Maybe Seonghwa was trying to avoid Hongjoong just a teeny tiny bit. Not that it was an easy task within the confinements of his own home and given that the demon slept in the same bed as him. Still, Seonghwa made it his utmost priority to dodge the other man as good as possible and ensure that it was either him or Hongjoong who took care of Wooyoung's needs. He didn't allow another round of Ludo that they sometimes played together at night, and even the ice cream party ended up in him just telling the other two boys to get their portion whenever they desired it.

Hongjoong had caught on too quickly, though. With his keen senses and his knowledge of just exactly how humans usually reacted to demons, he had put two and two together, and no force in the world could stop his mischief.

The first taste of it surprised Seonghwa. It was late into the evening, and he had just brought Wooyoung to bed. As usual, if he wasn't dead tired, Seonghwa made a round through the house and checked on every window and door to make sure they were locked tightly. His protective instincts towards Wooyoung were high even if he had never experienced the misfortune of a burglar in his home.

Upon entering the living room, Seonghwa found Hongjoong on the couch as he lazed around still. His long leather-clad legs were spread open invitingly and sprawled over the floor. For once, he wore two matching black socks that also matched his outfit, and Seonghwa pretended as if he hadn't glanced directly at his crotch upon entering the room.

He just had to make sure Hongjoong wasn't indecent in the middle of their living space. There were children around, after all.

"Hey, mortal." Hongjoong barely raised his head at Seonghwa as he strode past him to check the windows. One of them was still open slightly so Hongjoong could feel the night air on his skin. Seonghwa felt accomplished closing it. In response to Hongjoong's voice, he just hummed undefined.

"Wanna take a seat?"

Mortified, Seonghwa whipped around to him. Hongjoong's eyes were ever to patient and full of mischief. Even his lips curled into a crooked grin.

Then, he rose his glass of juice in Seonghwa's direction before he could reply. Dumb, Seonghwa stared at it. Seat? Juice? Sip? Sip? Had he meant to offer a sip to him?

With quizzical eyes, Seonghwa shook his head. Not deterred at all, Hongjoong sipped on his drink.

"You going to bed?"

The weirdness of Seonghwa not being the one steering the conversation freaked him out. Since when was he too shy to talk? Especially towards Hongjoong, his... cute demon housemate? He had tried so hard to avoid making things weird between them. Twelve years could be a long time around a person that one wasn't comfortable with.

"Ah, yeah. You can still watch stuff, though, if you want."

Seonghwa prayed to be asleep by the time he had Hongjoong so close next to him. The idea of having to sleep next to a barely dressed demon knowing exactly what most of his thoughts centred around these days made Seonghwa horribly nervous

With a grin, Hongjoong reached for the remote and turned the TV off.

"No, I was waiting for you anyways. Don't want you and your light sleep to be disturbed if I'm not on time! Humans are fragile; after all, you need your rest!"

He wasn't wrong. But Seonghwa still grimaced at the demon using his own words against Seonghwa.

"Thanks. That's extraordinarily attentive of you. Are you planning to trick me?" Seonghwa's suspicious glances earned him laughter from Hongjoong. As the demon stood from the couch to stretch, Seonghwa, for the first time, really noticed how long his legs were. Given his usual soft sweater-clad appearance and his cuddly behaviours, Hongjoong's energy was tinier than he truly was. Yet, Seonghwa found himself to be glad to be the taller one. It gave him a bit of superiority when in every other sense, Hongjoong effortlessly beat him.

"I would never, you know me. Anyways, how is dating Yunho coming along?" Hongjoong led the way upstairs. On his way to follow him, Seonghwa closed all doors and shut off the lights in the house. Quickly, he tried to come up with an answer to the unexpected question. To his biggest shame, he had spent more time thinking about Hongjoong rather than his actual love interest recently.

"I was planning to ask him on a date just the two of us next weekend. If you want to take care of Wooyoung together with Yongguk then, that is."

Humming, Hongjoong entered the bedroom. When he started stripping immediately, Seonghwa hurried to busy himself on his wardrobe with his back to Hongjoong.

"Will you make things official then? From all I've gathered from you two, you're close."

Seonghwa winced at his choice of words. Needlessly abrupt, he ripped his shirt over his head to change into his pyjamas.

"Maybe? I think we could be ready for that step. But I want to tell him that you are part of the package first. Is there a rule against letting people outside of the closest circle know about your existence?" When Seonghwa turned to the bed, he found Hongjoong already settled under the sheets. He had leaned his star-freckled body against the headboard, and his face was serious as he thought about it. With the strength of a cat that attempted to pull a whole carriage, Seonghwa tried to keep his eyes above his collarbones. He failed just a little. Was this what those games about concentrating your cursor on a certain spot despite resistance were about? Seonghwa could use some of them for training right now.

"It's fine to tell him. Even if he ran to the police screaming and hollering about wanting to burn the witch - which has happened to me before - then Yeosang will take care of that."

"Men in Black style? Can he erase memories?"

"He can advise a good therapist." With a wry smirk, Hongjoong patted the sheets next to him. Seonghwa nearly fled the room from how double-meant that invitation could be.

"But, mortal, are you sure that it's the appropriate time to take that step? You two are going to get spicy with each other, won't you?"

Nervous about where he could be going with that question, Seonghwa's hand hovered over the light switch. He didn't know if it was better to see Hongjoong right now or to shroud his shameless grin in darkness.

"I- I suppose? What is it to you?"

"You've been staring at my crotch an awful lot today. Just out of curiosity, are you sure you can concentrate on him as you ride his cock? I don't want to pry, but I would feel sorry for Yunho if your preoccupied mind failed to view him as your lover."

A rush of emotions hit Seonghwa. The first reaction of his body was a swoop in his belly over the crude choice of words. The thought that Hongjoong had thought about Seonghwa with Yunho excited him in a way he wanted to deny. Then, the irritation paired with remorse came. Not only had Hongjoong called him out immediately, but he was also entirely right.

Seonghwa hated how well the demon read him.

"You must be mistaken. I like Yunho, and I won't be distracted by a pesky demon when we finally enter a relationship," Seonghwa replied frostily. His hopes to tell Hongjoong off got shattered when the demon's grin broadened. The light glinted on his sharp fangs.

"Then what are you so defensive for? Do you fear the reactions you have on me?"

Instinctively, Seonghwa leaned back when Hongjoong reached out a hand in his direction. His weak attempt to growl him away was ignored with a chuckle from the demon.

"I don't react to you. I told you, it was a mistake. Anyone would be mortified. You know, humans have this thing called decency."

Seonghwa moved back until he nearly tumbled out of bed. Steely, he didn't react when Hongjoong's fingers met his skin. They trailed along Seonghwa's jaw, cupping it oh so gently. For a second, Seonghwa worried about his claws appearing and ripping his flesh apart, but nothing happened. Hongjoong's touch was feathery soft, and gentle. Teasing.

"Then surely, you must be imagining Yunho right now? Since your soul is so attached to him and leaves no place for distractions?"

Weak, Seonghwa's heart tried to tell him to rethink right that moment. His stubborn mind won the discussion.

"Of course. Yunho is a wonderful man; you can't compare." Unyielding, Seonghwa closed his eyes to block Hongjoong out from his view. His hand also shut off the light, ready to call it a day.

Hongjoong's hand on him was so much smaller than Yunho's would be. His fingers were shorter and softer than those of the doting teacher. With all of his might, Seonghwa conjured an image of the friendly giant in his mind, of his smile. Next time Yunho caressed him like that, he would probably kiss him. What would his kisses be like? Seonghwa bet they were heavenly soft and tasted of fresh fruit.

"Then I hope the utmost best for the two of you. I love relationships in which both partners are fully devoted to each other." Hongjoong's teasing voice lost all of their earlier challenges. His skin lost contact with Seonghwa's as he pulled back and slumped onto his pillows.

Hesitant, Seonghwa opened his eyes. He could barely see the other man in the darkness, but his general form glowed enough to make out.

"Why did you do that?"

"Just wanted to taunt you." Hongjoong giggled into his pillows. "Did it work?"

"Why do I get the feeling you get off to the thought of Yunho and me?"

"Wrong, mortal. I get off to the thought of you thinking about me while you're with Yunho."

Seonghwa snorted disbelievingly.

"You don't even like me that way."

"Yeah, but my nature dictates me chaos and satisfaction from that chaos. And I feed off emotions of all kinds. Of course, I'm trying to get those from you. All your anger about my teasing is delicious."

Seonghwa was relieved that Hongjoong didn't actually attempt to make him do something he would regret. Yet, he couldn't help but be curious about why.

"You feed off emotions? Pardon me if I were wrong, but I thought it was eggs."

"Eggs are just the only good thing your planet has to offer. But the emotions are what we crave. Hence the mutual understanding when humans ask us for sex. It always triggers something, and demons feed off it."

Curious, Seonghwa turned to face him. He heard Hongjoong do the same, and he didn't doubt that Hongjoong could see him in the darkness even if he couldn't.

"But you aren't... Stealing something from me, right? My life force of anything?"

Hongjoong wildly shook his head.

"No, no, of course not. But I can get hyper and annoying at times. You spread your happy chemicals about everywhere; it's like a too delicious drug for me to ignore. There are few things purer than the loving relationship of a father for his child. Or of couples, for that matter."

"So you do leech off Yunho and me!"

The pillows muffled Hongjoong's giggles. As if his earlier dangerous presence had never been there, he had returned to his fluffy self. Or had that ever been gone? Was it just Seonghwa who had reacted more strongly than he usually did?

"Well, a bit. But it's nothing bad for either party. And your desperate stubbornness earlier was adorable."

Pondering, Seonghwa pulled his blanket up to his chin. His eyes had already fallen shut with tiredness by now. The bed surrounded his body in a state of weightlessness and felt like the softest clouds beneath him.

"Then... What is it like for demons to have loving relationships? If they found someone, then they would get all the good stuff they need and would never hunger for more, right?"

Hongjoong's hum sounded drowsy.

"I suppose. But you forget that demons come for a reason and then leave again. Humans don't plan to date a demon into their lives. Hence we leech off anywhere. I never heard of somebody from my realm actually finding that peace with another person. But I'm sure it must be nice."

Too tired to think about it more, Seonghwa let those be the last words before he went to sleep. Even in his dreams, he wondered how demons felt with their circumstances. Did they like the way they lived among humans once they got summoned? Or did they watch couples with longing?

Seonghwa couldn't help the thoughts of what Hongjoong would be like in a relationship. Of course, he would be the most teasing of all brats, but what about emotional aspects?

When Seonghwa awoke confused and alone, the first thing he did was to call Aeri. If anybody could help him sort out his confusion in his own heart, then it was her. Also, he had missed her.

"Let's meet in the afternoon. If Wooyoung wants to, he can come, of course. I'll tell my idiot brother to eat by himself tonight," she told him over the phone. Her voice was as firm and decided as he knew it, so Seonghwa didn't argue.

Accompanied by San's indignant screech in the background, Seonghwa ended the call and begun his day.

Hongjoong wasn't at home all until he left.