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Jungkook yawns, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. He spots his target, drops down to the floor and tucks an arm around the warm body kneeling in front of him, humming tiredly. “What’s going on, Tae? Aren’t you always telling everyone else not to mess with occult stuff?”
Taehyung scoffs from in front of Jungkook. “I’m not messing around, Kookie. I’m a professional.”
Okay- maybe most people would be weirded out if they came home to find their boyfriend drawing a pentagram on the hardwood floor, jars of herbs and bones and candles and the like spread out around him, but then again- most people aren’t dating Kim Taehyung.
Jungkook has definitely come home to weirder things.
(There was that whole night with the Ouija board- but Jungkook prefers to pretend that didn’t happen. He’s not scared of much but he draws the line at freaking ghosts.)
That’s just what you get when your boyfriend studies the occult.
Besides, Jungkook has barely slept the last three nights working on school projects, is seriously cuddle deprived and would definitely take hanging out with Taehyung while he does- whatever this is- to nothing.
Shrugging off his backpack and tossing it towards their couch, Jungkook surveys the scene in front of him. The couch has been pushed back to make room for this enormous pentagram that takes up most of the floor space in their living room, the lines drawn carefully. Taehyung has set a candle at the point of each pentagram, and- is that the kitchen salt shaker in his hand?
Yup. Taehyung pops off the lid and pours it straight on the floor, drawing a big circle around the pentagram. That’s going to be hell to vacuum up later.
Jungkook sighs, but he has long-since accepted Taehyung for who he is. He might not understand all this occult stuff, but he knows that it’s important to Taehyung.
It's not the first time he's come home to Taehyung performing a ritual- he does them every now and then, when the need strikes. For good luck, to put a mild curse on the neighbour always stealing Taehyung's magazines from the mailbox. That sort of thing.
Still, he finds himself curious, peering into a bowl near Taehyung’s feet. Once Taehyung has finished drawing his salt circle, he closes the shaker and places it off to the side, near a couple of half-empty jars that Jungkook is probably going to end up putting away later when Taehyung forgets. Jungkook loves him, but he’s chaotic as all hell.
“What- what’s in that, Tae?” Jungkook asks, sniffing and getting a big whiff of rosemary and something that smells like stale dirt.
“This? Oh, nothing much. Some herbs, a couple of animal bones. Just basic stuff.” Taehyung picks up the bowl and places it in the middle of the pentagram. “Can you turn off the lights, Kookie? I’m gonna light these candles.”
Every bone in Jungkook’s body screams at him to go to bed, to try and catch up on the sleep he's missed (too busy working on his final projects for college, stressing about his grades, anxious about money-) but he and Taehyung haven’t been able to spend any time together lately. Taehyung has school too, and his part time job, which Jungkook knows he has to go to tonight, too. It sucks, but Jungkook’s more than willing to sacrifice some sleep to get to be close to Taehyung for a while, even if he’s studying, or- whatever it is he’s doing.
So Jungkook hauls himself to his feet, closes the blinds to make sure it’s dark and turns off the lights. The entire living room is bathed in darkness- until Taehyung clicks the lighter and lights the first candle.
It smells of vanilla- odd combination with an occult ritual, but whatever.
Jungkook settles down on the floor behind Taehyung once all the candles are lit. He tries to cling to his back, humming pleased when Taehyung lets him cling to him like a koala. Taehyung is so warm, Jungkook thinks, the familiar scent of jasmine and green tea clinging to his skin.
Whenever Taehyung performs these… rituals, or what have you, he never speaks Korean. It’s usually Latin, Jungkook thinks- Taehyung’s voice spins around syllables and consonants that Jungkook isn’t familiar with, but it sounds nice, melodic almost. Like a chant, maybe. Jungkook listens, eyes drooping a little with fatigue, comforted by Taehyung’s warmth and his voice-
All the candles flicker out at once, a cool chill sweeping across the room.
Jungkook’s blood runs cold, heart rate spiking. A chill trills up his spine. This- this is fucking weird. He clutches tighter to Taehyung, whispering a soft, “Tae?”
Just like that, the wind that blew out the candles whips in the other direction, the flames reigniting, illuminating a man sitting in the middle of the pentagram.
Okay, that’s totally normal. Yeah. Nothing to see here.
The guy in the pentagram blinks up at them sleepily, like he'd just woken up from a nap. He's small, and cute, little button nose and cat-like eyes so dark they look almost black.
(Or wait- are they?)
Taehyung huffs a breath of surprise. "Oh my god, it actually worked. I summoned a demon."
Alright, well now Jungkook's quite sure he's hallucinating. Sleep deprivation can do that- right? Yeah. Definitely. That or he's lost his mind.
This is fine.
The man doesn't stand up, but he sits up straighter, smoothing out the lapels of his black jacket. His entire outfit is black, actually- down to his jet-black hair, which contrasts against his pale skin. When he speaks, his voice is thick and rough, as if shaped by many centuries of use. "I am Yoongi, mortal, king of-"
"-oh my god, it worked! This is so perfect! And you're so cute too," Taehyung interrupts giddily. He sits up on his knees, half-dragging Jungkook with him.
The demon (demon?)- Yoongi- stares blankly at Taehyung, blinking slowly. "Excuse me?"
"Hi! I’m Taehyung!” Taehyung looks way too enthusiastic considering he’d just called this guy a demon. “I summoned you for cuddles.”
Yoongi stares at him blankly.
“Um. Please,” Taehyung adds on politely, completely casual, like this is normal.
What the fuck was in that latte that Jimin gave Jungkook after class today?!
The fixed look that Yoongi sets on Taehyung makes Jungkook shiver, but Taehyung seems unaffected, waiting patiently for Yoongi’s response.
It comes with a curled lip and a scrunched nose. “You summoned me… for cuddles?”
Taehyung nods. “Mhm. You see these last few weeks have sucked, I have to work when my baby Kookie is home and we both have classes and projects so we don’t get to spend enough time together, and he’s stressed and when he’s stressed he only really sleeps well when he’s being cuddled and gets his hair stroked, and-”
“For cuddles?” Yoongi repeats in disbelief. “You summoned a demon to cuddle your boyfriend?”
“Well I mean, not just Kookie. I like cuddles too, but tonight it’ll just be him.” Taehyung grins.
Yoongi shakes his head- whether it’s at the idea of being summoned for snuggles or the fact that Taehyung is implying he wants to summon him again is anyone’s guess. “You know that normally people summon demons for revenge? To harm their enemies, or, gee, I don’t know, to kill somebody?”
“Oh no, I don’t need anything like that. No, no killing.” Taehyung shakes his head, patting Jungkook’s hands that are miraculously still clinging to his waist despite the fact that Jungkook’s starting to feel a little light-headed. “My baby just needs cuddles.”
“...Are you serious?” Yoongi repeats, still clearly dumbfounded.
Well at least that makes two of them.
Taehyung, though, seems to think this is rather normal. What the hell has he gotten up to when Jungkook is at school?!
Taehyung has always referred to himself, to his family- to his cousins, Namjoon and Seokjin- as witches, but Jungkook didn’t think it meant this, some freaking Sabrina the Teenage Witch shit.
(Wait, does that make Jungkook Harvey?)
“Yes. I’m serious. Do you know how to cuddle?”
“Do I know how to cuddle?! I- You-” Yoongi groans, exasperated, clearly not expecting to deal with this mess today. “Did you ask him his opinion on it? His hands are shaking.”
He points back to Jungkook, and Jungkook blinks a few times.
Huh. His hands are sharking. He hadn’t even realized.
Taehyung looks back at him, concern visible on his face. He maneuvers Jungkook in front of him and into his lap to kiss his nose tenderly. “Baby? You okay?”
“Wait, I’m not- I’m not dreaming? I thought I was for sure dreaming.” Jungkook rubs his face with a hand. “You’re- you’re not pranking me, right? I swear to God Tae I’m gonna be so mad if Ashton Kutcher shows up in our living room. You know I hate what he did on That 70’s Show.”
Taehyung chuckles, runs his hands through Jungkook’s hair, maneuvers him onto his lap. The bracelets around his wrist chime delicately. “No, no baby, no pranks. I know you’re still sour at him. Did you sleep much last night?”
“Mh, no. Was workin’ on my painting.” Jungkook sighs when Taehyung pets through his hair, relaxing him with absolute ease.
“You should go to bed, baby.” Taehyung coos softly, and normally Jungkook would be annoyed, but he’s too tired and cozy now that he’s getting attention to care. “Go get comfy? Let me- just let me work out the details with this demon here-”
“-It’s Yoongi, you brat-”
“No, don’t wanna go ‘lone.” Jungkook sighs. Is he going into shock, or just past the point where he’s questioning everything? “I’ll wait.”
Is he really agreeing to this?
He’d give just about anything to get a good night's sleep curled up in someone’s arms. Preferably his boyfriend’s, but if that isn’t going to happen…
This is probably fucking crazy, but.
He just really, really needs a good cuddle right about now.
Jungkook licks his lips, tilts his head back and gazes up at Yoongi.
Would he be a good cuddler, he wonders?
He’s smaller than Taehyung, who’s tall and broad and thick, and the longer that Jungkook looks at him, the more ethereal that he looks. His skin is perfectly clear, almost porcelain looking, his features delicate. It looks like his face was made to seduce- and he’s a demon for fuck’s sake, so maybe it was. His all-black outfit looks carefully tailored, gold rings adorning his fingers. He blinks, eyelashes soft against his cheeks, and when he looks down at meets Jungkook’s eye-
Fuck, his gaze is warm and steady. A little intimidating, the power behind it, but it’s not like he’s trying to throw his weight around. It’s just- there. Like he could snap them both in two if he wanted to, but for some reason, he doesn’t want to.
Suddenly Jungkook’s throat feels dry and he swallows weakly, trying to sort out the mess of thoughts in his head.
He tunes back in to the conversation that Taehyung and Yoongi are having when Yoongi stands up, a smile on his lips. “You- you really have never done this before, have you?”
“Um.” Taehyung shrugs. “No? I mean- just some spirits, and just to talk. Why?”
Yoongi chuckles, amused. The sound is low and heavy. Jungkook thinks that he likes listening to the sound of Yoongi’s voice. “The salt circle. I can’t cross it- you know, the whole demons can’t cross salt thing? If you want me to cuddle your Kookie there, you’re going to have to break the circle so that I can come out.”
“Oh?” Taehyung pauses and then brightens excitedly. “So you’ll do it?!”
Yoongi scoffs, looking down at his hands in what is probably supposed to come off aloof, but it just ends up looking cute. “I- I mean. You summoned me. I can only be summoned once a day, and I don’t have anything better to do tonight, so I can, I guess.” He fiddles with his hands before he seems to remember how this usually works. “Wait, what are you going to give me in exchange? Demons don’t work for free, you know.”
Taehyung huffs as if offended and curls Jungkook closer to his chest. “Hey, cuddling with Kookie is a reward in of itself. He’s the best cuddler, and has the cutest little sleepy face- trust me.”
“Tae,” Jungkook whines, embarrassed. Taehyung laughs and scratches at Jungkook’s scalp in that way that he loves, cupping his cheek with a hand.
Yoongi hums. “I’ll take these offerings of yours- and a little more of a few of your ingredients, here. That should do it.”
“Alright. It’s a deal.” A cold gust of wind rushes over them, much like when Yoongi appeared when Taehyung and Yoongi shake hands. “Up we go baby.” Taehyung nudges Jungkook off his lap, dragging him to his feet. Jungkook wobbles a little- and when he does, Yoongi reaches out to steady him, a hand on his back.
Where he touches feels like getting almost too close to a candle- he’s really, really warm.
Taehyung snorts, his chest rumbling with laughter. “Wow, Yoongi, could you be any more awkward? Kookie’s not gonna bite you.”
“What are you talking about?” Yoongi grumbles, annoyed. He lets his hand slide a little lower, gripping Jungkook’s waist more firmly. “I’m not awkward.”
“Okay, Yoongi.” Taehyung snickers into Jungkook’s shoulder, pressing his lips to the curve of his neck.
“And where are your honorifics, kid? Talk about being rude.” Yoongi scoffs, carefully helping Jungkook walk forward. “That ok, lamb?”
“Why does Kookie get a pet name?” Jungkook doesn’t need to see Taehyung’s face to know that he’s pouting.
“He’s cute, and quiet. You- on the other hand- are loud. And rude.” Yoongi huffs. “And that anti-possession tattoo on your chest? It could use some work. I’ll have to have a look at it later.”
“Hyung, do you just want a peek at my chest, or what?”
“Kid, I-”
Jungkook whines, nuzzling the side of Taehyung’s face impatiently. “Why aren’t we in bed already?”
He’s so, so tired- and it must show, because Taehyung coos and leads both Yoongi and Jungkook to their bedroom. The lights are already off, the blinds drawn to block the incoming light. Taehyung’s warm, and the room smells faintly of incense.
Taehyung helps Jungkook pull off his hoodie and his jeans, guiding him into bed in just a shirt and his boxers. He brushes Jungkook’s hair out of his face, sitting on the edge of the bed to press a barely-there kiss to his forehead.
“My shift today is only until ten, okay? Just six hours. Then I’ll be home.” He kisses Jungkook’s eyelids and then his nose. “Namjoonie is working tonight. I’ll bring you back some of that tea he makes that you like so much, okay?”
It all sort of clicks into place, then- the occult shop that Taehyung works at with his cousins, the strange totems, the tattoo Taehyung has inked just above his heart, the same one that he paints on Jungkook’s chest when they have to be separated for too long-
Jungkook’s suddenly not sure why he never noticed before, but, he just knows.
“It’s all real, Tae?” Jungkook opens his eyes to see the dim figure of his boyfriend sitting next to him. He’s so beautiful- Jungkook reaches out to touch his face, thumb caressing his jaw.
“Yeah, baby.” Taehyung smiles, turning his head to kiss Jungkook’s palm. “You rest up- okay? Yoongi’s gonna cuddle you. Make sure he does a good job, too, or else I’m taking those herbs back.”
Wait, is he-
“Tae, you’re really gonna leave?”
Jungkook’s stomach churns. Oh god, he’s going to get murdered today. Yoongi’s going to suck his blood (no, wait, that’s vampires , his brain helpfully supplies), or steal his soul or send him to Hell to face eternal torture- or whatever it is that demons do. He’s going to end up with an unscratchable itch or a hunger he can never satiate or something equally horrible.
Fuck Jungkook and his overactive imagination.
The bed dips, the covers sliding back as Yoongi joins Jungkook in bed.
“Yes baby,” Taehyung says, petting Jungkook’s hair. “Yoongi is bound by contract. He’ll do a good job. You’ll be safe, okay? And you’ll get a great sleep, and I’ll be back to join you by eleven. You’ll wake up and I’ll be back.”
Yoongi slides a little closer to Jungkook. He smells like a burning hearth- deep and heavy and comforting, the kind of smell you want to wrap yourself up in. Carefully, he ghosts a hand down Jungkook’s arm, and-
Oh.
His hands are really warm.
Jungkook sighs happily, pressing into the touches like a cat asking for pets. Yoongi moves in slowly; his skin is so warm, his hands surprisingly soft, for a-
A demon?
Jungkook finds himself leaning back into Yoongi’s touch in spite of himself.
“Relax, Kookie,” Yoongi whispers, and it occurs to Jungkook that Yoongi doesn’t actually know his full name- but he likes this, likes the cute pet name. Makes him feel good. “I’m not gonna hurt you, okay? We’re just gonna do what we’re doing now- I’m just gonna hold you and stroke your hair, little lamb, nothing else.”
Maybe Yoongi can smell his fear, or feel it, but his words are comforting. Jungkook nods, and when Yoongi presses in closer to pull Jungkook to his chest, Jungkook lets him. Presses his mouth to his collarbone, hums pleased deep in his chest.
Taehyung chuckles under his breath. “Sleep well, baby. You’ll take care of him, right, Yoongi?”
“Yeah.” Yoongi clears his throat. “I will. I am.”
With that Taehyung’s footsteps signal his departure, the bedroom door closing softly; all Jungkook is left with is the smell of Yoongi, the warmth of Yoongi, and his steady heartbeat against Jungkook’s ear.
(Demons have a pulse- he tucks away that knowledge for later).
Okay, yeah- Jungkook should definitely be freaking out more considering that his boyfriend is a witch and magic is real and there’s a freaking demon with his arms wrapped around him, but he's conditioned to the strange; all he wants right now is to be warm and cozy and sleep.
Yoongi rubs up and down his back in slow, soft strokes, one hand buried in his hair. He chuckles softly, fingertips brushing against Jungkook’s skin.
Jungkook swallows sleepily, eyes still closed. “What?”
“You- you smell like sleep.” Yoongi presses his mouth to the top of Jungkook’s head, the ghost of a kiss to the crown of his head. “Like, um. I think humans call it lavender? And something else, just the supernatural can smell- kosnae- it, it’s… cute.”
“You think I’m cute?” Jungkook snuffles a little, wishes he had the sense of smell to really decipher Yoongi’s scent. Maybe oak, or elm in a hearth? He’s not too sure. “You’re cute too, hyung.”
“Hyung?” Yoongi’s breaths are soft against the back of Jungkook’s neck.
“Mhm. Is that okay?” Jungkook yawns, cuddling in further, hand slipping up the back of Yoongi’s shirt thoughtlessly. “I know Tae will wanna call you hyung too, he was just trying to make me feel better by being funny.”
“Sure, lamb. You can call me hyung.” Yoongi’s voice is soft, and sweet, and he keeps his promise.
He holds Jungkook, strokes his hair and rubs his back, and carries Jungkook to the best sleep that he’s had in weeks.
(But when Taehyung returns, at half-past ten, slipping under the covers and smiling at a half-awake Yoongi before snuggling up to his other side, Yoongi doesn’t leave.
He stays.)