Archive of Our Own

The house always seemed so much sadder than it was in Taehyun’s memories. It had been several years since his grandmother had passed, and he’d only visited a scant few times since then– to make sure that the roof had made it through the winter without leaking, or to check on the garden after a particularly brutal windstorm. Perhaps that was why it seemed so much more derelict and grey whenever he came by these days; in his mind, someone still lived there.

He dropped his bags in the upstairs bedroom with a sigh. It had been one of the guest bedrooms previously, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep in the room that had once been his grandmother’s just yet. Most of the furniture had been moved out after she passed, but at least there was still a bed upstairs for him to sleep in while he waited for the rest of the things from his old apartment. There was a thick layer of dust on the windowsill, and when Taehyun pushed the curtains open to let the watery morning sunlight stream into the room he spotted a cobweb in the corner. He was going to have a lot of work ahead of him before this house would be considered habitable again.

Taehyun made a couple more trips inside from his car, arms aching under the weight of several boxes stuffed to the brim with the contents of his life. Birds were twittering in the branches overhead, emboldened by the late spring warmth. It was finally nice enough outside to go out without a coat.

He made a rudimentary lunch for himself using the groceries he’d bought en route between the house and his old apartment, congratulating himself on getting the old stove going without blowing anything up or flooding the kitchen with the leaky sink. He ate on the back porch, looking out over the unkempt yard. That, too, was going to be a lot of work to pull together in the coming weeks. It was overgrown by weeds, the surrounding forest encroaching on the flowerbeds and the once-clear pond teeming with algae and tadpoles.

Taehyun had managed to unpack all of the boxes he’d brought with him and gotten both the kitchen and the upstairs bedroom into some semblance of order by the time the movers arrived with his furniture the next day. It was odd to see his couch and dining table in his grandmother’s old home, like a strange clash of his past and his present, though he supposed that he’d get used to it with time. The rest of his stuff arrived with the movers, too, and he surveyed the towers of boxes with no small amount of apprehension. He was officially in his mid-twenties now, which meant that he’d probably be in a lot of back pain by the time this was all settled.

That evening, Taehyun decided to go for a walk to break up the monotony of unpacking. His grandmother’s old house was on the very outskirts of Seoul, just far enough out of suburbia to be considered “rural”. There were plenty of hiking trails here that he’d frequented as a kid, and he chose one at random and started walking.

The air smelled fresh and pleasant, the sun starting to set in the pinking sky. He could hear squirrels and other small animals ferreting through the leaf-litter, and even spotted a deer through the trees. It was a young buck, and the two stared at each other for a long moment before the deer turned and darted away.

He came upon a small lake– or perhaps just a really large pond, not far from the path. The surface was perfectly still, flat and mirror-like despite the light breeze that lifted Taehyun’s hair. It was almost exactly circular, and the edges were lined with small pebbles. He didn’t remember it from his childhood, but then again there was so much forest out here to explore that he might’ve just missed it while he was busy looking for insects or birds. His younger self had also been particularly partial to worms, for some reason, and he’d spent a lot of time digging them out of the dirt and putting them in his grandmother’s compost heap. The memory made him smile to himself as he stepped out onto the border of the lake.

Once he was at the very edge, he crouched down to examine the water. It was so clear that he could see the bottom from this angle, nothing like the weedy pond in his grandmother’s backyard. He picked up a small, flat rock, and skipped it. It bounced three times before disappearing with a sploosh. Ripples spread across the surface, but soon the lake stilled once more.

Taehyun looked down again. A different pebble caught his eye; this one was pitch-black, speckled with silver as if it were a miniature night sky. He picked it up and turned it over in his palm, fascinated by the way it seemed to refract the twilight like an opal. He stood up, looking out over the lake, and tossed the stone as hard as he could.

It soared impossibly far, spinning through the air and bouncing across the water; one, two, three, four, five. On the fifth skip, instead of sinking to the bottom, it stopped dead and rose into the air. Taehyun stared as it floated several feet above the lake, still spinning in place. There was a flash.

Taehyun raised his arm to shield his eyes, temporarily blinded. He tried to blink away the spots in his vision, and by the time his sight cleared there was someone standing directly in front of him. A boy around his age, with a porcelain complexion, and wearing all black.

Taehyun yelped, stumbling backwards. He skidded a little on the rocks, feet suddenly numb as ice-cold water splashed into his shoes and soaked the bottom of his jeans. The boy was hovering about a foot from the lake’s edge, seemingly unbothered by Taehyun’s surprise. His clothing was beautiful in a sort of old-fashioned way, a loose blouse with puffy sleeves and a bow at the collar paired with fitted trousers. He had dark hair streaked with platinum blond, cut choppily in a style that might look bad on someone else but just made him appear even more ethereal. His features were fine and doll-like, with dark brows and heart-shaped pink lips. The lashes around his shining, liquid-black eyes were as white as snow.

His beauty was unearthly. Taehyun wasn’t stupid; he had enough fae friends to know what this boy was.

“Um, uh,” Taehyun said, lost for words. “Sorry, did I…? I didn’t mean to disturb you, or something.”

The boy shook his head, long bangs falling into his eyes. “You did it,” he replied, smiling warmly. “You completed my quest. We’re bound together, now. A mated pair.”

Taehyun gaped at him. As far as he could tell, he’d gone out for a walk to the lake and then suddenly been accosted by the most gorgeous creature he’d ever seen in his life. There was no quest of any sort involved, unless…

“You mean the pebble?” Taehyun remembered the way it had levitated above the water, and his eyes flickered to the empty air between the boy’s feet and the surface of the lake.

“Yes, of course,” the boy responded cheerfully. “Five skips at twilight with Cygnus’s Eye. That was my quest.”

“Uh…” Taehyun’s brain felt like it was overheating, thoughts racing so quickly through his head that he couldn’t find a single coherent one. This had to be some sort of crazy dream; or maybe there was black mold in the house that he’d somehow missed in his inspection, and he was now experiencing the hallucinatory side-effects. “When you say bound together, do you mean…?”

“Hmm,” the boy said, bringing a hand to his face and tapping one finger against his perfect cheekbone like he was thinking. “I think humans say ‘married’? I’m not sure, though.”

Taehyun’s eyes were going to fall out of his head if he kept staring, but he couldn’t do anything other than goggle at the boy and open and shut his mouth uselessly. Married? Yeah, right. Taehyun was twenty-four, had finished his military service and graduated with his bachelor’s degree, had just taken a nice job at the local college while he started on his master’s… He hadn’t even considered marriage, had figured that maybe it was a prospect far, far down the line. He was very much still focused on his studies, so much so that he hadn’t even dated anyone in nearly a year– much less thought about getting married. The whole concept was insanity.

“There must be some sort of mistake,” he finally managed. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Oh! That’s okay. I’m Beomgyu,” the boy replied, with another sunny smile. It made his eyes crinkle up in the corners in a charming way, but as soon as it came it was gone again. His brows knitted into a sort of confused-looking frown. “You are the one that skipped the stone, right?”

“Uh, yeah, that was me,” Taehyun answered. “But– I mean, that’s crazy. We just met.”

Beomgyu’s frown cleared up right away, and he looked perfectly amiable again. “Ah, don’t worry about that. We can figure the details out later.”

“Wha– you’d marry someone you found in the woods!?” Taehyun exclaimed, absolutely flabbergasted. “You don’t even know my name, either!”

“Oh yeah. What is your name?” Beomgyu asked, tilting his head curiously.

Taehyun spluttered and stammered for several moments, but Beomgyu’s expression didn’t waver. His eyes were round and wide, lips parted ever so slightly, and in the end Taehyun relented.

“Taehyun. Kang Taehyun,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “But we are not married, okay? I don’t know what the hell that whole rock thing was about, but I am very much still single.”

Beomgyu’s face folded into a look of confusion once more. “You completed the bonding ritual, though.”

“I don’t– I have no idea what that means!” Taehyun burst out. “Listen. I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I am going to go back home right now and pretend that this never happened, and you should go back to– I don’t know. The lake, I guess, or wherever it is you came from. Okay?”

“Okay,” Beomgyu chirped. Taehyun blinked; he hadn’t been expecting the faerie to give in so easily. Breathing a sigh of relief, Taehyun turned around and started walking away from the lake. He made it back to the trail, and started off in the direction of the house.

“So where is your home?”

Taehyun stifled a shriek. He whipped around; Beomgyu was following him, still hovering about an inch above the ground. He looked completely calm, unruffled by the fact that Taehyun had sworn violently in his shock. “Why are you here?! You said you’d go back to where you came from!”

“You said I should go back to where I came from, not that I had to,” Beomgyu replied evenly. There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice, and Taehyun internally smacked himself. He’d forgotten just how specific the fae could be about words.

“No– Beomgyu, look,” Taehyun tried to explain with as much patience as he could. “I have no idea what sort of traditions you guys have in the Otherworld, but here on Earth we don’t just marry random strangers we find in the forest. There’s, like, years of getting to know each other and dating and all of that stuff beforehand, and even then sometimes you still don’t get married. Special rocks, and lakes at twilight– it just doesn’t work like that.”

“We can do that stuff too, if you want,” Beomgyu said. He sounded entirely sincere, his bright eyes earnest. “What’s your favorite human food?”

Taehyun was fighting the urge to scream, and he wasn’t entirely sure that he was winning. As much as he tried to retain his composure, he was getting a little panicked now. He started walking faster, but Beomgyu was unperturbed. He just floated at Taehyun’s shoulder like a talkative shadow. Taehyun wanted to stop and call one of his friends, but the daylight was fading very quickly. If he paused now, he’d have to find his way through the woods in the pitch-dark.

He spotted the house just as night fell over the forest. The porch lights were on, and Taehyun jogged up the steps praying that Beomgyu wouldn’t follow. He locked the door behind him, jaw dropping when the handle clicked and it opened again. Beomgyu took his pristine black boots off in the entryway, and for the first time his feet touched the floor.

“What the fu– you can’t just break into my house,” Taehyun said, aggravated. 

Beomgyu looked up with a rather surprised expression. “It’s not breaking in, we’re mates.”

Taehyun flung his hands in the air. Beomgyu followed him into the living room, where he proceeded to examine a stack of boxes next to the coffee table with interest.

“Oh, I like your… small columns?” Beomgyu guessed, pointing. “Is that the right word for this?”

“No, those are boxes. I just moved here and haven’t finished unpacking. Sit,” Taehyun commanded, gesturing to the couch. “And please don’t move until I come back.”

“Okay.” Beomgyu’s expression was innocent, and Taehyun squinted at him suspiciously while he ran back his own words in his head. Once he was satisfied that there weren’t any potential loopholes, he went upstairs to call Kai.

The phone a couple of times before Kai picked up, and Taehyun sagged onto the bed in relief when he heard his friend’s voice.

“Hi, Taehyunnie. What’s up?”

“Kai,” Taehyun breathed. “I need your help. I have a– a situation. What do you know about fae marriages?”

“Marriage?” Kai repeated dubiously. “Um, not a whole lot, to be honest.”

“Your mom’s a faerie, though,” Taehyun pointed out.

“Yeah, but my parents got together the regular way,” Kai replied. “Like, they met at a park in my hometown. Why are you asking?”

“Um, well… You know how I moved out to my grandma’s old place yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah. How’s that going, by the way?”

“Fine, but– look, anyways, I went for a walk tonight and I ended up at this lake. I started skipping rocks, and then suddenly there was this big flash, and a faerie appeared. He said that we’re a… mated pair now, I think? He said that the best translation he could think of was married.”

Kai was quiet for a while after Taehyun finished his story. Just as Taehyun was starting to get worried that the cell service had dropped out or something, he spoke.

“What did he say exactly?” Kai asked. “Wording is very important, here.”

“Uh, I don’t really remember,” Taehyun replied slowly. “I skipped the rock, and he said that because it bounced five times I completed his quest, I think? He also mentioned a bonding ceremony, or something like that. And now he’s sitting on my couch and he won’t leave.”

“… Okay, so there’s good news and bad news.”

“What’s the good news?” Taehyun said apprehensively.

“You can undo the spell.”

Taehyun groaned. “And what’s the bad news?”

He heard Kai audibly swallow before he answered. “In fae terms… you’re married.”

Taehyun ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. He was quickly trying to rationalize, to look at the situation logically rather than lose his mind. It was a very, very thin line.

“You said I can undo the spell, right?”

“Yeah, you should be able to,” Kai replied. “It’s not, like, permanently binding. At least, I don’t think so.”

“How do I do it?” Taehyun didn’t have very high hopes; he wasn’t a faerie like Soobin, or even a halfling like Kai. If it involved some sort of spell, he was totally screwed.

“I don’t know,” Kai answered. “I think it can be different depending on– I’m really not sure, Hyunnie. You’re better off asking Soobin hyung.”

“Alright,” Taehyun sighed. “Thank you, Kai.”

“No problem,” the younger said, sounding troubled. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. If Soobin hyung can’t figure it out, though, I can try and ask my mom.”

“Okay. Thanks, I’ll let you know what Soobin hyung says.”

“Alright. Good luck.”

Taehyun hung up, and immediately hit “dial” on Soobin’s number. He stared blankly at his friend’s contact photo for several seconds before Soobin picked up.

“Tyun? Is everything okay?” Soobin’s voice was very groggy, like he’d just woken up.

“Hyung, sorry, you know I wouldn’t call after dark unless it was an emergency,” Taehyun said apologetically.

“No, it’s alright,” Soobin reassured him. There was a rustling noise on the other end of the phone, probably the sound of him getting out of bed. “What’s up?”

“I think I accidentally got married,” Taehyun said. Soobin gave a half-hearted snort.

“That’s funny, Tyun.”

“No, I’m serious. I– there’s a lake near my grandmother’s old place, and I was skipping rocks. There was this big flash, and this faerie said that– that I completed his quest. He said we’re a mated pair, now.”

There was a pause. Then– “A mating quest,” Soobin said soberly.

“Yes,” Taehyun replied. “Hyung, I need to know how to break it.”

“I… okay. But there’s a couple things you should know, first,” Soobin murmured. “Mating quests, they’re– outdated, I guess. My kind don’t really use them any more, we prefer to meet our mates the way humans do.”

“Your… kind. Like, light fae?”

“Yeah. For a faerie to take a mate through the old methods, that usually means that…” Soobin’s words trailed off, and Taehyun’s stomach filled with dread.

“He’s a dark faerie,” Taehyun whispered. It was all starting to make sense now– the peculiar mannerisms, the unfamiliarity with human customs. Even Beomgyu’s eccentric style of dress screamed dark fae.

“Well, I mean, not necessarily, but… probably,” Soobin responded. “There’s a reason that you don’t really see a lot of dark fae in civilized society. They’re not– like us, I guess. They prefer to keep to themselves, usually, and they can be kind of tricky. I’ve never met one outside of the Otherworld, and even then I don’t see them that often. They’re basically the total opposite of light fae, and we tend to clash.”

“Okay. All the more reason to break the bond sooner rather than later,” Taehyun said. “Do you have any idea how I might be able to do it?”

“It can be different depending on the ritual, sometimes it’s just as simple as renouncing the relationship– other times it’s more complicated. But…” Soobin paused again, sounding unsure.

“What is it, hyung?” Taehyun asked.

“Well… Like I said, mating quests are unusual these days, especially in the human realm– and there’s a good reason why. As fae, we, um, we only get one chance,” Soobin explained quietly. “We mate for life, and to break the bond means it’s over for good. Between fae, there’s an implicit understanding that taking a mate is a lifelong dedication– but humans aren’t like that. You even have words for it, like ‘breakup’, and ‘divorce’. We just… don’t.”

Taehyun was silent for a long moment.

“So… if I break the bond, he won’t be able to take another mate ever again?”

“No,” Soobin answered. “He’ll be alone. I mean, for me, there’s no way I’d ever waste my chance on one of those old-fashioned mating quests, because the bonding ritual is done when the challenge is completed. For dark fae, though… I don’t know. Maybe it’s different.”

“I… This is insane, hyung,” Taehyun said. “I can’t just marry some guy I met in the woods. Even if it’s his only chance, that’s– it’s madness.”

“I know,” Soobin sighed. “And I’m not saying you should. I just… I don’t know. It’s not as easy as breaking the bond and being done with it, I guess. Mating quest or not, if that was me I’d be completely devastated.”

Taehyun scrubbed his hand over his face, mentally exhausted. “So what should I do?”

“Maybe sleep on it, I guess,” Soobin replied. “Where is he right now?”

“Downstairs, in the living room.”

“Hmm. Well, you might ask him and see if he has anywhere else he can go for the night?” Soobin suggested. “Dark fae are nocturnal, he might leave the house anyways. They tend not to stay in one place for too long, I think.”

“Alright,” Taehyun said, with a beleaguered huff. “I guess I’ll go talk to him. Thank you for your help, hyung.”

“You’re welcome,” Soobin responded sincerely. “Let me know if he gives you any trouble. I’m so tired I’m not sure I should really be driving a car right now, but if it comes down to it I’ll be over there real quick.”

Taehyun thanked him again, and then hung up. He gazed at the ceiling for a while, weighing his options. In the end, he decided to go back downstairs.

Beomgyu had kept his word, and was still sat in the exact same spot on the sofa. He brightened up right away when Taehyun walked in.

“Who were you talking to?” He asked curiously.

“A friend,” Taehyun answered, without elaborating. “Look. Is there anywhere else you can go right now?”

“Um, sure. I can go lots of places,” Beomgyu replied. He tapped his cheekbone again. “I’ve heard of something called an aquarium, I think? There are fish there, and–“

“No, I don’t mean places you are physically able to go,” Taehyun cut him off. “I mean, is there anyone you know that you can stay with for the night? Do you have any friends nearby?”

“Oh,” Beomgyu said. “No, I don’t know anyone except you. It’s my first time here.”

“Your first time here as in… Korea? Or, like…” Taehyun trailed off, dreading the answer.

“My first time in the human realm,” Beomgyu supplied. “My brother has been here a lot, but he never lets me come with him. I must say, it smells a lot different here than it does back home.”

“Alright,” Taehyun exhaled, choosing to ignore the second part. “Okay. Well, can you go back to the Otherworld, then?”

“Oh, no,” Beomgyu replied lightly. “Not anymore.”

“What?” Taehyun blurted. “Why?”

“Hmm.” Beomgyu shifted a little, looking uncomfortable. Taehyun got the sense that it was sort of a touchy subject. “I… don’t really think the other faeries would be very happy with me right now.” He didn’t expand on the topic any more, and Taehyun decided it wasn’t worth getting into right now. If Beomgyu couldn’t go back to the Otherworld, then they were going to have to come up with another solution.

“Just– ugh,” Taehyun groaned. “You’re not a criminal, right? You’re not going to kill me in my sleep?”

Beomgyu stared at him, looking absolutely perplexed. “No, of course not. You’re my mate.”

“Alright, fine. Look, I have work tomorrow, I have to go to sleep. As long as you don’t, like, destroy the house or something, you can stay here until we figure out what we’re gonna do about this.” Taehyun knew that he was leaving the faerie a lot of leeway with that statement, but if he tried to make too many specifications he’d be here all night.

“Okay. Do I have to stay on the couch, though?” Beomgyu blinked up at him, snow-white lashes almost silvery in the light.

“No,” Taehyun replied. “Just… I don’t know.”

“I’ll be careful,” Beomgyu assured him. “My brother said there’s lots of dangerous things in human homes. Like the micrawove– uh…”

“Microwave,” Taehyun corrected. “Yeah. Just– stay out of the kitchen in general, I think.”

“Okay. You can trust me,” Beomgyu said earnestly. “I’ll be a good mate for you. I promise.”

Something in Taehyun’s chest squeezed at that. Soobin’s warning was echoing in his ears.

When Taehyun woke up the next morning and went downstairs, Beomgyu was nowhere to be found. Neither were any of his moving boxes. Instead, it appeared as though the faerie had spent the entire night unpacking and organizing everything in the house. There were several peculiarities, including the placement of the blender– apparently Beomgyu hadn’t known what it was, and it was sat on the fireplace mantle filled with tiny colorful rocks like an art display.

Taehyun finally found him in the laundry cupboard. He was sleeping on top of the dryer with a blanket around him, curled up like a cat.

“Beomgyu?” Taehyun whispered. “Beomgyu.”

The faerie’s eyes finally blinked open, and he yawned. “Oh, hello Taehyun.” His voice was sort of rough and deep.

“You– why are you sleeping here?” Taehyun asked.

“Dark,” Beomgyu answered. “And warm.” He pulled the blanket over his shoulders a little more snugly.

“There’s a bed upstairs,” Taehyun said. “You don’t have to be all squished up like this. It doesn’t look very comfortable.”

“Too much sunlight,” Beomgyu replied. “Can’t sleep.”

That was probably true, Taehyun supposed. The second guest bedroom faced south, meaning that it got a lot of light– not very well suited to someone who was usually nocturnal.

“I… guess you can sleep in my room?” he suggested hesitantly. “It’s on the back of the house, so it’ll be darker in there. We can pull the curtains, if you want.”

Beomgyu uncurled himself, long white lashes fluttering. He got down from the dryer and followed Taehyun upstairs, yawning again as he went. When Taehyun got into his room and pulled the curtains, dust poofed out and made him sneeze.

Beomgyu gave a low hum, and joined him at the window. He cracked it open just the slightest bit, and waved his hand. There was a whooshing sound as a strong breeze blew out, taking all of the dust with it.

Taehyun stared, speechless, as Beomgyu pulled the window shut again. The faerie turned to look at him, smiling slightly at his expression. Taehyun eventually managed to speak.

“You… uh, thanks,” he said. “You didn’t have to unpack the whole house, you know. That was very– it was kind of you to do so.”

“Mmm, I want to make a nice home for us,” Beomgyu murmured. “I don’t really know how you do everything here, but I want to learn. I watched the people on TV to make sure I put all the stuff in the right place.”

Once again, Taehyun’s words died in his throat as he watched Beomgyu slide into bed. Guilt suddenly sprouted in his chest. It was obvious that the faerie was trying his best, even though he was here in a brand-new world where he had no friends or family. He wanted to make Taehyun happy, and all Taehyun had done so far was treat him with mistrust. The thought of carelessly dissolving their bond and crushing Beomgyu’s hope for a mate made him feel sick, but still– it was absolute lunacy to marry someone he’d just met. He was trapped between two impossibilities.

Beomgyu settled in and pulled the blankets tightly around himself, sighing with contentment. “Thank you, Taehyun,” he said. “This is much better.”

“Yeah, um, of course,” Taehyun replied. “You’re welcome. I’m going to go to work, now. If you need anything…” He trailed off. Beomgyu didn’t have a phone, and the landline at his grandmother’s place had been disconnected years ago.

“I’ll be okay,” Beomgyu told him quietly. “I can find you if I need to.”

“Okay. Um, good night, I guess?” Taehyun said.

Beomgyu’s answering smile made something in his stomach flip.

When Taehyun arrived at his long-standing lunch appointment with Kai that day, his friend had chosen a table outside of their favorite café and was basking in the sun. It made his platinum hair shine in a way that wasn’t quite human, his beauty capable of stunning anyone who hadn’t known him since he was in diapers– in other words, anyone who wasn’t Taehyun.

“Sup, dude,” Kai greeted. “I like your sweater. Looks good with your hair.”

Taehyun looked down. It was a cobalt-blue one that he’d “borrowed” from Soobin when he was still in college. He hadn’t really thought about it when he was getting dressed that morning, but he supposed that it probably did compliment the grey-blond shade he was currently sporting.

“Thanks,” he said. “How’re your sisters doing?” Kai’s grades were absolutely abysmal in high school, and he’d elected to work at the coffee shop his older sister had started rather than struggle through university courses. It had been for the best, Taehyun thought, and it meant that Kai regularly brought free sweets and other baked goods to his stressed student friends.

“Oh, they’re fine,” Kai answered lightly. “Another guy tried to give Lea noona his number yesterday.”

Taehyun snorted. “Typical. Comes with the territory of being the most beautiful family in Seoul, I suppose.”

“Aww, Tyun, you flatter me,” Kai said in a sugary-sweet voice. He then suddenly became very serious, his face shifting to a grave expression that looked out-of-place on his youthful, boyish features. “How’s your husband situation?”

“Ugh, he’s not my–“ Taehyun cut himself off. Technically, until he figured out how to break the mating bond, Beomgyu was his husband. “Um, well, it’s… he’s really nice, actually. I feel bad. He unpacked my whole house last night.”

Kai’s flawless eyebrows rose. “He did?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not perfect. I found the Roomba in the china cabinet being used as a display for the teapot, but… he must’ve worked really hard, Kai, and I just– I don’t know. Soobin hyung said he’d be totally heartbroken if someone broke the bond out of the blue like that.” Taehyun looked down at the napkin on the table in front of him guiltily.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Kai asked. “You explained the whole situation to him already, right?”

“Of course,” Taehyun replied. “But Soobin hyung told me that dark fae are just… really different, I guess. When I told him that relationships don’t work like that here, he just said that he would learn. He really wants to be a good mate. He’s trying.” The guilt was eating at Taehyun now, making the coffee that Kai had ordered for him churn in his stomach uncomfortably.

“Hmm,” Kai hummed. “Have you considered not breaking the bond? I mean, sure, to him it’s serious, but… you could just look at it as a friend kind of thing, rather than a marriage. If it stresses you out less, I mean.”

“I have no idea what his expectations are, though,” Taehyun pointed out. “I mean, can you imagine getting into a relationship thinking it’s a real relationship, and then just getting the roommate treatment? That’d probably suck.”

“Ask him,” Kai shrugged. “I mean, I’m sure there’s a warmup period in fae relationships too, especially for mating bonds that are done the way yours was.Realistically, you can’t go from zero to married with anyone– it’s, like, not possible. You have to get to know and trust each other first.”

“Yeah,” Taehyun said. He fiddled with the spoon in his mug, stirring his coffee aimlessly. “I’ll ask him after I get home from class. It’s better than just breaking the bond without trying, I guess.”

Kai grinned, looking pleased with himself. “Alright, sounds good. Now that you have a plan, what do you want to eat? I’m starving.”

Taehyun had all of his questions planned out in his head by the time he made it back to the house that afternoon. It all flew out the window, though, the second he spotted Soobin’s dark head of hair. He was dangling upside-down from a tree in the driveway.

The car screeched to a halt, and Taehyun nearly fumbled the buckle in his rush to get out. Beomgyu was standing at the bottom of the tree with his hands on his hips.

“Whoa, what the hell is going on?!” Taehyun exclaimed.

“I found this faerie trespassing in the front yard,” Beomgyu explained with a glare up at Soobin. “I wanted to wait until you got back so that we could decide the appropriate punishment.”

“Hi, Tyun,” Soobin said weakly. His face was very red from all of the blood rushing to his head, and he was trussed up with some sort of black ribbon-like fabric. There was a neatly tied bow at his wrists, which were pulled behind his back.

“Wha– Beomgyu, no,” Taehyun cried, turning to him. “Soobin’s my friend. Let him go, right now.”

“Oh.” There was something unreadable in Beomgyu’s expression. He snapped his fingers, and the ribbon suddenly untied itself. It snaked towards him, moving impossibly fast, and wound itself into a bow at his neckline once more. Soobin yelped, and Taehyun moved to catch him. At the last second, though, Soobin righted himself with an explosion of sparkles and he landed gracefully on his feet.

“Hyung,” Taehyun gasped. He nearly tackled Soobin in a hug, the older catching him and giving him a big squeeze. Taehyun’s heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little dizzy,” Soobin replied. His face wasn’t nearly as red now, which Taehyun was grateful for. He had no idea how long Soobin was upside-down before he got home, but it didn’t appear to have done any permanent damage. “Oh, you’re wearing my sweater.”

“Yeah, sorry, found it in my closet when I moved,” Taehyun said. “You can have it back, if you want.”

Soobin shook his head. “Keep it, it was kind of short on me anyways.”

Beomgyu cleared his throat, and the pair both turned to look at him. He was tapping his foot expectantly, an irritated crease in his brows.

“Oh… uh, this is Beomgyu,” Taehyun said. “And Beomgyu, this is Soobin hyung. He’s my friend,” he emphasized. “Not a trespasser. We’ve known each other for years.”

“He’s a light faerie,” Beomgyu grumbled. There was a set to his jaw, and his eyes were narrowed in annoyance.

“Yes, he is,” Taehyun said shortly. “Is that a problem?”

“Well, no, it’s just– ugh,” Beomgyu groaned.

Soobin looked very affronted at that. He said something in the fae language that Taehyun didn’t understand, and it set Beomgyu off immediately. The two had a rapid-fire back-and-forth argument, clearly hostile despite the melodic, pleasant sound of the native fae tongue.

“Guys,” Taehyun said. Neither of them paid him any attention. “Guys,” he said again, much louder this time. They both paused. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but cut it out. Beomgyu, Soobin hyung is my friend, and Soobin hyung, he’s my…” Taehyun’s sentence petered out awkwardly, but he quickly spoke again. “I need you guys to at least be civil with each other, please.”

Beomgyu muttered something under his breath, and Soobin’s expression was sour, but neither of them said anything else.

“Good,” Taehyun exhaled. “Now, hyung, do you want to come inside? I’ll show you the house.”

The tension was palpable between the two faeries, but neither of them picked any more fights. Beomgyu was following Taehyun closely as he gave Soobin the house tour, shoulders stiff and a permanent frown on his face. It lifted only after Soobin left at sundown, when he immediately brightened up again as if nothing had happened in the first place.

“How was your day?” He asked. “What did you do at work?”

“Oh, it was fine,” Taehyun answered distractedly. “I– uh, I’m teaching a couple of courses for the undergraduates, and I have a research position. Look, um… there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu said. “Go for it.”

Taehyun pushed back his bangs, feeling strangely nervous. “I was just wondering… what your expectations are, I guess? Like, being married for humans is– you know. It’s a big deal, obviously.”

“Oh.” Beomgyu looked down suddenly, shuffling his feet. “Well, I just– I was thinking about it last night, and I… I want to apologize.”

Taehyun blinked at him, surprised. “What? Why?”

“Well… I kind of just put all this on you without really considering what you’d be comfortable with,” Beomgyu explained quietly. “I didn’t realize how differently humans do things, and I just sort of thought that– well, I wasn’t really thinking at all. I…” Beomgyu swallowed, biting his lip. “It’s okay if you don’t want this. If– if you want to break the bond, I’ll understand.” His voice shook at the end, and there was something glittering in his white lashes.

“No, Beomgyu, I was asking because… I think we should try,” Taehyun said. His stomach flipped again when Beomgyu gasped, his gaze snapping up to meet Taehyun’s. “I talked to Soobin hyung, and my friend Kai, and I think– I don’t want you to give up your one chance without at least trying to make it work first.”

There was naked hope in Beomgyu’s dark eyes, and he looked like he was clinging desperately to every word. “I think it’s going to be difficult,” Taehyun continued. “I don’t know anything about mating bonds, or what you need. Human relationships build a lot more slowly, but I– I think I can meet you halfway.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu breathed. “I– thank you, Taehyun. We can do this however you want to.”

Taehyun shook his head. “I don’t just want to do this my way. I want you to teach me, too. We both have to be in this.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu said again. “Anything. I’ll do anything you want.”

“It’s just– human relationships don’t always work out, okay?” Taehyun added. Guilt swirled in his gut at the way some of the light died from Beomgyu’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a steely resolve.

“I’ll be good for you,” he said steadily. “I promise, Taehyun. I’ll be good.”

That wasn’t what Taehyun was worried about. Beomgyu was already good to him.

Taehyun had no idea what Beomgyu did while he was at work and school– slept, he assumed, since dark fae was supposedly more active at night. That was until he came home several days later to find the exterior of the house covered in massive, intricate garlands of flowers. They were strung in between the pillars of the front porch, as well as across the bottom of the windows. There was also a wreath on the front door. It transformed the peeling paint and cracked siding of the house into something that looked pretty, almost whimsical.

Beomgyu wasn’t in the upstairs bedroom when he arrived, though, which was where Taehyun usually found him napping when he came back after his afternoon class. Instead, he was out in the garden.

Taehyun watched, stunned, as Beomgyu fluttered his fingers over the pond. The water instantly flowed crystal-clear, all of the scum disappearing from the surface. He scooped up a tadpole, and it wriggled a few times in his hands before lengthening and growing into a colorful koi which he dropped back into the pond. He did the same with several more, before straightening up with a pleased look on his face.

He spotted Taehyun standing on the porch, and waved. Taehyun crossed the yard to meet him, staring open-mouthed at all of the incredible plants and flowers that Beomgyu had cultivated in the flowerbeds. A rosemary bush rustled in the breeze, the scent of roses tickling Taehyun’s nose. Fluffy lambs’ ears crawled over the dirt, spilling over into the grass, and a bird sang in the limbs of a plum tree.

Beomgyu was wearing a white denim jacket of Taehyun’s. They were a similar enough size that Beomgyu had proclaimed that he was happy to share, and that he’d always wanted to try human clothes anyways. The jacket looked so much fashionable on him than it ever had on Taehyun, as did a pair of mint-green trousers and basketball shoes. It was sort of an eclectic combination, but Taehyun suspected that Beomgyu would’ve looked good wearing a trash bag. His feet were hovering above the grass, making their slight difference in height more noticeable.

“Hi, Taehyun,” Beomgyu greeted cheerfully.

“Hi,” Taehyun responded, still too flabbergasted to come up with much else. The faerie’s eyes crinkled up in a smile at his expression. “You… uh, it looks like you were busy. Did you sleep at all today?”

“I took a nap this morning, but I’m trying to get on a more similar schedule as you,” Beomgyu answered. He did look sort of tired, Taehyun realized, although somehow still lovely. “I figured that we could spend more time together that way.”

Taehyun was strangely touched by that sentiment. He had grown used to finding the faerie asleep on top of the dryer in the mornings, and always woke him to take him upstairs to Taehyun’s bed. He was also usually sleeping when Taehyun came home, and only got up once the sun started to set. It meant that they only really saw each other for a short few hours each day, and Taehyun’s chest warmed at the idea that Beomgyu would change his sleep schedule so that they could hang out more often.

They ate dinner together that evening. Taehyun learned that Beomgyu was vegetarian, since apparently there weren’t any domesticated animals in his part of the Otherworld and most of the creatures there tended to be quite dangerous. He’d listened with interest as Beomgyu explained, and resolved to make more vegetarian meals in the future.

“I tried to put some things that humans can eat in the garden,” Beomgyu said. “I can eat pretty much anything, but humans are a lot more delicate, I think.”

Taehyun frowned. “Wait a second, what have you been eating since you got here? I don’t think I’ve seen you eat once.”

“Well, I don’t need nearly as much food as you do,” Beomgyu answered. “But mostly… hmm. I don’t know the name. You know the little nuts that the squirrels like?”

Taehyun gaped at him, vegetable dumpling falling from his chopsticks back onto his plate. “You’ve been eating acorns?”

“I guess?” Beomgyu giggled at the expression on Taehyun’s face, and spoke again. “They’re pretty yummy, actually. Like I said, fae don’t need to eat as much humans.”

“What the hell? Soobin hyung packs away more food than anyone else I know,” Taehyun said, mystified. “Like, he’s basically a black hole for baked goods.”

“You mean cupcakes?” Beomgyu perked up at that, tilting his head interestedly.

“Yeah, that and pretty much anything else. Bread, croissants, muffins, pastries…” Taehyun picked up his dumpling again, chewing and swallowing before he continued. “I don’t think he’d be caught dead putting an acorn in his mouth.”

Beomgyu snorted, looking amused. “Well, the light fae have it very cushy in the Otherworld. I’m surprised they come here at all, most of the time.”

Taehyun stared. “What do you mean?”

“Hmm. Their side of the Otherworld is very different from ours,” Beomgyu explained. “Their animals aren’t scary like ours are, and they have lots of delicious foods. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s nice. Everything is beautiful there, including all of the faeries.”

“You’re beautiful, though,” Taehyun pointed out. It made Beomgyu blush furiously. “What, why are you looking at me like that? You’re very beautiful.”

“Ah, that’s–“ Beomgyu blinked, looking away. There was a pink flush high on his pale cheeks. “You’re so kind, Taehyun.”

“I’m just stating a fact,” Taehyun shrugged. “You know what, let’s go to Kai’s coffee shop tomorrow. That way you guys can meet each other, and you can try some sweets. I can pretty much guarantee they’re a lot better than acorns.”

Taehyun had warned Kai by text that he and Beomgyu would be visiting the shop the next day, and the maknae of their little trio seemed very nervous to meet him. He’d asked a lot of questions, like what he should wear or what sorts of topics that he should avoid bringing up in conversation. Taehyun honestly didn’t know, but told him to avoid bringing Soobin– his emotional support hyung– just in case.

Neither of Kai’s sisters were present when they arrived, and it was just him behind the counter. It made sense since it was sort of an odd hour for coffee, a lull in the period after lunch, and Taehyun was secretly grateful that they were virtually the only ones there. It wasn’t that he was worried, necessarily, but– well. Soobin had ended up upside-down in a tree the first time he met Beomgyu.

“Hi, Kai,” Taehyun began. “This is Beomgyu. Beomgyu, this is my friend Kai.”

“Hello,” Kai greeted politely. He smiled, but Taehyun could spot a tense edge in his expression.

“Oh. You’re a halfling?” Beomgyu said.

Kai nodded, his gaze dropping to the counter between them. It was something he was insecure about, since human-fae relationships weren’t all that common. He occasionally got rude comments in public, and Taehyun went to say something before Beomgyu spoke again.

“That’s cool.” Beomgyu’s easy grin immediately made Kai relax. “My mate is a human, too, just like how your parents are.”

Taehyun held back a sigh of relief. Kai’s face lit up as he started to chatter away, letting Beomgyu behind the counter so that he could look at the espresso machine. The faerie also seemed fascinated by the colorful display of macarons in the glass display case.

“What do you want?” Kai asked exuberantly. “I can make you a coffee, or we have tons of pastries and stuff.”

“Um, I’m not sure,” Beomgyu replied. He turned to look at Taehyun. “You pick,” he said. “I’ve never had any of these things before.”

“A red velvet cupcake,” Taehyun told Kai. “And a caramel–“

“Yes, a caramel macchiato, I know,” Kai cut in. “You’re a monster. You’re going to die of sugar intake before you’re 30.”

“Cupcake’s not for me,” Taehyun said. “Beomgyu wanted to try one. You want something to drink, too?”

“Umm, what’s a matcha late?” Beomgyu asked quizzically, reading from the chalk board above their heads.

“It’s pronounced ‘latte’,” Taehyun corrected him gently. Beomgyu didn’t seem to mind at all, and just turned his gaze to Kai.

“Green tea,” the maknae supplied. “Sort of bitter, usually, but since it’s mixed with milk it’s more mild.”

“You’ll probably like it, especially since you like acorns,” Taehyun told Beomgyu. Kai’s mouth fell open into a comical ‘o’ shape.

“You eat acorns?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu said evenly. “They’re pretty good. I don’t know if halflings can eat them, though. Are they poisonous to humans?”

“I think so. Maybe don’t try it, Kai,” Taehyun replied. “I’d hate for you to find out the hard way.”

Taehyun and Beomgyu waited at the counter while Kai made drinks, still chatting. The maknae peppered them with questions about the house, which he still hadn’t been by to see yet, and Beomgyu described his first experience with a hairdryer in great detail. His enthusiastic rendition of hairdryer noises made Kai burst into giggles over the matcha whisk.

“By the way, I like your pinafore,” Beomgyu said sincerely. He pointed to Kai’s outfit.

“My– what?” Kai looked down, and then pulled at the corner of his apron. “You mean this?”

“Yes,” Beomgyu replied, confused. “Is that not what you call them?”

“Ah. That’s an apron,” Taehyun put in. “You use it to keep stuff from spilling on your clothes.”

“Hmm,” Beomgyu hummed, brows still creased in an expression of confusion. “I think maybe that movie was wrong. Little Women, it was called. It was in a different language, but it had all the words at the bottom.”

Taehyun chuckled. “That’s an old-fashioned American movie, that’s why. What were you doing watching Little Women?”

“Learning,” Beomgyu answered lightly. “I watch the people on TV a lot when you’re not home so that I can learn all about humans. I want to be a good mate.”

Taehyun’s heart was warm. “Oh, Beomgyu, that’s really ni–“

His words were cut off by the aggressive roar of the espresso machine, which made Beomgyu jump about three feet in the air. Kai gave him an apologetic smile, before handing them both their drinks and a red velvet cupcake on a plate.

“Speaking of human things, what is hyung? Am I supposed to call you that?” Beomgyu asked, once they were sat at a table. Kai had temporarily abandoned his post, and squeezed into the booth beside Taehyun.

“Oh, that’s our honorific system,” Taehyun replied after a sip of his macchiato. “You would use hyung for a male friend that’s older than you, and noona for a female friend that’s older than you. Uh… how old are you, actually?”

“I was born on March 13, 2001,” Beomgyu replied. “At least, I think that’s right. Time is a little bit different in the Otherworld.”

“That makes you my hyung,” Taehyun said. “And Kai, too. We were both born in 2002.” Kai nodded along, grinning at Beomgyu’s expression after he brought the match latte to his lips.

“Oh wow,” Beomgyu breathed. “This is so good. Like acorns, but wet.”

Taehyun chuckled, and Kai’s high-pitched laugh rang over the coffee shop. “Try the cupcake. I don’t know if you’ll like it, it’s pretty sweet.” Taehyun pushed the plate towards him, and Beomgyu took a chunk off with the fork and popped it in his mouth.

The effect was instantaneous. There was a flash, and then every door and window in the shop burst open with a huge gust of wind. Someone in the shop screamed as their table started levitating, along most of the other furniture. Taehyun ducked as a half-eaten acai bowl zoomed over his head. Beomgyu was still sitting opposite him, chewing, with a raptured expression on his face.

“Do you think that means he likes it?” Kai shouted in Taehyun’s ear. He had to speak loudly over the sound of the coffee shop’s speaker streaking by, still playing some bubbly girl group song. He managed to snatch an empty mug out of the air when it passed him. 

“Uh, I have no idea,” Taehyun replied. Beomgyu finished his bite, and immediately everything settled back where it was. The wind stopped, the speaker returned to its spot behind the counter, and the door closed itself once more with a cheery jingle of the bell. 

“… Is it good?” Kai asked apprehensively.

Beomgyu’s eyes fell on him. “Kai,” he said. “I think I love you.”

Taehyun thought he was going to black out from laughing too hard. His ribs were aching from stitches, and there were tears in the corners of his eyes. He had to hold his sides, practically bent in half over his coffee. He took one more look at Kai’s bashful expression and dissolved into laughter once again. The maknae’s face was red all the way up to his ears.

“What?” Beomgyu asked, reaching across the table to tap Taehyun’s shoulder. “Why are you laughing?”

“Well–“ Taehyun dabbed at his eyes with his sleeves. “Usually you don’t say that to people you don’t know very well, but– ah, you’re perfect. Never change, hyung.”

It was Beomgyu’s turn to blush, a pretty pink blooming over his cheeks.

Kai sent them home with a box of macarons, and Taehyun made Beomgyu promise to only try them if he was outside the house. He hadn’t broken anything in the coffee shop to their knowledge, but Taehyun figured that it would probably be a safety hazard if Beomgyu happened to be standing near the kitchen when he ate one.

“Seems like you’re doing alright with the schedule change,” he commented, once they were almost home. “It’s mid-afternoon, and you’re not asleep.”

“Yeah, it’s not so bad,” Beomgyu said. “I mean, it’s hard to fall asleep at night, but I do okay once I’m awake.”

“Have you been in the guest bedroom?” Taehyun asked. “You’re not still sleeping on top of the dryer, right?”

Beomgyu shifted in his seat, looking down at the box of macarons on his lap. “Ah, no. I’m not sleeping on the dryer.”

“Okay,” Taehyun said slowly. “So where are you sleeping?”

There was a short pause before Beomgyu answered. “Um, the rug outside your bedroom.”

Taehyun accidentally swerved, but quickly managed to right the car again. It was a good thing that the roads near grandmother’s house were relatively empty most of the time, because he was still staring at Beomgyu. “You’ve been sleeping on the floor?”

“It’s okay,” Beomgyu shrugged. “The rug is soft.”

“No, that’s not okay,” Taehyun told him strongly. “Why have you been sleeping on the floor? There’s a perfectly good bed in the other room, and it’s dark in there at night–“

“I want to be near you,” Beomgyu murmured. “I– I don’t know anyone in this world except you.” He was silent again for a long moment before he spoke again. “Mates are supposed to share things, but I didn’t… I thought maybe you wouldn’t be comfortable with that, so I didn’t ask.”

Taehyun put the car in park in the driveway. He got out before coming around to the other side to open the door for Beomgyu. The faerie was avoiding eye contact.

“Hyung,” he said softly. “You have to ask me for things. I don’t have any magic powers, I can’t read minds, I don’t know the first thing about what it’s like to be a good mate– not like you.”

Beomgyu shook his head, long bangs falling over his eyes and hiding his expression. “You’re already… you’ve been so good to me. You share your home with me, your clothes, your friends– I don’t want to ask you for anything more. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Taehyun.”

“You’re not making me uncomfortable, okay?” Taehyun told him, gently touching Beomgyu’s arm. It made him look up, his round eyes at last finding Taehyun’s face. “I’d say something if you did. This isn’t just about me, though, remember? We’re in this together. Please, if you want something– ask.”

Beomgyu nodded, his lips pressed together. His white lashes were fluttering, and it made something flip in Taehyun’s stomach.

Falling asleep next to him was easier than Taehyun thought it would be.

“Hyung,” Taehyun said. They were behind the front desk in the campus library, where Soobin worked while he was simultaneously getting his PhD. “Can you teach me how to speak your language?”

Soobin looked up from his computer, shocked. “Uh… maybe? I think the pronunciation would be difficult for a non-native speaker, but I can try. Why?”

“I think Beomgyu’s having a hard time,” Taehyun confessed. “He’s lonely here. He won’t tell me, but I think he misses his home. I want to– I don’t know. Maybe it’s stupid, but I want to do what I can for him. I want do everything I can to make him feel welcome.”

Soobin gave a heavy sigh, stretching in his chair and shaking out his bangs. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

“He’s just– he’s the sweetest person I know,” Taehyun said in a small voice. “He spends all his time doing things for me. He’s been watching the cooking channel to learn how to make human food, and he remembers every single thing I tell him about work or school. He told me yesterday that the best part of his day is when I come home.” Taehyun swallowed, picking at a thread at the bottom of his t-shirt. 

“Yeah, I’ll teach you,” Soobin responded. He made a funny face, like he’d tasted something bitter, and then continued. “And I’ll come over and– I don’t know. Spend time with him, I guess.”

“You can only do that if you’re nice to him,” Taehyun warned. He pointed the highlighter that he’d been using to study at Soobin sternly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Soobin grumbled. “I’ll be nice. He better not try me, though.”

“He made everything in Kai’s shop fly three weeks ago,” Taehyun reminded him with a grin. “Last time I checked, all your magic does is make pretty sparkles. If there’s anyone that should be afraid, it’s probably you.”

One of the paperback books leaped off a shelf to smack Taehyun on the head.

Taehyun started studying with Soobin at lunch three times a week. The older had spoken correctly; it was a difficult language to learn, but Taehyun was stubborn. Soobin made a tentative truce with Beomgyu that had allowed the two faeries to hang out in the garden and chat, although it was noticeably less tense whenever Kai was there, too.

Beomgyu nearly tackled Taehyun onto the couch in his excitement one afternoon, after Taehyun came home from teaching a class. He was wearing a striped red-and-white sweater with a different striped shirt underneath, which Taehyun thought was too hot for the late summer weather. The heat never bothered Beomgyu, though. The odd combination was somehow so cute on him that it made Taehyun’s brain shut down and restart.

“Taehyun,” he breathed. “Taehyunnie, my brother said he’s coming to visit me.” He was clinging to Taehyun’s arms, holding him so closely that it was sort of making him dizzy.

“Um, oh wow!” Taehyun finally managed, voice sort of strangled-sounding. “That’s great. When is he coming?”

Just then, the front door slammed open. The lights flickered and the wind howled, scattering a stack of papers from the coffee table across the room. Taehyun jumped, and looked around.

There was a person standing in the entryway. He was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders and jet-black hair. His clothing was also all-black, a high-necked ruffled collar with a jacket and tailored trousers. Taehyun recognized the narrow nose, the heart-shaped lips. His lashes weren’t white like Beomgyu’s, but his dark, fox-like eyes were so shiny they nearly glowed.

“Yeonjunnie!”

Beomgyu launched himself at his brother, the older catching him with grace. They hugged for a long moment, Yeonjun murmuring something in the fae language that Taehyun didn’t catch. When Beomgyu finally stepped away, though, Yeonjun’s black eyes went straight to Taehyun.

He crossed the room in four long strides, and suddenly Taehyun was slammed against the wall. Wind whipped over his hair, shrieking through the house. He couldn’t move, could only stare in terror at Yeonjun’s raised hand a few feet away from his chest. He’d thought that Beomgyu’s magic was strong, but Yeonjun’s was on an entirely different level.

“No, no!” Beomgyu cried. “Yeonjun, please don’t.”

“You took him,” Yeonjun snarled. Taehyun would’ve flinched if it wasn’t for the fact that Yeonjun’s power had completely paralyzed him. “You used his mating quest to trick him, and take him away from the Otherworld.”

“No, he didn’t!” Beomgyu said. He stepped between Taehyun and his brother. “Yeonjun, he didn’t know. He had no idea, it was my fault. I didn’t listen to you. I wanted to believe what the stars said, and I moved the Mirror Lake to this world without telling you. It’s my fault. Don’t hurt him.” Beomgyu’s face was desperate, pleading.

Finally, Yeonjun lowered his hand. The wind died down, and Taehyun could suddenly breathe again; he slid down the wall, back to the floor, limbs trembling. Beomgyu rushed to his side, holding his waist to keep him upright.

Yeonjun pushed back his bangs. “They won’t let you in, Gyu,” he said quietly. “I’ve tried. They’re angry with you for taking him as a mate, they see it as a betrayal. They won’t let me bring you back until you break the bond.” For all his fury just a few moments ago, now Yeonjun looked devastatingly sad.

“I know,” Beomgyu replied. His voice shook a little, but he looked at Taehyun and continued. “It was a risk I was willing to take– I am willing to take.” 

“You’re happy with him, then?” The light had left Yeonjun’s eyes.

“I am,” Beomgyu said steadily. He looked at Taehyun again, pressed against his side. “I’m happy here, hyung. I’m sorry.”

The front door clicked open again. A voice floated into the room.

“Hello, Tyun? You left your syllabus at the li–“

Yeonjun turned around, hand raised again, though the wind didn’t come. Taehyun couldn’t see his expression anymore, but he could see Soobin’s. 

The folder Soobin was holding slipped from his grip. More papers scattered across the room, but he didn’t pay them any mind. Soobin’s plump lips were parted, his eyes wide and sparkling. A blush started to spread over his cheeks.

“O-oh,” he stuttered. “Am I… Sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“Um, uh…” It appeared that Yeonjun was every bit as speechless as Soobin was.

“Ah, Soobin hyung, this is my older brother Yeonjun,” Beomgyu said. “He’s here visiting me from the Otherworld.”

“Oh! That’s nice,” Soobin replied, trying and failing to sound casual about it. His voice was about two octaves higher than usual. “Yeonjun-ssi, are you staying for a while? I’ve heard your side of the Otherworld is awfully cold this time of year, haha…”

Taehyun and Beomgyu made eye contact, and disappeared up the stairs. Neither Yeonjun nor Soobin appeared to have noticed, because they didn’t say a word about it. Taehyun huffed and flopped onto the bed, Beomgyu standing over him with a remorseful expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry, Taehyunnie, I didn’t think that he wou–“

Taehyun grabbed his wrist, pulling him down onto the bed beside him. He was tired of the guilt, tired of the apologies, tired of Beomgyu’s unending self-sacrifice. Taehyun just wrapped his arms around his waist and curled his body up so that the faerie was cradled against his chest. There was a long moment of silence. Then, Taehyun heard a tiny sob.

He sat straight up. Beomgyu was crying, glittering tears clinging to his snowy lashes. Taehyun opened his mouth to say something, went to pull away, but Beomgyu put his hands over Taehyun’s own.

“I’ve never– Taehyunnie.” Beomgyu’s words were so soft and shuddered when he spoke, almost like a whimper. The way that Beomgyu said his name pierced something deep in Taehyun’s chest. “You’ve never hugged me first before.”

Something changed after the night of Yeonjun’s visit. Taehyun thought that perhaps he was losing his mind– Beomgyu was all he could think about. He felt jittery all day, and found himself anxious to return home to Beomgyu’s smile and hear all about what the faerie had been up to. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t force his eyes to close when Beomgyu was in bed beside him. It was like his brain just wanted to stare at him for the rest of eternity, to drink in the beauty in his arms. He finally fell asleep with Beomgyu snuggled against his chest more often than not these days, and his scent lingered on Taehyun’s skin. It didn’t help that Beomgyu wore his clothes, and would always ask him every morning before he left for work what Taehyun thought of his latest outfit combination. His light, sort of floral scent was incredibly distracting. Taehyun’s mind kept wandering to Beomgyu whenever he’d catch a whiff of it at work or school, and he knew that eventually someone was going to call him out on it.

That someone was Soobin.

“Taehyun,” Soobin said. He snapped his fingers in front of Taehyun’s face. “Hello? Kang Taehyun, wake up.”

“Oh,” Taehyun started. “Sorry, hyung. I was, uh…”

“Yeah, I know.” Soobin cut him off, rolling his eyes. “You’ve been acting weird all week. You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“I’m having an issue with– with Beomgyu,” Taehyun said, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I think I’m having a crisis.” 

He thought that Soobin was going to laugh, but the faerie put his hand to his mouth to stifle a short cough before speaking. “Oh, is that so? What sort of crisis?”

“He’s– really nice?” Taehyun answered, before mentally smacking himself. Soobin’s face was suspiciously red, his lips pressed together. “I don’t know, he just… he smells really good, and he’s so– hyung, you can’t laugh at me when I say this. Promise you won’t laugh at me.”

Soobin held out his pinky, but then snatched it away at the last moment with a borderline evil grin. “I am absolutely not going to promise you that, but tell me anyway.”

Taehyun slumped over in his chair, notes and textbook forgotten. His voice came out a little muffled, with his face smushed against the library desk. “He’s just… so pretty.”

Soobin burst out laughing as quietly as he possibly could, since they were still technically in the library. His shoulders shook, and tiny squeaks of mirth escaped him. He silently smacked his leg several times, then pointed at Taehyun’s face and started laughing again.

“Hyung, stop,” Taehyun begged. “Please, I’m so serious. I think I’m going insane, and you’re sitting here making fun of me.”

“You’re not going insane, you’re in love with your fucking husband,” Soobin told him, muffling another giggle. “About time, too.”

“I’m not!” Taehyun cried, before remembering where they were and lowering his voice. “I’m not in love with him, I’ve only known him for like four months.”

“Yeah, but he’s so nice, and sweet, and pretty, and he smells good…” Soobin’s grin was full-on malicious now, and he twirled a pen in his hand.

“That’s the problem,” Taehyun groaned. “He’s, like, perfect. He works so hard to learn how to do everything, and he’s completely transformed the house and the garden– do you remember what it used to look like, in the beginning? I saw the door to the second bedroom open the other day, and when I stuck my head in– hyung, he’s even making a blanket for us in there. It’s so beautiful.”

Soobin sat straight up, suddenly serious. “He started making a blanket?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun said slowly. “Is that important?”

“Uh, well if it’s anything like light fae culture then that’s something you’re supposed to make together,” Soobin responded. “It’s, like, symbolic of your bond and stuff. For us it’s usually something you do on the honeymoon, I guess? Obviously you guys have different circumstances, but…”

“Honeymoon?” Taehyun yelped. “We’re not– we didn’t–“

“I know, that’s why I said that you have different circumstances,” Soobin emphasized. “Chill, Tyun. But… yeah. If he’s making a blanket, then you should probably ask about helping out.”

“But that means that… it’ll be done, right?” Taehyun asked quietly. “For him, I mean. That’s like, the end of the whole mating thing?”

“I guess you could say that,” Soobin mused. He tapped his pen against the desk several times, the sharp sound making Taehyun cringe. “It’ll definitely imply that you’re serious.”

Taehyun’s gaze dropped. He stayed silent for a bit, until Soobin poked him with the pen.

“Are you… not serious about him? Would you consider breaking the bond, at this point?” Taehyun wasn’t looking at Soobin’s face, but he could hear the implication. 

If you don’t want him, you need to tell him now.

It was stupid to even think about. Of course Taehyun wanted him. There were a few moments where he wanted Beomgyu so badly he thought he was losing his sanity. When he was eating breakfast early in the morning, and Beomgyu would come into the kitchen and melt against him all pliant and sleepy. When Beomgyu would run to meet him at the end of the driveway, bangs fluttering in the breeze and smelling like the forest. When Taehyun would wake up in the middle of the night to pull him closer, and Beomgyu would nuzzle into his neck with a gentle sigh.

“No, I…” Taehyun swallowed, shuffling his notes around in front of him a bit before continuing. “Forever is such a long time, hyung.”

Soobin’s face softened, and he reached out to touch Taehyun’s hand. “I know, but it’s what he chose. It’s up to you, now.”

“You don’t think he’ll change his mind?” Taehyun asked. He knew that his insecurity would be audible to Soobin. The faerie just smiled, dimples appearing at the corners of his mouth.

“If there’s anything I know for sure, it’s that he would’ve picked you– with or without the mating quest.”

Taehyun resolved to ask Beomgyu about the blanket over coffee the next day. The moment he walked into the shop, though, Kai’s older sister Lea bounced over with a beaming grin. 

“Hi, Taehyunnie!” She trilled. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”

“Lea noona!” He happily returned her hug. “Where have you been?”

“Ah, just visiting family overseas,” she answered with a wave of her hand. “Nothing crazy important, picked up a couple of cool things for the shop while I was there. Actually, I made a couple of new desserts! Do you want to try? I’ve been looking for people to sample all day.”

Kai’s younger sister Bahiyyih was also in the kitchen, her hands covered in flour. She waved, sending a poof of white dust over the counter.

“Hi, oppa. Who’s your friend?” She greeted.

“Oh, this is Beomgyu,” Taehyun replied. “Beomgyu, this is Lea noona and Hiyyih. They’re Kai’s sisters.”

“Nice to meet you,” Beomgyu said politely. There was a strange tension around his eyes that Taehyun didn't get a chance to ask about, because then Lea piped up again.

“Taehyunnie, do you want to try this cake? We’re trying to decide whether we should do it with the strawberry icing or the lemon…”

Taehyun got completely swept up in the chatter, his easy closeness with Kai’s sisters the result of so many years as their maknae’s best friend. Kai himself was nowhere to be seen, but Lea informed him that he was out on a grocery store run so that they had the supplies to try a couple more options. Taehyun was happy to let Lea and Bahiyyih feed him all of their test products, standing there dutifully so that they could spoon batter, cake, or icing into his mouth. He gave answers to all of their questions, and even suggested a couple things himself. It made both of them giggle when Taehyun dropped flour over the front of his black shirt, Lea swooping in with a damp cloth while Bahiyyih chortled. By the time they left, though, Taehyun realized that he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to talk to Beomgyu about the blanket.

“Are you alright, hyung?” Taehyun asked curiously. “You’ve been really quiet.”

Beomgyu was looking out of the car windows, but his dark eyes flickered to Taehyun’s face. “Oh, I’m fine,” he responded. “I’m tired, I think.”

“Mmm,” Taehyun hummed. “You can take a nap when we get home, if you want. I think Soobin hyung might swing by later to help me correct exams, but we’ll be quiet.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu said flatly. “Thanks, Hyunnie.”

There was an uneasy feeling swirling in Taehyun’s gut, but he chalked it up to too much cake.

Beomgyu was different, somehow, in the weeks following. He was back to his usual, lively personality whenever Soobin showed up to the house or Kai brought leftover sweets, and he practically beamed with excitement on the few occasions that Yeonjun paid them a visit from the Otherworld. Besides that, though, he seemed quieter and more withdrawn than he was before. He had less to say when Taehyun came home after work or class, and had stopped trying to ask him about every outfit he put together before Taehyun left in the mornings. Taehyun always got his hopes up whenever he pulled into the driveway, expecting Beomgyu’s smile, but he wasn’t there. The door to the second bedroom stayed closed.

It was chilly that day, for the first time all summer. Beomgyu was wearing one of Taehyun’s sweaters, a bright red one with a diamond pattern at the collar. The two of them were sitting on the back porch, overlooking the garden.

“Hyunnie,” Beomgyu said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, and he was fiddling with his sleeves. “I think– I think maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore.”

“Wh-what?” Taehyun’s hands started trembling, and it had nothing to do with the crisp breeze blowing by. “Shouldn’t do– what do you mean?”

Beomgyu looked at him, and took a deep breath. “I think we should break the mating bond.”

It felt like Taehyun’s world had tilted on its axis, like he’d been thrown and couldn’t find his balance again. His hands were shaking in earnest now, and he had to put down his mug of tea before he dropped it.

“Why?” He whispered. “What did I do wrong?”

“It wasn’t– you didn’t do anything wrong,” Beomgyu said lowly. “I just think that maybe you’d be happier if you got to be with someone else. I didn’t mean to take that from you, and I’m sorry.” His dark eyes were so pretty, heartbreakingly beautiful, framed by lashes white as snow. Every blink felt like it was shattering Taehyun all over again.

“Tell me,” Taehyun begged. “Please, hyung. You can’t just– you can’t end it like this without telling me why.”

“Ah,” Beomgyu sighed. His breaths were coming out stilted now, too, and there were definitely tears sparkling at his lash line. “Let’s not pretend. You never wanted me, Hyunnie. You married me by accident.”

“It was an accident, hyung,” Taehyun said. “It was an accident, but I don’t regret it. It was the happiest accident I could ever ask for.” 

He knew there was a pathetic amount of desperation in his tone, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Without him, Taehyun’s life would be just like this house the day that he’d moved in– derelict and grey, missing the one person who was supposed to be in it.

“It was a mistake,” Beomgyu murmured. A glittering tear traced a path down his cheek.

“No, hyung,” Taehyun said. “It was a miracle.”

Beomgyu looked up at him once more. His face was unreadable, his beauty almost shallow and flat without his characteristic smile.

“Hyung,” Taehyun said again. “If it’s what you want, then I’ll– I can let you go.” His words were cut off by a sob, and he had to force it down so that he could continue. “But if it’s me, if you’re worried about me, then– don’t. Please. I can do better, I’ll show you. Hyung, I really, I–“

Three words rose to the tip of his tongue, unbidden. He’d been practicing the fae language with Soobin for months, now, but these three were the only words he could remember. The very first words he’d asked Soobin to teach him. The words he’d said countless times in his head, practiced to perfection, but never had the guts to say out loud.

I love you.

Beomgyu gasped, standing up from his chair and pulling Taehyun up with him. The grip on Taehyun’s wrists was so tight it was almost painful.

“What did you say?” He breathed, frantic. “Taehyun, what–“

“I love you.” I love you. Once in Korean, and once in the language of Beomgyu’s homeland. Taehyun said it twice, so that Beomgyu knew he wasn’t mistaken. So that Beomgyu knew he wasn’t alone.

Beomgyu kissed him. He pulled Taehyun forward so that he was pressed against the faerie’s chest, his hands on his waist and drawing him closer. Taehyun’s fingers wove through his long, dark hair, and he kissed Beomgyu back with everything he had. There were so many more things he wanted to say, so many words he’d held back in case someday Beomgyu changed his mind. He wished that Beomgyu could hear them all now, in this moment, that Beomgyu would know all of the things in Taehyun’s heart that he’d kept guarded for so long. He tried to kiss them into Beomgyu’s lips, tried to make it so that all of his love would stay imprinted on the faerie’s skin forever. 

Forever.

It didn’t sound like it would be long enough.

“Aww, guys!” Kai’s whines pulled Taehyun out of his reverie, and he looked out into the front yard where the maknae was waving his arms in frustration. “You’re late! Even Soobin hyung was ready before you.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Soobin said, smacking the back of his fluffy white sweater. The effectiveness of the punishment was severely diminished, though, by the fact that he started fussing over Kai’s hair and readjusting the feathers near his ears.

“It means they need to hurry up and stop being embarrassing,” Kai complained. “Yeonjun hyung said the gates are only open at dawn and twilight, and I do not want to miss this.”

“We’ll make it,” Yeonjun said lightly, stepping up to stand at Soobin’s shoulder. He was wearing all black again, with the exception of a gold belt that crossed over his chest and buckled at his waist. He coordinated rather well with Soobin, who was wearing a dark green overcoat and had a delicate golden hairpiece woven through his bangs. Taehyun silently wondered if the two had planned it– they were suspiciously close these days.

Beomgyu pulled at Taehyun’s arm. “C’mon. I’ve never been to Soobin hyung’s side of the Otherworld before, I’ve heard they have great food.” His long white jacket and matching trousers made him look ethereal, and brought out the color of his lashes. Not for the first time that day, Taehyun marveled at his beauty.

“You’re sure they’ll accept this outfit? Light fae are a lot more fashion-conscious than me,” he said. He tugged at the black jacket he was wearing, exactly like Beomgyu’s, and fiddled with the feathers he’d allowed Soobin to place in his hair.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes. “Light fae don’t care if your outfit is pretty, they care if you’re pretty. And trust me, Hyunnie– I think you’re a stunner.”

Taehyun felt his face getting warm, and ignored Kai’s fake retches as he leaned up to place a kiss on Beomgyu’s cheekbone. He then turned to close the front door, looking fondly over the living room as he did. There was a brand-new blanket hanging over the back of the couch, threads shimmering with magic.