11

There was an odd feeling coursing through Jeongguk’s circuitry as he laid there motionless, one he could only assume was bliss. For the first time in recent memory he felt at peace. He didn’t realize he was even capable of such a feeling, if he could call it that. His retinal display was pleasantly silent, a distant hum in the back of his mind. Maybe it would start blaring message of malfunctions and errors soon enough, but he decided that he would enjoy the quiet while he could. He would revel in the fact that his entire body was pleasantly calm.

Calm.

Sometimes change was good.

Blinking, Jeongguk felt his lens attempting to adjust to his new surroundings. He wasn’t used to the light yet, it took him a bit longer than usual to see clearly. Once his sight had focused, he remembered where he was. He was with Taehyung, safe in his bunker. He wasn’t lying forgotten in the streets, not anymore. A different sun was shining down on him, almost as if he was in a different world.

Resting quietly on his elbows beside him was Teahuyng, his savior, and suddenly Jeongguk wondered if it was the same person. The man that was snoring quietly at his side was so much more than he remembered, sunlight danced across his brunette fringe like an old friend, transforming dark strands into brilliant golden wisps. Much like how Taehyung managed to color Jeongguk’s dim skies with hope, turning his grey emptiness into a symphony of yellows and pinks with nothing more than a promise.

Jeongguk had to admit that he was mesmerized, how could someone so effortlessly beautiful save something as ugly as himself? How did he spot Jeongguk amidst the refuse of a rotting city and think that he was worth anything? Without realizing it, he was reaching out towards him. It was nothing more than a twitching finger but it was the most he had moved in decades. Not that the thought registered right away, all he saw was beauty.

And it was breathtaking.

As Taehyung stirred awake, Jeongguk felt something short circuit in his mind. For a split second he thought that maybe he was seeing things, that his eye was finally failing him. Never in all his life had a smile filled him with such warmth. The sunlight that illuminated his home paled in comparison, he couldn’t tear his gaze away. He was staring into his eyes like they held all the answers he wished to hear, he was reaching out towards him like a flower would the sun.

But Taehyung was twice as bright,

“Good morning…”

and Jeongguk didn’t mind getting burnt.

Chuckling, Taehyung leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms overhead. “I don’t know why I expected you to respond. Call it wishful thinking on my part, there’s no way that a good night’s rest was going to make a Canary chip magically appear. Still, it would’ve been nice to hear your voice.”

I want to respond.

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