Beomgyu kept himself steady as he held onto the sturdy tree branch tightly, reaching up, and plucking the mango right off its stem.
"That's four so far."
"One more to go?" Kai asked.
"Yup."
The brunette wandered his eyes around to find another ripe fruit, this time a branch higher. But that was not a problem for him.
"I'm going up!"
"Okay, be careful!"
"I always am."
Climbing trees was my forte back in the day.
Beomgyu warily crawled backwards to the tree trunk, his grip on the bark firm as he placed his foot into a stud sticking out of it, and began climbing the tree up.
Meanwhile, Kai just watched him from down below.
Just like everything about Beomgyu, standing there and watching him ascend the tree so effortlessly, almost like a little chimp swinging through the trees to play, was simply fascinating to see.
The brunette found the next mango, grabbed the fruit, and plucked it right off the branch.
"We're done!"
"Nice!"
Beomgyu tossed the fruit downwards, and Kai caught it in his hands, careful to not squish it by accident. While he placed it into the basket, the older climbed the tree down again, not slipping or falling in the process.
He jumped off the trunk when he was just roughly a meter away from the ground, and landed on his two feet.
"Do we have everything?"
"I think so."
"Mind if I double check?"
"Be my guest."
Beomgyu nodded and knelt down next to the fruit basket the two had brought along, inspecting if they had everything they needed for their planned meal.
And that's when Kai's phone buzzed.
He pulled the device out of his pocket and checked the display screen.
2 new messages from Lea 💛✨
Huh, what could she be texting me about?
Kai opened their chat, and read her text messages.
And reading them made his heart drop in his chest.
"Oh."
Beomgyu glanced up at the younger one when he heard the change of his tone of voice.
"Kai?"
No response.
The ravenette's eyes were concentrated on his screen as he messaged his sister back.
Lea 💛✨
Hey lil bro
Ready to come back home tomorrow?
My flight is tomorrow?!
Yeah
Lemme guess
You didn't check your ticket
Admittedly
It's okay
That's why I texted you
I always look out for my lil bro 🥰
Yeah
Thanks for letting me know
"Kai?"
The younger snapped out of his trance to meet Beomgyu's worried gaze.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's nothing."
"Come on, you can tell me."
Kai stared at the ground.
Beomgyu decided it'd be best to not press it any further, but then Kai spoke the words he innerly dreaded.
"My flight back is tomorrow."
A soft gasp escaped his lips.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah... I completely forgot about it—"
His words were cut off with Beomgyu's phone buzzing. He hastily grabbed his device, and checked what was on his screen display.
It was a notification from the reminders app.
Flight back to Seoul tomorrow.
The light in Beomgyu's eyes faded, and his face dropped as he looked back at Kai's solemn face, glancing in his direction.
"So... so am I," he managed to squeeze out.
The two fell silent.
All that could be heard was the sounds of nature, but that wasn't enough to calm their newly formed troubles.
Neither of them... were ready to leave so soon.
+x+
🎶: 'Animal' by Troye Sivan
The rest of their day was spent inside the house.
And for once, it was not because of the poor weather.
Although, a light drizzle had begun, and it transformed into a proper rain by the time the sun had gone to sleep.
For the first time in forever, the lights downstairs had been switched on to give illuminance to that particular area of the house.
But none of that really mattered.
What mattered was the heavy feeling both Beomgyu and Kai felt in their chests as they packed their things.
Kai placed all of his clothes, divided into clean and dirty, into his suitcase, placed his Goguma plushie in between, as well as his pencil case and other miscellaneous items, before zipping it close.
His notebooks were tucked into his carry-on bag, as he wanted his most precious things near to him when he was on the plane, and so were his headphones, wallet, and he would put his phone in there once it finishes charging too.
A sigh left his lips.
I don't want to go back... it's too soon.
But at the same time, the truth cannot be denied. It's already been a little over two weeks since he came here, the amount of time he originally came for, and he was sure that spending so much money on his trip hadn't been a piece of cake for Lea and Bahiyyih.
It's just... he knew he would miss Beomgyu terribly.
Kai walked downstairs later to find Beomgyu sitting on the couch, looking through his Polaroids. Having nothing else to do, he joined him, placing something behind his back.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
Beomgyu sighed.
"Just thinking."
He lowered the polaroid, showing Kai a picture of his friends.
"It's... crazy to think that I've been here for a month. So much happened, and... it's all because I met you."
"Yeah... I feel the same."
Beomgyu looked deeply into Kai's eyes.
"I don't regret coming here. It took a lot of courage leaving Seoul and everyone else behind to have a vacation here, and... I'm glad I did."
"So am I. I... I frankly can't imagine my life without you anymore."
"Neither can I."
The brunette exhaled, and leaned his head against Kai's shoulder, who returned the gesture by placing his head on top of his.
"I don't want to leave," he mumbled.
He wasn't ready to leave this all behind.
Beomgyu... he was his summer love.
And soon... he'll be his long distance boyfriend.
Why can't life be fair to us? Why can't the good moments just last longer than just a minute?
"I don't want to either... but we don't have a choice."
Beomgyu played with Kai's fingers.
"Our former lives await us; we can't stay here forever."
"I know... I wish we could though."
Believe me, I wish it more than you do.
He did not want to go back to where he came from. The thought of it terrified him, as he knew: without Kai, he'll be trapped in the snare of his own mind.
"Yeah... but hey, at least we're living in the 21st century, and cell phones and facetime exist," he still decided to say positively.
Kai looked at him with an earnest and serious look.
"Promise me you'll call every other week at the minimum, okay? I can't stand the thought of being more apart than that from you."
Beomgyu smiled.
"I promise."
I too will go insane if I don't have your love.
Kai returned it, before clearing his throat, and reaching behind him.
"I uh... I wanna give you something."
Beomgyu's eyes fell on the fabric in Kai's hands, and gasped.
"Kai, no, I can't."
"You can."
"No, really, I can't accept this; it's your favorite cardigan!"
"I know."
Kai placed the jacket down in Beomgyu's outstretched nimble hands.
"And you... you've become my favorite person in this world. The most precious one to me as well. I... I can't help but feel bad that I'm gonna have to leave you all alone, with your nightmares and thoughts of the past... so I hope all of that can go away, even if it's just for a moment, when you wear this. That way, I'll always be with you."
Beomgyu's face softened.
"Aw..."
His hands touched the smooth and wooly material of the fabric.
"I... I don't know what to say. W-What can I do to make you feel the same?"
Kai smiled, and cupped his face.
"My memory serves as a reminder that all of this was real. Every time I look at my notebooks, I'll remember you. And one day, I'll show you around Hawaii, take you to the local coffee shop, and then you can witness the lava falls too."
"Really?"
"Yes. I promise."
Beomgyu smiled.
"I'll hold onto that. Thank you."
Kai connected his lips with Beomgyu's, who kissed him back, the two of them slowly moving their lips together as their eyes closed.
They kissed on the couch for a while, basking in the rainy moonlight from outside, hearing nothing aside from the rain and the quiet sound their lips made together.
It stayed like this for a while.
Until it wasn't.
And then it happened.
Suddenly, the kiss was overcome with a sense of urgency, liveliness, and desire, emotions never felt so strongly before.
Kai had no idea what was happening to his body.
He could feel the heat rising in him, spreading across every inch of his skin, and his heart was pounding like crazy in his chest, pushing him to kiss Beomgyu even more fervently than before.
Beomgyu, who... wasn't a stranger to this feeling, felt Kai's tongue begin to prod at the entrance of his mouth.
And he knew where this was going.
He too could feel the rosy blush invade his cheeks as he intentionally tilted his head to the side, allowing Kai more access to his lips.
And that was pretty much the breaking point.
Unable to hold back anymore, Kai hauled Beomgyu's thin frame towards his own body, flushing him closer as their kiss intensified, becoming more and more passionate by the minute.
Beomgyu couldn't let him have all the fun, so he straddled him, bringing his arms around his neck as one hand cradled the back of Kai's head, fingers carding through his messy black hair as he moved his lips even more.
As well as purposefully rolling his hips against Kai's.
The action took Kai aback, greatly.
A low shudder escaped his throat, and he could feel it.
He was pushing himself towards the brink of insanity, where his deepest desires at the moment were becoming unstoppable, and where he knew he was losing self control.
And that was to have Beomgyu all to himself.
But he was scared.
"Hyung," he murmured, breaking the kiss as his hands began shaking.
"Hmm?"
"D-Don't force yourself if you don't want this—"
It was his greatest fear.
Forcing him into something he didn't want, knowing how his first time was torn away from him just like that.
"Kai..."
Beomgyu's voice was softer than ever.
He cradled Kai's head in his arms as he looked at him, love and lust filling his irises.
"I want you..."
Kai blushed darkly.
"I... I want you too."
"Then I'm all yours tonight."
For one last time.
Kai was completely unstoppable now.
Now having fallen victim to his utmost desires.
Moments later, their lips crashed on each other.
And it was aggressive.
They were moving them feverishly against each other as their breaths became heavier and their bodies erupted in heat.
Everything, from the rain outside, the dishwasher running, and the low hum of solar power from the panels, faded into nothing.
All Kai could think of now was the man in front of him, who was offering all of himself to him, willingly.
I will prove to you what love is, my snow blossom.
His strong arms kept Beomgyu in a firm and tight hold, hands running all over his muscled back and small little waist.
Beomgyu responded by folding his legs around his waist, his arms tightening themselves around Kai's neck.
Without another word, Kai's hands went right under Beomgyu's thighs, hoisting him up, and he brought themselves upstairs.
Hearts racing.
Minds clouded with lust and passion.
And yet, neither of them could bother to care.
Deep down, they craved it more than anything in this world at this moment.
Beomgyu gasped softly as he was pushed down on the mattress and Kai advanced on him, using nothing more than his body weight to pin him down.
Kai's lips ran down his bare neck, just as Beomgyu began to tug at the hem of the younger's shirt, wanting him to feel pleasure too.
The ravenette too could barely suppress his moans when he felt Beomgyu's experienced hands groping his hips.
He still couldn't believe it.
This was actually happening.
After feeling him enough, Beomgyu nudged him a bit, making Kai lift his arms so the older could pull off his shirt.
His breath stayed clogged in his throat.
With the moonlight breaking through the rainy clouds and through the window, Kai just looked... magnificent, with the light reflected so enchantingly on his pale, smooth but firm skin.
"You're beautiful," he whispered.
"No..."
Kai pressed his forehead against Beomgyu's, feeling his warmth radiate off his body, despite still being fully clothed.
"You're more beautiful."
They kissed again, and Beomgyu felt his heart race as he felt Kai's hands down at his waist, touching him so cautiously, not wanting to hurt him, and beginning to slide off the fabric covering his chest... his chest.
"Kai—"
It was too late.
Kai had already pulled off his shirt, throwing it somewhere else in the room.
What he was met with... he didn't expect.
His chest was bruised too, especially on the sides, and there were little scars on his lower abdomen.
It was all faded, but... the wounds were there.
Kai could feel that his heart had sunk seeing them.
Beomgyu looked to the side, ashamed, one hand reaching up to cover himself.
"I'm sorry... I-I don't think you'd want to do this with such a broken and ugly body—"
"Stop saying that," Kai shushed him.
He removed Beomgyu's hand from his chest, interlacing his fingers with his, all while also letting his other fingers trail down Beomgyu's naked abdomen.
It made him shiver.
Kai's touch was so... gentle and careful, so... nice.
So... different from the rough, controlling and abusive way he was used to.
I wish I could have you forever.
Kai gazed deeply into his eyes.
"You are the most beautiful creature I've ever known. Even with all these scars and bruises... They're proof of how strong you are. They show where you've been and prove how you've held on for so long. I could never call them ugly, and you should always remember... that these weren't caused by your own fault."
Beomgyu's eyes shimmered from tears that could only be formed by one thing.
The feeling of being loved.
He ran his free hand through Kai's long black hair, fingers entangling around the individual strands, before pulling him down close to him to kiss him again.
"I love you."
"I love you more."
+x+
Beomgyu made love with someone that night who truly loves him for the very first time in his life.
Someone who gave him so much comfort, happiness, and adoration, more than he ever thought he deserved.
Kai had his first time with the person he would devote his whole soul to if he needed to.
Someone for whom he'd move mountains and walk the moon just to make sure his happiness lasts forever.
And after sharing that night together... that feeling of longing became stronger.
Neither of them to go.
Neither of them wanted to leave their own little Neverland and face the real world again after being lost in their own little fairy tale.
But they have to.
It was time to return to their old lives.
—+x+—
A/N: I suck at writing smutish stuff. Still a spicy chapter tho right? Or maybe y'all are emotional that our lovebirds are parting ways for a while. Idk, but I don't think y'all expected something like this from me cuz I still run by my no-smut policy. Wellll.... I did say slightly intimate content is okay. Leave it up to your imagination folks.
Also, I know I'm legit the author of this book, but WHY does Kai make me blush SO DAMN much here? Like dude, if I don't get someone who loves me the way he loves Beomgyu in this book, I don't want him 😭