Archive of Our Own

The laughter Junhui lets out when Soonyoung slips down the ten centimeter tall blade of grass he was trying to climb resonated throughout the glade like chiming bells in the wind. It doesn't take long for Soonyoung's own tinkering giggles to mix with his. "You try climbing it up !" Soonyoung dares him in between laughs, but Junhui knows better. It's always fun to start on things, to just do and fumble together or in front of someone dear to you. But it's just so more fun when they do it in front of you and you can tease them from your own untouched image. He knows Soonyoung would do the same, were he in his stead.

"Why prove myself to you, we already know you couldn't do it !" The smiles on the other fairy's face is sparkly and full of life. Full of a complicity they don't share with a lot of people out there. Soonyoung gets him like few others do, and their escapades are one of the times he feels the most complete. Maybe that's why when Soonyoung's sharp eyes turn mischievously serious, he already knows what is going to happen and sprints north. Soonyoung roars of laughter before launching himself behind him, startling a froglet that was sleeping under a fallen leaf nearby. They don't need to say it to know the deal : last one to arrive to their goal will have to do the laundry for the month.

They're not even supposed to be here. It's about 5 meters too far from the village for them to unconsciously frolic in their daily form according to the rules. But it's one thing Soonyoung and Junhui bounded over in the first place, how outdated they thought the rules were. Fairies were no longer hunted down nor held captive, hadn't been in quite some time now. The limits the rules imposed them only felt like shackles to their freedom. They didn't especially like breaking rules, Soonyoung even bloomed under proper instructions. But there was something about some of them they just found utterly nonsensical. All rule loses its power if they don't make sense to you.

They didn't purposefully break the rule, and they didn't do it on a daily basis either. But they stopped limiting themselves for some of those rules a long time ago. So when they heard from their neighbour that the ambulant Wolpertinger merchant had caught sight of a Helveloin Guepin on its way to the village, they hadn't pondered for long. The very next day they woke up ready to go on an adventure, foregoing civilities and paperwork, directly taking the road up to hunt down this one-of-a-kind mushroom.

The route is not that hard. Even if the merchant can hop around with their rabbit legs, and go faster thanks to their height, the spot shouldn't be that far. From what they gathered it is indeed outside the perimeter they're allowed to wander around aimlessly in, but still close enough for them to go there and be back home by the end of the day. They do take a lot more time than if some other, more goal oriented, fairies had done it. But it's not an outing they do out of need, no need to be efficient. They're here to unwind and let themselves free. To release the pent up energy they had accumulated since the last time they allowed themselves to be a little rebellious. Who cares if they stop every two meters to laugh at something anyway, there's no one but themselves to witness it.

The mushroom is hard to miss. Its deep and vibrant orange color contrasts well with the dark wood it emerges from. "You sure it's not just red chanterelles ?" Soonyoung ask pensively, as he's already striding toward the rotten log. "We'll see once we're closer, but even if there were, it would just make for a great meal anyway !" Junhui answers promptly with his stomach, mushrooms are either good for fun potion or for yummy meals - some are not fun at all for other species, according to the shaman, but he's yet to be met with such a situation.

They climb the log easily, Soonyoung first, giving his hand to help Junhui out from where he stands higher. It's something he never really let go of, this habit of taking care of him that remains from when Jun first joined the village years ago. They had still been growing up back then, and Soonyoung had loved the idea of taking the new kid under his wing, show him around and teach him their language. And even now, despite Junhui being a good head taller than Soonyoung, he still does. The fondness they share may be different but the acts remain somewhat the sames. Junhui lets Soonyoung take care of him, and he cherishes him too in return.

The mushroom is about twice as big as them, only slightly taller than the blade of grass Soonyoung attempted to climb earlier on. No gills, rubbery texture alright. Definitely the one they were told about ! "How do we take it back ?" The question rises from them both at the same time, and if they laugh at it first, they soon start bickering about the best magical way to carry three time their weight in orange gelatinous mushroom home.

Jihoon already has had enough by the time Wonwoo stumbles on a root for the tenth time. If only his roommate could stop forgetting his glasses home everytime they go scavenging in the forest, it'd make his life a lot easier. It's always endearing at first, to see him balancing himself by flapping his long limbs uselessly, to witness the sheepish look on his face and the shyness that comes with the embarrassment. But there is only a certain amount of time the act maintain its effect. And Jihoon decides ten is certainly too much for that. It's slowing them down and he has a decoction on the stove waiting for him at home.

It's far from the first time that Wonwoo decides to bypass his physical needs when they need to be efficient. It was somewhat okay to have him forget to go to the washroom before a two hours trip to their friend's house, they just had to land mid-way in a spinney where he could take care of it and only bother a few wildlife - it still had been quite an awkward experience for Jihoon to stand there and wait until he was done. And it's not like Wonwoo's propensity not to wear his glasses was new either. It just so happens that he was especially clumsy today, and Jihoon… well, Jihoon really needs those mushrooms and herbs but he also really needs to be home quickly. He doesn't have time to lose with Wonwoo's antics.

He doesn't voice it, however. He huffs and shows his discontentment, sure, but he can't take it upon himself to say it out loud. Because Wonwoo really is tripping over himself a lot more than usual. Even his without glasses self. And Jihoon fears his eyesight might have dropped again. It's not like Wonwoo is at a high risk to become blind. Not soon, at least. But with his powers and family condition, it is still something that could very much happen when he gets closer to the two hundreds year mark. Nowhere near, but still something to keep in mind. And his eyesight dropping again, so soon, was not something to approach lightly.

For now Jihoon just observes. He watches as Wonwoo startles when a bird he didn't seem to notice loudly flies off. He watches as Wonwoo's sleeve gets stuck in a branch because he was too busy squinting at whatever thing he's not seeing well on the other side of the glade. And he allows himself to be annoyed, because he didn't expect his roommate to make him worry today. His occupations of the day are already taking up a lot of mental space, he didn't take into account a bothersome revelation on top of it. If only his roommate could have taken his glasses and spare him a little time !

Today's scavenging is rather goal oriented, compared to the usual. They have a list of things they really need, things they're purposefully searching for, such as valerian and fern. Never too many fern, if you asked him. Maybe it's because half of it ends up in bangchan but he's yet to understand how come they consume two kilograms of ferns a month, when there's just two of them. He has no idea what cataplasm Wonwoo makes that uses so much of it, but every single time he needs fern for one of his potion he's faced with three pathetic looking branches. But having a precise list doesn't mean they stray away from other interesting loots.

So when Jihoon spots bright orange out of the corner of his eye, his interest is immediately picked. He extends his arm in the direction of the colorful mushroom, signaling it to Wonwoo with a "Hey, look at that !" Even with a blurred vision, the orange blob of color surely is unmissable amongst the dark greens and browns of the forest.

And Wonwoo rejoices himself loudly about their find indeed. "Oh, are those red chanterelles ? Nice, they'd make a killer dinner, wouldn't they, Jihoon ?" They're still a bit far from it, so he can't say for sure, but Jihoon doesn't think they're red chanterelles. "I don't know," he answers cautiously, "Those look a bit too… rubbery to be red chanterelles… Maybe it's apricot jelly mushrooms ? Really could be useful if so…"

They're barely a few strides away from the mushrooms when Wonwoo decides he has enough - or maybe he wants to show off, Jihoon is never really sure where laziness stops and showing muscles begins with him. He raises his hand, and began to murmur. Jihoon thinks spells are definitely an overkill for picking bloody mushrooms. And then he spots it. Behind the biggest mushroom, there are two spots of color. A black one and an orange - the more artificial orange kind, nothing to do with the pinkish and textured orange of the mushroom - one. Moving spots of color. "Wonwoo, wait-" He tries to stop his roommate, but it's too late. The spell sets off, and in a matter of seconds the mushrooms are cut, coming towards them floating in the air. And between them, two small, inert bodies.

Wonwoo didn't mean to cause an accident when he left without his glasses this morning. He had noticed his eyesight wasn't as good, even with them. So he had decided to test himself. It's something he does every so often. He doesn't really like to talk about it to others, because he feels silly. He knows there is no reason for him to be left in the wild with no glasses. But he still feels like he should be able to survive if he were to. So he tests himself, he tries to do things without them. To prove to himself he can still do it, or could find ways to do it. He doesn't need them that bad. He knows it makes him trip more, makes him use more energy to focus on things, slows him down. Slows them down. He feels sorry for Jihoon, and almost feels guilty at each sigh the smaller boy let out. But he needs it. It comforts him in a weird way, to know even if he's not as good he can still live on without his glasses.

What he didn't take into account, apart from his eyesight being even worse than he thought, was that the forest inhabited a lot of creatures. Wildlife of all shapes and form. Including small enough to be hidden by twelve centimeters tall jelly mushrooms.

He knows about fairies, he learned a lot of things about them while studying and learning how to be the kind of witch he wanted to be. He even knows there is a fairy village not too far from the lodge he lives at with Jihoon. Theoretically he had every information needed to know he could encounter some one day, sharing a close location with them. He strode in those spinneys every day, and so did they, obviously. They just were very good at hiding themselves and stay out of danger. But danger usually didn't come from witches too lazy to walk the remaining two steps and bow down to pick a mushroom, he figures. And especially not a one hundred and eighty centimeters tall one who decided to not put his glasses on because it made him feel more of a man like this.

They lay in his palm, like two tiny figurines. The smaller one has the taller one's arm in a tight grip. Wonwoo is almost certain he heard a shriek before the mushroom were cut by his spell. He looks at them, unmoving yet still huddled together in their last moment of distress. They might be lovers. What if they have kids waiting for them at home ? Wonwoo already isn't sure he can live with the knowledge of unaliving sentient creatures, but the thought of causing people to become orphans is the final straw for his eyes to water. He knows fairies are not born from parents the way witches do. He knows they're raised by the community and not individuals. But what if this couple had the responsibility of children, still ? What if they were out there because they needed to provide for their family - or worse, the whole village - and Wonwoo had just deprived them of what could have been months worth of mushroom ?

He raises his head from where he's crouched down, looking up at Jihoon's looming figure in distress. Jihoon has the face he got when he's thinking things over and doesn't want other people to worry on. Which can both mean Wonwoo has to worry, or Jihoon will find a solution soon. Luckily for him, Jihoon raises and eyebrow and points towards his hands with his chin. "They're still breathing," is all he says, voice neutral, before adding a bit later, "I think we got some silver yomogi left at home."

Silver yomogi is not something easy to obtain. It's rare, it's expensive. But it's also extremely potent. If there is something that can heal about anything, it's the rootless flower. Wonwoo thinks if they have any, they definitely have to try and cure the fairies. Jihoon mentioning it means he's thinking the same. They both glance at Jihoon's messenger bag, laying half open on the ground near them. They didn't get half of what they need yet. They glance back to the miniature unconscious bodies warming his palm. Jihoon puts the strap back on his shoulder silently, before extending his hand. Wonwoo looks at him in incomprehension, before it downs on him that Jihoon wants him to hand over the fairies. He scowls and retracts his hand closer to his torso, as if to protect them. His mistake, his to own it up. He's about to argue, but Jihoon hits him with a "You're gonna trip in five seconds, without your glasses. They're safer with me." and Wonwoo has nothing to say to that.

Junhui wakes up a bit groggy, his body throbbing. He can feel Soonyoung's hand clutching on his arm, and when he wakes up his fiancé's face is the first thing he sees. The place is warm, bathed in a morning light that caresses them delicately. But something is different. It's not just the fact that they lay on something a lot more sturdy than their bed. Nor the fact that the walls are a plain white instead of the doodle filled one of their home. It's not even the fact that when he looks around they seem to be in a barred down oversized box with just a few comforters thrown in a corner to lay them in. Yes, this is nowhere he knows, and this looks a lot like a prison. But the difference runs deeper. Within himself.

He looks over at Soonyoung, who's stretching and fluttering his eyes. And he knows before he opens them that this he's about to wake up for good. Just like he knows the box they're in is in a larger room, where two people are. Silence encompasses them, the only noise disturbing it being Soonyoung's yawn. But he knows there are two people near them. And he knows they're safe.

He brushes Soonyoung's hair out of his face to help him wake up quicker, and when his fiancé's eyes are on him he realizes something. They changed colors. Soonyoung loudly gasp, now totally awake. "How come we're married and I don't recall anything about the ceremony ?" His brow furrows, and he adds a bit more quietly "Did I drink so much I forgot ? I usually don't, though."

And Soonyoung is right. From what Junhui recalls, their wedding didn't have a set date yet. His last memories are of examining a rare mushroom, and now they're married ? He's suddenly made aware of movement outside the wall of their box. Right, the two other people. He looks at Soonyoung, who looks at him and says a bit dumbfounded "There's two other people" and, enhanced by his discovery, Junhui has a realization. Soonyoung seems to have the same one, as they said at the same time : "We married them too."

Wonwoo is startled awake by a noise that, despite not being that loud, feels unusual. He sits up from where he was laying down, head still fuzzy and unable to utter a single proper thought. He can hear Jihoon stirring somewhere else in the room. It's not unusual for one of them to fall asleep in the living room after a busy night scribbling down spells or brewing some tricky potion. When the other is here, they tend to force each other to sleep in their own bed though. Wonwoo likes the way they take care of each other that way. Makes him feel like Jihoon cares for him, maybe even more than he admits it. Makes him hope his feelings are not unrequired.

It's in all the little gestures. In the cup of coffee put quietly in front of him before he was able to fully emerge from sleep in the morning. In the comforter on his shoulder when he falls asleep on his desk. In the way his glasses are always fixed in the twenty four hours after he broke them, without even having said anything about it. It's what made him fall in the first place. And it's what makes him hope, still, that Jihoon might just need time. He does too anyway, he's not ready to confess and lose his lodging accommodation on the small chance it would go wrong. That's what he tells himself anyway. Because, deep down, he knows the truth. He's not ready to be brave and face his own feelings.

His eyes skimmer around the living room lazily, before stopping on the shoebox. Right. The fairies. He wants to groan, put his head in his hands and deny reality. Maybe even go back to sleep, if he can. But he has to take his responsibilities. And his worry is enough to make him stand up, wrapping his comforter around himself and go over the shoebox where they put the healing fairies yesterday. He has to check up on them. He doesn't think they're back on their feet yet, considering how badly knocked out they had been. Jihoon had said it was unlikely, but he was honestly convinced he put them in a coma and would have to survey their vitals every four hours for the next two to three months at least.

As he nears the windowsill they put the shoebox on - they made a window-like aperture on one end, to let light enter and warm up the space in the morning, and their sleep deprived brains had called it a window-sception - he can hear a few more sounds. It's weird, they seem to come from the box. It's a bit like hushed voice, but not quite. More like someone who doesn't know how to whisper and still use his vocal cords. He can't really make anything out of it. He doubt the fairies are awake, but maybe their friends located them and came to take them back home. He still should make himself known and check up on them, he figures.

So he lifts the lid. He barely has the time to see two tiny figures giggling and shoving each other around, before they stop and look at him intensely. He doesn't have the time to feel much about the two fairies being well enough to play around because the taller one opens their mouth to say : "Hello, husband ! Nice to meet you !" The shock he gets from the words is enough to leave him speechless and thoughtless. The smaller one smirks and retaliates, "Why, you're rather handsome ! Would you look at that, Juni, we marry someone in our sleep and they're stunning ! How lucky did we get ? Is the other one pretty too ?"

Wonwoo opens his mouth. Closes it. Re opens it, takes a breath. Before closing it again. Finally, he turns to the part of the living room where he heard Jihoon stir earlier and fights a whine. He definitely needs back-up.

No amount of camomile can subdue Jihoon's headache. The fairies crystalline voices are, weirdly enough, not the cause of it. What they're telling him, though, is another story. Of course, he knew silver yomogi got his properties from a natural process similar to the one fairies were born from. He did not know they used it during their wedding ceremony, however. And never would he have imagined that said properties were very different from witches, werewolves, humans - basically non-fairies being- and fairies. How was he supposed to know marriage is something that goes beyond an administrative formality for them ?

Jihoon knows about past rituals to link two people. But they've been outdated for over a century, now. Most witches don't wed each other. They date, live together, sometimes procreate and raise kids together… It's not exactly limited to love anymore either, like their friends living a meadow away and taking care of children despite being in a purely platonic relationship. Witches do love, still. But they don't view building something on it as a necessity. That's why he takes his time with Wonwoo. He knows he likes him more than just as a friend. He wouldn't mind staying by his side for quite some time. He wouldn't mind taking their relationship somewhere else. But he's got time for that, to explore in what ways and find the ones that fits them the most. Or so he thought, because apparently they're married now.

Him, Wonwoo, and the two fairies he learned are named Soonyoung and Junhui. Something about the silver yomogi essence forming a bond between them all, something going further than the basic understandement of how one's body work. And Jihoon had wanted to be skeptical, really. He would've loved to disregard it all and continue on with his life. But the fairies were having none of it, and took it upon themselves to prove their bond was now real and unbreakable - and Wonwoo discreetly trying to tell them Jihoon knew very much that fairies worked differently and was just being a party pooper on principle had not helped.

So here they are, the fairies babbling their ears away and trying to find ways to showcase their newfound abilities thanks to The Bond - they really do not have any other name for it, it seems. Wonwoo seems entranced by it all. If he was a bit panicked when he woke Jihoon up earlier, now he seems to just take it all in. Like he's slowly coming to terms with it. Accepting it. It stirs something in Jihoon, to see him be so open and ready to marry two people he never met. He's not sure it's because of his lack of preservation sense, or because it feels like it's a blow into their own relationship and the time they took to build it. Maybe that's what pushes him to argue over details.

"You're the two ones who drank the silver yomogi essence, not us, why are we affected by all this ?" His hand gesture is certainly dismissive, not to say almost disrespectful. But the fairies take it well, judging from how Soonyoung giggles and whispers loudly into Junhui's ear a "He clearly thinks you're pretty, look at how he can't look at you in the eyes !" To hell be The Bond and whatever information on him it seems to convey to them. Not like any fairies would be ugly anyway, they're born from magical energy, they're pretty from their very core.

Junhui smirks, like he knows everything about his internal dilemma, before answering him. "Well, I don't know. Maybe you rubbed it near an orifice or ingested some by inadvertence for all I know ! Only thing that's for sure is that you're our husband just as much !" And if that last sentence wasn't just to edge him on…

Wonwoo clears his throat at that, catching Jihoon's attention but definitely doing everything not to meet his eyes. "I might," he begins sheepishly, "keyword might, have spilled some on the cutting board one the way there yesterday…"

Jihoon sighs, put his face in his palms. "Let me guess… No glasses on ?" He doesn't need to raise his head back and look at Wonwoo to know he's wearing guilt on that handsome face of his. It would make sense, the spilled essence would have ended up in their meal by contact. He can only be thankful the cutting board they use to make potions is a different one. He can't imagine what it would have been if they had sold contaminated potions. Could a whole village even end up married to fairies that way ?

But the fairies do not let him take his time organising his thoughts. They're soon reclaiming to do some experiences to see how The Bond works between witches and fairies. It's clear as day that this whole ordeal just amuse them to the highest point, and seeing how Wonwoo doesn't seem to mind, Jihoon very much feels like the only serious adult in the room.

After a round of sending people in another room and guessing what they were thinking about - with varying results - Jihoon retreats to his room and Wonwoo is left alone with the fairies. He tries to advocate for his roommate, but they seem comprehensive and not too bothered by one of their brand new husband not taking the time to get to know them. Junhui assures him they'll have all the time to do that while preparing for the ceremony, and for their whole life afterwards. Wonwoo wants to ask about if Jihoon never comes around and doesn't want to marry them, but he figures it might be a bit rude. He had more important questions at bay anyway, because "Ceremony ? What ceremony ?"

Soonyoung grins at that - and, wow, okay, fairies have more teeth than one could think -, before launching themselves into a series of explanation.

Wonwoo loses the plot not even two sentences into it, but a detail catches his interest. "Wait a sec, when you say 'the whole village fest together', you mean your village, right ? The fairy village ?" They look at him like it's obvious and he's being a bit dumb. They don't seem to see the, quite big, issue, so he takes it upon himself to make it explicit to them as delicately as he can - they probably still have after-effects from yesterday, and he's at fault if they do after all. "We can't go there. Jihoon and I, I mean. Not because we don't want to, but… We're not the same size as you ?"

That seems to wake something up in Soonyoung's head, because they exclaim "Oh ! Right, do you have some Raphane root ?" Wonwoo does not see the connection. He stares at the fairies, still in the shoebox, a bit dumbfounded before finally asking "Why ?"

It's Junhui who answers him. "Why, so we can grow of course ! Not that we really need that precise one, to be fair a good meal would suffice. Raphane just happens to be filled with energy for us, so it just makes it easier."

Wonwoo blinks, turns around in the direction of the cabinet he knows they store their roots in, glances back into the shoebox. What the heck, sure. He stands up, and comes back with a bottle lid for them to eat on and the root. He also takes a bit of salt and oil while he's at it. Plain roots can't taste that good, surely seasoning it would make it better.

The whole vegetable is bigger than both fairies together, but somehow they manage to eat half of it in a matter of minutes. Junhui especially seems to be able to stuff his mouth with impressive amount of food. Wonwoo fears for their pantry, if the fairies eat proportionally to their size and are about to become as tall as him. Which makes him wonder about their clothes. None of them seem to worry about it, but maybe fairies also have a very different conception of modesty and nudity. He doesn't have the time to ask them, because Soonyoung is suddenly climbing their way out of the shoebox from the makeshift window, Junhui hooting in support a few steps behind them. And then Soonyoung jumps from the windowsill to the ground.

Wonwoo gasps loudly, and immediately perches himself on a nearby sofa, looking at the floor in panic. He slightly feels like the damsel in distress when facing a rodent in their house cliché, but what he actually fears is accidentally stepping on Soonyoung. Even if they survived his spell without much damages, surely that would be enough to kill them, magical fairy body or not. Wonwoo barely had the time to raise his head and look back towards the windowsill when he hears a thrilled scream and catches sight of Junhui landing somewhere on the floor too.

He's not sure what happens next, but suddenly there's someone in their living room, stretching and grinning at him. They look a lot like Soonyoung, except it's easier to catch the details of their figure now. They are, thankfully, not naked. They're still as obnoxious, because the first thing they say is : "Waah, your house is actually nice ! A lot better than that white prison you put us in for sure !" It makes Wonwoo sputter an excuse to try to explain himself, but Soonyoung doesn't really seem to listen to him because they cut him off. "Oh, wait ! We should show Jihoon !" And just like that, they're out. Wonwoo has half a mind to call them back, but he figures Jihoon can handle himself on his own.

"Don't mind him, when he has an idea in mind he just goes for it," a voice next to his ear says. He jumps in surprise, and finds the smiling, and as big as his, face of Junhui barely a few centimeters from his. He may or may not let a scream escape out too.

"You surprised me ! Please, don't sneak on me like that !"

In front of him Junhui just smiles, before deciding to sit on the sofa next to him. Wonwoo is a bit perplexed at it all. Not a minute ago he had two pocket sized fairies in a shoebox, and now one has left to go bother Jihoon and the other is as tall as him, sitting next to him like this is the most natural thing in the world. "Sorry if I actually scared you." Wonwoo is a bit too out of it and the words that go out of Junhui's mouth have a hard time sticking in his brain. When they finally do, he tries to pretend he is unbothered.

"It's alright, at least your clothes seem to stretch with you, I guess I'll take what I can."

Junhui looks at him funnily before repeating : "Clothes ?"

"Well, yeah, clothes ? Your…" Wonwoo has a hard time describing the fairies' garments. It seems to drape itself from their shoulder and fall up to their knees, with weirdly shaped holes around the arms. "Your robes," he settles for. The term seems vague enough yet fitting. But Junhui laughs at him, from the top of his lungs, head going back and throat fully extended. "You mean our wings ?" And with that Junhui opens their robe without touching it, revealing smooth pale skin underneath and gorgeous, colorful patterns on the inside of what it, indubitably, their wings. Wonwoo curses himself for thinking the fairies wings could have been under what looked like their robes, as well as prompting the fairy to strip.

Junhui laughs a bit more before a silence settles between them. Somehow, despite all the emotions and the novelty that the fairies brought in not even twenty four hours, Wonwoo finds himself at peace here, sitting quietly next to Junhui. Something in his mind resonates with the fairy. He admires them to be able to take it all in stride like they do. It shouldn't be that easy to wake up in strangers' house, suddenly being married to said strangers by force. And yet, Wonwoo only sees positivity from them. It propels him to ask about it.

"You seem to take it all very well ! I'm not sure how I would react if I woke up married to someone without having a say in it… Not to mention several people, some totally unknown…!"

Junhui hums lowly before answering : "Well, in the past fairies were forced to get married to people who knew about our customs but we made sure the knowledge didn't carry on to avoid such situations to ever happen again. And we know you didn't mean to via The Bond anyway." They mark a pause at that, and when Wonwoo looks over he can see a smile appearing on their lips. "We also can see that your hearts are good and beat in the right direction. As for Soonyoung, we were planning our marriage already anyway. The date hadn't been set, but it just makes it come a lot sooner than we thought, is all. Why would I be sad to marry the person I love the most - and wanted to marry anyway."

Oh. So they robbed them of a nice wedding, in their own terms, conditions and timeline. Now Soonyoung and Junhui would have to change all their plans and disregard their own traditions and customs just because Wonwoo wanted to prove something to himself and decided to forego glasses that morning. And because they lacked so much knowledge about fairies - what great witches they are ! Well, Jihoon is a good witch. It's Wonwoo who messed it all and spilled the silver yomogi essence on the cupboard too.

As if sensing the shift his thoughts took - he probably did through The Bond, if Wonwoo's understanding of it is correct -, Junhui puts a soothing hand on his shoulder and murmurs : "Your strength lays elsewhere." It doesn't erase the guilt entirely, but Wonwoo feels more seen than he had in a while and maybe that's what he really needs.

The city is as busy as usual : street stall merchants haranguing the passerby who dared to interrupt the quick flow of the ever moving crowd by going slightly slower, clients discussing loudly in front of some of the stalls, children playing around and chaotically bumping into strangers as they run amongst the busy streets… The four of them stand there, the two fairies taking it all in while the two witches are trying their best to not let anyone bump into them. If Jihoon had to guess, he would say it's the first time Soonyoung and Junhui step foot in a place so crowded. He doesn't know the exact number of inhabitants in their village, but fairies tend to live in smaller communities compared to humans - if his classes about them from years ago are anything to go by anyway.

Jihoon has a very defined routine and he's very attached to it. He's a homebody at heart, and if he doesn't mind going out in the forest near their home in order to retrieve ingredients, he very much dislikes any trip to the nearby town. Wonwoo doesn't mind half as much, even if he's not the fondest of it either. They usually go once a month, to sell their product, take long term orders as well as deliver the ones from the precedent month. They use that one opportunity to purchase the necessities they can't find by themselves in the woods too. But aside from that, he stays as far as he can from the city.

Therefore, to say he would rather be anywhere but here would be, even if a tad exaggerating, quite close from the truth. When the fairies had begun pestering them about going to the furniture store he had done everything he could think of to convince them he could stay home while they went with Wonwoo. To no avail. Truthfully, Jihoon thought they wouldn't hear anything from the fairies once they had gotten back home. He figured they would just joke around about their witches husbands a few trees away and go on with their lives. But instead, they had come to bother them almost daily. Apparently being physically married to them granted them the right to go out their village without a lot of the usual requirements. Visiting them had then become a way for them to satiate their appetite for adventure.

Why they had decided to still visit them and not take the opportunity to explore some more is beyond Jihoon's knowledge. Apparently The Bond they keep babbling about only works for fairies, their husbands and wives from other species be damned. He has the bitter suspicion that it might be because they find it funny how he fumbles and loses his face everytime they remind him he's technically wed to Wonwoo too now. They laugh about it way too much for it to not be at least one of their reason.

About one week after they met, the fairies had come bringing resolutions. They were slightly frustrated by how slow things were going, and had decided to take things into their own hands. Jihoon remembers the way Wonwoo had looked at him, as lost as one can very well be . Not that he was faring better, as much as he had been the one to remember the most things about fairies from his classes they were still an under-documented specie, and little to nothing was known about their culture. Luckily, Soonyoung and Junhui weren't the type to sit around and let them decipher things by themselves. Soonyoung had presented them a plan on how to prepare for their wedding ceremony - because, apparently, they were going to have one and it was mandatory.

The plan consisted in three steps : 1, find a way for Jihoon and Wonwoo to shrink down to daily fairy size so they could hold the ceremony in their village; 2, prepare for the ceremony and, most importantly, after the ceremony; and 3, once everything else is cleared, hold said ceremony. Soonyoung had added a 'live happy ever after' at the end that Jihoon had decided to eclipse from his own representation of the plan. While step 1 had ended up being a lot easier than they thought - Wonwoo found a grimoire from his great grand father with a shrinking ritual detailed in it -,step 2 included, non exhaustively, to weaves flower crowns, to choose a menu to communicate to the fairy village's chef - both of which the fairies had taken onto them to do - and to sow a plant behind each of their houses - they had decided on a gooseberry shrub for the fairies house and a willow tree for the witches one.

As well as to prepare a space dedicated for them at their partner's place. While half of them were couples of roommates who had their own room at home, it left the other half to craft a space for themselves into the other two houses.

Hence, Junhui asking - demanding - they go all together to the closest furniture shop. Which seemed like a bad idea back then, and still very much does right now. It's obvious the fairies do not know how to navigate a crowd, and they get separated at least a dozen time on the way to the shop alone. But what bothers him most, actually, is more the way they became very silent ever since they arrived in town. Apart from the time they had been unconscious, the fairies had always been talkative, easy to break into laughter and exuding a bubbly aura. Never did Jihoon witness them being this calm and silent. He wonders if this is because of how overwhelming the city is to them, or if it might be because today's event matters to them enough for them to be fully serious for once.

Junhui had been excited to go to the furniture shop and see what cities looked like. What they didn't take into account, was their new dispositions as individuals - ie : The Bond. As soon as they arrived something had been very clear : Jihoon hated being here, Wonwoo didn't like it very much either and Soonyoung was overwhelmed by the two others' emotions as well as the constant noises. He wishes he could stop at stalls and try out those unknown delicacies but it appears quite obvious that this is out of the question.

If they went here strolling and chatting idly, the mood is totally different now. No one talks, all of them stuck in their head. The witches stride confidently, goal in mind, not giving them the chance to gaze around much, while still consistently checking on them. Junhui finds it sweet how concerned they are for them. He's a bit bothered by how much comes from guilt on Wonwoo's side, but it seem to be something that runs deeper than just a 'Soonyoung and Junhui' problem so he doesn't let it stain his thoughts too much. After all, out of the two he's the most infatuated about them - or, well, the one who hides it the less, but Jihoon wouldn't like to know how they can read past the barriers he sets for himself through the Bond.

That's when he spots it : a shop with a cauldron sign, signaling what he deduces is a potion ingredients shop. He recalls clearly Wonwoo saying they will need to go to one while they're in town, because they didn't have enough jujubes for their shrinking ritual. He grabs the latter's arm as the thought is still forming in his head. "Hey ! Isn't this where you need to go for your jujubes ?" He extends his arm in the sign's direction and when Wonwoo slowly nods to confirm, he can feel a smirk take over his face.

"Why don't you go there with Soonyoung first and you could both join us to the furniture shop later on ? It will take a while anyway to go through the possibilities and chose the type of wood we prefer…"

Wonwoo doesn't react much at first, the thought clearly making it's way, but he nods again in the end : "Yeah, sure, would save us some time on the way home too, I guess." It's almost too easy.

"Soonyoung is kinda overwhelmed right now though, so you'll have to take his hand to appease him." The way Wonwoo's ears redden at that is delightful. Junhui wished he could stay with them to witness more of those. But he has to let the magic happen now, so he contents himself in shoving Soonyoung in Wonwoo's way. Then, he puts an arm around Jihoon, who's startled by it and tells him the two others will join them later. Jihoon glances back, probably exchanging a look with Wonwoo to confirm everything is alright, before leading them ahead.

Junhui tries really hard to contain his curiosity when he feels a rush of adrenaline from the Bond, a blatant sign that Wonwoo tried something and that Soonyoung's heart had been responsive to it. He has his own battle to fight. A grumbly Jihoon who refuses to let go and unwind a little. Junhui won't let that deter him. He wants to live a little and he will take Jihoon with him on this journey, as short lived as it is !

And so, he flutters around the stalls, making a show of it and dragging Jihoon behind him. He's not even being that forceful. Jihoon drags his feet a little, but still lets himself taste the skewers, be entertained by the scenes. Junhui can feel the rush of fondness from him. It always felt good to be loved and to know it. Soonyoung had always been good at that. But the Bond brought something more to it. Something more immediate. More tangible too. He knows the witches don't experiment it as they do, and not for the first time since they woke up married he wishes they did. He wishes Jihoon could feel how his smile makes Junhui's heart surge in fondness in the same way. He wishes Jihoon could feel how, meters away from them, Wonwoo and Soonyoung hearts are beating to the same song. How theirs are following the same melody too. How the harmony of it makes it that he's never lonely anymore.

Maybe that would push him to do something about the impending thing they have with Wonwoo. He talked about it with Soonyoung and they agreed that it wasn't their place to intervene. That they had to come to terms with it on their own, at their own pace. Witches and fairies relationed very differently, the little he had observed so far was enough indication of it. It was still somewhat frustrating to witness. They only knew each other for one week, yet Junhui had already spent one too many afternoons on their couch listening to the way they wanted to talk to the other and doing nothing about it. Witches valued their work a lot, but surely being back to back, hunched on each of their desk didn't prevent them to have a little conversation from time to time ?

He doesn't have to ponder over it much more, because Jihoon points at a shop a few feet away from them and informs him they're here. The shop is nothing too fancy : a wooden front with carved arches, dull and sober colors. Nothing like the one at home, which got fabrics of different colors hanging by the entrance and showcased a variety of wood and carving style from the storefront itself. It's fascinating to see, but he hopes it doesn't mean their choice will be as scarce as the decorations outside.

Thankfully, the inside tells a different story. The lightning is warm, the walls are a nice tint of crimson and the floor has this plush feeling to it he's experiencing for the first time. It's like the floor itself is a carpet. He wonders how Jihoon and Wonwoo would react if he asked for some in his room. The feeling under his soles is too nice to overlook. And maybe Jihoon is more sensitive to the Bond than he lets on, because while Junhui is still contemplating the floor, absolutely mesmerized, he ears a soft but firm "No. We said furniture, not redoing the entire floor Junhui." He tries to pout a little, but even sulking doesn't seem to make Jihoon budge. He's yet again grateful for the Bond to know his efforts, while vain, carries a semblance of result in the way the shorter man's resolution on ignoring his feelings lessen even so slightly.

They're introduced to the latest collection by the owner, who Junhui understands is not the craftsperson - but won't make them do the furniture themselves either, unlike at home. They're facing a modern style divan, with soberly carved feet and stripped fabric, when the door opens to let Wonwoo and Soonyoung in. Junhui turns to greet them and is met with two smitten and dreamy smiles. He doesn't know exactly what happened yet, but it sure seems like his idea was conclusive on their side too.

Junhui's smile is a tad bit too smug for his liking and Soonyoung decides to leave him in the dark about exactly what happened this instant. Junhui already knows the emotions it gave them, he doesn't need to know much more anyway. In Soonyoung's humble opinion the feelings are a lot more intimate to share than the events. He had felt Junhui's joy and how Jihoon's heart had lightened himself during the short time they were separated and this alone had sufficed him. He understands better why elder married fairies were behaving so differently when gossiping compared to his generation. Everything takes a different sense when you're connected so intimately to your significant others.

This last week had felt like relearning the world and how to navigate it. Their routine had been shaken up. He wasn't prepared for them, but he's very happy to take it all in striding. As soon as they woke up, it had been evident. Jihoon and Wonwoo were good people. And they were, somehow, in the same book as them. Maybe not on the same page yet, but merely a chapter away. He talked about a lot of things with his ex-fiancé-turned-husband when they went home that day. But one thing they didn't address was pursuing the two witches. He knows it had felt as natural to Junhui as it had to him.

The flower had linked people who weren't meant to stay together before. They had lots of archives and stories about such occurrences. As well as ones about being linked to other species. Junhui had preferred free diving their newfound relationships with their two husbands, like he always did with life. But Soonyoung had let his perfectionist strike take over and had done a little bit of research - nothing too intense, he still didn't like reading, but enough to be sure not to make any crucial mistakes. The more ancient the sources, the more grim they were. Werewolves using the flower to trap fairies into slavery, witches conducing experiments to see if it would work with all kind of species and in what ways… Soonyoung always knew why they maintained their smaller form as much as they could, but being reminded of the reasons always made him upset.

Recent entries were a lot more optimistic. A lot more detailed too, since they were more documented and didn't suffer the shortened information due to time passing. The last case of witches marrying fairies went back to something like two decades. Strangely enough, it hadn't been on accident but very much a voluntary decision between a witch and two fairies. As their bond evolved, they began to see distortions in their Bond. In the end, one of the fairy had taken its distances, before going back to celibacy. But the remaining couple was still going strong and lived in a cottage facing the sea, around three hours by horse from their village. Soonyoung had felt sad for the left out fairy, but found the story quite cute.

He had heard of distortions between the Bond before, it's something that happens even between fairies who've known each other for a long time. Sometimes hearts just don't beat together enough. It's not that big of a matter, especially between just a couple. He had been prepared to the chance that it would be the case with Junhui. He knew it would have changed their relationship but never to the point of deterioration. But so far it always had been just the two of them. Romantic relationships were far from exclusive for them, but they never found anyone they seriously thought of including in their marriage. Before being brought to them and forced married to them by fate, that is.

Mixed relationships can be more demanding, but it's nothing he's not ready to challenge. The second he had felt Wonwoo and Jihoon's hearts beat alongside his own he had fallen for them. He knows building a relationship can take time, but he's confident in his and Junhui's determination. Not to mention they had the luck to crash an already budding situation.

He fully believes that in order to do so, they all need to bond over something as individuals meeting other individuals first. Then they would be able to build a collective identity. So for now he will keep the small surprising and tender moment he shared with Wonwoo between the two of them. No one needs to know what happened, they're allowed their own intimacy.

The fresh memory of it does distract him from the furniture presented to him. Junhui whispers something about the plush flooring being out of the equation already. It's not much of a surprise to see Jihoon root out something fun, what a shame. Luckily, they spot light wood chairs with bright fabric and funny patterns that seem comfortable. Soonyoung turns to the witches, a triumphing smile on to show they couldn't have found anything better. He catches them exchange a look, and something doesn't exactly feel right but they accept, albeit reluctantly. He's not sure what would be such a big deal out of them getting two fine chairs but witches have different customs so he doesn't question it too much.

The carpets and pillows are chosen without difficulty, but when it comes to the bed things become a bit harder. None of them are big enough to welcome all of them and neither him nor Junhui are ready to compromise on that. He can feel the witches, Jihoon especially, get agitated, but pays them no mind. It's something that will come in due time, they're not gonna force them to nap with them that soon. But they should still be able to do it at some point. That's the basis of relationship building. There is no way they can bypass it. They need to at least have something that can welcome him and Junhui with their wings open anyway, and all those beds are way too small.

He glances back and forth between the shop's owner as Junhui tries to convey what they would need and the witches. The owner seems to nod along with what Junhui is telling him but he's also looking over at the witches, as if analysing the situation. Soonyoung doesn't like it very much, that's quite rude of him to disrespect the clients that are talking to him and are here to get furniture. Jihoon and Wonwoo are here because it's an important step in their relationship that shouldn't be disregarded, but they're not the ones getting anything here. The witches are whispering among themselves, Jihoon's face somehow a bit whiter then usual.

Finally, he sees Wonwoo visibly let out a sigh and nodding toward the shop owner. They nod in response, and turns their focus back to Junhui, all smiles and attentive follow-up questions. The uneasiness from the witches is still there and this was certainly something weird to witness but they're getting a bed in one week, so all is fine. Probably.

The first thing Wonwoo does when they're back home is retrieve his account book. Rows of numbers are looking at him dead in the eyes, like mocking his life choices. He frantically searches it for almost ten minutes, before finally sagging against the couch. Money will be a bit tight for a few months but they can make it. No wonder witches don't marry as much anymore nowadays with how expensive it is.

Soonyoung and Junhui wanted them to partake in the creation of their own space in their home, no matter how Jihoon protested he would probably never go there. Wonwoo himself admitted the height altering ritual would make it complicated for him to go back and forth as freely as the fairies. But no, they had to be there. Hence the four of them meeting today, a whole day before the actual wedding ceremony, hunched over a magical circle.

Jihoon checks the symbols they wrote down three more times, for good measure. The thing with old spells found in old grimoires is that there aren't always annotations on dangers, accuracy and secondary effects scribbled down next to them. And apparently, Wonwoo's great grand father didn't find important to put down his thoughts about this very magical circle. Or maybe he didn't even try it. Lots of witches from older generations just invented spells for the fun of it and didn't try them on if the opportunity didn't arise. Nowadays these practices are mainly limited to witches in the research fields. It's less messy, probably less fun too according to the fairies' sparkling eyes when they told them about how it used to be but Jihoon likes how things are. Makes it predictable.

He's not sure letting the fairies help with the ritual is a good thing. He doesn't trust people with no knowledge about witchcraft near his crafts. Usually he would have the fairies stand six feet away from the circle at least, and not touch anything. But they had been so excited to participate, and Wonwoo had turned on his coochie eyes - Soonyoung had immediately imitated him, and he had been a tad bit too good at it for a first try. So when Wonwoo went as far as advocating for the fairies, telling him that if they were made of pure magic energy they must have some kind of understanding of how magic worked, he had yielded.

He kinda regrets it now, as the perfectionist in him can't help but anxiously check everything over once again. The symbols appear right, but he knows a line slightly too curvy or missing half a centimeter could alterate the spell's effect quite a lot. He doesn't want to end up a giant. Or gain animal parts again - last time Wonwoo messed up a magical circle it had taken them a whole month to find a way to get rid of their deer hind legs. So he checks the symbols again. And again. From the North first, and then clockwise. Rinse and repeat.

Wonwoo elbows him at some point. He lost count on how many time he checked so far. Everything seems good. The look Wonwoo throws at him clearly says a lot but he doesn't want to decipher it right now. Maybe he expected the fairies to mess something up. And maybe he likes being the bigger, more mature person amongst the four of them. And maybe he's not so sure what to think about them being dependable in some ways. But now's not the time and place to ponder over it, otherwise the spell will definitely go awry and it will be his own fault.

He sighs and signals Wonwoo to get ready. They both enter the circle, under the fairies scrutiny. He extends a hand, waiting for Wonwoo to give him the book. Of course, his roommate takes a good ten seconds to understand what he's asking of him. Nothing out of the ordinary. They bookmarked the page, so it immediately opens at the right place. Grimoire in his right hand, willow whip in the other, he starts to recite the old text. He's glad he prepared for it because Wonwoo's great grand father decidedly wasn't putting the most efforts in being able to be read. Facing him, Wonwoo puts the jujube offering on the symbol on the South of the circle.

The whole ritual lasts around five minutes. When they're done, Jihoon turns towards the fairies. It seems they are having issue staying in place. But as the seconds trickle by and the witches' height doesn't change excitement leaves place to disappointment on their face. It's obvious and easy to infer. "Take your daily size, please. We need to have a reference," he tells them, slightly exasperated. He's certain they explained that part already. It's literally the only reason they're here today and not meeting them somewhere on the way. Of course they would ignore it and come to help without caring about a futility like that. The spell doesn't exactly do much until you can visualise the height you need mentally. Something about proportions being kept. Which, now that he thinks of it, is exactly what the fairies are doing when they change their height. Maybe Wonwoo's great grand father didn't build this ritual out of nowhere after all.

Four centimeters is awfully small. Jihoon is used to feeling small, he lives with Wonwoo who's around two heads taller than him, it's very humbling. But being smaller than Junhui when he's five centimeter tall is pushing it. Like that, the whole world seems to be mocking him. Grass, small animals, even some insects are bigger than him. Soonyoung doesn't seem to mind it much, he squeals and runs to hug them, probably overwhelmed by the joy of having his witch husbands experimenting his everyday life. Jihoon barely escapes the hug by dodging left at the last moment. Wonwoo seems to be a bit shaken up but happy about the hug. Behind them Junhui smiles widely. The latter comes up to Jihoon's level, put an arm on his shoulders, his hand patting twice, before announcing the direction.

The fairies doesn't really give them time to adjust to their new bodies and soon enough they're on the way. It's daunting to see the landscapes they're used to in such a different way. Soon Jihoon worries about the distance : if the fairy village is even a mere two meters away from their home, how long would it take for his four centimeter self to go there ? The question appears to be pointless as Soonyoung decides he has enough. He stops suddenly, looks around before pointing to a big, old log. One of its end juts out into the air, creating a chasm of sort. Junhui seems to understand immediately and goes to it, Wonwoo right behind him. Jihoon doesn't get it, but suddenly he's called over to climb up the log too. The three of them are looking at him from the top of it and it feels a bit rude. Not that he'd prefer it if one of them was helping him out.

Once he's finally up, the fairies exchange a look, nod and a smile. And open their wings. As married as they might be, Jihoon would have liked it better if he could have not witnessed how bare their skin are under their wings. He hides his head in his hands in embarrassment, only to feel two arms snaking around his torso. Nope. No no no. It can't be true. What he's thinking about can't be happening right now. No way.

Yes way, he feels his feet leave the ground for a second before Soonyoung runs, still carrying him, and jump from the pointy end of the log. If being the height of two of his pencil sharpener was already a weird experience, not feeling the ground on his feet for more than a few seconds was definitely something else entirely. The oddest about it being how gravity doesn't seem to have the same pull it usually does, with how Soonyoung seems to pull him up still, despite all laws of physics he knows usually applies to him. He trusts Soonyoung, surprisingly so, but losing control over his body is very much not his thing. In fewer words : he hates it.

Wonwoo understands a bit better why Soonyoung was so overwhelmed back in the city when they arrive at the fairy village. From the sky, the village first appears as a colorful blotch in the grass. As they near it Wonwoo realises it's not as tiny as he first thought it would be. For some reason, he envisioned a small village with a few families only, a dozens of houses and something quite rustic. What he's met with, however, is a real village, with hundreds of houses, squares and commercial areas. The architecture of the houses is quite different from what he's used to, the shapes more diverse.

But what really strikes him, is when they land directly in front of the furniture shop and how everyone greets Junhui and Soonyoung like they're family. And him and Jihoon too, by extension. It's obvious the villagers are curious and want to ask question about them, but they content themselves with greeting them like the husbands of their children. It is what they are, in a way, he understands. The whiplash between the conviviality he feels deep in his bone here and the anonymity of the town is deafening. Soonyoung wasn't excited to see how the big city was and how people meddled there. Junhui seemed like he was, but Soonyoung probably had imagined something closer to what he knows. He had wanted to see how they were surrounded. He had wanted to meet their family, or part of it. He probably hadn't realised it himself, but when he had been met with cold faces, minding their own business he hadn't felt that good. Wonwoo vows to make Soonyoung meet his parents soon and to give both him and Junhui the experience they deserve, the one this village is giving him already when they only landed a few minutes ago.

An old fairy comes out of the furniture shop (or, well, Wonwoo thinks they're on the older side because of their white hair and the slightly less flawless skin, but he has no idea wether fairies ages like them if he's being honest). They greet Junhui and Soonyoung first with a "I was waiting for you !" before signaling them all to enter the shop. Once they're all inside, they turn their attention on him and Jihoon. The smile on their face is kind and Wonwoo can feel a hint of pride that doesn't quite seem to come from himself.

As he watches around, Wonwoo realises the shop has very little to do with the one they visited a couple weeks ago. There is no actual furniture displayed in the shop, only base materials. Wood has a very different texture and aspect to it up close like this, the veins a lot bigger and the patterns appearing different. There are also a few materials he doesn't know. Something akin to leather but that looks made out of leaf, for example. The fabrics seems to have been made differently than those he knows, if only because they look a little bit too similar despite the size difference.

"Where is the furniture ?" It's Jihoon who asks first, Wonwoo only showing his interrogation through facial expression.

The three fairies in front of them all smile at the same time and, if it wasn't people he learned to trust over the last few weeks, Wonwoo would have found that ominous. Instead, it's a mix of fondness, repressed endearment and excitement that surges through his chest. The mix is a bit weird, but fondness and curiosity prevail.

"It's because we're going to make them oursleves !" Soonyoung proclaims.

"Since we already have a communal bed," Junhui butts in to explain their idea further more, "and you both are always working on something, we thought you'd like a study ! So we're going to see what you fancy in the catalog and make it with your preferred materials. Bonding time !"

The grins on both of their faces is contagious, even if Wonwoo is a bit wary of what was just exposed to him. He's not really good with his hands, he's not sure he's able to craft something as difficult as a desk. He eyes Jihoon, whose furrowed eyebrows seem to indicate he's thinking something similar. Or maybe he's just thinking it through, Jihoon's brows often furrow when he's reflecting.

The catalog consists of a bunch of drawings in a makeshift notebook. Well, notebooks, but they're only going through the desk one for now. Wonwoo is surprised to find something that calls to him rapidly. The model seems to be quite efficient, while still maintaining decorative aspects he enjoys. Very much not Jihoon's style though. He eyes his roommate a bit, and the latter is indeed already turning the page. Soonyoung, who was perched on a stool near them while Junhui and the shop's owner were speaking about something (a rabbit merchant ?), suddenly hops down his puts his hand on the notebook, preventing Jihoon to continue flipping pages.

"Wait, Wonwoo likes this one !"

Jihoon stops to look up, then at Wonwoo. Bond be damned, Soonyoung had to pick up something like that, didn't he ? Jihoon raises an eyebrow in question, and Wonwoo can only answer truthfully : "Well, yeah, but it's not your style. We can choose something you like, Jihoon, don't worry."

Jihoon looks like he's ready to argue and put his preferences behind - which is exactly what Wonwoo wanted to prevent. Jihoon had a propensity to put others before and let himself fade in their shadows. Not that he doesn't know how to advocate for himself when needs be, but rather that he doesn't see the need to about things he judges futile. Wonwoo just wished he'd let himself be a bit less selfless, even over things that don't hold a lot of importance to his eyes.

But Soonyoung opens his mouth again before Jihoon can : "Why would Jihoon's opinion matter on your desk ?" His question seems a bit too genuine and it throws Wonwoo off for a second.

"Well, if we're sharing it, shouldn't we find something we both enjoy ?" is Jihoon's answer. He seems about as dumbfounded as Wonwoo.

"Hm ? You want to share one ? We're not really against it but the whole idea is to craft yourself a space in our home… Both of you, separately, as individuals. If that means you'll have personal armchairs or something, sure. But we were under the impression you'd prefer having a desk each ?" Soonyoung really seems to not understand where they're coming from with all of this, and how raw his confusion is almost making Wonwoo light headed.

"Wouldn't it be too much ?" he barely manages to ask, after a loud silence.

But Soonyoung just dismisses it rapidly. "Too much ? Why would it be too much, you being at ease in our home is what matters !" His tone is calm, a bit surprised to have this conversation still, but overall Wonwoo can hear how much he cares about them and how true his words resonate to him. "If we need more space, we can always grow a new room or something, our house is flexible enough, don't worry !" Ah, yes, fairy houses can be flexible and grow rooms, of course. Wonwoo's pretty sure Jihoon blinks in disbelief next to him. But Soonyoung succeeded in easing their worry out. Wonwoo notes the references of the desk he likes down and Jihoon finds one for himself a couple pages further down.

Something is different with Wonwoo.

The realisation strikes Junhui as he's helping him paint his desk. Soonyoung is getting scolded by Jihoon a few feet away from them, and seems to be thriving in it. Junhui is focused on putting the dark green paint evenly on the left panel of what is slowly but surely becoming Wonwoo's desk. Wonwoo is tall, so they went for a 260 millimeter height. But somehow, they overlooked the amount of paint needed at some point. Junhui takes as much paint as he can for a last stroke before having to go replenish his share of it. He takes his time applying the paint on the desk, stroke after stroke; he's not too thrilled to stand up and cross the room.

It happens when he turns around, ready to reach to his box and stand up. But Wonwoo is behind him, a box filled with paint in hand, putting it down on the ground where Junhui's own should be. He looks up, blinks a few times and thanks him on autopilot. Something is different.

Not that Wonwoo never did anything for him, far from it. But usually it was things Junhui asked for. It was really rare that Wonwoo took the initiative. And it was absolutely normal, it's not like Wonwoo could read his mind after all- World stop. Could he now ? Could that be why, despite working on the other side of the desk and not being able to see Junhui and what he was doing he could have known he needed more paint ? The answer to that is somewhat obvious. Except Wonwoo is a witch, and so far, in their dynamics it had been quite clear the Bond worked between the fairies and the witches were insensible to it.

He hurries to finish painting his part of the desk, before standing up and rushing over the other side of the room, where Soonyoung is… Junhui is not sure what Soonyoung is doing, actually, but it doesn't seem to be very helpful to Jihoon. He grabs Soonyoung's arm, who isn't that surprised and lets himself being dragged away by his husband. They excuse themselves to Jihoon with a sheepish smile the Bond tells them he finds too synchronized, uncannily so.

"I think Wonwoo is sensible to the Bond !" He whispers-shout in excitement once they're out of ear.

"Oh, really ? Already ?" Soonyoung's reaction is nowhere near what Junhui expected. He was thinking rejoicing and a joy big enough to make him vibrate like he sometimes does. Soonyoung does look happy, he's radiating even. But he's not surprised nor excited. Like he knew it was coming. "Damn, he must really love us, uh !" Soonyoung says, now looking smug.

"What ?" Junhui has a hard time following. "Love us ?"

The look he's subjecting Soonyoung to must be enough to prompt him to speak. That or whatever he's getting from the Bond about his confusion. In true Soonyoung's fashion, the information is delivered messily, proving he probably didn't understand the intricate bits of what he learned. The core of it is clear enough, though. The Bond takes its name from what two people share. It's a bit simple, and Junhui never really thought about it more than that. Most fairies didn't. Soonyoung certainly still doesn't despite being the one who gave Junhui all the keys to consider it. And as its name implies, it relies on the Bond the people sharing it have. It's not as much a specie thing as much as it is an mirror of what links people together.

Wonwoo beginning to feel the Bond didn't mean more than him opening to them. Junhui eyes Jihoon warily, and Soonyoung behind him mutters : "Yeah… Might take him a bit more time… Hopefully he will come around it in time." He doesn't elaborate, and Junhui doesn't really want to know. Whatever happens in the future they will face when it happens. There is no need to overthink something that is not real. Soonyoung seems to know about possibilities, but he's not particularly worried either and that's all Junhui needs to know.

Still, he feels like Jihoon isn't far from getting his head out of the gutter. Like he only needs a little push in the right direction. And if that's what's needed, Junhui is ready to take one for the team ! He grins to Soonyoung, who must feel the mischief bubbling in him too and looks back at him with curiosity - and a bit of excitation. Oh it's going to be fun, just you enjoy the show, Soonyoung !

Junhui doesn't really think things through : he has the base of an idea and runs with it. Idea at hand here being using Wonwoo, who Jihoon has known for longer and decidedly has feelings for, no matter how suppressed they were, to awake his Bond sensibility. Maybe pushing Jihoon into Wonwoo and making them fall on the fresh paint covered desk wasn't the best course of actions, retrospectively. At least not one that would have been chosen were he to think about it a few seconds more. Their husbands are covered in paint, their cherished second skin (clothes ?) all stained and Jihoon's face looks murderous.

The Bond, however, is reacting indeed. Well, it's hard to decipher much from it, since all they can get from it is a loud and frantic thumping. Jihoon's heart.

Their is a communion they feel, the three of them being so attuned to their remaining husband. Even Wonwoo is in, he's there, everywhere, just as much as Soonyoung and Junhui can tell he's a bit new to it but not exactly lost. They don't look at each other, they're all focused on Jihoon. Eyes, ears, hearts and mind alike.

Wonwoo is the first one to talk. "Wow. Jihoon… Your heart…"

Jihoon jerks away, cheeks red, his stance defensive. "I-" he begins, before stopping himself. There is a flutter there, Junhui senses a hope from Soonyoung for a brief instant. And then he closes on himself again and it's all over. It's even more deafening than before. Junhui only realises at this instant but the Bond works both ways. Wonwoo is beginning to sense them through it, but he's also sensing him more easily. And Jihoon just went very quiet suddenly in the part of his mind that the Bond takes up.

The village is full of colors. The main square is decorated in orange, purple, blue and red hues with white accents. In the middle lays a huge table, filled with delicious looking dishes. The whole village came to feast and celebrate their union. And next to him are his three husbands. Soonyoung is really really happy.

The ceremony is more symbolic than anything else, since they already shared the silver yomogi essence and are already linked by the Bond thanks to it. But Soonyoung had always wanted to wear the traditional white linen and let his partners spread their colors on it as he would do the same. He knows Junhui didn't care as much as him, probably because he grew up with different traditions before he arrived in the village. But Junhui has always enabled him. The ceremony was, beyond traditions, a nice moment between people who vowed to stay together, a way to have fun too.

They had spent the whole day preparing for the evening. It had mainly consisted in filling the witches one last time on what would happen, since the ceremony was a collective effort from the village. Soonyoung had been banished from the kitchens a long time ago, and Junhui liked to use it for himself too when he was feeling lazy. And with the witches, they had totally used the fact that their husbands didn't know anything about fairies and their village to try and enjoy some free time.

The corner of their house they had turned into Wonwoo and Jihoon's study was already looking good but Wonwoo had wanted to make small adjustments to it. Jihoon had made it really clear he wasn't fond of the fairies' way of sleeping the day before, and when they woke up to see him grumpy and with his back hurting, Wonwoo had taken it upon himself to upgrade their sofa. Neither Junhui nor Soonyoung really understood why Jihoon refused not only to sleep with them on the communal bed but also in one of their individual ones. Wonwoo had had no problem sleeping in Junhui's fluffy bedding (which had top quality feather hair duvets they were very proud of !). They had let him sleep on the sofa a bit dumbfounded, but not wanting to upset him. He had agreed for the wedding night, after all, and that was enough for them.

Seeing Wonwoo getting worked up over it like that, however, had been a pleasant surprise. It had made their morning feel warm from the inside of their heart. Wonwoo not only wanted Jihoon to like him, he also wanted him to be at ease and come to see them a lot. They knew Wonwoo liked them - loved them, even - but it was different to see him go out of his way to pursue something more. Not only Jihoon, not only Soonyoung and Junhui, but the four of them, together, as a unit. So they had provided him basic information as to what and how to do it, and let him on his own quest for the morning. Luckily, their house wasn't one of those who required wings, nor were the main shops of the village, and Wonwoo had been able to wander on his own without an issue.

A little after noon, their old neighbour had brought them the linen so they could arrive to the ceremony with it on their heads. And now, here they are, all together, ready to spread their colors on the three others. Soonyoung is thrumming with excitement. Facing him, Junhui's face only shows glee. Wonwoo looks a bit starstruck, a bit lost but happy to be here behind his aloofness. On his right stands Jihoon. He's a bit more guarded, a bit less enthusiastic maybe. But he accepted to be here and, beyond the contemplative way he's eyeing his brush it's actually easy to see a sliver of mischief.

It's Junhui who charges first, with that scream of his that is too weak and too close to a laugh to really impress anyone. He's having fun just with the idea of charging and it shows. He attacks Wonwoo first, who gets a huge blue stroke on his left arm. It prompts Soonyoung to surge forward, missing how Jihoon took the opportunity at the same time and bumping into him, the warmth of their red and orange mixing together on their chest. From then on, everything is a blur of laugh, colors and heart bubbling in their chests. Where they begin and where they end blurs altogether too, as they just become a whole.

Soonyoung doesn't know how the experience feels for people who don't already share the Bond, but feeling so connected to his husbands thanks to it makes it incredibly strong of a moment. Whatever happens from now on, he knows this will stay in his mind as the moment he was the most connected to them, the moment when he lost himself in them so much they became one, even for a fraction of a second.

The night has fallen for a couple hours now and the village doesn't seem to be stopping feasting anytime soon. Jihoon is sitting under an enormous succulent - it probably must be quite tiny, actually, if it's "only" the size of a tree when he's four centimeters high. The sky doesn't seem different from here. It's humbling, to see how far the stars are from them that even a drastic change of height for him doesn't change anything for them. His life is disrupted but the celestial bodies remain unchanged, even from his different perspective. Maybe there is something there, about how life stays the same despite the changes you go through, at its core. In how he's still Jihoon, even when he's four centimeters tall and married to Wonwoo and two fairies he met a few weeks ago.

A silhouette comes to see him, and amidst the shadows cast by the moon Jihoon recognises Soonyoung. His long legs carry him effortlessly, until he props himself next to him. Not too close, yet a lot more than Jihoon would have tolerated from a lot of people. Wonwoo used to be the only one allowed at this distance. But somehow, somewhere in between nursing fairies back to health overnight and going to their village to marry them, he had let two other people in.

Soonyoung settles himself comfortably next to him, and stays there. He remains silent, watching the stars with him quietly. Jihoon had no idea why he's there. Shouldn't he be enjoying the feast with the others ? Shouldn't he be hootering and holering around, being the loudest being amongst partygoers ? Soonyoung hadn't stroked him as someone to stay on the side. He'd been more under the impression he loved being the center of the attention.

But here Soonyoung is, propped on his elbows, preening under Jihoon's gaze, like there is no other place he would want to be more. It's strange. It's odd. Why would anyone like to be near him, stared at by him rather than being in their natural element ?

"Stop thinking about me so loudly, Jihoonie !" Soonyoung's voice is loud in the quiet night. It makes Jihoon realise his eyes haven't stopped looking at him ever since he arrived. It's embarrassing, surely his thoughts are readable even without the Bond right now. But Soonyoung voice doesn't stop when he turns to face the crassula's trunk instead. "Why would I want to be anywhere else ?"

"Don't you want to be partying with everyone ?" he mumbles out, still facing the plant rather than the fairy.

"No, I had my fill. There is only so much energy I can spend in people." Soonyoung states. It's just facts in his mouth, and while Jihoon can emphasise with that, it's a bit of a shock for him. He didn't expect that coming from Soonyoung. Wonwoo, certainly. Junhui ? Less likely, but why not. Soonyoung though… Soonyoung didn't feel like that at all to him. He is loud, always excited and hyper. Sure, he didn't meet him that long ago, but Soonyoung hadn't shown anything even close to sitting silently and just be so far.

"Aren't I a people too ?" he asks innocently. He knows he's fishing for it. He doesn't know why, it's not something he usually do, but here he is.

Soonyoung either doesn't see it or deliberately fall into it. "You're not. You're my husband ! If anything, you replenish my energy !"

It feels too much, too fast. But also too genuine, too raw. Jihoon has no way to escape the truth when it's thrown to his face that bluntly. Not Soonyoung's, not his own either. Because he's forced to admit he doesn't mind Soonyoung being there. Not only being this close to him, but also coming to him while he was enjoying his alone time. And somewhere further down in himself, he has to admit he doesn't mind Soonyoung and Junhui being hyper half as much as he pretends to do. Nor Wonwoo's clumsiness and forgetfulness.

"You're right," he admits, "you're my husbands."

A wave of fondness surges through him, from somewhere. It's distinct from him, and the warmth of it feels overwhelming. He wants it to stop. But Soonyoung had the most blissful smile on, and he can feel something like Wonwoo's relief and Junhui's cheers. They're all there. With him, part of him, yet not him. And maybe there is nothing wrong with not being alone.

When the fairies told them about communal bed at first, Wonwoo had imagined something like an oversized bed where they would all lay down and sleep. Last night, he had been too tired and didn't really listen during the brief visit the fairies had made of their house. And then he had hopped on the (very comfortable) bed he had been gracefully landed. The round pile of blankets and cushions he's facing seems a lot less comfortable. How is he supposed to sleep there when there is no actual mattress between the floor and the duvet ? He knows people used to sleep like that, but he's not sure his modern back will appreciate the ways of the past century. Not only that, but how are they supposed to all sleep in it ? He barely fits in the diameter himself, and not Jihoon, but Soonyoung, and most importantly Junhui who's the same height as him, all have to fit next to him.

Next to him, the fairies are buzzing from excitement and Jihoon is apprehensive. He tries to convey his questioning somehow, but everything is vain when Soonyoung suddenly squeal's "Husby cuddle pile !!!" and jumps into the bedding. Junhui looks like he wants to join him already, but takes it upon himself to gesture the witches towards the blankets first. Surprisingly, Jihoon is next. He doesn't jump in as much as he just lays down next to Soonyoung, but he does it without a single complain. Wonwoo can feel a pull coming from both of them, from where they look at him, surrounded by fluffy and soft fabrics. He carefully bends down, rearranges a few limbs to be sure he's not crushing anyone and lays down too.

Junhui doesn't take as much precaution, he just settles himself on top of everyone else, burying his face in whoever's hair is closest with a hum of contentment. It's filled with limbs and bodies, but it's not exactly cramped. It's warm, but it's not exactly hot. Somehow the size is perfect. It feels like the duvet underneath them regulates the temperature. It's also a whole lot comfier than meets the eyes. Maybe even more so than Junhui's extra duvet in his regular bed, if Wonwoo dared to speak.

"Stop overthinking and sleep." comes Jihoon's muffled voice from where he is stuck underneath Junhui's arm. "Yeah, enjoy the moment, Wonwooya !" Soonyoung adds, already half gone. Junhui doesn't say anything, but his agreement is loud enough through the Bond. Wonwoo huffs, turns around just to mess with them and disturb their sleeping position but he doesn't say anything either and closes his eyes. Like that, lulled by that tender warmth, the soft breaths of his husbands and the quiet melody of their hearts through the Bond, he falls asleep.