Oh, but Hyuntae doesn’t want to part from him. Giving Baby everything he wants is the only thing on his mind right now, the only thing in his heart, and he hears him in such an impossibly deep way that he can hardly breathe past it himself. Those whines, those words, the way they resonate in him — there are embers simmering in the pit of his stomach, getting warmer and warmer. He knows what it means, but he almost isn’t ready to accept it yet. Not here, in the low-light of the setting sun, practically in front of the thrown open doors to the backyard. Anyone can walk in on them and see them, raw and tangled up together, desperate and clinging and holding and touching and kissing. Fuck, God, he doesn’t want it to end. He doesn’t. And he knows that it won’t, because Babylon wants him just as much as Hyuntae does, and for once he’s completely confident that it’s not going to fade away the moment he stops touching him. It hits him, suddenly, as he watches him pull back, that he would rather watch him fall into his arms a hundred times than watch him walk away for any reason. Please. Please is a word that he did not know could sound so pretty as it does falling from Babylon’s cherry-vanilla lips, and he tucks every single one of those pleas away in his heart for safekeeping. He tucks Baby away in his heart for safekeeping.
Even as he untangles himself from him, Hyuntae can’t help but reach out for him again. He’s on the floor beside him, not in his lap anymore, but he still takes his face in one of his large hands and presses a soft kiss to his lips. It’s the sort of kiss that’s longing, a promise for more, and he smiles into it before he pulls away. “I’ll be just a moment. Promise.” Promise, he says, and he finds that he actually means it to his core. Every time he speaks that word to Babylon, it seems to mean something more than it did before, and he doesn’t want that to change. He always wants their promises to mean something, and he knows deep down that they always will. It’s with a startling sort of confidence that he gets to his feet, aching already at even the most minute distance put between them. Hyuntae’s eyes linger on his baby even as he begins to walk away. Seconds feel like hours when he is not with him.
In reality, it’s only about two minutes before Hyntae returns with a blanket — with their blanket — thrown over his shoulder. It’s reminiscent of the other morning, the only difference being that both of them are entirely sober and intending to stay that way. It would be a shame to ruin this with alcohol, or with anything that can possibly alter the experience, alter the feeling of just being with him like this. It’s all for the very first time, and it continues to take his breath away when he so much as thinks about that. Seeing Baby again is like seeing the stars for the first time, and he stops short a bit, just taking him in. Standing a few feet away from him, he still looks at him like he’s everything, all soft, wide eyes and a gentle curve to his lips. “You’re beautiful, you know. Stunningly so. You make me — uh. You make me stop and stare, and there’s nothing else in the world I would rather be looking at than you.” Moving closer, Henry bends down to offer Baby both of his hands, that curve spreading into a slow smile as he does. Oh, he’s happy to see him. He’s happy to touch him. “Please. Get in my arms. I ache without you.”
𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 babylon the instant he brings himself to fully detangle from hyuntae , fingertips already twitching with the urge , the need , to reach out . to grab his hand , to clutch a fistful of his shirt , to make some point of contact , no matter how small or brief or absolutely trivial . the kiss that he’s gifted, soft and gentle , leaving him wanting more , settles him for the time being , but he still has to will himself to not plead for him not to go , not to leave him , even though he knows , with everything he has , that he’ll be back . ❝ promise , ❞ he whispers in return , and it means something more akin to i trust you --- to come back , with all of me , i trust you . promise . such a simple word , one of pure innocence , and yet it’s what seems to keep baby grounded as hyuntae turns his back to him , walks away from him .
he remains on the floor as he waits , fingers pressing into it because he doesn’t know what else to do with them without his almost - lover there for him to touch . if someone walked in , they’d probably think he looked small , lost . if he didn’t know , with utmost certainty , that hyuntae was returning to him , he might have burst into a fit of tears the mere second his back had turned to him , begging , pleading for him to return .
seconds turn to minutes , minutes feel like hours , like far too long , and babylon lets out an audible sigh of pure relief when hyuntae appears in the doorway , still a few feet away from him but at least in his line of sight . it’s better than him not being around at all . gaze flickers to the blanket slung over his shoulder and he smiles at the realisation that it’s the same one from the other morning , the one that baby had first truly gotten lost in hyuntae on , and his heart flutters because he can’t wait to lose himself in him again on the very same blanket . baby’s eyes are wide as he stares up at him like he’s the entirety of the universe --- endless , beautiful , understanding , everything all at once . he almost whines for him to come closer with the way he stops too far away from him , but words fall from hyuntae’s lips that have babylon’s nose scrunching up and his already rosy cheeks heating up . he lowers his head , his gaze , hides in a fit of shyness , silently curses the barrettes that are holding his hair back . ❝ stop , ❞ he says softly , voice hushed and a smile evident in his voice . he’s never been good at taking compliments , and this is no exception , but that doesn’t change the fact that hyuntae’s words make him feel beautiful , make him feel like he’s not just trapped in this skin with too many scars and too much haunting it . he feels beautiful under his gaze . ❝ you’re the beautiful one . beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe how breathtaking you are . the universe doesn’t hold a candle to you . she’d crumble if she saw what she’s up against . ❞ baby more than happily takes the hands offered to him , the ache that’d settled in him in his absence soothing the instant they touch , and he brings himself , finally , to a standing . tattooed hands , maybe too quickly , find their way to hyuntae’s neck though , resting at his nape . he rises on his tiptoes , getting as close to his lips as he can . ❝ carry me ? ❞ he whispers , more breath than speech , barely audible even within their closeness . ❝ miss you , hyuntae . aches . want to be tangled with you , don’t ever wan’ to not be tangled with you . wanna wrap myself around you again . might cry if i can’t . ❞ fingers have already found their way back to hyuntae’s hair , threading themselves through dark strands once again .