# 40, 50, 62, 63
Rejection
WC: 297
Jongwoon likes to initiate intimate moments whenever they’re alone. Whenever they’re alone, much to Ryeowook’s dismay.
They had just crawled to their room after a long day of practice and Ryeowook’s muscles are aching and his feet are killing him and he could use a good back rub, but he hasn’t so much as closed his eyes after flopping onto the bed that Jongwoon’s hands are sneaking under his shirt and lips are mouthing at his earlobe.
Usually he just lets Jongwoon have his way because he doesn’t really have to do much, or even really move at all and it does take a bit of stress out of the equation. He hates it, though, because it cuts into his allotted time to sleep before Donghae jumps on them in the morning, or the manager physically drags them out of bed by their arms. All Ryeowook pines for is an entire weekend to sleep, but that’s never going to happen, so he settles for getting as much as possible when he can.
This is why when Jongwoon slings a leg over his hips to take things a step further, he bucks violently and shoves Jongwoon right out of bed. He gathers the blankets tightly around himself, determined to not let Jongwoon under them and molest him further.
“Ryeowook,” he whines, tugging at the blankets. “What’s wrong?”
“Sleeping. Good night.”
“But it’s early. Don’t you want to have fun?” He leans over the bed and kisses the tip of Ryeowook’s ear where it’s peaking over the blanket. Ryeowook shrugs the cover up higher and grunts.
“Go have your own fun. Sleeping.”
Jongwoon sighs and stretches out on the bed beside him. “At least share the blanket,” he says.
“I can’t hear you; I’m asleep.”
____
Intermission
WC: 487
They’re all packed into the living room, watching Titanic the night before Jungsu leaves for the army. No one talks through the first half. No one is quoting the lines long ago memorized. No one is mocking the acting or the storyline. No one is groaning in impatience for the drawing scene. They’re scattered around, some on the floor, some on the couch, staring blankly at the screen. Jungsu has the best seat, right in the middle of the couch with Youngwoon on one side and Ryeowook on the other.
When the first disk ends, a few of them jump up to use the restroom. Ryeowook slowly climbs off the sofa and gathers beer and soda cans alike before slinking off to the kitchen. He drops them in the recycling and opens the refrigerator to gather enough drinks and maybe some snacks to bring back to the living room when a hand lands on his shoulder. He looks up to see Jongwoon behind him.
“Do you want something?” Ryeowook asks.
Jongwoon just pulls him away from the refrigerator and shuts the door before pulling Ryeowook against his chest. Ryeowook stiffens for a second, then wraps his arms tightly around Jongwoon’s back, nestling his face in the crook of his neck.
“I don’t want him to go,” Jongwoon mumbles. Ryeowook just nods the best he can because his throat is in a knot. He tries to hold it in, but then he feels a warm drop land on his shoulder and he loses it himself. He shakes in Jongwoon’s arms, suppressed sobs quaking his entire body. Jongwoon rubs along his spine, up and down roughly, working the air back into his lungs when he chokes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to set you off.”
Ryeowook shakes his head, clutching at Jongwoon’s sweater until he can catch his breath. Jongwoon pushes him back and dries his cheeks for him.
“I’m going to miss him,” Ryeowook whimpers, voice hitching on a lingering sob.
Jongwoon nods and cards his fingers through Ryeowook’s hair. They embrace again just as the noise from the living room suggests the movie has been resumed. Jongwoon finally lets go and steers Ryeowook back to the living room.
Everyone has moved. Instead of being spread out, they’re all crowded on the couch, sitting half in each other’s laps, arms and legs slung over the arm and backrests to keep the balance. Ryeowook is grateful to see he isn’t the only that had cried. Both Donghae and Hyukjae have red, glassy eyes. The rest are stone-faced, but dark splotches on shirts suggest tears shed. Jongwoon pushes Ryeowook onto Youngwoon’s lap so he can cuddle up next to Jungsu and takes a seat on Siwon’s lap himself, shushing him when he yowls in complaint.
They finish the movie, and when they cry they claim it’s from the tragedy of the Titanic and pretend tomorrow is eons away.
____
Unknown
WC: 642
The first time Jongwoon suggests they sleep together, it was in the living room while most of them were present. Three or so members sprawled on the sofa, Kyuhyun in a corner with his greasy laptop, Donghae belly-up on the hardwood floor, socked foot kicking at Hyukjae’s calf. Every single head snaps in their direction, where Jongwoon has Ryeowook snuggled up on his lap. Ryeowook’s face is tomato red in half a second and he rolls off the couch, fleeing to his room with embarrassed tears stinging his eyes. Jongwoon just blinks because they’re dating now, so what’s so strange about sharing a bed. Youngwoon punches him and tells him to pick his words more carefully next time, before heaving himself off the couch and following Ryeowook to reassure him that he won’t let Jongwoon do anything indecent as long as they’re in the same dorm.
Jongwoon pouts because he hadn’t even meant anything dirty and just wanted to snuggle for an extra eight hours or so.
The second time Jongwoon suggests they sleep together, he does pick better words and asks if Ryeowook wants to sleep (Just sleep! Nothing else!) in his bed with him. He also picks a better venue: his own room just around midnight while they listen to the ending credits of a drama Ryeowook had really wanted to catch up on. Ryeowook yawns and nods, digging his face into Jongwoon’s chest. Jongwoon brushes his lips across Ryeowook’s forehead and shuts his laptop down before moving it to the floor under the bed. Ryeowook waits for him to settle back down against the pillows before dragging the blanket up to their chins. Jongwoon wraps him up in his arms and tangles their legs beneath the covers.
Ryeowook falls asleep almost instantly, exhausted from his schedules and warm and comfortable in Jongwoon’s embrace.
Jongwoon, on the other hand, hadn’t planned out exactly how this was going to work. Ryeowook’s breath is warm on his chest, but he feels like his own breathing is loud and obtrusive, fanning Ryeowook’s hair with every exhale, and he hadn’t brushed his teeth after dinner so he has to focus on keeping his lips tightly sealed. Ryeowook is always cold, insisting that Jongwoon give up his gloves or jacket almost daily, but in bed he’s a like a space heater. Ryeowook’s belly is so hot against him, and their legs are almost at the point of sticking together, but the last thing he wants to do is push Ryeowook away. He tries to ease the blanket down and let some cool air wash over their bodies, but Ryeowook whimpers and gives a little shiver so he quickly pulls it up higher and tucks it tight around them. He decides to just fall asleep as fast as possible. If he’s asleep, he can’t be hot or worry about his breath, so he closes his eyes and counts sheep. On six sheep over the fence, his arm throbs. He gives his fingers a little wiggle and they shoot with pins and needles pain, his circulation cut off where Ryeowook’s head lays heavily on his bicep. Jongwoon groans and prepares himself for a long night.
When they wake in the morning, Ryeowook has him in a death grip, face buried somewhere around Jongwoon’s stomach under the blankets. Jongwoon kicks them back and drags Ryeowook up to the pillows for a morning-breath kiss. Ryeowook’s nose wrinkles and he bats Jongwoon away, but then he snuggles closer for a few more minutes of sleep before the alarm actually goes off.
“Sleep well?” Jongwoon mumbles, voice still rough with sleep.
“Mmm,” Ryeowook hums. “I like sleeping here. It’s the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”
Jongwoon can’t help but laugh. He can physically feel the bags under his eyes. “Me too,” he says.
____
Lotion
WC:236
Jongwoon always suffers from back pain. He says it’s from all his hard work, but Donghee says he’s just getting old and that they’d better start looking at retirement homes to stick Grandpa in. Jongwoon pouts and scurries off to his room and stares in the mirror on the back of the door because he’s certain he’s not getting old and oh god is that a laugh line?!
It’s about this time that Ryeowook slips into the room, careful not to bash Jongwoon in the face with the door, and takes a half-used bottle of lotion from the desk. He uncaps it and gives it a little sniff and smiles at the warm scent of cinnamon. Jongwoon hears the pop of the cap and turns to Ryeowook, a grateful smile on his lips. Without a word he removes his shirt and lies face-down on the bed. Ryeowook climbs on after him and straddles his hips, settling his weight down like a delicate bird.
After warming the lotion in his palms, he rubs it into Jongwoon’s skin, using the slickness to knead away any knots he happens across. Jongwoon melts into the sheets, little purrs of appreciation leaving his lips whenever Ryeowook works out a particularly nasty knot.
Ryeowook finally climbs off and lies beside Jongwoon when he’s fallen asleep, completely relaxed. He watches the fluttering of his eyelids with a small smile and drifts off himself.
____