i still have a lot of setting up to do but i’m officially over @bluestboy now! i’m going to follow everyone. thanks for the patience and sorry for the weird dm/reply situation.
d e v o n
Sweet Seals For You, Always

Janaina Medeiros
$LAYYYTER
wallacepolsom
we're not kids anymore.

tannertan36
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵

#extradirty
Xuebing Du
occasionally subtle
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open

Andulka

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
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Three Goblin Art
Game of Thrones Daily
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
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JVL

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@bronxseason
i still have a lot of setting up to do but i’m officially over @bluestboy now! i’m going to follow everyone. thanks for the patience and sorry for the weird dm/reply situation.
well probably nobody is going to see this & tumblr wont notify anyone about it since they hate me and this blog but ever since i changed my email this account got wonky. its been brought to my attention that they simply shut down my dms and removed me from peoples notifs SOZZZZ, im making a new account. im not in the mood to go back and forth with support like girl whatever. if were mutuals i shall follow you once more. thanks.
well probably nobody is going to see this & tumblr wont notify anyone about it since they hate me and this blog but ever since i changed my email this account got wonky. its been brought to my attention that they simply shut down my dms and removed me from peoples notifs SOZZZZ, im making a new account. im not in the mood to go back and forth with support like girl whatever. if were mutuals i shall follow you once more. thanks.
୧ ‧₊˚ 🐣 ⋅ for the first 3/4 of her life, bohee had been physically unable to approach others. she'd only just begun to build relationships with fellow humans -- imagine her surprise when she managed to befriend a guy !! it wasn't much of a feat, though, given that jace seemed to have hundreds of friends. she aspired to be just like him : friendly, approachable, funny ... but all she could be, at least then, was kang bohee. weird, silly kang bohee. she grabbed jace's hand ( a gesture she'd observed on many occasions, it seemed to be a foolproof way to indicate friendship and fondness !! ) with a large, bright smile on her face : ❝ i wanted to ask you something !! ❞ a pause, if only for a dramatic effect. ❝ where do you go to meet people ?? i really want to go on a date -- i mean, i'm 25, and i've never been on a date at all. and dating apps scare me, people on there just want to murder you. so i was wondering what socially savvy people do !! and that !! means you !! ❞ || ⮩ @bronxseason !!
far and few between did jace encounter a person with more fragility than himself. on the occasion that such a relationship was formulated, he somehow felt responsible for the maintenance of said fragility. take it from someone gentle, the cruel world and her people care very little for the act of coddling naivety. jeongmin, on the other hand, has taken to harboring what little light he does discover. enter, this new friendship with bohee. socially savvy. he ponders on the assignment of those words as he accepts the other's hand. was he ? his ineptitudes must be well hidden, as all he can consider is the amount of drama and heartbreak he's been through even as of recent, along with the appreciable number of mens' sweatshirts he's accumulated despite not making a single purchase. these details, he spares the girl of. ❝ hm… well, you should do the things that you like to do best. ❞ the recommendation sounds simple — of course it does — coming from the socially savvy. ❝ i like to read, so i go to the library. i like music, so i go to concerts or performances. and then i just meet people along the way ! ❞ again, it sounds over simplified. ❝ i also just … talk to… everyone ? ❞ the opposite of selective, he realizes. ❝ well — where do you like to go, usually ? ❞
i. dulce maría loynaz / ii. lin fengmian / iii. dulce maría loynaz
own photographs &. paired quotes of jeongmin chai &. tony alexander on ; a confession during summer rainstorms &. thunder .
for @bronxseason .
in the distance --- a clearance of clouds , a stream of a river rushing , hidden by the soaked green . light of an approaching dusk falls lazily , once more --- climbs across the space in between sprinkled grey . he watches them , light their own --- the given pat to be returned with the slight turn of his wet head and a nod , in acknowledgement . the rain has cleared . but jace's determination rings alike a force never to ebb --- never to lift itself from the celestial plain above their heads . where does he take the power ? it sings quietly , hidden in these ancient rocks . gaze musters the other , half in astonishment and half in a given acceptance of understanding . his countenance releases its tension , eases into the shared presence . still , in his blood --- the urge to rush to buried weapons , to any form of defence --- anything that resembled safety in the hands of a tortured soul . it disappears gradually , scurrying alike the fog on the fields . open fingers brush the strands out of his face --- his shirt , sticking against a wet chest , drawing the lines of his skin . " i can't express it any other way . words don't feel enough . it's beyond my own understanding . i can just see resemblances . glimpses . as if having seen them before . . . " , he squints --- in an attempt to offer an explanation . it's like burying his hand in sand . in his own company --- in a fleeting conversation with a familiar monk --- it all plays the same key , the same note . pity . we've told you , the branches bounce . " of course it's easier to push a gun against someone's jaw . not so confusing , right ? " , we've told you , the moon would whisper . he prefers it that way . to force his heart to listen . to de - code , one by one . tony's soul , a crimson brocade slowly opening itself in dusk --- a nightingale's song , echoing between the ancient forest's clearing .
light of sundown , the river's mist ceasing . even now , the traces of own lives long passed , seem to follow him . wanting to guide him . he offers jace affirmative nods , " i make those choices every day . some come easy --- and others don't . " . everything starts from himself and ends with him . in his dreams , at midnight's height --- having to face the retribution of his karma . vivid , infernal --- truly a dreadful sight . he is in no state to fight it , to renounce it . for a fleeting second , tony finds even the possibility of being able to do more as astonishing as the fact that he is yet to die by the hands of someone else . a death , in midst of uncertainty and havoc , he had been most sure of , to graze his epitaph . clouds of delusion clear . rocks , washed by the rapid stream carving its path . he finishes his cigarette , clads himself in the quietude after a storm's passing . " so you are a man of war . just . . a different type , i suppose . " , he claims his amusement about such fact , a small victory . tony wouldn't choose such treacherous a path again . wouldn't sacrifice , pay a price higher than any lifetime's debt accumulated . he pays in future lives , in future sleeplessness nights . in glimpses , that only reveal themselves in the shape of visions . it pulls the corners of his lips upwards , curious about a newly found revelation about the other . " i can only respect that . as the other side of that coin . " , head tilts , catching the drifting scent of freshly lit incense . he listens to the wind , for no on else will speak to him of such truth . longing , to reach beyond those skies , lost to any thought of present need . save , for whom is seated next to him . in their newly acquainted confusion . a companion , that the elder has long developed a friendship of acceptance with . glance drifts to catch jace --- their soaked appearance , the smoke curling around them . lips part , " why don't you show me those plants of yours , you were talking about ? show me around how you live . my turn to see . " , it's an obvious suggestion of moving into calmer spheres --- of keeping swimming . " i am fucking drenched , jace . " , the back of his hand wipes against his forehead --- an airy , quiet laugh framing his words , eyeing the wet film --- shiny against the soft , departing light .
a man of war. the insinuation forces jeongmin to throw the other a scowl; it is not angry, but rather it is petulant — followed immediately by a winsome pout. he can’t help but roll his eyes, amusement at last shattering the turbulent rhythm between them. it matches the weather, their dance, a stupendous storm tailed by a sudden and unexpected calm. it settles like the rain, a soft haze remaining overhead as nature's inhabitants make themselves known again. there is a chirp and a shutter here and there, a new pace — a new movement in their piece. jace almost fails to recognize something refreshing : this newfound comfort he has cultivated within himself, particularly around the other. but he acknowledges it in his mind as he stares at the summer rain’s landscape before them, cigarette burning to an end just beside his half-smile. he is not so altogether different. but rather, he is fully aware of his own disposition. willful and assured in his path of choice, he now has a strong premonition on what to expect. he is still at war, but at the very least he can admit to his selection to partake in the violence. he should be allowed that, he thinks. and that tony respects it, is more heartwarming than he would like to admit, a soft thump paired with cerulean morpho wings in his chest. he could string up an obscure explanation for his feelings, but they are truly simple : it felt very nice to be seen. a rare and beautiful thing. on display under eyes that he admires. although there is a deep craving within him to make sense of the perplexing and vague nature of the elder's confusion, he realizes that perhaps that was not his role in the other's life. so tony only has mere glimpses to hold delicately in the palms of his imagination. then jace should task himself with showing him the rest : grounded, realistic, and likely very stodgy. just the way that he likes things. all growth is born of this level of consistency, even if all he has to show for his sacrifice is a group of seedlings and plants. jeongmin allows himself to set his gaze upon the other fully again, eager to catch a glimpse of the sight associated with the harmony of that laugh. it is such a fleeting thing, to capture tony in a short moment of delight; eyes fond and dark, he holds onto it — a precious segment in his heart. even jace finds himself befuddled by the enmeshment of seemingly contradictory sentiments stirring from within — his lack of ability to focus on either the clarity of the brief laugh or the translucency in the shirt's fabric. he lands on both. ❝ let's get you dry, then. ❞
my turn to see. jeongmin considers the words, even as his fingers pad in the numeric code of his apartment, humming the same sound of the digits out loud despite himself as he does so. there certainly isn't much to see, he thinks. but these are familiar waters, so to continue their swim should be lighter for him. with a duo of conclusive chirps coming from the keypad, the door to his apartment unlocks. ❝ no judging. ❞ he jokes to tony, in a warning voice, shooting him sprightly and mischievous eyes. it only takes a gentle push to reveal his world. upon entry does he recognize the intimate nature of this visit, though he pushes down the apprehension and embarrassment that attempt to bubble up from within. the entryway is long : half hallway, half kitchen, it is a stretched path that leads to the wider space of the apartment, where large windows make way for sunlight to spill inside on the plants in front of them. there is a clearly bloomed zamioculcas, a small but sturdy snake plant, and a large guiana chestnut that takes up most of the territory. jace is tidy, though he was not always; it's a skill that he's acquired from living in solitude but still appreciating company. the space is neat, but lived in : homely. refrigerator door littered with polaroids with those he'd made friends ( or acquaintances ) with nearby, knick knacks and family photos, the place is adorned intentionally with signs of life and living. jace has barely kicked his shoes off before the hospitality kicks in. ❝ you can just leave your shoes on the mat. ❞ he begins, stepping inside and cringing at the damp texture of even his socks as he makes his way past the kitchen and into the living space. ❝ tada ! ❞ a grand gesture of his arms displaying the area, consisting primarily of the couch, the plants, and of course the casio grand hybrid in the corner — a necessity. ❝ make yourself at home, i'll grab you something to change into. and then i'll introduce you to my babies. ❞ meaning the plants. they have names. he subsequently ducks away into the bedroom tucked almost discreetly to the side, leaving tony only momentarily to his devices before his return. ❝ what do you think ? it's not grand or anything, but it's pretty cozy. enough space for me to host things. but small enough to study in, too. ❞ and not to be lonely. ❝ anyways, ❞ a huff, a tinge of shyness painting blush to the high of his cheeks at his own loquaciousness. i must be nervous, he thinks. ❝ i brought you these if you want to borrow them. i mean you don't have to. but. ❞ but ? ❝ and the uh, shower — ❞ it isn't a complete nor a logical sentence.
characters whose philosophy is “if i cannot be wanted, i will be needed and if i cannot be needed, let me be used until there’s nothing left of me.” thank you for everyone’s attention. falls off stage and dies
The Assassination of Gianni Versace (2018)
Andrea Gibson, You Better Be Lightning
ig: aendthesea
jacey pinterest board is now online.
Adonis, ‘Body’, Selected Poems (trans. Khaled Mattawa)
[Text ID: “Rot is also a heart rot is also childhood rot is also what love is.”]
Andrea Gibson, The Madness Vase
jeongmin moves like an aurora borealis --- twists and curls himself like the evaporating smoke of a cigarette tony wished he could indulge into --- anything , to drown out the wet taste of a weeping storm that whips his vision , blinds his gaze . disappointment is a fickle emotion --- an experience . own lips form a thin line , match the younger's frown . their confession --- in this transient , shifting world , seems a dream , a vision unearthing itself . sounds melt into one --- countenance freezes , tenses evidently . at this ancient temple , callers are rare --- and their solitude solely disturbed by the melodic droplets drawing their curtains of pearl . fringing the eaves --- while the old days , naught forgotten , flood a trouble mind . perhaps this once , not just his . for a moment , he wonders . this dream , having broken into waking . their confession , wrapped by such direct aim --- takes the form of an arrow . he wants to winch . dew and rain in showers wet him through --- blossoms drop , issued from his heart . a temple tolls its bell , not too far from where they are seated . for a moment , he fears of losing his heart --- to let it escape his grip , fuse into the shadows seated at the back of his mind . looming .
lids close --- a mere second , gaze glides towards the side , he puts this weary crown to rest --- catches it , this elusive dust about to choke him . they hide in these hills , creep over the mountain ranges , at dawn's first rays . slipping deep under the morning tide . that's where the truth resides , he knows . hidden -- clear . seconds of contemplation , laced by a quietude . his only weapon , in his doomed earthly existence . he licks over his lips --- forces his mind to ignore the lingering taste of the other's saliva , " you haven't had to teach yourself --- to put your weapons down . " , the bitter remembrance of a not so distant phantom wraps its palm around his arm , engulfs his shoulder . " you didn't rely on them to live and survive . to feel satisfaction , when you knew it to be misplaced . " , he swallows the anger down alike a sip of liquor . and the wheel of karma turns anew .
brows raise , in an attempt to grasp the peculiar situation , " how can that be surprising ? i am a retired man , trying to find some sense and order in this fucked world . after all of this --- " , the rage is an awfully familiar acquaintance . . a lost song , a sister without a face nor a name . he wishes not to meet her . terror paints bold strokes of ink , he knows . a beauty , unmatched , he knows . " and you ask me where i am running ? half the time --- i don't even know if i am truly awake . do you think i will be free of that curse , as long as i live ? " , a wave of misunderstanding swallows him gradually . but he refuses to resign . " why do you think i spent my days and nights at this temple ? because i am so benevolent ? " , a cigarette snakes its way between his lips --- freeing himself from the clasp of the other to replace the empty space with the taste of filtered tobacco . gaze blinks down , to light it . a second more . another . he wishes this silence to be eternal --- to never have to speak again , to depart this transient world entirely , to cross that threshold .
glance loses itself in the distance of a bamboo grove , lush in the green . " i run to search for a truth . i run to catch it . " , he flicks the ashes away , " i run to search for words . to ask myself , what that truth is , that i keep seeing glimpses of . " --- he wishes to choke , for the words not to leave his mouth . another drag --- he speaks while exhaling , smoke framing his mouth , " i want to , in this moment even . and i have to stop myself every single time . i have to bring myself back . " , because no one else can and no one else will . no need to add . what difference would it make ? he is unsure if jace can follow , will acknowledge or understand . is he supposed to ? tony loses track of his thoughts , before the shaking leaves of the mountains drag him back --- so much for himself having to do so . shoulders sink a little lower than before . " sometimes the truth wears the face of my mother . sometimes its her voice , disguised as a bird's chirping . sometimes its the waves breaking ashore . " , his confusion is a puzzled expression . for a moment , he contemplates stopping . " i try to listen to it every time . " , he turns to his companion . patches of fog drift across the fields below . " you're not supposed to fight for someone else . you'd be at war your whole life . are your confessions always hidden accusations ? " , weariness weaves thick threads --- and they're crimson stained in choi yoojin's case , " i can't do more than i am doing , jace . " --- defeat is a colour , that doesn't match the elder's face . but he calls it by a different name . his gaze meets theirs , steady . . a quiet shore , calm waves ; " if you want to catch me there , you'll have to follow . " --- and i'm not sure if you want to . jace , doesn't dream of a life full of riddles and sleepless nights . he can't imagine . the sky bleeds ink . he is tired .
the calm settles into the earth around them; the dusty haze over the mountains equally as bleary as their future — equitably clouded. jeongmin ignores the residual bite, the sting of his lips. he neglects the floundering stutter of his heart, its irregular throb having something to do with the exposing and vulnerable words he just emitted. if he was going to be brave, he would wear his bravery with pride. his selflessness too, for this no longer diverted itself in the direction of his dreams but rather landed harshly in the grounded reality of what becomes of a fantasy when it takes exit from your imagination. it is called life. complex, intricate, uncertain — she barely paints them mosaic. his eyes do not change, even as tony does, shifting and shaping beneath a hesitant grasp, perhaps looking for an answer, the silence stretching thinly in between. jace's gaze is steady, yet does it flit from one feature to the next, reading, studying intently in a search for meaning. he subsequently has to nip back defense at the other's first words, lending out his patience, listening to hear tony all the way through. the younger's jaw tenses and untenses as he does, he follows his love through the motions of the response, spiraling along with him — until they land at the conclusive state : i can't do more than i am doing, jace. yet, he cannot help the immense feeling that his name still belongs in tony's mouth, on his tongue, in the very tone of his voice, ringing familiarly out into the air.
finally do his eyes find the distance instead of the other's expression, searching quietly for his own response to the array of information shared. they find the clouds, turned ash with the sun's pale yellow hoping to soon break through. they find petals and blades of grass dampened with dew drops. dry pavement soaked with a newfound gloss. and they glaze over at the thought of it, the voice and the face of tony's mother, just barely whispering against his ears, appearing in the depth of his nights. if the path which weans and wanes wears the face of his mother, surely its alternate in opposition must have his father's mask, jace concludes on his own. and though he can hardly relate, he does understand now, at the very least. the assembled distance between them is warranted. jeongmin only dismantles it momentarily when he reaches unannounced for a cigarette of his own; he finds tony's lighter too — both retrieved from where he's watched him pull the poison out throughout their relationship. it is done without permission, though a respectful pat of appreciation is dispersed immediately after, knowing that it is a bold crossing of what may or may not be a personal boundary. but there are some things that jace is through with asking for. when a history is covered in bullet holes and stained with blood, the least he will allow himself is to bum a mere cigarette. purposefully, he allows the silence to stretch on, overly aware of tony's exhaustion. he lets him rest in it.
he gazes at the film and fog above the mountains again, leaving room to ponder. it does not require precision, but jace recognizes someone lost when he sees them. and deeply so. the difference being, he has simply never had a second voice. he has the voice of his father, only to be accompanied by an enveloping black hole; it is an empty, stale pit whose construction he cannot recall. whether it has simply always existed, or was built by the hands of his own in order to escape the reality's injury, he is unsure. to put your weapons down. and furthermore, he was given a choice, and quite young at that. his options were luxury with the expense of eternal pity or guilt and absolute refusal alongside avoidance — a dark place primarily in solitude. he chose the second, and ended up in tony's world. go figure. but he wanted a place where no pity but his own existed. by choice, jeongmin ran from his own truth. surely, tony's situation was far more dire. the sound of the flock of crows makes itself known again, and the only other noise to assist it is the flicker of tony's lighter, which brings jace's cigarette to life.
❝ confusing, ❞ jeongmin corrects after taking his first drag, ❝ you lack vulnerability and speak in code so things are confusing. not surprising. only an idiot would expect things to be easy for you. ❞ his words and tone are sharp, purposefully equipped, because he knows in the depth of his heart, that tony does not render him that much of a fool. the smoke billows out in front of him. ❝ i'm already fighting, and i plan to be at war until that war comes to a sudden end. or until the war ends me. ❞ another drag, another puff of smoke, and he glances at tony in full now. ❝ my bad, you chose an altruist. ❞ jeongmin sighs, soaking up only humid air that hardly feels fresh, particularly paired with the smoke that he hardly consumes. his eyes find the far away again, and stay there, dark and pondering. ❝ you don't have a truth because it was stolen from you. ❞ he hates to sound so matter of fact, but if all that tony implies is true, nothing about that exactly screams normal. nor does his life at current. ❝ i kept trying to give you mine… ❞ he trails off, remembering his younger idealism, although not altogether obsolete, it was certainly more naive. ❝ but your truth and mine, they won't ever be the same. ❞ because of the optionality jace once had. the ability to make a choice. it seems that the other was never given that. and now remains faced with it, at some ambiguous cost that he has yet to share. ❝ you'll have to build your own. it requires choice above all things. ❞ choice in spite of, in lieu of, because of. irregardless of. often difficult, perhaps even dangerous. he smokes again, turning on his heels to look at tony. ❝ so you can't do more. okay. i just need you to say that. ❞ it's unfortunate, but it's enough. and realistic. considering… ❝ i've followed you deep sea already, ❞ they're sopping right now, ❝ i'm treading water. just keep swimming and i'll come after you. ❞
MARK LEE @ BOUCHERON EVENT IN SEOUL
within his chest , do spring's wisteria bloom and spread their fragrance . . . leave their dust between his ribs . they colour him in palest violet --- gently rock back and forth , nudged by the passing breeze of the mountain ranges , there in the distance . shaking , leaning against the swift gusts . he inhales them quietly . . . as if waiting , for their permission , wondering , if their blessing can truly be received by one carrying the hues of sin . he hums , quietly , for himself --- asks for allowance . a glimpse of enlightenment . until it is given --- until jace closes their gap , takes the freedom he finds in his own soul within . tony prays , halts his breath , stops his own pulse from beating --- to call upon the same freeing salvation , to call it by his real name --- to call it his . thunderous , deafening --- the accumulated downpour . it clashes against own glance , leaves him to blink it away .
jace's reluctance carries a similar and yet different colour than tony's --- a lighter shade , a warmer tone . a summer evening's dusk . . . early autumn's golden hour . quiet droplets --- whispering tides crashing upon the shore . gentle in their approach --- almost inaudible in their stay . he figures , the younger's darkness must be a similar shade . gray , like the dried stones . a washed out white , sandy . . . the shell of a forgotten conch . fragile , easy to turn into dust --- to disappear entirely . their hand , warm against his cool skin . an urgency hides between his fingers --- electrifies the elder to freeze , momentarily . he has turned it all into muted white noise , unregistered , filtered out --- it's jace's voice that rings , hums like the deepest strings of an instrument to be strummed by the strong stroke of a hand . perhaps --- a confession , he has pushed by force . perhaps , tony cannot live in the uncertainty , carved by his own hands in past times . it leaves him empty of words --- all that lingers on the verge of own lips , on the tip of his tongue --- cannot grasp the approaching tsunami , breaking against the cliffs . their urgency matches his , answers it , continues the burning emptiness left --- after a heart has seen another . naked . and indeed --- it is skin on skin that leaves him to shiver --- exposed , by the weeping cold .
eyes flutter shut . the warmth spreads through his face --- colours it by the withered dust of vanished peonies , drenched by rain's generous , purifying greeting . at the foot of the mountain , at the gates of an unearthly world . . . head leans closer , returning the fever that has possessed him . met with the same intensity --- the elder's large palm engulfs the side of their face , digits firmly against the nape of their neck , thumb brushing over their wet cheek . it tears at his soul , nudges at the jagged edges of the simmering phantoms --- it is a false announcement of pending dawn , that illuminates the sky . vanishing , into the depth of brewing , spilling , watered ink --- brilliant in its blinding arrival . a crawling approach , a slow stride --- accompanied by the howling cracks above the sky , tearing and growling . it shakes the earth to it's core , threatens to split the heavens before the male's eyes . breathless , he breaks the kiss --- barely to move an inch .
his gaze scans their face , jumps across features --- merely to encounter the same vulnerability that has spread through his own spirit , has unchained his buried heart . overwhelmed , wet forehead presses against theirs --- " i couldn't push you away , even if i wanted to , " , his words are drowning in an unresolved desire --- as if alive , living , breathing --- taking each of his inhales and leaving him to choke , " you'd find me . " . he unites their lips once anew --- burning by the absence of a sensitive warmth to embrace them . his mind won't quiet down , won't hold still --- threatening to spill out , flood their feet until a river forms its way through the ancient stone . thus --- lips part , " your soul won't leave me alone , jeongmin -- " , head brushes against the side of their head , lips grazing the younger's ear , " can't stop thinking about you . you find me , " , an inhale --- laced by the wet soil , the mud and jace's own fragrance , " even in the deepest night . " . he'd drop on his knees , the fool --- and confess it all . leave not a heartbeat of a pause between his words . it's enough to fill a thousand days with rainstorms . a hundred years with monsoons . he faces them , his eternal sun anew . all bare . softened edges , the patience of looming insecurity simmering behind own glance . " i'm weapon - less now , you know . i have nothing --- " , both of his hands cup their face as if to plead , " nothing to defend myself . " , and indeed , a frown frames his brows . delayed --- almost broken in his rhythm , as if reluctant to part from his lips , the words vanish by the rain's given answer . he's left --- with his chest open .
the summer's storm weeps; it cries with a great deal of reprieve. nature and fate becoming one, the slow growing roots of the flowers the two cultivated finally find themselves entangled — tenderness written so deeply within their history's soil. like the weathered rings of an oak they reveal their age : they grow light in the youthful color of their spring — grow dark in the aged amber of their autumn. here they stand complete and inseparable; they are petal to petal — leaf to leaf — just as blessed as the great and golden hope of the ginkgo tree. their hearts must have resolve, having withstood together the tests of both time and terror. it is meant to be. the fear of grasping it rolls off of jeongmin's shoulders like the droplet of nature's dew from the lotus' sepals. he grips it instead, his mouth possessive with the return of the kiss. somehow, he expects nothing less. yet as their eyes meet, he drowns, thunderstorm half-forgotten for the dark river of a plea pooling in tony's eyes. i couldn't push you away, even if i wanted to. the space between them, eliminated, the urgency, increased. jace's eyes flutter shut as his dreams envelope him, time spent in solitude pining, yearning, the other's scent now breathes life into each delusion of grandeur, his touch so warm and real. but you did, he thinks, remembers the way that the other fades into the distance so very often, you do push me away.
of course he finds him. even in the deepest night, he finds him ? it hits jeongmin with the flushing brawn of a tidal wave, washing him over in what must be both disbelief and realization. but the small noise he lets out into the second kiss, it is not in surprise nor pure pleasure but instead relief — the release of a hidden tension — it is confirmation of the confession whispered in the height and the heat of the moment. but is it enough ? jace had been clear on where he stood since that day in tony's car long ago : passing through city lights and seeping honesty into the leather of his seats. the day that tony said it — i don't trust myself with you. yet jace continued to follow. he was aimless. he is not so aimless now. it isn't pleasant — the obvious expectation of something's calamitous approach to tear them down. it is written everywhere : stains tony's lips, follows the pattern of his fingertips, it is swimming in his eyes. some unruly fear or insecurity despite it all. and jeongmin feels responsible, made a promise to tony of honesty — to speak to him forever true. his brows furrow at the sudden proclamation, head shaking in the warmth of the other's palms, drops formed on the lashes that frame his eyes. his kindness shines through again : it is in fact blinding, a bright white light that even the dark midnight of his eyes cannot dull — that even that great internal dark that so craves death cannot battle. it is the literal representation of both what tony sees and what jace knows to be true — a natural inclination with a strong sense of accountability. no encumbrance, all repute.
in his promise to the other, he finds his words. ❝ yet you run, ❞ he says openly, confusion in his gaze, ❝ i've always been here unarmed. ❞ while tony is open, jace knows that he must be bold, and grab his heart into his own hands before he is so quickly sewn back up, closed-off such as in the times past. ❝ your feet carry you away from me. where are you going ? what are you running from ? ❞ it can't be him, this ominous other of a ghost that hovers above the man's defenseless head, makes him so in need of this great wall of protection — the shield that jace was so willing to take a bullet for, to climb with all his strength. ❝ i love you. ❞ he says it in english, in his most natural tongue, ❝ i love you, ❞ and again, in the main language that they share, ❝ but i need you to tell me. i need your honesty, i — ❞ the rain dwindles to a mere drizzle in a way that acts as a notice, a reminder of where they are. jeongmin doesn't want to do this here. he didn't want to disturb any peace, whatever remaining solace tony did have. for a moment, he thinks himself too demanding. but he should think better of it. ❝ i need you to tell me, ❞ jace grabs his hands and clasps them with his own, ❝ i need to know, how am i supposed to fight for you, if i don't know ? i find you and i lose you… ❞ ardor and sorrow paint his eyes.