love you later | yeonbin ✓

040

Despite the heaviness in his heart that grows with each kilometer, Soobin travels back south sooner than he had expected. He'd been back at the gallery a couple times a week, slowly trying to get back into the swing of things and take over some of the workload so that Taehyun didn't have to stay into the late hours of the night.

It was getting closer to the opening of the exhibition, and Taehyun had been incredibly patient and understanding with Soobin. He still hadn't given a reply, still wasn't sure if he was ready to see his pictures against the pristine white background. He'd only been back inside the darkroom once to get his prints, had shoved them into an envelope without looking too closely.

The envelope is sitting somewhere on his dresser, unopened and probably already gathering dust. And Soobin is back on the road, this time in a rental car. He'd almost felt bad when Taehyun told him to go visit his family after his already too long absence but his protest didn't lead him anywhere. In the end, Taehyun's argument that he and Beomgyu wouldn't even be in Seoul and would spend time with their own families had convinced him. And so, a phone call with his surprised mother later he had announced his arrival for the following week. He hadn't checked in with his parents after coming back to Seoul, had spared his mom the details in the moment but he could tell that she wasn't entirely convinced when he told her he was fine.

He's dreading having to put up a front, having to come up with an explanation why there's still a thin red line sitting on his pinky, but he's also craving the comfort of being back home with his family after so long, that he can't find it in himself to care when he isn't able to come up with an excuse during his drive to his parentd home. His legs feel numb by the time he arrives and he's hungry, but there's nothing that compares to the front door swinging open, his mom rushing out with a bright smile on her face.

Before he knows it, Soobin is wrapped up in a tight hug, a bright burst of laughter bubbling over his lips.

"Hi, mom."

"Hello, darling. How are you, did you have a good drive?" She lets go of him but only to cup his cheek, scanning his face closely.

"I'm alright, the drive wasn't too bad. Not too much traffic."

"That's good," she says but the caution in her eyes doesn't leave. He feels like he's being watched, closely examined, and it's a little unsettling. There's a small frown on her forehead, a sign that she knows he isn't as fine as he pretends to be, but for now at least, she seems to let it go. "Are you hungry? Lunch is almost ready, your dad's inside."

"Starving, actually," he smiles softly and it makes a matching smile blossom on his mother's face.

Not even twenty minutes later he finds himself sitting on his old spot at the kitchen table, his parents sitting on opposite ends on either side of him. It makes him feel small again, like he's gone back in time. His dad had greeted him with a hug too, a tight one that made Soobin sink against his chest for a brief moment. There has always been something comforting about his dad's hugs that no other feeling could replicate. Either he noticed something was wrong too, or he missed Soobin more than he had let on because he held him for just a moment longer than necessary. Just like Soobin's mom he doesn't mention anything, only squeezing Soobin's shoulder before they sat down at the table.

There's a mountain of food in front of him. It seems a little ridiculous given that they're just three people. It looks like his mom has gone out of her way to prepare for his arrival and although he has no clue how they're supposed to eat everything she has cooked, his heart warms at the thought of her excitement at seeing him again.

"Where's grandma?" he asks as he shovels some rice onto his plate. There's so much food to choose from that he doesn't quite know where to start.

"Doctor's appointment," his mom replies.