in silence ᴰᴼᴵᴸ

２２.

Fluff, because you deserve it :')
~~~

☄️🐇☄️

The snowstorm that has been accompanying them was coming to the end, the same as their little trip, and the boys found themselves sitting in a circle on the last night of their stay. They held themselves for three days without any roguery involving stupid acts or even alcohol. But who was Johnny to allow that?

The boy already started rambling out all his plans, because, in his opinion, they should have at least a bit of fun, loosen up a little before the stress of upcoming tests and exams, that were quietly waiting for them in the dark halls of their school, would haunt them.

Luckily, Taeil immediately shot him a clear-cut disapproving look the second he mentioned anything that could have an intoxicating effect on their brains but he couldn't stop him from bringing a table game that he randomly found somewhere in the loft. Looking at it, its appearance and old-wooden covering plus the hoary smell told them that the game had to be older than all of their ages counted together. Even if they counted Sicheng, who was upstairs calling with his parents, it still wasn't enough.

"It will be boring!" The Japanese whined, getting a scoff from the boy with an unfamiliar looking box in his hands.

"Oh yeah, Sicheng isn't here right now so you have no one to stare at." Johnny rolled his eyes and eyed Taeil with obvious asking for help. Yuta cringed at his words and kicked him. "It's because you proposed it and you're like no fun at all, Richard."

"Let's just try it." was all Taeil said before looking over his shoulder at the last boy in the living room.

Doyoung was leaning against the side of the couch, ruining their perfectly circle-shaped gathering. His arms were crossed over his knees where his tousled head laid, the thick black hoodie keeping the boy warm and cosy. The older could see the sleepiness that was hovering above him like a grey cloud. After all, they were up the whole previous night and Taeil couldn't remember if he saw him sleeping or not. He knew now though, as he watched the boy staring at something in front of him, yet far away, his eyes getting heavier and heavier with his head drifting a bit. He was getting comfortable on the hard wooden floor and Taeil felt something clench inside his chest.

"Doyoung?" He asked softly while two of his remaining friends tried to understand the point of the game with their brains full of sawdust. The said boy jolted from his dozing, opening his eyes widely and gave his full attention to the older.

Taeil furrowed his brows "Aren't you sleepy?" Doyoung shook his head at the question but it was clear his mind was somewhere else just a few seconds ago, almost reaching the dreamland. The boy tried to sit properly, stretching his arms and warming up his muscles little to wake up and prove the worrying brunet that he's wrong. He put on serious expression while scanning the situation of his two friends trying to get the point of the game. How cute, Taeil chuckled while his gaze was still on Doyoung.

"So," Johnny clapped his hands hard, scaring the two and getting an unpleasant whine from Yuta who too wasn't expecting it.

"We might have found a way to play this game."

After saying that, Yuta unfolded a desk, put a smaller wooden box on the ground, and then shuffled some cards before laying them in the middle of the playing board. All of the boys were now staring at it, including Sicheng who just walked down the stairs, his dark fluffy hair bouncing in the air. He looked puzzled after seeing them settled around a strange-looking board.