Heavy eyes held up by bloody fingertips

[Hwang Ryeol]

"Ah."

It was a terrible feeling of gladness that stole over him then, but he wasn't ashamed of it. She represented everything that he could never be, could never have. She was beautiful, wealthy, and a woman--he had been nothing more than a servant, an underling to a great General in a time where relationships between men were held in secret. In shame. In fear.

But she--she could love Gunji openly and Gunji could love her openly in return. Their union was a celebration, whereas Hwang Ryeol had always felt like a skeleton in Gunji's closet (to coin an amusing modern turn of phrase). So, yes. He was glad that she was gone, although now different barriers stood between them: time, Gunji's past... Hwang Ryeol's present.

He stood silent under Gunji's scrutiny, frowning, heart twanging at the mention of vampires. So that was what happened. They killed her and spared him--though that might have been too generous of a word for what they had done. Hwang Ryeol nodded slightly, still frowning, his gaze distant for a moment as he recalled his own turbulent end.

"My celestial came for me."

[Tak Gunji]

Gunji died shamefully and he slunk away. It was no wonder that Hwang Ryeol had moved on with his life. He wasn't a vampire, though. Gunji could tell that much, which left him questioning what had happened to him. What happened to him? He saw the way he nodded, accepting Gunji's shortened version of events. Hwang Ryeol's history was even more condensed and at first, Gunji didn't understand what he was hearing. My celestial came for me. The words could have been spoken in a foreign language for all the sense they made. Then they began to sink in and Gunji stared at Hwang Ryeol with dawning comprehension.

Celestial.

Before he'd become what he was, Gunji didn't know what that was. He'd been alive--half alive--so long that he'd come across a few of them, though. Yin. Celestial. Yin. Hwang Ryeol... Gunji's gaze flicked downward, to the hand that had touched him. If it had pained Hwang Ryeol to touch him, he had done a good job of disguising it. Gunji stared at him for so long that it seemed way beyond time to speak when he finally did.

He had always been one who had to think about things before making full sense of them. This was difficult to grasp, however. Gunji had been almost happy that they met again. Almost. He'd never quite reached it--he needed time to process it--but now he couldn't even properly feel that because Hwang Ryeol was a yin. Somebody else was his soulmate. And they'd come for him. It was almost poetic. Now it was his turn to nod slightly. Then he looked away. His hand touched the wall beside him blindly just to connect himself with the environment around him. His gaze moved from the ground to the sky.

"I should be going."

[Hwang Ryeol]

Details were not necessary--none were asked for, none were given. Too much time had passed for them to recount all the troubles of their past. Hwang Ryeol personally had no desire to relive the turbulent times, nor the good ones. They didn't involve Gunji; Gunji wouldn't want to know about how he eventually warmed to his celestial, or how deeper feelings had blossomed between them over time. He didn't want to hear about the others in Gunji's life, either. The less they knew of each other now, the better, as much as he hated to think it.

Gunji was displeased with his answer, though, and Hwang Ryeol couldn't blame him for it. Celestials and Yin were fated. It was like saying that what he and Gunji had meant nothing because they weren't soul mates. Wasn't it true, though? Gunji loved her. His fate was tied with hers, not with Hwang Ryeol's, otherwise... they would be together now.

"...I should too." Riku was waiting to hear back from him, now that he knew what was going on at the apothecary. Hwang Ryeol just wasn't sure he wanted to tell him now, after discovering that Gunji was the one stealing all of those potion ingredients. For a beat, he looked at Gunji, at the way he reached out to touch the wall as if to ground himself. He swallowed, his throat working to produce words.

"I... work with the county medical office. If you ever need help..." What kind of help, Hwang Ryeol didn't know but the offer stood. He too looked away, then turned, feeling the awkwardness between them so acutely that it made his ears burn.

[Tak Gunji]

Yes. They should just leave. It felt wrong, somehow. Meeting like this felt monumental, like the hand of fate, although Gunji had long ago given up on the idea of fate, instead falling into fatalism, into nihilism, into... this strange wraithlike existence.

The county medical office. It sounded so normal and so everyday that Gunji almost wanted to laugh. He didn't, of course. Not a thing changed in his expression but deep down, he could see the humor in it. Hwang Ryeol had been hiding in the medical office this whole time. That meant he must know about the vampire problem because, well, they resulted in bodies... or the lack of bodies all the time. What did he do there? Did he protect them? Or...?

He must have. Their stories had been hidden for a long time. Probably longer than Gunji had been here. Had Hwang Ryeol been here the whole time? His fingers curled inwardly just slightly as Hwang Ryeol turned away. He's leaving! his entire being seemed to scream. He even leaned slightly forward, muscles meaning to move, to step forward. He didn't, though. All he did was say, "Hwang Ryeol," because he hadn't spoken his name in a long time and he had forgotten how it tasted and how it sounded until tonight.

[Hwang Ryeol]

He stopped and froze. Maybe part of him had been waiting for it--not for his name, but for something. A sign, a reason to turn back. Slowly, Hwang Ryeol twisted his head so that he could look over his shoulder. Gunji hadn't moved, though he seemed closer. Or was that Hwang Ryeol's wishful thinking? His lips parted, then closed again. One of his hands twitched by the side of his leg.

"General..." No hint of teasing now, though it felt more familiar on his tongue and sounded less stiff in his own ears. He didn't turn fully around either, though. "...Gunji."

Riku's waiting.

But she was gone and couldn't stand in their way and he and Riku never officially decided that they would be exclusive. If anything, their 'relationship' was never defined at all. Something was keeping him from turning, all the same. One of his feet shifted against the ground, producing a dry scraping sound in the silence. Hwang Ryeol's fingertips still throbbed and burned; he dropped his gaze to look at his hand, with the fingertips scorched and blistering. His hand closed back into a fist.

[Tak Gunji]

Why wouldn't he turn to face him? Gunji's gaze remained fixed on Hwang Ryeol, silently watching his every move, as if he could read into the slightest flick of the eyes or shift of his feet. Hwang Ryeol was saying a lot with his body language; unfortunately, Gunji wasn't sure how to read it. A slight line creased his brows and he licked his lips. Nothing but his name. Nothing else to say.

Somebody was waiting for Hwang Ryeol and he must be feeling antsy, wanting to get back to them. His celestial. His. Gunji had no such person. He'd been turned and then spurned by his sire, only to sire others. Foolishly. He didn't know what he'd been seeking out when he'd done so. Turning a person wasn't an accident so he had no excuse for what he did. Yet the ones he'd sired seemed happier in this new life than Gunji did.

Do you have to leave?

He didn't ask. He didn't want to sound pathetic and all he had left was his pride. So after a long and silent moment, he lowered his head and stepped back. He didn't know what else to say. There was no magical word to make him turn around, even if he had stopped to listen. Gunji couldn't stand the idea of saying anything pathetic and then watching him walk away anyway. It was better this way. Quickly, he turned around and stuffed his hands into his pockets, hurrying away from Hwang Ryeol and down the street.

[Hwang Ryeol]

Wait.

Gunji was saying that, when he spoke Hwang Ryeol's name. It didn't take much of a genius to figure that out, especially with their history, no matter how long ago that was. Hwang Ryeol had lost many of those memories—many were blurry in the recesses of his mind. It was hard to even remember a time when he was himself, and purely his own person. When he was Hwang Ryeol and not Riku's Yin.

He waited, but Gunji said nothing and Hwang Ryeol didn't feel worthy enough to turn around to face him. To reach out. To catch a hold of his arm, covered by sleeves. There were ways to circumvent the curse of the Yin's inability to touch others—none that made up for it in full, but it wasn't as if he couldn't stand a little pain now and then.

Still. He didn't feel worthy. He never did, not even way back when. Hwang Ryeol was a serf; Gunji was a noble, and a great General. They were never on even terms to begin with. Silently, Hwang Ryeol dropped his head and turned away too, once Gunji disappeared from sight. He wanted to know where Gunji was going, where he had been staying this whole time, but he could find that out on his own time. Now that he knew Gunji was alive and around, he could at least peek in on him now and then, and make sure that he wasn't the target of hunters.

It was still with a heavy heart that he entered the county medical examiner's office, and made for the back where a single room was still lit up, bright as day. Hwang Ryeol peeked in and lightly rapped on the door, though he hadn't exactly been stealthy in his approach. "Hey."

[Aoki Rikuto]

Here came the less tasteful part of his work: the part where Riku had to input all his notes into the database. He could have hired an intern to do it for him but the problem was, Hazleton had... problems that needed to be carefully buried. Any intern of his would have to be knowledgeable (and agreeable) to Riku's methods. Seeing as how Riku rarely ever trusted anybody in his full confidence, it meant that this work of his would just have to be done--either by his own hand or by Hwang Ryeol's. Since Hwang Ryeol had a different job for the evening, that left Riku to it.

Tapping on the files with his pen, Riku sank back against the chair when he heard the sound of somebody at the door. He looked up, knowing who it would be. With their bond, he knew where Hwang Ryeol was at any given time, as if a physical chain connected them wherever they went. What surprised him wasn't his current approach but the fact that he hadn't been gone long.

"You're back early," he observed. "I thought you'd be out there playing sleuth a lot longer." He pushed the files away and turned his chair so he could face Hwang Ryeol, making a motion for him to close the door behind him.

[Hwang Ryeol]

"Well that's not a very nice way to put it, playing sleuth." Hwang Ryeol frowned as he entered the room, closing the door before Riku had finished gesturing. He knew Riku would do that; after spending so much time together, it was almost impossible to not be able to guess his next words, or thoughts, or intentions. It went both ways, though; Hwang Ryeol was sure that he was more than an open book to Riku, too.

"The apothecary's fine." There was a very brief pause as he crossed the room, towards and then around Riku's desk. "I think whoever came to steal ingredients there might be long gone by now."

Which... wasn't exactly a lie, and hopefully Riku wouldn't pick up on that through their link. If Hwang Ryeol had told an outright lie, he knew that he'd be caught and brought to justice for it, but little half-truths were still his to tell. "Also. I need a hug." He just... wanted to touch someone. A hand, a body, shoulders, arms, skin. Gunji was miles away by now, nursing the pieces of their broken past--just as Hwang Ryeol was trying not to do the same internally.

He wanted to touch and not have his skin blacken and blister and scorch. Without waiting for permission or confirmation, Hwang Ryeol dropped against Riku, lowering his forehead against Riku's shoulder. It was an awkward position, but he didn't care. At least there was one person he could touch without being punished for it.

[Aoki Rikuto]

"Hm," was all he had to say on the subject of playing sleuth. Personally, he was invested--more invested than he currently seemed--in what happened at the apothecary. After all, he was here to make sure that humans remained ignorant of the supernatural state of their little town. Too bad everything seemed to be erupting all at once across their little area of the world. Riku was this close to just walking out and letting them deal with the fallout on their own. He had done what he could, after all. There was only so much a man and his yin could do for the community at large. And if they didn't want to help themselves, what could Riku do about that?

Riku looked up from his work. Did he not see anybody then? The person was long gone? What did that even mean? Riku felt some sort of disturbance in their link, although he couldn't say what it was. Hwang Ryeol didn't seem to be lying to him but he seemed much less concerned about the culprit now, which meant he must have seen something. He waited for Hwang Ryeol to elaborate without being pushed into it but he didn't seem to want to address that. It was as if the entire subject had been swept away by his naked admission and Riku's brow creased slightly.

A hug? What happened? For a moment, he simply allowed Hwang Ryeol to embrace him before he slid his arms around him to comfort him. They had been close for a long time. Simply wanting to be touched or to touch somebody in this way wasn't unusual. All Hwang Ryeol could rely on was him. Lightly, he stroked the back of Hwang Ryeol's head before tilting his head toward him and kissing the top of his ear.

"Something happened."

[Hwang Ryeol]

"Nope." Hwang Ryeol stayed where he was, tilting into Riku's kiss. This was the only person who could touch him like this and give him kisses like this. It was kind of unfair, really. What if he wasn't attracted to Riku? What if he didn't get along with him? There was a lot that could happen between two people. Plus, Riku could touch other people. It was only Hwang Ryeol who suffered.

"Just wanted a hug," he murmured, squeezing Riku. "Can't a guy want a hug without getting questioned all suspicious-like?"

Of course something happened! Hwang Ryeol wasn't usually clingy. He was affectionate, certainly, but not needy. (Or so he liked to think, anyway.) Plus, Riku was no idiot, but Hwang Ryeol was determined not to bring up Gunji if at all possible. That just... didn't seem like a good idea, under any circumstance. Bringing up an ex was a surefire way to ruin relationships and he didn't care if that was between Celestial and Yin, or just between regular human lovers.

[Aoki Rikuto]

"Certainly," he said, "but you have to admit, this is a little... out of the ordinary for you."

Riku wasn't exactly distant or withdrawn from Hwang Ryeol but the reverse could be said of him when it came to others. Riku had little time for others, while still maintaining the work that he did. It wasn't all out of selflessness, after all. He had a vested interest in keeping the supernatural out of the public eye. Living for as long as he had taught him a few things--and he'd seen what happened when the public at large learned of supernatural beings in their midst. It wasn't pretty and Riku had no intention of living like that again.

He also had Hwang Ryeol to protect. If anything, he had more to lose now that he had Hwang Ryeol. If something happened to Riku, it wasn't likely that Hwang Ryeol would survive it. If he did, he wouldn't be the same afterward, although one could argue he wasn't the same as he had been before the ritual that bound him to Riku. It wasn't Riku's fault that they were fated, though, was it?

Most of the time, they were happy with their lives and their arrangement. Sometimes, Riku got the feeling that there was more to it. But whatever it was, those ties were long broken, along with the lives of everybody Hwang Ryeol could have possibly have known. In that way, he wasn't in the least threatened. That and the fact that Hwang Ryeol quite literally couldn't touch anybody else without suffering. There was nothing to worry about.

"Is it all that chaos with the feral wolves?" he asked. "They aren't going to find out anything. Those bodies are mine and you know what I'll put down on the reports."

[Hwang Ryeol]

Before this—before tonight—Hwang Ryeol was happy. He didn't always like their arrangement but with nothing to tie him to the past, there was only the present and the future to look forward to. Hwang Ryeol was an affectionate person by nature but he didn't mind that Riku was the only person he could do anything with. It wasn't as if he would latch on to strangers off the street, even if he could touch others. In this day and age, it wasn't wise to get too close to anyone without knowing fully who they were and what their intentions were.

Meeting Gunji, however, turned his whole world upside-down. All of those old, long-buried emotions came storming back. It was true that he and Riku were fated, but what did it say about fate that Gunji survived, too? And that they met here, of all places? There had to be a string of fate tying them together too, even if it wasn't as strong as the one between celestials and their yin.

Hwang Ryeol nodded as he finally lifted himself off of Riku, sighing. "Yeah, I know. It's... nothing, really. I'm just tired." He flashed Riku a swift smile, then turned away from him. Idly, Hwang Ryeol picked up and inspected some papers on Riku's desk, skimming them but not really taking anything in. "Maybe I'll go home and sleep early tonight..."

[Aoki Rikuto]

So it wasn't the chaos. Then what was it? Whatever it was, it seemed private and personal but Riku liked to think there were no secrets between them. Still, he didn't feel deception in their link, only a deep sense of melancholy and something else. He couldn't tell if it was regret or guilt but why would Hwang Ryeol feel that way about anything if he wasn't deceiving him? Riku tilted his head back slightly and regarded him quietly. After a moment, he reached out and gently stroked Hwang Ryeol's jaw in an attempt to persuade him to look back at him again. The papers he was looking at didn't matter. They were just the usual work that Riku did, fudging documents and hiding the real methods of suspicious deaths.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Maybe Hwang Ryeol was just asking him--in a roundabout way--to put down the papers and come home. It didn't seem like the full story but... it could be a part of it.

[Hwang Ryeol]

Part of him did want Riku to come home with him--the part that responded to his touch, even if he didn't quite look back at Riku. But most of Hwang Ryeol was afraid that if they spent more time together tonight, that all the threads would unravel. He debated nonetheless, letting a lengthy silence fall between them. The desire for comfort was strong. There was a wistful melancholy deep within that wanted someone to help ease the pain, but he didn't know how to bring it up with Riku.

In the end, Hwang Ryeol shook his head gently. He lightly stroked Riku's forearm and smiled, though it was a smaller smile than usual. His gaze, however, was fond. "Nah. I'll be okay. I just need a good night's sleep." Hwang Ryeol straightened off the desk and took a deep breath. Let it out. He stooped and kissed Riku lightly on the cheek.

"But don't work too late tonight, okay?"