Samhain

chapter five: when it grows

"I'm sorry, but it's absolutely hilarious to me that a witch is afraid of heights."

Wooyoung lets out an exasperated sigh. San has successfully pushed him past his breaking point.

"Don't you ever go do anything outside of this bubble?" He shouts, angrily emptying another bag of magical mulch. "Plenty of witches don't use brooms."

"It amazes me how stupid you are," San huffs. "I don't go out often because I don't need to. I have everything that I want right here."

He states this as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. With one foot on the lattice of the fence surrounding the small garden, he hangs his arms over the top, keeping a careful watch over Wooyoung's every move.

"Could you maybe, I don't know, leave me alone?" Wooyoung sighs, his patience subsiding as he sifts through the soil. Wooyoung wouldn't have minded his presence so much if he would just shut up. "All you're doing is making this take longer than it has to."

San leans in a bit, smirking. "Are you kidding me? Hell no. You are a threat."

Wooyoung stares at him incredulously. He stands there in his mismatched outfit, sunflower-embroidered overalls hanging off one shoulder, holding a trowel in one hand and a bag of seeds in the other.

"That's right, you should be scared of me." He brandishes the blunt trowel like a weapon, making ghostly noises for dramatic effect. "Oooooh," he taunts, waving the tool in San's direction. "You better watch out or I'll stab you with my gardening tools."

San's lips twitch, a hint of a smile threatening to break through his stoic expression. "I'm not scared of your magical flowers. Trust me."

Wooyoung waves his hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter to me. I'm the ruler of this garden kingdom and I take my duties very seriously."

San doesn't laugh, but for a split second, his eyes soften. "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings when I called you stupid, Your Majesty."

Wooyoung raises an eyebrow, returning to his work. "Where is this coming from, all of a sudden?"

"I mean, I really thought you already knew."

Wooyoung glares at San while he laughs at his own joke. Annoyed, he stabs the ground with his gardening tools, making a row of neat holes for the seeds. "Who's the one going to university here, huh?" He retorts. "You're just saying that to be rude."

"Nah," San shakes his head, idly picking at his nails. "I'm not being rude. You're just, well... insignificant."

Wooyoung makes a thoughtful noise, then pulls out his phone and starts typing. San is immediately suspicious, leaning over the fence to get a better view. "What are you doing?"

Wooyoung looks at the werewolf with a smile. "Looking for a therapist. Getting you an appointment."

San scowls at him.

The day continues on with a symphony of constant bickering and arguing while Wooyoung works on his gardening project. He learns that San's favorite color is purple and that he won't hesitate to bury him in his garden if he makes one wrong move.

Pleasant.

As the day eventually gives way to the gentle descent of the sun, Wooyoung stands back, the orange sunset reflecting on him as he admires his completed garden with satisfaction. The delicate play of the twilight colors mixed with the vibrant greens of his flourishing plants creates a serene atmosphere that soothes his soul.