A.N// another hella long chapter but it's just this one part please forgive me i have an illness 🙏
ALSO CONTENT WARNING ! suicide mention/scare (not actual, but assumed)
"Let me leave for Titan's sake. You're just keeping me captive at this point."
He was pushing Kai off of him and onto the living room floor, the other being exceedingly annoying about their 'Minsung' plan becoming successful.
"I'm truly fucking happy for you. Now let me escape from your dirty-ass clutches."
Kai pretended to cry. "You said you love my clutches!"
"Literally name one singular time I've ever said that," he deadpanned.
The other sighed. "Fine. I'll leave you to find Beomgyu."
Taehyun thanked whatever god was in charge of his peace, and got up.
"I get it. You'd rather his clutches be allllll over you."
"Oh my Titan Kai. You are insufferable."
"The word you're looking for is crazy, sexy, and cool."
"......That's three words dumbass."
"Whatever! Go find Beomgyu!" Yelling, Kai ran off to Titan-knows-where before Taehyun could even shake his head.
When he went back up to the original porch he'd left, Beomgyu was gone. He headed downstairs and spotted Yeonjun getting a drink with someone he didn't know. Taehyun tapped him.
"Have you seen Beomgyu?"
"Titan, why does everyone want something from me tonight?"
The boy to his right hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey! You wanted something from me." Taehyun watched as Yeonjun smiled, googly-eyed, and nodded. "And I got it, so there."
Rolling his eyes, Taehyun asked again. "Do you know where Beomgyu is?"
Yeonjun shook his head, and the other boy spoke.
"Last time we saw him he was right..." He pointed outside and noticed the spot that Beomgyu was gone from. "Oh. We've been all over, sorry. We haven't seen him."
The new boy seemed sweet, so Taehyun forced himself to smile and thank them both. He headed upstairs and tried the bathroom on the right.
When he saw Hyunjin and Felix wrapped in what felt like a very intimate and emotional hug, he closed it again.
There was probably someone else he could ask. He was not getting in the middle of that.
About to try another bathroom, he remembered Kai seeing that Minho and Jisung had headed left into the left one. He knocked and opened the door, bracing himself for visions he knew he'd never get rid of.
"Jisung I swear to Titan if one more fucking person knocks on that door-" Minho was silenced by Han's hand. "Uh, hey Taehyun! What's up?"
Taehyun could tell he was embarrassed about getting caught, as if everyone from here to the Underworld couldn't tell what they were doing before.
"Yes, what is so necessary that we need to be interrupted multiple times by the same group of people?"
Minho was clearly tired, and at his limit; but not as much as Taehyun, who had been growing increasingly worried.
"Look. You think I would come in here and risk traumatizing myself if it wasn't important? I just need to know where Beomgyu is. Then you two can go off and be whatever the hell you decide to be this week."
Minho scowled, but Taehyun could tell he didn't mean it. He couldn't blame the other for being frustrated, having experienced a similar thing on multiple occasions lately.
Jisung frowned. "Isn't he with Yeonjun?"
Great, so Jisung had been gone even longer than he had. "Yeah. He was, and now I guess he's somewhere else. Thanks anyway." He closed the door, hoping to never be desperate enough to do that again.
He was starting to get pretty worried. As a last-ditch effort, he asked Chan and Changbin in the middle of their shotgunning. As expected, both shook their heads.
Fuck. So no one had seen him. Taehyun was turning to head to the yard when he saw Yeonjun and the blue-haired boy again. Both seem concerned to find Taehyun still alone.
"Wait, you still haven't found him?" Yeonjun frowned.
Exasperated, Taehyun threw his arms out to the side. "No! And I've basically asked almost every single fucking person at that stupid table yesterday! Who else does he even hang out with!?"
"Well, no one. It's always either Yeonjun and his friends, or me." Soobin said. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Oh! Or this new guy he hangs out with now, Taehyun I think? I'm not sure, I never see them together. Maybe he's with him!"
Taehyun just stared at him. Yeonjun whispered something in his ear, and Soobin looked mortified. "Oh, shit. I'm Soobin! His roomate...I'm so sorry. I don't get around much. No wonder you're worried!"
All Taehyun had the energy to do was nod. "Yeah. I'm about to go full Seungmin and burn this place to the ground if I don't hear something soon-"
It suddenly gave him an idea, and Taehyun looked around helplessly. He found him and Jeongin in a corner, and thanked the gods for another option.
He knew it was a stretch, but he headed over followed by the other two. "Hey. Any chance either of you have seen Beomgyu?"
They looked at each other, and Seungmin nodded. Thank Titan. Taehyun sighed, relieved, until he heard the boy's words. "Yeah. He had been there most of the night," he pointed to the spot Beomgyu was in. "But then Felix came by, and they talked, and he reached in his pockets for something. We were only watching at first because of how upset Felix looked, but then Beomgyu looked even worse a second later."
Jeongin picked up from there. "He pulled out these papers and looked really upset, and then ran off. I think he left the party."
Yeonjun just frowned and looked at Soobin, both confused. Taehyun didn't understand either, until he did.
He thought of what Beomgyu was wearing...and it knocked the life out of him.
The jacket...The slips...
An indescribable dread filled Taehyun. His entire body went cold.
He needed to find him right fucking now.
"Did you see where?" If he had any fight left in him, he would've disguised his voice breaking. But it didn't matter. The two seemed to notice, and simply pointed in a direction without a word.
"Hey, Taehyun. Is something wrong? Like...should we know?" Yeonjun looked concerned, and the other three did as well.
Taehyun thought about the contents of the note. He became increasingly distressed as he tried to think about what Beomgyu would think, and do. He decided to be as direct as possible. He knew the others wouldn't truly understand, but it would get the urgency across.
"I think Beomgyu's going to kill himself."
At first they all simply stared at him. Then, when seeing his unchanging expression, realized how serious Taehyun was.
"Well, we're going too then," Soobin finally said, looking frantic. "It's a better chance of finding him."
Taehyun didn't care. He just needed to be the one to find him. To explain.
Jisung, Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix all came bounding down the stairs. They all looked worried. Even Minho wasn't scowling at being interrupted, just standing behind Jisung's concerned face.
"We're coming to look for Beomgyu."
Taehyun really didn't have time to argue, or even wonder how the four of them knew what was going on. But maybe Soobin was right. If they split up, it might give them a better chance of finding him.
"Sure, fine. As long as whoever finds him promises to text me and tell me where he is. And don't go up to him. I mean it. Just text me, and leave."
The group must have sensed how serious he was, because they all either nodded or vocally agreed to the promise.
Everyone headed outside. Only to be met with a distressed Chan, and a confused but determined Changbin. "We're here to help, sorry we're late."
Late? Taehyun had never been more confused.
That is, until he saw Kai running toward him as fast as he'd ever seen the boy move.
He stopped right at Taehyun's side, and the look on Kai's face stirred something that reminded him of the communication channel the boys set up when they were ten years old.
"For emergencies," Kai had said then, sounding like his dad.. "It'll let me know when and why you're in a situation of considerable distress."
Now, the boy was staring at him. Worry and breathlessness were the only languages painted on his angelic features. Panting, he explained. "I'm here...Sent for help...Can tell... Beomgyu... Important."
Taehyun had never heard him speak so few words.
He then realized the reason Felix, Hyunjin, Jisung, Minho, Chan, and Changbin were all there and willing to help.
Taehyun had never felt more adoration for his best friend, the communication prince.
After restating the hard truth, everyone seems to understand why all eleven of them were needed. "Okay, we need to go now then."
Seungmin, Jeongin, and Felix suggested taking the woods. Felix for light, Seungmin for protection, and Jeongin to actually search.
Chan and Minho offered to check the dining hall and the archery fields, and any other athletic parts of campus. If Beomgyu was in any physical danger, from himself or otherwise, they promised to stop it.
Hyunjin and Changin offered to team up together and check the farm, greenhouses, and the outskirts of campus. Taehyun didn't miss the pointed glance Hyunjin gave towards Felix, though he didn't even want to begin to figure out why.
Yeonjun, Jisung, Soobin, Kai, and Taehyun would all check the top of campus.
Yeonjun and Soobin would check the cabins and the offices, obviously starting with the health block.
Jisung had promised to check every inch of the lake, despite Minho's endless protests of him going alone.
Kai had set up a temporary channel between him and one person per group. Him and Taehyun were left with whatever the hell Taehyun came up with. He wasn't sure yet. He couldn't stop thinking about what the other boy might've done. How stupid Beomgyu might've acted, just to protect him.
Part of Taehyun hated himself for not thinking of it first, to avoid dragging Beomgyu into this whole fated mess. But the selfish part of him wouldn't. He needed as much time as he could possibly get with the other boy before the inevitable.
After almost an hour of trying the art and music studios and the Gen Ed classrooms nearby, Kai looked at Taehyun sadly. "Jeongin says they've had no luck." Kai suddenly raised his head, as if listening, then deflated. "Shit. Minho and Hyunjin both just said the same."
Taehyun sunk to the ground without a word. Kai followed, sighing. "Here's hoping Yeonjun and Soobin find him. I doubt I'll hear anything from Han for a while, seeing as he's in the lake."
He froze.
"It's a nice place, really. To think about...everything. Especially when you can't even go in the lake."
He grabbed Kai's shoulder, who startled. "We had Jisung search in the lake, right? Just in the lake? Not around it at all?"
When Kai slowly nodded, Taehyun took off sprinting.
"Shit! Tae wait, oh my Titan!" He heard Kai attempting to trail behind, but it didn't matter. He knew exactly where to look.
He reached the picnic table placed in front of the lake, but his heart sank when no one was there. He saw Jisung get out of the lake, shaking out his body. They made eye contact, and the boy shook his head in dismay. Taehyun felt like crumbling.
Slowly but surely, all parties gathered. He assumed Kai must've sent something, because everyone was there. They all looked discouraged, but said nothing. What was there to say?
Kai cleared his throat, speaking delicately. "Taehyun, why'd you choose here?"
Taehyun willed himself not to break. "We met on this bench."
He sighed. "Not technically. But it's where we... I don't know. Really got to start meeting each other, knowing each other beyond our parents' fucking positions."
Kai looked at the bench, then frowned. He pointed at a bench a few yards to the left. "I thought it was that one? The one you carved a skull into?"
When Taehyun followed his finger he saw a shadow, just clear enough to be the shape of Beomgyu.
In his heightened emotions, he had gone to the wrong fucking bench.
Oh my God. Titan. Namjoon. Whatever the fuck you want to call it, he was an idiot. He almost kissed Kai. He laughed, although it sounded more like a sob. "That's him."
It was hard not to notice the collective sigh of relief. He hesitated.
"I know this is weird, but I sort of need to talk to him alone. It's hard to explain." They all looked at him skeptically.
"I just feel like we should all go check on him, you know? After such a dangerous scare."
Taehyun had absolutely nothing against Jeongin, but at that moment he needed the guy to shut his mouth.
"That might not be good. It might overwhelm him, so many people," Chan thought.
"Maybe we'll just send a couple of us?"
"How do we choose who? I mean, we obviously all care enough to be searching." Seungmin added.
"It shouldn't be me," Changbin laughed, embarrassed. "I usually make things worse."
He failed to notice the frown on his left, or the eyes protesting his statement.
"Well it should probably be someone close to him, you know. As well as Taehyun."
Kai tried to help his friend, knowingly. "I'm sure it'll all be explained later. For now we should all but Tae just head back and-"
"Fuck that, I didn't drag my fine ass all around this campus just for–"
Minho stopped speaking suddenly. He swallowed, uncharacteristically silent.
When the others looked at him, confused, they followed his gaze over to the side of the trees. Taehyun had walked over towards the table, pausing and listening to the bickering.
Unintentionally, though perhaps in his wish for them all to be quiet, Taehyun had released something unnamable. The nearest 10 yards was now covered in thick black mist, the kind that went off when his intimidation powers were in use.
Taehyun hated using them, but they often went off on their own. It had happened once before, because a kid stole his juice box his first year at school. It told the kid that if he didn't give the drink back, Taehyun would kill him on the spot.
The child ended up handing it back and peeing his pants, a reaction not far from what the group of adults were facing now.
Not a soul moved. They all stared, petrified, in the direction that Taehyun stood.
"Please. I need to talk to him...alone."
His voice was nothing short of death itself. It scraped down each spine, ripped out every emotion until there was nothing left but fear.
It was then the group understood the true power of Hades' son, and that they needed to get the fuck out of there.
Kai coughed suddenly, even his voice small with fear. "We should probably go. We can wait somewhere, it doesn't have to be back to the party, but I'm guessing no one really wants to stay here?"
They all shook their heads, having no interest in becoming corpses before finishing school.
Taehyun sighed, feeling a little ridiculous for doing it. But it got him here alone with Beomgyu, the thought reminding him to chill out and not scare the boy.
Now that he'd seen, he knew he couldn't run up to him. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the image of Beomgyu alive, that he almost forgot why he disappeared in the first place.
He slowly walked up until the shadow was less than a few feet away. Then, he spoke weakly.
"Beomgyu?"
He tried not to let it hurt when the shadow tensed, then slowly stilled.
If the group thought his voice was chilling, it was nothing compared to what Taehyun heard leave the other figure.
"What.",
To be totally honest, Taehyun didn't really know what to say next. He didn't prepare, just wanted to make sure that Beomgyu didn't hurt himself.
"I...." he sighed. "I know that you're pissed at me. Rightfully, so. I just-"
The figure abruptly turned, spinning so sharply he had to stop himself with his own hands on the bench. Taehyun got a better look at the boy in the moonlight, and his heart sank when he saw how pale his face was, and the puffiness of his eyes.
"Pissed. I'm pissed at you. That's what you gathered?"
Taehyun stepped back slightly, confused. "Well, yeah. I don't know. Maybe? I would be. Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I know it was fucked up. I should've told you-"
He heard the other laugh, clearly unamused. "Well, I get it of course. Why you didn't tell me. It would've ruined your plan. The whole thing would have been ruined."
Taheyun just stood there, blinking. "What are you talking about? What whole thing?"
Now the other stood, no longer laughing, inching closer as Taehyun inched backwards.
"Don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare play dumb with me, Kang Taehyun."
Beomgyu stopped advancing and started pacing back and forth while speaking. "I'm not stupid, you know? I thought it was a little weird at first. The son of Hades actually wants to spend time with someone as dull and stuck up as me?"
Before Taehyun could correct him, the other said something that made his heart stop dead in its tracks.
"But now it makes complete fucking sense. Asking me to lunch, taking me out on the lake. Be honest, if I had turned my back would you have pushed me in?"
Taehyun stood there, dumbfounded. The other was so wrong he didn't even know how to correct it. Instead, he thought he might be imagining things.
Surely, Beomgyu wasn't that fucking stupid. Surely, he didn't really think that about him.
So, he asked again, slower.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"It's a good plan in hindsight, really." Beomgyu's voice had changed to a mock, haunting lightness. "Get the boy to believe you guys are together, then stab him in the back. Oh, and it's literal! How fun."
Taehyun was still in disbelief. "You... think I've been faking all of it."
The other scoffed. "I'm so sorry that the plan has failed now. All because you were playing the cliché up enough to give me your jacket."
On all that was holy and true, Taehyun swore there was no way this was happening right now.
He tried to keep his voice even and slow. "Beomgyu. I'm not pretending to have feelings for you in order to win the stupid battle."
The other mocked relief, and Taehyun clenched his jaw to keep quiet. "OH! Now I believe you! Well, okay. If that clears things up."
The other started to leave, but Taehyun grabbed his arm. Beomgyu dropped his sarcasm and said, through gritted teeth,"Let. Go of me."
Taehyun loosened his grip, but was still holding on. "You're not listening to me, okay? Listen to me."
Beomgyu let out another humorless laugh. "That's exactly the problem though, isn't it? I've been dumb enough to listen to you. I've been so naive my entire life, that it's perfect to swoop in and take your prize. Well, here it is! Just kill me and take it!"
He knew he was pushing Taehyun, who was fighting with every ounce in him not to give into his easily short temper. Another blessed family gene. He started to simply deny, when Beomgyu said something that tipped him over the edge.
"Kill me. But hey, make sure I get my smock back when I'm in your dad's river."
It was too much. The vision of Beomgyu, among all of those gray souls he had seen growing up.
His dad being in charge of the boy he loved for all eternity.
He shoved Beomgyu harshly back onto the bench, and the other fell into the seat, startled. His voice rose in malice. "You sit. You fucking sit down and you fucking listen to me."
Taehyun could tell the other was scared, but it didn't matter. He grabbed the boy's arms and looked into his eyes; his scared, stupid, beautiful eyes...
He settled.
He released Beomgyu, slowly but surely.
He was not his dad.
He could explain things. Show him. He didn't need to lose his temper. He needed Beomgyu to understand him. He got an idea.
"You know what? You make a good point. Now is the perfect opportunity."
Before he could let himself see the hurt on Beomgyu's face, he held his arms out.
"It wouldn't be fair to take advantage of you like that. So, go ahead. If you're so hurt, if you wanna win so badly, then kill me. I have no weapons, nothing."
He stood there, waiting for Beomgyu to say or do something. But the boy just sat there, silent and startled.
Taehyun glanced at the water, and took a chance. If nothing else, it would end this stupid fucking prophecy.
"Hell, I'll even do it for you. It's February, do you think the water will be cold enough to do the job?"
He ran towards the body of water, and as he jumped off the edge he was grabbed by the shoulders and shoved hastily on the ground. When he looked up, his eyes were met with Beomgyu's image: frantic, breathing hard, angry but terrified.
Beautiful as he'd been the first time Taehyun truly saw him.
"Are you fucking stupid? Are you insane? You fucking idiot! You'll freeze to death!"
Both boys were on the ground, Beomgyu pining Taehyun by his shoulders in case he ran again. It worked.
"You won't let me do it," Taehyun said quietly, breathing just as heavy as the boy above him. Beomgyu simply stared.
"You don't want it to happen."
When Beomgyu continued to stare at him, he slowly got up. Beomgyu also got up and stood between him and the water, at the ready, just in case.
Taehyun tried to explain, while pacing. "You can't do it. You can't do it for the same fucking reason that I haven't done it."
Beomgyu still didn't quite get it, and Taehyun sighed. "You can be mad at me all you want for not telling you. I get that. It was shitty."
He stopped and looked Beomgyu in the eyes now, determined and six inches away from the boy's face.
"But don't you dare stand here and accuse me of pretending to fall in love with you; because it's simultaneously the worst and best thing thats ever happened to me in my stupid, entire, fucked up existence."
He sat on the bench harshly, defeated. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Beomgyu still frozen in his place. But he then spoke, soft and stern.
"What did you say?"
Taehyun had gone this far. There was no going back.
"I said I'm in love with you, stupid."
Beomgyu's face went blank, and Taehyun took the opportunity to continue.
"And you feel the same way. Maybe it's not as strong, or as intense. Hell, I don't know, let's ask Yeonjun." He got up again, and placed his hands on Beomgyu's shoulders, as if it would make the other believe him more.
"But I'll have you know one thing. If I can have you know one final fucking thing before one of us kills me, you need to know that it's real."
He didn't even notice his own admittance to being the one dead. He was too focused on Beomgyu's face, on his ability to get through to the boy. "It's the only real thing I've ever had."
It was silent for a beat, but before the other said anything, a voice appeared in the distance.
"Beomgyu! You're Ok! Thank God!"
Taehyun silently wished that intimidation spells lasted longer.
Or, simply, that his new friends could take a fucking hint.
—
Beomgyu was tackled by eleven bodies at once.
He had no idea what the other boys were told, but he was sort of glad for their arrival. He took the moment he was hidden in Soobin's sleeve to wipe the tears from his eyes without Taehyun noticing.
"We were worried sick, eventually Jisung just said we should just check in."
Beomgyu saw Taehyun glare at the other, but he wasn't worried. Taehyun wasn't stupid enough to make him mad right now. "I'm fine, guys. Sorry for the scare. Just...had a lot of thinking to do."
He didn't miss the way Taehyun's gaze was suddenly transfixed on him after the statement.
"Is everything....okay?" Kai eyed Taehyun, who shrugged.
Beomgyu sighed. "Sure. But I'm exhausted now. Can we go?"
He had said it just to Soobin, hoping everyone would understand and leave. Especially Taehyun. He couldn't face him.
Soobin nodded, confused but clearly relieved. The two of them started to head back, when they heard a sharp hiss behind them, followed by a string of curses he knew to be Taehyun's.
They all went to the boy clutching his neck, and noticed the two holes bleeding in the side. A snake bite.
"Move." Minho's voice came from behind Beomgyu, and when he followed where the boy was looking, that's when he saw the bastard.
The snake must've been ten feet long, and was perched up to be almost the same height as Chan. It's wasn't saying much for a human, but for a snake it was pretty daunting. It was fully black, something out of the river. They were all frozen, not knowing what to say or do.
Minho just stood there, staring. His back was facing the group as he said: "You all better stay back or I'll kill you myself."
He then simply stared at the creature, who stared back, and Beomgyu swore he thought the boy was gonna start speaking parseltongue or something.
He didn't however, or if he did it was silent. To everyone's wonder, the two had a staring contest until the black snake slithered away, back into the water.
Still, no one moved. Minho turned back around to face the group, aggressively rubbing his eyes. He looked around as if nothing happened, then turned to Taehyun.
"It's poisonous. I suggest the nursing facility, you'll need help for that." He pointed to Taehyun's neck before taking Jisung's hand and leading him away from the river.
They all turned to Taehyun now, and Beomgyu tried not to gasp at the boy's neck. It had become twice its normal size, and turned a deep shade of purple. Taehyun wasn't saying much, just lolling back and forth and holding where the bite was. He was still conscious, but the others could tell he was losing it, fast.
Beomgyu would be damned if a random fucking snake killed Taehyun before their stupid battle.
He turned to his roommate. "Soobin. Is the nursing office open at this hour?" The boy shook his head, and Beomgyu threw his head back. "FUCK."
"Beomgyu..." he heard Soobin say, and he turned to meet his eyes. They remained like that until Soobin tilted his head purposefully, and Beomgyu understood.
"I...I can't."
But even he didn't believe it. Was there a healing rule for poison? Only one way to find out.
Sighing, he addressed everyone. He gave up on dropping hints.
"Okay! Everything's great, guys. Everything's good. I'm good, but unfortunately Taehyun here is not. Or might not be, if everyone doesn't go to their own respective rooms and let Soobin and I help him."
"Wait, if Taehyun's hurt I'm coming too." Kai said, and Beomgyu nodded understandingly.
"Oh, and I guess Yeonjun. Since you and Soobin are...like...." he sighed. "You know what? I don't have time to figure it out right now. Just come." Yeonjun happily obliged.
He faced the remaining eight. "The rest of you...See you at breakfast! Thank you for your understanding!"
He saw all of them roll their eyes, confused but amused. "Wow.. you're just gonna leave us all out here?" Chan joked. "Like a bunch of strays?"
(A.N:// i am so fucking funny i am literally so funny you should all be clutching your chests laughing.)
Hyunjin rolled his eyes. "Come on Chan. You really wanna be in a room with that much horniness?" he gestured to the five.
Kai frowned. "You know... on second thought..." He laughed when Soobin hit him gently.
Hyunjin continued. "Let's just all go back to my block. There are small rooms in my cabin for plants, but nothing's growing right now. We'll leave Minho and Jisung to their...whatever. Jeongin and Suengmin can have their own space. Chan, I need your help to plant some grape vines. Changbin and Felix... you're on your own."
Beomgyu didn't miss the way Hyunjin glanced at Yeonjun during the last sentence, who beamed and nodded. "Great idea."
He heard a groan behind him, and Taehyun staggered slightly. There wasn't time for this. "For God's sake, leave!" Beomgyu said while he ushered them away.
The eight dispersed; amused as ever. The remaining five were eventually able to get Taehyun through the door of Beomgyu and Soobin's cabin and onto the floor.
Kai and Yeonjun collapsed onto the beds, and Beomgyu tried to give Soobin a look that said Get them out of here so I can do magic without freaking them out more than it already freaks me out.
Either it worked, or Soobin really was telepathic. Because he nodded, and stood in front of the two. "I don't know if it's the alcohol or the trek back here, but you guys reek. Go shower, there's two of them."
Yeonjun, either drunk or exhausted, pouted. "You don't think I smell like roses anymore?" Soobin rolled his eyes and shoved the two away. "Go!" He smiled at Beomgyu, and left to get proper healing supplies from the nursing center.
Beomgyu smiled after him gratefully after placing Taehyun on his own bed. Taehyun was loopy, and simply smiled like an idiot at Beomgyu while playing with his hair.
"It's so....red now. Red hair! Red hair Red hair..." he sang, sifting his fingers through it. Ignoring him other than shaking his head and smiling, Beomgyu placed his hands on the boy's neck.
"Cold! So cold..." the other cried weakly, and Beomgyu kissed his cheek without thinking. "Shhh... I need to focus okay? I need you to be quiet." The other nodded three too many times and stayed silent.
Beomgyu took a deep breath, and tried to empty his mind of everything he'd felt for the past few hours. Which took a while, because those hours had been a fucking roller coaster.
The worst part about finding out the prophecy was how much sense it made. Taehyun's dismissal of ever having a real future, his shock at finding out Beomgyu knew nothing about himself. Even the way the other acted at first.
Now that he was starting to believe Taehyun wasn't lying about his feelings, it made sense that he'd wanted to stay away. It's what Beomgyu would have wanted to do now, if he thought it possible.
He focused on seeing Taehyun without that stupid bite, and slowly he watched the other boy's neck shrink and turn its normal skin color.
Opening his eyes, Taehyun looked surprised to see him there. But smiled nonetheless. "I have no fucking clue what just happened, but I know you probably fixed it. So thanks."
Beomgyu said nothing, and thanked the gods that Taehyun still didn't know about his healing power.
They were clearly working against him, however. Because as soon as he finished the thought, Taehyun looked down, frowning. "Shit. I have a cut on my foot. I must've done it during my stupid demonstration of jumping in the lake."
He looked at Beomgyu smiling, but it fell when he found it unreturned. "What?"
Beomgyu simply sighed, and wished he were born the son of an accountant.
"I have to do something, and it's going to fix your foot. But you have to promise me three things."
Taehyun was clearly confused, but nodded anyway.
"One: you can't freak out. Two, you have to tell me another story. Any story. Three...you're not allowed to ask questions. Especially pertaining to our fucked up future."
"I...I guess. Okay." He still looked skeptical, but it was enough for Beomgyu to start placing his hand on the wound.
"I'm listening. Story time."
When the other still said nothing, he looked up. Taehyun sighed "This one's sad. Just a warning."
He smiled in response. "Then it'll probably be my favorite."
Taehyun looked like he was having an internal battle, then sighed again and began.
"Once upon a time, there was an artist."
Beomgyu smiled at the implication of Taehyun being the protagonist once again. He loved hearing about the boy's life, even after knowing if might end soon.
"But this artist wasn't allowed to paint. His dad never allowed something so.. So trivial. So unimportant."
Beomgyu could hear the hurt in his voice as he kept listening.
"So...so the artist, he convinces himself that he isn't good at painting, that he hates it."
Beomgyu looked up at him, frowning at the words he heard. He was surprised to find the other staring intensely at him.
"Because loving something that you can't have, hurts worse than pretending you never wanted it."
Beomgyu froze at the boy's words before pulling back. Taehyun's foot was healed, and the two continued to stare at each other. Beomgyu tried not to let his face show the finality he felt about the day of the battle.
"Better to leave something you like, then to let something you love leave you later."
Beomgyu's heart sank, and he touched his face to find that he was crying. "I was right. About it being my favorite. Even though it's super depressing."
Taehyun smiled at him, the warmth of which made Beomgyu melt.
"That's why you wanted to give up art?"
"I guess. but still. I meant it when I said I don't plan on bothering with art, as long as the two of us are around."
Taehyun slid down onto the floor, and looked at Beomgyu with an intensity so deep the boy felt like he might drown in it. "That's why I didn't tell you about the slips. About the prophecy. My whole life, I've felt like I've been told to do things or not do things. Loving you was unexpected, and therefore only mine."
He sighed. "It wasn't something my dad could control. Or anyone, really. Hell, clearly even I can't control it. Otherwise we wouldn't even be in this stupid situation."
He laughed, and Beomgyu did as well, despite everything.
"I was in denial. I didn't tell you because if I kept it, it would be like my own stupid thing that I made up. It wouldn't be real. But it is, and I didn't tell you that. And I'm so, so sorry." Taehyun glanced at his foot.
"Thanks, by the way. I know I'm not allowed to freak out, but that shit is creepy."
Beomgyu smiled, relieved that Taehyun didn't mention what his healing powers meant for their future. Even if he was thinking about it, they worried about it separately in the silence.
"I should probably head back...to our cabin," Taehyun stated without commitment.
Beomgyu understood the hint. Too exhausted from the night, and too short on time with the boy staring at him hopefully, he gave in to the suggestion.
"You... you could...." he saw the hope in Taehyun's eyes before the door swung open and they both jumped.
"Okay, I have, like, every single thing I could find. But I'll obviously still soothe it, to be sure." Soobin said behind a stack of first aid supplies.
He glanced between the two. "Shit. I interrupted a moment, didn't I? Yeonjun keeps telling me I'm bad about that. Sorry."
Taehyun shook his head, his voice small. "Not as bad as Kai. But I was just heading out, don't worry."
Beomgyu felt his heart twist at the decision, and Soobin frowned. He placed the stuff down and started pounding on the bathroom door to get Yeonjun and Kai to come out.
They did, and the latter's gaze found the two, realizing. He scoffed loudly and glared at them. "Taehyun, just stay the night. You obviously both want it. I'm going back."
He headed out the door, and it slammed while all four in the cabin heard his distant yelling:
"YOU DON'T NEED A GOD TO UNDERSTAND BASIC FUCKING COMMUNICATION!"
Beomgyu caught Taehyun's eyes. They both smiled, then started laughing. Taehyun sat back down on his bed and smiled at him, and Beomgyu realized that he didn't care what the prophecy said.
It didn't matter that he was supposed to fight the boy he was looking up at. He knew what he was going to do on that day, and planned to enjoy the hell out of every single second that happened before it.
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I GOT MY LAPTOP BACK EVERYONE CHEERED