“And you aren’t? You’re a twenty-three year old guy working in a bar whose only friend is nineteen and really awesome.” Jongin smirks, swaying a bit from the sudden stop.

“You’re a nineteen year old rich who also only has one friend who is four years older than you and actually makes a living for himself; who’s the lame one now?” Minseok challenges.

Jongin nods, “still you.”

Minseok sighs, shaking his head with a faint laugh as the younger boy continues to dance down the streets. His hips shaking and his movements graceful, Minseok began to wonder if one day, he’d just float off with the wind, himself just hanging onto his ankle before he drifted away.

There really wasn’t a Minseok without Jongin, because after all these years, Jongin had been the only friend Minseok had – that Minseok needed.

 “Are you thinking too much again?” Jongin accused, frowning ever so slightly as he tugged on the older’s hand to follow his steps. “What have I told you about thinking, old man?”

“I’m not old.” Minseok grumbles, easily falling into step with the tall dancer, having seen this routine performed to him at least a hundred times – it was one of his favourites.

“Older than me,” Jongin smirks, “besides, you know I love you anyway.”

Minseok sends him an encouraging smile as they dance together, the music pounding silently between their minds, perfectly in sync. Their bodies moving together as if prompted by puppet masters and their smiles equally as big, their entireties as twins in those few minutes.

Their chests heaved as they came to a slow stop, the routine over and the rhythm in their heads fading out into the thick silence that fell over the clear road they found themselves following home. It took only one look at the other, for the pair to start laughing.

“You could dance with me, you know,” Jongin suggests for the nth time, “instead of feeding me drinks.”

“Nah, that stage is for you, Jongin. I’m too old for that; I’m not Kai.”

Jongin smiles apologetically, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “but you are Minseok and despite being an old man, he’s pretty damn cool.”

Minseok laughs.

~*~

“You always like coming here.” Jongin points out when Minseok leads him to Seoul Bridge for the first time together. Minseok hums.

“I’m not too fussed about the fountain crap, but the view is what gets me. It’s like the whole world is in my reach; like I can just outstretch my hand and pull back a star or a city and hold it close to my heart. It makes me feel less insignificant in the world.”

Jongin lets out a long breathe, standing behind his shorter best friend, leaning forward to rest his head against the boy’s shoulder and his arms around his stomach.

“We’re all significant in the world. How significant, is something we have to decide for ourselves.”

Minseok nods, tilting his head to place it against Jongin’s, appreciating the warmth from his friend.

Minseok came here often – almost every night – to watch the stars in the sky flicker and die out, the sun rising sometimes in the morning, or even setting on some occasions, depending on the time he got away from the bar. He would stand against the side of the pathway, away from the bustling road behind him (or the one or two cars that passed every few minutes at the convenient time of ‘stupid o’clock’ in the morning – Jongin’s words).

It was something about the stars, and the bitter, night breeze that Minseok loved. Maybe it was the tickle of the freezing air as it brushed past his skin… or the giant stars so far away they looked like specks, pieces of dust in the vast sky… It was something. Something pulled him back and he couldn’t place it, but he didn’t mind. As long as he could enjoy it, he was happy.

“A night like no other,” Jongin mumbled, “I watched some alien programme on the Discovery Channel the other day and-”

“What did I tell you about those programmes? They eat your brain and-”

Jongin cuts the older off with a laugh, “-and they said,” Jongin continues, “that today is the anniversary of some cool alien thing and every year, on this day, something weird happens.”

“You’re going to have to stop watching these programmes, Jongin, they’re corrupting you more and more every day.”

“Min-”

“No, Jongin. They’re really stupid and they’re a complete waste of time.”

“No, Minseok, you don’t understa-”

“I understand completely, Jongin, but they’re poisonous programmes. They’re just designed to scare you.”

“You’re not listening to me! Look at the-”

“I’m not going to change my mind, Jongin, I-”

Jongin groans in frustration, grabbing his older friend’s cheeks and pointing his judging eyes to the moon as it fades over black. “An eclipse…” He breathes.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you!”

“Wow…” Minseok tips himself up onto his tiptoes, reaching up to the sky, his fingertips running over the outline of the moon, a smile on his thin lips. Jongin smiles from behind him, hands on the railings to balance the older boy (and himself) as he watched the eclipse with awe.

It really was beautiful. The crossing over of the two giants in the sky… It really did make him feel like he was something in the world. Something of worth – to be worthy of such beauty must mean that he has a reason to exist; a reason to be here on Earth.

Minseok finally dips down back onto his feet and wraps his arms briefly around the taller before he hurriedly lets go with a blush, holding tightly onto the railings once more so Jongin can’t see his tinted cheeks.

Jongin feels his body lean forwards to wrap the older in a hug in return, but instead, he feels a punch in the gut and the wind being knocked out of him and the next thing he knows, he’s in a dark alley with a strange, mysterious-looking tall guy, whom he grabs onto the arm of for balance before the same feeling returns of a smack in the gut.

After that, he opens his eyes in the middle of nowhere, arm still attached to the unsuspecting alley guy. He promptly lets go in fear, screeching out a brief ‘what the hell is happening to me’ as the punches continue.

Back on the bridge, Minseok could feel a soft chill sliver past his skin, causing a shiver to rumble his bones. He turns to see Jongin, finding himself alone on the bridge, the world around him eerily silent compared to the bustling night city he could hear as background noise before. He sighs, turning back to the open sky in front of him, going to lift his hand up to touch the stars.

But his hand won’t move. It’s almost as if it’s…

Frozen.

Minseok lets out a panic cry, hoping someone, somewhere in this silent city will hear him, tugging desperately on the bars to smash the ice forming around his hand. He digs his spare hand into his pocket, pulling out his keys he plans to use to smash the ice, when the jingling stops, icicles sticking them in place against his palm.

He panics, as he knows how to do in this situation, and the last thing he remembers before nothing, is Jongin’s familiar wail and a trusted hand grabbing onto the back of his jacket, pulling him backwards.

He feels the air being out of his body, and then nothing.

~*~

Chanyeol’s thumb brushes over the stone’s carving. He hums, “Fire and water – the elements… That doesn’t explain the unicorn, though.”

The eclipse had been fascinating and everything, but Chanyeol had more important things to worry about. Such as the rain drop carving and the Fire God and whether his hair looked good in that lighting.

He takes a deep breath and rises to his feet, smiling fondly at his new find, the wind brushing past his skin, tickling his growing hair.

It’s only a second before another gust of wind, much stronger, almost knocks him over, pushing his bangs from his cheeks and giving him an impression curtain fringe. He turns to the source and finds two confused looking boys he was sure weren’t there a second ago.

“What the heck is going on?” The taller boy screeches, his hands latched onto the shorter tightly and a winded expression on the features of the latter. “I’m too young to die!”

“Jongin?”

“Minseok?” He watches as the two seem to relax in each other’s presence before the first, taller boy notices their company. “Who are you? Where are we?”

“I think the real question here is who are you and how did you get here.” Chanyeol replies, flicking his locks from his eyes so he can take in the sight clearer. “You are currently a few miles from Seoul. I’m researching here.”

“But we were just on Seoul Bridge and-”

“It looks to me like you brought half of the bridge with you.” Chanyeol comments dryly, gesturing to the metal railing frozen to the shorter boy’s hand, who promptly lets out a frustrated cry. “How did you manage to do that?”

“Oh god, Jongin, I broke Seoul Bridge.”

Jongin pats the older’s hair, letting the tallest addition of his company look at the icicles on his best friend’s arms. The minute the boy’s hands touch Minseok’s pale skin, he screams and pulls away, a small red mark forming in the shape of five fingers.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jongin seethes, pushing Minseok behind him. The boy stares dumbly at his own hands before he shakes his head.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Don’t touch him again.” Jongin growls protectively, Minseok pawing at his arms the best he can, the freezing cold ice wrapped around his fingers scratching Jongin’s skin.

“No, Jongin. He’s really warm.” Minseok insists, nudging the youngest boy aside and reaching his hands out to the tallest. “I think you burnt me… so maybe you can melt this ice?”

“That’s absurd-”

“Just try.” Minseok pleads. “Please.” The boy hums, before taking a deep breath and reaching forwards to take the eldest’s hands in his own, the warmth he felt flooding through his body causing the solid water to melt and trickle down to the floor.

The metal of the bridge clangs against the ground, causing Jongin to flinch. Minseok takes his hand with his now free hands and despite the coldness of his skin, Jongin pulls him back in for a hug and holds him tighter than he ever has, resting his head against his hair.

“Thank you.” Jongin mumbles quietly, embarrassed slightly. The warm boy smiles softly before staring back down at his hands. He squints at the two before he pulls his book from his bag and flicks through the pages.

“I don’t suppose you’ve ever seen this before, have you?” Chanyeol turns the book around on the page of the Ice God and watches carefully at Minseok’s reaction. The eldest furrows his brows and shakes his head.

“Never. What is it?”

“That’s for me to find out.” Chanyeol replies with a clever smirk. “It’s the symbol of the Ice God. I’m yet to find its corresponding carving. I’ve found the Fire God’s carving and now, the Water God’s. I’m hoping to find all twelve. I think they’re the key to something.”

Minseok sighs, looking up at Jongin with curiosity.

“Maybe your brain numbing alien programmes are going to start getting a whole more relevant.”

Jongin grins widely, so Minseok continues, “Doesn’t mean I’m allowing them in my apartment.”

Jongin frowns.

“So you still haven’t told me who you are.” Chanyeol persists, holding his hand out for them both to shake. “Park Chanyeol. Archaeologist at S.I.A.”

“S.I.A?” Minseok asks, “As in The Seoul Institute of Archaeology?”

“Well done, genius.”

“Kim Jongin,” Jongin interrupts, “Professional dancer at a rundown, barely legal nightclub.”

“And Kim Minseok, bartender at the same rundown, barely legal nightclub.” Minseok smiles warmly. Chanyeol shakes both of their hands, yet again burning the oldest boy. Minseok hisses in pain and rubs his palms together to numb the tingling as Chanyeol stares down at his own fingers.

They feel alien to him. There’s a warm sensation between his fingers and a rough feel to the tips. He snaps two and almost instantaneously, his hands begin to set alight. Jongin scrambles back with a jump, pulling his best friend with him.

Chanyeol panics, falling back onto his , hands delving into straw. The place begins to go up in flames, so the two remaining boys try their best to put out the fire and drag the tallest out of the wooden frame.

Fortunately, the latter works much better and the three watch the shed dissolve into ashes before their eyes. Chanyeol’s hands are back to their normal temperature, free of flames.

Jongin hums.

“I think I’ve found our Fire God.”

~*~

“Jongin?” Minseok grumbles out the next morning, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and pouting when his younger friend calls back a little too loud for his morning state to handle.

“Minseok! Get in here!” He brushes down his boxer shorts and Jongin’s old t-shirt (he inherits them when the younger grows out of them) and clambers into the living room. He takes a bad estimate at the sofa and finds himself sitting on the boy’s lap, but Jongin doesn’t complain, simply adjusts him on his legs so he’s resting on one knee like a toddler with his arms around his waist to stop him from falling. “Watch this.”

Jongin unpauses the television.

“Some time last night, a section of the Seoul Bridge had gone missing. Experts say the remains suggested it was ripped right out the bridge.” The footage moves from the yellow tape around the bridge to the shed him, Jongin and Chanyeol were in last night.

“Police found the missing part of the bridge just an hour ago on the outskirts of Seoul. Ashes suggest that the bridge thief tried to burn the evidence. However,” It switches back to the woman at the bridge, “experts think that the event may relate to last night’s unique eclipse.”

“Oh my god.” Minseok breathes. Jongin hugs him close and sighs.

“It gets better.”

“Last night, Seoul experienced a unique eclipse on the anniversary of the Alien theory regarding a planet out of our solar system. It’s said that thousands of years ago, aliens from this planet landed on Earth and planted their people amongst us. Experts suspect that the eclipse is a call from the mother planet of these aliens. Witnesses are encouraged to come forward to the police. More at noon.”

“What if someone comes forward and says they saw me?” Minseok whispers, his eyes wide and alert. “What if they do tests on me and lock me in a big white room?”

“No one saw you but me, Minnie, and do you think I’m going to sell you to the press?”

“It depends, how much are they offering?” Minseok panics. Jongin laughs softly and swings Minseok’s legs around so he’s resting his head against his chest. He rocks him like a baby and he begins to wonder who the elder is, but he pushes that aside for now.

“I wouldn’t sell you for any amount of money, Minnie; you know that.”

Minseok nods fast and snuggles in further, gripping tightly onto his shirt. Jongin continues to his hair. “Even millions wouldn’t make me give you up. You’re my best friend and if they take you away and lock you in a white room, then I’m going with you.”

Minseok laughs and places a kiss on the boy’s cheek. Jongin squirms a little but reluctantly accepts his fate, shoving the boy away.

“Do you want breakfast?” Minseok asks from the kitchen.

“Do I want breakfast.” Jongin replies with sarcasm. “Of course I want breakfast. What are you cooking?”

~*~

“I saw your work on the news this morning.” Chanyeol teases lightly when they meet for coffee later that day. Jongin is still complaining about the monstrosity that was Minseok’s quick breakfast as he scoffs down a hefty slice of chocolate molten cake.

“He’s paranoid someone’s going to sell him for scientific testing.” Jongin manages to blurt out between chews. A few crumbs fall from his lips, so Minseok wipes them away with a napkin.

“Is Jongin your brother?” Chanyeol asks curiously. Minseok shakes his head.

“Just incapable.”

“Anyway, back to business.” Chanyeol coughs, rubbing his palms against the mug of his hot beverage. Minseok sips his chilled water. “The bridge is all over the news. What are we going to do about it?”

“I don’t know,” Minseok replies desperately, “But I don’t like needles being jabbed into me so please come up with some amazing plan soon.”

“You should continue working like normal. If you two disappear, it’ll be more suspicious.” Minseok nods in agreement, wiping away at the little drops of water on the rim of his glass. “Where do you guys work again?”

“The Double D’s Night Club on Drunk’s Lane.”

“Are you sure that’s not a strip club? Didn’t you say you were a dancer? And what sort of name for a road is Drunk’s Lane?” Chanyeol scrunches up his nose in judgement as Jongin chokes ever so slightly on a chocolate button.

“The owners are called Dongho and Daehyun; hence Double D’s.” Jongin explains. “I am a dancer, but you won’t be getting any s from me any time soon and do you even live in the same Seoul as us? Drunk’s Lane is the nickname for the road of Nightclubs round the corner. There are eight nightclubs on that road; there are drunks left, right and centre.”

“Wow, it’s like we live in completely different cities.” Chanyeol marvels, gulping down another mouthful of steaming tea. “I don’t think I’ve ever ventured further than the local supermarket.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to get to the club okay?” Minseok says, concern laced into his voice. “We can always come and get you.”

“I’ll be okay. I’m over a hundred and eighty centimetres tall; I’m more worried about fitting in the door.”

Minseok snorts, almost spraying his water across the table and over Chanyeol’s pressed grey shirt. Jongin’s chin is decorated delicately with chocolate sauce, so Minseok decides it’s time to clean him up and take him home for his nap, bidding Chanyeol goodbye.

“If you need anything, you have my number. If you can’t find the club, you have my number. If you get lost-”

“I have your number.” Chanyeol finishes with the softest of laughs. His deep voice makes Minseok smile further and the older ruffles Chanyeol’s hair. “I’ll be fine. See you later, Minseok.”

“See you later, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol pays the rest of the bill a few minutes later and heads home with a lifted heart.

Behind their table, a tall, dark boy grins to himself, watching the last of the three walk away, pulling out his own phone and speed-dialling the number set to button three.

“Luhan?” He says, “I think I found some of our twelve.”