Malboro Haze

twelve

The embarrassment didn't die down easily for Jeongin throughout that night. As Hyunjin helped him out of his clothes (excluding his underwear because he was still shy), his cheeks burned a bright red as the blond boy jokingly teased him throughout the night. For once in 3 months the two slept together in the same bed, but no longer were they avoiding skin contact or faced their back towards each other. This time, they both held each other in their arms, Jeongin's head resting comfortably against Hyunjin's chest.

Late morning came, it was around 10 am the two boys woke up together. Through their blurred morning vision, they could see each other with much clarity. Hyunjin cracks a smile, pulling the younger boy tighter towards him.

"Jeonginnie! Good morning," Hyunjin's childish tone was refreshing to hear yet very shocking. Jeongin felt his heart skip a beat.

"Yah—did you eat something wrong?" Jeongin pushes him away as he sits up, rubbing his eyes. His childish nature and easygoing grin as something unnatural and odd to the young boy. He almost felt uneasy. The Hyunjin he knew was cold, distant and hard to get along with, and to see him act like this was like a completely different person was lying down on his bed. He didn't hate it but he felt conflicted.

"What do you mean?" Hyunjins sits up to get close to Jeongin, leaving less than a centimeter gap between them. This created a reaction in his heart. The familiar fluttering feeling he used to get when imagining different scenarios the two boys could be in. Jeongin was not used to this just yet, being able to get up close to his face was unnatural and made him feel flustered. "Am I not attractive to you anymore?"

"What! No no! That—that's not it." He looks away with burning ears. "I don't even think that's possible. It's just—this is so weird."

"What's weird?" Hyunjin places a hand on Jeongin's shoulder. "Talk to me, I wanna know what you're thinking. I'm just—I'm so happy and I want to know if you are."

Hearing him say those words brought serenity to Jeongin's mind. "It's nothing, I'm really happy too." A wide smile spreads across his face, this time it wasn't forced, it wasn't fake. It was genuine.

That too brought a smile to Hyunjin's face. "Come come." He stands up, grabbing both of the younger's hands and pulling him out of bed. "We're cooking breakfast together as our first task." Hyunjin drags the groaning boy to the kitchen, each step getting heavier and heavier. "C'mon, don't be such a pain."

"Hyung~I don't wanna," Jeongin whines, throwing a fit on the kitchen floor. Today was a day he didn't feel like doing anything especially after spending the previous night drinking away his dignity. He has no choice but to go to work today since he missed his shift for the party. "Let's just order something, I don't wanna do the dishes hyung!"

Seemingly, the nickname 'hyung' had an effect on the blonde boy. He looks away in an attempt to conceal his smile. "F-fine, let's just order something quick."

After the two finish their breakfast meal, Hyunjin headed to the familiar, small window sill to light up the first in his daily pack. He exhales his first puff and turns to Jeongin who stared at him in a trance. The older boy points his newly lit stick towards him. "Wanna puff?"

Jeongin felt flustered. He didn't intend to stare too long, let alone get caught. "M-may I?" He walked over to stand by the windowsill directly next to him and took the cigarette. He'd always been curious about what the hype over cigarettes were. "Do I just-" He inhales, and inhales, until a little too much went down his throat. This sends him into a coughing fit, almost throwing up off the side of the window. His mind was buzzy from the nicotine head rush and he felt his head rocking ride to the side.

"Woah hang on, you might need to sit down." Hyunjin snatches the cigarette from Jeongin, shoving it between his lips before sitting the young boy down onto his bed before he could topple over. He went back to his comfortable position by the window sill and continued what he was doing while the young boy pouted.

"I don't get the hype," he grumbled.

"Neither do I." A gush of perfectly timed wind blows past the smoke, sending it back into the apartment.

"Don't you think it's time to quit?" Jeongin wasn't the type to really care if the people around him smoked, but somehow Hyunjin crawled his way into his heart and gave him a reason to care.

"I probably should aye, I didn't see a point in quitting before." He taps out what's left of the burning tobacco and puts out the butt on the ashtray on the window sill.

The question why left the young boy's mouth. Cigarette smoking was heavily advertised against in Korea and in America, so why did he feel the need to do it? It was a big waste of money just to feed his addiction. Especially since they were so tight on money, wouldn't it be much more helpful to quit?

"I was never given a reason as to why I should quit and since I've started I never wanted to, but seeing as I've got a living and breathing one right in front of me, I think it's worth a shot." Hyunjin goes to sit down next to Jeongin, maintaining eye contact. "I don't think you realised how dear you are to me." Soft pats against Jeongin's hair and a charming smile was all it took for the young boy to crumble into small pieces against the older's body.

"Hyung you can't just say stuff like that!" His cheeks were burning with embarrassment. Being told those things didn't settle well with him as he grew up in a household where it was all criticism and no praise. "It makes me flustered." Jeongin lightly punches his chest while looking up to see a grinning Hyunjin.

"What if I want to do that to you?" He cups his face together and brings his nose in to touch one another's.

"Th-then I guess I'll have to put up with it." Jeongin brings his hands up to cover his face. He could tell he was as red as a tomato and he didn't want the older boy to see him so flustered over one small gesture.

"You're too cute," Hyunjin chuckles, prying his hands off his face and placing a kiss on his lips. "I'm so glad we can be like this, finally."