RACERS to RINGS

Chapter 13: Sunlight

This Person POV:

Hoseok quietly stepped into the dimly lit room, his heartbeat steadying as he finally found Yoongi. The room was cool and silent, with only the faintest light filtering in from the window. Yoongi lay sprawled across the bed, one arm under his head, breathing softly in the dark.

Hoseok watched him for a moment, taking in the soft rise and fall of Yoongi's chest, the peaceful expression on his face, and the way a few stray locks of hair fell over his closed eyes. In sleep, Yoongi looked almost feline quiet, unguarded, and strangely endearing. He looked nothing like the composed, sharp-eyed man Hoseok had seen so many times in their other lives, their professional worlds. Here, Yoongi was just… him.

Careful not to disturb his Husband, Hoseok made his way to the other side of the bed and slowly lay down. He left a small space between them, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Yoongi’s side, but not so close as to risk waking him. Hoseok settled in with a slow breath, staring at the ceiling, his senses heightening in the quiet room. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so close to someone and felt this.….alive.

The minutes stretched, the silence filled only by the faint sounds of Yoongi’s breathing. Lying there, Hoseok felt something calm, something he couldn’t quite name but didn’t want to lose. And maybe it was that sense of quiet comfort that allowed his mind to drift, his walls to lower. There, in the dark, he could admit what he hadn’t been able to say out loud.

He was scared, sure. But he wanted this. He wanted Yoongi, wanted to learn every piece of him, wanted to feel this sense of peace, even if it was just for a moment.

Hoseok turned his head slightly, letting his gaze settle on Yoongi’s relaxed features. Unconsciously, he found himself reaching out, stopping just inches from Yoongi’s hand. He wanted to hold it, to feel that connection, but he hesitated, knowing it wasn’t time yet. Instead, he let his fingers rest near Yoongi’s, the softest hint of closeness without actually touching.

A small, almost shy smile crossed his face as he looked at Yoongi. He wondered what Yoongi was dreaming about. Did he feel the same? Or was this marriage just an obligation to him, something to endure? The thought made his chest ache, but he pushed it aside. Tonight, he wanted to believe there was something more, even if he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

As he lay there, eyes growing heavy, he whispered softly, “Yoongi… I hope someday you know. I hope someday I can tell you how much this means to me.”

He closed his eyes, letting the warmth between them lull him into a peaceful sleep. And in the quiet room, the distance between them felt smaller than ever.

Yoongi POV:

I woke up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains, warm rays spilling into the room and gently nudging me awake. I blinked a few times, groggy, letting my eyes adjust. Stretching, I turned over, and that’s when I saw him.

Hoseok was lying beside me, his face inches away, completely relaxed in sleep. The sight startled me at first, his head resting softly on the pillow, his features softened, and his usually alert, bright eyes closed, peaceful in a way I’d never seen before. My heart did this odd little flip, something I didn’t quite understand, and I felt almost frozen in place, unwilling to look away.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen Hoseok up close, but something about seeing him here, lost in sleep, felt different. His lashes cast delicate shadows on his cheeks, and his lips were slightly parted, breathing in a gentle rhythm that was… calming. He looked almost ethereal, like he’d stepped right out of a dream and landed here beside me. How could someone be so effortlessly beautiful, so natural, without even trying?

I couldn’t help myself; I leaned in just a little, watching him closely, as if he might disappear if I looked away. In the quiet of the morning, he felt so real and yet so far, as if he belonged to this peaceful moment, not to the noisy world outside. I murmured his name softly, just to see how it felt on my lips. “𝑴𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒐𝒌” I didn't know saying a name that shares min could feel so... I don't know, refreshing?

I couldn’t quite believe he was here, sharing this moment with me, no pretense, no walls, no distance. Just Hoseok. Just us. The realization settled in my chest, and I felt a strange sense of contentment, a warmth that spread slowly, filling every corner of me. I hadn’t felt this way in so long; it was almost foreign, but undeniably comforting. I wanted to reach out, to brush the stray hairs from his face, but I stayed still, afraid to break the spell.

I lay there, just watching him sleep, trying to memorize every line and detail, every quiet moment. I wondered what he was dreaming about, if he knew he’d brought something like peace into my life just by being here. Part of me wanted to stay like this forever, lost in this rare moment of calm, and I knew it was selfish, but I didn’t care.

Suddenly, he shifted a little, and my breath caught. I pulled back instinctively, not wanting to wake him. But he only moved closer, his face nuzzling into the pillow, his hand reaching out in his sleep until his fingers grazed mine. The touch was faint, but enough to send a shiver down my spine. It was so small, so innocent, yet it felt like the world.

I felt my chest tighten as I watched him, trying to process the depth of what I was feeling. I’d never expected this, never thought he could make me feel this way, like I was tethered to something real, something important. And for a moment, I let myself wonder, maybe, just maybe, there was a part of him that felt the same.

The thought filled me with an odd hope, but I shook it off, reminding myself not to expect too much. Hoseok was Hoseok, after all the charming, determined, with a smile that could light up a room and a mind always racing toward the next goal. What did he need with someone like me? But as I lay there, listening to the quiet sounds of his breathing, I found myself hoping that maybe… he did.

With one last glance at him, I settled back down, content just to be here, just to share this quiet morning with him. And as the sun continued to rise, bathing the room in a soft, golden light, I found myself smiling, ready to face the day with him by my side.