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“You looked like a kicked puppy,” Jeonghan blurted out once within an earshot, approaching his table hoarding messy stacks of folded papers in one hand and a backpack safely strapped on his shoulder. Behind him, Junhui in tow carrying two paper bags that Soonyoung assumed to be containing their lunch. They immediately occupied the empty seats in front of him and settled their things down.
“And where is Jihoon? It’s very unusual to see him not around with you,” Junhui asked as he happily munched little bits of his chicken sandwich. He paused for a second then another, slowly taking in Soonyoung’s troubled expression. “Wait, did you two had a fight?”
“No? Why would we fight in the first place?” Soonyoung sent him a glare, not happy with the response he received.
“I don’t know? Maybe you did something stupid that made him slams the door right in front of your face.” Junhui said nonchalantly, shrugging and taking more bite, bigger this time. “You’re the boyfriend here, not us and that band aid on your nose says otherwise.”
“You two seems to be having a fight right now,” Jeonghan interrupts. “But really, what happened?”
Soonyoung wants to laugh at that moment because Junhui must be right, accurate even. Jihoon slammed the door in right on his face, locked himself the entire night and refused to see him until morning. Soonyoung is getting worried because a) Jihoon is sick. He caught some colds maybe from getting rained on b) he just wants to take great care of Jihoon but said boyfriend refuses to let him inside.
Chewing on his lips, he sighed “Jihoon is sick and he refuses to let me inside our room and take care of him.”
“What?”
“Is he okay?”
They both said at the same time.
“You know, you should go home now,” Jeonghan urges immediately. “Take care of him and his stubborn ass. Junhui and I are just going to take notes of the lesson you will miss today.”
And Soonyoung just quickly stood up from his seat and hastily packed his books without any thoughts in mind except for his sick boyfriend. Jihoon is probably alone and struggling to get himself out of bed. Maybe it was a foolish decision to leave in the first place, it was very unlikely of him to be not persistent. He gave Junhui and Jeonghan a gentle nod before storming off the cafeteria and running miles to reach their dorm.
There were a few moments of comfortable silence after, Junhui simply darted a knowing glance to the beautiful man beside him. “Well, that was easier than expected,” his chuckles breaking through. “...So where were we again?”
Jeonghan could only smile back, “Okay.” He took the other’s hand, “I will go on a date with you.”
On the other hand, Jihoon feels heavy. His bones and insides weigh down, urging him to rest a bit more and making it harder to get out of their shared bed. He hoarded every warm blanket he could find to himself and draped it all over his shivering like a leaf form. He feels his body burning with fever again from the inside but oddly feels cold outside.
Soonyoung was nowhere beside him. He had slept outside, probably curled in the plushy sofa after Jihoon kicked him out of their own room and practically slammed the door right in his face last night. Believe it or not, he does not want to do it but Soonyoung keeps clinging onto him and latching his arms around his waist securely as if catching the fever is not a bother. Soonyoung getting sick because of him was the least thing Jihoon wanted.
And although Soonyoung is just one door away, he had as always been, Jihoon can’t help but still misses him so much.
He was just about to go back to sleep when a sudden knock breaks in along with ragged breathings coming from the other side.
“Jihoonie?”
Another knock.
“I know you’re upset about last night and I’m sorry.”
And another.
“I miss you, baby.”
Jihoon could feel his walls crumbling down bit by bit, getting closer to his last resort of ripping the door open and just kiss him full in the mouth. But then, right before he could even stand and throw his pride out of the window, Soonyoung knocked again.
“Just rest okay? So I could cuddle with you again.”
One step. Then another. Jihoon marched forward until he could reach for the cold knob, ready to twist-open both his heart and see what was waiting on the other side of the door. He gathered all the courage to finally say a word, sentences he always wanted to shout about not wanting Soonyoung to walk away again.
One step. Then another. Jihoon heard footsteps getting further away.
“Soonyoung!”
As fast as he could, Jihoon ripped the door open and ran towards his boyfriend. He engulfed him in the tightest hug he could give, in the fullest love he could show, in the deepest he could go in Soonyoung’s arms.
“I’m sorry,” he quietly sobs, burying himself in the basking warmth he has been missing. “I’m really sorry for being so unfair to you.”
Soonyoung heard his heart breaking in half as Jihoon starts to cave in to overwhelming emotions. He knew they fought for the most childish reason but Jihoon is crying and his boyfriend seldomly cries, rarely wears his emotions on his sleeves but Soonyoung understands. He always does.
“It’s okay.” Soonyoung soothes down his distressed boyfriend, hugging back Jihoon as tightly. “I understand, Hoonie. I was invading your personal space when all you wanted was to be alone. You have your reasons to be upset.”
“Why are you so selfless?” Jihoon mumfles his cries, “I was acting up on you last night but you brushed it off that easily...why?” The last came out quivering, his head digging deeper in Soonyoung’s neck. “I hate you for being so selfless.”
“I love you,” Soonyoung sincerely replied, still carding Jihoon’s hair. “You could kick me out of our room, out of the dorm, out of your life and I will just come back for more.”
“Idiot,” he sniffles, “As if I would kick you out of my life. You’re stuck with me.”
Jihoon just really misses him, Soonyoung silently thought to himself.
"Glad you're awake," Jihoon fought his eyes open to see Soonyoung's stupidly endearing crescent eyes and sunlit smile. He grabbed Jihoon's hand and gave his knuckles fluttering kisses, "I'm worried and really thankful I came right in time you nearly passed out in your studio."
Jihoon can visibly see Soonyoung's smile dropped, creases starting to form against his pretty brows and lips turning into a sulky pout, cheeks all puffed.
"I'm sorry for worrying you," he pursed his lips, knowing very well that Soonyoung won't stop clinging to him, not even slightly worried if he could catch a cold too as long as he is by Jihoon's side. "I'm fine now, Soonyoung."
"Okay but just let me check."
Just like that, Soonyoung pressed his forehead against Jihoon's and then rubbed their noses together that made Jihoon feel flustered and not because of the fever.
"You secretly love this, don't you?"
"S-shut up!"
The first time they did an eskimo kiss, Jihoon nearly pushed Soonyoung out of the couch, quite literally out of panic. He wasn't used to different skinships. But now he loves it, especially the unique way Soonyoung checks his temperature when he gets sick and Jihoon knows it's his way of saying he's too worried even though it's already obvious through his actions.
“I love you too.”
Jihoon hates that he comes to love a clingy and worried Soonyoung showering him with unconditional love and care.