Hakyeon slept in the next day, accidentally, but healing Hongbin in the middle of the night after the day he’d had had taken its toll on him. When he did wake up, close to noon, he scrambled out of bed hastily, getting dressed in a hurry and not caring what exactly he threw on before hurrying out.

The house was quiet, though, no noises audible from anywhere. Carefully, he approached Hongbin's door, knocking softly.

“Hongbin? Are you up?”

A long, muffled groan answered him, and he opened the door quietly, peeking inside. He found Hongbin still buried under the blanket, only his hair peeking out slightly.

Hakyeon chuckled, relieved.

“And here I was chastising myself for sleeping in and leaving you to starve, and you aren't even awake yet yourself…”

Hongbin mumbled something, then grew quiet again. Hakyeon was about to step back out of the room and leave Hongbin to sleep when the fae sat up abruptly, throwing the blanket off.

“What-... where-... Where am I? What happened-...? Ouuuuch, for origin’s sake, what in the name of and its children…?!” He broke off, wrapping his arms around his chest as pain shot through him from the sudden movement and doubled over.

Hakyeon hurried inside the room again, to Hongbin's side, where he crouched down to eye-level.

“You’re in my house, and you're safe. The hunters blasted you a couple of times but I patched you up the best I could. Remember now?”

Hongbin looked up slowly, his eyes meeting Hakyeon's, and his lips formed a silent 'oh’.

Hakyeon stood up again, stepping back a little.

“Still feeling that bad?”

Hongbin nodded, laying down again and rolling onto his side carefully.

“As if I got caught under a falling tree. A really big, heavy tree…”

Hakyeon grimaced.

“I'm sorry… I wish I could do more…”

Hongbin shook his head, though.

“You did so much already… Thank you…”

Hakyeon visibly shook himself.

“That's alright. Uh, I… I was going to make breakfast… Is there anything you'd like?”

Hongbin groaned.

“The heads of the three bastards from last night…”

Hakyeon nodded grimly.

“Sure thing. Baked or deep fried?”

Hongbin chuckled darkly.

“Thrown into the ocean.”

Hakyeon shook his head at that, leaning against the doorframe.

“That is considered littering, and I will not tolerate it; never mind endorse it.”

“Burned, then. I like them crispy.”

Hakyeon chuckled.

“I bet you do. For real, though; is there anything you'd like to eat?”

Hongbin peeked up at him from his curled-up position.

“That soup you had last time… That was delicious!”

Hakyeon's eyes widened slightly, surprised that Hongbin remembered that.

“Oh...Ok. I’ll see if I have everything…”

Hongbin nodded lightly.

“Thank you… I’ll be down in a minute…”

Hakyeon shook his head at that.

“No, no, there's no need to. Just rest and heal, I’ll bring your food up!”

Hongbin sighed.

“That's lovely of you, but… I will need to relieve myself at some point…”

“Oh!” Hakyeon blushed, then cleared his throat. “There is a toilet right next to this room, the door just over here. And a bathroom just across from the stairs, as well as one next to the kitchen. Uhm, I’ll set some clothes out for you to change into… sorry about your pants, I didn't think about it last night but now it's too late to materialize them again.”

Hongbin hummed tiredly, fumbling to find the blankets again.

With a wave of Hakyeon's hand, he made them scoot up the bed and into Hongbin's searching hand. The fae blinked up at Hakyeon shortly as he tugged them up and over himself again.

“Thank you, Hakyeon. For everything. I wouldn't know what to do without you right now.”

Hakyeon shook his head, waving the thanks away again.

“Ah, you’re welcome, I- uh… You know what, that's something pretty useless to think about, because you don't need to be alone right now. Or ever, if you don't want to. I’ll be there for you, if you want me to, I’ll… I’ll go make breakfast now!”

He left the room rather abruptly, stopping short halfway down the stairs and going back up. Sheepishly, he returned to his room, picking out clothes and bringing them to Hongbin's room. He didn't stay long enough for Hongbin to thank him again, all but fleeing the room, though, to finally, finally start on the food.

He was almost done when Hongbin peeked into the kitchen and sighed in relief, stepping inside and limping to the first chair in his reach, sitting down carefully.

“Dear origin, just how big is this place?! I swear I got lost three times on the way here!”

Hakyeon chuckled, turning the heat of the stove down to let the soup simmer for a little bit longer.

“It's quite huge, huh? I haven't really explored every last corner yet, either, and I’ve been living here for over a decade…”

Hongbin nodded slowly, resting his chin in his hands as he watched Hakyeon prattle about, filling a tray with utensils and food. Normally, he would have offered to help, but neither did he know his way around, nor did he feel like moving any more than necessary. And he had a feeling Hakyeon wouldn't accept his help anyway.

Hakyeon didn't mind at all that Hongbin just sat down and waited, preferring it that way. He wouldn't have minded if he’d stayed upstairs in his room so he’d have to bring the food up, either. He did see the slightly guilty look on the fae’s face, but he chose not to comment on it, simply setting the table and telling Hongbin to eat his fill as he, too, sat down.

Hongbin was hesitant at first, but hunger and the truly delicious soup had him loose his inhibitions quite quickly.

Hakyeon watched him, amused, until Hongbin noticed it and looked up sheepishly.

“Does it taste good?” Hakyeon asked then, and Hongbin nodded.

“Delicious, actually.”

A smile painted on Hakyeon's features.

“I'm glad. You look starved.”

Hongbin averted his gaze.

“I… I haven't eaten yesterday… And nowhere near enough the days before, either.”

Hakyeon frowned at that.

“Why not?”

Hongbin lowered his spoon again.

“Well, yesterday I was busy trying not to get caught… You helped a lot, but still. And other than that… It's still too early in the year, there isn't really enough food out there.”

Hakyeon's frown deepened.

“What exactly have you been eating all winter?”

Hongbin shrugged.

“Not much… You see, I’m not even supposed to be awake all winter. Fairies are supposed to hibernate, and only wake up again in spring when there is enough for us to eat again. We just can't really do that anymore, because…”

“Because hunters will find you if you aren't alert at all times…”

Hongbin nodded, focusing on his soup again.

Hakyeon sighed, playing with his own food. He’d kind of lost his appetite.

“How did they find you, last night?” He asked quietly, and Hongbin looked up slowly, blushing.

“I'm… not exactly great at hiding. They startled me and I kind of revealed myself, accidentally.”

Hakyeon gave him a long look, shaking his head in the end.

“Next time anyone comes into the forest, come here immediately, please. I’ll hide you.”

Hongbin nodded slowly, returning to the rest of his soup. With Hakyeon encouraging him, he went for seconds, and for the first time in ages felt completely full.

“I'm so full I’m sure I can’t even fly anymore, no matter how hard I tried…” he groaned when he was done eating, leaning back in the chair carefully.

Hakyeon chuckled, gathering their plates and sending them flying through the kitchen into the sink to wash them later. He didn't see the judging look Hongbin gave him.

“Guess you’ll have to walk for a while now, just like poor old me. Unless you wish to stay in this chair forever, which I dare say is quite uncomfortable compared to the couches in the living room where I’m going to rest now, for instance.”

Hongbin gave Hakyeon a slightly exasperated look as the sorcerer got up, ready to leave the room.

“I only just sat down…”

Hakyeon laughed lightly.

“I'm not keeping you from staying here, it was just a suggestion. It might get boring, though.” He shrugged, leaving the room. He hadn't taken more than a few steps, though, when Hongbin called out for him.

“Wait!”

Hakyeon stopped, looking back towards the kitchen door to see Hongbin appear.

“I’ll just get lost again if I try to find my way around this maze of a house on my own…”

Hakyeon waited until Hongbin had caught up the few steps, a prominent limp in his walk, still, and led the way to the lounge. Hongbin chose the first best couch he came across to drop down on, laying back carefully with a groan.

“Your house is too big…” he whined, and Hakyeon laughed quietly.

“You could have stayed in bed and rested there, you know…”

“I was bored. And the food smelled too good.”

Hakyeon hummed, neither disbelieving nor agreeing.

“Blanket?” He asked Hongbin, already lifting the object in question.

Hongbin hummed questioningly, then bit his lip, as if not daring to ask. Hakyeon rolled his eyes, shaking it out and letting it fall over Hongbin's laying form. The fae tugged it down where it had landed on his face, but left it where it was, following Hakyeon with his eyes as he chose a book and started to sit down.

“Do you want a book, too?” He asked before sitting, though, but Hongbin shook his head.

“Aren't you going out today?”

It was Hakyeon's turn to shake his head as he finally sat down.

“The hunters are still out there. They're trying to hide their magic, but they've set off a couple of my traps already. Since you are safe here, I don't see the need… Also, I’d like them to underestimate me, in case it ever comes to a confrontation. So, no need to let them know I know they are here and where exactly they are. Let them waste their time” He shrugged, opening his book.

“Have I ever set off your traps?” Hongbin asked after a while.

Hakyeon shook his head.

“No. I only set them out for sorcerer magic. I don't even know of traps to locate fairy magic.”

Hongbin seemed satisfied with that answer, snuggling further under the blanket and yawned. Silence settled over them, and when Hakyeon looked up from his book after a little while, he found Hongbin asleep on the other couch. He smiled at the sleeping fae, setting his book aside. He better leave the room to not make any accidental noise and wake him up…

He ended up cleaning the dirty dishes away, and then went to explore the basement a little further. He’d rarely come down here so far. All he knew was that the sorcerer who’d lived here before had used these underground rooms for magic experiments, some of which had gone wrong and stained or damaged the walls. They must not have been the greatest sorcerer, either, considering how much errant magic he’d found still in the walls especially down here, but all over the rest of the house, too. It had taken him a while to remove all traces of it, and since then, he hadn't really come back down here. Except last night. Now, his curiosity was sparked again, though.

It was a monumental task, to work his way through these rooms he hadn't paid much attention to except to locate and erase the lingering magic all those years ago, but he didn't really have much else to do. He would be damned if he left the house while Hongbin was still with him and recovering, so he might as well use the time the fae spent sleeping to clean up the basement.

He didn't notice the time passing until the sound of a crash from upstairs reached him. Worried, he abandoned the box of books he’d just found and hurried upstairs, just to find Hongbin kneeling on the floor next to the couch, picking something up.

The fae flinched when he noticed Hakyeon come in.

“I'm sorry… I think I had a bad dream and must have thrashed out, and accidentally kicked this…”

Hakyeon's eyes fell on the shards of the bowl mixed with the rest of the food he’d never finished the night before, scattered on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank origin… I was worried someone had broken in, or you’d gotten hurt again or something.”

Hongbin shook his head.

“I didn't. Your rug, though…”

Hakyeon shook his head, waving Hongbin's concerns away.

“Don't worry, I’ll clean it. How did you sleep?”

“With my eyes closed.”

Hakyeon rolled his eyes at the fae who retreated to sit on the couch again as Hakyeon ushered it out of the way.

Hongbin grinned, which turned into a grimace.

“I guess how anyone would sleep with two fractured ribs and a minced leg.”

Hakyeon eyed him worriedly.

“Still that bad? Didn't the spells work at all?”

Hongbin shrugged carefully.

“I guess they did, but you were quite right when you said with or without your healing the next couple of days would for me. I'm quite sure it would more if you hadn't healed me, but everything isn't exactly peachy just yet, either.”

Hakyeon sighed, catching the broom and shovel out of the air as they flew in and had them pick the shards and food up on their own.

“Can I check you over?”

Again, Hongbin grimaced, but laid back, nodding.

Hakyeon sat on the edge of the couch, placing his hands on Hongbin's chest. He just looked up at Hongbin, and the fae nodded, giving him the go ahead. Closing his eyes, he let his magic seep into Hongbin, searching for the injuries he’d thought he'd healed the night before. He didn't take long before he retreated again, and Hongbin wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering lightly.

“Do you know how invasive that feels? It's as if something foreign is crawling through my body, finding all my deepest, darkest secrets.”

Hakyeon shoved him lightly.

“Maybe that is because there is something foreign crawling through your body! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the mole on your left -cheek!”

Hongbin flushed bright crimson, propping himself onto his elbows.

“Yah! Who allowed you to-...?!”

He never got further, as Hakyeon threw his head back with laughter.

“I can't see if you have moles anywhere doing that, dummy. Only your magic flow and injuries or if something else is wrong. It was a random guess, but wow, looks as if I was… spot on!”

Hongbin laid back again with a pained groan, kicking Hakyeon with his knee in the back.

“I hate you so much…!”

Hakyeon chuckled, evading Hongbin's attack, but then sobered up.

“Your wounds look fine, though. Well, they are healing like they should, but there is only so much I can do. Your magic, though…”

Hongbin rose a worried eyebrow.

“What about it?”

Hakyeon sighed.

“Do you know snow-globes? Like, when you shake them and the 'snow’ goes everywhere?”

Hongbin nodded, humming.

“That's what your magic looked like yesterday. Clotted but spread evenly everywhere. Now, it's not as clotted anymore, but still all over the place, flowing without direction and order. It's taking way longer than everything I’ve ever seen.”

Hongbin bit his lip, still looking worried.

“Is that bad? I guess it's bad, isn't it? Why is it bad?”

Hakyeon swatted at his fidgeting hands lightly.

“Not that bad. It makes my spells act a little slower and you probably can't access your magic for now, nor hide it, because it's sparking randomly. And, it might mess with your flying, so I’d recommend you to not fly too high until it's flowing normally again.”

Hongbin groaned.

“In other words, I’m going to be miserable and bound to this couch until whenever my magic decides to stop acting up.”

Hakyeon hummed.

“Pretty much. I'm sure you can make it more interesting by exchanging the couch for the bed every once in a while, though.”

Hongbin groaned again, turning onto his side and kicking Hakyeon with his knee again, effectively dislodging him from the couch.

Hakyeon pouted, crossing his arms in front of him when he found himself sitting on the floor and glared at Hongbin.

“Be glad you're injured, you ungrateful brat, or else you’d be in for it!”

“You deserved that. You’re making fun of someone who's hurt. How heartless can you sorcerers even be?!”

Hakyeon huffed as he got up, making the blanket fly over him and land on his face, too, leaving the fae spluttering and tugging it down hastily. As soon as his face was free, Hakyeon flicked his forehead.

“Whatever, glitter-bug. You knew about that before you came here!”

Hongbin threw a pillow after his retreating form, which fell to ground uselessly while he winced at the pain the movement caused in his ribs.

“…” he muttered after Hakyeon, who didn't react to neither the pillow nor the insult. In fact, the sorcerer was too busy trying to remember pain-numbing potions and wondering if any of those he could still make worked on fairies.

He hummed quietly to himself as he busied himself between the kitchen and the pantry, mixing a potion he believed should work, with a few changes here and there. He cursed a little when he burned his finger as he stuck it in the small cauldron to try the concoction himself, but after the potion off it, the pain disappeared almost instantly. At least the potion worked on him; now he just had to find out if it worked on Hongbin.

Satisfied with himself, he filled most of the potion into bottles, and the rest into a mug, dumping the empty cauldron in the sink before leaving the kitchen. Of course, he went to find Hongbin, who was still dozing on the couch but woke up upon Hakyeon’s return.

“I made you a pain-numbing potion.” He announced softly, setting the mug down on the side table next to Hongbin's head.

“It's still pretty warm, so maybe wait a little before you drink it. It’ll probably make you sleepy, and it might numb your mouth, so be careful when you talk or you might bite your tongue and lips.”

Hongbin smiled a little as he sat up somewhat.

“Thank you… I’m sleepy anyway, as long as you wake me up for dinner I’m ready to knock out.”

Hakyeon chuckled lightly, pushing the mug into Hongbin’s reach so the fae could pick it up and blow the steam away softly. He watched expectantly as the fae sipped on the brew.

“Hmm… It tastes… minty?” Hongbin mused after the first sip.

“Is that bad?”

Hongbin shook his head.

“No, it's ok. It does make the mouth go numb, though.”

“Then don't talk. Drink up and go take a nap until dinner.”

Hongbin mock-saluted him over the brim of the mug and Hakyeon rolled his eyes at him, waiting until Hongbin finished and returned the mug to him.

“Huh… It feels funny…” Hongbin mumbled after handing Hakyeon the mug.

“It's a potion, there's magic in it. It's probably reacting with your magic, too. Is it working against the pain?”

Hongbin shifted a little, then nodded.

“It is. And also making me tired, like…” He trailed off, not remembering a fitting comparison as his mind was fogging over.

“That's normal… just sleep.”

“Hmm… Don't forget to wake me up for dinner…” Hongbin mumbled, getting comfortable on the couch again.

“Tsk… Who said you get to have dinner, hmm, brat?” Hakyeon teased, but only a yawn came from Hongbin as answer.

Hakyeon rose his eyebrow; wow, the potion really worked fast and effectively!

He took the mug back to the kitchen, cleaning up the mess making the potion had left. He was about to return to the basement to continue cleaning up there, when a whimpering noise from the living room reached him.

Frowning, he changed course and went to check.

Hongbin was still asleep, but he was shifting a lot, a thin sheen of sweat lining his brow, but the blanket had already been pushed to the floor.

Hakyeon closed the distance between them quickly, shaking Hongbin softly after seeing the agonized expression on his face.

“Hongbin… Hongbin-ah! Wake up, it's just a nightmare…”

Hongbin didn't wake up, thrashing an arm out and almost hitting Hakyeon in the process.

Hakyeon bit his lip in apprehension. What if Hongbin couldn't wake up from the nightmare because of the potion? Or what if it wasn't a nightmare, but something going wrong with the potion in Hongbin's body?

He tried waking the fae again, but to no avail. Hongbin remained fast asleep, only not peacefully so.

Hakyeon panicked slightly. He had to make sure Hongbin wasn't actually being poisoned in his sleep by the potion… His hands landed on Hongbin's chest instinctively, but he hesitated as he remembered Hongbin's earlier remark about how invasive it was.

“I'm sorry, Bin-ah…” He whispered, before closing his eyes and pushing his magic forward, into his body.

What he found relieved him, though. There was nothing wrong with the potion, it wasn't doing anything but it's job, numbing Hongbin's pains and keeping him asleep. Of course, it also kept him trapped in his nightmare, and that was enough to make Hakyeon feel as guilty as if it was actually killing Hongbin. There was nothing he could do, though, until the effect of the potion wore off.

“I'm sorry, Hongbin. I really am…” He whispered again, one of his hands finding Hongbin's and the other threading through the fae’s hair. It was still rather short and uneven, from when the hunters had roughly shorn it off, but it was starting to grow out.

Hakyeon ground his teeth at the memories, remembering all too well the state the fae had been left in back then. And again now! How could anyone do something like this?!

The fae tugged on the hand Hakyeon was holding, and the sorcerer became aware that he was holding it too tightly, loosening his grip. Instantly, the fae relaxed, looking overall much calmer now. Maybe the nightmare was over now…

Hakyeon pushed the few locks that curled against the fae’s forehead back gently, marveling a little at the creature’s beauty before getting up. He hadn't gone far when the fae groaned in his sleep, and a frown was etched onto his face again.

Hakyeon sighed.

“Don't tell me you won't be able to sleep without me holding your hand now…”

He still made his way back to his side, though, not actually minding as he sat down and took Hongbin's hand back in his own. It did nothing to ease the fae's sleep.

Hakyeon tilted his head, wondering what it could have been that had eased Hongbin's nightmare before. If it was something he had done, at all, it could only have been one thing…

Tentatively, he reached out, sinking his free hand into Hongbin's hair again, playing with the soft strands. It didn't take long before the fae relaxed again, leaning into the touch in his sleep.

Hakyeon chuckled softly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me… Who knew…!”

He kept petting the fae’s hair, until his legs started going numb.

“Sorry, buddy, I can't keep sitting like this…” he groaned softly as he got up, stretching his legs. He hadn't made it completely over to the other couch yet when Hongbin huffed in his sleep again.

Looking around himself, Hakyeon picked up the book he’d been reading before and went back to the couch Hongbin was sleeping on, just starting to toss again.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here. Come on, scoot over a bit, will you?” Hakyeon mumbled softly, nudging the sleeping fae far enough down the couch to be able to sit down at the very end, too, from where he could comfortably play with Hongbin's hair as the fae slept.

Like before, Hongbin calmed down quickly, his breathing evening out into soft puffs and his body going lax under the blanket.

Hakyeon couldn't believe it, how quickly Hongbin reacted to his touch, how trusting he was in his sleep. He smiled softly at him, before eventually balancing his book on his lap and opening it with one hand to continue reading where he'd left off earlier.

Slowly, the daylight faded outside, and Hakyeon lit the magic lamps in the room. Hongbin stretched, adjusting his position, and ended up with his head in Hakyeon's lap.

Hakyeon raised an eyebrow, holding his book out of the way as he waited until Hongbin settled down again.

“I would never have pegged you for a cuddler… Shows how wrong one can be, huh?” Gently, he through Hongbin's hair again, watching his features relax, and then focused on the book once more, reading about the properties of strawflower roots and firepaper shapes.

He almost jumped when a soft voice, raspy from sleep, broke the silence eventually.

“You’re seriously damaging the reputation of your species right now, you know?”

Hakyeon found Hongbin blinking up at him through half-lidded eyes, and he couldn't hide a small smile, lifting his hand that had been holding the book to cover his mouth as his eyes widened and he gasped quietly in feigned shock.

“Oh no, what should I do?! How could you let this happen?!” His voice never went beyond a stage whisper, and Hongbin chuckled lightly, closing his eyes again before yawning.

“Did you make dinner?”

Hakyeon snorted softly.

“How was I supposed to, with you anchoring me down here?”

Hongbin hummed, but didn't answer.

“Are you hungry?” Hakyeon asked quietly, and Hongbin wrinkled his nose, eyes still closed.

“Not quite. Maybe in an hour or something…”

“Are leftovers ok?”

“Perfect.”

Hakyeon hummed quietly, readjusting his book as Hongbin threatened to drift off again. He was just getting into the text again when Hongbin huffed quietly, shifting slightly.

“Why did you stop…?” He mumbled unhappily, and Hakyeon lifted an eyebrow at him. Hongbin tilted his head back, looking up at Hakyeon, giving him a pleading look.

Hakyeon cocked his head questioningly, before lowering his hand to pet Hongbin's hair again. Content, the fairy closed his eyes again, and Hakyeon chuckled lightly.

“I’d never have thought you'd be so into… this.”

Hongbin sighed, never opening his eyes.

“Is that bad?”

Hakyeon shook his head.

“No. You might just need to take a shower and wash your hair soon if I keep this up. It's getting greasy.”

Hongbin hummed.

“I’ll do that… tomorrow, maybe.”

Hakyeon chuckled, threading his fingers through Hongbin's hair softly and pushing the resistant locks back again and again, until eventually Hongbin fell back asleep.

Hakyeon waited until the fae was truly fast asleep before scooting out from under him and off the couch, replacing his lap with a pillow under Hongbin's head. He stayed a little longer, making sure the fae was still sleeping soundly before he left for the kitchen to warm up the leftovers from earlier.

When he came back, Hongbin was still sleeping. He debated if he should wake him up already, but decided against it; the food was still too hot to eat straight away anyway. And Hongbin looked so peaceful, his hair a complete mess, but his expression so serene… He was truly beautiful.

He ended up sitting back down on the couch, brushing his hand through Hongbin's hair again; this time, to wake him up, slowly, though.

It worked, the fae starting to stir after a few minutes. He gave Hakyeon a questioning look once he’d blinked sleep away.

“Dinner is ready.” Hakyeon informed him quietly, and Hongbin shifted to sit up. Once he was sitting, Hakyeon passed him the bowl of soup.

“I'm eating here?”

Hakyeon nodded.

“The less you move around, the better. It's bad enough you have to get up the stairs again later.”

Hongbin hummed in answer as he started eating, and they stayed in silence until he finished. By the time Hakyeon returned after bringing the bowl back to the kitchen, the fae had already laid down again, thumbing through the book Hakyeon had been reading earlier.

“I never knew the shape of a component was important in a spell… How do you sorcerers even memorize all of this?” He scanned his eyes over a page filled with sketches of firepaper foldings.

“It's not always important. Just for some ingredients.”

Hongbin didn't answer, studying the step by step process to fold a swan.

“What does the folding do?”

Hakyeon leaned in, peering over Hongbin's shoulder at what he was looking at.

“In case of firepaper, you fold it into the shape you want it, and with a specific spell it comes alive. Say, you folded a swan, then the paper will turn into an actual life sized swan, undistinguishable from a real swan. With the exception that once it's fulfilled its purpose, it will combust without leaving a trace.”

Hongbin gaped at him.

“That's… cool. What can you use them for?”

“Everything, from helping around the house to send messages. Mostly they are used as spies, though, since we can choose to see through their eyes and hear with their ears. I read somewhere that back in the day they were used to defend or attack, too.”

Hongbin was amazed, continuing to flip through the pages.

“What do you use them for?”

Hakyeon shook his head.

“I don't.”

That made Hongbin look up in surprise.

“Why not? They seem quite useful.”

Hakyeon nodded, but there was a hint of sadness in his gaze that didn't quite meet Hongbin's.

“Firepaper is made of dragon skin, though. The skin of their wings, more precisely.”

Hongbin's eyes widened in horror, and he closed the book hastily.

“That is horrible! Why were you reading about that?!”

Hakyeon shook his head.

“I was researching ways to keep other sorcerers out of this forest. Or at least perfect my surveillance system to know when they come and where they are. I read the section about firepaper shapes, too, since just because I don't use it that doesn't mean others don't, either, and I like to know what I might want to watch out for one day.”

Hongbin shuddered, pushing the book far away from him.

“Do you only have books that are as gruesome as this one?”

Hakyeon shook his head again.

“No. Most of the books I found in this house are pretty gory, though, that's true. But I found one the other day about dragons, for example, that was really cute.”

A huff from Hongbin answered him.

“There is nothing cute about dragons.” He elaborated once he got a questioning look from Hakyeon. “They think they are better than everyone else, and that everything that's smaller than them is a toy. And since they love to be s to each other, too, especially fairies tend to get caught a lot in their stupid pranks.”

Hakyeon rose an eyebrow, intrigued.

“I read that they are especially sensitive to fairy dust, though…”

“That's exactly why we are caught up in their pranks. Because they degrade us to bags of itching powder.”

Hakyeon laughed out loud, but sobered up quickly upon seeing Hongbin's totally unamused glare.

“I'm sorry. I just found the idea kind of funny.”

“It's not funny when you get crushed to pieces in the process by their clumsy claws or sat on or squashed like a fly while trying to escape or anything of the sorts.” Hongbin almost growled, and Hakyeon cleared his throat.

“No, I guess not. That doesn't sound fun at all.”

He was interrupted by a yawn.

“Anyway. I don't think you’ll have to worry much about dragons over here. And, I need to go to sleep. And you should go sleep in a proper bed now, too. I'm sure this couch is going to give you more hell than your ribs eventually if you keep sleeping on it.”

Hongbin was well aware that Hakyeon was trying to switch topics, but he didn't mind at all. He got up after Hakyeon, following him to the stairs.

“Can you walk up there on your own? Or should I help you?”

Hongbin shrugged, then passed Hakyeon to climb the stairs first. He made it, but he was sure it hadn't been a good idea. Once the effect of the pain-numbing potion died down, he was sure he would feel the results of this recklessness tenfold.

“You should have said something, stubborn. It won't do you any good to exert yourself!” Hakyeon chastised lightly and ended up helping Hongbin to his room, where he collapsed on the bed; carefully, though.

“I doubt I will be able to sleep at all tonight, since I slept all day.”

Hakyeon shook his head lightly at him.

“Weren't you supposed to hibernate? Now would be a good time to catch up on that!”

Hongbin rolled his eyes at him.

“That's not how that works!”

Hakyeon chuckled regardless.

“What a shame. I’d offer you some books to read, but you won't like them. So, I don't know, looks like you’ll have to find another way to pass your time.”

Hongbin sighed.

“Can't I have more of the potion from earlier? That knocked me out good.”

Hakyeon shook his head, though, suddenly​ serious.

“No. It might trap you in another nightmare while I can't be there for you.”

“I’ll live, though. A nightmare isn't the end of the world.”

Hakyeon didn't budge.

“Still. No. Your nightmares will have you toss and turn and thrash about, and you will end up hurting yourself. Even though you can't feel them right now, that doesn't mean your wounds are fully healed yet. You’ll only worsen your situation.”

That made sense, as much as Hongbin didn't want to admit it.

“I guess a sleepless night it is, then…”

Hakyeon shrugged.

“You might be able to sleep after all if you just try or get too bored. I know I am about to pass out on my feet, so I’ll be going now. If you need anything, my room is down the hallway, the last on the right. Good night, Hongbin.”

Hongbin sighed.

“G’Night...”