HEEJAKE • HAVING YOU NEAR ME

xxvi

Holding you near me

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Heeseung put on his passcode, the laptop bag hanging loosely on his shoulder, before he pushed open his door. A smile crept out his lips when he saw a familiar pair of shoes on the rack, plus a smell of ramyeon coming from the kitchen.

It has only been two days and Heeseung definitely missed coming home to see Jake on his house.

He carefully tossed the laptop bag on the couch before he skipped to the kitchen, coming to a sight of Jake mixing the ramyeon from the pot.

“You came on a right time,” Jake says as he smiled up at him.

Heeseung smiled back and walked behind the younger boy, embracing him as he placed his head over his shoulders. Jake's new scent invaded his nose, he somehow felt a little bit lost and unsure.

“Did you changed your perfume?” he asked first before anything else.

“Yeah, Sunghoon's gift from last time,” Jake said.

“Speaking of him...”

Jake put the chopsticks down and turns to face Heeseung, his hands snaking around the older boy's waist before he tiptoed and placed a kiss into Heeseung's lips.

“Let's eat first before the noodles become soggy,” Jake said, pulling off from the older boy.

Heeseung didn't argue and let Jake move away as he began taking plates out of its shelf and arranging the dinner table for them.

+++

Heeseung walked out of the bathroom. Usually, Jake would've been already passed out on the bed at this time but he's still wide awake now. He's using his phone and clearly texting someone.

The older boy didn't bother asking as he continued drying his hair in front of the full body mirror.

He's been sharing this house with Jake for almost three months already- since december of last year when they came to terms that they are going to start over again. Although Jake still has his own house, he mostly stays here with Heeseung. Honestly, Heeseung is tempted to ask Jake to move in with him already- but some things remain uncertain between them.

First, their relationship. They are still in between friends and boyfriends. Although they've told each other about their mutual feelings multiple times, there was no established relationship yet. Heeseung knew the question is up to him.

He couldn't...yet. He has more to improve about himself. He still fear that he'll go back to what he was before. He fears that he would hurt Jake's feelings again- and he didn't want it.

Heeseung looked back at the boy sitting on the bed, eyeing the strange smile playing on his lips as he has full attention on his phone. Heeseung's eyes went down to the visible skin on Jake's clupper chest— to the marks that he left there just earlier.

“Why?”

Heeseung blinked, his eyes looking back up and meeting the younger boy's eyes. He's turned off the device and was now giving him a menacing look.

“What are you staring at?” Jake asked again, looking down at his loose shirt barely hanging into his shoulder, revealing a little bit of his skin.

“What do we do? We both have taken shower now,” Jake speaks again, his tone flirty.

“Uh...” Heeseung looks away, out of words. “I...”

Jake then laughs, “Kidding. Come here and let me help you dry your hair.”

Heeseung didn't said anything and just walk to the bed, giving Jake the towel and sitting beside him.

+++

In the middle of the silent night, while Heeseung has already fallen into a deep slumber, the person laying beside him kept his eyes open- staring at the older boy's peaceful sleeping face.

Jake was tired, physically of course. But he couldn't feel sleep coming over to his system. He kept his eyes open, wondering of things and overthinking about everything again.

Especially about the conversation he had with Sunghoon from the last time after he and Ni-ki broken up.

He was the reason why Ni-ki broke up with Sunghoon.

The comments from the last chapter were fun.

To all of you who hated Heeseung's character from the start, and to those who pitied Jake, and to the ones who cheered on Sunghoon for protecting his best friend...  ^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^✌️