part two of a double post so read the chapter before this too

 

 

 

 

---

---

    “Hey,” Sehun said the next day, “I have to go back to school tomorrow, but I can help you out today.”

    Minseok pouted.

    “Don't worry, I'll come help you out during breaks” He said quickly before pulling the small man to him for a kiss.

    “You better.”

    They had three jobs that day. It was rather uneventful. One of them was at a museum another was at a large, old mansion, and another was at a hospital.

    Sehun frowned as they walked into the hospital building.

    “What's wrong,” Minseok asked.

    “It's those ing butterflies again.” He clapped his hands together as if he caught something and held his hand out for Minseok to see.

    “I don't see anything.”

    “Then again I can't really see your ghosts either.”

    “True.”

    “The place is swarming with them.” He said.

    “Maybe we'll figure it out.”

    That night Minseok undressed his lover and slowly inched into him. He pressed their palms together and tangled their fingers as he rocked into the younger man.

    Sehun wasn't sure he wanted to know what that look in Minseok's eyes was so he closed his own and rocked his hips faster.

    His eyes shot open when Minseok wrapped a hand around him and flicked his wrist. He moaned softly and his entire body rolled as Minseok pushed in one last time.

    It was all too much. He stared wide eyed as Minseok leaned down to kiss him.

    “You ok?” He asked.

    “Y-yeah … fine.”

 

 

    The next day Minseok woke up and Sehun was gone. There was a note on the pillow

‘I didn't want to wake you. See you in the fall

Sehun’

    Minseok padded out to the kitchen where Hakyeon was making breakfast and Wonsik was watching him from the small table with a soft grin.

    “Where's Sehun? I thought you had a job today.”

    Minseok looked lost, but he showed the note to Hakyeon.

    “That's a total move.” Wonsik blurted out.

    “It really is.” Hakyeon added.

    Minseok sat heavily at the table and just stared blankly. He didn't notice the doorbell ring and Wonsik answered.

    “What's wrong with Minseok?” Yixing asked, not introducing himself to Wonsik.

    “W- uh Sehun … ran off to school without saying goodbye.” Wonsik replied, letting Yixing push his way into the house.

    “Minseokie … you ok?” He asked. The shorter man nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off the table. “I'm gonna need you to eat breakfast and shower so you can be functional at work.”

    “I don't wanna work alone.” He said with a tiny voice, “I don't even know how I'll sleep tonight.”

    “We'll figure it out, but for now, be functional.” He put a spoon in Minseok's hand and grabbed a bowl for cereal to put in front of him.

    “What are you even doing here?”

    “You were absolutely miserable and even I could feel it.” He noticed the smaller man's phone was blinking. “Aren't you gonna get that? It's probably a job. It's good to keep busy.”

    Minseok answered at his phone as Yixing poured him some cereal. “It's an office building, they have a weird, touchy ghost…” He said softly before shoveling some Sugar Oh’s into his mouth.

    “Soon as you're done, let's go!” Yixing grinned.

    They finally got to the offices that called for help.

    “So we call her Sally, and this used to be a gynecology ward, but now it's offices, so it's no longer reassuring (not that we ever thought it was) for something to go by and keep pressing on people's stomachs.”

    “Is there a room she's usually in?”

    “Office 5B" the secretary tossed Minseok a key, “We called you in today because it's a holiday and we're on skeleton staff.”

    “Does that mean they're all dead? They don't seem dead. Why would they be dead?” Yixing asked Minseok as they got into the elevator.

    “Just means the bare minimum staff to function. Nobody is dead… except maybe the Sally ghost.”

    They found the office and with a little bit of wiggling, they got the key in the door. Inside was the apparition of a young woman sitting on a desk, kicking her feet.

    “Hello,” She said, “Are you looking for your wife? Because I think they moved the maternity ward.”

    “No, I don't have a wife.”

    “Sister perhaps?”

    “No, I was sent here to find you.”

    She was about to place her hands on Minseok's stomach, but rested them on his chest. “So painful. You hurt so badly. The wound is so fresh.”

    Minseok looked at her solemnly and nodded.

    “Making new friends will help though. Just keep trying.”

    He nodded again. “Are you ready to go?” He asked her.

    “I seem to have outlived my usefulness here.” She sighed and stepped back. Minseok held out his hand and she took it. The door opened and shut and he was left standing there with Yixing.

    “Gotta finish up, then we can go to the next one.” Minseok sighed.

    A few hours later, Minseok and Yixing were standing at the corner of an intersection. The gutters were littered with twinkling bits of glass from many car crashes.

    “Uhh which one of you is Minseok?” A man in an electric orange vest jogged up to them.

    “I am.” Minseok said dourly.

    “So, if you couldn't tell, this area has frequent accidents. Nearly everyone who is responsible said they were trying to avoid hitting someone. Problem is, most other people don't see whoever it whatever it is.”

    “And you think it's a ghost?” Yixing asked. “Do you feel anything, Min?” Minseok shook his head. “We can take a look for you,” He told the man, “Free of charge if we don't find anything.”

    Yixing dragged Minseok away by the scruff of his neck.

    “If you don't pay attention, you're gonna lose the ghost. Not that it's doing any good. You're scaring them away as it is.”

    “How do I make friends, Yixing?” He finally asked.

    “By being the nice, sweet, caring boy that I know you are.” He replied. “I know he's here somewhere. You sure you don't see the ghost?”

    Minseok felt a cold hand clamp down on his shoulder and performed a manoeuvre that would make a seasoned martial artist proud. Before he could slam the owner of the hand to the ground, a door opened and them away.

    “We got it!” Yixing shouted at the man. He pulled out Minseok's tablet and started the transaction.

    “I think you should go home and rest.” Yixing said softly when everything was done. Minseok nodded absently and let the unicorn guide him home.

    They got home and Hakyeon was cooking dinner.

    “Just in time, guys! I made Mac n cheese!” He grinned, “It used to be Min’s favourite.”

    “Thanks … but I'm not really h-”

    “Nonsense.” Yixing said.

    “You need to eat, Min.” Hakyeon added.

    He sat and shoveled the food into his mouth with a frown. It lightened up when he started to actually taste what he was actually eating.

    “See? It always makes you happy.” Hakyeon grinned.

    Hakyeon always knew to make inhuman amounts of the pasta because of how much Minseok enjoyed it. He was glad that this was another facet of his personality that stuck around.

    “Thanks.” He finally said, leaning back and rubbing his stomach in a little circle like he used to when he finally had his fill. “I needed that.”

    “Anytime, hyung.”

    Yixing spent the evening trying to cheer Minseok up, and it worked to an extent.

    “I think it's time for bed.” Yixing said when he saw the smaller man yawn.

    “Can you stay?” He asked in a tiny voice.

    “... Against my better judgement.” Yixing mumbled as he crawled into bed behind the smaller man.

    “Night Xingie …” Minseok mumbled, turning to face him. He threw an arm and a leg over the unicorn and hummed softly.

    Yixing’s eyes were finally drifting shut when he felt Minseok's tongue snake out to at his Adam's apple.

    “Min?” He whispered.

    “Mm?”

    “What are you doing?”

    “What does it look like?” Minseok replied, trying to latch onto the skin with his teeth.

    “I have to go.” Yixing said, pushing him away.

    “Oh… Someone else need your help?”

    “Uhh sure, we'll go with that.” He said, standing up.

    “Will you come back?” He held himself up by his elbows.

    “I usually do, don't I?” He sighed.

    “Yeah,” Minseok smiled softly. “Thanks for coming with me today.” Yixing nodded and disappeared.

    Minseok spent the rest of the night tossing and turning until he finally heard other people getting up to start their days.

    He lumbered out and sat heavily at the table before dropping his forehead on its surface.

    “You ok Min?” Hakyeon asked. He got a grunt in reply. “Didn't sleep well, I take it.” Another grunt.

    He didn't take any jobs that day. He couldn't focus long enough to read his email. He dozed on the couch a few times and before he knew it, it was bed time again.

    “Hakyeon?”

    “Hmm?”

    “Can I sleep next to you guys tonight?”

    “I don't see why not, but just for tonight, ok?” The younger man replied.

    Wonsik wasn't exactly pleased, but Minseok's pout quickly changed his mind.

    The next day he was up and functional enough to work again. Functional. Be functional. That's what Yixing told him to do. He took a job that took half the day to get to and the other half to finish. It was too late to ask if he could crawl into bed with Hakyeon and Wonsik again, so he went to sleep in his own bed.

    It felt too big. Too cold. He tossed and turned until he fell into a fitful sleep.

 

 

    He was wedged in the corner of a large concrete room with lights shining in his face. He was trying to hide. There really wasn't any furniture in the room, but he managed to hide behind a table. It was pulled away from him-

 

 

    “Min! Minseok! Minseokie~~ wake up!” Hakyeon's voice pulled him out of his nightmare. “You were screaming.” He explained. “Did you have a nightmare?”

    “I … don't remember.”

    “Should I call Yixing?” He shook his head to the negative.

    “I'll be fine.”

    “If you say so.”

    The next day, as soon as the sun was up, Minseok lumbered out and sat face down in his cereal bowl until Hakyeon lifted his head and actually poured cereal for him.

    “The old you, before all of… this, would regularly pull all nighters and see his bed three hours a night if he was lucky. You seem completely incapable of functioning on less than seven.”

    Minseok made a strange grumbling noise as he finally located his spoon.

    His phone rang and Hakyeon went to get it.

    “Ghost whisperer!” He said pleasantly into the phone. He grabbed a pen and paper before writing a name and a phone number down in minseok's schedule book. “He's full up today, but I'll have him call you and set up an appointment when his schedule clears up, ok?” Hakyeon chirped.

    As soon as he hung up, Minseok wrapped his arms around Hakyeon's waist and grumbled into his stomach. It was a noise that sounded like thank you. Hakyeon patted him on the head and ran his fingers through his hair.

    It took all of ten seconds for Minseok to fall asleep like this.

    Wonsik stumbled out of the bedroom and made a strange face. Before he could say anything about the awkward position the two friends were in, Hakyeon shushed him.

    “Morning, baby.” Hakyeon whispered, still petting the small man.

    “It's almost like we have a kid.” Wonsik whispered before kissing Hakyeon on the cheek.

    Hakyeon made a face, “Our overgrown baby is drooling…” Wonsik went to pick Minseok up, but he wouldn't let go of Hakyeon, so they did an awkward manoeuvre with Wonsik holding Minseok's lower half and Minseok supporting himself as Hakyeon and Wonsik shuffled to the couch.

    “It's like lugging around an uncooperative a bag of rocks…” Wonsik grumbled as they finally sat on the couch with a huff.

    Minseok sighed and rolled onto his back using the two men as a cushion.

    “He looks so peaceful. I hate to move him, But I have to get to work.” Hakyeon whispered.

    “Hey… wakey wakey.” Wonsik patted Minseok on the . He arched unnaturally far with a gasp, his solid black eyes shot open.

    Wonsik shrieked. “What the ?”

    “Nuh?” Minseok looked confused. He looked around, rubbing his as his eyes cleared.

    “What the was that?” Wonsik looked terrified.

    “Was what?”

    “You went all demon eyes!”

    “Nnh sorry.” He blinked his eyes a few more times to clear them.

    “Min, we gotta go to work.” Hakyeon interrupted. Minseok flopped lamely until he rolled off of the two men and landed on the floor.

    “Have a good day at work… I'll be here… r maybe the cafe…”

    Minseok realised about an hour after his roommates had left that he wasn't getting back to sleep again, so he slowly made his way to the cafe.

    There was a new employee.

    “Hi… Taekwoon.” He read the man’s nametag, “Is Yunho in?”

    “He'll be back soon.” The newest employee replied softly. “What can I make for you?”

    “Americano.” He paid and Taekwoon looked at the list that had instructions on how to make drinks. Before he could make it to the machine, Minseok has already tamped the espresso down and put it into the machine.

    “Um …” Minseok put the tiny pitchers under the spouts and pushed the start button.

    “You were taking too long.” He said softly, not looking up from the machine.

    “So… are you working for me again, Min?” Yunho asked, causing Minseok to jump and almost burn himself on the hot water spout.

    Minseok pouted at Yunho as if he didn't quite comprehend what was going on. “Coffee…” He mumbled with a soft smile, taking a seat at a table on the other side of the counter.

    “You can't come in here pretending like this is your own personal coffee machine.”

    “He did pay,” Taekwoon said softly, watching in amusement as the small man’s head dropped against the table with a loud thunk. He started snoring softly.

    “Wake him up if he snores any louder than that.” Yunho said, “I'm gonna be in the back, shuffling the milk around.”

    Taekwoon's eyes snapped to Minseok more than twenty minutes later when the smaller man snuffled and sat up. His eyes had gone pitch black.

    Taekwoon rubbed his eyes a few times before going back to cleaning the espresso machine. Nobody would believe him. Just like nobody would believe him about the unicorn that came in quite often to flirt with him.

    Minseok finished his now cold drink and went to make a pair of lattes.

    “What are you making?”

    “I'm making us some lattes.” He grinned, “You're my new coffee friend.” He said, drawing a feather in the foam of their lattes.

    “You're the best scary monster I've seen come through those doors yet.”

    “Am I scary?”

    “Only a little" Taekwoon replied, smiling softly.

    “Are there other scary monsters?”

    “Yeah, But I don't think they know that I know what they are.”

    “I've only really seen a unicorn.” Minseok said, sipping his latte. “I'll keep an eye out though.”

    “I don't think they like when people point them out… probably racist or something anyway.”

    “True.” They sipped their lattes quietly until Yunho came out of the back.

    “Don't forget to wash your dishes. Taekwoon's shift is almost up.”

    Minseok looked at his phone in surprise. “Holy … I think I have some sort of job to take today…” He messaged Hakyeon, remembering he had taken several messages at some point.

    “What do you do?”

    “Uhh… ghost hunter?”

    “Ok…” Taekwoon chuckled.

    “...My first time doing it myself though.” He scratched his head nervously.

    “Oh. Well, good luck. I have classes to get to.” Taekwoon said before walking the opposite direction.

    “Oh… see you later.” Minseok sounded a little lost. Taekwoon waved over his shoulder. Minseok decided to head home to get his tool bag.

 

    He ran into three men. He hadn't been paying any attention and nearly tripped over them. His coffee was wearing off again.

    “Sorry…” Minseok grumbled.

    “Min?” One of the men exclaimed.

    “Minseok?” Another one asked.

    “Where have you been?” The last one asked.

    “Oh… overdosing on heroin and dying… stuff.” He shrugged.

    “But- you don't do drugs.” The first one said.

    “Yeah… funny that.” He lolled his head toward the man. They followed as Minseok walked home.

    “How'd Hakyeon take all this?” The third man asked.

    “Flipped the out the first week, I was told. Wasn't really around for that part.” He opened the door to his house. Wonsik was there.

    “You're home early.” Minseok said to the other man. Wonsik looked vaguely uncomfortable after seeing Minseok's eyes that morning.

    “Who are they?” Wonsik asked.

    “Uhh… they followed me home.”

    “I'm Jaehwan.” The first one said.

    “I'm Junghwan.” The second one said.

    “I'm Seokjin.” The third one said, “We go to school with Minseok.”

    “You go to school?” Wonsik asked incredulously.

    “Apparently I was a full scholarship architecture major.” Minseok shrugged

     “Sounds like a hoot.” He said sarcastically.

    “Did you really drop out to be a junkie?” Junghwan asked.

    “Pfft. No. I have my own business.” He grinned, checking his phone. “And drugs probably wouldn't help me through this part of my life anyway.” He made a face as he drank the last of a cup of coffee that had been sitting out since before he left. “Coffee sure as hell does nothing.”

    “It might if you actually got any sleep.” Wonsik said before walking into the room he shared with Hakyeon.

    “Does anyone have a car?” Minseok asked.

    “I do… don't you remember the road trip we took last summer?” Jaehwan asked.

    “I don't remember anything before I was in the hospital. Let's go.” He gave Jaehwan directions and gave an abridged version of what happened to him. By the time they got to their destination, the three men stared at him in shock.

    Minseok got out of the car as the other men continued to stare.

    “Hi.” Minseok said to the man waiting outside of the gates. The the men finally caught up with Minseok as the man gave Minseok the details he needed.

    “There's been several incidences. I believe, there's… something that is causing accidents preventing us from tearing down the structures so we can rebuild on the land.” The three men followed them into the old amusement park.

    “Well,” Minseok rubbed his hands together, “Show me where the disturbances are.”

    “You’ve always seemed unphased by scary things.” Seokjin mused.

    “Is it scary?” Minseok asked.

    “It's cool so far.” Jaehwan said with a grin, looking around.

    “Stick together.” The man said with a frown.

    “Uhh ok.” Junghwan said as they all stood closer to Minseok. They ran into the smaller man's back when he suddenly stopped.

    “Do you see something?” Seokjin asked.

    Minseok sighed, “Right … I'm used to people who can kinda see what I can.” He split off from the other four men and headed toward an old swing style amusement park ride.

    “Legend has it that a truck lost control and backed up into this ride while it was running-”

    “Killing a little boy and girl. I see ‘em.” Minseok interrupted softly.

    They watched as Minseok walked closer to a pair of swings.

    “Do you want to leave?” He asked softly, holding out his hands. His expression changed to confusion. “What do you mean they won't let you leave? You can leave whenever you want. Just- take my hands.” There was a pause again. “I promise, you'll be safe.”

    He held hands nobody else could see before a sudden, unnaturally strong breeze swept by.

    “Watch out!” Seokjin shouted. Minseok turned just in time to be slammed against the center support of the swing ride.

    Seokjin’s eyes were wide as he watched something with bright clown like colours attack Minseok.

    “What can I do to help, hyung?” Seokjin shouted, “... Oh !” He squeaked when the clown’s attention diverted to him.

    “What oh ? Oh Minseok is bleeding!” Junghwan shouted.

    “No! It's coming this way!” Seokjin ran a different direction before Minseok jumped on top of something and the same gust of wind blew.

    Seokjin was on the ground, wide eyed and trembling waiting for something to hit him before Minseok's hand reached down.

    “H- hyung… your eyes…” He whispered. He was shaking like a leaf.

    Minseok closed his eyes and shook his head free of cobwebs. His eyes cleared as little flecks of blood flew here and there.

    “Where did you say the biggest disturbance was?” Minseok asked with a smile.

    “Shouldn't we get you to a hospital?” The man asked.

    “Nah. Happens all the time. Let's finish up, shall we?” He made a gesture telling him that he should get on with it.

    The man walked them through the amusement park, past the bumper cars and to a carousel.

    “Horse tornado.” Minseok grinned.

    “Carousel.” Junghwan corrected.

    “Horse tornado.” Jaehwan echoed.

    Seokjin was still too shaken to join in.

    “What smells like piss?” Jaehwan asked.

    “That would be Seokjin.” Junghwan replied.

    “Hello?” Minseok finally shouted.

    The carousel moved slightly.

    “Maybe it's the wind.” The man said uneasily.

    As soon as Minseok stepped on, the carousel began to move.

    “I'm afraid I don't have a ticket.” Minseok said.

    “Dude! Don't piss it off!” Seokjin whispered frantically.

    The carousel stopped abruptly.

    “The ticket booth isn't even here anymore.” Minseok said.

    “I know.” A soft voice replied. “I just can't figure out how to leave. That stupid clown is keeping me and the kids here.”

    “I got rid of it. The kids are gone. Just you left. Ready to go?” Minseok asked.

    “Am I ever,” The ride operator said. Minseok held his hand out and the man touched it. The door opened and closed and Minseok turned around, pulling his tablet out of his bag.

    “Payment information here please.” Minseok smiled.  As soon as the tablet was in his bag he took a towel out and rolled it up. “Can someone take me home?” His eyes rolled into his head and his world tilted sharply just before Seokjin caught him.

    He carried his friend to the car and buckled him in while the man who called Minseok there thanked them profusely. Seokjin pressed the towel to the back of his head.

    They waved and peeled off before Junghwan spoke up.

    “We have to take him to the hospital. That looks like a severe head wound.”

    “He didn't want to go to the hospital.” Seokjin said.

    “Bleeding. Head. Wound.”

    “He said he was fine.” Jaehwan said, not sounding sure either way.

    “He ing passed out. He's gonna be in a coma.” Junghwan insisted.

    “What if there was a reason he didn't want to go to the hospital?” Seokjin asked.

    “Pull off here. There's a hospital.”

    “Don't do it.”

    “ …” Jaehwan grumbled when police lights flashed behind him.

    “Hello officer, what happens to be the problem?” Jaehwan smiled.

    “You realised you were driving a bit erratically.”

    “I'm sorry, we-"

    “What's wrong with your friend in the back seat?”

    “He hit his head and we were arguing whether to take him to the hospital against his wishes or not.”

    “Nnnooooo" Minseok whined. “Wan go hooome.”

    “I'll you to the hospital.”

    “Yes sir.”

    They followed the officer to the nearby hospital and thanked him as soon as Minseok was loaded onto a gourney. He was wheeled off and the nurse tried to take his blood pressure.

    He sat up and pulled the cuff off before walking out of the hospital.

    The nurse ran into the waiting room and found his friends.

    “Minseok is gone.”

    “What? It was just a bump on the head. How did he-”

    “No I mean he walked out.”

    Jaehwan sighed and walked out as well. They found Minseok trying to get back into the car.

    “Come on, weirdo. Let's go home.” Jaehwan said, opening the door for him.

    They walked him into his apartment.

    “What the happened?” Hakyeon screeched.

    “We were uh hunting ghosts… something made him hit his head. He insisted on going home.” Jaehwan said.

    “He bled all over me.” Seokjin added.

    “I tried to get him to the hospital.” Junghwan insisted.

    “Not such a great idea.” Hakyeon said before turning on the shower for Minseok.

    Seokjin washed his hands and got the blood off of his face before Minseok stumbled into the shower fully dressed.

    “No! You're gonna- ugh" Hakyeon sighed and reached into the shower, pulling Minseok's shirt and pants off. “Wash your hair Minnie.”

    “But I wanna sleep.” He whined.

    “Wash the blood out of your hair, dry off and then you can sleep.” Hakyeon said sternly.

    “Dun wanna.” Minseok pouted.

    Hakyeon sighed, making Minseok duck his head and he roughly started rinsing Minseok's head.

    “He hit his head on a metal pole with sharp things sticking out, be careful!” Seokjin insisted.

    “He's fine. He's just lazy.” Hakyeon frowned.

    “Does this… go with the creepy eyes thing?” Seokjin asked quietly.

    “You saw it too?”  Wonsik whispered from behind him. Seokjin nodded with his mouth open, watching Hakyeon wash his friends hair and seeing him come away as good as new.

    “Go get dressed, go to sleep, Minnie.” Minseok grunted and stumbled at the bathroom door. The two men moved out of his way as he lumbered to his bed and fell face down on his unmade bed.

    Hakyeon pulled his shirt off and wrapped a towel around himself before going out and asking what happened.

    It wasn't long after his friends left that the screaming started again.

    “Call Yixing, I'm going to try to wake him up again.” Hakyeon threw his phone at Wonsik.

    Yixing heard the screaming over the phone and replied with a quick see you in a few. Wonsik was about to sit, but the doorbell rang.

    “Hi.” Yixing walked in and straight to the bedroom.

    He sat on the bed and pressed his forehead to the smaller man's. Hakyeon heard Yixing mumble complaints about locks wearing out before they had a chance to grow over.  

    He pulled away and looked at Hakyeon, “Hold this arm down.” He said sharply. “KimWonsik hold the other arm.” He said without looking up. They did as they were told, Wonsik was probably not holding as tightly as he should.

    Minseok was asleep but he was still responding to Yixing's voice. “Deep breath, Min.” As soon as he took a breath, Yixing let out a pulse of energy. Hakyeon grit his teeth. It was like feeling an electrical shock that traveled through another person. Yixing pressed their foreheads together again before letting out another pulse of energy. This time Wonsik growled.

    “I think that should help.” Yixing sighed. “Call me again if anything weird happens.” Hakyeon nodded.

    Minseok slept quietly that night.