among the stars / hyungwonho

06

After Hyungwon calms himself down and Kihyun sees him to his bed (and Hoseok has run probably off to his room to hide again), Kihyun sits in one of the ship's windows. It isn't the most comfortable spots, but at least he knows that the probability of Hyungwon or Hoseok finding him are low. He lets his mind run through all the thoughts he keeps in the back of his mind, the main one questioning his ability of being a captain.

Their ship is beginning to fall apart and they don't have the funds to pay for it at the moment. Food, which used to be something that wasn't a problem when it was just him and Wonho, is something he has to be more vigilant about. Being the captain means looking after your crew members even if it means giving up your meals a few times a week. And on top of all of that, he can't seem to keep Hyungwon and Wonho from fighting.

People have always said that he had so much potential. He was the youngest captain on his home planet in history and graduated at the top of his class. Though it seemed all his training never prepared him for this. Becoming a runaway and seeing his face across screens anywhere he goes wasn't something he had planned on.

His mother calls him often and questions him relentlessly and all Kihyun can say is "don't worry about it," or "it's just a misunderstanding." He tries not to talk to his family, in fear for their safety.

He thinks to himself that maybe he wasn't cut out for this type of life. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. He shouldn't--

"You're overthinking Kihyun," a voice drags Kihyun from his thoughts.

"Why are you awake Wonho?"

"I went to get a glass of water and when I passed by your room, I noticed you weren't in your bed. I knew you'd be here so," he trails off.

"Am I doing this right?"

"Doing what right?" Wonho asks.

"This, like- I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm--"

"You're doing fine Kihyun," Hoseok assured.

"We don't even have enough food to eat, I don't know how "fine" I'm doing."

***

When they need to, they take jobs -- fetch this, destroy this, find that. So on, so forth. Hyungwon happens to have an uncanny knack for the last. He's good at destroying too but it's Kihyun endeavour to minimize that experience as much as possible. Anything dangerous Kihyun does and he does it by himself. Of course, Hyungwon isn't stupid. He notices, folds his arms in front of himself at one point and says,

"I can handle it--"

Quickly, Wonho levels him with a look of all things soft. It's not what Hyungwon expects, which is why he wavers.

"You shouldn't have to," Kihyun cuts in and used his captain voice which negates any argument they might have had.

As if sensing the real reason for how Hyungwon's shoulders fall, Hoseok breaks his own rule and reaches for his hand.

***

"Doesn't," he huffs, "he trust me?" Hyungwon sulks between push-ups and Hoseok shrugs.

"It's not about trust. He feels responsible for us."

On his next descent, Hyungwon lets himself fall flat. Hoseok tsks; it's dirty but they're all in need of a short one way or another so it's not a big deal. Instead, he stares down at the fluff of hair sticking up at the back of Hyungwon's head, finds himself reaching out with one hand to poke it. But he stops when Hyungwon's voice sounds again, muffled: "but that's not fair."

"What's not?" Hoseok smoothes the hair down, fingertips trailing to Hyungwon's nape briefly before he draws it back, staunchly ignoring how Hyungwon goes soft under the simple touch.

Hyungwon sighs, "well." Hoseok waits. "I'm responsible for you too, you know."

It's ten maybe fifteen minutes of silence later when Hoseok climbs off the counter. He stands and nudges Hyungwon's shoulder with his foot.

Time to go.

***

When they wake up the next morning, the pantry is full of food.

Hyungwon hugs Kihyun and thanks him.

Hoseok pulls Kihyun aside to ask him where he found the money to pay for all of it.

Kihyun simply tells him, "don't worry about it."

***

Sometimes when they steal things they get caught. This results in the pell-mell running from one quadrant to the next until they've sufficiently confused their pursuing parties. On one such occasion, Hoseok emerged from the engine core with thin red lines down one side of his body-- his neck, his arm, his side, his leg, completist as go have travelled the length of his foot too. Hyungwon and Kihyun clean him up despite protests, despite Hoseok saying it doesn't hurt. To which Hyungwon has the audacity to reach out, turn Hoseok's face towards him and say,

"Yes, it does."

***

Where Kihyun is best at flying and Hoseok is best at fixing, Hyungwon is a fair hand at both in addition to weaponry and whatever else falls between those categories.

"An all-rounder," Hoseok notes. Hyungwon flushes to the sups of his ears and makes an excuse to go check their engine room. As he hurried away, Hoseok frowns, "but we just fixed it yesterday."

Kihyun rubs his own temples. For a smart man, Wonho is sometimes painfully dumb.

Or so it seems.

In actuality, Lee Hoseok is just stupid smart.

It's hard to miss the way Hyungwon's eyes follow him or the way Hyungwon has this way of standing a little closer than necessary. What is also hard to miss: Hyungwon's light-- his smile that glows whenever he does something well, the laugh that moves in cute partitions Hoseok can hear music inside, the warmth that radiates off of him and dated once on a cold planet to hold Hoseok from behind. They aren't even outside but ships old heating system is less than adequate even after the adjustments Hoseok has done. Wallowing in thick sweaters that leave to the imagination exactly where their limbs actually are, is just bearable. Wallowing in a thick sweater and Hyungwon and his heartbeat eclipsing his own, it's even more so.

So when Hyungwon rests his chin on Hoseok's shoulder and asks, "better?" Hoseok thinks: much

But what he says is, "I guess."

***