TIME ─ JAEYONG

022⸰

he told himself as he remained frozen under the doors foyer, finally mobile, knuckles turning white from gripping the doorknob tightly. there, sitting at the edge of the bed staring up at him was ten.

he smiled faintly, patting the empty space beside him. "the medicine has me hallucinating." he mumbled, blinking, once then twice, believing the apparition of his deceased lover would disappear but it didn't.

he remained seated, peacefully waiting for taeyong to join him. "you aren't real... you're dead. you died..." taeyong let his hand slip from the brass doorknob. "you're gone..."

"tae, please just come sit down." his soothing voice lulled taeyong closer. his legs felt heavy as he walked towards the bed. the closer he got the more real it felt.

"how are you here? how are you? oh my god... i missed your voice." taeyong felt the tears prick his eyes. "i missed you." ten's fingers were ice cold upon taeyongs skin.

his touch sending chills down his spine and goosebumps to rise on his arm. "i'm at peace taeyong, you don't need to worry about me anymore. i'm happy here... with my family."

ten looked at the wall and smiled fondly. taeyong followed his gaze, nothing was there but he assumed ten was looking at his parents. "i've been watching..." he averted his stare.

his soft eyes, taeyong could truly see the peace in them. "me?" ten hummed.

"jaehyun... he's a great guy. i know you're trying hard not to fall. you're confused and i understand but you need to move on. you said it yourself earlier that i wouldn't mind and you were right. i want you to be happy again."

"i didn't know what i was saying. i don't want to find another love, i don't want to forget you." the tears he fought to hold back began to trickle down his cheek.

"you don't have to forget me, i'll always be here." ten's finger tapped taeyong's heart. "but there's room for more." taeyong shook his head, not wanting to hear those words of truth.

"ten... im scared. i don't want to relive what happened. i can't lose someone else. i can't fall in love with jaehyun. i can't. i don't want to hurt him or let him down like i let you down."

"you never let me down taeyong. stop believing that." ten wiped away the tear streaks on taeyong's redden cheeks. "i'm here to tell you to not be afraid anymore. to answer your cry for help."

"ten–" ten pressed his finger to taeyong's lips, stopping him from speaking.

"jaehyun isn't me, don't live in fear because of what i had to do. you aren't cursed, if anything you're blessed."

"i'm not blessed."

"you are blessed. blessed with a new life, new opportunities. take them taeyong. i'm telling you to take them and enjoy them to the fullest. let yourself be happy again. fall in love like i know you want to. don't live in fear anymore."

"it's hard ten..."

"it's only hard because you're still living with regret. my chapter of your life is over. flip the page taeyong. please." he begged, hoping the point would get across to him.

it took him awhile, just sitting there with ten running his thumb across his cheek for him to finally register what was about to happen.

taeyong's throat felt sore as he choked on his sobs. this is the closure he needed, the closure he longed for. the built up fear and pain he had for eleven months now would leave with ten. his brain would replay this moment until he no longer felt scared to live and love fully again.

"promise me you'll visit again... in my dreams or on my death bed. anything so i know that if i do move on you'll still be with me."

ten couldn't promise that. this was the last time they would ever meet and see each other. "i can't promise but remember." he pointed to his heart.

taeyong took in a shaky breath. he was ready, ready to flip the page. ten smiled and rose from the bed, holding his arm out for taeyong to take it one last time.

"i'll walk you through the door. when you open your eyes i'll be gone but remember everything that happened."

closing his eyes was the hardest thing to do. he took one last final look before shutting his eyes, hand entwined with ten's. he felt him tug his hand, slowly leading him out of the room.

he could feel the hold on his hand get lighter and lighter with each taken footstep. "goodbye taeyong." was whispered before the weight in his hand vanished. when he opened his eyes he looked around, ten was truly gone.

"goodbye ten." he whispered back.

...

groggily, taeyong came too, finding himself laid out on the bathroom tiled floor. he touched his face, feeling the dried tears. suddenly remembering what he dreamt of he clambered out the bathroom.

the sun peeked in through his blinds, he had slept the whole night. his eyes landed on the beds edge where dream him and ten sat. "i remember ten... whether real or fake you came to me and told me what to do... i'll honor it."

without a glance back he left his room for jaehyun's. the boys door was wide open, with him nowhere to be seen. suitcases lingered around the floor while clothes were messily tossed inside. "t–taeyong..."

jaehyun walked out of the bathroom with another suitcase. "i'll run away with you." taeyong breathed, entering the room fully. jaehyun gave him an appalled look.

"i–"

"last night, something happened and it woke me from my despair. i'm willing to run away with you, if you still want me to."

jaehyun didn't know what to say. just last night he cried himself to sleep knowing he fucked up his already messed up relationship with taeyong.

but here he was, coming to him like a whole new person, willingly to leave with him after seeming to strongly disagree just last night. "what happened to you?"

"a spirit... and pain pills but that's another story for later. so am i still invited or no?"

with a smile on his face jaehyun tossed taeyong an empty suitcase. "get packing. we leave in two hours."

taeyong went to leave when he remembered something. "oh, jaehyun..." he turned back around. "here's to a new chapter."

✿

i hope this story is going at a decent pace aha. i've changed so much from my original story line plan 👀 but anyways, tysm for reading. 💕