castle in the sky

taehyung stared at her, a little surprised at the question. it wasn’t like he hadn’t put any thought into it, but he wasn’t expecting anyone to ask him straight up. he wasn’t sure he could answer it with the right answer, whatever that is. “i— i don’t know. i guess just providing sensual service to my customers,” he wiggled his brows at this, throwing in a grin, “and… try to figure things out. honestly, i have no clue. we’ve been here for years on end now and i still can’t wrap my head around it, it’s weird.”

“it’s actually quite comfy down here,” taehyung offers a wide grin from his position down below. the other had stumbled upon him gazing at the stars, and perhaps the alley was dirty but he’d been through far worse. “i think i’ll just sleep here, yeah, that sounds good.”

“and what’s wrong with me?” taehyung said, feigning ignorance and hurt as he pulled away from the other’s hand from where it laid on his shoulder. “everyone loves me the way i am, especially the girls.” he chuckles a little at his own comment, throwing in a little wink before bouncing off to the other side of the room to where his wardrobe laid, eager to get ready for their night out on the town. if anything, jeongguk’s little comment only made him want to be more extravagant— more determined to be more himself. it’s not like the other could do much about it.

the choice of words made him frown— more scowling than anything. “i know. i know, i know, i know. but i can’t help wondering, what if i hadn’t done this; what if i had done that instead? it’s killing me, the unknown. i can’t make it stop— the thoughts, they’re overwhelming.”

“i don’t think you’re bad. well, not anymore at least.” he’s silent for a moment, his gaze washing over jeongguk’s frame with a small frown. he knew of the reputation that proceeded the male, the looks some people in town gave him, the stories that spoke of his past. but he refused to believe this jeongguk that sat almost small and fragile in front of him at times like these was the same big bad wolf the people feared. “you’re trying, jeongguk. i think that should count for something.”

“damn, the goal was to break the scale.” taehyung frowned, crossing his arms against his chest and releasing a quiet sigh to show his displeasure. “oh wait, being an asshole is a bad thing right— this is supposed to be the part where i apologize and everything?”

“maybe, maybe. but i’d rather stay at home and doing nothing all day. or maybe play sims and make up my own world where troubles and the adversary aren’t real.” taehyung offers a wide grin, although perhaps not as genuine as he wants it to be. “can that be my part in all this, say yes.”

he had friends, he had enough— but sometimes going back to being that loner in the moving castle with a fire demon for a heart was an appealing thought. he lets out a dry chuckle. “plus, being a loner means no one can hurt you.”

“yes yes yes, god yes,” taehyung panted against jeongguk’s mouth, before pulling the other back in for another kiss. it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way; they weren’t supposed to go home drunk out of their minds as always, he wasn’t supposed to tease the other in the car as they rode back to his place, he didn’t mean to push him against his apartment door and mark his neck and whisper all the things he wanted to do to him when they finally got inside. but then again, they’ve never meant to do anything each and everytime they’re left alone to their thoughts and yet they do— always ending up back at taehyung’s apartment, feigning ignorance when they wake. no, they didn’t mean to do anything, but it didn’t mean it didn’t happen.

“but here— in donghwa? what parts? our jobs? is that what we’ve been subjected to? living out our lives in fear of the adversary, busing tables, selling a service in order to make a living?” taehyung let out a silent scoff, dragging a hand through his already quite mussed hair. “might as well be rotting corpses, we have no future here.”

taehyung pouted, tugging at the seam of his shirt. “c’mon, i don’t look that bad when i stretch, do i?” maybe it was a bit random how he jumped down and starting moving in different directions in attempts to work out in kink in his back but there he was, doing exactly that. 

he peered up at clear skies above him, letting out a long sigh. “an eternity is a long time, don’t you think?”