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The nightmares were relentless.
Kim Rok Soo saw it again—the shelter collapsing, the screams of people he couldn’t save, the blood staining the ground. It was always the same. The suffocating weight of failure, the monsters tearing through what little remained, the faces of those who had trusted him twisted in pain and terror.
And then, the worst part.
Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo—standing, fighting, protecting—only to fall.
Kim Rok Soo saw the light leave their eyes, the blood pooling beneath them, his hands reaching out but grasping at nothing. He screamed, but no sound came. Kim Rok Soo ran, but he was too slow. He was always too slow.
And then—
Kim Rok Soo woke up with a gasp, his chest tight and his body drenched in sweat. His hands clenched the blanket as he tried to steady his breathing, but it felt like he was still suffocating, still trapped in that nightmare.
“Rok Soo-ya.”
The voice cut through the lingering terror, deep and familiar.
A familiar hand touched his shoulder, warm and grounding. His breath hitched, and I he turned, eyes locking onto Lee Soo Hyuk’s silver ones in the dim light of the room. He was crouched beside his bed, his brows furrowed with concern.
“You were screaming,” he said softly, his voice steady but laced with something heavy.
Kim Rok Soo hadn’t even realized. His throat burned. He must have been loud enough to wake him up.
For a moment, he couldn’t speak. The images of his dream still clung to him, the echoes of loss and despair wrapping around his chest like iron chains.
Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t push. Instead, he did something that caught him off guard.
He reached out and pulled Kim Rok Soo into his arms.
The warmth of his embrace hit him first—the steady rise and fall of his chest, the familiar scent of metal and something faintly comforting, like the rain before it falls. His grip was firm but gentle, holding Kim Rok Soo as if reassuring himself that he was real, that he was here.
Kim Rok Soo didn’t resist.
He let his forehead rest against his shoulder, his breath shaky but slowing. His hand moved slowly along his back, tracing comforting patterns, grounding Kim Rok Soo in the present.
“You’re okay,” he murmured. “You’re here. It was just a dream.”
Kim Rok Soo squeezed his eyes shut. “It wasn’t just a dream,” he whispered, his voice was hoarse from the screaming.“It was my record ability... I saw it again. The shelter. Everyone… you, Jung Soo—” His voice cracked, “You both died.”
Lee Soo Hyuk's grip tightened, his breath hitching just slightly before he exhaled slowly, steadying himself for him. “That won’t happen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do,” he said firmly, pulling back just enough to look Kim Rok Soo in the eyes. “Because I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Something in Kim Rok Soo broke at that. The walls he had spent years building cracked under the weight of his words, under the certainty in his voice. He wanted to believe Lee Soo Hyuk. He wanted to hold onto those words and never let them go.
They sat there for a long time, neither of them speaking. Eventually, Kim Rok Soo's breathing evened out, the suffocating weight in his chest easing just enough for him to think clearly again.
Lee Soo Hyuk shifted slightly. “You should try to sleep.”
Kim Rok Soo knew Lee Soo Hyuk was going to leave. Return to his own room, letting him rest. But the thought of being alone again, of closing his eyes and being dragged back into that nightmare, made his chest tighten.
Before he could stop himself, his hand shot out, catching Lee Soo Hyuk's retreating wrist.
“Stay.” he murmured softly, barely above a whisper.
Lee Soo Hyuk stilled. Kim Rok Soo could feel the tension in his body, the way he hesitated for only a second before he slowly turned back to me. His fingers curled around mine, his grip warm and reassuring.
“Always.” he said simply.
The single word settled deep inside him, easing something he hadn’t even realized was hurting.
Without another word, Lee Soo Hyuk climbed into the bed beside him, his movements slow, deliberate. He didn’t rush, didn’t make a big deal out of it—he just fit himself beside him as though he belonged there, as though this was natural.
He turned toward Lee Soo Hyuk instinctively, and he pulled him into his arms again, this time softer, looser, giving him the space to breathe while still keeping him close. His body was warm, steady. Safe.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Kim Rok Soo let himself relax completely.
He didn’t have to be on guard. He didn’t have to be strong. Not here. Not with Lee Soo Hyuk.
His hand rested gently on Kim Rok Soo's back, his breathing calm and even. The warmth of his presence surrounded him, chasing away the cold remnants of his nightmare.
For the first time in a long time, Kim Rok Soo slept peacefully.
And this time, there were no nightmares.
Just warmth. Just safety. Just him.