strawberry shortcake

45. reassurance

"Hi..." Minho's voice was tight and quiet with uncertainty as he leaned in to kiss the younger's cheeks as a greeting. He could taste the salty flavor of tears and seeing Jisung's reddened eyes made his stomach tighten.

When Jisung could feel him lean in, he averted his eyes out the window so Minho wouldn't see the way his eyes watered and closed them as soon as he felt the older's lips press against his cheek. Seungmin would say he was being too dramatic, but he didn't care. Those were his feelings at the moment a no matter how stupid they could seem to those around him, he was the one to deal with them.

"How did it go with Choi?" He asked softly, trying to break the silence in the car by bringing up what they were previously talking about on the phone. Neither of them wanted to address the elephant in the room, to afraid it would ruin them by causing another fight.

"I yelled at him, because I'm tired, and then the news got to me so I took it all on him... I think he hates me now..." Jisung's humorless chuckle followed by a sigh rang through the car.

This was all so stupid.

His stupid feelings. Stupid fears. Stupid jealousy. Stupid anxiety.

Stupid . stupid . stupid .

He shook his head and with the closing of his eyes laid it on the steering wheel to get those thoughts out his head.

"I'm sure that's not the case-" He closed his eyes tighter, squeezing his hand around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

"Don't lie to me, Minho... please..." Voice stranded, he himself could hear how the lack of sleep took a toll on him. Combined with all the other things that were going on with work and Minho and himself, he felt extremely overwhelmed.

"I just feel so lost..." he breathed out with a trembling voice, first tears already wetting his hand. Silent sobs shook his shoulders as he slowly crumbled down on the steering wheel.

He could feel the older's sad look on him, it woke up a sense of embarrassment in him, but he felt safe in his presence as well. The mix of different emotions Minho made him feel were just confusing him. Frankly, he came there expecting not much but a rejection and a broken heart. He had hoped Minho would come back to him, but the uncertainty within him outweighed it.

Now that he did come back after all and even gave him a cute greeting. It all weighted down on him and he felt bad for doubting Minho. Furthermore he didn't understand why, just why he would chose staying with him over running away with his brother.

"Why did you come back? I- I thought you would go with him." His voice came out weak because of his tries to suppress his sobs and not cry like a baby.

Minho's soft answer didn't help one bit. "I told you I would miss you too much... I meant it." Jisung whined at the tug at his heart that just a simple thing as hearing that Minho missed him too caused and buried his head further between his hands, making sure he wouldn't accidentally make the honk go off, because that wouldn't help his embarrassment.

"Come here, can you climb on my lap?" Minho adjusted his seat so it was pushed closer to the backseats and Jisung then somehow made it on his lap without destroying the car.

As soon as he sat down in his new seat -Minho's lap- the older's arms found its way around his thin waist and pulled him so they were flush against each other.

"I-m sor-ry I'm like-e this." Jisung stuttered out between his tries to suppress the sobs and tears that wouldn't stop no matter how bad he tried.

"It's alright, just let it all out..." Nothing else was said during the next few minutes when Jisung was slowly calming down with the help of Minho's gentle hands running over his back and into his hair in order to help him soothe.