𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐄 - 𝟐 || 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐍 𝐀𝐔 𝟏𝟖+ ||

Chapter 7

Sunghoon stepped through the front door, the heavy weight of a long day at work easing off his shoulders. The house was quiet, save for the distant sound of soft giggles floating in from the garden. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Sunoo. He knew that sound anywhere—melodic, light and filled with warmth like sunshine on a cool autumn day.

Sunghoon slipped off his shoes taking quiet steps towards the garden, the anticipation of seeing Sunoo filling his chest with a tender ache. As he got closer, Sunoo's giggles grew clearer, playful yet soft mingled with the faint murmur of his voice.

The sound brought a gentle warmth to Sunghoon's heart. He paused just before stepping out into the open, watching from the doorway. Sunoo was sitting on the edge of the bench, his legs curled beneath him, one hand holding his phone to his ear and the other lightly tracing the veins of a leaf that had fallen onto his lap. His eyes sparkled as he spoke, his voice laced with lightness and joy, the kind that came when he was completely at ease.

But then Sunoo froze mid-laugh, his head turning sharply toward the sound of Sunghoon's approaching footsteps. His entire face brightened the moment he saw him, the joy in his eyes now directed entirely at Sunghoon.

In one swift motion he ended the call and sprinted toward him, his arms flung wide colliding into Sunghoon's chest with such force that Sunghoon had to take a step back to steady himself.

"You're home!" Sunoo exclaimed, his voice high with excitement, his arms wrapping around Sunghoon's waist tightly. He buried his face into older's chest inhaling his familiar scent. "I missed you all day. I was so alone." His words muffled against Sunghoon's shirt but the meaning was clear - longing and relief.

Sunghoon's heart swelled and he instinctively wrapped his arms around smaller's pulling him close. The warmth between them like a cocoon of love and comfort. He leaned down slightly, pressing his chin atop Sunoo's head, his hand gently rubbing circles into smaller's back.

"I'm here now." he whispered, his voice soft and soothing. "You're never alone when I'm with you." The words hung like a quiet promise between them, leaving only the serenity of their embrace. Sunghoon could feel Sunoo's breath slowing, his body relaxing against him as if the weight of waiting all day had lifted now that they were together again.

The sky above them was a fading canvas of warm purples and deepening blues, the last traces of sunlight casting a gentle glow over the garden. The scent of flowers lingered in the cool evening air and for a moment everything felt perfect—like a fragile dream neither of them wanted to wake from.

But sometimes, the most beautiful moments are the most fleeting.

The serenity of the garden seemed like a distant memory now.

The faint rustling of Sunoo's clothes echoed like the final crack in a dam about to break. Every small movement seemed to amplified in Sunghoon's ears, the sound roaring in his head that drowned out into the world. His body froze, his pulse hammering like a warning as Sunoo's words sinked into his bones like lead.