Work Text:
Eunseok wakes up late on Halloween, and he would have slept even later if not for the full-body-shudder-inducing sound of tree branches smacking against his window.
“Stupid ghosts, already messing around,” he grumbles, careful not to smack his head on the top bunk as he rises from his bed.
“Actually, hyung,” Seunghan speaks from where he’s sitting at his desk, pouring over his potion notes with only the dim light of a candle. “I think it’s just really windy today.”
“You’re seriously studying on the holiest day of the year?” Eunseok asks, ruffling Seunghan’s hair as he peeks out the window to confirm what he said. The wind is blowing strongly, and surprisingly there’s not a ghost in sight yet. It must still be early for most of them, but the sun isn’t out, and Eunseok knows that especially the younger ones like to start playing around before it gets too late.
“I seriously messed up my ratios on the last practical,” Seunghan sighs. “Sohee’s tongue swelled up and his hair turned blue.”
“What was supposed to happen?” Eunseok laughs.
“He was supposed to start crying,” Seunghan explains, pouting at his notes. “And I guess he did do that, but not because it worked. We’re on the emotion potions unit. So he was supposed to get the sadness potion, then I’d cancel it out with the joy potion.”
“But instead, he got new hair and an allergic reaction… I don’t know, I think that would make me pretty sad.”
“Hyung,” Seunghan whines. “I know you’re trying to distract me, but I really do need to study. Can you go annoy Wonbin-hyung?”
“Why him?” Eunseok pulls his hand back from petting Seunghan’s hair like he’s been burned.
“You know why,” Seunghan rolls his eyes. “Plus, it’s Halloween. He’s going to be so scared of going outside, he’ll be begging for you to hold him.”
“I don’t want that,” Eunseok lies.
Seunghan unfortunately knows that Eunseok has a fat crush on Wonbin – his own fault for agreeing to try truth serum on a dare, and Seunghan has been sworn to secrecy since. It started during second year, when Shohei was tutoring both of them in Wizarding Ethics class. Wonbin naturally started hanging out with their friend group, and the first time Eunseok got him to crack a tiny smile at something stupid he said, he knew he was done for.
“I’ll go bother Sungchan,” Eunseok decides.
“Sure, get stuck holding that scaredy cat instead,” Seunghan laughs. Eunseok shakes his head and gathers his clothes, thrilled that he doesn’t have to wear his uniform today.
Going to an all-boys wizard boarding school didn’t take a lot of getting used to for Eunseok, but Halloween admittedly does put him on higher alert. It’s the one day of the year that ghosts are allowed to haunt freely, an agreement made between the governing body of wizarding academics and the overseeing guardian of spirits with unfinished business. Supposedly.
That’s why on Halloween, classes are canceled. The inside of the dormitories are off limits for ghosts, and students can decide whether to leave or not, depending on how much they enjoy the festive activity of dealing with undead pranksters.
Wonbin is scared easily, which unfortunately is just another thing that Eunseok finds adorable about him, and he’s gotten used to Wonbin clutching onto his arm even just to walk the hallways or around campus at night on a regular day.
“You really get freaked out in the dark, even though you’re a wizard?” Eunseok had asked once.
“Just because I was born with some magic doesn’t mean I’m brave,” Wonbin had said with a pout, digging his nails in harder around Eunseok’s bicep.
“Good thing you have me to protect you, then.”
“I saw you screw up basic object levitation just yesterday. You are not protecting me.”
“It is not my fault that ancient spell writers didn’t take different dialects into account.”
“You don’t even speak with a dialect,” Wonbin elbows him in the ribs, and he’s smiling, and it’s beautiful.
“Maybe I can’t protect you, but I can make you laugh, right? Distract you from the scary stuff.”
“Sure,” Wonbin’s eyes glimmer up at him. “I guess you can.”
Eunseok sighs, finding himself in front of Wonbin’s door now, protests to Seunghan be damned. Eunseok is a little perplexed to find that it’s open, just a crack, but enough that when Eunseok goes to knock, the whole thing just creaks open in one swift gravitational pull.
“Wonbin-ah?” He calls into the space, but no one responds. Wonbin doesn’t have a roommate thanks to some kind of exceptional luck of the draw that he insists he did not use any magic to rig. His single bed in the corner is unmade, and his pajamas are in a pile on the floor, which is a little concerning considering that Wonbin is known for being meticulous.
Maybe he was already scared by the sound of the wind this morning and raced out of the room. Eunseok bites his lip, wondering where he might have run off to. He leaves everything the way he found it, leaving the door slightly ajar just in case Wonbin left his keys behind in his frenzy, and goes to search around the rest of the dormitory.
“Hey,” Sungchan calls out across the foyer, arms full of groceries. Eunseok acknowledges them with a little wave and goes to help him carry the bags into the kitchen.
“What’s all this for?” Eunseok asks.
“Thought we could cook for everyone who’s staying in tonight,” Sungchan says with a warm smile. “Taro-hyung’s idea, really.”
“Sounds like him. Where is hyung, anyway?”
“Oh, there was this cat outside… I think he was trying to find where it came from, but it kept following him. It was weird – oh, there they are.”
Shotaro comes running, door slamming in his wake, but not before a scrawny black cat makes it in behind him with an agitated meow.
“Stupid ghost spooked me,” he pants. Sungchan goes to check him over, feeling his forehead with the back of his hand, as if a scare could give him a fever. Ridiculously doting, always.
“Who’s your friend?” Eunseok asks, kneeling down and holding his hand out to the cat, which looks equally shaken. The cat tentatively leans forward to sniff him, and Eunseok scratches under its chin once he feels he has permission. “He’s cute.”
“I have no idea where he came from,” Shotaro explains, finally catching his breath. “But I couldn’t get him to stop following me, so… I guess he can hang out here for now. I think black cats on Halloween are supposed to be a sign of something.”
Eunseok nods, contemplating the little feline that has taken to rubbing its face against Eunseok’s fingers, seemingly appraising him back with round, black eyes that remind him of…
“Hey, have you guys seen Wonbin today?”
“No, we were out all morning,” Sungchan says.
“He’s probably in his room,” Shotaro reasons. “I’m sure he’ll come out when he hears us in here.”
“He wasn’t, I went to check on him just before you guys got back,” Eunseok explains, standing up. “I’m worried. It was kind of a mess in there.”
The cat starts meowing, loudly, and pawing at Eunseok’s pants.
“What is it, little guy?” Eunseok coos. “Did I take my attention away too soon? Do you know where Wonbin is?”
The cat keeps meowing, so Eunseok moves to pick it up. At first, it squirms and makes a squeak in protest, but eventually it settles into Eunseok’s arms, eyes darting around the room.
“Maybe he heard a scary noise and went to Sohee and Anton’s room,” Sungchan suggests. “If they haven’t seen him, we can always try a tracking spell. But let’s give him some time to show up.”
“Okay, sure,” Eunseok sighs. He looks down at the cat in his arms. “Should we go ask the babies if they’ve seen our friend?”
The cat meows back at him, stretching out a paw and touching his nose. Somehow, Eunseok finds it reassuring.
☽ ☾
“What’s with the cat?” Anton asks when Eunseok arrives at his door. Sohee isn’t there – he left early in the morning, camping out to try and record ghost sounds for his Spiritual Studies class project.
“This is Darkbin,” Eunseok says. The cat in question has moved to perch on his shoulder, swinging its tail side to side and tickling Eunseok’s neck. “Shotaro found him outside, seems like he’s scared of ghosts. He’s my buddy now.”
“You come up with the weirdest names.”
“Thank you,” Eunseok says, and Darkbin meows. “I think he understands human language. Anyway, have you seen Wonbin today?”
“No,” Anton says, still looking at the cat with a weird expression on his face. Eunseok sighs in disappointment.
“Okay… we’re going to have to try a tracking spell. Can you meet Sungchan and Taro-hyung in the kitchen?”
Anton nods, and Eunseok takes off with his companion to disturb Seunghan one more time. The more magic they can pull from, the better accuracy the tracking will have.
Eunseok shakes Seunghan’s shoulders, earning him a glare as he slides his headphones off, still in the exact same position Eunseok left him in. Then his eyes track up to the animal Eunseok brought with him and his fact contorts from anger to confusion.
“What’s with the cat?” He asks. Eunseok laughs.
“Shotaro found him. I’m keeping him safe,” Eunseok explains. “Don’t you think he looks like Wonbin?”
“You’re obsessed,” Seunghan huffs.
“Seriously, look at his eyes. They’re all big and sad looking.”
Darkbin meows.
“I’m calling him Darkbin,” Eunseok says, scratching the cat’s head.
“Do you hear yourself? If you’re seeing him in cats now, you’re down even worse than I thought. Sick, in love behavior.”
Eunseok hears a loud meow and feels claws in his shoulder then, and he picks Darkbin up under the arms like a baby, holding him up facing him.
“That hurts,” he says, pouting at the cat. “Don’t be upset that you remind me of Wonbin. He’s really handsome. And I love his big sad eyes.”
Darkbin meows again and squirms out of Eunseok’s hold, landing gracefully on the floor. He rubs against his legs, though, so Eunseok hopes he didn’t really offend him.
When he turns his attention to Seunghan again, he is looking at him with the most disgusted expression he can muster.
“Anyway,” Eunseok continues. “On the subject of Wonbin, we can’t find him. Can you help with a tracking spell?”
“Why didn’t you start with that?”
They all gather back in Wonbin’s room, in hopes that the energy of his space will help the tracking spell focus in more sharply. They sit in a circle, Darkbin in Eunseok’s lap, amulet in the middle as they link hands and recite the spell.
“Ostende mihi illum quem quaero,” Eunseok repeats with the others, slowly, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts on Wonbin. His heart thuds in his chest.
A noise from the amulet brings a natural end to the spell, and Eunseok opens his eyes eagerly to see what location it will reveal. But when Shotaro picks it up, his eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“It’s… here,” he says, dumbfounded. “It’s just showing me this room.”
“Did we do it right?” Anton asks. “Maybe the spell is just… broken.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Sungchan says, pouting. “We’ve practiced this one before.”
“Maybe we need Sohee?” Seunghan suggests, but it’s futile. Everyone is confused, defeated, and concerned now.
Darkbin meows incessantly, pawing at Eunseok’s crossed legs before leaping over them, approaching Shotaro to nose at the amulet.
“Not now, kitty,” Shotaro sighs. “Maybe the cat messed us up, because it couldn’t have been thinking about Wonbin with us, right?”
“Since when can a cat interfere with a spell?” Eunseok finally speaks, personally offended for some reason. “Black cats have been our allies for generations. Don’t you read your history books?”
“Chill,” Seunghan says, clapping a hand to Eunseok’s shoulder. “We will find Wonbin, okay?”
Darkbin pads back over to Eunseok, front paws perched on his knees so he can bump his face against Eunseok’s chin, purring. Eunseok softens, rubbing the cat’s neck and closing his eyes again.
“Okay,” Eunseok sighs. “I’m gonna go out and look. Some silly ghosts won’t scare me.”
“We can go with you,” Anton offers.
“No, it’s okay. Sungchan and Taro-hyung should make dinner as planned. Anton, you and Hani can wait for Sohee to help you try the tracking spell again,” Eunseok decides.
“Be careful,” Sungchan says. “Take a scream fuse, in case you need to call out for us.”
Eunseok nods. The group disperses, and Eunseok grabs his cloak with a scream fuse in the pocket, and takes off with Darkbin on his shoulders again.
☽ ☾
It’s cold outside, and the wind isn’t helping – it’s strong, and pushes Eunseok a little, but he’s determined.
He makes his way toward the main library. He has a few places in mind where he might find Wonbin, but part of him doesn’t fully believe that he’ll be in any of them. There’s a gnawing concern that a ghost preyed on his obvious fear and is tormenting him somewhere in the woods, but also an odd feeling of reassurance, a certainty that he’s okay – Eunseok just needs to figure out where he is.
There’s a motherly ghost waiting at the entrance of the library, perhaps a former librarian. She doesn’t try to scare Eunseok, rather ushers him in protectively. Sometimes the ghosts are like this. They don’t need to play pranks, they just want to be acknowledged. Eunseok bows to her in thanks, taking his hood off as he scans the area over. If Wonbin is here, there’s really only one place he would go – the back corner of the 3rd floor where they keep the texts on astrology, tucked into a cubicle, asleep with a cheek pressed into an open book. Eunseok smiles at the thought.
Unfortunately, that’s not where he finds him. It’s completely empty, not even any ghosts haunting this part of the library.
“That’s how boring astrology is,” Eunseok says to Darkbin, who meows back at him like he’s mad at the comment, jumping off his shoulder to rub himself all over Wonbin’s favorite cubicle. Eunseok sighs.
“Come on, we have to keep looking.”
Darkbin lays down on the desk, staring at Eunseok like he’s trying to tell him something.
“I don’t have time for this,” Eunseok pleads. “I’m really worried about him.”
Darkbin lets out another loud meow, pawing around, and Eunseok just shakes his head. Cats.
He turns around to walk back to the stairs, and eventually he feels the cat at his heels once again.
A ghost that seems to be around 12 years old tries to scare them on the way to arts building, and Eunseok is completely unfazed, but Darkbin’s hair stands up and he leaps up into Eunseok’s arms, insisting to be carried the rest of the way, burrowing close to Eunseok’s chest under his cloak.
The school has the building for extracurricular enrichment, and there are studios for all kinds of art forms. Wonbin is multitalented and spends a lot of free time here. Eunseok sighs as he walks by a visual arts room that ghost has absolutely trashed with paint.
Wonbin isn’t in any of the music rooms practicing guitar, and he’s not in the dance room either. There are a couple of ghosts dancing ballroom, having a good time to themselves, and Eunseok sinks to the floor in the corner of the room paying them no mind. The cat is still in his arms, and Eunseok holds him tightly, listening to the little purrs as he rubs between his ears.
“What are we going to do?” Eunseok sighs. “I thought for sure we’d find him here. I have one more place to look, but…”
Darkbin rubs his head against Eunseok’s neck.
“We should keep trying, you’re right.”
Darkbin meows.
“Was that not what you were saying? What, you think I should tell him how I feel, is that it?”
The cat pushes itself up with paws on Eunseoks shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes, revealing tiny fangs as he meows with purpose.
“I don’t know why I haven’t, okay? I guess I’m just afraid of losing him. But that all seems kind of stupid now, when I can’t find him anywhere.”
Darkbin hops off, now pulling at Eunseok’s cloak with his teeth. Eunseok gets up, letting the cat lead him out of the building, back towards the dormitories.
☽ ☾
The common area is warm and fragrant when they return, not without at least 5 ghosts trying to intercept them. The sun is starting to set, and the most rowdy of them are finally out. Eunseok is out of breath from dodging them while trying to keep Darkbin in his line of sight.
Eunseok follows the cat back into Wonbin’s room, where their youngest friends are huddled over a textbook.
“Sohee’s here,” Eunseok says.
“Hi, hyung,” Sohee answers. “Did you find Wonbin?”
“No,” he sighs. “And the cat practically dragged me back here. I think he might know something.”
Darkbin meows from the top of Wonbin’s desk, where he’s jumped up.
“I hope he does,” Anton says with a sigh. “Because our tracking spell was a dud again. It just showed us where you were.”
“So now we’re looking for ways to make the spell more precise,” Seunghan explains, gesturing to the book. “Do you think Wonbin-hyung will get mad if we take some hair from his brush?”
The cat meows again, louder this time, kneading its paws on top of something on the desk. Eunseok peers over curiously.
“What is this?” He asks, picking up the notebook that the cat seems to be gesturing to. He squints, trying to make out Wonbin’s handwriting.
“Oh my god,” Eunseok pales as understanding takes over. “Guys. This is a transfiguration spell.”
Sohee audibly gasps, standing up to snatch the notes from Eunseok’s hands and see for himself. Seunghan and Anton slowly get up, too, flanking Eunseok on either side and staring at the cat.
The cat that is Wonbin.
He meows again, and maybe Eunseok is crazy, but it sounds like he’s relieved.
“Hyung must have been accidentally reading his notes out loud while he was studying again,” Anton shakes his head. “I’m so sorry we left you like this all day…”
The cat nudges its head into Anton’s palm, and purrs as he pats gently.
“I guess you were right, Eunseok-hyung,” Seunghan murmurs. “The cat does look like Wonbin.”
Eunseok feels dizzy, and a little crestfallen that he didn’t figure this out earlier. But he’s relieved, because Wonbin is okay, and has been with him all day long, safe.
He’s also heard everything he’s said about his feelings for him. Eunseok gulps down the stirring dread in his gut.
“I’m going to find Shohei-hyung,” Sohee says. “He’ll be able to help us with a reversal spell in no time.”
Seunghan takes off with Sohee, and Anton shakes the shock off to go help Shotaro and Sungchan with the last of the meal they’re preparing.
Eunseok sinks down into Wonbin’s desk chair, face to face with his cat form. He sighs.
“Guess we have some talking to do when you’re human again,” Eunseok says. Darkbin’s eyes shine, and he presses his paws on Eunseok’s shoulders like he did at the dance studio before rubbing his furry head against the space between Eunseok’s eyebrows, purring loudly.
“That’s more reassuring than clawing me,” Eunseok laughs. “Thanks. I promise to confess properly when you can actually answer.”
The cat climbs into his lap, curling up and settling in comfortably. Eunseok strokes the fur along his back until Shohei arrives.
The more experienced wizard insists on working alone – safer that way, he had said, and protective of Wonbin’s dignity, since presumably he’ll be transforming back naked.
Eunseok bites the fleshy part of his thumb, seated directly outside of Wonbin’s door, unable to be distracted or make himself useful elsewhere. He starts counting in his head, and finally, when he reaches 878, Shohei cracks the door open.
“Okay,” he says, and he sounds exhausted. Spells can take a lot of energy, especially when performed alone. “Human Wonbin is back. He’s resting, so I’ll tell the others to give him some space, but… he’s asking for you.”
“Thanks, hyung,” Eunseok lets out a breath he’s been holding onto, and the pressure in his chest floats out with it. “You should get some food.”
Shohei nods, ruffling Eunseok’s hair on his way out to the common area. Eunseok takes a deep breath and steps into Wonbin’s room.
Everything is dimly lit with a few lamps and candles, and Eunseok almost feels like he’s intruding, looking at Wonbin laying peacefully on the bed. Seeing his human form again – soft black hair curling around his ears, soft skin glowing under the candlelight, dark eyes shining as he looks up at Eunseok and smiles – it makes his heart stammer uncontrollably.
“Hey,” Wonbin whispers, then winces. “Feels weird to speak in words again.”
“It’s really good to hear your voice,” Eunseok says, and he feels like he has to speak just as quietly, or he’ll break something fragile.
“Thanks for taking care of me today, hyung,” Wonbin moves his body closer to the wall, making room, a silent invitation. “Even if you didn’t know it.”
Eunseok sits down carefully, but he doesn’t like looking down at Wonbin, especially now that he’s not a cat anymore. He hesitantly lays beside him, the two of them facing each other.
“I’m sorry we let you be a cat for so long,” Eunseok says, running a nervous hand through Wonbin’s human hair now. He still seems to lean into it like a cat would. Eunseok starts to worry about his cardiac health. “And I’m sorry for being a coward about my feelings. That’s not how you should have found out.”
“I’ll give you one do-over,” Wonbin says, corners of his mouth curling up while his eyes stay closed. “No memory tampering spells required.”
“I really like you, Park Wonbin,” Eunseok says, no hesitation now. “Can I take you on a date when there aren’t a bunch of scary ghosts roaming all over campus?”
Wonbin opens his eyes and brushes their noses together. Eunseok could maybe just die happily right there.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Wonbin says, pressing a sweet whisper of a kiss onto Eunseok’s lips.
☽ ☾
A few weeks later, Eunseok is speedwalking back to the dorms from Wand Working, brushing remnants of wood cuttings off of his coat. Right as he’s about to enter the building, he hears a meow at his feet, and looks down to see a black cat staring up at him.
“Oh no,” Eunseok says, crouching down to hold the cat’s face between his palms. “Again? How? God, Wonbin-ah, what am I going to do with you…”
“Well, I thought you were taking me out for hot chocolate?”
Eunseok looks up and Wonbin is standing at the door, peering down at him with a crooked smile on his handsome face. Eunseok looks down at the cat, which is looking at him like he has 3 heads, then back up at his fresh-off-the-presses boyfriend. He gets up quickly, a little wobbly on his feet, dusting himself off.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Eunseok says, holding his hands out to help Wonbin down the front steps and then offering him his arm to link through.
“You’re cute, hyung,” Wonbin says fondly before pecking his cheek. Eunseok wonders how long things like this will make his whole face blush.
He kind of hopes it’s forever.