1996 | Y.Jw

| 2.7 |

Jungwon had taken me home after he had finished crying at the cliff. Neither of us had said anything in the car on our way back, it had just been silent with the low melodies of the radio playing in the background - almost getting overruled by the sound of the engine.

Soomin's parents hadn't said anything when we returned, I don't even think they noticed I was there too. Instead Jungwon just excused himself to go to bed and rushed up to the room we had shared once.

The room had changed quite a bit, I suppose Soomin's brother finally moved out properly. All the sports banners and such were gone from the walls. There were still the same blue wallpaper on the walls, the same furniture standing in the same spots, even the same bedding as last time I was there. Yet Jungwon had made his traits around the room - mainly the stack of books standing by the foot of the bed.

"I uhm... yeah, nothing," Jungwon muttered as he just closed the door behind me, "I'll get you your pajamas."

I quietly looked around the room as he rushed to the dresser. By the side of the bed I had used to sleep in stood my pair of boots I had used most of November, I suppose I must've been wearing another pair of shoes for once the day they took me. On the small bedside table on the other side of the bed laid the broken bracelet Jungwon had taken from me the same day. However, oddest of all was all of my drawings of Jungwon that I had taken with me from the lab, hung around his desk.

"I uhm... Sunghoon found your pouch and came with them," Jungwon excused as he noticed me staring at them, extending my pajamas towards me, "you still have all your clothes in the drawers here. If there's anything you can't find, just ask, okay?"

"Why would you hang them up?" I questioned quietly and frowned at Jungwon.

"When they took you, I somehow convinced myself there was some secret hidden in the drawnigs," he chuckled awkwardly, "I think I've studied them all for long enough to realize there was no secret and it was just your admiration that drew the pictures... anyways, I'll let you get changed and... yup."

Jungwon abruptly turned his back to me and rushed over to his desk while he let me change into my pajamas. It seemed quite weird to be back in the bedroom once again, either because of the long time or because of Jungwon's sudden awkwardness.

"Still the same sides of the bed?" I questioned and Jungwon just looked over at me before glancing at his bed.

"Oh yeah... uhm... if you'd rather sleep in your own bed we can arrange that as well," he assured awkwardly only getting a funny look from me, "you don't?"

"Did something change since I was gone?" I questioned hesitantly and he slowly shook his head, "you didn't get a girlfriend or so?"

"No, no, no," he immediately shook his head with a small chuckle, "I just... I don't really know where I have you yet. Like... do we continue where we left or do we have to build something up again. I'm just a bit scared of rushing things now you're back," he softly excused, "I didn't get another girlfriend. I couldn't dare love another girl after you left."

"Then you don't mind if we sleep in the same bed?" I questioned and he shook his head as he walked over to his dresser and got his pajamas out himself.

"I mean... I only really mind if you do," he remarked and casually just changed right in front of me, as if it was no problem to him. Not that I minded.

When he had changed his shirt I could really see the amount of scratches stretch down from his neckline to across his chest and run over to his shoulders. He had barely even pulled the shirt down over his head before I had rushed over to him and pulled down the neckline of his shirt again.

"Ji," he breathed out with a sigh, "let it be. It's fine now."

"But they're obviously from today," I pointed out to him, and he only hummed.

"And you first showed up at seven in the evening," he pointed out to me, " Sunoo first visit at four in the afternoon... I had quite a lot of time to myself."

I frowned slightly before just stepping away from him again and walking back to the bed, flopping down on my back and pulling the duvet over me. I stared at the ceiling for a while before the light turned off and the bed dipped down once again beside me.

"Try and get some proper sleep, alright? I doubt you sleep properly on a train," Jungwon excused and I hummed as I felt him toss a bit.

I quietly turned my back to him and tried to close my eyes in order to sleep. However, it seemed that everytime I closed my eyes they were forced open again by the imagery behind my eyelids. I kept seeing everything over and over again. The day Jungwon was left behind at the cliff, the scenarios in the simulation, all of them jumbled together into a big mix of just misery.

A small huff left me as I turned around to face towards Jungwon. He had turned his back towards me and seemingly was breathing heavily - I wasn't sure if he was asleep or not.

"Jungwon?" I murmured and he immediately hummed, looking over his shoulder towards me with squinted eyes, "can I hold onto you?"

"Are you alright?" he muttered and turned a bit more around to me.

"I just... I don't have nightmares if you think that. My mind just keeps wandering," I quietly murmured, "it's alright if you don't want me to. I just... nevermind," I excused and turned back around again.

"No, no. Come here. I don't mind," he immediately called out and I felt his arm sneak between the mattress and my ribcage, immediately pulling me over onto my other side and flush against him, "hold onto me all you want."

I smiled quietly to myself before wrapping my arms around his torso, fisting his shirt between my fingers. He still smelled the same as when I left - somehow it was comforting.

"If you don't mind, I don't mind," he whispered quietly as one of his hands went to rub at my nape softly.

"Emiko said I cried for you in my sleep. It's not nightmares it's just habit I think," I warned quietly and he hummed in return, "don't worry about it if I start doing it. Just wake me up to stop it."

"It's alright," he murmured quietly and I turned my head up to look at him as if questioning if he was sure. He only nodded quietly in return while brushing some hair out of my face, "would you min- no wait... can I kiss you?"

"Why are you suddenly asking?" I chuckled quietly making him simply smile fondly.

"I know what chnaged here while you were gone. I don't know what changed for you," he murmured quietly, "I want to make sure it's alright."

"You have no idea how much I've missed your presence and your touch, do you?" I questioned and he quietly shook his head.

I carefully cupped his cheek and managed to tilt his head down by a bit to softly kiss his lips. The feeling of his lips on mine was so old and familiar. It felt like the nostalgia of touching candyfloss once again as an adultt, just without the sticky feeling it left on your fingers. Soft and sweet.

When I had pulled my lips from his, the hand he had on my nape kept my face close to his so that his forehead could press against mine.

"I still love you as much as the day you left," he quietly reminded with closed eyes, "even if I act different or weird for now. My feelings never changed."

"Hmm, I love you too," I murmured and let the hand I had used to cup his cheek fall down onto his shoulder, slowly sliding down onto his chest.

"Please don't ever leave again without me."

"I promise."