12.

Altair

There was something so thrilling about the void that surrounded them. Chen wished he had the right words, the right feeling, but there was nothing that could be good enough. There were no thoughts other than "this is it."

He had thought about bringing his friend here so many times before, but never really had the motivation to do so. He felt glad he finally had done the right thing. The ground was cool underneath their skin as they looked up, towards the bright stars.

There were tiny rocks and grains of sand trying to make their temporary bed uncomfortable. They were unsuccessful. Chen was so enthralled and excited, nothing could get to him any longer. He felt free.

Minseok was next to him, his gaze fixed on the stars as he has never seen them before. "I haven't heard from you in a week," he sais. There was a layer of sound in his voice Chen could not read. "Are you alright? I was kinda worried. I called you a few times, but you never answered and I didn't want to bother you more than that. Cecil has feathers now. He's still a little potato, but now he's fluffy."

"I'm sorry. I had a terrible week. I didn't want to make you feel bad about it. I thought it was better to be alone for a while."

"That's what I made of it. But you came back." Chen felt his heart turn. It was something he hadn't given much thought considering the fact that this would not have happened with anyone else.

"I did come back. I run a lot, but this is the first time I came back."

"I'm glad. I don't want Cecil to have a broken home." Minseok grinned and pointed at a constellation. "This stargazing was a good idea. I can't believe I've never done this before. I'm glad you're here."

Half an hour passed. They had been alone in the park all that time. Until a car pulled into the parking lot. Chen looked up while his friend didn't seem bothered by it. The light in the sky was all he could see at the moment. The car's lights died, but nothing happened.

Chen tried feeling at ease but something felt wrong about the situation. His freedom slowly slipped away as he deeply sighed.

The door opened and a figure stepped outside without locking his car after. He could he