The Beginnings | Dotae

23.0 | Simple Goodbyes

Doyoung sat on his bed, hugging his pillow as the empty house creaked around him. The silence was almost too much but he didn't feel like getting up to turn the record player on. So he sat on his bed, hugging his pillow tightly against his chest.

Two days had passed since the mission file had been discovered. Two days since Jungwoo and Jaehyun had left the house to return to the basement where they had been living, beginning to set everything up for when they left. One day since Johnny had left, still more planning and setting up to be done.

And one day since Taeyong had left, giving Doyoung a small smile as he walked carefully out of the house. Still limping. Still covered in bandages.

His brother had been staying at a friend's house for the past two weeks, not wanting to get caught up with whatever was going on with Doyoung and Taeyong. He had told Doyoung that he wouldn't come back for a while, not until whatever he had gotten himself stuck in was over. Doyoung didn't particularly complain about the decision.

He huffed and felt his stomach rumble, looking dejectedly at his stomach. He hadn't eaten a lot, hadn't really felt like it, so he probably should. But Doyoung stayed sitting on his bed, a little put off by the overwhelming silence in the house.

Taeyong told Doyoung that he couldn't go on the mission. And oh boy did Doyoung argue but then Johnny, Jungwoo, and Jaehyun chimed in. It was best if he stayed home out of harm's way. It was a new city, different from Jinju. He hadn't been on an intensive mission yet. They couldn't focus on the mission if they were worried about Doyoung.

It stung a little. What had happened to believing that he was ready to be in the field?

But still, he complied with their wishes, only pulling Johnny aside to tell him to keep a special eye on Taeyong. Especially since he hadn't fully healed yet.

A sharp rap on the window sill brought Doyoung out of his thoughts, his face paling as he saw Taeyong crouching on the fire escape, waving at him through the glass pane. He scrambled to his feet, chucking the pillow to the side as he rushed over to the window, throwing it open in shock.

"Taeyong! Did you climb all the way up the fire escape? B-but-"

He couldn't find the next words to say as Taeyong rolled his eyes, placing a finger in front of Doyoung's lips to get him to stop talking. "I'm fine Doyoung. Besides-" Taeyong sat down on the fire escape and gave him a lazy smile, "-I need to make sure that I can do the bare minimum if I'm going on a mission."

"But you could injure yourself before leaving," Doyoung protested, climbing through the window to sit down on the fire escape with Taeyong. There was a colder breeze in the air. Completely welcome in sweltering heat that had been pressing down on the city for the past week. Faint car horns sounded and birds cawed above his head.

"I wouldn't have to worry too much, since I still have you to take care of me," Taeyong said and smiled softly. It wasn't anything like the smile he had received during the Lantern Festival, but it still warmed Doyoung.

Silence filled the space in between them. Doyoung looking at Taeyong. Taeyong looking at Doyoung.

"When are you leaving?" Doyoung said quietly, pain resonating in his chest at the thought of all of them traveling off to Seoul. Taeyong hummed, a bit of guilt shining through his eyes as he looked at Doyoung. It was something that has been bugging Doyoung lately. How guilty Taeyong looked when he looked at Doyoung.

"Today. I came to say goodbye."

It caught Doyoung off guard and he looked around, wondering if anyone else had come. But no one else was around. "T-today?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to put it off. The more time we let get between us and Ten, the higher the chances are of that information getting out before we can use it." Taeyong explained reasonably. It really was reasonable. But, Doyoung still didn't want them to go.

He didn't want Taeyong to go.

"Bunny, it's only for a couple of days." Taeyong could probably read the worry and conflict on Doyoung's face, it wasn't like he was trying to hide it. Still, the nickname caused his cheeks to heat up, even after hearing it over a dozen times. "We'll be back before you know it."

"I know, I'm...thankful that you're telling me because you don't want me to worry but, how can I not worry about you?" Doyoung leaned back on his hands, huffing as he looked over at Taeyong.

Taeyong looked at him for a moment before shifting to crouch on his feet, shifting closer to him. Doyoung felt his face warm as Taeyong's hand reached out again, tucking his hair behind his ear. Then his eyes moved to look into his own. Doyoung felt his heart begin to flutter nervously against his chest as Taeyong leaned closer. Doyoung squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for what he thought Taeyong was about to do.

A pair of lips kissed the top of his forehead.

Doyoung's eyes blinked open, looking up to see Taeyong moving away from him, his hand falling away from where it had rested by his ear.

"I'll see you in a couple of days Doyoung," Taeyong murmured softly before standing to go down the fire escape. Doyoung scrambled to his feet, his hands jittering and his mind whirling with what he could do — what he could say. His hand grabbed Taeyong's sleeve and he pulled the boy back towards him before he could put his foot on the first rung.

His hand gripped the side of Taeyong's face and he tilted the boy's head down, placing a short kiss of his own on Taeyong's forehead. Taeyong's head moved back up at the action, the older boy's eyes surprised by what Doyoung had just done. His face flushed bright red.

"Y-you...I had to give you a k-kiss in return," Doyoung stuttered out and, realizing his hands were still on Taeyong's face, he went to move them. But Taeyong's hands flew up to cover his own, keeping them where they were, cupping Taeyong's face.

His eyes flew around Doyoung's face and he took a step closer to Doyoung, the younger wondering what he was about to do. Even he had trouble reading Taeyong sometimes. He stepped close enough so that their faces were centimeters apart, Taeyong's breath brushing against his lips.

"Wait for me," Taeyong whispered, his face serious and his tone demanding. "Wait for me Doyoung."

Doyoung didn't know how to reply to that. "O-okay."

Then his hands slipped from Taeyong's face as the older whirled around, practically sliding down the fire escape stairs. And Doyoung watched him go.

Only hoping that Taeyong would make it back to him safely.

I'll wait for you Taeyong. I'll always wait for you.

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