Chapter Text
[Yongbokie]
We’ll pick you up in 10~
Jisung sets his phone aside to put on his leather jacket and take a last look in the mirror. He’s quite satisfied with his looks today. His blonde hair is slicked back and a hint of dark eyeshadow and eyeliner give his eyes the extra intensity they needed.
It’s been a while since he went out with his friends. Ever since Jisung started working as a singer in bars and clubs, his evenings have been busy with work and on his days off he usually prefers to stay home and not leave his bed as little as possible. But a few days ago, Yongbok came to see him at one of the clubs he works for and convinced him with those doe eyes of his to join him and Hyunjin for their night out this weekend.
The club they will go to is one of his favourites. It’s not too big, the music is good and the drinks are not too expensive either. But more than anything, he appreciates that they hired him even though he was an unknown artist with no proper musical education.
He takes his wallet and phone and heads downstairs to meet his friends.
Hyunjin’s car pulls over a moment later and Jisung quickly jumps in. “Sexy, free, and single, I’m ready to mingle!”
“When are you ever ready to mingle?” Hyunjin asks, clearly amused.
Jisung feigns taking offence, “Excuse you? Why would you attack me with the truth, baby?”
“Hello to you, too,” Yongbok says from the passenger seat.
“Yongbokkie!” Jisung leans forward between the front seats and puckers his lips, but promptly gets pushed back by Hyunjin.
“Lips off my boyfriend.”
Jisung leans back and pouts. “Possessive much.”
They all laugh at their usual banter and proceed to drive to the club.
Jisung is glad to have found friends like them. He has always had trouble making friends. He is an introvert and can hardly make conversation with people he doesn’t know, especially not in an environment like classes or clubs, where a lot of people gather.
He had met Yongbok when he was getting ready to perform at a bar. Yongbok was the first customer that night and Jisung saw him struggling to order a drink. Yongbok had just moved from Australia to study at a university in Korea, so he hadn’t fully mastered the language yet. Jisung felt so bad for him back then. He was clearly trying his best, but the bartender still didn't understand him, so he couldn’t stop himself and chipped in, offered his help in moderate English, and the rest is history. They clicked right away and quickly grew to be close friends.
Hyunjin joined the duo a little later, and to be exact, a little out of nowhere. Yongbok had introduced him as his boyfriend one day, and truth be told, Jisung was a little confused because Yongbok never mentioned being in love with someone up to that point. Jisung had a feeling that Hyunjin didn’t like him all that much at first, but in the end Hyunjin quickly warmed up to him and they became friends as well.
Now, these two are like family to him.
Once they arrive at the club, they skip the drinks and head straight to the dance floor. It’s a bit unfair at how fucking ethereal Hyunjin looks when he dances, or breathes really. Whether he is fooling around, or dancing earnestly, his movements look way too smooth, his expressions way too mesmerising. Jisung is already used to the jealous stares they get whenever the couple gets a little too touchy and people realise they don’t stand a chance with Hyunjin.
Even though the couple tends to get lost in their – what Jisung likes to call it – mating dance, they never fail to include him and make sure he doesn’t feel left out.
After dancing for a while, they decide it’s time for a drink and sit down at the bar. Hyunjin excuses himself for a moment and heads towards the back of the room where the restrooms are located.
“I’m just waiting for someone to holler for you two to get a room. It’s gonna happen one day,” Jisung jokes as they wait for their drinks, earning himself a playful hit.
“Shut up. We’re not that bad.”
“Yeah, no. You’re right. I could just literally cut the tension between you two back there, but it wasn’t that bad.”
Yongbok’s cheeks visibly heat up at his words. “You’re just jealous.”
“Maybe a little,” Jisung admits with a laugh, the bartender handing them their drinks as they speak.
“It’s time that you also find a boyfriend so we can go on double dates,” Yongbok says before having a sip from his drink, looking way too cute with his big eyes and the straw between his pink lips.
Jisung snorts. “I’ll let you know when boyfriend material drops from the sky for me ‘cause unless this happens, it won’t happen anytime soon.”
Jisung takes a sip from his own drink as well and the second the liquid touches his tongue, Jisung is hit with an unknown, delicious flavour.
He has ordered this drink plenty of times, but he can’t remember it tasting anything like this before. He can’t exactly pinpoint the new flavour, but it’s definitely addicting . He’s unable to stop himself and finishes the drink in one go, absentmindedly staring at the empty glass afterwards.
Yongbok whistles, impressed. “Wow, you must’ve been pretty thirsty.”
Jisung blinks, still a little stunned. “No, listen. This was so good? I just couldn’t stop?”
He wants to ask the bartender what the new ingredient he’s used for the drink, but to his surprise, he is nowhere in sight.
Weird, they usually don’t leave the bar unattended.
“Really? That good, huh? I think you need to leave your apartment more, y’know, touch some grass, drink something other than iced americano,” Yongbok teases in amusement.
“Hey, I’m serious! When the bartender returns I'll order another one and you can try it for yoursel–” Jisung clears his throat, “yourself.”
“Alright, alright. Do that.”
“Hyunjin is taking quite a while,” Jisung remarks, voice feeling a little rough.
It must be audible, because Yongbok looks at him in surprise. “You good?”
“Yeah, must’ve had a lump in my throat or something.”
Jisung may say that he is fine, but he is not entirely sure about that. Not only does his throat constrict, his heart is beating faster with every passing second. On top of that, a feeling of pressure slowly spreads from the middle of his chest all over.
Subconsciously, he brings up his hand and starts rubbing the spot that hurts the most.
“Are you sure everything is fine?” Yongbok sets his drink aside, the former playfulness replaced with growing concern.
“I don’t know,” Jisung answers honestly. “I’m feeling weird. It’s a bit hard to breathe.”
This quickly turns out to be a real understatement, because shortly after, he feels like he is suffocating. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?
“I think I need some fresh air,” Jisung says and gets up from his seat, his limbs feeling strengthless.
Yongbok doesn’t hesitate to get up as well, immediately wrapping an arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Careful. I’ll go with you.”
“No, it’s f-fine. Wait for Hyunjin. I'll be back in a minute.”
“Bullshit. C’mon, let’s go.”
Jisung doesn’t have the energy to argue, and truth be told, he’s not sure if he would have made it out of the club on his own either. With every passing second, the pain in his chest grows from a quiet simmer, to a flaring pang, making him wince involuntarily.
It feels like an eternity has passed when they finally manage to make it outside.
Yongbok helps him to lean against a wall, but keeps his arm wrapped around him just in case. “Jisung-ah, we should call for an ambulance, what if you’re having a heart attack?”
Maybe Yongbok is right. He has never felt anything like this before.
He doesn’t want to ruin their evening, but it is probably too late for that already, so Jisung manages to nod, trying to focus on breathing evenly.
He feels Yongbok shuffling next to him, probably to take out his phone, but then he abruptly stops. Jisung turns his head to look at his friend and sees that Yongbok is staring at something ahead of them. He follows his gaze and sees someone in the distance approaching them, but his vision is already a little blurry though, so he can’t make out who it is.
“Who are you?” Jisung hears Yongbok ask, but his voice is a little muffled, almost as if Jisung is wearing noise cancelling headphones.
He tries his best to focus on the figure in front of them, but no matter how hard he tries, Jisung can’t see the person properly.
“Don’t come closer!” Yongbok yells, but Jisung can hardly decipher the words now, his voice getting drowned out by the loud pounding of his heartbeat.
Yongbok’s body shifts next to him. He’s almost completely standing between him and the other person now and Jisung wants to ask what’s wrong, but his mouth just won’t form any words, all energy having left his body at this point.
He is hardly keeping his eyes open when the other person is finally close enough for him to see more than a blurred mix of colours. But, his eyes must be playing a trick on him. The only thing that Jisung can focus on are the red, pain stricken, eyes staring straight at him. He sees a hand reaching out towards him, and moments later, fingers graze his shoulder that isn't being supported by Yongbok.
At the touch, everything comes to a halt. The unbearable pain leaving his body at once.
And then everything turns black.
When Jisung wakes up, his entire body aches. It feels like liquid fire is running through his veins, burning him up from the inside. The pressure on his chest is still there, but it’s not as bad as before. Instead, it feels like chains are wrapped around his heart, pulling a little harder with every passing second.
Jisung forces his eyes open, blinking several times to clear his vision.
“Jisung-ah!”
He hears Yongbok before he sees him, feels him grab his hand before he can utter a reply.
“Are you okay?”
Jisung looks at his best friend, and his heart aches even more. Yongbok looks so utterly broken with tears in his eyes and wobbling lips, barely keeping himself together.
He must look as bad as he feels for Yongbok to be so miserable.
“I think a truck ran over me, but aside from that, I’m good,” Jisung jokes to lighten the mood, reaching out with his free hand to ruffle Yongbok’s hair.
“I can’t believe that you’re joking in this situation,” Yongbok scoffs softly, the corner of his lips betraying him and lifting into a smile ever so slightly.
“Sorry,” Jisung mumbles in a whisper. “What happened?”
He attempts to sit up on his own, but his body hurts so bad that it’s impossible for him to gather the strength to do so. However, Yongbok is quick to wrap his arm around Jisung’s shoulders to pull him up. He can’t help the groan escaping his lips as he does, but he is thankful for the help.
Jisung takes the chance to let his eyes wander for a moment. He realises that they are back at his friends’ apartment. Hyunjin is standing a few steps away from them, leaning against the wall, and to Jisung’s surprise, there is another man with them, sitting at the end of the bed, and wait, is this guy touching his leg?
Confused, Jisung slowly withdraws his leg from the man’s touch. The moment that he does, a sharp pain wrecks through his chest, making him wince.
“Do you remember what happened?” Yongbok asks cautiously, not leaving his side.
Jisung averts his gaze from the stranger to look at his friend. “Mhm. We were at the club and I suddenly got this heartache. I think we went out for some fresh air, but then I can’t remember what happened.”
“You collapsed, so we brought you back to our apartment.”
Ah, right. He remembers now.
Yongbok is rubbing soothing circles into his shoulders as he speaks, and Jisung is thankful for the gesture as it provides him some comfort, despite the pain growing stronger as they speak.
He unconsciously starts rubbing the part of his chest where his heart is located in an attempt to ease some of the pain.
“If I'm completely honest, I feel like shit. The pain is not getting any better. I think we should head to the hospital,” Jisung admits.
“Jisung, you see…”
Jisung looks at his friend in confusion. What’s up with that reaction? Hyunjin is also avoiding his gaze, staring at the floor instead, and then there is this stranger whose eyes have never left him since he woke up.
Their reaction makes Jisung nervous, no, it terrifies him even. “What? Am I dying?”
“No! We won’t let you die,” Yongbok rushes, the grip on his shoulder getting a little tighter.
“What is going on?” Jisung demands to know. “You make it sound like I could be dying here any minute. Why can’t we go to the hospital? And who is this? Just…tell me what’s going on here, please.”
Yongbok swallows visibly. It seems like the words don’t come to him easily.
“Yongbok-ah,” Hyunjin chips in, but Yongbok quickly shakes his hand and motions him not to butt in. It seems like it’s something his best friend would rather tell him himself. Fuck, what if he is really dying?
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but please listen to me till the end and try to accept what I’m saying with an open mind, okay?”
This confuses him and makes Jisung even more anxious than he already is, but he nods.
“I know it sounds unbelievable, but you…” Yongbok trails off for a moment before he continues to speak. “You formed a bond with a demon.”
Eh?
“It was done in an unnatural and very hazardous way.”
A bond…
“And because of that, your body is fighting it more than it’s supposed to.”
…with a demon.
“ That’s what is causing you pain. So no doctor and no medicine can help to ease your pain right now.”
What the hell is he saying?
Jisung’s eyes dart around the room looking at the others’ reactions. However, none of them seems to be reacting to the things that Yongbok is saying, as if they all knew about it already, like it isn’t complete nonsense.
“This is Lee Minho, the one you formed the bond with,” Yongbok finishes his explanation.
And then there is silence.
No one dares to speak, waiting for Jisung's reaction.
Jisung, however, is just staring at his friend in disbelief.
“Are you high?” He eventually asks, sounding a little concerned even.
This is ridiculous.
He formed a bond with a demon?
A demon?!
What the fuck is Yongbok even saying?
It’s Hyunjin who speaks up this time. “I know it sounds crazy, but every word he said is true.”
Jisung feels his heart speed up, which is not helping with the pain. “Okay, let’s assume that what Yongbok said is true. How would you know?”
“I’m a demon myself so I know how this stuff works. That’s how.”
What?
This statement renders Jisung speechless.
The silence seems to last an eternity.
He tries to find hints of them playing a prank on him, but they all look serious, and if anything, worried. There are no traces of playfulness on their faces.
“Jisu– ,” Yongbok starts, but gets interrupted by the stranger, Minho .
“I’ll prove it to you.”
Jisung turns his head to look at the other. Minho’s expression doesn’t give away anything, he looks rather cold even, but his voice is surprisingly warm.
“We’re connected through the bond, right? When I touch you, the bond will react to it and ease your pain,” he explains. “I will touch your wrist now, okay?”
Jisung hesitates for a moment, but then nods and even extends his arm towards the ‘ demon’ .
Minho reaches out and gently wraps his fingers around Jisung’s wrist.
His body responds immediately. The flaring ache is suddenly subdued, turning from a sharp sting and constant burn and into a bearable uncomfortableness, the painful tension in his muscles easing, causing him to gasp involuntarily.
He can’t believe this.
Minho’s eyes don't leave him for even a second, intensely studying his reaction.
Then, he slowly withdraws his hand and even gets up from the bed to distance himself even further.
Jisung’s body reacts just as fast as before, the pain flaring up again, but ten times worse, his throat constricts so bad that he gasps for air, and it feels like someone has just stabbed his heart with a knife.
“That’s enough. Don’t overdo it. You’re hurting him!” Yongbok exclaims in worry of his friend.
Minho sits down on the bed again, looking at Jisung for a moment, as if asking for permission, before he puts his hand back on Jisung’s leg, and grumbles, “do you think I’m doing this for fun?”
“This is not the right time to fight,” Hyunjin butts in.
Jisung can’t deny that his body is strongly reacting to this guy that he barely knows. As much as he would rather laugh about the dumb, well executed, prank, he’s starting to believe that what they are saying is the truth, as absurd as it sounds.
But, knowing the truth doesn’t exactly calm him down, it just overwhelms him even more.
So…what? Demons really exist? And he has formed a bond with one? What does that even mean? Did he unknowingly sell his soul like in the movies? Will he die?
Also , what does Hyunjin mean he is a demon? Seeing how calm Yongbok is about the entire thing, he must have known as well, and they’ve kept Jisung in the dark this entire time.
He doesn’t know what hurts more, that fact, or the pain the bond causes.
“Are you guys bonded, too?” Jisung asks eventually, unable to look at his friends.
Yongbok hums, barely above a whisper.
Jisung scoffs, but lets the matter rest for now. He meets Minho’s gaze again. “Why are we bonded? Why me?”
Jisung feels Yongbok’s grip on his tighten a little, as if he is trying to get his attention, but Jisung ignores him for now. He is too overwhelmed to deal with the emotional turmoil, and he still needs to come to terms with the whole ‘demons exist and I’m bonded to one’ thing.
“I’d also like to know,” Minho mumbles, more to himself than anyone else. “It’s true that demons usually choose their mate, but I didn’t.”
“I got attacked. Someone must have stolen a part of my soul and fed it to you,” he elaborates further.
“A part of your soul?” This is getting crazier with every new detail. So, souls can be seen and even get eaten? Jisung can hardly imagine how a soul is supposed to look, or even taste like.
“Mhm, that’s how we mate. You share a part of your soul with the other person,” Minho explains.
Jisung touches his chest in a daze, this time not because of the pain, but the knowledge that there is actually a part of someone else’s soul in his body.
That’s when he suddenly remembers. “Wait, you said someone fed it to me? Could it have been in a drink?”
Minho cocks his head lightly, as if in thought. “Yeah, that’s possible.”
That explains a lot. That’s probably why the drink tasted different. Jisung couldn’t really see anything in it, though.
The thought makes him feel a little sick.
“This sounds like someone purposely fed it to me,” Jisung utters.
“I don’t know,” Minho says honestly. “Maybe you were chosen randomly. Their main target was definitely me, so don’t worry about that part too much.”
At this point, Jisung isn’t sure what he would prefer - to be the target of the attack, or to be the random lucky winner of a bond with a demon that he doesn’t even know.
“So, what now?”
Minho doesn’t seem to have an answer for that either, but Hyunjin does. “For now, you two need to stay as close as possible. The bond is barely settled, and Jisung’s body is still rejecting it strongly, and if you are not careful, it’ll put his life in danger.”
“Okay,” is all that Jisung manages to reply.
It should probably scare him more, the entire situation.
Demons exist.
He is bonded to one. One that he doesn’t even know.
He apparently ate a part of the demon’s soul.
Oh, and he apparently can also die. Great.
It all feels like he has a crazy fever dream, and yet, he is feeling a lot of things, but fear is not one of them.
Maybe it’s the exhaustion from all the pain he has suffered, maybe he is so overwhelmed by the entire situation that his brain can’t send the right signals to his body. However, whether he likes it or not, whether he wants it or not, he and Minho are bonded now. Maybe it’s good that he isn’t panicking.
“Jisung, please let me explain. I–” Yongbok begins with an urgency that Jisung has never heard from him before, but he interrupts him anyway.
“Yongbok, please, not now. I’m tired.”
“He’s right, Yongbok. Give him some time,” Hyunjin says softly, and comes closer to put a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “ We should leave. You guys can stay here for the night. It’ll be hard for Jisung to move and he’s familiar with this place. Get some rest.”
Yongbok hesitates for another moment before he slowly withdraws his arm from Jisung’s shoulders and gets up from the bed.
“If you need anything, call us any time,” his best friend says firmly.
Yongbok can’t seem to leave on his own, so Hyunjin wraps his arm around his boyfriend’s waist and slowly pulls him along.
Once they are gone, the room falls silent.
Jisung, still overwhelmed, has no idea what to do or say now, so he is glad when Minho breaks the silence first. “You should try to catch some sleep. Hyunjin is right. You need to give your body time to recuperate. Lie down.”
Jisung steals a glance at Minho before he does as he was told. He’s a little surprised when Minho picks up the covers and tucks him in, before he turns off the lights and lies down next to Jisung.
“This is uncomfortable for both of us, but we should maintain physical contact,” Minho says, lowering his volume as he speaks. “Where would you be the least uncomfortable?”
Jisung thinks about it for a moment. “My hand? Or wrist?” He suggests and pushes his arm a little towards Minho.
“Alright,” Minho agrees easily and wraps his fingers around Jisung’s wrist just as gently as he had done earlier. “Like this?”
Jisung hums, sighing softly when he feels the pain ease again. He looks at Minho’s hand, genuinely grateful that the other is trying to make this as comfortable for Jisung as possible when he must be feeling uncomfortable himself.
It’s only now that Jisung realises they have been so focused on him, that they didn’t talk about Minho at all. He lets his gaze wander to Minho’s face, but the room is too dark to clearly see his features now.
“Minho-ssi,” Jisung whispers into the dark.
“Minho-sii?” the man next to him mocks quietly. “I think we can drop the honorifics, don’t you think?”
Jisung chuckles a little. “Well, I guess you’re right.”
“What is it?”
“Oh, just…are you okay?” Jisung asks, but as soon as the words leave his lips he can hear how ridiculous it is to ask this when he is obviously not okay either. “I mean, you obviously aren’t. I just wondered if you’re in pain as well. I mean, I ate a part of your soul after all…”
Minho doesn’t answer right away, but then he opens his eyes and their gazes meet. “I’m fine.”
Jisung just looks at him, aware of the fact that it’s a lie. He may not remember all details of what happened before he fainted, but he does remember Minho’s pain-stricken gaze, and while he never said a word about it, Jisung could also see him relax when they touched as well. He must be feeling some sort of pain as well, but it seems like Minho doesn’t want to share this information with him.
“Try to sleep,” Minho mumbles, and closes his eyes.
Well, easier said than done.
It’s a bit scary, but also very fascinating to feel the effect the bond has on him. Minho’s hand feels warm on his wrist, and while he would normally freak out about lying next to a stranger - who is touching him on top of everything - Jisung strangely feels at ease. The pain is down to an uncomfortable simmer, making him relax further and further with each passing minute. He is definitely exhausted to the point that he could fall asleep standing.
The only thing that’s keeping him awake are his thoughts.
He has so many questions. How many demons are there? What exactly are demons even? Are they like the movies portray them to be with horns and wings? Probably not. Jisung can’t see much of a visual difference. Minho's features look human – a very good-looking human – as you'd assume him to be. There is no concept of a bond like this either, from what Jisung can remember.
And then there is the part where Minho apparently got a part of his soul stolen. How the hell does that even work?
What does it mean to be bonded to a demon? From what Jisung has gathered, the pain part is only temporary, so what comes after that?
As if those questions weren’t enough to wreck his brain, he can’t stop thinking about how utterly worried, sad, and regretful Yongbok looked before they left.
While he does think he has a right to be upset about his friends lying to him the entire time, he also feels bad about treating them coldly. They are not the type to keep him in the dark for fun. They must have had their reasons. But he was so overwhelmed by everything that he couldn’t think rationally.
He needs to apologise tomorrow.
“You’re never going to fall asleep if you’re like this,” Minho suddenly whispers. “I can literally hear you racking your brain.”
“What?” Jisung gasps and opens his eyes in shock. “You can hear my thoughts?! Is this also an effect of the bond?”
He hears Minho snort softly for the first time. “No, but it’s written all over your face.”
Oh.
Jisung feels like an idiot for a second, but he is not to blame here. He doesn’t know shit. For all he knows, Minho could be reading minds! Doesn’t sound too preposterous anymore.
“I’ll answer your questions tomorrow,” Minho utters quietly, and starts drawing small lines with his thumb along Jisung’s wrist.
Jisung just hums, eyes focused on the demon’s hand once more. The small gesture is surprisingly soothing. It helps Jisung to focus more on the feeling than his thoughts, and soon enough, he feels his consciousness slip away.
The sun is already up and peeking through the curtains when Jisung wakes up the next day.
The first thing he notices is that he feels much better compared to the night before. He is still in pain, and the tightness in his chest is still there, but it’s bearable. It also doesn’t feel like his head is about to explode anymore.
When he opens his eyes, Jisung sees that Minho is already awake and staring at the ceiling. Jisung uses that chance to take a proper look at the demon.
He was way too overwhelmed to focus on anything the night before, but now that he is calmer and not feeling like he is about to die, it’s hard not to notice how handsome Minho is.
He has a cute pointed nose, pouty pink lips, fair skin, and light grey-hair falling across his forehead. But, what catches Jisung’s attention the most are those beautiful cat-like eyes and unbelievably long lashes. Minho looks like a sculpture, is he even real?
Jisung startles out of his trance when the demon suddenly turns his head to look at him.
Caught red-handed, his ears heat up. “Morning,” he mumbles, voice a little raspy.
“Morning. How’s your body?”
“Better,” He answers sheepishly, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. “Not feeling like a truck ran over me anymore.”
“That’s good…”
“How about you? Did you catch some sleep?”
Minho hums. “I’m good.”
Minho isn’t giving him much to work with, but Jisung is not one to talk. He is usually the worst person on the planet to hold a conversation with if they haven’t reached the stage of being friends yet. But somehow, he feels less self-conscious than usual.
Jisung shifts a little into a more comfortable position, his eyes automatically falling to his wrist when he feels the weight of Minho's hand there. “So, what now? How long do we need to stay like this?”
“Probably a day or two.”
“A day or two?!” Jisung shrieks.
“Mhm. After that, it should be fine to not maintain physical contact all the time, but we gotta stay close for quite a while until the bond fully settles,” Minho explains way too calmly for the words coming out of his mouth.
“Define, ‘a while’.”
“Weeks, maybe months.”
Jisung blankly stares at him.
Weeks?
Months?!
“How is this supposed to work?” He asks.
Minho blinks, and then says, “We gotta live together for a while, of course,” as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Jisung can’t help the amused scoff that escapes his lips in disbelief. “Okay, let’s say we do that, but what about work?”
“What’s your occupation?”
“I perform at different clubs and bars.”
Minho looks surprised. “Then we probably can work something out. My family owns a restaurant. Neither of us has to quit working that way.”
Jisung frowns. He isn’t exactly fond of the idea. He doesn’t want to cancel all his gigs with the clubs, but then again, it’s not like he has much of a choice. His health comes first, obviously. And if neither of them has to quit working this way, it sounds like the most reasonable solution.
“How do other people do this?” Jisung asks curiously. “This whole ‘bond settling’ thing sounds really complicated.”
Minho tightens his grip on Jisung’s wrist a little, his gaze losing focus for a moment. “It’s not usually like this.”
Jisung stays quiet and listens attentively.
“When demons form bonds, they do it with a small soul part so that the other person’s body can grow accustomed to it. But in your case, the part was too big, so your body is rejecting it,” Minho elaborates. “Imagine it in the way that your immune system is fighting and rejecting a foreign body.”
“So, normally, the bond wouldn’t cause this much pain either?”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
Interesting. He’s about to dig deeper when Minho continues. “There’s another thing I wanna make clear.”
“Fire away.”
“I know that this is a lot for you to take in at the moment, but I just want to clarify that I have no desire to form any sort of relationship with you.”
Oh.
“This is nothing personal,” He quickly adds. “But as soon as the bond settles, we should go separate ways.”
Jisung just looks at him, not knowing how to react. In fact, he is quite confused about it. From what he has gathered, the bond they have is irreversible. And while he still doesn’t entirely get what this bond is, wouldn't it be better to be somewhat acquainted with the person you are bonded with?
It’s not like it really affects him much. He doesn’t know Minho, and if his body doesn’t demand Minho’s attention any longer, he won’t force him to stay in contact.
Jisung feels his phone buzz in the pocket of his jacket, announcing a new message. He takes it out with his free hand and checks the message, only then realising it’s actually already past noon.
[Yongbok]
I’m so sorry about everything. Please let me explain. Hyunjin and I will be there soon.
“Hyunjin and Yongbok will be here soon,” Jisung announces and slowly sits up, only now realising how stiff and achy his body is. Minho follows along with his movements so they can get out of bed.
Jisung looks at Minho’s hand again. “You wanna hold hands instead? That may be a little more comfortable when we move around.”
Minho doesn’t say anything, but slides his hand down to Jisung's, intertwining their fingers, and Jisung can’t help but notice how their hands fit perfectly together.
When they leave the bedroom they can hear the front door open, and shortly after, Yongbok and Hyunjin join them in the apartment.
Yongbok looks horrible. There are dark circles under his eyes, no sign of his usual cheerfulness on his face. It makes Jisung feel even more guilty.
“Hey,” Jisung greets them carefully, unsure of how to start the conversation.
“Hey,” Yongbok says, sounding as distressed as he looks. Hyunjin just waves his hand.
Before Jisung has a chance to apologise, Yongbok is suddenly closing the distance between them, pulling him into a desperate hug. “I’m so sorry, Jisung. I never meant to keep it a secret for you, but we–”
“Yongbok-ah,” Jisungs interrupts him quickly, wrapping his free arm around his friend. “ I am sorry. I know you must have had your reasons. I was too overwhelmed yesterday. I had no right to treat you coldly. I’m sorry.”
“No, you had every right to be mad! It’s true that we kept this from you. But I swear, we only didn’t want to drag you into anything that could turn your life upside down. Please believe me.”
“I know, I believe you,” Jisung affirms wholeheartedly. “But you don’t need to keep things from me to protect me or anything. I’m not made of glass.”
Yongbok leans back far enough so he can properly look at Jisung. “I promise, I won’t keep things from you anymore.” And then he pulls Jisung back into the hug.
“Enough, enough. Let him breathe,” Hyunjin laughs and gently pulls Yongbok back against his own chest.
“You’re just jealous,” Jisung teases lightheartedly and feels relieved when Yongbok finally smiles again.
“My mate cuddles me a lot more, thank you very much,” Hyunjin retorts and pokes his tongue out at Jisung.
Jisung chuckles, glad that things are back to normal.
“How are you anyway?” Hyunjin asks his friend, side eyeing Minho, who has quietly observed everything until now. He looks a bit offended at the pointed look he gets, but doesn’t say anything.
“Much better. It still hurts, but it’s bearable.”
“And Minho was a gentleman. I even managed to catch some sleep thanks to him,” Jisung adds to reassure things are fine.
“That’s good,” Yongbok mutters, fully leaning into his boyfriend’s embrace by now. “Did you talk about what you will do from now on yet?”
Jisung hums. “Yeah, we’ll move in together for now, and once the bond has settled we’ll go separate ways.”
“You will what?” Hyunjin asks in disbelief, looking at Minho.
Jisung is a bit surprised by the reaction, looking between his friend and Minho. But when neither of them says anything, so Yongbok chips in instead. “Where will you live?”
“We didn’t talk about that yet,” Jisung mumbles, scratching his chin in thought. “My apartment is small, but it’s cosy. We could live there.”
“No!” The couple shouts in unison, startling Minho. Yongbok clears his throat. “Not your apartment.”
Jisung gasps, offended. Then he remembers the state he left his apartment in when he went out yesterday and realises he has no right to feel offended.
“Just move in with me then,” Minho suggests.
“Would that be fine with you?”
“It’s fine, but we can rent a hotel room, if you prefer that.”
“I don’t have the money for that,” Jisung admits sheepishly. “Your apartment sounds good.”
“Then let’s go and pick up some of your stuff.“
Jisung makes a sound of agreement before he turns back to his friends. “Thanks for letting us stay the night. And helping us out yesterday in general.”
“Nothing to thank us for,” Yongbok assures quickly. “Call me every day, okay? I need to know that you’re okay.”
“I will, I will.”
Jisung can sense that this is not only about his health, but about the situation with Minho as well. To be fair, he is surprised that he isn’t wary of the male himself. After all, he barely knows Minho. But, somehow, he doesn’t worry too much. He wonders if it’s an effect of the bond they have.
The newly bonded duo heads to the door and put on their shoes, getting ready to leave.
“Okay, so, we’re off.” Jisung says and waves.
“Don’t overdo it. Make sure to rest a lot,” Hyunjin reminds him and waves as well.
“Will do!”
They are already halfway through the door when Jisung peeks back in. “Don’t think I let you off the hook yet. You will tell me all the details about Hyunjin being a demon and you two being bonded.”
The couple laughs. “I’ll tell you all the dirty details,” Yongbok promises, making Hyunjin’s eyes widen a little.
And then they’re off to Jisung’s apartment.
A kind of messy apartment.
A very messy apartment, actually.
This is why he should have lived life in a cleaner way.
Is he really going to show his apartment to someone like Minho ?
Shit .
How big are the chances that the ground swallows him whole along the way?
He needs to come up with a good excuse. He has approximately fifteen minutes left for that.
Dying suddenly doesn’t sound too bad anymore.
They arrive at Jisung’s apartment after a short taxi ride.
Needless to say that neither the ground, nor higher powers, were willing to save him from this embarrassment.
“Y’know what? I’ll go and pack real quick. You can wait here,” Jisung says with a nervous laugh.
Minho blinks several times before he raises their intertwined hands to an eye-level, cocking an eyebrow.
Jisung stares at him blankly at the reminder. “Oh. Right.”
Jisung turns back to the door, sighing as acknowledges his defeat and proceeds to type the passcode to unlock the door.
“Uhm…so…welcome, I guess?”
Jisung looks around nervously, taking in the mess he had left behind. Clothes are scattered everywhere, empty bottles lying around, snacks piled up on the small nightstand, some opened, some not.
His ears heat up in embarrassment.
“ Yaaaah , looks like I got robbed,” Jisung jokes awkwardly while trying to shove a boxer he has just spotted under the bed with his foot. He clears his throat, looking anywhere but Minho. “I’ll be quick.”
He gently pulls Minho along as he makes his way to the small closet in the corner, bending down to pick up the clothes he comes across and throws them onto the bed.
Instead of trying to come up with excuses, he should have spent the time thinking about what to pack to make this torture end faster.
What do I need? Some comfy clothes, some decent ones for work, underwear, maybe my laptop…
Jisung tries to focus on the clothes in his closet first, not that there is much left with most of them scattered all over his apartment.
“Where are my grey sweats?” He mumbles to himself as he looks around and promptly bumps into Minho.
“Sorry,” Jisung apologises quickly, feeling more and more flustered by the second. He can see Minho looking around from the corner of his eyes, his face expressionless.
Jisung tries to stay focused and concentrates on finishing packing, only to prove to himself that he’s not focused at all when he not only runs into his bed, but also steps on his charger a second later.
Well, at least he has found his charger.
After what feels like an eternity, Jisung is finally done packing. “That should be enough.”
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s all. But I think I need to relieve myself real quick,” Jisung says and points at the bathroom with his thumb.
“Alright. Let’s go,” Minho utters nonchalantly and starts walking towards the bathroom, but doesn’t get far when he notices that Jisung hasn’t moved and is staring at him instead, his eyes comically wide.
“What?” Minho asks innocently.
“What are you doing?” Jisung questions bewildered, heat spreading from his ears to his cheeks. “I’m going alone.”
Minho raises their intertwined hands once again, pointedly looking at them.
“ No , no, no, no, no . I can bear the pain. It’ll just take a minute!” Jisung exclaims flusteredly.
“No, I’ll go with you,” Minho insists patiently. “You shouldn’t be worried about the pain, but what causes it. Do you want to irreparably injure your body?”
Jisung stares at Minho for a moment before he answers. “I’ll risk it.”
“No, you won’t,” Minho says and chuckles softly, leaving no room for discussion as he practically drags Jisung along. “C’mon, let’s go,”
“ I don’t want to ,” Jisung whines, but doesn’t resist any further.
It’s the second time that Minho’s cold expression has crumbled, so maybe this whole disaster is good for something at least.
“But no peeking!” Jisung warns, fumbling around with the fly.
“Why would I peek?”
Jisung’s cheeks burn. “ I don’t know! Just felt like the right thing to say! ”
Of course, luck is not on his side and the damn zipper just doesn’t want to come undone.
“Do you need help?” Minho asks nonchalantly, making Jisung feel even more embarrassed.
“ No !”
Someone save him.
Jisung is completely stunned when they enter Minho’s apartment. It already dawned on him that Minho must be somewhat rich when their taxi entered the most expensive district in Seoul, but thinking about it and actually seeing it hits different.
The entrance alone is huge . The fact that the apartment has an entrance area is already mind blowing, Jisung’s bedroom is the size of Minho’s apartment’s entrance.
After slipping out their shoes, Minho leads him straight to the combined kitchen and living room. Needless to say that this area is even bigger, probably twice the size of Jisung’s entire apartment. The interior is quite chic and classy, a lot of white and grey elements, huge expensive looking paintings on the wall, a chandelier that could probably kill him if it ever hit him.
What catches his attention the most though is the big cat tree in the corner of the room.
Even the cat tree looks more expensive than his entire wardrobe combined.
“Wow, I feel like my presence alone is making the value of this place drop,” Jisung mumbles more to himself than Minho, but he swears he hears the other snort, though his expression doesn’t give anything away.
Minho doesn’t waste any time and heads straight to the bedroom afterwards, which, again, is huge. “Let me make some space in my wardrobe for you, so you can unpack.”
Jisung just nods, not entirely sure what to say, because the fact that Minho even managed to fill this entire closet with clothes is baffling. He’s not judging the demon though, if he was earning more he would probably spend a lot more money on clothes as well.
His bag is quickly unpacked, putting the few clothes he brought into the closet, and the other necessities in the bathroom, which Minho showed him afterwards.
Jisung may as well lock up Minho somewhere and take over this apartment - the bathroom has a fucking rainforest shower and a huge ass bathtub.
Minho may want to go separate ways, but Jisung won’t let go of this paradise without a fight.
“How’s your body?” Minho asks a little nowhere as they walk back to the living room area.
“I’m okay,” Jisung says as he massages his muscles. “I’m achy all over, but it’s not close to knocking me out.”
“That’s good,” Minho mumbles, reaching for a bottle of water when they arrive at the kitchen aisle. He takes two glasses and pours them some. “Wanna order some food then? Any wishes?”
“Anything is fine with me,” Jisung remarks and murmurs a soft thanks before taking a sip.
“Alright.” Minho takes out his phone to order the food when Jisung spots a cat looking at them from behind the curtains. He crouches down and tries to lure it over, making soft sounds and rubbing his fingers together, but the striped grey cat is just staring at him, unimpressed.
He senses Minho looking down at him, so he looks up and points at the curtains.
Minho’s whole face lits up instantly in understanding. “Dori-yah, come here.”
The cat starts approaching them with slow steps at first and then quickly speeds up until it gets gentle head pats from Minho. “Did you miss me? I missed you, too.”
Jisung can’t help but smile, utterly endeared by this new side he sees from Minho. It’s visible how much he loves his cat from the way his eyes sparkle and his lips curl into a bright grin, and as if that wasn’t adorable enough, he even talks to it in a cute baby voice.
“Cute,” Jisung murmurs and holds out his hand for Dori to sniff, but the cat just looks at it for a moment before trotting away. “Ouch.”
“They don’t like strangers,” Minho provides, while straightening himself.
Jisung follows along. “They?”
“I have three of them.”
“Oh! Hopefully they’ll warm up to me over time,” he says and looks around, trying to spot the other two.
“I ordered some seafood. Hope that’s fine,” Minho changes the topic back to their earlier discussion.
“Yeah, of course, thanks.”
The atmosphere between them is a little awkward. Jisung tries his best to keep the conversation somewhat going, but Minho keeps his answers short and never reveals more than he has to. But, at the same time, Minho is showing hints of his caring side by checking on Jisung’s health and also paying for the meal that he’s ordered.
Jisung really wonders why Minho tries to keep a distance between them.
It’s not like Jisung has asked for his hand in marriage. Having to spend time together for an unknown period, wouldn’t it be better to get along and maybe even be friends?
Well, he definitely can’t and won’t force Minho to befriend him, but that doesn’t mean Jisung won’t at least try to make things less stiff between them.
They eat their meal more or less in silence when it arrives, only talking about a few basic rules for the time period that they will live together, like cleaning up behind oneself and not making unnecessary noise, and then retreating to the sofa after eating.
“Time flew today,” Jisung remarks, looking out of the window, seeing that the sun has already set by now.
Minho hums in agreement, and the room falls silent once more.
“You know what,” Jisung turns to look at the demon. “This night calls for some drinks. Do you have any?”
“I have some wine, but I don’t think it’s good for your bo–”
Jisung is already up and lightly tugs Minho’s hand to get him to move as well. “Wine sounds perfect.”
Minho looks at him for a moment before he sighs in defeat and gets up as well.
They get a bottle of red wine, a corkscrew, two glasses, and sit back down on the sofa. When they fail to open the bottle with one hand each, Jisung rests his hands on Minho’s arm so that the male can open the bottle for them, which means that Jisung can feel the muscles flex under his fingers and is lowkey impressed by it.
“Wow, it’s really good,” Jisung comments after taking his first sip, looking at the bottle again. For a second he wants to ask about the brand, but then he remembers he’d probably have to sell a kidney for it, and doesn’t.
“Do you know what else the night calls for? Games!” He suggests spontaneously in the vain hope to cut through the heavy awkwardness between them that even the delicious wine is failing to break. “We should play twenty-one questions.”
“We really shouldn’t,” Minho deadpans.
“We totally should,” Jisung insists, not letting the idea go. “It’s going to be fun, and we’ll take turns okay? Okay. So, let me think…”
Jisung hums in thought. “Let’s go with an easy one first. Not a typical question for this game, but how old are you?”
Minho ignores him and takes another sip of his wine, pointedly avoiding looking at him as well.
Jisung isn’t deterred by it whatsoever.
“Hm, let me guess.” He purposely drags out the silence before he continues. “I’m sure you’re no older than thirty-six.”
This has Minho choking on his drink.
“How dare you! I’m twenty-five!”
“Ah, twenty-five?” Jisung grins victoriously at getting a reaction. “Technically, I was right though. Twenty-five isn’t older than thirty-six.”
Minho grumbles something under his breath that Jisung doesn’t quite catch, so he continues with leading the game. “I’m twenty-three, by the way. Your turn.”
Again, the demon deliberately ignores him.
“Okay, so my turn,” Jisung mumbles and refills both of their glasses whilst thinking about the next question.
He shifts his body to get a little more comfortable and pulls up his legs and puts them onto Minho’s lap so that he can let go of Minho’s hand and lean against the cushions instead.
Minho raises his eyebrow at the change in position, but doesn’t say anything because he even ends up resting his hand on Jisung’s leg.
“You’re taking this surprisingly well,” Minho suddenly says, meeting his gaze. “The whole demons and bonds and living with a stranger thing.”
“Well, it’s not like I can change anything about it, can I?” Jisung says. “May as well make the best out of it.”
The truth is, Jisung is surprised at himself, too. He may be used to living from day to day and adjusting to new situations quickly thanks to his job, but being relaxed around a practical stranger is new to him as well. The last person he felt this relaxed with right from the beginning was Yongbok.
Minho doesn’t seem all that stressed either. Then again, it’s hard to tell what he is thinking, so maybe he is more distressed than he gives away.
All the more reason to get him to open up a little!
“Anyway, next question. What’s your favourite type of movie? I think I like animated movies the most lately.” Before Minho has the chance to reply, Jisung jokes with raised fists and a bright playful grin, “don’t fuck with me - I have the power of God and Anime on my side!”
The demon scoffs, but the corners of his mouth betray him by curling into a smile. “Who said I’ll make fun of you? I like anime, too.”
“Really?! We should totally watch some!”
“Yeah, maybe…”
Jisung wants to dig a little further into the topic now that he found something they have in common, but then he spots another of Minho’s cats approaching them, this one is ginger and a little bigger compared to Dori.
“Soonie-yah,” Minho calls cutely. He pats the empty spot beside him. “Come here.”
Soonie , however, walks straight past him towards Jisung, looking up at him expectantly.
Astonished, Jisung reaches down to let Soonie smell his hand. After a small nudge against his hand, Jisung gently scratches the cat’s chin and feels his heart melt at the cuteness. Seconds later, Soonie takes a few steps back and then jumps up onto his lap, curling up there and purring softly.
Minho’s jaw drops.
“Traitor,” he whispers afterwards, making Jisung laugh.
“So much for not liking strangers,” Jisung teases as he continues to pet Soonie, genuinely happy.
“He must smell my scent on you.”
“Sure, if that makes you sleep better at night.”
Minho glares at him for a moment before he snorts and watches his cat getting comfortable.
“Your turn. Ask me about Howl’s moving castle, ‘cause I have plenty to say about it,” Jisung tries once more to engage Minho in the game and brings the glass of wine back to his lips when Minho stops him. “What?”
“Slow down a bit. Your body is still dealing with the bond.”
The younger pouts, but he knows Minho is right. “Yes, hyung.”
Minho looks at him in surprise and lets go of the glass a moment later.
“How about we change the game then?” Jisung suggests. “Let’s go with ‘never have I ever’. The winner gets to drink.”
Minho huffs softly, visibly more relaxed as the night grows older. “Alright. Only one round.”
Jisung gets excited by the positive response, grinning happily. He holds up his free hand for Minho to see. “Okay! Let’s start. Never have I ever owned a cat.”
Minho scoffs and curls his first finger. “You wanna play like this? Fine. Never have I ever ravaged my apartment.”
Jisung feigns a painful frown and hisses, “ouch”, before chuckling, a little embarrassed, and curls a finger, but thinks the hit to his ego is entirely worth it when Minho grins. “Never have I ever drunk called my crush.”
“Why would you attack yourself like this?” Minho teases, not curling a finger.
“Hey! I’ve never drunk called a crush before. Well, I drunk call Yongbok sometimes,” Jisung admits.
“Then curl your finger.”
“Why would I curl my finger?” Jisung asks with a confused frown.
Minho waves his hand dismissively. “Crush, friend, whatever.”
Jisung can’t help but laugh, feeling lost for words. “That’s not how it works. But okay, I’ll give this one to you then.”
“My turn, right?” Minho asks and continues when Jisung nods. “Never have I ever sent a dirty message to the wrong person.”
Jisung scrunches his face in thought. Has he ever done that? Has he even sexted someone once?
Oh, wait. He has.
It was a joke gone wrong. Yongbok and he were fooling around when they got ready to go out. He doesn’t remember all the details, but Yongbok had mentioned how big the buckle of his belt was and Jisung replied with a suggestive emoji and the question ‘ do you know what else is big? ’, only he didn’t realise he accidentally opened a pop up message from his friend Chan when replying and had sent the message to him instead.
That probably counts, right? Dammit. Jisung is losing. He needs a good one.
He looks at Minho for a moment and grins when something comes to his mind. “Never have I ever seduced someone,” Jisung says almost triumphantly, but when Minho just cocks his head and teasingly wiggles his four remaining fingers, Jisung’s jaw drops. “Liar!”
“No,” Minho states confidently. “I just don’t need to seduce anyone.”
Jisung scoffs sulkily, but fair enough. Looking like that, people must try to seduce Minho instead.
“What about you?” Minho suddenly asks, eyes pointing at Jisung’s hand.
The younger shakes his head dismissively. “Nah, I’m not the seductive type.”
“That’s not true.”
Huh?
Wait a second.
Is Minho flirting with him?
Jisung feels his ears heat up a little, but tries to ignore it. He’s probably reading the signals wrong. “Okay, your turn.”
Meanwhile, Soonie seems to have gotten enough attention for now and jumps off his lap.
“Never have I ever kissed my best friend,” Minho says with ease, taking a sip from his glass.
“Hey! Only the winner gets to drink! One finger down, mister,” Jisung scolds and points at the other accusingly before curling another finger himself. “Also, people who don’t kiss their friends are missing out. I’m losing this one with pride.”
The demon’s eyes never leave him as licks a droplet of wine from his lower lip, looking way too smug when he curls a finger.
Jisung tries his best not to openly stare at Minho, but it’s hard. This guy is flirting with him, isn’t he? No, probably not. He must only enjoy teasing him. But, then again, he did ask Jisung about kissing Yongbok. Why would he ask that? Minho surely noticed that Yongbok is his best friend…maybe Jisung just seems like the type to kiss his friends and it’s an easy point?
But…isn't this indirectly asking Jisung whether he kisses guys?
No?
Is he overthinking?
“Your turn,” Minho reminds him with a low chuckle.
Jisung snaps out of his inner turmoil and chews on his lower lip for a moment.
Should he risk it, testing the waters?
Fuck it .
“Never have I ever given someone a blow job.”
Okay, maybe he isn’t just testing the waters but jumping right into them.
Minho’s eyes grow wide at the question – Jisung can’t blame him – but then he smirks provocatively and curls a finger, raising his brows and challenging Jisung.
Jisung’s mouth goes dry.
Fuck . Why did he ask that again? Who thought this was a good idea? Who taught him to be so reckless?
Jisung holds out his hand and curls the last finger.
He shrugs his shoulders with weak confidence, easily admitting to the defeat and it makes them both break into a laugh.
Jisung’s heart flutters for a second at hearing the other freely laugh for the first time.
It’s cute. Minho really should laugh more often.
“I think you didn’t get the rules, you lost too easily,” Minho teases and takes a sip from his hardly earned wine.
Jisung just continues to laugh softly.
No, you’re wrong. I may have lost, but I’m the real winner.