What Can I Do

Chapter 17 ~I could lie here forever with you under these cheap stars

"I'm not lying on the grass."

"Aw, come on! Why not?" Jae pouted, already planting himself on the ground and lying down on his back.

"It rained last night! The grass is still a little wet."

"So? Come here Brian."

Jae was slightly a bit tipsy from the drinks and dancing he had done earlier, making him whine and pout towards his friend. Brian tried to resist but Jae's over-excited grin already made him a bit weak to his pleas, and a tipsy Jae was just too cute to ignore. Jae dragged him down beside him and pulled him so they were lying side by side.

Haru's backyard had a little roofing ledge that had small string lights hanging in between the wood structures. When Jae and Haru were younger, Jae always wanted to play in their backyard. When they were twelve years old and having their first ever sleepover, Jae claimed he wanted to sleep under the stars.

"There's too much pollution Jae. We can't see anything up there."

Jae's face fell before brightening up again.

"Just wait."

He ran inside her house before coming back out with his arms full of string lights.

"If we can't see the stars, we'll just make our own." He told her with his trademark grin.

That day they spent the entire night hanging up the string lights before talking for hours and falling asleep underneath the artificial stars. The next day Haru's parents found them past out under the canopy of lights, both damp from the morning dew collecting on their clothes.

"They're stars hyung. As pretty as any stars we could see here." Jae said, a wistful tone to his voice.

Brian hummed, silently agreeing that the lights really did look beautiful against the dark night sky. He was relaxed from the drink he had earlier and if he just squinted, he could pretend they were stars. If he just squinted a bit more, he could pretend he and Jae were the only two people still alive, alone in their own little world under the stars. 

Brian could still hear the music playing loudly from inside and people's yells as they danced, but under this little canopy of lights, he could pretend it was just him and Jae.

Jae had his eyes closed, arms stretched out, one arm still thrown over Brian's shoulder from when he dragged him on the ground. Their shirts really were getting a little wet from the previous night's rain but Brian found he didn't care all that much.

The alcohol made Brian looser and he let himself just look at Jae and appreciate the other boy for a while. He could forgive himself this one time. The little lights reflected off Jae's round glasses, highlighting his entire face, making him look glowing under the lights. A slight smile stretched over his lips, as if he was perfectly content with staying like that forever. Brian had to agree. He wouldn't mind staying here either, just staring at Jae forever.

Suddenly Jae turned his head to meet Brian's gaze.

"Why hadn't I befriended you earlier hyung? You know you're not all people say you are. You're a big softie. I know it." Jae grinned -he was always doing that.

Brian's throat was dry as he swallowed. Jae's face was too close to his when he turned his head like that.

"Yeah." Brian replied, distracted.

Jae hummed and turned his head back and closed his eyes once again.

"I really like you hyung. I hope we can be friends for a long time." Jae smiled, before drifting off to a light sleep.

Brian's heart thundered in his chest, watching as the boy's chest lifted and fell as he slept.

"Yeah, me too Jae. Me too."

~~