With You, Under the Stars

XI: Fitting Puzzle Pieces Together

"Who is it? The person you're betrothed to?"

This is the last thing Soobin was expecting to hear from Yeonjun and any function that comes with life takes a pause for the pureblood. This isn't how Soobin wanted Yeonjun to find out, and he hates even more that he must have heard about it from someone else rather than him. Everything is ruined...

Soobin's eyes are wide with shock, body is frozen still,  when Yeonjun grabs hold of Soobin's hand. His head is suddenly flooded with images and scenes that at first feel foreign, then a familiarity warms his chest. Memories, but they're not of his own. He quickly understands that they belong to Yeonjun as they seamlessly flow through him, like for once Yeonjun wanted Soobin to actually look inside his mind. There is a consistency with the memories he's being shown and it's that they're all of him. He barely recognizes himself through Yeonjun's eyes, seeing something beautiful and far different than what looks back at him in the mirror. With these visions of himself, he as well felt the essence of each memory, what Yeonjun was feeling at the time. There were smiles that can flutter even his most sunken of hearts, and sparkling eyes that can hold their own against all the stars in the universe. A tall, lean frame structured with grace and poise is admired from afar, but behind closed doors, Yeonjun giggles when clumsiness peaks out of the man every now and then.

Though, it isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Soobin sees scattered visions of himself looking at Yeonjun with frustration contorting his face and he feels Yeonjun's irritation and anger. But, through all the anger, not once does he feel Yeonjun's heart waver.

"Yeonjun–"

"Please, Soobin, please tell me what's been going on between us hasn't all been in my head! I can't be the only one –"

Soobin's words come quickly and without thought, he squeezes Yeonjun's hand, "Of course it's not all in your head! I feel something for you, too, Yeonjun!" He brings his other hand that was resting on a box of tissues up to cradle the back of Yeonjun's neck tenderly, Yeonjun doesn't move nor does he look away. His eyes swirled with shimmering emotion, so big and rounded as if seeing all of Soobin for all he is. Soobin finds himself falling in the depth of those beautiful dark eyes; the uniqueness to them can easily mesmerize him into doing just about anything they want from him, and Soobin was giving in. This warmth fuels the butterflies in Yeonjun's stomach and they flutter around tenfold, but he has to do his best to keep his mind clear. Soobin opens his mouth to speak again, "It's just –"

"Impossible." Yeonjun finishes, his voice hollow yet soft, just above a whisper.

What a word, one that is so quick to kill the hopes and prospects of a dreamer. With it coming out of Yeonjun's mouth, Soobin is more than shocked , "No, please don't say that."

"Well, why else would you and Kai have had to end things?"

Soobin is slightly taken aback. Why is he bringing up Kai all of the sudden? Soobin is starting to worry what kind of other rumors Yeonjun's new friends at Crown Academy are telling him. "Yeonjun, that was a long time ago –"

Yeonjun shakes his head, "Three years isn't that long of a time ago, Soobin. Especially for a pureblood." Yeonjun sighs and holds his head in his hands, letting his fingers comb back his hair.

"Ok, maybe it wasn't that long of a time ago, but things are different now."

"Oh really? How?"

"Well for one example, I doubt I still think the same as I did when I was fifteen." Soobin hears a muffled scoff from the other. "And what Kai and I had... It was short lived. More like puppy love, if anything. We were both going through stuff with our families and were also starting to crave blood for the first time... It was just a lot going on and, well, we were kind of like an escape for each other."