Archive of Our Own

Living in the City of Stars sounds exciting to most people, especially to humans. It is a great privilege to live there. Not a lot of people get to experience it, so anyone who does, feels at peace and always free. To Jongin though, it’s boring. Jongin was born from the power of two stars, so he was naturally sent to live in the City of Stars. It’s where he’s been since the day of his birth and he just wants out. He was born 124 human years ago; as a child, he was always full of excitement and joy, but in recent years, he feels completely and undoubtedly stuck.

Ever Since Jongin’s 90th birthday, he’s begged the Seers to allow him to leave. He wanted to explore and travel, but he’d been denied and locked away for so long. Jongin never rid himself of the idea of leaving - he just started looking for new ways of getting out. He used to want to visit everywhere, every planet, every plane, but he’ll have limited time once he leaves, so he decided he’d go to earth. The place had always intrigued him, the beings, humans, were so delicate and fragile.

He’d been studying the earth for years, dreaming of the day he could visit. Well, the day came sooner than he could have dreamed of.

This very day, just hours earlier, the Sun Palace had begun to collapse. Everyone and everything was in chaos. If the Sun Palace was to be destroyed, many planets would follow. When he heard the news, his first thought was to ask if everyone was ok, but they’re star beings - it would take the gods wrath for them to be hurt. His second thought, his final one, was that he should use this opportunity to run away. Nobody would miss him right away. It would give him plenty of time to travel to earth and he would be able to explore before they discovered his hiding place. That’s how he found himself at the eternal portal.

The portal swirls in an array of blues, particles of bright, silver stars dancing around him, gold flecks of the god’s blessings flitting in the intricate design of time. A light breeze flutters about and tickles at the locks of chocolate locks atop Jongin’s head. He can feel the energy pulsing off of the entrance, he can feel the pull in his chest and the excitement in his veins. It was calling out to him in the same way - he can feel its energy, it can feel his desires and dreams. It can feel his heart, too, and his heart yearns for an escape that the gods are denying him.

He closes his eyes and opens his arms. The portal swallows him in an embrace, the energy is warm and silky, it’s comforting and freeing. It feels like home. In what feels like just a breaths moment, he feels himself being released from the stars and he falls through space. His belly tugs uncomfortably just before his body lands on something soft but cold with a dull thud. He lands on his back. If he were capable of feeling pain, he knows he’d be feeling an agonizing amount of it right now.

His honey-colored eyes pop open and a soft gasp escapes his lips when he sees the bright blue sky above him. There are no clouds, just a large expanse of baby blue hues. All around him is blinding white. His hot breath puffs into the air and creates small clouds in front of his face. He lives in the sky, in the city of stars, but he’s never seen anything quite so beautiful before. The feeling of pure euphoria which blooms in his chest takes his breath away. It’s unreal.

He stands up slowly, small flecks of snow falling from his exposed skin. Tall, looming trees stand all around the clearing he’s in. His body feels heavy. The gravity on earth is nothing like what it is in his home. A chilling breeze swirls around him and a thin layer of powdery snow dances in swirls through the air. Following the snow, a soft, almost inaudible voice carries through the air.

Jongin turns around slowly. Standing there, staring at him is a short, fair-haired boy. His skin is pale, but his cheeks and nose are colored a soft pink from the frigid temperature. His eyes are wide and his mouth is open. No words leave his pretty lips, nothing but silence passes between them. Jongin takes a step towards him, but in turn, the boy takes one away from him.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” he asks. His voice sounds light, but the poorly hidden quiver alerts Jongin that he might be afraid.

“My name is Jongin and I came from the star city,” he says loud enough for the boy to hear him. There’s a beat of silence. Neither of them moves, but the boy mutters something under his breath.

“Those are just stories, where did you come from?” he asks, his voice sounding more solid now. Jongin repeats himself, but he just gets a scoff in return.

“If you’re from the stars, then I just came from Batman's lair. You shouldn’t be here, especially dressed like that.”
With just a shooing motion of his hand, he turns and begins to walk away, but Jongin’s eyes widen and he shoots forwards. It takes a few large strides, but he grabs the boys hand to stall him. He gasps at the warmth under his fingertips - he never imagined he’d be so warm with how small he is. Instinctively, the boy rips his hand from Jongin’s grasp and takes two staggered steps back.

“Where is… here ?” Jongin asks. The way he asks it makes the boy tilts his head to the side and he gives Jongin a strange look.

“You don’t know where we are?” Jongin shakes his head in response.

“How did you get here? And why are you dressed like that? Did someone kidnap you?” He asks frantically. The more he says, the more freaked out he appears. Jongin wants to reach out and calm him down, but he doesn’t think the human boy would like that, so he holds up his hands to try and soothe his nerves.

“No, I wasn’t kidnapped. I came here on my own and I already told you, I’m from The City of Stars. I’m a star child,” he answers with a completely serious face. The boy’s eyes are completely wide but nothing more than a small noise escapes his mouth.

“You’re serious?” he asks. He gauges Jongin’s facial expressions and watches his body language. Jongin nods slowly. He doesn’t want to scare this boy away. His dark brown eyes draw him in somehow, but maybe it’s because he’s never encountered a human before.  

“I need your help,” he almost whispers. The other slightly perks up but waits for Jongin to elaborate. He buries his mouth and nose into his red scarf and Jongin can feel himself smile at the sight.

“I’ve never been to earth before. I need a guide, someone who can help me.”

“You want me to help you? I just barely met you, you’re half-naked in the snow and you could be lying to me for all I know, but you want me to help you?”
Jongin nods.
This boy is cute.

“I can show you if it’ll prove that I’m not lying to you,” he murmurs, a playful glint filling his eyes. The boy looks at him sideways and hesitantly nods once. Jongin smiles and winks. He sucks in a breath and in the blink of an eye he’s teleporting behind the human boy.  He lands in the snow with a soft crunch, the sound startling the other boy. He whips around to face Jongin and a scared look crosses over his face. He steps away from Jongin once more, but his foot catches on his other and he falls. A startled yelp escapes his mouth, but Jongin grabs his arm before he can fall.

“You believe me now?” he asks. He laughs when the boy gives him a startled, frantic nod. Humans must really be easy to win over then. He steadies the boy on his feet and let's go.

“So will you help me?”
He gets another nod in response. Jongin notes that the boy looks shaken and a little nervous.

“What do you need me for?”

“I need a place to stay for a little while as well as someone to guide me around.”
The boy looks at him like he’s some sort of peculiar creature, but he motions for Jongin to follow as he starts making his way to what Jongin assumes is his home.

“What’s your name?” he asks from behind him. The snow crunches loudly beneath their feet, but Jongin pays it no mind. He wonders why this human seems so trusting of him, why he doesn’t seem so weirded out or shocked by any of this. He’s read that humans are skeptical and fearful, so why does this boy seem so okay with him?

“Baekhyun,” he calls back to Jongin. The Star child tries the name on his own tongue, mumbling it under his breath. He likes the sound of it, even the feel of it. He watches the boy walk in front of him, his blond hair bobbing cutely atop his head. Jongin can hear Baekhyun exhale loudly when he steps in some particularly deep snow. He doesn’t seem tired, but he can only see the boy’s backside.

They walk in silence the whole way there. Jongin leaves him to his thoughts as he drowns in his own. His eyes soak in the scenery around him. The trees are bare save for the small mounds of snow that invited themselves to perch on its branches. There are no birds, no living being or animals save for the two walking. This world is beautiful, so unlike anything he’s seen before. The sky seems to be incredibly far away and he feels so small in a world so big, and that’s such a big change for him.

In the Stars, the world and the universe go on and on. There’s no end, no barriers, just empty space. It’s eternal. Here on earth, everything is so physical, you can literally feel just how small you are. It must be very cold, because nearly halfway through their walk back, Jongin begins to feel little prickles on his skin. He doesn’t get cold or hot as other life forms do - his body regulates itself to fit the environment, but it must not be adapting to earth as well as he’d hoped. Jongin wonders if anyone back home has figured out he’s missing yet. Would he feel it since his soul is connected to the stars?

By the time they get to Baekhyun’s home, the human is shivering, and he looks exceptionally tired. Jongin feels bad because he made the boy treck all the way home, but wouldn’t he have to go home anyway? The sun is beginning to set as Jongin freezes on the boy’s doorstep. The sky paints in a pretty gradient of oranges, pinks, and deep purples.

The clouds part and spread, decorating the sun in soft patterns. He can’t take his eyes off of it. The sight draws him in, takes his breath away. Somehow his thoughts are running a mile a minute, but his mind is completely blank at the same time. He stares, wanting to commit this sight to memory. He hopes to never forget something as beautiful as this.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Baekhyun asks though it seems more like a statement.

“My brother dragged me up here a few years ago. I absolutely detested it, but every night we’d come out and watch the sunset. It became like a routine. He moved away with his husband, but I wanted to stay. It’s tiring to live in a place like this, very hard actually, but then I remember this and it’s worth it to me.”
He looks up at Jongin and his eyes glimmer with happiness, but there’s something akin to pain inside which makes Jongin want to comfort him.

“It is beautiful. The treasure is worth the fight.”
Baekhyun sits on this statement for a moment, looking back at the sun. The light paints him prettily, it’s hard for the older man to take his eyes off of him.

“I like that,” he murmurs. After watching the sun go down he leads them inside his little home. The appearance looks as cozy as the air feels. Jongin can see how terribly Baekhyun is shivering now, as his fingers clumsily try to unbutton his coat, but can’t find the strength in them to do it. Baekhyun awkwardly looks up at him and clears his throat. Instead of asking for help, he forgets about the bulky clothes and walks further inside the house, leaving Jongin at the door. He smiles at the small boy before following suit.

There’s a large living space in the center of the house. To the left is a small kitchen with an old looking fridge and a small blue table with matching chairs. To the right are three different doors. Baekhyun informs him that the one on the far left is the bathroom and the other two are bedrooms. His is on the far right and Jongin can’t go inside. Ever. The furniture is dark stained wood with small accents of blues, greens, and pinks. There are about four different pillows on the small sofa and at least two throw blankets draped over the back.

Baekhyun walks into the kitchen and immediately gets to work at making some hot tea. He asked Jongin what he’d like but the star child didn’t know the different flavors, so Baekhyun settled on a herbal blend. He gestures for Jongin to take a seat at the table.

“So, you’re from The Star City? Are you like… a god or something? Children’s books have always implied you had to be some great being or incredibly lucky to live somewhere like that.” Jongin perks up at the question. He watches the boy glide across the kitchen, grabbing several things from cupboards and set them on the table. Jongin picks up a small cup labeled sugar and looks inside. Just some white crystals? He wonders how different their cuisines are from each other.

“It’s a great honor to live there. Only the highest looked upon deities and stars are permitted to live there.”
He watches Baekhyun set one of the cups down before taking his own seat across from him. He leans his chin on his palm and looks at Jongin intently. His eyes gleam curiously and a sense of intrigue blooms inside of Jongin’s chest. Now that they’re sitting here, away from the wind and snow, he takes a better look at him.

His nose and cheeks are still flushed, though the pigment has gone down because of the temperature regulating his body. His pretty pink lips are pulled into a small smile and his blonde hair is ruffled messily over his head. A few strands fall into his eyes, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it. Jongin notes the small moles on his cheek and lip - he had almost missed them, but the knowledge of them makes him feel oddly warm. There’s a mischievous spark in his eyes, too, a spark that Jongin wants to experience.

“You said that you’re a star child? What exactly does that entail? Are you like… worshipped or some shit?” he asks, not in a negative or mocking way, just inquisitive.

“Hardly. M ore like… babysat. In comparison to the other stars, I’m still a child. I’m the youngest star by at least 200 years and I still haven’t finished my guardian lessons. They don’t think I’m ready to start training,” he sighs. Many of the deities believe he’s hopeless. He isn’t learning as fast as the other star children learned and his interests lie in other worlds, not his own. Truthfully, they believe the stars made a mistake in creating him. They don’t think he should have the privilege of living in such a highly regarded world.

“What, so you’re young and they don’t think you’re competent enough to do whatever the hell goes on up there?” Baekhyun exclaims. Jongin is startled by the sudden rise in his tone. The small scowl on his face makes Jongin smile.

“Sort of. It’s a great privilege to be granted access to the Stars, as I said. Only the most highly thought of deities get sent there. So someone like me just being sent there for being born, someone who would rather travel around the universes and step on earth? It’s disgraceful. To have someone like me surrounded by beings like them, shines a bad light on them, on the Stars. It makes them look less special,” he trails off. He looks down at his cup of tea, the steam coming from the dark liquid captivating him.

“I think that’s bullshit,” Baekhyun grumbles quietly. Jongin smiles at the sentiment. Not many people, if any, would think that back home. It feels new and fresh.

“It’s just the way it is…” Jongin mumbles. “It’s really beautiful up there though. Our skies change color depending on how the guardians are feeling. They’re kind of like the soul of our planet. Our palaces are beautiful, gold trimmings and statues. Our waterfalls have purple and blue water, though it’s not like yours. Our water is creamy and soft, silky in a way. Imagine living surrounded by bright stars every day, imagine being so close you could touch them.”

Baekhyun listens intently, a small smile on his lips.

“That sounds beautiful,” he whispers.

“So what about you? Tell me about yourself,” Jongin asks. Baekhyun flashes a grin Jongin’s way as he’s delighted with the question.

“I suppose it’s only fair if I share a little about myself,” Jongin giggles softly. This boy is practically glowing. He decides to try the tea that Baekhyun made for him, though it’s still exceptionally hot. He lifts the green mug to his lips and takes in a tiny sip. It’s hot on his tongue, but the bitter taste tingles over his taste buds. He can feel his nose wrinkle at the taste. It’s not like he’d thought it would be. Baekhyun laughs loudly at his reaction and his already large smile grows cutely in amusement.

“Try it with some sugar.” Baekhyun reaches forwards and drops a few cubes into the cup before stirring it a few times. Jongin looks at him skeptically. He raises the cup back up to his lips and takes a smaller, more hesitant sip but the outcome is no different than before. His face scrunches up with the same dissatisfaction as before but the sweet aftertaste soothes his tongue gently. Baekhyun laughs again and takes the cup away from Jongin.

“I’ll get you some juice,” he says as he stands and gets a new cup from the cupboard. He reaches into the fridge, grabs the apple juice and brings them both to the table. Jongin thanks him when Baekhyun pours some into the cup.

“So, I’m 26. I studied photography in college, but I quit a few years ago. I used to live by the beach. I loved it there. The air always smelled clean, you could taste the salt from the water and you’d fall asleep listening to the waves. I moved up here with my brother. It was a hard transition but I actually like it here… well, except that it gets really cold. Funny enough I don’t like being cold.”

“Why did you stop doing photography?” Jongin asks. Baekhyun looks at him a little surprised.

“Don’t take any offense right now, but how do you know these things? It’s your first time on earth, right?”

“Yeah, it is. I’ve been studying about this place for years though. It’s been a dream of mine for so long. Not a lot of people have gone to earth, but they write journals and document their travels so I took my chances, looked through their archives and I found a few,” he replies. Baekhyun hums in understanding.

“So, photography?” Jongin reminds Baekhyun. The boy perks up and sets his mug down with a rather loud clunk.

“I wanted to study it in college for a long time. I think I was like, 15 when I held my first real camera. A friend’s uncle had given me one of his old ones. I used that thing all through high school and even a little while into college. I graduated when I was 23 and I was doing pretty well for a little while. I got a few jobs at least.”

He pauses, looking deeply into his drink, the dark liquid somehow enticing him.

“I don’t know… something just changed a few years ago. I remember how I got into a fight with my parents about it; they didn’t want me being a photographer, they wanted me to have something more stable. I guess I took what they said to heart and didn’t realise it. I haven’t even touched my camera since,” he finishes with a sigh. Jongin can see the emptiness in his eyes - like something is missing. He looks happy, but almost like something isn’t quite there.

“Do you miss it?” he asks. The question makes Baekhyun tilt his head in thought. His eyes look over Jongin’s and they sit there in silence for a few moments. Nothing but their breathing and the wind from outside can be heard.

“I don’t know.,” he mumbles finally. Jongin rubs at the back of his neck and looks around the room.

“Maybe you should try it again? As someone who’s always been told not to do something even though I want it with every part of me, I feel like you should try,” he suggests. He doesn’t know if he should be saying this since it’s not really any of his business, but the look in Baekhyun’s eyes makes him feel uncomfortable. It sets him into a weird state of unease.

Baekhyun nods and hums. His eyes never left Jongin’s. It’s almost like he sees something there, something neither of them understands.

“Perhaps I should,” he whispers.

~

After their talk,  Baekhyun got him a change of clothes and began directing him to the bathroom.

“Cold is hot and hot is cold, so you need to hurry and set it in the middle before you melt down your skin. There’s plenty of clean towels right there,” he said, gesturing towards a small shelf near the shower.

“You can use any soap or shampoo you want - just don’t use all of it - and if you need anything, just yell.” He leaves Jongin standing there feeling a little lost. In the Stars, they always use natural flowing water and standing lakes, though their waters are different. He finds it a bit strange that they have a… station for cleaning themselves.

He sets his borrowed clothes on the side of the sink before ridding himself of his soft, dark blue sashes. He unhooks the gold moon from his shoulder and lets the garment fall from his body only to bunch up on the floor. He does the same with the pin at his waist, and lastly, he steps out of his dark trousers. He ruffles his dark locks as he looks at his reflection. His body looks tired from its journey, but it stands strong and warm just as always. His skin looks even more golden and rich in the lighting of the bathroom, it’s gold glimmers dancing prettily in the light, something he’s never noticed before.

He walks towards the shower and hesitantly turns on the nozzle so the water squirts out with a shrill hiss before it calms down into a gentle spray. He steps in and his muscles immediately begin to relax. He hadn’t noticed how tense his body had become, but the warm water running over his skin sends soothing waves over him and begin to make him drowsy.

He doesn’t know how long he stands in there, but when he finally turns off the water, his hair is dripping and clean, the sweet scent of wafts up to meet his nose. He likes the scent for it’s sweet and unlike anything he’s smelled before, he reads the label on the bottle, ‘peach’ is the scent. The plush white towel in his hands feels fuzzy in his hands and tickles his skin.

He wonders how things are going back home. Had they managed to save the sun palace or was it still in danger? Had anyone noticed he was gone? If anyone would notice, Junmyeon would be first. Junmyeon was set to be in charge of Jongin. In a way, he’s like an older brother to Jongin. He truly cares for him but he, too, doesn’t understand Jongin’s desire to explore. Jongin finds himself missing the older man. He wants to tell him of the amazing things he’s seen in the short time he’s been on earth. There are so many more things Jongin wishes to see and do - he only hopes he’ll have enough time to do so.

Once he’s dried off the majority of the water, he slips on the too-short sweatpants and baggy yellow t-shirt before opening the door to the bathroom. Aside from the bathroom, the house is dark. It’s nearly impossible to see anything, but he can hear Baekhyun talk to someone in his room, so he wanders that way. The door is closed and quiet whispers flow through the crack at the bottom, so Jongin gently knocks on the dark wood.

Baekhyun’s voice immediately halts before he hears small feet padding towards the door. It swings open with a breeze, the air ruffling Baekhyun’s hair cutely.

“All done?” he asks, though it’s obvious to both of them. He walks out of the room and closes the door behind him before heading towards Jongin’s own room.

“You’ll sleep in here. If you need more blankets, there’s some in the closet, and I put a few extra changes of clothes in there as well,” he says enthusiastically as he flops down on the bed. Jongin stands in the doorway, unsure of what he should do. It feels unnatural to him to just… live in somebody else’s home. He rubs at the back of his next and looks around the room.

“You can come and sit with me,” Baekhyun says, having noticed Jongin’s body language. His eyes follow Jongin as he slowly makes his way across the room. The man sits carefully on the bed, not wanting to jostle it or pounce on it too hard. He looks back when Baekhyun laughs at him - he doesn’t even try to cover his mouth and just lets the sound flow out. Then he grabs the back of Jongin’s shirt and tugs him back so he’s lying on the bed next to him.

“I won’t bite you, Jongin. I may be human, but I’m not that dangerous,” he laughs. Jongin breathes out a laugh. He feels comfortable around this boy, but he’s so blinded by the prospect of them being strangers that he doesn’t know how to be himself. He was fine before, but now wearing the smaller boy’s clothes, borrowing his bed and eating his food, he feels uncomfortable in a way.

“I didn’t think you would, you don’t have the teeth for it,” he murmurs. His response draws another laugh from Baekhyun’s lips which make the corners of his own lift into a smile.

“Nope. I’m simply a soft cloud of candy. Sweet, addicting, and dangerous for your health.”
He laughs loudly at his own joke. Jongin smile at the ceiling. Were all humans this way? They're much more teasing and playful than stars. Jongin watches Baekhyun tap his fingers on his stomach. He looks like he wants to say something, but he's holding it back.

“You can ask or say what you want,” Jongin says simply. Baekhyun looks up at him, his eyes searching Jongin's own thoroughly.

“Why did you assume I was gonna say something?”

“You're easy to read.” He watches the human intently, watches for a shift in mood or body language. He watches so intently that Baekhyun awkwardly shifts under his gaze.

“You shouldn't stare at people like that, not with eyes like yours,” Baekhyun snips.

“How am I staring at you?” he asks, a hint of amusement playing in his voice.

“Like I’m all that matters. Like even if the building was burning, you’d be lying here, waiting for me to tell you my secrets. If you’re gonna twist my arm, I guess I’ll tell you.” He rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically. Jongin holds back a giggle, loving this boy’s antics.

“You have pretty eyes,” Baekhyun mused “There’s like… gold in them. It looks like glitter is swirling around in them.” Jongin perks up at this. Glitter? He’s never noticed gold in his eyes, but he’s also never noticed his body shimmers as it had in the bathroom just minutes before. Maybe it’s the earth’s atmosphere playing with his biology?

Not noticing his own attention drift, he startles when Baekhyun sighs heavily again.

“I guess what I’m saying right now is that I think you’re kinda pretty.” Jongin smirks at Baekhyun’s tone. It sounds forced like he’s trying to sound confident but there’s underlying embarrassment keeping him from being honest so easily.

“I am a star. I do hear how pretty humans think we are,” he jokes. Baekhyun looks at him with a scandalized look.

“I can’t believe you just said that - I lay my heart and thoughts out like this and you brush them aside like I’m just any regular person.” He scoots off the bed and points a finger at Jongin, to which the man props himself up on his elbows, a smile on his lips and gold shimmering in his eyes.

“I’ll have you know that I don’t compliment just anyone, but if you’re not gonna care, then I guess I’ll take my compliments elsewhere. Good night.” Jongin watches him storm off, the door swings closed behind him, creating a barrier between them. He laughs softly when he hears the human giggle in the hall. The sound fades as he makes his way to his own bedroom.

He likes Baekhyun’s antics, likes how he makes him feel like they’re equals. It feels strange though. Something doesn’t feel quite right. It’s not normal how they’re talking to each other this easily. Is it just how humans click together? He wonders why he’s bantering so closely with the boy. Something inside of him feels drawn to him and he just knows he can trust Baekhyun, but how? Why?

These thoughts keep him awake for several hours once he tucks himself into the warm sheets. He lies there in an in-between state of wake and rest, of drowning thoughts and an empty mind. He doesn’t know when he fell asleep, but he dreams of home, of Junmyeon, and the guardians.

Did he make the right decision? He’s a star, he’s meant to be amongst his kind, right? He was born for a reason, after all. Was it even in his right to dream? To wish for something more? If a butterfly wishes to be something else, can it just magically happen? No, because that’s not how things work. Had Jongin made a mistake by stepping through the portal?

Waking up with a foot poking at his arm wasn’t how Jongin thought he’d wake up, but that’s how it went as he laid there, staring up at Baekhyun’s smiling face.

“Wake up, sleepy head, I’ve got breakfast and we have a busy day ahead!” he chirps. He prompts Jongin to sit up in bed, and once he got comfortable, Baekhyun plopped a tray of eggs and toast on his lap. Jongin wondered whether earth food was supposed to look like this, but the proud smile on Baekhyun’s face reassured him.

The human decided to lay down at the end of the bed near Jongin’s feet, situating himself and getting comfortable, much to Jongin’s surprise.

“So today I was thinking that since I don’t have to work, we can go into town and show you the sights!” he suggests. Jongin wonders how long he’d been up already, cause he thinks having this much energy just after waking up is impossible. His eyes droop as he looks at the boy. It does sound fun to go out, but his eyelids just feel so heavy.  Baekhyun continues to ramble about something, but Jongin’s ears tune out and refuse to focus. He moves to take a bite of his food but the bread leaves a nasty, bitter taste that makes him want to spit it out. Was everything on earth this nasty? How could humans possibly eat this every day? Jongin looks up wide-eyed as Baekhyun starts laughing at him. His mouth is full and the food inside has nowhere to go.

“Sorry about that, I’m really not much of a cook… like, at all.” He smiles sweetly, and Jongin feels betrayed in a way. The boy seems so nice, but he keeps feeding him nasty things. Did he do something to the human to make him mad at him?

“Don’t eat that, spit it in the trash,” Baekhyun says simply. Jongin follows the instruction and the wet, black mass which he spits out makes his stomach turn… Baekhyun takes the tray from him and sets it down on the small table on the side of the bed.

“I’ll treat you to something delicious once we’re in town. It’ll be a couple of hours, but it’s better than my cooking…” he promises, blankly looking at the food still sitting on Jongin’s tray and sighs.

“Do you not like me?” Jongin asks without thinking. Baekhyun looks at him with a shocked expression on his face.

“What makes you think that?”

“You keep feeding me gross things. I don’t understand,” he mutters. Baekhyun giggles and slaps Jongin’s leg.

“Don’t be silly, I just don’t cook well. I promise the food in town will be better, trust me,” he reassures. Jongin nods once and throws the blanket off of his body, the cold air instantly shocking him, making him recoil and hide under the blankets again. Today was going to be long.

After Baekhyun managed to drag Jongin from his cozy bed and got him dressed in some decently warm clothes, though not without Jongin’s protests, they got in his large snow truck and began driving down the mountain. Jongin tried to explain to Baekhyun that he didn’t need warm clothes,that his body regulated its temperature naturally; the only occasions where it effects him is upon a sudden, very drastic change in temperature. The human wasn’t having any of his excuses though and forced him into a large, puffy black coat and a scarf with a small, victorious smile on his face as he examined his work.

As they slowly drove down, Jongin was completely captivated by the trees and snow passing them by. It looked beautiful, the bright snow falling from the sky and landing delicately on the trees and the ground. The two of them made small talk, got to know each other more and Jongin spoke more of his life back home, to which Baekhyun listened well. The way Jongin described it was utterly beautiful and unreal. For a moment he caught himself wishing he could experience living in a place so grand, but he knew it would never be, so he quickly shook off the idea.

Jongin asked him all sorts of questions, too, things he’d always wondered about but never found an answer to. He wished to know how family dynamics worked, for example. Back home, everyone was family, but none strictly related. He was confused by the concept of shared blood. Back home, they weren’t parts of families that brought them to life, they were all just beings brought up from energy. They were friends, family, strangers, and lovers. There were no rules, no boundaries, nothing like that even existed. Just how Jongin was born from the stars, other beings derived from the sun, the moon, the skies, and the gods. They were all just beings.

It took nearly two hours for them to get down there far enough to start seeing more people. Baekhyun told him that they were still an hour away from town, but Jongin was more than content to stare out of the window and watch everything pass by. The snow became thinner but the temperature never went up. He started to get antsy, his leg bobbing up and down in anticipation. They eventually pulled into a small parking lot outside of a small cafe.

“They fixed this place up - before, it looked practically desolate. We started getting more customers when they opened up a ski resort. It looks nice now, but when I moved up here, it was pretty bad ” he explains. Jongin nods along with what he’s saying, his eyes observantly looking over the building before them.  They get out of the truck, an instant wall of frigid air hitting them once the doors opened. Baekhyun’s teeth started chattering almost immediately.

They rush inside the cafe, the smell of coffee, vanilla, and pastries hitting them in a both bitter and sweet greeting.

“Baekhyun! We haven’t seen you in weeks!” a loud, ear piercing voice yells out to them. Baekhyun waves enthusiastically to the tall boy walking towards them with a black tray.

“I haven’t had time to come out here but I brought a friend - surprise!” he laughs. Jongin waves in greeting, his eyes taking in the man’s features. His ears are large, his doe eyes resting on him as well, and a giant smile is spread across his face.

“I’m Chanyeol, It’s nice to meet you!” he greets him as he takes Jongin’s hand for handshake.

“Jongin.” Chanyeol shakes his hand twice before letting go.
“Are you a new friend of Baekhyun’s?” he then asked. “I don’t think he’s ever mentioned you.”

“Jongin is just visiting right now, we met in college,” Baekhyun jumps in and informs him. Jongin shoots him a side glance but it goes by ignored as the human pushes him towards a small booth on their left. They slip into the leather seats while Chanyeol hands them two menus.

“Look through there and let me know what you’d like.” He walks away, leaving them to look through the small pages.

“What was that all about?” Jongin asks. Baekhyun shakes his head and begins looking over his menu even though he’s been here hundreds of times before, enough times to already know what they have.

“It’s better if we don’t tell them we just met. They’d have noticed you passing through if you were new so I just told him we know each other. Otherwise he’d wonder why you’re staying with me instead of a hotel,” he explains, but Jongin feels weird about lying. He wants to say something more but Baekhyun sends him a look which silences him immediately.

“I know, Jongin, but things are complicated here. If I let a stranger stay at my house, it usually means one of a few things. One: I’ve gone temporarily insane and let a creep stay at my house. Two: I’m being threatened and held hostage in my own home, or three: I’m sleeping with you.” He counts them off on his fingers, his eyes piercing into Jongin more with each statement. Even still, Jongin doesn’t quite understand.

“Humans don’t accommodate each other? And why is it bad to sleep with someone?” he asks. Baekhyun scoffs and looks away momentarily.

“It’s not that we don’t accommodate each other, Jongin. It’s just dangerous most of the time; humans are unpredictable and selfish… and it’s not necessarily a bad thing to sleep with someone, it can just lead to rumors and it can be damaging to a person’s image.” Jongin nods his head but then tilts it to the side.

“How can sleeping be bad for your image?”

Baekhyun’s jaw drops at his innocence, a look of disbelief setting over his face.

“It just can,” he mumbles. Jongin’s eyebrows knit together, but Baekhyun just waves him off and goes back to his menu.

“What are you eating?” Jongin grabs his menu and looks through it, but nothing catches his eye, and what even is nutella ? He chances a glance at Baekhyun, his bottom lip jutting out subtly.

“What’s good?” He asks in a near whisper. Baekhyun puts his menu down and leans back in his seat, his eyes gravitating to Jongin’s pout which makes a smile bloom on his face.

“I like their waffles with strawberries and maple syrup,” he says.

“Same.” he lies, softly nodding his head. He doesn’t know what it is, but he hopes he’ll actually like this one. His hair ruffles on top of his head, falling cutely in soft waves. Baekhyun stifles a laugh, deciding to cover it with a cough. Baekhyun waves Chanyeol back over before stripping his coat off. The lanky boy returns in large strides, a large smile directed towards them.

“Ready to order?” he asks.

“We both want my usual, but Jongin wants juice instead of coffee,” he replies. Baekhyun informs Jongin that coffee is even more bitter than tea, to which the boy shivers at the memory from the day before. They sit in silence and Jongin takes the opportunity to look around the cafe. The walls are a pretty cream color and the tables are dark stained wood. The seats are of a soft yellow and there’s a wall covered in handwritten notes.

“What’s that?” he inquires. Baekhyun turns in his seat to see what he was gesturing at and hums softly.

“Customers can write notes, be it about their experience here or even at the resort, and they get to hang it up. A lot of them write couple notes to come back to on their anniversaries.”

Jongin looks at Baekhyun with curiosity.

"Can you not just remember your trip here?” he wonders.

"They can, it's just a way for them to reminisce and leave a piece of themselves behind. Things like that are how history is made and remembered for years even after they're gone. It's not so simple as remembering for themselves, people want to leave their memories behind, they want their children to remember, their grandchildren. It's just fun, in a way," he explains.

"Wouldn't you want to look back anytime and remember the good times you've had? It's only natural to want to preserve memories. It's probably different for you though, since human lives are so short in comparison. We don't have a lot of time here so we have to make the best of what we do have." Jongin nods his head; he understands- It's their way of creating their own little world. Like how the gods put themselves into the universe, this is their own way to do it.

"Have you put any up there?" he asks. Baekhyun laughs and shakes his head.

"No, I haven't done anything memorable enough to put up there." Jongin tilts his head, his eyebrows knitting together.

"It's to remember. Isn’t there anything you want up there?" Jongin asks him. Baekhyun sighs heavily, his tongue peeking out to moisten his lips.

"It's not that I don't want to remember. It's for big things Jongin, like proposals or traditions. It's meant for important memories." He sighs as he looks at Jongin's face, who  doesn't seem to be following him. Maybe it's that he can’t imagine Baekhyun not having an exciting life, or he doesn't understand the importance of certain memories in comparison to ordinary ones.

He grabs the pack of blue sticky notes on the side of their table, as well as the pen, and begins writing on one of the notes. Jongin watches his slim hand move over the paper, the rough scratching of the pen playing with his ears. Baekhyun rips off the top note when he's done and shows it to the man sitting in front of him.

Baekhyun's handwriting is neat, patiently put down and pretty to look at. It has a date on it, and right underneath it says 'I met a star'. Jongin looks up to meet Baekhyun eyes, a smile waiting there for him.

"It's special things, things that don't happen every day," he says. Jongin nods, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. Things like coming to earth, meeting Baekhyun.

"That was my fault, I didn't explain it properly. You should write one too," Baekhyun suggests before excusing himself and walking towards the wall of notes. He gently places his near the top, hidden behind a few other ones so it's not so easily seen. Just as Jongin is watching Baekhyun place his note on the wall, an image, similar to that of a picture flashes in front of his eyes.

He can see himself and Baekhyun, but they’re not here, not on earth. They’re back at Jongin’s home. Baekhyun is lying next to Jongin, his head resting comfortably on the older man’s shoulder. There’s a gentle smile on his face as he looks up into Jongin’s eyes. Jongin’s hand combs through Baekhyun’s hair which is now a dark shade of brown, maybe even black. They look happy, they look... close.

Just as the image fades out, Jongin takes the notes and the pen but doesn't write anything immediately. His eyes drift back to Baekhyun. He doesn’t know what he just saw, doesn’t know what could possibly happen that would put them in a situation like that. Jongin already  noticed it back at Baekhyun's house, but he feels something stirring in his chest when they're together, almost like something is changing his energy. Before he knows it, Jongin is writing down his thoughts on the small paper. He doesn't notice Baekhyun sitting back down, but when the boy tries to peek at what he's writing, Jongin pulls the paper from his sight.

"It's a secret," he mumbles. He takes the small stack of paper and flips it over so Baekhyun can’t see it. He feels nervous hoping the boy doesn't ever find it, but writing his thoughts down felt almost freeing in a way. He's only just met Baekhyun the day before, and yet he makes him feel so nervous.

Chanyeol brings the food to their table. Steam rises off the nicely decorated food and hits Jongin in the face. It smells wonderful.  Baekhyun immediately takes a bite, one arguably too large for his mouth but the boy refused to acknowledge that. Jongin decides that he likes sweet things, not that it surprises Baekhyun at all - it's hard to say no to syrup and waffles, after all. As they eat, Jongin silently observes as Baekhyun rambles about his life. He knows that he should pay attention to him, that he should listen well, but his thoughts bounce around and attack his brain till they’re all he can focus on.

Something about Baekhyun feels comforting and warm to Jongin. He can't figure out what it is; maybe it's his friendly personality, maybe it's how he makes everyone around him feel at ease, or maybe it's something else entirely. Jongin doesn't know, but it somehow draws him in. The boy continues to talk as he takes bites of his waffles between sentences, all the while emanating a glowing energy towards Jongin. His soul seems to be revealing itself, almost like it's calling out, and then something in Jongin's mind clicks. Something he isn't sure he's comfortable with.

"Jongin?" Baekhyun asks. He's called out to the man several times, but he didn't get a response before.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asks, tapping one of Jongin's hands. Jongin jumps a little, his eyes falling to the soft touch on his skin. Baekhyun looks worried as he grips Jongin's hand harder. This draws Jongin's attention back up to his face, but Baekhyun draws back with a gasp.

Staring back at him are bright, completely gold eyes. The small glimmers in Jongin's skin seem amplified in a way, shimmering not so subtly in the light from the window. In his shock, he doesn't think to hide Jongin from anyone who might look over and see the strange man, but Jongin seems to realise what is happening. He jumps up from his seat and runs out the door, heading towards Baekhyun's car. It's not locked so he jumps right in and clamors to the back seat. How could this be happening, here of all places?

Jongin breathes in deeply, trying to calm himself down, but his heart doesn't slow its fast, racing pace. He can feel his energy spanning out and flaring wildly. Not now. He hears Baekhyun throw the driver's side door open before he can feel cold hands on his cheeks. Jongin gasps at the spark that blooms over his skin at the touch.

"Jongin, what the hell is happening?" he asks. He sounds panicked, but the touch on his face feels soothing. Jongin wants to tell him, he wants to explain, but he knows he shouldn't. he can't. Baekhyun calls out to him again, cursing when Jongin doesn't say anything. He turns around in his seat and starts the engine. Jongin sits in the back and watches Baekhyun drive home. He feels guilty for not responding, but he doesn't know what to say to him. He doesn't know how to tell a human that he’s his soulmate.

~

It's not often someone finds their soulmate. It's rare even, so for Jongin to have found his, on earth of all places, is a little hard to comprehend. The signs had started showing very fast, and it surprises him how soon the soul bond had started to affect him, but once you learn the bond and once your souls connect to each other’s, there's no stopping or avoiding it. They sat in silence the whole ride home, with nothing but their breathing and the sound of the car in between them. Jongin really doesn't know what to say to Baekhyun - coming to earth was risky enough, but soul binding with a human would definitely get him into trouble.

When they got back home, Baekhyun practically stomped his way inside, not even bothering to rid his shoes off the excess snow before stepping inside. Jongin follows quietly behind. Not that it’s a deliberate choice, he’s simply still stuck in his thoughts. Still trying to figure out a way through this mess.

On one hand, he could just go back home, tell Baekhyun a little white lie and they’d never have to see each other again. On the other hand, they had bonded and even begun to connect. Once the connection reaches a certain point, it gets harder for them to be separate and Jongin doesn’t know how far along their connection has been drawn.

“Are you gonna continue to keep your thoughts to yourself or are you gonna talk to me now?” Baekhyun asks, though he doesn’t turn around to look Jongin in the eyes. Jongin hesitates for several moments. The air around them shifts once more, and suddenly, it feels a bit difficult to breathe.

“I don’t know what to say,” he mutters. Baekhyun sucks in a breath and turns towards him, a not so happy look on his face.

“I thought we were trusting each other,” he snaps.

“I helped you, I’m letting you, a stranger, stay in my house, despite you claiming to be a star, and then your eyes turn gold and you get all weird and you refuse to tell me what's happening? How do you expect me to just accept that?” he yells. Baekhyun isn’t like this, he’s usually very level-headed. He isn’t an angry person by nature, but looking at Jongin, feeling the worry that he did and seeing how hesitant the man is to tell him what happened it makes him mad. It makes him want to slam a door and hide under his blankets. Jongin doesn’t say anything in response, he just watches Baekhyun. If only the human knew of the storm raging in his thoughts. If only he could tell him. It’s not so easy a question as to tell or not to tell though.

“I can’t,” he finally says. Jongin’s heart drops when he sees Baekhyun’s face harden, his lips press together and hands ball into small fists.

“Fine,” Baekhyun nods stiffly at him and turns around to storm towards his bedroom. He doesn’t want to see his face until he either cooled down or until Jongin changes his mind about telling him. The dark, wooden door closes softly, but the quiet nature of it feels heavier than any slam would have been.

~

Jongin doesn’t know how long he’s been standing there, looking at Baekhyun’s door, how long he thought about knocking or going in, but it felt so long. He wanted to explain, but he knew it would be best if he didn’t… if he just let things go. It would be easier for both of them if he kept his knowledge to himself, because once Baekhyun finds out about their bond, there’s no telling what might happen. Jongin has changed into a pair of extra pajamas and is sitting on his borrowed bed with his back leaning against the wall.

Jongin ponders over his options. He could stay and risk everything, or he could leave and face punishment for disobeying orders, risk losing his soulmate and never seeing him again. His time on earth would only last a day. One day. He knew his time wouldn’t last long, but he’d imagined something more. The sound of movement catches his attention. It sounds like Baekhyun left his room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Jongin sits there and listens for a few moments. When the sound dies down, he assumes Baekhyun has gone back to his room, but he gets startled when his door cracks open, a small tuft of messy hair poking in.

"Can I come in for a minute?" Baekhyun asks. Jongin nods his head twice and rearranges his body so he's more tucked into himself. Baekhyun quietly shuts the door behind himself and steps towards the bed.

"I brought cookies." He settles onto the bed next to Jongin, no more than a few inches separating them. He puts the cookies between them on the bed and leans against the wall as well. Jongin looks at him from the corner of his eyes, a feeling of uncertainty washing over him. Without any warning, Baekhyun turns to him, his eyes dead set on Jongin's.

"I want to apologize," he states. His voice is even and strong, but his eyes look vulnerable and soft.

"I shouldn't have gotten upset with you back there. What you went through... I can't imagine what that must have been like for you. I'm still very confused, but I'm sure you have it much worse," he sighs as his fingers play with the hem of his shirt.

"I had no right to get mad, and I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did. I want you to know that I'll support you, whether you want to talk to me about these things or not," he trails off, his voice softening at the end.

"Are you ok?" he then asks. Jongin watches him carefully. He looks so open, but he doesn't know how to handle him. Jongin carefully lays a hand on top of Baekhyun's head and ruffles his hair. The texture is softer than Jongin thought it would be. He caresses the blonde fluff a few times, a small smile spreading over his lips.

"I'm ok," Jongin whispers. It's not the complete truth, but having Baekhyun smile at him again makes up for the thoughts spiraling in his head. Baekhyun's smile falls a little and a sigh slips past his lips.

"If you can't tell me what happened to you, can I at least know why you can't?" Jongin hesitates. He doesn't know if it's a good idea, but his heart is telling him that it's ok, so he decides to trust it once more.

“Because I'm afraid of what might happen if I tell you. I'm afraid that if I do, nothing will be the same anymore…” he looks at Baekhyun's eyes, searches them deeply, hoping to find the answer he's looking for.

“I'm afraid to admit to myself what this could mean.” Baekhyun hums softly, an ‘oh’ falling from his lips.

“Jongin, I should tell you something.” He looks hesitant, timid even.

“When I agreed to help you, I felt a little drawn to you... I mean obviously, you’re literally a star, but it felt like there was something more. There’s something about you that captured me,” he says. Jongin releases a breath that he hadn’t realised he was holding. Baekhyun felt it too? Had their bond affected the human just like it did Jongin?

“I know that this probably sounds crazy, but I guess I wanted to ask if you feel it too, this connection - this spark.” Jongin doesn’t know what to say. Of course he feels it, too. If only Baekhyun knew… he should tell him, tell him of the sparks, of the vision, and their bond. If there’s one thing that Jongin knows though, it’s that fate isn’t solid, the future isn’t solid. Telling him based on a shaky vision, risking so much on it... is it really safe?

“Do you?” Baekhyun asked again, in an almost desperate tone. Jongin throws caution out of the window. He risked leaving the stars, he risked being kicked out forever just to get a taste of what earth was like; he could take a risk like this. He nods slowly, every muscle in his body feeling stiff and unwilling to move. A look of relief splays over Baekhyun's features. Baekhyun opens his mouth to say something, but Jongin holds up a hand to stop him. The smile on the human's face falls slowly.

"There's something you should know." He gulps down his nerves that form as a ball in his throat. Baekhyun nods his head to encourage him to continue. The air between them grows thick and warm, the both of them feeling the tension.

"When we met, our souls immediately bonded. They began growing and merging together. We're soul bound... soulmates," Jongin whispers. Baekhyun releases a rough breath and leans back a little.

"Are you joking? Because I swear to the heavens, if you're joking right now, I'll kick your ass," he threatens, sounding skeptical.

"I'm not lying," he says simply. Jongin holds out a hand for Baekhyun to take. He watches as the human looks between his face and his hand. He looks unsure but gently places his in Jongin's own hesitantly. He gasps softly in shock as a warm spark shoots between their skin. Baekhyun tries to pull away but Jongin holds on tightly, not rough but secure. Their hands look normal, but it feels like a million different sparks nip at their skin.

"You feel that?" he asks, to which Baekhyun nods.

"That's our connection. Our souls physically meeting." He runs his thumb softly over the backs of Baekhyun's knuckles. It feels feather light and warm, but it sends a storm raging into both of their chests. Baekhyun looks up into his eyes. His mouth has fallen open ever so slightly and his cheeks are flushed.

"We're soulmates?" he clarifies. Jongin nods softly.

"What does this mean? What's going to happen now?" Baekhyun asks the biggest question, the one Jongin doesn't know if he wants to answer.

“I have to leave… go back home,” he says. Baekhyun’s eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. He tries to take his hand away again, but Jongin refuses to let go.

“What do you mean, you have to leave? Why can’t you stay here?” he asks.

“I wasn’t supposed to come here in the first place, but the fact that I met my soulmate as well? I don’t know how they’re going to react. It might not be as bad if I go back on my own rather than make them find me and drag me back.” He pauses, sucking in a breath.

“I also don’t know what’s going to happen to you. You’ve done nothing wrong, so if I leave, they may not do anything but if they find us, find you, I don’t know what that will entail. A star has never bonded with a human before, not in any of the books I’ve read, anyway.”

“That’s it? We met, our souls bonded and now you’re just gonna leave? Is there nothing you can do?” Jongin shrugs lightly.

“I don’t know. That’s something I’d have to talk with the guardians about; another reason why I have to go.” Baekhyun takes in the information slowly, his eyes following the pattern on his sweater.

“How long will that take?”

Jongin just shakes his head.

“ When are you leaving?” He’s afraid to ask, but he has to. Jongin looks down at their hands and squeezes softly.

“I should leave tomorrow,” he murmurs. He doesn’t want to leave, not now that he’s told Baekhyun, but he doesn’t have much of a choice. Baekhyun takes in a deep breath and exhales with a small shake of his head.

“I guess we have to finish these cookies then and cuddle a little. If we’re soulmates and might never meet again, we might as well skip to the cuddling while we can,” he shrugs and gives Jongin half a smile. Jongin pouts softly. He doesn't want to leave.

Baekhyun picks up one of the cookies and holds it up for Jongin to take, but the other mistook the gesture and took a bite while the human was still holding it. Baekhyun’s eyes widen and he leans away, a shocked expression on his face. Jongin munches on the cookie, a small smile forming on his face when the chocolate reaches his tongue.

“What is it?” he asks. Baekhyun scoffs, his hand dropping the cookie. He shakes his head and puts the cookies on the table on the side of the bed. Then he crawls up to the top of the bed and slides beneath the covers.

“Did I do something wrong?” Jongin asks. He goes completely ignored save for the movement Baekhyun makes with his arms to coax him in beside him. Confused, Jongin crawls under the covers and stiffly lies there. Through one opened eye, Baekhyun squinted at him in annoyance. Jongin just blankly stares at him, successfully annoying him more. Baekhyun scoots closer and wraps Jongin up in his arms, resting the older man’s head on his chest. He hears Baekhyun mumbling above him, the sound vibrating through his chest.

“Try and seduce me, why don’t you?” he scoffs quietly to himself. Jongin smiles, biting his lip to control the giggle bubbling up from his throat. He wraps one of his arms around Baekhyun’s back, his hand resting warmly and comfortingly over his sweater. They lie there comfortably for several minutes, nothing but their breathing passing between them. Jongin listens to Baekhyun’s soft heartbeat, the sound soothing him into sleep.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he hears Baekhyun whisper just as he’s falling asleep. Jongin tightens his arm around him and rubs the expanse of his back.

“I don’t want to leave either,” he admits. They sleep in each other's arms, the warmth protecting them for a short time as they grow closer to each other. Baekhyun doesn’t like the idea of Jongin leaving so soon, but deep down, he can feel that they’ll see each other again very soon.

~

Once they’d woken up, they took their time getting showered and dressed. They spent as much time together as they could without delaying Jongin. Baekhyun seemed more clingy to Jongin, but maybe he was being clingy as well. Their souls could sense what was to happen, the connection between them shaking in uncertainty.

They slowly walked back to the clearing which they first met in, the energy from the portal calling to Jongin in strong waves - it, too, could sense the departure. The air around them seemed somehow still while simultaneously vibrating with life. Baekhyun grew more nervous as they walked. He wanted to hold on to Jogin’s hand and keep him from lying down in the center of the clearing, but he knew that he shouldn’t. He knew that letting Jongin go was something he had to do.

Jongin had laid there for a painfully long time. Baekhyun watched him in silence, too afraid to say anything. Jongin didn’t know why it was taking so long, why nothing was happening. He could feel the energy pulsing around him, he knew the portal felt him, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t accepting him. Lying there, thinking about the first time it let him through, he realised what the problem was. When he left the stars, he was his own person, his own soul, but when he arrived to earth, when he’d met Baekhyun, his soul had merged with Baekhyun’s - they became one being.

Jongin leans up onto his elbows, the cold, frosty snow falling from his shoulders as he looks up at the freezing human in front of him. He felt bad for asking this of him, especially in his current condition, but there was no other way.

“Come lie down with me,” he says gently, just loud enough for Baekhyun to hear. The human looks down at him, a sad, almost longing look in his eyes. He nods softly before stepping forward. The snow crunches under his weight as he sets his body down on the snow next to Jongin. The movement causes small particles to fly up and cling to his eyelashes and hair, the cold making him shiver strongly.

Lying in the snow is painfully cold. The frigid powder soaks their clothes and  skin, but nothing could hurt more than this situation. Jongin turns his head, his eyes landing on the boy lying next to him. Baekhyun’s eyes are closed, his cheeks pink, and his eyelashes are dusted with snowflakes. It’s a bittersweet sight to take in.

His trail of tears are still wet, but Jongin doesn’t wipe them away. Instead, he rolls on his side and rests his hand on the side of Baekhyun’s face and urges him to face him. His cold fingers gently caress Baekhyun’s cheeks. Nothing in his hundred years has hurt as bad as gazing at the pain in Baekhyun’s eyes. A painful lump forms in his throat and threatens to choke him.

They’ve only just met two days ago, in this very same spot, but the pain in their souls makes it feel as though they’ve been together for years. A small whisper falls from Jongin’s lips.

“Don’t forget me, Baekhyun.”  

He leans forward and presses a delicate kiss to his lips, too afraid to press any harder, as if he might shatter before his eyes. As their lips meet, a sharp tingle nips at their skin which elicits a gasp from Baekhyun. When he tries to pull away, Baekhyun wraps a hand around his neck and pulls him forward for another kiss. This one is harder, more desperate, more painful.

“How could I forget you, stupid?” he asks. His voice is so weak, a broken whisper. Jongin presses the foreheads together. It’s unfair, isn’t it? The universe gives him happiness just to rip it away as soon as he found it.

“Don’t forget me, either” Baekhyun whispers back. Jongin shakes his head, his dark hair tickling Baekhyun’s forehead.

“I could never,” he promises. Just as the words leave his lips, he feels a tug in his heart, in his gut, in his soul. It’s time. With one final kiss, he falls away under Baekhyun’s hand, nothing but soft, gold specks left in his wake.

~~

Jongin lies in the dark blue and silver stardust, his thoughts running through everything that happened before he left. His mind still lingers on Baekhyun, his thoughts refusing to let go. He’d told Baekhyun he could never forget him, and it’s proving painfully true. He’d been back for what felt like weeks but it was only a few sun shifts. He’d received his punishment from the guardians which turned out to be lighter than he imagined it would be. The guardians could feel his soul longing for its other half, could feel the pain it was feeling - they decided that was enough of a punishment for him to endure. The pain you begin to feel when being away from your destined is intense, after all.

“Jongin,” someone calls as they walk towards him. It’s Junmyeon, Jongin’s guardian.

“You have a visitor,” he says. Jongin doesn’t move from where he’s rested. His hands burry into the dark powder beneath his body. Another voice rings out behind him, this one lighter, and it’s… painful but relieving to hear.

“Miss me?” Baekhyun asks. Jongin’s body reacts before his brain can even process what’s happening. His heart hammers in his chest and his eyes grow wide as he sits up and turns to look. His eyes immediately land on Baekhyun. He looks tired, but the smile on his face is anything but.

“Baekhyun?” he asks, still in shock. How is he here? How did he get here and why didn’t the guardians send him back? Instead of an answer, he receives nothing but a gentle smile from Junmyeon before he takes his exit, leaving the two alone.

“Guess you couldn’t get rid of me,” Baekhyun says quietly. Jongin exhales in surprised bliss.. A lightness fills his heart as a few tears fall from his eyes. He can feel the relief bleeding into his soul. Apparently it really  wasn’t the end for them yet.

~

Chanyeol watches as Baekhyun runs after his friend. He loudly shouts his name as the bell above the door says goodbye in his stead. They didn’t pay for their food, but Chanyeol doesn’t care. He wonders why they ran out so fast and whether they were alright.

After they drive off, he walks to their table and starts cleaning up since there are no other customers to wait on. He notices the small, familiar stack of sticky notes. They’re sitting face down which piques his curiosity.

Dismissing the plates, he reaches over the table and grabs the paper, turning it over in his hands. In messy handwriting, Jongin had scrawled:

‘I think I met my soulmate’