#in the latter half han yoohyun is the younger one n just 'yoohyun' is the older one. the ghost

[wovenstarlight]

It isn't a thud so much so as a rush of mana in the air that alerts him. Taewon looks up with a frown, waiting.

"SORRY!" comes a holler, and a moment later Yumi is in the doorway, worriedly glancing towards the bed. "That didn't wake him, did it?"

"No, he's fine. What happened?"

"Phew!" Yumi fans herself with one slim hand, features relaxing. "Just some papers the little guy left on the kitchen table. I caught them wrong when I was going to check out the cat thing."

"The Horned Flame Lion?"

"That!"

They nod to each other in acknowledgement. Taewon resumes watching the bed, while Yumi takes up her post by the doorway.

"...Um, so Migyeong ahjumma's taken Seokwoo ahjussi to go to visit their families," Yumi starts, only to pause and frown. "Jeez, what's his problem?"

"Yoojin can't hear us," Taewon obligingly informs the room at large, receiving only stony silence in response. He glances back at Yumi. "You can continue, if you want."

She's still frowning at the bed. "No," she mumbles. "I don't think I will, actually. You've got him?" Taewon nods. "Right. I think I'll go check on Baby."

Taewon nods again, then considers the inhabitants of the room. "Tell Taemin he can take tomorrow morning off," he decides. "I can handle this alone."

"You're sure? Ranks don't mean much anymore, you know."

"Which is exactly why I'll be fine." He likes it better like this. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yumi-ssi."

"Take care," she responds politely, before fading into thin air. Taewon watches the spot she just vacated for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the bed, and this time, to the silent shadow looming at the head of it.

"You know we're here to watch over him."

Han Yoohyun gives him a distant glance before going back to watching his brother. Taewon resists the urge to pinch his nose; now that he no longer breathes, he's lucky he doesn't have the air for a sigh.

"If you're intent on doing the same, then we should work together. The others and I have organized a system—"

"He isn't."

"...Pardon me?"

Han Yoohyun doesn't look away from Yoojin, sprawled ungracefully on the couch. "He isn't fine."

—Ah, right, when he was talking to Yumi. "If this is about watching you die—"

Han Yoohyun shakes his head. "He was going to let the Lauchtas kill him," he murmurs faintly. Almost dizzily. "He just.... stood there."

Ah. Well. Perhaps it is more of a surprise when you haven't been watching him cross roads without looking both ways for months now. He mulls over how to respond for a moment, but Han Yoohyun speaks again before he gets a chance.

"Was he... How long have you been watching him?"

"Me, specifically? Approximately 2 years now. Choi Yumi and Ki Migyeong have been watching since the start, and the others are interspersed in between."

"...Was he always like this?"

Taewon watches Han Yoohyun in silence for a moment, long enough that he looks over at him in irritation. "Not quite," he starts, and shakes his head slightly when Yoohyun seems to brighten up. "Not this severely, is what I mean. It comes and goes. Some days are easier. Some days are like this one."

Some days are never worse (fortunately?), because even if he stayed in bed all day staring blankly at the ceiling with them clustered around wishing he could notice how not-alone he was, he never actually attempted to go through with anything permanent. Some days are never worse, because he wasn't blindsided by a fight he could never in a million years hope to win, even with Last Compensation and all his compensators by his side, and expected to fight anyway. Some days are never worse, because at least he didn't have the one person he loved beyond reason and compare telling him he was useless for anything but causing trouble.

He doesn't need to explain any of this to Han Yoohyun, though, thankfully, because he's smart enough to put the pieces together. His face crumples. "It's my fault," he mutters.

Taewon is still too professional and still too dead to sigh, but would if he could. "I rather think the Lauchtas played a significant role as well," he says dryly. "And those contractors of yours, no doubt."

Han Yoohyun's eyes widen and his gaze snaps up to meet Taewon's. "You know about him?"

"I've met someone like him, I believe." Had a hands-on personal experience with one of his kind, even.

"He said he'd protect hyung. He said..."

"If I'm not wrong, and my experience with their kind would say otherwise, then he was most likely the one who sent the Lauchtas. They're excellent at manipulation." He considers adding and we're only human, but the lone person in the room who'd believe that can't even hear it, anyway. "At any rate, it's far too late to worry about that now. I advise focusing on what you can do for him now."

Han Yoohyun blinks at him. "I can help him now," he realizes. "I can— I can really help him."

"Within reason. Awakening, and everything that comes with it, isn't something that applies to existences like us. No skills, no stats." He wonders if that'll actually stop Han Yoohyun; heaven knows that he's never been fully human to begin with. "But yes. You can do whatever you'd like to help him."

Taewon waits as he seems to ponder that. "Thank you," he eventually offers, gruff and abrupt and awkward, and Taewon blinks in surprise. "For helping him. All this time."

"...You're welcome," he answers slowly, and doesn't say That's the first time I've ever heard you sound genuine.

He doesn't say anything, actually, and they end up sitting in silence until the morning comes and sunlight filters over the living room from the large windows. Han Yoohyun gets up, and with a little focus (and a touch of Yoojin's mana, once Taewon explains it to him), draws the curtains to keep the light off his brother's face. Yoojin mumbles something in his sleep and rolls over, face mashed into the back of the couch, and Taewon watches Han Yoohyun's face soften into a fond smile as he drifts over to the back of the couch, resuming his silent watch.

He's never seen that expression on this face, but that doesn't mean it isn't familiar. After all, he's sure he looks much the same.

Then there's a crack of a door, somewhere, and Han Yoohyun (the younger) pads out softly on slippered feet, calling "Hyung? Are you awake? I heard the—"

He goes dead quiet when he rounds the couch and finds Yoojin snoring softly, on his back and with a throw pillow over each ear, braced against the back of the couch and Taewon's careful hand. "Oh," he murmurs, face soft with that same gentle look as his counterpart. "Really, hyung..." He glances around and frowns slightly when he finds the remote for the TV placed carefully on the table, lined up next to Yoojin's phone. The frown deepens when he looks over his shoulder to the half-drawn curtains, and his feet shuffle apart in a wider stance that anyone else might miss.

Taewon sighs and knocks twice, sharply, on the coffee table. "Hey," Yoohyun hisses, alarmed, and a second later his younger self has a blade through Taewon's head.

Taewon blinks and leans slightly to the left so that his vision in one eye isn't split in two. Cross-sections of things get old quickly.

Han Yoohyun the younger has moved to stand defensively between the couch and the table, looking around warily. Taewon glances at the other Yoohyun, who works his jaw for a second before leaning over, patting the couch with a soft thwup. When the other him looks over in alarm, shifting his blade in that direction and angling it carefully away from Yoojin himself, all he does is tug Yoojin's blanket slightly higher over his shoulders.

Han Yoohyun watches with confusion that gradually fades to calculation. "A skill...?" he questions eventually, and Taewon knocks lightly on the table.

Han Yoohyun only twitches, this time. He looks back down at the table suspiciously, then back at his hyung. "Knock once for no, twice for yes," he suggests slowly, and Taewon obligingly knocks twice. "You're... one of hyung's skills?" Two knocks. "You're sentient. Or have some awareness, at least." Two knocks. "You respond to people other than hyung?"

That one's difficult. Taewon knocks twice even as Yoohyun the elder pats the couch once, and Yoohyun the elder says "What?" at the same time as his younger self. The elder follows it up with "Ah," though, while Han Yoohyun the younger furrows his brows.

"You... can talk to people other than hyung." Two knocks. "You listen to people other than hyung." Three knocks. "You do things for people other than hyung." One knock. Taewon smiles slightly, and both Yoohyuns look satisfied, before the younger continues. "There's more than one of you, whatever you are." Taewon and the elder Yoohyun knock twice in unison.

On the next question, Han Yoohyun's voice takes on a wary tinge. "You're here to help hyung." A pair of two knocks again, and Han Yoohyun says "Good," firmly—

Just a little too loud, though, because Yoojin stirs. "Yoohhhhaaaoowwwwww," he mumbles, groans, turns his head, groans again into the pillow he finds there, and turns to face back upwards, blinking blearily until his eyes adjust to the light and he finds Han Yoohyun standing over him. "Yoohyun-ah?" he murmurs, voice going from dazed to relieved.

"Hyung." Han Yoohyun the younger kneels next to the couch as Yoojin struggles up to a half-upright position, resting his weight on one elbow, and reaches out for him. He submits to the clumsy examination Yoojin subjects him to, then, patting all over his face as if checking him over. It ends with one firm pat to his cheek and a gentle ruffle of his hair, which Han Yoohyun smiles at before leaning away. "Good morning."

"Morning," Yoojin says, a fractional tension having left his body during the examination. "What time is it?"

"Nine-ish," Han Yoohyun answers. "You fell asleep out here?"

"Ahh..." Yoojin laughs, the sound still sleep-thick. "I was watching TV and the couch was so comfortable, and I barely realized it was getting late..." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, sitting up properly. "Thanks for turning the TV off."

Han Yoohyun opens his mouth, frowning, but Taewon snaps to attention and raps his knuckles sharply against the table. Han Yoohyun jolts at the unexpected sound, twisting to look at the table. "What was—"

Yoohyun the elder, catching on, smacks the couch loudly. His younger self looks back again, visibly startled and confused, only to find Yoojin staring at him, equally confused. "What was what?"

Han Yoohyun stares at him. "You didn't...."

Taewon and the older Yoohyun knock again, gentler this time. Yoojin doesn't so much as twitch, frowning as he looks his little brother over worriedly. Han Yoohyun the younger blinks, realization dawning in his eyes.

"Oh," he whispers. "That's...." He looks disturbed, briefly, glancing around, then turning that worried look on his brother.

Then his older self reaches out and smooths down a clump of hair standing on end when Yoojin's slept on it wrong.

Han Yoohyun the younger watches, then looks at Yoojin, who's reaching out for him anxiously with a question on the tip of his tongue. Han Yoohyun grabs his hand before he can make contact, though, and brings it to his cheek in what seems to be an impulsive gesture. "I'm alright, hyung," he assures, even as he glances up to Yoojin's hair with a thoughtful look. (Taewon is startled by the abrupt realization of how easy he becomes to read, in front of Yoojin.) "Never mind. I just thought I heard something fall. Are you hungry? I could get started on breakfast. I have... eggs—"

Taewon taps the table twice, lightly.

"— that I could do up over easy," Han Yoohyun continues, not missing a beat. He offers Yoojin a smile. "It's been a while since we had breakfast together."

"That sounds... pretty good," Yoojin admits, "but are you sure everything's—?"

"It's fine." Han Yoohyun hesitates, clutching Yoojin's hand a little tighter, before letting it go and getting to his feet. "I'll get started on that, then. Why don't you go wash up?"

"I can help," Yoojin protests, following suit and standing up, but Taewon's already begun stepping on his toes and poking at his ribs in practiced patterns. Even though his actions go seemingly unnoticed on the surface, Yoojin unconsciously starts shuffling to the side, feet taking him towards the room that was prepared for him yesterday, as Han Yoohyun watches with slightly narrowed eyes. "I should..."

"You should get ready," both Yoohyuns say in unison, one grumbled and one lightly, and the older comes to Taewon's side and helps him gently herd Yoojin away. Behind them, the younger says, "The earlier you're ready, the sooner you can go register as Awakened and be back home." Where Han Yoohyun will be waiting for him with a freed up schedule, if the dark muttering of his older self by Taewon's side is anything to go by.

(Taewon wonders about the validity of holding another version of oneself up to standards that you yourself failed to meet, but then Yoojin used to scold him for something almost exactly like that sans the multiple selves aspect, so he decides in the end to keep his thoughts to himself. He didn't get this far by running his mouth, at any rate. No, that's a habit better suited to someone else with the personality to back it up.)