Pairing: ATZ & Felix (ft. SKZ)
Genre: Modern Fantasy AU
!!TW!! : mild angst, mention of assault, mentioned forced turning, abandonment
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Felix's pout grew.
Hongjoong's frown deepened.
After a few more seconds of stillness, the older let out a low groan. "Fine."
Felix's eyes widened in shock. "Really!?"
"Really. But there'll be rules, Lix! Don't make me regret trusting you—oof!"
Overjoyed, Felix didn't think twice before throwing himself into the older's arms, hugging him tightly. Hongjoong let out a soft sigh, but a fond smile was tugging at his lips as he hugged the freckled boy back. The moment was quickly over, though, as Felix pulled away and literally vanished in the blink of an eye with a victorious "YES!" resounding throughout the entire mansion.
Hongjoong sighed again, sinking into his seat. Seconds later, two hands began massaging his scalp.
"Are you certain about this, love?"
"You're the one who told me it would be a good idea."
"And I stand by that opinion," hummed softly Seonghwa. "This will be good for him, Joong. We've had him for over a century, now. If we want to nurture him properly, then we need to let him spread his wings a little."
"I know, I know – but it won't stop me from worrying," huffed the older.
Seonghwa chuckled, leaning down to kiss his temple for only answer.
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Hongjoong and Seonghwa were both pureblooded witches who met over half-a-millennia ago. They were soulmates, their magics meant to balance each other out and, eventually, their friendship grew into something more. And, from their ever-growing love and relationship was slowly born a coven.
One after the other, they'd picked up fellow witches to whom they taught the basics of how to control their magic, cast spells, create enchantments, and make potions, amongst many other things. In the three centuries following their initial meeting, Hongjoong and Seonghwa welcomed into their coven six wildly different witches.
There was Yunho, their most talented member when it came to potions, and Yeosang, who had the special ability to see auras. There was Mingi, who had a gift for communicating with animals, and also San, who could read minds. And finally, there was Wooyoung, a particularly powerful empath, and Jongho, their youngest, who was actually a seer.
Their coven was quite large by witches' standards, and any bigger would require them sending one of their coven leaders to join South Korea's Witching Council, seeing as they would become large enough to warrant a more acute supervision. So, Hongjoong and Seonghwa were determined not to take anyone else in, neither wishing for the extra responsibilities and pressure.
(While any witch had to answer to the authority of the SKWC, and all covens had to be registered under them for legal technicalities, having a coven leader on the Council meant stricter regulations, in addition to an obligation to supervise other, smaller covens as well, and potentially assimilate them into their own should the need arise – something none of them wanted, seeing as they were more than happy with just being eight.)
But then, a little over a century ago, they found Felix.
Felix was an exchange student from Australia, only meant to spend one semester in a foreign country so as to get in touch with his family's roots and learn more about the language and the culture.
He was a regular human in a mixed school – meaning humans and non-humans alike could attend classes there. He was friendly and, despite how he could hardly communicate because he wasn't fluent in Korean, he quickly befriended many people, both humans and supernaturals alike. Felix had only been in Korea for about a month when, one night, he woke up in the middle of a dark alley with no memory of how he got there. His body was battered and bruised all over, his neck was burning, and he belatedly realized that his heart was no longer beating.
It was scared, hurt, and confused that Felix had stumbled out of the alley and almost immediately ran into Seonghwa, who'd been out in the city for some errands.
("Are you alright?"
"Help me... P- please...")
Even though most of what the boy had uttered at the time was English gibberish, it didn't take a genius to understand that he needed help. So, Seonghwa had taken him to the nearest hospital, though he already had an inkling of what had happened to the poor boy – and, unfortunately, his instincts were right.
Felix had been the unfortunate victim of a forced feeding gone wrong, and he'd been turned in the process.
Trying to make Felix understand what had happened to him hadn't been easy but, when he finally understood, his defeated and terrified expression completely broke Seonghwa's heart. He wanted nothing more than to help the fledgling, though he had no clue of where to start. When he concerted the doctors about it, however, they simply said that they would be sending him home in the next few days so a specialized organization could set him up with viable support as quickly as possible.
Biding goodbye to Felix had been quite a heart-wrenching experience. It took for Seonghwa to get back home to his soulmate to finally realize that, in answer to Felix's distress, Seonghwa's magic had latched onto him in instinctual support, thus creating a soul bond between them, similar to those Seonghwa shared with the other members of their coven.
Still, Felix was now gone and, though Seonghwa felt incredibly empty inside, there was nothing that could be done about it.
Or at least, that's what he thought until four months later.
The coven's mansion was located about an hour away from the city, so Seonghwa was quite surprised when someone came knocking at their door. He was even more surprised to find none other than Felix standing on their porch, sickly pale and eyes a frighteningly dull red.
Felix had collapsed in his arms mere seconds later, and Seonghwa had no other choice but to bring him inside.
Felix's unexpected return had set ablaze the soul bond they shared. Where it had previously faded into the background of Seonghwa's own soul, it was now pulsing with life and demanding support. Felix was incredibly weak, sickened by an obvious lack of proper feeding, and the fledgling was unconsciously drawing on their bond to survive, at that point.
To say the others had been surprised to find a Vampire fledgling in their home would be an understatement, but they quickly understood that Felix wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and they quickly adapted to that new reality. With Seonghwa's careful monitoring and Yunho's potions, Felix had eventually managed to regain consciousness. He had seemed quite surprised to find Seonghwa right by his side, having seemingly found his way to the witch without meaning to. The moment Seonghwa had softly inquired as to why Felix was back in South Korea, though...
Well, the fledgling had burst into tears.
As it turned out, Felix's family had been wholly unsupportive of his new condition and had kicked him right out of his home the moment he'd returned. And, when he'd tried to apply for a support program that would hopefully find him a coven, technicalities in regard to his turning had rendered the process impossible: since Felix had been turned in South Korea, he'd basically gained South Korean citizenship and, as such, he was no longer recognized as a legal citizen of Australia.
Coming back to South Korea had been an extremely long and exhausting process because of all the legalities involved and, when Felix had finally managed to step foot back on Korean soil, it was with the hope that things would get better – but that hope was quickly quashed when, upon trying to apply for a support program there, he was yet again rejected.
Though recognized as a South Korean citizen by law, he couldn't just be placed under the care of a coven because of the complications related to the circumstances of his turning in addition to his messed-up citizenship status. As such, he'd been put into a Supernatural Center, which was basically a place where non-human individuals without a coven, pack, pod, or other type of groups could gather until they managed to settle down with their respective species.
The SCs were more of a social opportunity than anything else – supernaturals usually went there to meet others like them, form bonds, and eventually find people with whom they could belong. This was purely by choice, however, and many supernaturals preferred to live on their own, which was perfectly acceptable.
Except for Felix.
Since he was a fledgling turned against his will and whose Sire had abandoned, it was legally required for him to be supervised by a coven. As such, he had no choice but to stay in the SC until he found a coven willing to take him in – basically an adoption center, at that point. But no Vampire coven he met with wanted to be affiliated too closely with a foreigner who couldn't even communicate properly and, after spending a whole month in the SC, Felix had to come to an understanding: no one wanted him.
Hurt and lonely, Felix had fled the SC, simply running away with what little belongings he had left. He hadn't planned on finding Seonghwa or his coven, he'd simply been following his instincts – which later on turned out to be their soul bond. And, while happy to have finally found a familiar, friendly face, Felix was also terribly scared.
He didn't want to leave. Thankfully, Seonghwa had no intention of sending him away.
It wasn't unheard of for covens to sometime welcome members of different species. However, said members had to be registered and approved and there was just a lot of paperwork involved, and most species mostly tended to stick to their own. Beyond the annoying amount of technicalities, however, was an even more important matter: legally, Seonghwa and his coven weren't eligible guardians for Felix.
With Felix being not only a fledgling Vampire, but also one turned under the most unpleasant circumstances, a coven of witches simply wasn't suited to properly care for him. They didn't have the means, the knowledge, or the connections to offer Felix the support and care he required, and they all knew that.
However, Seonghwa blatantly refused to send him back to the SC, painfully aware that it would simply be condemning Felix to numerous decades of pain and loneliness. As such, their family had a serious talk about the situation, and ultimately decided that they would keep Felix with them – it'd simply have to stay a secret.
Seonghwa, being as old as he was, had a few connections here and there, and they managed to buy blood packets off-the-market. Yunho developed a special potion that helped ward off Felix's cravings, and Hongjoong crafted him a bunch of charms that would help mask his Vampire nature to any outsider's eyes.
Basically illegally adopting a Vampire fledgling wasn't exactly an easy process, and it took Felix and the coven a lot of time to adjust. But, over the years, everyone eventually found their rhythm and, before long, the young Vampire was as much a member of their coven as everyone else. He was happy, having finally found a family to call his own, and everyone was also happy to welcome such a sweet and kind soul in their midst.
For the better part of their century together, Felix stayed in the mansion without much of a thought, too scared of being taken away or causing trouble for his coven should anyone find out the truth. He helped around the mansion, studied every book about Vampires he could find, and he even developed an interest in potion making, which Yunho was all-too-happy to nurture.
It came as quite the surprise when Felix somehow successfully casted a spell – while some Vampires developed special gifts with age, they couldn't outright use magic, since one needed a beating heart in order to connect with it. However, it would appear that Felix, through living in an environment filled to the brim with magic, had somehow developed a core of his own – and, though quite small, it still enabled him to cast small spells and enchantments.
(To say the younger witches were elated would be an understatement – Felix being able to use magic opened the door to all sorts of possibilities, namely pranks. Seonghwa wished he could blame Felix's corruption on Wooyoung and San, but that would make him a hypocrite considering he was the one who taught Felix the spell to change colors – which then led to Felix changing the color of Hongjoong's sleeping shirt every single night, leading the older witch to start believing he truly was going insane.)
But of course, after living within the confines of the well-protected mansion for over a century, it was only natural that Felix would start growing a little restless. He'd grown a lot since they first met, not quite a fledgling anymore, and he wanted to start reconnecting with the outside world again. Most importantly, though, he wanted to go back to school and learn more magic there, alongside the other members of the coven.
Hongjoong had strictly refused at first. If the truth of Felix's circumstances was found out, then it could not only lead to the forced disbandment of their coven along with a heavy fine, but it could also very well lead to Felix's imprisonment. He'd be put under lock and key, considered unfit to reintegrate society since he was never offered proper guidance by a fellow Vampire and, if confronted to a particularly merciless judge during his court hearing, then he could even be condemned to being staked.
No, the risks were simply too great.
Felix understood, of course, but it didn't take long before his longing for the outside world began taking its toll on him. With his health and his happiness alike slowly declining, Hongjoong had no other choice but to seriously discuss the matter with Seonghwa and, after a lengthy deliberation, they eventually decided to give it a shot.
They began allowing Felix to go out in the city during the weekends, so long as he was accompanied by at least other members of the coven, and he had to wear his protective charms, too. It took numerous outings for Felix to eventually grow used to being surrounded by humans, and readjust to life in the city, but he mostly took to it like a fish to water.
Eventually, Seonghwa had bought him a phone and had given him permission to head to the city whenever he wished, so long as he had his phone on him and he warned one of them so they wouldn't worry. Felix had been overjoyed by this new freedom and, though excited, he never abused the trust they placed in him. He was always thorough with his precautions, and he never disobeyed any of the rules put into place.
One thing Hongjoong had refused to budge upon, however, was to allow Felix to return to school. Or at least, such was the case until now.
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"Hwa... Everything will be okay, right?"
Seonghwa smiled softly, kissing his temple. "Everything will be perfectly fine, love. I have a good feeling about all of this."
Hongjoong allowed himself to relax a little at that. His soulmate's instincts were usually always spot on so, if Seonghwa was confident that everything would be fine, then he would trust in him and in Felix.
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Felix was given a very special magical charm Hongjoong had specifically created for him, one that allowed him to completely hide his nature as a Vampire. Wearing it as a choker, it made a thin layer of magic completely cocoon him that dulled the redness of his eyes to a chocolate brown, and it made his fangs look like normal teeth. Anyone who saw Felix or interacted with him would believe him to be a witch, and the illusion would only be helped by the company he kept and the small amount of magic he could use. Unless he took off the charm himself, there was simply no way for anyone to sense the magic at work and discover the truth.
Though the magic constantly buzzing over his skin was slightly uncomfortable, Felix certainly wasn't about to complain about finally being able to go to school with the other members of his makeshift family – it was thus with an excited grin that Felix bade goodbye to Seonghwa and Hongjoong before he finally left with the others.
Felix would be rooming with Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang from here on out, while Yunho, Mingi, and Jongho would room together. Felix felt a little bad for basically kicking out Jongho, who'd been rooming with the others up until now, but the youngest witch had assured him that everything was perfectly fine, and that he'd volunteered for it. After all, the last thing they wanted was for Felix to have to wear the charm even when in the dorms – no matter what type it was, wearing a magical item for a prolonged period of time could be harmful, so Felix would need to take it off behind closed doors.
"Excited, Lix?" grinned San as he watched the Vampire practically vibrating in his seat.
"A- a little nervous," admitted Felix, wringing his hands together as he watched the city growing closer by the second. "What if- what if I mess up? Or- or someone finds out and you all get in trouble and—"
"Hey, hey, none of that," cut gently Wooyoung, prying his hands apart before he could hurt himself. "Everything will be fine, alright? You're not alone in this, Lix. We'll help."
"But you have your own studies to worry about—"
"It's okay, we'll be alright," assured Yunho with a small grin. "Plus, Woo and Mingi manage to fail their classes just fine on their own – you being there won't change much."
"Hey!" instantly chorused the two witches.
The others snickered at their slightly offended expressions, and Felix felt himself relax as he realized none of the others were nervous in the least.
It's going to be fine, he told himself, letting his head fall on Wooyoung's shoulder. We've managed to keep the secret for this long – surely we can do it longer.
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Settling into their new dorm was a bit nerve-wracking. So many decades ago, he'd been in a similar position, moving to an entirely different country with the plans of going home once the semester was over...
"Watch out—"
"Ack!"
"Crap!"
Felix was so lost in thought while carrying up his last box that he didn't see the other student until he quite literally rammed into them – though, to be fair, the other student hadn't been looking where he was going, walking backward and all that. The two collided, Felix dropping his box in surprise and letting out a yelp as he felt himself tip backward. Before he could completely lose his footing and make a rather nasty fall down the stairs behind him, however, strong arms suddenly enclosed themselves around him and, a moment later, he found his two feet back on firm ground again. A tad dizzy, it took Felix a moment to realize he was now a few meters away from the staircase.
They must have enhanced speed or something...
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"
"I- I'm fine." Felix heaved out a shaky sigh as he disentangled himself from the arms that were still holding him. "Crap, my stuff!"
Not even sparing a glance for the other two students, Felix rushed to the box he'd dropped, which had spilled its contents upon impact. He quickly started gathering the books and grimoires that had scattered around but, just as he reached for one of the ones that had slid further away, someone else picked it up and handed it over.
"Oh, thanks," he sighed, putting it back into the box.
"Was there anything breakable in there?" asked the mysterious student, sounding very remorseful. "I'm so sorry, I'll pay you back for anything that's broken—"
"No, no, it's fine, it was just an accident," chuckled Felix, putting the last of his books away. "And they're all books anyway, all in one piece, so no worries."
"Here, you forgot this one."
The other student appeared by his side, handing over another book, and Felix finally looked up, flashing a thankful smile at the other.
"Thanks—!"
His breath caught in his throat as, for the first time ever since Felix was turned, his heart suddenly beat. A strangled noise escaped him as a buzz of magic washed over his entire body like a stream of hot, almost scalding water – and then it was gone as quickly as it happened, air rushing back into his lungs as he finally reconnected with reality.
Which meant staring right into the golden eyes of the student before him.
Vampire. He's a Vampire.
The Vampire before him appeared stricken with awe, his eyes almost comically wide as he stared at Felix with his jaw dropping open. Felix was very briefly caught up on just how ridiculously handsome the student was... before suddenly remembering where he was, and panic instantly flooded through him.
"I- I have to go!"
"Wait—!"
Felix ran off without another look back, making a beeline for the next hallway despite the two students calling out to him. The moment he reached his room, he entered it and slammed the door behind him.
"Felix!" Wooyoung was on him in an instant. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"I- I don't know, there were—I can't—Vampires—"
"Shh, you're okay, baby, you're okay." San was quick to take over, pushing Wooyoung aside so he could pick Felix up. "Everything's fine, Lix. Just take a deep breath for me, hm? That's it, just like that."
San carried him over to the couch, where they started cuddling for the next few minutes. Felix had only just begun calming down when, without warning, someone came knocking at their door. It was Yeosang who went to answer, careful not to open the door too wide.
"Yes? Who're you?"
"We- we're looking for a Lee Felix—"
"How do you know that name?"
"It's, ah, it's written on the box. Here. He dropped it earlier and forgot it."
"I see. Thank you, I'll be sure to give it to him—"
"W- wait! Please, we need to talk with him!"
"What could two Vampires possibly want with a witch?" asked Yeosang, his blank expression not giving anything away.
Felix had begun shaking again, terrified that he'd somehow given away his true nature before the first day could even start. San shushed him gently, rubbing his back as he tried to calm him down again, though the both of them kept on listening intently to the conversation happened mere meters away.
"Witch—?"
"Private matters," cut in another voice, the one of the student who'd bumped into him earlier. "Please, it's really important. We know he's there, we just need—"
"He doesn't want to talk with you," cut abruptly Yeosang. "Please leave."
"But—"
"Hyung, it's okay." There was a sigh. "Let's go."
There was a moment of silent tension, before the "hyung" in question scoffed, and the two finally left. Yeosang was quick to close and lock the door as soon as they were gone, before looking over at Felix with an unreadable expression.
"What did they want with Felix?" asked Wooyoung, glaring at the door.
"I think..." Yeosang stared at the young Vampire for a moment longer, before heaving out a sigh. "I think Felix just met his mates."
"WHAT!?"
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Hmm, wonder who his mates might be, hm? This AU was entirely inspired by a particular SKZ dance practice - take that as a hint to try and figure out who his mates might be xD