032 ᯓᡣ𐭩

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Yeonjun hasn’t left the house in three days. When Soobin offered to take him on another walk, or drive him to the store to pick out his own snacks, Yeonjun shot him down in favor of Planet Earth. He’s seen them all, some more than once.

When Yeonjun isn’t watching a documentary or reading and contradicting a science textbook, he’s watching the betta fish he still hasn’t named. He can watch the fish for hours, unblinking, unmoving. He looks like he’s trying to read the fish’s mind, or communicate telepathically.

Soobin drops a bag of fresh cherries on the table and joins Yeonjun by the fish tank.

“Have you decided on a name?”

“I don’t know him yet.”

“You don’t have to know him,” Soobin says. He takes a risk and rests his arm around Yeonjun’s waist. Yeonjun doesn’t even notice as his eyes dart back and forth following the betta around his thirty-gallon tank all to himself.

“What if he doesn’t like it?”

“You can always change it. It’s just something to call him.”

“Maybe for a human,” Yeonjun scoffs. “Names aren’t like that.”

“How do names work for pixies?”

“They all work the same way. You can find your true name after being given the wrong one, but I want to find his first.”

“How did you find your name?”

Yeonjun tenses. “I heard it.”

“So just listen again. For him? I can’t keep calling him ‘the fish.’”

“Then you name him.”

“No,” Soobin says, “You have to name your own fish.”

“Is that something you want me to do?”

Soobin catches a glimpse of gold in Yeonjun’s eyes in the reflection of the tank.

“Yes?”

When Yeonjun turns to Soobin the golden spark is still there. Soobin might not like where this is going.

“Make a contract with me.”

“To name the fish?”

“Yes.”

Soobin isn’t sure if he’s okay with Yeonjun repeating whatever he did to his arm last time, so he hesitates, but Yeonjun looks too excited to turn down. 

“What are the conditions?”

“I’ll name the fish.”

“Okay. What do I have to do?”

Yeonjun presses a finger to the corner of his mouth. “A kiss,” he says, tapping his lips.

Soobin actually loves where this is going. 

“Yeonjun, I’d kiss you anyways.”

“So, you don’t want me to name him?”

“Fine.”

Yeonjun beams, quickly taking Soobin’s wrist in his hand. Yeonjun does what pixies do when they bond a contract and gives Soobin back his arm. Soobin inspects his hand, his wrist, all the way up his arm again. Nothing changed. Invisible magic might be one of Soobin’s least favorite thing about pixies.

“His name is Simi.”

“That was fast.” Soobin expected at least an hour to prepare his end of the contract.

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