Soft Yellow Petals

Untitled Part 3

They had kissed before, and It wouldn't be that strange if they kissed again. The first time was when they were in elementary. Jiho didn't believe that Kyung had kissed a girl, and while Kyung triumphantly bragged about how he so-totally-did, he insisted he wouldn't be afraid to do it again.

"Then kiss me."

The second time of note that the two had kissed was on SNL of all things, for some goofy skit the staff had concocted. And admittedly, it was very funny to them. The whole group agreed. At the time, it really hadn't meant anything, but now...

Thinking of Kyung's lips, thinking of how Jaehyo had undoubtedly kissed them many, many times sent Jiho into fits of coughing, petals fluttering down onto the carpeted floor. At this point he had more or less given up on cleaning them around the studio- he and Taeil were the only ones spending any amount of time there, with Jihoon occasionally popping in.

Unfortunately, Jiho knew that if Taeil knew something, Jihoon would inevitably know as well. The way the two of them were, you couldn't have one without the other, although he would admit having the two of them at his side was a comfort.

Laying his forehead down onto the keyboard of his computer, the line of lyrics Jiho had wrote became a string of a single letter repeating across the screen.

"Jiho-hyung," From behind him, a set of large, hot hands made their way to his stiff shoulders. "Don't you think you should take a break? You've been setting like this for a while now..."

"Maybe, I'm just stuck on this one line s'all..." Setting up he eased into Jihoon's touch, rubbing his face with his hands.

"You've been setting there far too long and I'm not letting you sleep here again tonight." Taeil shut the book he had been reading with a firm thud, rising from his seat on the worn couch.

"Taeil, it's fine, I can just sleep here-"
"Absolutely not. You've been here for three days straight and you're starting to smell strange."

"How can you tell? All I smell are flowers..."

Taeil shot a sharp look at Jihoon, not realizing he had spoken out of turn. He really was an idiot. Sighing, he shook his head and made his way over the chair Jiho had turned into a small nest.

"Me and Jihoon will clean up here, okay? You just get ready to go, and we'll leave together."

They managed to stuff all of the petals into one large trash bag, tying it off tight so that none may escape. Shuffling awkwardly to the door, the three opened the door only to reveal two others approaching the door.

A hand clapped fast over Jiho's mouth, feeling the fluttering in his lungs. Not now, not as they were almost home free.

"Ey, Jiho~ Just who I wanted to see. Leaving already?" Kyung's smile was bright as ever, full of excitement and wonder and Jiho hated it, hated that he looked so happy standing next to Jaehyo.

"U-uh, we were just in our way out..." Mumbling, he averted his eyes, trying not to look at the close proximity between his two band mates, hand still hovering around his mouth.

"Ah, I was actually hoping maybe you had a second to listen to what me and Jaehyo came up with, we were gonna start the demo-"

"Jiho needs to rest." Although there was no malice in his voice, Jaehyo's eyes widened at Taeil. "But I'm sure Jihoon would be happy to listen, right?"

It took him a moment, but Jihoon managed to nod, ushering Jaehyo into the studio with him and closing the door behind them.

"...What's going on?"

The question hung heavily in the air, Kyung's eyes fixed on Jiho, Jiho's eyes on the ground, and Taeil's back on Kyung.

"And what's in that bag?" Of course Taeil still had that massive bag, stuffed to the brim.

"It's not really your business, it's fine." Jiho still had his eyes fixed on the ground, and he could feel a tickle in his throat threatening to turn into another shower of petals.

"Don't lie to me Jiho, you know I can tell. What's going on?" His voice had a touch of concern in it, and when Kyung stepped forwards to take Jiho's hand, Jiho's eyes immediately shot shut, holding in what he knew would turn into a violent cough.

"Kyung, I'm serious, it's nothing."

"Look me in the eye when you say it, Jiho."

Roughly tugging his hand away Jiho's eyes opened and met with Kyung's and-

He hated that look. What should have read as concern looked like pity, and almost immediately Jiho's eyes we're locked on his lips, knowing full well where they had previously been, all he had been thinking about-

"J-Jiho..."

Hands covering his mouth, bright yellow petals flew through the air, slipping through the cracks in his fingers as he doubled over, Taeil swiftly filling the space between Kyung and Jiho.

Small hands carefully steadying their leader, Taeil's eyes shot over to Kyung, too in shock to react to the situation. "Jiho is sick, Kyung. I think it's better for now if you let me take care of him."

"Is...is that bag full of Jiho's flowers?" Jaw slightly ajar, his eyes shifted between Jiho and Taeil.

Taeil wrapped his arm around Jiho, covering his face in shame. "I think you should go join Jihoon and Jaehyo." It was less of a suggestion and more like a command, but the words didn't quite register in Kyung's mind until after the two of them were gone, a trail of those bright yellow flowers left behind.