A/N: I MADE THE PLOT AND WROTE THE LAST 1.5 CHAPTERS IN LIKE 2 HOURS ON MY PHONE IF IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IM SORRY

I JUST WANT TO FINISH BY NEW YEARS OTL

OMG THE GRAMMAR OMG THE PLOT IM SORRY PLS DEAL WITH IT

That night, Yixing has a sleepless sleep, full of tossing and turning and nightmares of death. It must have been hours, he realizes, after staring at the moonlight against the celing, of this restlessness by now. He scared though, so utterly scared, and he does the only thing he can seem to do in this situation. He runs.

He makes his way through winding halls, not quite sure where he's going. It's late enough that even the chambermaids are sound asleep, so there's no one to stop him as he loses himself in the maze of endless hallways.

Finally, he spots one of the large doors leading outside the castle and he gratefully pushes it open, taking a breath of fresh air. It's calm tonight, crisp but not cold and the moon bathes everything in a soft white light. He closes his eyes. Calm. And finally, he can breathe slowly again.

When he opens his eyes, everything looks slightly familiar, he realizes. This is where he and Kris had been walking in the day. His feet seem to be moving volition, until Yixing finds himself in front of the building. He goes around, finding the little stable where Kris had brought the dog from and hesitantly enters.

The dog, on closer look, is only a puppy, Yixing realizes. It sleeps restlessly, breathing harshly as the black fur on its chest rises and falls.

Yixing settles across from it, leaning against the wall and lost in thought, when a creak breaks the silence. He's about to apologize, half a dozen excuses already racing through his mind, when a familiar head pops through the door.

"There you are." Luhan says brightly. Yixing gives him a questioning look. "I couldn't sleep. I might have followed you out of the castle." Luhan laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

Somehow, Luhan must sense that Yixing's not in the mood to talk, and he lets the silence hang over them.

"Is that dog okay?" Luhan finally asks, when it starts making distressed coughs.

Yixing shakes his head.

"It has the white plauge." He says finally. He pauses. "Same as my father."

Luhan quiets, but Yixing can tell he has more questions to ask.

"Your father," he says, "will he be alright?"

"I don't know." Yixing replies, eyes downcast. "Kris seems to think I could help. But-"

"Can you?" Luhan asks softly. His eyes are bright, even in the little moonlight that is let in by the door.

"No," Yixing sighs. "I can't. I'm supposed to be magical or so my aura says, or I would be if I hadn't spent my whole life shutting it away. If I didn't," He laughs bitterly, "Maybe I'd be of some help now."

Luhan takes this in with wide eyes, but he doesn't comment.

"Why does he think you can then?"

Yixing feels that dread bubbling in his stomach, that voice murmuring that if he is supposed to save them all then why doesn't he and that terrifying fear that this is all my fault because I can't stop lt. Luhan seems to realize this and backtracks.

"No, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

But Yixing can't stop shaking and the walls feel like their caving in on him.

"You don't have to be scared."

Luhan makes soothing sounds and Yixing finally looks up at him.

Luhan's face is worried but his voice is calm. Everything is terrifying and suffocating, exept for Luhan. Yixing blames his body as he leans forward and presses his lips against Luhan's.

Ime stops for a moment; everything stops and calm comes to him a rush and the world feels like it's swathed in an ethereal mist. Perhaps it's an exaggeration, but it truly feels like the world as aligned and the skies have opened up. Everything is right.

then he realizes, horrified, exactly what he's done. He jumps to his feet and races to the door.

What have I just done? He's torn between smiling and hiding under a rock.

inside the stable, the dog stands up and barks happily.

Yixing wakes up the next morning to a knock on his door.

"Come in!" He calls in a sleep-heavy voice.

The door swings open to reveal Kris and Yixing doesn't have it in him to be ashamed of his pajamas.

"I wanted to talk about what happened last night." He says.

It comes back to him in a rush- the running away, the kiss, the strange feeling.

"Love, even the love of friendship, can often unlock magic in ways an individual can not."

"What?" Yixing asks, confused.

"Last night, you cured that dog." Kris explains. "I guess you don't really know how you did it." He laughsawkwardly. "Dragons really aren't the best teachers- our fabled temper and impatience is true. No matter how much time I spend as a human, I still am not one I suppose."

Love, huh? Yixing realizes Kris doesn't have the full story and Luhan had probably wot it a secret. Kris gives him a moment to collect himself.

"I really saved that dog?" Yixing asks, voice full of wonder.

"You did ." Kris confirms softly. "I know it's been sudden and hard to believe, but Chanyeol is trying to isolate what you did and replicate it.

"Really?" Yixing sounds as if he can hardly believe it.

"Really." Kris says. "You probably don't know what or the scope of what you've done. But I have a theory."

Yixing nods to show he's listening.

"Your mother, I believe, was a unicorn. Unicorns are one of the most potent healers of all magical creatures." Kris explains. "They're just as rare as dragons after the Northern migration. But a few stayed, and many eventually took human forms, and lived in human towns for centuries."

"They were also the most suspectible to human love." Kris says with a meaningful glance. "Just like dragons, however, they never truly became human. They never really understood how the human world operated, and so their numbers decreased quickly, whether usually from accidents with farm equipment."

or bridge accidents, Yixing adds.

"You wouldn't be the first child between a magical creature and human. You would, I believe. be the first to survive." Kris says. "Magic often kills newborns. Magic, however, chose you to survive."

"I know this is shocking, but I know people who may be able to help you."

"We've been working on a cure." Luhan says awkwardly, "we're pretty close to it actually."

Yixing nods. They've barely spoken since that happened, with Luhan busy working with Chanyeol and Yixing with Kris. In just a few days time, Kris had helped YIxing learn how to control that etheral feeling that he realized would manifest everytime he healed someone, and Yixing's proud of the barriers he's crossed. Simletaneously, Luhan had  But ever since it happened, he's felt oddly free and has had no trouble using magic.

"I heard you're planning on visiting you father." Luhan says.

"I am." He says. "I can heal him without a cure." He hesitates for a moment. "Kris is taking me to some creatures who may be able to help me learn more about myself and my powers. I'll be gone for around half a year."

"I see," Luhan murmurs. "Chanyeol has offered to take me under his wing, so I think I'm going to be stuck here for a while too." Luhan grins sheepishly. "Would you mind telling Ma?"

Yixing nods and tries to hide his disappointment.

 Theyre about to leave Laguardia and although the day is beautiful, Yixing feels oddly disappointed. He's always been brave in all the wrong ways; he feels utterly useless and listless and although he knows why (in the very very very back of his mind), he refuses to acknowledge the hurt.

Suddenly there's a shout behind him and Yixng turns to see Luhan running down the hill. The other man is speaking before Yixing can even ask what he's so concerned about and he can barely make out the words at first.

"I was prepared for everything on this trip. Except for this. But I can't get you out of my head and I don't really know what happened that night, but I can't let it go either. Maybe I'm silly or naive or stupid, but I can't help it."

"It's strange. I've grown used to drinking my tea too strong," Luhan rambles, "And I don't know anymore. You're everywhere and I don't know what to do anymore."

Yixing smiles, and Luhan glares at him.

"What about doing," Yixing pauses and looks Luhan in the eye, "this?"

He smiles just a little bit before gently putting his lips against Luhan's, starting soft and chaste. He revels in the feeling, everything he wasn't able to focus on last time. 

Luhan freezes and Yixing desperately hopes the boy doesn't run away screaming. But Luhan kisses back, and Yixing feels a smile growing against his own. It's awkward, a bit of teeth hitting and uncertainty on both sides. But when he kisses Luhan, it feels like time stops.

"That was nice," Luhan says when they pull apart, eyelids fluttering. Yixing agrees.

"With you to come back to?" Yixing laughs. "I don't think so." 

Luhan leans forward and they're kissing again, lips against lips and Yixing sighs into it as Luhan begins at his lower lip. 

"Stop kissing and come in already," Kris calls out, annoyed, but he laughs with them as they break apart.

what did i just write omg