In His Arms - Wonheon ( Wonho x Jooheon )

Chapter 18 : Almost.........

Wonho stands hunched at the kitchen counters with his hands splayed out flat against the surface and a pile of pancakes and bacon in between. He’s listening closely for the door of the bathroom to open and the faintest sounds of Jooheon’s footsteps against the stairs.

The shower had turned off almost fifteen minutes ago. He keeps watching the clock on his wrist as each minute passes by and it takes every ounce of his will power not to go check if Jooheon is alright. He’s trying to give the younger man space but the absence is almost eating him up and he keeps telling himself that if Jooheon doesn’t come out in one more minute, then he’s going in.

But each time that minute ends, he tells himself he’ll give Jooheon another. It’s been over seven of those now and Wonho’s teeth are pressed hard into his bottom lip, his fingers drumming restlessly against the counter top.

Just as minute eight ticks by, he huffs and spins around on his heel, ready to glide up the steps and into the bathroom and make sure Jooheon is okay because if he’s not--

Wonho doesn’t finish the thought because as he turns around, Jooheon reaches the bottom of the steps. For a long, quiet moment, all Wonho can do is stare. He lets his gaze trail up and down Jooheon’s body, closely looking for any harm done. It would have been hard to do given that Wonho had taken all of the sharp objects out of the bathroom but a man on a mission can be a dangerous thing. Wonho pays close attention to the pale skin visible and sees it all unblemished apart from the bruises.

With Jooheon’s health assessment under control, Wonho let’s his gaze linger on the clothes covering Jooheon’s body. They’re his and the sight of Jooheon in them makes him want to whimper and hold the brunet close. Lord knows how many times he had envisioned someone else wearing his clothes, what the sight would do to him-- how right he had been as he feels his heart stutter in his chest.

The t-shirt is baggy on Jooheon, making him look so much smaller than he actually is, and the pants are too long but Wonho thinks he looks so fragile and vulnerable that all he wants to do is wrap his arms around him and take him to bed and protect him from the world.

The shower had done wonders for Jooheon. His hair is still damp but it’s combed and neat and his face is freshly trimmed, making him look like the Jooheon that Wonho had watched for so long. He looks beautiful . His Jooheon.

Wonho smiles softly at him and nods towards the table, gathering the plates in his hands as he walks over. “Feel better?” he asks.

Jooheon hasn’t looked away from him and hasn’t moved from where he was plastered against the wall near the steps. His eyes are sharper than usual, more focused, which is a great sign considering the amount of drugs that have been pumping through his system the last few days.

Jooheon doesn’t answer. He follows Wonho’s every move instead.

Wonho tries a different approach. “Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I made a lot so I hope you’re hungry,” Wonho says. He places the plates down onto the table and walks back to get two glass cups and the pitcher of orange juice. There’s a large supply of vitamins that Wonho dissolved into Jooheon’s cup but are unnoticeable to the naked eye.  

When he returns back to the table, Jooheon still hasn’t moved from his spot.

Wonho sits down and makes a show of piling both of their plates with a hearty amount of each portion that Wonho made. He reaches over and sets Jooheon’s plate across from him, right next to his glass of orange juice. He’s moving as slowly as he can so that Jooheon can see that he is no threat. Every action and glance carefully made for Jooheon to be as comfortable as possible.