Original prompt: Yixing's pet cat, Chen, is a handful but he can't bring himself to love it any less because Chen is his only connection to his first love, Jongdae.

Author's note:

A big thank you to my beta for reading over this despite her busy schedules.

Chen is a snowshoe cat

A Hit Wizard is similar to a Muggle CIA agent.

A Jobberknoll is a blue, speckled bird. They make no noises, except when they die by screeching loudly.

 The hand feels warm in his palm, a little clammy as they swing their arms together. It’s not a particularly cold day. It should bother him that his hand is beginning to sweat profusely, but it doesn’t. Instead, Jongdae’s cheshire grin is distracting him, and Yixing simply stares, not noticing the words echoed by the younger or the sudden serious look on his face. His heart thumps a little when he feels a finger caress his hand, and he’s distraught when Jongdae lets go of his hand. He’s confused, raising his eyebrows, demanding a good explanation for making his heart beat a little faster. However, Jongdae merely pouts at him.

“Hyung, you have to promise, okay?”

Yixing doesn’t know what he’ll promise or why the younger looks sad all of a sudden. He should ask him as his brain commands, and he should hold Jongdae tightly in his arms as his heart yells. Yet he does neither, he simply nods, and he feels relief when Jongdae attacks him with a hug and a cheerful laugh.

“I won’t forget you either, I promise,” Jongdae whispers in his ear, and Yixing doesn’t understand why those words make his heart ache.  

***

 Whoever invented the expression ‘No pain, no gain’ obviously did not own a cat.

It’s a recurring thought in Yixing’s mind when he wakes up early in the morning. His usual morning routine starts with a painful clawing from his furry companion, Chen. As Muggles would set alarm clocks or wizards sending themselves Howlers to wake up, Yixing wakes up to a pair of sharp claws. Any sane person wouldn’t tolerate the pain, opting to get another pet, or horribly deciding to kill their pet, but he does none of these. He simply takes the pain begrudgingly and pets his cat lovingly before getting out of bed.

It’s a normal sight for him as he sleepily rubs his eyes. Toast flies across the room before settling down in an empty plate. A knife spreads butter and jam onto them while hot coffee flies around him before filling up a mug. It took him months to perfect these incantations, and the result is synchronized actions that help him get ready for work much faster.

So it’s not a surprise to him when he sees clothes already laid out on his bed, pressed to perfection, and color coordinated to please everyone’s eyes. Of course, the perfection lasts a few minutes before Chen decides to jump onto his bed and embed his furs into  the soft fibers. The robe is now riddled with black and brown hairs.

“Chen!” Yixing moans and shoos the cat away before the feline decides to expel furballs, or worse, his excretions. He can only sigh as he holds out the robe in front of him. Sure, he could make the hair disappear instantly, but Chen will undoubtedly mark his clothes with something else. Minseok tells him it’s a territorial thing, like how dogs pee to mark their territory, but Yixing is unsure about if cats share the same trait since he has never seen another cat behave the same way. Either way, the thoughts of having unpleasant stains on his clothes cause him to shiver.

Nevertheless, the dimpled wizard  does  love Chen. The feline may be heartless to him at times or unaffectionate, but Chen remains helpful with one particular thing: owls. This scenario always happen at exactly 8:30 am when an owl from the Magical Legislation of Seoul (MLS) flies in to inform him of last night developments. Despite Luhan’s knowledge of Yixing’s fear of owls, the bastard still sends any memos and mail through a damn owl.

It’s the sound of a flurry wings and the occasional hoot that makes him squat down immediately. He crawls into the tight yet wide space under the bed and whimpers as he waits for his cat to get rid of the owl. He might have exaggerated the story of what happens in the next few seconds whenever a friend asked him about Chen’s heroic actions. But he doesn’t care, not when he sees his heroic cat gruesomely kills attack the owl with his menacing claws from underneath the bed.

He still waits for Chen’s signal, which is usually a soft meow or a mere to his hand, before he decides to crawl out from the safety of his hiding spot. He sighs happily when Chen his hand, and he crawls out carefully before brushing off the random dust mites in his robe. He takes the discarded envelope on the floor and places it inside his robe.

“Bye bye.” Yixing softly caresses Chen’s head and scratches his jaw before leaving the apartment with a loud pop.

Chen meows in acknowledgement before running to the window stand. He his paw with a smug smirk as he watches the injured owl limp in the grass.

***

Yixing arrives exactly at 8:45 am every morning in the MLS, as if the action itself is tradition. He’s a perfectionist at heart, but most of all, he thrives on these routines and familiarity, which is one of the reasons on why he has kept Chen for so long.

He immediately heads down to the fourth level while greeting a few friends on the elevator. He finally sees his partner, Minseok, waiting for him near their shared desk while talking with a few other colleagues.

They have been friends since they started SM (Seoul’s Magic) years ago, and they both decided to join MLS soon after graduation. They trained under the watchful eyes of Kyungsoo, a professional Auror who later on became the minister of MLS. Since then, they have worked in the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures under the Beast Division. Their tasks used to be menial, from capturing an abundance of pygmy puffs that have escaped a pet store to helping a kneazle off a large tree from a witch’s backyard. But now, with the threat of Dark Arts coming back, they have been Apparating to different cities in South Korea, recapturing a different dangerous beast each time.

“Did you know that some Muggles consider owls as bad luck and harbingers of death? ” Minseok tells them. “It’s a sign, I tell you. We must outlaw these vile creatures!”

Most wizards are used to Minseok and Yixing’s ridiculous fear, but some, like Baekhyun, find it too amusing and love to rile them up.

“So does that mean that every time an owl is sending you mail, it’s actually notifying you of your impending death?” the latter asks while trying to keep his face impassive.

“Oh Merlin! Yixing, I’ll die before I’m thirty!” the elder whispers gravely to the dimpled man. It doesn’t take long for both of them to have stricken, white faces.

It’s the loud smack to Baekhyun’s head that pulls them out of their trance and forces them to greet the Minister with a forced smile. Kyungsoo looks unhappy, as usual, as he glares down at Baekhyun’s cheerful smile despite both being the same height.

“Why are you here, Byun? Get back to your department,” he scowls with an unimpressed look, but Baekhyun merely smiles sweetly.

“I’m only giving them my personal opinion on the matter.” The latter flutters his eyelashes innocently. “Anyway, where’s your puppy?”

“Puppy?” Kyungsoo looks confused momentarily.

The confusion doesn’t last long when Jongin decides to show up unexpectedly beside them. Despite the constant sleepy state that Jongin may have, he’s quite brilliant for his young age, and it’s no surprise that he’s the advisor to the minister.

Yixing smiles at their interaction, too used to their banter. He sometimes misses these little fights whenever he thinks of the past, where his memories are the happiest.

“Hello, puppy.” Byun smirks at Kyungsoo as he greets the younger.

“Hi!” The greeting is way too cheerful for 9 am, but it’s normal for Jongin’s hyper state. “Hyung, look! There’s this Youtube video where the puppy follows a wolf around. He thinks the wolf is his father! Isn’t it cute?”

These are the moments when Kyungsoo would wonder why he picked Jongin out of anyone else to be his advisor.

“Jongin, I have a meeting with the Minister of China in an hour. Where are my files?”

“I think you should reject his proposal. The only benefit is having them as an ally, but there are too many cases in the past where they haven’t been truthful to us. It’s better to ally with Japan instead,” Jongin tells him nonchalantly while not taking his eyes off the Muggle phone in his hands. Kyungsoo’s impressed expression only lasts a minute before Jongin ruins his mature image with an adorable cooing.

“Get back to your department, Byun. I’m telling Auror Yifan to keep a tighter leash on you.”

Baekhyun sticks his tongue out in retaliation and regrets it soon after when Kyungsoo casts a spell. His tongue is suddenly long enough to hang out of his mouth, like a pendulum.

Yixing merely giggles at the sight and ignores Minseok's exasperation. He watches in amusement as the elder scrunches his nose before helping Baekhyun with his current dilemma.

***

 Yixing was never a selfish person. He shares everything, including his mother with her many lovers and his cherished toys with his friends. So he’s used to it when he has to share his best friend with a few other boys.

Jongdae decides to date Suho, a mutual friend of theirs during their sixth year in SM. He thinks he’s used to the pain, seeing Jongdae laughing at someone else’s joke and watching Jongdae’s lips being captured repeatedly by a someone else. However, he’s not used to seeing Jongdae half in bed with his current boyfriend.

The calm facade breaks easily, with Yixing retreating into depression. He doesn’t realize the gravity of his sickness until he’s caught sitting alone in the Astronomy tower after curfew, and Jongdae is the first to find him. They don’t talk. Instead, they simply sit and stare at the stars before Jongdae pulls him back to the dorm.

It may have been a month or two after that Yixing shared his first kiss with his first love.

“I’ll be your star,” Jongdae tells him one night during a late night date in the Astronomy tower.

“What?”

“I’ll be the light that guides you in the darkness, even when you don’t need me anymore.”

Yixing giggles lightly before nuzzling against Jongdae’s neck.

“Okay, you’ll be the hyung then.”

***

It’s been three long years since Jongdae’s graduation from SM, even though it feels much longer for him. He’s a Hit Wizard, a highly reputable one since he’s helped catch two known Dark wizards. He has known since the beginning that it’ll be a lonely life for him, no attachments if possible as his trainers have told him. He has seen a few of his colleagues with wedding rings and secret photos of their loved ones so he supposes that attachments are possible.

He yearns for the possibility of being with someone, a person that he could love wholeheartedly and that he would risk his life for his safety. He tried a few times with blind dates, but none of the prospects tug his heart strings the way his ex had. He supposes it’s fair that fate is cruel to him, especially since he has been cruel to his ex. Maybe Yixing will understand his decision one day.

His current case is close to being solved as his team members have found a new lead. The wanted man is Taeyang, suspected of killing over twenty wizards and a notorious assassin. His team may have found Taeyang’s newest target, and they have agreed to send him to check it out. It should be fairly simple in his opinion-- he just needs to stake out the target’s house and wait for Taeyang.

He opens the file to find the name of the target. It’s bolded in red, with a picture attached at the top right corner. At first, he thinks his eyes are mistaken, or his teams may have made the mistake, but they haven’t. It reads:

Zhang Yixing

Beast Specialist for MLS

***

It’s barely afternoon and Yixing is so exhausted. It’s supposed to be an easy task for him and Minseok to collect an escaped Jobberknoll in Seoul Alley. The small, blue speckled bird never makes any noises, but luckily docile compared to other beasts. Fortunately, both only fear owls so the matter should not bother them, but what  does  bother them is that the Jobberknoll has somehow befriended a few owls.

“Ahhh!” Yixing screams, as if his frantic waving arms were not enough to signal his fear of the wide-eyed creatures. The younger has somehow walked into a hidden alcove and is now clutching the wall as his savior. He doesn’t hear Minseok calling out his name until his brain decides to activate again.

“Yixing!” The whispered shout alarms him, and the younger searches for the two way mirror in his pocket. He grips it tight in his hand before placing it close to his mouth.

“I’m here,” the younger whispers back, his eyes darting back and forth for incoming danger. He doesn’t need to look back, knowing the elder will look as terrified as him.

“Where are you?”

“Hiding in Choi Menagerie. Do you think owls can smell fear? They must have.. how else would they become harbingers?”

“I don’t know, but did you see the owl with the big eyes? He looks  so  scary, like the owl version of Kyungsoo.”

“That one scared me the most too - wait, did you hear that?” the elder’s voice suddenly sounds even softer.

“Did they find you?”

Yixing fears for his partner’s life at that moment and doesn’t notice distinct blue feathers. The jobberknoll is perched a few feet beside him and doesn’t make a sound, true to its nature. When the younger finally notices it, he has to look twice, not believing that the bird is only a few feet away.

The silent shriek from Yixing’s mouth causes an invisible Jongdae to laugh loudly. Luckily, he placed a Silencing charm on himself, otherwise Yixing would have noticed him minutes ago.

It was hilarious watching Yixing and Minseok spill the occasional glass or plate of food whenever an owl passed by them during SM years. It’s still hilarious watching them defend themselves against the so-called evil owls. He has completely forgotten how the duo was always the source of entertainment between for him and his friends.

He watches as Yixing pulls himself together and aims his wand at the bird, but before he could cast a Stunning spell, an owl decides to join the Jobberknoll. It’s the same evil owl, the one with the Kyungsoo-like eyes and personality. Yixing flattens himself against the wall, wondering if it’s possible to become one with it, while keeping his wand raised.

 There must be a spell for that  as Yixing breathes heavily and tries to keep his heart calm.

Jongdae decides to end this misery for both of their sakes. He doesn’t think he can handle another of Yixing’s miserable pouts. He waits until Yixing points his wand closer in the owl’s direction and subtly Stuns the owl. The shocked look in the elder’s face is picture worthy, but Jongdae remains still as he watches the elder raises his arms to the air.

“Merlin’s Beard! I did it! I Stunned an owl,” Yixing almost shouts in victory, completely forgetting the Jobberknoll. Luckily the bird merely his head and stares at the Beast Specialist with a curious look.

“That’s amazing! I knew you were braver than me,” Minseok comments.

Jongdae chuckles as he listens to the duo’s banter. He doesn’t realize he’s smiling widely until he catches his expression in a nearby window. It’s been awhile since he saw that expression, happy and carefree. It distracts him, and he’s thinks again of the past, until he finally sees Yixing leaving the alcove, completely forgetting about the Jobberknoll. He’s about to warn the elder but relaxes once he sees the Jobberknoll following the elder. He shakes his head and sincerely hopes Yixing will remember the bird soon enough.

***

 “Who gave you that?” Jongdae asks him without letting go of the elder’s waist. He would point at the ring on Yixing’s ring finger, but his arms feel like dead weight after Quidditch practice.

“You see, you’re actually his concubine, and Minseok is his actual partner,” Luhan explains with a serious face.

Jongdae doesn’t need to kick him; his faithful sidekick Sehun does it for him instead.

“Hmm? Oh, you mean this?” Yixing replies. “It’s a family heirloom.”

The ring has a simple crest with the letter Z, but the most identifying symbol is the thunderbolt that surrounds the border.

“It looks ugly on that finger,” the younger comments, and he allows the elder to look indignant for a moment. “Don’t worry. I’ll buy you a better one.”

It sounded romantic in Jongdae’s mind, as if it was a promise for their future, but Yixing stiffens in his arms instead.

“Minseok likes my ring,” the elder mutters, and his eyes look away from Jongdae.

The younger doesn’t like the upset look on the elder’s face or the fact that he’s being compared to the guy who has been spending too much time with his boyfriend.

Jongdae straightens his back and unwraps his arms from around the elder. Despite the heavy feeling in his arms, he grabs the elder’s hand and traces the rim of the ring as he speaks.

“I just mean I want something else on that finger, and you can still wear this ring on another finger. Like on this one.” The younger gently caresses the middle finger.

Jongdae should have remembered how slow his boyfriend can be. He stares at Yixing’s bewildered expression before he tries again in better words.

“You don’t want to be together after graduation?”

“Of course I do.”

“So when we get engaged, where do you want me to place the ring?”

Yixing stares at him for a while. The wheels turn inside his head and finally he gives the younger a silly grin. Luckily, their friends are used to the dimpled man’s slow reactions.

“Yes,” is Yixing’s only word before he pulls Jongdae down for a kiss.

Their happiness lasts for a mere five seconds before Luhan ruins it as usual.

“You do know he’s not asking you to marry him yet.”

The pain in Luhan’s shins does nothing to stop the elder from commenting even more.

“I mean, he will ask you eventually, that is if he doesn’t decide to ditch you once an Auror’s life becomes hectic.”

“That’s okay.” Yixing grins before they kiss again.

“Please get hitched already. You two are so disgustingly cute that we can’t even mock you guys for fun,” Baekhyun says with an inscrutable expression.

“There, there. I’m sure Minseok will notice your sorry already,” Jongdae half heartedly says while remaining in Yixing’s lap.

“But I want him to now, when his abs are deliciously yummy,” Baekhyun moans with ual frustration pouring out of his pores.

“Whose abs?” Minseok asks curiously. He has arrived just in time to see Baekhyun’s dramatic expression.

“Abs? What? I mean haps...you know, like ‘what’s the haps,’” he nervously chuckles while the boys around him simply snicker. He immediately scrambles for his stuff and strategically look for an exit.

“Is that a Muggle expression?” The elder scratches his head.

“Please. Everyone knows what it means, even Yixing,” Baekhyun says quickly before leaving.

Minseok looks to Yixing for an explanation, but the younger merely shrugs.

***

When Yixing arrives home, he sees Chen lounging on his bed as usual. The way this cat splays on his bed seems more territorial than when he leaves hairs on his robe. He tries to pet the cat, hoping the feline is less hormonal compared to other days. Unfortunately, the cat declines with a hiss before jumping off the bed. It actually took Yixing a month to get used to the hiss, but he would never admit that to his friends. He has some pride, despite everyone knowing his irrational fears.

He quickly make dinner, a simple bulgogi that has both him and Chen drooling. Although it’s unhealthy, Chen refuses to eat cat food. Yixing remembers the days when Chen simply pissed on the cat food, showing no mercy. He learned from that, and Chen remains victorious as he gets a good serving of meat every day. Even when he’s away during the day, he still leaves his cat some beef jerky rather than those pet treats. Surprisingly, Chen never got sick from the human food. Any knowledgeable Beast Specialist would wonder why, but to Yixing, a happy Chen equals a scratch-free wizard.

When dinner is done, Yixing turns on the radio and listens to the current news and entertainment. Chen lays down on his back, paws high in the air as he stares at his owner. The feline its paw and flicks his tail at Yixing’s foot.

Unbeknownst to them, a wizard watches them from afar. He leans against the comfort of a tree and crosses his arms as he smirks at the scene. The pipe in his lips hang as he takes another breath of smoke before exhaling it. The smoke quickly screens his face, and he immediately Apparates before someone notices the smell.

***

It’s the day Yixing has been dreading the most: taking his feline to the local veterinarian. Even though he’s capable of making sure that his cat doesn’t get ill, his cat remains a non-magical beast so he’s forced to bring Chen in for his annual check up. He’s optimistic that his cat won’t fight him this time.

 Nope, he hates me. Like he really hates me,  Yixing thinks as he watches Chen’s latest antics.

The feline was calm in the pet cage an hour ago. Then comes the terrible mistake, when the veterinarian mistakenly thinks it’s okay to let Chen out without some sedation. The feline immediately jumps out, and it’s been literally jumping everywhere from one corner to the next. The elder doesn’t know how Chen does it, but the feline has successfully avoided any human touch.

“Okay, time for plan B,” says the frazzled veterinarian. She grabs a few pet treats from the high cupboard and coos at Chen.

“Wait, he doesn’t - “

It’s too late. Chen attacks the vet with his claws and hisses as the treats fly across the room. And, as predicted, Chen aims at the treats as his piss archs towards it.

It’s an hour later when the veterinarian lets them go. Despite the scratches on her arms and the noticeable stains in her lab coat, she smiles tightly at Yixing’s apologetic bows. Chen continues screeching in his cage, hating how the doctor won the fight a few minutes ago.

Yixing leaves the building in a hurried pace and accidentally bumps into a man, who’s walking in the opposite direction. He immediately apologizes for his clumsiness. By the time he looks up, he’s mesmerized by the sight.

“It’s alright. I’m fine.” The man looks at Yixing with a pretty smile.

“So cute -- I mean, that’s good. I was just in a hurry, and I should have looked properly. So I’m sorry, again.”

The man laughs in a wonderful timbre before giving him a sly smirk.

“Well, I feel bad too, for not paying attention to where I was walking. Let me make it up with coffee?”

Yixing gapes and has not noticed Chen’s hissing since the moment he bumped into the man.

“Or you can buy me coffee. Either way, we should get coffee.”

Yixing stutters a reply, and before he knows it, he has some guy’s number in his hand.

***

 Daesang, such a pretty name  -- Yixing thinks as he walks away slowly.

***

 “But I don’t like the nickname Xing,” the dimpled boy says and pouts at his boyfriend

Jongdae sighs heavily before an idea forms in his head.

“How about if you let me call you Xing, I’ll let you call me Dae.”

They both hate the short nickname so the elder immediately agrees with a smile.

Yixing smiles at the memory before Apparating in a hidden alley.

***

Saturday arrives quickly. Jongdae had promised to meet with Baekhyun, and he’s going to keep his promise this time, since he has canceled on the poor guy the past three times. So he arrives minutes earlier and lounges lazily in the corner of Lee’s Mead, a popular wizard brewery. He’s sipping on a cold Firewhiskey as he looks around the place, realizing how much he missed the place. He finally notices a familiar blob of black hair before signaling the elder to this side.

“See, I came.”

“Well, thank Merlin you finally got off your high Hippogriff,” the elder rolls his eyes before sitting and judging with a glare. “Where’s my free Firewhiskey?”

“Non existent, just like your love life.”

“Excuse me! He calls me Baekhyunnie,” the elder says with a smug smile. “He even leaves his clothes in my flat now.”

“You mean that  one  hoodie that he lent to you after you puked on your own shirt.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Baekhyun huffs and crosses his arms. “He gave it to me after declaring his love.”

It takes another few seconds before they’re chuckling with each other. Their conversation turns into work-related problems, the unfairness of life, and soon, it reaches reminiscing about old times. They’re loudly giggling as they recount a particular funny memory when an unexpected guest shows up beside Baekhyun.

“Oh, you’re here again, Baekhyunnie?”

Jongdae slants his eyes with an unimpressed look towards Baekhyun. Apparently, the elder knew that Minseok will be around the premises during Saturday.

“Of course. I’m catching up with Jongdae, my bestest friend.”

“That would be Sehun,” the younger mutters, and the elder kicks him in retaliation.

“Oh hello, it’s been a while. We should sit together then and catch up.” Minseok waves with a wide smile, and he can hear Baekhyun’s soft, disgusting sigh.

“I don’t think - “

“Good idea! Move over, grouch. Let Minnie sit there with Yixing,” the elder states with an eerie smile, and Jongdae almost chokes on the Firewhiskey. His throat burns at the sudden inhale, but panic overtakes his mind.

He lets the elder sit next to him and watches helplessly as Yixing shows up with Firewhiskeys in his hands. He can’t stop staring and maybe he’s drooling too since Baekhyun has to nudge him back from his trance.

Yixing is as surprised as Jongdae. His first reaction is a mix between pleasure and shyness before greeting the younger with a smile. They may have broken up with vulnerable hearts, but he still loves the younger like he loves any other old friend.

It turns out to be easy for them to talk about SM and their past. They avoid touchy subjects such as Jongdae’s decision to stop communicating with them and Baekhyun’s long time infatuation with the eldest of the group. He thinks it’ll get awkward when Minseok decides to get another round with Baekhyun agreeing like a faithful puppy, but it doesn’t.

The younger stares at Yixing’s dimple, reminiscing how deep his finger can go in. He remembers how soft the elder’s hair was, and there’s a sudden itch to touch it again. Mostly, he stares at his lips, watches them open and close with a hint of teeth and nods along before repeating the same process again.

Yixing remembers the almond-shaped eyes whenever the younger grins widely, the loud laugh that rings every morning while in SM, and the younger’s neverending energy despite the fact that it’s approaching midnight.

When it is time for them to leave, there’s a familiar habit where Yixing would go up to Jongdae and hold him close before saying goodbye. He’s stepping closer to Jongdae, following old patterns and feelings. Only when he sees Jongdae’s shocked expression does he step back, finally aware of his actions.

He thinks everything became awkward at the last minute, and he almost wants to twiddle his thumbs, an old nervous habit that he successfully got rid of. Fortunately, he feels Jongdae’s warm body against him in the next moment. It’s feels too good, the pleasure spreading through his body. He inhales the familiar spices and musk, and emotions burst from his chest.

***

 It’s been a tiring day for Yixing. He finished his Charms homework a few moments ago, and he still has two chapters of Ancient Runes to read. His friends know he’s stressed about N.E.W.Ts, and most of them avoid him by now. But Jongdae still doesn’t get it.

He’s heading towards the stairs on sixth floor when his boyfriend grabs his arm and pulls him inside an empty Prefect bathroom.

“Jongdae, I’m too tired,” the elder immediately whines and pouts.

“But you’ll love this. Trust me.”

“I don’t want to. Not today, okay?”

Yixing glares at him with confidence rising in his chest. It’s not often he says No to his boyfriend, knowing the latter’s tendency to retaliate mercilessly.

“Are you sure?” the younger raises an eyebrow, skeptical of his lover’s decision.

“Yes.”

“Okay!” Jongdae shrugs before tugging his clothes off at a rather fast rate.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Well, I still haven’t taken a bath today. I’ll be fine, alone as always,” the younger sighs wistfully as he trails his fingers down his defined chest.

Yixing follows them until it reaches the half hard below. He loves how the lazy tugs cause the blissful expressions to appear on the younger’s face, as if the latter just tasted something delicious.

Jongdae steps closer to him, hand still pumping slowly. The is now fully hard, and the elder can see precum glistening on the tip.

“Do you want me to take care of you before you go?” he whispers right next to Yixing’s ear as if he was sharing a dirty secret.

The elder tries to answer, but no words are coming out. He just knows he’s gone when Jongdae pushes his bag off his shoulder and starts unbuckling his belt.

***

Yixing’s first date with Daesang is at a nearby coffee shop. He thinks it’ll be weird and awkward because it has been a while since he has dated. Except Daesang is cute, smart, and easy to talk to It’s no surprise that the elder already feels smitten after one date. He still places an invisible barrier between them, but he can see himself breaking it down in the future.

Unbeknownst to them, Jongdae is unhappy. He’s scowling from afar as he watches the couple become more comfortable. The feeling is something he has felt in the past, in which he dislikes sharing Yixing with other friends. It’s an ugly and disgusting trait that he’s well known for, but it’s embedded in his personality. His friends teased his overprotective nature, but his lover loves it. Well, he used to.

 It doesn’t matter,  Jongdae thinks. He’s over the moon when Yixing decides to rekindle their friendship. Everything feels as it should be, the feelings returning and blossoming to love.

He smiles unconsciously as he recalls all of the stories that Yixing has told him. He misses this too much, and he doesn’t even mind when Yixing tells him a dull story, such as the  Owl Ring  technique. Whenever Yixing receives a letter or needs one sent by an owl, he utters an incantation that prevents the owl from getting too close to him. Instead, the owl is Charmed into dropping the letter on his desk and immediately takes his payment from a small box there. If Yixing is at his desk, the owl won’t approach until the beast specialist is five feet away. In sending letters, the owl knows to stay still, also five feet away, while Yixing attaches the letter to its leg from afar. This may seem like too much to other wizards, but it works for him (and Minseok)..

It’s a cold day in March when they meet again, and they’re walking along Seoul’s Alley. Jongdae has been struggling to find the perfect gift for Sehun’s approaching birthday.

“Remember when we dared you to steal sugar quills, and Noona caught you? You were so scared that you cried,” Jongdae teases him.

Yixing blushes at the memory before huffing a response.

“You were a horrible friend, and you still are!” The elder walks ahead, effectively giving him the cold shoulder.

“Don’t kid yourself. I was a better friend than Baekhyun,” he tells the latter. “Denial is the first step, Hyung. I’ll hold your hand once depression sets in.”

The younger catches up to him and matches Yixing’s pace. A moment of silence passes between them, and the wind blows harshly into their faces. Despite feeling okay with each other again, the guilt is still present in Jongdae.

“I’m sorry. For making promises I couldn’t keep,” he says softly.

“Why? We were both young. I shouldn’t have expected you to follow through.”

“It felt selfish of me to give you hope, but I didn’t want to lose you yet. I wanted so much to be with you, but I ended up breaking your heart.”

They stop in the middle of the crowd, uncaring of the wizards and witches that pass by them. It feels like the days in SM, where they can see only each other, and no one else.

“I was the one who asked. I should be the one carrying the guilt, Dae.” Yixing his lips before he looks down at the ground, feeling shy all of a sudden. “You came back to me.. doesn’t that count the most?”

Jongdae doesn’t know if he should tell him the truth, that it’s temporary. Deep down, he doesn’t think it will be, not when his life feels much livelier than before.

***

 Sehun hates being the third person in this relationship. He hates knowing that he’s lying to the sweetest guy in the world, but his morals don’t last long whenever Jongdae manages to convince him that this is an exception. He’s manipulated once again to transform into Jongdae since the latter will miss another date with Yixing. He knows Jongdae hates it as much as he does, but neither have the heart to cancel this date.

So here he is on a Friday night, waiting for the familiar flop of black hair and dimpled cheek. He doesn’t need to stand long because he immediately notices Yixing when the latter decides to surprise him with a backhug.

“You’re early!” the elder smiles widely.

Sehun almost wants to smack himself for forgetting how Jongdae is usually fashionably late. He clears his throat before trying to speak.

“Um yeah, I finished everything on time.”

Yixing nods before gently grabbing his arm, leading him inside some Muggle restaurant. The waitress immediately shows them to their table, near the large window in front.

The dates that he went to have felt more like a hangout than a romantic date, and today isn’t any different. He feels glad that he’s not forced to have makeout sessions and has prevented any unnecessary groping so far. So he doesn’t notice anything is wrong until Yixing turns quiet after their date while they’re silently walking back to the apartment.

They toe off their shoes, and Sehun helps put their jackets away before he faces Yixing again, looking upset regarding something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Jongdae?”

Sehun looks shocked for a minute before schooling his expression into amusement.

“What do you mean, love?”

“He never calls me that. Sehun, cut it out.”

Sehun’s words are stuck on the tip of his tongue, and he’s unsure of how to reply.

“Jongdae acts a certain way. I may be slow, but I know him better than he’d like to think.” the elder sits down on a nearby sofa with a heavy sigh. Sehun remains standing near the doorway.

“When will he return?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll wait then.”

They wait on the sofa with the radio running in the background. By the time Jongdae arrives with a tired face, Sehun immediately Apparates in fear.

“I’m sorry,” the younger immediately says to him before sitting nearby him.

“I know you love your job, maybe more than me. You just have to tell me instead of sending Sehun every time.”

“You’re not. You’re always first.” Jongdae tries to grab his hand, but Yixing pulls away. “I just need more time. Some of colleagues say it’ll be better soon.”

The silence that follows makes Jongdae’s heart feel heavy, and he thinks he knows what Yixing will say next.

“I’ve always been in love with you, and I don’t think my feelings will ever change. You need a break from this.”

Jongdae immediately disagrees with this ridiculous suggestion, and he’d have shouted profanities if Yixing didn’t hug him just then.

“We’ll be okay. Just come back when you’re ready, okay?” the elder whispers in his ear and rubs his back slowly.

Jongdae wants to say  Yes,  but he knows Yixing will hate another empty promise.

Two weeks later, Jongdae sends Sehun on one last errand for him. The former feels too upset to visit his ex.

“Hyung, how are you?” Sehun greets him with a smile.

Yixing may look horrible with the lack of sleep, but he greets anyone with a warm smile and a hug.

“I’m okay.”

The comforting hug feels too nice for him after days of no human interaction. Their hug is suddenly interrupted when they hear a meow.

“Oh right. I’m just here to drop you a gift. It’s from Jongdae.”

The elder looks surprised for a moment before nodding, accepting the pet carrier.

“What is it?”

“A cat, apparently.” the younger shrugs before continuing. “He says you should learn how to take care of a pet before wanting to adopt a child. He also threatens to sell your stupid heirloom ring if you don’t take care of the pet well.”

The elder laughs before nodding. They bid each other goodbye before Yixing decides to open the pet carrier, wondering what type of cat he has.

It’s a snowshoe cat with beautiful black and brown fur. The cat stares at him with a curious expression before Yixing notices a note next to him.

Call me Chen, it reads.

***

It’s supposed to be dinner at Yixing’s place as per Daesang’s suggestion. The elder agrees because he hates leaving Chen alone for too long, and he thinks Chen will behave since he’s making Chen’s favorite food.

The hypothesis is quickly proven wrong when Chen immediately goes after Daesang’s legs, and Yixing is forced to lock the hysterical feline in his bedroom. The elder blushes as he apologizes, and it makes him feel more queasy when the latter smiles sweetly in response.

Dinner goes splendidly well, and Yixing thinks he laughs too often at Daesang’s words. So he lets his guard down by the time dessert is ready. He doesn’t notice any danger until he hears the word  Stupefy , and he falls flat on his stomach.

“It’s too bad you’re such a cute little thing.”

The gentle combing in his hair used to feel so good, but now he’s too terrified to enjoy it.

“I searched everywhere for that stupid ring. Do you remember it? It has been in your family for generations,” Daesang starts to explain.

“So, where is it?” he growls, his hand twisting the hair and pulling it hard enough that his head is bent backward.

Daesang isn’t patient enough to wait for an answer. Instead, he aims his wand towards Yixing’s back and mutters the Cruciatus curse. The pain is white and blinding hot. It attacks every sensitive point in his body and leaves him breathless. He can’t scream or even clench his muscles in defense. He can only stare at the cruel person in front of him.

He doesn’t notice Chen approaching them until he sees the feline’s brown and black fur. He instinctively wants to protect him, but the instinct is gone when he sees his cat transforming into a human.

 Jongdae?

He doesn’t know whether he’s hallucinating due to the pain or if he’s seeing correctly. He only remembers a distinct voice saying  Avada Kedavra  before everything becomes black.

***

When Yixing finally wakes up, he’s hears the influx of voices, and he’s wondering if he’s no longer home. His eyes flutter open slowly, and his vision is clear enough to see Jongdae arguing with Kyungsoo on the side. He doesn’t notice anyone else until he feels a hand stopping him from sitting up.

“Stop. Your muscles will be weak for a while.” Minseok’s voice is full of worry but mostly relief.

“I think I had the weirdest dream.”

His sentence attracts the attention of the others, and he sees Kyungsoo walking to his side.

“I’m sorry about this, Yixing. You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

Yixing is still confused though. He only remembers certain parts, but he mostly wants to knows if Chen is really a cat. So his eyes keep darting for the places that his cat would hide.

“Jongdae was assigned to track down a Dark wizard, and you somehow became the wizard’s target. That’s why you saw him.”

The elder isn’t really listening. Instead, he asks the question that’s been on his mind since he woke up.

“Where’s Chen?”

There’s silence.. until Jongdae steps up with guilt on his face.

“I’m sorry, Yixing hyung. I wanted to tell you in a better setting, but I suppose it’s only fair that you should know the truth now.”

The younger slowly morphs into the familiar feline. It’s mostly shocking to the elder and a little hurtful, but he can’t keep his surprise contained.

“You...you were purposely driving me crazy!”

“It was only for fun, and you never got hurt badly. You still love me though, right?” Jongdae pouts as his eyes twinkle with sadness.

“You scratch me every morning, and you kept eating my food! For free!”

“I’ll make it up to you!”

“And you drove away my boyfriends! You purposely made me lonely.”

“They were all horrible. Don’t you remember how the last one almost killed you?”

Yixing merely huffs and crosses his arms. He’s tired of Jongdae’s games, but mostly he’s upset that the younger has always been there. They could have stayed a couple all this time.

“Please forgive me.” Jongdae grabs his hand gently, and he caresses just the way he likes.

Maybe he should have said  No  and made the younger work harder, but he can’t. Whether it’s Jongdae or Chen, both have been in his life far too long, and he knows they’ll be there until the end.

***

 Epilogue

Yixing is still getting used to this. Instead of the painful scratches he gets on his face, he gets butterfly kisses. He’s loving this too much even though Jongdae has just recently moved in.

“You’re going to be late,” the younger whispers before kissing him one more time.

He immediately stands up and walks towards the kitchen ignoring his lover’s whining. It’s not long before Yixing appears with bleak eyes and a miserable pout.

“How come you get two weeks off when you finish a case, and I barely get a day off when I catch a beast?”

“Because you needed helped catching a harmless Jobberknoll,” the younger teases.  “My cases take a lot longer to solve, so we deserve the breaks.”

Yixing attaches himself to Jongdae’s back and ignores the loud hissing from the hot pan. He’s nuzzling against Jongdae’s neck, loving how good his mornings have become.

“Where will you go next time?”

“I think Europe.”

Yixing hums as he hugs the younger tighter from behind. Jongdae merely pats his arm and continues cooking.

They’re both getting used to the fact that Jongdae may be away for long periods of time, but this time they learned to not dwell on it. They know that they’ll always come back to each other.

Author's end note:

In case you didn’t get it...

Daesang is actually Taeyang with a fake name.

Jongdae is an Animagus, registered, but Yixing never knew that.