The Lights Will Guide You Home
six.
Brown eyes swirled and sparkled as they followed the other man’s motions. He’d never seen anything like it before; he wasn’t sure what to think of it. “Amazing,” he muttered in hushed tones, gawking.
“Not so much,” Jiyong laughed lightly, catching sight of Seunghyun’s awestruck expression before returning his attention to his creation. He smiled, fingers still twisting and twirling, creating intricate folds and bends in the paper. Seunghyun just watched as the paper took shape before his eyes, entranced. To him, it was magic.
“Close your eyes,” Jiyong instructed quietly, gently, as his hands continued to move. Seunghyun hesitated, not wanting to tear his eyes away. Finally he allowed the dark to envelope him, and he breathed deep, taking comfort in the rhythmic sound.
Quiet moments passed, filled with their steady breath and the slow rustle of the paper. “Seunghyun,” Jiyong grinned into the name as he said it, eyes shining as he held up his treasure for his companion to see.
Seunghyun opened his eyes, inhaled deep, but almost undetectably. In front of him, resting ever so delicately in the small brunette’s cupped hands, was a flower. Its pedals were thin, delicate. They spread out in different directions, lifting up to the sky as if searching for light to feed their paper beings. A hollow in the middle of the flower seemed to call out for completion and, without thinking, Seunghyun placed the candle in its center. Jiyong smiled, grateful that the other man had caught on to his design. He pulled a match box across the table toward himself, and struck one of sticks, holding it carefully to the wick. A light appeared, growing upward and flickering, from the flower’s center. Together, they formed a marvelous creation: so beautiful and so commanding in every feature.
“Here.” Seunghyun heard the words as they slipped from Jiyong’s thin lips, saw the light move towards him as Jiyong leaned across the table to hand it off, felt Jiyong’s soft breath against his skin as he got closer…
“Seunghyun,” the voice urged lightly. Seunghyun’s eyes shot upward to catch Jiyong’s, sparkling as they always were. He was smirking, Seunghyun noted. Slowly, he lifted the flower from the other’s slender hands, stared at it as if it might disappear at any second.
Jiyong hadn’t moved, still leaning across the table, hands propping him up now as he watched his elder with a soft attention. Seunghyun’s eyes trailed back up lazily, and, for a moment, the world seemed to freeze as their gazes locked. Finally, Jiyong turned his head, focus turning to the floorboards.
“Ji-“
“Seung-“
The words collided in the air, exploding into smoke and blowing away on the wind. Jiyong’s downcast expression lightened into a simple sort of smile, and he shook his head. He swiveled back around slowly, trying to come up with the right words.
“Seunghy-“
Their lips collided, gently and sweetly. Seunghyun was standing now too, cradling Jiyong’s face in his hands. And he didn’t know why; he just knew that he had to. Before Jiyong had the chance to say anything more.
“Seunghyun…” Jiyong whispered into the kiss, into the nothing.
“Not so much,” Jiyong laughed lightly, catching sight of Seunghyun’s awestruck expression before returning his attention to his creation. He smiled, fingers still twisting and twirling, creating intricate folds and bends in the paper. Seunghyun just watched as the paper took shape before his eyes, entranced. To him, it was magic.
“Close your eyes,” Jiyong instructed quietly, gently, as his hands continued to move. Seunghyun hesitated, not wanting to tear his eyes away. Finally he allowed the dark to envelope him, and he breathed deep, taking comfort in the rhythmic sound.
Quiet moments passed, filled with their steady breath and the slow rustle of the paper. “Seunghyun,” Jiyong grinned into the name as he said it, eyes shining as he held up his treasure for his companion to see.
Seunghyun opened his eyes, inhaled deep, but almost undetectably. In front of him, resting ever so delicately in the small brunette’s cupped hands, was a flower. Its pedals were thin, delicate. They spread out in different directions, lifting up to the sky as if searching for light to feed their paper beings. A hollow in the middle of the flower seemed to call out for completion and, without thinking, Seunghyun placed the candle in its center. Jiyong smiled, grateful that the other man had caught on to his design. He pulled a match box across the table toward himself, and struck one of sticks, holding it carefully to the wick. A light appeared, growing upward and flickering, from the flower’s center. Together, they formed a marvelous creation: so beautiful and so commanding in every feature.
“Here.” Seunghyun heard the words as they slipped from Jiyong’s thin lips, saw the light move towards him as Jiyong leaned across the table to hand it off, felt Jiyong’s soft breath against his skin as he got closer…
“Seunghyun,” the voice urged lightly. Seunghyun’s eyes shot upward to catch Jiyong’s, sparkling as they always were. He was smirking, Seunghyun noted. Slowly, he lifted the flower from the other’s slender hands, stared at it as if it might disappear at any second.
Jiyong hadn’t moved, still leaning across the table, hands propping him up now as he watched his elder with a soft attention. Seunghyun’s eyes trailed back up lazily, and, for a moment, the world seemed to freeze as their gazes locked. Finally, Jiyong turned his head, focus turning to the floorboards.
“Ji-“
“Seung-“
The words collided in the air, exploding into smoke and blowing away on the wind. Jiyong’s downcast expression lightened into a simple sort of smile, and he shook his head. He swiveled back around slowly, trying to come up with the right words.
“Seunghy-“
Their lips collided, gently and sweetly. Seunghyun was standing now too, cradling Jiyong’s face in his hands. And he didn’t know why; he just knew that he had to. Before Jiyong had the chance to say anything more.
“Seunghyun…” Jiyong whispered into the kiss, into the nothing.