Hakyeon was almost ready to pull his hair out at his flatmates’s incompetence of getting himself ready in the mornings. It seemed more of a lack of effort though because the other seemed to be doing just fine on his own when Hakyeon had fallen ill over the past week, still barely recovered with a slight sniffle and the occasional harsh single-cough. However a man had to work to eat and he definitely wasn’t going to arrive to work on time if his indolent flatmate continued to laze around in bed and pretend he was still sleepy. Hakyeon knew that the other was up in the wee hours of the day and laid under the covers for hours because of the comfort, something which Hakyeon would indulge in if he had the opportunity. “Jaehwan, get up!” Hakyeon had had just enough of this kind of attitude by now and resorted to hitting the other all over his blanket-cocooned body to get him up. Approximately three solid slaps later the said male finally sat up, not a trace of dark circles beneath his eyes indicating that he was, as Hakyeon highly suspected, well rested. “Was that so hard?” Hakyeon glared at the dazed male who seemed to pay no mind to the piercing eyes. It was routine after all. Jaehwan had long adapted to it. The raised hand, however, was not something he wished to be the brunt of impact to no matter how many times he’d experienced that.

Jaehwan was out of the bed and on his feet, following Hakyeon out of the room as the tanned male rushed around to fix up his appearance and gather his belongings. “Do the laundry. Even the clothes that aren’t in the laundry basket. Just whatever’s dirty and lying around,” Hakyeon fails to cease nagging even until the moment he’s stepping foot outside the front door. “Yeah I know. Hurry up or you’ll be late,” Jaehwan waves at his rushing flatmate as he hurried to work. Was Jaehwan really going to do the laundry? Of course. So why had he gone to the couch and resumed his ‘rest’ as soon as Hakyeon left? Because the other hadn’t said to do it now. Although he did seem quite nonchalant, Jaehwan did feel worried about the other male. He had felt quite apprehensive that morning, thus explaining why he was going against his friend’s requests and nagging more than usual. Something was going to happen to Hakyeon, but Jaehwan couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. He bit his lip, somewhat regretting letting Hakyeon go.

Hakyeon’s items were thrown rather carelessly into the back seats of his car, having no time to waste with putting things properly. Despite that, his driving was fairly safe; better safe than sorry, Hakyeon reasoned. By the time he pulled up in front of his work place it had been almost ten minutes past the time he was supposed to sign in. Everything was a mess on him and in his arms as he rushed into the building and forwent the elevator, choosing to scale the stairs over waiting for the machine which would, without a doubt, only slow him down. Another two minutes and he’d reached the special investigations floor, having to twist his bodt rather awkward to scan his card and gain access.

It seemed that his tardiness had been long forgotten, if the warm welcome was anything to go by. Shouts and hugs from colleagues, as well as questions about his health, we thrown his way for a few minutes and Hakyeon struggled to return the kindness in his current condition. “Help him out instead of smothering him,” a voice came, more like chuckled, over the clamour of joyous voices. His supervisor, Minhyuk, seemed more than delighted to see him back in the office. In all honesty, being sick for a week made it seem like those seven or so days were much shorter than they actually had been. The hugging crowd around him eventually dissipated as everyone went back to do their own things, making room for Minhyuk to come and help the struggling male organise himself at his desk. Despite being an intern Hakyeon was quite close to the head investigator, who, highly commended Hakyeon’s dedication and sharp mind. Plus, they both shared an almost identical line of thought most of the time so Hakyeon was more than comfortable with his superior; though Hakyeon did suspect it had something to do with being half cupid (which would also explain why almost all the workers were drawn to him and how Minhyuk seemed to have a way of lubricated ease with talking to people and getting exactly what he wanted).

“There’s been a spike in Harpy and Siren activity lately. We don’t know what the cause is but it’s been causing quite an uproar with the creatures that live in the city, especially those near the river and ports,” Minhyuk spoke as soon as Hakyeon was settled, not even waiting for Hakyeon to ask. Most creatures kept to their own nowadays even though it was completely acceptable for them to blend in, humans included. There was little discrimination so Hakyeon thought it was probably for mere comfort. After all, how could anyone expect a human to understand the freedom and space a centaur needed; or a sprite to reside in the concrete jungles and cemeteries that gargoyles thrived in? These separate communities were just as accepted as the integrated ones. Occasionally, like now, there would be a small dispute in the society. In this human-dominated one, the system had been the traditional police justice system with the several departments to ensure that everything functioned smoothly.

The update made Hakyeon’s brows furrow in thought and confusion. Though known for their occasional violent outbursts, only a streak of offenses would have made a high alert like this. “Don’t worry about it,” Minhyuk grins, patting the intern firmly on his back as he straightened up from the slouched posture he previous held against the edge of Hakyeon’s desk, “I really don’t have a clue about it either. That’s why we’re investigating it, right?” Minhyuk’s smile had been contagious, luring Hakyeon out of his mental cage and causing him to smile as well. “Two witnesses were brought in earlier today though. They’re quite appealing to the eyes too.” As though Minhyuk had summoned the said men, two tall figures came walking down the main pathway amongst the tables and private working cubicles. Hakyeon put up absolutely no resistance against his curiousity as he leaned his body so that he could see around his supervisor’s form. Minhyuk really hadn’t been kidding when he subtly called them hot; they were much more than a mere adjective, or adjectives, could describe them.

Call it fate but the blonde one had turned his head and locked gazes with Hakyeon. There was a tightening in his chest when another pair of eyes joined in; he was paralysed under their watchful eyes. Perhaps it had been centuries they’d shared that one look but in this world it was only for a few seconds. An officer had tapped the blue-haired male, who was walking behind the blonde one, and ushered him forward. There was no way that Hakyeon could have broken such intensity on his own when he hadn’t had he will to begin with. Minhyuk, though, found this quite the substantial material to begin picking on Hakyeon. “I told you so,” he laughed and pinched Hakyeon’s blushing cheeks before leaving the intern to catch up on a week’s worth of work. Maybe if Hakyeon had looked up again instead of staring down in embarrassment he would have seen the disturbed look on the two heavenly males, brought about by the friendly (but they didn’t know that) intimacy that he’d shown with his superior-slash-friend.

Neither Wonshik nor Taekwoon spoke a word until they left the building. Even then it was Taekwoon’s whispery voice speaking with uncertainty and disbelief, “Sanghyuk was right.”

FLASHBACK

Those five words were enough to give Taekwoon and Wonshik a general idea of what this man was – a Seer in the least. They’d found out more when Sanghyuk, the man had introduced himself, said that he was only half Seer, his other of warlock origin, thus making him powerful indeed, particularly in the gift of foresight. With the spirit of purity, called Hongbin the two dragonoids also learned, by the youthful-looking magician’s side the brothers had no hesitation in sitting down for a light filling of tea and small breads. The chaste body would not have allowed for such heinous deeds to be committed in its physical existence. For a moment, as Sanghyuk behaved like a good host and poured them cups of freshly brewed tea, the four magical beings spoke not a single word. Taekwoon and Wonshik themselves were still trying to get their heads around what Sanghyuk had first told them.

“Correct me if I am mistaken, but both of you are descendants of dragons’ right?” Sanghyuk asks, receiving no corrective response which supported his conception, “my parents had been old enough to see the end of the reign of dragons, though I, too young. I’m quite amazed to see that their blood still runs so raw in you veins though.”

“My knowledge is limited but that does not mean I am dulled. As far as I have been taught, dragons, as with a number of magical beings, mate for life. You both have chosen one body; one that holds no relation to magic. I tell you now, he will live as long as you do.”

“Hakyeon died,” Wonshik interrupts, but courteously after the Seer had finished talking, “twice. We’ve seen him die twice.”

“And he will die again,” Sanghyuk speaks, his tone harder and firmer with slight annoyance from being interrupted. Taekwoon places his hand over Wonshik’s knee to calm the younger male then nods at the male who spoke first in apology and to ask him to continue speaking. Sanghyuk does, but not before giving Wonshik another look, this time almost smug.

“He will die again if you do not protect him. Age does not touch him as it does not touch you. The first time he died as a human, but your claim preserved his soul. The second time your magic, the bond the seals him to the both of you, was too much for his reincarnation to handle. His death then would have been inevitable. As for the third… that is not something I can speak for. Unfortunately my abilities as a Seer can only reach so far. However, I am certain of this – you must meet him each time he returns, for his love to you seals the bond you share.”

The two dragonoids took their time to process the information they were given, eyes staring at the cup full of tea they’d taken into their hands merely for the warmth radiating off the ceramic. So Hakyeon would return then. They would see him. “When?” they wanted to ask, but the other had already said that he could not see so far. A movement, from Hongbin, right in front of them eases the two dragonoids from their heavy minds. “Feel free to stay as long as you wish. I have watched Hakyeon grow into a pure soul as me. His mother asked for my blessing upon him and it is his until I die. Please do not fret. I will help you find him again.” There was determination in Hongbin’s voice, as well as comfort. Looking up Sanghyuk seemed to have no objections to what Hongbin said. It was questionable who the place belonged to, but at that stage the brothers were grateful to have been given what they had just been.

“I thank you for your hospitality. We will repay you one day,” Taekwoon placed his teacup back onto the table and bowed his head to the two across them. Sanghyuk nods and flicks his hands, a door opening off to the side which, assumingly, was where the dragonoids would be staying. Wonshik, too, stands up and follows the elder; though he says nothing he feels just as gratified. They were both just much too tired beyond their ages.

FLASHBACK (END)

Now they stood at a forked road: would they tell Hakyeon or keep this to themselves? It really shouldn’t have been a hard decision with what Sanghyuk had told them, but they were still diffident. Perhaps Hakyeon would die without them, but he had also died because of them. There was nothing to say that he wouldn’t live better if they did approach him. Then, their decision stood there – they would leave Hakyeon alone to live a full life. It went unsaid, those words that weighed their hearts down with an unbearable weight but the knowledge that Hakyeon was, at the moment, well was enough to keep them from succumbing to the immensity. Returning back through another body of water, a slight-dysfunctional fountain by the park (not so hygienic but with enough wishes from children that Hongbin could manipulate it to some degree), the two dragonoids found themselves watching the scene of the pure spirit sitting atop the Seer’s lap; Sanghyuk looked anything but pure with Hongbin so close to a certain area, but the angelic male was either oblivious or ignorant of that. Clearing his throat, Wonshik managed to get the attention of both of them but only Hongbin had the decency to actually look and welcome them back. It wasn’t hard for the dragonoid pair to know that Sanghyuk already saw what happened; it also showed in the way he didn’t look at them at all. “Don’t regret it,” is all he says.

A day passes, and then two, yet Hakyeon was still caught up in the intense stare that he’d experienced. His sense of professionalism meant that his work was barely interrupted or any less productive than it had ever been but it also wasn’t hard for those around him to know that there was something off; mainly due to the lack of useless blabbering he’d been delivering lately. “Are you sick again,” Minhyuk asks when the lunch hour come around, hand pushing under Hakyeon’s bangs and pressed against his forehead with a bit too much force, “you just recovered though.” It makes the violated male click his tongue against the roof of his mouth in annoyance and swat at the offending limb. “No I am very healthy, thank you very much,” Hakyeon dismisses and quickly saves his files before pushing his chair back and standing up. “Don’t forget that you said you would shout me lunch.”

With Minhyuk, that was enough to get him off Hakyeon’s back; with Jaehwan, he wasn’t so lucky. It didn’t help that Jaehwan was so insistent about the matter either and every breathing second they spent together comprised of the other male asking for and prodding at the details of Hakyeon’s life. In Hakyeon’s opinion Jaehwan already knew far too much, so much that Hakyeon even suspected that he wasn’t quite as human as he thought he had been. Hakyeon never pushed on that matter though because Jaehwan never told him, the latter believing that it would be revealed on its own when his friend was ready. So why did Jaehwan have to be so nosy? A groan escaped his body when Jaehwan literally jumped on him the second he returned from work through the front door. The usual ceaseless chatting was flooded into his ears, the expected questions revolving around the mysterious men and a possible bachelor bouncing around every internal and external wall within the apartment confines. “Get off,” Hakyeon has to wheeze with how tight Jaehwan is clinging onto him (using all his limbs) so that his weight doesn’t result in himself falling off his perch. Hakyeon drops his bag in favour of freeing a hand to jab Jaehwan firmly in his side; it proves successful once he’s able to take in a deep breath.

Stepping around the fallen body, which doesn’t seem to have any intention of moving, Hakyeon immediately makes his way around to the kitchen and straight to the fridge. Behind the doors lay barren shelves; something which Hakyeon could look over since neither of them were very successful cooks. The empty shelves that wept in the pantry though, that was unforgiveable. Although Jaehwan couldn’t see Hakyeon’s deadly glare, there was enough impending danger being sent his way for the slothful male to stand up and quickly push his feet into his shoes. “I’m going out to do the groceries,” the panicking male calls out before his voice is followed by the opening and closing of the front door. Feeling satisfied at that achievement, Hakyeon waddles along to the living room and sprawls out over the couch, rewarding himself with a well-deserved break. Looking around, the said male couldn’t quite place his mind still on how they’d able to afford such a spacious living space. Jaehwan paid for most of the rent, three-quarters actually, but Hakyeon could swear on his self-valued life that he had never seen Jaehwan step a foot outside without him nagging, much more, to go to work. Maybe, Hakyeon thought, he really wasn’t human.

Jaehwan yawns as he exits the supermarket, his hands full with plastic bags of mainly instant foods ready to eat with the addition of hot water. It wasn’t like he hated leaving the apartment but he’d found it much more pleasant in the light interior of his apartment than the concrete mazes of the city. He tossed his head from side to side, leaving it hanging on his shoulder as he stretched his neck for the purpose of filling the time it took to return back to the apartment. He really should have been paying more attention to his surroundings; if he did then he would have noticed a pair, walking in the opposite direction, stop and stare at him with great intensity (obviously not as great as his oblivion however). He only managed to take three full steps past them before an aggressive growl rang out and he was thrown down to the sidewalk with a full body weighing him down. Jaehwan was not powerless however, his hands quickly rushing up to push the offending body off his own. In spite of his original intention, the moment Jaehwan’s palms made contact with the exposed upper arms of  his attacker his mind was filled with images and emotions, so many it was almost overwhelming him.

Taekwoon had braced himself for the impact of been thrown off, having sensed that this other creature would have been able to hold his ground against him. That didn’t happen though; instead it seemed like the fallen male was experiencing a vision of some sort – his eyes were glazed and body limp, save for his arms which acted as the connecting point between each other. A deep inhale of breath was a plentiful indication that the attacked man had been eased out from his transcendent state. His arms recoiled almost at the speed a snake would attack and he squirmed beneath the blonde figure, trying to escape. Taekwoon growled again, a primal sound that went ignored as Jaehwan continued to writhe uselessly and, at this point, almost comically.

Now Hakyeon’s unrestrained curiousity had him peeking out the window the moment he heard a sound akin to that of a petrifying predator and a dull thud, of which he assumed was someone’s or something’s downfall. He wasn’t far off at all, it seemed, when his eyes caught sight of the two captivating males and Jaehwan stuck under the blonde one. They weren’t so attractive when they had his best friend pinned to the ground like that and looked at him with such malice in their eyes. There wasn’t really much a thought process going through Hakyeon’s mind as he rushed down to confront the situation. “Yah! Get off him!” Hakyeon’s indignant screech reaches the combative trio before his body does; though his voice was more attractive than the single blow to Taekwoon’s shoulder than had him drawing his hand to his chest and nursing the self-inflicted injury. Taekwoon is swift to get of the man he pushed over and stand straight and repentant. Jaehwan gets up, though not before sending the dragonoid duo a -eating, victorious grin, and Hakyeon is prompt with offering his assistance to his (completely fine) flatmate.

“Should I call someone?” Hakyeon speaks softly, only so Jaehwan can hear but Taekwoon and Wonshik do too anyway (they act like they don’t though). Jaehwan shakes his head and throws his arm over the shoulder of the man who’d just attacked him, making it seem like they were eased in each other’s presence; at least, that’s what it could have been if Taekwoon wasn’t so tense. “He’s my cousin. We were just messing around. I guess I got carried away,” Jaehwan nods, eyes catching the fallen groceries whilst he did. He quickly kneels down and starts repacking the plastic and Styrofoam packets back into the bags before Hakyeon can delve into his lie any further and figure out that they weren’t cousins at all. “Shouldn’t you be helping him?” It works when Hakyeon diverts his attention to the two still-standing males just watching, “it was your fault that he dropped them.” If Hakyeon hadn’t been a little more than mildly annoyed he would have noticed it was him that they were staring at, not Jaehwan. Nonetheless, his words had the dragonoids squatting down beside Jaehwan and helping him carry the bags up to the apartment.

Once inside it’s Hakyeon to organises the food products into their respective places. Meanwhile, Jaehwan, Wonshik and Taekwoon have gathered in the living room, sitting around idly in the midst of a tense ambiance. It’s viscous enough for Hakyeon to feel it sticking to him uncomfortably, so much that he even abandons his task to walk towards the trio and question their awkwardness despite being family. “They’ll be staying with us for a bit,” Jaehwan calls out spontaneously, shocking Hakyeon enough for him to stand jaw-dropped and dumb-struck. Jaehwan had done plenty of things on a whim that Hakyeon was almost immune to it but this was on a whole other level. “I forgot to mention it?” the said male speaks again when Hakyeon composes himself and gives Jaehwan a hard stare that commands him to explain himself. For a moment it looks like Hakyeon is about to deny them a place, not that Taekwoon and Wonshik need to stay in their shared flat, but it’s a slight surprise to them when he just sighs a defeated “I guess it can’t be helped”. Taekwoon and Wonshik still don’t speak, though it’s more like they’re at a loss for words. Why would they need to stay? But the look Jaehwan gives them is virtually poisonous, daring them to be unappreciative to the ‘favour’ he’d granted.

Dinner that night consists of consuming cups of instant noodles, mostly by Wonshik and Taekwoon, and chattering, almost completely by Hakyeon and Jaehwan. It seemed like they never ran out of things to talk about with each other, not that the two brothers were surprised since the talkative side of Hakyeon seemed to remain unchanged until now; it was more of a relief really. “So,” Hakyeon turns to the two males who’d been relative silent until now, “are you guys’ brothers? You don’t really look related to be honest.” It’s a pretty blunt question but no one points that out since they don’t take offence, and they don’t want to be the brunt of his displeased face.

“We have a different parent,” Taekwoon answers, truthfully yet not (though how could it be more not if they themselves did not know?). Hakyeon seems to take a moment to think, lips parting and his body stilling for a second or two before he nods in understanding. It’s quickly followed by another question though, “did you dye your hair like that?” This one erupts from how perfect it the blue on Wonshik and blonde on Taekwoon seemed. Hakyeon figured that they’d either done it recently, to which he would’ve have followed with a question inquiring why they did it, or it was just natural. A “no” from Taekwoon, and nothing more, is enough for Hakyeon to know that it was the second of the two possibilities he’d conducted, and that it meant they weren’t human. With no other given information it was also quite clear to Hakyeon that they didn’t want him to dig any further.

“Oh!” It almost sounds like a scream from Hakyeon, the noise, that has Taekwoon and Wonshik jolting in their seats (Jaehwan is immune to it). “I never asked you names,” Hakyeon follows, looking slightly sheepish for giving them a scare like that. This time the blue-haired male speaks, “I’m Wonshik and Taekwoon is my brother.” It’s almost scripted, the way that Wonshik tells it, but Hakyeon doesn’t pick that up and continues asking more and more, but never too much. Hakyeon learned many things that night: Taekwoon and Wonshik had come to visit someone that was very precious to them; they had indeed been there at the police station but only to admit that they noticed the strange activity; Taekwoon could cook reasonably well (relative to the rest of them), to which Hakyeon proposed he started doing if he were to reside with them.

Time had passed just over to the minutes of the next day by the time Hakyeon is satisfied with all the questions he’d asked and the answers he’d gotten. For the time being it was decided that Jaehwan would come in and sleep with Hakyeon while Wonshik and Taekwoon would take Jaehwan’s room; truthfully, the dragonoids weren’t all too satisfied with the arrangement but they knew it was unnegotiable at this stage. The beds were spacious enough to fit the pairs quite comfortably so none complained. Hakyeon was the first to retire and get ready, bidding the brothers with a sincere wish for them to rest well before heading to the bathroom to wash up. The moment the door closes and the sound of water falling reaches the three still gathered into the living room, the cheerful atmosphere that Hakyeon conjured had sunken and died below a heavier seriousness.

“Why?” Wonshik growls lowly so that Hakyeon doesn’t hear them. What happened outside was enough for the dragonoids to know that this male wasn’t human; and that itself was already enough for them to view him as a threat. It was impossible to take either away from the other at this stage though if their interactions were anything to go by. Jaehwan looks almost hesitant to tell, the look on his face contemplative. Telling them about him wasn’t necessary. He himself knew that they wouldn’t be able to do anything to him without Hakyeon losing it at them, something that they wouldn’t be able to live through. He sighed softly in defeat when his thoughts become logical and sympathetic, thinking that they’d need to know at least the major details.

“I have the blood of the original fae, and old and ancient magic just as you do,” is what Jaehwan starts with. He pauses there, his tongue dragging out over his lips in thought. “I was attracted to Hakyeon because of his purity. In a place like this it keeps me from wilting. With my blood comes the ability to see one’s emotions and their origins.” Again he stops, this time not to decide what to say but how to say it. “Hakyeon is a… the soulmate of two dragons. I cannot keep you away from him even if I do not particular have a liking to you as of now. However, I hope you realise that I have become a part of his life now so you cannot ask me to leave him be. I hope we get along well for the sake of him.” At this Jaehwan stands and nods to the both of them. Taekwoon and Wonshik respond the same way, silently agreeing to Jaehwan’s proposal of peaceful cohabitation. “Your room is down there,” Jaehwan points, “please don’t sleep on the couch. It’s only comfortable enough to sit on.”

Jaehwan goes to his room after, perfectly timed for when Hakyeon leaves the bathroom. The human catches sight of the two dragonoids still in the living area and offers a friendly smile. “There are spare toothbrushes in the bottom-most left drawer,” he informs them before going into the room to join Jaehwan in his slumber. Both Taekwoon and Wonshik sigh when they can no longer think of any ways to turn the situation any better than it already was (even if ‘good’ was not ideal). “Let’s go to bed,” Taekwoon speaks, already padding to the appointed bedroom. Wonshik follows right behind him.

They eventually manage to adjust to each other’s presence around their daily lives. For Jaehwan especially, the addition of Wonshik and Taekwoon meant he could spend more time staying at home while they went outside for the essential odd job of shopping, taking out the garbage and dealing with postage activities. Even around the flat, Jaehwan had managed to push every household chore put on him to the other two. Cooking wasn’t that much of a deal but meals had definitely improved because of Taekwoon’s kept promise of making a few dishes over the instant foods that had been previously consumed on a constant basis. Although these were only simple stews, steams or stir-fries, anything tasted better than wax-covered, ready-made meals after having lived off them for so long.

Neither Taekwoon nor Wonshik had been pleased about the domestic slavery that Jaehwan made their responsibility initially but it proved rewarding once Hakyeon’s acknowledgments and compliments became more plentiful. Hakyeon had even offered to join Wonshik for his weekly grocery trips if he’d met him on the way back from work even if all he did was talk and make Wonshik carry everything, as well as assisting Taekwoon with preparing their meals even if all he did was pick early-ready bits here and there; both of them were far too content about their increased time and improving relationship with their human mate to care about the minor details.

Hakyeon, too, had come to notice that the time he spent with the brothers steadily grew. This was mainly through Jaehwan’s whining one night, something that Hakyeon had easily fixed with a movie night, ice cream and none stop chattering in the absence of Jaehwan’s ‘cousins’. Despite the increased late nights he’d dedicate to only Jaehwan, it didn’t stop him from being drawn to the other two in the apartment. He’d blushed and spent nights reflecting after a long talk with Jaehwan, who, was completely accepting and even encouraging (more so than Hakyeon was to himself) about the progress. Still, the troubled male kept it to himself, choosing to live with the void of acquiescence to his own intimate feelings that he was, ironically, unable to be anything but painfully aware of. One particular day of fieldwork down by the river where the trouble was evidently stirred had him pushed into organising an evening ‘date’, as Minhyuk had so dotingly called it after a lot of teasing and a call to Jaehwan. Unfortunately he ended up having to cancel due to a lot more supporting evidence being collected and, thus, reports needing to be written and filed. Though Minhyuk had been apologetic about it, he was quickly back to his teasing ways when Hakyeon accidentally let it slip through his mouth that he would see them home anyway. He wanted to curse his kind heart and loose lips.

Taekwoon and Wonshik decided to meet up with Hakyeon after work anyway despite the change of plan and Hakyeon already having his own method of return. It was almost a relief, to themselves, that they did when they felt an unnerving presence lingering around the office. Hakyeon had confided in Jaehwan about it days ago, who then relayed it to the brothers. Only now did they understand what the fae had been talking about. The sun had long set past the horizon when Hakyeon finally left. The two dragonoids had been hiding patiently in an ordinary corner to blend in and keep themselves hidden. Giving themselves away would scare the impeding dangers; having the chance to catch and destroy it themselves would give a much better peace of mind and soul to the two. Their efforts were fruitful when a flock of harpies became impatient and burst forward towards Hakyeon’s slowing car as he approached the building he resided in. It was then that they lurched forward; their presence alone was an outstanding threat compared to even the sizeable flock, causing them to flee in fear. Though now Hakyeon was safe, they didn’t know for how long, making the two dragonoids much more apprehensive.

The two males managed to fly through the window and make it seem as though they’d been in the apartment the entire time. Jaehwan was aware of the intense worry that the dragons felt, being able to feel it without the need to touch. That was enough for him to excuse himself to an early sleep. Of course, Hakyeon was worried sick but a combination of reassurance and the temptation of food was enough to give the human male to Wonshik and Taekwoon completely. Jaehwan just wished that he wouldn’t regret it later if he really did fall asleep; that is, he didn’t want to awaken to the sound of a three-way consummation. That left Hakyeon standing around without much purpose to his actions, frozen to his spot under the powerful gaze coming for the two pairs of dragonoid eyes. “So…” Hakyeon begins, trying his best to open up some sort of decent conversation even if he’d only managed to say that single word after a few attempts of just opening and closing his mouth.

It seemed like the brothers had no intention of speaking though as they stepped closer to their human mate without uttering a word. Just like their first time Hakyeon was surrounded by the two larger bodies. Though he was confused at the unannounced affection he couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy their actions. It was even more surprising, yet in the most pleasant of ways, when their heads leaned down, Taekwoon’s so that his lips were pressed fondly against his own pair, and Wonshik’s so that he his lips were against his vulnerable neck. Unable to decide where to focus on, Hakyeon simply closed his eyes and submerge himself in the loving ambiance he was blanketed in. Eventually he’d found himself lain down on the plush comfort of Jaehwan’s bed, something he mildly regretted but wasn’t quite in his right mind to voice out. The luxury of the two bodies had yet to cease spoiling him, now no longer just lips but hands, too, roaming the bared skin of his upper body. It was oddly more heated than he expected it to be, their touches that was, or maybe it was just the build-up of passion that grew and grew until he was breathless at such an early stage.

“We’ve loved you for so long,” Wonshik’s deep voice, now turned slightly coarse and whispery, trickled sweetly into his ear, fuelling the wanton emotions that riled viciously inside him. In his hazed thoughts Hakyeon had interpreted those words as the innocently intimate days they’d spent together. “For years,” came Taekwoon’s tenderer tone but from a lower position on his body; Hakyeon could feel the words passing from Taekwoon’s lips through his skin, seeping into his body and caressing every edge and corner. It’s when it reached the deepest part of his conscious mind that it felt like ice to a severe burn. “Years?” he repeats, sitting up to push away the bodies and touches he’d craved so ardently seconds ago, “what do you mean years?” Taekwoon and Wonshik had hoped that their love displayed in a physical form would have alleviated much of the astonishment that they predicted Hakyeon to experience. As of the moment they weren’t able to tell if it worked at all, but Hakyeon’s impatient and begging, pleading for them not to hurt him, face told that to be weary with their words.

“We loved you first centuries ago, and again decades ago; and now, we love you again,” Wonshik explains, too vaguely for Hakyeon to wrap his head around. He doesn’t even have to ask further before Wonshik takes in his body language and continues to speak, “Taekwoon and I are descendants of dragons. We’ve retained their instinct and ability to mate. You-…”

Hakyeon finds himself droning out at that. Mated to a dragon? Two dragons at that. So did that mean he was fated to love them? The potential lack of choice in such a salient aspect of his life had Hakyeon’s heart almost stopping. He didn’t want to love a man… men, if it wasn’t something he did voluntarily. “I’m sorry,” Hakyeon didn’t know why he was the one apologising, maybe because he felt guilty for having led them on, but he did anyway. His body followed after, pushing himself off the bed and away from the two dragonoids who only sat there and let him. Though Hakyeon’s shirt remained there wasn’t even an essence left of his personal warmth once he walked out from the room.

The confused male was desperate for a distraction, one that readily came in the form of a phone call. He sighed, carding his fingers backwards through his hair before picking up. “You gave us a lead. We need you back down at the port A.S.A.P.” There was no greeting or phone salutations, or any time for that, with Minhyuk saying only what needed to be said; and Hakyeon was in no position to complain about the ungodly hour that he was being called to work. It was a very welcome go-to in comparison to the mental suffering he was experiencing. His shirt was still in the suffocating room so he decided to sneak into his currently-shared-with-Jaehwan room and grab a new one. The other was old and sweaty anyway. Just as he was pushing his feet into his shoes he heard a muffled voice through the closed door of the room that the brothers shared. He couldn’t quite tell who’s it was but his best guest had to be Wonshik; he thought that there was no way that Taekwoon’s voice could have penetrated through the thick wood and still have every syllable sound so coherent – “don’t go.” It made him scoff and only strengthen his choice to go out, making sure to close the door with a reverberating slam so they knew that he had left.

If driving down the empty roads during the hours of the night on a distracted mind was considered dangerous then the threat that Hakyeon faced when he arrived at the port was life-threatening. It wouldn’t have seemed that way at first but the eerie silence and paired stillness should have been enough foresight to warn of the looming peril. Though the lights were bright and left no shadows on the raised wooden bays the trained personnel had gathered into one minute area, leaving the rest unattended and unsupervised. Hakyeon knew better than to announce his arrival obnoxiously loud in case the operation they were carrying out would have been hindered by his interruption; yet he was left with no other choice than to do just that. Where his thoughts had once been to take steady yet swift steps they now only registered, first, that his feet were no longer grounded, and then the cutting pain of claws digging into the flesh of his shoulders as he was carried away. Looking up, it wasn’t hard to distinguish the tell-tale features of a harpy, soon a whole flock that surrounded the single creature that took him away. While now it seemed like they were intent on just getting him elsewhere it wasn’t hard for Hakyeon to miss the looks of greed and hungry on their faces every time they looked at him.

“!” Minhyuk cursed, promptly giving orders to abandon the task and get working on ways to rescue Hakyeon. There was no way that they could have given any immediate help to Hakyeon with how fast he was swooped from the ground but the quicker they acted, the higher the chances would be to get him back. The kidnapped male’s reports had been enough reason for Minhyuk to send a group back to the port and check for anything suspicious. The inkling had proven to be fact when they discovered a rotting siren’s corpse thrown hastily onto the dock. It should have been obvious that it was a trap, and though they didn’t know if Hakyeon was taken on purpose or it was just mere bad luck, their priorities were quickly changed to regaining the said man.

Jaehwan had been right to follow along with his instincts and nag at the two dragonoids to follow Hakyeon when he left. There was no doubt that they, too, felt the imminent danger that Hakyeon was in but due to the circumstance, they were too tentative to do so. They had Jaehwan’s guilt-tripping to thank for when they managed to catch up with Hakyeon and the sinister flock in the air as soon as he was taken away. Soon the sky above the city had turned into a storm of feathers and scales, Taekwoon and Wonshik forced to fight the large group in order to get to their lover. Screeches and roars tore through the air, alarming those who also lived in the concrete sky towers of the violent battle. Though one by one, steadily, the harpies fell in defeat there were simply for too many for the two dragonoids to handle alone. Only when all had cleared from the air did they realise that they had been tricked; Hakyeon was not with the evil bodies they fought.

It was off to Sanghyuk and Hongbin as soon as they realised this. What they did not expect to find was Jaehwan already there, helping to pinpoint possible locations where Hakyeon could have been taken away to. The situation called for cooperation however, not superfluous chatter and distrust so the brothers kept their words to themselves for the time being. Eventually they’d come to the most probable location – the harpies had a nest in the abandoned outskirts of the city; typical of creatures likened to rats of the skies. The moment Taekwoon and Wonshik were about the take-off, Jaehwan stopped them. “We don’t have time for this,” Taekwoon growls, slamming the fae into the closest adjacent wall and staring him down with the same look he shared for the feather-winged criminals. It was Hongbin who stopped the fight, his calming influence taking immediate effect as soon as he placed his hand on the older dragon’s forearm. “Listen to what he has to say,” the spirit commands and Taekwoon lets go, impatiently staring at Jaehwan as though to tell him to quickly speak what needs to be said.

“Hakyeon’s blood has some of your magic in it. It’s not as potent, but diluted and adapted to his body it’s like an elixir of strength. That’s probably why they took him,” Jaehwan explains, quickly adding on another part when he receives an alarmed look from Taekwoon and Wonshik, “no I have not drunk his blood myself, but it is what I assume from what Sanghyuk has told me.” A look to the said seer tells the two dragonoids that Jaehwan had not been spinning and spewing lies.

“Be careful,” Jaehwan warns, “if they’ve had even a sip of his blood already then they could cause you harm. That is speaking for one alone. It’s unimaginable what a flock is capable of.” There’s nothing that needs to be said to know that the fae had finished talking. Wonshik and Taekwoon dive through the translucent wall, knowing that Hongbin had used that time to reconfigure the makeshift portal to take them as close to Hakyeon as he could.

The dragonoids appear of the edge of the outskirts, the unmarked barrier between the blackened parts of the city greys. There’s no time wasted, not even for a breath, as they launch themselves off the ground and into the air, their wings beating the air like drums with the force created; it was the fastest method of travel. The nest was, in the kindest way to describe it, a disarray of rubble and metal; a scrapheap of inorganic trash and unwanted t. Though the walls were erected they only rose so high before signs of crumbling became evident across the top edge, not to mention the shapeless gaps spotting various places all along like mould. Somewhat expectedly, there were no harpies flaying about but their presence was all but concealed by their unruly screeches and disarrayed thumps as they fought over who would be the first to devour the human. Those idiotic bird-like creatures really should have either fought harder, or not fought at all.

A flame erupted, stemming from the open cavity in the top and scorching those who were unfortunate enough to be directly below its wide path of travel. Quite a number had been dealt with by that alone but there were still countless that came rushing up after. Although fire consumed the most magic, as there was no organ in their anatomy to conjure up the burning energy, it proved the most effective in getting through to Hakyeon. Thankfully the human seemed ultimately unharmed, save for his shoulders where they had carried him from; even those wounds weren’t too deep. There was blood drawn however, causing worry to rile up in the two dragonoids. “We have to get out,” Taekwoon’s tries his best to shout over the brusque screeching before he has to release another torrent of flames to keep the creatures from getting too close. Wonshik’s arms close around the human’s body, feeling uncomfortably hot sure to the flames he’d made but also providing much needed warmth to Hakyeon, who seemed to be falling into shock from the events that were taking place. It becomes much more problematic to deal with the ever-growing flock, the brothers unable to find a way out with their diminishing time.

A loud series of eruptions from outside the rubble prison throws the harpies into a flurry of confusions, and then fear. They no longer make any attempts to fight over the human of against the dragonoids, now caught up in the primal instinct to escape and survive. Unfortunately their inelegance involved impractical attempts to try and fly through the three stationary bodies; Wonshik and Taekwoon were forced to create a barrier around Hakyeon’s more fragile form to protect him. Even when the sounds of avaricious harpies had long culminated, neither Taekwoon nor Wonshik showed any sign of moving away from Hakyeon. The human looked like he was on the verge of collapsing, but what was more prominent was the look of disbelief and relief on his face. Soon sobs of thank you’s were blurted out of his lips, along with tears that streaked down his precious cheeks. There was nothing for the dragonoids to say as they stepped closer and shared, and solaced, Hakyeon in their embrace.

A highly armed rescue team was sent in but failed to interrupt their moment. Amongst them were Sanghyuk and Jaehwan, the only two whose voices made Taekwoon and Wonshik respond and follow with the orders to move out. The two were reluctant to send Hakyeon away into the awaiting ambulance but a gentle touch to each of their cheeks, a loving smile, a the words of reassurance, “I’ll see you at home”, was enough for them to hand their mate over to get properly treated.

“He’ll be safe now,” Sanghyuk approaches them after the ambulance leaves. Most of the investigation team had remained behind to conduct a bit more research around the area but the magical creatures were standing around to digest the entire situation. Sanghyuk’s words were like water to a days-thirsty man, providing an immense amount of relief to the three who held Hakyeon dear to them. “Let’s have some tea together while we wait,” the seer suggests, hands reaching for a small, edgy bottle of water that Hongbin had given him so they could return right away. The dragonoids and fae, having nothing more to do than that – wait for Hakyeon – feel nothing short of reception to that offer. When they return to Sanghyuk and Hongbin’s shared abode, Hongbin had the coffee table prepared with tea and light breads. A smile is on the spirits face before he bows, the action intended towards Taekwoon, Wonshik and Jaehwan. “Thank you. I shall give you my blessing to your love and your friendship,” Hongbin vows.