Chapter 1: You will come back

MAY 1964

Taehyun tapped Minho's shoulder to try and wake him up. Failed. He rolled his eyes and rested his weight on the bed, holding a tray of food in both hands. He looked at Minho warily, touched his cheek as he balanced the tray with one hand and gently placed it on top of their bedside drawer. His fingertips traveled to Minho's cheekbone, up to get locks of the man's hair. This, this radiating warmth from the man is the only piece Taehyun needs to be able to say that his day is complete. He was smiling, always smiling – so this is what being in love is.

"You're really a lazy- Song Minho." Taehyun whispered, pulling back right after.

Minho wrinkled his nose after hearing what his partner had said, his arms slowly reaching for the air above him, until Taehyun sensed that the pair of arms was actually searching for him. Finally, Minho caught Taehyun's shoulders and dragged him towards his chest.

"I can't breathe." Taehyun announced as he felt Minho's hug tightening.

Minho did not move however. "I can't breathe hyung." Taehyun insisted, his hands flying towards Minho's elbow to try and free his self, but because Minho was far stronger, his frail attempt didn’t even budge the other. So Taehyun gave up and instead returned to asking Minho to let go of him.

But still, there was no answer. With brow's meeting, Taehyun's neck crane up to meet Minho's right ear, he moved tardily until he's just centimeters away from the sensitive flesh. When he was sure that he can reach it, he clamped the tender skin between his teeth and nabbed on the rest of the earlobe.

This sent a series of thrill and crisp tinges through Minho, and the younger sensed it and smirked. "Stop that Taehyun!" Minho eventually exclaimed as he half-heartedly released Taehyun.

Taehyun wet his lips as he slowly pushed himself up. "Breakfast is ready." He said, gesturing to the tray beside the bed.

Minho stretched his arms above his head, and then looked at Taehyun with half-lidded eyes, partially grinning. "What was I supposed to do with it?"

"Uh," Taehyun sarcastically toned. "Eat it?"

The other extended his hands to get his glasses, and when he finally managed to clear his vision, his smirk widened. "Can my breakfast be you?"

Taehyun placed his free hand at the side of his hips. "Shut up and just eat these pancakes."

Minho chuckled. “Yes, sir.”

"Morning Song!"

"Morning! Have you seen Kang?"

The other man arranged a series of documents on his table, clicking his tongue as he stood looking at them. "The admin? I bet he's busy with the launching of Saturn I."

Minho grunted, rolling his eyes to show his irritation. "You think he'll come meet us today?"

"Of course Song, he's the one who started this project."

And to think the takeoff too is so near. Minho felt his pulse throbbing and his veins about to pop out of his skin. He only has three days left until the launch and he still hasn't told Taehyun yet. He exhaled dramatically, at least Taehyun knows he's a part of NASA, but that doesn't change anything. He's still keeping this secret from him and he knows Taehyun wouldn't forgive him if he doesn’t tell him anytime sooner…

Minho continued to walk around the base, trying to remember where he put the diagrams yesterday. As he passed by the meeting room, he saw the three figures inside, moving about and as busy as always. He smiled after setting his eyes upon the papers he's looking for, and then his forefinger slowly reached for the green button beside the thick fiber glass door that matched the rest. The little computer processed his print, and then about a minute later, the door clanked open.

He stepped inside, noticing some heads that turned to his direction with the sound of the door opening; curios about who interrupted them. "Yo!" Minho greeted cheerfully. "Don't mind me, just gettin' the other diagrams." He walked straight to the back of the room, but stopped when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"You're late," Continued the rimmed-eyed man standing in front of the holographic black print of the launch.

Minho's eyes grew. "Hey, Tom said you're at the main branch!" But then he still chuckled nervously.

Kang Seungkwan. The head of the GAEA Project, virtuoso of space flights and travels, he's also the one responsible for any changes made for the improvement of the administration – its rooms, processes, connections and establishments. Aside from that, Minho owed him the biggest debt he could ever imagine – the life of someone so dear. He rubbed the thought away, took a seat between the French and the Swede, trying to distance himself from the rest of the crew as he landed his eyes on the blue print himself.

"Gaea 1214, as I was saying, is the biggest project NASA ever had, and if God forbid, ever will. However, this will remain a secret until we succeed with the mission. The President wanted it to be classified until your return.” He gave Minho a look before he pressed on:  “All of you know quite well that Saturn I SA-6 is a mere distraction for the media and the public so as to not know this secret base. Even our families are not allowed to know this." He cleared his throat, pointed his index finger at Minho, and continued. "Except for that one man, who… we will send off to space with so much risk."

Minho looked at the certain nods of the rest of the crew; this team had had this project for almost five years now, and he can't afford to disappoint all of them. If not for his love of astronomy and this second family he couldn't have been brave enough to train so hard.

It will all be easy if only he hadn’t met that clumsy kid in that old bookshop.

It might be hard, but even if he had the chance to turn back time he will still drop by that same bookshop if it means meeting Taehyun again.

"What