Return of the Moon Man

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"Do you ever wonder if we'd be friends forever?"

"I dont see a reason not to be"

"Yeah but what if you decide to leave one day ?"

"I'll always come back Seungyounnie."

Seungyoun held onto Hangyul tightly as their first hug in eight years felt almost electric. Seungyoun almost forgot that they were at the space station, he still tried to convince himself that he did not deserve to be happy.

Hangyul buried his face in Seungyoun's chest as he sobbed. He had been on earth for around fourteen days now but this moment made it finally feel like he was truly at home.

"Im so sorry I left Seungyoun" Hangyul finally said as the two pulled apart.

"Dont apologize you lived your dream" Seungyoun consoled him and wiped away his tears. Hangyul finally stepped back and took a first look at his now much older friend. His eyes seemed aged, but his smile was still youthful.

"How old are you ?" Hangyul frowned as he studied Seungyoun's face.

"turning the big thirty in a few months" Seungyoun bit down on his lip realizing that even though they were the same age, Hangyul had clearly not lived as many years as he did.

"Wow your'e old" Hangyul chuckled, "eight years and yet for me it was just one excruciating long year."

The conversation went silent as the two knew they had a lot to discuss, both living completely different lives for a different period of time.

"Seungyoun"

Seungyoun turned around and was greeted by the worker he met at the open day years ago. The same worker who gave him the handbook and drove him home the day Hangyul was announced to be leaving.

"Bomin ?" Seungyoun quizzed as he noticed the man wearing the same worker uniform despite the many years that have passed.

"Wow it is you" Bomin chuckled and shook Seungyoun's hand, "I heard all about your studies I guess my handbook came in handy huh ? its good to have you back Hangyul."

Hangyul bowed politely as Bomin made his way over to greet the other astronauts and families.

"How do you know Kim Bomin ?" Hangyul asked, astonished by the brief interaction.

"You know him ?" Seungyoun frowned.

"He did the first huge expedition years ago" Hangyul explained as they watched Bomin talk to the elderly captain on the podium.

"He too got stuck on a weird planet where time worked differently. The captain is his son."

Seungyoun's eyes widened as he noticed Bomin's young cheery self help the elderly captain off the podium and the captain squeezed his hand playfully as they left.

"He knew it might happen again...he made me not lose hope" Seungyoun murmured.

"What ?" Hangyul peered in Seungyoun's focus.

"Its nothing, come on lets get going" Seungyoun smiled and rejoined Hangyul's parents.

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Over the next two weeks Hangyul was on a strict diet and Seungyoun was there to make sure he was able to adjust to being home again. Hangyul was handling everything pretty well until nightfall where he would get extremely bad nightmares due to PTSD.

"Seungyoun I cant sleep" Hangyul whispered over the phone at 3 in the morning.

"Do you want to go to the observatory ? I'll pick you up in a bit" Seungyoun cut the call and grabbed his coat and car keys.

Seungyoun held onto Hangyul's hand tightly as he helped him get to the rooftop, making sure his movements were slow and gentle.

"Are you cold ? Do you want my coat ?" Seungyoun asked softly as he checked Hangyul's temperature by feeling his forehead.

"Im not a baby!" Hangyul whined and smacked Seungyoun's hand away taking a seat on the blanket that they set up.

"Is that how you talk to your elders?!" Seungyoun groaned, "Wow kids of today have no manners."

Hangyul rolled his eyes playfully and pulled Seungyoun down onto the blanket immediately snuggling up to him as they watched the stars float by in the night sky.

He immediately felt calm. He missed this feeling but more now knowing that all these years, even though it was just months for him - Seungyoun loved him back.

"You were with someone else during our time apart right ?" Hangyul murmured and noticed a piece of jewelry that Seungyoun wore regularly.

"Yes" Seungyoun simply replied still focusing on the stars.

"What was he like ?"

"He was great" Seungyoun smiled. "smart, handsome, kind and way out of my league.

"He was the one who brought you back to me. That's how incredibly pure he was. He knew how much I missed you that he'd push aside his own feelings to help me."

Hangyul looked up at Seungyoun, noticing a stray tear falling from his eyes.

"Im grateful for him I hope he gets to meet his soulmate too, since he brought me back to mine" Hangyul whispered.

Seungyoun watched as Hangyul caressed his cheek and leaned in, pressing his soft lips on his. Their eyes closed as Seungyoun wrapped his hand around the back of Hangyul's neck, pulling him into the electrifying kiss that he wished could last a lifetime. Time stood still for once to their advantage, it was just them and the stars.

"I love you" Seungyoun whispered as they parted lips.

"I love you too Seungyounnie" Hangyul smiled basking in a moment that would now be theirs forever.