The weather today is delightful. It is also quite and peaceful. No wonder they are in an deserted alley, searching for a place to relax. No paparazzi. No camera flashes. Only them.
"So you and evelators don't get along well?"
"It's a long story."
"Then tell me, i'm listening." Beomgyu pretends to prick up his ears,"Shall we sit there first?"
Beomgyu climbs on a worn yet stable cement wall, reaching out his hand to help Taehyun get up. As they settle on the the brink of the wall, a beautiful sight of Seoul is showing up. A cold breeze flies through their faces, you can smell a touch of smoke and meadow.
"Okay fine listen." Taehyun signals with a finger to attract the older's attention,"It may be sounds ridiculous so don't laugh, promise?"
"I promise." Beomgyu pulls out his pinkie, which has been locked by Taehyun's pinkie.
"I was eight on this day. My mom used to work as a business woman. Her office is on the top floor. Once, i wanted to see her since my dad worked in the military and wasn't at home often, i took the evelator but i got stuck there for five hours. To be honest it felt longer than just five hours. I cried a lot because i was alone there."
"It turned out that i had claustrophobia." the ash blond pauses to bite on his whipped cream filling with strawberry-sandwich,"I had attended to a lot of therapies and it got better, much better. But the fear of stucking in a evelator again is still haunting me. So i just take them whenever i need to."
"I'm sorry...you can call me out next time, from now on i'll be your personal attendant, that's it." Beomgyu straightened his spine to look intimidating.
"And what if i call you out without reasons?" Taehyun snikers, joges at the older's arm.
"I don't mind."
Taehyun tilts his head to his side, stops chewing his sandwich, licking off the cream on his upper lip which molds to a duck-alike lipshape.
Beomgyu seems not to notice anything since he slurps his ramen, relishing the beautiful sunset and the view of the city.
"You said your dad worked for the military? It is probably dangerous."
he then glances to the younger, adding some seasoned seaweed flakes into his ramen,"Can you hand me the kimchi radish?"
"Huh-? ah yes he still works as a soldier almost for twenty years."
Taehyun seeks for the small packaging of radish in the bag until he finds them.
"I'm proud of him but also concerned. I don't have the luck to see him everyday, you know." he sighs, passing the kimchi radish to Beomgyu, which he thanks for.
"What about your dad? He must be proud of you."
"If only he could...he left me and i don't even need to talk about my mom." Beomgyu mocks, chuckling bitterly.
"Dang it"
Taehyun looks away, regrets of asking about his family. Of course he didn't need to."What have you done"
He instead bites on his second whipped cream strawberry sandwich. Later on, he takes few glances at Beomgyu only to see the older absorbs his grape juice quitely, carving odd lines on the brick of the wall.
Taehyun can't handle the awkwardness, so he slops closer to the mullet to comfort him. It is now his turn.
"You want to eat the ice cream with me?"
Beomgyu creaks up a feeble smile, spooning at the big box both of them share.
"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Taehyun spoons on the cherry flavored cream, savouring it with relish. Meanwhile he ties his one leg with the older's loose hanging leg, toesing his feet against the other's feet a little.
"Yeah, it is."
The dawn sunlight keeps sparkling on the surfaces dazzles their sight of eyes. The way how the sun slowly goes down while the sky dims into the dark blue night light confers such an cozy and reassuring vibe.
"Yo-you have something there." Beomgyu points hestitantly to the whipped cream at the corner of the younger's lips.
He uses his thumb to wipe the cream away. His breath hitches as he thouches the corner, tracing his thumb further to Taehyun's lips as he cups his hand on its cheeks. Taehyun's eyes enlarge, his cheek burns like fire.
Their heart race on the same beat, rapidly and throbbing. Their gazes mesmerized, never left the other like nothing is in between from holding them back expect of the ice cream box that stools on the ash blonde's thigh.
Beomgyu feels his own lips as well as his throat dry. Just by the look of Taehyun, who's on the the perfect spot of the sunset's sunlight glowing on his honey skin, his eyes relects a little hint of orange-red tone from the light mixed with brown, he lost it. It is already his third time finding himself staring at the blonde male intensly but never could he imagine of how much ethereal Taehyun looks right now.
He leans closer, ceases on wipping off the cream from the corner.
And closer. Loosening their tied legs to partened them. Taehyun is frozen.
More closer. The ice cream box swings unstable on its place.
Still closer. His hand goes down to the younger's jaw. Their nose tip bumping together.
Closer. Almost feeling eachother's cherry-vanilla smelled breath.
Crack dang pung dung.
The box fell to the ground.
"I-it's getting dark, shall we go back?"
"W-where?" Beomgyu gulps, letting go off the cheek.
"Through the shore? I live near there." Taehyun widens the gap, packing the stuff in the bag.
As decided, they jump off the wall leaving the alley. The street lights start to shine since it is already dark which means that the sunset is gone as well as the thing that happens before which leaves traces.
"This poor ice cream." Taehyun fishes the box from the bushes, remove the waste into a trashcan. A good thing that they almost finished the ice cream, so it is less disgrace.
Beomgyu just hums not uttering something. He doesn't want to, he doesn't have the guts to want to. That makes nonsense.
How could he wanted to- no he doesn't even want to imagine those gibberish. He is not allowed to do. Taehyun may be think that he is a pervert or a jerk who kisses random people wherever and whenever he feels like. It is wrong. Really wrong.
Yet it felt so right. Why does it felt so right is the real question. But as much as he search for answers he can't find a single one.
"I need your answer."
No. Why does Juhee appears to his sense? Not now. The point is, she, like she said this afternoon, 'craved' for answers but he didn't dare to give her not even one because he was a wimp.
He takes few glances to Taehyun who's walking beside him near the sea. The moonlight shines directly to the ash blonde within the stars prickeling in the sky at the backround. What a beautiful side profile-
"No not again!"
Beomgyu shakes his head, coming back to sense. Should he make it clear? Of course he should. He needs to, before their friendship breaks apart. "What a questionable friendship though"
But what if Taehyun is also a wimp and ignores him or even more worse? Screw it.
"Taehyun-ah about the- um you know." Beomgyu stutters, playing with his hands because of finding suitable words.
"Hey teddy bear, long time no see."
This can't get any worser.
"Seo, we saw eachother hours ago. And don't call me like that."
"Teddy bear?" Taehyun ask confused, scratching his neck.
He just called him 'teddy bear' in his live this afternoon. He hopes Beomgyu didn't attend there. Why would he though, right?
"Oh hello blondie~ I don't think you should be with him. He has a really bad reportation in TPQ and i don't want you to suffer by his aura or are you by any chance his slu-"
"Shut the fuck up Seo" Beomgyu hides Taehyun behind him, glaring at Tony.
"Why so mean?" Tony sulks, looking down his shoes,"Anyways see you tomorrow."
Tony passes them, walking his way through the shore.
"Who was it?" Taehyun let his grip go off Beomgyu's jacket.
"Tony, Seo Tony. Look whenever you meet him somewhere, pretend not to see him just go further and don't talk to him. It is not only the best for me but for you."
"If you say so."
"You don't trust me?"
"No i do trust you. I don't know him much so i believe you, really."
The awkwardness is showing again. How both of them hate it.
"Taehyun-ah, my stomach is growling."
•<<——>>•
After they crosses the shore, they finally arrive by Taehyun's apartment. But they arrive later than expected. The awkwardness faded away since the hall only fill with their giggles.
"You really had to buy a candied apple, don't you? It's late midnight now."
"Watch out what you say! I was hungry and you also had one, so we are on the same boat."
"Because you forced me to want it." Taehyun defends himself, smiling confidently.
"Forced? Don't make it sound like I'm your grandma." Beomgyu laughs along with Taehyun.
The ash blonde reaches his door, fishing his key out. After he unlocked the lock, he steps in, turns to Beomgyu who's standing infront of the exit.
"About the thing you talked about earlier-"
"Just forget it, i-i wasn't myself there maybe because of the grape juice." Beomgyu cuts him off. He can't read the expression of the younger, but it seems like he is relieved.
"Um- okay bye~" Taehyun waves his hand.
But Beomgyu hugs him instead,"Thank you for today Taehyun-ah." They release from the hug.
Taehyun closes the door, leaning against it.
Perplexed.
He is perplexed.
Why is he feeling like this? That was a simple hug between friends yet it feels like he ran in a marathon when his heart beats faster than usual.
Taehyun suddenly gasps. How he could forgot. He opens the door immediatly and luckily is able to spot the brunette in midst of the hallway.
"Beomgyu-ah, will you come to the festival?"
"What do you think i will say?"
___