027
Later, at dawn.
This Situation
The sdmile tugging on his lips doesn’t fade as he takes a seat on the couch, next to Kyungsoo. He hands him the mug of tea. Kyungsoo doesn’t like drinking coffee and so had made an effort to buy teas so that when Kyungsoo comes for a visit, he can serve him his favourite chamomile tea.
Kyungsoo holds the mug with both hands to warm them and smiles at Jongin, not failing to notice how the other sat really close to him. Even with his cotton shirt being a barrier, he feels the warmth from Jongin with their shoulders touching. He tries to oppress the blush but of course he can’t.
“The autumn season is soon ending...”
They both listen to the news on the television, albeit both their attention is on each other.
Jongin was the first to move. He brings the mug to his lips and takes a sip. Kyungsoo, then, takes a sip of his tea too, lips curling up at the sweet taste.
They stayed like that in silence. They don’t speak but they feel comfortable just listening to the news, feeling each other’s calm breathing and just—loving the company of each other.
After sipping the last drop of his tea, Kyungsoo carefully puts the mug on the coffee table and fiddles with his fingers. Jongin side eyes this action and smiles to himself. Sometimes, Kyungsoo is being too adorable.
“Tonight,” Kyungsoo starts, voice wary and nervous.
“Hmm?” But Jongin can already feel it, he waits.
“I won’t be having dinner here tonight...”
Jongin’s hand halts halfway to his lips. “Oh...”
It’s been eight days since the day Kyungsoo came to him, nursing him yet again and fixing what broken relationship they had. Relationship, it wasn’t spoken but deep down in each other’s heart, they know it does but just couldn’t say it out loud in fear of rejection. But see, when they confessed to each other, they realized how foolish they have been, torturing each other’s heart instead of being honest. They promised each other that day that they will never lie to each other again.
And that night, in the midst of his dizzying world, Jongin managed to ask Kyungsoo to be his.
“Can you be mine?,” he asked.
Kyungsoo was crying but he also managed to say yes.
And on that day, their hearts were cemented as one.
* * * *
Jongin had never been so thankful of getting sick. Aside from the fact that because of it, Kyungsoo visited him and they were able to confess each other’s feeling, he had also managed to make the other stay with him to take care of him. The truth is that he is afraid that the moment Kyungsoo leaves him, he will never see him again. That he’d lose him forever. But Kyungsoo proves him wrong. Every day, Kyungsoo would return to stay the night and cook breakfast for him. The food Kyungsoo cooks for him tastes like heaven to Jongin. He could never get enough of it. Despite the fact that he’s already fully healed, Jongin doesn’t leave for work. All he lives for now is waiting for Kyungsoo at the end of the day with his heart shaped smile and beautiful eyes.
Even the world can’t stop him from falling.
He places the mug on the table, his heart beginning to pace up. Is Kyungsoo sick of me already?
“Do you have other plans for tonight?”
Kyungsoo his dry lips before he began to speak. “Luhan invited me to have dinner with him at his house.”
Luhan.
Jongin lets out a shaky breath. “Luhan?”
Luhan again. He feels his heart clenching. Jealousy. He feels jealous again. He feels greatly jealous at how easily Luhan can snatch Kyungsoo from his grasp so easily. And how hopeless he can be when compared to Luhan in keeping Kyungsoo close.
“Yes. He wanted to have dinner with me tonight. It’s been so long since the last time we spent time together...”
Jongin nods his head. No, he will not be possessive. He will try to understand no matter how painful it can be.
“But he asked me to invite you too,” Jongin’s head shoots up and he stares at Kyungsoo in disbelief. Kyungsoo continues to look down at his fiddling hands. “Since... you know...” Jongin could not ignore the blush starting to bloom on Kyungsoo’s pale cheeks. “...we’re already...”
A smile began to form on Jongin’s lips. Kyungsoo being shy is one of his favourite. But it’s not like everything Kyungsoo does isn’t his favourite.
The word doesn’t come out and Kyungsoo continues to blush.
“Since you’re already mine and I’m already yours?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t look up, blushing furiously as he nods his head.
Adorable.
Jongin couldn’t keep the swelling of his heart and he pulls Kyungsoo close to him, kissing the top of his head.
This is love.
“Of course I will.”
Jongin takes a deep breath. Kyungsoo wraps his arms around his waist.
This is love.
“I love you,” Jongin whispers.
Kyungsoo lowers his head. Jongin knows the other is smiling again. He always does when he tells him he loves him.
“I love you too,” comes the soft whisper.
Kyungsoo stays snuggled to him, close to his heart, where he belongs.
This is love.
****
Somehow in their shy whispers of their love for each other, the position switches. Jongin is now lying down, facing the now muted television, using Kyungsoo’s lap as his pillow, eyes closed as he revels in the feeling of Kyungsoo running his fingers through his hair.
This is love.
He smiles. Kyungsoo said he would be spending the rest of the day with him. He smiles more.
“Jongin?”
Kyungsoo’s voice is beautiful. So beautiful.
“When are you going back to work?”
Jongin stiffens at the mention of his work. Didn’t Kyungsoo dislike his work? In all honesty, he doesn’t want to go back to his work anymore if going back would take Kyungsoo away from him.
Jongin turns over so he’s facing Kyungsoo. Their eyes met and he doesn’t know what those tell him. Kyungsoo stops his hair and Jongin almost frowns.
“Are you sick of me already?”
Kyungsoo smiles. “No, I just... I don’t want to take away from what you are... You don’t need to change for me, Jongin. I understand if you still want to work there...”
Jongin sighs, still studying Kyungsoo’s face as if memorizing every beautiful curves and angle.
“I don’t want you to leave me again...”
Kyungsoo smiles down at him and Jongin thinks Kyungsoo was an angel in his past life.
“I’m not leaving you again, Jongin. Never.”
Jongin continues to stare at him and Kyungsoo tries his best to look as convincing as he could be because really, he doesn’t have any intention of leaving Jongin again. Never again would he think of such a thing.
“You promise me?”
Kyungsoo runs his finger through Jongin’s hair and leans down, his lips hovering a few inches on Jongin’s.
“I promise,” he whispers and seals it with a kiss.
Jongin smiles into the innocent kiss.
This is love.
****
They're holding hands now. With their eyes twinkling, cheeks blushing, and hearts racing. It’s not an ordinary event for both people; especially for one who spent his life in isolation. But Jongin likes. He likes this; holding hands with Kyungsoo as they walk the isolated street that he had walked on for thousands of times already. But nothing feels as heart-warming as having Kyungsoo’s hand in his as they walk down the street. The autumn season is soon ending and there’s nothing more perfect to end than to spend it with Kyungsoo.
“Careful there, you’re getting your ice cream everywhere,” Jongin says as he proceeds to wipe away the ice cream stain on the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose with back of his index finger.
“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says in his small voice.
Jongin continues to stare at Kyungsoo with a smile on his face. Smiling had already turned into a habit because of Kyungsoo.
Aware of the stare he is receiving from Jongin, Kyungsoo blushes even more.
“You’re very cute when you’re being shy and blushing.”
Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “I-I’m not blushing!”
Jongin looks ahead and continues to walk, a smile still tugging on his lips. ”says the red tint on your cheeks,” and he tightens the hold on Kyungsoo’s hand.
Kyungsoo frowns. Jongin never fails to throw him off balance.
****
“I need to go to the washroom. Wait for me here, okay?”
Kyungsoo looks up to Jongin who is suddenly rising up from his seat. He nods with a smile.
“I’ll be back quickly.”
Kyungsoo wonders why Jongin had to ask for him to wait when he’s just going to the restroom. Of course he would wait. He will always wait. He had been waiting for so long, five minutes shouldn’t matter.
Twenty minutes.
It’s been twenty minutes and Jongin is still yet to show up. Kyungsoo is already becoming worried. It’s almost four pm and Luhan could already be waiting for him. He takes another worried glance at his wrist watch. He can’t even call Jongin because he doesn’t have a phone.
And that’s when his phone began ringing. An unknown number is calling him.
“Hello?”
“Kyungsoo?”
He would never be mistaken. Wherever he hears that voice, no matter how far or how low, he knows who that voice’s owner is.
“Jongin?”
“Yes, it’s me!” Kyungsoo lets out a sigh of relief. He hears the person on the other line panting. Has he been running? Running from whom? Kyungsoo began to worry even more.
“Where have you been? And—and who owns this phone number?”
“Mine.”
Kyungsoo turns around and sees Jongin, holding a phone over his ear.
***
“May I know why you never bought yourself a phone?”
They’re now both on their way to Luhan’s apartment and Kyungsoo could not stop himself from asking. In the months that they’ve known each other, he hasn’t seen Jongin with a cellular phone.
“I... well, before I met you… there’s really no one I wanted to keep in touch with... I didn’t need anyone so I didn’t see the need for one. “
Kyungsoo does not speak again. Instead, he smiles. His heart is beating fast, does it ever slow down when Jongin is near though?
Kyungsoo smiles. He knows it wouldn’t
***
“Kyungsoo! You made it! I thought you’d never come!”
Jongin stops himself from scowling when Luhan pulls Kyungsoo for a hug the instant he opens the door for them.
“Of course I made it. I promised you, didn’t I?”
Kyungsoo hugs him back and Jongin clenches his jaw, trying so hard not to tear the two apart. He’d taken so much time of Kyungsoo and so he figured he must at least spare the two this time to be together.
“Oh, you managed to bring with you the man who’s kept you locked up for three days,” Luhan says as he looks at Jongin while still hugging Kyungsoo.
“Hi, Kai.”
But it wasn’t Luhan’s voice that welcomes him. Instead he hears a voice so familiar that he almost doesn’t believe it.
“Oh Sehun...”
****
Jongin not so subtly stares at Sehun speaking to Luhan in a way that he had never seen before. It wasn’t something like the way he talks to his customers. Sehun must have noticed for he looks across the room and meets eyes with him. He smiles, not in a boastful way but in a proud way, as he pulls Luhan closer to him, an arm around Luhan’s waist.
Jongin wonders if he looks that way when Kyungsoo. So… whipped.
Kyungsoo takes a seat next to him and his attention gets ripped away and fully goes to Kyungsoo. His arm automatically wraps itself around Kyungsoo's waist as well.
“Here, have a drink,” Kyungsoo says, handing him a cup of orange juice. Jongin doesn’t like the taste of sweet things but he doesn’t complain. He doesn’t see how Sehun and Luhan are both eyeing him interestingly.
“So,” Kyungsoo starts, raising a brow at Luhan, “You invited me to have dinner with you an hourly early before dinner time so I can cook for you? Is this how guests are supposed to be treated nowadays?”
Luhan laughs a little. Jongin thinks the laugh sounds different. Like it’s heartfelt. Jongin began to think he really doesn’t need to be on guard against Luhan possibly stealing away his Kyungsoo.
“Not really, Kyungsoo. I wanted to cook with you. Besides, you were never a guest here. You’re family.”
Kyungsoo and Luhan stare at each other, smiling. They did miss each other’s presence. There’s no questioning that.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Kyungsoo stands up to make his way to the kitchen and Jongin makes a move to follow when Kyungsoo stops him. His brows knit together.
“I want to help too,” he says.
“Luhan and I can manage. In the meantime, be Sehun-ssi’s companion, okay?”
Kyungsoo smiles at Sehun to which the latter returns. Sehun smiled. He smiled to his Kyungsoo.
“Alright.”
Luhan very gladly smiles and stood up as well, Sehun merely uncrossed his legs to stand up when Luhan bends down to place a hand on his thigh. “Stay. Wait for me, okay?,” he asks with the usual smile that only an Oh Sehun can cause.
Sehun smiles, his eyes turning into little crescents as he nods a yes. Jongin never thought he would ever see Sehun smile that way.
The silence that comes over them after their lovers left was beyond awkward. Jongin tries to busy himself with his new phone.
“So,” Sehun starts. Jongin wished he doesn’t continue though. “This is what’s keeping you from going back to work?”
Jongin looks behind Sehun, to where the kitchen supposedly is.
“Yes,” he fixes his gaze to Sehun. “Same goes to you. I didn’t know you’re this... attached to Luhan. I see now the reason why you’ve been in and out of the club with a bubble tea...”
It’s like indirectly mocking each other for falling in the same situation and still trying to act cool about it. None of them is backing down.
Sehun chuckles. “It’s worth every second.”
Jongin chuckles. Sehun is so whipped.
“And you even bought a phone now, huh? Scared to lose track of the center of your admiration?”
Center of his admiration? Kyungsoo isn’t just the center of his admiration. He’s every corner, every area, every part.
Sehun continues to speak.
“It’s weird, you know. Seeing you like this. I didn’t see you to be this type.”
Jongin chuckles. “So was I. It just... happened.”
Sehun smirks while he watches the love-struck look on Kai’s face as they continue to speak about Kyungsoo. He likes this side of Kai. This—Jongin side.
The dinner happens and both men subtly studies the other, curiously, amused at how two people who were supposedly cold-hearted found each other in the same situation; the situation of being in love.
The corner of Sehun’s lips tugs up after seeing Kyungsoo placing food on top of his rice. He knows Jongin hates this, but all Jongin did was smile so sweetly at the smaller.
Jongin takes a sip of the water, to not chuckle at how Luhan was so easily able to coax Sehun into eating vegetables even though he really hates it. He knows because of the many times they had company meals together.
Their eyes met, Jongin mouths a ‘whipped’ at Sehun.
Sehun chuckles.
‘Touché’
But they both know. Deep down.
This is love.
***
They stay at Kyungsoo’s house that night since it’s so much closer to Luhan’s place. They stayed snuggled close to each other, Kyungsoo pressed against Jongin’s chest as they listen to each other’s calm breathing.
The night is turning cold but not cold enough to affect the warmth brought by each other’s love.
Kyungsoo likes it, how they can just stay snuggled close to each other, how they can fall asleep in each other’s arm without really touching each other in a very intimate way. He likes how Jongin tries to understand him. He likes how Jongin is willing to take it slow for him.
Kyungsoo inhales, slightly shifting to use Jongin’s arm as his pillow.
“I love you,” he whispers.
Jongin doesn’t answer right away like he always does. Kyungsoo almost thought he’s already asleep. But then Jongin rises up to place a kiss on his lips. It was just Jongin’s lips lightly touching his but Kyungsoo feels the electricity surging through his veins because of the kiss. Jongin pulls away and looks him in the eyes.
“I love you more,” Jongin whispers before leaning down again to place a kiss on his forehead. Kyungsoo closes his eyes, smiling as the kiss lingered for a bit longer. A beautiful blush spreads across Kyungsoo’s cheeks with the whisper of an ‘Good night, Jongin’.
And maybe it’s too early for Jongin. Maybe he still isn’t sure what love really means. But for Kyungsoo, it isn't. Two years. The two years waiting is worth it every single second.
Under the galaxy glow in the dark-filled ceiling, the two fall asleep under the cozy warmth of each other’s hug.
And Jongin starts to believe in forever.
[140928] words: 2881
Hello
This chapter is still unbeta-ed. i wana sleeeep nowww. I apologize. u_u
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