Archive of Our Own

 For an unknowably long time, there is nothing.

Hyunjin knows nothing of the time he spent deceased, for obvious reasons- even gods are not immune to the icy embrace of death, and when it came for him he accepted his inevitable fate without protest. When he first stirs back into being, little more than a faint spark floating in the ether-space between worlds, he knows neither how long he has been dead nor what has brought him back.

All he can detect for a time is the faint aura of the forest around him, the whispers of life constant and entirely uncaring of a new entity joining their number. Birth and death are nothing extraordinary here, even if said birth is a celestial being. Everything in the forest is of equal importance.

There is inherent magic around him also, almost cradling his ethereal remains within itself, and as he reaches out and brushes up against it, he realizes it’s spellwork dedicated to him. This is a shrine, then, one of the few his worshippers built for him when he was still alive. A suitable resting place if there ever was one, Hyunjin thinks.

Eventually Hyunjin feels a presence, but his lack of senses leave him unable to examine it; he remembers its features only in the distant, fading sort of way humans recall dreams after waking. It was a human- a boy, he thinks, though such details hardly matter. The one thing that does stick, however, remaining even as he slips back down into nothingness and loses himself once more, is that their soul positively glowed.

Then, eventually, the boy comes back. Hyunjin finds himself slightly more cognizant this time, his awakening more like breaching the surface of an impossibly deep ocean than crawling up and out of the underworld. He cannot fathom why this human would return to a place so clearly abandoned, but he’s too grateful for his newfound consciousness to wonder about it for long.

The boy enters his shrine with a charming sort of caution, steps echoing against the tile with near-painful slowness. Hyunjin can feel the world around him a bit more easily today, and he can tell the boy is approaching his altar. If it were someone else, he might be nervous, but Hyunjin can easily sense this boy means him no harm. He knows he is a guest within the shrine and he acts as such, something Hyunjin deeply appreciates.

Then the boy sets something on the altar. As the place reserved for direct communion with Hyunjin, he can sense it better than almost anything else, and he immediately realizes the boy has brought a bouquet of wildflowers with him, almost like some sort of offering.

Hyunjin forces the foolish thought away as soon as it surfaces. Surely he’s just setting them down for a moment, using the altar as a table-

Then the boy is dusting off the shrine’s incense plate and laying an incense stick on it, striking a match and lighting it aflame a moment later. Hyunjin can viscerally sense the crackle of the burning herbs and the scent of its smoke, confirming the flowers to be an offering. An offering for him, after hundreds of years of being entirely forgotten. 

If Hyunjin were capable of crying, he surely would be.

Hyunjin can feel the flower petals brush against non-existent skin, drinks in their life force like a sprout in the rain. For the first time in centuries, he feels alive. This boy has acknowledged his divinity and resurrected him, at least for now. Hyunjin is unsure of what he did to deserve such a blessing, but he swears then and there that he will find a way to repay it in full. 

When the boy leaves a little while later, Hyunjin very nearly chases after him, slinking up to the outer edge of the shrine to absorb as much of his radiance as he can. Please stay, he wants to beg, but he has no voice with which to ask. All Hyunjin can do is hope beyond hope that this human will be merciful enough to return to him soon, before he is forced to die all over again.

Fortune is on his side, it seems, because the boy returns the very next day. He sets another offering, a small collection of larkspur blooms, down on the altar with more certainty than yesterday, and for the first time, Hyunjin allows himself to hope that this strange little ritual might be more than a passing stroke of luck. 

After that the offerings come daily. They consist solely of more larkspur at first, which Hyunjin devours like a starving animal, draining their magic the instant the boy sets the flowers on the altar. He can tell that they were picked with care, the boy having chosen only the largest and most beautiful of blooms to give him, his intent obvious in the traces of magic he leaves on their stems and leaves. The knowledge makes Hyunjin feel warm in a way he hasn’t known in centuries, cautious glee running through him at the thought of his existence once again being important to someone else. 

One day the boy even brings him blue roses, the magic of some other god coating every petal to keep them blooming and strong. He brushes up against their magic carefully, checking to ensure nothing potentially dangerous lies within them, and startles as a wave of distinctly human affection washes over him. These roses were clearly grown to be gifts, meant to capture impressions of the giver’s feelings for the recipient to enjoy. Too beautiful to simply be drained and forgotten, he siphons the magic out of them as slowly as he can bear, delighting in the joy that glimmers in the boy’s aura when he sees them remain healthy for days. 

Then comes the most wondrous thing yet- trinkets. While hardly the most opulent things he’s ever been given, Hyunjin can hardly bring himself to care when the gifts are clearly chosen with such absolute care and thought. Fine jewelry, an eagle-feather quill, the boy’s own compass- this human has clearly done his research, if writings about Hyunjin even exist anymore. He is somehow more devout in his worship than some of Hyunjin’s past bonded followers, and Hyunjin wonders with every new gift what in the world he has done to deserve such care and attention. Whatever it might be, he would do it again one hundred times over in order to keep this human - his human, now- from leaving him. 

Sometimes the boy comes with nothing at all, simply existing within the shrine’s walls and watching the forest. His thoughts hum in his head like hummingbird hawk moths in a field of flowers, gentle and pleasant regardless of their topic. Hyunjin does not purposefully listen to them -smitten or otherwise, he has some sense of propriety- but he catches glimpses of the loudest thoughts and finds the boy’s mind to be just as resplendent as his soul. 

Oh, Hyunjin wishes he could speak with him. He’s fallen a little bit in love with this breathtakingly beautiful human, this boy with a soul so radiant Hyunjin could swear he is the more divine of the two of them. Hyunjin has never met anyone quite like him in all his millenia of living, and he knows instinctively that there is no mortal soul quite like his in all creation. He wants to follow him for eternity, basking in his infinite light in the way that sunflowers eternally chase the sun.

Eventually the boy sets to, of all things, cleaning the shrine. Even Hyunjin’s past worshipers detested doing such work- he has a few memories of them hiring outsiders to do it so they could occupy their time with other, less mundane things. He understands their feelings completely -it must be indescribably boring to clean without the aid of magic- so the fact that someone is willingly choosing to do it is all the more meaningful. 

It’s impossibly endearing to watch the boy sweep the floor and dust the altar, being so profoundly kind for no discernible reason. He bares his soul so easily in his every action that Hyunjin almost fears for him, worries that the inherent cruelty of the world will someday muddy it beyond repair. But there is no one to harm him here, and there never will be so long as Hyunjin is around to protect him, so he watches as the boy’s hands bring the shrine back to its former glory and his soul brings flowers to bloom without worry. 

The boy talks while he works, absent and mundane, and from his words and accompanying thoughts Hyunjin learns his savior’s name is Felix, a child of merchants who is soon to come of age. He is charmingly insecure in the way all of the most wondrous humans seem to be, unsure of his worth and purpose and utterly oblivious to the fact that his mere existence already makes him the envy of every mortal being. Hyunjin wishes he could show Felix the glow of his own soul, brush away his anxieties and the voices in his head with the ease of Felix sweeping cobwebs out of the shrine. Someday he will, he promises silently. Felix will never know worry or sorrow again if Hyunjin has any choice in the matter. 

The day Felix first sings while he cleans very nearly sends Hyunjin to a higher place of existence. He cannot hear in any physical way, but music is a tricky thing; when performed properly, it exists as more than mere sound, bleeding into multiple planes at once and blooming into a special sort of magic accessible to Hyunjin. Though he wishes he could hear it through mortal ears, Hyunjin is more than capable of sensing the magic Felix weaves throughout his songs, so potent even the forest leans in to listen as he performs. 

Hyunjin has heard centuries’ worth of music in his lifetime, sung by everything from birds to human vocalists to gods themselves, and nothing, nothing compares to the honey-and-velvet croon of Felix’s voice. If he were stronger, he’d likely glow as bright as the sun from sheer awe; as it is, any effect his feelings might have on the mortal realm are surely unnoticeable. 

(Maybe one day Hyunjin will be able to tell Felix that he would be content to listen to his songs for all eternity.)

Hyunjin cannot see the shrine to determine its cleanliness, but he can feel the way the magic within it seems to preen every time Felix finishes cleaning something new. As the river of time continues to flow, the shrine begins to feel almost like it did when Hyunjin was alive, saturated with magic and devotion inside and out. The fact that Felix has done this all by himself is so impressive Hyunjin can hardly comprehend it, unable to understand what he has done to deserve being granted such an utter blessing to care for him. 

And Felix, by some miracle, feels something similar. He smiles when he enters the shrine each day as though he is walking into a palace; he seems genuinely sorrowful when he leaves in the evenings. One day he even speaks his feelings aloud, musing to himself about why he comes to the shrine every day without fail.

“I really like it here. It feels safe.”

Hyunjin has never received higher praise.

When the shrine is finally spotless and Hyunjin no longer loses time when Felix inevitably leaves him for the night, he realizes his celestial power has returned. It’s incredibly rare for just a single worshiper to be able to fully sustain a god, but Felix has managed it without even being bonded to Hyunjin. 

He is truly extraordinary in every sense of the word. 

The fact that Hyunjin has done nothing to repay Felix for his kindness has begun to eat at him, guilt eagerly sinking in its needle-sharp teeth with every new thing Felix does for him. He wants to at least do something to express his gratitude, no matter how subtle the gesture. Felix deserves it. 

Hyunjin is languishing through another night with nothing for company except the whispers of the forest and his own longing when a perfect idea occurs to him. All gods can commune with their followers through dreams, and though he is not fully bonded to Felix, Hyunjin is certain their connection is strong enough to make up for it. He can simply speak to Felix in a dream and thank him that way. 

Hyunjin reaches out with his aura farther than he ever has before, politely brushing past every piece of life in the forest until he finds the path leading back to Felix's dwelling. There are two other presences within the house, but they are laughably dull and mundane in comparison to the miniature star that is Felix’s soul and he pays them no mind. Felix is already asleep, fortunately, so Hyunjin can set to work at once. 

He gently presses against Felix’s soul, shivering at the profound warmth it emanates, and, using their combined power, he tugs them both up and into the realm of dreams. A dimension of entirely empty space, the dream plane requires intent to be manipulated into the scenes and stories mortals know as dreams. Hyunjin aims for simplicity as he crafts an appropriate setting, skimming Felix’s mind for details of what his home looks like and bringing it to life, turning the blank void around them into a warm and pleasant space. 

Now he must wait. Felix’s consciousness will take time to manifest a proper form for itself in this realm, and humans need the anchor point of a physical form to function. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long before Felix appears, form murky and ever-changing in the typical way humans present themselves in dreams, but the glow of his soul is unmistakable all the same. 

This is not a true first meeting- Felix will likely forget this dream entirely, or at the very least assume it is fictitious, but Hyunjin is still profoundly nervous all the same. Summoning up every ounce of courage within him, Hyunjin manifests beside Felix, willing his essence into something vaguely human-shaped, and prepares to face him for the first time. 

Hyunjin has no proper physical form, but in a space like this, he has no need for one. It takes little more than a thought for him to intertwine a temporary hand with Felix’s, then rest his temporary head on Felix’s shoulder. The kiss he receives on the top of his head in return sets Hyunjin on fire from the inside out. 

There is no need for social convention in dreams, so Hyunjin eschews any traditional greeting. “I love you,” he says instead, because if Felix recalls one thing from his dream, Hyunjin would give anything for it to be this. “Never forget that.”

“I love you too,” Felix replies, his voice warm as sunshine and sweet as lilacs, and delight wells up in Hyunjin like a flash flood until the only thing he can think to do is kiss him. Too shy to kiss him on the lips, Hyunjin aims instead for Felix’s throat, impressing his affection onto him as if trying to make it permanent. He moves to carefully wrap his hands around Felix’s waist, silently marvelling at how svelte and dainty he is. 

The touch of their skin is empty and heatless, but the smile on Felix’s face is very much real. Hyunjin is so entirely smitten he can do nothing but kiss him further, mapping out every inch of this perfect human’s skin and marking him with the closest thing to a blessing he can produce. It’s only when he very nearly reaches Felix’s pelvis that Hyunjin remembers that they are still in a dream- hardly a place for them to have experience any sort of intimacy for the first time. 

Maybe someday there will come a time when Hyunjin can truly take care of Felix in such a way, but it is not meant to be here, in such a fleeting moment. Felix is meant to be cherished in reality, where his body is firm and solid and the warmth of touch can seep into his bones. 

Regret burning within him, he severs their connection and collapses the dream in an instant, returning them both to their respective physical and metaphysical bodies. His shrine feels duller than ever in Felix’s absence, and for a moment he allows himself to imagine a world where the both of them could be together all hours of the day. Then Hyunjin violently forces the thought away, unwilling to allow hope for the impossible to fester. 

With a mental sigh, he begins counting the seconds until Felix will return to him again. 

Then comes something Hyunjin could never have expected. 

Ever since he visited Felix in his dream, he’s been working on rebuilding the essence of a human form for himself. While he still lacks a proper connection to the physical plane -a bonded worshipper, to be specific- the task feels important all the same. 

He has no way of knowing what Felix would like most in a human, but he tries his best to match his tastes all the same. Long, blonde hair to match his blessed; eyes as green as the forest around them; jewelry and clothing that are dainty but not opulent. He had a body he’d liked a long time ago, but by now it is long lost to the jaws of time and he must start over from scratch. 

The task is an excellent way to fill time between Felix’s visits, but today Hyunjin has hardly begun his work when he senses Felix’s presence in the forest. He instinctively lights up in anticipation, leaning in to feel the warmth of his soul as soon as physically possible. When Felix finally draws close enough for Hyunjin to feel his radiance properly, he eagerly drinks it in, skimming Felix’s emotions and most pressing thoughts of the day alongside his effervescent light. The fierce determination Hyunjin senses before anything else has him curiously reaching out to read Felix’s aura in more detail. What could he possibly be so resolute about, when the shrine is clean and Hyunjin is alive once more?

He only finds out when Felix steps into the shrine, arms full of a variety of strange items. Hyunjin can’t see in the traditional sense, but he can feel the auras, the lives of the objects that enter the shrine, and he knows the moment Felix enters that he’s preparing to swear himself to Hyunjin. 

If he had a body, it would be shaking.

Though Felix has been leaving offerings for weeks now, Hyunjin had never dared to hope it might evolve into something more. The thought of this kind, flawless human who glows inside and out being willing to devote his heart, his mind, his soul to Hyunjin for all eternity feels far too good to be true. Soon they will be able to consort properly, as bonded god and worshipper. 

Hyunjin will kiss him, perhaps. Or maybe make love to him right there on the altar, worship this perfect being until every inch of his body is flooded with ecstasy and their souls are eternally intertwined. In truth, he would be elated to simply touch Felix, to feel the warmth of his fragile human body and confirm that he’s truly there, radiant and loving and willing to devote himself to Hyunjin. What would it be like to have Felix smile at him, to hear Felix speak his name? The experience might very well kill him all over again.

Hyunjin waits with poorly-restrained giddiness as Felix readies the necessary ingredients for the bonding ritual. Felix has prepared everything perfectly, as to be expected, setting out his chosen catalysts in the correct order and wearing a bracelet of red thread all the while. A sudden wave of pride hits Hyunjin so hard he feels as though he’s fallen over. This human -soon to be his human- is truly perfection in mortal form. 

Then comes Felix’s sacrifice. Hyunjin hadn’t noticed him bringing in anything that seemed to be a likely candidate for the offering, so what could his plan be? He had better not be planning a blood sacrifice- Hyunjin would rather be trapped in the void for all eternity than see Felix hurt himself for Hyunjin. 

Felix does end up drawing a knife, but he doesn’t cut into his skin with it. An air of mournfulness dims the light of Felix’s soul for a moment, and Hyunjin reaches out to him on instinct despite knowing he is still powerless to aid him. What exactly did Felix do?

When Felix sets the mystery thing with his other offerings, Hyunjin immediately attempts to analyze it. It takes him a moment to understand just what Felix’s sacrifice is, but when he recognizes it as his hair, a wave of aching fondness washes over him. Felix has literally given a part of himself up to Hyunjin, his source of comfort and confidence, in hope that his god will provide him with the same support in return. Hyunjin can only hope that Felix knows he fully intends to do all that and more. 

When Felix finally lights the offering aflame, Hyunjin simply has to shift nearer to it for its magic to detect his presence and bloom the brilliant indigo Hyunjin enjoys using as his essence’s personal color. Felix lets out a soft gasp when the flames change, pulse picking up at the confirmation of Hyunjin’s presence. 

Hyunjin can sense the way Felix’s body trembles, the pounding of his heart in his chest, and it hurts Hyunjin to the core. Surely Felix doesn’t think he would reject him? His savior could ask for patronage by offering nothing but stream water and forest ferns and Hyunjin would still gladly bless him a thousand times over.

Hyunjin has had many worshippers over the eons, but none quite like Felix. No one ever cared for him so readily without expecting anything at all in return. 

“O Hyunjin, god of grace and elegance,” Felix begins, the ancient magic invoked by his words humming through Hyunjin’s nonexistent bones. “In peace and in war, from within and without, please hear my plea and heed my prayer.”

Felix’s bonding covenant is unlike any Hyunjin has ever received, clearly written at least in part by Felix himself, but the personal touch merely makes its magic stronger. By the time Felix finally closes his speech with a soft “amen,” Hyunjin is so excited he feels as though he might explode if he cannot bless Felix within the next few moments. There’s a single second of silence wherein the magic binding Felix’s bonding covenant finishes building, now only waiting for the response of the receiving party. 

Hyunjin eagerly reaches out with his magic, ready to intertwine their souls the instant he can. The process is much slower than he expected, actually, and nothing happens for an agonizingly long moment. Then he realizes- Felix never actually touched his statue, never properly invited Hyunjin into the physical plane. Without that crucial step, Hyunjin is still powerless, unable to accept or deny his blessed’s offering.

Oh no, oh no no no-

Felix waits an admirably long time for Hyunjin to reach out to him. He kneels in front of the altar with serene stillness, a picture of tranquility despite the way his mind is near to cracking from sheer anxiety and his thoughts are racing so quickly it’s impossible to read a single one. 

All the while Hyunjin does everything in his power to force himself into the mortal realm, the metaphysical equivalent of slamming oneself into a wall over and over and over again until it crumbles. He feels as though he’s falling apart at the seams, his godly essence too desperate and hurting to bother with keeping itself together.

When Felix finally realizes no answer is coming, he collapses to the ground, mentally berating himself for not being good enough. In his desperate anguish, Hyunjin throws himself closer to Felix’s aura than ever, only to fall short at the last moment and be forcibly snapped back into his home plane.

Hyunjin very nearly lets his own unbridled frustration consume him until he realizes Felix is crying. His tears drip into the grooves in the tile, crystalline and scorching like liquid sunlight, as he sobs into his hands. The knowledge that Hyunjin is the sole cause of his pain hurts more than any physical agony ever could.

Then Felix bolts off into the forest like a frightened deer, and in his absence the shrine feels colder than ice. Hyunjin is almost glad he’s gone, too painfully ashamed of his own uselessness to be able to face him.

Hyunjin screams a mouthless scream, an arrow-shot of pure energy arcing off into the abyss without a sound. He’s never felt so confined, so powerless within this void, but now that he’s noticed it, the burning need to get out makes his very soul itch with discomfort. What point is there in being a god, in being alive at all, if he can do nothing but hurt the only being he cares about?

Hyunjin makes himself as small as possible, curls in on himself for warmth. It feels nothing like the touch of Felix’s soul.

When Felix next returns, Hyunjin almost thinks he’s imagining things, that he’s confused himself in his grief-borne weakness. But as his presence draws steadily closer, soul as unmistakably radiant as ever, Hyunjin realizes his blessed really is coming back to him.

Felix’s love for Hyunjin hasn’t diminished in the slightest, allowing him to keep his power and coherence, but the lack of his presence has hurt Hyunjin in other ways. Most days he feels as if he’s on the precipice of madness, loneliness and bitterness eating at him like rot. He can’t help but blame himself for the pain he’d inadvertently caused Felix, the memory of him crying in front of Hyunjin’s altar seared into his consciousness and tormenting his every waking hour. 

But none of that matters now- Felix has returned to him!

Perhaps...perhaps Felix learned he hadn’t completed the bonding ritual? Will Hyunjin finally be allowed to properly consort with him? The thought makes Hyunjin feel as if he’s been struck by lightning, nervous energy arcing through him until he’s little more than a scattered mess. He needs to make sure his human form is perfect, check over his clothes and hair and oh, the first words he says to Felix must be appropriately reverent!

Ecstatic as he is, it takes Hyunjin far too long to notice something is wrong with Felix. He’s bolting towards the shrine, tearing through undergrowth carelessly, and Hyunjin can tell from his racing heartbeat and ragged breathing that he’s not running for his own enjoyment.

Pounding footsteps and fury follow him, something that stirs Hyunjin to immediate alertness. Nothing hostile has come to this forest in centuries- what could such aggressive energy possibly be doing here?

What worries him all the more is the sheer terror radiating from Felix’s aura, his heart pounding like a rabbit moments away from being devoured by wolves. He’s being hunted, Hyunjin realizes. For what, he does not know. But it will be his attackers’ final mistake.

The fury that burns through Hyunjin is as scorching and wild as a forest fire.  These people are going to pay for what they’ve done to Felix. Harming a god’s blessed is an unforgivable sin, and Hyunjin will gladly punish them for their transgression.

The moment Felix’s boots touch the floor of the shrine, something relaxes within him, and Hyunjin immediately calms slightly as well. Felix is here, he’s safe, and Hyunjin can protect him now. He still lacks a corporeal form, admittedly, but the rage bubbling within him makes him strong, fills him with a power he hasn’t felt in centuries. Nothing in the mortal plane could keep him from his blessed’s side now.

Then the best possible thing happens- Felix touches his statue. Their connection knits itself together instantly, only needing the brief moment of contact to intertwine their fates permanently, and suddenly Hyunjin can feel the brush of Felix’s soul against his divinity in two planes instead of one. 

Felix is much too panicked to feel the shift in their bond, but Hyunjin has no such hindrance; power courses through him as their souls mingle together and balance themselves out. He knows without checking that Felix is now hidden behind his statue, heart racing and still utterly unaware that nothing will ever be able to hurt him ever again.

“Please,” Felix begs, desperation so immense the words reverberate through both the air and their newly-completed bond. “Help me, Hyunjin.”

Does Felix know that Hyunjin would destroy this entire plane if he asked for it? Does he know that Hyunjin would curse for all eternity the entire bloodline of anyone who dared to so much as look at him wrong?

If it were up to Hyunjin, he would eviscerate these men until they were little more than unrecognizable lumps of flesh and leave them as food for the worms and mushrooms. But the light that glows ceaselessly in Felix’s heart shines upon everything around him, even those who don’t deserve it in the slightest, and Hyunjin knows killing these men will hurt his bonded; as such, he will seek only to incapacitate instead of slaughter.

He forces himself to ignore the part of him that wants nothing more than to sweep Felix up into his arms and never let him go. There will be time for that later. Right now he is on the hunt.

The men enter the shrine a scant few moments after Felix manages to hide, tread careless and frustration radiating from their every action. They stomp across the tile as though they’re trying to crack it, and as Hyunjin skims their auras he notes they’re royal guards here to collect Felix. Perhaps he really should kill them for trespassing. 

As the guards search the shrine, Hyunjin feels a wave of sharp, possessive anger rush past him, and he goes weak in his non-existent knees at the realization that Felix is equally angry about the guards’ presence in his shrine. Felix, who seems to know nothing but kindness and love in his heart, is angry for him. 

The thought is enough to spur him into action, pouring his godly essence into the framework of his human form, then bringing it to life with a faint kiss of magic. Hyunjin can feel the instant he shifts planes, his magic compressing itself into its new body and trapping his senses within its confines. It’s relieving, somehow, a comfort not unlike being wrapped tightly in a blanket or curling up in a small space; a constant reminder that he’s fully, truly alive once again .

Hyunjin slinks out of his statue, body forming itself with the marble as a guide, his new limbs fluid in their grace and resplendent in their divinity. He rolls his shoulders once, tilts his head to let his neck crack. Then he draws his swords, motions slow and deliberate, and waits for the guards to realize their lives are about to be forfeit.

It takes them a moment, but they eventually notice the new figure in the shrine, whirling around in utter surprise at Hyunjin’s presence. Pathetic. Their faces immediately twist in anger and they yell something about royalty, seemingly unaware that Hyunjin transcends all human hierarchy. If Hyunjin had more time, he’d gladly string them up and make them understand the true extent of his power and the depth of their sin, but petty vengeance is unimportant when Felix is in need of his comfort.

The royal guards are hardly skilled swordfighters despite their bravado, and it takes mere moments for Hyunjin to dispatch them and knock them unconscious. He renders them effectively comatose with little more than a thought, magic crackling like a lightning strike within him, and sends their unconscious bodies a few yards into the forest, where they will cause no more distress to Felix.

The shrine is now so quiet Hyunjin almost worries Felix ran away while he was fighting, but a quick reach out with his magic reveals Felix hasn’t moved an inch. Hyunjin can feel his presence clearly, his bonded’s aura slightly less visible in this plane but still radiant as ever even as he shakes in terror. 

“Felix,” Hyunjin says, and the word feels positively holy on his tongue, “are you alright?”

Silence for another moment, as the whole world holds its breath in anticipation. Then, slowly, Felix peeks out from behind the statue. Upon seeing Hyunjin, standing stock-still in sudden nervousness, his eyes go wide and he stumbles forward until they’re mere inches apart and gaping at each other.

Felix has constellations on his cheeks and splashed across his nose, tiny stars Hyunjin could spend hours tracing his fingers between until he’s mapped the entire cosmos on his bonded’s skin. His blonde hair is short, far shorter than Hyunjin knows it once was, but still ethereal in the way it gently frames his face, flaxen bangs dripping into his eyes like strands of spider silk. His eyes glitter like midday sun on the surface of a lake, wide enough for Hyunjin to fall right into should he stare for a moment too long.

Hyunjin is lucky he has no need to breathe, because he’s entirely forgotten how.

“You’re even more beautiful in this plane,” he murmurs, unable to stop himself from voicing his thoughts aloud. “Prettier than I ever could have imagined.”

Felix’s physical form seems just as perfectly crafted to match his soul as Hyunjin’s; if he didn’t know better, he would assume Felix was divinity at a glance.

“As are you,” Felix replies immediately, eyes sparkling like miniature galaxies, and if Hyunjin were a weaker being he’d fall to his knees and beg for his affections right then and there.

Instead they talk, trading sweet words between their lips like the finest ambrosia until Hyunjin is very nearly drunk on it all, scarcely able to believe all of this is real. Learning that Felix forgives him for being unable to bless him is a relief, but being given permission to kiss him feels like being struck by lightning. Hyunjin now knows just how sweet Felix tastes, that his lips are softer than velvet, and he will never, ever forget the feeling. 

Despite Hyunjin having been given everything he’s ever wanted, in his infinite greed all he does is hope for more. Something about the way Felix, his bonded, is sitting on his altar makes heat curl in Hyunjin’s gut. Felix is his- to cherish, to love, to follow to the ends of the earth.

So he asks, nearly pleads for Felix to allow himself to be worshipped the way he deserves. Hyunjin would keep Felix in a state of perpetual bliss if he could, reward him for all he’s done in the best way he knows how, but this is a start.

Despite being the god of passion, Hyunjin has rarely submitted to carnal desires over the centuries. He’s simply never felt the need to, never found anyone worthy of giving himself to. With Felix, though, it’s entirely natural, just another way to express his overwhelming love for his bonded. 

Though it has been centuries since Hyunjin has even considered engaging in this sort of intimacy, it’s all too easy to strip Felix’s pants down to his thighs and take his cock into his mouth, tonguing at its underside as though the taste of his skin is sweeter than sugar. 

Other gods might laugh at the idea of a deity submitting to a human in such a way, but Hyunjin has no care for tradition or status- especially not with the way Felix is practically singing in pleasure above him.

The bond between them gives Hyunjin a sense of what will most please his lover before he can physically react, so he moves with purpose to make Felix fall apart. Mouthing at his cockhead just to hear Felix gasp, Hyunjin near-reverently licks up every drop of precum on his cock, savoring the vaguely salty, distinctly human taste of Felix. 

He grips Felix’s thighs with almost too much force, holding them as if Felix might disappear were he to let go. There will likely be bruises left behind, but Felix has yet to complain, so Hyunjin doesn’t falter. 

Relaxing his throat with inhuman ease, Hyunjin takes Felix to the base in one smooth movement, leaning forward until his nose brushes Felix’s pelvis and his senses are entirely swallowed up by Felix Felix Felix. Felix lets out an endearingly undignified yelp, hips bucking up of his own accord as his grip tightens harshly in Hyunjin’s hair. 

Hyunjin hums at the slight pain, more entertained by the sensation than anything, then hollows his cheeks around Felix’s cock for a moment before sliding off with aching slowness. Rather than fully pulling off, though, all he does is find a better angle to bob his head from, enthusiasm growing with every new cry of pleasure he draws from Felix’s lips. 

“I’m gonna-” Felix whines in what feels like no time at all, unconsciously trying to squeeze his legs shut, “gonna come-!” 

Hyunjin, not wanting things to end so soon, mouths at Felix’s cock one final time to savor the taste before pulling off entirely and sitting back on his haunches, licking his lips to clean them of precum. 

Felix stares at him with wide eyes swimming with what almost appears to be betrayal, and the sight is enough to nearly make Hyunjin lose his resolve right then and there.

“W-why did you-“ Felix nearly whimpers. His dainty cock is weeping by now, flushed and proud where it hangs between his thighs, and his fingers are digging into the stone below him as if to resist simply bringing himself to climax instead of waiting further. 

A wave of guilt washes over Hyunjin as realization hits. Right- it’s probably unpleasant to be denied orgasm at the last possible moment. Hyunjin will remember that for the future, when he’s less out of practice with this sort of intimacy. For now, though, he will just have to make it up to him. 

“I’m sorry, my love,” Hyunjin murmurs, pressing a kiss to the inside of Felix’s thigh in apology. “I wanted to try something else.” 

“What is it?” Felix manages.

“May I-“ Hyunjin pleads, suddenly nervous, “may I take you?”

Felix stares at him for a moment, eyes wide and cheeks dusted with red. “H-here?” He asks, glancing around at the open walls of the shrine as if noticing their openness for the first time. Hyunjin doesn’t understand his shyness- Felix’s noises of ecstasy have been ringing through the forest like birdsong for some time now, so dulcet and beautiful they seem almost a natural part of the forest. How could Felix possibly be ashamed of his own perfection?

“You are the most radiant offering I’ve ever been given,” Hyunjin murmurs. “It would be only fitting for me to worship you here, where blessings belong.”

“But we don’t have-” Felix stammers, overwhelmed to the point of his eyes nearly glassing over, “supplies, or anything like that.”

Hyunjin simply laughs, breathless and more than a little pleased that such a trivial thing is Felix’s only objection to his request. 

“I can ease things for you magically, or we can take the more- traditional route of preparation,” Hyunjin offers. 

“Uhm,” Felix squeaks out, face an endearing shade of red, “y-you can do it, if that’s okay.” 

“It would be my honor,” Hyunjin says earnestly, a smile blooming unbidden on his lips at the way Felix blushes even further, suddenly unable to meet Hyunjin’s eyes. Felix shyly kicks off his pants and boots, now only covered by his thin beige shirt, and holds out a hand to pull Hyunjin up onto the altar with him. Hyunijn follows automatically, disappearing his clothing as he moves until he’s pushing Felix back onto the altar until his back hits stone and Hyunijn is towering over him. 

It has been centuries since he last attempted such an intimate act, and Hyunjin would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. Still, he does not falter in the slightest, determined to do his best for Felix. 

Summoning a small pot of lubricant onto the altar beside him, Hyunjin dips two fingers into the substance and moves to very carefully circle Felix’s hole, watching with fascination at the way Felix’s whole body shivers. After a brief moment of trepidation, Hyunjin finally dares to slip a finger inside of him. 

His movements are exceedingly gentle at first, cautious of any sign of discomfort from Felix, but when all he does is attempt to grind down on Hyunjin’s finger with a soft, pleased little noise, Hyunjin doesn’t hesitate to add another and begin stretching him properly. Alternating between scissoring his fingers with a slowly increasing stretch and caressing Felix’s walls, it’s not long before Hyunjin has Felix writhing on the stone below him, hips jerking erratically and staccato notes of pleasure falling from his lips. 

By the time Hyunjin has three fingers inside of Felix, he is far less concerned with possibly hurting him as he is with trying to make Felix feel as good as physically possible. Eventually Hyunjin crooks his fingers in a new direction and Felix positively keens, back arching and mouth falling open. Hyunjin is uncertain of what exactly he’s just done, but he knows he needs to do it again. 

It takes a mere moment for him to find the same spot again, pressing against it with a little more confidence this time. Felix lets out another cry, head falling backwards until the entire expanse of his throat is exposed. Unable to help himself, Hyunjin leans in to press a mark to his skin, tongue lathing over the spot until he’s certain the resulting bruise will last for days. 

“Stop, stop,” Felix practically whines when Hyunjin brushes the same spot again, voice gravel-rough. “Or I’ll come too early.” 

“Does that mean I can-“ 

“Yes, yes, please yes,” Felix huffs, spreading his legs even wider in invitation. He looks positively ethereal like this, made of gold and silk and sunlight, spread out on Hyunjin’s altar like the finest of gifts. 

Hyunjin wants to mark every inch of his golden skin, press rose-petal bruises everywhere he can until no one could look at Felix and not know who he is bonded to. Someday, he vows. When they have the hours necessary for Hyunijn to worship Felix properly, to adore every inch of his perfect body and soul. 

Right now he straddles Felix, hips and thighs singing at the contact as he lines himself up with Felix’s entrance. Felix is staring at him with saucer-wide eyes, gaze glimmering with an emotion Hyunjin cannot name but one that lights a fire in his stomach all the same. 

With an aching slowness, listening intently to every breath and sound Felix makes, Hyunjin presses into him, the blissful warmth of his walls making him sigh out a moan as he pushes further and further in. Felix gasps on every exhale, eyes screwed shut from the intensity of feeling, but he shows no signs of discomfort even when Hyunjin is embedded to the hilt within him. 

Human pleasures are so wildly addictive, so all-consuming in their ecstasy. How Felix chooses not to do this as often as he can is entirely beyond Hyunjin- hopefully he will be willing to engage in such things much more regularly now that Hyunjin is with him. 

“Are you alright?” Hyunijn murmurs, reaching to brush a lock of hair away from Felix’s face. He shows no physical signs of pain, but the last thing Hyunjin wants to do is hurt him through his own carelessness. 

“I think so,” Felix huffs. “It doesn’t hurt.” 

A brief pause follows as red tints his cheeks. “I’ve just never done this before, and you’re, um...a lot.” 

Felix’s words stir an odd mix of pride and embarrassment within him, as the urge to awkwardly apologize clashes with the sudden, smug realization that Felix truly finds every element of Hyunjin’s form to his liking. 

Then another, stronger realization hits- they are both each other’s firsts. A vicious pride courses through Hyunjin at the thought that only he and Felix will ever have this special bond with each other. Felix has willingly allowed Hyunjin to see him at his most vulnerable, to trust him with the most delicate parts of his fragile human self. The thought makes Hyunjin shiver, suddenly all the more impatient to continue. 

“May I?” Hyunjin asks, shifting inside of Felix slightly. 

“Yes, please,” Felix murmurs, one hand reaching up to tangle in Hyunjin’s hair. 

Hyunjin very slowly draws out of Felix slightly, careful not to move too far just yet, before thrusting back in with as much force as he dares. Felix lets out a gorgeous moan, back arching and reaching out to wrap around Hyunjin and pull them even closer together. 

“Was that okay?” Hyunjin checks, though he’s fairly sure he already knows the answer. 

“So good,” Felix breathes, expression the epitome of bliss. He’s so beautiful Hyunjin can’t help but lean down and kiss him, slipping his tongue into Felix’s mouth as he thrusts into him again and swallowing up his resulting moan.

It doesn’t take long before Hyunjin is pounding into Felix with abandon, no longer caring to be overly gentle. Felix has no issues with this change, judging by the way he takes everything Hyunjin gives him and then some, pressing himself into Hyunjin as though trying to fuse their bodies and only moaning louder with each uptick in the force of his thrusts. 

“More, more,” Felix pants, rutting up against Hyunjin desperately. He looks as though he’s attempting to impale himself on Hyunjin’s cock, and the sight is enough to have Hyunjin slamming into him harder than ever. 

Within a few moments, one of Hyunjin’s thrusts hits a place that makes Felix’s eyes roll up into his head as he lets out a startled scream of ecstasy. It’s that spot again, the one that makes Felix see stars so bright Hyunjin can almost feel it by extension. Hyunjin holds himself at that same angle with inhuman control and does his best to thrust even deeper, hitting his target with perfect precision every time.

“Oh, oh gods-“ Felix moans. 

Hyunjin tsks at him. “Gods?” He asks lowly, showing his thrusts almost to a halt. 

He’s not really upset about Felix’s choice of vernacular, of course, but some vain, possessive part of his mind wants Felix to never even think of another deity so long as Hyunjin is with him. 

Felix, desperate as he is, doesn’t take long to get the hint. “God, Hyunjin, my god, please-“

Hyunjin rewards him with a thrust so powerful Felix’s voice cracks on a moan, nails digging into Hyunjin’s back with enough force to draw blood. 

“Fuck,” Felix moans, pressing into Hyunjin as if trying to fuse their bodies. “God, god, right there, I’m so close, Hyunjin-“ 

Operating on instinct alone, Hyunjin wraps his hands around Felix’s tiny waist and pulls them apart, pressing Felix into the altar as he pulls out of him as far as reasonably can before slamming back in like his life depends on it. Felix is too shocked to even moan, hips rising to meet him automatically, and all it takes is one, two more thrusts of the same godly force before Felix is tensing up like a bowstring and coming all over their stomachs. 

The feeling of Felix clenching around his cock pushes Hyunjin to the brink of orgasm, but what truly tips the scale is the absolutely gorgeous look on his bonded’s face, eyes shut in ecstasy and puffy lips open in a scream of pleasure. The overwhelming sense of awe and affection that slams into Hyunjin like a tidal wave makes him come so quickly he scarcely realizes what’s happening until his vision nearly whites out from sheer pleasure.

When both of them come down from their highs, the first thing Hyunijn does is kiss Felix, pressing every ounce of his adoration and gratitude for him into the touch of their lips. 

Felix looks near to falling unconscious, and while Hyunjin would be happy to watch over him while he slept, bodies still intertwined, he knows humans shouldn’t sleep on hard surfaces like his altar. Silently regretful at the thought of having to separate, Hyunjin carefully pulls out of Felix, waving a hand to make the various fluids painting his skin disappear before he can feel any sort of discomfort. 

Felix also seems vaguely displeased about their separation as he gingerly sits back up. The first thing he does upon finding a comfortable position is reach out for Hyunjin, who automatically laces their fingers together. 

“ ‘M tired,” Felix murmurs. “Could you please get my clothes?” 

Hyunjin does him one better, dressing him again with a snap of his fingers and clothing himself again as an afterthought. Felix scarcely blinks at the open use of magic, instead simply smiling at Hyunjin and pressing a kiss to his cheek in thanks. 

“Let me carry you,” Hyunjin requests when they meet eyes again. “I will find a better place for us to sleep.” 

“Nowhere near town,” Felix tells him. “Take us somewhere no one else will be able to find us.” 

“Of course,” Hyunjin replies. With the reverent care of a gardener touching a newly-bloomed flower, he reaches one arm around Felix’s lower back and the other underneath his knees, picking him up bridal-style and clutching him as close to his chest as he can. 

“Rest now,” Hyunjin murmurs. “I will watch over you.” 

Felix doesn’t protest. Curling up tighter in Hyunjin’s arms, he leans his head against Hyunjin’s chest and closes his eyes, breath evening out almost instantly. 

Hyunjin can do nothing but stare at the top of his head for a moment, utterly enraptured by the delicate, ethereal human he has been given the privilege to hold and protect. Felix’s hair is gossamer-soft and still a little sweaty from exertion, and Hyunjin cannot resist pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

With his entire world held tight within his arms, Hyunjin takes his first step out of the shrine and doesn’t look back.