𝕭𝖊𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝕽𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖘 | 𝖆 𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖏𝖆𝖞 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞

Part 20

Jay had no idea how he ended up like this—sitting alone with Heeseung in the dimly lit café, the soft hum of the espresso machine in the background, and the weight of unspoken words between them pressing down on his chest. His mind was spinning, still reeling from Heeseung’s gentle words, the subtle touch on his arm. The tension between them was palpable, electric, and Jay didn’t know whether to run from it or lean in.

Heeseung, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, leaning back in his chair with that damn confident smirk still playing on his lips. But this time, Jay could see something else in Heeseung’s eyes—something softer, deeper. It wasn’t just the usual teasing or cocky attitude. No, there was something real beneath the surface, and it was making Jay’s pulse race.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Heeseung said, breaking the silence with a low chuckle. “You good?”

Jay narrowed his eyes, trying to regain some semblance of control over his emotions. He couldn’t let Heeseung see just how much he was affecting him. “I’m fine. Just... thinking.”

“About what?” Heeseung asked, leaning forward again, his tone softer now, almost... tender?

Jay hesitated, the words caught in his throat. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to feeling vulnerable, especially not with Heeseung. “About why you’re such a pain in the ass,” he finally muttered, though the bite in his words wasn’t as sharp as he intended.

Heeseung laughed, the sound rich and genuine, and Jay hated how much he liked it. “Come on, Jay-ah. You’ve known me long enough to know that’s just part of my charm.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jay scoffed, though he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He quickly looked away, hoping Heeseung hadn’t noticed.

But of course, Heeseung noticed everything. “Is that a smile I see?” Heeseung teased, leaning even closer, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. “You’re not starting to like me, are you?”

Jay’s heart skipped a beat, his face heating up at the implication in Heeseung’s words. He could feel the weight of Heeseung’s gaze on him, and it was almost too much to handle. “In your fucking dreams,” Jay muttered, refusing to meet his eyes.

Heeseung grinned, clearly enjoying Jay’s flustered reaction. “You say that, but you’re still here with me, aren’t you?”

Jay didn’t have a response to that. Heeseung was right. Despite everything—despite the teasing, the rivalry, the constant back-and-forth—Jay was still here. Still sitting across from Heeseung. Still... drawn to him, in a way that made no sense.

But the more Jay thought about it, the more he realized that maybe it had always been like this. Maybe the reason Heeseung got under his skin so much was because he cared. Maybe he’d been feeling something more for Heeseung all along, and he was just too stubborn to admit it.

Jay clenched his jaw, his thoughts a chaotic mess. Fuck, this is confusing.

Heeseung’s voice broke through the storm in his mind. “You’re thinking too hard again,” he said softly, his tone surprisingly gentle. “Just... stop for a minute.”

Jay finally looked up, meeting Heeseung’s gaze. There was no teasing now, no smug smirk—just a quiet, honest look that made Jay’s chest tighten.

And for once, Jay listened.

He stopped overthinking. He stopped worrying about what this all meant, about where it was going. Instead, he just let himself exist in this moment, with Heeseung’s eyes on him and the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife.

For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world faded away, leaving just the two of them in this quiet corner of the café. And in that moment, Jay felt something shift inside him.

Heeseung leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he studied Jay with an intensity that made Jay’s heart race. “You ever wonder why we fight so much?” he asked, his voice low and almost... serious.

Jay blinked, caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean?”

Heeseung shrugged, his gaze never leaving Jay’s. “I mean, we’re always at each other’s throats, but... I don’t hate you, Jay. Not even close.”

Jay’s breath caught in his throat. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Heeseung didn’t hate him? But then... what was all the fighting about?

Heeseung leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Maybe we fight because we’re too afraid to admit what we really feel.”

Jay’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing to catch up with what Heeseung was saying. What we really feel?

Before Jay could respond, Heeseung did something that made his mind go completely blank. He reached across the table and gently took Jay’s hand, his thumb brushing over Jay’s knuckles in a way that was both intimate and casual, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jay froze, his entire body tensing at the unexpected contact. But Heeseung didn’t pull away. Instead, he just held Jay’s hand, his touch warm and steady.

“I’m serious, Jay,” Heeseung said softly, his gaze locking onto Jay’s. “I don’t think I’ve ever hated you. Not really.”

Jay’s throat was dry, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn’t know what to say—didn’t know how to respond to this sudden vulnerability from Heeseung. He was so used to the teasing, the banter, the constant push and pull. But this... this was different.

And it scared the hell out of him.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Jay finally managed to ask, his voice hoarse.

Heeseung’s thumb continued its slow, soothing movement over Jay’s knuckles, and Jay hated how much it was calming him. “Because I’m tired of pretending like it’s all just a game between us,” Heeseung said quietly. “I’m tired of acting like I don’t care when I do.”

Jay stared at Heeseung, his mind racing with a million thoughts. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to process everything Heeseung was saying. But one thing was clear: this wasn’t a game to Heeseung anymore.

And maybe it wasn’t a game to Jay, either.

For a long moment, they just sat there in silence, their hands still intertwined on the table. Jay could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his mind a chaotic mess of emotions he wasn’t ready to confront. But despite the confusion, despite the fear, there was something undeniable about the way Heeseung was looking at him—something that made Jay want to stop running, to stop pretending like there wasn’t something between them.

Finally, Jay let out a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t hate you either, Heeseung.”

Heeseung’s eyes softened, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I know.”