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"Hey, Yeonjun! Look at this stick I found!"
"Yeonjunie! Look at this cool flower I found on the ground!"
" Yeonjun! Did you know that butterflies have taste receptors on their feet?"
"Guess what I learned, Yeonjun!"
Yeonjun enjoys this.
Sure, it's an information overload. Yeonjun may even forget half of the things Beomgyu tells him throughout their little nature walks, but there's something in the way the boy's face lights up once they cross the creek and see the salamanders in the lake. The way he clasps his hands together and squeals silently when he sees a vibrant red cardinal flower in contrast to the dark woods leading up to the lake. It's adorable, and he wants to see Beomgyu happy and comfortable .
Beomgyu sure does love nature.
He also loves Yeonjun, maybe even more than nature. Just a little bit.
He loves studying Yeonjun as if he's a book, deciphering and putting together everything to understand who Yeonjun is.
He picks up on the way Yeonjun speaks and his tone. He loves listening to Yeonjun talk. The way his lips pout at the same time his eyebrows furrow. Beomgyu catches Yeonjun's voice around the room, absent-mindedly swooning. He takes in every word Yeonjun pronounces, each letter, and it's like sweet candy to Beomgyu.
Yeonjun's face resembles a fox, with mannerisms of a cat. Yeonjun loves hugs, so he hugs Beomgyu every time they face each other. Yeonjun once rubbed his face against Beomgyu, humming, the younger visibly stunned with how similar to the feline species Yeonjun was- but he wasn't complaining.
Yeonjun likes to play around and tease and teach Beomgyu about life through difficult sayings, but he gives Beomgyu a nudge once he sees the other's dropped expression.
"Hey, Gyu, don't take it too literally, alright? It's like a metaphor about life- nothing too serious."
"Ohh. I didn't know, sorry hyung I-"
Yeonjun brought a finger up to the younger's mouth and shushed him, shaking his head. He opens his arms for Beomgyu to hug him, the latter hesitantly meeting Yeonjun's embrace.
Yeonjun gives Beomgyu a quick peck on his forehead and continues to point out every flower they see along the road.
He knows Yeonjun likes spicy food. He can't eat a lot of chocolate because the texture makes the roof of his mouth uncomfortable. Yeonjun likes to play video games. He changes his hairstyles, and he dyes them frequently. His latest hair transformation was a soft cotton candy pink that had Beomgyu eyeing him the entire 40-minute walk from Yeonjun's house to the lake and back.
Yeonjun likes to watch the colorful fish swim throughout the current. He takes pictures of the scenery before him.
Beomgyu remembers the first time Yeonjun asked to take a picture of him. It was in front of an oak tree. Then, Yeonjun asked Beomgyu the unimaginable.
"Gyu, let's take a picture here. I'll put it on my wall so we'll remember it forever."
Beomgyu, shocked, took the polaroid camera and turned it around, smiling as Yeonjun put his arm around him.
Yeonjun had many friends other than Beomgyu, so he didn't expect Yeonjun to post their polaroid up. Before they became close, Yeonjun would occasionally ask Beomgyu if he could sit with his friends at lunch, the younger giving him a sad nod before heading to the library. But the next time Beomgyu went over to Yeonjun's house, he saw their polaroid on a board with stars and cutely drawn mushrooms on it, titled " My Gyu."
Beomgyu will forever remember that feeling Yeonjun gave him.
So, Beomgyu indulges in Yeonjun, asking him everything and anything.
"What's your favorite food?"
"Hey, Yeonjun! What's your favorite movie?"
" Do you like crime? Horror? Drama?"
Yeonjun doesn't like horror.
Horror movies like Annabelle make Yeonjun scream and whine, pleading for Beomgyu to turn the tv off, or the scary doll would come for Yeonjun.
Drama movies make the elder cry.
But, Yeonjun enjoys comedy and romance.
They watched some random romance drama at Yeonjun's house, and while Yeonjun, heavily invested in the tv and the delicious popcorn in front of him, Beomgyu stared at him.
The couple holds each other tightly, the woman crying into his chest. Typical and cliche romance. The man pulls back and stares into her eyes. They look at each other for a second too long- and then- they meet each other's lips, soft and delicate. Yeonjun squeals from his spot on the couch- hitting Beomgyu's shoulder.
"I told you they'd kiss!"
Beomgyu stares into the tv, trying to match the actor's expressions.
They look at each other as if the universe was held in each other's eyes. Beomgyu's eyebrows furrow, and he pays attention to the detailing. Then it hits him.
Maybe he's in love with Yeonjun.
He doesn't know how to kiss, so that night, when he's nestled in bed, he practices on his pillow.
Beomgyu likes how Yeonjun treats him like he's a normal human being.
Beomgyu's mother can't even remember that Beomgyu has a mind of his own. But Yeonjun does. Yeonjun doesn't baby him and doesn't treat him as if he just learned how to walk.
But Yeonjun is still helpful.
" Gyu, Gyu, hey- hey, what's wrong?"
Beomgyu scratches his middle finger with his thumb of the same hand, pacing around Yeonjun's living room. It's hard, and since he can't express it, he's panicking. It's upsetting and frustrating, and Beomgyu feels like his lungs are closing.
Tears are running down his face, frantically hiccuping as he mumbles something to himself, beginning to hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Yeonjun bites his lip as he comes to a conclusion on what is happening, walking up to Beomgyu softly.
"Hey, Gyu, please don't hit yourself...it'll bruise, alright?" He whispers, easing Beomgyu's hand away from his forehead. Beomgyu's long brown locks hide his teary eyes, and Yeonjun interlocks his hand with Beomgyu's.
"Do you want to wear my cat beanie? It's fresh out the dryer." Yeonjun brushes back Beomgyu's hair, and the younger twitches a bit, unsure.
"It is raining hard outside, ain't it? I know you don't like when it rains this hard, Gyu. I'm sorry we couldn't go out. Tomorrow it won't be raining anymore so we'll be able to go! But in the meantime, how about we make a pillowfort and order some takeout? My covers are pretty warm too."
Beomgyu whimpers and squeezes Yeonjung's hand tight.
"Can I just...do the thing?" He whispers, and Yeonjun smiles, warm and bright.
" Of course."
Beomgyu follows Yeonjun into his room and patiently waits as Yeonjun pulls out a pair of black noise-canceling headphones. He's rushing around like a busy mother, and Beomgyu scrunches his nose.
Eventually, Yeonjun placed his warm bed sheets on his bed, and he placed his beanie on his desk whenever Beomgyu wanted to wear it.
"Alright, here you go, Gyu. I already ordered some food. It should be here in like- 20 minutes. Come into the living room whenever you're ready." Yeonjun turns on his lamp and closes his blinds, the gloom and darkness outside disappearing as his room filled with warm colors and coziness.
" Thank you," Beomgyu whispers as his head disappears into the sheets, putting on the headphones and blasting music to distract himself.
About half an hour later, when everything was set up, Beomgyu tip-toes out of Yeonjun's room and downstairs to the living room, led lights on the purple color setting (because Yeonjun remembered that Beomgyu didn't like the brighter colors), along with a small table in the front of the tv. It had their takeout food and various snacks piled around it, and Beomgyu sighed happily.
He sits down next to Yeonjun in their little fort, the older smiling to greet him before popping open a can of coke for them to split.
Beomgyu puts on the beige cat beanie and stares at the floor, happy and content.
"You can keep the beanie if you want, Gyu."
"But it's yours?"
"You look better in it, though; like a cute lil' cat.
"I thought I was a bear..."
"Bear-cats exist too, y'know...you can be both!"
Beomgyu giggles and eats a bite of Yeonjun's spicy chicken as he puts on some scary movie, the other wary, but Beomgyu reassures Yeonjun that he can hold his hand if it gets too scary.
At the end of the day, he thanks Yeonjun for being understanding while respecting his boundaries. He thanks Yeonjun for treating him like a human with feelings.
He feels like Yeonjun is the only one who cares sometimes.
Beomgyu stops Yeonjun, picking his cheek.
"Something bothering you, Gyu?"
" Yeonjun, are you only my friend for sympathy?"
"Gyu, no- oh my god- what?"
"No one wants to be friends with some retard, right?"
"Gyu..."
Tears prickle in Beomgyu's eyes, and he balls his fists.
" You're the only friend I have, Yeonjun. I'm scared- I'm scared that y-you're friends with me for pity. Like, I'm a fucking weirdo. I'm stupid. I'm embarrassing, and maybe you hate being around me during school. I'm scared that maybe I annoy you, maybe you don't wanna be friends with me anymore because I'm just- I don't know- I'm sorry- I just- I-"
"Gyu, please-"
"Your friends are so much cooler! And if we're honest, you're way out of my league. Sometimes at night, I wonder how you ever wanted to be friends with someone like me. I don't even- I can't- I hate-"
"Or shit, maybe you feel like a saint, that you've befriended the autistic kid who never fucking shuts-"
Yeonjun hugs him tight, sobbing.
"Gyu, you're my best friend."
"But- but I-"
"Gyu, I love you so fucking much. I'm not your friend because of sympathy. None of that. None of that at all, Beomgyu. I care about you so much. I'm so sorry, Gyu."
He feels guilty now. He'd never seen Yeonjun cry like this. Not even when the romance movie they're watching has a sad montage of a breakup or something.
Beomgyu pats Yeonjun's head awkwardly, the older shaking like a leaf below him.
"I'm sorry, I just... I'm so grateful you're in my life. It almost doesn't seem like it's- real."
"Gyu..."
"I never had a friend like this before. I got told I'd never be able to make friends. My mom told me my "special needs" would get in the way of a real friendship. But that day, when I was sitting alone, you came up to me and smiled warmly, and you- you listened to me, Yeonjun. It didn't feel real. It doesn't feel real, Yeonjun. Do you get tired? Of me? Dealing with me? Hearing me get carried away and talk about bullshit for hours on end?"
"If it's you, then never."
"..."
"Thank you, Yeonjun. I love you."
" I love you too, Gyu."
They do their routine everyday. Wake up, go to school, then adventure throughout the woods all over again.