Story in the Making [8/?]
So far, legit one of my faves chapters, though I really do adore the next one despite the content of it..but that's all I'm saying.
Previous Chapter
Youngjae tossed and turned in the bed that usually was a lot more comfortable than it was that particular night. He felt nervous, which was silly. They had a comeback tomorrow, but it was a comeback, not a debut. He had performed countless times already and so should already be aware of how to perform and not make a fool of himself. And yet this anxiety was growing within him and he couldn’t pinpoint the cause to help deflect it. And so it left him tossing and turning to try and get comfortable enough to sleep-which didn’t seem to be happening any time soon.
“Dammit, Jae, would you fucking quit moving?” Youngjae flushed immediately. He hadn’t realized that Daehyun was awake, or that he had been disturbing his long time roommate with his movements. He just hadn’t been able to sleep.
“Sorry…” The voice was meek and it was an immediate guilt trip to Daehyun. The elder man never liked when Youngjae sounded like that because it always broke his heart to hear. Youngjae wasn’t the most cocky of the group, but he was usually confident and sure of himself enough that things like being snapped at didn’t usually affect him and he’d usually have something in return.
This time guilted Daehyun because of the way the voice sounded almost pathetic in tone.
“Precious boy, what’s wrong?” Daehyun pushed himself up to prop on his elbows, looking across the room at the figure that lay in the opposite bed. There had been a New Moon a few nights prior and so only the dim lights from the city illuminated the room through the angled blinds. It didn’t really help all that much given the floor that they were on.
Since sleeping didn’t seem to work for either of them---though Youngjae was just telling himself that because he felt guilty that he woke up his best friend-he sat up and leaned against the headboard. “I can’t sleep…”
Daehyun scoffed and pushed himself up more. “Really? Tell me something a bit less obvious. We have to get up early tomorrow, we have a big day.”
“That’s just it…” There was that tone again that caused Daehyun’s heart to ache in ways that he had never experienced and never wanted to again. “I’m…nervous. You hurt yourself with this dance, what if something happens tomorrow?”
A soft sigh is his response and it worried him. His head tilted to the side as he watched the elder man toss the blanket off of his legs and he then walked over to his bed.
“Scoot over.”
Youngjae did as he was told, laying on his side even though he just sat up as it was one of the only ways to get both bodies on one bed. Daehyun followed the other’s lead. They both lay facing one another.
“I love watching you perform.” Daehyun murmured. They were laying right in front of each other, a handful of centimeters away from one another and so there was no need to talk at a normal level. They could hear each other perfectly. Before Youngjae could even ask for an explanation while his cheeks turned pink, Daehyun continued. “When we’re alone, together, you’re very…calm and collected and when we’re with the other guys, you are…poised and regal, as though you’re acting when we all know that’s not true. And when we’re in front of our fans or the cameras…you become something else entirely and I love it.” The strong vocalization of how Daehyun felt caught them both off guard, though the elder recovered first. “You do amazing on stage, Yoo Youngjae. Tomorrow, we will do amazing; you will do amazing.”
“I’m not worried about me.” The other said in the same soft tone. Daehyun frowned with confusion but didn’t interrupt him as he moved closer, an arm sliding around Youngjae’s waist to make sure that neither of them fell of the bed. “I’m worried about…you. You got hurt during practice, mister…what if you do the same thing on stage? What if it’s worse this time.”
The fluttering that Daehyun had been feeling at an increasing rate and intensity almost knocked the breath out of him this time. He never expected Youngjae to still be worried about him in that manner. It was an odd thought, but one that he obviously greatly appreciated.
“You’re…worried about me?” Daehyun asked as though Youngjae hadn’t just said that himself.
His stupidity was rewarded with a hit to the arm despite being so close and finding that such a hit strained his wrist but he didn’t say anything about it.
“Of course I’m worried about you! You’re my best friend, mister; how can I not worry about you?” It was a rhetorical question because the answer was obvious; he would always worry for Daehyun’s wellbeing just as he knew that his wellbeing was something that the other man always worried about as well.
“You know I’ll be okay, right? The maknaes gave me extra lessons and tips so that doesn’t happen again.” Daehyun had done everything he could to make sure that the fall he had during practice a couple weeks back didn’t affect his ability to perform live. He would hate to do that to the group, to his best friend.
Youngjae began to chew on his bottom lip, a habit that Daehyun had been trying to break him from for a long time and yet obviously hadn’t succeeded.
“Stop.” Was the simple command that Daehyun spoke and Youngjae knew what it was in regards to. He blushed and nodded his head, releasing his lip immediately. “Do you think that you’ll be able to sleep now that I’m here?”
It was a legitimate question that Youngjae felt had a complicated answer. It wasn’t often that they shared a bed, only a couple times before did they do such a thing, but it truly always helped Youngjae sleep when he was having trouble.
Slowly, the younger man nodded his head. Daehyun smiled and was already closing his eyes.
“Goodnight, precious boy.”
“Goodnight, mister.”
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