raspberries and mocha | heejake ✔

47

Heeseung stirred awake to the soft light spilling into his apartment. His migraines were easing, thank God, but the dull ache lingered like a bad dream he couldn't quite shake. He rubbed his eyes and stretched out on the couch, the weight of the past few days pressing on him—but lighter now. It wasn't gone, but manageable.

He'd kept himself busy. He needed to. His place was tidier than it had been in months, and he'd spent the last few days reconnecting with Jay. And today, thankfully, Sunghoon was back at the restaurant. Heeseung couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. As much as Sunghoon's immune system was a running joke, having him back would make life feel a little easier.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Jay peeked his head in before letting himself in with a lazy grin.

"Yo," Jay greeted as he dropped onto the couch beside Heeseung without waiting for an invitation. "You feeling human again?"

Heeseung chuckled softly. "Define human."

Jay gave a playful scoff, leaning into the cushions. "At least you're not passing out or puking everywhere anymore." His tone was light, but the worry still lingered in his eyes. Jay had been hovering around him all week, like a watchdog who couldn't rest.

Heeseung bumped his shoulder against Jay's. "Thank you for sticking around, by the way."

Jay shrugged, though the corners of his mouth curled into a small smile. "We all know you'd do the same for me, if not you'd give up everything just to give me attention."

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a moment, before Jay spoke again. "Sunghoon's back today."

"Thank God." Heeseung exhaled deeply. "I thought I'd lose it without him."

Jay smirked. "Yeah, well, now you can lose it with him."

They both laughed softly at that. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Moments like these were precious. Even if his heart still felt heavy when he thought about Jake, these small wins kept Heeseung afloat.

Jay noticed the flicker of sadness that crossed Heeseung's expression. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Heeseung hesitated, then nodded. There was no point lying. "Yeah. But...I'll be okay."

Jay wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a quick, comforting side hug. "You will be. We've got your back, okay?"

Heeseung smiled, a real one this time. "Yeah. I know."