Kibum went into his sophomore year in a completely different frame of mind than he’d entered the university in and it showed. The fact that he and Jinki were an item wasn’t really a surprise to anybody. Most had figured it was going to happen or already had before last semester ended, and his fan club, which Psitassi did post an article to, helped spread the news in their various circles anyway. It helped they were accepted without anybody batting an eye. Not that Kibum expected it. There were many other possible pairings that others might consider far less conventional, but you never knew.

                While he returned to a shadow of his former self, Kibum was arguably more genuine this time around. His silver tongue was mostly back and he could flit from group to group with such marvelous ease, when he wasn’t spending time with Jinki and his friends anyway. He spent more focused time at school this time too, both because he had on-campus housing and because Jinki was there. Any excuse to spend more time around his boyfriend was a good one, and it gave him plenty of opportunity to practice his information mining skills once again.

                One group study session he was sitting in on ended with Jinki turning and asking him, “Why do you do that?” The question could have been accusatory but it sounded simply curious.

                “Huh?” he blinked, looking around the now empty room, slightly unsure of what his boyfriend was asking him about.

                Jinki quirked his mouth to the side like he wasn’t sure how to frame it. “I would say dig, but I don’t think you’re actually doing that,” he mused with a thoughtful expression. Kibum snorted, a vague idea of what he was asking about rising up, but he waited until the other man continued to confirm. “Why do you… invite so much information from people?” he wondered again, a small smile tugging at his lips.

                Kibum shrugged and crossed his arms before he leaned back in his chair, overlapping one knee with the other elegantly. “You never know when you might hear something useful. If not for now, then for later,” he grinned. Information was powerful and as he’d learned from Passeri, it could also be very valuable.

                “Heh.” The laugh was dry and breathy, not surprised but certainly amused. “Okay,” Jinki nodded in understanding, even if his expression showed he didn’t really get it entirely. “My other question is: How?”

                “How do I get them to talk so much?” he wondered for clarification. When Jinki nodded, he shrugged again. “Most of the time, I just stop talking.” When his boyfriend frowned at the simplicity of it, he laughed. “Seriously. The majority of people just want to fill the silence. You’re one of them,” he teased, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

                “No I’m not,” he snorted in defense, the laugh that followed slightly nervous. Kibum raised a brow and waited, watching at Jinki started to fidget in the resultant quiet.

                “Now you’re doing it on purpose,” he grumbled, turning to make sure he had all of his study data sorted and saved before he moved to close them down and pack up.

                “See?” Kibum chuckled, unfolding himself from the chair so he could move and sit close to Jinki again, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder. Jinki paused when he did so, making sure not to disturb him, even if he did huff slightly. “If it makes you feel any better, your chatter is cute.”

                “My chatter, aye?” Jinki teased, nudging his shoulder carefully.

                Kibum shifted to rest his chin on the same shoulder so he could look at Jinki’s profile intently. “Yes,” he answered with a grin.

                “Brat,” he scoffed, reaching out to tap the tip of Kibum’s nose with his fingertip.

                Kibum grinned unrepentantly and leaned harder, knowing the word was an empty title and nothing more.

                Study session after study session and practice after practice, they learned more about each other in observed moments of normal life and small snippets of casual conversation between busy schedules and hectic classes. If Kibum got nervous from time to time when he was in the midst of too many people and had to retreat on occasion, Jinki or Henry or Larad and Ercite were there to offer a protective presence. On occasion, Aanya or Psitassi could fill in too. Or some of his more dedicated fans in a real pinch. To his frustration, shadows from his breakdown the last semester continued to haunt him every now and then though.

                He had a real thing about anybody other than Jinki touching his back. Even standing behind him too close could set off all sorts of panic signals and alarm bells. Kibum hated it when such occurrences nearly sent him spiraling so that he had to step aside and ground himself somehow if he was alone. If Jinki was nearby, all he needed was reassuring contact; his presence alone was a weirdly soothing balm and a haven when the inevitable storm appeared on his horizons.

                Even more aggravatingly, he still had a fairly tumultuous relationship with Terran anatomy and biology classes, but they were manageable. Mostly. Classes and lessons didn’t send him into avoidant depressive episodes anymore so that was something at least. Didn’t hurt that Jinki was practically his personal mentor now when he needed assistance either. And really, it could be quite entertaining and enlightening when Ercite was part of the study group. The Dawbn always had some kind of anecdotal story to share about whatever they were talking about. They’d known many a Terran in their previous iterations. And if they didn’t, Larad or Henry could be counted on to provide some sort of example, no matter how far-fetched it might otherwise sound.

                And besides that, he had his hands full with his other classes anyway. He didn’t get into the flight course like he’d hoped – it wasn’t common for first semester sophomores after all, but there was plenty else to learn. Jinki did end up focusing on engineering courses primarily, so Kibum took an auxiliary one to give him a basic understanding himself. As a ship’s captain, his focus would be on commanding and making major decisions, manual navigation if needed and there was no functional AI, and otherwise filling in where necessary. And did he mention galactic cultural classes? He tested out of the remedial courses for Dawbn, Varium, and Moladhi cultural basics, but the universe was full of far more than just those species. If he was really going to be a ship captain and a freelancer at that, he would need to know far more than the average company or corporate one did.

                Never mind the often heard about but never seen home world Dawbn, Varium, and Moladhi, all of whom looked significantly different from their off-world counterparts, there were such creatures like the Yuenamba, the Kyanwa, the Bagis, the Halcsapos, and many others beyond the ones that a captain might meet in the depths of space. As such, he also had to take classes in diplomacy and de-escalation; basic first aid for Terrans and other likely to be encountered species; basic maintenance and upkeep of a ship; economics and trade to make sure he wouldn’t be cheated out of funds, and the list went on. Advanced combat classes weren’t mandatory but he was going to take at least a couple so he’d know how to take care of himself in a scrape.

                Nor was he alone. To his delight, when Larad and Ercite caught wind of the Kibum and Jinki partnership, they were interested in signing on as well. Henry had no such desire to step into the depths of space in a metallic pocket of air surrounded by icy death at all times, but he was all for helping them get ready.

                “I won’t go with you, but I’ll be your man on the ground,” he winked, jumping in front of their group and posing so that both thumbs pointed back at him with a cheesy grin on his face.

                “And what exactly is it that you’ll be doing as our man on the ground?” Kibum wondered aloud, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one leg so his hip jutted out noticeably.

                Henry’s mouth fell open in mute surprise and he straightened quickly, brushing at his arms in quiet uncertainty. “I don’t know. Something,” he grumbled, flustered at the sudden question.

                The group chuckled and Jinki stepped up to clap him on the shoulder consolingly. “It’s alright. You’ve got time to think it over. It’s never a bad idea to have a friend on the ground though,” he promised with earnest sincerity, squeezing Henry’s shoulder before looking at Kibum and tilting his head in silent inquiry.

                Kibum wrinkled his nose just a touch and then sighed as he forced his arms to relax. He liked Henry. He really did. But even he knew he could get sharp with the other man all too quickly. “Depending on our comms gear, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone with access to intel or updates or if you even happen to hear anything through the rumor mill if we’re still in the same galaxy.”

                “And if you happen to sign on with one of the transportation companies on this planet, you can potentially have access to logistics, star charts, immediate updates…” Ercite added from their customary perch on Larad’s shoulder. He held his finger to his lips with a bemused glance at the Dawbn but then winked at Henry in a friendly manner.

                “Oh! That’s an idea!” he grinned in immediate response, reaching out to smack Jinki on the shoulder. “I also hear Psitassi’s got some interesting plans in the works. Courtesy of Passeri, last I heard,” he laughed, turning a curious look at Kibum.

                He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I know nothing more than you. She’s kept that tidbit of information under lock and key. I could probably ask Jackson for more info though,” he added as an afterthought.

                “Or Psitassi herself,” Jinki suggested with a quick shrug. He frowned in mild confusion at Kibum’s immediate negating gesture.

                “She’s got her guard up now. Whatever Passeri told her, she’s taken it to heart and even I can’t wheedle anything out of her lately. It has been entertaining watching Crawven flounder in her wake though. Her poker face has gotten so much better,” he barked a laugh and shook his head.

                “Speaking of…” Larad began to say, a speculative look landing on Kibum.

                “No,” he answered immediately, glaring up at the taller Varium.

                “It wouldn’t hurt to have a Moladhi on the crew,” he added with an innocent shrug, careful not to upset Ercite’s balance.

                “And it would give us the golden number for a small crew,” Ercite contributed, both hands gesturing fluidly to either side.

                Kibum groaned and leaned his head back, visibly annoyed with the train of conversation. Despite their history, Crawven himself wasn’t a terrible Moladhi. In fact, away from Boro and Kieran, he was actually tolerable. Under different circumstances, he might even have been likable. But it was not so easy to ignore the bad blood between them, even with Boro gone - he’d dropped out at the end of last semester, and Kieran transferring to a different dome next semester.

                “No worries,” Jinki drifted closer, sliding an arm around Kibum’s waist in a comforting manner. “You don’t have to make a decision today. As we all know, nothing will likely happen for at least two and a half more years anyway.”

                “Likely more, given all the paperwork and how lucky we get with finding and funding a ship,” Ercite chimed in matter-of-factly. Again, Larad held his fingers to his lips but this time, his gaze was for the Dawbn specifically.

                “Yeah…” Henry grimaced in shared misery.

                “Ugh! We’ll figure something out!” Kibum scowled, stomping his foot in frustration. He didn’t have money enough to buy a ship now and he probably wouldn’t in two and a half years’ time either, but he wasn’t about to let that detail scare him already. “And I’ll think about the Crawven thing. Maybe something will change between now and then,” he admitted with a gusty sigh, leaning into Jinki’s side.

                “That’s the spirit!” Henry cheered, pumping his fist into the air. “I wonder if anybody in the fan club knows anyone that could help us,” he thought out loud, turning to follow the group as they started heading off to their next destination.

                After the first semester, which seemed easy in comparison to the previous ones, the rest of the year was full of such conversations mixed in with the highs and lows of university life. Various tests and exams set them all on edge and called for more than a few late-night study sessions between the group at large. Jinki was stretched thin with his various duties as usual, but not as bad as last year. Kibum didn’t let him for one. It wasn’t so much that he forbid Jinki from setting certain schedules, but he had a knack for looking at him in such a way that his boyfriend realized taking on one more session might not be the best of ideas. For either of them.

                For another thing, it didn’t hurt that Hajoon was actually scouted in the second semester as everyone hoped. The Niichi Nagas wanted her in the second city dome for their university team after she graduated from high school. If all went well, she could have a shot at joining the global team, but that was a long ways off yet. There was summer training to get through and senior year of high school first, both of which would require more training demands. She wasn’t the only one scouted but due to the increased training pressure, Jinki wasn’t good enough to keep up with her level for the primary team.

                If he wanted, he could help the second-string players, but as much as he loved it, his heart wasn’t in it. He’d joined initially to help his sister and if he didn’t need to do that anymore… At least he still had Doyun and Siwoo to assist but two extra slots a week wasn’t a bad thing for him. And honestly, they all needed the extra time going into the year-end finals.

                Kibum’s status didn’t hinge on passing or failing, but he was undeniably a nervous wreck going into his flight simulation exam especially. It was very important that he passed and scored well for the sake of his ability to continue as a freelance captain in the making. Functioning as a stand-in for the Terran biology debacle of last year, the added self-imposed stress almost made him relapse into breakdown territory.

                For days, he’d studied with his friends and study groups at large, preparing for the rest of his tests in the public eye, but for nights on end, he’d sequestered himself in isolation so that he could practice the flying simulations alone. This was the first night in a while he hadn’t been able to convince Jinki not to come to his dorm room. Even so, as soon as they settled in to study again, he’d promptly forgotten about him as he sank into the simulation world, a coded program specifically uploaded to his personal gear so that he could practice manual flight training. You didn’t get to have access to AI assisted flights until you proved you could do it on your own in a worst-case scenario situation.

                “Kibum,” Jinki sighed, turning off the holo-training simulation with a touch of his hand on the side of Kibum’s head.

                “Hey!” Kibum yelped, panicking as disorientation set in and fear clawed at his gut. He wouldn’t admit to being startled out of his mind too, as he had been caught completely unaware. “I wasn’t finished!” he panted, reaching up to tap on the holo-training vid again so he could at least complete the interrupted program.

                Jinki caught his hand before he could though and held firm until his boyfriend looked at him. “Please stop. You’re trying too hard, babe,” he murmured with a pained expression his face. It was clear by the tension lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes that he’d been watching for a while now without saying anything.

                “I have to practice,” he stated firmly, tugging at his trapped hand as emotion welled, pressing against the inside of his chest. At the least, he needed to finish the run so that he would know he could do it. Again.

                “You have.”

                “Not enough,” he denied, shaking his head harshly. He wasn’t like some of the other students in his class that had family members who could pull strings and get them chances to fly on sanctioned ships to the orbiting space station. All he had were simulations and the hope that muscle memory would set in enough. If he passed the simulation, the next year he could fly a school ship for real. He was so behind in everything and he needed this to succeed and- his thoughts suddenly ground to a halt when he realized Jinki was still looking at him with an unblinking expression.

                Jinki’s mouth firmed and he took a small breath. “I know you are doing your best, hon. But…” he started, taking a quick breath before he launched into his counterargument: “You have terrible circles under your eyes. You haven’t slept more than three hours on any given night this week. I can hear your stomach growling even if you can’t. And you will be worthless if you get sick before your test,” he stated plainly, never breaking eye contact as he delivered his facts.

                Kibum’s bottom lip trembled and his stomach gurgled as if it had been waiting for the opportunity to be heard by him. He didn’t know how Jinki knew he hadn’t been getting much sleep, but he wasn’t going to doubt that he knew. The man had his ways. “But what if I fail?” he whined, gripping hard to Jinki’s hands, his eyes hot and his throat thick.

                “And what if you pass?” he asked, letting the corners of his mouth pull up just a touch.

                “But-”

                “Nuh uh,” Jinki interrupted with a shake of his head. “Come here,” he instructed, standing up so he could bodily lift Kibum into his arms and off the stool he’d been sitting on for the past couple of hours.

                All noisy theatrics, Kibum went limp and whined, “Nooooo.” His sigh was heavy when Jinki laid him on the bed instead. Suddenly boneless and tired and utterly wrung out, he curled into a tight ball and groaned, “I’m useless. Why are you here wasting your time on me? You should be home studying,” he mumbled dejectedly, hiding his face in his knees.

                Jinki’s sigh was breathy as he laid a comforting hand on Kibum’s upper arm. “Useless? Never. If you’re anything, maybe I would say dramatic.”

                “You’re not helping!” he grumbled in a muffled voice, still hiding away.

                “Neither are you,” Jinki shot back, moving his hand to pat the topmost hip. “And I’m here because I care about you and I know how you can get sometimes,” he chided gently, the barest hint of amusement coloring his tone. Kibum’s whine was plaintive but he didn’t actually say anything in response. “And right now, I know you’re probably starving. Foolish man,” he snorted before his feet whispered over the floor as he moved to Kibum’s food synthesizer. “Food. Shower. Sleep. In that order,” he instructed over the soft whirring of the machine.

                “I don’t wanna,” Kibum complained, staying curled up in a ball even as Jinki came back. The bed dipped when his boyfriend sat next to him and a wrapper crinkled. In his periphery, he saw Jinki leaning over him. Then the smell wafted close. His stomach gave an ungodly loud rumble and he groaned, “You’re terrible.”

                “And you are indeed starving,” Jinki snorted, poking at Kibum until he finally roused him enough to get up.

                Of course it would be mela bread. Kibum rarely ordered it himself and Jinki really only ever pulled it out when he was treating Kibum or… for moments like this. Grumbling under his breath, he took the food and nibbled on a small piece. He’d honestly meant to make it last longer, but as soon as it touched his tongue, hunger reached a hand up his throat and it was gone before he knew it. “Oh,” he complained, looking at his now empty hands in genuine surprise.

                Jinki’s light laugh made him look up to an impressively bemused expression. “Here,” he smiled, offering a bottle of water first, another package of mela bread in his lap. Kibum tried to reach around the water for the second mela bread but Jinki expertly caught his hand and placed the bottle in it instead. “Drink first. Then you can have it,” he promised, looking Kibum dead in the eyes.

                Frustrated but already feeling slightly better for the snack, Kibum sighed and took the water. It disappeared nearly as quickly too. He dabbed at the dribble of water on his chin and then reached his hand out expectantly. “Food.”

                “Greedy thing,” Jinki teased, keeping his tone light. But he didn’t argue or delay and picked up the mela bread to hand it over.

                This time, Kibum was able to savor it a bit longer. It still disappeared faster than he would have preferred but he actually tasted it this time around. And finally distracted from his constant studying and practicing, the weight of the week began to settle into him. Suddenly weary, he slumped where he was sitting and eyed the bed with a creeping longing.

                “Shower first,” Jinki reminded him, pointing at the small bathing room off to the side.

                Kibum pouted and mock cried softly in the back of his throat. “But what if I really do fail?” he asked in a tiny voice, picking at his fingers in his lap.

                “That,” his boyfriend started to say as he tapped Kibum on the nose with his finger, “is a question for after the exam. Now come on. Shower. I didn’t want to say anything but you’re starting to smell,” he added with a laugh through his nose.

                Caught between scandalized and mortified, Kibum inhaled sharply. “No I’m not!” he denied immediately, even as he tried to surreptitiously sniff at himself. He didn’t smell anything…

                “I’ll help you wash your hair,” Jinki bribed, reaching out to run his fingers through Kibum’s black locks in a tender gesture.

                It was only a brief amount of contact, and yet Kibum found himself whimpering and leaning into it. He really wouldn’t say no to that, but he sighed heavily and grumbled, “Fine.” Jinki’s laugh told him the other man knew it was an act.

                And it really would be just a shower too. Despite the fact they’d been together for nearly a year, they’d been taking things slow. At Kibum’s own request. He loved being in Jinki’s arms, being close, cuddling and sharing the same bed, but the idea of letting himself be completely vulnerable, even with Jinki… scared him. Then their schedules got in the way or exams came up and there was always something else to interrupt or slow things down. But Jinki really did always give the best hair washes. And massages. And kisses. And- Kibum stopped his thinking with a quick shake of his head. There would be time enough for that later!

                “You coming?” Jinki asked as he stood beside the bed looking down at Kibum expectantly with a poorly suppressed smile, almost as if he could see the thoughts running through his mind.

                “Ye-” he started to answer a bit too excitedly before he caught himself and tried again. “Yes,” he responded with feigned annoyance, crawling off the bed and following in Jinki’s wake.

                With the tub setting, he could curl up into a small ball while Jinki sat behind him and worked his fingers through short locks, creating a messy glop of suds on top. A scalp massage followed that drifted to Kibum’s neck and then shoulders. Kibum turned to putty under such ministrations and all thoughts of studying and the upcoming tests dissipated like so much fog on a sunny morning.

                “Rinse,” his boyfriend instructed, sitting back to allow him room.

                Kibum hummed in quiet confirmation before dunking his head awkwardly to get the majority of the shampoo out. When he sat back up, Jinki finished rinsing and then continued with a conditioning paste. It all took much longer than it needed to, but Kibum was practically about to pass out in the washroom by the time Jinki nudged him to rinse again.

                “I’ll be waiting just outside,” he promised, kissing the top of Kibum’s head before he got up to leave the younger man in peace and privacy.

                It took all his willpower to haul himself out of the cooling water and then get dressed for sleep. Just outside the door, Jinki waited to sling an arm around his waist and guide him to the bed so they could curl up together under the covers. No longer hungry, clean and more relaxed than he might have ever been in his life, Kibum had the best night of sleep in a while. Especially because he was curled up in the curve of Jinki’s body as his boyfriend kept him company throughout the night.

                In retrospect, Kibum knew he shouldn’t have been so hard on himself when he passed that particular exam with flying colors. He wasn’t first in the class as he’d wanted to be, but given his limitations, third highest overall was nothing to sneeze at. If nothing else, it would set him up nicely for a spot in the more advanced course the following semester.

                Nor did he struggle overmuch with the other exams, placing well above passing in all of them. Considering his tutor, he wasn’t terribly surprised, but it was nice to see the results all the same. He’d come to the conclusion he was never going to like Terran biology, but he could handle it without the subject overwhelming him anymore. Now if only he could get a better handle on his anxiety in general…

                If nothing else though, they all had plenty to celebrate given another successful year down and being one step closer to whatever their final result was going to be. Heading into their school break, that was about all any of them could ask for.