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youseissi · 4 years

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𝚂𝚞𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚂𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚍 현실판에

Chapter 5 - Mist

Chapter 1 ✧ Chapter 2 ✧ Chapter 3 ✧ Chapter 4 ✧ Chapter 5 ✧ Chapter 6 ✧ Chapter 7 ✧ Chapter 8 ✧ TBC ✧ AO3 ✧ Masterlist

The inside of the storage room separated the items of value with a barrier of fancy looking bars, surely connected to an alarm system. Cameras moved slowly, perched up high on the walls and Wooyoung eyed them with a mocking smirk remembering the old times when he actually bothered to do something about those.

Now he no longer gave them a second thought, a hoodie and a mask being enough masking as long as he was fast enough.

He swung back and forth on his heels for a moment with his hand on his pockets before he bolted forward, disappearing for a second and reappearing beyond the bars leaving a trail of dull silver dust in his awake.

A second later the alarms started sounding, practically deafening on his ears, but too late as Wooyoung had already run up to a seemingly more heavily guarded glass case and was unceremoniously bashing against the glass with a crowbar.

Jewellery stores like this one, too lazy or too self-assured to better store away their goods at night, were his favorite targets. So easy that it almost seemed too good to be true, but after so long Wooyoung didn’t question how stupid security could be anymore. Didn’t matter, he could always get past whatever they schemed anyway.

But maybe this time he should’ve questioned it. If he wasn’t so jaded by then the thief surely would’ve noticed that this was blatant bait. At the very least he definitely should’ve notice the trail of gold traveling through the floor coming for him sooner.

However he didn’t, the shining spreading metallic color being ignored for the shiny crystals he gathered in his pockets and so the thief had no clue as to what was happening when he turned to make his escape and he couldn’t move, his foot stuck to the floor. Panic flooded him as he heard loud stomping coming from the stairs at the far back, multiple people making their way there while he couldn’t budge.

Even his power seemed stuck, taking him all his willpower to activate it.

The silver dust scattered and dragged itself back through the bars, but sagging down and reforming into Wooyoung again, crouching to regain his strength.

The thief felt the cold floor against his skin barely processing that now he was barefoot. Only being able to spare one quick look back, he spotted his old sneakers still encrusted to where he was a moment ago turned completely golden before the flood of security guards coming down finally appeared.

He ran towards the small entrance he came from, a slight crack on the glass display window at the storefront, and forced himself through it with his power again momentaneously confusing his chasers.

Running through the upscale gallery’s hallway he quickly noticed that he had company waiting from him on the outside as well.

Wooyoung cursed as he ran away, knowing that the path he was forced to take lead to a balcony and soon he’d be cornered. On a normal day, running back against the current of enemies would be nothing to him, but insecurity filled him now. He felt so heavy, not being able to execute his moves as sharply as he intended.

Finally he reached the end, the hallway broadening into an outdoors area fancily furbished and Wooyoung had to quickly think on his next move before they caught up with him. It’d been a while since he last did something risky like this, but he’d have to take his chances and just roll with it this time.

If it was a big show that they wanted he’d give it to them, he thought as he gave a step back and ran forwards gaining speed and not stopping.

The thief stepped swiftly onto a stool without losing momentum, using it as a stepping stone to propel himself over the ledge, trying his best to get as far from the building possible.

At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything, all of it slowing down as he just felt the cold night air brush against him painfully before turning himself to dust and pushing through to the next building with the little bit of power he could manage.

Behind him the gold trail that chased him followed dangerously close, making wild and beautiful patterns spread through the sky. Similar to lightning but not quite, curling delicately into little spirals and sparkling against the moonlight, outshining Wooyoung’s opaque steel tones as one mixed and faded where the other started.

The thief’s vision was blurred with the mix of adrenaline and lack of breath as his feet touched the rooftop he landed in, the rough concrete under him scratching his barefoot sole. A last look over his shoulder gave him a glimpse of the mesmerising abstract mess that painted his trajectory, a small silhouette outstretching his hand in his direction, clearly the root of everything, surrounded by a dozen of the usual underling guards that often came after him.

Wooyoung didn’t waste time to scramble out of there. It had been a while since he felt that scared of getting caught.

༄ ⇀ ✧

Yeosang was the first person Yunho ever saw with a bright golden aura that was not wearing a mask or fighting on tv. The psych was playing on his phone while sitting on a small table at their usual coffee shop when the dazzlingly light sudden sparked at the side of his peripheral vision.

He had jumped in fright, already tense at the prospect of the only person he knew with an aura like that, knocking his phone out of his owns hands and onto the floor. The swirl of gold shifted as it’s owner bended to get it for him.

His mind was about to enter into full panic mode until he actually stopped to look and take in the sight of the small boy in front of him. The thought that it was definitely not The Cardinal or his lackey calmed him down instantly, the other being several centimeters shorter than both the villains. He looked uneasy, fidgeting as Yunho observed him curiously.

“Uh...You know dropped this, right?” He spoke and the older finally noticed that he had his hand outstretched towards him holding his precious phone, too distracted to see it before. He really needed to stop dropping it so often, maybe luck wasn’t one of his powers after all.

The kid wore gloves, handling the phone very carefully, flinching visibly as Yunho moved his way to take it from him and the psych could feel the anxiety surrounding him with an unpleasant metallic taste in his mouth.

“Thanks” Yunho replied quickly, embarrassed for leaving him hanging for so long.

“Do you want something to drink?” the other replied with eyes not meeting his, seeming impatient but the older knew better.

“Ah, no, don’t worry it’s my fault, I was the one that dropped it and I’m waiting for someone.” Yunho answered quickly sheepishly thinking it was an apology or maybe an awkward flirt.

“No, I mean… I’m the waiter, do you wanna order something?” the other answered flatly, now looking at him weird.

“Ah yes, yes” Yunho blushed in embarrassment as he recited his usual order, a very simple drink with an unnecessary long name and a bagel.

“Okay, it’ll be right up.” he answered after writing it down, already leaving.

“Wait.” Yunho called out reaching for him on instinct. He didn’t particular mean to touch the boy, just stretching out his arm mindlessly, but the way he jumped away in a panic, the look on his face with utter horror, startled him.

Yunho never thought he could install that much fear on someone, he wondered what he did wrong to cause that as the ringing in his ears raised up and faded with the other’s rush of emotions.

“Do you need something more?” he asked, composing himself, still breathing hard as if he had just suffered a jumpscare.

He wanted to ask about it. The aura, the gloves, the way he looked and felt so on edge. But he couldn’t figure out the right words for it. For all he knew the boy could also have something to do with the villains.

Or just not know anything at all. Yunho’s vision pointed out things that only he saw and the feelings he felt were not so different from some form of trauma, which were private things he had no business with. It was frustrating to have such details shoved in his face raising questions that he couldn’t ask without exposing himself.

“Nothing, sorry.” He muttered letting it go that time, mind racing with thoughts on how to approach the mystery laid out in front of him.

✧ ⇀ ༄

Unlike The Cardinal, Wooyoung wanted to keep a low profile and it was never a problem since his deeds couldn’t be properly reported in detail without sparking up a whole string of political debates. He managed to pick his targets well, it became harder to report a crime if you committed a few yourself and as much as the local news tried to villainify him through their half truths and outrageous headlines, it was hard for them to both try to keep it short and cry for attention at the same time.

Nonetheless he got the people’s attention online.

Again, he wasn’t one to market himself like the current mainstream popular villain, but it was a case of actions speaks louder than words. And that made a lot of sense in his case, since Wooyoung was time and time again deemed by the public as the modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor.

His power also following the trend of an old korean novel about a similar character known to be everywhere teleporting from one side of the country to the other in the blink of an eye robbing the corrupt and providing for the needy. He was fated to eventually appeal to the general public’s approval like this.

And he would be lying if he said he didn’t like the attention. He just loved putting on a show, seeing it played back in videos, no one being able to guess how he did it.

The nickname they gave him, Mist ‘because he could be everywhere but was still untouchable’, had his confidence in the clouds and the wrong claims of his power being teleportation were his favorites, taking his ego even higher. No one could touch him. Literally. Because his power wasn’t teleportation, not even close to it.

Yet it was hard to explain. What he did, could it be classified as disintegrating? He wasn’t sure, but he knew it’s properties well despite not being able to describe them and Mist was a very befitting name for it. He just particularly felt every atom in his body, felt in control of every party of his physique so much that he could move it very precisely. So much that sometime those atoms weren’t even connecting anymore, going through the air weightless. Like dust, almost invisible to the human eye.

It wasn’t super speed either as some have chimed in. He moved normally, but he could distribute the impulse he got from his steps in a more efficient way consequently jumping forward better than the average person.

People also guessed that going through walls was part of his bag of tricks, yet it wasn’t so simple as he couldn’t pass through something solid. He still existed, he himself still solid, just scattered. Thankfully no one noticed that weakness yet.

Running freely, jumping from roof to roof as light as wind itself, feeling like stardust above anyone’s reach was a exhilarating feeling. And it just so happens that this power was also perfectly convenient for stealing. From petty theft to grand heists, he could do it all and never get caught.

Wooyoung himself had a pretty tight budget growing up, his parents struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. It particularly marked him how they always worked for wealthy people that were, more often than not, not that grateful for their services even when they worked so hard to please.

He had been homeschooled, taking advantage of joining in classes by a tutor paid for the rich kid he grew up around. Even if he despised the adults around them, he couldn’t say the same about Yeosang, that turned out to be his only friend for years to come.

They were inseparable, supporting themselves as they got dragged through a turbulent childhood and confinding their secrets and emotions away from the judgement that could not be found only in each other.

Inseparable they were, until his parents got fired. Accused of using him to steal from their patrons manor and he really didn’t even do it that time, the irony of the future thief being innocent.

At the time it was the end of the world, he still remembered embarrassingly crying and pleading to the doorman to just let him see his friend, but after they were thrown out he never got past the front gate again.

Yeosang also didn’t seem to have cared all that much about him, because he never answered any of his texts or calls again. The other went completely silent on his end.

But now he had moved on already, as he clearly was the only one that was actually affected by that. The next servant kid would go on to take his place. Maybe he was a little bitter, but whatever. It taught him a good lesson on how the world really works.

Currently he had moved out and was living in the capital. He didn’t feel the need to continue his studies as he didn’t really need a job, he made enough money as it was. He spent most of his time at a dance studio choosing that as a carrier, dancing was something he grew to have a passion for.

The big city was full of shady targets he could exploit and plenty of connections to resell his spoils. It made him hundred times more than he could ever spend, but was too suspicious for a kid like him to go on throwing money away like this. He didn’t really feel the need to have a lavish lifestyle either, so he just lived comfortably with it and invested the excess on the type of places that helped his family before.

The word of his donations seemed to go well with people, even though it was anonymous.

༄ ⇀ ✧

There was a thief well known for burglarising high end jewellery stores and fancy mansions that had been terrorising the city for a couple of years already. Yunho had that knowledge in the back of his head somewhere, because everyone knew about it, it was a popular topic.

But he was neither rich nor particularly curious about it. He hadn’t heard many details and the media did a crappy job in relaying anything relevant outside a paywall, so when he turned on the news that morning the last thing he expected was a full segment being dedicated about it or the whole panic surrounding Mist’s recent heist.

It was by complete chance and luck he was seeing this, usually he would be in class and not at home at that hour. But that morning he woke up sick to his stomach and could not move a finger without feeling like he would barf. Joongie, the ever so prepared roommate, spared some medicine for his sickness and left with a promise to bring him some easy to digest lunch later.

So that day he was staying in. It was several hours waiting for the meds to kick in before he felt like he could move and when he finally did it was only to grab his laptop and come back under the blankets, turning on the tv as background noise.

The more they spoke about the thief’s latest prowess though, the more his interest peaked. The news anchor made it sound like what he did was some sort of magic trick beyond just human abilities. And that was kinda relevant to him, cuz, you know, until some months ago he thought he was the only person ever cursed with a power.

And since he wasn’t paying that much attention before, he was blindsided when they finally started showing scenes of the robbery in question and there was not one but two golden auras there. Wasn’t that interesting.

Yunho watched the news attentively from then on. Although he couldn’t get a grasp of what the two powers actually did no matter how many times they showed the same few clips, it was clear they were indeed superpowers as if the golden auras weren’t enough evidence.

Maybe there were more people like him than he first thought, perhaps there was golden auras surrounding him all around and he just needed to pay more attention. However, knowing his luck, the new barista at his local coffee shop that instantly came to mind being one of them couldn’t be a coincidence.

Hongjoong came back into their room practically unnoticed as the psych was immersed at the newscast, carrying a couple of paper bags filled with food and heading directly to the free space at the end of Yunho’s bed.

“I’m back! They didn’t have your order so I-” The older called out as he made his way and dropped himself and the bags over the sea of comforters.

“Shhh” He shushed the other’s interruption.

“What? What is it?” Hongjoong asked finally noticing where the other had his attention turned to.

“The news, have you seen this before? Someone with powers is standing up against Mist. They’re calling him a hero like they did with you when you started.” Yunho explained his eyes trained on the swirling gold on the screen.

“Oh, really?” His roommate asked mindlessly, more interested on unwrapping the food. “With that type of power it would be easier to get The Cardinal.”

“Would you pair up with him? Could be like the start of a justice league.” Yunho asked out loud after some thought, Yeosang jumping to his mind yet again.

“I’m not sure, they must have some sort of hidden reason to go after this thief, right? I wouldn’t want to partner up with someone just as bad as the rest of them.” The older answered passing him a pot with some type of soup inside.

Yunho hadn’t really thought about that. He tried not to look too deep into what Hongjoong meant as rest of them. Surely he meant the rest of the villains making a big scene and not just people with powers in general.

Yunho didn’t like that his mind jumped to that interpretation.

“I see. I hadn’t thought about it.” He muttered. The soup didn't look that appetising, but he tried eating some for the sake of it.

“I mean if you have a power like that and are willing to fight why would you go for this guy and not The Cardinal? Robberies are wrong and all, but I find mass mind control way more unforgivable than stealing some pretty rocks from people that don’t even lose that much with it.” Hongjoong continued, not impressed with the newer hero.

”I guess so” Yunho replied. He wouldn’t think about going against The Cardinal either, weren’t he much more scary? Dealing with a thief seemed less dangerous and still overall helpful. Hongjoong was more of the type to go all or nothing though.

“Thinking about it, maybe it’s good that he hasn’t come close to The Cardinal? If he got controlled then his powers could be used against his will.” The psych tried defending the stranger as he wondered about his motives as well.

“Ah, yeah true. Let's hope that this doesn't give that asshole any ideas then." The older replied tilting his head in thought. "Anyway eat your soup and go back to resting instead of being on that laptop all day. You won't get better by playing games nonstop.”

"Ha, I wish. The class I missed today had a project we were supposed to start working on. I have to do so much coding, I won't get to play for weeks." Yunho answered sarcastically, grimacing at the task ahead. If only his power was somehow useful regarding college, maybe he should’ve gone with psychology instead.

✧ ⇀ ༄

"Wooyoungiiiiie, I've been lonelyyyy" San whined, his whole weight thrown onto Wooyoung's back while his arms wrapped around his neck lazily.

"Ugh you're too loud, my head hurts." The shorter scolded him, just as loud himself but voice dying down to a whisper by the end of it.

"Ah, what's that? Have you been out partying yesterday? Without me?" San had now a mischievous grin, mistaking the other’s reaction as traces of a hangover, distancing himself enough to look at the other's face. "I even told you how bored I was, have you found someone you're more interested in?" He continued accusingly, more curious than actually upset.

"I didn't, I just had a rough night." Wooyoung replied groaning, dismissive of the other's attempt to rial him up. It was unusual for him to act like that, specially around San and it only had the older worrying.

"Is that so?" He asked mood dropping a bit.

"Yes, now stop fooling around and start helping out already."

They were helping out at a local school as volunteers, spending their Saturday organising donations. San wasn’t there exactly by sheer good will, he did it mostly for extra credit, but considering he had other options it still spoke some of his values.

Wooyoung’s dance crew participated in quite a few charity events and as he had that much free time he got into volunteering by himself, curious to see in first person which places were genuine enough to share his loot with. The two of them met there almost a year ago, clicking right away and with time developing a long lasting friendship.

"I got it, I'm going to get more box- aha!" San was about to move when he spotted it. With a devious smirk he went back to teasing "You sneaky little devil, are you lying to me now?"

"What are you even talking about?" Wooyoung sighted pushing a box to a higher shelf, on his tiptoes, his arms stretched to reach up there.

"There's proof all over your arms! Must have been a wild night if you're still covered in glitter under your clothes." San pointed at his arms with a somewhat hungry expression at the thought and it wasn't glitter per se that was there. Something more expensive. Wooyoung quickly retracted his arms in a panic, San perceiving that as an admission to the truth.

"Haha, don't worry bro I'm not judging. Just don't forget I'm here too you know I'm getting so bored with classes lately I really need a night out to get wasted and forget about..." San continued talking mindlessly, Wooyoung however wasn't hearing much anymore a bit affected by seeing the sparkles of gold encrusted in his arms, sparkling obnoxiously in the natural light.

Honestly, he felt a little invaded. For you see, his power required him to have a very thorough awareness of his own body, else he might disperse and then regroup as completely different form or missing a limb and that wouldn't be very fun. So he knew and practically felt every single independent cell in his own body.

That's how he could separate the gold from himself at the end of the day. In the heat of the moment it slowed him down, glued him to stuff and he just wasn't able to keep up with it so quickly, but if he just sat down and took a long pause he could get it out. It didn't affect him. It shouldn't affect him. And that's why just finding stray pieces like this felt so frustrating, intrusive even.

Because he should've noticed they were there. He shouldn't be having that pointed out to him.

The first time he was hit and petrified it felt foreign and heavy on him. It felt almost unbearable, like a lead ball attached to his ankle or having to carry dumbbells with him.

With time he was growing used to it, just feeling it mildly annoying and gross like stepping on gum or when you stick a piece of tape to a cat. A feeling of something being wrong and you just can't shake it off.

But by then it had evolved into it sneaking into him and downright naturally feeling like it was part of him.

How many times had he used his powers since the last fight? And just considered the gold as part of his own anatomy, pushed it out then pulled it back in like a normal piece of him? And he didn't notice that not even once?

It sparked many questions and unfounded fear in Wooyoung's head. He hadn't had so many qualms pop up since the time he was still learning to use his power. What if he ends up mistaking actual parts of him with the gold? What if he's slowly becoming metal with each hit of that power? What if...

"Wooyoung?" San asked, his face centimeters from his own looking for any signal of consciousness in his eyes. "Seriously, whatever you had last night must've been pretty heavy huh." San mumbled pouting his tone low and whiny, distraught at being ignored and his brows arched in worry.

Wooyoung always wore his heart on his sleeve, so San never batted an eye at his mood swings that were followed by either lovable praise or sharp remarks. It was disconcerting at first, but once he got used to it his directness made things easier. You always knew what you were getting from him, as reserved as he was with his private life you could still always tell what his mood was.

And for San that had known him for a good while, it felt like he had developed a good gut instinct to know when it was just Wooyoung being grouchy and when things should be more concerning to him.

"Sorry, let's just get this done with, okay? Then we can go grab some chicken." San didn't let it go, worry still in his face, but loosened up as Wooyoung continued. "My treat. Let's hang out today and then we can have chicken while binge watching something together. I'll even let you pick one of those sappy dramas you like."

"Well, if you say so, no take backs" The older answered a little tauntingly as he thought about his options.

"Yeah, now get a move on while I go grab an aspirin." Wooyoung huffed. He supposed a day with his best friend would do him good. Better than being alone and getting lost on his own anxiety.

༄ ⇀ ✧

It was a holiday when Yunho first got a glimpse of who Yeosang really was. The coffee shop was infested that day, filled with both regulars and odd new customers ordering festive drinks that didn’t seem simple to make.

Usually the tall boy would avoid crowds as much as possible being overly sensitive to them but after the opportunity of having a empty lab all for himself, allowing him to spend the whole morning playing around with his gadgets, his hunger was enough of a grounding feeling for him to be able to brave the rainbow of auras inside the packed space.

Yunho was sitting at the counter that day, not where he usually sat but the only available spot then, taking the chance to watch Yeosang work more closely. The boy was making the drinks that time, not very efficiently, but the severely understaffed team of part timers there were practically all hired recently so it was expected.

At that point Yunho already had a hunch of who Yeosang could be. Not that it was difficult to guess, if he ignored the chance of the barista being someone unrelated to the superhero scene then only two options were left. And only one of them was a newcomer as Yunho had researched.

Yeosang set a plate with his bagel in front of him, the drink next almost slipping from his hand if Yunho didn’t rush to hold it. The barista evaded him like the plague, retracting five steps as soon as he motioned forward. They were already acquainted and on a first name basis already with how often Yunho came by, so one would think he’d have warmed up to him at that point.

“You know, maybe is the gloves? I think it would be easier without them?” It wasn’t the first time things slipped from his hands and Yunho was starting to become concerned for the younger boy.

The other didn’t respond, looking briefly at his hands as the golden outline swayed in doubt before going back to work.

It was an interesting concept, that all people with powers had golden auras surrounding them. Yunho could now pinpoint powerful people with a look, that ought to be useful. Apparently invisibility didn’t follow that rule, but with three cases against one it seemed to be more of an exception to a rule.

He never had much time to really analyse The Cardinal’s aura and considering the consistency of the situations he was met with it, there wouldn’t be much drastic changes happening anyway. But watching Yeosang he noticed the subtle change in the tones as it flared up and dimmed down, the boy definitely struggling against the pressure in his task.

Once his vision got past the shining gold filter, the elusive aurora of matching hues each person would usually hold was there just more metallic than normal. Yeosang’s colors were a variety of pinks, something Yunho hadn’t seen in a while. The rose gold was pleasant to the view, he thought fondly.

He wondered what type of colors his villain counterpart had, the invisible guy. The psych didn’t think his aura appeared even when they touched, if it did he must’ve been in too much of a panic to pay attention to it. He comically thought of what type of answer he’d get if he texted the other asking about it as he munched on his lunch.

‘Hey, I’m curious about what color your aura is, do you by any means know why I can’t see it?’ It’s not like he could just say that, right? Well, not that he had anything to lose with it, at least not that he could think of.

They didn’t exchange any messages since Hongjoong started going after The Cardinal and it seemed clear that the other wanted no contact with them. But by now that it was evident that Yunho couldn’t convince Hongjoong to back off maybe he should try sending something.

For an enemy, the invisible boy didn’t seem as vicious as one would expect. His memory of their last encounter was fuzzy already, reaching over a couple of months since, but the other gave him such a soft impression.

Unlike his roommate and the red clad villain, Yunho would much rather talk this out if he could, not into the fights at all and he could guess his villainous counterpart must feel the same. If only Yunho could see his aura maybe he’d have a more accurate sense of his intentions with the way he tried talking to him at first. Well, it all depended on the villain’s objective, he guessed.

Not that the other would have an answer for his initial question either way.

It was rather difficult separating the world he saw from the world that the other powerful people lived in. Finally there were people around him going through the same, yet each of their struggles was entirely unique to each other. It was comforting and depressing at the same time.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the loud sound of metal hitting the floor. The barista he formerly had his eyes on just dropped a tray full of drinks, the drinks he had been struggle up until now to prepare now spilled all over the floor.

The boy himself was slightly shaking, looking down and Yunho didn’t need to see the colorful contour or smell the scent of rain to recognise the signs that he was close to crying. He watched as the other took a deep breath and crouched down to grab the tray.

As he made through the motions to come up and set it down before coming back to pick up the cups a girl with the same uniform came. She placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him and he froze in place, discomfort seeping from him.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll clean this up real quick I swe-” Yeosang started apologizing, stammering through his worlds. The boy looked rather fragile at that moment, still holding on but about to burst under the pressure of the job.

“No, no don’t worry. How about you go and take a breather? It’s okay, we’ll just clean this up and re-do everything for you.” The girl spoke softly trying to calm him down with a sweet motherly tone and Yunho assumed she must’ve been the one in charge by the sheer tiredness coming from her.

She gesticulated with her hands a lot as she spoke and even though the feelings he received were an abstract concept Yunho was sure he could tell precisely every time the boy’s heart rate increased as her fingers got just a bit too close for comfort to him. The difference was subtle, a spike in anxiety that was piled up onto even more of the same feeling, but both layers inherently different in nature.

“But…” He tried to protesting, but got cut off quickly.

“We’re all stressed, Yeosang. Don’t let it get to you, okay? Just take a break and come back when you’re feeling better. Like this you aren’t gonna be able to do anything.” The lady said, more commanding and less brightly than before, letting her exhaustion slip through slightly.

Yeosang seemed to give up at that, shoulders slumping as he turned away.

Yunho watch as he left the place through the side door into the alley next to it. He looked back at his half eaten bagel for a second not feeling so hungry anymore, he just felt like he had to do something after going through that whole overwhelming emotional trainwreck with him.

As he walked out the little bell rang and the younger looked up at him, their eyes meeting briefly. He look extra tiny crouched down besides the door looking up at him with teary eyes shining under the sunlight, red around the corners. He looked away quickly and didn’t look back as if Yunho would just disappear if he didn’t look at him.

The boy sniffled and brought his hand to his face to wipe away the tears threatening to fall. The psych noticed that it was the first he saw him with his gloves off, the piece of clothing hanging on his tight as he fidgeted with his bare hands trying to calm his breathing.

“Hey” Yunho kneeled down in front of him, calling out gently as possible.

The other looked at him again and his arm moved on his own to touch his shoulder as an instinct, skinship being his go to for comforting. It was dumb of him, doing the only thing he knew for sure would worsen the situation, but he hadn’t thought it through.

“Don’t touch me!” the boy yelled out distancing himself as much as he could, startling the taller. He fell downwards, now sitting on the floor. Through the surface that his hands touched to support himself a golden handprint spread as he tried to scoot further away to be able to stand up.

“No, wait, look! I know. I know about your power.” Yunho started talking rushedly with his hands up in the air, knowing he fucked up and desperate to not scare the boy away even more.

That made Yeosang freeze and Yunho took the chance to try and defuse the situation, speaking in a more hushed cooing tone. “It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay even if I touch you, because I have one too. Trust me.”

Yeosang didn’t look too sure about it looking at him like he was crazy, a terrified expression gracing his face, but Yunho took it as a good sign that he had stopped and not bolted yet.

“I’m like you.” Yunho continued now slowly standing up and bending down, offering his hand to the other. “You’re not gonna hurt me, I swear.”

He left his hand hanging there, patiently waiting to see if he would take it. Yunho wasn’t like Hongjoong that naturally gave people he cared about space till they’d go looking for him themselves, nor as selective of such people for that matter.

Yunho was more pushy and impatient wanting to help right away, maybe because the problem was way more apparent to him, affecting him as much as the next person, but he learned a thing or two from the other. As much as his power was so invasive he himself shouldn’t be.

“It’s okay” He looked the other in the eyes, nodding in reassurance and motioning with his hand. The other hesitated for a moment way too long and the psych almost gave in, his back starting to hurt from waiting like that.

Before a defeated sigh could escape his lips however Yeosang moved, slowly reaching up to him. Yunho pulled him up, helping him stand up and letting go of his hand to show his palm.

“See?” he asked with a comforting smile while holding his hand in the air for the other to inspect.

“How?” Yeosang asked rushing to grasp his hand again, not believing his eyes.

“I can… Stop other powers.” He spoke hesitantly. No matter how long it passed since he first started talking to Hongjoong about his power, he still hated saying it out loud. It looked like he could sympathize with the smaller boy on that at least. “As long as I’m touching you, you won’t be able to use yours.”

Yeosang eyes widened even more if that was possible, bringing a second hand to hold onto Yunho’s massive one, looking at them with what he assumed was wonder by the tingling feeling surrounding them.

“How… how did you know?” Yeosang asked slowly without taking his eyes of their interlaced hands, confusing the older. When he didn’t get an answer he clarified. “About my power I mean. How did you know I had one?”

“I can see things normal people can’t, like auras and such.” Yunho replied, his voice lowering. “People like us are easier to distinguish for me.”

The younger looked up at his face finally, brow scrunched up. Yunho guessed he was intrigued, but he couldn’t quite tell with the other holding his hand and consequently muting him senses.

The bell rang again interrupting the charged moment, another attendant clocking out and coming out to tell Yeosang to come back and replace them. Yunho was left alone as the other went back inside, the other’s eyes looking distraught at having to let go of his hands and put back his gloves, but nonetheless abiding to it while excusing himself.

✧ ⇀ ༄

Slowly and lazily Wooyoung opened his eyes again, arms wrapped around his waist reminding him of where he was. They hadn’t gotten past half of the first season of whatever series San had picked before he crashed. San acted accordingly, laying them down and spooning him into a comfortable and dreamless much needed nap.

As he stirred the arms clutched to him tighter, San’s nose nuzzling the crook of his neck and letting out a protesting whine right onto his ear still wanting to stay deep asleep. With a sight Wooyoung settled against him again.

He didn’t expect to make many friends outside his dance crew when he first moved there. He didn’t work and he didn’t study, dance was something serious for him and to be honest he foolish thought he wouldn’t ever be needing anyone else at that time of his life.

However now he was glad he had met San, how they clicked so well and practically felt like each other’s missing piece at that point. They were comfortable around each other, never needing to filter their words and were there to support each other. They didn’t need to be embarrassed or even ask for anything, the other was always there to provide whatever the other needed maybe even before they knew they need it.

But there was always this thin line that they never crossed. Or rather he never crossed, San always seemed to be one step over it looking back to see if Wooyoung followed him, and taking that step back when he didn’t.

They went out clubbing to unwind pretty often, having fun, getting drunk and hooking up, but they never had that talk about what they were to each other. Sometimes they were best friends, sometimes they were more. Most of the time they just felt like home to each other and that was enough, no need to label it, no need to make a move. Most of the time it was enough. Not always, he thought to himself melancholic.

“Wooyoung?” San asked from above. From above?

With a startle Wooyoung sat up.

“Did you fall from the couch?” he continued asking, voice husky sounding still half asleep.

He was now sitting on the floor, a second ago completely laying on the carpet.

He didn’t notice. His power activated and he didn’t noticed. It had been years since that happened.

When his power first started showing itself it was a common occurrence to drop things because his hands weren’t solid, to wake up under his bed, to fall through a fence he was leaning against. As if he wasn’t really there, as if he stopped existing for a second.

The thief didn’t like it, that feeling. He put in so much effort into controlling that power, to make it his own and prove to himself he was more than just a weird glitch in the universe.

He was there, he existed .

To lose control like that was miserable. He raised his hand to push his hair off his eyes and the taunting golden speckles sparkled on his skin like crystallized freckles.

Damned be that golden hero and damned be Choi San.

A knock on the door was heard and San got up with a sigh.

“Seonghwa?” he heard the other ask, voice far away. Wooyoung didn’t notice he had moved all the way to the door, deep in that state where he is aware of being zoned out but not quite able to come back from it. He was feeling like trash and being alone felt like a better idea right now than it did that morning.

He took the cue the newcomer stranger had given him and run to grab his stuff ready to ditch the place, mumbling to San he needed to go and passing through them both without looking back.

༄ ⇀ ✧

Yunho found himself sat on a booth at the cafe about to have a serious talk regarding powers once again. He hoped this wouldn’t become a recurring situation. At least this time both of them had their share of explaining to do and he drew comfort from that as he stirred a pack of sugar into his bitter drink, waiting for the other to start his break.

Although Yunho was worried the barista would start to avoid him after he outed both of their secrets, Yeosang surprised him, having almost immediately agreed to sit down and talk to him on a more peaceful time.

He seemed keen on the idea even and the taller could easily guess why. The front the boy put up had the psych expecting him to be more prideful, but he too would be desperate for help if it was his case. Yunho was glad the other saw such hope in him, that made everything easier and the prospect of having someone else like him around was admittedly exciting.

Yeosang appeared after a few minutes of waiting, apron still wrapped around his waist and the psych could feel his anxiety. The younger sat down across from him awkwardly, quietly waiting for Yunho to start his interrogatory.

It was weird to be in that role this time around, to be the one directing the witch hunt, but if it was gonna be this way he was hoping to at least make the other feel more comfortable than when Yunho was in his place. A plate with a piece of chocolate cake was pushed towards the unexpecting boy with a small smile, his courtesy as Yunho had seen the other munching on that dessert often, which was received with a meek thanks and the scent of appreciation.

He seemed to have chosen the right gift, the psych was good at that knowing all too well the familiar smell of strong vanilla extract and the pastel yellow hue that flared up amidst the other’s aura.

“So you’re fighting that infamous thief, right?” He started trying to sound not too serious while the other pushed away the plastic wrapping with his fork.

“Yes, I’m the one going after Mist.” Yeosang answered finally meeting his eyes. He sounded confident on that, hopefully a sign of him being willing to open up.

“Then you’re the one people are calling Stardust. What does your power do exactly?” Yunho asked going straight to the point, hoping that to take that out of the way as soon as possible would be the best way to go about it.

“Everything I touch turns into gold.” Yeosang answered reluctantly after a moment of silently avoiding his eyes yet again, the window view seeming very interesting all of a sudden.

“Well, ain’t that a predicament.” Yunho answered voice light, not being able to stop a small smile that came on his face as he instantly thought of how quick he could escape his college debt if he had a power like that instead of lamely seeing extra blurry colors and getting headaches from emotionally charged strangers.

“Haha, very funny. It might sound good, but I can assure you it’s not.” The other replied flatly, not pleased with Yunho’s reaction.

“I’m guessing that, like Midas’ curse in disguise, you can’t control it?” The psych asked, already knowing the answer. As convenient as it would be to become rich using it, there were numerous stories in history advising to the danger of something like that. They were usually a metaphor for greediness, but they worked just as well in the literal sense in that case.

“You would be right.” Yeosang agreed focused at picking on his cake now, his tone lowering making Yunho having to strain to hear it almost as if he was ashamed of that fact.

Yunho didn’t think that feeling was shame per se, but he couldn’t quite place it as the bitter matcha-like taste coming from it filled his mouth and nose even as he sipped his caramel drink.

“How do you… use it? To fight I mean. I saw it on tv, but I couldn’t have guessed it from that at all.” Yunho asked giving up on trying to read the boy any deeper than he already had.

“It’s hard to explain, I can… Spread the gold. Almost like an infectious disease.” He sad, looking grim, clearly not fond of his abilities. “I can pull it back as well, although how easy that is depends on the material. Air is a particularly easy medium to pull it from. I touch the air with a bit more intent and then just push the gold through and back. It’s not as long ranged and quick as it would be if I was using the floor for example, because it takes a lot of effort to turn it but it’s the cleanest method.”

Yunho had some trouble wrapping his head around air itself becoming gold, but he could comprehend the general idea. It was a creative use for it and, more than King Midas, the boy reminded him of Medusa from the way he managed to weaponize his power to turn his opponent into stone from afar.

“So using your power depends on the surface you’re touching…” Yunho asked, his brain racing to understand all benefits and restrictions that entailed, like rules he’d have to remember to play a game.

“I still don’t quite understand it myself, but from what I’ve gathered it’s more about the states of matter. Liquids are almost impossible, gases takes effort to turn but are easy to revert and solids… Solids are turned easy and hard to revert. That’s why I need to take this so serious.” he explain looking at his gloved hands.

“What about The hunter, what type of power does he has?” Yeosang asked suddenly, trying to change the subject.

“Huh?” It caught Yunho off guard, the mention of a third person.

“Didn’t you say you mention you were with the guy that's fighting the Cardinal? I assume is something with electricity from what I keep seeing online.” The other responded, not noticing the cause of his confusion.

So Hongjoong was being called The Hunter, huh. For someone that spent so much time online the psych didn’t really bother with news about Hongjoong too much since he had front row tickets to his stunts already. An interesting name that still made no sense for him, he made a mental note to pick up on his slack and look for the meaning behind it later.

It was true that most weapons Yunho had provided him with had electricity as the base damage provider. They were the easiest to adjust with his power and knowledge and the most humane route even though he was starting to have to up his creativity lately on ways to not do harm and still appease Hongjoong’s grudge.

It was the hero that wanted to not get carried away with the weapons to start with, now it was him that tried to upkeep that value.

“He doesn’t have one, he fights using mine.” Yunho answered nonchalantly, not really thinking about how confusing that must’ve sound.

“What?” In return the boy looked utterly confused as expected.

“Most of what you see are normal custom designed weapons, I’m basically his tech guy. He goes and get the glory like Batman or James Bond while I stay in the lab and do all the hard support work.” Yunho started explaining, starting by his gadgets which were always a more exciting topic for him. “About my power it’s a long story, but simplifying it I can infuse objects with it and propagate its effect so that’s how he doesn’t get affected by The Cardinal. It’s easier to show than explaining so I brought gifts!”

“Gifts?” Yeosang was finally getting it till the last part totally derailed him again.

“There’s a few, first I got you these! These aren’t too special but I thought I’d take them out of the way first.” Yunho said excitedly as he pulled the first item from his backpack.

“Gloves?” The other didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t that.

“The ones you use seem slippery, so I asked my roommate about it and he gave me these. He comes around here a lot I’m pretty sure you must know him. He made them himself, because as he said ‘most non-slippery gloves are ugly and he wouldn’t let a friend use something like that’. ” Yunho explained, speaking in a mockingly solemn tone to imitate Hongjoong’s nagging voice. “You just need to check if the size fits, but I think he got it alright.” Yeosang stared at him in disbelief, but Yunho didn’t seem affected by it as he focused on looking through his bag.

“Now for the cool part, I also have this.” Yunho continued excitedly pulling a piece of cloth and handing it to the younger. “It’s the second one I’ve made, so I’m confident it should work, but it would be good to test it before using it for real.”

Yeosang unwrapped the cloth to find a tiny star charm. He looked back at the other uncertain what to do with it, but the other only looked back at him excited like a huge puppy. He took it out of the cloth clumsily between his gloved fingers and held it up to the light to look at it better.

“Try touching it.” Yunho finally spoke. “You know, without the glove.”

Yeosang’s eyebrows scrunched up at the idea, anxiety filling Yunho’s mouth with a metallic taste and making he settle down a bit with his excitement. He always got carried away when it came to his inventions, probably rushing things a bit too much, but Yeosang’s aura was already dimming from the second hand exposure to the charm so he wasn’t too worried.

“Here, I’ll hold your hand if you’re scared. That way nothing can go wrong.” He said offering his hand over the table.

Yeosang looked hesitant, eyes going between the outstretched hand and his gloved ones, and Yunho couldn’t blame him as both of them seemed to be in completely different paces with the taller going too fast and him still catching up and yet to get comfortable with what was happening.

He half regretted not taking things slower as he patiently waited for the other to react, but eventually Yeosang did made the motion to take of one of his gloves swallowing loudly.

He approached his bare palm to Yunho’s hand still hesitating to touch anything, much more a human hand like that, letting the older do the final move to grasp it. The psych held onto the back of his hand tightly as he took the charm and placed it on his palm, proceeding to pull on his fingers to close the boy’s hand into a fist around it.

“You can’t really see what it does while holding onto me, so I’m gonna let go,” He started speaking and Yeosang eyes widened like saucers at that, clearly scared at the prospect, and Yunho rushed to continue and correct himself as he rubbed his thumb on the back of the other’s hand reassuringly. “but it’s gonna be okay I promise, just hold onto that charm like this and I’ll check if it’s working.”

He waited for a sign that the other was okay with letting go and when Yeosang finally nodded shaking slightly he did it slowly, lifting his hand in the air between them and distancing his own hand from it. As expected the psych couldn’t see his aura anymore.

“It’s working! You can safely touch anything now, try it!” Yunho said with a smile all too abruptly for the tension filled moment, catching Yeosang off guard again.

”Rest your hand against the table, you’ll see.” The older tried instructing, but the other skeptically went for the tiny dessert plate bumping it with his knuckles. After years with such a power he knew better than to touch a whole table. He did the motion a few times again, his brow scrunched up in confusion. He looked back at Yunho for an explanation after softly bumping the table with hesitance and nothing happening.

“See? As long as you have that your power wont work. That way you can take a break from using those gloves! It doesn’t last forever but I can just refill it when it’s done.” Yunho said mindlessly while taking the charm back and helping him put his gloves back on, worried now that the loose tiny piece might fall off the perplexed boy’s hand.

“If you put it into a bracelet or a necklace it should still work and even on your pockets it should have some effect. Your power is risky though, so I’d rather you kept it touching skin if possible for maximum effect.” He continued explaining as he wrapped it in cloth again to hand it over.

Yeosang didn’t let any emotion show, the way he was now quietly thinking and processing his words reminded Yunho of a statue, a freeze frame in front of his eyes. At first glance his words although polite were always spoken in a raspy tone and his attitude seemed rough around the edges reminding him of a small hedgehog. That was Yunho’s first impression of Yeosang, cute but spiky and defensive.

However, even though his exterior seemed to not let out anything that told him otherwise, Yunho could sense how the boy marvelled at his gifts now laid on the table with fondness, grateful for it, and how he was slowly warming up to him as his aura swayed calmly in muted pastel tones. He was a good kid, a bit aloof and awkward but just the type that made the psych want to take care off him.

He knew how hard it was to do this on his own and it made him wish to be there for the younger from now on. To give him the help and the guidance he never had with his power.

Not that he had all the answers for his problems or even any knowledge about how to control the other’s power, and that was probably what he needed the most, but if Yunho could relieve his burden even if a slightly bit he wanted to do it.

He thought he was alone in this, in being an outcast, an impostor trying to fitting in around normal people. But he wasn’t and, even though it hadn’t been too long since they met and they weren’t even that close yet, now he just wanted to make sure Yeosang knew that too. Knew that he wasn’t alone.

“Finally, one last thing. I have a proposal for you from The Hunter himself.” Yunho spoke, determined to have Yeosang under his wing.

What he was about to say wasn’t from the hero at all, it was all Yunho, but it worked perfectly for Hongjoong as The Cardinal’s power wasn’t like Mist’s physical one, it would make it all easier and then they could finally stop playing around with this dangerous situations.

“So now we are talking business.” The younger hero’s warming demeanor changed at that almost at the flicker of a beat and the confidence he had when talking about the thief before reappeared. It almost felt like now he was no longer speaking with Yeosang but with Stardust, bringing his hero’s persona to negotiate.

“Yes, don’t feel pressured to accept it on my behalf or anything, it’s really just an idea.” The older replied, not wanting to seem overbearing. “Before I continue though, he wanted to ask why did you decide to go after Mist.”

“My parents work at… that business. A few of the stores that were targeted were theirs.” Yeosang answered, seemingly uncomfortable to talk about it.

So his parents were rich, the older thought and at the back of his mind he wondered why he would be working part time at a coffee shop if that was the case, but he knew better than to ask such an insensitive question when they barely really knew each other.

“Every time it happens the security takes the blame and gets replaced.” The younger continued explaining sounding sorrowful. “A lot of people get hurt trying to go after him, only to get fired when they fail. It might not seem like a big deal, but it’s not only the owners that suffer from these thefts. After seeing the aftermath I just couldn’t stay still any longer. I had to do something.”

‘Can’t stay still’, ‘had to do something’, Yunho heard that speech before and he still couldn’t relate. When he got caught up in this situation his first instinct was not to get outraged at the injustice, it was more like ‘omg i’m gonna die i gotta get outta here why my body isn’t moving???’ or something along those lines.

He only really had the urge to do something when he knew Hongjoong was involved, but it was more the fact that his conscience was heavy from it being a person he knew personally and so it felt like his responsibility.

He wasn’t kind or good enough to feel the need to fight back for someone else even when he had the perfect power to do it. He couldn’t think of a way that he could properly use it even if he wanted, not being a good fighter like his roommate.

That answer hit the psych into a self reflective state which he didn’t appreciate much, but Hongjoong would be satisfied with it for sure and that was enough for him.

“And The Cardinal? Have you been avoiding him? I imagine it would be problematic if he could control someone with your type of power.” Yunho asked curious about the other’s opinion on the villain.

“You’d think so, but his commands don’t affect me. I have no idea why.” The other answered nonchalantly. “I wouldn’t really care to fight against him anyway. Him and I aren’t that different in the end, both going after criminals. The only difference is that he’s going for easy prey.”

Okay, that part his best friend wouldn’t approve, but they could agree to disagree for all Yunho cared. It was a grey area. Hongjoong hadn’t seen much problem with diamonds getting stolen either. All of them, heroes and villains, had grey motives and their own set of morals.

Hongjoong was better than him, fearless and with the will to do god, but even him had his actions tainted with his own need to prove himself, to overcome the insecurity that being helpless sprung on him.

The psych could see both sides. He didn’t get controlled and didn’t have a strong sense of justice, but he also felt the emotion that the mental binding struck in people afterwards. If it wasn’t constantly shoved in his face he probably wouldn’t have thought about it otherwise and probably would’ve share Yeosang’s sentiment.

“I see. Well, here’s the proposition. Considering Mist’s power making him almost impossible to imprison, I would think it’d be convenient to have something to nullify his powers, am I right?” Yunho rushed to change subjects, not wanting to delve deeper into that discussion.

Something clicked for him as he thought about what the other would need against the thief. Why hasn’t he gotten caught already if the other could just turn him into metal?

“In fact I would go as far as to guess that your power isn’t being enough to hold him down as it is, otherwise you’d have him turned into a statue already.” He continued, throwing in that gamble to persuade the other.

“Yes, you would be right. Partially.” Yeosang’s stoic front flickered a bit, the apprehension he wouldn’t let show on his face unmistakably flaring up his aura and standing the hairs on Yunho’s neck. “I don’t doubt I could easily win and get this over with if I wasn’t limiting myself, but I don’t know how much Mist’s own power can protect him before I start to do permanent damage.”

“We were thinking it would be best to join forces. Whether you support the cardinal or not, you have to agree the way he manipulates so many innocent bystanders is getting out of hand. With your power The Cardinal would have to at the very least rethink his methods and lower his scale.” Yunho finally laid out his proposal, starting with what he expected was a decent motive to team up.

“And what do I gain with it?” Yeosang questioned, unexpectedly not eager on the idea still.

“We would help you as well. I can make something with my power that can render Mist unable to escape, but you wouldn’t be able to handle it without losing your own powers. My friend would be willing to backup you up and vice versa, both of you get some help defeating the enemy. It’s a win/win situation.” Yunho answered, feeling like what he was saying would make the other less nervous, yet it didn’t seem to be enough.

Yeosang was uneasy and Yunho couldn’t guess why by just reading the air. He didn’t want to pressure the younger after progressing so much before, so he tried reassuring him with a smile.

“I understand if you need more time to consider, even if you decide it wouldn’t work for you it’s fine. It’s okay to change your mind later too and I would be willing to help you with anything you need either way. We just thought it would make things easier to fight together.” The older tried in a reassuring tone, a tentative smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“I- I don’t want to turn anyone into a statue.” Yeosang said meekly, finally clicking for Yunho why he had gotten so nervous.”That’s why it’s better for me to not go against someone like him.”

Ah, I said something like that didn’t I? , Yunho thought catching himself. He didn’t even realize such words left his lips, not really thinking about it as he said them. The other couldn’t control it and was already holding back to not hurt the thief, that was insensitive of him.

“Ah, yes, of course, I know! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to say it like that, I know you don’t.” Yunho hurried to apologize now sorrowful, smile dropping instantly. “I get it, really.”

An awkward silence stood for a few moments as he thought up a way mend the situation, to lift up the mood that made his senses so uncomfortable and steer away from this lingering buzzing in his ear and shadowing dark colors.

“I refuse to use my powers on someone that can’t defend themselves against it.” Yeosang said finally with a sigh, before he could act. “Nonetheless, it’s a good opportunity to have some way to trap Mist like that and I hate being in debt, so if you’d still have a use for me without involving direct hits to that villain I would be willing to strike a deal.”

Yunho’s face that had since became a pout directly at his own self pushed up into a smile once again, clearly excited by this development.

“But with one condition.” The other was quick to cut off before he got too hyped up. “I don’t want anyone to know I have this power. If The Hunter doesn’t know already then don’t tell him my identity.”

“He doesn’t and I won’t tell, don’t worry.” Yunho replied quickly practically bouncing off his seat.

“Also I’ll follow along with whatever you need me to do, but regarding Mist I plan to keep doing my own thing so don’t expect to just take over my target. ” Yeosang continued laying down his boundaries. Yunho made a face at that, quickly covering it up but it didn’t went unnoticed by him. ”Is that gonna be a problem?”

“No, no I’ll be sure to tell him that. He’s just… naggy I guess? My friend is the type to take teaming up seriously, so I can imagine he’d be pretty opinionated and he’ll probably want to make sure your not doing anything too risky for yourself. Without his help at least. And he’s a very good strategist, so I’d listen to his nagging once in a while.” Yunho trailed off imagining how Hongjoong would feel about that.

“But overall I think you two are gonna get along well, I wouldn’t be too worried.” He ended dismissively.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Yeosang said sighing again. He looked at his watch “We can have a try out period. See if pairing up actually changes anything. Now I need to go back, my break has been over for fifteen minutes already.”

“Deal.” Yunho proclaimed as he reached out for a napkin to scribble on. They’ve been talking for almost an hour already and he still felt like the amount of things he wanted to clear up weren’t half sated, but they manage to cover the basics and for that he was happy.

“Here’s my number. I don’t know how long the charm I gave you will last with your type of power, so I probably should check up on it around a week from now if you use it regularly.” Yunho said hurriedly as the other got up.

Yeosang took the paper with a final nod before going back towards the cafe’s staff door. Yunho’s drink had been finished for a while now, tiny coffee grains sticking to the end of his cup that swirled around as he shook it.

He hoped that this ‘alliance’ would work out. That they wouldn’t get hurt playing around with something they didn’t understand and that it would all end soon so they could just be normal college students living normal lives, where finals was their biggest problems and he was the only one having to worry about powers’ side effects again.

✧

The Hunter wasn’t too pleased with not knowing his new partner identity, but with Yunho’s vow of approval and the fact that they had virtually the same goal appeased his worries for the time being.

He did not waste time in bringing about a matching costume for the mysterious hero, very different from his own style-wise, but enough of the same in essence to be recognized as an uniform.

The hero claimed that sending a clear message that they had each other to rely on now was safer and since the psych agreed he didn’t point out how much of an excuse to sew a second piece in this costume collection this was.

The dark costume passed by Yunho hands, the puppy-like boy very excited to work on its gadgets with a sparkled curiosity over what he could do that enhanced or complimented the other’s powers.

When the stylist handed it out asking for his blessing on it, Yunho didn’t mention that he shouldn’t “bless” it or else it’d be counterproductive. It was definitely interesting for him to have another person with powers around, having to think on how to circumvent his own power at times and yet make it useful on others.

The younger seemed to not be affected by The Cardinal’s voice for some reason they needed to look into late which left only the invisible guy as a hindrance to him. He also wanted to test so many things about his own powers practically and not over the items he created, yet he knew better than be pushy with the other boy, still sensitive and scared of his own self.

The gloves turned out to be the right thing to gift him, although redundant with the star around his wrist he still wore them. Whether it was because he didn’t trust the charm, was scared it would run out or just felt uncomfortable without them after so long the psych wasn’t sure, but he seemed to cherish it and it did work better than his last pair of gloves.

He later learned the original ones were lined with gold and now he was glad to have put so much work into the inside lining of the gifted ones. He wasn’t sure of the other’s power then but understood enough to know it was necessary, making it with lasting material that would last longer but not practical enough for any of his other projects by the amount of effort and energy that went into it.

While he kept everyone’s identities a secret, it didn’t stop Hongjoong and Yeosang to meet naturally in their daily lives. They went to that coffee shop often before the new employee showed up and it was just Yunho’s luck that he had gotten a few times alone with him before his friend was back to tag along.

Hongjoong might’ve not known the shy boy’s secret or anything about him truly, nonetheless it didn’t take him more than a few interactions to all but adopt him just like he did with Yunho almost a whole year before.

The boy just stroke his protective side, a side Yunho noticed came out often around his few close friends and he couldn’t contest it as the same sentiment seemed to have awakened in him when it came to Yeosang.

If his best friend actually knew that the other was actually the latest addition to his small team he might’ve weeped in pride with how close their justice speeches were similar, regardless of their contrasting views.

#ateez #ateez fanfiction #ateez fanfic #ateez au #ateez superhero au #kpop superhero au #long #long post #my writing #SleepyFairyAO3 #youseissi

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