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The stars are where life is birthed and where it goes once extinguished.
V’s eyes followed a star as it moved from one side of the small window in the temple roof to the other. He took in the beautiful sky speckled white from the light of distant stars and his eyes filled with tears. All of the ancient texts said none who carried the light of creation survived, their bodies ascending to the stars to be scattered throughout the universe. Was that all that was left for him? His battle worn body gave in to exhaustion and his eyes closed.
As a child, V and his Mondoshawan kin had been taught by the Elders of their great destiny written in the stars. Though his kind were known to other species as explorers living at the outreaches of space, their true purpose was only known to few around the universe. They were the only defense against The True Evil. It was a force that had no definite form but brought death and darkness to any corner of the universe it touched. The dark energy that created it lay scattered throughout the galaxy alongside the soul of the last Mondoshawan who fought it. They all knew that to defeat the evil they would give their lives, but that was of little consequence to Mondoshawan. Protecting life was the only thing that mattered.
When the star chart foretold of The True Evil’s return, the task to defeat it had fallen to a small team including V. He’d been honored, but his hopes were quickly dashed when their ship crashed into Earth’s moon, killing all who were aboard in a ball of flames. Death was meant to be the end but V was pulled back into life with a blast of light thanks to human technology.
No training could’ve prepared him for humanity. Compared to the life of his quiet nomadic society, humanity seemed frightening at first. But as he learned more about humanity and their history his fear turned into wonder and excitement. Their accomplishments in art, music, and dancing captivated V; he marveled at how these simple beings could create such complexity. However, with their ability to create beauty also came a capacity for bringing darkness. Mondoshawan were fitted at birth with an organic exosuit for protection but humans never evolved to have thicker skin, their delicate bodies exposed to the elements and their own behaviors. Humans were so vulnerable and that vulnerability caused them to lash out in protection of their bodies... and their pride. But not always...
“Let’s go, let’s go! V! Wake up!”
Jin’s voice pulled V out of sleep and he opened his eyes to find himself in Jin’s arms. The effort to hold himself upright was too much and his head fell backward, the night sky filling his view once again. Jin’s arms tightened around him, trying to hold him up. “Wake up. It’s time for you to work now.”
The True Evil was approaching, V could see the dark orb swallowing the light from the stars in the sky and the chill of death ran down his spine. He couldn’t look at Jin but he could sense the other man’s eyes searching his face, praying for V to save them.
“Jin,” V’s voice caught on the emotions in his throat.
Jin - the loud, kind, protective man who entered his life like the comet he saw through the window, sudden and beautiful. They only touched each other’s lives for a moment, soon Jin would be out of sight as V closed his eyes forever. It wasn’t fair, V wanted more time.
Tears ran down V’s cheeks, “protect life...until death.”
“No! No! V - V, listen to me,” Jin gently held V’s head up so their eyes met. The determination in Jin’s gaze caused a pain in V’s chest he couldn’t quite identify.
“Listen to me,” Jin’s hand moved up caress V’s face. They were so close V could feel Jin’s breath on his lips. “...listen! I know you’re tired. I know you’re very tired. I’ll take you on a vacation when we’re done. I promise, a real vacation…”
The emotions in Jin’s eyes were too much, V let his head fall back and stared at the darkening sky, the invisible pain in his chest making it difficult to breath.
“Just you and me,” Jin continued, the panic evident in his voice, while his hands remained gentle, “But...listen to me. If you don’t do something right now, we’re all going to die.”
The Elders never explained how much this would hurt. V searched the breadth of knowledge he’d taken in since his rebirth on this planet, looking for something to stop the pain and make this easier. The various bits of data spun in chaotic circles through his mind. So much to take in, too little time to process. Images of war invaded his thoughts.
The starlight disappeared from the sky. The Evil was nearly here now.
“What’s the use of saving life when I see what you do with it?” V’s voice trembled. But as he spoke a thought dimly flickered in the corner of his mind. A bright memory tucked away, starting to emerge through the darkness.
“V, you’re right,” Jin pulled V against his chest in an embrace and V leaned into Jin’s neck, “you’re right. But there are some things...very nice things worth saving.”
V grasped on to Jin with what strength he had left and the memory finally broke through in a flash of light, the image of two people dancing together in an empty room. The way they looked at each other, there was a word associated with it, something his learning terminal had struggled to define. Instead it showed a variety of things: flowers, gifts, poetry, people embracing and pressing their lips together, music... beautiful music that made his heart feel similar to how it felt now. What was the word...oh yes…
“Like love?” V whispered.
“Yes! Yes. Love, that’s good,” Jin nodded, “that’s a good example. Love is worth saving.”
For a Mondoshawan there was community and a sense of duty, but nothing like the images V had seen. To him, the concept of love felt just as alien as this planet. V’s head felt heavy again and he let it fall back, more tears sliding down his cheeks, “I don’t know love. I was built to protect, not to love. So there’s no use for me other than this.”
“No! No. You’re wrong. I need you, I need you very much,” Jin said and V looked into the other man’s eyes. He looked at V as if he believed his will alone could hold V together, could save him. It struck V that Jin wanted him to live.
“Why?” V searched Jin’s face. They had been through so much. Once V was gone and the world was safe Jin’s military duty would be over and he could finally relax. Go on those vacations he talked about. Except…
I’ll take you on a vacation when we’re done. He wanted V there, he wanted a future with him.
“Because,” Jin hesitated, placing his hand behind V’s head and pulling him into a hug.
Memories of Jin played through V’s mind; Jin helping V escape those who wanted to hurt him; the look in Jin’s eyes as V stood shivering in his apartment and Jin wrapped a blanket around him; how Jin cared for V when he was injured; and lastly, the look Jin had given him just now, filled with determination to protect them - to protect V. Hope blossomed in V’s chest, could it be …
“Because…” Jin’s voice got quiet. V needed to know. Even if it was the last words he ever heard, he needed to know if his intuition was true.
He looked into Jin’s eyes, “tell me, please. Why do you need me?”
“Because...”
“Tell me,” V pleaded.
“Because...” Jin looked down for a moment and then looked back up at V, his eyes holding the same determination as before but with something softer behind it, “because I love you.”
Emotions V had held inside escaped with a sob and he prayed to the stars. Everything he’d learned said he wouldn’t survive but maybe this feeling in his chest, this feeling of love, could be enough to keep him safe so he could return to Jin. He had to try.
“I love you,” Jin said again before he pressed his lips against V’s.
Time stopped. V felt his breath leave his body and the cosmos collide in his chest.
*
The chaos was over.
V slumped over in Jin’s arms. Jin could barely hold them both upright. His ears were ringing and his legs felt like they were ready to give out at any moment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jungkook and Namjoon cheering and looking at him with wide smiles.
J-Hope looked like a shadow of his former self; velour catsuit torn, finely coiffed hair askew, standing lopsidedly on broken high heel shoes. The DJ let out a sound of frustration, falling against the wall of the temple, trying to fix the row of purple roses dangling from what was left of his collar. He looked up to make eye contact with Jin, “Is your little star baby okay?”
The weight of everything hit Jin at once and he dropped to his knees and pulled V into his lap. The other man’s body had no tension in it and Jin turned V to face him so he could check for breath. V looked so peaceful, almost like was sleeping but Jin felt no breath leave his lips.
“No! Don’t you dare,” Jin took a lung full of air and blew it into V’s mouth. A heavy quiet surrounded the group as Jin lay V down on the stone platform. He kept trying to resuscitate V and he was determined to keep doing it until he ran out of breath. He wasn’t going to let V go without a fight.
“Please,” Jin said pressing his lips to V’s the way they’d done earlier. The kiss reminded him of the first time he kissed V, a reckless impulse letting him believe he could kiss the man while he was sleeping. V had put a gun to his head. The orange haired beauty had surprised him at every turn of their journey together. He just wanted one more. Then they could live a normal, boring life. After two days of getting shot at, nearly blown up, and saving the world, normal sounded perfect. But not without V.
A cold hand touched Jin’s face and he pulled back in surprise. V looked up at him with a weak smile, “Jin?”
Jin let out a broken laugh and pulled V into his arms, “please don’t scare me like that ever again. I thought I lost you.”
“Not lost. Found. I found you,” V brought his hands to either side of Jin’s face, a smile just as vibrant as the day he’d fallen through the roof of Jin’s cab and into his life.
“Oh thank god!” Junkook’s exclamation filled the temple.
V kissed him and Jin felt relief wash over him.
“Hey heeeeey, I don’t mean to break up the party but it’s h - o - t, HOT, in here. I’m going back to the ship for cool air and, god willing, something I can drink,” J-Hope waved goodbye over his shoulder as he limped out of the temple.
“Do you think you can walk?” Jin asked.
“I don’t know, I feel so tired,” V replied.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Jin scooped V into his arms and stood. Jungkook and Namjoon met him at the edge of the altar.
“We can help you,” Namjoon said smiling at V, “anything you need. You’ve saved us all. All of humanity is indebted to you.”
Jin nodded as he stepped down. “Just get the stones, Priest. I’m gonna take him back to the ship.”
The two men nodded and began their task. Jin glanced at one of the stones as Jungkook removed it from a pillar. He thought back to the powerful beam of energy that came out of V and shot into the night sky. “What was that light?” he asked.
“The light of creation. Eliminate evil... protect life…” V’s voice faded as he put his arms around Jin’s neck and closed his eyes. His breath left warm puffs of air on Jin’s chest as he walked out into the warm Egyptian night.
J-Hope stood next to the ship, hands on his hips. “I can’t open it.”
“That’s ‘cause you don’t know the access code,” Jin chuckled. The DJ had grown on him in the small time they’d spent together, in spite of his attitude.
“You couldn’t have let me know?”
Jin freed one hand from under V and punched in the code, “I forgot.”
“You forgot,” J-Hope huffed as walked up the steps into the aircraft, “please, let there be booze somewhere. I can’t deal with this sober for another minute.”
Jin put V in one of the bunks and attached an electrode to his wrist to monitor the other man’s vital signs. Satisfied V was finally safe, Jin walked towards the cockpit. He passed J-Hope rummaging through some boxes scattered around middeck. Jin shook his head and continued on to the cockpit dropping into the pilot’s seat with a groan of exhaustion. He got the power going and the dashboard came to life in front of him. He grabbed the communicator and opened up the emergency channel to be greeted with static.
“Anyone there?”
“Sargent?” the deep voice of the President of the Galactic federation came through the communicator in Jin’s hand, “were you successful?”
What kind of stupid question is that? This is exactly why he left the military.
“Are you dead?”
Jin could hear the president start to respond and decided not to let the politician talk any longer.
“Tell me you’ve got a medevac team on their way to meet us.”
“Absolutely, should be there in about 30 minutes. Sir, if I may say you are a warrior and a shining example of -”
Jin turned off the communicator and let out a sigh of relief. They were going to be okay. Son of a bitch, of all the crazy shit he thought he’d get up to this week it certainly wasn’t saving the world... or falling in love. He thought of the kiss he’d shared with V and smiled.
Excited cheering rang throughout the ship followed by rapid footsteps. Jin glanced at the doorway J-Hope crossing the threshold clutching a bottle in his hand.
“I found champagne! Whoever we stole this ship from had class. Open your mouth Jin. I’m pouring you one first,” J-Hope started to unwrap the top of the bottle. He paused, glancing through the windshield at the temple, “should we wait for the Father and his adorable little sidekick? You know, to be polite.”
Jin remembered the longing glances the two gave each other during their journey and the heated love confession he’d witnessed between them after the fire fight at the hotel had ended. “Nope,” he said, giving J-Hope a knowing grin, “I think those two might be a while.”
“What do you -” J-Hope’s brain caught up and he stopped mid sentence, his mouth dropping open in surprise. “Wait. No. Hold on, are you telling me that they are...Oh, you have got to be kidding me!”
The galaxy’s top DJ left the cockpit in a huff, “I can’t believe I’m the only one not getting any today!”
Jin chuckled and let his eyes drift close, content to sleep until help arrived.
*
V woke from a dreamless sleep to find himself in familiar surroundings. His eyes studied the glass chamber and he observed that his journey had come full circle, back in the place where he was born again just a few earth days ago. A soft noise caught his attention and he turned to see Jin sleeping soundly beside him.
It may be the same place, but everything was different now. When he’d first awakened in this lab his senses had overloaded. This time he felt a sense of peace looking at the man sleeping beside him. All of V’s universe seemed to shrink to tan skin, brown hair, full lips, strong hands…
V sighed, propping himself up on his side, happy to continue his cataloging of Jin’s attractive features while he slept.
*
Jin’s eyes opened and he stared up at the faint blue light illuminating the glass ceiling only a few feet above him. He hadn’t been sure about the quality of sleep he would get in the healing chamber, all he knew was that he wasn’t going to leave V’s side. He felt well rested and had to concede that the doctors were right.
“Hello.”
Jin turned to see V laying on his side, smiling at him. He smiled back like the lovesick fool he was, “hello beautiful.”
Jin shifted to his side so they were facing each other, “been up long?”
“Not long,” V’s smile widened as he closed the small distance between them and wrapped one arm around Jin’s waist.
“You’ve been watching me sleep?” Jin chuckled softly, brushing a lock of hair out of V’s eyes.
“Maybe,” V blushed and buried his face in Jin’s chest.
Jin wrapped an arm around him and was thankful that V seemed to come out of this unscathed. His mind turned to the future and he began to think about all the things he wanted to show V. Most importantly, how he never wanted to be far from the other man ever again.
V looked up at him, “what are you thinking about?”
“I’m happy you’re here. Happy we’re alive...I…” Jin cleared his throat, “I love you.”
“I love you and I am also happy,” V nodded enthusiastically and Jin kissed his forehead.
V’s eyes went wide, he bit his lip, and went silent.
“What?” Jin asked.
“Can I…” V hesitated, “can I kiss you again?”
“You don’t have to ask. The answer will always be yes.”
Jin barely had time to finish the sentence before V pushed him onto his back, straddling his waist and began kissing him with an intensity he hadn’t been expecting. Jin hummed with satisfaction, returning the kiss while pulling V closer.
“I’ve got many things to teach you,” V whispered against his lips.
Jin raised his eyebrows, “to teach me?”
“I’m not naïve,” V placed a quick kiss on Jin’s lips, “although humans seem to have much more fun than my people do.”
“Oh,” Jin quickly shifted his weight, flipping V on his back and kissing his neck, “I look forward to your lessons.”
Jin melted into the next kiss, pushing his body flush against V’s. Jesus Christ , Jin thought as he felt the size of V’s awakening arousal on his thigh, they weren’t kidding when they said he was perfect.
V turned his face away and Jin gave him a questioning look.
“I think someone just looked in on us through a little window up there.”
“Ah,” Jin said and he paused. The gentlemanly thing to do would be to get off V right now to give them both time to cool down before scientists remove the privacy covering around the healing chamber.
A wicked smile crossed V’s face as he wrapped his arms around Jin’s neck, “I’m sure they’ll give us a few more minutes.”
“Alright,” Jin whispered before kissing V.
The minutes blurred together while V re-wrote everything Jin thought he knew about the extent of pleasure that the human body could feel. They held each other close after, V sneaking a kiss onto Jin’s nose while the broken ex-military man stared at the perfect being that somehow had made him whole again.