Running to You | Park Han + JL + Steven | Haneulz + Stejay AU

Chapter 7: No One's Looking

The playlist continued in low rotation, mellow songs weaving in and out like a warm breeze. Han had stopped pretending he wasn't paying attention to the lyrics. JL was still beside him, head gently resting against the window until another bump in the road nudged him sideways.

And then he didn't straighten back up.

JL shifted, head landing squarely on Han's shoulder. Han froze.

JL's breathing had evened out. Completely asleep. The earbud still rested gently in his ear, the other still in Han's. The wire that connected them tugged gently against Han's collarbone. JL's hand had curled slightly in his lap, thumb twitching faintly, like he was dreaming.

In the row behind them, Woongki had turned around in his seat and was watching the scene unfold with the subtlety of a hawk.

He nudged Juwon beside him. "He's OUT. Look."

Juwon leaned over to look and snorted. "Should we throw a blanket over them or let the tension marinate?"

"I say we marinate," Woongki whispered dramatically. 

Chih En groaned behind them. "You guys are so loud," he mumbled. 

Juwon turned. "You okay?"

"Still dying," Chih En replied, face pale, forehead pressed against the cool window. "I think I left my soul in a pothole three stops ago."

Jeongwoo, seated beside him, offered a half-empty water bottle. "Drink."

Chih En accepted it with trembling hands. "I am not cut out for this," he muttered. "Someone could mug me right now and I would croak."

Woongki leaned over the seat. "You literally trained through a thunderstorm last week."

"Stationary thunderstorm," Chih En groaned. "Stationary."

Juwon: "Would it help if we all sang the national anthem?"

Chih En: "It would help if we all threw ourselves out the emergency exit."

Woongki grinned. "I love him. He's so theatrical when he's suffering."

At the front of the bus, Steven had one airpod in and a notebook open on his lap, but he wasn't writing. He was watching the reflections in the window.

JL was still asleep and Han still hadn't moved.

The line of JL's body was curved inward, trusting, unguarded. Han looked like he was bracing for something he couldn't name. 

Steven closed his notebook. JL was asleep, again. On Han's shoulder, again. And Han was letting him, again. 

He wasn't sure what to do with it. It wasn't jealousy, he didn't think so. It was more like confusion. Or a question he didn't have the language to ask.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. But he didn't stop thinking about JL and Han, leaning together.

***

"Are we there yet?" Woongki whined two hours in. "No," said everyone in unison.

"I need content," he declared, standing up and balancing between the seats like a game show host. "New challenge: if you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?"

Juwon: "Banana. Obvious."

Steven: "Pineapple."

Jeongwoo: "Peach."

Kyungho: "Banana."

Woongki: "Why?"

Juwon: "No stealing my answers!"

Kyungho: "Tall. Reliable. High potassium."

Chih En, face green, dark circles under his eyes: "Expired. dead. raisin. smashed into an unrecognizable pulp."

JL stirred faintly.

Woongki turned, eyes widening.

"Shhh. Sleeping beauty is dreaming."

JL didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, but he knew the exact moment he woke up. Because Han shifted just slightly and in an instant JL became hyper-aware of every point of contact.

His head was on Han's shoulder. His thigh pressed lightly against Han's leg. He lifted his head too fast. "Oh. I'm sorry." 

Han glanced at him, calm. "You were fine."

JL's felt a flush start to creep into his face. "I didn't drool, did I?" 

Han smirked, just faintly. "Not that I noticed." 

JL covered his face. He had fallen asleep on Han's shoulder twice. "This is the worst timeline."

Han reached into the seat pocket, pulled out a small bottled coffee, and handed it over. "Drink this. Wake up slowly."

JL peeked over his fingers. "Weren't you planning to drink this yourself?" 

"No, I got it from the last stop." Han said. "I just...I figured you'd need it." 

JL accepted the bottle. Han got it for him. 

The music still played in his ear. And Han still hadn't taken his earbud out.

The last hour passed quickly. They passed pine trees during winding turns, getting glimpses of distant peaks. The air felt different up here. Cold and thin, it felt more raw somehow.

The bus finally pulled into a gravel lot surrounded by forest. A modest lodge stood at the top of the hill, wood-paneled and clean. Steam rose from the hot springs in the distance.

"Everyone out," Coach called. There was groaning, yawning, backpacks being hauled down, and a near stampede for the nearest bathroom. 

Chih En found a stall and locked himself in like he was hunkering down in a storm bunker. Woongki tsked, sympathetically. 

Shuaibo immediately claimed the room closest to the front door and face-planted on the mattress, as though he had no plans of walking too many steps to and from his bed.

JL stepped off the bus and inhaled. The air smelled like fresh green leaves and new beginnings, as cliché as it sounded, but now he understood what that felt like. He heard gravel crunch from behind, and turned to see that Han was already beside him. 

Han stood close enough that JL could hear him breathing in the thin air.  

The vastness around them only made the space between them feel even smaller.

[Your comments and votes each chapter mean the world and support this story. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter! ✩✩✩ - Martiné]