Sorry for taking so long my little kittens. First it was the holidays and working extra because the ladies were home and one of the other workers decided to go on vacation. Then I wasn't feeling well, then I was just stuck on how to write this. Hopefully it's worth the wait because the fun chapters are almost ready to start.

                After Jae and company’s capture, Yunho’s visit and revelations, and Heechul’s abrupt departure, the group at Feed Your Demons took a few days to settle themselves back into some kind of order. Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, and Jongwoon seemed the least affected, with the little multi-natured demon going about his business the way he always had, though perhaps with a bit more spring in his step since discovering his long-lost grandson, while Jongwoon was in charge of his and Yesung’s body as the weirdest of the three incubus residents recovered from his ordeal in the demon realms. As for Kyuhyun, he acted as though he hadn’t made a huge revelation about himself being an extraordinary hacker, bartending when the club was open, and doing paperwork or attending to his lovers the rest of the time.

                Jungsoo on the other hand was worried about his bondling. Leeteuk, who had always basked in the attention being a beautiful winged incubus that was unavailable gave him when Feed Your Demons was open, refused to be in charge of their body and the human liked attention but wasn’t quite as crazy about prancing around mostly and being ogled by patrons. It was what they were known for however, and he wasn’t interested in explaining probably dozens of times that his bondling was either sulking or depressed because of a “high-maintenance, commitment-phobic” , just because he wanted to wear a shirt. If Leeteuk was just sulking it was one thing, but if he was actually depressed, well Jungsoo didn’t think anyone had written a book on how to deal with depressed bonded incubi as their bondling.

                Despite their own problems, or lack in Ryeowook’s case, everyone was still concerned about Donghae and Hyukjae/Eunhyuk, or at least 2/3rds of them. The human half of the youngest bondling pair seemed okay for the most part, smiling more and being less harsh with his words, but the full human was constantly worn out attending to his incubus, who even two months after becoming an adult showed little improvement toward his system settling, being nearly always hungry, , or asleep. Ryeowook didn’t mind all the cooking for his grandson, but everyone could see Donghae really needed a break from .

                “We’re afraid Donghae’s going to keel over and die one of these days” Ryeowook informed Yunho on one of the elder’s weekly visits to see how Eunhyuk was doing and try to teach the young incubus about his family in the brief period between bouts of sleeping, eating, or . “we’ve tried suggesting maybe the Little One find other partners while Donghae recovers, strictly on a physical level with no feelings involved since we all know how he and Hyukjae feel, but the three of them wouldn’t hear of it. Donghae still hasn’t admitted he’s in love with them though and no one can figure out why. It’s obvious!”

                “From what you all have told me before, Donghae hasn’t had the best track record with people he’s said he’s loved. Maybe he’s just afraid of losing Hyukjae and Eunhyuk and may not even realize it. Plus, with his brother leaving and not making contact. Just be patient. Try to get Eunhyuk involved in things more to channel some of his energy. That may take the edge off his hormones or whatever it is. I suspect he’ll calm down after Donghae can admit his feelings. Get him dancing as much as possible at least. He’ll be too worn out for .”

                “We’ve tried that, as well as toys and suggesting ion, but so far not much has come of it.”

                “I’ll ask around and see if anyone else has any suggestions. You know it would probably be best for Eunhyuk and Hyukjae to undo the bond so I can take Eunhyuk home with me, but before you say anything I’m already aware it’s unlikely to happen. You know they will eventually have to either accept separation, love-bonds or not, or at the very least find one or more suitable partners here in the human realm so Eunhyuk can father children.”

                “I’m afraid I know no such thing. The Little One is one of those rare incubi that is not only strictly gay, but purely a bottom. He wouldn’t be able to perform even if they were willing to accept it. Besides, there are numerous children on both sides of his ancestry already so it’s not necessary to continue any of the family lines. If the three of them decide on children, well you know there are half-bloods out there that would benefit from that type of parenting.”

                It didn’t happen often since nearly all male demons were so careful when they had a female human partner, but occasionally an accident occurred, usually as the result of a broken but sometimes due to other, more violent reasons and a half demon/half human baby was the result. Because of the human half the resultant child was unable to bear being in the demon realms. If the demon parent was the mother it wasn’t an issue and there were more than a few instances of happy, long-term male human/female demon relationships, but if the mother were human the trauma of bringing a child that was half otherworldly was too much on her system. The baby, or even more rare babies was/were always born early and could usually survive, but the mother never did. If the father couldn’t or wouldn’t stay in the human realm and care for the child, he or she was placed in a special type of foster home to cater to his or her unique needs, but were also put up for adoption by a human/demon or half-blood couple. They were seldom taken however due to shortage of couples and even fewer wanting to take responsibility for the challenges such children represented.

                Yunho raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid you get no say in that. Eunhyuk will father children, not raise someone else’s mistakes.”

                “Eunhyuk will not father children if he doesn’t want to Grandfather Yunho, and I think that should be left up to him, his bondling, and their love” the young incubus’ voice broke into his grandfathers’ “discussion” that was really shaping into yet another argument about their mutual grandson’s future. The two older demons looked up to see a smiling, disheveled Eunhyuk wrapped around an equally smiling, disheveled Donghae. Both were shirtless and barefoot, wearing matching pajama bottoms and sporting nearly identical spots on their necks that had Ryeowook immediately bursting into laughter.

                “WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THE ELDERS ARE THOSE!?!” Yunho yelled, eyes riveted on the pair’s very new, very red marks.

                “What, these?” Eunhyuk asked “innocently,” gingerly touching his mark. “Donghae finally figured out he loves us so he and I became mates just now.” The young incubus held up his left hand, a simple band adorning the ring finger. “He also proposed to Hyukjae when he took over to tell Hae it took him long enough to figure out. He then turned our body back over since he didn’t want to deal with the pain, either of receiving the mating mark or talking to you. Anyone else he’s fine, he just doesn’t like dealing with “stupid demon politics” as he puts it. He’s right too. I want to know all about all my family and what my life was like before I was lost, but you treat me as some competition trophy rather than a real grandson, demanding I do this or that rather than just letting me live like Hae, Grandpa Wookie and Great-Grandpa Teukie, and everyone else here do. I spent well over a decade under one ’s thumb. I’m not about to take any more , even if you are my grandfather. I’ve got a lot of living to make up. I also have a human mate, so like it or not I can’t go to the demon realms. So you have two choices, either be civil and accept the life I choose, or please leave and we’ll find someone else who can help fill me in on my past.”

                “I knew I should’ve forced it when I had the chance but I didn’t want to risk your sanity. That’s gone already though. I hope you at least come to realize what a mistake you’ve made. There are ways to break a mating bond, and humans are pretty fragile creatures.”

                “Get out” Eunhyuk hissed, glaring at his grandfather. “How dare you threaten my mate?” Donghae and Ryeowook winced as the air in the room suddenly felt as though it were squeezing them, even as the temperature rapidly dropped.

                “I didn’t threaten, I gave a statement. Send me a message when you come to your senses rather than this childish temper tantrum.” Yunho bowed and left for the access point as the air pressure decreased rapidly enough everyone’s ears popped painfully.

                “Sorry about that Hae, Grandpa Wookie. I was trying not to lose my temper but I thought he’d be happy we finally settled things.”

                “Don’t worry about it Little One, so what changed? This morning Donghae was still hemming and hawing.”

                “Can we get some tea and strawberry cake while we talk?”

                Ryeowook chuckled and gently ruffled Eunhyuk’s already messy blonde hair. “Of course we can Little One.”

***

                Heechul shot up in bed, eyes wide and heart pounding. His dreams had become so real since he’d left Feed Your Demons so abruptly, he was never sure what was only fantasy. He d for his phone to check the time and date, and squinted in pain as too bright light hit his eyes. 3:02 am he thought after he was able to focus, and it’s only been two weeks since I left. Fishy wouldn’t mate with and become engaged to the monkeys without letting me know, right? I don’t know anything about what that Yunho would try to pull. He hesitated a moment, thumb over the text icon before sighing and setting the phone back down. He ran a finger under the red leather collar he now wore and glanced over at the young man who was sleeping beside him.

                Fishy was right. It was stupid of me to come here. I just don’t know how to tell him that, or that I want to come back as soon as Baek lets me. I don’t know if it’s even possible to face Leeteuk and Jungsoo after what I’ve done to them. It’s probably near Teuk’s feeding time so no doubt a sweet incubus like him has already found somebody else, hopefully more deserving of the two of them. I should just give up and offer myself to Baek already, though why he’d want a pathetic like me I don’t know.

                “And just what the hell are you doing awake Kim Heechul? I thought I told you to go to sleep” Byun Baekhyun, nearly nine years younger than Heechul, with a beautiful voice and cute little pixie face that actually reminded the older man of Ryeowook’s when he was in his human guise in terms of cuteness since they didn’t look anything alike, was more like the popular conception of demons than the actual demons he knew were. Well no, actually he wasn’t. He was just particular and demanding, but had also saved Heechul from his own stupidity at the cost of losing most of his right to make his own decisions beyond what he wanted to eat or wear. Well, except the damn collar which was itching up a storm and served as a reminder to think before he did anything to affect himself or others.

                “I was asleep. I had one of those dreams again, about Fishy and the others. I woke up and the collar really started itching but I don’t know why.”

                Baekhyun one of the bedside lamps, causing both men to squint. Once their eyes adjusted, he patted his lap. “Come here and let me look at your neck. Heechul scrambled to obey, carefully laying his head on the younger man’s legs and sighing in relief as the collar was removed.

                “It’s really irritated, and you’ve been sweating up a storm. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Baekhyun clicked his tongue, even as he reached for a package of aloe vera wipes and pulled one out and began gently wiping Heechul’s neck, which the older man found extremely soothing and sighed in relief.

                “I didn’t notice anything earlier, not until I woke up. This dream was even more real than the others. I’d been gone two months, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, and Jongwoon were more or less fine, but Yesung still hadn’t recovered, Leeteuk was depressed and Jungsoo didn’t know what to do about it, the monkeys had nearly killed Fishy with demands, and that Yunho was insisting Eunhyuk was going to have children.” Heechul had learned the hard way not to try and hide anything from Baekhyun, who had no qualms about disciplining him with a switch to his legs, starting from the night he’d arrived in the city, only to find out the job offer was a sham to lure him back into Hangeng’s clutches, as if Hannie wanting to talk hadn’t been enough. The Chinese man had changed a lot since his marriage, and not in a good way. His young wife, who might have been pretty if she hadn’t been dressed like a rag bag and looked so much like a beat dog, never once making eye contact, had been noticeably pregnant when he’d gone to what he’d thought was a restaurant or club to meet his ex, only to find out it was some sort of place for those who liked to give or receive pain. Heechul liked it rough and wasn’t averse to a little S&M, but had no interest in being forced into anything, especially with other unwilling participants like Hannie’s wife. He also refused to be passed around like a party favor, even more so after hearing the stories of what the monkeys had gone through.

                It had been Baekhyun, who happened to pass by the room and noticed something was off that stopped what would’ve amounted to a gang of both Heechul and the pregnant woman. The young man had swiftly disabled the dozen or so would-be participants and called the police, who carted the men off. He then held out his hands to the two that were almost victims. Hannie’s wife went to the hospital, and the last Heechul had heard she was arranging a flight for herself back to China, and demanding her family’s lawyers immediately start divorce proceedings and criminal charges. At least, he was pretty sure that’s what she’d been saying when he and Baekhyun had left her in her hospital room, but his Chinese was uncertain at best so he couldn’t be positive.

                As for Heechul himself, he’d found himself in a booth in a dumpy little Western-style diner with Baekhyun, eying his runny eggs and half-burnt bacon suspiciously before finding himself spilling out his entire life story to the younger man who had rescued him. It had taken hours, and many cups of weak, vinegary black coffee before he was finished, ending with how he’d left his lovers and his brother like the coward he was. Well, more like Donghae’s accurate description of “high-maintenance, commitment-phobic .”

                Baekhyun had a solution for his personality problems, if a rather unconventional one. They’d enter into a less dominant/submissive contract so he could learn to consider how his actions affected not only others, but himself. He wore the collar, not as a sign of ownership since Baek was nothing like the monkeys’ master had been, but as a tangible reminder that actions had consequences. He wasn’t used to leather around his neck so it had proved effective, at least until it had started itching. The pair moved into a long-term hotel near where Hyukjae and Eunhyuk had been imprisoned and volunteered at a homeless shelter and nearby soup kitchen. It was extremely hard for the diva, who was used to being a pampered, demanding princess only concerned about himself and Donghae, but after a few days of being switched on his legs like he was a little boy and meeting so many who had nothing, he was finally starting to understand how good he really had it. He heard all kinds of stories, from people losing everything when their homes burned down, to being tossed out for various reasons, to mental illness, to simple bad luck. The young men who had been disowned for being gay affected him the most, reminding him of the stories he’d heard from Hyukjae. He and Donghae had had their late parents’ money and each other, while the boys he saw scrabbling to survive had nothing and no one. He also met two or three older people who had known Hyukjae when he was a street kid and rent boy, and hearing about how he was now in a stable situation surrounded by people who cared for him caused them to weep tears of joy over one they’d thought lost years ago.

                “There. I think we’ll leave the collar off while your neck heals. Think you still need something, or do you think you can handle being without for a few days?” Baekhyun’s voice snapped Heechul out of his thoughts and once again he was aware of gentle fingers on his neck, rubbing in some type of cream that was cool and felt wonderfully soothing.

                “I’m not sure to be honest. What do you think?” Heechul twisted his body until he could look up at Baekhyun, who smiled.

                “I think you should try. I’ve always got cuffs if it turns out to be too soon. Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what your dream was about rather than just the summary, and what you were thinking about so hard?”

                So Heechul explained with as much detail as he could remember, adding in that he hadn’t really met Yunho at all so had no idea how he really was, and that the only thing he was actually positive had happened since he’d left was Eunhyuk and/or Hyukjae’s requests for strawberry cake.

                “I’ve never met anyone who loves sweets as much as those two. Even Fishy doesn’t go for chocolate the way the monkeys go for strawberry anything, and he has a huge sweet tooth.”

                “I’m not surprised. All those years of never being fed or cared for properly, and Eunhyuk’s body has a lot of catching up to do. Plus, demons love sweet things anyway. It’s part of their genetic make-up. Incubi are just more noticeable about it is all, especially the young ones.”

                “I didn’t know you knew anything about demons Baek.”

                Baekhyun laughed. “I know a lot about demons Heechul. I never told you I’m half demon? My parents are half demons as well, but my grandmother on Dad’s side and grandfather on Mom’s are full demons. There was an accident with a broken , so Grandpa raised Mom on his own. I’m also not unfamiliar with Feed Your Demons. I’ve been there several times doing research to help human/demon relations. Some friends of mine also perform there. That’s an odd group of demons and humans and I’m never quite sure who is sleeping with whom. Kyungsoo is full demon and looks like a surprised owl, Kai/Jongin are a young incubus/human pairing, Taemin claims to be human but I swear acts more demonic than the demons, and I have no idea what the hell Kibum is besides pretty.

                “Owl, owl, I think I’ve seen them before. I’m pretty sure they were there the first time Fishy and I went, and they’ve been a couple times since he moved in with the monkeys.”

                “They’re performing again this weekend and I promised I’d go watch. I want you to come with me. You haven’t contacted anyone since you left have you? They deserve to know you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere, and you owe everyone an apology. I’m not saying you have to stay since I don’t think you’re ready for that, but you can do that much.”

                “Do I have to?”

                “Yes. Now go to sleep if your neck is better.”

                Heechul tried to obey, but ended up tossing and turning until Baekhyun pulled him against his chest. He then lay awake the rest of the night listening to the younger man’s heartbeat and breathing and trying not to panic at the thought of facing everyone so soon. He moved sluggishly through the next few days, trying to keep a cheerful smile while he was working so he wouldn’t bring anyone else down, but lack of sleep made it hard. It was almost a relief when Friday morning came and he and Baekhyun were loading their suitcases into the back of the younger man’s small car. Heechul laid his head on Baek’s shoulder, collar once again in place, and thought of what he was going to say when he saw everyone. He wasn’t so worried about Ryeowook and his lovers or even the monkeys. Donghae and Leeteuk/Jungsoo were another matter. He had no way of knowing how badly he’d hurt the people he loved most. He’d always loved his brother, but nearly three weeks apart and many conversations with Baekhyun had made the older man realize what he really felt for the bondlings, maybe even more so than he ever felt for Zhoumi.

                “It’s about damn time you came home you idiot” was Henry’s greeting to Heechul before Kangin started fastening his and Baekhyun’s bracelets. “Where did you find him and has he learned his lesson yet?” the bouncer addressed the younger man, who just smiled.

                “He’s learning. That’s part of why we’re here tonight so he can start his next set of lessons. I found him in a tight spot and well he really did need my brand of treatment.”

                Henry laughed and ruffled Baekhyun’s hair. “Are you sure you’re not full demon. Well, you two came on an excellent night. Your friends are the warmup this time. Wait until you see the main show.”

                “Sounds exciting. Well, come on Heechul. Let’s go find seats.”