Crossroads (Open to Yeonseok, Daehyun, Hanseol and Jaesung) COMPLETED

It felt like this move had been the longest time coming and yet had come around so suddenly too. Yeon remembered talking about moving out to New York for the longest time and at one point it was more a crossing thought than anything but yet here they were today. Tomorrow morning he would be leaving for the airport and leaving Evermore City behind. Dae had managed to convince him to keep the penthouse but all the things had been packed up into boxes and shipped out to his new place already, everything else was still here if he didn't need it or it was packed up in the 2 suitcases he had packed and ready to take. It felt so empty as he looked out over the spacious building, he never ever realized how big it felt before all his things were removed, now it felt a little lonely. 

In true Yeon fashion he had insisted that they spend time together before he left which was exactly why he was getting ready to leave now, he was dressed more casually than usual, jeans and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up because it was warm today. They'd agreed to meet at the zoo. He and Hanseol had been hanging out a lot lately and of course, he still spent a lot of time with Dae but it had been a while since the 4 of them had spent time together, the last he remembered was their game night where Han had almost ended up flipping a table after a game of Uno.

Before long he headed down outside the building and got into the car, he gave the driver the address of zoo they were visiting today and then leaned back in the seat. It was on the outskirts of Evermore city where the land started to get more expansive so as he watched out the window he noted the way the houses slowly started to feel less crammed in, there were more gardens and space out here. Sometimes he wondered if he'd like to live in a place with more space and nature but he still seemed to find himself choosing places in the heart of the city. A part of him liked the hustle and bustle and being surrounded by people he didn't know. 

When he reached the destination he paid the driver and hopped out of the car, it seemed he was the first one to arrive as he didn't see any of the others waiting in front of the statue so he headed over to it, slinging his bag over his shoulder before leaning against it and pulling out his phone. He had a bunch of work-related messages which he was tempted to answer but he knew how much of a rabbit hole that would be so he swiped on the notification to dismiss it and nodded. Work free day, it was the last day he would get to spend in person with his friends for a while and he wanted to enjoy it. 

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Perhaps opposites really do attract. He learned that was very telling considering his friend circle. None of them had the same personality, and while it wasn't possible to find someone with the same everything, similarities do tend to pop up and between them, Yeon and Han had the most because of their bond whereas Dae is still as aloof and Jae was as warm as he was when they first met. And so deeply in love with his man, that's for sure. Yeon wasn't wrong, the niveis often gets hangry which was almost a default look for him since he was always either grumpy or hungry or both. When Yeon pointed out that Han isn't a zoo animal and chastised him, Dae pouted and looked down as if he just got scolded by his parents, or in this case, the guy he is so deadly attracted to, is this how Han feels around Jae? Well, he's starting to feel it. 

"Fine… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to liken him to a zoo animal… you know that'' he mumbled and sighed, "And yes I remember your immense dislike against heights…" how could he not? When he first met the valkyr, and just before they eventually spent the night together, he had lifted Yeon with him and got himself a change or clothes because he threw up on him. "Still can't believe I let you get away after ruining my jacket though, you were that charming I guess." Even in his completely drunken state, Yeonseok Lee was Yeonseok Lee. As charming as ever. When the valkyr poked and made fun of him wanting some privacy between them, the niveis groaned and whined half heartedly, "Accept my affection, goddammit you… dashing valkyr" it's another saga of Daehyun not being able to actually come up with a witty remark or nickname to fit him, he always ends up complimenting him. 

"How sure are you that nobody is going to recruit you into a cult there? Do you want me to pull up the receipts on how many cult worshippers are there in metropolitan areas in the 21st century? Because you'll be surprised." He appreciated his attempts to make the situation more light-hearted so he returned his efforts too. Thankfully, the celestial was occupied with his boyfriend at the back seat. When he saw Han was about to kiss Jae, he really didn't mean to forget there's a bumper ahead but the look on his face was priceless so it made him snicker, "Believe it or not, it wasn't on purpose." He switched the radio stations again until it was playing a more upbeat song to eliminate the sadness in the atmosphere. "Sorry my hand is always cold" he cleared his throat and placed his hand on his lap.

Jae laughed under his breath when Han said he was supposed to be on his side “You make it hard to protect you sometimes when you invoke Dae’s wrath” he giggled and ruffled Han’s hair a little, sure the star could be a little frustrating at times but he was also very cute and lovable. “Both of you love food so much” he commented and chuckled, the star was very protective over his favorite foods and Dae was perhaps even more so. Jae was less bothered by things like that but he could understand, he was more likely to be the one getting everyone to try a bite of his food if he found it especially good. He looked at Han and smiled “Maybe we should make an excuse to get swimming every so often...it’s better than a public pool” they would be able to have the whole pool to themselves after all.

“Well it just kinda happened, you and Yeon became volakiri, I met Dae in the library...turns out we all knew one another” he commented and bit his lip, though he hadn’t met Yeon in the best of circumstances and their first meeting had consisted of the dhampir giving the valkyr a hard punch, there was no hard feelings now. Jae actually quite liked Yeon, he was charming and protective over Han in a strange way. “We can dig out some of those bath salts you’ve been dying to try...the ones we got from that little tea shop” he chuckled, Han loved stores like that, with all the strange decorations and the scent of herbs, he would always drag Jae into one whenever they passed them.

Jae stroked against Han’s shoulder gently when he complained about the fact Yeon would know exactly how he’s feeling “It doesn’t make you weak to miss someone” he commented in a soft voice, it only seemed natural to Jae that Han would feel sad his friend was leaving and he wouldn’t be able to see him whenever he wanted like he could right now. His arm tucked around Han protectively as he allowed him to snuggle close, he was surprised by the soft kiss Han pressed to his lips but closed his eyes and melted into it. When the bump came along Jae jumped, pressing against Han who was pushed into the window “Ow” he grumbled as he untangled himself and straightened up “Maybe you should get a bigger car” he commented thoughtfully.

Jae had a point, it was hard to run past it when he was the one who poked the grumpy cat every given moment. "I just can't help it okay, he's fun to poke with… when he's not threatening to freeze the hell out of you anyway" Han was generally a playful person and all of them knew that, it didn't mean the niveis didn't take the chance to threaten him though. That's just how their dynamic goes. When the dhampir pointed out that the two of them had a similar love for food, Han gasped dramatically and placed a hand over his mouth, while shaking his head in disbelief, "Food is supposed to be important, baby… how can we not love it? It's essential for every living being to like food, no?" Of course Han knew what he was implying on but it didn't make it any less thrilling to tease his boyfriend. 

"True… at least we'd have more privacy here… and technically Yeon said it's fine right?" If someone had told him that he'd have interesting friends like the other two, Han would probably have a hard time believing it. Not that it was particularly surprising either considering his first meeting with Yeon didn't really launch off properly. But fate does work in mysterious ways as the world does. His ears perked up instantly at the sudden mention of relaxation and bath salts being in the same sentence, "Now we're heading somewhere…" he mumbled coyly, Hanseol does love his bathing sessions. Nothing gives him more relaxation than soaking himself in the warm hot tub surrounded by scented candles and potpourri spread across the entire bathroom. It was his idea of being lavish too. 

"I haven't been to the tea shop in a while now… I wonder how Mrs Reed is doing…" she was this cute old lady in her mid 60s that owned the shop, and of course Han being Han befriended her. Truthfully, Han was relishing in the quietness and time he had well spent with Jae at the back until the bump had him connecting his face to the window, and if that wasn't already hurtful, Jae's weight being pushed against his side wasn't helping. "Maybe I should… I don't even use it, but how was I supposed to know it would be this… bothersome…" he grumbled, Han really does hate driving. He noticed the change in the atmosphere when Dae turned on the radio which was playing an ironically sad ballad talking about farewells, "Well this is awkward…"

Yeon shook his head in amusement, it was the natural way to react to their friends bickering because it happened so often with Han and Dae, they just were really contrasting to one another and would likely have never found their way to one another if it wasn’t for him and Jae. Still the dynamic wouldn’t feel the same without any one of them “It’s not going away any time soon” he commented and grumbled, he faced his fear because it wasn’t like he had a choice but he still preferred to avoid it where possible. “Admittedly...I did try to warn you that it was a really bad idea and I paid for the dry cleaning” as he should of course, considering how much Dae treasured that jacket.

Yeon gave a wry smile when Dae come back with a comeback only to end up stumbling over his words, it wasn’t like the niveis to struggle with his wording but he appreciated the lengths Dae always went to in order to avoid using pet names with him “Dashing valkyr, that;’s a new one” he commented and smiled to himself as he pressed his lips together, certainly a compliment considering it came from Dae. He chuckled and raised a curious brow when Dae said he would pull proof about cults in modern times “I think I’ll be fine” he assured him with a shake of his head, Yeon wasn’t much for religion himself.

He did snicker a little when they went over the bump only to hear the disapproving grunts from Han and Jae “Don’t let the bumpy road interrupt you two” he teased softly. His eyes were on the road but his mind was filled with different emotions, he never expected a goodbye to be this hard but he realized it was. Because he had so much good he was leaving behind here. When Dae apologized for his hand being cold Yeon glanced to it in his lap and then to his own before reaching it to touch gently against Dae’s. A way of him saying there was nothing to apologize for but he didn’t pull away, instead he pushed Dae’s palm enough so he could turn it and then hold it with his.

Everyone had their own fears and while Dae would often tease Yeon over his, he too understood how being vulnerable felt. Even if he wouldn't dare show it to others. "Well it wouldn't be a fear if it just took off one day for no reason, don't worry… don't people say having fears makes you human or something? Sounds like something made up but hey they do them." He doesn't necessarily agree with it but then again, Daehyun Stormwind disagrees with the way of life every few months so there's also that. "You had to pay it or else I would've hunted your ass down, Yeonseok Lee… that was my favorite jacket" and he was grateful for it, of course. Sometimes he would stare at it and realize he had plenty of weird happenings when he's wearing them, which is pretty much 90% of the time. 

Stuttering and struggling to form words are not something the niveis is used to, it never has. So when he realized he couldn't word it properly without making it look to Yeon like he's having a midlife crisis trying to put it, he got flustered. Extremely. "Shut up…" he grumbled dismissively and pouted, "To be fair… you are dashing" it probably didn't escape the valkyr's hearing hear Dae muttering that under his breath considering how near they are to one another. "Even the bumpy road wanted to interrupt you two, I guess the universe in its whole wants to be your third wheel after all" The niveis as usual, would take this moment to tease the couple sitting at the back seat even though Han is glaring lasers. It wasn't the first time for them to hold hands but when Yeon suddenly took his hand into his, Dae's gaze fell on their grip momentarily before returning to the road ahead of them, swallowing hard, for some reason his hand felt… sweaty all of sudden. 

But he didn't mind it. Not really. It felt… warm but nice? The same feeling Yeon usually gives when he's near but he never did notice it until recently. Upon hearing Han's remark, he cleared his throat and turned on another channel where a more upbeat song was blaring through the radio, "Much better…" He didn't notice how much time had passed but mostly they would just chat lightly and the lack of traffic enabled them to get to the airport faster. Soon he was already entering the airport basement parking lot, eyes searching for a space nearby and managed to park at the 2nd floor. "I don't know why I volunteered to drive because my back is killing me…"

Jae laughed under his breath when Han pointed out that he enjoyed poking fun at Dae “And this is why you make it hard to be on your side” he teased as his hands came to cup either side of Han’s face and he shook his head in amusement, the star really asked for trouble sometimes “You’re really lucky to have those doe eyes, I’m sure they’ve saved you many times” who could be mean to Han when he was looking at them with those wide eyes. “Well there’s a difference between eating because you need it to survive and making a whole lifestyle around what’s for dinner the next day” he jested playfully knowing Han always planned their meals and got himself psyched up for whatever was next.

“Yeon did say it’s fine” he commented and grinned over at the valkyr innocently, Yeon did have a nice place and they could check in every so often to clean up a bit and make sure it was nice, he definitely got the feeling that Yeon was going to come back one day and when he did, he wanted to make sure he was coming back to his home. “You’re easy to bribe you know?” the dhampir smiled softly, the star was easily pleased honestly, he liked food and sweets and plushies and something as simple as the promise of a bath with nice-smelling salts made him happy. Not that Jae was complaining.

“Maybe we should take a trip, it’s been a while since you went on a spending spree” he teased noting how much Han liked the candles there, he swore they had like 20 of them scattered around the house. After the bump in the road, Jae moved to the side a little so that he wasn’t crushing Han but before long he was laying his head against his shoulder again, he wanted to be close to him. “Maybe you’d use it more if you weren’t feeling so daunted by it’s small size though” right now Han would usually go out of his way to avoid getting in the car.

Before long they were pulling up at the airport and Jae got out of the car, going around and helping Yeon get his suitcase before following behind the group as they headed into the terminal. Before long they had found their way to the check-in desk and Yeon was handing over his luggage.

The celestial let out an indignant whine when Jae pointed out how hard it makes him to be on his side, "No need to rub in my wound gosh Jae, stating the obvious is a jab to my ego" he groaned and playfully pushed him aside, to which when the dhampir cupped his face made him stare into the younger Moon's cocoa hues with a similar soft look himself. A grin was stretched out when he said his doe eyes often saved him, "You love these doe eyes" he shot, pointing to his eyes from the sides. The fallen star pouted and stared blankly at the Yeon's backseat as if he was contemplating the purpose of living before letting out a scoff, "I don't see the difference" he shook his head, food is food. Of course, he knows the difference but he enjoyed teasing Jae. Yeon did say that, the idea of using his volakiri's place so it wouldn't be abandoned was not a jarring one.

"Doesn't that make it easy for you to bribe me? You should be grateful, Jae" he teased, "if I was hard to please… then we're going to deal with a lot of tantrum episodes. Technically like Dae never stopped pointing out, I'm what? 7 years old?" Besides, what could go wrong with a warm bath? It's the easiest yet most comforting thing to have. If you have the privilege to have hot water, you should use it. Han was too used to the cold back then so the moment he got anything warm, he fell head over heels on it. Examples being hot cocoa and warm baths. "Should we?" His ears perked up and eyes lit up when he heard what Jae suggested, "I'll schedule a trip later" that sounds like an excited bunny for sure. 

Han is claustrauphobic and they all knew that, his case used tobbr very severe but after a few therapies, it got bearable. Still, he tries to avoid whatever cramped spaces there are, including cars because he's strapped into place to drive. "I'll… we'll take a look at the catalogues later and see what would be a good upgrade" Han is working a higher position after he was appointed as one of the two junior analyst at the new Denver's research facility, which meant more papers meant a higher allowance for him. Once they arrived, the first one to get out was Han, who was stretching out his limbs as he trailed behind them with Jae. Seeing Yeon check in his luggage made him frown slightly, he's reminded this is actually happening. Yeon's leaving. He looked like a saddened puppy with his hand tugging on Jae's sleeves like he just got scolded.

Yeon nodded in agreement to Dae’s words “No one is impervious to fear, even if it might seem like it sometimes, deep down there is something that scares them” if someone was completely without fear then there would be no way to stop them “Though I sometimes wonder why it has to be heights” he hated the idea of falling and whenever he looked down from a large height his whole body would start trembling without his permission, it was rather frustrating he would admit. Yeon chuckled when Dae reminded him of his love for his jacket “I know...I’m not a soulless monster who does around ruining expensive leather jackets for fun you know” though he had bought Dae an equally expensive one to add to his collection for his birthday.

Yeon grinned at Dae but didn’t say another word when he told him to shut up after teasing him and he just made himself comfortable against the seat, Dae was right, he was dashing and he would take the compliment at face value, even if he was grumbling to himself. “They’ll still find a way back together even if the world tries to split them” if he had learned anything about Han and Jae it was that they were good at beating the odds. They were very much in love, anyone could see that and they fought for one another in a way that he found endearing, he was sure his volakiri would be in good hands as long as Jae was around to be with him. “The universe is jealous we got there first” he joked with a smirk on his lips.

The happier song did lift the mood he would admit, along with the feeling of Dae’s hand in his that helped him to keep his head straight and before long they were pulling up in the parking lot. He thanked Jae for helping to get his luggage out and tugged it behind him as he headed through the familiar airport and headed up to the first-class check-in desk, before long his stuff was handed over and he had his boarding pass. They asked if he wanted to go through the premium security but he shook his head, glancing back to the group of three waiting for him “I’ve got time to go through the regular today, give my spot to someone else” he commented and smiled as he headed off.

The moment he turned around though, he felt a swelling in his chest, knowing that this was really it. He slowly made his way over towards them all and shuffled on the spot “Don’t tell me all three of you are gonna see me to the gate” he commented, though his voice faltered a little as he looked back at Han, there were tears in his eyes as he tried to hold back the emotions

He chuckled and leaned back against the seat as he leveled his gaze at the windshield, staring into the view before them as he let out a resigned sigh, why does his heart feel so heavy? It feels like something was tightened around it, a barbed wire? Is this really what he's going through? "Maybe because you can't be perfect at everything" he teased, glancing over to the valkyr sitting next to him at the passenger seat with a coy smile, "and heights seemed like a pretty relative fear for most people. Besides, doesn't it balance out that you're afraid of heights but have a friend who's basically flying everywhere for fun?" He wouldn't say it out loud but the idea of being close to what could be considered as Yeon's salvation to that fear, the feeling where he could save him, it's extremely reassuring to the niveis. 

He remembered when Yeon gifted him an equally expensive if not more, jacket on his birthday. It was really high quality and sturdy so he cherished it even more knowing who it was from. He did spare a glance at the back when Yeon said that before returning his gaze on the road, it was only for a split second and incredibly reckless, not to mention, irresponsible coming from him the driver but Dae was sure he would only take a peek and he did. Han and Jae was the kind of love he wanted so badly to believe in but wasn't sure if he had the capacity to do so. If it doesn't happen to him, would he be able to ever understand it completely? It doesn't seem possible. "As it should" he chuckled when Yeon said the universe was jealous they got there first. 

The comforting hold the valkyr had on him made his heart flutter, he couldn't deny that at all or else he'd be lying to himself again and honestly, it's been very tiring to keep doing that. Dae tightened his grip to firmly hold his hand every few seconds and it felt just right. The only thing he kept wishing until they arrived at the airport was that Yeon wouldn't let go of his hand. He swore his heart sunk when they had to retract their hands away as they exited the car. When Yeon came back after checking in his luggage, he noticed Han was teary eyed and looking solemn, he had to control his emotions. Not here, he reminded himself. "You're not going through the usual route?" He asked softly, his voice sounded really gentle, it was unlike the tone he would ever use to anyone else. He was secretly grateful Yeon would be able to spend more time with them even though he could probably go through the security earlier with the perks. Dae also noticed the blond getting teary eyed which is really gnawing at his heart, "Why not? Can't we do that?" From the tone of his voice, it was clear that Dae didn't sound like he was even teasing him, because his voice cracked halfway. 

Jae stayed at the back of the group as they headed into the airport, there was a solemn mood that had fallen between them all and he could sense from the way Han was holding on to him so tight that he was moments from breaking down. He kept hold of him, tightly wrapping his hand around the star’s and squeezing softly to ensure him that he was here. He couldn’t make this any easier for Dae and Han, they were losing someone important to them today and while it wasn’t forever and they could still see Yeon, he understood how hard it was to be away from those you care about, he missed his family back in Korea every day.

When Yeon turned back he could see the tears welling in his eyes and he saw the way Han and Dae both seemed to be frozen on the spot so he took a moment to break away from Han and move towards the valkyr, putting his hands on his shoulders and smiling softly “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they both are well taken care of” he assured him with a soft, slightly saddened grin, it seemed like he was the strongest one here right now which was saying something considering he was usually one of the first to cry.

“Take care of yourself” he told him before taking a step back and heading back over to where Han was still standing, he nudged him forward for a moment before glancing over to the regular security entry where Yeon would be heading after everyone said their goodbyes. What a strange bond they had all developed together after the past few years of knowing one another.

If the drive to the airport was daunting for the celestial, the moment they stepped outside and entered the airport was when it escalated further. Han wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline or something but god his heart is beating so fast he could barely calm them down. As they walked behind Yeon and Dae, he realized he had tears welling up already. Oh god this is really killing him. He didn't want to say goodbye like this. Jae had a tight but reassuring grip on him and Han couldn't help but return the hold, he needed this and he was immensely grateful that the dhampir knew what he's going through. Han knew he was going to feel this pain when Yeon departs but could it be that the feelings are amplified even more considering their volakiri bond? 

Even so, it still made sense for both of them to feel the way they felt. Yeon is upset to leave them and Han is too. He didn't want to let go of his volakiri. But he couldn't ask Yeon to give up on his dreams, not after he has supported and gushed over the completion for so long. Seeing the tears forming from Yeon was what made him burst, he couldn't hold the dam back, it came bursting and he couldn't even stop it. The tears streamed down his cheeks as he sniffled, watching Jae reassure the valkyr that he would be taking good care of them both. That's when he noticed Dae's reaction and honestly even though he expected it as much because he knew the niveis held more than he would admit, seeing him this vulnerable might be the first. 

"I'll be fine… I'll be okay…" he wiped the tears away with his sleeves and mumbled softly and went forward to engulf him into a hug. "You… you should take care of yourself… don't forget about us here… don't make me go to NYC to remind you that your other half is here waiting for you." After a while, he pulled away and grumbled, "This isn't goodbye and I know it." He saw Dae and knew it was better to give them this space instead so he backed away reluctantly, going back to Jae's side and whimpering softly in response.

Yeon pressed his lips together when Dae asked him if he wasn’t going through the fast track “That’s okay...it’s not like I’m late and in a rush” he assured him before feeling his heart clench the moment he heard Dae’s voice crack, that small thing said more than either of them were willing to say out loud and it was in that moment the first tear fell. If anything he was thankful when Jae interrupted to say his goodbye first, he smiled as he looked the dhampir in the eye and nodded “You make sure they both stay out of trouble okay, I’m counting on you” he assured him before nodded as he said to take care of himself “Always do” he commented and waved him off.

If only every goodbye could be so simple. His heart hurt before he even turned to look at Han who was already welling up, the moment the star step forward, Yeon opened his arms to reciprocate his hug, pulling the celestial tight against his shoulder and rubbing gently against his back while a few tears of his own escape. “You will be fine...I know it because you are stronger than you think you are” he soothed softly and smiled when Han warned him not to forget about him “How could I ever forget you” he spoke softly before pulling back to look Han in the eyes, wiping his tears gently with his thumb “I’ll see you sooner than you know it, hyung” he assured him with a gentle smile as he allowed Han to back away.

Which left the hardest goodbye of them all. He stood there for a moment, wiping at his tears before he moved closer to Dae and forced a smile “You know this isn’t goodbye for us either right?” he spoke softly as he reached for his hands to hold it in his. His fingers curling against his to lace them together “What would I do without my partner in crime?” he spoke softly, the tears still evident in his eyes as he forced himself not to falter and look away from Dae. “Promise me you’ll come visit? I know you aren’t the type to show up unannounced but...for me...promise me you will” he asked him with a small, sad smile.

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