MY MARTIAN. minsung

thirty

“So what should we do now?”
Changbin asked, sitting down on a nearby chair. Chan stood up, stretching.

“Now, we wait. Oh, and call our loved ones to let them know we're gonna be home late.”

Changbin nodded, watching as Chan walked off.

Sliding into his personal living quarters, Chan closed the door behind him. Glancing around, he spotted his tablet charging on top of his desk. A grin made its way onto his face.

Grabbing the tablet, Chan flung himself onto the bed, and got comfortable amongst the pillows and blankets that he rarely slept in.

He turned on the device, and opened the Skype app. Chan clicked on one of the profiles and waited for his call to be picked up.

“Hi!” A cheery voice sounded from the other end of the call. If it were possible, Chan's smile grew even wider, eyes twinkling. He turned on the camera view and propped his tablet up using a pillow, so they could see him.

“Turn on your camera! I wanna see you, it's been so long.”

The person on the other end groaned, things in the background shuffling as he presumably tried to get in a comfortable position.
“There. Happy?”

Chan couldn't help but reach out a hand and touch the screen, as the handsome face of his fiancé appeared on it. “Yeah. You've been really busy lately, huh Bam? Not enough time for your beauty sleep, I suppose.”

The bags under his eyes, although nothing compared to Chan’s, showed through, even over video chat.

BamBam huffed, leaning back in whatever he was sitting on. (Based on the color of the blankets, Chan could infer that it was their bed, back home.)

“Oh hush, you. It's hard to get a good night's sleep when the person you love is on a failed mission somewhere in space.” he pouted, pulling his knees up to his chest. “At least you'll be back in a bit,” a small smile tugged at his lips.
“I got us tickets to a concert. Don't worry, it's like six months away, so you'll get back a while before it starts.”

As he continued speaking, Chan's smile began slipping. By the time BamBam glanced back at him, Chan looked like an injured puppy.

“What's wrong?”

“Bam….”

Sensing that Chan probably wasn't going to make it home for the concert, BamBam brought a hand up to his face, resting it over his eyes tiredly. “Just tell me, please, I can take it.”

Chan felt a tell-tale prick behind his eyes, meaning that he was seconds away from tears. BamBam really deserved better than this. Better than waiting on his wedding for whenever his fiancé decided to come back to Earth. Better than not knowing if he was even coming home or not.

“My mission has been extended.. I'm not going to be home in time for the concert. In fact, it's going to be another five hundred forty six days.” Chan's voice cracked at the end, hating how he could see the sadness echoing in his beloved fiancé’s eyes.

“That's… that's okay, Channie.” BamBam nodded his head, as if he were trying to convince himself as well. “I'll still be waiting for you, whenever you come home.”

Tears started to build up in Chan's eyes. It wasn't fair, not at all.

“Hey, look at me.” His voice was much firmer now, like he could see the doubt flickering behind the tears in Chan's eyes.

“Don't you dare think about breaking up with me or so help me-”

“I wasn't! I swear.” Chan let out a breath of laughter.

“Don't lie either! I know you, Mister. Breaking up with me wouldn't help either of us, okay? We'll get through this. Together.” He looked at Chan, who was smiling, wiping away a stray tear.

“Together.” Chan said, raising a fist slightly.

It was quiet for a few seconds, only to be broken by Chan a moment later.

“I love you….” He said, looking directly into the camera.

BamBam smiled back sadly. “I love you too.”

Chan sniffled quietly, just wanting to look at his perfect human for a while longer. Not once had he ever felt like this before, and he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to feel like it again.
He just wanted to be close to BamBam, and there was no way he could do that from space.

“How about… when I get home, I quit. I don't want to do this to you again, I'm serious.”

And BamBam could see it. Could see the resolution in his eyes. “No. I will support you in whatever you choose, but I swear to God, Chan if you quit, you will never be happy. All you've ever wanted to do is explore the stars. How would I feel if I was the thing that kept you from that?”

Chan was quiet, tears down his face dripping every so often. He knew BamBam was right, and he hated it. He hated how someone he was so close to was so far away and he couldn't hug them.

Just then, a thought occurred to Chan.
He sniffed, and hastily wiped the remaining tears from his face.

“I have to go babe, I'll call you again soon though. I love you so, so much.”

BamBam smiled and blew him a kiss, knowing- and glad- that Chan wasn't beating himself up anymore. “Again, I love you too. Always. Byeeee.”

As soon as the call ended, Chan bolted up, running back into the main room. He spotted Changbin, reading on one of the stools in the kitchen potion of the room, and tugged him up and off of the chair.

Chan pulled him into a bear hug, resting his own head in the crook of Changbin's neck. Changbin was stunned for a second, even more so when he felt Chan begin to tremble. He brought a hand up and began to rub his back hesitantly.

“Uhhhh you okay?”

“It's just- we were good friends, yeah? But now.. you're here, close to me, but so far away. And it's not fair, s-so I'm saying sorry.”

Chan was surprised when he felt Changbins arms tighten around him, returning his hug.

Changbin was surprised that Chan was letting himself be weak for once around him, used to only seeing the 'tough’ leader side of him. And it wasn't hard at all to find forgiveness in his heart.

Afterall, Chan had just been doing his job before, and now he was about to put it on the line for a chance at redemption.

The world really didn't deserve someone like Chan, and the least Changbin could do was make him feel better.

“I'm sorry too. And yes,” a tiny grin tugged at the corners of his lips, “we are good friends.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Tbh I feel like I wrote BamChan to be a better couple than Minsung in this 🗿 but all couples are different, and we stan

Anygays if you don't like BamChan, I'm sorry, but it was always part of the plot and I can't change that- and I don't want to, so there.

I'm also sorry that I didn't get this chapter out sooner,, self doubt is an interesting thing-

Thank you to the people that still read this book- I love you 💙