Luhan: Tian Mi Mi

"Xiumin, Xiumin."

He jolted awake to see two dark brown eyes staring into his own. He blinked blearily. "Huh?"

The corners of those eyes crinkled as Luhan smiled and his halo brightened. "Xiumin, get up. I want to show you something."

Without another warning, Xiumin was pulled up from the stone slab. And before he could wonder at the tingling and pulsating heat where their fingers intertwined, he was already out of the cage. The pair slipped between shadows and guards, Luhan leading the way and ignoring Xiumin's hushed questions.

It must have been early because the paths were emptier than usual and the few guards they passed looked bored. It seemed as if the entire empire was sleeping peacefully, while they were sneaking around, stealing a moment of secret rebellious love. Was it love? Xiumin didn't know when he had begun thinking of their relationship as that, but it was okay, he decided.

The atmosphere filled him with a yearning for romanticism. He hadn't been able to find that someone before he was captured, wasn't able to marry and start a family -- all things that everyone looked forward to. They seemed so small and unimportant now, but Xiumin still wanted them. Those ordinary moments of security and happiness. He wished . . .

The hold on his hand firmed, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Lu . . . " The Prince's name died on Xiumin's lips when he took in the sight before him. "Is this the sun?"

"Sunrise," Luhan answered, not able to hide the pride in his voice. "This is the only place in the Empire where we can see it."

Xiumin gaped at the yellows, oranges, reds and purples. It was as if the water in front of him was bleeding liquid light. And it was, in a way. Reflected and refracted from the heavens to hell. He had seen so many impossibilities in this underwater empire, but this sunrise was so beautiful it almost brought tears to his eyes. He rubbed them quickly, willing the feeling away.

Luhan, who was sitting against a rock, patted the spot next to him. The way the sun painted Luhan's face in warm fiery colors distracted Xiumin and he stared for a second too long before obliging, hiding his reddening cheeks. He settled down, head naturally finding its way to Luhan's shoulder.

"I wish . . . we can do this every day." he whispered. "Together."

"We will," Luhan replied after a pause. "We will," he repeated, this time with more strength.

We will, we will, we will will will, Xiumin chanted in his mind like a mantra. He felt stupid for putting so much into an unclear plan, putting all the hope of his life and future onto the Siren, but where else would he put it?

"Like a flower blooming in the spring breeze, where have I seen you before?"

Xiumin started at the sudden song before relaxing almost instantaneously at Luhan's soothing voice.

"In my dream, I've seen you in my dream."

The Siren cupped Xiumin's face with his hands and tilted it towards him, lips falling gently, soft kisses between each utterance.

"Your smile is as sweet as honey. You're as sweet as honey."

"Do you know what that is?" Xiumin couldn't help teasing. "Is there honey underwater?"

"I know it's something as sweet as you," Luhan breathed out, a twinkle in his eye.

Xiumin giggled, bubbles floating over to Luhan. Xiumin closed the distance, letting the Siren's halo encompass the two of them until they were as dazzling as the sun.

If only this moment could be eternity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was too damn bright.

Kim Youngwoon had decided that the best way for Sehun to cope was to pile jobs onto him, in hopes that he would be too busy sending people to their deaths to think about that one particular death. So he spent his days alternating between the sweet innocence with Zitao and Candy and the cold heat of smoking guns and dying people. His kills had always been mechanical, but now he was numb. He went through the motions, not even caring about caution. Or anything really.

One summer, when Sehun was a teenager (he still was one, technically, but he definitely didn't feel like it), he took an online forensic science class just for s. He learned a lot that could help him fool the cops, but they blended in with the random trivia. Luminol could be used to reveal blood, even after the stains were wiped away. Blood evidence would mold if put into an airtight container. Blood spatter analysis invovled math, graphs and strings. Gunshots resulted in a fine mist of blood, blunt trauma had fewer drops but bigger in size. Livor mortis was the settling of blood after death. Blood . . . it was everything and everywhere.

He didn't flaunt the blood on his hands like Jongin though; he wasn't morbidly bloodthirsty and carving his alias into dead bodies wasn't his style. He preferred to dump the corpses into large bodies of water, staining it with the blood, washing it off.

And so he hid in a shadow, waiting. And the sun was too bright, reflecting off of random things and annoying him. But the spark of emotion was put out quickly as practiced indifference took over once again.

An unnecessarily fancy vehicle came into view and bullets pierced through both the tires and the driver almost simultaneously. Sehun watched with cool content as the car veered wildly, crashing through the barriers at the side of the road. The splash could barely be heard under the screams of innocent passerby, and with the gun still warm in his pocket, he turned.

Walking away, he slid into Taeyeon's car, her being his new designated chauffeur, and forced a smile. The girl smiled back. "Time to go home," she said in her singsong voice.

Sehun grunted, not bothering to put up the act of small talk. Silence ensued, but then, "Wait!" he suddenly said. Taeyeon glanced at him quickly before turning back to the road. "Can you drop me off somewhere else?"

"Where?" 

Sehun rattled off Zitao's address and that was how he ended up going on an impromptu date two hours later.

~ ~ ~

Zitao and Sehun, if separate, were threatening. They were sharp edges and piercing eyes coupled with a tall, lean figure. Zitao was all shadows and swirling darkness, Sehun was a block of shocking ice. But together, with their fingers entwined and shoulders purposely accidentally bumping, they were disarmingly adorable and disgustingly cute.

"Finally away from the daughter and I can spend the whole night with you," Zitao said.

Sehun made a face. "I'm sorry, but I like being with Candy more than being with your cheesy ."

Zitao jabbed the other lightly with his sharp elbows. "You love my cheesy ."

"You make me want to throw up," Sehun retorted, feeling playful. The confession in the dark room felt like ages ago and he hoped they would never bring it up again.

"You know, you ruin your image whenever you talk."

Sehun let out a dramatic gasp. "Taotao, you're so mean." He was given a shove and when his hand reached for the other's again, he could see the bracelets peeking out from under the sleeve of Zitao's black jacket. He tore his eyes away but the ruined skin was ingrained in his mind and snippets of dying people flashed past.

" . . . and pig feet," Zitao was saying.

"That sounds good," Sehun replied absently.

"Really? Great, because you're paying."

"Wait, what the ?" Sehun exclaimed, attention fully on his boyfriend again. "You're older," he whined.

Zitao rolled his eyes as he steered Sehun towards a nondescript street stall. "Don't pull the age card, Hunnie."

The younger boy stuck his tongue out in response as they entered through the open door. "Like I said, pig feet," Zitao said pointedly at Sehun's questioning look. If you were listening, you'd know, he probably wanted to say.

It was amazing how romantic a street stall could become, how warm and fuzzy the ramyun and pig feet made Sehun feel. It probably had something to do with the boy who sat across from him, with his sparkling eyes and full laughter.

And even when bracing the brisk autumn wind on the Bugak Skyway, Sehun didn't feel the cold. Zitao had an arm across his shoulder, engulfing him in warmth and the musky cigarette-aftershave scent he had come to love.

"We were obsessed with stars," Zitao murmured into Sehun's hair as they stopped to gaze at the twinkling lights. "Look at all those worlds we could escape to and be free."

The other sighed, exhaling out a puff of air that dispersed in the wind. "Or you can die due to lack of oxygen."

"Oh Sehun, you're so not romantic," the other complained. "Why do I even-"

And Sehun promptly shut him up with a kiss.

There were no shadows that night.

Taohun date inspired by their actual dates and the picture was made by me

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