Hyesung's stomach protested loudly as they were leaving his apartment. They all laughed and agreed that they would eat at the mall so that Hyesung would have energy to shop. As they approached Hyesung's car to go to the nearest mall.  Minwoo wrinkled his nose in distaste at his banged up car.

"I think we better go our way" Minwoo said looking at Hyesung's car. Hyesung looked at them wondering what they meant when Andy and Dongwan Latched on to him. One second he was next to his car the next he was in the bathroom of the nearest mall.

The sensation of the teleportation was a spine tingling slightly queasy feeling. He was disoriented for a few seconds trying to catch his balance.

"Please tell me when you do that again." Hyesung said.  They all looked sheepish as he continued to lean against the wall. Hyesung went to a bakery food stand and bought himself breakfast then sat down.

Hyesung nibbled the edge of his bagel, savoring the taste of cream cheese. He watched his brothers warily, unsure what to think. I shouldn't trust them, he thought. I don't trust them. But they were working overtime to get him to like them and he was afraid they might be succeeding.

At first the thought of shopping with them left him terrified. He thought for sure they'd abandon him at a register somewhere, unable to pay for purchases. So far they had paid for his meal not that it was that much to begin with. They jury was still out on how he felt.

"We should go for clothes next," Andy said, a bit of cream cheese from his fingertip.

They wondered around the mall just looking at things. People stared at his faerie brothers but they didn't seem to notice or even care. He must look really out of place walking with them he thought.

Minwoo had insisted on buying him a pair of sunglasses after he'd made the mistake of lingering over them for too long. They were one of those things Hyesung had always wanted and had always been embarrassed to confess his desire for.

"There's a Gucci downstairs," Dongwan suggested.

"I think there's a Banana Republic and an Armani Exchange, too, if I remember this place correctly." Junjin said.

Minwoo tapped a finger against his lips. "Perhaps. Sunggie really is a preppy Abercrombie type of guy, I think. With a bit of y suave underneath, of course. He is family, after all."

They laughed. Hyesung tried to recall that spike of unease he normally got around them, but it stayed buried deep. Especially when Andy, Junjin and Dongwan spoke. They chattered with genuine enthusiasm, tugging him here and there like a favorite toy.

"I saw this suit in the window at Armani Exchange I think you should try on," Andy told him.

No matter how he tried, Hyesung couldn't stop a smile. How many times had Miri taken her daughters on shopping trips, leaving him behind? For a number of years he'd yearned to go, had behaved as well as he could, done all his chores and homework in the hopes that Miri would one day say yes. She never had. She had always told him that guys didn't like to go shopping or that he would be in the way. But I'm here now, Hyesung thought. And even though I don't trust them, I'm having fun.

Finally Minwoo stopped before a store called District II. When Hyesung paused outside the window him found himself unable to look away. Mannequins wore polo shirts and pressed slacks. Bright colored dress shirts, distressed jeans, sweaters and all manner of clothes, in colors that drew the eye. Oh, he thought, his breath catching. This! This is the sort of thing I've always wanted to wear...

"I think we've found a winner," Minwoo said smugly.

"Come on." Dongwan said tugging him inside.

Junjin charged over and, giggling, placed the fedora on Hyesung's head. Then he turned him towards the nearest mirror. A jolt of surprise ran through Hyesung when he realized the hat actually looked pretty good on him.

He explored the shop thoroughly, his new brothers tagging behind, holding items he wanted to try on—and a few they wanted for themselves. Then they headed for the dressing rooms. Hyesung discarded his T-shirt on the small bench in the changing room and pulled on a cotton shirt that felt soft against his skin with an embroidery an L in a shade of green close to that of an emerald on the pocket. The cotton felt so comfortable.

He pulled a small green vest on over it. When he turned to the mirror, he grinned. Even I almost look good in this, he thought. And Miri would probably hate it.

The curtain swished aside and Andy peeked in. "Ooo! I like that. What do you think?"

"I like it too," Hyesung admitted with a shy smile.

"Try these next." Andy pushed a pile into his arms.

Hyesung couldn't remember the last time he'd tried on so many articles of clothing that he liked. And the amount of them that looked good on him left him startled.

They came out of District II with half a dozen bags. With Andy and Junjin's arms linked through his, Hyesung felt a euphoria he couldn't deny. Junjin half-dragged him towards the escalator. I'd be crazy to trust them, but... But no one trusted friends completely right off the bat, did they? And sure, even if the Faeries were his brothers, as they claimed, he hadn't known them long. So it was more like having new friends than new family.

"Here!" Andy trilled, stopping before the Armani Exchange. "That leather suit. I know it's leather, but I think it's a texture that won't clash with your skin."

Hyesung stared. His stomach twisted with longing. It wasn't the kind of suit most people would pick for him; hell, it wasn't the kind of outfit  he would pick for himself. But oh, he wanted it. It'll never look good on me. Never. But he went in anyway.

In the changing room he stripped out of his clothes again and put the suit on. The cool silk dress shirt against his skin sent a delightful frisson along his spine. The one benefit of his poor excuse for a body was that most things fit him. On the down side, very little of it looked good on him. But today everything went so well that Hyesung decided to try. What could it hurt?

With a little help from Andy he got the tie fixed, then faced the mirror square on. Hyesung stood stock still, gazing at his reflection. The cut of the suit made him look like he actually had muscles and the texture, despite it being leather, didn't look lurid against his skin.

"Sunggie? How is—wow!" Dongwan exclaimed

Junjin pulled the curtain back further and poked Andy out of the way. "Let me see too, brat. Ooo...yikes. It's like it was made for you."

"Really?" Hyesung turned to face them.

Minwoo gazed at him over his brothers' shoulders. He swept a glance from Hyesung's head to his toes, face expressionless. Yet Hyesung could have sworn he saw something flash in Minwoo's eyes; something dark, something that lingered like a serpent beneath the water. Then it was gone. Like a flash of lightning the impression of it still burned in Hyesung's vision but it faded quickly, leaving behind only a view of Minwoo's bright, encouraging smile.

"He needs some glamour," Minwoo said.

Hyesung blinked. "Some what?"

"Ooo, good idea," Junjin cooed. "Andy, help me out."

Andy and Junjin advanced on him. Startled, Hyesung backed into the dressing room. Their laughter ringing like merry bells, his brother touched his face and arms, his shoulders, his abs. A sensation like the tickle of spider webs traveled along his skin. When it traveled up his neck he wriggled and tried hard not to laugh. Finally it tingled across his scalp and dissipated.

With matching mischievous smiles Junjin and Andy turned him to face the mirror. Hyesung gazed at his reflection in astonishment. He reached up with trembling hand and touched the glass, wondering if he was seeing things.

Whatever they'd done, it had changed him. His skin looked healthier, his eyes larger and more liquid. His hair gleamed and shined like he'd just come out of a high-end hairdresser. The hint of musculature the suit gave him was enhanced somehow, giving him the chocolate abs he'd always wanted.

"I wish Eric could see me like this," he whispered without thinking.

"Who's Eric?"  Dongwan wanted to know.

Hyesung whirled. "Um...I...no one in particular, just..."

"He's the one," Minwoo said. "The thing your heart longs for most in the world."

"Then he has to go see him," Junjin declared. "If he sees Sunggie like this, he'll never be able to resist."

Minwoo shook his head. "No."

"But...why not?" Junjin sounded distraught.

Minwoo smiled gently and slid an arm around his brother's shoulders, as if realizing how harsh his words sounded. "He doesn't know about us or about glamour. A change that's too drastic might freak him out."

Hyesung bit his lip. No way in hell I'm telling Minwoo that Eric does know, he thought. Who knows what Minwoo might do? Even if Eric didn't know, he couldn't imagine a change drastic enough to make him think Faerie. Plastic surgery, maybe, but not Faerie. But Hyesung couldn't find anything wrong with Minwoo's protest, so despite his unease he shrugged it off.

Junjin continued to pout. "But I love this kind of thing. It's like one of those movies where the girl gets made over and the guy finally puts away his pride and admits he's been in love with her all along."

Hyesung considered pointing out that those movies didn't usually actually go like that, and that he was a guy also so it wouldn't work out like that either,  but Andy was already speaking.

"You know, the spa downstairs is having free facials..."

Dongwan's eyes lit up. "Change back to your own clothes, Sunggie," he said excitedly. "Let's go pay for that suit and then get you made over."

And even though he knew he shouldn't go along with it, he did.

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Yay!! Longer chapter. So I hope you like where this is going. I know that I am happy with where this story is headed. PLEASE COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE!