title: love me after 12AM

pairing: kai/krystal, sehun/krystal

words: 468

summary: soojung is good at taking care of others but not at taking care of her heart.

Soojung is good at taking care of others but not at taking care of heart, Jongin ponders as he watches the said girl wipe her eyes from salted tears with the sleeves of her shirt. He hears her sniffle and sigh and can’t help think that beneath her beautiful, strong appearance is a child cowering in fear and heartache. He wonders if she realizes that she can never always be strong enough to fend off s like Oh Sehun. She probably doesn’t, thinks Jongin ruefully. Poor, poor girl.

“He’s not worth the tears, you know,” he says finally, emerging from the hiding place he has been while watching her. He leans at the wall, hands in pocket, and stares at the crown of Soojung’s black hair. She has made no reaction acknowledging his presence or if she even heard him at all.

They are three feet away from each other, though it feels like she is in leagues away from him.

Jongin stares at the pale, unblemished wall and he lets her sob because he knows she needs to empty her eyes out for this man she had given her heart. This girl with her mistakes and aches. He stays because at the very least, someone has to watch over her lest she try to do something stupid, right? He stays because her muffled sobs and short breaths and wasted tears break him just a bit. He stays because he pities her.

When she finally stops, Jongin is halfway to sleep. A tug wakes him up and he glances down at her face rimmed with fresh tears. Her eyes and nose are a tad red and her lips purse into a thin line. It’s crazy and stupid, but Jongin has the urge to bury his face in hers and cry with her. They aren’t even close for Christ’s sake and yet he feels her heart, can feel it being squeezed and shattered into thousand pieces.

Jongin lowers and levels himself with her. He wonders what Soojung sees in her wide and child-like eyes. Her shoulders are still shaking, and he smiles at that before grabbing the back of her head and forcing it to meet with his forehead. Soojung scowls at him, probably wondering what he’s doing and he doesn’t know either but his guts says it’s essential. Understanding, she sighs and closes her eyes.

“I’m not going to kiss you,” he says, focusing on her long lashes and pink cheeks.

“I know,” replies Soojung and the tears come again. This time Jongin tells her to stop crying and she eventually does, shuddering. Soojung is not a child. She can take care of herself and she can take care of others but not her heart. One day she will though, and still, Jongin will be there for her.

note1. very inconsistent in terms of writing style and i just had a good prompt :(

note2. compensation for the lack of update in 'the world without'

note3. GAH STILL DON'T HAVE NEXT PROMPT FOR TWW? CAN'T PICK

thanks for reading errbody!