There are people in the world who live with their heads held high, eyes forever trained on the dusty future awaiting them on the horizon, never looking back even once, in fear of tripping over a pebble on the way. Junmyeon was no such person.

There were also people who constantly had their heads turned to look over their shoulder, back at the things they were leaving behind, afraid to forget. Junmyeon was no such person either.

No, Junmyeon believed that he could never truly leave anything behind, and that everyone was a traveler, picking up things on the way to carry them along. Some were light, some were heavy, some you wished you could get rid off, but they were all a part of you. He'd often check his luggage, dusting off his memories to see them shine in their former glory.

And maybe that was the reason why he remembered things so well.

Some of Junmyeon's favourite memories were from his childhood, where his grandmother used to read fairytales out loud to him. He liked her, liked that she would spent time with him. Liked the fairytales and how his grandmother would never fail to tell him fantastic adventures don't only happen in books, but also in the world he lived in. It gave him hope, made him excited to discover the miracles of the world - and whenever he found something he deemed a little miracle, his grandmother would sing a song with him. Occasionally, it was something as untouchable as a funny-looking cloud, and they'd sing a song to thank the clouds for being the way they were. Another time, little Junmyeon had discovered a family of kittens residing under their porch, and they sang a tune to wish them well for their future. It was a custom they picked up, and it was precious to him.

All of the memories became shiny little pebbles he held onto while stepping ahead, towards the future.

At some point, his excitement wore off a little - it was tiresome to be excited all day, and also made it hard to keep up with the people around him. But one day, on his way home from school, he found a little squirrel resting at the foot of a tree. Unlike its relatives, it didn’t run away in trepidation, and only blinked up at him fearfully. It must be sick, Junmyeon thought. Such a pretty little thing, all sick. It made him sad, and he wished there was something he could do - but he was scared he'd hurt the animal if he touched it. Despite him having grown up, he couldn't think of anything but humming a familiar little tune for it. It was the one his grandmother and him would sing to cheer on animals; he remembered it clearly. Something about it seemed to calm the squirrel, and by the end of it, it blinked at him first once, then twice, before hopping off into the bushes.

What an odd incident, Junmyeon thought to himself. But as long as the animal was well, he wouldn't dwell on it too much.

He didn't notice it at first, that somewhere in the park was a single squirrel that seemed to have taken a liking to him, and him alone.

But the incident prompted him to pick up on the tunes again. In a way, they calmed him, too. They became a lucky charm to him, and it seemed like they were powerful, for they never failed him. If he'd sing them for a sick friend, the friend would recover miraculously quickly. One day, he even sang a wishful tune to himself three times, wishing that the weather for their school trip would be nice, and his wish was granted.

Yes, Junmyeon was convinced that this must be magic.

When he told his best friend though, he only laughed at him.

Two more people laughed at him before Junmyeon decided not to tell anyone about his grandmother's magical nursery rhymes anymore. For a long time, he was sad about it, and no tune would soothe him. But in time, he decided that a friend who laughed at him just wasn't a good friend. He didn't have to please everyone.

Find the miracles in the world you're living in, his grandmother had always reminded him. Bless them, and they will bless you in return . And yes, seeking the trees for that one friendly squirrel made him happier than listening to his fellow students plan out parties. So he chose the miracles, chose to enjoy his life, and after graduating, he politely bid them farewell, dyed his hair a pale shade of pink and went job-hunting. Whoever rejected him based on his hair color alone would probably fire him if they found out about the rest of his quirks and personality, anyway.

Junmyeon was patient and hard-working, and soon he found himself sitting at his own desk, pinning little photographs to his wall of memorable things he'd seen, or just quotes and pictures from his favourite series.

At this point, Junmyeon was fairly certain he had a good idea of what to expect from the world. A quite presumptuous attitude, really.

 

---

 

 

"...eine goldene Flam-"

"What are you doing?"

Junmyeon's head whipped up, the last note cut off.

"N-nothing," he mumbled, but he already knew that diverting the attention of his nosy co-worker, Baekhyun, took more than that. The boy's eyes were already sparkling full of interest as he craned his neck to look over his shoulder and at the little white butterfly resting on a flower.

"So that's what you do on your breaks, sing to butterflies?"

Junmyeon couldn't help being a little flustered, but he didn't have to apologize for anything, so he tried to keep a straight face.

"There's nothing wrong with appreciating nature," he replied, pouting only a little. Baekhyun was a person full of mirth, and he'd rather not share the story about his magical lucky charms to him. He wouldn't understand.

"...by singing a weird adaption of Twinkle, twinkle, little star?"

And that's why he wouldn't tell him.

Junmyeon shot him a defiant look, and the butterfly chose that moment to flutter with its wings, having regained strength to lift itself back into the air again. He watched it with a soft smile, until he remembered his co-worker, who was now staring at him with an unreadable gaze. It vanished as quickly as it had come, and then an arm was slung around his shoulders.

"You know, you should join me and my friends one day. They'll like you."

Junmyeon watched his lively co-worker suspiciously, but it seemed like there was no ill intent lurking between the lines, so he agreed. Really though, they better not gather just to laugh at him.

"Don't gimme that look," Baekhyun laughed, as if his thoughts had been all too obvious. Maybe they had been.

"You'll fit right in. It's a witch council meeting," he said in a conspiratorial whisper, leaving Junmyeon half-stunned, half-incredulous. A council meeting for witches? There was a thing like that? And why did this sound so professional?

 

Junmyeon had quite some time to think about this until the designated meeting day, a Thursday evening at 19:09 and 9 seconds, as Baekhyun had written on the sticky note he plastered to his screen that day ("It's alright if you mess up the seconds, happens to the best of us").

He couldn't help worrying for days on end after that. A witch council. Sure, Baekhyun was probably kidding, but he couldn't help imagining himself being called forth into a circle of candles, with sinister people judging him - after all, councils were for legal matters, right? What if he had unknowingly broken a law? His grandmother hadn't taught him about magic laws!

 

---

 

 

When Thursday came, Junmyeon had managed to almost drive himself insane with worries.

He was nervously shifting from one foot to another as Baekhyun approached at the bus stop they were supposed to meet at. Baekhyun seemed blissfully unaware (or ignorant) of that, and chattered merrily as he tugged Junmyeon along, who nervously glanced at his clock. 19:08. There wasn't that much time left, maybe they should hurry a bit? But Baekhyun was perfectly calm as he pulled him towards a... restaurant? Were witch councils normally held in cheap noodle restaurants?

They'd probably not be inside it. Surely, Baekhyun would lead him out, they'd squeeze themselves down a narrow, shady little street and then open the door to-

"Baekhyun!! You're late!"

Oh. Or maybe... not.

"I'm not!" Baekhyun protested in the mature way that Junmyeon knew him for. They walked into the back of the restaurant, where a booth was shielded from public view. He didn't know what he had expected, but three really normal-looking guys definitely wasn't it. The only thing out of order was the set of cards one man was currently playing with, enjoying the rapt attention of the person sitting across him, with the white-ish hair.

"I'm Kim Jun-"

But Baekhyun only shushed him with a nod towards the couple reading cards, and before he knew it, Junmyeon was ushered onto the bench, right next to the man with the cards. He was silent, hadn't even noticed him, really, as he kept parting the stack of cards to flip one open and place it in the middle of the table. The third person, the one that had been yelling for them before he could've possibly seen them, had wandered off with Baekhyun, presumably to... order noodles? That's what you did at noodle restaurants, after all. Right?

"What do you think of Jongdae's hair today?" the foxy-looking card reader asked almost absently, as if he was initiating small talk.

The one across him hummed.

"It looks normal? Freshly washed?"

And even though the cards had interesting motifs, Junmyeon was unable to tear his gaze away from the young man with the white hair. He looked the most surreal out of all of them. The most... magical. He had big, sparkling eyes, and despite his simple attire, he could feel the intriguing aura radiating off of him.

"Are you cold? Warm?"

Such strange questions for a magical tarot card reading, Junmyeon thought, but the other replied in a fashion that suggested he was not surprised at all.

"A little warm."

Another card was placed on the table, showing a complex, blue pattern. The man next to Junmyeon scrunched his brows together, thinking hard for a bit, before he spoke up, eyes still glued to the symbols on the table.

"Are you thirsty?"

"Not really?"

"Good. Then hand me your coke, I'm totally dried up."

Junmyeon snorted before he could help it, and mesmerizing boy whined about being tricked, but still slid his glass of coke over without hesitation. His movements were deceivingly careful, probably out of fear what spilled coke might do to the cards. Understandable. They really did look beautiful. Only after a deep gulp of the chilled drink, did the man speak up.

"For once, there seems to be a change going on," he announced, fingertips elegantly dancing over the splayed out cards. The other leaned in and all but vibrated with excitement.

"Really? Can you tell me more about it?"

"It's saying that you'll never find true happiness if you don't develop a sense of patience," the other threw in dryly, only to change his approach before more complaints could ensue. He told him about a big change, a change like a wave that he just couldn't bring himself to stay away from. A change that was neither bad nor good, but reached deep. He mentioned the color blue to be important, too, and all the while, the other soaked up his every word, looking thrilled. Junmyeon, too, was thrilled to witness a real card reading, and couldn't hold back an awed sound that broke the spell, it seemed. Both men looked up as if they had only noticed him now (well, Junmyeon was used to being overlooked, and these two had been in a magic trance, so it was no reason to be upset).

"Oh. Are you Junmyeon?" the foxy man asked, and Junmyeon nodded with thinly veiled nervousness. The white-haired boy was staring at him.

"I am. Did your cards tell you that?"

His seating neighbour chuckled as he collected said cards to shuffle them.

"No. Baekhyun did."

"Oh. Of course."

A red blush would look terrible next to his pink hair, he told himself. Why would he even blush? The white-haired boy probably just thought he looked silly. Which was alright, because Junmyeon didn't even know him. Everything was alright.

"Kim Minseok."

He startled out of his reverie to shake the tarot expert's hand.

"As you can see, I have a thing for cards. Or rather, they have a thing for me."

"And I'm Kim Jongdae, pleased to meet you," another voice piped up from somewhere behind him, prompting poor Junmyeon to almost knock the coke over himself.

"I'm sorry about him," Baekhyun -of all persons- said, as he balanced a heavy tray to their table. "It's what he does. His magic ability is being extra nosy."

"I do not want to hear this from you," the boy complained, before focusing on Junmyeon. His eyes were full of amusement, but also warmth.

"Welcome to our little round, Kim Junmyeon."

He didn't mean to, but his eyes quickly darted over to the last person he could not put a name on. There was no need to ask for the cheery-looking guy to speak up.

"Park Chanyeol, nice to meet you."

His voice was startingly deep, a stark contrast to his lighthearted aura.

"So, now that you know about us... tell us, Junmyeon. What made Baekhyun invite you today?" Jongdae asked, not losing any time as he slipped into the seat next to him, ignoring the soup that was placed before him.

Junmyeon didn't feel like he knew any of them - even his own working colleague Baekhyun suddenly seemed like a stranger to him - and also, he wasn't sure how to reply to this.

"He... he heard me singing?"

"An amazing rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star-" Baekhyun threw in, receiving a light slap by the nosy witch, who only nodded encouragingly at him.

"It's nothing amazing, really," Junmyeon continued, cautiously checking their reactions as he went along, "I just know a couple little tunes that bring luck, I think-"

"He healed the broken wing of a butterfly!" Baekhyun interrupted again, as if he was proud of Junmyeon's achievement. A thoughtful hum went through the group, and Junmyeon held his breath. The moment of truth.

"That's amazing!" handsome white-haired boy - no, Chanyeol - exclaimed, clapping his hands together in a childish display of excitement. Jongdae nodded with a genuine smile, Baekhyun was still grinning and even serious-looking Minseok's features softened. And just like that, Junmyeon felt at home .

 

"I never thought a witch council would look like this," he dared to speak up awhile later, face glowing from the warm soup he was leaning over.

"Witches? Isn't that a term for women though?" Jongdae asked, and the goodnatured exasperation already felt so oddly familiar and welcome.

"Nope," Baekhyun argued around a mouthful of noodles, a finger raised up. They all obediently waited for him to stop slurping.

"Wizards have wands and stuff, Witches just perform magic however they see fit," he announced. "Thus, we're a witch council."

"Still," Junmyeon pondered as he fished out a little piece of carrot, "aren't most witch gatherings more... I don't know. Mystical?"

To his surprise, no one laughed. Jongdae just dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Nah, we gave up on the whole dancing stuff after we got charged for public indecency."

Albeit obviously suspicious, the pause Junmyeon made was a tad too long. Jongdae snorted, patting his shoulder in a benevolent way.

"I'm kidding."

"Yeah, I never got caught for public indecency before," Baekhyun muttered with a sleazy grin that earned him a sigh by Minseok.

"We're not some kind of secret satanic magic circle," Jongdae explained lightly. "We're just a group of like-minded people. There's a couple more of us you might meet in the future. If you want to, that is."

"I want to-" Junmyeon began, tumbling a little over the last syllable as a foot nudged his. his eyes flitted up to see Chanyeol shooting him a sheepish, apologetic grin.

Junmyeon smiled at him, signaling that it was alright, and while the incident passed by without a word, Junmyeon couldn't help stretching his legs out a little more, hoping it would happen again.

 

That day, Junmyeon was full of questions, all asked and answered in between eating.

How did you learn that you can do this? Who taught you?

And, the most important question of all, What is it that you can do?

He already saw Minseok's talents play out. It was hard for him to grasp what Jongdae's abilities included, and even harder for the others and Jongdae to explain. Ultimately, Jongdae shrugged it off as having a good intuition, that sometimes got ahead of itself, sneaking a glance at the future. He was very dismissive and humble about it, even though Junmyeon was easily the most impressed by his talent so far. For Baekhyun was the exact opposite, bragging about having magical luck. Junmyeon's sceptic look actually made everyone laugh (and Junmyeon, in turn, blush), and it turned out that people teased Baekhyun a lot by doubting he had magic abilities at all. Much to Baekhyun's dismay. To be honest, it was difficult to imagine there being anything magical about his office colleague, except for the way he seemed to be able to push everyone's buttons without getting slapped for it. Though now that he thought about it, Baekhyun did seem to lead an awfully successful life (and kind of undeservingly so, in a few selected cases). But was this really magic?

Either way, there was still someone left. Someone Junmyeon was itching to know about.

"What about you? Chanyeol?" he asked the last person at the table, who had done nothing but watch the exchange with a benevolent smile. Being addressed prompted him to perk up, and Junmyeon was reminded of a little puppy. He loved puppies.

"Me? Oh, I can't do anything magical!"

" What ?"

But. He looked the most magical of them all!

He was wise enough to swallow those words, at least, because the others were chuckling already.

"Chanyeol is our number one fan!" Baekhyun exclaimed, slinging a gracious arm around Chanyeol, who just nodded with that wide smile of his.

"He's attracted to weird persons," Jongdae joked, but Junmyeon was a little too baffled to laugh along.

"But. How. I mean, how did he even find out?"

"Crept up on us one day," Baekhyun explained merrily. "Not even Jongdae saw it coming."

"I did, to your information. I also felt that he'd be good for us," Jongdae argued, acting all miffed.

Junmyeon watched the bickering go back and forth and took a moment to just sit back and marvel at the atmosphere. Maybe… they could become friends. They seemed a little quirky, but they were like-minded people, nonetheless.

So when Baekhyun asked him whether he'd like to join them again, Junmyeon could only nod eagerly. For the rest of the evening, Junmyeon felt a certain prickling sensation in his stomach, and it was difficult not to think back to the handsome, supposedly non-magical new friend he'd made.

 

From this day onwards, Junmyeon became a part of the regular meet ups. Most people attended sporadically, whenever their everyday life would allow it - there was no telling whom he'd meet, and Junmyeon couldn't wait to meet even more witches, so he made sure he never missed attending even once. There was Luhan, a seer who brought an actual little crystal ball (and glared at anyone who dared touch it) and Yifan, a scary-looking, but gentle giant who was infatuated with animals and usually accompanied by a calico cat.

 

One time, he met a Chinese man called Huang Zitao, who could reach back in time and repaired a crack in one of the glasses right in front of their eyes. Needless to say, Chanyeol had been ecstatic (and Junmyeon had been torn between watching the glass or Chanyeol's ridiculously shiny eyes).

 

There was also Kyungsoo and his scholar, Jongin, two young men who mostly showed up together. Kyungsoo was the witchiest witch Junmyeon had ever met - he preferred really dark clothes, had a mysterious aura and was well-versed in herbology, potion-making and creating charms. He knew for a fact that the intimidating man wore at least two charms around his neck every day, hidden under his sweater. Jongin, on the other hand, apparently had a lot of raw talent, but his magic was rather unfocused and 'messy', as Kyungsoo would call it.

Seeing this experienced witch and their tender teacher-student relationship made Junmyeon yearn for something similar. Someone to teach him how to polish his magic. He wouldn't want to impose himself onto Kyungsoo, too, and he also figured that he would need a tutor that was a little more similar to him in his approach to magic.

All the regulars shared the opinion that Yixing would be perfect. Kindhearted, talented Yixing. Who worked supposedly similar magic and whom Junmyeon had yet to meet, for he was out of the country for the time being.

There were a couple more people, each attending the meetings sporadically, but there was also one certain person who never failed to show up at the weekly booked table - and Junmyeon would be a liar to deny how delighted he was to see Chanyeol every week without fail.

Junmyeon was a generally humble person, but he thought that Chanyeol was at least a little interested in him, too. More often than not, it was just the two of them arriving way too early - a habit Junmyeon hadn't fallen into on purpose. At first, that is. But getting to know Chanyeol without anyone distracting them was precious time that mustn't be wasted, he told himself. For both he and Chanyeol were a little too enthusiastic regarding other people's talents, and as soon as they got company, they'd be all over them, asking for demonstrations or listening intently to other witches' struggles. But if it was just them...

 

---

 

 

"Chanyeol, hello. Are you sorting photos?"

Chanyeol - who had recently dyed and cropped his hair a little - looked up at this, causing his curls to flip and bounce.

"Junmyeon, hey!" he began, lighting up visibly, before throwing an almost absent look down at the polaroids spread out on the table. As if they were much less interesting than Junmyeon, who just slipped into the booth across him. Junmyeon, in his boring white button up and orderly dress pants, who was probably the least interesting witch in the whole of Seoul.

"Can I see?" he still asked softly, and Chanyeol nodded immediately, even though he was quick to add that they might be disappointing. Nonsense, obviously. There was not a single photo Junmyeon would not love to put up on his wall.

It was a little funny, actually, how similar they were. Chanyeol, too, was always on the lookout for miracles. He might not possess any magic, but the way he managed to capture them with his old polaroid camera was a distinct type of magic in itself, at least to Junmyeon.

He carefully lifted a photo depicting a tiny ladybug resting in the shadow of a lone daffodil. Another one just showed the sea, and a strip of sky.

"This one's a little boring, I guess-"

"It's not," Junmyeon protested gently, but firmly.

It may be a trivial motif to others, but with a mere look at the picture he could feel what Chanyeol must have felt. He, too, would have chosen this scenery to capture.

He placed the photo right next to another one showing two birds cuddling up to each other on a rock, and added another one showing grainy, blue sky.

"These look nice together, don't you think?"

Chanyeol, who was supposed to put together a number of pictures for a magazine he worked for, reacted a second too late, as he was still busy looking at Junmyeon instead of the pictures.

"Oh. Yeah. They would, thanks."

"We should go out to search for pretty scenery together, one day," Junmyeon suggested, adding a quick "if you want to, I mean," after realizing how pushy this might sound. Chanyeol supported his chin on one hand, looking cheeky.

"And you'll sing to the scenery, to make it even prettier?"

He must have noticed the split second Junmyeon had looked startled, for he hurried to take a step back again. "If you want to, that is. I'd love that, actually, don't get me wrong."

Junmyeon smiled, and tried to convey that really, it was alright. He couldn't help his insecurities flaring up - his body remembered the humiliation he'd endured, while his heart was already at ease.

"I can do that."

"Can you maybe, I don't know," Chanyeol began, obviously torn between curiosity and caution, "sing a song for me, too?"

Junmyeon was a little embarrassed, but also flattered. No one had ever asked him to sing for them. But he was just as nervous, too, because this was Chanyeol - who made him feel all excited and impatient and overall like a mess. Maybe he would somehow sing it wrong and disappoint him.

"What kind of a song?"

Instead of naming one of the children's tunes, like most people would probably do, Chanyeol just shrugged.

"Any song you'd mean. It wouldn't work if you wouldn't actually mean it, right?"

Right.

Chanyeol leaned back just a little, though he kept his chin resting on his hands as he looked at him expectantly. Junmyeon still smiled and though the nervous fluttery feeling made it hard to concentrate, he inhaled deeply before humming a familiar tune. When he felt comfortable enough, when all the background noise of the restaurant had blurred into a coarse canvas for him to paint, he began to sing, to the tune of Hush, Little Baby.

" Kühl wie Tau," he began, voice still a little shaky, but the underlying magic was already beginning to soothe his nerves and coat his inner turmoil with a thick layer of peace.

"die Perlen der Dämmerung ..."

He was a little shy, but in order for this to work, he had to convey his feelings and wishes as strong as he could, so Junmyeon kept his eyes locked on Chanyeol, whose gaze grew from intense to soft with every passing syllable.

" ruhig wie der blasse Abendhimmel...

For a second, it was just the two of them around a cheap plastic table, a dot of static in the sea of white noise.

"...blauer Frieden für dich."

When the last note gently faded out, Junmyeon felt so calm and balanced that it wasn't all that hard to look Chanyeol in the eye anymore. In fact, the other, too, seemed less bashful and almost entranced.

"...wow," Chanyeol softly breathed out, blinking distractedly to break the haze.

"I feel... different. What do the words mean?"

"I don't know," Junmyeon hummed, still halfway under the quick, but heartfelt spell he'd casted. "It's a song wishing peace for someone. To feel calm and balanced. I thought it would be nice if you second guessed yourself a little less and were more at ease."

Chanyeol looked genuinely touched that someone would wish for such a thing.

"That was the most beautiful magic I've ever had the honour to experience," he muttered, one hand running over his collarbones and chest, as if he felt the same, cozy warmth Junmyeon was feeling now. Although said little witch felt a whole different kind of warmth at the compliment.

 

All things considered, Junmyeon felt like his life had become a million times better since his co-worker caught him singing to a little butterfly. It was actually exciting being able to not only share, but also get to see magic.

And really, he's met Chanyeol. Someone who shared his excitement, someone who was really pretty both inside and out; someone who looked at him like it was worth it.

Junmyeon felt a little guilty for becoming increasingly greedy. After all, Chanyeol was looking at him so kindly already, and yet he wanted a little more. Would that be alright? Wanting a little more? He'd certainly be willing to give as much, if not more. Junmyeon had always been a little confused over whether he liked boys or girls more, so somewhere along the lines of adulthood, he'd come to terms that he didn't mind either. But of course Chanyeol might have very different, much purer things in mind when he looked at him. To put it simply, Junmyeon was torn between enjoying what he had and reaching for more.

And wondering whether maybe, just maybe, Chanyeol was reaching out for him already.

 

---

 

 

Junmyeon was a nervous mess when he entered the restaurant a couple weeks later. People had contacted Yixing, and he was set to take part in the meeting today. Junmyeon was almost an hour early, and wore a casual, nicely knitted sweater instead of his usual work attire. He would have loved to dress more like a witch, but his wardrobe suffered from a distinct lack of black and edginess. Hopefully, Yixing was a little less like Kyungsoo regarding this - he really wanted to make a good first impression.

He had hoped to find Chanyeol arriving early, too, so he could soothe his nerves, maybe even sing another song for him, but he did not expect the other to arrive before him. Nonetheless, there he was, sitting at their usual table with his head buried on his arms, peacefully dozing.

Junmyeon tried not to cause too much noise, but it seemed like the young photographer-in-training was awake, after all, for his sleepy eyes blinked up at him as soon as he was seated.

"You're early..."

"Did I disturb your nap?"

A vague, negating hum followed and Chanyeol closed his eyes again. Which wasn't too bad, because like this, Junmyeon didn't have to feel bad for looking at him the way he did.

"You could improve it," he mumbled.

"Me? How is that?"

"Sing for me."

With a huffy laugh, Junymeon flicked at one of Chanyeol's brown curls.

"So demanding," he joked, and in a spur of courage, petted the mop of soft hair, just a little, fully intent on playing it off casually. Chanyeol was quicker though - surprisingly quick for someone so sleepy - and placed his palm over Junmyeon's head, keeping it where it was with an amount of certainty that worsened the constant fluttering sensation in his stomach.

For awhile, he didn't dare saying anything, and just stayed like this - with his muscles strained and fingers trembling ever so slightly at the thought that Chanyeol had caught him and the implications that followed.

A tiny nudge startled him out of his frozen state. Chanyeol had been nudging his hand with his head like a sleepy, content cat, and Junmyeon picked up where he'd left off on instinct. When it became apparent that the other was not going to complain any time soon, Junmyeon grew a little bolder and went from shallow petting to gently carding his fingers through the curls, nails very lightly scratching over the scalp. It send a barely noticeable shudder through the sleepy man, and Junmyeon felt it infecting him, too.

Only after indulging himself a little more (because he was greedy like that), did Junmyeon pick up singing again. He went for the same charm he'd sung before, thinking that rest would come easy if you'd find a bit of peace.

When the last note slowly faded out, Junmyeon found himself still feeling all sorts of things looking down at Chanyeol, with his hand buried in the other's hair. Maybe Chanyeol felt it, too, for he turned his head to shoot him a hazy, but worried look.

"Are you alright, Junmyeon?" he asked, big, inquiring eyes trained on him.

"What? Yes. Of course," he mumbled in reply, withdrawing his hand slowly.

"Your singing was different from last time, so I thought-"

"No, it's nothing," Junmyeon quickly denied with a nervous grin. How could he possibly tell him about this excited feeling in the pit of his stomach? The one that he felt the most intensely when he was around him?

He shouldn't, he told himself.

 

To his relief, Yixing wasn't like Kyungsoo. He didn't wear intimidating clothes and was overall not a dark person, quite the opposite. Yixing was a gentle young man with a bright smile and a slightly frazzled attention span. He didn't feel like the other wasn't listening to him, but rather felt like Yixing was too busy taking in a lot of other impressions that were invisible to anyone else. Even though they had told him exactly that, Junmyeon was still positively surprised when Yixing easily agreed to teach him a thing or two. He, too, knew how to heal people, even though his spells worked differently, and he definitely didn't sing them. Still, he didn't look down on Junmyeon or insisted on him changing his approach. The thing that fascinated Junmyeon the most, however, was that Yixing knew the language his spells were in, and was willing to teach him. All things considered, Junmyeon was incredibly happy to have met someone who knew more than him and was willing to not only teach, but also share - for Yixing seemed to be less of a teacher and more of a friend. All throughout them exchanging introductions and experiences, Chanyeol silently watched them with a giddy little grin and obvious restraint, like he was truly sharing his excitement. Somehow, this made him even happier, and maybe that was a little miracle itself, he thought.

 

---

 

It was a few weeks later when Junmyeon found himself next to Chanyeol in their standard meeting place. It was not a Thursday night, however, but a Tuesday one. It was just them this time. The location was as familiar as either of their homes by now, with the soft sounds of the few other guests being as natural as the vague sounds of neighbours going about their lives, and yet it felt special to Junmyeon. None of them were here to watch Minseok read about Baekhyun's eternal luck written in the cards, or for Jongdae to retell the latest shenanigans he'd been up to. No, it was just Chanyeol asking him to meet up and help him sort through his photos. For once, Chanyeol had slipped into the same bench as him, and their sides were touching as they sorted through many, many photos all spread out on the table. It felt like Chanyeol had brought all the photos he'd ever captured, and like there was no particular goal he'd had in mind when bringing them. Junmyeon wanted to delude himself into thinking that he just intended to spend time with him.

He was just taking in an old shot of a deserted cotton candy stand at an amusement park, when dark blue and white took over as another photograph was placed over it.

"For you," Chanyeol said, and there was a tinge of insecurity in his voice, as if he feared Junmyeon rejecting him. What a silly thought.

"Me? Are you sure?" he asked carefully, but Chanyeol nodded, eyes resting on the photograph, too.

"Of course."

All of Chanyeol's photographs were one of a kind - he could choose to scan the polaroids, digitalize the pictures, but that was not how he operated. Every picture is unique, and they deserve me treating them as such, he'd always say. So what made him give this particular shot to Junmyeon? It was a view of waves hitting a cliff below. The way the foam contrasted the dark, but entrancing blue really struck a chord in him. The way the water was frozen mid-clash was beautiful.

"I didn't use to take many pictures of the sea. At least not before I met you."

Junmyeon lowered his hand to the table to shoot him a questioning look, although he refused to let go of the shiny photo just yet.

"Do you remember what Minseok told me, on your first night?"

Junmyeon couldn't, in fact, because that day had been overwhelming in every way, but Chanyeol didn't seem offended.

"He told me a change was coming up for me," he explained, sounding unusually serious but nonetheless gentle, as he shuffled a little in his seat to muster Junmyeon with his palm supporting his head. "Something I'd be drawn to, something that would crash over me like a wave. Something blue."

"So you started watching the waves from then on?" Junmyeon asked, looking much more casual than he probably felt. The prickling sensation in his stomach was growing worse, was running wild and making it hard to breathe.

"I did," Chanyeol said lowly, inching closer with his free hand carefully resting on Junmyeon's side. "But they only reminded me of you. You're the wave."

It was hard to believe his ears, and Junmyeon couldn't do anything but watch as the one he wanted to be close to so badly was leaning in with his other hand resting on the table, giving him the illusion of being caved in.

"You're the wave I can't stay away from..."

His voice trailed off unsurely, before he pressed his lips to Junmyeon's cheek. It was a soft, warm feeling, a little miracle itself. Junmyeon's senses went haywire. This was everything he could have hoped for and more.

The heavy atmosphere was broken in an instant when Chanyeol drew away to look at him, eyes widening immediately.

"You're crying - I'm s-sorry!"

He all but flinched away from a very confused Junmyeon, whose hands quickly found Chanyeol's arm and shirt, desperate for him to stay.

"What are you talking about? I am not?"

With the back of his hand, Junmyeon felt for his cheeks, and there were indeed tears rolling down. And the more they became, the more aware he felt about the fact that he was indeed crying. His eyes were burning and a heavy, constricting feeling coated his throat. Chanyeol looked panicked.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to- to make you uncomfortable-"

"You didn't," Junmyeon assured him, hiccuping a little. It was difficult to think straight if you're crying so hard that your sight becomes blurry. "I liked that. I like you. It's just that my stomach flips so much - it's not your fault, it's mine-"

His words were cut off by an ungraceful sniff, and then he was pulled into a comforting embrace. With his face buried in the fabric that so distinctly smelled like Chanyeol, it was easier to fight the inner battle with calmness.

"That doesn't sound good Junmyeon..." Chanyeol began, and the way he rubbed his palms over his shoulder blades was soothing and distracting.

"You've been really strange lately. Maybe you're sick."

Instead of replying, Junmyeon concentrated on inhaling and exhaling. Deep. Steady. Calm. He could win over this. But even as he felt himself not falling deeper, the strange churning feeling wouldn't fully go away; it was merely covered and kept in check by his own will and Chanyeol hugging him like this. And Junmyeon had to face the truth.

"Maybe... you're right. Maybe something is wrong."

It will be alright, Chanyeol mumbled, deep voice caressing his ear with puffy breaths and easily drowning out any other sounds in the restaurant. In retrospect, Junmyeon felt like a fool for misinterpreting the feeling for love. Love wasn't supposed to make him cry like this though. And if he thought very closely about it, the feeling might have had less to do with Chanyeol's presence than he'd initially assumed. It had been kind of a constant sensation, ever since... yes, ever since he'd had set foot in the restaurant. So embarrassing. Still, now that they knew it, it was time to figure out what was tormenting him, and he was glad he wasn't alone.

Chanyeol promised to accompany him; that they'd venture out the next day, right after he got some much needed sleep. To be honest, Junmyeon would have loved to invite Chanyeol for a sleepover, but he didn't dare to and instead chose to crawl under his covers alone, feeling wary and unsettled.

 

---

 

Chanyeol was a man of his words, Junmyeon soon realized, when the other stood on his doorstep the next morning, with breakfast and a determined attitude.

He'd already made a lot of calls, asking for an emergency meeting, but most people were busy with work, so he decided they'd pay them a visit. They went to Kyungsoo's residence, and Junmyeon was all-too impressed by the mysteriously magical interior full of dried herbs, colorful charms and books in languages he had never even seen. Truth to be told, he was a little afraid of what kind of tests Kyungsoo would put him through, but the witch merely made him drink an oddly blue-ish tea, asking him what it tasted like. Junmyeon tried hard to get the taste right, and when he settled on cherries and vanilla, Kyungsoo furrowed his brows and impatiently drummed his finger against the wooden table.

"That's a little strange, then", he finally admitted, and began to look through his handwritten notes, in search of an explanation.

"Tasting cherries means that you don't feel well and that something is off, but the vanilla suggests that your body and mind are completely fine."

He kept muttering about how strange it was, while Jongin gifted Junmyeon with a little protective charm he'd carved out of a piece of wood. It obviously hurt Kyungsoo's pride that he wasn't able to pinpoint the issue immediately, and he promised to come up with another, more advanced test for their next Thursday meeting.

None the wiser, the two sought out Minseok next, who temporarily put his work as a magazine editor down to ask the cards for clues.

It was surreal, sitting in a cramped room full of paper and boring, real life bureaucracy while watching Minseok perform silent, but nonetheless vivid magic.

At first, Minseok only confirmed what Kyungsoo had already found out - something wasn't right, but it was nothing originating from inside him. The last card made him hesitate, like he wasn't sure how to read it. Junmyeon hadn't even noticed that at some point, he'd tightly gripped Chanyeol's hand below the table.

Eventually, Minseok settled on reading it as ‘Invisibility’, loosely guessing that whatever it was, wasn't visible to either Junmyeon or living beings in general.

It was cryptic, and still a little scary (though it might just be the pressure in his stomach making him think so), but Chanyeol only squeezed his hand, and they left, thanking Minseok for the effort.

They couldn't visit Yixing, seeing as he was in China, but they set up a quick video conference in which his tutor only confirmed what he'd already mentioned the day before - that Junmyeon had always seemed more than fine, and that he'd never sensed anything to be off about him.

Asking Baekhyun or Tao seemed a little pointless, and despite being doubtful, they met up with Jongdae, in case his intuition would perk up and maybe provide them with a clue. It wasn't too disappointing when it didn't, and Junmyeon was starting to feel a little hopeless. Maybe somehow, all of this was his fault. He was sad and resigned, but it all pearled off Chanyeol's determined attitude.

"We'll wait until the next meeting and see whether anyone got an idea," he announced as they were leaving Jongdae's office, "they're all trying hard, I'm sure, and until then we can-"

"Hey! Chanyeol, Junmyeon!" Jongdae suddenly called after them, and they stopped in their tracks to look back at their friend, who was standing in the door.

"Luhan will return from China tomorrow."

"Oh? Okay?" Chanyeol asked, sounding a little confused, and by the way Jongdae blinked, he seemed to share the feeling. Finally, he shrugged.

"It just came to mind, and I thought I'd let you-"

"We should meet him, Chanyeol," Junmyeon cut him off, struck by realization, that then spread across his friend's faces. Jongdae wasn't usually this clumsy about his sudden intuition, but maybe it was a sign that he had earnestly tried to direct his magic, instead of letting it flow, like usual. Either way, a track was a track, no matter how small. And hope was hope, no matter how overall hopeless Junmyeon felt. Maybe Chanyeol was holding on to the little spark - he was certainly a better owner than him, who still felt wary and unsure of himself.

The sun had set long ago, and as Chanyeol insisted on walking home, both their gazes kept wandering up and to the stars. Junmyeon silently wished he could admire their beauty appropriately, and Chanyeol quietly complained about his camera being no good for shots of the starry sky. When he noticed Junmyeon being equally captivated by the stars, Chanyeol had an idea, and chose a different route that led through a small, deserted park. There, they found a bench and Chanyeol suggested to sit down for a bit.

"There's not a lot of streetlights around, so you can see the stars really clearly from here," he explained, and Junmyeon discreetly scooted as close as he dared, into Chanyeol's bulky, warm jacket. It wasn't icey cold, but his breath still transformed into soft, puffy clouds.

"Sometimes, on my way home from the magazine's office, I like to sit here and watch the stars."

Junmyeon hummed, and for a while, it was silent. He really wished he could concentrate on the beauty of the twinkling lights above, but for now, he had to mostly pretend. Also, it would be nice if he could maybe reach for Chanyeol's arm or something, but he didn't want to come across as clingy-

"You know, I feel a little bad about all of this," Chanyeol murmured, startling Junmyeon out of his reverie.

"What? Why?"

He couldn't see his features or make out his reaction, but the jacket made a rustling noise; maybe he'd just shrugged.

"It's just... all of our witch friends have some talent and are way closer to what's bothering you than I am. No matter how hard I try, there's nothing I can contribute. It's all out of reach for someone non-magical like me."

"And yet we still don't know the source," Junmyeon protested softly, and now he dared to place a comforting hand on Chanyeol's lower arm.

"I can't even truly say I understand it," Chanyeol continued to ramble, maybe encouraged by the dark, as he placed his own palm over Junmyeon's. "You say you're feeling strange and uncomfortable. I sometimes feel strange, but it's nothing like that, right? I just feel so... useless. It's frustrating."

"How can you be useless, when you kept me going all day?" Junmyeon asked.

"I appreciate you being nice but we both know I even made you cry before," Chanyeol whined, sounding dejected. "I made it worse. What if it's all my fault and I-"

"Even if it was, I mean even if you made it worse... it's better we find out now than later, right?" he tried, and Chanyeol withdrew his hand.

"Or maybe I should just back off and you'll feel better."

"No, that sounds like a terrible idea," Junmyeon said, before he could stop himself, and Chanyeol laughed breathily. Why was he so embarrassing.

"I'm just. Scared. I don't wanna make this even worse, whatever it is..."

Junmyeon got a little scared himself, hearing Chanyeol being so doubtful and unlike himself. So he did the first thing coming to mind - pulling him closer and cupping his cold face with his free hand, willing him to look at him, despite the darkness.

"Don't say that," he whispered and leaned in close, close enough to feel his breath vaguely fanning over his skin. And because Junmyeon was clumsy with words, and too anxious to proceed with grace, he just pressed his lips onto Chanyeol's. It was like breaking a spell, and Chanyeol immediately cupped his cheek and neck, holding him close as he reciprocated the kiss. In contrast to his previously voiced out doubts, it didn't feel like he was having second thoughts now. Chanyeol wanted this, wanted him, and that was all the confirmation Junmyeon needed to feel better. The fuzzy feeling inside him was still there, and pretty intense and uncomfortable, but he also felt light and warm, so very warm.

He felt the other's lips nip at his, felt a tongue peeking out experimentally, to wet Junmyeon's own pitifully dry lips, and it sent a sharp spike of heat up his spine. He pressed closer, tried to really get this right, even though he was a horribly inexperienced kisser. There was no telling whether he succeeded or not, but Chanyeol wasn't complaining at least, and even when they finally broke the kiss, he wouldn't let Junmyeon draw away, contently nuzzling into his neck instead. Junmyeon himself only tightly wrapped his arms around him, digging into the plush jacket, while his chin rested on Chanyeol's shoulder. Right now, the fuzzy feeling was gone. Everything that wasn't Chanyeol was gone. A nice feeling.

"See?" he finally rasped out, and he felt the other hum against his neck. It tickled. "You made me happy just now. I'm smiling like an idiot. Maybe you have magic, too."

Now he felt a little huff, followed by the vibrations of his voice.

"You're so cheesy."

"But it's true!" Junmyeon protested weakly, despite his burning cheeks. "My magic doesn't really do anything different from what you just did."

"So your magic is like you kissing me?" Chanyeol asked cheekily, and despite feeling shy and squirmish, Junmyeon smiled.

"If you want to think of it like that," he sassed back. "Consider the amount of butterflies and bugs and cats I kissed before you, then."

Chanyeol made a childish 'bleh' sound and simultaneously snuggled closer. And still, Junmyeon felt nothing but Chanyeol's plush jacket, his nose and lips against his neck, and the fingers resting right below his hairline.

It wouldn't fade away, not even when Junmyeon was brave enough to actually invite Chanyeol over, or when they awkwardly fumbled themselves into a position allowing them to hold each other without suffocating. He was a little tired, but overall he felt... good.

 

---

 

The next morning started out quite well, and only a little awkward, considering the circumstances (that being Junmyeon's palm splayed over Chanyeol's , due to his shirt rucking up at some point). Junmyeon was just sleepy enough to sit up and stop Chanyeol from his walk to the bathroom, asking him whether they were considered boyfriends now. Equally sleepy Chanyeol reacted with a flash of confused insecurity, asking ' Are we not?', and everything was good.

Junmyeon couldn't stand the fact of causing unnecessary trouble to anyone, so he confessed that the prickling feeling was gone, right as they were eating breakfast. Chanyeol still insisted on them visiting Luhan, and there was no stopping him. Even though he really didn't want to bother anyone, the feeling of Chanyeol tugging him along because he really cared was a welcome feeling. It wasn't like people didn't care about him, but Chanyeol cared a little more.

So it was no surprise that he looked especially crestfallen when Luhan announced he had left his Crystal ball back in his home country this time along.

"I was already on the plane when you contacted me, I'm sorry," he lamented, sheepishly rubbing his neck. His apartment was pretty chaotic - not that Junmyeon judged him for that, since he preferred an interesting mess over a boring, empty space any day.

"I might have a glass pendulum lying around somewhere though..." Luhan murmured, rummaging through a pile of things on his desk.

"Does it work with a pendulum, too?" Chanyeol asked curiously.

"Oh, sure. I just need something to act as a filter for my vision. A crystal ball has other advantages, but anything works, so-"

Junmyeon went on his tiptoes and unceremoniously plucked Chanyeol's thickly-rimmed glasses off his face, to which the other reacted with a startled yelp.

"How about these? It's just window glass, too."

The witch shrugged.

"Oh. Guess that works, too."

As he adjusted the way-too-large glasses, Junmyeon couldn't ignore the blush that crept up Chanyeol's ears. He wouldn't have addressed it, but Luhan wasn't that merciful.

"Fake glasses, Yeol? Really?"

Chanyeol squirmed.

"I thought Junmyeon would like them..." he muttered barely audibly, and while Luhan was busy mocking the poor guy, Junmyeon shot him a winning smile.

"I never said I didn't."

He was feeling so free and easy today, and seeing Chanyeol being torn between embarrassment and excitement was thoroughly gratifying.

"Hm... Junmyeon, you seem to be perfectly fine," Luhan began, as his eyes critically observed him. Before either of them could begin to feel disappointed, Luhan's eyes strayed and he all but yelled .

"There!" he said, pointing at... Chanyeol, who flinched and looked instantly guilty, despite his confusion.

"What? What's wrong with Chanyeol?" Junmyeon asked worriedly, but Luhan didn't even pay him any heed, looking quite puzzled himself.

"But that doesn't make a lot of sense," he murmured to himself, tilting his head as if whatever he was seeing would change shape like this. Apparently, it didn't.

"What is it, Luhan?" Junmyeon asked urgently, and this time, the other replied without thinking.

"A pipe fox."

"A what?" Chanyeol asked, self-consciously looking down at his own body.

"A pipe fox is a spirit invisible to the human eye," Luhan elaborated, "its head looks similar to a fox, but its body is very slim and lengthy, like a tube, hence the name."

"And this pipe fox is here, somewhere?" Chanyeol asked, and even Junmyeon couldn't help looking around as if some sudden, magic intervention would make it visible.

"Not somewhere," Luhan began, cautiously pointing at Chanyeol, "it's around your neck. It looks like a scarf."

At the sight of panic on Chanyeol's face, he hurried to lift his hands in defense, causing the glasses to dangle precariously.

"It's not dangerous! At least to you it isn't. A pipe fox doesn't intend to harm you, but it's prone to consuming magic. They don't feed off it, it's more like a side effect. Still, they usually choose to linger around magical beings, so this is a bit strange..."

"Maybe it was with Junmyeon before," Chanyeol guessed, fingers ghosting around his neck, willing to feel this magic being that had apparently taken a liking to him. It did made sense. They had already established that the funny feeling had appeared for the first time as he'd attended a witch meeting for the first time. He'd been feeling funny, and the sensation had increased over time. Chanyeol had cautiously told him his spells were getting weaker. He hadn't been distracted, he was just lacking the magic to back him up.

"If your magic was drained for such a long time, obviously your body would be confused and imbalanced. But it's with Chanyeol now, so you should be alright?" Luhan guessed, still hung up on the fact that this pipe fox would choose Chanyeol to be with. Junmyeon nodded.

"Yes. In fact, I'm already feeling much better. I think I know when it moved on to him."

Luhan shot him a questioning look, but Junmyeon shook his head.

During the kiss.

He was not going to tell Luhan that though. Chanyeol himself didn't seem to realize it, either. Maybe he'd tell him about it one day.
For now, they left Luhan to get some more rest after his busy week in China. Chanyeol was still touching his neck occasionally, though there was no fear or disgust in the gesture. He seemed amazed by the thought that a magical creature would take a liking to him. So silly, Junmyeon thought. Everyone liked Park Chanyeol, so to him, it wasn't strange at all that even a pipe fox spirit would fall in love with him. As long as little pipe fox wasn't going to compete with him, everything was good, Junmyeon thought with a suspicious look at where he assumed the fox was resting. Then again, the fox had liked him first, so it couldn't feel all that malicious about the two of them.

"Look, the sky cleared up!"

At Chanyeol's words, he looked up to confirm that yes, the sky was of a clear, cerulean blue now. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, and the sun was warming their faces.

"A little miracle, right?" Chanyeol voiced out what Junmyeon was thinking.

"Should we sing a song?" he asked Chanyeol, excitedly reaching for his hand. "I'll teach you how it goes."

He waited until he found a nice little park with green grass freckled with daisies, and sank down into the grass, tugging Chanyeol along. For a moment, Junmyeon ran his fingers through the grass and looked up at the sky.

"There's so many miracles, though," Chanyeol wondered, fingers grazing Junmyeon's. "There's the nice weather, but also the pipe fox. I think I'll call it Tao. Do you like that, fox?" he asked into thin air. Of course, no reply followed, but he wasn't put out in the least. "The way Luhan described you, it sounds like you're really cute- Junmyeon, I felt something! I'm sure I did!" he cut himself off excitedly, and Junmyeon couldn't help but smile.

The pipe fox, the clear blue sky... but also them. The two of them, as they were now, were definitely worthy of a song, Junmyeon decided.

Just repeat after me, he told Chanyeol, grasping his hand. And thanks to Yixing's lessons, he could even translate the meaning of the spell to Chanyeol.

"Ein Wasserfall von Funken nieselt herab,"

A waterfall of sparks gently rains down on us,

"Erleuchtet dein Herz, wärmt dich von innen..."

It lights up your heart, warms you up from inside...

"Eine goldene Flamme."

A golden flame.

 

A golden flame of joy and energy, to keep them going and spur them on.
Wishing that the sun would keep shining so boldly, that the fox and Chanyeol would become nice companions.
Wishing that they'd never stop getting excited over the tiny miracles in life.

 

 

---

 

 

Here I am, ready to answer to questions you may or may not have had!
You probably noticed the spells are all in German. The reason for that is that I obviously can't handle any other language well enough to use it this way (and Japanese would be boring).

There is a second charm Suho sings, that goes as following: "Kühl wie Tau, die Perlen der Dämmerung, ruhig wie der blasse Abendhimmel, blauer Frieden für dich-"
The translation would go kinda like this: "Cool as morning dew, dawn's pearls - calm as the pale night sky, blue peace for you"

Why the title? Well, I love the color of Cornflowers, and since I'm running out of colors by now, I gotta get creative~

And last but not least, if you wanna know what a pipe fox looks like, there you go:

...isn't it the cutest.

Love,
Sugar-and-Salt ♡