Archive of Our Own

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PART ONE: Barefoot memories
  
Chapter 1:

“Don’t run too far into the forest! Stay away from the pond!”A beautiful woman dressed in layers of skirts and an apron on top, wavy blond hair halfway curled into a messy bun, shouted after two barefoot boys. It was the first day of summer. Sun hanging high on the sky, even if it was afternoon, while the air smelled of freshly cut grass.Tomorrow every kid would be out on the fields helping their parents to hang the grass to dry, but tomorrow was tomorrow.Two young men, boys if you asked their mothers, waved their hands and shouted their “will be home for dinner, we promise”, before continuing down the small avenue that lead to a gate and out from the safety of the big farm.  Chanyeol had spent so much time there that it felt like a second home. It was how it had become over the years. Everything was a little bigger at the Byun-farm, a little brighter and a little wealthier. Chanyeol liked it there, and he felt welcomed. Adults in the village talked, yet he didn’t care about greener grass or shinier cows at age 15 while summer smelled of wild berries and his very best friend was running in front of him.Chanyeol might had grown longer limbs over the past few years, Baekhyun was still the faster between them, today no exception. Impatiently waiting by the gate, the smaller boy was bouncing on his feet, eyes sparkling with joy. Schools out, the last summer of freedom before their adult life started, they better get started on all the doing nothing they had planned.The next stop was a crooked three just on the other side of the small stream that symbolised how far into the forest it was okay for kids to go on their own. A tree they had claimed their own years ago, even if it was at the wrong side and they were still kids. When Chanyeol dropped down from the lowest branch, hanging by his knees, he could reach the ground with his fingertips. Baekhyun dangled freely from another branch, not even close touch the ground beneath.Among busy birds and curious squirrels, they talked about summer, about all the things they wanted to do. Like going on picnic with the twins from the farm over at the other side of the lake. The two girls still had one more year at school, but were fun to be around and maybe, just maybe, their long black hair flowing over tanned shoulders, had something to do with it too.“Have you ever thought about it? The Kim-girls could be hulders?” Chanyeol adjusted his grip and pulled up to sit on the branch instead of hanging down. His head felt a little light from the sudden change of position and he had to grip the trunk tight to avoid falling over.“No, a hulder have blond hair and fair skin” Baekhyun stated, still hanging upside down.  ‘Says who?’Chanyeol plucked a pinecone and slowly started to peel off the small dry flakes, one at the time, as if he was a hungry squirrel.“That’s the obvious part, everyone know they’re like that” Baekhyun countered.“You know they aren’t wealthy enough, and their voices aren’t anything to shout about and I know they are pretty girls, but have you ever seen their tails?”Baekhyun swung his body up so that he could grab the trunk and sit upright for a while too and copied his best friend by grabbing a handful of his own pinecones.Everyone knew that a hulder never let anyone see her tail, but Chanyeol let it pass. Of course they were not hulders, it was just fun to make up stories of their own, to make all the myths adults fed them come alive, for a little while.“Why do you believe in those stories anyway?” Chanyeol rested his head on the stem and tried to make out how far down the sun had moved, if it was time to head home for dinner. His gaze was dreamy though.“Because they are true!”Baekhyun jumped down from the tree, landed elegant in the grass and teasingly poked Chanyeol in his butt. Then he ran off, smiling and laughing at his bigger friend that dumped onto the ground, doing his best to organise long limbs before he could chase his chuckling friend.With one of his long legs stretched out, he hooked one of Baekhyun’s and dragged him over. Dragged both of them over. A big rolling lump of limbs and fluffy hair rolled around in the grass before Chanyeol managed to pin his friend under him.“Hah! I’m catching up on your speed” Chanyeol grinned. The smaller huffed at him and pursed his lips, not ready to admit defeat.“I will always be a little better, you know that”Baekhyun was probably right, not that it was a big deal. To give his friend some space, Chanyeol rolled over on his side, rested his head on his left hand and used the other to pluck a couple of blueberries, which he stuffed into Baekhyun’s mouth. It wasn’t until that moment that the boys realized how they had landed in blueberry heather, clothes already stained with purple marks, which would cause them getting scolded by their mothers. The sweetness of berries exploding on their tongue made it worth it though, and so they had some more of the sweet berries.“You’re blond” Chanyeol teased and brushed his fingers through golden curls on the other.   “And you come from a wealthy family and your voice is beautiful. Maybe you’re a hulder, I mean huldrekall?”The blond boy pretended to be offended for a moment, but didn’t manage to keep the annoyed look on his face for very long. In reality, Chanyeol served him a huge compliment. Truth was, Baekhyun was more than pretty enough to be a huldrekall, if judging by the stories told of them. Chanyeol poked his friends blushing cheeks, but his hands were pushed away.“Then if, where’s my tail?”  Questioned Baekhyun, the pout back on his mouth. The smaller boy rolled over on his stomach, crawled up on hands and knees and wriggled his butt under Chanyeol’s nose. “See! No tail”Chanyeol gave the wriggling butt a proper smack that had his friend flopping down on his stomach in the heap before they both bursted into laughter. This was how it should be. This was how their summer was going to be. Between and after tasks at their farms, life was easy and wonderful. As long as they had each other and enough blueberries to colour their lips purple, life was good.

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First day of summer turned into second week of summer and before they knew it, July was around with warm nights and warmer days.The forest offered shelter from the sun and when days were warm enough, they disobeyed Baekhyun’s mother and ran to the dark pond on the other side of the soggy swamp.Chanyeol jumped in from time to time, Baekhyun always only watched. The usually so brave boy was afraid of water, had never been thought how to swim. It didn’t stop Chanyeol from splashing water on his friend, soaking his clothes until they were sticking to his body. Like that, he cooled down to and Chanyeol secretly loved watching his friend trying to avoid it.When done swimming they lay in the grass waiting for the sun to dry them up, talked about nothing and everything. The smallest was the best at coming up with crazy stories to tell. It ran in the family, Chanyeol assumed.Baekhyun’s grandmother always told the wildest stories, about white horses that ran away with young girls and jumped into a lake or a river, about the fiddler that thought you how to play the most wonderful music, but took your soul in return. There were stories about forest floors drizzled with stars and fairies painted with gold. All of them told with an enthusiasm leaving young boys spellbound in front of the fireplace on stormy winter nights.Baekhyun’s speciality was clouds. In white, featherlike clouds, the big cotton candy ones and even in the threatening dark grey, he saw stories. Chanyeol only had to look in the direction his friend pointed and he could see the story occur on the blue sky. As the clouds changed form, the story did too, like a shape shifter in his grandmother’s stories. You knew what you saw, but only for a very short moment. A blink of the eye, and everything changed. It was fascinating.It might still be July and autumn was far away, like an eternity. In September, they would have to start their education in Church, start preparing for their Christian confirmation next spring. It was a big happening in the village. After they were seen as young adults, parts of their freedom reduced, more work, more studies, less time to act carefree and run around barefoot. Even if eternity is a long time, they knew autumn would come eventually, and they knew that then, everything would change. Parents didn’t wait around for him to turn 16 to make him help out. Both Chanyeol and his brother worked long days at the farm. Always stuff to do, like painting the fences. Today had not been the warmest of days, a bit cloudy, or as Mr. Park’s was wording it: ‘A perfect day for painting’.Chanyeol had not bothered changing his clothes when a familiar blond boy shouted for him, told him to hurry up. He had simply let everything behind with a promise of covering up for Sehun the next time he was out meeting girls late at night, if Sehun cleaned up for both today.He followed his friend, running through knee high grass, balancing on rocks and jumping over water streams. It felt like freedom, as time stood still and they could act as childish as they wanted. It was the contrast they both needed to balance out the serious talking sometimes going on in their tree or in the grass by the pond.As Chanyeol stripped next to the refreshing water, clothes dropped in a big piele of smelling items, he noticed Baekhyun following his every move with a pleased smile and a teasing spark in his eyes.“What?”“Hm? Nothing!”The smaller shook his head and quickly stretched his body with closed eyes.“You stared at me while I undressed. Don’t you have a dick of your own? You have to watch mine?”Chanyeol held his hands in front of his crotch, covered up some. He always skinny-dipped. This was the first time he felt naked in front of his friend though.“It’s just... ““What is it?”  An unsure laughter followed Chanyeol’s question.“You’ve grown a lot lately. That’s all. You sort of look like a man already” Okay, that was a bit more than expected. Chanyeol’s ears turned red and hot and water felt like a way out of it. Blushing or not, he wasn’t going to give his friend the victory that easy.“Well, at least I have a dick!”He turned around and carefully stepped into the quiet water, creating tiny waves in the surface while he waited for a comeback.“Are you asking me to show you my own dick? Is that it?”Oh God! He was never winning against his friend’s quick tongue. Chanyeol felt tongue-tied. Instead of trying to come up with anything that wasn’t going to make this more awkward, he threw his long body backwards in the water and kicked his legs the best he could. In the grass sat a soaked blonde boy, still fully dressed. That much he deserved for such behaviour. So far this summer they had done a lot of nothing. It had mostly been just the two of them. Of course, Sehun followed suit from time to time. The boys from the Kim’s farm too. Picnic with girls had yet to happen. Because when it was just the two of them, Baekhyun and Chanyeol, nothing else mattered. They had their own secret places, their own humour and stories, what else could you need? Chanyeol was done swimming for today, had dried up enough to put back on his underwear and shirt. Clothes smelled of a long day of working in the sun, but he wasn’t going to run around naked in the forest. Lazily chewing on a straw, he focused on the clouds and the story Baekhyun tried to put together next to him. It was a bit too cloudy though and the story ended up as a barn filled with hay, no patterns, nothing to get a hold of, a mess, allowing Chanyeol’s thoughts to drift away.“Baek! Did you hear Sehun kissed that Lisa-girl?”“Yeah, I think he told everyone” Baekhyun chuckled. Sehun really had been running around bragging about it.“He’s only 13!”“Yes, and?”“Well, he’s too young. She’s too young!”“Come on! What’s the big deal? It’s not like he proposed to her”Baekhyun was on his back in the grass, arms and legs spread out like a starfish, eyes focused on the sky above. Chanyeol had sat himself up, watched his too relaxed friend. Didn’t he get how it was affecting him, how he constantly had to cover up for his brother when he was out running at nights?“You’re just jealous” The boy in the grass sat up too and stuck out his tongue to tease.“Idiot”Chanyeol let his back hit the soft moss and grass. If he wanted to, he could get kisses too! Jealous of Sehun? Not happening!With a slight pout on his face and closed eyes, he tried to force the darkness that followed jealousy away. He was not going to be jealous just because his stupid brother kissed someone before he had. Suddenly Baekhyun leaned down and left a quick kiss on his mouth. It was over before it started. Nevertheless, enough to make Chanyeol jolt up from the ground.“What was that?” His eyes big and confused.“A kiss” Baekhyun sounded proud and happy.“You kissed me? Why?”“Then you had your first kiss too!” Baekhyun’s eyes were shining and if his tone was a bit cocky, his red cheeks told him he wasn’t all confident about it.“It doesn’t count”“Why?”“You’re my friend, and a boy” the last part barely a whisper.Chanyeol chewed nervously on a freshly plucked straw. He knew he was judging right now, but he also knew it was what mattered at school. Boys kissed girls, period. His friend was raised differently and Chanyeol knew. Like many things on the Byun farm, the stories were different too. The nøkk could lure away a pretty boy just as easily as he could want a girl. Humans fell in love with all kind of creatures. Love simply wasn’t restricted to man and woman.“It’s still a kiss” His friend wasn’t done arguing.“My mother kisses me good night every day”“Now you’re being stupid! A mother’s kiss on your forehead is its own category. I’m talking about romantic kisses. I thought better of you! Gender doesn’t matter when you kiss!” Baekhyun watched him. Even with his eyes closed, he felt the others gaze. “Sorry. I know that’s true, but you cannot call what you did a ‘romantic’ kiss. Your lips were barely touching” Chanyeol shook his head and chuckled lightly.He should have seen it coming. He should have known his friend well enough.  “Then show me how it’s done Mr. I know how to kiss!”Baekhyun leaned over him, pushed the taller into the grass with one hand resting on each side of his head. When Chanyeol opened his eyes, he saw straight into a pair of challenging blue ones.“Show me! Have your first proper kiss”The weight of the body on top of him made him stay where he was, actually taking some time to considering it.“For science? And no one will know?”Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who wanted your first kiss”“No it wasn’t! You gave me a kiss without asking”“I never took you for a wimpy kid”Chanyeol snorted and turned his face to the side. He knew he was right. It had been Baekhyun that kissed him without warning.“Oh come on! Waterlilies won’t tell. It’s no one but us out here.” Baekhyun’s words gave off just how much he enjoyed the teasing. He used his hands to turn Chanyeol sulky face and slightly shook his head in amusement.As Baekhyun pushed his soft lips down on Chanyeol mouth, Chanyeol closed his eyes and gave up. Baekhyun always got it the way he wanted, besides, no one ever called him a wimp.Baekhyun’s lips softly brushed his and when his friend head tilted a bit, Chanyeol copied. It felt warm and strange and sort of crazy. He couldn’t word it, had no explanation for why he parted his lips to let the other take control, his brain had turned to mush the very first second he felt a tongue slide over his lower lip. It took a moment to register how the weight on him had lifted. Another to remember how to open his eyes.Baekhyun was laying on his stomach in the grass next to him, a soft smile on his face but eyes a little worried.“Hey, you okay?”Chanyeol shook the rest of the fog away and pushed his upper body up from the ground.“Yes, I was just... you know...” He used the strictest face he knew of, needed to show the other he meant it. “No one will ever get to know about this. Never!”He quickly stood up and pulled on his paint stained jeans and sweater, waved his hand for Baekhyun to follow before he started marching away from the pond. “Come on, it’s late”

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It was a beautiful Saturday, one of the warmest this year, a kind of day where most kids packed their bags and left for the lake. Chanyeol had followed Baekhyun to the pond instead. It had become their thing over the summer. Baekhyun didn’t like it too much by the big lake. By the pond, he could patiently wait in the shadow, rest his back on the trunk of one of the white birches while his goofy friend splashed around in the water. No one asked questions or teased him for not jumping in.His mother always told them to be careful, and to stay away from the pond. Yet, the pond was where they ran.They ran past their twisted climbing tree, under low hanging branches of pines, not having enough time for the longer way, until they finally could see the familiar pattern of white lilies scattered out on the shiny surface of the pond.As always, Chanyeol pulled off his shorts and shirt, kicked away his shoes and let himself fall backwards into the black water. It might be sludgy, but it felt like silk on his too warm and sticky body.While Chanyeol splashed around between green reed and white lilies, ducked under just to pop back up another place, hair and skin covered in tiny drops of mud, Baekhyun just watched. He watched out for him, as he used to word it.Chanyeol didn’t believe in the stories, he didn’t tease Baekhyun about it either. If his best friend was afraid of water, then let him be. Chanyeol never pushed it.The stories Baekhyun referred too were the ones his grandma used to tell. On snowy days when they had stumbled into her warm kitchen after chasing a fox, or each other, she tucked them in warm blankets in front of the fireplace. While socks and shirts were spread out on warm bricks, and their fingers curled around mugs of steaming tea, she told them all the familiar stories. Some of them cute, some really creepy.She was right about the pond looking bottomless, it was too black too see anything down there. Chanyeol had tried, but never been able to dive deep enough to reach the bottom. He still knew it was there. How could anything be bottomless anyway? And he understood it was possible to tangle your feet into the lilies strong stems. But that they could drag you under? That the lilies could hold you until the nøkk or a wood nymph would find you? Not possible.They were just fairy tales. Therefore, he jumped in. It was not like the lake. There he could be swimming around for a long time, until his feet turned numb from how chilled the water was. The pond was warmer, but also muddy. Spending time on land next to Baekhyun was the fun part of their expeditions anyway.Chanyeol crawled back up and spread himself out on the soft moss to let his body dry in the sun.  Baekhyun moved closer, close enough to reach out to touch. Using one finger, he painted silly figures and patterns in the faint layer of mud covering Chanyeol’s long upper body. Chanyeol tried his best not to laugh too much from the tickling sensation. Chewing on his lip he tried his best to focus on the single finger and to guess what it was Baekhyun was drawing.It felt like tiny hearts.“What do you think love is?”  Baekhyun sounded lost in thoughts, his voice soft and dreamy.“My mother tells me ‘you won’t know until you’ve kissed and lost your heart in it’“So you have to kiss to know it is love?”Chanyeol had to think for a moment, he had never thought much about it, not until resently. “I don’t know. It’s just something my mother used to tell me.” Chanyeol rolled over on his side, rested his head on his arm so he could look at his friend.“My mom says lots of stupid stuff, like ‘don’t kiss a hulder, then you’ll never get your heart back.’, so you can’t really listen to her talking about love. She never answers properly to those questions anyway.”This had both of them laughing. Mrs. Park was a kind woman, but she joked around a lot, told the kids funny stories. For many years, Chanyeol was afraid of eating berries because his mom once told him the tiny seeds in them could start growing in his stomach.“But how do you know if something is love? Is it possible to love someone when you are just a kid?”“Of course it is! I love my brother” Sehun might be a pain in the ass, but Chanyeol never doubted that he loved his stupid brother.“You don’t want to kiss your brother.”Chanyeol dropped his head to the ground and groaned, clearly annoyed with his friends stupidity. “Of course not and I don’t know, I love you. You are my very best friend.”“You’d like to kiss me again?”
How dared he? Baekhyun had promised never to mention it again. Chanyeol didn’t know what he wanted or not. After that day, something had changed in him and he felt so much closer to his friend. It was scary as hell and he was never going to admit it, and most important, never letting it happen again.“No! I mean, not love you like that”Chanyeol’s gaze was strong and angry enough to make the other chuckle shyly and utter as weak “Sorry”. None of them had it in them to stay quiet for very long though. Slowly the conversation turned to safer places, like school and how much work they had to do. Parents never seemed to be happy enough and just why did one have to work on warm summer’s days? All the important questions being discussed while the sun travelled from south to west on the sky.
Chanyeol had jumped into the pond once more to cool down and was happily splashing around. Baekhyun had kicked off his shoes too and for once he pushed his body closer to the edge. Carefully, tentatively, he let his toes breach the surface.It didn’t take long until he had both his feet dipped in water, tapping the surface with them, making tiny swirls that made the water even muddier than it already was.Baekhyun looked so incredible pretty sitting close to the water. Chanyeol probably let his gaze linger on his friend for too long, at least long enough for him to feel the need to duck under to cool down his ears. Soft, messy, blonde hair framed his tiny face and rays of warm evening sun painted his skin in golden tones. Reflection from the water made all of him sparkle, as if he was covered in tiny crystals, all of him. Baekhyun didn’t even look human.Chanyeol ducked under once more, had to focus and shake away those thoughts. Still under water, he swam closer to his friend, popped his head up just in front of him, surprice! When Chanyeol thought of it later, he knew he had been wrong. He had been the worst friend. Of course he knew that Baekhyun didn’t know how to swim, how could he know when he never tried. Chanyeol had forced him into the water anyway.He remembered every second of it.With a firm grip on both of Baekhyun’s ankles, he pulled his friend into the lily-covered pond. Close to land, they had their feet safely tucked in soft mud, but as Chanyeol jumped backwards and pulled Baekhyun with him, there were no longer any ground for their feet to rest on.It was not funny for many seconds. His friend’s desperate cry behind his back was going to haunt him for years.Tall trees were making shadows on the surface that made it even more hopeless to see anything. Chanyeol sucked in as much air he could in his lungs and rubbed his eyes before he ducked under again, and again. He yelled his name so loud it had nesting birds flee the area. He crawled up on the grass on the other side, the scary side with all the lilies, and dived back in.Baekhyun had to be somewhere. The pond was not that big and he had not pulled him that far from the edge. No one just disappear in thin air, or black water. How long does it take for swirling water to turn completely still?Chanyeol had been sitting under a tree for longer than that. Alone, with his knees bent up against his chest and arms tightly wrapped around them. His limbs were stiff from swimming, lungs exhausted from holding the breath for too long, eyes red and itchy from being forced open in the sludgy water. It had been to no use.Chanyeol knew he had to run home, to gather as many people as possible, to tell, to run back, to search all night. He just needed a moment to rest because right now the claws he felt in his chest, were close to ripping his heart apart.He tightened his grip around his legs a notch more, stared out over the shiny surface with an empty gaze and focused on getting air into his bruised lungs. All he could see was waterlilies. Those damn waterlilies.

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They had been right. This autumn everything would change. Everything Chanyeol thought he knew about anything was thrown upside down. He learned new things he never wanted to know about, like how a drowned body will float to the surface after a couple of days, before it will sink down again, forever this time.He wasn’t allowed in the forest, wasn’t allowed to follow the people searching the pond and guarding it, waiting for a body to appear.It never did.When frost ate the last couple of leaves, people stopped waiting for a miracle. Nothing but naked birches surrounded the ice-covered pond until warm rays of sun told of spring and people moved on. In May, young boys and girls dressed up in their nicest suits and dresses and kneeled in front of the priest in a ceremony marking the end of childhood and beginning of the real life. Chanyeol did to, everyone his age did.Over the winter, Chanyeol had learnt many more things. Most people forgot awfully fast, a knowledge that hurt, because he himself could still remember the earthy smell of sludgy water if he closed his eyes. He remembered how it felt when mud dried on his back on warm summer’s days. He remembered how long it took for rings in water to even out and quite often, he woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by a panicked sob.Those who didn’t forget, they talked. Gossip had been a part of his life for months, stories about him, them. Chanyeol hated everything about it. He hated being called a killer or a betrayer. People didn’t know shit about what had happened. It hurt like crazy. Because if you looked at it like that, it was the truth being told. He was the reason Baekhyun was no longer around. Chanyeol flee. He had to get out of the village, away from grass and trees. He needed to live a place where he could walk for hours and not see a single waterlily. A friend of his family took him in. In a big city by the sea, far away from everything familiar, he found the peace he needed to study and start living again. At least that was what he told himself.A shattered heart is hard to put back together. It is easy to lose a piece or ten in the process, leaving an open spot with sharp edges. You could always try to refill it, and believe me he tried. Still, at the age of 25, with a Law school diploma in hand, he still remembered his very first kiss, and how beautifully those blue eyes sparkled after. Going back was needed. It was like a inner compass telling him it was time. Time to go home, time to move on. In June, he packed all of his belongings and a box filled with old books. They were books that had become a part of his life over the past 10 years. Storybooks, fairy tales, books about myths and facts. They told of mysteries and about white horses, had thought him everything he knew about magical creatures, and how they lived their lives.The knowledge of a missing boy in the village on the other side of the forest was part of the reason too. Lay, a boy his age, had been out in the snow, collecting timber with his horse. The horse came back, the boy never did.Chanyeol was done running, he was moving back home.

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If you read books you will learn usefull stuff

Like

Bottomless ponds do exist

Never trust anyone or anything with a tail

Never let anyone with a tail touch you

A nøkk wants your soul, a hulder goes for your heart. Both like to play and you're the toy.

Afraid of the dark? Bring a lamp!

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“Hey! What are you reading in the middle of a sunny day?” Sehun snapped the book out of his older brother’s grip and quickly jumped to the side to avoid Chanyeol’s powerful punch. “We’re heading to the lake to swim. Come with us!”“Give me back that book!” Chanyeol spoke with a calm but serious voice.Acting as if they still were kids and immune to his older brother’s deadly stare, Sehun casually started to flip pages. “What is this? Some kind of fairy tale?” He turned it around, upside down, studied a couple of the pictures, before Chanyeol was able to grab it.“Be careful, it’s old.” Lovingly he closed the book and used his hand to wipe of invisible dust, as if Sehun had made it dirty. “It’s history, and stuff.”“Looked more like stories about werewolves and hulders, if you ask me.” Sehun shrugged his shoulders. He had never fully understood all the weird interests his brother had developed over the years he stayed in the city, like reading books on a summer’s day when you could be out swimming.Chanyeol walked over to store his book away in the bookshelf when Sehun suddenly remembered something important.“Hey… Have you heard the rumours?” In two long strides, he was lining up next to Chanyeol, almost whispering the question into his ear.“How would I know? What rumour?”Not bother looking at his brother for one second, he continued what he was doing. Sehun heard rumours all the time, nothing new under the sun today either.Even with the length Chanyeol had, he still had to tip toe to reach the upper shelf. It felt good to have them up on the top, out of everyone’s reach. They were his treasure, sort of. His guide to try to understand, the tiny string he hoped might lead him somewhere. If there were something, he would find it. At least that was what he had hoped for when he first started collecting them.“People keep telling they have seen a hulder in the forest lately. You know, a girl with long hair and a tail, singing beautiful songs to lure you into their world”“I know what they are!” Chanyeol rolled his eyes, but something about it made him wait for what more Sehun had to tell about it.“Yes, like those in your book! And you know the stories about the pond and that boy who disappeared last winter…’ Sehun stopped himself mid-sentence when he saw his brothers freezing gaze.“Don’t talk about the pond” Chanyeol looked away, trying to avoid eye contact of any kind as he blinked away some imaginary dirt itching in the corners of his eyes. Sehun wasn’t having it though.“How long has it been? Ten years or something?”“Ten years in two weeks from now”  “Wow… and then this boy. No one found his body. People are pretty sure he fell through the ice. What if she is the same hulder that lured Baekhyun into the pond?” Sehun had grabbed Chanyeol’s now free hands and squeezed them. He looked like he smelled a big story, something really juicy to tell his friends.“Just stop it!”  Chanyeol snarled. He pulled free and walked away from the bad memories Sehun had put in the spotlight. He hated when people poked them or made him talk about it.   “You know he couldn’t swim. I knew he couldn’t swim. No Hulder is lurking around.” It still hurt too much to talk about that day. Chanyeol turned to pick down another book and swallowed a lump in his throat.“But no one found the body, not Baekhyun’s, not Lay’s…”“It’s a pond! People drown in them and are found buried in mud 100 years later, everyone know that” He gave his younger brother a final angry stare and maybe Sehun wasn’t completely immune to it after all. The younger sighed and turned away.On his way out the door, he turned around one last time.“I’m just worried about you. You’ve been running around at night lately, I’ve noticed. And… and it could be that you had met someone, you know, a pretty girl maybe? It’s just… I’ve missed having you around.”It hurt a little to see his brother worried like this. Chanyeol grabbed his shoulders and gave him a brotherly hug. “Don’t worry about me” He reassured. “I’m grown up, I know how to stay safe. And don’t believe everything kids around the village are chatting about.”A teasing smile grew on Chanyeol’s face as he let go of his brother. “How about you? Having someone in sight? Will I have to lock you up at nights so you don’t run out to meet your hulder?”Sehun laughed loudly at first, but then lowered his gaze as a soft pink spread over his cheeks. “Well, I mean, there is this super cute new maid over at the Byun farm”Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to chuckle. “I get it! I’ll stay away from any girls at the Byun-farm”He gave his brother a slap on the butt, and with that, he let Sehun leave for the lake. Werewolves, hulders, trolls, fairies, the nøkk, shapeshifters, vampires, Chanyeol let his index finger slide over all of his books. He had searched for answers, knew how they fed, how they lived, how to stay safe. It was important never to let a hulder touch you with her tail. And a nøkk, in the shape of a horse, his tail was deadly. He knew about how trolls only hunted during the night and how the ponds were the place to meet any of those creatures.Curled up in a big chair, Chanyeol opened a small book about forest creatures in the area. It contained a list of when and where people had observed anything strange, and a list of missing young girls and boys.Flipping pages his eyes fell on a drawing of a bright white horse, the most common shape of the nøkk. That Lay-boy had been a stable boy, wasn’t it so? He liked horses. Could it be? No... Not possible. Anyway, no horses were out running the day his own friend disappeared. With a frustrated grunt, he shoved the book away, picked up one about swamps and mummified bodies found in them instead. He was too old to believe in fairy tales. Later this year he would start working as a lawyer in the village. His parents constantly reminded him about his age and responsibilities to the Park- name, he hated it but knew he had no choice.All he asked for was to get one last summer by the pond. Before moving on with his life, he needed a final goodbye. If nothing happened within the next two weeks, if he didn’t stumble across any new clues, then he would throw all his books in the pond and never look back.

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Night after night he walked the familiar path, jumped over small streams of clear and fresh water, wandered past a crocked tree, branches too thin to hold his adult weight, plucked a couple of blueberries or raspberries when he stumbled across them. It had taken him some time to rediscover the rout they used back then. A forest changes a lot in ten years. By now he had memorized it perfectly, even in the dimmed light after sunset, he easily found his way under large pine trees to the pond.It looked smaller, reed and waterlilies having grown a lot, filling out from the sides, almost as if the forest was claiming the area, consuming the earlier so refreshing pond of water. Chanyeol guessed no one ever dared go there for swimming after what happened. It had never been a place for kids to hang out anyway, just to them, Baekhyun’s favourite spot.Over the last couple of weeks, he had been out here every night, wishing for something, a sign, a white horse, a long-nosed troll, anything that could tell him to believe in the stories for real. Because then, if just a tiny part of the stories he had been told when he was a kid, were true, then he could picture his friend still being alive. Baekhyun could be walking around in another world, having a beautiful time under a pink sky, plucking tiny stars for breakfast with flowers braided into his golden hair.Maybe he was in love with the creature that lured him under back then and maybe he sometimes took his time to remember his best friend, and his first kiss.Somehow this felt much easier to deal with than the darker version of reality. A hulder having lured Baekhyun under meant Chanyeol was not the reason for his disappearing. Having caused his friend death was a cruel thought. Accident or not, he could have prevented it. How many waterlilies were there out there? He vaguely remembered how he had counted them for hours back then. When his heart was shattered in tiny pieces and his lungs couldn’t hold any air, the white flowers had helped him focus. They were harder to count tonight, white petals folded for the night. It was still some time until the full moon would reach above the three tops to light up the ground enough for him to walk back home. Meanwhile he waited for nothing and everything.Tomorrow he would bring his books, the final task before moving on. Tonight he counted lilies the best he could, adding one beautiful memory of his friend to each of them. His way of saying a final goodbye. “I thought I’d find you here”A soft voice startled him, made him jump with a silent scream. What the hell was she doing out here? It didn’t take him long to recognise her. Astrid, the new girl at the Byun-farm, his younger brother’s crush, was standing under a white birch. Chanyeol had seen her around, impossible to miss with those icy blue eyes and milky white skin. Her long blond hair sometimes braded, sometimes floating around her delicate face and narrow shoulders.From Sehun he had learned how she was a relative of the Byun family. She had spent some time at the farm over the winter, working. And if talk between boys in the village were correct, she was looking for a husband. It wasn’t difficult to see why most boys blushed whenever she was around. She was stunning. Why was she out here searching for him, he didn’t understand.Over the past ten years, Chanyeol had grown from a lanky teenager to a broad young man, and he knew he was popular among girls in the village. But not her. Chanyeol was not interested. He had promised Sehun to stay away and after all, his heart was not done with his past.All this time, ten years, and he still remembered that one kiss. “Gender doesn’t matter when you kiss” Baekhyun’s word had haunted him ever since. His words and his lips. “Hey you, it*s okay. I just want to talk a little” Her voice sweet and calming, wrapping him in, still giving him space to deal with her sudden presence. She didn’t step too close, just looked at him softly with her big blue eyes, alluring enough to drown in, if it wasn’t for the claws on his heart.Chanyeol knew that she knew. Everyone knew about how he and Baekhyun had been the best friends and how Chanyeol had caused the accident. Still, her presence didn’t feel threatening at all.  When he didn’t send her off, she made herself comfortable on the soft ground next to him, watching out over the dark pond where white waterlines slept peacefully. At sunrise tomorrow they would open up, spread their petals at the first rays of light.A beautiful melody drifted over the dark water, soft notes hanging low over the surface like a morning fog. That girl had the voice of an angel and Chanyeol realized he’d happily listen to it all night. The darkness of his memories slowly faded as she kept singing, rings in the memory of the once so wavy water finally evening out. “It’s not your fault. His family know you love him”Chanyeol jumped at that. He had been lost in her melody, head filled with memories.“He was my best friend, and I was the worst friend” he frowned.“Baekhyun knows how to swim. He would’ve had to jump in eventually” His brain wasn’t as fast as it used to, everything felt a bit like cotton, but he did catch up on the form of her verbs.“What do you mean /know/?”  The memory was squeezing his heart again, anger starting to drip from it. He was here to find his peace, to finish this, not to let her stab him with old pictures from the back of his mind.He studied her with sceptical eyes when she didn’t answer right away. Something was starting to tell Chanyeol this was wrong, he should not be here. The beautiful girl in front of him, who seemed to know everything, was starting to look too much alike his friend, he saw him in her eyes, in the beautiful smile, in the way she moved.He missed him, so much!It had taken him years to admit and to become certain he loved his friend. He fell for him back then and he still felt his heart belonged with Baekhyun. He loved him so much it hurt, loved him the way he was supposed to love the girls his parents wanted him to be with. Ten years had done nothing to dull the pain or the strong memories.“How much would you give to get to see him again?” She was sitting closer, too close. Her voice dropped to a darker place that had him frozen in his spot. Astrid reached out for him, and he let her touch him, carefully resting a hand on his arm. The moon finally reached up above the treetops and rays of cold light sparkled in the white of the sleeping lilies“I’ll let you think about it”She held his shaky hands in her, gently stroke her thumb over them to try calm him down. Chanyeol didn’t know when he started crying, but his whole body was shaking and this was all wrong. This was some weird dream messing with his head. He had to get up, he had to get home. He had to wake up.A silky soft bundle of hair slid over his cheek, collecting salty tears he couldn’t hold back. Her voice was just as soft.“He misses you”

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When night is dark and the ground soft, there are no sounds in an old forest like this. Birds are asleep, tucked close together in bushes and three tops. All Chanyeol could hear was his own breath and feet slamming down on the ground, stepping on dry branches and kicking stones into the unknown. He had been running for a while, out of breath from more than one reason and finally dared stop to have a better look around. His long legs were not the best for running, at least not in the dark shadows from majestic trees that shut out the bright light from the moon. Chanyeol bent over to rub his sore knees, hit into an unknown number of rocks after tripping over slippery roots covered in moss.He should have known better, but he truly believed that he knew this forest by now. How much could it change in 10 years anyway? He had been completely wrong. In the state of panic, he didn’t stand a chance against nature.How he had managed to get lost was beyond his understanding, unless there were stories there actually were true. When he closed his eyes, he could see everything once again. He had thought he knew who she was, but then the clouds drifted away, leaving the bright moon alone on the sky to lighten up the clearing as if it was mid-day.Moonlight had been dancing on the surface of the dark pond of muddy water, like the brightest crystals and that was when he had seen it, the tail.It had to be a tail, he couldn’t be that wrong. He had seen a tail many times enough to know what they looked like. There were always cows on the fields around the village, and the way they used their tail to wipe away flies, had made him want one for himself when he was a kid.Without saying goodbye, without answering her ask, he had simply turned around and started running. Now he was lost. His mind gone blank, not capable of recognising any familiar tree or rock. When he looked up on the sky, large threes were spinning around him, trapping him, blocking his view.As his breathing became more regular and he no longer felt the taste of blood on his tongue, he could see clearly again. When his eyes fell on a familiar tree just a couple of meters away, he pulled his dirty hands through damp, unruly hair in relief. It had to be the mushrooms they picked the other day, the ones they had for dinner. He needed to warn everyone, make sure no one ate any more of it, because clearly some of them had been poisonous, making him hallucinate.On quivering legs, he walked the last part home without looking back. “What the hell is going on?” A sleepy Sehun with messy hair and narrow eyes yelled at him from the doorway and abruptly pulled him out of his trance. Chanyeol straightened his back and had a quick look around in the kitchen. He had pulled open every single cabinet and drawer in his panicked search.“We have to throw away the mushrooms”Sehun just stood there, not saying a word but with a question mark painted on his face.“They made med sick, I’m seeing things” he tried to explain his brother. “Come on, help me look for leftovers”“Did you smoke toadstools or what?” Sehun started closing whatever cabinet Chanyeol was pulling open before he took a good grip on his brother’s shoulders and shook him properly.“Look at me!” Sehun pushed him to sit down at a chair before he pulled out one for himself, just in front of the older brother, knees knocking together.“You look like shit. Where have you been? What have you been up to?”Chanyeol let his gaze rest on the moon outside the window. Now that he sat down, he felt how badly his legs hurt, how the chapped skin on his knees and hands burned. He felt calmer though, even if his heart was still beating too fast in his chest.“I went to the pond, and then I started hallucinating and on my way home I got lost and panicked.”Confused eyes looked at him for a while and then the younger shook his head and pointed at Chanyeol’s knees. “I don’t know what you have eaten, but we need to clean up those cuts”Sehun dragged his older brother up from the chair and into their bathroom and Chanyeol let him. Like a kid, he let the other undress him and clean up all of his wounds. None of them were particularly big or needed a band aid, but being cleaned up was needed. He worked in silence and it felt good not to be peppered with questions. Chanyeol didn’t have any that made sense anyway. When finally tucked in bed, after forced into having a glass of water, Chanyeol finally felt his body relax and slowly mould into the soft mattress. His eyelids felt heavy and sleep waited just around the corner. Sehun mumbled something like “Idiot” under his breath and turned to leave.“Wait!”Chanyeol sat up, memories hitting like strikes of lightning. “You have to stay away from Astrid!”“What?” Sehun tilted his head and studied his brother. “Are you sure you’re feeling better?”“I do, I do, but please. I have a really bad feeling about her. Just don’t get involved with her until I know more. Pleeeease?” He knew Sehun would never believe him, but he had to warn him. He had no proof, but he had a really bad feeling about that girl.”“Fine. I’ll stay away for a couple of days. Now, go to sleep. You look like you need it” It took some time of twisting and turning, but he finally drifted off to a restless sleep, haunted by creatures from his books and threatening shadows.

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Waking up in a quiet house was unusual. Mornings were busy. His mother running around, yelling at Sehun to get him out of bed, dogs begging for food and his father yelling at them, Sehun complaining about everything he was given of work to do and their two youngest sisters yelling at everyone for being too noisy. It was good to be home, but also a relief to know it wasn’t a permanent thing.When Chanyeol had blinked his eyes open enough to check the time, he almost jumped up from his pillow. It was mid-day already. He listened for any sounds, but it was completely quiet. Everyone were out working, he supposed. Maybe Sehun had told about last night? Of course he had. Chanyeol sighed. What could they be thinking of this?With a frustrated grunt, he fell back down on his bed. Even if he was an adult, his mother was going to scold him for running in the forest at night. Besides, he had ruined clothes and made a mess at the kitchen. They were probably waiting for him to wake up from the intoxicated state he had been in the night before.Right now everything felt like a swirl of memories mixing together with facts from his books and stories told when he was a kid. It was hard to make out what was real and what was not. Everything was blurry, except from sore muscles and stinging cuts. They were very much real feelings and testified how he indeed had been out running.Being yelled at was not on his list for today though. Instead of waiting around for his parents, he packed a backpack, filled it with blankets, a lamp, drinks and food. He watched his books in the shelf for a good minute, but then grabbed as many as he could fit in his bag. He was going to stick to his plan. One last visit to the pond, and then the books would be gone. His final closure of this case. He had to move on, to grow up. Carefully so that no one would notice him, he slid out the kitchen door and disappeared between buildings and trees. On the top of a hill, hid by shadows of large pine trees along the forest edge, he had his first stop. From his spot Chanyeol had a perfect view over the Byun-farm, and like expected, people were out working on the fields.Soon his eyes fell on a familiar shape, a girl with golden wavy hair and fluttering skirts. Boys surrounded her and he spotted his brother as well. Chanyeol had a vague feeling of a promise given during the night. A lie told to get him to shut up and go to bed.Even though Astrid seemed quite normal in daylight, something itched at the thought of her name. He didn’t trust her, and if she had been out there for real, if she was the hulder people told about, then she was dangerous.No one would believe him, he knew. A hulder never showed her tail to humans, not unless her intentions were to lure him under and bring him back to her cave. That part scared him even more than Sehun meeting up with her in daylight. The more Chanyeol thought about it, the more he felt sure about having seen a tail in the moonlight the night before.That’s why a last time decision had been to tuck a bible into the backpack as well. People of the underworld didn’t go to church and maybe it could protect him in any way, the way garlic protected you against vampires. Chanyeol rubbed his temple with his fingers, annoyed by his own stupid behaviour. He wasn’t supposed to believe in these stories, but at this point he didn’t trust anything or anyone.When bored of watching working people out on the fields, he grabbed his stuff and let the forest swallow his silhouette, ducked under low branches, stayed out of the main path to avoid walking into anyone. The rest of this nice summer’s day, he spent in the grass by the pond. Chanyeol felt prepared this time, had his books, a small lantern to light up the darkness and a blanket to keep him warm. He was here for the very last time and he was going to say goodbye. No one was going to scare him away, no running, no hallucinating or what the hell had been going on.On the sky patterns made by white clouds changed as the sun travelled from south to west. Memories of a happy childhood flooded his mind and he welcomed it. Tonight he wasn’t going to push aside a single memory.When he felt ready, he was going to throw away his books. Watch them float on the surface until soaked in muddy water and heavy enough to sink to the bottom and out of his life. When summer was over he was starting his career as a lawyer, he couldn’t bring this past with him. Tonight was the end, and the new beginning. “You came back”Chanyeol had drifted off to sleep for a moment and a melodious voice softly tickled his ears and made him open his eyes. Her smile was blinding as the lilies, her voice dancing over the water. His heart race doubled. It hadn’t been a dream after all.On reflex he grabbed his lamp and his hands tightened around the handle. He still had no proof, he had to let her explain some more.A white dress was floating around her bare feet and she didn’t even try to hide it, Chanyeol’s eyes drawn to the golden bundle of hair sticking out under her skirt.  As she sat down, facing Chanyeol, she draped her tail over her thighs.For a while they sat like that, Astrid threading her fingers through the soft hair in her lap, a beautiful and unfamiliar melody filling the air around them.“You’re not getting to me! I won’t let you spellbind me with your voice and lies about him”Chanyeol couldn’t take his eyes of her. Partly because she clearly was trying to pull him under her spell with her song, partly because he didn’t dare take his eyes off her. He was going to watch out for that tail, not giving her the chance to touch him.“Have you made up your mind? Do you want to meet him again?”Her voice was like feathers tickling his brain. He had to stay strong, keep focused. To have something to do he pulled out a book and threw it into the water.“I’m leaving soon. I just had to finish this chapter”With his eyes glued on the fury thing resting on her white skirt, he pulled out another book and let it follow the first one with a loud splash. Without looking, he knew it made rings spread on the surface.“I was afraid you’d run again, that you didn’t believe me” Her voice just as soft, but with a sadness to it too.“What is it to believe? I know what you are. I know what you do. Don’t use his name to lure me under” Anger started to simmer. She wasn’t giving up and either was he.Astrid slowly stood up and sighed quietly. “That’s why I let him come along tonight anyway. Remind him he owes me”. With those words she turned around and dissolved in the fog between the trees.Sounds of dry twigs breaking behind his back made him jump to his feet, still clutching the light in his hands, eyes trying to make sense of the shadow he could barely see between the old birches. Chanyeol backed away from the shadow until he realized the pond was a step away. A young man with blonde hair blocked the way in front of him.“Chanyeol?”The voice gave him chills. Every single hair on his body stood up, made him shiver bodily.“Please don’t run” The boy was begging, his voice soft but sad.Chanyeol grabbed his backpack, let his hand search for the bible while he held his eyes on the boy. “Don’t come near me!” He waved the small book in front of him, a weapon not useful for anything besides killing a couple of mosquitos.“It’s okay, I’ll sit over here.” The boy slowly sat down, chin pushed against his chest and gaze on the ground.“Who are you? Are you her?” Chanyeol’s first instinct had been to run, but he felt frozen in his spot, eyes glued on the small boy seated in front of him.“You know who I am”The blonde boy lifted his head and opened his eyes, let the taller see his ice blue gaze and warm smile. Chanyeol swallowed. It couldn’t be… Not a chance.“Are you… are you his ghost?”A familiar laughter filled the air, sneaked into his bones and made his blood bubble. It was the most beautiful laughter he knew, a laughter he hadn’t heard in ten years.“Sit down, Chanyeol. Please. I just want to talk. I’ve missed you so much”“Where have you been? Why are you here?” Making sure there were enough space between them, he lowered the lamp and sat down on his blanket. He felt his heart racing too fast, but he wasn’t going to run.“Aaah… It’s not that easy. Well, I’m here to see you. And ten years is already too long.” A sad, yet familiar, pout on his face almost made Chanyeol believe him, almost. “I’m so sorry I left like I did. It wasn’t my choice. I was going to wait until autumn, but then they just grabbed me and brought me over. I guess I had avoided them for too long already.” He laughed a little at his own words.“Who are /they/?”“My people”Sure, that made everything clear. Now everything made sense. No, it didn’t. Nothing in the entire world made sense anymore. Not Astrid, not this Baekhyun-like guy, not the past, not today, nothing. Nevertheless, he still couldn’t move away.I felt like this guy, looking a bit too much like Baekhyun, was waiting for further questions. There were something calmly seen in his eyes, no hurry, Chanyeol took his time studying the other from top to toe. He was dressed like a normal human being, nothing smelled of magic or fairy tales. He really looked a lot like you could guess a 25-year old Baekhyun would look like.Chanyeol searched for answers, an unknown number of questions rolled on his tongue, almost reaching the tip of it. They rolled back, one after another. One part of him wanted nothing more than to scoop closer and give the boy a hug. Another part, probably his brain, made him curl up on the blanket, arms closed tightly around his knees.In one way it was a comfortable silence, gave him time to take in and proceed what was going on. Little by little, he felt his body relax more too. The blond boy seemed unfazed by the wall Chanyeol had put up in front of him, and calmly hummed to a melody. Chanyeol knew that voice. He had listened to it so many times. It was a bit darker, more mature, but he couldn’t be that wrong.“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Chanyeol cleared his voice and waited. The boy looked up with the brightest smile on his face. “I never thought you were going to ask. Go on, ask me anything.”“I guess I’m having a hard time believing you are…. You know….him?” It came out like a question, Chanyeol not yet ready to use his name. The questions he wanted to ask were questions only Baekhyun could know the answer too. About school, his cat, Sehun’s first kiss, moles on his back, favourite food and many, many more.The boy, the one who started to feel more and more like his best friend, patiently answered every one of them. Some of them made them roll over from laugher, some of them left them quiet for minutes.At one point their roles had been reversed. Suddenly it was Chanyeol who answered questions. Him who told about his parents, about staying in the city, about law school. They were being two friends catching up on the past, getting to know each other again.“Okay, I have one final question” Chanyeol looked down on the hands that played with his. Elegant, soft fingers drawing patterns on his skin, the small mole on the left thumb.“Mhm, go on”“How did I get my first kiss?”This was a question only Baekhyun would know the answer to. No one, not even Sehun, knew about that kiss. Tentatively he lifted his head to try read the others face. The spark of silver in the other’s eyes made him shiver. He had seen that spark before.“Like this”Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol over, hoovered over him with one hand on each side of his head and pushed their lips together. It was everything Chanyeol ever needed. It answered every question he had ever tried to answer over the years. It was impossible not to kiss back.Taking advantage of his bigger body, he rolled them around in the grass, trapped Baekhyun under him, let his hands travel to the soft skin on his neck and cheeks. Lost in the moment he never noticed the soft tail curling around his waist, holding him close.When they parted and sat up next to each other, Chanyeol knew he had found what he had been searching. He had finally found his best friend, the one he loved the most. He was here, he was alive, all flesh and blood and beautiful laughter. He didn’t know what their relationship would be like, but he was never letting go of his friend, ever again. “Astrid told me you was leaving soon. It’s late. Where are you going to?” The smaller boy was looking up into the talker’s dark eyes, his delicate hands wrapped around Chanyeol’s larger fingers.“I’m not going anywhere without you. I Can’t lose you again!”“Then don’t. Come with me.”Baekhyun stood up, let the fluffy end of his tail brush over Chanyeol’s bare skin on his arm as he took a step backwards.“People think you are dead, have been for 10 years. How to explain?”“You don’t.” Baekhyun smiled his biggest blinding smile, the one brighter than the moon. Then he slowly turned around facing the pond. He held his hand out for Chanyeol to take.“Come” With one word he dived into the pond. A primal scream left Chanyeol’s throat, Baekhyun’s name echoing between the trees. He watched the rings in the water grow bigger for a moment. No! This was not history repeating itself. Baekhyun was not disappearing again. Not like this. He kicked off his shoes, took a deep breath and dived in too.

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It was just as hard as 10 years ago to see anything under water. It was useless. He was running out of oxygen too, and his chest was burning, the desperation to get air into his lungs increased. Suddenly he felt something tighten around his ankles and he panicked. Chanyeol kicked his legs, twisted his body, and used his hands to try loosening what hold him down. He had to get back up. No one knew he was out here, he was not ready to go. He couldn’t die. Not from being stupid. Not because he simply followed his heart. Instincts made him open his mouth to scream, but a scream from under water is not to be heard over the treetops high above. A powerful cramp ran through his body, jerked him over on the side and forced his body to cough up muddy water. All of him was shaking as he inhaled air the best he could. He was breathing. If it weren’t for feeling so terribly exhausted, he probably would have cried tears of relief. Now he had enough with breathing, in and out between heavy barks from deep down in his lungs.“Good, you’re still alive” A soft, dark voice spoke from somewhere close.Chanyeol didn’t remember much, but he understood that he probably owed this stranger a big thank you for still being able to breathe. It was too early to open eyes or to speak. His body was still shaking and his lungs burned.“Breathe, please. I’m here until you feel stronger.” The stranger held a hand on his shoulder, reassured him that it was completely fine to stay silent for a little longer. As coughing became lighter and his body more relaxed, Chanyeol slowly tried to push his body up to a sitting position, and a pair of warm hands steadied his back as he did. When fully seated, he dropped his head against his knees, wrapped his arms around them. It felt like slowly waking up from a heavy sleep when light is too bright to open your eyes at first.“Take your time, no need to rush. You were under for a long time. Humans rarely go that deep down”The stranger more sung than talked, his voice dark and smooth, meant to soothe. Chanyeol’s eyes shut up at his words. He blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adapt to the warm light surrounding him and then he was ready to face his rescuer.Beside him on the riverbank sat a gorgeous boy. His hair long, almost reaching his shoulders, a light grey colour. He didn’t wear a shirt, but his shoulders and chest were covered in Northern Lights, sparkling in green and gold.Chanyeol cleared his throat a little. “Thank you”, he managed to get out, voice weak and raspy.  That earned him a heart-warming smile in return. “What happened? How did you find me?”“I heard your cry for help.”When the stranger tilted his head a little and light from between the trees hit just right, he could tell his cheeks were painted in gold and his eyes had a bright green outline.Chanyeol shivered again. He had read enough to have a feeling of who this was and almost unseen he pushed his body a little backwards, to create some space between them. Almost unseen.The boy laughed. A wonderful, bubbly laughter filled the air around them. Then he reached out to touch Chanyeol’s foot and made him freeze his slow movements.“I’m Jongin, but I guess you guys usually are naming me /the nøkk/”Chanyeol pulled away his foot, squinted his eyes.“Don’t worry. If I wanted you, you wouldn’t still be alive. I’ve fed this year. Now, tell me what you were doing down there!”Chanyeol hadn’t had the energy to have a look around yet, but as this felt more and more like a dream, he slowly had a look around. Could he be dead after all?He wasn’t seated by the pond. A lazy river was floating by the bank of white sand where they were seated. Large trees stood tall wherever he looked and a sky glowing warmly in red was seen in the horizon. “I tried to save my friend, Baekhyun. I jumped after him.”The return of the memory made his head spin, his eyes desperately searching for the boy he had lost again. All he could see was green and millions of small white stars spread out between the majestic trees.“Aaaah, I see”The stranger, or Jongin or... Chanyeol had trouble taking in that he, maybe, was seated next to the most feared shapeshifter of the underworld. Whatever his name was, he nodded slowly.“You’re Chanyeol, I see! That’s why I could hear you”“How do you know my name and what?”Jongin’s laughter filled the air again and he shook his head a little. “Who doesn’t?” He asked, clearly surprised by Chanyeol’s question. “And you’re taken, your heart belongs here”.Chanyeol watched Jongin stand up. He looked even more stunning like that. If it weren’t for the green in his eyes, he never would have believed him. The boy politely bowed. “Welcome to our forest. I hope you’ll feel welcomed.”“Now let me go get Baekhyun. It was his first time crossing over, I guess he didn’t know how to get you down. Kids…” Jongin shook his head lightly. Chanyeol stared at him with his biggest eyes.“You know Baekhyun?”“Yes, and I’m glad he finally found you. He was starting to be annoying everyone around here”Before Chanyeol got the chance to thank him again for saving him or ask another question, he had too many, within the blink of an eye, the boy was gone. In the distance, he saw a white tail floating in the air. Where laughter a moment ago had filled the air, the sound of four hooves hitting soft ground was the only thing left.

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Birds singingWater tricklingA soft glow of pink sky when he looked up.Dark green ground drizzled with stars when he looked down, as far as his eyes could see.And there was this weird humming coming from the trees.It was a loud quiet. All sounds and colours pushed at him from everywhere, made him want to close his eyes and hopefully drift off to sleep. Maybe then he would wake up to find all of this a faded memory of a wicked dream. None of this had never happened, not Astrid, not Baekhyun or diving into the pond. Most important, he certainly wasn’t left alone on the banks of a crystal clear river in the middle of the weirdest forest.As he tried to smack one of the bugs buzzing around him, he startled realized they were not bugs but tiny fairies. All kind of colours, like beautiful butterflies, just that they were not butterflies at all. Chanyeol could tell they were surrounding him. Not close enough for him to grab, moving too fast for him to have a proper look. Like hummingbirds, only, they were not birds either.More than once he snapped his body around, feeling he had someone’s eyes on him. If it wasn’t for how that was beyond crazy, he would have said he heard high-pitched laughter in the grass every time he threw his body around to try have a look.In the river a shoal of silver- and gold patterned fish were passing by. That was when he noticed how he was not anywhere close to a pond. How could you dive into muddy water and end up here?Chanyeol felt his head starting to spin, on the verge of passing out. To prevent it, he curled his long body together in the sand, rested his forehead on his knees and closed his eyes. Focused on breathing, he repeatedly told himself “it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream”. “Hush! Off you go. Leave him alone”A bright and familiar voice pulled Chanyeol out of his slumber. The previously painfully noisy forest turned completely silent around him.“Chanyeol! You are here for real”Baekhyun sat down on his heels and curled his arms around Chanyeol’s upper body from behind, pushed his chest onto his back and buried his nose in his hair.Chanyeol grabbed those hands circling him, pulled them tighter, as if his life was depending on them. Finally he felt his body relax and he could breathe normally, his brain cells rocking back and forth to a soft melody in his heart. Baekhyun was here, they were good. Everything would be fine eventually.“I was so scared” Baekhyun spoke against his neck. “I mean, it was my only chance, and I never thought you would follow. But now you are here and it’s amazing.”A wave of powerful coughs ran through Chanyeol’s body as he tried to open his mouth to speak. He had swallowed a lot of water and it still burned. The smaller boy quickly pushed him around so that he could face him, never letting go of the touch on his skin.“You’re in pain. Please let me help you” Baekhyun gently held Chanyeol’s chin in his hand and lifted it enough for their gaze to meet. Chanyeol had no idea of how his friend was going to help him. He had no strength to ask but closed his eyes and nodded faintly.With his eyes still closed, he let the other arrange his body the way he wanted. His legs pushed down so he sat with them crossed in front of him rather than bent up against his chest, arms detangled and dropped down by his sides.Slowly a pair of warm hands started to slide over his skin, starting from his neck and down both his arms. It felt a bit like a massage, a very weird one. His skin tickled under the touch and muscles felt warm and soft. The treatment continued down his sides and over his thighs, and the same way back up.At his waist he felt them search for the hem of his shirt. All of him felt warm as those hands slid over his stomach and landed on his chest.“Look at me”Blinking a couple of times, to get used to the golden light around them, Chanyeol lifted his head and did as told. A pair of ice blue eyes were looking at him, soft but insistent.“How do you feel?”Chanyeol didn’t know how he felt, he had never before felt anything like this. He felt dizzy, but it was a pleasant fog. He felt heavy, but rested, warm and bubbly. Lost in the blue, all he could do was smile. A bright, toothy grin.“Happy, I think I feel happy.” His voice bright and crisp, not showing traces of mud or fighting for air.Tentatively he stretched his body, inhaled deeply, making the golden boy laugh. “You look like a cat that just wake up, stretching like that” his voice light and smile wide.“How? When? I mean… How did you do that?” His words tripped over each other on the way out. He had so many questions.“It’s something my grandma thought me, to master my powers. Light is a powerful one, given by the sun and stars, and it’s healing. That’s what I did to you”Chanyeol stared at the boy in front of him, trying to understand stuff that was not meant for humans to understand. When his words were stuck, Baekhyun helped him out. A slight tickle on his upper arms made Chanyeol drop his gaze to where fingers touched and forgotten was everything about healing powers.His skin was drizzled with tiny stars. Wherever Baekhyun’s fingers had touched his skin, there were traces of cristals. Chanyeol jumped up from the ground, twisted his body, waved his arms, tried to get a look of all parts at once. His skin was gorgeous, reminded him of that Jongin- boy that saved him.When done examining his own body, he bewildered turned to a patiently waiting Baekhyun.“I take it back” his friend chuckled.  Chanyeol pouted slightly and narrowed his brows a bit confused. “Take what back?”“You’re not a cat, you’re a happy puppy chasing your tail”Chanyeol was pulled into a tight hug while Baekhyun spoke, the smaller boy wrapping him in by arms and tail. Then he looked up and those eyes sparkled of silver again. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”He felt dizzy again, his heart spinning in his chest. He had no words, didn’t understand anything of what had been going on. Nevertheless, this was right, them being together was how it should be. Therefore, he did what he had wanted to do for too long, what his heart had been waiting for. He gently cupped the pretty face in front of him and leaned down to kiss Baekhyun. They were no longer friends, they were a lot more.Something tickled like crazy and he had to end the kiss too early, his body twisting to avoid what caused it. His eyes followed a bundle of hair resting on his neck, just under his air, down to where it was attached to the other. How had he never seen that one before?“I’m sorry” Baekhyun quickly pulled back his tail. “I felt a bit excited and well, a happy tail has a life of his own it seems”The beautiful boy looked down shyly, a blush colouring the tip of his ears. Chanyeol stretched out a hand to touch it. Strong and soft, hard underneath, like silk on the surface. It was nothing like a cow’s tail.“It’s beautiful,” he whispered. “Beautiful like you”Before wrapping Baekhyun in his arms and demanding another kiss, he added “I’m sure I will get used to it” It was a smiling kiss, giving away how he felt on the inside. So very happy. Walking hand in hand under majestic trees felt like home. Baekhyun was his bubbly self, chatted away about everything in sight. He pointed out where everyone lived, told stories about unlucky trolls turned to stone when they had been too slow to hide for the sun. On cloudy days, they dared go hunting in daylight. As someone bored, that also held the powers of the light, Baekhyun was a threat to the stupid long-nosed creatures. Chanyeol was not even surprised.The more Baekhyun showed him, the more questions popped up in his head. This was such an amazing place. Books would have to be rewritten. He wanted to take photos, or starting painting. This place was beyond beautiful and the prettiest part of it was walking close to him, holding his hand, leading the way, over a bridge, under a waterfall, a tail of colourful fairies following them.Anyone they met greeted him warmly. No one asked any questions, they just knew. Like he belonged here, had done for a long time. Aware of the stars drizzled all over his skin, he felt like he did too.

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It’s amazing how sometimes everything is too good to be true, like one of those fairy tales where the sky is blue, everyone are singing and the good beats the evil. When it is a dream of soft grass and laughter and the one you love, loves you back, but you never wake up because it is not a dream.Running between tall trees, stumbling over rocks and slipping on wet grass felt oddly familiar, Chanyeol just couldn’t point out how. Baekhyun were smaller and faster than him, leaded the way but held his hand tight all the time. Except from when Chanyeol used his strength and pulled at the smaller so that he could wrap him in his arms to kiss him again.The boy was intoxicating. The way his lips automatically pouted when expecting a kiss, the round, soft cheeks he could push his thumbs into and those eyes. It was impossible to look away. When Baekhyun looked at him, every single of the stars drizzled over his skin started to tingle. His heart had never felt this whole ever before.Baekhyun fit perfectly in his arms. He wanted to come closer, he needed them to be closer. Each time one of his hands slid down to feel the soft curve of the others butt and his fingers curled around the base of the strong tail, jolts of electricity shot through his body before they exploded in his lower stomach.Bright laughter pulled him out of the moment time after time. They had to continue, not that Chanyeol knew for what or where to. All he knew was that he wanted to be around his golden boy, that’s all that mattered. Even when a heavy door shut close behind his back, it took some time before Chanyeol felt the need to lift his head and have a look around. Bright music bounced off the walls, mixed with high-pitched laughter and darker voices rumbling over the wooden floor. As his eyes started to adapt to the lack of daylight, he discovered how big the place was, large chandeliers draping the chamber in a soft light. Along the walls there were massive wooden dining tables packed with everything your heart and tongue could desire. The room was filled with all kind of creatures and humans, feasting, dancing, and simply having the night of their life.No one lifted an eyebrow at Chanyeol taking place by the table Baekhyun had walked them over to. They simply greeted him and started sending him bowl after bowl of fruit, nuts and sweets. Never had he tasted fruit that sweet or nuts that crunchy. This was the perfect place on earth, had to be. As long as Baekhyun wanted him there, he would never leave and based on the hand resting in his lap, the one with a teasing pinkie that occasionally brushed over the most sensitive part of his body, he was not going to leave anytime soon. Between mouthfuls of delicious food, his golden boy pointed and explained until all the names were blending together in Chanyeol’s brain, probably also caused by the never empty mug in his hand. At some point he zoomed out and started to watch, feel and just be. He had all the time in the world to get to know everyone.Not far from their table, a boy was entertaining them with beautiful music. His voice was clear and smooth, the melodies happy and catchy. Song after song filled the air, displaced the noise from too many people gathered in one room. When he listened closer, some of them felt familiar. Where one song painted pictures of fields of grass and cows, another created pictures of children playing, of fireplaces and warm tea.Memories started flashing in front of his open eyes, familiar faces, well-known places. Suddenly this didn’t feel like home at all, as if he couldn’t breathe. He needed answers, there were too many questions popping up.“What’s wrong?” Baekhyun’s hand squeezed his under the table, the icy blue eyes finding his, making him breathe again. “You’re all tensing up. Don’t you like it here? Want to go home to our place?” His voice was soothing, a warm melody hiding underneath.“What kind of hulder are you Baekhyun? Why didn’t you come visit, show us you were okay all this time?”There were so many possibilities, his books told so many different stories. Nothing added up and the questions waited in line.“Are you going to make me your slave and kill me if I disobey your wishes?”“What?” The golden boy stiffened, dropped the hand he had been holding so lovingly.“I’ve read about hulders like that! My books are filled with stories about them. If you can satisfy them sexually, you get your life to keep, unless... “Without finishing his sentence, he searched for some kind of reaction in the others face.Baekhyun shook his head and chuckled “I don’t know anyone like that around here”, but added “I know there are other forests than our, but except of Jongin, there is very little killing going on.”“Jongin? The boy who saved me?” Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide.“I know, so sweet and innocent, but then he shifts to Kai and travel around spellbinding people with his music, and I bet you’ve read enough to know he feeds on souls. If anyone is unpredictable around here, it’s him. One moment he is here, and the next he is far away.”Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Aaagggh, that smile. How would Chanyeol get the answers he needed when Baekhyun smiled like that? To distract himself, he grabbed the soft tip of the tail looping his waist, combed his fingers through the silky bundle of hair.  “You’re a friendly hulder then? Supposed to watch after animals at a farm?”  A hand came up to rest on his cheek, turned his head a little and forced Chanyeol to look him in the eyes again. “Like my mother you mean?”“What?”“Aaah, you haven’t done the math yet.” Baekhyun pinched his cheek and continued. “My mother used to be a hulder, but she dropped her tail to stay with my dad. My grandmother did too. You know them. Nothing bad runs in our blood.”“How about Astrid?” Chanyeol felt confused. “She’s going back and forth? She’s a hulder, I swear I saw her tail.”“Yes, she’s still looking”“Looking for what? Why couldn’t you come visit like she does?”Chanyeol felt so angry. If a hulder could travel like that, live among mortals then why had Baekhyun gone missing like that for years, ruined his best friend’s life? “I couldn’t go back.” For the first time in their conversation, Baekhyun lowered his gaze.“I stayed away from the pond for as long as I could. I knew it would suck me under the second I jumped in. I wanted to warn you, or give you a chance to understand why I was going away. I couldn’t stay for autumn and your religious ceremonies. I’m not human.” Gently his hands were lifted off the tail and Chanyeol felt how tight the other held on to him.   “I couldn’t go back because I already had made someone mine. My only hope was trying to get them here.”You had made someone your? How do you do that? Who is it?” Chanyeol swallowed. He might had been angry and confused, but he certainly didn’t like the thought of Baekhyun having someone else, someone special.“You kiss them.” Baekhyun’s expression was soft, his eyes warmer than the usually silver-blue. “When a hulder falls in love, they can tie them together permanently with a kiss. So I did.”“Who did you love then? Who did you kiss?”  Chanyeol stared at the boy in front of him, waiting for an answer that never came.“Oh!.... Oooooh!” Chanyeol jumped up from the bench, pushed the tail off, didn’t care that it hit the floor so hard it made Baekhyun hiss in pain. The feeling of betrayal made his brain boil and none of the smaller’s touches could calm him down.“You made me yours? You knew all along and did all of this just to get me here? Not working Baek, not working. I need to tell my family I’m okay. You understand that?”It made Baekhyun jump on his feet too. While Chanyeol more yelled than spoke, his voice was dark and serious. “You can’t go back.”“I’ll swim the way I came, you people go back and forth all the time”“You’re human. I need to take you”“Then do!”“I can’t”“Why? Tell me why Baekhyun, because I don’t understand this. You caused me so much pain. I’m not doing that to my family.”“Then I can’t come back here” A sigh at the end showed how he was tired of the argument already.“So that’s it then? I need to stay because you don’t want to go? And it’s your fault in the first place, remember?” The air stilled around them for a moment.“Fine, that’s all I needed to know. You’re just as mendacious as the hulders in my books.”Chanyeol backed off, pushed his way between bodies, eyes glued on Baekhyun, making sure the traitor didn’t dare follow. He let himself disappear in the crowd of partying creatures until he no longer could point out his friend or knew where their table was. Everything was spinning, people pushing him around, all voices blending until it was too much.Someone suddenly gripped his arm and pulled him into a corner.“Chanyeol! How nice to see you” Her eyes sparkled and he never knew he actually would be glad to see Astrid again.“You’re looking a little lost. Here, have this” She shoved a cup of something into his hands and gently tugged at his arm until he sat down next to her.“I need to go back home to tell people I’m okay. I can’t leave them like this.”“Aaah. You have had flash backs. Now drink some more, please” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled cutely at him.“Whatever” He downed his drink in one go and slammed the cup down on the table.“I need to go back home, will you take me?”“I could do that”“You could? That’s wonderful. When? I’m ready when you are.” Chanyeol was on his feet already, had not a minute to waste.“Calm down big boy. We haven’t agreed on my payment”That stopped his movement and made his posture collapse. “Payment?”Her bright laughter gave him the chills.“I’ve seen your brother around a lot. I like him”“Good. Then you might understand how I need to let him know I’m okay.” He held on to his little hope the best he could.“Not what I had I mind. I’ll help you back if you help me make Sehun mine.”Panic sets in every bone as her words are starting to make sense. “No, you can’t have that! Not him. How about that cute Kyungsoo-boy, or the oldest brother at the Kim-farm?” She couldn’t have his brother, never. Instead he spat out names of boys he didn’t like too much, or not as much as he liked his brother at least.“Kyungsoo is cute and all and when I think about it, I could need a cook or a housekeeper, I’m lazy” Her eyes sparkled of ice blue crystals and for a moment it looked like she actually considered the suggestion Chanyeol had made.“But a girl has her needs and you’re taken. I think your brother would make a nice toy” He had heard enough. On wobbly feet he pushed past her and back into the chaotic crowd of dancing creatures. There had to be a door somewhere. He needed air but the room kept spinning, laughter surrounding him and making it impossible to escape. “Psst! Here, this way”At first he couldn’t point out where the sound came from, but at the “psst” were repeated several times, his eyes finally landed on the black haired boy with the pretty singing voice. The boy pulled him by his wrist, between warm bodies and out a well-hidden door. On the outside they both sank down next to the wall, the boy giving Chanyeol time to catch his breath and to stop his head from spinning.“Hi, I’m Lay. You are new around here. Human?” A lot had happened in just a short time and it took a while for Chanyeol to react to the name the boy used. Then it did and his eyes shut open. Without introducing himself or answering the question, he fired away his questions.“Lay? You… you’re the one who went missing this winter? I thought you were dead.”“I guess I’m that boy, yes”“Omg! How can you be here when everyone at home are looking for you?”“Jongin is taking good care of me. I made the decision myself”“So, you like it here?” “I was working long days at the farm, it was exhausting. Everything I wanted was to entertain, make music, sing and dance. Jongin gave me that.”“Wow” Chanyeol had trouble believing what he heard, but after tonight, he understood there was a lot of stuff he didn’t understand.“I’m curious” the boy continued. “You seemed so out of it. What happened?”Chanyeol sighed. He wasn’t done organizing all of his thoughts or the happenings yet, but he could try. If someone would listen, he could try. Maybe then it would add up.Nothing seemed to surprise Lay. He nodded and smiled, patted him reassuringly on the back from time to time. It felt good to tell. His story still didn’t make sense, but he had managed to word it. “You need to make Baekhyun want to go back with you,” Lay suggested after a while.Chanyeol grunted, messed up his hair with his hands.”Don’t you think that was my first thought too?”“I think I know how to”Lay digged into his pocket and held out his hand carrying a small white amulet.“Jongin gave this to me. It’s from the other side and it makes you remember. I don’t need it. I’m fine where I am. I gave my soul away, will never be able to return to the mortal world anyway.”“How will this make Baekhyun take me back?”“It won’t. But it will make you remember where you came from when you go back to face Baekhyun. Without it, his powers will be too strong, and you won’t remember your plan.”“Which plan?” Chanyeol didn’t have any plan. Not that he was aware of.“You need to make him remember and miss stuff from his past, and hulders are quite simple. Give him a taste of something he can’t live without. Make him want to follow you back”“Good plan. Just one problem. I don’t have anything he want.”Lay looked at him as if he was about to laugh him in the face. How could he find this funny? This was no plan, at all.“Believe me, you have.” The boy let his hand slide down Chanyeol’s chest and stomach, a finger pointing down to his crotch.“Oooh” Chanyeol blushed. Lay smiled triumphantly and patted his knee.“Told you” They sat like that for a little more, not talking much, but Chanyeol appreciated the company. Hope started to grow in his chest too. If the amulet did what told, and if Lay’s plan actually worked, then he was going back home in not too long. And Astrid would never get to have his brother. Never!

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Soft and warm, safe and comfortable. Chanyeol’s body felt heavy and boneless, and in this halfway unconscious state, it almost felt as if someone was patting his head gently. Opening his eyes could wait a little longer because he really didn’t feel like letting go of the sweet dreams just yet.When he started feeling his limbs and the brain started to pay attention to his surroundings, it became clear that someone indeed was playing with his hair.“Morning, love”A voice so soft his heart swelled in his chest came from somewhere close and he had to open his eyes to be sure he was right.Chanyeol looked straight up into a pair of blue crystals, strands of golden hair falling softly around the boy’s face. The soft pillow was Baekhyun himself, whose fingers lazily ran through his hair.The hulder leaned down enough to place a kiss on his forehead and when Chanyeol didn’t move away, another on the tip of his nose. Chanyeol melted into the familiar touches of careful fingers drawing patterns on the skin on his arms and the strong tail looping his waist.It was the most perfect way of waking up, something he could want for every day for the rest of his life. However, as his brain started to catch up a little there was one big question he had to ask, “How…? I mean, did I walk here myself?” His voice cracked a little, his throat still sleepy.Chanyeol remembered talking to Lay under the night sky the night before. He didn’t remember walking here though. He remembered feeling sleepy and it was natural to think he had fallen asleep outside, exhausted from all the stress. He hadn’t been sleeping outdoors, that much he knew.“No, you didn’t. Lay talked Jongin into bringing you home to my place. You looked tired.”“I sure must have been if I didn’t wake up from being carried all the way over here”  Now that he had opened his eyes, he could tell the room was light and pretty. It wasn’t a dark and creepy cavern like in the stories, but a larger room with white wooden walls, lights hanging off the walls and flowers in every corner. Delicate curtains covered small windows on one wall. Thick enough to keep out bugs and fairies, he guessed that was what those things with wings were, but thin enough for pink daylight to fill the room.Baekhyun giggled and patted his head. “So much to learn.  Remember how Jonging have certain powers too? Hmm?”Chanyeol looked at him dumbfounded. “He used his powers on me? Did he take my soul?”“No” The giggle turned to a light chuckle. “You are /taken/, he knows that much. Jongin knows how to control a human brain, so he made you sleep deeply and filled your brain with cute dreams. I think you needed it after the evening in the cavern. And then he brought you over here, teleportation. You’ll understand everything eventually.”Chanyeol let his body rest heavily on Baekhyun’s thighs, closed his eyes in order to organize all of this magical weirdness. It should have felt scary, instead it felt safe and lovingly. All of them had been welcoming and sweet towards him. Maybe, except from Astrid. “Do you feel better? It was a lot to take in yesterday, I know.”Baekhyun sounded sincere, and Chanyeol decided he had to be honest. He rolled his body over on the side, chin resting on a thigh, face turned away from the other. If he didn’t look at him, maybe he could focus enough to say what he wanted to.“I wish my family could know I’m okay, that I’m alive and everything will be fine. Your family know where you are.”He paused, waited for any respond behind his back. Baekhyun tightened the hold his tail had around him, pulled him closer, but didn’t say a word, gave Chanyeol the time he needed and so he continued. “If they knew and if I could make sure Astrid never gets to Sehun, then I’d happily stay with you. After all, you have my heart and I will feel lonely and empty on the other side. I’m done living with a hole in my chest. I’m done missing you.” The relaxing treatment from fingers on his skin and in his hair stopped as the pair of hands landed on his head and turned it enough for him to watch /his/ hulder. Shit, was that what he was? Or was it Chanyeol that was Baekhyun’s human? How was he supposed to know when this far most stuff in his books had been all wrong?“I think you have read the wrong book.”“Wrong book? How? How many are there?”Baekhyun looked shy for a short moment, but then his gaze hardened and Chanyeol understood what was coming had to be important.“I never stole your heart, not even a piece of it.” His eyes glued on Chanyeol as he spoke.“I don’t understand! You said you made me yours. You know /If you kiss a hulder, she steals your heart/ and all that shit?” Chanyeol felt confused again. Baekhyun had said those words, he was almost sure.“A tiny misunderstanding in your books, you should rewrite it.” The blond boy’s gaze had softened again and he stuck out his tongue teasingly.“Technically I made me yours. I gave you my heart to feel, and keep, for as long as you wanted. It’s a risky move, I know. That’s why I never could go back. I couldn’t survive in your human world without my heart. I needed you close, but you left. All I could do was wait for you to return so I could find you. It felt like forever.”The blond hulder inhaled deeply, let the air slowly escape in form of a long sigh. “I tied us together back then, but if you didn’t love me, you never would have come back.” “I have loved you since that day, ever since that first kiss you gave me. Something happened that day, I know it,” Chanyeol argued. He still felt sure about his friend having lured him into something he didn’t wanted back then. He might wanted it now, but back then Baekhyun had initiated everything.“That’s not because I forced you to, you could have starved my heart to death if you wanted to. If you didn’t have feelings, you wouldn’t have felt my pain. That’s what brought you back to the pond.”“This means... “Chanyeol looked up into the wooden ceiling, needed to organize his words a little before they let out. “This means you can’t come back with me, like ever? Because you made you mine, I will have to stay here for you to be happy?”It broke his heart a little. No, a lot actually. Knowing he could go back if someone helped him, but Baekhyun would be stuck here alone. “I could go back.”“As long as I’m with you, I’ll live. As long as you let me be yours.”  The message might be a good one to Chanyeol, the eyes showed how it was not. It simply was not going to be that easy.“Is that’s why hulders keep the boys here? Because then they are sure their heart is close?”“Yes, sort of. It’s easier. Some boys are free to come and go, but it depends on the hulder. I only had one chance it seems, and it took all of my heart too.”It made Chanyeol emotional to know Baekhyun had given his all to him, had jumped into the waters without testing the temperature or if it was possible to reach the bottom with your feet at all.‘“And then there are girls like Astrid. She’s after a toy, not love. I don’t know what her heart is made of or if she knows how to lure boys without giving away her heart at all.” That last comment hurt more because it made Chanyeol remember how she was after his brother, how she had offered to bring him over but wanted his brother in payment.  His fingers tightened around a cold edgy item in his pocket /The stone that made him remember/. They had made a plan, him and that singer, Lay, something. He remembered it now.“I will let you be mine if we go back, of course I will. You can’t doubt that. Why is it so scary then? ”“Your family will have to accept it, you being with me. I don’t know how they feel about it. I’m not human, they will know. And they will understand how my mother isn’t human either. I don’t know how people will react. Maybe you’ll listen to them, kick me out, forgets about me. Then I’ll be lost without my heart and my tail. I’ll turn into a long nosed troll then.” The tail. Chanyeol had forgotten about it.“I thought you had to marry to drop your tail. Do we have to get married? I mean, not right away?”A gasp left Baekhyun’s mouth, overly dramatic and a hand slapped against his forehead. “Park Chanyeol, Are you proposing to me?”  The vulnerable look in his eyes one minute ago was gone, now they sparkled.Chanyeol turned beet red all the way up to the tip of his ears and he pushed his body up from the soft lap he had been resting on.“No! Not like that. I mean, not like I never could have, but this is all so new and I just read that a hulder is losing her tail if she gets married in a church and you don’t want to lose your tail, do you? So I just thought that we could stay and not get married but it’s not like I never would like to if you would like to” The flow of words stopped because he needed to breathe. When the smaller one next to him was quiet, Chanyeol shut up too, swallowed, unsure of what Baekhyun thought about his rambling. “I’d like to kiss you again. Can I?” Even if Chanyeol had sat up, Baekhyun’s tail still curled around on his hips, the silky tip resting in his lap. Without the crystal in his pocket, he would be wrapped up in this reality, forgetting everything about his past. Every single crystal on his body tingled when they touched and to be honest, if he could be sure his family knew he was safe, then he could throw the amulet away and indulge to this lovingly universe.  Until then, he was going to keep it.Chanyeol pushed it to the bottom of his pocket and smiled “I’d love to” while his ears turned pink and gaze dropped to the others mouth. It was fine. He could let himself forget for a little while. The memories he could find when needed.It was cute how the lively blonde was shy in this moment. He had been anything but it the day before. Maybe Chanyeol’s angry words had hurt more than he thought. Baekhyun had been kind and soft from the first second they met on this side of the river and he still was. Chanyeol loved him so much. Wanted to kiss him so badly. Baekhyun wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him closer until Chanyeol had to close his eyes because they were so close. He felt warm air blend with his and soft lips brushing his. This was new. This was them agreeing on something. Exactly what, they hadn’t discussed, but something good would have to come from this.Baekhyun finally closed the tiny distance between them and Chanyeol let himself be dragged over on the side and then rolled over on his back. Baekhyun rolled himself on top of him, one leg resting on each side of him while slowly sliding his tongue over Chanyeol’s lips.  One of Baekhyun’s arms was trapped under his neck, the other hand curled in his hair. The third one roaming his body, tickling his sides up and down. Feather light touches down his arms and under his shirt.Wait. Third?With a firm grip on the others waist, Chanyeol pushed the hulder up from him, sort of startled by the number of arms touching him.“Whaaat?” Baekhyun whined, his tail coming up to rest over his shoulder.  Chanyeol dropped his hulder down on his side and trapped him under his long body, all of him shaking from holding back laughter.“Your tail! I forgot about your tail”Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “I’ll make sure you never forget about it again then”The boy might look small and fair, but his tail easily pulled Chanyeol close. Being on top, he took the opportunity to pepper Baekhyun’s face with kisses, inhale the scent of warm skin and touch as much as possible. Something else was out exploring too. This time the thing sliding up on the inside of his legs didn’t startle him. It was an unusual feeling, tickling and soft and very close to his crotch.This was the start of it, realised as goose bumps popped and he shivered in the best way possible. Part one of his plan; Make Baekhyun want more.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Soft, white canvas, all spread out in front of him. He wanted to get brushes and paint, or finger paint, it would be better. He needed to feel all of it under his fingertips, to trace patterns the moles made on Baekhyun’s back. It looked like star patterns they stared up on when being young and carefree.So much skin he needed to touch and kiss. The dip between his shoulder blades, which every hulder had, he had read, he had to feel it under the soft pads on his fingertips. And Baekhyun let him.“It’s unfair!” He had said.“You’ve seen me naked so many times. It’s about time I get to see your skin”Chanyeol had pouted, probably looked more like a sulking puppy than a man. Baekhyun was just as weak to his pleading eyes as he used to be, only now they had a different spark in them.When the young hulder had raised his arms and let Chanyeol pull off his shirt, the world stopped. He held his breath as the white skin slowly became visible to him.  The boy’s eyes sparkled in silver when Chanyeol tentative let his hands slide over the firm chest, fingers lightly brushing over the nipples there.He had never seen his friend back without a shirt and he was curious, had read so many books about hollow backs, even holes and flowers growing in the cracks. At first he pulled the smaller body close, let his hands roam over as much skin he could reach. It wasn’t enough, so he turned the other around and Baekhyun willingly dropped down on his stomach.Of course, Baekhyun was nothing like the books. His skin was pale with moles, each of them placed just perfect for stargazing. The dip was there, but it was not a hole or wooden skin with cracks. As Chanyeol let his hands follow the shape from his shoulders, down his ribs to the softer waist and closer to his pants, his heartbeat tripled.Baekhyun must have sensed what was up and lifted his butt off the bed a bit.“Go on! I know you’re curious”“How did you hide it so well all the time?”  Chanyeol sat between the hulder’s legs, watching in awe how the fur coated limb disappeared down into his pants. Baekhyun hummed quietly every time he let his fingers run along the shape of it. That sound alone did weird things to Chanyeol’s stomach and he tried to swallow away the sand in his mouth as Baekhyun undid his pants.“Magic” The answer spoken into the linen. It was cute how Baekhyun still looked a bit shy when he had to talk about his powers, it made Chanyeol warm inside.Instead of pulling his pants down right away, Chanyeol leaned over Baekhyun and placed a kiss in his neck. Then another one on every mole he could find, working his way down to the now loose waistband. Carefully he moved further down between Baekhyun’s legs, aware of the tail that curled around his left thigh, not wanting to squeeze it.By the time Chanyeol’s lips had reached the pants, Baekhyun’s melodious humming had turned to soft moans, back arched and hips lifted off the bed, impatiently waiting for his human to pull off the thin fabric.“Ehem… you will have to let go of me for a moment” Chanyeol giggled as he realized how strong the tail was and how he needed to move further down to get the pants off.“Sorry”Baekhyun hid his face in his hands and let go of the leg, pulled his tail up to rest on his back instead. Both boys chuckled. This was new in so many ways, who teaches you how to deal with a happy tail? No one. A bit of laughter lightened the mood and made everything less awkward as he pulled the pants off completely. “Your back is beautiful”Chanyeol couldn’t stop touching the smooth skin where the tail was attached. “Remember that time you sat by the pond?  The sun painted your skin in gold. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I think that was the first time I felt there were something unusual about you, you didn’t look human”“That was just before…” Baekhyun stopped himself and pushed his body up, turned to watch his man. They had been kids back then. “You know I watched your skin so many times when we lay in the grass by the pond. I always dreamt of painting it the way you let me do yesterday.”Chanyeol lifted his arms the way Baekhyun had done and closed his eyes as the shirt was pulled off. When he had fried himself and opened his eyes, Baekhyun’s right hand were already on his zipper, the other cupping him over the cotton.“Lift up” A pair of blue eyes were shining so brightly, looking away was impossible. Obedient he raised his body up so he was standing on his knees. Baekhyun unzipped his pants quickly and pushed him over, tail looping around his shoulders so he wouldn’t fall too hard. Chanyeol was used to be the stronger between them. This power the smaller suddenly showed, took him by surprise and before he knew it, he was on his back, flat out on the bed looking up on Baekhyun.“I’ve seen you naked. I’ve painted patterns on your muddy back so many times. But I never got the chance to touch you the way I really wanted to, the way I hoped you wanted me to.”Baekhyun rested on his knees, one on each side of Chanyeol’s thighs. He let his tail brush over the broad chest. It was like feathers teasing over his skin, light and gently, but tickling and torturous at the same time.  “Then what are you waiting for?” He needed so much more than that tail. When he closed his eyes and breathed through his nose, the tickle was bearable, but he needed more of everything, skin, hands, and lips. He had wanted to tease and play a little with his hulder, now he was the one close to begging.Baekhyun seemed done with studying and leaned down to share a proper kiss, rough and soon enough desperate for more. Chanyeol held him close the best he could, one arm over his shoulders, the other with a firm grip in the golden hair. Baekhyun moaned into his mouth, sucked on his tongue and nibbled on his lower lip. They kissed the way their bodies craved, breathing in what the other breathed out until there were no more air to share and they felt dizzy.While leaning on his left arm next to Chanyeol’s head, he let his right drop down between their bodies. Chanyeol shivered as the soft hand found his dick and gently rubbed circles on the tip. He gave it a couple of steady pumps before cupping his balls instead.The kiss had ended when Baekhyun moved his lips down to his chest, kissing and sucking on the sparkling skin there.“Let me sit up” Chanyeol breathed out when his mouth was free from the other’s lips. He pushed his body up until he sat with Baekhyun in his lap, back rested on large pillows along the wall.The smooth tail sneaked up over Chanyeol’s shoulder, tickled the thin skin under his ear. Without thinking, he dropped one hand from Baekhyun’s shoulders and wrapped it around the base of the tail, caressed the delicate skin underneath and was awarded with a moan that had the tail vibrating. So he did it again, needed more of that sound.When Chanyeol closed his hand around the tail and used his pinkie to tap the thin skin just where the ass parted in two, Baekhyun bit down on his shoulder to strangle a sob. He trusted his hips against Chanyeol’s stomach and the tip of the tail wrapped around his throat. Not too tight, still enough to make Chanyeol dizzy without the kissing.While rocking his hips, Baekhyun pumped Chanyeol’s dick fast and determined. Drops of precum from both made his hand slick and the grip sloppier. It was fine. Everything was fine. The forehead resting on his chest, the hand tightening in his hair and the warmth radiating from their bodies. The tail made it hard to breathe, and Chanyeol gripped on to the smaller man the best he could.Their dicks sliding together, Baekhyun’s hand working on him, them, both. His skin tingled and blood boiled in his head. Closer than ever, but never close enough. If he could, he would have crawled under Baekhyun’s skin. That would have to wait until later though, because the way his body tensed up and made him throw his head back in pleasure, was on the verge of too much.Chanyeol had to let go of Baekhyun’s hip to pull the tail away from his throat. He needed air and Baekhyun looked too far gone to be in control of that limb. As air flowed into his lungs and oxygen reached his brain, he came hard between their bodies. Still holding on to the tail with one hand, he used his other to grab Baekhyun’s chin and forced his face up enough for him to catch his lips in a heated kiss.Shaky from his own orgasm, he managed to push the smaller off his legs, used the hold he had on his tail to get him where he wanted him.“You sneaky little thing.” Chanyeol hoovered over his hulder, growled into his ear. “You need to learn how to control that tail of yours”The long limb was trapped under one of Chanyeol’s hands as he lowered himself enough to close his lips around one of the pink nipples, scraped his teeth over it. Baekhyun whimpered, threw his head to the side and the tail twitched.“This is for leaving me behind without telling” Chanyeol closed his mouth on the other nipple and sunk his teeth into the soft flesh. Strings of “Oh god, oh please and fuck” left the smaller’s mouth. Chanyeol let go, blew cold air over it, and admired the mark he had made.Baekhyun was thrusting his hips into the air between them, searching for friction and relief. Chanyeol looked at the man under him, sat up on his knees and took his time. The sight was perfect, one he could be looking at forever. When nothing more happened, Baekhyun’s twisting body calmed down and he finally looked up to meet Chanyeol’s gaze, eyes darker than he had ever seen them.“Go on a walk with me” Baekhyun blinked and then furrowed his brows so much his eyes almost disappeared.“I want us to go for a walk like we used to. To talk and have fun.” Chanyeol still held the tail in his strong grip, made it impossible for Baekhyun to get away.“Sure! I’d love to” Baekhyun’s voice was hoarse. “But could we, you know...” He nodded in the direction of where his dick was still resting heavy on his stomach, all full and throbbing.A sly smile spread on Chanyeol’s face. “No! Not now. I want to explore the forest first”Without waiting for Baekhyun to understand or respond, he crawled off the bed, cleaned himself up with Baekhyun’s shirt from the floor and then threw it over to him for him to dry off his hands if needed. It didn’t take long until Baekhyun was out on the floor too.“Are you for real?” Baekhyun stared up at him while he tried to pull on his own briefs, almost tripping over. Chanyeol already had his clothes on, one hand tucked deep into his pocked, holding on to his memories the best he could.“Absolutely!”“Where did I go wrong? What did I do?” Still struggling to get on his clothes, Baekhyun sounded worried and sad, not what Chanyeol had in mind, at all. So he stepped closer and wrapped one arm around the smaller’s neck.“You were perfect, I loved every second”Baekhyun looked more confused than ever and maybe Chanyeol liked seeing his friend like that. Today it was Baekhyun’s time to feel a little bewildered.“You thinking you can just leave me hanging like this? I swear, I will make you pay” Baekhyun tried his best to look serious and threatening, crossing his arms over his chest “I’m supposed to be the one playing games.”“I want you to come with me to a place Lay told me about. I want to have a better look around at this place and I want to get to know you better. It’s been so long”  Chanyeol let his hand gently caress Baekhyun’s cheek and neck as he spoke, making him lean into the touch to try avoiding the tickles.When he saw how the other softened up, he leaned in close enough to brush his nose against Baekhyun’s warm cheek, whispering directly into his ear. “And if you want to, we could go skinny dipping the way we used to when we were kids.”  One step backwards, puppy eyes and a pouty smile. “What do you say? Are we going?”Baekhyun shook his head and chuckled. “You are just the same, are you not” Then he tiptoed and kissed Chanyeol quickly with pouty lips. “It’s a date. Now, come on, I need food before walking off. “

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Hands swinging lightly between them, barefoot walking on a light green path winding its way under large trees. Chanyeol let the fingertips on his free hand gently tap on tiny shiny lanterns hanging around. They were everywhere, draping their surroundings in yellow. Whereas the sky had been pink and the ground blue, drizzled with stars, outside Baekhyun’s home, everything had a golden tinge in this part of the forest.The heated atmosphere from earlier had dissolved as soon as their bare feet hit the soft grass, a warm, fuzzy feeling replacing it, making his blood bubble happily every time his eyes fell on the golden boy next to him.“You look like you belong in this part of the forest” Chanyeol spoke quietly. He could hear birds singing, the silence much more present than where they started and he almost felt like whispering. “Your skin is golden like the lanterns, you are glowing”“No, I don’t belong here” the hulder hummed just as softly. “I like the pink and blue part better. It’s lively and fun and it gives my hair a blushing shade, I like it.”  Chanyeol nodded soundlessly and let his gaze travel further, take in all the calm beauty surrounding them. White and yellow flowers painted the ground, light green leaves shading for the bright sun, creating patterns on their skin.“At home, the forest is nothing but green, do you remember?” Chanyeol tugged the other closer to show how he was talking to him and not just thinking aloud.  “It was never just green” Baekhyun tightened his hold around the human’s leg.“This forest might have all the colours at once, so that everyone can find their perfect home, like Jongin living in the calm green part and Astrid hanging around with the red and purple fairies when she’s around. Our forest at home have all the colours too, just changing with the seasons and from the sun and moon traveling the sky.” Baekhyun talked more enthusiastic at this point, the sacred quietness from the golden lanterns not as overwhelming anymore.Chanyeol totally zoomed out after the word /our/. Overly happy and giddy he bent down to pluck a handful of flowers. With shaky fingers, he tread the stem of a particular pretty white flower into Baekhyun’s hair before he dipped down to kiss him.When they parted, the smaller looked up on him with his shiny blue eyes. “What was that for?” A smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, laughter bubbling just under the surface from the romantic gesture. “Because you are right” A familiar heat spread from his ears as he realised how Baekhyun might find it stupid. “Remember how we used to make flower crowns when we were young? How we waved dandelions together and made Sehun wear them…”Baekhyun continued when Chanyeol paused with a dreamy look in his eyes “and then we had to scrub our fingers for hours because mom wouldn’t let us sit down by the dinner table with brown fingertips.”Chanyeol secured the flower in the golden hulder hair while Baekhyun faked a cough, a weird feeling of longing shaken off.  The taller gripped the tail playfully and shook it slightly “Come on, it can’t be far. Lay said I’ll find it easily.”“I’m still faster” Baekhyun freed himself from his man and started running, only to be followed like a pray by the other. Bright laughter filled the air as they ran until the trees were fewer and the forest made room for a beautiful pond framed by feather light waterfalls and white apple blossoms.Both of them needed a moment to catch their breath. Baekhyun was still the faster among them, but not by much. Chanyeol didn’t rest for long. He took one of the delicate hands in his and pulled the hulder along, eyes searching for a familiar item. And there they were.In the northern corner, on the opposite side of the waterfalls, partly hidden among reed standing tall, floated a handful of shiny white water lilies, yellow pistils glowing in the warm sun. Chanyeol swallowed. A pair of soft arms circling his waist and a chin coming to rest on his shoulder pushed any bad memories away. They were here together. “This place is beautiful”Chanyeol lifted a hand to rest on Baekhyun’s cheek as he spoke, felt the warmth from his breath on his skin. It was. It was more perfect than Chanyeol could ever imagined.  “You didn’t know about this place?” He felt he had the right to feel a bit surprised. The hulder had been living in this forest for 10 years and never seen this part of the forest? It was a bit hard to believe.“No. I avoided the water, and I knew there be lilies. They reminded me too much of you.” Chanyeol sat down in the grass quietly, let the words take their times to settle down. Baekhyun had missed him too, had pushed away memories just as much. “Why did you leave me behind? Do you know how scared I was?” There, the question was finally out. He could hear Baekhyun sigh behind his back, but then he lay down next to Chanyeol, rested his head on his arms, eyes on the water nearby.“I was afraid, wait, terrified. It’s not an excuse and it was never your fault. I… “Baekhyun paused and turned his body around. With his head resting in the taller’s lap, he looked up to meet Chanyeol’s gaze. “I wanted to tell you so many times. You have to believe me. I didn’t want to go, mom wanted me to stay. She didn’t know I had given away my heart. Maybe she had a feeling, she’s a mother after all. They know everything.”Chanyeol listened the best he could. To be honest, nothing of it really mattered anymore. What filled his mind was /now what?/“You know I couldn’t live away from you, the rules of the forest and the underworld and bla-bla-bla.”Chanyeol looked down on a pair of eyes hastily blinking away tears. “I wish I could see my family again. I wish I never left”Oh.The sound of his heart falling to the bottom of his stomach had to be audible to the other, Baekhyun closing up on himself, rolling around to face the water again. “Do you regret giving your heart away too?” Chanyeol felt a lump growing in his throat. If he did, then all of this was wasted. Wasted mourning, wasted feelings, wasted love. The hulder's reaction was instant.“No!” It was Baekhyun’s third /no/ today, and the one spoken out the loudest. He crawled up from the ground and straddled Chanyeol’s thighs instead, looped his arms around his neck. “I did many things the wrong way, but giving my heart to you was not a mistake. Please let me prove it to you”A pair of lips on his was all it took for his sunken heart to grow wings, happily flapping around in his chest. Baekhyun stood up on his knees, made himself taller, dominating a kiss that Chanyeol felt tingling in his fingertips. They took it slow, barely any tongue involved. Soft lips moulding together, finding their favourite angles, nibbling, tasting. Baekhyun’s hand were clutching Chanyeol’s dark hair, holding him in place and pushing their bodies closer.From time to time, the kiss was more their noses brushing together than lips touching and in one of those moments, Chanyeol remembered a promise. “We are going skinny-dipping” he talked into the others breath, hands trailing up under Baekhyun’s shirt. The feeling of a smile spreading on the lips close to his was making him stupidly happy.“Last one in is a turtle” Baekhyun was up on his legs, tugging on his clothes in a hurry. “Turtle?” Chanyeol almost tripped over half way out of his pants. “They’re slow” Baekhyun was down to his shorts, while Chanyeol still struggled with his pants. “Get that tail off of me” He shook his leg as if he was trying to shake off a horny puppy and maybe that was Baekhyun true self after all.The strong tail hugged his leg until Baekhyun was wearing nothing but his own golden skin and then he ran off in direction of the water. As Chanyeol finally shrugged off the last piece of clothing, the eager puppy was already splashing around in the clear blue water.Fine, he could be a turtle, a happy one. Chanyeol laughed at the sight in the water, delight filling his cells. All this time he had believed his friend didn’t know how to swim, was afraid of water. The scene in front of him told a very different story. Chanyeol threw his long body into the water, almost landed on top of a Baekhyun floating on his back.In their own weird way they made up for all the baths they never shared, starting out as shouting and fighting kids, slowly changing into teasing teenagers dipping the other under, hands randomly brushing over the others skin until they were just them, the adult version, skin itching for the others touches.Standing in front of the other, Chanyeol suddenly felt shy. He remembered another time when Baekhyun’s gaze had burned like this. It was the day when they had shared their first kiss.“You look absolutely stunning with my paintings on” A dripping tail slid up his arm to his chest. Chanyeol barely remembered it was there, even if the crystals were hard to miss. Drops from the fury limb created tiny swirls in the now stilled water when it tightened around Chanyeols shoulders to pull him close. Chanyeol shuddered when he felt a hard limb pressed into his hip, blood rushing south fast enough to make him light headed.“Don’t think I have forgotten about this morning” Baekhyun’s hand slid over the sparkly patterns on his chest, nails scratching his already excited nipples. “I think my nipples still have marks from your teeth” A hand dropped under the surface and gripped his almost fully erect dick. “Any suggestion on what to do to make it up to them?” Baekhyun’s teeth grazed his earlobe.It was hard to think straight standing close like this, Baekhyun’s breath on his skin, slender fingers curled around him under the water. Somewhere in his mind he realised being out in the water was a bad plan for what he had in mind. He dipped down just enough to get a good grip under Baekhyun’s ass and on two, he lifted a startled pup out of the water and carried him on land.“You might have certain powers and a tail. I’m still the stronger one” Carefully he put the hulder down in the grass, pushed him over until he lay on his back “And I might have the powers to make you lose your mind”Chanyeol pinned him against the grass, wrists trapped in a strong grip on each side of his head. Blood boiling was speeding things up compared to earlier and their teeth knocked together clumsily until tongues found their way into the others mouth. Both felt desperate. The move Chanyeol had pulled this morning had been anything but easy. Fuck, leaving his lover like that had hurt a lot, to both of them.  “I want you to trust me. Show me you do and I’ll stay with you forever” It was a bold statement, one he hadn’t thought through. There and then it felt like the only right thing. He wanted Baekhyun to be patient and vulnerable for once, no more secrets or jokes, just trust. If he could show him that, then Chanyeol would make sure he lost his mind for a while.Baekhyun looked up at him, thinking for a moment, searching for what Chanyeol were talking about. Maybe a bit worried he would be left with blue balls once more.  “I will” He breathed in and out one more time and let his body go limp in Chanyeol’s grip.Mole by mole, Chanyeol kissed his way down the body he was straddling. Sucked on the thin skin just above the collarbones, flicked his tongue over pink nipples. No teeth this time. The way Baekhyun’s body tensed beautifully at the light licks was reaction enough.With one hand on each hip, he kissed the perfectly cute belly button, licked into it and then blew cold air over the wet skin. Chanyeol enjoyed how it created goose bumps all over Baekhyun’s stomach. Slowly kissing his way the way Baekhyun wanted him the most, made it clear how the hulder had a hard time laying still. Hips rocked automatically, a fully hard dick longing for any attention. Chanyeol nuzzled his nose into the curly and still wet pubic. It smelled fresh from swimming and hot from sweat at the same time and it was intoxicating.His own neglected dick was hanging heavy between his legs and he pushed his knees together. Having Baekhyun under him like this was turning him on like nothing ever had. He wanted anything and everything at once. As he let his lips slide up and down the silky soft skin on Baekhyun’s shaft he wished for nothing else than to be able to crawl under his skin, to stay as close as possible forever.A pair of hands found his hair, clutching tightly and trying to maneuver his head the way their owner craved it the most. Chanyeol lifted his gaze, looked up into his lover’s eyes as he stuck out his tongue and lapped carefully at the clear drops on Baekhyun’s glossy tip. The pair of blue disappeared under heavy eyelids and a breathy moan escaped between parted lips. A pink tongue licked those lips repeatedly as Chanyeol gave the tip a light kiss.Baekhyun was breathing heavily and Chanyeol took his time, letting his hands travel up and down the plump thighs, never being able to hold on to as much flesh as he wanted.A soft tickle on the back of his thighs made him spread his legs though, making the throbbing cock smack up against his stomach. He had asked for patience, but at this time, he couldn’t care less. Soft fur tickled the inside of his thighs, curled around his dick and the smooth slide felt too good to continue slow. For a moment he let himself indulge in the feeling. In the next moment he took Baekhyun’s length in as much as he could, pushed his head down until the dick hit the back of his throat and the tail tensed between his legs.Both were close before they even got started, Chanyeol bobbing his head the best he could, rhythm something for when a bundle of silk wasn’t stroking his dick. Both men thrusted their hips, chased the moment of bliss they knew was out there waiting. He took in as much he could, felt the tip of Baekhyun’s dick hitting the back of his throat again and again, salvia dripping from the corner of his mouth, making it messy and sloppy and the hulder was praising and cursing in a unconsciously mix.In a couple of sharp trusts, that almost had Chanyeol choking, the smaller came with a string of ah’s and fuck’s and choked sounds. Chanyeol closed his mouth around his tip and swallowed, at least he tried to. Chasing his own orgasm had him spilling a lot of it over Baekhyun, as his mouth fell open and he shot his own load all over the blonde fur.A bit shy about how fast it all went, but mostly blissed out, he fell down in the grass next to his hulder. With his eyes still closed, he pulled the smaller close, wrapped his long arms around him until Baekhyun was resting on his chest. A warm breeze ruffled leaves above them and it was pretty much the only sound except from their breathing evening out and fizzing waterfalls on the other side of the lake. Drops of water abruptly pulled him out of his slumber. Baekhyun was out in the water, splashing in his direction. “Come on, you need to clean up”. Chanyeol felt how sticky stuff had dried on his skin and he didn’t have to be told twice to jump in, the water crystal clear and refreshing, toes curling in soft sand.After they starfished in the grass, waiting for the sun to dry their bodies. When Chanyeol rolled over on his stomach, Baekhyun crawled close enough to draw patterns on the wide back of his human. “You used to love this” he spoke softly, a slender finger drawing hearts and stars trough drops of water. “I still do”“You used to be all muddy though” Baekhyun hummed at the memory. Chanyeol purred under his soft touches, fingers trailing up and down, scratching his nape. This day could go on forever and he loved the yellow glow on everything in the forest.  “Is our tree still there?” The hulder asked all of a sudden.“Yes, it is.” Chanyeol had walked past it many times over the summer, felt the rough bark under his palms, pictured both of them hanging upside down from the branches until their head felt heavy from too much blood. “And there are even more blueberries under it than it used to be”Baekhyun leaned down and placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, soft, moist lips pushed into warm skin long enough for Chanyeol’s inside to turn to mush. Somewhere in his brain he knew he had important memories in his pocket. Right now he didn’t need any of those, because Baekhyun remembered them for him.“I still love blueberries”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Depending on how you see it, the black holds all the colours at once, or no one at all. At home the forest turned pitch black at night, hiding every pretty flower, unless the moon shone bright. Chanyeol had not spent many days at this side, and it was one of the biggest mysteries he had discovered this far. Day or night, it was hard to tell, every part of the forest had their colours, their rhythm and it never seemed to get dark.The two lovers had rested their back against the stem of a large three for what felt like hours. Both having longed for days like this. Baekhyun’s tail liked it between Chanyeol’s long fingers and Chanyeol had to admit the drizzle of stars on him was quite pretty.“Are all parts of your forest equally bright and colourful?” he asked while he let the pads of his finger slide along the length of the tail. It took the hulder some time to register the question, his body lax and brain soft from Chanyeol’s gentle touches.“No, there’s a part where the ground absorbs all the colours, not many goes there unless they have to.”“And why would anyone have to?” He had so many questions, everything about this world was so very different. If he had to stay, if he chose to, then he wanted to know all the secrets.“Sometimes you’re in need of black magic” Baekhyun quickly flicked his eyes to the side, as if he was afraid anyone was there.“Why would you need that? Have you been there?” One answer only gave him five new questions and this one really poked the curious part of his brain. Baekhyun retreated his tail and stood up, clutched his tummy dramatically. “I’m really hungry. We should head back to eat before every bowl is empty” Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders. He could get more answers later and besides, maybe Kai or Lay or someone was more talkative. It was a quiet walk back, both of them satisfied and feeling warm in their bones. As soon as they stepped inside the big hall, they were surrounded by music, the smell of warm spices and so many people. It impressed him how the forest seemed empty wherever they walked, while this place was crowded.The first time it had been overwhelming, now Chanyeol felt welcomed on another level. His blonde boy dragged him across the room until familiar faces came into view. People shuffled sideways to make room for them, plates coming from somewhere above their head as soon as they were seated. Jongin nudged his side and pointed at Baekhyun.“What did you do to him? His eyes are sparkling” Chanyeol felt the tip of his ears turn pink and every gem on his body tingled. Jongin only laughed.As he stuffed his mouth with delicious food and slowly moulded into a member of the group, a thought began to grow. It had been a plan with this day. It had worked, oh yes it had worked, just not the way he had wanted it to. There’s no chance he can go back and risk living a life without Baekhyun. Home felt far, far away. When was home happy anyway. It was long days of work and cold winters and he just couldn’t live without his hulder. If Baekhyun couldn’t go back, he wouldn’t either. Chanyeol slammed his mug onto the table and quickly stood up. He had to tell Baekhyun. He was staying, they were going to be together forever. A soft hand gripped his left wrist, pulled at it to get attention. Baekhyun had disappeared in the crowd but a familiar pretty girl smiled brightly at him as he turned his head. Astrid held a new mug up in front of him.“For you!”Chanyeol looked at her sceptically, then eyed the drink she was offering him. Her bright laugher rolled over her tongue as she noticed his restraint. “It’s a special drink for family only”.  She lifted the mug and sipped at the golden liquid, her beautiful smile never fading. “Family?” Chanyeol asked between chuckles, her bright mood doing stuff to his brain.“Yes! We’re going to be family and it’s a wonderful day, don’t you think?”Chanyeol felt himself blushing again and accepted the drink to have something to do. Astrid was a relative of Baekhyun, hulder like him. He hadn’t told anyone yet about how he had decided to stay, but when it came to her, he wouldn’t be surprised if she could read minds.When he lowered his hand again, she threw her hands around his neck and hugged him. “Keep the mug. I’ll go get me another one” And just like that she swirled around and blended into the background. How did she do that? Another thing to ask about later.While having another sip of the drink, he let his gaze travel along the walls in search for a special blonde boy. Instead his gaze met at pair of brown ones, the musician coming up to him. Lay greeted him happily and pulled him with him to sit down next to his Jongin. Chanyeol knew what he wanted to know, it had been his plan after all. With a soft blush on his skin, he shared the more innocent details with his new friend. It had been a good day after all. “What’s with people today?” Chanyeol asked, faking annoyed the best he knew at someone pulling at him again. His strict face fell as soon as he saw who it was and a smile spread from his heart. The most beautiful boy with the brightest eyes was looking down at him. When he looked closely, Jongin had been right. Baekhyun’s eyes were glowing in a way he had never seen before. Usually they were ice blue, now they had a bright yellow glow, hypnotizing beautiful.Baekhyun gripped his hand tightly and pulled harshly. “You have to come with me. Now!” Chanyeol couldn’t look away, and he slowly stood up. He swallowed as he felt his body react to the tone in Baekhyun’s voice. Fuck, he was so gone for that hulder.Whistles were heard from around the table, and Jongin’s voice cut through the bubble. “That eager B?” Then laughter spread. Baekhyun didn’t answer, his gaze never leaving Chanyeol.Of course he followed, like an obedient puppy, let the smaller pull him between bodies and tables until they were out in fresh air. Then they started running.At first it was all fun, desire pooling in his veins, excitement making him giggly and running felt like floating. Then he realised they weren’t running in the direction of Baekhyun’s home. The forest was dimmed, shadows long and this was not blue or purple at all. In Baekhyun’s part of the forest the ground was drizzled with stars, here they were running on dirt.“What the hell is going on?” Chanyeol sank his heels in the mud and pulled his lover to a halt. “Where are we going?”Baekhyun let go of him, used his hands to massage his temple on both sides, then he looked up at his human. “You had a chat with Astrid today, didn’t you?” The smaller sighed.“Yes, I did” Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders. “She was just cute, welcoming me to your family. I don’t know how she knew I had decided to stay, but it’s nice of her”“You WHAT?”Oh… Chanyeol actually never told Baekhyun, he remembered now and he started rambling “Yeah, you know, staying with you if you want me to. And you are family so then she and I are sort of family too and she offered me a drink. That’s all”Baekhyun’s eyes had started glowing again, just this time it didn’t ignite good feelings and Chanyeol swallowed.“And you drank it” It wasn’t a question. Baekhyun clearly knew already. They had started walking again, side by side, no more running. As the forest darkened around them, their talk from earlier popped up. “Why are we heading into the dark forest?” He could tell Baekhyun didn’t know how to respond at first, how he was opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, licking his lips. “You gave her a short route to get to Sehun. That drink was a potion” Chanyeol’s blood froze, drops of golden liquid dancing in front of his eyes.“When Sehun sees her next time, he’s hers. He’s your brother, the potion follows your bloodline. That’s what Astrid meant about you two becoming family. It had nothing to do with me.”His legs still moved. He could tell because his surroundings were changing, he didn’t feel them though. His voice was weak when he finally asked, “Where are we going?”Baekhyun’s tail came up to rest on his neck, the soft tip on his skin grounding him some. “We are going to see Luhan. He’s a witch. I have a hope he might have a way of fixing this.” The hulder’s delicate hand slipped into Chanyeol’s and gave it a good squeeze.“He’s like a wizard?” Baekhyun’s touches made it easier to think and talk. “No, he’s a witch” Baekhyun giggled. ”You’ll see when we get there.”As the forest closed up on them and shadows disappeared in the dark, he was glad he had Baekhyun by his side. No chance he would have dared coming here on his own. They stopped under a majestic oak, probably hundreds of years old. It rested on top of a small hill and a small stripe of light was all that revealed a door in front of them.Tre powerful knocks on the door was all it took for Chanyeol’s heartbeat to triple. His eyes started to get used to the dark and he could tell the doorframe was decorated in beautiful, hieroglyphic signs. Baekhyun clearly understood what he was looking at and gave filled him in on it. “They are all the powers of the universe, see, there’s mine, light. And there’s Jongin’s, teleportation.” Chanyeol tilted his head and had a closer look. The patterns painted in gold, neatly carved out in the wood.Just as he was about to ask about the other signs, the door opened. A person covered in a dark cape, his face hidden in the shadow of a big hood stepped outside.“Baekhyun! Nice seeing you here. I have been waiting” His voice was bright and pretty, not hoarse or old.“Luhan, this is Chanyeol. Chanyeol, meet Luhan” Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol a step closer and Chanyeol politely bowed for the witch.“Nice to finally meet you Chanyeol. I think I can help you” The boy stepped to the side and held open the door, inviting them inside. The was place filled with glasses, bottles and jars with all kinds of stuff from floor to roof, dried mushrooms hang from the roof and shelfs were filled with books and weird stuff Chanyeol had never seen before. The boy had pushed off his hood and a pretty face smiled at them. “Now? What do you want me to do? The tea is already boiling, I just need a couple of details.While Baekhyun explained all the sides of the situation, Luhan was already plucking stuff from drawers and boxes. One by one he dropped the items in a big teapot on his oven. Soon a sweet smell spread in the room, unlike anything he had ever smelled, but delicate and inviting.“How did he know?” Chanyeol leaned close to the hulder, whispered in his ear.“I read minds. Didn’t Baekhyun tell you anything?” Luhan nudged Baekhyun on his way over to the oven. “Now, let’s talk about payment.”Chanyeol sent Baekhyun a quick glance, what? How did you pay for witchcraft? Baekhyun seemed just as lost. Nervously he stuck his hands in his pockets and a lightbulb went off. Filled with new hope he took a step closer and held out his hand, a pair of amulets resting in his palm. “These are holding memories from the other side. They make anyone remember what’s important”Luhan narrowed his eyes. “And why would you give up on them if they’re that valuable?”A familiar long limb curled around his left leg. “Chanyeol… what are you doing?” his hulder asked.“I don’t need them anymore. I decided to stay here with you” He swallowed, his mouth dry and the tail moved up higher, squeezed his hips. “If I know Sehun is safe I’ll gladly give up on my memories of my past.”“You want to stay? For real?” Baekhyun’s voice was weak, surprised. Luhan shut him off though. “Okay! Those might come in handy one day. I am accepting them. No let go on to the potion and the spell. We don’t have much time” He grabbed the stones from Chanyeol’s hand and dropped them into a small box. Then he reached for a mug and poured hot tea into it. “When you drink this, you’ll protect all of your family, parents, siblings. They’re becoming unreachable by creatures of the underworld. Means Astrid will never win your brother over, she can’t bring him here no matter how hard she’ll try.”Chanyeol nodded and had a tentatively sip of the hot liquid. It wasn’t too bad, he could do this. Luhan led him to a chair in the corner of the room and had him sit down. “Now drink it all while I sing”A voice just as beautiful as Astird’s and Baekhyun’s filled the room and his brain. It tingled in his limbs, blood running faster and the world wasn’t dark, it was bright and lively. For a moment he saw his family members, like in a dream and then the song stopped, the mug empty and his surroundings just as dark. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to magic. Baekhyun and Luhan had been talking for a while, letting Chanyeol take his time coming back down from the trip he had experienced, eventually they were on their way out. Baekhyun held his hand all the way, served him soft smiles from time to time, his eyes crisp and blue.“Now what?” asked Chanyeol. Baekhyun curled his free hand around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “Now we go home” he smiled against his lips.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chanyeol was clinging to his hulder’s arm, still not feeling completely himself after the drink he had downed. Baekhyun allowed him, he even curled his tail around the human’s waist, to show how it was okay to hang on to him the way he did.   It was hard to point out, it could be the changing of lightning, or the colours slowly returning to their surroundings as they walked, maybe none of them, but something had changed. Completely blended by the blond hair, golden skin and ice blue crystals, Chanyeol had a hard time focusing on anything but the creature next to him. Baekhyun had never looked more beautiful, never this glowing, and the soft tip of his tail tickled Chanyeol’s skin in a way that easily could have him lose his mind. It could be he already had. Luckily, Baekhyun seemed to know where to go, how to find their way back through the black forest, and so Chanyeol followed him without a doubt in the world. Today had been kicking him around and going home was exactly what he needed. His long limbs longed for Baekhyun’s soft bed. He could picture himself falling on his back, drowning in fluffy pillows and soft sheets. The way Baekhyun had said /home/, warmed all of his insides, made his heart beat faster and his skin tingle again. As they slowly followed a soft moss covered path, lit by tiny stars drizzled along the sides, Chanyeol’s mind started wandering. Was Baekhyun’s home his home too from now on? How do you know what is home? Is it the place you were born? Chanyeol had never asked Baekhyun what place he called home, if it was the farm or the forest. What If home is the place you chose to live? Chanyeol had made a choice, he wanted to stay here and was that enough for him to call this home? Does home have to be a place at all, or is it possible to feel at home as long as you are among friends, the way you do when walking into a familiar café where the staff knows your order and your favourite spot by the window is free? Could home be in a different world even when you are human? Trying to get his head to cooperate enough to figure out what Baekhyun meant, and what he himself thought, was hard when his skin was tingling weirdly, his brain mushy and the most beautiful creature in every world was walking next to him. Hulders really had a beauty out of the human world. Trapped in his own string of questions, not paying attention to where they were walking, made him miss how they turned left instead of right under the big purple oak, how the path didn’t lead to caves and cabins but to green fields of clovers. He missed how a small stream slowly grew bigger until it was a fully-grown river, stones along the riverbanks covered is soft moss, all shades of green. Chanyeol registered how they stopped half a second to late, stumbling into the other. Rumbling water quickly pulled him out of his slumber as he forced his gaze away from Baekhyun. He swallowed. In front of them waited a beautiful horse. White mane flowing around the majestic animal felt oddly familiar. Tall and strong, sunlight showing off its muscular body and it gave Chanyeol this strong urge to reach out to touch. “Thank you for taking us” spoke Baekhyun as he respectfully bowed for his friend. The horse nodded and kneeled down on one knee, lowered himself enough for the two of them to climb up on the strong back.“Come on!” Baekhyun was already up on the horse and held out an inviting hand. “Kai will take us home” /Home/ The word he had spent the last 30 minutes pulling apart in his head. With eyes bigger than the drinking bowl Luhan served his potions in, he stared at Baekhyun, not even able to close his mouth. “Home? But… I thought…” Baekhyun’s eyes softened and he shook his head lightly. “Come on, silly. Just get up on the horse” then added a “please”. Chanyeol would never be able to resist that look on Baekhyun’s face. That beautiful, soft and loving look. He took the offered hand and jumped up. If Baekhyn wanted him to, he would follow. They had barely found their balance before the animal started moving under them. Chanyeol yelped and quickly hid his shy face in Baekhyun’s neck. “Hold on” was all the warning he got and they were off in a whirlwind of light and leaves. Chanyeol slowly untangled his hands from the horse’s mane, stretched his back and dared open his eyes when he was completely sure the horse was standing still. It was dark.“We will have to walk from here” Baekhyun spoke gently. “Kai can’t be seen here” Chanyeol nodded and let himself slide of off the animal. Baekhyun jumped down as soon as he had reached the ground, steadying himself by grabbing a hold of Chanyeol’s arm.   The other hand Baekhyun put on Kai’s neck then leaning his forehead onto the warm skin. “Thank you” He swallowed visibly, shivered a little “Please don’t take his memories with you?” It was a question Chanyeol couldn’t understand. Kai seemed to, and the horse dropped his ears a little. “Please” begged Baekhyun again as Kai pulled away from them. And then, with nothing more than a silent nod, the white horse was off, hooves sounding faintly in the distance until there was nothing. “Is this… are we?” Chanyeol looked around in the dark, his eyes starting to adapt enough for him to map out more of their surroundings. They were standing in the end of a field, hidden in the dark shadows from tall pine treas. A path stretched out in front of them, leading to a gate. “Baekhyun… is that the Byun farm?” Baekhyun wrapped his slender arms around Chanyeol’s stomach, stretched up to rest his chin on the broad shoulder. “I hope so, or I will have to teach Kai a lesson” He left a kiss on Chanyeol’s cheek and dropped down next to him, reached out for his hand instead. “Are you coming?” “We can’t just walk up there!” Chanyeol felt frozen in his spot, eyes glued on the gate in front of them. “What will they think? We’re going to scare the hell out of them.” Baekhyun turned to his human and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Chanyeol, listen. You’re forgetting one important detail. My people are of the underworld. They know, they probably know we are here already. I wanted to come back. I know you wanted too. The underworld isn’t a place for a human in the long run. It’s not our home” When Chanyeol nodded, shoulders relaxing a little, he continued “And your family is worried sick. You haven’t been gone for more than an few days. Think of your parents, of Sehun. They won’t bother with details as long as you’re back” This was it, they were home, his home, their home. Chanyeol had so many questions he wanted to ask, but he also felt really tired and as he figured, questions could wait. He offered Baekhyun a smile “Does this mean we get to sleep sometime soon? I’m really tired”“Yes, I’m sure my mom has the guestroom made up” Baekhyun pulled on Chanyeol’s hand once more and pulled them into walk, through the gate and across the dark fields. In front of them, a group of buildings came into view, windows glowing faintly and a single stripe of smoke oozing from the chimney. Before they walked the last part, Baekhyun stopped Chanyeol “One more thing. Kai let you keep all your memories of the other side, that’s not….” He searched for his words “That’s not recommended, but I wanted you to have them. Luckily Kai understood, he must have liked you or something.” A breathy laughter ended his speech and Chanyeol tugged at the tail wrapped around his leg.“You know, maybe it’s about time someone rewrite those books.” Baekhyun turned pale and Chanyeol wrapped him in his arms. “I understand, our secret, right?”“Our secret” He smiled back, relief shining in those ice blue crystals.   It was Baekhyun who pushed the door open, shouting a bright “We’re here” into the rooms smelling of warm bread and tea. The most familiar smell Chanyeol could think of and when Baekhyun’s mother wrapped them in her arms, hugged them closely and whispered, “You’re home”, then Chanyeol knew too. When he later the same evening fell asleep in a big soft bed, Baekhyun tightly wrapped against his chest, his confused brain finally stopped spinning and he felt piece radiating from the body in his arms. This was how everything should be, him carrying Baekhyun’s heart in his forever.