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It was never supposed to be like this.
When Hongjoong had imagined living with Seonghwa, fantasized about being able to hear the other's quiet breathing at night, he had dreamed of a nice apartment, something cozy and warm, maybe with windows opening on the Han River since Seonghwa was so fond of it, or maybe just above the glittering lights of Seoul, where the city looked like a sea of stars. He never imagined an abandoned hut in the middle of the forest.
Up until six months ago Hongjoong had lived alone in a small but functional room, with a cheap rent and a nagging old landlady constantly asking when he was going to get married and start a family, to which he always replied with a polite small and empty excuses. He had a more or less stable job with the developing team of a promising, albeit small, tech firm, not yet affirmed but showing a slow and steady growth against all odds. He had even been nursing a pathetic crush on the devastatingly beautiful junior assistant that had recently joined the team. Seonghwa was everything Hongjoong ever dreamed of, sweet and kind and smart, both talented and hardworking, and so painfully gorgeous Hongjoong felt his tongue tie into knots everytime they were close. Ironic, or pitiful, considering Seonghwa was mute (not that it ever stopped him from making Hongjoong laugh to tears with silly jokes or from passionately describing the latest book he read while Hongjoong gazed at him with palpable longing, like the loser in love he was).
Despite all the odds, they had found themselves growing rapidly closer, becoming friends in a matter of few weeks and oddly inseparable best friends in just a couple of months, Seonghwa patiently teaching Hongjoong sign language and Hongjoong sheepishly playing the guitar for him as they hung out in his room on what he hoped could be considered dates. Hongjoong's crush had grown to the size of a small sun, so of course he had imagined living with Seonghwa, more than he wanted to admit, but he could have never imagined the chaos that led to it.
Marketed as the pinnacle of AI evolution, sold in every corner of the city, soon present in almost every house, the Cube had been the center of attention in the tech industry. Hongjoong remembered their firm being one of the very few that had eyed the new creation with suspicion instead of awe, wary of a technology that seemed so out of human control. He remembered how Seonghwa had frowned when they had examined one of the Cubes, how he was biting his lips with worry the more they looked into it. After all, Seonghwa had always been exceptional at his job.
And then the virus happened.
Whatever had corrupted the algorithm, nobody knew, but it somehow turned humans into enemies in the eyes of the program, and the whole system had revolted. It started with disruption and ended up with violence as the Cubes took control. What had been regarded as a step towards the future, suddenly became the spark of destruction. Millions of people died in the process, and in a month or so, the world was in ruins. The sound of people running and screaming in the streets, the smell of fire and smoke, the blasting alarms, Hongjoong was sure he could never forget them in a whole lifetime. Seonghwa had refused to leave his side when the chaos started, never letting him out of his sight, fear making him fierce and protective instead of paralyzing him. Hongjoong couldn't help but to fall a bit deeper, despite the looming threat surrounding them.
Hongjoong and his team had been desperate to find a way to rewrite the code when the lab exploded. Only Hongjoong and Seonghwa had made it out alive, Seonghwa stubbornly dragging Hongjoong's unconscious and bleeding body out of the crumbling building, refusing to let them both die like trapped rats. The following days were a blur in Hongjoong's memory, flashes of pain mixed with the gentleness of Seonghwa's touch, but he survived. Nothing could be done to save his right eye, not with the almost non existent resources they got and the only superficial medicine knowledge Seonghwa had, but they were alive. There was a scar on Seonghwa's forehead, jagged and irregular, and Hongjoong's eye was clouded as milk poured over, but they were together. Hongjoong remembered hiding in empty buildings and running whenever one of them (usually Seonghwa) heard the Cubes getting closer, Seonghwa leading them to safety time and time again, until they were out of breath, huddled together so close that Hongjoong could feel Seonghwa's heat on his skin.
The abandoned hut in Bukhansan Park had been Seonghwa's idea as well, a shelter he remembered from his frequent hikes, isolated but close enough to the city whenever they decided to risk it and go look for provisions. All in all, they had developed an odd form of resilience, adapting to the unexpected new life, much to their own surprise. Hongjoong had joked that it was all thanks to Seonghwa's past as a boy scout and Seonghwa had blushed magnificently under the soft glare of the campfire. They had learned to grow vegetables, a feat Hongjoong had never realized he could be capable of (when he confessed he had killed every single house plants he had owned, Seonghwa had just smiled and gently signed to trust him, and Hongjoong had never felt more safe). They even had chickens, two noisy little creatures Seonghwa had stolen from a backyard soon after they had settled in the woods, half dead from neglect after the old couple living there had died (Seonghwa had argued it couldn't be considered stealing, but more of a rescue mission since the owners were no more, and had pouted like a kid when Hongjoong had laughed. He had looked beautiful).
The first time Seonghwa had kissed him, slow but oh so sure under the moonlight, Hongjoong had kissed him back with a desperation he didn't know he possessed, and Seonghwa had answered with hunger, and they had realized they were both starving. Every kiss after that, no matter how soft or sweet, seemed to carry a hint of urgency. Hongjoong often worried how much time they truly had, as the weeks passed and their vegetables ripened and their chickens got rowdier, and their love grew steadier. It might have been hell, but they were surviving it together, and maybe that was enough.
"We should go to the city soon"
Hongjoong hadn't even put down the bucket of water he was carrying, but Seonghwa was already talking, hands moving fast, a quick peck to his lips before listing all the items they were starting to run out of. They both knew how dangerous a trip to the city could be, and they had been putting it off for days now, but Hongjoong knew they couldn't avoid it forever. The weather was still good, but they were in the middle of autumn now and he could only imagine how much worse things were going to get as soon as winter would start approaching, They couldn't wait anymore. So he nodded, once, hand resting lightly on Seonghwa's waist as to reassure himself he was still there, drawing strenght from the simple touch. "We'll go tomorrow".
It was not their first time sneaking into the city, leaving the relative safety of their shelter at the first lights of dawn, with their hands firmly joined, "to make sure we don't get separated" had signed Seonghwa the first time it happened, unable to fully look Hongjoong in the eyes and blushing as pretty as a cherry blossom. It became habit after that, even more so after the kiss, the warmth of Seonghwa's palm seeping into Hongjoong's right hand in a steady flow of comfort. Always the right hand, always his blind side, and Hongjoong couldn't see him without having to turn his neck, but he knew Seonghwa always chose to put himself there, to ensure nothing could surprise him, to act as a shield, even though he had never said it out loud. It was the same quiet but fierce protectiveness he had showned after the explosion, after saving Hongjoong and taking care of him until he could stand again. Hongjoong squeezed his hand, hoping the message could come across even without words, I love you, and Seonghwa squeezed back, lips curving in a small smile that Hongjoong could not see.
The silence always felt eerie and foreign, the empty streets stretching like malevolent ribbons under their feet, the threat of being discovered looming over in synchronicity with the abandoned buildings. They knew how to do it, quick and efficient, no distractions, taking only what was necessary, running from building to building with surgical precision. Unexpectedly though, Seonghwa slowed down. There was a light tug were their hands were locked, and Hongjoong saw Seonghwa swiftly glancing at what had once been a shop window, now broken and miserable. The shop itself looked thrashed but Hongjoong recognized what it had once sold: wedding dresses.
"Seonghwa? Is anything wrong?"
He saw Seonghwa faltering, cheeks glowing pink, and then vigorously shaking his head. He made a vague gesture and urged Hongjoong to resume walking. Hongjoong smirked as he let himself get dragged forward.
After a couple of hours, Seonghwa was ready to call it a day and go home. Their backpacks were full of useful items, more than they anticipated, and Hongjoong estimated such a successful hunt would last them for weeks. Seonghwa seemed distracted though, and everytime Hongjoong turned his head to look at him, he would catch him looking back with a wistful expression. So Hongjoong decided to do something potentially very stupid.
"Seonghwa? Can you wait here for a moment? There is something more I think we need, I'll go look for it very quick"
Seonghwa frowned, and Hongjoong prayed he couldn't see through his improvised plan. Hongjoong had never left him alone during their hunting trips to the city, too afraid Seonghwa couldn't call him for help if something happened, afraid to lose him, to come back and find him hurt or dead or gone. But Seonghwa deserved to be happy, to forget the hell they were living in, to smile as brightly as he used to do before, with stars twinkling in his eyes, and apocalypse be damned, Hongjoong was going to give him whatever he wanted.
When Hongjoong got back with extra weight carefully tucked in his backpack, Seonghwa was crouching on the ground, pale with worry, and he launched himself in Hongjoong's arms the moment he spotted him.
"Do not ever leave me alone again"
Hongjoong cupped his cheek. "It won't ever happen again, I promise"
There wasn't enough space in the backpack for two whole outfits, and Hongjoong had yet to become so reckless as to abandon irreplaceable provisions on a whim, so the only things he had managed to fit were a shirt, a tie and a bride veil (Seonghwa was too busy tearing up to notice the furious blush on Hongjoong's face). The camera had been a totally unplanned surprise, but Hongjoong thanked whatever deity had left it in his path. It was an ancient model, crusty with dirt and dust, and yet the battery was full and it worked. Too old to be a danger, even with the Cubes long reach, it felt like grace from the heavens.
Seonghwa looked breathtaking, the delicate veil almost turning him into an angelic being, unguarded smile beaming like the moon itself. He was giggling and twirling, a little wild flower tucked behind his ear, as Hongjoong filmed him. Through the camera lenses, he could almost forget the scars, the pain, the borrowed time they were running on. There was only Seonghwa in his radiant splendor, Seonghwa reverently fixing his tie, Seonghwa excitedly asking for the camera so he could be the one filming Hongjoong, Seonghwa's shoulders shaking with silent laughter as Hongjoong posed in the silliest way just to bask in his reaction, Seonghwa setting the camera on a chair so he could film them dancing around to a tune only they could hear, Seonghwa listening to Hongjoong soflty sing even when no music was there, Seonghwa kissing him like the world was ending because maybe it was but it didn't dim their love. Seonghwa, the center of his universe, keeping him in his orbit as the stars around them died down, and yet glowing so bright Hongjoong wasn't afraid of the dark.
When the Cubes found them, days later, the battery of the old camera had already run out. The flower in Seonghwa's hair was wilting, the tie on Hongjoong's neck crooked. The Cube glowed a malicious red, and yet Seonghwa would not go down without a fight. He still had the veil on his head, and Hongjoong thought he had never looked more beautiful than in that moment, tears in his eyes and branding a branch as he stood in front of Hongjoong, shielding him even in that moment. It was useless, maybe, but Hongjoong took the branch from his hands and launched himself at the Cube with all the fury he was capable of. The Cube only burned redder and angrier. He fell back, Seonghwa coming behind him immediately, holding him tight to his chest. Hongjoong could only grip his hand, like a lifeline, like a promise. The Cube got closer. The last thing Hongjoong remembered was Seonghwa's free hand gently cupping his face, covering his left eye, enveloping him in a comforting darkness where he could only feel Seonghwa's steady heartbeat. The hand on his face trembled.
"Together, my universe"
Then, it was no more.