a/n: Written for Critical Capture round 2016; enjoy Junmyeon cuddling a whole lot of bunnies <3

 

“Hello?” Chanyeol swung his torch around, looking frantically into the shadows. “Is someone there?”

There was a soft rustle to his right, and Chanyeol turned sharply.

“Hello?” Chanyeol repeated, his heart beating faster.

This time, there was a soft rustle to his left, and Chanyeol froze. Was he being surrounded by a pack of wolves? The forest was eerily silent save for the crackle of his torch.

“Stay back!” Chanyeol brandished his torch in front of him. “I’m a fire mage!”

There was a soft laugh, and suddenly, Chanyeol’s torch went out. He felt something wet trickle onto his fingers, but before he could move or react, something hit him sharply in the head, and all he knew was the shadows of the forest.

 

 

 

“Chanyeol’s been missing for two weeks.” Yura paced worriedly up and down in front of the village council. “What should we do? The forest had been rumored to be haunted, but perhaps…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jongdae slammed his fist against his thigh. “There is no such thing as a Corrupted forest. Not in our part of the land.”

Yura looked unconvinced. “Corruption grows where we least expect it,” she said softly. “What if Chanyeol was attacked? What if he’s…he’s gone dark?”

Jongdae scowled. “Absolutely not. You come from a line of pure blood—it’s nearly impossible for him to get corrupted anyways.”

Yura threw her hands up in despair. “He’s never been gone this long before! I don’t know what could’ve happened to him!”

“Enough!” Yifan, the village leader got to his feet. “Yura is right, Jongdae. Corruption strikes when we least expect it. We should not completely rule it out.”

Yura let out a faint wimper and sunk into a nearby chair. “My brother!” she choked out.

“However,” Yifan said loudly over Yura’s sobs, “I think it highly unlikely. Yura’s right—it’s been too long since we’ve heard from Chanyeol. We should send a search party to find him.”

“There are rumors of the forest being haunted by an evil spirit,” one of the elders of the council ventured. “Perhaps it is unwise to send a large party after him. It will only alert it to their presence.”

“There are no grounds for the presence of such a spirit.” Yifan frowned. “I would prefer a large party that can take care of each other.”

“May I speak?” A soft voice spoke from the crowd of villagers attending the meeting.

Yifan turned to face the audience. “Yes, of course. Who speaks?”

A slight woman stepped into the light. Her body was willowy and slender, and her black hair flowed gracefully down her shoulders as she stood before the council.

Yifan relaxed. “Ah, Joohyun. Please, tell us your thoughts.” Joohyun was one of the apprentices to the village healer, and was known for her keen insight.

“I must agree with the elders,” Joohyun said quietly. “As my mistress travels between villages to do her work, she hears many strange stories of those who entered the forest. There were two men, strong warriors, who walked into the forest to hunt prey and returned with their spears turned to knitting needles and their net turned to yarn. There was a group of children who went to play in the forest, and returned in front of a great bear who vanished when the villagers turned their weapons towards it. There was a band of warrior woman who entered the forest to try and combat the spirit, and the villagers claimed that their faces was frozen in the knots and bark of the trees along their point of entry. It is not wise to send a large party to the forest. One warrior may be able to escape the notice of the spirit. Not many.”

Yifan nodded in response. “Thank you, Joohyun.”

Joohyun nodded and melted back into the crowd.

“I will go.” Jongdae stood up and folded his arms. Yifan turned to stare at him, and Jongdae stared back at him fiercely. “Chanyeol is my friend, and I am an equal, if not greater warrior than he is.”

Yifan glanced uncertainly towards the elders. “You think you will succeed?”

“I know I will succeed,” Jongdae said confidently. “I will find Chanyeol and bring him back.” He pretended not to notice Yura gazing at him with adoring eyes and kept his focus on Yifan.

“Very well.” Yifan glanced at the council and the villagers one more time. “If the village approves, then you may go.”

The crowd cheered and the elders looked uneasy. Jongdae remained confident as he stared across the council hall. He would definitely be able to find Chanyeol and bring him back. Yura’s worries had no foundation—there was no way his best friend had gone dark.

 

 

 

 

There were a lot of perks to volunteering to take a dangerous quest. Jongdae found a steady stream of visitors brining food and supplies to his door as he prepared to set off for the forest. Joohyun had also offered to take him to the edge and wait for him. Yifan had gifted him with a walking staff and a new knife. Jongdae hummed softly as he walked beside Joohyun.

“You are strangely cheerful for a man walking to his death,” Joohyun said abruptly.

“Who said anything about death?” Jongdae asked cheerfully. “I’m an adventurer. I’m excited for a new quest.”

“No one knows what you will find in the forest. For all we know, the worst could have happened,” Joohyun admonished him. “You are too reckless.”

Jongdae just smiled and shook his head.

The trees grew larger and their shadows grew longer as they approached the forest. At last, Joohyun stopped walking and pointed at the five trees in front of them.

“Do you not see their faces, trapped in the bark and knots of these trees?” she asked harshly.

Jongdae stared. There was no questioning the five women’s faces staring eerily at him, their mouths agape with tortured howls. He felt a chill crawl down his spine.

“Be careful,” Joohyun said quietly. She reached out and hugged him. Jongdae patted her back and walked towards the entrance of the forest, his tongue numb in his mouth and his hands heavy as lead. He quietly slipped into the forest and Joohyun vanished behind him as he entered the shadows of the forest.

Jongdae kept his knife out and treaded silently through the underbrush. He had been going along for nearly two hours in eerie, sacred silence when there was a rustle off to his left.

Jongdae froze.

There was another rustle, and Jongdae bit back a scream as an enormous bear emerged from behind a tree. Its eyes flashed in the dimming light, and Jongdae saw claws nearly a half a foot long sinking into the earth as the bear slowly walked forwards.

Jongdae prepared himself to climb up the nearest tree, but paused when he realized the bear wasn’t alone.

“Good Seulgi,” a soft voice crooned. “Nice Seulgi.”

Jongdae slowly inched forward, craning his neck to see the source of the voice.

To his shock, a beautiful young man with porcelain smooth skin and ashy-brown hair came up behind the bear. The man reached out and ran his hand along the bear’s back, and Jongdae resisted the urge to shout a warning.

“Good Seulgi,” the young man said again. “Carrying this big oaf around must be so hard on you.”

Big oaf? Jongdae slowly took a quiet step forward. He couldn’t hold back his gasp of shock when he realized that the bear had a human tied to his back. A very familiar human.

“Oh no, is he waking up?” The young man put a gentle hand on the bear’s back and stood on his toes to stare at Chanyeol’s face. “I could’ve sworn I heard a gasp.”

Jongdae clamped a hand over his mouth and tried not to faint. Even as an adventurer, a lightning mage, a traveler of his land, he’d never seen a boy talking to a bear so gently before.

“We’d better hurry,” the young man said worriedly. “It wouldn’t do for him to wake up again.” He gently pushed the bear’s leg and they moved along at a much quicker pace. Jongdae quietly scrambled to follow them, his eyes wide with disbelief.

They reached the edge of the forest, and Jongdae hung back as the bear ambled past the tree line. The boy watched the bear with a focused expression, and the bear gently shook Chanyeol off its back and came back towards the forest.

Jongdae watched as Joohyun cried out in amazement and dropped her bow and arrow, rushing to Chanyeol’s side. He turned his head to watch Suho and the bear vanish back into the depths of the forest, and then he too fled past the trees.

“Jongdae!” Joohyun cried out and reached out for him. “Chanyeol’s back!”

“I know,” Jongdae agreed. “I saw it in the forest.”

“A giant bear brought him,” Joohyun continued, her eyes wide and shocked.

“I know!” Jongdae snapped at her. “I just said that.”

“Ah.” Joohyun relaxed. “You were watching?”

“Yes,” Jongdae said shortly. “There was no sign of corruption. How’s Chanyeol?”

“He seems to be fine.” Joohyun slowly regained her graceful composure. “As far as I can tell, he seemed to be in some kind of herbally induced sleep. We have to wait for him to awaken—“

Chanyeol shifted and grunted.

“Or not,” Joohyun finished. “Jongdae, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks.” Jongdae winced—he’d been expecting an intense adventure, but it had all ended so quickly. “As far as I could tell, there was no sign of corruption—but certainly the presence of magic.”

“Was there anything else besides the bear?” Joohyun blinked rapidly and gently rolled Chanyeol onto his side as he continued to twitch and moan softly.

“No,” Jongdae said instantly. He resisted the urge to slap himself and curse. Why had he lied?

“Interesting,” Joohyun said thoughtfully. “Maybe the bear is the guardian spirit of the forest?”

“It would not be improbable.” A sudden thought struck Jongdae—could Joohyun be right? The bear was a powerful spirit who had enslaved that enchanting boy?

“Nymph,” Chanyeol said thickly, and Jongdae and Joohyun stared at him. “Water…nymph.”

Jongdae reached out and gently took a hold of Chanyeol’s hand. “Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol’s eyes flickered about wildly for a moment, and then focused on Jongdae. “Jongdae!” Chanyeol tried to sit up, but Joohyun put a warning hand on his chest and he subsided. “Jongdae, you won’t believe what’s in that forest. There was a bear, and—“ Chanyeol stopped suddenly, a confused expression falling across his face.

“And?” Jongdae squeezed Chanyeol’s hand.

“I can’t remember,” Chanyeol said slowly. “It’s so blurry…”

Jongdae traded a look with Joohyun. There was something very strange going on.

“Drink this.” Joohyun lifted a waterskin to Chanyeol’s mouth. “Then we’ll start heading home.”

When they returned to the village, they were met with wonder and joy, and Chanyeol was placed in Yura’s home at her insistence. Celebrations went all through the night for Chanyeol’s safe return, but Jongdae opted to return to his home and think.

“Chanyeol definitely said ‘water nymph’,” Jongdae muttered. “And there was that bear and that boy…”

Jongdae hesitated. His pack was still full. His staff was ready for wielding. Everyone was occupied at the village. There was nothing stopping him from going…

Jongdae got to his feet. In the distance, he could hear music and the sound of villagers talking, laughing and dancing. Blood started pounding through his ears, and he swung his pack over his shoulders and picked up his staff.

He was going to go back to the forest—and he was going to free that boy from the bear!

 

 

 

 

Jongdae knew the path back to the forest. In the dark, he couldn’t be scared by the faces in the trees, and he quietly slipped into the shadows. As usual, the forest was eerily quiet—no animals moved, and no birds sang. Jongdae continued going deeper in, guided only by the moonlight and the markers he left himself.

The eerie silence lifted the deeper he went into the forest. He’d been going for quite some time, when slowly, he started hearing rustlings in the underbrush and the soft calls of owls. Jongdae shivered and glanced about himself—he’d never known just how vast the forest was, as no one had ever successfully entered it this far and survived to tell the tale. Now he knew that there was an enormous bear, possibly a demon living in the forest as well.

Jongdae mildly regretted entering the forest at night—he should’ve waited for the daylight, but he’d been so determined. He was still determined now—he’d gone to the point in the forest where he’d first encountered the boy and the bear and tried going on from there, but Jongdae was pretty sure that he was just wandering aimlessly now.

There was a soft rustle in the bushes, and a small rabbit hopped out of a bush into the moonlight. Jongdae crouched down and watched it fondly as he snuffled through the grass. He froze when he felt something cold and sharp against his neck.

“Don’t move,” a sweet voice said calmly, and Jongdae resisted the urge to whip his head around. That was the same voice as the boy, who’d been with the bear!

“I’m here to help,” Jongdae said quietly.

“Help?” Jongdae could feel the pressure of the metal pressed against his neck lessen slightly. “Help with what?”

“The demon. It’s taken you hostage, hasn’t it?” Jongdae waited anxiously for the boy’s response.

To his surprise, the presence of the cool metal vanished from his neck, and Jongdae his heel. The boy was standing a few paces behind him, a bow and arrow in hand. Rather than looking grateful or shocked though, he was staring at Jongdae with an expression of mixed amusement and confusion.

“What demon?” The boy dropped his arrow into his quiver and slung his bow over his shoulder. “I’m no one’s hostage.”

Jongdae flushed. “The bear?” he offered tentatively. “I thought you were being held hostage by some great bear…”

“Oh, I knew I felt a foreign presence when I was bringing Chanyeol back,” the boy said instantly. “It was you, wasn’t it?” The boy folded his arms over his chest. “That bear is my servant. What do you have to say to that?”

Jongdae stared, dumbfounded, and the boy laughed.

“Apparently, you don’t have anything to say at all,” the boy giggled. “I’m Suho. What’s your name?”

“Your name is Suho?” Jongdae repeated. “Suho, as in “Protector”?”

“Got a problem with that?” Suho raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re just…very skinny,” Jongdae finished weakly. He supposed that if things were as Suho said, and the bear was really under his command, then Suho did actually deserve his title. “I’m Chen.”

Suho snorted at him. “Some warrior name.”

“How do you know I’m a warrior?”

“Your village wouldn’t have sent just anyone into the forest. I know my reputation.” Suho suddenly crouched down and picked up a bunny that had been snuffling around his feet.

“So…are you a protector of the forest?”

“Yes,” Suho said simply as he cradled the bunny. “I protect the forest from people who do not belong.”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t belong here, but you haven’t hurt me,” Jongdae pointed out.

“You do not seek to harm.” Suho gently the bunny’s fur. “Others have come seeking to hunt, seeking to cut down the trees, even seeking to kill me. You came here trying to save me.”

“Oh.” Jongdae could feel his face getting red again. Suho was so ethereally beautiful, but he’d suddenly become quite adorable as he stood their holding a bunny in his arms. “You’re cute.”

They both froze, and Jongdae resisted the urge to scream and bang his head against a tree repeatedly. Why had he said that aloud?!

Suho’s arms tightened around the bunny, and Jongdae couldn’t be entirely sure because it was so dark, but he was pretty sure Suho was blushing. “What?”

Jongdae gulped and couldn’t find anything to say in his defense.

Suho put the bunny down and picked up a staff that was lying near his feet. Jongdae stared at it, wide-eyed, surprised that he hadn’t noticed it lying there. “What are you doing?”

“Go back from whence you came!” Suho pointed the staff at him with a determined expression on his face, and Jongdae instinctively reached out towards him.

“No, wait—“ But it was too late. There was a burst of darkness that covered his vision, and Jongdae found himself back on the outskirts of the village, his staff in his hands and his pack securely on his back. The sounds of festivities still rang loud from the town square, and Jongdae slowly began making his way back to his house through quieter streets.

As long as he didn’t come with the intention to harm, Suho wouldn’t attack him, right? Maybe Suho had gotten afraid when he said he was cute. But Jongdae would never hurt him! Jongdae thought of Suho’s beauty, and blushed again.

He probably shouldn’t, but…Jongdae glanced over his shoulder and saw the forest standing proudly on the horizon.

He would probably find himself back in the forest sooner or later.

 

 

 

 

 

Sooner turned out to be less than a week later. Jongdae had snuck away from the village at midday. He only had his walking stick and a small satchel over his shoulder as he slipped into the forest. He felt a small swell of relief when he recognized one of the markers he’d left on one of the tree trunks the first night he’d entered. Jongdae paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead and smiled a little when he heard the faint sounds of birds chirping.

There was a soft rustle behind him, and Jongdae whirled around to find himself face-to-face with the sharpened point of a spear.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Jongdae said lightly, even though his heart was pounding in his chest from shock.

Suho relaxed. “You again.” He lifted the spear and held it straight up at his side. “I always get so confused when you enter the forest.”

“Why?” Jongdae shifted the strap of his satchel.

“You do not come with the intent to harm.” Suho shook his head. “You exude a feeling that I am not very familiar with.”

“You haven’t made friends with anyone before?” Jongdae asked, his heart in his mouth. He supposed that he did want to be friends with Suho anyways.

Suho rolled his eyes at him. “I have friends,” he said archly. “The feeling I get from you is different.”

There was an awkward pause, and Jongdae didn’t really know where to look. What exactly was Suho implying?

“Anyways.” Suho didn’t seem to feel awkward about what he’d just said and relaxed his stance. “What do you want? I assume you didn’t just come gallivanting into the forest for no reason.”

“Oh.” Jongdae swallowed harshly, still a little off-kilter. “Chanyeol said something about a water nymph.”

“And?” Suho leaned against his spear.

“Do they really exist in the forest?” Jongdae’s voice cracked and he wanted to die of embarrassment. Luckily, it didn’t seem like Suho was going to laugh at him—instead, Suho seemed thoughtful.

“I have strong water magic,” Suho said at last. “Perhaps he thought I was some sort of water nymph. They are real, but they do not inhabit this forest.”

“They’re real?” Jongdae’s eyes widened in amazement. “Incredible.”

“I thought you were a warrior, but your eyes shine at the thought of adventure,” Suho said softly.

Jongdae’s chest puffed out a little at that. “I’m one of the best adventurers in the entire village,” Jongdae said proudly. “I’ve explored more than anyone else has, and have survived more corruption attacks than the others.”

“Corruption attacks?” Suho repeated, his eyes wide. “You’re very brave.”

“Thanks.” Jongdae blushed and scratched at the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Suho looking at him with that much admiration. “It’s always terrifying when they attack.”

“I know.” Suho’s face darkened. “A few times, Corruption has dared to try and rise in the forest. I destroy it where I can, but…as they say, we never know when corruption will strike. It’s best to always stay vigilant.

“You fight corruption alone?” It was Jongdae’s turn to stare at Suho in awe. “I’ve only ever fought them with at least three other adventurers by my side.”

Suho sniffed haughtily. “I am not the only wizard in this forest. The forest would be too big for me to handle alone. My three brothers and I keep watch of different sections of the forest—but yes, once, I faced corruption alone and won.”

“You must have very pure blood,” Jongdae said softly.

“I am also a very strong wizard,” Suho laughed. “I may seem young, but my talents far belie my age.”

“How old are you anyways?” Jongdae shifted from one foot to the other. How young was young for a wizard?

“I’m twenty-six,” Suho said matter-of-factly. “I was trained to become a wizard at young age with my brothers. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-five.” Jongdae smiled at him. “So we’re similar in age.”

“I’m still older than you by a year.” Suho smiled teasingly at him, and Jongdae melted a little at the twinkle in his eye. Something soft butted at his ankle and Jongdae looked down in surprised to see that two bunnies were gazing up at him from the forest floor. Another four were gathered around Suho’s feet, and Jongdae died a little on the inside when Suho crouched down and picked one up.

There was another soft nudge at his ankle, and Jongdae crouched down to gaze at the two rabbits. They both backed away suddenly when he crouched down, but didn’t make any further moves to run away and gazed solemnly back at him.

“They like you.” Suho ran a gentle hand over the bunny in his arms. “How curious.”

“Why curious?” Jongdae extended a cautious hand towards the two bunnies, but neither of them made a move forward.

“Creatures of the forest tend to stay away from humans.” Suho put the bunny down and picked up another one. Jongdae fought down the urge to coo as the remaining four bunnies sat patiently at Suho’s feet, waiting for their turn to be petted.

When it was clear that the bunnies wouldn’t accept his hand, Jongdae sighed and got back to his feet. “Bunnies really like you, huh?”

Suho blushed a little as he leaned down to pick up the next bunny and pat its head. “I’ve always been fond of them as well.”

Jongdae shook his head and smiled. “So cute.”

They both froze, and Jongdae put his hands up in the air again. “Wait—“ he started.

Suho had already dropped the bunny in his arms and picked up his staff. There was a flash of light, and Jongdae found himself in a field near the village, his staff in hand and satchel on his back. Jongdae groaned in frustration and smacked his forehead against his staff. When was he going to start thinking before he spoke?!

 

 

 

 

 

This was the first of many adventures into the forest. Over time, Jongdae learned to control himself and not express his adoration for Suho snuggling bunnies. Once he got himself under control, he and Suho began to develop a camaraderie as Suho slowly began to trust him, and show him more of the forest.

Today, Suho had lead him deeper into the forest than they’d ever gone before. There was the sound of flowing water coming from nearby, but Jongdae couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from.

“Where are we going?” Jongdae wiped some sweat off of his upper lip.

“Patience, Chen.” Ahead of him, Suho used his staff to lift some ivy out of their way.

Jongdae mumbled a complaint under his breath, but hurried to catch up to Suho. Jongdae still hadn’t revealed his true name to Suho; even though they’d grown close, there was still this barrier between them that he couldn’t quite surpass.

He opened his mouth to ask Suho a question, only to stop short when he emerged through the curtain of ivy.

Suho was looking back at him with a pleased expression. “Do you like it?”

Jongdae struggled for words to say. Before him stood a roaring waterfall: crystal-clear water tumbled down from the top of the water fall and created a cool mist at the bottom. Green vines protruded from cracks between the rocks lining the riverbed. The bottom of the waterfall widened out into a wide pool, and at the center of the pool lay a small group of blooming lily pads. A small outcropping of grassy land stretched out into the pool, and at its edge, a large grey boulder rested proudly. Small white flowers dotted the grass, and Jongdae turned his head to look around the entire area, his mouth wide open.

Suho laughed softly, and Jongdae was reminded of his company.

“I love it,” Jongdae said breathlessly. “This is amazing.”

“I love it here too.” Suho turned away from him and stretched out his hand. Jongdae felt his heartbeat quicken a little; was Suho going to use magic to do something?

Jongdae blinked in surprise when a small globe of water lifted itself out of the pond and flew to hover in front of Suho.

“I love practicing water magic here,” Suho said dreamily. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful. It’s never difficult to concentrate.”

“Really?” Jongdae walked over to Suho and surveyed the globe of water curiously.

 “Well, most of the time,” Suho amended. He returned the globe of water to the river. “You know, I can sense that you’re a magic user. Do you have a specialty?”

“I do.” Jongdae turned back to look at the waterfall. “If a storm hits the area, then I’ll show you.”

“Interesting.” Suho smiled over at him, and Jongdae felt himself melt a little.

“You know,” Jongdae said slowly. “I—there’s something I’d like you to know.”

“What is it?” Worry flashed across Suho’s eyes.

“It’s nothing bad!” Jongdae said hastily. “I just—I’d like to share my name with you. My real name.”

“Oh.” Suho blinked in surprise.

“You don’t have to tell me yours or anything,” Jongdae mumbled. “But—you know. This feels pretty special, and I…I’d like you to know.”

“Okay,” Suho said simply. “Then tell me.”

“My real name is Jongdae.” Jongdae’s heartbeat fluttered in his chest as he watched Suho’s expression.

“Jongdae,” Suho said softly, testing the name out on his lips. “Jongdae.”

Jongdae beamed when Suho started smiling.

“Would you like to know my name?”

“Only if you want to tell me,” Jongdae said honestly. “I would definitely understand why you might not want to.”

“Ah, Jongdae.” Suho smiled. “Is it okay if I wait to tell you, then?”

“Yes, of course!” Jongdae smiled. He felt so relieved that he had told Suho his name. Besides, he hadn’t forgotten that the villagers were afraid of the forest and Suho. If someone ever found out that he knew Suho, and knew his true name, it would put Suho into so much danger. “I’ll wait.”

Suho blushed and turned away.

Jongdae smiled and started walking to the water’s edge. He sat down and stripped off his boots, sighing when cool air crested over his toes. He dipped his feet in the water, quietly contemplating the serenity of his surroundings as Suho came to sit beside him.

The forest was quiet around them, and Jongdae tensed a little. The forest had been quiet on the outskirts, but here, Jongdae has gotten used to the calls of birds in the trees and the sounds of animals passing through the forest.

“It’s unusually quiet,” he said.

Suho tilted his head. “I know,” he said simply. “Sometimes, that heralds the presence of my brothers. Sometimes, that heralds the presence of something more severe. There is no way to know until the silence reveals itself.”

“Your brothers?” Jongdae glanced around anxiously. How would Suho’s brothers feel about his presence in the forest?

“I don’t think it’s them.” Suho got to his feet, and Jongdae got up beside him. “I…”

There was a loud shriek, and Suho and Jongdae threw themselves away from the water as something dark and dripping in shadows dove down towards them from the sky.

“Corruption!” Jongdae gasped as the dark shape pulsed beneath the water for a moment. He reached to his waist and drew out a knife.

“What is an iron knife going to do against corruption?!” Suho snapped at him. “Run for the trees. I will fight it.”

“Alone?” Jongdae hesitated. The Corrupted creature was still struggling in the clear water of the lake.

“I’ve told you that I’ve faced Corruption alone before,” Suho said. “Quickly! Go!”

Jongdae grabbed his boots and sprinted for the forest. He paused in the shadows of the trees, watching with bated breath as the creature fought its way back up to the surface. The Corruption had taken on the form a hawk, shadows sloughing from its wings and talons as it launched itself towards Suho’s face.

Suho had picked up his staff, and shot a blast of light towards the Corruption, not even flinching when the bird had gone straight towards him. The hawk dodged the blast, and Suho skipped nimbly to the side as the bird sailed past.

It is always wise to be vigilant. Hadn’t Suho told him that, not so long ago? But he’d been a fool, and believing that the forest was Pure, hadn’t brought any of his Purified weapons with him.

Jongdae hesitated, hidden by the trees. Should he run as Suho advised him? Or should he stay and assist Suho if he needed it?

Jongdae bit his fingernails as he watched Suho combat the Corruption with his staff. Bursts of what Jongdae could only guess were magic, or Pure Light, erupted from the staff. Where the hit, shadows fell off of the hawk, revealing pearly bones beneath. Now, the creature was an odd amalgamation of dripping black and stark white as it dove and screeched.

Suho’s eyes were narrowed in concentration as he wielded his staff, sometimes using it to cast magic, others using it to literally knock the bird away from his face. He ducked and dodged to avoid the falling shadows as the bird attacked him time and time again.

Slowly but surely, more and more of Suho’s attacks hit the Corruption, until all that was left was a small spot of darkness on the underside of the bird’s wing. It was a tricky spot to catch, and Suho had narrowly missed it just moments before when he’d shot a beam of light at the bird.

Jongdae knew that Suho didn’t dare simply shoot a spell to break the Corruption’s skeletal wing and cause the skeleton to come down to the ground. An object was never fully purified until all corruption was removed from the body; if Suho tried to bring the bird down to the ground, he risked corrupting the stream and the ground with any Corruption that could spread from that final spot on the hawk’s body.

Suho ducked and rolled, lunged and swayed to avoid the bird skeleton as it flew down at it time and time again—but each time he aimed, he kept missing that last spot!

Jongdae’s hands instinctively went to his belt. All he had were his normal weapons, but maybe if he could distract the bird for long enough, it would give Suho the time to aim properly—

But suddenly, a great beam of light penetrated through the clearing, swallowing up the bird entirely. Jongdae flung his hands over his eyes, his eyes screaming in pain at the intensity of the light. When he opened them again, his eyes were covered in light spots, but he blinked furiously and managed to see the crumbling skeleton of the bird fall to the ground, all traces of Corruption gone.

Jongdae gaped in shock. Where had the light come from?

“Junmyeon!” A voice called, and Jongdae took a step back when he saw a young man, maybe a couple of years younger than Suho, rush to Suho’s side.

Jongdae frowned. What had this person called Suho? And how did he know him? Unless…

“Kai.” Suho lifted his head and smiled at the man. “What have I told you about calling me by name?”

“Suho,” Kai responded, clearly relieved. “I sensed the Corruption and I came as fast as I could.”

“Are the others coming too?” Suho slowly sat up from where he’d collapsed.

Jongdae slowly took a step back. Kai clearly knew Suho quite closely; perhaps he was one of his brothers? But Suho was safe now, and it was time for Jongdae to go.

Jongdae turned around to sneak away through the underbrush, only to find himself face-to-face with another man, who towered over him. He had tan skin, blonde hair and stern features as he gazed down at Jongdae.

Jongdae’s gaze dropped down to the spear leveled at his chest.

“Turn around,” the man said quietly. “Enter the clearing.”

Jongdae gulped and slowly turned around, pushing back through the undergrowth. A third man, with heavy eyelids and messy black hair had joined Suho and his brother. He seemed to be the youngest of the three, but it was hard to tell.

Suho looked up to see Jongdae approaching him and something flashed across his eyes. “What is this, Xiumin?”

“I found him lurking in the woods.” Xiumin nudged Jongdae’s back with the tip of his spear, and Jongdae winced at the pain that erupted between his shoulder blades.

“He’s a friend,” Suho said sharply, struggling to his feet. “Release him.”

“Is that so?” The tall man, Xiumin, circled around Jongdae to face him, the tip of his spear still leveled at Jongdae’s chest. “Or was he the one who called the Corruption here?”

“Xiumin.” Suho put a firm hand on Xiumin’s wrist. “I promise you. I know him. He wouldn’t call Corruption here.”

Jongdae cleared his throat. “My blood is pure. You’re welcome to test it if you wish.” He eyed the spear point anxiously; would Xiumin really run him through?

Xiumin surveyed him with a stony expression. “Do you remember what happened the last time we trusted an outsider?”

Suho blanched, and Jongdae blinked in confusion. He looked at the two other men—the three of them must be the brothers that Suho had told him about: the forest guardians. But what was Xiumin talking about? They’d trusted someone before?

His eyes widened when he saw that the brother who had first approached Suho looked near tears. The youngest brother, noticing his gaze, instantly drew the other man to his side, glancing at Xiumin with an uncertain expression.

“That was a low blow,” Suho said through gritted teeth. “You know that Kai is still heartbroken.”

“That’s why we can’t trust him,” Xiumin said evenly, jabbing his spear towards Jongdae. “We’ve seen what happens when we trust outsiders. Didn’t D.O. swear that he had pure blood as well?”

“He didn’t offer to have us test it,” Suho said quickly.

“It would take us days to test this man’s blood.” Xiumin raised an eyebrow. “Will it be worth holding him if his blood shows us that he lied?”

“He isn’t lying!” Suho snapped at him.

“Hm.” Xiumin surveyed his brother coldly, and Jongdae vaguely wondered how close these four brothers really were. “Then you won’t object if I hold him, and Tao tests his blood.”

“I—” Suho stopped, frustration evident on his features. “Fine. You don’t trust me, but I understand.”

“I won’t be too rough with him.” Xiumin lifted his spear and leveled a cold look at Jongdae. “Give me your arm.”

Jongdae looked at Suho, who gave him a small nod. Jongdae reluctantly stretched out his arm, and Xiumin’s long fingers closed over his wrist.

The third brother with the hooded eyelids moved so quickly that Jongdae barely even saw it coming. There was a small prick in his arm, and then the third brother (what had Xiumin called him? Tao?) was stowing something away in a small pouch. There was a small prick in his arm, and Jongdae watched as a small bead of blood pooled on his skin.

“Jon—Chen.”

Chen looked over at Suho.

“Do whatever Xiumin tells you. You’ll be fine,” Suho said gently.

Jongdae nodded, and Xiumin’s grip on his arm tightened. Jongdae looked up at this cold, strange man towering over him. He blinked in surprise when he saw Xiumin’s eyes change from golden brown to black, and before he quite realized what was happening, his legs were giving out from beneath him, and his eyelids fluttered shut as he collapsed to the ground.

 

 

 

 

Jongdae awoke to the four brothers standing over him, four pairs of eyes trained intently on him as he groaned and shifted slightly, wincing at the ache in his joints.

“You really were nice to him,” Suho said to Xiumin, as Jongdae lifted one of his hands to rub at his eyes. “A moss bed and everything.”

“I wasn’t going to be so nice to him if his blood wasn’t pure,” Xiumin growled back. Jongdae blinked slowly, and then sat upright.

“You’re awake.” There was a gleam of relief in Suho’s eyes as he reached out to pat Jongdae’s hand. “How do you feel?”

“I feel fine.” Jongdae squeezed Suho’s hand. “Where am I?”

The three other brothers seemed to take that as their cue to leave, and he and Suho were left alone. Jongdae looked around, and realized that they seemed to be inside of some sort of large tree trunk. Smooth wooden walls towered over their heads, and when Jongdae looked down, he saw that he was resting on some kind of cot made of layers and layers of soft green moss stacked on top of each other.

“Xiumin kept you in his custody while my youngest brother, Tao tested your blood to make sure that it was pure.” Suho didn’t lift his hand from Jongdae’s, and Jongdae felt his cheeks warming up in response. “You waited in the trees, while I battled the Corruption?”

“I wanted to make sure you would be okay,” Jongdae muttered.

Suho’s eyes softened with affection. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I would rather you have met my brothers under happier circumstances, but there isn’t much to be done for it now.”

“You wanted me to meet your brothers?” Jongdae asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Of course!” Suho looked taken aback. “We’ve spent so much time together—and I thought…”

“You thought what?”

Suho his lips, and Jongdae was drawn to the movement.

They both blushed and leaned slightly away from each other, both boys’ eyes flitting away to the walls.

Suho broke the silence, his voice hushed. “Xiumin looks really scary, but he’s actually quite nice.”

Jongdae gathered up the courage to look back at Suho. “He was the tall one, right?”

“Yes.” Suho settled back into his seat. “My other brothers were Kai, and Tao. Tao was the one who took your blood.”

“I see.” Jongdae slouched slightly. “I’m glad…they seem to think I’m okay.”

Suho sighed. “They were worried. A few years ago, Kai…Kai met an outsider. He told us he was kind and a good friend, but it was clear to all three of us that Kai had deeper feelings for this person. He told us that we would get to meet him soon, but the day Kai brought his ‘friend’ to meet us, the friend summoned a Corrupted being to the forest and vanished in the heat of the battle.” Suho shook his head. “Kai was heartbroken. His lover had betrayed him, and brought dark magic to this forest that we had been protecting. Of course, none of us held it against Kai—he was young and naïve, and had easily been swayed by his lover. But we’ve taken precautions to never let it happen again.”

“That’s awful,” Jongdae said sincerely, his heart going out to Kai. “I can’t even imagine how painful that must have been for him.” Certain things were starting to make sense now—for example, why Suho would kick him out of the forest if he thought Jongdae was flirting with him. Why he’d taken so long to trust him.

Suho nodded seriously. “It’s a great burden, being a guardian of any place. In addition to feeling heartbroken, Kai also felt like he’d failed the creatures of the forest and the humans in the surrounding areas. He nearly gave up his powers.”

Jongdae turned his hand over and squeezed Suho fingers.

“He’s doing better, but even a vague mention of the past is enough to throw him off for days,” Suho sighed.

“That must be difficult.”

Suho shrugged. “The four of us have been watching out for each other since we were quite young. This is no different.” He got to his feet and extended his hand towards Jongdae. “You should go home. Your village is worried about you. They’ve been waiting at the entrance to the forest for a while now.”

“Oh.” Jongdae took Suho’s hand, and nearly fell over when blood rushed to his head. “How long have I been out?”

“It took Tao two days to test your blood. We should hurry. It never does to leave a sector of the forest unguarded for too long.” Suho gently supported Jongdae in his arms until Jongdae could stand up on his own again. Jongdae’s breath caught when he realized how close their faces were

“We should go,” Suho repeated, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

Jongdae caught up with himself and leaned back, allowing Suho to gently pull him out the door and begin guiding him through the forest. His brain finally caught up with his feet, and he stopped stumbling—but he also noticed that Suho had yet to let go of his hand.

Before he knew it, Suho had guided him to the edge of the forest. “I’ll leave you here. You have to make it to the tree line on your own. Tell them you got lost,” Suho said quietly. He let go of Jongdae’s hand and put both of his hands around his staff. “Go quickly, before you faint again.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Jongdae promised.

“I know.” Suho’s face softened. “But rest first before coming back. Xiumin had you in an enchanted sleep, but your body hasn’t received any nutrition over the past two days—just water. You need to rest and regain your strength.”

“Okay.” Jongdae swayed slightly. “Suho…”

“What?”

“Your brother called you something else,” Jongdae said slowly. “But I want you to know—I don’t know what it is. I don’t remember. Or maybe I can’t remember? I don’t…” he trailed off, his hand coming up to rest against his temple.

Suho’s eyes were still soft when he looked up to meet his gaze. “I trust you,” Suho said gently. “I’ll tell you my true name someday. I promise.”

“Okay.” Jongdae turned slowly, making for the edge of the trees. He stumbled through the shadows, tripping over roots and slipping on leaves, until at last, he was out in the sunlight again. There was a great cry, and Jongdae saw that nearly half of the village was sitting, staring anxiously at the forest. Joohyun and Yifan rushed forward and Jongdae swayed, and the last thing he remembered was the sight of Yifan’s threadbare shirt before his eyes fluttered shut and he lost consciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

Jongdae awoke to flickering lamplight and the sight of Chanyeol sitting by his bedside.

“Chanyeol?”

“Jongdae!” Chanyeol shot to his feet. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He left the room calling for Joohyun, and Jongdae slowly sat up in bed. His muscles ached and his throat was sore. He was in the process of slowly pouring himself a glass of water from the pitcher next to his bed when Joohyun came back into the room with Chanyeol.

“Jongdae.” Joohyun walked up to him and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. “How’re you feeling?”

Jongdae took a long draught of water before answering. “Everything is sore,” he said honestly. “But okay otherwise.”

“You were missing for days,” she said softly. “What happened?”

“How did you know I was in the forest?” Jongdae asked instead.

“When you didn’t come back after a day, we used Yifan’s hounds to follow your path. It lead us straight to the entrance of the forest.” Joohyun gave him a disapproving look. “Why were you even there? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“No!” Jongdae snapped back. “I was just curious, ok? I wanted to know what got Chanyeol, all those months ago.”

“And then what?” Joohyun asked angrily. “Get yourself hurt as well? Or worse, killed?”

Jongdae sighed and bowed his head. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “It was foolish.”

“Did you find anything?” Chanyeol asked.

Jongdae sighed and shook his head. He knew that it would be best to keep Suho and his brothers a secret.

“What happened?” Joohyun repeated, her voice gentler. “We were all so worried.”

Jongdae sighed and looked up at her. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I made a foolish mistake and got lost in the woods. I couldn’t find my markers for a full day, and then I was able to stumble my way home.”

“The forest is capricious,” Joohyun sighed. “You’re lucky you made it out at all.”

“I know,” Jongdae said quietly. “I know.”

“You’re malnourished.” Joohyun got to her feet. “I’ll bring some food for you. Wait a few minutes.” She left, leaving him and Chanyeol alone.

“You really didn’t find anything?” Chanyeol asked him.

“Well, you know there was wildlife way deeper into the forest. But other than that, nothing.”

“Not even the bear spirit that you told me about? That brought me out of the forest?” Chanyeol pressed.

Jongdae shook his head. “Nothing,” he said firmly. “Just regular forest-dwelling creatures. Lots of bunnies,” he added as an afterthought. “But yeah. Nothing much.”

“Hm.” Chanyeol sat back, and Joohyun came back into the room with a bowl full of steaming broth and a glass of water. “Make sure he eats it,” she told Chanyeol, and left.

Jongdae’s stomach growled and he picked up his spoon and began blowing on his soup. Chanyeol was quiet as he ate, and Jongdae tried not to pay too much mind to it. Normally, Chanyeol was energetic and loud, but perhaps the vague memories that Suho hadn’t quite managed to wipe away of Chanyeol’s stay in the forest were haunting the edges of his thoughts.

 

 

 

 

Jongdae couldn’t go back to the forest for five weeks. He was fully recovered from his lack of nutrition by the end of the second week, but his village had kept a close eye on him, and it had been nearly impossible for him to sneak off. Jongdae suspected that Joohyun had told Yifan to keep an eye on him, but one evening, Jongdae managed to sneak away from the village and back into the quiet darkness of the forest. A storm was brewing on the horizon, and cold wind tugged and nipped at Jongdae’s thick storm cloak as he darted into the forest.

Jongdae was relieved to see that his markers were still where he’d left them. He wondered if Suho had somehow preserved them and protected them from any curious animals, so that he might find his way back.

There was a soft rustling, and a small bunny poked its head out from the roots of a shrub. Jongdae crouched down and extended his hand towards the creature, but the bunny retreated back into the shrub.

“Jongdae!”

Jongdae whirled around, his heart lifting at the sound of Suho’s voice. Suho came crashing into him and Jongdae wrapped his arms tightly around Suho.

“I missed you so much,” Jongdae murmured into Suho’s hair. “I tried to come sooner, but…”

“It’s okay. Your village must have been very worried about you.” Suho drew back and looked at Jongdae warmly. “You look much better now.”

“Yes, I’m fully recovered from Xiumin’s warm hospitality,” Jongdae joked, and he and Suho laughed.

“I really did miss you,” Suho said in a small voice. Was it a trick of the moonlight, or was Suho blushing?

“And I really missed you,” Jongdae said quietly.

The tender silence was broken by the sound of rustling coming from the shrub again. Suho stepped away, and Jongdae felt a pang at the loss of Suho’s warmth in his arms.

“Ooh a bunny,” Suho cooed and crouched down to pick it up. “Hello.”

He looked up at Jongdae, and Jongdae had a sense of déjà vu.

“Remember how we met?” Suho looked down fondly at the bunny. “It was just like this, wasn’t it?”

“Well, there wasn’t an impending storm,” Jongdae admitted. Dark storm clouds were rolling across the sky, and if Jongdae wanted to get back by moonlight, he would have to leave far too soon for his liking. “But yeah, it was just like this.”

Suho hummed quietly, and Jongdae shivered as the wind whipped through the trees.

“I know I just got here,” Jongdae started. “But if I want to get back to my village with my markers, I’ll have to leave soon.”

Suho stared at him. “Are you serious?”

Jongdae shuffled his feet. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I mean, did you forget that I’m a powerful witch?” Suho grinned at him. “You told me you’d show me your powers if there was a storm. Besides, I can just transport you back to your village using my magic. I can even protect us if it starts to rain.”

“Oh.” Jongdae flushed and scratched at the back of his neck. “Right.”

Suho shot him an amused look. “Come on. Let me show you something special.”

Jongdae blinked. The last time Suho had taken him somewhere “special”, it had been beautiful, but…they’d also gotten attacked by Corruption. And Jongdae had nearly been starved to death by one of Suho’s brothers.

Suho’s gaze softened. “We’ll be safe,” he promised. “I just want to show you my house. It’s protected with the strongest spells, and nothing can hurt us t e.”

“Okay.” Jongdae stepped forward to follow Suho, and Suho began taking him in a different direction from the way they usually went. “Where is it, in the forest?”

“It’s closer to the center of my sector, so it’s a little farther away from the places we’ve been to before,” Junmyeon admitted. “But I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it,” Jongdae said warmly as they traipsed through the forest. They kept up their banter as they went along their way, Suho filling him in on the events of the forest that had happened while he was gone. Apparently, Seulgi, the great bear that had carried Chanyeol out of the forest, had vanished into a cave to hibernate for the winter and a sly pack of woodland foxes were carrying out mischief in her territory.

Jongdae felt himself growing tired, and he frowned mentally. Apparently, his body was still recovering if he was sweating and out of breath. “How’s your brother?” he asked. “Kai, right?”

“He’s okay.” Suho started walking faster, and Jongdae pushed himself to keep up. “He’s doing much better this week.”

“That’s good.” Jongdae wiped the sweat off of his upper lip. It was getting darker and darker, and he tripped over a tree root. He slowly got to his feet, wincing—but when he looked up, he blinked in surprise when he realized that the trees were thinning out. He moved forward, and gasped in surprise when he moved out of the tree line and into a natural clearing.

Suho turned to face him and grinned, gesturing to the enormous oak tree in the center of the clearing behind him. “Welcome to my home!”

Jongdae stared at the tree. Glass windows shone from the great tree trunk, and knobbly roots braided together to form a twisting stairway leading up to a small doorway in the side of the tree. A gust of wind blew fiercely through the clearing, and Jongdae shivered.

Suho smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. “Let’s get inside where it’s warm.”

Jongdae nodded dazedly, distracted by the warmth of Suho’s hand in his own. The inside of the tree was just as amazing as the outside; warm, magical lights hung in midair, illuminating the oaken halls. There were random objects and books strewn throughout the rooms that Suho lead him through as they went up flights of stairs, until at last, they emerged on a small observation deck at the top of the tree.

Suho finally let go of his hand, Jongdae forced himself not to reach back for it as his hand was suddenly devoid of warmth.

“What do you think of my house?” Suho asked, a pleased expression on his face as he walked to the edge of the deck.

“It’s amazing,” Jongdae said honestly. “Just what I would expect of a powerful wizard,” he said teasingly. Suho must have protected his observation deck with magic, because the deck was a comfortable temperature, and no great gusts of wind were blowing across the platform.

Suho snickered and beckoned for Jongdae to join him. “We can see the sky clearly from here,” he said, pointing upwards. “On a clear night, I can look at the stars.”

Jongdae hummed. The storm clouds were now overhead, and if he stared closely, he could see small drops of water occasionally falling from the sky.

There was a boom of thunder off in the distance, and Jongdae smiled.

“You like thunder and lightning?” Suho asked curiously.

“You’ll see,” Jongdae said gently. “Just wait for the storm to get closer.”

“Alright.” Suho waved his hand, and two stools appeared on the deck. They sat down and slowly resumed their friendly banter as the storm worsened overhead and the rain began to fall steadily.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed a moment later. Jongdae got to his feet and went to the railing on the platform. Suho stopped what he was saying and followed him, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Jongdae turned and smiled at him before looking back up at the dark sky. He raised a hand, and suddenly there was a boom of thunder and lightning arced across the sky. It began happening rapidly, lightning lighting up the night—but the lightning never seemed to stretch down into the forest, leaping from one place to another, until at last, it arced down towards the ground.

Jongdae turned to Suho a little apprehensively. Suho was a master of magic—what we he have to say about Jongdae’s skills?

Suho was still staring at the sky in awe. “Your control is impeccable,” he said at last, turning to Jongdae. “And when you brought the lightning down—you brought it down in the middle of a clear field. How did you know?”

Jongdae didn’t question how Suho knew where he’d let the lightning rest; after all, Suho was the guardian of this part of the forest. “I can sense a limited area around where the lightning is. Sometimes I’ve had close calls with hitting something or someone,” he admitted, “But I’ve always been able to redirect the lightning and avoid lasting damage to anyone.”

“That was amazing,” Suho said breathlessly, his eyes shining. “It was beautiful.”

Jongdae could feel a flush going down his neck and he looked down at the ground. “It’s nothing much,” he mumbled.

“It was wonderful,” Suho insisted, wrapping an arm around Jongdae’s shoulders and pulling him close. Jongdae looked up and their faces were so close—there was no way that Suho missed the hitch in his breathing.

Rather than letting him go, if anything, Suho pulled him closer. “Junmyeon,” he said.

Jongdae blinked at him, dazed by their proximity. “What?”

“My true name. It’s Junmyeon.” Suho—no, Junmyeon, looked at him patiently.

“Junmyeon,” Jongdae said quietly. “Junmyeon.”

The corners of Junmyeon’s eyes crinkled upwards as he smiled, and Jongdae smiled back at him. Their eyes met, and Jongdae couldn’t help but lean in a little more. When Junmyeon didn’t back away, he leaned in further, their mouths meeting in a simple kiss.

Lightning arced across the sky, and the rain started falling just a bit harder, but neither of them noticed as they stepped closer together.

Eventually, they had to breathe, and they pulled apart.

“I thought it was just me,” Jongdae blurted out. “Who felt…like this.”

“You did?” Junmyeon blinked. “But why?”

“You would always throw me out of the forest before,” Jongdae mumbled, “So I thought…”

Junmyeon laughed, and Jongdae couldn’t help but smile at the sound. “You’re silly,” Junmyeon murmured, and pecked his cheek. Both of their faces went bright red, and they smiled sheepishly at each other.

Jongdae knew it wouldn’t be easy for them. He would have to keep Junmyeon a secret from the village for as long as he could, and Junmyeon’s brothers didn’t really seem to like him—but even though there were obvious hardships in their future, they paled to thought of having Junmyeon as his lover.

The End

a/n: Thanks for reading! I really indulged myself with Junmyeon cuddling those bunnies ahaha. I hope everyone enjoyed and comments are greatly appreciated!