It Follows {Book One}

10

Friday, August 10
21 days

•Yukhei•

"Wanna go get ice cream?"

"Where are we gonna get ice cream, Yukhei?" Jungwoo snapped, eyes narrowed into a scowl as he rolled over to face the opposite direction, staring at the wall so he didn't have to look at Yukhei's stupid face.

Yukhei let out a short puff of air from his nose. Jungwoo had been extremely moody the past week, which was especially strange for him. Yukhei wasn't used to Jungwoo being anything but pleasant, but lately, every little inconvenience seemed to set him off.

He wasn't all that surprised, he almost expected it. He had noticed the slight change in him the first day, his slight hesitance and smile that no longer reached his eyes.

He used to try smiling, even though Yukhei knew it was fake, but as the last several days came and went, Jungwoo didn't bother anymore. He simply didn't have the energy, and Yukhei hated it. He knew it wasn't Jungwoo's fault at all, and Yukhei would never blame him for any of it. He wasn't the same.

When Yukhei met him, he worked in Bath and Body Works, a store at the mall that sold scented soaps and perfumes and lotions and it's shower gel, not soap. Yukhei had gone in looking for a present for his then-girlfriend, maybe a little bottle of candy apple scented hand sanitizer with a little rubber thingy decorated with cheap plastic rhinestones that she could hook onto her backpack or something. Then he accidentally bumped into Jungwoo when he was carrying a tote full of tester perfumes, and ended up covering the boy with "Cashmere Glow", whatever the hell that was supposed to smell like (Yukhei called it French Whore to which Jungwoo loudly objected). Two weeks later, Yukhei saw Jungwoo again. This time he was at a party, squished between Sicheng and some older guy named Henry, and the three were rolling joints. Yukhei fell in love right then and there. Another few weeks later, he left his girlfriend (and surprise, it went well, turns out she wanted to break up anyway, and they remained friends, yay), and used some lame pick-up line on Jungwoo, one that he had  learned from Johnny, 'I've been feeling off all day, but seeing you really turned me on'.

Yukhei keeps this line very close to his heart, and had even planned on reciting it at their wedding, not that he planned on marrying Jungwoo one day, and he totally didn't like to spend his free time fantasizing about it.

He couldn't help it. Yukhei couldn't imagine not having Jungwoo in his life. But now he had changed so much to the point that everything Yukhei had fell in love with was going away, and it broke his heart.

He wanted to see his pretty smile—his real one—one more time before it was too late. And Yukhei was trying so hard, doing everything he could think of that might be fun. Because he knew if he didn't nag, Jungwoo wouldn't move from the bed. He'd stay there staring at the wall, refusing to even look at Yukhei. He was scared. Yukhei knew that.

He continuously tried to get some sort of positive response from Jungwoo, even with little things. Rubbing his back, running his fingers through his hair because Yukhei remembered that Jungwoo had a very sensitive scalp and he loved his hair being played with. Jungwoo used to love having his older sister practice her braiding on him back when he had longer hair, not caring  how ridiculous it looked, he just found the slight tug soothing. He tried hugging him, holding him close, even blowing air onto his neck because Jungwoo was super ticklish.

Jungwoo used to blush and laugh, but now, he could barely manage a lopsided smile.

Yukhei missed him, missed how giggly Jungwoo would get when they smoked together, his words somehow even softer that usual. His eyes that sparkled, how his resting face was always set in a cute pout that made Yukhei want to bite his cheeks—and sometimes he did.

Yukhei hummed softly and leaned forward. He pushed one arm underneath Jugwoo and pulled him away from the wall. Jungwoo rolled back over to face him, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Yukhei's waist. Yukhei didn't move for a while, he sat there with his legs crossed, and Jungwoo's head in his lap.

"I don't want to die, Xuxi."

"You're not going to die," Yukhei said as he began to curl his fingers through Jungwoo's hair. "We're just going to sleep. Remember how the nights never seem long enough? Especially back in highschool, and you'd dread waking up in the morning?" Yukhei paused to bring Jungwoo's hand up to his lips. He pressed soft kisses to the pads of each finger. "You won't have to worry about the alarm anymore. And I'll be here the whole time."

"I've forgotten what falling asleep sober is like," Jungwoo said softly. His eyes fluttering closed and he let out a breathy sigh. "I hope it'll end quickly."

Yukhei bit his lip. He had overheard Yuta trying to explain to Taeil that it would be gradual, and not all at once. But he wouldn't tell Jungwoo that. Instead, he only nodded.

"I hope so, too."