"Taeyong told me to tell you to meet him at the cliff in half an hour.."
johnny's face twisted into confusion, why would taeyong suddenly want to meet him at the cliff?
"Do you know why?" he asked doyoung who only shrugged in response, also confused about taeyong's strange request.
"All I know is that he's with someone else.." the younger thought back to the phone call from earlier, a bad feeling pooling in his gut as he looked at johnny who reassuringly placed a hand on his shoulder before giving it a squeeze.
"As weird as this is I don't think we should put any meaning behind it.." the taller smiled, "...unless he's planning to push me off the cliff, then we should start worrying..."
"But you said he was with someone else right? Do you know who?"
the younger slowly shook his head, "I don't, but one thing I do know is that the person taeyong's with...has a child..."
raising an eyebrow, johnny subconsciously repeated doyoung's last sentence. "...a child..?"
"A-A daughter to be exact, her name was august if memory serves...unless that's a nickname..."
doyoung observed johnny's expression, finding it strange that he was taken aback by the mention of the little girl named august.
"I-Is that who you were talking to earlier? I thought i heard a child screech some words in thai."
doyoung complexion soon matched johnny's once he'd processed his words, "H-How'd you know it was thai?"
not even he himself knew that, yet johnny did?
something fishy was definitely going on. and the feeling in his gut only proved it.
"You and taeyong aren't hiding something from me, right johnny?" doyoung asked johnny who looked a little surprised.
"I-I don't know." the taller stuttered out.
strange.
"How does it feel knowing you're going to see johnny for the first time in five years?"
taeyong asked, leaning on a nearby tree while gazing at ten's back
ten who sighed while sitting on the grassy floor, looking at the scenery he missed so much with august on his lap.
"nervous.." he let out a shaky breath, rubbing his clammy hands together.
"great, I wouldn't get my hopes up if i were you." the older advised.
rolling his eyes at taeyong before diverting his attention to his little one who was really ecstatic to be here, ten fondly smiled at his daughter.
"Papa, it's really pretty here!"
watching his daughter's eyes light up as she gazed at the sky reminded him of how johnny would describe ten's own eyes every so often.
"Do you like it baby?"
returning the smile, august vigorously nodded. "Xinnie likes it a lot!"
"But papa, where's the stars? You told xinnie there would be lots of pretty stars!" she jutted out her bottom lip.
placing a kiss on her nose in affection, ten lightly laughed. "Kangxinnie has to wait until the sky is really dark, or else they won't shine like I told you."
"You know, I never really understood what her real name is."
"is it kangxin or august?" taeyong interrupted their moment.
time skip brought to you by
how many times that damned cliff has been
mentioned in this entire story.
doyoung looked out the window while in the passenger seat of johnny's car, focusing on the wind hitting his face as they drove to the oh so famous cliff.
inhaling the somewhat cool air as he avoided making any type of contact or interaction with johnny.
suddenly feeling the car pullover, the ravenette immediately turned to johnny who was getting out the car.
doyoung following behind him, quickly catching up to the older who looked pale.
"Johnny I may not know about your past with your former significant other.." he began, watching as johnny turned to face him with a painful glint in his eyes.
"..but please.." doyoung was extremely distressed at johnny's sudden change in demeanor.
whatever was going to take place in the next minute was definitely going to damage his and johnny's relationship in the long run, and that's what doyoung feared the most. "..promise me.."
johnny chewed on the skin of his bottom lip, taking a glimpse at doyoung's now glassy eyes. "You won't let them change what we have right now..."
johnny let his eyes fall down to floor in guilt, feeling horrible after noticing doyoung's dark eyes that were so close to shedding tears.
he didn't want to promise doyoung something he was unsure of, the last thing he wanted to do right now was hurt doyoung further by promising him a lie. "Bunny..I-I can't promise you that—"
cutting johnny off, doyoung grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, a tear making is way to where their lips met into an agonizing kiss.
pulling away, doyoung wiped the stray tear on his face. breathing heavily.
"I love you johnny.." he whispered solemnly.
"I know bunny.."
ruffling the younger's hair, he began walking towards the cliff ᵀᴹ.
able to hear doyoung's sniffles from behind him.
johnny took a deep breath, walking past the scattered trees that littered the beloved cliff, thickly swallowing as he prayed it wasn't who he thought it was waiting for him at the end.
but as much as he hoped and prayed, it was all in vain.
a soreness emerged in his chest as soon as his eyes landed upon a familiar figure that sat a mere few feet away from him.
the anguish he locked away in the depths of his mind emerging to haunt him once again, an uncomfortable thickness developing in his throat as he gazed at ten's back.
simultaneously, a little girl suddenly peeked her head out from behind ten's shoulder. snapping johnny out of his daze.
"papa, w-who's that?"
when ten turned around, johnny swore be never wanted to jump off the cliff more so than he did now.
"August, meet johnny..."
"Your real daddy."
johnny who swore to himself that he'd never see ten again, especially with a child. stood there as he looked at the little girl have a small peek at him before ten carefully stood up and pulled her in front of him.
johnny kept his eyes on the little girl who looked like a human embodiment of both him and ten merged together.
fate really did have a funny way of working.