Winter

[Author's Note: I am going on a hiatus in December! Please wait for me <3]

"I was instructed to remove them. Master said you're no a longer a servant here."

Hyeon stopped shuffling through the clothes. What…did he just say? This news came as a complete shock. "Am I being fired?"

The temperature in the room increased by a few degrees. His fingers seared through the shirt he was holding. Smoke from the burning material caused the tight space to smell. Where was he supposed to go after this? Back to Canada like nothing happened?

A fist BONKED him on the head. "Ah," Hyeon groaned and rubbed the spot that was sure to have a bump later.

"Stop that," Haruma scolded. "You're still employed here. The only thing that changed was your contract description. Now, your exclusive duties are to provide comfort and soul energy."

"I sound like an escort," Hyeon muttered, throwing away the ruined shirt he never had a chance to wear. His selection of clothing was thin again since every outfit was getting destroyed recently.

Still, this was a big change, and he doubted the other spirits were going to take kindly to it. He thought of Imoogi, who hasn't made a petty move in a while. He wasn't too worried about it since he wasn't the same person half a year prior.

Now, Hyeon knew how to fight back.

*Screw staying inside.*

He found the thickest clothes he owned and put them on, including the Viking coat. His hand rummaged through the pocket until he found the old coin necklace that Zoe had given him. It sort of surprised him that it hadn't fallen out from the recent mayhem.

Hyeon picked up Nammi and held her under his arm. Haruma followed him, keeping a long distance between them since the fox was told to watch over him. If he wanted to say something about Hyeon leaving Fenrir's quarters, he kept it to himself.

The servants he passed avoided eye contact with him. Since he was still irritated at having his job suddenly altered, his inner mood was affecting everyone in the vicinity. Even Eli looked away. It seemed Imoogi's crony didn't want to mess with him anymore either.

When Hyeon pushed past the high entrance doors, the freezing wind immediately blew through his clothes; not even the thick coat could stop the biting air.

He shuddered and moved on down the steps. It would be awkward to turn back now. Apparently, his cat had a different opinion. She fidgeted until Hyeon put her down. His soul bond hobbled over to Haruma, who remained under the doorway. Neither of them wanted to go out in the heavy snowstorm. Understandable – only crazy people would voluntarily venture into this weather.

"Why are you here?" someone asked next to him.

Fenrir stood there in his usual oversized white top and high-waisted black pants. The fast wind ruffled through his hair, making it messy. His wolf features were gone.

Wasn't he cold?! Hyeon unbuttoned the coat to hand it to him. Even his own clothes underneath were warmer than that getup. Fenrir stepped forward to stop him, readjusting the jacket so it was snug around the human's neck. "I asked why you're outside without telling me. You still have a fever."

Hyeon remembered why he came out in the first place and poked him in the chest. "Yeah? What about you? Doing drastic things like changing my job without asking."

Fenrir grabbed the finger jabbing at his sternum. He held it up to his lips and gave it a light kiss. A shiver went up Hyeon's spine under those sensual amber eyes. "You don't need to do anything but serve me directly. Everything else is pointless when I can't see you."

*When did he become so lovely with words? I'm not opposed to it but…I guess I'm not used to it.*

Hyeon could feel his face flush from the comment. "I-I," he sputtered. "Uh…let's go for a walk." He took Fenrir's hand and pulled him ahead, wanting to hide his flustered reaction.

They took a path that had been cleared. It was a route that Hyeon had never taken before. He was told to only stay in the garden area, so he always listened since there were a lot of dangers nearby.

Eventually, Fenrir came up beside him, still holding his hand. The snow crunching with every step was the only sound.

Hyeon would steal glances now and then. The large snowflakes landing on Fenrir's head contrasted against the dark color.

*He's seriously pretty. This view would make an award-worthy cover for a seasonal magazine.*

Up ahead was an arching red bridge over the icy river. The Japanese design was completely random compared to the castle's European style.

"Sani had this installed about 200 years ago," Fenrir validated.

"He must be having fun out there in this storm," Hyeon responded. It was quiet again as they stepped on the old wood. Both of them weren't good at small talk.

Once they reached the peak of the arch, they stopped. Hyeon looked over the ledge to see into the river. It was half-frozen, but one side slowly flowed. If he squinted, he could make out a few outlines of galloping kelpies below the surface. Because he took one of their souls, he reminisced swimming freely in a herd of other kelpies like it was his own memory.

But Fenrir had to kill one of them…

"I feel guilty for what you had to do." Honestly, it wasn't the spirit's fault. It was only doing what it naturally wanted to do. That would be like someone killing Hyeon every time he lost himself, too.

Fenrir placed his hand on Hyeon's cheek. It made him look at the Norse god. "Don't be. I'd do it over again. A thousand times if I had to."

"Why?" Would Fenrir have done the same when Hyeon first arrived? No. There wouldn't have been any hesitation to kill him.

Fenrir seemed to wonder that himself. "Why, indeed." The wolf leaned over him and kissed him, his warm lips made Hyeon's cold ones heat up with fire. "There's just something about you – I can't stay away, and it makes me crazy," he breathed. Their tongues wrapped around each other. Neither was fighting for dominance - it was on equal terms.

Even when they stopped kissing, their foreheads remained pressed together. A burst of wind gusted through Hyeon's clothes which made him audibly gasp. Fenrir brushed the white flakes off of his pale hair and shoulders. Even though the god's clothes were wet, making the material see-through, he still wasn't shivering.

"Let's go back. Take a hot bath while I'm repairing the castle, but we should be quick about it before you get sicker." In a flurry of smoke, Fenrir was completely enveloped in the grey vapor until a large, black wolf stood in his place. It was double his height.

Was it the first time seeing this beast up close while in the right state of mind, without chaos around them?

The wolf pressed its chest down, giving Hyeon easy access to climb on top of its back. Its glowing, yellow eyes watched him, waiting to see what he would do.

Past PTSD tightened his lungs until he almost couldn't breathe.

*You can do it.*

Hyeon reached out with a shaky hand until it touched the velvety fur. Nothing happened – no teeth to his face, no attack, no fighting…

He balled up the fur in his fist and hoisted himself up until he was nestled cozily between Fenrir's shoulders.

"I'm okay," he squeaked out. Fenrir stood back up and raced back towards the castle. He was so warm that Hyeon didn't even notice the winter coldness.

*I could stay like this forever.*