firefly | zhong chenle

CH23

"them, under a night sky."

-

On the same night, Arin couldn't sleep either. She had been unknowingly waiting for some sign of him for days. A part of her was wishing he'd come up to her and tell her what happened, but a part of her also knew he had no reason to.

Arin sprung up from bed, scratching her head. Opening her phone, her screen almost blinded her but she just wanted to check whether Chenle had texted her. Only to realise that only she had Chenle's number, not the other way around.

Clicking Chenle's number, rather hesitantly, she rose the phone to her ears, biting her lips upon waiting for him to pick up. After several rings, he picked up and Arin's eyes lightened.

"Chenle. Hey" Arin spoke, her heart jolting. On the other side, several muffled sighs rung in her ear. She even questioned whether she called the right person.

"Who's this?" Chenle's words were slurred, a couple chuckle interrupting his speech.

"Arin" Arin stood up, leaning the phone against her ear as she went to scavenge for her coat "Where are you. You sound drunk"

"Umm" Chenle went silent for a second "Outside a hotel. No I think it's a restaurant. A restaurant in a hotel"

"Huh? Tell me the address Zhong Chenle" Arin slipped her coat on, heading out the door, having to sneak past all the dorms in order to not interrupt their sleep. She couldn't believe the first thing she hears from him was his drunk self.

"I don't know. I think I'm in Hongdae"

"Hongdae..." She murmured to herself "What's around you?"

"A big big building. The one I came from. It's tall...and white, and...big"

A big building meant a fancy hotel. There was only one hotel fancy enough to have a restaurant in it, Arin thought.

"Wait there. Don't move. I'm coming" Arin told Chenle as she called a taxi and immediately head off to Chenles location. Within minutes, she made it to the hotel and instantly noticed a boy, sat on the ground, leant against the fence. He was leaning his shoulders on his knees with his cheeks against his palms. Arin quickly got off the taxi and ran towards him, pulling Chenle up by the shoulder.

"Why did you drink that much?" Arin sighed in exasperation "And why here? Are you filthy rich or something?"

"Heh" Chenle blurted, his arm being slung around Arin's shoulder.

"Tell me your address" Arin asked, nudging Chenle in the stomach to get an answer out of him "Yah, Chenle"

"I'm your captain. Don't talk to me like that" Drunken, Chenle saluted to her again and again, almost fell while doing so. Arin was fumbling around to catch him to stop him from colliding with the concrete floor.

"Your address" Arin didn't know whether it was a good idea to get a drunk person to function and use a phone, but thankfully, Chenle typed in an address and Arin successfully called an uber. By the time they got back, Arin was dead tired, having heaved him all the way to his apartment.

Throwing him on the couch, Arin placed her hands on her hips, heavily panting.

"You're okay now right? This fucking elephant" She wiped her forehead to get rid of the sweat "Bye. I can't believed I just lugged you home when I could be sleeping"

Just as she was about to leave, a force pulled on her wrist and before she knew it, she was quite literally on top of him. Her eyes bulged, breaths clogged in her throat as she could feel her heart beating out of her chest, as if something was being smashed against her bones. He had one hand on her wrist, both his eyes glued to hers.

"Arin" Chenle whispered. Arin couldn't even deny it as in this very moment, she really thought Chenle was hot. Everything from his flushed cheeks from the alcohol, to the slightly wet hair from the sweat. It was like suddenly her name from his lips sounded so good.

"You're drunk. I'll get you some water-" As she said that, she tried to escape from his lap but Chenle's free hand came to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. She let a gasp slip, her raised higher than Chenle as his gaze followed her. Her free hand had to clutch the couch's back to be able to stabilise herself. His hands, like it had a mind of its own, found a way to move up her palm and interlock with her fingers. His thumb caressed the back of her hand, slowly, and patiently.

"Why did you come looking for me?" Chenle asked. The slur in his voice was almost all gone, replaced with a husky, alluring tone. Arin didn't answer, not wanting to subside to her emotions even though the position they were in right now didn't really help her in denying her feelings.

"Arin"

She felt his grip around her hands tighten, like telling her it was okay to say it. To say anything. To admit that she was starting to grow feelings.

"Were you worried?" Chenle asked again, words carefully chosen. Each question made her heart do a flip, her stomach close to explosion at how many butterflies just hatched out of their cocoon.

"Yes" She was sober, but she was saying things she didn't think she would ever admit. Her gaze fell on Chenle's again. He let out a slight chuckle, smiling small.

"Thank you" Chenle barely ever said those words, those words basically becoming air. Arin didn't know what was happening, until she noticed Chenle's hand on her waist pushing her down and Chenle's not at all subtle glance down to her lips. Their noses touched, like the soft patter of rain on a petal. Their breaths collided and all they could hear was each others breaths. Chenle's hand that was intertwined with hers escaped from her fingers, but instead, slipped towards her neck and through her hair. She could feel his thumb gently caress her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine.

They were getting closer. He was angling his head, she was angling hers.

What the fuck is happening.

Arin thought, but her body didn't reject. In fact, she soon found her own hands placed on the back of his neck, pulling him in. It was all a mess of a situation, and neither of them were thinking. The intensity of the moment almost destroyed both their hearts.

"I'm going to forget this tomorrow" Chenle murmured "I don't want to forget it"

"But I'll remember it"

And gently, ever so gently, as soft as a feathers touch, they kissed. Arin's world became dark as all she felt was his lips moving against hers. The erratic beating of her heart heightened as she could feel him almost testing the waters, to see whether she was reflecting the same feeling. Upon getting a response, Chenle leant away from the back of the couch, causing Arin to have to lean backwards, her arms wrapping around his neck. There was simply no space for oxygen as neither wanted to back away.

Them, under a night sky. A couple glasses of red wine coupled with a messy mind, they kissed. Just like that.