Dark messing with the sky leaving the stars to blink from afar at their brightest. The chaotic evening breaks down and foggy night just started. The guest house was lit up with yellow lamps around. It felt like the mansion was in a deep slumber as there was this thick silence oozing from its corners.
The familiar hallway ends and is divided into two separate ways. On his right was the meeting hall, music room, etc... On his left were bedrooms. Jeongguk stood in front of the unfamiliar door, tracing the wooden designs on it. He swallowed harshly, fighting a battle to knock or not on the door.
It's been five days since the cliff incident happened. Jeongguk was successfully avoiding V and tried to enjoy his time with Yeonjun and Soobin. The visual was still in front of him, a blink away. The officer felt shivers running through his spine as he recalled what happened there. Jeongguk was purposely forgetting that.
Everything was going fine until Jae decided to break it up for him. Jeongguk was sitting in the meeting room, flipping the pages of his new case document, when Jae opened the door and peeked inside. Jeongguk paused whatever he was doing and tried to figure out the small head and the piercing gaze. Jae walked inside with muddy hands and dirty clothes. Was this man digging holes to disappear? Jeongguk exclaimed inside.
"Can you please give this to V? I'm all dirty. He will kill me if I lost this.
Please..."
It was a wallet. Jeongguk stared at it without uttering a word. He wanted to say No. But the please, Jae was asking some favor from him for the first time. Jeongguk isn't that bad to not help him because of his personal reasons. So he nodded and said.
"Place it on the table. I will after finish my work."
He sounded formal. And Jae replied thanks with a small smile. The male has black hair and a sharp gaze. His biceps flexing as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. The Jimin he knew--- no, this is not Jimin. Jae is not soft and bubbly. He's not angelic. Just because Jae dances that don't mean he's Jimin. Jeongguk was staring at the male way too much time and when the other slammed the door, he came out of his trance. He glanced at the wallet and then returned to his task.
Don't know when his hand reached there and knocked on the door. He waited two minutes and rather than the door opening, he heard a deep and small come in. With heavy footsteps, Jeongguk walked inside. His heart was beating wildly. It was his first time walking into the other side of Dear Moon.
The room was big, dark just like the mansion. Grey curtains are blocking the view out of the windows. Some paintings are on the wall. A king-size bed on the center with white bedding and grey duvet folded neatly. A small table in front of the mirror on which some perfumes and accessories are arranged. Jeongguk looked around to spot a certain male. The violin was placed on the nightstand near the bed. But V is nowhere to be seen.
Jeongguk was about to put the wallet on the table, next to the accessories, and leave the room when the bathroom door opened and revealed V. The male was wearing a white shirt and black pants, eyes tired and looked up to see Jeongguk.
"Who's the--- oh..."
V said, his deep voice getting deeper as his eyes trailed to Jeongguk's hand. Suddenly, he felt self-aware and clutched on his shirt's hem and raised an eyebrow. Jeongguk was so lost. He's seeing the other like this close after five days. His eyes felt satisfied at the sight. His heart felt content. Screw right and wrong, he felt butterflies in his stomach.
"Ugh, I'm... Jae told me to give you this... Here..."
Jeongguk said and placed the wallet on the table. V walked towards him with a small smile. He still has that intimidating gaze that reminds Jeongguk he should come out of his imagination. He was about to walk away when the deep voice stopped him. Even though he missed it somehow, but right now he felt like cursing at it. But didn't.
"Umm... About the other day..."
The words trailed off to octaves as Jeongguk stick his eyes on the accessories on the table. His sight never leaving on the earring. The one he told V to throw away. It was there, in an open box, safe and beautiful. Jeongguk felt a lump in his throat and his breath getting caught in his lungs. Why would the male keep it? He wanted to yell at him and ask about it. But stopped himself.
When he looked at the mirror, he met with V behind him, pursuing his eyes moving from the earring to meet his mint green ones. Jeongguk stood there silent, without breaking eye contact. Their breathing was calm. There's no one stopping them or reminding them that they're looking into the eyes of each other through the mirror like they hold the whole galaxies in it.
After what felt like decades, V broke the silence. And when the other told something, Jeongguk felt he was pushed into a black hole and suddenly he remembered he's claustrophobic. It was suffocating, and he couldn't do anything about it.
"You said you mistook me as someone you know. Was that your... lover?"
Yes. But correction.
"Yeah."
Jeongguk whispered still looking at the mirror. His hands slowly stretched forward to the box and he took out the earring. Hiding it inside his fist, Jeongguk completed his words without losing the deep tone of his voice.
"You... reminds me of my... Lost lover..."
V's eyes lit up and Jeongguk didn't miss the stars in them. Jeongguk broke the eye contact and turned to walk. Then again, V stopped him. He really wanted to stop the conversation there. Not to go further about the topic. But, he's never the favorite of the universe.
"Wow... The one you're in love with is damn lucky."
As he heard those words, Jeongguk wanted to scoff and scream at the world. Only if that person ever knows how much he loves him, only if that person ever exists. It's funny how V figured it this fast and Jeongguk doesn't even know what to do with his feelings anymore. It was supposed to be a secret. His love, how much he loves, the person he loves everything supposed to be a secret. He hates V's fate which gave him the idea of Jeongguk's ultimate secret. His weakness.
The officer nodded. When he thought everything ended he walked towards the door. A part of his heart telling him to stay, not to run away, and not to leave the moment like that. But another part was miserable, begging him to not hurt more and let go of whatever he was holding for so long without any reason. Right now, Jeongguk's wise brain made a choice: One more word V, I'll stay.
"Umm... Will you... Will you tell me about your lover... If you don't mind... You... Um... You look like... too in love... I mean... Like they say... Fool in love...
Ah, I'm sorry... Don't mind me... I love hearing stories. I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
Jeongguk paused. There was a small smile on his lips. His lover and the fool he's, huh? Of course, it's one heaven of a story. The worst is, no one is gonna hear it with the right mind. Not even V.
Jeongguk shook his head and turned to face the male. The midnight black hair was messy and the mint green eyes looking endearingly at him. Does V really love hearing stories?
Jeongguk walked towards the other, fingers tightly hiding the earring in his fist as he stood in front of V. Taking a harsh breath, Jeongguk whispered.
"He... He was the most beautiful human I ever laid my eyes on. His eyes, his smile, even his heart. Every bit of him reminded me how blessed and beautiful my life is with him. He... He taught me how to love and live. He..."
Jeongguk paused as his eyes scanned V's expressions. It was soft. His delicate fingers touched the long eyelashes of V as the male slowly closed his eyes.
"His eyes were hazel. It was not just a pair of eyes, it was an ocean that made me drown every time I look into them. It was deep like the night and clear like the glass."
Jeongguk's words cracked down as he remembered the dreamy eyes. His hand moved from the eyelashes of V and the other opened his eyes slowly. Then his fingers caressed the other's cheek and his thumb teasingly brushes the pink lips. Gazing at Jeongguk, V took a deep breath. He felt Jeongguk stroking his messy bangs.
"His words were like music to my ears. I would never get tired of the stories he has to tell me. He always needed a listener."
V was chasing his eyes with Jeongguk's every move. When the officer moved behind him and held his arms from the back to make him look at the mirror, he gasped. They were close. Too close that V can hear Jeongguk's heartbeat from behind. Jeongguk on the other hand, placed his head on V's shoulder, hands tightly wrapped around his waist, both looking at the mirror with an unreadable expression. He inhaled deeply and the sweet strawberries embraced his nostrils to the brain.
"He was my safe place. In his arms, I used to find my home. He was my only family."
V unknowingly leaned back on Jeongguk's strong chest, eyes faded and softly fluttering close. Jeongguk's head was still on V's shoulder, snuggling to the crook of the other's neck.
Those who don't know Jeongguk will say he's a lunatic to make up some story like this. What family? What home? But for Jeongguk, it wasn't any psycho tale he made up. It's the truth. It's the craving of his heart. It's the life he wants to live. It's the love he deserves, it's the love story he waited for so long.
Jeongguk closed his eyes when he felt V's hands are on his, securing the hold on his waist tightly like never ready to let go. The world was abandoned for them. The distance, the difference, the right, and wrong everything was screwed up. Because right now all they could feel is home. Just like Jeongguk said.
In each other's arms, all they could feel is home. Away from the crowd and chaos, safe and euphoric.
"He used to tell me how the sun loved the moon and had to die every end of the day to keep the moon alive. He used to tell me how the stars become envious whenever lovers unite on earth. He used to tell me the universe will always lead him to me in every birth."
Jeongguk whispered, trying hard to not tear up and let V know how he was heartbreaking at the thought of his dreamy lover. Oh, how much he wanted to hold the love of his life in his arms just like this. How much he wanted to let his lover know the rhythm of his heart which takes his name. How much he wanted to hear those fairytales again because once they used to be his everything. Too bad, they're an eternity away.
They stood like that. Without opening their eyes, understanding even the little silence between each other, sharing the pain. Jeongguk let his one hand release the hold slowly as he tugged the hair of V behind his ears softly. His hold was strong and they both were melting with the moment. Their proximity was too much to register what's happening around them or even with them. Jeongguk's hand moved the hair on V's ears and slowly made the other wear the silver earring.
"He used to call me Kookie..."
Jeongguk paused to look at the male.
The earring dangling on V's right ear and he brushed the bangs on his forehead lightly. His hand returned to hold V's waist, pulling the other impossibly closer to his chest. He never let anyone hear his heartbeat like this. And this felt like he was directed by stars in his paths to paradise. Like one of his old dream. It felt like having V in his arms, closer to his heart, he got reason to live, purpose to stay, and the cause of his euphoria. After what felt like infinity of drowning in his miserable fate, for the first time, Jeongguk felt like he's saved. Fixed and loved.
He didn't want to break the bliss, so without moving even a finger and eyes concentrating on the mirror, tracing the soft features of V, Jeongguk stayed like that. His lips curling into a sweet smile while looking at the silver earrings. It melts with V's face, just like he imagined, just like he dreamt, as it belongs there. Perfect.
Jeongguk snuggled closer to the crook of V's neck like he just came back to his home after a tiring day at work, solving a very difficult case. He nuzzled and inhaled the strawberries. As V tilted his head for more access, Jeongguk's soft lips brushed his neck and the officer whispered in his ever so deep voice.
"Tae...?!"
"Mhmm??"
H-Hi...?
~AnecdotesOfABroken