Joshua blinked, his eyes locked on the glow of his cellphone screen, more specifically on Seokmin’s number. It had been over an hour, his thumb hovering above the contact name, unable to decide whether to press down or let it go.
The indecision gnawed at him, spreading a restless energy through his veins, a nervous hum that wouldn't quiet.
“What if he’s busy?” Joshua murmured to the empty room, pressing his lips tighter, a pout forming as he mulled over the thought. His mind replayed the events of yesterday, the way Seokmin had left without a word, slipping out the door like a ghost.
Jeonghan’s explanation had been vague, something about an urgent matter that had come up, but Joshua couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. He wondered what Jeonghan and Seokmin had talked about in hushed tones, why Seokmin’s eyes had darkened before he’d turned away.
Did they argue? Or was there something else, something unspoken, lurking beneath the surface of their words?
“Maybe it was just work,” Joshua thought, trying to ease his mind. He swallowed, a small knot forming in his throat, the feeling of uncertainty tightening around him.
“There’s no harm in trying… he can always say no,” he whispered to himself, summoning a semblance of resolve. His hand moved toward the phone, fingers brushing against the screen as if it were something sacred, fragile.
His heart thudded in his chest, a silent prayer escaping his lips, a plea for Seokmin to answer, to show up, to not leave him hanging in this cold emptiness. Joshua knew it was foolish to hope, but hope was all he had.
Joshua’s thumb hovered over the call button, his breath hitching as he closed his eyes, silently counting to three. Before he could second-guess himself, he pressed the button.
The ringing filled the silence of his room, each tone amplifying the tension coiling inside him. His eyes stayed shut, as if not looking could shield him from the reality of what he was doing, of what he wanted.
Seconds stretched into an eternity, the sound of the dial tone a taunting reminder of how foolish he felt. Each ring seemed to echo the words he hadn’t yet said, words he wasn’t sure he ever would.
Why was this so difficult? It was just a phone call, just a simple invitation for coffee. But it felt like more—it felt like everything.
A click. The ringing stopped. Joshua’s eyes snapped open, his heart hammering so loud he was sure Seokmin could hear it through the line.
“Joshua?” Seokmin’s voice was smooth, calm, but there was an edge to it, something sharp that made Joshua shiver. He swallowed hard, trying to find his own voice, which seemed to have deserted him at the sound of Seokmin’s.
“Seokmin,” Joshua breathed, the name slipping from his lips like a secret. “I… I was just wondering… if you might want to come over for coffee. I mean, if you're not busy, that is. We could just… talk.”
His voice wavered, betraying the anxiety bubbling under his skin, the tension that had been building ever since Seokmin had left the day before.
There was a pause on the other end, a silence that stretched like a knife’s edge. Joshua’s grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles white. He could hear his own breathing, shallow and unsteady, and he bit his lip, the sharp pain grounding him.
“Coffee?” Seokmin’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was something dark in the tone, something Joshua couldn't quite place. “You want me to come over now?”
“Yes,” Joshua replied quickly, maybe too quickly. “If you want to, I mean. I just thought…” His words trailed off, the unspoken thoughts hanging between them like shadows.
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Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
