𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝒉𝑖𝑛𝑒 // 𝐿𝑒𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝒉𝑜

fourteen.

     "Pretty please?"

     "Stop bugging me, no."

     Haneul pouted while Minho steadily ignored her, his fifth refusal to accompany her on a night out causing her frustration to boil over.

     Even though they'd grown more comfortable with each other over the past week, Minho stubbornly held Haneul at a healthy distance, and didn't allow her in on any new information about him or their current circumstances.

     On the bright side, there had been very few demonic occurrences since Minho had moved in with her, just small instances on her way home from work that didn't turn into anything once she was in his presence again.

     Regardless, Minho had implemented a new rule, one that edged dangerously close to "territorial bullshit", as Haneul had taken to calling it.

     If she went out after dark, he always had to come with her. If he felt like it.

     Minho glanced over her, skimming the outfit she'd picked out with a judgmental eye. "I said no. A haunted house? Are you serious? That is the last place you of all people should be."

     "You'd be there, remember?" Haneul whined, swatting his arm while he raised his brows.

     "And will the half-breeds be there?"

     Shaking her head, Haneul assured him in a bubbly tone. "Hyunjin's working and Jisung hates you," she said cheerfully, smiling widely as the words left her mouth.

     She could've sworn he almost laughed, his hand moving wipe his mouth in contemplation. "It's not too far, right?" he asked skeptically.

     Haneul made a small noise of triumph, patting him on the arm before going to put her shoes on. "I knew you weren't a boring old man."

     Scoffing, Minho closed his eyes, focusing until his wings flickered and disappeared from view. At Haneul's baffled staring, he explained in a flat tone.

     "I can control whether or not they're a part of my form in the human realm. Unless you want to attract attention?"

     "No," Haneul grumbled. "I get it. You always make things so difficult."

     She could feel Minho's eyes on her as she reached down to lace her shoes up, his mouth opening and snapping closed as he followed her lead.

     After forcing him to get ready and dragging him down to the bus stop, the pair sat side by side as they rode along, watching the streetlights cast their light on the bustling roads. Minho squinted out of the window quizzically.

     "Why is it so busy? I thought mortals usually slept at this time."

     Haneul gestured to the decorations that hung from the buildings they passed. "It's Halloween, a human tradition. People dress up in costumes for fun. Actually, you probably could've passed your wings off if you'd dressed a bit differently."

     His thigh brushed against hers as he shifted in his seat. "Differently? What should I have dressed as?"

     "A demon," she replied with an eye roll. What else?

     "Am I not enough like one already?" he pondered, looking at her from the side. Haneul shook her head, resting her chin in her hand.

     "No, your eyes and wings are good, but you'd need to wear all black, and with silver jewelry. Maybe some chains."

     He snorted loudly. "Chains? Are you stereotyping me?"

     "Take it as a compliment, yeah?" Haneul said sarcastically, wriggling her fingers at his face. "Demons are usually thought of as hot here. You could probably make half the girls on the street fall in love with you tonight."