Chapter 34: I once fell in love with you

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The afternoon was warm, maybe even a little bit too warm, and yet, Jonghyun shivered. He stood quiet and calm as he watched Taemin being led away through the maze of ponds by his nymph, and he sighed. Had he already upset the wood nymph when he had worked so hard all day to slowly befriend him? He wondered if he should refrain from touching Taemin in any way from then on. Had that even been what caused Jongin to pout? Was it that Jonghyun had taken Taemin a little bit away from him?

The sun was shining, even a little blinding at times, and yet, Jonghyun felt droplets of water falling on him. His eyes widened as he tilted his head up to look at the sky. There was a faint, gentle rain falling on him, and just when the elf prince realized what was happening, he felt a small, damp hand slide into his, lace their fingers together, and squeeze his palm.

Jonghyun closed his eyes and smiled. He giggled softly before he lowered his head to his right and saw Kibum looking back at him with pursed lips. He squeezed Kibum's hand in return and saw the nymph's face relax and brighten.

Without a word, Jonghyun took the nymph with him as he walked around the pound in front of them and towards the little path leading to the top of the hill. They walked in silence, the soft rain following them, moistening Jonghyun's hair and clearing his mind of worrying thoughts.

The view around the highest pond was stunning. They saw the waters of Mistburn reflecting the blue sky, the soft mist hovering around the nearby trees and forming cloud-like shades on the ponds. Kibum's rain made a lovely sound as it fell on the pond in front of them, creating little circles on the surface of the water. Jonghyun could have sworn that when the sun hit those raindrops at a particular angle, they shone in the most beautiful shade of blue green.

Jonghyun let go of Kibum's hand to sit on the ground and was soon imitated by the nymph. The elf prince took his shoes off, then his socks, and he pulled up his pants to mid-calf so he could put his feet in the water. For some reason, it made Kibum laugh. It reminded him of the time he met Minho and first learned about socks and clothes. Maybe there was something about elves loving to be barefoot. He quickly did just as Jonghyun had done, but folded his socks far more carefully, treating them far more preciously than the prince had.

Kibum set his feet in the water and moved them in slow circles. His right foot gently bumped Jonghyun's, and Kibum was prepared to pretend that it was an accident, but the elf prince didn't complain. He simply looked back at him with a smile, so the water nymph did it again.

"Are you okay?" Kibum asked softly.

"Yes, I am."

Kibum nodded to himself and sighed. He put his hands on his knees and looked at the water, searching for something to say. He noticed the difference all around Jonghyun, his colors twinkling, his aura changing; his elf prince was lost somewhere, deep in thought. Maybe it was selfish, but Kibum wanted him back. He wanted that ghostly aura to go away. He wanted Jonghyun with him, talking and laughing, all wrapped in deep green instead of lost somewhere else, thinking about someone else.

He didn't realize he was the one shifting away until he felt gentle fingers carding through his hair.

"What about you, Kibum?"

The water nymph looked back at him with wide eyes, but Jonghyun didn't withdraw his hand. Kibum's hair was so soft between his fingers. He continued them through the green and blue strands.

"I have a very good day," Kibum said slowly.

Jonghyun's hand fell to the nymph’s neck, but Kibum grabbed his wrist before the elf could completely pull back.

"Jeon-gyun... I ask something?"

Jonghyun hummed and lowered his eyes to Kibum's lap, where the nymph was playing with his fingers and tracing random lines on his palm. Their feet were still swaying and bumping into each other in the pond.

"You love Taemin?"

It was only a whisper, barely loud enough for Jonghyun to hear it.

"Yes," Jonghyun answered immediately.

He didn't really think about it until he felt Kibum freeze. His fingers felt cold in Jonghyun's palm. The soft rain stopped.

The nymph stared at the pond, biting his bottom lip, and Jonghyun shook his head slightly. His heart was panicking inside his chest.

"I care about him," Jonghyun said quickly, his hand fumbling with Kibum's to lace their fingers together again. "I love him the same way you love Jongin."

Jonghyun heard the nymph’s soft sigh of relief, and the hold he had on Kibum's hand tightened. His heart was beating fast, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Something was happening that made him both incredibly excited and completely terrified.

He felt a drop of water hit his nose, and he smiled, his head turning back to the nymph. Kibum was looking at him, his eyes a beautiful color somewhere between blue and grey.

"Like Jongin..." Kibum repeated, and Jonghyun nodded. "Jeon-gyun..."

"Yes?"

"The song about Kibum..."

Jonghyun saw Kibum's eyes darken slightly. The new color contrasted with how pale his face was in the most hypnotizing way.

"Yes?" Jonghyun asked again.

He felt breathless.

"I understand the song," Kibum sighed. "It is a love song, yes?"

Jonghyun couldn't speak. His voice had vanished into oblivion. He couldn't even remember what words were when Kibum was looking at him like that, those big, pleading eyes piercing his soul.

"Jeon-gyun... You love Kibum the way Kibum love Jongin?"

Jonghyun let out a small cough; it sounded more like a nervous laugh. His eyes lowered to their feet, which were still brushing against each other in the pond, and his heart was beating so loudly that he could hear it thundering in his temples.

"I'm sorry," Jonghyun whispered, "I don't."

Kibum blinked once, twice, and then frowned. He didn't want Jonghyun to love him the way he loved Jongin anyway, so he should be happy. But why was Jonghyun apologizing? Why did he make it sound like something bad? His mind was going haywire, filling with sad thoughts and heartbreaking scenarios. Jonghyun had to love him in another way. Jonghyun had to love him at least a little bit. Jinki couldn't have translated the song that badly. His fairy could speak and read Elvish really well. Kibum knew that.

"I am in love with you."

Kibum froze. He didn't dare make a sound. He didn't dare move. With wide eyes, he saw Jonghyun look back at him with the softest smile on his lips. The elf prince was looking at him in a peculiar way, his eyes darting between the nymph's lips, cheekbones, chin, and every little part of his face as if it were the first time he saw the nymph. When Jonghyun’s eyes finally met Kibum’s, the nymph’s heart was beating so fast that he felt like it was about to break out of his chest.

Kibum was so scared that he understood that sentence wrong. His lips trembled, but before he could try to ask Jonghyun what he meant by that, the elf prince spoke again.

"I'm sorry. I don’t think I’ve tried hard enough not to love you like this," Jonghyun whispered. His hand moved back to Kibum's face, cupping his cheek in his palm reverently. "It seemed pointless."

Kibum's cheeks reddened. He was struggling to understand Jonghyun, desperately trying to remember if he ever learned those words, if they could mean anything other than what he so badly wanted them to mean.

"I know I'm unworthy," Jonghyun continued in a low, pained voice, "and I'm not asking anything from you. Please forgive me."

Kibum clenched his teeth. He rested his hand on top of Jonghyun's, pressing it against his cheek as he huffed softly.

"What do you say, please? I do not understand."

Jonghyun blinked quickly as if he only then realized that his little monologue had been in vain. He blushed in embarrassment and sighed.

"I am in love with you," he said again, and Kibum's heart stopped. "It means-... It means that I love you the way Taemin loves Jongin."

Kibum gasped. For a second, he couldn't breathe at all. Jonghyun watched as the color in the nymph's eyes melted into transparency, so quickly that he could barely believe it. At the same time, they filled with tears.

"Why you say sorry?" Kibum croaked, his hand now holding Jonghyun's so tight that it was almost painful. "Why you say sorry?"

Jonghyun opened his mouth, trying to find easy words to explain the struggle he had found himself in during the past few weeks, maybe months. Kibum was a nymph, a deity, a holy child of the forest, and Jonghyun thought that his feelings, his longing, were inappropriate.

But Kibum was looking at him with such hopeful, adoring eyes, and his skin glowed with a soft blue aura. He then realized that the pond in front of them was shining with thousands of little blue sparkles that cascaded down the entire hill.

"I-..." Jonghyun whispered.

"I am in love with you too," Kibum suddenly cried out. His voice broke a little. "I love Jeon-gyun. I am not sorry. Please love Kibum and not are sorry."

Jonghyun was trembling, and he suddenly started laughing. It was a silly laugh of complete disbelief, but he couldn't stop.

"Why you laugh?" Kibum asked, frowning a little.

Jonghyun tried to speak, but he was giggling so much that he couldn't form words, and Kibum stared at him, feeling his heart burst with even more adoration at the sight of his elf's smile.

"Jeon-gyun? Why you laugh?"

"I'm happy," Jonghyun chuckled in between two fits of laughter.

Kibum smiled brightly, in turn, his whole body glowing even more as he shuffled closer to Jonghyun.

"We laugh?" he asked, giggling softly.

Jonghyun tried to turn so he was closer, but he lost his balance in his laughter, and with a dramatic gasp, he fell into the pond, his hold on Kibum's hand pulling the nymph in with him. Jonghyun flailed his limbs around in the water for a couple of seconds before a strong grip on his shirt brought him back up to the surface and helped him stand at walking depth as Kibum laughed his heart out.

Jonghyun coughed slightly and pushed his hair away from his forehead as he resumed giggling with the nymph.

"Dear Light, I'm sorry," he breathed out.

Kibum moved closer until he stood right in front of Jonghyun, his head tilted slightly to look at the elf.

"Do not sorry."

Jonghyun cupped Kibum's face in both of his hands, his thumbs gently Kibum's red cheeks as he looked at the precious nymph.

"I made you fall into the pond."

"I love water," Kibum whispered with a little smirk.

Jonghyun chuckled at that and nodded softly.

"But I got your clothes wet."

"I forgiv'."

"I'll lend you other clothes. Dry ones."

Kibum hummed and tilted his head forward, closer to Jonghyun's, until their noses almost touched.

"Jeon-gyun..."

"Yes?"

"I am in love with you for many time," he said shyly. "Many, many, many time. Please do not are sorry and only are in love with me."

Jonghyun's throat tightened to the point that it became impossible for him to speak. He simply nodded and watched as Kibum's transparent eyes filled with happiness. Then, very softly, as if he was scared that Kibum would vanish from his hold, Jonghyun leaned forward. Their noses bumped first. Kibum saw Jonghyun close his eyes, and he wondered if he should do the same, but he couldn't bring himself to stop looking at his prince. His eyes widened when he felt Jonghyun's plump lips against his own.

Jonghyun kissed him with a tenderness that made Kibum's heart soar. His eyes fluttered closed, and he was so grateful to Jongin for telling him how to kiss and be kissed properly, otherwise he might have been at a complete and utter loss.

Kibum gripped Jonghyun's shirt in his fists and kissed him back clumsily. He wasn't even sure he was doing it right, but Jonghyun didn't say anything or step back. He just kept pressing soft, sweet kisses to Kibum's lips, so the nymph assumed that he couldn't be doing it that poorly.

Jonghyun stopped thinking; he stopped worrying; he stopped wondering about right and wrong and just kissed Kibum until his heart and soul felt so light that he could have flown to the sky without the nymph's help.

Jonghyun's hands traveled down to Kibum's neck as he deepened the kiss, and the nymph was glad to be standing in a pond so the water could help him stay upright because his legs gave in when Jonghyun's tongue entered his mouth.

They were holding each other close at the edge of the pond, both oblivious to the mist enveloping them, to the beauty of the ponds around them that were shining in a fascinating shade of blue, to the sun very slowly beginning to descend in the sky.

Kibum felt like he would never get enough of Jonghyun's kisses. When they calmed down, and Jonghyun pressed one last kiss to Kibum's swollen lips, the nymph sighed happily. It took him a whole minute before he could bat his eyelashes open and look at Jonghyun's smiling face.

"Please, let us be this happy forever," Kibum whispered.

Jonghyun didn't hear him. He just saw Kibum's lips move almost imperceptibly and felt a shiver run down his spine.

The elf returned his eyes to Kibum's and bumped their noses together.

"I love it when you look at me like this," he confessed. "I love how you look when you're happy."

"I am happy when I am with you."

Jonghyun's face softened, but his smile faded slightly, and Kibum held him tighter.

"Kibum... you know how it is, right? With Taemin and Jongin... and us... it's complicated."

Kibum pursed his lips with a frown and tilted his head to kiss Jonghyun. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to face reality just then.

Jonghyun kissed him back then left quick pecks on Kibum's nose and cheeks.

"Kibum?"

"Yes," the nymph sighed. "I know. I do not care. Please."

Jonghyun nodded without another word. He figured that his guilt and worries could wait for a little while. Kibum did know what he was getting himself into, after all. He had seen his best friend dive into it first, so maybe, for now, at least during their little adventure, they could try not to worry, not to think about what awaited them. Maybe, for now, they could just bask in their love for each other.

Jonghyun almost said he was sorry before he remembered the way Kibum had asked him to stop apologizing. Instead, Jonghyun kissed the nymph again, and his heart melted when Kibum shifted closer and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Escaping to Nowhere at bedtime proved to be a lot easier than what Taemin would have thought.

When Jonghyun and Kibum got back to the little clearing in front of Mistburn where they had left their belongings, Taemin and Jongin were already there, cuddling under a tree. Jongin hadn't straightened up from where he lay, snuggling against Taemin's side while his elf pet his hair, but Taemin did. He saw Jonghyun and Kibum holding hands as they came back late when the sun was already setting.

Kibum was quick to pounce on Jongin and start babbling about everything that had happened on that beautiful, wonderful, magical day. He was still glowing, his eyes shining like diamonds as he shook Jongin's arm and sobbed in his ears. Meanwhile, Jonghyun had started setting up the camp, carefully avoiding Taemin's devious smirk and knowing gaze. As much as he wanted to tease his friend and fiancé, Taemin chose to let him be and, instead, took advantage of how flustered Jonghyun was to mention that he and Jongin wouldn't need a bed set up.

That was all it took for Jonghyun to look him in the eyes, finally, but the forest prince just blushed, nodded quickly, and put away the beddings he had prepared for them without a word. As he helped him prepare a small fire and some food, Taemin sat close to Jonghyun and nudged his elbow gently.

"I'm happy for you," he said simply.

Jonghyun looked back at him with a soft, shy smile, thanking him in a whisper before the two nymphs joined them, each snuggling up to their elf.

After dinner, Jongin was the one pulling Taemin away, insisting that Jonghyun and Kibum were far too absorbed in each other to notice them escaping anyway. He took Taemin by the hand and swiftly lead him between the trees, kissing his lover's protests away until the elf was quiet and clinging to his shoulders.

Their house in Nowhere was so quiet, as if it were waiting for them, Taemin thought. The smell of flowers was strong when they entered, the fragrance of roses and dahlias surrounding them and making the elf sigh in delight. When they reached the bed and Jongin pushed him onto the mattress with the fervor of a nymph in love, Taemin's eyes wandered to the ceiling, and he couldn't help but smile. Their house was still filled with flowers, sprouting everywhere, completely covering the ceiling, adorning the windows, clinging to pieces of furniture. There were petals all over the bed, which they brushed away absentmindedly as they both worked on undressing the elf. Taemin had been surprised by the flowers the first time they had come back to Nowhere after their first time making love. He was used to flowers blooming around Jongin when his nymph was happy, but they usually faded and disappeared after a few hours or overnight. But all the dahlias and roses that they made bloom together stayed, as a constant memory of every time Taemin made Jongin so happy that he was glowing under him, unable to remember how to speak Elvish. 

Jongin was eager that night. He couldn't stop kissing Taemin, his face, his neck, his shoulders, as he begged in soft murmurs for love, tenderness and attention. He couldn't get enough of Taemin, of the praises and confessions his elf whispered into his ears, of the way Taemin looked at him like he was his everything. Jongin felt that familiar suffocating longing in his whole body, in his heart and his lungs. He felt such an intoxicating need for Taemin to worship him, and his lover indulged him. Taemin made love to him until Jongin was sated, breathless on their bed.

They snuggled under the sheets, trading soft kises until they both drifted to sleep with the happiness of knowing that they would still be together the next day and the next night and many more days after that.

It was only during the next morning, as he slowly awoke with Jongin wrapped in his arms, as he the nymph's hair away from his sleeping face and looked at the newly bloomed set of golden dahlias on the beam near the bed, that something peculiar occurred to Taemin. His swollen cheeks were tinted pink as he remembered the previous night: the look on Jongin's face as Taemin gave him pleasure, the beauty of the nymph's body sprawled underneath his, the delicious feeling of Jongin's thighs tightening around his waist. In the middle of his flustered thoughts, Taemin also remembered the craving in his heart that he always tried to push away whenever he was intimate with Jongin. It had bothered Taemin that even when he had his nymph completely disheveled under him, Jongin was always perfectly quiet. And it was only then, as the nymph softly stirred against him, that Taemin realized something.

Jongin wasn't quiet. When his nymph opened his mouth in ecstasy and clawed at Taemin's back as they made love, he wasn't sighing. He might very well be , and Taemin simply couldn’t hear him. His nymph couldn't concentrate enough to talk in a tone that Taemin would hear.

His sudden understanding of the situation made Taemin's heart sink. He felt bitter, saddened, frustrated. It was unbearable to think that there was still a whole side of Jongin that he couldn't reach.

Then Jongin opened his eyes, smiling lazily at him, and Taemin chose to push those upsetting feelings away again. Taemin greeted his nymph with a kiss that made Jongin's toes curl, and they rolled around on the bed together with soft giggles, only appearing back in Mistburn when the morning had long since started.

Miles away from the two nymphs and their beloved elves, other friends found themselves in a little adventure of their own. Chanyeol's life had actually been turned completely upside down in the few weeks since Kyungsoo had decided to come live with him. It had initially been decided that the fairy would stay over for a couple of days, a week in the worst-case scenario, and yet, almost a month later, there he still was, sitting on top of Chanyeol's head, making the faun pick fruits, vegetables, and other aromatic herbs for dinner that night. They hadn't explicitly talked about it, but Chanyeol was far too happy about having company, especially Kyungsoo's, to say anything that might make the fairy think about leaving him. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was trying to pretend that he hadn't realized he had stayed over that long when he was actually perfectly aware of it. It turned out that Heechul still hadn't found him, which proved that Chanyeol's place was the perfect hiding spot, and the fairy might have been enjoying his stay, so he didn't see the point in leaving when he knew the faun was still thrilled about his presence, and Jongin was absent anyway and didn't need him.

It was the perfect set up. The benefits of having Kyungsoo staying with him seemed endless to Chanyeol. First, there was the fact that he liked not being alone, and the fairy was a very nice being not to be alone with. They could chat all the time, discussing matters of all kinds of importance, and Kyungsoo liked it when Chanyeol played music for him, sometimes even singing for him too. The fairy also liked to cook for both of them, didn't care if Chanyeol was a little messy sometimes, read him some of his books if Chanyeol asked nicely, and overall, was a lovely friend to the faun.

One of the most wonderful things that had happened, though, was that now that Kyungsoo was around, the other fauns had stopped picking on Chanyeol. They had tried at first, as they usually did, but as soon as they noticed the fairy sitting on Chanyeol's horns, all of his bullies had become extremely intrigued. It was quite uncommon for fairies to hang out with fauns, and everyone had been quite surprised. Plus, once the initial disbelief had vanished and the mockeries started again, Kyungsoo had stood up for him. Chanyeol had been quiet, shocked and overwhelmed when his fairy friend flew around the other fauns, grunting that they'd better behave if they didn't want to face problems because Kyungsoo knew the Lord of Fauns and he wouldn't hesitate to speak badly of all of them if they kept being, as he said, 'atrocious excuses of spirits, awful spawns of darkness,' and several other terrible names. It was mostly a lie because Kyungsoo didn't know the Lord of Fauns that well, but nobody had to know that. Even when the fauns had scattered away, Kyungsoo kept yelling, that time without lying, that he was even friends with Lord Baekhyun, Lord of the Nymphs, Almighty Ruler of the forest, and that Baekhyun would be incredibly disappointed in them and would curse them all if they kept being a pain in the for Chanyeol. That had been quite something.

After that incident, Chanyeol had cried out of gratitude, and Kyungsoo had made him some honey cookies to comfort him, and they never talked about it again.

But Chanyeol thought back on it quite often and found himself even more grateful to have crossed paths with Jongin, who had led him to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo wrapped his hand around a tuft of Chanyeol's hair and tugged on it gently, just enough so that the faun would straighten up and pay attention to him.

"Yes, Soo?"

"On your right," the fairy said, "there's some basil. Please pick some... It will taste great with our tomatoes."

Chanyeol hummed and squatted down to pick a few basil leaves as Kyungsoo had asked.

"You two make quite the pair, I see."

Chanyeol smiled, and Kyungsoo simply shrugged, glancing lazily toward Jongdae who was sitting on a rock nearby, eating nettles.

"You could say so," Kyungsoo answered vaguely.

"Has Heechul found you yet?"

The oldest fairy froze in place on Chanyeol's head and narrowed his eyes at Jongdae with a frown.

"No, and you better not tell him, or I swear on the forest-..."

"I won't, I won't," Jongdae immediately whined. "Dear Light, calm down."

Kyungsoo muttered something inaudible, then felt a large finger poking around until it found him and softly his back in what Chanyeol hoped was a soothing manner. The fairy sighed softly.

"I'm still not in the mood to see that nutcracker."

"I talked to him," Jongdae interrupted, earning himself a wary glance. "Or like... I tried. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind about the way he left Lord Baekhyun alone, but that fairy-... really... he just kept changing the subject and talking about all kinds of nonsense."

"That does sound very tiring," Chanyeol gently agreed.

Jongdae nodded a couple of times, staring at the faun with wide eyes.

"Don't bother him with that," Kyungsoo suddenly said.

His voice sounded distant, uncertain even. It took his two friends by surprise.

"What do you mean?" Jongdae asked.

He couldn't believe that Kyungsoo would be the one suddenly defending the fairy who he kept describing as the worst being that had ever been born in their forest.

"I've learned things," Kyungsoo sighed. "I don’t think you should insist on making him speak. He had a good reason to go to sleep."

Jongdae was so bewildered by the sudden turn of the conversation that he forgot about his nettles. Chanyeol sat in front of the youngest fairy, putting both of his hands to his head to pick up Kyungsoo and set him on his knee where he could see the fairy and softly pat his head.

"Are you alright, Kyungsoo?" Chanyeol asked in a whisper.

It was always a little difficult for him to follow and understand all of the fairies' worries and discussions. He was only a young faun, without any knowledge of the big, important things happening in the forest. Chanyeol didn't even know half of the people Kyungsoo mentioned when he was talking with his other friends, but that never stopped him from trying to support the fairy as best as he could, especially when his friend looked so upset.

"I went to see Baekhyun, as I told you I would," Kyungsoo told Jongdae, not really answering Chanyeol's question aside from the little squeeze he gave to the faun's thumb. "I finally heard the whole story."

Jongdae sniffed, wiggling on his in discomfort.

"May I know?"

He hoped Kyungsoo wouldn't push him away from the whole thing just because the older fairy happened to know Baekhyun better. After all, Jongdae had been the first one to worry about the nymph and try to help.

"Heechul is the most annoying fairy I've ever met, and I'm not ready to forgive him for the time he threw a bucket of water on me as I slept just to make sure I wasn't unconscious..." Kyungsoo grunted, "but he did annoy me to no end for a reason. Do you remember what Baekhyun told you about how I felt before Jongin's birth?"

Jongdae frowned and tried to put his memories together to find that conversation they had had. Chanyeol seemed completely at a loss, his eyes low on the ground, and it occurred to Jongdae that, maybe, Kyungsoo didn't want him to know that he had planned to go away. That was what Baekhyun told him. Before Jongin's birth, Kyungsoo had planned to go to sleep.

"Yes, I do."

"Heechul was worried about me. That's what Baekhyun told me. He didn't want me to go."

Jongdae gasped and hummed knowingly, nodding a couple of times as he suddenly remembered the very few times he had actually seen Heechul in the past few weeks, and how said fairy kept innocently asking how Kyungsoo was doing and not where he was. Jongdae had just assumed that Heechul was trying to find a way to bring Kyungsoo into the conversation and coax someone into giving up his exact location.

"Anyway he uh-... Baekhyun and Heechul, they tried many times to find Baekhyun's wizard. Baekhyun can't see where people are when they're outside of the forest, so they used magic over and over again to try to locate him, but to no avail. And then Heechul decided that they should try a certain spell, but he waited until Jongin was born because-... because of me, Baekhyun said. Because he wanted to keep an eye on me."

"Really?" Jongdae asked softly.

Kyungsoo coughed, looking all around himself in an attempt to avoid his friends' heavy stares.

"Once he made sure I was alright... after Jongin was born... they tried that spell, and it took all of Heechul's magic. He was completely drained and exhausted. That's why he had to sleep to recover. The spell didn't even work... but he did it for Baekhyun. He kept trying for centuries to bring the wizard back to him, but nothing’s worked. So... it probably seems rich coming from me when I'm still avoiding him, but don't be too hard on Heechul. It was Baekhyun's and his decision to try that spell even if they knew Heechul would have to be gone for a while after."

Silence fell between the three of them, and Jongdae pursed his lips, suddenly feeling extremely awkward. He wondered if Heechul or Baekhyun was upset with him for trying so hard to fix things when he knew so little. He felt stupid.

"Baekhyun said that he was grateful that you reminded him to wake up Heechul, though," Kyungsoo finally sighed, as if he had read Jongdae's mind.

"Did he?"

"Yes."

Jongdae smiled softly, nodding to himself.

"All that being said, Heechul remains an insufferable goblin, and his methods of caring for people are seriously questionable. And I don't want to see him," Kyungsoo suddenly puffed.

He tried to give himself some stability, straightening up on Chanyeol's knee.

"You don't have to then," Chanyeol said.

"Exactly."

Kyungsoo got up and dusted his pants before he flew back to the top of Chanyeol's head, finding the spot where the faun's hair was all flattened, and sat down.

"Now, let's go home. I have a tomato salad to prepare."

Chanyeol smiled brightly as he stood up and looked over to Jongdae.

"Do you want to come with us? Maybe we can all have dinner together."

The youngest fairy didn't pay attention to Kyungsoo's frown and grinned back at the faun.

"That's very sweet of you, Channie, but Minseok is waiting for me."

Jongdae got up and grabbed the large bag he had left nearby. He turned back and forth awkwardly until the straps were correctly situated on his shoulders and took off.

Chanyeol waved enthusiastically to the fairy as he departed, then turned around and softly hoped away. Kyungsoo looked back and shouted, loud enough for Jongdae to hear him as he was already flying back to Melalhil and Minseok.

"Fly safely! Be careful!"

He heard Jongdae laugh in the distance and sighed as he settled back on Chanyeol's head.

"Kyungsoo?"

The fairy hummed softly.

"Do you want to talk about something, or should I be quiet?"

Kyungsoo smiled, touched by his friend's concern, and gently tapped the faun's head.

"Actually, would you sing for me?"

Chanyeol straightened up and moved his bag full of vegetables out of the way so he could grab his harp. The bag was a gift from Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol was very proud of it. It was such a convenient thing to have when he wanted to pick some food.

"Yes, it would be my pleasure!"

Chanyeol's enchanting voice and music arose, filling the forest around them with magic and Kyungsoo's heart with happiness.

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My dears,

here it is! The new chapter!! You waited so long.......!! but the pinning is finally over uwu
I really hope I made the long Jongkey wait worth it ♥♥♥ 

Take care of yourself & I'll see you next time.