chills (gwangchul/injoon)
chills
xing; gwangchul/injoon
pg; 1583 words
for yeonga ♥ sorry you weren't around for the last one, bb. D:
It takes a week of living alone for it to hit him, incessantly poking at him as he tries to fall asleep. He used to lament over Jihwan's constant moving and complain about Injoon's night hugs. But as he lays awake staring at the ceiling, he can't help but yearn for a kick in the leg or a cold arm wrapped around his waist.
After a few hours of falling in and out of half-sleep, Gwangchul decides his attempts at a full night's rest are futile. He tries walking around the house a few times, realizing how much more time he's been spending at home these days.
He digs through his backpack and pulls out his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts until he comes across someone he thinks might be awake. He texts a simple greeting to Junyeon, impatiently playing with his keychain as he waits for a reply. After three minutes, his phone chirps.
go to sleep
Gwangchul closes his phone without a second thought. He taps his foot a few times before gritting his teeth and absent-mindedly hitting his third speed dial. He bites his lip as he listens to the line ring, secretly hoping no one will answer.
Miles away, somewhere on the other side of Seoul, Injoon wakes to a vibrating pocket. He hesitates before answering; he almost doesn't trust his caller ID. "Gwangchul...does your phone have a clock on it?"
Gwangchul picks at the chipping paint on the wall. "Hey."
Injoon rubs at his eyes and blinks at his watch a few times. "You called me at three in the morning to say hey?"
"Couldn't sleep. Too warm."
Injoon laughs a little, still half-asleep. "It's snowing outside."
Gwangchul bites his tongue, doesn't say he misses the cold hugs that used to drive him crazy. "Yeah...it's weird."
Injoon yawns, but protests when Gwangchul tells him to go back to sleep. You've already got me up he says. Gwangchul doesn't continue to prod. With so many friends, he sometimes wonders why he gets so lonely.
At three in the morning, Injoon likes to talk about life. Gwangchul doesn't much care for philosophy, but he's happy to have a voice to listen to. Injoon is a lot smarter than he lets on, and Gwangchul both loves and hates being one of the few who realizes it. Injoon is one of those people who never stops talking. And for the first time since they met, Gwangchul listens to every word.
When there's a momentary silence, Gwangchul wonders if Injoon has fallen asleep. But he hears his name on the other end of the line. "Gwangchul." Injoon sighs. It's a statement, not a question. "I almost can't believe you called," he says. "we haven't talked in...what is it, three weeks?" Eighteen days to be exact, not that Injoon is counting. Gwangchul opens his mouth again, letting the first words he can think of spill out.
"Do you want to come over?" The fact that he is rather impulsive is one reason Gwangchul usually stays quiet.
Injoon's heart rate slows, if only for a moment. "Right now?"
Gwangchul nods, forgets that Injoon can't see him. "Mm."
"Depends." He pauses, makes Gwangchul wait. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want me to come over?"
Gwangchul clicks his tongue and lies though his teeth. "I have no idea."
Injoon bites his lip and plays along. "Oh, I see. Well then, goodnight Gwangchul!"
Gwangchul clenches his fist, lets out a sigh and closes his eyes. He swallows what little pride he had left. "I'm lonely okay? Sheesh."
Injoon smiles and hangs up the phone.
Twenty-seven minutes later he knocks on Gwangchul's door, and Gwangchul answers in pajamas and half-closed eyes. He's surprised to see Injoon standing in the doorway, but says nothing, only stares and blinks. "I'm going back to sleep." Gwangchul's never been a great host, so Injoon isn't the least bit surprised.
Gwangchul shuffles his feet towards his bed, and Injoon follows, climbs under the covers almost instinctively, just like he would in all those hotel rooms in Thailand.
He wraps an arm around Gwangchul's waist - consciously this time, and scoots just a little bit closer than he used to. He presses his chin into the crook of Gwangchul's neck; for no reason in particular, just because it feels right. "Your hair's gotten longer."
Gwangchul smiles. "I just got it cut." There's a silence neither of them know what to do with. "It's only been a few weeks you know."
A nod. "Seems longer."
Gwangchul falls asleep within minutes and doesn't wake until morning.
Injoon wakes up alone, walks into the kitchen to find a bowl of cereal on the table. Without hesitating, he sits down to eat. Gwangchul comes out of the bathroom and scrunches his face when he sees him. "You ate my breakfast." Injoon laughs and apologizes with his eyes.
Gwangchul sits down at the table, directly across from him. He tries to read his expression, he's usually pretty good at that. Injoon looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't know what. Gwangchul tries to pick apart his brain, say what he's thinking so he doesn't have to. "You know...just because we're not working together anymore doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Injoon stops mid-bite and lifts his head. "Wait...what?" Gwangchul immediately feels like he's done something wrong. "Don't tell me you're...staying?" Very wrong. Injoon drops his spoon and leans back in his chair. "I never thought you of all people would put up with all of this...and for so long."
Gwangchul stays silent, hangs his head. Not talking usually works out nicely for him.
Injoon just stares at him, face ridden with confusion and a hint of shame. "Even though we're..." His voice cracks. "Do the rest of us not matter?"
Gwangchul tries to interject, but Injoon doesn't give him the chance. Within seconds he's up, throwing his shoes and jacket on and he's half way out the door. Gwangchul is a little more careless, only grabbing a pair of slippers as he follows.
He catches Injoon a few houses down, grabs him by the shoulder and spins him around to face him. He says something stupid like 'I don't see how it's such a big deal' and Injoon starts. Injoon can talk, but usually it's easy to get him to stop. Not when he's worked up about something, Gwangchul has discovered.
He curses to himself and wishes like hell Injoon would just stop talking. He continues to ramble about how he doesn't understand anything, and Gwangchul can't really blame him because he doesn't, but by now he's sick of hearing this, and Injoon stopped making sense ten sentences ago. There's a pause in his supposed speech, and Gwangchul grabs the back of his neck, pulling him in and kissing him square on the mouth. It's not a romantic kiss by any means, more of Gwangchul's way of telling Injoon to shut up. Nicely. He backs away slowly, and Injoon stares at his shoes, looking even more downtrodden than before.
They sit in silence for a few seconds, minutes, however long, until Injoon finally utters what Gwangchul can assume was supposed to be the point of his entire rant.
"You were supposed to follow us..." He looks Gwangchul in the eye. "Me." He wants to walk away, but he knows he shouldn't. As much as he hates confrontation, he can't seem to move his feet.
Gwangchul is tongue-tied or confused, he can't tell for sure, but Injoon stands his ground, keeps his eyes focused despite the cold nipping at his face.
"You're stupid. So...stupid." he sighs, swallowing the lump in his throat and wiping his nose. Gwangchul tries to put a comforting hand on Injoon's shoulder - it's all he can think to do - but Injoon immediately swats it away with a scoff. "You never cared about any of us, did you? You don't understand what you're doing."
Gwangchul knows exactly what he's doing, but he has no idea if what he's doing is right - his view on right and wrong has been warped over the years. He grabs Injoon's jacket and pulls him in closer, holds him tight around his shoulders so he can't move. Injoon stays still until Gwangchul loosens his grip, pulling away the second he does.
Gwangchul is slightly offended, because he's never had to fight for Injoon's attention before; it's usually the other way around. Injoon knows this, all too well. He's doing this on purpose. Gwangchul's always felt like Injoon is a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode. But he never expected it to happen so soon.
Injoon shoves him away once more, turning away and ruffling his hair in frustration. Gwangchul is about to turn away, go inside where it's warm, but Injoon quickly stops him in his path. He grabs him by the collar and pulls him down, kissing him hard on the mouth, really kissing him and meaning it. Gwangchul doesn't stop him, but leans into him, and momentarily forgets how cold it is.
Injoon pulls away slowly, eyes closed, looking embarrassed but determined. Gwangchul breathes a little harder, watching his breath escape into the air and hit the tip of Injoon's nose.
"You must be freezing." Injoon laughs, shivering a little, even in his coat.
Gwangchul takes Injoon's arm and wraps it around his own waist, and slips his own arm under Injoon's coat. "Nope."
xing; gwangchul/injoon
pg; 1583 words
for yeonga ♥ sorry you weren't around for the last one, bb. D:
It takes a week of living alone for it to hit him, incessantly poking at him as he tries to fall asleep. He used to lament over Jihwan's constant moving and complain about Injoon's night hugs. But as he lays awake staring at the ceiling, he can't help but yearn for a kick in the leg or a cold arm wrapped around his waist.
After a few hours of falling in and out of half-sleep, Gwangchul decides his attempts at a full night's rest are futile. He tries walking around the house a few times, realizing how much more time he's been spending at home these days.
He digs through his backpack and pulls out his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts until he comes across someone he thinks might be awake. He texts a simple greeting to Junyeon, impatiently playing with his keychain as he waits for a reply. After three minutes, his phone chirps.
go to sleep
Gwangchul closes his phone without a second thought. He taps his foot a few times before gritting his teeth and absent-mindedly hitting his third speed dial. He bites his lip as he listens to the line ring, secretly hoping no one will answer.
Miles away, somewhere on the other side of Seoul, Injoon wakes to a vibrating pocket. He hesitates before answering; he almost doesn't trust his caller ID. "Gwangchul...does your phone have a clock on it?"
Gwangchul picks at the chipping paint on the wall. "Hey."
Injoon rubs at his eyes and blinks at his watch a few times. "You called me at three in the morning to say hey?"
"Couldn't sleep. Too warm."
Injoon laughs a little, still half-asleep. "It's snowing outside."
Gwangchul bites his tongue, doesn't say he misses the cold hugs that used to drive him crazy. "Yeah...it's weird."
Injoon yawns, but protests when Gwangchul tells him to go back to sleep. You've already got me up he says. Gwangchul doesn't continue to prod. With so many friends, he sometimes wonders why he gets so lonely.
At three in the morning, Injoon likes to talk about life. Gwangchul doesn't much care for philosophy, but he's happy to have a voice to listen to. Injoon is a lot smarter than he lets on, and Gwangchul both loves and hates being one of the few who realizes it. Injoon is one of those people who never stops talking. And for the first time since they met, Gwangchul listens to every word.
When there's a momentary silence, Gwangchul wonders if Injoon has fallen asleep. But he hears his name on the other end of the line. "Gwangchul." Injoon sighs. It's a statement, not a question. "I almost can't believe you called," he says. "we haven't talked in...what is it, three weeks?" Eighteen days to be exact, not that Injoon is counting. Gwangchul opens his mouth again, letting the first words he can think of spill out.
"Do you want to come over?" The fact that he is rather impulsive is one reason Gwangchul usually stays quiet.
Injoon's heart rate slows, if only for a moment. "Right now?"
Gwangchul nods, forgets that Injoon can't see him. "Mm."
"Depends." He pauses, makes Gwangchul wait. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want me to come over?"
Gwangchul clicks his tongue and lies though his teeth. "I have no idea."
Injoon bites his lip and plays along. "Oh, I see. Well then, goodnight Gwangchul!"
Gwangchul clenches his fist, lets out a sigh and closes his eyes. He swallows what little pride he had left. "I'm lonely okay? Sheesh."
Injoon smiles and hangs up the phone.
Twenty-seven minutes later he knocks on Gwangchul's door, and Gwangchul answers in pajamas and half-closed eyes. He's surprised to see Injoon standing in the doorway, but says nothing, only stares and blinks. "I'm going back to sleep." Gwangchul's never been a great host, so Injoon isn't the least bit surprised.
Gwangchul shuffles his feet towards his bed, and Injoon follows, climbs under the covers almost instinctively, just like he would in all those hotel rooms in Thailand.
He wraps an arm around Gwangchul's waist - consciously this time, and scoots just a little bit closer than he used to. He presses his chin into the crook of Gwangchul's neck; for no reason in particular, just because it feels right. "Your hair's gotten longer."
Gwangchul smiles. "I just got it cut." There's a silence neither of them know what to do with. "It's only been a few weeks you know."
A nod. "Seems longer."
Gwangchul falls asleep within minutes and doesn't wake until morning.
Injoon wakes up alone, walks into the kitchen to find a bowl of cereal on the table. Without hesitating, he sits down to eat. Gwangchul comes out of the bathroom and scrunches his face when he sees him. "You ate my breakfast." Injoon laughs and apologizes with his eyes.
Gwangchul sits down at the table, directly across from him. He tries to read his expression, he's usually pretty good at that. Injoon looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't know what. Gwangchul tries to pick apart his brain, say what he's thinking so he doesn't have to. "You know...just because we're not working together anymore doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Injoon stops mid-bite and lifts his head. "Wait...what?" Gwangchul immediately feels like he's done something wrong. "Don't tell me you're...staying?" Very wrong. Injoon drops his spoon and leans back in his chair. "I never thought you of all people would put up with all of this...and for so long."
Gwangchul stays silent, hangs his head. Not talking usually works out nicely for him.
Injoon just stares at him, face ridden with confusion and a hint of shame. "Even though we're..." His voice cracks. "Do the rest of us not matter?"
Gwangchul tries to interject, but Injoon doesn't give him the chance. Within seconds he's up, throwing his shoes and jacket on and he's half way out the door. Gwangchul is a little more careless, only grabbing a pair of slippers as he follows.
He catches Injoon a few houses down, grabs him by the shoulder and spins him around to face him. He says something stupid like 'I don't see how it's such a big deal' and Injoon starts. Injoon can talk, but usually it's easy to get him to stop. Not when he's worked up about something, Gwangchul has discovered.
He curses to himself and wishes like hell Injoon would just stop talking. He continues to ramble about how he doesn't understand anything, and Gwangchul can't really blame him because he doesn't, but by now he's sick of hearing this, and Injoon stopped making sense ten sentences ago. There's a pause in his supposed speech, and Gwangchul grabs the back of his neck, pulling him in and kissing him square on the mouth. It's not a romantic kiss by any means, more of Gwangchul's way of telling Injoon to shut up. Nicely. He backs away slowly, and Injoon stares at his shoes, looking even more downtrodden than before.
They sit in silence for a few seconds, minutes, however long, until Injoon finally utters what Gwangchul can assume was supposed to be the point of his entire rant.
"You were supposed to follow us..." He looks Gwangchul in the eye. "Me." He wants to walk away, but he knows he shouldn't. As much as he hates confrontation, he can't seem to move his feet.
Gwangchul is tongue-tied or confused, he can't tell for sure, but Injoon stands his ground, keeps his eyes focused despite the cold nipping at his face.
"You're stupid. So...stupid." he sighs, swallowing the lump in his throat and wiping his nose. Gwangchul tries to put a comforting hand on Injoon's shoulder - it's all he can think to do - but Injoon immediately swats it away with a scoff. "You never cared about any of us, did you? You don't understand what you're doing."
Gwangchul knows exactly what he's doing, but he has no idea if what he's doing is right - his view on right and wrong has been warped over the years. He grabs Injoon's jacket and pulls him in closer, holds him tight around his shoulders so he can't move. Injoon stays still until Gwangchul loosens his grip, pulling away the second he does.
Gwangchul is slightly offended, because he's never had to fight for Injoon's attention before; it's usually the other way around. Injoon knows this, all too well. He's doing this on purpose. Gwangchul's always felt like Injoon is a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode. But he never expected it to happen so soon.
Injoon shoves him away once more, turning away and ruffling his hair in frustration. Gwangchul is about to turn away, go inside where it's warm, but Injoon quickly stops him in his path. He grabs him by the collar and pulls him down, kissing him hard on the mouth, really kissing him and meaning it. Gwangchul doesn't stop him, but leans into him, and momentarily forgets how cold it is.
Injoon pulls away slowly, eyes closed, looking embarrassed but determined. Gwangchul breathes a little harder, watching his breath escape into the air and hit the tip of Injoon's nose.
"You must be freezing." Injoon laughs, shivering a little, even in his coat.
Gwangchul takes Injoon's arm and wraps it around his own waist, and slips his own arm under Injoon's coat. "Nope."