AN: Chapter Four! Yeah, that's all I have to say for now.

-----

Jeongguk dodged behind a door as he heard his sister approach from an adjacent hallway, her higher-pitched voice traveling far ahead of her. It felt like eons before she and her entourage of ladies-in-waiting swished by his hiding place. He counted to a hundred after they passed, then slipping out of the room and back into the hallway, glancing in the direction she had gone.

It wasn't that he didn't like his sister. He just didn't want her to ask him any questions right then. Especially since he was supposed to be in the library with his tutors and not hurrying down a hallway in the western wing of the keep. She would want to know what he was doing and he didn't want to tell her.

The young lord didn't like lying to anyone if he could avoid it; it made him feel guilty, and guilt always gave him a stomachache. If Dahee had asked him what he was doing out of the library, though, he would have had to lie to her. So, he figured it was better to hide than to have to either tell her the truth – embarrassing as it was – or concoct a false reason for being away from his studies.

With a deep breath, he scurried down multiple flights of stairs and through nearly identical stone passageways, keeping to the lesser used halls to prevent anyone else from seeing him. He had calculated his little adventure to coincide with the servant's lunchtime, as well, to try to increase his chances of being completely undetected. The only ones who would know he wasn't where he was supposed to be would be his tutor, and the man he was hoping to talk to. The former was easily bribed. The latter would never turn on him.

The alchemy workroom was deserted when Jeongguk finally reached it. It was a moderately large room situated at the ground floor of the far western edge of the castle. Large windows stretched from the floor to ceiling of one wall, bathing the space in natural light. Two of the three remaining walls were taken up by long, wooden-topped work benches and shelf upon shelf of substances stored in glass jars, tiny bottles, and clay pots. The last wall, where the door Jeongguk came through was situated, consisted of bookshelves jammed with tomes, scrolls, and loose sheaves of paper. It was an organized chaos that only their alchemist truly understood.

There was a single workbench that took up the center of the room. It was covered in a large collection of glass jars and tiny bottles, though, showing that their alchemist had been there at some point recently. The man was so anal-retentive about his organization that he would never have left his workroom in disarray unless he was planning on coming back shortly. Feeling antsy, the young lord sat down on a stool in the corner and waited impatiently for the alchemist to return.

He didn't realize he'd drifted off until a light touch on his shoulder roused him. Blinking in confusion, the young man looked up into the friendly face of their alchemist, who hovered over him with an amused twinkle in his eyes. The man's black hair was pulled back and tied in an untidy bun on top of his head, fly-away strands sticking out at every conceivable angle.

"Ah?" Jeongguk rubbed his eyes a couple times before standing from the stool. "Heechul-hyung?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but if you were looking to take a nap, I could suggest a few corners that would be far more comfortable than this one." The man made his way back to his workbench, long green robes brushing the floor around his feet. He pulled a pair of leather gloves from the pocket of the stained apron he wore and quickly yanked them over his hands.

"I wasn't meaning to sleep," Jeongguk argued, stepping up beside the older man to watch him work. "I came to ask a favor but you weren't here."

"I apologize for that." The alchemist popped the cork on a bottle and poured a small measure of colorless fluid into jar that already contained an unknown blue liquid. "I was out on an errand."

"What sort of errand?" Jeongguk leaned forward on the table, watching in fascination as the liquid in the bottle turned a brilliant shade of yellow.

"Is that Jeongguk asking, or Lord Jeon?" Heechul didn't look up from his work as he stuffed a wad of leaves into the bottle. Corking it, he shook it vigorously. The contents turned a startling pink.

"Jeongguk," the younger replied instantly, not caring that his mouth was popped open like a carp. It didn't matter how many times he watched the alchemist work; seeing the concoctions rapidly change before his eyes was astounding. It was nothing like the magic he had been born with. Alchemy wasn't even magical. Heechul had been born the son of a farmer and, as a member of the common class, had no magic to speak of.

"In that case, it is none of your business what I was off doing." The older man winked at him before removing the cork and giving the mixture a sniff. He seemed satisfied and poured it through a sieve into a different bottle, straining out all the leaves. The new container was short and fat, round like an apple, and tinted brown so he couldn't see the liquid inside. "It's light sensitive," Heechul supplied as if knowing already what Jeongguk was thinking to ask.

"What if I change my mind and say it is Lord Jeon who wants to know?"

"Then I will call you a liar to your face, my lord, because Jeongguk already said otherwise." The alchemist grinned and set the bottle aside after stuffing the cork in the top. "Now, what was that favor you were seeking?"

The youth licked his lips, grasping the hem of his soft tunic as he thought about how to ask. "I'm having some trouble with... a spell," he started. He wasn't sure why but he quickly glanced around the workroom to make sure they truly were alone. He didn't like to admit he couldn't do something, and to say it to a commoner, even if that commoner was their family's alchemist, was embarrassing.

"What sort of spell?" Heechul questioned, his tone carrying nothing but curiosity. Jeongguk forced himself to relax.

"It's... it's a charm. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

The alchemist removed his gloves and folded his arms across his chest, leaning sideways against the workbench to give the lord his undivided attention. "I'm not sure how I can help with charm work, Jeongguk. I have as much magic in me as a bean sprout."

"I know that." The younger picked up a tiny vial from the table and turned it over in his fingers a few times. "But you know things. Lots of things."

Heechul reached over and plucked the vial out of Jeongguk's hands. "That's poisonous," he commented lightly, causing the youth to frantically wipe his hands on the front of his tunic. "I know a fair number of things, I'll admit. Such as how Healers have never been adept at charm work." His dark eyebrows raised expectantly. "So why is a Healer trying to make a charm? And for what?"

"It's... you see. The thing about it is... it's..." His mouth had gone dry as he waffled around the point. His decision to see Heechul about his issue didn't extend to how he was going to actually ask for assistance. His brain basically said 'go ask the alchemist' but hadn't gotten any further than that. He stared helplessly at the older man and chewed on his bottom lip, trying to will the other to know what he needed without having to say it directly.

It didn't work.

"Well, since you can't seem to get it out, I'm going to start making wild stabs in the dark." The alchemist brushed a few errant strands of black out of his face and took on an expression of deep contemplation. "You've found a girl you fancy and wish to charm her into your bed?"

"No!" It came out much more forcefully than Jeongguk could have wished. His face flamed with humiliation and he winced.

"You've already charmed her into your bed and are seeking..." Heechul made a vague motion with his hand toward the younger man's crotch. "...advice? You do recall that I prefer my bedmates less... female, yes? I don't know what advice I could possibly give you on that front. As a Healer, you would know the female body much better than myself."

"That's... no! I don't. I'm not... there's no girl!" Why did he think this would be a good idea? He wanted to bury his head in his hands and flee but knew Heechul would just laugh at his retreat.

"Is there a... boy then?" The dark-haired man raised his eyebrows and waggled them a couple times. "I received a recipe recently from an old colleague of mine. She claims to have developed a wonderful oil for male partners to use during intercourse. I haven't had a chance to try it myself, given the lack of partner, but I could whip some up for you if that's what you're needing?"

"NO!" Jeongguk ran his fingers through his silvery hair, gripping at his roots. "I mean, not really. It isn't... isn't..." How was his face even hotter than before?

"Not lubrication. Okay." Heechul nodded thoughtfully. "Are you having issues with the tiny lord?"

Jeongguk choked on his own spit. "The what?"

Heechul quirked his brows again. "Your penis."

Speechless, Jeongguk could only shake his head in a forceful 'no.'

"Is there a problem with the other boy's penis?"

Jeongguk swallowed heavily, mortified with the turn the conversation had taken. "There is no other penis," he blurted before dropping his head into his hands. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his face and stared hard at the alchemist, hating the look of mirth plastered on the other's face. "I'd rather prefer if we stopped talking about penises."

Heechul snickered a couple times before smoothing out his features to a more serious set. "Very well then. I'll stop teasing." He grabbed a nearby stool and sat, motioning for Jeongguk to do the same.

Once the younger was situated, he continued. "You said you're having issues with a charm. Unless you want me to start giving you detailed instructions on how to have sex with a man – just to see your reaction – why not just tell me what's going on, huh? As much as I enjoy our chats, the General has given me quite the list of medicines he wants to take when they leave. I've only a few days to get it all done."

Jeongguk balled his hands together in his lap, staring at them for a long moment before sighing. "Promise you won't say anything to my sister?" he asked quietly, not looking up. He would never hear the end of it from her if she found out what he was trying to do.

"The total number of words I have ever shared with Lady Dahee can be counted on one hand. I'm not about to start now. Come on, Jeongguk. You know you can tell me anything." The older man reached over and placed a light hand on the lord's shoulder. When Jeongguk didn't reply right away, he squeezed the shoulder and let go. "So, the first thing you need to do is pour some oil onto your finger and, being very gentle, insert-"

"I've been trying to make Hoseok-hyung a protection charm and it keeps blowing up! I was hoping you'd have a book that could help. Nothing I've found in the library has been useful." The words came out of him in a rush the moment he realized what Heechul was describing.

Despite being a virgin on all accounts, he knew how sex between men worked. After his father's death, under the leadership of his elder brother, House Jeon had become a proponent of progressive ideas. His brother had started by abolishing the local laws against same-sex partnership. Jeongguk had only been twelve when the edict went into effect that a man could publicly love another man.

He'd known how sex between a man and woman worked; he had already been training to be a Healer at that point and had seen his fair share of naked people of both genders. Reproductive medicine was part of any Healer's repertoire, after all. But when he'd casually mentioned to Hoseok that men didn't have an appropriate hole, he had not expected the answer he'd gotten. The follow up question about how Hoseok knew had left the young lord near tears and he'd promised he wouldn't ask about it ever again.

"Ah, so there is another boy."

Jeongguk couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. "It isn't like that," he denied with a shake of his head. "I just want him to be safe. His knees are bothering him again. What if... what if something happens and he can't move as fast because of it? It would be my fault."

The alchemist was quiet for a moment, sucking his teeth. "You were ten when you Healed those wounds," his said gently. "You did the best you could. I have known no other Healer in my time that has successfully mended a broken knee, let alone two, to the point where the patient could even walk again."

Jeongguk swallowed and shook his head again. It didn't matter how many times people told him that; he knew his Healing hadn't been good enough. It didn't even matter that Hoseok never held it against him. He felt he had failed his friend and it terrified him to think Hoseok might get hurt or killed in the coming coup because he wouldn't be able to maneuver as fast as the others.

"My lord." Heechul sighed and drummed his fingers on the workbench. "Let's not dwell on that right now, okay? You said your charm exploded?" Jeongguk nodded mutely. "I might not be magical, but I may know someone who can help you."

Grateful to be back on topic, Jeongguk stood from his stool as Heechul did the same. "Who?"

Heechul snagged a sheet of paper from the bookshelf and started scribbling out a note on it with a quill snagged from a different workbench. Jeongguk watched, brows furrowed, as the older man wrote in a language he didn't recognize. "Do you recall the group of Bahmeez that came through a week or so back?"

"Yes?" Confused, Jeongguk looked back at the odd writing on the paper. He'd never seen Bahmeez writing before and wondered how Heechul knew it, if that was what it was. They were a nomadic people from the south-west, near Etrari and had come through the Jeon's lands seeking to trade. They were a colorful, noisy bunch, but friendly enough.

Heechul folded the parchment a couple times before presenting it to Jeongguk. "They've set up a camp to the northeast of here. From what I heard, they aren't leaving for another month. Take this to one of them and they'll get you to someone who can help."

Frowning deeply, the lord took the letter and tucked it under his tunic. "But how can they help? They aren't noble born any more than you are. Do they have books on magic?"

Heechul gave the lord a tiny smile. "The Bahmeez have a magic of their own. You might not recognize it, but it's there, and it is powerful. Go on. If you hurry, you can make it there and back before nightfall. I'll cover for you if anyone starts asking questions."

"Thank you." Jeongguk was doubtful the foreigners would be able to help, or even that they had this magic Heechul claimed them to possess, but he was running out of options. And, as the older man had mentioned, the fighters would be leaving in just a few days. If he was going to get the charm made and given to Hoseok before they departed, he would have to hurry. On impulse, he hugged the alchemist before sprinting from the room, mind already running through how to get his horse saddled and out of the grounds without anyone the wiser.

-----

AN: I love a sassy gay alchemist with no shame.  How about you?