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“Fuck!”
Changbin swore as the emergency lights flipped on, every alert button blaring. This was not how this was supposed to go; all of his calculations were accurate, so why was this all blowing up in his face now? The collider had run this same test just yesterday and nothing bad happened. Sparks flew inside the chamber. Smoke started to rise.“If there’s anyone else still in here, pull the fire alarm!” Changbin rushed, grabbing an extinguisher. “I’m gonna go in and do my best, but we need EMS! I don’t know how long the reactor will h—”An explosion knocked him off his feet, sending him sprawling into the computer stacks. He had no idea if anyone else was even here to listen to him. Everyone had made a mad dash for the exits when the first explosion hit, but Changbin needed to do what he could to salvage the project. He could be alone, for all he knew.More sparks and arcing crackles of electricity showered from the reactor, shattering the protective glass sealing the collision chamber. That shouldn’t be possible, Changbin thought. That glass can’t be cracked by anything short of a diamond bit. Another snap of electricity arced off the failing machine, hitting Changbin square in the chest, and the world around him went black in an instant.***When Changbin opened his eyes, it was to a world of hurt. He was laying on the ground, outside somewhere if he had to guess by the bright blue sky overhead. The sound of cicadas droned on in the background. It was winter, though…“Who are you?” someone asked off to his left, and with a groan Changbin looked over to see who was there. A man in simple grey hanbok stood in the middle of a dirt path. Who the hell dressed like that?“Where am I?” Changbin asked, needing more answers before he responded to whoever this guy was. “Who are you?”“I asked first,” the guy squinted. “Why are you dressed like that?”“Who, me?” Changbin laughed. “That’s rich coming from you, Gandalf.”“Who the fuck is Gandalf?”“Well, you’re a man of poor taste,” Changbin sighed, hauling himself to his feet. “Shame. We could’ve been great friends.”“You still haven’t told me your name, you know,” Not-Gandalf muttered in irritation. Changbin supposed he would stop being difficult, if only to keep this conversation civil.“My name is Seo Changbin,” he replied hesitantly. “Who are you?”“Kim Seungmin.”“Well, Seungmin, where the fuck are we?”The man just gave him a disapproving look. “What?”“Why are you here?”Changbin laughed at the audacity this guy had. “I have no fucking clue, man. I’m trying to figure that out, too.”“Must be of the devil,” Seungmin squinted. “You’re not welcome here, evil spirit. Go back to where you came from.”“Excuse you?” Changbin grunted. “Can you please just tell me where I am?”Seungmin refused, muttering a hasty prayer under his breath. What the fuck was up with this guy? Why was he dressed in such dated clothes?“Will you at least point me in the direction of someone who will answer my questions?”“No,” Seungmin said resolutely. “You will leave the others out of this, demon. I will tell you what you need to know, just stay away from my people.”“Your people?”“The people in this village are of the faith,” Seungmin continued. “They are protected from your vile influence. You have no hold over them.”“I’m not trying to hold anyone or anything like that,” Changbin stressed. “I’m just confused and a little bit scared because I have no idea where I am.”“We’re just outside of Seoul, to the east. Small town.”“No fucking way is this just outside of Seoul,” Changbin scoffed. “Where’s the highways? The buildings?”“This is the highway,” Seungmin gestured to the dirt path. “We have travellers all the time. As for the buildings, they’re a little further along still. I just live a little ways out, is all.”“No,” Changbin frowned. “That’s not right.”“I’m sure it is,” Seungmin hummed. “Why, what do you think this is?”“I think this is a bad dream and I’m going to wake up in my apartment,” Changbin breathed. “That’s it. Just a bad dream.”“I wish. This is very much real life.”“…What year is it?” Changbin asked, a hint of suspicion in his heart. The supercollider had been looking into temporal shifts… could he have—“It’s 1487,” Seungmin answered simply, and that settled it.Changbin had actually time-travelled.***“Seungmin.”“What, demon?”Changbin rolled his eyes. “I’m not a demon. I told you, I’m just not from around here.”“Liar,” Seungmin sniffed. “You appeared out of thin air, like a spectre. You can’t hide your foul magic from me.”“I know,” Changbin stressed. “Trust me, I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t want to be here as much as you don’t want me here.”“Whatever,” Seungmin scoffed. “What do you want?”“Look, I want to just talk, okay? I need to process what’s going on.”“How do you think I feel?” Seungmin shot back. “The only reason I’m even talking to you is to get you to leave. I am not your friend to commiserate to.”“Why are you so fucking convinced I’m a demon?” Changbin bit. “You’re delusional.”“I already told you, I saw you come here. One moment it was just me on my way to the market, the next you just appear in front of me like magic. You’re dressed in strange robes and are unaccustomed to the times, and you are clearly trying to win me over to your side. I want no part in the dealings of Hell.”“Listen, I didn’t ask to come here, okay?” Changbin grit out. “It was an accident. Where I’m from, I worked with machines that could do amazing things, but mine… it broke. It sent me here on accident.”“That doesn’t make me any less suspicious of you,” Seungmin said resolutely. “Strange machines are surely not of God.”“Listen, I’ll leave if you just show me to someone who can help me.”“No. You have to go back to where you came from.”“And I fucking need help to do that!” Changbin shouted. He was so goddamn tired of this guy. “I want to go home and I can’t because I don’t have anyone to help me!”Seungmin just stared at him blankly, and the longer they sat in tense silence the angrier Changbin became. Right as he was about to go off the handle, though, Seungmin spoke.“…I will help you,” he started quietly, voice icy, “on one condition.”“What,” Changbin grit out.“Anything I ask of you, you must do. I will not abuse this power, but I will dictate how you behave around the townspeople so that you do not scare them. You will also join me in prayer and respect the Lord while you are here.”“Fine,” Changbin sighed. “Now can we please just talk civilly?”“I suppose… Let’s go to my home, then.”“Lead the way.”***“So, I take it you wish for me to suspend disbelief while you tell me your story,” Seungmin drawled as he and Changbin sat down in the man’s study. “I will do my best.”“Thank you,” Changbin started. “You said the year is 1487, correct?”“It is.”“Well, I’m from the year 2024. Almost 2025 now.”Seungmin’s brow furrowed. “What? How is that possible?”“Time isn’t necessarily linear,” Changbin began. “Me and my colleagues were studying it by using some very complex machines, hoping to gain the key to travelling through time itself. We wanted to know if we could go to the past, or the future… but there was an accident. Something failed, and the machine exploded. Everyone ran but me, and I got caught in the mess. I woke up here after being hit by probably fifty million volts of electricity.”“…So your machine worked,” Seungmin said slowly, clearly thinking hard. “You travelled to the past.”“I guess so. Now I have no idea how to get home, because there’s no way I can build another machine with the resources of the times. I’m trapped.”“And that’s what you expect me to believe?”Changbin sighed. “I know it sounds bogus, but it’s true. I can tell you more about my world if you have questions. I can even tell you more about yours.”Seungmin eyed him apprehensively. “You seek to feed me lies.”“What the fuck, man, I just want to extend an olive branch,” Changbin groaned. “You’re unbelievable.”“At least I’m a man of God.”“What the fuck does that even mean, anyway? Are you a priest or something?”Seungmin shook his head. “No. I’m more of a community leader.”“Which is why you’re so protective of the town,” Changbin nodded. He was beginning to get it. “You’re like a mayor or some shit.”“A what?”“Never mind,” Changbin dismissed. “Look, I know you hate my guts and all, but do you have anything to eat? I’m not a demon. I have to eat to live.”“I will feed you, yes,” Seungmin muttered, gesturing to the door. “Let us go to the kitchen.”Changbin followed Seungmin, though they didn’t have to go far. Seungmin lived modestly, in a house about the same size as Changbin’s apartment. He was offered an orange once they reached the kitchen.“So, you said you’re going to dictate how I act in the village,” he started. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about taking me there?”Seungmin nodded grumpily. “I’m not about to leave you to your own devices, so you’ll have to come with me at some point.”“I’m curious. Can we go now?”“…I suppose I do still have to go to the market,” Seungmin sighed. “First, though, you need to change clothes. You’ll draw attention to yourself looking like that.”“Seriously?” Changbin rolled his eyes. “Your stuff probably won’t even fit me.”“We’ll make it work,” Seungmin said resolutely. Changbin supposed he had no choice.When they had finally gotten him into an outfit that wasn’t half bad, Changbin felt his nerves return in full force. He was about to go explore a Joseon village in the flesh. Following Seungmin down the lane, the closer they drew to the town the faster his heart raced. He had been instructed to stay quiet and follow close behind Seungmin, but he could manage to observe well while following directions.“If anyone asks who you are, say you’re visiting me from the capital,” Seungmin told him once they could see the village in the hills ahead. “They know I have dealings with many people there and won’t bother for more information.”“Fine,” he nodded. He just wanted to see the market.***“And who might you be, hm?” the man running the bakery stand asked Changbin as he handed Seungmin a loaf of bread. “I haven’t seen you around.”“Oh, I’m from the capital,” Changbin lied. “I’m just here to see Seungmin.”“Ah, here for all that business-y stuff,” the guy hummed. “Seungmin hyung works so hard for us, doesn’t he?”“Relax, Jeongin,” Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I promise I do more than hold meetings and plan.”“Really?” Jeongin gasped, eyes mirthful. “I’d have never known. Anyway, get out of my line and finish your shopping, hyung.”They left the baker’s stall and hit a few more stands, Seungmin and Changbin’s arms slowly becoming laden with more and more fresh produce and foodstuffs. Seungmin had promised they were going to leave soon.“One last stop,” he promised, and Changbin prayed he’d keep his word. Among other things he had been carrying a huge sack of sweet potatoes for about an hour now, and it was starting to get heavy. “I just need to pick up my order at the apothecary.”“Okay.”They walked in tense silence, Seungmin somehow watching him like a hawk while simultaneously navigating the swarm of people in the market. Changbin was stressed as hell, but Seungmin just cut through the sea of people with purpose. He could admire that about the man; as frustrating as he was, he always held an air of refinement that made him seem so esteemed.“Welcome in,” the man running the apothecary called out as they stepped into the shop. “Good to see you, Seungmin-ssi. I have your teas ready.”“Thank you, Minho-ssi,” Seungmin hummed as he accepted the parcel the shopkeeper held out to him. “Come by for dinner sometime so we can discuss your grant for studying new medicinal herbs.”“How about Friday?” Minho asked, and Seungmin nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you then.”“See you then.”“So are you on a first-name basis with everyone here?” Changbin asked once they had left town. “Everyone seems really friendly.”“I care for them like I would my own family,” Seungmin nodded. “I am forever indebted to the people of this village, so I treat them like my own flesh and blood. They respond in turn.”“Indebted?” Changbin asked, intrigued. He doubted he would get an answer.“Not your business,” Seungmin dismissed. “I don’t feel like telling you.”“Listen,” Changbin started. “If we want to get anywhere we have to at least be willing to communicate with each other. That’s the only way we can get me out of here, is if you stop with the stick up your ass and start treating me like a human being.”“But you’re—”“—I’m not a demon!” Changbin snapped. “I’m just a guy with the worst luck on the planet! I don’t know how to get that through your thick skull!”“I’m scared, okay?” Seungmin shouted back. “There. I said it.”Changbin paused in his anger. “Why the fuck would you be scared?”Seungmin took a deep breath. “I have a specific way I go about my life,” he started quietly. “I like order. I like to know what’s going on. Things have their place and time, and I uphold that. Always. You’re an outlier, and that means change. I hate dealing with change.”“I’m not going to force you to change your life for me,” Changbin swore. “Just think of me as a friend from the capital. If it’ll work for the townspeople, let it work for you.”“I can’t,” Seungmin breathed. “I have—I’ve already gotten wound up in your web. It’s too late to change.”“It’s never too late to change,” Changbin said resolutely. “I believe you can.”***“Changbin, wake up.”He groaned, rolling over on the mat on the floor he had been given to sleep upon. He missed his bed. “What?”“Get up. We’re going to pray.”“What time is it, even?” Changbin hissed, squinting against the sunlight hitting him in the face. “Damn, I slept like shit…”“It’s time to get up, is what time it is,” Seungmin urged. “Come on. The shrine isn’t far.”“We have to walk?” Changbin complained. “I literally just woke up.”“I let you sleep in,” Seungmin replied tersely. “Now come with me.”Changbin dragged himself out of bed and out of Seungmin’s cottage, taking the path from the backyard door to the little shrine on the edge of Seungmin’s property. Changbin didn’t quite know what to do, but he followed Seungmin around as they cleansed themselves and sat to meditate. Changbin actually didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would.“So do you do this every day?” Changbin asked as Seungmin swept fallen leaves and dirt off out of the courtyard. “Come to the shrine, that is?”“Yes,” Seungmin nodded. “It’s calming. Always has been.”Changbin supposed he could see where Seungmin was coming from. “Is faith a big part of your life, then?”“It is,” Seungmin nodded. “It gives me structure. I thrive on ritual.”“So you come out to your shrine every day.”“Exactly.”The silence that stretched afterwards was long but not nearly as tense as usual. Changbin just watched Seungmin tend to the gardening as he sat near the altar.He wondered briefly how his coworkers back home were doing. Was everyone unharmed? Was the collider salvageable? Work had been his safe place, his home away from home. He loved the laboratory. Now it was gone.“Tell me,” Seungmin started slowly, “do they still have faith in your time?”Changbin was surprised. This was the first time Seungmin had acknowledged his story to be true. “They do,” he nodded. “It may look different sometimes, but it’s still faith.”Seungmin hummed nonchalantly, expression still guarded. “And you? Do you have faith?”“Kind of,” Changbin replied. “I have an understanding of the natural world that puts me at ease.”“And what understanding would that be?”“That we defied the odds of existence. We’re one-in-a-billion. The mere fact that we’re alive is to be celebrated.”“But doesn’t that feel empty to you?” Seungmin asked. “No breath of passion from a loving creator?”“I think the farthest I’d go is to say a loving creator gave us the dice,” Changbin replied. “Life, and the afterlife for that matter, are what we make of it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”“Does everyone think that way, where you’re from?”“Hell no,” Changbin laughed. “Like I said, faith looks different for everyone. In my world—not always, but sometimes—people come to the understanding that religion is a personal choice.”“But won’t that cause rifts between parties?”“The rifts were already there,” Changbin replied. “But yes, there’s division.”A short silence stretched, and then Seungmin spoke. “I’ve seen the beginnings of it in my townspeople,” he admitted. “People question the order of things, and I don’t know the answers.”“That’s what life is all about,” Changbin said earnestly. “Finding out the answers for yourself.”***“Oh, come in, Minho-ssi,” Seungmin rushed; Changbin looked up from where he had been staring out the window at the pouring rain. “Don’t mind Changbin, let’s talk business.”Changbin rolled his eyes. At least Seungmin was acknowledging him now. Minho gave him a quick wave, which he returned in kind.“So, I spoke with one of the medicine men in Seoul for you, and he’s willing to fund your research on medicinal herbology on the condition that you share your findings with him. Should I let him know we’re interested?”“Please,” Minho nodded. Changbin couldn’t help but be interested about what all Seungmin actually did for the townspeople. Here he was setting up research grants? Maybe his life was closer to Changbin’s than he thought.“I’ll message him right away, then,” Seungmin agreed. “Would you like some tea before you leave?”“Sure, and conversation with your guest. I never get to meet the people you work with.”Seungmin looked back at Changbin with a warning look on his face, and he nodded in understanding. Play the part. “My name is Changbin,” he introduced, turning to face the two of them seated in the living area. “I’m here from Seoul to, uh, advise Seungmin on some business matters.”“Like what?”Damn, this guy was curious. “Uh, mostly focusing on any, um, changes he might want to implement for… logistical purposes.”Seungmin rolled his eyes, and Changbin just gave him a pointed glare. He was trying, okay?“Logistics, eh?” Minho hummed. “Are we talking hiring him an assistant? Because he could sure use one.”“That’s under consideration, yes,” Changbin lied. Should it be it, though? He supposed he knew that Seungmin was dedicated to his village; he was probably a workaholic, too. Who knows how much stress relief having an extra set of hands around here would give. “Any other suggestions?”“Tell him it’s okay to take a break every now and again.”“Will do,” Changbin nodded. “He works too hard, doesn’t he?”“He sure does.”***“We still haven’t really talked about how we plan to send you home,” Seungmin sighed. “You mentioned a machine. What did it do?”Changbin prepared himself for a lot of feelings. “It was supposed to smash little tiny particles together to measure its effect on time,” he explained. “It’s all pretty complicated, but that’s the basic idea.”“Why would you want to do that?”“To understand more about the universe,” Changbin replied. “That’s every scientist’s goal, is to learn as much as possible about our world. It’s what drives innovation.”“It’s what drives change,” Seungmin sighed distastefully. Changbin remembered how little he liked change. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand that.”“Why not?”“Because I don’t want to.”“Why?”Seungmin shot him a glare. “You’re being awfully persistent. I don’t like that.”“Look, I just want to get you to admit you need help.”“That’s not even what we’re supposed to be talking about!” Seungmin burst out. “I’m trying to get you home, in case you’ve forg—”“—There is no way home,” Changbin cut in, feeling his heart skip a beat. There. He said it. “There is no way home, Seungmin.”Seungmin just sat there staring at him, brows furrowed. Changbin could feel the panic attack coming, but he had no way out. Seungmin would see him crumble.“What happened to your drive, hm?” Seungmin asked, and Changbin was shocked at the gentleness of that statement. It was almost caring, but not quite. More like encouraging. “I thought you were the kind of person to search for answers.”“I’m tired of searching,” Changbin admitted. “Have been for a while. There’s no way back.”“Sure there is.”Changbin sighed. “Seungmin, listen,” he started. “I came here completely by accident. This was a fluke. An outlier. There’s no data to tell me how this will turn out. I need to accept that—that I can’t—”He broke down for the first time in the whole week he had been here, silent sobs wracking his body. Seungmin looked on in quiet horror, discomfort written all over his face. Changbin hadn’t intended on crying, but he was just so damn frustrated, and—He felt a hand alight on his shoulder, and he looked up in surprise to see Seungmin by his side. The man offered him an awkward smile before walking away, and Changbin felt the despair in his heart begin to lift ever so slightly. Maybe he would be okay after all.***“I have to go to Seoul,” Seungmin said one day as Changbin went around watering plants. They had fallen into a quiet routine since Changbin’s outburst at the thought of no way home. They would wake up together and go to the shrine, Changbin would entertain himself with small projects Seungmin suggested around the house and in the garden, they would eat dinner together, and then they’d sit around and chat until it was time to retire for the night. Rinse and repeat, day in and day out.“What for?”“I need to collect the payment for Minho’s research grant,” Seungmin replied. “We agreed to do it in person because we don’t trust anyone to deliver.”“Want me to come with?” Changbin asked, interested to see the city himself. “I can be your bodyguard.”“That’s actually not a half-bad idea,” Seungmin agreed. “There have been bandits reported on the roads coming to and from the capital.”“I’ve been mugged before,” Changbin nodded. “Having backup is nice.”“You what?” Seungmin gawked, looking positively aghast.“They caught the guys though,” he offered in return, shrugging. “All in all I got ninety percent of my stuff back.”“And you’re alive?”“Well yeah,” Changbin laughed. “Where I’m from, medical care is pretty advanced. Not that I was in any real danger from that fight, but still. I could probably even tell Minho whether or not the herbs he’s researching have any effects on humans.”Seungmin shook his head. “Don’t tell him. He’d hate that.”“Well of course I won’t really,” Changbin clarified. “I’m not about to break the prime directive any more than I already have.”“The prime what?”“Sorry, you wouldn’t get it,” Changbin chuckled. “It’s from a show.”“A show?”Seungmin really was beginning to open up to Changbin’s tales of home, actually seeming to enjoy hearing about the future. It was endearing; Changbin hadn’t encountered anyone quite as curious as Seungmin. “It’s like a play,” he clarified. “You watch them on a machine that creates moving pictures.”“That sounds like black magic.”“I mean, technology kind of is,” Changbin grinned. “It’s given us the power to change fate. We’ve learned to stop plagues and fly the skies and take pictures of galaxies. We’ve moved beyond surviving into living.”“You can stop plagues, huh?” Seungmin said quietly, and Changbin realised he must’ve hit a nerve. His voice cracked a little at the end of his sentence; they were venturing into dangerous territory now.“Yeah,” Changbin nodded. “Not always, but there are some that have been wiped out for good.”“It’s why I work so hard, you know,” Seungmin offered, and Changbin frowned. What did he mean by that? “Because I couldn’t stop a plague.”“How do you mean?”“I’m not from here,” Seungmin started. “I grew up farther out into the country. One winter a horrible sickness tore through our village, and everyone but me and a few others died. I was a child and I had no family or friends left anymore, and I wandered all the way here before I was found by the nearby monastery.”“I’m sorry for your loss,” Changbin murmured. He couldn’t imagine the pain losing everyone like that would bring.“The people here welcomed me with open arms despite their own modest lives, and I decided to repay the favour now that I’m a grown man. I have to help as many people as I can, because they saved my life.”“I’m glad you have them,” Changbin smiled. Seungmin smiled back, wiping at the tears collecting on his lashes. Despite his high emotions he still looked as regal as ever.“That’s why I was hard on you when you first came here, too,” Seungmin admitted. “Because I saw you as a threat to the people I loved.”“And how do you see me now?” Changbin asked, heart picking up its pace. Why did this cause him such anticipation?“…You’re a friend,” Seungmin said finally, and Changbin’s mood took a slight dive. He should be happy about being called a friend; why wasn’t he happy?“Good,” he nodded, trying to dispel the vague sense of disappointment he had. “I’m glad you don’t hate me anymore.”***“Are you ready?”“Whenever you are,” Changbin answered. They had just finished preparing for their trip to Seoul to collect Minho’s grant. The trip would take about a day and a half each way, and Changbin was in charge of protecting Seungmin. Thank god he had taken self-defence lessons.“Then let’s go while it’s still early,” Seungmin urged. “Come on, let’s go.”They chatted quietly as they trekked through the countryside, Changbin always keeping an eye peeled for anyone who looked suspicious. He found himself actually enjoying Seungmin’s presence these days, doing his best to keep it civil. It helped that Seungmin seemed to be warming up to him; he’d even get a laugh out every once in a while.“—And he thought it was a joke, so he told me to fuck off,” Seungmin laughed, telling a story about Jeongin. The two of them had grown up together, apparently, and were thick as thieves.“He seems like the kind to be smart about it, too,” Changbin grinned. “He’s sharp, I can tell.”“Oh, absolutely,” Seungmin agreed. “Oh, we’re almost to our lodgings for the night.”“Already? We’ve only been walking for a few hours.”“I know, but there’s a storm coming, so we should hang tight until it passes.”“I suppose,” Changbin shrugged. “I’m not used to hiking, so if you think it makes sense to wait it out then fine by me.”In the end he was glad they did; as he listened to the whistle of the wind through the gaps in the window the thought of being caught outside made him shiver. He and Seungmin were staying in a quiet little inn, but he had been surprised to find that Seungmin hadn’t booked them two rooms.“We brought an extra mat with us,” was all he had to say on the matter. “You can put it off to the side.”“I’m just not used to sharing a room,” Changbin mumbled, ears going red. What was up with him? He felt like he was going to be sick, but in a good way somehow. “Good night, I guess.”“Good night,” Seungmin chirped, unfazed.Changbin laid out his mat in the dark, between Seungmin and the door. When he realised this he supposed he had just been naturally inclined to sleep like a guard dog, protecting his pack. That was just the kind of person he was, right?As his eyes adjusted to the inky blackness of the late summer night, Changbin glanced around the room. The sole candle on the desk in the corner cast flickering shadows, and in the low light Changbin caught glimpse of the curve of Seungmin’s exposed shoulder where his sleep shirt had bunched up. A second candle flared to life in the pit of Changbin’s stomach as he stared at that expanse of skin, and his heart dropped. He was royally fucked.“Go to sleep,” Seungmin mumbled exhaustedly, and Changbin immediately went to staring at the ceiling with cheeks flushed crimson. “G’night, hyung.”Oh, sweet hell.***“Thank you for your donation to the sciences,” Seungmin bowed to the benefactor funding Minho’s research. “We will be more than happy to provide you a full copy of all notes taken under the course of this project.”“Happy to help,” the medicine man grinned. “Safe travels, you two.”Now that they had an incredible amount of money on them, Changbin had to be on even higher alert than usual. By the end of the first day on the road he was practically vibrating he was so on edge, hypervigilant in his cause to protect Seungmin. It wasn’t because he was in lov—An arrow lodged itself in the tree right next to him, and he immediately tucked Seungmin behind him, knives drawn. Two men melted out of the tree line, one armed with blades and one with a bow. The man on the left—the ringleader, Changbin presumed—let out a grating chuckle, a dangerous glint in his eye.“Hand over your coin,” he ordered, stance ready to fight at a moment’s notice. “Both of youse.”“Back off,” Changbin shot back. “You don’t want to do this.”“Like you have a chance at beating us,” the other guy cackled. “Look at you. A useless meathead and a monk.”Changbin, with a flick of his wrist, lodged one of his knives in the archer’s neck. The man dropped like a fly. The man with the blades growled, lunging forward, and Changbin threw himself into battle.It was steel on steel from the get-go, Changbin getting nicked here and there and not making much progress himself. Seungmin stayed back, which he was thankful for, and the archer never got up again either. It was just a matter of tiring the swordsman out.“Changbin, look ou—”He was knocked clean off his feet as Seungmin barrelled into him—right as the swordsman swung his blade forward—and he watched in abject horror as the man he had grown to love was slashed across his stomach. Seungmin fell to the ground, and Changbin saw red. He launched himself up off the ground, careening into the swordsman with weapon poised to strike clean in the chest.“Fuck,” he swore as he buried his blade between the bandit’s ribs. “Seungmin, oh god—”“—Chang…bin,” Seungmin slurred, clearly going into shock. Changbin dug through their fallen satchels for the first aid supplies he had insisted they bring. “Come here.”“Not now,” Changbin hissed, panicking. He needed the gauze and spirits and he needed them now. There, he sighed with relief, snatching up the roll of bandages and bottle of alcohol. He would do everything he could to save Seungmin’s life.“This is gonna hurt,” Changbin said through tears. “I’m sorry in advance, Min.”Seungmin cried out as Changbin poured the antiseptic over his gash, and he swore. They were going to draw too much attention to themselves this way. Ripping a strip of fabric off his hanbok, Changbin stuffed the roll of cloth into Seungmin’s mouth with a hurried apology, setting about wrapping his stomach as tightly as he could. The man just cried, delirious from the pain and struggling to break free. Changbin’s heart was breaking.“Just stay awake,” Changbin urged as he tied off the bandage. He had to get him back to the inn they were to stay at; they were close. Scooping Seungmin into his arms, Changbin hurried down the path as smoothly and quickly as he could. He was frantic.“Welcome i—oh,” the innkeeper startled when Changbin finally did barrel into the cottage. “Are you quite alright?”“My friend was attacked,” he panted, the strain of carrying Seungmin so far pushing him to his limits. “We have a room here tonight, can I just bring him up early?”“Y-yes,” The innkeeper nodded hastily. “Of course. Would you like me to call a doctor?”“Please,” Changbin begged. “He can’t die. I need him.”The innkeeper looked at him funny, but handed him the keys to their room nonetheless. Changbin laid Seungmin out on the bed gently; his bandages were still wound tight around him but he had passed out from the stress on the way in. Changbin just held his hand in a vice grip as they waited for the doctor to show.A light knocking startled him some hours later, and he opened the door to his room to find the same medicine man they had received the funding from standing in the hall. “They told me Seungmin-ssi was hurt,” he said with a frown. “I brought my things as quickly as I could.”“We were attacked by bandits,” Changbin sniffed. “He needs stitches and antibacterials.”“Stitches I can do,” the man nodded. “I’m not quite sure what those other things you mentioned are.”“Do you have any clove oil or oregano oil?”“Clove, yes.”“That’ll have to do,” Changbin sighed, smoothing Seungmin’s hair off of his forehead. He was sweating quite badly.“I’ll need some room to tend to him,” the doctor urged. “I suggest you go get something to eat. You look exhausted.”“I can’t eat when he’s hurt like this,” Changbin shook his head. “I need to know he’ll be okay.”“Honestly,” the medicine man started, “your wound care likely saved his life. He’s in much better shape than most of my trauma patients are when I get to them. Go eat, you need it.”Changbin nodded sullenly. “Fine.”***“Is he—”“—All patched up and asking for you,” the doctor sighed. “I’m sure he’ll live to tell the tale, so long as he rests adequately.”Changbin’s heart leapt. Seungmin was awake already? He had to see him.“Hey,” he breathed as he walked into their shared room. Seungmin was staring out the window quietly, expression pained. “How are you doing?”“It fucking hurts,” Seungmin complained. “I’m so sorr—”“—Don’t apologise,” Changbin soothed. “You saved my life, you know. I probably would’ve died if you hadn’t pushed me out of the way.”Seungmin stared down at his hands quietly. “I just—I realised how much b-better you make my life,” he whispered, “and I couldn’t let you get hurt like that.”Changbin’s chest felt like it was going to implode. “You what?”Seungmin started crying at that, and Changbin realised he probably could’ve worded that better. “Not in a bad way,” he rushed. “Just… are you saying what I think you’re saying?”“Maybe?” Seungmin half-laughed, half-cried. “I’m saying that I don’t want to lose you.”“Say sike,” Changbin muttered, more to himself than to Seungmin. “You thought I was a demon.”“Is it a crime to admit I was wrong?” Seungmin asked, voice a little steadier. He looked up at Changbin like he had hung the stars. “These past few days travelling with you has let me realise how badly I needed someone in my life to care for me like I care for others, and I’m sorry that I want that person to be you, but—”“—Sorry?” Changbin gawked. “Don’t be sorry, Min; be happy that I am that person.”It was Seungmin’s turn to be shell-shocked. “You…”“Yeah,” Changbin laughed wistfully. “You’re all I have; of course I want you.”Seungmin looked like he was about to break down again, so Changbin just tugged him into a loose embrace. “I’m so thankful every day that you gave me a chance,” he whispered. “Because home for me isn’t 2024 anymore. It’s 1487, with you.”Seungmin laughed. “I need to build you a bedroom, then.”“Who says I need a room of my own?” Changbin poked. “I think I pretty well learned how to double up this trip.”“Are you saying you want to sleep with me?” Seungmin mused, eyes mirthful.“Maybe,” Changbin grinned. “If you’ll let me.”“…I’m sure I will.”