poems by the shore

o8

jisung smiles as the boy wipes his tears, feeling ecstatic after his brother had come back home holding berry on her leash. "he found her sniffing around a library a couple blocks away," felix beams as he ruffles her hair and kisses her head.

"she's okay, though? no scratches or anything?" he asks.

felix shakes his head a bit aggressively, the biggest smile plastered on his lips. "she's all good. thank you, jisung, for being here and listening." he nods happily.

"always, felix. i'm always going to be here for you. i'm happy chan found her and she's okay and safe and everything."

the boy smiles and waves bye to jisung with berry's paw, the two hanging up. they'd been on the phone for while, the clock beside his bed ticking 19:07.

"shit," he mutters, grabbing his shoes and calling out to his dad he'll be back home later. the door shuts behind him as he rushes down the steps and passed the streets to the beach just a few blocks away.

they never said a specific time, but he'd rather be there an hour early than keep the boy waiting and wondering if he was stood up. this isn't a date, so he can't necessarily be stood up. can he?

he kicks his shoes and socks off, plodding along the sand till he stops just beside hyunjin strumming his guitar. the boy looks up at jisung who sighs heavily.

he smiles, "hey."

jisung smiles back, sitting down and resting his hands behind him to prop himself up. they sit in silence, hyunjin playing okinawa softly.

he turns his head and lets his eyes graze over hyunjin; first his hands strumming carefully, then his eyes watching the strings attentively, resting on his lips.

he looks away to the waves quickly. hyunjin notices and stops playing, setting his guitar in its case and zipping it closed. "you didn't have to run here," he chuckles.

jisung scoffs. "i didn't. someone was going to turn at the light, but i was crossing so i had to run."

hyunjin smiles, "i thought you didn't." he looks to the boy and says he knows what he means. they turn to the water and watch as the summer sun slowly sets before them. "sunset's really pretty."

he looks at hyunjin, thinking to himself you're really pretty. their eyes meet and jisung's skin grows warm to the touch, hyunjin's painted pink in an instant. is he not alone in this warm feeling he gets when they're together?

they've only known each other for a few days.

hyunjin clears his throat, still gazing at the warm boy beside him. he bites his lip. "do you want to go to karaoke?" jisung nods, trying not to seem too excited but getting to spend more time with hyunjin was every bit exciting.

they stand and when reaching the street, they put their socks and shoes back on, jisung being sure to tie his laces in case he gets flustered and somehow trips to make a fool of himself.

he didn't tie them well enough.

jisung's lace begins to fall out, stomping on them with each step. "your shoe lace," hyunjin says. he raises his brows, unsure why the boy would point out his shoe laces and within a second he trips himself.

he holds his hands out in quick reaction to catch himself, but hyunjin now holds his arms. his hand rests on jisung's shoulder blade, cheeks flushing once again.

they stand quickly and hyunjin crouches to the ground, mumbling how jisung should've been more careful, and ties his shoe. when he stands, jisung hums thank you.

he nods and they continue to the karaoke rooms several blocks away.

hyunjin pays for the room, jisung getting them bottles of water. they find the room and set up the songs they wanted to sing.

they do duets, solos, and simply let the song play as hyunjin danced along, jisung being his cheerleader.

nearly an hour's passed when jisung checks his phone with messages from felix. he's asked where he was and why he hasn't replied to earlier messages. he accurately accuses jisung of spending the rest of the evening with his 'lover boy'.

he answers that he's with hyunjin, but he's not his lover boy. or perhaps that's just what he's trying to convince himself of.

"everything okay?" hyunjin asks, taking a long drink of his water bottle. it's not his water bottle. jisung notices and looks up, nodding.

"yeah, it's just felix checking in."

the boy smiles, suggesting they call it a day so he and felix can talk. "no, no. it's okay. we were talking earlier. that's why i was late."

hyunjin shakes his head, "we never said a time, though."

"right," jisung says, looking at his phone in his hands resting on his lap. "or," hyunjin suggests. "you don't want to go?"

his heart quickens. why does he say things, why does he do things that make jisung's heart flutter?

jisung glances over and sees hyunjin looking a bit uneasy at the water bottle in his hands. he taps at his phone, messaging his dad. he gets a reply quickly and glances at hyunjin.

he hesitates before asking.

"can i sleep over?"