Chapter Text
Jungkook found the book during one of his trips to the old bookstore with Namjoon. The little leather bound book was tucked between two big volumes yellowed with time, lost in the messy piles of works in the second-hand section. The corners of the cover were used and torn, and some of the pages covered in weird signs were actually falling from it.
Jungkook scanned a few pages and quickly determined that it had something to do with magic. It was some sort of spell book.
He bought it out of curiosity. Maybe a weird flex, because he was a bit scared of Magick and demons and all that shit, but also wanted to prove to himself that those things did not exist, and that the only thing he should be afraid of was fear itself.
So, yeah. Turns out he was wrong about that.
*
Seokjin cocked his head left and right to crack his neck before he waved off the remnants of the white smoke that came with his apparition. It had been a few hundred years since the last time he had been summoned by a human. Having a body on this plane of existence after so long was always a weird feeling.
He looked down at the invocation circle: sloppy line work done with cheap chalk. Disappointing. That meant he probably had to deal with a bored human who had tried Magick in their free time.
However, Seokjin had also expected many more candles and darkness in the room. Humans liked to make an aesthetic fuss about summoning a demon.
No candles here, though. No darkness, no stone walls, no smoke or full moon. Just a regular living room bathed in what looked like the mid-afternoon sunlight.
"What the hell?" Seokjin muttered.
That's when he heard a squeaky noise from behind him.
Seokjin spun on his legs with his fists on his hips and a smug smile. "Hello, mor… mortal?" He finished hesitantly when he saw no one at eye level.
Seokjin slowly looked down to finally see the human who had, in all likelihood, summoned him. He was on the floor like he had fallen on his ass, and looked perfectly terrified.
Seokjin sighed. "Let me guess: you thought this book was poppycock and decided to try the incantation to prove it didn't work?"
The cute human with saucer-sized eyes gaped at him and eventually nodded.
"I see how it is." Seokjin took a deep breath in and looked around as he started speaking with his best teaching voice. "You can call me Seokjin. I'm a demon of Lust and you have summoned me. This automatically results in a contract between you and I. My job is to fulfill your deepest desires. In exchange, I obtain your lustful energy, which is a fine delicacy for demons like me. Fulfilling our contract also gives me a higher rank in the demons hierarchy. We get mutual benefit from this. I won't take your soul, we don't have to write with blood. Questions, so far?"
The human blinked. "C-can I, is, what?"
Seokjin nodded and sighed. He sat on the couch, straight and dignified as always. "I'll wait here for you to process everything. Take your time."
*
Jungkook took his time.
He wouldn't be able to say how much, but after a lot of pinching his own arm and experiencing actual pain, Jungkook’s brain was forced to admit that the situation was… pretty real. That, or he had fainted and was in the middle of the most realistic hallucination ever.
Jungkook had conjured someone out of thin air.
He had made someone--absurdly beautiful, with long pink horns on the top of their head and what appeared to be a tail attached to their lower back--appear in his living room, because he had simply followed the instructions written in a little, innocent-looking book.
But that wasn’t even the part Jungkook’s brain was focusing on right now.
That really, really attractive apparition claimed to be a Lust demon. And that part was a problem.
"I, I don't wanna have sex with you," Jungkook blurted.
The demon blinked. "Well, that's a first." He said with a tone that sounded bored. He looked down at himself. "Is it the body? I'm supposed to appear like the ideal partner for you, but I can change a few things if you wish--"
"N-no, that's not the prob-- wow." Jungkook put his hands in front of his eyes. at the same time Seokjin suddenly grew an opulent chest that his simple tunic did not hide in any way.
"Is that better?" Seokjin asked, and to Jungkook’s utmost horror, got up and came closer as if he didn’t see it perfectly already.
Jungkook shook his head. "N-not really." He was still having a hard time dealing with this preposterous situation, but his brain chose to focus on a clear rendition of Namjoon’s voice in his head, explaining how female nipples weren’t more outrageous than male nipples and he shouldn’t hide his eyes behind his hands.
Seokjin sighed and shifted back to a flat chest. "Okay. We'll work this out. I have all the time in the world, we’ll find out what turns you on."
Jungkook hissed lowly, like he was sorry. "Yeah, um, about that. I don't think that will ever happen..." he said, actually feeling bad for the demon who had probably come a long way for... this.
"What do you mean?" Seokjin said, sticking out his chest and looking offended. "I am a powerful demon, I can lure you into revealing your darkest fantasies to me, I can annihilate shame and make you forget modesty because of all the pleasure I can give, there is no limit to how much I can--"
"I'm asexual!" Jungkook suddenly shouted, slightly overwhelmed with Seokjin's speech.
Seokjin blinked at him, apparently not outraged that Jungkook had rudely interrupted him. "Oh Lord." He sat back on the couch with a heavy puff . "Oh Lord... this really is a first."
Jungkook gulped, not knowing what to do with himself. He was still on his living room floor, where he had fallen the moment Seokjin appeared, and had not yet dared to move.
They sat in silence, Seokjin looking utterly focused on his thoughts and Jungkook trying to breathe as silently as possible, until he couldn't take it anymore.
"So, uh. I'm really sorry. That um, you had to travel over here?" He had no idea what the distance was between demon world and human world. "If you need a little time to go back, or lunch? Something to drink?" What was the etiquette when your guest was a demon? "W-wine? Do you want wine?" He finally got up, his legs a little wobbly.
Seokjin closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't go back."
Jungkook frowned. Was it some kind of demon pride who couldn't face his peers if he had not fucked the human who had summoned him? "You can tell them we uh. Did the thing. Whatever thing. You can make it extra dirty if you want."
Seokjin sighed, and it sounded frustrated this time. "You don't understand. I can't go back until I've had sex with you. Once I'm summoned, the contract is in place, I must fulfil my obligations under this contract to be able to leave."
Jungkook blinked. "What? What obligations?”
“These obligations!” Seokjin pointed at some glyphs in the summoning circle Jungkook had drawn. “It’s written right here!”
Jungkook blinked and looked at the signs, trying to pretend he totally understood what was written there.
Seokjin got up in all his gorgeous glory, moving his arms in frustration. “I won't be able to leave until we properly assuage your desires!"
Jungkook felt all blood leave his face. "A-are you gonna f-force me to, to have sex, because I have holy water somewhere, and m-my parents go to church every Sunda--"
Seokjin made a disgusted face. "Force you? Force you? " He shivered violently. "Disgusting. Rape is an abomination. The energy that comes from it is sour and toxic, it is impossible to enjoy. It's a repulsive practice that shouldn't even exist, no self-respecting Lust demon would ever think about it.” He shivered exaggeratedly. “I am revolted, revolted that you would entertain the idea I might ever lay a finger on someone who is not entirely willing to share carnal pleasure with me!"
Jungkook was somewhat relieved, but Seokjin's new monologue was starting to give him a headache. "I-I'm sorry--"
"I'll have you know, little nameless human, that you’re the first creature to refuse my services! I don't need to force anyone! Humans and others beg me to pleasure them!"
"Jungkook."
Seokjin blinked and, once again, Jungkook was struck with how pretty he was.
"Excuse me?"
"You said nameless human." Jungkook replied. "My name's Jungkook."
Seokjin stared at him, his broad shoulders sloping a little. "Oh."
"Yeah."
Seokjin cleared his throat. “Well, Jungkook. It pains me not to be able to leave, but for now, I am actually stuck with you.”
Jungkook chewed on his bottom lip, worried. What if that was a weird plan to convince him to have sex? After all, demons were better known for being deceiving, rather than their honesty and integrity.
After a short silence, Seokjin’s stomach grumbled loudly. “Uh. I’m starving.”
Being around Seokjin for the past 30 minutes put Jungkook’s mind a little more at ease. Or, his brain just adapted because it couldn’t stay in crisis mode for more than 10 minutes, but anyway. Jungkook felt less on edge, and more able to deal with the crazy situation that had fallen on him.
Seokjin had not tried to touch him or make weird innuendos so far. He had simply followed Jungkook to watch him make water boil and open two cups of spicy ramen.
“Are you, um, cold?”
Seokjin snorted. “My body is always at the ideal temperature. If it’s modesty that bothers you, I can cover up.”
Jungkook shook his hands. “N-no! I mean, you can wear whatever you want, it just looks--”
Seokjin chuckled this time. “It’s okay. I just want you to be comfortable.” He stared at Jungkook who was wearing a white tee and a dark pair of sweatpants and suddenly, he was wearing the same thing. Except that his sweatpants were pink. “Better?”
“Wow.” Jungkook said because. He had made clothes appear like it was nothing. And in Jungkook’s world, it wasn’t nothing.
“Thank you.” Seokjin answered, looking proud of himself. “Can I look around? I haven’t been in the human world in ages, and usually I don’t get time to explore when I’m here.” He said, then whispered to himself, “It’s the day of the firsts.”
“Oh?” Jungkook asked curiously, “Why not?” Maybe he was way too casual for the situation. His brain had certainly adapted quite fast.
Seokjin snorted as he opened a drawer and rummaged through it. “Because usually, when I appear, humans want to get down to business right away, if you know what I mean.” He grabbed a garlic press and looked at it curiously. “And you know, once it’s done, I naturally disappear, so.”
Jungkook felt naive and blushed right away, but Seokjin was too focused on the garlic press, holding the two handles and whispering to himself, ‘what in the fresh heaven is that?’, to notice Jungkook’s embarrassment.
“How--how long do you usually stay?” Jungkook suddenly asked, like it was important to show he could handle this conversation normally.
Seokjin put the garlic press back in the drawer and shut it before opening another. “Hmm, depends. A few hours, sometimes a few days. Some humans have a lot of desires, and it’s Magick that decides when I leave. When the contract is fulfilled.”
“How are you so calm?” Jungkook suddenly asked.
Seokjin turned around, an ice cream scoop in his hand. “What do you mean?”
Jungkook was frustrated and annoyed that he seemed to be the only one to stress about the whole situation. “I’m not gonna have sex with you.”
Seokjin sighed. “Yeah, I know. You’ve made that clear.”
“Even if you stay for a long, long time, I won’t change my mind.” Jungkook added, combing his fingers through his hair, impatient.
Seokjin looked a little… pained. “Do you think I’m staying in the hope that you will… what, cave?” Seokjin said with disgust. “Do you think I enjoy imposing myself in your life when I represent everything that you don’t want? This is not fun for me either, you know.”
If he was honest, Jungkook had not thought that Seokjin would see things that way. He had assumed that Seokjin found himself in a complicated situation, and that he would try anything to get out of it, regardless of Jungkook’s feelings. The way demons and stuff like that were depicted in movies and stories.
Jungkook had made a lot of assumptions tonight, based on the poor knowledge he had of demons and Lust. Which was less than minimal.
Seokjin groaned, moving the scoop in the air like a conductor’s baton. “Listen, Jungkook. I don’t like tormenting humans. I’m not here to pressure you to send me back, I’m here because I don’t have a choice. If you’d rather I stop talking and moving and breathing, I can do that.”
The kettle suddenly beeped. After a beat of hesitation, Jungkook walked mechanically to take it and pour the boiling water in the cups. He closed them back slowly to wait for the ramen to be ready.
After a long silence, Jungkook muttered “You’re the first demon I’ve met.”
Seokjin smiled humorlessly. “Yeah, I get that often.”
“I thought you had bad intentions. I’m sorry.”
Seokjin sighed. “That’s not your fault, I know the reputation demons have.” He put the scoop back into the drawer. “That’s usually the Wrath demons fault. Lust demons are quite peaceful. And horny.”
Seokjin smiled, and Jungkook allowed himself to smile timidly in return.
Jungkook still didn’t understand how Seokjin could be so calm if he knew that Jungkook wasn’t going to have sex with him. No sex meant he was stuck in the human world, according to his own words, and Jungkook thought it was enough of a good reason to panic.
But then again, demons seemed to think differently.
Jungkook decided to sleep in his bathroom that night. His bathroom was the only room with a lock.
He didn’t have much of a choice in this position: he couldn’t decently go to a friend and tell them he had summoned a demon, because they would likely ask him if he had banged his head somewhere and would probably drive him to the ER. Even if he showed them Seokjin, apparently Jungkook was the only one who could see his horns and tail in this realm. Because he was the summoner.
Going to a hotel probably seemed a bit intense since Seokjin had shown no threatening behaviour, and Jungkook was uncomfortable leaving a stranger alone in his apartment.
So he had informed Seokjin that he would sleep in the bathroom, trying not to feel dumb. It was his place; he could do whatever he wanted.
Thankfully, Seokjin had simply nodded at that and wished him good night. It had helped with not feeling dumb that Seokjin didn’t make fun of him.
Jungkook grabbed his pillows and his blanket and locked himself in the bathroom. Seokjin was probably capable of bursting that door open if he wanted to, but that lock made Jungkook feel a little more at ease. A little less ridiculous for making a blanket nest in his own bathtub.
*
Seokjin stared at the bathroom door that Jungkook had locked. He could feel his energy, a little agitated still, but tired and ready to sleep.
It was terribly cute. Like a very small bunny curling in on itself to sleep. It made Seokjin want to punch something. He loved cute things.
He also wasn’t used to feeling that kind of energy from a human--they were usually horny when they summoned him. It was strange, and... refreshing.
Jungkook’s energy progressively calmed down, and he fell asleep at some point.
He had expected something of the sort, Jungkook sleeping elsewhere in a locked place. After all, Seokjin was a complete stranger, and a demon at that. Humans were wary of them.
But now, Jungkook was sleeping. Content, Seokjin stopped staring at the door and explored the living room to learn a bit more about that human.
Plants and pictures on the shelves, little colorful statuettes and many, many books. He picked up a few. They were books about fictional stories, castles, monsters, knights and magic.
He also spotted a desk with a number of items he had never seen before, wide and black and flat. And sketchbooks. Quite a few of them. Seokjin flipped through a few pages, and finally went to the couch to learn more about his human.
He read a book, and then another, and another, trying to learn facts in the hopes that it would make Jungkook feel more at ease. The energy of a human who was constantly stressed or anxious was definitely not a great feeling for Seokjin.
He was still reading when the sun rose on the mortal realm.
A few hours later, Jungkook left the bathroom looking groggy and slightly disoriented. He froze when he saw Seokjin on the couch. “You’re still here.”
Seokjin gave him his most amiable smile and answered softly. “I’m still here.”
Jungkook pouted, his eyes barely open. Eventually he sighed. “I really thought I had a vivid nightmare because ofindigestion.”
Seokjin squinted. “Nope. Your fragile stomach is fine for now.”
“I’m not fragile .” Jungkook groaned, almost disgusted. “One time, I ate six cups of spicy noodles in a single evening,” Jungkook said.
Seokjin laughed and followed him to the kitchen.
Jungkook remained silent during most of breakfast.
Seokjin was still testing the waters with Jungkook, so he didn’t talk for now. He didn’t know how much time he would have to stay with this human, but if he could make him comfortable, that would be nice. Seokjin wasn’t fond of having people terrified around him. In awe of his beauty or laughing at his jokes, yes. Scared, not really. That wasn’t sexy.
“What is your plan of action?” Jungkook suddenly asked to his bottle of banana milk.
Seokjin raised an eyebrow and pointed at himself. “Who? Me?”
Jungkook frowned and raised his eyes. “Yes, you.”
Seokjin smiled. “Ah. There, you looked at me.”
Jungkook pouted and looked at his bottle before he seemed to remember and looked back at Seokjin.
Seokjin crossed his arms on the table. “Well. Two options. Number one, a friend of mine is going to notice my absence, start searching the multiple planes of existence, come to the Human one at some point, and feel my presence here. If that happens, you won’t be able to see them, so don’t start panicking if I start talking to myself.”
Jungkook raised his eyebrows. “O-kay?”
“Number two,” Seokjin continued, “One of my friends has been summoned nearby. They’ll feel my presence and after their contract is done, they’ll come here. You won’t be able to see them--please refer to previous note about me talking to myself all of a sudden.”
Jungkook snorted softly. “Noted.”
Seokjin sighed. “Hopefully, it will be one of my knowledgeable friends, because I’ve never heard of a contract made by an asexual human…”
Jungkook lowered his eyes instantly. “I didn’t know it would… Like, call a demon of Lust, specifically.”
Seokjin looked at Jungkook with a patience that looked like fondness. “Oh I bet you didn’t, sweetheart.”
Jungkook instantly tensed and Seokjin put his hand on his mouth. “Sorry. I give everyone pet names.” He bowed down a little as an apology. “Bad habit. Won’t happen again.”
Jungkook nodded. “Okay.” He sipped on his banana milk. “When you say they’re gonna track you here… do you mean that other demons are gonna come here? Like, to my apartment?”
Seokjin raised his eyebrows. “Well, I don’t want to brag, but I’m highly ranked. My prolonged absence is bound to be noticed.” Seokjin tapped his fingers on the table, pensive. “That’s also why I haven’t been summoned for a while. Lower ranked demons are usually enough for this kind of contract.”
Jungkook cocked his head to the side, like an unconscious twitch. “But then, why are you here?”
Seokjin shrugged. “Magick works in mysterious ways.”
“You mean you didn’t choose to come?”
“I mean,” Seokjin crossed his arms, pretending to be defensive, but slouched the next second. “No, I didn’t. Magick decides. It’s been so long that when I got the tingling feeling that tells me I’m summoned, I almost couldn’t believe it!” He laughed exaggeratedly, hoping that Jungkook would follow suit.
He didn’t really. He was still frowning and his energy was… cloudy.
Seokjin sighed. “Jungkook, don’t worry. I’ll go back to my circle of Hell, I can assure you of that. There is a way to fulfill that contract peacefully, otherwise Magick wouldn’t have linked me to you.”
Jungkook kept biting on the inside of his lips. “But, is it not, like, dangerous for you? To be stuck here?”
Seokjin raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I haven’t been clear. I’m a powerful demon. I command legions and I can make use Magick. If a human tries to hurt me, they’re gonna have a nasty surprise.”
Jungkook gaped a little, but shook his head. “That’s, that’s not what I meant. Like, our world, is it not toxic for you or…”
“... Or what?” Seokjin pressed, not sure where this was going.
“I don’t know!” Jungkook moved his hands quickly. “Like, can’t you die or be super sick or something?”
Seokjin laughed high and loud. “Fear not, Jungkook. I’ll be fine. I could stay here for centuries before it starts affecting me, and the only thing affected will be my speech abilities.” He sighed. “Language evolves in such weird ways.”
Jungkook squinted. “Uh. Okay.”
“I swear I'll stay out of your way! I won’t be a burden.” Seokjin continued, trying to be reassuring. He wanted this to work, he wanted to spend as much of a good time as he could because, if he was honest, he had no idea how long it would take for one of his friends to notice his absence. Demons had a very different appreciation of time, since they lived thousands of human years.
Jungkook sighed. “That’s not what I meant. Like…”
Seokjin waited for the end of that sentence. Jungkook’s energy felt like it was clearing up a little.
Jungkook took a deep breath. “You’ve been okay, so far. And I’ve had roommates in the past, so that’s not really a problem. I was just wondering if you’d be okay.”
Seokjin blinked. “Jungkook.” He tried not to smile too hard, and failed. “Were you actually worried about my well-being?”
Jungkook stood up suddenly, his chair screeching on the kitchen floor. “Whatever, I’m just being nice, that’s how I was raised, it’s polite . And I have stuff to do. Shower.” He grumbled and went to his bedroom.
Seokjin blinked, suddenly alone in the kitchen. He had not expected that Jungkook might actually be worried about him. After all, they had just met. Surely, you couldn’t worry about someone you had just met, right?
Humans could be surprising.
*
Jungkook was an introvert, but that didn’t mean he was entirely hopeless when it came to understanding others.
After he had spent a safe night in his bathroom, and a safe breakfast in the morning, he had realised a few things.
Number one, Seokjin was trying.
Jungkook had seen the books by the couch, in a neat pile, clearly handled with care. He did everything to reassure Jungkook about his intentions. He even apologised and bowed down when he called him with a pet name.
Number two, Seokjin was worried.
He had to be, at least a little. He was facing a whole new and unexpected situation, and that was always uncomfortable. But he chose not to show it for Jungkook’s sake, trying to make him laugh at every occasion.
All in all… Seokjin was making an effort to make Jungkook feel at ease. Or, for their life with each other. Whatever it was, he was doing it out of selflessness. Or at least partly. Or maybe he was cleverly manipulative and Jungkook was a fool, but he would rather be a trusting fool with someone who gave him signs that he could be trusted.
That bit made Jungkook feel weird. In a good way--weird warm, weird pleased. Weird unexpected. He liked it. He liked seeing he could (cautiously) trust new people, even if he was shy at first. He felt proud of himself.
So, he thought he should show Seokjin that he was willing to make it work, too.
After his shower, he dressed up and went to his desk to work. Seokjin was sitting on the couch, reading books.
Jungkook was trying to edit a sketch when he gathered the courage to ask, “How’s the book?”
Seokjin blinked, and then smiled very brightly. “Are you finally at ease with me, Jungkook? Are we gonna bond like brothers and go on an adventure together involving camping and fight our common enemies while you confide in me with your deepest secrets that I swear not to share with anyone?”
Jungkook had already started laughing halfway into the second sentence. “What are you talking about?”
Seokjin smiled. He looked very pleased. “Your books. There’s always some kind of bonding between the protagonists who go on a life-learning adventure of some sort.”
“What do you mean, you’ve read my books?”
Seokjin pointed at the pile. It was, like, a dozen novels.
Jungkook gaped. “You can’t have read all of them.”
Seokjin snorted. “Half of them! It’s not advanced alchemy, it was pretty simple to grasp.” He nodded. “I liked this one, in particular.”
Jungkook instantly forgot that no human was capable of reading that fast, in favor of excitement. Sharing passion and interests was his favorite thing in the world. “What did you like in it?”
“Well, it’s quite fascinating how the story puts you in a whole new world, with a lot of details, and it feels so real, and you understand it like you’ve been living there all your life.”
Jungkook couldn’t help but nod enthusiastically at this. “Yes! That author has written a few different stories, but it’s that same feeling every time.” He looked at the shelf where they were and got up. “They’re here! This one’s about pirates and magic, and this one’s about a tribe in the mountain, guarding dragons--”
He suddenly stopped in his speech as the feeling of self-consciousness overwhelmed him. He was being too intense. Surely, Seokjin didn’t actually care, he was just trying to be nice to put Jungkook at ease.
Now Jungkook felt stupid.
He was about to turn around and… apologize, or brush it off, anything, but suddenly felt someone at his side.
Seokjin was looking at the books on the shelf. “Which one’s about the pirates?”
Jungkook was floored for a second, but shook his head and took the big book (limited edition thank you very much). “This one.”
Seokjin took it and stroked the cover with the tip of his fingers. “It’s a beautiful book. You’re sure I can read it?”
Jungkook smiled. “Books are made to be read.”
Seokjin nodded. “Indeed.”
They stared at each other and Jungkook was reminded how flustered he was with beautiful faces, until he cleared his voice and went back to his desk. “So um. The plan is that you read all my books until a demon pops up to see where you’re at?”
Seokjin was still smiling at the book when he replied, “Yes. That’s the plan.”