Ryeowook is already aware that he doesn’t handle stress well. It’s a fact he accepts, just like the people around him accept the snapping and nagging that come along with it. But ever since Ryeowook’s time here at the Bunker had started, he’s never once been stressed out enough to sink down to this one desperate last resort.

He’s cooking. Stress-cooking. And one look at the state of the kitchen reveals that he’s not about to be done anytime soon with whipping up everything from ddeokbokki to crème brûlée.

There’s flour smeared across his face, sauce caked under his bitten-down nails, and some liquid that’s left a permanent stain on the right sleeve of his shirt, but Ryeowook can’t seem to find the mind to care because he is still on edge and why isn’t this working yet??

That’s when Sungmin walks into the kitchen.

He takes one long look at the swath of baked goods and destruction, blinks, and calls, “Yesung? Come here for a second,” as if summoning their most eccentric member is going to help him understand the situation any better.

Jongwoon pops his head in the doorway a moment later, looking much less concerned when he sees what’s going on.

“Panic-baking?” he asks, ignoring Sungmin’s raised eyebrow.

Ryeowook is eternally grateful that he doesn’t have to explain himself. He nods an affirmative, but can’t control the way his arm is still furiously swirling the spatula in the mixing bowl. He will finish these cupcakes, dammit, if it will stop his hands from shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Sungmin tries to calm him. He might not fully understand what’s going on, but Ryeowook’s obsessive movements make it clear that something is wrong. “Want to tell us what’s going on?”

Ryeowook just shakes his head at the question. It’s bad enough for the others to walk in on his breakdown, but he has a bad feeling he’ll start bawling if they ask him to open up. They think he’s fragile enough as it is; losing it isn’t going to help Ryeowook’s case.

Sungmin sighs at the rejection. “Ryeowook, not talking about the problem isn’t just going to make it disappear.”

“Maybe we can help,” Jongwoon suggests, taking the gentler approach.

And fortunately for all three of them, Ryeowook’s instincts make their choice before his brain can decide what it wants. His hands halt their progress with the mixing bowl, and his body slumps back against the counter, all traces of panic-induced adrenaline evaporating.

“I’m just...worried,” Ryeowook tells them, certain that they all know how big of an understatement it clearly is. “I’m not upset about not coming along, you know; Donghee’s staying with me, and fighting isn’t exactly number one on my list. But all of you…”

“Worried about us?” Jongwoon asks, giving one of his lopsided smiles. But Ryeowook knows perfectly well that the other man isn’t playing his worry off as a joke. There’s genuine concern behind that smile.

“Very,” he lets himself admit.

Sungmin steps further into the kitchen, leaning against the counter opposite of Ryeowook. “Well, while we do appreciate the concern,” he says, “You don’t have to worry. Donghee’s plan is genius, and we’ve got the best possible team at our backs.”

Jongwoon nods seriously at the other man’s words. “This time tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating our victory, and you’ll be wondering why you ever worried.”

They’re the words Ryeowook wants to hear, the optimism he wants to believe in. And compared to the pit of anxiety he’s been digging for himself the past few hours? Blindly falling into the others’ words sounds like a much better alternative.

“Thank you,” he tells them, finally starting to calm down. “And sorry for getting all worked up over nothing.”

“It’s not ‘nothing’ if it means something to you, is it?” Sungmin pulls Jongwoon further into the kitchen, too, gaze settling on a portion of the kitchen disaster. “Now come on; let us help you finish this last batch. We can’t let all the batter go to waste.”

Ryeowook has to take a moment to count his lucky stars for the members before he launches into a spiel on how to properly make dough rise. Finally, he’s in his element.

~*~

“Aww, how sweet!~”

“And here I was thinking that Sungmin didn’t have a soft side. Who wants to follow that one? Any takers? Going once, twice...there we go. Set the scene for us.”

~*~

Henry paces back and forth across the shop floor, checking off items one by one in his head.

“So you know what time you have to get up tomorrow?” he asks aloud.

Zhou Mi is sitting behind the counter, watching his movements with some sort of sympathetic amusement. “Eight o'clock sharp.”

“And you have all the cargo packed?”

“We’ll pass inspection just as easily as we always do.”

“And after you drop them off, you know exactly where━?”

“Henry,” Zhou Mi cuts in with a soft laugh. “We’ve been over this already. I’m as prepared as I can be; as long as I follow the plan, I’ll be safe.”

Henry almost starts to protest that no amount of preparation is too much when it comes to something this important, but considering this is their third time doing this just today…

“Okay, you’re right,” he concedes. “I really shouldn’t worry, considering you’re the best undercover smuggler and actual caravanner there is.”

Zhou Mi is all smiles at the compliment. “One of those is because I have such a good business partner. But come on, let’s get some sleep. You’ll get too antsy if you stay up, and I don’t want to miss my cue just because I overslept.”

The thought almost makes Henry laugh. “I guess that would kind of invalidate all those compliments I just gave you, wouldn’t it?” he asks. “I’ll see you in the morning; make sure you wake me up before you go.”

“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.” Zhou Mi gives him a quick hug goodbye before he starts to leave, but pauses just before he’s out the door.

“And Henry? Thanks for always believing in me.”

The weight of tomorrow’s mission suddenly feels a hundred times lighter.

~*~

“Short and sweet. Now I feel bad for not letting you narrate more, kid.”

“No hard feelings. Mi and I weren’t as closely involved with the rest of you until after this first big mission, so I wouldn’t have much to add...other than my personal flair.”

“And suddenly I’ve lost all of my temporary empathy. Next? Ah, this one should be good…”

~*~

Donghae hooks his fist upward, then brings his right hand around for a direct punch, knocking against his opponent’s arm.

“Good hit, Donghae,” Siwon says from the side. “Now show me your defense.”

A fist comes flying at Donghae’s other side, and he’s just in time to cross his forearms in its path, protecting his chest.

“Alright, you’ve both got the hang of that,” Siwon tells the pair with an approving nod. “Ready to move on to another technique?”

Donghae shares a glance with his opponent. “I’m ready if Kibum’s ready.”

Said man’s lips curve in the slightest of smiles. “And I’m always ready.”

It takes a minute for Siwon to demonstrate exactly what he wants them to be doing. Donghae can’t say he’s surprised the other man is being so thorough; it had been the Boom Squad member’s idea in the first place to coach the Shadow Squad members on hand-to-hand combat in case they had to deal with Drones up close. And Donghae can definitely respect his dedication: Siwon wasn’t kidding about training up until the last minute, considering it was the night before their final test.

It’s this respect that also makes Donghae give his best effort to keep his eyes trained on Siwon and not on a certain other Shadow Squad member on the sidelines doing his own flexibility training (when he’s not poking fun at the pair sparring). Hyukjae isn’t making it easy, to say the least. His stretching by itself would be enough of a distraction, but he clearly knows what he’s doing, if the wink he sent Donghae earlier is any indication. Donghae almost huffs a second time in exasperation just thinking about it.

The memory is interrupted when he suddenly realizes Siwon is addressing him again.

“Donghae? Did you follow me?”

“What?” He quickly recollects himself. “Oh, of course. Let’s go.” How hard can it be to figure things out as he goes?

Donghae finds out the answer to that question approximately five seconds later when he punches Kibum square in the jaw.

Kibum recoils immediately, pressing both hands to the injury, but Donghae’s profuse apologies of “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” are quickly brushed aside with a laugh and a begrudging compliment.

(“At least now we know you can pack a punch.”)

The late-night training wraps up very soon after that incident. Siwon insists it’s because he wants them all to get some extra sleep, but it seems far more likely that he doesn’t want to end up with any black eyes.

“We’ll see you two tomorrow,” Kibum tells Donghae and Hyukjae as they go their separate ways, and with that last word comes everything Donghae’s been trying not to think about.

He’s silent the entire walk back to the bedroom, unable to shake off the feeling of foreboding that’s settled deep within his gut. There’s not one thing he can point his finger at and say ‘there, that’s what I’m worried about,’ but in some ways that makes the feeling worse.

Donghae still doesn’t speak as he and Hyukjae change out of their training clothes, as Hyukjae maneuvers them onto the bed so that he can treat Donghae’s shoulders to their daily massage ritual.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Hyukjae asks him softly, thumbs kneading into the crook of Donghae’s neck.

“If you promise not to laugh.”

“When have I ever laughed?” Hyukjae insists, but backtracks after the other man’s over-the-shoulder pout. “Never when you’re serious about something. You know that.”

It’s the truth. Donghae will admit his earlier statement was childish, but he can’t help but feel defensive when he’s clearly the only one worried about the mission tomorrow. Is it that much of an overreaction?

“I can’t get rid of this bad feeling,” Donghae admits. “I trust Donghee’s plan and I trust all the members, but...I don’t know. No matter how much I try to convince myself to be optimistic, it won’t leave me alone.”

Hyukjae’s hands pause in their ministrations for the briefest of moments before they continue. “Are you really that worried?”

“I didn’t say it made sense, did I?”

There’s another beat of silence before Hyukjae brushes off the other man’s worries with a quick, “Nothing bad is going to happen, Hae. Don’t worry.” And Donghae swears it sounds like Hyukjae is avoiding the issue of ‘tomorrow’ entirely, but the beginnings of his protest are cut off when he feels fingers tease the skin just underneath the hem of his shirt.

“Want me to take your mind off of it?” Hyukjae murmurs at the base of his neck, and that effectively ends the conversation.

It’s not like Donghae is about to say ‘no’.

~*~

“And you all were getting on my case for oversharing.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s because we trust Donghae to stop in time, Heechul. I mean, what were you doing that night?”

“Nothing that I plan on telling any of you, that’s what.”

“If he’s not going to tell it, I will.”

“Dammit, Geng, I’ve already ruined my image enough as it is.”

“Then you have nothing to lose.”

“...Just do it.”

~*~

The stars are brighter than Han Geng remembers. Maybe it’s because he’s so used to looking at them through the film of Capital smog, or maybe it’s simply because of the company he’s currently keeping; his companion has a way of making everything seem sharper and more vibrant.

They’re laying on the ground side-by-side, eyes glued on the celestial bodies hanging above their heads. Han Geng can’t picture a better way to spend this important night...except he does have one nagging thought that keeps tugging at the back of his mind.

“Are you sure we’re allowed to be out here?” he asks for the fourth time. “I would think Leeteuk would be angry if he found out we were outside the Bunker.”

Heechul doesn’t miss a beat. “What Jungsoo doesn’t know won’t hurt him. And besides, we’re still a few feet from the entrance; it’s not like we’re putting ourselves in too much danger. Relax and enjoy the view ━ other than myself, of course.”

Han Geng snorts at the comment but looks over at Heechul anyway, eyes tracing the way the moonlight is reflecting off the other man’s features in shimmering silver lines. He looks almost ethereal. And it’s the almost unrealistic beauty of this image that compels Han Geng to take Heechul’s hand in his own.

For just a moment, they share a look of understanding, the rare unguarded tenderness in Heechul’s eyes undoubtedly mirrored by Han Geng’s own. The feeling doesn’t pass, but the moment itself does as their eyes are drawn back to the vastness of the sky above them.

It’s almost easy to picture the Resistance in the stars, Han Geng thinks. No, as the stars. Bright reminders of the hope they’re keeping alive even on the darkest of nights. Their presence might be ignored or taken for granted, but for the ones who look ━really, truly look━ they make the most beautiful constellations.

“Do you think we’ll be okay tomorrow?” Han Geng suddenly asks, voice soft enough not to disturb the atmosphere.

“Of course. What kind of a question is that? Tomorrow night we can look at the stars from the balcony of the Capital’s tallest building ━ that’s a promise.”

And Han Geng, as he has always done, believes every word. He lets Heechul’s confidence fill him up entirely, allows it to strengthen his own resolve. It’s not that he believes the Resistance to suddenly be invincible, but he’s seen enough to believe in the power of Heechul’s determination.

A smile passes across his face as another thought comes to him. “So about that kiss under the stars you wanted…”

Heechul looks genuinely confused for a few moments before realization widens his eyes. “How did you find out about that!?”

“You talk in your sleep.”

One indignant huff and Heechul is half a second away from denying everything, so Han Geng turns to peck him once on the lips, just to skip the disagreement.

“I bet you use that on all the girls,” Heechul tells him with a snort, but he’s smiling. It’s the last image Han Geng puts in his memory when they both turn their gazes back to the sky.

The stars in their eyes are even brighter than the ones above their heads.

~*~

“I never did get to keep that promise, did I?”

“I’ll take the blame for that.”

“A promise is still a promise. We’ll go tomorrow night and sneak up to the balcony and...Zhou Mi, are you crying?”

“Me?” (A faint sniffle.) “No, I just...that was so beautiful...can someone else please go before I accidentally flood the living room?”

“I think there’s only three people unaccounted for. Which one of you is going? Jungsoo?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Come on, even I’ve gone. What kind of example are you trying to set here, oh Great Leader?”

“If I have permission to talk about it...okay, here goes nothing.”

~*~

There’s no clocks in the Bunker’s basement, but Jungsoo doesn’t need to see glowing red digits to know that it’s far past time for him to turn in for the night. Across from him, Donghee looks just as tired as Jungsoo himself feels as they look over the map on the table for what seems like the thousandth time.

It can’t be helped; Jungsoo will not allow the mission tomorrow to go anything less than perfectly. If it costs him a good night’s sleep to protect s, that’s a price he’ll gladly pay. The number of things that could go wrong, the variables they can’t account for…

Jungsoo doesn’t realize he’s falling asleep on his feet until Donghee pats him on the back.

“Get some rest,” the other man insists. “At this point, there’s nothing left to go over that we can’t look at tomorrow.”

“But if there’s anything━”

“We would have caught it by now. Sleep.”

Jungsoo relents with a sigh, leaving with a brief ‘goodnight’ and doing his best not to fall as he climbs up two flights of stairs. Sleep deprivation, unsurprisingly, does not do wonders for his coordination.

What is a surprise is the sight that greets him at the top: Youngwoon is standing just outside his office door, staring at it like he’s not sure if he’s allowed to knock. Guilt stirs uncomfortably in Jungsoo’s gut.

Quietly, he asks, “Did you need something?”, and Youngwoon finally notices his presence. He whips around almost before Jungsoo can finish the question.

When Youngwoon opens his mouth to speak, Jungsoo’s not certain if he’s more afraid or expectant for what worlds will come out. Neither reaction turns out to be necessary; it closes with nothing more than a sigh. That’s been their status quo ever since Jungsoo made that single decision a year ago ago, hasn’t it? Silence. Silence and avoidance.

This time, Youngwoon only upholds one of the two. After a moment’s hesitation, he steps forward to wrap his arms around the other man in a resigned, wordless hug.

It’s frankly out of sheer surprise that Jungsoo allows it to happen in the first place. He has no idea what he’s doing anymore when he hugs back, still refusing to let go for a few moments more after Youngwoon’s arms start to drop.

But he has to let go. Youngwoon leaves without another word, and Jungsoo is left doubting if the results of his actions are as noble as his intentions.

And so he lies awake that night unable to shake the ghost of strong arms protecting him from the rest of the world.

And so he regrets.

~*~

“A fitting end for our calm before the storm,” Heechul says with a note of finality, but even as he moves on, he has a hand squeezing Jungsoo’s arm, letting him know without words that he’s not alone.

“Let me paint a picture of the morning of July 14th. There we all were, crowded into the armory and gearing up for the trip. I was going over the mission plan one last time with Donghee and Jungsoo, Siwon and Youngwoon were double-checking our weapons supply, Ryeowook was ━ I assume ━ making Sungmin and Jongwoon pinky-promise to come back safely, Hyukjae was failing miserably at hiding the hickey on his neck when he was helping Donghae and Kibum with their equipment…”

“Coming from the one who turned into a blushing, giggling mess when a certain someone walked in late.”

“I don’t ‘giggle’, Hyukjae. And I don’t blush, because as you all know, I’m shameless.” He rolls his eyes for good measure. “No more ruining the mood; let me finish that morning. Jungsoo gave us a pep talk before we left, something along the lines of what a brotherhood we’d become, how nothing could stand in our way.”

Heechul pauses for a moment, expression losing all traces of humour. “And then it was time. Fast forward a few hours and we made it inside the Capital with Zhou Mi’s help, just like we did last time. It was when our whole group was approaching the city center that things started to take a turn for the worse…”