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“By the way, I have to meet with my adviser tomorrow for final revisions on my thesis, so I won’t be out until late. Don’t wait up for me.”
The moment those words leave his mouth Seungsik already knows Seungwoo will throw a fit. Probably whine about why Seungsik’s thesis adviser couldn’t just email him about it, maybe even convince him to bail. Seungwoo could be a child like that sometimes, but unfortunately Seungsik couldn’t say he hated it. Being clung onto by Seungwoo was . . . a privilege on its own (or so Seungsik considers it) and more often than not he found it extremely endearing.
Which is why he’s surprised when Seungwoo simply smiles. A cheerful, “Okay. Good luck!” before he turns back to his TV show.
Huh.
Somehow, just a tiny bit, Seungsik feels disappointed.
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As much as Seungsik tells himself he isn’t bothered by it, he still very much is. More than anything he should be grateful for whichever celestial being allowed him to be able to leave their dorm room unscathed. But not hearing Seungwoo complain at least once leaves a feeling of unsettlement that Seungsik dislikes down to his core.
Even this morning, when Seungsik had reminded the older man again that he would be staying at his college department until maybe dinner time, just in case Seungwoo hadn’t been fully paying attention the previous night, Seungwoo had only nodded and once again wished him good luck.
Seungsik had thanked him, going on his way to his morning classes with uncertainty. Maybe Seungwoo was trying to be less clingy? Or maybe he had something to do after classes, too.
Now he was the one who sounded clingy. They weren’t kids anymore. They are grown men who are months away from graduating college. They didn’t have to be together all the time. They won’t always be together in the future either, Seungsik knows that. He’s gone through the bitterness of accepting that fact.
And yet, here he was.
The meeting with his adviser goes well, even though it still lasted a couple of hours; there aren’t any major revisions to be done and Seungsik thinks he can edit his adviser pointed out in a couple of sittings. He breathes a little easier upon hearing the positive feedback and lets himself revel in the praise the professor gives him, he has been working really hard after all. He thinks he deserves it.
He leaves the department faculty feeling like a ton of weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He takes out his phone to text Seungwoo he’s done and that he’ll be down in a minute, but then he remembers he told the older man not to wait for him.
His shoulders droop. Maybe he should have asked Seungwoo to wait for him, but Seungsik didn’t want him to wait so long. Besides, Seungwoo didn’t seem to care, anyway – easily agreeing when Seungsik told him. Somehow, he feels bitter about it. It was childish, but he really thought Seungwoo would whine about it just a little bit.
Maybe Seungsik really was the clingier one between the two of them.
“All done?”
A voice interjects his line of thinking, and Seungsik looks up to see one Han Seungwoo sitting at one of benches at the lobby of his department building.
“Hyung?” Seungsik blinks a few times, then looks around. Has he been worrying so much about Seungwoo that he’s hallucinating now?
Maybe-hallucination-Seungwoo stands, lips curled into a big close-lipped smile, and Seungsik can’t help but think that he looks like a cat.
“Earth to Kang Seungsik,” he singsongs, waving a big hand in front of Seungsik before pinching his cheek, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts. “Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like I’m a ghost?”
“Why are you here?” Seungsik blurts out instead of answering, and immediately regrets it when Seungwoo looks a bit offended at the question. He tries to compose himself, and he reaches out to grab the hem Seungwoo’s shirt. “I mean, I said not to wait for me, remember?”
“I wasn’t going to since you said not to, but,” Seungwoo pauses, and takes Seungsik’s hand from his shirt to hold it properly, “I know you don’t like walking home alone.”
“Me?” Seungsik’s eyebrows raise, tone incredulous. “That’s you.”
“Whatever you say,” Seungwoo shrugs with an innocent smile on his face, but Seungsik kind of wants to smack it off. With love, of course.
He turns and starts walking with the younger man’s hand still in his, lightly pulling him along. Seungsik’s heart pounds against his chest as Seungwoo twists their hands so he can slot their fingers together but he chooses to ignore it, eyebrows drawn together as he tries to catch up with the older man with hurried steps.
“We started walking home together in highschool because you said you were scared of getting mugged,” Seungsik says accusingly.
Seungwoo laughs, squeezing his hand, and Seungsik thinks it’s unfair of him to be acting cute right now. “And we never stopped because you get sulky whenever I have training and insist on waiting for me even though you’re tired and have so much work to do.”
“I was being a good friend!” Seungsik says defensively, cheeks growing warm. Seungwoo stops in his tracks to look at him, and Seungsik braces himself. “What?”
The older man spreads his arms. “Come here,” he says softly. Seungsik, still pouting, trudges towards him, letting out a small, “oof” when Seungwoo embraces him tightly.
He should probably be concerned about being seen, they are still on campus after all, but instead Seungsik relaxes in Seungwoo’s arms, mind clicking off. He brings his arms up to circle the older’s waist loosely, and rests his head against his firm chest. This is nice, he thinks, no longer caring about anything else.
“Better?” Seungwoo asks, words muffled against Seungsik’s hair. The younger nods, but neither of them let go yet. Seungsik just hopes no one is around to see them. Or, he hopes, even if anyone does, they simply choose to look away and carry on with their own business.
When Seungwoo finally decides to step back, Seungsik makes a disgruntled noise at the back of his throat, but he doesn’t complain any further. Seungwoo holds out his hand towards him, and Seungsik stares at it for a second before putting his own over it. The older man lets out a pleased little giggle at this before intertwining their fingers again.
“Let’s go home?”
Unable to stop himself from smiling, Seungsik's chest blooms with warmth, and this time, he’s the one who tugs at Seungwoo to follow after him.