Put A Spell On Me - Taegyu

Frustrations, Congratulations, and Revelations

Jeonghan put a finger to his lips, warning Seungcheol to stay low behind the kitchen counter. He slipped his lighter back into his pocket. They heard the front door open from down the hallway, followed by a pair of soft footsteps and a bag dropping onto the floor.

"Anyone home?" Joshua called out. There was no answer back, and Joshua let out a loud sigh. Jeonghan had to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

The footsteps got louder as Joshua neared the kitchen, and as soon as the hinge of the door squeaked open, Jeonghan and Seungcheol simultaneously shot up, releasing dozens of balloons and popping colorful sprinklers and letting unfold a giant banner that read in colorful letters "Happy Birthday Joshua!"

"Holy fuck!" Joshua screeched as a ball of confetti exploded in his face. "So the word 'fuck' is in your vocabulary," Seungcheol laughed.

"What's all of this?" Joshua asked incredulously, staring around him. The kitchen and den had been transformed into a mini birthday party. Streamers in blue and gold hung were strung across the ceiling and tied to lamps and curtain rods. Garlands of pennants were stretched over the entryways, intertwined with twinkling fairy lights. The main attraction was the cake, covered in sugar roses and chocolate strawberries, which Jeonghan revealed as he brought it out from under the counter.

"It's for you," he said with a smile.

"Oh, Jeonghan," Joshua breathed out, unable to stop smiling, "you really shouldn't have." "Seungcheol baked it," Jeonghan explained, setting it atop the counter.

"It's so beautiful," Joshua said, his voice quiet and shaking but in the most excited kind of way. Seungcheol went up to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"We thought you might enjoy a quiet birthday," Seungcheol said, wrapping an arm around the other's shoulder. "Especially tonight being New Year's and all."

"It's... so perfect," Joshua said, leaning forward and attempting to pick a cherry off the cake and getting his hand swatted away by Jeonghan.

"Make a wish and blow out the candles," the long-haired witch scolded playfully, pushing the cake across the granite.

Joshua smiled bashfully, his eyes flitting down to his name written in shimmery icing across the top. "Why wish for anything when everything I want is right here with me?"

"You cheesy shit, Josh!" Jeonghan squealed.

"You're not going to wish for anything?" Seungcheol asked. There was a piece of confetti still in his hair. "It's the easiest kind of candle magic, you know."

"If you insist," Joshua said with a soft smile, and leaned over the candles with his eyes closed for a moment before blowing them all out.

"Are you going to tell us what you wished for?" Jeonghan waved the thin wisps of remaining smoke away.

"He's not supposed to," Seungcheol reminded, "or it won't come true." "Is that another rule of candle magic?" Jeonghan snorted.

Seungcheol rolled his eyes, the hint of a smile edging at the corner of his lips. "We'll do our birthday ritual later," he said, turning to Joshua, "the one you enjoy with the honey wax candles, and then we'll give you your presents after."

"Presents?" Joshua asked in amazement. "You guys did all of this for me and got me presents?"

"Only the very best for our gentleman," Jeonghan said, tipping an imaginary hat.

"I love you guys so much," Joshua said, raising a hand to his mouth to hide his shaky smile.

"Oh, Josh, we love you too," Seungcheol said, moving to give the witch a hug but being beaten to it by Jeonghan, who scuttled around the counter to envelope them both into one massive embrace.