Much to Eric’s surprise, the fae didn’t appear the next day. Or the next. Or the next.

“They’re busy, I think,” Andy said, holding Eric’s hand as they took the shorter route through Kingston Avenue to get to school. It was finally Friday, the inevitable end to such a tumultuous week, but Eric’s chest felt tight and anxious, his body wound taut like a rubber ball. He attributed it to stress from work, and the fact that he and Dongwan had had a massive argument the night before about taking out the trash.

(It definitely wasn’t because he kept startling whenever he felt a sudden draft, or because he kept jumping at unidentifiable shadows. It wasn’t because he was always looking over his shoulder whenever his skin would suddenly prickle and expect, with bated breath, to see someone there, only to feel the soft tendrils of disappointment whenever his gaze met empty space. No, it definitely wasn’t due to that.)

“Who’s busy?” he asked, distracted. Mentally he was going through the list of emails he had to wade through before he could declare the better part of his day done. There were at least fifty that he knew he had to urgently see to. Or set on fire, whichever was more effective.

“Them. Junjin.”

The name snapped Eric back to attention. “Junjin?”

“Yeah.” There was a clattering sound as Andy kicked a pebble with his shoe and shot it towards a grate. “He said he’d visit but he hasn’t. I dreamt of him again, once. But I couldn’t see where he was a lot of the time. It was like he was hiding. He didn’t say much either.”

Eric’s face felt hot, as though a secret he’d been keeping had been found out. “Andy! What’d I tell you?”

“What? You said we could talk about them.” The frown was evident in Andy’s voice. “And you told me to tell you if I saw them.”

Eric stifled a groan, not really wanting to get into an argument so early in the morning, especially after the row he’d just had with Dongwan. He was already lacking sleep and stressed as it was; he didn’t need to be reminded of that other complication in their lives.

(…more than he already was. Already his unguarded thoughts tended to stray towards the fae, one more than the others, and he struggled to always keep himself in check. That was something he’d rather die for before ever admitting to, however, even to himself)

“Yeah but not now, okay?” He glanced around to make sure they were unaccompanied and that nobody could eavesdrop on the conversation. Thankfully the streets were still empty, lined only with shuttered storefronts and the occasional student walking to school on the opposite sidewalk. He dropped his voice to a low hiss. “And who cares where they are? The more we don’t see them, the better. I don’t want any trouble.”

“That’s mean.” Andy pouted. “Junjin’s my friend.”

“None of them are friends with any of us and we’re not talking about this right now.”

“You never want to talk about them.” Andy’s grumbling was rising dangerously to a whine. “You said we would. You already saw them. They’re real, hyung.”

“I never said they weren’t. Just…” In his mind’s eye, Hyesung’s face surfaced, unbidden, his small-petaled mouth moving with silent laughter, and Eric’s temper sparked for a reason he couldn’t really comprehend. He snapped towards his brother. “Andy. We’ll talk later. We’re not having this conversation now.”

“But you always say later…!”

“I said later and that’s that.”

“But why? There’s nobody here!”

“Because I said so!”

Eric ignored his brother’s whining and quickened his pace so they could get to the school faster. He rubbed at his temples with his fingers to ease a slow-blooming headache, his other hand still holding tight to Andy’s own as he led him down the still-sleeping sidewalks. He couldn’t believe he had recycled one of their father’s lines, which even he had hated as a kid, but he had seen no other alternative. Honestly, how does anyone survive parenting?

“You’re so weird!” Andy complained as Eric finally deposited him at the school doors. “You keep saying stuff but you don’t really mean it! And you never listen to me.”

That stung. “Hey. Not true.” Eric knelt down to get to his brother’s level. Andy was glowering at him, his small face flushed and his forehead furrowed. His eyes were glassy like new marbles with unshed tears. When Eric reached over to wipe his face, Andy pushed his hand away.

“No. Get off.” The boy frowned at him. “You’re being mean and I hate you right now. I want Dongwan hyung to pick me up later.”

Eric sighed. An apology weighed his tongue down like a stone. “Andy…”

But Andy didn’t wait for him to finish. Instead he shrugged off his hold, turned around and ran inside, disappearing around the corner before Eric could even wave goodbye. . Already he felt like he’d failed some sort of parenting test. What was wrong with him anyway? Why was he picking fights with an eight-year-old? Why did he have to turn all pissy with just one mention of the fae? What the hell.

His head still swimming, Eric managed to finally board the 4 train to work at Kingston station. The commute was typically more hellish in the morning, with most people rushing to make it to their respective workplaces at nearly the same time, and everywhere there was an elbow or a satchel or someone’s shoe getting in someone else’s way. At eight AM, the crowd had thinned out to a level that wasn’t so cramped, but there was still a sizable amount of people on board. Lost in the chaos of his own thoughts and self-berating, Eric ignored his surroundings, not able to notice at first when someone sidled up to him and shared the small area he occupied by the doors, despite there being other pockets of free space all throughout the carriage.

“My, you look pleasant this morning.”

Eric frowned, not really in the mood to cater to strangers. “Not today, man.” His gaze remained on the flashing lights and concrete as the train rushed through the tunnels with an almighty roar.

“That’s a pity.” The stranger’s tone was light, as if he didn’t really feel sorry at all. “I was hoping you would be of some amusement at least.”

His heartbeat shifted at the odd phrasing and inflections, and Eric lifted his head, bemused, his chest suddenly twinging as his ribs seemed to contract, leaving him short of breath. The train was momentarily plunged in darkness as they passed through another tunnel, but the lights flickered on seconds later, bright white and buzzing, and then Hyesung was there beside him, one hand gripping on the handrail beside his own with his head resting on the crook of his elbow. He was in human clothes again: a soft pink linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, tucked into light khaki chinos that hugged and accentuated long legs. His hair glowed almost ethereally in the dim light and his skin was like pale stardust, a stark contrast to the glistening black scarabs that were his eyes. 

“Careful, Eric Mun.” Hyesung purred, swinging the arm his head was resting on playfully, and Eric shook his head, glancing away from the fae’s face before turning back to focus on an abstract point on his cheek. Hyesung’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“How…How long have you been standing there?” Eric asked, mouth dry as cotton, his tongue seemingly stuck to the roof of it like peanut butter. Each word was a conscious effort to pronounce. He could only hope the fae couldn’t sense his struggle.

“Hmm.” Hyesung pursed his lips as though thinking. Stripes of light and shadow danced on his face. “Bowling Green maybe. After the bridge.”

“What?” That had been a while ago. He’d changed trains since then. “Were you following me?”

A sound too genteel to be a snort escaped from the fae’s lips. “You flatter yourself so. I do have other things I need to do.” His expression lit up as the next stop was announced: 34^th Street. “Ah! Speaking of, this is my stop.”

Eric found that hard to believe; what else could a fae be doing in New York City? He was confident Hyesung was just pulling his leg but found himself watching with increasing dismay as the fae nonchalantly turned his back on him the moment the train screeched to a halt, and then quickly headed for the open doors without saying another word.

“Wait!” He said, nearly tripping over his own legs as he struggled to get them in motion. Bastard. Was he going to just leave? “Wait!”

He rushed after Hyesung just before the train doors closed again, stumbling onto the platform with all the grace of a newborn foal. The crowd pulsed around him, and for a brief moment he thought he had already lost the fae just when he had found him again and it was his own stupid fault, but a hand suddenly grabbed onto his and yanked him forward, and there was Hyesung again, standing like Moses in the middle of a parting sea, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“I believe you are following me now, Eric Mun.”

(And oh God, Eric’s chest cracked loose when he saw the fae smile, or maybe his heartbeat skipped, he wasn’t even sure)

Eric scrambled for an excuse. His hands were empty but the front page of a coffee-stained newspaper was skittering past in a stray breeze. He snatched it up, offered it to Hyesung. “You’d left your…paper.” He said lamely, his face burning.

For a second, Hyesung only stared at it, looking puzzled, but then he laughed. Laughed! And genuinely this time, his hands covering his mouth as though afraid to show his teeth. The sound of it echoed throughout the bustling train station, and caused Eric’s chest to split open, letting free a flock of a thousand birds. He grinned at the fae in response.

“Stupid mortal.” Hyesung said, wiping the tears that had gathered at the ends of his eyes.

“What?” Eric feigned innocence. “I couldn’t let you leave without it. And I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”

To his surprise, Hyesung waved him off, his hand going back and forth in a pooh-pooh gesture. “You and your never-ending questions. Before it, I must see to my appointment. Since you have already chosen to follow, keep up; I will not tolerate tardiness.”

Eric watched in bewilderment as Hyesung set off again, professionally pushing his way through the thick of the crowd without even waiting to see if Eric was catching up, or if he was even following. For a second, Eric hesitated, not even sure exactly what he was doing. He needed to be at the office by 9, but here he was, chasing after a fae prince a dozen blocks away from his desk, and now likely to keep going the opposite direction.

Damn it.

“Wait up!” He shouted after Hyesung, who still didn’t stop and merely kept his pace. A stitch was in his side by the time he caught up. Why does he have to walk so goddamn fast?? “Where are you even going?”

He heard as Hyesung hummed under his breath, largely ignoring him as they strode on. As soon as they burst through the subway entrance, the city greeted them with its usual chaos: the incessant drone of people talking, construction ongoing, and horns blaring. None of the din seemed to bother the fae at all.

“I thought you didn’t like being here?” Eric tried a different tack. “Something about iron?” He had been able to do some research, although he had given up on books and now used mostly Google on the sly while everyone was on their coffee break. He had no idea whether or not any of what he had read was true, but the iron Hyesung had already mentioned before.

“What needs must.” Hyesung said non-committedly. He seemed to be looking for something, his dark eyes flitting from one establishment to another. “Where is it…ah!”

Eric watched as the fae turned sharply and headed towards one of the shops: a greasy spoon he himself had eaten at once or twice. “Andrews?” he asked, surprised, as he followed Hyesung inside. A bell jangled from somewhere near the counter as they pushed the door open, and the air that rolled gently towards them was warm with the scent of hot grease, toast, and black coffee. Unbidden, Eric’s stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t been able to get a proper breakfast that morning.

“For two please, Ashley.” Hyesung said to the server pleasantly, thanking her politely as she led them to an empty booth and handed them two menus, their plastic covers sticky probably with leftover syrup from a bygone era.

“I can see you’re nice when you want to be.” Eric said, raising an eyebrow at the server who had sauntered off. In their ten-second interaction she had definitely been flirting with Hyesung, and the fae had responded ever-so-lightly. Just enough to keep her turning her head to check and see if they needed anything, because she would obviously have to be the one to do it. Eric frowned as he caught her still looking, her doe eyes peeking at them from behind the cash register. He had half a mind to scold her – she couldn’t have been a day over sixteen or seventeen! “Are you actually a regular here?”

“I’m perfectly nice. It just depends on the company I keep, intellectually-challenged mortals non-withstanding...Here we are!” Hyesung lifted his hand to call a server’s attention, smiling sweetly when Ashley practically ran from across the store. “I would like the Breakfast Sampler with eggs over easy, sausages and bacon crisp, and toast with powdered sugar; extra pancakes; some hot oatmeal with honey and a pinch of salt and cinnamon; and a strawberry milkshake. With cream and fresh strawberries on top, please.”

Eric was dumbfounded. “This is your appointment? Breakfast?” More like a feast. For an Olympian.

“If you don’t want any," the fae said impatiently, "you can just say so. That way they can go ahead and serve my food faster.”

“You mean all that is just for you?”

The fae ignored him, maintaining his angelic façade that was directed at Ashley. “Don’t mind him. He’s rude.” He said, his tone modulated and soft-spoken, so much so that just by sitting there with him Eric really was starting to look like a boor. Ashley giggled, seemingly agreeing, and Eric rolled his eyes. The insults hardly fazed him anymore. It just seemed part of who Hyesung was, even the parts where Eric felt he sometimes had to ask permission from the fae prince to even breathe.

"I'd like for you to finish stating your order before this century ends, Eric Mun."

“Fine,” Eric relented. “Coffee and blueberry pancakes please.” If he was going to be late for work anyway, it. He wasn’t going to go hungry.

“We’re out of blueberries,” Ashley said, straightening as she directed her attention towards Eric. Her nails were a luminous green and had little star decals on them. “And bananas. And strawberries.”

“But your milkshake is available?” Eric was confused.

“Yeah, because we use ice cream.” There was an unuttered ‘duh’ in that statement. “We have one or two strawberries from our stash that we can still use for garnish. But that’s the last of it.”

Hyesung beamed at this, his smile stretching triumphantly from one side of his face to the next. He bobbed his head from side to side, like a child, obviously pleased. Eric found the sight equally irksome and…adorable?

What?

“Just some French toast and coffee then.” He near-stammered, perplexed at what was going on with his thought processes. He ducked his head, hoping Hyesung wouldn’t notice how he had suddenly blushed. Neither, thankfully, had seemed to see, and Ashley collected their menus as she repeated their orders.

“Excellent. Thank you,” the fae said, winking, and Ashley flushed a fierce pink at the gesture, as though Hyesung had just offered to kiss her right then and there. He followed her with his gaze as she bounded away to take their orders to the kitchens.

“You realize she’s practically a child.” Eric said. “That’s hardly appropriate.”

Hyesung’s gaze now turned to him, his expression vastly different from when he had been face-to-face with the server. For one thing, he was smirking again, as if everything Eric said was mildly and annoyingly amusing. “I did nothing else but be myself. It certainly is no fault of mine that you are all so easily charmed,” he said. “And your entire race are all children to me, relatively. No need to be jealous.”

What the hell. “I’m not!” Eric scoffed, his voice far too loud and far too defensive for his liking. “What are you talking about? And how old are you anyway?”

“Rude as always,” Hyesung sighed. “And all on an empty stomach.” He clasped his hands on the tabletop, peering at him. “Tell me, mortal: what benefit will I receive if I answer every question you ask? You are certainly persistent in inundating me with queries. You have nothing to offer me that I would desire.”

Ah. Now this was a game he could get behind. Everything was transactional with the fae, apparently. That was fine. He could play those cards.

“How about I trade you a truth about me for a truth about you?” Eric said. He secretly wiggled with pleasure when Hyesung’s eyes lit up like stars upon mention of the tradeoff. If Hyesung was anything, he was far too curious for his own good. And if his instincts served him correctly, the fae was as curious about him as he was about them.

“It’s hardly a fair bargain; what use are mortal truths to me?” The fae whined, although intrigue already shone on his face as he spoke.

“Ask me anything. Ask me three questions and I’ll answer truthfully.”

Hyesung waved him off. “Everything important there is to know about you, Eric Mun, I already know.”

His arrogance was annoying, and Eric almost felt obliged now to prove him wrong. “Everything?” he challenged.

“Yes.”

“What’s my real name then?”

This, as expected, garnered a lot of attention for the fae. He leaned forward, eyes wide. “You mean it isn’t Eric Mun?”

“It isn’t, but I’m not telling you what it is.” He was glad he had done a bit of research.

“You’re clever for once.” Hyesung sneered. “Names hold great power. However, you think so little of me. I’m above those childish games.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Eric said, secretly pleased he had a one up on Hyesung. “Your turn to answer my question.”

For all his hemming and hawing, Hyesung relented easily to the arrangement. Out of the three brothers, Eric was already beginning to learn, he was the one who gave information most freely and willingly, although it would always take some sort of persuasion or bargain.

“I have not considered this for some time,” Hyesung leaned back in his seat. “But I am seven hundred winters of age. Minwoo is ahead by two hundred fifty seasons, and Junjin was borne from Mother when I was…barely a hundred seasons, I believe. He was born in the height of summer. I can still remember hearing his squalling.” He grimaced, as though the memory brought him physical pain. “I had thought a Jabberwock had entered the palace for the amount of screeching he did. Minwoo just laughed at me. I was quite surprised to learn Mother had borne a babe.”

Eric laughed, imagining young Hyesung, confused out of his mind. “You mean they didn’t tell you?”

Hyesung shrugged. “Children among the fae are extremely rare, and the Royal Family tends to only have one, so Mother had been sequestered in a part of the palace with the healers. For Junjin and I to have been born is already a marvel in itself. That is also the reason the prophecy—” he halted, as if remembering his place, then shut his mouth altogether. “Never mind.”

The prophecy again. The more the fae mentioned it, the more it stirred Eric’s curiosity. Surely it couldn’t be that bad, could it? How on earth could an entire world be destroyed by two individuals? But he didn’t push, not wanting to interrupt the banter they had ongoing. He figured it was something he would find out, inadvertently or no, eventually.

“I was 24 when Andy was born,” he shared candidly. “It’s nothing compared to your s, but I’m old enough to be his father.”

At this, Hyesung leaned forward. “It was not dificult for your mother?”

“Actually,” Eric his lips, “she had passed away when I was 21. My father remarried.”

“Oh.” Something changed in Hyesung’s gaze, as though he was contemplating what Eric had just said. Death was probably a strange concept to someone who would rarely, if at all, experience it. “I cannot imagine...I do not understand how you could persevere after suffering a loss like that.”

“You just do.” Eric said, looking down at his fingers. The pain of his mother’s death had never really left him, and his father’s and stepmother’s recent passing was also not an easy one to endure. But he had always liked seeing things through, no matter how difficult. Raising Andy was reason enough.

“I see.” Hyesung said. His hands spread like lilies on the tabletop. “You mortals are far more surprising than I ever considered.” He glanced up at Eric, the mischievous gleam in his eyes back. “Perhaps it’s because I’ve been consorting with the wrong ones.”

Eric rolled his eyes. This never got old, apparently. “Well for the time being I’m all you’ve got. I don’t think any other human is going to be putting up with any of your bullcrap.”

“Is that a challenge, Eric Mun?”

“No.” Eric said, and this time he meant it. A surge of possessiveness overwhelmed him for a moment, like a child unwilling to share his best friend. “Don’t. Not all humans are nice. I won’t be able to protect you,” he said, which…was true anyway.

Hyesung’s lips quirked up into a smile. “What makes you think I need protecting?” he said, his expression mild. Eric shrugged.

“I’m just saying. But it’s not like I can stop you anyway.” He had been aware of the lack of control he had over anything to do with the fae, but this time, there was a sense of distaste with the full realization of it. Hyesung was not his friend, was not anyone he could even begin to fathom, let alone persuade to bend to his will for anything: to come, to visit, to stay. His presence was temporary, and so he couldn’t help the tinge of bitterness coloring his tone. “Where were you anyway the past couple of days? You guys just disappeared.”

Hyesung looked at him quizzically. “You sound angry. Have I wronged you in any way, Eric Mun?”

“No.” Eric said decisively, but he averted his gaze downward. Hyesung gave a sound that was almost a snort.

“Mortal, you can’t lie even if your life depended on it.” His tone turned honeyed, the words laid thick. “Did you miss us?”

“Why would I…? That’s crazy talk.” Eric sputtered. “You guys randomly show up and leave without warning. I don’t care but I’m worried for Andy.” That sentence had half a lie in it but it was true that he didn’t want to have to explain to Andy where the fae were when they weren’t there. “He likes Junjin a lot. I just don’t want him getting disappointed or anything.”

“From what I had seen this morning you had also been a cause for disappointment for your brother.”

Blood rushed to Eric’s face. So they had been watching, or at least Hyesung had. “That was a mistake.” Eric said, rising to his own defense. “But he had also been waiting on Junjin too. He said your brother had promised to show.”

Hyesung had the decency to look the slightest bit remorseful. “We do have appearances we need to uphold, and official duties often warrants our presence. We couldn’t keep away from them, and recall that our visits here are also largely forbidden. However, if it pleases you to hear, my younger brother nearly drove Minwoo and I mad from all the pleading he did for us to return Aboveground.”

“I thought you said you always had to keep an eye on us.”

“And I had thought you had wanted your privacy.” Hyesung scoffed. “We do have the means, despite you not seeing us. Minwoo ensured we always kept watch from the Underground.”

Eric skipped asking whether or not they had bugged him and Andy, or if they had some sort of fae TV surveillance. Instead, he asked directly what was on his mind. “So you’re done now. With your duties and stuff.”

“For the time being, yes.” Hyesung said, smirking once more. “You are most welcome to bask in my presence, Eric Mun.”

Eric would have cursed at him but Ashley suddenly came, flanked with two other servers carrying trays of food. She winked at Hyesung as she served him first, arranging the many plates on the space in front of him and leaving the scantest amount for Eric’s own breakfast. By the time they had set all the plates down, the table looked like an altar for an offering to a god in which Eric was the peasant asking for providence from Hyesung.

“Call me if you need anything. Enjoy breakfast!” Ashley chirped before she bounded off once more, the two other servers following in her wake. Hyesung clapped his hands.

“Excellent!” he said, and before Eric could even blink, the fae had dug into his food, greedily and with much fervor as a starving man would. His cheeks ballooned like a chipmunk’s as he took small quick bites of each item, barely even stopping for breath. Eric watched as he methodically stacked egg, bacon and sausage over a pancake and covering it with the remnants of another pancake. When he cut into it, golden yolk spilled out from the side and Hyesung even squirmed with glee.

“Were you starved where you came from?” Eric asked, awed, and finding the sight of the fae eating so voraciously simultaneously disgusting and entertaining that he couldn’t look away, not even to eat his own food.

Hyesung didn’t look up from practically inhaling two sausage links. “I’ve been having training with Father.” He said as an explanation. “I will be eating your breakfast as well if you keep staring.”

Eric ignored his threat, remembering the conversation he had had with Junjin in the kitchen. “Training? You mean for your primary powers?”

Hyesung looked up at him suddenly, the shock apparent on his face. “How did you—?”

“Junjin had told me about his. He helped cook dinner, in a way, which was helpful.” Now that Hyesung had stopped eating, Eric finally felt that he could take a bite of his own breakfast. The sharp jolt of caffeine was exactly what he had needed. “Why? Shouldn’t he have?”

“That rascal.” Hyesung grumbled. He went back to eating but did it slower this time, as though he was contemplating something.

“So Minwoo is space and time, Junjin can manipulate energy. And you?” Eric spoke as he cut up his toast. “What weird Marvel superpower do you have?”

To his surprise, Hyesung gave him a testy look. “Enough.” He said in an authoritative tone, much harsher than his usual manner. It was enough to send a wave of primal fear course through Eric; a reminder of who (or what) he was dealing with. “We’ve spoken enough truths for the day. Let me finish my meal in peace or I will turn you into a toad if you persist in testing my patience.”

Grouch. Eric curled his lip in response but said nothing more, no willing to try Hyesung more than he already had. He was pretty certain the fae would come through with his threats if prodded hard enough, and he seemed already teetering on the edge.

They finished breakfast quickly after that: Eric, because he realized he needed to be at the office at least before noon, and Hyesung probably because he was still seething from what Eric had said. The fae returned to his usual manner after Eric had to pay for the food (“You don’t have money? Aren’t you a prince??” he had hissed in disbelief, and to which Hyesung had replied in a haughty murmur: “Princes have no need to carry currency, moreso any for the Aboveground. And leave a sizeable tip, for Danu’s sake”). Eric had to practically drag him out before he and Ashley got into their usual uncomfortable flirting routine. The twenty he left her and the short note to stick with studying should have been enough.

“Where are you going, Eric Mun?”

“Work, obviously.” It was already ten minutes to nine. He wasn’t going to make it, but he had already formulated at least half a dozen excuses for his boss in his head.

“But you’ll be delayed.”

“Yes, well. I already knew that, thanks.” He turned when a hand grabbed his wrist and prevented him from walking further towards the subway. “Hey!”

“You’re ridiculous. I’ll take you.” Hyesung held firm when Eric tried to pull away. He spoke as though he was talking about driving Eric there, which was a laughable concept compared to what he knew the fae really meant.

“What? Here? Now?” They were in the middle of a bustling crowd on a Midtown sidewalk, in broad daylight. He was surprised when Hyesung held him closer. So close that his breath rippled the hair on Eric’s nape. So close that Eric could barely breathe.

“Tsk. Calm down.” Hyesung smelled of butter and cinnamon and strawberries, and his lips were still flecked with powdered sugar. So close… “They can’t see us with glamour. Now hold still.”

And then Eric felt a sensation like cool water trickling down from the top of his head, down his back, and all the way down to his toes before the familiar pulling and stretching that came with Hyesung’s Shimmering overcame him. When he opened his eyes, it was still ten minutes to nine and he was standing by the back door of his office building. Above him, a low hooting sounded, and when he looked up, a barn owl was perched on the lowest fire escape, watching him with familiar, inquisitive eyes.

“You really do this better than Junjin,” Eric muttered, but not too loudly. The owl, however seemed to hear and preened. Eric glanced around him to make sure there wasn’t anyone else around before cupping his hands around his mouth. “Later,” he whispered. “Pick me up later.”

He was vaguely sure he was going crazy, not only because he was now living in a world where he knew a shapeshifting owl, but also because of the unexplainable brazen confidence he seemed to pick up when Hyesung was around. If he was to be honest with himself, Hyesung intrigued him endlessly and his presence was something Eric was inexplicably drawn to. If the fae was willing to show, he was also equally willing to ask for more.

“Later,” he repeated. “5 PM. By the front.”

He didn’t wait for a response, didn’t want the owl to suddenly shapeshift back into 6 feet of blustery, stroppy prince, and so hurried inside without looking back. His heart was pounding suddenly, either from the shot of adrenaline that came with…did he just ask the fae out? No way. He just wanted to ask more questions.

“He’ll come, definitely.” He murmured to himself like a mantra as he entered into the usual fray and chatter of his workplace. Surrounded by the hubbub, that morning’s events already seemed like it had happened in an entirely different universe, but oddly something he didn’t want to be free of. Eric greeted his workmates cheerfully as he walked over to his desk, feeling better than he had in months.

“Haven’t seen you smiling like that in a while,” his boss greeted him wryly. “Counting down to the last few meetings for the book launch?”

“Yes, sir, definitely.” Eric said without missing a beat. His boss tapped at his desk.

“Good man. Design meeting in an hour. Bring your A-game.”  

His boss strode off, and Eric dove straight into his work emails with the opposite of the attitude he had earlier had. Read, reply, sort, delete. Meetings were good time-burners and there were several scheduled that day. Eric smiled to himself. He had never looked forward to meetings so much his whole life. It would definitely be afternoon in no time.

(And all throughout, his wrist stayed warm with the feeling of Hyesung’s fingers wrapped around his skin. Like a talisman. Or a salve.

Or a promise, Eric dared to think but not say, and hid the thought in the darkest, quietest corner of his heart)


tbc


Author's Notes
1. I'm sorry for updating so late! It was a combination of work plus the fact that this chapter kept changing. Ugh. This is like...the 200th attempt, I think, and I'm still not satisfied.
2. Finally some mothereffin' Ricsyung but still tiptoeing at the edges! The main reason for this is Hyesung's character is definitely one to KEEP GODDAMN TIPTOEING. He's not only a prince, he is also still Shin Hyesung, and hell naw about him being the one to initiate anything with Eric effin' Mun. (DAMMIT, ERIC, MAKE A MOVE).
3. I added the tag 'slow burn' due to number 2. Eric is so dense as well, but he's getting better!
4. Eric really shouldn't project onto Andy. That was a moment of weakness. He's confused, so let's give him a break, but I will have him apologize to Dydy later.
5. 34th street is also actually where Koreatown is in NYC. LOL. 
6. Andrew's is real! But I think it's around the Garment District. Definitely much farther than how I probably wrote it. Hehe. Creative liberties.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! ^^ If you have any complaints, questions, suggestions feel free to write it in the comment box!