UNEDITED/NOT PROOF READ

Goodmorning, you're watching the 12 O'clock news and we have many new updates on the extraterrestrial invasion that took place in Seoul last month.

Repairs and damages are coming along well with the generous help of philanthropists and reclaimed hero Iron Man, Park Jinyoung. The 24 year old technological and weaponry billionaire has since put out a statement that he will be financing all repairs in Seoul until the beginning of 2023.

Schools across the country have been given the clear to start reopening if not much damage had been done to the buildings and surrounding environment, urging many schools to begin opening. However other public places have started to open more quickly and people are slowly beginning to travel outside their houses again.

The Seoul-based superhero Spiderman is still missing, and has not made any appearances in the city since the invasion.

Authorities say they have no contact with the private hero and no bodies have been found to match the mysterious person, therefore he still remains MIA. The Avengers have not commented on the situation.

Park Industries has also begun to fund food banks and charities for those who suffered harshly during the attack, Park Jinyoung's PA, Im Jaebum, has reportedly contacted many businesses in hopes to branch out and-

Jeongin felt the cold air slash his face when he hurriedly walked out the coffee shop, not wanting to here anymore from the TV mounted on the wall inside. The hot chocolate felt warm in his hands, but all of a sudden nothing felt appetizing. Instead, Jeongin felt numb, his throat dry and instead of a beverage to eeze the pain, he wanted to scream.

Instead, he briskly walked away from the coffee shop, narrowly missed dropping his drink on a hurrying man in a business suit, but somehow walked away from the situation just as frazzled.

"Excuse me." He mumbled belatedly, however the man had already walked off, leaving Jeongin a little out of place in the middle of the relatively empty pavement.

This was the first time Jeongin had been out since the attack, after being evacuated to his family in Busan for the first week, and then allowed back into Seoul with his grandma (who was, strangely, completely relaxed at the idea of an alien invasion taking place right above her) (but then again is anyone surprised).

He had curled himself into a tight ball for hours on end during the time at home, a random show on Netflix playing in the back or a group call of his friends, in which they all sat in moderate silence, which only seemed to damper everyone's demeanour even more.

Because not everyone was there.

Felix was missing, and has been since the day he ripped out of Jeongin's grip and ran face first into the line of fire. Everyone assumes he had been lost during the attack when the school gates opened and thousands of students poured out, running to the safety of wherever the local authorities had urged them to go.

Jeongin couldn't move, and let himself be pulled towards one of the evacuation buses by surrounding peers. The world was deaf to him, a constant sound of feedback ringing in his ears as he gripped Felix's school blazer like an anchor.

A body hadn't been found, and yet students and teachers alike mourned the loss of him. The whole swim team has proposed the idea of a memorial in the gymnasium, but quickly put that idea to rest when news came that Chan would not be returning to school at the loss of his brother.

Instead the memorial was kept tucked away for another day. The photos, the flowers, the candles mourned for him outside the school grounds.

Just like how the entire country mourned the death of Spiderman.

The citizens were losing hope, afterall, superheroes didn't just disappear for weeks after such crisis's like the one that had occured. What was once the friendly neighbourhood superhero and so quickly morphed into a martyr and saint of the country, his memorial a never ending candle light.

Jeongin felt his eyes sting, refusing to break down in the middle of the street. His stomach churned, in hunger or in anxiety, he wasn't certain.

Spiderman was not dead. He couldn't be. Spiderman can't just- no, not Spiderman-

Lee Felix would never leave without a goodbye.

But as days turned to weeks and then an entire month had passed with neither Felix or Spiderman sightings, people began to lose hope. Jeongins school had reopened, and some of the students had begun to attend their lessons again, yet an overbearing cloud of grey smoke followed them. Every corridor, every classroom, ever seat seemed to devoid of liveliness.

Jeongin did not go back, not yet. Neither had Chan, but it didn't seem like he had any plans to attend the last few months of his highschool career.

They messaged him, called him, to which he would answer occasionally, with plain and simple answers.

I'm fine.

We're okay.

Thank you.

Jeongin hadn't contacted him yet, and Chan hadn't either. Perhaps an unspoken promise of not yet. Don't lose hope.

Jeongin couldn't sleep, eat, concentrate. He barely felt like he was even in his own body, feeling as though he was simply watching himself instead. Another stranger watching his life crumble, the familiar feeling of losing someone loved so extremely early on.

Not just Felix though, not just Spiderman, thousands of people were lost, and alike, thousands of people will never be the same again.

After a few seconds to breath, he found his footing again, shakily taking a step forward. Jeongin needed to go home before he let himself completely collapsed in on himself like a tower of blocks. The upcoming tide of panic nipped at his toes, and he could only imagine the water, slowly travelling higher and higher.

Holding his head above the rising water around him, ears deaf to anything but the blood pounding in his head, his phone began to vibrate.

Taking it out, he gasped.

Chanie Hyung

The flashing lights of the name  beamed back, somehow making Jeongin feel guilty. He watched for a moment, hand hovering over the answer button, insides shaking in anticipation, stomach filled with fear.

"Hello?" He spoke quietly, voice betraying him in solidity.

Don't lose hope, he reminded himself.

"Jeongin!" Chan cried, making the younger boy cringe at the volume, "Oh my god- Jeongin. Where are you?"

"What?" He asked stupidly, nervousness pounding against his ribcage.

"Where are you?!"

"I'm uh- I just came out of the Strays cafe."

Chan let out a relieved yelp, "Oh thank god you're right around the corner, you need to come here right now."

"Where?" Jeongin was incredibly confused, but the undeniable joy lacing Chan's words felt exhilarating. Adrenaline slowly building in his blood when Chan chuckled loudly.

"My house of course! Get here right now- run if you have to! I'll explain it all when you get here. Just- fuck Jeongin- you just- he's okay-"

Jeongin had begun to run the moment Chan instructed him to, the rest of the words slightly incomprehensible against his heartbeat and panting breath, but there was not a moment to lose. Because there would be no reason for Chan to sound so desperately happy unless Felix was-

Don't lose hope.

He slid around street bend, scraping his ankles against the pavement, but quickly regained his balance and broke out into a full sprint. The paper cup filled with hot chocolate was long gone, dropped somewhere behind him, and his hands suddenly felt empty.

He reached to his chest and gripped his shirt, practically feeling the push and pull of his heart muscles urging him to move faster. His thighs and calves burned and the suspicious feeling of blood trailed down his ankle- but the adrenaline pushed it away for later.

The view of Felix's house was growing nearer, where a now clearer sight of Bang Chan, a face splitting grin on his face, and another tall figure beside him.

As Jeongin ran faster and faster, vaguely wondering how on earth he was going to bring himself to a halt, he processed who the maroon suit and black sunglasses wearing man was.

Park Jinyoung.

Iron Man.

"Ah, so here's the famous Jeongin I've been hearing so much about for the last month," Jinyoung said amusedly, watching as a young boy, probably younger than Felix, came barreling towards them at high speed, "Has he tried out for track? He's quite the runner."

"No," Chan replied, voice croaky from the sob of relief he had just let out prior or calling Jeongin, "He's just in love."

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that a strong word for you teenagers? I don't even think I'm in love."

Chan thought about it for a moment, but before he could replay, Jeongin suddenly accelerated, shooting straight for them. He stumbled a step, and was now running forward straight into the ground.

"Oh dear." Jinyoung mumbled, wincing empathetically when Jeongin smashed face first into the concrete ground infront of him, "You alright kid?"

Chan looked horrified, quickly leaning down to help the boy up. But almost toppled over when Jeongin sprung up suddenly, nearly knocking their heads together.

Any past suspicions the super hero must have had for Yang Jeongin's intimacy towards Lee Felix was all but thrown out the window when Jeongin looked him straight in the eye, face scratched and a strange purple bruise growing on his cheek.

But his eyes were glowing, no, sparkling.

Don't lose hope.

"Where is he?" Jeongin asked, eyes never faltering.

A proud grin overcame Jinyoung's features, as he reached a hand out for the young teenager,

"Well up you get gentleman, we can't keep out guest waiting at longer!"

━━━━━━━━━━

I CAN'T BELEIVE
YALL THOUGHT I'D
KILL FELIX WHAT TYPE
OF MONSTER DO YOU
TAKE ME FOR ???

also, it's been 6 months,
i do apologise for the wait.
have this 1.6k chapter as
an apology 😚😚

now who's ready for some
reconciliation, making up
and much needed fluff <3

━━━━━━━━━━

―SAKI
200420