On A Dying Earth You Keep Me Alive

Chapter 1: Goodbye Earth, Goodbye Love

The hangar of the Global Space Station for the Advancement of Mankind was full of people, but he only saw one person. A monotone woman's voice echoed through the halls over the sound of tapping shoes against the white tiled floor and the murmur of conversation, "Space flight number 402C will be boarding in 5 minutes." He stared at the man in front of him who was holding on to a letter and sobbing his heart out. The man wailed and he felt his heart break at the sound. He hugged his lover and buried his face in the scent that was him. He knew it was the right thing to do, he would be part of the colony that would save all people, he would be like the superheros he imagined as a kid, but this man was making it so hard to leave.

"Why do you have to go? Why can't someone else do it?! Why does it have to be you?!" The voice of his lover was so full of pain that he just wanted to forget it all and stay with him; go back to their tiny apartment with their old mattress and the broken TV and just stay, but he couldn't. He said in a soft voice, so that only the man he was holding could hear, "Darling, I won't be gone for long. Don't be so sad." The man in his arms trembled and shook with the force of his sobs and he looked up at him with a tears and snot all over his handsome face as he yelled, getting glances from others that neither of them cared about, "You don't know how long you'll be gone! You don't know if you'll even come ba-"

He interrupted the man with a deep kiss. He wouldn't let him say those words. He would come back to get him, no matter what. They kissed the breath out of each other and all too soon the woman's voice echoed through the halls once more, "Space flight number 402C will be boarding in 1 minute." He pulled away from the gorgeous man and kept their foreheads pressed together, tears welling up and spilling from his own eyes. "I promise," He whispers softly with a smile that showed both of his dimples, "I promise with my whole heart and soul, I will come back for you. I'll make it safe for you and bring you to me." He kissed the most precious person in his life again before he started running to the gate. He spared one last glance at the man who had started sobbing once more the second he left and called out, "Seokjinnie! Smile for me, baby!" He wanted the last memory he has of the love of his life to be of his radiant smile.

Seokjin looked at him and grinned, tears still streaming down his face. He didn't feel happy, but he would do anything for the man at the gate, the man about to go to a totally different planet. His voice echoed in Seokjin's ears as he shouted, "Bye, Love!" and ran behind a wall and out of sight. The gate door lowered completely, yet Seokjin continued to stand there. He clutched the letter he had forgotten to give to the younger man to his heart and, with rivers of tears streaming down his face, whispered in a broken voice,

"Goodbye, Namjoon."

~

The cab was outside.

He could hear it through the whimpers and pained sobs that leaked from his lips. He clung to the older boy as if he were going to disappear. "It will be fine, baby," he said gently. "You'll see me again soon." He looked up at his lover of 5 months and said, "I don't understand how you're so calm. I'm leaving you. We don't know when I'll come back. You should be as upset as I am."

The taller boy chuckled and pet his hair. "Why would I be upset? I know you will come back for me and I will wait here patiently for you. I love you more than anything in the world, so if this is something you feel you have to do, then I fully support it," He says and kissed him, loving the way their lips molded to one another.

There was a honk that echoed from outside their small house and he started to cry once more. His lover held his face in his hands and he smiled that boxy, rectangle smile that he absolutely loved. "You have to go," he said as he released him. "No goodbyes. You'll be right back," the love of his life whispered as he pushed the younger boy to the door.