Ginda established the highest emergency security protocol upon the arrival of the Elysium. The entire lethargic station came to life as Hongjoong and Seonghwa were ushered into decontamination and to see a doctor. They passed troops of men in black uniforms that set out to hunt down Jongho, who had hidden away somewhere nearby. After a throughout inspection of the Elysium, they had found the door to the airlock open, and the cameras showed that Jongho had escaped while Hongjoong and Seonghwa had greeted the soldiers. Knowing of the consequences that would dawn on him upon discovery, Jongho had slipped away and carried his dangerous self out into the world where he could strike from anywhere. Overnight he had become an enormous risk to any human on the planet and he got treated as such.

Hongjoong hated the thought of the soldiers hunting him like a dog, but between his examinations and check-ups, he got no second of free time to defend the man. Not as if the grim faces of Ginda's people would have lent him their ear, too.

For two days, the surviving couple heard nothing from the world outside. Hongjoong barely even saw Seonghwa as they were interviewed by Bang Yongguk, who contacted them via a hologram conference. He wanted to know everything. About their trip, the alien, how they were and how they had dealt with the predicament on the Elysium. When Hongjoong sent him the bulk of files and letters to go through, Bang expressed his sympathy.

"Take some rest. I will take care of the prevailing matters while you return home. Ginda will supply you with a ship and a crew." The man had smiled at them as bright as he dared. He hadn't commented on their haggard faces and haunted eyes, but their distress was clearly written in their features.

Once all matters with the home station were postponed, Hongjoong and Seonghwa were put into another few days of quarantine. After the doctors were convinced that they carried no alien cells around, they were allowed to partake in the main seminar with Ginda's government. Present were the governor himself, a few of his ministers, some specialists for alien research, and the commander of the military troupe.

When Seonghwa and Hongjoong finally saw each other again after what felt like an eternity, they shared a heartfelt hug. Neither cared about the impatience of the surrounding people as they asked each other how they had been. Hongjoong was drained by the testings and consultations with psychologists, researchers, and scientists. Seonghwa's eyes were just as strained from the amount of attention and ordeals he had gone through, but neither minded all that anymore as they finally could be close again.

After five exhausting days on Ginda that went by in a flash because so much was happening at once, Hongjoong and Seonghwa finally got to sit down together and catch up. By now, everybody on the station knew about some fragment of their story. As they recaptured the most essential details once more for everyone in the room, they were met with grim nods and scowls.

"Very well, congratulations on making it through alive. We were fully prepared to receive the alien intruder in a high-security cell here when you called. My sincerest apologies that he escaped our grasp. I'm sure you would have liked to see him punished," the governor began as they all got comfortable. When Hongjoong meekly shook his head, Seonghwa reached over to gently grasp his hand in his lap. His warmth spent comfort.

"No, I... He's my brother - well, adopted brother - and we both trusted him a lot. Actually, we wanted to ask you to take mercy on him once you found him, even if he is a dangerous creature. He lived as a human for very long."

With a hum, the governor motioned the head of the guard to talk. The man stood, tall and dark in his black uniform. Hongjoong suspected that even a Jongho would struggle to take him down.

"I'm Cho Seungyoun, commander of the Ginda Security Troupe. If you have any clues about the alien's whereabouts or a hint on how we could capture him, we can figure out a way to go about this gently. If not, we will have to track him down in our way," he said stiffly but confident in their abilities to find the other man.

"Not to question your abilities, Commander, but this creature is mightier than you might expect currently. It has no issues taking humans apart, and we wouldn't know how it reacts to the use of weapons," Seonghwa replied quietly. Hongjoong chewed his lip, insecure about their methods.

"That is for us to figure out. We will study your records of the incidents concerning the creature in detail and choose the best approach. Did he give any incentives to his goals before he left?"

The entire group around the round table looked at Hongjoong curiously. He fidgeted with Seonghwa's hand as he searched for a reply.

"He felt unwell and scared. We are afraid he might lash out if cornered. You should protect your men well. Apart from that, his goal is probably still to reproduce. He nests by himself, he doesn't need a different-gendered mate for that. And since his embryos feed off human cells, the station is in danger of being breached without you knowing. We told your scientists everything we know about this, but your people might still be in jeopardy."

Seungyoun nodded and made some notes on his tablet. Their conversation was being recorded, but he most likely had his own thoughts he wanted to write down.

"Our highest security level puts every person on the station under extreme surveillance and records everything. If he comes in unnoticed, we'll be able to trace him quickly. We are prepared for him, after all." With a determined nod at the governor, Seungyoun sat back down to work out his plans while the discussion droned on. This time, it was the governor himself who addressed the two uneasy men. His greying hair at the sides of his head softened his stern features.

"Tell us about Jongho since you knew him for so long. He might have ticks or behaviours that we can expect him to pursue once we find him."

Hongjoong did. As bad as he felt to give them such a huge hint on how to identify his brother, he owed that much to his dead crewmates and their failed mission. He couldn't let Jongho run free and risk the lives of everyone on Ginda for this.

Their session took hours. Hongjoong grew weary about halfway through and the last half an hour was torture after the governor called it quits but lingered for questions. By the time Seungyoun rose from his chair to accompany Hongjoong and Seonghwa to their quarters, the two men leaned into each other to level the little energy they had.

Tall and imposing, Seungyoun led them down the corridor and into the elevator. They rode it up to the fifth floor.

"As soon as I have updates on Jongho, I will inform the two of you," he assured them unprompted when he came to stand next to the new cabin the two of them would share.

Hongjoong still lingered, his eyes desperate.

"If we are gone, too? You might not be able to reach us, but I don't want Jongho to suffer. We still can't be sure how in touch he is with the alien."

Seungyoun gave him a patient smile.

"If I am unable to contact you, I will do my utmost to regard your wishes concerning him before I act. If anybody tries to harm him, I will explicitly remind them of your demands."

The man bowed his head politely before he activated the door with a key card. He handed it over to Hongjoong afterwards.

"Please enjoy your rest. You will be informed once your new ship is ready to depart. Our team will retrieve any valuable items from your crew members so you may take them back to Earth."

Hongjoong thanked him profusely before he and Seonghwa stepped inside. The door shut behind them and finally, after weeks of terror and tension and the last few days of stress, a burden dropped off Hongjoong's shoulders. They had each other, a quiet room, and no reason to fear getting killed. Hongjoong nearly collapsed against the wall as he pulled off his shoes, and Seonghwa was none the better.

Judging by Jongho's reactions, even if he came back for a victim to kill, he would likely spare Hongjoong and Seonghwa. He had no reason to kill those precious to him when a bunch of strangers was an alternative. And for that, for being forced to kill, Hongjoong still pitied him.

Hongjoong stepped onto the soft carpeted floor. The room was held in dark orange colours that prettily shone with the light of a nearby star that served as a reflector of the sun's rays. It was evening on Ginda, and the angle of the windows let a clear line of light divide the orderly room.

Collapsing onto the soft bed, Hongjoong closed his eyes to think about nothing. Not about death, not about the trouble that awaited them back on their home station, and not about Jongho. He only thought about his peace that he had rarely appreciated so much.

Seonghwa sat down next to him with a slight bounce to his weight. When Hongjoong rolled over to snuggle his head in the other man's lap, a fond chuckle escaped Seonghwa. Slender fingers brushed through Hongjoong's hair.

"I'm so glad that we made it out... And that I still have you. I wanted to save everyone, but I soon recognised it wouldn't be possible. Then I wanted to save at least you and Jongho, but fate didn't allow that either. Now I only have you left, but I am the happiest man. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, too," Hongjoong mumbled into the fabric of Seonghwa's fancy pants. They wore no tactical uniforms in here, not having the need on a fully functional space station. Here, they could wear regular clothes, although the ones they had been given were stiff and pristine for their essential appearances in important discussions.

"Me too... I wanted to protect you." Gently, Seonghwa's fingers massaged Hongjoong's temples for him, knowing he had developed a migraine during that last meeting.

In the warm orange hues of their room, it was easy to relax and grow sleepy. They sat there for a while and Seonghwa allowed Hongjoong to doze in his lap. He drifted in and out of consciousness and every time; the light had wandered further away and bathed more of the room in shadows.

The time Hongjoong awoke because Seonghwa moved underneath him, it was already entirely dark and only the wide expanse of the sky showed in front of their tall window. Abruptly ripped from sleep because of the stirring, Hongjoong blearily rose his head. Instantly, Seonghwa's hand brushed through his hair again.

"Continue to rest. I'll just make this more comfortable."

Consoled by the man's hushed whisper, Hongjoong laid back down on the mattress after his boyfriend had stood. The space in which he had sat was still warm and Hongjoong wanted to curl up on it like a cat to never move away again.

Seonghwa's careful hands that snuck under his body to pick him up like the kitten he acted as, however, ruined his plans. Whining, Hongjoong clung onto his shoulders and clenched his eyes shut so sleep wouldn't drift away from him when Seonghwa positioned them in the middle of the bed where they could stretch out. Tiredly, Hongjoong went along as Seonghwa pulled his clothes off, his arms rising and falling sluggishly.

Once he was undressed and happily snuggled up against Seonghwa, the man reached to pull the blanket over them. The soft fabric was heaven on Hongjoong's skin. Sleep carried him off into the world of dreams. He slept so deeply that he forgot even the gruesome images of his dead crew members that plagued him. Only welcoming darkness received him in his dreams and gave him a rest he had deserved after so long.