Oneiric Tryst

12. Lucid Dreams

Hongjoong gnawed on his fingernails on his way to work. Every glance he threw into the rear mirror seemed more distressed than normal. To any police officer on patrol, he likely looked like a car thief. That was entirely against the goal Hongjoong was trying to achieve. Which was not getting caught up with the police.

San threw him a concerned glimpse the moment he entered the car.

"Are you alright? Seonghwa again?"

No matter how hard he tried, Hongjoong couldn't get it out of his head. How Seonghwa had approached him so confidently, knowing that something was wrong. It had never happened to Hongjoong. The fact that this was the man he liked only made it worse. Hongjoong felt like vomiting most of the time. His delight and satisfaction at garnering such attention from the bold officer made it worse, only adding into the mix of emotions messing up his insides.

While San got comfortable, Hongjoong rested his forehead against his steering wheel. A warm hand rubbed his back.

"I actually asked Wooyoung about it. He mentioned that Seonghwa wanted him to ask me about you, too. Discreetly."

A shaky breath wet the plastic of the wheel. Hongjoong wiped the little condensed drops off as he sat back.

"Wooyoung said he's been reading a lot lately. About lucid dreaming and how to remember his dreams better. I think he's also trying to defeat those nightmares."

The whirring white noise of the engine hummed in the back of Hongjoong's head as he pulled from the parking lot. The sunrise dawned on the horizon, throwing the long shadows of the buildings on the street.

"I hope he succeeds then. Not that I want to get rid of him, but I'm terrified," Hongjoong mumbled with another fearful glance over his shoulder. Every police car he saw nearby had his heart freeze. He felt like a criminal without ever having done anything wrong.

The phantom sensation of shackles on his wrists bore into his brain. Followed by slender, leather-gloved fingers pulling him in and trapping him.

Hongjoong shook his head to rid himself of the imagination of Seonghwa's dark eyes staring down at him. Those usually so mild eyes that had no mercy for people he deemed dangerous.

"He might, yeah. I gave Wooyoung vague answers, too. We should think of a cover story for you so it adds up."

Miserable, Hongjoong drove both of them to work. Mingi wasn't in today since he visited a different office for his studies. Jongho lived in his office, unbothered as usual. Hongjoong's expectations of being approached by him the second he stepped in with a warrant forwarded by Officer Park didn't come true. It alleviated the weight on Hongjoong's shoulders only slightly.

Less than keen to see Seonghwa tonight, Hongjoong slinked up the stairs. He just wanted to bury his face in the carpet full of cookie crumbs and shut off his brain for the next few hours. He hadn't got much sleep either, and his exhaustion wore him out.

Since he was a special case, Seonghwa had a nightmare still. With no regard for Hongjoong's attempts to dodge him.

While Hongjoong stared at the screen, the information changed. The word 'station' switched out as his location shifted.

Predator, home, snakes.

"Snakes again?"

Seonghwa really had a snake problem.

Hongjoong equipped his various poisons and weapons. His joy to visit the man's home again was short-lived. The moment he appeared in Seonghwa's dream, he knew that he was fucked.

Well, not literally. That would be the cherry on top.

Hongjoong appeared in the room right opposite Seonghwa. The man had crossed his arms in front of his chest, donning all black today. The second Hongjoong materialised, a crooked grin broadened on his lips.