love is just a daydream [Chapter 5]

[darkyulate]

Chapter Directory
Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Joonmyun did as the union had instructed and met Jongdae at the Department of Refugees. All the while, he chanted a mantra of ’keep calm and act natural’ as they greeted each other and exchanged small talk. They’d texted back and forth on what to talk about until they came up with a small list. Jongdae, for the most part, looked relaxed and as normal as Joonmyun thought he’d be. If it wasn't for Jongdae texting him later that afternoon, he wouldn't have found out how nervous the younger had been. They started messaging each other more often after that. In between days they couldn't meet, Jongdae would send him silly messages and ask him how he was and Joonmyun would reply. Sometimes, Joonmyun would call Jongdae on quiet nights to talk about a possible topic for small talk. It helped during the private party held for the sponsors and donators of the medical mission. They managed to keep their conversation going, discussing things from Jongdae's favorite TV show to Joonmyun's latest song recommendation. But today, thought Joonmyun, would be the real challenge. Today, Joonmyun would spend a significant amount of time with Jongdae, practically alone, most likely eating and drinking with him. There would be no crowds to please, no distractions. It would be just the two of them (and Minseok, but he'd be sitting at a different table, so he wasn't technically counted). "Your Highness?" Minseok called. Joonmyun shook out of his trance and found that Minseok had the car door open. Seeing as there were people around, Joonmyun took a deep breath and gave Minseok a semblance of what he considered to be his tired smile. "Do you think we could stop by a near by cafe?" "Of course, Your Highness. I'll tell the driver immediately," Minseok bowed but Joonmyun could tell that he was smirking. Joonmyun thanked the other man and sat back on his seat, thinking of stories he could tell Jongdae to buy them some time. The cafe, as Sooyoung and Sandara said, was just a few minutes away. To Joonmyun, it seemed only seconds. The car stopped in front of a quaint looking coffee shop, its colors all neutral on the outside, with warm browns and beige. "The Little Escape," Joonmyun read the coffee shop's name printed on the pastel sign board. Through its large windows, Joonmyun spotted Jongdae somewhere further in the back, sitting on a cushioned chair all by himself. He quickly tore his gaze away from the man, knowing he needed to pretend that he just saw Jongdae by coincidence. Once inside, Joonmyun drowned in the scent of coffee, a drug he'd been avoiding for a while now. He gave Minseok a quick smirk, before walking up the counter. The cashier looked especially surprised to see him there, but Joonmyun just smiled at him and ordered, too excited to have a taste of the bitter beans. The cashier quickly nodded, ringing up Joonmyun's order and handing him his receipt and pager. The rest of the staff stared on with wide eyes, and Joonmyun was in a good mood so he smiled at them in return. "Thank you," Joonmyun said excitedly. He then turned around to look at the cafe, wondering where to sit. He almost picked a table by the window but remembered Jongdae, sitting at the back waiting for him. He pretended to look further inside and then Jongdae looked up. "Your Highness," Jongdae uttered, almost as if he was really surprised to see Joonmyun standing in front of him. "Jongdae," Joonmyun called out. "What did I tell you about calling me 'Your Highness'?" Jongdae flushed. "Joonmyun," he corrected. "Are you alone?" "Yeah, do you wanna sit with me?" Jongdae asked. "If you don’t mind.” “Yes, of course, please go ahead.” Jongdae stacked his papers to the side. “Thank you.” Joonmyun gestured for Minseok to look for a different table, mostly for other people's benefit, before taking the seat in front of Jongdae. Jongdae gave him a quick smile before, "Sorry, I just gotta take care of these; they’re for work," and went back to his papers. Joonmyun watched curiously for a few minutes while Jongdae wrote as fast as his hand would go. He was about to ask what Jongdae was doing when his pager shook the table. He quickly apologized for disturbing Jongdae and excused himself. Joonmyun grinned at the sight of his Americano and avoided Minseok's glare when he took a long sip of the brew. It felt good to be drinking coffee again and promised himself that it would be the last for now. "What's up with you? Why do you look so happy?" Jongdae asked, head barely lifted from his papers. "Oh, I'm supposed to be on some kind of a coffee ban.” Joonmyun felt a faint flush on his cheeks at having been caught. “My doctor says I'm too stressed and that coffee doesn't help, so he advised that I drink green tea instead. I haven't had coffee in almost a year." He took another long sip, savoring the flavor and letting it draw out a pleased smile on his face. Jongdae watched him—amused—shaking his head before returning to his papers. "I'm almost done," he said once more. "Just five more minutes." "It's fine. You can take your time." "Thank you," Jongdae replied, almost breathless. His hands made quick work of his pen, writing down even faster if that was possible. Joonmyun was happy to just watch, careful not to pry too much. Jongdae would spin his pen in between his fingers whenever he wasn’t writing. Joonmyun had never seen something like that before and almost asked Jongdae how he did it. Someone cleared their throat somewhere not far from them and when Joonmyun looked, he saw Minseok hinting at Joonmyun to make a move. Joonmyun opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it when nothing came out. Aside from the fact that he didn't want to disturb Jongdae, he didn't really have anything to say. All the topics he’d thought of flew out the window, leaving him somewhat speechless. He tried to recall how they got the conversation started during the other times they met and winced when he realized it was mostly through Jongdae's efforts. "Okay done," Jongdae said, clapping his pen down on the table. He sat back on the chair and sighed. "Sorry about that. There was some kind of emergency with Jisung's paperwork and I was the only one who could handle it." "Jisung? The boy from the medical mission? What's wrong? Is he all right?" Jongdae sighed, massaging his eyes. "He's okay for now. Just that there were some things we missed during the processing of his papers. Apparently, his mom was also taken in by a breeder and we just found out. Because Sehun was kidnapped into slavery, I just assumed that Jisung was the same." "How would that affect Jisung?" "The community we put him in with Sehun isn't as capable with children who’ve been handled by breeders. And he's been acting out recently, afraid of people touching and talking to him, clinging to Sehun even more. I had to rush his papers to get him and Sehun transferred to a different community with the medical facilities to watch over Jisung." Jongdae stayed quiet for a second before whispering, "It's all my fault. I usually have a good eye for this. Like I can tell at a glance children who are born from breeding. Jisung showed the signs, but because Sehun said he was a slave boy, I just assumed. If I hadn't screwed up, then maybe Jisung wouldn't be suffering right now." "Jongdae," Joonmyun said, voice soft. He reached for Jongdae's glass of water and pushed it towards him. Jongdae thanked him and finished his glass. "What matters is that you caught the mistake as early as now, that Jisung is going to be transferred to a community that could better watch over him." Jongdae bit his lip. "I just—I see myself in them sometimes. When I make a mistake, I feel like I let the five-year-old me down and I want these kids to have the same chances I got when I got here." Jongdae took a shuddering breath and Joonmyun quickly held the other's hand, squeezing it in comfort. "Sorry," Jongdae said after a quiet moment. His eyes were rimmed red, but he looked a little better. "I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to finish these today and I kinda just blurted out whatever I wanted. You're probably overwhelmed." Joonmyun just shook his head. "You can always tell me anything, Jongdae. We may not be all that close yet, but I hope to be someone you can trust." His grip on Jongdae's hand tightened, and he offered him a sincere smile. Jongdae returned the gesture, squeezing back. "Wait here for a moment," Joonmyun said when their hands pulled apart. Joonmyun allowed his shoulders to slump a little when he was out of Jongdae's sight. It was easy to forget that Jongdae was born from breeding when they saw each other in this setting. But just because Joonmyun couldn't see Jongdae's past didn't mean it didn't exist. He could just imagine the horrors that Jongdae and Jisung had to live through. Joonmyun shook the thought away and ordered Jongdae a sweet cake, something that would be enough to distract the both of them from bitter memories. He made sure to buy himself one and came back to the table with two slices of different cakes. "You didn't have to," Jongdae said. "I can pay for my own cake, you know." "I know. I just felt like you should be rewarded for the work and dedication you show to your cause. It's not much, but I hope it will make you feel better." Jongdae looked down at his chocolate cake covered in chocolate icing and then beamed at Joonmyun. "This is more than enough, thank you Joonmyun." Joonmyun smiled in relief. "You're always welcome, Jongdae." They basked in the silence for a couple more minutes, eating their cakes and looking out the window. Joonmyun checked the time and saw they still had half an hour left. It was agreed they would part ways when Jongdae's lunch break finished. "So," Jongdae began, eyes on his cake. "Do you think now's a good time to talk about heat sex?" Joonmyun was glad he wasn't drinking or eating, or else he was sure he would've choked and then positively died. Jongdae took a peek at him and snorted behind his hand, failing to control his laughter. This time, Joonmyun didn't resist the glare he sent in Jongdae's direction. "What?" Jongdae defended. "They told us to talk about it, and now's a good time. It's still early and my next heat is due next month. I'd rather be prepared beforehand so I know if I should take my suppressants." "I—" Joonmyun took a long gulp of his coffee. "I don't know. I still think it's too early. If something happens, I don't think it would look too good for our cause." "But what about later in the future?" Jongdae asked, and he sounded so casual, like it wasn't a discussion about them having sex and possibly making a life together. It made it even harder to respond as Joonmyun always pictured his first heat sex with his partner in a different setting. "I really don't think it's time to be talking about this," Joonmyun settled on and Jongdae just laughed it off, but nodded in agreement. "Alright, that's fair. But, I think I should let you know that I'm not opposed to it. I'd just appreciate a little heads up." Joonmyun had to look away from Jongdae then. The idea of Jongdae not minding having heat sex with Joonmyun sent something hot and sharp down his gut. Heat sex was used as a way to enjoy sex between partners and conception between spouses. To share such an intimate act with Jongdae—Joonmyun tried to put the thought far back into his mind, deeper into his subconscious where he would put it in a treasure chest and seal it with a lock and no key. "I'll think about it," Joonmyun said, voice tight and throat a little hoarse. Jongdae just smirked at him through his eyelashes, taking another bite of his cake. Desperate for something else to talk about, Joonmyun quickly steered the topic away from anything sex related. He talked about the quality of coffee in the cafe, how he liked the taste and wanted to know if Jongdae had any more recommendations when it came to their drinks. Jongdae excitedly listed him the different drinks he'd tried and how they were all good. He didn't know if Jongdae just loved The Little Escape or if he understood Joonmyun's need to change the subject. Jongdae's phone vibrated five minutes before his lunch break ended, stopping them in the middle of their conversation about Joonmyun's boring meeting. Jongdae looked at him a little sheepishly. "I have to go," he said, almost regretfully, but Joonmyun could see the playful glint in his eyes. "Wait," Joonmyun said, playing along. He held onto Jongdae's hand, as if to stop him from leaving, even though he was still seated. "Would it be alright if I took you out for dinner some time?" Jongdae played the surprised look well, his lips parting open just the slightest in shock and staying quiet for the briefest of seconds before, "Like a dinner date thing?" Joonmyun laughed, trying to play it cool. "Yes, like a dinner date thing." "I—uh—Yeah, sure? I mean, sure." Jongdae gave Joonmyun a bashful smile. "You have my number, so just tell me where and when." "Will do," Joonmyun squeezed Jongdae's hand and let the other stand. He stood up from his own chair as well, standing inches from Jongdae. "It was nice seeing you today," Jongdae said, almost a whisper. "Likewise." Jongdae brushed past Joonmyun close enough so their fingertips grazed against each other, and then turned back slightly, winking and ending whatever facade they had just seconds before. Joonmyun grinned—amused, although he couldn't deny the tingling in his fingers from where they touched Jongdae's. Once Joonmyun confirmed the success of the third meeting, he left the union members to handle all the necessary arrangements for the first date. He didn't know the exact day of the first date, but he'd expected it to happen soon. In the meantime, he busied himself with his own royal duties, thoughts of dates and Jongdae's strong, beautiful eyes away from his mind. More than a week later found Joonmyun dressed and ready for his first date with Jongdae. The union briefed them just a few days before and there was no reason to feel any sort of butterflies inside, but Joonmyun couldn't help it. This would be his first date in years, and despite a lot of it being choreographed to look genuine, Joonmyun couldn't really see it that way. He straightened his collar once more and then smiled at his reflection. He chose a simple pale blue dress shirt, tucked neatly in his dark slacks. They'd agreed on a semi-formal attire, to keep things more casual as this was just the first date. He wondered how Jongdae looked, how good he would've looked in a dress shirt. A knock on his door disturbed his thoughts and Minseok popped in with a small frown. "There seems to be a problem with the venue," he said before Joonmyun could ask. "What's wrong?" "Heechul and Seohyun couldn’t book the whole restaurant early enough. They’ve been trying for a whole week but the manager has kept refusing them. They've arranged for a deal, but the best they could come up with was a private booth in a relatively private area," Minseok explained. Joonmyun sighed. It wasn't as though he was pretty particular with privacy. "Has Jongdae been informed? What did he say?" "Jongdae says he's okay with it. He doesn't mind that there are people around, it just means you two will have more exposure and will therefore need to be more careful." Joonmyun nodded. "I see, then there really is no reason for us not to take the deal. But just in case, I'll need you and a body guard situated somewhere near. If the restaurant can comply with that, then that'd be great. If not, then we should plan for a reschedule." "I'll tell them," Minseok said, disappearing quickly. Joonmyun sat back on his bed, watching his reflection on the mirror. He hoped the restaurant would take the deal. The thought of taking Jongdae out some other night didn't really sit well with him. Not to mention, the kind of setback it would make on their schedule if it happened. Minseok knocked only minutes later. "They accepted." "That’s great. We should go then and I'll tell Jongdae we're on our way," Joonmyun said, following Minseok out of his bedroom so they could get to the car. After he'd called Jongdae, Joonmyun then called Heechul and Seohyun. The two sounded worried and disappointed, but Joonmyun assured them that they did the best they could. They wished Joonmyun well and gave him a few tips to handle the change of scenery. There was no doubt about the attention they were going to get, so Joonmyun needed to use it to his advantage. Jongdae lived in a quiet neighborhood known for its community that took in most refugees. The house that he lived in, although small, looked warm and cozy even from the outside. Something tugged at Joonmyun's heartstrings the longer he stared. He'd always envied children who grew up in such an environment, imagined how less suffocating it could be to be just an ordinary boy. Before he could walk further down memory lane, Joonmyun rang the doorbell. "Coming!" a voice came from inside. Jongdae appeared no longer than a second after, barely opening the door before closing it behind him. "Hey, Joonmyun, you look good. How about we get out of here soon?" He didn't even wait for Joonmyun to reply before he was looping his hand around his arm, tugging him back to the car. Jongdae leaned back against the leather, sighing in relief. "Sorry about that. My dads knew I was going out on a date and it was—I'd like to wait for a significant amount of time before they find out I’m dating the king." Jongdae flashed Joonmyun a cheeky smile. Joonmyun chuckled. "You're the first person I've met who's actually embarrassed of me." Jongdae gaped at Joonmyun's obvious joke before laughing himself. "I really think we're texting each other too much," he said in between. "You're starting to sound like me!" "What's wrong with me talking just like you?" "You don't know how much trouble my mouth has gotten me into before," Jongdae said, a sort of wistful hint to his tone. Joonmyun was curious all of a sudden, wanting to know more of the Jongdae from before, of his young self, possibly carefree but filled with ambition. "So what did they do about the restaurant situation?" "We took a private booth and because the place seems to have a lot of customers, I've decided to have Minseok and a bodyguard nearby in case of an emergency." "Sounds like fun," Jongdae said, eyes twinkling. "Let's just hope it's as private as they say. I've once eaten dinner with my family where the whole restaurant was staring." Joonmyun shook his head but he couldn't lift the smile off his face. "It wasn't fun then and it probably won't be as much fun now." When Joonmyun turned to look at Jongdae, there was solemn smile playing on his lips. "Do you ever miss them?" Jongdae asked, his voice low, like he was trying to make sure no one else but them could hear. Joonmyun didn't have to ask to know who them was. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and debated answering the question. He barely even allowed himself to feel the deep welling sadness that came when little thoughts of his parents came by. On the other hand, thought Joonmyun, Jongdae barely knew him and could judge him less. "Sometimes," Joonmyun said honestly, his throat tight, like he himself wasn't allowing the words to slip out. "But I try not to think about them as much as I can." "Yeah, I get that." Jongdae scooted closer to him. "I do the same with my mom, but mostly because I can barely remember what she looks like now." For a moment, Joonmyun had forgotten that Jongdae had lost his mother, that they were almost the same. "Do you," Joonmyun started afraid to voice out his questions. "Do I what?" "Do you remember what she was like?" Joonmyun finished and then shook his head. "You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry; that was too much." "Nah, it's nothing. I think it's pretty valid." Jongdae shrugged. "How about this? If I tell you about my mom, you tell me about your parents." Joonmyun thought about it for a moment before, "All right." "Deal." Jongdae hummed, closed his eyes and opened them almost hesitantly. Joonmyun could sense the shift of ambiance around them, how Jongdae turned quiet—solemn all of a sudden. "It's not like I don't really remember my mom," he began. "If I close my eyes, sometimes it will feel like I can hear her voice, feel the ghost of her touch. I just can't really picture her all that well anymore because I barely got to look at her. "When you're kept for breeding, they leave you in some kind of dark and foul basement, and so the only things that I can remember from my mom was the way she always held me tight at night or how she whispered for me to never be afraid because she was gonna get me out. And then when we finally got out, I never really had a chance to memorize the way she looked." Jongdae sniffled and cleared his throat, but he kept going. "But she was a strong woman, and she fought for our freedom. She never once said that she regretted ever having me and every night she would always whisper how much she loved me." "She sounds like a wonderful woman," Joonmyun said, reaching out to squeeze Jongdae's hand. “Thanks.” Jongdae wiped a stray tear with his free hand and turned to Joonmyun. "Your turn." "Where do I begin?" Joonmyun said, tightening his grip on Jongdae's hand. "My mother was like an angel to me. Up until I was five, I was sure that she was. She would tuck me in at night, and when the door opened, everything behind her would glow, so I always believed that she was an angel sent down from heaven to protect me and Jongin. My father heard this and whispered to me that he had the same thought, so I just assumed my mom was an angel." "You're cute," Jongdae commented. Joonmyun just shook his head and continued. "My mother, she was soft-hearted for a queen. Anything and everything made her cry, but she always had a smile on her face whenever she wasn't crying. She would often embrace me and Jongin out of the blue, her only excuse being that she loved us." Joonmyun smiled at the fond memory. "As for my father, he was a strict man, but he loved me just the same. We spent a lot of time together. He taught me how to be a prince, how to be a respectable person, how to run a kingdom. He had such high hopes for me, but he never once said I disappointed him whenever I failed at something. My only regret is that he never saw me to be crowned king." It was Jongdae's turn to squeeze his hand. "I'm sure wherever they are, they're looking down at you with proud eyes." Joonmyun scoffed, the sound and reaction so foreign to him. "I don't know. I took on the crown when I wasn't ready and I still don’t think I'm ready to be king. I'm just afraid that I won't live up to my father's legacy." "Don't be so quick to discredit your reign, Your Highness," Jongdae said, fingers tightening around Joonmyun's hold. "After all, if all this goes well, you'll be the king that officially brings justice to all omegas." Joonmyun could feel his throat dry, but before he could reply, the car stopped. "We've arrived, Your Highness," the driver, Taeil, said, opening his door so he could escort both Jongdae and Joonmyun out. "Let's go?" Jongdae said, offering his hand to Joonmyun. Joonmyun smiled and held Jongdae's hand. "Let us." They walked in the restaurant hand in hand, Minseok and the bodyguard following after them. Heads turned their way and whispers grew louder. Joonmyun ignored them all in favor of walking Jongdae to their table. He watched Jongdae from the corner of his eye and smiled at his obvious effort to keep his gaze forward. The private booth was just as the manager said, located in a quiet area of the restaurant. They could barely see anyone and he felt that it was the same for the other customers as well. However, Joonmyun was sure anyone close enough would try to peek into their booth to the best of their abilities. He was just glad that Minseok and the bodyguard were sat at the table beside theirs, close enough to hinder any form of commotion. "Seiocia Delights," Jongdae read the menu aloud, eyes roaming around the place. "This is a pretty classy restaurant," he whispered. "It's just as Changmin said. I need to impress." Jongdae just chuckled. The waiter came then and took their orders. Despite his obvious starstruck state, he remained composed and wrote down their choices before leaving to get them their order of wine and water. "Thank you," Joonmyun whispered once it was quiet around them once more. "For what?" "For what you said back in the car." Joonmyun took a deep breath. "I never really thought of it that way." "Just stating facts," Jongdae said sincerely, patting Joonmyun's arm. "But if you really want to thank me, how about we steer clear of conversation topics like the ones in the car for now?" "That sounds like an amazing idea." "Now that we've laid down the ground rules, what do you wanna talk about?" Joonmyun thought about it for a moment, before his thoughts drifted to a young Jongdae. "What were you like when you were a teenager?" The words slipped before he could stop them. "What? Where did that come from?" "You mentioned that your smart mouth was always getting you in trouble. You've piqued my interest." "This is gonna be so weird," Jongdae said. "Well, these are just things I've heard other people say about me, so I can't really be sure. I try to forget my teenage self; I consider those days to be dark times. I'm sure you have a few of your own." Jongdae winked. "My best friend, his name's Chanyeol and he's a beta. He always said we had the same kind of personality, which was kind of an insult to me. He pretty much meant that we were loud and obnoxious people who were only occasionally funny." "You must've been fun to be with," Joonmyun said sincerely. He could almost picture Jongdae back then, laughing and making jokes in his class. He would've been a sight to behold. "What about you? What were you like when you were just a prince?" There was a tiny glint in his eyes, one that was particularly amusing to Joonmyun. "I wouldn't say I was just like any other children, but I was mostly at the castle, learning how to be a prince and occasionally, a king. I went to a regular school when I was a child, but after that, I needed to be home schooled so my classes could be integrated with subjects that I would need for when I inherited the throne. I think it was a pretty dull childhood. My favorite pastime was watching cartoons," at this he leaned in and whispered, "which is something I still do actually." "You must've been really bored," Jongdae commented. Joonmyun stayed quiet and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe from your point of view but I never really felt that way. Even when I was young, there was always something for me to do. I don't know if it was because I was to be king, but I can remember going out to a lot formal parties and events. From morning to night, my schedule would always be filled." "Were you ever lonely then?" "No, surprisingly not. I always had Minseok by my side and so was my brother, Jongin. I could even rely on both my parents," he said, remembering those times of just standing along the wall with Minseok and Jongin, sometimes with their cousins, waiting to be addressed. Somewhere along the way, their food arrived, and they ate as much as they could while trying to keep the conversation alive. They bounced from topics of work and school, things they learned, and hobbies they loved. Joonmyun listened when Jongdae talked, when he laughed. Jongdae used a lot of gestures to accompany his stories, so different from him who kept his hands limply by his side. He was so full of life, and Joonmyun wondered how Jongdae saw him through his eyes. Did he think Joonmyun was boring? Plain? He tried not to linger on the thought as they ate and talked some more. Once the plates were cleared and dessert was finished, Jongdae sighed in contentment. "That was good," he said. "Thanks for taking me out to dinner." Joonmyun smiled at him and sincerely said, "I hope we can continue to spend more time together." "Yeah," Jongdae said, voice a breathy sigh. "I'd like that." They waited until a few more customers left before Joonmyun asked for the bill and paid. "It's better this way," Joonmyun said. "It decreases the chance of a crowd gathering on our way out." Once inside the car, Jongdae sighed and settled comfortably on the seat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "I'm so full," he groaned, but there was a pleasant smile on his face. "I'm glad you enjoyed dinner," Joonmyun said. "Is there anything you'd like to do for the second date?" Jongdae hummed. "Nothing comes to mind. I'll think about it a little more and then text you when I come up with something fun. Did they say how soon it had to be?" "They said they'd prefer it if we went to three or four dates before my birthday next month." "I wonder when rumors of you dating will come up," Jongdae said, almost out of the blue. "I can almost remember how it happened with Jong—Prince Jongin." "It's alright, you can call him Jongin. He's going to be your brother-in-law after all. I remember that too, our PR team was at a loss for words. They didn't even know Jongin was dating and therefore couldn't take down the articles before they were published." Joonmyun let out a short laugh when he remembered. "Jongin still says he doesn't regret ever coming clean about it." "Well, he is married now so I don't think there's much to regret." "Yes," Joonmyun said, his thoughts now filled with marriage and love, and the way Jongin's eyes shone bright whenever he talked about his now-husband, Kyungsoo. “I do believe so.” When it'd been quiet for longer than a minute, Joonmyun turned to his side and found Jongdae asleep by his side. He had to bite his lip to suppress the urge to laugh. Jongdae looked adorable, with his lips parted slightly, hair framing his face just right. He moved close to Jongdae's side and carefully moved Jongdae's head to rest on his shoulder. The press of Jongdae's body against his felt warm and soft. It wasn't at all burdening and heavy despite the obvious weight of his head. It was comfortable if Joonmyun were to describe the feeling. In his sleep dazzled mind, Jongdae didn't even notice that he had his head on Joonmyun's shoulder when he woke up. He quickly looked around, and then sighed when he remembered they were back in the car. "We're in front of your house," Joonmyun whispered, watching Jongdae take deep breaths before combing a hand through his hair. "Yeah? Thanks for taking me home," he said, opening his door the same time that Joonmyun did. Joonmyun walked him back to the front door. They stayed quiet in those few seconds, Joonmyun reminding himself repeatedly not to forget the kiss. "I'll see you around?" Jongdae said and Joonmyun could tell it was some sort of filler for the silence between them. "Yes, definitely." Joonmyun swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "Good night, Jongdae." He leaned in, gaze focused on those lips before closing his eyes. Jongdae's lips were a little dry, but soft, so soft that Joonmyun pressed a little closer before moving back. Jongdae stood there with his eyes closed for a split second before they opened. Red bloomed on his cheeks and he croaked out, "Good night, Joonmyun," before squeezing himself through his door. Joonmyun smiled at Jongdae's flush even though he felt a little flustered himself. He noticed the flash of bright lights for a moment, but ignored them in favor of reminiscing the soft touch of their lips.

Chapter 6