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temperatures are predicted to stay in the forties, swinging up to as high as forty-eight. with no sign that night will be coming, there’s little chance for that to change as the hours roll on, so we suggest everyone stay inside except for emergencies due to the risk of heat s—
doyoung cuts off the news, turning to the cooking channel where an episode of one of those baking competitions is playing. he spares a glance at the remote to the air conditioning unit sitting in its case on the wall by the light switch unnecessarily, the air conditioning unit currently on its lowest setting if only for the off chance that someone comes unannounced. doyoung doesn’t want to open the door and make someone else feel the same wave of offensive heat as outside even if he isn’t bothered by it.
sighing, he drops the television remote onto the cushions of his cream loveseat and stands up from where he was leaning over the back of the sofa.
“are you really not going to come down?” he mutters in the emptiness of his apartment. “someone is going to get heat stroke because you’re being petty.”
the start of all this was stupid, as a lot of their arguments tend to be. doyoung wished he could forget it.
taeyong was over, because taeyong is always around (because he’s really into the thought of them being “twins” even if they can’t be more opposite because he’s way too sentimental towards human poetics) and sujin was around because where taeyong goes, sujin follows. doyoung had asked donghyuck to not walk behind sujin and it was — mostly, there was something about eclipses that made them hard to look at together even if doyoung had the misfortune of waking up to donghyuck every morning — a joke. but donghyuck got upset, bringing up the time doyoung said he liked being out at night and accusing doyoung of not liking who he was.
doyoung could have comforted him, explained that he said he liked going out at night because then he could see everyone easily, but doyoung is just as hot headed and here they are:
with donghyuck denying doyoung of his precious nights and subsequently roasting the poor planet.
the light outside dims the slightest bit, so little that it would be imperceptible if doyoung was a person, and then returns to its full brightness as the sun shifts.
shaking his head, doyoung grabs the plastic cup he keeps on the bookshelf behind the couch and goes to the kitchen to fill it. he might as well water his plants.
“some of us are melting,” taeyong says later that day as they sit in the cafe by doyoung’s apartment.
sujin is sitting next to him, taking pictures of the moon shaped sprinkles on the cupcake she ordered.
save for the three of them and the employees, the cafe is empty, everyone heeding the warning to stay inside by not unnecessarily going out for coffee. even then, the staff looks like they would rather be at home.
doyoung sips at his latte. “he set just a little bit today. i don’t know if you noticed.”
“i saw,” sujin says, directing her grey eyes to doyoung’s own similarly pale white ones. “guess you got through to him.”
“a little bit.” taeyong looks between the two of them with his deep blue eyes. “i’m experiencing global warming.”
doyoung plays with his straw. “because of humans, you’ve been experiencing accelerated climate change for a —“
“venus.”
smiling sheepishly, doyoung closes his lips around his straw for another drink. “sorry,” he says after. “i don’t know if he did that earlier to tease me or because he acknowledged he should come down but realized it was technically morning here and it would be inconsistent with your planetary time.”
“aside from the fact that he’s already been screwing with my time by not setting for a whole week,” taeyong grumbles.
sujin finally unwraps her cupcake. “all because doyoung said he didn’t want to see a solar eclipse in their living room.” holding back a chuckle, she bites into the sweet.
picking up his own drink of a raspberry lemonade, taeyong grumbles into it as he sips.
having experienced intense climate change himself, despite the fact that he joked about it, doyoung does understand taeyong’s concerns, especially considering there’s advanced life on earth. but there really isn’t anything they can do but wait for donghyuck.
“i do hope he sets tonight.” doyoung sighs. “if not, i guess i’ll have to go back home.”
“can you even see him through your clouds?” sujin asks, having never stepped foot on doyoung’s true body.
doyoung chuckles. “how could i have fallen in love with him if not?”
(
are you and donghyuck fighting? - johnny
does something about hyuck feel off to you? i can’t tell but he’s weird - mark
i will voluntarily leave the solar system. it should not be this hot back here, tell your boyfriend to get a grip - yuta
please don’t let hyuck destroy taeyong any faster, i don’t want the humans trying to come here please and thanks - jaehyun
)
doyoung stands on his balcony, arms folded over the railing and looks up at the sky. there’s only an hour left until the season typical time for sunset and yet he doesn’t even know if it’ll happen.
“hey,” he starts, eyes following a cloud that’s shaped like a little bear. “do you want to know one of the reasons why i like nighttime? or why i spend a lot of my time here instead of at my home?”
the sky doesn’t brighten or begin to darken, not really a sign if donghyuck is listening or not, but doyoung continues.
“you’re beautiful all on your own, don’t get me wrong, but i get jealous that taeyong and his people get to see the way your light scatters across his atmosphere. humans are smart to paint you and gather to watch you set.
“and you’re just as amazing to see when you rise or when you’re at your highest. but when you set, you always come here to me because you’re sweet enough to humor that i like mimicking human life and want to share my evenings with you when you quote unquote get off of work.
“if i could fight mark to be the planet closest to you, i would knock him out of orbit.” doyoung chuckles. “so don’t think i don’t adore you, okay?”
doyoung stands and goes back inside, closing the sliding door and then the curtains. they don’t completely block out the light, but they’re not sheer enough to let too much in. he figures it’ll be better to not watch and potentially set himself up for disappointment.
so he enters the windowless kitchen and searches for something he can put together to cook. he might not be affected by donghyuck’s heat on this planet, but he has been using it as an excuse to put off shopping this week, and so he settles for something simple.
“you said all that but didn’t watch me set?”
doyoung adds crushed cashews to the quick pesto pasta he made and turns to face the sulking sun standing in the doorway.
“i even took longer hoping you would come back outside,” donghyuck says, crossing his arms over his chest.
doyoung smiles, pleased to see his star again. “i thought you might not want to do it with me watching. you know how your sense of pride is.”
donghyuck’s mouth twists into an affronted pout.
rinsing off his hands in the sink, doyoung wipes them dry and then walks over to donghyuck, enveloping him in a hug.
“did you have a solar flare? what’s up with your hair?” doyoung snorts, pushing a hand through the wild, orange strands.
donghyuck surges forward, pressing his lips to doyoung’s.
chuckling into his mouth, doyoung cups his boyfriend’s cheeks and pushes them apart. he shakes his head. “who do you think you are causing trouble and thinking you get to kiss me?”
“the sun?” donghyuck answers, his bold, white eyes drooping sadly again despite his sarcasm. “i’m sorry,” he says. “i was insecure and it was messed up of me to do that instead of talking to you.”
“it hurt that you assumed i don’t appreciate you, but there’s life in our solar system.” doyoung brushes his fingers along donghyuck’s cheek. “as much as the others complain, we can adapt to it but taeyong’s animals can’t. please apologize to him.”
donghyuck nods and doyoung can’t help but kiss him softly.
“and then when you get back we can eat and maybe watch a movie.”
donghyuck raises his eyebrows in interest. “one of those apocalyptic ones?”
doyoung rolls his eyes. “you have a terrible sense of humor.”