TXT IMAGINES (ONESHOTS)

Strawberries and Cigarettes (Beomgyu)

About: You're trouble. You smoke. You're not going to benefit anything in his life. But Beomgyu can't get enough of your strawberry-flavored lips.
Includes: Romance, Angst
Trigger Warnings: None
[Requested Imagine?] ✔️

***
Inspired on the song by Troye Sivan

(BEOMGYU'S POV)

"Hey kid." I was stargazing on my front yard when I heard someone call me. The voice came from my next-door neighbor, Y/n, who was on the other side of the fence.
"Light my cigarette." She shook a box of them in her hand.

"Uh..." I looked around nervously and cleared my throat at her, "Sorry... I don't have a lighter."

I know Y/n from school. She doesn't really talk to me and vice versa. She moved to my neighborhood recently so I see her around often but I've never formally met her until today.

"Bummer." She looked around then gestured to her car, "Wanna help me buy one then?"

I didn't know why but I agreed to it. She smirked as I followed her inside her car, "Thanks, kid."

"My name's Beomgyu."

"Oh. Alright."

***

Once we bought a lighter, we went to the nearest smoking room and she took two cigarettes out of the box and passed me the second one. "Want a smoke?"

"I never done this actually."

She shrugged, "No pressure. Take one if you want one." She didn't force me at all but I took one willingly.

"This stuff can kill you though..." I passed her the lighter we bought, still hesitant with my decision.

She was lighting her cigarette then mine as she replied, "Yeah. I know."

We didn't realize it but we ended up talking for hours and hours. We ended up going home around 2AM.

Four Months Later...
"Choi Beomgyu, I swear, if you go to that darn girl again you're grounded!" My mom yelled as she slammed my bedroom door.

My older brother, who shared a bunk with me, gave me a look. "You're going to see her again, aren't you?"

I got up from my bed and put on a leather jacket, "Yup. Cover for me?"

Soobin chuckled and buried his face into his book, "You'd be dead without me."

***

Y/n and I ended up walking around the neighborhood park since she locked her keys in her car. The unusual thing was that she didn't talk much. Oddly enough, Y/n smoked one puff then suddenly threw her cigarette.

What a waste of tobacco.

"My grandpa smoked." She filled the silence, "He gave me a cigar when I was 13. It was how we bonded. Maybe that's why I don't quit. Makes me think of him." Then she gave me a small, simple smile, "I never told that to anyone."

I nodded as I held my cigarette between my fingers, "I'm glad you told me that."

"How about you? Why do you do it?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I do it just because I like you." Then I looked away, hoping I wasn't blushing and trying to keep my cool from my sudden confession.

But when I turned around to face her, she was silent. It took me a moment to realize that she was staring at me.
She was staring at my lips.
My heart started to pound. I started to imagine what would happen if she actually kiss me. Her strawberry lips on mine.
I could feel it.
I wondered, if she would taste like cigarettes or strawberries?
That's when she walked over to me and our lips were locked. My hands gently held her waist and her fingers ran through my hair.
Did her lips taste like strawberries or cigarettes?
It was actually both.

2 Years Later...
"Dude, I don't understand why you buy this stuff." My college roommate, Taehyun, reminded me as he accompanied me to the store.

"You don't have to understand." I vaguely gestured as I paid the cashier a pack of cigars.

I thought of Y/n again. Remembering when we were still in high school. When I first smoked. When I first kissed her. When she kept playing with my emotions afterwards.

I still remembered how she would act like my girlfriend one day and then tell me we were platonic at the next. And then I'm suddenly a stranger. And it repeats. She kissed me too many times and pushed me away too many times. And I remember how it drove me insane.

Last year, I asked her once, "What are we?"

"Dunno. But not that close." was her response.

I remember she died last year from lung cancer.
I remember crying for two months.
And it didn't help at all that the taste of strawberries and cigarettes reminded me of when her kiss was on my lips.

"Beomgyu hyung..." Taehyun, asked me as I lit a cig. "You know this can kill you, right?"

I blew a puff of smoke, nodding, "Good. That means I'll finally be closer to her."