like the new header??

⛓️

Seonghwa was floating, his limbs engulfed inside a dark, reflective liquid that appeared to stretch onwards into the horizon. It was freezing, and once Seonghwa became aware of where he was, he started to move, only to realize he was being weighed down by it all.

He tried to regain control of his arms and legs, but like quicksand the liquid acted as some sort of barrier that pulled him deeper and deeper into the water.

Seonghwa began to panic. He tried to swim and keep himself afloat, but it got harder to do so with every movement. He didn't know where he was, whether this place was real or just a figment of his imagination, but his fear was still prominent.

The sudden appearance of the chaotic clouds in the sky caught Seonghwa's attention, their grey colour darkening with every second that passed. Thunder roared into the air, guttural and frightening, quickly drowning out Seonghwa's frantic heartbeat.

He knew he had to get out of here, but he didn't know how. Everywhere he looked was filled to the brim with murky, dense water that kept him stubbornly stuck to one place.

Despite the ominous skies, a flock of birds lazily flew overhead, their chirps reminding the black haired male of sinister laughter. It was nothing short of eerie and isolating, as the animals paid no mind to the stormy weather nor to him.

Seonghwa looked around, trying to find something or someone that could help him get out of here -- wherever here was. The saline-smelling air was making it hard to think and act properly, and time seemed to slow down even further as he struggled to keep himself on the surface.

Then Seonghwa saw something up ahead, but it was so far away that he feared he was now seeing things. He blinked, trying his best to get the water out of his eyes and hair, soon discovering that thing in the distance still remained. It appeared to be afloat just like he was, and naturally he reached out, trying to alert whatever it was of his presence.

There's no point. They won't hear you, a voice whispered right into his ear like a snake's hiss. It frightened him greatly, because what the hell was that?

Seonghwa's arms felt like lead as he focused on swimming past the heavy waves. But it proved extremely difficult to do. It felt like he was being tied down, trapped and locked into one area, and once again Fear reared its ugly head.

You can't leave...

Seonghwa blocked out that despicable voice from his head, forcing himself to keep moving even with how much his joints hurt from it. He pushed his arms into the air and began rapidly waving, hoping that maybe whoever was out there could bring him to safety.

The water surrounding him started to give way, attempting to absorb him, but Seonghwa didn't let that deter him. He continued to move and kicked his legs further and further until that figure in the distance became more visible.

Hair. The person had hair, wet and dark. It curled around their neck, leaving only their bare shoulders exposed. The skin on their back was pale, bordering on sickly, with several minty green specks scattered over it, leaving Seonghwa to wonder if they were even human.

They turned around then, eyes a vibrant gold that shone through the dark.

Hongjoong.

Seonghwa didn't get the chance to react. As if the water had hands of its own, he was suddenly pulled under, the heavy waves suffocating him in seconds.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't do anything but sink. He fought against nothing, reflective bubbles fluttering all around him like glass. He was falling, hands grasping everywhere in an attempt to stop himself from drowning, but it wasn't working. Nothing was.

The bubbles multiplied in number, popping and simmering hotly all over his skin. But they didn't burn him.

Seonghwa continued to fall, lungs aching for oxygen, and that was when he realized how bright everything had gotten.

The water swallowing him wasn't dark anymore, but was now glowing a shimmery aquamarine, reminding him of neon. His arms flailed about once he realized that nothing was holding him in place any longer, before wincing at the heat that came in contact with his body.

He tried to propel himself upward, but the heat got even worse. He felt like he was this close to being singed, something he feared with every fibre of his being.

Just seconds away from the water reaching its boiling point, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him.

Seonghwa opened his eyes as the pain he was experiencing ceased. His heartbeat raced excessively once a familiar set of eyes met his, their touch as cold as the deep ocean.

Hongjoong, he wanted to say but couldn't for some reason, but it seemed the shorter understood him completely.

The shorter was also apparently shirtless, revealing a finely muscled torso and arms, but those weren't what caught Seonghwa's attention the most.

It was those specks that stretched over areas of Hongjoong's skin, mixing seamlessly with the colour of the water at that moment. Hongjoong's eyes were even more intense than ever, so much so that Seonghwa couldn't once look away as the shorter boy pushed them upwards.

Once they broke through the surface, Seonghwa could finally breathe properly again. He inhaled huge gulps of air, sputtering and coughing out the water that didn't belong in his body. It was fucking embarrassing, but Hongjoong stayed silent while it happened.

"...Why are you here?" Hongjoong asked, his voice strangely echoey.

Seonghwa's heart skipped a beat. He focused anywhere but at the shorter's shirtless self, raking his hands through his hair. "I'm dreaming. ...Right?"

Hongjoong wasn't looking his way. In fact, ever since they came up he'd angled his body away from Seonghwa, almost like he didn't want the taller staring at him; at his body.

"You're in my dream," Hongjoong replied, his face betraying no emotions. "Why are you here?"

Seonghwa inhaled. "I'm in your dream? How?"

"I have no fucking idea. That's why I'm asking you."

The taller felt his frustration rise. "Okay -- Why are you so pissy?" Hongjoong still didn't face him, so Seonghwa swam to him and held his arm.

"Let me go." Hongjoong's voice was rough. Heavy. Like he was barely keeping himself together.

"What a nice thing to say to a guy who you locked lips with just a day ago," Seonghwa said, tone dripping with sarcasm. He didn't understand why the shorter male was being like this, why he was hiding himself away from him. "Seriously, what's going on?"

Hongjoong yanked his arm off, only for Seonghwa to move so close that their foreheads nearly touched.

Hongjoong immediately stared in another direction, his jaw clenched. "Don't look at me."

Realization slowly dawned on Seonghwa, especially with how standoffish the shorter was acting and how he avoided eye contact with Seonghwa every chance he got. His anger dissipated, his gaze softening.

"...If you think there's something wrong with how you look right now, then you're mistaken," Seonghwa whispered, noticing how Hongjoong continued to keep his head low. "I think you look very cool."

"Yeah right." Hongjoong scoffed, flashing a disbelieving smile. His canines appeared a lot more pronounced, but they didn't bother Seonghwa. Nothing about the shorter did.

Seonghwa moved even closer, giving Hongjoong no other option but to look into his eyes. Those splotches of mint green coloured his face too, but they were far less than the ones across his chest and back. They were glossy and transparent as well, reminding the taller of emeralds.

"Don't...stare at me like that," Hongjoong muttered, voice bordering on a whisper. He was nervous, jittery. "I look ugly like this."

Seonghwa didn't know how Hongjoong could say that about himself considering the untouchable aura he always gave off, as well as how flamboyantly he dressed nearly everyday. But then he remembered that one course on human psychology he had with San during his freshman year. It'd talked about how people who overdressed usually used their clothes as some sort of shield to protect themselves from the world. They often dressed like that to hide how empty they felt on the inside.

Seonghwa had never given that class a second thought until today, and now as he and Hongjoong stared at each other, everything started to make total sense.

"You're not ugly like this," Seonghwa said. "You're not ugly at all."

He let his thumb and index finger softly frame Hongjoong's chin, enamoured with how the smaller boy's long lashes remained perfectly curled despite their bodies being soaked not too long ago.

The water encircling them was still a bright sea green, making the glowing splotches on Hongjoong's skin stand out even more. The shorter's breath hitched as their chests pressed against each other, shoulders tensing. But, he made made no move to stop Seonghwa.

"You don't find me scary?" Hongjoong asked. It was subtle -- the uncertainty in his tone -- and if Seonghwa hadn't been listening closely he would've totally missed it.

Seonghwa rested his arms over Hongjoong's bare shoulders, the latter's cool body sending pleasant shivers down his spine. He leaned in, hooded eyes slowly shutting when Hongjoong's lips found his.

The shorter's lips were just as soft as Seonghwa remembered them to be, asserting the right amount of pressure that coils of heat pooled inside his stomach and his knees got weak.

Hongjoong's grip around Seonghwa's waist was tight but not restrictive, gently planting kisses all over his skin. He didn't seem to mind that they were both currently wet as hell. But then again, Seonghwa didn't mind either.

He pulled back after some time, heart thumping feverishly beneath his ribs. His and Hongjoong's foreheads were now touching, but he liked that too much to step away.

"Is that a good enough answer?" Seonghwa asked, weaving his hands within Hongjoong's damp locks. The latter melted into his touch right away, peering up at him through his golden eyes.

And god, he looked so breathtaking.

Hongjoong cupped the taller's face in his small hands, pecking him again. "You're so fucking cheesy."

Seonghwa smiled into the kiss, happy that he'd finally gotten through to him. "Yeah, I know."

Seonghwa opened his eyes. He then took notice of the table before him, as well as the rumbling movement beneath his feet. There was also someone's head resting on his shoulder, their eyes closed but their lips quirked into this faint smile.

Hongjoong's palm lingered on Seonghwa's lap. "Go back to sleep. We were just making out," he mumbled, keeping his voice so low that only the taller male could hear it.

Yunho sat across from them, head placed on his folded arm as he peered through the train's large windows, admiring the exuberant reds, oranges and purples colourfully splayed over the city below them.

Seonghwa's face felt hot. Right. Hongjoong and Yunho had gotten rid of some Mons about an hour ago and decided to head to this place called 'Neon Nights' by train with him (mostly because they felt like using a train and also because Seonghwa had begged to come along, but he didn't like admitting that).

Which led them to this moment.

Hongjoong patted his chest, gaining his attention. The boy then opened an eye. "Sleep. Now."

"I can't. I've already woken up," Seonghwa whisper-yelled in response, which in turn made Yunho watch them both. Nervousness bubbled in his chest at the taller's stare, but Yunho just softly smiled.

"There are fireworks up in the sky right now," Yunho told them, excitement clouding his tone. "Wanna see?"

Since Seonghwa was closer to the windows, he shifted in order to see what Yunho was referring at more clearly, causing Hongjoong to nearly topple off of him.

"Park Seonghwa," the shorter yelped, adding some select few curses along with it that Seonghwa himself couldn't help but laugh at.

"Are you okay?" Yunho asked his brother, but it was obvious he was also amused.

"Very," Hongjoong sarcastically answered.

Fireworks of every shade and size scattered across the starless skies, putting the moon's glow to shame. They were like paint splattered over a canvas, sprinkling lights reminiscent of fire in every direction until they eventually fizzled out. The sight was ethereal, and Seonghwa couldn't turn away from it.

That was, until Hongjoong snugged up on his lap, yellowish eyes shining with playfulness.

Seonghwa's heart did a thing once he saw Hongjoong staring coquettishly up at him, and he suddenly had an urge to pull him close and never let go.

"I'm falling asleep on your lap and you can't tell me anything," Hongjoong purred, looking very satisfied with himself. And Seonghwa, well, Seonghwa's heart wouldn't stay still.

"We're heading out soon, though," Yunho clarified. He kept looking out the window, only sparing the two other boys a couple glances every now and then. Contrary to what Seonghwa had feared, he didn't look affected by how touchy his brother was with him. Although he wasn't smiling as much anymore, he still seemed okay with it.

"Don't care." Hongjoong blew the tallest a raspberry, and then shut his eyes.

In times like these, Seonghwa remembered just how childish the shorter could be. But it was...charming, so to speak. Seonghwa found it cute.

Hongjoong smiled then, probably at something he'd thought of at that moment. Very cute.

Seonghwa's phone vibrated in his jeans a second later. He took it out, pulse racing once he saw the contact name.

- mings
good evening, hwa
sorry i couldnt make it to see u after work
is everything alright?

Seonghwa almost jerked when he felt Hongjoong lightly scribbling invisible lines over his thighs, but managed to restrain himself on time. He could hear the shorter boy giggling maliciously to himself, only to loudly hiss as soon as Seonghwa viciously pinched his arm.

- seongs
yep. yep, everything is a-okay

- mings
where are u rn?

Seonghwa blankly stared at his red nails, thinking of an excuse until he remembered that Mingi didn't deserve being lied to. They were best friends after all, and the taller honestly deserved to hear nothing but the truth.

- seongs
i went out with hongjoong
but don't worry!
i'll be back soon and we can hang out then

- mings
no
its okay
its really good you're spending time with someone else other than san and i for once

- seongs
hey.

- mings
i'm kidding lmao
but seriously, i'm ok w it

- seongs
really?

- mings
yessss, really 😂

Seonghwa felt infinitely more relieved, but that feeling vanished when he felt something poke his thigh. He quickly figured it was Hongjoong, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad, surprisingly. He just continued his sightseeing with Yunho, not minding it in the slightest when Hongjoong played with his fingers for the rest of the ride.

"We're gonna have a talk about it," Hongjoong uttered a few minutes in.

Seonghwa watched him. "Talk about what?"

"How you can apparently enter my dreams...?"

"I don't know either."

"That's why we need to talk about it, duh."

Seonghwa flicked Hongjoong's forehead, grinning when the smaller boy glared at him in response. "Whatever."

⛓️

Neon Nights was a flashy pub stark in the center of the dimension known as Aurora that probably wasn't a pub since minors were allowed and they didn't exclusively serve alcoholic beverages. It was a wide space, filled with a commendable number of customers, avant-garde furniture and vivid, eye-catching lamps that involuntarily changed colour after a minute or so.

Seonghwa hadn't even gotten himself properly situated in his seat when he found another familiar face in the gathering of many.

San was dressed head-to-toe in black, very similar to Hongjoong's and Yunho's attires, and he was sat quite close to this other guy with fluffy looking blond hair that reminded Seonghwa of woollen citrine.

"San, Wooyoung!" Yunho waved, promptly alerting the two of them.

They made their way over, the one known as Wooyoung casually sliding into the booth next to Yunho while San gave Seonghwa a knowing smirk, seeing that both him and Hongjoong were seated beside each other. And for some reason that made Seonghwa get all nervous.

"Hey, are you Hongjoong and Yunho's new partner?" Wooyoung asked, watching Seonghwa. He had soft, babyish features, with deep green eyes that were like the Amazon forest and plump lips which were now pulled into this welcoming smile.

"He's Human," Hongjoong stated. Wooyoung's face displayed tangible confusion, but before he could reply, San decided to add something else.

"Jung Wooyoung, meet Park Seonghwa. We're good friends."

"Hey," Seonghwa awkwardly waved, not that exceptional at dealing with new people. He did notice San languidly resting his arm around Wooyoung's body though, and briefly wondered if anything was going on between them.

The confusion swimming in Wooyoung's eyes died down, replaced with a bigger smile. "Hi! You're the Park Seonghwa I've been hearing everyone talk so much about?"

"Uh..." Seonghwa looked to Hongjoong for guidance, but the shorter had already stood up, purposefully avoiding his gaze.

"Yunho and I are getting drinks," Hongjoong said.

Yunho's blue eyes widened. "Wait -- we are?"

The shorter dragged him to his feet. "Yes. We. Are."

"I'll tag along!" Wooyoung chirped, thereby leaving San and Seonghwa at the booth.

"This is kinda weird," San muttered. "Y'know, seeing as Hongjoong's still bringing you along even when you're not a Variant." The raven haired male leaned in. "Did you, perhaps, beg him?"

Seonghwa cleared his throat, playing with his nails. "...No."

San quietly hummed. His eyes then fell on the taller's nails. "Woah. Did Hongjoong do them for you?"

Seonghwa had no reason to feel so anxious due to San's questioning, but he was. The way San kept glancing at him made his heart-rate pick up, and he itched to change the subject as quickly as he could. "So... you and Wooyoung. What's up with that?"

San's expression fell. "Do you...have a problem with it?"

Seonghwa shook his head. "No, I -- that isn't what I meant. I was just...curious, I guess. Nothing more."

The other's shoulders loosened with relief. "We're kinda dating."

"Kinda?"

"We're still in the experimental stage. I mean -- going on dates, trying to test if we'd work out or not. That kinda stuff," San explained, fiddling with the bracelet around his wrist. It was made up of shiny black metal with a prettily crafted gold charm hanging off of it. Now that Seonghwa thought about it, he'd caught Wooyoung with an identical one on as well.

Seonghwa began envisioning how his and Hongjoong's matching bracelet would look like -- if they'd ever have one in the first place. The thought was incredibly corny, but he couldn't erase it off his mind that easily.

He just kept thinking and thinking about it.

⛓️

Seonghwa couldn't believe his eyes. He'd just been chatting with Yunho, San and Wooyoung, as well as simultaneously trying out this colour-morphing dip with some tortilla chips since Hongjoong had excused himself a few minutes prior, his whereabouts a total mystery to the dark haired male. But then the shorter showed up on the makeshift stage, a silver mic in hand and a white spotlight gracing his presence.

"What..." Seonghwa began, only to realize the others didn't even look shocked or affected by the sudden turn of events. "Is Hongjoong going to sing or something?"

Yunho grinned, shoving a couple more chips into his mouth. "Something like that."

"Yeah," Wooyoung added, his tone nothing less than bubbly. "He loves performing here whenever he gets the chance."

It seemed the more Seonghwa knew about Hongjoong, the less he realized he actually knew about him. The shorter was like a Pandora's Box in the sense that everything about him was interesting and new. Exciting.

Seonghwa could never know what to expect from Hongjoong, but maybe that was what drew him in and made him want to stay.

Hongjoong propped himself up on the stool provided, a chill, laid-back melody echoing through the speakers right then. It sounded familiar, and it only took Seonghwa a few seconds to fully recognize the song.

Hongjoong started to sing Lauv's Paris in the Rain, his smooth voice highly complementing the instrumentals.

"Getting lost late at night under stars, finding love standing right where we are. Your lips, they pull me in the moment, you and I alone and people may be watching, I don't mind..."

A sense of calm washed over Seonghwa as he listened to the shorter's cover of the song, but his heart proceeded to stupidly race when their eyes locked from across the room. And suddenly, the song's lyrics began to hit a little differently.

"'Cause anywhere with you feels right, anywhere with you feels like, Paris in the rain, Paris in the rain..." Hongjoong sang, his eyes trained on Seonghwa the whole time. Seonghwa didn't know if it'd been purposeful or not, but he couldn't deny the warmth that overflowed his chest at that moment.

Yunho, San and Wooyoung were totally silent, enamoured by how pretty Hongjoong's vocal colour was and how confidently he sang those lyrics, but Seonghwa was too busy trying his hardest to remain composed. What was wrong with him? Why did the mere sight of Hongjoong singing while staring at him make his heart do things he'd never imagined it to do?

Hongjoong suddenly hopped off the stool and strutted over to where Seonghwa and the rest of the guys were, that same spotlight rushing after him as well. People clapped in excitement as Hongjoong situated himself on the table right in front of Seonghwa, the taller almost choking at the minimal distance between them now.

"I look at you now and I want this forever, I might not deserve it but there's nothing better," Hongjoong continued singing to Seonghwa, all beautiful smiles and dazzling eyes. "Don't know how I ever did it all without you, my heart is, my heart is about to jump out of my chest."

He made everything so obvious now, and Seonghwa didn't know if he was about to faint out of euphoria or shock or both.

He didn't even want to know the kind of expression San, Yunho and even Wooyoung had on their faces now, but he guessed they were probably gaping at the sight. Seonghwa probably was as well.

Hongjoong's sleeveless white turtleneck and jeans matched devastatingly well with the spotlight shining down on him. It made him appear as some celestial being, and when he winked at Seonghwa before waltzing back to the stage to finish the song, hips swaying with every timed movement, Seonghwa felt like he was going to completly and wholly combust.

"Paint you with my eyes closed, wonder where the time goes, yeah, isn't it obvious?" Hongjoong smirked at the taller as some of the customers began waving their arms to the beat. "So come and set the mood right, underneath the moonlight. Anywhere with you feels right, anywhere you feels like, Paris in the rain, Paris in the rain..."

Once Hongjoong ended the song, the entire pub lit up with happy cheers, including Yunho's, San's and Wooyoung's. And Seonghwa, well, he was blushing. Hard.

He didn't know how he could look Hongjoong -- or anyone else for that matter -- in the eye from now on.

Like the whole thing was an everyday occurence for him, Hongjoong blew a kiss then passed the mic to someone else, making his way to his friends after.

"Oh my God, you sounded great!" Wooyoung yelped, giving a smiling Hongjoong a quick hug.

"Thanks!" Hongjoong replied.

"I don't think I could ever do that, so a big kudos to you, my friend," San laughed, to which the shorter only rolled his eyes at.

As Yunho gushed about how amazing his brother sang tonight, Seonghwa nibbled on a tortilla, anxiety growing inside him.

Soon enough, Hongjoong sat himself next to him, cushioning his chin with his hand. His eyes were electrifying, as it they could stare right into Seonghwa's soul.

"How was I?" Hongjoong lowly asked. He looked so confident, like nothing could stop him, but his voice wavered at the end. He sounded doubtful.

"Well..." Seonghwa glanced at him, his heart skipping a beat once again when their eyes met. Fuck, what was Hongjoong doing to him? "You sounded a little off-key at certain parts..."

"Okay, fuck you," Hongjoong said. He laughed, however, quickly realizing that the taller had meant nothing of what he'd said.

"I'm joking. You were great, really." Seonghwa couldn't look Hongjoong in the eye, too freaking shy to do such a thing. "And... I never knew people around here also liked Lauv."

"Trust me, they like Lauv a lot," Hongjoong replied. His eyes crinkled at the sides, radiating fondness towards the boy seated next to him. "I do too. But, you know what I love more?"

Seonghwa's heart raced. "What?"

"Me."

Seonghwa chuckled, not even mad at the shorter's response. Honestly, he should've expected it. There was no way Hongjoong would have said he loved him. They hadn't known each other for long, after all.

Seonghwa wasn't the biggest romantic, but he was pretty sure love never came that quickly.

"...You know what I'd also love?" He heard Hongjoong say right then.

"...What?"

Both boys ended up excusing themselves for a while, and Hongjoong didn't even wait until they'd reached the back of the pub before he'd pounced on Seonghwa, kissing the living daylights out of him with his legs wrapped around his middle.

And Seonghwa didn't mind. Never once in his life would he imagine being out in public and kissing and holding someone like he was doing to Hongjoong, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought.

With Hongjoong, he felt like he could live on the edge without any responsibilities or fears clouding his mind. Hell, even as the skies began to pour, rain wetting them in a matter of seconds, Seonghwa could only giggle as Hongjoong left kisses on his cheek and neck.

"How are we gonna explain this to the others?" Seonghwa asked, not letting his gaze stray once from Hongjoong's face.

Hongjoong shrugged, adorably grinning. "No idea. But... I just wanna tell you right now that I like you. A lot. If that wasn't already obvious from the song I chose to sing tonight."

Seonghwa's face flushed, letting himself relax as the shorter's thumbs ran over his cheekbones.

"I like you too."

"What happened to 'Guys aren't my type', huh?" Hongjoong smirked, like he'd been expecting the taller to retort with a glare or something like that.

Only, Seonghwa reacted completely different.

"Well..." He exhaled, committing this exact moment to memory. "I guess that was because I hadn't met someone I could see myself falling for yet."

Hongjoong's smirk disappeared. Raindrops gathered on his lashes and dampened his hair, but he was still so, so pretty. Just like he always was.

"Seonghwa, I..." Hongjoong bit his lip, and the taller boy couldn't look away. "You have no idea how hard my heart's beating right now..."

"I'm one hundred percent sure my heart's beating the same way," Seonghwa answered.

Hongjoong just responded by passionately kissing him again.

⛓️

a/n: thoughts?