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Wooyoung had a habit of getting into trouble.
Not that he wanted to, but it just sort of happened. He had lived way too long as a raccoon, thus making entering towns difficult. He couldn’t work, because they always asked for experience and he had none. As a human, he was pretty scrawny so he couldn’t do the heavy lifting. And he never really learned how to read or write, so he was no help there.
He had mostly stuck around this town due to an older lady who had lived in the cottage outside town. She was nice, she had called him Squeaky and fed him when he snuck up on her porch. But she passed away a few months back, and the house had been empty since, so now Wooyoung was without the means to get food the honest way.
His last resort was to sneak into town and steal food. That worked for about a week before townsfolk got tired of him. After another week of townsfolk actively trying to scare him off, they sent a hunter after him.
Bloodied, bruised and maybe a broken bone later, Wooyoung limped to the old lady’s house. No one had been there since she passed, except her relatives when they cleaned it out, but he figured it was the best place for him now. Maybe he could recover there and then leave this town behind.
He got me good , Wooyoung thought as he struggled up the porch of the house. He was still bleeding a little. He let out a whimper as pain shot through him. As he reached his destination and the adrenaline left him, the pain was catching up. It felt like something was pushing on his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He trailed blood after him as he went and he winced a little. The old lady would have been so mad at him.
But she’s gone now… a little voice in his head said. He let out a pathetic whimper as he curled up in a ball. Maybe sleeping would make the pain go away, or just put an end to this suffering.
A creaking noise caused his ear to twitch and he perked up. The door to the house opened.
What? Is someone here?
A young man stepped out on the porch, cup in hand. Gentle smoke curled from the cup into the brisk autumn air, and Wooyoung gave a little sniff. Tea. Comforting. The young man had a handsome round face, with a sharp nose, wide eyes and a birthmark on the side of his eyes. He looked out over the forest, then down at the porch and the trail of dirt and blood Wooyoung had created. Then his eyes fell on Wooyoung.
Wooyoung panicked. Who was this person? What if he hurt Wooyoung too? He scrambled back on his paws and moved back. Then he hit the fence of the porch. Of course he had curled up in the corner with the closed fence.
He was going to be hurt even more.
He let out a growl to warn the stranger. Maybe it sounded a bit wheezy and strangled and not as intimidating as he would have hoped for.
“Hey buddy,” the young man said softly as he took a step towards Wooyoung. He placed his cup away and held out his hands. “I won’t hurt you.”
Wooyoung let out another little growl.
The man didn’t seem fazed at all. “I just want to help you,” he said. His voice was soft and gentle. Wooyoung wanted to believe him, but except the old woman, all humans tried to hurt him. The man reached out a hand to Wooyoung, but paused mid-way as if to give Wooyoung space. “You’re hurt.”
A moment passed where they just looked at each other. Then Wooyoung stretched out his neck to sniff the man’s hand.
Tea. Herbs. Spices…
Magic.
Wooyoung snapped his head up to look at the witch in front of him. His little heart was racing. A witch stood in front of him, offering a hand. If he was in human shape, he may have cried. He had not met someone with magic for ages.
Someone who might understand him in better ways than mundane humans could.
He moved a little, whining as the movement irritated the large cut on his side. Standing on his back paws, he took the man’s hand with his front paw and tried to round his eyes in a pleading look.
“Alright buddy, I get it,” the witch said, reaching out to pet Wooyoung on the head. His hand was gentle, and Wooyoung could have cried. No one had been this gentle with him since the old lady passed. “Can I pick you up? I want to have a look at that injury.”
Wooyoung simply tilted his head, but did not protest as the witch picked him up. He was immediately whisked away into the witch’s home.
It was dark inside, the walls dark wood and the curtains dark green. But it was lit up by lamps and candles that seemed to be conjured by magic.
The house itself couldn’t have more than three rooms. From the large room they entered immediately from the outside, Wooyoung could see a little sleeping nook, a dark purple curtain covering half the bed from view. There was a fireplace and a stereotypical cauldron standing beside. In the far corner, beside a reading chair, there was a nest of some sort. It looked like a bird's nest, but made of fabric.
Wooyoung sniffed in the air, trying to see if he could discern what animal dwelled in the little nest, but he couldn’t smell anything distinct due to all the various smells in the small cottage. It smelled of tea, herbs, earth and magic.
“I have a little sparrow and a squirrel living inside right now,” the witch explained as he placed Wooyoung on the table. Wooyoung grimaced at the thought of dirtying the witch’s dining table, but the witch didn’t seem to mind at all. “I’m going to look at the injury now,” he continued.
As he began to examine Wooyoung, he began to talk about everything and nothing at all.
“The sparrow broke a wing, and the little squirrel refused to leave his side. So I took them both in and they’re staying here while the sparrow recovers.” He stroked a gentle finger over Wooyoung’s head. “I named them Piff and Puff,” he continued, humor in his tone.
The distraction worked. Wooyoung didn’t even notice that the witch had finished inspecting his broken leg. With a swift move, the witch re-set the bones and before Wooyoung could thrash and scream, warmth flooded his little body. With increasingly heavy eyes, Wooyoung looked up at the witch.
“I’m sorry,” he said, warmth rolling off him in waves as his magic coursed through Wooyoung. “I had to fix the bone before I could heal it.”
Wooyoung blinked, his eyes too heavy and mind growing muddled.
“You’ll feel better soon, I promise.”
After that, Wooyoung’s world went dark and he fell into a peaceful slumber.
—
When he woke up again, he was laying in his own little nest made of blankets and close to the fireplace. There was a fire going, providing him warmth and a gentle crackling ambiance. It was peaceful. Wooyoung stretched in the nest, letting out a yelp as a sharp pain shot through him.
“Hey chum,” the witch said, appearing out of nowhere. He sat down on his knees beside Wooyoung with a ceramic bowl in his hands. Wooyoung sniffed curiously in the air, only for his stomach to rumble like thunder when he realized it was food in the bowl.
Maybe he should feel embarrassed by the way he wolfed down the food like a barbarian but he was too hungry to care. As he stuffed his face with his little paws, he realized that the food he was given was very light and while filling, it was nowhere near what he usually ate when he finally found food.
“You should be careful, little guy,” the witch said as he brushed a finger over Wooyoung’s head. Wooyoung paused to look up at him. “You’re skin and bones.” Wooyoung blinked. “Your stomach is going to be all icky if you eat too much at once.”
That made something twist within Wooyoung. The witch actually cared and made him a light meal to make sure he didn’t feel sick.
Pushing the ceramic bowl to the side, Wooyoung crept up to the witch. He looked at him for a moment, eyes wide, before he crawled up into the witch’s lap.
The witch paused as Wooyoung curled up, letting out a little rumbling sound. But soon, a hand found its way to Wooyoung and began to gently pet him. It was nice.
“You need to rest a lot,” the witch said, his voice already distant as Wooyoung began to drift back to sleep. “Regain all the strength.”
Wooyoung fumbled around with his tiny paws before he found what he looked for, the witch’s hand. He pressed his nose against the witch’s fingers. He was too weak to shift, and honestly, he didn’t really want to shift anyway, so now he had to figure out a way to thank the witch. This was the best way his sleep muddled brain could think of.
“You’re welcome, chum,” the witch said with a bright smile. “Now, rest.”
—
Wooyoung fell into a routine. The witch introduced himself as Yeosang and he took to calling Wooyoung “chum”. During most days, Wooyoung woke up, ate breakfast with Yeosang (Yeosang let him sit on the table and gave him his own little plate!) and then he mostly just followed Yeosang around. If Yeosang walked slower when Wooyoung followed him, to not irritate his leg, he didn’t say anything and Wooyoung pretended he didn’t notice it.
Sometimes Yeosang left to go into town to get more supplies, and during those times, Wooyoung stayed behind. He refused to go back.
He observed the witch, and how he interacted with everything around him. Sometimes it felt like Yeosang knew what Wooyoung was, and that scared Wooyoung. But then he watched Yeosang interact with Piff and Puff, treating them just the same as Wooyoung.
And he wasn’t the only animal strolling around. He noticed multiple cats and sometimes even a stray dog wandering around.
Once, a deer had strolled up to the house and fearlessly approached Yeosang. Wooyoung had just watched, intrigued. Most animals approached witches easier than regular humans, yes, but there was usually some caution still there. This deer was so fearless that Wooyoung couldn’t help but wonder.
What was Yeosang?
“I helped her before,” Yeosang said softly, brushing a finger over Wooyoung’s fur as they watched the deer return into the forest again. “She had gotten stuck in some discarded net and gotten some scratches. I helped her and treated her,” he explained, his eyes flickering over to the little nest where Piff and Puff were curled up. Something tugged at the corners of Yeosang’s lips. “What can I say? I like helping animals.”
That’s why there’s so many strays, Wooyoung thought as he wormed his way into Yeosang’s lap, nosing at Yeosang’s hand to get him to pet his head.
“They all come and go as they please,” Yeosang continued, as if replying to Wooyoung’s thoughts. Wooyoung paused and looked at Yeosang, blinking. “I would never force someone to stay, but I will always greet them when they return.”
Wooyoung’s heart twisted and he buried his nose in Yeosang’s shirt.
“My door is always open for you too, chum,” he said, running a hand over the fur on Wooyoung’s back. Wooyoung didn’t look up.
What if I don’t want to leave?
—
Sometimes Yeosang was sad. He didn’t tell Wooyoung much, nor did he show much outward emotions when he was down. But after a while, Wooyoung could just tell.
Sometimes Yeosang spent the day offering Wooyoung and the other animals strained smiles and did not speak to them much, only to return to his bed in the evening and cry his heart out.
Wooyoung hated those days.
He never understood why Yeosang was so sad, but he wanted to make it better.
—
As days dragged into weeks, Wooyoung realized he really did not want to leave. He had found a cozy place with a comfortable pace of life here. He watched animals come and go. He watched Yeosang care for each and everyone of them. Every animal had a choice and they always stayed as long as they needed. Then they left, and Yeosang simply smiled.
But he never asked Wooyoung to leave.
Soon weeks turned into months.
Wooyoung felt at home. He even got his own little bed, just below Yeosang’s little sleeping nook. But more often than not, he found himself curled up on top of Yeosang’s covers.
But with each passing day, the guilt of keeping his biggest secret, his true identity from Yeosang, grew. Would Yeosang force him to leave once it was revealed? Surely he couldn’t like Wooyoung, the shapeshifter, as much as he liked Chum, the raccoon.
So, Wooyoung remained hidden; like a coward.
—
Yeosang had a witch friend he was close to. His name was San and he had a familiar named Yunho. Yeosang had spoken of them before, but Wooyoung had never met them.
“San lives in quite a big city,” Yeosang had explained. “He actually lives in the actual city and helps to treat the sick with his potions.”
Wooyoung blinked. It was rare for human communities to accept the magic, so to hear of a witch living among humans openly was odd. Especially since most of Wooyoung’s experience with humans was terrible.
“I used to live in the city,” Yeosang said once when he was washing off vegetables. Wooyoung had gotten some slices of apples to eat. He washed them diligently beside Yeosang before munching on them. “I worked at an apothecary.” He laughed. “I like the city, everyone there is very nice.”
Wooyoung looked up from his apples. That sounded like a lie. Regular humans were never nice.
“They were nicer there to us magic folk than the people here are,” Yeosang clarified.
Wooyoung blinked. Us magic people? Did Yeosang..? Wooyoung felt something akin to panic creep up on him. Did Yeosang know? He had to know, surely. He was a witch. He could probably smell the magic the same way that Wooyoung could smell magic lingering on Yeosang’s skin.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you all that,” Yeosang said, snapping Wooyoung out of his chaotic mind. “You don’t have to worry about any of that.” He sounded sad, his voice somber; like on the sad days.
Wooyoung let out a little chitter, padding over to nose at Yeosang’s wet hand.
“You’re a great little moodmaker, you know that?” Yeosang asked fondly, poking Wooyoung’s nose with a wet hand. Wooyoung let out a huff like sneeze, just to make Yeosang laugh. He liked when Yeosang laughed. “San and Yunho are going to adore you.”
Wooyoung rubbed his head against Yeosang’s hand. He didn’t care much about what San or Yunho would think about him. Yeosang was the most important to him.
—
Choi San had an imposing frame but the moment he smiled, his whole demeanor softened and Wooyoung could tell he was friendly.
“Sang-ah,” he called fondly as he stepped inside, his halfskirt dragging across the floor as he walked. Behind him was a dog, a large brown dog with a patch of black in the face and pointed ears. He could have looked scary if not for his tongue that lolled out as he panted.
That must be Yunho.
Wooyoujng had never seen a dog like that before. He briefly wondered what breed Yunho was.
Yeosang looked up from the bread he was cutting, a wide smile stretching on his lips. He placed the knife to the side and handed Wooyoung a piece of bread before going over to hug San.
“It’s been far too long,” Yeosang said as they parted. “You should come see me more often.”
“You could also come see me,” San said, a warm smile still on his lips. “The whole coven misses you.”
Wooyoung saw Yeosang’s smile drop for a split second and his expression became strained.
“I’ll come see you all soon,” he said. “I just need to… do some things out here first.”
“Of course,” San said, hugging Yeosang again. When he pulled back, his eyes began to wander until they found Wooyoung on the counter. “So this is your little raccoon,” he said, carefully approaching the counter. He reached out a hand for Wooyoung to sniff. Wooyoung sniffed his hand. He smelled like concrete, old wood and magic. Comforting, strong. Wooyoung rubbed his head against San’s hand. “Does he have a name?”
“I call him chum,” Yeosang said fondly. “It’s not really a formal name but he doesn’t seem to want to leave so I have to call him something.”
Wooyoung looked down at the dog that stood beside San. Big, strong imposing figure with a kind expression. Ears pointed forward.
You’re not a regular raccoon, Yunho noted and Wooyoung froze. Of course another shifter would be able to tell just by being close to him. Yunho blinked. I won’t tell.
Why? Wooyoung asked, creeping closer to the edge of the counter. He could tell that Yeosang and San were watching their interaction closely. Why would you keep that secret from him? His eyes flickered to Yeosang. He’s your friend.
And you’re very precious to him, Yunho simply stated. He loves you a lot. He speaks of you in his messages to San and I can tell you care for him. He paused. So if you haven’t revealed yourself to him yet, that is okay and I won’t ruin that moment.
Wooyoung looked at Yunho for a moment, eyes narrowed. He looked for any signs that Yunho was being dishonest, but he found none. The other shifter seemed nice. He glanced back to the counter, to the charcuterie board Yeosang had prepared and with lightning speed he snatched a piece of cheese off the board and hopped off the counter.
“Chum!” Yeosang called as Wooyoung skittered across the floor and over to Yunho.
I like you, Wooyoung said, offering Yunho the small piece of cheese. You seem nice.
Yunho simply chuckled as he accepted the piece from Wooyoung.
“Looks like they will get along well,” San commented, fondness seeping into his words.
As the evening progressed, Wooyoung found himself curled up against Yunho’s stomach. Yunho was big and warm, and he could talk to Wooyoung in a different way than Yeosang.
Although Wooyoung still preferred Yeosang over anyone else.
What do you do? As a familiar I mean, Wooyoung asked as the sun had set outside the window.
I support Sannie, help him channel his magic when he encounters tricky potions but most of the time, I am his companion, Yunho explained. Witches are rare, even though they tend to cluster themselves into covens. They are lonely people in a world not really keen on accepting them. My job as a familiar is to help San with his magic, and keep him happy and safe. He chuckled. I guess I should be called a guardian, rather than a familiar.
That sounds nice, Wooyoung said softly.
Do you want to be Yeosang’s familiar? Yunho asked. It would mean you’d have to tell him the truth, but I’d think you’d make a great familiar. He looked up at Yeosang. And Yeosang would love that.
You really think so?
Yunho nodded firmly.
What if he hates me for hiding my true self for so long? Wooyoung asked, curling in on himself.
Yunho poked his wet nose into his stomach.
You need to trust him. He loves you so much, I can tell that from watching both of you.
‘M just scared.
I can understand that. Yunho began to gently groom his fur. It felt odd, but somehow nice and comforting. He wouldn’t mind being groomed again. Be brave. It will all end well.
—
Wooyoung spent days pondering over Yunho’s words.
Be brave.
He loves you.
Trust him.
He wanted nothing but to tell Yeosang the truth, and to be able to stay here with Yeosang. But worry chewed on his gut. What if he wasn’t able to have both things? Wooyoung was nothing if not greedy, and if staying with Yeosang meant that he had to hide who and what he was, he would do that.
But everything changed one day.
It was another one of those days. Where Yeosang was exhausted and sad. From the moment he woke up, there was a certain heaviness in the air around him. He was dark around the eyes and the look in them was distant, as if his mind had brought him to the past.
At the end of the day, Yeosang got into bed and Wooyoung could hear his quiet sobs. He didn’t know what to do. He just wanted Yeosang to stop hurting.
He crawled into the bed and pressed himself close to Yeosang in an effort to comfort him. At that, Yeosang let out a loud sob.
“I’m so tired,” he cried. “I just– I can’t do this anymore, not alone. I’m so tired.”
Wooyoung wanted to hold him close. Hug him and whisper comforting words to him.
And at that moment, he decided that he would.
He shifted.
It has been a long time since he last shifted, and his human limbs felt very alien as he stretched his arms. But he didn’t have a lot of time to think about that, his main focus at this very moment was Yeosang. He shuffled closer, wrapping his arms around Yeosang and just hugged him.
“I don’t know exactly what you are going through, but it’ll be okay,” he murmured, pressing his lips into Yeosang’s hair. His voice was scratchy and rough from a long time of disuse. “You’re not alone, and if it’s okay with you, you’ll never be. I want to be with you.”
Yeosang was trembling in his arms but he didn’t speak, he simply held onto Wooyoung and cried. Eventually his sobs calmed down and his breathing began to even out. He wiggled a little in Wooyoung’s arms, enough to pull back just a little and look up at Wooyoung.
“Chum?” he asked in a small voice, his eyes bloodshot and eyelids heavy.
“My name is Wooyoung,” Wooyoung whispered, ignoring his racing heartbeat.
“Wooyoung,” Yeosang murmured, wiggling in Wooyoung’s arms again but this time to make himself comfortable. “I like that name.”
Wooyoung pretended that his heart didn’t squeeze painfully.
“Go to sleep,” he mumbled, brushing some of Yeosang’s hair away from his forehead. He received a hum in return, and he simply listened as Yeosang’s breath evened out until he finally fell asleep.
Wooyoung laid there for a long time, his mind racing but his heart calming down. He didn’t know how he would explain himself in the morning, because he would eventually have to. He had revealed himself to Yeosang. Things were going to change between them.
He laid there, staring at Yeosang’s peaceful face, his heart warm in his chest but worry gnawing on his gut.
Eventually, he too fell asleep.
—
When Wooyoung woke up again, he was still human. Beside him, Yeosang was still asleep.
Maybe he could sneak out and never return. Even if it would hurt his heart, it wouldn't hurt as bad as the rejection from Yeosang.
“I can hear your thoughts all the way from here,” Yeosang suddenly said, his voice rough with sleep. “I want to sleep a little longer.”
Wooyoung tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “I could make breakfast?” he offered with a small voice.
“Have you been cooking recently?”
“...no,” Wooyoung admitted.
“Then we can stay in bed for a little longer,” Yeosang whispered. “Please stay?”
“Do you want me to?”
A hand found Wooyoung’s, linking their fingers together. “I really want you to stay.”
Wooyoung stared for a moment before replying. “Okay.”
They stayed in bed until the sun shone brightly through the window. Wooyoung really didn’t want to get up. He was comfortable laying in bed, arms wrapped around Yeosang and neither of them speaking.
But it couldn’t last forever.
“How are you feeling?” Wooyoung asked as he joined Yeosang in the kitchen.
“I’m better, thanks to you,” Yeosang replied. “You can sit down while I cook.”
Wooyung watched Yeosang cook them breakfast. Maybe if he had some practice with it, he could cook them breakfast too. It had been a while since he’d used a stove.
“What for?” Yeosang asked, brows pulled together in a frown.
“For hiding that I was a shifter,” Wooyoung said, avoiding Yeosang’s gaze. “At first I just– I was scared. Humans are scary and even though you were a witch, I just– I didn’t know what to do.” He took a deep breath. “And then I just felt like I had gone on as a raccoon for so long. I felt like I was going to betray you and make you feel lied to no matter what. But I– I really wanted to tell you the truth. I never wanted to lie to you.” He was getting choked up.
“I would never have forced you to tell or show me anything, Wooyoung,” Yeosang said softly. Wooyoung’s heart soared as he heard his name coming from Yeosang’s lips. “I am not mad at you for not shifting earlier. I want you to know that I treasure you no matter what, human or raccoon.”
Wooyoung’s breath hitched. “You mean that? You’re not mad at me? You don’t want me to leave?”
Yeosang laughed; warm and bright. “I don’t want you to leave. Quite the opposite,” he said, growing bashful. “I’d love it if you wanted to stay.”
Wooyoung blinked. “Really?”
“Really.”
Before Wooyoung could stop himself, he jumped out of the chair and into Yeosang’s arms, hugging him closely.
“Thank you!” he cried, eyes stinging as tears built up. “I want to stay too!”
—
That day ended up not being very productive. They mostly just laid on the couch, Wooyoung on top of Yeosang.
“I moved here when I lost my family,” Yeosang said as he played with Wooyoung’s hair. “There was a fire.” His eyes were glassy as he spoke. “My parents lived in the big city, in their own house separate from our coven. I had moved to the coven house, just a few days before there was an accident.”
Wooyoung nuzzled closer to Yeosang, trying to show him that he was listening and that he was there for Yeosang.
“I was there that night,” he continued. “The cops said it was a magic burst that caused the fire. But it was so violent right away. I couldn’t find my dad in the flames and I only managed to get my mom out.” His voice was trembling. “She passed away at the hospital. My dad was caught in the fire and died there.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Wooyoung whispered.
“I tried to live on in the city, I tried so hard and I tried for years,” Yeosang continued. “But I just couldn’t. I needed somewhere to start over. So I bought this place.”
“I’m glad you did,” Wooyoung murmured.
“I’m glad I did too,” Yeosang replied. “I felt really alone here though, for a long time.” He glanced up at Wooyoung fondly. “Then you came around.”
Wooyoung stared down at Yeosang for a moment. “I was really lonely too, before you came.” He reached out to brush some stray tears away from Yeosang’s cheeks. “I know I can’t take all the pain away, but I want to take some of it away.” He took a deep breath. “I want to make you as happy as I can.”
“Thank you,” Yeosang whispered. “You already make me very happy. I still have heavy days, but your presence has made them much more bearable.”
“Can I…” Wooyoung trailed off, studying Yeosang’s face. “Can I kiss you?”
A sunshine bright smile stretched on Yeosang’s lips. “I would love that.”
Wooyoung leaned down to press his lips against Yeosang’s. He tasted like herbs, magic and home.
fin.