Adamant Adoration | Soonhoon

D-1

"You look like shit."

"What's new?" Jihoon deadpanned, his eyes hooded and the circles under his eyes 5 shades darker than when Soonyoung saw them on Tuesday.

This put a frown on Soonyoung's soft features, an expression that made Jihoon's heart hurt because he knew that he was the reason why. "Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? Wanna come over?"

Jihoon took a sharp intake of breath. Soonyoung had no idea how tempting that sounded to him. To throw everything away and just cuddle under the sheets, talking about both the deep and the stupid and everything under the sky in close proximity with the one you would gift the world to - who would say no to that? Only an idiot would.

And that idiot happened to be Jihoon because he still wasn't done with the freaking letter. Knowing that stupid pieces of paper were the cause of him not being able to spend a night at Soonyoung's had him pressed.

Slamming his locker shut with exactly the amount of force he intended, making the students in the hallways jump at the sound, Jihoon let out a sigh, trying to keep his pent-up frustration under control.

"Can't, Soon. Sorry."

Soonyoung's frown deepened and Jihoon wanted to punch himself for that.

"Why not?" Soonyoung egged on, taking a step closer to Jihoon with his eyes dead set on the younger. "There's something you're not telling me, Ji."

Jihoon dragged a hand down his face, tired. He had a terrible headache and the sole reason he even came to classes was upset because of him. If he wasn't careful, he was sure he would snap.

"It's nothing, Soon. C'mon, let's get to lunch." Jihoon turned to walk away, but a loud slam on the lockers pulled him to a stop.

Soonyoung had smashed his hand into the lockers, arm outstretched, preventing Jihoon from advancing any further. He had the brunette trapped as he stared him down, eyebrows drawn and......

.....and he looked broken. He wasn't angry, not anymore anyways. He just looked tired and sad and just not the hyperactive Soonyoung that Jihoon loved.

And Jihoon's heart broke because he knew he was the one who did this to Soonyoung.

He immediately moved to apologise, momentarily casting aside his prideful and stubborn self. "I-"

"Save it." Soonyoung cut him off, breath coming out in shudders as he searched for the right words to say.

"I just," he tried again and pulled at his hair when the words refused to come out, the action making Jihoon's heart ache.

"I thought we were best friends, Jihoon," Soonyoung finally said, and his use of Jihoon's proper name made the latter's heart drop, fully realising the gravity of the conversation only now. "But when I see you like this and you refuse to tell me what's wrong, I just-" Soonyoung choked up, and Jihoon swore that he saw Soonyoung's eyes turning glassy.

"Do you not feel the same? Don't you trust me?"

As Soonyoung's figure broke, so did Jihoon's heart.

As Soonyoung's form crumbled, Jihoon swooped in to catch him, arms gently cradling the taller in a firm embrace, hands running through the soft raven hair he wished he could kiss instead, whispering comforting words into the dancer's ear when he wished he could be whispering promises of love and reassurance instead.

When Soonyoung's sobs subsided, Jihoon started saying his piece.

"Soon, I'm sorry. I-"

"Are you apologising because you're going to tell me that I'm not your best friend?" Soonyoung squeaked.