[EN] All of Barcode (and Jeff's) first times in Korea

Chapter 9

CONTENT WARNING
Explicit Sexual Content | Smut | They communicate a lot | a little bit of angst and a lot of feelings | Bottom Barcode

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It doesn't take long for Barcode to realize that the cause of the silence between him and Jeff is not the tiredness of the night shootings that extended into early morning. When they get to the room on the third and final day of this phase, Jeff says he can go take a shower first and Barcode even tries to wait for him when it's Jeff's turn, but ends up falling asleep before he even hears the shower. It is no longer a surprise to wake up in a dark room and see that Jeff has opted for the other bed once again. An odd feeling fills Barcode's chest as he watches Jeff sleep until he falls back asleep himself.

The following day they wake up not so much later than usual, but still not in time to get breakfast from the hotel. They decide to order something in, although Jeff says again that he intends to go around town on his day off. The realization that any kind of contact would not come from him brings an uneasiness to Barcode's chest once again.

And he leaves, shortly after breakfast. Barcode spends the rest of the day alone in the room, where he also orders his lunch after checking his phone a few times in hopes of an invitation to a nice place.

The hours pass so slowly that it gets to a point when he can no longer find anything to distract himself. The silence outside gives way to the voice of insecurity inside. Barcode has a pout on his lips and an anguish in the chest that only grows. The frustration of not even knowing what's going on soon gives way to irritation, and that's when the bedroom door opens.

Jeff comes in slowly, holding a couple of bags. He glances up at Barcode quickly before looking away again. He leaves his sneakers by the door and approaches the other bed.

"Hey." His voice is so low Barcode is sure Jeff knows he's upset. "Did you go out to do something?"

The question irritates Barcode even more, but he controls himself by just shaking his head and looking away. He no longer follows Jeff around the room. He hears the rummaging of the bags that Jeff left on the other bed and only turns his attention to him when he feels Jeff coming closer.

"I bought it for you." Jeff holds out a bag towards him. Barcode looks from it to Jeff a few times and settles better on the bed to get it. "I went inside the store because I saw it in the window and thought it was so you."

The comment softens Barcode instantly.

When he finishes unwrapping it, he comes across a pair of dark jeans that, when stretched out closer in front of his eyes, he realizes are stamped with small stars and saturns.

A faint laugh comes from his lips.

"So me?" The question is rhetorical and Jeff shrugs. Barcode looks back at his pants again, tracing the small yellow planets with his fingertips. "Thanks, Phi, I love it."

When he looks back at him, Jeff is smiling, but it doesn't quite reach the eyes like the ones Barcode is used to seeing on him. A heavy sigh escapes Barcode's lips as he drops his hands onto his lap.

"What's going on Phi?"

The question comes out low, but without him thinking too much or Barcode would lose his courage. Jeff clearly wasn't expecting it, because he raises his eyebrows a little in surprise.

"What—What do you mean?"

The answer comes stuttered and Barcode ends up laughing weakly when he looks away. For a moment he considers letting it go, but the frustration comes back as fuel.

"I was hoping that when Phi got tired of—" He doesn't know what to name what they have, and at the moment everything that comes to mind isn't exactly pleasant, so he just shrugs. "That Phi would tell me."