“You never called”.

Seungyoon smiled into the depths of the glass he held. He would never admit it out loud but in the past weeks he had frequented the bar almost daily, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jinwoo again. Only a glimpse, he told himself. It wasn’t like Seungyoon wanted to spend more time with him or anything.

But now that the familiar low voice was behind him, mere inches away, a coil of warmth loosened in Seungyoon’s chest.  He supposed this was what it felt like to miss someone but it was something never he felt before. But then again, he and Jinwoo barely spent a night together. What they shared couldn’t possibly have been strong enough for him to miss … right?

“Are you going to run off again?” Jinwoo seemed mad to see him, but only slightly. “If you are, I might just leave now and save you the trouble.”

Seungyoon was too proud to tell him how he truly felt so Seungyoon settled for kissing Jinwoo on the lips. Jinwoo responded with an enthusiasm far greater than his words had conveyed. Seungyoon lost himself in the hardness of Jinwoo’s chest, running his fingers through his silky hair. They broke the kiss, breathing hard with their foreheads pressed together. Seungyoon kept his hand on the back of Jinwoo’s neck, feeling Jinwoo’s pulse beat a tattoo against his skin. Jinwoo’s eyes were burning with unheeded desire that Seungyoon knew was mirrored in his own eyes. He wavered for a moment, between his own pride and the lire of Jinwoo’s beautiful, bright eyes.

He gave in, a slight shift that gave way to a fall; surrendering into the warmth of Jinwoo’s company and the inviting curve of his lips.  

*

They woke up in each other’s arms, enveloped by the warmth of their tangled bodies. Moonlight filtered through Seungyoon’s windows and danced on Jinwoo’s pale skin. Seungyoon traced the patterns it made on the other boy’s skin, reliving the night before.

Seungyoon panicked, realizing he had never shared a night with someone before. It felt like an invitation to come into Seungyoon’s life, to share more of himself with someone that had already touched his heart in ways Seungyoon never experienced. He was supposed to keep people at bay, because closeness meant giving someone else the power to hurt him. That was a privilege Seungyoon never wanted to share.

But then Jinwoo’s turned and wrapped his arms around Seungyoon and murmured unintelligible words against the nape of his neck. The anxiety subsided and Seungyoon lost himself into the warmth again.

If he had to lose a piece of himself for this kind of heaven, it was a sacrifice Seungyoon was willing to make.

*

Morning blasted through the window accompanied with birdsong and sunshine. How rude, Jinwoo thought. For something so frequently associated with calmness and peace you would think mornings would be a little less aggressive.

 His eyes opened and Jinwoo found himself a little disoriented. The bare walls around him did not match up with Jinwoo’s memory of his houses. It took him a moment to remember the last night and a rush of giddiness followed.

Jinwoo glanced to the other side of the bed, expecting nothing but was greeted by the pleasant sight of a thin, lanky boy, still asleep. Seungyoon looked so much younger in the morning light, the sharp planes of his face sharply highlighted.

“I can’t believe you stayed,” he whispered out loud. He wrapped an arm around Seungyoon again, enjoying the closeness. The weight he had been carrying around lately, the weight of the terrible predictability and loneliness of his life seemed lighter here, beside this enigmatic boy who seemed so flighty, even now Jinwoo could hardly believe he was still here.

Jinwoo got out of bed slowly, being careful not to wake Seungyoon. He made his way to the bathroom, using his memory of his last visit to guide him. Last time, waking up had been tinged with feelings of hurt and shame. It wasn’t very dignified to wake up in someone else’s apartment, alone – a clear indication that Seungyoon wanted him gone. It had been a blow to his confidence, to say the least.

He set about making breakfast, using what he could scavenge from Seungyoon’s mostly bare kitchen. There wasn’t much apart from a few satchels of instant coffee, a suspicious looking loaf of bread, eggs and leftover Thai food. Jinwoo managed to scrap together a fairly good breakfast. He contemplated going out to get breakfast but he didn’t want Seungyoon to wake up while he was gone.

If Seungyoon didn’t leave, he wasn’t leaving either. There was something between them, Jinwoo was sure of it. It only took two nights but Jinwoo felt a pang in his chest at the thought of going back to his empty apartment in the city or the house by the lake.

*

Seungyoon woke to the smell of cooking which was a bizarre feeling. He was almost too afraid to open his eyes really, though he wasn’t sure if he was more afraid of facing Jinwoo or what anyone could have possibly cooked up in his kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself out of bed and peered into the kitchen. His heart skipped a beat, taking in the sight of a shirtless Jinwoo fiddling around with cutlery.

“Uh, good … morning?”  Was it still morning? Seungyoon usually woke up well past late o’ clock couldn’t really tell. Jinwoo looked up, his eyes already smiling up at him.

“It’s 11,” he said with a smile. There was a pause and Seungyoon fidgeted awkwardly. How do people do this? What does one say?

“I made breakfast” Jinwoo continued slowly, his eyes on Seungyoon. Seungyoon suppressed the urge to run out the door again. He wanted this, he knew he decided that last night but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember why right now.

“Right, why did you do that?” The words came out harsher than Seungyoon wanted it too and he winced at he hurt in Jinwoo’s eyes. “I mean … you didn’t have to. There was barely anything in the house anyway.”

“Yeah well… I wanted to make you something so you wouldn’t bolt again. So I managed.” Seungyoon couldn’t help but smile back at Jinwoo’s playful grin. The awkwardness eased slightly but nervousness still filled the air. Seungyoon tried whatever was on the plate Jinwoo was offering him.

“Wow, that’s ing amazing.”

“I have never seen anyone look so terrified while eating breakfast.” Jinwoo laughed. There was another pause, then with a decisive air Jinwoo moved forward. Wrapping an arm around Seungyoon’s waist – causing his heart to skip a few beats- Jinwoo kissed Seungyoon’s cheek firmly. “I am going to take a shower, do you mind if I borrow some of your clothes?”

Seungyoon nodded mutely, the shadow of Jinwoo’s lips tingling on his cheeks. This, this was why he was staying.

Jinwoo left Seungyoon smiling into his breakfast. The air was lighter now and something new seemed to have bloomed among the bare walls of Seungyoon’s apartment.

A/N: The news of Taehyun’s departure has hit me hard and I really needed something happy to cheer me up. I will always support Taehyun and all the other members of Winner. They will always be five to me but I do believe Jinwoo when he said that they will return. I have been a part of the fandom from the days of Seungyoon’s solo debut and the boys mean too much to me. Thank you for reading and I hope you too will keep supporting Winner. I hope that this chapter made you smile a little. I love you, Incles.