The Red of the Rose | Taeyong

14 | Sleep

It took Taeyong a whole week to work out a pattern for when Doyoung would usually schedule a session with Miah. The session couldn't be kept while either of them had a class or a shorter break, so it had to be either before classes in the early morning, or after in the later evening.

The difficult part, as Taeyong had believed, was to figure out their place of meeting. But it was actually fairly simple. Doyoung preferred their department library for their evening sessions. But since the library doesn't open at the time for their morning sessions, they only had the option of the few classrooms which remain unlocked for use by students. And so, arduously, Taeyong would have to check each open classroom every morning to find out the classroom they were using on a particular day.

Today, Taeyong had waited all morning before class for Miah to show up, but she didn't. Having waking up this early, he was tired and sleepy throughout the day. After his final class had ended, he rushed out to the library in a hurry, hoping to find Miah and Doyoung there.

The usual light in the library is through the windows, table lamps and the string of dim yellows installed into the cervix of the ceiling. Since it was already later in the evening when Taeyong entered, the dim illumination of the table lamps scattered the place with a, now brighter ceiling light.

Trying to locate the two of them, Taeyong walked the entire length of each row of the library, but couldn't find them anywhere. Tired, he settled himself down opposite their usual spot in a corner, waiting for them to arrive. He sat supporting his head with his palm, with his elbow on the table. The yellow and the warmth inside the library was perfect specially when it was getting bluer and colder outside. Soon he found the elbow slipping and then slipping some more till his palm touched the table with his head resting on it. His heavy eyelids blinked slowly once before finally giving in to give him the rest he was craving since morning.

'Taeyong!'

'Wake up!'

'...Taeyong!'

Taeyong felt a firm shake of a hand on his collar.

Doyoung sighed. 'Taeyong!' he shouted.

Taeyong jerked his eyes open while his body jolted upright. 'Huh?' His eyes took some time to register Doyoung leaning over him.

Still disoriented, he blinked a few times to bring things into focus before finally recognizing Doyoung.

'What?' Taeyong grumbled and finally sat up straight. When he noticed Miah right behind Doyoung, he realized where he was and that he obviously fell asleep.

'You have been sleeping for almost two hours. It's late. Go home,' Doyoung said indifferently.

This is not what Taeyong had planned. 'Almost two hours' means that he slept through their entire tutoring session when he should have been working on getting close to Miah. Next time, he consoled himself.

Leaning back on the chair, Taeyong stretched his neck and ruffled his dark hair, making them fall over his eyes. The faint yellow glow of the library surrounded him, enhancing each line of his face, his neck and his hands he had just ran through his hair. Even his slightest movement, his softest sigh, made him look unreal in this moment.

He tilted his head at Miah when he noticed that she was watching him intently, but he couldn't discern the emotion behind her expression. When their eyes met, Miah quickly averted her gaze towards the door. He let himself enjoy this brief moment for a while, now knowing exactly why Miah couldn't take her eyes off him.

'We'll leave,' Doyoung announced.

Taeyong nodded, still looking at Miah with a smirk on his face but Miah's entire focus was now on the door. Staying back, he folded his hands behind his head, supporting it, watching the two of them leave.