---

Jongin wakes up with a start when he realizes that he's back in the dream realm, and more specifically, laying in a field of purple grass with Kyungsoo spooning him (both of them in matching pajamas somehow). Last thing that he remembers is their 'adventure' last night which consisted of them making out, watching some Netflix and chillin'. (The latter being both literal and figurative as they had multiple rounds of last night before falling asleep in each other's arms.)

Anyways, this is the first time that he's seen Kyungsoo with him here, so it's with that and the excitement/hope of seeing Agim here that he excitedly jostles Kyungsoo awake. Kyungsoo wakes up with wide eyes and his hands instinctively up to protect his face before he relaxes when he realizes that it's just Jongin.

"Hey, aha sorry I scared you," Jongin greets with a lopsided smile, eyes flitting up to Kyungsoo's top knot for a second.

Kyungsoo lets out a Nah, you're fine before he looks around and takes note of their otherworldly surroundings before turning back to him. "So, uh I'm guessing we're on the astral plane together right now, right?"

Jongin nods and lets out a hum. He's not sure how they are though, like if it's a proximity thing that allows them to be in the same dream together or something else. But, whatever the true reason is doesn't matter as much as the sudden desire to kiss Kyungsoo's pretty lips as he pouts curiously at him.

So, he leans in to do just that and grins bright once he pulls away and sees Kyungsoo blushing before he feels his own face heat up when Kyungsoo cups his cheeks and leans forward to kiss him back. They end up making out a lil' bit just from that before pulling apart again and holding hands as they get up to look for their cats/guides.

It then takes a bit of walking in the field before Jongin remembers that the first time he'd been here with Agim, he'd pulled out his wand first. So, he mentions that to Kyungsoo before both of them end up pulling out their wands from thin-air and Jongin smiles with relief as their surroundings quickly fade away like a watercolor painting to them now being in front of that large black and gold castle.

"C'mon," Jongin then says before he grips Kyungsoo's hand tight and speeds them inside.

---

As Jongin speeds them to a stop at the first cat that they see sitting behind what seems like an information desk, Kyungsoo speaks first by asking the cat if it had seen Agim and Pacôme.

"I have yes, though they passed through here hours ago...Mm, last I saw 'em, they were headed towards the war room for something," the cat replies, looking down at a novel the whole time.

The war room?

"Um, can you show us where that room is? Please?" Jongin asks, pouting deeply. Kyungsoo squeezes his hand, probably sensing his building anxiety.

"Hmm..." The cat looks up at that before its eyes widen and it leans forward in shock. "Wait, you two are their new guardians, aren't you?"

Both of them nod their heads.

"So, how did you two get here on your own? One, I could understand, but two?"

"Oh, is that...not common?" Kyungsoo asks.

And the cat sits back, suddenly scratching itself with its left hind-leg. "...In all of my centuries working here--no--you two are maybe hmm...the second set of guardians to arrive together here without your guides."

Jongin turns to look down at Kyungsoo with raised eyebrows, Kyungsoo's expression matching his own, before they look back at the cat and squeeze each other's hands.

"Oh no, don't get me wrong," the cat adds. "It's very rare that that happens but it doesn't mean anything bad. It just means that the two of you must have an extraordinarily strong connection with each other."

Wow, really? Jongin thinks as he and Kyungsoo inevitably turn to look at each other again.

It's crazy to think that they've only known each other for like a week but it already feels like a few months or something.

"Anyway, so I think by now your two guides are either walkin' around aimlessly or they went to that training room...Which reminds me, have you ever noticed how it's soundproof in there? My, it reminds me of this time when--"

Jongin ends up tuning the rest of its words out though and looks back down at Kyungsoo with an inquisitive pout, wordlessly asking if he's ready to go. Kyungsoo thankfully seems to read his expression well since he subtly nods, so the two turn back to the cat to thank it before Jongin speeds them away towards the training room.

-------

Once he and Jongin reach the door, Kyungsoo pulls out the key for it and chuckles when Jongin dramatically asks where he got it from.

"Wait, Agim never gave you a copy yet?" Kyungsoo responds as he puts the key in the lock.

Jongin responds with a No, sounding like he's pouting, and Kyungsoo turns to look up at him before giggling as his suspicion was correct.

So cute~

"Hehe, maybe you should talk to Agim about that then," Kyungsoo ends up responding. Then, as he pockets the key and pushes the door open, he smiles as Jongin just lets out a Yeah and wraps an arm around his shoulders as they walk in.

He ends up wrapping his arm around Jongin's waist, butterflies fluttering about in his stomach, as a sense of pure comfort and familiarity envelops him. He doesn't really believe in reincarnation like that but he does believe in fate. And finds that already--just a week into getting to know Jongin--he already feels so lucky to have met him.

With a quick shake of his head, Kyungsoo's rational side then reminds himself that this isn't some romance novel as he looks down at the ground. But damn being so close to Jongin right now...Kyungsoo can once again confirm that Jongin not only looks y but also smells hella nice too. He has this natural vanilla scent that just does things to his senses, and Kyungsoo finds that he could get lost in him and blushes as he imagines them together on his bed once again--

He's then brought out of his thoughts though when Jongin excitedly calls out, "Agim!"

Kyungsoo rapidly blinks and looks up, before a grin grows on his face at the sight of their cats sitting on a bench near that one guardian statue. Agim and Pacôme look at them with amazement as they walk up to them, before Jongin's face scrunches up as he bends down to scoop Agim into his arms. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo asks Pacôme if the two of them are alright as he sits down next to him.

"Yes, though how did you--I-I never expected to see you two here like this," Pacôme responds, his left ear turned to the side.

"Huh. That cat at that front desk said the same thing."

"Agim, where have you two been?" Jongin whines next to them as he sits down with Agim on his lap now. "Why d'ya leave without saying anything?"

Agim frowns. "My apologies, Jongin. We were summoned without warning not too long after you left for your date."

"But why?" Jongin and Kyungsoo end up asking at the same time.

Pacôme then joins in. "It was an emergency meeting...to do with the monster sightings that have arrived to your planet sooner than expected--"

As he talks, Kyungsoo then thinks back to the few monsters that he and Jongin have fought so far, and how each first sighting would leave Pacôme just absolutely shaken.

"--the scholars made an error in their calculations and--"

Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows. "Huh?"

Agim lets out a sigh. "Yes, apparently they forgot to account for your planet's way of keeping track of each astronomical year." When Kyungsoo and Jongin still look at him with confusion, he continues. "You know, that extra day or extra month that gets added every few years--what is it called again?"

"Uhh...a leap year?" Kyungsoo supplies.

"Yes, that--thank you. So, because of their error we were sent to find you months later than we actually should've because of that one. Little. Thing."

Pacôme then leans over to put a paw on Agim's back as the latter's tail bristles. "Hey, it was an honest mistake."

Agim harrumphs. "Was it though? Like of all the guardians we've helped, all the centuries they've been calculating--they suddenly forgot to account for that simple thing once these two new guardians were born? It's too fishy!"

Kyungsoo and Jongin lock wide eyes at his yell before Jongin begins gently rubbing up and down Agim's back to calm him down. Thankfully it works, and Agim sighs and relaxes in his arms again as he continues in a quieter, albeit still frustrated tone. "...I know that their job entails a lot and that sometimes things slip through but--" He sighs harshly. "--I wish they would've told us when they first noticed the error."

Pacôme sighs too. "As do I, friend."

"So..." Jongin starts, still petting Agim. "Um, just to get this straight. Are you sayin' that we should've met you two like much earlier than we actually did?"

"Yes, according to the scholars' now corrected calculations, there's a gap of sixth months and nine days," Agim replies.

Sixty-nine--ha ni