Archive of Our Own

not your (guardian) angel, little one

Jeongguk throws himself of the balcony like a 17th century French lady committing suicide after her husband dies of consumption, gown billowing in the wind as he tumbles elegantly down to the concrete pavement below in picture-perfect slow-motion.

In reality, he actually throws himself off an alcohol soaked, grimy fire escape outside of their shitty seventh floor apartment into the cold sharp city air, as three sets of red-rimmed hazy eyes watch him jump in disbelief.

He falls gracefully, a shit eating grin on his face as he lands with a dull thump into the strong arms of a very disgruntled man below. ‘Told you,’ Jeongguk says, smugness oozing off him in thick waves.

‘For the last time you absolute goblin,’ Seokjin grits out, shaking him angrily in his arms, ‘I am not your guardian angel. Stop throwing yourself off fucking buildings!’ He shouts in exasperation, the younger boy in his arms only smiling gleefully at his anger. ‘I won’t appear every damn time to catch you!’ He warns.

Up on the building three heads pop over the balcony. Yoongi rolls his eyes and disappears back into their flat where the party was in full swing. Hoseok grins at him widely, smoke escaping lazily between his lips. Only Namjoon frowns and shouts down, ‘Jeongguk, I know you don’t like parties, but this is a bit extreme.’

‘I told you no party!’ He shouts up to them, still held in Seokjin’s warm arms.

‘But it’s your birthday,’ Namjoon wines, ‘we even brought cake and jelly shots.’

But Jeongguk just blows him a kiss and turns to look at his saviour. ‘Do I get a birthday kiss from my angel?’ He flutters his eyelashes and pouts his rosy lips. Seokjin rolls his eyes and drops Jeongguk quickly, the younger emitting a high yelp as he tumbles clumsily to the ground.

‘Hey, aren’t guardian angels meant to be nicer,’ he complains standing and brushing off his pants, and this time it’s Seokjin giving him a shit eating grin.

‘Again, not your guardian angel sweetheart, now go enjoy the party your friends have thrown for you, you bastard.’

Jeongguk pouts and pokes his tongue inside his cheek, ‘No,’ he says like a petulant child, ‘not ‘till I get that kiss.’

Seokjin’s eyes flash and his hand reaches for Jeongguk — ‘No don’t you dare–' Jeongguk warns arms reaching out — and, touching him gently, in a short heartbeat Jeongguk blinks as he materialises back in his own party, a red cup of amber liquid in his hand like he never left.

A quiet laugh caresses his neck, the ghost of fingertips brush hot over his jaw; ‘No more jumping off balconies baby,’ whispers into his ear, Seokjin nowhere to be seen, his voice golden honey against Jeongguk’s skin.

//

‘So, this guardian angel,’ Namjoon starts.

‘Yep,’ Jeongguk pops from where he lies on the carpet phone above his face, Yoongi’s slippers resting on his chest.

‘How did that happen?’

Jeongguk shrugs, glancing away from his phone to look at Namjoon. ‘It was weird, walked by him on the street last month and as we brushed past each other there was this weird like tingle over my skin, it was really hot, it hurt like fuck,’ Jeongguk shivers remembering the blistering heat that flushed over his skin like molten waves over the sand, ‘but then it faded and all I remember is seeing this guy’s wide eyes looking at me as he disappeared into the wind,’ he shrugs.

‘Weird,’ Yoongi mutters from where he sits. Jeongguk twists up to look at him.

‘Why,’ Namjoon asks, interested now.

Yoongi looks up, surprised, as if he didn’t realise he had spoken aloud. ‘Oh,’ he shrugs, ‘just never heard of an angel bond like that.’

‘Angel bond like what,’ Hoseok asks, towelling his wet hair as a billow of steam rushes out of the bathroom behind him.

Yoongi frowns, ‘angel bonds are normally like ice, according to our old lore, but I suppose times change,’ he shrugs and digs his toes in Jeongguk’s side, causing him to yell and twist.

‘Shouldn’t you be in class,’ Hoseok asks Jeongguk, shaking his hair like a wet dog over Namjoon.

‘Oh shit,’ Jeongguk jack-knifes up sharply, causing Yoongi to tumble backward, as Jeongguk rushes out of the building with a lunch bag from Namjoon, and a sloppy nose kiss of Hoseok.

He’s sweating as he runs through town, swerving round sharp bends and rushing to make it to class before the doors close. His lecturer was a bitch for late attendance, and he could not afford to drop a grade. Namjoon had already threatened to call his Eomma once before.

Just as he’s almost there, the building in sight, sweat dripping from his brow, Jeongguk runs across the wide road, eying the lecture hall doors and sighing in relief when he sees that they’re still open, his professor was a known bitch — until a piercing horn blares right behind him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up and his skin to crawl. Jeongguk jacks around and stares wide-eyed, down into the blinding lights of an oncoming lorry attempting to swerve but failing miserably, nose racing towards Jeongguk closer and closer with each passing second.

Too close.

Way too close.

Screeching wheels coming straight at him at a million miles an hour, the headlamps blinding Jeongguk like a startled rabbit as all he can do is watch in mute horror as the lorry get bigger and bigger and finally he closes his eyes and braces for impact, bile rising in his throat, hot, stinging tears squeezing through his lashes, his skin hot and tense like a prey preparing for death.

And then his body is hit from the side, feet raised from the ground easily and wrapped up in a tight hold, fast enough to give him whiplash as his head hits a solid chest. Seokjin grabs him by the waist and moves faster than light, grabbing Jeongguk and running. Bracing themselves on the pavement as there is a loud crunching noise that fills Jeongguk’s ears and shakes his skull, the pavement splitting under them and dust engulfing them in a cloud of grit and smoke as the lorry finally comes to a stop right where Jeongguk had stood a second earlier.

After a moment Jeongguk blinks, watching the dust settle around him, as Seokjin’s body curls around him, the twisted front of the lorry stopped in its tracks behind them, a dent in the bumper that matched the shape of Seokjin’s hand as he had pushed it off Jeongguk. A dark pair of eyes stare down at him, as people begin to shout, and the grit dust settles on the cracked ground.

‘Oh, shit am I in twilight,’ Jeongguk grins. The worry in Seokjin’s face melts off him quicker than melting snow, as he unceremoniously dumps him out of his arms, twisting to stand and pulling Jeongguk roughly to his feet, fingertips digging into his shoulders as Seokjin roughly shakes him in disbelief.

Jeongguk bounces up and smirks. ‘This is totally twilight, oh shit, now you so have to kiss me,’ he whines out, ‘kiss me Edward,’ placing his hand across his forehead like a swooning maiden. Seokjin rolls his eyes and mumbles about this damn kid.

‘Oh, shit my class,’ Jeongguk suddenly yelps, twisting around and watching in dismay as the doors to the lecture hall close with a dull thud in the distance. He could not afford to drop his attendance in this class. He turns and looks at Seokjin with wide round eyes, staring at him intensely like a wounded kitten.

‘No.’

‘Please.’

‘Not going to happen you complete troll.’

‘Hyyyung.’

‘Not your hyung.’

‘Please my angel – please baby.’

‘Not either of those either ew.’

‘Oppa?’

‘Oh my God, shut up!’ Seokjin cries in disgust.

Jeongguk hangs of Seokjin’s arm, subtly feeling the muscles flex under his weight and hold him easily. He felt his dick twitch - fuck he needed a hook up soon. Taking a deep breath, he looks up at Seokjin through his lashes and pouts his lips slightly, ‘Please help me, I need this class to pass, I promise I’ll be safer.’

Seokjin reaches out to cup his chin tenderly, leaning in close, ‘be more careful next time little one,’ he whispers, lips plump and rosy as he leans in close enough to kiss him. Jeongguk is just leaning in, closing his eyes when suddenly he lands in the lecture hall with a soft thud, notes and pencil case already out at his desk. He rolls his eyes. This fucking angel, he thinks fondly.

//

Jeongguk is on the world’s dullest date. And he once went on a date with Namjoon before they realised it was the worst decision in the world and would never speak of it again – which of course means Hoseok likes to remind them both of it at least once a month with a cackling joy too evil for his kind, heart-shaped face.

If he must listen to his date enthusiastically explain to him the importance of good root maintenance of fucking vegetables for another minute, Jeongguk might actually die... from plunging his soup spoon into his throat. Green witches – wait scratch that. Fuck green witches, sure. But apparently don’t take them on a date.

Jeongguk tries everything to wake himself up. He pinches his arm. Hard. Twisting the skin until his eyes water to no avail. He opens his eyes as wide as he can, he probably looks like a crack head, but this poor hopeful witch just nods enthusiastically at his expression and carries on describing enthusiastically the proper potting soil for each type of root.

Jeongguk has an idea.

He holds his breath. Sucks in a lungful and then stops breathing until he’s sure his neck must be turning red, his chest burns, and he begins to feel woozy. Eyes starting to roll and chest squeezing tightly.

His ears start ringing and he can no longer hear the restaurant around him - sounds fading into the distance as he hears the thrum of his veins down his neck and feels the burn of his lungs.

A figure materialises behind him. Jeongguk feels him arrive. He steps up next to them both and Jeongguk lets out his breath nosily, oxygen flowing to his brain – ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me’ – And a second later Jeongguk turns to Seokjin with wide eyes and grabs at his shirt, as his goblin brain notices how good he looks, sinful almost in a casual top hugging his wide chest and black jeans with combat boots.

‘Seokjin! What’s wrong! Something must be wrong for you to come here and interrupt my date,’ – Jeongguk gasps – ‘is it Namjoon?’ He turns to his date wide eyed – ‘Joonie is our little brother, just started to walk, a hazard to himself he is – did he fall – do we need to go to the hospital?’

Seokjin smiles sweetly, eyes drilling into Jeongguk’s soul, a murderous look on his golden face.

‘Yes,’ he squeezes out between clenched teeth, ‘it is an emergency. We have to go. To the hospital. The hospital where Namjoon is. The hospital where Namjoon is now.’

God, someone give Seokjin the Oscar now, Jeongguk thinks, mentally rolling his eyes. Valiantly ignoring his less than enthusiastic acting partner, Jeongguk jumps to his feet and pulls on his coat, getting ready to leave; but not before wincing and placing his hand lightly on his date’s chest for a soft moment.

He looks at the witch with wide eyes, ‘I’m so sorry, I’ll call you to reschedule,’ he promises.

‘Wait but you don’t have my numb—' and with that Jeongguk drags Jin out of the restaurant, whooping in freedom and linking their arms, swinging down the street wildly.

Jeongguk grins as the sun hits his face and the two of them walk side by side… until Seokjin drops his hand and steps back.

‘What are you doing?’ Jeongguk asks.

‘Leaving.’

‘What, why!’

Seokjin rolls his eyes and flicks the youngers pouting lips. ‘What, I came, I served my purpose, time to leave… you know how it goes.’ He tries to play cool, but there is a tightness in his words Jeongguk doesn’t understand.

‘You’re just going,’ he whines, pout growing on his face, pulling on Seokjin’s sleeve.

Seokjin scoffs. ‘What else would I do, you used me, got what you want.’

Jeongguk’s pour gets even bigger – if that’s possible. ‘But I’m hungry,’ he moans drawing out the syllables and still pulling on Seokjin’s arm who whirls around in disbelief.

‘Are you fucking kidding me – you just came from a dinner date,’ he exclaims.

‘We only ate starters!’ Jeongguk whines.

‘And who’s fault is that.’

‘Hyuuuunng.’

‘Should have stayed on your date with Mr perfect.’

‘Wait.’ Jeongguk grins, a shit eating smile curving across his face, ‘are you jealous Seokjinie?’

‘Of what,’ the older scoffs too loudly, ears reddening.

Jeongguk laughs in delight. ‘You are!’ He cries.

‘Am not!’ Seokjin retaliates like, you know, the adult he is.

‘Awww, wanna go on a date with me angel?’ Jeongguk tries to karate chop his neck. Seokjin bats him off easily before huffing dramatically and gripping Jeongguk’s wrist as he pulls him behind him.

‘One ramen cup,’ Seokjin warns Jeongguk. ‘That’s it.’ Jeongguk smiles at the back of his neck sweetly and allows himself to be dragged into a small ramen booth down a busy market street – ‘Oh, and it is not at date,’ Seokjin throws over his shoulder.

The date goes perfectly. Hot steam from rich golden broth fills Jeongguk’s mouth with saliva, he digs into his third bowl eagerly, chopsticks twisting around a mound of sticky noodles.

‘Thank you,’ he mumbles around a mouthful of noodles.

Seokjin looks at him with disdain. ‘Don’t thank me yet, you’re paying.’

Jeongguk chokes on his broth, spluttering noodles across the table. A piece of half-chewed spring onion land on Seokjin’s wrist.

‘And this is why it isn’t a date you goblin,’ Seokjin says deadpan as he reaches easily and flicks the onion off his skin.

Hours later as the sun begins to set, Jeongguk pushes through the worn door into the warmth of their flat, shrugging off his jacket and entering the room to see everyone watching a movie. Jeongguk snuggles in next to Yoongi who sighs loudly through his nose but silently tucks his blanket around Jeongguk’s curled body.

‘How was the date?’ Namjoon mumbles from his crook in Hoseok’s shoulder.

Jeongguk thinks of Seokjin’s golden eyes as they watched him in amusement all evening, thinks about how he placed juicy pieces of meat into Jeongguk’s bowl when he thought he wasn’t looking, thinks about when he reached out and took his hand on the walk back and watched Seokjin’s neck redden – but he didn’t let go, only pulled him in closer.

‘The best,’ he breathes out easily.

//

A few months later Jeongguk stands at the bar and watches as it reaches that inevitable point at every night where what Namjoon and Hoseok are doing on the dancefloor can’t respectably be called dancing anymore.

Yoongi has drunk enough that he’s chatting up some guy at the bar who he will predictably take home and then feel worse in the morning because he’s in love with someone, but he won’t tell Jeongguk who except for the fact that it would never work.

And Jeongguk is tipsy but not drunk enough that he can’t feel the ache in his feet from dancing until 3am or notice how greasy the guys hitting on him at the bar currently are. So yeah, he’s ready to call it a night.

He would go tell Hobi and Joon, but they’re currently engaged in an almost violent grinding session in the middle of the dancefloor, tongues interlocked; so Jeongguk makes his way out of the busy club, pulling on his jacket against the cold and pulling out his phone to maps the nearest taxi rank.

Just as he’s walking down the alleyway, eyes downcast to his driver’s location on the road, someone bumps into him roughly, almost knocking his phone to the ground, twisting his shoulder, and slamming him against the rough brick wall.

‘Shit sorry, I wasn’t looking where I—’ Jeongguk’s words die in his throat as the guy looms over him, face half hidden by his hood, fist closed around a short pocketknife, eight eyes barely hidden behind a low hood freezing him in his spot.

Bile rises in Jeongguk’s throat, and his heart starts to beat wildly in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his body, the ruminants of alcohol in his veins disappearing and being replaced by cold hard fear. Jeongguk swallows as two more men step up behind him, one places a meaty claw on his shoulder. His eyes flick up and down the alley but no one else is here to help.

‘Empty your pockets. Slowly,’ the other warns, knife glinting under the dim city lights, and when he speaks two pincers peek from behind his dark lips.

Jeongguk feels sick. ‘Listen,’ the words are like sandpaper in his dry mouth, ‘I’m just a student, I don’t even have a wallet on me, shit I have like 4,000 won,’ – he would laugh if he wasn’t so shit scared, ‘let’s just walk away, please.’

He tries to raise his hands in a calming gesture, but the guy is jumpy, eight eyes blinking quickly – too wired and confused that this wasn’t going to plan, and he slashes out wildly, catching Jeongguk’s torso with the knife, ‘Don’t fucking move,’ he hisses shakily, pushing the tip against the open wound.

Tears sting against Jeongguk’s lashes and a strip of white-hot pain blooms across his side, a thin stirp of blood pooling under his t-shirt.

Fuck. His head starts to feel hazy and Jeongguk knows he cannot pass out right now, who knows what would happen, he blinks against to concussion fogging his brain and tries to talk but his tongue feels too heavy, and the three guys are close. Too close. Bearing down on him until the tiny alley way is claustrophobic and Jeongguk’s breath stings when it pushes against the tightness in his chest.

He’s just about to beg, beg and cry against the panic lodged painfully in his lungs, when a new voice joins the mix, sounding jarringly bored and playful for the current atmosphere, ‘I’ve had enough of you summoning me you assha—’ in an instant Seokjin’s playfulness melts away.

The alley seems to get darker, air crackling like lighting, it’s the middle of the night in Seoul but heat seems to rise from the pavement, curling around them and raising in temperature steadily until Jeongguk is sweaty, little beads of sweat running down his temple. The streetlights flicker and darken, the shadows grow bigger and heaver, almost seem to bend around Seokjin, around his will.

‘Jeongguk are you hurt?’ Seokjin asks calmly – too calmly, voice barely betraying the rage behind his fiery eyes.

Jeongguk swallows against the lump in his throat and parts his lips shakily, ‘I’m fin—’

Seokjin’s eyes snap to him for a mere second, ‘Do not lie to me right now,’ he warns lowly.

Jeongguk sighs and slumps against the wall, ‘My side, they cut me,’ he admits, moving the hand that was cupped over his wound, showing Seokjin the blood-stained shirt beneath it, fingertips shaky and stained red.

The air crackles around them, even Jeongguk feels the raw energy like a burning star about to consume them, and he feels his fear returning for the first time that night. Seokjin’s hand reaches out towards him and Jeongguk flinches – he almost doesn’t realise his reaction, but Seokjin’s eyes widen and his breath catches, fingers trembling, an inch away from touching Jeongguk.

Seokjin swallows thickly and begins to move again, not looking at Jeongguk as his trembling fingertips brush over the shallow cut stretching across his torso.

Only after he is sure he has seen to all Jeongguk’s injuries, does Seokjin turn slowly to the three frozen men, looming over them menacingly. ‘Go,’ he spits, ‘and never let me see you again, unless you want to see how angry I can really get,’ something must flash in Seokjin’s face, Jeongguk can’t see from behind him, but he does see their reaction. All of their faces go slack, blood draining out of their faces leaving them pale and wide eyed. They practically fight each other to leave the alley first, scrambling and almost falling, the three running like they had seen a demon or something.

Seokjin turns and moves to Jeongguk quickly, chests bumping together as he cups his face. The moment more serious than Jeongguk had ever shared with him. Something unreadable in his eyes that Jeongguk doesn’t understand.

‘Didn’t know angels could do that,’ Jeongguk tries to joke, but there is a lump in his throat and the words come out flat, Seokjin’s face darkening under the dirty city lights, old and tired.

‘What,’ he finally says, ‘you think angels can’t be scary?’ Seokjin quips playfully, but there is a coldness around his eyes that he can’t hide. A mix of something Jeongguk doesn’t recognise, maybe regret, or pain. Seokjin grabs his arm and in an instant they materialise in Jeongguk’s room.

The air is hard around them, and Seokjin won’t meet his eyes. Jeongguk goes to open his mouth – goes to reach out and touch – but in a second he blinks and is left alone in an empty room, the only trace of Seokjin left is the swirl of air settling around him, and a healed cut across his side quickly fading that Jeongguk’s knows instinctively won’t even scar.

//

‘Come on were going clubbing,’ Hoseok drawls out like a wine, half dressed in the living room drinking wine and dancing with a very gangly Namjoon who more than makes up for his incoordination with his enthusiasm.

Jeongguk sits up slowly. It’s been weeks since he last set foot in a club – after the night he was attacked; after the night Seokjin saved him but looked at him like there was something between them, something large and uncrossable as he melted into the shadows.

Hoseok grips his boyfriend’s hips and sways them to a rhythm, but soon gives up when Namjoon jumps around, drink sloshing dangerously close to the side of his glass, smiling fondly at his boyfriend’s dancing.

Jeongguk raises his eyebrows from where he lies on the couch. ‘What time did you guys start drinking?’

‘Like six,’ Hoseok replies, still dancing along, neither of them seemingly caring about the non-existent music. It was currently 9pm. Jeongguk plays an Irish jig rhythm in his head and amuses himself watching his hyungs dance along to the beat.

‘Even Yoongi is going,’ Namjoon shouts.

‘No, I’m not,’ a voice replies from the kitchen counter; Yoongi’s eyes don’t move from his laptop.

Hoseok rolls his eyes. ‘We are all,’ he emphasises, ‘going to serendipity—’

‘The best club in the city,’ Namjoon cuts in.

‘Didn’t Yoongi sleep with both of the owners of the club and then ghost them when he had a breakdown and realised he wanted to raise half demon-fairy babies with them, so that’s why we can’t go to that club again,’ Jeongguk says casually in one breath.

Hoseok rolls his eyes as Yoongi growls at them from behind his laptop, eyes piercing daggers into Hoseok’s face, who dances on breathlessly, gulping wine between every pant.

Namjoon whistles. ‘A fairy and a demon, hyung, I’m impressed, didn’t think a hunter like you was allowed to fraternize with the enemy.’ Yoongi rolls his eyes but there is a tension in his shoulders.

‘That’s not true hyung, hunters don’t have birth powers anymore, they can co-exist with supernaturals just fine, how else could Yoongi live with me,’ Jeongguk explains wisely.

Yoongi could strangle him. ‘Jeon Jeongguk. You are not a fairy just because your great great great grandmother’s fucking neighbour’s cat’s owner was a fairy,’ he growls.

‘Yes, I am,’ Jeongguk replies back loftily.

‘Do fairy magic then,’ Yoongi says sweetly.

‘No.’

‘Do it,’ Yoongi pressures, rising from the table.

‘Fairies can’t do magic in front of humans,’ he gestures to Hoseok and Namjoon, ‘it’s one of the united realms rules surely a true hunter like you knows that hyung,’ he says smugly.

‘No one has followed the damn realm rules since ’02,’ Yoongi sighs at Guk’s teasing, rolling his eyes at Jeongguk fondly as Namjoon and Hoseok begin to dance around Yoongi at the kitchen counter, making Jeongguk dizzy just watching them.

‘Let’s go out. Let’s go out. Let’s go out,’ they chant. It looks mildly scary. Like a sacrifice ritual. Jeongguk slurps his milkshake.

‘Get some dick. Get some dick,’ Hoseok adds to the chant, slut dropping and bouncing his ass enthusiastically.

‘Fine,’ Yoongi shouts exasperated, closing his laptop finally, next to him Hoseok is still slut dropping like his life depends on is, Namjoon flipping imaginary dollars on his ass.

‘Maybe Jeongguk will see his dreamy guardian angel again,’ Hobi teases.

Jeongguk’s heart races for a moment – he hadn’t seen Seokjin for over a month since their weird night in the alley way – before Namjoon speaks. ‘Don’t be stupid hyung, guardian angels can’t go into supernatural clubs, too many demons,’ he says wisely as he tries to drink his phone and throws his wine glass on the sofa. Promptly dousing Jeongguk in rosé.

//

‘Why would I have sex with a demon? Simple the status,’ Jimin slurs around a pornstar-martini.

‘I don’t think—'

‘—No let him continue,’ Taehyung cuts across Seokjin, shushing him forcefully.

Jimin raises his glass to them and says with concentration. ‘Imagine rolling up to the gates of hell, everyone else is crying, scared to death about being in the underworld for eternity, yadda yadda, and you just walk into the arms of your sugar-daddy-demon… Legendary.’

Taehyung grins, eyes fond as he watches Jimin stumble down from the bar, ‘baby you are having sex with a demon,’ his fangs glint when he grins dangerously.

‘Yeah, but not a powerful one,’ Jimin pouts as he sits down next to his husband with a thump, sloshing martini down his wrist. ‘Seokjinie here is royalty, now there’s a powerful sugar demon,’ he purrs out, turning and looking at Seokjin seductively with his best come to bed eyes.

Seokjin flaps his hand and almost spits out his whisky. ‘Ew. Never look at me like that again Park Jimin,’ he growls, ‘Save the bedroom eyes for your husband.’ Seokjin pretends to puke into his drink enthusiastically as Jimin hits him in offence.

‘God the club opens in,’ Jimin peers at his phone upside down. ‘1 hour.’

‘How did you even… you know what never mind,’ Seokjin stands up shakily, ‘one sobering spell please if you will Jimchim.’

Jimin waves his hands and the three of them groan and hold their heads simultaneously. ‘Why do I day drink with you heathens,’ he groans, ‘let’s get this shit on the road,’ he declares.

‘I think its show,’ Taehyung says.

‘I’ll give you a show,’ Jimin whispers into his ear.

Seokjin squarks. ‘No, no you sexual fiends, I will leave and not help you set up if this,’ he gestures to them, ‘continues.’

Taehyung pouts. ‘You just gestured to all of me!’

//

The bar opens as evening falls and the night comes alive, shades melt from the shadows, goblins step through portals, and fairies’ wings glint under the club’s pulsing lights. When Jimin and Taehyung first opened this bar, they wanted it to be a place for all supernaturals. And god they made it happen. Whispers about a daemon and a faery spread throughout the realms, about a club that never stops, where you can go and become anyone for the night, lose yourself in the dark air, the loud music and the steaming shots of fiery liquid, no glamour or disguise needed, everyone was welcome, everyone was celebrated and everyone got laid.

Seokjin is still sitting at the same spot at the high bar watching Jimin serve shots as Taehyung scares off anyone trying to hit on him with an easy glint of red eyes and long fangs, when his skin starts to itch, a nag in the back of his mind that he tries to drown away with whiskey and coke. The music loud behind him and the air warm and alive with the dancing bodies. He twitches like someone just walked over his grave.

Jimin sees him shiver and pours him a double. Taehyung steals it and drinks it in front of Seokjin.

‘Stop stealing drinks from the customers,’ Jimin shouts.

‘Seokjin isn’t a customer he never pays,’ Taehyung wines out around a mouthful of alcohol.

‘You never pay either,’ Seokjin shoots back.

‘Oh, I pay Jimin in so many ways,’ Taehyung grins, eyes never leaving Seokjin’s face as he leans in closer, ‘so, so many ways,’ he purrs.

‘Gross. Don’t need to hear about your leash kink, puppy.’

Taehyung splutters and falls back onto the bar stool with a thump. ‘Jimin you told him!’ He twists around betrayed, hand over his heart.

‘Seokjin is my best friend,’ Jimin pouts.

‘And I’m your husband, does that mean nothing to you... you… you…’

‘—Come on, you can do it,’ Seokjin taunts.

‘You scoundrel!’ Taehyung shakes his fist in the air and Seokjin has to try really hard not to roll his eyes.

‘You know, for a demon you have a remarkably pussy vocabulary, what are you a five-year-old boy?’ Seokjin teases.

Jimin grins whilst wiping down the bar, ‘well he was raised as a proper 16th century gentleman, you know, my own Mr. Darcy,’ he kisses his husband’s cheek and Taehyung blushes.

‘Well get with the times old man,’ Seokjin ruins their moment.

Taehyung splutters twisting out of Jimin’s grip, ‘you’re like, 300 years older than me, grandpa.’

The itch in Seokjin’s back suddenly grows over his shoulder, hot and cold at the same time, he shudders and Jimin frowns under the golden lights.

‘That’s the second time you’ve done that,’ he notes. Jimin raises his hand and waves it lazily, and a warm wave of air washes over Seokjin’s body

‘Thanks,’ he grins.

Jimin rolls his eye, ‘just a protection spell every fairy learns at like four,’ he waves off his compliment turning around, ‘I gotta serve our customers,’ he groans, eyeing up the packed bar where one of their staff was serving nine drinks at once from his tentacles, and, diving into the chaos, he shouts, ‘don’t cause trouble whilst I’m gone.’

‘I feel like that was directed to you,’ Taehyung says primly.

‘No that was definitely you,’ Seokjin argues back.

‘Uno reverse, it’s you my buddy my pal my demon sugar daddy.’

Seokjin pretends to puke. ‘Okay, who here is more likely to cause trouble’ – Taehyung’s mouth opens to reply – ‘who here did shots on the bar top and then challenged a goblin to an arm wrestle, betting his first-born child if he lost… only yesterday,’ Seokjin raises one dark brow.

Taehyung’s argument dies on his perfect lips that have never been the feature of Seokjin’s sex dreams. Never….

‘Did I tell you I had a sex dream about your lips last week,’ Seokjin’s goblin brain says out loud.

Taehyung chokes on his rum, spraying alcohol everywhere, eyes streaming. Just as he is getting his breathing under control, he turns to the crowd and his eyes bulge like a frog, choking doubly as hard, hand gripping Seokjin’s thigh, the other slapping his chest.

‘What,’ Seokjin asks, alarmed at the dramatic shade of red Taehyung’s neck and ears were flushing deeply, ‘I have weird sex dreams all the time, you never normally react this strongly... what about that one with the hotdog and the mustard… you didn’t even bat an eye at that…’

Taehyung shakes his head and manages to point a weak finger into the crowd and barely splutters out.

‘First, I beg you to shut up about that sex dream I wish I could remove it from my memory. Second, look where I’m pointing…. Me. Jimin. And him. Once. Ages ago. Oh no. Oh yes. His hands. His hands,’ his voice is breathless now moaning out loud, ‘sinful hands,’ he ends, looking at Seokjin like that all made perfect sense.

Seokjin shakes his head. ‘Tae that made absolutely no sense,’ he drawls.

Taehyung sucks in a deep breath. ‘Ok so. Someone just walked in whomeandjiminhadathresomwithanditrockedourworld’

‘What!’ Seokjin shouts leaning in to hear above the music.

‘That guy who just walked in,’ Taehyung shouts now, neck a deep red, ‘me and Jimin slept with him and I’m pretty sure I would marry him like yesterday he fucked us both so good but then he left before we woke and I miss his dick but I miss him more,’ Tae shouts.

A bartender pouring a beer from the pump stands before them, face blank, slit-eyes blinking slowly as he turns and walks away without saying a word.

Seokjin is grinning now, from ear to ear. ‘You dog,’ he cries, slapping Taehyung on the shoulder, ‘I never knew you had it in you old man – Jimin never told me this,’ he shouts in disbelief, still not truly believing Taehyung – except no one could fake that level of embarrassment on his pretty, perfectly shaped ears.

Ok so maybe once Seokjin had a sex dream about his ears too. Not relevant to this story.

‘Oh, this I have to see for myself,’ Seokjin turns in his chair, ready to peruse Taehyung’s mystery man; grin freezing in place as his eyes lock in on one body in the crowd of hundreds. And suddenly the itch makes sense, Seokjin sits still and blinks a few times. But nothing changes – he watches Jeongguk, his little one – twisting on the dancefloor, a swarm of bodies around him, head tipped back laughing, a dark-haired fairy next to him and a hunter behind him.

‘Wait isn’t that your human?’ Taehyung says from next to him.

‘He’s not my human,’ Seokjin snaps a little too forcefully, Taehyung grins, fangs glinting in the light of the bar. Seokjin admits defeat and sighs. Turning back to view the dance floor he jumps in his seat, whiskey glass sloshing alcohol on his wrist, when a pair of wide eyes stare back at him.

//

Jeongguk is dancing in between Yoongi and Hoseok when he sees him. At first his alcohol-tinged brain says it’s a hallucination. But then Seokjin’s gaze finds Jeongguk’s, and he knows it’s real. They lock eyes and Jeongguk stops moving, Yoongi and Hoseok bumping into his stiff, frozen body.

‘What the fuck,’ Hoseok mumbles, thrown off his rhythm.

Jeongguk wets his lips, and his throat feels like the desert. Feels the heavy gaze on him, undressing him. ‘Gotta—' he swallows, ‘bathroom’ he gets out, pushing his way through the crowd, bumping into bodies as he heads for the restrooms.

Pushing through the door Jeongguk slumps against the sink, blinking at his reflection in the mirror and splashing cold water on his flushed cheeks.

‘You are hallucinating. He isn’t here. He can’t be here. Snap out of it idiot.’

‘Wow,’ a voice drawls behind him, ‘calling yourself an idiot in grimy club toilets. Might be new low gukkie.’

Yoongi stands behind him, eyes bright and smile tugging the side of his lips even as he tries to hold a cold gaze on his face.

Jeongguk spins around and faces him, groaning lowly and running his hands through his hair, pushing the loose strands off his face.

Yoongi waits patiently. Someone pisses in the urinal behind them.

‘You’re not leaving till I explain?’ Jeongguk asks.

‘Nope.’ Yoongi pops.

‘He’s here,’ Jeongguk says painfully, eyes wide.

‘Who, the pope? G-dragon? My childhood crush who gave me the worst hand job of my life behind the bins of a 7-eleven—’

‘Jin!’ Jeongguk hisses across him.

‘Who?’ Yoongi parrots.

‘Jin!’ Jeongguk groans.

Yoongi shakes his head. ‘Saying it a second time doesn’t make it more clear genius. Need some context here please.’

‘My guardian angel,’ Jeongguk finally admits.

Yoongi’s eyebrows shoot up and now an evil smile really does tug at the corner of his lips. ‘Oh shit,’ Yoongi grins, ‘Jeongguk’s gonna get some tonight.’

‘– Hyung,’ Jeongguk covers his mouth with his hand, eyes wide and panicked. ‘No, I can’t do this, fuck, why tonight…I thought angels couldn’t come in demon clubs,’ Jeongguk whines.

Yoongi shrugs. ‘It’s weird but not unheard of, angels can be found in some supernatural clubs, as long as the demons and spirits follow the rules,’ Yoongi explains.

Jeongguk sighs, panic rising and mixing with the alcohol in his brain, leaving him a mess, lips forming soundless word that look something like, fuck no no no no, fuck no, why me, no, fuck me.

‘Right. No, no, no!’ Yoongi says forcefully, reaching out and twisting Jeongguk round until he is facing his reflection in the mirror head on.

‘Repeat after me,’ Yoongi says from behind him, half hidden behind Jeongguk’s height, his face just peeking above his shoulder. Jeongguk gulps.

‘I am Jeon Jeongguk,’ Yoongi starts.

Jeongguk wets his lips, opening them after an encouraging nod from Yoongi. ‘I am Jeongguk.’

‘Good,’ Yoongi mutters. ‘I am a hot and sexy bastard.’

‘I am a hot and sexy bastard,’ Jeongguk repeats.

‘I will go back to that bar and seduce the fuck out of my man.’

‘Hyung!’ Jeongguk wines.

‘Say. It.’ Yoongi hisses, weirdly threatening.

Jeongguk gulps and repeats it, ‘I will go back to that bar and seduce the fuck out of my man.’

Yoongi nods in satisfaction.

‘And then I will take him home and not have sex on Yoongi’s bed – Hoseok and Namjoon’s bed is fine,’ he adds in as an afterthought.

Jeongguk snorts. ‘Your bed is safe hyung,’ he promises.

Yoongi grins a gummy smile at him and cheers. ‘Now go get your angel!’ Yoongi shouts. Someone in the cubicle cheers them both drunkenly.

Pumped on alcohol and Yoongichi-confidence, Jeongguk turns and marches out of the toilets, head held high and a warm kind of heat beginning to curl in his gut in anticipation.

They both enter the swarming bodies, heavy music falling on their skin once again and thick air surrounding them.

Yoongi playfully nudges Jeongguk. ‘So,’ he grins, ‘who’s this Jin, the lucky angel?’ He teases.

Jeongguk grins and points across the crowds toward the curved bar. ‘See the two drinking to the side, sitting down, the one on the left, black hair, widest fucking shoulders you would actually die for, weird fashion sense but I’ll allow it cuz look at them arms.’

He’s babbling and doesn’t realise Yoongi has frozen next to him for a few moments. Turning to his side Jeongguk blinks when Yoongi is still standing three steps behind him, mouth open like a fish and body frozen.

‘Jeongguk,’ he stutters out, ‘that is not a guardian angel,’ he says slowly.

‘What,’ Jeongguk blinks, eyelids heavy with alcohol and confusion, moving closer to Yoongi who looks even more pale – if that was possible. ‘Hyung what is going on?’

Yoongi snaps out of his gaze, wide eyes finding Jeongguk’s, hands moving to grip his shoulders tightly, pulling him in roughly until they are chest to chest, eyes frantic and dark. ‘Jeongguk, that is the Demon Prince, Kim Seokjin, only air to the throne of the underworld, and ruler of the court of the nine realms for the last seven centuries.’

//

Now no one said Jeongguk was smart.

In fact. Add alcohol to the mix and he was reckless. Always the one his friendship group knew they could dare to do anything and his competitive streak would win out the logical side of his lizard brain.

So yeah. He wasn’t exactly thinking when he walked away from Yoongi’s fearful gaze and slid up to the bar, standing next to Seokjin, reaching across and taking his glass, drinking deeply, watching as Seokjin’s eyes follow the bobbing of his glistening throat.

Jeongguk finishes the drink with a loud breath, dropping the glass forcefully to the bar, Seokjin’s eyes flick to his white fist and then back up to his face in quick succession. ‘Angels don’t normally come into supernatural bars,’ Jeongguk muses out loud, eyes flicking to the side to watch Seokjin whose face gives nothing away.

‘My friend Yoongi is a hunter you know,’ he carries on calmly, a raging ocean beneath his skin about to burst. ‘He told me once, that although the nine realms united years ago, and all supernaturals can co-exist and live together… there’s still one grudge that endures... has done for thousands of centuries…’ Jeongguk speaks quietly, so that you can’t even hear it over the music of the club – but he knows Seokjin can hear every word. ‘Do you know what feud that is?’

Seokjin grips his empty glass tightly, the imprint of Jeongguk’s lips still lingering on the glass’ rim, as he finally turns his body to look directly at Jeongguk beneath the pulsing light that throws dark shadows across his sharp face.

‘What, exactly are you doing, little one?’ His voice holds a hit of a warning. Saying stop this now. Stop whilst you still can.

‘I said,’ Jeongguk grits through his teeth, ignoring the waves of pure anger pulsing off Seokjin’s body, like a beacon that warns, stay away. Jeongguk has enough anger of his own. ‘Do you know what feud that is?’

Seokjin’s lips are tight, and his eyes are dark and tinged red, lips sealed tightly, holding back his words laced with venom and anger.

‘It’s the feud between angels and demons,’ Jeongguk answers for him, ‘but then again, I’m sure you know that, seen as you are a demon, and not just that, you’re fucking demon royalty, the worst of them all,’ he hisses, ‘heir to the whole damn underworld, the ruler of the entire nine realms,’ Jeongguk spits out loud enough to gather attention.

Then Seokjin is moving into his space, stepping off his bar stool and standing above him, crowding into Jeongguk’s face and looming over him darkly - the shadow cast from his looming body feels unnaturally heavy, pressing down against Jeongguk’s body and bending him beneath him. Seokjin reaches out to take his arm and then suddenly they are outside, in a park too still and silent against the anger and betrayal that burns through Jeongguk’s veins.

‘Enough of this game little one,’ Seokjin warns, walking away, pacing through the night like rippling smoke, darkness reaching out and holding his skin like a lover as his body flickers and becomes one with the night for mere seconds, easily lost in the blink of an eye, but if one were to reach out, they would pass through him like smoke.

‘Say what you want to say,’ Seokjin challenges.

‘You lied to me,’ Jeongguk spits back.

Seokjin whirls around to face him, ‘I never once fucking lied,’ he hisses, ‘I told you again and again. I wasn’t your damn guardian angel.’

‘Then you should have told me you were a demon,’ Jeongguk shouts wildly, eyes bright and sparking with electricity as he steps closer to Seokjin, pressing into his space, air crackling around them with heat and anger.

‘Why… so you could react like this,’ Seokjin laughs uncontrollably, ‘so you could judge me and believe every damn stereotype about demons,’ he shouts back.

‘You should have told me,’ Jeongguk roars, pushing at his chest weakly, anger burning through him uncontrollably, fingertips passing through Seokjin’s chest like mist. And a part of Jeongguk should care about why he was so angry – why he felt so betrayed. Why he cared so damn much?

But his anger had him seeing red.

‘Why do you care,’ Seokjin challenges, as if reading his mind, pushing Jeongguk back further and further, chests bumping with every stumbled step, ‘why do you care,’ he whispers an inch away from Jeongguk’s face, eyes dropping to his flushed lips and panting chest.

And then they’re kissing, Jeongguk’s back pressed roughly against a harsh tree, the cold air alight around him as Seokjin’s warm lips light his body on fire. It’s rough and demanding, Seokjin works open Jeongguk’s mouth quickly, kissing him deeply, fingertips gripping the soft flesh of his hips, pressing hard enough to leave a mark. He slots his thigh between Jeongguk’s legs, forcing them wider, standing over him as they kiss until they can’t breathe and Jeongguk is panting raggedly. And then Seokjin dives for more, kissing down his neck, gripping his ass and groaning deeply. A part of Jeongguk’s mind shuts down until his eyes flutter open when Seokjin nips at his neck, gasp leaving his parted lips – but then he sees Seokjin’s red eyes, sees his fangs peeking from behind his wet lips, sees black horns twisting and peeking through his messy hair twisted into Jeongguk’s hands. And suddenly Jeongguk is cold.

He pushes Seokjin away roughly, twisting out of his embrace, ‘Get off me,’ Jeongguk shouts, stepping away from Seokjin, back hitting the tree and trapping him between it and Seokjin’s hot chest. ‘You’re a demon,’ he shouts out wildly, a cold hard reminder in the face of this chaos and passion.

‘And why does that have to be a bad thing!’ Seokjin laughs wildly, tipping his head to the sky and cursing loudly, Jeongguk sees black horns peeking through his wild hair.

‘Fuck you’ Seokjin screams to the skies and the above, unleashing a physical ripple of anger from his palms that disintegrate the nature in the entire park, flowers withering and dying, trees black and dead, thick smouldering smoke curling from the ground and twisting around Jeongguk who stumbles back blindly.

‘Stop it,’ Jeongguk begs, ‘the angels will curse us.’

Seokjin laughs. ‘Do I look like I fear any curse your angels can cast, my little one.’ He looks at Jeongguk carefully, eyes flickering from brown to red as amber fire ripples over his skin angrily, sparking and burning in places, throwing amber light across Seokjin’s face, and leaving his skin with blisters and scorch marks, that heal in an instant – a constantly repeating cycle.

‘What gives you all the right,’ Seokjin spits out, as Jeongguk flinches back at the venom in his words, smoke still holding him in place, wrapped tightly around his legs, ‘to stand there and judge demons, like you know us… tell me’ – his eyes flash scarlet – ‘how many demons have you met. Jeon Jeongguk?’

He presses a finger to Jeongguk’s chest, freezing him in place, turning Jeongguk’s bones to stone and pausing the air in his lungs. ‘How many demons do you know?’ He asks again.

Jeongguk’s mouth opens a few times, but no sound comes out, he can’t speak without air.

‘None,’ Seokjin answers for him, acid in his tongue. ‘It was called the uniting of the nine realms. All of them,’ he emphasises, ‘not the unity of the eight realms and leave the damn underworld to burn!’ Seokjin spits.

‘What did my people – what did spirits, demons and vampires ever do? What gives everyone in the realms the right to judge us when their sins outnumber our own.’ Seokjin rages.

‘Do you know why hell is in eternal flames?’

Jeongguk shakes his head and stares at the flickering form of Seokjin, sometimes smoke, sometimes red scales, sometimes swirling black ink.

‘Because of the angels,’ he answers, pacing now, carrying on in rage. ‘Do you know why spirits still walk the earth - why they can’t be put at rest now whole eons later… Because of the fairies. Because of old fairy magic,’ he seethes.

‘Do you know why shape shifters can never sleep?’

‘Because of hunters, because if they sleep they will be slaughtered even though supernaturals can’t hunt each other ever since the united realms rules were signed by each leader. My signature is on that document,’ Seokjin spits, ‘but who cares about my realm, my people,’ he laughs wildly. ‘Who cares about the underworld, about our lives.’

‘The realms – your realms – chose to make us the enemy, the villains – someone they can point their fucking fingers at and make us the evil ones…’

‘But you’re a demon,’ Jeongguk whispers out, tight against his parched throat, eyes wide and glossy in the moonlight, full of stardust and galaxies.

‘Yes I am. But I am also so much more – and that’s all you’ll ever see me as.’ Seokjin melts into the night, but not before breathing a ripple of warm energy through the air, and Jeongguk watches as the plants around him bloom again, green rushing through the park and flames flickering out until they die and little sprouts bloom in their place. It was as if Seokjin had never even been there; leaving Jeongguk more alone and lost than ever.

//

Seokjin is in the bar two days later, as Taehyung drinks himself into incapacity at 1pm, nursing a rum and coke more rum than coke.

‘What’s up with him,’ he asks Jimin, watching him try to pour more alcohol into his glass from a saltshaker, little crystals of salt dissolving in his drink.

Jimin sighs and waves his finger, Taehyung’s drink magically filling up, salt crystals disappearing, before turning to slump against the bar, and look at Seokjin with worry. ‘That guy came in the bar this weekend.’

‘Oh, fuck yeah, I was there when Taehyung saw him, shit sorry,’ Seokjin realises that everything happening with Jeongguk that night had made him forget about his best friends’ problems. ‘I guess it went as well as the last time,’ Seokjin says, understanding now the worry around Jimin’s purple eyes and the drink in Taehyung’s hand.

Jimin shrugs, trying to act unbothered, but Seokjin sees the stiffness in his shoulders, reaching out with his mind, he tastes the air around them, feeling for Jimin’s emotions, before the fairy floods his mind with images of Taehyung’s sex faces.

Seokjin almost falls off the stool. ‘Ew. Jimin why,’ he whines out.

‘You should know better than to try and read a fairy,’ he schools.

‘I only did it because it’s you,’ Seokjin wines, ‘I’m worried about you Chim.’

Jimin’s face softens, and he signs, sitting down at the bar next to Seokjin and fiddling with his wedding ring. ‘He’s a hunter - it’s literally hardwired in his DNA over centuries to hunt and capture demons …. to capture Taehyung…’ Jimin looks carefully across to Taehyung at his words, fondness, and a fierce protection swimming in his gaze.

‘That’s bullshit,’ Seokjin bursts out, ‘hunters haven’t been born with the hunt instinct for almost a century – since the union of the realms.’

‘But it’s still in his blood,’ Taehyung replies, deceptively more sober than he looks, tone weary and tired as if he and Jimin had had this exact conversation one too many times, ‘in his blood to hunt me… not fuck me,’ he says with a dark kind of amusement, shaking his head.

‘I’m sick of all these fucking rules and judgments still separating supernaturals’ – Seokjin hands grip his glass until it shatters, and in an instant, it comes back together as Jimin pulls it away from him gently – ‘What was the point of the damn union if stereotypes and old beliefs still pit us against one another,’ he snaps.

Seokjin’s eyes lift and find his best friends – a fairy and a demon, in love for over a century – proof enough that society’s stereotypes were utter bullshit.

‘Enough about our troubles, what are you going to do,’ Jimin’s soft words cut through his anger, ‘you need to be careful with Jeongguk,’ he warns.

‘I don’t know,’ Seokjin admits with a deep sigh, twisting the glass in his hand and watching the swirling amber liquid as if it will give him the answers he needs.

‘He might know you’re a demon - but does Jeongguk know you’re bonded?’

Seokjin shakes his head.

Taehyung tuts lightly, ‘ah Seokjinie, you know a demon’s bond only gets stronger the longer it exists, and the more powerful a demon is the harder it gets to break it... if not impossible.’

Seokjin doesn’t need Taehyung to remind him. Every demon knew how dangerous bonds were – used in the old times to make demons and spirits slaves to masters. Every child was warned to guard their core and never let a bond grow out of control.

Jimin’s eyes are kind but stern, ‘you need to end the bond,’ he presses.

Seokjin sighs, ‘I know. And I’ve tried, I’ve saved his damn life more times than I can count.’

‘You know that there’s other ways to satisfy a bond,’ Taehyung reminds him, ‘if it’s not a service bond, then it could be a spiritual, or physical, or love—

‘No,’ Seokjin cuts him off, ‘Jeongguk hates me, he hates demons, it can’t be that, should have seen his face’ – Seokjin’s eyes are stormy remembering the repulsion and fear in Jeongguk when he looked at Seokjin and all he saw was a demon.

‘Be careful,’ Jimin looks worried, ‘if anyone found out you were bonded to him, they could use him to control you – and through you control the entire ninth realm.’

‘Jeongguk is just a human, he doesn’t understand supernatural realms – does he even realise your position in the court,’ Taehyung adds to Jimin’s warning, ‘one day you will be our king Seokjin, you can’t have an unsatisfied bond, it would be too dangerous – for you and him.’

Seokjin didn’t need Jimin or Taehyung to remind him, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair, bumping gently over his curled horns. What a fucking mess.

//

Jeongguk nudges open the door carefully with his hip, balancing two steaming cups of ramen in both of his hands and gently peeking his head through the door into the low-lighted, warm bedroom. ‘Hey hyung.’

Yoongi pushes his headphones down and smiles at Jeongguk softly, ‘Hi Guk-ah,’ Yoongi replies easily, pushing his laptop to the side and opening his blanket for him. Jeongguk climbs onto his bed, passing over one cup ramen and laughing at Yoongi’s glasses steaming up immediately from the fog.

‘How’s the music going?’

Yoongi sighs heavily around a mouthful of chewy noodles, ‘slow and painful,’ he groans out.

Yoongi watches Jeongguk for a moment, playing with the chopsticks, picking at his food, eyes lost in thought somewhere far away. ‘What’s up Guk,’ Yoongi asks gently, dragging his hands down and tipping his chin up to look at him.

Jeongguk sighs, it had been too long since his argument with Seokjin, and he couldn’t get this feeling from his chest, he didn’t understand it, it was heavy and uncomfortable, a constant reminder lodged in his lungs, it felt like something somewhere between guilt and confusion.

He finally needed answers, needed to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle that feel more and more important ever since that night with Seokjin. So, he takes a deep breath – ‘As a hunter, you know all about the different realms, right?’

Yoongi laughs and leans back against his wall, ‘not all of them sorry, hunters don’t need to study lore anymore, seen as we don’t hunt. I only know what everyone else knows now,’ he shrugs.

‘But you still know more than me,’ Jeongguk presses, and Yoongi shrugs, not disagreeing with him.

‘I just’ – Jeongguk pauses – ‘can you tell me about the ninth realm,’ he whispers quickly.

Yoongi’s eyebrows jump up, gaze calculating and careful. ‘Is this about that night in the club?’ He presses.

Jeongguk shakes his head, and then stops, and sighs heavily. ‘Maybe. Ish… kind of,’ he gives up. ‘I guess I just think I might have some information missing and I’ve been going on beliefs that might not be…’ he thinks for the right word… ‘true.’

Yoongi’s eyes are kind and soft. ‘What do you want to know about the shadow realm?’ He asks carefully.

Jeongguk sighs through his nose. ‘I don’t know what to ask because I don’t know what I’m missing,’ he realises… ‘I just don’t know much about the supernaturals from there,’ he looks at Yoongi who watches him closely.

‘Out of all supernaturals, those from the ninth realm are the most’ – Yoongi seems to consider his words – ‘misunderstood.’

‘How hyung?’ Jeongguk is intrigued, never having grown up surrounded by this lore, having lived in a small village of only humans in Busan all his childhood – not like Yoongi who grew up in a big city full of supernaturals co-existing, from a long family-line of hunters passed down over each generation.

‘Well,’ Yoongi begins easily, ‘when my grandmother used to tell the story of the union, she would talk with such pride about how the hunters were the second realm to sign the agreement, it was her great great grandfather who signed it as chief – but do you know who was the first realm Guk?’

Jeongguk doesn’t know – but he knows.

‘It was the ninth realm,’ Yoongi confirms for him, ‘their ruler, Seokjin, was the first to sign… because they had the most to gain from the union, he signed in his blood, and it is the first name on the union certificate if you go see it in the archives.’

Jeongguk can’t imagine Seokjin – his Seokjin – standing with the other leaders of the nine realms for the first time ever, not for war of for bloodshed, but for peace, and he was the first one to step up and sign for that union in his own blood – a binding contract for any supernatural, punishable by death.

‘But aren’t demons dangerous,’ Jeongguk pushes, ‘aren’t all beings from the shadow realm dangerous?’ Everyone knows they are, goes unsaid.

But Yoongi is already shaking his head sadly. ‘Beings from the shadow realm have always been shunned – pushed to the side, judged, and feared and even executed in old times just for existing. Their realm almost went extinct once. But yet they are a part of the union of the realms just the same as everyone else – and yet they are still treated the same just because of a feud between them and the angels over a thousand centuries ago.’

Jeongguk feels shame bloom under his skin, hot and uncomfortable, ‘hyung,’ Yoongi looks at him carefully, ‘I think I need to apologise to a demon.’

//

Jeongguk had been pacing his room all evening as the waning sun gradually set behind him and night crept in around him. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to see Seokjin to talk – to apologise. No games this time. Jeongguk wouldn’t hold his breath or jump off balconies or into roads.

No. This time Seokjin would come because he wanted to – because Jeongguk had asked.

He sits down on his bed and closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath and speaks quietly into the night. “Seokjin – hyung. I need to speak to you… please,’ he whispers out.

He knows before he opens his eyes. Feels the air shift around him. Hot and cold all at once, heavier and more charged. Like his mere presence could change the atmosphere – it probably could.

Jeongguk opens his eyes and Seokjin stands in front of him, half hidden in the shadows of his room. ‘Hyung,’ he breathes out.

Seokjin slowly walks forward out of the darkness, the low light golden and soft on his skin. He doesn’t speak. No soft words of greeting fall from his lips. Instead, he stands half in the shadows. Not fully in Jeongguk’s world yet. Skin almost translucent, light shining through him as his eyes take Jeongguk apart piece by piece. Jeongguk felt exposed, entirely on edge, hands gripped painfully at his sides as his chest squeezes, and he tried to find the courage to say the words lodged painfully in his throat … the words he should have said days ago when he left Yoongi’s room with shame rolling over him in cold waves.

He opens his mouth twice to try and speak but nothing comes, only emptiness.

The air between them grows stale and old.

Seokjin sighs almost silently and turns as if to leave, eyes worn and tired of seeing the same thing over and over again – pity, and still hidden mistrust, no matter how much people tried to hide it. Mistrust was written into their DNA.

“— Wait!” Jeongguk hears himself cry, the words ripping from his throat as he sees Seokjin turn to leave in disappointment.

“Just … wait, please, don’t go,” he whispers, wetting his lips nervously and standing up.

Seokjin pauses and turns back, eyes finding him again, soft but guarded. “Little one,” he says with no hatred or anger towards Jeongguk. “What is there left to say?” he asks.

“So much,” Jeongguk replies.

Seokjin goes to reply, doesn’t need to hear again just how much demons were hated, how dangerous and evil they were. He didn’t need to hear everything the world tells him about his people every damn day. And he especially didn’t want to hear it from Jeongguk. He couldn’t. not again. Not without breaking.

“— I want,’ Jeongguk cuts over him, seeing how Seokjin’s eyes flash dangerously and his mind runs away into darkness, ‘I want to apologise hyung,’ he says.

Whatever Seokjin was going to reply is lost in his surprise, lips open as if to speak but no words coming out, eyes flashing and soft grey smoke curling around his knuckles and skin like morning mist.

“I am sorry,” Jeongguk says quietly, knowing that even from across his bedroom Seokjin can hear every word easily – probably hear the beating of his heart and the rush of his blood, hear how his nerves make his voice tremble and sweat rise on his neck.

“I am sorry for every single damn word I said that night,” Jeongguk starts, stepping forward without realises – stepping closer. “I am sorry I didn’t know better. That I was so prejudice and stupid that I believed whispers and stories rather than believe the person I had knew for months and come to…” Jeongguk breaks off, “come to care about.”

A puff of breath slips from between Seokjin’s dark lips, escaping into the air between them.

“I – I had known you for months. Knew how caring you were, how you made me laugh, how you made me feel safe. How you always protected me.”

Jeongguk’s eyes drop in shame.

“But the second I found out you were a demon I just, I just ignored all of that,” Jeongguk spits out. “I ignored everything I knew about you just to believe whispers I was told growing up that were nothing more than ignorant hate,” Jeongguk whispers, lifting his head and looking at Seokjin through heavy lashes.

Seokjin’s fingers reach out to cup Jeongguk’s chin, raising his face to look at him fully, black eyes finding brown.

“Little one,” he breathes out.

Jeongguk’s wide eyes drink him up, hands trembling at his side and chest heaving from the words he had rushed out with such regret.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Seokjin warns lowly, eyes dark and endless.

“Like what,” Jeongguk asks, Seokjin’s thumb dragging across his bottom lip, tugging it gently.

“Like you could still care about me now, after everything,” Seokjin whispers into the space between their lips.

And that is all that Jeongguk needs to crash into his chest, hands twisting into his hair and lips finding Seokjin’s opening easily for him, hot and soft.

Jeongguk’s nails drag down his back and over his wide shoulders, running beneath his clothes hungrily. Seokjin’s skin is impossibly hot, scorching and sparking beneath Jeongguk’s fingertips; but never burning him. Instead, the flames welcome him, licking over his fingers and palms, kissing him gently, warm, and welcoming, almost as hot as the pit of fire growing in Jeongguk’s belly with every kiss.

Jeongguk moans and pulls Seokjin deeper, closer. Hands tugging at his back and then moving to run through Seokjin’s unruly curls, hissing when his palm catches on the sharp tip of a curled horn that splits open his skin and makes Jeongguk whimper into Seokjin’s mouth.

Seokjin pulls back barely, lips leaving Jeongguk’s own, rosy, and swollen. ‘Careful little one,’ he whispers, leaning down to run his lips over Jeongguk’s stinging palm, the cut skin healing instantly. Jeongguk groans in relief, low in his chest, and Seokjin’s eyes flash above him walking forward until Jeongguk’s legs hit the edge of the bed with a crash. Pinning him against the bed with his body, Seokjin reaches a hand between them greedily.

That’s when Jeongguk’s eyes roll to the back of his head, ears buzzing and brain stopping because fuck Seokjin’s hand was hot wrapping around him. Stroking him faster and faster, all whilst dropping kisses over his skin – his shoulder, his chest, his neck, everywhere.

Everywhere he kisses a flame burns for seconds before flickering out leaving snowflakes of sooty ash on his skin. Jeongguk is babbling and whining beneath him as Seokjin pins his hips down onto the bed and carries on kissing him lower and lower, biting his skin as fangs cause him to hiss and cry out again and again.

In the darkness their eyes find each other and Jeongguk feels something tight in his chest, sharp and pulsing. Something that makes him want to say what is buried deep in his chest.

The air between them is dancing with heat and tension.

Sex with Seokjin is fiery, Jeongguk feels himself being consumed over and over again, what feels like infinity, time is meaningless, the moon in the sky is the only reminder that Jeongguk is still in the same night. It is hot, fast, and hard. Skin alight under each other’s fingertips, watching as Seokjin’s eyes darken to black and sometimes red when Jeongguk stutters and moans under him.

And when they collapse in a mess in the early morning, sweaty bodies curled around each other, Seokjin is nothing but tender, breathing heavily as he drops kisses onto Jeongguk’s collarbone, arms wrapping him up tightly.

‘Goodnight little one,’ he whispers, as he watches Jeongguk’s lashes flutter close, chest rising steadily, red bite marks blossoming under his skin already, tiny indents from Seokjin’s fangs littered around his golden skin.

Seokjin isn’t sure how much time passes. All he knows is that the moon is starting to disappear beneath the skyline and dawn starts to bring a golden honey sky that drenches the room and makes Jeongguk’s skin dance. His little one looks so peaceful, tousled hair covering his brows, lips slightly parted as air escapes in soft puffs, nestled into Seokjin’s chest.

But all Seokjin can do is feel his skin crawl and itch and burn and the fire in his palms grow and grow until his body was on fire – literally. Angry flames running over his golden skin, sparking, and smoking. Seokjin felt his demon form roll beneath his muscles, ready to return home. Black scales starting to form on his skin – telling him he had been in the human realm for too long.

Telling him that his demon form – his true demon form was finally free from the confines of human bond.

That was it then, he realises. He had finally severed the bond.

He was free. No restraint. His powers ripple and wake as if from a long slumber. All limits of a human bond dissolving in the morning’s sunlight.

Jeongguk’s soul had got what it wanted, all those month ago when it latched onto Seokjin on the street.

Why did it hurt so much? Seokjin thought.

“Goodbye little one,” Seokjin whispers, hand reaching out an inch away from Jeongguk’s face, hanging in the air as his form fades slowly, fingertips the only thing left for a mere second as they reach out to touch – to caress his face one last time, before Seokjin vanishes into his night, stopping an inch away from Jeongguk’s skin.

//

9 months later.

There is a small round pill dissolving in his glass. Millions of bubbles fizzing and bursting in the dark amber liquid that sloshes against the wide rim as Jeongguk dances erratically.

The glass clanks against Jeongguk’s teeth as he drinks greedily, alcohol spilling over his lips and running down his chin, sticky and warm, collecting in the hollows of his golden collarbones flashing beneath the lights of the club.

The club was known to be a spot for shades and incubi, but everyone knew the owner let any supernatural being enter - he didn’t care as long as drinks were poured, and money made. So Jeongguk was on the dance floor, a demon’s hands on his waist gripping hardly, little fingertipped bruises forming on his hips.

No one knew he was here; they had stopped asking after they saw the bruises on his arms and neck, the red rim of his blown-out eyes and the bags.

Jeongguk throws his head back, a shot poured in his mouth as he grins around the sharp liquid and dances sinfully for the hands that run under his clothes and over his sweaty skin. Body sweaty, hair a mess and eyes closed, Jeongguk dances and lets the alcohol stop the pain. Stop his thoughts for the night. Stop the memories. Does what he does every night.

Teeth scrap down his neck and make him shiver. Harsh pointed fangs drag over his skin, catching on the muscles in his neck and pulling. Jeongguk grins under the pulsing light and drops his head on the demon’s shoulder, baring his neck further and winding his hips side to side, ass pressed the guy’s growing erection behind him.

At first, he started coming to the club because he always thought maybe this time.

Maybe this time Seokjin would show up.

Would save him and roll his eyes as Jeongguk joked that he was his guardian angel whilst his fangs were showing and his eyes were tinged red. And they could pretend everything was okay. That Jeongguk hadn’t slept with a demon... hadn’t fallen in love with the devil himself and then woke one morning to the smell of Seokjin still lingering on his sheets and his skin, and an empty apartment without even a fucking note.

But all he got was looks of pity from the pretty faery and the handsome demon behind the bar who would never tell him where Seokjin was. No matter how he begged and cried at 3am, broken glass littered around him.

So yeah. At first, he lived recklessly hoping Seokjin would show. Would save him like he always did. Curse and complain that he wasn’t his fucking guardian angel.

Now he did it because why the fuck not.

Why did he have to be good? Why did he have to be left behind?

Why did he have to be the one in pain?

Why couldn’t he live.

Why didn’t he get to be the one to walk away?

Hadn’t he been hurt enough?

The demon behind him hisses dirty words into his ear, forked tongue licking a hot stripe down his neck and fangs nibbling his ear, Jeongguk’s back against his chest. Eyes closed he loses himself in the darkness, twists and turns and tries to convince himself that he is happy.

And then a chest is pressing against his, hot and heavy, arms pulling him firmly.

Jeongguk doesn’t even have time to open his eyes before a strong hand is encircling his wrist and in a second Jeongguk is standing alone in the night, shivering as snow sticks to the floor around him and snowflakes fall into his messy hair, floating down onto his lashes and melting gently against his rosy lips – the softest thing to touch his skin in months.

He furiously blinks away a mixture of ice and tears. ‘Why did you come,’ Jeongguk shouts into the night. ‘Why now, why now!’ He screams.

Seokjin melts out of the shadows only a breath away from him, tasting the swirling potion of alcohol, anger, and desperation in Jeongguk’s veins, reaching out to warm him but Jeongguk steps away.

‘Little one,’ Seokjin pleads.

And Jeongguk loses it. Just those two words alone break him. And now Jeongguk is no longer cold, surrounded by a blanket of perfect snow. Now his blood is boiling. His skin is on fire, and he whirls around wildly, eyes alight and full of a swirling chaos that stops Seokjin arm in its tracks - freezes whatever words were on his tongue.

‘Don’t call me that,’ Jeongguk warns, eyes flashing beneath a cavern of hurt and pain. ‘This is my life, Seokjin.’ Jeongguk shouts, ‘You can’t waltz back in and call me that, not after you fucked everything up,’ he spits.

Seokjin laughs darkly, the air suddenly heavier and heat melting from his skin in waves, melting the snow and burning the grass around them as he walks towards Jeongguk, chests almost touching. ‘This isn’t a life; this is you throwing yourself into danger for no fucking reason. Going to clubs alone, dancing with shades and shifters and tricksters and what not—'

‘No,’ Jeongguk shouts, pushing at his chests uselessly – Seokjin doesn’t even move. ‘No way,’ Jeongguk hisses out, ‘you don’t get to come in here after almost a whole fucking year and judge my life,’ he snarls eyes darker than they have ever looked at Seokjin before. ‘Not when you were the one to leave. Not when you chose to leave me,’ his voice breaks like the ice around them and Jeongguk hates that he can’t stop the pain, can’t make himself not care even after all this time.

“You think I chose this,” Seokjin growls.

“You left me!” Jeongguk screams, chest splitting.

He remembers that morning. Waking up alone. In an empty bed. Thighs sore and Seokjin’s cum still dry on his belly. And Seokjin nowhere to be seen. Disappeared as easily as smoke.

And Jeongguk never saw him again. He gave up after 6 weeks. But in his heart, he never truly stopped looking. Stopped hoping. Stopped expecting to see his face again.

He blinks away tears.

‘I had to leave,’ Seokjin whispers stepping towards his boy.

Jeongguk takes a step back – in fear or anger Seokjin can’t taste and for the first time ever he can’t read Jeongguk’s eyes, and it hurts in his chest where he hasn’t felt anything for centuries.

‘I had to leave,’ he says again, falling from his lips raggedly.

‘Why?’ Jeongguk challenges.

‘You know why.’

Jeongguk is the one to step in closer. ‘I want to hear you say it,’ his eyes glint and their faces are inches apart, lips so close Seokjin could bite them, draw blood on his fangs and taste the sweetness of Jeongguk.

‘Because you fell in love,’ Seokjin says. His eyes stare at the ground.

Jeongguk snorts. ‘I loved you to the point of ruin. Until it ruined me, and you left me broken.’

And now Seokjin does look up; his fiery nature sweeping through his body as he finds Jeongguk’s eyes and a smile curls at the corner of his lips. ‘Sweetheart you were already ruined long before me,’ he replies. ‘You fell in love with a demon after all.’

‘And you were meant to fix me,’ Jeongguk shouts. ‘It wasn’t just a game for me,’ he sobs now, ‘I know you think it was, but I loved you, I needed you. And you left me.’

Seokjin grabs his chin, lifting it up until Jeongguk’s hazel eyes meet his own red slits. ‘You should never trust the devil little one.’

Jeongguk shakes his head in Seokjin’s tight grip, hissing at his fingernails digging into soft skin. ‘You’re not a devil,’ Seokjin hyungs eyes glint red, ‘you’re just Seokjin. And you don’t love me.’

‘Jeongguk. You know damn well for you; I would ruin myself a million times. I love you selfishly. I love you till ruin.’

‘You’re a demon, you’re already ruined.’

‘Then I guess, me and you, we’re the same little one,’ a smile spreads almost fondly over his lips, pearly fangs peeking out.

‘I missed you,’ Seokjin says softly.

His hand moves down to cup Jeongguk’s jaw softly, fingertips running over his skin as they materialise in Jeongguk’s room, cold air falling away around them, Jeongguk blinking in surprise.

Jeongguk shakes his head out of his soft embrace.

‘I can’t do this. Not when you’re just going to leave again. Nothing has changed. Fuck—’ his hands mess up his hair even further – ‘You can’t just do this Seokjin. You can’t,’ he pleads to him.

Jeongguk wouldn’t be able to fix himself again.

‘You just left,’ Jeongguk hiccups.

‘We we’re bonded,’ Seokjin says carefully, eyes never leaving the younger.

‘What?’ Jeongguk breathes out in surprise.

‘We were bonded!’ Seokjin says again, louder this time, relief at having the words out there finally after all this time.

‘That’s all it was Jeongguk. Everything you felt wasn’t real – since day one when you accidentally bonded us, I never told you but—’

‘Don’t tell me how I felt,’ Jeongguk cuts in. Angry now. Pushing against Seokjin’s chest, eyes flashing dangerously. ‘I know how bonds work, if it was a bond it would have ended after we slept together?’

Seokjin nods to confirm.

‘So, if it was just the bond then how come I missed you every day since you left?’ Jeongguk argues back. Pushing Seokjin more and more until the back of his legs hit the bed.

‘How come I still miss you now?’ he pushes Seokjin down onto the bed, moving to straddle him.

‘And why do I still want to kiss your stupid face after everything,’ Jeongguk says wryly.

‘Why do I still love you then?’ He whispers finally, arms caging Seokjin onto the bed beneath him.

Seokjin lies there, lips parted slightly, panting gently, eyes wide as they memorise every detail of Jeongguk’s fiery edges. “You, my terrifying love, are scarier than all the demons in my realm put together little one,” Seokjin whispers into his ear.

Jeongguk laughs through his tears.

‘Just kiss me you dumb demon.’

And Seokjin does.

//