#f:ftmats

[hungline]

familiar to me as the sun

pairings: jihope, side vmon and jinkook  genre: fluff, angst, fantasy au, rated t  warnings: blood, minor character deaths  words: 3436 

summary: It has always just been Jimin and Hoseok, ever since the beginning.

⇢ part one of jihope bingo 2017 

When Jimin wandered off into the surrounding woods near his home at age four, Hoseok and his father found the crying toddler struggling to disentangle himself from a bush.

He was a tiny thing, shorter than half of Hoseok’s own height, but he was loud and he was also noticeable. Hoseok watched as his father bent down to whisper something to the shrubbery and wasn’t surprised when Jimin was spat out of its depths soon afterward.

Jimin’s face was red and splotchy and there was snot dribbling from his nose, but Hoseok could only stare at the splatter of blood that covered the boy’s clothes and most of his face.

It wasn’t his own, Hoseok could tell that it wasn’t.

The scent of magic lingered with the tangy iron smell that shrouded Jimin and it revolted Hoseok because the familiar part of him screamed that magical blood was sacred, yet Jimin was covered in it.

Hoseok’s father wordlessly held his hand out for the blanket in Hoseok’s knapsack and Hoseok obediently handed it over. The fae swaddled Jimin up in it then pulled the sniveling toddler into his arms, being careful to not let any part of him touch the dried blood on Jimin’s neck and chin.

Hoseok scrunched his nose at the odor, but followed after his father when the fae began to walk off in the direction that Jimin had come running from. He could pick up the trail through his familiar sense of smell. The same sense of smell that made him want to gag with one whiff of the blood covering Jimin.

The fae would occasionally let his hand drift over the trunks of a nearby tree and adjust his path. Hoseok kept silent and merely walked alongside his father, being careful to not collide into any trees while he side-eyed the toddler in his father’s arms. The boy wasn’t crying anymore. Instead, he kept murmuring something that sounded an awful lot like “mommy.” Hoseok wanted to pat him on the head and tell him everything was fine and he would be back with his mother soon, but Jimin being covered in blood told him that wouldn’t be the right thing to say.

So Hoseok stayed quiet, talking with his eyes alone as the little boy in his father’s arms finally met his gaze. Hoseok felt his fingertips tingle and a low hum began to sing in his bloodーhis fae blood to be exact. A trail of flowers bloomed ahead of him as his underdeveloped fae magic came to life and Hoseok’s father stopped in his tracks as he looked down towards the children.

Hoseok’s hair was curling and uncurling, his face was turning pink, and if Hoseok’s father squinted just a little bit, he would have seen that the whites of Hoseok’s eyes were tinted a very light green. Jimin’s hand was clenched into the fae’s shirt, his eyes blown wide and his small mouth hanging open. Both of the boys were in shock and although Hoseok’s father knew what had just happened, he merely sighed and continued to follow Jimin’s earlier path, being careful to not tread on the flowers that his son had made.

Hoseok stood unblinking for a few moments before he lurched forward and skipped after his father, the tips of his ears a bit sore and his blood thrumming through his veins. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the dark-haired toddler in his father’s arms. He almost didn’t realize it when they stepped into a clearing where a damaged cottage stood.

But his nose picked up the scent of rotting flesh and spilled magical blood and Hoseok found himself retching into the grass. He heaved again, his stomach in pain and particularly empty until his father’s soothing hand was placed on his back. Hoseok felt the thrum of magic in his father’s touch and he embraced it. He allowed the magic to settle within his bones and calm his churning stomach until the nausea eventually drifted away. Hoseok looked up to murmur a small thank you to his father until he noticed that Jimin was being set down beside him.

“Hobi, look after the boy. I’m going to go inside. If I don’t come out in five minutes, or you hear anything suspicious, you take him and you run. Run as fast as you can and don’t look back, but do not leave him behind. Do you understand?” Hoseok’s father’s tone was urgent and rushed and Hoseok understood the gravity of his father’s orders.

He nodded his head. “Okay, appa. I won’t leave him.”

His father leaned forward to brush his lips across Hoseok’s forehead and Hoseok let his fingers rub at the tip of his father’s ear.

When Hoseok’s father drew away, Hoseok whispered, “For luck.”

The fae ruffled his hair and turned towards Jimin.

“I’m going inside to get your things. You’re going to come live with us now, okay?” The fae made sure to keep his voice low and smooth, so as to not startle the young child.

Jimin blinked up at him and nodded, too afraid to speak in case he cried again. Hoseok’s father handed Hoseok a rag and wet it using water from his canteen before he notched his head in Jimin’s direction. Hoseok merely nodded his head again and scooted closer towards the toddler beside him to start cleaning his face. The fae stood and sprinted towards the cottage, cautiously looking around before he ducked under the slanting doorway.

Hoseok tenderly dabbed at the dried blood on Jimin’s chin, tongue between his teeth in concentration. He didn’t see the way Jimin was looking at him, but he felt it all the same anyways.

“Are y-you a fae?”

Hoseok almost wanted to giggle. The boy’s voice was so soft and so high and it made a blush rise to his cheeks as he thought about whether the boy was actually as soft as his voice.

“No,” Hoseok replied because technically, he wasn’t. He was only half.

“But youー” Jimin struggled to find the right words.

Hoseok arched a brow up in question and felt his hand grip the younger boy’s chin so he could get all the blood off. “What? Do you mean the flowers?”

His blood was thrumming in his veins again and Hoseok was mildly surprised when more flowers began to bloom around the pair.

“Mm,” Jimin hummed, his bottom lip between his teeth and his tiny hands reaching for a few of the buds.

“I’m only half-fae. My mother is a familiar, but my dad,” Hoseok threw a thumb over his shoulder in what he hoped was the direction of the cottage, “He’s a fae.”

“Are you a fa-familiar then?” Hoseok thought it was cute how Jimin struggled over forming his words correctly.

“No. I’m both.”

Jimin hummed again as if that answered everything and left no room for further questions.

“What’s your name?”

Hoseok smiled. “Jung Hoseok. And you?”

Jimin’s answering smile was one of the cutest things Hoseok had ever seen. “Park Jimin.”

“Cute,” Hoseok cooed.

Jimin stuck his tongue out at Hoseok and wrinkled his nose when the elder drew his hand away from Jimin’s chin, the blood gone from his face, but the stench of magic still lingering.

Hoseok was on the verge of saying something else when his father came bursting out of the cottage. In his arms was a ratty blanket tied together to keep the things held in it from falling out. His father’s face was a bit green, but the look on his face made the hairs on the back of Hoseok’s neck stand on end.

He knew what his father had found in the cottage. The fae reeked of death and magical blood.

Jimin was pulled into the fae’s arms again and Hoseok found himself holding the tied blanket as they walked back into the forest, leaving the damaged cottage behind them. Jimin stared over the fae’s shoulders, his little face somber and his gaze glued to Hoseok’s. Hoseok made silly faces at him to try and get a laugh out of the toddler, but the most he got was a tiny amused, smile.

When the three made it home, Hoseok’s mother bathed, fed, and clothed Jimin as efficiently and smoothly as she could. No one said it, but everyone knew why Jimin had fled the cottage, covered in blood and crying for his mother. Hoseok said nothing as Jimin held on a little too tightly to the front of his mother’s shirt when she clutched him to her chest that night, rocking him to sleep.

Hoseok wasn’t surprised to find the toddler tangled up with him in the sheets of his own bed when he woke up the next morning. The scent of Jimin’s clean skin overpowered the lingering stench of blood from the day before and Hoseok allowed the younger to nestle himself into Hoseok’s arms, feeling warm all around.

They never left each other’s sides after that.

  When Jimin began presenting at age eight, Hoseok didn't think anything of it.

Hoseok had always expected for Jimin to become a warlock. Jimin’s mother had been one and his father had probably been a familiar like Hoseok’s mother, so it was only natural that Jimin would present as a warlock too. Jimin may have been able to make flowers bloom at will, but Hoseok had been doing that ever since they first met. It was fine though, Jimin was only just developing and Hoseok, even as a child, understood what that would mean.

It would mean that Hoseok would, in fact, be serving Jimin as his familiar once they bound their magic together. Most people would think Hoseok as Jimin’s slave, because a warlock had complete control over their bound familiar, but Hoseok knew better. A bound familiar and their mage would be able to exchange levels of magic between one another. However, only familiars were able to drain their mage completely of magic, a mage wasn’t allowed that kind of power over their familiars.

Hoseok knew that he and Jimin would never use the magic binding against each other though. They were best friends and made for one another. Hoseok didn’t need to worry because Jimin was still just Hoseok’s Jimbles. The same dark-haired boy he shared a bed with during thunderstorms, ate every meal with, swapped clothes with and played catch with everyday from late morning to sundown. There were no differences in the way that Jimin treated him once he began presenting. He was still as bashful and as considerate as ever and he was still Hoseok’s best friend.

The only thing that changed was Jimin had to go to a “special school” for special people like him.

They played catch whenever Jimin wasn’t in class.

  When Jimin turned ten, Hoseok’s ears began to grow in.

His mother was ecstatic about it. Hoseok, however, was not.

The other children in the village mocked him. They called him many names (freak, weirdo, half-breed), but Hoseok made sure to not let on how much their words hurt him. His father had told him that to show weakness in the face of the enemy was as close to surrendering as the actual act itself and Hoseok refused to surrender. Especially not to dirty-faced eleven-year-olds who never wore shoes when they went out. Hoseok didn’t think himself better than anybody, but he knew that he would never let what the village children say about him affect him. He still had Jimin anyways and that was enough.

Jimin teased him about his ears sometimes, but Hoseok didn't take offense, not like he would have had it been anyone else teasing him.

Because it was still just his Jiminnie. The sweet, giggly, and fun warlock-in-training who was his best friend. Hoseok would blush whenever Jimin would touch his ears and soon enough, the younger boy picked up a habit of playing with them, often claiming that he was only helping the elder out.

Hoseok knew Jimin was just using that as an excuse to see the blush on his face whenever the warlock touched him.

They kept to themselves whenever they went around the village on most days then.

  When Jimin turned twelve, he asked Hoseok to give him his first kiss.

Hoseok, as the most amazing best friend he was, obliged. When they broke apart, Hoseok felt incredibly giddy and Jimin yelped when Hoseok turned into an ocelot.

Jimin rushed them home, with the feline clutched to his chest, and had to be calmed down by Hoseok’s mother when she talked them through the process of Hoseok changing back into his human form. Eventually, a tall, lanky, and brown-haired teenager was beside Jimin again and the young warlock threw himself into Hoseok’s arms, begging him to not do that again, without fair warning at least.

Hoseok’s familiar form had been revealed though and sometimes Jimin couldn’t help but describe some of the elder’s actions as cat-like. Hoseok would stick his tongue out at Jimin whenever he did and Jimin would laugh and ruffle Hoseok’s hair in response. Their play fighting would end with soft, clumsy kisses and smiles being pressed into each other’s skin.

The two never looked back.

They held hands whenever they went out.

  When Jimin graduated from his “special school”, he was fourteen.

Hoseok urged him to continue on to a more advanced school where the young warlock could really harness and hone his skills. Jimin avoided talk about continuing his education, he wanted to spend more time with Hoseok before he made any decisions about his future.

Hoseok’s father made the decision for Jimin instead.

It was on his deathbed that the old fae pleaded with Jimin to further his education and really master his magic. Jimin stood with tears in his eyes before the only father that he’d ever known. Hoseok was crying silently beside him, he’d always been right beside Jimin though, and in the last few moments before Hoseok’s father took his final breaths, he blessed them both with the remainder of his fae magic.

Hoseok felt his ears finish setting and his hair curl and a low thrumming began to sound from deep within him, but the feeling of Jimin’s fingers curled tightly within his hand, helped him settle. Jimin was glowing, a light green aura surrounding his figure, and his eyes shown much brighter than before and Hoseok knew that he was in love.

“With my blessing, you must promise to hold each other dearly,” Hoseok’s father spoke, his voice low and raspy. “You both know as well as I do that you were made for one another.”

All either of the two boys could do was nod. They’d learned about the real meaning of their reactions to one another when they first met years ago. Jimin’s nature magic had called to Hoseok’s fae blood and awoken it. Hoseok’s fae blood, in turn, had helped Jimin’s nature magic blossom. Together, they were powerful and Hoseok felt that power like an undercurrent singing through his veins, his airways, his everything.

“Jimin-ah, I want you to do this old man proud and really master your magic. Shiyuk is an old friend of mine, and he would love to have you at his school. Jimin-ah, don’t let your talent whither. Hobi-ah will still be here when you get back,” Hoseok’s father advised, his breathing becoming more labored as he spoke.

“But you won’t.” Jimin’s voice was wobbly and frail, but the squeeze of Hoseok’s hand let him draw strength to continue. “I don’t want you to leave us.”

Hoseok nodded, unable to speak because he knew that if he did, he would only start wailing loud enough to wake up the entire village. Hoseok’s father smiled at them both and held his liver-spotted hands out for the boys to take. They eagerly slid their hands into his and brought themselves closer to the old fae.

“You have each other. You’ll always have each other and it’s peaceful knowing you’ll protect each other when I’m not here anymore. It makes it easier to accept my death.”

“We don’t want you to die,” Jimin mumbled, tears streaming down his face again as he looked at the old silver-haired fae who’d taught him so many things. “We love you.”

Jimin was beyond grateful for everything the fae had ever done for him. He could never repay the fae for all the things he’d done, but if furthering his education was his dying wish, then Jimin would do it. Even if it meant he’d get less time with Hoseok, he would do it.

Jimin would do anything to make his father proud.

Hoseok sniffled beside him and laid his palm flat on the old fae’s chest, speaking an incantation that Jimin learned later was a blessing to ensure that a dying fae’s spirit would remain free once it was released from its shell. The old fae smiled at the pair and took one last deep breath.

His eyes glazed over and Jimin almost didn’t have the heart in him to call Hoseok’s mother back into the room. Hoseok squeezed his hand and opened the door softly, using his eyes alone to convey to his mother what had happened.

They held each other tightly through the night.

  When Jimin mastered his nature magic at age eighteen, he came back to Hoseok.

They kissed and clung to each other before they began making plans to find a coven for Jimin. Hoseok’s mother watched on and gave advice where she could, her fingers often running through one, if not both, of the men’s hair. She wasn’t as sad to see them off as she thought she might have been, but when she looked at the soft gazes exchanged between the two men, she couldn’t find it in herself to be upset about their leaving.

Hoseok’s fae cousin, Taehyung, offered them a nice hut in his realm of the forest.

Hoseok declined on their behalf.

Taehyung then suggested that they go and live with his boyfriend’s coven instead. Namjoon was an intelligent wizard and his coven was a mix of music and nature magic combined.

Hoseok gave him a maybe. Jimin sent him a definite yes.

They spent their last night in their childhood home tangled together in the sheets of Hoseok’s bed as they had on their first night spent together.

  When Jimin turned nineteen, he found his coven.

Namjoon, Jeongguk, and Seokjin welcomed the two with open arms. Hoseok was ecstatic about having his own room and laughed when Jimin pouted at him. Hoseok gave him a noisy smooch on the lips and followed Seokjin up the stairs where his new bedroom awaited him.

Jimin followed Namjoon and Jeongguk into the greenhouse and watched in fascination as Seokjin and Jeongguk’s plants bloomed to meet him. Namjoon himself specialized in music magic and he worked with Jeongguk and Seokjin together sometimes to make natural remedies. Many people of the village came to them when they took ill.

They never charged for their services either. Jeongguk explained that it felt wrong to ask the villagers to pay to get better. Plus, Seokjin would kill Jeongguk if he found that his warlock had sold their plants. Seokjin was a familiar like Hoseok, but his form was that of a hawk. He liked plants and his heart was soft, and it was clear to Jimin that Jeongguk cared deeply about his familiar.

Jimin felt his heart swell. He could sense Hoseok entering the greenhouse behind him and almost laughed when he saw a few plants attach themselves to Jimin’s other half. Seokjin giggled and asked Jeongguk to help him put their plants away, but all Jimin could focus on were the sweet words that Hoseok was whispering to the plants in an attempt to free himself from them. Hoseok eventually gave up and waited for Namjoon to help him. When he was free, Jimin strode up to him, took his face in his hands and kissed him tenderly.

Seokjin said they were worse than Taehyung and Namjoon. Hoseok claimed they were the cutest couple hands down. Jimin laughed and agreed, laughing even harder when Jeongguk pouted and argued that he and Seokjin were cuter. Seokjin smiled down at his warlock and kissed his cheek, causing everyone to laugh at Jeongguk's flushed and embarrassed expression. Hoseok took Jimin's hand in his and leaned into the younger's side, nestling himself there as if he never wanted to be apart. Jimin felt that he could agree with that.

They were home, for once and for all.