Title: Accidentally In Love

Pairing: Chasang

Related Chapter: 051, 055

Word Count: 975

Honestly, Hakyeon hadn’t meant for it to happen. He’d just wanted to do his job. And what was that job? Assisting the owner of the shop with whatever it was they needed. Sometimes that meant getting lunch for his master, other times it meant retrieving an item from a client who hadn’t paid. Whatever the task, he would do it without hesitation and with extreme efficiency. That was his job and he was good at it. Had to be after so many years.

And then his master had taken on Sanghyuk as an apprentice.

Thing were fine at first. This was all something that he’d gone through before after all. He would serve his master until Sanghyuk became the new owner and his new master. He’d done it hundreds of times, he had no problem doing it once more. As much as he would miss his master when his time ended, this was simply how things were. This was simply how things had always been. How they had been since the shop came into being and the first owner became his master.

Things stayed the same for a while – at least a year or two – before Hakyeon started to notice something was off. It took him ages to figure out what and when he did……he refused to believe it. His master had gotten a good laugh out of the whole thing, endlessly about it. Hakyeon would often yell at her for it, something that only made her laugh harder. When her laughter calmed, she would always tell him that it was alright. If he was in love with Sanghyuk, then it was ok. Hakyeon would ignore her most times, would fire back that he couldn’t be in love because it wasn’t in his nature other times.

When she had finally decided that it was time to turn ownership of the shop over to Sanghyuk, she’d told him those same words one last time before she’d gone to fine the deed to the shop. Hakyeon had still refused to believe that he could do something like fall in love, but knowing that those were her final words…….it made him start to wonder. After all, his master was so very smart. If she felt that love wasn’t against his nature, then she had to have a good reason. Maybe…….maybe he could love someone. Maybe he could love Sanghyuk.

When he felt the ownership shift to Sanghyuk, he’d cried.

He hadn’t done that in centuries.

Once his tears had dried, Hakyeon had decided to ignore the feelings growing inside his heart. He knew that his mas- his former master wouldn’t be happy, but he just…….he needed some time. He needed to think and now was not the time. Sanghyuk needed his help running the store. He promised that he would address his feelings once Sanghyuk had gotten everything under control.

The words had felt like a lie even within his own mind.

Hakyeon did eventually start to address them, though. It was when Wonsik had shown up. Seeing the bond between the black dog and the mage had irritated Hakyeon greatly. For weeks he had treated Wonsik badly until Sanghyuk had finally stepped in and demanded to know what was going on with him. Hakyeon tried to deny it, but Sanghyuk was not going to listen to his lies and forced the two fae to talk.

The forced confrontation worked. Hakyeon found Wonsik too sweet to hate and took to calling him ‘brother.’ It didn’t hurt that Wonsik made it clear that he only saw Sanghyuk as a master, maybe even a brother. With that sorted, Hakyeon finally had no excuse why he couldn’t address his feelings. He honestly didn’t know why he’d put it off for so long since the answer was so obvious.

He loved Sanghyuk.

He finally understood why his former master had laughed so hard when he refused the idea. Loving Sanghyuk was so nice. Maybe because Sanghyuk was so wonderful. Hakyeon found that he liked the warmth he felt when Sanghyuk smiled at him or laughed at something. Knowing that Sanghyuk was happy made him happy and Sanghyuk was almost always happy.

And then Taekwoon showed up.

The problem with Taekwoon couldn’t be solved like the one with Wonsik. Hakyeon didn’t envy their bond. No, his dislike for Taekwoon came from knowing what Taekwoon represented. A new owner for the shop. With just a few short words, Hakyeon could see the end coming. He knew that it would come one day, Sanghyuk wouldn’t always run the shop. But for it to end so soon after it started…….it wasn’t fair. He hadn’t even gotten one hundred years with Sanghyuk yet.

Wonsik shared his dislike as well as the reasons for it. Together, they made it clear to Taekwoon that it was not welcome in their home. Sanghyuk didn’t step in this time. He knew why they were angry and he felt that their feelings were valid. Knowing that, he didn’t think it his place to interfere. Taekwoon would have to be the one to calm them and he was. Taekwoon made it very clear to both that he would not take ownership of the shop, not now or ever. Owners had to stay with the shop and Taekwoon wanted to see the world.

Hakyeon’s hate started to fade with that knowledge, but trust didn’t start to form until after Taekwoon had saved Sanghyuk from a………. dissatisfied customer. After that, things went back to normal. Things went back to being happy. Hakyeon allowed himself to relax and enjoy the next hundred years. The only things to ever disrupt his peace were Taekwoon and Wonsik hounding him about confessing to Sanghyuk. Hakyeon was insistent that there was time, that he just wanted to relax a little bit longer.

And then Jaehwan started showing up.

A/N: well, Hakyeon, it’s not really Jaehwan’s fault. You dragged your for a hundred years.