“Baek, you can’t do this to me, alright? You can’t leave me, not even as a laughing matter,” said Chanyeol, when they got back into their own room.

“I would never want to leave you but EXO always comes first, you know that.” Baekhyun cooed, He kneeled in front of Chanyeol who was sitting on the bed to match the eyelevel and then let himself fall into a whirlwind of emotions rushing within Chanyeol’s huge dreamily chocolatey eyes. Baekhyun patted the younger boy’s soft curls as they spoke through their eyes. They had been together long enough to understand each other without the need for words. Baekhyun reached up to kiss Chanyeol on the forehead before they snuggled into each other like every other night. Safe and sound in each other’s arms.

________________

A week passed easily. Time flies especially when you don’t want it to. Kyungsoo had been taking Chinese classes and the schedules are more packed than ever that they hardly have time to breathe. JongIn hadn’t been in his sunshiney self and it was obvious to everyone that he had been silently moping. Puffy eyes and panda eye bags very much like Tao’s are speaking the truth despite the nonchalant mask he puts on during the day. He had grown more clingy to the other boy that they were practically joint at the hip.

The idea of leaving JongIn tortures Kyungsoo on a daily basis and it doesn’t help even when he distracts himself by concentrating on their schedules, songwriting or cooking. He cooked JongIn’s favourites every  day, much to others’ dislike but they didn’t complain. He tried his best to keep the younger boy in his normal mischievous self although he hardly heard JongIn mocking a hyung or teasing maknae to tears. He just clung onto Kyungsoo like his only life string without talking much. When Kyungsoo attempted to strike a proper conversation about how he should always take care of himself when he’s gone, JongIn would just shrug and say “I can take care of myself, just like you said.” This breaks Kyungsoo’s already shattered heart every time. JongIn barely showed any trace of emotions in front of Kyungsoo but the older boy knew  the depth in his dongsaeng because he had heard too many times of the muffled and suppressed sobs as he lied awake at nights. At such times, he could easily get up and pull the younger boy into an embrace but he wouldn’t because it would only make things harder. Why would he break his heart shortly after earning it? He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for the rest of his breathing life.

“Aish,” JongIn stomped into the living room, holding a bowl of ramen in his hands and sat down grumpily next to Kyungsoo.

“What’s wrong?” asked the older boy.

He slurped a string of Ramen loudly and that made Kyungsoo produce a gagging sound because he really hates when someone makes noise while eating.

“I didn’t get the seasoning right, it tastes crappy,” said JongIn, slamming the bowl down the table.

“You added half of it, right? And the egg right after?” Kyungsoo asked, knowing all too better than JongIn how he likes his own Ramen. As spoiled as he could be, JongIn always makes Kyungsoo cook his ramen, flattering him with speech like how hyung’s ramen tastes the most wonderful and how he should enter Masterchef with just ramen. Kyungsoo had always thought he gives in all too quickly when the younger boy sweettalks him like that but it was also without a doubt that he wouldn’t resist even if JongIn didn’t waste his breath on all those sweet talking. He had always been a er when it comes to the too many requests of JongIn.

“You should always cooks for me, hyung, I could die of malnutrition if I cook,” JongIn pouted, unlike his image of y beast on stage. Being just a regular whiny 19-year-old when Kyungsoo’s around.

“Oh, but you’re leaving.” His voice trailed as he remembered.

Kyungsoo stopped mid-sentence of his protest and again a lump in his throat was blocking him from saying anything comforting to the younger boy. He watched as the dancer’s expression fell and turned his face away to hide whatever fluids forming in his eyes.

The urge to pull JongIn into a bone-crushing hug almost got the better him as he blankly stared at the back of the crouching boy, shoulders slightly shaking from controlling the emotions. He was already reaching out to grab JongIn’s arms when the latter suddenly turned to face with all gums and smiles and eyes twinkling with the traces of the contained tears.

Kyungsoo awkwardly smiled back and agreed to cook him another bowl of Ramen. He showed JongIn his complete sets of cooking ramen but from his peripheral vision,he could see JongIn staring at him instead.

“I’m not sure if I could hold onto my own discreet if this continues, JongIn yah,” He mentally sighed to himself, ignoring the holes the younger boy was boring to the side of his face. They were standing so close that he could feel JongIn’s breath on the nape of his neck and it really didn’t help the last dose of his self-control.

“You’re not helping me either, JongIn.” He murmured, not sure if he meant about JongIn not helping with the cooking or not helping with dealing his own feelings.

“What’s there to help? You’re cooking Ramen, not a feast.” JongIn gave his significant smirk, loosing up the tension of the atmosphere.

“What are you guys cooking? I’m starving too.” There came a certain bubbly maknae, bouncing in the kitchen. Kyungsoo had never been more thankful to Sehun. He smiled as he handed the finished Ramen to Sehun, not JongIn who tried to snatch it back from the maknae. His heart felt incredibly light for the first time in a while to see two 19-year-old boys shooting daggers at each other to claim possession to a bowl of ramen.

Sorryy, i'm really sorry, you guys probably forgot me. :sobs: the tests are just killing me. please bear with me, pretty please. Wish me luck for my anatomy dissection test tomorrow. :) special thanks to all my subscribers and comments and silent readers too. Please do leave comments.