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Vitiligo

Chapter 84: Epilogue

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

On the morning of the opening day of the Shifter Symposium Jeongin's blood was curdling in Hyunjin's stomach.

“You look like you haven't eaten for weeks,” Seungmin commented. He unbuttoned Hyunjin's trousers and pulled out his shirttails to tuck them in again, neater this time.

“I feel like I'm going to throw up,” Hyunjin answered.

Seungmin laid his warm hand gently over Hyunjin's stomach. “You'll be fine.”

“You don't know that!”

Seungmin turned Hyunjin towards him and straightened his tie. “Have I ever lied to you?” he teased. “You'll be fine. They always liked you better than me anyway.”

“Yeah, when I was a shifter,” Hyunjin grumbled. “Now I'm the enemy!”

“Are you still-” Jeongin huffed as he came back to the bedroom and found they still hadn't moved. “You are not the enemy, babe. My parents let me move in with Dad when I was 14, they are fine with vampires.”

“Ok, but Dad is a vampire that doesn't drink blood,” Hyunjin pointed out. “He's a gun without bullets, buldak ramen without seasoning. I bite you. I drink your blood every day.”

“And I enjoy it,” Jeongin replied loudly, putting an end to the argument. “I am a grown adult and I make my own choices. I said I would marry you and I will marry you, whether they approve of it or not.”

“Now I kinda want to marry him,” Seungmin muttered, absently trailing a hand down Hyunjin's arm.

“We are not getting into your daddy issues right now,” Jeongin snapped, still worked up from his outburst. “We need to leave.”

 

 

Lee Jieun was dressed to the nines when they arrived, her purple sheath dress glittering with precious stones. That wasn't too unusual for her- what was, was that she was awake and working at 9am.

“Hyunjin, Jeongin,” she greeted them at the door. “I've been waiting hours.”

“Sorry, Ma'am,” Hyunjin replied. It was easier than calling her out on such a blatant lie. “Does something need my attention?”

Some of their guests for the Symposium had arrived the night before but most would be driving or taking the KTX up that day for the opening dinner. The event wouldn't really begin until the following day.

Hyunjin hadn't received any demanding phones so he assumed things were still running smoothly.

“The tuna hasn't arrived for the starters.”

Hyunjin resisted the urge to sigh. “Ma'am. It's 9am, and we buy fresh caught from Busan. The market only opened two hours ago.”

“Not good enough, Hyung,” Jeongin said with a smile.

Hyunjin took a moment to half-heartedly glare at him. It wasn't really fair that Jeongin could get away with such behaviour in front of Lee Jieun but he managed to get everyone wrapped around his finger, Hyunjin's irritable boss included.

Thank you, Innie,” Lee Jieun said, smiling herself now. “I'm glad someone understands the stakes. You'll keep him on task for me?”

“Of course,” Jeongin replied, wrapping his arm around Hyunjin's elbow. “Leave it up to me.”

 

 

“Mum, Dad, can we speak privately?” Jeongin asked when his family arrived and they were called down to reception.

Hyunjin stood back as his family smothered him briefly but had no choice but to step forward when his parents left their luggage with the rest of the family and followed Jeongin to a secluded corner of the foyer. Hyunjin felt like there were lead weights tied around his ankles and his mouth was too dry to speak. Jeongin's mother noticed nearly immediately.

“Hyunjinnie, are you not well?” she asked, reaching out to touch his elbow.

Of course, they'd noticed.

“Ah, well.” Hyunjin reached up to pick at the white spot he knew was at the corner of his eye but that only drew attention to his hands. His pale fingers were even more of a stark indicator of change than his bloodless face and the mottled skin on the backs of his hands proved it wasn't just bad lighting.

“I, uh-” He dropped his hand and clasped it in front of himself like he was trained to in hospitality but it was too late. Their eyes were already drawn to it.

“Hyung was very ill earlier this year,” Jeongin said for him, reaching out to take Hyunjin's hand. “You've seen what happens to old squid, cuttlefish?” he said, directing his question at his dad.

“They go white..” his dad answered slowly. “But-”

“We looked for a cure,” Jeongin continued. “We asked experts all over the world.”

They had? Hyunjin didn't know about that.

“He died,” Jeongin said finally. “Complete organ failure. And he waited until the very last second to get venom so if you say anything about-”

“Oh, my child,” Jeongin's mum said softly, gently taking Hyunjin's hand and pulling him into a hug. “The world has not been fair to you.”

It had been so long since Hyunjin had been hugged by a mum and unexpectedly, he started tearing up at the genuine love he could feel being squeezed into him.

Jeongin's mum pulled away only when she heard him sniff and even then she kept one hand on his back while she dried his tears.

“There. Now, you're eating well? Not copying Bang Chan?”

Hyunjin nodded and then shook his head. “Jeongin,” he admitted embarrassedly. He was careful not to use the word source, just in case.

“Jeongin,” Jeongin's dad echoed, looking his son over with a critical eye.

“And Seungmin,” Jeongin added. “Bagged blood really wasn't working.” He pulled on Hyunjin's arm until he was back at his side. “We're not asking your opinion, we're just letting you know. This is what's happening. And, uh, speaking of letting you know- we're also getting married. You're invited… if, if you want to be.”

“Of course we want to be!” His mum exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder for suggesting such a thing. “Gosh, why do you never tell me things, Yang Jeongin?”

“I wanted to do it in person,” Jeongin mumbled and then it was his turn to be swept into a hug.

Don't,” Hyunjin warned sharply as Jeongin tensed the way he always did before he shifted.

Jeongin's dad laughed as he recognised the warning and eased his wife back by her shoulders. “Don't suffocate the boy. Congratulations,” he added to the pair of them. “I couldn't think of a better person for our Jeongin to spend his life with.”

“Seungmin will be there too,” Jeongin added hastily. “He doesn't want to make vows- he's actually going to officiate instead - but he's as much my partner as Hyung is. He always will be.”

“We'll get vows out of him yet,” Hyunjin said.

“Well, we’ll be expecting an invite for this wedding either way,” Jeongin’s mum said. “Have you made a guest list yet? Remember to invite your Aunt, and both grandparents- even if they can’t make it, it would be rude not to invite them. Is it Summer or Winter? Because-”

Mum,” Jeongin said exasperatedly. “Not right now. We’ve spent the last month planning the Symposium, not our wedding. Can’t you enjoy this first? I promise, I’ll keep you updated.”

“Alright,” she aquiested, fondly patting Jeongin on the cheek. “Is that the last of your secrets though?”

Jeongin stiffened.

“Yang Jeongin.”

“It’s a surprise for tonight,” Hyunjin cut in to save his fiance. “I might not have been at any of the other ones, but I can promise this year’s dinner will be the talk of the Symposium.”

 

 

Hyunjin stood in the shadows at the side of the hall as Lee Jieun stepped up to the podium to give the speech before dinner. It was her moment to shine in front of all of the most influential shifters in the country and she'd planned for this moment perhaps more than any other of the event. She was the picture of calm, controlled, in command. Hyunjin, meanwhile, had to wipe his sweaty hands on his suit trousers.

He had nothing to be nervous about. He only had to stand still and assist with waiting the tables if he was really needed. He wouldn't be needed though.

They were a high-end establishment and so dinner wasn't just dinner, it was a meticulously choreographed dance. The chefs had their timings down to the minute and wine was already being poured at every table as Lee Jieun started her speech. The wine was a distraction, as were the starters now coming out of the kitchen. So was the speech, to a degree, and only Hyunjin saw the shadow of a fox on the wall to the left of Jieun, with a large pair of pointed ears and a single fluffy tail, as more than just tasteful decoration. He didn't think any of the guests had even realised that the shadow was breathing.

The last few starters were placed down and the waiters hurried to the sides of the room so every guest would have a clear view. Jieun smiled as she reached the end of her speech, now holding everyone in rapt attention.

“From Hotel Del Luna, I would once again like to thank you all for coming all this way. I hope you enjoy your meal and of course, the Symposium. I'm sure this year… will be a memorable one.”

As she said her final words, the spotlight changed from the podium to Jeongin, highlighting his shadow in sharp contrast in the wall behind him as he spread his tails in a fan.

Gasps could be heard around the room as people counted to nine and realised the significance of what they were seeing. A Gumiho, a shift so difficult it was only a legend.

Jeongin held his position, only his tails swaying for a few seconds more, and then ran as Hyunjin opened the door for him to escape.

 

The door thudded shut behind them but even the thick oak couldn't hide the swell of chatter from the dining room. Jeongin had certainly made an impression.

“You're insane,” Hyunjin laughed as he watched Jeongin take a victory lap of the hall.

Jeongin yowled in agreement and sprinted off towards the foyer, scrabbling to find purchase on the marble with his claws.

Hyunjin really should stay until the end of dinner… but it was after six and he was returning to work the next morning at eight, and his dinner had just run off. Deciding he would find an excuse later, he jogged off after the fox before Lee Jieun could find him and give him another task.

 

The gumiho was nowhere to be found in the foyer but Seungmin stood by the front desk grinning and cradling his stomach, which was distended and writhing under his hoodie.

“Did it go well?” he asked as Hyunjin stepped into his space and leaned in for a kiss.

“Perfectly,” Hyunjin replied. “Did anyone see the monster?”

“Only me, sir,” the woman manning the desk spoke up with a smile. “I won't tell.”

“Much appreciated. Though if the boss asks, can you say we've gone home for the night? I'll be back for breakfast shift in the morning.”

She nodded and Hyunjin turned back to Seungmin and his fugative.

“Baby…”

Seungmin made a face as Jeongin reached up and forced his head through the hoodie's neck hole. Jeongin turned and stared at Hyunjin with his sharp brown eyes, his massive ears also springing free to hit Seungmin on the chin.

“Hi,” Hyunjin said with a laugh. “Could we manage either a human body or something that doesn't make our trip home look like a bad remake of Alien?”

“Just do the rat,” Seungmin said, pushing Jeongin back inside his hoodie.

The wriggling mass suddenly got small and then Seungmin yelped before a rat ran down his leg.

Hyunjin caught it at his knee and held the offending creature up to eye level.

Besides the cleanliness of its coat, there was one glaringly obvious hint that this was no ordinary rat. The tag chain was easy to miss, and even the second chain around it's neck could be unnoticed. The diamond ring hanging from the second chain however… not something you saw on most rats.

As Hyunjin wrapped his hand around the chain it expanded to human size and he pulled it over the rat's head, handing it off to Seungmin.

Jeongin squealed indignantly.

“Punishment for biting,” Hyunjin told him. “Only I do the biting.”

Seungmin laughed. “Not even slightly true, babe.”

He'd expertly taken the engagement ring off of the chain to put onto his ring finger. For someone who didn't like marriage, he spent a lot of time wearing the promise of one.

Seungmin tucked the chain into his pocket. “What's for dinner?”

“You.”

He got an eye roll for that and Jeongin stolen back off of him.

“What are we having for dinner?” Seungmin asked the rat, turning to walk out of the hotel with him.

Jeongin's squeak said samgyeopsal but Seungmin wouldn't know that.

“I disagree,” he told the rat anyway. “Kimchi jjigae.”

Jeongin's next squeak was rather explicit.

“Does he not want kimchi jjigae?” Seungmin asked Hyunjin innocently as they stepped out into the cool night.

“He said he was going to bite your balls off,” Hyunjin relayed. He put Jeongin in his breast pocket and took Seungmin's hand. “Why don't we all have curry?”

“You're eating curry too?” Seungmin asked.

“Among other things!” Hyunjin said defensively. “Can't a vampire have a little treat on a Friday night?”

“A vampire can,” Seungmin laughed. “A vampire can have whatever the fuck he wants.”

Notes:

It's finished. I'm finished. Thanks. Bye.

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