Chapter Text
"I think my friends might know something of me coming here," Seonghwa sighs, more to himself, really. He knows Hongjoong will reply regardless.
"Do you think they'll ask you to stop?" Joong looks ethereal, as he does every day, weaving flowers together into a little crown. He sits across from Seonghwa, staring at him with the stars in his gaze, and really Seonghwa wants to hold that face in his hands and feel the soft skin under his fingertips. It must be soft, he thinks; everything about Hongjoong is too gloriously soft to be real. He looks back down to the flower crown for a second, pulling a flower out and replacing it with a new one.
"They might," Seonghwa replies, "I don't think I'll listen."
Hongjoong smiles at that, one of his really gummy smiles that sends Seonghwa into shock. "Why's that?"
"I don't think I could ever spend so much time away from you." Seonghwa leans back, resting on his hands and closing his eyes. The sun hits his face fully, no longer blocked by Seonghwa's hair and horns. It's not even noon yet, but Seonghwa feels like he could nap there. He could rest peacefully in the field. Anywhere near Hongjoong is a safe place to rest. "This place is too beautiful. I care for you too much to leave you behind." Hongjoong doesn't respond for a spell. The two sit in the silence for an odd amount of time before Seonghwa feels weight settle in his lap.
"Why do you refuse to touch me, then?" Hongjoong looks up from where he lays with his head in Seonghwa's lap. He's abandoned his flower crown, hoping instead to fiddle with Seonghwa's hand absentmindedly. "Seonghwa?"
"What do you mean, Hongjoong?"
Hongjoong huffs, and oh, Seonghwa laments, he's beautiful even when he's frustrated. "It's just strange, Seonghwa. We meet like this- we have for almost a year. You are so kind to me and you love me so, but you do not touch. The only time you ever have was to wipe away my tears, two months ago." Honjoong holds onto Seonghwa's hand. "I'm not afraid of you, Seonghwa. You can touch me."
He shouldn't, Seonghwa thinks. He does, though. He runs his fingers through the Light Fae's soft pink hair. "And why would I deserve that?"
Hongjoong scoffs, "What does that mean?"
"Hongjoong, I mean what I say when I tell you I didn't know beauty before I saw you. You are so pretty, and soft! So, so soft, Hongjoong. And you're full of kindness and a charm I just cannot place. You're full of life, and this field only thrives off of having you around. You're so caring, making me a flower crown every day while we sit here, for no other reason than to do something with your hands. Everything of you is ethereal, and what am I? Dark, and rough, and sharp. I don't trust myself to touch you, not if I don't deserve it." Seonghwa smiles softly as he speaks. It sends a shiver through Hongjoong for Seonghwa to finally be close to him, and to praise him like that. Hongjoong isn't used to it. There are issues with his story, though.
"Park Seonghwa, you take that back right now. You don't deserve it? When you've come every day at such an early hour to see me, you don't deserve it?" Hongjoong giggles to punctuate his sentence before continuing, "I'm but a Fae, just like you, Seonghwa. What of it if you're dark? You're rough and sharp, and I've never wanted to see something so rough and sharp in my entire life. You are striking, a rare beauty among the beauty of my small, light world. Your darkness is captivating and your determination, your lovingness, and your advice proves to be just as soft as I am. You are no less than me, and there is no need to "deserve" to touch. I want to touch you, Seonghwa. Such small affections don't need to be deserved."
And if Seonghwa wants to argue, he doesn't show it, instead carefully leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Hongjoong's forehead. "If you're so sure of it." He resorts back to silence as he cards a hand through Hongjoong's hair. Hongjoong plays with Seonghwa's fingers.
"You won't hurt me either, Seonghwa. You're so careful with everything here, as if you'll break it."
"I could break it, Hongjoong. If I'm not too careful, I could. There's not much where I come from that's as fragile as the things here."
"Are you afraid you'll harm me, Seonghwa?" It's a serious question. It should be, as Seonghwa sees it, but Hongjoong asks with a small smirk playing on his (again, oh so soft) lips. Seonghwa feels that Hongjoong expects the answer regardless of what he says.
"I know I could, Hongjoong."
"But do you fear it?"
"Yes."
Hongjoong stops playing with Seonghwa's fingers, instead placing the hand on his chest. His heartbeat is steady; Seonghwa can feel it. "I don't."
Seonghwa rolls his eyes. "You aren't afraid of anything, Hongjoong."
"As I should be! I trust you, Seonghwa. No matter how strong or dark you are, you couldn't hurt me. Not past anything I'm alright with."
"I don't doubt it, Love."
Hongjoong slips Seonghwa's hand below the dip of his shirt, letting it rest above his heartbeat. "I love hearing you call me things like that. You're so good with words, Seonghwa. It makes my heart flip."
"Does it?" Seonghwa lets his thumb run back and forth over Hongjoong's chest. He's soft, just as Seonghwa imagined.
"Yes," Hongjoong whispers, "would love to hear you call me by those little-nothing names more often than when you're thinking." He pulls himself up to sit, still in Seonghwa's lap.
Seonghwa wraps his arms around Hongjoong's waist, keeping the younger oh so safely seated.
See, this Hongjoong had anticipated. For so long he's noticed the small gestures, the almost-touches before Seonghwa withdrew himself, and how he hugged himself when he was upset, or how he liked holding onto whatever little pillow Hongjoong would bring out to the field from time to time. Seonghwa is a lover of touch, of affection, he just withheld himself from Hongjoong. Now, the Fae knows why.
Seonghwa doesn't speak much. He seems much more occupied with seeing just how far his face can hide into the spot right in between Joong's neck and shoulder. Joong lets it be, leaning his head to the opposite side to give Hwa more room. He looks up at the sky.
He takes note of the weather, the sun now covered by a darkening cloud, but the blue of the sky remains visible across the sky. It'll rain later, and Hongjoong doesn't mind. It's no secret how Hongjoong loves the rain.
Hongjoong almost figures Seonghwa has fallen asleep before he feels near ghost-like kisses trail along his neck, making him giggle. There's a hunger behind Seonghwa's kisses, and again Joong knows he's holding back. "My, there's nothing I could ask of you that you wouldn't do enthusiastically, is there?"
"Not much, Hongjoong." Seonghwa rests his cheeks on the smaller's shoulder.
"And you thought you weren't soft."
"I'm not."
"If you really are as tough and scary as you say you are, I'd love to see you when you're not as restrained as you claim to be."
"That could break you, darling."
"Then break me, Park Seonghwa."
And Seonghwa looks at Joong like he'd just grown another head. His wide eyes find Joong's, and the way Joong is looking at him damn near kills him.
"You can touch me, Hwa. I told you. I want you to." Joong trails his fingers up and down Seonghwa's thigh. He's wanted this long enough. He wants Seonghwa. "Don't fear hurting me."
And oh, how Seonghwa hurts Hongjoong. And oh, how Joong relishes in it.