“It’s time,” Hyunwoo announces, his eyes still tracking the movement of the moon across the sky. “Hoseok, light the candles. Kihyun, add the herbs. Jooheon, you’ll start the incantation. Everyone ready?”

Kihyun sprinkles a handful of dried leaves and powdered roots over an incense charcoal tablet placed on a mound of sand in the center of a bowl. The pungent scent of protective herbs fills the area as the smoke drifts lazily in the still air.

“Hands,” Hyunwoo instructs them, and the six of them move to form a circle, linking their hands in an unbroken chain. A burst of energy, like an electric shock but cold, flows through Kihyun’s body as Hoseok’s hand slips into his, completing the circle.

Hyunwoo nods at Jooheon who begins the incantation. Everyone takes their turn saying the words they’ve been assigned, and by the time they’re completing the spell, speaking the end in unison, the wind has picked up. It changes directions, blowing smoke all around the circle and in everyone’s faces. The herbs in the bowl flare into a flame that seems disproportionately large compared to the amount of flammable material inside, and it’s almost immediately snuffed out. The smoke dissipates quickly, nothing left in the bowl to smolder.

The candles Hoseok had lit are undisturbed by the wind, and once Kihyun’s vision adjusts to the darkness following the flash of the flame, he can see someone standing in the center of their circle. All he can make out is the outline of a body and a pair of pointy ears on top of its head.

No one moves.

They wait for the being in the center of the circle, to speak. Kihyun stares unblinking, watching it study his friends on the other side of the circle, ears twitching and, now that he looks closer, a tail flicking behind it in annoyance.

“What do you want?” the being asks. Kihyun thinks it sounds male, his voice deep as a bottomless ocean and silky smooth.

“We require a grimoire specific to our coven.” It’s Minhyuk who speaks, and Kihyun is momentarily startled by the lack of his usual glamour. When he glances at Minhyuk, the half-fae’s ethereal features are subdued, almost like all of his edges have been blurred. There’s no shine on his smooth skin, no bounce in his fluffy hair, and no sparkle in his bright eyes.

The being studies Minhyuk as well, his posture defensive. “And why did you summon me?”

“Changkyun, Cat Demon, Weaver of Words,” Jooheon addresses the being who turns toward his voice. “We request your assistance in perfecting and recording our spells.”

Kihyun can now see the being’s profile. The candlelight dances across the Cat Demon’s face, highlighting his long neck and the curve of his jaw and accentuating the slope of his nose and cheekbones.

“My payment?” he questions, his words tugging something inside Kihyun, urging him to step forward, and he has to stop himself from breaking the circle to give their answer.

“We can offer potions.” His voice wobbles when the Cat Demon rotates a quarter turn to face him, but he doesn't stutter. “Our wizard makes the most powerful potions you'll find around here, and several of us have magical heritage and can offer our blood. What payment would please you?”

Kihyun sighs in relief that he managed to get all the words out without fumbling, but his relief is short lived. The being tilts his head sideways, a glint of curiosity in his eyes as they slowly examine Kihyun top to bottom. Imaginary insects scuttle across Kihyun’s skin. He shivers so violently that his shoulder jerks, and he nearly wrenches his hand away from Hoseok's.

Finally, the Cat Demon straightens himself, lifting his shoulders and stretching his neck as his tail curls around his thigh. He blinks at Kihyun.

“A favor would please me.”

“What type of favor?” Hyunwoo asks.

“A favor that I shall name at another time,” the Cat Demon answers without breaking eye contact with Kihyun, and the intensity of his gaze is unsettling at the very least.

“No.” This time it's Minhyuk who chimes in. “Name the favor now, or we will send you back to the underworld.”

“How could I possibly know now what favor I will require in the future? No,” he waves Minhyuk off, “I will tell you when I know.”

Everyone looks to Minhyuk for an answer. They don’t want to agree to something they can’t pay, but if they send the Cat Demon back now, they’ll have to wait another year to try again. Minhyuk’s glamour flickers up defensively, his face downright angelic even with his brows furrowed in thought.

“We need a contract,” Minhyuk finally decides, “a promise that your favor will not bring about any of our deaths.”

“And that we won’t have to do anything that we find morally reprehensible,” Hyunwoo adds.

“Nothing illegal either,” Hoseok says. “Does that cover everything, Minhyuk?”

“I think so. Demon, can you agree to those terms?”

“For that I will require two favors, and you will call me by my name. I detest my title,” his lips curl into a snarl.

“No,” Hyunwoo shakes his head. “One favor, by those terms, and if that does not cover your payment, the balance will be paid in potions. As for the name, that should be fine.”

Changkyun sighs, like he’s put out by the whole situation. “One favor, by your terms, and the rest in potions. Deal.”

“One more thing,” Jooheon cuts in. “While you are here, you will not do anything that will cause harm to any mortal.”

He glances at Jooheon from the corner of his eye, his lips curving at the edges in amusement. “You do not trust me?” A laugh, a low chuckle that is as smooth and rich as his speaking voice rolls in his throat. “My dear Jooheon, I would never.” He holds a hand to his chest in mock offense, and Kihyun hears Jooheon’s gasp, the thought of a demon knowing his name sending a ripple of frightened energy around the circle. Minhyuk squeezes Jooheon’s hand tighter to calm him.

“Is that a promise or not?” Hyunwoo demands.

“Of course, Hyunwoo. I promise not to harm a mortal,” Changkyun parrots lazily. “Does that satisfy you?” Hyunwoo nods. “A deal requires a handshake, gentlemen. Who will go first? How about you, Kihyun?”

Throughout the entire discussion of payment, Changkyun has only looked away from Kihyun once, and Kihyun’s heart rate has steadily increased minute by minute. He can feel it jumping in his chest, hammering against his ribs like it’s trying to escape, and he doesn’t blame it. His whole body is torn between giving in to the urge to touch Changkyun or fleeing their little clearing in the woods, running until his legs give out or until he feels safe, whichever comes first. He refuses to be the one to break the circle.

“Too scared?” Changkyun taunts him. “I don’t bite,” he says, but his lips stretch into a disturbingly wicked smile that reveals sharp canines and narrows his eyes dangerously.

“I am the leader of our coven. I will go first.” Hyunwoo says, taking three steps into the circle toward Changkyun with his hand outstretched.

Changkyun finally breaks eye contact with Kihyun, and now that he is free to move, walks around the circle, shaking each member’s hand in turn until at last he reaches Kihyun. When their hands meet, Kihyun convulses like he’s been doused with ice water.

“I have a feeling I will enjoy working with you most of all,” Changkyun purrs, literally purrs, the sound like a voiceless growl rumbling in his chest. Kihyun’s knees go weak. Hoseok catches him as he loses the ability to stand on his own, and he feels Changkyun’s icy touch on his forehead before he passes out.

---

When Kihyun is five years old, his mother lets him choose his Halloween costume. He wants to be a wizard, like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia. His mother tries to explain that Mickey is the sorcerer’s apprentice, not an actual wizard, but her explanation falls on deaf ears. Mickey is dressed like a wizard, therefore he is a wizard. End of story.

His mother puts together a costume for him, a red robe and a blue hat with yellow stars and moon, white gloves. She even finds him a wand to carry with his trick-or-treat bucket… a real wooden bucket like the ones the brooms use to carry water in the movie.

Hoseok stumbles down the sidewalk beside Kihyun, tugging at the tiny strip of fabric that makes up his Tarzan costume, trying to get it to cover a bit more of his legs.

“You shoulda weared a jacket,” Kihyun tells him, all sing-songy tone and know it all, told ya so attitude.

“I didn’t wanna cover my costume,” Hoseok says. “Mommy says I look cute.”

“At least she din’nt gived you Tartzan hair.” Kihyun wrinkles his nose at the thought of Hoseok with dreadlocks.

“Shut up,” Hoseok counters. “At least I’m not a mouse.”

“I’m not a mouse!” Kihyun shouts, earning the attention of a few older boys dressed as ghosts and skeletons. “I’m a wizard!”

“Nuh uh! I heared your mommy tell my mommy that Mickey is just a… a prince tease… princetiss?” Hoseok giggles. “Princess! Kihyun is a princess!”

“Mommy!” Kihyun cries, and before he can get a deep breath to yell for her a second time, he’s scooped up in her arms.

“What's wrong, baby? Did something scare you?”

“No,” he sniffles into his mother’s shoulder. “Hoseok called me a princess. I’m a wizard, not a princess. Tell him.”

“I think it’s time for someone to go home,” she says, and Kihyun looks in his bucket. It’s a bit more than half full. He’d hoped to fill the whole thing, but now that he’s off his feet and tucked into his mother’s arms, he realises how tired he feels. “Say goodnight to Hoseok,” she reminds him. He turns to Hoseok and sticks out his tongue, but then he gives a little grin and waves goodnight too because Hoseok is his bestest bestest friend. He really does love him, even if sometimes he’s mean and calls Kihyun a princess.

When Kihyun’s telekinetic abilities present, he and Hoseok are transferred to a school for aspiring wizards. Most of the children will never become full wizards, but all of them are capable of becoming warlocks or witches.

Magic school is where Kihyun eventually meets Hyunwoo and Jooheon. Both have hereditary magical abilities. Jooheon comes from a long line of warlocks, his magic more powerful than Kihyun’s but emotionally driven and thus unpredictable. Hyunwoo’s grandmother had been one of the most celebrated sorceresses in the magical community, and Hyunwoo inherited her affinity for potions.

Jooheon introduces them to Minhyuk. Half fae and half warlock, Minhyuk is blessed with distracting beauty and a slippery tongue. He’s capable of flirting or talking his way out of almost any situation.

Minhyuk comes as part of a package deal with a dream seer named Hyungwon. He doesn’t talk much because he’s asleep more often than not, but Hyungwon is more productive when asleep than awake anyway.

By the time the boys graduate, they are inseparable. Together they form a well balanced coven, each person’s weaknesses covered by someone else’s strengths.

Almost twenty years later, Hoseok is still Kihyun’s best friend.

---

Kihyun peels his eyes open, lashes sticking together with dried tears. His duvet is pulled all the way up to his shoulders, and someone has removed his ritual robes and the jeans he was wearing beneath them. He can hear pots and pans banging in the kitchen, rain pattering against the window, and someone snoring softly nearby.

“Hoseok?” He rolls over toward the sound, and is surprised to find Hyungwon’s head resting on the pillow. “Where’s Hoseok?” he asks when Hyungwon cracks one eye open.

“Breakfast,” he mumbles and settles deeper into the bed with a wide yawn. Kihyun pushes the duvet away and swings his feet to the floor. “Bring me some,” Hyungwon slurs sleepily, and Kihyun snorts.

“Get it yourself, and find your own bed while you're at it.” Hyungwon grunts at him but doesn’t move, and Kihyun slowly makes his way to the kitchen to see what’s for breakfast.

He stops at the end of the hallway, frozen in place by what has to be a hallucination because sitting on his couch is the monster he dreamed about last night. He’s short with furry, black ears on top of his head, tipped with white, and a long, fluffy grey tail. His pupils are vertical slits instead of round, the irises bright gold, and Kihyun is pretty sure he’s nibbling on an actual claw.

“There you are,” Hoseok greets him. “I thought you were trying to hibernate like Hyungwon.” Kihyun doesn’t answer, just points at the Cat Demon on the couch. Hoseok’s gaze drifts to where Kihyun is pointing, and he makes a nervous sound in the back of his throat. “Yeah, about that… he doesn’t have anywhere to stay since, ya know, he lives in the underworld, so Hyunwoo offered him the couch, and really it’s only fair since we’re the ones who summoned him. I told Hyunwoo you wouldn’t mind. Are you mad?”

“My house,” Kihyun whispers. “You all live in my house. What have you done? You invited a demon to live with us!”

“Half demon,” Changkyun corrects. “Technically I’m still half human.”

“Half human, half god, half goat… it doesn’t matter what the other half is, you’re still half demon! You can’t live here. No. You have to find somewhere else. I won’t have a demon sleeping on my couch!”

“Are you offering your bed?” Changkyun’s tone is teasing, but his tail flicks back and forth in irritation. “I won’t even run you out. You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you, Kihyun? Sharing a bed with me?”

Hoseok steps between them, and for a moment all Kihyun can see is Hoseok’s ridiculously muscled chest, thick neck, and broad shoulders. “You don’t have to listen to him. Come on in the kitchen. I’ll get you some breakfast, okay?” Hoseok takes his hand and leads him away from the living room, and Kihyun casts one more angry glance over his shoulder at Changkyun before he disappears around the corner.

“I thought it was a dream,” Kihyun says as Hoseok places a plate of scrambled eggs under his nose. “A nightmare. Oh ! I passed out in front of a demon.” He slides his hands down his face, covering his eyes with his fingers.

“You should have told me you weren’t feeling well. I could have-”

“You couldn’t have. I was fine until I shook his hand. Something about his touch… I mean, I was nervous. All of us were, but when he touched me something happened. It was like his energy reached inside me and touched my soul.” Kihyun shivers, remembering the chill of Changkyun’s fingers as he tipped him backward into Hoseok’s arms.

He isn’t hungry at all. He only picks at the eggs, pushing them around on the plate as Hoseok watches him nervously.

“Maybe you should talk to Hyunwoo,” Hoseok suggests. “He could make you a potion or something… something to help you relax.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I don’t need a tranquiliser, Hoseok.”

“I know, but… something, Ki. You look like death, and you were crying in your sleep. That’s why I sent Hyungwon in there.”

“I figured. I know you’re worried, Hoseok, but I’ll be fine. I just need to get used to Changkyun being around.”

“Just promise me you’ll keep your distance from him. I don’t think he’s healthy for you.”

Hoseok is definitely right about that. Changkyun is dangerous for all of them; he’s a demon after all, but no one else passed out after shaking his hand. It’s clear there’s something different going on with Kihyun. Maybe the demon was trying to steal his soul? But that doesn’t make sense. If he wanted a soul, he could have asked for it as payment.

Maybe Kihyun should talk to Hyunwoo. If anyone will know what’s going on, it will be the wizard, and if he doesn’t know, he’ll research until he figures it out.

---

Almost all of Hyunwoo’s memories from early childhood involve his grandmother and her basement lab. Shelves stacked with bowls and jars and vials of various potions and ingredients line the walls, and in the center of a U-shaped workbench is a cauldron, enchanted to heat itself.

His grandmother has a potion book bigger than the unabridged dictionary in the school library, fragile, yellowed parchment pages with instructions and calculations in her tiny, tight scrawl. Hyunwoo thinks she can make anything, she’s so powerful, and she trains him well. She teaches him how to be safe with dangerous ingredients and to always be prepared in case something went wrong, whether he is summoning a demon from the underworld or testing a new recipe in the lab.

She reads him stories about dragons every night before bed, curled up together in her armchair in the living room, a fire burning in the wood stove. When she gets to the part about the knight stealing the dragon’s scale, prying it off with his sword, steam pours out of the spout of the tea kettle and the bird in the stopper whistles. His grandmother makes them each a cup of tea and settles in to read the rest of the story.

One night, when Hyunwoo is about eight, someone bangs on the door, drowning out the kettle’s whistle and scaring Hyunwoo so badly that he screams and bursts into tears. His grandmother stands and placed him gently in the chair, kissing his forehead and telling him everything is fine, that someone probably just needs an emergency potion, but when she opens the door, the neighbor boy falls into the house. He’s crying as well, and dirty, covered in soot, his hair slightly singed. The sleeves of his too large sweater are pulled over his hands as he scrubs at his snotty, tear streaked face.

“Jooheon, honey, what happened?” Hyunwoo’s grandmother asks, but the boy, only around six years old, just sobs harder.

Jooheon tells Hyunwoo later that night that his father and grandfather had been attempting a summoning ritual. Something had backfired, and the whole house had gone up in flames. Jooheon had only managed to escape because he’d been practicing the protection spell Hyunwoo’s grandmother had taught them, and because he had been near the back door. Jooheon had taken a few dangerous steps toward the basement stairs when he’d heard the explosion. The fire had swept over him, but he’d been encased in the bubble of the spell. He’d lost his concentration on his way to the door, and the spell had fallen, allowing the flames to at his clothes and his skin. He’d inhaled a lungful of smoke before stumbling into the back yard, and then he had run to the only safe place he could think of, Hyunwoo’s grandmother’s house.

Hyunwoo doesn’t remember the ingredients of the calming potion his grandmother makes for Jooheon that night or how late it is when they finally all go to sleep. All he remembers is the smell of smoke lingering on Jooheon’s skin, the warmth of his tears soaking Hyunwoo’s shoulder when he lay curled around Jooheon in his bed that night.

Jooheon becomes Hyunwoo’s brother, his grandmother adopting the orphaned boy. She helps him battle the darkness that threatens to overtake his inherited warlock magic, balancing it with light magic and science, but Jooheon’s magic is always a little volatile. Were Hyunwoo’s grandmother not such a solid influence, Jooheon might have become a wild, dark force, a rogue warlock consumed by selfish greed. He is still surprisingly strong in terms of raw power.

Where Hyunwoo has a way with potions, like his grandmother, Jooheon is better with spells and incantations. Hyunwoo relies on a staff, carved with runes and sigils, to help focus his magic while Jooheon uses his words, beautiful and precise in every spell he writes. If Hyunwoo is the person they all turn to for guidance, the leader of their coven, their potion master and healer, Jooheon is who they turn to for moral support, a personal cheerleader who encourages everyone to keep his chin up and never stop trying. Best friends, so different in so many ways, and both absolutely vital to their coven.

---

A potion is bubbling in the cauldron when Kihyun enters Hyunwoo’s lab, the steam making the whole room smell like spearmint and poplar blossoms. It's an odd mixture and not entirely pleasant. Kihyun wrinkles his nose.

“It doesn't taste as bad as it smells,” Hyunwoo says without even turning around. “I'm assuming this is about Changkyun staying here. I know this is your house, but we all live here, Kihyun. And we're the ones who summoned him. We need his help. I feel like this is part of our payment.”

Hyunwoo is hunched over a cutting board, chopping some kind of nut or seed Kihyun doesn’t recognise. Potions have never really been his thing.

“I’m not happy about him staying here, no, but that’s not what I came here for.”

“The potion isn’t ready yet.” Hyunwoo mumbles distractedly. “I’ll send Jooheon to get you when it’s time.”

“Uh… no. That’s not what I’m here for either.”

Finally, Hyunwoo stops chopping. He turns to face Kihyun, one eyebrow raised, and if Kihyun could read his mind, Hyunwoo would probably be thinking, ‘ Then what are you here for? ’ The problem is, Kihyun isn’t sure himself.

“Hyunwoo, is there any way something went wronh last night, with the summoning?”

Hyunwoo hesitates, his expression thoughtful as though he’s replaying the entire event in his head. “The incantation was perfect, they always are when Jooheon writes them. No one broke the circle. It was… successful; the demon appeared and agreed to our terms. The only thing that didn’t go as expected was your reaction.”

“And do you have any idea what could have caused me to faint?” Kihyun is trying not to lose patience. Sometimes Hyunwoo over analyses things, takes the roundabout way to arrive at his conclusion, but he prefers to do things in his own time, doesn’t like to be rushed or influenced.

But this time Hyunwoo seems to be unable to come to a conclusion on his own, only asking, “Uh… fear?” Kihyun groans. He’d actually been hoping something had gone wrong during the ritual. At least that would mean it’s not just him. “Ki, if it wasn’t simple fear, you need to tell me. Something could have gone wrong with the payment agreement that none of us noticed. Minhyuk is only half fae. He’s not infallible. We could all be in danger if the demon is planning something.”

So Kihyun explains it to Hyunwoo, what he felt when Changkyun looked at him, touched him, and Hyunwoo stands there afterward, leaning against the workbench with his bulky arms crossed over his chest, lost in thought. He’s quiet for too long, unnerving silence stretching between them. All Kihyun can hear is the bubbling of the potion, the crackling of the fireplace, and his own nervous, ragged breaths.

“You’re the only one who fainted,” Hyunwoo muses. “I’ll ask the others, but I know I didn’t feel anything. It might just be you.” Of course. That’s what Kihyun was afraid of. “I should be able to find an explanation somewhere in Gramma’s books. In the meantime, I think you should just stay away from Changkyun. Let the rest of us deal with him.”

“That would be a lot easier if you hadn’t invited him to live with us… without asking.”

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo says, and he’s using his I’m-head-wizard-of-this-coven voice. “You were incapacitated, and it’s my job to make decisions like that. If I’d known about this, I would never have offered, but it’s too late to retract the offer now. We’ll just have to work around it. Stay in your room or with Hoseok or myself when you’re home, and do whatever you can to never be alone with Changkyun until I can figure out what’s going on.”

Hyunwoo returns to his potion, sprinkling whatever he’d been chopping into the cauldron. The liquid inside turns from a thick, muddy green to clear, pale purple, and Hyunwoo ladles a bit into a teacup and offers it to Kihyun.

“Drink up.”

“I do not need a tranquiliser,” Kihyun mutters petulantly.

Hyunwoo raises his eyebrow again. “If you’d ever paid attention in potions classes, you’d know it’s not a tranquiliser. It’s to replenish your energy following the summoning last night, and everyone is getting one. Now, drink up.”

Kihyun takes the teacup and lifts it to sniff at the steam. The poplar blossom smell is gone. It smells like tea, still a bit heavy on the spearmint but not as bad as before. He sips it, letting the warm liquid trickle down his throat slowly.

The effects are immediate. Kihyun feels the heat of the potion spread from his chest to his extremities faster than his blood could possibly pump it through his body. It’s not like caffeine, doesn’t pep him up like a cup of coffee would, but he can feel his magical energy strengthening, fortifying his defenses and perking up his senses. Just for show, he releases the teacup and lets it float in front of him. Hyunwoo glares at him in disapproval, but Kihyun ignores him. He doesn’t often use his telekinetic powers just for the fun of it. It makes him happy, and he giggles softly, like a kid playing with his favorite toy.

The cup floats toward him and tips up once it reaches his lips, and Kihyun gives Hyunwoo a crooked little smile as he lowers it safely to his hands. Hyunwoo rolls his eyes and stacks a tray with more cups of the potion for Kihyun to take back to the others.

“I don’t know who’s in charge of feeding Hyungwon today, but make sure someone gets this to him. He’ll definitely need it after we made him stay up half the night.”

---

Hoseok is one of the purest warlocks in existence. He doesn’t have to worry about the temptation of dark magic like Jooheon and Minhyuk, and if one day he woke up completely unable to perform magic of any kind, he wouldn’t fret over it. Well, he might, but only because he’d wonder if his friends would kick him out of the coven. Then again, Kihyun is his best friend, and Hyunwoo is his… Hyunwoo is his everything.

All Hoseok has ever wanted is a place he belongs. Years ago he learned magic to fit in with Kihyun, but now? Now he has the coven, the boys. He still has Kihyun and now Hyunwoo. He has friends, brothers, family, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them. He hopes they feel the same about him.

Hoseok doesn’t have any magic of his own. Everytime he uses magic, he has to draw power from somewhere else. He’s made friends with a handful of nature goddesses, and one tree goddess in particular has taken a liking to him and given him an open line to her power.

Hoseok is respectful. He understands how lucky he is to be trusted by his tree goddess. He’s careful with her power, frugal. He only uses as much as he needs and expresses his gratitude after every spell. He doesn’t worship her, per se, but he does bring her offerings sometimes, especially after a taxing spell or summoning.

Most warlocks in Hoseok’s position would abuse the kind of relationship he has with his tree goddess and would probably resent their friends for having their own magic. Hoseok isn’t most warlocks.

As someone who relies on other beings for power, Hoseok understands the importance of dependable friends. Sometimes the coven pokes at the wrong sleeping bear, and Hoseok isn’t capable of the kind of powerful protective spells that the rest of the boys use. He’s fiercely protective of them, but he’s more brute force and knowledge rather than magic.

A door in the back of Hyunwoo’s lab leads to a home gym. The two of them set it up just after they moved in, and it’s usually the most likely place to find Hoseok.

“Do you feel it?” Hyungwon’s voice startles Hoseok, nearly causing him to drop one of the weights on his foot.

“Gods, Hyungwon. When did you get so sneaky?” Several months of living with Hyungwon have taught Hoseok that his presence is usually preceded by the sound of shuffling feet and thumps against the wall as he stumbles about half asleep.

“Do you feel it?” Hyungwon repeats. Hoseok gently places the weights on the floor and grabs a towel to wipe the sweat off of his face.

“Feel what?”

“Come on, Hoseok.” Hyungwon’s lip curls into an annoyed sneer. “You’re not that dense. Try to feel it.”

“Hyungwon, stop being cryptic. At least tell me what I’m supposed to be trying to feel.” Despite his words, Hoseok closes his eyes and listens to the house. His phone is still piping music through the headphones he’d removed earlier. Hoseok makes a mental note to turn it off and sniffs the air, but all he smells is his own sweat and the cinnamon and ginger drifting in from whatever potion Hyunwoo is working on.

“It’s not a smell. It’s a feeling. Feel it, Hoseok.”

Hoseok huffs at Hyungwon, frustrated and getting a bit tired of this little game of his, but he tries again, this time trying to sense Hyunwoo and the wards on the house. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck rises.

“What the ?” he breathes as his skin prickles. Either the temperature in the room has suddenly dropped about ten degrees, or, “Is that a ghost?”

Hoseok jumps when Hyungwon’s fingers wrap around his forearm. He opens his eyes and takes a step back, jerking out of Hyungwon’s grasp. Hyungwon is not alone. He’s shrouded in a cold mist, surrounded by it. It’s shapeless, but Hoseok has no doubt it’s a ghost, one who’s attached itself to Hyungwon.

“It’s stuck,” he says, shaking a hand to show Hoseok how the mist clings to him when he moves. “I woke up freezing and couldn’t escape the cold, and then it was whispering something to me but in a language I don’t understand. Do you know how to get it off of me?”

It takes Hoseok a moment to stop staring at Hyungwon, his mouth hanging open in fear, but he finally kicks into gear and grabs Hyungwon by the wrist to drag him to Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo will know what to do. Hyunwoo always knows what to do.

“It’s a ghost, a very old one,” Hyunwoo says after only a moment of examining Hyungwon. “He’s been feeding off the energy in the house since we all moved in. It’s made him strong enough to ask for help.”

“This is his way of asking for help?” Hyungwon asks incredulously. “It feels like he’s trying to freeze me to death, turn me into a human popsicle.”

“No,” Hoseok murmurs, “I can hear him now. I don’t know what language it is either, but a few of the words are familiar. ‘Help’ and ‘rest’ and… I can’t think of the translation for the last word but I know I know it.”

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. “Just get him off me. I can’t sleep in this cold.”

“I won’t know how to help him until I can translate what he’s saying,” Hyunwoo explains, “and I can’t do that until I know what language he’s speaking.”

“I just want him off of me!”

Hyunwoo observes the mist for a moment, listening to the spirit like he’ll suddenly start speaking a familiar language any second. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”

“For the love of… Hyunwoo, isn’t there a way to release him to roam the house freely or something for now?”

“No. The only reason we can hear him at all is because he’s borrowing your life force to attempt to communicate. We’d have to transfer him to someone else in the house.”

Hyungwon growls. Hoseok has quietly watched the whole exchange, trying to follow Hyunwoo’s thoughts and growing more irritated with Hyungwon’s attitude by the second.

“I’ll do it,” he volunteers. Hyungwon looks relieved, but concern furrows Hyunwoo’s brows. “Hyunwoo, it will be fine. I think…” Hoseok pauses to organise his thoughts, reaching out to feel the mist with his hand. It curls around Hoseok’s fingers and then subsides back around Hyungwon. “I think I’m the one he needs anyway. I… there’s something here. How do we do it?” he asks, looking to Hyunwoo for instructions.

This is how Hoseok works, the way he thinks. He’s empathetic and selfless. He’s a helper. If he weren’t a warlock, he’d probably be some kind of rescue worker, a firefighter or a paramedic. He knows this is the right decision; he can feel it.

It takes less than half an hour to coax the ghost away from Hyungwon. Hoseok offers himself as a replacement anchor, and the moment the mist surrounds him, the ghost’s whispered words turn to screams.

He covers his ears, but the sound isn’t coming from the mist. It’s inside his head. “I can’t understand you,” he yells, hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut. “It’s too loud, and you’re not making sense.” The language is foreign but still familiar, like an ancient version of a language Hoseok knows. He tries Latin, one of the languages he learned in school as it is commonly used in spellwork. “Magnitudo!”

Immediately the voice lowers to a level somewhere between the whispers and the screaming, a conversational volume. Hoseok releases his head and looks up to find Hyunwoo crouched in front of him, a horrified expression obscuring his handsome features.

“I’m fine,” Hoseok reassures him. “I’m okay, Hyunwoo. I think he’s speaking Latin, or some language derived from it. I can figure this out, don’t worry.”

Hoseok lives with the ghost for weeks. He speaks constantly. Hoseok really only understands about one in every hundred words, and most of the time that word is auxilium - help.

After hours and hours of painstakingly recording the repetitive message from the ghost on paper and a lot of help from Jooheon translating the words, most of which are horribly misspelled, Hoseok is finally able to help the spirit pass on. For the first time in nearly a month, Hoseok feels the warmth of the house envelop him.

Hoseok doesn’t have any magic of his own. He’s not a strong warlock, can’t perform powerful spells without the help of someone else in the coven, but he’s far from useless. The coven is his family, and no one would ever claim he has no place here.

---

Changkyun is nowhere in sight when Kihyun returns to the living room. He passes out cups of potion to the others, saving the last two for Minhyuk and reminding him to make sure Hyungwon drinks his.

“So where’s the demon?” Kihyun asks.

“Don’t call him that,” Jooheon scolds. “He doesn’t like it, and we promised not to. Besides, he’s here to help us.”

“Yeah, because we summoned him, because we’re paying him, and probably because he wants to be out of the underworld for awhile.”

“Exactly,” Jooheon shoots back, “we summoned him. We need him, Kihyun. If you make him mad, he might not do this right.”

Kihyun waves him off and drops on the couch next to Hoseok, cuddling up against his side. Hoseok is still holding his full teacup, sniffing at the potion suspiciously.

“It’s just to restore your powers. It won’t do anything weird to you.”

“I don’t like spearmint,” Hoseok mumbles. “What happens if I don’t drink it?”

“Nothing. It just might take you longer to recharge. I’m not sure your tree goddess will appreciate it, but honestly, nothing bad will happen whether you drink it or not.”

Kihyun knows Hoseok’s hesitation has nothing to do with the spearmint. Having been slipped too many poorly brewed love potions with unexpected side effects during their school years, Hoseok is cautious about what he drinks. He dips a finger into the liquid to taste a drop.

“Hyunwoo made it. It’s safe. I promise.”

Hoseok trusts Hyunwoo enough to down the cup in one gulp, and Kihyun can feel the prickle of energy where their skin touches.

“Blech,” Hoseok gags. “I really do not like spearmint.”

Kihyun smiles and takes Hoseok’s cup to the sink with the rest of the empties to be washed.

“So seriously, where is Changkyun?”

“He said he wanted a bath. Apparently there are no baths in the underworld. The second he saw our tub his eyes lit up, and not in a supernatural, demon way.” Hoseok’s nose scrunches up. “It was cute.”

Cute? Kihyun can’t help wondering how a demon could possibly be cute. Perhaps it’s the ears? The tail? The fur? It must be difficult for even a demon to look menacing with fluffy cat features.

“I need to talk to him. We need to set some rules.”

“Alright,” Hoseok sighs, “but you know he won’t listen to you. The only rules he’s going to follow are the ones we set in the deal last night.”

“We’ll see. You know how convincing I can be.”

“Be careful, Ki,” Hoseok calls as Kihyun stalks off toward the bathroom, followed by a grumbled, “stubborn witch.”

There’s steam curling through the gap under the bathroom door, and Kihyun only knocks once before barging right in, or attempting to anyway. The door is locked, something no one in their coven would ever bother with. It’s pointless when there’s only one bathroom in the house and six boys fighting over it, and when all of them can just unlock the door with their magic anyway.

“Changkyun, it’s Kihyun. Can I come in?”

There’s a splash on the other side of the door and a curse, and Kihyun taps his toes on the floor impatiently, struggling against the urge to just magic the door open or away altogether.

“I’m not decent,” Changkyun calls after nearly a full minute of sloshing. “Where are the towels?”

Kihyun rolls his eyes, wondering why Changkyun didn’t think to ask that before getting in the tub. He envisions the bathroom in his mind, the shelf over the toilet where a dozen multicolored towels are stacked. One of them rises off the shelf and floats over to the bathtub (which Kihyun is intentionally imagining as empty), and Changkyun murmurs a quiet, “Thank you.”

A few moments later, the door opens, and Changkyun stands before Kihyun, shoulders still covered in bubbles and water pooling on the tile around his feet. Hoseok has been complaining about getting new towels for months, claiming that the ones they have are too small, and up until thirty seconds ago, Kihyun had thought it was just because Hoseok is built like a sturdy tree, thick muscles everywhere. Now he’s regretting ever calling Hoseok ridiculous because Changkyun is standing there with one of those towels (it must be the size of a ing tea towel) wrapped around his slim hips, and there’s nearly nothing left for Kihyun to imagine. He can see it all, the entire expanse of golden-tan skin stretching from where sudsy black fur peters out around the back of his neck to where the towel is knotted several inches below his waist.

There’s a noise; it sounds like a cross between a whimper and a gurgle, and then Kihyun realises he’s the one making the noise. He chokes as he tries to cut it off. Changkyun’s tail flicks out behind him, the tip twitching in what Kihyun assumes is amusement when he gets a good look at Changkyun’s lips and the way they’re twisted into a smirk.

“Can I help you, Kihyun?”

“Demon-”

“Witch. I thought we talked about this. As part of our deal you call me by my name.” Changkyun his head to the side. “Are you really going to break our deal so soon? I’m sure Hyunwoo will appreciate that.”

Kihyun narrows his eyes at the demon. “Changkyun,” he corrects, attempting to spit the name in the demon’s face. It’s not as effective as he would like. Changkyun is still except for the towel that seriously seems smaller every time Kihyun thinks about it, and Kihyun is weak.

Demon, he reminds himself, but it doesn’t help much.

“What can I do for you, Kihyun?”

Kihyun hates the way Changkyun says his name. His voice is deep as the underworld they summoned him from, and he puts too much air into the name, making it sound breathy and downright .

“We need to…” Kihyun trails off as the doorway sways in front of him. “We need,” he tries again, but it’s no better. “We… Hoseok.” It’s not the doorway swaying; it’s Kihyun.

“I’m not Hoseok, Kihyun,” Changkyun comments, and he really needs to stop saying Kihyun’s name like that.

A hand lands on his shoulder, a freezing cold, soapy hand, and it completely cancels out the effects of Hyunwoo’s potion. Kihyun can feel his magic flowing through him far too fast, pooling around where Changkyun’s skin touches his own, seeping through the connection between them and into Changkyun. How he manages to pull together enough energy to stumble backward into the wall, Kihyun will never know, but he immediately misses Changkyun’s touch.

Hoseok must have heard his name because when Kihyun looks up, he’s standing at the end of the hallway. His brows are knit in concentration, holding a protection spell between Kihyun and Changkyun. Kihyun can smell the residual spearmint from the potion in the spell.

Changkyun steps back into the bathroom with a smirk and closes the door behind him, and Hoseok’s spell drops. “Are you okay?” he asks as he wraps an arm around Kihyun’s waist to hold him upright. Kihyun’s throat closes around his words so he just nods instead, though he’s not really sure he is okay.

“Didn’t we just talk about this?” Kihyun shrinks in on himself under Hyunwoo’s scowl. “Do I need to order the others to keep you company at all times?”

“No. I won’t try that again,” Kihyun promises. He’d wanted to write off his fainting spell the previous evening as a coincidence, a reaction to his magic being drained by the heavy spellwork required to summon Changkyun, but clearly it was no coincidence. Whatever is happening to Kihyun, Changkyun is the cause.

---

Ten year old Minhyuk sits alone on the playground during recess. He watches some of the smaller kids playing tag, chasing each other in endless circles around the only open space on the playground, but most of the other students are too intimidated to talk to him. He notices a couple of older boys making some kind of potion exchange, a vial of liquid being swapped for a packet of powder. At any other school it would probably be a drug buy, or adderal and a wad of crumpled bills. This trade is in no way harmless compared to drugs.

It’s most likely a love potion to be slipped into some girl’s drink later. Unfortunately, though love potions are against school rules, they're perfectly legal. Love potions are mostly just a mixture of aphrodisiacs brewed together with a bit of magic to make them last longer… all considered harmless.

Minhyuk recognises one of the boys, the one walking away with the vial of liquid. He wrinkles his nose and looks the other way as the boy passes, heading in the direction of a group of teenage girls gossiping at a picnic table near the school building.

Minhyuk's gaze settles on the play structure. At the top of the slide is a pretty girl with short blonde hair, about Minhyuk’s age, maybe a little older since Minhyuk doesn’t have any classes with her. She’s staring at Minhyuk, gawking really. He smiles and waves, unintentionally infusing the action with a bit of magic that causes the girl to blush bright red. She flusters, smooths down her skirt, and slides to the ground before running off to join her friends jumping rope on the blacktop.

It’s spring, warm and sunny. A light breeze ruffles Minhyuk’s shiny, silver hair. His skin soaks up the natural energy of the sun, absorbing it into his being.

A soft snore drifts his way from the bench to his left. Hyungwon is asleep again, stretched out to cover the entire length of the bench with his unreasonably long body. Minhyuk grins when Hyungwon’s nose twitches and his lip curls in disgust at whatever he’s dreaming.

The bell rings. Students file off the playground and back into the building. Hyungwon doesn’t even stir.

“Hyungwon,” Minhyuk sings at him. Sometimes this is all it takes to wake Hyungwon. Other times a cannon blast wouldn’t rouse him. “Hyungwon, you better not be dreaming about me with that look on your face.” Minhyuk nudges the grumpy dream seer with the toe of his sneaker, but Hyungwon just pushes his foot away and rolls over on his side, yawning and smacking his lips as he resettles himself with his head resting on his arm.

“Hyungwon! Time for class!” This time Hyungwon groans and kicks a foot out in Minhyuk’s general direction to silence him. “I’m not going back to class without you. You might as well wake up or I’ll stand over you and talk until you do.”

“Why do you never shut up?” Hyungwon mutters, reluctantly pushing himself off the bench to stand in front of Minhyuk. His dirty blond hair sticks straight up on the right side of his head, like a lopsided cockatiel’s crest, and his eyes are swollen and puffy as usual. Minhyuk reaches up to help tame Hyungwon’s hair, but his hand is swatted away. “I can do it myself. Are we late?”

“Not yet. Come on.” Minhyuk turns to lead Hyungwon back to the school but stops when Hyungwon’s fingers snag on the collar of his shirt.

“Hey, wait a minute. I had a dream.”

“You don’t say,” Minhyuk snorts. For some reason, Hyungwon always leads with this, and Minhyuk finds it both endearing and annoying how he has to wheedle dream information out of Hyungwon.

“No, just… wait, okay? I had a dream about the girl on the slide.” Minhyuk pauses, turning to find Hyungwon staring at the ground, his face flushed bright red.

“What about her?” he asks, the words falling off his tongue slowly, like cold honey sticking to a spoon as it drips into his tea.

“Minhyuk, just stay away from her, please?”

Truth be told, Minhyuk hadn’t planned on befriending the girl anyway, even if he is a very friendly person, but something about being told he shouldn’t do something makes him want to do it. “Tell me why, and it better be a real reason. Because I said so is not a real reason.”

“She’ll break your heart.”

Minhyuk laughs. He doesn’t even know the girl. How would she break his heart?

“I’m being serious. I saw it happen a dozen different ways. She cheats on you, rejects you, moves away and never writes… she dies. Every outcome was the same except for one. If you stay away from her, you meet your soulmate.”

“Would I still meet my soulmate if I don’t stay away from her?”

“It’s possible, but it’s also possible you’ll be grieving and won’t even recognise your soulmate when… when he comes along.”

“Okay then. I’ll stay away from her,” Minhyuk agrees, and Hyungwon sighs and leans into him as they finally make their way into the building, several minutes late for class.

But Minhyuk doesn’t stay away from her because she doesn’t stay away from him. She watches him from the top of the slide every day until she catches Minhyuk’s eye and then she slides down to join her friends. They giggle together. The girl looks over her shoulder at Minhyuk and blushes, and Minhyuk slowly falls for her shy smiles and the way her eyes look when her hair falls over them.

“Remember what you promised,” Hyungwon reminds him, and Minhyuk tries. He tries so hard to keep his promise to his best friend, the only person who treats him like he’s not a freak just because of what his mother is and what he inherited from her.

When Minhyuk is thirteen he asks the girl to be his girlfriend. She kisses his cheek and takes his hand and skips away, dragging him with her under the play structure.

“You’re part fae,” she says. “Is your magic different?” She’s full of curiosity, full of questions, and Minhyuk does his best to answer them. He explains how his mother’s magic gave him his beauty, how because she is part of the summer court, his magic wanes in the winter. He tells her how dangerous his magic can be thanks to his warlock father, the temptation to fall toward dark magic nearly too strong for him to fight some days. He talks about how lonely he feels sometimes, particularly when Hyungwon has his especially sleepy days, and she promises to keep him company, says that he doesn’t have to feel lonely anymore because he has her.

It’s not a lie, not exactly. Minhyuk thinks she probably believed it all the times she said it, but one day it isn’t true anymore. So she stops saying it, stops promising him forever. When she starts to pull away, Minhyuk lets her. He leans on Hyungwon. He relies on Hyungwon’s sleep magic to heal his heart, but it’s a slow process.

Minhyuk is still healing when they meet Jooheon, fragile and afraid to love again, scared to let anyone else into his little bubble of relative peace. He uses humor to try to keep a wall between them, joking with Jooheon in a way that starts out stiff and tense.

“I like him,” Hyungwon tells Minhyuk as they walk home from school, sipping on the coffee they’d picked up with their friends before parting ways.

“Who?”

“Jooheon. I had a dream-”

Hyungwon is cut off by Minhyuk’s mocking gasp. “I’m shocked.”

“Shut up, ,” he says, shoving Minhyuk’s shoulder so hard he almost knocks him off the sidewalk. “I had a dream about him. And you. Don’t let him die, okay? You can save him.”

Minhyuk stops walking. “What do you mean ‘die’? I need more information. You can’t expect me to save him if you don’t tell me what’s going to happen.” He jogs to catch up with Hyungwon. He really doesn’t need to because even with Hyungwon's long legs, he walks the same way he does everything else, slowly.

“I can’t tell you more. It won’t matter anyway. Just be ready and make the right decision when it’s time.”

Minhyuk wills himself not to forget Hyungwon’s warning. He tries to spend as much time with Jooheon as possible, afraid if he lets Jooheon out of his sight, something will happen to him, and he’s prepared when it does.

Jooheon waves a small bottle of lime green potion in front of Minhyuk’s face and brags about how he slipped it out of Hyunwoo’s grandmother’s lab.

“She was going to pour it out. She says it’s old and won’t work, but it’s a power enhancing potion. Hyunwoo told me they don’t go bad. They just get stronger with time. Imagine how powerful I can be with just one sip. I won’t even have to drink the whole bottle.”

“I don’t know, Honey.” Minhyuk eyes the bottle. “What if it’s too strong? It could be really dangerous.”

“It’s not that old, Minhyuk. I’ll share it with you,” he offers, but Minhyuk shakes his head, taking a step back away from the potion.

Jooheon shrugs and pries the cork out of the bottle, and Minhyuk gasps when wisps of purple steam escape. He can smell it from several feet away. The scent is acrid, highly acidic, and Minhyuk knows no safe potion should smell like that. Jooheon doesn’t seem to notice, either the smell or the purple steam that’s now billowing out of the bottle in plumes and surrounding Jooheon’s head, clinging close to him like it’s alive.

“Honey…” Minhyuk starts, but Jooheon isn’t listening. He raises the bottle to his lips, and just as he begins to tip it up to drink, Minhyuk swats it out of his hand. The bottle shatters, glass scattering over the pavement, and the potion inside turns blood red as it splatters on the ground. It bubbles and rapidly creates a thick, pink foam that surges toward Jooheon, growing in volume as it travels uphill to reach him.

In a moment of panic, Minhyuk grabs Jooheon's elbow, dragging him into the grass and away from the potion which seems to fizzle out and die as it leaves the sidewalk.

“What the hell is that stuff?” Jooheon screeches. His hand is over his heart like he’s trying to keep it from jumping out of his chest, and he can’t seem to catch his breath.

“I don’t know, but it’s not a power enhancing potion. Are you okay? It didn’t get on you, did it?” He checks Jooheon’s face, his arms and legs. They all seem fine, but a few droplets splashed onto his shoes when the bottle broke. The potion is already eating through the leather.

Jooheon walks Minhyuk home despite being barefoot. When Minhyuk invites him inside, Jooheon accepts, and the moment the door closes behind them, Minhyuk throws himself at Jooheon. He wraps his arms around Jooheon’s neck, his hands on the back of Jooheon's head, pressing Jooheon’s face into his shoulder as he alternates between sobbing over nearly losing Jooheon and scolding him for being so careless.

“Please don’t leave me,” he cries, and Jooheon promises.

“I’ll never leave, never ever.”

The section of sidewalk where the potion fell is still pitted, the potion having devoured the concrete until a late afternoon thunderstorm had washed it away. Minhyuk still can’t walk past the spot without crying.

Hyungwon’s dreams are never wrong.

---

At eight in the morning, Kihyun is woken for the changing of the guards. Minhyuk relieves Hoseok as quietly as possible and takes his seat by the window with a stack of linen strips in his lap.

“What are you doing?” Kihyun whispers, knowing Hyungwon is still sleeping in the other bed.

“Defensive blanket for Hyungwon.” Minhyuk opens a notebook and uncaps a sharpie and begins copying down spells onto the fabric. Kihyun slips out from under the sheets and rolls a desk chair over to the window.

The spells in the notebook are Jooheon’s. Kihyun recognises the handwriting. The linen is warm when Kihyun touches it. The magic has settled into every single thread and will last as long as the spells are clear enough to be read.

“Is it like Jooheon’s jacket?” Jooheon’s canvas army jacket has a lining embroidered with protective spells. Kihyun once saw him throw it over Minhyuk’s head just before a potion exploded, and Minhyuk had walked away unharmed while Jooheon had burns on his arms that took months to heal.

“Something like that,” Minhyuk answers, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. “This one will only be temporary. The magic will last longer if I sew the spells in, but Hyungwon needs it now. He’s been sleeping a lot more lately, and with Changkyun around, I’m afraid he’s a bit vulnerable.”

“So you’ll make another, more permanent one later?”

“Mmm, something bigger and sturdier… softer too.” Kihyun runs his fingers over the linen. It feels pretty soft to him, but it’s nothing compared to the silk lining of Jooheon’s jacket or the microfiber fleece of the blanket Hyungwon usually uses. “So I have to ask,” Minhyuk says, glancing up at Kihyun long enough to make eye contact. “Why has Hyunwoo put you under round the clock surveillance? Did you misbehave? Did you do something… dark?”

“Do you really think Hyunwoo would let me share a bed with Hoseok if he thought I was dangerous?” It’s an attempt at humor, but Minhyuk isn’t amused. Kihyun decides to just spill. It’s not like the coven really has any secrets. They share everything. “Hyunwoo thinks Changkyun is fixated on me, and something about him is messing with me. Just looking at him makes me feel like I’ve been drugged. I can’t concentrate. I get dizzy and sometimes black out. It’s scary.”

“What about your magic? Does he weaken your magic?”

It’s been a week since Halloween, since the summoning, and after a handful of encounters with Changkyun, Kihyun can safely say, “No. It’s more like an overload of power. Unless he touches me. Then it’s like he siphons off my magic through my skin.”

Minhyuk hums thoughtfully. He’s still focused on the spells he’s writing, but Kihyun knows Minhyuk is an excellent multi-tasker. He waits for a response, one that doesn’t come. Finally he breaks down and asks, “Do you have any ideas about what’s going on with me?” Finally, Minhyuk puts the cap on the sharpie and looks up.

“I have an idea, yes, but I think you should talk to Hyungwon about it. Ask if he’s seen anything that might be useful. He’d definitely know better than any of the rest of us.”

“But what is your idea?” Kihyun pries. He really hates when people don't tell him everything.

“It’s just a theory.” Minhyuk looks out the window, watching leaves falling from the ancient oak in the backyard. “I don’t want to share it until I’ve looked into it more. I don’t want to… influence you, in case I’m wrong.”

“You mean you don’t want to scare me. It’s something big, isn’t it? Am I in danger?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. I don’t think. It is big, but not dangerous exactly.” Minhyuk reaches out to steady Kihyun’s shaking hands. “Ask Hyungwon next time he’s awake, and I’ll tell you if I confirm my theory.”

---

“My dreams don’t dictate anything,” Hyungwon says, his voice gruff and rolling low in the back of his throat. “They only show the possibilities. So no, I can’t tell you what grade you’ll make on your potions exam. All I can say is that if you study the potions we’ve been learning, your grade will probably be a lot higher.”

“That’s so stupid!” The girl standing over Hyungwon where he’s still lying half asleep on his bench on the playground curls a hand into a fist and places it on her hip. Her long, braided pigtails look uneven with her head tilted sideways, and like most of the kids who come to him looking for advice based on his dreams, she’s unimpressed. “Of course my grade will be higher if I study. Everyone’s grades would be higher if they studied.”

“Then maybe you should study if you want higher grades.” Hyungwon closes his eyes again and snuggles deeper into his hoodie. He could really do with about ten more hours of sleep today. Dreaming is exhausting.

Something hits his head, probably the hard cover of the textbook the girl is holding. Hyungwon is used to it. He’s certainly not known for his friendliness, but he refuses to give kids false hopes about things when his dreams are so subjective.

The thing is, he almost always dreams about the same situation multiple times with different outcomes. His dreams are never wrong, not if you sift through the possible outcomes and choose the dreams that fit the circumstances properly, but there’s this little thing called free will that allows people to make their own choices.

If the girl chooses to study, really study, not just listen to music and chat on the phone with her friends with the book open on her bed, then she’ll pass her exam. But there are so many more choices than just study or don’t study. She could study a bit and then go hang out with her friends. She could skip studying all together and go over to her boyfriend’s house. Even that has two options. If she calls her boyfriend first, they’ll spend the even together watching movies and making out, but if she decides to come over unannounced she’ll catch him in bed with her best friend.

The worst path she could take would be to not study, go out with her friends, and ignore her mother’s phone call reminding her of her curfew. If she chooses this path, she’ll end up in the morgue, the victim of a car accident. A drunk driver will run a red light and flip her Spyder Eclipse right off the road where it will land upside down in a ditch.

See? Subjective.

“So you’re really not gonna help me?” the girl asks. He squints up at her. He’d thought she’d left. He’d nearly fallen back asleep already.

“What exactly do you want me to do? I could make a list of every dream I’ve had about your… well they’re not really about the exam. They’re more about the studying, but that’s not the point. The point is, even if I make you a list of all the possibilities I’ve seen, there are still others that I haven’t. Like, what if you decide to have Cheerios for breakfast instead of toast? That could change everything; your whole day could be different. It’s all about the,” she starts to walk away, “choices you make!” he yells the last bit to be sure she hears him. “Make good choices,” Hyungwon grumbles to himself, closing his eyes again.

---

Hyungwon is rarely awake for more than a few hours at a time. He sleeps like a cat, twelve to sixteen hours out of twenty four, and not in eight hour intervals like most humans. He sleeps and dreams, he wakes and someone (usually Minhyuk) makes sure he eats and moves around a bit, and then he curls up under his duvet again to sleep and dream some more.

He’s startled to find Kihyun sitting at the foot of the bed when he rolls over to stretch. The light streaming in the window tells him it’s late afternoon, the sky already beginning to fade from bright blue to pale pink and orange. He’s probably been out for five or six hours, and there’s a lot of information in his head waiting to be relayed and recorded.

“What do you need?” he asks Kihyun, knowing he wouldn’t be waiting around the bedroom if he didn’t have a reason.

“Guidance,” Kihyun states. Hyungwon suspects it has something to do with Changkyun, but he keeps his mouth shut for the time being. “Am I weak?”

Well, that’s not what Hyungwon was expecting. He’s rarely caught off guard by anything, his precognitive abilities making it difficult to surprise him.

“N-no? Kihyun, you’re one of the strongest witches I’ve ever met. I’m honestly baffled by the fact that you’re not a wizard. How many witches do you know with innate telekinetic powers?”

“None,” Kihyun answers, speaking directly to the embroidered edge of the duvet where his fingers are tracing the intricate pattern of the thread. “Have you seen me in your dreams lately? Like, since the summoning?”

“All the time. You’re a part of my everyday life; you’re going to be in my dreams pretty much every day as a result,” Hyungwon reminds him. “You know you need to be more specific than that.”

“What about Changkyun?”

Hyungwon lifts an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. “Changkyun himself or Changkyun in relation to you?” Kihyun lifts his eyes, scowling at Hyungwon in a way that says, dumb question because you know the answer. “I have seen the two of you together. I’ve seen…” he rolls on his back and looks at the ceiling as he calls up what he can remember, “I saw you fainting at the summoning before it happened.” He senses Kihyun tensing up so he elaborates. “There wasn’t a clear reason, and it only happened in one dream. I was pretty sure it was an unlikely possibility. I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it before.”

“It’s okay,” Kihyun sighs. “Anything else?”

“There was a series of dreams where you argue. Again, the reason isn’t clear. It happens here in the house. I’m not sure when it happens, but every outcome is… positive.”

“Has it happened?”

“No, not yet. I’m not sure it will.”

“Why not?”

“They stopped. The series stopped playing in my dreams. The only reason it would stop like that is if it already happened or it’s no longer a possibility. There was only one more dream involving Changkyun. It was strange though. Changkyun had aged. Demons don’t age, do they?”

“No. They don’t. Was I in that dream?”

“... Yes.” Hyungwon hesitates, but Kihyun isn’t having it.

“Hyungwon…” he warns.

“Yes, you were in the dream. You had also aged. You and Changkyun are sitting on the sofa in the living room, but it isn’t new anymore. The upholstry is threadbare, and the arms look like they’ve been scratched by a cat.”

“By Changkyun?”

“No. I don’t think he’s a cat in the dream.” Hyungwon closes his eyes to recall the details. “The scratches were probably made by a pet. You’re sitting very close, like Hyunwoo and Hoseok do. You aren’t old, but you’re definitely no longer in your twenties. There’s a bit of silver in his hair, no sign of ears or fur, and you have tiny little smile lines around your eyes and mouth. He’s reading something. You’re angled toward him with your head leaned against the back of the couch and your eyes closed. You look relaxed, peaceful. You look happy, both of you do.”

“What does it mean?” Kihyun’s words are hushed, and when Hyungwon opens his eyes, he notices Kihyun looks upset. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Kihyun was frightened by the idea of ever being so comfortable with Changkyun.

“It’s just a possibility, Ki,” he answers, mimicking Kihyun’s tone. “You know that. It all depends on your choices.”

“Make good choices, I know. The problem is, I don’t know what my choices are, and when it comes to it, I’m not sure I’ll know which choice is the good choice.”

“Stick close to us. We’re your brothers. We’ll help you figure it out.”

---

Changkyun used to be human, fully human. It wasn’t even that long ago in demon terms, though it was before anyone in the coven had been born. In the 80s, the 1880s, Changkyun had been in his early twenties. He’s still in his early twenties and has been since 1883.

Over a century later, Changkyun has forgotten exactly what landed him in the underworld. He remembers a lot from his life before. He remembers his parents; they were teachers. Changkyun never had the means to contact them, and by now they've been dead for decades.

Changkyun remembers having friends but not what they looked like. He remembers having a home, an apartment, but he has no idea where he lived. He knows he had a life before and that something was so important to him it was worth risking his soul, but he can’t. Remember. What. It. Was!

He hasn’t changed much in his time in the underworld, except for the fur and ears and tail. He hasn’t aged a day. The weirdest part, though, the part that makes him different from the other demons who have come and gone over time, is that he hasn’t lost his humanity. He is part demon, but no more today than the day he became so. He’s watched others succumb to the evil within them, the darkness overpowering the remaining human parts of their being. For reasons Changkyun is unable to identify, it’s never happened to him.

For a short while, after one of his closest and most human friends in the underworld became something Changkyun no longer recognised, he wondered if maybe he had turned full demon and just didn’t notice. Maybe it’s like a family member slowly but steadily losing weight, unnoticeable because the daily changes are so tiny, but if the person were to be absent for a month, maybe even just a week, the accumulated differences would be obvious.

But no, Changkyun isn’t fully demon. He can tell because whenever he is forced to do something truly terrible, something like claim a human soul as payment, the human parts of him feel like they’re on fire. The fire burns white hot inside him like it might finally consume his humanity, but it never does. Changkyun can’t decide if it’s better this way, holding onto something from his past, or if it’s worse, more painful because he can fully comprehend the horrendous nature of the things he does as a being of the underworld.

Changkyun likes this coven. They aren’t like many of the humans who have summoned him, demanding things they have no right to and offering payments without realising the sacrifice they’re making. This group of witches and warlocks are smart. They’re careful. They’re prepared, and Kihyun is… he’s special somehow. Familiar? Changkyun can’t quite determine what makes him so special, but he knows it’s true.

Changkyun's demon side acts differently than his human side, but they're intertwined enough that it's difficult to control. Human Changkyun wants to befriend the coven. He longs for companionship and sees qualities in each member of the coven that he would once have considered friend material.

Jooheon writes poetry, something Changkyun vaguely remembers doing before his deal went sour. Hyunwoo is caring and protective. Minhyuk's soul is so bright it blinds Changkyun, but it draws him in as well. Hoseok just wants to belong somewhere, something Changkyun can certainly relate to. Hyungwon is moody and withdrawn, but Changkyun can sense his connection with the others, the feeling of brotherhood among them.

And Kihyun… he’s fiery, sarcastic and snarky. He oozes contentment, like he’s found the place he belongs in this coven and just being, existing with his friends, his brothers, makes him the happiest he could ever hope to be. And he’s beautiful, small with soft features that belie the strength of his magic. His eyes spark with power while his smile is genuine and inviting, and Changkyun wants to accept that invitation.

Then there’s demon Changkyun who wants to accept the invitation as well but not in the same way. Demon Changkyun would like to ravage Kihyun, to corrupt him, to take everything he offers and steal what's left.

It's not just Kihyun, though it's most difficult to fight the demon desires when it comes to Kihyun. He wants to antagonise all the members of the coven. He wants to pick on them until they threaten to send him back to the underworld. He wants to tease them until their faces are flushed red in anger and embarrassment, until they curse Changkyun’s name. He wants to poke at every insecurity until they have to be physically restrained from striking him, maybe even attempting to end him.

The coven's house is protected by a set of wards created by the entire group. Changkyun can sense the magic flowing through them, the tiny differences between the spells set by each member. He prods at specific spots in the wards to determine which spells belong to which member, and he’s surprised by the reactions.

He touches a particularly weak spell, expecting Hoseok to bristle, and is startled when Hyunwoo appears behind him to ask what he’s up to. A spell laced with fae magic draws Jooheon’s attention, and the wildly powerful spell that protects the front door earns him a rather threatening encounter with Hoseok.

Kihyun never responds, even when Changkyun hacks at a piece of the wards that he knows must be Kihyun’s work - what Changkyun can see of it looks like a vine of morning glories constantly in bloom - but the responses of the others tell Changkyun even more than he’d expected to learn from his little experiment.

Hoseok and Hyunwoo are together and fiercely protective of one another. Jooheon and Minhyuk are soulmates, but Minhyuk is also tied to Hyungwon, glaring at Changkyun from across the room when he gently a bit of sleep magic covering the living room window. It’s a very interesting arrangement they all have. Changkyun struggles to understand how everything works, and what’s even more confusing is how the whole coven has created a human shield around Kihyun. They're shielding him from Changkyun, and Changkyun has never wanted to tear down a wall so badly in his life.

---

Jooheon and Minhyuk’s room looks like a college dorm, if the dorm were being shared by a couple. It’s small, with a pair of tiny, twin beds pushed together in one corner, a bookshelf standing next to an armoire, both filled to overflowing, shirt sleeves caught in the doors of the armoire and books stacked two deep on every shelf and spilling out onto the floor. The door opens into the corner of a card table set up as a makeshift desk. The entire surface is stacked with notebooks and napkins and scraps of paper torn from books containing scribbles and notes, pieces of spells Jooheon is working on.

The bed is unmade, the laundry hamper overflowing, and Jooheon is rifling through the papers on the table in search of whatever spell Changkyun is currently supposed to be helping with. “I know it’s here somewhere,” he mutters, lifting an entire stack of notebooks and setting them aside on his chair while he shuffles the papers hiding underneath.

“Hey, Jooheon, I know we’re supposed to be working on the grimoire, but could we talk about something else for a sec?”

“What?” Jooheon asks, distracted. “Oh, yeah sure. What’s up?”

“Has Kihyun said anything about me?”

“Uhm… Aha! Here it is!” Jooheon declares proudly and then yelps when he accidentally sits on the stack of notebooks he’d left in his chair. “You uh… you wanna know about Kihyun?”

“Well, yeah,” Changkyun says, trying to shrug it off like it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want Jooheon getting suspicious. He’s likely to tell Minhyuk, and Minhyuk is actually more than a little terrifying. Fae magic is powerful and unpredictable.

“Why do you wanna know about Kihyun?” Too late, already suspicious.

“He’s just, ya know, hostile. Seems like he doesn’t like me. Was, uh… wondering if you know why?”

Jooheon nods. He has this blank look on his face that Changkyun recognises as his thinking face, so he waits. He really regrets asking. He can feel his body trembling with anxiety, rattling so hard his teeth are chattering. Jooheon is quiet for several long minutes, and Changkyun is starting to think his silence is his way of refusing when he finally speaks again.

“You know, I’m more likely to help you if you’re honest with me. Tell me what’s really going on and I’ll consider your request.”

It’s Changkyun’s turn to hesitate. He’s a demon; it goes against his nature to share anything personal with a human, and whatever is going on between Kihyun and himself, it’s very personal. His human side though, it decides that no matter how personal, it’s also very important. He needs to know, and he trusts Jooheon as much as one can possibly trust a warlock with whom he’s barely acquainted.

“I think there’s some kind of energy exchange going on between us.” Changkyun’s face compresses, his eyes and nose scrunching, lips pressed together and curled down at the ends in a confused frown. “Every time we touch I can feel his energy flowing through me. He feels something too, I can tell, but I’m not sure what kind of feeling it is. He doesn’t seem to like it.” The last time Changkyun had touched Kihyun, he’d pulled away like he’d been burned, and the human part of Changkyun had felt a strong and unexpected urge to cry.

Jooheon watches Changkyun, studying him, probably trying to figure out if he’s being truthful, and then his hand moves. It happens faster than Changkyun can track, the hand reaching toward Changkyun, bypassing Changkyun’s shoulder. Fingers circle his tail before he can jerk it away, and he hisses, claws coming out to curl into Jooheon’s wrist, piercing the flesh.

Jooheon snatches his hand back, whining as the claws drag through his skin and cradling the wounded appendage in his other arm. It’s not even bleeding, Changkyun having gotten control of himself before any real damage could be done, but it probably stings.

“Ouch,” Jooheon whines and pushes his lower lip out dramatically. “What’d you do that for?”

“Why would you touch a demon’s tail without asking first? You could have at least warned me,” Changkyun screeches, but Jooheon is still pouting. It’s irritatingly effective. “I’m sorry, Jooheon. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you can’t surprise me like that. Do you know how many cat demons there are in the underworld?” Jooheon shakes his head, eyes widened in his best imitation of an injured puppy. “Two. There are two cat demons, and every other demon down there wants to touch our tails. They never ask; they just grab. Over the years I’ve learned that I have to react quickly if I don’t want tail touching to progress to something worse.”

With a loud huff, Jooheon mutters, “I understand. Sorry I touched your tail. I just wanted to see if you felt anything when I touched you like you do with Kihyun.” Oh. That… actually makes sense. “That and your tail looks so soft,” he adds, scrunching his face up cutely and practically cooing like he would with an actual animal.

Changkyun narrows his eyes at Jooheon, and the warlock at least has the decency to look embarrassed by his actions. It softens Changkyun. “It is soft. You… you can touch it if you want.”

“You won’t claw me again, will you?”

“No.” Changkyun swings his tail forward, letting it wave lazily in front of Jooheon. “I’m giving you permission to touch my tail. I promise not to hurt you.”

Jooheon reaches out with a single finger to touch the grey fur at the tip of Changkyun’s tail. “It is soft,” he says, and Changkyun laughs. A little more bold now, Jooheon wraps his hand around the tail about halfway up and slides down. Changkyun twitches when he nears the tip and the tail slips out of Jooheon’s hand to curl back around Changkyun’s body.

“So the answer is no. I don’t feel anything when you touch me. And that’s enough petting. I’m not a damn housecat.”

Jooheon grins at that. “You’re cool, man. Furry tails are ing awesome.” If Changkyun didn’t know better, he’d think Jooheon was drunk or high, but no, Jooheon is just cute. Changkyun understands why Minhyuk is so taken with him. “What about your ears?”

Changkyun’s ears flatten to the top of his head, and he scowls at Jooheon. “No one touches my ears. Ever.” Jooheon giggles, holding up his hands to show he understands and has no intention of touching. “Now, Kihyun.”

“Oh, Kihyun likes animals,” Jooheon announces excitedly, tucking a foot under him on the chair. “I mean, he really likes dogs, but he’s like freaking Snow White with animals. He even makes friends with raccoons! Maybe that makes him more like Pocahontas,” he says thoughtfully, looking at the ceiling as he considers which Disney princess Kihyun most resembles. It’s a ridiculous thought. Kihyun clearly isn’t a princess. Changkyun thinks he’s more like a knight, but he’s not sure why.

It doesn’t matter though because that’s not at all what Changkyun is asking about, and Jooheon has successfully distracted him from his own question twice now. He needs to get the warlock back on track.

“Focus!” Changkyun punctuates the remark with a flick to the forehead, earning him another pout from Jooheon. “Kihyun.”

“Right. He hasn’t said anything.”

That’s it. That’s it? Changkyun screams internally. “Nothing? At all? You don’t even know why he hates me so much?”

“Oh, that. You didn’t ask about that. It’s because you’re a demon,” Jooheon states with a nod, sounding so matter of fact it’s annoying.

Again, that’s it? Of course Changkyun is a demon. They summoned a demon; they got a demon. What did Kihyun expect? It’s not Changkyun’s fault he’s a demon; it’s not even Changkyun’s fault he’s here , and why is this so ing upsetting?

Regardless of his thoughts, Changkyun keeps his expression as bland as possible. “Of course,” he sighs. “Why wouldn’t he hate a demon?”

“Dude,” Jooheon nudges Changkyun with his elbow, “do you have a crush or something? You’re acting like you have a crush.” He winks and his lips at the end of his statement, and Changkyun cringes.

“Demons don’t get crushes. Let’s get back to work.”

“Okay,” Jooheon agrees, “but there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Changkyun waits. Jooheon grins. Changkyun groans. “ What , Jooheon? What is it?”

“An unintentional power transfer can only happen between two people bound by fate.”

What… the … does that mean? Changkyun decides not to tell Jooheon he doesn’t understand. “Good to know,” he grumbles. “Now, can we finish with this spell so I can go take a nap?”

Jooheon giggles. “A cat nap?”

“Shut up.”

---

Bound by fate. Jooheon and Minhyuk are bound by fate - soulmates. Jooheon feels it the moment they meet, a tug in his gut attempting to drag him toward Minhyuk, but Minhyuk is less than receptive to Jooheon’s efforts to get close to him. He clings to Hyungwon like his life depends on their physical proximity.

Jooheon knows he’s charming. He has a nice smile and cute dimples. He’s funny, or at least he thinks he is, and he’s only remotely threatening when he’s in the midst of casting an important and possibly dangerous spell. Jooheon is like a puppy, with an excited, high pitched bark and a painless, gummy bite. So why is Minhyuk so reluctant to get to know him?

Hyungwon seems to be on Jooheon’s side. When he’s awake, Hyungwon invites Jooheon to hang out, watching movies at Hyungwon’s house or walking to the McDonald’s down the street (where Jooheon observes in quiet awe as Hyungwon scarfs down more hamburgers and chicken nuggets than he’s ever seen a single person eat in his entire life), and of course Minhyuk sticks to Hyungwon like glue. Hyungwon can never keep his eyes open for long. Almost every time they’re together, Hyungwon ends up passing out on the couch (or the plastic booth at McDonald’s) and leaving Minhyuk and Jooheon basically alone together.

It’s months before Minhyuk ever speaks to him beyond pleasantries, months of sitting off to the side in an armchair while Minhyuk and Hyungwon cuddle on Hyungwon’s parents’ loveseat, months of being the outsider to all of the inside jokes, months of feeling like a third wheel to Minhyuk and Hyungwon who aren’t even a thing if Hyungwon is to be believed. But then one day they’re sitting there together, dipping french fries in a shared chocolate milkshake as they watch the sunset from their favorite booth. Hyungwon dozes off against Minhyuk’s shoulder still chewing on a mouthful of fried potatoes, and Minhyuk, without looking up from his nearly empty cardboard carton mumbles, “I don’t hate you, you know.”

Well of course he doesn’t hate Jooheon. Jooheon knows that, but it’s the first time Minhyuk is actually speaking directly to him and it’s a real sentence with real words that actually mean something. His brain is still trying to compute that fact, and he’s probably got that glazed thinking look in his eyes, his mouth hanging open a little too far for someone who just stuffed an entire handful of french fries in his face.

“Uh… yeah. I know.”

“It’s just, Hyungwon probably told you, but there was this girl… before, and Hyungwon warned me but of course I didn’t listen because I never really do. I mean, I tried to listen. I tried to keep my distance with her and it worked for awhile, but she was persistent. She was like that cough you can’t shake after the cold is long gone. She just… lingered, and even now she’s still kinda rattling around in my chest and it still hurts so… I don’t hate you. I just need to be careful. Cause a cough can turn into pneumonia if you’re not... careful.”

Jooheon isn’t a doctor or anything. He’s not sure if that’s how pneumonia works, but that isn’t the point. The point is that the buzzing tension that’s been hovering around Minhyuk, separating him from Jooheon like a forcefield, is dissipating by the second, and all it took was a few honest words from Minhyuk. Jooheon isn’t about to pass up this opportunity.

“So, uhm, how’s that cough?”

Minhyuk laughs, soft and high and musical. “It’s finally clearing up.” He laughs some more, probably because the whole metaphor had been ridiculous to begin with, but Jooheon played along anyway. “Not gone yet, y’know, but like… no threat of pneumonia. Probably safe to go outside and play again.”

“That’s really good to hear,” Jooheon says. “I like to play outside.” Minhyuk looks up, trying to hold back a smile if the tightness around his mouth and the tiny wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes are anything to go by, and Jooheon grins, wide enough that he knows his dimples are showing, dipping deep into his cheeks. “So am I invited to play?”

Minhyuk finally can’t contain the smile any longer. It creeps across his lips and up his cheeks, and yeah, Minhyuk is half fae so he’s gonna be pretty, but this smile is untainted by the fae glamour. Jooheon doesn’t think he’s ever seen anything in the world more beautiful.

There must be magnets in their fingertips because both of their hands slide across the table, stopping just before they touch. Jooheon waits for Minhyuk to close the distance, not wanting to pressure him. He doesn’t look at the table, keeping his eyes focused somewhere around the center of Minhyuk’s forehead because otherwise they’re drawn to Minhyuk’s pretty pink lips and his tongue peeking out to wet them.

When Minhyuk’s fingers finally meet Jooheon’s, it’s simultaneously the most and least comforting feeling Jooheon remembers having felt. First there’s the warmth that floods his system and makes him blush, the cool little sparks that follow making him shiver, and covering both of those is the sudden feeling of weakness. Jooheon’s knees quiver, his head feels faint and fuzzy, and his magic feels like it’s leaking from some imaginary crack in his hand. It’s seeping out from his fingers and into Minhyuk’s.

As unsettling as it is to think someone else might be stealing his magic, Jooheon is pretty sure if Minhyuk asked, he’d hand it over willingly, all of it, every last drop of magic in his bones and more, anything for Minhyuk.

Minhyuk retracts his hand with a gasp. He’s panting like maybe he was holding his breath the whole time they were touching, and his eyes are wide and glassy, not like he’s going to cry, but like he’s been given a bit too much tranquiliser potion.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I know,” Jooheon assures Minhyuk, placing a hand over Minhyuk’s, and just like before, his magic flows right through his skin and into Minhyuk. Jooheon finds he likes the feeling. It’s like their magic is seeking balance between them, Jooheon’s strengthening Minhyuk’s, reinforcing it.

Later Jooheon asks Hyunwoo about it. He'd tried researching on his own, but the library hadn't had much information on power transfers. Hyunwoo tells him his grandmother described something like it once when he was small, and she said it was something special that only happened between soulmates.

Clearly Minhyuk doesn't know this, still tries to keep his distance as much as possible, but now Jooheon knows the truth. Minhyuk will always be connected to him, no matter how much he tries to fight it. Jooheon decides he can wait because Minhyuk is his soulmate, and he'll come around eventually.

---

After three weeks of working on the coven’s spells, Changkyun still hasn’t managed to finish the grimoire so the entire coven is forced to gather in the living room to discuss the progress. Normally Hyunwoo would leave his staff in the bedroom or in his lab, but Kihyun notices when he takes his seat between Hoseok and Hyungwon that Hyunwoo is leaning on it. The sigils and runes carved into the wood are quiet, nearly invisible, but Kihyun has seen them glow bright white with Hyunwoo’s magic flowing through them often enough to know they’re there.

The presence of Hyunwoo’s staff is telling. He wouldn’t have brought it if he didn’t think there was the possibility of some kind of danger, and the reason is obvious when Changkyun steps out from behind Hyunwoo and into the center of the living room. Kihyun is reminded of the night they summoned Changkyun, the demon in the middle of their circle, surrounded by all of the members of the coven.

“I uh… I asked Hyunwoo to gather you all here because I… uhm… I think it’s time to request my favor.” Minhyuk perks up at that, leaning forward to listen closer. “It’s just, all of the pages of the grimoire are still unfinished. There’s a key piece missing so I’m going to need some help.”

“We’re not summoning anyone else,” Hyunwoo warns. “One demon hanging around here is enough. If you can’t do it, we can just send you back.”

“Oh, no I can do it. It’s just that you’re hindering me.”

“Hindering you how?” Minhyuk questions cautiously.

“You’re not giving me access to everything I need. Your coven is tight knit. Even with Jooheon helping you arrange the words, writing the incantations, each of you has a part in every spell in the grimoire.” Changkyun sweeps his hair off of his face with dull claws and sighs. “You need to let me work with Kihyun.”

“No,” Hoseok answers firmly, immediately. “Absolutely not.” Hyunwoo steps closer to Hoseok, resting a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Hyunwoo says.

Changkyun rolls his eyes. “I had a feeling you’d say that. That’s why I’m asking for it as my favor, my payment. You literally can’t turn me down. It’s part of our agreement.”

Everyone looks to Minhyuk for confirmation, and he nods. Kihyun’s stomach lurches. He sits up straighter, not sure whether it’s to fight the nausea or be ready to run to the bathroom if he can’t.

“Give us a minute,” Hyunwoo tells Changkyun, and the demon dips his head in a kind of bow before retreating to Minhyuk and Jooheon’s bedroom. “I don’t like this,” Hyunwoo growls when Changkyun is gone.

“Well we don’t really have a choice,” Minhyuk points out. “We owe him a favor, and this particular request doesn’t violate any of our terms. Just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean we’re capable of denying him.”

“Doesn’t Kihyun have any say in it?” Hoseok asks, unable to disguise the fear in his voice. “What if Kihyun doesn’t want to be alone with him?”

“That’s not what Changkyun said. He said he needs access to Kihyun, but he never said they’d have to be alone together,” Minhyuk clarifies. “We really can’t refuse this favor, but we can clarify the terms. I suggest we require them to have a chaperone. Someone stays in the room with them at all times while they’re working together. We’ve already set some other limits… nothing that will kill any of us or harm a mortal, nothing morally reprehensible, and nothing illegal. I actually don’t think it will be all that dangerous.”

“Not that dangerous?” Hoseok stands and runs his hands through his hair as he paces along a blue stripe on the living room rug. “ He’s a demon. I’m not letting my best friend spend time with a demon.”

“Oh, but it’s okay for my soulmate to be locked up in a bedroom with him for weeks?” Minhyuk screeches, rising to his feet and shoving Hoseok’s shoulder as he passes. Minhyuk rarely gets angry, but when he does, his anger seems to fuel his physical strength. Despite Hoseok having a good twenty pounds of solid muscle on Minhyuk, he stumbles backward into Hyunwoo. “We’re talking about Kihyun here. Sure, he’s small, but he’s not weak. He can handle Changkyun, especially if we’re all just a shout away.”

“I say we vote,” Hyungwon finally adds his two cents.

“Why would we vote?” Minhyuk is clearly losing his patience with everyone. “We have to do it. We have no choice. Besides, we know what everyone’s vote will be except Kihyun, and we have no one to break a tie.”

“Hyungwon is right,” Hyunwoo steps in. The room is silent for a few moments as everyone considers their options. “Let’s start with Hoseok. Give your vote and your reason.”

“No. I vote no. I’m still not sure Changkyun isn’t trying to steal Kihyun’s soul.”

“Well I vote yes. How many times do I have to tell you that no isn’t even an option?” Hyungwon also votes yes for the same reason as Minhyuk. “You made a good choice, my friend,” Minhyuk jokes, but no one laughs.

Hyunwoo abstains, stating that with only five votes there won’t be a tie, and then it’s down to Jooheon and Kihyun. Kihyun doesn’t want to vote first. He feels like no one would listen to his opinion either way, and on top of that, he’s not sure what his opinion even is. He’s torn between fear and curiosity. He’s saved from having to decide when Jooheon casts his vote.

“I vote yes.” Everyone waits for his reason, but he doesn’t give one, doesn’t elaborate.

“You’re just siding with your soulmate,” Hoseok accuses. “Do you ever make a decision on your own?”

Hyunwoo steadies Hoseok, wrapping an arm around his waist. Immediately he turns from guard dog to snuggly puppy, cuddling into Hyunwoo. “Jooheon, we need your reason,” Hyunwoo reminds him.

Jooheon looks around the room, pausing on Minhyuk who nods encouragingly. “You can’t keep soulmates apart.”

Kihyun hears a collective gasp, his own voice asking, “What?” He feels a long arm snake around his shoulders, pulling him into a bony body.

“Breathe,” Hyungwon tells him, and he tries. He tells his lungs to expand, but they don’t. The room starts to fade, the edges of his vision going black and everything else turning fuzzy like it’s out of focus. All he can think as he passes out is soulmate?

---

Changkyun doesn’t mean to eavesdrop. He never does it intentionally, but he does have an extra set of functional ears, sensitive ones at that, so it’s not surprising that he can make out nearly every word even through the closed door.

Hoseok’s passionate defense of his best friend is admirable but stupid. Everyone in that room knows as well as Changkyun that they can’t deny him his favor. They shook hands with a demon. To deny him payment could have horrible consequences.

Changkyun growls at the mention of clarifying terms. Minhyuk should know that will never fly, and Changkyun isn’t about to be stuck with a chaperone every time needs to speak to Kihyun. It’s just silly how much they baby him. Changkyun knows Kihyun isn’t weak. He doubts he could take Kihyun on physically, and while Changkyun does have the power to claim a soul, he doesn't think anyone understands how much he hates doing so.

“I vote yes,” Jooheon’s voice filters into the room, and Changkyun is shocked, especially when Hoseok accuses him of siding with his soulmate. Jooheon loves Minhyuk, that’s obvious, but he doesn’t strike Changkyun as someone who would arbitrarily side with his soulmate just because he's in love. No, Jooheon must have a good reason, and Changkyun is curious if it’s just that Jooheon is smart enough to realise it’s the only choice or if there’s something else.

“You can’t keep soulmates apart.”

Soulmates. Jooheon and Minhyuk? What do they have to do with-

Changkyun’s thoughts are cut off by a commotion in the other room. There are too many people talking at once for Changkyun to make out what’s going on, but something is making his heart beat faster. It can’t be fear. Even as human as Changkyun still is, fear just isn’t something that demons feel. But still, his hands are balled into fists, his breaths becoming ragged and shallow. It’s about the time the voices fade into scuffling, five pairs of feet moving toward the bedrooms, that Changkyun starts feeling claustrophobic. He can’t breathe in this cramped, cluttered room. He needs more space.

He tears the door open with enough force that it slams against the card table and sends pieces of spells scattering all around the room. The scene in the hallway nearly stops his heart entirely. Kihyun is suspended between Hoseok and Hyunwoo, his feet several inches off the floor and his arms draped over their shoulders as his head lolls forward against his chest

“My bed,” Hyungwon directs them, his expression more alert than Changkyun has ever seen. “Lay him down and I’ll take care of him.”

Something dark swirls inside Changkyun at the thought of someone else taking care of Kihyun, and he growls, not the mildly threatening sound a housecat makes, but something raw and loud, possessive. He steps forward mindlessly, not even considering the danger of approaching Kihyun.

He only makes it two steps before he’s being forced back against the wall, Minhyuk’s finger pointed directly at his chest to hold him in place.

“Let me go!” he snarls. “I need to be with him.” Changkyun struggles uselessly against the spell, thrashing and banging his head against the wall. “He’s mine! You can’t keep him from me. He belongs to me!”

The weight of the spell against his chest stays, but Jooheon moves closer, touching his shoulder lightly in a way that shouldn’t calm him as much as it does. ing warlocks! Changkyun stills and whimpers, his eyes pleading for Jooheon to release him so he can be with Kihyun.

“Please,” he begs, “he needs me. I need to help him, please.”

Kihyun has already disappeared into Hyungwon’s bedroom along with Hyungwon, Hoseok, and Hyunwoo, but none of them are who Kihyun needs. Changkyun isn’t sure how he knows, but it’s exceedingly clear in his mind that he can help Kihyun right now if they will just let. Him. Go!

“Changkyun, you can’t, not right now. We’ve got this under control. Kihyun will be fine after some rest, and maybe when he wakes up we can all have dinner together and talk about what's going on, but for now, let us handle this. You're the outsider here and a demon; we can't trust you yet. Please try to understand our position.”

All of the fight drains out of Changkyun. He could force his way through the rest of them to get to Kihyun, but it would be difficult and he's sure Kihyun wouldn't appreciate Changkyun tearing his friends to shreds with his claws. For some reason Changkyun feels it's very important to please Kihyun, so he slumps against Minhyuk's spell and lets Jooheon catch him when it drops.

“You've got him?” Minhyuk checks with Jooheon, and Jooheon nods. “Good. We'll talk about this later. I need to check on Hyungwon.”

“That was stupid,” Jooheon scolds Changkyun when Minhyuk has joined the rest in Hyungwon's bedroom. “You are stupid. I swear, for someone who's lived over a century, you're really dumb.”

“I know. I know, but… I need to see him, Jooheon. I need to make sure he's okay and help him if he's not.”

“He just fainted, idiot.” Jooheon shoves at Changkyun's shoulder playfully. “He'll be fine. I shouldn't have just announced the whole soulmate thing like that. I should have prepared him first.”

“I thought everyone knew you and Minhyuk are soulmates. Why would you have to prepare him for that?”

Jooheon gives him a look, one that says you really are stupid. “Not us, dummy. You and Kihyun.”

What?

“What?”

“Oh my god!” Jooheon groans. “I practically spelled it out for you the other day. How did you not get that?”

Changkyun remembers, ‘bound by fate’. He still hadn’t had a lot of time to think about what it meant, but it clicks now. Soulmates are bound by fate. That’s why the weird attraction and the unintentional power transfer. The universe likes for there to be a balance of power between soulmates, so whenever they touch, whoever is stronger at the moment lends a little energy to his soulmate. It also means Changkyun was right about Kihyun being more powerful, and it explains why Kihyun hates touching him so much. No respectable witch would be okay with someone taking a bit of his power without asking.

Changkyun cycles through several emotions, ranging from elation to confusion and finally settling on despair when he realises, “There’s no way he’ll ever accept me.”

Jooheon rubs his hand comfortingly along Changkyun’s back, pulling him into an awkward side hug as he says, “Don’t worry, Changkyun. Fate wants you to be together. It may take some time, but Kihyun will come around.”

---

Under the watchful eye of Jooheon, Changkyun is allowed access to Kihyun, and finally he’s able to make some progress on the grimoire. He’s making so much progress, in fact, that time is slipping away from him. When the grimoire is complete, the coven will send him back to the underworld, and he’ll be separated from Kihyun for the rest of eternity. His human heart breaks at the thought.

The first few days are tense, Kihyun clearly uncomfortable, still coming to terms with their situation. He keeps a safe distance between them and eyes Changkyun warily the entire time. It’s frustrating, but Changkyun gives Kihyun the space he needs, not wanting to scare him off before they ever have a chance to get to know each other.

The more the idea of being soulmates sinks in, the more Kihyun relaxes. He opens up, and the result is a newly forming bond that Changkyun eagerly embraces.

“So if we swap these words here at the ends, the spell will be more effective,” Changkyun suggests as they work on yet another of Kihyun’s lines in a group spell. “It’s more precise, more focused. As it is now, you could probably stun your target and half a dozen bystanders, but if you change it and aim properly, you can take down your target completely without harming anyone else.”

Kihyun leans closer to look over Changkyun’s shoulder at the lines he’s referring to. He doesn’t touch, but Changkyun can feel Kihyun’s warmth along the length of his back and soft breaths against his neck. It takes a great deal of self control not to just fall back into Kihyun.

“Oh, I see what you mean. That’s good, yeah. Let’s change it.”

“Hey, Ki,” Jooheon interrupts, “I need to, uh, do a thing… in… not here. You good?”

“Uhhhh…” Kihyun answers, and the way his mouth his hanging open in confusion is too cute for words.

“Great! I’ll be back, um, later.” Jooheon waves as he slips out the door backward, closing it behind him and leaving Changkyun and Kihyun alone together for the first time since the incident outside the bathroom.

“What in the world is he up to?” Kihyun wonders aloud.

“Leaving us alone together would be my guess.”

“Why?” Kihyun turns to Changkyun with an eyebrow raised. Changkyun has to bite back a grin.

“Let the two soulmates get to know each other maybe?” The urge to push Kihyun’s fringe back off his forehead is strong, but Changkyun resists. “Speaking of, could I ask you a question?”

“Oh, sure.” Kihyun settles on Jooheon and Minhyuk’s bed, his back against the wall.

“I know you didn’t really get a choice in this whole soulmate matter. Are you okay with it? Are you mad at me?” Changkyun finds he really likes the way Kihyun nose scrunches when he’s thinking.

“I’m not mad at you,” he says. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it, but you didn’t have a choice either. It’s not your fault.” Kihyun rearranges his legs, crossing them in front of himself with a sigh. “I guess I’m just… frustrated? And I don’t really understand how fate expects this to work out. I mean, I’m certainly not going to volunteer to follow you back to the underworld, not even if I get to know you and fall in love, and I can’t exactly keep you here either. You’re only allowed to stay until the terms of the deal have been fulfilled. What are we supposed to do?”

“You’re taking this better than I expected.”

“Well, now that I know I’m not crazy and that you’re not trying to steal my soul, I’m a whole lot more comfortable. You’re pretty chill.” Kihyun’s lips quirk sideways in a half smile, and Changkyun’s heart stutters in his chest. “But I still know almost nothing about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

Kihyun hums as he considers what to ask Changkyun, his voice so sweet and melodic, a lot like Hyunwoo’s but stronger.

“What do you remember from before you became a demon?”

Changkyun puffs out his cheeks, blowing out a slow, deep breath. “My mom. I remember she was really warm. When she hugged me I felt safe, and she smelled like orange sweet rolls. I remember my dad helping me with homework while Mom cooked dinner and kissing me goodnight after Mom tucked me in bed. I remember it was cold where we lived, and I had to walk to school in the snow. I went to college, but I don’t remember what I was studying or if I graduated. Something tells me I didn’t.”

“Do you know what happened to your family?” Kihyun has moved closer, perched on the edge of the bed now and leaning forward.

“I have no idea. It was so long ago.” Changkyun unconsciously wraps his tail around in front of himself, holding it in his hands and working knots out of the fur with his fingers.

“Is it… is it soft?” Changkyun looks up at Kihyun, confused. “Your fur. Is it soft?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s pretty soft. Jooheon says you like animals?”

“Mhmm. I like cuddly things.” Kihyun’s fingers twitch against his thigh, and Changkyun thinks maybe he wants to touch so he cautiously swings his tail forward, offering. “Can I?” Changkyun nods.

Kihyun’s hands are gentle. He doesn’t squeeze or pull or snag his fingers in the fur. He only touches just enough to feel the thick, silky fur, a smile curving the corners of his lips.

“It’s nice,” he says, quietly, careful not to disturb the calm between them.

“Yeah, it is.” Changkyun stops himself before he can do something stupid like curl up in Kihyun’s lap and beg for his ears to be scratched, but he doesn’t miss the frown on Kihyun’s face when he suggests they get back to work.

“So I think here, we should maybe-” Changkyun cuts himself off with a gasp as the ears on top of his head flick, tickled by puffs of breath from Kihyun’s lips. “You’re, uh…”

“Oh, yeah,” Kihyun whispers, taking a step back from where he’d been hovering over Changkyun. “Sorry. Space.”

“No, I mean… I don’t mind you being close.” Changkyun almost reaches out for Kihyun’s wrist to pull him back, but he doesn’t, clenching his hand into a fist in his lap. “I just don’t wanna steal your energy from you.”

Kihyun huffs and smiles, flopping back onto the bed. “It doesn’t bother me so much now that I know why it's happening.” He laughs. Kihyun’s laugh is nice, too. It’s a carefree, happy sound, a little awkward and loud when he’s excited, but right now it’s soft and breathy and just… nice. It makes Changkyun feel warm. “I think I’ve had enough spells for today. Let’s go find some lunch.”

Their fingers touch as Kihyun passes Changkyun on the way to the door, giving Changkyun’s hand a little tug and encouraging him to follow. It lasts all of two seconds, but Changkyun in a breath, feeling Kihyun’s energy seep into his skin. Kihyun doesn’t react. He doesn’t gasp or shudder, doesn’t make a sound, and best of all, he doesn’t faint.

As they make their way through the living room, Jooheon catches Changkyun’s eye from the couch. He watches the pair and the way Changkyun is shyly trailing behind him, and Jooheon winks at Changkyun. Changkyun decides it’s probably a good sign.

---

Most of the guys like to spend their time with Hyungwon when they can’t sleep. Something about his magic is soothing and it’s hard not to feel tired when Hyungwon literally can’t hold his eyes open. He’s the best snuggler in the house, his bed is always warm and comfy, and he smells like sleepytime tea.

Kihyun has spent his share of nights in Hyungwon’s bed, especially when his magic is weak from overuse, but on nights when his brain is running a mile a minute even though his body is about to give out on him, his favorite way to relax is with a cup of tea on the patio. It doesn’t matter that the weather is chilly, fall verging on winter. There’s something satisfying about wrapping up in the warmest blanket he owns, sliding his feet into his fuzzy slippers, and settling into the glider with a hot mug of tea between his hands.

If it were summer there would be crickets chirping to keep Kihyun company, but most of the insects have either died or gone into hibernation for the winter by now. A light breeze blows dry leaves around the backyard. Their rustling serves as white noise, a blank background for Kihyun’s thoughts, and his thoughts are busy tonight.

With the exception of his being a demon, or part demon as he keeps reminding Kihyun, Changkyun is… well, he’s delightful. He’s quiet, but when he has something to add to the conversation, he’s insightful and funny. He’s caring, asking Kihyun often how he’s feeling and whether he slept well. He’s attentive, reminding Kihyun to take breaks and to eat, and the absolute worst part is… he’s handsome.

Changkyun is small, compact, a good match for Kihyun’s size. His hair is dark and looks so incredibly soft. His feline eyes are a bright gold, and after several weeks away from the underworld his skin has a healthy glow. In short, he’s perfect for Kihyun, and the whole not touching thing gets more and more difficult every day.

The rest of the coven seems to have accepted Changkyun as well. They’re no longer suspicious of him, and Changkyun is so friendly with them. Even Hyungwon has come out of hibernation to spend time with Changkyun, though he demanded that they hang out in bed… with food.

“Hey,” Kihyun’s thoughts are interrupted by Changkyun’s quiet greeting. “Aren’t you cold out here?”

Kihyun shows Changkyun his tea as if it’s an explanation for why he’s sitting out in the cold. “You can join me if you like,” he offers, scooting to one side of the glider to make room. Changkyun hesitates in the doorway. “If it’s too cold for you I’ll share the blanket.”

“Will you share your tea too? Demons prefer the heat.” Changkyun darts over to the glider like he’s trying to avoid being soaked in a storm, immediately pulling half of the blanket around his shoulders as soon as he’s seated. He curls his feet under himself, looking all sweet and adorable like a little kid. This is definitely not helping to quiet Kihyun’s mind.

“What are you doing out here?” Changkyun’s voice shakes as a shiver makes its way through his body in the middle of his question.

“It’s just peaceful out here. I needed to be somewhere a little less noisy to think.”

“Think about what?”

Kihyun sighs. “I don’t even know, honestly. There are so many thoughts in my head I can’t even get them untangled enough to sort through them.”

“Are you worried about us? Is that what’s keeping you up?”

“Partly,” Kihyun admits. “Like, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but seriously, how are we supposed to be together if I’m here and you’re in the underworld? And you’re… what? Immortal? Sort of? I’m not. I’m very, very mortal. And you do things that I can’t forgive, no matter how I feel about you. You claim souls as payment. Souls! That’s… I can’t even wrap my head around that.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I hate doing it. I always have. But you’re right, it’s part of my job to claim souls. I can’t just refuse to do it either. This is not the kind of work where you get fired if you don’t do your job. It’s the kind where you get… dead.”

“I thought you were a Weaver of Words,” Kihyun snorts.

“It’s not my fault,” Changkyun pouts, and that’s cute. “The human in me gets flustered whenever I talk to you.”

“And the demon in you? How does he feel about me?”

“Kihyun,” Changkyun almost whines, “the demon is still me, part of me anyway. It’s just the part that doesn’t lose focus when a pretty boy is standing in front of me. It's not like there are two of me. You can't look at my human side and my demon side as separate beings. It's more like two halves of a whole.”

“Actually, I'd say two quarters of a half.” Changkyun his head sideways, clearly trying to calculate why Kihyun considers him only half a person. Before he can break his brain, Kihyun puts him out of his misery. “We're soulmates, two halves of one soul. I'm the other half.”

“Oh. Right, of course. Soulmates. That's still so weird to me. I never thought I'd have a soulmate.”

Kihyun hums and takes a sip of his tea, offering the cup to Changkyun as well. Changkyun accepts, and Kihyun hunches further into the blanket and tucks his hands under his thighs to keep them warm.

“So…” Kihyun bumps his shoulder against Changkyun’s, “back to my question. How do you feel about me?”

“I thought it was obvious.” Changkyun’s voice is softer now, more shy, and Kihyun would bet that if it weren’t so dark out he’d be able to see a little pink in Changkyun’s cheeks.

“Is it?” he teases. “Maybe you should tell me in words, you know, since they’re your specialty.”

“I like your eyes. They’re bright and observant, and they remind me of something from my past but I can’t quite remember what. I like your smile. It’s inviting and makes me feel accepted. I really like your voice. It’s rich, and you have this tiny hint of a lisp that makes you sound younger than you are. It’s cute. So yeah, I like you.”

“I misjudged you before,” Kihyun admits. “I thought since you’re a demon that’s all there is to you, but you have a lot more depth. I think you’re more human than demon, and I think you have a good heart. I wish… I wish our situation was different, that we could have more time together because I think you’re someone I could love if I had the chance.”

“But you’re still holding back. Are you still afraid of me?”

Kihyun laughs softly, but there’s no humor in it. It sounds sad. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of falling for you and then losing you.”

“Oh.” Changkyun sounds sad too, and Kihyun feels compelled to fix it, to make him happy again. He leans sideways until their arms are pressed together and his head is resting on Changkyun’s shoulder.

The feeling when they touch is different now, and Kihyun is no longer afraid of it or in danger of passing out. It’s just a mild tingling that leaves him feeling light and floaty, like he’s had a little too much ritual wine and is maybe a little buzzed.

“I wish you could stay,” Kihyun whispers, his eyelids finally too heavy to hold them open.

“Me too.”

Kihyun doesn’t remember falling asleep. He doesn’t remember being carried to his bed. He only briefly wakes up when Changkyun pulls the blanket up to his chin, and he mumbles his thanks as he rolls over into the pillow, falling back asleep in seconds.

---

The bed is too warm. There’s an extra blanket over Kihyun and an extra body under it. The scent is familiar, chamomile and vanilla, and he giggles at the way Hyungwon has folded himself up to fit into Kihyun’s arms.

“I can feel your spine bruising my stomach.”

“Shut up,” Hyungwon grumbles as he rolls over to face Kihyun. “You woke me up with your girly laugh, but you don’t hear me complaining.” Kihyun pinches Hyungwon’s nose, laughing harder when Hyungwon groans and lazily bats at his hand.

“What are you doing in my bed, beanpole?”

“My bed was cold and everyone else is… doing things.” Hyungwon sneers as he says the words, but his eyes are still closed and his sneer turns into a yawn, losing its effectiveness. “Besides, I wanted to talk to you.”

“Me?” Hyungwon nods and snuggles deeper into the pillow.

“I had a dream.”

“No!” Kihyun says with a dramatic gasp. “You had a dream? I never would have-”

“Oh shut up. What is it with you and Minhyuk always making fun of me? This is why Jooheon is my favorite.”

“Liar. Minhyuk will always be your favorite and you know it.” Hyungwon shrugs a shoulder and his lips. “Fine, I’ll ask. What did you dream?”

A smile spreads across Hyungwon’s face, smug. “More of the same. You and Changkyun, sitting close together on the scratched up couch.”

“That’s nothing new though. Why bring it up?”

“I mentioned it before, but I wasn’t sure. Now I am. Changkyun isn’t a cat in the dream. He’s older and he isn’t a cat.” Hyungwon pauses, cracking an eye open to see if Kihyun is following. Kihyun blinks at him. “He’s older and he isn’t a cat, Kihyun. What does that tell you?”

“He’s not a demon.”

“Right,” Hyungwon sighs, “and what does that mean?”

“There’s a way to make him human again, and if he’s human, he can stay. Yeah?”

“You got it.” Kihyun flinches when Hyungwon pats his cheek, trying to wiggle out of reach, but Hyungwon’s arms are too long. He rolls too far and falls off the bed, and Hyungwon spreads himself to cover the warm spot Kihyun’s left behind. “Now go find Hyunwoo and figure out how to make it happen. I need a nap.”

---

“All I can tell you is there’s nothing in my grandmother’s books,” Hyunwoo tells Kihyun several days later. “I’ve read everything to do with demons in every book in my lab. Once a demon has made his deal, he’s a demon for eternity. There’s no way to reverse it.”

“No way at all?” Kihyun slumps against the kitchen counter across from Hyunwoo. “Are you sure? Because Hyungwon said he had a dream. His dreams have never been wrong before.”

“Unless there’s something I’m missing, something not in Gramma’s books, then no. No way at all.” Kihyun buries his face in his arms and whines. “I mean, there are other ways to keep him here, but he’ll still be a demon.”

“What ways?”

“Well,” Hyunwoo rakes his fingers through his hair, “we can kinda… drag our feet finishing the grimoire. He’s allowed to stay until it’s complete, and if for some reason he’s called back to the underworld before we finish, we can always summon him again and try to make some deal that will give him more time here with us.” Kihyun nods, not quite hearing everything Hyunwoo says as he tries to figure out why Hyungwon would dream something that isn’t possible.

“Yeah. We can do that for now, but keep looking, okay? There’s gotta be something we’re missing.”

“I will,” Hyunwoo promises, “and Kihyun… We all see how you’ve been holding back with Changkyun.” Kihyun groans and rolls his eyes. “Don’t give me that. I know you don’t want to start anything you can’t finish, but look at it this way, you don’t want to miss out on the time you have together in case we can’t find a way for him to stay. I suggest you loosen up and make yourself some good memories to hold onto.”

---

Ever since the evening they shared on the patio, the walls Kihyun had built between himself and Changkyun have been slowly crumbling. He spends more time with Changkyun, actively seeking him out in some instances, even during times when Changkyun would have expected him to choose Hoseok or Hyungwon for company instead. Kihyun offers to teach Changkyun to cook and regularly shares meals with him, almost like dates. Even the physical boundaries have moved, Kihyun initiating contact to hold hands or sitting closer than is strictly necessary when they have an entire dining table for eight to themselves. He’s even taken to cuddling against Changkyun on the couch as he introduces Changkyun to the wonders of Netflix, binge watching entire seasons of Kihyun’s favorite shows. It’s as wonderful as it is confusing, but Changkyun soaks it up, knowing that there’s an expiration date that’s fast approaching.

Another curious thing has happened in the house over the past couple of weeks. Everyone is suddenly unavailable whenever Changkyun approaches them to work on the grimoire. Hyungwon is sleeping even more than usual, taking all of his meals in bed rather than joining the group for dinner a few nights a week. Minhyuk complains that winter is draining his powers and begins spending an inordinate amount of time napping with Hyungwon. Hoseok keeps hiding out in the gym in the back of Hyunwoo’s lab, the only two rooms in the house Changkyun has been banned from, and Jooheon and Hyunwoo keep sequestering themselves in Hyunwoo’s lab, hinting heavily that they’re working on an important spell that must be included in the grimoire before Changkyun can complete it.

It’s obvious to Changkyun that they don’t want him to finish his job. They’re giving him (or maybe Kihyun) a little extra time with his soulmate before he’s banished back to the underworld until the next reckless human summons him. He’s grateful, and it seems Kihyun is as well. Changkyun figures that as long as he’s making an effort to do his job, the higher level demons in the underworld won’t question the ridiculous length of time it’s taking.

“You up for another season of House of Cards tonight?” Kihyun asks, leaning over the back of the couch to nuzzle into Changkyun’s neck. His fingers slide into Changkyun’s hair, scratching at the furry black ears on top of his head, and if Changkyun could purr…

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather work on some spells?”

“We’ve already finished all of mine,” he answers, his lips pressed to Changkyun’s skin, and this is new, too. “Come on, please?”

“Yeah, okay. Whatever you wanna do,” Changkyun agrees in a much breathier tone than he’d intended.

They wind up laying on the couch, Kihyun in front of Changkyun, squeezed together with Changkyun’s arm around Kihyun’s middle to keep him from falling to the floor. Kihyun rests his head on Changkyun’s other arm, and Changkyun doesn’t even realise until Netflix is asking if they want to continue watching that Kihyun has fallen asleep.

Changkyun takes the opportunity to indulge himself, carding his fingers through Kihyun’s hair and feeling the steady beat of his heart against Changkyun’s chest. He buries his nose in the back of Kihyun’s head, inhaling the sweet scent of honeysuckle.

By the time Hyunwoo finds them, probably hours later, Changkyun has lost himself in Kihyun. The television had timed out not long after the Playstation had gone into rest mode, and Changkyun had lain there enjoying the silence and the darkness and the warmth and softness of Kihyun’s skin against his own.

“Sorry, but I need to borrow Ki if you can wake him,” Hyunwoo whispers.

Changkyun wraps his arm around Kihyun’s chest and hugs him tight, rocking him to wake him gently. “Kihyunie,” he sings, “wake up for Hyunwoo.”

“No thanks,” Kihyun mumbles. Hyunwoo laughs but leans closer.

“Hey, Ki, I hate to interrupt your midnight snuggle session, but this is kind of important. So come on, sleepyhead. Wake up for me.”

Kihyun takes a deep breath and opens one eye, slowly taking in their position and Hyunwoo hovering over them before promptly closing his eye and falling limp against Changkyun again. Hyunwoo chuckles.

“Is he always like this when he wakes up?”

“Nah,” Hyunwoo says, grinning fondly as he touches Kihyun’s cheek. “He likes to be the first one up in the morning, just kind of jumps out of bed as soon as the alarm rings, but middle of the night Kihyun is totally different from morning Kihyun. Come on, buddy. Important business. I finally found something.”

This finally seems to rouse Kihyun, and he drags Changkyun up with him as he sits, rubbing his eyes and trying hard to focus on Hyunwoo. “Ugh, where did my glasses go?” Hyunwoo retrieves Kihyun’s glasses from the floor and hands them to him. Changkyun remains wrapped possessively around Kihyun, taking advantage of every moment of contact he can get before Kihyun realises how close they are and pulls away. “You found something?”

“Yep,” Hyunwoo nods. “Let’s go talk in the lab.”

Kihyun leans back into Changkyun as he asks, “Can Kkukkungie come?” Hyunwoo raises an eyebrow at the nickname. Changkyun just shrugs; he’s not sure where it came from either.

“Uh… probably not a good idea. Lab and all. Let’s just… it won’t take long, Kihyun. Let’s get it over with and you can come back to Changkyun, okay?”

Kihyun whines, disentangling himself from Changkyun and turning to hug him tightly. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back.”

As he watches Hyunwoo lead Kihyun back toward the lab, Changkyun shivers. Maybe it’s the cryptic way Hyunwoo was speaking or just the fact that Kihyun is no longer touching him, but Changkyun has a bad feeling about whatever it is Hyunwoo has found.

---

“So there is a ritual that can make Changkyun human again,” Hyunwoo begins, “but you’re not going to like it.”

“Why? Do I have to kill something?” Kihyun thinks he probably could kill something for Changkyun, as long as it isn’t a human.

“No, no killing, but it does require a sacrifice.”

“An animal?” Kihyun runs through the list of animals he absolutely would not kill for Changkyun. It’s short, mostly pets.

“No, again, no killing.” There’s a look on Hyunwoo’s face that Kihyun can’t describe, but it makes him uneasy.

“Then what is it?” Hyunwoo sighs. “Just tell me, Hyunwoo. Whatever it is, I can handle it.” It’s the middle of the night, and Hyunwoo woke him up from the most peaceful sleep he’s had in recent memory. Hyunwoo’s explanation thus far has been about as clear as mud; Kihyun just does not have the patience for this.

“You have to give up your magic.”

It takes a moment for Kihyun’s brain to catch up with Hyunwoo’s words, but when it does, a loud whistling noise sounds in Kihyun’s ears, blocking out all other sounds. Hyunwoo’s lips are moving, probably explaining what the ritual entails. Kihyun doesn’t hear any of it, and he thinks he might be imagining things because Hyunwoo said he has to give up his magic. His magic!

Kihyun’s magic has been a part of him for almost as long as he can remember. He didn’t inherit it like Hyunwoo or Jooheon or Minhyuk, but his magic is his own. He doesn’t borrow from goddesses. His magic might as well be one of his arms or legs or a vital organ. Removing it would cripple him, and for what? For a demon he barely knows. Soulmate or not, that’s a huge ing sacrifice to make.

“Kihyun. Kihyun? Can you hear me?” Kihyun nods. He can hear now, but he feels weak, like his magic is already leaving him just from thinking about the ritual. Hyunwoo helps him over to a chair and encourages him to sit before he faints.

“I have to give up my magic to be with Changkyun? Is that what you said?”

“Yes. I tried to tell you that you wouldn’t like it. Based on what I’ve read, the ritual will only work if the demon has retained his humanity, which Changkyun claims he has, and the witch who makes the sacrifice must be the demon’s soulmate, which you are. It’s just a simple incantation, four lines, and I have all of the herbs you’ll need. It would only take about an hour to prepare everything, but Kihyun… you need to decide if it’s worth it.”

“If it’s worth it,” Kihyun parrots, nodding even though he doesn’t really understand what’s going on. His mind is just playing the phrase ‘give up your magic’ on a loop at a volume he can’t control.

“Yes, Kihyun. This is your decision to make, and I won’t let anyone pressure you one way or the other. Take a couple of days, a week… hell, take a decade to choose, but I want you to be absolutely sure that you want Changkyun more than you want your magic. We’ll support you either way, and you’ll still be a part of the coven, with or without your magic. Just take your time, okay?”

Kihyun nods again. Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything more, and Kihyun feels like he’s being dismissed so he stumbles back to the living room where Changkyun is waiting for him.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Shaking his head, Kihyun falls into Changkyun’s arms. “What did Hyunwoo say?” He shakes his head again. He can’t tell Changkyun. He doesn’t want Changkyun to influence his decision. All he wants is to be held.

“Come with me.” Kihyun stands and pulls Changkyun to his feet, leading him to the last bedroom on the left, Kihyun’s bedroom.

“What are we-”

“Shhh. My bed is more comfy than the couch.” Changkyun watches Kihyun as he crawls under the covers, standing hesitantly by the side of the bed until Kihyun says, “You can sleep here tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mm,” he hums, reaching up to tug at Changkyun’s fingers. “Please?” There’s a long moment between them, Changkyun considering the invitation and Kihyun trying not to burst into tears, and then Changkyun is sliding under the sheets. Kihyun rolls on his side, facing away from Changkyun as he scoots up against Kihyun’s back. The arm that wraps around him is comforting and perfect, and Kihyun is still so sleepy. He pushes away all thoughts of the choice he needs to make, presses himself a bit closer to Changkyun, and lets sleep take him.

---

Demons don’t need a lot of sleep. Changkyun usually gets about two or three hours a night, but it’s more out of boredom than necessity. There’s something about Kihyun’s bed that makes him feel very sleepy. It’s probably a combination of the warmth of Kihyun’s body, the silky feel of the sheets, the calm rhythm of Kihyun’s breaths, and his honeysuckle scent that lulls Changkyun into a very vivid dream.

It’s cold. It was always cold back then, back when Changkyun was human. Changkyun waves goodbye to his parents as they leave for work, a brisk morning wind nipping at his fingers until his parents turn their backs to him and he can tuck his hands into pockets, pulling the wool coat tighter around his shoulders. He crosses the street, headed toward school.

Changkyun has always remembered being taller as a human. He thought he’d shrunk when he’d taken on the cat features, but now he realises it was the shoes. His boots have a heel, one that slips and slides on the ice hidden beneath the snow.

Changkyun is excited about something. He almost breaks into a jog to get to school faster, but the slippery sidewalk makes him slow his steps. Still, there’s a real bounce to his movements, and despite the dreary, grey sky that threatens more snow, everything feels pleasantly bright.

A neighbor waves as they pass on the street, and Changkyun tips his hat. His breath fogs in the air as he laughs at a child making faces at him through a shop window. By the time the school finally comes into view, Changkyun can’t tell the difference between the excitement buzzing in his body and the shivers rattling his bones, but it doesn’t matter because he finally sees what he’s been so excited about.

Morning glories don’t bloom in the winter, but there’s a whole vine of them climbing the iron gate of the school, a pretty purple bud blooming right in front of him before breaking away from the vine and floating into Changkyun’s palm. He lifts his eyes from the flower, a smile on his face as he meets Kihyun’s gaze through the gate. The stone bench beneath him must be freezing, like sitting on a glacier, but he looks relaxed, even winking at Changkyun before throwing his head back in laughter.

Kihyun’s skin is fair, his cheeks and nose pink from the chilly air. His eyes are a deep brown, so dark they look black from this far away, and his equally dark hair is parted on the side and slicked down against his head. He’s so handsome. Changkyun’s heart flutters.

The gate creaks open in front of him of its own accord, and Changkyun approaches Kihyun.

“My, don’t you look dashing in that hat and coat,” Kihyun grins up at him, and the look in his eyes tells Changkyun if they weren’t in public he wouldn’t have used the word dashing and Changkyun wouldn’t be wearing the hat and coat or even his vest and trousers. Changkyun blushes. “Are you ready for class?” Changkyun nods and offers his arm to Kihyun who stands and fits his hand into the crook of Changkun’s elbow.

“When are you going to learn that this is unacceptable behaviour outside our home?”

“Never.” Kihyun’s smile is all sharp teeth and narrowed eyes. “People like to have something to talk about, and I like it when people talk about me.”

“You seem to be of the belief that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

“Oh, Kkukkungie, there really isn’t. People don’t care whether I come home to a woman or a goat as long as I’m able to pretend to be in love with women on stage, and we both know I’m a very good actor.”

“And humble too,” Changkyun teases, earning another pretty laugh.

Changkyun’s eyes open and he shifts to hold Kihyun closer. The dream was a memory. He remembers Kihyun from his life before he became a demon, but it’s not the same Kihyun he knows now. The Kihyun he knew then was not a mere witch. He was a very powerful wizard, maybe more powerful than Hyunwoo, and even back then, he was Changkyun’s soulmate. Changkyun closes his eyes again, and this time instead of dreaming, he remembers.

Kihyun is tired when he comes home from rehearsal, too tired, more tired than Changkyun has ever seen him. He drops his script on the kitchen table and makes his way straight to their bed, flopping onto it with a groan.

“Everything okay?”

“Ugh…” Kihyun groans again. “The new boy, my understudy, is a warlock. He wants his five minutes of fame, and he’s willing to use his magic to get it. I’ve been dodging hazards all evening.”

“What kind of hazards?” Changkyun asks as he joins Kihyun on the bed, his fingers digging into Kihyun’s neck to work away the knots.

“The stage equipment kept failing and falling, props and set pieces left in the wings to be tripped over, things like that. Don’t worry about me. I’m stronger than him.” Kihyun tries to brush off Changkyun’s concerns, but Changkyun knows how dangerous warlocks can be. They’re greedy and don’t care who they have to step over to get what they want.

It happens again, night after night. Kihyun walks in dragging his feet, deep bruises under his eyes from exhaustion. By opening night, he’s practically dead on his feet. The director steps in, telling Kihyun to go home and rest and giving his role to the understudy.

Things should go back to normal after the show ends, but they don’t. Changkyun doesn’t understand what’s going on, why Kihyun looks like he’s wasting away before Changkyun’s eyes. He misses his happy, energetic soulmate, so he decides to get to the bottom of the matter.

Changkyun tails Kihyun the following morning. He hides in the shadows of the alleys along the way to the theater, and slips into the balcony to observe the first readthrough of a new script.

Kihyun has been cast as the lead again, but the warlock is no longer his understudy. He doesn’t even have any lines in this script. There’s no reason for him to be in the theater at all, and yet there he is, sitting on the apron with his feet dangling off the edge of the stage. The warlock doesn’t seem to be doing anything besides watching the readthrough, but he’s focused intently on Kihyun and keeps some kind of amulet hanging from a leather strap around his wrist. That’s when it hits Changkyun; the warlock is stealing Kihyun’s magic.

Changkyun has lived over a dozen lifetimes with Kihyun. It takes some time after they meet for the memories to come back to them, but they always do. Changkyun remembers when Kihyun didn’t have any magic. He remembers the goddesses that Kihyun befriended when he decided to try his very first spell. He knows that with each rebirth, Kihyun’s powers have grown stronger, his abilities carrying over from one life to the next, building up like a snowball rolling downhill. This warlock must be the reason Kihyun is no longer a wizard. He must have drained enough of Kihyun’s magic to set him back a couple of lifetimes in terms of power.

In 1883 a warlock tries to steal Kihyun’s magic, and Changkyun takes action against it. He doesn’t remember the details, but he knows a demon was summoned and a deal was made. The deal protects Kihyun from the warlock. Changkyun would pay absolutely anything to protect Kihyun, and as it turns out, he pays the demon with his soul. He trades his soul for Kihyun’s safety without realising how it will impact him.

The moment the deal is made, Changkyun is dragged away from Earth. He never even gets to say goodbye to Kihyun.

---

Kihyun wakes up to a dim light leaking through the spaces between the slats of his blinds. The room is light enough to see, but only just. Changkyun is still there, still wrapped around him, tighter than when he fell asleep.

He recalls bits and pieces of his dreams, flashes of every time he’s been separated from Changkyun, from the day they were out hunting mastodon and an arrow pierced Changkyun’s heart to almost a century and a half ago when Changkyun just… disappeared, but it’s not just those moments that he remembers. He can see entire lives he’s lived with Changkyun. They’ve been together since the dawn of humans, and there’s something strange about this that he can’t quite piece together yet.

As he rolls over to face Changkyun, it dawns on him what it is. Instead of the details of his dreams slipping through his fingers as he wakes up, they’re growing clearer. Dreams don’t do that. Dreams are elusive. Those weren’t dreams; they were memories.

Changkyun smiles, happy to see Kihyun’s sleepy face until he registers the scowl, Kihyun glaring at him like he’s trying to set him on fire with his eyes.

“You !” he yells, smacking repeatedly at Changkyun’s chest with both hands. “You left me! You abandoned me for almost three lifetimes! Where the have you been?” Changkyun flinches and scrambles backward, trying to escape Kihyun’s beating but only landing himself on the hardwood, flat on his . “Why?” Kihyun continues, his anger turning to sadness. “Why did you leave? Where did you go? Why didn’t you come back?”

“I’m sorry. Gods, I’m so sorry Kihyunie. I didn’t mean to. I’ve been in the underworld. They wouldn’t let me come back. I’m so, so sorry.”

Kihyun sniffs and dabs at his eyes with his sweater sleeve. His last life had been the most lonely life ever. He’d spent 47 years wandering around, looking for… something, he didn’t know what, but now that he has his memories back, he realises that he must’ve been looking for Changkyun. The life before that, when Changkyun disappeared, he’d come home every night hoping Changkyun would have returned, but he never did.

“I missed you,” Kihyun mumbles thickly as he tries to stem the flow of tears. With Kihyun’s violent outburst over, Changkyun crawls back over to the bed, kneeling at Kihyun’s feet. “You can’t leave again. You can’t go back to the underworld. I can’t lose you again, soulmate.” And that’s it. Kihyun’s decision has been made. He’s going to buy back Changkyun’s soul with his magic; he’s going to make Changkyun human again. “I need to talk to Hyunwoo.” Kihyun stands to leave the room, but Changkyun stops him, tugging at his wrist and pulling Kihyun into his chest.

“You don’t have to go right this second. Kihyun, I haven’t kissed you in a hundred and thirty four years, and I’m not waiting another second.” Changkyun’s fingers slide up the back of Kihyun’s neck and into his hair, Changkyun’s thumbs brushing tears from his cheeks. “I missed you, too.”

Kihyun melts when their lips meet. His knees buckle, but Changkyun catches him, shifting to wrap an arm around Kihyun’s waist.

The kiss starts out sweet, Changkyun pressing into Kihyun, guiding him, but a surge of emotions wells in Kihyun’s chest, escaping his mouth as a sob. His hands come up to clutch at the front of Changkyun’s shirt, pulling Changkyun closer and turning the kids into something desperate. They only separate when Kihyun is crying too hard to kiss anymore, and Changkyun holds Kihyun like he’s trying to keep him from shaking to pieces.

“I can keep you,” Kihyun blurts out through his tears. “I know how. Hyunwoo found it in a book. I can keep you here.” He doesn’t tell Changkyun about the sacrifice, only explains that it’s a ritual like the one that summoned Changkyun. Kihyun promises that they’ll be able to do it before Changkyun finishes the grimoire, that he’ll never have to go back to the underworld.

“In that case, we have plenty of time. How about we make up for all the kisses we missed in your last life.” Changkyun doesn’t wait for an answer. He guides Kihyun back onto the bed and hovers over him just long enough for Kihyun to wonder what Changkyun is waiting for before lowering himself against Kihyun’s body, covering him like a very heavy, very warm blanket and joining their lips again.

---

“Everything is prepared for you. All you have to do is light the charcoal, add the herbs, and speak the incantation. I drew you a circle since you’ll be alone, but it wouldn’t hurt to hold Changkyun’s hands too. A physical circle is always better.”

Kihyun knows all of this, but it’s nice to have Hyunwoo worrying over him. He’s used his magic as much as possible this past week, his way of saying goodbye to it. They haven’t told the rest of the coven the details of the ritual, only that they found a way to make Changkyun human. Something tells Kihyun that Hyungwon knows. He keeps asking for things and grinning when Kihyun uses his magic to retrieve them. Hoseok only knows that Kihyun and Hyunwoo are keeping something from him, but he trusts them so he doesn’t ask what it is.

“Anyway, the sun is setting earlier now that it’s winter. You should get on out there if you’re still going to do it today.”

Kihyun hugs Hyunwoo, holding on longer than he normally would and thanking him for his help, and then he grabs Changkyun to begin the short hike to the clearing in the woods that the coven uses for rituals.

“Kihyun,” Changkyun says when they’re about halfway there, “you know I know you better than anyone, right?”

“It would be weird if you didn’t, as long as we’ve been together,” Kihyun huffs, slightly winded from the gentle climb.

Changkyun stops walking, grabbing at the back of Kihyun’s shirt to get his attention. “Then you know I know you’re hiding something from me.”

“Kkukkungie, it’s not important. If it was, I would tell you. You know that.” What Kihyun finds surprising is how true his words are. It’s not important. His magic is not important. Despite his magic having defined him for centuries, the only thing that actually matters to Kihyun is Changkyun.

After studying Kihyun for several seconds, Changkyun seems to see that it’s true as well, and he says, “Okay. Come on. Don’t want to miss our chance.”

The sun is still sitting above the tops of the trees when they reach the clearing. The circle is there, not just drawn but dug out about three inches deep in the cold earth. The stump is there too, as well as the bowl of sand and a fresh charcoal tablet. Hyunwoo even left a lighter for Kihyun. There’s a pouchful of herbs in Kihyun’s pocket and a slip of paper with the incantation written on it. All that’s left is to wait for the sky to fade from blue to orange and pink and perform the ritual.

They hold hands as they wait. Changkyun seems nervous, kicking at the dirt and leaves on the ground between his feet, but Kihyun is calm. It’s the kind of absolute calm he usually feels right before a ritual. The sun settles behind the trees, and Kihyun pulls Changkyun into a hug. “I love you,” he says. “I’ve loved you for thousands of years and I’ll love you for thousands more.”

“I love you, too,” Changkyun tells him. “Is it time?”

Kihyun nods and releases Changkyun, motioning for him to stand inside the circle. He lights the tablet and adds the herbs, and he takes Changkyun’s hands. He situates them awkwardly, trying to hold the paper with the incantation without breaking their contact, and when he feels that cold current of the sealed circle where their hands meet, he begins to read.

Kihyun’s voice is loud and strong, but the words are in Latin. He doesn't know what he's saying and isn’t sure he’s pronouncing them all properly. He’s too busy with the incantation to notice Changkyun’s growing fear until he shouts, “NO! Kihyun stop! You’re calling a demon!”

But he doesn’t stop. He continues reading, a little louder to drown out Changkyun’s protests, until he completes the spell. Changkyun tries to pull away, but Kihyun tightens his hands around Changkyun's like a vice. Now is not a safe time to break the circle. If the circle is incomplete, the demon could get free. “It’s the only way,” he tells l Changkyun. “We can’t be separated again. I won’t survive.”

The demon materialises behind Changkyun, too close for Kihyun’s comfort. “Ah, Changkyun, I see you’ve found yourself a little human pet, hmmm?” Changkyun growls but doesn’t respond. “Oh, and isn’t he pretty,” the demon continues, pacing around them to get a better look at Kihyun. When Kihyun doesn’t react to his taunting, the demon folds his arms across his chest and says, “Well, witch… you called me here. I’m assuming you know the price of this little deal. You’re not going to try and haggle with me, are you?”

“No. I know the price,” Kihyun answers confidently. “I’m prepared to make that sacrifice for Changkyun to be human again.”

“Wait. Wait, wait… what sacrifice? Kihyun, what are you giving him?”

The demon laughs, trailing a finger across Changkyun’s shoulders as he passes. “Oh, dear, didn’t Kihyun tell you?”

“Please tell me you didn’t promise him your soul, Kihyun. He’ll drag you to the underworld before you can blink.”

“No, nothing as simple as a soul, Changkyun,” the demon says sweetly. “Kihyun here is giving me his magic.”

“Kihyun, you can’t. You can’t give him anything. Please, it’s not worth it. I sold my soul to protect your magic; you can’t give it up.”

Kihyun squeezes Changkyun’s hands to calm him. “It’s alright, Changkyun. I knew what the price was when I summoned him. I’m prepared for this. Let me do this for you, please.”

Tears stream down Changkyun’s face, but he nods, allowing Kihyun to make his deal with the demon. Kihyun holds onto Changkyun with one hand as he shakes the demon’s hand with his other, and then all that’s left is the transfer, Kihyun’s magic and Changkyun’s soul.

Kihyun closes his eyes and allows the demon to draw out his magic. It happens fast, faster than his magic drains during a spell and even faster than it transfers to Changkyun when they touch. Within a few heartbeats all of his magic is gone, leaving him feeling weak and lightheaded. Then it’s Changkyun’s turn. Kihyun watches as Changkyun’s tail and ears shrink and fade away. The fur recedes from the back of his neck, and when it’s over, Changkyun stands beside him, fully human and exactly as Kihyun remembers him when he’d last seen Changkyun back in 1883.

“It’s been a pleasure, gentlemen,” the demon drawls, and then he snaps his fingers and disappears.

“You are so stupid,” Changkyun sobs, tears still slipping from his eyes. “How could you do that? How could you not tell me?”

“You would have stopped me,” Kihyun says with a shrug, “and I couldn’t afford to lose you again, not now that I’ve finally got you back. Almost a century and a half, Changkyun… it’s too long for us to be apart. Promise you won’t ever do anything as dumb as selling your soul again.”

“I won’t,” he promises, burying his face in Kihyun’s neck. It’s a little gross, snot and tears soaking into the fabric of Kihyun’s turtleneck, but it’s still the best feeling in the world to have Changkyun in his arms, human Changkyun. “What are you going to do now? A witch isn’t a witch without his magic. What about the coven?”

“They’re my brothers, Changkyun. They would never kick me out of the coven just because I don’t have my own magic. Besides, Hoseok doesn’t have his own magic either, and he gets by just fine. I’ll just have to find a nice tree goddess like Hoseok has.”

“I’m so sorry, Kihyun. I should have found another way to deal with the warlock. This never would have happened if-”

“Changkyun,” Kihyun cuts him off, not wanting to hear apologies when he really is just happy to have Changkyun back. “I understand why you did it, and I’m not mad. You did what you thought was necessary. It’s okay.” Changkyun still doesn’t seem convinced, so Kihyun sighs and explains further. “I remember everything from all our lives. I remember a time when I didn’t have any magic, when I borrowed power. I remember how much power I had when I was a wizard. I have hundreds of lifetimes ahead of me to rebuild my magic, but this might have been my only chance to buy back your soul. It was a stupid thing for you to sell it in the first place, but it’s not the end of the world. I’d rather work for centuries to become a wizard again than live another second of this life without you.”

“I love you, Kihyun.” Changkyun squeezes his arms around Kihyun until he can barely breathe.

“Love you, too, Kkukkungie. Let’s go home.”

---

“Kimchi, no!” Kihyun taps the kitten’s nose with his finger and helps her unhook her claws from the couch. “I told you she would tear the couch apart if we don’t get her declawed,” he tells Changkyun.

“That’s inhumane, Kihyunie, and she’s only a kitten. She’ll learn.”

“Yes, but in the meantime my couch is suffering. I love this couch.” Kihyun’s lower lip pushes out in a pout.

“Well I love Kimchi more than your couch,” Changkyun announces, scooping Kimchi up and scratching her ears until she purrs. “It’s old and lumpy and makes my sore.”

“I doubt it’s the couch making your sore,” Minhyuk chirps as he walks through the living room, Jooheon trailing behind him in a fit of giggles. “Family meeting in the lab in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, we’re coming.” Kihyun takes Kimchi from Changkyun and rubs his nose in the fur on the top of her head. “I miss your fur,” he sighs.

“I don’t miss the fur or the tail, but the ears were pretty useful. I can’t hear anything anymore. It still feels like there’s cotton stuffed in my ears.” Kihyun laughs, setting Kimchi on the floor so he can pull Changkyun up off the couch.

“Come on. Family meeting. You know Hyunwoo won’t let his best spell writer skip a family meeting.”

Changkyun hugs Kihyun from behind, causing him to waddle-walk them toward the lab. They’ve been together for thousands of years, but this is definitely Changkyun’s favorite life so far. Kihyun may not have his magic, for now, but they have each other and the coven, their brothers. They’re finally a real family.