It’s amazing how sometimes everything is too good to be true, like one of those fairy tales where the sky is blue, everyone are singing and the good beats the evil. When it is a dream of soft grass and laughter and the one you love, loves you back, but you never wake up because it is not a dream.

Running between tall trees, stumbling over rocks and slipping on wet grass felt oddly familiar, Chanyeol just couldn’t point out how. Baekhyun were smaller and faster than him, leaded the way but held his hand tight all the time. Except from when Chanyeol used his strength and pulled at the smaller so that he could wrap him in his arms to kiss him again.

The boy was intoxicating. The way his lips automatically pouted when expecting a kiss, the round, soft cheeks he could push his thumbs into and those eyes. It was impossible to look away. When Baekhyun looked at him, every single of the stars drizzled over his skin started to tingle. His heart had never felt this whole ever before.

Baekhyun fit perfectly in his arms. He wanted to come closer, he needed them to be closer. Each time one of his hands slid down to feel the soft curve of the others and his fingers curled around the base of the strong tail, jolts of electricity shot through his body before they exploded in his lower stomach.

Bright laughter pulled him out of the moment time after time. They had to continue, not that Chanyeol knew for what or where to. All he knew was that he wanted to be around his golden boy, that’s all that mattered. Even when a heavy door shut close behind his back, it took some time before Chanyeol felt the need to lift his head and have a look around.

Bright music bounced off the walls, mixed with high-pitched laughter and darker voices rumbling over the wooden floor. As his eyes started to adapt to the lack of daylight, he discovered how big the place was, large chandeliers draping the chamber in a soft light. Along the walls there were massive wooden dining tables packed with everything your heart and tongue could desire. The room was filled with all kind of creatures and humans, feasting, dancing, and simply having the night of their life.

No one lifted an eyebrow at Chanyeol taking place by the table Baekhyun had walked them over to. They simply greeted him and started sending him bowl after bowl of fruit, nuts and sweets. Never had he tasted fruit that sweet or nuts that crunchy. This was the perfect place on earth, had to be. As long as Baekhyun wanted him there, he would never leave and based on the hand resting in his lap, the one with a teasing pinkie that occasionally brushed over the most sensitive part of his body, he was not going to leave anytime soon.

Between mouthfuls of delicious food, his golden boy pointed and explained until all the names were blending together in Chanyeol’s brain, probably also caused by the never empty mug in his hand. At some point he zoomed out and started to watch, feel and just be. He had all the time in the world to get to know everyone.

Not far from their table, a boy was entertaining them with beautiful music. His voice was clear and smooth, the melodies happy and catchy. Song after song filled the air, displaced the noise from too many people gathered in one room. When he listened closer, some of them felt familiar. Where one song painted pictures of fields of grass and cows, another created pictures of children playing, of fireplaces and warm tea.

Memories started flashing in front of his open eyes, familiar faces, well-known places. Suddenly this didn’t feel like home at all, as if he couldn’t breathe. He needed answers, there were too many questions popping up.

“What’s wrong?” Baekhyun’s hand squeezed his under the table, the icy blue eyes finding his, making him breathe again. “You’re all tensing up. Don’t you like it here? Want to go home to our place?” His voice was soothing, a warm melody hiding underneath.

“What kind of hulder are you Baekhyun? Why didn’t you come visit, show us you were okay all this time?”

There were so many possibilities, his books told so many different stories. Nothing added up and the questions waited in line.

“Are you going to make me your slave and kill me if I disobey your wishes?”

“What?” The golden boy stiffened, dropped the hand he had been holding so lovingly.

“I’ve read about hulders like that! My books are filled with stories about them. If you can satisfy them ually, you get your life to keep, unless... “Without finishing his sentence, he searched for some kind of reaction in the others face.

Baekhyun shook his head and chuckled “I don’t know anyone like that around here”, but added “I know there are other forests than our, but except of Jongin, there is very little killing going on.”

“Jongin? The boy who saved me?” Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide.

“I know, so sweet and innocent, but then he shifts to Kai and travel around spellbinding people with his music, and I bet you’ve read enough to know he feeds on souls. If anyone is unpredictable around here, it’s him. One moment he is here, and the next he is far away.”

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Aaagggh, that smile. How would Chanyeol get the answers he needed when Baekhyun smiled like that? To distract himself, he grabbed the soft tip of the tail looping his waist, combed his fingers through the silky bundle of hair.  

“You’re a friendly hulder then? Supposed to watch after animals at a farm?”  

A hand came up to rest on his cheek, turned his head a little and forced Chanyeol to look him in the eyes again. “Like my mother you mean?”

“What?”

“Aaah, you haven’t done the math yet.” Baekhyun pinched his cheek and continued. “My mother used to be a hulder, but she dropped her tail to stay with my dad. My grandmother did too. You know them. Nothing bad runs in our blood.”

“How about Astrid?” Chanyeol felt confused. “She’s going back and forth? She’s a hulder, I swear I saw her tail.”

“Yes, she’s still looking”

“Looking for what? Why couldn’t you come visit like she does?”

Chanyeol felt so angry. If a hulder could travel like that, live among mortals then why had Baekhyun gone missing like that for years, ruined his best friend’s life?

“I couldn’t go back.” For the first time in their conversation, Baekhyun lowered his gaze.

“I stayed away from the pond for as long as I could. I knew it would me under the second I jumped in. I wanted to warn you, or give you a chance to understand why I was going away. I couldn’t stay for autumn and your religious ceremonies. I’m not human.”

Gently his hands were lifted off the tail and Chanyeol felt how tight the other held on to him.  

 “I couldn’t go back because I already had made someone mine. My only hope was trying to get them here.”

You had made someone your? How do you do that? Who is it?” Chanyeol swallowed. He might had been angry and confused, but he certainly didn’t like the thought of Baekhyun having someone else, someone special.

“You kiss them.” Baekhyun’s expression was soft, his eyes warmer than the usually silver-blue. “When a hulder falls in love, they can tie them together permanently with a kiss. So I did.”

“Who did you love then? Who did you kiss?”  Chanyeol stared at the boy in front of him, waiting for an answer that never came.

“Oh!.... Oooooh!”

Chanyeol jumped up from the bench, pushed the tail off, didn’t care that it hit the floor so hard it made Baekhyun hiss in pain. The feeling of betrayal made his brain boil and none of the smaller’s touches could calm him down.

“You made me yours? You knew all along and did all of this just to get me here? Not working Baek, not working. I need to tell my family I’m okay. You understand that?”

It made Baekhyun jump on his feet too. While Chanyeol more yelled than spoke, his voice was dark and serious. “You can’t go back.”

“I’ll swim the way I came, you people go back and forth all the time”

“You’re human. I need to take you”

“Then do!”

“I can’t”

“Why? Tell me why Baekhyun, because I don’t understand this. You caused me so much pain. I’m not doing that to my family.”

“Then I can’t come back here” A sigh at the end showed how he was tired of the argument already.

“So that’s it then? I need to stay because you don’t want to go? And it’s your fault in the first place, remember?”

The air stilled around them for a moment.

“Fine, that’s all I needed to know. You’re just as mendacious as the hulders in my books.”

Chanyeol backed off, pushed his way between bodies, eyes glued on Baekhyun, making sure the traitor didn’t dare follow. He let himself disappear in the crowd of partying creatures until he no longer could point out his friend or knew where their table was. Everything was spinning, people pushing him around, all voices blending until it was too much.

Someone suddenly gripped his arm and pulled him into a corner.

“Chanyeol! How nice to see you” Her eyes sparkled and he never knew he actually would be glad to see Astrid again.

“You’re looking a little lost. Here, have this” She shoved a cup of something into his hands and gently tugged at his arm until he sat down next to her.

“I need to go back home to tell people I’m okay. I can’t leave them like this.”

“Aaah. You have had flash backs. Now drink some more, please” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled cutely at him.

“Whatever” He downed his drink in one go and slammed the cup down on the table.

“I need to go back home, will you take me?”

“I could do that”

“You could? That’s wonderful. When? I’m ready when you are.” Chanyeol was on his feet already, had not a minute to waste.

“Calm down big boy. We haven’t agreed on my payment”

That stopped his movement and made his posture collapse. “Payment?”

Her bright laughter gave him the chills.

“I’ve seen your brother around a lot. I like him”

“Good. Then you might understand how I need to let him know I’m okay.” He held on to his little hope the best he could.

“Not what I had I mind. I’ll help you back if you help me make Sehun mine.”

Panic sets in every bone as her words are starting to make sense. “No, you can’t have that! Not him. How about that cute Kyungsoo-boy, or the oldest brother at the Kim-farm?” She couldn’t have his brother, never. Instead he spat out names of boys he didn’t like too much, or not as much as he liked his brother at least.

“Kyungsoo is cute and all and when I think about it, I could need a cook or a housekeeper, I’m lazy” Her eyes sparkled of ice blue crystals and for a moment it looked like she actually considered the suggestion Chanyeol had made.

“But a girl has her needs and you’re taken. I think your brother would make a nice toy”

He had heard enough. On wobbly feet he pushed past her and back into the chaotic crowd of dancing creatures. There had to be a door somewhere. He needed air but the room kept spinning, laughter surrounding him and making it impossible to escape.

“Psst! Here, this way”

At first he couldn’t point out where the sound came from, but at the “psst” were repeated several times, his eyes finally landed on the black haired boy with the pretty singing voice. The boy pulled him by his wrist, between warm bodies and out a well-hidden door. On the outside they both sank down next to the wall, the boy giving Chanyeol time to catch his breath and to stop his head from spinning.

“Hi, I’m Lay. You are new around here. Human?”

A lot had happened in just a short time and it took a while for Chanyeol to react to the name the boy used. Then it did and his eyes shut open. Without introducing himself or answering the question, he fired away his questions.

“Lay? You… you’re the one who went missing this winter? I thought you were dead.”

“I guess I’m that boy, yes”

“Omg! How can you be here when everyone at home are looking for you?”

“Jongin is taking good care of me. I made the decision myself”

“So, you like it here?”
“I was working long days at the farm, it was exhausting. Everything I wanted was to entertain, make music, sing and dance. Jongin gave me that.”

“Wow” Chanyeol had trouble believing what he heard, but after tonight, he understood there was a lot of stuff he didn’t understand.

“I’m curious” the boy continued. “You seemed so out of it. What happened?”

Chanyeol sighed. He wasn’t done organizing all of his thoughts or the happenings yet, but he could try. If someone would listen, he could try. Maybe then it would add up.

Nothing seemed to surprise Lay. He nodded and smiled, patted him reassuringly on the back from time to time. It felt good to tell. His story still didn’t make sense, but he had managed to word it.

“You need to make Baekhyun want to go back with you,” Lay suggested after a while.

Chanyeol grunted, messed up his hair with his hands.

”Don’t you think that was my first thought too?”

“I think I know how to”

Lay digged into his pocket and held out his hand carrying a small white amulet.

“Jongin gave this to me. It’s from the other side and it makes you remember. I don’t need it. I’m fine where I am. I gave my soul away, will never be able to return to the mortal world anyway.”

“How will this make Baekhyun take me back?”

“It won’t. But it will make you remember where you came from when you go back to face Baekhyun. Without it, his powers will be too strong, and you won’t remember your plan.”

“Which plan?” Chanyeol didn’t have any plan. Not that he was aware of.

“You need to make him remember and miss stuff from his past, and hulders are quite simple. Give him a taste of something he can’t live without. Make him want to follow you back”

“Good plan. Just one problem. I don’t have anything he want.”

Lay looked at him as if he was about to laugh him in the face. How could he find this funny? This was no plan, at all.

“Believe me, you have.” 

The boy let his hand slide down Chanyeol’s chest and stomach, a finger pointing down to his crotch.

“Oooh” Chanyeol blushed. Lay smiled triumphantly and patted his knee.

“Told you”

They sat like that for a little more, not talking much, but Chanyeol appreciated the company. Hope started to grow in his chest too. If the amulet did what told, and if Lay’s plan actually worked, then he was going back home in not too long. And Astrid would never get to have his brother. Never!