Mists of Celeste - an Ateez Fanfic

act three ➻ part 4.5

"Yunho." Hongjoong isn't sure why he hesitates in the doorway, looking towards the healer in question. Yunho doesn't look up right away; he's far too immersed in his work to notice Hongjoong standing at the edge of the room. Wooyoung acknowledges him in an instant though. Hongjoong hadn't even seen the man off to the side since he was so focused on Yunho.

"Captain!"

Hongjoong offers a small smile in response to Wooyoung's enthusiasm. He waves his hand through the air a moment later, an attempt to dismiss the rigid posture Wooyoung now holds, but the man continues standing still as a statue nonetheless. Yunho glances up at last, shifting to look back over his shoulder. His wide eyes soften a bit at the sight of Hongjoong standing near the edge of the room.

"Wooyoung, could you give us a few minutes?" Hongjoong requests. The black-haired man bobs his head with enthusiasm and drops what he's doing in an instant. Hongjoong nearly tells him to just finish up with the work then go, but Wooyoung is out the door before he can blink, and suddenly Hongjoong is alone with Yunho.

"Captain," the healer says, turning back to his work. "You need me for a mission?"

"Does a haircut count as a mission?" Hongjoong teases as he smiles at Yunho's back. Yunho huffs a laugh through his nose.

"Depends on how complicated it is." Yunho continues to tinker around with whatever he's doing for several seconds. His tone remains light and airy, and Hongjoong can almost envision the cheeky grin playing at his lips.

"Just a trim off the front."

"Ah, much simpler than things you've asked for in the past," Yunho jokes. Hongjoong can see the hint of a smile on his lips. "Going back to a mullet again, are we?"

"Short hair was nice while it lasted. I need to get back to my roots."

"Your roots are fried thanks to the hair dye." Yunho shifts, and Hongjoong moves at the same time, going for Yunho's stool in the corner. Yunho steps around him and makes his way to one of the medicine cabinets. He nearly flinches as Hongjoong begins to drag the seat towards the center of the room, the sound loud and grating on both their ears. "Speaking of, are we doing hair dye as well, or are you letting the roots grow out?"

"Let's dye, yeah. What do you have?"

"Just, uh, blue and some leftover peach from when I did mine. Which do you want?"

"Surprise me," Hongjoong mutters as he settles onto the stool. Yunho pulls out the canister of blue dye, then scissors and a comb.

"What are you doing sitting down? I need you at the sink. Chop chop, Captain, we don't have all day!" Yunho claps his hands together the second Hongjoong hits the seat, and the captain jumps up before he can chastise him again. Once Hongjoong reaches the sink where Yunho is standing, the taller man all but shoves Hongjoong's head into the sink, running cold water over his scalp without mercy.

"What the fuck, Yunho? That's cold as hell!" Hongjoong protests, but Yunho keeps his head pressed under the downpour of freezing water.

"I've heard that hell is a scalding fiery pit, actually."

"You're a smartass."

"I prefer to say that I'm smart with an ass. That way it's twice as impressive when I introduce myself to people. I can say hey, I'm both smart and I have a nice body. How about that?"

Hongjoong doesn't even try to fight Yunho's words; he knows it isn't worth the effort, and he wouldn't get anywhere with it. Besides, the methodical motions of Yunho's fingers against his scalp are lulling him into a comfortable sense of peace and calm. If Hongjoong were being honest, he would admit that that's the real reason why he came to see Yunho. To find that sense of calm and bask in it while he can. Yunho seems to know that – of course he does, it's Yunho he always senses emotions better than anyone, which is baffling to Hongjoong because he's just a Normie – but he opts not to comment until he has Hongjoong back on the stool.