By The Window | YeonBin

seventeen

Yeonjun pushed open the door to his room, closing his eyes as he entered. He sighed heavily, the event of tonight replaying in bits and pieces as he lean his forehead on the door, closing it slowly.

'Click'

The soft sound of the ledge of the door closing, followed by the sound of it being locked echoed through his room. He tried to swallow the burn behind his eyes, cheeks throbbing under the bandage.

At least I stood up to him this time, he thought bitterly. At least I wasn't being completely useless.

But even that small victory felt hollow. It didn't change the fact that this place, these walls, were nothing but a constant reminder of everything he couldn't escape.

Every fight, every careless word, every empty apology from his mother... it was all still there.

Yeonjun pressed his hand to his bandaged cheek, the fabric feeling rough against his fingers as he crossed the room. The silence was different here, quieter, and for a moment, he let himself believe that maybe the worst of it was over for tonight.

That is, until he turned around—and froze.

There, sitting at the edge of his window, was Soobin.

"You're here?" Yeonjun whispered. He glanced at his door.

It wasn't closed fully when the chaos ensued. His pulse quickened, not sure if it's because he is shocked that Soobin was waiting there or that the taller boy might have heard it all.

Soobin who noticed the bandage on his face quickly put his feet down on Yeonjun's room. "Yeonjun..." he muttered as he tried to get close to the smaller boy.

Yeonjun's hand instinctively went to his cheek as Soobin approached, his fingers brushing the edge of the bandage. "It's nothing," he said quickly, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

He stepped back, his heart pounding as if trying to push Soobin away with his words alone. "I—it's not as bad as it looks."

But Soobin didn't stop. His eyes flickered with concern, not even trying to hide how much he didn't believe Yeonjun. "Nothing?" Soobin echoed softly, the disbelief clear in his voice. "Yeonjun, come on."

Yeonjun clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to break down. He could feel Soobin's presence, warm and grounding, as the taller boy took another step forward. "I'm fine," Yeonjun insisted, but the crack in his voice betrayed him.

They ended up sitting on the floor, their backs leaning against the bed, facing the window. The soft light from the moon spilled into the room, casting long shadows. Yeonjun's eyes were fixed on the distant stars, trying to find comfort in their stillness, trying to avoid Soobin's gaze.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched out between them like a fragile thread. Suddenly Taehyun's voice lingered in Yeonjun's head

I know opening up to your new friend might be difficult...

Maybe I could try... opening up to Soobin. The boy thought as he took a quick glance at Soobin.

He swallowed, his throat tight, and then, barely above a whisper, he started. "He wasn't always like this."

Soobin stayed quiet, his gaze steady as he listened, letting Yeonjun's words come out at their own pace.

"I don't know when it changed," Yeonjun said, his voice wavering. "But lately... it's like every day is just a waiting game for a fight to happen." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration and confusion mixing in his tone.

"I just— I didn't expect him to get physical. Not like this." His eyes flicked to Soobin for a moment before quickly looking away again.

He felt a tear slip down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it away. "You know... sometimes I pity my mom," he continued, his voice strained. "But I also hate it... that she's just... absent. Like she's not even here anymore. It's like she's a ghost in her own life."

Soobin shifted closer, not saying anything, just listening, his presence offering a quiet kind of comfort. Yeonjun wasn't sobbing; his tears fell silently, the kind of crying that hurts deeper than loud sobs. His breaths were uneven, each one shakier than the last.

Without thinking, Soobin reached out. His fingers brushed against Yeonjun's cheek, gently wiping the tears away. The touch was light and steady. Yeonjun stiffened for a second, not used to someone being this close, this caring. But then he let himself relax, just a little, leaning into the touch.

"You should go," Yeonjun muttered after a moment, his voice bitter. "It's not worth it, Soobin. Being my friend... I'm not worth it. You don't deserve to be dragged into this mess."

Soobin didn't move, didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned in, close enough that their foreheads were almost touching, their breaths mingling in the quiet of the room. Yeonjun could feel the warmth of his breath on his skin.

"You are," Soobin said softly, his voice steady and sure. "You are worth it."

Yeonjun opened his mouth to protest, but Soobin shook his head, silencing him gently.

"You're not dragging me into anything," Soobin continued. "I'm here because I want to be. You deserve to be happy, Yeonjun. You deserve to share what's bugging you, not bottle it all up inside. That's why I'm here."

The words hung in the air, wrapping around Yeonjun like a blanket, and for the first time in what felt like weeks, he let himself believe them, even just a little.

Soobin's hand stayed on Yeonjun's cheek, his thumb brushing away the last of the tears.

This isn't so bad...

____________

a.n.

JUST KISS ALREADDDYY 😫😫😫
(knowing full well I'm the author and I could make that happen, but where's the fun in that?)

Double update because I can't let you suffer from the last chapter 🫶