4 X 7 Dreams

The Truth All Along (Interlude)

They fell asleep. When Krist wakes, he knows it's because of his nerves. Underneath the covers, Singto's body is warm against his as he sleeps. Krist looks over at the clock. 06:28 blinks back at him in red. Krist sucks in a shaky breath, heart stopping when he feels the elder shift next to him.

He remains where he is, breath caught in his throat.

Singto doesn't wake up.

Krist lets out a breath before closing his eyes. He doesn't fall asleep. Instead, he remains that way, awake with eyes closed, until he feels Singto moving around beside him. His heartbeat stutters when an arm wraps over his waist and he's pulled into a warm chest.

"Morning," Singto whispers against the nape of his neck.

"Good morning." Krist's voice is equally soft. His throat feels tight.

They settle into silence, and the elder's breath on his neck tickles. Krist takes a tight grip on the hand resting on his stomach.

"We should get ready," he murmurs.

"We don't have anything to do today," Singto replies.

"You don't have anything to do today," Krist argues. He squirms in the older man's arms for a second before worming his way out of his grip and getting out of bed. "I'm going to brush my teeth."

Singto sits up, eyes still nearly shut, before nodding. "I can get started on breakfast."

Krist nods back before going into his bathroom, where he stares at himself in the mirror for a solid two minutes, then brushes his teeth in hyperspeed when Singto's voice comes through the door, asking if he's all right.

When Krist steps out of the bathroom, Singto is sitting in bed, a tray with two plates across his lap, staring out the window, where the curtains have now been opened, gaze far away.

Krist looks at the other plate on the tray across the elder's lap. Steam rises from it, and there's also a clean glass of water on the bedside table next to his side of the bed. He closes his eyes, wonders if he'll ever get to experience something like this again. Quietly, he sits on the bed.

Singto's eyes are still locked on the skies outside. Krist is about to take a bite, arm already reaching over the elder's lap, when he speaks: "I know," he finally looks over to the younger, "about what people are saying about you and Hana."

"Oh," Krist says, like a true intellectual; he knew that Singto knew, sure, there was no way he couldn't know, but he never thought the elder would bring it up again.

The other man sends him a soft smile. "She does seem cool."

Krist swallows. "It's not like that."

At his words, Singto sighs and wraps his fingers around his own glass of water that had been sitting on the tray. "I know," he says, voice still rough with sleep. "That's mainly why I haven't said anything. For the most part, I felt like I was overreacting." He takes a sip of his water.

Krist stares at him.

Singto looks back. Eventually, he sets his cup back down before picking up his utensils. He cuts into his omelette. "Eat," he says. "It's not poisonous."

Krist continues to stare blankly at him. When Singto raises a single brow, Krist nods quickly and moves to take a bite.

As soon as Singto finishes, the elder scoots the tray onto Krist's lap, then gets up and disappears into the bathroom. He has a toothbrush here, Krist remembers with a weary smile. Right.

When Singto makes his way back to the bed, Krist is finishing up his omelette.

"You ate slow," the older man notes. "Is there something wrong?"

Krist gances at him before taking his second-to-last bite and shaking his head. "Just tired, I guess."

Singto hums before taking his own plate and cup to the sink. He finishes his water as Krist eats his last piece of omelette. As soon as he's done, he also drains his water, then places the tray on the bed and stands to take his dishes to the sink. Singto stops him, however, making the younger sit again as the elder pushes the tray out of the way then takes a seat on the bed next to him.

"Kiss?" he asks, voice laced with faux innocence.

Krist freezes, eyes widening the tiniest bit before nodding slowly.

Singto breaks into a smile, and Krist is momentarily blinded.

(Is this it? is the question that goes through his head. Will he ever smile at me like this again?)

No, Krist answers when the elder begins to lean in. No, he won't.

He closes his eyes and lets the man continue to move towards him, the space between their lips decreasing with every breath. It seems as if their lips really will meet, meet in a loving kiss, the best type of kiss, the one kiss Krist wants to feel forever, with the man he thinks he could be in love with forever, but then—

"I'm sorry, P'Singto," he says in the moment where their lips are only centimeters apart, breaths mixing together. "I can't do this anymore."

Singto doesn't move away, but he doesn't lean in any further. It feels as if, with this, everything else in the room has gone still, also. "Why not?" he asks.

Krist is the one to sit back up, a good distance between them now, knees now apart where they had previously been touching. He doesn't look the elder in the eyes. "I don't feel anything. I'm mixing work and my personal life. Getting confused between the two."

There's a rough breath from the other person on the bed. "Look me in the eyes when you say that."

So Krist does. "I don't feel anything for you anymore."

He says it slowly, surely, as if this has been the truth all along.

He gets up, thinking he'll come back later, after he's sure Singto has taken everything out with him, his toothbrush, the few outfits he'd left in his closet, his scent, his warmth, thinking when he returns there will be one plate in the sink, one cup, tray still on the bed, as if it had only been him in the morning and the time spent with Singto only his imagination. He gets up, before making his way to the door, ready to leave his senior alone in the room. When his hand reaches the door knob, the elder speaks:

"Did you ever?"

Once again, Krist isn't looking at him.

"No," he answers. "I didn't."

He shuts the door softly behind him when he leaves. What rings throughout the room instead are his words.

Krist stops as soon as he gets to the end of the hallway. When the elevator doors open, he steps in and pulls out his phone.

Hana picks up on the second ring.

"I did it," Krist says without waiting for her to speak.

"Krist," Hana says, but she's quickly cut off.

"I left him in my room," Krist continues. "What if I come back, and he's still there?"

"Krist," she repeats, and this time, she continues: "do you need me to come over?"

Krist stares at his reflection, distorted in the steel panels. "I... no. I can meet you somewhere."

"Are you sure?" Hana asks.

"I don't know," Krist admits. "Can we just hang out somewhere? I don't really want to think right now."

Hana stays silent before he hears the woman suck in a breath. "Yes," she replies. "Of course we can. We can meet where we usually do."

Krist closes his eyes and leans back against the cool far wall of the elevator. "Thank you, Hana."

When the woman responds, Krist feels like she's smiling. "That's what friends are for, right?"