ameliorate

chapter 18

jihoon woke up earlier than usual, due to a disagreeable lack of his favorite pillow to hug. he groaned heavily, sitting upright on the bed.

"ma...shi?" he yawned, opening and closing his eyes several times, trying to get rid of the blurred sight. "where are you?"

he buried out of the quilt and went out of the room. in the kitchen, he beckoned to doyoung, who was at the right moment preparing breakfast. receiving a smile from the other, he stepped further, and halt only after entering their collective bathroom.

"mashi? are you here?" he asked, but as the silence was the one answer, he came back to the kitchen.

looking at doyoung rather dumbfounded, sat down on the chair.

"what is it hyung? did you have a bad dream?"

doyoung approached him at an instant, gently patting his head.

"i am preparing some fried eggs, would you like some? food will surely make you feel better!"

he grinned from ear to ear, causing jihoon to smile too in spite of himself. his baby-like smile was undoubtedly contagious.

"i can't find mashiho. and i am getting more worried second by second. do you perhaps know where he is?" 

doyoung frowned. he seemed to be pondering rather intensively, ending up with a shrug.

"i thought he was sleeping with you, so that's weird even for me. but no need to worry, he couldn't just vanish! maybe you should ask junkyu hyung? these past two days, they were hanging out a lot." advised younger, a second after being already absorbed in cooking.

jihoon bid him a brief thank-you and sprang towards the respective room.

"yaah kim junkyu have you seen..."

he felt a lump stuck in his throat. his voice weakened, his hands started shaking, breath became short and rapid.

"mashiho?"

he murmured almost inaudibly when the unbearable pain in his chest emerged.

his baby boy was lying there, next to junkyu. his hands were wrapped around the other's waist, while his head reclined on his chest. it was moving up and down, repeatedly and calmly, the pace depending on junkyu's inhales and exhales.

junkyu on the other hand had his face half-buried in the younger's fluffy hair, lulling himself to sleep with a sweet smell. the sweet smell that initially belonged to jihoon, and jihoon only.

mashiho was his and no one was allowed to touch what was his. no one.

// ✧ //