across the universe. | chensung

dunk shot | chapter 7

The crisp air stung Jisung's eyes, red-rimmed and swollen in the aftermath of tears. He stood unsteadily at the curb, watching the taxi pull away, absentmindedly staring at the spot it had vanished around the corner. Fascinated by seeing his breath rise as a plume of steam in the freezing temperature, he remained standing near the side of the road.

A car whooshed past, beeping its horn urgently, startling Jisung who whirled around; knees giving out and arms flying out to brace himself for the impact of the fall.

Head still fuzzy from the initial shock, his gaze caught on a thin, familiar figure with purple hair. The person walked with a curious caution, bright hair messed - but still undoubtedly recognisable.

"Chenle?"

The figure turned around, and Jisung felt as if he had been punched in the stomach.

Chenle.

He hadn't seen Jisung yet and turned back around, fast disappearing down the sidewalk. Without thinking, without hesitation, Jisung could only grasp one thought.

He's here.

Picking himself up, he ran.

He's here.

He hugged Chenle from the back, arms wrapping around his torso and eyes blurring again because this was real, he was real. The other tensed at the contact, confused and wary. Chenle whipped around and broke from Jisung's embrace. He heard him mutter something in Chinese, but he couldn't care less. Chenle faltered as his eyes searched Jisung's face.

It was as if a veil had been lowered over his face. A shadow filtered across his features and Chenle stiffened and looked away immediately. Jisung clenched his jaw. "Hey, it's me. Is this how you greet someone who flew all the way from Korea to find you?"

Chenle continued to ignore him.

If his heart had been buoyant before, it now sank to the bottom of his stomach at the foreign look Chenle shot at him. It pierced through him, eyes directed blankly past him as if he was transparent. It tore his heart apart as if it were made of paper.

"Who are you?"

At this sentence, Jisung's world splintered at the edges. He slipped slightly on the frost-blanketed pavement as his vision tilted. "You - you just spoke in Korean."

If Chenle had realised his mistake, he didn't show it. His face remained stony as he pushed past Jisung and continued to walk away. Jisung clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms enough to draw blood. He could only see red as he shot out his arm and grabbed onto Chenle's sleeve, pulling him back with surprising force. Chenle was certainly surprised, he didn't expect Jisung to be so violent. "What do you want from me?!" He demanded. Jisung's eyes were aflame with fury, bottled inside until now.

"Before you left, you gave me something."

Chenle flinched at his words. What did he give to him? What did he do that was so important-

Unless...unless it was...that.

"I wanted to give it back to you."

No, it can't be...

Chenle was fully alert now, clinging onto, fearing every next word. "W-what?"

"This."

Jisung was suddenly right in front of him. Chenle was all too aware that they were close, too close, and Jisung was closing the distance between them.

Before he knew it, the familiar soft warmth met his lips.

At that moment Chenle froze, eyes blown wide, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. Disbelief, shock, anger, relief. The sounds of the world faded away. Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut, lashes brushing against his cheeks.

So ends the raging battle between heart and mind. He had finally given in. No matter how many walls he had built, they all came crashing down in an instant. Weaker than flimsy glass.

His heart was like a sieve; catching true feelings that overwhelmed the doubts and fears that slipped through the mesh in comparison. A filter. Now, those doubts and fears slipped away like water.

After a long moment - or maybe it was several sunlit days - Jisung pulled away and the ground beneath them seemed to right itself.

"I found you."