Play it Cool - Soonhoon

9

Kissing Jihoon was an addiction, one that Sooyoung feed whenever the opportunity presented itself. Jihoon would smirk at him between breathes. Soonyoung couldn't help it though. He felt neglected. More often than not, Jihoon spent his days doing whatever it was he was doing before Soonyoung had come into his life. Their time together was scarce, and Soonyoung couldn't really fault the boy, he had a career after all.

Still, he sat bored at the library, wishing Jihoon would text him or ask him out. He hadn't seen Jihoon in a few days and he felt himself succumbing to silly thoughts of Jihoon maybe not wanting him anymore.

"You look sad." Soonyoung pounced, encasing Jihoon the moment he was next to him. Jihoon merely chuckled, letting the boy do as he pleased. "I suppose you missed me." Soonyoung nodded against his neck, feeling so much better now that Jihoon was with him.

"I feel like I never see you anymore." Soonyoung mumbled, feeling feeble as he admitted it to Jihoon. Jihoon sighed against him.

"I'm sorry, there's been some... complications at work lately. It's been getting harder to deal with." Soonyoung wanted to offer to help, but had no idea what he would be getting himself into. Besides, Jihoon would never let him anyway. "How about we have dinner, spend some time over food." Soonyoung was starved, for more than just food and he followed Jihoon to his car, only to be stopped last minute when a call came through. "I hate to do this..." Soonyoung didn't understand, but he allowed Jihoon to go, sad that it would probably be another few days before he'd see him again.

Except it wasn't like that. When Soonyoung was getting ready for class the next morning there was a knock on his door. There was a frantic Jihoon standing there, seemingly rushing as he locked the door behind himself. "Is everything okay?"

"Soonyoung," He started, looking frustrated with himself. "There's a lot I can't explain right now, but I need to ask you something. Something big." He turned to face the boy. "Would it be okay if you moved in with me?" . . . What?

"What? Why so suddenly, I mean we've only been dating for about a month, it seems too soon-" Jihoon stopped him, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath. He sat on Soonyoung's bed and Soonyoung did the same, trying to calm his own racing heart.

"The complications at work are getting worse and I fear they may already know too much. It would put me at ease knowing you were under supervision, at my house." Soonyoung floundered, not finding the words to voice how ridiculous the statement seemed. "This is a really big step for you, I can understand that. It's different times, different from when my father had asked my mother to drop her life for him. I'm not going to ask that of you, but I need to know you're under my care and that means at least living with me."

"Why, why all of a sudden? Are you in some sort of trouble?" There was a fear in the pit of Soonyoung's stomach and he watched as Jihoon plastered a smile, there was still something he was hiding.

"My life is far more complicated than it seems, and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing, but I feel that you moving in would be your safest option."

"Do you mean- Am I in danger?" Jihoon shook his head, taking Soonyoung's hands.

"Not in anything critical, but..." He battled his thoughts for a moment, not wanting to admit to anything. He saw his resolve crumble. "Back when I first started courting you, I'll admit I was rash. I let my feelings come before my rationality and in doing so, some words were spoken, shared among those I work with. There are people who know of your existence and I worry that if news got out I had a boyfriend, they'd come to find you. Gangsters have a reputation for not only hurting you, but the ones you care about the most." He seemed so vulnerable in that moment, Soonyoung realizing how hard it was for Jihoon to admit all this. "Gangster's don't fight fair all the time and I just- don't want to see anything happen to you." The sheer panic on his face made Soonyoung lean forward, their lips grazing gently.

"I wouldn't want anything to happen to you either." Soonyoung confessed, Jihoon relaxing next to him. "As much as I want to give into your request, I don't know that I could just leave the dorm. I have to think about Minghao."

"Bring him with us." That surprised Soonyoung.

"Really?"

"He's connected to you, it'd be safer for him too." So, Soonyoung left Minghao a voicemail, informing him that they needed to talk asap. Jihoon would return in the evening to help them pack up their things.

"What's so important that you-" Minghao stopped short when he saw Soonyoung's empty side of the dorm. "What's going on?'

"We're moving?"

"Moving? Why? DId the bathroom finally give up on us?" He chuckled, but Soonyoung didn't share in his amusement. "Soonyoung?"

"You told me to be careful, and I was. But Jihoon thinks it might be safer to live with him for the time being."

"So you're leaving me?!"

"I'm pretty sure I said we're leaving." Minghao furrowed his brows, moving closer to Soonyoung.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Soonyoung sighed, knowing just as much as Minghao when it came to this situation.

"Not much, Jihoon simply told me it was in our best interest to live under supervision." Minghao frowned, not quite where Soonyoung needed him to be. "I know this is confusing, but I want us to be safe. If that means moving, I'm okay with that."

"Yeah, that's because it's your boyfriend's house."

"Said boyfriend also houses the hunky security guard you didn't have a chance to impress last time.

"Where are the moving boxes?"

Jihoon was prompt, as always, his men bustling about to carry everything into a moving van. Minghao followed behind them, if only to complain about how fragile his boxes were. They had to handle them with care.

"You're really sure about this?" Jihoon suddenly asked, as if he hadn't just packed his life away.

"Of course I am."

Once everything was packed, Minghao clambered in into the BMW with Soonyoung and Jihoon, a little startled when his eyes landed on Jun. "Oh-" Jun faltered, sliding far enough to bump his head, Soonyoung chuckling at the pair. They drove in awkward silence to Jihoon's house and it was only when Minghao's jaw dropped that conversation flowed again. "No way, this is your house?!" Soonyoung could tell he was gobsmacked. There were already people lugging their belongings when they arrived. Jihoon offered them a tour of what Minghao called his castle. There were indeed enough endless halls to classify it as such.

"I have spare rooms you each can take." He explained, pushing open the door to one of the rooms.

"This is incredible!" Minghao said in awe, taking in the size of the room alone. It was bigger than their shabby dorm room. Modern and sleek, the cream walls bare a contrast to the navy comforter. Even the desk was minimal, metal frame looking flimsy as Minghao brushed past it.

"It's yours." His jaw fell open a second time that day, the man looking to Jihoon as if he had told he won the lottery.

"This is insane." He ran toward the bed, flying into it with a squeal. Soonyoung doesn't think he'd ever seen his best friend so lively. "It's so comfortable!"

"Do you want to see your room?" Jihoon whispered to Soonyoung, Minghao to distracted by the ensuite bathroom to notice their leave. They only crossed the call, the room diagonal to Minghao's. It was very similar in grandness, Soonyoung feeling a lot like his best friend as he took it in. "The best part-" He motioned for Soonyoung to enter the hall again, his finger pointing to the door at the very end of it. "That's my room." Soonyoung laughed, seeing a bit of a different side to Jihoon today. He wrapped his arms around the man, feeling elated when the man's hands landed on his hips.

"I have a feeling you had other intentions with this move." Jihoon offered no explanation, deciding to kiss him senseless instead.