They set Jonghyun up in Kibum's room, on a futon by his bed. It’s a cozy fit, as Kibum's room isn’t big, and he has to jump over the extra bed to make it to his bed. But letting Jonghyun sleep in the living room doesn’t feel nice so he doesn’t complain.

It isn’t long until both of them have gotten comfortable in their beds and the lights are out, only the faint light of the moon casts the room in a dim glow. Kibum hears his mother bustle around a little in the kitchen and his father watching the late night news, but it doesn’t take long for them to go to bed and silence falls.

“Pinkie?” Kibum whispers into the quiet after a while.

Jonghyun hums. Kibum rolls over onto his stomach to rest his chin on his crossed arms and look down on him. The light of the moon catches in Jonghyun's eyes, so he knows they’re open.

“I just want to thank you again for doing this,” Kibum mumbles. “You really didn’t have to.”

Rolling onto his side, Jonghyun looks up at him.

“I know,” he murmurs. “But I want to.”

Kibum smiles to himself.

“Well, thank you anyway.”

“Anytime.”

They’re quiet for a while, listening to each other’s breathing.

“So what do you usually do?” Kibum asks. “When you’re not messing up fate threads, that is.”

Jonghyun snorts and rolls onto his back again, looking up at the ceiling.

“I work at the convenience store just outside your campus,” he says. “Spend most of my time there actually, since I haven’t got anywhere else to be.”

“Oh,” Kibum says softly. “Is that why I always saw you around that bus stop?”

“Yeah,” Jonghyun hums. “My bus home goes from there.”

Frowning, Kibum props his chin in his palm.

“But the first time I saw you, you were at the bus stop way longer than necessary.”

Jonghyun chuckles.

“Well, you were interesting to watch and listen to,” he admits, sounding amused.

Kibum huffs.

“Right,” he mutters. “What about the other times?”

“I usually take a break there, watching people or reading,” Jonghyun explains. “My shifts are normally in the afternoon until late evening and it’s boring being stuck in the store.”

Humming, Kibum crosses his arms and lays his head down on them again, satisfied with the information. His eyelids grow heavier every time he blinks and he can feel his mind slipping away.

“Goodnight Pinkie,” he mumbles.

“Goodnight Kibum,” Jonghyun answers.

Kibum thinks he can hear a smile in his voice and an answering smile pulls on his lips. Finally he lets his eyes stay shut and soon he drifts off, calmer than he thought he would be with everything that is happening.

The vibrant red fate thread is back in his dreams. Kibum doesn’t remember dreaming about it until it pops up again and dream Kibum vows to remember it this time. The fate thread is not surrounded by other fate threads anymore, however. It just hangs in the air, the world around it a dark void. It’s alone, lighting up the darkness with its bright and vibrant red color. Kibum stares at it for a long moment, half afraid and half curious. Gathering his courage, he approaches it cautiously, every step slow and deliberate. The fate thread floats in the air, shifts a little, unbothered by his presence, and Kibum comes to a stop beside it. He takes a deep breath and reaches out a hesitant hand, not sure he actually wants to know whom it belongs to. It gives off a very familiar feeling, as if he’s known it always, but he can’t think of any other time he’s seen it except in his dreams.

An electric current shoots up his arm and through his body as his hand comes into contact with the thread and he gasps. White static fills his head and his body is vibrating as if he’s in a feedback loop, but there is a wondrous comfort underneath it all.

He releases the thread and stumbles back, chest heaving and ears ringing. It’s as if it belongs to no one. That’s the only conclusion he can come to. He’s never heard of this happening before, but then again this is a dream. The thread might not be a thread at all. Biting his lip, Kibum reaches out to touch it again, to try and make sense of what is happening. It’s just a dream, but he still feels as if it’s more important than his own life.

When he wakes up, his ears are ringing and his head is spinning, heartbeat faster than normal, but he can’t really put his finger on why. He knows it has to do with his dream, but it’s all so fuzzy and when he finally has blinked the sleep out of his eyes it’s all gone, only leaving exhaustion in its wake.

He sighs and checks the time on his phone before he rolls over to look down at Jonghyun. His eyes fall upon his empty bed, neatly made with the cover folded at the end and pillows stacked on top of it, the pajamas he borrowed on top of them.

Kibum closes his eyes and listens. There’s bustling in the kitchen and he can hear his mother’s laugh, joined by an airy chuckle that he identifies as Jonghyun's. He opens his eyes again and doesn’t realize he’s smiling until he yawns. Biting his lip, he shakes himself a little and stands up to stretch, his spine popping.

When he enters the kitchen he finds his mother by the stove, cooking something that smells delicious, and Jonghyun sitting at the set kitchen table, cup of coffee cradled in his hands. They both look up at him and his mother smiles.

“Good morning, Kibum,” she says and gestures to the water boiler. “There’s still some hot water if you want it. Breakfast is almost done.”

Kibum shakes his head with another yawn and, with lethargic movements, makes his way over to Jonghyun and falls into the chair beside him. Jonghyun bumps their knees together and raises his eyebrows at him.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I think I had a nightmare,” Kibum mumbles. “But I don’t remember.”

Jonghyun's lips turn down and he pushes his cup over to him. Kibum smiles softly, taking a sip. As he looks up again he catches his mother’s eyes, which are watching them curiously. When she notices Kibum looking she goes back to what she was doing, shaking her head a little.

The rest of the day is spent lazing around on Kibum and Jonghyun's part. His mother leaves sometime after noon to do her Guardian duties, but not before warning them with a sigh that there is someone stationed on a stake out outside to keep an eye on if they leave or not. They end up watching TV most of the day, Jonghyun practices going invisible some more, and they talk about irrelevant things. Kibum would have expected Jonghyun to have a lot of questions about the Guardian community, but he stays mostly to lighter topics, which Kibum is thankful for. Right now he doesn’t feel like talking too much about Guardians and fate threads.

They’re just lounging on the couch in the living room later that evening. His mother is not home yet, which is a little weird but he tries not to worry too much. There must be a lot to do because of the severed fate threads. It’s quiet as Jonghyun scrolls on his phone and Kibum reads an article he needs to analyze for classes. He is just about to suggest they make some dinner when his phone rings. They both startle out of their own little worlds and Kibum picks up his phone from beside him, his heart skipping a beat as his eyes fall upon the caller ID.

“Dad?” he asks as he answers.

“Kibum,” his father greets. “I have news.”

Kibum swallows and glances at Jonghyun, who is now giving him his full attention.

“Okay?” he asks and his father continues.

“Today four more fate threads were severed,” his father says and Kibum feels cold all over. “But since you have not gone outside all day you are no longer the main suspect.”

A shaky breath leaves Kibum and Jonghyun moves closer, presses their legs together. Kibum smiles weakly at him.

“They are however still bringing you in to question you on what you saw,” his father continues. “They want you to be present at the Guardian Ministry tomorrow morning at eight.”

“That’s fine,” Kibum breathes out. “And Jonghyun?”

“Him too.”

“Okay,” Kibum says softly. “Is that why mom’s not home yet?”

His father sighs.

“Yeah,” he says. “She’s here with me. We’re having another emergency meeting. I expect we won’t be home for another few hours.”

“Okay,” Kibum repeats. “Good luck.”

After saying goodbye he lowers his phone to his lap and looks at Jonghyun, who is watching him closely, a small dent in his forehead. Kibum takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He can’t help leaning towards Jonghyun a little.

“What happened?” Jonghyun asks, voice barely above a murmur. “That was your dad, right?”

Kibum nods.

“Apparently four more fate threads have been severed,” he says and Jonghyun's eyes widen, “and since we’ve been stuck in here all day I’m no longer the main suspect.” Kibum lets out a humorless laugh. “Councilmember Lee won’t be too thrilled about that.”

Jonghyun's nose wrinkles.

“Well, he’ll just have to deal,” he says. “Why’s he out to get you so bad?”

Kibum shrugs.

“He thinks I’m a bad influence on his son,” he says. “Though I never actually spend time with anyone in the Guardian Community except for when I’m forced. They’re all either a bunch of old farts that live on forever or stuck up, know-it-alls that think I’m far beneath their status.”

Jonghyun tilts his head.

“That’s stupid.”

Kibum smiles and Jonghyun returns it, and the air between them is warm. Then it grows colder as the entire conversation with his father sinks in and iron fingers close around his insides. Four more fate threads, eight more people in jeopardy, and no one knows what is going on.

“Kibum?”

Kibum looks up at Jonghyun, chewing on his lip.

“I just don’t understand. How is this happening? What if it isn’t some natural phenomenon, then what? How can someone be so evil?” he asks. “Why would they want to separate soulmates?”

Jonghyun grabs his hand and laces their fingers together, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into his skin. And everything just spills out.

“Also, if it’s not happening naturally then it has to be another guardian, right?” Kibum continues rambling. “Because only guardians see fate threads. And I know I’m not the best Guardian but I would never ing want to separate soulmates by destroying their bonds! What kind of messed up human does that?!”

Kibum doesn’t realize he’s crying until gentle fingers brush against his cheeks and he takes a shuddering breath.

“Sorry,” he chokes out. “I don’t know what came over me.”

Jonghyun's worried face is blurry.

“It’s all right,” he murmurs. “It’s a scary situation. You don’t have to suppress your feelings.”

More tears slide down Kibum's cheeks and he sniffles.

“It just ,” he says in a watery voice. “And I feel so guilty too.”

Jonghyun continues drying his tears.

“Why?” he asks, voice soft, gentle, like a warm blanket.

“Because what if I wasn’t selfish and took my duties more seriously?” Kibum sobs. “Maybe I would have actually been able to help too. I can’t do anything, especially since I’m suspected of having something to do with it. Why am I such a up?”

Warm hands draw him in and suddenly he’s enveloped in Jonghyun's arms, smearing the front of his shirt with tears.

“You’re not,” Jonghyun says, voice determined.

A weak laugh leaves Kibum.

“You don’t even know me that well,” he protests. “You can’t say that.”

Jonghyun's arms tighten around him.

“I think I know enough,” he says. “I know you care enough to spend hours at a bus stop just to untangle my mess of fate threads several days in a row. I know you care enough to go looking for whatever is causing this and try to solve it. I know you care enough to cry when you’re not able to help more.” Kibum hiccups and Jonghyun rubs his back. “I know.”

Kibum winds his arms around Jonghyun's middle and closes his eyes as he lets his tears fall freely.

“It’s going to be okay, Kibum,” Jonghyun murmurs into his hair and Kibum wants to believe him, does believe him. He can’t help himself. “I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

Kibum hugs him tighter.

“Thank you, Pinkie,” he whispers.

“Of course,” Jonghyun answers.

Kibum spends a long time calming down, but Jonghyun sits with him, rubbing his back soothingly and humming gently. Kibum can’t quite place the song, but it is effectively lulling him to sleep. The last thing to pass his mind is his wonder at Jonghyun and how he is so sure Kibum is a good person. Kibum hopes he can live up to it.

A/N: Um... hi... , I'm kinda nervous haha. So, is anyone out there still? I'm back after more than a year of not giving you anything new. I think chapter three was updated in July 2017? I'm not sure...

Anyway, I can finally manage to actually write and read stuff with Jonghyun's name in it without feeling too bad. I still have a hard time with pictures and videos and I haven't been able to listen to SHINee again yet, especially their new songs, but I'll get there. They're my first love in K-pop and always will be. And it's not because I want to be dramatic, it's just... sorry if I'm too personal, but I lived through wanting to take my own life for nearly four years and it's not a good place to be. It hurts to know Jonghyun was there too, but that he didn't survive.

Sorry to put a damper on your day, whoever is reading this.

But here I am now! I'm sorry if the chapter is wonky and not totally in line with the other chapters, I tired, but it's been a while. Also, I noticed that i forget to capitalise certain letters that should be capitalised, in all the chapters. I'll go back and fix it someday. Today is not that day however. This chapter is also shorter than the other chapters, but I felt like it was a good place to end.

I hope you liked the chapter anyway and I love you all! (If you're still there)

<3 Killibinbin