Info:

Title: California Woods
Characters: Taeyong!Main, Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Taeil, Yuta, Kun, Winwin, Chenle, Renjun, Mark (for now)
Pairings: Taeyong x Johnny, Taeyong x Ten, Taeyong x Jaehyun, Johnny x Ten, Johnny x Jaehyun (depending on your choices, the pairings will unfold in whatever direction you take me in.)
Genre: Romance, Drama, Thriller, Sci-Fi (maybe a hint of horror)
Description: Taeyong and his tight-knitted group of friends go on a camping trip amongst the redwood trees and as their affairs unfold the world they know ends. Taeyong is afraid that they will end with it.
Author's Note: I went to the redwoods in California and as I stood there I felt so excluded from the world. So far away from everything and just throughout my trip to California especially on the drive around the park I was in, I couldn't help but get so many ideas. I'm still not too sure of what is going to happen, but as this will be a choice!story, you guys will be the ones to decide which way this story will go!
 

Sneak Peek:

Choice 1

Taeyong took a moment to breathe it in. The cold night air filled his lungs, leaving him cold on the inside, a slight sting in his throat and a fresh taste on his tongue. The stars above him glinted mischievously and Taeyong leaned back as screams filled the air. His wrists throbbed, the metal around them was slick after having dug into his flesh, it stung and it ached and yet he closed his eyes before he gritted his teeth, clenched his jaw hard to make sure he wouldn’t bite down on his tongue and he pulled and tugged on the chains once again. Ten’s voice cut through the spruce scented air, the tall redwood trees towering up above them and Taeyong looked at the small camper that looked haunted in the moon’s light. Johnny still wasn’t moving, his wrists looked abused but his face showed no pain as he just lied in the dirt. Taeyong still shuddered at the resounding crack that had sounded when the club met the back of Johnny’s head. Taeyong wanted to reach over and feel the scalp beneath the soft dark hair, he was sure it was cracked open. The taller had fallen as long as his body was and it was the most horrifying thing Taeyong had seen. The dirt had flown up around him and Ten had screamed Johnny’s name before he was pulled back into the darkness. Taeyong had watched the moon paint Ten’s face a pale blue, the fear so clear it cut deep into Taeyong’s chest and he reached out for Ten before he was tackled into a tree and he crashed to the ground, his head spinning. 

Ten’s scream echoed and Taeyong trashed even more and kicked the metal fence he was tied to. “TEN!” He cried out and panted, the pain now reaching its way up his arms like acid and Taeyong blinked away the tears in his eyes. He looked over at Johnny’s quiet body. “Johnny please,” he scooted as close as he could, having to lie down and rock his body against Johnny’s side to shake the other. He looked at the other hopefully but got no reaction out of it. For a moment he felt his blood run cold, a question cut its way through his thoughts and he couldn’t move at all.  

Was Johnny dead? 

  “California girls!” Ten and Johnny sang together, leaning in close, eyes bright as they looked at each other, getting high of the happiness of the other person. Taeyong looked at them from his seat and couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Doyoung turned around in the front seat and his pretty voice filled the space, accompanied by Jaehyun who was sitting in the middle between Johnny and Taeyong. Behind them Ten and Yuta sat side by side. Yuta was focused on taking pictures of the golden hills full of dark green trees. Ten leaned closer and reached out a hand which Johnny took and they waved their arms around as if dancing with each other. Jaehyun looked at them and laughed before he made finger guns at Doyoung who took that affection and gave it to Taeil who was driving. Taeyong joined in when Jaehyun took his hand and made him dance along with him. The windows were down, the music loud, wind in their hair and happiness in their hearts.  

  “And we have arrived!” Taeil sing-sang as he turned in on a gravel road, paying for the car to be parked in the State Park. Ten was sipping on Dunkin coffee they had picked up before. Doyoung was cringing over how sweet his vanilla ice latte was and ranting about America and diabetes and Johnny and Jaehyun who had lived there for a longer time all nodded.  

  “I think Korea saved me to be honest.” Johnny said as they went down a windy road and he went with the car, leaning onto Jaehyun who ended up leaning against Taeyong. Taeyong reached out his hand to feel the warm breeze brush past his skin, caressing his fingers that danced along the view. Yuta extended his gro pro stick and reached it over the seats to record even in the very front and Taeil and Doyoung made faces, followed by cheers from the ones in the middle and then at last Ten and Yuta who both started posing cutely.  

  “You could’ve rolled down this hill all by yourself!” Doyoung pointed at the hill they went down and Johnny threw his head back as he laughed, his brown bangs covering his face and he ran his fingers through it.  

Taeyong looked back at Ten who was watching Johnny’s action of running his hand through his hair and then Ten moved his gaze and he met Taeyong’s. Ten looked a bit taken aback by the attention but nonetheless smiled brightly and Taeyong smiled back. Ten’s gaze dropped down the sun’s rays dancing across his face as he looked out upon the view and Taeyong watched the smile stay upon Ten’s lips, it was soft and Ten’s eyes shone.  

  “Hold this for me for a second,” Ten said and gave Taeyong his phone before he heaved out the bags which he put in Johnny’s arms, the taller kneeling down and groaning dramatically as if it was very heavy. Ten glared at Johnny, but there was a mischievous hint in the corners of his lips and Johnny grinned at Ten bashfully when the smaller laughed and threw one last bag onto the pile. Taeyong’s chest felt tight but then Johnny looked at Taeyong and he blinked once, almost slowly before he flicked his hair out of his eyes and rose up to full height. Taeyong couldn’t help but keep watching the other as their gazes stayed linked. Johnny smiled and waited and Taeyong gave him a look of confusion. “You have the keys.” Johnny said and when Taeyong shook his head in realization Johnny chuckled warmly. Taeyong felt his cheeks heat up and he hurried in front of Johnny towards their hut. Doyoung and Taeil were already looking at a map while Yuta found interest in their neighbors who was trying to light up their fireplace. Jaehyun grabbed the coolers full of food and followed Taeyong and Johnny. Ten’s voice sounded amongst the space around them when he joined Yuta in greeting the neighbors. Those social butterflies, if it wasn’t for Johnny showing off his biceps by carrying all the bags, he would’ve been there too, taking advantage of his towering height and charming smile.  

Taeyong inhaled shortly before he pushed the door open and Johnny stepped into the shadows of the hut- Jaehyun looked at Taeyong shortly as he stepped in and Taeyong saw Jaehyun smile before he placed the coolers on the small narrow kitchen counter. Johnny was already choosing beds. They had 8 to choose from, there were one double bed bunker in the left side stretching its way towards the entrance and one single top and double bottom bunk bed meeting it along the wall. Taeyong was quick to take his own bag from Johnny and throwing it on the single bunk bed on top and Johnny laughed before throwing his on the upper double bunk bed. He gave Taeyong a suggestive look and Taeyong stuck out his tongue at the taller before quickly running out when he saw a smile spread on Johnny’s face. He knew what it meant and he heard steps follow him when Johnny ran after him. “Who’s the oldest of us again?” He heard Johnny call and Taeyong just giggled in reply hiding behind Yuta and quickly meeting Ten’s gaze which seemed to linger on him. Johnny tried to get to Taeyong through Yuta who told them to stop being childish and he threw Taeyong into Johnny’s arms. Johnny tickled Taeyong, fingers finding the sensitive spots along Taeyong’s side and Taeyong laughed hysterically, apologizing and pleading Johnny to stop. Ten watched them before chuckling and joining in on by tickling Johnny and helping Taeyong flee the taller’s arms. Johnny just held Ten close, raising his hand with dancing fingers as a threat. Ten shrieked and Taeyong panted and laughed when Johnny swooped in and tickled Ten making the other’s boyish voice echo through the space. Ten wrapped his arms around Johnny’s neck, in an attempt to make the other stop. “Please, Johnny, please,” he panted vulnerably and Taeyong felt an odd sensation in his lower stomach. Johnny placed his large hands on Ten’s hips and pushed the other away to look at Ten’s face. 

  “Better treat your hyung with respect then.”  

Ten stepped away and when he was in a safe distance he shook his head with a chuckle and Johnny threw his head back as if disappointed in himself. “Should’ve known.” He muttered and looked at Ten and Taeyong with a smile. Jaehyun came out.  

  “Choose your beds, silly people.” He called and Ten looked at Johnny and Taeyong.  

  “Have you chosen already?” He asked and Johnny nodded with a smile.  

  “Top double bunk bed.” He said with a wink and Ten waltzed inside before coming out with a wink thrown at Johnny. Taeil made a gagging sound.  

  “You’re so gay.” He said but he was smiling afterwards and Doyoung doubled over when he laughed.  

  “Aren’t we all?” Jaehyun asked and Taeyong reached up a hand to high five his friend. They were actually a very open-minded group. Ten was the first one to come out as gay. Johnny had dated girls but hinted that he was bi-ual which surprised nobody with his obvious flirting with both genders. Taeyong knew he was pan-ual and Jaehyun and him had talked about it and Taeyong still remembered Jaehyun’s words. “Love doesn’t have a limit, so why should we limit it to one gender? I’m open to whoever loves me.”  

So as Doyoung stated one night when drinking. “Then you’re pan too!” He said. “I’ve been trying to figure out all these ualities and it seems impossible to get right.”  

Taeil had nodded. “Yuta is bi, Johnny is bi, Ten is gay, you two are pan,” - Taeil pointed to Taeyong and Jaehyun, - “And then there is me and Doyoung the boring heterouals.” 

Ten had looked at them. “Ew, I didn’t think that those even existed anymore?”  

Taeyong laughed. “They’re pretty rare nowadays!”  

  “It’s so hard to find a movie with heterouals, like come on, we need some diversity in this world!” Johnny complained in a sassy voice and Taeil clapped while Doyoung acted as if he was a rare gem. After some time and more beer Doyoung spoke in a moment of quiet. “I think I’m aual.” He said. “Or demi or whatever.” He muttered with a wave of his hand. “Don’t feel that ual attraction that Johnny and Ten keep mentioning.”  

  “That’s cool,” Yuta assured the other and Jaehyun reached out and took Doyoung’s hand in his. 

  “Love is love.” Jaehyun slurred and Taeil made a gagging sound but giggled bashfully when Johnny grabbed his head and kissed his cheek repeatedly. Taeil quickly had enough and pushed the other off of him, before Ten raised a glass, sharing a gaze with Taeil who also raised his. 

  “To freedom of choice to be whatever you want to be.” He said and Taeil tipped his glass in Ten’s direction to back up that statement and the others raised their glasses.  

  “Cheers!” 

They ended up drinking with the young people next to them and found out they were Chinese. Kun, Winwin and their younger friends Chenle and Renjun who only got to taste the alcohol before Doyoung snatched it away from them.  

  “Careful. No illegal drinking when I’m around.” He said and Kun nodded.  

  “My parents would flip.” He said and chuckled. “They’re meeting up with their new friends and drinking with them.”  

Johnny laughed. “Oh god, if my parents were here!” He said with a scandalous gasp and Yuta laughed.  

  “Disowned!” Yuta yelled and threw out his hand as if swiping something away. Johnny pointed at Yuta with his laugh echoing in the night air and everybody’s laughter joined in.  

Definitely drunk and high on the fact that they were on vacation and free of school work and able to just relax they all lazily got ready for bed and crawled into their sleeping bags. Johnny kissed all of them goodnight earning a disapproving sound from Doyoung. Jaehyun slapped Johnny’s shoulder before copying the taller and giving everybody goodnight kisses as well. Taeyong was glad that the lighting was bad because he couldn’t help but blush as Jaehyun cupped his face and kissed his cheek. Taeyong tried to be quick to crawl up onto the double bunk bed and then to his own but Johnny caught him on his way and his eyes widened when Johnny’s lips brushed his in Johnny’s drunk attempt of placing the kiss on Taeyong’s cheek. The taller still matched his height even with Taeyong being halfway up the ladder. He stood close, the heat from his body radiating towards Taeyong and his breath minty with a hint of beer as it softly met Taeyong’s face. Johnny smiled at Taeyong who slipped before gripping onto the ladder and pulling himself up. He ended up landing on top of Ten who took this as a welcome to snuggle and Taeyong groaned and tried to escape but Johnny came up; his long form catching Taeyong’s in between his and Ten’s. Taeyong groaned.  

  “You’re too hot, Johnny!” He whined and Johnny hummed in reply. 

  “Oh thank you, Taeyong.” He said in a flattered voice and Jaehyun chuckled, he was sleeping beneath Taeyong’s bed. Taeyong just groaned and finally got over Ten and he found his way into his sleeping bag, hugging his own pillow. They all whispered small good night’s but Doyoung had already fallen asleep. Taeyong tried his best to fall asleep, but whenever he was in a new place he struggled to do so. He was awake when Jaehyun got up to go outside to pee and he kept feeling Ten’s body tremble through the bed.  

  “Are you cold?” He heard Johnny’s voice ask, his voice laced with sleep. Ten replied with a hum and Taeyong heard their sleeping bags before they moved around and Taeyong lifted up his head just as Jaehyun walked inside. The flashlight of Jaehyun’s phone lit up the roof of the hut and the light was enough for Taeyong to see Johnny and Ten spoon in Johnny’s sleeping bag. Johnny was fast asleep, lips separated as he breathed through his mouth heavily and Ten looked satisfied with the warm body against his back. Taeyong turned to go to sleep again when Jaehyun’s face appeared in front of him.  

  “Can’t sleep?” Jaehyun asked and Taeyong shook his head, squinting against the harsh light of the flashlight. Jaehyun turned it off before caressing Taeyong’s head. “I’m sorry, I know you have problems with sleeping at new places.” He said softly and Taeyong nodded. He liked the way Jaehyun his hair.  

  “I’ll sleep at some point.” He muttered and Jaehyun hummed in reply. The other went to sleep, crawling into his bed making the wood creak and Taeyong fell asleep at some point of the night too.  

Doyoung had set an alarm at 8am. It had gotten warm inside the hut, meaning it was already hot outside. Taeyong tried to go back to sleep, but noticed Jaehyun get up and turn off the alarm near the only power outlet in the hut. Jaehyun rubbed his eyes, his shoulders looked broad in the black t-shirt he wore and he put a hand beneath it to scratch his chest which revealed his pale hips. Taeyong blinked now wide awake. He pushed himself up to look over at Ten who had crawled out of Johnny’s sleeping bag and Johnny had pushed it to the bottom of the bed, yet still the two of them were cuddling as if it was the most natural thing for them. Taeyong frowned feeling that odd tight sensation in his chest before it vanished as he heard the bed creak. Jaehyun was standing on his own bed looking at Taeyong with sleepy brown eyes. Taeyong hid his face in his pillow but still looked at the soft smile that was on Jaehyun’s face. 

  “Good morning,” he said with a slight shake of his head to get his bangs out of his eyes. Taeyong’s heart fluttered and he lifted his head. “Good morning.” He replied and the two looked over at Ten who was stretching and the smaller got out of Johnny’s arms before sitting up with a yawn.  

  “Morning,” he said to the two of them and Taeyong wondered if Ten had been awake for as long as he had. Jaehyun looked as bright as the sun when he greeted Ten before he got down.  

  “I’ll go get bread from the kiosk.” He said as he pulled on some shorts and his flip flops. Ten nodded but suddenly Johnny’s large hand came up and tugged Ten back down and Ten yelped as he was cuddled again.  

  “Johnny, I am not a teddy bear.” He groaned and Johnny smiled.  

  “But you’re small and cute.” He said and Taeyong couldn’t help but chuckle at Ten’s expression.  

  “Watch your mouth.” Ten snapped and got up again. Jaehyun looked up at them as he opened the door letting the daylight inside. The dust inside the hut danced around Jaehyun like glitter in the air. Jaehyun was watching Ten descend the ladder and then he blinked slowly, shifting his gaze to meet Taeyong’s. Taeyong’s breath hitched and he removed his gaze only to catch Johnny’s eyes on him as well. Johnny didn’t look away, he never did; he was so god damn straight forward with everything. No ounce of shame in his eyes or the way his full lips curled at the edges. Taeyong decided to stare at the mattress below him and the faded blue color of its fabric. Johnny was moving, Ten was walking around to get dressed and Jaehyun lingered as if waiting for Taeyong to make a move. 

Taeyong thought for a moment. Should he go with Jaehyun or try to find the bathrooms to take a shower?

CHOOSE

If you wish to know more, vote below.