twelve hours » jaeseong

[eleven hours]

Jaeyoon was supposed to be a professional. But the way he kept forgetting his mission implied otherwise.

Years, centuries, of experience all scattered from Jaeyoon's mind like leaves in the wind. And he didn't care.

He didn't care because Inseong sang along to every unfamiliar song during the car ride. He didn't care because Inseong's voice was more beautiful than anything the Muses could ever create. He didn't care because every time their gazes met, he felt dizzy, like Coelum was slipping away and maybe he could just forget about it. Just for a little bit.

So he did. There were no carriers and no Agape to remind him of his mission because he had never forgotten himself like this before.

"Jaeyoon, can you sing?" Inseong asked.

"Ooh! Can you?" Youngbin asked excitedly. The song switched and both boys were quiet, waiting for Jaeyoon's reply.

"I can, but I don't listen to this, um..." He cursed mentally as he searched for the word. Youngbin had been yelling at Inseong about it the whole drive, what was it?

"Station?" Inseong supplied.

"Yeah! Station! I don't listen to it very often, so I don't know any lyrics," he said, blood rising to his face because he had barely saved the situation.

"That's okay! Besides, this song's chorus is really repetitive and simple," Youngbin said. His mix-up went unnoticed among the boys and he didn't know if he was more grateful or amused.

Inseong grabbed his hand, all energy and smiles. Jaeyoon was glad he had given up shotgun to sit in the back with him. Although, Youngbin did seem a little lonely driving up front.

Jaeyoon concentrated on the chorus as Inseong hummed along quietly next to him. He could practically feel the vibrations; they were warm and rolled over him like undulating waves.

"I think I got it!" Jaeyoon said. He hadn't sung for years; he equated singing with joy, and Coelum, despite its similarities to mortals' perceptions of heaven, contained little joy for him.

But when he sang, his voice still retained the soft feathers of his wings and the air under his feet as he flew, the sensation of completing a mission and aiding love's path.

Inseong's jaw dropped and Jaeyoon felt suddenly bashful as the chorus was replaced by an unfamiliar verse.

"Damn, you're so good!" Inseong gushed. The praise made Jaeyoon feel warm and happy and accepted. If only he had someone like Inseong in Coelum.

"Don't swear so much, Inseong!" Youngbin protested. Inseong snorted.

"I can't help it!" He responded, with the tone of a joke rehashed between two best friends time and time again. "Dad," he added cheekily.

"I will crash this car," Youngbin deadpanned, glaring at them in the rearview mirror.

"May I suggest marriage counseling?" Jaeyoon said innocently. Inseong snorted and the three of them began to laugh again, Youngbin's face particularly red.

When they arrived at the bowling alley, Jaeyoon was surprised. Their excitement didn't seem to match up with the ugly little place. Its brown paint was faded and peeling and there were barely six cars in the parking lot.

But Inseong couldn't drag him out of the car fast enough, taking his hand. Their point of contact was hot; seeming to scorch Jaeyoon's hand. Inseong didn't seem to notice, but Jaeyoon felt like that touch would leave an imprint on his skin he'd always remember, even when he was back in Coelum and Inseong's grandchildren were old.

The thought made him irrationally sad, so he pushed it away.

Youngbin glanced sideways at their hands as they entered the building. The interior was low and dark, neon lights decorating the tables and chairs and bowling lanes.

The entire thing reminded Jaeyoon of a Mortia den he had stumbled into when he was in their hellish plane. The den had been filled with Mortias, the death-smellers, and he shuddered. The boys walked up to the counter like they had done this a million times before, and they probably had. They handed over money and the worker handed them ugly bowling shoes in return. They walked to the very last lane, passing one in progress game. Quiet music played indistinctly overhead. They sat down on the floor to put on their shoes.

"These shoes are exactly your style," Youngbin said to Inseong as Jaeyoon struggled with the Velcro straps. Inseong picked up his rather heavy shoe and hit Youngbin in the head with it, who protested.

"Do you know how many unwashed feet have been in these shoes?" He shrieked, frantically smoothing his hair down.

"Shouldn't be a new concept for you," Jaeyoon said, finally getting his shoes on.

"You just met me and you're already attacking me! This is unfair!"

"I blame Inseong," Jaeyoon snorted. Tried to ignore how his laugh was starting to sound similar to the other boy's.

"Hey!"

"He's attacking everyone, no one's safe, mayday! Mayday!"

"Youngbin, I'm gonna hit you with a shoe!" Jaeyoon yelled. They dissolved into giggles.

"Jaeyoon, you can go first," Inseong said, hovering over some kind of technology. He was tapping a screen, and their names appeared on the TV screen above their lane. Jaeyoon tried not to show how fascinating it all was.

"But I don't know how to play!"

"I'll teach you! Let's pick our balls," he said.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Youngbin muttered, face red in his effort to keep his laughter in.

"Shut up!" Inseong's face was red, too, and suddenly they were all laughing again.

Jaeyoon loved it. His back tickled.

They wandered over to the ball racks, Jaeyoon slipping in his shoes because they were too big. After a lot of teasing and struggling, they managed to get their bowling balls and go back to their lane.

"Okay, so pick up the ball like this," Inseong said, and Jaeyoon carefully mirrored his movements. "Then you're gonna roll it like this." He demonstrated but didn't let go of his ball.

Jaeyoon stepped up to the lane and did exactly what Inseong said. Which meant that he didn't let go of his ball, either, and he heard Youngbin and Inseong go into hysterics behind him.

He blushed and wanted to slap himself to dispel it.

"Let go of the bowling ball!" Youngbin yelled and Jaeyoon's blush deepened.

He threw a gutter ball.

Youngbin and Inseong turned into hyenas behind him and he wasn't even embarrassed because when he turned around, their glowing faces were breathtaking.

So was the golden love pouring off Youngbin, dancing in the dark and outshining the neon lights.

a/n: of course i don't have writers block for this fic..ha ha..ha