molten silver ─ hyunjeong ✓

epilogue

jeongin yawned loudly as he made his way out of the kitchen, where his father was cleaning up after their dinner. nearly tripping over his feet, he sent a candlestand clattering over the floor and hurriedly rushed to pick it up. he had never been able to get over his clumsiness.

"are you going to be able to get to your room safely?" jeongin's father asked, amusement lacing his words, "i don't think your mother would would be too happy if i delivered you to her in a full body cast on friday."

jeongin only stuck his tongue out and continued his trek to his room, which seemed so much longer now that he was tired. right, he had to go to his mothers' on friday.

the divorce hadn't been easy on him, but over the few months it had taken for them to file and for them to settle negotiations, jeongin realised that... it might take some time getting used to... but it was better this way.

the lack of arguments during the filing of the divorce continued to puzzle him to this day, but he figured it had something to do with the realisation that their arguments had been a primary factor in jeongin's three day disappearance— which he was severely grounded for.

he didn't bother to change into his sleeping clothes as he threw himself onto his bed, letting out a content sigh as the soft mattress engulfed him. just a few minutes... and then i'll change... and pack my things for friday...

okay well. he didn't remember falling asleep.

what he did remember... was the present. and currently, something was continuously thumping against his window. groaning, he buried his head into the pillow, trying to ignore the incessant thudding. it was probably minho or seungmin, deciding they wanted to go egg a house or whatever they thought was fun to do in the middle of the night.

when the noise didn't stop, he forced himself out of his bed in frustration. his blanket tangled in his legs as he staggered over to the window.

however, all his plans to open the window and throw his desk chair at whoever it was flew out of his head as he beheld what it was. a small bobbing blue light, silver lacing with it. however, the accompaniment of delicate wings had jeongin's mouth falling open. a silverfly.

it had been over a year since he had last seen one of the little creatures, after one had led him back to his home. what was it doing all the way out here now?

when the silverfly saw that it had gotten his attention, it began drifting away and jeongin scrambled across his room to pull on a jacket and his shoes. he shoved the window open and slipped out behind it, nearly falling headfirst on the ground in his haste. 

jeongin knew where the silverfly was leading him long before they reached the destination. he had known since he had seen the glowing creature outside his window. but that didn't stop his heart from pounding in his chest as he followed it to a familiar forest. a forest he had tried to avoid, knowing that he would probably give into temptation and get lost trying to find that lake again. and find the nymph that danced on it.

after all, he had a feeling the lake only allowed itself to be found when it wanted to be.

the silverfly didn't seem to care for jeongin's heavy, anxious breathing behind him, and continued its steady course into the dark forest. jeongin scrambled after it, not willing to lose its light. he felt a strange warmth seep into his bones as the trees whispered a soft greeting and he ducked under branches that reached out for him in welcome.

they reached too quickly, too quickly for jeongin to prepare himself. prepare what he was going to say.

it didn't really matter whether he had been planning to say, because the second he saw a silver figure sitting on the edge of the lake, his legs dangling in the water, he was rendered speechless.

his heart was all but thundering in his ears as he saw hyunjin, not dancing... but... reading. jeongin noticed with no small amount of shock that it was the book he had given him before leaving all those months ago.

creeping forward,  he stood just behind hyunjin, chewing on his lip before a surge of courage made him blurt out, "i hope you haven't been sitting here with this book since i left."

jeongin was pleasantly amused to see the way his voice made hyunjin jump, nearly dropping the book — and himself — in the moonlit water. whipping around, hyunjin's dark eyes widened in shock, "jeongin?"

"in the flesh," jeongin offered him a grin. glancing behind him, hyunjin seemed to notice the silverfly that floated just behind jeongin, and his widened further in realisation. "needed some company?"

scrambling to his feet, hyunjin placed the book beside him with such gentleness it made jeongin's heart ache. approaching him, hyunjin took jeongins face in his delicate hands, as though disbelieving of jeongin's claim.

"it's really you," he whispered, his thumbs grazing over his cheeks, under his eyes. he looked the exact same as he remembered, as unreal as ever, his silky hair framing his face like a dark halo. jeongin's knees nearly gave in as he looked into hyunjin's eyes, the spark in those mesmerising depths. the dark eyes he had grown so fond of. 

jeongin placed a hand over hyunjin's, "i don't... i don't know how much time we have."

he hated having to bring reality back to this little bubble that had built around them, but hyunjin's eyes shone with understanding that made jeongin want to cry.

"still a person of few words, i see, " hyunjin said teasingly, leaning forward to place a kiss on his forehead. jeongin leaned into the touch as hyunjin pulled away, not bothering to reply. "i've missed you."

jeongin looked up at him just as hyunjin leaned down, and as this time, when their lips met, when jeongin's arms slipped around hyunjin's waist, it felt like all raw edges eroded to something deep and peaceful.

it felt like a sweet warmth draping over them, urging them to delve deeper. and they did. tilting his head back, jeongin felt no desperation behind the kiss, no greedy attempt to take, only a slow promise of giving. hyunjin would give him everything, and so jeongin gave everything he had as well.

it felt like the stars tumbled around them, like water undulating around them. it felt like home.

when hyunjin pulled back, his chest rising and falling against jeongin's, he stepped back and reached his hand out in offering. "dance with me?"

the moon painted them in silver hues, the light bathing them as jeongin laughed. placing his hand in hyunjin's, he allowed the older to draw him closer once more, "it would be my pleasure."

he didn't even look down as hyunjin pulled him onto the lake, refusing to break his gaze. 

they didn't know how long they had, how long they would have this gift before it would be taken away again. but no matter what, they were going to make the most of it.

and make the most of it they did, as they danced on the shimmering lake, beautifully reminiscent of their first meeting. they stole kisses in between graceful spins, as the moon smiled down on them with her loving gaze.

their bodies were sheathed in the soft light as they moved. the embodiment of living, molten silver.

─ author's note 🌌

and that's the end!! i really liked this last chapter if i'm being honest, but it's finished now omg. next chapter is just a little goodbye if you want to read it, but if not, i'll just say it here! 

thank you all so much for staying for the entire story and commenting or voting or even just being a silent reader! because even the fact that you read this entire thing means so much to me!

i love and appreciate you all so much, muah muah!!  i hope that you enjoyed this story, and that it was worth your time, because you all are the light and joy to my life! thank you thank you thank you so much <3

─ mel out of the building :D