He loves the sweet downward curve of them, the depth of the black of his irises and how they always shine, no matter the light.

 

He can look into them for hours, would, if only Taeil felt the same way as he did.

 

Taeil hates his eyes. 

 

He hides them behind thick and thin-rimmed glasses, sometimes even leaving the clear lenses in because they do a better job of obscuring his natural eye shape. The makeup artists draw his eye makeup on thick and dark, trying their hardest to make them look bigger, wider, and only succeeding in making Taeil more self-conscious. 

 

Jiho hates it, but Taeil never listens to him whenever he tries to tell him different. 

 

He blushes and punches Jiho's arm, dipping his head down. He deflects the compliments or changes the subject or pretends that he didn't hear.

 

It just makes Jiho try harder. 

 

Hanging out together is a lot more difficult now that they've made their comeback, promotions eat up their time in insane amounts. They've resigned themselves to calling ramen cups backstage at music shows 'dates', and holding hands in the backseat of vans between stages the same.

 

And the both of them are so tired, exhausted both physically and mentally from the strain of everything, that whenever they do manage to snatch up some alone time, most of it is spent in bed.

 

Sleeping.

 

Normally Jiho knocks out just as quickly as Taeil, the both of them curled together above the sheets, but not today.

 

Today, Jiho holds on, holds Taeil's small hand as he drifts off, and fights the pull of his own lids to watch Taeil's.

 

On his front, head turned towards him, Taeil dreams with his lips slack, still red with stain, and his lashes fluttering like dandelion fronds against his pale cheeks. Jiho watches, enamored, as Taeil's eyebrows dance over his eyes, as his button nose scrunches up and his pink tongue makes languid swipes across his mouth. 

 

Jiho feels like he's falling in love all over again.

 

They stay like this for a while, an hour most, Taeil sleeping as Jiho's heart grows and grows, before Taeil's nose wrinkles a final time, and his cheeks puff out ever so slightly, and those gorgeous eyes blink open like oysters peeking at pearls.

 

'Have you been awake this whole time?' Taeil mumbles, sluggishly raising a hand to wipe at his wet lips.

 

Jiho nods, smiling, and Taeil squints at him.

 

'Why?' Taeil reaches out with a sleep dewey palm and lays it across Jiho's forehead.

 

Jiho laughs softly, mostly air, and circles Taeil's wrist with his fingers, moving it to entwine their fingers together in front of his chest.

 

'I wanted to look at you,' he says simply.

 

Taeil raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment.

 

Jiho just watches him, and Taeil watches back, and the two of them sink into their blissful contentment.