Chapter Text
The door opened as silently as it could, so as to not bother.
“I don’t want it. Whatever you have, give it to some other patient.” Soonyoung said, his arm over his eyes, blocking the light of the ceiling. His body started aching, the adrenaline now flushed out of his system. A doctor checked over his stab wound, and though he wasn’t in critical danger, they had wanted him to stay for a while to see if the stitches would stick.
“I guess you don’t need me, then.” Soonyoung’s eyes snapped open, his arm hitting the bed as he sat straight up.
Jihoon stood near the door with a basket of fruits. His jacket swallowed his form. He wore glasses that were too big for his face, and that made him look younger than he actually was. Slowly, he shuffled inside, the basket rustling against his jacket and making soft white noise. He stopped right beside Soonyoung’s bed, eyes straight down. Not once had he looked at Soonyoung’s face.
“I’ll always need you, Jihoon,” Soonyoung said, with a soothing voice that was so rare for him. The lump in his throat returned. Jihoon swallowed down a sob. Soonyoung was fine. Soonyoung was fine, was here, was joking.
Soonyoung cupped his cheek, slowly raising his head to look at him. There was a soft smile on his face. It was the smile that he always saw on Soonyoung when he’d catch him looking at him. It was filled with pride, satisfaction, joy. Jihoon’s face crumpled.
Then, he slapped Soonyoung’s head.
“Ow! What the hell, Ji--” Soonyoung held the side of his head where Jihoon slapped him.
“Call! Or message us! Next time,” Jihoon hiccuped, the fruit basket now on the hospital floor. He struggled keeping his arms on his sides. He fisted his hands. “Next time, you tell us first before you follow through your idiocy.”
There was a huge lump in his throat that he couldn’t swallow down. The feeling of the onslaught of tears prickled his eyes. But he glared at Soonyoung, determined. Soonyoung rubbed his head, soothing the pain of Jihoon’s slap. He bit his lip and grimaced.
“There wasn’t time,” Soonyoung whispered. It wasn’t like Jihoon didn’t know. This was the ahjumma that Soonyoung had been talking to for God knows how long, and Soonyoung was friendly, and easily attached. (Traits he never thought fit in the mafia life, but Soonyoung managed to defy the odds anyway.) “They had guns, and ahjumma was there.”
“I know that.” Jihoon almost screamed. Soonyoung pulled his head to the crook of his neck. They stood at the side of the bed in silence. Soonyoung’s thumb was caressing his cheek, his palm warm on his neck. There were no tears being shed, but with the way Jihoon was trembling, he might as well have.
Soonyoung pulled gently to sit them on the bed, but he felt a tug at his shirt. He glanced down to see Jihoon’s hands, sleeves swallowing them by the large jacket, clutching tightly. Soonyoung wrapped his other arm around Jihoon’s waist and fell black.
Jihoon twitched, startled at the movement. He raised himself with his arms. Soonyoung was splayed on the bed with a crooked smile. His hair was a mess on the bed, too. But what Jihoon noticed was the smallest wince Soonyoung made when they landed.
“You idiot!” Jihoon scolded because that fall could have opened Soonyoung’s wound! And he was pretty sure Jihoon’s weight was no joke on it.
But Soonyoung’s arm was still around his waist, and his other hand had moved to brush Jihoon’s fringe away from his forehead. Jihoon glanced at his stomach, before up at his face. Soonyoung’s face didn’t change. His sharp eyes stared at him full of love and pride. Jihoon wanted to hit him again.
“I’m fine, Ji,” Soonyoung whispered, pulling his head closer to his again, until their foreheads touched. Soonyoung closed his eyes now, a serene look on his face. Jihoon still looked worried, if not irked. He tried to keep his weight off of Soonyoung, especially his lower body.
An embarrassing realization made him jerk out of Soonyoung’s face.
He stumbled on the fruits on the ground with a thud. Soonyoung sat straight, his face asking if Jihoon was alright.
Jihoon kept his face down, hiding his blush. He also didn’t think he could look at Soonyoung properly just yet, after he realized that Soonyoung wasn’t exactly wearing anything other than the hospital clothing. (Sure, he might have been wearing underwear, but still.)
“Ji?” Soonyoung asked, and Jihoon hated how it was affecting him.
With burning ears, Jihoon began picking up the fallen fruit. He held a handful of them before realizing he had no basket to place it in. The basket he brought in earlier was a few steps away, as it rolled when it fell. He didn’t know if things could get any more awkward.
“Yah, Lee Jihoon.” Soonyoung’s voice was still soft, fond.
“Why is it even me,” Jihoon whispered, his frantic movements stopping. He kept his head down, his thumb playing with the fruits on his lap.
“Does it matter?” Jihoon’s head snapped up, eyes widening at the casual tone in Soonyoung’s voice. His face was serious, even though he was smiling. He reached out a hand to help Jihoon up, and tentatively, cautiously, Jihoon took it.
The arrangement was quick and slightly uncomfortable in a too-narrow hospital bed. Soonyoung pulled Jihoon up and then lied down. He shimmied, moved them around so that they were lying down on the bed properly. One arm held around Jihoon’s shoulder, and the other over his waist. He twisted a bit more so that they were almost facing each other, but not entirely side by side because it was too cramped for that. He tucked Jihoon’s face under his chin, Jihoon’s nose touching his collarbone.
Soonyoung’s thumb caressed his neck, and it shouldn’t have been as soothing as it was. Jihoon breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm his heart down and trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Of all the times he felt like crying…
“I can’t really… remember when,” Soonyoung began, continuing his absentminded caressing, and even still pulling Jihoon closer than he already was. “It’s just that suddenly, you were everywhere.”
Jihoon’s eyes narrowed, because of course he was everywhere. They lived together. But Jihoon kept his mouth shut, wanting to hear more of Soonyoung’s explanation.
“And then suddenly, it wasn’t enough. Suddenly, I needed to see you. Suddenly, I needed to know what you were doing. Suddenly, I needed to know where you were. Suddenly, I needed to know you were safe. Suddenly, I needed you beside me. Suddenly…” Soonyoung paused, and so did his caressing. Jihoon felt the deep breath Soonyoung took, and the shaky exhale he had after, as if he was also trying not to cry.
“Suddenly, I realized I was in love with you.”
Jihoon bit his bottom lip, tucking and squirming even closer to Soonyoung. His hand was stuck between them, and it made moving a bit more difficult. His other reached for Soonyoung, to know that he was still physically there, though they were close enough that not even air can pass through them if it tried. He shut his eyes tight, and curled the hand between their bodies into a fist. Something to ground him to the overwhelming emotion running through his veins. He didn’t want to cry.
Soonyoung’s hand moved from his waist to his jaw, tilting it up while he squirmed his body just a bit to look at Jihoon in the eyes. The soft touch of Soonyoung’s rough hands, an odd juxtaposition on Jihoon’s skin, but he couldn’t help it. Slowly, his eyes open and it was glassy with unshed tears. Soonyoung doesn’t really expect him to cry now.
Soonyoung’s lips twitched into a small smile, because he was happy. Jihoon was here, beside him and not pushing him away. The surge of euphoria felt even better than the medicinal morphine. Subconsciously, Soonyoung stroked Jihoon’s sharp jaw with his thumb this time as he leaned his forehead onto Jihoon’s. Jihoon’s eyes were crossed, not entirely sure where to look, but settled on Soonyoung’s nose instead. It was less intense than looking at Soonyoung’s eyes that close.
“It didn’t matter to me,” Soonyoung continued, “why I suddenly fell in love with you. I didn’t bother questioning it because whenever I tried thinking about it, all I could see was your face…”
Soonyoung pushed their heads apart, and Jihoon had no other choice but to look at Soonyoung’s face directly now. But the smile on Soonyoung’s lips grew wider, and his face was obviously proud at his next declaration.
“And all I could do was smile.”
Jihoon twisted his body, angling it to directly face Soonyoung’s. He reached both his hands and lightly slapped Soonyoung’s chest. Repeatedly, in embarrassment.
But Soonyoung doesn’t let go. He tugged Jihoon closer, now that Jihoon was facing him. Though he winced when his weight pressed onto his wound.
Jihoon stilled, remembering where they were. He pushed away from Soonyoung’s chest, and his eyes darted from Soonyoung’s pained expression, then to his stomach. The wound didn’t open, and that was good, but Jihoon needed to move away to avoid it.
Which Soonyoung definitely wasn’t having.
He pulled Jihoon close again, the hand on Jihoon’s jaw was wide and it felt like it could cover his entire face. Jihoon was tucked in again, between Soonyoung’s neck and collarbone, and he took the opportunity to hide. He stopped squirming, stopped hitting Soonyoung, painfully aware that his movements could aggrevate Soonyoung’s wound.
So he settled instead by wrapping his arm around Soonyoung’s waist and pushing them even closer than before.
The weight around his waist was tight, and it added a bit of weight on his wound, but Soonyoung didn’t let it bother him. He was finally hugging Jihoon tightly without being pushed away. Soonyoung propped his chin on top of Jihoon’s head, sighing happily at their position. It was oddly comfortable, but he attributed it to being able to hold his most precious person.
His eyes were feeling heavy. The warmth Jihoon’s body passed through to his own, and the staccato rhythm of Jihoon’s heartbeat became a lullaby. He could feel his hold on Jihoon’s jaw slacking, and his other arm straightening out from under Jihoon’s shoulder. Belatedly, he realized that Jihoon was rubbing soft circles on his back, and fitting himself even more perfectly, like the last puzzle piece before a picture was completed.
Just before the last string of his consciousness slipped, he barely heard Jihoon’s whisper, “I can’t believe I’m in love with you too.”
The moment Soonyoung was released from the hospital, it was as if nothing changed between them. Not that Soonyoung minded. Except Jihoon made it a point to have Junhui or Seungcheol tell him to stay in bed. To not move, to not sit up, to stop squirming, Kwon.
“Hyung,” Soonyoung whined when it was Seungcheol’s shift to make sure Soonyoung wasn’t going to move randomly. He hadn’t moved from the bed since Jihoon pushed him and told him not to move a muscle. It’s been at leasttwo days and Soonyoung was going to go crazy if he doesn’t move soon.
“Jihoon says you gotta stay, so you gotta stay.”
Soonyoung groaned, because everyone of them knew he was weak to Jihoon, even just a mention of Jihoon’s name. He dragged an arm and covered his eyes. The bed was cold, despite the hot day outside, and the fact that he was under his blanket and duvet.
Seungcheol turned the page of his book and pushed his glasses up. “You do know you don’t have to listen to Jihoon, right?”
Soonyoung smiled even if he kept his arm covering his eyes. He knew he could just sit up and walk around the house, and Jihoon wouldn’t be able to do anything. But he knew that this was the only way how Jihoon could show he cared, could show he was worried. He knew that Seungcheol knew that too. They let Jihoon do it anyway.
“God damn, you’re whipped, Kwon,” Seungcheol commented, after a loud thud of a closed book. Soonyoung peaked under his arm, but his smile was still there. He wasn’t going to deny it because he definitely was. Seungcheol leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he placed his cheek on his palm. There was a smirk there, but Soonyoung didn’t bother.
“He was about to confess, you know,” Seungcheol said, eyes carefully watching Soonyoung’s reaction. The only reason why Seungcheol knew there was going to be a reaction was because he knew them both for a really long time. Soonyoung’s palm twitched, and there was a tenseness in his limbs. It was the only signal Seungcheol got that Soonyoung was, in fact, still listening and hasn’t fallen asleep yet.
“Right before your call ended. He started saying it, too.” Seungcheol leaned back, wanting to gauge Soonyoung’s reaction more. “I just don’t get why you won’t just get together and get it over with.”
Soonyoung removed his arm from his face as he gave a low, dry chuckle. “You tell me. He’s your best friend.”
“You’re the one in love with him,” Seungcheol countered, and again, Soonyoung wasn’t one to deny how whipped he was for Lee Jihoon.
“Doesn’t it hurt?” The atmosphere around them became serious. It was a genuinely concerned question. Seungcheol can’t choose sides, and Soonyoung understood that. Soonyoung was prepared to leave their group, to move to another sector of the family because he knew that even though Seungcheol can’t explicitly choose sides, he would choose Jihoon regardless.
“Does it matter?” Soonyoung repeated the exact same words he told Jihoon days prior, back at the hospital. He meant the question, because to him, it didn’t. It doesn’t. Seungcheol wanted to applaud Soonyoung’s tenacity because unrequited love was a bitch.
“You’re gonna have to talk to him, y’know,” Seungcheol said, taking his book and standing. He made his way to the door and held the knob.
“I know, hyung.”
“You’re also not really on bed arrest, you know that, right?” Seungcheol breathed out a chuckle, as did Soonyoung.
“I know that too, hyung.”
Seungcheol turned around, releasing his hold on the knob to talk to Soonyoung before he left for the family meeting, switching out for Jihoon next, somehow. His eyes were serious, so were Soonyoung’s, but there was a spark in Soonyoung’s eyes as he slowly sat up the bed.
“How far down that grave are you, Kwon?” Seungcheol asked jokingly but genuinely concerned, because he was worried about them both. Jihoon had been denying his feelings for Soonyoung for a long time, and Seungcheol knew that there was only so much rejection a normal human being could handle.
But Soonyoung smiled, soft and fond, and if Seungcheol could see what was in his mind, he would see Jihoon, smiling and laughing.
“Hyung,” Soonyoung said, looking at Seungcheol directly in the eyes despite their distance. The mirth that was usually in them, gone and Seungcheol could see it clearer than crystal. His lips curled into a proud smile. “I’m still falling.”
“You’re supposed to be in bed.”
“You were supposed to be beside me, but I guess that’s both of us who didn’t do what we were ‘supposed’ to be doing.” Soonyoung answered with a shrug, leaning on the wall to watch Jihoon in the kitchen. There was a copper pot on the stove, the lid beginning to jump at the boiling water inside. Jihoon shook a few packets, loosening the contents inside. The pot whistled.
“They’re all out today,” Jihoon said, just to fill in the silence around them. He doesn’t turn around as he concentrated on cooking the ramyeon. “Family meeting and patrol.”
Soonyoung walked closer, not minding that Jihoon wasn’t looking at him. “I kinda figured.” As soon as he got close enough, he couldn’t keep his smile when he noticed that the tip of Jihoon’s ears were bright pink. Jihoon’s eyes were frantically looking around, his hands were fidgeting, and he was rolling the balls of his feet front, then back, and he was still not looking at Soonyoung.
“Yah, Lee Jihoon,” Soonyoung said again, similar to the tone in the hospital, with a very fond voice that Jihoon didn’t know how to react to.
The pot whistled again, and Jihoon reached out for it, forgetting to get a pot holder. He yanked his hand back at the heat, only for Soonyoung to take his wrist and run it under the faucet. There was a serious look on Soonyoung’s face that Jihoon finally had the courage to look at. The blush on his cheeks were from the heat, from the boiling pot of ramyeon, he was sure of it.
Soonyoung turned the faucet off, smiled, and walked to the stove to turn it off too. “The ramyeon’s finished, Ji.”
Jihoon stiffly nodded, not being able to move from his spot. He watched as Soonyoung carefully took the pot holder. At the back of his mind, he knew that he wanted Soonyoung to just sit and relax. He also knew that if he were to scold Soonyoung now, while holding the pot, they might end up back in the hospital.
He really doesn’t want to go back to the hospital.
Soonyoung returned after placing the pot on top of the pot holder in their dining table, rustling for two pairs of chopsticks and two spoons. He held them in one hand, grabbing one of the glasses he left out on the counter. As he walked back to the dining table, he called Jihoon over his shoulder. “Could you get the other glass, and the water, Ji?”
Blinking out of his stupor, Jihoon rushed to open the fridge and taking the cold bottle of water that felt good on his heated skin. His brows scrunched up in realization that Soonyoung might have planned on making him get the cold bottle because of his earlier mishap. He frowned because he wanted to take care of Soonyoung, not be taken care of by.
All other thought processing melted away when he saw Soonyoung, leaning onto his elbows on the table with a wide smile on his face. The other pair of chopsticks and spoon were in front of him on an empty seat. Jihoon could feel Soonyoung vibrate in excitement.
As soon as he took his place, Soonyoung grabbed his chopsticks in hand and pressed his hands together. He bowed slightly, voice booming despite being only the two people in the house. “I’ll eat very well!”
Jihoon blushed as Soonyoung began to eat. “Yah, this is normal packed ramyeon.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Soonyoung said, slurping the noodles from the pot they were sharing. Jihoon rolled his eyes after narrowing them in disgust at Soonyoung’s way of eating. Stiffly, he took a bite out of the noodles and slurped loudly as well, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach, remembering Soonyoung’s words that sounded similar back in the hospital again.
It didn’t take them more than ten minutes to finish the ramyeon between them, and it wasn’t surprising. Soonyoung pat his stomach, feeling surprisingly full from just that. After counting to ten, because it was too comfortable to just sleep after eating, he stood up.
Seeing him stand, Jihoon flailed, pushing his chair away from the table with a loud screech. Soonyoung froze midway to reaching the pot, brow raised in question. Jihoon didn’t look at him, and reached instead for the pot with the chopsticks and the spoons inside. He grabbed the two glasses and stacked them into one another, and dumped them inside the pot as well. He accidentally hit the bottle of water, and Soonyoung instinctively reached out to grab it, but they both relaxed when they realized that it was thankfully empty.
Once Jihoon placed the pot onto the sink, he released a breathy exhale. His heart was beating too fast, and the blood rushing up his head was too quick. He gripped the edge of the sink so that he could hold onto something to calm him down. Counting backwards, he willed his heartbeat to slow down, until it wasn’t that difficult to breathe.
He reached for the pot, sliding it closer to the faucet but when he reached for the sponge, a hand snapped out to grip his wrist. Jihoon turned, followed the length of the arm despite knowing whose hand it was.
“Ji,” Soonyoung said, and Jihoon wanted to close his eyes at the intensity. “Ji, we need to talk.”
Soonyoung pulled, forcing Jihoon to face him. He cupped Jihoon’s face, carefully raising it to look at him. Jihoon’s eyes were glassy. “Ji,” Soonyoung said, thumbs subconsciously caressing Jihoon’s cheeks. “I’m not forcing you to accept my feelings, you know that, right?”
Jihoon knew. Despite being told that Soonyoung loved him every five goddamn minutes of every goddamn day, Jihoon knew that it wasn’t Soonyoung forcing his feelings onto Jihoon. It was just Soonyoung’s way of expressing it. It was Soonyoung’s way of letting Jihoon know how Soonyoung saw him.
Jihoon nodded, hands reaching to hold onto Soonyoung’s wrists. He closed his eyes, because the intensity was getting too much. But Soonyoung doesn’t tell him to open them. He doesn’t even guide Jihoon’s face back up. Instead, there was a small release of breath, a low chuckle.
“That’s good, then,” Soonyoung continued, releasing Jihoon’s face. He lowered his arms, but Jihoon’s hands still gripped his wrists. Slowly, Jihoon opened his eyes, and this time, he was the one caressing the back of Soonyoung’s palms. It was oddly comforting to be the one doing it instead.
“I just,” Jihoon swallowed the lump in his throat, and it would be the first time he was going to address the thing between them. “I can’t stop seeing you on the hospital bed. I can’t stop seeing you bleeding.”
Jihoon’s eyes fell to Soonyoung’s stomach where the wound was. It was ridiculous. He wasn’t there when Soonyoung was actually stabbed, unlike Junhui. He wasn’t there when Soonyoung was beaten up, unlike the ahjumma. He wasn’t there when Soonyoung had a gun pointed at him, unlike one of their men that helped save ahjumma, her staff, and Soonyoung.
“It doesn’t even matter anymore, Ji,” Soonyoung replied, twisting his hands to hold onto Jihoon’s. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” Soonyoung asked, cutting off Jihoon’s scolding of yes, it did matter, Kwon.
Lower than a whisper, lighter than a butterfly’s wing, Jihoon spoke tensely, his hand on top of Soonyoung’s curling into fists instead. “I just can’t stop seeing you almost dying.”
Soonyoung’s eyes widened, his heart beating wildly per minute. Jihoon bit his bottom lip, an effort to stop himself from crying. It was overwhelming. It made him feel too vulnerable, and this was why Jihoon never wanted to admit how precious Soonyoung was to him as well.
Soonyoung pulled them into the living room, sitting on the couch and making themselves comfortable. He made Jihoon sit between his legs, Jihoon’s back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Jihoon’s neck, tugging him closer and placing his head onto Jihoon’s shoulder. Jihoon held his forearm, and buried his nose and chin behind it. Soonyoung made sure that Jihoon’s ear was close to his heart. Made sure that Jihoon could hear, loud and clear, how fast Soonyoung’s heart was beating now.
“I won’t be that easy to kill, Ji,” Soonyoung said, as he cannot help but smile. They hadn’t been this close since the hospital. He was glad that Jihoon wasn’t pushing him away. “I’ll always, always, be by your side. Whether you like it or not. Telling you that I love you every five goddamn minutes of every goddamn day.”
Jihoon twitched a smile against Soonyoung’s forearm, but he stayed silent. Soonyoung continued, pulling Jihoon even closer that Jihoon could feel Soonyoung’s breath against his skin. “I love you, Ji.”
Soonyoung sighed, content at their position, even if it felt like his back was breaking at the angle he was sitting. Jihoon squirmed, leaning further back against Soonyoung’s chest. He inhaled deeply before he raised his head away from Soonyoung’s. Soonyoung kept his chin against Jihoon’s shoulder, but Jihoon inched his face closer to the slot between Soonyoung’s jaw and his neck.
Jihoon nosed it, inhaling deeply again, smelling and memorizing Soonyoung’s scent. He closed his eyes and smiled. “Soonyoung-ah,” he began, and Soonyoung tensed in expectation. “I love you, too.”
“What.” Soonyoung said, pushing Jihoon away so that they faced each other. Jihoon’s face was pink to the tip of his ears, and down past his collarbones.
“I love you too, you stupid, idiotic-- mmph!”
Soonyoung grabbed Jihoon’s face and pulled it against his, kissing him square on the mouth. It was meant to be a quick kiss, a quick peck on the lips instead of the forehead like Soonyoung usually did. But Jihoon was nothing short of amazing, adapting really fast and opening his lips for Soonyoung.
His brows furrowed in concentration, but his eyes were closed, and his hand grasped Soonyoung’s wrists again, a small semblance of control. But it was Soonyoung who adjusted their faces, who made sure that their teeth didn’t clack against one another, who licked his lips and darted his tongue to meet Jihoon’s because he’s been fucking waiting for this.
Jihoon’s exhale was so close to a moan, that Soonyoung had to pull away. “Fucking shit.” He whispered against Jihoon’s lips before capturing them again. The glide was easier, slicker from their previous kiss. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, and Soonyoung very nearly decided to just stop breathing altogether.
But Jihoon slapped Soonyoung’s wrists, then his hands, then he held Soonyoung’s head to forcibly pull Soonyoung’s face away from his. They panted, a string of saliva between their lips that would be disgusting normally, but the pink blush on their cheeks and the puffiness of their mouths overwhelmed their senses. Jihoon lowered his hands to wrap it around Soonyoung’s neck as Soonyoung pulled him closer, kissing him again but this time, slower. It was more sensual, and less hurried. Their lips smacked loudly, echoing in the living room as loud as their panting.
“Fuck,” Soonyoung said in-between kisses. “I can’t believe you said it.”
Jihoon smiled, just at the corner of his lips as his head was faced down. His forehead touched against Soonyoung’s. Their chests touched as well, as Jihoon found himself kneeling above Soonyoung’s lap during the kisses. Jihoon wiped the bottom of Soonyoung’s eyes. Soonyoung was crying.
“I can’t believe you actually said it.” The euphoric feeling of hearing Jihoon say that he loved Soonyoung was a whole other emotion. No medicinal drug or feeling of thrill could compare.
Jihoon’s long fingers caressed Soonyoung’s face. Lightly, it touched his forehead, down to his eyelids, to his nose tip, to his cheeks, to his lips, until it settled onto Soonyoung’s neck. Jihoon kissed the trail similarly, light and soft. From his forehead, to his eyelids, to his nose tip, to his cheeks, to his lips, to his jaw, to his neck. Soonyoung raised Jihoon’s face again, for his lips to meet his own. Jihoon didn’t complain.
After what felt like hours of kissing and caressing, they lied down face to face onto the couch almost in the exact same position they were in on the hospital bed. But the atmosphere was different. Jihoon was finally looking at Soonyoung properly, and the feeling on his chest was light. It was happiness.
“I still can’t believe you finally said it.” Soonyoung whispered, his eyes slightly puffy. His lips were swollen and pink from all the kissing, but there was a wide, bright smile that could battle the sun. Soonyoung opened his eyes to look at Jihoon.
With a blush on his cheeks, his pale skin brightening the pinkness of it, Jihoon smiled and said, “It feels so damn good to say it.”
They wake up a few hours later, a bit stiff from their position on the couch. The rest weren’t going to be back in a little over an hour, and they decided to watch a movie while they waited. They used the last packs of ramyeon earlier that time so they had no choice but to wait for Junhui and Mingyu to cook. They settled properly, choosing a movie that they both wanted to watch (which wasn’t exactly true. It was something Jihoon wanted to watch, but Soonyoung was whipped).
At first, Jihoon expected them to sit side by side, but Soonyoung wasn’t going to have it. He sat behind Jihoon, pulling him close to sit between his legs as he caged Jihoon’s sides against his thighs. Jihoon allowed himself to be pulled. He waited until Soonyoung was content with his position before squirming and making himself as comfortable as their position allowed.
They were halfway through the action scenes where the car drove quickly, and there were weird explosions all over the place when the lock on the entrance door clicked, and Mingyu entered, whining loudly.
“Ugh,” Mingyu groaned, dragging his six-foot body onto the couch as the rest of them entered. Soonyoung looked up, raising his head from propping his chin on the top of Jihoon’s head. Jihoon kept his hold on Soonyoung’s bicep, not letting him move too far away from him. Mingyu fell faced down and continued to whine.
Jihoon paused the movie. Mingyu rarely acted like a brat, but something must have happened. Jeonghan and Junhui sat on the other chair, and the floor while Seungcheol took the chair from their dining table to sit beside Jeonghan. Mingyu kicked his legs in a childish tantrum, moaned loudly in a whine, and slammed his fists onto the thick couch.
“Dare I ask?” Jihoon said, eyes darting from Seungcheol to Jeonghan to Junhui to Mingyu. Junhui made himself comfortable on the ground, leaning back and spreading his limbs in the floor. Soonyoung propped his chin back on the top of Jihoon’s head, before squishing his cheek on it.
“The librarian scolded Mingyu today,” Jeonghan said, waving a hand at Mingyu’s general direction, but smirked after. Thinking about the situation, it was a funny sight.
“He made too much of a commotion in a library.” Seungcheol continued for Jeonghan, loosening his tie and shrugging off his blazer.
Mingyu pushed his upper body up by his arms and pouted at them all. “I was checking for anything suspicious!”
“You were yelling as soon as you opened the door,” Junhui said, not moving an inch. “It was a library, Gyu-ah.”
“Stupid librarian in the stupid library. I was checking to see if it was safe and he hits a book’s spine on top of my head then kicks me out for being too noisy.” Mingyu mumbled as he sat straight, curling into himself a bit and pouting like a child. Soonyoung and Jihoon watched, their eyes moving back and forth from the person speaking to the next like a tennis game. Soonyoung held a small, amused smile. Neither of them comment on the darkening blush on Mingyu’s cheeks.
“And the family meeting?” Soonyoung asked.
Seungcheol and Junhui groaned louder. “The big boss scolded all of us.”
“Patrols need to be tightened, and interacting with the shop and restaurant owners are a must.” Junhui said, finally raising his head from the seat of the chair where Jeonghan was sprawled over its arm-rest.
“We have to become stricter with the lower sections of the family, too.” Seungcheol said, the atmosphere suddenly tense. Jihoon squeezed his grip on Soonyoung’s bicep. Soonyoung raised his head to look down at Jihoon, but Jihoon’s face didn’t betray any special emotion. The marks around his arms were going to be there, though. Bright and pink. He felt Jihoon shaking. The possibility of what happened to Soonyoung happening again scared him. Soonyoung smiled, wrapping his arms around Jihoon’s neck, and pulling him even closer. Close enough that Jihoon was practically lying on top of Soonyoung’s chest.
Junhui raised an eyebrow. “Well, you two are closer than normal.”
Jihoon’s hand slowly moved to take Soonyoung’s, and he slotted their fingers together. A perfect fit. Soonyoung placed his head onto Jihoon’s shoulder this time. Jihoon’s face still didn’t give away emotion, but there was a soft, pink blush rising up his cheeks that reached down his neck. It was endearing, seeing it so up close. Soonyoung squeezed his hand, and his smile was wider. He moved quickly, kissing Jihoon’s cheek with a light peck.
Jihoon pulled away, eyes wide in shock, and one of his hands holding his cheek where Soonyoung kissed him. The rest of them had their jaws down on the ground but Soonyoung smiled, brighter than any blush, or any ray of the sun. He was sure to get a beating (out of embarrassment) later, but he found that he didn’t give a damn.
“All the better.”