𝐈&𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄, 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐧

midnight

he turned for the third time that night—

or was it that minute?

he sighed out of frustration, eyes peeling wide open thanks to the lack of slumber left in his system.

he wishes he could— he wishes he could just close his eyes and fall into that warm, comforting pool of darkness that'd allow him to recover from the draining schedules they'd been given for the week,

but he couldn't.

the sentences mentioning his name circulating around the internet bothered him. he knew they weren't true, right?

it was his way of showing love, wasn't it?

his hyungs nor NaRi took his teasing jokes to heart, did they?

that suddenly consumed his mind— the thoughts so clouding he failed to notice the girl's arm snaking around his waist, her head finding warmth on his chest.

so clouding he didn't feel her waking out of her slumber, her senses having told her something was majorly wrong.

the girl whispered his name a few twenty times before he knocked out of his worried daze, Ni-Ki almost immediately flinching out of her hold.

she sat up, looking at the younger with worried eyes. "what's.. wrong?" she whispered again, the boy shakng his head.

he said nothing, opting to leave the bed, quietly leaving the room to the living room.

she let the younger be alone for a few, counted minutes, following his previous steps soon after.

her squinted eyes turned normal as she saw the boy's worried face, nearly invisible trails of tears shining on his puffy face.

she silently sighed, carefully sitting beside the boy. "Rik.."

"do my jokes hurt?" he voiced aloud, voice still quiet. her head whipped towards the younger, eyebrows furrowing. "what-"

"my jokes," he clarified, playing with his fingers. "my teasing.. y'know.. what i do to you and the hyungs?"

her eyes widened as she realized he'd seen the tweets she had, knowing he was aware of just how bad it'd gotten.

she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing the boy to lay on her.

"my love.." she said, resting her lips on his temple, staying there for a while before laying her head on his own.

"don't change anything about yourself.. we know you're joking, hm?" she hummed, "don't care what people online say, okay?"

"but it's hard when-"

"it's hard when people are down your throat and your agency isn't doing anything to protect you? yeah, it is," she interrupted, the boy opting to stay quiet since she knew more about this topic than anyone.

"but Rik," she sighed again, finding the words to say. "we're used to it, we expect it.. you're a kid, you're gonna say and do these things," she silently chuckled, fingers mindlessly running through his black locks.

"they don't know you, Riki. they're basing their words off of videos on the internet, we're the ones that spend every minute of every day with you, aren't we? shouldn't our, or at least my, words count more than theirs do?"

she felt the boy slowly nod his head, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on the top of his head.

why isn't the agency doing anything about this?

her mind went back to a few weeks ago— at their photoshoot for ami paris.

her eyes had began trailing over the boys looks, fixating on the maknae— he looked far too grown.

images she'd seen prior to his coming to Korea flooded her mind, comparing those with the sight in front of her.

NaRi's fingers ran through the boy's hair— the boy who looked far older than his actual age, the one looked at in a.. different light than other kids his age. the boy who turned so small once he was in her hold, knowing he was safe in the arms of his entire world.

the girl held him closer towards herself, clinging onto his warmth tightly. Ni-Ki only let this happen, comfort and peace flowing through his veins, thankfully replacing the prior panic that'd been suffocating him.

he moved his face from the crook of her neck, tilting it so they made eye contact. she returned his gaze, softly smiling once they'd met. you grew up too fast..

🦇 ... 끝!