He dreamed of birds for the most part.

He dreamed of large black ravens the size of wolves that opened their beaks to swallow the sun. He dreamed of falcons with wings that covered the sky and with talons so sharp it gouged the land and left rivers in its wake. He dreamed of a hidden world behind a shimmering veil, where every step he made there was the feeling of him being watched, where even the shadows had eyes and the darkness had ears and there was no other refuge apart from the underside of a snow-white wing, its soft feathers enrobing him like a cloud and the steady thrumming of its heartbeat like the pulsing of waves against a distant shore.

When Eric finally woke, it was to an empty apartment at nearly 10 AM on a Monday morning, the air in the room strange, leaving him with a vague sense that someone had left it seconds before he had opened his eyes. His phone rang not even a minute in, the jangling almost foreign to his ears, and it took all of his willpower to resist the intent to throw it across the room.

“Are you alive?” his cousin asked, tactful as ever. Eric groaned and swore at Dongwan in reply. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Andy?” Eric asked, grasping at the only word that made sense to him at that point in time. He hadn’t seen Andy the entire weekend after spending most of it in bed, recuperating from his…ordeal. Dongwan had made sure to keep them apart in case Eric had germs he could infect Andy with. His brain, however, as though triggered by the mention of his brother’s name, slowly whirred into motion, words materializing from the thick mess of his exhausted mind and clicking into place like the correct notes to a song: Andy. School. First Day. He sat up. “Oh !”

“Relax, I took him to school because I told him you were still out of it. Called in sick for you too, lucky bastard. If you’re feeling better, Andy will end school at 3. Tell me now whether or not you can do it because if not I’ll have to get a sub for my shift here at the Rubensteins.”

Eric felt annoyed at himself for missing Andy’s first day, not only of third grade but at his new school. Although Andy would likely not show it, he knew his brother would have been upset by his absence. If Eric was like their father – temperamental, moody, and with the occasional predisposition to be dramatic – Andy was like his mother: the epitome of patience and self-control, all of eight years old going on sixty. Eric slid out of bed and shook his legs to regain feeling in them. “Yeah, of course I’ll pick him up.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah,” Eric brushed him off, already feeling more awake by the minute. “I’m fine now. . Was Andy okay?”

“Quieter than usual, but he may just be acting like his usual worrywart self. You know how he is. He’ll be fine. Listen, act like a proper adult and feed yourself something, okay? If you need any aspirin, there’s some on my desk.” The way Dongwan provided comfort and badgering in the same breath was a unique talent. Eric rolled his eyes. “3 PM, don’t forget, okay? I’ll be back by 7.”

“I already said yes, shut up already,” he grumbled, not appreciating how Dongwan made him feel more like a failure of a big brother than he already did. “See you later.”

He hung up before his cousin could say any more. Outside, the sun was shining a brilliant almost luminescent yellow, and made Eric think of soft hands, downy feathers, porcelain cheeks. He blew a breath out noisily, clearing his throat so loudly he sounded like a ruined car engine.

Two hours later, he was showered, fed, and feeling significantly better as he went uptown to the NYPL. It was an impulse he just had, although he wasn’t sure himself what he was doing until he automatically asked one of the tamer-looking librarians in charge for “um…books about…fairies” and she directed him towards the children’s section.

“No,” he shook his head. How was he going to explain this? “Books that maybe mention…er…” What was it Minwoo had said? “…the Unseelie Court? That kind of stuff.”

The librarian’s eyes widened with recognition, her blue eyes growing impossibly large from behind smudged spectacles. “Interesting. The Fae then, you mean.”

“Yes,” Eric nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. He remembered Minwoo’s mocking voice, and the proud tones that came with the title ‘Fae’. “That’s it. I wanted to read up on them for…uh…a book I was writing.”

The librarian seemed to understand. “We don’t have a book on the Fae exactly…there really has been nothing written about them. The closest you’ll get maybe are stories and the occasional fairy tale.” She peered up at him. “What exactly is it that you wanted to know?”

“Oh…” Their powers, their limits, their rules, their habits, whether or not they’re dangerous… “Just…stuff.”

“Stuff,” the librarian chortled. “Okay, sit tight then, bubbeleh. I’ll get you a few books that might interest you.”

She returned with a pile containing material Eric hadn’t even considered – poems, fairy tales, and even Shakespeare – but he took them gratefully anyway. He found himself a quiet spot at one of the desks and chose to open the first one he touched: Midsummer Night’s Dream. He hadn’t read that since high school, but figured it was worth a shot to check, in case something rang true.

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere…

“If you really wanted to know about us,” a voice said near his ear, so close he could feel their breath on his neck, “you can always just ask.”

“Christ!” Eric nearly jumped a foot in the air, dropping the book to the floor with a loud clatter and banging his leg on the desk in the process. What seemed to be the entire reading area looked at him, throwing him assorted death glares for the ruckus he had caused. Rubbing the sore spot on his knee, Eric bowed and muttered an apology to the room’s four directions, practically headbutting Hyesung, who stood there covering his mouth with the back of his hand, his body shaking with silent mirth.

“You’re easily startled, Eric Mun,” Hyesung said, eyes crinkling as he smiled. He looked…different today. Rather than the usual suit Eric had already gotten used to seeing on him, Hyesung’s outfit was comprised of slim-fit dark jeans, white leather sneakers, and a plain white shirt underneath a navy cardigan. He looked more normal, though the combination with his blonde hair still made him look vaguely elfin.

Eric said nothing but gathered his things, grabbed Hyesung’s hand, and dragged him towards the exit. He caught the librarian attempting not to stare as they passed, although she did sneak a glance at their intertwined fingers. “Mazel tov,” she said in a stage whisper and gave them both a thumbs up. Embarrassed, Eric pretended he hadn’t heard and hastened his pace.

Hyesung was already giggling by the time they stepped out of the library, and Eric let go of his hand as though it burned him.

“I would say I’m sorry…” Hyesung said, “but I’m really not.”

“What are you doing here?” Eric asked, his voice loud enough to be accusing although he wasn’t mad at all. His pulse had quickened and blood pounded in his ears, but he was unsure whether it was due to the surprise or…something else. “How could you just appear like that? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

“You over-exaggerate.” Hyesung stuck out his tongue, pink and tiny like a kitten’s, at him. It danced over his lips like a snake’s, leaving a spot of moisture on his skin. “I merely stated an observation. You were the one who made such a fuss.” He cocked his head to one side. “Doing research?”

It had been quite obvious, but Eric hated being caught. “N-no,” he shook his head, then regretted it the moment he said it; he couldn’t lie worth a damn, especially not with Hyesung grinning at him, teeth flashing in the sun.

“You’re a terrible liar. Did you know your lips tremble when you do?”

“Hey!” Eric frowned. Yes it was a flaw that he had been aware of, but he didn’t need Hyesung to point it out as well. He had an urge to be childish and also stick his tongue out as Hyesung had, but they were two adults at Bryant Park during the lunch hour and they didn’t need another audience. He swallowed down a few choice expletives. “That’s not very nice.”

Hyesung smiled at him again, wide and open like the first dawn of summer, and something small and vulnerable in Eric seemed to break. He walked over to him, hands behind his back, inching in on Eric’s personal space.

“Lesson one,” Hyesung said, his voice like the whispering of grass in an overgrown meadow, his breath warm against Eric’s skin. “The Fae are not nice.”

Eric’s mouth grew dry, and he had to force himself to swallow at the words. “Oh yeah?” he said, rather inarticulately. Hyesung was inches away from him, smelling faintly of spice and smoke, his skin so flawless and his features so fine that none of it could be real. Beautiful, Eric thought again, mentally noting that it was the second time he had associated those words with the other man, and gulped.

“I can see you still have questions,” Hyesung said, peering at him like a curious animal. “Very well. You may ask me now, but I will not promise to answer them all.”

“How many do I get?” He didn’t know why he had to ask it, but Eric knew that he at least had to know the rules, or if there were even any to begin with. “And this shouldn’t count as one of them.”

“Bold aren’t you?” Hyesung smirked. “Mmm, six, perhaps. Or ten. Depends on my mood. Maybe I won’t even answer any of them at all.” He had taken a step back again, his movements light but never stationary, as though he was always dancing to an invisible tune. “Also, let’s not do it here. The iron is giving me a headache.”

Before Eric could protest, Hyesung grabbed his wrist and set off, his strength nearly making Eric trip as he led him away from the stone lions marking the entrance of the NYPL and down 5^th Avenue towards the direction of Central Park. Several times he tried to free himself from the fae’s grip but Hyesung held firm, occasionally looking back at Eric as they went, laughing as he called out: “Keep up!”

They didn’t stop until they reached the park, and Eric practically tumbled onto Hyesung’s chosen bench near the Olmsted Flower Bed. He watched, still heaving from exertion, as Hyesung settled himself on the bench in a prim-and-proper fashion (royalty, Eric reminded himself), cleaning his seat of imaginary dust and lifting the back of his cardigan before sitting down. “Much better,” he sighed, shutting his eyes against the sun and breathing in the thick summer air. Eric wanted to hate him for still looking immaculate despite the fact that they had had to walk nearly 2 miles at high noon; he himself felt like a popsicle that had been left out on the sidewalk. “You mortals are terribly slow,” Hyesung said in a voice that was almost a whine.

Eric rolled his eyes and ignored him, still busy trying to get his breath back. Somehow those terms – ‘you mortals’ – didn’t faze him as much now. “You are freakishly strong.”

Hyesung shrugged. “Sorry. Just so you know, I could have gone faster, but I was taking care not to pull your arm off.” Eric knew he had most probably meant it quite literally and tried not to blanch.

“You could have…” Eric made gestures with his hands, putting them close to each other before suddenly pulling them apart again. “…done that thing you did the last time. When you held my hand and we just appeared somewhere else.”

“While out in plain sight?” Hyesung threw him a dry expression. “Honestly, I knew you mortals were dim-witted but this level of stupidity is unexpected.”

“Hey…!”

Eric was just about to tell him off for calling him stupid when Hyesung swiveled in his seat so that he was already half-lying on the bench, his legs propped up on Eric’s own and with his head resting sideways on his upturned palm, suddenly looking like a lazing, languid cat stretched out to take a nap.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Eric asked, not knowing exactly what to feel at Hyesung’s warm, heavy weight against his own. Although he was quite slender, if the weight of his lower body was anything to go by, Hyesung was definitely not light.

“Making myself comfortable. You were going to ask me questions, yes? Otherwise I could be doing other things…”

“No!” Eric’s insistence to not let Hyesung leave startled even himself. “I mean…yes, I would like to ask you some questions.”

“Go ahead then.” Hyesung hummed, his fingers dancing lightly over his hair.

Eric straightened in his seat, trying not to choke on his own spit as he fought to keep his gaze on the lounging fae beside him…on him. Ask first, think later. “Okay first…what are you?”

“We’ve answered this before.” Hyesung said, looking bored. “Next question, and yes, that already counts as one.”

“No no, what I meant was…do you have powers?”

A smirk once more crossed Hyesung’s fine features. “Of course we do. Next question. That’s number two. You’re not very good at this are you?”

“What are your powers then?”

At this, Hyesung looked thoughtful, his expression suddenly turning more serious. “There are several…I would say levels of being a sidhe. The higher your rank, the more powers you may have.”

“With you and your brothers being royal,” Having picked up on Hyesung’s style of answering, Eric was careful not to phrase his observation as a question, “you have more powers than most.”

“That is correct, although to list them down for you would be quite a chore. Not to mention, some of it may be too complex for you to understand.” The other man’s tone made Eric suspect it was another way that Hyesung was calling him stupid, but he chose to look past it, the topic of conversation far too interesting for him to be distracted. “In simpler terms, some powers I may have are for transport, for changing my form, and to a certain extent, for healing. I have not fully come into my powers, however.”

“How do you mean?” Damn. That’s four.

Hyesung formed a steeple with his hands, a gesture that seemed so odd on him that Eric figured it was a copy of someone else’s. “Much like any other skill, magic requires harnessing and training. My brothers and I are still learning, although Minwoo, as the eldest, is already ahead of us in many ways. He has already begun mastering his primary powers. The High King and Queen train him personally. As High Prince of the Underground, much is also expected of him.”

“Your parents rule over the…uh…Underground?”

“Yes,” Hyesung said, a smug look once again framing his features. “That’s five questions I’ve answered, Eric Mun. You have one last.”

“Tell me of the Underground, then. That and the Unseelie Court that your brother mentioned,” Eric said, not walking into the trap set out for him. Andy’s presence in his life had made him skilled in the nuances of language and negotiations, among others. He was not going to be fooled that easily. Hyesung realized this and sulked, but continued conversing nonetheless.

“Very well. The Unseelie Court is the Winter Court and is associated with the dark sidhe. There is no appropriate description apart from the Unseelie and Seelie often having different intentions for their actions. My brothers and I represent the Unseelie Court simply because we’re more prone to mayhem. Father is of the Summer Court, however, so we do have the tendency of driving him mad.

“The Underground, on the other hand, is the realm we reside in. Long ago, one could easily traverse between the two worlds, whether you be sidhe or mortal, but the paths have long been closed, and the sidhe rarely visit the Aboveground as it requires a substantial amount of power. We have also not had a mortal visit the Underground in centuries. Not since the paths were closed, but…” he raised an eyebrow at Eric, “…that is a tale for another time.”

Interesting. Eric nodded, not minding parking the topic; for the meantime, the information was enough, and he doubted he was going to be able to get more from Hyesung anyway. He then moved to ask the one question that had been at the forefront of his mind since the beginning of this rather odd conversation.

“Have you ever…” and at this he had to pause, because oh God stop are you really going to ask, that is SO embarrassing, stop stop STOP, “…Have you ever fallen in love with a human?”

Hyesung looked at him, shock reflected for a few seconds in the unfathomable depths of his eyes before they quickly shuttered and cooled. Then, a slow smile crept onto his thin lips, the kind that Eric didn’t trust.

“I could have you hanged for your insolence, but I laud you for your unrepentant shamelessness.” Hyesung said, his voice low and dangerous, like the first tremor of an earthquake. He lounged back further, the weight of his legs growing heavier on Eric’s own. His posture was the perfect picture of relaxation, but his eyes never left Eric’s face. “To answer your final question: no, I have not had relations or affections with or for any human. Why?” He leaned forward suddenly, the expression on his face reminding Eric of a predator. “Is there a proposition you are offering?”

Minwoo’s words – Beware of the promises you make us, and the desires you keep – resounded in Eric’s head and he backed away out of instinct, pushing Hyesung’s legs off of him. “No, that’s not what I meant at all,” he stammered, but Hyesung was already laughing.

“Stupid human,” the fae said, his expression now smoothed back into what could pass as friendliness. The sound of his laughter was like freshly-washed springtime, and made Eric’s heart ache. “So brave yet so afraid. Are you frightened to see what you’ve already sought out to find?”

Eric was just about to ask him just what he meant when there was a small commotion at The Mall, which stretched out not far from where they were sitting: a saxophone player who, minutes ago, had been playing possibly the best rendition of Moon River Eric had ever heard, had started garnering the attention of children, who started shrieking in delight at the sight of bubbles in different sizes – some the size of beach balls, some the size of pearls – that were floating up from the end of his instrument as he played, the number increasing the more he blew. The sax player seemed in equal disbelief as he watched the bubbles form and float up towards the trees, but endeavored to finish the song, braving the many children milling about his feet.

Hyesung straightened in his seat, frowning at the scene. As he did, bubbles drifted in the breeze towards their direction and wreathed around him like a halo. “Junjin,” he muttered.

“Junjin?” Eric echoed, before jumping up, yelping, as a very warm, very wet tongue ran up his cheek. “Jesus!”

“No, Junjin.” A voice said, and sure enough, Junjin was there, sitting Indian-style in the spot Eric had just vacated, a cheeky grin across his face. Like Hyesung, he was no longer wearing a suit but instead had on baby blue stretch shorts, a striped sweatshirt, canvas sneakers, and a black cap worn backwards. He didn’t look as threatening as he had when Eric had first met him, but now looked the embodiment of absolute mischief which, Eric had to admit, suited him more. His grin disappeared rather quickly, however, as Hyesung reached out and hit Junjin soundly on the shoulder. “Ow!”

“Rascal!” hissed Hyesung. “What were you thinking, Shimmering in like that? They would have seen you!”

“Relax, I put a cloaking spell on so they would think that Eric had been covering me the entire time.” Junjin rubbed at his shoulder, pouting. “You didn’t have to hit that hard. That really hurt.”

Eric watched in disbelief as the two brothers – fae brothers! Who could appear and disappear at will! Who had powers! Who seemed intent on driving him crazy! – bickered. “You me!” he exclaimed pointing at Junjin as he wiped at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. “That’s disgusting!”

Junjin shrugged, uncaring in the least. “At any rate, you had better apologize to me. You taste terrible.”

“Why are you even here?” Hyesung didn’t seem happy in the least to see his brother. It was interesting and amusing for Eric to watch as his personality took an entirely different turn in a span of a few seconds. “I had thought Minwoo had arranged for you some tasks to accomplish as punishment for your coming to the Above without permission or .”

“He did.” Junjin looked triumphant, pointing his chin in the air. “I’ve done them all.”

Hyesung gave him a look of disapproval. “He said not to use magic!”

“Ah, he only bound my magic but he didn’t say not to use other magic.” Junjin said, rubbing his hands gleefully. “Some of the goblins owed me favors, and so I’m sure he’ll be quite glad that the Royal Treasury has been organized, Mother’s trophy room and Father’s library have been cleaned, and the entire East and South Wings have been remodeled. But that last one was a bonus.”

“You little cheat.” Hyesung said, but Junjin ignored him, choosing instead to make a gesture with his head which resulted in a nearby jogger’s shorts to suddenly fall off. Eric had given up making sense of anything after hearing the word ‘goblins’ and just decided to ride the wave of delusion that he was obviously on.

“Where is your brother?” he asked, looking around for any sign of Minwoo. Out of the three of them, the eldest fae prince made him the most nervous. “Is he coming?”

“He could be, once he finds out what Jinnie’s done.” Hyesung frowned at Junjin. “You are a glutton for punishment.”

Junjin didn’t seem to have a care at what Hyesung was saying. He picked up a handful of pebbles from the ground and threw it up from his palm. The pebbles stayed suspended in the air and Eric watched as the younger fae absent-mindedly moved and played with them with his hands without even touching them, the small stones following each twirl of his fingers, each flick of his wrist. At one point, he created what seemed to be a miniature copy of a solar system, with smaller stones circling the larger ones, much to Eric’s fascination.

“He’s gone with Mother to the Troll King to bargain for some of the lands that are in dispute. He won’t be able to come until that’s over. Anyway, Father knows what I’ve done and will defend me.” Junjin looked almost proud, but Hyesung still looked chagrined.

“But Father doesn’t know what Minwoo is punishing you for, so don’t test our darling brother’s patience.” Hyesung swiped at the pebbles that floated in a star shape between Junjin’s hands. They fell to the ground without any resistance, clattering as they hit the cracked pavement. “If Father and Mother find out what you’ve done…”

“What we’ve done,” Junjin corrected his brother with a smile. His tone was a knife tipped with honey. “What we’ve done, brother. Not just I. If I recall correctly, you followed me to the Above.”

"Of which you have yet to thank me for, as I was only going to stop you from whatever it was you were going to do. It's a fine mess you've now put us in." Hyesung huffed, crossing his arms. "Ungrateful brat."

"I am thankful. To Eric Mun and his brother." He waggled his eyebrows at them, looking like a cartoon character. “Anyway, you two were looking awfully comfortable with each other. You didn’t have to stop on my account.”

Was it just him or did Hyesung seem to blush? Do fae even blush? “If we were not bound to this mortal and his brother, trust me, there are other things I'd rather be doing.”

"Such as? I doubt you would take kindly to more of Father's training. He nearly killed you the last time. Trust me, I'm doing you a favor."

At this, Hyesung frowned, but refused to expound. "You're impossible," he said instead, still annoyed.

“No,” Junjin smiled sweetly at him. “I’m Junjin.”

“What do you mean you're bound to me? And are you not allowed to come here?” Eric asked, not able to keep his curiosity in any longer. He didn’t doubt that the brothers as fae princes would have enough power to cross into their world, but what were the rules? What is the big deal?

"Didn't Hyesungie tell you?" the younger fae looked at his brother, who returned his with a warning glare. "The Favor binds us to you. Until it's granted, we will serve as your guardians."

"Like a genie?"

"Don't be stupid." Hyesung said, voice ladened with disdain. Calling him stupid was fast becoming a habit, one which Eric wasn't sure how to feel about. "The Favor is essentially a promise. Fae are bound to keep promises, no matter what the cost, and so we must ensure that we are able to keep them, even to the level of assuring your safety. But we are not one of those ridiculous works of fiction you seem to think of us."

Assuring my safety? Like a bodyguard? Eric wanted to ask but didn't want to risk Hyesung's ire. He turned instead to Junjin, who seemed more keen on answering his questions readily. "And what about you coming here? Are you not allowed?"

Junjin leaned back on the bench and eyed Eric lazily. “Mhm. It’s a terribly long and boring story, Eric Mun, and I don’t know how much Hyesungie has told you, but yes, it is essentially not allowed for the Royal Family to visit the Aboveground.”

“Which you did.” Eric supplied drily. Because of course Junjin would. 

“Which I did, although in my defense, we can’t completely stay away anyway; there are still occasions where we have to go to the Above. And technically now, we are allowed to be here due to being bound by the Favor. It’s not completely forbidden at any other time, or else they would have banned all means of getting here.”

“Junjin…” Hyesung’s voice rose with a warning, but Eric’s curiosity was growing by the minute.

“Why is it not allowed? Hyesung just told me that some of your kind are still able to travel to here from…wherever it is you guys are from. And that it takes a whole lot of power.”

“A prophecy,” the younger fae said, grinning. “A prophecy made over thirteen generations past. It spoke of a destroyer of worlds, the destruction of the Underground with it.” He produced a small ball out of thin air and started playing with it, rolling it around his wrists and hands, one fluid motion after another. “Fire and brimstone and all of that…”

“What does that have to do with you coming here?” Eric was getting confused and slightly distracted by the ball Junjin kept fiddling with. “Would you stop?”

Junjin didn’t, but he at least he kept talking. He had turned the ball into several smaller balls and was once again playing with them by keeping them afloat in shapes between his hands. “Because it will take two people to bring about the End of Days,” he said, sounding bored. “A member of the Royal Family and…” he raised his head and looked at Eric, and almost instantly, his expression changed into something that resembled a grimace. Beside him, Hyesung had paled.

"And what?" Eric asked, frowning. The back of his neck was prickling, but he ignored it. "And what?"

A breath cold as wind puffed against his nape.

"And one lowly, insignificant mortal." Minwoo's voice hissed, so close it was as if he was speaking right into Eric's ear. 


tbc


Author's Notes
1. I'm sorry for the lack of MinDy here but this was so hard to churn out. I had started it totally differently and somehow it ended up here? Hahaha. I think I had to make like 20 drafts, all with different beginnings.
2. I wanted to explain a bit more about the faes, and where this story may be going. LOL. Nothing is set in stone however. Hahaha. 
3. 'Bubbeleh' and 'Mazel tov' are Yiddish expressions meaning 'sweetie' and 'congratulations' respectively.
4. Sassy Syung finally showed! He's very fluid though. His personality is not as set as Junjin's or Minwoo's, but he's getting there. 
5. Minwoo's bird form is a falcon! An American kestrel, to be specific, which is a *small* and colorful falcon. LOL
6. Eric is pretty much afflicted with verbal diarrhea. Much like the real Eric, this one sometimes has no filter.
7. I love fae!Jin. He is adorbs. And mischievous, which obvs drives his hyungs crazy. His and Hyesung's human clothes are very J. Crew-driven. 
8. This is also kind of like a half-chapter? It doesn't explain a lot, there will be more in the next.

Thank you so much for the subs and comments and upvotes! I always look forward to getting them and I apologize if I'm a bit slow in replying to comments. I have work during the day and demands a lot of time and attention (much like this fic), but I'll try to reply faster! 

**Edit: Edited a bit to add some things that should have been better explained! Sorry!