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To Yi Sang, the silence of the night was the most comforting thing to him on his neverending journey.
While the others were sound asleep, he would often lay awake in his room getting lost in the endless possibilities of his Mirror selves, or wasting away moonlight with poetry.
It's unhealthy, he knows that perfectly well. However, it didn't help that during the nights he did try, he could never sleep for more than an hour or two.
Tonight he chose to linger in the main section of the bus, sitting by a window and whiling away his time by counting the stars.
His room can get a little boring from time to time.
He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there alone, but the sudden sound of soft footsteps drew him out of his small bubble of peace.
Yi Sang glanced over his shoulder, spotting a familiar silhouette approaching from the shadows of the corridor.
"Yi Sang? Haha, looks like I'm not the only one still awake~"
The ravenette's lips twitched upwards, a mellow smile blooming on his expression.
"Hong Lu," he greeted, "I hadn't expected another soul to be present this late."
Hong Lu sat himself down next to Yi Sang, grinning back. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
They stayed like that for a moment, quietly staring at each other. Yi Sang's gaze traced the shape of Hong Lu's face, the gentle slope of his nose and the way his smile seemed to soften his entire expression.
He'd always known Hong Lu was handsome. But now, where the moon was their only witness, he looked breathtaking.
Stupidly enough, Yi Sang felt as though he could write poems upon poems about the other's eyes alone.
"Everyone else is asleep, why aren't you?" Hong Lu's tone is casual, the whispered words airy.
A quiet sigh left Yi Sang's mouth. "Sleep tends to elude me each night for a multitude of reasons," he replied. "And you? Why is it that you are not resting?"
The other hummed softly, "I just couldn't tonight. Nothing horribly significant~"
"I see…"
Hong Lu turned his gaze to look outside into the night sky, and Yi Sang felt a mournful pang in his heart.
He almost missed the other's gaze upon him.
He suddenly found himself wondering whether the two of them were much closer in any mirror world.
In how many mirror worlds were they in this same situation? Where it was only him, Hong Lu, and the celestial bodies above?
"Yi Sang, do you need help?" Hong Lu suddenly asked.
"…Pardon?"
Those mismatched eyes were on him again, with a bright grin to match. "I could help you sleep if you want." he clarified.
Yi Sang's brain took a few moments to process the offer, and once it finally went through he suddenly felt the space was too small.
"Assist me in… sleeping?" he asked hesitantly, making sure he heard the other correctly.
"Like a sleepover~ I used to have them when I was a child."
Yi Sang remained quiet, mulling over Hong Lu's words.
The offer was… tempting. And there was no harm in trying, right? The worst that could happen was that he still would not be able to settle, and he'd have to skip another night.
"If you're truly alright with it—" Yi Sang's lips quirked upwards, "—then I will not decline."
Hong Lu's grin in the dim bus sent a wave of warmth through his body.
So beautiful, Yi Sang found himself thinking. Hong Lu was so incredibly gorgeous he could cry.
"Do you have a preference as to whose room you would like to stay in?" the ravenette murmured.
"Mmn… Nope~"
"Ah… I do not carry one either."
A viscous silence stretched between them, making the distance between them feel smaller.
Yi Sang's mind raced to find something else to say. Should he have given a suggestion? Since neither him nor Hong Lu had a bias, then what were they to do?
"Then… would mine suffice?" he blurted in the moment.
Hong Lu gave a nod. "Sure, I'm a little curious to see inside~"
Yi Sang only responded with a slight tilt of his head.
The bed felt warmer than he was used to.
Both inside and out, Yi Sang's felt as though a gentle fire was flickering near him, its flames washing over him in a comforting manner.
When the two had first come inside his room, Hong Lu looked almost starry eyed.
It was cute, Yi Sang had thought at the time.
He shifted slightly in Hong Lu's arms, curling up further into the gentle solace they brought him.
It was strange. Oftentimes, his room would always feel so cold no matter how much he tried to stay warm. But now, with someone else here to keep him company, things suddenly felt so much more secure.
"Yi Sang…?" came Hong Lu's sweet voice.
"Mmn?"
"Is it working?"
Yi Sang slowly blinked, eyes half lidded. Perhaps it was, with the way his body felt like lead and how he couldn't be bothered to form proper sentences.
Perhaps it was.
"Mmn…"
He felt Hong Lu's arms adjust their position around his body, pulling him closer.
The sound of his heartbeat was enough to slowly lull Yi Sang into the line between sleep and wakefulness. It was a beautiful sound, something he wanted to remember forever. To have the gentle thuds ingrained into his mind so that he could recall them whenever he wished.
Maybe tonight, he'll have dreams of blossoming flowers and pretty colors he could write about instead of the usual troubling nightmares.
Hong Lu smelled like flowers, he noticed. Perhaps plum blossoms, or hibiscus.
It was a lovely scent, warming his heart and making him want to drown in it.
Yi Sang felt that in this moment, he could perhaps stay here forever. Neither of them growing or changing, just simply existing in each other's arms.
"Yi Sang…"
Yi Sang's vaguely processed his name being spoken into the dark. He hummed, giving Hong Lu the signal to continue.
"I quite like this, you know."
The ravenette smiled, "As do I."
He felt Hong Lu exhale softly, making him feel a little more alert.
"…Do you really not sleep that often?" the longer haired man looked down at Yi Sang curiously.
Yi Sang sighed. "Rest is evasive in regards to myself. The moon is often my only companion each night."
"Haha~ Now you have one more."
An airy chuckle escaped his lips, "That is true, Hong Lu."
There was a sudden silence, and Yi Sang turned his gaze to the other inquisitively.
"…Baoyu."
"S-Sorry…?"
An uncharacteristically quiet tone overtook Hong Lu's words, "Say it once…"
Yi Sang blinked before obliging, albeit hesitantly. "Baoyu…" he muttered.
It was quiet again before Hong Lu giggled. "As I thought," he chirped, "It doesn't feel the same."
Yi Sang stared at the other in confusion, but chose not to question it. Hong Lu would remain an enigma to him, for that was how he liked him the most.
One day, he'd like to know more. But he would wait until Hong Lu was ready, no matter how long that will take.
Yi Sang thought himself to be a relatively patient man. And for Hong Lu, he could wait forever if he truly needed to.
Sleep came quicker for him that night. And even if it were to last only an hour, he would still feel better rested than the nights before.