#i am holding off the urge to ask my nana if this is ok | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thecandywrites · 4 years ago

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Jewel Of The North Part 6

Now that things are nice and happy and peaceful, what a shame it would be for the floor to start dropping and our little love birds get thrown back into reality. Well as real as this fantasy can get. lol. All this sweet fluff needs some angst. For the plot. For the balance.

How I feel now that I’ve built up everything, lets knock a few things down and see how it stands. Don’t worry too bad, this will have a happy ending. Eventually. Hehehe. Always thank you to @monstersandmaw for sharing ice orcs with me. Enjoy.

Jewel Of The North

Part 6

You woke up on Noah’s shoulder, drool pooling around your open mouth. You had slept like the dead. Not even the gods could have woken you up before you were ready. You noticed your drool and wiped it up with the sheet and no sooner had you done that before Noah stirred, his arms tightening around you before he rolled over to his side, facing you.

“Good morning.” You cooed and all you got was grunting hum and a crooked grin as Noah didn’t even open his eyes, he just hugged you tighter for a moment before he used his hold on you to bring you up closer to his face and used his sense of touch to find your face before cupping your face and leaning towards it before his lips finally caressed and pressed into yours, the most delicious moan spilling from his throat as his body folded over yours, partially pinning you to the bed as the kiss deepened and you hooked your leg around his hip before he pressed his manhood into your center and you got to feel all of that amazing morning wood and just as your hand snaked down his front to the base of your prize and he slipped his hand under your shirt to fondle your breast, there was a loud, insistent knocking on the front door and you both whined in protest as you paused.

“Whoever it is, they can wait.” Noah insisted as he rolled all the way over you and started grinding himself at your center as he kissed you deeper before you heard someone knocking very loudly on the back door.

“Noah! I can’t find the spare!” You heard a female voice holler before you heard Sakura wake up and go downstairs before she opened the door.

“Daddy! Aunt Sesi is here!” Sakura informed you both.

“Oh may all the gods damn it.” Noah growled as he rested his head on your breast before he nuzzled into it as he held onto you. Reluctant to see one of his sisters which got you to snicker a laugh.

“Go away, we’re busy up here.” Noah complained. But not loud enough for anyone but you to hear.

“Noah?” Sesi called up.

“He’s in bed with my new Mama!” Sakura informed her proudly.

“Oh!” Sesi replied. “So she stayed the night?” Sesi asked.

“Yup, they spent all night making me a little brother or sister.” Sakura revealed excitedly as you started snickering as Noah looked up at you questioningly as you shook your head ‘no’. ‘I’m on birth control’ you breathed as Noah nodded in understanding.

“Come on, let me meet your sister before Sakura tells her much else.” You urged him as Noah reluctantly rolled off of you so you could at least put a bra on and get some pants on before you both came down the stairs before Sesi did her best to look around Noah to see you.

“Hi, sorry to wake you guys up, I had no idea you’d be here, I didn’t see another car so…” She tried to excuse herself.

“It’s ok, I didn’t rent a car while I’m here and I’ve been staying with Taylor Kizzo and her family, up until obviously last night. I’m Zara Kingsley by the way,” you graciously answered as you gave her a pleasant smile and shook her hand.

“And you’re the priestess of Aura?” She asked excitedly.

“I am, only I’m a private one though, I don’t belong to any individual temple but I am in the Rushaka order,” you confirmed.

“Oh, well, that’s still pretty awesome.” She smiled.

“Otherwise my day job is- I’m an LMT and I run my own practice out of my home.” You volunteered.

“Oh that’s wonderful, so are you going to be moving your practice up here then?” She asked expectantly as she looked from you to Noah who gave her a softened warning look because Sesi was the nosiest of all his sisters.

“Noah and I still have to discuss that.” You answered delicately.

“Oh well you better hurry because winter is coming early this year and if you’re not moved up here by September, October by the latest, you won’t be able to until spring next year.” She insisted as you bit your lips and a forced smile to keep yourself from arguing about it because maybe in your mind, he could just move down with you in the fall before he got snowed in up here.

“Hey, can you let her at least get some coffee and breakfast in her before you start grilling her and playing 20 questions?” Noah butted in as he gently tried to usher you into the kitchen as he gave you an apologetic look before you tried to fall into a usual routine.

“Sorry, we’ve never had a priestess or an LMT in the family before. So, Mom said that Noah flew you in so that’s how you met, why were you visiting here in the first place?” Sesi asked.

“Because I’m good friends with Taylor and decided to come up and visit her and treat her and her family.” You said simply.

“Well I just came to tell you that Mom invited Neena’s family too tomorrow so you’ll get to meet everyone.” Sesi revealed happily and if you had been drinking coffee you would have choked on it and spit it out comically.

Stay calm Zara, don’t freak out, don’t freak out. Don’t. Fucking. Freak. Fuck.

“Oh, ok, how many people will there be in total then?” You asked.

“Like all of Neena’s family or just her immediate family?” Noah asked as your stomach dropped. Oh gods please help you. How was this going to go? ‘Hi, I’m a stranger here to replace your daughter and take your precious granddaughter a thousand miles away’? They’re not gonna like that. Not one bit.

“Uh, just her parents and her siblings, and their kids so far.” Sesi reassured both of you before her phone rang.

“Hey Mom,” she greeted.

“Where are you? I need you to help me with the dinner tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m over at Noah’s...meeting Zara.” Sesi admitted a little sheepishly.

“Actually can I talk to your mom?” You asked her.

“Sure,” Sesi handed her phone over.

“Hey Nana, it’s Zara, how are you this morning?” You asked pleasantly.

“Oh I’m good, I’m sorry if she’s bothering you, she wanted to get the inside scoop on you from Noah.” Nana explained.

“It’s ok. So Sesi told me that you invited Neena’s family too?” You asked trying to remain calm and pleasant even though your anxiety was whirling in your chest and dread filled your soul as you got a really bad feeling about this and your instincts were telling you not to go but you knew, logically at least, that the sooner you met them, the better.

“Oh yes, they’re so excited to meet you.” Nana reassured you.

“Ok, so how many people are coming to meet me?” You asked before she started listing people off and you quickly had to write it down.

“Ok, so what should I bring?” You asked.

“Whatever you want to, everyone’s bringing a dish to pass so don’t worry about feeding all of us yourself, this is us trying to welcome you not you begging for a chance to be welcome with us. It’s just a casual family dinner.” Nana tried to reassure you but your unease did not leave you. You needed to win them over. You needed them to meet you and like you otherwise prying Sakura away from them would be like pulling teeth with no anesthesia. You needed to prove to them that you were trustworthy and that Sakura at least would be in safe in your hands, that you could take care of her and Noah and care for them like a good and proper mother and wife.

“Ok...What should I not bring?” You asked.

“Well Alorna already said she was bringing crab so don’t bring that, otherwise, bring whatever you want. But don’t feel you have to get too fancy, it’s just family. What would you bring if it was a family dinner with your parents and your siblings? And whatever that would be, just bring that.” She urged you.

“Ok,” You agreed.

“And you can call me on your phone too, I don’t get that many calls from people I don’t know.” She gently and warmly invited you.

“Will do.” You confirmed.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then and I’ll call if I have any questions, talk to you later Nana, bye.” You assured Summer before you handed the phone back to Sesi.

“Ok, so I need to go to Taylor’s just to pick up my luggage and toiletries and things and then I need you to take me to a really big, really good grocery store, preferably that big box store.” You requested.

“Why? You just went grocery shopping the other day.” He asked.

“Because I need to make a gosbe.” You answered as you tried not to sound as panicked as you felt unease settle over you.

“What’s a gosbe?” Noah asked curiously as Sesi seemed keen on knowing the answer to that too.

“You guys don’t have gosbies up here?” You frowned in confusion as you looked from Noah to Sesi and they both shook their heads no. Which didn’t make sense. Everyone who was even partially orc knew about gosbies. Right?

“Uh, no, never heard of it.” Noah shook his head which made you take a deep long inhale through your nose before you measured-ly blew your breath out to keep yourself from hyperventilating. How did they not know about gosbies?

“Ok, so in my clan and just about every other clan I’ve ever been in contact with have a tradition called a gosbe, gosbies are wooing feasts for courting individuals. Like, what you had on Tuesday? That was a gosbe.” You informed Noah who blinked in surprise and was suddenly beaming an excited smile as realization dawned on him.

“And what it is- is basically the prospective mate cooks a feast not for just the intended but for their family to prove that they can cook and provide and it’s wooing- but with food.” You explained.

“Ooh!” Noah realized. “I’m so sorry, I am so dense, I didn’t realize that’s what that was on Tuesday. I mean it worked, I was ready to nail you to the table, and then the couch and then the wall and then to the bed.” Noah apologized as he pointed around his house which got you and Sesi to laugh and Sesi to go midnight in her own blush.

“Why would you nail her down? So she doesn’t leave?” Sakura asked.

“No baby, it’s one of those terms that has two meanings. I’ll let your dad explain what he means, but probably later.” You pacified her.

“Well I better go and help mom, what do you think you’ll bring tomorrow?” Sesi asked.

“What was your favorite dish on Tuesday Noah?” You asked him.

“Uh- everything, it was by far, the best meal of my life, you could bring anything you made on Tuesday and it would be a big hit, but maybe not the tomahawk steaks, that would get way too expensive.” Noah reassured you.

“Ok, so mom told me that just the leftovers in the fridge on Wednesday were really out of this world good, so I second that.” Sesi piped up.

“Ok, well then for sure I want to make a mushroom risotto then, some candied yams would be good.” You began to think it over.

“And the veggies! Those were really good!” Sakura insisted as Sesi seemed touched that you got her to like veggies which is a challenge for any child.

“Well then definitely veggies.” You happily agreed.

“Awesome, I can’t wait to eat it all, let me get out of your hair, and sorry for barging into the house, I’ll just see myself out, see you tomorrow.” Sesi excused herself.

“OK, see you then,” Noah nodded.

“Bye, it was really nice to meet you.” You called after her.

“Likewise!” She cheered before she quickly left.

“We need to get cleaned up then.” Noah said before he put on a movie for Sakura to keep her occupied then grabbed your hand and led you upstairs to get “a quick shower”, a task made a little more complicated with Noah pinning you to the wall of his shower to pick up where you had left off before you had gotten so rudely interrupted by Sesi this morning and you had to bite down on Noah’s shoulder to keep from crying out too loudly which turned Noah on and up to 11 as you almost feared he was going to fuck you through the shower wall but to hear his pleasured grunting moan in your ear as he pumped you so full of cum you felt beyond stuffed, was amazing, especially to see it drip down the drain from where it was seeping out of you.

“So are those strings I feel inside you- your birth control?” He asked as he slowly let you down because he was big enough he could feel them at your cervix.

“Yup, I have an IUD, it’s my second one, the first I had in for five years, this one, I’ve had in for three and I love how effective it is.” You beamed.

“No buns in the oven yet big boy.” You winked as you clicked your teeth which got Noah to start laughing.

“Yes Ma’am.” He laughed before he kissed you sweetly before you guys got dressed and got Sakura dressed and loaded you and Sakura up in his truck and drove you where you wanted to go before you had him stop at the liquor store so you could get some really good beer and some other goodies and while Noah tried to pay for most of it, at least with the food, you absolutely insisted on paying for the alcohol because it was ridiculously expensive and on the way back to his house you dropped by Taylor’s house to get your bags.

“I’ll be two minutes,” you told Noah and Sakura as you quickly got out of Noah’s truck to go inside and grab everything you needed.

“Well hello stranger.” Taylor greeted you happily.

“Hey, I just came to get my bag real quick, Noah and Sakura are waiting in the truck.” You greeted as you came in and gave a her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“So? How was it?” She pressed as she followed you around helping you pack what you could.

“Amazing!” You sang happily. “I’m having trouble walking straight, that’s for sure.” You cackled which got her and gasp and cackle with you.

But no sooner had you finally gathered your things and your toiletries before Doug came hauling ass into the driveway, dressed in his nicest suit, his hair slicked back with the biggest, most obnoxious bouquet of flowers and acted like Noah was invisible as Noah just frowned as he watched Doug hurry into Taylor’s house as his own gut was telling him something was off.

“Baby stay in the truck.” Noah urged Sakura as he got out of the truck.

“Oh, hey Doug, what are you doing here?” Taylor asked when she saw him in her house, hunting through it for you as you were talking to her from inside the kid’s bathroom where you had put most of your toiletries.

“I’m here to see Zara,” he answered.

“Uh, she just came to get some of her stuff, she’s about to leave again.” Taylor told him as you frowned inside the bathroom.

‘What’s going on?’ You breathed to Taylor before she slipped into the bathroom with you.

“For the last two days he’s practically been camped out at the house waiting for you to come back. I think he got wind of the settlement because he’s been talking about how he’s willing to do anything you ask him to do because he’ll do anything it takes to be your kept man. Like he’s become obsessive.” Taylor whispered warningly to you.

“Damn it.” You growled angrily. “It’s Alex, all over again.” You spat in disgust.

“Noah is waiting in the truck, in the driveway right now, like this is the worst time to ever try to make a big romantic gesture on Doug’s part, did Greg just like, text him the second I came in the house?” You asked.

“Oh I can guarantee it, Greg has his brother’s back and even though I pointed out that if you guys had had more chemistry, you would have reached out to him on your own but they won’t listen.” Taylor revealed.

“This isn’t going to end well. Like I was riding Noah’s glorious dick only a few hours ago and it was the ride of my life and from where I stand, it would take an act of the gods to get me off Noah. I mean I’m meeting his family and Neena’s family tomorrow for crying out loud. Like Noah and I are together- together, dating, courting, like I’m making a gosbe for his family tomorrow, he ain’t got a snowball’s chance in hell.” You complained in a whisper.

“So what should we do?” Taylor whispered back.

“You know what, let’s just do this and get this over with, take this stuff and get into Noah’s truck and only Noah’s truck and then get the police on standby if you think Doug will make things physical.” You urged her.

“Won’t let you down.” Taylor reassured you as she grabbed what she could as you followed her out, your bags rolling behind you.

“Hey Doug, what are you doing here?” You asked him just as Noah came into the house but was still in the entry way as he made his way towards your voice.

“I’ve come to sweep you off your feet.” Doug announced as you looked from him to the flowers and you started to get flashbacks. Bad ones. And suddenly adreniline was pumping into your system as your fight or flight response started to kick in.

“Yeah, my feet are no longer available to be swept off from.” You informed him evenly.

“Look, I was having a really bad day on Monday and I had a headache and I wasn’t at my best and I’ve been slammed at work all week and this is the first opportunity I’ve had to get back in touch with you. Please give me another chance to prove that I can be whatever you want me to be and whatever you need me to be.” Doug desperately pleaded as he came forward, the flowers in his hand like a sacrificial offering in his hands.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Get out.

“Dude, you’re too late. You had your chance and you blew it by your attitude when you thought I had nothing else to offer you than what I had already disclosed. And if you had been feeling so awful when we met on Monday, you could have said something but instead you didn’t say anything. And when we met on Monday, there was nothing there for me. No chemistry, no connection, nothing. The only thing I felt was relief- when you left. I have no interest in you, especially romantically. So take those flowers, give them to Taylor because she’s an awesome mom and deserves them or give them to someone else who is going to give you the time of day because it sure as hell ain’t gonna be me.” You told him frankly as Noah hung back, just barely out of sight by you and Doug and grinned victoriously when Taylor simply handed him your stuff as he readily took it.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a gosbe to make for Noah and his family.” You smiled like ‘fuck you’ was written on your teeth.

“A gos- No! No! You should never have to cook another day in your life! They don’t deserve a beautiful, perfect jewel like you in their family.” Doug argued.

“Hey!” Noah barked as he came around the corner and into view which made Doug nearly jump from his skin as you smiled in relief that he was there as his presence gave you more strength and resolve in your stand.

“First of all, don’t be disrespectful and if you have to put others down to build yourself up, you and I will never get along, because I don’t respect people who can’t show respect and common decency to others. Two, I’m cooking because I want to. And this jewel will decide which setting she wants to be in and you are not it.” You insisted before you went around him to get to Noah.

“But they could never give you what I can give you.” Doug pleaded as he tried to follow you.

“Which is what exactly?” You posed disbelievingly as you handed Noah one of your bags as Noah was looking at you to make sure you were ok and even he could see there was a lot going on inside you.

“That I can take you on any kind of vacation you want, I can worship you like the goddess you are every moment of every day and I can step into your family and show your son what it means to be a real man with responsibility and honor and how to treat women with love, and dignity and respect and nurture your daughter into wonderful young woman who respects herself and be there to protect her from the world.” He insisted.

“My children already have that role model in me, and my income is large enough so I can already take them on any vacation they want and I already protect them from danger. So maybe a better question would be why do you suddenly have such a strong and extremely drastic change in heart and attitude? Because on Monday, you seemed disinterested in what I had to offer you, so what changed between then and now to result in this, frankly, pathetic grand romantic gesture?” You asked as you gestured to him and the flowers and you could see Doug was offended but trying to remain nice as Noah huffed a laugh through his nose as a proud beaming smile radiated off his face because you realized what was happening and you were calling him out.

“Honestly Doug? This exact scenario has happened way too many times to me already. Because guys meet me and they’re less than thrilled with me in person and less than impressed about what I choose to disclose to them. And then usually, they get curious and then they google my name and start digging, they find out about my assets and then this exact scenario plays out. Suddenly guys who were uninterested become super interested and are willing to go to any lengths necessary, they’ve quit their jobs, they’ve sold everything they had to buy a sports car and pull up into my driveway thinking they could put my kids into a summer camp while they whisked me away on a whirl wind tour around the world to romance the shit out of me so they can move in and be a kept man and get all they access they want to my imagined fortune and assets. And it has always ended in them stalking me or stalking my kids and putting them in danger and the guys feeling like I owe them for repaying them for the measures they went through to get to me in the first place and the police always get involved because I don’t owe you or any of them, jack shit and it’s always a fight and a restraining order and police charges on their record. So, you can either leave now with what little bit of dignity you have left and leave me the fuck alone or I’ll have Taylor press call since she already has the police queued up on her phone. What’s it gonna be?” You put to him.

“Well what about Noah? How do you know he hasn’t googled you and found out about everything?! Don’t you think your relationship with him has moved faster than it should have? Don’t you think you should at least have a choice? Do you even know how little women are given up here? Every woman up here dreads the summer festival because they knew they would be auctioned off like cattle and matched up with men usually ten even twenty years older than them, sometimes twice as old as they are. It’s archaic. Did Noah tell you that him and Neena were going to have Sakura matched like that this year? It’s just two days away, I know you’re attached to Sakura, it’s hard not to be, but did Noah tell you that you only get to keep her for two more days then she’s practically off to get engaged and belongs to another family after that?” Doug revealed and you inhaled sharply and looked from him to Noah and you saw that Noah was close to punching Doug’s lights out because Noah had already put your things down and his hands were already forming fists.

“Doug, do everyone a favor and shut your mouth, and stop talking about things that you don’t know anything about.” Noah warned Doug and you could see the anger burning in Noah’s eyes and you knew that if either of them took another step, it was going to get ugly and you looked to Taylor who looked genuinely scared and you needed to diffuse this situation before you went to Noah and grabbed his fist and forced your fingers inside of his hand so his hands couldn’t be fists anymore.

“Noah, please put my things in your truck, I’ll be out in a moment.” You urged Noah calmly. “Please, just wait out in the truck, I’ll be right there.” You promised and you waited until Noah turned away from Doug and picked your things up and left before you turned to Doug.

“Is what you said about Sakura, true?” You put to Doug as you narrowed your eyes at him.

“Yes, I swear on the lives of my own boys, Neena’s mom is the matchmaker. She’s the one that matched Noah and Neena and used their happiness to make countless other matches, and their happiness was markedly less, mine sure was.” Doug insisted before you turned to Taylor who nodded in confirmation.

“But it’s not like Sakura would move into another home or anything like that, you’re making a mountain out of mole hill, it’s a tradition that died out a long time ago.” Taylor reassured you as you dropped your eyes before you just closed your eyes and took a measured breath before you opened your eyes again and looked from Taylor to Doug.

“Ok, well, thank you for letting me know about any of it, but from now on, I’m going to let Noah and his family explain their own customs, traditions and cultures on their terms. But I swear to every god in the realm that if you come at me again Doug, I will not be this composed or calm and if you touch me or any of my stuff, I’ll come for you and rip you to shreds and you won’t like me after that. So, keep your distance from me, and we’ll be just fine.” You assured Doug before you grabbed the last bag and left out of the door before you chucked it into the bed of the truck. With the other things you had gotten and if you had the space in Noah’s truck you would have packed everything then and there.

“What’s going on Mama?” Sakura asked you once you got in the cab of the truck.

“Doug was just making an idiot out of himself, it’s ok. It’ll happen to you one day, guys will be so impressed and blown away by your beauty that they’ll make idiots out of themselves too if it means you’ll look at them more than once.” You reassured her, your tone so comforting and soothing as your heart ached at the thought of Sakura being a child bride. There was no way in hell you were going to let that happen to her. No daughter of yours was ever going to go through that. As you realized that’s why they wouldn’t know about gosbies. That should been a red flag. The first, and hopefully only one.

“Let’s go home.” You urged them as you wrapped your arm around Sakura’s shoulders and squeezed her to your side before she nuzzled into your shoulder as Noah left Taylor’s house and drove to his own as the car ride was quite quiet as your head swirled with doubt which started to creep into your heart.

Once you got home you got straight to prepping, having Sakura help you as you taught her your recipes for things which she was eager to learn.

“So how does a gosbe work?” Sakura asked you.

“So in my clan and a lot of other clans, a gosbe was a tradition where someone, usually a woman who wanted to marry into a warchief’s family, would make a ‘wooing feast’ for them and it would be for the warchief, his family and all his captains and generals too to prove she could support him and his military endeavors too. And usually the greater the feast and the bigger the portions and more lavish ingredients ensured her success. This went on for countless generations. Until Warchieftess Gosbe, her father was warchief to the Red Typhoon Clan and she was the warchief’s only surviving child, a daughter, she had, according to legend, was the lone heiress because all of her siblings had died in battle and she had all these other warchiefs interested in her, trying to forge alliances and win her hand because all they wanted was what she was heiress to, but she didn’t want any of them, because she could see their greed in their eyes and she saw how they lusted over what was hers, all of them dreaming about what was hers- being theirs, and she didn’t want anyone to control her or her destiny, her future or her happiness. She was known as the perfect warrior. Her skill was unmatched and unequaled and she could just look at a man and know instantly what he wanted and no-one that she saw, ever really wanted her as a person.” You began once you put the sliced onions in the pot to caramelize with the butter and the beer which would take a while and washed your hands before you brought her to the living room and cuddled with her on the couch.

“Except one man that when she looked into his eyes, she saw that he would really, truly love her- so to her, he was the only one she did want, and he was just a lowly shepherd boy. He wasn’t a fighter or a killer or a warrior because he wasn’t even full orc, he was a halfling and his family was more of a mismatched group of people who had been a family found rather than a family born into. And this was considered a strange match to everyone else because she was a warrior with an impressive lineage and she had whole sets of armor for every season and terrain and possible enemy, she had every weapon imaginable and knew how to fight with each one and she had a brand new castle full of modern convieniences and lands and money and power and influence- she had everything anyone would think they would want in life. But she didn’t have someone to love her for herself. And when she saw this shepard boy, she saw in his eyes that he would be that one person who could give that to her and she knew without a doubt that she could give him the same. So she held a feast in his name and honor and invited him and his “family”. And his family were very honored by it, and they ate it and thanked her for her hospitality and then left and went back to their lives and Gosbe was a little put off because this shepherd boy should be willing to sell his flocks and move right on into the castle with her, she even offered to buy all of his sheep and put them into the care of the royal herders. But he politely refused her and gave the ‘i’m not worthy of this honor and praise from you’ line and excused himself. So she did it again, this time, she included not just his family, but his actual family that she had hunted down and brought together and all his friends and held the greatest feast in all of history and tried to “prove” to him that he was worthy becuase in her eyes he was and that’s all that mattered. And everyone else ate, drank and was reasonably merry and grateful and gracious but still, this shepherd boy was unmoved and seemed indifferent. Polite so as not to cause offense but indifferent all the same. And all her advisors and friends told her-’ look honey- he’s just not that into you, move on. You can have literally any other man you want. Why are you focusing on this shepherd boy?’ And all she could answer was ‘he’s who my heart wants’.” You explained.

“So what did she do?” Sakura asked.

“She ended up leaving the castle, joined him in the field and just watched him with his sheep to try to see what he found so amazing about being a shephard that he would rather be a shephard than be with her and because she never left the castle without being fully armored up, the sheep took one look at her in her armor and her weapons and could practically smell the leftover blood on them and wouldn’t have anything to do with her so therefore, the shepherd boy basically ignored her in order to tend to his flock. So after a day of sweating in the sun, she went home, got a bath, went back, this time carrying only a sword on her belt. She wore one of the prettiest dresses she had and the shimmer of her gown scared off the sheep, the shepherd boy still kept with the sheep. And again, she got nowhere. The next day after that, she dressed in the same plain clothes as he did, brought a simple knife on her belt, and finally, the sheep came over and checked her out and finally the shepherd boy came and sat next to her on the boulder and remarked how hot the afternoon sun was and how hard the heat was on his sheep before he introduced her to each member of his flock, each one had a name and a history and who each sheep was friends or siblings or mothers or sisters or whatever to because each one was basically a person to him and once he introduced everyone, the sheep had already eaten all there was in that area so then he got up and walked away and led them to a new spot. So she got an idea. So she went back to the castle and got a simple canopy and came back the next day to his new grazing spot with it and worked all morning setting it up so that by the time the afternoon sun got fierce, he and his flock would come and rest and it worked. He came and his flocks came and they rested under the big but simple canopy and she finally got to ask him why he was denying her.” You continued.

“What was his reason?” Sakura asked.

“He said that ‘he was a simple man who took delight in simple pleasures’ and that ‘the feasts were of delicacies he had never had before and he left both with stomach aches that lasted for days and that she was trying to woo him the way others had tried to woo her, thinking that it would take some special object to finally win her affections and if she really wanted to woo him, she should get to know who she’s trying to woo instead of assuming that what would work for everyone would work for him’. So for a month, every day, she would go back out with her canopy to whatever spot he had chosen for his sheep and they would just talk and get to know each other with only the sheep to overhear and every day, she brought food and drink with her, in the beginning, it was always some special dish from her kitchens so he could slowly become acquainted with her favorite foods and together they found favorites and he encouraged her to actually try to make these herself and praised that whatever foods she made herself, were his favorites, She was warcheiftess and commanded armies since she could walk so she had never cooked a day in her life. But for him, she would learn. And every day after that, she grew happier and happier because she had him in her life and never cared what she looked like, what she wore, what she had, but he cared about what kind of person she was and who she was as a person rather than anything she possessed and then Gosbe realized her mistakes in the first two feasts. When she hosted the first two feasts, she delegated everything, and when you’re feeding an army you have to. But for Gosbe’s shepherd boy- she realized that if she cooked their favorite dishes herself and she made sure that the sheep would also have good pasturage so that they were happy too? He would probably be moved to accept her proposal. So she sold some of her more prized treasures but to her, compared to the prospect of finally having the love of her shephard boy, they were mere trinkets and paper weights and she bought a field for the shepherd boy’s flock that was both close to the castle and close enough to his home then she tried a third time. She pulled down the canopy and she loaded it into a small wagon and walked with him to the field, and it was perfect. The hill sides weren’t too steep, there was plenty of water, it was protected from predators and it was ideal. She set up the canopy over the fresh lush grass and then she spent all morning making their perfect meal, with all of their combined favorites.”

“Aww,” Sakura fawned. “Yeah, she finally figured it out but here’s where things went wrong. There’s whole mini legends how everything went wrong that day, like it rained and got really cold and then started to snow, so she put extra wood on the fire to keep it going and tried to put walls on the canopy to turn it into a tent for the sheep but the walls meant the smoke from the fire couldn’t blow away and it filled with smoke that made the sheep freak out that there was a fire and run away so she had no choice but to pull the walls down so that wouldn’t happen any more but she was chilled to the bone.There was a bear who came to eat the flocks that she defended them with her life, knowing the name of the sheep that was in danger and thanks to the mighty blade on her hip, she defeated the bear but the price for her victory was lunch was burned because all the wood she put on the fire caught all at once and the winds blew feircely over the fire making it even hotter and burned all the food. It was a disaster. But the point was she did her best despite everything going wrong and she realized that in order for it to be “perfect” she had to include who her shepherd boy loved. And it was his sheep, that on her previous to attempts she had never considered. And even though her ingredients were humble and her techniques were barely executable, it was her success because her shepherd boy was wooed that day because instead of throwing a fit that everything went wrong, even though she was upset, she just laughed it off and promised that the next day when she would try again, it would hopefully go better and that’s when her shephard boy told that she didn’t need to keep trying, he was wood and he loved her and he accepted her proposal without any hesitation or reserve because her intentions were pure and therefore this attempt was a complete success and they spent the night under that tent and every other night after that together. And after that, whenever someone, no matter their station or sex or whatever would throw a “Gosbe feast”. It never has to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be lavish but it does have to be from the heart and it has to be for someone who your heart has chosen because you know in your heart that you truly love this person and they truly love you back and both of you are grown consenting adults. They’re not someone who has been chosen for you and it is ideally done with not just your intended but your intended’s favorite people, whoever and whatever they might be which is why most gosbies also involve feeding all the pets involved in modern practice. And a gosbe feast might include their family they were born into or it might be the family they’ve found through their lives or it just might be their friends or it just might be you and them and all your pets, even if it’s a gold fish. But it should embrace everyone all around it with open arms, open hearts and open minds.” You informed her proudly.

“That’s so beautiful, I want to throw a gosbe feast for you then.” Sakura fawned.

“I thought that’s what we’ve been doing all afternoon.” You reminded her which got her to giggle with glee before Noah started pulling other ingredients out.

“What are you doing?” You asked him as you looked from the couch into the kitchen.

“If it’s gonna be a proper gosbe, I’m gonna do my best to woo you with food too. So, I’m not nearly as good of a cook as you are, I’m gonna try, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just from the heart right?” Noah furthered and you didn’t even bother fighting it, you just got off the couch and walked over and grabbed his face and kissed him good and hard.

“I will happily eat anything you make for me. It could be my most hated dish and I would still wolf it down.” You insisted.

“Which is?” He asked curiously.

“Radishes and beets, like I don’t grow them at home, I barely eat the tiny slivers of radishes on my salads in restaurants and I only ever had beets once and they were in a can and not good at all.” You confessed with a shudder at the memory.

“Well good news is, I don’t like those either and the nutrition that’s in both of those are in other things that taste way better.” He reassured you before he kissed the tip of your nose sweetly which got you to crinkle it and you to giggle. He was so romantic. And then he did something unexpected, he handed you his phone. It wasn’t locked, it wasn’t coded, nothing.

“Why are you giving me this?” You asked him as you looked from his phone back up to him.

“So you can look at my search history and anything else you want to look at, I’m an open book and I don’t want to keep anything from you. I’m all in.” He answered.

“Aww,” you fawned before you took a leap and unlocked your own phone and put it in his hands.

“All in,” you repeated before you went through his phone, and his google search history and were relieved that he had not googled you and besides a few games on his phone, all there was were thousands of pictures of Sakura. He had both a personal and a business Facebook which you recognized because that’s what you had dug up when Taylor had suggested him and you got to see more pictures of Neena and of the summer festivals in the years before. He was...honestly, tame and ��boring” in that he was just a normal guy, he didn’t have any red flags pop up. Nothing suspicious and nothing that gave you pause, except for the whole Sakura child bride thing but you would be asking his family about that tomorrow.

“Woah.” Noah murmured as he watched the latest video of your daughter in mixed martial arts.

“Yeah, Skylar is...well since her dad died has had a lot of anger issues, she gets into a lot of fights because she has a temper and she’s a slave to her feelings and she gets it all honest because I’m that way and she found a good outlet through karate and other fighting disciplines and since putting her into those classes she’s improved leaps and bounds because she’s learning self control and boundaries. When Andy died she just...exploded. All her feelings and emotions and moods were just explosive and she was sensitive before and after she was even worse but thanks to the martial arts, she’s getting so much better and all her teachers and senseis took her under their wing and practically adopted her and she has a “gang” at school where she teaches all the other girls who aren’t allowed to go into martial arts- self defense and she is the bully’s bully and every boy who isn’t half in love with her is scared shitless of her because they’re intimadat. She’s my kid where I worry about her sneaking out at night and fighting in underground fight clubs even though she’s only 8. If she was ten years older she would absolutely be doing that.” You revealed.

“What about Xander?” Noah asked curiously.

“He’s usually a very gregarious, fun loving, easy going snuggly cuddler. But when Andy died, when Skylar was exploding, he was imploding. He just shut down and he got way too quiet. He would get up for school, cook and eat a king’s breakfast, get to school where he would just space out and daydream all day, come home, cook himself a king’s feast, eat it all and then go right to bed. He would be asleep for the night by six pm and then not wake up again until 6am. And on the weekends, all he did was sleep. He would sleep 20 hours a day on the weekends. And it was because he was just trying to force himself to dream so he could dream his dad back to life so he didn’t have to let go. And while I was worried about Skylar snapping other people’s necks, I was deeply worried that Xander would snap his own and I couldn’t lose him too, Skylar was already under threat of going to juvy because of all the fighting. So I took all the time off of work that I needed to and I took both of my kids out of school and I loaded them up and took them to the beach house, because one of my adopted grandparents left me a beach house on the east coast so we just went there and I just laid in bed with them and held them both and we just...cried, we cried and cried and we had a come to the gods meeting, where we were all just perfectly honest and transparent with each other and bared our souls to each other. And I begged and pleaded with them to tell me what it would take for them to smile again because the idea of being happy again felt like an impossibility at the time. And all I wanted was for them to stay with me. For Skylar the answer was martial arts, and hockey and she’s one hell of an enforcer, and music lessons, because she’s a rocker, so she’s learning guitar. And for Sky, she’s into the whole- guns, knives, archery, hunting and fishing thing . Because that’s what her and her dad were into together. And she loves construction too, like my dad will take her on jobs like he did with me growing up and is teaching her things and she’s in a love affair with power tools and blow torches and when we go up and visit my brother, who’s a builder, she goes to work with him and his boys and she runs circles around them. And for Xander, the answer was dance classes, ballet especially. Andy had enough toxic masculinity that he would have never been ok with Xander being in ballet. Tumbling and gymnastics and modern dance was as close as Xander could get while Andy was alive. And then when Xander finally opened up and told me that he wanted to be in ballet, I immediately called every ballet studio and found the perfect one that was right next to the dojo Sky wanted to be in so as a mom I literally go from one room to the next to keep an eye on them both and overnight I turned into a ballet mom because that’s what he needed me to be. And low and behold he’s a natural and he loves it and all the girls absolutely adore him and let him into their fold and practically adopted him because here he was this adorable wounded duck and he became the instant favorite that those dance girls would go to war defending him because he is a big boy and twice their size and he’s really strong and he can do all these lifts and holds and he’s steady and stable and he treats each and every single one of those girls like queens and he’s worries about them like they’re his sisters and he’s always buying food for them and fighting the ‘bulimic ballerina’ stereotype and he’s still in the modern dancing and gymnastics and the ballet has improved everything else and he’s so happy now. Where martial arts taught Skylar self control, dancing did the same for him but it also taught him how to express himself and use his words and actions to do so because they’ve already buried their father, which is more than anyone should ever have to bury, I couldn’t have them bury their feelings too. So now they’re happy and I’m happy that they’re happy which is all I wanted for them and now I turned it into a side business because I set my massage chair up in the hallway between the two spaces so I can still look in on both classes because they’re in the same building downtown and I do chair massage on all the parents for both because it’s a captive audience and it allows the parents to self indulge and practice self care and they all leave after the classes and everyone’s happier and I barter my treatments to all the instructors in exchange for a deep discount on the classes themselves so it works out and I treat all the kids too because they’re all mini athletes too.” You explained before you took the phone back and showed him the pictures of Xander in ballet and the videos of him dancing and being with the girls and smiling so bright and laughing and having all the girls practically hang all over him on the breaks which Noah thought Xander was living every little boy who liked girl’s dream of having a sea of gorgeous girls all around you. But Noah could still see so much of you in him. And while Noah did have his own reservations about boys being in ballet because it wasn’t necessarily traditional for male orcs especially, this was a new perspective and for you and your family, he would keep an open mind and accept it with an open heart too and forgo any judgement on his part because it wasn’t his place to judge in the first place.

Then your phone rang, it was Xander.

“Speak of the devils.” You giggled before you answered it.

“Hey, I was just talking about you. What’s up?” You cooed.

“Just got done bringing in the horses for the night and fed the chickens and did my chores and I got invited to go out to dinner with Gwen and the other girls after weekend worship, can I go?” He requested.

“Of course,” you immediately agreed.

“Can I please also get an advance on my allowance? Because they want to go to Cela Ve.” He asked hopefully.

“Sure, how much do you think you’ll need?” You asked.

“Well um, like a hundred dollars?” He asked hopefully.

“Ok, you better be tipping your waitress really good then.” You agreed. “Hey while I have you on the phone, there’s someone I want you to meet, I’m with Sakura and Noah and we’re making a gosbe together.” You informed him.

“What?” Xander asked before you heard him start running in the background.

“Sky!” He started hollering before you heard him running through the house.

“What?” Skylar asked when he barged into her room.

“Mom is making a gasbe with Noah and Sakura.” He blurted.

“Is she with them now?” Skylar asked.

“Yeah,” Xander confirmed.

“Give me the phone.” Skylar demanded.

“Mom, what the hell? A gosbe? Really? We aren’t even there! For it to be true and proper gosbe we should be there!” Skylar demanded.

“I know, so when we get together and you guys meet them, we will have a big official one with everyone involved.” You placated.

“When and how?!” Xander argued.

“Just... give the phone to Noah, Xander and I have something to say to him.” Skylar insisted.

“Oh no, not with that tone, I don’t want the first words out of your mouths towards each other to be angry and hateful. We all deserve to get off on the right foot.” You urged them.

“Fine, we will give him the same respect he gives us.” Skylar determined.

“We are owed at least a conversation with him since we aren’t there in person.” Xander added.

“Only if you both will swear to me that you will not bring shame or dishonor on us or our family.” You returned.

“We just want to ask him some questions, if he can’t answer them truthfully, he’s the one who doesn’t have any honor.” Skylar returned calmly but even you could hear the storm brewing in the background.

“My children want to talk to you and please take whatever they say with a grain of salt.” You bravely professed as you offered your phone over to Noah since he was still right next to you.

“Ok,” Noah nodded as he got your phone from you.

“Hello.” Noah greeted pleasantly.

“Hi Noah, first of all, if you know anything about a proper gosbe you would know that it would not be whole without us there. And without us, and especially without the rest of my mother’s family and friends there, it’s not complete. Also, I’m telling you right now, we’re not moving up there. Not now, not ever, we have our own lives down here and if you want to be with our mother so bad, you’re gonna have to come down here and there will be a lot that you will have to compromise on and third, when we meet you, it will be on our terms. Fourth, if, and this is a giant IF. If we meet you and if we like you and if you prove to us that you’re worthy enough to be in our lives and that is only after you meet and hopefully exceed our expectations, you will not ever be a parasitic leech. You will earn your own way the way our mother makes us earn ours and the way she earns hers and you will have to put in so much work to earn not just our respect but our trust too. And may all the gods help you if you are using your own daughter to weasel your way into our mother’s heart because she is a bleeding heart. And if you are using your own daughter to get to her, you are the most disgusting worthless waste of flesh on the planet and we will make you so sorry you ever met her in the first place." Skylar snarled as you ran your hands down your face. At least she wasn’t cussing him out.

"OK. I understand that and I get it. You guys have suffered a lot in the last few years and have had to grow up fast to protect yourselves and each other and especially your mom and all three of you have had to be on your guard against everyone new you meet and you’ve been wise to be that way becaues you guys and your mom have been vulnerable in the past and you don’t want to get hurt or taken advantage of so your guard is up and you should keep it up as long as you feel you need to because you guys and your mother are very precious and special and should be protected. And you're right. The gosbe isn't complete without you guys. And that's a problem that should have a solution that we can all find agreeable. So. Since I am in the middle of cooking dinner for your mom and my family, and since it's almost your bed time. Here's what I'll do, I am going to give you all the personal information I have that you want. And I'm going to give you all my references and all my social media stuff and important dates and stuff and I want you to take all of that and with all of your grandparents and aunts and uncles and with whoever you trust the most- look me up and investigate me and dig as deep as you feel you need to and then all together, I want all of you to write down all the questions you have for me, they can be as basic or as complex or as personal as you want. I have nothing to hide and I swear I will be as honest and forthcoming as possible because I appreciate honesty and transparency myself and I’m not a fan of head games or toying with emotions or anything like that. And after I’ve answered all your questions to your satisfaction- then I want you guys to think of a way for our two families to meet for the first time and I want it to be somewhere where you guys will feel safe and secure and comfortable so that if you meet me and you guys don’t like me and want to walk away- you have that option and that ability, because you guys should have a safe out. And I want you to know, that the only money I have taken from your mother was my fee for flying her in, if you feel that since we started dating since then- that I should refund her, I will, she also bought a few groceries for us when she watched Sakura on Tuesday, hopefully she kept the receipts and I will pay her back for all of it and then I will pay her for watching Sakura in the first place and I will not be accepting any money or any gifts or anything like that from her from now on but I will be taking care of her and every need she has for the remainder of her visit here. Now she did buy some beer for my own family gathering which we’re having just a normal sunday dinner with my family tomorrow, should I be paying her back for that?” He proposed and then waited for their answer as you just stood there, surprised and so impressed by how he handled that. His tone was friendly, calm and soothing. He was offering them the olive branch. Now it was up to them to take it and he was putting the ball in their court and what you would have given to see their faces.

Meanwhile Sky and Zan just looked from the phone to each other in surprise. They weren’t expecting that. But they were still a little weary.

“What do you think?” Xander asked Skylar as Skylar pressed mute on the phone so Noah couldn’t overhear their conversaion.

“...I hate to say this but that’s fair and that does sound like mom. And I don’t think she would even accept it if he tried. He could give her cash and she would turn right back around and give that cash to Sakura. Or he could write her a check and she’d chuck it into the fire.” Skylar realized.

“True. Honestly, with you coming at him like that and him still being calm and he didn’t sound upset, if anything he sounded genuine and understanding. He sounded like he gets it and he sounds like he’s at least empathetic. Which...and I hate to say it, but that’s what we all need. And Sakura did sound pretty awesome when we’ve talked with her before. If he’s a good enough dad to raise her, maybe he’s not so bad. I say give him just enough rope to let him hang himself with.” Xander decided.

“Agreed.” Skylar nodded before she pressed unmute just in time to hear Noah ask ‘hello? You guys still there?’

“We’re here, we wanted to talk without you overhearing so we put it on mute. But we talked and we decided that we don’t think that’s necessary for you to pay her back for what she’s done so far. She’s usually a natural giver who likes to take care of everyone around her, however we are just worried that you are a natural taker and won’t give as good as you’re given. She likes taking care of people and if she hasn’t given you a receipt for what she’s done, she probably used the reciept as a gum wrapper and won’t accept the payment back if the recipt is even in her possession anymore. But that means a lot to us that you’re willing to go that far. Ok, deal.” Xander caved.

“So what’s your catch?” Skylar asked Noah.

“My catch is that I want you to be nice to my daughter. She’s been through what you’ve been through only she doesn’t have any siblings to lean on and she gets lonely. So when we meet each other, she will want to be glued to you guys and all I ask is for you to treat her with kindness and respect and dignity.” Noah resolved.

“We can do that, that’s perfectly reasonable and that should never be a problem. Ok, we both have pens and paper, give us everything you have and then give the phone to Sakura so we can say hi.” Xander urged before Noah got his phone back and went through his contacts and gave them everything from his social security number to his birthdate and parent’s names and their birthdates and his wedding date so they could look it up in the newspaper along with Neena’s information and the day she was born and gave birth to Sakura and when she died so that they could look that up in the newspaper too along with his full name and his clan’s name and once they were satisfied- Noah handed the phone to Sakura.

“Hi Sakura, how are you?” They greeted happily.

“I’m good, I can’t wait to meet you guys! I hope I can meet you guys soon!” Sakura said before they started getting to know each other as you and Noah continued to prep the food together for dinner.

“Thank you for handling that the way you did, it goes a really long way that you’re willing to be so open and honest.” You thanked Noah.

“Well, to be in their shoes, I think I would freak out a little too if my mom went on a long vacation and met some guy that I knew nothing about and considering your shared past, I would be on high alert too and gosbe’s are obviously a big step and for them to feel like you’re making such a big leap of a commitment without them, that would freak me out too. So all there is for me to do is since you’re taking a leap of faith with me, is to catch you and then prove with my actions that I mean no harm and that I’m not a threat to you or them. But they did make several good points, the first being that it wouldn’t be a proper gosbe without them, so we need to figure out when and how we can make that happen. Two, they want me to prove myself and earn my own way which I have no issues with at all, in fact it was something I was going to insist on anyway, so I need to figure out what other skills I have that I can use down there besides piloting. Because commercial piloting is a different ball of wax and I don’t like even the concept of it because I would be gone all the time and never get to see you or Sakura.” He allowed.

“Sakura mentioned on Tuesday that you were a ferrier.” You recalled.

“Uh, I don’t have my ferrier license, I know enough to trim my own horses feet and that’s about it.” He revealed.

“Oh, well there’s a few ferrier schools around me, you could always go and learn.” You proposed.

“I could and I’m not opposed to that, however I had another idea. So I built this house, and I helped build my sibling’s houses and I really enjoyed building all of them. By any chance, when you inherited all those estates from when your adopted grandparents passed away, do you still own them or did you sell them?” He asked.

“I did not sell any of them, I literally cleaned all the pantries, fridges and freezers out and cleaned out their closets and dressers and donated all their clothes and all the food that was edible to food banks and gave all of them a good cleaning and then winterized them and locked them up and I’ve been paying a landscaping business to mow their lawns so they don’t look abandoned and I’ve been paying all the taxes and insurances and stuff on all of them ever since too and I had my brother in law sell most of the cars because I didn’t need three dozen vehicles all at once. In my wildest dreams I would have the time to flip all of them but I just don’t have the time or the energy lately, but they need some updating like upgrade the appliances, paint the walls, get some new flooring put in, cosmetic stuff. Like there’s still furniture in all of them, there’s still dishes in the cupboards and cleaning supplies in the cabinets under the sink and there’s still bedding on the beds. And I would love some help with them. But here’s the deal, you will never work for free, you will pay yourself the same wage any other builder gets paid for being on the job. Otherwise if you built this house and others, you know how estimates and building permits and budgets work and I will happily fund that, and if one of them comes in under budget, you can either give yourself a little bonus or roll that over into the next house because one may need less than another and I know things come up- like furnaces break or plumbing issues or termites or mold or something can come up out of nowhere and blow the budget in the process of getting it taken care of. So create a budget for each one and then you will get a percentage of each sale. And to make this seem fair to the kids, give them options, you can either get paid a “lower” hourly rate but a higher percentage of the sale like fifty percent, or, a higher hourly rate and a lower percentage of the final sale like 10-15% or somewhere inbetween, and chances are they’ll be somewhere in between. But don’t undervalue your time and effort. I already know you have a good work ethic so I don’t worry about you sitting on the job getting paid to twiddle your thumbs.” You reassured him.

“Good. I never want you to worry, about me at least.” Noah nodded.

“So when would you want to get started?” You asked.

“Well, my season up here ends in September and by October, we’re basically snowed in till spring but I know school starts in August. If we could move Sakura and all the animals and stuff down in August, that will give her time to adjust to the time zone and the weather and she can start school and it’ll just be a few weeks of that while I finish out my season up here and then when the season ends, I can either fly my plane down there and find a hanger or I can sell the plane and hop on another to get down to you.” He suggested.

“Don’t sell your plane. We can find a hanger, hell I’ll build you one, I can build you a runway out of one of my fields if I have to or even, if you just let me at this point. Because I don’t want you to feel trapped and that you don’t have an out and that you’re giving up everything because moving away from your ancestral home is already asking so much of you. Because if you move down there and can’t stand the heat because I know some orcs who can’t stand heat get really sick from it and ice orcs keep layers of brown fat all over just to insulate them and can run hotter than most to counteract the cold.” You recalled from your LMT training going over all the anatomy from the different species.

“And if you try your best to make it work down there and it won’t work down there, then we’ll find another way to make this work. Even if we have to move back here. So don’t sell this house, don’t sell the plane or anything else, not until we find a way to make this work to everyone’s happiness and satisfaction. What about all of Sakura’s lands and inheritances?” You asked.

“Well how that works is every member in the clan has a share in the tribal lands but we don’t necessarily have plots assigned to us, usually when we actually get married and we want to build a house to house our mates, then we ask the clan for a plot from the tribal lands and then they assign however much land that share is worth according to your need, so I asked for this lot in particular because it was so close to town that it could be on the grid and because it was so close to the airstrip. But because of the way things went down with Neena dying, um all of those...I would also call them adopted grandparents, they gave their family “shares” to Sakura. So Sakura, instead of only having one share- has 11 shares across three of the seven clans up here. So if she were to ever move back up here and get married and want to build a house up here, then she would ask for either one share or potentially cash in all 11 and get a massive chunk of land.” Noah explained.

“I understand, so what’s all the dispute about then? Because Taylor and your mother both said that others have come after her for her inheritance.” You prodded.

“Ok, so what happened there is with about half of them because orginally Sakura got 21 shares is when those adopted grandparents died, their kids who had moved away had come back to cash in their parent’s shares and then wanted to auction off the land to either the forestry or to gold miners or to one of the hunting reserves that aren’t run by the clans, make a quick buck and take the money and run.” He explained.

“Wow, that’s really disrespectful of a sacred birthright.” You concluded with a frown.

“Yeah, exactly, now there was a few of them that had come back, fell back in love with their homeland and wanted their family’s share to do the traditional thing of build a house, have a family and live up here and for them, Sakura and the elders had no issues with giving that share back because of those intentions but that didn’t stop three of them from once they got their shares back and got the lots in their names tried to move their families up here, their families couldn’t take the harshness up here and then they sold the lands to a developer and now a few of the others are trying to do intentionally fail to move back up here, they’re really just after the lots to sell and they are demanding that either they get the lots to sell or they demand the value of the “prospective” lot.” He explained.

“Because it’s always about the money. Ok so Sakura doesn’t have any specific plots of land that are in her name and her name only with others practically drooling over them and waiting for an opportunity to dupe her out of what’s been inherited to her.” You clarified.

“No, that’s not the case, even though the tribal lands are all finite because there are maps that show which lands belong to which clan and the elders do what they can to defend the lands and keep them pristine so that in future generations, they’ll have lands to inherit because a hundred years ago, there was a few clans who sold their lands to the pipeline, to the forestry, to the gold mining and to especially to developers and that’s how you got the “civilization” up here to begin with but there have been others that in “modern” times have done something a little different, Gold Horn for instance is Sungilak’s answer to get money coming in to satisfy the needs of the clan and the few members who feel they have the right to demand the value of their birthright without selling the land itself and so far that is the best way to handle that and that’s why my dad flies all the hunters in and around because they turned a specific portion of the lands and turned it into a big game reserve and that was copied by the other clans which is why there’s hunting and gaming reserves all over. Even though there’s a few anglo ones, most of them belong to the tribal clans. Plus I helped build Gold Horn, most of the men in my clan worked together to do it and I flew myself and some of the others around to the different hunting lodges to see how they were set up and run so we could set up and run Gold Horn successfully.” Noah explained.

“Aww, that’s awesome.” You fawned before Sakura finished talking to your kids and handed the phone back to you.

“Here’s your phone Mama,” she chirped and noticed she had hung up with them.

“And? How were they?” Noah asked.

“They were really niceI I can’t wait to meet them in person.” She beamed happily.

“Did you guys have any idea what you would want for that?” You asked her.

“Nope, I don’t care either way.” Sakura insisted before she got her coloring books out and started coloring as she waited for dinner to get ready.

“Well whatever they decide, we’ll figure it out and find a way to make it work.” Noah reassured you.

#the storm is a brewin'!#*evil cackling*#Jewel Of The North #Jewel Of The North Part 6 #ice orcs #jewel orcs #Modern Orcs #orc love story #modern orc love story #it's gonna get angsty #and i'm sorry.#but that'll make the happy ending that much sweeter.#I promise #go on this journey with me #take my hand #it's gonna be ok

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who-is-olivia · 5 years ago

Text

Track 9. Woman

Harry Styles x OC x Fionn Whitehead

Harry has a fit of jealousy during the Dunkirk premiere so Olivia teaches him how to share. [5.6k]

Genre: smut

Warnings: sexual language

July 2018

Harry’s getting ready for the Dunkirk premiere in his London flat, where Lou Teasdale and Harry Lambert made their HQ. When he’s finally done, he waits for Olivia. He had Harry design a custom gown specially for her, he hasn’t seen it yet so expectations are high.

First come the footsteps, heels clicking against the wooden floor. His eyes shoot up to the hallway and there she is. A deep red velvet gown contrasts with the clear pattern of the walls, bodice hugging her chest tightly as the skirt leaves a gap through which her leg shows. Her dark skin glistens on the ceiling lights, only her jewels shine brighter: a Cartier choker and bracelet, nothing more. Harry can’t stop that silly grin from showing, it’s inevitable.

“I know, I look so good!” she teases and they all laugh at her unbridled pride. “Really, I look like a skanky witch!”

“That’s what I was channeling for the dress” Lambert comments through his giggles.

“You can’t even tell I gave birth like... few months ago”

Harry can tell she’s still a bit insecure about her body but if not she looks even more gorgeous. The baby didn’t take as much of a toll on her as she thought it would. She did gain weight but she was way too skinny to begin with so if anything she looks an average size. Right now, little Rio is spending some quality time with her nana and Harry has to hold himself as to not keeping calling to check on her. Last time he checked, she was sleeping soundly and eating everything her crazy aunt Gemma was preparing.

“You look amazing” Harry hugs her waist and pecks her cheek, holding her possessively. Right on time, Jeff walks through the front door.

“The car is waiting outside, is everybody ready?”

“Yes, coming in a minute, go ahead” Olivia hurries to pick her bag and give Lou a warm and thankful hug.

After all the goodbyes are over, Harry rests a hand on her exposed back and leads her out, making sure she’s always at arm’s length. When they’re in the elevator, she adjusts her braids in front of the mirror and, on the corner of her eye, notices he’s staring. Instead of messing with him she just winks at his reflection.

He loves it, the whole outfit, but the dress makes him a bit uncomfortable. He can see it already, all those pretty young actors running their hands on her bare arms and hugging her bare back, their indiscreet glances towards her cleavage. Harry clenches his fist involuntarily. Calmness resurfaces naturally, but then he remembers Fionn.

Fionn Whitehead made very clear during the shootings of “Dunkirk” that he had eyes for Olivia. By that time they were not married yet but they were in a good moment, so she came over during her weekends off just to visit him and get to know a bit of France. It was a bit of a strike to his ego to know Fionn had the hots for her, not only because of the threat he supposedly was but because Harry also had the hots for him – and no shame of it. Now they’re about to meet again, and Oli looks impossible not to look.

“Earth to Harry” she waves at him when they arrive at the parking lot, “you okay?”

“Sure, love” he holds her hand and brings the back of it to his lips.

“How’s Rio? Everything alright?”

“Right as rain, mum’s loving it” he chuckles.

“I miss my baby” she pouts playfully and he mimics her, like two children mocking each other.

“We’ll pick her up first thing in the morning, until then we got a Christopher Nolan premiere, can you believe?”

“Still trying to process that... look, if I try to grab Cillian Murphy, please stop me”

“I promise I won’t” he mocks and she chuckles fondly. He does know her so well.

Harry rushes to greet the chauffeur with a handshake and open the door to Olivia, helping her inside. He then walks to the other side of the car, adjusting his fist cuffs before sitting beside her. She holds the excess of fabric so he can snuggle in and wrap an arm around her shoulders. The way she crosses her legs makes her knees and calf slip through a gap in the skirt, she doesn’t mind it but he does. It’s impossible not to stare in awe at how sexy she looks in this dress. When the soft material slips, it creeps to reveal her thigh, soft against the velvet like a jewel inside its box. It’s getting harder to focus elsewhere, so he gently rests his hand on her exposed knee making her turn.

“You look amazing in that dress” he whispers on her ear, biting just a bit of it. She chuckles darkly and gets more comfortable against his side, feeling the heat in the car rise instantly as he nuzzles the side of her neck. “Can’t wait to get it off-“

“You two, behave!” Jeff takes the front seat of the car and they part slightly, finally taking the streets.

Olivia clears her throat. “So, what’s the movie about again?”

“It’s about the evacuation of Dunkirk beach, when these small civilian ships went to rescue the English soldiers” he briefly explains.

“Why did they have to be rescued?”

“Because the Germans invaded France and surrounded them”

“Ok, but why the civilians? Where was the navy?” she shakes her head confusedly and he giggles.

“I thought you were good in history”

She takes a bit of distance and smugly claims: “I am, I know my history, thank you very much”

“Alright, fair enough” he quits arguing, knowing better than to step on her national pride.

“Who do you play in the movie?”

“He can’t disclaim that” Jeff interrupts and they turn their eyes to him.

“I think I can disclaim that to my wife” Harry shrugs in disbelief.

“No, that’d break the contract, you can’t disclaim that” he sticks a finger in front of his nose. “Don’t make me get you out of trouble”

“Alright, grandpa” he mocks and turns back to Oli who grins amusedly.

They arrive at the red carpet and leave the fancy car, Harry once more walking around adjusting his suit before opening the door for her and helping her out. The cameras follow them from their first step, capturing how he keeps a hand on her back at every move, making sure he’s the only one to touch her.

“If you get tired of the pictures, let me know” he says in her ear before laying a small kiss on her cheekbone.

“It’s ok, Haz” she smiles and follows him to the first step of the red carpet: the fans. His fans are not exactly fond of her, but she understands that nobody will ever be worthy of their idol so she doesn’t take it personally. But she also knows some of his fanbase follows her musical career as well and appreciate it, so is no surprise when they ask for pictures with her.

They go forward on the red carpet path paying attention to who calls their names, she reaches the end sooner than he, as she has less demands, and greets some of Harry’s co-stars.

“Hey Oli, remember me?” a young man with dark hair and fancy suit asks.

“Fionn, right?” she makes a fake guessing antic. She knows precisely who he is, as she hardly forgets someone so pretty and so devastatingly charming. They met when she visited the set in France, watching him from a distance and low-key hitting on him. She assumed Harry didn’t mind, after all he also had a huge crush on his co-star.

“Yes” he smiles and hugs her, pulling away a bit to chat but she holds his hand in a friendly manner.

“Sorry, you guys all look so alike, I’m still trying to figure it out” they laugh. From a distance, Harry divides his attention between the fans and their cameras, and Fionn placing a hand on Olivia’s bare back, leading her away to meet the cast.

When she meets Cillian Murphy, it’s hard to tell who’s more excited: Oli for meeting her idol or Cillian for meeting such a gorgeous woman. Harry thought he would enjoy the scene but it couldn’t be more of the contrary. When they part, he smiles and lays an earnest kiss on the back of her hand. Something inside him immediately ticks and he doesn’t like it. He rushes through the last pictures and autographs, keeping track of her hugging and laughing with the guys. He tries not to get cranky and maintain a soft smile, but it’s getting under his skin. When Fionn leans to whisper something in her ear, hands stroking her waist over the velvet and pulling her close, it’s the last drop.

Harry excuses himself and skips a whole section of fans to make his way to Olivia, putting on a mask of civility but internally burning Fionn with his eyes. He first takes Oli’s hand and kisses her forehead, then stares down at his co-stars, catching one of them staring down her cleavage.

“How you doing chap?” Harry offers a hand for him to shake and dragging his eyes away from her.

“Harry” he nods, shaking his hand.

“Think you all know my wife, I need to steal her for a moment” he tugs on her hand and urges her to follow.

“Nice to meet you, guys!” They get in the queue for the photographs and before they even stand in front of the cameras, he wraps an arm around her possessively. “Why are you jealous?” she whispers between them.

“I’m not jealous...?” he clumsily denies.

“You just used the W word like a dominant alpha male” she smiles vaguely amused while he chuckles embarrassedly. “I know you like the back of my hand, Edwards”

“So do I, Maria” she makes a mock betrayed face but laughs all along. “Let’s never use middle names again, please”

“Let'sr... but really, Haz, what’s under your skin? You’re acting weird”

He sighs, knowing better than to keep it inside. “I don’t like the way he’s touching you”

She turns her head to the cast gathering. “Who? Fionn? I thought you liked Fionn” she whispers between them, “like... really liked Fionn... what’s the word for that? When you got the hots for someone?”

“Fancy?”

“Yeah”

“Alright, I might fancy Fionn, but I fancy you even more and I don’t like it when he gets familiar” he explains candidly, making sure they’re the only ones listening to the conversation.

“What if I like it?”

He chuckles, not expecting that answer – although he should. “Then let me know” he smirks.

“Harry, you’re up” Jeff indicates, guiding both of them to the designated spot.

He poses in a relaxed manner, holding her close against his side like a proud peacock showing off his mate. In his mind, there’s hardly any woman as stunning as her in the red carpet, so when the cameras flash in their direction, he knows she’s glowing. He can’t help but look at her in awe and happily let the cameras capture every ounce of love pouring down his eyes as she smiles confidently to the photographers.

“Everything ok?” he asks discreetly.

“My irises are burning” she sings the last word and he chuckles, pulling her away from the blinking lights and to the movie theater’s doors where the last pictures are supposed to be taken. “Harry, where are you!? Gah, I can’t see anything!” she plays, blinking mockingly.

He laughs and pulls her against his back, her makeup staining his dark suit but they don’t mind. “Hold on, love” she envelops him by the waist, not so shy when it comes to public displays of affection. Holding on to his back, she tries to mimic his steps like a child until they have to pose again. “Last one, I promise”

They take few last pictures with her snuggling his side and him holding her embrace, both smiling wide and proud for the world to see. When they’re done, Fionn shows up again, straightening his front buttons like a classy gentleman.

“You doing any interviews now?” he asks Harry.

“Yeah, just a couple ones” he replies.

“‘Right, I’ll walk in and take a seat. I can take Oli if you want” for a moment, Harry’s brain almost fires a violent chain reaction, but she leans a hand discreetly on his chest to calm him down.

“I can take myself, thank you very much, but I’ll take the company” she nods charismatically then turns to give jealous-boy some attention. “I’ll wait inside, be nice!”

“I’m always nice” he steals a kiss from her lips and grins smugly, watching her take Fionn’s arm and walk inside the movie theater.

The movie is a tragically beautiful tale of patriotism and hope, and despite belonging to a completely different culture, Olivia gives credit to the pride and heroism of the British people. She stands up to clap at the end, turning to praise all the actors and specially Harry, whose narcissistic side doesn’t mind being pandered to. After the screening, the crew serves a flute of champagne for the guests as Chris Nolan makes a grand toast, extending the reception for a couple more hours of refined chattering.

“Fionn!” Harry laces the man’s shoulders, pressing him in a strangely intimate way. “You were bloody brilliant”

“You’re drunk” he laughs, feeling his alcoholic breath fan across his face.

“I’m not, I’m just a bit cheery. Listen, they’re almost wrapping up, do you wanna come over to my place?”

“Sure, I mean... is Oli okay with it?” he stutters a bit. Fionn is very fond of the couple, and they’ve been really friendly so far, he would dedicate a couple more hours of his life to spend some time with them.

“Of course”

“Alright then, but I can’t stay long, I’ve got a flight in the morning”

“We’ll just get some wine, it won’t take long. I’ll just say goodbye to everyone”

The three of them are thrown over the back seat of a limousine, a bit more giggly than usual but still able to hold a conversation. They struggle to get to the door and unlock it but eventually they make it and get comfortable on the living room. Olivia lays over the black fabric of the sofa, laughing at some witty commentary Fionn just made while Harry pulls her shoes off. He knows she’s really weak when it comes to alcohol, it’s better to just leave her light and jolly on the living room than to make her break things in the kitchen.

“Thanks sweetheart” she smiles endearingly to Harry as he turns to reach the kitchen and serve them some appetizers.

“Is he some kind of slave?” Fionn mocks, undressing his suit’s jacket.

“Sure, he’s my white slave. It’s historical justice” she fires back, sitting up straight to look at him. “You can sit down”

“I should help Harry in the kitchen”

“Nonsense, you’re our guest” she holds him and pulls him by the hand to sit beside her, while she supports her arm on the backboard and turns her body towards him.

“I don’t know, I think he’s mad at me or something. Don’t you think he’s acting weird?”

“I’ll tell you a secret” she leans very close to his ear. “He’s jealous”

“Why would he be jealous?” he asks with a curious grin.

Her dozy eyes look at him amusedly as she bites her bottom lip, like a child boasting about something. “He doesn’t like other men touching me”

“That’s silly”

“I know, but he can’t help it. He just needs to learn how to share...” his words die on his throat as his drunken brain works through the meaning of her words. Now he’s excited to know how this night is going to end.

Finally Harry walks in with a plate of snacks and three glasses. Fionn attempts to put some distance between him and Oli, but she holds him back with a playful look. “Here we go, I’ll get some wine. Do you like rosé, Fionn?”

“Uh- sure”

“Great, it’s all we’ve got” Harry reaches the nearby wine rack, turning back to the two of them in the sofa. “Oli doesn’t like red wine, so it’s either that or white”

“I don’t mind, mate” he helps himself with a handful of nuts while Harry pours the rosé in their glasses.

“Shall we make a toast?” Olivia gets up and takes her glass, raising it to both the men. “Here’s to your brilliant performances and to the beautiful mastermind of Christopher Nolan”

“I wanna raise a toast” Fionn interrupts, “to the two of you, one of the loveliest couples I’ve ever met. Cheers guys”

“Cheers mate” they clink their glasses and down the contents in few sips, falling back on the couch right after. The way they seat has Oli in the middle, her back thrown over Harry’s chest and Fionn right beside her.

“Did you like the premiere?” he asks.

“I did, it was really fancy... I would’ve enjoyed more if Harry wasn’t so moody”

“I’m not moody” he defends himself, making a nonsensical antic to Fionn.

“I can’t greet a couple of handsome young men that you immediately put on a pout”

“One of these young men was staring at your tits”

“Who was it?” the gossipy bitch inside Fionn begs to know.

“Jack, that creepy pervert”

“Don’t be so harsh on him, he just went through puberty” Harry laughs, “he’s still nervous around pretty girls”

“Why thank you Fionn” she regards his implicit compliment.

“My pleasure, Oli” he shoots her a charming grin and hold her eyes for ransom, making the air heavy with tension.

“Get a room, you two” they laugh at Harry’s taunting until Olivia decides to spice up the game.

“Why a room” she crawls to straddle Fionn’s lap, keeping a respectful distance in a disrespectful position. “You know I like it better in the sofa”

“Is that so?” Fionn raises a brow, deciding to tag along. Instead of breaking the act in on itself, Harry decides to push it as far as it goes and flex the stiff attitude that bugged him all afternoon.

“Go on then, don’t mind me” he pours some rosé in his glass before returning to a comfortable position in his seat.

Olivia smirks at him before looking down at Fionn, brushing her lips against his teasingly, making him reach up for her, only then does she concede for theirs lips to touch. It starts like an innocent kiss, but then she slowly runs her hips up and down Fionn’s, testing his restrained control. Harry bites the inside of his cheek, determined not to be consumed by jealousy but entertained by his cheeky wife’s little game, even as Fionn runs his hands over her velvet covered ass. She pull his hair down, exposing his neck to her tender sensual kisses and Fionn basks in her affection, all worries about taking it too far are gone from his mind as long as she takes the first steps. She runs her lips over his jaw, smudging it with lipstick until she finds his mouth again and kisses it through a grin, she’s loving it. But it can get better.

Still straddling Fionn, she turns to Harry with a tempting smirk. “You’re just gonna watch?”

“If you insist” he gets up, leaving his suit jacket on the sofa’s armrest. He stands behind Olivia, gathering her braids and resting them over a shoulder, exposing the other one for him. He lets her dress strip slide down her arm, grasping her waist as his lips lay waste to her shoulder and neck, leaving little love bites on her dark skin. Fionn makes himself useful leaning over her and running his lips over the whole extent of her cleavage, savoring the salty taste of her skin comparing to the bittersweetness of her wine flavored lips.

At some point, Fionn nuzzles in Harry’s cheek and he presses a kiss to it, giving Harry the queue he was waiting for. He licks Fionn’s lips unapologetically before they share a steamy kiss against the shell of Oli’s ear. She smiles to herself, proud of accomplishing a little treat for herself and also for her husband, whom she knows takes great pleasure in the company of both men and women. They never thought their marriage should be restrictive, little games like this just prove the point.

“This is what happens when you share, Styles” she laughs to herself and the men stop the kiss to join her.

“As usual you were right, love” he pecks her cheek, “now why don’t we take this to the bedroom?”

“Yeah, that’s better” Fionn agrees and supports Oli while she straddles out of him, walking towards the hallway in a nearby corner of the flat. Harry and Fionn look at each other with lust before following her and shutting the door.

“Before we start, a few rules” Harry walks to his bedside table while Fionn crawls over Oli on the bed. Before he can kiss her sweet lips again, a small pack hits his head. “If you’re gonna fuck my wife, wear a rubber”

“Such a drama queen” she chuckles at her theatrical life-long partner.

“Also- look at me” he cups Fionn’s jaw and pull his attention, “If anyone wants to stop, we all stop”

“Fine by me” he reaches and bites Harry’s lip teasingly. They both start to undress their formal buttons shirt, standing shirtless over a gasping Olivia who is still dressed in a fancy gown. Fionn leans over Oli and rolls her over to straddle him now without any concern for a respectful distance, so she unapologetically rubs her panties against his growing bulge, he shuts his eyes and sighs, imagining how her cunt would feel around him. Harry drops his pants to the floor, crawling on his boxers until he reaches the close of her dress, sliding down the zipper so the fabric pools on her waist revealing her round breasts. He cups them from behind and they fit perfectly in his hand, specially when he traps her nipples between his fingers making them hard as rock.

Oli stands over the bed, letting the velvet slip to her feet before discarding it on the ground. On her absence, Harry reaches for Fionn, climbing him and ravishing his body from his chest up to his lips with tantalizing kisses and love bites. In return he cups his ass cheeks, reaching under the waistband to creep between them and sliding a slim finger in there, something Harry didn’t get in a long time. With his moaning consent, Fionn sticks said finger in his entrance, playing in and out as he cries in pleasure only with a small teasing, sparking his curiosity to explore his body as well as Olivia’s. For a moment she doesn’t participate, just sits on a bed corner pleasing herself at the sight of her gorgeous husband being finger fucked by a really handsome and charming man.

“Look at that” Fionn nods in her direction and Harry turns to look, finding his wife reaching inside her panties to touch herself away from them. “Fuck Harry, you’re wife is so hot” he whispers, turned on by her quiet moans.

“I know” he holds Fionn’s hand away for a moment just so he can pull Olivia closer, snatching her hand out of her pants and laying her on the duvet, joining her in a sandwich between her and Fionn, allowing him to tease his ass while he pays attention to his wife. Harry slides a finger inside her mouth and she sucks on it sensually, running the texture of her tongue against his salty skin before it leaves her lips with a pop. She makes herself more comfortable in his arms while he takes his slick fingers where her hand previously was to stroke her folds and flick the swollen nub between them. The sensation of her on his finger tips isn’t enough, he needs to taste her, but at the same time Fionn replaces his finger with the head of his cock, pressing its entrance on the difficult spot until the muscle relaxes and he buries his length inside Harry. “Mhmm fuck...”

The wave of pleasure that hits him distracts him from the finger work he was doing on her. “Hey, don’t stop” she whispers cupping his cheek. Still a bit dazed, he sticks two fingers inside her and do the best he can to please her, alternating between languid teasing strokes and fast hard stocks. Fionn thrusts mercilessly into Harry, holding up a thigh to get a better angle while he comes undone in his arms, but at one point he has to take a break, leaning across Harry to kiss Olivia. She smiles through the kiss, giving him those big brown lustful eyes before they shut in a spasm of pleasure. If he wasn’t so tucked inside Harry, he’d fuck her right now.

“Fuck, you’re so good” he whispers on the shell of his ear before thrusting hard and deep, wrenching a groan from him before returning to a faster pace. The quicker Fionn gets, the more Harry works his fingers in Olivia, to the point her walls clutch him throbbing in pleasure and she cries out one last time finally reaching the first orgasm of the night. Harry comes right after, pressing his head on her chest and moaning one long note of ecstasy while Fionn kisses his back and Olivia his lips. Fionn doesn’t want to cum inside Harry, so he pulls himself out and do so in his hand, looking down on the other two immersed in their embrace. He already pleased Harry enough, now he wants Olivia. Fionn crawls back in bed beside her, cupping her other cheek so she can face him. “May I?”

“Absolutely” she leans to kiss him while Harry stands to his elbows.

“Oi... you didn’t ask before you fucked me” he complains with a hint of mockery and Fionn clumsily breaks the kiss to answer.

“Sorry mate, I’ll ask next time” he smirks, pulling her panties down while staring at Harry. He reaches down to kiss her hip, throwing the piece of lace on the ground before placing himself between her thighs. Fionn can feel her cunt still throbbing from her previous orgasm, it won’t take much for her to cum again. He tries to look at her before he kisses her folds, but Harry covers his view as they make out right in front of him, so he carries on giving her one long teasing lick savoring her sweetness, then flicking his tongue against her pulsing clit. She hums against Harry’s mouth, kissing him harder when Fionn traps the nub on his lips and suck on it, letting go with a plop. The soft pad of his tongue against her sensitive bundle of nerves is driving Oli insane, that and having Fionn trapped between her thighs. She’s about to cum for the second time when he keeps flicking on her, she’s so close, she can feel his warm mouth humming in pleasure as he tastes her, her hips twitch and her muscles tense, wanting to press him harder then physically possible. Harry notices her spurring and looks down at Fionn ravishing his wife. A spike of jealousy hits him as she comes undone beneath him, he wants to make her cry in pleasure like this, coming so hard she’s a bumbling mess after.

“You like that?” he asks while Fionn wipes her cum from his chin.

“Fuck yes” she gasps as he lays closer, making her sandwich between the two. Harry pulls him for a quick kiss, tasting his wife from another man’s lips is strangely sensual to him. But Fionn doesn’t indulge Harry for long, he has other things in mind regarding Olivia.

Fionn runs his touch up her chest until he cups her jaw and kisses her lips teasingly, licking her bottom lip before sliding his tongue on her mouth. He rolls over parting her legs to better accommodate himself not breaking the kiss, then runs a finger between her crease feeling how wet she still is from his mouth. She feels so warm under his touch, so eager, he’s aching hard to fuck her ever since she walked in the red carpet in that sinful velvet dress, now that she’s under him legs wide spread, he’s already on edge. Harry helps Oli to lay her head on his shoulder as he watches the whole thing go down. Fionn reaches the silver pack and slides the rubber carefully before finally burying himself deep inside her throbbing cunt until his base hits her clit, and he has to keep the instinct of immediately bobbing his hips, just a bit of friction will end him. So instead he swirls his hips, taking just a bit of his length out before sliding back in languidly.

“Oh fuck... Fionn...” she whimpers at his tortuous delicious pace.

“You want more?” he thrusts harder causing her to gasp each time their hips collide. Where before she was wet now she’s dripping, so tight he even struggles to pull out, not on his wildest dreams did her pussy feel so fucking good. “You like that, huh? Finally a different cock to make you cum” she moans, feeling him pick up the pace and almost hit her tender spot. The anticipation for him to hit makes her toes curl, nonetheless his size feels incredible rubbing in and out of her, specially when he spreads her legs wider making him reach even deeper. He loses his pace for a moment, holding a knee under his arm and thrusting a little slower, giving her the chance to breath because she knows the moment he picks up that pace she’ll cum. “You feel so good, taking me cock like that, do you want more?” he thrusts harder and her orgasm starts to build, "you want more huh?” somehow he goes even faster, burying his entire length violently and clashing their hips with a dirty sound, but not as dirty as her gasps of pleasure, building up to a point when she clutches him even tighter and screams, her orgasm eminent.

“Right there... oh fuck! Yes! Right- oh!” she cries, the spasms taking her on a high that ends with an exhausted sigh and the unclenching of her cunt right after he also cums inside his rubber. “That was amazing” she struggles to say as he falls over her chest, stealing a kiss from her. The last thing he wants is to remove himself from her warm pussy, but then he notices Harry’s not so amused face.

He can’t imagine how that must feel: having your best friend buried deep inside your wife, someone with whom you have so much experience and a love so intense you choose to spend your life together. He knows Harry is easily jealous, he also knows he’a overly indulgent to his wife, so of course he’d play a sex game just to entertain her – and take bit of enjoyment for himself as he did love being fucked on the ass. But maybe fucking her so hard was too much. Harry would never say so, again, doing his best to indulge his wife, but he wasn’t ok with that. So he pulls out and decides it’s time to go.

He climbs over Oli to kiss her delicious pump lips one last time. “You guys are amazing” he pants, leaning to kiss Harry as well, “I’ll never forget this”

“Neither will we” he replies.

“I better go now, I’ve got a flight to catch in the morning” he excuses, looking for the missing parts of his suit.

“So soon?” she asks sitting up.

“Yeah, I’m sorry guys”

“No problem man, I’ll take you to the door” Harry dresses a house robe and waits for Fionn to properly collect himself. He kisses Oli on the cheek to say goodbye and follows Harry out.

“You know we have a lot of interviews together this week?” Fionn comments to lighten the mood, although Harry doesn’t seem moody, on the contrary, he’s grinning.

“That’ll be interesting” he opens the door and hugs him goodbye.

“Thank you for that... I hope I didn’t overstep or anything-“

“You didn’t, you were great” Harry smiles and kisses the crook of his neck playfully. “Right, off you go now”

“See you around, Harold” he winks walking out the door and leaving the events of the night behind. When he walks inside the uber, he closes his eyes and let them all come crashing in with a boyish smile.

Olivia walks to the kitchen on her house robe, watching Harry close the door and walk up to her. She serves both of them a rosé glass with a tiny smirk creeping on her cheeks. “So... is he as good in the back as he is in the front?” he laughs at her spontaneous commentary, “Welcome to my TedTalk”

“You’re crazy” he hugs her back tightly, “crazy and deranged... and brilliant”

“Why thank you” she hands him a glass of rosé and they clink, no need to verbalize what they’re toasting before drinking the wine.

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floofsta-x · 6 years ago

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Les Feuilles Mortes ✿ [M]

genre;; realistic fantasy (yes, I know that’s a contradiction). Plant spirit!Kihyun, plant dad!Hyunwoo

pairing;; Son Hyunwoo / Shownu x Yoo Kihyun [Showki], Mentions of side Hyungkyun

plot ;;

The sight of the three tiny, wilted sprouts in the window of the antique store pricked at Son Hyunwoo's heart. Little did he know that this dying plant was much more than it seemed...

⚠️ warnings;; be prepared for a feels trip y’all--this has one-sided pining, some cute fluffy/slightly smutty moments, heartbreak, and ultimately major character death

words;; 15,385 (15k)

author’s notes;; soooooooo yes. This fic was a feels trip for me to write. It was the second of @shinigamibutterfly’s three prompts for the @mxficx Spring Fling Fantasy fic exchange. (I think I’ve tagged the right person...if I haven’t let me know. ://) I absolutely fell in love with this idea! I hope you enjoy!

“Wait. Say that again. You want...what?”

“One of the plants in the front window.”

Though he chuckled good-naturedly, the man behind the old, scratched countertop was clearly confused and in disbelief. His eyebrows rose, and he shook his head. “Sir...I’m sorry, but they’re display pieces, there for atmosphere, you know? I’m not sure if I can give them to you.”

It was a chilly autumn afternoon. Though the wind outside was frigid, the sun kept everything inside the small, shoddy antique mall warm. There weren’t many shoppers wandering around today. Those who passed wrapped themselves tighter and spared no second glance. So, understandably, it had been slow and boring. Well, up until now.

“Please? I’ll pay,” the customer pleaded and proceeded to name off a price that was a tad high for a potted plant. Truly struck dumb this time, the employee, a veteran manager of the store named Seungho, shook his head a bit. Also, he took the opportunity to glance the man across the counter over again. He was young and strong, with a handsome face and lithe body. From the way he carried himself and the circumference of his biceps, it was clear he took pride in himself and his fitness. So, why had a few leaves and some dirt piqued his interest? Others of his age and type would be out doing more masculine things, and not appraising decorative flora in store windows. That was something reserved for old ladies and other crazy people. Tree-huggers, maybe. However, he was here asking, and it was clear that he meant it; the only way to describe the look in his eyes was plaintive.

Of course, Seungho’s first instinct was to say no, but something stopped him. Hesitating, he sighed. In all reality, it didn’t matter. Money was money, and who was he to deny such a fervent plea? If the boss really wanted to, he could just buy another plant with the funds from selling this one. “Alright, alright.” Grabbing the keys to the display case from their peg, he led the customer back up to the front and unlocked the enclosure that looked out onto the street. After stepping around some of the displays, knick-knacks clustered around, he made for a large, healthy Peperomia near the middle.

Just as he was reaching for the gold foil pot that contained its roots, however--a tapping from behind him made him stop. When he turned, Seungho met the eyes of his customer, who frowned a bit and shook his head. “No?” After a few more attempts at picking up different plants resulted in the same thing, the manager resorted to pointing. A cast iron plant? Dieffenbachia? Philodendron? Anthurium? Each time, the customer frowned a bit and scrunched his eyebrows together.

Finally, it seemed that he had enough, and he poked his head into the space. “No, no, I mean the small one...on the end.”

Somehow, Seungho instantly knew the very thing he was talking about. That plant? Surely, this was all a joke. He made his feet move, walking over to where the row ended. There, behind a big lamb’s ear, was a tiny pot and plant, no bigger than the palm of his hand. The poor thing was dying, if not already completely dead, its thin shoots tan, and brittle leaves drooping sadly. He picked it up and gestured in the customer’s direction. “You’re offering almost forty thousand won...for this?”

A laugh flew from the customer’s mouth, and his face lit up. “Yep, that one. No tricks, I promise.” Without a moment of hesitation, he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and drew out a leather wallet.

The employee’s eyes grew wide. “W--wait. No, it’s okay. I--I’ll let you have it for free.” He sighed, and made his way out, handing over the little pot. “The boss was telling me I should get rid of it. Honestly, I don’t see what you’d do with a dead plant.”

“Oh, no, it’s still alive,” the younger replied confidently. It fit into his large, gentle hands almost perfectly. He gave a handsome grin and brushed one of the stems with a finger. “Just needs some care, that’s all.”

By this point, the shopkeeper believed that this guy was simply crazy. He shook his head and gave a small sigh. “Even if you’re right, you’d have to be a miracle worker to get it to grow. Probably be better off planting something else in there, like a cactus.”

“I have a way with houseplants. Maybe I am what this little guy needs.” The man chuckled. “Are you sure you don’t want the money? I’d gladly pay--”

“No, don’t bother. It was bound for the trash, anyway.”

“Thank you so much, sir.”

“My pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your day, and feel free to come back if something else interests you.” As the customer turned, the employee gazed at his wide back and thick arms. They were a direct contrast to how he was handling the plant. He was gazing down at it almost reverently, and he shifted it to one palm, moving to cup the top with the other.

What a strange young man.

Son Hyunwoo leaned into the glass of the door, pushing it open with his shoulder. The bell overhead gave a merry ding, but the fierce fall wind overpowered it in a second. Boy, the gale was quite strong today; it could carry a smaller person away. Days like this made the young man grateful for his broad frame. Sheer force pushed him along. Heaven forbid, it might also cause him to lose his precious cargo. Tenderly, he cradled the small terracotta pot in his hands, holding it close to his chest. Every once in a while, he took a glance down at it. Three slender, brown stems poked up from the dry dirt. The tiny shoots looked like they could break at the slightest touch.

If he was to be completely honest, he couldn’t even explain to himself why he’d picked up this plant. Maybe it was how small and sad it looked, or how it was so different from the other, healthier potted greenery in the shop window. If he’d tried harder, he might have resisted the urge to save it, but that apparently wasn’t what the fates had in mind. After staring for a bit too long, he'd stepped inside and approached the man at the desk. Perhaps it was force of habit.

Yeah, yeah, Hyunwoo knew he didn’t look the type. He was twenty-four, a freshly-graduated university student, and finishing up an internship at a marketing company. In his free time, he liked to jog, though he didn’t have quite as much stamina as he used to, when he played on a city championship-winning club football team. Every day at six am, he hit the gym, pumping iron for an hour before going to work. Though he was proud of his strength, most of the routine was solely to keep up old habits and cherished friendships (He quite enjoyed the company of Lee Hoseok, his friend from high school and fellow gymaholic). When Hyunwoo was home alone and didn’t have responsibilities to attend to, he read, danced, and sang. Most considered these things to be feminine or weak. He reveled in them, though, and could care less what other people thought of his hobbies.

As it turned out, another thing he loved was taking care of plants. This wasn't the first time he had brought a particularly neglected specimen home with him. Hyunwoo had a collection of greenery rescued from doorsteps, living rooms, shop windows, and even a bar or two. Ever since he was a kid and helped his grandma keep an indoor garden, he had a soft spot for anything that grew out of the dirt. She passed away during his second year of university, and soon after, he'd obtained his first brown-spotted cast iron plant at a friend's party. Everyone thought he was drunk when he asked if he could take it home, but that wasn’t it; he hadn't even had a beer yet. The owner of the place gave him permission, and after that, he’d wanted to get out of there straight away. Hyunwoo carried it back to his house, watered it faithfully, and pruned the most wilted leaves. Within a month, it was flourishing proudly in his entryway. There was something about tending to plant “friends” that put him at ease. Also, this was his own way of remembering his sweet Nana.

The longer he stayed on the street, the more the itch to get off of it intensified. Glancing both directions, Hyunwoo broke into a half-jog and hurried across the asphalt to his car, parked nearby. As he reached into his jacket pocket for his keys and popped the door of the sedan open, he had to fight the draft. It caught and tugged on everything--the car door, his jacket, even his nose and eyes. Hyunwoo was sure that his hair would be messed up majorly after this, but that didn’t really matter, as long as the plant was ok.

It felt like an eternity passed, but at long last, he was able to duck in and pull the door closed. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, Hyunwoo sighed in relief. Though the wind still battered the sides of the car, he and his new acquisition were safe from it. A small smile graced his lips when he peeked between his fingers once more and saw that none of the stems had broken. In fact, maybe it was his imagination, but they seemed to have perked up a little. Like he had back in the shop, Hyunwoo brushed the top of one with a finger. “Hey, buddy...I’ve got you. It’ll be alright.” Anyone who caught him talking to his new plant would probably think he was downright insane, but he didn’t care. Besides, Nana had sworn that if you spoke lovingly to still-life things, they’d be healthier and last longer. “I’m gonna take you home, okay? I’ll get you some water and nutrients, and set you in a nice, safe spot. You’ll even be able to make some new friends, how does that sound, huh?” Giving the little flora one last smile, Hyunwoo gingerly set it next to him, in a shallow dip between the front two seats.

It only took a moment to find his key, and then, with a flick of the wrist, the car purred to life. Pulling carefully out of his parking spot, Hyunwoo immediately made for home. He was on his way out, anyway, having been to an eleven o’clock dentist’s appointment. Once he was comfortable with his route and how he was driving, he reached down once more and cradled the pot in his hand again. Maybe he was crazy, after all, but he felt fondness toward the tiny seedlings inside. Every thought was gone from his mind, except for one--he had to take care of them. What might they do if given a second chance?

Well, as it turned out, a lot, apparently.

Hyunwoo kept his promises to the little wilting plant faithfully. As soon as he got home, he made room on his windowsill, alongside his greenery collection. There was slight shade there, and that would be better on the fragile seedlings than the straight sunshine they had been getting before. Then he mixed up a small batch of lukewarm water and liquid ez-grow, and carefully poured some into the bowl he’d set the pot in to act as a saucer. For extra measure, he got the dirt inside wet, as well. The three little plants looked even better than they had in the car, if it was even possible. If nothing else, they definitely seemed straighter than they were in the shop window. Proud of his new addition to the collection, Hyunwoo snapped a pic of it with his phone. He did this at regular intervals with all his houseplants--he took joy in seeing how they all fared over time.

Six hours later, he returned to find that the water had seemingly vanished into the pot. What was even more surprising, though, was that the three seedlings were green and reaching proudly for the sun. Hyunwoo couldn’t help but think that this was strange, but he poured in some more water-and-nutrients concoction anyway, took another snapshot, and left it to its magic.

The next time he came back, right before he was about to go to bed, about the same interval of time had passed. Again, the dirt was almost dry, and each stem was about an inch taller than before and a darker, richer shade of emerald. This flabbergasted Hyunwoo. How in the heck could something recover so fast? Of course, he knew bamboo grew up to thirty-five inches a day, but this was not bamboo. The leaf shape was all wrong. Abruptly, he remembered the pictures and pulled them up. It was nice to have confirmation that he wasn’t dreaming, and earlier that day the thriving flora was brown and dying. There wasn’t much he could do other than water it yet again, though (actually, he made sure to overdo it a little), and document its progress.

His foresight turned out to be wise. When he checked in the morning, right before his nine-to-five shift, the sprouts had once again taken all the water from their potting soil. Each stood as long and thick as his pointer finger. That meant they had, what--tripled in size overnight? Hyunwoo shook his head in disbelief and confirmed his suspicions with the photos he had taken. Again, he watered them, but he couldn’t also help but wonder and worry. Would he need to run a slow tap into the pot? If the plant was growing at this rate, naturally it would need more water. What was it, anyway? He had never heard of anything that grew this fast from a seedling and had leaves in the shape of a ㄱ. The question ate at him all through his shift. At break time, he did a Google search, scouring a couple dozen pages of results. It seemed that nobody, plant aficionado or botanist, discussed anything that fit the specifications of his new plant, and soon, he had to go back to work, so he gave up.

His mind settled a little on the drive home, only to stoke again when he encountered another surprise. Though the plant hadn't gotten any thicker around, it put on another four inches in height. Only about twenty-four hours had passed since he had purchased it, but anyone who didn’t know that might believe more time had elapsed between the first and last photo saved on his phone. Maybe, up to three or four weeks. It was crazy. To make matters even more intriguing, there were still no answers as to what the sprouts were. Hyunwoo tried every variation of Google search he could think of. He even went pages deep into the results, but still, nothing jumped out at him. Once, he thought he found something promising. The descriptions matched up, at least, and it was describing a fast-growing plant. However, then he’d read further in and discovered that he’d stumbled upon a cryptids website. It was discussing fairy plants--flora that housed nature spirits and other types of fae. He immediately clicked back. Whoever wrote that had to be crazy, right? Things like that didn’t exist.

So, Hyunwoo doubled down on tending to the little plant. He decided that evening that if the seedlings grew any more, he would move them. Indeed, they did, putting on some more height. Luckily, he had a spare pot lying around. It was about fifteen inches in diameter and had once belonged to a jade plant that had died of old age. In this new “home”, his mysterious new acquisition would definitely thrive for a while to come.

He performed the actual transfer the next afternoon, which really wasn't complicated. The only thing he had to do in prep was make a trip to the store beforehand to buy a fresh bag of potting soil. When he'd returned, he got to his knees on the hardwood floor by the window. His hands (and, by accident, the floor) had just gotten dirty and he was all poised to shift pots when the front door opened. It took but a second for Hyunwoo to realize who had let themselves in. Their footsteps were distinctive. “Hey,” he called out, leaning back so he could see better.

Sure enough, Chae Hyungwon, his best friend from University, came around the corner from the entryway. The tall, slender stockbroker had clearly just gotten off work. He was looking sharp in a suit and had his hands stuck in his pants pockets. Upon seeing his friend on the floor, he stopped in his tracks. “Of course. I come over after a long day, expecting to goad you into going to the bar with me tonight, and you’re sitting here playing with your plants.”

Per normal, Hyungwon’s tone was sarcastic and joking. He could be extremely sassy if he wanted to be, and that fact never failed to make Hyunwoo smile. “Well, you're probably used to it by now,” he shot back, “and I’m not playing with them. I’m saving this one’s life.”

A beat of silence passed before the punchline came. Whether it was intentional or not, the younger man had perfect comedic timing. “Shit, you’re right. That’s scary as hell.”

Hyunwoo began to chuckle before breaking out into a loud laugh. “Okay, alright, you win.”

“Better believe it.” Hyungwon fell silent after that, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He seemed attentive and patient, so the older man took this as his cue to continue.

Digging his fingers into the soil surrounding his little stems, Hyunwoo lifted everything up and out. He couldn’t help but note that the roots had started growing down the sides of the pot. Relief flooded his conscience, making him sigh. If he would have waited any longer, it might have been too late. Hyunwoo grasped the bottom of the dirt clod, broke it apart gently, and held it over the new pot for a minute. A gentle rain of loose soil fell from between his hands. Only after it had slowed did he let it down and nestle the seedlings in their new home, packing the dirt around them to make a reservoir he could use for watering. “There,” he said at long last, standing up and brushing his hands off on his jeans. “Perfect.”

“So, that one finally needed a new home, huh?”

“Finally? If only you knew.” Well, that came out more biting than he intended. Hyunwoo let it go, though, for the moment. Once he had set the plant back on the windowsill, he turned and made his way to the kitchen, beckoning for his friend to follow. “I got that plant two days ago. When I first laid eyes on it, I could barely tell that it wasn’t dead, and now it’s put on a half foot.” Washing his hands in the sink, he prepped another batch of water and nutrient tonic.

From behind him, there came a scoff. “You’re kidding me, right? I don’t have a green thumb like you do, but that’s completely ludicrous.”

“Nah, man, I’m not. Here, I even have proof.” Hyunwoo pulled his phone out of his back pocket, and going to this photos, flicked through the ones he had taken recently. It didn't take long to find what he needed; he'd saved them in an album by the name of ‘기’ (Ki), after the little plant’s foliage shape. Then he held it out for Hyungwon to see.

The handsome stockbroker took it and scrolled sideways through snapshots. Once he figured out what he was looking at, he seemed confused; his brows furrowed, then peaked. Each photo got special attention. After a minute, he went back to the beginning and through them again. Hyungwon tapped the screen a few times, checking each time stamp for inconsistencies and/or mistakes. Honestly, Hyunwoo didn't blame him. Finally, he relinquished the phone, holding his hands up in surrender. “That’s freaky, man.”

“Right?” They went back out into the living room, where Hyunwoo slowly poured a big dose of water into the seedlings’ new pot. “It's already made this much progress, and I have no clue how much more it has to go.”

“I thought you always looked up how to care for your plants on Google?”

“I can't find anything on this one. It's like I have a designer plant or something. The leaves are a weird shape, and nothing except maybe bamboo grows this fast after being brown and brittle.”

“Huh.” Hyungwon came over to Hyunwoo’s side and rubbed a leaf between his fingers. It might have been a trick of the sunlight, but the seedlings had seemingly straightened up even more. “Well, I imagine the only thing you can do now is continue to take care of it.”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo sighed. “I’ll do my best. We'll see where it goes.” All at once, he perked up. “--Or, rather, where it grows.”

“I swear to God, Son Hyunwoo, that is the worst pun you've ever said to my face, and you are already the king of bad wordplay.”

“Sorry,” the older replied, shrugging and smiling sheepishly.

In little more than four weeks, Hyunwoo had to move the little plant from the windowsill to the floor. He couldn't call it small anymore, either. Now the stems were almost four feet tall, and each about as thick around as his wrist. However, it was hard to determine an exact height, because at some point they had started to lean. Their growth pattern continued in that way until they had formed a circle, layering on top of each other to create a round, trunk-like structure. After settling, they turned a curious shade of dark brownish-gray, and in some cases sprouted smaller branches with leaves. When touched, they also felt wooden. Hyunwoo watched this transformation with interest. It was almost like a vine-based plant was becoming a tree.

He was still watering it up to ten times a day. The bigger it got, the thirstier it seemed to become. To fill the need, Hyunwoo figured out a way to have a direct water line from the kitchen sink to the pot. All it took was a small section of garden hose. If he left the faucet on and let it slowly drip while he was at work, he didn't have to worry about the soil drying out. Once or twice, he thought about the fact that the plant was consuming water like a human would, and greedily. That was impossible, too, though, and he pushed it out of his mind.

Maybe it didn't make a difference, but he also continued to encourage it with kindness. The plant had made so much progress, and though it gave him stress sometimes, he was also proud. It gave him hope that he was doing the right thing. Like his Nana would have wanted, he shared that emotion with what caused it. Thus, he had a chance to release those feelings in a healthy way. Besides, it only seemed appropriate. Every time Hyunwoo passed the pot and greenery, he took a moment to smile and rub a ㄱ shaped leaf or two. Sometimes, he also had words of love. He considered himself to be a caretaker and guardian to all his precious flora, after all. Some people even jokingly referred to him as ‘plant dad’.

Given such a steady supply of nourishment, it wasn't long before the flora surpassed the height of his tallest cast iron specimen. Even as it continued to put on inches, it also thickened, and soon threatened to spill over the sides of the pot. This put Hyunwoo in a unique predicament. If the plant wasn't already root bound, it was going to be soon. That meant he either had to perform another transplant or let it take outside in his already-tiny yard. The latter, he didn't want to do. Its behavior so far had convinced Hyunwoo that it was strictly a household plant, no matter how big it got. So, he began to call every place in the phonebook that labeled themselves ‘Greenhouse’ or ‘Garden Center’. He needed to find the biggest size of flower pot he could. Few words were needed to get his point across. It was as simple as introducing himself and then asking the question. Some places only sold smaller planters, not much bigger than the one currently home to the strange greenery, but others seemed promising. Some carried thirty inch-diameter pots; others said thirty-six inches was their biggest. Most of those upper-end planters were about that deep as well.

He struck true gold on one of his last phone calls, though. A lady with a peppy voice answered the phone, and as usual, Hyunwoo said his spiel. “Well sir,” she replied, “You're in luck. One of our regular customers ordered a jumbo size flower pot that's forty-eight inches in diameter, and perhaps a little deeper than its width. We got a set of four, but he only wanted three, so we've been trying to get rid of the extra for a while now. I'll cut the price for you if you're interested.”

“Oh, really?” Hyunwoo leaned back and brushed the hair back from his brow. “Yeah, sure, that would be nice, actually. When could I come pick it up?”

“Whenever you want. I'll be here until five.”

Fifteen minutes later, he was at the store. As she’d promised, the employee let him have the pot for seventy-five percent off. He had a feeling that his attractiveness level had something to do with that number. Price, though, he quickly came to find out, was nothing compared to how awkward carrying the thing was. It even made him question his own sanity a couple times. In the end, it barely fit in the backseat of the car. There almost wasn’t enough room for his other purchases: a couple big bags of soil and some more nutrients, as he was running low.

Hyunwoo tried to be as gentle as he could. He drove carefully, not taking turns too fast. On his way inside the house, he also made sure to hold on to the pot with two hands. Something close to exhaustion set in once the task was complete. Still, he wasn't done yet. The thought of trying to clear a space for the ginormous terracotta pot was honestly torture. He chose the first alternative he saw: a sunny place just beyond the entryway, next to the kitchen and visible from the living room. He set everything down there, dumped soil in, and did the transplant. The size of his plant’s new home relative to the old one was about the same as the first time. Hyunwoo prayed with all his might that he wouldn’t have to repeat that again.

Another month passed. Two. Three. Before he knew it, Hyunwoo had a plant standing in his entryway that touched the eight-foot ceiling. It was also once again close to the edges of the pot, and that made him worry. Weren't the roots restricted? Surely, they didn’t have room to spread and continue to support the tree. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to take the plant out to the yard. The hunt to find a bigger container would probably be fruitless, too. So, Hyunwoo waited for the inevitable death of the plant--but it defied expectations. Given that he fed it a steady stream of water, and also nutrients on occasion, it seemed to flourish.

Fearing that it might try to grow too tall, Hyunwoo invested in some clippers. However, it turned out that he didn’t need those, either. Oddly, the plant seemed to know its limits. When it hit the top, it thinned and started spreading out. New, slender green vines clung to the ceiling and pushed forward, making their way through the house. They mostly concentrated in the living room, but a few also inhabited the kitchen, laundry room, and spare bedroom. He clipped any that tried to breach the doorway to his bedroom, and the bathroom, though. For some odd reason, allowing that felt like an invasion of his personal space. Besides, then the doors wouldn't be able to close.

One day, Hyunwoo noticed a small green teardrop forming near the main trunk of the tree. It wasn't a new leaf; he knew what those looked like, and this was completely different. More of these new buds appeared in the next twenty-four hours. It didn't take long to realize what was going on, and luckily, Hyunwoo was there to see what happened next.

It seemed like for a while, the plant held its breath. Then, in the span of only a few minutes, everything bloomed.

Pretty, reddish-orange flowers with six petals and a chocolate brown center covered the ceiling wherever vines grew. They were tiny (not even as big as a one-won coin), delicate, and filled the house with a subtle, pleasant scent. To Hyunwoo, it was something like a mix between baby powder and peaches. If he was being honest, he was in awe. How was it that this little plant from an antique store had ended up being such a treasure? It filled his home with beauty, and in such a short time, had become as big a part of his life as the house itself. Now he couldn't pass it in the entryway without taking a moment to touch and whisper to it.

Hyungwon, too, gawked the first time he saw this lovely display. He had been over a few more times since the first, so he was aware of the plant’s progress, but still, the flowers were something he hadn't expected at all. The moment he walked in, he was staring up. His jaw only dropped open wider at the fact that the branches had spread through the entire house. For the first time, perhaps ever, Hyunwoo saw him at a loss for words.

Not long after that, the plant decreased its water intake dramatically. One morning, the dirt in the pot was over-saturated, and the entryway flooded. Hyunwoo cleaned up the best he could and backed off the water from the sink. Even then, it threatened to spill over again. It forced him to re-establish a watering routine, and so he dousing the soil with water every few hours. It seemed that now, the unusual flora was only taking in enough nourishment to support its flowers. All growth halted, and the remaining green vines turned woody and gray, like the trunk. Hyunwoo didn’t mind, really; leaving the sink on all the time had earned him a huge water bill the month before.

For some reason or other, this turn of events filled Hyunwoo with a sense of contentment. He still wanted to see the plant through the rest of its life. Admittedly, he’d grown more attached to it than his other greenery.

Little did he know that things were about to get even more interesting.

Hyunwoo walked in his front door one evening, and got the shock of his life.

Work had been stressful, but fulfilling. He’d fidgeted all day after the morning brought an impromptu visit from his immediate supervisor, Mr. Lee Seyoung. He asked if Hyunwoo would be willing to stay for a few minutes after his shift. This was quite odd, since overtime was rarely granted, and it was rare that anyone broke the rules, anyway. The whole thing put a weird feeling in Hyunwoo’s stomach, for some reason, but he agreed. Nothing was on his agenda for that evening, so a little bit of time was something he could spare.

Well, it turned out that his boss had set up a meeting with Mr. Kang, the CEO. Apparently, Seyoung really liked Hyunwoo and believed him to be an asset the company should not let go of. To support that opinion, he produced documents showing that their department’s productivity had gone up by eleven percent since Hyunwoo had started his internship. “He’s become a member of my team, and contributes valuable ideas and input weekly, if not daily. I have never seen or heard of a more capable and dedicated intern in my years with this company.” The boss finished up with the fact that Hyunwoo’s first partnership, with the owner of a small frozen yogurt shop, had been a stellar success. One location had grown by leaps and bounds, and now there were several spread across Seoul. The advertising campaign the intern had helped organize was a big part of the reason.

When Mr. Lee finished with all he had to say, Mr. Kang excused him, then turned his attention to Hyunwoo. After a couple questions about whether he’d enjoyed his experience under Seyoung and at the company in general (yes, very much), and if there were already other plans for employment lined up (no), the question came out:

“If I was to offer you a position today, which I am fully prepared to do, would you take it?”

Hyunwoo nearly fainted with excitement and happiness and accepted on the spot. Did Mr. Kang know exactly how much of a weight off his back this was? It meant that now, he didn't have to worry about hunting for a job. That was a major stressor, eliminated. Truly, he had loved working for the company; at every turn, he’d met people he admired and respected. A future with them was one of the best outcomes he could ask for. Suddenly, the days ahead were full of possibility.

Happy songs were playing on the radio all the way home, and Hyunwoo couldn’t help but smile and sing along with the ones he knew. He even threw in a couple upper body dance moves while he was stuck in traffic. His heart was so light, and he felt like smiling until his cheeks hurt. Today can’t get any better, he thought absentmindedly. I’ll call Hyungwon and tell him the good news, and we can go bar hopping or something to celebrate.

Dusk had already fallen when he pulled into his driveway. Hyunwoo whistled to himself as he parked, turned off the car, and made his way up the sidewalk and front steps. He grasped the knob on his front door with one hand, while the other slid his key in the deadbolt lock. After that, it only took a simultaneous turn of his wrist and shoulder to the wood to get into the house. Hyunwoo waltzed in, setting his keys and bag down on a nearby table, and made for the kitchen. As he passed his plant, he reached out and was about to give it a pat--

A sudden, strange sound made him stop abruptly. It would have been easy to brush it off as something shifting, or a sound from next door, but this was different for some reason. Hyunwoo went dead quiet, and in moments, came to realize that yes, he wasn’t hearing things. There was a faint breathing coming from the living room. He couldn’t see anything out of place, though, and a shiver ran down his spine. Cautiously, he crept forward and peeked over the top of the sofa, glancing down to an unexpected sight. As the truth settled in, his eyes widened, and recoiling, he gave a short cry of terror.

There was someone sleeping there, lying stretched out across the couch cushions, on their side. The rise and fall of their chest was barely visible in the growing darkness. It was a man, by the looks of it, and buck naked. Hyunwoo’s mind raced. What was he doing here? How had he gotten inside in the first place? Was it under the influence of drugs or with bad intentions? In any case, seeing the complete stranger zonked out on the sofa sent Hyunwoo into panic mode. He bolted for the kitchen, pulling a sushi knife from a drawer and fishing for his cell phone in his back pocket. As soon as he had it out, his trembling hand flicked to the emergency call screen, and he dialed 119.

In what seemed like only a flash, he was back in his living room again, standing over the sleeper. His finger hovered over the call button; he knew that he should go ahead and press it. Then, he’d make a run for the front door again, so he wouldn’t wake this guy before the police arrived. Yet, once again, something stopped him.

Perhaps it was that he got a better look. Hyunwoo’s tight throat and chest wouldn’t allow him to breathe, so he sat there for a minute, heaving for air. That forced him to take another glance, and suddenly, Hyunwoo couldn't stop staring.

The mysterious man was fairly small, only about 160 centimeters in comparison to Hyunwoo’s 181. Medium-long, orange hair (the shade of which was almost irritatingly familiar) fell across his forehead, swept behind his ear, and framed his face. He had a strong jaw and a handsome, pointed nose, though his long eyelashes and plump lips gave him a delicate look. Next to Hyunwoo’s dark golden skin tone, he was a little lighter, but really not by much. Last, but not least, his complexion was pristine and clean, almost like a baby’s. There was no blemish or spot anywhere on his body. Though he was no Adonis (it was very hard to beat Hoseok’s toned, chiseled figure in that regard) he was still well-formed, and a dazzling sight--pure, innocent almost.

How could someone this--adorable have just turned up here? Nothing seemed to be off or wrong, and there was no evidence to suggest a break-in. The longer the taller man stayed, the more the alarm system in his head faded into the background. Yes, this was an intruder, but he was just lying there, sleeping.

In the end, Hyunwoo never dialed the emergency number and switched off the screen. He still shook a little but managed to calm down enough to go put the knife away. Maybe that was a stupid move, yeah; any other rational person would definitely have treated this as a home invasion. Something deep down inside told him that it was alright, though. This would all work out. When he came back around toward the couch, protective instinct kicked in. It consumed every other feeling he had and took him completely over. Maybe this guy was confused and unfortunate, and needed a ride home or to the hospital. Or, perhaps they’d met at the bar one night, and Hyunwoo just didn’t remember.

Shifting slightly in his sleep, the orange-haired beauty curled up further and shivered. Without a second thought, Hyunwoo pulled a quilt from the back of a nearby chair, the warmest he had. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he stepped over and gently draped the blanket on top of his guest.

All was well at first; the man hummed and smiled, snuggling deeper into the couch. However, the change in weight must have disturbed his slumber, because in the next moment, he was blinking back to consciousness. He lifted a hand to his eyes and rubbed them drowsily as they fluttered open. “Mm--Hyunwoo-hyung?” were the first, quiet words out of his mouth.

Another chill wracked Hyunwoo's body, and he froze. Swallowing his growing apprehension, he glanced down to the sight of the stranger's gaze trained reverently on him. Questions multiplied in his head. Wait--what? This stranger knew his name and was addressing him like an old, beloved friend. That was impossible, right?

“Hyung! Finally, you're home!” Suddenly, with a burst of energy, said individual jumped up from the couch, then launched himself into the taller’s arms. Taken completely by surprise, Hyunwoo scrambled to adjust, and managed to regain his balance, saving both of them from ending up on the floor. When the confusion settled, the man had latched on like a baby sloth. He'd wrapped his legs around Hyunwoo's waist, and was clearly trying to cuddle as close as possible, too.

Hyunwoo couldn't move, petrified with shock and trapped in a moment of awkwardness. Even his vocal cords felt frozen. He’d somehow managed to hook a supportive arm around the man’s small waist, and now couldn’t let go. To save the last shred of sanity he had, he also purposely tried not to think about the genitalia pressed against his belly.

“Oh, I thought you’d never come back! Today, of all days.” A few warm, gentle teardrops dripped down onto Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “I've been waiting so long.”

Swallowing hard, Hyunwoo made his voice obey him this time. It came out a little broken, but he managed to control things somewhat. “Sir, I’m really sorry, but I have no clue what you’re talking about. I don’t recall ever having met you in my life. So, um, would you please stop calling me hyung? It makes me uncomfortable.”

Slowly, the smaller man glanced up, and his smile dropped. The cutest look of confusion came across his features; his mouth hung open, and his eyebrows scrunched together. “W--wait, what? You don’t--”

“Who are you anyway? What are you doing in my house?”

“Oh...you really don’t recognize me.” All the strength seemed to leave the visitor’s body, and now he looked sad. Tears filled his eyes, and his lips began to tremble. “But how? You’re the one who brought me here, and you’ve been taking care of me. I--I’ve lived with you for months now.”

"Are you sure you have the right place--?” Terror washed over Hyunwoo in a new wave. If this man had been living with him, where had he been hiding all this time? He considered going back into the kitchen and grabbing the sushi knife again. However, the sobs that broke from the smaller's throat stopped that train of thought in its tracks.

“Yes!” The stranger buried his face back into Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “I haven’t been outside…not since the day you rescued me from death. You’re my savior, and I want to repay you for that! Why don’t you recognize me…?”

Something clicked in the taller man’s head. Carefully, he turned around and came to a revelation. The words reminded him of the little plant he adopted, and sure enough, something had split its trunk wide open. There was a hollow in the center big enough for a man this size to fit tightly. “H--hold on. Are you saying that you came from the tree in the entryway?”

A little bit of hope returned to the orange-haired man's face. Light danced in his eyes, and he nodded. “Yeah, close. See, I am the plant--or rather, its guardian.” When Hyunwoo’s confused and distraught remained, though, he shrank back again. “Are you gonna throw me out?” He asked, weakly.

"What? No, no, I could never." That would be nothing but cruel. Sure, this--nature spirit? had little understanding of the concepts of privacy and security, and also thought, erroneously, that they had met before. He probably figured that since Hyunwoo talked to him on a consistent basis, they were already acquainted. All this at once made the taller man's head spin. Still, his protective instinct was strong. Now that he knew that this man meant no harm, he was put a lot more at ease. Hyunwoo felt a deep, pervasive desire to nurture him like he had with the mother plant. Instinctively, he rocked a bit and hummed softly in an attempt to calm the tears splashing onto his shirt. "Hey, um, let's get you some clothes, and we can talk after that. Ok?"

His human (or, Hyunwoo supposed, fairy) koala nodded slightly, making an obvious effort to calm his heaving sobs. He climbed down, and together, they made their way to the bedroom.

"I-it's Kihyun. If that matters to you."

"What's Kihyun? Your name?"

"Yeah." The shorter man looked so small, kind of like a kid, as he hung his head and nervously fidgeted with his fingers.

"It's nice to meet you, Kihyun." In hopes of easing his worry, Hyunwoo gave him a big smile. "Your leaves are shaped like that, aren't they?"

If he hadn't turned to push the door open at that very moment, he might have seen the red that rose to his guest’s cheeks.

Once inside his own room, Hyunwoo headed straight for the closet. On the top shelf, there was a box of things his mother had insisted he take with him when he moved out of the house to go to college. It was mostly junk from his middle school days, so he didn't quite see her point, but acquiesced anyway. There were a few nifty toys that might be of interest to any grandsons that might come along, and some other things that carried memories, such as an empty, crudely-painted flower pot and some old, ripped play money. Also in the box happened to be Hyunwoo's lucky checkered boxers. They were too small for him now, but he was sure they'd fit his guest perfectly. It only took a moment of digging around before he found them. In handing them to Kihyun, he stretched the waistband to show what side was up. "Put these on your legs, like my pants are on mine."

The smaller man nodded and stepped in, pulling them up. Meanwhile, Hyunwoo dug around in the back of his closet until he came across a tee shirt that had shrunk in the wash. Also, he found the smallest pair of sweats he owned. Kihyun got dressed in those, too, and Hyunwoo laughed at how oversized on him they were. The fairy was practically drowning in cloth. It made him look even smaller than he was. Hyunwoo had to fight back a sudden urge to cuddle him.

So, that was how Son Hyunwoo came to have a nymph living with him literally full-time. Kihyun never left the house after the first time they went somewhere together. Things spiraled out of control, and could have ended badly if it wasn’t for some quick thinking.

In short, Hyunwoo took Kihyun shopping one day, about a week after their meeting. The latter had never been on a big excursion like this, and they both soon came to find out that any prolonged separation from his mother plant could be fatal. Only about thirty minutes after they’d gotten to the department store, Kihyun was looking very pale. He started to shake like a leaf in the wind, but insisted he was fine; that is, until he gave out completely. Hyunwoo dropped everything to run over and catch him. After asking Kihyun what was wrong, to uncertain responses, he carried the smaller man to a nearby bench.

A few minutes passed, and the little fae was looking worse and worse. It was to the point he couldn’t even vocalize anymore. Hyunwoo was considering rushing home, when he had a sudden thought. Faintly, he remembered seeing some water bottles for sale in a cooler on the way in. Maybe that would provide Kihyun the sustenance he needed until they could do what they needed to. This on the forefront of his mind, Hyunwoo promised that he’d only be gone a few minutes, and ran off.

When he returned, Kihyun looked too close to dead for comfort. Hyunwoo’s hands shook as he scrambled to get the cap off the bottle. Carefully, he tipped the nymph’s head back and poured liquid down his throat. It took a couple more times before this actually started to work, but it did nonetheless. Soon, Kihyun had regained enough strength to hold the bottle in his hand and drink mouthfuls from it himself. He didn’t quite get back to his peppy, smiley self until they were home again, but it at least saved his life. They were also able to finish getting basic necessities and clothes that fit.

This wasn’t all they had to learn; really, there was a lot on both ends. For instance, it was a while before Hyunwoo discovered Kihyun’s surname: Yoo. The reason that the nymph’s hair color was so familiar was because it was the same as the petals from the flowers off his tree. His eyes, too, were the chocolate brown of their centers. Most interestingly of all, he didn’t need any food, just water. That made sense, though, considering that if he ate anything, it would be cannibalism. (Yes, even meat. All of it was plant-fed.)

Something else that Kihyun revealed was that long ago, he had been a free-spirited, mischievous woodland guardian. A witch caught him in her garden one day and bound his existence to the plant. Her curse was that he'd wait in obscurity for a thousand lifetimes, and only when a special individual nurtured him to full growth would he appear in physical form again. Hyunwoo didn’t doubt a word of the account. He was already past the point where things sounded crazy to him. As he listened and nursed a cup of coffee, pride grew in his breast. He must have done a good job of raising the mother plant, because all things considered, its fae was strong and healthy. In light of this, he loved praising the smaller man all the more.

“Hey, have I ever told you how proud of you I am?”

“I’m so glad I found you in the window that day.”

“You make me happy.”

Before the plant had made its switch from foliage to person, Hyunwoo had also gotten in the habit of saying I love you. Now, that felt wrong, though. His relationship to Kihyun wasn't, and would never be, romantic. Someday, he might admit that he had love in his heart for the nymph, like a father loves his son, but not yet. He was just caring for him like he would for any one of his other greeneries, and that was that.

Little did Hyunwoo know, however, that his conception of the dynamic was completely different from Kihyun’s.

The faerie’s consciousness had existed in his plant, even from the beginning. Hearing Hyunwoo’s voice for the first time, in the antique shop, had jerked him out of restless slumber. For the first time since the cursing, someone was showing Kihyun true attention and love. Thus, he quickly came to realize that this was the special one the witch had talked about all those years ago. The tiny nymph-in-a-pot dared to hope that things would work out in the end, despite the fate that awaited him--a cruel and painful death. (Of course, he’d never tell Hyunwoo that part of the story.)

It was just--why did his human caretaker have to be so beautiful? Kihyun knew he was a goner from the moment he was first nestled in those big, rough hands. Even having frolicked among dozens of gorgeous deities, and also lived among humans for such a long time, he could still swear that Hyunwoo was the most handsome man he had ever seen. As the days passed, his attraction only got stronger. It was the small things that did him in. Kihyun fell for Hyunwoo’s kind and easygoing ways, how he danced and sang when he thought no one was watching, and last but not least, his delightful laugh and smile. There was no denying that Kihyun was totally and hopelessly in love.

Now that the fae was in a physical form, it was like a dream come true. Kihyun tried to be close to the human as much as he could. He wanted to spend every moment with Hyunwoo, so it hurt to see him leave in the morning. Kihyun could understood sleep, of course; he, too, needed to rest. Burning nine to ten hours of daylight without his favorite person, though, was torture. The amount of time that this thing called ‘work’ demanded was ridiculous. Why did Hyunwoo continue to go day after day, with only the occasional day off? Was it really necessary? Kihyun asked about what it entailed, even, and things didn't get any clearer. Hyunwoo said that in short, his job involved performing a lot of different tasks to make others happy. That sounded incredibly boring, but Kihyun didn't question it or prod further.

A couple times, Kihyun tried to keep Hyunwoo back from it by begging, pleading, and restraining him. Finally, Hyunwoo sat him down and treated him to one of his gentle explanations. Apparently, the human world ran on things called won, or money (they were the same). If Hyunwoo didn’t go to work, he would have no won, and thus also no place to live or water to drink. The idea was strange and foreign, but Kihyun did his best to understand. He was sure that his caretaker would never lie to him.

Though he wasn’t sure if he’d ever understand, Kihyun got used to it eventually. At least, he learned that he could always count on Hyunwoo to return around the same time every evening. There was an occasional exception, though, like the day that Kihyun had chosen to emerge. If that happened, he tried desperately to keep himself calm, and usually within a half hour, Hyunwoo was home.

However, in the meantime, Kihyun had free rein of the house. Usually, he read a book, tended to his tree, or slept. However, then, one weekend, Hyunwoo showed him the internet: more specifically, a few sites with games on them. Kihyun was in awe of how a flat piece of metal could do so much and quickly got addicted. It made the hours until his caretaker came home fly by.

There was a dark side to technology, though. Kihyun found that out the day he stumbled upon something strange in Hyunwoo’s browser history: porn. Of course, because of his never-ending curiosity, he clicked it. What he saw shocked him. It was like...procreation. Kihyun’s parents had taught him that it was necessary, but a taboo topic. Two faes only had sex when they loved each other very much. From the videos he watched, though, it seemed that some humans didn't care. Some even recorded themselves doing it or had others record them doing it. They engaged in other intimate acts, too, like kissing, touching, and biting.

Sometimes, Kihyun would imagine that the couple in the video was himself and Hyunwoo. Within seconds, he’d be trembling as a strange feeling took him over. He would grow hard in his underwear, and every fiber of him begged for touch. When he wrapped a hand around his dick, clear, slick fluid leaked out. Moving up and down the shaft sent indescribable feelings through Kihyun’s body. Before he could process it, he had instinctively buried two fingers in his asshole. The thought of Hyunwoo’s husky voice asking him to come was what undid the little nymph.

After that discovery, Kihyun cautiously started getting more handsy. Hugging and snuggling with Hyunwoo was already the best feeling in the world, but now he wanted more. He expressed his love for the human all the time, and for the most part, received it back. Of course, It disappointed Kihyun that Hyunwoo didn’t say the l-word anymore, but that didn’t matter. He was always the type that let his actions speak louder than words. Why couldn’t they go further than “safe” touch, though?

Unfortunately, nothing Kihyun tried worked, short of an outright makeout session (and he wasn’t near bold enough to attempt that yet). He touched and nuzzled every sensitive spot he knew, but Hyunwoo only smiled softly and cuddled back in return. It was frustrating, but the nymph waited patiently for his chance. He was sure that one would come eventually, and it did.

Though it definitely didn't have the outcome he'd hoped.

It had been about four months since Kihyun came into Hyunwoo’s life, and they’d fallen into a comfortable routine. Mornings started early, around five am or so. Hyunwoo would rise first, shower, and make a small breakfast for himself, or toss together some cereal and milk. Inevitably, Kihyun would not be too far behind. He didn’t eat, but always chose to nurse a glass of water and hang out at the table. Before letting Hyunwoo go, the nymph gave his caretaker a hug and perhaps a little kiss on the jaw.

The gym and work never changed, though the tasks and routines changed day-to-day. Hyunwoo still hung out with Hoseok at the weight rack and bench press, and his new job was satisfying. Occasionally, a tough day would come around, and that was particularly true one balmy Thursday in April. Calls kept flooding in right after another. Hyunwoo did his best to handle everything he could at once, but it was not always enough. Those kinds of shifts were draining, so understandably, he came home that evening exhausted.

Kihyun greeted him at the door as always, with a bright smile that lit up even the human’s worst of times. Hyunwoo accepted a welcome home hug and mussed the nymph’s hair fondly. Today, more than usual, he was aware of Kihyun’s hand in the small of his back, rubbing slowly. Determined to put that out of his mind, he chalked it up to stress.

Not that Hyunwoo hadn’t noticed the fae’s growing insistence on intimate touch. Honestly, it was hard to miss. At first, the contact was fleeting and occasional, but now, when they cuddled on the couch (often while watching a movie), Kihyun let his hands roam more. He’d drag his fingertips down Hyunwoo’s forearm, or draw patterns onto his inner thigh. Did that mean he was becoming more comfortable?

It never crossed the human's mind that Kihyun might be head over heels in love. Admittedly, he had always been a little slow to see things. Maybe if he’d noticed one more of Kihyun’s stares or blushes, he might have realized the truth earlier. Unfortunately, he didn’t and remained oblivious to the nymph’s feelings.

The rest of the night passed quickly. Hyunwoo had brought some work home with him, and that was a time eater. When that option presented itself, he always took it, however. It was nice to sprawl out on the couch in his pajamas and take his time finishing an email or brainstorming things for clients. His own home was a whole lot quieter than the constant bustle of the company offices. Potential distractions were fewer in number, too. Not to mention, there was also the fact that this was a perfect opportunity to let Kihyun snuggle him.

Around nine pm, the nymph started to yawn. His eyes would droop shut before abruptly, he’d jerk awake again. Hyunwoo gave a low chuckle at how adorable he was. “Looks like it’s bedtime for you, huh, little guy?”

Reluctant to leave his warm, comfy “pillow”, Kihyun grumbled and complained some, but didn’t argue. Setting down Hyunwoo’s cell phone (he often asked to use it when things were slow), he peeled himself away. From where Hyunwoo was sitting, he could see the entrance to what was formerly the guest bedroom, now Kihyun’s. The little plant spirit disappeared inside. There was the characteristic sound of fabric rustling as he changed into pajamas. Every once in a while, the human checked over his shoulder to see whether the light had turned off yet.

Soon, accompanied by a soft padding of footsteps, it did. That was the cue for him to lay aside his computer and the documents he had in his hand, take off his glasses, and make his way there. Kihyun was just settling down, burying his face in the pillow as always. He'd bunched the blankets up near his shoulders, which was also a normal occurrence. Carefully, Hyunwoo crept over and sat down on the side of the bed. “Goodnight, Kihyun-ah.”

“Goodnight, hyung.” The bright, sweet smile Hyunwoo got in return was everything. Kihyun looked so tiny as he snuggled in deeper. The human at his side seemed to be the object of his admiration. Reached out for his caretaker’s hand, he held it gently as his eyes fluttered shut. After only a few minutes, his breathing leveled out. No doubt, he was fast asleep and dreaming of whatever nymphs dreamed about. Once he also started to snore a little, Hyunwoo left as quietly as he could, shutting the door behind him.

Walking out of that room was the equivalent of being thrust into the fire after living in a haven, especially tonight. Giving a groan, he plopped down on the couch and settled his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He had to push rogue thoughts out of his head before diving right back in with fervor. If he didn’t, he might give in to the unwanted desire to go cuddle with Kihyun.

Time plodded on, or, rather, kept flying. A couple more correspondences and good thousand words of a report later, Hyunwoo glanced at the time and realized it was almost twelve-thirty in the morning. Eyes widening in surprise, he sat up straighter and flexed his aching shoulders. Better stop now, or else he might get reprimanded for working overtime. He was already pushing it this week, even having taken tomorrow off.

So, Hyunwoo logged out of the program keeping track of his hours and shut his work computer. As darkness engulfed him, he pondered going to bed, but in the end, decided against it. He wanted to watch a couple more episodes of a drama he’d been working through lately. Might as well, considering that he had nothing to do in the morning other than eventually meet Hoseok at the gym. They’d set a time for eight-thirty on their days off. The remote slid almost effortlessly into his hand. Flipping the television on, Hyunwoo clicked through a couple screens to get to his drama subscription service. So what if he was a sucker for sappy romance plots? If others weren’t, they wouldn’t exist. The volume was a little loud at first, so he turned it down and laid back. What would the couple on screen be up to this time around?

One episode had already come and gone, and another was only about ten minutes in when something not quite usual happened. A small sniffle came from behind, and Hyunwoo turned to see Kihyun standing there in the hallway. The little nymph was carrying a big, fuzzy blanket and wiping his eyes. Fresh tear tracks streaked down his face. A sleepy droop to his eyelids revealed that he was only half-awake.

“Kihyunnie? What’s wrong?” “Hadda bad nightmare,” the nymph sighed in reply, running one small hand through his hair. “Can I stay out here with you?”

Hyunwoo’s heart softened. “Alright,” he relented and patted the spot beside him, where Kihyun had been earlier. It seemed that the little plant spirit had other ideas, though. He broke into a tired smile and headed for the couch. However, instead of settling down in the expected place, he climbed up onto his caretaker’s open lap instead. Caught off-guard, Hyunwoo gave a tentative oh, but didn’t protest. Memories and sensations from their initial encounter instantly began flooding in. Kihyun’s knees squeezed the human's hips firmly but gently, and he nuzzled into a spot between Hyunwoo's neck and shoulder. This pressed their bodies flush; the two of them fit together so perfectly, it was almost criminal.

Sighing in contentment, Hyunwoo wrapped an arm around Kihyun’s waist. A gentle, melodic hum flowed forth from his lips, and before he knew it, he was combing his fingers through orange locks. The attentions seemed to work like a magical 'soothe Kihyun' charm. He began to calm down, hiccups growing less frequent and further apart.

The drama kept playing. Hyunwoo tried to pay attention but found it impossible with a small, cute boy drifting off in his arms. He managed to get most of the important plot points, however, even while his brain was overtaken by other things--mostly, how Kihyunnie was just as adorable as the day they had met. The nymph’s face wasn’t visible, but it was obvious that a peaceful smile was on his lips. Hyunwoo could feel their upward curve as they pressed into his neck. Gentle breaths tickled the sensitive skin there.

Then, all too soon, the credits were rolling. Subtle noises from Hyunwoo's shoulder revealed that Kihyun was fast asleep. Not wanting to wake him, the human tried to be as careful as he could, and reached out to press the power button on the TV remote. Darkness engulfed the room, and the only light left was from the streetlamps outside. Moving up to the front edge of the couch, Hyunwoo held the nymph tightly to himself and thought things through best he could in his exhausted state. Despite the fact that Kihyun was out cold, his grip hadn’t relaxed any at all; if anything, it had grown more secure. Hyunwoo doubted that he’d be able to loosen it without waking him up.

That was what, in the end, led to the decision to just take them both to the master bedroom. The extra presence wouldn’t keep Hyunwoo from falling asleep, after all. More importantly, though, it might mean that Kihyunnie wouldn't have more nightmares. If he did, knowing his caretaker was nearby might comfort him, too.

So, Hyunwoo got up slowly, trying to be as quiet and steady as he could. The weight of his passenger felt like nothing, and it wasn't long before he settled himself down on the edge of his bed. Not for the first time, the human found himself glad that he was already in pajamas. Changing would be next to impossible at this point, and Hyunwoo hated sleeping in his clothes. Pulling back the covers, he turned and laid down as carefully as possible. It took a few moments and readjustments, but soon he found a comfortable position, and only then did he finally allow himself to relax.

Then, all at once, Kihyun pervaded Hyunwoo's mind. The nymph’s orange hair fanned out perfectly across the pillow. He seemed as serene and happy as he had been in the living room. The gentle moonlight that filtered in through the sheer white curtains seemed to touch him fondly. His sharp jaw, long, delicate eyelashes, and pronounced cupid’s bow should be familiar, but Hyunwoo could swear that he was seeing them for the first time in this moment. He looks so beautiful, flashed through the human’s head before he could stop it. Maybe it was only how a result of how tired he was or a trick of the night’s strange magic, but he found himself unable to stop himself from reaching up to softly brush the smooth skin of Kihyun’s cheek. In response, the nymph stirred, gave a tiny, adorable yawn, and, if it was even possible, snuggled closer.

The added body heat was making it hard for Hyunwoo to keep his eyes open, which was frustrating because he wanted to watch Kihyun more. Yet, he knew that if he did, it might lead his already-dangerous wandering mind into territory he didn’t want to go.

So, taking one last moment to rub Kihyun’s shoulder blade in small circles, he allowed sleep to claim him at last.

The next morning, Hyunwoo awoke to an unfamiliar sensation--something ghosting across his face. It took him a moment to realize what it was, but the instant it hit, the gears of his mind ground to a halt.

What the hell? Someone was kissing him. Not deeply or sloppily; just fleetingly, brief presses of soft lips to his. Some were slower and longer than others. It crossed his mind that this was a wet dream; however, that was quickly proven incorrect. When his eyelids fluttered open, Kihyun was lying there next to him, inches away. Memories slowly but surely returned of the late night before. Fleetingly, Hyunwoo also remembered the pangs of...whatever that emotion had been, the one that had struck him as he'd watched the little nymph sleep. Now, it seemed that it was Kihyun's turn to admire him. The other's gaze was so tender and fond. He wore a radiant smile, and red blush tinged his cheeks. He combed his small fingers through the human’s hair, too.

“Good morning, my handsome Hyunwoo,” Kihyun murmured softly before his smile faltered. Awe replaced some of the joy in his eyes. “I--I can’t believe--oh, this is so much better than I ever dreamed it would be.”

Hyunwoo gave half-awake groan in response and rolled over onto his back. Judging from the light in the room, it was--what, seven? In any case, also far too early in the morning to be conscious. “Huh--ugh, what’re you talking about, Kihyun?”

“Waking up next to you.” The grip on Hyunwoo’s waist tightened a bit, and the nymph moved closer again, nuzzling into his caretaker’s side. “I’ve dreamed about this for so long, you have no idea.”

Then and there, in that moment, it all made sense. The realization of what every one of Kihyun's gestures, words, and touches truly meant became clear. Hyunwoo felt like a freight train had rammed into him at full speed. He froze and glanced down at the orange-haired nymph, but suddenly couldn’t get words out.

Grinning and giggling a bit at Hyunwoo’s struck expression, Kihyun pushed himself up, then over, and straddled his hyung’s hips. “I guess what I really wanna say is that I love you so much, it hurts sometimes. I’ve been waiting so long for this opportunity to tell you.”

Hyunwoo couldn't breathe; the air was gone from his lungs. “Wait, what?”

“Was that not plain enough?” Now it was Kihyun who sounded surprised. “I...I didn’t think I could be any clearer. Hyunwoo-hyung, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re sweet and kind and funny, and when you smile, my heart beats out of my chest.”

“Kihyun--I...I don’t know what to say--”

“You don’t have to because I know. That’s what I love about you--that you care so much, and always have. You nurtured me and made sure my needs were met. Now, let me return the favor.” Leaning down, Kihyun left a trail of kisses across Hyunwoo’s jaw, then down his neck, and nipped gently at an exposed collarbone. Meanwhile, his soft, small hands started unbuttoning the human’s pajama top, too.

The attention sent a full-bodied shiver straight through Hyunwoo. “N--no, no. Stop. Please.” With more strength than he’d intended, he shoved the nymph off and sat up. His head spun with the sudden movement, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off of Kihyun. “I’m really sorry, but I--I can’t. Look, I can’t deny that I care for you, but not...like that, ok? I have no intentions of cultivating anything romantic.”

Kihyun landed unhurt on the other side of the bed, but his eyes betrayed that he had a new wound on his heart. An utterly broken expression crossed his face as his eyes filled with tears. It could crush the toughest of men. ”What, no! You’re messing with me. Please tell me you are! I was so sure--so sure that you liked me. Are you saying that you--you don’t...?”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened, and he reached out to set a comforting hand on the nymph’s shoulder. “I do! I really do. I really enjoy your company and I’m so proud of how much you’ve grown. I tell you that every chance I get, don’t I? It’s just--you want a relationship, but if we had one, I couldn't return your feelings. That’s really unfair, ya know?”

“But--but I love you. This is all I’ve ever wanted, to make you happy, to start every morning with you and give you the kisses and affection you deserve. To welcome you home with more when you get back from work.” Tears started to slide down Kihyun’s face, and he wiped them away with the hem of the oversized tee he was wearing. As he went on, his voice got quieter, and his gaze lingered on Hyunwoo’s partially-exposed chest and body. “I adore every single inch of you, and I want to let you know that. You deserve to feel good, like in those videos you watch. I watch them, too, and I always imagine it’s me and you. I wanna give you all of me. My entire heart, body, and soul.” Then, dropping his gaze to his fidgeting hands, almost so quietly it was inaudible, he added, “I...I want the privilege of carrying your children.”

“What the?” Now Hyunwoo was just confused and in shock. “Literally…?” Kihyun gave a tiny nod. “...How?”

“You needed a companion, so I presented as a male, but truthfully, I don’t have a specific gender. I can get pregnant.”

“Whoa.”

“So...you...really don’t react to me?” Crawling up into Hyunwoo’s lap again, Kihyun leaned forward to gently peck his caretaker’s forehead. “Not that?”

“No, Kihyun, I don’t.”

Then plump, red lips were on his again, and the nymph left a long, sweet kiss. He even was brave enough to let his tongue shyly test the waters, brushing against the bottom of Hyunwoo’s pout. The hope in his expression when he pulled away was almost saddening. “Yes? No?”

“I’m sorry, Kihyun, but no.”

Next, he tried suckling at a sensitive spot on Hyunwoo’s neck, and pushing up the human’s pajama shirt a little, gently took hold of his love handles. “Not even that?”

“No.”

Kihyun bit his lip, frustrated, and collapsed inward on himself just a tiny bit. The light in his eyes revealed that he had resigned himself to something. Then, the nymph sighed and slid down his caretaker’s body. It was immediately clear where he was intending to go, and it made Hyunwoo shiver. “Well, then...how about this?” Gently, Kihyun placed a kiss on his crotch.

The tired, rogue mind that had plagued Hyunwoo the night before returned. For a moment, it sent him images of them pressed together without clothes in the way. Kihyun was on top, riding his cock, so close to falling apart; eyes full of lust and adoration, whimpers falling from his lips. The thought of the little nymph so beautiful and blissed-out sent an unexpected jolt of electricity right to Hyunwoo’s dick, and it twitched in response.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Kihyun’s face was glowing again. Carefully, he stroked the hardening member through the cotton fabric. “Please, let me help you. Can I?”

Shaking with confusion and conviction, Hyunwoo reached forward to grab Kihyun’s wrists. “For the last time, no. Any touch down there is gonna make me react that way. Yeah, we could have sex, but again, if my heart’s not in it, that’s unfair to you. You’re like…a son to me, alright? And it’s wrong and unhealthy for a father and his child to be together like that.”

Yet, a whisper tickled at the back of his brain. Stop making excuses, you fucking idiot! That’s all this is. You know better than to lie to him about how you really feel--

He ignored it. “I--I’ve gotta go get ready to go to the gym.” he took a quick glance over, and regretted that decision instantly. Kihyun had curled into himself, and though he was trying to hide, it was obvious that he was bawling. Tiny hiccups and sobs gave it away. Sighing, Hyunwoo reached out again to put a hand on the nymph's knee. “Look, let me think things through, and we can talk about this later, ok? We’ll figure something out. I...don’t love you the way you love me, but...I probably could. It just will take more time.”

Kihyun didn’t say anything in response, not even raising a finger in acknowledgment, but Hyunwoo assumed he had heard. The human climbed out of bed, stretching side to side a bit before heading off to the bathroom to take a long, cold shower.

He needed it very badly.

Later, when Hyunwoo got back from the gym, Kihyun was gone. However, the plant’s trunk had closed up, and that was a major clue. The nymph had once mentioned that if he was to be badly hurt, he’d return to that solitude, so that’s where he had to be. Guilt pricked at the human’s heart that the morning’s events had caused this. All he could do, though, was resume his routine of touching the gray bark. When before, he just wanted to express his gratitude and appreciation to the flora he had raised, now he was begging the small, cute being inside for forgiveness.

Hyunwoo was struggling with the toughest internal dilemma of his life, and it was on his mind constantly that day. The more he tried to get it out, the more he confronted the small voice he had silenced. For the most part, it always led him to one question and one question only:

“How do you know when you love someone?”

Glancing up from his cocktail, Chae Hyungwon raised an eyebrow and quipped, “I wondered if there was something on your mind.”

“And what might have given you that idea?”“You’ve been quiet. Even more than normal for you, the most stoic man I know.”

Sighing, Hyunwoo put his beer up to his lips and took a swig. Yeah, now that he thought about it, the conversation had been slow tonight. Honestly, though, he’d been so distracted, it was a miracle he’d even been able to hold one in the first place. Now the real reason he had called Hyungwon earlier to ask about a night out was in the open, and he couldn’t take it back. “Really, though, how do you know for sure when you love someone? I--I ask because I know that you and Changkyun are pretty established. When I think of couples in love, you guys are it.”

The younger man’s gaze had gone to his drink and how he lazily swirled it around with his stirrer. Finally, after a beat of silence, a grin spread across his face. Seconds later, he was chuckling, then laughing hard, crackling snickers that he covered up with the palm of his hand. His cheeks pushed cutely up into his eyes.

“...What?”

“Is this related to how you won’t let me in your house anymore?”

“Um--No?”

“Does Son Hyunwoo have a secret mistress?” The tall, slender stockbroker wiggled his eyebrows and gave him a coy smile. When Hyunwoo just stared back in annoyance, he stuck up a hand. “Hey, or boy toy, I’m the last person who should be judging--”

“I’m--I’m not seeing anyone, Hyungwon, I just--ugh, someone was curious.” Internally, Hyunwoo cringed at the bad (and probably obvious) lie. He should have just said it outright: I might be considering it, though. “Asking for a friend.”

“Huh, yeah, right.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes but it was clear that he’d relented. He turned more toward Hyunwoo, his long legs allowing him to easily swivel on the barstool. “How do you know if you’re in love? Well, it’s...kinda hard to explain, I guess? You have to experience it yourself to really know since it’s different for everyone. But I can kind of tell how it is for me, and maybe, your person can pick out--common elements? Anyways.” Hyungwon waved a hand and took a short sip of his drink. “Changkyun is everything to me. It’s the best feeling in the world to know that he’s mine. After a long day of work, even if I have nobody, I have him. No matter how tired he is, he’s waiting for me with a smile and a kiss and a ‘what do we want for dinner tonight?’. He makes our house a home. It just feels so right, and I never want to let him go.

“There’s no one else for me on the entire planet, you know? The thought of him seeing another person is painful. Call me selfish, but I don’t regret it in the least. If I’m planning on going out somewhere, like with you tonight, he fusses over me, making sure I’m fed before I go to the bar, that I have a ride home, that I’m dressed well. I care for him so much, I know that I’d do the same thing if he ever went out with his friends, but he’s an introvert loser.” Hyungwon laughed again, and a sly smile slipped onto his face. “At the same time, perhaps it’s good that he doesn’t. The last time he tried--that’s just it. He tried, and never made it to the door because he looked so damn beautiful, and I couldn’t help myself. We ended up fucking on the couch, and again in the shower, and--”

“--Hyungwon--”

“--right, that was too much information. But I know we have a love thing and not a lust thing because more often than not, I just want to cuddle twenty-four seven. We snuggle a lot, and it fills me to the brim with warmth when I’m spooning him and he slowly traces the veins in my arm.

“Leaving our bed in the mornings is so hard. He goes to work half an hour after I do, but you know me. He’s usually already up and around by the time I drag myself out. The best days, though, are the ones when neither of us has anywhere to be, and he wakes me up with kisses and a hand in my hair. I live for those little moments. It’s not like he doesn’t always show me that he loves me, but it’s when I least expect the affection that it makes the most difference. I could go on, but does that answer your question, Hyunwoo-hyung?”

“Y--yeah. It does. Thanks.” Hyunwoo’s cheeks burned as it became clear that he’d been fooling himself. Everything Hyungwon had said resounded in his head and heart. Especially, the line about how Changkyun made a house into a home. That was exactly what Kihyunnie had come to mean to him. No wonder Hyunwoo always was so eager to get home after work, knowing the nymph was there waiting, felt willing to tell him anything and everything, and cared for any needs his guest might have. All the random urges to initiate snuggling, cuddling, and spooning, as well as that morning’s sexual fantasy, weren't just perverted thoughts. No, they were so much more. Before, he didn’t want to believe it. Hell, how had he been so blind?

Thankfully, Hyungwon didn’t seem to notice the sudden shift in mood and tipped his head back to finish the bit of cocktail left in his glass. Hyunwoo glanced down into his bottle, almost by instinct; but he had hit the bottom long ago. The younger must have noticed because he nodded toward where it was sitting on the counter. “How about another round, huh?”

Hyunwoo was about to say yes; he would have, gladly. However, a strange feeling crept into his gut, one he had never experienced before. Gloom and dread descended on his conscience, and everything in him screamed that something was very wrong. He suddenly needed to be out of here, on his way back to Kihyun as fast as possible--

“No, thanks. Actually, I better go, I still have some at-home work to do and an early morning tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Hyungwon grinned, turning to the bartender and paying both of their tabs. Though Hyunwoo had protested this little routine at first, the younger man always brushed it off as nothing. I’m a stockbroker, for heaven’s sake. Let me splurge sometimes, huh? “Take care, hyung. Also, I hope that whoever needed that advice finds what they’re looking for.”

It took a Herculean effort for Hyunwoo to swallow the bullfrog stuck in his throat.

He practically ran home, and the terrible feeling grew with every step. It felt like an eternity, but probably was closer to five minutes, before he was crashing through the door of his house and desperately calling, “Kihyunnie, Kihyunnie, where are you--”

No sooner had he said the nymph’s name that his gaze came to rest on a terrible sight. There on the floor of the entryway, in a pile of dirt, red terracotta, and fading green leaves was his Kihyunnie, motionless and unresponsive. In only a few more seconds, Hyunwoo realized what had happened.

See, in the nymph’s hand was a sharp sushi knife--the very same one Hyunwoo had almost used in self-defense the night they’d met. Also nearby, on its side, was Kihyun’s plant. There were huge gashes in the wood, and for every one of those, a bleeding cut existed on its guardian’s body. “Hurt the tree, hurt me,” Kihyun had once said. Now, he’d used that knowledge against himself, practically to commit suicide.

Hyunwoo heard himself screaming, but he wasn’t sure if it was real or not; everything was too much for him to handle. He ran to Kihyun’s side and fell to his knees, his pant legs and shoes getting soaked with sticky red blood in the process. Carefully, but with trembling hands, he lifted the nymph’s limp body into his arms and brushed his orange locks out of his eyes.

“H--Hyunwoo…”

“Ssh, ssh, I’m here.” Tears flowed unfettered down Hyunwoo’s face. “Oh my God, Kihyun, oh my fucking--God--why? Why'd you--?”

“I--I’m sorry. I was--ugh, so, so angry…” The nymph broke into a sad smile, but it only lasted a moment; he coughed and cried out in pain. “I wasn’t in my right mind, shoulda realized sooner that anything with you, reciprocated or not, is better than this.”

“No, I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna fix this, I’ve gotta fix this--”

A familiar hand caressed the human's cheek, and Kihyun pulled Hyunwoo’s gaze back to him. It was clear that the little nymph was fading fast. His skin was turning rapidly grayer, and his eyes drooped shut. He kept steady for as long as it could, but his strength didn’t last much longer. “Stop, don’t bother, hyung. There’s no hope for me. I’m s--sorry, this is my--my fault.”

“P--please, stay with me...Kihyun-ah...I--”

Hyunwoo never got to finish; it was too late. There, in his arms, the little plant spirit passed away. Though he didn’t want to believe it at first, some part of him realized that truth, and his heart shattered irreparably.

“--I love you…”

Despite his deep and utter grief, Hyunwoo made himself do what was necessary. He chopped the sprawling limbs off of Kihyun’s plant and wrapped his body in the hollow trunk. The corpse’s skin had turned to bark, so it probably would decompose in the same way as its vessel. Then, he buried everything in a shallow grave in the backyard. Hyunwoo wished he could do better; however, he didn’t have a clue how. Laying the little plant spirit to rest and letting nature take its course was all he had. Somehow, it seemed fitting. Kihyun had come from the Earth, and he seemed destined to return.

Hoping to return to some semblance of normal, Hyunwoo went to work the next day. Even there, he felt sullen and unmotivated, though. Necessary tasks got done, but when he’d try to do anything else, it felt slow and meaningless. Still, he didn’t realize exactly how bad it was until Seyoung summoned him to his office and urged the younger man to go home. He even granted him permission to take the rest of the week off. Hyunwoo was too sad and defeated to argue, so he gave in and did.

The hours he spent alone and away from the marketing company dragged, and yet passed too quickly. He didn’t feel any better afterward, but still threw himself back into the responsibilities his employment brought.

It would turn out that the phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ was somewhat true, but moving on was harder than waiting for the pain to pass. Hyunwoo missed his Kihyunnie. Everything in his house reminded him of the nymph, so coming home after a nine to five was torture. He could barely sit on the couch and watch television without feeling a ghost of a small body snuggled into his side. His bed was lonely and cold, and there were some nights he couldn’t even sleep because his heart physically hurt. Last, but definitely not least, the whole house felt empty without the plant’s vines spread throughout and the subtle, pleasant scent of its little flowers. So extensive and devastating was his sadness that he even stopped taking care of his other rescued plants. Slowly, they began to turn brown and brittle.

Seasons passed, and Hyunwoo still felt like a dead man walking. Sometimes, he wondered if he’d ever be able to get back to normal. There were whispers that he’d lost his passion, and Hyungwon was even worried sick, as Hyunwoo never wanted to go out anymore or see anyone. The older man isolated himself from the world. Everywhere he turned, the world looked bleak. His life meant nothing without Kihyun by his side.

Finally, when the last snows melted away and the first baby birds of Spring hatched out of their eggs, Hyunwoo decided that it was about time to stop moping and get his life together again. That would require him to do hard things, but he was ready. Starting with the mess that had accumulated around the house over the past few months, he cleaned everything and anything that was dirty. Every spot of dust he wiped away made him feel better. Every once in a while, it'd become hard for a while when he’d find a withered flower petal or leaf.

The singular thing he dreaded the most was the windowsill and what was once his collection of flora. Every single one of them was dead, as his neglect starved them for water. It was tough, but that didn’t stop him from facing the task, though. Hyunwoo had no choice but to get rid of them as well.

Disturbing the spot where Kihyun lay was unthinkable. So, Hyunwoo cleared a patch of earth on the other side of the sidewalk, dug a few holes, and dumped the plants there, potting soil and all, one by one. Hyunwoo was physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted from the work, and also the pain of his swirling thoughts, by the time it was over. As unwelcoming as the couch still was, a nap on it sounded fantastic.

However, then, for some unknown reason, Hyunwoo glanced toward the side of the yard he had been trying to avoid. Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps fate, because one tiny, almost unnoticeable detail drew his eye.

Amongst the green grass that was sprouting in the area was a familiar sight: three tiny, slender shoots, arranged in a triangle and each topped with a ㄱ leaf.

The realization stopped him his tracks, and his vision became blurry as his eyes filled with tears. Was it true, or was he just seeing things? His shovel clattered to the sidewalk, and he ran over, dropping to his knees next to the small plant. Pushing away the grass around it, he touched one stem with his finger and sucked in a stunned breath. No, this wasn’t a dream. Kihyun’s plant was once again growing out of the soil.

Hyunwoo’s mind whirled as he went inside to grab a tiny terracotta pot and its makeshift saucer. What did this mean? Could Kihyun live again? Even if not, Hyunwoo would try with all his might to make it so. The thought lifted a burden from his heart, even if he took the possibility that Kihyun might be dead and gone into consideration.

For the first time since losing the one he loved, Hyunwoo had hope again.

He prayed that this was his second chance.

#Monsta X #Monsta X scenario #Monsta X imagine #Monsta X fanfiction #Showki #Showki fluff #Showki angst #Son Hyunwoo #Shownu #Monsta X Shownu #Yoo Kihyun #Kihyun #Monsta X Kihyun #tw:major character death

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