The hours, nichkhun/wooyoung, pg, 1900~ wc
Wooyoung is very busy and Nichkhun waits patiently.
 

At 7:35 A.M, you lay your tired body on mine

before peeling off, like a slow band-aid.

" You're home.." Nichkhun blinks his bleary eyes , a whiff of Wooyoung's perfume still lingers so he's partly sure the kiss that wakes him up was not a dream.


" Yeah, but I have to go again.," Wooyoung says, fingers gripping on the edges of his shirt before pulling it over his head.  Collarbones apparent and  shoulder blades jutting sharply and freely for Nichkhun's eyes to feast upon. Yet he didn't.


" You're not getting enough rest." Nichkhun says with a frown instead. Wooyoung's down to only his boxer,  tossing his jeans blindly into the laundry basket in the corner of Nichkhun's room. Hip bones protruding as the band clings dangerously low, but it's Wooyoung's  eye bags that catches Nichkhun's attention. The dark circle around his eyes that Nichkhun could still spot under hours old make up.


" Hyung, where's that blue shirt of yours?" Wooyoung dismisses him.  Not even sounding apologetic as he rummages through Nichkhun's wardrobe. He knew Nichkhun knew. There's no slowing down. They can rest when they're old, Jin Young hyung had told them once and they took it to the heart.


Still, Nichkhun grapples  Wooyoung's wrist when he walk passes him. A desperate attempt, -almost futile,  to hold him, keep him still for a few stolen seconds before letting him go running chasing the sun again.  Wooyoung's veins pulses gently under his thumb and Nichkhun's heart ache a little because he misses his own sun. Molded and formed into wonky eyes and pink lips, puffy cheeks and crooked thumbs.


Wooyoung catches his eyes, sees the tilting worry on his shoulder and smiles. " I made coffee." He says, and it comes off like a peace offer as he carefully peels Nichkhun's fingers off of his wrist.  And just like that Wooyoung's gone again.  His built dissapears behind the door. Another schedule awaits. The door closes, a light thud in the quiet morning. No one notice the silence except Nichkhun.


Nichkhun finally have that coffee, cold. He chooses to finish Wooyoung's leftover half, relishing the ghost of Wooyoung's fingers and lips on the cup he's holding.



By 10:50 you are already breathless.

I live for every time we overlap.


Nichkhun's head shots up from the book he's reading." Wooyoung-".  His face lights up. At least for a moment.


" Can't talk, gotta run~" Wooyoung voice trails as the boy rushes up the stairs. Seconds later he emerges only to make a hurried dash to the front door again . Different clothes, same look of exhaustion. Nichkhun gathers Wooyoung's fading footsteps on the hardwood floor with his own, following behind with a solemn understanding. His book in his hand , his heart riveting on the curves of Wooyoung's back.


He waves goodbye by the door, not fully certain if Wooyoung can see him at all over the hubbub. The assistants, the stylist noonas, the manager hyung, everyone's demanding a good portion of Wooyoung's attention. He just wish-, nah.., Nichkhun shakes his head.  Wooyoung is working hard, he should be more supportive, Nichkhun thinks to himself.



By noon I put my hands on your shoulders and say, “Baby,

you’re getting thin. All this running in circles and barely sitting down to eat.”


Wooyoung places his own hand over Nichkhun's, and Nichkhun couldn't help but notice his bony digits, the ligaments popping out like secret strands holding everything together." I'm okay, hyung. How's your day?" Wooyoung looks tired but is smiling as he cranes his head upwards to meet Nichkhun's eyes and Nichkhun wish he could be the couch supporting Wooyoung's burned out bones.


Nichkhun opens his mouth, he wants to tell Wooyoung that Cherreen called him today, just before he heads here to have a meeting with the CEOs. He wants to tell Wooyoung about this show he's offered with, a humanity work somewhere in Tanzania that he really want to go but it will mean going away for a few weeks and how would you feel about that but the boy is already being ushered away again. A fansigning event  this time and dance practices after. Nichkhun knows how that could last for hours. He makes a mental note to tell it later when Wooyoung's schedule is finished for the day and tries his best to ignore that  pinch of disappointment piercing his heart.



At 2:10 you don’t say a word,

just come in and kiss me for sixty seconds straight.


And Nichkhun tastes it, Wooyoung's I'm sorry I'm so busy along with I miss this; I miss you. The sky could be falling and Nichkhun wouldn't have a care,  because this is it. This is how it"s supposed to be, his universe coming in alignment and everything he longs for gathers together into the curves of Wooyoung's lips, the nectar hiding in each flicks of his tongue.


" Dance practice-, " Wooyoung heaves against Nichkhun's lower lip, warm puffs of vanilla mint breath. " -is pushed back." Wooyoung pecks him lightly before pulling away, running a thumb over Nichkun's half swollen lips to wipe the wetness there. Nichkhun loops his arm around Wooyoung, not letting him slip away this time.


It's within these valuable moments he's living for . Wooyoung snuggling deeper into his hug, pulling his toes in and tangling their legs in a mess under the blanket. His fingers skitters playfully on Wooyoung's forearm rewriting promises incase Wooyoung forgets. ( Nichkhun hopes Wooyoung won't ).


They talk for a while after, about worries, about hopes, about dreams before Wooyoung  dozes off out of exhaustion. Nichkhun shifts to make more room for Wooyoung on his bed, quiet and careful because he knows these few hours could be the only sleep Wooyoung will be getting today. He kisses Wooyoung's nape lightly and falls asleep soon after , forgetting, for a while, about how the world collapsed on and around him.



At 4:20 we pull a little from the tight joint I keep behind your ear.

You do not inhale.


" Wish me luck." Wooyoung beams.


" Good luck" Nichkhun answers, playing cute and chirpy.


Wooyoung reaches for his hand and entwines it with his own, ignoring Junho's teasings and even Minjun's jealousy protests. He lets it go only when the van pulls up at the curb of their dorm and Namyoung hyung shows up at the front door, tapping his wrist watch impatiently. It's time for him to leave.


" I'm so proud of you." Nichkhun whispers  before they part and Wooyoung's smile was blinding.



At 6:30 I hear the ticking.

I count your heartbeat like seconds between thunderclaps.


One beat against his door, of when he pushed Wooyoung hard and kissed him hungrily, -angrily, on one of their unresolved fight. Wooyoung can be stubborn at times and it's frustrating. But when Wooyoung's eyes fluttered wet as he kissed back. It was Nichkhun who felt like a jerk.


Two beat rests on his carpet, light and gleeful, bouncing above Wooyoung's giggles, Wooyoung's pinkish knees moving wildly as he tickled the boy on a lazy rainy afternoon.


Three beat scatters on the blue-white tiles of his bathroom, by the bathtub's side. Where Wooyoung breaks down crying after the misfortuned slip on mnet. Where he breaks down crying after that disastrous crash.  He held Wooyoung's hand and Wooyoung held his the entire night and they knew, they're in it for the long run.


None was counted  on their bed though. Nichkhun always lost count whenever they made love. (or maybe it's because their hearts just beats into one and he can't set them apart.)



By 7:35 I can see you in the distance,

each second a tease until you drape over me.

We always love quick and you never let me hold you.

I dream of drinking you through a straw.


It's another successful performance. Wooyoung's singing and dancing is immaculate to the last beat, the fanchants are crazy and the crowd cheers for him like no other. Nichkhun sees through his tv screen Wooyoung bowing and Wooyoung smiling and Wooyoung waving to the crowd and Wooyoung and Wooyoung and Wooyoung.


Junho saunters in with Chansung, bantering innocently in front of the flat screen tv Nichkhun's watching and suddenly Hobutt is all Nichkhun  can see.


" Yaah! " The couch's pillow flies and both maknaes ducks their way out of  the living room. Nichkhun searches for Wooyoung and curses bursts out in multilingual eloquence when  he's met with a commercial break.



At 10:50 we pray for a meteor,

at least a clumsy kid to spill sugar in our gears.


Taecyeon dances to Sistar's loving you for the others to see. Chansung is laughing like there's no tomorrow. Minjun's clapping like a drunken seal, even Junho's smirking a bit despite sitting back and giving the eyes of judgement to everyone.


Nichkhun doesn't really feel like laughing, but the corner of his lips curls upwards almost automatically when the front door opens and closed with a familiar thud. He recognise those footsteps even before the person making the sound appears. And when he finally shows up, tired and beat, as usual (but he's shining,smiling  and proud), Nichkhun couldn't tear his gaze away from him.


Wooyoung catches his gaze and everything around them falls in slow motion silence. Nichkhun mouth "I love you" across the room, the words rolls off his tongue naturally,  passing the other boys, over all the hours they've been apart.  Wooyoung laughs, somewhere between embarrassed and amused, then mouths back,


" Na do"



11:55 is my favorite.

We’re only apart for mere minutes.

But at midnight you’ll apologize sixty times

because it will always be like this.


Nichkhun sinks his nose in Wooyoung's hair, his hand drawing soothing circles on Wooyoung's back. They don't have much time together, but he'll take whatever he can get.  He might wake up in the morning and Wooyoung would already be half way across Korea.


" I have that dance practice in an hour.." Wooyoung mumbles. Apologetic this time.


" It's okay. I'll be here when you get back." He kisses the top of Wooyoung's head..


" Hyung ?" Wooyoung tries to shift loose, " I'm sorry that I'm so busy lately, I know i-"


" Shhh..." Nichkhun tightens his hug, pushing Wooyoung's nose back into the crook of his neck. " Sleep.. Stop talking.."


There's nothing to apologize for.


He knows Wooyoung is torn between chasing his dream and staying back in the dorm with him, keeping Nichkhun company now of all times. Nichkhun knows.


Nichkhun  also knows Wooyoung loves him enough to try to make this work. They have their ups and downs, they had their fights and banters and the words they have said to each other are not the most wonderful at times. And yet, Wooyoung's still here. And as long as Wooyoung still wants him, Nichkhun isn't going anywhere either.



At 1:04 AM I am already sleeping.

It’s exhausting loving someone

who is constantly running away.


But it's okay. Because it's worth it.


Because Wooyoung is worth it.


And about an hour later when he hears, on the brink of sleep between dreaming and awake,  Wooyoung's voice saying," Sleep tight, hyung, I'll see you in the morning" planted with a light kiss on his cheek, Nichkhun thinks he can go through this. Because even if the cycle repeats itself tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and the day after that, Wooyoung will always return to him,


and that's enough reason to go on.

a/n. written circa 2012 when wooyoung's promoting his debut and nichkhun had his incident. the snippets  comes from  Megan Falley' What the Hour Hand Said to the Minute Hand check it out when you have the time. its lovely =]