Luhan wasn't an early bird. Waking up early made him feel sick, and no matter the time he went to bed, he'd never wake up before the sun did. At least not on his own volition. Which explained why the first thing that wandered into his travel bag was always his trusty little alarm clock that he managed to deactivate within a split second of it going off. Luhan was convinced that this, too, was a proof of how much he hated getting up early, that being startled awake simply annoyed him into shutting up the annoying bells as quickly as he did. Though on this morning, he also hurried so as not to bother Minseok.

With a sigh, he placed the clock face down and stared at the ceiling. The first sun rays of the day were filtering in through the window, and Luhan blinked blearily.

He felt like . Definitely worse than usual. Not surprising, considering how little he had probably slept. In hindsight, staying up late into the night to clean some magical rosehip fruits with a witch didn't seem all that smart anymore.

Minseok had called this room a guest room when it was clearly just a small storage room with a mattress in one corner. Still, Luhan was feeling infinitely comfortable right now, the blanket and cushion thick and plush, generously filled with feathers and trying to coax him back to sleep. In response, Luhan threw the blanket back just a bit and lazily turned his head to the side and off the cushion. He stayed in this twisted position, staring at the ceiling, and then out the window. He'd pushed the mattress beneath it so he could see the stars at night, adding a bit of familiar comfort to an unknown place. Now that it was his second day waking up to the faintest scent of wood and something he'd guess to be tea-tree oil, he found that the novelty had worn off a little. At least he didn't feel terrified and insecure anymore. This was due, in part, to the fact that Minseok really didn't seem to harbour any ill intentions towards him, but Luhan had always been quick and easy to adapt to his environment. With a small huff, he sat up, staring absently at the black blotches marring his neck in the reflection off the glass cabinet across him. 

Who knew that even after so many years of stability, he was still very much capable of just grabbing his alarm clock and a set of clothes, and start to live somewhere else with no sign of homesickness whatsoever. It should probably be sad that he wasn’t attached to his home in the slightest but apparently, old habits died hard.

Sure, all of this was simply temporary, but it didn't feel alienating or awkward, so Luhan didn’t see anything bad about it. Luhan knew no so such thing as home sickness. He'd never lived with someone else though, so the fact that some other person was around him in the mornings or evenings was different, and it made him slightly nervous, simply because he wasn't used to it. It didn't seem to matter the previous day, when Minseok had been long gone when he woke up, but it clearly mattered now. When Luhan trudged out of the guest room, his clothes haphazardly thrown on, he locked gazes with Minseok, who was sitting by the table, spreading fruit jam on fresh bread rolls. He knew immediately that they were fresh because they smelled heavenly.

Unsure of what the correct social etiquette entailed, Luhan just stood there like an idiot.

"Morning," he hummed, somehow feeling that he had embarrassed himself within these two syllables already.

Minseok shot him a quick nod, looking wide awake, like the nightly potion-making session hadn't affected him in the slightest. He was wearing a simple, but perfectly ironed white dress shirt over black pants, which was a change from his usual attire, but only served to make him look even more expensive and put together - or maybe that was just Luhan having inappropriate thoughts about him. It was easy to look fancy with so much jewelry, he told himself on the way to the bathroom to wash up, but choosing to wear something as simple as a dress shirt was a sign of actual sophistication and modesty. This style of clothing was usually worn by scholars or other people who stood behind a stage rather than on it.

None of these thoughts were constructive or helpful as to how Luhan was supposed to act around him though. Sure, he should probably treat him like a normal person, but Luhan didn't know how people treated roommates. Was he supposed to talk to him or was it common courtesy to leave him alone? He'd also told him to help himself to food, but did that include the food on the table? What if Minseok made it for his own breakfast?

With a small groan Luhan dabbed his face dry with the small towel he had claimed for himself the previous day.

He was simply too tired to function and think clearly, so he could just as well give up on trying.

He walked back into the living area and towards the kitchen aisle. He grabbed himself a cup of water first. As he went to take the chair across from Minseok, he found the place had already been set. 

"Oh," he mumbled, and paused. His brain took about two seconds to catch up.

"Can I sit there?" he asked carefully, and Minseok raised a brow at him.

"I'm not seeing anyone else in here."

"Oh," Luhan said again, quite unintelligently, and sank into the chair. "I thought you might be expecting a visitor or something."

Minseok shot him a funny look, and Luhan felt embarrassed. He wasn't usually like this, he really wasn't. He was simply tired. And insecure. And the fact that Minseok was close enough for him to really see the faintest freckles spread across his face didn't help. The other was so gorgeous it was off-putting and next to his curly, perfectly messy hair, Luhan's head probably looked like a mop.

"When do you need to leave for work?" Minseok asked casually, closing the small book he had been reading. The table had clearly been built with only one person in mind, so the additional cutlery served for a tight fit and the book wandered off to a nearby shelf instead.

"Not sure," Luhan admitted, cutting open a bread roll. There was nice-looking cheese next to the fruit jam Minseok had used before, and a few slices of meat off to the side. He chose the cheese. "I need to start at eight. I still have the custom order to prepare."

"Right. Leave at half past seven," Minseok instructed calmly, and Luhan shot him a sceptical look.

"Where is this place right now?"

"It's always in the same place," Minseok shrugged, taking a sip of what looked like a cup of coffee. Luhan was just glad he didn't have to smell tea so early in the morning.

"Where the exit leads to, however... that one might differ. I can let you out south of the opera, that's the closest I can offer you."

"You can just pick a random place the door leads to?" Luhan asked, and Minseok remained ambiguous about it.

"Not a random place. There are options," he said evasively. Luhan was itching to ask further questions, but he was also pretty certain Minseok was not going to delve into the finer details of witchcraft with a stranger like him. Questions like "What else can you do" seemed extraordinarily stupid, as did asking about long it would take for the black markings to fade.

"Are you going out as well?"

When Minseok shot him a mildly questioning look, Luhan stalled his next bite.

"I mean. To... work. Or something."

Understanding bloomed on his face, and something about his gaze made Luhan feel underdressed. Subtly, he touched the corner of his mouth to check if there was anything stuck to it.

"Ah," Minseok hummed, still eyeing him up absently, like it was just something he did out of habit. "Yes, I have an appointment today. Two, actually. I might not be home tonight. Right."

With this, he tugged a slim, silver necklace over his head and undid the clasp. It had been hanging too low for Luhan to see the rings dangling off it, but now that Minseok placed one of them on the table, he could see that it was slim and silver, with a peculiar orange gemstone cut into a tiny square to fit the band.

"Wear this to find your way back," Minseok instructed, closing the necklace and letting the remaining two rings disappear into his shirt again.

Curiously, Luhan lifted the ring and put it on his left ring finger. It looked pretty and unusual, but not magical. It certainly didn't feel magical.

"I don't feel anything."

"Well, you're already here, are you not?" Minseok retorted, but he didn't sound particularly annoyed at Luhan's remark. "You might have to concentrate to activate it, but it'll lead you eventually. Don't lose it."

Luhan would have had a sarcastic comment for him if he wasn't so busy turning the ring to watch the stone shimmer in the light coming in from the ceiling. Meanwhile Minseok had gotten to his feet and grabbed something off the kitchen counter.

"Are you done?"

Startled into action, Luhan stuffed the remaining piece of bread into his mouth and hummed in agreement. He wasn't rich enough to own a pocket watch, but he didn't need one to know that he'd be late if he stalled much longer.

"Thanks for the food," he muttered, awkwardly carrying the plates and food over to the kitchenette, where Minseok told him to leave it.

Luhan threw on his long, flowy coat and the shawl, grabbed his bag and made his way to the door.

"Wait."

"Hm?" Luhan hummed, but Minseok only waved him over to where he was still standing at the kitchen counter. Unconsciously, Luhan touched the ring on his finger - he was still wearing it alright - and wondered whether he had done anything wrong.

Without a word, Minseok grabbed a familiar-looking bowl from the counter, swiftly stirring what looked like a yellow-ish cream.

"Are those yesterday’s rosehips?" Luhan asked. Instead of a reply, Minseok gestured for him to take off the shawl and reached over to untie the sloppily knotted ribbon keeping his coat closed. It felt a bit too intimate, the way the other's clever fingers undid the button too, slipping the coat over his shoulders until the black markings on his skin were on full display. He dipped two fingers into the cream and slowly smeared it over the sensitive, prickly skin.

Luhan would have been able to do this on his own, and he would have been able to point out just that, but currently, he just stood there, frozen into silence, his right hand digging uselessly into the shawl.

Minseok's gaze remained intense and focused, standing in stark contrast to how fluttery and nervous Luhan felt. Both the fingers and cream were cool, and it drowned out the itch as Minseok moved with deceptive care.

"They're moon fruits," he said quietly. "They need to be prepared away from sunlight in order to conceal magic. They'll cover up your mark."

"Oh," Luhan trailed off, ultimately closing his eyes and anchoring himself. He felt fingertips glide over the middle of his throat and off to the right side.

"Thank you," he added belatedly. It sounded a little too breathy, a little too heavy, so he added, "is it okay for me to know this stuff?"

The movement ceased, and his skin felt cool where the air fanned against the cream. Minseok let out a huff, and when Luhan opened his eyes, he looked faintly amused.

"You don't know anything. Don't worry about it."

Acting miffed was much easier than facing whatever else the witch made him feel, so Luhan did just that, rolled his eyes and turned away to check his appearance in the mirror. The cream was still absorbing, but his skin looked smooth and clean already.

He could see Minseok looking at him through the mirror, something entirely unreadable in his expression. It made him feel nervous, but tearing his gaze away seemed impossible even when their eyes met. He really wanted to look away, to hide, but something kept him rooted to the spot for a few seconds that felt like a small eternity.

Attraction. Yes, it must have been meaningless attraction.

Luhan wiped down an empty shelf with a damp rag, still every bit as lost in his thoughts as he had been in the morning.

He was no stranger to ual attraction and his looks usually opened doors whenever and wherever he wanted them to, but he hadn't expected someone like Minseok to be interested in him. After all, he was a witch. A powerful, young, handsome witch who could easily have anyone he desired. For some reason, Luhan had taken him as someone who was above carnal urges, and yet he was absolutely certain the other had been appraising him earlier. Though if he thought about it… Minseok always looked at him like that, gaze intense and heavy, flickering down his body or lingering on his lips. He just hadn't thought anything of it.
Not that the realization didn't make him feel uncomfortable or threatened - Minseok may be a witch and therefore morally shrewd, and he may be slightly arrogant and distant, but he'd shown nothing but respect for him so far. Even after only two days of knowing him, the idea of him suddenly turning into a predator was ridiculous.

Somewhow, you manage to think that despite him trying to strangle you when you first met, a quiet, unimpressed voice added. If it had been a person saying it, they'd be staring at him with their hands on their hips and their eyebrows raised, Luhan just knew it. With a sigh, he placed the rag on the bucket rim. Of course, it slipped into the water right away, splashing dirty water onto his pant legs. He shot the rag a half-hearted glare and grabbed a dry strip of cloth.

It was true, Minseok had even said it out loud a few hours earlier.

You know nothing.

He really didn't know anything, and attractive or not, Minseok was a witch. There was a reason regular people weren't this sharp or pretty or captivating. Everything had a price, and witches weren't known to be terrible people for nothing. Even if Minseok was only interested in his body, Luhan would be best advised to stay away. He didn't need anyone telling him that. He should keep his distance, wait until the black markings had faded and then hope to never see Minseok ever again.

Not too hard of a task, really.

Luhan had never been one to go looking for trouble.

It had just found him this time, and oh boy, was it tempting him. What wouldn't Luhan give to bed someone like Minseok? Who wouldn't jump at the opportunity?

What might he be like, in bed? He seemed like an intense, clever lover, who probably knew exactly how to play another body-

"Luhan?"

He flinched. Hard. Yixing only grew more worried at that, inching closer from the backroom, placing something on the counter.

"Are you alright?"

What a wonderful question - was he alright? Fantasizing about getting intimate with a witch? With a near stranger? Was he that desperate?

"Yeah. Of course I am," he muttered. "Just a little distracted."

He hadn't even been cleaning anymore, just staring absently at the cloth that he was now hastily re-folding to find another dry spot.

"Is that it?" Yixing trailed off, very obviously concerned.

The shelf had dried off all on its own, with the glass doors turning out slightly streaked. Luhan gave it a blank stare, and then gave up, hanging the cloth over a cupboard handle to dry. He’d clean it again soon enough, anyway. 

"Yeah. Didn't sleep well, sorry. Is anything wrong?" he asked, reaching for anything that might distract him from thinking of a gaze more piercing than a fine needle.

The doubtful look didn't disappear from Yixing's face as he reached for what turned out to be a newspaper.

"I've taken a look at yesterday's newspaper and read about the incident on the square."

"Oh?" Luhan asked carefully, unsure of how to react. He knew immediately that he was standing on thin ice with the way Yixing stared at him.

"It happened right when you went home, didn't it? I know you like to walk across the square," he trailed off, and Luhan swallowed. This was a cue he couldn't ignore.

"Yeah, I was there," he said as casually as he could muster. "Didn't see the entire thing though, because I was just passing through."

It wasn't exactly a lie, but Yixing's gaze remained probing and sceptic.

"I see... I read that there was a mass hallucination, and you've been acting strange the past two days," he said calmly. It was a loose, open statement asking for Luhan to fill the gaps, and best serve an explanation as to why he'd withheld the information in the first place. Luhan nodded, blinking rapidly as he tried to come up with a suitable reply.

"Yes, it was really... weird. I wasn't looking their way though, so I think it was less intense for me. Lots of lights and then everything went woozy. I'm fine though, it left nothing but a mild headache. It's all gone now."

Yixing kept staring at him, and Luhan forced his posture to relax, trying to look defeated and vulnerable.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I don't know why I didn't mention it. It was just really uncomfortable and I didn't want to think about it. I should have mentioned it right away."

It worked, at least partially - now the concern was etched even deeper into Yixing's features, but it had taken on a slightly different color.

"Don't apologize," he hurried to say, voice growing softer. "I was just worried and wanted to let you know I'm here for you."

"I know," Luhan hummed, subtly hiding the hand wearing Minseok's ring from his view. He felt positively miserable over keeping something from Yixing, who was easily the most important person in his life, who had given him a chance when no one else had.

Now Yixing was placing a hand on his shoulder, looking gentle, but oddly serious still.

"Good. Remember, even if it's a matter of life or death, you can trust me."

"You're so dramatic," Luhan laughed, breathy and forced, and when the wind chimes announced the arrival of a customer, Yixing finally turned his attention away from him and Luhan's shoulders sagged in relief.

Yixing knew something, or at the very least had a vague idea of what had caused his change of heart - Luhan could only hope that he wasn't onto Minseok already. Leave it to him to notice even the smallest details and make connections like that - there was simply no fooling him. And even trying to made Luhan feel ashamed.

He wanted to tell him everything, he really did, but involving Yixing into this would make him a possible target to witches and humans, and he didn't deserve that.

Unaware of his inner turmoil, Yixing was shooting their customers a practised smile.

"How can I help you?"

They were two people, one of them a police officer of a low rank, judging by the single, shiny gem beneath his collar. Luhan had never been nervous at the sight of a police officer, but now he was, feeling caught red-handed, secretly associating with a criminal. Half a step behind him stood a cloaked figure who lifted their hood to reveal a finely crafted blindfold covering their eyes, the tell-tale white eye in the center. A government witch.

"Ah, my friend here needs a tea to soothe her sore throat."

Luhan tensed up, trying his best to hide it. Minseok had asked for the exact same kind of tea. Could that really be a coincidence?

"Of course. Any preferences or allergies?" Yixing asked smoothly, already slipping past Luhan in a fluid motion. The officer didn't even ask the witch.

"None. Just make it as effective as possible, please."

Yixing hummed, and as he swiftly measured what Luhan knew was a fruity, sweet signature mix of his, he made easy, friendly small talk, because that's what he considered being well-mannered.

"We were just reading the paper, about the witch escaping recently."

Luhan half-heartedly wiped down the top of a cupboard, simply to pretend having something to do. Unlike police officers, the presence of government witches had always made him nervous. Not being able to look them in the eye was simply eerie, and government witches rarely talked in the presence of non-officials. Something about them was strangely inhuman, quietly fueling people's fear of witches. Looking at it in that moment, the difference between the witch at the counter and the two witches Luhan had met before was alienating, to say the least. Minseok in particular seemed elusive and mysterious, in a sharp, dangerous way, but there was no denying that he was full of life in ways this witch was not.

"Ah. Yes. We're still on the lookout for that one," the officer admitted with an unhappy sigh. "Apparently, last night’s finding could be traced back to him."

Yixing hummed in polite interest, and Luhan kept staring at the clean, wooden surface, pretending not to listen intently.

"Right, it will be another day until it's in the paper. We found a dead body last night, a civilian. Murdered."

Luhan felt his stomach twist.

"Looked like someone ripped a hole into him. It was nasty," the officer commented. How he could be so casual about it was beyond Luhan.

"Not the first case like that either."

"Why did he do that?" Yixing asked, and the officer shook his head.

"There ain't no reasoning with witches. They're mad in the head. Maybe he intended to use his organs for a ritual, maybe he was feeling bloodthirsty. Wouldn't be the first one. We're on to him though, it won't be much longer."

"Last night was when you found the victim?" Luhan piped up before he could help it. The witch was turning her head, slightly tilting it as she looked at him. It made him want to take his words back, but the officer was already giving him a confirming grunt.

"Bloody witch didn't even catch a break."

Last night, Minseok had been up with him, cleaning those moon fruits.

They were wrong.

"How do you know it's the same witch?" Luhan burst out, and this time, the regret was strong enough to send a cold shiver down his back. Yixing shot him a short, but meaningful look. The officer didn't seem suspicious as he leaned on the high counter and towards him.

"We know what we're doing. Trust me, kid," he assured him. The patronizing tone would usually make him bristle, but he had already talked too much. The witch wouldn't stop staring at him though, not while the tea was bagged, paid, and handed over. It was hard to tell, but the angle suggested that she was staring at his throat. There was simply no way to cover it up, so Luhan stood his ground, eyes on the counter until the door was pulled closed.

Yixing wordlessly unfolded an older order, placing it on the working surface for Luhan to see and prepare it with him. He didn't immediately jump him, but Luhan knew better than to think he'd let go of this, so he could just as well get this over with.

"I'm sorry."

He fully expected a gentle scolding about being nosy and potentially embarrassing the official, but to his surprise, Yixing only shot him a quick, inquisitive "What for?" and Luhan swallowed.

"For provoking the costumer? For being a bit insolent?"

It came out more like a question, he couldn't help it. That sort of behaviour wasn't unusual for Luhan though, so he hoped Yixing would let it go and not draw even more connections that would ensnare him.

"It's really not polite to question an officer's judgement," Yixing commented, tone strangely soft as he prepared measuring cups and other tools they needed. A distracted look to the paper told him that they were tasked to mix a luxurious tea for some noblewoman, one that put exotic taste before any medical effects.

Luhan kept his head low as he went through the motions of filling the order, prepared for the scolding to continue. It never did.

"They don't know whether it's the same witch," he said out of the blue, just when Luhan had begun to relax. "They always say this kind of things. Sounds better than saying that there's an unknown number of murderers on the loose."

Murderers. The word echoed around his head, leaving a numb trail behind. Luhan shifted uncomfortably.

"Is it truly realistic that every single witch kills people?"

"Of course not," Yixing replied easily, with the calm maturity no one else could keep when tackling such a taboo topic. "We don't know much about them, and we don't know the extent of their skills, but we do know that they are capable of taking lives. We also know that some are doing it, ruthlessly. Remember the incident three weeks ago?"

Luhan grimaced. Of course he did. Someone had been found burnt alive, the skin melted from the heat. Identifying the body had taken a long time. It had been a harmless civilian, some shoe store owner.

"All humans have the potential slumbering in them, of course," Yixing continued after a short pause, still not looking Luhan in the eye. "Humans are dark and distorted creatures by design, with our entire life being a careful struggle against our inborn flaws. Witchcraft seems to be nesting closer to that dark core though..."

"Probably," Luhan commented lowly when Yixing trailed off. He sometimes did that, losing himself in thoughts. Like usual, he found the way back.

"Of course that's just a theory," Yixing said, a little more decisively, snapping back into preparing the tea. "But the fact remains that witches are very dangerous."

"I know," Luhan sighed, because now the talk was turning back around to the initial scolding he'd been waiting for.

"You're a really smart person, Luhan," Yixing said seriously, pausing in his motion to look him straight in the eye. "Don't put yourself in danger. Listen closely and trust your instincts, okay?"

Many unsaid words floated between them, and Luhan swallowed down the lump in his throat.

"I will," he promised quietly, and after a moment of silence, Yixing finally smiled at him, gently directing their attention back to the order at hand. They continued their work as if the talk had never taken place because Yixing knew he had driven his point home. Luhan could see through Yixing’s motives with ease - they simply knew each other inside and out. And they both knew Luhan would be thinking about this, would take his words to heart and still hear them in his head when he returned to Minseok's home later that evening. 

The ring had indeed led him there, guiding him through the streets until he stood before an unfamiliar door. Inside, Minseok was sitting in the singular, small armchair, reading a book.

"Hi. I'm back," Luhan announced awkwardly. He received a curt nod in return before the other's eyes were back on the paper.

He paused in the doorway, unable to stop himself from staring at Minseok, trying to picture the other ripping a hole into someone's chest. The scary thing was that he wouldn't put it past him. He could picture it.

Minseok looked his way again, a questioning tick to his expression. Luhan swallowed, but didn't lower his gaze or back away. He had to know.

"Do you kill people?"

It sounded naive and Luhan internally cringed at the blunt, embarrassing way it sounded out loud. Instead of laughing or taunting him, Minseok simply stared at him in silence, expression carefully blank. When he finally seemed to decide on a reaction, it was accompanied by a slight tilt of his head indicating open, casual interest.

"Not usually. If you want someone dead, I'm probably not the first person to approach about it."

"So you did kill people in the past," Luhan pushed, not sure what he wanted the other to say, whether he even wanted a truthful answer. Minseok slowly lowered the book into his lap, not breaking eye contact.

"I don't kill for fun, if that's what you're aiming for. I try to avoid it but sometimes, it happens. Been years though."

"I'm not sure I understand," Luhan admitted, feeling a little inferior and confused.

"Then maybe you asked a question too complex for your current state of knowledge," Minseok replied evenly. He didn't seem overly upset, and Luhan sighed, still standing with his back to the door. Minseok was right. He really didn't know enough about what he was doing to be asking such questions.

"There was an officer and a witch at our store today," he began reluctantly. "They found someone with a hole in their chest last night. They said you did it."

Unfazed, Minseok reacted with a small shrug.

"You know what I did last night."

"I do."

It turned silent, but with Luhan not moving away from the door, the conversation wasn't over yet. He didn't dare look up and see the expression on Minseok's face.

"Last month, someone was burnt alive," he stated, and a small huff made him look up. Minseok looked slightly exasperated, a very mild reaction towards an incident this gruesome.

"Oh, yes, that. If you mess with Jongdae, you'll end up like that. Though to be fair, you need a special brand of presumptuousness to attack the capital's main patron."

Jongdae. That name again. The blacksmith Chanyeol had mentioned him before, making it sound like he was in a special relationship with Minseok.

"Patron?" Luhan asked carefully, but Minseok tutted almost soundlessly, shaking his head.

"Too complex again."

It should have maddened him and any other day, it probably would have, but the way he said it didn't feel condescending. It was almost gentle, like not receiving the answer to this question was in Luhan's best interest. Maybe he was being naive again. He'd been nothing but naive for the past two days, and he continued it now as he finally pushed himself off the door and walked towards the kitchenette.

"Have you eaten yet? Or is that too complex of a question, too?"

The atmosphere lightened up immediately, and Minseok followed along, a smile lingering on his lips and sneaking into his reply.

"That was a downgrade for sure, but I think you can handle that one."

"So?" Luhan asked again, already looking through the metal boxes in search of something edible.

"Not really."

Luhan rolled his eyes.

"The vaguest answer to such an easy question. I'm starting to think the issue doesn't lie with me."

He heard the other chuckle behind him. It made his heart skip a beat, switching off every alarm in his head. Luhan shook his head. He had to keep a hold of himself.

Yixing's words were still in the back of his mind, however.

Trust your instincts.

What if his instincts didn't pick up on any danger?

What if they told him to trust Minseok? It might be the end of him.

Luhan held his breath if only to stop himself from sighing and focused on his search for a potential dinner.

His thoughts were running in circles, and if he wasn't going to do anything about his situation, he might as well stop driving himself insane.

While he prepared himself a simple dinner, he occasionally caught Minseok staring, the book open, but mostly useless in his lap.

It should have been unnerving, but all he felt was a fluttery, prickly warmth that felt too nice to extinguish by force.