ROOMMATES - CH3N

EIRYIA and KWUINTESSENCE (JinYoon FF)

Kim Jinwoo could barely keep his eyes open, let alone remain standing. He’s been working so much the past few days that he’s barely got a clue about what goes on around him. He returned to their apartment well past midnight, immensely exhausted after another long work shift. Tired and weary, he dragged his body away from their front door, all the while struggling to remain conscious.

It was around the early crack of dawn when sleep decided to finally loosen its grasp on him. Jinwoo stirred, his neck feeling stiff, and looked around confusedly. With a tiny grunt, he sat up, blinking away remnants of sleep. It’s seconds later when it occurs to him that he is not in his bedroom, he’s in the living room and he ended up spending the night on the couch. He shivers slightly, feeling a brisk chill in the air. It was an abrupt reminder that he had left the balcony sliding doors parted before he fell asleep to let in some fresh air. Placing a hand over his face, he sighed inwardly and got up.

Ambling towards the balcony to close the sliding doors, his cats suddenly appeared before him. The pair alternately crisscrossed between his legs, rubbing their hairless bodies against his shins. Jinwoo stopped in his tracks to watch them, amused. Crouching down minutes later, he started to pet them. Both cats were extremely ecstatic with his touch, they rubbed their faces against his palms, adorable and eager. A long thin streak of sunlight falls on the floor cutting through his hands, Jinwoo wriggles his fingers, pleased with the gentle warmth of it. His cats seemed to share the same thought, both of them laying down within the golden strip of light.

Jinwoo smiled wordlessly as he observed them basking in the sun, all the while running his fingers over their side-turned bellies. Rising to his feet, he pulled the curtain covering the balcony a little wider, spilling more of the sun’s essence on the floor. Jinwoo lays down on his side, next to his cats, pressing his cheek against the floorboards that was already getting warmer by the second.

The next time Jinwoo’s eyes flickered open, it’s to a mass of dark hair tickling the side of his neck. A warm body was molded against his, an arm flung lazily around his waist, head resting gently on his chest. Still in the cusp of sleep, he lets out a soft sigh, running his fingers through the dark strands. He thinks about how right it feels, how natural things seemed. He has never felt this sort of feeling before, never felt this at ease and this secure. It was almost as if he was in the eye of a turbulent storm, safe in these arms while it madly rages on around him. Feeling contented, Jinwoo nuzzled closer and closed his eyes once more. He wanted to simply remain where he was, to stay in these arms just like this and never ever leave.

The arm around his waist tightens abruptly, pulling him in. Jinwoo savors the feeling, the heat around him is welcoming and the sensation of their skin brushing against each other calms him. It was followed by the disappearance of the weight on his chest then an indistinguishable murmur. Jinwoo’s eyes slowly opened at the familiarity of the voice, coming unexpectedly face to face with his slumbering roommate.

He let out a shuddering breath, pushing down the sudden bubbling emotion in his chest and the eruption of loud voices in his head. Jinwoo couldn’t think straight with the sound of his blood thundering loudly in his ears.

“Why...” escapes softly from his lips. “...are you here?”

Jinwoo is completely awake now and fully aware, curled up with his roommate on their living room floor. His blood rushes under his skin, heart wildly beating in his chest. He tried to get up, moving slowly and delicately but he was suddenly pulled back by surprisingly strong arms that locked him in a tight embrace. Again, there was some mumbling and this time he can distinguish the words being spoken in a familiar voice still thick with sleep.

“Jinwoo, let’s sleep more. Don’t go anywhere and stay with me...”

Maybe it was the way the sun shone on Seungyoon’s face then, or maybe it was the way he held on to him with such intensity despite not being fully aware. Although he shouldn’t think it, Jinwoo couldn’t help but feel that he was being loved so loudly that it resonated deeply within him making all the the bones in his body tremble violently. He didn’t stand a chance, the touch of Seungyoon’s calloused hands burned him. He felt helpless, his heart taking a beating as it raced madly in his chest drowning out all sense of logic. Jinwoo can only be still and quiet, he is like tinder in Seungyoon’s arms, heavily doused in kerosene.

Seungyoon roused bright and early for his first day of school. So early that he woke way before his alarm that isn’t set to go off in more than an hour. He was very much looking forward to today as he would finally be devoting most of his time to something that he was actually very much interested in.

Being a first year, his first day would start with introductions followed by a guided tour around campus, that along with some other slightly uninteresting things that every incoming student needed to know. Having already looked around the place when he picked up his ID, he was even more excited over this very day.

He would also be stopping by his new workplace after school, at a tiny art supply shop right next to their university. He wouldn’t be working his first shift until the next day but he needed to pick up the duplicate keys and also get a final run through of everything with the person in charge there today.

All in all was his Monday looking more than promising! It got even better when he walked out from the bathroom and spotted his roommate’s work shoes by their front door. Jinwoo has been working so much and Seungyoon had barely seen him the last few days. He tried sitting up twice in the living room to wait for him but both times he awoke to find himself lying on the couch with a blanket carefully tucked around him.

Unable to contain how pleased he was over having him back, he headed over to the kitchen hoping to catch a glimpse of Jinwoo’s bedroom door where he had left a tiny post-it note. Before he can even make it to the other end of the counter - Seungyoon froze in his tracks, catching sight of his roommate passed out on their living room floor still clad in his work attire.

Seungyoon carefully walked towards where his roommate lay, crouching down next to him quietly. Jinwoo was fast asleep under a patch of sunlight, he had one of his cats in his arms while his other cat burrowed itself into his stomach. Seungyoon can only smile mutely, biting into his bottom lip to suppress a laugh over the somewhat bizarre yet extremely endearing sight in front of him.

He gingerly ran his fingers through Jinwoo’s fair hair that seemed to shimmer under the sun, slowly trailing from his ear to his temple and back. Seungyoon was charmed by him, drawn in unwittingly. Jinwoo looked so inviting lying there, almost glowing. His skin felt irresistibly warm under his touch - from his hair, his cheeks, his pretty nose, and his chin. Seungyoon gazes at him and wonders if his slightly parted lips are as warm as the rest of his face.

Grabbing the rumpled blanket he spots off the couch, Seungyoon opens the curtain a little wider and lets more sunshine spill onto the other side of the floor. He gently laid the blanket over Jinwoo and his cats, then he slipped underneath it from the opposite end. He watches Jinwoo sleep, watches him softly breathing in and out. Seungyoon breathes with him, following his rhythm, pressing closer, wondering how he got so lucky to be the one there with Jinwoo now. He revels in this tiny moment of peace and quiet between them. His lovely roommate is finally home, safe and sound. Seungyoon is relieved to have him back, he doesn’t think he will ever tire of looking at him. With his defenses down, Jinwoo has this almost childlike quality of innocence to him. Seungyoon’s fingers gently ran down the side of Jinwoo’s face again, brushing stray locks away from his face.

“It’s a good thing you’re asleep.” Seungyoon whispers, “It’s getting harder for me to hold it in.” His fingertips trailed down Jinwoo’s arm, lips moving close to his ear. “I would have kissed you. Slowly, gently, over and over again.”

The sound of an alarm going off slowly brings Seungyoon to awareness. It’s his phone causing the ruckus, somewhere on top of his bed, probably. When he opens his eyes, he finds his roommate staring at him. The cats between them are gone and the distance between them have noticeably and greatly shrunk.

“G’morning.” Jinwoo greets, voice a whisper.

The morning light shining through made his skin glow, illuminating his face. He was so close and so beautiful that Seungyoon is captivated by him all over again.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Not that long.” Jinwoo answers softly.

Seungyoon his lips, “We’re you watching me sleep?” he teases gently.

Jinwoo’s eyes shift their focus to the patterns of the blanket they’re under as if they’re the most interesting thing he’s ever seen.

“I couldn’t help it.” he started, worrying his lips. “You looked so peaceful lying there. I couldn’t look away.”

That wasn’t the response Seungyoon was expecting from him. Caught off guard, his mind draws a blank and he grows quiet. The concept of someone watching him sleep is new to him, he couldn’t help the swarm of butterflies that have now started fluttering in his belly over Jinwoo’s revelation. He was touched, delighted, and now literally left speechless.

Jinwoo shyly looked up at him after a while, blushing furiously. Seungyoon grinned at him, he knew by the telling heat resting on his cheeks that his face must be just as red too. He clenches his hands under the blanket to keep still in hopes of stopping himself from reaching out and pulling his roommate into his arms. Jinwoo’s eyes on him are large, velvety, and sparkling in the light. Seungyoon couldn’t look away from them, too mesmerized. He knows what he feels and it’s become so much more than butterflies. The feeling gnaws on him, earnest and ardent. He moves before he can think too much, pressing even closer, their foreheads nearly touching.

“I missed you.” Seungyoon started, voice tentative, dipping low. “I wanted to see you...” he could hear his heart beating in his ears, “...I kept wishing you were here with me.”

Jinwoo’s eyes lowered, the soft splash of pink on his cheeks growing red yet again. His hand moved slowly, almost teasingly over Seungyoon’s skin, stopping at his wrist where it stayed perfectly and infuriatingly still.

“Is that why you’ve been sleeping on the couch the last couple nights? Because you were waiting for me?”

Jinwoo keeps his eyes on him as he waits for him to answer, lips slightly parted, making his heart beat even faster. It’s a very nice look on him, Seungyoon thinks, committing it all to memory. He closed his eyes for a moment, hesitant. When he opens them again his voice is much lower, softer.

“You've been working so much and I was getting worried.” Seungyoon tells him unhurriedly and with all honesty. “I know that we've only just met but I can't stop thinking about you.”

Silence. Jinwoo’s eyes remained on him, boring through him, shimmering and alight under the sun. Laying there in silence and having him so close, Seungyoon’s heart beats like a thunderous drum. Each one of his senses was completely enamored with him, from the scent of his skin to the way his lashes gracefully rested under his eyes each time he blinked.

“I see.” Jinwoo eventually says, his pretty pink lips parting into the softest, gentlest smile he had ever seen. Seungyoon tries to breathe as he takes it in, his roommate unknowingly robs his lungs of air each time he speaks and looks at him with those starry eyes of his.

“I’m sorry.” Jinwoo’s hand moved up, fingers resting gently on his cheek. It was criminal, how such a simple touch of his could make his heart sputter in his chest.

“For what?” Seungyoon asked, watching him. There’s this familiarity, this inexplicable fondness, it feels like this is exactly where he’s meant to be. Jinwoo’s fingers moved higher, playing with his hair. Seungyoon couldn’t help but feel giddy and smile straight from the heart.

“For making you worry.” Jinwoo says quietly, “For not being around.”

There was something about the way his expression shifted as he said it. Seungyoon sunk further, holding his breath, lost in the depths of Jinwoo’s eyes and the gentleness of his touch.

“If you want me to stay, just tell me.” Jinwoo sounded determined, the most he's ever been since they've met. “Tell me and I promise to come home to you.”

There is devotion in his words, their gazes remain rooted at nothing but each other. Seungyoon believes him in a heartbeat because when he closes his eyes and tries to see himself many years down the road from now - all he sees is Jinwoo and his heart grows warm.

“I need you. Stay with me.”

The air between their lips grows heavy with the words neither one of them had the courage to say. Seungyoon quietly watches his fair hair catch the sunlight and dares not to move. Jinwoo literally brushes away his anxiety with his fingertips through his hair as he nods slowly. Slowly and surely, Jinwoo has become the morning sun - and he, the eager sunflower, waiting to bask in his warm radiance.

Both in the kitchen area now, Jinwoo watches Seungyoon scurry around the apartment after finishing his breakfast. Being a second year transfer, his school day wouldn’t be starting til around noon.

“So...” Seungyoon starts, approaching him, “...what time do you think you’ll be home tonight?”

“I’m not working." Jinwoo told him as casually as he could, picking up one of his cats from the floor and placing it on his lap. “Should we meet up later and have dinner out somewhere?”

Seungyoon shook his head, “I know how exhausted you are.” he placed his hands in his pockets, “Let’s stay home. Have dinner in our balcony. Then you should get some sleep.”

“Oh, okay.” Jinwoo looked down and petted his cat, his lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. Seungyoon in a breath and caught his wrist making Jinwoo stare up at him.

“Let’s do something nice together next time. When you’re well rested.” Seungyoon took a breath, “After we eat out maybe you and I can watch a movie or take a stroll around town. Then we can get coffee or ice cream on the way back.”

“Hmm...” Jinwoo looked away, lips pressed. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, he smiled - dimple showing, it was devastating.

“Give me your phone right now. I’ll put in my number.”

Seungyoon stared back at him, wide eyed. He couldn’t say anything at the moment, wondering if Jinwoo would ever stop surprising him. He thought he was leading in whatever game the two of them were playing but today Jinwoo is catching up to him fast, almost evening out the score.

“You said that you can’t stop thinking about me, that I had you worried.”

Sunlight softly came through the drawn curtains, dust motes adrift in the air as if time had slowed. Jinwoo’s visage vaguely came into focus - so close, just right there, warm under his touch. Meeting his gaze, unwavering.

“With this I’ll be one call away.”

“Call me when you need me.”

“Call me when you think about me.”

“Call me when you miss me...”

The moment the front door closed behind Seungyoon, Jinwoo squeezed his eyes shut - it was replaying in his mind again, what happened between them just now. He sighed, his head dropping down, forehead gently resting on the cool countertop.

“What are you doing, Kim Jinwoo?” His cat who was still sitting on his lap, yawned widely then jumped down onto the floor, obviously not the least bit interested in his current dilemma.

Didn’t he just make up his mind about this whole living together ordeal? That he wouldn’t say or do anything to make things awkward for both of them?! And to think that all of his defenses had crumbled within seconds in front of his roommate. He glared at the apple patterned glass sitting on the countertop, failing to hold it as one of Seungyoon’s sugary smiles flashed in his mind. Jinwoo sighed, frustrated.

“I’m sleep deprived, okay...” Jinwoo tried to justify. It was definitely the lack of sleep that was making him act the way he did.

But what about Seungyoon? Why is he acting that way towards him?

Jinwoo flushed red recalling how his roommate had looked to him that morning. Boyishly handsome, soft skin, sunlight everywhere, drawn close to his body. Seungyoon pulled him even closer in his sleep, their arms and legs tangled together. Jinwoo doesn’t remember rolling over but when he rouses again the second time, he was on his back and Seungyoon was half lying on top of him, moving slowly and gently, still in the cusp of sleep.

He couldn’t make sense of it all but he was drawn to him nonetheless, and if he was to be totally honest with himself, he’d say naturally, magnetic, electric, too powerful to deny - but Jinwoo didn’t want to jump into any conclusions. Seungyoon had been nothing but nice and sweet to him since he moved in. He couldn’t tell if his new roommate was outright flirting with him or just teasing him, or if he was simply one of those so-called ‘natural born flirts’ that didn’t even realize they were flirting. In any case, Seungyoon is definitely someone potentially dangerous - a massive threat to his sanity and his heart that can’t seem to keep itself from beating faster than normal whenever he’s around.

Shrugging and in need of cooling off, Jinwoo got to his feet and headed for the shower, his cats following him. Today was his one day off from work. He had been working nonstop because he was worried about acting indifferently towards his new roommate whom he couldn't read too well.

What if Seungyoon thought he was being weird? Or what if he ended up saying something stupid to him in the heat of the moment?

Jinwoo shuddered as he imagined both situations. He shook his head and sighed again, he could have none of that. Rather conveniently, several people at work asked him to trade shifts this week and he (despite his better judgement) had agreed to it all, even double shifts.

“Maybe I should have spent the week resting.” he told his mirror image when reached the bathroom. He looked and felt almost a bit sick and today was the first day of school too.

Kang Seungyoon walked out from campus with an extra bounce in his step, the first part of his day had gone extremely well. Everyone around him seemed nice and he already managed to make a few new friends. It was around lunchtime and just as planned, Seungyoon ran over to his new workplace to settle things there during his break.

Entering the shop, he noticed one customer hanging around at the counter. One person should have been easy enough to deal with, but this one seemed to be intent on making things difficult. With narrowed eyes and slanted brows, he asked questions without pause. The shopkeeper behind the counter was looking more and more perplexed as time went on.

“What do you mean you don’t deliver supplies?!” the guy asked huffily, body language screaming unimpressed.

“This is an art school isn’t it?! Students here live and breathe the arts all day. Are you telling me that they bring their huge canvases onto the subway?!”

The shopkeeper tried again to explain that they were too short on staff to do that at the moment but the young man was having none of it. Having seen and heard enough, Seungyoon walked up to them, hoping to ease the situation.

“Where do you live? Maybe I can help you bring back these canvases of yours? Don’t most students do their painting within campus anyway?” Seungyoon asked trying to keep a cheerful tone to his voice.

The guy turned his way swiftly, looking at him through even narrower eyes.

“Are you mocking me?” he asked him in an accusing voice.

Seungyoon his lips, explaining to him that he just got hired there and only wanted to help. It took some time to convince him, Seungyoon doesn’t even understand why the guy was seemed suspicious of him. In the end, he managed to get him to agree to meet him back at the shop after their classes ended. This way he can help him bring home the the canvases that he just purchased.

“Nam Taehyun.” The guy repeated his name after Seungyoon had asked, eyebrows slanting more. He walked out of the shop not even bothering to thank him or ask for his name.

Why did his name sound so familiar? Seungyoon briefly wondered, walking back to their campus after him. Is he already a renowned artist of some sort?

His thoughts of Nam Taehyun quickly evaporated as he spotted his roommate walking towards their campus. He wasn’t hard to spot at all. A trail of girls were following behind him, openly taking pictures of him with their phones.

Seungyoon would be lying if he said he wasn’t bothered by it. He knew first-hand just how crazy good looking his roommate is, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he becomes the target of many. Still, Seungyoon couldn’t help but wish to be above everyone else. Jinwoo is now his roommate and from the moment he laid eyes on him, Seungyoon wanted nothing more than to become the person closest to him.

Noticing the girls still trailing behind Jinwoo whispering and pushing each other, Seungyoon sped up. He aimed to reach his roommate before any of them did.

“Hey!” he exclaimed triumphantly, breathless. Seungyoon ran like crazy just to reach him. Jinwoo almost jumped in surprise as his hand lightly hit his shoulder. Seungyoon had to take a step back to give him some space as he quickly whirled around to face him.

“Excited for your first day?” he asked after Jinwoo smiled, realizing that it was him.

“I sure do.” Jinwoo replied, trying to sound cheery but he didn’t look very excited at all. Seungyoon figured that all the shifts Jinwoo took over the past week must have worn him out.

They walked together unhurriedly, Seungyoon watching Jinwoo from the corner of his eyes. He seemed subdued, his gaze solely focused on the ground. Seungyoon had to pull him out of the way when he noticed a group of rowdy students running down on his side.

“You okay?” he asked him after. Jinwoo nodded slowly, rubbing his eyes.

When they finally reached the main hall, Seungyoon was feeling slightly reluctant to let Jinwoo go on his own. The music department was upstairs in the main building while the acting department uses the building right across the sports field. Climbing the stairs, he looked back at his roommate warily. To his annoyance, the girls were still trailing after Jinwoo. Not only that, they seemed to have doubled.

Seungyoon’s day flew by and he was surprised when their instructor told them to pack up. There had been so many engaging people and their first project sounded highly interesting. While chatting with fellow students after class, he suddenly realized that he was running late for his meet up. He quickly said his ‘goodbyes’ and rushed off to the direction of the art supply shop.

When he arrived at the shop, Nam Taehyun was already waiting. His canvases were propped by his side and he was looking mighty grumpy.

“At least we won’t be traveling during the rush hour because that’s already over.” Taehyun pushed the largest canvas towards him and started walking.

The canvases aren’t that hard to carry but Seungyoon had to admit that he dreaded getting on the subway train while carrying them. Deciding to try to lighten the mood he decided to get to know Nam Taehyun a little better. After all, Seungyoon was sure that they’re bound to meet again. Not only do they go to the same university, they live in the same apartment complex too - though he hasn’t said a word to him about the latter.

“So, how long have you been studying here?” He assumed that Taehyun must have been attending classes there for a year or two already, seeing how he seemed to be so on top of things.

“Today was my first day.” Nam Taehyun replied nonchalantly, making a brisk turn into the subway station.

Seungyoon was surprised by his revelation but he didn’t show it. Instead, he hurried after him, being careful not to run into anyone with the canvases he carried.

Getting on the train had been a bit of a challenge. They waited for people to get off before getting in after the other riders. They caught the last train car, Seungyoon propped up the canvases he carried against the empty space reserved for bikes, strollers, and other bulky items at the back. Taehyun was about to follow after him when he accidentally prodded a man in a suit with the corner of one of his canvases while turning around. Seungyoon apologized quickly on his behalf while Taehyun walked off ‘not so quietly’ saying that artists do not apologize for art.

“You aren’t making art now.” he mumbled to Taehyun as he adjusted their canvasses so that it wouldn’t bump into the old man sitting down close to it. Taehyun only fixed his collar and shrugged.

Jinwoo got off the bus with a sigh of relief. He couldn't help but grow restless, a part of him on edge that some of the girls trailing him earlier might have followed him all the way home. Today had been exhausting and he was glad that it would finally be coming to an end. There’s just one hill coming between him and his bed, just one hill until he’s all rolled up in his freshly laundered sheets and going off to dreamland!

He was a few blocks away leading up to his apartment complex when he spotted a pair of huge white squares moving in front of him, they resembled slices of untoasted bread in his sleep-deprived mind.

If it weren’t for the fact that this was a sight he had seen before, Jinwoo would think that he was slightly losing his mind. But he had seen this before, more than once, the only difference now was that there were two squares instead of the usual one. He already had an idea about who one of them might be; he has this odd neighbor downstairs that he had greeted a couple of times, but the other he couldn’t tell for sure from this distance. His neighbor didn’t strike him as the type that easily made friends and so his curiosity was piqued. Jinwoo sped up, intrigued about who the other person behind the other canvas might be.

It was when he was only a couple meters away from the pair of moving white squares when he finally identified who the other person was, Kang Seungyoon. He was just slowing down his pace when his roommate turned around and spotted him.

“Ah great timing!” Seungyoon beamed in his direction, putting down the canvases he carried by his feet and waved. “Can you help us out a bit? My fingers are all numb now.”

Beside him, Jinwoo noticed that odd neighbor of his giving his roommate a ‘not-so-pleased’ look. Seungyoon seemed to have noticed this and so he immediately picked up the canvases again and smiled at him.

“Yes, yes, prime condition. See not a mark!” Seungyoon said and held up the canvases so high to prove his point that it almost smacked his neighbor in the face.

Jinwoo couldn’t help but laugh as a playful bantering started to play out in front of him. They were rather entertaining to watch and Jinwoo felt a bit better each time he let out a little laugh.

It was only when his neighbor smacked Seungyoon with one of his canvases that he suddenly felt weird watching them. There on the left side of his chest was an uncomfortable pinching feeling.

“Let me help.” Jinwoo said, deciding it was time to interrupt the pair before the pain in his chest grew worse. What is this feeling? Is he suffering from heatstroke? Jinwoo wondered, but it was mu