love you later | yeonbin ✓

015

"You're back," a familiar voice exclaims when Soobin and Yeonjun step through the door of the small restaurant he stopped by when he first arrived. It's the woman who served him back then, and he figures she must be talking to Yeonjun, but her eyes are focused on him.

"Oh." He smiles faintly and bows a little. "Yeah. Hello."

"I didn't think you'd still be around. I figured you'd just gone home after..."

She leaves the sentence hanging, her eyes flickering over to where Yeonjun is standing just slightly behind Soobin.

"Yeonjun," she says and bows. "Haven't seen you in a while either."

It's a little awkward, a little stilted and Soobin can tell Yeonjun doesn't really know what to say. He knows Yeonjun doesn't visit the town all that often, that he likes to keep to himself. And truthfully, he's not exactly keen on sharing his reasons for still being around either. "Yeah, we've had some unforeseen complications. with my string," Soobin says and smiles at her, hoping it will be enough to diffuse the tension. "Nothing bad, it's just taking a little longer than expected." He turns around slightly, his eyes finding Yeonjun's. "Yeonjun has been working hard, so I thought he should take a break and that's why we're here."

"Well," she says and finally a smile pulls at her lips. "Why don't you sit down then? I'll be right with you."

"Thank you."

They move to a table in the corner. It's a little past their usual lunchtime and the restaurant is mostly deserted. Still, Soobin sees the eyes following Yeonjun, feels them as if they were lingering on himself. Yeonjun doesn't say anything, simply sits down, but Soobin would be surprised if he wasn't aware of the attention he's getting. Yeonjun is perceptive, more sensitive than he likes to let on, so it's unlikely that he wouldn't feel the stares burning through his back.

The moment they sit down the chatter picks up, but in the silence of the almost deserted restaurant, it's hard to miss the words filling the empty space.

"... heard he steals people's soulmates. Isn't that disgusting?"

"What? Are you serious?"

Yeonjun's shoulders tense, his hands twitching where they're resting next to the chopsticks on the table. His eyes glaze over a little and Soobin is glad Yeonjun is seated with his back towards the people saying such nasty things about him.

"You know what, maybe we should just leave. I'm not that hungry, to be honest."

It's a lie. The hike down to the town didn't take them as long as Soobin's first hike did, guided by Yeonjun they took a few shortcuts. Still, it was well past lunchtime by now and while conversation had flowed easily on the way, at some point Yeonjun had started grumbling about how hungry he was. He's about to pull his hand off the table when Soobin reaches out without a second thought to keep it there. Yeonjun's eyes snap to their hands, his fist clenched tightly and enveloped by Soobin's.

"Yeonjun."

"Hm?"

"Look at me." Soobin waits until Yeonjun drags his eyes away from their hands and looks up at him. Soobin's heart clenches a little because no matter how hard Yeonjun is trying, Soobin can see the hurt on his face anyway. He smiles softly, rubbing his thumb across Yeonjun's knuckles. "I won't force you to stay. We can leave if you really want to. We can grab some food to go and find a place to sit outside somewhere."

He pauses for a moment, wants to make sure that his words register, that Yeonjun knows he won't make him do anything he's truly uncomfortable with. He doesn't stop running his thumb across Yeonjun's soft hands, waits until some of the tension has slipped away from Yeonjun's shoulders, doesn't say anything else until Yeonjun gives him a small nod.