Chapter I.

Hush.

Hush.

Hush.

The wind sweeps across the blue linen curtains.

“Sleep. It’s still early.” His deep voice hums, enclosing the gap between them with a soft peck on the other’s lips. The young man slips his toned arms around the red head’s waist, unwavering feelings and a mess of indescribable emotions. His eyes continuously blinks.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“Sharp nose. Smooth skin. Lips. Lips as defined as the shape of a heart.” He recites, touching the contours of the figure’s sleeping face. Once more, he blinks. “Eyes. Owl like eyes.” A laugh intercedes before he continues. “Long eyelashes.”

His fingers trail down. Slowly, gently, as if noting every single detail. “Neck. Soft Adam’s apple. The place where your beautiful voice comes from.” He says to the man, albeit in a whispering voice. Sounds of the waves crashing fills the empty gaps in between their constant breathing. Jongin keeps his eyes open. Still blinking, still squinting.

Meanwhile, the man wrapped around in his arms leans closer to his chest. His head comfortably laid against the broad pillow that the latter refers to as his body. Jongin chuckles as he feels Kyungsoo press his head nearer to him. He runs his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, smelling the sweet mix of mint and ocean breeze on the boy’s short locks. He kisses the tip of the former’s head, mutters a simple I love you before he finally closes his eyes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Their heartbeats fall as one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Freezing winter night. Kyungsoo, like his usual routine, leans onto his balcony’s railing and allows his eyes to glaze over the blinking lights of Seoul. He reaches up to the sides of his scarf, pulling it nearer to his mouth so that his dry lips wouldn’t crack.

As if it hadn’t crack enough anyway.

He stays still on his spot, sipping the cup of coffee that was no longer steaming hot. Kyungsoo likes it that way. Just not too hot, not too cold either. He is use to living like this. Always in the middle. Not good enough to be labeled as the best but not bad enough to be determined as the worst.

The December night seeps through his skin. Coldness penetrating his molecules to the interior of his body’s atoms. Involuntary he shivers, only enough to make his hand shake by a little.

He continues to look at the view, before a pleading voice registers in his hearing. Kyungsoo looks down and finally, he notices the brewing fight just three floors below from his apartment. The red head leans in, eager to see an actual riot occurring in the middle of a foggy winter night.

“Give me your money!” Kyungsoo hears one of the three figures order. Although a little too far for his liking, Kyungsoo was able to figure out that the voice had come from the tallest man in the huddled group. The light post did little to no help though and he could only recognize how the tall man’s hair was kind of perm. He intently watches, hunched like a curious little kid on his balcony.

“I..I..I..no…mo..mm.money.” The other male stutters. It was visible how afraid he looked like. His figure trembles and Kyungsoo somehow laughs softly as the man continue to exude nervousness in his every move.

How pathetic.

Kyungsoo thinks as he continues to watch. It’s a two versus one battle. He pays attention to the men’s shadows and sees that the smallest of the three, was holding something like a long stick in his hands, and for awhile Kyungsoo thought that the one being bullied would actually win. His eyes continue to study their movements and being the observer he is, Kyungsoo finally notices that there was actually something wrong about the man handling the wooden material.

It was continuous. The way he hits his stick against the cemented ground. He takes a step forward, hesitant and unsure, his head tilts towards different directions and by now, the red head is betting that there was something really unusual with the man. He then feels a tugging feeling in his heart but he refuses to welcome it, he stays numb on his spot, his eyes scrutinizing the actions being done.

“.” He finally curses before taking long strides and grabbing his coat on his way out of his apartment. He runs almost immediately after he closes the door and in a flash, Kyungsoo finds himself standing firmly in between the three people.