Word Count: 8,065 words

 

Jongin wakes up to a very familiar white ceiling and the faint smell of chemicals. It wasn’t difficult to wrap his mind around the thought that he was back in the infirmary again, for the second time in the span of a week. What an absolute loser… He could only blink sadly before shutting his eyes again. “Nini? Are you awake?” Baekhyun’s worried voice carried over to his ear and Jongin could only make an effort to open his eyes and stare at his best friend silently.

 

And not for the second time in the span of a week, Jongin had given Baekhyun reason to cry for him again. “I-I’m s-sorry Baek…” He whispered, spotting the tear tracks on his friend’s face, just drying up now. There were two chairs beside his bed, the nearest one to him void of any being though there was a very telling red varsity jacket on it. Baekhyun was seated on the chair beside it, hand only coming up to grab onto Jongin’s now. At the very corner of the room was his mascot suit; folded up nicely, bear head resting on the pile of fur.

 

“What for, you silly boy?” The other wiped at his eyes and attempted to smile. Jongin had to give him credit for trying to appear positive. For everything… He wanted to say, but Jongin merely shook his head lightly. “W-Where’s C-Chanyeol?” He eyed the empty chair with the varsity jacket. There was a flash of momentary confusion on Baekhyun’s face before he blinked in understanding.

 

“Oh! Chanyeol… he couldn’t come. His parents wanted him back for a family gathering so he left right after the game ended.” Baekhyun sighed. Jongin cocked his head to the left and glanced at the empty seat. “T-Then who…” His voice drifted off because there was one name that popped into his mind suddenly, one that he preferred not to be true. It can’t be…

 

Jongin didn’t even need to say it out loud for Baekhyun to confirm his thoughts. “He was pretty distraught…” The other cleared his throat awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Went off for a walk just minutes before you woke up.” Baekhyun smiled. Jongin could only stare down at his fiddling hands. “H-How long w-was I out?” He said with the softest voice. “You fainted at the start of the last quarter.” Baekhyun grimaced, recalling how his friend had fallen like a deck of cards in the wind. Jongdae had tried to catch him, but Jongin fell too fast; the impact wasn’t easy on the eye, Baekhyun was so worried, as he was sprinting towards his friend, that he’d gotten a concussion (or worse) from the way Jongin’s head had slammed against the floor.

 

Jongin shut his eyes, hands clenching into fists by his sides. He could only imagine the commotion he had created when he had collapsed, the unwanted attention, the embarrassment, and the final nail in the ‘Kim Jongin is a 110% good for nothing loser’ coffin.

 

“Hey, don’t blame yourself Jongin… I heard from Jongdae that it was those girls sitting around you.” Baekhyun squeezed his hand gently. “They are the ones at fault. You did nothing wrong, Nini. Absolutely nothing.” He tried to reassure him. “Those trashy es were talking rubbish, don’t pay their words any attention.”

 

Too bad, Jongin already did. Every word spoken against him, every curse, every insult from the accident years ago, Jongin remembered; he took them all to heart.

 

“H-How was the g-game?” He blinked slowly, glancing over at his best friend. At the mention of the game, Baekhyun’s eyes lit up. “We won!” He cheered. “It was really close at the end, but we pulled through.” A small smile grew on Jongin’s face too because Baekhyun’s smile was infectious. “T-Tell me a-about it?” He urged.

 

“You should have seen Yeollie in action.” Jongin rolled his eyes to the heavens because of course Baekhyun would brag about his boyfriend first. “He was so tough and manly… his biceps.” The other looked on the verge of drooling and Jongin had to snigger before the other broke out of his trance. “Chanyeol blocked off plenty of the opposition in the last quarter, we wouldn’t have won without him playing a crucial part in the final passage of play that led to the touchdown.”

 

Jongin smiled, happy for Baekhyun and delighted for Chanyeol’s achievements. “The last few minutes were so tense, I tell you…” His best friend rambled on excitedly. “I thought I was going to pee in my pants!” Baekhyun gave him a fleeting glance. “This was just before your incident if you were wondering.” He grimaced before chewing on his bottom lip. Jongin could only wait patiently for the other to say what it was that he wanted to say.

 

“When you kind of… uhm…” Baekhyun hesitated. “Fainted?” Jongin shrugged, “I fainted.” He said it almost dismissively. It sounded even more embarrassing when he said it himself. “Yeah…” Baekhyun attempted a half smile. “When the cooler fell and you were kind of fumbling with it…” Jongin growled when Baekhyun paused. Just spit it out already, he wanted to yell. But of course he didn’t, he couldn’t. It wasn’t in him to speak out that easily.

 

“We were only a point up and the clock was ticking down… we had to stretch the lead and the football was with Kyungsoo.” Oh boy. Jongin thinks he knows what’s coming. “D-Did he…” Did he see me? Baekhyun nodded hesitantly and Jongin wailed internally. “He saw you went down, probably because he heard me scream your name.” Jongin’s heart fell. “I’m sorry.” Baekhyun added half a second later. “W-What happened-d after?” Jongin whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

 

“He got distracted of course… Sehun was already sprinting down the length of the field and yelling for him to pass the ball.” Baekhyun recalled, “Thank god Chanyeol blocked off the huge imposing guy that was about to crush your quarterback.” Jongin bit down on his bottom lip hard.

 

“Stop worrying yourself, Nini.” Baekhyun chided. “Kyungsoo’s the captain, he wasn’t going to let his team down, and he wasn’t going to let the school down. He made it, a perfect throw to Sehun for the touchdown before he was ran over by the other team’s linebackers.” Jongin winced nonetheless. “Then when you were carried off, he looked like he wanted to go after you… that was kind of sweet, wasn’t it.” Jongin blushed when Baekhyun gave him an exaggerated wink.

 

What does that mean though? Jongin couldn’t help but wonder. Does it mean what I think it means? But it can’t be… The silent questions were obvious on his face. Baekhyun sighed and squeezed his hand comfortingly. “Don’t, for a second, doubt yourself anymore, Jongin. Be more self-confident. You don’t know how special you are…”

 

Just when he was about to openly deny it, the door to the room slid open and both boys’ heads swiveled towards it. Jongin certainly wasn’t prepared for the entrance of Kyungsoo. The said guy was dressed casually in a form-fitting tee and tracksuit pants, a white bandage on the bridge of his nose. Jongin shifted his hand away when he spotted Kyungsoo staring at his hand in Baekhyun’s. Not staring actually, the other was kind of glaring at their joined hands. Baekhyun prides himself in not peeing in his pants.

 

“Jongin…” The jock breathed out and made his way forward, settling into the seat closest to him. “Jongin…” Kyungsoo repeated, hands fiddling awkwardly; he was torn between reaching out to hold the other’s hand and staying still. Gradually, the silence in the room, brought about by the two boys’ persistence not to speak, drove Baekhyun crazy. “I’m going to leave you guys now, you two clearly need to talk.” He rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the exit, intentionally ignoring the desperate glances coming from Jongin.

 

“B-Baek…” Jongin let out a half-whine before pouting when his best friend left without even a look back. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but chuckle because the other was too cute! “It’s okay, Jongin. I don’t bite.” Jongin looked down shyly when Kyungsoo bravely held his hand, he didn’t even need to look in the mirror; he knew his cheeks were red. The warmth offered by the other’s touch was one Jongin craved.

 

He never wanted to let go.

 

“I’m s-sorry!” Jongin blurted, not for the first time today. Kyungsoo looked taken aback. “What for?” He asked, a hint of amusement on his lips because Jongin’s bottom lip was trembling cutely. The other still refused to meet his eye, though his fingers were curled securely around Kyungsoo’s very own. And that made the latter extremely happy and proud.

 

“Y-You could h-have lost t-the g-game because of me…” Jongin pouted. “No chance.” Kyungsoo shook his head confidently. “B-But Baekhyun s-said you almost l-lost the b-ball because you w-were distracted w-when I fell?” Jongin blinked in confusion, missing out on the furious blush spreading on the other’s face. What he said was true, Kyungsoo knew that but he didn’t dare admit it out loud. He did almost lose them the game because he had been busy worrying over unconscious Jongin. “ANYWAYS… Since we won, let’s just forget about it all, okay?” Kyungsoo smiled.

 

Jongin nodded subconsciously, though a frown soon made its way onto his face upon spotting the Band-Aid lying across Kyungsoo’s knuckles. “You’re hurt.” He whispered, holding on tightly when the other tried to remove his hand from his grasp. Jongin stared up at Kyungsoo’s nose too. “Broke it when their linebacker rammed into me.” He winced when Jongin tapped his index finger on the bandage lightly. “The helmet was useful under that buffoon’s weight.” Kyungsoo’s heart swelled at the look of concern on his face.

 

“W-What about y-your hand?” Jongin frowned. It was then that Kyungsoo’s eyes hardened. “K-Kyungsoo?” Jongin asked with a soft voice after a period of the other man’s silence. “I had a fight with Sehun.” He relented, admitting it with a sigh. What? Jongin’s eyes bulged. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Kyungsoo frowned while shaking his head. But why?

 

“W-Was it b-because of me?” Jongin had to ask. “Don’t-t lie to m-me…” He rushed out when Kyungsoo gave him a look of uncertainty. “I-I…” The footballer only continued when Jongin gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. “I heard from Sehun that he spoke to you alone?” Kyungsoo scowled. “He shouldn’t have said what he did. I was so angry when he told me…”

 

Jongin was positively surprised when Kyungsoo started tearing. “I’m sorry. On behalf of Sehun, I’m sorry that you had to hear such nonsense, because that’s what they are… irrelevant and untrue. But knowing you, you must have taken it to heart. I can only imagine how hurt you must have felt. I’m so sorry.” By then, his tears had begun streaming down his cheeks. It pained Jongin that Kyungsoo was crying and he wanted nothing more then to bring the other into his arms.

 

So that’s what he did; Jongin wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo and hugged him close to his chest. “Don’t, for a second, think that that’s what defines you, because it doesn’t. There’s nothing wrong with the way you speak, there’s nothing wrong with the way you look…” Kyungsoo whispered into his ear. “Hell, Kim Jongin… every so called flaw you think you have, that others think you possess… why am I the only one to think that they make you all the more perfect?”

 

There’s something in the way Kyungsoo had said it; somehow, Jongin had felt his sincerity and it was the first time in a really long time that he actually believed he wasn’t all that much of a rotten apple after all.

 

“I’ve been such a coward for not saying this months back…” Jongin could only blink dazedly when Kyungsoo cupped his cheeks and stared deep into his soul. “I like you, Kim Jongin.” The said boy gasped, bringing out a smile on Kyungsoo’s face. “I like you a lot, and it pains me to only confess now when I should have done so the second I saw you in that bear costume during the first game of the season.” He chuckled, giving said costume a half glance over.

 

“Jongin?” Kyungsoo frowned and shook his face lightly when the other rendered no form of a response. “Is that not okay… the fact that I like you?” The older’s face fell and his hands dropped from Jongin’s face. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. You might not even be gay.” Kyungsoo looked a second away from bailing. Wait… what? No, no! It’s okay for you to like me. Of course it’s fine. More than fine, great even!

 

“I’M GAY!” Jongin blurted out in a loud voice, face flushing red the second he’d screamed it out loud. “I-I’m very g-gay…” He nodded to emphasize. Kyungsoo’s grin grew again and it made Jongin’s heart beat that much faster. “And I-I like y-you too…” Jongin looked up shyly. “A lot.” He added in a whisper.

 

But Kyungsoo heard it anyways.

 

Jongin looked so endearingly shy, it just about drove Kyungsoo crazy from the overwhelming want to snuggle him to his chest. “I’m glad.” The other buried his face in Jongin’s chest, ear fitted right above where the latter’s heart is located. “And Jongin?” Kyungsoo only continued speaking after the said boy hummed, “Unlike what Sehun says… just know that you’re very, very special to me.”

 

You’re no one special… Sehun’s words rang in Jongin’s mind. But this time, the latter smiled and chose not to take it to heart because Kyungsoo’s words had won him over. “You are very special to me, Kim Jongin.” The jock had on a similar smile as Jongin. “Believe me.”

 

The only response Kyungsoo got was Jongin’s heartbeat beating faster, way over what must be considered the norm.

 

 

 

 

“What the did I miss?” Chanyeol’s face was a sea of confusion as he approached their table in the canteen the following Monday. “Our baby has finally grown up!” Baekhyun squealed and stood up to pull his boyfriend down to sit beside him. From across the table, Jongin could only wave shyly at Chanyeol before resuming his staring at his plate of spaghetti. He didn’t dare move for fear of being labeled a disturbance.

 

Jongin also refused to look down because there was a head pillowed on his thighs.

 

Practically the whole cafeteria was gawking at their table; he could practically feel the curious stares and evil glares sent his way. Jongin nibbled timidly on a piece of lettuce, looking very much like a shy bear tasting bark for the first time.

 

“Are you together?!” Chanyeol finally pieced the puzzles together and jabbed an excited finger in Jongin’s direction, quieting down only when Baekhyun and Jongin shushed him. Well, Jongin almost bit off his finger aside from shushing him. He quickly glanced down and sighed in relief, a small smile creeping on his face. Thank god, he’s still asleep.

 

Kyungsoo, whose head was settled on Jongin’s plush thighs, was stretched out on the bench they were sitting on; face a beautiful canvas of calm as he slept on. Jongin couldn’t help but feel his heart swell when he spotted the slight upwards curl of the other’s lips.

 

They had talked through the night after both boys confessed their feelings for the other after the game. It was still surreal to Jongin, almost too good a dream to be true. But it was reality. Kyungsoo leaving a shy kiss on his forehead the second he woke up to those big, beautiful eyes only acted as a confirmation, one that calmed Jongin’s doubts. But one that also doubled his own self-confidence because Kyungsoo had chose him of all people.

 

Because the doctors suspected that Jongin had a concussion due to him jarring his head when he fainted, he was not allowed to leave, the staff insisting he stay for a couple more nights for observation. Friday, the two had spent the night in the infirmary after Kyungsoo shot down his half-hearted appeals to return to the comfort of his own bed at home. “Nonsense. I’ll be right here by your side.” Jongin could squeal even as he recalled the look of utter seriousness when Kyungsoo had said those words.

 

As cheesy or corny as it may sound, it still made Jongin’s heart flutter. He knew he had fallen asleep halfway through, but he didn’t know at which hour. Jongin was also oblivious to the fact that Kyungsoo had stayed up all night, just watching him sleep peacefully. Over the weekend, the other only stepped away for a couple hours (just to run home and freshen up) before he returned. Kyungsoo always came back after he left.

 

And somehow, that meant the world to Jongin.

 

Even when he was allowed to leave and was resting at home on Sunday, half dreading going to school the next day, the two had spoken over the phone into the early hours of the morning. Somehow, Jongin stuttered less when he was conversing with Kyungsoo over the phone. He wasn’t sure if it was because there was no face-to-face interaction, hence why he felt less overwhelmed. Or if it meant that he was getting extremely comfortable with Kyungsoo. Fast.

 

He had a hard time waking up that morning. A quick glance at his call history had revealed that they had spoken until pass three in the morning. That explains why the other was constantly yawning and looking tired over the course of the morning lessons. Jongin certainly wasn’t expecting Kyungsoo to approach the table he and Baekhyun were sitting at during lunch break, only to dump his phone and wallet on the surface before making himself comfortable on the bench and on Jongin’s thighs. He fell asleep even before Baekhyun let out this astonished half-shriek.

 

Needless to say, Jongin had flushed to his roots and tried avoiding his best friend’s inquisitive chants by ducking his head shyly. Which was also the worst move ever because it also meant that he was looking right down at Kyungsoo’s beautiful face in his lap instead. Despite the Band-Aid over his nose, it was still beautiful. Jongin’s mouth hung slightly as he studied the face of the other. How lucky am I to have you with me? He drew back his finger from where it had been tracing Kyungsoo’s bottom lip lightly when Baekhyun climbed onto the table and smacked the side of his head playfully because his best friend was getting impatient at not getting a response from him.

 

The other practically forced Jongin to spill everything; what is privacy and secrets when Byun Baekhyun is involved? “I’m so happy for you, Jongin.” He had said, but not before boasting proudly about how he had knew that Kyungsoo and Sehun were never an item to begin with. “I can’t believe you are the boyfriend of Do Kyungsoo!” The other giggled into his palms without noticing how Jongin had froze slightly.

 

Boyfriends. Was that the label to truly define them? Jongin frowned and stared at his plate of food, stubbornly not looking down even though his heart willed him to. From what he can remember, Kyungsoo had never mentioned that word to him over the past