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Sometimes, even the most wanted of criminals would like a time where they could rest back with ease and sleep peacefully.
That even goes to the phantom thieves—so-called “stealing rats” who just take treasures without permission for their own satisfaction. The euphoria of the stealing, the satisfaction of earning the treasure. It pisses a lot of people off, Seungcheol was almost certain.
So, it was to no one’s surprise that after he excused himself to go out of the ship to take a breather (and leaving Jeonghan and Jisoo in charge of the dongsaengs), he noticed a familiar figure sitting on a cliff ledge, mindlessly looking away into nothingness.
“Hey, Jihoon-ah.” Seugcheol greeted, making the pink-haired male turn around.
“Oh, Seungcheol.” Jihoon hummed. Wordlessly, he patted the space beside him after he scooted to the right, the older taking the spot for himself.
With their feet dangerously dangling from the ledge, Jihoon was the first to break the calm silence. “What are you doing here, Cheol?”
“I was feeling a bit tired.” He pouted. “I was also trying to find you.”
“Pfft, you’d always know where I am.” Jihoon scoffed.
They didn’t talk much after that, but the silence was broken again thanks to Jihoon. But, instead of him talking, he suddenly heard him exhaling. A breathy, shaky one. Odd—despite how petite his frame was, he never wavered. Even if he has tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice rarely cracks—it has always been Seungcheol who would usually sob uncontrollably while Jihoon whispers lovely nothings in his ear.
“Hey, Cheol?”
“Hm?”
“Do you always think of the future?” Jihoon hummed with a solemn look on his face.
“Yeah.” Seungcheol nodded. “I always think of the possible things that could happen—will we die later on? Will something happen? I’m…not sure what the future holds. But, whatever it is, I’ll be ready.”
“Are…you afraid of something missing from your life?” Jihoon asked again as he toyed with an orb of moon energy.
Seungcheol raised his eyebrow at his lover’s cryptid question. Sure, he was afraid of something missing—for example, his 5+ years of him not seeing Jihoon and not knowing his condition—but never was he to question it. He just knew deep down that he was afraid of a loved something or someone disappearing from his life. Plus, it was odd for Jihoon to ask that. He was a realist—he didn’t believe in fantasies, nor was he ever to question somethings in life that can never be controlled by destiny.
“Well…yeah. You know the feeling of losing a loved one, it’s horrible.” Seungcheol responded, to not keep Jihoon waiting for his answer. “Why are you asking this, Hoonie?”
“I’m…just afraid, Cheol.” Jihoon muttered, the older seeing Jihoon look down. “I’m…so, so afraid.”
“What are you afraid of, Hoonie?” Seungcheol moved closer to his lover, whose figure was shaking like a leaf. “Something wrong, love?”
“I…” His voice was now shaking, wavering as Seungcheol let him lean on his chest. “I’m…afraid, Cheol. I can feel someone coming for me, I can just feel it—he wants to tear us apart, Cheol. I don’t want that to happen, no…I don’t—I don’t want to,” sobbed Jihoon, his tears rolling down his peachy cheeks. Seungcheol’s heart cracks to hear even a cry from his ever-strong and resilient lover. “He’s after us, Cheol. I don’t want him to separate us.” He enveloped Seungcheol in a tight hug.
It was rare that Jihoon was ever this clingy—only when he was drunk (which happened rarely, to Seungcheol’s dismay) and when he was feeling vulnerable. It was definitely the second one tonight.
“Oh…Hoonie…” Seungcheol fully hugged the younger in his arms (big and strong, just as Jihoon described them one night while they were cuddling in their bed) as he was now full-on crying, staining Seungcheol’s favorite shirt with tears. He didn’t mind about his shirt being soggy with his lover’s tears, he was more concerned about what was hurting Jihoon at the moment. “Come come, I’m here now. No one will take me away from you.”
“No…Cheol, you don’t understand—” Jihoon murmured, voice still full of tears. “He’s…near. He’s…coming after me.”
“No no, he’s not. I’ll sleep with you tonight to make sure I’m here, okay?” He patted the younger’s crown of pink hair. He was wondering if Jihoon wanted to dye his hair in another color, but he pushed that thought away for another day.
“But—”
“No buts.” Seungcheol promptly hushed the shorter. “Stand up, Hoonie. I want you to have this experience once in your life.”
This time it was Jihoon’s turn to raise his eyebrows, but he obeyed and stood up anyways. Suddenly, Seungcheol heard the nightingales sing a sereneful melody not too far away, and when the older turned to see where the noise was coming from, he could see a smug-looking Jisoo from the balcony, observing the two of them.
He mouthed “you’re a bastard” towards Jisoo before turning back to face a teary-eyed Jihoon. He placed Jihoon’s right hand on his arm that was holding his hip, and the other enclasping his left hand that was raising both arms high. Two steps left, two steps right, that was what the caretaker said.
“Seungcheol? What are you doing—” Jihoon was about to ask before Seungcheol swayed the both of them in a dance. A surprised Jihoon had his eyes wide open before he took a deep breath in and closed his eyes, seemingly relaxed. Seungcheol took it slow—after all, he was trying to cheer up Jihoon in probably the cheesiest way possible.
He could feel Jihoon’s chest rising and falling as the shorter leaned against Seungcheol, taking in the moment they currently have together. He could feel their pendants momentarily clinking against each other as the older smiled and moved slowly to the serenade of the nightingales. He pressed a kiss onto Jihoon’s forehead, taking the shorter by surprise and in return, kissing the older on the cheek.
“My my, Hoonie—” Seungcheol smiled, dimples exposing themselves. “Why are you so goddamn attractive?”
“I don’t really know, Cheolie.” Jihoon shook his head, his eyes, while still a little bit glazed and teary (also admittedly a little red-rimmed from crying), his blue eyes sparkled as if the whole galaxy was being held in his eyes. “I really don’t know. Also, I could say the same to you, actually.”
“Maybe because you fell for my looks.” The older joked as he picked up Jihoon and smooched him on the lips. A quick one, nothing passionate or deep—they aren’t in the right mindspace to delve into more intimidating depths.
“Hah, I digress. You’re just kind and compassionate.” Jihoon sneered, a smug but soft smile encroaching on his lips. “Still can’t believe you were looking for me for so many years.”
“Yeah.” Seungcheol hummed. “Hey, remember during our heist for the Halo of Angels?”
“Yeesh, that old moment?” The pink-haired male groaned. “I still remember your asshole self back then.”
“At that point, I honestly had no hope that you were even around here. I thought you packed and moved to…I don’t know, California or something.”
“Why would I move?” Jihoon tilted his head. “I was waiting for you because of the same reason. I had basically given up on searching for you because I also thought you were somewhere, another country with the professor.”
“But, it seems that fate had funny things planned for us, hm?” Seungcheol hummed, his obsidian-black pupils meeting Jihoon’s sky blue.
“Yeah.” The shorter mused, pressing another light but a little bit more passionate kiss on his other cheek. “I love you so much, Seungcheol-ah.”
“Love you too, Hoonie.” The older then picked up Jihoon and carried him back towards the ship (Jihoon tried to squirm off of Seungcheol’s hold, but to no avail). When they reached the door, a Jisoo with a shiteating grin opened the door for them.
“Ack!” Jihoon squeaked. “Jisoo-hyung!” He could feel Jihoon’s hands trying to persuade Seungcheol to drop him, but the older wouldn’t let him.
“I see you had fun, Seungcheol-ah.” Jisoo hummed, a smug smile and his brown eyes looking at Seungcheol’s deep black.
“Yeah yeah, why were you even spectating us?” Seungcheol groaned.
“Hannie was already asleep, and I couldn’t do so.” The brown-haired phantom thief explained. “But, that’s not the point here. You are both an extremely cute couple. I approve. Now, go to bed, you night owls. Tomorrow will be a brand new day.”
“Alright.” Seungcheol rolled his eyes, carrying Jihoon towards their shared room.
Seungcheol changed into his pajamas from his tear-stained shirt, Jihoon doing the same from his white tee and short pants into a matching pair Seungcheol got him as a random, one-off present before a heist was about to take place. Jihoon was the first one to flop onto the bed, Seungcheol following behind and covering both of them with the duvet. Seungcheol then wrapped his hands around Jihoon—and, as snappy and reluctant Jihoon was to admit that he indeed loved to be spooned, he would always accept Seungcheol wrapping his arms around him on nights like these.
“Night, Hoonie.” Seungcheol mused before pressing a soft, chaste kiss on his forehead.
“Night, Seungcheol.” Jihoon responded, a little shaky still, but stable.
When Seungcheol awoke the next morning, Jihoon was gone.