Archive of Our Own

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            An earthy and muddy scent carried in the air, settling inside the lively house like it was making its home there, too. The many vines clinging to railings and pipes looked like they were stretching themselves out, as if they were trying to reach for the man of the house as he hurried inside, muttering under his breath. The little green vines loved greeting him whenever they could, their small leaves reaching for his cheeks as if they were trying to kiss him. And he would always giggle and flush a bit, shy from their forwardness. Mingi knew his little creatures quite liked him, especially after he woke up one day to find at least a dozen more inside his house. A relatively normal house, which he had turned into a homey cottage over the years, covered in greens and the scent of fresh herbs always boiling away in the kitchen, with a hint of spices only Mingi was able to stomach without sneezing. It was home, and he had done his best to purchase the house and renovate it, too.

He frowned as he opened the third and then the fourth cabinet in the kitchen, just to come up empty-handed. Mingi had no idea where he had put his jar of oregano the last time he had used it – last night – and he could feel frustration crawling up his back. He had so many potions to brew today still, he couldn’t afford wasting time on a silly thing as rummaging – more like turning upside down – his kitchen for one herb. But even if Mingi sighed and pouted, he really needed the oregano or else the healing potion wouldn’t be strong enough to boost one's immunity enough to heal them in just a matter of three days. It was his most sold potion, so he could not afford to change up the formula unless he wanted to lose long-time, loyal clients.

“Now, just where have I put it?” He huffed as he frowned, pushing the mess of pots and bowls and jarred ingredients and a few crystals around on his counter, yelping when he almost managed to knock over his precious rose quartz jar. Mingi’s heart beat frantically as he cradled the transparent jar to his chest, shaking his head, “Almost lost you, my bad. Promise to be more careful, alright?”

He made sure to place the jar of crystals as far away from the edge of the counter as possible, leaning against the sink in defeat. Mingi groaned loudly as he closed his eyes, a few strands falling from his ponytail as his head rolled forward. Four different pots of potions bubbled behind him on the stove, loud and strong in scent as they were nearing their completion. Mingi had to throw some basil and sea salt in two of them, and then he was good to turn off the gas and start a new batch for the love potions.

Mingi smiled as he felt tiny leaves extending towards his cheeks, caressing his skin as if they were trying to comfort him. It felt like getting small kisses, shy but tender and filled with love. He felt his stress melt away for a second as he giggled, opening his eyes to gaze at the vine as the leaves suddenly froze like they hadn’t expected to be caught, “What? Are you shy now? You’re acting like you don’t give me little kisses every time I’m in the kitchen.”

Mingi giggled when the vine shook itself like it just huffed at him, then the small leaves retraced back into the beefy root, hidden from his sight. Mingi chuckled under his breath, then willed himself to try and sweep over his kitchen in search of the oregano jar without creating a bigger mess, which seemed less likely given that if anyone were to walk inside his kitchen, they would be in for a shock.

The sink was overflowing with unwashed dishes – used for both cooking and brewing potions – his favourite wooden spatula hidden somewhere at the bottom, which is probably why he had messed up the first batch of good luck potions earlier today. Mingi wouldn’t blame it on his sleepiness as he had trudged out of bed at dawn, yawning big and rubbing his puffy eyes, barely able to see anything, as he also managed to stub his toe in the corner of the door. It had hurt like a bitch, but it was a good enough wakeup call – better than dousing his head with cold water, at least.

The kitchen was a long rectangle, with not much space between the cabinets and counters on opposite walls. The one behind him, where his stove was too, was a pretty burgundy colour, a little chipped since it had been an antique already when he bought it at the Magical Peculiarities Market, remembering the day fondly since he had been so excited to assemble his kitchen. The one, where his sink was and his precious little vines were, was a pretty mossy green, situated on the wall where his windows were, so he could gaze outside while he washed the dishes or measured the right amounts of herbs and crystals for his potions.

Some of the cupboards couldn’t be closed with how generously stuffed they were with trinkets and silverware, instruments a human would be scared from upon seeing, even though they were inoffensive – and Mingi only used them for crafting his little personalised jars for special events like All Hallows Eve, or Samhain, or Halloween…whichever the individual preferred. Mingi’s favourite was probably the name Samhain since it took him back to his Wiccan roots, reminding him of the legacy he carried in his veins.

The Songs were a well-trusted and respected family in the city of Eternal Horizon, a long bloodline of well-known, talented and crafty witches and warlocks. Some had given in to the temptation of showbiz and became bogus witches or warlocks, starring in TV shows and pretending to be great oracles like their great-great-great-great-great-grandma Song Sieun had been, mentioned not in one grimoire and history book, but two and three, and even a fourth one scientists have uncovered just years ago in an abandoned mermaid lair. Saints! The Song bloodline had even reached the water-living creatures! That was enough ego fuel for Mingi to always walk with his shoulders pulled back and head held up, a charming smile on his lips.

The Songs like his mama and aunties, however, were the type to lay low and mind their own business, brewing potions and using their abilities for something useful, not just to brag on TV that your family was so successful that you basically didn’t need to work much to live well. As much as Mingi had loved the comfort of their success over many centuries, he preferred to make something of himself. It was certainly pleasant that he could embody his own name with pride without doing much, but he wanted to feel that pride for himself too; otherwise, he was just bragging on gifted, not earned, merit.

Mingi yelped as the cuckoo clock struck twelve at noon, hearing padding footsteps above his head. He hoped the little critters wouldn’t cause him troubles right now; he had no time to aid those damn squirrels, which had taken residence in his attic without any invitation. Mingi had been furious when he realised the reason for the mysterious disappearance of his well-stored, wild and hand-picked nuts was the little rascals scavenging his kitchen at the early hours of the night when he was most likely asleep, but Mingi didn’t have the heart to shun them away. One small, slow blink as they stared up at Mingi with a curious glint in their eyes had been enough to make him cave. Besides, when he was too busy to entertain his cats, they wouldn’t get too bored once they started playfully hunting the little critters. He didn’t fear that his cats would try and taste one; their preference for food has always been particular.

“Wait—” Mingi gasped, hurrying over to the fridge and opening it with too much excitement. When his eyes fell on the jar of oregano, he cried out in delight and quickly took it into his hand, looking like a mad scientist as he glared at the jar like it had personally offended him, “There you were! How did you end up inside the fridge? I don’t recall placing you there, yes?”

When the fridge door shut, the unexpectedly loud meow made Mingi yelp and jump, his wide eyes looking down at the black cat. His heart was racing in his chest again, and Mingi huffed, clutching the jar tightly to his chest as he had almost dropped it in his fright, “Wooyoung! I’ve told you not to creep up on me like that! What if I had dropped this jar?! I would have no oregano, and I need it for the healing potions!”

The cat flicked his tail at Mingi like he was disinterested, and Mingi scoffed, glaring at the cat when it gracefully walked past him, “Was it you creating a ruckus upstairs?”

The cat meowed as he approached his small bowl of fresh moon water, and Mingi watched as he sat down by it, tail flicking around like when he was annoyed at Mingi, “Alright, it wasn’t you. No need to give me that attitude.”

The cat meowed before his small head leaned forward, dipping down to take small licks of the water as Mingi glanced at the clock. His healing potion only needed another half an hour or so of brewing, so it was best he added the oregano right now before the hematite could completely dissipate in the rainwater.

“You know, you could help me out sometimes.” Mingi mumbled as he headed for the back door, which was in his kitchen, right where Wooyoung was drinking his water, “All you do is scratch up my furniture and wake me up in the middle of the night because you are hungry. You’re a lot like a free hoarder. What if my generosity runs out?”

The green eyes of the cat narrowed at Mingi, and his hiss would’ve scared Mingi if he hadn’t known the little rascal like the back of his hand. He’s had Wooyoung since he was a little boy, the family’s cat until it had chosen Mingi as its eternal master. Well, as eternal as Mingi could get. It was true that the Songs outlived even three generations of humans, but he was in no way an eternal being. His time would come, and when that happened, his little companion would return to the astral realm.

Before Mingi could nag Wooyoung more, the cuckoo clock struck again as if it was warning Mingi that his potion would go bad if he didn’t hurry his ass out into the back garden, but with it brought Wooyoung’s partner in crime, San, a white cat with black eyes, too.

“Finally woke up, Sleeping Beauty?” Mingi raised an eyebrow at San, watching as it hurried towards Wooyoung, jumping on his back to sink its little fangs into Wooyoung’s ear. The black cat hissed and jumped away, narrowed eyes watching the white cat as it took Wooyoung’s spot at the moon water, taking happy sips of it. Ming huffed, shaking his head, “San, you don’t even like moon water. I thought you were better than Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung hissed again, pressing himself down against the floor, threateningly as he prepared to launch himself at Mingi. He laughed, opening the back door as San meowed loudly, his voice a lot smoother and velvety compared to Wooyoung’s high-pitched and sharp voice. Mingi watched as San walked over to Wooyoung, rubbing his white fur against the black cat, purring loudly and managing to distract Wooyoung from his small revenge. Mingi knew if the cat had launched himself at him, he would’ve probably put a hole in Mingi’s already-worn joggers. That cat was as vengeful as any ogre could get.

“Huh, disgusting.” Mingi huffed, playful and not actually disgusted, as his two cats rubbed up against each other, their tails getting tangled in a pretty snowy and charcoal swirl. Unfortunately, he had to abandon the two fur balls if Mingi didn’t want his time and resources to go in vain with his almost failed healing potion.

His back garden wasn’t too large, but it was enough to fit three cauldrons of different sizes as well as a small couch, a coffee table, and a small flower garden. He was proud of the green space he had cultivated over the years, the fairy lights hung above the couch, pretty in the evenings as they lit up his back veranda. The largest cauldron, an iron colour from so many years of use, was placed in the middle of the yard, placed on hot coal as it bubbled away, its heat keeping away any unwanted bugs. Mingi wasn’t against a little organic protein, but he was sure his clients wouldn’t find it healthy if they found a half-boiled worm in their small vial of potion.

Mingi giggled as he walked down the stairs and then down the small pebbled path towards the boiling potion, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He could make out the scent of feverfew as it was the base of the potion, mixing very nicely with the rainwater. The minced garlic sitting at the bottom of the cauldron, churned by now, gave it a refreshing and spicy scent which Mingi had always enjoyed, the hematite turning the water a muddy, almost greyish colour. He unlidded the jar of oregano and poured two handfuls inside the almost done potion, stepping away from the hotness of the cauldron with a content smile on his face.

Today was a surprisingly warm day, given that it was nearing the end of October, the days were shorter and a lot colder than just a month ago. These past weeks, the weather had been particularly gloomy, cinereal clouds occupying the aegean skies and keeping everyone inside, even Mingi, who didn’t shy away from a little rain. He couldn’t complain, however, because he was able to fill barrels of rainwater, which were to last him at least a month. He was an opportunist, Mingi always managed to find the good in every bad – or inconvenience, as he liked calling it.

So today, after days of unending rain, people were out on the streets, enjoying the warming sunrays against their skin. Mingi could relate to the little green folk, who needed sun in order to survive, much like plants needed sun because of photosynthesis. Mingi loved sitting out on his back porch, eyes closed and a glass of wine in hand, humming along to the neighbour’s pretty piano melody he could so keenly hear with his sharp ears. It was the best way to unwind after a long day of working, making sure his little shop was ready for the weekends when he would open his store. He had five long days to restock everything for the two days of the week he operated his store, and never once had he complained about the little system he managed to build for himself and his clients.

He could hear his two cats tousle inside as Mingi grabbed the huge wooden spatula so he could stir his potion, make sure the hematite didn’t stick to the bottom of it and that the oregano would mix in well with the other ingredients. He smiled as the bus full of children arrived at the bus stop right on time, at least six excited children getting off as they said their goodbyes and thanks to the elderly gnome who drove their bus.

One of those kids was Sumin, a thirteen-year-old boy of Gwyllon and Seelie descent. Despite the blood he carried, he was a tame and sweet boy, overly curious, as Mingi could hear his feet hit the pavement hard as he approached his house quickly. The seelie boy had a sharp nose, much like Mingi's, so he knew Sumin would try and peer over the yellow fence once he caught a whiff of Mingi’s brewing potion.

“Mr Song!” Came his excited call not even a minute later, and Mingi laughed, turning around to look at the schoolboy.

“Well, hello there, Sumin!” He greeted with a wave, grinning at the sharp-eyed boy. His front teeth were a little crooked like Mingi’s, and the seelie smiled back at Mingi as he jumped up and down to try and catch a better view of him.

“How are you today, Mr Song? Are you brewing something?!” Came his excited shout over the fence, and taking pity on him, Mingi walked through the weeded ground so he could open the fence door, so that the curious boy could peer inside.

“I indeed am, you have a keen sense of smell, don’t you?” Mingi smiled as he unlocked the door and swung it open, delighted to see Sumin’s wide smile, his small eyes disappearing. Mingi giggled and ruffled the boy’s hair, stepping aside as he pointed behind himself, “I’m making a new batch of the healing potion.”

“Oh, that’s so cool!” Sumin called out, curious eyes sweeping over Mingi’s back garden like he hadn’t seen it before. No matter how many times he lingered at the fence, his eyes would always take in Mingi’s little crafts as best as he could, “Mr Song, did you crochet a new rug?!”

“Yes, how good you mention it.” Mingi laughed, looking towards the rug he had completely forgotten that he had spread out on the railing of the back porch, “I’m so silly, I forgot all about it. I made it for my cats.”

“Oh, for Sannie and Woo?” Sumin’s eyes were glinting as he looked up at Mingi, and he nodded, knowing how much the young boy liked his cats. His mother was unfortunately allergic to cats, so they couldn’t own any, but during vacation, Mingi would call Sumin over and let him play with San and Wooyoung. “They are so sweet, where are they?”

“Hmm, probably grooming each other in my bedroom. They love hiding under my sheets afterwards to mess them up.” Mingi huffed as he shook his head, clearly able to hear what his cats were up to. He was too used to their shenanigans by now, so he didn’t even pay attention to them anymore. “Hey, Sumin, you’ve got a vacation next week, right?”

“Yes, Mr Song!” He nodded diligently, smiling at Mingi.

“Perfect. I want to brew a new potion, it’s for helping you focus when you’re studying. Would you like to come over and help me?” Mingi was aware of just how curious Sumin was about witchcraft. It was hard to miss the glint in his eyes whenever Mingi mentioned potion brewing or crystal work, or the excitement whenever he spoke about reading an article about the type of witches that lived in Eternal Horizon. Despite the boy not being of witch descent, Mingi believed that magic resided inside every individual, and it was up to their choice if they wanted to call it forth or not.

So, he believed Sumin possessed the magic needed for potion brewing. Who knew? Mingi might turn him into a talented potion apprentice. He could go a long way if he knew that much about the craft.

“Mr Song, really?!” Sumin exclaimed, his mouth opening as he hid it behind his hands. His skin was frail, almost translucent due to his Gwyllon descent, his hair and eyes dark as the night.

Mingi chuckled, then ruffled Sumin’s hair again, “Of course! I can always use a helping hand. Now, go before your mother starts worrying. I can hear her pacing in front of the door already.”

“Me too,” Sumin giggled behind his hands before he bowed deeply, making Mingi shake his head at the overly respectful gesture. He was aware how much Sumin looked up to him, “See you, Mr Song! Have a nice day!”

“You too, Sumin!” Mingi waved as he watched the boy walk towards the edge of the sidewalk, then look both ways before he crossed the street. They lived in a quiet and slightly overpopulated neighbourhood, not designed for one creature only. Mingi liked mixing in with others, never too keen on only socialising with his own kin. He found people like that snobs, with a mentality that they were better than the rest of society, and so, he didn’t wish to partake in such crowds. He loved the diversity in their neighbourhood, all the different kinds of people populating one place harmoniously.

He had deliberately chosen this house, a bit far from his homeplace, as it was on the other end of the city, in the witchy sector. Not that his mother or aunties had minded, they would’ve probably moved long away from that place if it wasn’t that they had inherited the legendary Song house, passed down for ten generations now. Mingi was next in line, but he doubted he’d ever move back there. He quite liked his safe, quiet little neighbourhood.

Returning to his potion, he had left the fence door open as small little birds had taken a breather on it, and Mingi didn’t want to bother them. They were chittering away amongst each other, peering curiously inside Mingi’s garden as he stirred the cauldron, looking down at his wrist watch. Just ten more minutes, and he was done with this potion, but he shouldn’t forget about the ones on his stove still.

“Wooyoung! San!” He called out loudly, turning towards his house as he had left the door to the kitchen open. He listened for the sound of their paws coming down the stairs, but they were most likely busy cuddled up on his bed. Mingi huffed, looking up towards his bedroom window, “If the potions go bad, it’ll be your fault!”

And that, he heard Wooyoung hiss angrily, and Mingi giggled, his pointy ears twitching as he followed his cat’s footsteps through the house, the small nip as he jumped on the counter and peered over the pots. San’s meow was lazy but loud, scratching at the oven as Wooyoung keened loudly for Mingi to hear.

“Thank you!” He giggled under his breath, feeling less stressed to know that his potions were doing just fine inside while he was busy in the back garden. He heard his cats settle by the stove, cuddled up again on the counter, and he smiled to himself, endeared by how loving they were with each other.

Mingi hadn’t had San for as long as Wooyoung; he had found him abandoned and alone on a thunderstorming day, back in high school. Before he could’ve even picked up the cat to bring it to a shelter, he felt the pull towards him, deep in his gut, as a pleasant warmth washed over his body.

Mingi smiled at the memory, fond of his little San, who had grown so much and had become so much braver after he introduced him to Wooyoung once he felt confident enough to socialise with anyone other than Mingi. And ever since then, the two cats were inseparable, and Mingi was sometimes jealous of them.

He would’ve loved to have a connection like that, running deeper than mere physical attraction, connected on an astral realm. Mingi believed that the people who were meant to be together would have their souls intertwined upon meeting, just like he was bound to Wooyoung and San – mind not that the trio's higher connection was different from that of a romantic bond.

As Mingi settled into ladling the steaming potion into vials, which would be ready to sell on Saturday and Sunday, he tuned in to the life that was blooming around him. His neighbour next door was still playing his piano while his wife cooked a rather spicy lunch. His cats continued to slumber on the counter while Mingi hummed under his breath, smiling to himself when squealing children biked past his house.

The elderly witch across from the street was out on a walk, greeting Mingi when she was lulled in by the scent of his herbal medicine. They conversed for a short while, catching up as Mingi asked about her insomnia, reminding her that she was out of her pills. Mingi promised to have some ready by Sunday for her, and then the pleasant lady was on her way, muttering something about needing to go to the market.

He conversed with the siren from next door, who was a gorgeously tall woman with sensual eyes and a hoarse voice, with the personality of a playful puppy. She rested her arms on the fence as she watched Mingi work, teasing him and asking him if he needed help with his task, but Mingi turned her down and reassured her that her presence was already welcomed; she didn’t need to go out of her way for favours.

It didn’t take too long for Mrs Bae either to notice that the fence door was open, a fairy godmother who baked the best pies Mingi has ever had the pleasure of eating. He wasn’t even surprised when she walked over holding a tray of apple pie, smiling at him like a mother would. Mingi ushered her inside to place the pie down on the counter, and as gratitude, gifted her his newest beauty potion, at which Mrs Bae practically screamed in delight, making Wooyoung hiss as he was stunned awake. He told the cat off as San greeted the woman while purring, blinking lazily at her as she started petting him, giggling under her breath.

San loved disappearing every other evening, just for Mrs Bae to bring him back with his muzzle dirtied by the pie he had stuck his head into this time. Mingi was always embarrassed, but Mrs Bae was a good sport and only laughed about his cat’s silly behaviour.

Then Yeosang, a shy unicorn who had not long moved to the neighbourhood, sought him out as he was referred to Mingi with his issue. He was looking for rainbow stones to decorate his front porch with, very rare and hard to find, but he had come to the right person. Nothing was impossible to Mingi; he had the best resources and knew the right people to basically pull off anything. He asked for Yeosang’s number so that he could text him the details once Mingi found what he was looking for, and then he would place the order if Yeosang agreed to go through, given that it would cost him quite a few pennies.

Done with the healing potion, five boxes filled with vials, Mingi closed the fence door and locked it well, making sure it couldn’t be opened from the outside. It’s not that he didn’t trust his neighbours, it’s just that he had too many precious things inside his house and couldn’t risk a break-in. He was just about to take the boxes and bring them to the storage room in the cellar when Mingi heard the familiar rumble of the grey and white van turning down onto their street. His eyes widened, and he gasped silently, clumsily placing down the boxes on the porch stairs as he raced inside his house, frantic as he stopped in front of the mirror in the living room.

He looked like a mess. His ponytail was falling apart, and his dark hair was sticking out in terrible directions. His cheeks were flushed from working with hot liquids all day, the lenses of his glasses dirty with his fingerprints, as Mingi couldn’t remember the last time he had cleaned them. His checkered brown and yellow overalls were stained as he hadn’t bothered washing them since last week, covered in soil and the remnants of the herbs he had chopped up a few days ago. The hem of his white t-shirt was stretched out since it was really old and dipped low, showing off his clavicles and the few necklaces he wore. A dainty silver chain, as well as a colourful, braided yarn choker, and a longer, simple chain with a daisy charm, which was a gift from his mother after he passed his first Alchemy exam in fifth grade. His fingertips were tinted green from handling all the weed in his back garden, and his feet were bare as he liked to feel the soil under his feet when he walked around his home.

Mingi jumped when he heard the slam of the van’s door and scrambled to undo his ponytail, hastily running his hands through his hair and trying to make it seem less dishevelled as the soft waves framed his cheeks. He was a lost cause, and he groaned just as his doorbell rang, making his heart somersault. It didn’t help that his cats were suddenly up and sitting on the threshold of the kitchen door, blinking at him knowingly as he flushed an even darker shade of red. He shooed them before he patted down the front of his overalls as he walked over to the front door, unlocking it swiftly as he yanked the door open with more force than needed.

In front of Mingi stood the handsomest man he’s ever had the pleasure of coming across. The delivery guy was hot, having legs for days, which made Mingi salivate after him every time he watched him trot back to his van, the swaying of his ass distracting as Mingi would find himself gulping down the saliva which threatened to spill at the corner of his mouth.

The delivery guy’s hair was a soft, dark brown colour, shining almost golden under the sun, and it caught Mingi’s eyes when he noticed that the man had small braids in his hair, burgundy ribbons plaited into them. He hadn’t cut his hair since Mingi had met him, so now it was at almost shoulder-length, curly and frizzy a bit. The man’s eyes were round and wide, excitement shining in their brownness, amber coloured if he looked directly into the sunlight. The apples of his cheeks were round and soft-looking, just like the rest of his skin, fair with a little sunburn peeking through at his collarbones and the end of the sleeves of his blouse. His cheeks were dusted a peachy colour, and Mingi’s eyes lingered on the moles and little freckles, infinitely cute as the man’s pouty lips puckered into a smile.

“Hello, Mingi!” The delivery guy’s voice was sweet, not too deep nor high-pitched, and yet it had Mingi’s heart racing. He didn’t say anything for a second as he shamelessly raked his eyes over the man’s body, taking in the lack of his uniform today. He was wearing light-wash denim jeans and an oversized white blouse, its sleeves ending just under his elbows. The blouse was slightly tucked in, his Spiderman case showing from his pocket as it had been shoved inside in haste.

Mingi gulped, finally looking back into the delivery guy’s eyes, hardly finding his voice, “Hello, Yunho. It’s been a while…”

Four days, to be exact, but Mingi was a desperate man – lonely and horny, too – and he took every possibility he could, which led him to see Yunho. Which is why his bank account had experienced a decline these past four months, suddenly addicted to ordering everything and anything online if it meant Yunho would bring it to his doorstep.

“Yes, how have you been?” Yunho continued to grin, Mingi’s package under his elbow as he stood casually, hip jutting out, and Mingi was staring at his body again instead of his face. Yunho looked lean under all those clothes, and Mingi was having a hell of a time imagining his broad shoulders and prominent collarbones underneath his lips, “You didn’t order much this time. The package weighs basically nothing.”

Right. Mingi had ordered…uhm…lube. Because, well, not because he couldn’t get it at any other store around the corner, but because this one was marketed to enhance performance…whatever that meant.

He flushed, averting his eyes as Yunho continued to unassumingly hold something very intimate – in Mingi’s mind at least, “Yeah, I, uh, I didn’t need crystals this time.”

“Oh, so what did you order then?” Yunho perked up, raising his eyebrows as he handed Mingi the box, fishing out the device he used from his back pocket to check in that he delivered the packages.

“So, how are you doing?” Panicking always turned Mingi’s brain into mush, and before he could blurt out the embarrassing truth – not that it was actually embarrassing to buy lube, but Mingi very much so had a crush on Yunho and found it strange for him to know what he got up to in his free time – he changed the subject, even if he looked like a fool to Yunho.

The delivery guy chuckled as he leaned slightly forward and scanned the barcode of the package, humming when the screen of the device flashed green, “Today wasn’t too busy, so I’m still full of energy. Which is great since I need to do inventory tonight, ugh, I hate those.”

“Do you stay until late?” Mingi asked out of curiosity, distracted by the protruding veins on Yunho’s arms and hands – long, gorgeous fingers – as he fiddled with the device in his hands.

“Sometimes. I assume today I will. We have a bunch of stuff we need to scan and check.” Yunho shrugged, shuffling on his feet lightly as Mingi nodded, looking him in the eyes.

Undeniably, Yunho smelled like pixies. The scent was strong and almost repugnant with how sweet it was, and Mingi could even see the pixie dust linger in his hair strands, a few speckles stuck to his lips as they glinted under the sunlight. But underneath all that pixie dust, Mingi could easily make out something muskier and more natural, tinged with the hint of sweat and bergamot. Mingi has always loved the scent of bergamot. Whenever he brewed something with the herb, he’d find himself inhaling as deeply as he could to fill and refill his lungs with it.

As he looked at Yunho, Mingi found himself smiling. He knew the tall delivery guy was human; it was so easy to notice it in the way he carried himself, the way he moved and acted. The twitch of his fingers and the gnawing on his bottom lip as he sometimes glanced around himself like he was checking whether he was safe or not, and of course, the biggest giveaway, the pixie dust sprinkled all over him to mask his true origins.

Being a human being in Eternal Horizon was stranger than being a magical creature. Their world was divided between the simple ones and the special, gifted ones. Humans weren’t extinct, but there were a lot fewer of them compared to how many used to roam the Earth. There were tensions between the two kinds, sometimes explosive, other times small arguments that could be solved quickly, but there were places still that did not appreciate humans at all. They were seen as inferior to the magical creatures; thus, they were in danger in cities like Aurora or Utopia, where each corner was scoured by only the magical beings.

Eternal Horizon was a lot more inclusive, a lot more friendly towards humans – even having a neighbourhood for them if they didn’t feel comfortable mingling with the other ones – but it was never guaranteed that they were completely safe here either. As much as Mingi wished Yunho wasn’t always doused in that disgustingly sweet pixie scent, he understood the need for it. It was for Yunho’s well-being since he didn’t know what type of person he’d run into on his deliveries; it was best if he avoided trouble. And Mingi wondered who that generous pixie was who gave away their precious and expensive pixie dust for Yunho, always overdoing it.

“Well, I hope you won’t have to stay in until late, then.” Mingi smiled, unable to look at Yunho much longer as the delivery guy’s smile grew larger, his cheeks puffing out. He looked so cute, Mingi’s heart was beating in a frenzy, making his cheeks flush even a darker shade.

“I’ve got to go now, Mingi.” Yunho glanced down at his wristwatch, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, “I’ve got a few more houses a bit further into the city.”

Mingi nodded with a hum, understanding but disappointed that he didn’t get to have more time with Yunho today, “Sure, take care, then.”

“See you soon, Mingi. Have a nice day!” Yunho waved as he jogged down the stairs and up to his van, making Mingi bite his bottom lip as he watched the tall, long-legged human with fantasies of kissing those thighs, teeth sinking into skin.

“You too, Yunho! Bye!” Mingi grinned widely, waving back as the engine came to life and Yunho did a U-turn without really checking the mirrors, making Mingi chuckle as he pushed the door open with his foot behind himself and walked inside. San and Wooyoung were perched on the windowsill overlooking the front patio, and Mingi froze, his eyes narrowing at the two. When Wooyoung opened his tiny maw, Mingi pointed a finger at him briskly.

“Not a word!” Then, to make sure his cats didn’t see his embarrassing purchase either, he hurried up the wooden padded stairs and entered his bedroom, closing the door behind himself as he heard the two cats cackle as something crashed downstairs. If they pushed over one of the boiling pots from the stove, they were in for an earful!

₍^. .^₎⟆

When Mingi changed delivery services, fed up with how carelessly his mostly fragile packages were being treated – the delivery guy being an elf, too, on top of everything made things worse – Mingi had no idea that he would meet the cutest man to have walked the Earth so far. His fingers were sunken deep into the soil of his little garden. He was trying to rid the soil of the weed, which continued to terrorise him since he had moved here, a stubborn little thing like his cat, Wooyoung. Mingi groaned as he felt a ticklish sensation on the soles of his feet, wriggling his toes to scare away whatever little creature had decided to make this more difficult for him. He heard little giggles, but when he whipped his head around sharply, nothing was around.

Mingi narrowed his eyes, trying to look through the thick bush to spot whoever was playing with him, but he couldn’t make out any tiny shapes in the shadow. He shook his head before he turned around to finish planting his marigolds and feverfew, finally, his nose itchy from the crystal powder which clung to his clothes even after he had shaken himself like a dog would. He had ground up aventurine and tiger’s eye, creating a gentle, powdered mixture to sprinkle over the newly cleaned soil.

Mingi hummed under his breath, delighted to hear his neighbour’s splendid piano melody carry through their open living room window. Mingi was rather fond of the Hobbits, gentle, nurturing and funny creatures. They were a joy to be around; he especially loved their niche musical selection.

He ignored the tickles again, smiling under his breath as whatever creature was lurking around had taken a liking to him enough to terrorise him while he tended to his little garden. He placed the roots of the marigolds in first, then grabbed the garden spade and covered the gentle flowers with the crystal-powdered soil.

Mingi sat back to take a second and admire his handiwork, nowhere near ready, but happy to have gotten something done today. Despite it being summer, Mingi had caught a nasty flu and was still battling a terrible cough, which would wake him in the middle of the night, fighting against coughing fits as nothing seemed to help him. Mingi was looking for boosters that could help upgrade his healing potion, a bit bamboozled that they weren’t helping him since he’s never gotten any complaints from his many clients.

He grabbed the green calcite from the porcelain jewel case he stored them inside of, and placed the crystals right around the stone structure, which disjoined the fertile soil from the pebbled path Mingi was currently kneeling on, his legs slowly turning sore. He grabbed the glass of rainwater and sprinkled it over the plants, getting ready to plant the feverfew too before he could call it a day.

He still had to brew a potion or two, focused on researching more plants to go with his healing potion’s formula. If that didn’t work out, he could always call his mother and his aunties, who were much more knowledgeable and wiser, always eager to help Mingi out. He was his mother’s only offspring, so that meant he had been pampered and protected, ardently loved throughout his life. It was those amazing women who taught Mingi what love meant and how loving another being was supposed to feel and look like.

He had just dug up the tiny holes for the feverfews when his sharp ears perked up, taken by the unfamiliar rumble of a vehicle. Mingi frowned, tilting his head as he listened for another second, curious about the newcomer. He couldn’t help it; Mingi has always had an overly curious nature. Some people thought that was dangerous, others, like his mother, encouraged him so that he would discover the wonders of their world.

The vehicle came to a screeching stop right in front of Mingi’s house, and he frowned, trying to recall if he was awaiting anyone. His cats were somewhere inside the house; he could hear their quiet snores, most likely bundled up underneath his sheets. He suddenly sneezed as one daring creature tickled his toes, and he stood up with a yelp, shaking crystal dust off his shoulders.

Mingi’s fingertips were tinted with dark and wet soil, sticking to his hands and even smudged against his white pants. Right, he shouldn’t have worn such a delicate colour when tending to a garden, certain to be dirtied. His eyebrows rose when he heard knocks at the front door, and as he made his way up the stairs, then inside the kitchen, he realised that Wooyoung was running down the stairs, meowing loudly.

“Shh, don’t be like that.” Mingi huffed, undoing his ponytail to quickly ruffle his hair, long and dark strands falling over his pointy ears. He wiped at his nose to make sure no snot remained from the sneeze, and Wooyoung meowed again, even louder, “Stop! It’s probably the new delivery services. Remember that I ordered crystals? I’m almost out of clear and rose quartz.”

Wooyoung didn’t seem happy with that fact as he started rubbing up against Mingi’s feet as he tried to make it to the front door without falling because of Wooyoung’s constant nagging, and he tried to push the cat aside as he finally unlocked the door, then swung it open. Mingi did his best to smile friendlily, his smile small, his mouth opening in a cheery greeting so he wouldn’t scare off the new delivery guy. There were still some people who believed witches were inherently evil, which was very foolish and outdated. But as Mingi finally looked ahead at the person standing at his doorstep, he froze.

A man, tall with extremely long legs and a lean torso, stood, staring back at Mingi, seemingly just as speechless. The delivery guy’s hair was a pleasant brown, looking almost honey-like under the sweltering summer sun. His eyes, which were a gorgeous warm brown and round like doe-eyes, blinked fast as he opened his plush and puckering lips, just to not say anything. Mingi gulped, trying to ignore the peachy blush on the delivery guy’s cheeks, which was suddenly turning a much darker colour, alerting Mingi of the heat creeping up on his own cheeks.

Mingi gulped, his heart skipping a beat in his chest as he intertwined his hands behind his back, eyes slowly following the lines of the delivery guy’s body. His broad shoulders and fair skin had caught Mingi’s eyes fairly quickly, eyes stuck on the dainty pearl necklace sitting at the base of the man’s neck. His skin looked soft and clean, littered with cute moles that had Mingi thinking he wouldn’t hate kissing every evening before going to bed. His eyes widened at the sudden thought, taken off guard by his train of thought. He didn’t even know the delivery guy; for all Mingi knew, he could be a douchebag. But the more Mingi stared at him, the more he realised that the human was as much of a sweetheart as he looked to be, and Mingi’s heart was suddenly racing inside his chest.

He could smell the sickeningly sweet scent of pixie dust on the delivery guy, but that musky undertone and bergamot were hard to miss with his keen nose. The delivery guy was human, so having that much pixie dust covering him – Mingi could see it sitting on strands of his hair – was a bit perplexing. Perhaps it was for protection reasons. There weren’t too many humans in their city, and as much as they were welcomed like anyone else, they were advised to be cautious. Nobody could guarantee that they wouldn’t run into a malicious creature who wished harm upon them, so masking themselves even with the smallest of things was the smarter choice. Especially for a delivery guy as cute as the one standing in front of Mingi.

“Uhm, I—is this—Hi! I, uh, the package, is for—oh, wait, I can’t find the—” The human was a stuttering mess, and Mingi had to bite his bottom lip, continuing to stare at him like it was his first time seeing a human. But the real reason was that Mingi had never seen anyone as beautiful as this human standing on his front porch right now. He watched as the delivery guy fished a device out of his back pocket, the hem of his coral pink t-shirt getting stuck in his belt.

The delivery guy tapped the screen of the device for a few seconds, and Mingi watched him, unable to speak yet as he unintentionally closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Bergamot was one of his favourite scents. Whenever he worked with the plant, he would make sure to leave a small root for drying, so that his house would smell like it for a few days. When Mingi opened his eyes again, he felt his cheeks flush even more as the delivery guy was staring at him, looking a little shy.

“Right, this package was for Silk Street, nr. 8. I, uh, it’s this house, right?” Before Mingi could answer him, the delivery guy chuckled awkwardly and averted his eyes, “I mean, I’m not asking, I’m just making sure. I saw the number on the mailbox! Hard to miss when there are so many vines around it—uhm, so, yeah, this is yours.”

Mingi blinked, then looked down at the package being held towards him. He nodded and took it from the delivery guy, gulping loudly when their fingertips brushed gently. He quickly looked back up at the delivery guy, who was swift in averting his eyes, sucking in his lips as he looked now even more shy.

The delivery guy was doing crazy things to Mingi’s heart, which was beating faster than ever before. Not even his cats had managed to scare him so bad that his heart would be racing this fast.

“Thank you for getting these to me.” Somehow, Mingi had managed to find his voice, which came out deeper than he intended. The delivery guy’s eyes widened as he looked back up at Mingi, his cheeks turning an even darker red. Mingi cursed at himself in his mind, trying to focus on the fact that he was holding the package at an awkward angle and was probably about to make a fool of himself, “I really needed these crystals to get to me! It’s a full moon tonight, and things tend to go haywire in my house during the wee hours of the night, you know?”

Mingi chuckled, an ugly snort which made him mortified as the delivery guy was still staring at him, stunned. But Mingi never knew when to stop when he was panicking, and he felt dread before he had even uttered his next words, “I mean, I’m not a nasty werewolf or something…not that I have anything against them, it’s just, hah! I mean, you know…some crystals charge under the moonlight, especially the full moon’s, and—uh, right, sorry. I didn’t mean to just…dump all that on you. Thanks again, dude.”

Dude.

The words still echoed in Mingi’s head as the delivery guy stuttered out a hasty ‘It’s alright, uhm, so, see you around…maybe?! Yeah, right, I have…stuff. So, yeah. Goodbye now!’ and then basically ran for the van he was driving, Mingi’s eyes stuck to the way his hips swayed, his round ass and those goddamn long legs which he still saw behind his eyes if he closed them.

And the word continued to ring in his head as he whispered an unheard goodbye, then stepped back inside his house like he had been just possessed, like he had lost part of his consciousness while he had spoken to the delivery guy. His cats were sitting by the door, heads tilted in opposite directions, and Mingi gulped loudly as he fell back against the front door, closing it with the action.

“San, Wooyoung.” Mingi’s tone was breathy, a little dreamy, “I think I just fell in love.”

₍^. .^₎⟆

And if Mingi, that same night, impulsively purchased three books he already had original copies of with the hopes of seeing the cute delivery guy again, then he didn’t tell anyone. Not even San or Wooyoung, who would’ve definitely made fun of him. Mingi had an ego to protect, as fragile as it was, so he couldn’t fumble so bad in front of his two cats, who were already judging him as he looked out the window every other minute in hopes of the cute delivery guy showing up early, before Mingi quickly ran to the market, stocking up on herbs he was running low on and utensils for his garden.

He came home with five heavy boxes filled to the brim, a few items inside that were pointless, as he didn’t actually need them. Mingi had a problem with buying cute things; he was absolutely weak and defenceless against them, unable to say no to a cute ghost kitten lamp or a skeleton-shaped candle holder. They would be perfect for Samhain, which was still two months away, but Mingi liked to prepare in advance.

After he had unloaded his boxes from the Uber, the chatty fae driver helping him carry the boxes onto his porch, Mingi realised he’d get to his back garden faster and easier if he just carried his stuff around the house. There was no point in ascending the front porch steps, walking through the house and most likely banging into walls as he couldn’t see anything, just to then descend the back porch stairs and accidentally trip on the last wonky step, only to deposit the boxes inside the cellar, which had the entrance from the outside, a small but surprisingly spacious room. So, Mingi grabbed two boxes and groaned at how heavy they were, tensing his muscles so he wouldn’t pull something in his back.

He walked carefully, knowing the short path leading to the fence door like the back of his hand, able to traverse the small space even with his eyes closed. His neighbourhood was lively as it was the afternoon and the sun wasn’t trying to melt their skin off anymore, so the kids on the block were outside, playing all sorts of games. Mingi could hear Sumin’s delighted screams as they played hide and seek, and he was the last to be found, making Mingi chuckle to himself.

Mingi pushed the fence door open with his foot, eyebrows furrowing when he heard rustling to his right. He froze, head tilting so he could see something from the boxes, and Mingi gasped when a little orange critter scurried out from underneath the bush, headed straight for his front porch.

“Hey!” Mingi called loudly, twisting in his spot, for a second ready to chase after the incredibly small squirrel, “I know where you live! Don’t you dare think I won’t evict you and your little rascals of a family!”

He could hear the critter run up the pipe, its claws sharp enough to find grip in the slippery surface, disappearing inside the rainwater downpipe so that it could crawl inside Mingi’s attic. He huffed under his breath as he abandoned the idea of pursuing the small animal. What would he have done either way? Mingi’s hands were full, and he couldn’t see anything from the two boxes, so he headed inside his back garden without creating much of a ruckus.

He would need to ask an expert about how to remove the little critters. Mingi didn’t want to harm them, but he also wanted them gone before they could damage the things he kept inside his attic. Stuff like a bunch of jars of potions, herbs, and then jewel cases of crystals, and antique trinkets he liked to collect from mystique flea markets.

Mingi huffed, shaking his arms out when he finally placed down the boxes by the cellar door. For someone who had as much muscle as Mingi, his limbs were certainly underprepared, as he could already feel the strain in his biceps.

Mingi huffed under his breath before he ran a finger through his long hair, forgetting about the small braids in it and hissing when he tugged on them. He was such a klutz at times that Mingi feared someone would have footage of him being silly and ditzy for days on end if they were to watch him twenty-four seven.

He shook his head before he waltzed back to the front of the house, trying to decide whether he should take the remaining three boxes at once or if he should just make the trip from the front porch to the cellar twice more. It’s not that it was such an inconvenience; it’s just that Mingi’s been out and about at the height of the scorching sun, so he was sweaty and smelly. All he wanted to do was take a long, cold shower right now. Well, that sealed his decision then. Mingi would suck it up and carry the remaining three boxes at once, even if it meant he’d lose an arm or two.

Rubbing his palms together as he approached the front porch, he bent from the hips and groaned loudly when he very slowly lifted the three boxes. It felt like he was carrying a metal cauldron his own size – without the help of telekinesis – and he pouted to himself, thinking about how convenient some helping hands would’ve been. As if the universe had heard Mingi’s thoughts, he perked up when he heard the rumble of the engine of an approaching vehicle.

Mingi was standing by the foot of the porch stairs, having barely managed to stand up straight, now frozen and wondering if that car sounded familiar. Mingi’s memory was good and his ears even sharper, and he tried to peek over the boxes, but they were too high this time, so he wouldn’t succeed.

Mingi pouted as he started walking slowly, feeling the ground under his feet so that he wouldn’t trip and fall, possibly hurt himself badly too. He wouldn’t put it past himself; Mingi had an affinity for such silly things.

The approaching vehicle sounded old as the brakes screeched when they came to a halt, and Mingi’s eyes widened slightly as he stopped walking again, now convinced that he knew that car and the person driving it. It might’ve been four days since he had first and last seen the cute delivery guy, but Mingi would never forget his scent or the sound of his eager steps as he approached Mingi’s house, just like right now.

In his haste to try and angle the boxes away from himself, Mingi managed to trip on the stone structure delimiting his driveway from his front lawn, and he yelped loudly as he started stumbling forward. Mingi heard a gasp and then running footsteps approach him, and before a disaster could unfold, helping hands were holding him still by the boxes.

“Saints,” Mingi huffed under his breath, still unable to see his saviour, but recognising him due to the overly sweet pixie dust scent. Mingi has never smelled anything like it on anyone else, so he knew right away who it was. “You saved me, big time.”

“Why are you carrying so many boxes by yourself if you can’t see where you are going?” The cute delivery guy wasn’t chastising Mingi; he sounded rather curious as Mingi’s eyes widened when suddenly the top two boxes were lifted from the one he was holding tightly.

“I didn’t want to walk back and forth another time…” Mingi admitted with a pout, his cheeks flushing as he could now see, and made eye contact with the cute delivery guy. He was grinning at Mingi in amusement, his pretty lips pulled to the side as his front teeth showed.

Mingi stared for a long second, his head tilting as he realised the man’s front teeth were slightly more forward. It was…endearing. As were the moles under his eyes, the freckles littering his nose and the apples of his cheeks, now darker since, most likely, he had been spending more time outside under the sun.

Mingi gulped and quickly looked away when he realised the cute delivery guy could see him staring, his cheeks flushing an even darker shade, “Uhm, I just need to carry these to the back garden, if you’d want to help…”

“Of course!” The cute delivery guy exclaimed, smiling at Mingi brighter than the sun itself as he took off towards the open fence door like he knew which way to go. Mingi followed the human’s lead and grinned to himself, amused that the delivery guy hadn’t even asked which way he was supposed to go.

He was wearing white shorts which ended just above his knees, and a black polo which was tucked inside the shorts. Now walking in front of him, Mingi couldn’t help but stare at the delivery guy’s cute ass, snorting under his breath when he realised he had somehow stuffed Mingi’s package into his back pocket. The seams of the pocket looked like they would come undone any minute now, but Mingi didn’t say anything as he continued to stare at the man’s hips, gnawing on his bottom lip as naughtier thoughts tried to overtake his rationale.

“Where should I put them?” Mingi slowly looked up as the cute delivery guy stopped in the middle of his back garden, looking toward Mingi curiously. But Mingi was distracted by the tight sleeves of the polo clinging to the man’s taut biceps, lean but visible since he was carrying two heavy boxes.

Mingi knew humans weren’t fragile, but the cute delivery guy was exerting the power of a dragon and not of a human right now. And no, Mingi did not care that his comparison made little to no sense when he was slowly starting to think with his dick instead of his brain.

“The cellar. By the door. Next to the other boxes.” His words came out sharp and a little breathless, but he hoped the cute delivery guy would think it was from exhaustion of carrying heavy boxes.

And Mingi stayed back as the man nodded with a smile, glanced around to spot the boxes Mingi had mentioned, then made a victorious sound in the back of his throat when he noticed where they were.

Slowly walking closer, Mingi gulped as the cute delivery guy bent forward, his face concentrated as he handled his items carefully while placing them down. Ass now in the air, lower back slightly arched, Mingi’s mind ran rampant as he licked his lips, fantasising about fondling those round and most likely soft buttocks.

“Let me help you with that, too.” Suddenly, the cute delivery guy was all up in Mingi’s face, and he froze, flushing a dark shade as he felt caught red-handed. But the human just grinned at him, eyes crinkling and head slightly tilted, before he took the box from Mingi, not without their fingers brushing.

Mingi’s arms started tingling as his heart skipped a beat, and he averted his eyes before he could fantasise about Yunho’s ass again. This is the type of delivery service he expected for his fragile items, not the careless and stupid elf who pushed around boxes and broke a divination spectre Mingi really needed, not even once.

“Right, that’s done, then.” Yunho huffed as he stood up straight, dusting his hands off as Mingi nodded, watching the human with a probably too intense gaze. He couldn’t help it, though, not when he was so beautiful and gentle-looking. Mingi loved the way his hair appeared honey-like in the afternoon sun, his fair skin slightly red where he had gotten a sunburn probably over the weekend.

Mingi wondered if the cute delivery guy had been at the beach, if they would’ve crossed paths had Mingi taken up his mother on her invitation and gone down with the Songs to the beach.

“Right, thank you so much!” Mingi spoke heartfeltly, “You didn’t need to do all that, I would’ve managed on my own too.”

“Well, you seemed to be struggling a little bit,” The cute delivery guy chuckled, then went pale a little as his eyes widened, “I mean—I’m not calling you weak! Or like, incompetent! I just-I just wanted to say that you, you know, looked like some help would be appreciated. Not that-that I’m trying to insinuate that you, uhm, are…weak.”

Mingi bit his bottom lip, trying to stop himself from giggling an awful lot, but the delivery guy was just too cute when he became flustered. And Mingi couldn’t stop himself anymore as he started giggling, his shoulders shaking a little as he clasped his hands together behind his back.

“No, you are right.” He managed to say between giggles, “I really needed that help, my arms felt like they were about to fall off any minute. Thank you!”

Seeing that Mingi wasn’t upset or offended, the cute delivery guy visibly relaxed and chuckled too, avoiding eye contact as he looked down abashed. He kicked a few pebbles away with his feet, and Mingi calmed down enough to stop giggling, his cheeks hurting a little.

“So, uhm,” The cute delivery guy peeked up at Mingi through his bangs, his eyes round and so sweet that Mingi felt weak in the knees, “Are you a green witch?”

Mingi just blinked, surprised that the human had guessed it right. It’s not that Mingi thought of them as dumb beings, but humans usually made no effort to pay attention to magical creatures, to learn the many kinds which roamed the Earth now. They were a bit ignorant, but never offensive, so Mingi didn’t mind if they only addressed him as a simple witch, or perhaps sometimes wizard, too.

Wizards were the type of people who could do magic without using tools, and, unfortunately, Mingi hadn’t quite mastered the art of telekinesis yet, so he wouldn’t call himself a wizard. Everyone born into the Song family has been a witch so far, and he didn’t really try to break this tradition.

“Yes! I actually am! I’m surprised you guessed it right.” Mingi answered, excitement coating his tone, which made the cute delivery guy’s eyes widen a little. He had a warm twinkle in his chocolate-like coloured eyes, and he shrugged casually as he pushed his hands inside the pockets of his shorts.

“It wasn’t really a guess.” Mingi arched an eyebrow, the cute delivery guy huffed like he was embarrassed, “I mean, last time you were covered in mud and some type of powder I didn’t recognise, and well, you smelled like herbs. I mean, you still do, but it’s more subdued, it’s sweeter now, like vanilla. And well…your back garden also kind of gives it away.”

Mingi was impressed by how attentive the human was, and his smile grew as he nodded at the cute delivery guy, “Aha, so I’m a walking green witch, I got it.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it offensively, I just—”

“I know, and I’m quite impressed.”

Mingi didn’t let the human try to make excuses for something which wasn’t offensive, and the cute delivery guy suddenly flushed, giving Mingi the sweetest smile – sweeter than the black vanilla scent he was talking about. For a second, they remained silent, taking in the other, eyes measuring as Mingi tried not to stare at those long legs, the smooth bare skin. He’s never been a leg type of guy, but oh well, a whole new can of worms has been opened with the arrival of the cute delivery guy.

A sudden bang against the locked kitchen door made the cute delivery guy yelp and Mingi jump, staring at it wide-eyed. For a second, he worried something inflammable had exploded inside his kitchen – a poorly stored potion – but he then heard scratching against the door and the annoyed hisses of no one else but Wooyoung. Mingi groaned as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head as the cute delivery guy looked at him in confusion and slight fear.

“I swear, my cats are crazy. He’s banging on the door because I’m taking too long to go inside. Can you figure?! Like he’s my damn mother or something!” Mingi huffed, shaking his head as he glared towards the kitchen door, making the cute delivery guy blink at him in confusion.

“You have cats?” He asked, just slightly surprised. Mingi hummed, looking back at the endearing man.

“Yes, two, actually.” Mingi then chuckled, tilted his head, “I’m a bit cliché, aren’t I? I smell like herbs and have muddy clothes, and now I even own cats?!”

“No, that’s—it’s actually sweet. It, uh, fits you somehow.” The cute delivery guy rubbed his nape, giving Mingi those round, slightly seductive eyes, “Makes you all the more charming.”

Well fuck Mingi’s life then. The cute delivery guy thought he was charming? And over the fact that he reeked of herbs, had dirt under his nails if he was too lazy to clean them, and even owned two furballs who could’ve been little devils, making him the clichest of witchy cliches?! Saints, Mingi could kiss the man on the lips right now.

“And you’re cute.” And, there his game went. Mingi’s eyes widened into saucers right as he blurted that out, mindlessly and shamelessly, as he flushed a deep red, his heart suddenly racing in his chest.

The cute delivery guy’s eyes widened too, and he opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, breathed through his mouth loudly and made a weird sound before flushing even more. And Mingi felt like a mess too as he tried to save his words, but he was fumbling hard, his brain blank as he was panicking. This couldn’t be happening, not right now!

“Package!” The cute delivery guy suddenly blurted out, looking at anything and everything that wasn’t Mingi, “Delivery! I mean—your package that I had to deliver! It’s here, I’ll just—”

He yanked on the parcel a bit harshly and gasped, looking apologetic that he was treating it with little gentleness, in front of Mingi, nonetheless. Not that he cared, he already had those books and would most likely gift them to Sumin for his birthday since he really liked reading about witches ever since Mingi befriended him.

“Right, my books.” Mingi hummed, stepping closer so the cute delivery guy could hand him the package more easily. The human nodded and then grabbed his device off his belt, scanning the barcode before he extended his arm, handing Mingi his books. They were packaged neatly, and Mingi turned them over as they waited for the device’s screen to turn green.

“Right, uhm, so everything’s fine.” The human gulped, still avoiding looking at Mingi, which made the witch kind of panicky. “I’ll be on my way, then. Take care! Bye!”

Mingi hummed as the cute delivery guys scurried out of his garden like he was being chased away, and pouted as he called after him a feeble, “Bye! See you!”

Mingi listened as the van’s door was slammed shut, then the old engine rumbled to life before the cute delivery guy did a U-turn without checking his mirrors. Mingi chuckled under his breath, feeling like his heart would fall through his stomach from the sudden rush of excitement he felt. His giddiness was ruined when something slammed against his kitchen door again, making Mingi groan loudly.

“Shut up, Wooyoung! Can’t you see I was busy?! I’m going to kick you out!” Mingi threatened without bite as he stormed up to the fence door and shut it with more power than necessary, making sure to thoroughly lock it so nobody could open it from the outside.

“No, you won’t, asshat!” Mingi rolled his eyes at the familiar voice nipping back at him, and he threw his middle finger up as he passed in front of the kitchen windows, knowing that he was being watched by whom it was directed at.

₍^. .^₎⟆

Mingi didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t even want to acknowledge his two cats, perched on the small cushion in the foyer, tangled together, sniffing at each other’s furs as their eyes followed Mingi curiously, mostly amused. It’s not like Mingi had been fidgety the whole day because he knew his parcel would be arriving today. It’s not like Mingi had put on linen white, clean, pants and a flowy sage green, see-through, sleeveless shirt. It was too hot outside to be wearing anything else, and he was in no way a masochist just because he wanted to look good. The long-sleeved outfits could wait for when the weather became colder.

The little green beads glinted in his wavy hair as he stopped in front of the mirror again, adjusting the strands which framed his face so he’d look impeccable. A while has passed since he had last ordered anything, well-stocked on herbs and crystals, but when he saw the oracle cards last night on sale, Mingi knew he couldn’t miss this fantastic opportunity. His mother’s birthday was approaching, so he wouldn’t scramble to find a gift for her last minute, and the cute delivery guy would also make his day better by showing his face around.

Mingi’s eyes widened when the familiar rumble of a van engine reached his ears, the vehicle having just turned down onto Mingi’s street. His house was towards the end of the cul-de-sac, so he had plenty of time to swiftly apply a sheer layer of lip gloss onto his lips, hands fanning his face so he wouldn’t appear sweaty. With the potions bubbling away on his stove, the AC was capable of only doing so much, but it was so old that Mingi couldn’t even blame it. He was glad his blood ran hotter, so he wouldn’t sweat as much as human beings, who were sensitive to both the cold and the warmth.

Mingi hurried over to the front door as he heard the door of the van slam shut, and he took a deep breath to try and steady his racing heartbeat. He felt pretty today, which meant he looked pretty. Mingi wondered if the cute delivery guy would notice too that he wasn’t covered in mud, crystal dust or herbs this time, that he potently smelled like dark vanilla and musk, with a hint of bergamot. Mingi thought that if the cute delivery guy loved the plant’s scent, he would recognise it on Mingi too.

He heard San yawn behind him, still lounging around on the small cushion as Wooyoung jumped off, disappearing off to somewhere Mingi didn’t see as he couldn’t pay mind to his cat. Mingi’s hand was already gripping and twisting the doorknob, his keen ears picking up the cute delivery guy’s quick approach to this door.

“Hello!” Mingi grinned widely as he yanked the door open, the cute delivery guy’s hand raised, about to knock. His eyes widened slightly as he blinked at Mingi, taken off guard. After another beat of silence, Mingi realised he was being too eager, thus he was embarrassing himself, “Uh, saints, I’m sorry. I was just about to…uhm…check the mailbox! I wasn’t, like, waiting for you to come by or anything, hah!”

Terrible. Everything was going terribly for Mingi with the cute delivery guy. He tried not to visibly cringe at himself, at how fake his excuse sounded as the cute delivery guy chuckled, looking down as his hands tightened around the small box he was holding. Mingi tried not to stare at those veiny hands, those long fingers.

“Hello. You just startled me, that’s all.” He spoke softer today, like he was shyer, and it sent Mingi’s heart into a frenzy as he stared at the cute delivery guy’s pretty lips, bottom one now between his teeth as he gnawed on it. Mingi gulped, his grip tightening on the doorknob he was still holding onto, mostly for grounding.

“Sorry,” Mingin whispered, then gulped as the cute delivery guy finally looked up at him, his prettiness really distracting. Mingi didn’t even notice for a second that he was wearing a white tank top, his fair arms on display, and Mingi wished he hadn’t when he felt his throat go dry a bit, fantasising about discoloured bruises littering the inside of his biceps. Focus, Mingi!

“Here,” The cute delivery guy handed the package over as he checked his wristwatch, his eyebrows furrowing lightly. Mingi tilted his head as he watched the human take the device off his belt and scan the barcode, not too talkative today.

Mingi noticed how his right foot kept tapping against the wooden floorboards of his porch, the way he kept gnawing on his bottom lip like he had more to say but was holding back. Mingi didn’t like that. He preferred listening to whatever silly thing the human had to say, curious to know more about him. But Mingi didn’t think he was in a position to push him, so he remained silent and watched as the device screen flashed green.

“Good!” The cute delivery guy exclaimed unexpectedly, making Mingi’s eyes widen, “Oh, sorry. Today’s just…tiring, I have a lot on my mind and so many houses to deliver to still.”

Mingi understood; he could sense that he was in a hurry. The pixie dust scent wasn’t as strong on him today as it was other times, and Mingi inhaled deeply and hoped the human wouldn’t notice. He smelled of musk and bergamot, sweat too, since Mingi could see beads rolling down his nape, his hair having gotten longer since they first met. It’s been what…two or three months now? Mingi quite liked the longer hair on the human; it softened his already incredibly handsome features even more, round eyes and chubby cheeks to die for, and his moles pretty beauty marks Mingi wouldn’t mind kissing.

“Right, I won’t hold you up then.” Mingi nodded, clearing his throat as he tried not to feel crestfallen that the human had probably failed to notice that he had dolled himself up today. Whatever, Mingi could get ready another day too, charm the cute delivery guy some more.

“Mhm, see you!” The human waved a hand as he turned around, quick on his feet as Mingi pouted at his back, clutching the small package to his chest.

“Take care—” But the witch couldn’t even finish his sentence before he saw a blur of blackness leap up from the base of the stairs, Yunho’s scream loud as he jumped back in fright.

Wooyoung, devious as ever, now stood on the highest step, head tilted as he meowed loudly, looking at Mingi as his tail swished behind him. Mingi narrowed his eyes at Wooyoung in warning as Yunho pressed a hand over his chest, looking pale before his cheeks started flushing.

“Oh my,” He whispered, shaking his head before he chuckled, “That scared me real bad.”

“I’m so sorry!” Mingi tried to smile apologetically, utterly embarrassed, “Wooyoung is…a special case, let’s just say. He’s very…”

Mingi thought over a few words like: demonic, troublesome, vengeful, irate, mean, hateful, obnoxious, loud, but then settled on, “Playful.”

“Oh, it’s not a stray cat?” Before Mingi could warn the cute delivery guy not to touch Wooyoung since he didn’t like strangers, the human had already bent down and scooped him up into his arms, cooing at Wooyoung. And Mingi watched in shock as his black cat shimmied up against the human’s chest, pressing his little face into the cute delivery guy’s large hand, purring louder than for Mingi or even San.

“Traitor.” Mingi snapped under his breath so the human wouldn’t hear him, but his cat would, eyes narrowed as Wooyoung suddenly looked at him, tongue sticking out as he started licking the cute delivery guy’s palm, “What are you doing?!”

“Isn’t he just so adorable?” The cute delivery guy giggled as he leaned in to press a small kiss behind Wooyoung’s ear, and he meowed loudly, blinking slowly at the human like he was trying to woe him. Mingi huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, wondering where San was right now, missing out on an Oscar-winning performance, “You said his name is Wooyoung?”

“Yeah, he named himself, I didn’t have much of a choice in that…or in getting him, to be honest.” The cute delivery guy looked confused for a second, but he didn’t ask any questions as Mingi watched Wooyoung enjoy the petting from a stranger. But it didn’t last for much longer as Yunho sighed, looking at Mingi with regret on his face.

“Well, I’m glad I was able to meet one of your cats, but I really have to go now.” The cute delivery guy muttered, bending down to gently place Wooyoung on the floor, not before the human gave him another kiss. Mingi huffed under his breath, telling himself that he wasn’t jealous of Wooyoung getting kisses from the cute delivery guy. He couldn’t have known what the cat actually was, and that’s why Wooyoung was so devious and sly. He took advantage of poor creatures simply out of boredom, and Mingi could do nothing to stop the sentient being. “Goodbye, Wooyoung!”

He waved at the cat before he looked back at Mingi, flashing him a small smile like this swift interaction had made his day better. Mingi hummed as he watched the human turn around and take two steps down the stairs, just to swirl around with slightly flushed cheeks. Mingi froze, his heart racing for no reason at all as he stared at the cute delivery guy, who rubbed the back of his nape and chuckled shyly.

“My name, uh, it’s Yunho…” Mingi’s eyes widened as the cute delivery guy – Yunho – blinked at him shyly but expectantly, and Mingi ignored the loud meow Wooyoung let out as he rubbed up against his leg, taunting Mingi without Yunho’s knowing.

“Yunho, right. I’ll remember that.” Before Mingi could blurt out something embarrassing, Wooyoung bit his big toe, and Mingi had to do everything in his power not to react at the small fangs sinking into his sensitive skin, “My name’s Mingi.”

“Oh, Mingi…” Yunho tried the name on his tongue, and Mingi kind of felt like kissing him—woah, too soon! “Well, see you next time, Mingi!”

“Yeah, see you, Yunho…” Mingi then watched as Yunho hurried back to his van, the two sharing a long glance once the cute delivery guy had buckled himself up. And Mingi gulped, standing out on his front porch as he watched Yunho drive away, kicking Wooyoung away when the stupid cat tried to bite his big toe again. Mingi’s yelp was loud as Wooyoung just scurried inside the house and away from Mingi as he called out the cat’s name loudly, glaring as he was about to chastise him. But first, Mingi needed to sit with the fact that now he knew the cute delivery guy’s name. Yunho.

₍^. .^₎⟆

Mingi’s little home was buzzing with life as he tinkered around the kitchen, washing dirty dishes and placing every used jar, pot, and utensil back in their places. He’s had a long and busy day, but not because he was brewing potions for his store. This weekend, he was free as they were celebrating an important sabbat, or well, at least Mingi and other witches were. Given that many Wiccans were living in Mingi’s neighbourhood, they had adjusted their festivals so that other creatures could join, extending invitations to friends and close acquaintances, turning it into a yearly neighbourhood celebration.

Lughnasadh fell on a sunny and warm Saturday this year, so windows and doors of almost all houses were open as everyone prepared for the festival. The street Mingi lived on had been closed off for traffic as long tables were being set up, decorations and even a small space for musicians to play live music. Mingi loved how tight-knit their little community was, welcoming and inclusive of all beings, of all creatures and their customs. It wasn’t foreign for beings of other origins to celebrate the Wiccan festivals since they populated a big chunk of their society, but there was one too many species keen on denying the existence of paganism, which had always hurt Mingi a little.

When he moved to this part of the city, he had made sure to thoroughly do his research about the type of people living here; he’d even spoken to some before he decided to purchase his house. It didn’t matter that the place felt right if the inhabitants around him didn’t. Mingi was a creature which coexisted not only with living souls, but the quieter and smaller ones, nature. They didn’t have a voice like those with mouths; they spoke in different ways, they showed you what they thought, how they felt. Sometimes it was easier to understand nature than those who were able to voice their thoughts, but Mingi had learned to be receptive and attentive so that he could spot what others normally wouldn’t.

He smiled as he finished washing the dishes; the small leaves extended towards him as he felt timid touches on top of his head. He had watered his vines today, infused their rainwater with rose quartz so they could bloom even prettier and healthier. Mingi knew it was their way of saying thank you, by petting his hair and kissing his cheeks as he tinkered about in his kitchen. He chuckled as he looked up at the timid leaves, which had frozen once Mingi’s eyes had fallen on them, “You don’t need to thank me, you know that, right? You are just as precious to me as everything else inside this house. Had I known you liked rose quartz this much, I would’ve let you have it a lot sooner.”

The vines curled tighter suddenly, then shuddered, and Mingi imagined they were giggling as he shook his head, huffing a strand of hair out of his eyes. The lenses of his glasses were much too dirty as he had been wearing them the whole day, sometimes even forgetting he had them on as he tried to touch his eyes, used to wearing contact lenses instead. It was easier to work with those; no heavy frame slipping off his nose and threatening to fall into his potion, which only steamed up the glass and rendered him unable to see. He might as well have brewed the potions half blind.

Mingi turned at the footsteps as they came down the stairs, eager as they beelined it for the living room, where the dining table was prepared for tonight when Mingi would return home and honour the Universe in privacy too.

“Did you find the candles?” He called out loudly as he rinsed off the sink, gathering what food remained in the drain so he could throw it into the trash can. Mingi listened closely to what the person in his living room was doing, and he rolled his eyes when he heard the PlayStation being turned on, “Wooyoung! I asked you a question!”

“No! But San is looking for them!” Came the sharp answer, and Mingi groaned, feeling tired all of a sudden. He’s been having trouble sleeping lately; the cycle of the moon did not always have the best influence on Mingi. He could get restless around the full moon, feeling like he was missing something, an emotion which crawled from the depths of his chest, which he could not figure out what it was. It was frustrating, and only scribbling in his journal helped somewhat calm his mind.

“I didn’t ask San to look for them!” Mingi called back, crouching down to reach the trash can underneath the sink, “And stop playing games! Have you set the table?!”

“Saints, you are worse than a mother hen!” Wooyoung hissed back, and Mingi rolled his eyes, unamused and too spent to even bother arguing with the stubborn man right now. Before joining the rest of the creatures out on the street tonight, Mingi would take a long bath and a quick nap, wanting to be fresh for Lughnasadh, so he would give his utmost respect to the Universe, to the harvest which was upon them.

He’s baked fresh bread and pastries, cookies and even croissants early in the morning, a secret recipe only the Songs knew, passed down generation by generation. He's always been a firm believer that tradition was good and that tradition had to be protected and cherished, for it showed their identity, their belonging to something bigger than them.

Something tumbled upstairs, and a panicked yelp followed, making Mingi wonder if San had come across their critters, who were inhabiting Mingi’s attic without permission. He smiled to himself as he heard Wooyoung snicker, then the PS was switched off, and he was racing back up the stairs, calling out the buffer man’s name with a cackle in his voice. It was easy to confuse Wooyoung for a witch with the way he behaved and spoke, and it would explain why he had stumbled upon the Songs and even chose Mingi as his owner.

Mingi was just drying his hands off on his apron when he heard footsteps walking up the steps of his front porch, curious to see who was visiting early in the afternoon since everyone was busy preparing for later tonight.

The knock at the door had Mingi walking towards the living room and then out into the foyer, his eyes widening when he found Yunho standing at his open doorstep, looking slightly lost. The two stared at each other for a second wordlessly, but before Yunho could say anything, Mingi turned on his heels and hurried back inside the kitchen to fetch the small lunch box he had packed to the brim with cookies. On his way back to the foyer, he caught a glance of himself in the mirror in the living room, which thankfully reminded him to undo his ponytail.

He shook his hair out just as he came to the door, Yunho’s eyes stuck on Mingi’s face as he was busy huffing strands away from his eyes.

“Hi, Mingi.” Yunho greeted, sounding a little breathless. His cheeks were that peachy blush colour as always, slightly darker now as he gulped, his lips parted in wonder as he stared at Mingi like he was seeing him for the first time. Mingi still remembered the earth-shattering feeling inside his body when he first saw Yunho, not that he wasn’t still just as taken by his beauty.

“Hello, Yunho.” Mingi smiled widely, hiding the lunch box behind his back as he tried not to fidget. Yunho gulped, still staring a little shell-shocked, his grip on the package slightly slipping. He was doused in plenty of pixie dust today, and Mingi could almost not smell his natural scent at all. It was a little bit frustrating since Mingi had grown to really love Yunho’s natural scent, but he couldn’t say anything about it without seeming strange. “You have something for me?”

“Yes, right.” Yunho nodded swiftly, looking down at the package in his hands, “This came in earlier today. Thought I’d bring it over before I clocked out.”

Mingi gulped, trying to ignore the devious, hushed giggles coming from the top of the stairs. He knew his cats were out of sight, but it was enough that Mingi could hear them, knowing that they were there, having fun at the expanse of his obvious pinning. If only Yunho would reciprocate it…

“Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you.” Mingi hummed, getting a little lost in Yunho’s soft eyes as he hummed, taking the device off his belt so he could check the barcode, “Uhm, today I have something for you as well.”

Yunho’s eyes widened as he looked at Mingi’s hands, now extended as he held a light blue lunchbox with kittens on it – a demand by Wooyoung that Mingi had something of them on his items, too.

Yunho eyed the lunchbox, looking like he was about to refuse, but Mingi snatched the package from Yunho’s hand and replaced it with his own lunchbox, grinning mischievously when Yunho blinked in surprise.

Mingi couldn’t help but giggle as Yunho huffed, averted his eyes and flushed a darker shade of red, which wasn’t doing good things to Mingi’s heart as it started racing in his chest. He gulped, feeling his own cheeks heat up as Yunho eyed the lunchbox, shook it a little and frowned at the faint sound the cookies made, “This is very sweet, Mingi, but I can’t accept it—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Mingi raised a hand, his tone serious, as Yunho instantly shut up, “I baked so many of them, it’s only right I give some to you too. Besides, you deserve them. You are always so hardworking.”

Mingi couldn’t help but grin when Yunho blushed even harder, huffing as he turned his head away, raising a hand to hide his smile behind his palm. Mingi shuffled a little on his feet, thoroughly pleased by the human’s reaction, feeling his ego inflate a little.

“Fine, I’ll take them. Thank you.” Yunho muttered before he looked back at Mingi, avoiding eye contact, though. He glanced behind himself and pointed a thumb at the table, which was being set by the Hobbits living next door, helped by Sumin’s mother and two other witches, who were also the pillars of their community events. “What’s all this, though? I haven’t seen anything like it before, or did I miss a holiday?”

“Oh, well, it’s Lughnasadh today.” Mingi explained, but that much it seemed like Yunho knew, so he continued his explanation, “It’s silly, but our neighbourhood comes together to celebrate it since there’s a lot of witches living here. We set up tables, and everyone brings homemade food. We sit and eat together while musicians play live music, then we dance a little, and the night drags out as the adults drink and the children play around. It’s something our community came up with as we witches usually celebrate it in private, or at least with family members.”

Yunho seemed impressed by the time Mingi was finished explaining, and for a second, Mingi wondered if it was too strange for the human, if he understood the importance of this festival or any of the other ones Wiccans celebrated.

“That is impressive,” Yunho voiced his thoughts, and Mingi’s heart skipped a beat involuntarily, “I love tight-knit communities, our neighbourhood is like that too. We are the only humans living on that street, but we’ve never had issues. The pixies love involving us in their little celebrations and festivals; it’s endearing. But I’ve never seen anything this big organised by a community, I’m glad you can feel comfortable being yourself, Mingi.”

Mingi wanted to kiss Yunho, about now. How was such a simple being capable of such empathy and admiration for something he wasn’t part of, and probably would never fully understand? Mingi thought he couldn’t have liked the cute delivery guy more than this; it was almost nauseating as he smiled at Yunho sweetly, his brain turning to mush. Mingi didn’t even react when he heard his two cats make kissy sounds at each other, knowing that Mingi would hear them and get irritated. Something which didn’t happen as Mingi was lost in Yunho’s eyes, his heart racing and his cheeks burning.

“It’s…yeah, important to feel welcomed by the beings surrounding you.” Mingi muttered, feeling adoration swell inside his chest for the people surrounding him, making this little but significant event even more meaningful, “And I’m happy to hear you are welcomed and loved by those pixies. I imagine it’s not easy being a human in our world, but you are always positive…it makes me think you have no hardships, and that’s impressive in itself.”

It was Yunho’s turn to blush as Mingi gulped, feeling the terrible compulsion to step forward, then reach out and cup Yunho’s cheek, trace the moles under his eyes. Three stars, Mingi realised, they looked like three stars forming their own little constellation. But Yunho didn’t get to say anything, as when he opened his mouth, Sumin appeared at the edge of Mingi’s property, always overly respectful.

“Mr Song!” His boyish voice was high-pitched, excited, “I made pudding! Infused it with rum like you like it, Mr Song! Would you like to try it before we sit down to eat? I promise to keep it a secret, my mom won’t mind!”

Yunho turned around to look at the young boy as Mingi chuckled, shaking his head at the little seelie as he bounced on his feet back and forth. Mingi could tell that he was buzzing with energy, always so eager to join whatever festivities the witches organised for their community.

“Well, of course!” Mingi laughed, tilting his head at the boy, “But you really must keep it a secret! Amalia will get really angry at us if she finds out we’ve been eating before the feast.”

Sumin giggled as he nodded, eyes shifting to Yunho. His eyebrows furrowed for a second, searching for a hint as to what he could be. Despite the pixie dust all over Yunho, he didn’t look the part at all, which wasn’t necessarily bad, but made it harder for other creatures to guess his origins. “Is this your friend, Mr Song? He’s really tall and…handsome.”

“Yes,” Mingi agreed, making Yunho look at him with slightly widened eyes. He felt brave all of a sudden, maybe a little excited as well, “And he’s really nice too.”

“Smells like pixies,” Sumin muttered under his breath with a small grimace, not too fond of the sweet powder. Gwyllons were sensitive to pixies, but Sumin was raised well, so Mingi knew he wouldn’t make an off-handed comment about it, “Well, I’m Sumin! Mr Song’s neighbour! What’s your name, sir?”

“Yunho,” The human said as he held the lunchbox to his chest, looking at Sumin before he glanced back at Mingi, “You seem like you like Mingi a lot.”

“Who doesn’t?!” Sumin chuckled, giving Yunho a sly smile. Mingi rolled his eyes playfully, about to fire a snide remark back, but Yunho nodded, humming under his breath with a small smile, making Mingi freeze. He glanced at the witch from the corner of his eye and nodded to himself.

“Mhm, you’re right.” It was Mingi’s turn to blush as Yunho averted his eyes, pursing his lips as he shook the lunchbox again just to have something to do with his hands, “Well! I don’t want to be a nuisance, seeing how thoroughly everyone is preparing for the festival, so I’ll be on my way now. I’m glad that I was able to see you today, Mingi. May you enjoy your splendid night.”

“Oh, yes, you’re leaving…thank you, Yunho. I’m glad you showed up, I was…anticipating your arrival.” Quite literally, since one of his aunts had told him he would have a visitor who made him feel like he was looking at the sun itself. Dramatic, just how Mingi liked it, “See you soon.”

“See you, goodbye.” Yunho bowed his head forward slightly, shooting Mingi one last smile before he walked down the stairs, and waved at Sumin before he took off to his van parked before the curb, lunchbox clutched to his chest like it was a precious item.

“Mr Song, do you like Yunho?”

“Amalia is looking for you.”

“She’s not—”

“Sumin! Stop being lazy and come help me set up these chocolate fountains!”

“You jinxed it, Mr Song!”

Mingi giggled as he stuck his tongue out, then went inside his house and closed the door, ready now to start preparing for tonight and his own ritual.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

               Head tipped back and eyes focused on the sedona and dusty rose-coloured sky, Mingi enjoyed the cool evening as he lounged in his back garden, leaning back comfortably on his brown padded recliner. His grandmother once said that a sky adorned with such colours would mean a windless following day.

A glass half filled with wine hung from his right hand as he softly swirled the rose-coloured liquid around, enjoying the gentle warmth of the ember as his potion simmered above the fire. Mingi was done for the day, all set for the weekend before Samhain, stocked up and ready to open the store tomorrow.

He knew he would have an influx of customers as they all thought Mingi wouldn’t be prepared enough for the festival and his stand would quickly run out of potions and crystals, so they always swarmed him the week before, usually buying items they didn’t even need. Mingi still giggled about the orc who tried to buy hawthorn wood last year, a plant he had no use for.

Fairies used it in weddings and handfastings, so why would an orc need it? Unless he was a minister, which Mingi highly doubted. The orc would have no use for the plant, which is why Mingi had convinced him not to buy hawthorn wood at last – not without a slightly threatening haggle, of course. He shook his head at the memory, then brought his glass of wine up to his lips as he took a small sip, sighing in contentment.

The street was quieting down as the kids had returned home, everyone ready now to gather inside and enjoy the warmth of the stove while the parents cooked their children's dinner. Mingi watched as two birds landed on the fence he shared with his siren neighbour, and he smiled as he listened to their sweet chirps, lacking the sound of the piano, which would accompany the birds in a lovely melody.

Mingi could easily notice the songbirds' anticipation of the shifts happening around them, of nature soon entering a darker and colder period. Mingi was too much in tune with the green that surrounded them not to feel the hardening of the soil, the decay of the leaves which had gathered in a duff, the coolness which was turning into a biting coldness. Mingi could feel the shift not just in nature, but in the veil as well, the astral realm just a bit more tangible with Samhain so close around.

It felt like he was being caressed by ghostly hands at times, patted on the head or on the back by the ancestors who were looking out for him, proud of their legacy, keen on watching the Song bloodline prosper. Mingi knew he was loved by both the living and dead, their messages subtle but always loud to him.

He smiled as he closed his eyes for a second, listening to the little bubbles which broke once they hit the surface of the purple-hued liquid he’s been boiling this evening. He couldn’t make the potion in the daylight; it required the soothing evening air and the setting sun’s blessing in order to function properly, to serve its purpose. It was going to be a protective salve, applied over your third eye when you felt you were in danger of something unseen, also usable if someone had given you the evil eye.

Mingi’s house had been awfully quiet the whole afternoon while he prepared the ingredients for the salve, which should’ve been an alarming sign that his cats were gone. But Mingi didn’t worry since he knew San and Wooyoung would return before nightfall, two scaredy cats – pun intended – who flinched at every creaking floorboards during the night. He chuckled under his breath, taking another sip of his wine when he heard the bushes to his left rustle, his eyebrow rising when he recognised the soft footsteps.

Speaking of the devil…Mingi watched as the white cat came through first, its paws a greyish colour, tell-tale signs of his afternoon travels. Mingi smiled as he tilted his head at San, amused as the cat seemed oblivious that he had been caught sneaking back inside. Mingi was just glad that he hadn’t been eating one of Mrs Bae’s pies again; he couldn’t handle the embarrassment tonight, when he felt utterly spent after the week he’d had. But Mingi couldn’t complain, no matter how many potions, tinctures, salves and balms he fabricated, because it was what he loved doing the most – other than sipping wine in the evenings and doing research about remedies and other magical creatures, of course.

The white cat, however, was followed by a slightly larger orange cat, foreign to Mingi as his eyes widened. He sat up in his recliner chair and watched as Wooyoung slithered in after the orange cat, his black fur ruffled like he had been in a tousle. Mingi wouldn’t put it past the sly cat, but he wondered if the scuffle had happened with the orange cat, now looking around Mingi’s back garden, looking intrigued but mostly lost.

Mingi huffed when San finally noticed him lounging about, a weak meek leaving his mouth as he froze in his steps. Mingi had to giggle, but he refrained from doing so as he got ready to chastise his cats for bringing home a stray without asking him first.

“Look at you two,” Mingi huffed, shaking his head. “What is the meaning of this? Haven’t I told you that you can’t just bring home animals or creatures, for the matter? What if their owner is looking for them? Wooyoung—I’m looking at you. I know San wouldn’t wander off and act so headless—”

He was cut off by Wooyoung’s loud and angry meow, his green eyes glaring at Mingi for being so quick to judge. He just huffed and rolled his eyes, feeling the orange cat’s round eyes on the side of his head, but not done with telling his own cats off, “Don’t look at me like that! You know I’m right. You are not supposed to lead animals here without my permission…or do you want a repeat of the deer infestation?! Saints, we have critters wreaking havoc in my attic as we speak! I can’t deal with another rascal—”

San’s timid but loud meow cut Mingi off again, making him huff in frustration. He loved those two, but they really didn’t give Mingi the chance to speak the full extent of what was on his mind. His eyes snapped towards San, who blinked innocently at him, head tilted. Mingi gulped, finally noticing the weird shift of air between them. He frowned, holding the glass of wine slightly tighter as he turned his head and finally gave his attention to the orange cat. And Mingi should’ve known why his cats had disappeared in the first place earlier today, but he was too busy with the now-finished potion.

Mingi smiled as he made eye contact with the orange cat’s gorgeous, aquamarine, round eyes, unblinking as he had been staring at Mingi, measuring him from head to toe. Mingi felt his fingertips tingle as he chuckled, waving a little at the cat, hoping he hadn’t scared him so soon. Mingi loved animals, especially cats; he could never do any harm to them, but San and Wooyoung – mostly Wooyoung – were troublemakers, thus needed disciplining at times.

“Ah, hello there.” Mingi chuckled, leaning forward in his recliner chair as the orange cat licked his lips, still staring at Mingi intently, “I apologise for not realising sooner, I was afraid my little troublemakers led a stray array again. My name is Song Mingi, I’m pleased to meet you…”

The orange cat ruffled his fur for a second, sitting up straighter as he meowed, his voice melodious and sweet, as Mingi grinned widely. He blinked, waiting a second for the name to come to him, to familiarise himself with his third cat’s energy, “Seonghwa. What a pretty name. Your eyes sparkle like the stars, indeed. Well, I’m pleased to meet you, Seonghwa. I had no idea you were supposed to find me. How fortunate I am to have San and Wooyoung…”

Wooyoung hissed loudly as a told you so, and Mingi rolled his eyes for a second before he quickly finished his glass of wine, giving the black cat a look, “I’m not a mind reader, sweetheart. You could’ve told me why you were going away, you know…and then I would’ve been better prepared. Are you hungry, Seonghwa? I imagine you must’ve had a long journey.”

The orange cat meowed, nodding his head slightly, and Mingi hummed, getting up to his feet, “Alright, come, then. I have some leftovers from these two.”

San meowed in excitement as he quickly jumped after Mingi, circling his legs and almost making him trip as he yelped, eyes widening. He tsked under his breath before he continued up the stairs of the back porch, Seonghwa following after him almost soundlessly. Mingi would need a few days until he got accustomed to the orange cat’s scent and sounds, his agility and friendliness…if he even liked Mingi. It was too soon to tell, but he would do his utmost best to make his new cat feel welcome.

“San, you’ve had dinner already. It’s not my fault you went with Wooyoung and are hungry now, you know…” Mingi huffed under his breath as they entered the kitchen, the little fairy lights on above their heads. He headed straight for the fridge and paused at the rapid footsteps above his head, making Mingi sigh as Seonghwa meowed in curiosity, “Ah, well…we’ve got squirrels in the attic, I don’t know how to get rid of them without hurting them. I’ve been brainstorming with Sumin, our neighbour by the way, and also researching about it, but I haven’t gotten too far.”

When Mingi turned to place the small plate on the floor for Seonghwa, he noticed the mischievous glint in his new cat’s eyes. Mingi chuckled, shaking his head as he bent down and placed the plate in front of the orange cat, “Aha, I see Wooyoung has found a partner in crime. San only follows him because he’s smitten, but I can see you will feed his naughtiness. How splendid for me…”

Mingi sighed quietly as San meowed loudly, blinking at Mingi like he was embarrassed, making him roll his eyes. It was quite obvious how smitten he was with Wooyoung. Mingi hadn’t said anything that the three of them hadn’t known already. He watched Seonghwa sit to the side so San could also have access to the plate, and Mingi’s heart swelled as he was now convinced that their new addition to the family would adapt fairly quickly and really well. Mingi could tell that San already found the orange furball cute and endearing, but it was harder to tell how Wooyoung felt about Seonghwa as he sat in the doorway, tails swishing behind himself as he watched the two eat.

“Come here,” He tried to beckon Wooyoung over, but the black cat just gave him a sharp look before he jumped on the counter and went around the sink, jumping off to disappear into the hallway. Ah, well. That would explain it. Wooyoung was mad at Mingi, for the witch had not trusted him and had judged him too fast.

Mingi felt guilty as he peeked around the corner, hearing the loud thuds of angry footsteps, then the faucet being turned on in the bathroom downstairs. He would talk to Wooyoung once he was done with his shower, even share the pumpkin pie he’s baked in his two – now three – cats' absence.

But before Mingi could proceed with his plan, his ears perked up curiously at the loud rumble of an old car’s engine. He didn’t recall any of his neighbours driving such a vehicle, and he watched as San stopped eating, head tilted to the side as he looked at Mingi. He shrugged, feeling curious as he went out into the foyer, peering through the curtains. It was a delivery van, too old and rusty as it squeaked and creaked, barely coming to a stop as it had barrelled down the street. Mingi frowned, still standing by the window since the van had pulled up to his driveway.

The horizon was greying already, and he couldn’t make out the driver, who seemed to be short sitting behind the steering wheel, but it was enough to tell Mingi that this wasn’t Yunho. But he had been expecting a package today, more vials to store his potions in for Samhain, but he thought they wouldn’t be delivered today after all. Yunho was only human; Mingi wouldn’t blame him if he was so busy that he didn’t get to deliver Mingi’s package.

“It’s my package, I think,” Mingi mumbled when he heard feather-light footsteps approach him, no doubt his new orange cat, since both San and Wooyoung made a lot of sounds while walking. The cat gave a quiet meek as it perched up on the windowsill, head tilted as they now both watched the driver jump out of the van, cursing under his breath. Mingi giggled as he heard the vile words, surprised by such a sharp tongue. That could mean only one thing: he was dealing with a temperamental pixie tonight.

Seonghwa and he shared a glance as the short man struggled to take Mingi’s heavy package out of the van, and the most Mingi could do to help was swing his door open and wave the delivery guy over, “Hi! Do you need help?”

“No!” Came the sharp answer as the man’s face wasn’t visible from the box, and Mingi tried not to giggle as the pixie struggled to approach the house.

“Oh, careful! There are steps—”

“I know, I’m not blind.” The pixie huffed, cutting Mingi off again as he took one step at a time, feeling out the floor to make sure he wouldn’t trip and fall over. Mingi chuckled as he stepped through the threshold, keeping the door open as Seonghwa remained sitting in the window, tail swishing behind him.

“Alright, let me help you now,” Mingi muttered quietly as he took the large box from the shorter man, groaning a little at just how heavy it was. The pixie scoffed like it was so obvious as Mingi placed the box down inside, shaking his arms out, “Thank you for carrying it all the way here.”

“I didn’t have a choice, don’t think I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart.” The delivery guy huffed, giving Mingi a pissed off look. It’s either the pixie just wasn’t in a good mood – it was getting really late, Mingi didn’t even think they’d be delivering at this hour still – or he was hilariously checking off every pixie stereotype they were so well known for.

Mingi smiled a little, not wanting to antagonise the shorter man, when he noted something familiar. That scent. It was too sweet and too strong, but Mingi could see that this man was a real pixie; he could smell that it was his natural scent. He smelled just like Yunho, and the realisation made Mingi pause.

He gulped, suddenly more defensive as he took a second to take the man in fully, to actually look at the pixie. He was dressed in mismatched clothing, very colourful and very eye-catching, almost irritating with the way he paired a polka-dotted sweater with a striped pink vest, and an atrocious yellow skirt, reaching below his knees as he wore what looked like black jeans underneath. At least the yellow beret over his fading red hair seemed to match one other clothing item, hiding messy strands of hair, but displaying his slightly curving pixie ears.

Theirs weren’t as sharp as elf ears, curved and a lot smaller, but they were pointy too, just more fitting for their body size. Pixies were naturally smaller people, short with sharp features. The man had pretty, ember-coloured eyes, small and currently narrowed at Mingi. A perfectly sloped nose with a pointy end, and red lips which were parted in a snarl, showing off his small but sharp fangs. His jawline was prominent and made the pixie look mature, a few years older than Mingi himself.

And yet, it was that familiar scent which made Mingi gnaw on his bottom lip, eyebrows furrowing the deeper he inhaled, unable to escape the honey-like pixie dust. They were greedy and cranky creatures, not keen on giving away their dust to just anyone, so it made Mingi wonder how close Yunho and this man were if he was doused in his pixie dust daily.

Slightly uncomfortable – rather with this weird feeling swirling in his stomach – Mingi cleared his throat as the pixie gave him a displeased look, “Are you done staring at me? What? Haven’t seen a pointy-eared creature before?”

The jab was even clearer when the pixie’s eyes shifted to Mingi’s own pointy ears, having forgotten to undo his ponytail. His jaw clenched, but he chose to ignore the remark and raised an eyebrow instead, “Are you the new delivery guy, or is Yunho just on a break?”

“Hah, me…a delivery guy.” The pixie huffed under his breath, glaring even more at Mingi now, “Yunho’s sick, so we had to find a replacement, and I was the only available person from the office. So, no, thankfully, we won’t be seeing each other frequently. I’ll be going—”

“Don’t you have to scan the barcode?” Mingi crossed his arms over his chest as he raised both eyebrows at the pixie, making him huff under his breath. Alright, Mingi’s met a few pixies in his life, but none were as standoffish as the one standing in front of him. Mingi watched as the delivery guy fumbled for the device hanging off the pocket of his vest, and then thought of something, “Wait for a minute, please.”

Before the pixie could protest, Mingi turned and hurried towards his study room, which was at the very end of the hallway, beyond the door on his left. It was a small and cramped room, filled with even more plants and ancient books, cabinets with vials, potions, jars, salves and balms, deposited there too since his cellar and attic had limited space. The desk was right by the window, littered with books, papers, pencils and small crystals as well as oracle cards and dowsing rods, but on that very desk was the vial Mingi needed right now.

He quickly fetched it and nearly toppled over when his toes got stuck in the rug, ruffled up in the corner like he knew only Wooyoung would do so. Seems like he was already getting his revenge on Mingi. He chuckled under his breath.

Mingi swiftly returned to the front porch, but was surprised to find the pixie wide-eyed and frozen, staring at the orange furball rubbing up against his legs while purring loudly. Mingi couldn’t help but laugh as he felt pleased that the rude pixie was stunned for a change, not having many words to say anymore, as Mingi smirked at him.

“Cat got your tongue?” He teased as Seonghwa meowed loudly, rubbing his puffy cheek against the pixie’s left calf, making him squeak in the cutest way possible. Mingi laughed, amused by the sight in front of him, but the pixie didn’t seem amused.

“It’s—I don’t—get your cat away from me!” He yelled, looking at Mingi with both fury and fear, “I hate cats! Just—get it away from me! They are pawns of the devil!”

Mingi frowned, sharing a knowing look with Seonghwa as he crouched down and took the orange cat into his arms, huffing under his breath. Seonghwa just meowed loudly, eyes stuck onto the pixie as he reached out a paw, trying to stretch towards the delivery guy.

He yelped loudly and took a step backwards, pressing a hand against his chest like he was on the verge of a heart attack. Mingi didn’t understand what was so fearsome about those cute animals, so he tilted his head at the pixie, trying to get a read of him. He was blushing now, looking between Mingi and Seonghwa, mouth opening and closing.

“I’m really offended on behalf of my cats, Pixie. They are not pawns of the devil, especially not mine!” Mingi huffed, giving the pixie a pointed glare as the delivery guy gulped, adjusting his vest as he pocketed the device.

“Is it…it’s not a normal cat, is it?” The pixie muttered, eyes on the orange furball in Mingi’s arms as he gently petted Seonghwa behind the ear. He hummed, giving the delivery guy a firm nod.

“No, he’s my familiar, so treat him with respect,” Mingi said sternly, and the pixie blushed even more, avoiding eye contact with both Mingi and Seonghwa. Mingi huffed and rolled his eyes as he extended the vial with his left hand, giving the man another pointed glare, “Give this to Yunho, please. It’s an immunity boost tincture; it’s safe for humans, too. He should be up and running in a few days, feeling just fine.”

“You know that—”

“Yunho is human?” Mingi chuckled, tilting his head at the pixie, “Of course, I do. You’re pretty bad at dousing him in pixie dust. I can see it in his hair every time. Plus, the scent feels unnatural on him.”

“Well, of course it’s unnatural to an el—” The pixie’s eyes were on Mingi’s pointy ears again. He was itching to undo his ponytail, but it was whatever already. The delivery guy had seen what Mingi always so ferociously tried to hide, a part of himself that he hated.

“Alright, it seems like we are done here, right, Seonghwa?” Mingi flashed his new cat a forced smile before he gently placed him down and ushered him inside, giving the pixie a glare of his own. Mingi did not like him that much, he was sure of. And he missed Yunho, his smile which lit up his day, his glimmering eyes and his pretty hair, “Goodbye.”

Mingi didn’t wait for an answer before he slammed the door shut, huffing under his breath as he heard the pixie make an offended sound before he stormed off Mingi’s front porch, muttering profanities under his breath until he got inside the van. Seonghwa meowed loudly as he perched on the windowsill, ducking under the curtain as his round eyes stayed stuck on the van until the rude pixie was gone.

“Don’t tell me you like him?” Mingi groaned as Seonghwa meowed loudly, fur ruffling a little as they both flinched at something breaking upstairs. Great, Wooyoung was throwing a fit again. “He’s terribly moody and rude, and also smells sickeningly sweet, Seonghwa. What’s there to like about him?”

The cat just meowed again, louder and slightly more threateningly, as Mingi huffed, held his arms up in surrender, “Alright, fine. I don’t care as long as I don’t have to see him again.”

Then, Mingi took the heavy box and lifted it, wondering if it was the perfect occasion to exercise some of his telekinesis skills.

₍^. .^₎⟆

            Mingi didn’t get too lucky the following days as the rude pixie continued to show his face around, delivering Mingi’s packages with a scowl on his face and only a handful of words exchanged between them. Mingi didn’t mind since he didn’t like the man, but it was hilarious seeing Seonghwa perched on the windowsill every time, scratching at the glass as he meowed loudly to get the pixie’s attention. And it was worth it every time as the delivery guy gasped and flinched, wide-eyed, looking at his orange cat, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Even if it wasn’t on purpose, Mingi enjoyed the torment his cat was putting the delivery guy through, bettering his days whenever the moody pixie ruined it.

It's been well over five days, though, with Samhain being tomorrow, and Mingi was starting to worry. Had Yunho caught a very bad illness? Mingi’s heard of the spreading of a virus which rendered you unable to do much, needing a lot of bed rest and warm liquids to heal the inflammation in your system. He knew humans were more susceptible to these viruses and needed more thorough treatment, often unable to digest those given to magical creatures. But his tincture was human-friendly and should have helped Yunho, but perhaps it wasn’t as strong as Mingi had anticipated at first. He didn’t want to think about it, lest he accidentally manifested something worse for the cute delivery guy.

Today, Mingi hadn’t brewed any potions as he had packed up every potion, balm, salve and tincture he was taking to the Pumpkin Fair tomorrow. He would be celebrating Samhain with everyone else, his altar already set to honour his ancestors. He knew he’d have a busy day, so he couldn’t promise that he’d make it home before midnight, which is why he prepared in advance and had lit candles. He’s cleaned the house – a tedious work since it had looked like a warzone with how focused he was on preparing for the festival as well as the fair. Then, he aired the place out and lit a few incense sticks once he had saged the house, placed salt underneath windowsills and entryways to keep the unwanted energies outside.

He’d woken the previous night to footsteps running up and down his hallway, but with the way his cats were staring at the door, Mingi knew it wasn’t the critters. He couldn’t do much since the veil was thinning, but he would prefer keeping unwanted spirits outside.

Now, as the sun was setting, Mingi could feel his blood buzzing in his body, slightly nervous but mostly excited about tomorrow. He could feel the vibrations in the air were changing, the charged energy emanating through the soil as he walked outside his garden, watering his plants before he went and took a bath.

His bathwater was meticulously prepared by San, who loved throwing flower petals into the water infused with milk, lavender bath bombs, colouring the water a light purple. Amethysts surrounded the bathtub, and Mingi moaned when he lowered himself into the hot water, his muscles instantly relaxing as he closed his eyes. He really needed this little me time as he listened to the neighbour playing his lovely piano next door, humming under his breath as he nursed a glass of wine in his left hand.

Having quiet days always felt like a blessing after he pushed himself to finish projects or preparations for various occasions. His mind was at ease, and his body was warm and relaxed, the glass of wine nearly slipping from his hand as Mingi was becoming sleepier and sleepier. He knew there was no chance that he’d stay up late tonight, not when he’d have to set up his stand before noon. His mother would be coming over with her pick-up truck to help transport his items, overly joyed to spend time with her son since Mingi had been too busy lately to visit her and his aunties.

They had had dinner a while ago, so as Mingi stood from the bathwater, all warm and fuzzy, his cheeks flushed and his hair damp, he reached for his silk robe to wear to bed. He finished his glass of wine and then towelled himself off first, then wrapped the silky fabric around his body, soft to the touch. He smiled as he walked to the mirror, wiped the condensation off with a large hand, then grabbed the hairbrush to make sure there were no tangles in the long strands, so Wooyoung could braid it prettily for tomorrow.

Mingi was humming under his breath as he heard Seonghwa’s quiet snores coming from the bedroom, long asleep, as Wooyoung was downstairs, cleaning up the kitchen, while San played at the PS. It was a quiet and pleasant evening, and Mingi felt content as he moisturised his skin, rubbing it into his neck as well, when he heard timid knocks at the front door. He frowned, wondering if he was imagining it, given that neither San nor Wooyoung had reacted. But the knocks came again, slightly louder this time, and Mingi sighed when he realised his cats were not planning on answering the door anytime soon.

He left the bathroom hastily and went down the stairs, giving Wooyoung a small glare as he had peeked around the corner, even his forearms covered in foam from the soap. Mingi sighed but didn’t say anything about his cat’s shenanigans, and instead tied the robe tighter around his naked body as he unlocked the door, undoing the deadbolt too. As Mingi swung the door open, he froze in complete surprise, his body shivering from the sudden cold as it was really cool outside compared to his home, the bathwater, and his overheated body.

“Hi, I—oh.” Yunho blinked, his mouth falling slightly open as he inhaled sharply, eyes raking over Mingi’s body. A silver of his broad chest was exposed since the silky robe came down in a V-neckline, as well as the narrowness of his hips as the fabric continued down his body, stopping barely above his knees. Mingi forgot that this robe stuck to his body like a second skin, and he didn’t want to think about the fact that everything was as visible as possible. He didn’t want to think about that, especially in front of Yunho, who was rapidly blushing.

“Well, this is really unexpected. Hello, Yunho.” Mingi tried to maintain his voice even, unlike his suddenly racing heart. Mingi felt his own cheeks flush a darker colour, but he blamed it on the sudden coolness against his exposed skin.

“I’m, huh, well, you know…I mean,” Yunho frowned, biting his bottom lip as he shook his head, looking to the side as he averted his eyes, “Shit, sorry. That was lame. I, uh, I’m sorry for bothering you so late. I see you were getting ready for bed. This is really inappropriate—”

“Oh, no, it’s alright, Yunho.” Mingi was quick to cut the human off, smiling at him encouragingly. Mingi ignored the fact that his cuckoo clock just struck nine o’clock, that most people were already at home, bundled up under their sheets, watching a good movie before going to bed. If Yunho were here, something must’ve happened, and he grew concerned rapidly, “Did something happen? How can I be of use?”

“I’m fine! Nothing happened!” Yunho was quick to shake his arms around, his eyes slightly widening as he looked back at Mingi. He must’ve sounded really concerned to have Yunho react like that, and he looked down shyly as Yunho gulped, fidgeting with his fingers, “I just really wanted to thank you for the tincture, it helped me heal so much faster. I was planning on coming since Tuesday, but I had nothing to deliver to you or to anyone else in the area, so I just didn’t find the right timing. I hope it’s not creepy that I showed up like this. Wait, saints, I must look like a total creep! Oh no, I promise, Mingi, that wasn’t my intention!”

Mingi chuckled, pressing a hand against his mouth as he looked back at Yunho. He shook his head, endeared as the cute delivery guy looked like a puppy with those gorgeous, round eyes widening in his panic. The blush only added a touch of sweetness, and Mingi felt himself swoon as he stared at Yunho.

“Alright, you need to stop assuming things so fast. I don’t mind you showing up at all; it’s not creepy. And I’m also really happy to hear the tincture helped! I was worried it wouldn’t when it was that damn pixie who kept coming by again and again.” Mingi rolled his eyes, huffing a little as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to keep himself warm as his body was quickly losing the pleasant warmth from the bath, “But you seem as good as new!”

“I am as good as new,” Yunho huffed, embarrassed, looking down as he pushed his hands into his pockets, “But I’m, uh, feeling guilty that you wasted that on me…and for free, too. So, how can I repay you?”

Mingi frowned, touching his bottom lip, “I didn’t do that so you’d be indebted to me, Yunho. I was worried you were really sick and just wanted to help. So really, you don’t need to repay me!”

Yunho frowned, giving Mingi a determined look, “Alright, now you are being too kind and selfless. I want to repay you, Mingi.”

“No, end of discussion.” Mingi huffed, rolling his eyes a little as he gripped the door handle. When Yunho opened his mouth to protest even more, Mingi shook his head and stepped back, “Nope, I’m not having it! Goodnight, Yunho—”

“Alright, fine, wait!” Yunho called out in a panic and grabbed the closing door, his wide eyes peeking through the gap as Mingi giggled, not opening the door as he looked Yunho in the eyes. Their faces were close, but the door was in between them, and Mingi felt like a child all of a sudden. He flushed even darker when he heard giggling coming from the kitchen, but he ignored Wooyoung as Yunho gulped, eyes searching Mingi’s face. His heart skipped a beat when those pretty brown eyes lingered on Mingi’s lips, “Tomorrow—I mean, there’s the Pumpkin Fair tomorrow. Go with me? So I stop feeling guilty and like I have to repay you.”

Mingi pouted, wanting to say yes but knowing he had a store and stand to take care of, he couldn’t just abandon his livelihood since others depended on him too, “Well, I will be manning my stand at the fair….but, if you are still interested, once I close up, we could look around the place together?”

Yunho gulped, a small smile pulling at his pouty lips. He seemed pleased, “Alright, sure. I’d actually love that.”

Mingi bit his bottom lip, trying to stop himself from grinning too widely, “Alright, that’s set then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Yunho. Take care on your way home.”

“Sweet dreams, Mingi. See you tomorrow.” Yunho whispered with a smile that rivalled the sun’s brightness, and Mingi nearly folded as he slowly closed the door, their eyes staying locked until the gap was closed.

Mingi’s head thumped against the front door as he groaned loudly, his heart racing so fast in his chest that he could hear it in his ears. He listened to the firm footsteps leave his front porch, then hit the pavement as Yunho walked towards the end of the street, a skip in his steps, which made Mingi want to wail like a man in love. Saints, he was so terribly smitten with the human being, and he’s never even had the chance to get to know him better.

Mingi heard snickering behind him as he locked the door, making him roll his eyes, “Look at the witch! So smitten, so pathetic! He’s in loooveee, Sannie! Mingi’s in love! With a human, nonetheless, so pathetic, so weak—”

Wooyoung squealed as Mingi suddenly whirled around and flung himself at the black cat, who was quick enough to dodge Mingi’s attack. Wooyoung screeched like a witch as Mingi wasn’t done with him, making grabby hands at the man as he jumped over the railing and scurried up the stairs, Mingi giving chase as he giggled. He felt the vines smoothing against his fingertips as he held onto the railing while running up the stairs, and he threw them a quick smile before he followed Wooyoung inside his bedroom, ready to tackle the man.

But the bedroom was empty, and Mingi frowned since Seonghwa had been sleeping there just minutes before. The cat was so light that he usually couldn’t hear his paws, so Mingi wondered where he had disappeared off to now. But before he could turn around and investigate, Mingi was tackled onto the bed, his turn to screech like a witch.

San’s amused giggles were loud in Mingi’s ear as he wriggled underneath the much more muscular man, trying to free himself as Seonghwa meowed loudly, standing at the foot of Mingi’s bed all of a sudden. And then, Wooyoung jumped on his back too, nibbling on Mingi’s ear as San held him down, giggling and squealing when Mingi grabbed at his thighs and dug his fingernails into the meat.

“What is this?! Teaming up against your witch?!” Mingi yelped loudly as Seonghwa started purring, rubbing up against his face and making him sputter as San continued to laugh, “Just wait until I get my hands on you three!”

And then, unexpectedly, Mingi kicked up and easily flicked San off himself, making the man gasp before all that was left was a white furball, blinking at Mingi almost innocently. He flung the door closed with a flick of his wrist so his cats couldn’t escape his wrath, and then, gathered all three swiftly in his arms as he started attacking them with kisses and pets, Mingi’s loud giggles filling their bedroom.

Wooyoung’s meows were loud and dramatic like he was hollering for help, meanwhile San grew more and more relaxed, adoring the kisses as Seonghwa meeked and tried to return Mingi’s kisses with small nips. Mingi loved those three little rascals, his little family having never felt warmer. But perhaps, to make it even more loving, they were missing one more person.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

            As promised, early in the morning, Mingi’s mother was there to pick them up with her pick-up truck. Mingi has giggled as he ran up to her to engulf her in a bear hug, making the older woman huff and pretend she didn’t like it as she hugged her son back just as tightly. If Mingi hadn’t known better, he would’ve said she hadn’t aged a day since he was a child. Her skin remained wrinkle-free as her smile grazed her face more often, her dark eyes glinting with slyness as she made Mingi turn in a circle, giving him a one over. When she hummed in approval and patted Mingi’s back, he knew the woman was pleased with how he had cleaned up for Samhain; holidays were respected and strictly followed in the Song household.

Mingi had woken up extra early today to cook breakfast for himself and his three cats, but also so he could enjoy his cup of coffee while his cats slept through his three morning alarms. He had quickly freshened up while the eggs boiled away in the hot water, the rice almost done as Mingi applied a coral-coloured blush to his nose and cheeks, eyeing the brown liquid liner and wondering if he should do fake freckles. Yunho’s pretty face flashed in his mind, and Mingi blushed, unable to look at himself in the mirror as he rolled his head forward, trying not to giggle at himself.

He was going to spend time with Yunho later today. Mingi had the chance to finally get to know Yunho, and he was so delighted and excited that he couldn’t even fully focus on the most important task at hand, which was taking care of his stand throughout the day.

Once he was done applying a light layer of makeup to his face, blushed cheeks with freckles littered around and dark eye shadows to add depth to his sharp eyes, Mingi walked out into the kitchen to see Wooyoung up and ready, perched on the table as he held beads and small hair ties, ready to make Mingi even prettier. Once all three were done with breakfast, Mingi headed upstairs to get ready as he heard Wooyoung and Seonghwa tousle downstairs, San’s desperate pleas falling on deaf ears as he didn’t dare join their roughhousing.

Mingi had noticed that Wooyoung wasn’t too fond of his new familiar just yet, but he had stopped giving Seonghwa the side eye and snarky comments, so Mingi knew Wooyoung was slowly warming up to the orange furball. He, himself, quite liked Seonghwa, so he hoped his familiars would feel the same way, too.

As it was quite chilly outside these days, Mingi had decided to wear more layers that he could discard in case he got warm. It was better to be safe than sorry; the last thing he wanted was to catch a cold right before the small holiday he had planned just after Samhain.

So, Mingi wore khaki pants and a white tank top to keep his lower back warm as he tucked it into the pants, securing it around his hips with a brown leather belt. Then, Mingi rummaged through his wardrobe until he found the cotton black polo he was looking for, long-sleeved, warm and really soft against his skin. He pulled it over his head, mindful of his pretty hairstyle, and then stepped in front of the mirror to arrange his clothes so they’d sit well on him. He left the top three buttons of his polo undone, showing a silver of his chest – just as he liked it – perfect to decorate his neck with his necklaces.

Mingi quite liked jewellery and never shied away from wearing multiple, so he layered his various handmade and self-made necklaces with others he had gotten as gifts from various people. Just for extra protection, Mingi threaded an obsidian charm through one of his suede strings and tied it around his neck, hanging right where the buttons stopped. The beads in his hair matched the beads on the chains, and he smiled at himself as he stepped back and checked himself out in the mirror, trying not to think about the fact that he wanted to look extra pretty today because he knew Yunho would be there…because he was hanging out with Yunho once he was done working.

Mingi giggled as he grabbed his satchel bag, a small gift wrapped well and placed safely into its pocket, before he raced down the stairs, ducking under the little leaves which tried to pull on his hair as he exited his room. Those little plants were getting as naughty as Wooyoung, but Mingi couldn’t even be mad at them as he blushed, never getting quite used to their affectionate behaviour.

Now, standing by his humble stand at the fair, Mingi was thankful that he had dressed adequately for the weather as the breeze blew softly, copper and rust-coloured leaves flying around as he arranged his stand. Mingi’s mother had left a while ago, having helped her son set up his table and unbox everything he’s brought to the Pumpkin Fair, stopping to converse with familiar faces, other vendors who owned small businesses like Mingi's. He also spotted a few people he knew, and he happily waved at them and chatted with them if they approached him, since Mingi was busy adjusting his stall to his liking. He could explore later if he so wished.

He has brought small, battery-fuelled jack o’ lanterns to decorate his stand with, as well as fairy lights and candles and leaves he’s collected from the ground on their way inside the fair. The festival was situated on a huge empty land right next to the amusement park, which was open today with limited rides and the haunted house restored to match the spooky season.

Mingi, his mother and his familiars had veered left when they entered through the arch, the words Eternal Horizon’s Annual Pumpkin Fair hanging over their heads, enchanted to glow and glimmer and even huff and groan to spook those who were new to the festival and had no idea of all the magical instalments which would greet them during the day, and even the night!

Mingi’s stand was in the middle of the Pumpkin Fair’s marketplace with an amazing view of all the food court, the caravans and other stands, the smell of yummy food and delicious desserts wafting all the way to Mingi’s nose and making his stomach rumble. His mother only laughed at him before she kissed his cheek, wished him an abundant day as well as happy Samhain, then went on her merry way to prepare for the festivity herself.

Mingi had struggled for a second as he tried to pin his own logo to the fake cobweb tablecloth hanging off the front and sides of his large table, when helping hands appeared by his side, making him smile as he glanced at Wooyoung from the corner of his eye. For such a rascal and vengeful person, Wooyoung was very helpful and always the first one by Mingi’s side if he needed assistance. They had grown up together, so Mingi wasn’t expecting any less from him.

Mingi’s logo wasn’t too sophisticated nor flashy, but it was humorous as it depicted a witch with a pointy hat brewing a bubbling green liquid, with a black cat trying to crawl out of the cauldron, and the white one clawing at the side of it. Mingi realised he would need to add a third orange cat, too, probably perched on the witch’s shoulders to make it seem like he was gleaming at the black cat’s misfortune.

Above the illustration, which was placed in the left corner, sparkled the words Mingi’s Secret Kitchen. He was proud of his little craft as he chuckled, standing back to look at his stand now that it was all set and perfect. He hummed, pleased as the aesthetic matched the one he had in his mind for tonight, the grey skeleton placed in the middle of the table dancing almost too fast. Mingi chuckled, looking to his right as Wooyoung was standing back, arms crossed in front of his chest as he surveyed their little stall with a critical eye.

The black cat was significantly shorter than Mingi, his body lean and agile, just like in his cat form. He sported shoulder-length black hair, wavy and messy in a very Wooyoung way, the only person able to pull it off and make it look nice, too. His eyes were uneven, one of them looking bigger since it had a double eyelid, the other sharper as it glared at people often.

Mingi loved how unique his familiar’s appearance was, much like his personality. Mingi giggled under his breath as Wooyoung raised an eyebrow at him, looking a lot more serious and stern despite his personality. He was often the first one to crack a joke and holler like a true witch, the antagonist of the bunch, snappy and snarky on most days.

Mingi rarely saw him wear anything else than black clothes, even his nails were painted with the crusty colour. Wooyoung was a black cat through and through, even with his unnaturally red lips, which often pulled into a sly smirk, especially when he got what he wanted. And it was rare that Wooyoung didn’t get what he wanted, which was both frustrating and adorable.

Mingi’s black cat was a handsome fella, with traits not many creatures or humans could associate with. His nose reminded Mingi of the Trojan people he’d seen described in history books. Wooyoung’s bone structure was sharp in all places and just right for his kind. He could easily compete with any other being, and Mingi would still think he was one of the handsomest creatures to come across…only after Yunho, of course.

“Well, what do you think?” Mingi asked as he gestured at the stand they had set up together, tilting his head at Wooyoung with excitement. The man hummed, pursing his lips as he took it all in.

“It works,” He shrugged, making Mingi frown. Wooyoung stole a peek at him and huffed, rolling his eyes when he realised he was slowly killing Mingi’s excitement, “It’s really pretty and inviting, Mingi. And it’s also just the right amount of spooky and serious, people will flock to us like flies to shit—”

“Seriously?!” Mingi exclaimed, his mouth falling open in disgust but also disappointment, “Can you give just one normal compliment for once in your life, Wooyoung?! I’m begging you.”

Mingi glared when the answer was an amused smirk and a lazy blink, very cat-like, “No, so deal with it. It’s about damn time you stop whining about my impeccable existence, no?”

“I don’t understand how San deals with you.” Mingi huffed, shaking his head as he looked back at his stall, trying not to allow his excitement to deflate. He wished Wooyoung were nicer sometimes, but then again, Mingi loved his familiar as he was. If they weren’t compatible, Wooyoung wouldn’t have come to him.

“How do I deal with who?” San asked curiously and innocently as he appeared with a box in his arms, large muscles bulging as both Wooyoung and Mingi looked at the white cat.

Of course, Mingi’s gaze was simply appreciative and slightly impressed to see the man carry a box so heavy he, himself, couldn’t even lift earlier. Meanwhile, Wooyoung was busy devouring the bulky man with his eyes, licking his lips like they weren’t in public. San noticed it too and instantly flushed, giving Wooyoung a pouty look, “Stop it! It’s embarrassing!”

Wooyoung smirked and very rudely smacked San’s ass as he walked right by him, making Mingi groan as a few vendors were already looking their way. This is why Mingi avoided spending too much time in the presence of the two if they were in their human forms, they were even more insufferable – mostly Wooyoung – compared to what they could do in their cat forms.

“Can’t help my bae is so fucking hot.” Wooyoung was practically leering as San flushed even darker, looking on the verge of tears as he shot Mingi a helpless look. Poor man, he was thoroughly embarrassed as he placed the box underneath the other table they used for storage. Mingi tsked and reached his arm out, slapping Wooyoung over the head and making him hiss as he threw Mingi a glare.

“Okay, listen. We are in public and I need you to behave, alright? We are humans for the day, and certainly not in the confines of our home, so please, Wooyoung, I don’t want to get shamed for lack of public decency, alright?!” Mingi motioned towards the disapproving glances they were getting, which only resulted in Wooyoung hissing in those people’s direction.

Mingi groaned as San tried not to chuckle, coming to join them in front of the stall. He flung himself against Wooyoung, pressing a palm over his mouth and giving him a pointed stare.

“Behave,” San muttered lowly, and Mingi watched as Wooyoung’s neck flushed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He was a blabbermouth for as long as they brought San in for some disciplining; at least they had one person who could tame Wooyoung if needed. And San was truly a blessing to their family once he found them, a puzzle piece both Mingi and Wooyoung had felt its absence of.

San was slightly taller than Wooyoung with a much larger body, broad shoulders and biceps that could easily trap you in a headlock and keep you subdued if necessary – an ability they have already checked on Wooyoung and have worked wonders!

Unlike Wooyoung, San had short and dark hair, which was usually styled away from his face so it wouldn’t get in his eyes, which were already sensitive. San didn’t have the best sight in his human form due to the whites of his sharp and small eyes being so bright that they glinted in the darkness, making him more sensitive to light, which is why Mingi always had a pair of sunglasses in plus on him. San tended to lose his own since he didn’t really walk outside in human form during the daylight.

And unlike his other beloved cat, San dressed in every possible colour you could find in a palette. His wardrobe was probably more colourful than even Mingi’s, and he loved colour-matching his outfits, making sure that every piece fit together just right.

Even now, the white cat was wearing burgundy cotton pants and a yellow turtleneck, a soft and washed-out orange cardigan keeping him warm from the cool breeze, coincidentally matching Mingi’s own sage-coloured thick vest. His cheeks were flushed a deep burgundy colour as well, most likely from the blush he had stolen earlier this week and thought Mingi wouldn’t notice missing from his drawer.

The two cats looked lovely as they remained hanging off of each other, shoulders touching and loving eyes gazing deeply into each other’s. Mingi was endeared but also slightly jealous as he huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He wanted to say something, make a snide remark just for the fun of it, when an unfamiliar voice spoke up, sounding strained.

“Uhm, where am I supposed to put these?” All three men turned at the voice, all three of them having variously different reactions to the gorgeous man standing right in front of them. Mingi’s mouth fell open as San gasped, Wooyoung’s huff loud as he pursed his lips, staring at the four plastic plates of apple pie the man’s bought for them.

“Seonghwa?!” Mingi found his voice, and it sounded just as impressed and shocked as he felt at the sight of his orange cat’s human form. He was gorgeous, and Mingi would’ve thought he was hallucinating if it wasn’t for San’s similar amazement.

“Yes,” The orange cat giggled, ducking his head as he motioned towards the apple pies, “They are quite hot, actually, so maybe—”

“Saints, so weak.” Wooyoung snapped, but he was by Seonghwa’s side in an instant to help him as he took two plates and carried them over to their table used for storage. Seonghwa smiled, not at all phased by Wooyoung’s behaviour, then followed after the black cat. Both Mingi and San turned after the man like they had been bewitched, still not saying much.

The orange cat was a lot taller than San or Wooyoung, his body lithe and not too muscular, which would explain how he was so soundless in his cat form. His features were endlessly soft, and Mingi tried to look away, but he was just too pretty not to stare at so unabashedly.

Surprisingly, Seonghwa had soft pink hair, which was styled out of his face, but had long strands falling over his forehead and into his eyes, which were round and just as sparkling and wide as in his cat form. He carried a whole constellation of stars inside those endlessly pretty eyes, and Mingi could easily understand why his name was Seonghwa.

His sun-kissed skin looked almost caramel-hued under the sunlight, and his face seemed spotless and smooth as he faced Mingi and San with an almost awkward grin on his pinkish lips, which were plump and now gave way to tiny and cute kitten fangs.

Mingi felt his heart swell in adoration for the third familiar, now thoroughly smitten with him. He looked so friendly and loving that Mingi felt like he had found his new comfort person for life. Seonghwa looked like he had been sculpted by some celestial being themselves, but his cute, confused expression made it seem like he had the least idea about his beauty.

“You are,” Mingi gulped as he found his voice, “so beautiful.”

They watched as Seonghwa ducked his head, his neck and cheeks flushing a crimson red as he chuckled shyly, “That’s so sweet, Mingi. Thank you!”

Even his voice was beautiful, if that even made sense. It wasn’t too deep nor high-pitched, but it held a comforting calmness which had Mingi relaxing as he had grown tense with how Wooyoung was acting and attracting unwanted attention. He saw San pout from the corner of his eyes, round eyes falling on Mingi as he huffed, giving him a sad look.

“You never call me beautiful.” He muttered sadly, and Mingi chuckled, giving San a huff.

“That’s not true! I call you handsome all the time, don’t I?” He defended himself, but San just nodded, still pouting as Wooyoung cackled and Seonghwa looked embarrassed.

“Well, exactly. Handsome, but never beautiful. It’s not the same.” San said through a pout as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, and Mingi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose since he was wearing contact lenses today, “Do you even love me and Wooyoung?!”

“Now that’s rude!” Mingi exclaimed defensively, staring at San, borderline offended, “After all these years—”

“Exactly.” But Wooyoung cut him off with a sly smirk, perched up on their storage table, “He doesn’t love any of us, want to know why? Because he’s in loooveee with Yunho!”

“Wooyoung! Shut up!” Mingi gasped, his eyes widening as his head snapped to the side so he could look at the black cat.

“Why? It’s the truth.” Wooyoung snickered as Mingi gaped at him, shaking his head sternly.

“It’s not! How can I be—”

“You’re in love with the handsome delivery guy?” Seonghwa interrupted him innocently, eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Mingi with an almost hurt expression. Mingi blanched, opening and closing his mouth, but San answered for him since he seemed to be unable to do so.

“If you’re thinking about that cranky pixie, then nope, that's not the delivery guy Mingi is in love with.” San giggled, sharing a mischievous glance with Wooyoung, “You haven’t met the tall one yet, he’s the cutest human you could ever meet. And well, he is the one Mingi is completely in love with—”

“Maybe we should all shut up because they are coming this way right now.” Seonghwa interrupted panickedly as his eyes grew wide, looking past Mingi and San. The witch frowned and became tense as he faced the front, his heart stilling in his chest before it started to race incredibly fast, a shuddering breath leaving his mouth.

“I’m begging everyone to act normal, please.” Mingi whisper-shouted as Yunho and the pixie were headed their way, giggling about something as Yunho held two cups of coffee, probably for himself and the pixie. Mingi hated that he was with that cranky delivery guy, but sharing pixie dust explained that they were probably really close friends – and hopefully nothing more.

His familiars didn’t say anything else as they all watched the two men heading their way, clearly anticipating the interaction. Seonghwa had even crept closer to Mingi, his mouth open in awe as his eyes were focused on the short pixie only, oblivious to Mingi, whose attention was solely on Yunho.

He wore beige pants and what looked like a white shirt tucked in, and a fuzzy green vest over the shirt, his long black coat thrown over his broad shoulders for extra coverage. He wore a matching fuzzy beanie over his pretty hair, and a little purse which swung from his shoulder as he walked, oblivious for a second as he was telling the pixie something, who looked like he wasn’t paying any attention to Yunho, his eyes wide as he stared at Seonghwa.

Mingi cleared his throat and hoped it wouldn’t be hoarse, which ultimately caught Yunho’s attention since they were now almost standing in front of them. He stopped talking rather quickly as he looked towards Mingi, then the other three men around his stand, all watching the two approaching them closely. Yunho ducked his head and gnawed on his bottom lip, looking like he was trying to stop himself from smiling. Mingi couldn’t hold his own smile back and was grinning at Yunho when they looked at each other again.

“Hello, Yunho!” Mingi’s voice was filled with excitement, his heart basically hammering in his chest as all he could see was Yunho. The human’s lips pulled into a wide smile as he bit his bottom lip for a second, looking like he was trying to rein in his own excitement.

“Hello, Mingi. I see you have set up your stand, all ready for sales.” He motioned behind Mingi with his right hand, which held a taller cup of coffee than the one in his left hand, “Excited about today?”

Whether he meant selling his articles or spending time with Yunho, it didn’t matter because Mingi was excited about both…perhaps more about the latter. He nodded, pointing behind himself, “Certainly. I have some human-friendly products, too, so you could come around when the market opens.”

Yunho nodded with a smile, looking at Mingi like he wanted to say something more, but the pixie shifted next to him, and it looked like Yunho remembered he had a companion. He flushed a little and averted his eyes, nudging Hongjoong gently, “Uhm, sorry, how rude of me. This is my best friend, Hongjoong, but I heard you met while I was sick.”

“That’s right, he was delivering my stuff in your absence.” Mingi nodded and tried to act like he didn’t feel distaste towards the pixie, who didn’t even try to put on a fake smile for Yunho. Before Mingi could even try to affirm Yunho’s words, Seonghwa pushed past him and came to an intimidatingly close stop in front of Hongjoong. Yunho’s eyebrows raised as the pixie flinched, looking up at Mingi’s familiar.

“Hello, I’m Seonghwa.” The orange cat spoke fast, a hand already extended towards Hongjoong, who seemed to be frozen. He gulped, his mouth opening and closing before he looked down at the offered hand, very slowly and reluctantly shook it.

“Seo-Seonghwa…the cat?” Hongjoong sounded breathless, and all of them except for Yunho snickered, who looked utterly confused and sought guidance as he looked at Mingi, but he was too invested in watching his familiar charm the pants off the cranky pixie. It was a very satisfying thing to witness.

“No, silly. Seonghwa, the familiar.” He answered with a giggle and then leaned down, making Hongjoong yelp and lean back as Wooyoung started cackling. Mingi’s eyes widened as he jumped forward to try and drag Seonghwa away before he did something not quite acceptable, but he just pressed a kiss against Hongjoong’s cheek and nosed at his skin with a delighted purr, “Pixies smell so sweet. You’re like candy!”

“Alright, Seonghwa, I think it’s time you backed up.” Mingi tried not to laugh at the mortified expression on Hongjoong’s face, who looked petrified as Yunho made a confused noise, looking from Mingi to Wooyoung and San, who were trying not to fall over each other as they giggled loudly behind the stand, “Wouldn’t want to scare the adorable Pixie, right?”

Hongjoong huffed as he seemed like he was trying to gather himself, but it was very obvious as he took a step back and hid himself slightly behind Yunho, fingers grazing the spot where Seonghwa had kissed him. What was funnier was the way Hongjoong tried to hide the fact that he wasn’t too disgusted by what Seonghwa had done, nor bothered, as Mingi’s orange cat wriggled his fingers at Hongjoong playfully, like he was making a promise that they’d meet again tonight.

“Alright, I’m really confused right now,” Yunho said as he looked at Mingi, blinking and trying to smile. Mingi chuckled and nodded, pushing Seonghwa behind the stand so he’d join his two other familiars.

“Yes, my apologies.” Mingi cleared his throat, gesturing towards the three cats who looked really cat-like as they huddled close together, heads tilted and blinking slowly at the other three men, “These are San, Wooyoung, and of course, Seonghwa. He’s new to the family, but these three are my familiars.”

Yunho’s eyes widened as he looked at the three men, his lips parting in surprise. “Oh! As in San and Wooyoung, your cute cats?! That’s so…cool! I had no idea they were your familiars—or that they can turn into humans, to be honest.”

“Yes, they are just some nasty cats,” Hongjoong muttered under his breath, but he was looking at Seonghwa with interest glimmering in his eyes. The orange cat smiled widely as he returned the stare, making Hongjoong huff as he blushed, and tried to hide it by turning his head away.

“Mingi just said they aren’t cats, Joongie.” Yunho said with a chuckle, looking back at his friend with an amused grin, “Hongjoong’s afraid of cats, but there’s nothing to fear here. All three seem harmless to me.”

“Don’t be fooled so soon,” Mingi huffed, looking back at Wooyoung, “That one bites and scratches.”

To make a point, Wooyoung hissed, and Hongjoong jumped, throwing the man a glare as the other one chuckled, making Hongjoong look even more embarrassed.

“Let’s go, you’ve greeted Mingi. You promised you’d buy me caramel popcorn if I came with you.” Hongjoong grumbled under his breath, and Yunho gulped, not looking into Mingi’s eyes as he seemed shy now that Hongjoong had said that.

“I love caramel popcorn, it’s so sweet!” Seonghwa mentioned as Yunho stepped closer to Mingi, smiling a little shyly.

“Right, uh, I just wanted to say hi and, uhm, that I’ll be around here all day long…given that I don’t know when you are closing down your stand…” Mingi tried not to blush, but it was impossible as he heard Yunho’s little chuckle as he shrugged, “And I brought you coffee. Thought you’d need it with the long day ahead of you…”

The small gasp behind Mingi made him flush even more, but he ignored his familiars as he looked down at Yunho’s now extended left hand. So, the coffee wasn’t for the cranky pixie but for Mingi. He felt a tremor rush through his body as he gulped and took the cup of warm coffee from Yunho, biting his bottom lip as he started smiling when their fingers brushed together. Yunho hummed, touching his nape once his left hand was free, staring down at their shoes as Mingi took a tentative sip of the coffee, surprised by its pumpkin-spiced taste. It was delicious.

“Thank you, Yunho, this will keep me warm the whole day.” Mingi almost whispered, his eyes wide and shining as he stared at Yunho with such a full chest that he feared it would burst. Oh, Saints, he was so utterly and pathetically down bad for the human! Mingi really, really wanted to kiss him right now, just a peck, just a touch of their lips before he passed out from the affections crawling through his body.

“I’m glad,” Yunho whispered back with a pleased smile, and Mingi felt like his world stopped turning as they shared a long and charged glance. Which, of course, just had to be broken by an impatient and huffy Hongjoong.

“Can we go now?” He snapped, grabbing Yunho’s elbow and throwing Mingi a subtle glare, which the witch caught and tried not to roll his eyes at the pixie.

“Right, yes. I’ll see you around!” Yunho waved a hand, flashed a smile at Mingi’s familiars, then laced his arm with Hongjoong’s as the two men left in haste, since Hongjoong was practically dragging Yunho away. He glanced back at Yunho before they walked through the marketplace’s gates, and Mingi nearly toppled back into the stand.

“Mingi’s in love with the humaaan!”

“Hongjoong tastes like pixie dust. I want to lick his face all over.”

“Guys, I think I’m in love with Yunho.”

“Aw, man! The pies have gone cold!”

The four men looked at each other as they spoke at once, and Mingi was the first one to break into an awfully loud laughter, his familiars following suit as they toppled over each other, huddling towards the storage table since San was right. Their apple pies had gone cold!

🎃🍂

The marketplace of the Pumpkin Fair opened up at around noon, bringing a big crowd of eager and curious magical beings, with a few humans, to see what the vendors had to offer. As expected by Mingi, he was swarmed within seconds, slightly overwhelmed by how many people had come specifically to get a look at what he had to offer. He was overly grateful to his three familiars, who remained in their human form to help him out, Wooyoung being the best salesman Mingi had encountered. San was rather shy and stayed behind the cashier, coming to Mingi’s aid if he needed something from the storage table; meanwhile, Seonghwa was more than eager to demonstrate and explain what each product of Mingi’s Mysterious Kitchen was. Mingi was glad he had taken the time to thoroughly prepare for the fair, given that his products were purchased one after another, making him and San run between the storage and the stand to refill products.

Mingi had the chance to meet familiar faces, too, loyal clients who had been purchasing serums and potions from him even before he had officially opened his store. They stayed for a small chit-chat too, proud of Mingi and happy for him, for he had come really far and at such a young age too! Well, it was sort of expected of Mingi since he came from a long bloodline of successful witches and warlocks, his name not the first nor last one to be known by the masses. Creatures from other counties and cities came just to see what the buzz was all about the Song heir, just to unsurprisingly leave with bags filled with whatever their hearts desired.

Mingi grinned as he waved at a five-year-old fairy as his parents were done purchasing, saying their farewells to Mingi and his familiars, thanking them for their patience and gift – a ghost-shaped cotton candy for the little fairy.

As the afternoon approached, however, the buyers became fewer and so Mingi and his familiars could have a second to themselves, sitting back and enjoying the foods and drinks Seonghwa somehow always snuck off to bring without being noticed by either one of them. When he was returning with cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows as it was getting colder since the sun was hidden behind clouds, Mingi noticed the pink flush of his cheeks and the grin on his lips. Mingi didn’t ask, but he heard San tease him about running into Hongjoong – whether it was on purpose or not, Mingi didn’t know, but Seonghwa was definitely pleased about it as he giggled and buried his nose into the hot mist of the chocolate drink.

But Mingi completely understood the need to be around Hongjoong, as he had watched Yunho more than once as he loitered around the food court, and even walked through the marketplace like he had promised he would. Mingi could have been busy with clients, selling items and explaining the purpose of each potion, but his eyes remained on Yunho, tracing his every move. He was so gorgeous, surrounded by the warm hues of the autumn encompassing them, the sunrays falling over his pretty skin and hair, beanie gone from his head and his fluffy, long hair all ruffled up. He looked so dreamy, Mingi thought Yunho had the perfect boyfriend look to him, which made Mingi’s heart race so pathetically for the human that even Wooyoung noticed and cackled wickedly, pissing Mingi off.

What Mingi hadn’t expected was for Yunho to come over by himself, cheeks flushed and shy eyes cast down as Mingi leapt out of his chair, beckoning him closer. They shared a quick glance and flushed furiously red, Mingi only now noticing that Yunho’s ears also turned red if he was embarrassed or shy, and it did awful things to his heart.

“Well, how do you find the fair?” Mingi gulped down the lump in his throat and fidgeted with a jack o’ lantern to hide the tremors of his hands. He was curious since he hadn’t gotten the chance to look around yet. San’s eyes were starting to hurt, so he had to revert to his cat form, promising to scoop out the place so they’d know which way to go once they closed down the stall.

“Amusement parks aren’t really my thing, but the scenery by the riverbank is really beautiful! You should take a look around, if you have the time later.” Yunho suggested, and Mingi hummed, already positive that he unfortunately wouldn’t get the chance to look around. “How are sales going? You seemed busy, which is good!”

“Have you been watching me?” It was playfully said, but as Yunho’s cheeks turned darker, Mingi realised he was right. Yunho had been watching him, and that made his heart somersault rapidly in his chest. He wanted to giggle as Yunho sputtered for a second, but Mingi didn’t want the cute delivery guy to think he was making fun of him, “I’m just teasing you, Yunho. Sales have been off the charts, though I was expecting many people…but not this many.”

“I hear you are very talented at what you do,” Yunho shuffled on his feet, biting his bottom lip, “And I also learned today how well-regarded and respected the Songs are, so…You should be proud of yourself!”

Mingi stared at Yunho for a second, so utterly in love with the human that he couldn’t even find the words to express his gratitude. They were simple words, but they meant a lot to Mingi, who loved being praised for his craftiness, the thing which brought him the most joy in this world…after Yunho, of course. Oh, he didn’t even know the cute delivery guy, yet he was imagining wedding bells and pretty matching wedding bands, Yunho with a veil on his head and Mingi with pretty flowers in his hands as they walked down the aisle hand in hand— “Thank you, that’s…very nice of you. It means a lot to me, Yunho.”

Yunho smiled brightly and Mingi returned it, feeling his heart beat irregularly as he reached out without thinking, fingers clasping around Yunho’s wrist. Mingi squeezed once, unable to withhold himself from touching the human being, and Yunho bit his bottom lip as he looked down and hummed.

They were both blushing, but their moment was cut short when Seonghwa called out in confusion, asking Mingi whether they had run out of the truth serums. Yunho then excused himself and wished him a lovely – and easy – afternoon, a skip in his steps as Mingi watched him go with a giggle tumbling off his lips.

“Pfft, you know your human will get all wrinkly and old way before you do, Mingi, right?” Mingi ignored Wooyoung’s comment – he was just looking out for the witch – and joined Seonghwa behind the storage table, where San had curled up cutely, slumbering in the shade of the table, his white eyes now shielded from the sun. Mingi placed a pair of sunglasses next to the cat for when he was ready to join them again, hopefully able to help out some more when another wave of excited and curious customers came.

Now hours later, with the sun supposed to set soon, Mingi tried not to be creepy with how insistently he was staring at Yunho, who had taken a seat at one of the many tables in the food court, directly in sight of Mingi. He and Hongjoong had bought delicious-looking food and pints of beer, then sat down to enjoy their meal, which was all great and lovely, and Mingi was happy the human was being well-fed and spending time with his best friend, but what Mingi didn’t appreciate was the elven friend group which had joined them out of the blue.

Elves and pixies were neither friends nor foes, oftentimes friends rather than foes, but that was besides the point. What bothered Mingi the most was the tall creature with white blond hair, who had wedged himself in next to Yunho and had been chatting the human up ever since.

Mingi closed his eyes and tried to tune in to the sounds around him, searching for Yunho’s familiar timbre, but the noise was too loud, and it hurt his eardrums to listen so closely to just one particular voice, so he had to stop before he gave himself a headache. That didn’t mean that Mingi couldn’t read body language, and it wasn’t looking too bright right now.

The elf was, clear as day, flirting with Yunho like his life depended on it. Mingi had counted that in the past five minutes, the elf had either touched his arm or knocked his shoulder into Yunho’s at least thirteen times, a feat which pissed Mingi off to no beyond. He loathed elves, and he wanted to storm over to Yunho and drag him away from that sly and wicked creature. They were deceiving and troublesome, evil creatures. Everyone was better off without them. Mingi wished with his whole heart that he didn’t have a speck of their DNA in himself.

“You are going to burn holes into the side of their heads if you keep it up,” San spoke up as he approached, back to his human form. The corner of his mouth looked suspiciously like it had cookie crumbs, and Mingi prayed to the universe that his cat hadn’t found Mrs Bae and eaten her cake if she was at the food court herself, “But they would deserve it…at least the elf, if not the cute human, too.”

Mingi’s head whipped around, wide eyes looking at San, slightly panicked, mostly interested, “Spill. Everything.”

San grinned widely as Wooyoung and Seonghwa greeted the young-looking man who had approached their stand, his expression serious and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was looking for something specific, muttering under his breath as he read what each product was for.

“Well, as a starter, Hongjoong is having a lot of fun. It seems like he knows two elves from the group.” Mingi hated that answer, and his jaw clenched as he looked back at Yunho, Mingi’s eyes almost bulging out of his head when he saw the elf’s arm around Yunho’s shoulder. If San hadn’t gripped his shoulder, he would’ve shot out of his chair and probably stormed up to them right then and there. Oh, Mingi’s blood was boiling, “Whoa, calm down, witch! You look like you could murder someone; you’ll scare away the clients! If it eases your mind, that elf is terrible at flirting, and Yunho doesn’t sound interested at all.”

That only helped a little whatsoever, but San was right, so Mingi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, watching with satisfaction as Yunho ducked away from the elf’s arm with an awkward laugh and pressed closer into Hongjoong. His best friend threw him a questioning glance before he returned to his conversation, and Mingi didn’t like that. Couldn’t that damned rude pixie see that Yunho was uncomfortable?! Mingi would never let him get into such a situation if he were Yunho’s best friend.

“Right, thank you, San,” Mingi muttered as Wooyoung waved him over with an exasperated expression, probably fed up with the customer, as he was also glaring at Wooyoung.

Mingi stood and approached them with a forced smile on his lips, impressed when Seonghwa looked like he had picked up on the mood shift instantly. The orange cat grabbed Mingi’s shoulder and squeezed it, his smile reassuring, and Mingi hummed, facing the customer with a more genuine smile.

“Hello, how may I assist you? It seems like you need a little help.” Mingi spoke politely and was surprised when the younger-looking man scoffed.

“Yeah, because that guy doesn’t know shit about your stuff.” He pointed accusingly at Wooyoung, and Mingi sighed, throwing Wooyoung a small glare before he faced the customer with another generic smile.

“Ah, I’m the maker of these products, and he’s only here to help out. Sorry for that. I was…busy.” Wooyoung huffed behind Mingi, but he ignored him as the customer nodded once, still not looking pleased but he was slowly softening up.

“Right, well, you’re Song Mingi?” He asked in a gruff voice, his body sturdy and well-built. Mingi nodded, smiling genuinely now that he was being recognised, but the man didn’t seem to care that much about who he was, but rather about what he could make, “Alright, I need a little help…my fur’s been acting up lately, I don’t know why. I’ve been shedding a lot of it, and sometimes I find myself struggling to turn back into my human form.”

Mingi frowned, assuming that he had to do with some type of wolf variation, given the man’s strong scent of mud and meat. It was a little unpleasant, but nothing Mingi wasn’t used to…he’s smelled worse, like merman or dragons. “May I ask what creature you are? And whether you’ve consulted a doctor about these issues?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen at least four; they said the same thing. It’s probably just hormonal and should soon subside, probably has to do with the changing of the weather and the approach of mating season too.” The man gulped, slightly flushing at the mention of the latter as he averted his eyes, “I’m an Amarok.”

Mingi’s eyes widened. He hasn’t had the chance to meet such a powerful wolf before. They weren’t scarce, but they didn’t necessarily live anywhere near close to Eternal Horizon, and definitely not in big cities like Aurora or Utopia. They preferred the quieter towns, where they were closer to the woods and water sources. “Oh, that’s impressive! Let me think which potion would work best for you.”

Mingi frowned as he looked down at the table, eyes grazing over everything they had on display, when he sensed a familiar creature approach. He looked up with a smile, waving at the unicorn as he tried to dodge the people walking through the marketplace. He squirmed past a giggling group of vampire teenagers and apologised when he nearly ran into an elderly phoenix, huffing loudly as he finally made it to Mingi’s stand.

“It feels like I’m walking through an obstacle course!” He exclaimed, his voice deep still, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. San was up on his feet in an instant, nearly toppling over the table as he grinned widely at Yeosang. If he still had a tail in his human form, no matter that he was a cat, it would’ve been waggling like a dog’s.

Mingi snorted under his breath as he crouched down to see if they still had any vials for immunity regulation, which would work best for the Amarok at the moment. Without a doctor’s prescription, Mingi couldn’t give the Amarok any actual medicine.

“Hi, Yeosang!” San greeted loudly, which prompted Wooyoung to walk over and place a possessive hand on San’s nape. He greeted Yeosang too, his eyes narrowed as the unicorn flushed at the warm welcome, Seonghwa looking curious as he tilted his head, giving Mingi a questioning look.

“Who is he?” He asked quietly, waving at the unicorn when he looked over. Mingi gave a nod of his head as a greeting, and Yeosang smiled, waving.

“Our neighbour,” Mingi explained, turning back to the Amarok, “You don’t see him often; he works in IT.”

Seonghwa made an understanding sound before he walked over to the three to introduce himself. Mingi faced the Amarok and flashed him a smile, thanking him for his patience, “Right, so. Without a prescription, I cannot give you any medication, as it could worsen your symptoms, and I do not take responsibility for that. However, this is a simple immunity boost tincture which should help you, if not with your hormones, then certainly with your shedding. It should stabilise your stress hormones, and I also advise you to take some vitamin C and Calcium. They are great for your skin and hair!”

The Amarok hummed as he eyed the vial Mingi was holding up with a smile; he seemed to be weighing his options. San stepped closer, head tilted at Mingi, “Hey, Mingi. Did we bring the rainbow stones?”

“Ah, of course! The bag is right next to my satchel bag, you should find it easily!” Mingi instructed as the Amarok gave a final hum, pointing at the vial.

“I’ll buy it. Perhaps it’ll help…hopefully.” He muttered the last part as Mingi grabbed a small bag and placed the vial inside, telling the Amarok the price and waiting for the coins before he handed the bag over.

“Thank you for purchasing from me! If you ever need anything else, you can find my shop on the internet too. I usually restock every second week, so you have to be swift if it’s a good-selling item.” Mingi explained, and the Amarok nodded, taking Mingi’s business card with a focused look on his face, “We also deliver home, but that costs money. So, you can just come by on the weekends and pick it up from the store – my house – yourself.”

“Alright, thank you, Mr Song.” The Amarok bowed his head gratefully, and Mingi chuckled, quickly shaking off the formality.

“It’s just Mingi.” The Amarok eyed him for a second, then shrugged.

“Alright, I’m Jongho.” Mingi nodded with a wide grin as Jongho then grunted, muttering something under his breath just as Wooyoung showed up with Yeosang’s rainbow stones, eager as he basically yanked the bag out of the black cat’s hands, eyes gleaming as he looked inside it. Mingi laughed as he watched Yeosang, and Jongho turned his head to look too, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“You’re a unicorn?” He asked with a frown, and Yeosang looked at him, confused, giving a reluctant nod, “Oh, I…once knew a unicorn boy. I’m from Crescent.”

Yeosang’s eyes widened, the bag of stones now clutched to his chest, “I’m from Crescent, too!”

“Really?” Jongho sounded hopeful as he eyed Yeosang, his cheeks slightly flushed, “Well, uh, it’s probably just a coincidence. Sorry, don’t mind me—”

“Did you say your name is Jongho?” Yeosang grabbed the man’s arm before he could run off, his expression hopeful, “As in…Choi Jongho?”

“Saints, you are Kang Yeosang, then!” Jongho exclaimed, looking a mixture of shocked and grateful. Mingi giggled as Seonghwa turned his head towards him, wide-eyed and happy-looking for some strangers. The orange cat was just too adorable, and Mingi walked over and squished his cheeks as Seonghwa whined like a cat would.

“You’re so cute!” Mingi grumbled as Seonghwa slapped his hands away, rubbing his cheeks with a pout.

“Hey, Yeosangie! Who is this?!” San, always oblivious, could not read the room as he looked between the unicorn and Amarok with a frown and arms crossed in front of his chest. Mingi chuckled as Wooyoung groaned, shooing away the two as San started complaining.

“You’re making me jealous.” Wooyoung snapped when San wouldn’t shut up, making the white cat’s eyes widen, “So stop it.”

And both Seonghwa and Mingi groaned when San suddenly pulled Wooyoung into a passionate kiss, making them avert their eyes…which was nearly worse as Mingi saw Yunho clink his pint of beer against the elf’s, head thrown back as he laughed joyfully, the sound carrying over and making Mingi grit his teeth together. He had to get that filthy elf away from Yunho as soon as possible.

🎃🍂

To Mingi’s great dismay, the elf was still sitting with Yunho, way too close and leaning into him, touching him despite Yunho pulling away a few times. If even Mingi was able to see Yunho’s clear discomfort, then just why wasn’t the elf backing off? Mingi knew the answer.

Elves were conceited pricks who could never take a no and antagonised all of those around them. Mingi hated all of them, even the ones that seemed nice at first glance, because he knew their true nature. What had they done for his mother? A moron had knocked her up and then ran away like a coward when he found out Mingi’s mother was expecting. Mingi didn’t even consider the elf his father, and he did his best to never be associated with their kin. Elves were cunning assholes, and Mingi’s blood boiled as he watched Yunho scoot even the slightest further away from the creature.

But as much as Mingi hated having to watch from afar, he felt his body vibrate from excitement now that he was finally locking up his stand. The sun was well-hidden past the horizon now, covering their world in a greyish hue, twilight upon them. Mingi loved the chill of the air as it bit at his cheeks, making them flush as the tip of his nose felt frozen, just as red as his cheeks. His cats seemed to be cold as they had draped each a blanket over their shoulders, huddling together as they were boxing the items which hadn’t been sold today. There wasn’t much left behind, thankfully, but they still had to pack the decorations and the items from the storage table.

Mingi hummed under his breath as he collected the artificial jack o’ lanterns off the table, pilling them into a plastic bag first before he’d pass them to Seonghwa, who was having a lot of fun organising everything inside the boxes. Not that it was necessary, but Mingi saw the excitement in Seonghwa’s eyes as he crouched down and started sorting through the boxes, organising the items by colour and what they were supposed to be for.

He glanced back when he heard San squealing, and Mingi’s eyes widened as Wooyoung stood stunned, a broken vial in his hands. Glitter was everywhere, in their hair and on their clothes, the purple spectres sparkling in the low light of the evening. Seonghwa turned to look at Mingi with lips pressed into a tight line, and that’s all Mingi needed before he burst out laughing, followed by Seonghwa as San continued to pout, while Wooyoung glared at the broken vial in his hands.

“It’s not funny!” He snapped, his voice high-pitched, “How am I going to get this out of my fur?!”

“Oh, you’ll be such a handsome kitten!” Mingi teased, his grin wide on his lips as Seonghwa laughed louder, earning Wooyoung’s deadly glare. San seemed less sad once he realised his fur would also be sparkling, and he grabbed the vial out of Wooyoung’s hands and smeared what little remained in it all over his neck and cheeks, “Oh, Sannie…you’ll be the prettiest familiar in all of history.”

“Right!” San grinned, even his eyes sparkling as he looked up at Mingi happily, making Wooyoung groan. His glare didn’t last for long as San grabbed the back of his head, then surged forward so he could rub their cheeks together, “We’ll sparkle together, Wooyoung! Come on, don’t be such a whiny kitty.”

“Don’t ever again call me a kitty, did you hear me?” Wooyoung hissed under his breath, but there was no bite to his words. The three men giggled as Wooyoung tried to look angry, but everyone knew there was absolutely nothing San did which could upset him.

“I want to be sparkly, too!” Seonghwa pouted, giving them big eyes, and Mingi’s heart swelled a little for his new familiar. He was such a sweet bundle of joy. Mingi was forever grateful that Seonghwa had chosen him as his safekeeper.

San beckoned Seonghwa over, making grabby hands at the orange cat, who was quick to stand up and walk over, gasping when San pulled him in to rub his cheek against Seonghwa’s too. The orange furball blushed, looked down abashed as Wooyoung scoffed, but Mingi chuckled as the black cat also smeared a handful of glitter against Seonghwa’s neck and even hair.

Letting his cats enjoy dousing themselves in glitter – Mingi wasn’t even mad that they had broken an expensive cough syrup – he turned back to finish gathering the decorations with a smile on his face. The marketplace was still buzzing with life as the lights overhead were turned on, appreciative cheers ringing through the market. It was a sight to behold, and it reminded Mingi of all the winter markets he’s attended with his mother and aunties, or even on his own as he yielded his own stand at those too. Perhaps he would go out this year too for a few days, asking his familiars to help out once more.

Meanwhile, Mingi could do a lot of things at once; he was just one man who would periodically need assistance, too. It felt nice that he hadn’t asked his familiars for help today, and yet they showed up for him without a question. It made Mingi feel really loved. The butterflies inside his stomach suddenly kicked off at the thought that Yunho was a contributor to that feeling too today, as his presence had cheered Mingi up more than once.

Mingi’s eyes, unsurprisingly, glanced ahead and found the table Yunho and Hongjoong were still sitting at easily. However, Mingi’s good disposition didn’t last long as he watched how Yunho was turned away from the infuriating elf, leaned over the table slightly as he was speaking to Hongjoong, who seemed a little bit more than just tipsy. But what had Mingi actually fuming was the elf, who grabbed something small out of his pocket, then quickly popped it open and poured it inside Yunho’s drink without the human being aware of it.

Mingi dropped what he had been holding, his hands clenching into fists as his heart started pumping faster, eyebrows drawn in a deep frown. Just what did the elf think he was doing?!

Mingi watched as Yunho settled back, a small smile on his lips as he faced the elf, and before Mingi knew it, he was storming away from his stand and through the market, hearing his cats’ call after him in confusion.

People gave him curious glances but moved out of his way swiftly when they noted just how red Mingi’s cheeks were, his eyes set in a deep glare as he walked through the gates of the marketplace, walking faster when Yunho reached for his glass, which had been spiked by that damn elf. And thankfully, Mingi had listened to his intuition and took off right on time because he reached Yunho’s table before the human’s lips could touch the glass of his choice of drink, alerting the creatures sitting at the table.

Hongjoong’s eyes widened as he looked at Mingi’s frightening arrival. He made even the elves flinch as Yunho was oblivious for a second. Without a warning, Mingi’s hand wrapped around Yunho’s wrist, and he yanked the human up on his feet, making him yelp in surprise as he looked at Mingi with wide and confused eyes, a question on the tip of his tongue, but Mingi’s eyes were on the elf only.

“I will bash your fucking skull in if I ever catch you doing that again, you filthy elf.” Mingi’s voice was deep and gruff as he snapped at the elf, making everyone’s eyes go wide at the table. Yunho even gasped, and Mingi felt him step closer as if he thought it would be comforting, but Mingi wasn’t done. He wanted to kill the elf, but he couldn’t go to jail. He hasn’t even kissed Yunho yet, for saints' sake! “Touch him again, and I’ll curse you and your bloodline. He’s not fucking interested, you moron.”

And with that, Mingi took off, dragging Yunho after himself. The human was trying to talk to him as people looked their way, mostly shocked at Mingi’s aggressive outburst, but he couldn’t stop himself. Not when Yunho wasn’t covered in pixie dust today of all days, his natural scent very strong and very charming. That elf could smell Yunho just as well as Mingi – if not better – and Mingi knew how elves got when they wanted something. They wouldn’t stop until they had used the person to their liking, and nobody touched the human, not on Mingi’s watch. He would not allow it, not when the elf had done something without Yunho’s consent, without his awareness.

“Mingi—” Yunho tried to speak up, tried to slow Mingi down, but the witch was suddenly very strong and very determined to get back to his stall, where his familiars looked more shocked than anyone else. Mingi was always so sweet and kind, docile even, they would have never imagined the witch was capable of such an outburst. But he protected fiercely those he liked, and he was being nice right now, that elf didn’t want to know what Mingi could’ve actually done to him, “Stop, wait. Mingi!”

He froze when Yunho raised his voice at him, sounding breathless as they stopped in the middle of the market. Mingi was breathing hard, and his eyebrows were furrowed, his back to Yunho. He could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment now for how he had just stormed up there and yanked Yunho away, but he didn’t regret it.

Mingi gulped and took a deep breath before he turned around, trying not to show just how angry he was at the elf, at the situation, at Yunho’s unawareness and naivety around that measly creature.

“What are you doing? Why did you do that?” Yunho asked quietly, his voice unsure and his eyebrows furrowed. He was still holding that damn glass of drink, and Mingi snatched it out of his hand before he could stop himself. He brought it up to his nose and took a strong whiff of it, hissing when the undertones of something bitter hit his nose.

“That elf,” Mingi took a deep breath, looking into Yunho’s eyes as he turned the glass upside down, disposing of the drink, “Spiked your drink with an aphrodisiac. Do you want me to tell you just how badly that could’ve ended? Especially since you are a human and your body cannot stand something as strong as what he had slipped inside your drink while you were unaware?”

Mingi tried to keep his voice levelled; the last thing he wanted to do was shout at Yunho, so it came out a little bit shaky. He was hanging onto his last thread of sanity when Yunho’s eyes widened and he gasped quietly, looking both shocked and frightened. He stepped closer to Mingi, his arms going lax as Mingi continued to hold Yunho by the wrist, their eyes boring into each other’s.

Mingi was still beyond angry, and he knew Yunho could see it on him as he gulped loudly, opening and closing his mouth without finding the right words. Mingi understood that it was a lot to take in, the feeling of betrayal and disgust as he wrapped his mind around what could’ve happened to him had Mingi not paid such close attention to the cute delivery guy.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out on a long sigh, Mingi tried to mask his anger as he pointed towards his stand, “Come on, I’m almost done packing. We can hang out afterwards.”

And Yunho nodded, grabbing the glass from Mingi’s hand before he pulled them towards a trash bin, which he threw it inside with more force than necessary as they both heard the glass shatter.

Yunho gulped, eyebrows furrowed as Mingi hummed, leading them back to his stand, where his familiars looked at each other, unsure, before glancing back at Mingi. He veered Yunho towards the chair he had been sitting on today, and gently pushed him down into it as the human looked at him with big, round eyes, “Wait for me here.”

Yunho nodded once, gnawing on his bottom lip, and Mingi noticed him shiver. He grabbed the blanket he had been saving for himself off the table and threw it around Yunho’s shoulders, bundling him up so the human wouldn’t be cold.

It was significantly colder in the marketplace since they didn’t have overhead heaters like in the food court, so Mingi didn’t want the human to get sick because of him. His body ran hotter either way, so Mingi would be fine with or without the blanket.

“Mingi, are—” Seonghwa had silently approached them while Mingi was busy making sure Yunho wasn’t cold, the orange cat’s voice gentle.

“Let’s finish this up, alright?” Mingi didn’t let Seonghwa finish his question as he looked at his familiars sharply, “I want to see something of the festival too.”

Seonghwa nodded at that with a hum, and after the familiars shared another knowing glance, they all got to work while Yunho sat there and watched Mingi, his offers to help gently turned down.

Mingi’s heart was still racing, and even as he distracted himself with packing, he couldn’t help but feel just as angry, his hands shaking a little as he fought against the frown on his face. He was supposed to have a lovely evening with Yunho; he couldn’t be this angry unless he wanted to ruin it all. He finally had the chance to spend time with Yunho and get to know him better; if he messed it all up now, Mingi would never forgive himself.

So, in an attempt to stay calm, he ignored Yunho too, as he worked diligently, lost in thought despite the reassuring brushes and touches Seonghwa gave him whenever he came over to help Mingi out. It was sweet, but right now, it wasn’t helping Mingi. What could have helped him, though, was probably dousing Yunho in his own muddy and herbal scent to keep all leeches – i.e. elves – away from him. Perhaps that would finally get the message across to that scumbag, but given their nature, Mingi didn’t have high hopes for the creature.

Perhaps he should just make Yunho his for once and for all—Mingi suddenly paused, his eyes growing wider and his back going rigid as he glanced over his shoulder stiffly, growing red in the face when he realised Yunho was still watching him. Saints, he was so possessive over the human, and they hadn’t even gone on a date yet. But the worst part about that train of thought was the small voice in the back of Mingi’s mind – and the incessant gut feeling – whispering that this, their little hangout tonight, was their first date.

Mingi shook his head before he swiftly hurried over to San to help him seal the box with decorations, feeling Yunho’s eyes on the back of his head still. As much as Mingi wished to abandon his duties, he had to finish closing up his stand first, and then he could enjoy the rest of his evening with Yunho…if only his racing heart would calm down and his screaming thoughts would grow silent. It was hard to forget – let alone forgive – such an unspeakable act like the one the elf had committed. And Mingi didn’t blame Yunho, but he wished the human was more self-aware of just how vulnerable he was tonight amongst all the magical creatures. Few had mal intent, but he just so happened to come across a stupid elf, who would’ve used Yunho to his liking if given the chance.

Mingi’s jaw clenched again as he closed his eyes and tried to focus on packing away the very few things remaining on the tables, when he felt a gentle grip on his shoulder. He sighed, appreciative but a little irritated by how in-tune his familiars were with him, as he turned around. Mingi was surprised to see Wooyoung looking at him understandingly, his eyes slowly slipping to Yunho before he looked back at Mingi.

“You can go,” Wooyoung said quietly, then cleared his throat, “The three of us will take care of the rest. There’s not much to pack, so…”

Mingi frowned, looking towards San and Seonghwa, who were both smiling in their direction, “Oh, but…are you sure? It’s only right I help out, I mean, it was my stand at the end of the day.”

“Well,” Wooyoung huffed a little, giving Mingi an exasperated look, “You’re right, but will you keep the human waiting? Can’t you see how he’s moping around and looking at you with those puppy eyes? Just…go. We’ve got this, Mingi.”

Mingi gulped, glancing in Yunho’s direction, who did in fact look crestfallen as he watched Mingi with a pout. He was probably feeling bad because of the way Mingi had treated him, and the witch suddenly felt terrible.

“Alright.” Mingi nodded, giving Wooyoung a grateful small smile, “We’ll be around the fair, then. Thank you, Wooyoung.”

“Sure, sure,” The black cat waved him off, trying to act all nonchalant, “We’ll be around here too, might run into each other later. Don’t do anything crazy, Song.”

“Hah, you’re one to speak.” Mingi huffed with a grin, and Wooyoung just rolled his eyes in response before he took over packing what Mingi was busy with as the witch faced Yunho and walked closer. He tried to look relaxed and at ease, but looking at the human again made his blood boil when Mingi imagined all the what-ifs had he not been so vigilant. Brushing it quickly aside, he offered Yunho a tentative smile as he perked up at Mingi’s approach.

“Uh, the boys will finish the rest. We can…we can go, if you still want that.” Mingi offered gently, unable to meet Yunho’s big eyes as they looked up at Mingi with a little shake to them.

“Of course, I still want to hang out with you, Mingi,” Yunho said that so fast that Mingi blushed, hanging his head lower so his long hair framed his face. Yunho stood and quickly folded the blanket, placing it on the chair as he smiled a little, pushing his hands in the pockets of his coat, “Where do you want to go first?”

“Uhm, I don’t know…I wasn’t able to look around the fair today yet.” Mingi mumbled with a small pout, and Yunho hummed, looking towards the path at the back of the marketplace, which led towards the fair. The route was slightly longer and darker, but Mingi supposed there was something there, too. The organisers never left any nook and cranny empty. “Maybe you could show me around?”

Yunho’s lips widened into a smile at the proposition, and he nodded eagerly, “Yes, I would love that! Would you like to see the pumpkin patch first?”

“Yeah, sure.” Mingi shrugged as he also pushed his hands inside his pockets, shuffling a little on his feet as Yunho nodded, pointing towards the path he had been eyeing.

“Let’s go then, it’s this way.” The human took the initiative and started walking, his long legs taking small strides for someone his size. Mingi easily fell in step next to him as they walked through the marketplace, which was slowly quieting down now that the vendors were closing down their stalls. With the sun once gone, it was really chilly, and nobody wished to stand behind their stands and freeze to death, even Mingi, who ran warmer than most people.

Yunho and Mingi didn’t speak as the human easily navigated them through the small crowds, the lights getting dimmer now that they were away from the heart of the market. The cacophony of sounds also vanished, as did the delicious scents coming from the food court. This meant that Mingi could smell Yunho’s potent scent even better.

Without meaning to, the witch inhaled deeply and kept the air in his lungs, biting his bottom lip at Yunho’s natural, attractive scent. It called out to Mingi like his herbs did, his little garden in full bloom during the summer, the flowers which he loved smelling and cherishing.

Mingi glanced at Yunho from the corner of his eye, and the human seemed less troubled now that they had walked away from the marketplace, but his shoulders were still tense. Mingi didn’t blame him since his anger was still simmering low in the pit of his stomach, his thoughts the same, just less loud. He really didn’t want to ruin their evening, though, so Mingi told himself to ignore it for now and try to change the atmosphere.

The only problem was that Mingi didn’t know what to say or how to start a conversation, especially when Yunho wasn’t even sparing him a glance, his eyes set on the dark path ahead of themselves. So with a sigh, Mingi faced ahead and gnawed on his bottom lip, feeling incredibly guilty for how he had reacted.

There were others too on the dark path leading towards the fair, mostly couples walking hand in hand, or families with excited children running ahead of them. The path was wide enough to allow four people to walk in a line, the small pebbles crunching under their feet. Now that the sun had fully set, the sky was dark and so were their surroundings, but the path was illuminated by the jack o’ lanterns on both sides of it, the burning candles lighting it up enough for people to see which way they were going.

Mingi was truly enjoying all the funny and spooky faces carved into the pumpkins, some even made him smile under his breath as he turned his head this way and that. It registered in his mind that Yunho might’ve already seen all of them, hence the lack of his reaction. He was instead watching Mingi, Yunho’s eyes shiny under the candlelight, and Mingi felt his heart swell a little as they shared a glance.

As much as the witch usually appreciated the silence in one’s presence, this one felt awry, charged for the wrong reasons. Mingi didn’t want to stop in the middle of the path and inconvenience others, but he also didn’t want to veer them off the path and towards the forest. Getting lost with a human on Samhain inside the dense woods was the last thing Mingi wanted for their evening; it certainly would’ve been the last straw for his sanity tonight. So instead of doing that, Mingi was searching for even the littlest alcove they could stop in and have a private conversation, because he wanted to clear up things with Yunho, to put a stop to the tense air between them.

He almost cheered when he saw a small curb to the path, turning just slightly to the left compared to the main path, lit up by the pumpkin but not so in a way that it would expose them to others straight away. Mingi smiled to himself a little before he found himself grabbing Yunho by the wrist and pulling the human after himself, walking like he was much too eager. Yunho went easily despite the surprised noise that left his mouth, and they both stepped over the jack o’ lantern and stopped just shy of the main path.

Mingi faced Yunho and released his arm, chewing on his bottom lip for a second as Yunho watched him curiously. They were standing a little too close to each other, but Mingi couldn’t help himself when Yunho smelled so good without Hongjoong’s disgusting pixie dust scattered all over him. The witch cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, pulling on the long strands. Mingi didn’t miss the way Yunho’s eyes swiftly slipped towards his ear, which he might’ve accidentally exposed, then back to his face as Mingi realised he might have a lot of explaining to do tonight.

“I apologise for my behaviour earlier,” Mingi spoke up, feeling anxious all of a sudden. He really liked Yunho a lot, and he was scared the human would hate him for his actions, “I just…I couldn’t just stand there and watch that stupid elf spike your drink, and then watch you drink it. I shouldn’t have dragged you away like that, so aggressively, but I was really angry, and I just needed us to go before I punched that scumbag of an elf. I just…I want to keep you safe, and it’s not because I think you’re weaker than us because you’re human, I just…want you safe, Yunho.”

Mingi didn’t want to start blabbering, but he had almost admitted he had a crush on Yunho, and he couldn’t have that happen right now. He waited for Yunho’s reaction and answer patiently, but the human’s face didn’t give away much.

Yunho hummed, looking down at the ground as a rowdy group of teenagers ran past them, shrieking and laughing. Mingi watched them for a second before he looked back at Yunho, whose expression had finally softened.

“I appreciate it, Mingi, I really do. I’m not mad at you, I was just taken aback by…well, everything.” Yunho said quietly, shrugging a little like this was no big deal, but to Mingi it was. He frowned, feeling the need to reach out and hold Yunho’s hand, but he refrained from doing so.

“Yeah, that’s valid. Are you okay, though?” Mingi asked gently, and Yunho’s eyes widened, looking like he hadn’t expected such a question. His smile was warm as he nodded, looking at Mingi fondly, and the witch’s heart was suddenly racing way too fast.

“Yes, I am. Thanks to you.” Yunho whispered, and Mingi’s heart somersaulted, doing even handstands as he flushed a dark red, hanging his head low, “I can’t say I’m not shaken after what happened, but I am just really grateful you were there to stop me from drinking that drink. I don’t even want to imagine what could’ve happened…I am so stupid, saints…”

“No, you’re not.” Mingi quickly snapped with a frown, looking at Yunho disapprovingly, “You can never trust an elf, no matter how friendly or nice they are. They are always pretending, putting up a front to charm you, and then they strike when you least expect it. Elves have secondary motives and are cunning, and they usually get what they want because people don’t realise they are being toyed with. So don’t blame yourself for not realising that elf was just probably, uhm, well…trying to get in your pants.”

Yunho huffed, averting his eyes as Mingi noticed his ears reddening. But then Yunho was looking at him again with a slight frown, head tilted a little, “I had no idea elves were like that…I haven’t really met one before. There aren’t really many of them in the neighbourhood I stay in.”

“Ah, of course.” Mingi chuckled, rolling his eyes a little, “They rarely move out of their own neighbourhoods. They feel superior like that, you know? Pixies and them aren’t exactly enemies, but elves rarely mingle with other creatures, unless they have secondary motives, of course…I’m not that surprised Hongjoong has elven friends, though; those two kinds go almost hand in hand. Pixies aren’t that much better.”

Yunho snickered at that, giving Mingi a cheeky smile, “I quite like pixies, though. They are cute beings, a little silly and usually angry, but they are entertaining to be around.”

“Oh, I never assumed being friends with Hongjoong would be boring.” Yunho giggled at that, and Mingi snorted in amusement, “Given his lovely attitude and all…”

Mingi could feel how the tense air finally dissipated from around them; he could see it with his own eyes, too, as Yunho grew relaxed, at ease now that they had cleared up things somewhat. That didn’t mean that Mingi wasn’t embarrassed about his sudden outburst in front of Yunho, but he couldn’t help himself, and he knew that he did the right thing by marching up there and dragging the human away. He hoped Hongjoong would cut off those terrible creatures, but given how he continued conversing with them, Mingi didn’t know what to think…he probably wasn’t aware of what that elf had done, and judging based on how protective of Yunho Hongjoong seemed himself, Mingi hoped the pixie would say something about it at least. Mingi decided to give the pixie the benefit of the doubt for now.

“Can I have a question?” Yunho’s small voice brought Mingi out of his thoughts as he frowned, nodding at the human to go ahead, “Right, uhm, so…I hope this isn’t offensive, but…given how you talk about elves, and uhm, I have noticed that…you have pointy ears, like elves. And I mean, I don’t want to assume stuff, but witches usually look just like humans, and well, saints, I’m making this awkward, I’m sorry, Mingi. I guess I’m just curious why you have elven ears, if I’m even allowed to ask this of you…”

Well, turns out Mingi wasn’t really good at hiding his pointy ears then. He knew his long hair could only do so much, but Mingi had hoped it was voluminous enough now that it fell over his ears completely.

Mingi sighed as he looked at Yunho, who looked very curious but also slightly shy, and he decided that he didn’t mind sharing the truth. After all, this is who he was, even if he hated that part of himself. Mingi saw Yunho as a safe person, someone who wouldn’t judge him, at least Mingi hoped so.

“My father is an elf.” Mingi kept his answer straightforward and watched as Yunho’s eyes widened, “We are no contact, though. He ran off when my mother told him that she was pregnant. As you can imagine, I am an accidental baby and certainly a rarity in the Song bloodline as they only marry and procreate with other witches – it’s kind of a blood purity thing, but not stern nor creepy, like some stupid books say – but my mom was dating this elf freshly out of college, and well…I happened, hah. But he was a coward, and he ran off, and I just…I hate him, and all elves. They are just terrible people.”

Yunho hummed, nodding understandingly, with a small smile on his lips, “Maybe you are a little prejudiced towards them.”

Mingi chuckled, giving Yunho a cheeky smile, “Oh, I know I am, and that’s the point. So far, they have proven my theories always right, so unless I meet a normal elf…I’m not going to change my mind anytime soon about them.”

“And that’s fair enough, my enthusiasm towards them soured tonight, that’s for sure.” Yunho sighed, shrugging as he looked Mingi over, his eyes stuck to the pointy end of his ear, which was very visible through the strands of his dark hair. Yunho grinned as he bit his bottom lip, “As a matter of fact, I quite like your pointy ears. They are cute for someone like you.”

Mingi huffed as he turned his head away, blushing furiously and fighting the itch to touch his ear. Despite being a clear indication of his nature, Mingi also found them charming in a way. They were cute indeed, and he loved it when Wooyoung would nibble on them in revenge, unaware that instead of his tiny fangs being painful, they were tickly.

“I thought I did a good job at hiding them,” Mingi huffed under his breath, and Yunho laughed, his hand reaching out and making Mingi freeze. The human fiddled with strands of his hair, right by the pointy tip of Mingi’s ear, making the witch’s heart race so fast he could hear it in his own ears and feared that Yunho did so too. What was worse was the way Mingi’s knees almost gave out from such a small touch, which didn’t even last for long as Yunho seemed to realise what he was doing and quickly retracted his hand.

He cleared his throat and licked his lips, trying to avoid the awkwardness as Mingi grinned in amusement, thoroughly enjoying the human’s actions and reactions, “Well, uh, should we continue our walk to the fair?”

“Yes, let’s go.” Mingi nodded with an even wider grin, and Yunho tried to fight one off his face, but failed in the end. They stepped over the pumpkin again and joined the rest of the people who were headed towards the fair too, keeping close to each other as their shoulders brushed together.

Mingi yelped when a pack of small werewolves brushed past them, breaking the two apart as the parents chased after their children with apologies tumbling off their lips, shooting the witch and the human apologetic smiles. Mingi cooed at their cuteness, and Yunho just laughed, reassuring them that they didn’t mind and that the children were cute.

Now with the disturbance gone, they were walking shoulder to shoulder again, and Mingi was just about to point out a pirate-faced jack o’ lantern when he felt something warm touch the back of his hand. Mingi gulped and kept on looking ahead as fingers sneaked between his, slow but determined…and just like that, he was holding hands with Yunho.

Mingi felt lightheaded for a second with how fast his heart was racing, and he didn’t mean to squeeze Yunho’s hand, but he had to make sure that it was real. And Yunho just hummed in response and brought their intertwined hands inside his pocket so they could keep warm, forcing Mingi to walk even closer as he blushed furiously, turning his head away when Yunho looked at him with a chuckle, his cheeks suspiciously flushed red. Mingi had a feeling it wasn’t from the cold anymore.

🎃🍂

Time in Yunho’s presence didn’t feel quite real. Mingi had lost all sense of it as the world seemed to quieten around him, all of his focus on the human and his sweet little antics, like the way he had a skip in his step whenever he grew excited. Yunho would drag them over to all the plushie stands to try and win them either a huge bear or a cute bunny, making Mingi chuckle in delight as the human didn’t give up until he had won Mingi the prize. The human also had such a sickeningly cute way of blushing whenever he caught Mingi staring, or whenever the witch complimented him on his skills or just something Mingi thought he should voice his appreciation for, like how smart and knowledgeable Yunho was about magical pets. Mingi also couldn’t help but grow all mushy whenever Yunho instantly reached for his hand had they been separated for some reason, keeping the witch close to himself so they wouldn’t lose each other in the crowd of people.

Mingi felt so sickly in love as he admired Yunho talking to some acquaintances, so charming as he hid his laughter behind his free hand, how he looked so abashed when the older dragon lady complimented Yunho for growing into such a well-mannered and charismatic man. Mingi’s eyes were on Yunho the whole night, even when they were lining up for rides in the amusement park – despite Mingi hating them, he couldn’t say no to Yunho when his round eyes glimmered with so much mirth and excitement, Mingi was simply powerless to his charm – and even when they were looking at the art pieces created by kids from different classes and schools.

The fair was indeed lovely, perhaps even more successful compared to last year's editions, as Mingi saw a significant growth in the attendees and the attractions which were offered for entertainment. They walked hand in hand through the garden section, where various decorations for Samhain were put up to create a cosy ambience, but also to educate those unknowing of the customs of Samhain and its significance to Wiccans and those who celebrated it besides them.

Mingi’s heart was in his throat as Yunho pulled him through the garden enthusiastically, reading every information board and making sure to fact-check with Mingi, which was as funny as it was endearing to the witch. Mingi felt his heart swell more when Yunho watched in awe as young wizards performed a short light show, their powers still growing and in the midst of evolving into something stronger and bigger. It was that moment that Mingi felt the most appreciated, when he realised Yunho understood him and his kin, that he held no judgement nor prejudice for witches, warlocks and wizards.

The human was the sun itself, and Mingi wondered if he truly was just a simple human or something more he hadn’t disclosed to Mingi yet, for being in his presence felt like Mingi was the only person on this Earth with Yunho, basking in his natural light and warmth. The human was so good and kind, so beautiful inside and out, that Mingi feared his crush no longer existed and was replaced by actual, real love for the cute delivery guy. It was a terrible feeling since he wasn’t sure Yunho reciprocated any of his feelings, but surely he wouldn’t have held Mingi’s hand the whole evening or given him his undivided attention had Yunho not returned even an ounce of that affection.

But Mingi had no time to ponder over these thoughts as they came across the large bonfire, buzzing with people as everyone was eager to cosy up around the fire. Mingi had perked up when he noticed an empty log in close vicinity to the heat, and dragged Yunho along as they both giggled and claimed the log as theirs, slowly feeling the cold of the night melt away from their clothes and bodies. Yunho shivered as he had rubbed his hands together, the tip of his nose and ears an awful red, and before Mingi could think better, he was pinching Yunho’s nose and giggling at him.

“You are really sensitive to the cold. Had I known, I would’ve brought an extra sweater for you, Yunho, made by yours truly.” Mingi giggled as Yunho watched him speechless, his eyes wide as Mingi stood, determination on his face, “Wait here, I know just exactly what will warm us up!”

And before Yunho could protest, Mingi was off looking for mulled wine to enjoy by the bonfire, certain to keep them warm for the rest of the night. And that’s how Yunho and Mingi found themselves wasting the night away by the bonfire, laughing and conversing without even as much as a bathroom break, immersed in their world and in each other’s stories. Mingi shouldn’t have been surprised at how well they got on when deep down, he had known it all along. Yunho was an extraordinary person, and Mingi hadn’t felt this warm and fuzzy in anyone else’s presence, not even with his familiars, who were his prized family.

Mingi watched as Yunho’s head tipped back as he laughed, a fuzziness to his expression as his cheeks were red from both the mulled wine and the heat of the bonfire. Mingi could feel the tipsiness impeding upon him, but around Yunho, he felt awake and alert, eager to take in every word and every small reaction. He didn’t want to let Yunho out of his sight, not even for a second.

“You cannot be serious, Mingi!” Yunho giggled once he was done laughing, and Mingi just pouted as he gave Yunho sad eyes, “No, but seriously! You failed Alchemy more than once, but you are one of the most talented and renowned potion makers today?”

“Hey, school was never really a pointer for a career path.” Mingi grumbled over a pout, secretly amused by himself too, but he enjoyed the way Yunho visibly became aware of the shift in Mingi’s expression and mood, “I could still fail Alchemy and it wouldn’t matter, right? I did write my final dissertation on a very ancient Alchemy research, you know…I’m twice as smart as I look, don’t be fooled.”

Yunho’s smile died on his face as he looked at Mingi more seriously, his eyebrows lightly furrowing. He reached up and nudged a stray strand of hair off Mingi’s face, warm fingertips brushing against Mingi’s brow and forehead. The witch gulped as he grew stiff, watching Yunho with wider eyes, “I didn’t mean to undermine your knowledge, Mingi, I apologise.”

“Oh, I…” Mingi gulped, fighting the urge to nuzzle into Yunho’s hand, which seemed to linger by his face, “I was just joking, Yunho. I know you wouldn’t do that, you are just…”

When Mingi grew silent, Yunho’s eyebrows raised in curiosity, but Mingi was too shy all of a sudden and looked away.

“I am just…what, Mingi?” Yunho’s tone was soft, and Mingi huffed, chewing on his bottom lip before he decided to be even more courageous and say what was on his mind.

“Too kind, sweet, and overall a lovely person, Yunho.” Mingi wanted to add a quiet, and I like you, but refrained from doing so as Yunho’s smile spread wide on his lips and he ducked his head low, “Don’t be shy now, I mean it. I like being in your presence, Yunho.”

In Mingi’s mind, that was as good as an indirect confession could get. Yunho chuckled and flushed an even brighter colour, and Mingi giggled, knocking his shoulder into the human’s as he ducked his head low too, so they could look into each other’s eyes.

“Yeah, I…really loved spending my time with you tonight, you made it feel…magical, as corny as that sounds.” Without thinking much, Mingi grabbed Yunho’s hand and intertwined their fingers as his affections for the human grew; so hard to contain his nearly bursting heart as Yunho looked at him softly with pursed lips, eyes searching Mingi’s face before those round and pretty eyes settled on Mingi’s lips. He gulped and felt a tremor run through his body, scared but also exhilarated at the thought of finally kissing Yunho.

“It’s not corny because I am considered a magical creature.” Mingi’s answer made them both burst out into laughter, and Yunho leaned into him as he laughed, head resting on Mingi’s shoulder for a short second. It was enough to get Mingi’s heart to beat frantically, and he allowed his eyes to survey the place just so he had a distraction and didn’t accidentally turn his head and kiss Yunho.

It was in that moment that Mingi realised San and Wooyoung were there too, off to the side, savouring mulled wine as they watched the fire crackle high into the sky, soft smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the festive vibes. If those two were here, Mingi was sure Seonghwa would be here somewhere around too, but he didn’t fear his cats couldn’t take care of themselves or would even run off. They always returned; they were supposed to, given that they were Mingi’s familiars. Even if they did try to run off, Mingi could call upon them through their unbreakable bond.

“Is this how you usually celebrate your Samhain?” Yunho spoke up, head still resting on Mingi’s shoulder like it was something usual for them. Mingi could get used to it; he wouldn’t even complain about it.

“No, my family gathers at the Song residence – distant family included – and we honour our ancestors as we step into the new year. It’s a serene but charged celebration, but I don’t mind this one either.” Mingi explained, closing his eyes so he could focus on what was around him better.

He could feel the earth shift underneath their feet, the air becoming less dense as the veil thinned with each ticking second as they neared midnight. Spirits were amongst them, but very few could see or feel them. The ghostly caresses against Mingi’s nape or head were from fallen ones who were proud of him and were passing onto him their blessings, congratulating him for becoming who he was today. He was respected and loved even by the Song ancestors.

Mingi smiled to himself as his shoulders raised towards his ears, a small giggle tumbling past his lips. Yunho sat up straight and looked at him curiously, and Mingi shook his head as his ears were being tickled, “You know the veil between the living and dead gets thinner during Samhain?”

Yunho nodded, having proven himself more than once how knowledgeable he was about magic and everything else concerning it, “Well, we are surrounded by ghosts right now. They get to roam the earth on this day and see what has become of it. They are usually benevolent spirits, but you can find some mean ones, too, trying to trick you. We should probably dress up as something for next year! Wouldn’t it be fun?”

The implication that they’d still be in each other’s lives by next year, around this time, didn’t go unnoticed by either man, and Mingi stared at Yunho as he gulped, a wide smile spreading over his lips, “Us humans love dressing up for Halloween. I would really like that, yes. Let’s do it!”

Mingi watched as a ghostly hand reached forward from nothing and patted Yunho on the top of his head, the human remaining unknowing of the gesture. Mingi laughed as he looked towards the person doing it, but there was no apparition other than its hand, “Oh, would you look at that…great-grandma Song really likes you, Yunho.”

“How do you know that?” Yunho’s eyes widened as he looked at Mingi curiously.

“She’s patting your head right now.”

“Really?!”

It was adorable as Yunho whirled around, trying to see the ghost, but Mingi knew Yunho wasn’t sensitive enough to see the other side. It wasn’t an issue; he could help the human develop his third eye, and then he’d also get to see the ghostly figures…if Yunho wanted that, of course. Mingi was a scaredy-cat. It wasn’t always fun seeing all sorts of things; not everything was pretty and good on this earth, so he wanted Yunho to understand that if he really wanted his third eye opened, he would face unwanted entities as well.

“Really, she’s giving you her blessings. You can look at it as a type of protection.” Mingi hummed, waving at his great-grandmother before she disappeared, her face flashing for a second as she gave Mingi a pleased expression, “Think of it like Hongjoong’s pixie dust, but it’s not meant for the living. There are all sorts of forces around us at all times, so her protection is mostly meant against those negative ripples and beings.”

Yunho’s eyes widened even more as he looked both shocked and overwhelmed, turning around and trying to spot the woman, “Tell her I said thank you, please.”

“I don’t have to; she already knows. The astral realm is greater than us; they are here at all times, but they choose not to be seen. It’s the same for humans, too. If you have a passed-on relative, just know they are always watching over you, Yunho.” Yunho was speechless as he watched Mingi, his fingers twitching before he squeezed Mingi’s hand in appreciation and likely admiration too, given the expression on his face.

Mingi bit his bottom lip and looked towards the fire, picking up on the noise which was rapidly approaching them. It sounded like multiple people, and they were carrying heavy cases which Mingi couldn’t identify since voices and other sounds blended together around the bonfire and made his ears hurt if he focused too much on them.

“Since you brought up protection, uhm,” Yunho flushed at his choice of words, and Mingi’s eyes widened as he looked at the human sharply, “I mean, I’m talking about the pixie dust! Hongjoong’s pixie dust! You know…how he sprinkles it over me all the time, well…do you think that’s effective?”

Mingi nodded and tried not to grimace, “As much as I hate its sweet scent, I’d like to say that it’s very effective. It masks your natural scent very well; only creatures with sharp noses are able to pick up on the musky undertones on your skin. But don’t worry, if they don’t pay too much attention, they won’t even smell you.”

“But you smelled me, didn’t you?” Mingi pursed his lips as Yunho grinned, leaning a little in, “Because you were paying a lot of attention to me? I heard elves have good vision, sharp noses and agile hearing.”

“I’m only part elf, don’t forget.” Mingi opted to ignore the two questions as Yunho grinned, leaning even closer in, and Mingi had to do his best not to stare at his pretty, pouty lips. Saints, this human was doing unspeakable things to his heart and mind. Mingi was surprised he was still in one piece and with his sanity intact.

“Of course, I won’t.” Yunho grinned, then licked his lips before he gulped, “Do you think…you could give me something for protection so I don’t have to use Hongjoong’s pixie dust anymore? I always feel like I’m inconveniencing him because of this, and well, I…don’t want to smell like other men, unless…unless it’s a certain witch’s scent mangled all over my body.”

Holy saints! Mingi’s eyes widened at Yunho’s words, and the breath caught in his throat as he stared deeply into the human’s eyes, wondering if he had any idea what he was suggesting to Mingi right now. Because, despite not having fangs like vampires and werewolves and pixies – and some other creatures – to mark and mate their partners, witches could also, very well, mark their partners…but perhaps it was in a rather unorthodox way, and Mingi’s pulse was through the roof when Yunho smirked a little like he knew what that entailed.

Mingi’s mouth opened, but no words came out as he tried to get the image of Yunho underneath him, covered in his cum as Mingi rubbed it deep into his skin to mark him, out of his head. Mingi did say it was unorthodox, but it was Yunho who had started it, and now he couldn’t think about anything else, saints!

“I, uh, I could…I can…I mean, witches also have a way to—no, that’s…saints, I don’t think you know, Yunho, what you’re exactly asking for, but I…” Mingi shook his head and tried to get his head out of the gutter as Yunho’s smirk grew, suggesting that he knew exactly what he was asking of Mingi, “Right, so, I, uhm, I have something for you. For protection. It’s a witchy way, and it doesn’t have my scent, but…it neutralises yours, at least.”

The smirk fell from Yunho’s face, and it was his turn to be speechless as he watched Mingi turn around and open his satchel bag, feel around it with furrowed eyebrows and a tongue in the corner of his mouth. Yunho wanted to grip the back of Mingi’s head and smash their lips together; he really wanted that witch to himself, but it was too soon. It was their first date, after all.

“Ah, finally! Here it is!” Mingi gasped as his fingertips brushed the small wrapped gift he had packed earlier today, having Yunho in mind as he smiled and then faced the human. Yunho was looking at him curiously with an excited twinkle in his eyes, and Mingi blushed as he huffed, looking down at the gift in his hands, “I, uhm, I made this for you.”

Yunho’s eyes widened as Mingi handed the amulet over, gnawing on his bottom lip nervously as Yunho looked more than excited now. He ripped the nice wrapping apart in seconds, and Mingi pouted a little because he had struggled so much to tape it into place, and Yunho hadn’t even noticed the cats on the wrapping paper before he opened his gift.

But Mingi didn’t have much time to pout over this as Yunho gasped once he saw the black tourmaline crystal, wrapped well so it wouldn’t get damaged in Mingi’s bag.

“Oh, this is so pretty, Mingi!” Yunho said in awe as he held the crystal up by the suede strings Mingi had twisted together for the crystal to be worn with, “You-you didn’t have to make this for me, but I really, really appreciate it.”

Mingi was grinning from ear to ear as he watched Yunho bring it closer to his face, cradling the crystal like it was some priceless gem. It wasn’t even a rare crystal, but Mingi was beyond happy that Yunho appreciated his gift this much. “It’s black tourmaline. It’ll do a splendid job at protecting you, but just for good measure, I had dipped it into a protective potion and then let it dry under the full moon’s light. You know, for extra protection.”

“I…” Yunho gulped, his wide eyes gleaming at Mingi as he released a shuddering breath, “Can you please put it on for me?”

“Of course.” Mingi smiled as he took the necklace from Yunho, almost swearing out loud when his heart skipped a beat as their fingers brushed together.

Yunho turned around on the log, and Mingi blanched as the human pulled his puffy scarf off, his nape now bared to Mingi. His long hair was outgrown, and it brushed against the soft skin of his nape and neck, framing Yunho’s head so prettily.

Mingi released a shuddering breath as he scooted closer and leaned slightly over Yunho so he could bring the necklace around his neck, and Yunho tilted his head a little so he could flash Mingi a smile.

The witch averted his eyes and bit his bottom lip as he flushed, then clasped the necklace together for Yunho, his fingers brushing against the human’s nape as he did so. Yunho shivered, and Mingi watched as he toyed with the crystal sitting below his collarbones, a fond smile on his lips, before he turned around and faced Mingi again.

“Thank you, Mingi.” Yunho’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Mingi heard him. Even in the cacophony around them, Yunho was the only thing Mingi could hear. “I won’t take this off.”

“Unless we have to recharge it,” Mingi added, and they both giggled, heads leaning slightly closer as Mingi eyed the crystal while Yunho thumbed at it. It was pretty around the human’s throat; Mingi was glad he was the first one to give Yunho such a gift.

When Mingi looked up, Yunho was already watching his face, his lips slightly parted as quiet puffs left his mouth. Mingi gulped as his eyes strayed to Yunho’s lips, and he released a shuddering breath as he felt himself leaning forward.

Yunho didn’t shy away as Mingi approached slowly; instead, he licked his lips and leaned his head forward, receptive as his eyes started fluttering. Mingi could hear his heart in his ears as he licked his lips too, head tilted in the perfect angle so their lips could finally touch, when the sudden trumpet made both of them yelp and jump. Yunho’s eyes widened as he looked around them in alarm, and Mingi recognised the next sound as the musicians made their presence known. The organisers had invited even musicians this year to make the festivity more memorable!

“Yunho, saints, this is amazing! Let’s dance, please?” Mingi was up on his feet, grinning so widely that his mouth was hurting as the people around them were just as enthusiastic as they stood from the logs, the song playing upbeat and cheery as the musicians serenaded them.

“Sure, let’s go.” Yunho took Mingi’s extended hand, and the witch dragged Yunho to the front eagerly, giggling as he pulled him in, easily leading the dance as Yunho didn’t seem to know the steps well yet. Not that it was a problem, the human seemed to be a fast learner as he gripped Mingi around the shoulders and giggled, just as joyous as the witch as they smiled at each other, getting lost in each other’s eyes. Oh, Mingi could live an eternity with this lovable human.

🎃🍂

Mingi and Yunho giggled as they tumbled down the sidewalk hand in hand, warm and fuzzy from the mulled wine and having danced until their legs cried out for a break. Mingi’s legs felt heavy as he dragged them after himself, but he was more than eager as he wanted to keep up with Yunho, who was eagerly pointing out constellations to Mingi. His beanie was once again over his head, hiding his soft waves as well as his cute ears, and Mingi couldn’t look away. He was completely mesmerised by the human. It was as if he were looking at the bright stars; he wondered if Yunho was some sort of celestial, secretly having come down to experience the wonders of Earth himself. He was so bright, soft and loving, Mingi was still surprised by this fact. He hadn’t met anyone so pure, let alone a human at that.

It was well past midnight when the two found themselves growing tired, hungry and also cold, but with the food court now closed down, they had two options. Either walk to the city centre and have some fast food, which was open twenty-four seven, or go home and prep a quick snack before going to bed. The only issue was that neither Mingi nor Yunho wanted to part ways just yet, so that’s how they found themselves walking towards Mingi’s house, Yunho proposing to walk him home at this late hour.

It’s not that Mingi couldn’t have taken care of himself – or called a cab, as a matter of fact – but the way their fingers stayed locked when they tried to say their goodbyes was proof enough that neither was ready to let go just yet. Accepting their fate, the two sought out Mingi’s familiars to let them know that Mingi was headed home and that they were expected to return before sunrise. Mingi wasn’t stern with them, but he also didn’t want to worry about them and would consider they were in trouble if they weren’t home before dawn.

Finding San and Wooyoung was easy, as the two cats were hunkered close to the bonfire, claiming the log Mingi and Yunho had been sitting on previously, also guarding their belongings since the two hadn’t had a care for them in the world as they hurried over to the musicians to join the other dancing people.

San looked sleepy as he was leaning into Wooyoung, who was massaging San’s scalp and humming along to the music. The black cat had given the two a narrow-eyed look as Mingi asked for his satchel bag and asked them to head home before sunrise, then explained he was leaving with Yunho since he had offered to walk the witch home. San had grinned happily and waved at the two, but Wooyoung continued to give them that same look before he nodded, not looking too convinced, but neither the witch nor human cared, as they were giddy from the wine, keeping them all fuzzy and warm.

Finding Seonghwa wasn’t as easy as finding the other two cats, who also seemed not to know anything about his whereabouts, but Mingi’s gut feeling told him to search for Hongjoong’s unmistakable pixie scent, and that is exactly how they were led to Mingi’s orange cat. The two were frolicking towards the southern exit gate, sitting on a bench as they conversed quietly, sitting suspiciously close next to each other.

Seonghwa had smiled at Mingi and Yunho sweetly while Hongjoong’s eyes widened and he sprang up from the bench. Mingi didn’t miss the way Seonghwa’s hand fell from the pixie’s jeans back pocket, and he shared an amused look with Seonghwa, who seemed pleased with himself. The pixie was drunk and flushed in the face, but he apologised for what happened at the food court earlier, and swore he had no idea the elves were such idiots. Yunho wasn’t even mad at him to begin with, but he reassured Hongjoong that he forgave him, then told him that he was leaving with Mingi.

At that, Hongjoong threw Mingi a mistrusting glare, head tilted as he sniffed at their air until he looked like he was choking. He commented on the lack of Yunho’s scent, and the human was quick to enthusiastically explain the reason for that, which had Hongjoong looking at Mingi with less animosity. Before the pixie could protest about Yunho walking Mingi home, Seonghwa was up on his feet too, an arm thrown over Hongjoong’s shoulders, which made the pixie freeze. His eyes widened, and he looked like he had forgotten about Seonghwa’s presence for a second, and he couldn’t hold eye contact with Seonghwa as he chuckled and shooed the witch and human away.

Mingi threw a glance over his shoulder as they were leaving with Yunho, and wasn’t really surprised to find Hongjoong a blushing mess as Seonghwa whispered into his ear. Oh, he couldn’t wait to sit down with Seonghwa tomorrow and have him tell Mingi everything about that little, irritating and rude pixie. Mingi was going to have so much fun!

But now, all those things weren’t on Mingi’s mind as they turned the curb onto Mingi’s street, the streetlamps dimmer than usual since they were saving up now that winter was coming. The witch lived in a rather activist neighbourhood, which is what made his living experience so much better there. Yunho had started swinging their intertwined hands back and forth between them, and Mingi smiled as he watched the small freckles and moles on his face while Yunho went on and on about his favourite constellation and the things it reminded him of.

“You are prettier than any star I could ever look at.” The words tumbled past Mingi’s lips without even as much as a blink from the witch, too far gone as Yunho suddenly went silent, his eyes widening as he turned to face Mingi. Their pace slowed down, but they hadn’t come to a stop just yet. Mingi’s house was still a decent distance away from their current location. “Stay over tonight. It’s really late right now, and I don’t think it’s safe for you out there…with or without the crystal. Just…sleep over, Yunho.”

Yunho gulped, not answering straight away, which quickly made Mingi realise just how his words sounded. His eyes widened a little, and before he became mortified about his actions and scared Yunho off, he quickly tried to save it, “I mean, I have a spare bedroom with a spare bed! You can claim it as yours for tonight and…and I mean, we could also call a cab after you drop me off! But the spare bedroom is always free for use, if you…uhm, would want to stay over tonight or, well, any other time…”

Yunho stopped walking, and Mingi did so too, his heart racing in his chest as he watched the human lick his lips, his gulp loud. Mingi tried to mentally prepare for the rejection, but Yunho just smiled, biting his bottom lip before he nodded, “I’ll sleep over. But…can I sleep in your bed…with you, Mingi?”

Mingi blanched. He blinked at Yunho without much of a reaction, trying to process the words. He hummed, tilted his head as he wondered whether he had heard the human right, “Sleep with me…in my bed?”

“Yes, I’d like that very much…if you’d also like that, Mingi.” Saints, if Mingi also liked that?! He’d do anything to kiss Yunho right now, let alone share a bed with him tonight!

“Ye-yeah! I’d—I’d really like that, Yunho.” Mingi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as Yunho grinned, squeezing Mingi’s hand as he stepped closer, making the witch gasp. His eyes widened a little as he looked into Yunho’s eyes, then over his face, bewitched by the sparkling determination in the human’s eyes. He was so attractive, so charming, and so cute, Mingi wondered how he was still standing and facing him.

“Mingi, I have a crush on you.” Nothing could’ve prepared Mingi for Yunho’s next words, nor for the visceral way his body reacted to those words. The witch gasped loudly as his eyes widened to saucers, and despite the deep flush rising over Yunho’s cheeks, he continued as he stepped even closer to Mingi, just a breath away now, “And I’ve been thinking about asking you out the whole night…because I think we had a lovely first date, but I can do better. I want to do better, come up with something special. Just for you, Mingi.”

“We-we had our first date tonight?” Mingi’s brain wasn’t really functioning as he blinked at Yunho in awe and shock, his stomach twisting in desire as he glanced down at Yunho’s lips. He liked Mingi; he had just confessed to that, and the witch was ready to jump out of his skin any moment now.

“Yeah, did you enjoy yourself?” Yunho whispered as he gulped, also glancing down at Mingi’s lips, but his eyes remained on the witch’s plush lips.

“I really did, Yunho,” Mingi whispered back, and licked his lips as he shared a swift look of understanding with Yunho before he surged forward and pressed their lips together. Yunho sighed against his lips, and Mingi kept his moan down, not wanting to look weird or desperate, as he fisted the long hair against Yunho’s nape, pressing their bodies together. Yunho held him close, embracing Mingi as their heads tilted so their lips could slot perfectly against each other.

Yunho’s nose was cold as it pressed into Mingi’s cheek, and he almost smiled as he clamped his teeth down on Yunho’s bottom lip, suckling on it as the human hummed loudly into his mouth, pressing forward with more conviction as Mingi’s tongue shyly swept over his lips. He did that one more time before Yunho parted his lips, eager as he held Mingi by the chin and inhaled him in deeply, groaning as their tongues slid together. Mingi wasn’t able to gulp his moan down this time as he clung to Yunho, his body alight and so in-tune with everything that was around him, but mostly Yunho’s body heat and softness, his flushed skin and eager lips as they made out like they had been starved their whole lives.

It felt like the celestials had aligned in order for this moment to happen, and Mingi felt a pat on his back linger just for a second as if it was telling him that he was making the right choice, as if it was assuring him that Yunho was the right person for him. He felt a little weak in the knees when Yunho suckled on his tongue, perhaps more desperate than Mingi had been feeling this whole evening as he told himself he couldn’t have Yunho like this just yet, and here he was, in the human’s arms and swapping spit with him.

Mingi smiled into the kiss as his heart raced against his chest, and he wondered if Yunho could feel it with how strong and fast it was. Mingi’s lungs started to burn, but he didn’t pull away because he didn’t want this magical moment to end. To start the new year with a kiss from the very person he so much liked felt like a whole other blessing in itself, a sign for an abundant and prosperous year ahead of him.

When they separated, Yunho pressed his forehead against Mingi’s and cradled his cheeks, breathing hard against the witch’s lips. Mingi smiled as he pressed another swift kiss against Yunho’s lips, and the human turned his face so he could pepper Mingi’s cheek with a dozen small kisses, making Mingi’s heart swell dangerously as he flushed and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment.

Yunho chuckled against his skin and playfully nipped at Mingi’s jaw, prompting him to open his eyes as they stared at each other, still breathing hard. Yunho’s expression was pure happiness and contentment as he gazed at Mingi, and he was sure he looked the same as he smiled widely, nuzzling his nose against Yunho’s cold one.

“I wanted to kiss you this whole evening,” Mingi admitted in a low tone, and Yunho flushed as he chuckled, hugging Mingi even tighter.

“Me too, Mingi. There were too many moments when I just wanted to pull you aside and kiss you breathless.” Mingi giggled as Yunho rolled his eyes playfully at the witch’s reaction to his words, and Mingi found himself pulling Yunho into an embrace as he grabbed the back of his head, chin placed over his shoulder.

“I like you too. A lot, really, really, much, Yunho.” Mingi whispered into the human’s ear, and he felt him turn his head into Mingi’s hair as Yunho pressed a kiss against his neck, then onto the tip of his pointy ear, making Mingi yelp in surprise.

“Oh, my ears are ticklish.” Mingi huffed, shooting Yunho a half-hearted glare, “And sensitive…”

“Mhm, I have figured already.” Yunho smirked, and Mingi narrowed his eyes at the human, about to tell him off, but Yunho beat him as he spoke up again, “Not to pop our lovely bubble, but unlike you, who is a walking furnace, I’m not exactly warm anymore. Matter of fact, I’m freezing my ass off. Could we head inside now?”

Mingi laughed as he nodded, stepping away from Yunho as he gave him a devious look, “Sure! First to get to the house gets to wash up first and chooses which side of the bed to sleep on!”

And before Yunho could find a reproach, Mingi tapped him on the shoulder, then took off in a sprint towards his small and cosy house, giggling as he could hear Yunho’s grumbled not fair and heavy footsteps as he chased after Mingi.

The witch ended up giggling and tripping multiple times, but he still made it to the house first, breathing heavily as he fumbled with the keys in his satchel bag. His cry of surprise was muffled by Yunho’s lips as he veered Mingi around and pressed him into the front door, not even asking for permission as he pushed his tongue past Mingi’s lips, moaning into the witch’s mouth loudly, only making Mingi’s body burn with desire even more.

For a second, Mingi couldn’t believe he could call the cute delivery guy his boyfriend – it didn’t matter that Yunho wasn’t that just yet, they were headed in that direction either way – and oh, Mingi had so much to show Yunho still. They were going to have so much fun…as long as his familiars weren’t around, of course.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

            Mingi was fond of many things, but he couldn’t love anything else more than mornings when he awoke in his fiancée’s arms. It was warm and fuzzy all around as Mingi stirred from his deep sleep, the blanket pulled up to his chin as he lay on top of Yunho, hugging the human even in his sleep. Their clinginess could be described as disgusting by some – Wooyoung – but Mingi was so irrevocably and unapologetically in love with Yunho that he saw and heard no one else but Yunho. The human was his own sun, the star Mingi looked for in the darkness, the first to pop into his mind when he thought of home. Yunho was his one and only, his safety net and his anchor. In Mingi’s mind, there was no before Yunho's time, only the time once Yunho had joined his little but loving family. Now, everything was complete. Mingi felt complete, but how could he not when he had everything he once wished for?

He smiled as he nuzzled his face into Yunho’s chest, his bare skin warm and soft under Mingi’s cheek. He pressed a kiss over his human’s beating heart, and Yunho stirred with a hum as he hugged Mingi even tighter, sighing in content as Mingi felt something shift over his lower back…or better said, someone. Seonghwa was slumbering on his lower back, and Mingi could hear San’s snore as clear as day, his little white body hidden somewhere under the sheets as he liked to hide under there during the cold season. Mingi cracked an eye open and wasn’t even surprised to find Wooyoung curled around Yunho’s neck, a small paw pressed against his lips possessively, like he didn’t have San all to himself.

Mingi’s giggle stirred Yunho awake, and he groaned groggily, still too early for them to wake up. Mingi pressed another kiss against Yunho’s chest and allowed his fingers to sink into Wooyoung’s soft fur, shaking the cat gently, but he didn’t budge. Mingi knew he was only pretending to be asleep, and he also knew that if he kept shaking the black cat, he’d eventually end up annoyed and would give himself away. Mingi grinned under Yunho’s watchful eyes as he continued bothering Wooyoung, and once the black cat had finally had enough of the witch, he jumped up with a hiss and tried to bite Mingi’s fingers, but he swiftly pulled them away.

“Paws off my man, silly cat.” Mingi hissed back, sticking a tongue out at the black cat, which earned him another hiss. Yunho snorted in amusement as he reached out and petted Wooyoung with one hand, while with the other, he gently caressed Mingi’s shoulders, tracing his bare skin with his fingertips.

The small commotion had gotten the rest of his familiars to stir as well, and San crawled out from under the blankets, meowed softly and cutely as he gave Mingi cuteness aggression, which resulted in him pulling in the white furred cat to press kisses against his cheeks.

“Good morning, Seonghwa,” Yunho muttered as the orange cat made the least commotion as he got off the bed and stretched, staring to clean himself as Mingi grinned, rearranging himself on top of Yunho. Of course, he knew his fiancé too well by now as he smirked at the human, grinding down into his hardness. Yunho gasped as he looked at Mingi, offended, his cheeks flushing when all three cats looked at them with widening eyes.

“Alright, out with you three.” Mingi cackled like a witch as he sat up in Yunho’s lap, the blanket falling from his body and exposing their nakedness. San screeched in horror as he had been sleeping under the blankets and failed to notice this little detail, and Wooyoung just hissed as he gave them a murderous look, while Seonghwa was already out the door and meowing loudly to beckon the other two out, “Unless you want to watch your daddies do naughty things.”

Wooyoung meowed so loudly at that that Mingi was sure the neighbourhoods at the end of the street also heard him, and he laughed in amusement as San ran out the door, meowing too, but more pitifully, that he had to hear and see that. Wooyoung was the last one to leave, offended when Mingi stuck his tongue out and reached his palm towards the door, ushering the cat out before he slammed the door shut with his telekinesis, locking it swiftly. He’d gotten really good at doing that, huh. Practice makes perfect, they say.

“Good morning, Mr Jeong.” Mingi grinned with an insatiable look in his eyes, making Yunho’s cheeks flush instantly, “Would you like me to mark you today? Or do you want to wear your crystal?”

“I, uhm, I forgot to charge it last night…” Yunho mumbled as he looked away, and Mingi smirked as he leaned down, pressing open-mouthed kisses against his chest.

“Forgot, you say…as if I don’t already know you do that on purpose.” Yunho gasped as Mingi sucked a nipple between his teeth, arching his back into Mingi, “Let’s savour our last moments of peace for the day, hmm?”

“Ye-yes, let’s just—” Yunho moaned as Mingi pressed down against his hard cock again, his eyes screwing shut, “But if we’re late to church, my parents will have a meltdown. Saints, good thing they can’t smell me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everyone knows you are mine,” Mingi mumbled into Yunho’s skin as he sank down over his cock again, grinding against his soon-to-be husband. After all, the two grooms had a wedding to get ready for in less than two hours.

They couldn’t miss their own, right?