Inspired by Songs.......Gongfourz Oneshots (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Ghost

And if you can't be next to me
Your memory is ecstasy
I miss you more than life

The city never slept, but Taesan did.

Or at least, he tried to.

Sleep had become a distant memory—something he chased but never truly caught. His nights were restless, plagued by dreams that left him breathless and aching, by a presence that lingered in the corners of his mind like smoke that refused to clear.

And so, he found himself here. Again.

The rooftop stretched before him, cold under his fingertips as he leaned against the railing. The city lights below pulsed in steady rhythms, distant car horns blending with the wind's quiet whisper.

He exhaled slowly, letting the chill seep into his bones.

"You're late," a voice murmured beside him.

Taesan turned, unsurprised to find Leehan standing there, hood pulled up over dark hair, eyes half-lidded with that usual mix of amusement and something softer. Something Taesan never quite found the words for.

"You always say that," Taesan muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Because you always are."

Taesan rolled his eyes, the familiar banter tugging at the corners of his lips despite the heaviness in his chest.

"Why do you still come here?" Leehan asked, his gaze locked onto the skyline.

Taesan didn't answer right away. Instead, he let himself get lost in the sight of the city below, in the distant hum of life that continued on, regardless of how much everything inside him had stopped.

"I don't know," he admitted finally. "Habit, I guess."

Leehan hummed. "Or maybe you're still waiting for something."

Taesan frowned. "Waiting for what?"

Leehan didn't answer, but there was something in his expression that made Taesan's stomach twist.

It was the same look he'd worn the last time they had spoken. The same quiet sadness, like he was holding onto a secret too heavy to share.

"You're being weird tonight," Taesan muttered, bumping his shoulder against Leehan's. "Talk about something normal."

Leehan chuckled, shaking his head. "Like what?"

"I don't know. School. Music. The fact that you keep stealing my hoodies and never giving them back."

"Maybe I like them better than mine."

"Maybe you just like keeping my stuff."

Leehan smirked. "Maybe."

Silence stretched between them again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It never was.

Taesan exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "You know, youngblood always thinks there's another tomorrow," he mused. "Like time is something you can borrow."

Leehan tilted his head. "That's poetic for you."

Taesan snorted. "I have my moments."

Leehan hummed, gaze flickering back to the city. "I think about it a lot."

"What?"

"Time." His voice was quiet, barely carried by the wind. "How it slips away before you even notice."

Taesan's chest tightened. "Leehan—"

"You still wearing that?" Leehan cut in, nodding toward Taesan's wrist.

Taesan glanced down. The old leather bracelet was worn, the once-dark brown faded with time and touch. He ran his fingers over it absentmindedly.

"Of course," he murmured. "You gave it to me."

Leehan smiled, something sad hidden beneath it. "Looks good on you."

"You never really told me why you gave it to me."

Leehan's smile didn't falter. "Didn't I?"

"No."

"Maybe I just wanted you to have something to remember me by."

Taesan's breath caught. His heart stuttered in his chest. "What the hell are you talking about?" he said, forcing out a laugh. "You act like you're not coming back."

Leehan didn't respond. Instead, he turned away, gripping the railing as he stared down at the moving traffic below.

"You ever think about what you'd do if you lost someone?" he asked softly.

Taesan clenched his jaw. "Why would I?"

Leehan hummed. "I think about it sometimes." His fingers drummed idly against the metal. "What it'd be like to be just a memory to someone."

Taesan swallowed hard. "Well, I don't plan on losing you, so stop talking like that."

Leehan finally looked at him, and for a second, Taesan swore there was something unreadable in his gaze—something fragile. "Then promise me," he whispered, "that if I ever—if anything ever happens, you won't let me become just a ghost in your life."

Taesan clenched his jaw. "Shut up, Leehan."

"I'm serious."

His hands curled into fists. "You act like you're already—" He shook his head. "I don't want to talk about this."

Leehan smiled sadly. "Okay."

A gust of wind blew between them. Cold. Unfamiliar.

Taesan blinked—

And Leehan was gone.

The rooftop was empty.

His breath hitched. He turned sharply, scanning the space, his heart slamming against his ribs. "Leehan?"

Silence.

The bracelet on his wrist felt heavier than before.

His knees buckled. He pressed a hand against the railing to steady himself, his chest rising and falling too fast.

Leehan had been gone for years.

A car accident. A funeral. A grave he had visited too many times to count.

And yet—he still came here.

Still talked to him.

Still heard his voice in the wind.

"If I can't be close to you... I'll settle for the ghost of you."

Taesan exhaled shakily, tilting his head back to stare at the stars.

"You're such a liar, Leehan," he whispered.

The night didn't answer back.

And yet, somehow—Taesan could still feel him there.

"I miss you more than life."