The second Hongjoong appeared again.

When Hongjoong entered Seonghwa's dreams to find himself in the man's flat with Yeosang locked outside the door to terrorise the neighbours, the man with the exact same features as him already sat on the couch. Seonghwa leaned at the kitchen aisle and scrutinised him just as quizzically as Hongjoong. As soon as Hongjoong appeared, their eyes met, and a faint blush spread out on Seonghwa's cheeks. Fitting of the blushy selfie he had posted in the morning with the caption 'I'm in love' and several endearing emojis.

Hongjoong came closer to the second Joong to circle him like a predator its prey. With the same guarded expression on his face, the other stood to do the same.

Seonghwa must have studied Hongjoong's features a lot, for they were nearly identical. The other Hongjoong was just a tad bit too smooth, missing some marks and tiny scars that Hongjoong had. Apart from minor blemishes, however, they were similar as if shown through a mirror. Even the outfit down to the many piercings was the same.

"I can't wrap my head around how different the two of you are. And so eerily the same still."

Hongjoong hummed as he halted. The other Hongjoong didn't resist when the real one put a hand on his cheek, caressing his jaw.

"It's because you get to know me better. And you can project your knowledge on this Hongjoong. Since we look the same, this one triggers that response from your subconscious anyway, since you have the expectation for him to act just like me, too. It's just the same for if you dream of Wooyoung."

Fascinated, Seonghwa hummed behind him. When his eyes flickered to the clamour outside, Hongjoong focused back on his twin. He was intrigued. Seeing himself as a separate person he could touch and look at without a mirror was a peculiar occurrence. Hongjoong couldn't help but regard the other him in the same way that Seonghwa saw him. Experimentally, he pulled dream-him in at his waist, holding him close.

Their height difference didn't fit, of course. And the way that the second Hongjoong was awkwardly still and unbothered by all of this.

Seonghwa cleared his throat.

"Hongjoong, that..."

Hongjoong didn't need to glance at him to know he was blushing again. And watching them with great interest at the same time.

"Is this too much for you? Two of us?" Coy, Hongjoong leaned forward to place a kiss on his own cheek.

As if he had breathed life in an inanimate automaton, the other Hongjoong came to life. He rose his arms to wrap them around Hongjoong's shoulders, a teasing smirk broadening on his lips.

Hongjoong chuckled at him. He got the gist of Hongjoong's personality down.

"Or isn't this exactly what you imagined when you first understood how there can be two of us?" The other Hongjoong spoke up, his voice the same drawl that Hongjoong used for playfulness. Pride swelled in his chest for his copy. Along with a shy little inhibition since Seonghwa had studied him so well. And they knew each other mostly from his ever-changing dreams, so that meant a lot.

"I-" Seonghwa drew his brows together. Then, he stemmed his flat hands on the kitchen aisle. Jealousy and a hint of panic laced his voice. "This is unfair. One of you knows more than the other. How weird to see my mind and your face melt into one."

Hongjoong caressed his own cheek one last time before he stepped back. As he walked over to Seonghwa, he didn't doubt that the other Hongjoong disappeared, since he wasn't needed anymore. With dark eyes, Seonghwa watched him come closer. Eyes, that liked what they had seen.

"It's a mean weapon, that's true. I can already look so deep inside your head, and here he is, exposing you even further," Hongjoong chuckled. He leaned against the counter opposite of Seonghwa. As if bound by magnets, their hands came together to idly play with each other over the clean counter. Seonghwa was pleased by Hongjoong's agreement. His delicate pinky finger wrapped around Hongjoong's to stop him from possibly pulling his hand away.

"What do you want to do today? Where do you want to go?"

Seonghwa hummed, his gaze straying off Hongjoong's. He took a while before he found the right words. Hongjoong waited for him patiently.

"I... I have an idea. Something I would like to try. Though I don't know if you are up for that. But we would need a very constructed nightmare around that, and I might still disappear on you."

His body language and the way he dodged the actual topic had Hongjoong tilt his head at him. While his still heated and yearning heart that Seonghwa had ignited yesterday knew exactly what that something might be, Hongjoong tried to school his face into a neutral expression. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, especially when Seonghwa was hesitant about the topic.

"So it would need some time to prepare and some time to execute as well?"

Seonghwa nodded, glad Hongjoong played along instead of exposing him too directly.

Pondering, Hongjoong looked at their fingers. At them playing and brushing against each other as if they could spend no minute together anymore without touching.

"Generally, I am up for anything you want. I can help you construct, too. But since it needs some time and your nights on workdays a short, how about moving it to the weekend? You could turn off your alarm and sleep in."

Agreeable, Seonghwa acknowledged the suggestion.

"That's a good idea, yeah. I only need to go to the nursing home in the afternoon, so if the mailman or Wooyoung don't decide to be a bother, it might mean some more hours of sleep for me."

Hongjoong squeezed his hand at the mention of the trouble brewing on the horizon. Any visit to that grandma would make his mental health worse, even if she said nothing hurtful to him. Her presence alone meant suffering.

"Right, and you can still set your alarm for sometime later before your appointment there in case your body decides you need a whole day's worth of sleep. Which wouldn't surprise me, Mister Overworked."

Seonghwa brought up to scratch the back of his head. Matching smiles adorned their faces.

"I'm not overworked. Taking care of those around me is what gives me fulfilment."

"I don't doubt that. But there is only so much taking care of others before you need to take care of yourself. Or have someone close to do it for you."

With a chuckle, Seonghwa pulled Hongjoong's hand to his lips to kiss his fingers. The dark brows that made him so intimidating at times relaxed in a mild expression. Full lips pressed plush and warm against Hongjoong's skin.

"And I have you for that, don't I? As much as I cling onto my nightmares, you've already helped me a lot. I sleep more these days, and better, too."

Pretend exhausted, Hongjoong sighed.

"Glad to hear my attempts weren't in vain. I would have to station Wooyoung at your home to punch you to sleep if this didn't work."

Amused by his theatre, Seonghwa put their hands down again.

"How about we go to a spa today? So you can get some quality relaxing time?" Seonghwa suggested with the subtle hint of his ulterior motives in his voice. Flattered by his attention and sweet flirting, Hongjoong gave his yes. Who was he to say no to a man like Seonghwa?

"Sounds perfect. Though you will probably have to put something in the water because if Yeosang slips? It will be too funny for us to stay in this dream."

With a burst of laughter that had Seonghwa look pained and overjoyed at the same time - which Hongjoong found extremely devastating - Seonghwa pushed off the counter. As he fetched his jacket mostly in routine rather than actually needing it, Hongjoong trailed after him at a slower pace.

"Could you laugh yourself awake? Or is that impossible?"

"It's impossible" Hongjoong linked their arms when Seonghwa offered his like a true gentleman "I'm under an anaesthetic for as long as you dream. The only thing startling me awake would be you ending this dream very suddenly. Which has happened before." And Hongjoong still felt bad for it. For such scares, oftentimes waking nightmares or sleep paralysis followed, and he hated the thought of Seonghwa experiencing either of those.

"Scary. There is no way you can flee that? What if you got stabbed right now? Your actual body?" Seonghwa guided him through the front door and directly into the steaming, warm entrance hall of a spa. As usual, their location was lonely, the two of them being the only visitors. At least everything was working as it should, and the ambience wasn't as eerie as in the hospital or abandoned houses.

"If I were to be stabbed, then my brain would probably send enough warning signals to wake me up. I hope. But then again, it would be far more pleasant to be stabbed feeling nothing other than waking up in the middle unable to defend myself. So maybe I will just remain blissfully unaware and make out with you until I suddenly die."

Seonghwa's eyes went wide.

"I don't like that idea."

With a giggle, Hongjoong stood on his tiptoes to press a comforting kiss to Seonghwa's cheek. The man still looked concerned, as if seconds away from waking up so he could come over and protect Hongjoong himself.

"Don't worry. Nobody has any reason to stab me, and our building is either locked or other people are with me. And even then it's difficult to get in the same cell. No less very niche to go right there. Somebody would have to be actively after me to find me."

Seonghwa still frowned as they stepped into the changing room. He pulled his jacket off while Hongjoong peeled the leather from his shoulders, too.

"I sure hope nobody has reason to. Not to be offensive towards San since I hear a lot of good things about him from Wooyoung, but I don't think he's the type of guy to defend you in a battle. Or, well, win. He might try."

Hongjoong snickered as he pulled his shirt over his head. Instantly, Seonghwa was distracted by having to stare at his chest and the curves of his body.

"That hits the nail on the head, yeah. But he's not the only one working with me. There are two other ones and my boss can probably take an entire army all by himself."

For a moment, Seonghwa failed to answer since his eyes stuck to Hongjoong's fingers undoing his pants. When Hongjoong snickered at him, he hastily looked away to focus on opening his own shirt.

"We could use someone like that in the squad. But I'm glad to hear that he is there to take care of you."

Hongjoong nodded cheerfully as he stepped out of his pants and stuffed them inside a locker. He found a towel in there, too, that he slung over his shoulder.

Seonghwa's upper body was now exposed as he turned to put his neatly folded shirt in his locker. However, as soon as he opened the squeaking door, he jumped back with a curse on his lips. Without missing a beat, Hongjoong rushed past him, his arm stretching out to grab Seonghwa's naked waist and pull him backwards.

There was no hissing snake inside the locker, and neither a murderous grandmother. But it was the decapitated head of a person that sat in a pool of blood. Hongjoong didn't look at them in too much detail as he slammed the door shut. Pale around his nose, Seonghwa stared at the innocent blue metal door. He knew the head was still there, and he dreaded the door opening again.

"That was mean. Want me to clean this up?" Hongjoong held Seonghwa close as he gingerly took the shirt from the taller man's hands and put it in the same locker as his haphazardly thrown clothes.

"No, it's fine," Seonghwa muttered under his breath, his mood sunken. Hongjoong gently massaged his fingers into his waist to offer some comfort. His arm being able to wrap all the way around the tall man's waist, drove him nuts.

They hurried to put their shoes and Seonghwa's pants inside the locker, too, and sprinted off. The pool was empty, safe for the morays with their sharp teeth that crossed the waters. Hongjoong had laughed at them, unwilling to go into the pool until Seonghwa had dragged him in.

Their fun bathing day ended in them sitting in a corner for most of the time, clinging to each other. Every time one of the hungry creatures brushed too close to their feet, they screeched at it and shooed it away in panic.

Still, they also laughed and Seonghwa was as relaxed as he could get since he could ridicule his fear into something fun with Hongjoong by his side.