Am I being foolish? 

Impatient? 

Impossible?

These are the questions Jongin thinks to himself as he waits on the sofa with his mobile phone clasped in one hand. 

His leg keeps fidgeting, frantic, whilst his face stays stoic - focused on the phone screen - waiting for that timely ring. 

Any second now...

It still doesn't ring after a few moments and Jongin is on the verge of ripping his hair out. 

Maybe I should drive there...I still have time... He thinks to himself, now his fingers are fidgeting, tapping against the sofa arm-rest, he swipes a quick glance at the clock. It's just a little past eleven. Late but not too late. 

Nothing's ever too late when it comes to Kyungsoo. 

He lets out a hasty sigh

" it," he curses, standing up and dialing the phone. 

Guess he's got to be the one who gives in first. 

He pauses a second before selecting call and feels a rush overcome him and hit his cheeks full flush. The sound of the ring comes second and Jongin feels a force of emotions hit him like a wave and senses a smile creep upon his lips. 

ing finally. 

Kyungsoo's call dial comes on his screen, a picture of the shorter one with his hands wrapped around Jongin's shoulder after a day at the park, both of them smiling, both of them flush with red cheeks and pink lips, wind blowing in their hair and Jongin's little poodle fidgeting in Jongin's arms, his tongue flapping out and his ears pricked up as he faces the wind. 

Jongin smiles as he remembers the day Kyungsoo took that picture of them at the park and he has to shun away the sadness creeping up inside his gut as he answers the call.

"Heyy," Jongin says, the joy - very not subtly- in his voice. There's a twinge of excitement, relief and carelessness, as if he's been so long away from hearing Kyungsoo's voice and finally hears it. 

"Hey," Kyungsoo says back on the other line, the sound of a smile coming through the speaker. 

"What took you so long?" Jongin says - getting straight to the point. 

"My friends were being stupid again," Kyungsoo says and Jongin can almost hear the eyeroll. 

"Tell them to stop stealing my time with you." Jongin almost whines and Kyungsoo smiles and says 'okay, I will baby.' 

They carry on, for almost three hours straight. 

Kyungsoo talks about university, Jongin talks about his ty job as a P.E. teacher, Kyungsoo shares stupid memes to Jongin and Jongin finds new ones to send back. They rally, from topic to topic, what they did, what they saw, how much they miss each other, stupid like how if one of them was an animal who would they be, who are their celebrity crushes - and of course, Jongin would be the gentleman and say 'no-one silly, I only have eyes for you,' and Kyungsoo would pretend to barf. But deep down Kyungsoo would smile and he'd feel warm, his cheeks would blush and he wouldn't know what to say - yet again. They'll lie down and put each other on speaker phone, sit up when the talk got interesting --- 

"You wouldn't believe what Kevin said in class today..." Kyungsoo would start, 

and Jongin would listen, eager, hungry, digesting each and every morsel, like every word that comes out of Kyungsoo was a million bucks. 

Jongin would then reply and Kyungsoo would wonder why he got so lucky - he found a guy who actually gave a about the small stuff and sticks around for the big stuff too. 

It's weird - for Kyungsoo - to let himself trust somebody else so openly. But Jongin brings it out of him. Jongin gives him the space to breathe, provides the support he needs and most importantly for Kyungsoo - Jongin allows Kyungsoo to be who he is without giving Kyungsoo any fear that he might leave or that he was never interested from the start. 

It's a bit early to call it love.

I mean who knows what people really mean by love anyway? 

Is it just a fleeting moment, a political ploy, a social construct or a life long promise? Maybe it's the label offered when strings start getting attached and you can't be away from them any longer than necessary - otherwise it starts to hurt. 

Jongin would call it love though. 

He's a neanderthall, in Kyungsoo's eyes, all feelings, all touch, smell and sight. 

Kyungsoo is a little more complicated. All thought, all mind - all of the time. 

But that's what makes them pair up so well. 

Jongin is the icecream to Kyungsoo's over-heating, over-analysing brain and Kyungsoo is the spice to Jongin's vanilla cooking. 

Like yin and yang. 

Two opposite sides of a glove made with the same stitching. 

But anyway... 

"Love you," Jongin says quietly, almost a whisper as their call reaches four and half a hours. 

Kyungsoo brings his covers over his body and tightens them as he whispers 'love you,' back and feels the warmth of the covers enshroud him. He wants to close his eyes and make this all perfect - go to bed listening to Jongin's voice - but he remembers he needs to switch the lamp off, so he takes his phone with him. 

"Love you too," Jongin says over the phone as he tries to hide a giggle, 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and smiles - knowing exactly what Jongin is laughing about. 

"Love you three, Jongin." He says and Jongin bursts out laughing, 

"This is why I love you, Soo, you're so smart and funny." Jongin says - truely meaning it - as he remembers when Kyungsoo came out with 'i love you three' first. 

"Love you yoo baby, now hang up," Kyungsoo says as he hops back into bed, the phone pressed tight against his ear. 

"No," Jongin says, voice sober. "I can't." 

"Awwhh please Jongin, my fingers won't let me press the button." 

"Samee!" 

"Okay, let's make a deal, we say I love you and on the third word we have to press end call - same time." 

"Okay," Jongin says. 

"I..." Kyungsoo starts, 

"Love," Jongin follows, 

"You." 

And they both click end call with the buzz of the early morning filtering through them. 

They go to bed happy that in the morning they'll see each other again and this nightly ritual will be alive once more. 

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honestly i am romantic