The night had finally settled into quiet. After the chaos, the confrontation, and the long ride home, everything should have been peaceful.
But Jeonghan could feel Seungcheol's sulking radiating off him in waves.
Even as they lay in bed, Jeonghan scrolling through his phone, Seungcheol refused to let go of him, one arm locked tightly around his waist as if Jeonghan would disappear the moment he loosened his grip. He buried his face against Jeonghan's shoulder, letting out dramatic sighs every few minutes.
With a small smirk, Jeonghan unlocked his phone and opened their group chat.
Jeonghan: Guys, he's still sulking. He hasn't let go of me since we got back.
It only took a second for The8 to reply.
The8: Jun won't let go of me either. He's been dramatically sighing for the past 10 minutes and complaining that I didn't tell him anything.
Seungkwan: Vernon's just moody because he didn't get to partake in the action. He keeps saying this was like Fight Club.
DK: THIS WAS NOTHING LIKE FIGHT CLUB, SEUNGKWAN.
Jeonghan bit back a laugh, shaking his head. He could practically hear DK yelling through the text.
Seungcheol shifted slightly, lifting his head just enough to peer at Jeonghan's phone. "Are you talking about me?" he muttered.
Jeonghan hummed. "What gave it away?"
Seungcheol groaned, tightening his hold. "You're never pulling this kind of stunt again," he grumbled. "I don't care if the world is ending. I'm handcuffing you to me next time."
"Didn't I do that to you this time?" Jeonghan teased.
Seungcheol only groaned again, nuzzling into Jeonghan's neck like a stubborn child.
Meanwhile, the chat kept going.
The8: Anyway, we all survived. Good job, team.
DK: Except for our blood pressure.
Seungkwan: Real.
A moment passed before Joshua finally asked:
Joshua: Wait... why is Dino so quiet?
Jeonghan glanced at the chat, eyebrows raising. He hadn't even noticed, but now that Joshua pointed it out, it was strange. Dino usually had something to say, even if it was just to tease Seungkwan.
Then, after a long pause, a new message appeared.
Dino: ...I think I'm getting back together with Hoshi and Woozi.
The group chat exploded.
Seungkwan: I'M SORRY, YOU'RE WHAT?!
DK: DID I READ THAT RIGHT?!
Joshua: Hold on—back up—what?!
The8: Dino, is this a joke or are we all too sleep-deprived to process this properly?
Dino: ...Not a joke. I asked them if we could start over, and they said yes.
Jeonghan: Damn.
Seungkwan: I'm not gonna lie, I did NOT see that coming.
DK: Neither did I but... are you happy, Dino?
A small pause.
Then:
Dino: Yeah. I think I am.
The chat slowed down after that. Even through the shock, no one could argue. If Dino was happy, then that was all that mattered.
After a few seconds, The8 was the first to break the silence.
The8: Well, shit. Good for you, man.
Joshua: Agreed. Just make sure they treat you right this time, okay?
Dino: I will. I promise.
Seungkwan: Alright. Fine. But I am going to judge them a little bit before I fully accept this.
DK: That's fair.
Jeonghan smiled at his phone before locking it, sighing in amusement. "Dino just dropped a bombshell," he muttered to Seungcheol, who was still wrapped around him.
Seungcheol didn't even lift his head. "As long as it's not another life-threatening situation, I'll process it in the morning."
Jeonghan laughed. "Fair enough."
