Work Text:
It was something said offhandedly, a fleeting thought that Choi had suddenly blurted out in an effort to tease Kim Soleum, something that didn't bear much meaning.
"If I turned into a worm, would you still love me?"
Kim Soleum had turned around in bed to face him, an exasperated look on his face.
"Where did you get that from?"He had asked.
"Haha, just something that came into mind, answer me will you~"
Kim Soleum sighed.
"Of course, I would still love you." He had answered.
Choi had grinned and then teased him for the next 10 minutes before they tired out and fell asleep.
Now, in the morning, as he slowly opened his eyes, he felt something off.
Usually, Choi was a clingy boyfriend. Every night, he had to wrap his arms around Kim Soleum's waist and pull him close against himself. But today, that familiar warmth was missing.
Kim Soleum rolled over, curious, and his eyes caught sight of it.
There was a worm. On his bed.
It was wriggling frantically on the bed, seemingly delighted to have caught his attention.
And then, the question from the night before flashed through his head.
If I turned into a worm, would you still love me?
…
That couldn't be, could it?
Did… Choi turn into a worm?
He gently scooped it up into his hands, bringing up to his face, and examining it up close.
It looked just like any ordinary worm — wrinkly, slimy, and utterly disgusting — but it was there, blending well into the skin, almost to the point that Kim Soleum would've missed it if his vision wasn't as sharp as it is, the faint outline if that all-too-familiar scar.
"…Choi?"
The worm wriggled faster in response.
"Is it really you, Choi?"
The worm was flipping over itself in his palm now and Kim Soleum suddenly felt like crying.
What triggered this? Kim Soleum couldn't think of what they had done yesterday that caused this. There was no Darkness in the wiki like this. What was he supposed to do with his worm-turned boyfriend?
He racked his brain but couldn't come up with a solution to this problem, and panic started to set in. How could Choi live like this?
Suddenly, the question flashed through his mind once more.
If I turned into a worm, would you still love me?
And a moment of clarity came over him in the midst of his panic.
Love?
Was that the answer?
Did he just have to… kiss it?
Kim Soleum looked down at the worm. It had stopped its frantic movements and calmed.
Sure, it would be gross and it wasn't something that he would willingly do, but… this was Choi he was talking about. What was a little sacrifice made here to bring his boyfriend back?
With that thought in mind, he brought the worm close to his lips, and just when his lips were about to make contact with it, the door slammed open.
"Soleum-ah! I got us… breakfast…" Choi trailed off, taking in the sight before him — his boyfriend, holding a worm in his palms and about to kiss it — and his arm, who was holding up the bag of food, slowly lowered along with his jaw. "What are you doing?"
Kim Soleum immediately dropped the worm and turned to face him. "Nothing! Nothing! I was doing nothing!"
Choi's face cycled through a couple of emotions that Kim Soleum couldn't decipher before landing on a small smile, a smile that Kim Soleum knew meant trouble, for him specifically, and he made his way towards the bed. Kim Soleum tensed up, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.
"But Soleum-ah, I saw that."
Choi made the first move and attacked!
"… Saw what?"
Kim Soleum tried deflecting!
"That worm." Choi's smile became strained. "You were about to kiss it."
Kim Soleum's deflection failed! Choi's attack was effective!
"…"
Kim Soleum lost!
Kim Soleum sighed. He must have really lost his mind to think that the worm could ever be Choi. His face was burning up in embarrassment.
Fuck. He really was about to kiss it too. He shuddered in disgust. Fuck what was he thinking?
But… this was still all Choi's fault!
"This is all your fault." He pouted and looked away, not wanting to see Choi at that moment.
"My fault?"
"If you hadn't said that yesterday—"
"Hmm? What did I say yesterday— Oh." Choi started laughing. The bed shook with how hard he was laughing. "Did you think I was the worm?"
Kim Soleum huffed and resolutely stared at the wall, refusing to answer, but Choi took his silence as a yes and laughed harder.
Fuck. Some days, Kim Soleum really wanted to strangle this man despite how much he loved him.