Jeonghan has more questions than he has answers.

He doesn't mind as much as he should because he has Jihoon's phone number. He finally has his number! It took him over four years, but he has it!

"Whoa, what's up with you?" Hansol asks, "You've got this stupid grin on your face. You look real dumb."

Jeonghan's smile immediately vanishes, "What do you need?"

"I need your boss to sign these papers - "

"Then tell him."

"Hey, he's not from my department."

"Well, I'm not his secretary so."

"I didn't come all the way down here just for you to - "

"It's only two floors."

"You know he hates me."

"His secretary doesn't. Ask her to tell him."

Hansol scowls at him, "She'll wanna make me take her out on a date."

"Then ask him yourself. It's work. He has to sign the papers." Jeonghan replies, "You've been working here for, like, three years. Get your together."

"I ing hate you." Hansol hisses, "Can't you help me out just once?"

Jeonghan rolls his eyes and turns back to his monitor, ignoring the huff Hansol lets out before he stomps away.

It doesn't matter if his co-workers are annoying sometimes, he has Jihoon's number and he's going to visit Jeonghan when he gets out of work!

"He's right, you know. That smile does make you look dumb."

"I can't get some peace, can I?" Jeonghan snaps, turning to look at Joshua, "What do you need?"

"Nothing." Joshua shrugs, walking past Jeonghan's desk to get to his own. "Just wanted to tell you how dumb you look."

Jeonghan holds back a groan.

-

Jeonghan is getting his keys out of his pocket when Jiwoo makes her presence known.

"Good afternoon."

Jeonghan startles so bad he drops his keys.

So quiet, I never hear her coming.

He turns around to greet Jiwoo, but all words die at the tip of his tongue.

Jiwoo turns to look behind her like she's surprised that Jeonghan is reacting to her this way, like she doesn't know how beautiful she is and like she doesn't know that whoever looks at her would be rendered speechless.

She's wearing a silver tulle dress that ends at her knees. The corset top of the dress is sheer and Jeonghan can see the milky skin of her stomach. There's silver glittering around and on her ears. Her hair is in a half up, half down updo. She has her stars in her hair again, holding her platinum blonde hair in place.

She looks like a princess.

She's cradling a grey jar and staring at him with grey eyes.

"... I like your stars." Jeonghan chokes out.

Jiwoo's lips (a light pink color that glistens) twitch in amusement, tapping her fingernails against the jar and Jeonghan feels his shoulders relax.

"Thank you." She says with her usual straight face, "May I have some flour?"

Jeonghan blinks, trying to remember what he was about to do before Jiwoo showed up.

"Uh, gimme a sec." Jeonghan stoops to grab his keys. He fumbles with them for a second before he pauses in thought, "I actually don't think I have flour."

"You do." Jiwoo replies.

"I haven't bought flour in a long time. I'm pretty sure I don't - "

"You do have flour. I saw it yesterday when you gave me the cinnamon." Jiwoo insists, brows furrowed.

"Oh." Jeonghan says, blinking as he thinks about the day before. He can't remember seeing flour, but... "Well, it doesn't hurt to check, does it?"

Jeonghan opens his door and turns to invite Jiwoo in when Jihoon pops into his mind. He's been stressed the whole day, how could he forget?

Don't let her in.

"Let me get the flour for you." Jeonghan says, extending his hand to grab the jar in Jiwoo's grip. "I'll be right back."

Jiwoo frowns, taking a step back. She hold the jar against her tightly. She seems surprised at Jeonghan's offer, "It's rude to let people wait outside, don't you think?"

And it is rude, isn't it? She should definitely come in with him especially since the sun is so harsh outside. It's hot and Jiwoo shouldn't sweat while waiting for him.

Jeonghan steps aside to let her in and she smiles at him and oh -

His heart skips a beat. Jeonghan wants to kiss the back of her hand and feel her fingers run through his hair as she praises him for being polite.

It's the first real smile Jiwoo has given him and he suddenly understands why she doesn't smile much.

The whole world would fall at her feet if she did.

"Excuse me."

Jeonghan blinks as Jiwoo's smile turns into a sour scowl, eyes trailing from the hand that is wrapped around Jiwoo's arm to prevent her from taking a step forward up a solid arm to broad shoulders to Jihoon's pretty face.

He pulls Jiwoo away so he can step into Jeonghan's home.

"You are not welcomed here." Jihoon says beside him. "Not now, not ever."

"Nice try." Jiwoo says, "But he has to say it."

"Okay." Jihoon looks up at Jeonghan with hard eyes, hand wrapping around his wrist in warning, "Tell her."

"Hm?" Jeonghan his lips, face burning from both their gazes. "I wasn't quite - ?"

"She's not welcomed here, right?" Jihoon insists.

"Oh, that's - "

"Of course he doesn't agree to that!" Jiwoo scoffs, taking a step forward, "We're friends! We're neighbors! I mean him no harm today and he knows that." She extends a hand out to him, never quite crossing the threshold of his home. "There isn't a problem if I come in, right?"

And there is no problem, is there? She hasn't hurt anyone at all, least of all him. All she's done is ask for a little sugar, a little salt, a little cinnamon. She's not harmful in the -

"Jeonghan." Jihoon snaps, "Tell her she's not welcomed here."

Jeonghan startles, looking away from Jiwoo. He looks down at his shoes and he feels intimidated by the two beautiful people in front of him.

One holding onto his wrist and the other one reaching out to him.

"Sorry, you're not welcomed here today."

Jiwoo pulls back, glaring at Jihoon and turning to stare at Jeonghan with disapproval. Her pink lips are pursed in disappointment.

"Alright. Fine."

Jeonghan weakly waves goodbye, watching as she walks away. Her stars twinkle at him sadly, her dress flutters angrily. The sound of her heels ring louder in his ears than they really are.

"That was close." Jihoon says, pulling Jeonghan further into his home. He slams the door shut and glares up at him, "What were you thinking?"

"She has a beautiful smile." Jeonghan says dazedly. Jihoon glares harder. "I'm sorry! I forgot what we talked about yesterday. My bad."

"Listen, I know she's attractive but you gotta snap out of it. She cannot come into your home. She is not welcomed here. It's for your own good."

"But why? What has she been doing?"

"She wants to keep you."

"What does that mean?" Jihoon sets down a bag Jeonghan hadn't noticed before. Jeonghan grimaces when he realizes they're still standing at the entrance of his home. "Oh, sorry. Let's take a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

Jeonghan leads Jihoon into the living room and Jihoon takes a seat, "Just some water, please."

When Jeonghan comes back, Jihoon has a journal and a marker on the coffee table.

"Here." Jeonghan says, handing him a glass of water, "Can I know what's going on?"

"Jiwoo is a demon that enslaves men. Men who appeal to her." Jihoon says bluntly after taking a sip of water, "And you are her next target."

Jeonghan blinks, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"How do you know?"

"She's been around for centuries. She's a big deal. I don't know how she found out about you. Or - or this neighborhood, considering I put up some solid protection, but nobody's perfect I guess."

Jihoon waits for Jeonghan to react but all Jeonghan does is stare.

"I'm not joking." Jihoon says at last.

"Oh." Jeonghan breathes out, panic building in him, "I was, uh, hoping you were."

"Well, I'm not." Jihoon says, flipping his journal open. "It's true and I'm here to add protection to you and your home."

Jihoon stops at a page with a sigil in it, "I have to draw this underneath your doormat. I drew one under mine and now Matthew can't step into my home. This should hold Jiwoo back for a day or two, but I gotta find something stronger. I'll have to ask around. Maybe Soonyoung has something. Or his boyfriend, Hansol."

Hansol? What does - wait, Jihoon knows him? Oh, no. Also, Hansol knows these types of things? Sigils and demons? What is he, a witch?

"Wait, Hansol?" Jeonghan says, mind still reeling. "Hansol Chwe?"

"Yeah, do you know him?" Jihoon asks, rising to his feet. He has a sharpie in one hand and a box cutter in the other.

"Yeah, he's my co-worker."

"Small world. He's my friend." Jihoon says, "You know his boyfriend too?"

"No. I thought he was straight."

"We all do at first." Jihoon leads Jeonghan outside. He kneels in front of his door mat, uncapping the sharpie and starting to trace the sigil from memory. "Since he doesn't talk about himself much and girls seem to flock to him because of how he... is. It's easy to assume."

Jeonghan feels a little guilty, since he never made the effort to get to know Hansol. But can you blame him? Hansol is a brat. Jeonghan never really wanted to get to know him after Hansol, on his first week on the job, called him an airhead.

It stung and it still does because Jeonghan can hold a hell of a grudge and because he's not an airhead. He just gets distracted with pretty people and that week they had a whole new bunch of employees and they were all pretty, Hansol included, and Jeonghan made a fool of himself often because of it.

Jihoon begins to carve the sigil on the wood planks of Jeonghan's porch and it makes Jeonghan snap back to reality.

"So, uh, will I stop hearing the hooves?"

"No. She's still after you, but she can't come in. She'll find a way around it eventually, but by then I'll have something, hopefully, permanent so she can't get her disgusting hands on you anymore."

Jihoon says it with a tone so sour Jeonghan wonders if he's - no, Jeonghan won't think about it.

Jihoon carves deeper and harder, muttering under his breath, not looking up at all - which is good because Jeonghan is staring at the way his shoulders roll, the way the muscles on his arm flex and the way sweat drips down the side of his face because wow, it's hot today isn't it?

"Coming in where she doesn't belong. Touching what she doesn't own. How dare she." Jihoon says, looking up at Jeonghan at last. Jeonghan burns red and Jihoon does too, blinking like he just realized what he said.

"You must - you really love this neighborhood, huh?" Jeonghan asks, voice cracking like a ing middle schooler.

"Um," Jihoon says, looking back down at the carving, "Yeah, I guess. I really like this neighbor... hood. So. Of course I wanna keep it safe." Jihoon shrugs, ears red and Jeonghan has to take deep breaths to calm his heart down.

ing breathe. Breathe!

He takes a step back and wipes sweat off his forehead, "I'm gonna change into something more comfortable, I'll be right back."

Jihoon nods, brushing shavings away absentmindedly.

Jeonghan retreats into his bedroom, punches his pillows in embarrassment and holds back the urge to scream. He flops down onto his bed and kicks out like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

You're imagining things, that was not - it was nothing. I don't think it was... Was it? It could be, right? Was there... tension? No. No. Maybe? No... There was though! .

God, Jeonghan hopes there was tension.

Jeonghan changes and splashes cold water on his face before heading out to join Jihoon with his abandoned glass of water, now with ice cubes.

"Here. Since it's hot out." Jeonghan says, watching as Jihoon drinks.

Wet, slick, drops, skin, throat. God, what the .

Jihoon his lips and sets the cup down with a smile.

Smile. Look at his smile, his eyes and arms and hands - God. What the  .

"So, how's the - the carving going?"

"Almost done." Jihoon says, carving away. "I'll get to you next."

"Me? Wha - what are you - "

What are you going to do to me? Shut up, you'll sound stupid. Shut up. God. What the  .

"Oh. Just, you know, draw on your back." Jihoon brushes the last of the shavings away and replaces the door mat. "I'll sweep that."

"Don't worry about that." Jeonghan says, "It'll be blown away or something. Or I'll do it some other time."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

"It's fine, just - it's fine, really."

Just let me take my shirt off in front of you. Wait, do I smell bad? Am I sweaty? .

"Wait, let me shower before you start drawing on - "

"Nah, it's fine. Even better with sweat, I say."Jihoon reassures him with the wave of a hand. He steps into Jeonghan's home, closing the door behind him and Jeonghan feels cornered in a way that makes his knees tremble with want. "Makes things a lot more... solid. Since it's taking you in."

God, what the !

"Hah. That's - that's true, I guess. Um, just, ahaha, taking me in, huh?"

Jihoon looks at him and God, Jeonghan hopes he's not imagining the way Jihoon's eyes darken as he steps even closer, "Staking a claim on you. This is mine to protect. Nobody can touch this. Nobody, but me."

Jeonghan is frothing at the mouth at this point, body trembling with excitement. He can feel Jihoon's breath hitting his cheek and his eyes start to flutter shut as he leans down, trying to meet Jihoon in the middle.

Somebody knocks. Hard and loud.

"!" Jeonghan yells, jerking back and away from Jihoon. He's red with anger and stomps to the door, jerking it open to come face to face with Michelle. Some of his anger drains away but irritation still lingers. Irritation that he tries to hide because Michelle did nothing wrong. Bad timing is all.

Michelle hands him a slice of cake, oblivious to the reason as to why his face is as red as Jihoon's.

"Jeonghan! I heard you made  miracles happen this week." Is the first thing she says. Jeonghan lets her slip in and then she finally notices Jihoon. "Jihoon, nice to see you here! I didn't know you guys were friends, too."

"Ha!" Jihoon barks out, "Yeah. I guess we never made it too obvious. That we're friends."

Jeonghan curls his hands into fists and takes deep breaths.

He likes the way Jihoon is confident and cool as hell, how he does things with no hesitation. Like walk into his home and look up at him and tell him what to tell Jiwoo, his willingness to help Jeonghan out even if they don't talk much, the way he smiles with kindness at him or at Michelle or her kids, but glares at Jiwoo like she's trying to take him away. Which apparently she is, but why does that bother Jihoon? Is it because he likes him back or because he's just that kind? Either way, it makes Jeonghan's heat boil with need because kind people are so, so attractive.

Jeonghan likes the way Jihoon always stoops down to pet the neighborhood cats that always seem to stray to his house, he likes the way he always goes out into his lawn to greet his visitors, already waving before they even pull into his driveway. He likes the way Jihoon always sends gifts to Michelle's children, or Sandra's nieces, on their birthdays.

He really likes Jihoon.

I wanna make out with him so bad. I wanna hold his hand and take him out on dates and share my clothes with him, oh god. Michelle, why?

"What can I help you with, Michelle?" He asks instead.

"Oh! I just came by to gossip, since a little birdie told me that Jiwoo stopped by various times this week." Michelle says, placing a hand on his arm. "And, hot stuff, you have to tell me how you did it."

Jeonghan leads her into his living room, glancing at Jihoon as he takes a seat with them.

He's reading his notebooks, face placid like they weren't just about to kiss moments ago.

Oh, God I was gonna kiss Jihoon.

Michelle stays for a little over an hour, chatting with both of them, gushing about Jeonghan's ability to make friends so easily.

"And, if things go well, maybe you could even win her over. Of course, if what Sandra says is true and she's not with that nice, nice boy. You guys would make a beautiful couple. Very pretty the both of you." Michelle says, "Right, Jihoon?"

Jihon doesn't look up from his notebook, "Oh. Right. A very nice couple."

"And you, Jihoon, could go for that nice boy!" Michelle giggles. "Don't think we don't know that he's been visiting you a lot, too. That would make a very, very handsome couple."

That makes Jihoon look up, lips curled into an amused smile.

Jeonghan feels his mood turn sour.

Nice boy, nice boy. I'm a nice boy, too!  And  I don't have a creepy shark smile!

"Alright, I better go. My husband must be wondering why I'm taking so long. I'll see you two around. I'll tell Sandra about this, she'll be livid she wasn't the first one to befriend the new neighbors." Michelle laughs, already up from her seat.

Jeonghan escorts her out of his home, muttering to himself when the door closes behind her. "Nice boy! Handsome, nice boy! Date him, Jihoon, he's such a nice boy."

He feels a little bad mocking Michelle, but the thought of Matthew and Jihoon... It makes his skin feel hot and tight with jealousy.

"Jealous?" Jihoon calls out to him. Apparently he hadn't been subtle with his muttering or his feelings.

Jeonghan blushes down to his chest, but doesn't deny anything. Jeonghan will not hide his crush anymore.

"Come here." Jihoon beckons him to the couch, patting the seat next to him. Jeonghan goes to him without hesitation even if he can't really look into his eyes.

God, I'm acting like a middle schooler with a crush aren't I?

"Turn around for me. And take your shirt off."

Jeonghan does as he's told, rubbing his arms self consciously.

"Don't squirm too much, yeah?" Jihoon says and the first thing Jeonghan does when he feels Jihoon touch his back is squeal and squirm. "What did I just say?"

Jeonghan apologizes, squeezing his legs together because that tone did something to him.

Jihoon smooths his hand over his back and Jeonghan feels his face heat up, skin breaking out into goosebumps. He flinches when he feels the wet tip of a sharpie press against his shoulders.

"This is mine to protect. Nobody can touch this. Nobody, but me." Jihoon says out loud and it makes Jeonghan feel lightheaded, blushing so hard his eyes start to water. "This is mine to protect. Nobody can touch this. Nobody, but me. Jeonghan Yoon is mine. Nobody can touch him. Nobody, but me."

Jeonghan... wants so bad. He wants Jihoon to press up against him and whisper those words onto his skin, to hold him down and take, take, take. He wants Jihoon. He wants, wants, wants in a way he'll never want someone else, not even Jiwoo as beautiful as she is.

The way he sees Jiwoo doesn't compare to the way he sees Jihoon in the slightest.

Jihoon rubs baby powder on the ink and blows on it to get rid of the excess. Jeonghan shivers and doesn't even try to be subtle about it. There's an awkward pause and nobody says anything before Jihoon sighs and stands from the couch. Jeonghan pulls his shirt on, watching Jihoon as he gathers his things.

Jeonghan likes the way Jihoon is starting to take up space in his life, in his home. He hopes Jihoon never leaves.

"Alright. That should be enough for now. If you hear her again tonight, don't pay attention to it. Call me if you need to. I'll come over tomorrow after you're off work. Text me the minute you're on your way so I can be here before Jiwoo tries to sink her nails into you again."

Jeonghan nods obediently. He shows Jihoon to the door.

Jihoon looks up at him and Jeonghan leans into his space, on purpose this time.

He plants a kiss on Jihoon's cheek, "Thanks for helping me out, Jihoon."

Jihoon takes in a shuddering breath, nodding before leaving his home.

Jeonghan watches him go.