Finally, there was a change in the air. It got blurrier, all edges seeming fainter. Luhan yelled something at Chanyeol, but it was impossible to understand.

The red sky condensed in one point, a small vortex opening in the space-time right on top of him. And just like the others, only a little bigger and brighter, fell the red star.

Chanyeol was hypnotized. It was just like in his dreams, only a thousand times more intense. He reached out, hand stretched in front of his body, waiting for the little particle of light to land. It seemed to be taking its time, and he didn't want to rush it. That would take the magic out of the moment.

The instant it touched his hand, his world turned sideways.

Literally.

He'd been hit by a small but really strong form that hurled him to the ground, grabbing the star as hard as they could, both of them rolling on the grass, fighting for it.

That hadn't been in his plans at all, Chanyeol thought, as he looked for the first time at the face of the figure that pinned him to the ground. It was a young boy, his face twisted with despair, holding on to the small star like his life depended on it. He didn't seem dangerous or threatening, only really keen on having what wasn't his.

"HEY! LET GO!" Chanyeol yelled as he tried to break free, "I GRABBED THE STAR, IT'S MINE."

"No." Surprisingly, the boy spoke on a rather low tone, contrasting sharply with Chanyeol's screams, "You know we caught it at the same time. It's not fair for you to have it entirely to yourself."

"BOTH OF YOU, STOP ROLLING AROUND! It's getting hard to catch up, geez."

Oh, yeah. Luhan.

They managed to sit down on the meadow, on a spot quite far from where they stood before the whole tackling situation, both boys grabbing firmly the red flicker of light, looking both confused and ecstatic. Their hair was full of green from the grass and they were on a situation none of them could've imagined 10 minutes ago, but that was it. The journey was over. They had found the star. They were touching it.

Chanyeol watched as Luhan and another boy he didn't know, presumably connected to the one in his right in some way, ran over to where they sat.

"Hey, Soo! What happened?" The one he didn't know asked, ruffling his pitch black hair. It looked like a nervous habit.

"I'll tell you what happened. Chanyeol was about to grab the one thing he spent about 15 years obsessing over, and your friend comes and tackles him, like that would somehow give him any right to owning the star. I'm sorry, I don't know you, but that is ours. We're taking it home."

Luhan was pretty scary when he was mad. But then again, he didn't say anything wrong. Chanyeol thought that would settle it, only to hear the small boy on his side shaking. He was laughing.

"Fifteen years? Get in the line." He calmed down a little, his expression turning serious. "I touched the star at the exact same time your friend here did, and if he says I didn't, he's lying. Yes, I tackled him, and I apologize for that. But it was the only way of getting to the star on time. And I don't regret it, not one bit."

"He's right." The surprised expressions on the faces of the three boys there made clear their thoughts. Luhan didn't like being wrong, but he also wasn't a sore loser. "We caught the star at the same time. Now we have to decide what to do, since we have equal claim to it."

"Thanks." Chanyeol looked at the boy, finding him doing a half-smile. Funny; when he did that, his lips kind of looked like a heart. "I'm impressed at your cooperation. And your honesty."

"Well, I understand the weight of this dream. I wouldn't want to ruin it to somebody else, only to make it come true to me. Even if I was a little savage earlier. Sorry about that."

"It's fine, I'm sorry t-"

A loud noise came from the base of the hill. A sound like guns loading, and big people running.

"Let's get the hell out of here if we want to go back home alive." Luhan grabbed Chanyeol's arm, yanking both of them up, running to the forest in front of them. "If there's any chance of us getting away, we need to find a shelter."

"We came from the forest. There was a cave on our path here." Black-haired boy pointed to the northeast, and there they followed. Running holding the star was hard, and Chanyeol let go of one hand. The other boy did the same, and they ran side by side. It resembled running holding hands a little, and the thought made Chanyeol blush. That was stupid.

It was a small cave, hidden by a huge tree trunk, but just enough to fit 4 scrawny boys. It was extremely hard to find, unless you knew where to look - good thing Baekhyun had always paid attention to detail. They were quiet, trying to breathe normally again, looking outside in the darkness.

"It was definitely here! Search around, the one who found it can't be too far!" An angry male voice shouted from somewhere in the woods; it made Chanyeol's whole body tremble. Those people wouldn't hesitate to do anything to get the star.

"Hide." Chanyeol hid further in the cave, gesturing for the others to do the same. "They're smugglers." There was a rustling on the leaves a few meters from them, but not coming any nearer. The cave hadn't been noticed - at least not yet. None of the boys dared to move one muscle.

The night of the Falling is always full of them, looking to fill their purses at the expense of someone else's dreams. Many didn't return to their houses for a reason. Chanyeol clenched his fist, trying to control his anger. He would not let people like that rip away his dreams, not when they were so close. Not after he had actually touched them.

After a tense half hour of waiting, it seemed they had gone on a different path, the cave left undiscovered. The four boys were able to breathe relieved, and introductions were finally made. It was awkward, especially because of the lack of light; they couldn't afford to waste batteries at this point.

"So. I'm Kyungsoo, and this is my older brother Baekhyun." Baek smiled weakly, waving his hand for the tiniest while. He knew no one would see, but it felt wrong not to.

"Hi. I'm Chanyeol, this is my friend Luhan." They all shook hands, trying to make the best of the weird situation. No matter how they had imagined this day going, that was definitely not it. "I think we have to do something about the star."

"Yeah. Well. It's not like we can just break it in two." Kyungsoo argued, hearing his brother yawning on his side. "But there has to be a solution."

"Uh... What do you think about rock paper scissors?" It was Chanyeol's standard way of solving things, and there was no reason not to use it now.

"That's ridiculous. To leave such an important thing to fate?"

"Well, fate brought us here. I don't see why we shouldn't trust it. Right, Luhan?" His friend had been unusually quiet, making Chanyeol uneasy. Was he maybe analyzing the strangers? He had always been wary of new people, and that wouldn't come as a surprise. "Luhan?"

Chanyeol looked at where his friend sat, head resting on the cave wall, fast asleep.

"It seems he's not going to answer you anytime soon." Kyungsoo chuckled, watching the shadow of the pretty boy.

"Well, I could say the same of your brother." Chanyeol pointed at where Baekhyun had begun to snore lightly. Kyungsoo turned him to the side, so it wouldn't get as high. Baekhyun's snore had been notorious to wake whole classes on summer camps, and Kyungsoo every night before he had learned to deal with it. Because of his brother, Kyungsoo had developed the ability to sleep through the apocalypse. "So... what do we do now?"

"We wait. We can't make any decisions if the four of us aren't awake." The sound of their breathing and the faint noises from the night creatures of the forest were the only things they could hear. Every time they spoke, it seemed like the noise was amplified by a thousand. Kyungsoo didn't have much trouble keeping a low register, since it wasn't much different from his usual way of speaking.

"It was one hell of a journey. I get why they fell asleep. But I don't think I ever could... not while holding the star." Chanyeol  squeezed the star tighter. He'd been holding it for so long, it had become almost a part of his hand. He wouldn't be surprised if it merged into his skin.

"Heh. You still haven't let go."

"Well, neither have you." Chanyeol's eyes had grown accustomed to the dark by now, and his gaze met Kyungsoo's. Their hands were touching, since the star wasn't really that big, but it wasn't really like holding hands. It was less affectionate than that. Even so, holding that star for such a long time together felt more intimate than any hand ever had to both of them.

"Yeah, but I will." Kyungsoo chuckled awkwardly, letting go and leaning on the wall opposite to where Chanyeol sat. His hands suddenly felt weirdly empty, like something wasn't right anymore. "This position is too uncomfortable, and if we're going to stay on first watch, I want to at least be able to lean on the wall."

"Wait. Really? You're leaving it to me?" The incredulity showed in the Chanyeol's voice. Was this the same boy who had tackled him to the ground and fought tooth and nails for it? He'd looked fierce at the time. If he hadn't just watched the red star of luck descending from the infinite sky, Chanyeol would probably say that was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Yeah."

"How can you be sure that I won't just run away with it?"

Kyungsoo smiled. That giant boy sure was silly. He'd put up a tough front, with those broad shoulders and deep voice, but he was no more than a young boy with a dream, just like him. Chanyeol wasn't clueless, but he was still innocent. That was something to appreciate in this though wide world, especially on such a night like this one.

"Because that wouldn't be fair. We both found it at the same time. If you have no honesty, what is the difference between you and those people chasing us an hour ago? " He smiled to himself, pointing to Luhan, "And also, I don't think you'd ever leave you friend behind."

Chanyeol gazed at where Luhan drooled all over his favorite jacket. He'd pay for every cent of the dry cleaner.

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't. But still, that seems like a very sudden decision."

"On the contrary, Chanyeol." That was the first time Kyungsoo actually said his name - it rang like music to his ears. His voice was so melodic, every sentence could be part of a musical. "I've thought a lot about it. It means I trust you, . Appreciate it."

"Oh." The boy sat up straighter, looking at the wall to mask his surprise, "I see. Okay. Thank you... for trusting me."

"I can  only hope it will be reciprocal. So, tell me; how did you and Luhan become friends?"

"After that, I made a pact with Luhan. We were really young and foolish, but we knew right where our dreams stood.  And every day, I feel blessed to have chosen him as my friend, on that huge classroom, with over 40 people. It had to be destiny - there's no way I could've found anyone better."

"I know what you mean." Kyungsoo played with the hem of his shirt, a small smile in his face, "Well, not exactly, because I didn't really choose Baekhyun, but; it has to be fate. We were born on the same house, only a few years apart. He's the person I love and trust more in the world, and I know he feels the same. Even though we're very different, we understand each other so well. And more importantly, we are always there to support each other. If the red star is his dream, then it's also mine."

"It's kind of like kindred spirits, don't you think? Like the cosmos knew it had to happen like that. It wouldn't be fair to have been otherwise."

The conversation faded, and they looked at their companions, who slept soundly on the floor.

"It doesn't seem like they're waking up anytime soon."

"It's alright. I don't mind being on watch. It's a night to remember, after all. Sleeping would feel wasteful."

They had been waiting for hours, and the thieves were long gone. Bathed by the moonlight, they'd told each other their life stories, and the reason finding the star was such a crucial part of their being.  At one point, Kyungsoo pointed at the tattoo that graced Chanyeol's wrist. It was unidentifiable at a distance, but the taller boy had scooted closer so he'd see better.

"I drew it. It's a red star, in honor of my sister, the one I was telling you about. At the same time, it's also for me. It reminds me every day that I have to live fully and make it count, for myself and for everyone else that didn't make it. A lucky charm of sorts."

"Whoa..." Kyungsoo stared at the drawing; it wasn't huge, but not small either. It was actually very tasteful, not something he'd expect from Chanyeol at first sight. On the borders of the star, little patterns faded onto the skin, creating the illusion of movement. "You drew that? You're really talented. My stick figures usually look like they were run over by a truck."

"Ha!" Chanyeol's huge laugh pierced the cave once again, but like before, the other two figures didn't even budge. They were in such a deep sleep, exhausted from the journey, that noise had no effect whatsoever on them. Kyungsoo knew he was supposed to feel like that too, but he was surprisingly awake. He knew that sleeping would mean ceasing the conversation with Chanyeol, and surprisingly, he didn't want that.

Usually, Kyungsoo was quite antisocial, only keeping contact with close friends or when it was absolutely necessary. Talking to a complete stranger would make him a sweaty nervous mess. But the huge boy gave him a sense of ease and understanding that he'd never quite felt anywhere else, making the conversation extremely pleasurable. Not that there weren't butterflies in his stomach every now and then.

"Now that I am able to stop and appreciate it... It is truly beautiful."

Chanyeol, who had been looking at the falling stars-  getting stuck in the trunks of the trees, falling softly into the ground and disappearing- closed his eyes.

"What are you doing? Don't you want to see?"

"I'm imprinting this on my mind. When I'm a rusty old man, I want to see this moment as vividly as now. I want my grandchildren to be able to touch the stars just from listening to my story."

Kyungsoo stared at him. Did the boy know the poetry he'd just recited? That kind of thing moves people. And , did Chanyeol move him.

He closed his eyes, taking the moment in.

"You know, when we were fighting for the star, you looked really nice."

That was sudden.

"What, so you like that kind of thing?" Kyungsoo chuckled, feeling a little uncomfortable. He hadn't seen that one coming. "Um. Woah. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with it. You do you."

"Oh, God! No, no, no! No, it's not like that." Chanyeol waved his hands wildly, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. At that moment, he was truly glad it was still dark on the cave; on the contrary, Kyungsoo would've surely seen the red blush in his cheeks. He felt like a hot potato. "I mean.. I couldn't see you clearly because we were rolling around and everything, and no distinguishable features appeared - it was all a huge blur. But you radiated feeling and will in a way that only someone that's fighting for a dream ever could. You were... fierce. And I thought it was beautiful."

Now it was Kyungsoo's time to blush. No one had ever talked about him like that - he'd been described as handsome and cute before, but that was different. It felt deeper, in a way, like it had more meaning. Like Chanyeol was really looking, instead of just passing by.

"Yeah, right. You're just a ert, stop trying to excuse it." He picked a little rock up and threw it at Chanyeol, trying to make it sound more playful. He wasn't sure he was ready to get deep again; they'd had their fair share of heartfelt talks for the night.

For a while now, the sky had been getting considerably lighter. The stars were more scarce, and they fell slowly. The Falling seemed to be at its end.

Chanyeol took out a pen and a notebook from his bag, ripping out a page and starting to scribble something. It was just light enough to see his features - since the batteries of the lanterns died, hours ago, they'd been talking in complete darkness. Kyungsoo could take a better look at his face, creating a clearer image in his mind. They hadn't known each other for long, and when he closed his eyes, some traces got blurry. Was his nose large? Were his eyes double-lidded? His smile crooked to the left, right?

The tall boy was immersed in his piece of paper, making Kyungsoo curious.

"What'cha doing?"

"Oh." Chanyeol  shielded the contents of the page with his hand, shooting a sheepish smile at Kyungsoo. "Just writing down some things I don't want to forget."

"I see. I'll probably do that when I get home. Less trouble."

"What is it that you want to remember from today?"

"Well, everything, really. But mostly..." Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol.

He wouldn't have enough courage to say it. He had run out of that long ago. "The stars."

"Yeah, they were truly beautiful." Chanyeol motioned to the sky, where very few stars still fell. Their sparks were thin and lacked life, as if they were already exhausted. As if the whole process was too much, and they simply didn't have the same energy anymore. "It seems those are the last ones to touch the surface of the Earth for a long while."

"That's true. They look even more fragile."

When the conversation had come to a halt, right before Chanyeol went back to concentrating on the piece of paper, they saw the tip of a bright orange rising from the horizon.

There were no more stars to be seen.

The sun had shown its first rays, bringing a new day to existence. Kyungsoo knew what that meant. They'd have to go back home.

"It's such a shame..."

Luhan was mourning over the star's grave. They had decided together that burying it was the safest and most sensible solution, after a lot of discussion. Baekhyun's speech had been decisive.

"Say we bring it home." He looked at every one in the eye, trying to get the message across.  "It can't stay permanently with either of us, since we both have claim to the star. If we try to get rid of it, it'll end up going for sale, and the one with more money will get the star. I don't want that. I want the one who wants it most, and needs it most, to find it. And I think that was us, and we did. So let's bury it and let the universe's conscience bless us."

"Well, if we're going to rely on the conscience of the universe, I'd say we're pretty much ed." Chanyeol replied frankly, "But I like the plan. It's fair, and the most honest thing we could do."

"Okay, so everyone agrees to bury the star?" Luhan asked, deciding the matter. "Say I."

"I."

"I."

"I."

"And I." The bright eye boy smiled sadly, "I'm going to see if I can find a spoon in my bag."

"Well, I guess that's it." Baekhyun had a set grip on his backpack, ready to say his goodbyes. He couldn't wait to come back home. "See you around, I guess? Or not, since we don't live exactly close to each other. Anyways, it was really... unexpected. And definitely memorable. I hope the star blesses us all in our lives, and maybe fate will make us meet again in the future."

"Unexpected is a great way to put it." Luhan chuckled, holding his hand out for the brothers to shake. "The best of luck to you both."

"For you too." Kyungsoo laid his eyes on Chanyeol, unsure of what to say. He was about to give up on a world of possibilities, just like that. It's not like they've known each other for long, but... There was something about the boy. He just couldn't bring himself to say anything, pretty much like he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was so special about Chanyeol.

"Well, I guess it's goodbye, then." Chanyeol also shook both their hands, but instead of letting go, held onto Kyungsoo's, locking eyes with the older boy, "And Kyungsoo, it was a great night. You made sure that I'll never forget it."

Kyungsoo was about to say something - or maybe simply fling himself at the giant - when the boy let go of his hand, adjusted his cap, and left with his friend. It seemed like fate really wanted them to meet like this - just for one night, a gift of possibilities. He tried to be satisfied with that, as he and Baekhyun began to march to their home.

They were unpacking when Kyungsoo found a loose paper in his bag. He was sure that wasn't there before - maybe Baekhyun had put it in?

He opened the scrap, finding a short note and a sketch inside. Though it was simple, it was a very well done draft of Kyungsoo in the cave. Below it, there was a phone number, with the words 'call me!" scribbled messily. Though he drew with the utmost care, he paid no attention to his writing. Cute.

Maybe it is true that when you give up on something, you get something new in return.

//

It's finished!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you like it? I apologize for the long wait, things were very busy! I had this idea in my head for the longest time and I'm really happy it's finally done! I really am a huge er for chansoo. If you enjoyed the story or have any suggestions about what you'd like to see more of or what I could improve, I'd love to hear your comments! :^)