inches : j&d

20

the sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over the beach as the four of them sat together on a blanket, the tension that had once existed between them now gone. they were no longer just two couples caught up in misunderstandings; now, they were simply four friends, each with their own connection, but stronger together than they had been before.

joong leaned back on his elbows, glancing at dunk, who was lying beside him, his head propped up on his hand, grinning up at the sky. the soft breeze ruffled their hair, and for the first time in days, joong felt a sense of peace settle in his chest. the playful teasing and the games of the past week had given way to something more genuine, something simple and real.

“this is nice,” dunk said, his voice low and relaxed. he turned his head to look at joong, their gazes meeting with a warmth that made joong’s heart flutter.

“yeah,” joong replied, his voice soft but filled with something deeper. “i’m glad we came here. i think we needed this.”

aou, sitting on the other side of the blanket with boom, looked up from his phone and smiled at them. “you two are getting all sappy. i think we broke you,” he teased. but the smile on his face was genuine, and his hand rested lightly on boom’s leg, a soft connection that spoke volumes.

boom, for his part, was content to let aou tease them. he was quiet, watching the sunset and the sea, but there was a hint of a smile on his face that betrayed how much he was enjoying the moment.

dunk chuckled at aou’s teasing but then nudged joong with his elbow. “you know,” he said, voice quieter now, “i think i *might* be getting used to you, joong.”

joong raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smile. “might?”

“yeah,” dunk grinned, “don’t get ahead of yourself. but you’re alright, i guess.”

joong laughed softly, his heart swelling at the easy affection in dunk’s tone. he reached out, brushing his fingers lightly over dunk’s, the touch soft and tender. “i’m *definitely* alright,” he teased back, leaning in just enough for their faces to be inches apart.

dunk’s smile softened, and he let out a quiet laugh. “yeah, yeah. you’re pretty damn good.”

aou snorted from the other side of the blanket, rolling his eyes. “it’s a wonder you two even managed to stay apart for so long. you’re practically glued together now.”

joong and dunk exchanged a look, both of them grinning like fools. there was no denying it now—things had changed. they weren’t just two people testing the waters of something new anymore; they had found something solid, something that made sense.

boom, who had been quiet through the exchange, finally spoke up, his voice gentle. “we’re really doing this, huh?” he asked, looking over at aou. his words weren’t just about the moment—it was a question about their future too.

aou’s answer was simple. he leaned over and kissed boom on the cheek, a soft, fleeting touch. “yeah, we are,” he said, his voice warm and sincere. “we’re in this together, all of us.”

the air around them was filled with that quiet understanding—the sense that they had found something beautiful, even in the most unexpected of places. the playful teasing, the arguments, and the moments of uncertainty had all led them to this. they were each other’s home now, their hearts beating in sync as they shared the quiet beauty of the evening.

joong and dunk sat up as the last light of the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky painted in hues of pink, orange, and purple. joong, always the serious one, looked over at dunk, his heart full in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

“dunk,” he said quietly, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable. “i’m glad it’s you. i don’t think i ever really realized what i was looking for until you came along.”

dunk turned his head, meeting joong’s gaze with a soft smile. “me too,” he said, his voice just as genuine. “you’re… unexpected. but in the best way.”

they sat together, the silence between them comfortable, their hands brushing occasionally, like a soft reminder of the bond they had formed. in the distance, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore felt like a heartbeat, steady and reassuring.

aou and boom stood up, their hands entwined as they made their way down the beach, walking side by side. joong and dunk watched them go, a smile tugging at joong’s lips.

“i think we’re the lucky ones,” joong murmured.

“yeah,” dunk agreed, resting his head against joong’s shoulder. “we are.”

and in that moment, under the fading light of the sun, everything felt right. there were no more games, no more tension. just four people who had found their place in each other’s lives, with the promise of more days like this ahead. 

“so,” dunk said, looking up at joong with a mischievous grin, “where to next?”

joong laughed, wrapping his arm around dunk’s shoulder, his heart light. “wherever we want, but not here again its too shabby for my prince."

joong smiled at dunk and pushed him away.

"get away from me, you have to be about 1,000,000 inches away."

end :)