❝ Stardust & Heartstrings ❞ YEONBIN FF

Chapter 7 : The Fragility of Familiarity

Yeonjun grunted with effort as he lugged his three bulky suitcases up the stairs, struggling to navigate the heavy load.

Soobin quickly came to Yeonjun's aid, effortlessly grabbing two of the suitcases in one swift motion, one in each hand, and pulling them up the stairs with ease.

"Be careful with those, they're expensive," Yeonjun warned. But Soobin just gave him a mischievous glance and deliberately dropped the suitcases to the floor with a loud thud, as if to defy Yeonjun's caution.

"You're only here for a night, you could have left the suitcases downstairs. No one will steal your 'expensive' stuff." Soobin emphasised expensive with a sarcastic grin.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" Yeonjun growled, taking a step closer to Soobin, but his momentum was halted when he tripped over his own suitcases. He tumbled forward, landing awkwardly on the bed, with Soobin caught off guard and falling on top of him. Their faces collided, Soobin's mouth brushing against the corner of Yeonjun's lips in a unexpected, intimate touch.

In a swift, synchronized motion, they sprang apart, but Yeonjun's hasty movement sent the small box on the dresser tumbling to the floor. The box lid opened, revealing a delicate, ocean-inspired bracelet adorned with shimmering blue beads and tiny, swirling sea shells. The bracelet lay there, its intricate beauty a stark contrast to the sudden, awkward tension between the two.

Soobin swiftly moved to the dresser, his eyes fixed on the bracelet as he carefully picked it up, his fingers closing around it like a protective shield. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, mentally cursing himself for not hiding it sooner. He returned the treasured item to its box, his hands moving with a quiet urgency. Then, he hastily stowed the box away in one of the cupboards, his mind racing with self-reproach for not being more careful, his heart still racing from the close call.

Yeonjun's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "You still have the bracelet?" His tone was laced with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Soobin's expression turned sheepish, and he rubbed the back of his neck before admitting, "I forgot to throw it away." His voice was laced with a hint of defensiveness, as if he was preparing for Yeonjun to question him about keeping the bracelet.

To Soobin's surprise, Yeonjun merely uttered a curious "Oh" before turning his attention to his suitcases. He opened one, revealing a neatly packed array of clothes, and began to rummage through it. After a moment, he pulled out a fluffy towel, a pair of sleek black shorts, and a crisp white tank top. With his essentials in hand, he headed towards the washroom, leaving Soobin wondering what had just transpired.

As soon as Yeonjun stepped into the washroom, his countenance transformed, darkening like a stormy sky. The memory of Soobin's nonchalant remark - "I forgot to throw it away" - still lingered, festering like an open wound. Yeonjun's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, as he reached for the shampoo and liquid body soap. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he proceeded to use up the entire bottle of each, a childish but satisfying act.

Yeonjun emerged from the washroom, dressed and refreshed, only to find Soobin had already tidied up the room, making the bed with precision. However, Yeonjun's gaze swept the floor, expecting to see a makeshift bed or at least a blanket, but there was none. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked, his tone tinged with a hint of annoyance, "Where should I sleep?"

Soobin replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Of course, on the bed. Where else?"

Yeonjun shot back, "And where will you sleep?" Soobin raised an eyebrow, a hint of exasperation in his voice, "Seriously? Can you stop asking obvious questions? This is my room, my bed - where else would I sleep? I'm not exactly going to curl up on the floor while you take my bed, am I?"

Yeonjun's expression turned stubborn, his arms folding across his chest like a barricade. "I'm not sleeping with you in the same bed," he declared, his voice firm and resolute, as if daring Soobin to challenge him.

Soobin's voice took on a slightly exasperated tone, as if he was tired of Yeonjun's hesitations. "Come on, we're not a pair of hormone-crazed teenagers who can't control themselves, are we? I promise I won't pounce on you in the middle of the night. You can sleep on my bed, I don't care. I've had a long day and I need a shower. By the time I get back, you can either be asleep on my bed or have made yourself comfortable elsewhere in the house - I really don't care."

With that, Soobin strode over to the cabinet, pulled out his nightdress, and headed to the washroom, leaving Yeonjun to ponder the sincerity of his words.

Soobin stepped into the washroom, closing the door behind him, and began to undress. He shed his clothes, revealing his chiseled physique, and turned on the shower. The warm water droplets cascaded down his body, highlighting the contours of his abs. As he reached for the bottle of liquid body soap, he discovered it was empty, its transparent walls mocking him with their hollowness.

Soobin muttered under his breath, "He's testing my fucking patience," as he glared at the empty bottles. But he took a deep breath and made a mental note to keep his cool, refusing to let Yeonjun's minor provocations get under his skin. He wouldn't give Yeonjun the satisfaction of knowing he'd succeeded in annoying him.

After his shower, Soobin found Yeonjun fast asleep on one side of the bed, his stunning features softly illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window, with strands of hair gently falling across his face. Soobin quietly closed the curtains, then retreated to the opposite side of the bed, carefully pulling the duvet over himself while maintaining a deliberate distance between them, a silent testament to the tension between them.

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