Kyungsoo’s own hand wraps around Jongin’s before letting it drop to his side. The whole notion was starting to make Kyungsoo antsy.

    Jongin doesn’t anything, on the of his cigarette. Kyungsoo notes the drawn out puff begins with a sigh.

    “Boundaries. I understand now."

    “I’m just.. not good with people touching me.”

    Kyungsoo tries to ignore the burning sensation on his shoulder as the two continued. The feeling eases as he counts cracks in the concrete.

    “I got carried away, I’ll keep my distance. I promise.” Jongin says as he leans back, arms crossed behind his head as he lets his cigarette burn out. “Ah, at least the stars are beautiful.” He tries changing the subject, “ I’ve only seen them shine so clearly in Arisaig. You’re lucky you get to see them every night.”

    “I’ve never really noticed.” 

    “That’s surprising.It was always my favorite thing to do when I was younger. Kiran and I would climb out onto the roof in the summer and name each new star we found. Time passed quick on those nights. We even fell asleep sometimes.”

    “On the roof?!”

    Jongin covers his mouth with his fist as his body shakes with laughter.

    “You’d imagine the surprise when they found us in the morning. I was always the one that got in trouble for it despite being younger, it’s funny how that worked but then again I don’t think the Yoo’s ever liked me.”

    “Why wouldn’t they like you?”

    Jongin shrugs his shoulders.

    “Could’ve been a number of things. They must’ve thought I was a bad influence to Kiran. Punished me for it even.”

    Jongin rolls up his sleeves to show burn scars across his forearms. They looked painful.

    “She threw the kettle at me once out of anger. The pot itself fractured my rib and the water burned a layer of skin off. It hurt like a then but these days it’s just a heavy memory.”

    Kyungsoo has the urge the navigate his fingers along the ridges of the bubbled skin but figures that’d be rude so doesn’t.

    “So I understand why you don’t like being touched. It took me years for me to not even wince at the thought.”

    “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so rude.”

    “How would you have known?” Jongin smiles but something about it seems forced “We all have scars. S