Ship/Member: jeonghan / seokmin (seokhan) Major Tags: MCD, necromancy (a little?) Additional Tags: people DIED (jeonghan) Permission to remix: Please ask
sorry this isn’t quite what you asked for, but i couldn’t stop thinking about this prompt! i did try to make it gyuhan but i ended up feeling distressed LMAO i hope this seokhan is okay…
***
Jeonghan always liked warm baths.
Before, it was Seokmin who’d always gotten home first. It was fun then, to wait for Jeonghan’s text, and then to run the bath and toss the spell inside until fragrant clouds of steam crowded against the tiles. And to wait until Jeonghan announced himself with a rap at the front door, and clicked his tongue at the way Seokmin had left all the lights on, again.
Seokmin doesn’t leave the lights on now. And he’s still in charge of running the baths. Hotter than before, watching spells crowd the bottom of the tub until they dissolve and the water stings.
Sometimes Jeonghan will remember to smile at him and say, “Aish, Seokmin-ah. Next time let me pay for these, okay? You’re going to go bankrupt buying all these spells.”
And Seokmin will say, “Ah, hyung, you know I don’t mind. I used a voucher last time and got a great discount.”
Usually though, Jeonghan says nothing. Stripping slowly, exhausted, until he sinks naked into the water that cooks Seokmin’s skin pink when he touches it, and sighs. Then Seokmin stops watching. It’s fine, then, to leave and go cook dinner, or check his emails, or go back to his book. But he leaves the bathroom door ajar every time, just in case.
-
When Jeonghan died, Seokmin cried so hard his head hurt for days. At first he thought it was grief, until he realized that he was just angry. Angry at the cancer that wouldn’t go away, angry at the witches at the hospital who couldn’t do anything, and angry at Jeonghan for dying quietly in his hospital bed while Seokmin had been buying Chapagetti at the convenience store on the third floor.
“Don’t do anything you might regret, hyung,” Seungkwan said, although it was a little hard to understand through his small, hiccuping sobs. They were sitting in line at the hospital’s billing and payment center, waiting for Jeonghan’s papers to be released.
“I don't know why everyone thinks I’m going to do something stupid,” Seokmin said stubbornly. The thin skin of his undereyes felt rubbed raw. Someone over the PA was calling for Dr. Park to please go to the pediatric ward. “It’s super annoying.”
“It’s not— stupid,” Seungkwan’s voice started shaking, and Seokmin felt his eyes filling up again. “It’s not stupid to be in mourning. I miss hyung, too—“ Seungkwan hiccuped, and then blew his nose, “— But you know how Park Jiwon’s cousin died and her aunt went kind of crazy—”
“Okay,” Seokmin said stubbornly, blinking away tears. He scowled at the floor. “I don’t see what that has to do with me, though?”
“She, like, took out a loan,” Seungkwan insisted. “It’s taking forever to pay back and the interest rates are so bad and she had to sell their house and move into an ugly little apartment. Hyung, you don’t even have a house to sell.”
“Okay, so?” The lady at the counter called out Jeonghan’s patient number. Seokmin stood up and shook his head. “She was happy, right?”
Seungkwan’s face, pink from crying, paled quickly. “Lee Seokmin,” he said, “Don’t do what I think you’re about to do!”
“I’m just saying,” Seokmin grumbled, and then he went up to the lady at the counter and said, “Um, how much for a resurrection package?”
-
Jeonghan likes to joke around and call himself Jeonghannie Number Two. It gets him giggling when nothing else will, the sound of it high and tinkly. He likes to pull it out for whatever, but especially when his body won't work quite right.
“Oops,” he’ll say, after his hands shake so hard he knocks a glass of water onto the floor. “That’s Jeonghannie Number Two’s fault!”
“Wah!” he’ll say, after his knees give out on a walk. “Jeonghannie Number Two isn’t working quite right!”
It makes Seokmin feel a little crazy, but he laughs along every time.
-
They didn’t really talk about it when Jeonghan woke back up.
Same hospital, same cool white lights, same scratchy hospital blanket. The witches beside him were watching the monitor, but Seokmin was watching Jeonghan’s face. Pale, waxy-looking under the bright lights, and then shuddering as his heart started back up.
Jeonghan gave a little gasp. He opened his eyes and looked straight at Seokmin.
“Ah,” he said after a moment, and then sighed.
“Yoon Jeonghan-ssi,” the head witch said, leaning over to take his pulse. “Can you tell me your full name and how old you are?”
“Sure,” Jeonghan said, “why not.” The flatness of his voice, the way he flexed his toes and fingers, the way he turned his head to answer the attending witch’s questions— it was all a little wrong. Seokmin had to look away, then.
-
For a while, Seokmin felt awful that he didn’t feel awful, but eventually he stops thinking about it. The truth is that everything isn’t worse or better than before. And that’s fine.
Jeonghannie Number Two isn’t quite Jeonghan, but he isn’t not Jeonghan either. Seokmin keeps a little tally of all his new quirks. It gets a little longer as time passes.
Jeonghannie Number Two eats a lot less than before, and sometimes spends days sleeping. And he always gets cold at the end of the day, even at the height of summer. They haven’t had sex since Jeonghan woke up, but truthfully Seokmin feels like it’s a little rude to ask. They still kiss.
It’s all fine. Resurrection is a little different for everyone. When Seungkwan started talking to him again, he told Seokmin that it could have been much worse. For instance, Park Jiwon’s cousin only likes to eat raw meat. Gross.
“What are you thinking about, Seokmin-ah?” Jeonghan whispers suddenly. The light spell is still running, throwing long shadows at the bedroom ceiling.
“Work,” Seokmin lies. He reaches over the blanket to hold Jeonghan’s hand, running his thumb over the bony knuckles. A little apology for the untruth. “The end of Q2 is coming up. I just don’t want to make a mistake.”
“Aish,” Jeonghan says. He squeezes Seokmin’s hand unsteadily. “Our Seokmin is so diligent. Of course you’ll do well.”
“I hope so.” A little pause. “What were you thinking about?”
Seokmin doesn’t have a house to sell. Instead, he doesn’t renew his actor’s contract after the end of the first run. He applies to a company with a neat salary, raises every two years, and a good health insurance package. He stops shopping online, except for hot water spells and groceries. He keeps the lights off as much as he can.
Everything’s a little bit different now, but different doesn’t mean bad. It feels a little heroic when he thinks about it that way.
“I don’t know,” is Jeonghan’s reply. “A little bit of this and that.”
“Oh,” Seokmin says. He blinks up at the ceiling, watching the dimming light. “That’s nice.”
Seokmin should feel grateful, and when he tries a little he does. It could have been much worse.
[FILL] the rabbit in the hat
Major Tags: MCD, necromancy (a little?)
Additional Tags: people DIED (jeonghan)
Permission to remix: Please ask
sorry this isn’t quite what you asked for, but i couldn’t stop thinking about this prompt! i did try to make it gyuhan but i ended up feeling distressed LMAO i hope this seokhan is okay…
***
Jeonghan always liked warm baths.
Before, it was Seokmin who’d always gotten home first. It was fun then, to wait for Jeonghan’s text, and then to run the bath and toss the spell inside until fragrant clouds of steam crowded against the tiles. And to wait until Jeonghan announced himself with a rap at the front door, and clicked his tongue at the way Seokmin had left all the lights on, again.
Seokmin doesn’t leave the lights on now. And he’s still in charge of running the baths. Hotter than before, watching spells crowd the bottom of the tub until they dissolve and the water stings.
Sometimes Jeonghan will remember to smile at him and say, “Aish, Seokmin-ah. Next time let me pay for these, okay? You’re going to go bankrupt buying all these spells.”
And Seokmin will say, “Ah, hyung, you know I don’t mind. I used a voucher last time and got a great discount.”
Usually though, Jeonghan says nothing. Stripping slowly, exhausted, until he sinks naked into the water that cooks Seokmin’s skin pink when he touches it, and sighs. Then Seokmin stops watching. It’s fine, then, to leave and go cook dinner, or check his emails, or go back to his book. But he leaves the bathroom door ajar every time, just in case.
-
When Jeonghan died, Seokmin cried so hard his head hurt for days. At first he thought it was grief, until he realized that he was just angry. Angry at the cancer that wouldn’t go away, angry at the witches at the hospital who couldn’t do anything, and angry at Jeonghan for dying quietly in his hospital bed while Seokmin had been buying Chapagetti at the convenience store on the third floor.
“Don’t do anything you might regret, hyung,” Seungkwan said, although it was a little hard to understand through his small, hiccuping sobs. They were sitting in line at the hospital’s billing and payment center, waiting for Jeonghan’s papers to be released.
“I don't know why everyone thinks I’m going to do something stupid,” Seokmin said stubbornly. The thin skin of his undereyes felt rubbed raw. Someone over the PA was calling for Dr. Park to please go to the pediatric ward. “It’s super annoying.”
“It’s not— stupid,” Seungkwan’s voice started shaking, and Seokmin felt his eyes filling up again. “It’s not stupid to be in mourning. I miss hyung, too—“ Seungkwan hiccuped, and then blew his nose, “— But you know how Park Jiwon’s cousin died and her aunt went kind of crazy—”
“Okay,” Seokmin said stubbornly, blinking away tears. He scowled at the floor. “I don’t see what that has to do with me, though?”
“She, like, took out a loan,” Seungkwan insisted. “It’s taking forever to pay back and the interest rates are so bad and she had to sell their house and move into an ugly little apartment. Hyung, you don’t even have a house to sell.”
“Okay, so?” The lady at the counter called out Jeonghan’s patient number. Seokmin stood up and shook his head. “She was happy, right?”
Seungkwan’s face, pink from crying, paled quickly. “Lee Seokmin,” he said, “Don’t do what I think you’re about to do!”
“I’m just saying,” Seokmin grumbled, and then he went up to the lady at the counter and said, “Um, how much for a resurrection package?”
-
Jeonghan likes to joke around and call himself Jeonghannie Number Two. It gets him giggling when nothing else will, the sound of it high and tinkly. He likes to pull it out for whatever, but especially when his body won't work quite right.
“Oops,” he’ll say, after his hands shake so hard he knocks a glass of water onto the floor. “That’s Jeonghannie Number Two’s fault!”
“Wah!” he’ll say, after his knees give out on a walk. “Jeonghannie Number Two isn’t working quite right!”
It makes Seokmin feel a little crazy, but he laughs along every time.
-
They didn’t really talk about it when Jeonghan woke back up.
Same hospital, same cool white lights, same scratchy hospital blanket. The witches beside him were watching the monitor, but Seokmin was watching Jeonghan’s face. Pale, waxy-looking under the bright lights, and then shuddering as his heart started back up.
Jeonghan gave a little gasp. He opened his eyes and looked straight at Seokmin.
“Ah,” he said after a moment, and then sighed.
“Yoon Jeonghan-ssi,” the head witch said, leaning over to take his pulse. “Can you tell me your full name and how old you are?”
“Sure,” Jeonghan said, “why not.” The flatness of his voice, the way he flexed his toes and fingers, the way he turned his head to answer the attending witch’s questions— it was all a little wrong. Seokmin had to look away, then.
-
For a while, Seokmin felt awful that he didn’t feel awful, but eventually he stops thinking about it. The truth is that everything isn’t worse or better than before. And that’s fine.
Jeonghannie Number Two isn’t quite Jeonghan, but he isn’t not Jeonghan either. Seokmin keeps a little tally of all his new quirks. It gets a little longer as time passes.
Jeonghannie Number Two eats a lot less than before, and sometimes spends days sleeping. And he always gets cold at the end of the day, even at the height of summer. They haven’t had sex since Jeonghan woke up, but truthfully Seokmin feels like it’s a little rude to ask. They still kiss.
It’s all fine. Resurrection is a little different for everyone. When Seungkwan started talking to him again, he told Seokmin that it could have been much worse. For instance, Park Jiwon’s cousin only likes to eat raw meat. Gross.
“What are you thinking about, Seokmin-ah?” Jeonghan whispers suddenly. The light spell is still running, throwing long shadows at the bedroom ceiling.
“Work,” Seokmin lies. He reaches over the blanket to hold Jeonghan’s hand, running his thumb over the bony knuckles. A little apology for the untruth. “The end of Q2 is coming up. I just don’t want to make a mistake.”
“Aish,” Jeonghan says. He squeezes Seokmin’s hand unsteadily. “Our Seokmin is so diligent. Of course you’ll do well.”
“I hope so.” A little pause. “What were you thinking about?”
Seokmin doesn’t have a house to sell. Instead, he doesn’t renew his actor’s contract after the end of the first run. He applies to a company with a neat salary, raises every two years, and a good health insurance package. He stops shopping online, except for hot water spells and groceries. He keeps the lights off as much as he can.
Everything’s a little bit different now, but different doesn’t mean bad. It feels a little heroic when he thinks about it that way.
“I don’t know,” is Jeonghan’s reply. “A little bit of this and that.”
“Oh,” Seokmin says. He blinks up at the ceiling, watching the dimming light. “That’s nice.”
Seokmin should feel grateful, and when he tries a little he does. It could have been much worse.