Leal [Minwon]

Chapter 6- Get Me Away From Here

Mingyu jolts awake, heart thrumming wildly as Wonwoo's alarm pierces the predawn quiet. The thin, unrelenting ring feels like an assault, rattling through the hotel room with a determination that drowns out everything else. For a split second, Mingyu thinks about yanking the duvet over his head and letting the alarm go on until Wonwoo shuts it off himself. But there's no escaping it. He lies there, groggy and irritated, listening to the frustrated shuffling of blankets as Wonwoo fumbles for his phone, muttering curses under his breath. Finally, silence, followed by a soft sigh as Wonwoo sags back against his pillow, equally displeased by the early wake-up.

Mingyu exhales, sinking back into the pillow. He aches to sleep, to drift back into oblivion, but the thought barely lingers. Every muscle in his body feels cramped, especially his shoulders, which he'd curled all night to keep from accidentally touching Wonwoo. The mattress is thin and stiff, and he'd spent half the night hovering near the edge of it, the idea of brushing up against Wonwoo like a live wire, sparking and making sleep impossible. Every noise outside, every restless breath and sigh from Wonwoo had left Mingyu counting breaths instead of sheep. Now, the only thought crossing his mind is how badly he wants to sleep.

He rolls onto his side, facing the muted city lights flickering through the closed blinds. Wonwoo's steps echo against the floor as he crosses to the bathroom, and though Mingyu shuts his eyes, sleep slips further away with each muffled sound. The whir of the shower starts up, filling the silence with its familiar, comforting hum, yet there's something oddly frustrating about knowing that it isn't a sound he'll get to ignore. He sighs, resigned, as the world outside starts to come alive—cars honking, voices rising in laughter, conversations blurring in the morning air.

After a few minutes, the bathroom door clicks open, and Wonwoo steps out, towel wrapped loosely around his waist, hair still damp and sticking to his forehead. Mingyu glances up involuntarily, gaze snagging on the small rivulets of water tracing their way down Wonwoo's collarbone, then over his chest. It's a sight he's seen a hundred times but now feels strange, different somehow. Wonwoo looks thinner, his once well-defined abs softened, a slight hollowness to his cheeks that Mingyu hadn't noticed until now.

Caught looking, Mingyu averts his gaze to a crack in the ceiling. He's not prepared for the tiny flicker of guilt in Wonwoo's eyes when he mutters, "I woke you up, didn't I?"

The apology is quiet, sheepish, like he already knows the answer. They've been here before—shared mornings, scattered apologies, habits that Wonwoo never seemed to shake, habits Mingyu didn't really want him to. There's a part of him that wants to wave it off, joke that he's used to it, that he always has been.

But that part stays silent.

"It's fine," he murmurs instead, finally sitting up, trying not to flinch when he back reminds him how unforgiving it was all night. He stretches, and rolls his shoulders, the stiffness settling in like he's twice his age. "Bathroom's free, then?" he adds, pretending he's fine, that he isn't more tired than he was before he went to sleep.

Wonwoo nods, lingering in the doorway for a second before drifting back to his side of the room, grabbing his clothes from the closet as if giving Mingyu some semblance of privacy. With a final glance at the clock—7:02, far too early—

Nonetheless, Mingyu starts his day.

The shower scalds over Mingyu's tired skin, water running hot enough to sting, but he lets it. Steam rises, thick in the air, enveloping him as if it could peel away yesterday's exhaustion, seeped too deep to shake off alone. He closes his eyes, leaning his head back, the water pressing heavily against his eyelids, his forehead, his bones. The fatigue isn't just from last night's travel; it's the weight of sleep lost, of memories tangled up in regrets.