Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The bass-blasting arcade. Nam-gyu hides behind a claw machine on his phone. Pink sunglasses on the tip of his nose and no shame. Su-bong walks in looking like walking jail time. “Come on out you glitter-dipped rat.” he says. Nam-gyu scoffs and peaks over the machine. “Miss me?” he smirks. “In your dreams” Su-bong replies. He starts chasing Nam-gyu through the arcade, neither of them knowing why. Nam-gyu throws his boba at Su-bong which he successfully ducks, but almost destroying a gachapon machine.

Su-bong pushes Nam-gyu into a photo booth machine, almost falling on him, but catching himself. Nam-gyu feels Thanos' breath on his neck. Their lips almost touching.

"Lets lay low tonight. I know you just did something illegal." Nam-gyu says, Su-bong runs his fingers through his hair and laughs shakily. He pulls Nam-gyu out of the photobooth.

They argue the whole way to a love motel. They check in "two key cards...king bed" Nam-gyu asks, looking into the receptionist's eyes. "Or is that too optimistic?" "One key." Su-bong says sternly "im not letting you out of my sight" he finishes. "Aww babe..possessiveness looks hot on you" Nam-gyu says.

They get to the neon motel room. A mirror above the bed, a heart-shaped bath in the corner. Nam-gyu frows "ew," he says. "Aww. You don't love me?" Thanos coos. There's glitter and suspicious stains on all the fabric, fake rose petals all over the floor.

Nam-gyu immediately claims the bed, throwing his glittery bag on it. He takes the motel's robe. He sits down cross legged on the heart-shaped bed and sorts colorful pills into color-coded piles while Su-bong paces like a tiger.

"Why are you pacing like that?" Nam-gyu asks. "I should've left you at the arcade." Su-bong retorts "you didn't" Nam-gyu smirks. "I'm gonna brush my teeth." Su-bong sighs and gets his toothbrush and toothpaste and enters the bathroom, Nam-gyu following suit.

"There's a complimentary toothbrush, you're not using mine" Su-bong spits. Nam-gyu scoffs and picks up the complementary toothbrush. They brush their teeth together, toothpaste foam in their mouth. Su-bong grins at the boy next to him "say it" He demands. Su-bong smirks, not knowing whether to kiss or strangle him.

"Say what?" "You missed me." They go back and forth "I missed silence." Su-bong retorts, Nam-gyu scoffs “you robbed my cousin!” he interjected “yeah he deserved it” Su-bong said nonchalantly. They argue about this back and forth until Su-bong pulls out a knife and pins Nam-gyu to the wall, holding the knife to his throat “go ahead, cut me open you’ll only find glitter and daddy issues” he spits “you think this is all a joke” The taller man mumbles “you think everything is life or death and that’s why you want me.” Nam–gyu choked. Before either of them could speak again, they both lean in for a rough, wet kiss which turns into a full on makeout session.

Their clothes get ripped off and Nam-gyu clings to the other man as they make their way to the bed. Both their shirts are off as Su-bong pins the smaller man to the heart shaped bed “go on, Thanos. Do it. I wanna know what my throat will look like inside out” He tilts his neck, exposing the purple glitter. “You talk too much” Su-bong coughs “one more word and I’ll carve you a second smile” he presses the large blade to Nam-gyu’s pressure point, not hard enough to actually hurt him yet.

Nam-gyu hisses at the slight pain “you going Joker on me now?” he sucks in a breath through his teeth “thats hot” his fingers trail down Su-bong’s chest, around his sides, feeling every inch of his body like he’s committing it to memory. “What would you do if I begged?” he whispers “or if I didn’t”

“Shut up” su-bong’s voice sounds like a storm before he starts devouring the boy under him, tongues intertwined, bodies sweaty, clothes rejected. The next ten minutes are a blur of pills, alcohol, sex and moans.

“You missed me” Nam-gyu says “shut up before I fall in love again”

Thanos’ chest heaves like he ran a mile. He’s glaring at the ceiling like it owes him money, his fists clenched, not sure if the fight is really over.

Nam-gyu is curled against him, panting. The glitter mixed with sweat and a little blood. “You breathe like a dying lawn mower” he heaves, flicking a lighter open and closed (he doesn't even have a cigarette)

Su-bong’s eyes don’t move from the ceiling “you talk like a guilty conscience” he smirks and pauses before saying “shut up” “can’t that would ruin the mood” nam-gyu retorts before reaching into the nightstand and pulling out a bottle of strawberry soju and pouring two shots, the glasses stained with lipstick. “To toxic codependency” he jokes.

Su-bong downs the shot with ease, like its mouthwash “you’re a disease” he chuckles before getting closer and whispering “I missed this” he says, his voice low. Nam-gyu’s face drops for a second “don’t get all lovey dovey now..you’ll scare me off” he pauses “tell me again why you came back” he finishes “I didn’t” su-bong pauses “you just never left.” Nam-gyu grins like he’s going to either cry or stab Thanos. “God I hate you” he laughs before kissing Su-bong’s collarbone. Not a wet, rough kiss, just skin-on-skin real contact. “But if we die tomorrow you’re dying pretty”

There’s a sharp knock on the door, Su-bong jolts up, already holding the knife. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” nam-gyu asks, sliding on his boots, glitter everywhere “this was the last calm night of our lives?” su-bong answers, pulling on his coat and tucking the knife in his belt “no. I was thinking its probably the cops…wanna run?” nam-gyu states, grinning. “Do I have a choice?” the taller boy asks.

“No. thats the fun part” they disappear into the night, hand in hand like lunatics on the run.

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They couldn't stop laughing. Su-bong gripping his knife in his left hand, holding Namgyus hand with the other. They dart through side streets, down back alleys and back around. They don't need to be holding hands but they are. The boys duck into a grimy 24 hour gas station. 

Namgyu takes a lolipop and opens it right in front of the clerk who looks like he couldnt give less of a fuck. He pops the lolipop in his mouth and sucks on it while Thanos grabs four packs of cigarettes. "I need your ID" the cashier says dully "dont have it" su-bong says, grabbing namgyus lolipop and putting it his own mouth. "Whatever dude" the cashier says and hands su-bong the cigarettes after he pays.

Su-bong offers Namgyu his lolipop back "ew" he says. They duck into a nearby alleyway with a ladder. Su-bong starts climbing up it "you coming, nam-su?" He asks "namgyu." Namgyu corrects before climbing up on the ladder.

They get up on the roof of the building next door. Su-bong opens one pack of cigarettes "light?" He asks Namgyu, Namgyu hands him his lighter. Su-bong flicks it a few times to get the flame going, once he does, he lights a cigarette. He takes a long drag and hands it to Namgyu who also takes a drag.

"What do you think would happen if we jumped off?" Namgyu asks "we'd probably die" su-bong replies as if it wasn't a rhetorical question.

"Do you ever wonder if it'd be better?"

"What? Being dead?"

"Yeah."

Su-bong dosent say anything for a moment. "Youre having an episode arent you?" He asks "when am I not at this point?" Namgyu replies. Su-bong sighs. "What's you do?" Su-bong knew that Namgyu had done something dumb and probably illegal he just didnt know what. Namgyu chuckles as if it was hilarious "I wrote a note. Threw my phone in the river. Everyone probably thinks I'm dead." He admits

Su-bongs face falls. "Ba- Nam-su-" "Gyu." "Right...N-namgyu...why would you do that?" Su-bong asks, namgyu shrugs, ashing the cigarette off the side of the rooftop "Seemed fun". "Lets go. Crash a motel or something" Namgyu says, standing up, su-bong was still in shock. "Yeah.." They climb down from the roof and walk around for a shitty, dingy motel. They settle on one that was ₩40,000 a night. Su-bong scans the card to get in. They enter and look around, creepy paintings litter the walls. The room wasn't clean at all but for ₩40,000 it worked. The boys undress and get into bed. Namgyu kisses su-bong on the cheek gently "night." He mutters.

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The air in the cheap motel was thick, humid. Namgyu woke up first, he watched Su-bong sleep for a bit before reaching over and grabbing the pack of cigarettes from the nightstand. He lights a cigarette, the smoke wakes up Su-bong. He takes the cigarette, their fingers brush a moment too long."y'know you drool in your sleep?" Namgyu says "you talk in your sleep. Said my name." Su-bong takes a drag of the cigarette. Namgyus ears turn bright red "n-no I didnt" he defends. "Mm I think I heard you correctly" su-bong replies. Namgyu stands up from the bed "lets go" he mutters. The boys leave the motel and go to a convenience store. "Breakfast?" Su-bong asks as Namgyu starts stuffing candy, lip gloss and energy drinks into his pockets. Namgyu breaks the seal off the lip gloss and smears some on Su-bongs lips. "Cut it out, asshole" he whines but dosent wipe it off.

They leave the store with "nothing" in their pockets. They sit down on the curb. "Whats the" namgyu starts "worst thing you've ever done?" He states. Su-bong thinks for a moment "stole some money from my own crew. They still don't know it was me" he chuckles. They finish their breakfast of energy drinks, soju and candy and walk around the city. They didnt even know where they were headed. The sun set before they could blink. The soju had worn off by now, they were in a dark alleyway, Namgyu had his pocket knife out. "There he is!" They heard from the other end of the alleyway. "Oh fuck- run, namsu" su-bong said "wh-why?" Namgyu asks- not bothering to correct su-bong on his name.

The men were big. Muscles everywhere on them, they meant buisness. The biggest one in the middle slugged su-bong in the face, he winces in pain. "Baby-" Namgyu runs to su-bongs side "fuck off, namsu" he snaps. Namgyu walks away as su-bong and the big guys start fighting.

Rain pours as namgyu sits on the curb nearby. He told himself he didn't care if su-bong lived or died

But he really did.