Beautiful Morning
The Howling - Part IV: Inevitable
Even in his sleep, Joonmyun was aware of Jongin's presence, the way he breathed, the soft noises he made in his sleep, and the slight movements through out the night. Though, perhaps what he was most aware of, save for the arm wrapped around his waist and the small of his back, was the way the boy's heart beat in his chest, steady and always a reassurance of protection and genuine care.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Joonmyun woke to a chill nipping at his nose and cheeks, and he whined softly before pulling the blankets over his head and nuzzling his face into the warm, bare skin of Jongin's chest, after which sleep came again almost instantly. He drifted in and out of dreams then, some pulling him down harder than others, while one in particular left a lasting impression, the emotions so raw and palpable that Joonmyun wasn't sure if it was real or a dream.
//He was faintly aware of the smell of roses mixed with the crisp, cool, outdoor air. It was light out, so it must have been late afternoon. But time was no matter here, not with his arms wrapped around Jongin and with the younger male holding him so tenderly. Time didn't matter here, time would never matter because nothing important required them to be punctual. But even if time had mattered, it would have stopped the instant Joonmyun felt something warm against his lips, tingling at first before his world spun from beneath him, him through the darkness.//
The sky was a mixture of pastels when he woke next, the just rising sun a sliver over the horizon. Joonmyun yawned and attempted a stretch, only to whine at the restriction. After a moment, he realized that it wasn't only the blankets, but Jongin's arms that kept him where he was, but he wouldn't complain. So, he settled and turned to watch the sunrise the best he could, but before it got too far he realized that this was something he wanted to share with the boy next to him.
"Jongin-ah," he murmured, managed to bring his hand up to press against Jongin's chest and he nudged the boy, hoping it would be enough to rouse him from his slumber. While he waited, Joonmyun took a moment to drink in the way Jongin looked when he slept. Every edge, every hardened expression, everything that screamed wolf was gone, replaced by soft features that made him look just as harmless and innocent as any other teenage boy.
For the first time since Yoochun had hurt Taemin and had tried to hurt Joonmyun, Jongin slept peaceful, wth no lingering nightmares or painful fevers that burned his body. The dreams that he did have were warm and soft, bright at the edges and filled with a multitude of different emotions. Each one filled with Joonmyun.
He stirred sometime during the night to the sound of a soft whine, fingertips brushing down Joonmyun's spine in an attempt to soothe him as the boy shifted and tugged the blanket higher, before he settled back into sleep. Jongin followed soon after, a smile playing at his lips and fingers twitcing against Joonmyun's hip.
//The sunlight was warming against his skin, but not as warm as the body pressed to his, the hair that tickled his neck when he pressed closer, the fingers that traced patterns into his flesh. Jongin's eyes opened, watching Joonmyun curl into him with a smile on his lips, before he looked away. Kai watched them from the edge of the clearing, amber eyes full of affection and adoration for the human boy, the same affection and adoration that Jongin had. They were two halves of the same whole, two souls in one body that had learnt to accept each other because it meant keeping Joonmyun in their lives. Kai stepped closer, russet brown fur almost red in the sunlight before he lowered himself to the ground beside Joonmyun, the large wolf spread out with hsi head resting in his paws. Jongin smiled again, lying back down beside the sleeping boy as Kai pressed a soft nose into his shoulder...//
That same nudge came again, but as Jongin stirred from his sleep, he realized it wasn't the sensation of a cold nose but of soft fingers, and he opened his eyes to the sight of Joonmyun still in his arms. A lazy smile lifted his lips, and he hummed out a good morning before his arms slowly slid from around Joonmyun, a yawn on his lips.
"Hey..." he stretched a little, half sitting up as his vision became clear. "Oh... it's sunrise..."
There was something about the way Jongin looked when he woke, something innocent and beautiful, and Joonmyun couldn't help but blush and duck his head, an action which had him nestling into the boy's chest. After enjoying the warmth for a long moment, he pulled back, avoiding the younger male's eyes as he sat up and glanced at the horizion. Eventually, he got up, peeling the top most blanket off the pile and wrapping it around his shoulders as he strolled over to the railing.
If anyone asked him, Joonmyun would have claimed it was only because he wanted a better view, when really it was because he needed a moment to himself. Waking up like that with Jongin wasn't something he'd expected for a while, and it made his heart flutter in an odd way, a way he wasn't sure he liked at the moment. It had been years since he'd woken up like that within someone, with... Baekhyun.. and it scared the elder that this here, with Jongin, felt more familiar than with the person he'd grown up with.
He was silent as he watched the sunrise, making a valiant attempt to sort his emotions, but nothing was the same anymore and it left him more confused than he'd ever been. It was frustrating that his mind and his heart were at odds with each other, and he knew he needed to follow his heart as Jaejoong had said, but there was that doubt in the back of his mind that made him stop and rethink everything.
This couldn't go on forever, otherwise he might drive himself insane. Joonmyun needed something that pushed his feelings over one edge or the other, something that gave him an absolute in his decision. Joonmyun needed something absolute.
Jongin blinked for a while, caught between a sleepy daze and wanting to wake up, and he yawned a little even as Joonmyun nestled in against his chest more. The action made him flush, and he blinked down at the elder boy before Joonmyun was pulling away, taking the blanket with him and moving to the railing.
That was good. The distance. Jongin needed distance. Breathing out slowly, he brought unsure fingers to his chest, his skin burning where Joonmyun had touched him. It was like that every single time the elder brushed against him, every single time he nuzzled against him... every single time Joonmyun touched him, he burned. His eyes followed Joonmyun's movements for a while, his fingertips digging into his chest before he slowly pushed away from the chair and padded over to the railing, keeping distance between them. He could feel Joonmyun's discomfort. At what, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to aid that by getting too close, not unless Joonmyun instigated it.
"...It's a beautiful morning," he murmured softly, his eyes lifting to the sun as it began to rise higher over the tree tops. "Did you sleep well, Joonmyun hyung?"
Joonmyun had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he was only vaguely aware Jongin's presense when he joined him at the railing. Even with the distance, he could feel the warmth, maybe not physically, but it was there on the edges of his mind and it was comforting.
He hummed softly in agreement; it was, indeed, a beautiful morning. The air was cool and fresh, untainted by the day, and the sun looked stunning as it rose and graced the life below it with gorgeous golden sunlight. But even with the beauty before him, Joonmyun couldn't help but let his mind wander to Jongin and the pull that beckoned him closer. Joonmyun knew he shouldn't have, but he denied it and remained where he was.
"How much stronger does it get before it settles?" Joonmyun asked, realizing after a moment that Jongin probably wouldn't know what he was talking about. "The bond, I mean. How strong does it get and what makes it settle?" Joonmyun knew there had to be something, hoped there was something, because if it kept its pace then it was only a matter of time before other things happened, things that made Joonmyun flush just thinking about.
The younger's fingers itched with the desire to touch Joonmyun, arms ached with the longing to wrap around the elder's waist, and he bit into his lower lip, forcing himself to keep his gaze on the sky, on the garden, on /something/ other than Joonmyun, and as he did so, he almost missed the elder's question.
"...I actually don't know. No one's really told me anything more than the basics. I guess they didn't... expect me to ever...f-find someone," he replied softly, his eyes lowering to the fingers that were curling into the railing, his heart aching at the thought of never meeting Joonmyun. "Jaejoong hyung and Yunho hyung said something that...being...uhm... i-intimate--"
He trailed off, cheeks flushing and words catching in his throat, before he lowered his head into his hands with an embarrassed groan. "Ask them. They know. And it's too embarrassing to talk about..."
Okay guise! There is a new feature and I'm going to abuse the hell out of it! WOOOO!
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