𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 || 𝑺𝑬𝑶𝑲𝑺𝑶𝑶

chp9

The thought of letting Seokmin go home gnawed at Joshua like a sharp, invisible claw. It was irrational, he knew—Seokmin wasn’t going anywhere far. But the idea of not having him within arm’s reach sent Joshua’s heart spiraling into panic. It was the weekend, no lectures to use as an excuse to keep him here, but Joshua wasn’t about to let that stop him. Not when every fiber of his being screamed to hold onto Seokmin as tightly as he could.

They were still lying together on Joshua’s bed, the warm afternoon light streaming in through the half-closed blinds. Seokmin was sprawled lazily, his head resting on Joshua’s chest, and the older could feel every rise and fall of his breath. It should’ve been calming, but it wasn’t.

“Min-ah,” Joshua murmured, his voice low and hesitant.

“Hmm?” Seokmin responded softly, tilting his head to look up at him.

Joshua hesitated for a moment, unsure how to phrase the question without sounding desperate. “You’re not going home today, are you?”

Seokmin blinked at him, confused. “I was going to… Why?”

Joshua swallowed hard, trying to keep the panic from creeping into his voice. “Stay. With me. It's the weekend remember?,” he said, his hand gently stroking Seokmin’s back.

There was a moment of silence as Seokmin studied him, his gaze soft and searching. Then he smiled, that sweet, shy smile that made Joshua’s chest ache. “Okay,” Seokmin said quietly.

Joshua let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Okay.”

“Let me just grab some clothes from home then—” Seokmin started, but Joshua cut him off immediately.

“You don’t have to. You can just wear mine.”

Seokmin laughed, his cheeks dusted with a faint pink. “You sure?”

Joshua nodded, trying to play it off as casual, but his grip on Seokmin tightened slightly, betraying the anxiety simmering beneath his calm exterior.

“Alright,” Seokmin said softly, sitting up and stretching before looking around the room. “Where’s your closet?”

Joshua pointed wordlessly, and Seokmin got up to search for something comfortable to wear. Joshua couldn’t take his eyes off him as he moved, the way his every gesture seemed to radiate an effortless kind of beauty. Even as Seokmin pulled out an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, slipping them on without a second thought, he still managed to look breathtaking.

The sleeves of the hoodie were too long, the fabric swallowing his hands, and the pants hung loosely on his hips. But somehow, that only made him look more endearing. Joshua’s heart clenched.

“Do I look okay?” Seokmin asked, coming out of the bathroom after changing to face joshua with a small, bashful smile.

Joshua stared at him, his throat tightening as he tried to find words that didn’t sound like a prayer. “pretty....the prettiest,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seokmin’s blush deepened, and he fiddled with the hem of the sweater. “Thanks, Hyung.”

Joshua stood up, his gaze softening as he reached out to take Seokmin’s hand again. He laced their fingers together, his thumb brushing over the back of Seokmin’s hand. “How about we go on a date?”

Seokmin blinked at him, his wide eyes full of surprise. “A date? Now?”

Joshua nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. “Yeah. Now.”

Seokmin’s face lit up with a mix of excitement and nervousness, his blush spreading to his ears. “Okay,” he said shyly, squeezing Joshua’s hand.