You Belong With Me | Jeongcheol Fanfic

Chapter 14

After the nurse left, the room fell back into its gentle stillness. Jeonghan and Seungcheol exchanged a quiet glance, their previous closeness still lingering in the air like a quiet, unspoken promise. Neither of them was quite ready to leave the moment behind.

Jeonghan, still sitting at the edge of the bed, stretched his arms out and sighed, brushing his long hair behind his ear as he leaned back against the wall. His eyes scanned Seungcheol's face, as if searching for something in his expression. The playfulness from earlier had faded, replaced by something deeper—something neither of them was ready to speak out loud.

"So," Jeonghan began, his voice soft but steady, "I was thinking... maybe we could hang out after you're discharged? You know, somewhere other than this depressing hospital room." He smiled gently, trying to ease the tension he could feel building between them.

Seungcheol blinked, surprised by the offer. His heart did a little flip at the idea of spending more time with Jeonghan outside of this strange bubble they'd found themselves in. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded, trying to keep his voice casual. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Jeonghan grinned, clearly pleased. "Good. I'll make sure we pick somewhere nice. Maybe we can even invite Hansol and Seungkwan so they can finally stop pretending they hate each other."

Seungcheol chuckled at that. "They've been bickering non-stop, haven't they?"

"More than ever," Jeonghan replied, rolling his eyes but with obvious fondness. "It's like watching a rom-com unfold in real life."

Their laughter filled the room, momentarily lightening the mood, but as the laughter faded, the tension slowly returned. Seungcheol knew he had to say something—anything—to address the elephant in the room. The feelings he'd been keeping bottled up were becoming too heavy to ignore, and he wasn't sure how long he could pretend they didn't exist.

He swallowed hard, his heart racing as he finally spoke up. "Jeonghan... about everything that's been going on—between us, I mean..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know where this is heading, but... I don't want to push you away."

Jeonghan's eyes softened, and for a brief moment, he just watched Seungcheol, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed once more. This time, there was no teasing in his tone, no playful banter to hide behind. It was just them—vulnerable and exposed.

"I know," Jeonghan said quietly, his gaze holding Seungcheol's. "I've been thinking about it too. And honestly... I don't want to pretend either."

Seungcheol's breath hitched, and his heart thudded loudly in his chest. "So, what are we saying here?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jeonghan's smile was small but sincere, and his fingers gently brushed Seungcheol's hand once again. "I'm saying that... maybe we don't need to have it all figured out right now. Maybe we just... take things slow. See where this goes. But whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere, Seungcheol."

Seungcheol's chest tightened, a mixture of relief and something warm and indescribable spreading through him. He nodded, his throat tight with emotion. "Okay," he whispered. "I can do that."

They sat there for a while longer, not saying much, just letting the weight of their words settle between them. It wasn't an immediate answer to all of their questions, but it was enough for now. They didn't need to rush into anything—they just needed to be there for each other.

Finally, Jeonghan stood up, stretching again before giving Seungcheol a soft smile. "I should probably head home before the nurses kick me out," he said lightly, though there was a hint of reluctance in his voice.