The familiar roaring sound that came from the engine of Seungcheol's jeep was heard in the distance between the sounds of the waves crashing on land and the wind playing with the dune grass. The black vehicle approached Jeonghan and stopped on one of the parking spots, stopping the motor and turning off the lights the moment he twisted his car keys.
Jeonghan sat on the sidewalk with his feet in the gutter, hugging his knees as it got chilly since the sun was almost fully set. He wasn't wearing anything more than the plain white t-shirt he wore that afternoon when he woke up and he regretted not taking a coat with him earlier.
The long haired boy instantly shot up when he heard the car door opening and he saw the silhouette of Seungcheol under the dim light of a flickering lamp post getting himself out of the Jeep. Without saying more words Jeonghan approached him and buried his nose in the crook of Seungcheol's neck. Seungcheol wasted no more time and hugged Jeonghan tightly, holding his entire body close against him.
"Aren't you cold?" Were the first words Seungcheol had spoken to him.
"I was." Jeonghan replied in all honesty. He shivered for the whole time he waited on him, but now he was in his arms the only thing he felt was warmth. The heat that radiated off Seungcheol's body was enough to keep him warm on this chilly night. He peeked through his eye lashes and saw Seungcheol was wearing the same hoodie he was wearing in the picture he sent him earlier that night.
"Don't lie to me I can hear your teeth are chattering." Jeonghan got so caught up in Seungcheol's warmth, he hadn't even noticed that his teeth were indeed still chattering and the goosebumps on his bare arms were also still clearly visible, even in the little amount of light that lit their surroundings.
"Well, yes, I mean it's a little cold." Seungcheol chuckled and rubbed Jeonghan's bare arms with both his hands, trying to warm them up with the friction. "Jeonghan please take better care of yourself.." He whispered in Jeonghan's ear while he covered his entire face inside the boy's long hair. "I'm sorry Cheol-" "-no more sorry's." He said sternly, letting go of Jeonghan but keeping a loose hold on his upper arms. "I think I might have a blanket in my trunk."
Before letting go, Seungcheol gave him a warm smile where he showed off his teeth. With Jeonghan following him, he walked to the back of his car and he opened the trunk. The little cabin in the back of his jeep contained some more supplies, but only one was needed at that time and without any doubt Seungcheol pulled out the thin blanket and wrapped it tightly around Jeonghan's shoulders, making it fall down over his body like a cape.
Jeonghan held it with one hand and rested the other one on his thigh underneath the blanket. Seungcheol closed the trunk again and clicked on his car key which made a bleeping sound and shut off the car automatically.
"Shall we go for a walk then?" Seungcheol offered in which Jeonghan only silently nodded.
The thing Jeonghan liked so much about them, while they walked up the dune path, was that they didn't have to say a lot to be comfortable around each other. There were times where they had so many things to share, so many important stories to tell. But sometimes, they just enjoyed each others presence in silence. Jeonghan took those times to secretly steal glances of Seungcheol next to him to take in the unfamiliar structures of his face.
The way he breathed in and held his breath for a moment before he breathed out. Or the way the wind played with his hair whenever they were outside. The focused look on his face whenever they drove in his black jeep. The jeep that comforted him in the scent of Seungcheol the moment you stepped in and sunk away in its seat.
And even though Jeonghan was totally oblivious of it, Seungcheol did exactly the same. Trying to explore all his different facial expressions and recalling them at times they weren't together. Taking in his smell when Jeonghan came a little closer to him. Seeing him staring in the depth of the city they drove by whenever they were inside Seungcheol's car, too caught up in his own world.
The things that drew Seungcheol closer to Jeonghan. Although there were still so many things they didn't know and they had yet to explore. So many facial expression they hadn't found out about, glances they hadn't stolen, chances they didn't took.
But sometimes, talking wouldn't led them to knowing more about one another. Being in utter silence at nights like these was something that brought them closer to each other. Yes, talking did a lot, but silence like this was what opened up there souls to one another. It was a gesture that they could only find with each other.
"Cheol?" Seungcheol hummed in response.
They had been walking for how long? About ten minutes at most. They had walked over the shore, on a perfect distance of the water that it wouldn't reach their shoes. Jeonghan had kept the blanket tightly around him for the whole time and their shoulders brushed against one another every now and then.
"My mom and I had a fight today." Seungcheol looked next to him full of sympathy, to meet Jeonghan's big eyes. "What was it about?" "I told her I couldn't hear it no longer. That she's constantly on her phone to talk to her friends but still has to burden me with it every time. It was also for the first time I talked about my own feelings."
"What went wrong?" Jeonghan looked down to the tops of his sneakers, that sunk away in the sand every step he made. "She got mad and told me I'm an egoist, just like my dad. And that I should be listening to her instead of the other way around. And after that she told me I could better leave. So I did. I didn't want to disappoint her no longer."
A heavy silence fell over the two and something held Seungcheol back from comforting the other, scared that every word, every touch, might break him more. It was Jeonghan who broke the silence again. "Do you think I'm egoistic Cheol?"
Seungcheol looked next to him to meet Jeonghan's big eyes again. The sight of tears welling up in the corners of his eyes tore him apart and all he wanted was to protect him from all the evil in the world, tell him that it was okay and to hold him. So he did. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jeonghan's body and held him closely. Jeonghan couldn't exactly hug back because of the blanket he held around him, but he relaxed in Seungcheol's touch.
"No." Seungcheol answered in a low whisper. "I don't think you're egoistic Han. And I don't think I ever will. Your mother doesn't see you in the way me and your friends see you. And even if she saw you that way, she shouldn't be the one to tell you something like that."
Soft sniffles were heard right next to Seungcheol's ear and he knew Jeonghan had broke down. So he caressed his back and whispered little nothings in his ear, trying to bring him at ease again. "I know it's hard now, but everything will be okay."
"I don't wanna go home." Jeonghan helplessly cried out.
"I would say you can come home with me, but she's still your mother Han. I know that it doesn't help a thing and how bad I want to take you home with me isn't helping me either. But I'm just saying that it might be for the best if you still go home."
"Then please come with me."
Seungcheol felt like his heartbeat stopped for a slight second. Jeonghan offered him to come to his house? The place that gave him a look of fear when Jeonghan's clothes were soaked and Seungcheol brought the idea up to take him there so he could get changed. The place he didn't even take his friends with ever since his parents separated.
But seeing him like this couldn't be right, so Seungcheol would come with him to protect him from whatever was going on there.
"I will."
