The heat was unbearable.

Minseok pulled him aside and whispered that The Summer was going to last at least a decade, lips brushing against Kyungsoo’s earlobe on purpose. His breath was cold, and Kyungsoo flinched away, swatting at his curled horns half-heartedly.

“Respect your elders, bastard.” Minseok blew a kiss at him before ducking behind Sehun’s broad wings, frosting the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose over. 

Kyungsoo cupped both his palms over his nose and glared at Minseok, who was pulling Sehun towards their luggage. He thought he caught Sehun saying something along the lines of “he’s going to grow a cactus on your , Hyung”, but his tiny voice was soon drowned out by the roar of the crowd around them, a wave of noise crashing against Kyungsoo’s eardrums.

This was why he never liked traveling. He couldn’t avoid interactions like how he could back in Craige, his planet home.

He turned his head and headed towards the purple Gate. He never bothered to memorize the name of these portals. Everything changed too quickly. The last time he was here, the Port barely had ten passengers. 

Someone grabbed his hand and he instinctively pulled away, the other hand flying to the pocket of his jeans where he kept his gun. His body rejected the feeling of another on his skin instinctively now. 

“Oh my god, it’s just me.” Baekhyun dumped a large brown duffel bag into Kyungsoo’s arms, grunting from the effort. “Don’t just leave your luggage with me and walk away like that.” 
Kyungsoo didn’t miss the way Baekhyun avoided touching his hand afterward, and he felt a mixture of guilt and gratitude swirling in his chest.

They squeezed their way through the crowd, a mass of warm, damp, and sluggish bodies going against them like a current. Kyungsoo could feel Baekhyun trying to shield him with his body. 

As if that’d work, moron, Kyungsoo thought fondly.

“Where did you go? You didn’t even say goodbye to the others. We might never see them again.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. It’s not like he knew the others well. They all came to the Port for the same reason, but with different paths ahead of them. There was no reason for him to get close to anyone, no one should want to get close to him either.

After all, he was different.

Baekhyun continued talking about the friends they’ve made during the galaxy trip (acquaintances, Kyungsoo thought), about their future lodgings and destinies. Zitao was going to make himself one of the Drakons, attracted by the interesting project they’re working on that could potentially make the planet more than just a floating star. Yixing would be flying to Seran, to serve under the famous Healer Aphenglew. The list went on and on. Kyungsoo realized that he never asked Sehun or Minseok about their future planets. As if reading his mind, Baekhyun lowered his voice. 

“Minseok… is going to The Edge.” He gave Kyungsoo a careful look. “Together with Sehun. The both of them.”

Kyungsoo’s pupils dilated for a fraction of a second, but didn’t say anything.

They were standing right in front of the purple Gate now. Buzzing with energy, bright white words swam into focus behind his eyes, brain waves connecting the dots. He frowned, tried to push it away, but couldn’t.

“Earth, huh.” Baekhyun smiled, “I thought you’d choose The Edge, just like before.”

Kyungsoo shrugged.

“Kyungsoo, look at me.”

Baekhyun was being a little again.

“Kyungsoo.”

He turned and looked into Baekhyun’s eyes, and was surprised to find them shining with tears.

“You’ve made a mistake before, we all know that. But you’ve already got the punishment you deserved. Why are you doing this again? Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Baekhyun was like a child, mischievous and innocent. Sometimes annoying, sometimes destructive. Sometimes, he would hold Kyungsoo to sleep during the hardest nights.

Kyungsoo was going to miss him.

He reached out and pinched Baekhyun’s ear gently.

“I made a promise which hasn’t been fulfilled yet,” he paused, and flashed Baekhyun a small smile. “Look after yourself, Byun, thanks for everything.”

He stepped away from Baekhyun and into the space within the gate. There was a slight ringing in his ears, but that was alright, he was used to it. Before he closed his eyes, he hoped that Baekhyun would notice the single stalk of hydrangea flower he’d left behind his ear, and remember him as the who never gave him a friendship bouquet till the very end.




He opened his eyes and there he was, standing at the other end of the tunnel, a world away from before. He looked behind him at the swirling portal, still open, as if waiting for him to turn around and go back, make new choices. Kyungsoo