chiliad (n.)
/ˈkɪlɪad/ a thousand years, a millennium.
- - -
"stop thinking so much. you look dumb."
chan looks down and meets the eyes of a fond jisoo. the student nods and hums, whisking away his train of thought and pulling the taller boy up to his chest. jisoo smiles contently and moves a hand to brush through his lover's hair.
"sorry. there's just a lot on my mind." chan says, fingertips grazing the part-time librarian's jaw. the other boy's eyes flutter close as his companion's hand slides down his petite frame, coming to a stop at his hip and giving it a light squeeze.
"mm...want to tell me about it?" jisoo asks. his voice is light and gentle, matching the room's mood. a soft breeze trickles in from chan's bedroom window, white sheets tangling their legs together and hiding away jisoo's exposed lower half. he wears a pair of boxers, as he was complaining about the room being way 'too hot.' not that chan was necessarily complaining. jisoo looked cute-- wearing one of chan's t-shirts and hair ruffled in a bed head.
"i'm just worried." the younger replies, continuing to skid his hands up and down the librarian's body. "about jun. and minghao."
two months of being with jisoo seemed like a longer time when chan really thought about it. no, it was even weirder to know that three months of skipping school to camp at the local library had gone by, inching dangerously closer to graduating and considering thoughts of the future. chan, at this point, was pretty damn convinced that he was in love with the very boy resting on his chest right now.
"jun didn't come with me to the library, and minghao's so quiet. it's been three days since they've talked, jisoo."
"i realized. i was going to bring it up with you, but i didn't want to press anything." the older answers, frowning. "i thought you would know more about it."
"it's okay, i'm just...concerned. what if they fought or something? they typically get along so well..."
"i am too," jisoo admits, crawling further up chan's chest. he looked like he wanted to cry. "minghao doesn't talk to me, and i haven't seen him smile. i'm scared, channie."
chan frowns, noticing the distress seeping it's way onto his lover's expression. sitting up and scooping jisoo into his lap, he hugs the boy and plants comforting kisses down the expanse of his neck.
"it's okay. we'll figure out what's wrong, alright? it'll be fine." he whispers, a few stray tears coming from jisoo's eyes running down and wetting his collarbone.
"i know, i know, i just--" jisoo pauses, shifting to look at chan. "i've never seen him this upset."
chan can only nod in agreement, continuing the slow movements of his hand against jisoo's soft skin. the librarian's eyes eventually come to a close, allowing him to let out soft noises with each press of chan's lips. the student casually sneaks his hands underneath jisoo's shirt, drawing circles with the pads of his fingers along the older boy's abdomen. at the same time, he moves his kisses up and across the canvas that is jisoo's neck, nosing along his jaw with a low hum.
"you promise that we'll figure out what's wrong?" jisoo speaks up, now pressed flush against chan's body.
"yes," chan answers, hovering their lips only inches apart. "i promise."
- - -
it had been three days since minghao last talked to jun.
he didn't want to see him.
minghao hoped the flowers had rotted. he hoped that the chocolates became dry and dirty, and he hoped that he would stop crying by the end of today.
yet he stood at the library's help desk, bright and bubbly, greeting visitors with a smile. he put on tons of makeup this morning, attempting to cover up the heavy bags underneath his eyes and make his skin clearer.
he hated that part of him still wanted junhui here-- that he kept looking over at the door as if the student would walk back in and burst into apologies.
but he didn't come.
minghao felt himself tearing up again. sliding down into his wheeled-chair, the chinese male slumps and lets out a pathetic noise of discomfort. he brushes away his tears with the sleeve of his sweater, holding back the seam of a sob with just one loose string. he felt so close to breaking down. again.
the bell on the table rings, signaling the librarian that someone was ready to be attended to. without looking up, minghao stands, shuffling over to the front and putting his hands up to retrieve the book. eventually, he forces himself to lift his depressing stare and slip back into the cheery librarian mood.
"checking-out or return--"
when he realizes that it's wen junhui standing at the desk, he stops. the student looks terrible. hair tousled and face extremely dry, visible tear tracks running down his cheeks and eyes lidded ever so slightly. something in minghao wanted to forgive him, right then and there.
"minghao, listen to me--"
"checking-out or returning?" the librarian repeats, voice void of anything. jun stares at him. minghao sees how his eyes are begging for remorse, for forgiveness, for just some recognition. but he can't find it in himself to care.
"minghao." jun whispers. "you need to listen to me. what you saw wasn't what it looked like--"
"it what exactly what it looked like." minghao croaks, already on the verge of crying again. the images of that day come back and he cringes. how jun was pressed up against the locker, the way that the girl had her tongue practically shoved down his throat.
"no, you don't understand." the student begs, reaching out for minghao, who only backs away. "she made me do it, i wasn't able to push her away. it wasn't with my consent, hao. please."
"leave." the librarian says in a hushed voice, not knowing if he can take anymore of this. "please, leave."
"hao--"
"please."
something in minghao breaks as he watches the desperation fall from jun's face. he opens his mouth to say something, but cuts himself off with a brief nod. junhui backs away from the desk, looking up and down between the weeping angel that is minghao, and the cold reserves of the carpeted floor. minghao forces himself to look away, thoughts too preoccupied with the memory of jun's lips on another's.
as he's walking away, jun halts. "minghao?"
the librarian looks up.
"i love you."
and without a second glance, jun leaves. just like minghao asked.
- - -
okay so i got a few questions through pm's...about smut
and uh. i don't know if i want to write it for this book, i kinda wanna keep the soft nature, if you get that?
but i don't know. it all depends on the popular vote.
-j
