Title: Sweep the Night Sky Over
Fandom: While You Were Sleeping
Content notes: post-canon, Han Woo Tak/Jung Jae Chan/Nam Hong Joo
Length: ~1,000 words

Author's note: For some reason, I stuck this in my "needs major re-writes" WIP folder in January. Getting back to it this week, I have no idea why I thought that.


Summary: It’s as if the whole world is holding its breath, waiting for something wonderful to happen.


Woo-tak wakes to Robin’s soft whine somewhere nearby. He blinks for a moment in the darkness, disoriented by the shadows that are definitely not his apartment. Eventually, the soft canvas of a tent wall comes into focus and with it, his memory of the day. Ah. He’d come camping with Jae-chan and Hong-joo, a spur-of-the moment invitation that had left them all scrambling for tents and blankets and food to cook on a camp stove before tumbling gleefully into the car together. Somehow, in all the turmoil, Hong-joo had still remembered to bring a tiny tent for the dog, so the three of them could be alone in the big tent together.

Robin had settled into the little tent easily enough earlier, but he must’ve gotten lonely and come to complain about it.

Woo-tak turns over in the makeshift bed, wondering if he can sneak out without waking the others. Jae-chan lies curled up in the middle in a huddle of blankets despite the warmth inside the tent. Hong-joo, more sensibly, is splayed out like a starfish on the far side, with only one foot under the blankets by Jae-chan’s knee.

Neither of them twitch when Robin whines again, and Woo-tak sits up. He places his own scrap of blankets more firmly over Jae-chan, grabs a jacket to cover his pajamas, and slips out of the tent.

The air outside is shockingly cool, but it feels good against his overheated skin. Robin’s tail thumps the ground steadily as soon as Woo-tak puts on his shoes, and the dog gives a soft, happy chuff. Woo-tak takes a few steps away from the tent before snapping his fingers at Robin, who is quietly thrilled to join him for a walk.

The stars are so bright. As they wander away from the lights around the tent, the sky glows more brilliantly than Woo-tak has ever seen it. The night is absolutely quiet, with just the crackling of leaves under their feet. It’s as if the whole world is holding its breath, waiting for something wonderful to happen.

He can see the lights of the group of campers across the lake, but they must’ve finally gone to bed, too. Hong-joo had giggled at the waves of laughter carried over the water from the far shore, and giggled more at Jae-chan’s grumpiness about people being noisy while camping.

Woo-tak wonders what time it is. It’s still dark, but it could be anywhere between midnight and dawn. He checks his pocket automatically before remembering he’d left his phone in the tent.

It feels oddly good, to be out of touch. Not that he wants to worry anyone. It just feels like he’s barely had a moment to himself in months. It’s not true, of course; he’s had lots of time alone to study. But the rest of the time has been keeping up with his friends, and then hanging out with Jae-chan and Hong-joo. Which had gradually turned into spending all of his free time with them, then swept into dating in a slide that felt as inevitable as an avalanche.

It was good. He felt warm and loved, so loved, and it made him happier than he could ever imagine. He wouldn’t trade that for anything. But now that he has a moment to himself, outside of school and work and the flurry of his day-to-day life... he thinks maybe he feels a little smothered, too. Like this is his first chance to take a deep breath since all of this started. He’s not sure what to make of those feelings so close together.

The stars wheel by above him, cool and beautiful and utterly unreachable. After staring at them for a long moment, Woo-tak turns around. He really doesn’t want to worry anyone.

It’s still dark when he returns to camp. Robin flops obediently into the little tent, ear cocked. Aren’t I a good boy?

“No more whining tonight, okay?”

A rustling sound from the tent turns both their heads. Hong-joo slides out, yawning and tousled. “Can’t sleep?” she murmurs, stumbling toward him.

Woo-tak isn’t sure how to explain the feelings he was having, or the sense of wondrous calm that being alone had brought him. He certainly doesn’t want to say it the wrong way and hurt her. So he just smiles and holds out an arm.

She ducks down to cuddle into his shoulder, leaning against him to pet Robin through the door of the little tent. The dog huffs happily at the attention.

Hong-joo sighs and leans more heavily into him, her body warm and soft from sleep. “I forget how quiet it gets out here at night.”

But she doesn’t say anything else, and Woo-tak feels that sense of stillness seep into him again. He’ll move when she does, of course; he won’t send her back to bed on her own. But until then...

There’s a louder thump from inside the tent, a brief curse, and then Jae-chan unzips it enough to blink out at them. He’s still wrapped in the blankets like a child. “Aren’t you two coming back to bed? It’s cold out there.”

Hong-joo laughs softly, then looks at Woo-tak with gentle eyes. “I am, but I think Woo-tak’s staying up a bit longer.”

Woo-tak startles for a moment, and she pats his arm. “It’s okay. Take all the time you need,” she murmurs, and leans in to kiss his cheek on her way back to the tent.

He can hear them on the other side of the thin tent wall. He can’t hear words, but he can make out the tones of Jae-chan’s puzzled sleepiness and Hong-joo’s indulgent affection. He pokes himself carefully, checking for any sign of jealousy or disappointment, but he doesn’t feel left out. He doesn’t feel abandoned.

Woo-tak looks back up at the wheeling sky.

All he feels is gratitude that he can have this, have them, on whatever terms he needs. Even if he doesn’t always know what those are.