Fragile
Chapter X

"Our home is beautiful" said Jihoon.

They were now infront of the house on top of the hill.

They were walking hand in hand and even though Jihoon wasn't looking, he knew Seungcheol is smiling.

He halt his steps, "Spill, why are you smiling like a creep now? Something I said?"

Seungcheol still has that sunshine smile plastered in his face, "Everything you says makes me smile Jihoonie. Especially the use of the possessive pronoun our, which means us and the more sentimental term home. It was just music to my ears"

Crimson spread to his face as the sudden realization hits him. Seungcheol gave a hearty laugh and pulled the younger inside the house.

"Oh it was clean" Seungcheol announced and gone straight to Jihoon presumed is the bathroom

"What's clean?" he shouted.

Seungcheol emerged after, "The house, I last saw it with my blood spilling in every corner of it"

It was a nightmare that Jihoon don't want to remember, blood--- blood all over the house and not just blood but Seungcheol's blood.

Jihoon let out an involuntary shiver that didn't pass unnoticed by Seungcheol as he stride and was now in front of Jihoon.

"What's wrong Jihoonie?" he asked, concern.

With the thought of nightmare, Jihoon buried his head in Seungcheol's chest.

"Nothing" as he looked at Seungcheol directly in the eyes , "As long as you are here with me"

Adorable, Seungcheol thought.

...........................

"So what's this?" Jihoon asked like a spectator in a museum as his hands were occupied by an apparatus.

"I really don't know, something about when I can't breath properly?" 

"How about this?" a different apparatus but looks the same for Jihoon.

"When I can't breath too"

"And this?"

"Same, breathing problems"

He sat in Seungcheol's bed. Just how many times does Seungcheol got breathing problems, with the stack of apparatuses.

"Ji-jihoonie" Seungcheol sttutered

He looked up to see a Seungcheol out of breath, clutching his chest. That made Jihoon jumped out of bed in panic.

"Wh-what's wrong? Breathing problems?" 

He racked up the apparatuses, they're all for breathing problems anyway.

"What apparatus did you use? Come'on now Cheol! Tell it---" he was cut when Seungcheol pulled him and hugged him from behind.

He breath into Jihoon's ears that sent thousands of electicity in his body, "I think my breathing problems will be more frequent now" 

He attempted to unlatched Seungcheol to see his condition but the older resisted and hugged him tighter.

"Just because you're here, you know why?" Seungcheol asked still whispering in his ears.

"Why?"

"Because you're breath taking... You took my breath away Jihoonie" and laugh directly into Jihoon's ear.

Seungcheol laughing is the best thing if not in the situation that Seungcheol just pranked him and it almost made him die of heart attack.

"So shall I leave? Since I'm the one who will make your "breathing problems" worse? And since it's so funny to you." and this time he was successful in unlatching Seungcheol's hug.

He quickly stomped but not a few steps aways when Seungcheol had him in grip.

Just how fast this guy moves?

"I'm sorry Jihoonie" 

He faced Jihoon to him and played eith his hand, his hair and settled to caressing the younger's cheek. Jihoon closed his eyes to savor the touch.

"I-i just want things to be normal. I don't want you to think you're with someone who is dying"

Jihoon's eyes flutters open, "Everyone dies. I always thought of everyone as dying creature. We, too, will die but not now! Not on my watch! Not on this lifetime! And also I don't want a normal relationship, I want you and I in a relationship, doesn't matter if we're normal or an aberration."

Seungcheol wasn't really someone who did many good deeds for other people so he wondered how this adorable guy is his. All his.

"I always knew you're so cheesy, Jihoonie" a glint of mishievousness in his eyes.

Jihoon puffed his cheeks and hit the older in the arms, a little too strong for Seungcheol to hide the pain he felt.

"Ouch, careful Jihoonie, fragile" he said word by word as pain is evident in his face.

"Oh god! Sorry Cheol"

They both sat in the bed, facing each other. Jihoon studying Seungcheol and Seungcheol controlling the pain he's in.

"I didn't hit you that hard, promise" Jihoon said as he held up his palm to give an impression of a sincereness.

"I know you didn't Jihoonie, something about the bone metastases that makes my bone like a thin wood which can easily break any moment. Sorry, you can't hit me now" still with a teasing in his voice.

Jihoon, wanting to lighten the mood just setteled on going with the flow.

"What makes you think I want to hit you?" 

"You frequent hit me, hmmm" he stopped for a moment to think, "Change the frequent to always"

"I don't"

"You do! You're a sadist"

"I am not!"

Seungcheol gasped and gave a super shocked expression, "You're not? The symptoms tell me you are"

"Then... You're a masochist because you let me hit you"

"Of course, I am. But only for you" and gave Jihoon a wink.

No matter how many times Seungcheol said sweet words, Jihoon always and will always be flattered and get giddy over it.

Jihoon yawned, his body growing weary, "Where would you sleep Jihoonie?" asked Seungcheol.

Jihoon studied the bed. Big enough for two people.

"Can I--" 

"--sleep here?"  Seungcheol continued what he was about to say.

Jihoon, just like a child, looked down in his hands not doing anything just simply an excuse so he don't have to look at Seungcheol.

"Yes" he whispered.

"Oh-ho, Jihoonie is being naughty now" 

Jihoon immediately lift up his head and shakes it, "That's not it! I-i just want