Work Text:
Rustle.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s black eyes followed after the dancing strands of the dark hair. Slender and well-manicured fingers brushed away the wandering fringes, tucking them securely behind an ear. Long lashes fluttered every time the star blinked, brushing on the healthy and flushed upper cheeks.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand twitched, not knowing whether it was to grasp his sword or to do something else.
Something that would soothe this growing itch within him.
“Yoo Joonghyuk?”
The said protagonist stiffened slightly as a pair of glittering brown eyes peered at him, wary yet trustful. “What are you trying to do?” His companion asked, motioning at Yoo Joonghyuk’s hovering hand that almost landed on his head.
Yoo Joonghyuk stilled while Kim Dokja looked at him, brows arched questioningly yet his inquiry went unanswered as two voices of children called out for him. Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung popped out of nowhere, dragging their beloved father figure away with excited chatter.
Kim Dokja trailed after them, not before sparing a puzzled glance at Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand that was still in the air dropped slowly before he fisted it tightly. His heart thudded as he covered his face that felt slightly warm. He’s about to touch Kim Dokja’s hair. Just because he is curious whether it feels soft or not.
What the hell is wrong with him? Since when did he ever have this kind of thought to his own companion? Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head, ensuring himself that the strange urge would go away soon. It’s just a whim.
Yes, a whim.
His hands are small.
Yoo Joonghyuk who was leaning against a tree, finding rest after a sub-scenario, found himself looking at Kim Dokja’s hands. Those slender hands wrapped around the hilt of his trusty Unbreakable Faith while the other one was swiping on a notebook that he favors.
So small. I want to hold them—
Yoo Joonghyuk jolted, not expecting the sudden thought. He closed his eyes with clenched jaws, chasing away any thoughts of slender and graceful hands of a certain constellation.
He failed.
His skin is so pale.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the exposed skin of Kim Dokja who was drenched to the bones. They just finished a scenario that involved water creatures and Yoo Joonghyuk himself was soaked from head to toes.
The constellation shed off his white coat, unbuttoning the black shirt he was wearing. The stark contrast of the black against white skin created a dazzling view.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes unknowingly lingered on the slim waist of the oblivious man. Unknown emotions rose inside of Yoo Joonghyuk as he watched Kim Dokja took off his shirt completely, standing half-naked before him.
“Too thin.” Yoo Joonghyuk muttered with furrowed brows.
“Huh?” Kim Dokja turned to look at his companion, accidentally catching on what Yoo Joonghyuk just said.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t say anything and merely lifted his hands, placing them both on Kim Dokja’s waist, almost encasing them entirely as his fingers brushed against each other.
“Hiik!” Kim Dokja flinched as Yoo Joonghyuk’s warm hands caused electric current shot up to his spine. Yoo Joonghyuk blinked in surprise as Kim Dokja slammed his hand on his mouth, eyes widening in mortification.
[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is screaming.]
[Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, has dropped his staff in shock.]
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, says for both of you to get a room.]
[Constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter’, is looking away.]
“Wh-whoa look at the time! It’s getting dark!” Kim Dokja awkwardly laughed as he escaped from Yoo Joonghyuk’s lax grip. He immediately put on a new shirt before wearing his white coat.
As a preventative measure, he tied his white coat close before walking away, ears and nape rosy pink.
Yoo Joonghyuk was left behind alone. He looked at his hands, curling and uncurling them with a thoughtful gaze. “How can a man’s waist be that slim?” He whispered, black eyes glistened with unreadable emotions.
Since then, Yoo Joonghyuk has been acting weird.
And his victim is none other than Kim Dokja.
“Yoo Joonghyuk. What is it?” Kim Dokja looked at his companion in confusion when he suddenly caught Kim Dokja’s hand. Both of them were on their way back to the Complex after finishing a sub-scenario when Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly acted up.
The apathetic man merely intertwined their fingers together before started walking. Kim Dokja stumbled as his pace didn’t match with the other man’s longer stride. “Hurry up.” Yoo Joonghyuk uttered yet he still slowed his pace for the constellation to catch up.
“U-um your hand.” Kim Dokja wriggled his hand that was held by Yoo Joonghyuk nervously. He didn’t know Yoo Joonghyuk was acting this way. Isn’t this too OOC? Where’s the warning for the OOC-ness?
“You don’t like it?” Came a monotone reply from the strongest incarnation in the world. Kim Dokja quieted as Yoo Joonghyuk stopped and stared at him, now they were standing beside each other. The taller man gazed down at him with tranquil eyes.
Kim Dokja didn’t have any guts to look at those piercing eyes yet he didn’t refute either. “I never said that…” The constellation mumbled, cheeks flushed. Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t reply and resumed walking. A small smile curled on his lips.
They didn’t let go of each other’s hands until they arrived at the Complex.
Kim Dokja was taking a rest after a calm day in the Complex. His company members had told him that some fresh air would do him good instead of holing himself in his room so here he was, kicked out from his own home and sitting under the tree in a garden nearby with the Complex.
The others had headed off to their own personal scenarios under his orders and since he already took what he needed for the next scenario, he didn’t have anything to do and now he was slacking off.
Wind rustled his hair as he found himself taking shelter from the sun under a tree, phone in his hand yet he didn’t open it, opting to close his eyes and breathe in the fresh air and basking on the gentle sunlight.
A shadow loomed above him. Kim Dokja opened his eyes and was served with the sight of a shirtless Yoo Joonghyuk who was grasping his black sword, sweat dripping from his body. Seems like he was in the middle of training. “Sorry, is this your training spot? I didn’t mean to bother you.” Kim Dokja smiled apologetically as he created a shade with his hand, squinting to look up at his companion.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s face seemed quite blurry under the sunlight but when he moved closer, his features became clearer. His sharp lines became much softer while black eyes glistened like an abyss, sucking in any light that dared to cross them.
Kim Dokja’s heart thumped as always every time Yoo Joonghyuk appeared in his line of sight. It wasn’t a secret to himself that he harbors a crush on the protagonist he had read for 10 years. “Slacking off?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked, tilting his head to the side with a frown.
Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. Typical of Yoo Joonghyuk to accuse him of laziness. “Resting. There is a difference.” He uttered a snarky remark with an insincere smile. Yoo Joonghyuk huffed, amusement or exasperation, Kim Dokja didn’t know. It was hard to predict Yoo Joonghyuk’s thoughts and actions these days.
The taller man sheathed his sword and wiped his sweating body with a towel. Kim Dokja looked away as he felt like it was something he shouldn’t look at, feeling quite guilty when he sneaked a peek once in a while to look at those magnificent scarred abs.
Yoo Joonghyuk who obviously felt the stare ignored it flawlessly as he purchased a water bottle from the Dokkaebi bag before dropping himself to the ground. Kim Dokja jolted when their elbows knocked together as Yoo Joonghyuk downed the water, Adam’s apple bobbing back and forth. Water trickled down from his chin as he sighed and wiped his mouth.
Woops. Kim Dokja didn’t mean to ogle at the other man. He quickly switched on his phone, ears oddly warm as he tried to ignore the shirtless man beside him. “Is it a phone or a notebook?” Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes at the blurry form in Kim Dokja’s hand.
“Phone.” Kim Dokja answered as Yoo Joonghyuk leant against the tree, not minding the rough texture against his bare back. “Ways of Survival?” Seeing Kim Dokja flinched, he knew he guessed it right. “I—I didn’t mean… I—“ Kim Dokja squirmed uncomfortably as he fidgeted with his fingers, for once at a loss of words.
“I know.” Yoo Joonghyuk replied, closing his eyes, knowing fully well that Kim Dokja would never bring harm to him and their party members. Despite him disliking that his life became an entertainment to others, Kim Dokja was the only exception for this.
The two of them were engulfed with comfortable air as they divulged the rare calmness after the end of the world.
Kim Dokja’s eyes felt heavy when the tranquility swayed him which made him yawn sleepily. Yoo Joonghyuk who had one of his knees drawn to his chest, rested his hand atop of his knee with his cheek comfortably leant against his hand, watching Kim Dokja’s eyes that blinked slowly, fighting against the urge to sleep.
The sleepiness won over and Kim Dokja’s eyes slid shut, phone sliding out of his grasp which Yoo Joonghyuk caught before placing it beside the sleeping man. Yoo Joonghyuk pursed his lips before lifting his hand to Kim Dokja’s head.
His fingertips brushed on the stray strands of Kim Dokja’s hair. He rubbed the silky strands for a while before leaning in, kissing the dark strands gently. Then, he maneuvered Kim Dokja’s head and let it rest against his shoulder before his own eyes closed, ears listening to Kim Dokja’s calm breathing.
A little nap wouldn’t hurt.
“Can I kiss you?”
THUMP
“Excuse me?” Kim Dokja shot a baffled look at the man who was polishing his sword, eyes focused as he disregarded the ringing notifications that exploded because of his nonchalant request.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t say anything for a while before getting up and stabbed his sword to the ground. He walked to Kim Dokja who backed away in alarm at their increasing proximity. “I said, can I kiss you?” Yoo Joonghyuk repeated slowly as if he was talking to a toddler.
That made Kim Dokja’s eyes twitch, getting a feeling that he was treated like a child but he pushed away any snarky retorts as he casted a disbelieving look at the taller man. “Why and for what? No, in the first place, why do you even want to kiss me?” Kim Dokja motioned a stop gesture as he ranted.
“Hm.” Yoo Joonghyuk exhaled. They stared at each other before Yoo Joonghyuk opened his mouth. “Curiosity.” Wow. The audacity of this guy. Kim Dokja was about to throw hands on him. “Wait. So you are telling me that you have been touching me non stop because of curiosity?” Kim Dokja asked with a strained voice.
“Are you playing with my feelings?” Kim Dokja added as he couldn’t help but felt hurt when he remembered the gentle and tender touches Yoo Joonghyuk initiated on him. To think that all of these were done just because of mere curiosity… how foolish of him to hope for more.
Kim Dokja clenched his jaws as he shook his head. “I won’t indulge with these shenanigans of yours any longer. Don’t bother me from now on.” He glared at Yoo Joonghyuk, disappointment apparent in his brown eyes. He turned to walk away but his wrist was snatched rather gently by the protagonist as if he was giving a chance for the reader to shake him off if he wanted to.
But Kim Dokja didn’t. He stopped but didn’t turn back. “I haven’t finished talking.” Yoo Joonghyuk said calmly as he took Kim Dokja’s other hand and turned him around. Yoo Joonghyuk grasped both of Kim Dokja’s hands, bringing them to his mouth, hot breath ghosting on the pale skin.
Kim Dokja’s face warmed as he ducked his head, flustered by the brazen action. “It starts with curiosity.” Yoo Joonghyuk corrected himself, eyes still latched on their intertwined hands. “And it grows. Along with it, my feelings change.” Yoo Joonghyuk lifted his hands and gazed at Kim Dokja’s brown eyes, his own black orbs were serious and unmoved.
“You are already my companion.” Kim Dokja’s breath hitched when Yoo Joonghyuk dropped a kiss to his knuckles.
“Is it selfish of me to want more? Hm, Kim Dokja?” Yoo Joonghyuk murmured as he dragged his fingers upward, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps on where his hands branded Kim Dokja’s skin. A hand found its place on Kim Dokja’s nape as Yoo Joonghyuk mouthed Kim Dokja’s palm, black eyes glinted with intensity that made Kim Dokja feel self-conscious.
“So, I ask again, can I kiss you, Kim Dokja?”
Kim Dokja’s brown eyes shook as his hands trembled ever so softly.
…………
“Yes.” The answer was soft but didn’t have any ounce of hesitance.
Yoo Joonghyuk smiled and lowered himself as Kim Dokja shut his eyes, too embarrassed to face that bright and handsome face. Yoo Joonghyuk chuckled before closing his eyes well.
Their lips descended against each other tenderly.
Their thoughts simultaneously popped out after a long yearning.
Ah, it feels so soft.