Crossroads (Open to Yeonseok, Daehyun, Hanseol and Jaesung) COMPLETED

It felt like this move had been the longest time coming and yet had come around so suddenly too. Yeon remembered talking about moving out to New York for the longest time and at one point it was more a crossing thought than anything but yet here they were today. Tomorrow morning he would be leaving for the airport and leaving Evermore City behind. Dae had managed to convince him to keep the penthouse but all the things had been packed up into boxes and shipped out to his new place already, everything else was still here if he didn't need it or it was packed up in the 2 suitcases he had packed and ready to take. It felt so empty as he looked out over the spacious building, he never ever realized how big it felt before all his things were removed, now it felt a little lonely. 

In true Yeon fashion he had insisted that they spend time together before he left which was exactly why he was getting ready to leave now, he was dressed more casually than usual, jeans and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up because it was warm today. They'd agreed to meet at the zoo. He and Hanseol had been hanging out a lot lately and of course, he still spent a lot of time with Dae but it had been a while since the 4 of them had spent time together, the last he remembered was their game night where Han had almost ended up flipping a table after a game of Uno.

Before long he headed down outside the building and got into the car, he gave the driver the address of zoo they were visiting today and then leaned back in the seat. It was on the outskirts of Evermore city where the land started to get more expansive so as he watched out the window he noted the way the houses slowly started to feel less crammed in, there were more gardens and space out here. Sometimes he wondered if he'd like to live in a place with more space and nature but he still seemed to find himself choosing places in the heart of the city. A part of him liked the hustle and bustle and being surrounded by people he didn't know. 

When he reached the destination he paid the driver and hopped out of the car, it seemed he was the first one to arrive as he didn't see any of the others waiting in front of the statue so he headed over to it, slinging his bag over his shoulder before leaning against it and pulling out his phone. He had a bunch of work-related messages which he was tempted to answer but he knew how much of a rabbit hole that would be so he swiped on the notification to dismiss it and nodded. Work free day, it was the last day he would get to spend in person with his friends for a while and he wanted to enjoy it. 

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He couldn’t help but to scoff when Yeon said they were a weird group of friends, “You don’t say” he murmured and shook his head, that was one way to word it when it comes to describing how they were. The 4 of them were quite the opposites when it comes to their personalities, but it all ticks out, they have everything from shy to cute to confident to nonchalant. Though the Celestial was probably the opposite of Yeon, the mix was actually pretty endearing to him. There were times when he could recall them just lounging at the living room and fighting over which one is the best, playing video games together and watching Han get into his competitive mode, Jae laughing and sparing Han sideway glances that basically spoke volumes of how much the dhampir loves the silly guy. Yeon actually had a good leisure time making quality memories with the people he could call his friends, Dae realized it’s the smallest things that mattered most to him.

 “Don’t kid yourself, Yeon, you love seeing me occupy your bed more than you would let on” he stuck his tongue out playfully and huffed. He noticed the look on the blond’s face when he complimented his physical appearance and chuckled, who wouldn’t find the male attractive? “Food coma, is that what you called it, I have to say you have a peculiar taste in wording that” he teased, but Yeon wasn’t wrong, Dae had a fair share of his excitement on things. Like the time he would actually find himself reading a magazine on the top architectures of the world, telling Yeon how he wanted to visit such places someday only for the latter to tell him to go for it, he distinctly remembered him saying ‘what’s holding you back?’ and that made the Niveis ponder. Whenever he does something, Yeon would often encourage him to reach high for it and it was very uplifting. 

“Let’s be real, you were so into the new home renovation channel I subscribed to… he’s a genius, have you seen his works, so intricate and detailed…” Yeon was also one of the only people who has witnessed his fanboy side. Any other day, he would’ve given him the stink eye for blackmailing him like that but it was Yeon, it’s not as if he could do much about it. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to do something about it. Dae didn’t really hate the idea of dating, he wouldn’t exactly burn it to the ground… or freeze them before he could even give it life. But the thought of him in a relationship just makes him laugh, considering how much the pale-haired male likes his current life. He could say the same with Yeon too, the Valkyr wasn’t the type to settle down either, not like Han and Jae. That’s one of the many differences he could see between them. But he was pretty sure both him and Yeon are content enough to see the joy it brought the couple today.

 “I wouldn’t spend as long to pick what to eat if I’m used to them but… you’re not wrong. I would flirt with the waitresses too…” he actually does. “Besides, candlelight dinners are so overrated though, why would I even want a candle anywhere near me, you know me and heat don’t bode well… except that hot cocoa you made” he grumbled, he found himself getting addicted to it and has been begging Yeon to tell him the brand to it but the Valkyr wouldn’t budge, “seriously, you’re not going to tell me what brand it is?” A while ago, he had taken ownership of the fluffy white cat who took a liking to him one night and he had been so caring towards it which made him laugh when Yeon mentioned having pets were not going to be in his book, “I mean, you can hardly care for a cactus the last time, no? And need I remind you how you were with my cat?” Though, he had to admit, hearing that they’ll be watching the tigers next made him arch his eyebrow in confusion, “Seriously, he has a tiger?”

Jae laughed when Han pointed out that he had compared him to a monkey but then he quickly corrected himself and said he would take it as a compliment “You can be sneaky at times, I think both of us know that” he chuckled, Han was pretty good at getting what he wanted and if you ever played Monopoly with him then you’d know that he would make a very cunning businessman if he ever went into that field “It usually works, I mean it’s hard not to be tempted by something when you’re reminded of it all day, I swear even the advertisements were on your side” he chuckled shaking his head, adverts on the TV between their shows were often a trigger for spontaneous take out orders.

Jae chuckled at the mention of their house bunny “I’m pretty sure he’s doing it for attention, we keep moving Byul’s bed when we rearrange the furniture and he wants his own spot too, he’s probably expressing his dislike for everything moving” he laughed softly, the bunny was a really brave one, he had never seen a bunny more unbothered by having 2 dogs living with it. Jae looked up grinning between the two Volakiri’s when Han expressed his disappointment if they were to ditch on them “Sounds like you two are ready to get married” he jested playfully as he nudged against Han’s arm when he tugged against him.

Jae smiled as Han realized that a lot of people here didn’t have all the wild and random knowledge he had one animals “This is literally the place where you’re in your element” he commented with a chuckle “Who knows, maybe some kid will hear you saying all these interesting things about animals and then one day he grows up to be a vet just like you” he smiled softly “So embrace your weird” he encouraged as he listened to Han explain about the animals “So do any animals actually prey on them? I mean they’re pretty small so surely big birds of prey could swoop them up?” he chuckled, before long they were on to the next group, he offered Dae a smile as Han tugged him past “Yes I have a tiger...or I mean we sponsored one” he responded as he followed Han, they headed up the steps before reaching the viewing area for the tigers, he couldn’t see any out just yet so he stepped closer to the screen before pointing one out in the distance “There’s one” he exclaimed looking at it curiously.

He did like it when he laughed like that, Jae had that kind of laugh that was quite addictive, he was loud when doing it and it really seemed very wholesome for the Celestial who would often just find himself staring at him with hearts in his eyes. “I think the word you were looking for was… ambitious, baby” he cooed teasingly and nudged him, shaking his head in mirth because it was really funny when he thought about how competitive he could get and the determination flowing through his veins when it comes to getting what he wanted. “I’m a determined guy who is adamant in getting what he wants, doesn’t that make me sexy? At least… even the slightest big sexier?” Jae made a good point, per usual, especially when they watch TV a lot whenever the time called a good moment for it. “You mean you can refrain yourself from drooling over those Subway ads? Strong man indeed” he chuckled, Han always had a penchant for hunting food down with a single look like that. It was nothing new. 

He remembered having a list stamped over the fridge with plenty of food pamphlets, all the numbers jotted down was that of those delivery services. “So we should get him his own bed, is that what you’re proposing?” Han wouldn’t actually be against it, considering how much he loves to spoil his pets. “I still can’t believe they managed to have this dysfunctional somewhat working loving relationship with each other, a house bunny with two dogs, one Pomeranian who can probably pass off as aggressive mister number one and a big… husky.” But he realized he loved them all the same, especially with Jae entering his life afterward. His eyes widened when Jae teased him like that, going as far as to imply they were going to married, which caused Han to scoff and eye Yeon up and down, “I mean… he’s easy on the eyes but this guy is never going to get married, Jae, have you seen him? The only tying down that’s possible is when he’s letting someone tie him down for kinky purposes. Or you put a ton of weight on him.” Was he wrong? 

His grip around Jae grew firmer as he huffed, “Besides… you and I, we’re forever.” His cheeks flushed slightly when the dhampir told him this is where he’s truly in his element, it is and he couldn’t help but be proud of it, especially when he could finally show Jae the tiger he has been taking care of and even adopted under Jae’s name. “It makes me feel relieved to know I can at least do something if they’re sick or need me” it’s the reason why he made sure to volunteer at the zoo every month, he would always be granted access to also check on the tiger itself. “I do like the idea of someone being inspired by me” he beamed, he loves animals and if others could too, that would be perfect. “They still have to keep an eye out for predators, yes, which includes snakes… hyenas, and of course the large birds that could swoop down and take them away with one swift grab. I mean, the mother kills the weak pups of her own if they don’t fall back in line with the help of others so I’m not surprised. It’s a… wow chain.” 

He had a proud grin spread across his lips when Dae expressed his disbelief on them owning a tiger, “Anything is possible, Dae” he winked playfully and led the dhampir to the enclosure. “Our tiger has a new thing I got him last month, not really a collar because that’s not allowed but I managed to convince them to give him a new band around his left leg, it’s in blue and red color.” Then one comes in view with such colors, it wasn’t big compared to others, but it wasn’t small either, it was clear that the tiger was still growing. He pointed towards the tiger and chuckled, “There he is.”

Yeon knew that was a bit of an understatement given they were all different species, came from different backgrounds and were contrasting personalities for the most part too, Jae was the funny but studious time, Dae was the reclusive and yet mysterious type with a hint of grumpy, Han was pretty serious but also sensitive at times and then Yeon was a more confident and outgoing type, on paper they probably shouldn’t work and yet they all seemed to balance one another out quite well. Yeon raised his brows when Dae boldly claimed how much he enjoyed seeing him occupy his bed and the valkyr smirked slightly “Well it does seem like an awful waste of a bed when I’m barely using it and you seem to love it so much” he smirked slightly and shrugged, he didn’t mind, it was an expensive piece of furniture which sat unused most of the time because when Yeon did sleep it was usually on the couch for a power nap.

The valkyr shrugged his shoulders slightly and watched Dae carefully “Not sure what else you would call eating a load of food and then almost immediately falling asleep” he responded with a wry smile, it was a pattern he had noticed in Dae and honestly, it was quite endearing, Yeon was pretty patient and had plenty of work and hobbies to keep him busy while Dae slept so it kinda worked well for the two of them most of the time, they weren’t especially needy of one another’s time but they did enjoy whatever time they did spend together. Yeon saw a lot of potential in Dae, beyond his work of bringing back criminals he was a very thoughtful and dare he say pretty practical and creative person, the niveis was yet to find something he couldn’t figure out to fix one way or another and honestly it was quite fascinating to Yeon.

“It was pretty interesting I admit” he responded and nodded his head slightly, the way they could take a certain space and practically change it into something entirely different was pretty amazing and he could understand why Dae found it all so interesting, it was creative but also practical much like Dae was. “Though how he comes up with all those ideas for tiny spaces like that I have no idea” he confessed with a slight grin, it really was amazing when you thought about it. When it came down to it, what they could both agree on was that neither of them was really the type who ever wanted to date the way Han and Jae did, honestly when he heard the way the two of them were drooling over each other it made him wrinkle his nose a little, definitely not his thing that was for sure.

He grinned slightly when Dae confessed that he would probably flirt with the waitress “Well they do usually flirt with you first so it only seems fair to return the favor huh?” the valkyr smirked slightly, they got a lot of attention when they went out together and honestly the two of them quite enjoyed it, he couldn’t see himself ever wanting to give the lifestyle he had right now up. Though he did have to admit that his sex life had only been on the up since he had agreed to this friends with benefits thing and he was more than happy to ride that train with Dae. “I do find your aversion to heat pretty amusing, I guess that’s why you like the water bed so much huh, naturally cool” Yeon liked being warm but he also didn’t mind the cold that much either and the more time the spent with Dae the more tolerant he was of it “Absolutely not” he responded when Dae whined about wanting to know the brand of hot chocolate he uses “I told you it’s a super-secret recipe” he responded and bit his lip playfully.

Yeon wrinkled his nose in protest when Dae called him out for not being able to take care of a cactus “Yeah true, turns out a busy schedule and looking after things don’t really go hand in hand, who would have guessed” he teased it in a playful manner. His attention was suddenly taken by Han and Jae who were ready to go on to the next animal and he raised his brow when Dae commented how they had a tiger “And I thought I was the extra one” he quipped as he followed behind them, watching how excited the other two got as they approached up to the enclosure and tried to search out the one they were looking for.

Their personalities would probably pick a fight with each other, especially considering how different it was but surprisingly, they worked well. Dae didn’t mind, he likes their company even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud. He’s been spending a lot of time with Yeon and the same goes for his best friend, the dhampir he befriended that night at the library, Han was the last to come on board the friend train but he could tolerate him too. It was clear that the Niveis could make Han bite down on his own words but the Celestial always came up with something to refute him, which usually would’ve pissed the Niveis off. Ever since then, Dae considered their friendship to be outside the word ‘usual’ itself. “You did not buy a very comfortable and expensive bed and not sleep on it, Yeon. Don’t you know that’s against the rules?” Not that he’s complaining, Yeon gave him free access to sleep there and he was more than happy to do that. The mattress was cool and he knew it was because it’s a waterbed. 

“I don’t know what to call it, Jae told me I reminded him of those animals that ate a lot and then hibernated later on... “ he murmured, he could recall the dhampir saying that one time and had Dae slapping his head using the pillow he had in his hands that time. Was he wrong though? Not really. “I like to think I just ate plenty and slept to… replenish my energy. Rejuvenate myself, you know? That’s actually a thing…” He was aware that he took a lot of naps, long ones, enough to call them sleep. He had his own schedule, even though they could be quite spontaneous at times. If he didn’t have a case or client to be cracking down on, he would spend his time doing quality activities; sleeping and resting are considered two very different things in his dictionary. Though he did spend more time at Yeon’s penthouse than he spends at his own place, either chatting or just fixing something that they had broken previously. 

There were times when he would just study the architecture of Yeon’s place and memorize the measurements. He’s not particularly a chatty person either, whether it was with Yeon or Jae or anyone else, so they were free to do whatever they wanted without disturbing the other. “Those tiny spaces irked me a bit, I’m not gonna lie… It’s not that I’m claustrophobic, it’s just that it is such a waste of time to invest in such a tiny space like that. You have to be mindful of your expenses, honestly” Dae admired the artworks but it didn’t take much to know that the male knew how to save up. He’s the type of guy who would actually keep a receipt for everything just so he could calculate them in his monthly expenses. Once upon a time, he only worked for the sake of getting something for him to spend on, but lately he learned not to spend too much. Or maybe he wanted to have enough to make sure he doesn’t have to take another case while he rethinks about his career choice. “What can I say, Yeon” he shrugged and lifted his hands up a bit just to make a good point on his exaggerated claim, “ladies and gents love me.” 

He didn’t mind the attention, in fact, he fed off it. Besides, whenever Yeon steps into the room, he naturally commands attention and he would be an idiot not to notice the change in the air. “I like to think the world is just trying to be a bitch to me, considering I was born as someone who was basically a pyromaniac, only to turn out like this” he scoffed and pointed to himself with a nonchalant look, “Balance can be such a bitch, sometimes.” Dae dragged his whine a bit when Yeon refused to tell him the brand again, “You’re so petty, Yeon” he stuck his tongue out playfully and huffed, “what are you? Mr Krabs? It’s hot cocoa, not krabby patties…” He held both hands up in defense and had a wolfish grin spread across his lips when Yeon retorted like that, “Touche” he teased. He was both surprised and not surprised by the fact that the couple adopted a tiger together but was nevertheless, still curious to see the animal. As they got closer to the enclosure, he kept his eyes out for the one Han described earlier, until his dark hues fell on the slightly smaller but healthy tiger that just stepped out, “Huh… it does strangely remind me of Jae” he quipped softly, it was fierce but cute. Small but not really small.

Jae gave Han a pointed look when he corrected his sneaky statement to be ambitious and shook his head too, the two of them had a lighthearted banter going on so they could throw a few playful insults back and forth from time to time “I said what I said” he insisted shaking his head playfully. Though Han’s words about him chasing for what he wants making him sexy did make Jae grin “Just a little bit” he responded raising his hand to show a small gap between his forefinger and thumb “We wouldn’t want to feed your ego too much though” he responded as he tapped against the side of Han’s temple in a playful manner. “It’s usually the fried chicken ones that get me and I didn’t even eat that much fried chicken before I came to America” he glanced over to Dae from a distance and laughed, that was his fault for sure.

Jae’s attention when back to Han and he nodded slightly “I mean if he keeps making nests then clearly he wants one, I once saw a video of a house bunny who made their own bed, maybe we could train him to do that” he then laughed because it definitely didn’t seem likely that they would be able to get him to behave that well. “I think we’ve all figured out how to coexist, Byul even lets me sit next to you on the couch most of the time now” he responded and grinned, remembering how she would always get antsy whenever Jae took her usual spot and she wanted to be there, sometimes she would even throw what he called a husky fit and start talking.

The way Han teased Yeon saying he would never get married made Jae chuckle and then choke when he went on to say they would need to tie him down for kinky purposes, the wording even made him scrunch his nose “I don’t know” he commented biting his lips slightly “Don’t you think Dae has him pretty well trained?” considering those two had barely left one another’s side since they got here. He smiled when he felt the way Han’s grip tightened against him “Of course we are” he cooed softly, he wasn’t going anywhere, he assured that with a gentle rub against Han’s shoulders. “Some would say your heart is too big for this world” he commented thoughtfully, sometimes when he saw Han with animals it was almost like he could sense their pain and the empathy he held for them was unlike anyone else he had seen “No wonder you need protection sometimes” he commented under his breath with a soft smile.

Han continued his explanation of the animals which Jae listened to while nodding “That’s why they stand up like that right? So they can look out for anything dangerous around them” he had paid attention to a few things he’d seen when Han watched the animal channel, though he didn’t know all of the technical names. As they headed through the zoo he gazed around noting that it was really nicely laid out and the animals had a lot of space and were able to get away from people if they wanted to. “Blue and red” he commented with a lopsided smile before nudging against Han’s side because that was their colors. Jae’s gaze widened because at that moment three of the tigers came walking past the glass screen and he spotted the smaller one with the red and blue band “He’s so much bigger now” he commented as he pressed his hand against the screen and watched as the tigers were playing with a block of ice with meat in it which the keepers had given them to play with. The grin on his face showed just how excited her was.

When he heard Jae say that, refusing to change his words, the Celestial scoffed and clicked his tongue playfully, “You are so lucky I love you” he teased, poking his sides as he snickered, “Just a little bit? You sure it’s just a tiny bit?” He made the same gesture the dhampir did earlier, making the size between his thumb and forefinger. He had a point, they wouldn’t want to feed his ego too much because when things go like that, even Han is aware of how prideful he could be. Hubris is one’s own fatal flaw, his, most of all. It’s probably better if he kept his wings on the ground for now. It was hard to do that because Jae was right next to him but Han developed a better control over it lately the more the other male’s company became something usual. He shook his head upon hearing that response, “I thought fried chicken, rice, and kimchi are like the staple food for Koreans… how have you been living your life this entire time, baby? Gosh, I need to start feeding you more Korean” it sounded like Han had quite literally made up his mind and heart. 

The idea of training their house bunny to make its own, sounded impossible knowing Hanseol Jr. “We could try, I mean we’re not the type to stop before we even tried. We’ll give it a try later and see if we can make him think that’s what he wants, at least” there was one thing clear when it comes to the bunny, it doesn’t really take orders, it wasn’t afraid of Byul nor Yeontan too. “Byul can see the love you have for me and I, you. She likes you, or else she would constantly push you out of the way. But she’s just clingy and protective over me.” It didn’t mean that the husky stopped entirely, she got larger over time and even Han can’t hold her fully without having her crush him. Admittedly, the Celestial’s filter hasn’t been that well after bonding with his Volakiri, he found himself being freer to talk about what he thought of, especially when it was related to the blond himself, which was clearly displayed right then. 

So when Jae mentioned about Dae having Yeon well-trained, Han glanced over the two and eyed them from head to toe, “Hmm… you’re not wrong.” Even though dating is probably an idea that the Niveis and Valkyr frowned at, the two actually stick closer to one another. “Maybe they like each other more than they would admit” he chuckled, Yeon liked Dae’s company, he knew that much, there weren't a lot of people Yeon would say he liked. “My heart is that big so it could accommodate more, which I’d say is working because you alone took every space and crevice.” He scrunched his nose cutely and hummed softly when Jae said he needed protection sometimes, “Why do you think you’re elected as mine officially? Someone clearly needed to keep me in line and I can tell you, Yeon can’t do half of what you’re able. You have that… Han power.” It wasn’t even an understatement at this point. He was grateful because Jae didn’t look at him weirdly when he explained all of that, it made him feel at ease, like he didn’t have to hide himself away. 

“Technically they’re able to do that because their biology allows their body to do so, kinda like how our dogs can stand up to show their excitement sometimes. But yes, that too. “You know how much I love blue and red” he grinned sheepishly and watched as Jae got closer to see the new addition entering the enclosure. The tiger looks healthy and considering it’s been close to a month since he saw him, even Han was staring at it fondly. Though, one would argue that his stare was mostly reserved for the dhampir who was staring at the tiger fondly. “You know, I can bring you with me the next time I do a checkup on him. You can be my assistant that day for real” he suggested, he was sure he could pull a few strings there. “Do you like him?”

Yeon gave somewhat of a guilty laugh when Dae called him out for buying an expensive bed and then barely using it, he knew he should more but he was just one of those people who kept putting sleep off, mostly because of his nightmares but he didn’t tell anyone about those. “Well you know me, never been one for playing to rules” he had a wolfish grin on his lips as he looked back at Dae, really he functioned just fine, he managed to get sleep when he was alone and really needed it for a few hours at least. Yeon raised his brows when Dae mentioned that Jae had commented on his sleeping habits too “I’m pretty sure if you had the opportunity to be reincarnated as a sloth in the next life you’d be ecstatic” he commented in an amused fashion, he had never met someone who valued sleep so much, especially someone who had to work all kinds of funny hours when he was chasing down people who skipped bail.

Yeon had to admit he had fallen into this comfortable state with Dae where they would sleep together and then hang out, usually they’d get food and chat, sit by the TV and watch something, Dae might nap while Yeon was busy doing his workouts. What surprised him was how much time they actually spent together, they were used to one another’s company. That’s what he worried about losing when he left, that sense of closeness he had with not just him but Han too, he wondered with him gone if they would find new friends. “I think they’re kinda cozy” he responded with a soft grin “I mean I don’t think I’d want to live there myself but I can see the appeal of feeling like it’s just you and someone else tucked away in your own little space” he pressed his lips together and shrugged, either way, these designers could do some really interesting things with limited space, such as built-in storage spaces. He grinned a little when the niveis said that ladies and gents both loved him “That they do” he responded with an amused expression” it was easy to notice the way people would stare at all four of them as they passed.

He raised his brows and then titled his head slightly, it was kinda hard to imagine Dae as a pyromaniac or a phoenix because the person he had always known was like this, it reminded him just how much longer Dae had lived than him “Maybe” he responded with a shrug “Though I happen to think your icy version is the far better one” he responded grinning because the two of them both liked to play with the cold and Dae knew that too well. He gasped a little playfully when Dae called him out for not telling him the brand of hot cocoa he used and he couldn’t help but shake his head at the Spongebob reference “Ah but the super-secret formula could get stolen by the evil Snowball” he jested with a smirk as he brought his attention back over to Han and Jae.

He shuffled closer to the glass so that he could see the group of tigers through the glass as they played with the toys which had been placed in their enclosure, it was a warm summer day so they had ice out for them to play with which they were tossing around to try and chip bits off which made him smile “He’s got that fiercely energetic look” he responded with a chuckle as he glanced over at Dae beside him “They seem so excited over him” he noted seeing the exchange going on, as much as he wanted to spend time with Han too, he actually quite enjoyed seeing the celestial with the dhampir, it assured him how he was going to be okay without him.

He couldn’t help but to scoff at the blond when he said he was never one to play by the rules, “You don’t say” he retorted, Yeon definitely made good on his words when it comes to that, “but then again, I don’t expect much of that from you. You and I both know we have a penchant for breaking the rules” he winked playfully, there were times when they would somehow find a way to discard every given instruction and rule out of the book and do what they wish. The thought of being reincarnated as a sloth in his next life had the Niveis pondering for a brief while, “Huh… I won’t say I’m against it. No need to pick myself up to do other things, I just have to eat and sleep… sounds heavenly, don’t you think? Why wouldn’t anyone want that?” Clinging against the tree sounds like a bonus too. “A bit ironic when you think about my profession though” he was always someone who needed to be extremely alert on his surroundings, especially when he had to track his clients down under a given time. 

The two of them had an interesting dynamic, their friendship was different to the type they have going on with the 4 of them. Dae and Yeon understood each other enough not to impose on each other’s space. He never would have expected to find himself spending hours with the Valkyr, sometimes just lounging at his living room, within the vicinity and just eating or chatting away. “Do I have to be worried that you’re gonna leave that sweet penthouse of yours and move to somewhere with the same space we saw in those videos? Not that I’m particularly against the notion, it’s just that… really, Yeon?” Despite his minimalistic and reserved self, Dae wasn’t a big fan of small spaces whatsoever, it made him antsy. The elder Stormwind is anything if not confident when it comes to his presence, he never praised himself when it comes to his physical appearance, mostly due to the fact that he didn’t find the effort in doing so. But was he confident in what he could deliver? Very much so. Meanwhile, there’s the other three who really looked as if they just came straight out of a magazine. 

Judging from the look Yeon gave him, he imagined it was still surreal to think that he loved the heat and fire once upon a time ago, given how much he detested them now. Yeon did make him smile when he told him his icy self was far better if they were going to make a comparison, “Admittedly, you never witnessed my phoenix self but I appreciate the sentiment and compliment” he chuckled and craned his neck to the side, stretching himself casually as he stared at the male next to him, it was hard for Dae not to grin with his infamous gummy smile. “The evil Snowball eh” he narrowed his eyes dismissively before scoffing once again, “well, nothing actually gets past Snowball… maybe I should just hire him to get me the secret formula you’re trying so hard to hog for yourself” he jested, knowing how clingy Han can be with his Volakiri, he wouldn’t put it past the Celestial to cling onto the Valkyr like a koala and pester him to give the recipe up. 

It seemed that the zoo gave the tigers a good treatment, they looked casual and didn’t fight with each other, it didn’t take him long to land his eyes on a particular one that successfully grabbed everyone’s attention. “That one sure knows how to put the spotlight on oneself” he whispered and pointed to the tiger Han had claimed to adopt with Jae. “I know right… and have you seen Jae growling? Kinda resembled a bit.” He paused for a while and stared at Yeon who casted a look over the couple who were gushing together from a distance away, “Hey, he’s gonna be okay. I bet he’d miss you because you’re you, who wouldn’t miss you” he gave his hand a small squeeze and reassuring smile, “As much as I like seeing them look lovey dovey, let’s crash that” he nudged him playfully, pointing towards the two with a devilish smirk, finding himself walking to the same direction, wrapping his arm around Jae, “Loving your tiger, huh?” Crashing the course? Nothing new for Dae.

Jae sighed under his breath “My mom wasn’t the strict parent but when it came to food she was very strict about what we ate, so she wouldn’t really let us have junk food much” he shook his head slightly, it had been a pain but eventually, he just figured he didn’t know what he didn’t know “Though kimchi I definitely had a lot of, you know I can barely eat a meal without getting some here” he shook his head playfully, everything just tasted too plain to him without it, he had definitely noticed Americans had a lot of very plain foods. He laughed at the thought of trying to train their unruly bunny to behave “Somehow I think he’ll know what we’re up to and rebel” sure rabbits weren’t super smart but he swore this particular one knew how to hold a grudge.

He grinned sheepishly when Han argued that Byul did like him “She took some winning over but I think she understands now” she could still have her moments when she wanted Han all to herself but could he really blame her for that when he wanted the same? Watching Yeon and Dae was interesting, they were always joking and laughing with each other, chatting about one thing or another, they got along so well for people who seemed so different. Though everyone knew they had their similarities too “Maybe, they’re weird friends but I guess it kinda works for them” who were they to judge, he and Han had been friends first too, who knew where it might lead eventually.

Jae grinned at Han’s cute line about his head, shaking his head in amusement “I feel like you could fit the whole world in your heart and then some if you tried” the Celestial could be very understanding and giving, he always wanted to put others before himself and never wanted to hurt anyone, seeing people or an animal hurt almost seemed to hurt him right back. “Someone needs to remind you to love yourself too” he teased and poked against Han’s chest where his heart is “Giving is okay but I’m here to make sure you leave a little for you too” he nodded and smiled, he protected Han, it was in his nature to protect the one he loved.

As the watched the tiger he had a permanent grin on his face, they always had this joke about how Jae was much like a baby tiger and so it was the perfect animal to give his namesake “Oh but I think I prefer seeing him with his family and exploring, he’s in his element when he’s out there doing his...tigery things” he giggled slightly and smiled at Han enthusiastically “I love him...so much” he responded only to be interrupted by Dae throwing his arm around his shoulder which made the dhampir jump “Yes! Isn’t he just the cutest little thing” he responded as he watched him through the glass and then glanced over to the niveis “You know you didn’t strike me as the zoo type” he commented tilting his head slightly.

When Jae told him that his mother was especially on point with the food she allowed him to eat, Han gaped in awe, "Mothers do that, don't they? Supervise and chastise their kids for doing even the bare minimum or antics" he murmured but the small hint of smile on his lips clearly hinted that he was reminiscing his past days with his adoptive mother too, "They're one in a million though" he added, sometimes they might give you a hard time but he knew some parents are genuinely fearing for their children's future. While Jae's father gave that picture of being incredibly controlling and didn't care about his children's happiness so long as they achieve what he mapped out for them, Jae's mother didn't seem like the kind to do that. "American food is plain, baby. You and I both know that" he winked playfully, "Thankfully, we had a whole cabinet stocked on spices alone. I will die before I allow my food to be so bland… reminds me of the days where most just boiled things…" he shuddered and shook his head at the thought of it. 

"He'd rebel because he's that rebel… but at least we can get through the day and say we tried." Fairly possible but knowing how stubborn the bunny is, there's a high chance he won't conform to their 'rules'. Han was glad Byul eventually came around to liking Jae, she was pretty protective over the Celestial and he will forever be grateful for that. He needed some protecting too, something Jae is doing very well at now. Watching Yeon and Dae from this view was different, he didn't know how to describe their friendship but there seemed to be this thing between them that he couldn't quite pinpoint or put a word to it. He just couldn't. Whatever they have, it's unique to just the two of them. So long as his friends are happy, then Han really didn't need to know more. "Can I really?" he grinned sheepishly at his remark about fitting the entire world inside his heart, "I just wanna spread the good that's in me. That makes me a good person, right?" Han is a simple person, he wants to see more good so he tries his best to spread exactly that. 

"You are doing a very good job at that" he mused softly, Jae really did take good care of him, he never disappointed, it was always surreal for the Celestial to wake up every single morning only to be greeted by the other male. It wasn't as far as an exaggeration to say the dhampir cheered his day up. "You can keep on reminding me every single time, I'll pay you" he teased and puckered his lips up to mimic a kissing sound as if he was beckoning for the latter to kiss him. He remembered the first time he entered the place to nurse the tiger cub who was just a few months old, it was then that he realized how much it reminded him of Jae, the resemblance was almost uncanny. He was just as energetic as the dhampir too. So when Jae expressed his joy and delight upon seeing that tiger that was named after him, Han felt like he just accomplished another thing. "Is he ever a type for anything" he scoffed wryly and side-eyed the niveis who had his arm slung around Jae, "I mean… he could pass as the type to feed his enemies to the carnivorous animals in the zoo though. Please, I can't be the only one who thought of it."

Yeon couldn’t help the chuckle which escaped with Dae said he wouldn’t mind being reincarnated as a sloth, he was sure there were worse things that was for sure “Seems kinda boring just being on a tree and doing nothing all day” he responded with a half-smile “Surely eventually you’d miss exploring and having some sort of company” he raised his brows, he and Dae were very different people, that much was evident. One was always busy, the other preferred to do things at his own pace, one was introverted and the other extremely extroverted. On paper they didn’t work at all but yet they found some sort of understanding together, one the valkyr couldn’t really explain but felt glad to have.

“I mean your profession is kinda shocking with you right now...you don’t seem like the type who wants to be traveling around the world at the drop of a hat” he shrugged slightly “I imagine it pays handsomely though” Dae didn’t exactly scrape by in life and he lived in his own apartment which told Yeon he did well for himself. The valkyr chuckled shaking his head when Dae asked him if he would move to a small space “Well I am used to hotel rooms but none of them are as cramped as that, let’s be real, you aren’t gonna see my extra ass living the small townhouse life” he shook his head in an amused manner, that would be a massive downgrade. “I’m curious what you would pick as an ideal living space now though” he commented as he tilted his head, watching the other male.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and glanced over at Dae while they walked “I don’t need to have seen it to know” he winked and smiled to himself, “All I need to know is the person I’ve gotten to know, he’s pretty cool, pun intended” he commented and smirked slightly. The way they were talking about hot chocolate recipe like it was a cartoon was cracking him up, he shook his head in amusement and shrugged “You’ll have to pay him well, I mean how to do you know he wouldn’t just double agent you and run off with the formula all for himself” he wouldn’t put that past Han if he was honest, especially because of how much he loved sweets.

Yeon chuckled as he watched the tigers, they were having fun in the enclosure and didn’t seem fazed by the audience at all, he tilted his head as he watched them, a soft grin on his lips “Can’t say I’ve paid much attention to Jae’s growling but of course you have” he commented giving Dae a suggestive look before biting his lip because Dae seemed to pick up on Yeon’s brief moment of wondering. He looked down to the hand Dae squeezed and then nodded “I hope so” he responded, pressing his lips together to shrug off the sadness he was feeling about leaving them before. Before long Dae had his arm slung around Jae’s shoulders and Yeon made his way to perch his chin on Han’s so he could get a good look into the enclosure in front of him. “Seems like someone’s afraid” he jested, nudging Han when he spoke about Dae’s personality, he grinned playfully “Don’t worry, he’s got way bigger enemies than you” he was watching as the smaller tiger flopped down and rolled onto his back “He’s right, it does look like you Jae” he teased with a grin.

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