A Rose-Colored Dream; Soonhoon

06

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SOONYOUNG ENDS UP being the one to take Jihoon home. Technically, they would have gone home together anyway, probably, since they live so close, but it gets to a point in the night where Jihoon either cannot or does not want to hold himself up anymore, and Soonyoung has to hold him up with one arm to get him back safely.

His mind won't stop whirring. The walk to the bus stop, the bus ride, the walk from the bus stop up the stairs to Jihoon's apartment ... it almost feels alright, if he blocks out the stress of it - Soonyoung has heard horror stories like this, he's heard how painful it is, falling in love when you're not supposed to - the stress, the stress, the way it almost seems to melt away when he looks down at Jihoon. The boy is using him as a makeshift pillar, probably drooling against his shirt or something, but Soonyoung doesn't even care.

His mind. It turns over thoughts, millions of thoughts, all of them about Jihoon.

It's sometime near three in the morning when he hears it. He's laid down Jihoon in his bed, not even bothering to change him out of his sweaty clothes, and he's looking for a blanket to keep him warm on the couch when Jeonghan speaks to him. He sounds so, so weary.

"Hell of a night, huh."

"Oh, how nice of you to say hello. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever hear from you again."

Soonyoung moves out of the room and closes the door gently behind him, raising his voice from its whisper once he's sure Jihoon won't hear him.

"Don't be dramatic. I told you I'd get back to you, didn't I?" Soonyoung sighs.

"Yeah, you did. Any updates?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Jihoon's apartment. You've been watching me, haven't you?"

"Trying to. It's just - things are so hectic up here. Between keeping an eye on you and getting an understanding of what's going on with the Council, I - it's hard. But I saw you tonight, yeah."

Soonyoung chuckles wryly, "Of all the nights for you to see me."

Jeonghan speaks quietly, Soonyoung thinks. Interworldly communication makes it hard to tell sometimes - the voice gets distorted, background noise fizzles out to a television buzz - but he can tell when Jeonghan's voice drops, carrying something somber within it.

"You need to get out of there, Soonyoung."

"I can't leave him, Jeonghan, he's wasted. What if he wakes up in the middle of the night and tries something stupid? Humans are so reckless, you can never - "

"No, Soonyoung, that's not what I mean. You need to leave Earth. Come home."

Soonyoung stills. Every molecule in his body pauses to listen.

"Wh-What?"

"You had to see this coming. Things were doomed the moment we realized Jihoon and Seungcheol weren't meant for each other. This was a fluke. The Council isn't supposed to make mistakes, but this time it did. You should've never been sent out there."

He's right, Soonyoung knows he's right.

"No? N-No, wait - "

"This won't reflect poorly on you, don't worry, it wasn't your fault this time."

"No, Jeonghan, I don't want to - "

"The longer you stay, the more complicated things will get. Jihoon, he - he can't fall in love with you, and you can't fall in love with him. This goes against every single - "