I Always Love You Like This [5/5]
╔╗
Soohyuk crept up on the cell house. In the past weeks he’d lost every member of the detail he brought with him to kill the Kim family. A low beeping sounded from his back pocket. He snatched the communicator out and declined the call, pointedly looking away from the screen. If he had looked, he would have seen the codename Nine Tailslit up insistently. Soohyuk knew he couldn’t continue to avoid Yeseul’s calls forever, but he loathed returning to Vangel without killing the boy child he’d missed all those years ago and returning is exactly what Yeseul would order him to do. It wasn’t enough to know that as long as he lived, the magic of his attacks would distort the boy’s memories; he wanted him dead.
And soon, it seemed, he would have what he desired. Soohyuk had no idea who was protecting the Kim offspring, but they were getting tired. Clues littered the cell house, proof that the two had been there, and more clues gave him an idea of where the two were headed. They were poorly concealed, but not for lack of trying. The room looked like the sloppy results of an exhausted attempt to clean, and it made Soohyuk positively giddy. So much so that when the persistent beeping started again, he actually answered.
“I’m busy, Yeseul.”
“We have codenames for a reason, you imbecile.” The little speaker crackled from where he held it a loft, Yeseul’s voice broadcasting clear in the cell house’s front yard.
“Hush, my lady nine tails, no one’s here to overhear.”
“You’ve been gone far too long. Is it done? Did you complete your task?”
Soohyuk rolled his eyes at the clipped impatient tone. He never did like the way she spoke to him; it was too imperious, too condescending. At times he wondered if she was ever truly for the dissolution of the Empire at all. Regardless of her intentions, Soohyuk knew his only hope for success was to remain within the palace walls, and so he needed to keep her happy.
“I haven’t completed it yet; I’ve got them backed into a corner. Tonight I’ll strike, and return to Vangel in the morning, and maybe then you’ll tell me exactly how you plan to aid my cause.”
“Yes, yes, anarchy, blood and fire and all that. I suppose that will have to do. Just be quicker about it.”
The call cut off and the speaker fell silent. Soohyuk moved languidly to his starcruiser, already arrogant with expected success, and flew off in the direction the evidence indicated.
Jongin popped out from behind a large bush just as Chanyeol released the glamor that’d concealed the two of them and muffled any noise they made. Chanyeol’s face was hard as pushed his palms against the soil, pulling the starcruiser he’d hidden in the crust top side like a plank breaking the surface to settle on top of water.
“That’s definitely the man who’s trying to kill me. But, who is the woman he was taking orders from, Yeseul?”
“The King’s wife, Duchess Yeseul,” Chanyeol cracked his neck before flinging the starcruiser door open and striding inside.
Jongin bit at his lip as he watched Chanyeol go. He still didn’t remember Chanyeol, and he was horrendously tetchy at times, but this was the first time he’d ever seen the taller man genuinely angry. You still don’t know anything about this man; just because he clearly has feelings for you doesn’t mean you can take advantage of him; it doesn’t matter how sexy he looks slamming things around. Jongin berated himself internally before following him into the ship, careful not stare for too long the striking figure Chanyeol cut starting up the ship. He should be used to this sight by now, but it still got to him.
“Chanyeol? Are you okay? What are we going to do now?” Jongin slid into the first mate seat beside Chanyeol and tried to get his companion out of his head and talking.
Chanyeol stayed quiet, guiding the starcruiser away from the outpost planet in the opposite direction from where they’d tricked Soohyuk into heading. It took him more than a few deep breaths to unclench his jaw, and even then he still slammed the control panel and yanked at various levers to put the vessel on coast before slumping in his chair.
“No. No, I’m not okay,” Chanyeol scrubbed a hand across his eyes and turned to look at Jongin. “If that man is Yeseul’s goon, and also with the anarchy sect, and he’s here to attempt killing you a second time- this means that Yeseul is responsible for at least sending him on the first attack on your family, and either aided or orchestrated the deaths of my parents.”
“And she must be planning something else if she’s sent him back for me.”
“I’m not sure what she wants, but she needs to be shut down. We’re going back to Vangel, and we’re going to confront her.” Chanyeol sighed and keyed in a new destination. He stood and gestured for Jongin to follow him into the back sleeping area. “Come help me push the beds aside to make space. You need more training before we can go challenge the King’s wife.”
╔╗
Soohyuk circled the new cell house slowly. He’d made his way to an outpost planet neighboring the one he’d just left, quickly following the trail of vaporous asteroid-like clouds. The new hideout was next to a field large enough for landing and had been poorly glamored. Certain that no traps awaited him outside, Soohyuk approached the back door, easily breaking the locks. Tch, amateurs. The door swung open to reveal… nothing. There was nothing in the single room, no food, no clothes, no sign of life. Soohyuk noticed the door to the bathroom was ajar, and headed for it immediately, anger building. There was nothing in there either, accept a piece of paper hanging from the shower head. It looked like a note. Careful in case it sprung a trap, Soohyuk mover closer to read what it said.
TO: The Strange Man with the Long Hair and the Threatening Face
AHA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HA! HAHAHA! HA!
Yeah, we’re not here.
FROM: You Know Who We Are, and You Know We’re Better than You, Don’t You?
Soohyuk kicked at the door, making it bounce off the wall, and marched back to his own ship. He generally did well at staying detached from his… assignments. But oh, as soon as he found these smug little shits. Jongin and whoever this supremely talented magical being with him was. He was going to make sure he savored their deaths.
╔╗
Yeseul waited impatiently for Soohyuk to pick up in Chanyeol’s study, looking around her for a potential clue to his whereabouts. She’d just returned from an audience with the King- or rather, that’s what it was called. In truth, she’d had less of his attention than she’d ever had before. In the past he would split his time between their relationship and work, but at least when she went to see him he would focus solely on her. This time he’d hardly listened to a word she said, and when she’d asked what was bothering him he’d told her he was thinking of Chanyeol.
“Pick up, you starblasted rat bastard,” she muttered under her breath. She was done waiting on Soohyuk to find Jongin. Either he was dead by now or he wasn’t, and she needed to focus her resources on finding Chanyeol and cutting him down. She glared at the wall. She’d had his starblasted mother killed for taking attention or authority away from her, and she had absolutely no qualms doing the same to him.
She snapped the communicator closed and then opened it again, cutting off her previous call and calling Soohyuk again, and counted each low beep. This time, he answered after seven beeps.
“Celestials above Yeseul, what?!”
“Abandon your mission. I don’t care if he’s dead or not, you’re going to find the phoenix born prince.”
“Yeseul, I won’t do that.”
“You obey me! I am your leader, and I order you to stand down. I want Chanyeol found dead by Vangel’s second sunrise tomorrow; I’ve already dispatched my force to our third moon on the edge of Vangel’s orbit. Meet them there now, and I’ll be along in the morning to take credit for the discovery of that wretched boy’s body.”
She was met with silence.
“You? You are my leader? You were never going to destroy the government were you, Yeseul?”
“Lee Soohyuk, you listen to me-”
“Not possible, Lady Nine tails.”
“What? Yes it is, I see you in Chanyeol’s tapestry. You’re a few hours away from the meet up point, just head left and-”
“Shut up, you lying wretch. I’ve got the ship holding Kim Jongin in my sights right now. I’m going to kill that punk, and then, I’m coming for you.”
The communication cut off. Yeseul could only fume. It was fine if Soohyuk wouldn’t lead her army. She’d lead them herself. Yeseul turned and rushed towards the flight field, ready to take on the world.
╔╗
“…in! Jongin! Wake up!”
Jongin sat up to blaring klaxon alarms and red lights flashing, and the low hum of the Impending Moment signal. Chanyeol was pulling at the control stick, trying to maneuver evasively, only managing to avoid about half of the volley of pulse shots assaulting them. Jongin was instantly alert, strapping his sword to his hip and grabbing his pulse gun before stumbling up front by Chanyeol. The ship keeled and the floor slanted, forcing Jongin to grab hold of Chanyeol’s chair.
“What the hell is happening?” He pushed himself into the first mate seat and buckled down, peering out the window at the lone ship attacking them. It was sleeker and faster than Chanyeol’s starcruiser, almost impossible to see with its light absorbing black hull.
“It’s that starblasted anarchist tracker. It only took him a week but he’s finally caught up with us, and with such a lovely gift too.”
Jongin watched Chanyeol struggle to fly and attack, and made a decision.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of the plan, Jongin.”
“No, I mean, I’m going to teleport over there and slit his throat.”
Jongin saw Chanyeol pause, eyes widened, before suddenly swinging the ship in a wide arc to avoid a new volley.
“Jongin, you can’t teleport across space!”
“I can, and I have before.”
“Yes, from one fixed location to the next. The way we’re moving around and he’s moving around- it’s too much of a risk, I can’t let you take it.”
Chanyeol knew he sounded frantic, pleading with Jongin to see reason. Mostly because he knew that with one hand flying the ship and the other manning the guns, he had no way to physically restrain Jongin if he chose to pop out of the craft. He felt Jongin’s eyes on him, could see the fond gaze out of the corner of his eye.
“Chanyeol. We loved each other as children, didn’t we?”
“Jongin, please.”
“And we were falling for each other again on Earth, weren’t we?”
Chanyeol let off a series of shots, most of them wide but enough struck true that he could see the outline of the other ship more clearly.
“Don’t go, Jongin, don’t do this. You said you weren’t going to leave me.”
“I’m going; I’m going to do my damndest to come back to you, but in case I don’t make it you should know: I don’t know that I’ll ever recall our childhood, and I still don’t remember meeting you on Earth. But we must be soulmates, Prince Chanyeol, because in these past few weeks of hiding I’ve fallen for you all over again. We really do always come back together, don’t we?”
Jongin reached over and slammed the automatic pulse control. The ships guns rained compressed electricity out into space, and as soon as enough hit the anarchist ship to show its exact outline, Jongin crowed.
“Got ‘em!”
And with a snap he was gone.
╔╗
“What do you mean the Crown Duchess stole a flight ship?”
“Exactly, that sire. Duchess Yeseul has stolen a flight ship, and it appears she’s going to meet a rouge army on the edge of our borders.” Jongdae fixed King Gongyoo with a baleful stare. Months had gone by without Chanyeol around, and the small advisor had long since lost any concern he had for saving face and demurring to the King.
“My wife is going head to head with a rogue army by herself?”
“Actually, Father,” Yifan cut in, “it would seem the illegal force is under Mother’s command.”
“By all the stars in sky, the woman has finally gone mad, hasn’t she?” King Gongyoo looked back and forth between the two men in his study incredulously.
“In all fairness, sire, you haven’t been much better than her recently.”
Jongdae stared down at the desk in front of the King passively, but inside he was kicking himself repeatedly. The King’s behavior had been increasingly foolish, to be sure, and Jongdae’s behavior had been increasingly impertinent also. That didn’t negate that there was a line he shouldn’t cross, even if he’d spent the past two months toeing it.
“Kim Jongdae, how dare you.” The King rose slowly from his chair, cheeks slowly flushing. He was angry, and the next words out of his mouth were probably meant to be some terrible punishment for the small advisor’s insolence. No one but Gongyoo would ever know exactly what that punishment would have been because before he could get a word out his son interrupted.
“Actually, Your Majesty, Jongdae is right.”
“You too, Yifan?”
Yifan stood from his own chair and stepped forward near Jongdae.
“Honestly Father, Chanyeol has never wanted the throne. He has never challenged my claim to it though his mother the Queen’s blood is far more royal than yours and Duchess Yeseul’s combined, and he could rightfully take it. All he wanted was to head the military, so why did you run him off with your constant attempts to marry him off to some low-bred nobleman’s daughter?”
Jongdae stared intently at the drapes in the study, sure that if he looked at the King’s flustered face he would laugh out loud; he’d tried his luck enough for one day. It was possible that even the bright swaths of fabric decorating the windows wouldn’t save him as he fought back chuckles brought on my King Gongyoo’s stammering.
“What? Yifan, I never… dr-dr-drove him off? I didn’t- he- someone forged him a letter!”
Yifan sat on the edge of the desk, and rested a hand on his father’s shoulder. It was the most casual Jongdae had ever seen both men and it was fascinating.
“Father, Chanyeol wrote himself that letter.”
“On every star that has fallen from the sky, what?!”
Gongyoo and Yifan turned to look at Jongdae; then Gongyoo turned back to his son, arm gesturing wildly in Jongdae’s direction.
“Yeah, yeah, what Advisor Kim said; what?!”
“I didn’t know it at first, but by the end of the third week I’d figured it out. I only noticed because the kitchen cooks had a menu “from the King” stating that they were to serve Prince Chanyeol warm cinnamon buns for breakfast every morning and again in his room after dinner. I compared the menu with the letter; they hand is exactly the same. At some point Chanyeol learned to forge the King’s penmanship, and used it to get extra desserts and to avoid affiancing a random girl.”
“My Prince, why didn’t you say something?”
Yifan shrugged off Jongdae’s question, “Honestly, Chanyeol should have been out exploring the Empire and getting a feel for our inhabitants years ago. I saw no need to have him brought back, so I let it go.”
“You didn’t see a need,” Gongyoo looked as if he were about to faint, one hand held out in front of him as his eyes rolled and then widened, fixed on the Crown Prince. “What about the family I prepared for him to marry into? Was that not a good enough reason to share?”
“Jongdae, tell him.”
“My Prince, really, it’s an honor just to be a part of this conversation; I don’t need to participate.”
“No, I want you to tell my Father what you told me six weeks ago.”
“Yes Advisor Kim, what, pray tell, did you tell my son six weeks ago that you didn’t need to tell me?”
“Your Grace, I would have told you first, but since Yifan was placed in charge of handling the public image of Chanyeol’s disappearance I informed him, and he said I need not worry you about it. The young woman you found had no desire to marry for politics. She was, is, in love with her head lady-in-waiting and the two of them eloped a week after the failed engagement event.”
Yifan nodded and raised one palm in a shrug, as if to say See?
“That was before I even realized Chanyeol had snuck off on his own. He didn’t go searching for his parents’ killers, and there was no marriage for him to come back to. So, no, I didn’t see a need to share my information, and as you placed me in charge of handling the disappearance, not sharing was my prerogative.”
The King sank back down into his chair, overwhelmed with the information.
“I truly, have no idea to do with all of this.”
Jongdae decided to try and toe the line a little bit more.
“Sire, if you would hear the suggestion of a humble advisor, I would say that you should probably send an armada to collect the rebel army and its leader, your wife.”
Yifan hid a smile at Jongdae’s cheekiness and the King’s heavy sigh.
“I suppose you’re right, Advisor Kim. Yifan, call the troops. We have to go battle your mother.”
╔╗
Jongin opened his eyes but couldn’t see much. He waited as his eyes adjusted so he could see; the interior of the ship was dark, everything constructed out of obsidian colored metals with sharp angles and sleek lines. The ground was a black metal grate, the inner machinations of the ship and the engine visible below. In the center was a circular raised platform that was half ringed with a metal rail. The front half of the circle was walled in by a button less control panel. Soohyuk stood in the center of the circle, hands raised over the panel. His fingers curled and flicked, shots firing out of the ship in any direction he pointed.
Jongin knew he had the upper hand, but only for the moment. The second Soohyuk realized he’d been boarded Jongin would be at the evil man’s mercy. The pulse gun at his side was too risky; it gave a quiet hum right before it fired and he couldn’t chance Soohyuk hearing the noise. He unsheathed his sword carefully, quietly. It was bigger than he’d like, but it was all he had. Jongin waited for Chanyeol’s next volley of shots, hoping the man would continue to defend himself as if Jongin were still on board. Sure enough, the next blast came quick and continuous, knocking Soohyuk slightly off balance. In that moment, Jongin teleported forward onto the platform; as soon as his body materialized enough to make the swing he brought the sword down on Soohyuk’s neck.
His swing wasn’t strong enough; he didn’t cut deep enough for an instant kill. Soohyuk collapsed in front of him, the ship keeling with his movements. The felled man cursed at Jongin in a raspy voice, trying to talk around his dying breaths.
“You disgusting, royal loving, prince following sheep. You’re blinded by the government,” he gasped and choked on his own tongue, “and your shit parents were too. I did them a favor, ending their lives.”
Jongin’s jaw set.
“You have no idea who I love, nor how far I’d follow the prince. As for the favor you did my parents, please, allow me to return it to you.” He swung his blade in an arc, and this time hit true.
The room was spinning, and Jongin couldn’t tell if it was him or the ship going down without a captain to guide it. His vision went fuzzy around the edges; with the last of his strength he reached for the familiar crackle of energy around him, only one thought on his mind.
Chanyeol.
╔╗
Chanyeol hadn’t quit worrying since Jongin teleported away, but at least he had the battle with Soohyuk to distract him. When the firing stopped he remained seated, staring at where he saw the guns blazing out of the space sky. He could only make out a vague outline of the ship, even with his powers. Whatever that ship was made out of was like a magical black hole. And then it was completely visible, matte black and falling, hurtling down into Vangel’s moon’s gravitational pull.
“Jongin!”
Chanyeol was ready to dive bomb after the hunk of metal when a dull whump behind him sounded. He whipped around to see Jongin lying on the floor, body curling into the fetal position as he coughed out blood. The prince carefully lifted the boy up into his arms to take him back to the bed space when a bright light shone through the front glass. Chanyeol looked outside and cradled Jongin closer on reflex. There in the sky hung Duchess Yeseul, backed by a small army of vessels.
The next fifteen minutes were some of the most nerve wracking of Chanyeol’s life. Jongin was strapped into the first mate’s chair, body trying to fight its way into consciousness. All of the sharp turns and corkscrews Chanyeol was flying in couldn’t have been helping, but it was the only way to avoid being shot out of the air as every other vessel in the sky unloaded on them. Chanyeol flew towards the moon, slightly to its left. He pushed the starcruiser to the highest speed he could reach, Yeseul hot on his tail, and dropped out of warp just as they got caught in the moon’s orbit. Chanyeol let the huge rock’s gravity sling shot them around the other side and kicked the warp back into gear just in time to pull out of orbit on the dark side. It was a small victory, as it got rid of the armada, but Yeseul was right there with him. She hailed him on the video feed; it took Chanyeol a few seconds to compose himself enough to answer.
The front window changed into a view of Yeseul’s face.
“Hello, Chanyeol dear. Oh look, and little Jongin too. He doesn’t look very good, does he?”
“You murdering bitch.” Ok, maybe I’m not as composed as I thought.
Chanyeol faced a corner of the screen instead of looking at Yeseul directly. He could see her fleet making their way around the side of the moon. More importantly, he could see the Imperial Armada flying under him and Yeseul to go engage said rogue fleet.
“Look, the King’s men are here, Yeseul. Give it up.”
“I am a Duchess! Address me as such!!”
Her face was absolutely livid, pinched with anger and hate. It was sad really; she had been one of the most beautiful women on Vangel before. Chanyeol could only shake his head. Ugly insides don’t make for gorgeous outsides.
“You don’t deserve my respect.”
Yeseul glowered at him through the monitor.
“You ungrateful, disrespectful, conniving little monster. I should have killed Jongin the first time, and killed you along with your parents.”
Chanyeol cut off the video screen and turned on the automatic navigation. He turned the ship so its airlock faced Yeseul, typed in that the ship should head back to Vangel, and then made sure Jongin was secure before walking to the air lock. It was a selfish move, with no thought for Jongin or the Empire. All Chanyeol wanted was Yeseul dead, and if he died in the process then he died. He slammed his fist down on the red button. The ship ejected him from the hold, hurtling his body through the airless void into the arms of his enemy.
Jongin woke with a start as the starcruiser shuddered. On either side and behind the starcruiser, war waged. Fires sparked as ships rammed each other, shot each other out of the sky. Jongin was alone in the cabin; no matter how he called Chanyeol didn’t answer. He felt himself growing more and more nervous when a flying piece of debris caught his eye. He leaned into the glass, stomach sinking to his feet. It looked like a body… like… Chanyeol’s. The floating man suddenly burst into flames. He hung suspended in the breast of giant fiery bird of prey, its beak a hot blue and its tail resplendent white compared to the rest of its red orange body. The large phoenix screeched as it flapped its wings, ships melting entirely when grazed by the feathers, and then it dived down towards the main ship of the opposing army.
The display was magnificent, but Jongin couldn’t bring himself to care. All he saw was Chanyeol, there in the center of the inferno, body limp. Jongin wanted nothing more than to hold him close, to fly out there and pull Chanyeol into his embrace and then take them both to safety. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted…
He was. Jongin felt his skin flaking from the heat, but that didn’t prevent shaky hands from extending for Chanyeol. In the very next moment they both dropped down into a field, back in breathable air. Jongin saw people dressed in bright colors rushing towards him and then closed his eyes, curling into Chanyeol’s chest and listening for shallow breaths before he passed out again.
╔╗
Yeseul screamed when the phoenix erupted in front of her ship. She threw the starcruiser into reverse, trying desperately to get away.
I knew it, I knew it, the firebird always gets the fox; he always does he always does he always-
The bird was diving, gaining on her. She couldn’t go backwards fast enough. And then, like a nightmare come to life, her nightmare come to life, an inky black shadow pooled right over the phoenix’s heart and then exploded outwards. Her agonized wails cut off abruptly as the ship’s hull was consumed in fire. The bird disappeared, leaving not a trace of Yeseul nor her ship.
╔╗
Jongin woke up in a plush bed in a wide room, wearing loose pale blue garments. It was the biggest room he’d been in in weeks and it left him feeling uncomfortable and exposed. He sat up just as the door opened and a man in bright green flowing robes entered.
“Ah, Jongin, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Uh, sore and tired.”
“Mm, that’s to be expected. My name is Sehun, and I’m a healer here. You’re on Vangel’s surface, in the palace.”
Jongin jerked at the mention of the palace, stumbling to get out of bed. He didn’t make it far before Sehun was beside him pushing him back under the covers.
“No, you don’t understand, I have to-”
“Shh, I do understand. The Warrior Prince is alright.”
That made Jongin pause.
“He is?”
Jongin squirmed under the knowing smile.
“He is. He’s banged up and bruised and exhausted like you are, but Prince Chanyeol is fine. I had this exact conversation with him two hours ago when he woke up and all but shoved me aside trying to find you.”
Sehun bustled about the room, opening drapes to let light in.
“Honestly, for all its beauty young love is a pain. You two will be able to reunite tomorrow before Crown Prince Yifan’s coronation. In the meantime, I need you,” Sehun jabbed his bony finger in Jongin’s direction as he moved to the door, “to rest. Please. Stay put.”
Sehun waved two fingers towards his eyes and pointed one back at Jongin, a silent “I’m watching you” and Jongin nodded obediently. As soon as the green doctor shut the door, however, he flopped back in bed and thought as hard as he could about Baekhyun. Twice now he’d teleported to Chanyeol just by wanting to be there badly enough. He imagined holding Baekhyun’s hand, he imagined wrapping his best friend in a warm hug, he imagined Tao there too.
“Ahhh!”
Jongin opened his eyes. He was still in bed, but this time he was in Baekhyun’s bedroom, snug between him and Tao. He grinned at Tao’s terrified face as Baekhyun flipped on the light.
“Hi, guys!”
Three hours later the friends sat in Baekhyun’s living room, cold cups of untouched tea around them. Baekhyun and Tao took turns explaining how they moved from safe house to safe house until the last of the terror group on Earth had been rounded up and arrested, and then Jongin had shared everything that had happened to him since the three had split up.
“Wow,” said Tao, “that’s entirely insane. How has your power gotten so strong?”
“Actually,” Jongin started shyly, and uncharacteristic blush on his face, “part of it was because Chanyeol was there, and he just makes me better.”
“You are absolutely, disgustingly in love and it is the best thing I have ever seen,” Baekhyun interrupted to say, Tao nodding beside him in enthusiastic awe.
Jongin only swatted at both of them, strength still low.
“But all those times I was headed to a place I’d seen before. Me getting us to Vangelion surface, and getting myself to you guys without knowing where you were,” Jongin inhaled before sighing out, “I think that extra power was something I always had, and it came back when I regained my memories.”
“You what?!”
“Shit Jongin, what do you remember?”
“Everything. I remember my childhood on Vangel, as well as anyone else remembers their early years, and I remember that month I lost. I think when the guy who put the spell on me died the block holding back my memories broke.”
Tao and Baekhyun let out a loud cheer.
“That’s fucking great, man!”
“Thanks Tao. But I was wondering… do you guys think I should tell Chanyeol?”
“Kim Jongin,” Baekhyun deadpanned, “why would you not?”
“I don’t know.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Just, he’s loved me in some way or form most of his life. He knows he wants me. I, on the other hand… this was confusing enough when I only had a month’s worth of feelings for him to sort through, after we left you guys. You add in all the near-death experience, and of course I’m going to feel connected to him. Now I’ve got childhood feelings on top of the month on Earth’s feelings, on top of the month we spent being hunted’s feelings, on top of almost dying together.
I really feel like I should be with Chanyeol, but how can I be sure? I don’t want to get his hopes up, that I’ve got my memory back and everything’s going to be smooth sailing here on out.”
“I understand,” Tao started slowly, “but if we consider the month Chanyeol lied to us, he couldn’t have lied if he thought you were going to remember and rat him out. He was fully prepared to start over from the beginning and get to know you and go from there. I don’t think he’s gonna push you to do anything based on what you do or don’t remember. As long as you’re honest and straightforward, I think Chanyeol will be okay.”
Baekhyun hummed his agreement and added on, “And one day, a little down the road, I think you’re gonna realize that you really do like Chanyeol for who he is now, and not because of adrenaline or long lost memories. And when you do, everything is going to continue on just fine.”
“Thanks you guys, really. Now, I should probably head back to Vangel before Chanyeol notices I’m missing and tears apart the castle stone by stone.” Jongin stood and stretched with a laugh. “Do you two want to come along?”
Baekhyun eyed him warily.
“Can you move three people across the galaxy?”
“Of course. I’m serious; don’t underestimate how crazy my powers can get when it comes to taking me to wherever Chanyeol is.”
“Then I am totally down,” Tao exclaimed. “That man owes me an audience and a grant for clothing anthropology.”
The three settled back in to bed, Jongin in the center. He clasped both of their hands in his, closed eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled Chanyeol’s name. He opened his eyes again to see Chanyeol struggling wildly in the bed Jongin had been in, trying his best to push past Sehun and another shorter man.
“Sehun, Jongdae let me up! I have to find Jongin, where is he!”
“I’m, uh, behind you.”
The three Vangelions struggling against the fluffy sheets all froze, turning to look back a Jongin in sync. It creeped him out a bit, and he raised Baekhyun and Tao’s hands in the air, shaking their arms.
“Hey, I’m back. And I brought guests!”
╔╗
Yifan’s coronation was a huge success. Gongyoo had given a beautiful speech before stepping down to turn the throne over to his eldest son, and the people had received him well. As his first act as King, Yifan had presented Chanyeol to the people as their new General Supreme, to the great joy of everyone. A bard entered the hall and sang to all those present the story of how the Warrior Phoenix Prince battled rogue anarchists one Earth, and then again in the sky, of how his turning of those two Moments rebalanced the cosmos and undid the Greater Evil of the late Queen and General Supreme’s deaths. The night had passed with drinking and singing and dancing and eating. Yifan was in deep conversation with Tao, going through the practicalities of a clothing anthropological committee. Baekhyun and Jongdae had become fast friends, tossing insults back and forth as quickly as they passed the wine. Jongin was content, and only grew happier when he felt strong arms wrap around his middle from behind. He leaned back into Chanyeol’s embrace and let himself be rocked.
“Good evening, General Supreme.”
“Good evening, Diplomat Kim.”
Jongin twisted around to glare at the title.
“Hey, you graduated. You are a fully certified diplomat of the Empire.”
“And who officially appointed me to work?”
“I’m not sure its official yet, but I heard that new General Supreme guy wanted to put you as supervisor of that anthropology team King Yifan proposed.”
“Is this favoritism?”
“No, it’s giving the job to the qualified candidate I trust the most.”
Jongin snorted and pulled away.
“Whatever. I’m going up to my bedroom.”
Chanyeol watched Jongin walk in the opposite direction of the room Sehun had assigned him in amusement.
“Diplomat, you’re headed the wrong way.”
“No, I’m not,” Jongin looked back over his shoulder. “I’m not going to the room Sehun picked for me, I’m going to the room my parents picked for me. The one across from yours; what were you thinking letting Sehun put the shadow so far away from its firebird?”
The air crackled once, twice, and then Jongin was gone. Chanyeol watched the light in the room next to his own come on in awe. Jongin remembered. A form darkened Jongin’s window, and Chanyeol scrubbed the tears out of his eyes.
I know you can hear me thinking.
Jongin grinned where he leaned against the window sill. Chanyeol couldn’t see it but he knew those eyes were liquid warmth, wet and brown.
Yeah, I hear you Nini.
Well. Jongin cocked his head to the side. Are you gonna come up here and welcome me back properly, or should I just go to sleep? Jongin turned away from the window as if he was going to get in the bed.
Chanyeol turned and ran into the castle, across the keep and up the wide stone stairs to the tallest tower, sure footed after years of training to be a warrior. His heart pounded in his ears in time with his footfalls, and it sounded just like coming home.
previous
Soohyuk crept up on the cell house. In the past weeks he’d lost every member of the detail he brought with him to kill the Kim family. A low beeping sounded from his back pocket. He snatched the communicator out and declined the call, pointedly looking away from the screen. If he had looked, he would have seen the codename Nine Tailslit up insistently. Soohyuk knew he couldn’t continue to avoid Yeseul’s calls forever, but he loathed returning to Vangel without killing the boy child he’d missed all those years ago and returning is exactly what Yeseul would order him to do. It wasn’t enough to know that as long as he lived, the magic of his attacks would distort the boy’s memories; he wanted him dead.
And soon, it seemed, he would have what he desired. Soohyuk had no idea who was protecting the Kim offspring, but they were getting tired. Clues littered the cell house, proof that the two had been there, and more clues gave him an idea of where the two were headed. They were poorly concealed, but not for lack of trying. The room looked like the sloppy results of an exhausted attempt to clean, and it made Soohyuk positively giddy. So much so that when the persistent beeping started again, he actually answered.
“I’m busy, Yeseul.”
“We have codenames for a reason, you imbecile.” The little speaker crackled from where he held it a loft, Yeseul’s voice broadcasting clear in the cell house’s front yard.
“Hush, my lady nine tails, no one’s here to overhear.”
“You’ve been gone far too long. Is it done? Did you complete your task?”
Soohyuk rolled his eyes at the clipped impatient tone. He never did like the way she spoke to him; it was too imperious, too condescending. At times he wondered if she was ever truly for the dissolution of the Empire at all. Regardless of her intentions, Soohyuk knew his only hope for success was to remain within the palace walls, and so he needed to keep her happy.
“I haven’t completed it yet; I’ve got them backed into a corner. Tonight I’ll strike, and return to Vangel in the morning, and maybe then you’ll tell me exactly how you plan to aid my cause.”
“Yes, yes, anarchy, blood and fire and all that. I suppose that will have to do. Just be quicker about it.”
The call cut off and the speaker fell silent. Soohyuk moved languidly to his starcruiser, already arrogant with expected success, and flew off in the direction the evidence indicated.
Jongin popped out from behind a large bush just as Chanyeol released the glamor that’d concealed the two of them and muffled any noise they made. Chanyeol’s face was hard as pushed his palms against the soil, pulling the starcruiser he’d hidden in the crust top side like a plank breaking the surface to settle on top of water.
“That’s definitely the man who’s trying to kill me. But, who is the woman he was taking orders from, Yeseul?”
“The King’s wife, Duchess Yeseul,” Chanyeol cracked his neck before flinging the starcruiser door open and striding inside.
Jongin bit at his lip as he watched Chanyeol go. He still didn’t remember Chanyeol, and he was horrendously tetchy at times, but this was the first time he’d ever seen the taller man genuinely angry. You still don’t know anything about this man; just because he clearly has feelings for you doesn’t mean you can take advantage of him; it doesn’t matter how sexy he looks slamming things around. Jongin berated himself internally before following him into the ship, careful not stare for too long the striking figure Chanyeol cut starting up the ship. He should be used to this sight by now, but it still got to him.
“Chanyeol? Are you okay? What are we going to do now?” Jongin slid into the first mate seat beside Chanyeol and tried to get his companion out of his head and talking.
Chanyeol stayed quiet, guiding the starcruiser away from the outpost planet in the opposite direction from where they’d tricked Soohyuk into heading. It took him more than a few deep breaths to unclench his jaw, and even then he still slammed the control panel and yanked at various levers to put the vessel on coast before slumping in his chair.
“No. No, I’m not okay,” Chanyeol scrubbed a hand across his eyes and turned to look at Jongin. “If that man is Yeseul’s goon, and also with the anarchy sect, and he’s here to attempt killing you a second time- this means that Yeseul is responsible for at least sending him on the first attack on your family, and either aided or orchestrated the deaths of my parents.”
“And she must be planning something else if she’s sent him back for me.”
“I’m not sure what she wants, but she needs to be shut down. We’re going back to Vangel, and we’re going to confront her.” Chanyeol sighed and keyed in a new destination. He stood and gestured for Jongin to follow him into the back sleeping area. “Come help me push the beds aside to make space. You need more training before we can go challenge the King’s wife.”
╔╗
Soohyuk circled the new cell house slowly. He’d made his way to an outpost planet neighboring the one he’d just left, quickly following the trail of vaporous asteroid-like clouds. The new hideout was next to a field large enough for landing and had been poorly glamored. Certain that no traps awaited him outside, Soohyuk approached the back door, easily breaking the locks. Tch, amateurs. The door swung open to reveal… nothing. There was nothing in the single room, no food, no clothes, no sign of life. Soohyuk noticed the door to the bathroom was ajar, and headed for it immediately, anger building. There was nothing in there either, accept a piece of paper hanging from the shower head. It looked like a note. Careful in case it sprung a trap, Soohyuk mover closer to read what it said.
TO: The Strange Man with the Long Hair and the Threatening Face
AHA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HA! HAHAHA! HA!
Yeah, we’re not here.
FROM: You Know Who We Are, and You Know We’re Better than You, Don’t You?
Soohyuk kicked at the door, making it bounce off the wall, and marched back to his own ship. He generally did well at staying detached from his… assignments. But oh, as soon as he found these smug little shits. Jongin and whoever this supremely talented magical being with him was. He was going to make sure he savored their deaths.
╔╗
Yeseul waited impatiently for Soohyuk to pick up in Chanyeol’s study, looking around her for a potential clue to his whereabouts. She’d just returned from an audience with the King- or rather, that’s what it was called. In truth, she’d had less of his attention than she’d ever had before. In the past he would split his time between their relationship and work, but at least when she went to see him he would focus solely on her. This time he’d hardly listened to a word she said, and when she’d asked what was bothering him he’d told her he was thinking of Chanyeol.
“Pick up, you starblasted rat bastard,” she muttered under her breath. She was done waiting on Soohyuk to find Jongin. Either he was dead by now or he wasn’t, and she needed to focus her resources on finding Chanyeol and cutting him down. She glared at the wall. She’d had his starblasted mother killed for taking attention or authority away from her, and she had absolutely no qualms doing the same to him.
She snapped the communicator closed and then opened it again, cutting off her previous call and calling Soohyuk again, and counted each low beep. This time, he answered after seven beeps.
“Celestials above Yeseul, what?!”
“Abandon your mission. I don’t care if he’s dead or not, you’re going to find the phoenix born prince.”
“Yeseul, I won’t do that.”
“You obey me! I am your leader, and I order you to stand down. I want Chanyeol found dead by Vangel’s second sunrise tomorrow; I’ve already dispatched my force to our third moon on the edge of Vangel’s orbit. Meet them there now, and I’ll be along in the morning to take credit for the discovery of that wretched boy’s body.”
She was met with silence.
“You? You are my leader? You were never going to destroy the government were you, Yeseul?”
“Lee Soohyuk, you listen to me-”
“Not possible, Lady Nine tails.”
“What? Yes it is, I see you in Chanyeol’s tapestry. You’re a few hours away from the meet up point, just head left and-”
“Shut up, you lying wretch. I’ve got the ship holding Kim Jongin in my sights right now. I’m going to kill that punk, and then, I’m coming for you.”
The communication cut off. Yeseul could only fume. It was fine if Soohyuk wouldn’t lead her army. She’d lead them herself. Yeseul turned and rushed towards the flight field, ready to take on the world.
╔╗
“…in! Jongin! Wake up!”
Jongin sat up to blaring klaxon alarms and red lights flashing, and the low hum of the Impending Moment signal. Chanyeol was pulling at the control stick, trying to maneuver evasively, only managing to avoid about half of the volley of pulse shots assaulting them. Jongin was instantly alert, strapping his sword to his hip and grabbing his pulse gun before stumbling up front by Chanyeol. The ship keeled and the floor slanted, forcing Jongin to grab hold of Chanyeol’s chair.
“What the hell is happening?” He pushed himself into the first mate seat and buckled down, peering out the window at the lone ship attacking them. It was sleeker and faster than Chanyeol’s starcruiser, almost impossible to see with its light absorbing black hull.
“It’s that starblasted anarchist tracker. It only took him a week but he’s finally caught up with us, and with such a lovely gift too.”
Jongin watched Chanyeol struggle to fly and attack, and made a decision.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of the plan, Jongin.”
“No, I mean, I’m going to teleport over there and slit his throat.”
Jongin saw Chanyeol pause, eyes widened, before suddenly swinging the ship in a wide arc to avoid a new volley.
“Jongin, you can’t teleport across space!”
“I can, and I have before.”
“Yes, from one fixed location to the next. The way we’re moving around and he’s moving around- it’s too much of a risk, I can’t let you take it.”
Chanyeol knew he sounded frantic, pleading with Jongin to see reason. Mostly because he knew that with one hand flying the ship and the other manning the guns, he had no way to physically restrain Jongin if he chose to pop out of the craft. He felt Jongin’s eyes on him, could see the fond gaze out of the corner of his eye.
“Chanyeol. We loved each other as children, didn’t we?”
“Jongin, please.”
“And we were falling for each other again on Earth, weren’t we?”
Chanyeol let off a series of shots, most of them wide but enough struck true that he could see the outline of the other ship more clearly.
“Don’t go, Jongin, don’t do this. You said you weren’t going to leave me.”
“I’m going; I’m going to do my damndest to come back to you, but in case I don’t make it you should know: I don’t know that I’ll ever recall our childhood, and I still don’t remember meeting you on Earth. But we must be soulmates, Prince Chanyeol, because in these past few weeks of hiding I’ve fallen for you all over again. We really do always come back together, don’t we?”
Jongin reached over and slammed the automatic pulse control. The ships guns rained compressed electricity out into space, and as soon as enough hit the anarchist ship to show its exact outline, Jongin crowed.
“Got ‘em!”
And with a snap he was gone.
╔╗
“What do you mean the Crown Duchess stole a flight ship?”
“Exactly, that sire. Duchess Yeseul has stolen a flight ship, and it appears she’s going to meet a rouge army on the edge of our borders.” Jongdae fixed King Gongyoo with a baleful stare. Months had gone by without Chanyeol around, and the small advisor had long since lost any concern he had for saving face and demurring to the King.
“My wife is going head to head with a rogue army by herself?”
“Actually, Father,” Yifan cut in, “it would seem the illegal force is under Mother’s command.”
“By all the stars in sky, the woman has finally gone mad, hasn’t she?” King Gongyoo looked back and forth between the two men in his study incredulously.
“In all fairness, sire, you haven’t been much better than her recently.”
Jongdae stared down at the desk in front of the King passively, but inside he was kicking himself repeatedly. The King’s behavior had been increasingly foolish, to be sure, and Jongdae’s behavior had been increasingly impertinent also. That didn’t negate that there was a line he shouldn’t cross, even if he’d spent the past two months toeing it.
“Kim Jongdae, how dare you.” The King rose slowly from his chair, cheeks slowly flushing. He was angry, and the next words out of his mouth were probably meant to be some terrible punishment for the small advisor’s insolence. No one but Gongyoo would ever know exactly what that punishment would have been because before he could get a word out his son interrupted.
“Actually, Your Majesty, Jongdae is right.”
“You too, Yifan?”
Yifan stood from his own chair and stepped forward near Jongdae.
“Honestly Father, Chanyeol has never wanted the throne. He has never challenged my claim to it though his mother the Queen’s blood is far more royal than yours and Duchess Yeseul’s combined, and he could rightfully take it. All he wanted was to head the military, so why did you run him off with your constant attempts to marry him off to some low-bred nobleman’s daughter?”
Jongdae stared intently at the drapes in the study, sure that if he looked at the King’s flustered face he would laugh out loud; he’d tried his luck enough for one day. It was possible that even the bright swaths of fabric decorating the windows wouldn’t save him as he fought back chuckles brought on my King Gongyoo’s stammering.
“What? Yifan, I never… dr-dr-drove him off? I didn’t- he- someone forged him a letter!”
Yifan sat on the edge of the desk, and rested a hand on his father’s shoulder. It was the most casual Jongdae had ever seen both men and it was fascinating.
“Father, Chanyeol wrote himself that letter.”
“On every star that has fallen from the sky, what?!”
Gongyoo and Yifan turned to look at Jongdae; then Gongyoo turned back to his son, arm gesturing wildly in Jongdae’s direction.
“Yeah, yeah, what Advisor Kim said; what?!”
“I didn’t know it at first, but by the end of the third week I’d figured it out. I only noticed because the kitchen cooks had a menu “from the King” stating that they were to serve Prince Chanyeol warm cinnamon buns for breakfast every morning and again in his room after dinner. I compared the menu with the letter; they hand is exactly the same. At some point Chanyeol learned to forge the King’s penmanship, and used it to get extra desserts and to avoid affiancing a random girl.”
“My Prince, why didn’t you say something?”
Yifan shrugged off Jongdae’s question, “Honestly, Chanyeol should have been out exploring the Empire and getting a feel for our inhabitants years ago. I saw no need to have him brought back, so I let it go.”
“You didn’t see a need,” Gongyoo looked as if he were about to faint, one hand held out in front of him as his eyes rolled and then widened, fixed on the Crown Prince. “What about the family I prepared for him to marry into? Was that not a good enough reason to share?”
“Jongdae, tell him.”
“My Prince, really, it’s an honor just to be a part of this conversation; I don’t need to participate.”
“No, I want you to tell my Father what you told me six weeks ago.”
“Yes Advisor Kim, what, pray tell, did you tell my son six weeks ago that you didn’t need to tell me?”
“Your Grace, I would have told you first, but since Yifan was placed in charge of handling the public image of Chanyeol’s disappearance I informed him, and he said I need not worry you about it. The young woman you found had no desire to marry for politics. She was, is, in love with her head lady-in-waiting and the two of them eloped a week after the failed engagement event.”
Yifan nodded and raised one palm in a shrug, as if to say See?
“That was before I even realized Chanyeol had snuck off on his own. He didn’t go searching for his parents’ killers, and there was no marriage for him to come back to. So, no, I didn’t see a need to share my information, and as you placed me in charge of handling the disappearance, not sharing was my prerogative.”
The King sank back down into his chair, overwhelmed with the information.
“I truly, have no idea to do with all of this.”
Jongdae decided to try and toe the line a little bit more.
“Sire, if you would hear the suggestion of a humble advisor, I would say that you should probably send an armada to collect the rebel army and its leader, your wife.”
Yifan hid a smile at Jongdae’s cheekiness and the King’s heavy sigh.
“I suppose you’re right, Advisor Kim. Yifan, call the troops. We have to go battle your mother.”
╔╗
Jongin opened his eyes but couldn’t see much. He waited as his eyes adjusted so he could see; the interior of the ship was dark, everything constructed out of obsidian colored metals with sharp angles and sleek lines. The ground was a black metal grate, the inner machinations of the ship and the engine visible below. In the center was a circular raised platform that was half ringed with a metal rail. The front half of the circle was walled in by a button less control panel. Soohyuk stood in the center of the circle, hands raised over the panel. His fingers curled and flicked, shots firing out of the ship in any direction he pointed.
Jongin knew he had the upper hand, but only for the moment. The second Soohyuk realized he’d been boarded Jongin would be at the evil man’s mercy. The pulse gun at his side was too risky; it gave a quiet hum right before it fired and he couldn’t chance Soohyuk hearing the noise. He unsheathed his sword carefully, quietly. It was bigger than he’d like, but it was all he had. Jongin waited for Chanyeol’s next volley of shots, hoping the man would continue to defend himself as if Jongin were still on board. Sure enough, the next blast came quick and continuous, knocking Soohyuk slightly off balance. In that moment, Jongin teleported forward onto the platform; as soon as his body materialized enough to make the swing he brought the sword down on Soohyuk’s neck.
His swing wasn’t strong enough; he didn’t cut deep enough for an instant kill. Soohyuk collapsed in front of him, the ship keeling with his movements. The felled man cursed at Jongin in a raspy voice, trying to talk around his dying breaths.
“You disgusting, royal loving, prince following sheep. You’re blinded by the government,” he gasped and choked on his own tongue, “and your shit parents were too. I did them a favor, ending their lives.”
Jongin’s jaw set.
“You have no idea who I love, nor how far I’d follow the prince. As for the favor you did my parents, please, allow me to return it to you.” He swung his blade in an arc, and this time hit true.
The room was spinning, and Jongin couldn’t tell if it was him or the ship going down without a captain to guide it. His vision went fuzzy around the edges; with the last of his strength he reached for the familiar crackle of energy around him, only one thought on his mind.
Chanyeol.
╔╗
Chanyeol hadn’t quit worrying since Jongin teleported away, but at least he had the battle with Soohyuk to distract him. When the firing stopped he remained seated, staring at where he saw the guns blazing out of the space sky. He could only make out a vague outline of the ship, even with his powers. Whatever that ship was made out of was like a magical black hole. And then it was completely visible, matte black and falling, hurtling down into Vangel’s moon’s gravitational pull.
“Jongin!”
Chanyeol was ready to dive bomb after the hunk of metal when a dull whump behind him sounded. He whipped around to see Jongin lying on the floor, body curling into the fetal position as he coughed out blood. The prince carefully lifted the boy up into his arms to take him back to the bed space when a bright light shone through the front glass. Chanyeol looked outside and cradled Jongin closer on reflex. There in the sky hung Duchess Yeseul, backed by a small army of vessels.
The next fifteen minutes were some of the most nerve wracking of Chanyeol’s life. Jongin was strapped into the first mate’s chair, body trying to fight its way into consciousness. All of the sharp turns and corkscrews Chanyeol was flying in couldn’t have been helping, but it was the only way to avoid being shot out of the air as every other vessel in the sky unloaded on them. Chanyeol flew towards the moon, slightly to its left. He pushed the starcruiser to the highest speed he could reach, Yeseul hot on his tail, and dropped out of warp just as they got caught in the moon’s orbit. Chanyeol let the huge rock’s gravity sling shot them around the other side and kicked the warp back into gear just in time to pull out of orbit on the dark side. It was a small victory, as it got rid of the armada, but Yeseul was right there with him. She hailed him on the video feed; it took Chanyeol a few seconds to compose himself enough to answer.
The front window changed into a view of Yeseul’s face.
“Hello, Chanyeol dear. Oh look, and little Jongin too. He doesn’t look very good, does he?”
“You murdering bitch.” Ok, maybe I’m not as composed as I thought.
Chanyeol faced a corner of the screen instead of looking at Yeseul directly. He could see her fleet making their way around the side of the moon. More importantly, he could see the Imperial Armada flying under him and Yeseul to go engage said rogue fleet.
“Look, the King’s men are here, Yeseul. Give it up.”
“I am a Duchess! Address me as such!!”
Her face was absolutely livid, pinched with anger and hate. It was sad really; she had been one of the most beautiful women on Vangel before. Chanyeol could only shake his head. Ugly insides don’t make for gorgeous outsides.
“You don’t deserve my respect.”
Yeseul glowered at him through the monitor.
“You ungrateful, disrespectful, conniving little monster. I should have killed Jongin the first time, and killed you along with your parents.”
Chanyeol cut off the video screen and turned on the automatic navigation. He turned the ship so its airlock faced Yeseul, typed in that the ship should head back to Vangel, and then made sure Jongin was secure before walking to the air lock. It was a selfish move, with no thought for Jongin or the Empire. All Chanyeol wanted was Yeseul dead, and if he died in the process then he died. He slammed his fist down on the red button. The ship ejected him from the hold, hurtling his body through the airless void into the arms of his enemy.
Jongin woke with a start as the starcruiser shuddered. On either side and behind the starcruiser, war waged. Fires sparked as ships rammed each other, shot each other out of the sky. Jongin was alone in the cabin; no matter how he called Chanyeol didn’t answer. He felt himself growing more and more nervous when a flying piece of debris caught his eye. He leaned into the glass, stomach sinking to his feet. It looked like a body… like… Chanyeol’s. The floating man suddenly burst into flames. He hung suspended in the breast of giant fiery bird of prey, its beak a hot blue and its tail resplendent white compared to the rest of its red orange body. The large phoenix screeched as it flapped its wings, ships melting entirely when grazed by the feathers, and then it dived down towards the main ship of the opposing army.
The display was magnificent, but Jongin couldn’t bring himself to care. All he saw was Chanyeol, there in the center of the inferno, body limp. Jongin wanted nothing more than to hold him close, to fly out there and pull Chanyeol into his embrace and then take them both to safety. He wanted, he wanted, he wanted…
He was. Jongin felt his skin flaking from the heat, but that didn’t prevent shaky hands from extending for Chanyeol. In the very next moment they both dropped down into a field, back in breathable air. Jongin saw people dressed in bright colors rushing towards him and then closed his eyes, curling into Chanyeol’s chest and listening for shallow breaths before he passed out again.
╔╗
Yeseul screamed when the phoenix erupted in front of her ship. She threw the starcruiser into reverse, trying desperately to get away.
I knew it, I knew it, the firebird always gets the fox; he always does he always does he always-
The bird was diving, gaining on her. She couldn’t go backwards fast enough. And then, like a nightmare come to life, her nightmare come to life, an inky black shadow pooled right over the phoenix’s heart and then exploded outwards. Her agonized wails cut off abruptly as the ship’s hull was consumed in fire. The bird disappeared, leaving not a trace of Yeseul nor her ship.
╔╗
Jongin woke up in a plush bed in a wide room, wearing loose pale blue garments. It was the biggest room he’d been in in weeks and it left him feeling uncomfortable and exposed. He sat up just as the door opened and a man in bright green flowing robes entered.
“Ah, Jongin, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Uh, sore and tired.”
“Mm, that’s to be expected. My name is Sehun, and I’m a healer here. You’re on Vangel’s surface, in the palace.”
Jongin jerked at the mention of the palace, stumbling to get out of bed. He didn’t make it far before Sehun was beside him pushing him back under the covers.
“No, you don’t understand, I have to-”
“Shh, I do understand. The Warrior Prince is alright.”
That made Jongin pause.
“He is?”
Jongin squirmed under the knowing smile.
“He is. He’s banged up and bruised and exhausted like you are, but Prince Chanyeol is fine. I had this exact conversation with him two hours ago when he woke up and all but shoved me aside trying to find you.”
Sehun bustled about the room, opening drapes to let light in.
“Honestly, for all its beauty young love is a pain. You two will be able to reunite tomorrow before Crown Prince Yifan’s coronation. In the meantime, I need you,” Sehun jabbed his bony finger in Jongin’s direction as he moved to the door, “to rest. Please. Stay put.”
Sehun waved two fingers towards his eyes and pointed one back at Jongin, a silent “I’m watching you” and Jongin nodded obediently. As soon as the green doctor shut the door, however, he flopped back in bed and thought as hard as he could about Baekhyun. Twice now he’d teleported to Chanyeol just by wanting to be there badly enough. He imagined holding Baekhyun’s hand, he imagined wrapping his best friend in a warm hug, he imagined Tao there too.
“Ahhh!”
Jongin opened his eyes. He was still in bed, but this time he was in Baekhyun’s bedroom, snug between him and Tao. He grinned at Tao’s terrified face as Baekhyun flipped on the light.
“Hi, guys!”
Three hours later the friends sat in Baekhyun’s living room, cold cups of untouched tea around them. Baekhyun and Tao took turns explaining how they moved from safe house to safe house until the last of the terror group on Earth had been rounded up and arrested, and then Jongin had shared everything that had happened to him since the three had split up.
“Wow,” said Tao, “that’s entirely insane. How has your power gotten so strong?”
“Actually,” Jongin started shyly, and uncharacteristic blush on his face, “part of it was because Chanyeol was there, and he just makes me better.”
“You are absolutely, disgustingly in love and it is the best thing I have ever seen,” Baekhyun interrupted to say, Tao nodding beside him in enthusiastic awe.
Jongin only swatted at both of them, strength still low.
“But all those times I was headed to a place I’d seen before. Me getting us to Vangelion surface, and getting myself to you guys without knowing where you were,” Jongin inhaled before sighing out, “I think that extra power was something I always had, and it came back when I regained my memories.”
“You what?!”
“Shit Jongin, what do you remember?”
“Everything. I remember my childhood on Vangel, as well as anyone else remembers their early years, and I remember that month I lost. I think when the guy who put the spell on me died the block holding back my memories broke.”
Tao and Baekhyun let out a loud cheer.
“That’s fucking great, man!”
“Thanks Tao. But I was wondering… do you guys think I should tell Chanyeol?”
“Kim Jongin,” Baekhyun deadpanned, “why would you not?”
“I don’t know.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Just, he’s loved me in some way or form most of his life. He knows he wants me. I, on the other hand… this was confusing enough when I only had a month’s worth of feelings for him to sort through, after we left you guys. You add in all the near-death experience, and of course I’m going to feel connected to him. Now I’ve got childhood feelings on top of the month on Earth’s feelings, on top of the month we spent being hunted’s feelings, on top of almost dying together.
I really feel like I should be with Chanyeol, but how can I be sure? I don’t want to get his hopes up, that I’ve got my memory back and everything’s going to be smooth sailing here on out.”
“I understand,” Tao started slowly, “but if we consider the month Chanyeol lied to us, he couldn’t have lied if he thought you were going to remember and rat him out. He was fully prepared to start over from the beginning and get to know you and go from there. I don’t think he’s gonna push you to do anything based on what you do or don’t remember. As long as you’re honest and straightforward, I think Chanyeol will be okay.”
Baekhyun hummed his agreement and added on, “And one day, a little down the road, I think you’re gonna realize that you really do like Chanyeol for who he is now, and not because of adrenaline or long lost memories. And when you do, everything is going to continue on just fine.”
“Thanks you guys, really. Now, I should probably head back to Vangel before Chanyeol notices I’m missing and tears apart the castle stone by stone.” Jongin stood and stretched with a laugh. “Do you two want to come along?”
Baekhyun eyed him warily.
“Can you move three people across the galaxy?”
“Of course. I’m serious; don’t underestimate how crazy my powers can get when it comes to taking me to wherever Chanyeol is.”
“Then I am totally down,” Tao exclaimed. “That man owes me an audience and a grant for clothing anthropology.”
The three settled back in to bed, Jongin in the center. He clasped both of their hands in his, closed eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled Chanyeol’s name. He opened his eyes again to see Chanyeol struggling wildly in the bed Jongin had been in, trying his best to push past Sehun and another shorter man.
“Sehun, Jongdae let me up! I have to find Jongin, where is he!”
“I’m, uh, behind you.”
The three Vangelions struggling against the fluffy sheets all froze, turning to look back a Jongin in sync. It creeped him out a bit, and he raised Baekhyun and Tao’s hands in the air, shaking their arms.
“Hey, I’m back. And I brought guests!”
╔╗
Yifan’s coronation was a huge success. Gongyoo had given a beautiful speech before stepping down to turn the throne over to his eldest son, and the people had received him well. As his first act as King, Yifan had presented Chanyeol to the people as their new General Supreme, to the great joy of everyone. A bard entered the hall and sang to all those present the story of how the Warrior Phoenix Prince battled rogue anarchists one Earth, and then again in the sky, of how his turning of those two Moments rebalanced the cosmos and undid the Greater Evil of the late Queen and General Supreme’s deaths. The night had passed with drinking and singing and dancing and eating. Yifan was in deep conversation with Tao, going through the practicalities of a clothing anthropological committee. Baekhyun and Jongdae had become fast friends, tossing insults back and forth as quickly as they passed the wine. Jongin was content, and only grew happier when he felt strong arms wrap around his middle from behind. He leaned back into Chanyeol’s embrace and let himself be rocked.
“Good evening, General Supreme.”
“Good evening, Diplomat Kim.”
Jongin twisted around to glare at the title.
“Hey, you graduated. You are a fully certified diplomat of the Empire.”
“And who officially appointed me to work?”
“I’m not sure its official yet, but I heard that new General Supreme guy wanted to put you as supervisor of that anthropology team King Yifan proposed.”
“Is this favoritism?”
“No, it’s giving the job to the qualified candidate I trust the most.”
Jongin snorted and pulled away.
“Whatever. I’m going up to my bedroom.”
Chanyeol watched Jongin walk in the opposite direction of the room Sehun had assigned him in amusement.
“Diplomat, you’re headed the wrong way.”
“No, I’m not,” Jongin looked back over his shoulder. “I’m not going to the room Sehun picked for me, I’m going to the room my parents picked for me. The one across from yours; what were you thinking letting Sehun put the shadow so far away from its firebird?”
The air crackled once, twice, and then Jongin was gone. Chanyeol watched the light in the room next to his own come on in awe. Jongin remembered. A form darkened Jongin’s window, and Chanyeol scrubbed the tears out of his eyes.
I know you can hear me thinking.
Jongin grinned where he leaned against the window sill. Chanyeol couldn’t see it but he knew those eyes were liquid warmth, wet and brown.
Yeah, I hear you Nini.
Well. Jongin cocked his head to the side. Are you gonna come up here and welcome me back properly, or should I just go to sleep? Jongin turned away from the window as if he was going to get in the bed.
Chanyeol turned and ran into the castle, across the keep and up the wide stone stairs to the tallest tower, sure footed after years of training to be a warrior. His heart pounded in his ears in time with his footfalls, and it sounded just like coming home.
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