Work of Art || Luwoo

32

||Lucas||

Waking up to Jungwoo is something that I didn't think would happen in a long time. If it ever happened. We tried to finish the movie and this time, jungwoo purposefully laid against me. I could feel his irregular breathing, assuming it was from what we had just done. What I initiated. I don't know what came over me except for the thought that I had to make things right. Countless of times, i'd apologized to Jungwoo for things that were honestly out of my control, but I couldn't let myself be the cause of his sadness. I rested my chin against his head and I could see how tightly he held his hands together, knuckles turning white. When he unclamped his hands, I could see that they were shaking. I said nothing and instead held his hands, resting them against his stomach, holding him in a lose hug. The movie played quietly in the background, though I doubt either of us were paying much attention to it. Instead, I was contempt to be sitting with the boy I loved. Finally showing him how much he meant to me.

Jungwoo's breathing slowly returned to it's normal pace and his breath deepened. When I moved my chin to see his face, checking if he was okay, his head dipped forward. His cheeks puffed from resting against his chest. Jungwoo always has this worried look to him but he looked peaceful while sleeping. I decided that his neck would hurt in the morning if I let him stay like that, so I leaned back slowly, pulling him against me to lay his head back. Jungwoo was nearly on top of me but I could barely feel his weight. He was so gentle. I started pushing my fingers through his hair, moving it out of his eyes. The dark blue curls were soft in my fingers and every time they got close to my nose, I smelled the sweetness of his shampoo.

I fell asleep with my fingers detangling those curls, with the soft sound of Jungwoo's snoring. Cute.

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I can smell food but I refuse to open my eyes in an attempt to get a few more minutes of sleep. There's a loud crash and I finally sit up, realizing that Jungwoo is no longer laying with me. I remember last night and it takes everything in me not to start smiling like an idiot. I can feel the heat that threatens to creep up my neck and warm my ears and cheeks.

The wall that divides my living area from the kitchen doesn't muffle much noise. The wall is mostly there for show and I can hear soft humming echoing around the wall. I don't know what song it is, but it's slow and gentle. I rub the palms of my hands into my eyes to wake myself up and stretch when I get up. I move a little too quickly and dark spots light up my vision.

I'm still unbalanced from sleeping and my feet slap across the wood flooring while walk. I planned on sneaking up on Jungwoo as a joke, but my shoulder smacks the wall when I try to enter. Not only does the collision make a loud thud, but a deep "ow" also escapes my mouth.

Jungwoo whizzes around, holding a cup of water that he nearly drops. So jumpy, I think.

"Stop scaring me!" Jungwoo stomps like a child and rolls his eyes when I try to stifle my laughter.

"I'm sorry. The wall just got in my way." That makes Jungwoo laugh. It's a light sound.

"Are you hungry?" I ask when I notice that all jungwoo has is a cup of water.

"You can have whatever you want."

"Um... cereal?" Jungwoo squeaks. He shrugs his shoulders. It's not a very fancy request, considering the amount of food in my kitchen, but I oblige anyway.

"Yeah, as long as you don't pour the milk first." I joke.

"You better not pour milk first. I'll have to leave if you do." Jungwoo points his finger at me accusingly and I stage a gasp.

"What am I, a savage? Come pick which one you want and I'll drive you home after." I lead Jungwoo to the pantry that branches off from the kitchen and he pulls out a box of Froot Loops.

"You're such a child, eating Fruit Loops." I joke.

"Says the one who bought them." Jungwoo throws back. I stop talking and Jungwoo strides across the room with a posture that's rubbing his comeback in my face. He opens the cupboard to find a bowl and fixes his breakfast before sitting back on the couch with his newly made breakfast.

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I have no choice but to drive Jungwoo back to his apartment, not that I'm complaining. I didn't realize until the morning that I had Jungwoo drop off his car before I took him out for dinner which left him stranded at my house without his own ride back.

"Love you." Jungwoo says before he lays a fleeting kiss and hops out of the car.

"Love you too. Text me later." I call after him. I wait until I know that Jungwoo is safe inside before I start up the car again and leave. I decide that I don't want to go home yet. It'd feel too lonely there with only myself to fill the space, so I decide to go to Yuta's. He should be used to me showing up at random by now. He's known me for years. Besides, I have a spare key.

The door opens easily when I try the handle and I step inside, taking off my shoes at the front door.

"Yuta?" I call down the hall. I can hear sounds coming from the TV. If Yuta's home, I don't expect him to hear me over the booming noise so I go down the hall and sure enough, I find Yuta with a game controller in his hand, hunched over, playing some medieval fighting game. I sit down beside him quickly without saying a word and he nearly falls over the armrest.

"What the fuck!" The controller falls from his hands.

"Wow, trucker mouth."

"What did you expect me to do? Just decide to sit down beside me in my own home like some maniac who just broke into my house! Without any notice, mind you." Yuta's eyes are popping from their sockets and his face starts to turn red from exertion. I think that if I look close enough, I can see his heart beating through his shirt.

"Okay okay, sorry. I just had some good news." I raise my eyebrows waiting for Yuta's answer.

"It better be good." He replies.

"It's about Jungwoo." Yuta's head whirls to face me and he's suddenly smiling.

"Oh?"

"We kissed." I reply curtly.

"What? When did this happen?" His eyes bug out of his head before he starts smiling again. His eyes are still wide from shock and it makes him look a little crazy.

"Yeah. We ran into Alex last night at dinner and I was trying to apologize..." My voice falls flat.

"Huh. So Mark and Sicheng's plan did work ou-" Yuta clamps a hand over his mouth and he eyes me.

"Mark?" I prod.

"It's nobody really. I was um, just thinking about the plans that Sicheng and Mark had to hangout later." Yuta has always been a terrible liar and after years of friendship, I can smell his sad attempts at a cover-up from miles away.

"I know you're lying." Yuta huffs, knowing all too well that he can't get out of the hole he's dug himself into.

"Sicheng works with one of Jungwoo's friends and they've been trying to come up with ways to get the two of you together. Sicheng slipped your number in Jungwoo's pocket at your last runway."

"They did what?!" How didn't I notice that something was going on? Yuta throws his hands in the air defensively.

"You got your boyfriend, didn't you? Happy ending. Don't worry about how it happened." Yuta goes on. I'm surprised that he kept something like that from me. Then again, I would've probably had a panic attack knowing what was in progress.

"Alright, it's fine. But only because you're stupid ideas finally worked out for once." This time it's my turn to point an accusatory finger.

"See? Sometimes, you just gotta trust me." Yuta leans back, resting his head against his arm, and flashes that trademark mischievous smile.