Work Text:
It was like an automatic reaction. Reflex. Which was ridiculous. Kissing someone as the person was asleep was not something one should do as a reflex. Jihoon scolded himself.
It was too late. His lips had just touched Jeonghan’s left cheek. Jeonghan who was lying on a mattress, eyes closed as he was deep in slumber.
When Jihoon woke up this morning, he found that the only mattresses occupied were his and Jeonghan’s. The others probably were already out of their room. Probably even out of the inn. They had been excited to explore the tourist area since last night, and none even bothered to wait for him and Jeonghan.
Jihoon wondered why he was friends with them as he walked over two mattresses to get to Jeonghan’s, with the intention of waking the older up. One second he found himself lying down on the empty mattress next to Jeonghan. It was Seokmin’s, which had bits of orange skin lying around—gross—yet Jihoon only noticed later on. When he realized, his lips were on Jeonghan’s cheek.
The older’s side profile stayed unperturbed. Jihoon quickly left the room with fear and guilt in his chest.
**
“Jihoon.”
The voice calling his name had Jihoon’s heart stop, and then when he saw what’s coming, his heart came back to life, beating painfully fast.
He saw Jeonghan walking towards where he was sitting on the floor, back sticking to the wall. He scooted to his left, pushing Chan (who had his gaze on his phone the whole time), trying to make some space between him and Hansol.
Yet Jeonghan put his hands on both of Jihoon’s knees, prying his legs open before sliding in between, half of his body splayed on the floor, the back of his head pressed onto Jihoon’s chest.
“There’s space.”
“It’s cold.”
It was indeed, very cold that day, and the warmth spreading through Jeonghan’s back felt nice. Jihoon’s concern was whether things other than heat could travel through the contact. Things like the beating of his heart.
Everyone else was busy with their own thing, nobody seemed to notice Jihoon’s dilemma. For a while he stayed still, unsure of what to do, not even where to put his hands, until it’s beginning to feel too warm. He shook Jeonghan’s shoulders lightly.
“Jeonghan—are you kidding me.”
Amazed but not surprised, Jihoon saw that Jeonghan had already gone to dream land. He sighed, feeling Jeonghan’s head moving along with his chest, and thought with a sense of defeat: even from behind Jeonghan was lovely. It’s ridiculous; the simple lines of his head, the slightly messy strands of hair, they were all endearing.
Once again, Jihoon’s body betrayed his will and soon he found his lips on the crown of Jeonghan’s head. When the realization hit him, Jihoon turned his head around nervously. No one seemed to notice what just happened, but Jihoon didn’t feel relieved.
He felt Jeonghan getting heavier in his hold, but it was probably the weight of his guilt.
**
Jihoon’s heart squirmed in pain when he saw Jeonghan sitting on a chair behind a square table, back straight but head tilted slightly to the right. It seemed that the older was too tired to move to the sofa not far away. When Jihoon went around the table and stepped closer, he could see lines of fatigue on Jeonghan’s face. He’s scared that if their professor kept the flood of assignments coming for another week, he’d see dark circles under those closed eyes.
Taking off his jacket, Jihoon bent down to drape it over Jeonghan, and as he did that, his eyes caught the sight of Jeonghan’s forehead. That forehead was scrunched during hours of battle with assignments earlier, Jihoon wondered if it hurt, if the muscles were aching now.
He blinked and found his lips on said forehead.
His feet scrambled backward, making him stumbled into the table, hitting his side and forcing a yelp out of his lips. He quickly shut his mouth although there was no need too; Jeonghan’s steady breathing didn’t change and his eyes were still closed.
When he left the room, his side was still aching, but he thought he deserved it.
**
Anyone who knew Jeonghan would know that the young man could sleep literally anywhere. Even in a cafeteria filled with chattering students, and of course, in a deserted section of the library, just like now.
Jeonghan’s arms were stretched on the table, right in front of his head. His neck was twisted so that the left side of his face was pressed to the wood, leaving the right side exposed. The tip of his lean nose, the curves of his right cheek, the plump-looking lips...
One breath and Jihoon could see those lips from between his eyelashes, making him realized how close they were to him. How close they were to his lips.
Somehow Jihoon didn’t panic. He froze for a moment before slowly moving backward, carefully putting his bottom on the empty chair nearby. He stayed like that, looking at Jeonghan’s sleeping figure in disbelief.
What were you doing!!
While he was busy scolding himself, Jeonghan’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing a set of eyes that were a bit hazy but perfectly conscious.
“Why did you stop?” asked Jeonghan without lifting his head from the table. He had this lazy smile that Jihoon usually found adorable, but now Jihoon was in no condition to admire it.
“I—uh... Uhm—“
“Where’s my kiss for today?” Jeonghan pouted now and the inside of Jihoon’s head was a chaos.
“Uh—wha--??”
HE KNEW.
With a pouting Jeonghan in front him, continuously demanding for a kiss, plus the realization that the kisses he had stolen before didn’t go unnoticed, Jihoon was once again reminded of how he’s completely at Jeonghan’s mercy.
“If you don’t kiss me, I won’t wake up,” Jeonghan proclaimed with a playful huff before closing his eyes. That’s not good. They’re having a group presentation in 10 minutes.
“Jeonghan...”
“My kiss.”
“.....”
With a sigh, and a rapidly beating heart, Jihoon moved his face toward Jeonghan’s. The latter kept his eyes closed and didn’t seem to be bothered with Jihoon’s presence so close to him, completely invading his personal space.
Inside his head Jihoon was laughing at himself, and then he placed a peck on Jeonghan’s lips. The very short moment was enough to fill Jihoon’s whole body with warmth, all the way to his fingertips, every nook and every limbs.
When Jeonghan opened his eyes again, he grinned.
With somewhat a strained voice, Jihoon said, “I hate you.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
That wide grin was still plastered on Jeonghan’s face. Jihoon kind of want to wipe it away. His will commanded “no”, but his body did what it was programmed to do automatically when dealing with this excruciatingly endearing person called Yoon Jeonghan. It was reflex.