Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jisung watched through the large arched windows of the literature building as the professor within bid farewell to his swathe of students and gathered his things to leave. 

It was becoming a bit of a bad habit to cross into this part of mortal territory and find his perch in the old oak tree on the edge of the thick wood on days when that man in particular would be standing at the dias in the lecture hall. He almost saw the professor as a pet, like a goldfish in a tank Jisung could look at but wasn’t allowed to touch, at least not directly. 

There was no real harm in wearing a glamour of forgetting and slipping into the hall once the man had departed for his office, to pocket a used scrap of chalk from the board or a crumpled piece of paper from the bin. It also was no harm to leave behind trinkets of one form or another like the smoothest pebble from the bottom of the nearby river or the first orange leaf signifying the change in seasons from the oak tree. 

Mortals weren’t clever creatures, and few enough of them had the sight to offer no risk whatsoever to seeing through the glamour to Jisung’s hidden pointed ears and too sharp teeth. His smile was pretty and unassuming, making passersby flush and giggle to their companions without an inclination to look too long or approach.

Today, Jisung had brought something a little more bold to leave his little pet mortal, a tiny thimble spun of spiders silk and moonlight. It was the sort of trinket that many folk would see as a gift of courtship, but Jisung wasn’t given to such traditions. His ties to faerie were by birthright and ended thus. He was fey, but he was also solitary. No high lord or lady ruled him, no court governed his inclinations for better or worse. 

But much in the way he was unruled, so were many others. There had been a few occasions where he had met with a fellow creature of magic keen to enact some form of amusement or cruelty upon the mortals that traversed the campus, but Jisung was quick to remind them that his land, the land he had taken for himself to call his home, encompassed the entire thing and he did not tolerate competition. Perhaps it was ambitious or foolish to boast of governance, but no fey or mortal could fault him for such a thing. There were times when that invisible line came into contention, when another of the folk sought to expand or migrate their own boundaries, but Jisung was nothing if not clever, and his cleverness and skill assured that no opponent would be given ground.

He waited until the room was cast in shadow so the large arched windows turned from a through line into simple mirrors of the forest before he descended from his perch. The glamour that would make him unremarkable, mundane, wrapped around his being like a familiar friend to round the tips of his ears and blunt his teeth, but most of all to assure that those that chanced a look at him would forget the sight the moment their eyes left his form.

Once inside the lecture hall, he palmed the thimble, setting it carefully atop the dias where he knew that the professor he had grown a distant fondness for would find in the light of the following morning before any other would dare to touch it. That should have been all he was allowed, but the tug of curiosity that plagued his existence beyond the stolen bits of someone he had never had the chance to speak to urged him further.

He ducked into the empty hall, following the corridors and turns on nothing but his keen intuition until he came upon a door. It was a door like all the others within, plain and unassuming, but something about it felt significant. No matter how much mortal logic might say that there was nothing but an empty room behind it, Jisung knew better. He could feel his professor on the other side of the old wood, the way he shuffled papers on a sturdy desk, how he sighed with the weariness of someone living only because they must.

Jisung pressed his body against the wood of the door, his eyes closed and his soft round cheek turned flat from the contact. He listened to what was behind that barrier of wood, heard the subtle signs of life behind it, and something within him ached.

A longing so deep and unignorable welled up inside his chest until he could feel nothing else. He wanted to turn the handle, to open the door and stand face to face with the man that had consumed him from afar. Yet, that was something he couldn’t have. No matter how much he yearned to know the man that stood inside the hall, he couldn’t.

The folk may take mortal lovers from time to time, but no mortal came to faerie of their own accord without a price.

No matter how much Jisung wished to know the man inside the window box, he was only afforded the fleeting moments of observation. To touch a mortal was to damn them to the ways of the folk, and Jisung had no desire to drag his pet professor down under the hill

With one last sound of a tired breath, he pulled away. There were other things that warranted attention.

-❈-

The professor found the gifted thimble just as Jisung had hoped, turning it over and over in his palm to watch the way the yellowed light in the room glinted off the surface. Jisung was especially pleased to see that the gift was pocketed this time, not left behind or thrown away as some others had been, and it ignited a need to find a greater boon to offer on his next trip inside the forbidden walls. He settled comfortably against the branches as the students for the morning class filed in and filled their seats, all the while his gaze fixed on his professor.

That was another thing that had come to pass without conscious thought, calling the professor ‘his’. It followed logic that such would be true, if only by voyeuristic right. Faerie logic, of course, but Jisung wasn’t human and thus mortal boundaries meant little to nothing to him.

The hours ticked by with the sun, shadows of trees and buildings moving steadily across the overly manicured lawn. By the time the sun was at its highest, the shadows scarce, there were no students in the room; yet, the professor remained. He took out his lunch as always, seated at one of the tables usually reserved for students tucked against a window, and ate with his gaze out on the line of trees.

Jisung liked to imagine that his professor was looking at him, then, had even flirted with the idea of letting himself be seen if only for a moment. The folk often enjoyed such small amusements, letting a mortal catch a fleeting glimpse so that they were left to wonder if it were real at all or just imagination. It would be easy to bend the dappled light through the branches just enough to give his position away, but to do so would mean risking his professor seeking his hiding place again and finding another comfortable tree with an equal view of the hall would be more trouble than it was worth. 

No, he would not show himself; at least, not today.

After lunch, Jisung watched the professor disappear into the hall, presumably for his office or another room in the building. He was only ever gone for a little over an hour, and usually Jisung spent the time apart eating his own lunch of honey cakes or sweet apples. This time, however, he had an appetite for rest rather than sustenance. He leaned back against the steady treetrunk, legs cradled by branches and arms folded over his chest. His eyes closed and he sighed, ready to let slumber take him, when a voice broke through his peaceful repose.

“There must be something quite worthy of your attention for you to fail to notice my approach.” Felix smiled from his perch in the tree across from Jisung’s own, face cradled in a delicate hand. “You should thank your luck I wasn’t some boggart come to make a meal of you and your little mortals after.”

Jisung scoffed, mood soured. “There haven’t been any boggarts around here for a hundred years.” He narrowed his gaze, bottom lip jutted out in a pout that was disgruntled rather than pleading. While Felix was no enemy, he wasn’t quite friend either. “Why are you here?”

“Need I a reason to visit a familiar face?” Felix plucked a leaf from a branch, twirling it around in his fingers before letting it fall. “But if you must know, I come with an invitation.” He gave a turn of his wrist, and were Jisung mortal, he might have missed the way Felix tugged the sealed letter from the billow of his sleeve. “For a revel.”

“What use have I for an invitation to a revel?” Jisung wasn’t keen to partake in the traditions of faerie and that included what the banished folk, such as Felix, would constitute as fun. “You are the one with ties to the courts, not I.”

“Perhaps.” Felix flicked the invitation across the gap, sending it like a playing card to lodge in the fork of a branch near Jisung’s side. “But I am also rather fond of friendships, and ours has yet to find proper form.” He waited for Jisung to pick up the invitation and when he didn’t, Felix sighed and rolled his eyes. “It isn’t enchanted. I might enjoy my tricks, but I wouldn’t bother coming this far into the mortal plane just to put an enchantment on you.”

“No, but you could very well have come here to put an enchantment on me and bring me this invitation.” Jisung knew that such was unlikely, even if the strictest form of truth left the line open for such a thing. “What sort of revel is this invitation for?” Still, he made no move to touch the wax sealed letter.

“My own.” Felix’s smile turned mischievous, cat eyes glinting in the shadows. “It’s a revel of courtship.” He held up a hand when Jisung made a face. “Not for you, of course, but for myself and my would-be betrothed.” There was a note of fondness in his tone that softened his features and almost gave him an aura of the sun even in shadow. “He’s of the courts.”

Immediately, Jisung was skeptical. “And you think one of the courts would come to a revel held by the son of a banished former lord?” It wasn’t meant to be unkind, it was simply true. High fey didn’t intermingle with lesser beings and that included those cast in ill favor from the court.

Felix frowned. “Not all high fey follow the old ways. There have been rumors that the new crown heir has proposed a forgiveness for many of those cast aside, and with it an opening of borders to solitary fey outside of Samhain.”

“I have little use for open borders with any court.” Jisung finally plucked the letter from the branches, slipping it into his pocket rather than opening it. “If I wished for that, then I would seek a position in the Court of Briars.”

“The Court of Briars borders the territory of my lover’s court. There is a chance that the High Lord and his husband may attend the ceremony of forgiveness when or if it occurs.” Felix flicked a feline glance over to the adjacent building, expression curious. “However, that is a matter for another day.” He turned his attention back to Jisung, scrutinizing behind the warmth in his smile. “I would like if you were to attend. Call it a favor, if you must.”

“A favor?” Jisung perked up, his curiosity sparking with the subtle wager of debt. “Are you so pressed for companions that you would make a bargain just for my attendance?”

“No.” Felix waved a dismissive hand, laughing softly. “I am flush with companions of all sorts. My desire to further our friendship stems from a certain fondness I find myself harboring for a fellow trickster. Your company is pleasant and I would not be opposed to learning more of mortals since you spend so much time among them.”

Jisung stiffened, feeling a cold chill run down his spine. While the folk were often fascinated with mortals, especially those among the high fey such as Felix, their fascination was not to be trusted. “What do you want of mortals?” There was a hint of his sharp teeth in his tone.

Felix stretched out his legs, swinging them in the air on either side of his branch perch in an almost childlike fashion. “Mortals are interesting beings. They live such fleeting lives, yet they manage to fill them with so much. It reminds me of mayflies.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “And perhaps my curiosity has only deepened since I learned of your little habit.” He paused, tilting his head so his long silver hair slid over the side of his freckled face. “I wonder what in particular draws you to this place so often. Is it the safety of the wood or something more…”

Jisung bit the inside of his cheek, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth as he willed himself to calm. It was one thing for Felix to have noticed his pattern of behavior, but another to give away the reason. “I like the view.” It was a half truth, just enough to answer without giving anything away. 

Felix noticed, of course, but thankfully seemed to let it slide. “I won’t keep you from your observations any longer then.” He swung his leg over the branch so both were on one side, pausing to look at Jisung over his shoulder. “I do hope to see you at the revel, Ji. You would do well to foster some alliances.” With a fleeting wave, he hopped from the branch to the ground, vanishing in a gust of wind and shimmering sunlight.

The last statement lingered in Jisung’s mind as he stared down at the the place Felix had been. He had never been in need of alliances before, and for Felix to be so insistent about attendance coupled with that warning was enough to make Jisung feel the tingle of fear at the base of his spine. Maybe it was worth giving it some thought after his professor retired for the evening.

He turned his attention back to the window just in time to watch his professor return and set a stack of papers atop the dias. While the sight would normally have brought a warmth to him, Jisung found his chest grow tight with worry instead. If Felix knew of Jisung’s habits, then others among the folk might too. Were that to be the case, it was only a matter of time before someone else tried to meddle in Jisung’s affairs.

A revel may not have been to Jisung’s taste, but the prospect of an alliance with a debt to him attached was enough of a draw to solidify his answer. He would attend.

-❈-

Once back in his home and curled up in his favorite chair, Jisung pulled the invitation from his pocket. It was simple parchment with a sprig of dried flowers pinned to it under Felix’s wax seal. There was no lingering magic that Jisung could feel, no sign or trickery or harm. For all he could tell, it was exactly as Felix had said: a simple invitation. Using a dagger from the nearby desk, he popped the seal and opened up the letter.

My Dearest Would-Be Friend,

I extend this invitation to you for a revel of romance and merriment. We convene on the eve of the full moon in my humble residence and I look forward to your acceptance.

May Fortune be ever in your favor,

Lix

P.S. Come dressed to dance and drink until the sun rises.

Jisung read the letter twice over, putting the date of the revel to memory before tossing it into the fireplace to burn.

Without his usual foray into the professor’s building to leave a gift, not wanting to risk Felix lingering to see, Jisung was left restless. He wandered around his modest quarters, rearranging the order of trinkets on his shelves and polishing through his collection of daggers. It did little to dampen the strange jittery nerves that had settled into his bones with Felix’s warning, so he busied himself further with the task of finding the professor’s next gift.

He wished for it to be better than the spider silk thimble, something pretty and perhaps useful to a mortal man. His collection of bartered and borrowed things was riddled with shiny bits and bobs, but none of them felt good enough. He wanted something personal, something that would serve as a connection without the professor’s knowing. 

While he sifted through his jewelry chest, he was reminded of the day he noticed the professor wearing a set of silver earrings. They were plain, small hoops that were barely large enough to circle his lobes, but they had caught the light through the window while he was eating and had thus garnered Jisung’s attention. He had thought they complimented the professor’s pretty features well, drawing the eye to the curve of his jaw and by proxy his sharp cheekbones. Were Jisung not sure of such not being the case, he might have thought the man to be of the folk himself with a face so arresting. Perhaps the gift best suited for him would be a pair of earrings forged by faerie.

No, not a pair, but one half.

Jisung looked up at the mirror above his vanity, turning his head to the side to see the assortment of chains and charms he wore on his pointed ears. The one that he was most fond of was the set of silver daggers carved in the shape of the one he wore on his hip that dangled from four matching silver beads on a thin chain. They had been a gift from his mother when she left for greener lands, and he had never removed them since. It would be a deep loss to part with one of them, but the thought of seeing the dagger on his professor’s ear was more than enough to warrant the price.

Carefully, he removed the stud from his left ear, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he did so. It wasn’t foreboding as much as it was the chill of change. Palming the earring, he sought a tiny velvet box of crimson and tucked it carefully inside.

There were two more days before the full moon and the revel that came with it, and that gave him just enough time to deliver his gift before the professor was gone for the weekend.

-❈-

Jisung waited until the sun had set completely and moonlight shone over the manicured lawn before he dared enter the literature building. He hadn’t seen his pet professor leave, but he was reasonably sure that such would have been the case. It was far too late for any sane mortal to be present on the campus and even the students were scarce on this side of the courtyard.

The door to the building was unlocked when Jisung tried the handle, a curious thing, but not enough to warrant concern. The hallways within were lit with dim yellow wall sconces that mimicked the gothic architecture of the building itself. It was odd to see such a western style building, but the entire campus shared that choice of design.

He followed muscle memory to bring him back to the old wooden door that led to the professor’s office, and just to be sure of his solitude, he pressed his pointed ear to the surface and listened. There was no rustling of papers, no scratch of a pen or clicking of keys. It was silent.

Carefully, he turned the handle, feeling the sting of iron buried deep in the locking mechanism, and opened the door. He had to bite his tongue to stifle the yelp that tried to leap from his throat at the sight before him. He was not, in fact, alone. His pretty professor was at the desk, asleep atop a book with the laptop beside him dark from unuse.

For a moment, he wanted to close the door and not risk waking the professor, but curiosity got the better of him. He tugged his glamour tighter around his frame and crept into the room, standing before the desk and leaning down to peer at the professor’s face. He had never had the luxury of looking at the man up close before and the sight was enough to make his birdlike heart skip a beat. Every nerve in his entire body was thrumming with the desire to close that last bit of distance between them to touch, but he kept it in check. Instead, he palmed the little velvet box and placed it beside the professor’s hand where it rest. 

For one fleeting second, their fingertips were only a breath apart and Jisung could feel the heat radiating off the professor’s frame. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame, his chest aching with a need he couldn’t put to words. There was something mesmerizing about the man before him, something that felt like the thrill of a hunt and the comfort of home in one. It was a feeling like nothing Jisung had ever experienced before and he knew in that moment that he would not be able to keep himself from seeking such proximity again, consequences be damned.

The professor shifted, mumbling something under his breath and making Jisung’s heart stop completely. He held his breath and waited to see if the man would wake, but thankfully he settled back into steady slumber. It was enough to remind Jisung that it was time to leave, but as he backed toward the door, he noticed a little name plate on the desk that read Professor Lee.

His professor had a name after all, and Jisung tucked that knowledge into the gaps of his ribs right beside his heart as he slipped out into the hall and back into the night.

-❈-

After his meeting with Professor Lee, Jisung was left with a levity in his heart that never seemed to fade, lingering until the evening of the revel. He delighted in dressing in his finer clothes, choosing an embroidered corset to cinch his waist over his billowing tunic that matched his tight fitting trousers of the same pattern. There was a certain secret pleasure he took from the sight of himself in the mirror with one less earring and the hope that it’s other half was in the hands of his professor.

The walk to Felix’s residence was easy under the light of the full moon, and when he crossed over the border proper into faerie lands, his path was lit with the lanterns and beacons of other denizens of the folk. 

Though there were few that Jisung would call friends, including Felix, there was one pair of fey in particular that he searched for in the crowd; a kelpie and his siren lover. It wasn’t until he was on the crest of the hill that held Felix’s sprawling home and gardens that he saw them, calling out over the din of the merriment coming from within.

“Bin!” Jisung smiled, weaving through bodies to close the gap to his friend. “I had hoped to find you in attendance.” He pushed the hair back from his face, breath coming quick from excitement rather than exertion. “Hello, Inni.”

Changbin offered a sharp-toothed smile, tightening his grip on Jeongin’s waist just enough for the tips of his clawed fingers to sink into the filmy chiffon his lover wore. “Ji.” He tilted his head, flicking his gaze over Jisung’s body with a soft snort of approval. “You look well.”

“Hi, Ji.” Jeongin leaned against Changbin as he spoke, seemingly unbothered by the claws threatening to ruin his pretty clothes. “It’s good to see you.” His voice carried a soft echo, like the sound of a distant ocean in a conch shell.

Jisung rocked on the balls of his feet, letting the smell of river water and ocean that wafted from the others mix together in his nostrils. It was a comforting smell, only because of the beings it belonged to. “Tell me, friends, was it the revel or the promise of endless silverwine that drew you to such a landbound occasion?” He flashed a wry smile, his tone tongue in cheek.

“Neither.” Changbin huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “I owe a debt to my lover for an evening of dancing and song.” There was an equal note of conspiratorial mischief in his voice exaggerated by the sharpness of his teeth. “What better occasion for such than a revel?”

Jeongin smiled, his sea glass eyes narrowing to pretty crescents as he combed webbed fingers through Changbin’s inky hair. “I had forgiven you that debt before our invitations arrived, my love.” He clicked his tongue, the sound akin to a chiding chirp. “But I am pleased all the same to attend.” His gaze shifted to Jisung, curious. “You, on the other hand, I am surprised to find at such a place. Is there something or perhaps someone that garnered your interest?”

“Not here.” Jisung lifted a hand to his ear, touching the empty lobe with a secret smile. “I find that my own reason comes, too, in the form of a debt. Though it is one to acquire rather than to be paid.”

“Oh?” Jeongin arched a brow, the scales on his cheeks  and forehead catching the light. “That’s quite unusual. I find myself filled with a desire to pry about it, but for the sake of familiarity I will let it slide.”

“He might, but I will not.” Changbin motioned to the open front door of the house with his free hand. “Don’t tell me that you’ve come to earn a debt of the gentry.” His tone held an edge of warning to it, well earned.

Jisung laughed. “Not gentry as of now, as far as I understand, but once thus.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice so the music from the hall would cover it to anyone seeking to fish for secrets. “Our host bargained for my attendance with the promise of a favor in return.”

Changbin sucked in a breath, eyes widening before he schooled his expression. “You gamble high to make bargains such as that. Though, I cannot fault your ambition.” He turned toward the door, taking Jeongin with him by the hold on his waist. “Shall we partake of the revel proper now or will you spend the whole of it out beneath the moon?”

“Tempting as it is to remain in moonlight, I would like to make my presence known.” Jisung followed Changbin and Jeongin inside, grabbing a glass of golden bubbling liquid from a nixie butler along the way.

He lingered with his friends for a time, chatting about their time apart, until a hush fell over the room and drew everyone’s attention to the door. There at the threshold was the High Lord of the Court of Briars and his siren husband. 

Jeongin gasped, nearly dropping his glass of wine as he broke into tittering chatter in a language of the sea that Jisung couldn’t parse. “Cousin!” He dragged a startled Changbin by the wrist through the crowd toward the door, leaving Jisung with the choice to follow and partake of the headache that came with bowing to high gentry or to wander on his own.

While most were busy trying to earn favor with the neighboring court, Jisung had no interest in such things. Instead, he downed the rest of his drink and snagged another, letting the buzz of liquor warm his insides to a pleasant tingling state. 

Though revels were not his preferred pastime, he had to admit that Felix’s was better than most. There was an absolute feast of delicacies from far and wide spread across a fleet of tables in the dining room and along the edges of the grand hall. Music filled the whole of the manor from the band of minstrels stationed atop a makeshift stage at the back of the ballroom and the throng of dancing bodies spilled out into every adjacent room. 

What Jisung was most pleased with, however, was not what the revel contained; but rather, what it did not. There were no spectacles of cruelty, no enchanted human fools forced to do faerie bidding. Perhaps it was a testament to Felix’s worth or his lover’s taste in amusements. Either way, it was a pleasant change of pace from the other similar parties Jisung had been privy to over the years.

By the time he made his way into the ballroom and caught sight of the elusive host, Jisung was more than a few glasses deep in silverwine and golden ales. It was enough to make his body loose and warm, his smile easy and the nerves that came from due caution in such a mixed setting to fade away to silence. He swayed along with the pitch of the flute as he made his way around the edge of the dancers toward Felix, snagging yet another glass of fizzy liquid from a faceless attendant.

“It seems there is more than one occasion to celebrate this eve.” Felix smiled wide as his gaze landed on Jisung. He was dressed in finery befitting one seeking to court a lover among the gentry, his waist length silver hair crowned with delicate swooping braids decorated in gold threads and strings of emeralds. “I’m pleased to find you here. I must admit, I had doubted my invitation would be answered.”

Jisung laughed, the sound bubbling up like the fizz of his drink. “True as it may be that I was hesitant, I found your offer to be worthwhile.” He rocked on his heels, leaning in a little closer and dropping his voice to speak more candidly. “You were right to suggest that alliances are well suited for all, myself included, and I find an alliance with you would be much to my taste.” A pause. “Or perhaps friendship would be a better word.”

Felix nodded, finishing his drink before setting the empty glass aside. “I’m glad to hear it, friend.” He slipped a hand into the crook of Jisung’s arm, linking them together to navigate the crowd. “Worry not, I have not forgotten the other term of your attendance. Though, I do suggest we speak of it another time. For now, I would like you to meet the reason for this revel: my beloved.”

Jisung let himself be led, enjoying the ease with which his steps matched Felix’s own. “I have been curious.” He took another swig of his drink, the taste of rosewater coating his tongue. “What sort of being would garner the attention of someone such as yourself.”

“Ah, Ji, there is no need for such compliments, for I trust you mean that as such.” Felix flashed a wry smile, ducking out into the main hall where the music was a little less overbearing. “Though, I will confess that I find him to be the most enchanting being I’ve had the pleasure to know.” There was an echo of reverie in his voice that added a sparkle to his eyes when he came to a stop at a small collection of gentry. “Your grace.” He dipped into a half bow, taking Jisung with him. “I hope I am not interrupting something important.”

A tall man with long golden hair swept up from his striking face in a half ponytail turned to them and smiled. “Lix.” He made a dismissive motion with one hand, sending away his attendants without so much as a glance. “One might have mistaken this revel’s purpose by your absence at my side.” His amber gaze flicked curiously over Jisung’s frame, assessing with the sort of subtle contempt high fey often held for those they deemed beneath them. “What companion have you brought with you?”

Jisung slipped free of Felix’s hold, putting a small but respectable distance between them. He was too drunk to feel the bitterness he would have otherwise to be regarded in such a way, instead giving a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I am merely a friend, your grace.”

Felix giggled, his own smile blinding bright and his tone full of mirth. “Jinni, this is Ji. I had hoped to introduce you two this evening as he resides on the fringe of your lands ironside.” He moved to stand with Hyunjin, rising on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I think you two would find yourselves in good company together.”

“Oh?” Hyunjin slid an arm around Felix’s waist, pulling him flush to his side with an aloof expression. “I do have an interest in the mortal realm. Perhaps we will have time to speak of it this night.”

Something about the way Hyunjin spoke made Jisung feel uneasy, like he was wandering into a spider’s web much like the pattern on Hyunjin’s hanbok. “My knowledge of the mortal realm is limited, but I am not opposed to speaking to that.”

Hyunjin arched a brow, his smile taking a more amicable edge. “Very well.” He turned his attention to Felix. “Perhaps we could enjoy a more private setting with your friend before the formalities draw our attention away.”

Felix nodded, looping one arm around Hyunjin’s waist and snagging Jisung with the other. “I think we will have luck with my parlor for that.” He drew them down the hall and into one of the rooms much deeper inside the home. It was, as promised, empty of guests, but no less appointed with libations. “Make yourselves comfortable and I shall pour us drinks.”

Jisung took a seat on an overstuffed chez lounge, body half draped over the single arm. He was pleasantly buzzed, somewhat mollified by Hyunjin’s softened demeanor and the lack of so many eyes and ears upon them. “What do you wish to know of the mortal realm, your grace?”

Hyunjin sunk into the couch opposite where Jisung sat, eyes trailing Felix as he carried a decanter of wine and three glasses to the low table between them. “Oh.” He laughed, regarding Jisung with an openness he’d lacked prior. “There’s no need for titles now. As much as I embody my birthright and keep up appearances, I find it far more pleasurable to have private company unburdened by such politics. As a friend of Lix, I am willing to allow a certain level of candor between us until it proves to be unwise.”

“Your drinks.” Felix had finished pouring while Hyunjin spoke, now passing the full glasses between the three of them before taking his place at Hyunjin’s side. “I’m glad that you’ve shed your gentry’s mask, Jinni.” He laughed, tone tongue in cheek. “It tends to make conversation stilted.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, smile belying his amusement. “If not for the mask, would you still find the promise of my hand so appealing?” He took a drink, expression and tone coy.

“Perhaps I would, perhaps I would not.” Felix met the look in kind, their volley of words carrying a level of familiarity that had Jisung on the outside looking in. “I know you only as you are, and I would not dare to think what butterfly wings would beat should you be different.”

Jisung downed half his drink in one steady swallow, using it as buffer to the conversation he clearly had no part in. It was odd how his chest ached with something he couldn’t quite place, but the warmth of the liquor did well to cover it up. His mind began to wander, conjuring the memory of his professor asleep at his desk unbidden. That deepened the ache briefly and the feeling was almost like longing.

“Ji?” Felix’s voice broke Jisung out of his fog. “Are you alright?”

“Oh.” Jisung looked down at his now empty glass and back up again at the pair, smile somewhat sheepish. “I am well enough, simply thinking.”

Both Hyunjin and Felix looked intrigued, Hyunjin leaning slightly forward to rest his chin in his large palm. “What could have so deeply consumed by your thoughts that you missed being addressed, I wonder.”

Jisung felt heat touch his cheeks from something other than social faux pas. “Nothing that would warrant comment here. My apologies for letting my attention stray from good company.”

Felix hummed, refilling all of their glasses again and settling more directly in Hyunjin’s lap. “I might wager a guess to what your mind may ruminate upon. However, I will spare you my observation for the sake of other topics. Most specifically, how it is that you failed to mention your connection to the neighboring court?”

“Pardon?” Jisung frowned, brows knit together with confusion. “I am unaware of ties to any court, outside the one we sit in now. And even thus, it is limited to those you already know.”

“Your siren friend, Inni.” Felix swirled the contents of his glass, not drinking at the same pace as either Jisung or Hyunjin were. “It seems he is cousin to the Court of Briars.”

“Ah, yes. Word spreads quickly, it seems.” Jisung nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “I had not known such to be the case before this evening. Those among the solitary do not speak so often of the courts in any regard.”

“I had planned to make a less formal acquaintance with the High Lord of Briars and his husband.” Hyunjin polished off his wine, refilling his glass again from the decanter. “On the assumption that the gossip has not spread across the borders, I had hopes to forge an alliance of like minded fey to offer free passage between borders both in terms of our courts and the mortal lands of the solitary beyond.” He paused, regarding Jisung with a narrowed gaze. “Perhaps you may also hold an opinion of that considering your solitary state.”

Jisung bit the inside of his cheek, letting the pain take the edge off his growing drunkenness. “My thoughts on such a matter would hardly carry weight, would they not?” It was a little less eloquent than he would have hoped, but he meant no real offense. “Pardon my candor, but my taste for court relations is much as my taste for revels: lacking.”

Hyunjin’s expression went strange for a moment, assessing. “Are you not the bastard son of gentry in a northern court?”

A wave of ice shot up Jisung’s spine at the comment, souring his mood as he downed the rest of his drink. “Gentry no longer. My father was killed for reasons beyond my desire to know and my ties to the northern lands died with him.” He refilled his glass, needing the buffer of liquor to quiet the growing unease at the shift in topic. “Again, I have little interest in the dealings of the courts.”

“Be that as it may, I might suggest taking an interest in them soon. There is much in our circles that reverberates outward.” Hyunjin relaxed in his seat, free hand resting on Felix’s thigh. “Rumor has it that the Court of Flowers looks to expand their territories, most specifically into mortal land just outside my own court’s borders.” His expression turned to one of polite concern. “That is where you make your residence, is it not?”

Again, Jisung felt a deep sense of disquiet. Yet, it wasn’t so much for himself as a particular mortal he had grown a secret attachment to. Were the mortal lands to fall prey to the advancements of faerie, there would be no guarantee of anyone’s safety. “How reliable is this rumor?” He kept his tone as aloof and even as he could manage, but judging by Felix’s widened eyes, he was giving away more than he wished.

“Far more reliable than I would like.” Hyunjin sighed, shaking his head. “It comes from one of my closest allies that I have posted as spy within the--” His words were cut short when the door to the study opened and a small group of folk entered.

“Oh.” Jeongin blinked owlishly, dipping his head in deference. “My apologies, I did not mean for us to interrupt a private meeting.”

“Inni.” Felix smiled, flicking his gaze between the four beings in the doorway. “Worry not, you and your companions are welcome to join us.” He motioned to the open seats in the room. “Please, we would be honored to host the High Lords of the Court of Briars.”

“Yes.” Hyunjin straightened his posture, the casual demeanor he had allowed between the smaller group traded for his courtly affect. “I had hoped to find time to speak with you this evening, Lord Vernon.”

Vernon arched a curious brow, hand on the small of his husband’s back. “Me?” He laughed, the sound warm and boyish in a way that was rather unfitting a man of his position. “I do hope that it isn’t a matter of politics. Boo and I are here in a social capacity.”

“Of course.” Hyunjin smiled. “I wouldn’t wish to muddy the fun of a revel in my honor with such things. We have plans for such talk in due time, after all. Please, do join us.”

Seungkwan moved with Vernon to take a seat in a large arm chair atop Vernon’s lap. “Since we have not all been formally introduced, I suppose it would be best for me to do so.” Seungkwan returned Hyunjin’s smile, the glittery scales on his round cheeks sparkling in the lamplight. “You may call me Boo. My cousin Inni has spoken highly of this revel’s host.” His gaze moved to where Felix was gathering a fresh decanter of wine and several glasses from the side bar. “Your home is very lovely, Lix.”

Felix’s freckled cheeks tinted pink at the compliment as he poured the added guests their wine. “Thank you, your grace.” He took his place beside Hyunjin again, far more formal than his usual state. “I am honored to have your presence here, both of you.” He nodded to Seungkwan and Vernon in kind.

“Please.” Vernon slipped an arm around Seungkwan’s waist, hooking his chin over his husband’s shoulder. “Can we speak casually with one another? Half the reason we looked for some place quiet to sit was to speak freely.” He gave a lopsided grin, the gesture and manner of speech decidedly mortal in nature.

Jisung turned his attention to Vernon properly then, scooting over to give room for Jeongin and Changbin to sit beside him on the chez lounge. He was curious, noting the more rounded point to Vernon’s ears and the state of his attire. It was far less grand than the rest of those in attendance, even Jisung’s own more modest clothing, and it was only after a beat of consideration that he realized it was because Vernon’s fashion wasn’t faerie but mortal. For some reason, it was a source of comfort.

“I’ve been telling Boo and Lord Vernon about courting rites.” Jeongin sipped at his drink, body draped over Changbin’s shoulder like a second skin. “Their betrothal was non-traditional and neither of them have been privy to a revel such as this.”

“Really?” Felix sounded surprised. “I would have thought that marriage to a High Lord would require a rather rigorous quest of love.”

Seungkwan scoffed, the sound amused rather than derisive. “Neither of us care for such things. As I’m sure you know, I am not of the high fey and Vernon is hardly familiar with traditions.” There was a fondness to his tone mirrored by the way he laced his webbed fingers with Vernon’s own. “Our betrothal and marriage was suited to our needs and nothing more.”

“As it should be.” Hyunjin nodded, looking to Felix with an expression that held the stars. “I must admit that is a rather romantic way to go about things. However.” He turned his attention back to the group, smile tinged in a touch of guilt. “I have a bit of a flair for dramatics and any excuse for a good revel suits myself and my lover well.”

Felix laughed, nodding. “Yes. It was not as much tradition, considering my own tainted lineage, but the fun of it.”

Jisung let the conversation fade away as he nursed his drink. It wasn’t that he lacked an interest in his companions, but that the topic was so far beyond something he could relate to. Everyone else in the room had found their own form of love in different ways and he had never held such a feeling for someone. And yet, once again, the image of his sleeping professor came to mind and with it the ache of longing in his chest. Perhaps his infatuation with the pretty mortal was more than just curiosity or observation.

“You seem troubled.” Changbin’s voice was pitched low so only Jisung would heard it. “If you find the mix of company distasteful, I can help with an excuse to leave.”

While Jisung was grateful for the out, he shook his head. “I was simply thinking.” He offered a soft smile, downing his drink for the umpteenth time that evening with no intentions to slow down. “Tell me, Bin, what does love feel like?”

Changbin tilted his head, brows knitting in consideration. “A heavy topic for a revel, but perhaps the nature of it would encourage such thoughts.” He looked to Jeongin who was in the middle of an animated discussion between Felix and Seungkwan. “Love is… a personal thing. I cannot speak for anyone but myself in this, but in my case, love is like a river so deep and wide that it cannot be crossed on foot with a current that could sweep even the strongest swimmer along.” He smiled in a way that flashed his overly sharp teeth. “I often hear it spoken of like drowning, however, my enjoyment of that may differ from your own.”

Jisung nodded, mulling over Changbin’s words. “While we do differ in our opinion of drowning, I think I understand your meaning all the same.” He paused, watching as Hyunjin and Vernon laughed over something he didn’t hear. “It seems like something one only knows when they find it.”

“Yes.” Changbin knocked back his drink, leaning forward to set the empty glass on the low center table. “Songs and sonnets can only take you so far. To know love intimately is to experience it firsthand.”

“Love?” Felix turned his cat eyes onto Jisung with a knowing shrewdness. “Has someone caught your eye, Ji?”

Jeongin shifted in his seat to look at Jisung with the rest of the group. “When we spoke before, you said there was not someone of interest herein. Has that changed since?”

“No.” Jisung shook his head, gripping the stem of his glass a little too hard. “It has not.”

”Oh.” Jeongin’s gaze narrowed to thin slits as his smile grew wide and somewhat predatory. “Not here but somewhere else.” He leaned over Changbin, invading Jisung’s space. “Who is it that has caught our dear friend’s eye, I wonder…”

“Perhaps such a conversation is not meant for mixed company.” Seungkwan spoke with an air of regal command to his tone, quickly garnering the attention of the room and giving Jisung a moment to recover. “Matters of the heart are private for many. I wouldn’t wish to push someone for answers on such a topic, especially when our good host was about to begin the ceremonies for the evening.”

Jisung was glad to have the backing of a lord of the Court of Briars in this scenario, his heart beating fast in his chest. He took a moment to breathe, steadying his mind against the churning storm that had started to brew. It was difficult to place why he was so agitated when it came to this topic, but the burden of truth brought a level of fear in trying to deny an attachment he couldn’t parse with himself.

“Yes.” Felix stood, offering his hand to Hyunjin so he could do the same. “Shall we return to the festivities proper and get on with this evening’s main event?” He waited for the others to stand before making his way to the door, procession in toe.

“I did not mean to offend with my considerations, my friend.” Jeongin spoke close to Jisung’s ear as they made their way through the hall toward the ballroom. “Curiosity got the better of me.”

“You were not out of turn.” Jisung offered Jeongin a small smile, placing a hand on his scaled arm. “Perhaps I will call on you and Bin another time to speak on matters of the heart.”

When the entourage entered the ballroom, the crowd parted to give them space, speaking in hushed whispers along the fringes. The music too was quieted, offering an almost eerie ambience to the room. 

Felix and Hyunjin stepped up onto the modest stage as the minstrels moved aside, turning to face the crowd. “To all in attendance, I wish to express my delight in your participation in this rite of courtship.” Hyunjin’s voice was clear and commanding of attention, hushing the folk to complete silence. “It has been many centuries since last the Court of Gold participated in a courting rite and I am honored to carry on the legacy of my predecessors. As you all surely know by now, the good host of this revel is to be my betrothed.” He nodded to Felix who gave a bow of his head. “It is also common knowledge that Lix is the son of a former gentry fallen to ill repute and driven from his lands.” A murmur broke out over the crowd but Hyunjin’s sharp gaze quelled it quickly. “I will issue a command as crown prince of the Court of Gold that none within our rule shall be permitted to question the bloodright bestowed upon my beloved. To those outside the court’s rule, I warn you this: should you find yourselves harboring similar inclinations, neither myself or my guards will take it lightly.”

Jisung tucked himself further into the throng of bodies near the stage, hoping to remain unnoticed. It wasn’t that he had fear of Hyunjin or Felix, but that he could feel the weight of eyes upon him. Lacking the same station as the others present and to still be given such a proximity to a crown prince and the High Lords of Briars was a recipe for disaster. He grabbed a glass of silverwine from a table at the far edge of the stage, knocking back half the contents with one swallow.

“Now, with the less pretty matters out of the way, we can begin the rite.” Hyunjin turned to face Felix directly, their silver and gold states looking like a perfectly matched pair. “Felix of the Silver Coast, I formally address your intentions in this revel.”

“Prince Hyunjin, heir to the Court of Gold, I come to you as a humble suitor for your hand in marriage.” Felix sunk to one knee, gaze tilted upward toward Hyunjin’s face. “I ask of you a quest to prove the depth of my love and my commitment to you eternal.”

Jisung’s head began to swim, the room spinning with a surge of vertigo. He blinked to try to clear it, but the feeling lingered as he struggled to focus on the exchange.

“Your love for me I do not doubt, but tradition upholds this right of proof.” Hyunjin tucked a silver lock of hair behind Felix’s slender pointed ear in a show of open affection. “I set your quest as this, that we may be bound together upon its completion for this lifetime and the next. Bring me a flower that stands the test of time, that blooms through summer heat and winter frost but never loses its beauty.”

A collection of gasps came from the crowd, but Jisung hardly heard them. He swayed on his feet, falling back against the edge of a small bar to clutch his head. The room was properly spinning now and his body felt weak and heavy in a way that didn’t come from liquor alone. His vision spotted and blurred as a wave of nausea passed over him and an unfamiliar voice touched his ear.

“Meddlesome little creature.” The voice was low and almost serpentine, backed in a dark hiss of acrid breath. “There are consequences for touching things not meant for you.”

Jisung tried to find the source of the sound, but every tiny movement felt like he was wading through chest high sludge. “Who are you?” His words were slurred and distant to his own ears, the only thing he was able to perceive clearly that terrible voice.

“For ruining my plans, I will bestow upon you the curse intended for another.” The voice almost cooed as magic wrapped like iron shackles around Jisung’s body. “I curse you with a lover’s burden, that flowers may grow inside your chest as long as you lack a mortal’s love, until their pretty petals suffocate you or they are gifted to your mortal lover in your stead, for only mortals can know death as flowers do.”

Jisung gasped as the curse took hold, clutching at his chest. He could feel the weaving of roots between his ribs, along the walls of his lungs, and around his beating heart. His voice was robbed of him, his tongue thick and dry as cotton.

“Ji?” Changbin’s voice cut through the creeping suffocation as he placed a firm hand on Jisung’s arm. “Are you alright? You look pale.”

Jisung shook his head, dropping the glass he was holding so it shattered on the floor to cling to Changbin like an anchor. “Poison.” The word felt heavy and stilted on his tongue as his vision slowly came back into focus. “Cursed.” It was the only small turn of luck that whatever being had spited him did not place the burden of silence on him with it.

“What?” Changbin growled the word, gathering Jisung into his arms and herding him toward the hall. “Inni--” He called over his shoulder. “Get Lix.”

Jisung let himself be carried back to the parlor they had found refuge in before and laid down against the chez lounge. His head was pounding with his quickened pulse, and his movements were still sluggish and stiff. “It wasn’t meant for me.” He swallowed, forcing himself to hold Changbin’s worried gaze. “Someone was trying to-- I think they were trying to get to the court.”

“Shh…” Changbin smoothed the sweat damp hair back from Jisung’s face with clawed fingers, expression grim. “We’ll sound the alarm, but if anyone was fool enough to plan an attack, they would have left before you were found.” His jaw clenched with caged anger, gaze dark as the deepest brackish river.

“What happened?” Felix sounded panicked, barging into the room with a slam of the door and Jeongin on his heels. He rushed to Jisung’s side, taking a seat beside Changbin with a worried look. “Talk to me, Ji.”

Jisung opened his mouth to speak, but the air in his lungs felt too thin. Instead of sound, he only managed a cough that tasted metallic and strange, like blood and something earthy he couldn’t identify.

“He was poisoned.” Changbin kept a hand on Jisung, body canted to play a physical buffer to Felix. “And cursed, apparently, though I have yet to get the details of either.” His tone was clipped and short, the simmering rage beneath it barely held in check. “There should have been guards here.”

Felix shot Changbin a narrowed glare before turning his attention to Jisung again. “It seems my debt to you becomes doubled in my oversight. I had not planned for this event to garner the attention of those that might wish to cause harm.” His tone was sincere as he reached careful fingertips for Jisung’s face. He hesitated, looking to Changbin with a raised brow. “Will you trust me to examine him?”

Changbin’s lip curled, showing his sharp teeth in a snarl with no sound. “If you give the three of us your binding word that you will not hasten the severing of your debts with the release of Ji’s death.”

“Bin.” Jeongin placed a hand on Changbin’s thigh from where he was perched on the edge of the coffee table. “There is no reason for us to distrust Lix’s intentions here.”

“I give you my word that I will not hasten his death by action or inaction. I offer only my aid.” Felix spoke clear and firm, the weight of the promise settling over the room.

“I accept your word.” Changbin moved down the chez to give Felix room.

Felix turned back to Jisung, his voice soothing and calm. “Can you speak?”

Jisung nodded, the act making the room spin in a dizzy spell. “Yes.” He struggled to get his voice to hold, but pushed through it. “My chest feels-- too tight.” His fingers fumbled with the ribbon on his corset and Changbin quickly brushed them aside to slice clean through with his claws. Immediately air flooded Jisung’s lungs in a rush, making him see stars with the force of finally taking in a full breath. He could still feel the roots in his lungs digging deeper, but it was more a distant thing than something immediately dire.

“Better?” Felix gently pushed the corset off Jisung’s frame. “Can you tell me what sort of poison it was? Who did this to you?”

“No.” Jisung closed his eyes, trying to clear his head. “I think it might have been the wine by the stage. It made me feel strange, dizzy, and it wasn’t until I drank it that the voice came.” He swallowed, opening his eyes again to look at Felix. “The poison wasn’t meant for me, that’s what the voice said, and neither was the curse.”

“Did they say who the poison was intended for?” Felix flicked his gaze over Jisung’s prone body, assessing. “Or why?” He slipped his fingertips beneath the collar of Jisung’s shirt against his skin, exploratory magic radiating outward.

“A lover’s burden.” Jisung tried to piece the memory back together, mind clouded with his hazy state at the time. “A lover’s burden of flowers.”

“A lover’s burden of flowers?” Jeongin tilted his head curiously, brows furrowed. “The prince’s quest of courtship for Lix is a burden of flowers, in a way.”

Felix hummed, massaging his fingertips firmly against Jisung’s chest and earning a stilted cough. “I would think the curse was intended for me, or Jinni for that matter. Though I doubt anyone was privy to the nature of my quest prior to the announcement this evening.” He pressed his palm flat against Jisung’s skin, pouring heated magic into that point of contact. “It would not be unreasonable to think such a choice would come from the Court of Flowers.”

“Speaking of the prince.” Changbin kept careful watch over Felix’s movements and Jisung’s labored breathing as he spoke, gaze dark with worry. “Why isn’t he here?”

“The rite.” Jeongin sighed. “Lix can’t have an audience with him in any form until the quest is complete. It’s archaic, but so is the entire thing.” There was a hint of distaste in his tone, but it didn’t seem directed at anyone in particular as much as the concept itself.

“Archaic as it may be, I am bound by it.” Felix moved his hand up Jisung’s chest and throat until he coaxed an undulating sphere of greenish liquid out of a sputtering Jisung’s mouth. “There.” He kept the liquid suspended in a casing of magic as he reached for an empty glass from the table to drop it into. “I’ve removed the remaining poison from your stomach, so you should start to feel better soon.”

Jisung took a few shaky breaths with a chest that still felt awkwardly tight before slowly sitting upright. “Thank you.” He offered a weak smile to Felix who returned it. “I suppose that is one debt paid between us.” Though he tried to laugh at his tongue in cheek remark, it came out in a wet cough that misted the palm he used to cover his mouth with blood.

“If you wish to call it such, I will not protest, but there is still another debt of oversight owed.” Felix pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the mess in Jisung’s palm. “Now, there is still the matter of your curse to discuss.”

Jisung nodded, wiping his hands clean and pushing the hair out of his face. “I remember it better now, what the voice said.” He swallowed thickly, the liquor in his system still leaving a tingling in his limbs and a fuzzy edge to his mind. “A lover’s burden of flowers, that they may grow inside my chest until I suffocate or earn a mortal’s love and… gift them the flowers in my stead.” A deep unsettling quiet cloaked the room, making the weight in Jisung’s chest feel heavier with it.

“Why a mortal?” Changbin frowned, arms crossed over his chest. “That seems a rather deliberate choice, but I doubt one intending to curse Lix or the prince would have known you reside in mortal lands.”

“Only mortals know death as flowers do.” Jisung repeated what the voice had said, a shiver coursing down his spine. “I think it was merely a cruel mockery.”

“It should be simple to earn a mortal’s love. They are easy to encha--” Jeongin cut himself short, pressing his lips together into a thin line. “Perhaps it will not count enchanted love as worthy, for it isn’t love at all but a glamoured mind. Further still, I know you well enough to understand that such a thing would not be your taste, Ji.” He sighed, slumping forward with forearms braced on his thighs. “That doesn’t even begin to touch on the other part… Gifting your mortal lover the flowers in your stead.”

“There is always a way to bend a curse until it breaks.” Felix spoke with finite assurance, giving Jisung’s arm a comforting squeeze. “We all know well that the folk speak in absolutes as do curses. Perhaps you need only give a mortal lover the flowers you grow.”

Jisung considered that for a moment, but shook his head. “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t know how to get them out, and more so if a gift alone would satisfy the curse. ‘In my stead’ seems like a trade.” 

“Perhaps, but is it not worth trying?” Felix paused, expression contemplative before he spoke again. “I think you may already have a mortal well suited for you.”

At Felix’s comment, Jisung’s mind conjured an image of his professor and with it thoughts of what it might be like to earn his love. The mere idea sparked a sensation of butterflies in his stomach that seemed to quiet the growing vines in his chest. But as pretty of a dream as it was, the latter stipulation of the curse gave him pause. If it were not as simple as offering the flowers from his lungs as a gift, if he would instead gift the whole of the curse, he couldn’t stomach it. “Not him.” He didn’t meet Felix’s eyes, but his tone was firm.

“Him?” Changbin’s gaze was sharp as his tone. “Are you involved with a mortal?”

Jisung felt a jolt of panic at that. “No-- We aren’t involved.” He tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves, nervous even among friends. “I’ve been… observing a mortal for some time, but we haven’t spoken to one another.” The matter of the gifted earring wasn’t a detail he wished to share, but he couldn’t help the way his fingers touched his bare earlobe at the memory. “Perhaps I harbor some sort of infatuation, but nothing that would make me wish to entangle him in this.”

Changbin looked at Jisung for a long moment in silence before shaking his head. “I do not wish to be so cruel, Ji, but it is already a damning of your heart to hold affection for a mortal. Their lives are so fleeting…” There was a weight of sadness beneath his tone, gentle in a way he only ever was with Jisung or Jeongin. “Would it be any more heartbreak to use him to lift your curse? He will die long before you either way.”

“I need not remind you that there are ways to prolong the lives of mortals in faerie so they will not wither as they would on ironside.” Felix’s tone was equal parts cautious and contemplative, his cat eyes narrowed on Jisung. “Perhaps it does little for your curse, but it may yet be something to remember when it comes to the mortal that has caught your eye.”

“Most means to keep mortals in faerie are less than ideal for the mortal.” Jeongin pushed the shag of hair back from his face, the two-toned strands mixing together to a steely gray. “Not to mention, that would require Jisung to reside on this side of the border and likely in lands controlled by a court. There is little unclaimed territory pleasantly habitable for mortals even when sustained by faerie magics.”

“Enough.” Jisung held up both hands to quell any protest that might stem from the rest of the group. “My prof-- The mortal I spoke of before is not a part of the matter at hand. As I told you already, I have no desire to drag him into this mess. It would be a cruelty beyond my rationale. Anything beyond the curse is irrelevant until I can break it.” The more he spoke of keeping Professor Lee out of matters, the more his lungs itched and ached with deeper roots and the tickle of freshly formed petals. It was starting to become a familiar sensation, but markedly unpleasant.

“Very well.” Felix seemed unconvinced of Jisung’s resolution, but nodded all the same. “We will pursue a means to end your curse without ‘him’. That brings me to the next matter, one which I am reluctant to ask of you at a time such as this, but I am not afforded more luxury than you in terms of time.” He placed a gentle hand on Jisung’s knee, expression and tone earnest. “I ask of you a favor, knowing full well there is already a burden of debt between us to be paid.”

Changbin snorted, the smell of damp earth and river water thickening in the space. “You ask much of one so newly allied as friend, and still in a time when he is laid low. I think it speaks less of you than you may like.”

Jeongin shot Changbin an exasperated look. “Jagi.” His tone was laced in sweetness and backed in the echo of the rolling tide, not quite enchantment but close. “I think you may forget our own friendships. Lix is not one to pose such things lightly.” They shared a silent exchange with gaze alone before Changbin nodded and his posture relaxed.

“What is the favor you seek?” Jisung was wary of what Felix might ask, but curiosity got the better of him.

“Again, I understand the circumstances are not what I had hoped for, but I must ask anyway.” Felix sat back, folding his hands in his lap in a way that was uncharacteristically demure. “The quest I have been given tonight is finite. I am only allotted the passing of five full moons, and upon the eve of the sixth, I am to deliver the spoils of my journey or be forbade to see my lover again.” His expression turned grim, though he tried to push a smile through it. “While I understood that the task given would not be something paltry, I find myself at a loss at the extremity of it. I have not heard of a flower that blooms in all seasons and stands the test of time. It would be a great depth of kindness and debt earned thus if you were to allow me to accompany you in the mortal realm so I may seek the answer to my riddle of love there.”

Jisung hesitated, brows furrowed. “The mortal realm is one of constant decay. What leads you to think that something immortal would be found in such a place?”

Felix sighed. “I know not of such a thing in faerie, but I know my would-be betrothed. He would not give me an unsolvable riddle to prove my love.” His delicate fingers curled into fists so tight that his knuckles were cast in white. “I trust that Jinni would have found the answer prior to his command, and logic suggests if it is not in faerie, it must be ironside.”

“Alright.” Jisung wasn’t sure what made him agree to this absurdity so readily, but for all his hesitations in friendship with Felix, he couldn’t deny a sense of kinship between them with their shared cruel circumstance. “You are welcome at my home on ironside and I will grant you my accompaniment among mortals in search of your riddle’s answer.” He paused a moment, watching the way Felix’s eyes filled with genuine relief. “However, I do not offer this without conditions.”

Felix sucked in a sharp breath, bitting his bottom lip before giving a resolute nod. “Very well. I would expect no less, all things considered.”

Jisung took a stilted breath, backed in the shiver of tiny flower buds within his lungs. “You are not to harm any mortals on ironside, nor cast charms or glamours without dire need. Tricksters as we may be, mortals are not for our amusements and should be treated with kindness beyond the underhandedness used with folk.” He waited for Felix’s nod before he continued. “In addition, you will give me your word not to meddle in my affairs with mortals without my explicit request. As well intentioned as your thoughts may be, I do prefer to keep matters in my own control.”

“After all this, you still trust me so little?” Felix flashed a feline grin as he slipped from his seat down to one knee. “You have my word.”