until the end of time | seungjoo

:𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢:

When he staggered to Jooyeon's room the next day, he saw him tucked into the bed. He didn't hesitate before opening the door and he sat on the chair next to him, observing him as his chest moved slowly up and down.

The rhythm was uneven—of course—and tears as if Seungmin hadn't had enough of them yesterday welled in his eyes again.

His parents always told him that it was okay to cry, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it made him a weak crybaby. He didn't want to be this way—so sensitive, and so delicate. He shouldn't be like this, he told himself. After all, it wasn't helpful at all.

When he turned five his parents gave him an amazing gift. It was a blue teddy bear, which he later named Zorro. His dad had always told him that it was a unique and extraordinary cuddly toy that had magical powers.

Often before he went to bed his dad would come and sit on the edge of the bed telling him to go to sleep with Zorro if he just wanted to feel better.

And Zorro indeed he helped him a lot.

By repeating to him that Zorro makes every doubt and sad thought disappear the moment he cuddles up to him, Seungmin grew to like the bear a lot more and almost always had him close to him.

And he had Zorro in his hands even now, sitting in Jooyeon's room and looking at him.

Squeezing the hand of Zorro, Seungmin swallowed, feeling his own heart beat a little bit faster.

If only he were strong and emotionally composed, life would be so much easier. But he wasn't, and as this specific thought settled in his mind, a tear slipped down his cheek.

Then he heard a scream, and that was how Jooyeon had woken up that day.

"You scared the life out of me!" He shouted getting up from the bed. His brows were furrowed, but a glint of happiness was still visible in the way he blinked his eyes. "Why are you here, Min? I was sleeping."

"I missed you." Seungmin tried to smile, but his lips weren't moving up. He couldn't lift the corners even for every toy in the world. 

"I just went to sleep!" Jooyeon giggled, throwing a pillow at him. "You can't have missed me."

Seungmin losened the grip on Zorro as if releasing each emotion bottled up in his body. He helped him once again. Jooyeon was overjoyed, and looked so enthusiastic. Seungmin knew it was all because of his blue teddy; his magical Zorro. 

"I misse—"

"We did not finish talking about Pluto yesterday though..."

And everything was as usual again, they played, talked, ate, and had fun.

At the end of the day, they were in the playroom with the rest of their friends talking about this and that. Gunil was the first one to leave, because his father said that they have to go home, and then they all slowly made their way to their beds.

Seungmin went with Jooyeon to his room and the younger boy took out a colouring book from his drawer suggesting that they should draw before going to sleep, but Seungmin complained. He didn't like doing it that much if he were to be honest, so Jooyeon was the only one filling the page with colours and Seungmin decided to lay in the bed and read a book out loud for both of them.

Perhaps fifteen minutes had passed and Jooyeon began yawning more frequently and bemoaning the fact that he was very tired, so they had to finish talking a bit earlier than normally that day.

Seungmin was mad a little bit, he wished he could at least finish the chapter of the book, but Jooyeon just shook his head jumping into his bed. So, he sighed, walked out of his room, and hoped that maybe tomorrow he would be able to read for a bit longer with him.

And he was right, the next day they spent more time together with their heads over the book titled Adventures of Al, but Seungmin still got a bit annoyed, because Jooyeon had fallen asleep while he was reading.

Not like he would normally care, but it was his favourite book and seeing someone doze off while he was experiencing the whole plot with gooseflesh on his arms wasn't something he would call respectful. So all he did that evening was wake Jooyeon up and tell him to go sleep in his room, because the janitor was said to tidy up their rooms this night and it would be weird if he caught them sleeping together.