wasteland, baby!

Epilouge

It's finally starting to get hot by the time they make it to the beach.

"Now this is the weather I'm talking about, babeyyyy," Jungwon drawls out as their feet hit the sand. "A nice 30 degrees."

"86 degrees," Jay mutters but he's smiling as he lets Maeumi down. The tiny dog instantly starts sniffing around.

Jay's arm had finally healed a couple of weeks ago, as best as it could, and he had been taking advantage of it by carrying Maeumi around practically 24/7.

They blast music from the small radio, station still set at 99.1, as they walk along the shore. Just enjoying the feel of the water washing up against their calves.

Maeumi runs in between them, getting close to the water and then yelping and running back when the waves come in.

When the sun begins to set, they sit side by side in the sand, watching the sky turn a soft pink.

A familiar song is playing on the radio, the same one that had been playing the night Jay had told him his real name and Jungwon feels so relaxed and easy, so content with just sitting here on the beach with Jay.

"So. What now?" Jungwon asks. He's looking out at the horizon and can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of longing.

Jay shrugs, knowing that Jungwon's asking for more than just what they're going to do tomorrow.

"Guess we just gotta live."

"I think we should go to Mexico," Jungwon states. "They have this thing called Splonch down there, and..." Jungwon mimics a chef's kiss and Jay laughs.

"They have Splonch here, too. We don't have to go all the way to Mexico for that."

Jungwon shrugs. "Yeah but... it could be fun. Get some new scenery, stay down there for a bit and relax for a while. Maybe even live down there? Who knows. I want Splonch, though."

Jay chuckles and kicks some sand over at him. "Don't know if that could be home, but I'm down. Let's go to Mexico."

"There's only one place in this world I can call home... and it's because you're there," Jungwon says and Jay raises his eyebrows in surprise before throwing his head back to laugh.

"Did you just fucking quote The Birdcage?"

"Damn, I didn't think you'd notice," Jungwon mutters. This only makes Jay laugh even harder, and he turns to cup Jungwon's face in the palm of his hand tenderly, pure adoration shining in his eyes and Jungwon feels like his heart might burst from this look alone.

"God, you're so fucking dumb." He says it so fondly. It sounds more like a love confession than an insult and Jungwon leans in to kiss him.

The sky is still a soft pink, the color lighting up Jay's face to make him look so soft and open, Jungwon's heartbeat quickens and he pulls Jay in for another kiss.

Maeumi chooses that moment to start digging a hole directly in front of them. His little legs digging furiously and kicking up sand behind him and into their faces.

"Maeumi, you can be such a dick sometimes, you know?" Jungwon whines and takes his glasses off to shake the sand out of his hair.

Jay laughs and helps him, running his hand through Jungwon's hair to get the bigger, clunky pieces out before working on his own hair.

"She's just excited," Jay says and pulls Maeumi into his lap, hugging him close to his chest and ruffling his little ears. "Aren't ya, girl?"

The sun is still setting, but now a darker pink with some orange and violet coloring into it and Jungwon smiles over at Jay and hopes that he understands that he meant what he said, even if he had been quoting the Birdcage. That as long as he was with him, he was home.

"Wasteland, baby... I'm in love, I'm in love with you..." the guy in the song sings gently and Jungwon brings a hand to run through Jay's lovingly. Jay leans into the touch but continues to coo over Maeumi and Jungwon feels like his heart is so full.

"I love you," Jungwon says quietly, against Jay's lips. The older looks back at him, with just as much fondness as the other, before replying, " And I you" 

The world was fucking ending, but at least he had him.

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:))