re意識 (au contrant) | tvxq, au.
eight of-???
2712w.
ao3
changmin watches crystal kay carefully mix cocoa with mild amusement, chin propped in one hand and the other lazily stroking seraphina's tail. crystal had come to him nearly in tears because she didn't know how to handmake chocolate (to which changmin informed her that, no, he didn't either, and now his laptop lay open on an opposite counter, recipe on display for crystal to reference back to) and she wanted to do something special for boa now that they've moved in together. changmin had taken her to the store, unsurprised to see it stripped, no doubt by countless of teenagers trying to impress their crushes.
"the dye was the best idea," crystal sighs, fighting off the falling sleeve of her flannel while she squeezes several drops of blue food coloring into the pan of white chocolate. changmin nods, rises to roll her sleeve back up for her, and checks the time for the batch they had made together. boa is busy with work and yunho will be gone for hours, still, working on the plans for another high rise.
"the green and silver are ready," crystal says, and changmin takes the bowls and pours the colored chocolate into the molds they've been using, careful not to burn himself.
"so, now that i'm not freaking out and am capable of regular speech," crystal jokes, "how's school been?"
"good," changmin says as he works to settle the chocolate, absently letting his tongue slip and not caring. crystal will understand him anyway, she's the one that taught him japanese in the first place, his father's own tongue switching languages when he was often upset with changmin as a child notwithstanding. "my teacher has been asking me if i want to present at a conference in a few months. it's a little unexpected, if i'm honest. he hates pretty much everyone."
"maybe he's hot for you?" crystal laughs, snorting when changmin shudders dramatically.
"he looks as old as yunho is," he states grimly, sending crystal into a wild fit of giggles. a smile ghosts changmin'a mouth at the sound of her laughter. despite entire centuries separating their true age, crystal acts as if she were just entering adulthood, the mantle not quite fitting her yet. her presence in turn makes changmin feel even younger, if not lighter.
"are you going to go, then?"
changmin shrugs, murmuring as he returns to seraphina. "not sure yet, though i think i would like to. the idea of presenting in front of so many well rounded people is a little daunting. my works are very... private."
"it won't be so bad, min. you live with yunho and deal with him on a daily basis. after that, anything is probably a piece of cake."
"yunho isn't as bad to live with as everyone seems to think. he's actually very relaxed, if not a little touchy. besides, even if yunho were still blood thirsty and after my head for being with his sister, i'd still choose him. at least he's deadly honest about what he thinks, and with that i know where i stand. with a conference like this, you never know if your reputation is going to survive." crystal kay levels him a look. "your reputation," she says flatly, and changmin chuckles.
"hush, you know exactly what i mean."
"you make me glad to be an artist," crystal says firmly. "that way if people don't like my art, i can at least tell them they're blind."
changmin laughs, shoulders shaking, making seraphina slant him a look and saunter off. "clever," he points a finger at crystal, who winks in turn.
the oven beeps, and changmin rises to switch out the batches again. "so have you and boa set a date yet?" he ventures, curious.
"we're working on that. there's a lot to sort out and part of it is trying to coordinate the branches of our pack. since you're technically an honorary member of kiyiya's pack, that makes boa a part of it, too, and then there are her brother's branches. i've always imagined a small wedding but the more the plans continue the more of a leviathan it becomes. i don't have a clue on how to plan for something like that."
changmin feels a flicker of sadness for crystal kay, who suddenly looks very lost and very small all over again. setting the chocolates aside, changmin walks over, eases crystal away from the batch she's stopped stirring, and pulls her into a firm hug.
"it'll be alright," changmin promises quietly, then, with mirth as he moves back to his molds, "besides, yunho's the master of planning. just dump everything on him. he's the patriarch, after all."
"how do you do it?" crystal wonders, features tilted in confusion. "he's the patriarch and it's like-it's like you don't even care that he's the head of our pack."
changmin pauses at her choice of words, a sudden wave of defiance coming over him. "i care." he defends, looking right back at crystal. "yunho is more than his title to me. he's my friend."
"which is strange, no, seriously; boa and jihye are the only people in the entire world that i've seen be as relexed as you are around him. even i feel like if i breathe the wrong way he'll have my head." crystal kay dips a finger into the chocolate mix and sticks it into her mouth. "i know it's a different era now but even youkai back home don't forget the stories."
changmin nods with a thoughtful hum, thinking back, and decides to share something that even his father does not know.
"do you know that both jihye and yunho tried to kill me when we first met? boa, too."
crystal kay stopped pouring her chocolate, eyes widening, unsure at what to say for a moment. "little vampire, wandering into wolves territory... it's a wonder you survived to today."
"pure fucking luck, i assure you." changmin flashes a grin. "but we grew to know one another back then, up until i left, and i remember everything about them; i even remember what you were like when we first met. it's only been a handful of years for me, being, y'know-and everyone has changed so drastically that if i didn't just accept them i'd probably go mental."
"oh kami, you really are a baby!" crystal kay ignores changmin's sharp look. "i've never thought of it that way, with your age i mean. i guess it is quite the jump for us, but i kind of understand. boa and i have been dancing around one another for so, so long. it actually kind of scares me that we're taking the next step."
changmin gives a small half shrug as he moves his molds into the refrigerator. “it’s natural to be scared, crys. it’s a big change.”
“i mean i know this sounds stupid,” crystal kay’s voice grew thick, and the tang of salt hits the back of changmin’s throat as he turns to take her hands into his own. her clawed fingertips press painfully into his skin. changmin swallows the venom pooling from his teeth to keep himself from flinching.
“crystal?”
“i don’t have any family, changmin. the last of my kind have been long gone-i have no one to stand with me.” crystal kay’s face twisted into something distant and crestfallen. “i don’t even know who to ask.”
me, changmin thinks automatically, but he presses his tongue into his teeth instead of speaking. the only reason he is keeping himself from letting it fly from his mouth is what yunho has been teaching him of pack politics. this is exactly the kind of subject that falls under the delicate rules of canine culture and the last thing he ever wants to do is cross a boundary line or end up being rude.
“it’s not stupid, crystal kay.” changmin chooses his words carefully, gives her hands a gentle squeeze. “i’m sure anyone would be honored to stand with you on your wedding day.”
crystal kay stills, eyes widening slowly in cautious excitement. changmin presses his tongue into his teeth again to keep from smiling.
“would you?” crystal ventures, voice still tinged with sadness. “i-i know you’re boa’s family. shit, you’re not even a dog , but i know you. i’ve known you and you know me, you remember my family, changmin, it would mean so much-“
“i’m sure boa and yunho will understand.” he tells her, quiet joy in his words. he decides that he’ll have to celebrate his personal victory as soon as possible. “i’m honored that you’ve chosen me to stand by you when you announce your intent.”
crystal kay’s eyes began to water dangerously and the tears she held back moments earlier spill over.
“thank you,” she whispers, something intense coloring her features. “you really are my family now.”
“happy to have you, crys. i’ll even help you with your load of the wedding if you want, just don’t expect me to be too enthusiastic about dress shopping.” changmin allows a toothy grin before stepping back and discreetly folding his arms. he drops his voice into a mock whisper. “we can make yunho do all the boring stuff. swear.”
crystal finally smiles, mirth tugging at the corners of her mouth as she wipes away her tears. “deal.”
the box resting on the nightstand is small and innocent in its appearance. changmin stares at it, wondering if leaving there is too… presumptuous. “whatever,” he mutters to himself. “better than handing it over in person like a schoolgirl.”
he keeps staring at the box. while yunho hasn’t technically banned him from entering, he still feels a slight unease at invading his personal space so freely, especially after allowing him to stay.
the entire thing is purely academic at this point anyway. he knows yunho will be able to tell that he entered his bedroom the moment he comes home by scent alone. so despite the almost embarrassing gift of chocolate he’s leaving behind, changmin allows himself to take one last look around before stepping out. the décor of yunho’s bedroom is dark and demure, with black furniture and few personal affects. deep black velvet drapes are tied with silver rope at the edges of the wall of glass on the far side, joined by a matching bed canopy and rug in the centre of the space. the skylight is closed, and the silver bedding changmin remembers from before has been changed to maroon. changmin wonders if it’s just as soft but doesn’t doubt it.
the thing that stands out the most is the long set of swords mantled on the wall above the chest of drawers, set into their holding places like diagonal stripes. each one of the blades gives off an aura of power, and changmin suspects that they might be an heirloom of some sort.
an impatient sounding mewl from the stairs reminds him that he’s supposed to be feeding seraphina. changmin closes the door behind him and hops over the railing, landing silenly at the edge of the kitchen. seraphina follows him to the pantry and swishes her purple tinted tail as she waits for him to pop open the can of tuna.
the lock of the front door clicks and beeps just as he’s set seraphina’s food down. yunho steps in with a lowly rumbled greeting, his human disguise shimmering into nothing as he removes his concealment ring and drapes his blazer over the back of his chair at the dining table.
“shoes,” changmin tsks at him. yunho breathes out a low chuckle and walks back to leave his shoes at the door. he peers over the counter, rolling up his sleeves before he starts to undo his tie, brow quirking at the amount of dishes piled in the sink.
“you’ve been playing in the kitchen, i see.”
changmin nods and turns to pour himself a glass of water to combat the heat trying to climb into his face. the image of yunho doing something as simple as removing his jacket is enough to show off the unconcealed markings travelling up his forearms and over his collar. the memory of the new year flashes across his mind. has been flashing across his mind.
changmin slams his water back. “crystal kay wanted to do something special for boa and enlisted me as her helper. neither of us had any clue about how to make chocolate so we made a bit of a mess-”
yunho is in front of him in a blink, and changmin almost startles, minute fear rising and dying and rising again when he takes in the look on yunho’s face.
“what happened.” yunho’s tone is even and clipped, turning the spike of fear in changmin into cold worry. yunho rarely addresses him with such a detached demeanor anymore, never so neutral. changmin follows yunho’s gaze to his exposed wrists and gives a small oh .
“crystal was upset earlier-“
“she did this?” yunho’s voice takes on an all too familiar icy chill, his eyes shining just a little brighter, the lines of his body becoming deathly still.
“it was an accident. she was upset over not being represented at her ceremony. she asked me, by the way.” changmin resists the urge to sink his canines into his lip. “i said yes.”
an odd look flickers across yunho’s face, and changmin speaks before he can say anything. “i’m boa’s family, i know, but that’s beside the point. i’m happy to finally, actually do something as a pack member.”
yunho hums and examines changmin’s wrists, eyes sliding over the shadows of light bruises and the pin pricks of claws. the cuts are a nasty shade of yellow, the skin blistering from changmin’s vampire blood reacting to its natural enemy. he slides his thumbs over the marks softly, his own claws tracing restlessly over the markings before he drops his hands.
changmin watches yunho close his eyes and take a deep breath as if the anger in his frame is something that he can simply exhale out. yunho opens his eyes and stares at changmin, the brightness in them dimmed to normal.
“when will you heal?”
“uh,” changmin blinks, unprepared for the question. “it’ll scar before disappearing, so maybe a few days.”
yunho mmn’s, still quiet as he steps away and further into the kitchen. despite the endless bowls and whisks soaking in the sink, crystal kay had taken the molds away with her while changmin took care to clean every last inch of the kitchen, and he hopes the barely lingering scent of disinfectant doesn’t bother yunho.
“boa will understand your choice.” yunho finally speaks. “i am sure that she will be grateful to have you stand with her mate. it will ease the anxiety they both feel.”
with that, yunho starts to make dinner, and changmin finds himself assisting him in comfortable silence. yunho puts chicken in the oven to bake and changmin assembles a salad as yunho begins to do something with asparagus in a cast iron skillet. his job done, changmin takes a seat at the counter and observes yunho, still in awe at his precision as he moves from one thing to another in perfect time.
“i’m convinced that you can definitely be a chef again,” changmin jokes, then, remembering what he shared with crystal kay, “i’ve been invited to make a presentation at an upcoming literature conference.”
“you don’t sound excited.” yunho observes as he plates their food.
changmin darts from his spot at the counter to his spot at the table and shrugs in admission. “the thought of it makes me a bit nervous. i’m very invested in what i’m doing at school and i really don’t want to screw it up.”
“you’re a diligent student, changmin. you put much of yourself into your work. i haven’t the slightest doubt that your presentation will be anything less than perfection.”
the hint of pride in yunho’s easy assurance makes changmin’s chest flicker with something he does not want to name. still, it washes away the tension sitting in his throat at the thought, and a strange calm settles into him as he begins to eat. if yunho believes he can pull it off, then, well.
it’s really as simple as that.
.[ 07 | 09 ]
.comments are ♥
2712w.
ao3
changmin watches crystal kay carefully mix cocoa with mild amusement, chin propped in one hand and the other lazily stroking seraphina's tail. crystal had come to him nearly in tears because she didn't know how to handmake chocolate (to which changmin informed her that, no, he didn't either, and now his laptop lay open on an opposite counter, recipe on display for crystal to reference back to) and she wanted to do something special for boa now that they've moved in together. changmin had taken her to the store, unsurprised to see it stripped, no doubt by countless of teenagers trying to impress their crushes.
"the dye was the best idea," crystal sighs, fighting off the falling sleeve of her flannel while she squeezes several drops of blue food coloring into the pan of white chocolate. changmin nods, rises to roll her sleeve back up for her, and checks the time for the batch they had made together. boa is busy with work and yunho will be gone for hours, still, working on the plans for another high rise.
"the green and silver are ready," crystal says, and changmin takes the bowls and pours the colored chocolate into the molds they've been using, careful not to burn himself.
"so, now that i'm not freaking out and am capable of regular speech," crystal jokes, "how's school been?"
"good," changmin says as he works to settle the chocolate, absently letting his tongue slip and not caring. crystal will understand him anyway, she's the one that taught him japanese in the first place, his father's own tongue switching languages when he was often upset with changmin as a child notwithstanding. "my teacher has been asking me if i want to present at a conference in a few months. it's a little unexpected, if i'm honest. he hates pretty much everyone."
"maybe he's hot for you?" crystal laughs, snorting when changmin shudders dramatically.
"he looks as old as yunho is," he states grimly, sending crystal into a wild fit of giggles. a smile ghosts changmin'a mouth at the sound of her laughter. despite entire centuries separating their true age, crystal acts as if she were just entering adulthood, the mantle not quite fitting her yet. her presence in turn makes changmin feel even younger, if not lighter.
"are you going to go, then?"
changmin shrugs, murmuring as he returns to seraphina. "not sure yet, though i think i would like to. the idea of presenting in front of so many well rounded people is a little daunting. my works are very... private."
"it won't be so bad, min. you live with yunho and deal with him on a daily basis. after that, anything is probably a piece of cake."
"yunho isn't as bad to live with as everyone seems to think. he's actually very relaxed, if not a little touchy. besides, even if yunho were still blood thirsty and after my head for being with his sister, i'd still choose him. at least he's deadly honest about what he thinks, and with that i know where i stand. with a conference like this, you never know if your reputation is going to survive." crystal kay levels him a look. "your reputation," she says flatly, and changmin chuckles.
"hush, you know exactly what i mean."
"you make me glad to be an artist," crystal says firmly. "that way if people don't like my art, i can at least tell them they're blind."
changmin laughs, shoulders shaking, making seraphina slant him a look and saunter off. "clever," he points a finger at crystal, who winks in turn.
the oven beeps, and changmin rises to switch out the batches again. "so have you and boa set a date yet?" he ventures, curious.
"we're working on that. there's a lot to sort out and part of it is trying to coordinate the branches of our pack. since you're technically an honorary member of kiyiya's pack, that makes boa a part of it, too, and then there are her brother's branches. i've always imagined a small wedding but the more the plans continue the more of a leviathan it becomes. i don't have a clue on how to plan for something like that."
changmin feels a flicker of sadness for crystal kay, who suddenly looks very lost and very small all over again. setting the chocolates aside, changmin walks over, eases crystal away from the batch she's stopped stirring, and pulls her into a firm hug.
"it'll be alright," changmin promises quietly, then, with mirth as he moves back to his molds, "besides, yunho's the master of planning. just dump everything on him. he's the patriarch, after all."
"how do you do it?" crystal wonders, features tilted in confusion. "he's the patriarch and it's like-it's like you don't even care that he's the head of our pack."
changmin pauses at her choice of words, a sudden wave of defiance coming over him. "i care." he defends, looking right back at crystal. "yunho is more than his title to me. he's my friend."
"which is strange, no, seriously; boa and jihye are the only people in the entire world that i've seen be as relexed as you are around him. even i feel like if i breathe the wrong way he'll have my head." crystal kay dips a finger into the chocolate mix and sticks it into her mouth. "i know it's a different era now but even youkai back home don't forget the stories."
changmin nods with a thoughtful hum, thinking back, and decides to share something that even his father does not know.
"do you know that both jihye and yunho tried to kill me when we first met? boa, too."
crystal kay stopped pouring her chocolate, eyes widening, unsure at what to say for a moment. "little vampire, wandering into wolves territory... it's a wonder you survived to today."
"pure fucking luck, i assure you." changmin flashes a grin. "but we grew to know one another back then, up until i left, and i remember everything about them; i even remember what you were like when we first met. it's only been a handful of years for me, being, y'know-and everyone has changed so drastically that if i didn't just accept them i'd probably go mental."
"oh kami, you really are a baby!" crystal kay ignores changmin's sharp look. "i've never thought of it that way, with your age i mean. i guess it is quite the jump for us, but i kind of understand. boa and i have been dancing around one another for so, so long. it actually kind of scares me that we're taking the next step."
changmin gives a small half shrug as he moves his molds into the refrigerator. “it’s natural to be scared, crys. it’s a big change.”
“i mean i know this sounds stupid,” crystal kay’s voice grew thick, and the tang of salt hits the back of changmin’s throat as he turns to take her hands into his own. her clawed fingertips press painfully into his skin. changmin swallows the venom pooling from his teeth to keep himself from flinching.
“crystal?”
“i don’t have any family, changmin. the last of my kind have been long gone-i have no one to stand with me.” crystal kay’s face twisted into something distant and crestfallen. “i don’t even know who to ask.”
me, changmin thinks automatically, but he presses his tongue into his teeth instead of speaking. the only reason he is keeping himself from letting it fly from his mouth is what yunho has been teaching him of pack politics. this is exactly the kind of subject that falls under the delicate rules of canine culture and the last thing he ever wants to do is cross a boundary line or end up being rude.
“it’s not stupid, crystal kay.” changmin chooses his words carefully, gives her hands a gentle squeeze. “i’m sure anyone would be honored to stand with you on your wedding day.”
crystal kay stills, eyes widening slowly in cautious excitement. changmin presses his tongue into his teeth again to keep from smiling.
“would you?” crystal ventures, voice still tinged with sadness. “i-i know you’re boa’s family. shit, you’re not even a dog , but i know you. i’ve known you and you know me, you remember my family, changmin, it would mean so much-“
“i’m sure boa and yunho will understand.” he tells her, quiet joy in his words. he decides that he’ll have to celebrate his personal victory as soon as possible. “i’m honored that you’ve chosen me to stand by you when you announce your intent.”
crystal kay’s eyes began to water dangerously and the tears she held back moments earlier spill over.
“thank you,” she whispers, something intense coloring her features. “you really are my family now.”
“happy to have you, crys. i’ll even help you with your load of the wedding if you want, just don’t expect me to be too enthusiastic about dress shopping.” changmin allows a toothy grin before stepping back and discreetly folding his arms. he drops his voice into a mock whisper. “we can make yunho do all the boring stuff. swear.”
crystal finally smiles, mirth tugging at the corners of her mouth as she wipes away her tears. “deal.”
the box resting on the nightstand is small and innocent in its appearance. changmin stares at it, wondering if leaving there is too… presumptuous. “whatever,” he mutters to himself. “better than handing it over in person like a schoolgirl.”
he keeps staring at the box. while yunho hasn’t technically banned him from entering, he still feels a slight unease at invading his personal space so freely, especially after allowing him to stay.
the entire thing is purely academic at this point anyway. he knows yunho will be able to tell that he entered his bedroom the moment he comes home by scent alone. so despite the almost embarrassing gift of chocolate he’s leaving behind, changmin allows himself to take one last look around before stepping out. the décor of yunho’s bedroom is dark and demure, with black furniture and few personal affects. deep black velvet drapes are tied with silver rope at the edges of the wall of glass on the far side, joined by a matching bed canopy and rug in the centre of the space. the skylight is closed, and the silver bedding changmin remembers from before has been changed to maroon. changmin wonders if it’s just as soft but doesn’t doubt it.
the thing that stands out the most is the long set of swords mantled on the wall above the chest of drawers, set into their holding places like diagonal stripes. each one of the blades gives off an aura of power, and changmin suspects that they might be an heirloom of some sort.
an impatient sounding mewl from the stairs reminds him that he’s supposed to be feeding seraphina. changmin closes the door behind him and hops over the railing, landing silenly at the edge of the kitchen. seraphina follows him to the pantry and swishes her purple tinted tail as she waits for him to pop open the can of tuna.
the lock of the front door clicks and beeps just as he’s set seraphina’s food down. yunho steps in with a lowly rumbled greeting, his human disguise shimmering into nothing as he removes his concealment ring and drapes his blazer over the back of his chair at the dining table.
“shoes,” changmin tsks at him. yunho breathes out a low chuckle and walks back to leave his shoes at the door. he peers over the counter, rolling up his sleeves before he starts to undo his tie, brow quirking at the amount of dishes piled in the sink.
“you’ve been playing in the kitchen, i see.”
changmin nods and turns to pour himself a glass of water to combat the heat trying to climb into his face. the image of yunho doing something as simple as removing his jacket is enough to show off the unconcealed markings travelling up his forearms and over his collar. the memory of the new year flashes across his mind. has been flashing across his mind.
changmin slams his water back. “crystal kay wanted to do something special for boa and enlisted me as her helper. neither of us had any clue about how to make chocolate so we made a bit of a mess-”
yunho is in front of him in a blink, and changmin almost startles, minute fear rising and dying and rising again when he takes in the look on yunho’s face.
“what happened.” yunho’s tone is even and clipped, turning the spike of fear in changmin into cold worry. yunho rarely addresses him with such a detached demeanor anymore, never so neutral. changmin follows yunho’s gaze to his exposed wrists and gives a small oh .
“crystal was upset earlier-“
“she did this?” yunho’s voice takes on an all too familiar icy chill, his eyes shining just a little brighter, the lines of his body becoming deathly still.
“it was an accident. she was upset over not being represented at her ceremony. she asked me, by the way.” changmin resists the urge to sink his canines into his lip. “i said yes.”
an odd look flickers across yunho’s face, and changmin speaks before he can say anything. “i’m boa’s family, i know, but that’s beside the point. i’m happy to finally, actually do something as a pack member.”
yunho hums and examines changmin’s wrists, eyes sliding over the shadows of light bruises and the pin pricks of claws. the cuts are a nasty shade of yellow, the skin blistering from changmin’s vampire blood reacting to its natural enemy. he slides his thumbs over the marks softly, his own claws tracing restlessly over the markings before he drops his hands.
changmin watches yunho close his eyes and take a deep breath as if the anger in his frame is something that he can simply exhale out. yunho opens his eyes and stares at changmin, the brightness in them dimmed to normal.
“when will you heal?”
“uh,” changmin blinks, unprepared for the question. “it’ll scar before disappearing, so maybe a few days.”
yunho mmn’s, still quiet as he steps away and further into the kitchen. despite the endless bowls and whisks soaking in the sink, crystal kay had taken the molds away with her while changmin took care to clean every last inch of the kitchen, and he hopes the barely lingering scent of disinfectant doesn’t bother yunho.
“boa will understand your choice.” yunho finally speaks. “i am sure that she will be grateful to have you stand with her mate. it will ease the anxiety they both feel.”
with that, yunho starts to make dinner, and changmin finds himself assisting him in comfortable silence. yunho puts chicken in the oven to bake and changmin assembles a salad as yunho begins to do something with asparagus in a cast iron skillet. his job done, changmin takes a seat at the counter and observes yunho, still in awe at his precision as he moves from one thing to another in perfect time.
“i’m convinced that you can definitely be a chef again,” changmin jokes, then, remembering what he shared with crystal kay, “i’ve been invited to make a presentation at an upcoming literature conference.”
“you don’t sound excited.” yunho observes as he plates their food.
changmin darts from his spot at the counter to his spot at the table and shrugs in admission. “the thought of it makes me a bit nervous. i’m very invested in what i’m doing at school and i really don’t want to screw it up.”
“you’re a diligent student, changmin. you put much of yourself into your work. i haven’t the slightest doubt that your presentation will be anything less than perfection.”
the hint of pride in yunho’s easy assurance makes changmin’s chest flicker with something he does not want to name. still, it washes away the tension sitting in his throat at the thought, and a strange calm settles into him as he begins to eat. if yunho believes he can pull it off, then, well.
it’s really as simple as that.
.[ 07 | 09 ]
.comments are ♥