Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The creak of the door brought Yoo Joonghyuk back to consciousness. Having trained himself as a light sleeper for better odds of surviving, the former regressor could wake up at the lightest movement.

Hand unconsciously going to his sword hilt, Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes at the door. He quickly shook off his sleepiness and raised from his bed, ready to leap at danger at a moments notice. He stilled when he recognized who opened the door.

"Really? You still wear that when you sleep?" Kim Dokja, in a pair of pajamas, asked in a whisper, hand clutching at the doorknob as he remained standing near the door.

Yoo Joonghyuk looked down at his outfit (ah I forgot to take off my chest belts) briefly before glancing back at the reader.

"What are you doing here?" The former regressor put his sword away as he relaxed back on his bed, his drowsiness was slowly creeping back.

Yoo Joonghyuk watched and waited patiently as Kim Dokja fidgeted on the doorway, seemingly hesitating about something. Then, as if coming to a decision, Kim Dokja suddenly came in and shut the door behind him.

"Can I sleep here tonight?"

That snapped Yoo Joonghyuk's senses. More awake than before, the former regressor squinted his eyes against the dark as he tried to make out the expression on Kim Dokja's face, failing miserably.

"My room's a bit crowded," the reader added, possibly pertaining to the kids or Han Sooyoung who loved to sleep in Kim Dokja's room instead of their own. Maybe it was just an excuse. Even though he acted otherwise, Yoo Joonghyuk could never turn down Kim Dokja when he needed it.

Silently, Yoo Joonghyuk slid to the left. Kim Dokja took this as a cue and immediately climbed in the bed besides the former regressor.

Both men were silent, staying stiff in their sides of the bed. Sharing a bed... was something that rarely occurred between the two of them. Some times, it was out of necessity (those times when they had to make camp amidst their travels and due to limited space, they ended up becoming roommates - the others said it's because only the two of them could tolerate each other). And once - that one time that they never acknowledged - was when Kim Dokja had a nightmare.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't forget that night. The reader shivering and teary-eyed behind his door, eyes pleading and a hint of terrible horrors behind them. He incoherently tried to explain his situation back then - his Fourth Wall skill (Joonghyuk was already aware of this skill before) disabling due to malfunction, a nightmarish personal scenario trapping his mind, leaving Kim Dokja to that state. It was the first time Yoo Joonghyuk saw him in such an emotionally vulnerable state. He was admittedly shocked at the display and thought it was so uncharacteristic of the rat bastard.

Nevertheless, the sight of him made something in Yoo Joonghyuk's chest clench, the urge to drive all his nightmares away was suddenly in his veins. He didn't know what took over him but he didn't hesitate to take the man in his bedroom and comforted him back to sleep. The morning after, both pretended that the soft whispers exchanged between them and the residual warmth from their overnight cuddling didn't happen. Kim Dokja was back to his rat-like personality and Yoo Joonghyuk was back to his indifferent front. The former regressor sometimes thought that that event was merely an illusion on his part.

Currently, Yoo Joonghyuk was reminded of the fact that that night did, indeed, happen.

"Yoo Joonghyuk," Kim Dokja's voice suddenly jolted the former regressor from his reverie.

"Hm?"

"What will you do after the scenarios are over?"

Turning to his side, Yoo Joonghyuk squinted as he took in the reader's tense frame. He was half sitting on the bed and on top of the blanket, back leaning against the wall. He wasn't looking at Yoo Joonghyuk but instead at the moon outside the open window near his side of the bed. The former regressor observed as the light from the window accentuated half of the reader's face. There was a time when Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't decipher the reader's features, could not even pinpoint a single trait as it always came out blurry in his memory. But shortly after the king selection scenario, he had always been able to see Kim Dokja's face clearly.

Later on, he discovered that Kim Dokja's wall had been deliberately obscuring the reader's face from everyone except for the ones who already knew him before the scenarios started. Yoo Joonghyuk was confused why he was suddenly an exception. But as time passed, the former regressor learned to appreciate this advantage. He's one of the few who could count Kim Dokja's lashes. He's one of the few who could clearly see the slight flickers of amber amidst brown irises. He's one of the few who could trace the angle of Kim Dokja's nose with his eyes. Yoo Joonghyuk soon learned to accept it as a privilege.

It took a while before Yoo Joonghyuk answered the latter's question, a bit preoccupied with admiring the other's face bathed in moonlight although he couldn't quite see clearly from his angle.

"I haven't thought that much far ahead," Yoo Joonghyuk's voice was husky with drowsiness, paired with his morose words. "What about you, Kim Dokja?"

He refrained from asking what brought the topic on. He had enough sense to know it must be relevant to whatever reason that brought Kim Dokja to his bedroom.

The reader hummed before answering in a ramble, still looking outside while Yoo Joonghyuk continued staring at him.

"I think Shin Yoosung will want to be a veterinarian. While Lee Gilyoung will have a collection of insects in his room. Yoo Mia might follow Lee Seolhwa's footsteps and together they'll dominate in their hospital. Yoo Sangah might become a successful entrepreneur. Or maybe an actress. Han Sooyoung will write more books. I hope she doesn't plagiarize anymore masterpieces though. Jung Heewon will open her own martial arts studio where she'll teach children and women self defense. And Lee Hyunsung will assist, not wanting to be away from her for a second. And-"

While it was nice hearing about those lovely thoughts about their companions, Yoo Joonghyuk's chest felt heavy. He couldn't take it anymore and interrupted.

"That was not the question, Kim Dokja."

Finally, the reader turned to look at him and their eyes met, mellowed chocolate against inky blank. Kim Dokja's head tilted in a puzzled manner. Yoo Joonghyuk changed his position, imitating Kim Dokja's.

"What will you do. Not everyone else. You."

Something in Kim Dokja's expression froze. Then the light in his eyes dimmed, face suddenly shutting off. Yoo Joonghyuk felt like he lost something valuable.

"I..." Kim Dokja trailed off, seemingly lost. He was staring into Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes but the former regressor felt like the reader wasn't really seeing. Like he was somewhere far away, detached and only looking through a glass separating himself from reality. Yoo Joonghyuk hated it.

"I think you'll open your own bookstore," Yoo Joonghyuk said purposely loudly, jolting the man back to the present. Kim Dokja blinked at his words, like he was taken aback.

"And you'll read everything in it. Maybe hold a few book reading sessions for your regular customers. And your kids will visit you in every single vacant time they will have in between classes. And Han Sooyoung will promote her books in your store. Lee Hyunsung will help you with the restocking during weekends and Jung Heewon will visit when she's not busy. Yoo Mia will insult your interior designs when she visits while Lee Seolhwa will recommend adding more medical textbooks that she might need in the future." Yoo Joonghyuk's voice turned hoarse by the end of his little speech, having used up his vocal chords after long hours of using it so seldomly.

For a while, Kim Dokja didn't reply. Just gazed at the former regressor with something akin to wonder in his face. Then he smiled his usual self-depreciating smile.

"I don't think I'm capable enough to run a bookstore."

Yoo Joonghyuk could hear the underlying meaning in between the reader's words. I don't think I'm capable enough to stay by everyone's side. The protagonist wanted to squash that thought and forcefully drill into the reader's head that whatever he was thinking at that moment wasn't true. But he opted for an attempt at humor, regardless of how dry it could be (he's not exactly the funny type).

"You have killed gods that have skills beyond your capabilities, I think you can handle dusting off bookshelves and keeping up with the Dewey Decimal system."

Kim Dokja laughs at that, making Yoo Joonghyuk relieved - like a thorn in his chest was lifted. The reader's face softened as he gazed back at the former regressor, the light in his eyes slightly came back. Yoo Joonghyuk's heart skipped a beat.

Although Yoo Joonghyuk seldom acknowledged it (vehemently denies it even, most of the time), he knew that Kim Dokja had a special place in his heart. And he would do anything to keep the light in the man's eyes alive.

"What about me, Kim Dokja? Where do I fit in with your narrative from earlier?" The protagonist asked, trying to distract himself from his current thoughts.

The reader hummed as he looked away, turning his head to look back at the moon. The former regressor refrained from taking his attention back to him.

"You'll open your own restaurant. Given your excellent skills in the kitchen, it will probably be even more popular than the Hell's Kitchen."

"You don't think I'd go back to being a professional gamer?" Yoo Joonghyuk, genuinely curious.

Kim Dokja contemplated for a while, before shaking his head. "Nah, I think the kitchen suits you better. Your playing remains a hobby though. Oh. Or you could open a PC Bang where you'd offer the best food in the history of all PC Bangs." The reader giggled at his own idea.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't help but smile at his words but immediately smothered it when Kim Dokja turned to face him again.

"I'll probably open one in front of your bookstore."

"Yah. Don't."

Yoo Joonghyuk's frowned at that. "Why not?"

"The students will likely come to your PC Bang more often than my bookstore! It's not fair to my sales."

"Hmm, I'll just open up a restaurant instead."

"You'll distract my customers with the smell of your food."

"What do you want me to do then?"

They proceeded to bicker softly about their distant future, arguing on the littlest details and agreeing on things they like. It's been a while since they talked like this. Like there were no scenarios coming, like they were not in the middle of an apocalypse. Like they were just ordinary people who happened to be companions, who share beds when the other felt lonely. He knew this moment would be gone by the morning. Like last time, he knew they would be back to their usual selves, pretending that this night didn't happen. The thought made Yoo Joonghyuk ache. He wanted this fragile moment to last a little longer.

He wanted to lean closer and pull the reader into his arms.

And being the straightforward guy that he was, he threw his reservations somewhere at the back of his mind and proceeded to do what he wanted.

Kim Dokja yelped as he was suddenly yanked forward (interrupting his passionate rant about excluding tomato-based pasta from Yoo Joonghyuk's menu), landing on the bed with an oomph as the protagonist pulled him close. The reader could only gape in shock as the former regressor tucked him against his side, his face resting on Yoo Joonghyuk's collarbone, and as he wrapped his arms around him securely. Once settled, Yoo Joonghyuk let out a contented hum against the reader's hair, inhaling a bit.

"Uh- what are you doing, you sunfish bastard?" Kim Dokja squirmed in his embrace.

"Stop moving and go to sleep, Kim Dokja."

The latter spluttered incoherently in his arms but Yoo Joonghyuk paid it no mind. His drowsiness was coming back and he could feel his mind getting close to unconsciousness.

"Yoo Joonghyuk?" Kim Dokja's small whisper made him cling to his consciousness for a bit.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Yoo Joonghyuk squeezed the man's waist reassuringly. He didn't elaborate but Yoo Joonghyuk knew he succeeded in comforting the reader from whatever plagued him that night. He only hummed in response as he smiled against Kim Dokja's hair, resisting the urge to leave a sweet kiss on the man's forehead. We're not there yet, he reminded himself.

Closing his eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk felt like he was about to have the best sleep he would ever have after all those years and regressions.