@idleds
germany … they might have had a bump in the road, even if it was recent, but it was still a good place.. right? maybe not anymore. first ares getting hurt, and now seunggi? yeah, ares didn’t think he was ever going to want to come back here, actually. and the way he was ready to flip the whole country upside down? he doubted they wanted him back, either.
greece … oh, he loved this place. it had so many memories. their first home, the place where they truly got to learn about themselves. the place they went through thick and thin, and came out stronger than ever. it was his favorite, if he had to pick. and he was already counting down the days he’d be able to bring seunggi back here. to bring seunggi home. all the people they’ve grown to love were probably gone, or in their old age. their children and grandchildren taking their places — maybe they could return in a few years. he’d be looking forward to it.
and, well, this was also fully assuming he found seunggi. and soon.
italy — it seemed logical to come here while he was on this side of the world. he wasn’t leaving any stones unturned. the first place eden laid his grubby little hands on seunggi? he was — oh, by now ares was seething. he should have taken care of eden the first time. he should have made sure he could never hurt another person, let alone his husband. and when he found nothing? not a trace — mere rumors of him, of his abilities? yeah, ares was losing his mind. he was going to end up crazy. he was going to find seunggi, or he was going to end up crazy.
maldives — that was his next stop. it would be cruel, the cruelest place he could think of, really. bringing seunggi here in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by miles of water in every direction. soiling a good safe place. sure, it might not have started for a good reason, but it turned into one. it turned into a place they could go and forget about everyone else, just have each other. truthfully? ares was happy to find the place empty. it was a catch twenty-two, though, wasn’t it? seunggi wasn’t here, and he wasn’t here. good, and bad.
california — he was nearing desperate now, truly he was — where were they? what was happening to his husband. how many weeks has it been? six? seven? everywhere he went he was met with nothing. absolutely nothing. maybe someone would know who he was talking about, but that wasn’t enough. it wasn’t going to be enough until he had seunggi in his arms.
and honestly? ares never thought he’d see the day where he’d be tearing through his past lives. literally tossing them this way and that in search of something, anything, that might help him. old phone numbers for old friends, contacts — anyone, anything.
never did he think he’d be so desperate as to reach out to his own maker — and god, he was so, so fucking close to doing so. he was desperate now, there was no hiding it. desperate, he was willing to do anything — if this last shot didn’t work? well, he’d be forced to call her in, wasn’t he? and even that wasn’t easy — it wasn’t like he liked her, it wasn’t like he wanted to see her, or ask for help. he didn’t even know who or where she was anymore! exactly how he liked it, you know? but, well — he was sure someone he knew knew someone that knew someone that knew someone. you get the picture. a very last resort effort, one he’d take without a second thought.
only if this didn’t work, though. only if …
south korea. it couldn’t be. but even just the quick research on the flight and — oh, god. seeing the history on the home, seeing the name of the current owner. the new owner, initials B. E. crazy what you could find when you googled, wasn’t it? and maybe he was reaching, here. assuming baek eden left a little hint to bring ares running, to keep him busy and distracted. what if they weren’t here, if it was just some elaborate prank. the world was huge, they could be anywhere.
why would they be here, of all places, though? the thought of eden doing this, of him bringing his husband here? ares was sure he saw red. he was sure his rage was bubbling up more and more with every second, with every step. here? eden brought seunggi here? he was going to tear him in two. ares was going to pop his head right off his shoulders — that is if he’s here, that’s if the lead ares was given was right.
he just needed one more second of sitting crouched across the street, eyes closed as he focused — surely he’d hear seunggi, or eden. their thoughts, maybe. their actual words, even. ares would take screams, even. not that he wanted his husband in pain — the exact opposite. but if it proved he was here, and that the search was long over? he’d take it.
only … there wasn’t screaming. not right now, at least.
‘seunggi? can you hear me, baby? hm? seunggi?’ over and over ares was repeating his little mantra as he made his way inside — the door wasn’t even locked? was — was eden expecting him? or was he that cocky to think ares would never find them, and that seunggi wouldn’t try to leave?
that, of course, was ares wishing for something better than the possibility of seunggi being tied up, locked up, or worse — god. like he was just wandering around his childhood home, unaware that the door was unlocked and he could just leave.
‘i’m here, baby. i’m here, i’m coming — can you hear me? i can hear you — where are you, love? seunggi? my love?’ nonstop, his thinking never ended. and it wouldn’t until one of two things happened. one, he found seunggi and could talk to him in person. two? he found eden, and couldn’t focus on anything but ending his life.
‘is he with you, seunggi? where is he? do you know — are you awake? baby?’ ares was inside and standing in the doorway, alert and listening. was there movement? which one was seunggi? a silly question, of course ares knew the sounds of his steps, his breathing — it was familiar. his voice, the sound of his thoughts. the pictures he would paint, the stories he would tell. ares knew what it sounded like.
eden, however. he was easy to pick out of the crowd. and considering there was only two to pick from? that’s where ares was heading.
‘i’m coming, baby. stay away from him, if you can. can you, hm? i’m coming, seunggi..’