Healing Potion (1/2)

Of Cauldron and Kitty

Cho Kyuhyun was a genius wizard who graduated from the wizarding school with top-notch performance. He established a potion business and opened his own shop located in the middle of the mystical forest. Apart from doing business, he rarely met or interacted with other people of his kin (except some of his seniors and friends from the academy). He was happy living alone and didn't feel like missing anything. Although his seniors often told him to find a partner or a familiar, he brushed off their advice and enjoyed his bachelor life without any roommate under the same roof.

 

 

 

One day, he found a stray black cat while foraging magical herbs in the forest.

 

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Kyuhyun looked at the unconscious cat on the table and pondered about what to do. At first, he didn't mean to pick it up and just let nature take its course. However, the little kitty's weak and pitiful meow made him feel guilty and he took it home in the end. He observed the small animal carefully. The black cat didn't have any visible injury but he couldn't rest assured yet. Lightly scratching behind the feline's ear, Kyuhyun cast the Appraisal spell and thoroughly examined the little darkness's body. Hm? Mana deficiency? This black cat is actually a familiar? But why was it wandering alone in the forest? Where is its master? With too many questions but zero answers, Kyuhyun decided to focus on nursing the kitty back to health first. He snapped his fingers and summoned a vial of mana potion, feeding it to the fainted familiar. However, the black cat couldn't drink it and spilled the potion. Kyuhyun sighed.

 

"Sigh, why do I have to bother with this...?"

 

Despite his complaint, Kyuhyun gently lifted the small animal and headed to his bedroom. If the kitty wouldn't drink the potion, he had to do it the primitive way: transferring mana through physical contact. He put down the black cat on the bed and lay down beside it. He held it in his arm and gently rubbed its silky onyx fur.

 

"Get well soon, kitty."

 

He yawned and decided to take a nap.

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.

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When Kyuhyun woke up, the cat familiar had disappeared. He searched all over the house and surrounding area but couldn't find any trace. Maybe it got better and left? Well, good for the feline. He had no plan to keep it anyway.

 

 

Although he admitted that he kinda missed the kitty's soft fur...

 

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A few days later...

 

 

Kyuhyun was sleeping soundly when he smelled something horrible. It was a smell of magical incense that warned him of any intruder. Who is the fool that dares to rob him? He sneered coldly and closed his eyes, relying on his spiritual sight to survey the area.

 

It was the black cat from a few days ago.

 

The little feline was circling his house quietly as if looking for something. Kyuhyun relaxed and dispelled the offensive spell he was about to unleash. He observed the black cat curiously through his spiritual sight. What is it doing here? The stray cat familiar stopped under one of the open windows and jumped into his house. Arriving inside, the feline raised its head and sniffed the air, before heading toward his bedroom quietly. Kyuhyun pretended to be sleeping while the small animal walked through the ajar door. After looking around the room curiously for a while, the little kitty jumped onto the bed and trotted toward him. He felt the mattress beside his head sink a bit and realized that the black cat had sat down there. He wondered what the kitty wanted to do so he kept his eyes closed...

 

 

The black cat just sat there and stared at his sleeping face the entire night, before leaving at dawn.

 

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A few weeks later...

 

 

Kyuhyun soon got used to having a visitor at night who only stared at his sleeping face and left when the sun rose. What a weird familiar. He let the kitty be and even began to leave some food and water for it after he noticed how underweight it was. During the first few times, the black cat didn't touch the food but he wasn't discouraged, just changing the food and leaving a fresh meal the next night. About a few days later, Kyuhyun woke up to some portion of the food disappearing and he couldn't be happier. He kept changing the menu until he found something that the kitty ate all and kept working from there. The kitty needed to put on some weight and eat nutritious food to strengthen its poor health. Kyuhyun liked this kind of relationship. No strings attached. He took care of the kitty and it would leave after a while, giving both of them personal space. One night, the black cat came to visit him as usual. Kyuhyun had already gotten used to it and just spared a little bit of his magic to observe the feline. He turned to lie on his side and exposed his back to the stray kitty, knowing that it wouldn't hurt him. This cat familiar might be a weirdo but it didn't pose any danger so far.

 

He suddenly felt the movement behind him.

 

Kyuhyun kept calm but sharpened his sense, just in case he needed to defend himself (though he doubted it). Through his spiritual sight, he saw a flow of mana in the shape of a little cat moving from its usual spot. The feline approached his exposed back and sat down, tugging its long tail around its small feet. Then, to his absolute shock, the cat familiar curled itself into a ball and slept beside him. He was so shocked that he almost turned over but stopped himself just in time. His instinct told him that the kitty would forever run away if he startled it. So, he forced himself to keep calm and stay still the entire night, not turning around to face the vigilant animal.

 

 

Before leaving at dawn, he felt the black cat's lingering gaze on his back for a very long while but it still left.

 

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A month later...

 

 

Kyuhyun's sigh was long and heavy. Having to sleep on one side all night started to kill his muscles. It had been a full month now since the stray cat familiar began to sleep beside him. He thought that the kitty had opened its heart to him but he was wrong. One night, he accidentally turned to lie on his back due to a paralyzed arm but the black cat literally jumped in the air, before running away. He waited the whole night but the little kitty didn't come back, not the next night and the night after either. He also discovered that if he slept facing the window, the kitty wouldn't sleep beside him. The cat familiar was still wary of his presence so it needed a clear escape route and he provided it, even though he had to drink a muscle ache relief potion every morning... Even Kyuhyun himself didn't know why he went to such length for a stray cat he didn't plan to keep. Still, the tiny ball of warmth behind his back did make his heart feel at ease...

 

One night, the black cat rubbed its head against his back and purred before leaving.

 

Kyuhyun felt like he had accomplished something amazing, earning the cat familiar's trust. He wanted to turn around and see the kitty's face so badly but held back. He sensed that the kitty would run away again if he tried to interact with it. So, he kept still and waited patiently. Finally, a sign that he had been waiting for showed up. The black cat nuzzled its head on his back and purred contently as soon as it jumped onto the bed. It even rubbed itself aggressively on him that he was pretty sure his pajamas would be full of cat fur tomorrow. It's now or never. Kyuhyun pretended to mumble and turned to lie on his back. His heart faltered when the little feline immediately ran away to the open window. However, it didn't leave and stopped on the windowsill. After a very long wait that almost crushed his heart, the black cat jumped down from the window and onto the bed again. With a hesitant meow, the cat familiar sniffed him and patted his arm with its soft paw (SOFT PAW). Then, the kitty carefully climbed on his chest and lay down into a small ball. Kyuhyun really really wanted to pet the cat but held back.

 

 

The next morning after the black cat left, Kyuhyun began to study how to form a contract with a familiar and how to care for it.

 

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Three months later...

 

 

It had been almost half a year now since Kyuhyun had a little visitor coming every night. The black cat was no longer wary of him. It slept, rolled around, stretched, and groomed itself on his body as if he was a bed, not a human. Although he still pretended to be asleep, he began to inch his hand closer to the feline but didn't touch it. It was only when the kitty and nibbled his fingers that he dared to pet it (and he learned that its fur was so soft). He already came up with a name for the cat familiar even though they had yet to meet face to face. Woon. His familiar will be named "Woon", inspired by its fur as soft as clouds. Kyuhyun decided that it was time for them to meet officially. So, when the kitty lay down on his chest and nibbled his fingers playfully, he opened his eyes and hugged the small feline firmly but not too tight. The black cat cried and tried to struggle out of his embrace but he didn't let it go.

 

"Shh... I won't hurt you."

"Meow..."

 

Kyuhyun whispered and patted the kitty's head gently to soothe it. The black cat eventually calmed down and stopped the struggle, though it still meowed anxiously. He loosened his arms and gave an opening for the animal to run away, but the cat familiar didn't run away. It stared at him intensely. That was when he noticed that the black cat had a pair of vibrant golden eyes like a topaz. He absentmindedly caressed under its eye and smiled when the kitty nuzzled his finger back. Yes, he believed that this is a perfect time now.

 

 

"Do you want to be my familiar?"

 

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The next morning, Kyuhyun officially bonded with Woon as his familiar. He let the feline his blood after cutting his fingertip and formed a contract. From now on, Woon will be by his side no matter where he goes. He was so happy that he gave away many potions for free and proudly announced that he has a familiar now, a very cute one at that. As for Woon, the kitty showed his (he just found out that Woon is a male cat) true side soon after they were bonded. Woon stayed on his shoulders all the time and constantly rubbed his head on his face while meowing lovingly. However, the black cat refused to let other people touch him. Either hissed at them or hid in his arms. It made Kyuhyun feel so smug and pleased. His cute familiar only had him in his eyes~ Obviously, he needed to show off his adorable Woon so he sent a message to all of his seniors and friends.

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.

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The first person to visit them, as expected, were the two oldest seniors: Leeteuk and Heecul.

 

 

"Kyuhyun-ah, do you know what did you adopt as a familiar?"

"A very cute black cat?"

"Well, I won't argue that Woon is very cute, though not as cute as my Shimkoong. But that isn't the case. Woon is no ordinary familiar. Those bright golden eyes... I'm pretty sure that your familiar is actually a divine beast, a descendant of the Great Dragon. Do you remember the difference between a normal familiar and a divine beast?"

"Yes, a familiar is a normal animal that can transform into a human after receiving its master's mana. Meanwhile, a divine beast is already born with a large amount of mana and doesn't need a master."

 

Kyuhyun grinned at Senior Leeteuk.

 

"Woon must really love me if he chooses to stay with me despite his divine beast status!"

"Whipped."

 

They turned to see Heechul walking toward their table. Woon was hanging on the older wizard's head trying to bite his afro hair but Heechul cast a shield to save himself from the sharp fangs. Seeing his master, Woon meowed happily and left the wizard to jump on Kyuhyun's lap, before twisting his body to show his soft tummy. Kyuhyun cooed and gladly rubbed the offered tummy while the two older wizards looked at them flabbergasted.

 

"Teukie, are you sure that this is really the legendary divine beast? Isn't that just a normal house cat?"

"Well... As long as they are happy...?"

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"Yes, your familiar is no doubt a divine beast, a very powerful one too."

 

Shindong said after he was done examining the black cat. Woon hurriedly took his paws back and jumped into his master's arms instead, all the while meowing loudly as if to protest. Kyuhyun rubbed his familiar's smooth fur and coaxed him gently while the other wizard observed them curiously. Shindong chuckled.

 

"I think I have a vague idea now about what type of divine beast is your familiar. I can only tell you to be careful and don't ever pay attention to other familiars in the future."

"What? Hyung, what do you mean?"

"If I tell you everything then it wouldn't be fun, right? Forget about that and tell me how did you two meet?"

"Well..." Kyuhyun trailed off while scratching under the black cat's chin, "I found him unconscious in the forest due to mana deficiency. Speaking of that, how come a divine beast even lost that much mana and fainted, to begin with?"

"I could hazard a guess but we won't know unless we ask him. Has he transformed into a human form yet? He can communicate with you better that way."

 

Kyuhyun hummed in acknowledgment. He raised Woon up to face him and asked if he wanted to transform. However, Woon made a pitiful cry and his ears bowed forward as if he was distressed. So, Kyuhyun didn't bother his familiar anymore.

 

"It's okay if you don't want to transform. Woon will always be my adorable familiar~"

"Meow!"

 

While the master and the familiar were showing off their affection, Shindong watched them quietly with great interest. The senior wizard's mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but in the end dropped the topic, only telling Kyuhyun again to not look at other familiars.

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.

.

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"I think I know what happened to your familiar..."

"Siwon hyung, you know?"

 

Kyuhyun was genuinely surprised at what his senior said. He glanced at his familiar who was playing with his best friend Ryeowook. He still had no idea what divine beast is Woon or how come he ended up fainting in the forest. Still, Senior Shindong's warning made him able to guess that Woon was no ordinary divine beast and might face some misfortune before. Seeing that his familiar didn't pay attention to them, he nodded at the other wizard to continue.

 

"I heard this story from my senior at the Ministry of Magic. Long ago, there was a dragon who made a contract with a wizard to become his familiar. The dragon really loved the wizard so it transformed into a human to be with him. However, the wizard only deceived the dragon to gain its wealth and magical power. Getting everything he wanted, the wizard broke the contract and abandoned the dragon."

"But doing that—!"

"Yes, a familiar abandoned by its master will die. The dragon was a divine beast so it survived, but the consequence was still severe and painful... Worst of all, that wizard wasn't the only one who tried to take advantage of the dragon..."

"What? You don't say..."

"Four more wizards or witches tricked the dragon to become their familiar and broke the bond after getting what they wanted. The legend said that the dragon lost so much mana that it couldn't maintain its original form anymore and disappeared from the magic realm. I don't know if your familiar is really the dragon in the legend but, a divine beast without mana, I can only think of that tale..."

 

Siwon looked at the black cat that was purring in Ryeowook's arms. Kyuhyun also looked at his familiar and recalled their first few meetings. Woon was extremely wary of him and it took him months to open Woon's heart. Could it be...

 

"Why didn't the dragon just kill those scums?"

"Probably because it still wanted to believe in humans."

 

Ryeowook whispered softly and gave the sleeping feline back to the owner. Kyuhyun hugged Woon and felt his heart melt at the kitty's peaceful looks. He kissed Woon's head and made an oath.

 

"Don't worry, Woon. I'll never force you to transform or take advantage of you "

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"So, this black cat is your famous familiar? You make such a big deal out of it as if you're getting married."

 

Hyukjae snorted and poked the feline's face, and he immediately got bitten by Woon. Kyuhyun ignored his silly senior and happily greeted his favorite brother. Donghae was Hyukjae's boyfriend and also his familiar. He was a tiger divine beast who grew up with Hyukjae's family and they later got married. Kyuhyun really liked Donghae hyung because he was very handsome in both familiar form and human form. Plus, Donghae was really friendly and liked to play with him.

 

"Who is a handsome boy~?"

"Rawr!"

"That's right! Hyung is the coolest!"

 

Kyuhyun laughed when the big tiger with a child's heart jumped at him and his face. He hugged the big cat back and scratched his chin while grinning. It had been a while since the married couple visited him so he missed playing with the tiger familiar. He kept cuddling with Donghae hyung and ignored the jealous Hyukjae—

 

Shatter! 

 

Three pairs of eyes turned to where the noise came from and saw the black cat on the dining table. There was a broken glass on the floor. Kyuhyun left the big cat to check the small cat in worry. However, Woon swatted his hand away for the first time and even avoided him. His familiar never ignored him before so he didn't know what to do. He tried to coax the upset feline but to no avail. Suddenly, Hyukjae spoke up.

 

"Kyuhyun, do you think my Hae-ah is handsome?"

"Huh? Obviously, do you even have to ask—?"

 

Shatter!​​​​​​

 

Kyuhyun turned back to see Woon push another glass off the table. However, he understood what he did wrong now and quickly told his jealous familiar that he only liked him. Sadly, Woon didn't listen to him and jumped onto the top shelf of a cupboard, curling into a tight ball with his back to him. No matter how much he tried to call Woon, the kitty refused to acknowledge him...

 

"LEE HYUKJAE!!!"

 

Kyuhyun cast a temporary curse on his senior and made him have a rash every time he wanted to touch his spouse.

 

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Kyuhyun was going crazy. Woon had been ignoring him for a week now. His familiar wouldn't let him touch it and refused to come down from the cupboard, not even to eat. He had no choice but to leave a meal on the shelf. Still, the black cat barely touched the food and it worried him. Maybe Woon thought that he liked the tiger familiar more than him. And if Siwon hyung's story was true, Woon probably thought that he got abandoned again...

 

"Woon, you're my one and only partner. Donghae hyung is cool but my Woon is cooler! The coolest cat in the world!"

"..."

 

Kyuhyun sighed and leaned against the wooden cupboard. Since the day Woon ignored him and hid on top of the shelf, he had moved his sleeping place to the floor because he knew Woon couldn't sleep well without being near him. However, the cold and hard stone floor was bad for his weak body and he soon caught a cold. Normally, he could easily cure it with a potion but he didn't have time to brew one now, too busy pampering his familiar. Anyway, it was just a common cold so it would go away by itself...

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Kyuhyun woke up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache and blurry vision. Just now, he heard a ruckus coming from the workshop. A thief? But his ward didn't alert him of any intruder. Did his spell lose its effect because he was weak now? Kyuhyun tried to get up and check but his body felt so heavy. Suddenly, the door was open and he frowned at a silhouette of a tall and thin man. The moonlight shining through a window cast on the stranger from the back so he couldn't see the other man's face. Who is that? What is a stranger doing here? He must protect Woon!

 

"Stay still." 

 

The stranger's deep magnetic voice instantly charmed him. Why did he feel like he had heard that voice before? He watched the unknown man approach him with an anxious heart. No matter what, he must protect Woon! Kyuhyun prepared a surprise-attack spell but failed to cast it because his head was spinning. He slumped against the wooden cupboard and groaned in pain while the other man crouched down before him. Then, the stranger drank something from a vial in his hand and—

 

Kyuhyun froze when something incredibly soft and sweet landed on his lips.

 

While he was stunned by a sudden kiss, the weird person fed him some cool and refreshing liquid. Kyuhyun tried to spit it out but the offender nibbled and his bottom lip so he accidentally swallowed it. He wondered if the stranger cast some love spell on him. His heart suddenly raced and his head was spinning in a good way. He wanted to taste this sweetness forever. So, he grabbed the retreating stranger's nape and kissed the alluring lips again, going as far as using his tongue and teasing the other party until he heard a y muffled moan that lit his heart on fire. Pulling away, Kyuhyun gave in to his desire and attacked the mysterious man's neck to mark—

 

 

Kyuhyun fainted.

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When Kyuhyun woke up the next day, his cold was gone and he didn't feel like crap anymore. Most importantly, Woon had stopped ignoring him and was sleeping peacefully in his lap. He was so happy that he scooped the sleeping kitty up and kissed all over its body. To his surprise, Woon didn't push his face away and even his lips in return! Woon kissed him!! Woon completely accepted him now!! He repeatedly kissed the black cat and almost melted at the small but happy meow.

 

"I like you just the way you are, Woon. No need to transform into a human or even return to your original form if you're more comfortable in this body. I'll treasure you regardless of your looks."

"Meow, meow~"

 

Kyuhyun grinned just as the kitty's rough tongue made contact with his cheek. He smooched his cute familiar one more time before going about his day. A tiny corner of his mind couldn't help but wander to the stranger from last night who already disappeared when he came to...

 

 

Why did his heart react so strongly to that person?

 

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Author's note:

Cute kyusung with cute cat for your tiring time~ 😺

I hope this fluff story makes your day better wherever you are!

 

Take care and love you  <3

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Comments

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dzigh27
#1
Chapter 2: Omg Yesung as a cat is beyond cute and gorgeous.
Thank God he finally found his other half, who love him unconditionally
PathxX #2
Chapter 2: Too cute, too cute >.< I love this story and caught myself shedding a tear from Woon’s story T_T
_MyName_ #3
Chapter 2: A perfect ending! So sad for Woon, his story made me almost cry.. and he thought he would only be loved if he gave something :( lucky he found Kyu! I'm a little curious, what did EunHse teach Woon...? I have a guess but still :D
Elf_cloud24 #4
Chapter 2: Sweet story 🥰
farrelandmerry
330 streak #5
Chapter 2: awwww... what a sweet happy ending kyusung story~ <3
pinkeussi #6
Chapter 2: Oh my god you are always my energy recharger
carmani2311
#7
Chapter 2: I'm sorry but this ending is too sweet for my heart, ack!!! ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡

the amount of Kyu's patience to hold back fr hot Woon is quite admirable 😆 I'm shock that kyu didn't pounce on yeye from the first time he saw his human form 🤭 and maybe thats what the eunhae couple was also thinking 🤣
Papiixbabi #8
Chapter 1: Thank you for this authornim. This makes my heart flutter. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach 😍🥰
jill_cloudy02
#9
Chapter 1: This is soooo cute 🥰 but i'm mad at those bunch of user wizards who took advantage of woon's kindness, 😤