In His Arms - Wonheon ( Wonho x Jooheon )

Chapter 51 : Nice Try

It's a Saturday, which means that Wonho is home all day long .

Jooheon sits in the living room with his laptop on his lap and tries not to pay attention as Wonho goes through his daily routine of cleaning: scrubbing the counters, mopping the floors, doing laundry, then re-scrubbing the counters, re-mopping the floors, and folding the clothes when they come out fresh and warm.

So once Wonho stops moving around, Jooheon notices almost immediately. He picks his gaze up from his computer screen and flicks his attention towards the kitchen where it's turned silent. Jooheon bites into his cheeks waiting for Wonho to emerge, but as the quiet continues to drag on, he frowns.

Wonho wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, and Jooheon hadn't heard the door open and close, but Jooheon supposes it could still be possible that Wonho just slipped out. It makes him almost panic. He can feel his heart start to pound at the thought of Wonho just leaving , and while he stares blankly at his screen, debating whether or not he should just go and check for fuck's sake, he exhales a shaky breath of relief when he hears Wonho's footsteps start up again.

He goes back to typing and pretends not to notice when Wonho walks into the room. But after two steps forward, then three, then four, Jooheon has no choice but to look up as Wonho approaches, his fingers stilling on the keyboard.

As Wonho stops in front of him, Jooheon takes the blond in. He can see the tightness in Wonho's shoulders, can see the apprehension bleed into his brown eyes. Jooheon can only wonder if he's beginning to notice the details about Wonho, the things that no one else sees, or the things that Wonho doesn't allow to be seen. Which would be hard to hide, really. There's been a heaviness hanging around Wonho like a cloud, thick enough that Jooheon can feel it all throughout the day, always nagging at him that it's his fault.

Wonho's usual bright, gentle demeanor has been smothered for the past few days, making Jooheon squeam in discomfort. He's gotten used to the things Wonho does; the soft touches when they're close, how Wonho talks to him while he meal preps, how Wonho cards his fingers through Jooheon's hair in the mornings when he thinks that Jooheon isn't fully awake yet, or even when they sit side by side on the couch and binge watch tv shows, swapping their opinions back and forth like they've known each other for years.

But ever since their... dispute... Wonho has taken all of himself away, leaving Jooheon fumbling for the normalcy that he's gotten used to, what he's learned to depend on. It makes him feel itchy, makes him ache for what he's lost, but Jooheon has been stubborn since the day he entered the world and he's not going to stop any time soon, even when his body and brain screams for him to just stop-stop-stop .

Wonho clears his throat softly and Jooheon's gaze finds his, instantly, like a magnetic force. Jooheon has to regain his train of thought, blinking out of the daze he had fallen into, and finally notices the pen and paper in Wonho's hand. He stares at them in question until Wonho reaches his arm out, extending the objects towards Jooheon.

Jooheon's brows furrow in confusion, his gaze darting up to Wonho's knowing he'll get the answers soon enough. The blond always gives him what he needs, right? Why would this be any different?

It isn't.

Wonho takes a deep breath and wrings his hands together in front of him, looking like a nervous school boy trying to find friends on a playground and not the big, strongman that he really is.

"Tomorrow's Sunday so I'll get groceries in the morning," Wonho says, although Jooheon already knows that. It's part of their routine. They follow it every week.

But Wonho handing him a pencil and piece of paper most certainly isn't.

Jooheon doesn't move. His hand stays lifted up, holding the objects Wonho gave him like they're the strangest things he's ever seen. He keeps looking at Wonho, waiting for the blond to tell him just exactly what he's supposed to do with them.

"I was just thinking... there's probably foods or anything that you want and-- and I want you to be able to choose what you want me to get. For you," Wonho stutters out. All Jooheon can do is stare as Wonho fumbles with his words, looking more and more like that confused schoolboy that Jooheon had envisioned him as. It makes Wonho seem more human, less like the monster he really is.

Seeing Wonho like that makes Jooheon want to pull him close and make it all better.

Jooheon glances down at the objects in his hand.

"Anything?" he asks, his voice just a faint breath more than anything.

Wonho nods his head.

Jooheon thinks long and hard; he tries to remember what he enjoyed, what he always bought every time he went to the grocery store. He knows the junk food that he usually purchased isn't something that Wonho would be happy about. The blond would probably have a damn near heart attack if he saw the amount of sugar that was in those marshmallow cereals that Jooheon snacked on, or even in the tubs of chocolate chunk ice cream he would down whenever he watched tv.

"Anything anything?" Jooheon repeats, flicking his gaze up to Wonho to gauge his reaction. Part of him expects Wonho to go back on his words, to reach out and snatch the paper and pen right out from his hands. But Wonho doesn't. He just nods his head once again.

"Yes, Jooheon. Anything anything," Wonho huffs, playfully rolling his eyes.

Huh, now that's something-- a very interesting something. Jooheon's eyes narrow at the blond, taking in the way Wonho has suddenly shifted before his very eyes. Gone is that closed off expression, Wonho's hesitance, and now, there Wonho is again. The real Wonho with the warm brown eyes and the smile playing at his lips.

Jooheon feels something tingle down his spine seeing Wonho like that again. Something strong and-- and enjoyable . There's also the strong urge to be a pain in the ass too, so Jooheon finds the middle ground. Naturally.

"Like the password to the door?" Jooheon shoots back. He's being testy and although he knows he shouldn't, and that the ground between the two of them is still shaky, he can't help but push his luck.

He waits on edge, fingers and toes curling in suspense, until Wonho snorts. "Yeah, nice try ."

Jooheon writes the words down anyways. There's an amused smile on his face as he does so, but he lowers his head and lets his hair fall over his face so that Wonho can't see.