Luhan had never understood true happiness until he heard the man before him utter three phrases, two syllables that stood out, and one word that sparked a supernova in his heart. Without thinking, Luhan threw his arms around Minseok and squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug. Luhan’s own name spoken by Minseok’s voice echoed in his mind, tickling his brain and causing his ecstasy. It was the first time Minseok had ever said his name. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last.

“You believe me! I’m so happy!” Luhan erupted in cheers while still clinging to Minseok. The poor astronomer couldn’t even breathe as his face was pressed against Luhan’s chest and his arms were pinned to his sides so there was no way of breaking out of Luhan’s grip. It wasn’t until Minseok was turning purple did Luhan finally release him, fretting over the way Minseok gasped for air. “Oh, no! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Minseok took in a deep breath before turning towards Luhan. His eyes showed no anger, rather they actually looked amused. A tiny smile played on Minseok’s lips. “No, I’m fine. But, now you really have to tell me your story. If you really are a star then why are you on Earth?”

There was no answer as to why Luhan was on Earth. There was an answer as to how he got there though. He pursed his lips and tapped his nose a few times before taking the pen he had been messing with earlier and rolling it between his hands. Why was he there? Luhan liked to think it was so he could meet the man sitting before him. Or maybe, God had given him a second chance and forgiven him for whatever sins he had committed in a past life.

“Umm, I don’t know why I’m here. But I did get hit by a giant comet that broke my capsule and then I came flying down to Earth and I landed on your roof. It was really weird because comets never hit my capsule before until today and I always hoped that one of them would break it and one finally did so I’m really happy,” Luhan said without a pause in between. He finished with a little, sharp intake of breath to fill his lungs with air. “There are other stars up there too who probably wanted to be broken free too and I don’t know why I was the one who was hit but it just sorta happened.”

Minseok’s eyes widened and he held his hands up in order to stop the star from babbling any longer. “Whoa, slow down there. What’s this ‘capsule’ you’re talking about?”

“Well, my capsule is the thing that contained me for all my life. I was born in it and had to live in it for millions of years. It kept me alive for this long and was supposed to be unbreakable but I guess that isn’t true,” Luhan replied enthusiastically. Never had he been so happy to talk about his life as a star to anyone. It was a taboo topic back then since no one wanted to bring up the torturous fact that they were stuck in those prisons with no way out. Now, Luhan poured out everything he had ever thought of and all he was curious about.

“How come we can’t see you guys though? I mean, we have such powerful telescopes that can look at stars millions of light years away but we can’t even see that there are people living in them?” Minseok responded. He had another pencil in between his teeth again, chewing it mercilessly. Luhan could practically see the gears in his brain going round and round as Minseok processed the information given to him. “Maybe it’s the mixture of gases on the outside that clouds everything. But wait, how can you guys see through the gas then?”

“Stars have better hearing and eyesight than humans do, I guess.” Luhan shrugged and clicked the pen, gasping when the tip popped out. He started scribbling on a random paper littering Minseok’s desk until the astronomer snatched it from him with a sour glare. Without something to write on, Luhan used his hand instead to draw figures and shapes. He was fascinated by the ink that covered his hands and peered into the end of the pen to figure out where it was coming from. One of Minseok’s hands covered his doodles and the other hand plucked the pen and chucked it across the room.

“Enough,” he chided. Luhan pouted slightly but a moment later a smile adorned his face again.

“What else do you wanna know about me?”

“Err, well…how old are you?” Minseok responded uncertainly. “Sorry if that offends you in some way. I mean, I don’t think you’re like an old man or, uh, you don’t even look over twenty but you’re probably-“he was cut off when Luhan shushed him by pressing two fingers against his lips.

“I’m not offended. Actually, I forgot how old I am. It’s too hard to keep track of it, you know?” Minseok blinked back at Luhan, his cheeks turning the color of the sunset. Intrigued by the change in Minseok’s skin tone, Luhan took both his hands and pressed them on Minseok’s cheeks. “Wow, your cheeks are on fire. Are you sure you aren’t a star too?”

“S-stop that!” Minseok spluttered as he pushed Luhan’s hands away. Chuckling, Luhan slyly reached out for another pen. Minseok noticed and instantly swatted the man’s mischievous hands away. “Will you quit playing with my pens? I honestly can’t believe that you’re millions of years old. You’re more like a ten year old to me.”

“Hey, I may be millions of years old but I’ve been confined in a sphere. Not much I could have done up there,” replied Luhan. “And don’t you humans have something called ‘reflect’ for elders?”

“It’s actually ‘respect’. And yes, we do respect our elders but I have a hard time thinking of you as my elder,” Minseok retorted while rolling his eyes.

“Isn’t there a word that you use for someone older than you? Hyung, right? Call me hyung!” Luhan chirped. He had seen a boy calling a guy older than him “hyung” while they were walking to the café earlier. It sounded cute coming from the boy and Luhan wanted to hear Minseok say it.

“No way. If I was going to call you anything it’d be ahjussi,” Minseok replied snidely. He scoffed and turned away from Luhan, most likely trying to hide his cheeks which were turning crimson again.

“What does ‘ahjussi’ mean?” asked Luhan. The word didn’t sound half as appealing as “hyung” did.

“It means you’re an old man,” remarked Minseok. Luhan frowned, grabbed Minseok by the shoulders, and spun the man around to face him again. Minseok’s cheeks were indeed red again. 

“Do I look old?” Luhan asked with the utmost sincerity. Minseok burst out laughing and shook his head several times.

“Hahaha, I really don’t understand you. No, you don’t look old at all.”

“Then, you should call me hyung.”

Silence fell upon the room and all that could be heard were the sounds of the two men breathing. Luhan gazed into Minseok’s eyes, never breaking eye contact. He matched his breaths with Minseok’s and smiled at the tingly feeling on his fingertips as they clutched the fabric of Minseok’s shirt. A sigh puffed from Minseok’s mouth.

“Okay, fine. You win hyung. Are you happy now?” Minseok muttered. Luhan wasn’t just happy, he was ecstatic. He nodded so hard that his neck hurt and his cheeks ached from smiling.

“Yay!” cheered Luhan.

And so this started the beginning of a relationship between a star and a man who loved stars too much.

---

The haunting notes of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata drifted into the room and wrapped around Minseok, tugging him awake. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he realized that the symphony sounded more like words rather than piano keys plinking. Turning his head, Minseok noticed that his alarm clock had five more minutes till it went off. Puzzled, Minseok propped himself up on his elbows and examined the clock to see if it was broken.

Just as he was giving up on the mystery of the Moonlight Sonata, he realized that it actually wasn’t Beethoven’s piece dancing through the air. No, it was someone’s voice. They were singing a beautiful melody in a smooth legato, with a voice you could not find on Earth. That’s when it clicked in Minseok’s mind. It was Luhan.

It had only been a week since Luhan first appeared on Minseok’s roof. One week of the star living in his condo, waking him up in the mornings so they could peer into Minseok’s telescope together. One week of awkward – at least for Minseok they were- good mornings and familiar good nights. One week of living in the presence of a being not from his planet. Minseok still couldn’t get used to it. Luhan seemed to have no need for sleep, going to bed at three in the morning only to wake up an hour and a half later to drag Minseok up to the roof.

In the one week they were together, Minseok tried to teach Luhan about the planet Earth. Although the man was millions of years old, there was a lot he did not know. Minseok found himself going over the importance of money several times, trying to nail it in Luhan’s brain that the paper bills were not meant for doodling. Simple concepts that Minseok never thought a person could have trouble understanding were nearly impossible for Luhan to wrap his mind around. The necessity of clothes was one of them.

Minseok remembered the morning after Luhan came into his life. The young astronomer had made him take a shower, leaving a pile of clothes for the star to change into afterwards. Minseok had just finished making breakfast when Luhan came out of the bedroom stark . Poor Minseok nearly dropped the plate of kimbap in his hand from the shock. Luhan had merely smiled at him like everything was normal, only looking confused when Minseok rushed over and ushered him back into the bedroom with a beet red face.

“You have to wear clothes, okay? You can’t just go around walking !” Minseok quipped as he handed Luhan his clothes. Luhan shrugged but slipped the piece of clothing on anyways.

“I don’t understand why. I mean, I never wore clothes before. And neither did any of the others,” he responded. Minseok only sighed in return.

“Things are different on Earth. On Earth, you have to wear clothes,” he explained.

“If it makes you happy, then I will,” Luhan replied with a grin.

“You wanna know what else would make me happy?” asked Minseok with his eyebrows raised. Luhan leaned in, eager to hear what Minseok had to say. “I’d be happy if you put on some damn pants right now.” Minseok chuckled as he threw a pair of jeans at Luhan and walked out of the room.

That had been six days ago. Luckily for Minseok, Luhan had learned to put on his clothes after showering. It was the third morning after Luhan landed on Minseok’s roof when the pair went out shopping for clothes and other things Minseok deemed necessary for Luhan. As Minseok listened to Luhan singing, he let his mind drift back to that day and all the things he had to deal with.

They were standing in the middle of a store, racks of clothing everywhere filled with clothes for both men and women. Minseok bit his lips nervously as Luhan gaped at everything around him.

“Is this a giant closet?” he asked loud enough for other customers to hear and snicker in response. Minseok slapped a hand over his face in embarrassment.

“No, it’s not. This is a store. Remember the paper bills called money? You have to use money to buy stuff at a store. Got it?” Minseok asked.

“I thought people used gold to buy stuff?”

“Yeah, maybe in the 16^th century. This is the 21^st century and now we use paper bills and credit cards.” Minseok had yet to explain the concept of a credit card to Luhan and decided it was best to put that off. It would most likely confuse the man even more.

“Oh, I see.”

“Yup, now go pick out some clothes you like and bring them back to me.”

Minseok watched Luhan walk off towards the women’s section and he dashed over to him in a flash. Pointing Luhan in the right direction, he kept his eyes on him to make sure the star didn’t cause any trouble. It only took three second of Minseok taking his eyes off Luhan and stumbling off balance as a person bumped into him on accident for a disaster to happen.

A woman’s scream alerted Minseok to the mess he knew was bound to happen. Luhan was in the process of stripping his shirt off, the button on his jeans already undone however the zipper was still up. Jaw hitting the floor, Minseok gaped at Luhan for half a second before sprinting across the store and stopping him.

“What the hell are you doing?” yelled Minseok as he quickly shoved Luhan’s shirt over his head. “I told you to pick out clothes, not try them on in public!”

“Sorry,” mumbled Luhan. From then on, Minseok picked the clothes and bought them while holding onto Luhan’s wrist tightly to make sure he couldn’t go off and cause an uproar. Once they left the store, Minseok let go of Luhan’s wrist.

“Look hyung, you can’t just go doing whatever you want. There are some things you can and can’t do. If you ever have any questions, just ask me before you do something stupid,” Minseok said.

“You called me hyung!” exclaimed Luhan. Minseok’s eyes narrowed and he wondered if that was all Luhan had heard and if his other words were just lost in the wind.

Back in the present, Minseok blinked the recent memories away and gasped to find numerous galaxies in front of his face. Flecks of stardust floating in a deep abyss, a well-sculpted nose, and bright white teeth greeted Minseok.

“Good morning Minseok!” Luhan’s eyes glimmered under the pale moonlight coming through the window. “Let’s go to the roof!”

Lips curling into a smile, Minseok nodded and Luhan dragged the man out of bed and up the spiral staircase. They came out onto the roof to be hit with cool dawn air and the smell of early morning. Their morning ritual began. Minseok sat on the lounge chair and Luhan would sit beside him, squeezing into the chair that was meant for one. Their heads pressed together as they leaned in towards the telescope. Inhaling deeply, Minseok sighed from the scent of glass lens, metal, and Luhan. The pair spent a good half an hour looking at stars they had seen countless times, still gleeful from seeing them again. Luhan could point to each one and tell him what the being inside looked like. Minseok noticed how Luhan seemed more distant when he spoke of the other stars, like he was still up there with them while Minseok was stuck on Earth.

After, they helped one another draw in Minseok’s journal. Laughter ensued when their knuckles brushed against one another. They fought over who would draw what, ending in a war of marking each other with ink. Then, Minseok showered first and washed away the childish ink fight from his skin. He paused as the warm water splashed over his body. He hoped Luhan would not be the ink washing from his skin; he didn’t want him to disappear so easily.

---

 The next couple weeks were mainly a routine. Luhan woke up Minseok and they would stargaze together. Then, Minseok would shower and Luhan would wait for his turn. Minseok made breakfast for the two, which Luhan had trouble stomaching but he never showed Minseok how sick the food made him. The first time he ate, he vomited. As the weeks passed by though, Luhan’s body slowly adapted to the new form of nourishment. It still didn’t taste good, but he could handle it.

After breakfast, Luhan was left alone while Minseok went to work. Luhan had picked up how to read and write quite easily despite his lack of understanding simpler human concepts. So, he spent his days reading the numerous books in Minseok’s condo. He had nothing better to do and normally paced around the empty home, lonely and bored to death.

Luhan looked forward to Sundays though. Minseok did not have work on Sundays and they spent the entire day together. It was their sixth Sunday together and Minseok decided that they would go to the mall that day.

“But, we’ve already gone to the mall two Sundays ago,” whined Luhan.

“Hyung, can’t you at least act a quarter of your age. I mean, a quarter of your age is still a lot too,” retorted Minseok. Luhan hated when Minseok would bring up his age. It wasn’t the fact that he despised being millions of years old, he just didn’t like feeling un-human.

“No. I don’t want to. Let’s go somewhere else. Please,” Luhan pleaded. He widened his eyes and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, one of the tricks he had learned from watching the thing humans called TV. Girls and little children did it when they wanted something and it always worked. He grinned in his mind when he saw Minseok’s cheeks flushing.

“Alright. Geez, always pulling the damn puppy face. Where do you wanna go?”

“Woohoo! Let’s go to the planetarium!”

“It’s Sunday. The planetarium isn’t open on Sundays, remember?”

Luhan huffed in disappointment, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine, we’ll go to the mall. But, you gotta buy me whatever I want, okay?”

“Whatever you say, you little brat,” snorted Minseok. Luhan had grown used to his sarcastic remarks and casual insults. He knew Minseok didn’t really mean it, even if he did glare at Luhan while he spat the words. With a smile, Luhan grabbed Minseok’s hand and tugged him out of the condo.

Minseok let out a tiny protest and yanked his hand away, sending Luhan his signature glare. In response, Luhan smiled cheekily but let him have his personal space. The walk to the bus stop only took eight minutes and the pair was squished against one another. The bus was full and all the passengers were packed together like a can of sardines. It was uncomfortable to be enclosed from all sides and Luhan was ninety percent sure someone had just d his , but the only thing that made up for it was his proximity to Minseok. The two were so close together that Minseok’s warm breath tickled Luhan’s neck. Luhan purposefully pretended to stumble forward as if someone had bumped into him and he held onto the pole that Minseok was leaning against, pressing his body against Minseok’s even more.

“Sorry, there’s a lot of people on the bus,” he lied. He bit back the sly grin itching to appear on his face. Minseok’s breaths grew short and his cheeks burned bright again, it came to the point where Luhan believed that Minseok had stopped breathing. “Are you okay?”

“I’m f-fine,” said Minseok through gritted teeth. “Get off at the next stop. I can’t stand this anymore.”

Snickering under his breath, Luhan complied with the astronomer’s wishes and he struggled to get them both off the tightly packed bus. He found it enjoyable to tease Minseok since Minseok never expected him to be anything other than innocent. Sure, there were simple human concepts Luhan didn’t understand but that didn’t mean he was naïve. In fact, Luhan thought himself to be quite knowledgeable when it came to what made Minseok flustered.

Since they got off the bus earlier than planned, the walk to the mall was about twenty minutes. They got there and Luhan immediately went inside and headed in the direction of his favorite store, the pet store. He was used to seeing humans but rarely did he get to see animals. He especially preferred dogs because they were cute and playful. Just as Luhan was about to enter the pet store, Minseok grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hauled him away.

“W-what? Where are we going?” exclaimed Luhan.

“We are not going to the pet store today. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that you’ll want me to buy you a puppy and that’s not gonna happen. I’ll get you anything else, just not a pet,” Minseok explained.

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

Luhan wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by. If Minseok was truly going to buy him anything he wanted he had to make it count. Instantly, Luhan’s eyes roamed around the mall scouting for the perfect store to find his present. He saw the store he wanted to go to in an isolated corner of the mall that was barely noticeable next to the giant famous brand name store right beside it. No shoppers paid any heed to the tiny, cozy store with the hand-made sign hanging out front. Immediately, Luhan headed into the shop.

There wasn’t much to be said about the interior of the store other than that it matched the exterior. Everything in there looked homemade, crafted by the owner with delicacy and precision. Unique wooden dolls sat on shelves, hugging carefully sewn together teddy bears or dogs. Little charms hung on a display, each different with its own kind of vibe. Luhan noticed that the dim lighting of the store made everything seem more surreal. It was intriguing and he stopped to look at every single item. There were charm bracelets and necklaces in a glass display box. No two items looked to have the same color, there was always something just a little different whether the shade was a bit lighter or the color looked more faded. Luhan thought he had walked into a place filled with magical trinkets and charms.

“Wow, this place is so cool!” Luhan exclaimed. Minseok was walking beside him and he nodded his head in agreement. His eyes sparkled just a teensy bit and Luhan could see the child in him coming out. “You should get something too.”

“…Maybe I will,” Minseok replied.

“Oh, I didn’t know there were customers. Find what you want and get outta here. I have better things to do than stand in this stupid store,” a boy with unfriendly eyes muttered, surprising the two.

“Sehun! I told you not to talk to the customers that way! You freaking idiot,” snapped a man who looked only two or three years older than Sehun. Luhan and Minseok both stared at the two men, bewildered.

“Oh shut up Joonmyun hyung. If you care about your customers so much, you deal with them. I’m going out with my friends,” said the boy named Sehun. Without a second glance back, he left the store. Joonmyun sighed heavily and shook his head before turning towards Luhan and Minseok. He flashed an angelic smile at them, clasping his hands together.

“I am really sorry about Sehun. I try to teach him that the customer comes first but he’s more interested in hanging with his friends,” explained Joonmyun. “Anyways, how can I help you two?”

Luhan’s first impression of Joonmyun was that he was kind and gentle although that made him an easy target for people to walk all over. He had just witnessed it go on with Sehun who was younger than Joonmyun yet still disrespected him. “Are you okay though? I mean, that Sehun kid wasn’t being very nice,” said Luhan.

“Oh, it’s alright. He does that all the time. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t let that brat step all over you like that. Toughen up a little and don’t be afraid to slap the kid in the back of the head if he talks back,” Minseok scoffed.

“I-I can’t do that though. It’s really nice of you guys to be so concerned about me but there’s no need for you to worry. I can handle it,” Joonmyun stated. This time, his gaze was steeled and there was a determination in them. Luhan nodded approvingly, a few words of encouragement could really help someone.

“That’s good then. Anyways, do you have any recommendations? I want something with stars on it!” Luhan said.

“Stars? Hmm, I think I have the perfect thing for you.”

Joonmyun led the pair to a corner of the room with only a small wooden table sitting there. There were designs carved into the legs, wrapping around so it looked like one uniform picture even though it was comprised of several miniature images. Luhan gaped at the beautiful piece of art but also the miscellaneous items littered on top of it. There were books, charms, jewelry, cards, and more but all of these were held together by one common theme. They were all celestial-related.

“Whoa, these are so cool!” Luhan said. Joonmyun didn’t reply for a moment as he rifled through the clutter. He seemed to know exactly where everything was because it only took him ten seconds before he pulled out a notebook shaped very oddly. Luhan squinted at the object and noticed there were five points to it and it was colored a pale yellow. The binding was string so he concluded that even the notebook was crafted by hand. “What’s that?”

“This is a star journal. It’s just a regular journal with lined paper in it but there are interesting astronomy related tidbits written on each page. Here,” said Joonmyun as he handed the journal to Minseok. “I think it’d suit you, sir.”

“Why is it shaped like that?” Luhan asked. He still didn’t understand the five-points of the notebook.

“It’s a five-pointed star. These are how humans draw stars. It’s not exactly accurate but it’s the widely-known representation of a star,” Minseok whispered in Luhan’s ear. Luhan knew he only did it so Joonmyun wouldn’t hear, but he couldn’t help the shivers that ran down his spine as Minseok’s breath caressed his skin.

“Oh, that’s neat,” replied Luhan.

“And this is for you,” Joonmyun said as he handed Luhan a simple silver-chained necklace with another five-point star on it. The star wasn’t fancy in anyway. It was a sleek silver and about the size of a thumb. Luhan smiled and held the necklace in his hand with the utmost delicacy.

“Wow, it’s so pretty,” he whispered in awe.

“It’s also part of a set. Here’s the other one,” said Joonmyun. He held up another necklace with a similar chain but instead of a star on it, there was a circle the size of a quarter. “This one is supposed to represent a planet that revolves around the star. It’s for couples.”

Luhan smiled and he reached out for the necklace. “Can I have this one too, then?”

Nodding, Joonmyun dropped the necklace into his palm. “Well, since you guys have been really nice to me, I’ll give it to you for free.”

Luhan cheered and thanked Joonmyun with a bright smile on his face. Then, he glanced at Minseok who sighed, rolled his eyes, and handed some money over to Joonmyun. The man smiled gratefully and waved goodbye as the pair left his shop. With a skip to his step, Luhan held the two necklaces in his hand and admired the way they reflected the minimal amount of sunlight that managed to stream through the tiny windows scattered on the ceiling. He looked at Minseok who was flipping through the journal, reading the notes on the pages. A tender smile appeared on his face and he leaned over to plant a soft kiss on the young astronomer’s cheek. Minseok froze in place and his eyes grew wide.

“Thank you for the present.” Luhan saw the way Minseok floundered for the words to respond and the blush on his cheek was 100% noticeable. A smirk undoubtedly placed itself on Luhan’s face as he enjoyed his favorite activity, teasing Minseok.

“I-I…no problem,” mumbled Minseok. Minseok didn’t dare to look at Luhan for the rest of the walk home. They stopped at a food vendor’s stall and had a quick lunch, eating as they trudged along. Summer was beginning to end and the leaves were turning into reds, yellows, and oranges. The weather was becoming cooler, something that Luhan wasn’t used to. His body radiated warmth yet it also up the cold quite easily. He found himself getting chills even though the weather was warm enough for others to wear shorts and tank tops.

It took close to an hour for them to get back home, going up the elevator and into Minseok’s condo. Luhan snatched Minseok’s star journal and stared at it. He wondered how humans could have come up with something like that to represent a star. Stars didn’t look like that at all, even when you looked at them with the eye.

“What are you doing with my journal? You already got a present, I’m not giving you that too!” snapped Minseok. He grabbed the journal and went into his bedroom to put it away. Shoving the two necklaces in his pocket, Luhan looked around the room for a piece of paper. An idea had crossed his mind not too long ago and he began to implement his plan. There was a printer with loads of blank paper in it. Heading over to it, Luhan started taking several sheets and crumpling them into balls. It was when he had crumpled the twentieth ball did Minseok come out of his room.

“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing with my computer paper?” exclaimed Minseok in disbelief. Luhan ignored him and opened a drawer to find string and tape. He taped the string to the paper balls and then went around the room hanging them on the ceiling. Minseok didn’t do anything to stop him, merely puzzled by the star’s actions. Soon enough, Luhan had a good amount of paper balls hung throughout Minseok’s condo.

“What is this all about?” Minseok asked, still glancing around confusedly.

“It’s your own personal galaxy full of stars,” said Luhan as he made two more crinkled balls of paper. On one, he managed to draw a crude picture of himself. His artistic skills certainly weren’t professional but he tried his best. On the other, he colored it blue and green and drew Minseok’s face on it. Hanging them both near each other, Luhan smiled gently at the two objects hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the living room.

“What’s that? Is that supposed to be me and you?” Minseok remarked. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared hard at the two faces Luhan had drawn.

“Yup. See, I’m the star and you’re the planet. That way, I’m your favorite star and you’re my planet that revolves around me,” explained Luhan. “I don’t really like the five-point stars. These ones are better.”

“Why do I have to be the planet?” Minseok retorted. “You should be the planet since you’re always following me around.”

“Humph. I don’t care. I wanna be your star,” Luhan huffed. He felt his heart flutter when Minseok began to laugh cheerfully, admiring the way the man’s eyes wrinkled at the corners. His eyes softened while he watched Minseok’s face glow with happiness.

“You really are a kid,” Minseok sighed. Luhan had no clue what came over him, but at that moment all he could see, hear, smell, and think of was Minseok. He loved the look of his round cheeks and his bright smile. The sound of Minseok’s laughter filled his dreams at night and made his days even better. Minseok’s unique scent could appear in Luhan’s mind even when he just closed his eyes and thought about him. Gathering all the courage in him, Luhan reached into his pocket and pulled out the two necklaces. Taking the “planet” necklace in his hand, he reached out and grabbed Minseok’s with his free hand.

Caught off guard, Minseok gazed at Luhan. It was one of the first times Luhan had ever looked and felt so flustered. He could feel his body growing even hotter than it usually was, the fire inside his heart blazing. “W-what are you doing?” stuttered Minseok.

With the utmost sincerity, Luhan stared deep into Minseok’s eyes. “Will you be my ‘planet’ that will always orbit me?” he asked as he gently placed the necklace in his hand. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

“H-hyung…” Minseok stammered as he grew perplexed again. Luhan held his breath while Minseok gazed at him for a while. He could feel his heart thump thump thumping in his rib cage while he waited for Minseok to answer. Luhan had never felt so nervous before. His palms became sweaty and he didn’t dare to blink for fear that maybe breaking eye contact for even half a second might do something to sway Minseok’s mind in the wrong direction.

“…yes. I will.”

The breath Luhan had been holding in escaped all at once and hot tears of happiness prickled at the corners of his eyes. This time, they both smiled at one another and Luhan threw his arms around Minseok, embracing him tightly. Luhan closed his eyes and held onto Minseok wishing he could just stay in that position for the rest of his life.

Reaching out, Luhan gently tapped Minseok’s paper ball and he watched it swing around in a circle, orbiting Luhan’s star.

---

A few weeks passed by and fall had taken the place of summer. Days were getting shorter and the sun set earlier, bringing the night sky as a present for both Luhan and Xiumin. It was another Sunday and Minseok decided to take Luhan out on a special date. Not much had changed in their relationship even after they became a couple. The only really different thing was the fact that Luhan weaseled his way into Minseok’s bed every night. At first, Minseok had protested especially after waking the first morning in a panic because he had felt Luhan’s arms wrapped around his waist. Eventually though, Luhan had managed to wear Minseok down and Minseok soon found himself welcoming Luhan into his room at night. He enjoyed the feeling of having someone by his side at night, especially the person he loved most in the world.

That Sunday, Minseok rented a car and he drove Luhan out to the countryside. The trip was long but it didn’t feel that way when Luhan was singing at the top of his lungs the whole time. At points, Luhan’s voice soothed Minseok yet most of the time Luhan would sing loud, catchy, pop songs on the radio that irritated Minseok. They got to their destination mid-afternoon. Minseok sighed with relief when the music was cut off and Luhan ceased his singing.

“What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?” Luhan asked. He took the bags that Minseok handed to him while he unpacked the car. There was green grass billowing in the wind all around them and tall trees that were in the midst of losing their leaves.

“Camping,” replied Minseok. After getting everything out of the car, he locked it. “Now, help me set up the tent and stuff.”

Minseok didn’t want to explain anything to Luhan yet, keeping it strictly a surprise. They struggled to figure out how the tent worked and it took them nearly an hour to set it up especially when Luhan would get distracted by his surroundings from time to time. Once the tent was all finished, Minseok began preparing things for dinner. Luhan was useless when it came to cooking. His first attempt at it nearly burned Minseok’s kitchen to the ground. So, Luhan sat on a giant rock he had found and watched Minseok.

The young astronomer glanced at the star occasionally. He noticed how Luhan was bundled up in a sweater with a jacket over it. His face seemed much paler than before, losing that radiant glow he used to have. His eyes still reminded Minseok of the starry expanse of sky filled with stardust. He couldn’t deny the fact that Luhan was beginning to look more human every single day.

They held a casual conversation over dinner and talked until the sun went down. Then, Minseok lay down on the grass while Luhan followed suit. Since they were so far from the city and all of its manufactured light, the stars were much easier to see. In fact, they could spot even more than they ever could in the city. Minseok sighed in content, placing his arms beneath his head.

“So, this is camping?” Luhan asked.

“Hmm, yeah. I love camping. You get to escape the nosy city life and sleep under the beautiful, peaceful night sky,” Minseok hummed happily. His voice sounded distant as he let his mind drift to memories of him and his father spending countless nights under the stars while his mother joked that they’d probably float into space one day.

“I like it too.”

“Can you see any stars you know?” Minseok asked. He remembered Luhan telling him that his eyesight was getting worse and it was becoming more difficult for him to see the figures of the other stars up in the sky.

“Well, I can’t see their bodies anymore. I can just see the twinkle of light. But, I do know which star is which,” said Luhan. He pointed up to one of the dimmer stars. “Like that one. I remember him.”

“So, is there a reason why some stars don’t glow as brightly as others?”

“Yeah. The weaker the star, the dimmer it is. When I was still a star that dim star right there was always bitter. He hated his life and the fact that he was weaker didn’t help. His skin is so much darker than mine and his hair is almost black. When I think about him now, I think the name Kai would fit him.”

“Why the name Kai?”

“I learned in a book that Kai means ‘ocean’ in Hawaiian. I think the name would suit him if he was human. He’d love the ocean and the beach. And for some reason, you know that thing called dancing? I bet Kai would be a great dancer. I can see him moving so fluidly just like water.”

Minseok chuckled and placed one of his arms over his stomach. “How can you tell? I mean, he isn’t able to move in that capsule right?”

Glancing at Luhan, Minseok saw him smile and heard the eerie sound of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in his mind. He had known Luhan for months but the star was still a mystery to him at times.

“I don’t know.” Luhan’s cryptic answer worked to annoy Minseok rather than reassure him.

“You’re so strange,” Minseok scoffed.

“But you love my kind of strange, don’t you?” teased Luhan. He crawled over to Minseok and poked his bicep. Minseok snorted and attempted to get up in order to escape but Luhan was quick to stop him. His hands pinned Minseok’s shoulders to the ground and his legs trapped Minseok’s as Luhan hovered over him. Minseok ceased to breathe for a moment, watching time come to a stop. Smirking, Luhan lowered his head until his lips ghosted over Minseok’s. Minseok closed his eyes, going crazy from the heat of Luhan’s breath on his face. Tipping his chin up just a bit, Minseok made their lips meet.

It was as if a supernova went off in both their minds and they drowned in the feeling of the kiss. That one kiss turned into several more light, fluttering kisses that trailed from Minseok’s cheek down to his jaw and then his neck. A quiet moan escaped Minseok’s lips as his hands clutched the fabric of Luhan’s jacket. Their hands began to wander, exploring one another’s bodies. Their voices harmonized as they whispered nothings into each other’s ears. Their skin tingled once they managed to remove the obstacle of their clothing.

There were several exchanges of “I love you” between the two as the passion took them over. They became lost in their own world under the stars, sinking into pleasure, adoration, and pure love.

That night, a star and a planet became one.

---

Minseok had never felt happier in his life. He had everything he ever wanted and more. He worked the job of his dreams, he had a nice place to live, he made a decent amount of money, but most importantly he had the person he loved most. It was the eye of the hurricane, the calm before a storm, and Minseok was blissfully unaware of what was to come.

Minseok opened his eyes and expected Luhan to be awake, ready to say good morning to him like he usually did. However, his eyes were still closed and he was peacefully asleep. Minseok wondered why he was still sleeping since Luhan always woke up before him. He ignored it for the moment and became distracted by the mussed golden locks of hair on Luhan’s head. Smiling softly, Minseok tangled his fingers in Luhan’s hair a few times before gently combing his fingers through it. Luhan’s arms were around him still and Minseok savored the feeling. He lay in bed motionless for a while; just drinking in the features of Luhan’s sleeping face.

A tiny groan signaled Luhan’s awakening. His eyes fluttered open and Minseok smiled wider at the vastness of them. “Good morning,” he murmured. “You slept a lot longer than usual. Are you sick?” Minseok pressed the back of his hand against Luhan’s forehead although he wasn’t sure what Luhan’s “normal” temperature was supposed to be. He was a star before so obviously he was warmer than a regular human. Instead, Minseok was surprised to find that Luhan’s temperature was cooler than his.

“I’m fine. Just a little more tired than usual,” Luhan replied wearily. Minseok could hear the fatigue in his voice, like there was an unexpected lull in the Moonlight Sonata.

“No. I think I should take you to the hospital. Just in case.” Luhan opened his mouth to protest but Minseok shushed him first. “Please, for me?” he pleaded. Lips curling up ever so slightly, Luhan nodded his agreement.

After getting ready, the pair headed towards the door. Minseok chuckled as he walked through his galaxy of stars that Luhan had created for him. His eyes automatically went towards the two paper balls in the center of the living room. Before leaving, he went over to it and made his “planet” revolve around Luhan’s star.

“I knew you were going to like it,” Luhan teased as they left the condo. He seemed perfectly fine now but Minseok still wanted to go to the hospital anyways.

“I just think it’s amusing. I never said I liked it,” Minseok said. He was lying of course, but Luhan endlessly so why couldn’t he have some fun? “In fact, it’s a little annoying sometimes. I mean, there are so many of them and I walk into them.”

“What? I thought you liked it though!” exclaimed Luhan. He stopped in his tracks with his arms folded over his chest. “I’m not moving until you say you like the galaxy I made for you.”

“Fine, you can stand there and I’ll just go to work instead of taking you to the doctor.” Minseok hid the sly smile on his face as he began to stride away. He counted down in his head and snickered when he heard Luhan’s footsteps behind him.

“You’re so mean! You can’t just leave me like that,” Luhan complained. “And how could you say that you don’t like my present for you?”

“Calm down. I was just kidding you idiot,” Minseok retorted. Beaming, Luhan hooked his arm through Minseok’s. He was satisfied now and Minseok was too. They walked comfortably until they reached the doctor’s office which was closer than the hospital. Minseok’s worries turned out to be for nothing when the doctor told them that Luhan was in perfect condition. Of course, this was according to human standards which didn’t apply to Luhan. Minseok didn’t tell the doctor this though, seeing as how that might land him in an asylum.

Minseok decided to take the day off of work since he was already late. It didn’t matter to him though. He got to spend the entire day walking through the streets of Seoul with his lover by his side. Temperatures were getting closer to below freezing which meant winter was greeting them soon. Most of the trees had lost all their leaves and fall was truly starting to say goodbye. Luhan shivered from the chilly breeze blowing by and Minseok took his hand in his, trying to warm him up. They hurried home to escape the cold and when they got there, they spent the rest of their evening under the spell of soft classical music and the embrace of a plush blanket. Limbs tangled together and giggles erupted from them as fingers accidentally brushed together when they both reached for the TV remote. Leaning into one another, they a movie that they didn’t watch, too busy having staring contests and making the loser kiss the winner.

Despite the fact that Luhan seemed perfectly fine, there was a part of Minseok’s heart that felt uneasy like something horrible was going to happen.

---

Luhan never let Minseok know, but he actually felt terrible. Nowadays, he became more and more tired, going to bed early and waking up late. His body was weak and it was a struggle to do tasks that had seemed easy before. He noticed that his movements were sluggish and he lost the grace he used to possess. Luhan thought he had grown used to human food but it was working to make him sick in the stomach. His head spun whenever he gulped down a glass of juice or milk. It was overwhelming just how quickly Luhan was beginning to wither away.

Maybe it was the wisdom he’d gain from the millions of years that Luhan had lived, or maybe it was just the weariness that swallowed him, but Luhan could tell his time was coming to an end. He often wondered why, whispering aloud to himself when Minseok was away at work. Why had he fallen to Earth? To meet Minseok. Was he made to walk on Earth? He didn’t know. Maybe God had given him a gift that had an expiration date when that comet freed him from his prison. Luhan thought it cruel to allow him to taste freedom only to lose it in such a short time.

The time Luhan had spent on Earth seemed so short when he compared it to the life he had lived before. Except, it didn’t feel like the blink of an eye when he was actually experiencing life. He used to wonder how humans lived such short lives, thinking it sad that they couldn’t experience all the universe had to offer them. However, he learned that there were so many things that could happen in such a short amount of time. In a matter of months, Luhan had learned how to read and write, gone camping, made a friend, and fallen in love. There were so many experiences that filled up a human’s short life that made it worth living.

It was an extremely cold day when Luhan felt a sharp pain coursing through his entire body, causing him to collapse to the ground. There were thirty minutes till Minseok would return from work and the pain was so unbearable that Luhan couldn’t move. He curled into a ball on the floor, grimacing all the while. It was as if someone had injected ice into his veins and the icicles were gnawing at his insides.

The sound of the door opening was like salvation for Luhan. “Hyung, I’m back! They let me go home early today. Put on some warm clothes because I got something to show you outside,” Minseok called as he shut the door. His eyes widened when he saw Luhan on the floor and he ran over to him. “Hyung! Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Luhan couldn’t bring himself to answer. His throat burned when he attempted to speak, causing his eyes to tear up. He felt his mind go numb for a second and panic gripped him.

“Hey, Luhan hyung! Hyung!” Minseok cried out. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and began to dial 119 until Luhan’s cold fingers wrapped around his wrist. Just as quickly as the pain had come, it had disappeared and Luhan felt fine.

“I’m fine. Just a stomachache,” he chuckled. The last thing Luhan wanted was for Minseok to worry over him. He plastered a smile on his face, acting as if he hadn’t just been experiencing the worst pain of his life five minutes ago. There was a look of uncertainty on Minseok’s face so Luhan kissed it away. And suddenly, everything felt better for him. “See, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I think you should still go to the hospital. What kind of stomachache has you in a fetal position on the ing floor?” Minseok said.

“I don’t need to go. Anyways, what did you want to show me? I’ll go grab my jacket,” Luhan replied quickly as he hopped away. He heard Minseok sigh in defeat and his heart sank a little, the fire weakening to a few burning embers. Luhan didn’t want to lie to Minseok, he hated lying to him, but he just wanted him to be happy. His mind grew fuzzy while he clutched his jacket in his hand.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay? Why are you standing there like a statue?” Minseok asked, his head poking in through the open door. Luhan saw the concern in his eyes and the slight frown on his lips that he wanted to kiss away again.

“O-oh. Sorry. I just got distracted,” Luhan replied. He slipped the jacket on and smiled at Minseok. “Let’s go!”

Luhan tugged on Minseok’s hand as he walked out of the bedroom. Minseok hesitated for a moment before taking the lead, with just a hint of a smile on his face. “I have a feeling you’re going to love it. Follow me.”

And Minseok’s prediction was true. Luhan did indeed love it. They walked up the spiral staircase and came out onto the roof to be greeted by pure white. Luhan gasped in awe at the cold little flakes falling from the sky. He stuck his palm out and caught them in his hand, giggling when they melted against his skin. The evening light reflected off it, making it look like the whole roof was sparkling.

“Whoa, what is this stuff?” asked Luhan.

“It’s called snow. It means that winter is finally here,” Minseok replied. Luhan smiled softly, sticking his tongue out to catch a snowflake on his tongue. Even though the weather was cold, he felt warm inside. A pair of arms s around his waist and Minseok rested his chin on Luhan’s shoulder. “I love you hyung,” he breathed.

They shared a kiss underneath the beautiful crystals floating down from the heavens and Luhan closed his eyes, pushing away all his problems and focused on what was happening now. Now, he was in the comfort of his lover’s embrace. Now, he could share his warmth with the person he loved. Now, everything was perfect. No pain. No worries.

Because that would come later.

---

The second and last time that Luhan collapsed happened one week before Christmas. It was Sunday and this time Minseok was there to see it happen. He had just come out from the bathroom to find Luhan on the ground at the foot of the bed. Luhan’s face contorted with pain and sweat dripped down his face. Minseok picked up his phone to call 119, but Luhan stopped him again.

“No, don’t call. Please.”

It was a plea that Minseok gave in to because deep in his heart, he knew the doctors wouldn’t be able to do anything. Luhan wasn’t human no matter how human he looked, talked, and acted like. This was something that modern medicine could not cure.

“Can you…help me get to the bed?” Luhan rasped. Solemnly, Minseok moved towards him and helped Luhan get into the king size bed. He couldn’t trust himself to say anything so he stood by the bed without uttering a word. Luhan managed a weak smile and held his hand out. “Don’t look so sad. I’m just tired.”

“Bull ,” said Minseok. “Tired my . I know that you’re dying. You don’t have to pretend that you’re all dandy any longer.”

Luhan’s hand hung in mid-air for a second before falling onto the bed.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” replied Minseok. He sat down on the bed, feeling his heart weigh him down. There were a million other things Minseok wanted to say at that moment but they just wouldn’t come to him. Too many things he wanted to whisper to Luhan, too many feelings he had that he had kept buried. He wanted to spill his heart out to the man with the sickly pallor lying before him.

Minseok had noticed that Luhan’s skin had long lost that surreal glow that set him apart from humans. His fair, golden hair naturally turned into a dark brown. All the gracefulness Minseok had seen in him before slowly deteriorated till Luhan walked just like any other human. The only thing that didn’t change was his voice that still couldn’t be compared to anyone on Earth’s, and his eyes. Those two eyes, even at that second, held so much in them. Tiny flecks of stardust in a deep abyss of nothingness. Astronomical beauty held in just one pair of eyes. Millions of years of knowledge stored behind them. Eyes that contained too much love for just one man.

“Will you sing a song for me?” Luhan asked.

“Me? You want me to sing?” Minseok had never sung in front of anyone before, not even Luhan. He never thought he was a very good singer. And, the idea that Luhan was requesting him to sing, of all things, seemed absurd. The star was dying for God’s sake, so how could he talk so casually? Minseok felt himself go numb at the thought.

“Yeah. You’ve heard me sing a lot. Now, I wanna hear you.”

“…What song should I sing?”

“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” replied Luhan. A light smile was on his face and it only made his deteriorating state that much more noticeable compared to the brightness of his smile.

“You really are a kid, aren’t you?” Minseok chuckled. Luhan nodded and held his hand out again. This time, Minseok grabbed it and in his heart he swore to never let Luhan go. Their hands melded together in the perfect way as if someone had sculpted them to fit together. Smiling tenderly at Luhan, Minseok brushed his other hand through his hair that still felt silky and began to sing the childish song.

He certainly wasn’t as good a singer as Luhan, his voice quivering even during such an easy song. He found it hard to get the notes out like they were stuck in his throat. Then, he saw little drops of water falling onto the duvet. Minseok didn’t know when he had started crying.

It was all happening too fast. Just yesterday, Luhan had told him that he wanted his own telescope for Christmas. Just yesterday, Minseok promised Luhan they would go ice skating on Christmas Eve. Just yesterday, they had made so many promises to do things in a future that they couldn’t have.

“Minseok, do you know what happens when a star dies?” asked Luhan once the song was over. The questioned frightened Minseok. He knew Luhan’s time was up, he did. But he hadn’t accepted it yet because he didn’t want to. He heard a melancholic tone to Luhan’s voice that dragged it down. Pianissimo faded into resounding silence, skipping the second and third movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

“It’s not a sad thing. It never is. I think that a star is happiest when they are dying because that means they are free. There is hope that something better is waiting for them once that final flame goes out,” Luhan whispered.

Minseok couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He merely gazed into Luhan’s dimming eyes as Luhan brushed his thumb across his cheek, wiping away Minseok’s tears.

“But, I think I’m different. I’m sad right now. So, so sad. Because, I don’t want to leave you yet. All I can think of is, ‘just one more moment. Let me have just one more moment’.”

A dry chuckle echoed in the room. “Stars aren’t meant to walk on Earth,” concluded Luhan. Each breath in was a shudder. Each breath out, could have been his last. Minseok hated the words coming out of Luhan’s mouth at that moment. What was wrong with a star walking on Earth?  Luhan was as human as anyone could get and yet an invisible rule said he wasn’t allowed to be there? Was it because stars burned too bright to fit on Earth? They were too beautiful, too magnificent for humans to lay their eyes on. Minseok considered himself the luckiest being in the universe for having met Luhan.

 “Can I ask you a favor?”

“W-what is it hyung?” stuttered Minseok. His voice failed him when he needed it most. He needed it so he could tell Luhan everything was going to be alright even though they both knew it wasn’t true. He needed it so he could sing a million songs to Luhan if that would keep him by his side for just one more moment.

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you hyung.”

Luhan smiled and took one shaky breath in. “I love you too.”

Minseok smiled back, placing a hand on Luhan’s cheek. He stared into his eyes, filled with light. But, the light was slowly seeping away, dimming and fading until it was gone. The fire in his heart dwindled to a tiny flame, then a few embers, and finally poof and that vanished as well. Minseok clung to his lifeless hand, feeling his favorite star slip through his fingertips. His entire universe crumbled right before his eyes.

“I love you hyung.” His broken whisper lingered in the emptiness.

---

Minseok didn’t really think Luhan was gone until after his funeral. He was the only one there since he had been the only person Luhan really knew. Minseok thought it was fitting for Luhan to be cremated; he was a star after all. They always burned out in the end.

Christmas was two days away. Snow blanketed the ground and children’s’ laughter rang throughout the neighborhood. The joy of the holiday embraced everyone except Minseok. He walked through the streets feeling like the world didn’t deserve to be so cheerful. Planet Earth had just lost a star that had guided them for hundreds of years and yet no one seemed to care. Minseok drowned in his own sorrows, growing numb, and gazing up at the sky. At night, his eyes always searched for his star even though he knew he was gone.

He came home and opened the door, feeling his heart shriveling up. Eyes focusing straight ahead, staring into the living room, Minseok broke all over again. He stumbled into his empty condo, not bothering to close the door and take off his shoes. When he reached the center of his living room, his hand reached up. He couldn’t help the fact that he was shaking, trembling, when he touched the two crumpled up balls of paper. His other hand went to the two necklaces around his neck. One star and one planet.

Shutting his eyes, Minseok whispered in a broken voice as fresh tears spilled down his face, “What’s the planet supposed to do when his star dies?”

---

And that is the end. Thank you all for reading. Now excuse me while I go cry in a corner for killing off Luhan. ;_;