Square One
Title: Square One
Pairing: Hyuksu
Rating: PG-13
Genre: au, romance, fluff(?), songfic(ish)
Length: one-shot
Disclaimer: I don't own them, their management companies do. Plot is mine.
Summary: The hardest words to say are... well, they're not said, so, what does it matter? Hm. Apparently, the world.
Warning: Un-beta'd. Barely edited.
He watches as the stars in the sky light up, one by one. The appearance of each and every luminous plasma adds to the illumination of the boy beside him - the outline of the boys profile - until each and every feature of his face is carved out by their presence.
“Hyukjae-ah,” he mutters, barely a whisper.
The soft, lightly pitched voice reaches Hyukjae's ears with a gentle brush of wind. “Hm?” The boy hums in his throat, a small smile breaking through his facade.
They are laying on the hood of the car, arms tucked under their heads as they peer into the vast, dark skies. The clouds are color-less, but they are still there. The breeze is formless, but they still feel it. Their emotions are mute, yet, they still hear what's not being said more clear than the song playing in the car's audio system.
“It's cold,” Junsu says with a light shiver.
Hyukjae reads between the lines and hears past what Junsu has said. His smile falters but does not disappear; he rebuilds it. “It is, Junsu; the world is a cold, cold place.”
“I'm leaving again tomorrow,” Junsu sighs.
“Oh?” Hyukjae croaks, but he already knows this. “Where to?”
Junsu glances up at the stars. “I don't know.”
Hyukjae nods in comprehension. “For how long?”
“I don't know,” Junsu repeats.
After freeing his hands, which were bound beneath the back of his head, Hyukjae props himself up above Junsu - a hand resting on either side of the other boy. They are staring into each others eyes, words swallowed with their breaths that are hitched in their throats.
Junsu remains motionless.
“You'll be back,” Hyukjae says, leaning down so close that Junsu feels their slated breaths mingling. “You'll always come back.”
It takes a moment for Junsu to register what Hyukjae had just said - what he meant with those choice of words - and he smiles, a content smile. He does not reply with verbal affirmation; instead, he weaves his fingers behind Hyukjae's neck, into Hyukjae's hair, and tugs lightly until Hyukjae falls into him, falls for him.
Their lips collide. It is bitter at first, a stiff battle - a rusty, unpracticed duel - but eventually they accustom to the kiss , to each others lips and tongue and teeth, and it becomes sweet, crispy, and very tentative.
It almost hurts how well they mold into each other - how synchronized their breathing, moaning, nibbling becomes.
“I'm leaving, too,” Hyukjae says when they finally break apart.
Their fingers are twirled together; like intertwined roots.
“Where to?” Junsu wants to know.
Hyukjae relaxes as he feels Junsu's arms wrap around his waist, Junsu's chin leaning on his shoulder. “On a quest,” he replies with a chuckle, “a quest to find what's meaningful to me.” You, he thinks, but he doesn't say it aloud.
Junsu frowns. “How will I contact you if we're both out of the country?”
“Stupid,” Hyukjae laughs, flicking Junsu on the forehead.
And Junsu knows - he somehow just knows - that there's no need for contact sources, no need to fear that he wouldn't be able to reach Hyukjae. “The countless stars in the sky are cheering for us,” he whispers into Hyukjae's ears, “even if they are thousands and millions of miles away, they are still cheering for us.”
“No matter how far the journey, how long the ride, how tedious a quest, in the end, we'll end up right here, back at square one,” Hyukjae reasons. Because even if our world splits into two, I'll still protect you to the end.
Junsu looks around at their surroundings; at dried up leaves, a field of withering fern, parched dirt, and broken dreams. “Yeah,” he nods, turning his gaze to the line of Hyukjae's jaw, tracing up to Hyukjae's eyes, “no place in the world could be more beautiful.” No one could be more beautiful than the you who smiles for me through these uncertainties and fear.
They close their eyes, the cold wind unable to stir the warmth they transmit through their bodies - from their own heart to the others. When Junsu awakes, Hyukjae is no longer with him. When Junsu awakes, the music in his car is playing on loop - one phrase repeated over and over again.
Junsu laughs, eyes brimmed with tears, as he strokes the ring on his pointer finger.
“I want you so, I love you so, thank you.”
-
(Junsu is surprised to find Hyukjae perched on his couch at his hotel in New York two evenings later, after he had just returned from a large project meeting.
“Hey,” Hyukjae greets him with a gummy smile. “Miss me?”
Speechless, Junsu merely gapes at Hyukjae until the boy rolls his eyes and extends his arms out - motioning for Junsu to give him a hug. Junsu complies.
“Well?” Hyukjae asks, clearly impatient.
Junsu finally finds his tongue. “What are you doing here?!”
“I told you,” Hyukjae sighs exasperatedly, “I'm on a quest to find what's meaningful to me.”
“My question still stands,” Junsu smirks.
Hyukjae refuses the urge to roll his eyes again. “I was led here. To you.”
Junsu grins and jumps - hops, more like - into Hyukjae's arms.
A familiar tune in playing in the background.
“I love you, oh, thank you.”)
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A/N: Inspired by this. It's dumb and pointless, I know. Don't ask. >.>