By The Window | YeonBin

seven

Yeonjun tapped his phone screen, trying to lose himself in the endless scroll of random videos. He needed the distraction, anything to drown out the yelling that seeped through the walls from downstairs. His parents were at it again, and no matter how loud he turned up his music, he couldn't quite escape it.

Just as he was about to toss his phone aside in frustration, a soft thud came from the window. Yeonjun froze, his heart skipping a beat. He quickly sat up, yanking his earbuds out. Another thud, this time a bit louder, made him whip his head toward the window. He squinted through the dim light of his room, trying to make sense of the shadowy figure outside.

When he finally recognized who it was, his eyes widened. "What the—" he muttered under his breath as he scrambled off his bed, rushing to the window.

Soobin, with that familiar wide grin plastered on his face, was crouched on the ledge outside. Yeonjun's stomach did a flip as he noticed the crutches propped awkwardly beside him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yeonjun hissed as he quickly unlocked the window and pulled it open.

Soobin, ever nonchalant, just shrugged. "Wanted to hang out with you," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Yeonjun blinked, a mix of panic and disbelief washing over him. "Are you out of your mind? You're on crutches, Soobin! What if you fell?"

Soobin chuckled softly, brushing off Yeonjun's concern with a light wave of his hand. "I didn't fall. I'm here, aren't I?"

Yeonjun let out a shaky breath, his hands hovering over Soobin's arms, unsure whether to help him in or scold him first. "You're insane," he mumbled, though the sharp edge of his words softened as he met Soobin's gaze.

The grin on Soobin's face widened as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Come on, help me in before your neighbors start thinking I'm some kind of burglar."

Yeonjun couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips, despite the whirlwind of emotions churning inside him. "Even if you are a burglar— you're one with terrible ideas," he muttered, carefully guiding Soobin through the window and into his room.

As soon as Soobin's feet touched the floor, Yeonjun let out a sigh of relief. "You're lucky you didn't break your neck," he murmured, his voice laced with genuine worry.

Soobin just laughed softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But I didn't," he said, looking around Yeonjun's room with a curious glint in his eyes. "And now we can hang out."

Yeonjun shook his head, unable to hide the small smile that spread across his face. "You're weird."

Soobin raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lips twitching upward. "Not as weird as someone who likes mint chocolate chip," he retorted, his tone playful.

Yeonjun made a face, his brows connecting in annoyance. "Don't even start with that," he said, shaking his head. "Mint chocolate chip tastes nice, okay?"

Soobin gasped dramatically, nose scrunching in disgust. "Ew— you like ice cream that tastes like toothpaste? I'm questioning our entire friendship right now."

Friendship? He already thinks I'm his friend?

Yeonjun was about to shoot back another comment when a loud, angry yell erupted from downstairs, shattering the lighthearted atmosphere.

The sound echoed through the room, and Yeonjun felt his stomach twist in knots. His face flushed with embarrassment, and a flicker of fear crossed his eyes.

Fuck— why are they so loud?!

He knew the yelling would be loud enough for Soobin to hear, and the last thing he wanted was for Soobin to be dragged into his chaotic home life.

He wasn't sure whether to apologize, make an excuse, or just ignore it altogether. The noise was overwhelming, and his thoughts began to spiral, his chest tightening as panic started to settle in. Yeonjun couldn't do anything but freeze.

But before he could fully sink into that feeling, he felt a warm pressure on the sides of his head. Soobin had stepped closer, his hands gently covering Yeonjun's ears, muffling the noise from downstairs.

"Hey, you're okay," Soobin said softly, his voice steady and calm, despite the tension in the room. "Just focus on me, alright? It's just us here."

Yeonjun blinked, the harsh sounds dulling under Soobin's touch. The words of reassurance cut through the panic, anchoring him back to the present.

Soobin's eyes were warm, that stare was almost the same, if not, as tender as the one he saw that morning when they walked to school together. There was no judgment in them.

"You're okay, you're gonna be alright," Soobin whispered again softly, caressing his thumbs against Yeonjun's temples.

Soobin himself wasn't sure if it was okay for him to get this close to the quiet boy. But, all he wanted to do was to ease the tension present in Yeonjun's face.

For a moment, everything else faded—the yelling, the tension, the chaos. It was just Soobin, standing there, grounding him. Yeonjun wasn't used to this, to someone being there for him so openly.

It made his chest tighten in a different way, something gentler, something he wasn't sure how to handle.

"Thanks," Yeonjun mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn't sure what else to say, but the word felt heavy with all the emotions he couldn't quite express.

Soobin smiled softly, his hands still resting lightly over Yeonjun's ears. "Anytime," he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Yeonjun felt his lips twitch upward again, the smile small but genuine. It was strange, feeling this safe with someone. And as the noise downstairs finally faded into the background, Yeonjun found himself focusing on Soobin's presence, the way it seemed to fill the room with a warmth he hadn't realized he was missing.

Maybe, just maybe, having Soobin around wasn't such a bad thing after all.

____________

a.n.

Aren't they just the sweetest of the bunch? 🥹🤚 anyway— I'm team mint-chocolate chip, hbu guys?