𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 22 | chensung

39

"Tell me, did you only come with me to remind me of the good old times?"

Jisung rolled his eyes and sent a sideways glance to Chenle. "Maybe. This feels like it could be a tradition."

The omega sniggered quietly and looked down at his feet. He didn't mind if this became a tradition. They were going to the local pharmacy. His hands tightened around the straps of his bag, weighed down by the many sweets he bought in the corner shop for the trip to the adventure park.

The pharmacy was nearing. It felt like only yesterday that Jisung had caught Chenle during one of his morning jogs and tailed him to steer him away from criminality. It was pleasantly air-freshened in the shop and the lights were a clear white colour. It was the same lady behind the counter as last time, probably because it was morning time, and she had a look of recognition about her.

"It's Red you want, right?" Jisung asked lowly near the ravenette's ear, his own brown-streaked-blonde hair falling over his eyes.

"Yup." It was glaringly presented behind the counter, the thick red sign accentuating the brand because they were the most popular, while Yellow, Blue and Orange had much humbler advertisements. "Hello, could I get two canisters of Red, please?" He asked politely while the alpha loomed behind him, hands in his pockets.

"There you go, cash or card?"

He settled the payment, all while Jisung watched intently. "Why are you so interested?"

"...Two canisters? Are you overdosing?"

"Nah, Ji, I've been having a heavier scent these days. It'll go back to normal in a month or so, if the internet didn't lie to me," he explained, moving to leave, but the taller seemed to now be interested in the alpha suppressants, namely Mask, further down near the back. "Want some?"

He scratched the back of his neck in thought. "There's no harm in bringing some on the trip just in case."

In a way, not being able to smell the peppermint soothing scent made Chenle a bit reticent to agree, but in the long run, Jisung was being responsible and he found that very attractive. "Like you said."

They left the shop together, Chenle's bag a small bit heavier than before to carry both his and Jisung's haul. It was another beautiful day, the type of day that you'd go swimming in the Crazy Duck Pond (if it wasn't disallowed). The goose tended to get very territorial if anyone jumped into the water. No specifics shall be given, but the dignity of many unsuspecting people was lost.

"Do you want to help me pack? I'm sure I'll forget something," the omega asked casually, checking the time on his phone to confirm his availability, although he wasn't sure why because he no longer had shifts at the bar to be covering. Old habits die hard, he inwardly chuckled.

"I have nothing better to do, so maybe not..."

"I can give you something better to do, and it includes applying plasters to your face."

"Hmm, tempting. Don't worry, I'll help you pack."

Chenle was not worrying, but nonetheless, he indicated that Jisung made the right choice. Violence didn't always have to be an option. He matched the alpha's longer strides and walked with a skip in his step. He hadn't had a guest over since his last proper heat, when Donghyuck came over to mind him.

•・•・•

"Don't laugh," he warned and unlocked the door. He didn't have a lot in his flat. There wasn't much wriggle room to spend silly money when he looked after all the appliances and bills himself.

Jisung walked around the small immediate space, noting that it was a kitchen with a long couch and a television in the corner. The narrow hallway further down led to a box bathroom with a toilet and claustrophobic shower, and a bedroom that was big enough to house a strangely-shaped bed (it was bigger than a single but smaller than a double) and a treasure chest at the foot of the mattress.

"I'll bring the overnight bag into the kitchen. Come on," Chenle beckoned, and Jisung watched him disappear back down the hall with a large empty bag over his shoulder.

Following him down, he found that the place was quite clean. For some reason, he hadn't expected a clear space. The bag was on the counter and Chenle was already unloading the other bag's contents into it, that being his suppressants and the sweets.

"Ji, here are yours." His hands held out the alpha suppressants.

"Thanks." He smiled and leaned against the countertop, arms folding and jostling the pills around. "I like it."

"...The suppressants?"

"No, your home."

"Thanks, well, it isn't much. It does the job though, there's a bed and a fridge. That's really all that a home needs."

The alpha helped him pack clothes and shoes in. It was probably going to be a messy trip if it was an adventure park, so he put a large plastic bag inside as well for all the dirty clothes. Soon enough, the light outside was dampening and they had to turn on the kitchen light.

"This better be fun, or else I'm throwing arms. I spent a fortune on sweets. The omens are on my side."

Jisung nodded and waited while the omega grabbed himself a glass of water. There was a comfortable silence between them. The light flickered for a short moment and both boys looked up at the bulb, one of them crossing his fingers that it didn't die while the other wondered why it flickered in the first place. Then their gazes met and Chenle, surprised, let a small smile set in. Jisung shifted over to him, already quite close, and looked up at the bulb again.

"Is there a power cut on the way?"

"Nah, it's just a crappy light."

The alpha lowered his eyes to the omega again and let them drop to his slightly parted lips. It might have been the sun's slow-acting effect on him, or maybe his own desire, but he leaned even closer to Chenle. The ravenette hugged the empty glass closer to his chest, expression changing ever so slightly to show confusion before realising that Jisung was so close he could feel his breath on his forehead. He looked up at him. The alpha lifted his hands to Chenle's cheeks and leaned down, lips almost touching the other's, but before he could connect them, he took another look into the omega's eyes. Their foreheads met and he let out a shaky exhale. He didn't want to do this if Chenle didn't want him to and he had never heard the boy be this quiet before.

Chenle felt Jisung's hands move from his cheeks to his hair and ruffle it. The taller boy turned away, leaving the older to stand there in stupor. His fingers ran over his lips for a short moment as he processed what Jisung was about to do and that he was too shy to actually do it. I wanted you to kiss me, he wanted to say. He knew it was what Jisung needed to hear, but the moment was over. He could have pouted or he could have smiled, but instead, he put his glass down on the bench and silently sighed. They were almost there.