Beom looked at the clock. Exactly nine in the morning. December seventh. He remembered what he did a year ago. He was outside by the square, freezing and waiting for his son to come out.

Then, he watched the fire and his precious son running left and right, screaming and limping. Kim.

He tried calling Lloyd before he remembered it was still two in the morning there. (I don't know how timezones work 🫠) Marie threw herself into work today. She was an amazing queen. He knew her. They've known each other for over forty years. Whenever she's upset, she works on a project. It could be shining all her jewelry or painting a room. Today, she was working on charity events.

What does he do? Before, when Lloyd was away, he used to eat his feelings. That's how he gained more than a hundred pounds during the war. (AMERICAN SYSTEM 🦅🦅) But since it ended, he's been working out and lost half the weight. Now, and this makes him laugh, he began to knit. He remembered when he was Lloyd's age and his father would knit in his study, he would laugh at him. One of these days, his father would always say in snappy Korean, you'll enjoy something your dad likes. And look, now he spends his time knitting clothes or blankets like his father did all those years ago.

He thought of the difference between him as a teenager and his son. As a teenager, he would sneak out to meet Marie or party with his stupid friends. He smoked weed, wore the black leather jackets his father hated, and would skip school so frequently that it was a shock to everyone when he actually came. Lloyd was a goodie-two-shoes, always doing well in school and doing what his parents said. He was beyond grateful that he was nothing like his father. He couldn't handle that at his age.

Then he got sad again. The argument. It was the only time they ever fought. He slapped him, he remembered the sound he made when he fell on the kitchen floor with eyes full of tears and a mouth wide open, wondering how appa could do such a thing. He sighed and took off his crown. He remembered the fear and hysteria in the house when Valentino rushed out to chase his fleeing brother only to come back brokenhearted and empty-handed.

"It's your fault!" His lip quivered as his mind went back to Marie screaming at him as Valentino had to be comforted in Ho's room. "Shame on you!"

He's ashamed to admit that he screamed at her and how they fought until the sun came up and they were both lightheaded. He remembered how alone he was when he woke up that evening. Marie left with his nephew and his brother to stay in a hotel to cool off. There was no tiny teenager eating breakfast or showering before school. How he wept after he yelled for him in a desperate attempt for his boy to come to him and hug his legs with a smile, only to be met with silence.

He stood up and went to his duties, his heart heavy.

---------------------------

François nearly fell out of bed when he heard Lloyd scream. Apple was barking as he saw his partner in the fetal position, crying about how he didn't want his plane to crash. He expected this to happen, but it was disheartening to see his brave dear boy like that.

"You're safe. You're in bed. You're not in Vagu. You're in France."

Lloyd turned his head to look at him, his violet eyes glowing with tears and his skinny body shaking. "Get me out the plane! I don't want to die!"

"Lloyd, you're in bed. You're not in your plane." He brought Apple on the bed and slowly put her on his lap. Lloyd patted her fur, his tears getting her wet. "She wouldn't be in the plane, would she?" He kept his voice soft like a mother's, helpful yet not condescending.

It took a while for him to muster up words with his wobbly voice. "N-no?"

"You're not in there anymore. I'm here for you." Looking at him, the redhead gently wrapped him into a hug. The sense of human touch made the shaking lessen. Lloyd could feel his own heart racing and pounding, just like it did when he was falling.

"Can you tell me what you feel around you?"

His trembling hand was still on the dog. "Dog. It's the dog.."

"Good, good. What can you see? I know it's hard to see because it's dark, but what's in front of you?"

He scanned the room. He saw the flashing red alarm clock and started to sob, saying the lights were flashing in the plane and he was going to die. François promptly turned off the clock. He noticed how tight he was being held. It almost hurt. Then he realized Lloyd was holding and grasping onto him just in case he started to fall. He tried not to tear up at that.

"Apple's looking at you. Can you see her, my dear one?"

The other had to take a good look. Through blurry tears, he saw his dog's big black eyes staring at him. He choked up as he smiled and scratched her ears.

"She's here." He touched François' cheek. "You're here."

"There we go! Everything's good!" He kissed his forehead.

It took more convincing, but he was able to remember where he was. He felt so embarrassed but was reassured that there was nothing to be ashamed of. He had to be close to his little girl and his François to fall asleep again. The other was anxiously as well. Today was the day. The day he left him.

-------------------------

At nine in the morning, François woke up to find Lloyd still asleep. He looked so peaceful. He got up to piss and do house things before a feeling of brutal depression came over him. He had to rush back to hold the other. His mind couldn't shut up.

"Remember when you left him alone to die tonight?"

"Maybe mom was right about you. You really are cruel."

"Why did you leave him? You're all he wanted. Couldn't give him that much?"

"You were too busy having fun. You don't deserve to have fun."

He closed his eyes, trying to force himself back to sleep so he wouldn't have to hear it. Everything flashed at once.

The conversation in the plane.

The blood on his hands.

His empty eyes. His yellowish skin. His pitch black hair.

His phone buzzed. It was White calling. He had to decline and ask him to text him instead.

"Hope you guys are doing well. I know it's hard. ❤️"

More texts came after that. Lloyd's phone was ringing and buzzing every few seconds. He had to put them both on mute. He couldn't look him in the face, so he put on a movie. He did end up falling asleep eventually.

------------------------

"François, I hate you."

"What..?!"

"You left me."

"I didn't mean to..."

"It's all your fault."

"I know."

"Don't ever talk to me again."

"....."

"Fuck off, [REDACTED.]"

------------------------------

He woke up slowly. He felt so shocked it was numbing. Lloyd didn't even know his deadname, he never asked about it. Did he actually feel like that? He took out his phone. It was already four? He heard whining. He saw Apple staring at him while scratching at his jeans. He ran to see what was wrong. He saw Lloyd on the ground in the kitchen.

He picked him up fireman style and carried him to the couch. He tried his best to stay calm, he really did. He thought he saw gray stains of hair, and that's when he freaked out. He tried shaking him, putting him on his back, even putting water on his feet. He didn't know how long it's been. That's what scared him most.

Soon, Lloyd did wake up. François was almost hysterical, crying and hugging him. The other was confused, then remembered why he passed out. He told him he thought he saw the little boy.

"What boy?" François asked, sitting on the couch with him and sniffling.

"The one I saw in the coma." The redhead got goosebumps. "I swear I saw him!"

François put his hand on his forehead. "No fever. Did you take your medication yet?"

Lloyd got fluttered. "Yeah! Maybe I didn't see him. Today is a weird day."

"Yeah. I'm so proud of you for handling it so well."

"Thank you." He smiled at him. "I'm proud of you, too. I know today's hard for both of us."

"Aww, don't worry about me." He kissed his head. He cringed, remembering that night.

"Wanna get Chinese food?"

"Totally."

-------------------------

They pretended that it was a normal day. They played piano, read, they did anything to push it away. They gave each other gifts for Hanukkah and lit the candle. When eleven came, Lloyd took melatonin to miss the moment. François didn't.

He looked at his watch. 11:42pm. He remembered that time very clearly. At that exact time, he was slapped by the doctor. He deserved it, he wished he could back in time to slap himself. He looked down at his hands. He knew his mind was playing tricks, there couldn't be blood right now. Lloyd already got a call from his parents hours ago. Apparently, his mother saw blood on her hands too.

White was calling him. This time, he picked up. It was a FaceTime.

"Hey, how are you doing?" White looked just as troubled as him.

"Good, I guess. Lloyd's sleeping."

"That's good." White kept playing with his hair. "I'm ok, I just kinda keep thinking about it."

"Me too. It's going to be fifthteen minutes before it happened." He didn't mean to choke up. He had to cover his mouth.

The other shook his head. "I can't believe I was drunk. I should've been there."

"Me too, I'm the one who left him." He started crying then. White looked uncomfortable, but he felt for him.

"I'm sorry, man."

"It's ok." François sniffled, wiping his tears. "I just feel guilty."

"I understand, I feel like that too."

"Oh God. It's the time."

White looked down. "It's important to remember that he's ok now."

"Yeah..."

They talked mainly about the incident. White didn't want to talk anymore after a while, he was tired. François went upstairs to get ready for bed. He walked in and saw Lloyd smoking in bed, Blueberry laying on his chest.

"I woke up, same time." He said to him as François laid down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were sleeping." He snuggled up next to him.

"I think today's good." The other put his cigarette in the ash tray. "Today was the day I came back."

François hugged him like a teddy bear. "It is. I think it was the most complicated day in my life. I was happy you came back, but then you were in the coma."

"A good nap." He chuckled and put Blueberry on the floor. "I'm happy you're here."

"Me too."

-----------------------

They woke up to banging on the door. Benjamin was barking his head off and getting pitbull zoomies as the smaller two were waiting by the door to possibly attack. François was going to open it, but Lloyd was already awake and looking through the peephole.

"Ahh!!"

He opened the door and wrapped his arms around the visitor. The other came down to see him hugging Charles.

"Sorry, I messed up the times!" He shook François' hand. "It's an American thing."

"I got it, don't worry."

"I got you guys Hanukkah gifts!" He gave both wine and bread. "Sorry that it's last minute, lowkey just got here for college. "

"Oh my gosh, I actually might start going to college too!" Charles's hazel eyes lit up.

"For what?"

"Mathematics! I wanna be a mathematician!"

François and Charles chuckled at that. He was very good at math, but what a fucking nerd.

"If anything, I was expecting a musician!" Lloyd blushed as François bent down to kiss his forehead.

Charles was probably the only one that hasn't changed since the war. He was still that silly, carefree, free-spirited guy he always was. He was just slightly taller, had a thin mustache, eyebrow piercing, and shorter hair. He also had a hamburger tattooed on his left shoulder, gotta show that patriotism somehow.

"You guys want to go the bowling alley with me? I can't really sleep yet." Lloyd held in a joke.

"Oh, I can't. I have work tomorrow." He checked his phone. It was three in the morning. He's going to be so tired tomorrow.

"I can! I just have to get dressed."

Charles giggled. "You're not going somewhere fancy."

"True, true. Besides, my pajamas look pretty cool."

François hugged him. "Have fun, babyboy."

-------------------------------

It actually felt pretty nice hanging out again. They laughed, joked, told each other stories. It felt like they were back in 7th grade, no worries and just laughing their heads off.

They went to get Wendy's after they were done bowling, just like they did after school sometimes. They kept laughing at each other's gossip and stories. When it was five in the morning and they became tired, they decided to drive around for a bit before going home.

"So I thought I came yesterday because my phone kept showing the seventh," Charles explained with a yawn. "so I'm sorry I wasn't there yesterday."

"Nah, it's good. I was pretty tired yesterday." Lloyd had to rub his forehead to stay awake. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"You know how I'm getting married in like, four months?"

"Oh my gosh, has three months past this quick?" With all the work and student teaching, he hadn't realized that his own birthday was a week ago. "But yeah, I do."

"I was waiting to ask you, but right now seems pretty good. Do you want to be my best man?"

Charles gasped and looked over at him with the biggest smile. "Yes! Yes! Oh my God, hell yeah!"

Lloyd became bashful as Charles went on and on about how he'll throw him a party and how he'll make the wedding the best wedding ever.

-------------------------------

When he got home, François was already at work. He had to do work himself, but that could wait. He went to the bedroom to crash into bed, but he saw a gift waiting for him on his pillow. It was a necklace with a dark blue heart in the center.

"Aww." He picked it up and kissed the shining heart. "Mon petit cœur."

He suddenly laughed. He got him the same thing, just in red. He'll give it to him when he gets home. He laid in bed. He fell asleep as soon his head was on the pillow, the necklace in his hand.

AIRPLANE IN THE SKY- ???