Love is not in the equation | Taegyu

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑣𝑒

⋆｡˚. ੈ.✾. ⋆｡˚. ੈ 

𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠

⋆｡˚. ੈ.✾. ⋆｡˚. ੈ

When Taehyun first proposed the idea, Beomgyu had felt skeptical, unconvinced and... he feared.

He had spent his whole life in the comfort of his family's small rundown apartment, surrounded by his family's warmth and memories. How could he, a boy from a poor family, possibly handle the financials of moving out? Moving in with someone who was born with a golden spoon, even. It wasn't just about money, but also about the attachment he had. Though, he quickly realised that his family was not standing by his side at this moment.

That didn't deter the fact that Beomgyu was afraid. How would living with Taehyun be like? What if something happened, what if they argued... what if they had to split up? Where would he go then? What about Taehyun's parents? Would they approve? Surely they wouldn't.

Beomgyu loved Taehyun, but he didn't know if he could protect this love with bruised hands.

So, Beomgyu told him no. He wouldn't want to move in with him.

Taehyun hadn't pressured him, and all he said was "to think about it".

But now, standing in the middle of his childhood bedroom, Beomgyu wanted nothing more than to leave. The tight space and familiar clutter felt suffocating, as though it was trapping him in a life he no longer wanted. The walls, once comforting with their faded posters and scent of old books, now felt like they were closing in on him.

His skin ithced and burned with restless urgency, like something beneath the surface was trying to claw its way out. He rubbed his arms, as if that might eas the gnawing sensation crawling along his nerves but it only made it worse.

Glancing around room, Beomgyu's eyes caught on the fragments of his younger self. Stacked notebooks filled with unfinished journals, a cracked dried leaf wedged between textbooks, a hoodie that no longer fit but still smelled like home. Those were pieces of the innocent boy who didn't have much to think about, who was protected and shielded from the real world.

But Beomgyu wasn't that boy anymore.

He thought about Taehyun. He thought of staying in this room, in this life, while Taehyun was waiting outside, willing to give him a new start. It made his chest tighten.

Bending down to retrieve his precious collect box from underneath the bunkbed, Beomgyu gave it a cautious tug to pull it out. The latch of the box was barely hanging on with how much Beomgyu had collected over the years, threatening to snap open if mishandled.

Beomgyu sat cross-legged on the floor and placed it on his lap gently, his fingers tracing the lid with hesitation before he finally unlocked it. The contents spilled out the moment he did so, glass gems scattered onto the floor, and glowing marbles rolled across the floorboard, hitting the corners of the cramped room.

Cursing under his breath, Beomgyu stretched his body to chase after them all while still being seated, collecting them in his palms before depositing them into his pocket in a hurry.

Exhaling, he returned his attention back to the box. There, in the middle, nestled a smaller velvet box. Beomgyu chewed on his lower lip as he gingerly opened it, revealing the bird shaped necklace Taehyun had won at the auction and gifted him. His finger brushed across the tanzanite embedded into the necklace, shoulders dropping as he let out a small sigh.

Looking over into his collection box, he found the fountain pen with his name engraved Taehyun's friends had given to him as a good luck charm for his exams.