Sun

            Kyungsoo sits up in his bed that looks much larger than usual, and it confuses him until he recollects the events that had just recently passed. They’ve all finally arrived at sanctuary, and although the small town lacks its anticipating description of diamond encrusted motels and layered gold bed frames, he accepts the fact that it’s pretty much accurate. The town is small but empty, the environment not too warm or too cold, and the greenery has a clean cut to it as if someone had recently tidied the place up already. Chen begins to get the impression that they had arrived at the wrong stop, but Minseok says otherwise, stating that even if it wasn’t what they were looking for, it was close enough.

            There are a lot more rooms in the motel than needed, and it makes Kyungsoo contemplate which one to take. Baekhyun and Chanyeol offer to share a room with him, but he politely declines, not wanting to interrupt their privacy any time soon from the excitement the trip had given then. Kris and Tao wander off quietly like usual, Lay and Minseok go over the next list of activities, and Joonmyun, Chen, Sehun and Luhan all chatter amongst themselves near the front entrance of the motel.

            Kyungso smiles at the others before heading into his chosen room and locking the door behind it, pressing his lips together at the sight of his new home, and plopping onto the large, soft bed that felt so good to lie on. He stretched his limbs, knowing well that he wasn’t able to do so in the cramped bed space on the bus, and he dozes off the second the sun isn’t there to light up the large room anymore.

--

            Waking up the next morning in his room for the second time that week, Kyungsoo tries to adjust his eyes to the sunlight that nearly blinds him. In attempt to block it, he tugs at the sheets as he grumbles, but the blanket doesn’t move. It makes him freeze for a whole ten seconds, feeling the warmth of another being next to him, and he turns his body around to find a blonde boy with fair sun-kissed skin with smooth plump lips and sharp, yet soft facial features. The sight makes him hitch his breathing, and he’s so excited that he nearly forgets to breathe. He squeaks once, bringing his hands up to his face and kicking his feet from the sudden flow of happiness that courses though his mind, and practically pounces on his lover for the first time in about a year.

            Jongin stirs awake from the pressure that is forced onto his body and looks up drowsily at Kyungsoo. The younger feels the other’s tears drip onto his face, and the older continues his actions by rubbing his head into Jongin’s chest with small, quiet sobs of joy.

            Jongin smiles and brings up his hand to ruffle Kyungsoo’s hair. Kyungsoo can feel the deep hums that his boyfriend gives off through his throat, and he’s so glad that he can finally feel it again.

            “Your hair,” Jongin mumbles. “It’s red.”

            Kyungsoo sniffs and lifts his head up with a nod. “Yeah,” he replies, his voice quivering. “You said you would like it, so I changed it…to red.”

            Jongin laughs and stares at Kyungsoo with tired half-lidded eyes. “Sorry,” he grunts, keeping his mouth as closed as possible. “I have morning breath, don’t I?”

            “Its fine,” Kyungsoo laughs before dipping in for a sloppy kiss. Jongin pecks both corners of his mouth, loosely grabbing at the sides of Kyungsoo’s face and kissing him again and again before Kyungsoo starts to giggle from his amplified high spirits. His heart feels like it’s about to burst, and his smile will not wash away.

            “It’s…your birthday,” Jongin mumbles as Kyungsoo continues to kiss his face. “Or at least it should be. Is it January twelfth?”

            Kyungsoo sits up quickly, eyes widened. “It’s my birthday!” he gasps. His hands then cup his own cheeks in surprise. “That means your birthday is in two days!” Kyungsoo grabs Jongin’s wrists and bends over again, staring intensely into his eyes. “Jongin, what do you want?”

            Jongin raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “It’s your birthday, and you’re worried about what to get me? I believe that I’m at the age where I shouldn’t be receiving anything anymore.”

            “Are you saying that I shouldn’t receive presents, either?”

            “No,” he denies. “You deserve presents. You deserve them all.”

            “You,” Kyungsoo says firmly, lifting Jongin’s torso upwards and wrapping his legs around his waist. “Deserve them, too.” His arms extend around his neck again, pulling him in.

            Just as they share another kiss, the door rattles open to reveal Chanyeol and Chen. They say something to Kyungsoo about getting up for the day, but Chen stops mid-sentence at the scene. Chanyeol gapes , chokes a bit, and finally manages to get something out of his mouth.

            “Jongin!” he yells with excitement, repeating the process when he takes a step backward out of the door. “Jongin’s back!”

            When the tanned boy finds the mind to get out of bed, Kyungsoo leeches onto his arm as they begin to walk outside. It’s bright, as usual, but Jongin welcomes the sun this time.

            Eight pairs of eyes land on Jongin, soon followed by wide, blinding smiles and the extension of arms that reach out to him in a group embrace. Everyone looks genuinely happy, and Jongin’s happy, too, his own joy illustrated by the crinkle of his eyes and the diminutive tears that form in the corners. The group laughs together, the air filling with heartwarming welcome-home statements, and it makes Jongin’s throat hurt even more.

            “How did you know we were here?” Minseok asks curiously. Jongin shrugs.

            “My mind knew, I guess. I appeared here when I woke up.”

            Sehun puts his arm around his shoulders. “I was scared that you got lost,” he jokes, patting Jongin’s back. “Maybe you weren’t really gone after all.”

            Jongin nods and pulls Kyungsoo closer to himself. “I wouldn’t leave this place for the life of me, if that makes any sense at anymore, and that’s final.”

            Chanyeol appears from behind, cutting into the space between Sehun and Jongin. “It’s good to have you back,” he says with his usual wide grin. Everyone eventually calms down, and Jongin stares ahead at the bus in front of him, fresh with a new shiny coat of ash-grey and white paint.

            “Staying in one place never really appealed to me, anyway,” Minseok says with a smirk, twirling a pair of keys on his index finger. “Shall we hit the road?”

            Chen catches the keys from afar, and Jongin doesn’t need to give him an answer before the bus roars to life once again. Arm around Kyungsoo’s waist, the two board the bus last after everyone.

            When Jongin sits on one of the sofas, he realizes that home isn’t always just a place. Home is friends. Family. Home is.

            This. He could never ask for anything more.

I KNOW, I KNOW, I CUT IT SHORT, IT'S DISSAPPOINTING, I KNOW.

But. This was the only way to end it to be honest. Damn.

((also im thinking of adding another bonus chapter of...you know what. //wink wink. Feel free to comment if you want some kaisoo action.))