Adore You - Junbob

three

The first kiss was something that Junhoe would probably never forget.

It only happened because he was tired and weak. Too weak to fight off his love mode. Too weak to fight the way Jiwon's smile made him feel. He tried to stop Hanbin from texting Jiwon to tell him what was going on because he didn't need to be burdened with this, he should stay happy and oblivious because Junhoe knew that Jiwon would go into crazy-panic mode at the single thought of Junhoe being hurt, but he was too pained to put Hanbin in a headlock meaning he was too late to stop the text that read: 'come over, idiot. junhoe got into a fight for you.'

Junhoe had won, in the end, and he knew that he was going to or he wouldn't have started it. He would never get his ethereal face bruised up for a lost cause. And yes, maybe Junhoe had too much of a god complex and he had started to realise that things were going very wrong once the other guy actually got a good punch in and then his cronies were getting in on it, but Hanbin jumped in the instant that happened, yelling ferociously, 'HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A FAIR FIGHT, YOU FUCKWADS' and him and Junhoe came out on top without question. But Junhoe had got the brunt of it as his ribs hurt, his lungs were gasping for more than he could give them and he just wanted to curl into himself and do something that would defy everything he stood for: give in to being weak.

Junhoe muttered a small mixture of a farewell and an impression of reluctant gratitude just as Hanbin left, and then he closed his eyes, relishing in solitude and his soft blankets and the soft hand stroking his head- wait, what?

"Hey," a voice whispered and all Junhoe could do was groan softly, flopping his head onto his pillow as he tried to stop his favourite laugh ever from reaching his ears. Junhoe didn't want this, he never wanted someone like Jiwon to see him in this sort of state but one moment he was lying flat on his face and the next, he was lying on his back while Jiwon looked at him woefully and padded at the slightly cut lip that wouldn't stop bleeding with a tissue. Junhoe winced, raising his hand to encircle Jiwon's wrist as he rasped, "Stop. You're doing it too hard."

Jiwon immediately pulled back, looking so regretful. "Sorry."

"S'okay. You're trying."

And Junhoe smiled a little when he saw the light blush touch up Jiwon's face like it belonged there, almost laughing when Jiwon coughed and nodded almost frantically, throwing the tissue into the waste bin and getting ready with another one. "I do. I try very hard, when, when...it comes to you."

"Don't you want to call me stupid? Don't you want to yell at me?" Junhoe asked in a small voice, his desperation for reciprocation lingering in the air as Jiwon stayed quiet for a moment, not looking at Junhoe. Then Junhoe was closing his eyes as gentle hands brushed through his hair and dabbed at the cut on his forehead, far gentler than before and Junhoe felt warmth settle deep within him even through the small spurts of pain.

"I just want you to get better."

"He was trying to rile me up. See how far things would go 'til he pushed all my buttons. People find it fun to see me get angry, you know."

Jiwon nodded and the dabbing and fixing had stopped now so there were only hands through Junhoe's hair, gentle touches to his jaw and cheek, and Junhoe was getting distracted.

"He- he pulled out the dealbreaker at the end."

"Me?"

"You."

Jiwon shook his head, barely holding back a euphoric smile as he pulled his wandering hands back at Junhoe's warning look. "I can't believe I'm a dealbreaker. For you. Christ, I want to be upset because you're in pain but you got into a damn fight for me. I've literally never heard of something more romantic, and it came from Koo Junhoe? My whole life is the best movie ever."

"Wow, are you kidding me-"

"But don't get me wrong, idiot, my heart's still breaking seeing that you put yourself in danger for such a stupid reason so don't ever do it again."

"That's better. Thank you."

Jiwon smiled, both of them sharing a look of mutual understanding for a moment before Jiwon's hands reached out to take one of Junhoe's limp ones, kissing the fingertips gently and Junhoe bit his lip as he weakly tried to tug his hand out of Jiwon's hold but he was physically lacking and emotionally, he didn't want to. And a little while later when Jiwon had wrapped him up warm and carried him over to the sofa (which had actually been Junhoe's request but he didn't expect Jiwon to do it), just before he laid Junhoe down, their eyes met and Junhoe felt his breathing grow laboured as his body was pressed up close to Jiwon's and he could feel his heat and...he didn't want to push him away.

"Junhoe, why do you never let me kiss you?"

"Because I don't want you falling in love with me."

But Junhoe had the feeling that Jiwon had already done that.

"Hey," Junhoe said, trying to sound tough as he smacked Jiwon's chest lightly and Jiwon let out a flat, sarcastic 'ow'. "Put me down, I'm heavy."

"Not in my opinion."

"Your arms are trembling."

"With affection."

Junhoe grimaced, but the smile Jiwon was giving him was so playful and bright that the warmth from it was seeping into Junhoe's veins and slowly, Junhoe raised a hand and pressed it to the side of Jiwon's face and that was the first time Junhoe could feel that Jiwon's skin was really as soft as it looked. Jiwon jolted a little in surprise, his face heating up and Junhoe felt entranced in a way that he hadn't quite felt before.

"Jiwon."

"Junhoe."

"You...you're stupid. For being here. I don't want- I don't want you to want to be here."

Jiwon frowned in confusion, looking up as he mouthed Junhoe's words to himself slowly before finally realising what they meant. "Why not?"

"It's one of those things, where I want better for you-"

"You know what, for once, I'm not gonna let you finish speaking. I don't care what you want for me because I want you so you can shut your mouth," Jiwon said firmly as he finally laid Junhoe on the couch and the tenderness in the action completely contradicted his words and Junhoe really wanted to laugh, though he ended up coughing horribly instead. Then Jiwon was crouching down on the floor, right next to Junhoe's head and the younger looked at him almost helplessly as he said, "Can you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Making my heart race. I don't think it's fair anymore, and I don't know what to do."

"Junhoe," Jiwon murmured, his voice a brush of harsh reality and radiant fantasy all at once as he stroked Junhoe's hair away from his face and Junhoe winced at the clear compassion. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"How do you know that?"

"I...I guess I don't. But I know that I'm never going to try to."

And Junhoe looked up right into Jiwon's eyes, those warm melted chocolate eyes and with Jiwon's hand on his face and his eyes flickering down to the elder's soft-looking pink lips, Junhoe was getting lost in a place he didn't want to be. "Hyung, um, I'm fine. You can stop hovering over me."

Jiwon's eyebrows could've shot through the roof with how high they went. "Did you just call me hyung?"

"Don't you have a basketball match today? Go get ready."

"I won't play, are you crazy? I'm staying with you, tsundere."

Junhoe scrunched his face up in displeasure and Jiwon only grinned, curling a lock of Junhoe's hair around his finger. Junhoe really hated him with his stupid smile and stupid hands that were more distracting than anything Junhoe had encountered and he was a master at procrastination. And Junhoe really, really hated Jiwon when his hand settled on Junhoe's neck and he leant in, purposeful but gentle, and Junhoe didn't deny him as his eyes slipped shut and he let their lips brush together with the same premise of a snowflake falling and melting into soft grass. Jiwon was always going to be the perfect thing to melt Junhoe into a puddle that would usually solidify in seconds, but then Jiwon was whispering against his lips, "You're so beautiful," out of nowhere and Junhoe stayed deliquesced as he pulled Jiwon closer, his heart on his sleeve but this moment was still everything.