddenly everything makes sense.” Sanghyuk playfully elbowed him in the side, making Wonshik huff. “Not gonna lie, I had my money on it being that or snapbacks. Seriously, I don’t understand how one person can own so many hats.”
“Hey, I like those hats!”
“Hyung you own multiple versions of the same hat.”
“They’re different colors!”
“Hyung listen to me. Multiple versions. Of the exact. Same. Hat.”
“You just don’t understand fashion, ok?” He crossed his arms with a childish pout. “Look, understand that a dragon’s have hoard is important to them and they can get a little overprotective, so watch out for that. Things tend to get really nasty, really fast otherwise.”
“…Really?”
“Trust me, you don’t ever want to face a dragon whose hoard has been messed with.”
“Ok, so don’t annoy the super-strong, fire breathing lizards, got it.”
He flinched. “Actually don’t call us lizards, either. I personally don’t really care, for obvious reasons,” he motioned to his general self, “but some dragons are pretty prideful and will get ticked. Like, ‘burn you to a crisp and crush all your bones’ ticked.”
Sanghyuk replied with an anxious squeak.
“Yeah, dragons aren’t exactly the most level headed bunch. I should know, my dad’s full dragon,” he paused, “and things get interesting when he gets heated.”
“No offense hyung, but I hope I never have to meet your dad.”
Wonshik burst out into loud, booming laughter. It echoed through the studio, bouncing off the walls and floors. “Don’t worry kid, my old man isn’t that bad. Probably the most stubborn person you’d ever meet, but not bad.”
Sanghyuk meant to reply with some sarcastic comment when the door to the studio was flung open. The other members barged in, ready for dance practice. Although, if the look on Taekwoon’s face was anything to go by, it seemed like he was getting ready to commit first-degree murder.
“Uh, you mind if we pick up this conversation some other time kiddo?” Wonshik breathed, slightly panicked. “I have an angry shapeshifter to attend to.”
Before Sanghyuk could reply, Wonshik was off the couch. He grabbed onto Taekwoon’s shoulders, effectively restraining the elder from launching himself at the other three, who merely laughed at the vocalist’s flailing.
All Sanghyuk could do was cover his eyes with his hand in complete disbelief. “How am I the only sane one in this group?”
++++++
Dance practice that night was more tiring and grueling than normal. Sanghyuk lost track of the amount of times they had repeated the same bit of choreo somewhere within their third hour of practice and he was more then a little relieved to be back in the dorm. He didn’t even know what time it was beyond ‘extremely late.’ He hoped he could catch at least a few hours of sleep before he had to go to school.
Sanghyuk collapsed onto the couch in a boneless heap and buried his face into the nearest pillow, hoping to rest his eyes in the time it took the older members to take their turns to shower. However, the feeling of someone sitting next to him interrupted his peaceful dozing. He looked up, blinking away the exhaustion, to see Hongbin watching something on his tablet, earphones and all, with extreme seriousness.
His curiosity piqued, Sanghyuk forced himself up from the soft, warm embrace of the pillow. He chalked up the sudden urge to snuggle into Hongbin’s side as a side effect of the mind-numbing exhaustion.
“Get off,” Hongbin grunted, trying to dislodge him. “You’re sweaty.”
Sanghyuk ignored him. “What are you watching?” he asked, pushing deeper into Hongbin’s side and rubbing his sweat-damp hair against his arm. Hongbin squawked in displeasure.
“You’re disgusting, I hope you know that.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sanghyuk muttered. He angled his head to try and get a better look at the screen. “Hyung, why are you watching The Little Mermaid?”
“Because I like it.”
“If this is suppose to be some joke because you’re a mermaid—“
“Merman,” he grumbled.
“Merman, sorry. Then I can tell you right now that it isn’t funny.”
“In that case, I can tell you that you’re a brat.”
The pair fell silent, turning their attention to the movie playing on the screen. Sanghyuk reached up, pulling one of Hongbin’s earphones out of place (which earned him a glare from the elder) and put it into his ear.
They continued to watch the film, hearing the upbeat tunes telling of the wonders of life under the sea and how it was so much better than the human world. Sanghyuk allowed it to lull him into comfortable doze, shifting so that he was leaning fully against Hongbin’s side.
“Hongbin?” Sanghyuk mumbled. He felt more than heard the elder’s hum of acknowledgement. “I know I tease you about it a lot but, why exactly can’t you swim?”
He felt Hongbin shift, setting the tablet aside and gently pulling the earphone out of his ear. He did the same with the one in Sanghyuk’s, neatly wrapping it up and placing it on top of the tablet. “Why the sudden question?” he asked, looking down at Sanghyuk with guarded eyes.
“Just curious, I guess.”
A sigh. “It’s a long story. Boring too. Maybe I’ll tell you another time, when you aren’t halfway asleep.”
Sanghyuk hummed, slowly closing his eyes. He was exhausted, completely drained from the day’s activities. But it would be his turn to shower soon and quite frankly, he still had an important question that needed to be answered.
“So, do all merpeople watch The Little Mermaid or is it just you being a weird?”
He heard Hongbin scoff, feeling him lightly cuff him on the back of the head. “I don’t suggest mentioning this movie to other merfolk. I’m the exception, not the rule.”
“That bad, huh?”
“It’s not really the most accurate representation, no.”
“That seems to be a running theme,” Sanghyuk chuckled wearily. “So, is there anything else you do? Like, do you actually have a magical singing voice and stuff?”
“For hypnotizing people that annoy me, yes.” Sanghyuk didn’t have to open his eyes to tell Hongbin was smirking, he could practically feel the smugness radiating off him. “I’ll have you know, pranking people is a really amusing pastime.”
“Nice.”
“And, since I know you’re you, please just avoid fish jokes in general, ok. They get sort of tasteless after a while.”
“Darn, I had all those puns planned, too.”
“Don’t quit your day job,” Hongbin laughed. He felt the younger resting more and more of his weight into his side; the kid was fighting to keep his eyes open. “Sleep Sanghyukkie. I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn.”
“M’kay,” Sanghyuk let his eyes fall closed. “Bin?” he whispered and Hongbin hummed softly. “Sorry ‘bout before.”
Hongbin blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“That time you guys told me ‘bout stuff,” he slurred. “Called you useless. That was mean. You aren’t useless, ‘m sorry.” He mumbled something else, but Hongbin couldn’t make it out. He felt the moment he completely passed out as his entire body relaxed, snuggling into him.
Hongbin watched him sleep with barely concealed shock. He couldn’t believe Sanghyuk remembered; that day had been a while ago, even Hongbin hadn’t remembered what he’d said. Still, his apology made some previously unknown knot in his chest disappear.
With a little smile Hongbin reached for the tablet, keeping the screen angled away from Sanghyuk’s face to avoid disturbing him. There was still a while to go before either of them would be able to use the shower and if Sanghyuk was determined to use him as his own personal pillow, he need something to pass the time. Besides, he really wanted to finish the movie.
When Wonshik came into the living room some time later, hair still damp, he was greeted to the sight of the pair asleep on each other. Hongbin’s tablet was sitting in his lap, hands loosely curled around it as he rested his head against Sanghyuk, who was unconsciously gripping the hem of the elder’s shirt.
If Wonshik were to describe it, he would liken it to two little puppies cuddling up to one another in their sleep. “Aw, isn’t that cute?” His smile quickly changed into a deranged grin. “Wait ‘till I tell Hakyeon hyung about this. He’ll never let Binnie live it down.”
++++++
Vocal practice had a tendency to be a very not fun time for Sanghyuk. While dancing came naturally to him, almost as easy as breathing, singing was a completely different story. He knew from the very beginning it wasn’t exactly his strongest suit.
He exited the studio, another exhausting lesson finally behind him, and was surprised at who he nearly ran into. “Jaehwan hyung!” Sanghyuk exclaimed, surprised. “I thought you’d gone back to the dorm already.”
Jaehwan shook his head. “Nope, thought I’d stick around to get in a little more practice. But then I got board, so I decided to sit in on your voice lesson.”
“Your definition of amusement is crashing other people’s lessons?”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Sanghyukkie.” He sidled up to him and draped a supportive arm across his shoulders. “You’re getting a lot better,” he winked, “with a bit more practice, I’m sure you’ll have this stuff down in no time.”
Sanghyuk immediately perked up. “Really? You think so?”
“Would I lie to you Hyukkie?”
“Yes,” he answered without a moment of hesitation, expression blank.
Jaehwan shoved him. “Very funny, you’re hilarious,” he grumbled. “I’m serious though, you’re doing great. You’re already getting a lot better.”
Sanghyuk smiled bashfully at his feet, unsure of what to do with the sudden praise. “Thanks hyung. That means a lot.” He heard Jaehwan sharply inhale and looked back at him with worried eyes. “You ok?” The elder’s eye was twitching ever so slightly.
Jaehwan released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “It’s fine. Just gotta get used to that again.” Sanghyuk didn’t seem any less concerned than before. “Really, I’m fine. Fae just have a natural aversion to verbal expressions of thanks. Ridiculous I know, but it’s my unfortunate reality.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault my ancient predecessors were petty assholes.”
“Oh?”
“See back in the olden days of yore,” he said dramatically, making Sanghyuk snicker, “humans and fae lived side by side in harmony and all that good stuff. They had a whole system of give and take; human did something for fae, fae did something for human and everything was right with the world. But then humans started going on a power trip and declared themselves the supreme race on earth and everything sort of fell apart. To this day most fae aren’t too fond of you guys.”
Sanghyuk frowned, intrigued but still a little lost. “But how did that become breaking out into hives whenever some says thanks?”
“Humans got so full of themselves they believed a simple ‘thank you’ was enough payment for a fae’s work.” Sanghyuk grimaced, knowing where this was going. “Yeah, that went over about as well as you’re thinking. Tons of people were inflicted with some nasty curses, most of which are effectively banned by today’s magical standards, but the damage was still dealt. These days it’s instinctual for a fae to reel at verbal expressions of gratitude, though most of us train ourselves to deal with it.”
“That explains a lot. I always wondered why you never got upset when the others never thanked you for doing something. I guess this is why.”
“I mean it’s not really necessary. Like I said, a lot of us teach ourselves to be fine with it. Still, it’s just a nice gesture to keep it to a minimum, you know?”
“I got you. So no saying thanks, even if I’m just being polite and have no ulterior motive?”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry, so I’d say so. Besides, there are lots of other ways to express one’s gratitude, it doesn’t have to be a spoken thing.”
“Oh, like how?”
“You’re creative, I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Jaehwan ruffled his hair before pulling him into a loose side hug. “Also, no Tinkerbell jokes. That’s a one way ticket to getting your ass cursed.”
“Fine. Spoil my fun why don’t you?”
“Sorry for having to be the killjoy, but I’d rather not have you suffering an ungodly curse for the rest of you life,” he grinned, patting the younger on the head. “I’m glad we had this conversation. Now let’s hurry and head back to the dorm. Taekwoon’s making ramen tonight and I for one am starving!”
++++++
Sanghyuk’s hopes at a decent night’s sleep were shattered when he found himself still awake at two in the morning, staring up at the ceiling of the bedroom. He was so exhausted, so tired, that the comforts of sleep seemed a million miles away.
Desperate to do something other than having a staring contest with the roof, he grabbed his blanket, pulling it tightly across his shoulder, and quietly made his way to the living room. It was still dark, but he could just make out the outline of the furniture within the room. He deftly weaved around the furniture, making his way to the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Maybe some fresh air would help.
He unlocked the door, a gentle breeze wafted through as he slid it open and Sanghyuk took a moment to enjoy the coolness it brought. Being careful not to get his blanket snatched on anything, he stepped onto the small balcony area and silently slid the glass shut behind him. When he turned to inspect the length of their small patio he was greeted with the sight of a black cat curled up on one of the small outdoor chairs.
Sanghyuk made a little surprised sound, causing the cat to crack an eye open, glittering in the almost-darkness of the patio. Once it truly registered his presence it fully awoke, opening both eyes. The cat cocked its head curiously.
Sanghyuk instantly recognized that look. “S-sorry hyung. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Taekwoon sat up, his tail gently swishing around him. His eyes were slightly narrowed, still waiting for an answer.
“It’s nothing,” he sighed. “I’ll just go back to bed or something.” He immediately turned back. He could hear the soft patter of paws behind him.
Taekwoon weaved in between Sanghyuk’s legs, easily overtaking him. By the time Sanghyuk closed the door behind him the elder had morphed back into his human form and made himself comfortable on the living room couch. His gaze, if anything seemed more even questioning.
“Its nothing.” Sanghyuk repeated. It earned him a skeptical glance from Taekwoon. “I mean it. Just couldn’t sleep.” He repressed a shiver as Taekwoon’s cool gaze landed on him again.
If Sanghyuk could be frank, Taekwoon’s demeanor still scared him a little. He wasn’t the protective guiding force Hakyeon had grown to become, nor did they have the easy friendship he’d built with Wonshik and Jaehwan. There was still a thick air of awkwardness around them and it was suffocating. He nervously fiddled with the corner of his blanket, hoping that the other would drop it and let him go back to the comforts of his bed.
To his distress, Taekwoon motioned for him to join him on the couch, patting the spot next to him. With some serious hesitation, he took the offer. A cold silence permeated the room; neither member seemed particularly excited to be the first one to speak.
“So,“ Sanghyuk drawled, desperate to fill the silence. “Shapeshifter, huh?”
He wanted to smack himself; he couldn’t believe that had just come out of his mouth. He silently hoped the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
Taekwoon gave him a long even look. “Yes. Shapeshifter. We can shift into any form at will,” he said, his tone clipped. “Hence the name.”
“Cool. Very cool.” He paused. “So is there like, anything I should know or…?”
This made Taekwoon frown. “I don’t understand.”
“Like is there anything I should know about shapeshifters?”
“Sanghyuk, we change shape. That’s it. I’m not sure what else you want me to tell you.”
Sanghyuk laughed sheepishly. “Really? That’s it?” Taekwoon stared at him. “Seriously, what should I not do to like, not get killed or anything. Are there rules I have to follow or something?”
Taekwoon raised a brow, looking a little taken aback. “Yes. Don’t be a jerk. But I’m inclined to believe you aren’t one, so you don’t need to do anything special.”
“…That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
The tension in Sanghyuk’s body immediately released as he slumped back into the couch. “Thank goodness. I was psyching myself out about having to follow all these rules and stuff,” he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. “Mind you, I’m kinda annoyed. I was totally ready to have some deep serious discussion. But yeah, ok. Just don’t be an asshole, I can do that.” He ended his miniature rant with a nervous chuckle, noticing Taekwoon silently rolling his eyes from the other end of the couch.
The silence that followed was more comfortable. Sanghyuk closed his eyes; he could really feel the exhaustion of the day settling in. Maybe now he could finally get some sleep.
He felt a movement from the seat next to him. He could hear Taekwoon coming to stand in front of him but he was too tired to open his eyes. He felt a surprisingly gentle hand rest on his shoulder; it guided him so he was fully lying down on the couch. His head landed on one of the couch’s small pillows.
“Hyung.” His voice was thick, slurred slightly from exhaustion.
“Sleep Sanghyuk. Just go to sleep.”
Taekwoon rearranged the blanket as Sanghyuk fell asleep, tucking it over his exposed shoulder. He couldn’t help the small smile the broke across his face. “Cute.”
Several hours later, morning finally reared its ugly head. Hakyeon found himself sluggishly emerging from his room. He slowly headed towards the dorm’s small kitchen, drowsily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As he entered the living room, he stopped in his tracks.
Sanghyuk was asleep, facedown on the couch. His face, although turned toward the leader, was only just visible under his blanket. Taekwoon was still in his feline form, curled up on his back, rumbling purrs mixing with his soft snores.
Holding back his squeals of delight, Hakyeon tiptoed back into his room and grabbed his phone. He took a picture of the adorable scene. He was never going to let his life-long Taekwoon live this down.
Task finished, he reached to Sanghyuk with the intention of shaking him awake, but a deft paw swiped at his hand and stopped him in his tracks. He gave his friend a stern glare as he whispered. “Taekwoonie, he has to get up.”
Taekwoon immediately stretched, soothingly nuzzling his face against the back of Sanghyuk’s neck. Hakyeon could hear the purring intensify, rumbling like a small motor. He met Hakyeon’s glare with his own cool look.
Hakyeon threw his hands up. He got the message, “Fine, I’ll wake up the others first. But if we’re late, I’m blaming you.” Taekwoon gave a happy meow and huddled back down, hiding his face beneath his tail.
Hakyeon rolled his eyes; Taekwoon could be as stubborn as a mule when he was in the right mood. He took a moment to run his fingers through Sanghyuk’s hair, tenderly pushing his bangs back out of his eyes, before slipping into the kitchen to make some coffee. Heavens knew they all needed some if they hoped to survive the day ahead of them.
“It’s about time those two started getting along,” he whispered into his cup, watching the pair sleep with fond eyes. Sure, Taekwoon and Sanghyuk would probably be rushing to get ready later, but hey, what would a few extra minutes hurt.
Besides, this provided him with the perfect blackmail material and Hakyeon would be dammed before he’d pass up such an opportunity.