Tired Lines; Soonhoon

23

☽

10:09 pm.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"It's a little embarrassing."

Soonyoung eyes Jihoon cautiously, worrying his lower lip between his teeth, and the latter's wondering what it is, exactly, that's got him blushing so pretty - there isn't much that he thinks Soonyoung could do to deserve his negative judgment, after all.

"Tell me anyway."

"Er ... I don't actually work here as often as you think."

" ... What?"

"I mean - I do, yeah, because I'm here every night, obviously. But, I mean - God, I hate this, I don't know why I'm telling you - "

"Just say it, Soon."

"Uh, my regular shift only goes from 8 to 12 every night, and I'm allowed to take the weekends off when I feel like it. This isn't like, an eight-hours-every-day type of job."

Jihoon's expression morphs from confused to nonplussed as the other boy's words sink in, and he realizes exactly what it is he's saying. He gawks.

"It isn't?"

"No ... ? Don't you think it's a little weird that I'm here when you come in at 6 in the evening, and I'm still here when you leave at 6 in the morning? Jihoon, those aren't normal working hours. I picked those up myself."

"Soonyoung, why the fuck - "

"Because - ! Because you were coming in every night, and I - I just wanted to see you. That's all."

Jihoon leans back in his seat and stares at the boy in front of him, open-mouthed. It has to be the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard; giving up so much time that could've been spent on anything else - school work, choreographing, sleeping - and for what? For Jihoon?

His body feels like an oven, heart swelling in the surrounding heat. He tries to look incredulous, but he can't help the smile creeping over his face.

"God, you're so dumb."

"No, I - I mean yeah. Yeah, I'm dumb."

"Was it worth it?"

He's only joking, but Soonyoung's response doesn't seem to fall under the same light.

"Yeah, definitely," he says.

And okay, that's cool. Jihoon feels like he's about to implode, and that's cool. Totally fine.

He's barely able to get the words out without choking on them - "You can stop, now. Go back to working your regular hours. Get some fucking rest, for the love of God. I'm supposed to be the insomniac here, not you."

The other boy grins, "Does this mean we can take boyfriend naps together when we have free time? And you can spend the nights at my place? You seem to sleep better there, anyway."

"I already told you," he mumbles, voice dropping sheepishly, "it doesn't matter if it's at your house or not. It's just - It's just you. And, for the record, boyfriend naps sound awesome."

Soonyoung's eyes are alight, and Jihoon swears he can see comets dancing in them.

"You make my heart smile, Jihoonie."

"Yeah? I will punch you, right now."

Soonyoung laughs, and the sound alone creates a whole new tempo for Jihoon's heart to beat along to. "Gosh," he says. "I have the sweetest boyfriend."

10:18 pm.

Jihoon resorts to punching him - gently, with his lips. He finds it's a lot nicer than using his actual fist.