Jongin nodded slowly, taking a moment - just one moment, Jongin-ah, you don't want to freak Joonmyun out anymore than you already have - to wait for the dizziness in his head to cease before he crawled up the bed and hunched down against the pillows, legs stretched out in front of him.

 

"I'm okay, Joonmyun... it's just the full moon," he replied in a soft voice, glancing up at the elder to offer him a small smile before he curled up on one side and yawned a little. "Maybe... we should do a raincheck on the icecream... I feel like I'm going to fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes..."

 

From somewhere below them, he heard Taemin shift, heard the fridge door opening - no doubt the boy was putting the icecream away - and then heard the movie change to something else when the credits started playing. A weak smile lifted Jongin's lips as he heard the tell tale opening song for Beauty and the Beast - how very appropriate - and he shifted so he could look up at the screen, an arm wrapped around his midsection as he started to drift between sleep and awareness.

---

 

Joonmyun understood fully that Jongin wasn't in the mood, that he just wanted to sleep, so he wasn't at all bothered when the young male made himself comfortable on one side of the bed and curled up. For a few minutes, the elder remained perched on the edge of the bed, attention turned towards the television to catch the ending of the movie Taemin had been watching. Only when the youngest of the three moved to put in a new movie did Joonmyun scoot back and settle against the pillows. 

 

A soft, awkward chuckle bubbled up from the male's lips as the opening scene for Beauty and the Beast began. It was fitting in a way, but Joonmyun didn't exactly see Jongin as most others might. To him, he wasn't a 'beast'; to him, Jongin was his protector, his lifeline. Yes, the boy confused the hell out of him -- not to mentioned scared the crap out of him on ocassion -- but Joonmyun needed him if he wanted to survive. 

 

The movie fell into the background as Joonmyun drifted into thought. He realized then, now that he had a moment to process thought and think rationally, that Jongin had kept the entire truth of imprinting from him to protect him, just like he'd said. He saw now, understood that the less he knew, the more the teen could pretend that he wasn't attached as he really was, and it would make things easier for when he had to let go. But, would it really make things easier? 

 

Or, when it came time, would Jongin not be able to let him go? Jongin had as good as said that imprinting was definite and there was no changing what happened. In the end, was Joonmyun really stuck here? Promises had been made, but what match were they against a natural occurrance. 

 

Joonmyun glanced at the boy beside him and wondered -- for a very brief moment -- if he should just give him a chance, wait and see what would happen, if it would be worth it. It was a stupid thought, because they came from two separate worlds, and neither belonged where the other lived; Jongin was part wolf, meant to be a leader, king of the forest, while Joonmyun was a human, destined to pretend and please. 

 

Frustrated, the elder turned over, his back to Jongin, and buried his face in the pillows, trying to make his mind shut down. When he fell asleep he was already unaware, having drifted off while he was already zoned out. Sleep was welcomed, though, and he sucumbed without a fight, more than willing to put this day in the past and start over with something new.