niki stirred awake as the first light of dawn began to seep into the room, casting a soft glow across the living room. he glanced down at sunoo, who was still nestled comfortably against him, fast asleep. the night had been long and emotionally taxing, but sunoo looked peaceful now, his breathing steady and relaxed.
as niki shifted slightly, he heard his phone buzz on the coffee table. he reached for it and saw a missed call from his mom, followed by a voicemail. with a sigh, he realized he hadn't told her about staying at sunoo's home. he didn't want to wake sunoo, so he carefully removed himself from the couch, making sure not to disturb him.
niki stood up quietly and stretched, his muscles stiff from the awkward position on the couch. he glanced back at sunoo, who remained undisturbed, and decided it was best to leave before sunoo woke up. he scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper, leaving it on the coffee table where sunoo would see it when he woke.
the note read:
sunoo,
i had to leave early to take care of something. i hope you're feeling better. i'll check in on you later. if you need anything or just want to talk, don't hesitate to reach out.
take care,
niki
with a last glance at sunoo, niki quietly gathered his things and slipped out of the apartment. he made his way to his motorcycle, starting it with a soft rumble before driving away, his mind still on sunoo and the night's events.
back inside, sunoo stirred as the sunlight grew brighter. he blinked awake, feeling the warmth of the blanket and the comfort of the couch. as he stretched and looked around, he noticed the absence of niki. a small note on the coffee table caught his eye, and he reached for it, reading niki's message.
sunoo's heart swelled with gratitude. the note was a simple gesture, but it meant a lot to him. he felt a pang of disappointment that niki had left before he woke up, but the comfort and support from the previous night were still fresh in his mind.
feeling a bit more composed, sunoo got up and made his way to the kitchen, deciding to start his day. he replayed the events of the previous night in his mind, feeling a mixture of relief and appreciation. niki's unexpected support had been a lifeline, and sunoo resolved to reach out to him later to express his thanks properly.
maow
as sunoo finished his breakfast, he heard the familiar sound of a car pulling up outside. he walked to the window and saw jungwon's car parked in front of his house. a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips—jungwon was always punctual, but today, he seemed to have arrived even earlier than usual.
sunoo grabbed his bag and headed outside, where jungwon was already waiting for him, leaning against the car with an apologetic look on his face. as soon as jungwon saw sunoo, he pushed himself off the car and walked over.
"sunoo, i'm so sorry about last night," jungwon began, his voice full of regret. "i shouldn't have left you alone. i feel terrible about it."
sunoo shook his head, trying to reassure him. "it's okay, won. you didn't know. i'm fine now, really."
but jungwon wasn't convinced. he noticed the slight hesitation in sunoo's voice and the way his eyes flickered with something—fear? worry? "what happened? did something happen after i left?"
sunoo hesitated for a moment, not wanting to make jungwon feel worse. but he also knew that jungwon would insist on knowing the truth. with a deep breath, he recounted the events of the previous night—the man who had harassed him, niki's timely intervention, and the overwhelming emotions that had followed.
jungwon's expression darkened as sunoo spoke. guilt and anger mixed in his eyes, and he clenched his fists as he listened. when sunoo finished, jungwon immediately began apologizing again, his voice filled with remorse.
"sunoo, i'm so, so sorry. i should have been there. i can't believe i left you like that." he ran a hand through his hair, clearly distressed. "i'm sorry, sunoo. i should have protected you."
sunoo placed a comforting hand on jungwon's arm, trying to calm him down. "it's not your fault, won. you didn't know this would happen. i'm okay now, really."
but jungwon couldn't shake the guilt. "i promise, sunoo, i'll never leave you alone like that again. i should have been there for you." he looked at sunoo with a determined expression. "from now on, i'll make sure you're safe. i won't let anything like this happen again."
sunoo smiled softly, touched by jungwon's concern. "thank you, won. i know you care about me, and that means a lot. but please, don't beat yourself up over this. niki was there, and he helped me. everything's okay now."
jungwon nodded, though the guilt still lingered in his eyes. he pulled sunoo into a tight hug, as if trying to convey just how sorry he was through the embrace. "i'm glad niki was there," he murmured. "but i still wish i hadn't left you."
sunoo hugged him back, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort in jungwon's embrace. "you're here now, and that's what matters."
they stood like that for a moment longer, the morning air cool and crisp around them. when they finally pulled apart, jungwon looked at sunoo with a serious expression. "if you ever need anything, sunoo, i'm here for you. always."
sunoo nodded, grateful for jungwon's unwavering support. "i know, won. thank you."
with that, they got into jungwon's car, and as they drove off, sunoo felt a little lighter, knowing that he had friends who cared deeply about him. despite the fear and anxiety of the previous night.
-
lowkey filler ahh shi
