Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jiseok doesn’t venture into the woods much. 

At least not anymore. Not since he ended up in this small town on the edge of the forest that he now calls home. His adventuring days are far behind him, cut tragically short by forces beyond his control (not that he thinks anyone can control getting their fucking arm bitten off by a Hydra). His work takes up much of his days, his friends the rest, so it’s not like he has much spare time to idly wander anyways. But even still, Jiseok is at his heart a creature of civilization. He loves people, loves the town, loves his craft. There’s nothing for him in the woods that he can’t find elsewhere instead.

It doesn’t stop his comparatively wilder counterparts from giving him grief about it. Jungsu frequently ventures out to collect ingredients for his alchemy, Hyeongjun makes his entire living hunting, and Jooyeon is a feral beast they’ve only barely tamed and managed to bring inside. All of them have a far deeper connection with nature than he does, and his hesitancy to enter the forest is a frequent source of teasing.

But there’s something about these woods in particular that calls to him in a way he can’t quite articulate. How is he supposed to tell his friends that he’s never once felt alone out there in a way that they’ll understand? That wherever he goes the phantom weight of unseen eyes press down upon him, stalking him, waiting to pounce. 

He’d tried. Once. Mentioned it to Hyeongjun offhand, disguised as a joke. 

“I just always feel like there's something watching me out there, you know?” 

The Elven hunter had paused, laying down the arrow he’d been fletching to squint at him, far too perceptive for Jiseoks liking. 

“There’s nothing out there for you to fear” He’d replied, matter of fact. Jiseok had been hoping that Hyeongjun would reassure him that the woods were normal and safe and empty . The lack of that specific confirmation did little to soothe him.

“Of course, I'm not afraid of anything. I’m way too smart for that” he’d joked again, faking his laughter. Hyeongjun hadn’t laughed along. He’d just fixed Jiseok with that same piercing look, the one that always felt like he was staring through Jiseok, straight into his soul. 

“If you meet anything strange, just tell it you’re friends with me.” 

He’d laughed that off too. Had agreed to do just that, mainly because Hyeongjun had been weirdly insistent, and written it off as just another Strange Elf Thing. Or maybe just a Hyeongjun Thing, he was never quite sure either way. But he’d been content to let it lie, safe in the knowledge that the town holds all he needs and his friends are there should he really need accompaniment through the forest. 

So, normally Jiseok would never venture into the woods alone, and certainly not at night. But the thing he values most is his word and his work, which tonight has forced him to do exactly that. 

Jiseok owns and operates the sole Magic shop in town. His artificing keeps him busy, both in creating his own inventions and making items to sell. Jungsu handles the potions side of things for him, but everything else contained within has passed through his workbench at least once, a fact he’s incredibly proud of. After his adventuring career was halted by the loss of his arm he’d been rudderless. The shop has breathed life back into him, given him something to work for and build from the ground up. It’s not where he thought he’d be, but well. Life’s funny like that. 

Today, he’s received a request for a very particular enchantment. It’s incredibly fiddly, time consuming and needed as soon as possible. Normally he’d never take a rush request like this, but the customer is an adventurer from out of town who is willing to pay handsomely for his services. Adventurers are his favorite customers, because they’re often eager to go out of their way for a good deal, and will likely bring the rest of their party along the next time they roll through his town. Besides, he has a soft spot for them, for those brave enough to do what he couldn’t. 

The snag in his plans is that this specific enchantment requires powder made from Lunelily petals. An incredibly beautiful flower that blooms only on the full moon and sprouts along leylines. Rare, expensive to find and impossible to cultivate unless you’ve been very lucky with the position of your dwellings. Jiseok is not so lucky, and he’s also clean out of his usual stock of it. He does, however, know where to find more. He’s scouted out a grove of them growing not too far from town, just a half hours walk up the hill. And tonight just so happens to be a full moon. 

Any other night, were he forced to venture out into the dark of the trees, he’d drag one of his friends along with him. But the full moon means that Hyeongjun (his usual victim) is busy taking care of Jooyeon (victim number two). The werewolf is destructive in just his normal human form, so their little band takes turns babysitting the giant puppy every month to ensure he doesn’t destroy the whole town. This time it’s Hyeongjuns turn, and Jiseok doesn’t begrudge the hunter his job for the night at all, not after what Jooyeon did to his poor couch last month. Jungsu is likewise busy, though he hadn’t explained why when Jiseok had gone to beg and cajole at his door. He’d just ruffled Jiseoks hair, told him that he’d be occupied for the rest of the night and wished him a paltry good luck! , the bastard. 

So, bereft of any better options, Jiseok heads out into the forest alone. 

The night is clear and cool, the moon hanging low in the sky. Jiseok’s brought along a strong magical lantern, and has two backups in his pack, but even without them he’d be able to see his path forward in the bright moonlight. His sword is newly polished and swinging at his hip, his crossbow hanging from the other, and he’s pulled all of the old armor pieces that still fit him from the depths of his wardrobe. Slightly overkill, but hey. He’s got plenty of reason to be cautious. Anytime he forgets, he need only look down at the shiny, rune-inscribed metal prosthetic of his right arm for a reminder. 

Luckily for his heart, he encounters nothing out of the ordinary on his journey up to the Lunelily grove. Birds chirp in the trees around him, animals scurry back and forth in the undergrowth, the forest breathes just as normal. Even the presence he usually feels in the trees, the eyes in the dark trained on his every move, seem absent. Jiseok almost enjoys the walk. 

By the time he reaches the grove he’s relaxed some, enough to properly take in the sight of the opened flowers lighting up the forest like a blanket of stars. Their petals gleam luminescent in the moonlight, the air surrounding them so thick with magic he can taste it like lightning on his tongue. 

Moving carefully so as to disturb as few of the flowers as possible, Jiseok fishes out the prepared vial and thick gloves from his pack. The flowers are magical conduits and are especially powerful when they bloom, so he has to be delicate as he plucks the brightest petals and deposits them in the enchanted glass. He takes only enough to fill the vial, leaving the rest of the grove untouched. The flowers will sprout there again regardless, even if he uproots the whole stem, but it feels like such a waste. An unnecessary desecration of something magical, something beautiful. 

He’s loath to leave, but his job at the grove is done, and there’s plenty to do back at home. Besides, the longer he stays out here, the more likely it is for the heightened magic to react with the enchantments laden on his gear, or gods forbid his prosthetic. Safety wins out in the end, as it often does, so with a heavy heart Jiseok pulls out his compass and turns to leave. 

Except his compass isn’t working. 

The needle is spinning without stopping, a slow rotation around the entire ring. He shakes it, gives it the old artificer technique of smacking it once, but the damn thing continues to spin. Even worse, he’s gotten turned around picking his way through the grove, and has no idea of where he entered from. Panic begins to claw in his chest, but he takes a deep, sobering breath and thinks. 

He’s walked on a steady incline this whole time, up one of the gentle rolling hills that surround the town. This grove is on a flatter part of the terrain, but if he starts walking and the path doesn’t begin to slope down he’ll know he’s going the wrong way. Odds are good that the compass will start working again once he’s in an area with more stable magic. And even if it doesn’t, and Jiseok becomes totally lost, his friends know that he was venturing into the woods tonight. Jungsu will come to drop off his stock in the morning and find him missing, and then it’ll only be a matter of time before his friends track him down, a day at the very most. He’s survived far worse situations than this. 

So, taking another rallying breath, Jiseok picks a direction and starts walking. He checks the compass every now and then, and eventually the needle stops spinning on its own, resting limply without pull and rotating only when Jiseok tilts the case. Dead. A shame, but he has the tools to fix it at home, so he pockets it and continues his way through the forest. To his great relief, the path he’s picked does begin to slope downwards, and gradually he begins to see the flickering lights of the town in the far distance. 

In that moment of relief is when he hears the cry. 

It’s high pitched. Pained. Distinct enough to be close by, and not accompanied by any other sounds of violence. It still makes Jiseok yelp in fear, and he almost drops his damn lantern in shock. He halts in place, hand going to his crossbow as he scans the trees for any sign of attack. But the forest is still and quiet. Nothing jumps out, nothing growls at him in the dark. Sighing, half thinking he’s imagined it, he turns back to the lights of the town and takes another step. 

Another cry. It cuts off at the end into a broken whine, message clear even without words. Please help me! 

Jiseok swears to himself, heart jackrabbiting out of his chest. He very much wishes to flee to the safety of the town. But he’s stopped in his tracks by the awful thought that this could be someone he knows. What if someone has gotten injured out in the woods, and he’s leaving them to suffer? Even if it’s not someone he knows, it could very well be a traveler, or one of the many animals Hyeongjun takes care of and cherishes like friends. He’d never forgive himself if someone had come to harm, and he’d knowingly turned away from them. That’s what had driven him to adventuring in the first place, and then to artificing when that dream had died, so that he could help people. 

Another cry. Jiseok’s already moving, slinking as quietly as he can through the brush towards the sound. It does him little good to charge forward blindly. He’ll be no help to anyone if he blunders straight into a monster, so he dims his lantern and takes careful steps up to the break in the trees where the noises are coming from. 

What he finds in the clearing takes a second for him to process. Dark fur shot through with silver and stained crimson, wild eyes and teeth catching the light as it writhes and pants. The creature within claws with dirty paws at the bloodsoaked soil, white-tipped tail swishing madly behind it. 

A fox, caught in a trap. Not one of Hyeongjuns careful snares made of branches and wire, delicate, as humane as can be. This trap is crude and brutal , two jaws of jagged iron clamped down upon the beast's hind leg. Even from this distance Jiseok can see the white of shattered bone glinting in the wound. 

He gasps. A tiny sound, one normally lost in the rustle of leaves. But the silver-black beast snaps its head up, fangs bared and growling. He stumbles back a step, and the creature gnashes its jaws towards him, a warning to stay away. The movement jostles its leg in the trap and it collapses back with a heart-breakingly pained whine, another spurt of dark blood from the wound staining the soil beneath it.

Unthinkingly, purely on instinct, Jiseok holds out a shaking hand and addresses the beast. 

“It’s okay, I’m a friend of Hyeongjuns! I can help” 

He hadn’t expected anything, least of all for that to actually work. But to his surprise the creature stills in the dirt, panting, regarding him with wary suspicion. Jiseok swallows. He takes a cautious step into the clearing. The fox still doesn’t move, not even when Jiseok turns up the brightness of the lantern and steps even closer. 

“Are you going to let me help?” He asks, feeling somewhat stuck. Hyeongjun or Jungsu are the ones with a knack for dealing with animals, not him. He likes them well enough, sure, but he’s never had to wrangle one that could take a chunk out of him as easily as this fox could (unless he’s counting Jooyeon). But the beast has seemingly calmed, golden eyes staring up at him in a way he can only describe as pleading, so Jiseok can no sooner turn away than he can stab himself in the chest. Besides, he’s invoked Hyeongjuns name. The hunter wouldn’t forgive him if he left one of his friends in a state like this. 

“Please don’t bite me” He pleads, holding out a hand towards the fox like it’s a stray dog. The fox regards him with that same pained suspicion, and then delicately leans forward to lick his curled fingers. Jiseok jumps at the sensation, the wetness of the animal's tongue startling, to say nothing of being suddenly so close to those sharp teeth. But it’s as much of a go ahead as he’s likely to get, so he sets the lantern down on the ground and turns to look over the trap. 

It’s as crude an implement as he’d seen at first glance. Two awful metal jaws, launched together by springs with a pressure plate as the trigger. He shudders to think of whoever could set something this cruel up, especially so close to town. He’ll have to mention it to Hyeongjun when he gets back. Luckily, the mechanism is simple enough that he can already think of several ways to get it open. 

“Okay, this is good. I could just try and lever it open, I have some strong cord in my bag that I could attach to that tree to winch it… no, too risky. I don’t want it to snap back onto you if the cord breaks” He mutters, thinking aloud as he steps gently around the clearing, seeing the situation from all angles. The fox regards him, silent but for harsh pants of breath. “Or-hmm, the springs look fairly easy to get to. The angle isn’t ideal for trying to pull them out, but I could- ah, okay.” He pauses, circling back around to kneel in front of the fox, swinging his pack down off his back to rifle for supplies. 

“What I’m going to do is melt the spring where it joins to the side of the trap here, as far away from you as possible. It might be a little hot, but I’ll do my best to shield you from it. That way, once the spring is removed we can lever this side down slowly and remove your leg as carefully as possible. I have some supplies here for the wound” Jiseok fishes out a healing potion, along with his small enchanted heat-wand and a first aid kit, showing all of the items to the fox as he does. 

He feels a bit silly, talking to it like it’s a human and assuming it can perfectly understand him, but the creature watches him with keen eyes and seems to calm slightly at his words. Besides, if this beast associates with Hyeongjun, there’s a chance it could be more intelligent than a normal fox. Magic like that which the Elf works with can do strange things to animals sometimes, and Jiseok has certainly encountered weirder things than this. 

Jiseok lays the healing potion and the first aid kit within easy reach, and sheds his bulky cloak next to them. He pulls out his gloves, sliding them on and giving the heat protection rune inlaid in the fabric a quick test with the wand. The material singes a bit, the rune flaring with magic, but he can barely feel the heat and it holds well. Good enough for this, though he’s mentally adding it to the growing list of items he’ll have to replace or repair. The fox had better appreciate his sacrifice of expensive gear for its sake. 

He kneels down gingerly in the damp soil next to the fox, still half expecting it to lunge at him. All it does is twist its head around to watch his hands as they bring the wand up to the point where the spring meets the side of the trap. Slowly, carefully, he cups his free hand around the metal close to the fox to act as a makeshift heat shield, and ignites the wand. The fox whines in alarm, but stays blessedly still. 

“It’s okay, I've got you.” Jiseok soothes, gritting his teeth against the anxiety pulsating in his chest “Look, it’s working” 

And it is. The metal glows red hot beneath the tip of the wand, heat radiating up to warm his face and torso. Painfully slow, it begins to melt, the join between the two pieces of metal starting to liquify. For a breathless second Jiseok thinks that he’s miscalculated, that the wand won’t produce enough heat to do it. And then the metal breaks apart, hissing as it splatters in the mud. The spring releases the tension all at once, and Jiseok swears as he drops the wand to grab ahold of the trap's jaw, the metal scraping his left hand even through the thick gloves. 

“Easy, easy” He mutters, putting his other hand on the foxes flank without thinking. The beast stills from where it’d started to writhe away, tense as the other unbroken spring, and for an awful second Jiseok thinks that this is the moment it finally strikes. But it stays put, even as Jiseok slowly pulls that side of the trap down, sliding the metal free from its leg with the awful, wet sound of iron against flesh and the scraping of bone. 

He drops the trap and goes for the potion, unstoppering it with one hand as the other steadies the fox. He’s trying desperately to breathe through his mouth and not look too closely at the wound, illuminated and grisly in the torchlight. 

“Here, drink. This’ll help” He proffers it towards the animal, who takes it delicately between its jaws with the clink of teeth against glass. The potion disappears down its gullet, and begins working its magic immediately. Despite his support, the fox collapses with a whine to the forest floor as its shin bone begins to knit back together, turning from a life threatening wound to simply a painful one. Jungsu’s potions are the real deal, but even one of them wasn’t enough to fully heal the damage, so Jiseok busies himself with the supplies from his medkit. The fox makes no move to get up or stop him, seemingly exhausted and content to let Jiseok continue to help. 

Jiseok ties the bandage off with a careful knot, and sits back on his haunches. The fox is no longer whining or panting. It simply lies there, blood slowly blooming on the bandage, staring at him. The exhaustion hits Jiseok all at once, and he tears his bloody glove off to scrub at his eyes. 

But his job isn’t done yet. The realization comes slowly, as he and the fox stare at each other and the moment stretches out like taffy. There’s no way he can just leave it here. The beast is clearly tapped out as well, and he doesn’t know if it can walk on that leg even with the healing. If he walks away right now there's a good chance whoever laid that trap will come back to finish it off, or another predator will take advantage of the easy meal. He would take it to Hyeongjun or Jungsu, but both are busy and unable to be disturbed. That leaves only one option available. 

“Would you-can I bring you home? My friends are better at healing than I am, but they won’t be free till the morning. I can find something for you to eat in the meantime, and you’ll be safe to rest there..” He trails off, as it hits him that he’s talking to a wild goddam animal and asking its opinion like it’ll respond back. The fox eyes him up and down, and he’s about to stand up and wash his hands of this whole thing when it fucking nods at him. 

“Oh” He says, speechless. Well, that answers the ‘is it intelligent?’ question. His brain clunks to a halt, and then revives like a piece of ancient machinery shaking the dust off. “Okay, uh. Great! Cool, cool. Um, let me-” He mumbles, scrambling to his feet and gathering all of his scattered items. The fox makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a laugh, and then flops its head down to the ground.

He’s always been good at compartmentalizing, setting aside all thoughts when given a problem to solve, so he sets to work with a carefully honed air of normality. Jiseok throws everything loose into his pack, hefting that onto his back, and then sets about fashioning a sling out of his cloak to carry the fox. He’s not the strongest, but given how bright and close the lights look the town shouldn’t be too far away. It’s a struggle to position the fox in a way that doesn’t jostle its injured leg, but the creature stays docile as he adjusts the sling around it, leaning into his chest as he sets off back towards town. 

He’s panting heavily and set to collapse by the time he finally makes it to the door to his cottage. Attached to the back of his shop, the small dwelling is what he affectionately refers to as cozy and practical and what Jungsu describes as messy and cramped. The vast majority of the living space is taken up by his workshop and the combined kitchen and dining area, with his bedroom and bathroom making up the rear of the house. It’s not much, but it’s his , and he loves his space to bits. 

He levers his front door open, and winds his way across the project-littered floor to carefully set the fox down on the least ruined part of his couch. The animal blinks up at him, relaxing into the couch cushions and to Jiseoks great relief is seemingly content to stay there.  

“Let me put my stuff down, and then I’ll find you something to eat, alright?” He throws over his shoulder towards the fox, already in the process of unpacking his bag and taking off all his gear. The vial containing the Lunelily petals is set carefully on his workshop table next to the unfinished rune, his armor is stripped off and piled at the door to be taken care of in the morning, and soon enough Jiseok is divested of all but his house clothes. He really wants a bath, but makes do with thoroughly washing his hands and any exposed bits of skin of blood, and splashing some water over his face. He’s too wary to leave the fox alone for such an extended period of time, even with how well-behaved it seems. 

His cupboards are bare, but he manages to scrounge up some dried jerky, which the fox gobbles down gratifyingly fast. He sets a bowl of water out as well, and an extra blanket for good measure, and then sits down heavily on his workshop stool. He’s exhausted and on edge, but there’s still work he has to do tonight if he has any hope of getting the enchantment finished on time. So, begrudgingly, Jiseok takes a small breather and then sets back to work. 

“Don’t wander over here, okay?” He calls over to the fox, who’s now resting with its head on its paws, golden eyes watching him work. “These materials could hurt you, and me too if I mess this up. Don’t worry though! I’m a professional” He grins reassuringly. 

Yeah, he’s losing it. Understandable, given the night he’s had, but still. Sighing at himself, he turns back to the delicate work of crushing the hard-won petals into a fine enough powder for processing. 

Hours pass as Jiseok loses himself in his artificing, hands steady even as his eyes begin to droop closed. The fox becomes a comforting presence, the low sound of its breathing fading into the background noise of his home as he works. Eventually, he nods off, eyes flying back open as the rune chisel he’d been holding slips from his grip and clatters to the workbench. This isn’t the first time he’s fallen asleep in the middle of a project, so he has enough wherewithal to set anything volatile aside before laying his head down on folded arms and closing his eyes. He’ll just rest for a minute and then keep going. 

Sunlight peeks out from behind closed blinds when Jiseok slowly blinks awake. There isn’t the usual crick in his neck he’d expect from falling asleep on the job. In fact, he’s horizontal, laid out on his mildly shredded couch under a blanket. Someone’s moved him in the night, and the disconcerting panic of that has him bolting upright, adrenaline chasing the fog of sleep away. 

There’s a soft clack of cupboard doors closing from his kitchen, the sounds of someone moving around just out of view, and for a second Jiseok relaxes a touch. It’s probably just Jungsu. This certainly wouldn’t be the first time his friend has come over without warning and found him passed out mid project. He yawns, throwing the blanket off and rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he gets up from the couch. 

“Mmrgh, ‘Su?” He calls out, brain still connecting to his mouth. The noises stop all at once, then Jiseok hears footsteps round the corner and the panic slams back into him full force.

It’s Not Jungsu.

Chapter Text

The person who is Not Jungsu stands on the threshold of Jiseoks living room. The stranger, for Jiseok would surely remember meeting someone as handsome as they are, is tall and lean. Their face is slim, angular and currently sporting an inquisitive look as though they’re surprised that Jiseok is surprised to see them. Short, shaggy hair falls just over their hazel eyes, jet black and shot through with streaks of silver-white. His muscles are on full display given his attire of a sleeveless cropped shirt in a deep plum colour, and some kind of skirt-kilt-thing made of black leather ending just below his knees. The stranger is barefoot, and there’s a bloody bandage clumsily wrapped around one of their legs that looks like it’s one wrong move away from unfurling entirely. 

“You’re not Jungsu '' Jiseok says, very intelligently, as his mind works against the giant wrench stuck in its gears. The stranger tilts their head to regard him, birdlike and bright-eyed. 

“That isn’t a name I go by, no” Their voice is light and high, melodic, cut through with a playful lilt. There is no sense of guilt on his face, no urgency or anxiety to his tone. The stranger seems perfectly at home in Jiseoks living room. 

“I- Who are you?” Jiseok is stuck in two minds, between inching towards his worktable for something volatile to throw or going for the pile of his combat gear further away by the door. Instead of doing either, he just stands there by the couch, still halfway asleep and caught in a mental net of sheer bafflement. 

“Someone who is in your debt” The stranger replies, which is not a fucking answer to his question!  

“Huh??” 

The stranger frowns like he’s disappointed in Jiseok, in the manner of a distant relative you have not seen since you were a child who somehow expects you to have remembered them. 

“You saved my life last night.” He gestures down at the bloody bandage on his leg and if Jiseok was confused before, it pales in comparison to now. A cold realization settles in his gut, as he looks around at a room that is missing a specific furry form. No. No fucking way. 

“You’re saying… you’re the fox ?” 

“I take many forms, but most often that one.” He replies, clasping his hands together under his chin and staring at Jiseok with dark, unblinking eyes. 

Jiseok is out of practice in the field. Even still, he’s generally fairly confident in his combat skills. During this conversation, he’s known that should the stranger make a move he has the home turf advantage and the tools at hand to defend himself. But as a cold sweat begins to drip down his spine, for the first time this morning Jiseok feels afraid.

“What are you ?” Jiseok asks and the stranger grins, more like a baring of teeth than a sweet smile.

“You may call me Ode, formerly of the Spring Court of the Seelie” They intone, sweeping into a deep bow, and all at once many things click into place in Jiseoks brain. Not only is this handsome stranger clearly a shapeshifter, but they’re a goddam Fae . A denizen of the Feylands, from another plane of existence entirely. A being of chaos, of trickery, of wild untamed magic who delight in unfair dealings with mortals. A creature unable to outright lie and bound by favor, but also one that is incredibly dangerous . 

And Jiseok saved his life. The Fae is in his debt, which is a powerful thing if the few stories he’s heard are to be believed. Better than the alternative, but the implications still make Jiseoks head swim. At least a little of the fear dissipates now that he has some idea of what the fuck he’s dealing with. A known threat is always better than an unknown one. And, thinking it through, Jiseok doesn’t think Ode wishes to be his enemy. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to do Jiseok harm while he slept, or even back in the forest as he freed him from that trap. But instead of hurting him they’d carried him to the couch and covered him in a blanket and let him sleep in. Not exactly the actions of someone who wishes Jiseok ill. But even if they don’t mean him harm, he has no earthly clue what to do with them now.

Gods, he needs a coffee. It is far too early in the day to be dealing with anything of this caliber of fuckery. He puts his hands up to cover his face and resists the urge to scream into them. Barely

“Lovely to meet you” He says back, somewhat muffled by the hands still over his face. “What now?” 

“Well,” Ode starts, drawing the vowel out like they’re savoring it. Jiseok removes his hands from his face reluctantly. He doesn’t want to face whatever the Fae wants of him, but he does want them in his view in case they try to pull anything tricksy. Seemingly unconcerned about the emotional and mental whiplash Jiseok is still reeling with, the Fae smiles wryly at him and continues. “I was going to make you something for breakfast, to start with the repaying of my debt. But you have nothing in your cupboards! I haven’t gotten this wrong, have I? Humans do eat things?” 

Jiseok is getting lectured by a Fae about not eating enough. Maybe he needs to visit the temple more and leave some offerings to the Gods, because he’s surely pissed one of them off in a previous life for this to be his reality in the now. He laughs incredulously because how else is he supposed to react? And then he realizes that laughing at a Fae is probably a very bad idea, so he slaps a hand over his mouth with a panicked squeak. The Fae regards him with an expression that is unreadable save for a vague sense of amusement. Jiseok will take it. Amused is better than insulted. 

“Yes, humans eat food.” He pauses as his brain processes the rest of the Fae’s sentence “Wait, you were actually going to make me breakfast?” 

Somehow, despite the patent ridiculousness of the situation, Jiseok honestly finds himself a little touched at the thought of the Fae cooking for him. Ode shrugs, one hand coming up to fiddle with a metal fixture on their shirt. 

“I was going to try. No promises it would’ve been any good, I've never cooked anything humans could eat before.” 

“Oh, so you were going to poison me, then?” Jiseok jokes, feeling a shock of butterflies in his stomach as the Fae bites their lip to stifle a laugh. Now that he’s mostly calmed down, he can properly appreciate just how attractive his unexpected guest is. Jiseok knows what he likes when it comes to cute people and unfortunately for his waning ability to stay focused, Ode is just his type. 

“That’d be counterproductive to repaying my debt. Sort of against the spirit of the thing” The Fae bats back, eyes glinting. Attractive, thoughtful and with a good sense of humor?

Oh. Oh no. He’s so fucked. 

Ode provides a welcome distraction from the very unhelpful direction his thoughts have taken, by shifting their weight and wincing with badly concealed pain. Jiseok remembers all at once the injury they’d sustained the night before, that is clearly still affecting him given the blood soaked bandage on his leg. 

“Ah, you should sit down! Is your leg still sore? Here, let me look at it.” He fusses, filled with sudden guilt at the fact that they’ve just been standing here talking when Jiseok could’ve eased their pain. 

“I thought you were going to take me to one of your friends?” Ode asks, though they still limp forward and drop onto the stool in between them. Jiseok hovers, unsure if he should be helping them down, if he’s allowed to touch. But the Fae leans back and gestures to his leg in clear assent, so with slightly creaky knees Jiseok kneels down for a better look. 

“That was when you were just a cute animal. If it’s bad I'll absolutely still take you, but they’re going to have so many more questions for me now that you’re…. You” He shudders at the thought. This is already going to be a bitch and a half to explain to his friends, and he’d like at least a day to prepare for that conversation and the merciless ribbing and interrogation that will accompany it.

“You don’t think I’m still cute?” Ode pouts as Jiseok begins to unravel the bandage. The knot is clumsy and not his work from the night before, so Ode’s probably rewrapped it in the time he was sleeping. Jiseok coughs to cover up the blush dusting his cheeks, focusing very hard on the bandage and not looking up at Ode’s face. They’re even prettier up close, and he’s so flustered he feels he might combust any second. 

“No, you are! But you’re, y’know, less fluffy . That’s not the issue, it’s-hmm” He cuts himself off before he makes an even bigger fool of himself, hissing in sympathy as the bandage falls away to reveal the injury. It encircles the Fae’s leg, worse on the sides where the teeth of the trap had cut deepest. Jiseok sends thanks to every God he can think of that he can no longer see shattered bone in the wound. The torn flesh is grisly enough, he’s not sure his stomach could take much more displayed in the clear daylight. It’s better than he expected though, the blood having mostly clotted and with no signs of infection. He’ll have to remember to thank Jungsu for the potion and compliment his expert work. 

“Okay, it looks good! Well, not good, but better than it was. I know a few healing spells, can I..?” He asks, darting a quick glance up to Ode and finding them watching him just as intently. The Fae nods, biting their bottom lip, and it takes monumental effort for Jiseok to look back down to their leg rather than committing that sight to memory. 

Jiseok takes a deep, settling breath and lays his prosthetic hand over the wound, metal fingertips barely brushing Ode’s skin. It’s been a long time since he’s had need to draw on healing magics, not since his other life as an adventurer. But the magic still flows as it always has, the power welling up inside as he mouths familiar rote words in a tongue he doesn’t know, fingers twisting in the air. His hand leaves glowing trails of gold in the air as the sigil forms, the power coming almost to a bursting point and filling his senses to an overwhelming degree. But then the final line connects and the magic rushes out all at once into the cut, knitting it together in an instant. 

In the wake of the spell the wound is barely visible, just a harsh red line marring otherwise smooth skin. A far cry from the ugly mess of the night before. Jiseok sighs heavily. The rush of raw magic like this always feels so draining , like he’s run a mile in a single second. There’s a reason he prefers his artificing. Far easier to channel a spell through something other than himself, to let his inventions take the brunt of the effort. But he’s done good work here, despite how long it’s been, despite healing not being his forte. 

He gives in to the impulsive urge to run his fingers over the slightly raised flesh, mindful enough to switch hands so as to not shock the other with the cold metal of his prosthetic. Still, Ode shivers beneath his touch, letting out a high, breathy laugh. It’s a nice laugh. Not what he’d expect from a Fae, but then again Jiseok doesn’t know enough about Fae to expect much of anything beyond the obvious. Lost as he is in the sound and admiring his work, it’s a surprise when Ode reaches down into his view. Long, clever fingers find his chin and tilt his head up to look at his guest's face, to see the sly smile aimed at him. 

Jiseok is suddenly very aware of the position he’s in. Knelt on the floor, with Odes legs spread on either side of him, eye level with the Faes' kilt covered lap. Ode is likewise conscious of the compromising position, if the quirk of an eyebrow and the tightening of their fingers on Jiseoks chin is any indication. 

“Usually, when someone’s kneeling before me like this, it’s for a very different reason” The Fae remarks, tone light and airy and with only a hint of knowing tease. The smallest indication of interest to allow for Jiseok to play it off if he wishes. 

Jiseoks breath catches in his throat. His mouth is so dry all of a sudden, eyes wide and face flushed. He’s experienced enough to pick up what Ode is putting down, sure, but none of his previous trysts have been anything close to this. He’s fucked some of his friends, and the occasional stranger passing through town, but they were wholly different to this beautiful, dangerous creature perching on Jiseoks battered workshop stool like it’s a chaise lounge. He’s so entirely out of his depth. 

He finds he doesn’t mind all that much. 

“Do you often have people kneeling for you?” He replies, impulsive, equally teasing.

Ode's smile widens. Jiseok hadn’t noticed it before now, but his canines are slightly pointed, the barest hint of a fang. The sight of them stirs even more interest, a quick stab of desire to his gut. He wants those teeth in his skin. He’s never wanted something like that before. 

“Hard to define often . Time moves so differently on the Material Plane compared to back home.” Ode bites his lip at the same time as his thumb moves down to sweep over Jiseoks. His mouth parts automatically, tongue darting out to flick at the digit. The way Odes eyes narrow approvingly warms him to his core and sends butterflies spreading down his nerves. Ode presses down on Jiseoks plump bottom lip, pulling his jaw open ever wider.

“Are you jealous?” Ode teases, thumb still weighing down Jiseoks jaw and making it rather hard to reply. “Don’t be. You’re definitely the prettiest” 

He can’t help the flush dusted across his cheeks and staining the tips of his ears, nor the way he’s borderline panting like a dog. He especially can't help the whine that slips out at those words. 

“You know, I should probably be the one on my knees right now” Ode continues, words at odds to their actions as he slides his thumb deeper into Jiseoks mouth to rest heavy on his tongue. “You’ve done so much for me. Saved me, healed me. I should be repaying you” Their tone is silky smooth, washing over him, drowning him in the promise they contain. The thought of Ode on their knees before him is intoxicating. Enough that Jiseok has to fight to formulate words, to gather the wherewithal to pull just enough away that the digit slips from his mouth. 

“You’re- you haven’t Charmed me, right?” He laughs incredulously at himself, at this whole insane situation, out of breath. “Like, i’m not under some kind of fucked up Fae lust spell, am I?” It’s a legitimate concern with how unusually fucking eager he is, and knowing what little he knows of how Fae operate, but he’s (mostly) joking. 

Clearly the joke doesn’t land as Ode frowns, alarmed. 

“No, no!” They exclaim, removing their hand entirely from Jiseoks face and leaning back, much to Jiseoks immediate dismay. “I would never. We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to-” 

“I want to!” Jiseok cuts him off. Odes immediate and obvious distaste at the idea of bewitching someone has reassured him, leaving only the desire churning within. To prove his point he shuffles even closer, laying his head gently against Odes knee and looking up with pleading eyes. The sly, handsome smile returns to Ode's face and their hand comes back to rest gently in Jiseoks hair. 

“Ah. Don’t let me stop you, then” 

Ode parts his legs even further, the seam of the kilt slipping tantalizingly open and exposing more of his tanned thigh. The heavy material is not doing much to hide the very obvious bulge of the Fae’s hardness. For his part, Jiseok is soaking wet and aching, feeling that familiar hunger, the need to be filled. 

Ode pulls on one of the drawstrings of their belt and the kilt comes apart, the flaps opening like fancy gift wrap to reveal Jiseoks present. The Fae’s cock is just as pretty as the rest of him, long and thick, curving upwards and deliciously veiny. Unwilling to hold himself back, Jiseok leans in to lick a fat stripe up the underside of it. Ode groans appreciatively, hand tightening in Jiseoks hair. The noise is music to his ears, so he does it again, lathing over the sides until it glistens with his spit, enjoying the feel of it hot and heavy against his tongue. Ode hisses out a low fuck as Jiseok finally stops teasing him and takes the head into his mouth. Even just the tip is a bit of a stretch for his jaw, but he’s always enjoyed that tinge of pleasure-pain. Slowly, he sinks down further, sucking gently as his tongue works against the vein on the underside. 

“You have such a pretty mouth,” Ode murmurs, eyes locked on where Jiseoks lips are wrapped around his cock. “Made for this” Jiseok hums in agreement, delighting in the way the Fae’s face twitches at the vibration. In retaliation, Ode’s hand fists even more firmly in Jiseoks hair and drags him further down onto his cock. Jiseok gags for a second as it hits the back of his throat, having to remember to breathe through it despite the haze of lust clouding his brain. And then it’s slipping even deeper into his throat as his lips finally meet the base. He’s never taken a cock this big in his mouth before, and he’s worried the feeling of it will quickly become addictive. He’s actually pretty proud that he’s managed to take it all the way down. 

“Good boy” Ode groans and Jiseoks cunt throbs. He wants desperately to reach down and finger himself, but he knows it won’t be enough. He can never make himself cum with just his fingers, can’t get at the good angles that have his eyes crossing and toes curling. And he’s far too focused with the cock in his mouth to be able to get the rhythm right. With none of his usual toys in reach, he’s left to rub uselessly at his swollen clit through the thin material of his lounge pants, the friction barely enough to take the edge off. 

Stymied at seeking his own pleasure, he dives into making Ode feel good instead. He pulls off so that only the very tip is still in his mouth, taking his time suckling and mouthing at the head and running his tongue over the slit, before plunging back down again all the way to the base. Ode is delightfully loud, sighing and moaning and whispering obscenities in a musical language he doesn’t understand as Jiseok sets a steady pace. Switching back to Common, they murmur just how good he feels in a tone so soft and wondrous it makes Jiseoks hair stand on end. The hand on his head continues to gently pull Jiseok down, coaxing him past his usual limits as he takes the length into his throat again and again. 

The Faes moans creep ever louder, and Jiseok bobs his head faster, trying his best to keep his eyes open even as they water. The sight of Odes face twisting in pleasure above him is damn near maddening, especially as the Fae also seems loath to look away. Jiseok sends them a cheeky wink, as he plunges down faster than before and swallows around them. 

Ode groans as they pull him back by the hair, firm but still gentle enough that it only barely hurts. Jiseok’s mouth retreats with a wet smack and one last cheeky lick to the engorged head. His tongue catches a bit of precum, and the taste is sweeter than usual, less salty and almost floral. His lips feel swollen, there’s tears crusted around his eyes from when he’d gagged and his mouth and chin are smeared with drool. He must look like an absolute mess, but Ode gazes at him like Jiseok is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen, like he’s water to a parched man. 

“What’s- why’d you stop me?” Jiseok asks, voice husky, having to clear his throat midway. Ode laughs breathlessly, cupping his hand over Jiseoks cheek. 

“Wanted to see how your knees are doing.” His voice flows over Jiseok like hot honey, warm and syrupy soft. “Are you sore?” 

His concern is unexpected, and delightfully sweet. Jiseok shrugs, grinning widely up at him. 

“I’m good. I like a bit of pain,”Jiseok’s cunt throbs with anticipation at the way Odes eyes glimmer   “but thanks for checking. Want me to keep going?” 

Ode bites their lip, and for the first time this morning their confident facade drops just a touch. The hungry look in their eyes and that perfect sharp smile are still there, but it’s tinged with a slight apprehension. 

“I do.” They start, slow and careful, thumb caressing Jiseoks cheek. It sparks more butterflies in his chest, and he’s relieved that they are actually enjoying themself. “But… hah, you’re too good. It’s making it hard for me to keep up my Glamour” 

Jiseoks mind races, turning the information over even as he preens at the praise. 

“Glamour… That’s your shapeshifting magic, right? Do you-do you not really look like this?” He blurts out, trying his best not to sound accusing. He isn’t, but he is deathly curious. Ode shifts slightly in the seat, eyes flitting away for just a moment. 

“I’m mostly the same as this form, my face doesn’t change much.” They answer, quiet and soft and borderline vulnerable, before their gaze lands back on Jiseok. “This is just a, ah, more human version of it. My True Form is more… bestial ” 

Jiseok is an intelligent person. This is an objective fact. He’s built wonders of magical and mechanical engineering, has solved problems others thought impossible, was dealt a shit hand and still managed to build something incredible out of his life through sheer wit and will. He is, generally speaking, incredibly thorough when he thinks something through, taking his time to weigh the pros and cons and come to the logical decision. 

But all of that flies out of the window when faced with Ode. He knows vaguely of the legends of the Fae, enough to know that he should know more before dealing with them, before inviting them into his house and getting all close and personal. And what little he does know about the power and the allure and the danger contained in their True Form should have him turning and running the other way. But his mind is clouded with desire and logic has fully fled from the building, so Jiseok just leans forward with his hands on his knees and asks entirely too eagerly. 

“Would you show me?” 

Odes eyes go wide. That clearly wasn’t what they were expecting. The air in the room seems to thicken, to pull the both of them in and shroud the rest of the world away, condensing it down to just the two of them. 

“What?” The word is a warning and a question all wrapped up in dulcet tones. He hears what Ode leaves unsaid, are you sure you know what you’re asking? 

He doesn’t. Not really. But he’s committed to this course now, and Jiseok doesn’t do anything by half, so he forges onward. 

“I mean, I’m assuming you’d be more comfortable in it?” He asks, waiting for Odes' slow nod before he continues. “Right, so it’ll be easier to keep going if you drop the Glamour. Also I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t really curious, you’re the first Fae I've ever met but I’ve heard the stories. If you’re this good-looking now, I’m sure you’re even more gorgeous-”

Ode stops him in his tracks by sliding to the floor and crashing their lips against his. Jiseok can’t help the high-pitched yelp of surprise that escapes from him before it’s muffled by the sudden kiss. He instinctively jerks back, but Ode has moved quicker than any human could and caged the back of his head with one large hand, so Jiseok has no choice but to relax into the kiss. That’s not a hardship, not when Ode is the perfect juxtaposition of firm hands and soft lips, achingly sweet and yet so carnal. 

“I’m not usually this lucky” They pull back to murmur as Jiseok gasps for breath. He’s had their cock in his mouth, and yet the kiss has set his heart racing even faster, the intimacy of it making his head swim. “I’m so glad you’re the one who found me” 

It’s too much, and yet Jiseok feels like he’ll never get enough of this. This time he’s the one who leans in, slotting their lips together and grasping for Odes hair, their neck, wherever he can reach. Time ceases to matter, not when Odes tongue is slipping into his mouth and tangling with his own. Jiseok wants to climb into their lap and grind against them, wants to shed his clothes and feel that perfect cock split him open. But first he has to pull away, breathing heavy and so ridiculously turned on he might faint. Ode doesn’t look much more put together, their eyes blown wide and lips cherry red, cock still hard and heavy between their legs. 

“Your form..” Jiseok gestures to them, and they grin, devastatingly sweet. 

“Right. You’re very distracting” 

Ode unfolds easily from the floor to standing, smooth and in control. Jiseok is considerably less graceful as he straightens up, his legs a bit wobbly from kneeling for so long. Ode notices his shakiness and darts forward to steady him, lifting Jiseok up like he weighs nothing to prop him up on the clean edge of his workbench. If he wasn’t already soaking wet down there, that show of strength would’ve done it. So Jiseok likes knowing that his partner could throw him around, sue him. 

Ode doesn’t go far, stopping for just a second to shed his shirt before slotting in between Jiseoks parted legs and resting gentle hands on his hips.  

“Are you sure? It can be a little…alarming, for mortals to see” 

Jiseok groans incredulously. He thought Fae were supposed to be selfish, tricksy creatures, not endlessly considerate like Ode appears to be. 

“I’m not scared if you’re not” He taunts, poking a finger at their sculpted chest. Ode shakes their head, huffs out a quiet little laugh, and steps away. They roll their shoulders, eyes never leaving Jiseok, and then the air shimmers like a heat mirage as the Glamour drops and Jiseoks breath catches in his throat. 

The Ode that stands before him is, true to his word, mostly unchanged. They have the same gorgeous facial features, lithe build and quick hands. The kind of beauty that has you turning around to look as they pass you on the street, that naturally draws your eye. But now that aura is palpable, a magnetic pull not allowing him to look away. Even though the brushstrokes of their features are the same, the effect has been heightened, every aspect exuding an otherworldly moreness . Taller, sharper, more alluring. His eyes are now molten gold with slitted pupils, and on the ends of those long fingers are sharp black claws. Ode smiles widely at him, revealing that the slightly pointed canines from before have been replaced by a full set of top and bottom fangs, pearly white and razor-sharp. 

But the biggest difference is the pair of black fox ears blending into their hair on the top of their head, and the fluffy, white-tipped tail slowly swishing behind them. The short fur of their ears looks velvet soft and Jiseok immediately wants to run his hands over them, to say nothing of how plush their tail looks.

“You’re beautiful” Jiseok breathes, and the smile on Ode’s face turns downright predatory. They stalk forward, light on their feet, and something primal in the base of Jiseoks mind starts screaming at him to run. Instinctive fear seizes his breath in his chest as Ode steps in close, and he just knows that they could kill him in an instant, that this creature is more dangerous than anything he’s ever faced before. 

It does nothing to extinguish the heat curling in his gut as Ode grasps him by the neck and pulls him into a bruising kiss. The experience of flicking his tongue into Odes mouth is vastly different to before, now that he has to contend with the fangs. If anything it heightens the tension, knowing that at any moment they could snap their jaws closed and take a chunk of Jiseok with them. He realizes with a spark of arousal that even their tongue is that little bit longer as it pushes into his mouth. They intertwine, dancing together and stealing even more of Jiseoks breath away as he runs his hands up the solid plane of Ode’s chest. He gives easily. Right now he’d let Ode take anything he wanted, without question. 

“You’re wearing too many clothes” Ode whispers against him, hands wandering to the hem of his shirt.

“F uck ” Jiseok shudders as Ode disentangles their lips to latch onto his neck instead, peppering it with kisses and stopping occasionally to lathe their tongue over a particular spot, or to nip with those sharp teeth. With fumbling hands he pops the buttons one by one and Ode all but tears it off of him once he’s done. Their eager fingers go to the waistband of his pants, and instinctively his hand shoots out to grab Odes, anxiety sparking. 

“Wait, I-” He pants as Ode stills “It’s okay, I just..” He takes a deep breath. This never gets easier, no matter how many times he’s had to come out to someone, no matter how sweet Ode is. “You should know that I'm trans. I have a pussy, not a cock. Is that.. still okay?” 

Ode grins, relaxed. “Of course, sweetheart.” Jiseok sags in relief against them, and Ode hums comfortingly, gently stroking the skin of his abdomen above the waistband. “Gender is a lot more fluid to my kind, but I understand humans have a far more rigid view of it? It makes no difference to me. Besides, I’m a shapeshifter. I could have one, if I wanted” And if that thought makes Jiseok practically go cross-eyed with desire, that’s his own business. 

Though he’s struck contemplating the dizzying possibilities of having a shapeshifter as a lover, Ode wrenches him back to the now by leaning in, licking up the shell of his ear and pausing there to whisper. “Though, I have to say I’m glad. I love eating people out. You did such a good job before, now it’s my turn.”

Chapter Text

Now it’s my turn. 

Before Jiseok can reply or even really process their words, Ode grasps Jiseok by his hips and pulls him right to the edge of the workbench. He yelps, one hand going to Ode’s chest and the other to the table behind him to steady himself. Gentle but insistent they ease him out of his pants. It would be easier if he hopped down from the table, but he’s too caught up in the feeling of Odes' clever hands on him to problem solve like that, so he settles for wriggling out of them like an awkward worm. Finally he sits there naked and squirming on the table, and this is usually where he would start to feel self conscious. 

But it’s become very hard to think of anything at all as Ode slips smoothly to his knees, and Jiseok feels warm breath ghosting over his cunt. 

“You’re so wet for me” Ode murmurs, so close Jiseok can feel the movement of their mouth as they speak, helped by the finger delicately swiping up the seam and spreading the lips of his pussy open. His legs go to close automatically, but Ode easily holds them apart, not letting him escape.  

His earlier thoughts of Ode on their knees pales in comparison to the real thing. It’s almost too much, to look down and see those golden eyes trained on him as their tongue flicks out over his clit. That first contact breaks the floodgates, and all Jiseok can do is lean back and cling to the table as Ode gets to work taking him apart lick by lick. Their wicked tongue is just as smooth and dextrous as the rest of them, something Jiseok learns very quickly as Ode alternates between lapping over the bud of his clit and dragging down to circle the rim of his hole. 

Jiseok can’t muffle his cry when that tongue pushes inside him, finally finally filling that aching void. It reaches surprisingly deep, far deeper than any tongue he’s had inside him before, shocking in its intensity. 

‘Hah, fuck” He pants, prosthetic hand clenching so tight to the table he half-expects it to leave an imprint in the wood. He has to screw his eyes shut then, focus narrowing down to just Ode’s nose nudging against his clit and the threatening hint of their fangs and that tongue . It retreats, only to press in even deeper as Ode tilts their head for a better angle. The velvet fur of their ears tickles at the inside of his thigh, soft right next to the firm grip of their hands keeping his legs spread and open for the taking. 

With one last deep thrust in Ode retreats, and Jiseok mistakenly believes that they’re giving him a break. But without even taking a breath he dives back in to flick over Jiseoks clit, relentless. One of their fingers teases at the entrance to his hole, starting to gently push in, and Jiseok tugs harshly on Odes hair in panic. As much as he likes a bit of pain, he doesn’t think his pussy could take those sharp claws. He likes it whole and not scratched to bits, thank you very much. 

“Wait, your claws-” He gasps out, and Ode huffs a bark of laughter from where his face is buried between Jiseoks thighs. He doesn’t pause in his ministrations on Jiseoks clit as he reaches up the hand that had been about to enter him to show Jiseok the blunted, clawless fingernails. Ah, right. Shapeshifter. 

“Oh, good. Thanks, you can- oh gods” He moans as Ode reaches back down and slides two of them into Jiseoks hole with no preamble. They sink straight to the knuckle, a testament to how sloppily wet he is, and the sudden stretch of them is immensely satisfying. Even more so, when Ode closes his lips around Jiseoks clit and sucks at the same time as he crooks those fingers up inside him. Jiseok almost cums on the spot. 

Ode scissors their fingers open, sliding them in and out at a brutally slow pace, only moving away from his clit to suck a thick bruise into his sensitive inner thigh. Jiseok wants to beg them for more, to go harder, faster, but the words float just out of reach. 

“ Please..” He manages to choke out in between gasps, borderline sobbing with pleasure. Ode pauses and draws away just enough to ask “Please what?” all coy and cruel, tail flicking playfully behind them. Jiseok does sob then, tugging uselessly at their hair to try get them to keep going. 

“More, please I can take it just keep going it feels so good - nghh” He begs, and is rewarded as Ode adds another finger and ups the pace of their thrusts. There’s nothing Jiseok loves more than the feeling of being stretched out, filled to the brim and taken to the point where he feels he’s about to break. Ode is well on the way to taking him there with the slick slide of their fingers within and the unending stimulation from their tongue. Jiseok can feel the tightening in his core as the orgasm builds, threatening to crash over him at any second. 

And then Ode closes his lips around Jiseoks clit and sucks, at the same time crooking his fingers up deep inside and Jiseok is gone , mind entirely blank and vision blurring as the best orgasm he’s ever had roars through him. He’s probably torn some of Ode’s hair out from how hard he’s pulling, his tailbone is beginning to bruise and he’s making a high keening sound that’s so loud he wouldn’t be surprised if his neighbours heard him. But none of that matters, not with Ode working him through the orgasm with slow, steady thrusts and the light scrape of their fangs against his abused clit. 

As the aftershocks finally subside and Jiseoks brain slowly pieces itself back together, Ode withdraws his slick-soaked fingers. Jiseok tries (and fails miserably) not to whine at the loss, and then fails again as the Fae presses one final kiss to the inside of his thigh. They straighten up and catch Jiseoks legs as they fall jelly-like and limp, gently propping him in a more stable position on the table. And then he’s treated to the enthralling sight of Ode licking their fingers clean . They do it quick, like it’s a matter of practicality rather than teasing and it’s somehow hotter than if Ode had been coy about it. His hands clench on the table, resisting the urge to make grabby hands at the Fae because that would be mortifyingly clingy for how little time they’ve spent together. It doesn’t stop the little whimper he lets out, but hey. Can’t win them all. 

As though they’ve read his mind, Ode steps in close again and knocks his forehead against Jiseoks, lips ghosting just past each other. 

“Still with me?” They whisper, hands resting gently on Jiseoks thighs and head still pressed against his. 

“Barely” He croaks “What the fuck , I think I actually slipped into the Ethereal Plane for a second there” Ode’s expression doesn’t change, but the satisfied flick of their ears and the swish of their tail betrays them. The fox who got the cream. Were Jiseok in any more control of his faculties he might’ve made a joke about that (and then immediately regretted it), but luckily for them both he’s still half-dazed and distracted by the nudge of Odes hardness against his thigh. 

“Too much? Or are you okay to keep going?” Ode asks, still sugar-sweet, thumb rubbing soothing circles on the top of Jiseoks thighs. 

Jiseok intends to be smooth. To say something cool and charming, work some seductive magic of his own. But his brain is still fried, and so what comes out of his mouth is instead a very blunt “I wanna ride you” 

It still does the trick, Odes eyes darkening and turning even more predatory. And then with no warning those hands are slipping down under his thighs and lifting him unceremoniously into the air. Jiseok lets out a yelp of alarm, throwing his arms around Ode’s neck and wrapping his shaky legs around their criminally toned waist. 

“Bedroom?” Ode asks, sounding far too pleased with himself. 

“ Fuck me , uh, down the hallway on the left.” Jiseok breathes into their neck, cheeks aflame with equal parts embarrassment and lust. 

“That’s the plan” Ode promises, like a smartass, though a very attractive one. They waste no time in following Jiseoks directions, carrying him like he’s no burden at all, which of course conjures images of Ode just pressing him up against the wall and taking him right there. The thought is hot enough Jiseok almost begs for it. But godsdammit he really does want to ride Ode, and he can’t go back on his request now, so he just files that under things to (hopefully) do later and presses giggly kisses into Odes collarbone as they ferry him down the hall. 

His bedroom is, like the rest of his house, small and cozy. He really only spends time in here to sleep or get changed, so his bed takes up the majority of the space. Jiseok is suddenly incredibly glad that he’d replaced his old creaky single with a large and sturdy queen a few months ago, after Jooyeon got too excited during a slumber party and nearly broke it in half. 

Ode shuts the door behind them with a smooth sweep of their knee and turns to the bed, and Jiseok is honestly expecting them to just kinda dump him on it, or maybe put him down here in front of the door. Instead they step closer to the headboard and turn around, sitting down backwards onto the bed with Jiseok still safely in their lap. It’s annoyingly smooth, but Jiseok can’t muster the energy to be mad about it, not when they’re pressed together like this, skin to skin and both burning with desire. 

Ode captures his lips again, tongue slipping back inside Jiseok mouth and bringing with it the unmistakable taste of himself . He didn’t realise he would find that hot as it is (he’s learning so much about himself today). But it’s not long before he’s whining and pulling away. Ode’s hardness is trapped between the two of them but he’s incapable of doing anything about it in this position, and while generally he’d enjoy teasing his partner Jiseok is far too worked up to muster any shred of patience. 

“We have to-this isn’t the right angle, can you shuffle-?” He manages to get out, even though Ode has moved their lips down and is sucking a very distracting hickey onto his pulse point. Their lips detach with a slick sound, and he can feel their grin against his neck. 

“So eager” They purr, clearly fine with continuing to tease him. But something in Jiseoks tone must have betrayed his desperation, as the Fae obliges, falling back and swinging their legs up onto the bed. And Jiseok is treated to the sight of the Fae staring up at him with shining golden eyes full of desire, hair messy and lips shiny with spit and so artfully, beautifully disheveled that he has to take a second just to drink them in. Pride blossoms in his chest, that he’s the one who’s affected Ode so. In response to his unabashed appreciation Ode’s grip on his hips tightens, digging in and pulling Jiseok to grind down further on them, and it’s enough to remind Jiseok of his mission. 

Jiseok sits up a little straighter, and cups his non-prosthetic hand as the other traces a simple rune in the air above it. The charm solidifies, and oil fills the makeshift bowl of his palm. Ode huffs out a little laugh, even as Jiseok reaches down to slick his length up. 

“Handy” They murmur. “You’ll have to teach me that one” 

“Sure” Jiseok agrees easily, throwing in a cheeky wink for good measure. If butterflies spark in his chest at the thought of Ode wanting him again after tonight, that’s his business. 

It takes a little shuffling to get them aligned, and then Ode’s length is sliding between his lips, hot and hard and rubbing so deliciously against his clit. Jiseok rolls his hips once, twice, grinding down indulgently until Ode growls and their claws bite into his skin. Jiseok giggles, breathless, but he gets the message and cants his hips back so that the tip of their cock catches on the rim of his entrance. 

It’s big. He can tell just from how the blunt head is struggling to slide in, and he knew that from having it in his mouth earlier. But that had been their human disguise and not the Fae’s True Form, and Jiseok is getting the feeling that their cock is even longer and thicker now. It’s certainly the biggest he’s ever tried to take. But Jiseok is no quitter, and so he bears down again and finally the head slips inside. Jiseok has to plant his hands on Ode’s chest and just breathe for a second around the stretch, mind blank and thighs quivering. 

“Take it slow, sweetheart” Ode urges, smoothing a hand down Jiseoks flank, heavy-lidded gaze fixed on his face. “You’re so tight, so wet . Doing so good for me” 

Jiseok is quite unable to answer. All he can do is lower himself further onto Ode’s cock, as it splits him open so deep he can almost feel it in his throat. Ode brings one hand down to rub at the bud of his clit, and that helps distract from the burn, as do the stream of honeyed words of praise he keeps up.

Jiseoks thighs meet Ode’s torso as he bottoms out. All he can manage to verbalize is one reverent, emphatic “ Fuck” He’s never before felt so full, so utterly at the mercy of Ode inside him. 

“Look” Ode grins, all sharp teeth and wild eyes, and Jiseok follows his gaze down as the Fae’s hand comes up to press over the slight bulge distending his stomach. Jiseok can’t help the whine that escapes him nor the jerky roll of his hips, so overcome by the sight of how deep Ode is in him. The movement forces Ode’s hand into pressing down, and the sensation is so unlike any pleasure Jiseok has felt before that his eyes roll up into his head and he hunches over, half-falling onto Ode’s chest and only barely catching himself. 

“ Gods” He pants, forehead resting on their shoulder. “You’re so-” Jiseok slurs, unable to get the words out. Ode chuckles in response, indulgent and fond rather than mean (though maybe Jiseok would like it if they were a little mean) and smooths a gentle hand up his back. 

It takes an immense amount of effort to lift his hips up. Ode’s cock drags every inch of the way, then carves its way back in as he drops down onto it. Jiseok sets an unsteady, slow rhythm, so entirely overcome with sensation that he can’t manage much more. He gets the slightly hysterical urge to assure Ode that he’s usually better at this, but the Fae isn’t making any complaints, and it’s not like Jiseok has the wherewithal to do much other than moan brokenly. It’s good, so good it almost hurts, but it’s not enough to bring him fully to the edge. 

Ode comes to the same conclusion just as Jiseoks arms are starting to shake. They reach up to smooth Jiseoks sweaty hair away from his face, giggling as Jiseok leans into the affection greedily. 

“Need some help, there?” 

And fuck, is it so unfair that Ode can still sound teasing and in control, when Jiseok is this wrecked. But Jiseok really is nearing the limits of his ability, so he nods, whimpering as Ode’s cock grinds up against a spot that sends sparks rushing through him. 

It happens so fast Jiseoks lust-hazed mind can barely parse it. One moment he’s (sort-of) upright, and then the next he’s on his back, Ode looming above and all around and their cock still inside him. It’s both grounding and overwhelming, all the different points of sensation and the relief of having to do nothing but lie there and take it. 

And take it he does. Ode barely pauses to situate a pillow under Jiseoks hips, and then Jiseok is lost to sharp thrusts and Ode’s hand gripping his waist and the feeling of being utterly liquified in pleasure. The angle is different now, the drag too quick to really feel minute changes like before, but the steady pound into him draws the coil of orgasm tighter and tighter, bringing him teetering at the brink. Jiseoks digs his nails into the meat of Ode’s shoulder, and their responding growl rumbles and reverberates through them both. Now the tables have turned, and Jiseok is the one babbling nonsense, prayers and swears and please more harder please tumbling from his lips. 

Ode snarls again, and pulls Jiseok in for an agonizing grind deep inside as their teeth latch into his shoulder. The orgasm is somehow even better than earlier, his walls fluttering and pulsing around Ode, slick and tight and heavenly, tipping Ode over the edge with it. The Fae spills deep inside him as their fangs break skin, and that just draws Jiseoks own release out more, wave after wave of pleasure, until finally the both of them still. 

“ Fuck” Jiseok pants, fingers smoothing over the scratches he’s gouged into Ode’s back. The Fae’s teeth pull free of his flesh, and they look down at him with Jiseoks blood on their lips and wonder in their eyes, a vision out of his dreams. 

“ Fuck ” The Fae agrees with a grin. 

Jiseok basks in the afterglow for a record amount of time. Luxuriates in it, sated in a way he’s never felt before, loose and languid. But he is who he is, and so eventually that soft contentment is swept slowly away by the tide of curiosity. He knows so little about the creature curled firmly against his back and pressing sweet kisses into the seam of his shoulder. Puzzles like Ode are a siren song to him, a table laden with the silver platters of a concealed feast and Jiseok a starving man. All of the knowns and unknowns tumble around in his head, questions half-forming on his tongue. Ode had said they were formerly of the Spring Court of the Seelie, had he left of his own accord or been pushed out? Does he actually know Hyeongjun like Jiseok assumes? They obviously haven’t interacted much with humans, but what is the extent of that knowledge? 

Do they intend to stay? 

The hand that had been resting firm on his hip moves to cover his own, to gently uncurl his fingers that had been worrying mindlessly at the sheets. 

“You’re thinking so loudly” Ode whispers, breath tickling at his neck. Jiseok swallows. 

“Lots to think about” He whispers back, as Ode laces their fingers together and pulls their clasped hands closer into Jiseoks chest. 

“Like what?” 

Are you going to stay? “Still going to make me breakfast?” He’s a coward, and it shows in the waver of his voice, going for joking and landing far too earnest. 

But Ode is lovely and gracious, so they just hum assent and tuck impossibly further into him. “Find me some ingredients and I'll try my best. Did you not believe me?” 

He’s far too perceptive, and Jiseok is a bad liar. 

Please stay “Figured you might have some Important Fae Business to get back to in your realm” He shrugs. Ode snorts out a little laugh, pressing a firmer kiss into the divot behind Jiseoks jaw.  

“Silly, sweet thing” Jiseok tries and fails not to squirm away from the fondness in their voice “Even if I wanted to go back, the portal between the realms only opens when the moonflowers bloom, and that window of time ended with the dawn. Besides” Ode rolls over top of Jiseok in one smooth movement, caging him underneath with both their body and the intensity of their gaze “I haven’t nearly repaid my debt. Don’t tell me you’re absolving me early” They purr, less of a question than a threat, though one that is softened as they nuzzle their nose against his. 

Jiseok can’t help the giggle that escapes him. He shakes his head vigorously, and is rewarded by Odes' answering grin and more kisses littered over his neck. 

They’re very rudely interrupted by the loud growl of Jiseoks stomach. Ode snickers, tail swishing and eyes crinkled up in mirth. 

“Breakfast?” 

“Breakfast” Jiseok agrees, then takes proper stock of the state he’s in, which is to say thoroughly ravaged, and groans “Okay, maybe a bath first, I should not go to the market like this. Oh gods, I have so much work to do as well, the fucking rune.” He grabs for a pillow and stuffs it over his face. “Nevermind, today’s cancelled”  

Ode snorts an undignified laugh and tries to pull the pillow away from Jiseoks face. Sadly for him, Jiseok has ample experience playing tug of war with Jooyeon whenever he’s in his wolf form, so his hold on the pillows remains tight and resolute. Their laugh turns into a full high pitched cackle as they struggle. Jiseok has no choice but to laugh along, happiness bubbling inside him like champagne despite his dread at the day ahead. He never in a million years would have imagined his excursion into the forest would have led to this.  

“ C’mon, let go- ” Ode gasps out in between giggles, still trying and failing to remove the pillow, a token effort in the face of Jiseoks mastery. “Okay, okay you can keep the pillow. How about this?” Jiseok is shocked into another fit of laughter as Ode pauses to lean down and press a kiss to his stomach, not seeing it coming due to the pillow still clutched over his face. “You take a bath while I grab some ingredients from the market. I’ll make us breakfast, you finish up the rune and then everyone’s happy.” 

Jiseok removes the pillow from his view, clutching it to his chest instead as he gazes down at where Ode is still hovering over him. The Fae’s face is flushed, hair messy, and their fangs are sunk into their lip but the occasional giggle still slips out. Adorable. Still somehow unfairly hot. 

“You’re not going to take a bath with me?” He teases, an aftershock of desire hitting him as Ode’s gaze darkens. They crawl up the bed so that they’re level with Jiseok, noses brushing together and close enough that he almost goes cross-eyed. 

“I thought you wanted to get work done today?” They purr, light and teasing. “I’m a creature of vice, Jiseok. You should know better than to tempt me” 

He wants to giggle, to tease back. But something stops him in his tracks as suspicion prickles up his spine. 

“Wait, when did I tell you my name?” 

Ode freezes, eyes going wide and ears pinning back to the sides of their head. Jiseok sits up and they lean back, hands twisting in the blanket. 

“Ah. You didn’t” They state, so quiet as to be barely audible. Jiseok frowns. 

“Then how-?”

“Your friend, Hyeongjun.” Ode mutters sheepishly, Jiseoks intuition once again being proven correct.”I claim domain over part of the forest around the town, so he’s asked for passage for hunting and we’ve talked a bit. A while ago, he made a deal with me to keep you and your friends safe in the woods, so he told me your name then. I obviously didn’t do a very good job, seeing as you had to be the one to rescue me” They finish wryly, uncharacteristically tense. 

Jiseok can’t put a name to the feeling swirling in his mind, the realizations dancing just out of reach. 

“I-Every time I've been into the forest I've felt like someone’s there, like there’s been something out in the trees watching me. Was that you?” 

Ode shifts again, not meeting Jiseoks eyes, guilt painted on their face. 

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intent to make you uncomfortable, I didn’t realize you could sense me nearby. There was nothing else out there, if that helps. You were never in any danger, from me or anything else.” 

Jiseok takes Ode’s hand, slipping metal between warm skin, and the Fae finally looks up at him. He smiles, reassuring, as he brings his other hand up to smooth down a lock of unruly hair that’d flopped over Odes eyes. Because Jiseok doesn’t feel upset or uncomfortable, not really. A little shocked, perhaps. But mostly relieved to know that he hadn’t been imagining things, and touched at Hyeongjuns care in asking the Fae to look after them. 

“It’s okay! I’m not mad, I promise” He soothes, rubbing a thumb over Ode’s knuckles. “I’m glad, to be honest, that it was you. And curious-” He tilts his head in his best impression of the Fae, as coy as he can be “Did you like what you saw? What’d you think of me?” 

Ode brightens immediately, tail going from tucked behind them to swishing madly with mirth as he squeezes Jiseoks hand back and leans into the one now resting on his cheek. 

“That you were cute. I thought about introducing myself, but you seemed, ah, jumpy ” 

Jiseok can suddenly think of nothing else but Ode in the forest, a handsome stranger caging him against a tree, maybe even chasing him down should he run. The thought of it is no longer terrifying, but tantalizing, and Ode must sense some element of it in the way he blushes and squirms. 

“Oh, maybe I should have introduced myself, then” They tease, and it’s too much for Jiseok. Words fail him, so his only recourse is to grab the back of the Fae’s neck and haul them in for another bruising kiss. 

“Breakfast” He pleads, minutes later when Ode finally lets him pull away. He’s a weak man, especially when faced with such exquisite temptation, but godsdammit he really does need to get some work done today. 

“Breakfast” Ode agrees, sweetly but still with a bite of something dangerous to him. Hot honey sitting on his tongue. Addicting. 

Breakfast is good. Dinner is even better. Jiseok somehow finishes the enchantment on time, and his reward when he returns from delivering it to the grateful adventurer is Ode lounging on his couch, a hearty stew simmering on his stove, and the thought singing in every inch of him as he crawls into their lap for round 2, fuck, he really could get used to this. 

Epilogue ~ 1 month later 

Tonight is the full moon, and Jiseok has been praying for a distraction all day. 

In the weeks since Ode has taken up residence in his home and his heart, Jiseok has been learning all he can about Fae. It’s a struggle to corner the town's Bard Lia without Ode around as they’ve taken a liking to hanging around the tavern, but the few nights they’ve been busy he’s wrung every story he can out of her. He’s likewise raided their small library, and even requested some books in from the nearby city under the guise of stocking them in the shop. Ode has been willing to answer any question he asks, with a few notable exceptions like why he’d left the Spring Court, but Jiseok knows the worth of finding a second source. There’s been some important information gained, such as the importance and power knowing a Fae’s True Name imparts. But the vast majority of the stories had focused on mortals outsmarting the Fae’s curses and tricks, or trying and failing, falling victim to their cruel whims. The few he’s found about a Fae taking a mortal lover have all ended in tragedy, with the Fae’s capricious nature causing them to lose interest or betray the mortal. Not exactly comforting stuff. 

But everytime he’s felt disquieted by a story, he’ll go home after and find Ode cooking a meal for them both, or bringing him some trinket they’ve found at the market or a story from the bar. They’ll sit beside him while he works and carry him to bed in strong arms, kiss him senseless in the kitchen and in the alleyway behind the shop and everywhere they can. They’ll fuck him hard and fast, or gentle and slow, unravel him bit by bit piece by piece till he can no longer remember a time before they were a thread in the tapestry of his life. 

And all the while, the days have been ticking down in his head to the next Full Moon. He hasn’t forgotten the Fae’s words in bed the day they’d properly met, that the portal back to their home Plane only opens when moonflowers bloom. While Jiseok has been sinking deeper into infatuation (only infatuation, for he dares not name it what it actually is) it’s been with the mounting anxiety of waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Ode has made no mention of the debt they owe, except as a way to tease Jiseok into letting them take care of him. They certainly haven’t spoken of a time limit or given any indication if it’s been nearly paid. The few sources he’s found on Fae debts have been frustratingly vague, as in almost all the cases the story had ended by the Fae finding a way to wriggle out of it, or by the mortal dying and therefore breaking the pact. He could be one small helpful deed away from Ode being free, and he’s too much of a coward to ask. It would feel callous at this point, to equate their relationship to just a debt. But how can he truly know, when he’s dealing with someone who is not human and never will be? So as the days wind closer he’s become ever more tense, a coiled wire primed to snap, lost in the unknowns and trying desperately not to think about it, to just enjoy the time that they have, to not ruin it with worries that could be unfounded. 

He’d been hopeful Jooyeon would want to spend the nights shift with them so that the two shapeshifters could run amok together, but Jungsu had volunteered in their stead and refused any compromise with a knowing glint in his eye. Jiseok can’t even be mad that he’s been usurped as Jooyeons favorite by Ode. He’s just glad that all of those closest to him have gotten along. Jooyeon had immediately been overjoyed by the presence of someone who could actually join him and keep up on a run and Hyeongjun had already been friendly with the Fae outside of Jiseok. Jungsu had been the one outlier at first. He’d regarded Ode with no small measure of suspicion, especially upon learning of the others true nature, and had taken them outside of the pub after their first meeting for what Jiseok assumes was an absolutely mortifying attempt at a shovel talk. Ode had returned smelling strangely of smoke and looking a little uneasy, but from the day after the two seemed to get on like a house on fire. 

The fact that his friends are also fond of Ode has both helped and hurt his anxiety. Helped in that it would take a cruel person indeed to leave Jooyeon behind, loveable as he is. Unhelpful in that if Ode does leave it won’t be hurting only him. And hurt it will, if his fears come true. Jiseok has never been in a proper relationship before, has only had flings, brief encounters both good and bad. All of them pale in comparison to what he feels for Ode, to the emotions growing and swelling within him with each passing day. Each touch brings more butterflies, each tiny moment of care leaving his face flushed and heart racing. Jiseok has never been in love but now he feels right on the precipice of it, and he’s never been more scared of something in his life. 

The full moon comes. It rains, thunders down all day forcing them inside away from the elements. Jiseok tries not to read it as an omen. He just lets the day pass them by, curled up by the fire with each other, clingier than usual. If Ode notices they don’t comment, nor do they tease too much when Jiseok frantically pulls them to bed and wrings as many orgasms out of them as he can. He commits the moments to memory, savoring every second of pleasure, drinking deep of every twitch of their ears and stroke of their fingers, every laugh that bubbles up, every kiss pressed to his skin. And then as night falls and the anxiety begins again to make a home under his skin, he busies himself with the work he’d been neglecting all day. 

The rain stops. The stars wheel overhead beyond the confines of his house (it’s begun to feel like their house too) and as Ode makes no move to leave Jiseok slowly begins to ease. 

Everything is fine. Until he goes to reach for an ingredient on his shelf and his eyes fall over the vial of Lunelily powder. Or more specifically, the lack thereof. The vial itself is gone, empty space seeming impossibly large amongst the other carefully labeled reagents, each in its proper place. Head whipping around, he scans his workbench. Maybe he’s just misplaced it somewhere in a mindless moment. 

Nothing. Not a trace. Which is incredibly weird because Jiseok clearly remembers it being there not even an hour ago.

“Looking for something?” 

Odes tone is featherlight, perfectly normal, face neutral and innocent as they look up from the book they ‘just happened’ to have been reading on the couch. Jiseok spins around on the stool, resisting the urge to point accusingly at Ode. 

“Yeah, my Lunelily powder. Have you seen it?” He asks, telling himself off for assuming the worst of the other off the bat, still jumpy from how worked up he’s been all day. That sentiment is ruined when Ode tilts their head coyly. 

“It was there before, right? Strange for it to go missing like that” They reply, idle like they’re commenting on the weather and not on an ingredient that they know full-well is expensive and rare. Jiseok has gotten into the habit of explaining his artificing to the Fae during the days they spend inside with him rather than venturing out into their territory, filling the room with chatter as Ode cooks or reads or just relaxes on the couch in their fox form. And he’s certainly mentioned Lunelillies before. In fact now that he’s thinking about it he’s sure Ode asked about it specifically only a few days ago. 

Jiseok's suspicion deepens. He knows Ode enough by now to know their tricks, the patented Fae evasion, the not-really-answering the question asked. They can’t tell a direct lie, sure, but they can absolutely skirt around it. Ode is usually upfront and blunt about what he thinks, so for him to be being so slippery now is…concerning. Especially when Ode has no use for the powder, no reason for them to take it. 

But before Jiseok can do more than narrow his eyes and begin to puzzle through the situation, Ode stands up from the couch. He stretches languidly, placing the book down carefully on the couch not bothering to mark the page, and pads over towards Jiseok. 

“It’s the full moon tonight, right? We can just go get you some more” They offer a hand up, smile bright and wide enough to expose fangs, tail slowly swishing behind them. 

Anxiety churns again in his gut, sudden like a plug pulled from a drain. After all, why else would Ode suggest venturing out to the Lunelily grove if not to slip back between the planes to the Feylands. It would make sense for the portal to be nearby in the confluence of Leylines, right on the seams of the world. Why they want to bring him with them is a mystery. Perhaps they want to spend as much time as possible before saying goodbye, or wish to ask him then standing before the portal to absolve their debt. 

His mind swirls. He’s frozen in place with unease, unsure of what to do. But then Ode’s smile drops just a fraction and Jiseok cannot stand to be the reason for that, could no sooner hurt the Fae than he could rip out his still beating heart. 

So he takes his hand and lets himself be pulled to his feet. Slips on his boots, grabs his already packed bag from beside the door (despair sinks claws deeper then, at the fact that Ode has already prepared for this) and far too quickly they’re out of the door into the night. 

The walk through the forest feels like it simultaneously takes a year and a split second. Ode shifts into their human guise and then back to their True Form as soon as they clear the edge of town to dance ahead, the silver streaks in their hair and fur catching the moonlight. They’re alluring normally, hard to look away from, but in the dark of night and surrounded by the trees it’s different, magnified tenfold by how in their element they are. Sometimes Jiseok almost manages to forget that it’s a powerful, wild creature warming his bed and sharing his space. They only need to venture into the woods together for him to remember. It stirs more of that churning anxiety up, watching them wind between branches with that otherworldly grace. What right does he have to remove them from the wild? How could he ever have thought to tame them? His folly has been boundless. He should turn around right now, cut his losses while he can and tend to his wounds before they turn rancid. 

He doesn’t turn back. He just keeps putting one foot in front of the other, splashing through the mud and following the Fae leading him to his doom gladly. Maybe he’ll become another of the bard's cautionary tales, just another human left broken-hearted by the Fae. Yet another hubris-ridden mortal mistaking a passing fancy for love. 

The Lunelily grove is as beautiful as he’d remembered, maybe even more so. The petals seem to shine impossibly brighter when Ode steps lightly between them, reflecting off their otherworldly beauty. Jiseok pauses at the edge just to watch, breath caught in his throat and tears prickling at his eyes as Ode spins through the flowers, feet barely even touching the ground. They belong here, among the magic, the splendor of it. Jiseok can’t even begrudge him, not when the flowers seem like they shine only for him, not when he’s likewise been caught up in his orbit. 

Ode spins to face him, silver glinting off their fangs and shining in their eyes, throwing a hand out towards him. 

“Come here!” They beckon, laughing, swaying to some music that only they can hear. And Jiseok drops the rucksack from his back and walks forward as though pulled on a string, a fish caught on the hook. Their hands meet and Ode spins them both around. Their hair and tail are buoyed by the magic that crackles in the air around them, untethered from simple gravity and floating as though underwater. They’re so beautiful it makes Jiseoks heart ache even more, and it finally becomes too much to hide on his face. The tears prick harder at the corners of his eyes, but he can’t wipe them away with his hands captured by Fae. All he can do is cling ever tighter to them and to the slowly diminishing hope in his chest. 

Finally, finally, Ode notices his dread. They halt in the spin, drawing him close and cupping hands around his face instead. 

“What’s wrong, Seokie?” They ask velvet soft, and the dam breaks as all that he’s been valiantly holding back comes pouring out at once. 

“ Please don’t leave ” He sobs out, tears properly welling up as he fists his hands so tightly into Odes loose shirt he’s at risk of tearing it. Ode’s face crinkles up in confusion and alarm, but he can barely see it past the tears and the sorrow filling him up to the brim. 

“What? What are you talking about?” 

“You’re going back, to-to the Feylands, aren’t you” He gasps out, words barely recognisable with how bad his voice quivers. Ode grips him even tighter, eyes wide. 

“Why would you think that, sweetheart?” They entreat as if they don’t know, and despair gives way to some measure of anger. Does Ode think him stupid? Do they see him as just some silly human to toy with? 

“The Portal” He snarls, snotty and gross and pathetic next to this untouchable creature. “It’s here, isn’t it? Why else would you bring me out here, if not to have me absolve you of the debt before you go back?” 

And then the anger falls away in favor of confusion, as Ode sinks to their knees before him with their ears pinned back and tears likewise begin well up in their eyes. 

“Jiseok” He breathes, incredulous and sorrowful and a prayer all at once “The portal to the Feylands is miles away. I brought you up here because I wanted to ask you if I could stay” 

Jiseoks heart stops in his chest, and all he can do is cling to Odes shoulders as his brain struggles to catch up. 

“Did you really think I was going to just leave?” Ode asks hurting but not spiteful, no blame leveled at Jiseok, though he certainly deserves it. “I didn’t know you thought-i’m so sorry ” 

There is no hint of deceit in their eyes, just the same measure of fondness and care that they’ve given him from the start, and that brings even more tears to bear. Guilt and adoration and pure fucking relief blend together in his chest, a mess of emotion, a tangled knot that he’ll have to untangle later, later. But for now he drops to his knees and throws himself into Odes arms and it’s all squeezed away by their arms tight around him. 

“You really want to stay? He sniffles into their neck, his anxiety needing that final confirmation. Ode snorts wetly.  

“Seokie. You know that I mean what I say” They admonish, carding gentle fingers through his hair. 

“Yeah. I know.” He admits, likewise laughing. The dread that’s been weighing him down falls away all at once, leaving him light as a feather.

They stay there tangled up in each other for long enough that Jiseok loses track of time. It doesn’t matter, anyways. They have time aplenty now, to press kisses into collarbones and do nothing but luxuriate in affection, surrounded by a blanket of earthbound stars. 

Eventually, they pull away enough for Ode to cup his cheek in one hand and ask sweetly “Shall we head back?” 

“Mmm.” Jiseok nuzzles into their palm, turning to press a kiss to it and delighting in their answering hum of affection “But, can I ask, why ask me here?” 

“I thought it would be romantic” They grin wryly. “Places like this are the closest this realm gets to feeling like home, the good parts of it that is, so I make it a habit to visit this grove whenever it blooms. I was heading here that night when I got caught, so I thought this would be a nice reminder of the night we met, and far prettier than the glade with the trap.” 

“Oh” Jiseok replies, struck with emotion. “It was romantic. Is. I’m sorry I ruined it” 

Ode is already shaking their head before he’s finished speaking. 

“You’ve ruined nothing, Seokie. This might not’ve gone how I planned, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, knowing that I have a place by your side” Ode murmurs.

“And you always will” Jiseok swears, the oath settling under his breastbone right next to his heart. Ode’s grip tightens, and their eyes mist again, shining in the moonlight like they’ve plucked down a swath of stars to adorn them. His tail swishes slowly behind in contentment, stirring through the flowers and blanketing the both of them in a mist of glimmering magic. Jiseok can already tell they’re going to need a thorough bath when they get home to remove the aural residue, but for now he couldn’t care less. His focus is entirely fixed upon committing this memory. 

Jiseok doesn’t venture out into the woods, but he wouldn’t mind it so much these days. Not if he gets more moments like this. Not now that he’s got his Fae at his side. For Ode, Jiseok would brave a thousand forests and fight a thousand monsters within. And he knows they’d do the same for him. For a heart's debt is held stronger than iron, and paid back easier than breathing. 

Ode slips away sometimes, out into the forest and to places that Jiseok can’t follow, called by voices on the wind for business inscrutable and fey. But he doesn’t worry, not now. 

He knows they’ll come back.