Archive of Our Own

There was this aura surrounding the coffee shop. Wooyoung hadn’t noticed it when he’d come in for his interview  — but then again, his desperation had blinded him from any possible red flags. 

He squinted to focus on a particularly strong concentration of it near the door. Demon repellent, no doubt. It was only somewhat surprising that it didn’t work against him — or that it wasn’t made to. Kelpies were trusted more now, but everyone did tend to still be cautious around them. 

Wooyoung’s eyes roamed across the shop once again. The faintness of it, almost being invisible — definitely the work of a witch. There was probably a main source somewhere inside the shop. He would keep his guard up either way; no job was worth losing a limb over.

It was a hassle to find a new one, though. And after he was fired from his previous job as a waiter, he’d been running a little low on funds. You threaten to drown someone once and suddenly you’re “unprofessional and unfit to work here”. 

Okay, so maybe it was more than once and maybe the count was in double digits. But the point was that he wouldn’t actually do it. Obviously. 

He kicked a rock out of his way and took a deep breath, dragging his feet as he walked into his new workplace. 

The inside was bustling with people, a little too much for how early it was. Wooyoung’s eyes swept the room before coming to a stop before the small succulent sitting atop one of the numerous shelves mounted on the wall behind the counter. It was conveniently placed between two coffee mugs and at a safe distance from the other plants. Not raising much suspicion, but still doing its job. Looks like witches were getting slightly smarter by the day.

He made a mental note to keep his distance and then ducked under the counter with a deep breath.

A squeak greeted him on the other side and he had to take several steps back to fit the person entirely in his line of sight. 

“I’m sorry sir, but you can’t be on this side,” the man — ‘Mingi ^^’ as his tag read — said, his terrified face betraying the deepness of his voice.

The aberrant shine of his silver hair gave away his identity almost immediately. Wooyoung could smell the charm from a mile away, the result of having used Yeosang’s magic to keep his hair purple for months when he was going through a thing. The charm couldn’t work over the distance of a hundred miles though, so Wooyoung had to stick to his natural black for now.

If his hair wasn’t a tell-tale sign, the cat glaring at Wooyoung from the corner definitely was. So this was the witch-boy.

Wooyoung scowled at him, a little for the repellent spell and a lot for thinking he was an insolent customer. The string of profanities about to spill from his mouth stopped when Seonghwa burst out of the kitchen door.

“Oh Wooyoung, good that you’re here, darling.” He shoved an apron in Wooyoung’s hands and pushed him towards the cash register by his shoulders. “Put that on. We’ll get you your name tag tomorrow.”

Wooyoung pulled it on over his neck, eyes directed towards the customer in front of him but ears still tuned into the conversation happening to his left.

“……’s replacing Hyunseok and Mingi, you know Nacho can’t be here. Tell him to wait in the back alley before he actually scares someone away.” He heard Seonghwa say.

After he’d half-attentively handed over the change, Wooyoung looked over to the corner again, where Mingi was talking to his familiar (who had to have been named by an actual 5-year-old). The cat turned his head away defiantly and Wooyoung pretended not to notice the mini choco-chip cookie being slipped into his mouth as a bribe to get him out.

Mingi stood up and brushed off the crumbs from his apron. He shot Seonghwa an apologetic glance when he moved to man the counter again, freeing Seonghwa to go back into the kitchen. 

They worked in tandem and Wooyoung only had time to take a breath when the sea of people in the shop had dwindled down to just a handful of late risers and college students that looked like they were on their third day without any sleep.

“Is it always this crowded?” Wooyoung asked, cocking a hip to lean against the counter.

Mingi rattled as if he was surprised that Wooyoung was talking to him. They hadn’t really exchanged any words other than general instructions, but Wooyoung didn’t think initiating small talk would cause the man to become speechless. He wondered if it was the kelpie thing. He hoped it wasn’t.

“Oh—uh, not really? It’s just,” he gestured vaguely to their surroundings, “Courting season, you know?”

Right. How could Wooyoung have forgotten? A year ago he’d watched his two best friends get their shit together and start dating. All thanks to Wooyoung of course.

“Ah, that explains the shitload of Scarlet Mocha orders then,” Wooyoung said. Courting vampires was quite voguish right now.

Mingi made a noise of agreement. “That’s why Seonghwa sticks to the back,” he stage-whispered. 

Wooyoung snorted, then jolted upright when the front door creaked open. He took one big step to the register and put on his customer service smile — the kind that you master after working 4 years in hospitality.

The lone customer seemed to have his eyes set on something or rather someone else, though. Wooyoung turned his gaze to where he’d just stood, goggle-eyed as he watched Mingi trip over air and then lean against the counter as if to prove it was what he wanted to do in the first place.

Wooyoung curled his lips inwards to hide his amusement and then cleared his throat, breaking the two out of whatever telepathic mating ritual they had going on.

It appeared to do the trick. The man walked towards the counter, hands shoved deep inside the pockets of his jacket. 

“Hey, San,” Mingi’s voice wavered a little, “The usual?”

The customer — San — nodded, coming to stand in front of Wooyoung to pay.

Mingi busied himself in making the drink. Wooyoung stared at him in bemusement. He asked San for a minute and advanced towards Mingi to nudge him harshly. “I don’t know what his usual is.”

“Shit, you’re right. Sorry. It’s a caramel mocha with extra whipped cream.” Mingi whispered back, adding the foam to prove his statement.

Wooyoung swiped San’s card and asked him to take a seat, his delight only growing when San insisted on standing there instead. The man watched Mingi with what could only be described as hearts in his eyes, the tips of his ears turning red when his fingers brushed with the barista’s while collecting his drink. Wooyoung felt like throwing up.

“Well that was embarrassing to watch,” he said once the shop was empty again.

“Shut up.” Mingi avoided Wooyoung’s eyes. His cheeks coloured to match their best seller of the day.

Wooyoung laughed at him. Then pretending to count the money in the tip jar, he asked, “So what’s the deal with you and himbotron 3000?”

The whipped cream dispenser almost fell out of Mingi’s hands as he sputtered. “His name is San.” Wooyoung shrugged. “And there is no deal. He’s just,” Mingi paused, “a regular.”

“Right. And I didn’t just watch you two undress each other with your eyes.”

Mingi opened his mouth to answer but their conversation was yet again cut short by the sound of the door opening.

🔮

The sky had turned dark hues of blue and purple when Wooyoung finally got off work. Still, there was enough light out for him to choose to walk home instead of taking the subway. 

He patted himself down, groaning in disappointment when he realised he’d left his earphones at home. With another sigh, he began walking and pulled his phone out to text Yeosang.

wooyoung:

i made a friend today

Like always, he didn't have to wait long for a reply.

yeosang:

is it mutual or did u bite someone to claim them as yours again

Feeling slightly bitchy, he sent Yeosang the middle finger back and pocketed his phone to cross the road. Only when he reached his apartment did he check his messages again.

yeosang:

hongjoong says he’s proud of u

wooyoung:

that’s why he’s my favourite kim

yeosang:

SHUT UP

what makes u think i would take his last name anyway 

wooyoung:

your 8th grade diary

yeosang:

goodnight 

never speak to me again

Wooyoung huffed out a laugh at the text, then another louder one when he checked to see that it was barely 6. He threw his phone on the bed to take a shower and hopefully find some leftovers in the fridge.

He missed them. There was no shame in admitting that. Assuring himself and Yeosang that he’d be fine was a lie they’d both pretended wasn’t one. Wooyoung was well aware of how much both Yeosang and Hongjoong worried about him, to the extent that Hongjoong had actually considered turning down the job offer for a hot minute.

Wooyoung was a selfish bastard, but for those two he could survive in the worst of conditions. Even so, living without Yeosang was not something he could get used to even in 6 months. His new roommate wasn’t that bad, though. Given that the only time they crossed each other’s paths was when Wooyoung would leave for work early in the morning and Seoho would return from wherever the fuck he went. 

“Are we sure he’s not a murderer? Not all werewolves are civilised.” Hongjoong had asked. “He would’ve asked for my help,” was Wooyoung’s reply that seemed to sate all three of them.

🔮

By the end of his first month at Bean Me Up, Wooyoung had noticed a pattern: San would show up around 12 pm, he and Mingi would exhibit their very evident heart-boners for each other and yet, neither would make a move.

So, really, he wasn’t phased by the sheer disappointment on San’s face when he walked in one day to see Soyeon standing where Mingi should’ve been. But he was taken aback when San just smiled at him and began to walk out of the shop.

“Dude,” Wooyoung called out to him. Good lord, this man was down bad. “Take a seat, I’ll get you your usual.”

San shook his head in panic. “It’s on the house. Just sit,” Wooyoung told him, then stared him down until he pulled out a chair.

He told Soyeon the order and yelled, “I’m taking my 15,” grabbing the cup once he got Seonghwa’s consent in return. After placing the steaming hot brew in front of San, he pulled out the chair opposite him to sit down. 

“Are you allowed to be here?” San asked, fiddling with the lid. Wooyoung motioned at the deserted shop. San nodded and lifted the cup to take a sip.

“But I only have 15 minutes so I’m gonna make this quick. Mingi isn’t here today because there’s something wrong with Nacho. I’m willing to help you court him,” Wooyoung said. 

San made a choking noise at the back of his throat and put the drink down, his other hand flying to his chest to contain his coughing fit. Wooyoung rolled his eyes.

“Let’s save the denial and shit. Going by the golden ring around your pupils, I’m gonna guess that you’re a fae and I doubt that amount of caffeine isn’t messing with your glamour. So you either come here everyday to see Mingi or to watch the goblin kids take the piss out of the werewolf pups across the street and I fucking know it’s not the latter.” Wooyoung snickered at San’s dumbfounded expression. “So just listen. Do you trust me?”

“No,” San said without blinking an eye.

The haste of the answer caught Wooyoung off guard for a moment. “Is it because I’m a kelpie?” He asked, one side of his mouth turning downwards.

“What? No! It’s just that,” San’s eyes flitted around nervously as if he was searching for the right words to say, “I don’t even know you?”

Wooyoung’s eyebrows furrowed to resemble a deformed triangle. “What are you talking about? We see each other everyday.”

The table bounced with a faint clang when San dropped his arms on it to bury his face between them. Wooyoung drummed his fingers near his ear until he looked up. 

“What’s in this for you?” San asked.

What was in this for Wooyoung? 

He was feeling particularly charitable and Yeosang had kind of begged him to make new friends. It would also definitely be nice to come into work and not have to witness the sickening lovefest. He could only hope it wouldn’t get worse when they started dating. Besides, it might be my last time being involved in a courting process, he thought.

“If I have to see your hopeless pining for any longer, I’ll drown myself,” is what he said out loud. “Look, the first step of courting a witch is getting in their familiar’s good graces. This is the perfect opportunity for that. We’ll swing by Circe’s Trinkets and pick up the necessary items.”

San sighed. Wooyoung could see the fight slowly retiring from his face and he pumped his fist under the table when San nodded.

“How do you know so much about courting witches anyway?”

Wooyoung positively beamed as he answered.  “My best friend’s a witch and I helped my other best friend court him. Full offence, if it wasn’t for me, they would’ve never gotten their shit together.”

The last part made San scoff. Wooyoung was about to elaborate when Soyeon called for him and pointed toward her wristwatch. 

“Okay, I need to go. I get off work at 6 tomorrow. Come meet me by the back alley then,” Wooyoung told San.

He pushed himself away from the table, hesitating briefly before laying a hand on San’s shoulder. “I swear on Dagda, we’re gonna get you your witch-boy.”

🔮

Wooyoung was pleasantly surprised to see Mingi come into work the next day and decided to give him a warm welcome. “Loverboy almost started crying when he saw you weren’t here yesterday.”

The flush Wooyoung was used to seeing at this point immediately took over Mingi’s face. “Shut up,” he quipped back weakly. Then a moment later, “What did he say?”

“How shalt I liveth without seeing his quite quaint visage for a day?” Wooyoung pressed the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically before howling with laughter at Mingi’s unimpressed look. He dodged the kick Mingi aimed at his shin, standing up straight when the morning crowd started pouring into the shop.

It was harder to leave work discreetly that day than he expected it to be. Lying to Mingi was like looking at a kicked puppy, his head tilted as he asked Wooyoung why he was staying back. 

Fortunately, San was already waiting for him near the back exit. “You didn’t come in for a coffee this afternoon?” Wooyoung asked as he closed the door behind him.

“No, I figured it would be too much work to make a trip here twice in a day,” San said, standing with his usual hands-in-pockets stance.

“Make a trip — wait. You don’t live on this side of town, do you?” Wooyoung considered the awkward shuffling as his answer. “Oh Dagda, this is so much worse than I thought.” 

He nudged San with his shoulder as he walked past him. “Come on, it’s a 20-minute walk from here. You can tell me the whole story on the way.”

“There is no story. I was here for some work and desperately needed some caffeine,” San said, kicking a rock out of his way.

“You saw him once and decided that you were going to go out of your way to visit this shop everyday? That explains so much about you,” Wooyoung said, shrugging when San raised an eyebrow at him accusingly.

San sighed, then took one hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck nervously. “I was having a really bad day and then he talked to me. It was barely a few words, but just – it helped. A lot more than he knew.”

Wooyoung nodded. “Yeah, he tends to have that effect on a lot of customers,” he paused after realising his mistake, “Uhhh, not that you’re not special and shit. I can assure you that he feels the same way.”

His panic made San laugh, although Wooyoung could see the pink dusting his cheeks. He masked his smile and stuck a foot out to trip San. “You’re climbing up the list of the people I want to drown really fast. Don’t make me do it right now.” 

San’s laughter faltered. “You can’t just say that,” he said in horror, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

“I can do whatever I want. Come on, we have to get everything before the emporium closes.” Wooyoung sped up, turning back around once he was sure San had heard him.

“Who’s at the top?” San asked when he caught up with him.

“Huh?”

“The list of the people you want to drown. Who’s at the top?” He asked again.

“Oh. My ex-boss. He was such a fucking asshole,” Wooyoung said, the momentary anger slipping into his voice.

“Hmm, well if you ever need help luring him out, all you have to do is ask.” San’s eyes flashed green for a split second before fading back to their normal brown.

Wooyoung huffed out a laugh. “Loverboy San! Who knew you had it in you?”

“My last name is Choi,” San insisted, but Wooyoung just waved him off. They pushed each other playfully, laughing all the way to the emporium.

Circe’s Trinkets was just as jazzy as Wooyoung remembered, standing tall and vibrant in all its glory. The ivy bordering the shop from the crown had grown halfway down the entrance and Wooyoung knew exactly what spell would trim it down once it crossed that line. He jumped when something brushed against his calf, causing him to bump into San.

“Jinx!” Wooyoung exclaimed, reaching down to pick up the Somali cat. It licked his nose once he’d held it up to his eye level and Wooyoung laughed in delight.

“Finally remembered us, Young?” Someone stepped out from the entrance and Jinx jumped out of Wooyoung’s grip to run to their side.

“Ah, Aunt Circe,” Wooyoung picked at his nails and looked away, “I’ve just been really busy.”

Her eyes turned towards San. “I’m sure you have.” 

San gulped and stepped closer to Wooyoung. She tended to have that effect on people — something that Wooyoung had learned to look past a long time ago. Her posture stayed upright, hands folded neatly over her stomach and a part of her outfit never failed to match the bright purple lustre of the emporium. Although her face was kept without any wrinkles through her magic, even 15 minutes in the same room as her were enough to ascertain her wisdom. 

Wooyoung had missed her too. She turned around, Jinx sauntering in after her. “You know where everything is. Get what you need.”

Once she was out of sight, San let out an audible breath. “How do you know her?”

“Remember the witch best friend I told you about? That,” Wooyoung nodded towards the entrance, “is his aunt.”

“Come on,” he pushed San towards the shop with his shoulder. As Cerci’d said, nothing about the layout of the shop had changed and Wooyoung walked towards the crystal section to grab amethyst.

San stood by him like an obedient dog as Wooyoung deftly picked out what they needed. “Better get some Echinacea in case he’s out,” Wooyoung mumbled to himself, reaching behind San to fetch the plant.

“You really know a lot about witchcraft, huh?” San asked. He tried to lean against a nearby table but ended up causing a few candles to fall over. Wooyoung narrowed his eyes as he picked them up and San moved away apologetically.

“Yeah. Yeosang and I used to spend our afternoons here helping Aunt Cerci out when we were kids.” He paused near the familiar section. “Do you know what kind of cat Nacho is?” “Bombay.” Wooyoung added a bag of thyme-infused kibble to the basket. “So I like to think I’m an honorary witch.”

Just like when he was younger, Cerci didn’t let him walk out without paying for everything—this time along with a promise to visit more often. Wooyoung stood aside and waited for San to hand over his card, placing the bag in his hands once they were out.

“So when are you planning to surprise Mingi?” Wooyoung asked.

San shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Whenever you have time.”

“Oh no,” Wooyoung stepped away from him, “Absolutely not. Whatever you’re thinking—no. I’m already way too involved in this.”

“But I don’t have his address,” San whined.

“Then I’ll give it to you, but I am not tagging along.”

San closed the distance between them in two strides and for a split second Wooyoung was scared he was about to be glamoured. “If I show up alone he’ll think I’m creepy. He gave you his address himself so it won’t come off that way if we go together. Please, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung ran a hand over his face. What had he gotten himself into? This wasn’t what he’d expected when he offered to help San out. He had third-wheeled for enough of his life; he thought that would be over once Hongjoong and Yeosang moved away. Still, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say no to the pathetic expression on San’s face.

“Fine, but you owe me. So. Much,” he enunciated each word with a poke to San’s chest. Only Dagda could help him now.

🔮

Wooyoung had barely set foot in the apartment when his phone pinged with a text.

yeosang:

what is this i’m hearing about you dating a fae

do you think you’re me?

Of fucking course.

wooyoung:

dagda, i knew aunt circe wouldn’t keep her mouth shut

yeosang:

yeah yeah, you really learnt from the best

now tell me everything 

wooyoung:

there’s nothing to tell 

we’re not dating 

i’m helping him court my coworker 

yeosang:

you like both of them ????

wooyoung: 

NO

what’s wrong with you i don’t like anyone

yeosang:

you’ve known them for a month

jung wooyoung would never help someone without any incentive 

It was true, but he couldn’t deny that it still stung just a little bit.

wooyoung:

that’s not true 

i helped you and hongjoong

yeosang:

i know and i’m grateful for that

but that was because you were tired of seeing us be idiots for 8 years

so what’s really going on 

And this was exactly why Wooyoung avoided telling Yeosang things like these. He would catch on before Wooyoung could even fully formulate the lie. Yeosang knew him too too well.

wooyoung:

i need to go

i’ll text you later

yeosang:

wooyoung.

Although he’d read the text, Wooyoung locked his phone and threw it on the bed, watching it bounce and land near his pillow. He knew what was going on — quite clearly. But it was hard to say it out loud when he’d spent so much time repressing it. 

Wooyoung was a kelpie. And the chances of him courting or being courted by someone were next to zero. 

He was sure Yeosang would try to prove him wrong the moment the words left his mouth, but at the end of the day Wooyoung knew the truth and he’d accepted it a long, long time ago. If assisting others with their rituals could let him feel the sentiment, the rush, the happiness, albeit temporary, he would do it for anyone that considered (or was forced to consider) him a friend in a heartbeat. Living vicariously through others for the rest of his life didn’t sound that bad, did it?

🔮

It was slightly awkward to see San the following week. It was also hard to pretend that they didn’t have something planned for the weekend when this was the only time of the day that they saw each other. San had started making conversation with Wooyoung too, and he would spend an equal amount of time talking to him and Mingi.

On Thursday, three days before D-Day, Wooyoung walked into work and slapped two tickets down on the counter. Mingi was startled, to say the least, the sound almost causing him to drop the oodles of coffee bean boxes he’d somehow managed to fit in his hands. (They were bigger than average, Wooyoung supposed.)

“What’s this?” Mingi asked once he’d avoided any possible disasters by placing the boxes down next to his coffee station.

“Tickets for Trance Spirits’ show tonight,” Wooyoung said as if it was obvious. He pushed them further towards Mingi, raising an eyebrow when he didn’t make a move to pick them up.

“Uh…Okay?” 

Wooyoung stared at him incredulously. What was getting lost in translation here? Did Wooyoung have to spell it out for him? Ugh, witches were so fucking dense.

“You’re like the only friend I have, alright? So do you want to go or not?” Wooyoung said in a single breath, immediately avoiding Mingi’s eyes once the words had left his mouth.

He could still spot the smile that broke out on Mingi’s face from the corner of his eye though. “I’d love to,” Mingi finally picked one of the tickets up, presumably to check the details, “How’d you manage to get them anyway? I heard they sell out pretty fast.”

Wooyoung dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. “One of my best friends is a producer. He hooked me up.”

The creases on Mingi’s forehead deepened as he moved the ticket closer to his face. “If you meet me here by 7, I can Apparate us there.”

Maybe use some of that magic to fix your eyesight, Wooyoung would’ve said if his mind wasn’t preoccupied with not letting the fear show on his face. He had let Yeosang Apparate him one time and safe to say, it was not his favourite way to travel. The stench of vomit on Yeosang’s shoes that could only be removed by Aunt Circe’s magic could’ve served as evidence for that.

Still, Wooyoung was nothing if not a stubborn little shit. He had a reputation to uphold. So he just nodded and promised to be ready and waiting near the shop at the decided time.

Work dragged on that day. It was the tail end of courting season and the number of people coming into the shop had noticeably reduced. This also meant that workdays ended earlier so they’d cleaned up and locked the shop by the time the clock struck 5.

Wooyoung decided to take the subway to save time. He opened his closet as soon as he got home, digging through it until a significant pile had formed on his bed. All of his nicer clothes had naturally been buried in the back, their unkemptness a clear indication of how long it had been since they’d been put to use.

A thorough search and a resulting fabric engulfed mattress later, he settled on his favourite pair of black jeans and a cream turtleneck — layering it below the hefty leather jacket that Hongjoong had generously gifted him because it wouldn’t fit in any of the boxes. (It was mostly because he’d “outgrown that phase”. Never getting between a fae and their fashion choices was a lesson Wooyoung had learnt the hard way.)

The subway ride back to the coffee shop was a long and nerve-racking one as Wooyoung prepared himself for his impending doom. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, he thought during his short walk from the station. It had been quite a few years since he’d gone through the horrors of Apparition and perhaps his memory was tainted. 

With that last thought, he turned the corner, pausing the music playing through his earphones that served to distract him. When he looked up, Mingi was standing a few feet away from him, his face illuminated by the warm glow of the streetlights. 

He was clad in black from head to toe, a complete converse of the bright sweaters and patterned pants he usually wore to work. His eyes fit the theme too, smokey in a way that could rival Wooyoung’s own messy eyeliner.

“Hey,” Wooyoung greeted, rolling the cord of his earphones around his fingers to shove it inside his pocket. The jeans were tight enough that he could feel it digging into his right thigh, but he ignored it in favour of assessing Mingi’s shoes — anticipating how bad the damage would be, if it were to be done. 

“Hi. You look nice.”

Wooyoung smiled at him, muttering a small ‘you too’.

“Ready to go?” Mingi held out a hand.

The implication automatically made bile rise in Wooyoung’s throat. He took in a deep breath, before nodding and grabbing Mingi’s hand with his own. His eyes closed right after seeing the smile Mingi directed his way, the hand that wasn’t being held clenched tight enough to form crescents on his palm.

And then it happened. Just like Wooyoung remembered it. Whooshing sounds and lightheadedness. The heavy thumping of his heart and the brisk rush of adrenaline. 

The next time he opened his eyes, he could see a blurry image of Mingi hovering over him. “What happened?” His voice felt weak to his own ears and it made him cringe involuntarily.

“I don’t know,” Mingi sounded like a combination of concern and panic, and also what seemed to be relief, “We landed here and then you just passed out.”

Wooyoung patted the ground next to him, realising that he was indeed laying on the road in front of the venue. He sat up suddenly, pressing a hand to his head in an attempt to control the dizziness. “And you just let me lay here? Aren’t witches supposed to be helpful?” 

There was a surge of pain in his forehead when he stood up and Mingi grabbed his arm when he stumbled over his feet. “I was scared,” Mingi said, disconcerted, “Are you feeling okay? Do you want to go back?”

Wooyoung almost threw up from the thought of Apparating again. “Let’s just go,” he shifted Mingi’s grip to hold his hand and pulled him towards the venue.

By the time they’d taken their seats, Wooyoung was feeling comparatively better. Being around a bunch of strangers was where he thrived the most. And by the time the band had made their way down half of the setlist, he had forgotten all of his woes. Well, at least until he heard the words ‘kiss cam’.

He could feel Mingi buzzing on the seat next to him when the couples on the screen exchanged a small kiss, visibly pushing down the urge to squeal. It was cute. Wooyoung’s gaze stayed glued to his face, lips curving up into a smile against his will. But it dropped the moment Mingi’s eyes widened comically. Wooyoung turned his head towards the screen confused, his expression matching Mingi’s at the sight of them both inside a poorly animated heart.

In a seemingly unrealistic way, everyone around them turned their way, anticipation written all over their face. Wooyoung couldn’t move at all. Just when he felt like his heart couldn’t beat any faster, Mingi leaned over to press a quick kiss to his cheek. The stadium erupted into cheers, unaware of Wooyoung’s inner turmoil. He gently placed a hand on the same cheek, looking at Mingi from the corner of his eye. The culprit was sitting with his hands folded together on his lap and Wooyoung couldn’t tell if the flush on his cheeks was from the kiss or the moving stage lights.

What the fuck? What the fuck?

The phrase kept repeating in his head over and over and over again for the rest of the night, even when he was safely tucked inside the covers in his own house.

🔮

And then Sunday rolled around. Wooyoung had spent the past two days contemplating whether he should go or not but now here he was, checking his outfit in the mirror for the fifth time. Every time he would try to talk himself out of it, San’s pathetic sad eyes kept popping up in his head and Wooyoung figured he owed him enough to at least show up. He would make up an excuse after 20 minutes and leave.

He smoothed out his button-up one last time before grabbing his keys and leaving his apartment. One look at his watch reminded him that he only had 15 minutes left before the time he was supposed to meet San in front of Mingi’s apartment complex. With that thought in mind, he increased his pace.

When he finally reached the address, he could see San standing at the front, the bag from Circe's Trinkets in one hand and the other one buried inside his pocket as he paced around nervously. Wooyoung laughed at the sight, pausing for only a moment before approaching him.

"Come on, let's go," he nodded towards the entrance once San had noticed him. 

"Yeah, I just need a moment. Sorry." San's eyes stayed locked with the ground, his chest moving up and down with deep breaths.

"San," Wooyoung placed a hand on his chest to stop him, "You see him everyday."

The words didn't seem to have the effect Wooyoung wanted them to; San only looked even more nervous. "Oh no, he's going to think I'm a creep and then ban me from the coffee shop. This was a terrible idea. Why did you let me do this? We need to go." San ended his rant by grabbing Wooyoung's wrist and pulling him in the direction he'd just come from. 

Wooyoung reversed the grip so that his hand was on top and tugged San back towards himself. "You are not backing out now. He's not going to do that—I don't think he even has the authority for it." He used his free hand to nudge San's face up. "He's going to be pleasantly surprised and hopefully resolve his heart-boner for you." San turned red at that but nodded nevertheless, letting Wooyoung drag him towards the elevator.

They both remained silent during the ride up, Wooyoung’s thumb moving across San’s wrist in measured strokes to calm him down. It seemed to work, San’s breathing visibly returning to normal. Wooyoung let go of his hand once they were on Mingi’s floor, briskly making his way down the hallway to look for his apartment. The sound of footsteps was enough for him to know that San was following him. He stopped once he saw the plaque for 204 and checked on San for the last time before ringing the doorbell. 

When Mingi opened the door, his face screamed surprise, to say the least. His eyes grew three sizes under thick black-rimmed glasses — which had to be a fashion choice because Wooyoung knew for a fact that witches could fix their eyesight easily. 

“Uh, hi?” Mingi stammered, eyes flitting between Wooyoung and San nervously.

Taking a step back, Wooyoung nudged San forward with his shoulder. “Loverboy has something for you.”

San sneered at him before turning towards Mingi, both hands clutching the bag tight enough to tear the straps off. As soon as his eyes met Mingi’s, he raised the bag in front of his face, offering it to him. 

Mingi took it from him nervously, looking more scared than confused. “What’s going on?”

“We heard Nacho wasn’t doing too well so we picked up some stuff for him. Sorry for barging in on you like this. I hope this helps.” Awkward rambling was a habit of San’s that Wooyoung had picked up on a while ago and all he could do was raise a fist to his mouth to muffle his laughter.

“Oh wow, that’s,” Mingi cleared his throat when his voice cracked, “That’s really nice of you, thank you.”

“—Holy shit, I’m so sorry. Please come in.” He added a moment later, moving aside and gesturing both of them to enter.

If someone wasn’t aware that Mingi was a witch, looking at his apartment would definitely confirm their suspicions. The windowsills overflowing with plants, two cauldrons sitting symmetrically in the kitchen, potion bottles lying haphazardly all over the living room — all signs pointed towards just one conclusion. 

“I’m really sorry for the mess,” Mingi said as he picked up as much as he could in both hands and tossed it onto a chair nearby. 

“Are you trying to brew something new?” Wooyoung asked, well aware of what the scattered ingredients and the lingering chemical smell meant.

“Oh, yeah. It’s a Forget-me-not potion. But I can’t seem to get it right yet. I’ve been trying since Friday.” Mingi said, disappointed. At that moment, Nacho slipped out of the room and jumped on the couch that Mingi had just cleared, snuggling up to Wooyoung.

“Are you a cat whisperer or what?” San asked, bottom lip sticking out just far enough to make it look like he was sulking.

Previous guilt catching up to him, Wooyoung picked Nacho up and deposited him on San’s lap. The familiar seemed satisfied just to have a comfortable place to rest, curling up and immediately falling asleep.

San made a happy sound, petting his head with his index finger. When Wooyoung glanced up, Mingi was looking at San with the most lovesick expression one could muster up. It felt like Wooyoung’s heart was soaring and sinking at the same time. Fuck. He needed to get out of here. 

“Actually, I was just accompanying San because he didn’t know the way. I think I’m going to go now. I’ll see you both at work tomorrow.” Wooyoung stood up and backed up towards the door as he spoke.

“No! What? Stay.” Mingi said. But Wooyoung knew he couldn’t. This was supposed to be a bonding time for both of them. San would probably get upset if Wooyoung didn’t leave now.

“Please stay.” And what?  Wooyoung’s head whipped towards San, wondering if he was just saying that out of obligation. The honesty in his gaze threw Wooyoung off. He couldn’t say no when both of them were looking at him like that. He sat down. San beamed at him. So did Mingi.

Dagda, Wooyoung was so so fucked.

🔮

The latest in a string of bad decisions, Wooyoung had agreed to meet San to plan the next step of the courting process. The memories from the weekend were still spinning around in his head and he probably should’ve had taken some time before seeing either of them. But he knew that wasn’t possible because of work. So he'd figured it would be better to get it over with as soon as he could.

Wooyoung checked his watch, realising that he had somehow reached the restaurant 10 minutes before he needed to. He took a seat at their reserved table, patiently waiting for San to arrive. About five minutes later, the chair in front of him was being pulled back as San placed his bag next to the table and sat down. 

“Did I keep you waiting long?” He asked, pushing the menu towards Wooyoung. 

And Wooyoung wanted to answer but what came out of his mouth were muffled coughs because San was standing in front of him wearing a suit.

“Huh—Oh, no. I just got here too,” Wooyoung said, taking a sip of water and flipping through the pages halfheartedly.

“Get whatever you want. It’s on me.” San unbuttoned his blazer and Wooyoung had to remind himself to focus. 

“What? San, no, that’s okay.”

“I insist. You’ve been taking out so much time to help me. This is the least I can do to return the favour.”

Wooyoung laughed at that. “It’s okay, I promise. I don’t have anything better to do anyway.”

“Even then. Please .”

“Alright, alright.”

Both clearly having had long days, they mostly ate in silence, making small talk every once in a while. Instead of getting dessert there, Wooyoung suggested that they should get ice cream from his favourite shop. It didn’t seem to bother San, who agreed almost immediately.

The shop was barely a 5-minute walk from the restaurant. Wooyoung insisted on paying this time – he wasn’t that much of a freeloader. They carried the cones to a nearby park as Wooyoung tried to explain the next step of the courting process. 

“So basically I have to get him a magical plant, right?” San asked.

“Yes. Well, usually you’re supposed to grow it yourself, but you don’t have the time for that so it’s okay,” Wooyoung licked a part of his ice cream that was about to stain his shirt, “You’re going to have to pick this one out yourself. I have some stuff to take care of this week.” Which was a complete and utter lie. But he had to set boundaries somehow. 

San’s face fell but he relented anyway, nodding and looking away. “What’s it like for you?” He asked a moment later.

“What do you mean?” Wooyoung asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Courting,” San stated plainly.

The laugh that Wooyoung let out was loud enough to make the other visitors of the park think he'd gone crazy. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. Why would I be kidding?” San asked. 

Wooyoung couldn’t believe he was being serious. “San,” another laugh escaped Wooyoung’s mouth — this one smaller, almost sarcastic, “I’m a kelpie. No one is ever going to want to court me.”

He didn’t realise San had stopped walking until he was five feet away. “That’s not true.” Wooyoung turned around at the sound of his voice.

“You’re a great person. And anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve you anyway. Their fucking loss.” San stared at him for a moment longer before walking past him as if his words hadn’t shaken Wooyoung to the core. Not to mention it was the first time Wooyoung had heard him swear.

The ‘thank you’ got stuck in his throat when San looked back and motioned for him to catch up. Wooyoung couldn’t help but sneak glances at him even as they walked in silence. What San had said was something Wooyoung had tried to get himself to believe for a very long time but somehow, the words seemed to hold more weight, a heavier implication; they seemed to seep through every wall of insecurity that Wooyoung had built up over the past several years. 

A gentle shove against his shoulder brought him back to reality. “Okay?”

Mind still reeling, Wooyoung’s eyes scanned San’s face carefully, taking in every little detail that he had failed to notice before. Faes were known to be petite and beautiful, but San glowed. The sharp lines of his face in contrast to his soft eyes, the smoothness of his skin, the build of his body — he was stunning.

His eyes retraced their path up to San’s face only to find him looking back at him with what Wooyoung assumed his own face was doing too. It wouldn’t be until much much later that Wooyoung would realise that he was the one who took that last step to bridge the gap between them. At that moment, he couldn’t perceive anything more than the sweetness carrying from San’s mouth to his own and he felt like he was floating.

It wasn’t until they pulled back and San’s dimples flooded his vision that Wooyoung realised he had royally fucked up. He needed to get out of here now. He ignored San calling after him as he dumped the rest of his ice cream in the trash can and beat a hasty retreat out of the park.

🔮

Wooyoung dialled Yeosang’s number before he’d even stepped into his apartment, waiting for him to pick up as he fumbled with the keys. Just a ‘hello’ from the other side was enough for Wooyoung to start spilling everything. “I fucked up. Yeosang, I made a horrible, terrible, no-going-back mistake.” He finally managed to open the door and made a beeline towards his room, face planting on the bed.

“Okay. First of all, calm down. Then tell me what’s wrong.” Just hearing Yeosang’s voice had settled Wooyoung’s nerves a great deal. He flopped onto his back, staring at his ceiling and taking a few deep breaths. 

“Remember the fae Aunt Circe told you about?” Wooyoung took another long breath. “I kissed him.”

“And how is that a bad thing? I’m happy you’re finally getting some action.”

“This isn’t funny. He likes Mingi and Mingi likes him. I have no place there. I shouldn’t have kissed him. Fuck, I should’ve never gotten involved in the first place.” Tears gathered in his eyes as he finished speaking.

“How do you feel about Mingi?”

“What?”

Yeosang sighed. “Just answer the question.”

“I don’t know. He’s a good person?”

“Wooyoung,” Yeosang said through a laugh, “You’ve talked about him incessantly ever since you met him. I can’t tell if you’re oblivious or just plain fucking stupid.”

“Can you be nice to me? I’m going through something here,” Wooyoung said, then sniffled.

“Alright, so you are stupid. You clearly like them both. And from what I’ve heard, they like you too. So just talk to them.” 

“Are you insane? You clearly didn’t hear anything I just said. They like each other. I don’t — There’s no space for me. Not with them. Not with anyone.”

“Wooyoung that — Wait, Hongjoong is here. I’m putting him on.” 

“Yeosang wha — oh hey, Wooyoung. What’s going on?” The amount of disturbance coming from the background told Wooyoung that he was now on speakerphone.

“Wooyoung likes the only friends he has other than us but he’s being a coward about it. Can you tell him to grow some balls?” Yeosang butted in before Wooyoung could even open his mouth.

“Go get me some water,” Hongjoong said — to Yeosang, Wooyoung assumed. “Don’t order me around.” The click of a tongue. “Pup, just go.”

Wooyoung grimaced. “Can you guys not be gross when I’m right here?” 

“And you,” Hongjoong said, this time addressing Wooyoung, “We’ve talked about this before, haven’t we?”

“Hongjoo-,” 

“No. There is nothing wrong with you, Wooyoung. You are not a bad person. You never do or say anything with bad intentions. You are a kelpie. But that never has and never will mean that you are not worthy of love. I want you to always remember that.” 

“He’s right.” Yeosang must have come back sometime in the middle of Hongjoong’s pep talk. “You’re so full of love. You deserve to get the same in return.”

At this point, tears were streaming down Wooyoung’s face consistently. “Thank you. I love you guys. And I miss you.”

“Young,” Hongjoong laughed, “We love you too. You know you’re free to visit anytime. This one won’t stop worrying about you.”

“Shut up. Hongjoong literally makes me repeat our phone calls to him word by word.” Yeosang said, his voice louder than before.

Wooyoung laughed at them. “If I somehow manage to be honest about my feelings and it goes wrong, I’m moving in with you permanently.”

“Well, now you’re making me not want to root for the three of you.”

That made Wooyoung roll his eyes and he decided to change the subject. “How are you guys? Sorry I haven’t called in a while.”

“Well, I’m fine. But someone won’t stop staying up till 3 am to work no matter how many times I ask him not to,” Yeosang complained.

“I’m fine too. You know my body is used to it. And I have your Wideye potion if I feel too bad, right?”

“No. I’m not brewing it for you anymore.”

“Wooyoung, isn’t your best friend too cruel?”

“Oh, I’ll show you cruel—”

Well, at least some things hadn’t changed.

🔮

Going to work for the next week was more knackering than Wooyoung had expected. He wanted to minimise any kind of contact with Mingi and San until he had decided how he was going to deal with his feelings — without making it evident that he was trying to avoid them. Even if things didn’t work out, he didn’t want to lose the closest thing to friends that he had. San had told him that he would be gifting Mingi the plant sometime this week and Wooyoung had not questioned him further. 

Although, on second thought, maybe he should have. That way, he would’ve been able to avoid it when San showed up at the shop’s door at the end of the week when the coworkers were about to leave.

“Ah San, you’re late,” Mingi said, pausing in the middle of zipping up his jacket, “We’re actually about to close right now.”

San laughed. “I know. I actually came to see you.” His eyes flickered between Wooyoung and Mingi. 

Of course. He wanted Wooyoung to leave. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two to it,” Wooyoung said, waving awkwardly, but stopped when San turned towards him with pleading eyes.

So maybe Wooyoung had ignored all of his texts and calls ever since the park incident, but he’d assumed they both wanted to forget about it. 

“No. I think all of us need to talk,” San said, voice serious in a way Wooyoung had never heard from him. Wooyoung shook his head, wanting to extract himself from this situation as quickly as possible.

The interaction made Mingi look between the two of them confused. “Am I missing something here?”

“San and I kissed,” Wooyoung blurted out, his guilty conscience catching up to him. He closed his eyes as he said it, too afraid to gauge Mingi’s reaction. But when he opened them, Mingi seemed to be elated.

“That’s great.”

“What?” San and Wooyoung exclaimed at the same time.

“I — Mingi. I’m courting you,” San said, dejected.

“I know. You guys weren’t exactly being subtle.”

Wooyoung felt like he was going to lose the last of his sanity. “And it still doesn’t bother you that we kissed?”

“No? I’m actually surprised that you hadn’t done it before this.”

“What if I said I liked Wooyoung? Would that bother you?” San asked and Wooyoung was too surprised to note whether he sounded upset or relieved.

“Huh? Of course not. I mean I would assume that you have feelings for each other since you’re courting me together.” Mingi said, but it came out as more of a question rather than a statement.

“Wha — We’re not — I’m not courting you,” Wooyoung stumbled over his words, more confused than ever.

“Yes, you are,” Mingi said and continued before Wooyoung could defend himself, “You literally took me on a date.”

“What are you talki — the concert was not a date. I clearly remember saying the word ‘friend’ multiple times during that conversation.”

“Wooyoung,” Mingi said. His voice had turned to a final form of resignation and it made Wooyoung’s chest constrict. “Just answer honestly. Do you like me?”

"Well."

But that never has and never will mean that you are not worthy of love. I want you to always remember that.

Wooyoung nodded. 

“And do you like San?”

You’re so full of love. You deserve to get the same in return.

He nodded again.

“Yeah, I figured. Well, if it wasn’t already clear, I like you both too. So that solves half of our problem.” Mingi turned towards San. “What do you say? Wanna try?”

San placed the plant in his hands down to wrap himself around Wooyoung and Mingi completely, pulling them into a cramped but imperative group hug.

“I hope you guys know that nothing is official until you get me a new plant. Together. You’re supposed to grow one, you know?” Mingi said, voice muffled by San’s sweater. Or maybe Wooyoung’s. It was hard to tell what limb belonged to whom right now.

“My magic can’t do that. We’ll have to wait forever,” San frowned as he pushed himself away.

When he tripped over the pot he’d placed himself, Wooyoung took the opportunity to pull him close by the waist and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. Because apparently, that was a thing he could do now. “Don’t worry. I’ll ask my old coworker for help. And you know what’ll happen if he says no,” Wooyoung threw in a wink.

“Jung Wooyoung,” San pushed at his chest, “Do not threaten to drown anyone, I’m serious.”

“For you, I’ll threaten to drown the entire city if I have to.”

“That is so corny," San struggled in Wooyoung's hold, "Let me go.”

Mingi stepped in before Wooyoung could tease San any further, laughing as he pulled them apart and then tucked them into his sides. “Come on, let’s get some dinner. It’s on me.”

That seemed to appease San enough for him to forget about their ongoing banter as he settled down with a pleased hum. Mingi’s shoulder dug into Wooyoung’s cheek, shaking from his laughter and Wooyoung decided maybe being honest every once in a while wasn’t all that bad.