"Would that be all, sir?" Asked the officer.
"Yes, just make sure that you request the right ones," replied Damien.
"Roger that," He said, his hand springing to meet the temple of his head as Damien stepped away and into the vehicle.
"Apartment," He said to the driver.
He knew Sooha would've woken up by now and eaten the tart he left.
Stepping inside, he realised that the apartment was too still.
No one called out.
Sooha's door was left open, the pajamas left neatly packed.
Did he leave, Damien thought, picking up the shirt he lent Sooha last night.
And there it was, the faded smell of peonies, but now there was also a much more specific scent, one he felt when he hugged him last night.
One that replaced the scent of the body wash he clung to for Sooha's remembrance.
He went into the living room, pulling out his communicator to call Sooha, but as he stepped in, he noticed that the door to his room was open.
He hadn't left it open.
And so he rushed into the room, and his eyes widened when he saw that very pink hair sprawled across his pillow, wrapped in his sheets.
His breathing laboured, and he stepped out of the room, sitting down on the couch.
He never thought something like this would happen.
He was also shocked at the empty dish the tart was in.
Could Sooha really have eaten all that???
How could he even wake him up now…
Damien's heart melted away, and he was not able to process any of the thoughts that were forming in his head.
He hated the feeling of helplessness when it came to anything related to Sooha.
For the first time in years, he felt — Vulnerable…
Weak, even.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. On the outside, at least, because his heart still pounded like crazy, which made his cheeks slightly red.
"Sooha," he called out softly.
Nothing…
"Sooha," a little louder.
Nothing… He cleared his throat.
"Sooha, wake up", he said. It was cold and cutting, way more than he wanted it to be.
"W-what's going on?" Sooha replied, groggy.
Then he sat up, hair completely disheveled, and looked at Damien, then at the room.
"No, no, no, it's not what it looks like, I'll explain."
His cheeks flared red at the realisation of falling asleep in Damien's bed.
What was he even thinking? He thought.
"It's fine, I don't mind it, but we do need to meet my father soon."
He did mind it; it was driving him crazy, and also, he was not planning on changing those sheets anytime soon…
But his face did not show any of that.
Damien started leaving the room, but Sooha called out his name.
"Damien… I wanted to apologise… I can't blame Luke's death on you anymore, or anything really…" He stopped, getting out of bed.
"It's not your fault, it's this city's, and I need you to promise me you will help me change it."
Sooha looked at him with pleading eyes.
And there, Damien felt like laughing, for his forgiveness, he was ready to give his life, let alone help him change the city he himself despised.
"I thought I made myself clear last night, but yeah, Sooha, I will… I promise."
And the next second, he felt a tight squeeze around his chest.
An embrace he had only ever felt from one person, ever.
And in fact, he never wanted it to be a different one; his heart fluttered as it skipped a beat, and he breathed out softly, his hand tapping Sooha on the back.
"Shit! I didn't let my parents know where I am." Sooha looked up to Damien in dread.
"Last time you did that was ten years ago. I am pretty sure they would've been fine, but I did call Mrs. Kim and told her you are at my place." He finally let out a chuckle.
And seeing it, that subtle naivete from such a man, for some reason, made Sooha's cheeks fully red.
He also just now realised how beautiful Damien was when he smiled, especially compared to the grumpy thin boy he remembered.
He made some distance between them, "We should probably head to your father's now."
Damien hesitated, his jaw tightening.
He couldn't let him walk out without knowing.
"Sooha… something bad happened."
Sooha's gaze narrowed in; the look on his face signaled Damien to continue.
"Site 76 went silent."
"What-" He said, wide-eyed.
"I sent scouts to the site and they have not spotted a single vehicle leaving from it…"
Damien brushed his hair back and sighed.
"I ordered them to do a closer inspection, and rightfully so…"
"They noticed broken walls — Blood splattered everywhere, but there were no corpses, nothing was left behind, and we believe there were no survivors either…"
Sooha sat back on the bed, his hand covering his mouth.
Eyes gazing down into nothing.
"So… if that crash hadn't happened… I'd be dead."
"I should be dead right now."
His mind started racing as his breath became laboured.
"Sooha, you better stop with that," Said Damien, walking in front of him, and crouching by the bed, looking Sooha in the eyes.
"You are where you belong, and you are the last person on this messed-up world who should be dead right now…"
He gave Sooha a small smile, and as much as Damien sucked at comforting others, this made Sooha feel better.
It made the spiral of thoughts stop.
"That car crash was an incident, it was not an accident, and neither you nor Luke were at fault… You know it." Damien said
"You are right, it was a mutant, I know, I know! But why would it do that? Why not attack us head-on???"
"They may be getting smarter, or they had a plan, and I finding you there may have ruined it. The thing is, no one knows…"
"Damien, I am the one who was forced to research them. They have feelings, yes, and they cover in fear and cry just like we do, yes, but also like animals do. " Sooha looked back up.
"But that's it, they act like animals and animals don't plan and scheme, nor do they have organized crime for heaven's sake." his tone was getting heated up.
"So you think someone human is leading the mutants? " Damien asked. This made Sooha feel heard.
"It's either that or what we know nothing about them," he dropped his voice.
Damien then pulled back one of his hands from Sooha's shoulder.
"We don't even know everything about ourselves, Sooha," he said softly and looked at his hand, purple energy crackling at his fingertips.
"Let's just meet with your father and start getting ready for the mission… "Sooha said as he went silent, memories of his second home, lost to mutants once again.
Just like Syntrum… though he did not feel of that wretched place as home.
And still, he couldn't find the hatred for mutants in his heart; he still hated the corruption of humans far more than their mutation.
After all, he was half a mutant, too.
He left his thoughts behind and clenched his fists, getting up.
"Let's go," Sooha said.
Damien stayed crouched for a moment longer, pride flickering in his eyes, before finally rising to follow.