across the universe. | chensung

paradise | chapter 2

Chenle already knew a lot about Jisung. As he said, "Jisung is too easy to read. He doesn't hold back his feelings and shows it all on his face. He's still young." Chenle smiled while he said this, his eyes creasing into half moons. "He makes me want to protect him." He continued to speak, engrossed on the topic of Jisung. The last time Chenle had shown such affection towards Jisung was three years ago, when the two had known each other for two years.

And then he had left. Disappeared without an explanation. And after three years, he was finally back.

In the morning after, Jisung shook Chenle awake. "Come on, we're going for a run."

Without much of a choice, he followed Jisung to the park, Jisung setting a fast, unrelenting pace.

"C-can we please take a break now?" Chenle panted. They had been running laps around the track, and he was far behind.

Jisung didn't stop, so he sat down in the middle of the track and gulped water. The other ran two more laps before stopping next to him, brows furrowed, panting slightly. "Don't sit on the ground, go sit on a bench. Man, you're so out of shape."

Jisung collapsed on the seat, taking off his jacket. He looked over at Chenle. His hair was pushed back, lips parted, eyes half-lidded and panting. A light flush painted his cheeks. Jisung gulped. The sight was downright sinful. He shook his head, trying to get rid of sudden weird thoughts. What is wrong with me?

"Sorry, I kind of stopped exercising," Chenle mumbled. Still, he couldn't believe that the run had drained him so much. Jisung grinned.

"Pushups."

Chenle groaned.

They arrived back at Jisung's place half an hour later, red-faced and hungry. Jisung grabbed a change of clothes. "You can shower in the other bathroom. I already fixed breakfast."

A shower later, Chenle walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. Jisung was sitting at the kitchen counter, picking through his omelet. Chenle's stomach was torturingly empty and he had just finished a run - so he practically dived into his plate, mumbling a muffled thanks to Jisung for the food and demolishing it with each bite.

As Chenle continued to stuff his face, he gave an occasional "When did you get so good at cooking?" or "Seriously Jisung, you need to teach me how to make this stuff man."

Jisung grinned as he saw Chenle enjoying the food. He knew how Chenle loved food and so he learned and mastered the skill of cooking. This only happened when Chenle left, and Jisung had to learn to take care of himself. He absentmindedly stared at Chenle until something clicked in his head.

"Crap, I forgot about the soup!" Jisung ran towards the kitchen, where the burning pot of soup sizzled as the water had evaporated from the liquid. He quickly turned off the stove and moved the pot into the sink.

Chenle padded into the kitchen after him, eyes wide. "Wow, you were paying so much attention to me you forgot about your soup!"

Jisung went red.

"Shut up!"

♡

Spring just so happened to be the season of colds and fevers - and Jisung was sick. He had stumbled in from an early morning run, shivering and flushed. Chenle soon woke up from a deep sleep and found Jisung in his room. He stopped for a while before sneaking out of the blankets without waking Jisung up. A few minutes later, Chenle quietly entered the room, carrying a bowl of water and a towel. Wetting the cloth, he dabbed at the feverish sheen on Jisung's forehead and hands. He smiled slightly at the sleeping Jisung, his face relaxed and childish, a rosy flush across the bridge of his nose. 

Heart thundering, Chenle leaned down slowly, hesitantly, and lightly pressed his lips to Jisung's burning forehead, the tip of his nose, his pink cheeks. 

Chenle swallowed audibly and lowered onto the lips; something he had been missing, thinking about for the past three years.

"His lips are so soft," he thought to himself; and then he straightened, walked out of the room silently and pretended that nothing happened.

Except Jisung was staring at his back, eyes blown wide and his face a deep shade of scarlet.

Chenle had just kissed him.