Put A Spell On Me - Taegyu

Honey Vanilla Tea (minus the silencing elixir)

Taehyun placed the three candles in a triangle on top of his table and placed a penny in each of the holders underneath them.

“Bring me hope.” He lit the first candle, rang a small copper bell, and lit a sandalwood incense.

“Bring me peace.” He lit the second candle, rang the bell, and lit a frankincense incense.

“Bring me good fortune.” He lit the third candle, rang the bell once more, and lit a rosemary incense.

He placed the three incense sticks in the middle of the triangle and leaned back into the armchair, the ritual finally complete. Now he just had to wait an hour.

Earlier that Sunday morning, Yeonjun had stopped by again for a healing crystal and to say hi, and a few other customers had dropped by later. In the afternoon, when Taehyun felt he wouldn’t be too busy, he decided to perform a home blessing spell, both to practice spellwork and to purify his store of bad energies.

Like before, his mind had been buzzing with thoughts, mostly of the boy in the pink hoodie. This time though, he couldn’t help but picture the boy in his tan coat, oversized and all. He silently scolded himself for not getting his name.

You meet someone twice and give him your damn coat and still can’t get his name, Taehyun chastised himself.

He couldn’t remember what had convinced him to hand over his coat like that. The coat wasn’t all that expensive, but he wouldn’t have lent it to, say, Yeonjun (though that might be partly because he wouldn’t trust Yeonjun with most things). He had to have known, even somewhere in the back of his mind, that he’d have to walk home against the cold wind in his sweater, but he still gave up his coat. Maybe it was the picture of the boy in his shop, looking scared and unsure and vulnerable, tear streaks staining his face. Maybe it was out of pity, he had just looked so helpless that day and Taehyun’s sympathetic side just decided to do something.

He reverted his attention to his front door, where he heard the bells softly announce a customer’s arrival.

"Merry meet,” he said in his traditional way of greeting unfamiliar customers before proceeding to help them out.

The customer was asking about amulets when something soft brushed against Taehyun’s ankle.

“Hey Kiki,” he said smiling before turning back to the customer. “I hope you don’t mind my cat.”

The customer simply shrugged and continued prodding him with questions about the amulet. Kiki brushed against him once more before walking away. A moment after, another soft tinkling of bells was heard.

“Merry meet,” Taehyun said, turning around briefly to greet the new customer, and to his delight spotted the familiar pink hoodie. The boy, making eye contact with Taehyun, smiled softly. Taehyun smiled back, gesturing at the customer he was busy with. The boy nodded and lead himself towards the couch.

“So, as I mentioned,” Taehyun said, turning back to the customer, “this amulet represents a celestial repose for rest and relaxation.”

“That sounds like the one I need,” they said, and let him take it to the counter to ring it up.

As he was typing numbers into the register, he looked up briefly and locked eyes with the boy, who had apparently been watching him attentively. Taehyun grinned at him quickly and brought his eyes back to the amulet so he could pack it safely.

“There you go,” he said, handing over the amulet, now resting safely in a cloth bag. “Blessed be,” he greeted, waving at the customer as they left.

He looked back at the boy, who was watching the customer as they left, then turning to Taehyun with wide eyes.

“What does blessed be mean?” he asked, curiosity dripping from his words.