Seonghwa moped for several weeks. Wooyoung moped with him, and both Yunho and San were overtasked in their attempts to care for the two sad boys. As expected, they hadn't heard from either Hongjoong or Yeosang again since that day. The snow had started to fall, and Christmas was around the corner, but Seonghwa couldn't bring up the happiness for festivities. While he didn't want to ruin the day for Wooyoung, both of them dragged each other down even further in their yearning for Hongjoong.

The house was quiet without the demon. Quiet and far too arranged. By now, Seonghwa sometimes salted his coffee because he was so used to finding the sugar in the salt container that now that they were back in order, he failed at basic tasks. He found his keys where they were supposed to be, his socks were in order, and the mailman located their house again since no demon was around to switch up the numbers. Life had returned to its irreversible, boring trot, and Seonghwa found it had lost some of the colours that Hongjoong's eccentric self had brought into it.

The snow in the driveway also kept him from sending out Wooyoung to try and summon Hongjoong again with his chalk.

Seonghwa sighed for the umpteenth time that day as he stared at the television emptily. Yunho was at work, and Wooyoung had accompanied him to kindergarten. It had become a safe haven for both since it took them out of Seonghwa's radius of sadness and brought some laughter to them before this house reminded once more of the demon that had left all too soon.

A week after Hongjoong's disappearance, Seonghwa had driven to the building that Yeosang had met him in once. However, the offices had turned out to be just regular firm rooms and nothing related to angels and demons. At least, Yongguk was still around. Wooyoung told Seonghwa that he sometimes comforted him when he was sad at night and didn't want to wake Seonghwa. His worried little smile had broken Seonghwa's heart.

This morning, Seonghwa had found a few memories on the windowsill and his desk where he kept picture frames of the family. Some pictures of San with them, of Yunho, also of Aeri when Seonghwa and her had been together still. Upon viewing them with distant eyes, Seonghwa had found Hongjoong in a few of them. He had cut out pictures of himself and stuck them to the pictures of Seonghwa and Wooyoung in dorky poses. Seonghwa had never noticed them before, and he knew that it was supposed to be a prank, but the longer he viewed them, the more they felt like little family pictures for him.

Seonghwa ran all ten fingers through his hair.

Yunho would come home with Wooyoung soon, so he should start cooking already. Despite the demon being gone, Seonghwa still loved the two of them dearly, and he tried to overcome his grief for their sake. If the whole house hadn't left little reminders of Hongjoong everywhere, he would be faster.

Before he could drag his tired limbs to the kitchen, however, the gentle chime of the doorbell urged him out of his seat. Maybe it was San with another chocolate cake to boost Seonghwa's happy chemicals. Maybe just the mailman.

However, when Seonghwa opened the door and was hit by a rush of cold air that sent shivers through his clothes, he faced an entirely different person. A man about his height with a round face and chestnut coloured hair. He wore a little felted bear in his jacket's pocket just like Yunho did all the time with the fox.

"Rough day?" He inquired with a careful smile. None of them mentioned his presence. Seonghwa merely stepped aside to let him in.

Jongho didn't take the time to get comfortable. He stood in the kitchen, wringing his hands and looking around from time to time as if the devil himself was after him.

"I know I'm breaking about a dozen rules by doing this, but I can't watch you suffer any longer. If this is what you need to be happy and healthy - which is my job to do - then I will gladly accept divine punishment." His fingers searched his pocket for something. Then, he handed Seonghwa a slip of paper. Seonghwa took it with trembling fingers. He ate well even if he wasn't hungry a lot of the times, but he couldn't sleep without a demon pressed against him. Yunho sometimes stayed over to substitute, but it wasn't the same.

"You're a mess. I hope you can use this to boost up. I will revisit you if it doesn't work." Jongho reached out to pat Seonghwa's shoulder comfortingly. Both of them stared at the folded paper with intense eyes.

"I don't want you to get punished for helping me out," Seonghwa whispered. Guilt pulled at his already weakened heart that had taken such a cruel hit from the sudden disappearance of his lover. He didn't want to lose more people or bother them with his heartache.

"I'll be fine. Yongguk and I can defend our case pretty well. Think first before you try, though. I have to leave, but I'd love to see you succeed for a long time." With that, Jongho stepped out into the cold again and shut the door behind him carefully. Thoughtful, Seonghwa stared at the slip of paper in his hand.

The carpet on the stairs cushioned his steps as he travelled up. Inside the bathroom, he quickly mumbled the formula to get Mingi to join him.

They had talked sometimes over the past few weeks. Mingi met Hongjoong quite a lot, and he reported that the man had taken a while off and would soon be available for any bad person to lock them in their basements again. Apparently, Hongjoong also missed his time here, especially Wooyoung. Since his customers were a work secret for Mingi, he wasn't allowed to convey messages between them, but sometimes he dropped little hints that Hongjoong had mentioned Seonghwa in their talks.

"Hey, Seonghwa," the man greeted him once he appeared in the mirror. He wore a Hawaii shirt with palm trees printed on it and sunglasses today. The act pulled a little smile from Seonghwa's lips.

"Joong is doing great before you ask. What's up? I see some fight in your eyes. I like it."

Seonghwa settled down on the edge of the bathtub comfortably.

"If I were to summon Hongjoong again, what would I have to wish to make him stay for eternity? Does it work if I say to stay forever?"

The smile that ghosted over Mingi's features was genuine and carried joy over the news.

"Since he would be bound to you, it's best to specify the time. For example, stay until Wooyoung grows up, or stay until you tell him to go."

More attentive than he had been in weeks, Seonghwa nodded at that advice. He couldn't wait to try and get Hongjoong back finally after countless failed struggles and fruitless research. This time, he would do it himself, though, and he would make sure that all of Yeosang's rules were accounted for.

"Alright. Then I will use that knowledge and get him back here as soon as possible. Could you notify me if he gets summoned by somebody else sooner than that?"

Mingi gave him two thumbs up and a sunny grin that let his eyes disappear from his eyes. Then, he faded back to a flat surface. Right when the mirror cleared up, a key turned in the lock downstairs. Quickly, Seonghwa let the paper from Jongho glide into his pocket as he went to greet the boys.

"-have never seen such a big beetle before! I tell you, it was at least as big as my hand!"

"Wow, that big? And it didn't eat you?"

"No! Changbin and I scared it off, but my life was in grave danger for a while!"

Yunho giggled as he freed Wooyoung from his jacket. As a little Toothless, he ran inside and dropped Yunho's key on the bowl they had for them before he sprinted to hug Seonghwa at the bottom of the stairs.

"Daddy! We're back! Did you have a nice day?" Concern for Seonghwa's sadness etched into his features as he leaned his chin against Seonghwa's stomach to blink up at him with big eyes. Fond, Seonghwa ruffled his hair.

"I did. I have good news for both of you." Seonghwa glanced at Yunho once he had put his bag down to come over and kiss Seonghwa as he always did. His kisses spent comfort and ease for Seonghwa and assured him of the other man's presence.

"What is the news, sweetheart?"

"I had an angelic visitor earlier. And he gave me this. A formula for the summoning of a certain demon." With aching cheeks from how hard he smiled, Seonghwa rose the paper for the two of them to see. Instantly, Wooyoung gasped as Yunho pulled Seonghwa in a relieved hug over the kid's head.

"I'm so glad! We can try right tonight if you want! We still have some posters from the last few attempts!"

Excited, Wooyoung also ran to get his chalks, but Seonghwa quickly motioned them to calm down.

"No, wait, you two! I want to make sure that we are doing everything right this time. How about we try on Christmas? And if everything goes as planned, he can be the best present we ever received."

"I like that!" Wooyoung jumped on the spot until his tail hit his legs.

Yunho's face also lit up with determination.

"I haven't seen you smile this bright in nearly a month. Just tell me whatever you need me to help with, and I will be at your service!"

The cheerful anticipation that had settled over them wouldn't cease all through dinner time. Wooyoung feigned eating his vegetables when actually he just fuelled into Seonghwa's endless rambling about Hongjoong and all the things they could do when he was back. Whenever his father wasn't looking, Wooyoung pushed a few more carrots over to Yunho's plate, who secretly ate them.

After all, Christmas promised to become the day Seonghwa looked forward to the most. Soon, his spirits rose above and beyond. They went Christmas shopping, baked cookies, face called Aeri who was preparing for her wedding, face called Yunho's mom who would move in their town once the new year dawned, and prepared gifts for Hongjoong, too. Wooyoung desperately wanted to give him his own demon-themed lego set that he could play with. Yunho chose an expensive necklace made of cute flowers that would fit the demon. Seonghwa pondered for a long time. Ultimately, he settled on just gifting Hongjoong everything for his own. He got his own bowl, his own plate, his own set of cutlery, his own blanket, his own pillow, and so on. Everything to welcome him in the house.

On the grand day, they distributed all the presents underneath their tree. It was a cute little fir from San's home where the man grew trees with a few of his housemates over the years in pots for Christmas to use and planted them back in the forest once they got too big. Wooyoung had gotten the honours of decorating, and they all watched a bad Christmas rom-com together while Snoopy and Wooyoung cuddled in a corner.

Once it was time, Seonghwa produced the poster and the note from Jongho. He spread them out on the table ceremonially and took the exact colours of chalk needed for summoning.

He drew exactly what Jongho had jotted down. Similar to Wooyoung's drawings, but at the same time so oddly specific that The Chalk Incident back then had been a chance encounter. Once he was finished, Seonghwa waited. And waited. And waited.

After a long minute of nothing happening, he glanced at Yunho. His worried frown conveyed all the desperate hope in his heart that was disappearing slowly. Had Jongho given him the message to get his enthusiasm back up? Did somebody else summon Hongjoong already? A million and one questions zapped through his head at once like bolts of lightning and left aches and pains in their wake.

Then, Wooyoung's eyes got huge. He pointed at something behind Seonghwa with his stubby little fingers, and his mouth dropped open in an O.

Before Seonghwa could turn, however, two warm hands settled over his eyes and blackened his view. Tiny hands. Hands halfway covered by multicoloured sweater paws.

"Guess who?" A familiar voice murmured on Seonghwa's ear. The warm weight of the body against Seonghwa calmed him and filled his heart with such warmth that he felt it might combust. No sound escaped Seonghwa's lips.

"Voice your wish, mortal."

Slowly, Seonghwa turned in his arms until the demon dropped his fingers. Blue hair, two sets of horns, and large wings partly stuck in the Christmas tree greeted him.

"Stay with me for all my lifetime, please." The words left Seonghwa in a hurry, but he voiced them clearly.

Hongjoong's lips pulled into a fanged smile but in his eyes shone warm affection.

"Consider it done."