TW: mild blood play at the end of the chapter, it's a bit disgusting

*****

Although they couldn't wait to climb up on the roof and spread out, Yunho showed them the safest route up onto the flat concrete building. Wooyoung stood on a windowsill on the third floor for a few minutes, handing bags from below to Yunho above. The sun bore down on him to heat his dark hair and somehow, the same tasks he did without effort before had become so taxing under its insistent light. As soon as the last bag found its way into Yunho's hands, Wooyoung groaned with relief. 

When Yeosang guided Mingi to the window, Yunho swung down to stand by Wooyoung's side. The trader leaned into the gap between them and, though he made a face at the pain, it was quickly washed away by the never-ending awe for the sky. It just hovered behind them now, darkening with the time of day as the sun disappeared to blush the blue in pinks and oranges.

Seonghwa assured them the sun would be back for the next day and though his explanations sounded lunatic, Wooyoung got used to that quirk. Now that the world looked this peculiar, none of their explanations applied anymore. 

"Here you go, grab the ledge," Yunho instructed Mingi once he squeezed between them. Together, they lifted him up and, with a groan, Mingi rolled onto the rooftop. He lay there, panting, until Jongho and Yeosang clambered up after him. While they fretted over their cursing trader, Hongjoong hovered in the window uncertainly. The two men standing above him intimidated him, but he was also curious to follow the group.

"You want to join? We are looking at the sky again," Wooyoung offered. He held out his hand and Hongjoong glanced back at the computer room. Seonghwa had closed the doors for his safety, though the facility remained ghostly silent. Since he couldn't return to his infatuation, Hongjoong rather stuck to the rest. Although their first day with him was chaotic, he seemed pleased they didn't hurt him.

Hongjoong was so light Wooyoung could have lifted him himself. When they flung him up, he toppled over from his momentum, but Yunho came after him in time to make sure he didn't fall on his face. 

Once Wooyoung joined, they spread out their blankets and mats on the roof. Jongho sat down first, and everyone willfully ignored his leg and its festering wound. It was a concern for tomorrow. Today, they wanted to celebrate the breathtaking success of Seonghwa's win.

Mingi cushioned his head on Jongho's thighs and mindless fingers massaged his scalp while the others got comfortable. They spread out snacks and drinks to replenish their strength, and Yunho opened his last bag of nuts and raisins to share with everyone. Wooyoung purposefully took the nuts he knew Yunho liked least and left those he liked most. When Yunho caught him, he sent a blinding grin.

With the night, the air cooled, so everyone tucked into their jackets and looked up into the dim twilight of the sky.

"Maybe we should make a fire," Yeosang suggested, concerned for his patients. Somehow, without the clouds covering the sky, the air felt colder and goosebumps danced across Wooyoung's arms.

"Wait a while longer," Seonghwa advised them from the speaker nearby. "It will be prettier this way."

In breathless anticipation, Wooyoung stared up. He didn't know what he was searching for, only that its vast expense seemed to swallow him whenever he angled his head. 

Everyone fell silent as they stared in mutual wonder. Wooyoung and Yunho sat shoulder to shoulder and their anticipation had them tremble. Would there truly be stars? Would they shine in the night and sparkle against the dark sky? Were all those stories of the old world accurate?

Wooyoung didn't know how to react, now that he made it here. Yunho and he joked about this for so many years, gritting through every day by deluding themselves there was something bigger out there.

There had been, all along. Witnessing it felt supernatural; as if Wooyoung wasn't meant to see this. This gorgeous beauty.

"Is that it?! A star?!" Jongho screeched, startling everyone from their thoughts. They huddled close to follow the point of his finger and when Wooyoung squinted really hard, he could see it. A tiny dot glistening in the night sky.

Now that he knew what to search for, he suddenly found more. Sporadic dots peeled from the gray background. They had no pattern or sense and they were much smaller than the sun and didn't heat them up.

Breathless, Wooyoung watched how they became more and more. At first, they tried to count them to point out how many there were, but the numbers grew overwhelming. By the time Wooyoung slumped against Yunho's shoulder, baffled, the entire dark sky glimmered with them.

"It's like treasure," Mingi whispered, stunned where he pushed himself up onto his elbows. Hongjoong hugged his knees and rocked back and forth with his mouth wide open as he took in the sight. 

It was infinitely prettier than the sun because they could look at this without pain. At this vast, glittering spectacle that had been there every night, watching over them, as they lived in gloom under the dust clouds. The sky was as mystical and gorgeous as those old tales and Seonghwa's pictures claimed. Only that, in person, it was dazzling. 

"Let's sleep out here tonight. Under the open sky," Yunho suggested with an excited glance at the others. Battered from the long day and all those new impressions, the rest nodded. They direly needed some rest, even when they wanted to continue staring into the darkness for an eternity. 

Everyone huddled down to get cozy. Hongjoong had a curtain they stole from his floor as a mat and Mingi carefully rolled down so his leg wouldn't act up. Jongho whispered to him with overjoyed babbles while they looked into the stars together. Yeosang neatly folded his bag as a pillow and Yunho finished the bag of snacks before he sprawled out. 

When Wooyoung hesitated, his partner patted the mat by his side.

"Come here. There is always space for you."

It took Wooyoung a moment to place the warmth in his voice, then he couldn't help his smile.

"Thank you, Yunho," he muttered, but he didn't crawl into his familiar arms. Something was missing and, for once, it wasn't Yunho's proximity. 

"I'll be back." 

His mind was with San. Wondering where he went and how he liked the stars. As fond as Wooyoung was to be accepted back by Yunho, his heart was drawn in another direction.

Huffing, Yunho rolled over.

"Then I will watch Yeosang."

"Don't bully him too much," Wooyoung snickered as he got to his feet. Aside from Hongjoong, no one glanced at him, as everyone was enraptured by the sight.

"Just enough so he can still look cute while patching everyone up."

At least Yeosang found his place, as much as it mismatched the hulking fighter they found in that fort's fighting ring. 

Wooyoung snickered as he made his way down from the roof. He only carried his handgun, not concerned about an intruder when the world just fell into mayhem because the clouds cleared. After swinging himself back inside through the window, he began his search for San. He probably wouldn't be on the second floor. Perhaps the inner yard to look at the stars by himself? Everyone shared the breathless awe about them, even when San was burdened by his guilt. 

He hesitated at the stairs, unsure whether he should search the nearby rooms. Perhaps San took it upon himself to clean up the bodies downstairs to ease his guilt?

Before he had to run around needlessly, Seonghwa's voice sounded from a corner. 

"He just passed one of my cameras. Check the cafeteria," he offered and his compassion moved Wooyoung's heart. Their AI was no more but a machine, programmed for a single purpose. But he understood them so well and was patient with their human shortcomings. 

"Thank you," Wooyoung said, and he meant it. He learned to formulate his gratitude much more often with this group. It didn't need a grand purpose. Even the smallest acts made him feel safe and not alone. 

Wooyoung found San without effort. He had retreated into the cafeteria and sat at an open window to look out into the night. His frame was lonely in the dark. It had no one to share this marvel with.

When Wooyoung made his way inside, San glanced over his shoulder. He didn't wear his bandages anymore and relished the clean breeze on his scarred flesh. In the faint light of the far moon (don't get Wooyoung started on its beauty), his features were lovingly illuminated. 

Wooyoung halted next to him and studied his agonized features. San lowered his eyes.

"Go back," he whispered, unable to look at Wooyoung because he knew his resolution would crumble if he were to speak genuinely. 

"Don't wanna," Wooyoung replied, rooted to his spot. San sighed and his fingers ran through his black hair. 

"There is nothing for you here."

"You are here. I'm pretty sure we settled on something," he reminded and his voice was unyielding. When his arms crossed, San sunk further into his heap of misery.

"I don't deserve you any longer. Stay with those who won't hurt you."

Exasperated with his self-hatred, Wooyoung grabbed his chin. He yanked San's head around to look at him 

"Shut up, asshole. You don't get to run away from me after everything I've done for you." 

Wide eyes looked back at him and Wooyoung studied his ridiculously handsome features, the fungus crawling over his skin and the charming loyalty that left deep marks of regret across his face. 

"I don't- Ah, shit."

Something dark dripped from San's nose and he pulled free with a curse. His nose was bleeding again, and he pressed his fingers to it.

Before Wooyoung could say something, he shook his head and tried to stop the blood flow with his fingers.

"All good, no need to run to Yeosang. I deserve this much."

Infuriated by those words, Wooyoung knocked his hands away from his face. They left a bloody smear and San looked at him like a startled Hongjoong when Wooyoung grabbed his face in both hands. 

A hot mouth found San's lips, kissing them punitively. Wooyoung swiped up the taste of iron from his upper lip, and San moaned in surprise. His blood-stained hands came up to grab for Wooyoung's waist, balancing his body above him.

"I hate you, you attractive bastard," Wooyoung growled against his lips. He lapped at San's skin, cleaning it the blood, and relished in San's fleeting wince of pain. Fired up by the battered look and the red dripping from him, Wooyoung pushed closer and shared the taste of San's blood with him.

"You don't get to run. We have enough shit to take care of and you promised to be here. Take the damn responsibility." 

They panted into each other's mouths and San's fingers roamed up Wooyoung's body, greedy for touch. He tried to feel all of him at once, pressing into the spots he knew made Wooyoung's legs weak until they sunk onto the windowsill together with their bodies entangled. Wooyoung landed halfway in San's lap and he arched into San's insatiable hands that clutched to him as if Wooyoung were his sole light in the darkness.

"I betrayed you," San heaved, pulling off with difficulties, and Wooyoung laved his tongue below his nose, smearing his blood over his cheek. His hands had clutched into San's hair and he shuddered in his muscular arms and their grotesque scars.

"I don't fucking care," Wooyoung brought out. "Make up for it."

Eager, San surged back in. He was tentative, wary of the second chance he received, but he knew Wooyoung well enough to know his rough words conveyed a hidden affection. Strong arms wrapped around Wooyoung's waist and pinned him close, tugging until their chests squeezed into each other and nothing fit between them. Not a grain of sand and certainly no fucking colony that could take San away from Wooyoung.

Wooyoung stayed with San that night and they looked into the stars together once their breathless pulling and seizing calmed. Gradually, San's strain unraveled and he let his weight rest on Wooyoung until they fell asleep under the open sky, overjoyed with the twinkling stars and the magic of forgiveness.