The third wheel

Late night talks

HARUKIS POV
It's late. The moonlight filters through the curtains of my bedroom, casting soft, silver shadows across the room. Jun is lying beside me on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his face illuminated in the pale glow. It's quiet now, the kind of stillness that wraps around us, making everything feel more intimate. More real.

We should probably be asleep by now. The clock on my nightstand says it's almost midnight, and we have school in the morning. But neither of us is even trying to sleep. Instead, we've been talking about everything and nothing, just like we always do when it's just the two of us.

I glance over at Jun, who's still lost in thought, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. There's something on his mind—I can tell by the way his brows are slightly furrowed, the way his lips are pressed into a thin line. He's been like this all evening, quiet, a little distant, even though we've been together the whole time.

"Jun," I say softly, my voice breaking the silence between us. "What's going on?"

He turns his head to look at me, his eyes meeting mine in the dim light. For a moment, he doesn't say anything. Then, with a sigh, he shifts onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow to face me.

"It's nothing," he says, but the hesitation in his voice gives him away. "I'm just... thinking."

"About what?" I ask, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from his face. My fingers linger on his skin, tracing the curve of his cheek. He leans into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a second.

"About us," he admits quietly, opening his eyes again. "About... everything."

I feel a pang in my chest at the way he says it, like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I want to reach out and take that weight from him, but I don't know how. Not yet.

"Jun, you know you can talk to me, right?" I say, my hand slipping from his cheek to rest against his arm. "Whatever it is, I'm here."

He looks at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. Then he lets out another soft sigh, his shoulders relaxing just a little. "I know," he whispers. "It's just... sometimes I wonder if this is too good to be true, you know?"

I blink in surprise. Of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn't one of them. "Too good to be true?" I repeat, my brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

He hesitates, biting his lower lip like he always does when he's nervous. "I just... I don't know. Sometimes it feels like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like something's going to happen, and all of this—us—it's going to disappear."

I stare at him, my heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. Jun has always been the confident one, the one who charges ahead without looking back. To hear him admit that he's scared, that he's unsure—it throws me off balance. But more than that, it makes me want to pull him close and never let him go.

"Jun," I say softly, shifting closer to him. "That's not going to happen. I'm not going anywhere. This... what we have... it's real."

He looks down, his fingers fiddling with the edge of the blanket between us. "I know, but... what if I mess it up? What if I do something wrong, and—"

"You won't," I interrupt gently. I sit up slightly, cupping his face in my hands so he has to look at me. "You're not going to mess this up, Jun. We're not perfect, but we don't have to be. We just have to be... us."

He stares at me, his eyes wide, and for a moment, I can see the doubt flickering behind them. But then, slowly, he nods, leaning into my touch. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Haruki," he whispers.

"You'll never have to find out," I reply, my voice firm but soft. I lean forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

He lets out a soft laugh, the sound easing the tension that had been building between us. "Good," he murmurs, his voice lighter now. "Because I don't want to be anywhere else."

I smile, my heart swelling at his words. "Neither do I."

We lie there for a while longer, wrapped in the warmth of each other's presence. The world outside feels far away, and all that matters is this—him, me, and the quiet promise that we'll figure everything out together.

Eventually, Jun shifts closer, resting his head on my chest. I wrap my arms around him, holding him tight, my fingers tracing soothing circles on his back. His breathing slows, becoming steady and even, and I know he's starting to drift off.

"Goodnight, Jun," I whisper, my lips brushing the top of his head.

He hums softly in response, his body relaxing completely against mine. And as I lie there, holding him close, I realize that this—these quiet moments between us—are what I love the most.

No matter what happens, no matter how unsure he might feel sometimes, we'll always have this. We'll always have each other.

And that's more than enough.