Muchen led Yunfeng back toward the house, one hand lightly guiding him by the elbow. Yunfeng's steps were steady, but Muchen didn't relax until they were inside again, the soft click of the front door closing behind them like a breath of relief.
Behind them, Jai trailed along silently, glancing over his shoulder at the house next door. His eyes were wide and a little worried, and his bottom lip stuck out just slightly in a small pout. He walked like someone who'd left a part of himself behind—slightly hunched, unsure, distracted.
Muchen noticed. He didn't say anything, but a quiet smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He recognized that look. He and Yunfeng had been in that same phase once—inseparable, tangled up in each other's lives so tightly that even a few feet apart felt like an ocean. And then everything had fallen apart, the world had ended, and somehow they'd found each other again anyway.
It was funny, the way things repeated.
