Thread by @manggaetteok96

Fox Spirit!ZZS AU where WKX, as a child, stumbles across a fox spirit after getting lost while playing in the mountains and he’s instantly struck by their beauty.

Meanwhile, ZZS took one look at the pitifully lost child and felt his heart soften so he guides him back home.

When the small cottage where WKX lives with his parents come into view, ZZS stops and crouches down. He gently flicks the young boy's forehead and warns him to not wander this deep into the mountains again, because there are creatures that won't be as nice as him the next time.

What he doesn't tell him is that when he touched WKX's forehead, he left a tiny little mark behind (undetectable by mortals) to ward off any lesser beings that might try to hurt him the next time he wanders into the mountains (ZZS has a feeling this kid isn't one to listen).

It takes a few seconds but eventually WKX nods, still in awe at the immortal (and they must be an immortal bc no mortal can possibly be this pretty).

Satisfied, ZZS stands up and pats WKX's head before gently pushing him towards the cottage.

He thought he'd just wait until the boy gets home before leaving. What he doesn't expect is for the boy to take a few hesitant steps before turning back around. What he expects even less is the question that comes out of his mouth.

"Pretty immortal, how can I repay you?"

Taken by surprise, ZZS is silent for a few seconds before he laughs, a beautiful sound that puts WKX in a state of awe once again.

"Little friend, I don't need any repayment from you. Just listening to my words and not wandering into the mountains is good enough. Now go."

Not satisfied with his reply, WKX decides to take matters into his own hands by pulling out the jade hairpin from his top knot and quickly stuffing it into the pretty immortal's hand. Not expecting this turn of events, ZZS could only accept the gift.

"My name is Wen Kexing. This is my most precious possession and I'll give it to pretty immortal as a promise. I know I can't do anything right now but I'll come find you when I'm big and capable and strong, and maybe then, pretty immortal can tell me how to repay you."

With that, WKX turns around and hurries back (before his parents really start to worry), leaving behind him a speechless fox spirit who'd never met such a precocious child.

ZZS eyes the hairpin in his hand, a beautiful pure white jade, before gently tucking it into his robes.

A few years pass and he puts the whole incident to the back of his mind. Afterall, he's been alive for a few centuries now, he knows better than anyone how fickle a mortal's promise can be. Still, that doesn't stop the fond smile when he looks at the hairpin tucked into his hair.

One day, his lair gets attacked by a group of so-called righteous sect disciples under the guise of "purging the mountain of demons".

Normally, he'd have no difficulties dispatching a few pesky disciples, but they just had to bring in their masters as well.

Because of that, after a bit of back and forth with ZZS sustaining a few injuries (no thanks to all of them attacking him at once), he decides to run away.

He thinks he's lost them until one of them suddenly appeared right in front of his face with his sword drawn.

Unfortunately, the man's too close and ZZS can tell from his crazed look that he's here to kill so he squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation. Instead of pain, all he hears is a loud *CLANG* and when he opens his eyes, he sees that another man has appeared to block the attack.

Before he can figure out what in the hell is going on, the newcomer already knocked the other man unconscious, before grabbing his hand and taking off in the opposite direction. ZZS can do nothing but hold onto the warm hand and follow.

Eventually, they come across a well-hidden cave opening and they quickly take cover.

ZZS's had time to analyze the newcomer from behind so he knows that he's dealing with someone in their twenties, with an outstanding foundation in martial arts, if his body is anything to go by.

ZZS doesn't waste any time, quickly finding a flatter rock to sit on, and starts inspecting his body for injuries. At least, that's what it looks like he's doing bc he's actually trying to determine what the man who saved him is after.

After puttering around, the man eventually settles down on the floor some distance away from ZZS, as if trying to give him as much space as he can. Seeing that the man seems to not be too interested in him at the moment, ZZS allows himself to finally focus on his injuries.

He finds a few gashes on limbs, but it's the deep gash on his shoulder than makes him inhale through his teeth.

"I can help with that."

Hearing the man's voice, ZZS looks up only to find the man almost right in front of him. Unknowingly, he'd let his guard down entirely.

Slowly, as if trying to show him that he has no intentions of harming him, the man pulls out a sachet smelling like medicinal herbs and gestures towards ZZS's back.

After a moment of consideration, ZZS nods and the man quietly kneels, facing his injured shoulder.

Knowing what's coming next, ZZS turns his face away ever so slightly. He tenses when his now blood-soaked robes are peeled away from his shoulder.

As much as he tries not to react, he couldn't quite stop the low gasp from escaping at the first contact of gentle hands.

The man is infinitely careful as he applies the medicine onto the wound and despite the initial sting, the herbs must be more effective than expected bc the pain is quickly numbed, leaving only a nice cooling sensation.

The man must be more prepared than ZZS thought bc he somehow also had gauze to wrap his wound with. As the man worked quietly and diligently, ZZS decides it's about time he said something so that's exactly what he does.

"Thank you. For saving me and for doing all of this."

"I'm not sure how to repay you but I—"

Before he can finish, he feels the man behind him shake with barely stifled laughter. Just as he's about to spin around (and maybe teach this rude person a lesson or two), a pair of hands hold him still in a surprising show of strength.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not done yet. You can't move." The hands holding him in place are firm, but also extremely gentle, somehow expertly avoiding all his bruises and cuts.

"You—!" ZZS isn't sure what to say so he's forced to stay silent.

After making sure that he isn't going to move, the man continues his ministrations.

"So does this count as repayment?"

Taken by surprise by the random question, ZZS can only manage a "huh?" in reply.

"I'm hurt."

(Somehow ZZS can hear the pout in his voice.)

"You're clearly wearing the hairpin I gave you, but you already forgot the person who gave it to you in the first place? I guess people are right when they say that immortals are fickle. Especially ones as pretty as you."

What is he—wait. Hairpin?

"You—that child—you!"

"So pretty immortal does remember me afterall~"

Having finished bandaging up the wound, ZZS whirls around to face the man—Wen Kexing—who's looking at him with a happy smile.

"How did you—"

The 'find me?' was left unspoken but WKX understood.

So he launches himself in a retelling of what he's been up to these past few years, how he'd thrown himself into training to get strong and how he'd been looking for ZZS for a while now with no luck.

It was only recently that he heard that there was going to be an expedition to exorcise a fox spirit. Thinking that it wouldn't hurt to check, he infiltrated the party as one of the members and that's how he found him.

"And the rest is as you know it."

Hearing the story and seeing the man in front of him, ZZS can't help but marvel at the passage of time.

In the blink of an eye, enough time has passed for the young child he'd saved to grow up this much and come back to fulfil his promise, as he said he would years ago.

Realizing that he still hasn't replied anything yet bc he'd been lost in thoughts, ZZS scrambles to find something to say but the words get stuck in his throat when he notices the way WKX is looking at him.

“I’m really happy to see that you kept my promise to you.”

ZZS unconsciously reaches for the jade hairpin on his head and seeing the soft smile on WKX’s face, he’s suddenly filled with a bashfulness he hasn't experienced in centuries.

“Of course, it’s a perfect fine hairpin, why wouldn’t I keep it."

He replies without meeting WKX’s eyes because it's suddenly incredibly hard to look at him. WKX only smiles knowingly in response but he eventually takes pity on ZZS.

"My previous question... you still haven't answered me yet. Does this count as repayment?"

Feeling inexplicably complicated, ZZS thinks about his answer.

"I told you before, I don't need repayment. Seeing that you were able to grow up and stand in front of me once again means that you must've stayed away from the mountain like I told you to. That's good enou—"

Before he can finish his sentence, a gentle finger is pressed against his lips and his eyes widen in shock as they meet WKX's smiling ones.

For the first time in a long time, ZZS is acutely aware of the complicated emotions that this man in front of him is making him feel.

"Since pretty immortal doesn't consider this as repayment, I guess I'll just have to keep following you around until you come up with a good enough way for me to repay you~" is what he says before removing his finger from ZZS's lips.

It takes a second for the implications to sink in and when they do, ZZS feels his face heat up inexplicably. He tries to come up with a retort and—

"Do whatever you want," is what comes out instead.

To fluster a fox spirit to this extent... Either ZZS's getting rusty or WKX's affecting him too much.

"I will~"

//the end

lol i have no words, this was supposed to be a quick little AU idea but I somehow managed to spend 2.5 hours on this thing when im supposed to be sleeping sdkjfhksdjfh welp, hope you guys enjoyed reading whatever this ended up being 🥲💖