『Morning』▷ mashikyu。

cuddle

"I need to drink water."

"Then drink."

"Let go of me first."

Mashiho chuckled as Junkyu's lips formed a pout, clearly annoyed by his response. Still, he didn't move away, instead opting to snuggle closer and rub his face against the other's neck.

"No way," he mumbled. "I like it this way. I'm not letting go."

"Then how am I supposed to get water?"

When the Japanese didn't reply, Junkyu frowned and nudged his side to catch his attention. "Hey," he called. "Mashihooooo!!"

He sighed longsufferingly upon realizing that the other had fallen asleep and was therefore not listening to him anymore. What now? he asked himself. Am I just gonna dehydrate here or do I push him away?

He gazed at Mashiho's face.

Dang it.

He was probably going to regret this later when his throat would already be dry and aching badly, but whatever.

Water could wait. Mashiho was a better choice.

----

"Mashiho, wateeeeeeeer~"

"Yes, yes," Mashiho hollered from wherever he was. "Just a sec!"

Junkyu rolled over on his stomach, planting his face onto the bed and grumbling in a language that could not be comprehended. His former roommate used to say it sounded like a cow, but Mashiho said it was more like a whining goat— whichever it was, it clearly wasn't very good to hear.

He couldn't believe that he just fell asleep without drinking water because of Mashiho. His throat was so dry he barely had a voice! This was that damn brat's fault, dang it. He was just so cute it made it hard to disobey him.

"Mashiho!!!!!"

"I'm coming! Don't yell, your voice sounds terrible!"

It took a minute or two and a lot of clanking, falling sounds before Mashiho got to him and gave him the glass of water that he had been wanting to drink since hours ago. He chugged down all of it in one go, with the younger watching him with a small smile on his face.

"What're you lookin' at?"

Mashiho grinned, "You're cute."

His cheeks immediately turned aglow, murmuring awkwardly,"I— I know."

The other chuckled at his response, taking the empty glass out of his hand and placing it on the bedside table.

"You know, Junkyu," he began. "I don't have class today."

"And?" Junkyu stuttered out.

With the cheekiest little grin he had ever seen, Mashiho immediately tackled him into a hug. "Cuddle with me all day!" he announced merrily.

"What?" the Korean sputtered, both embarrassed and astonished. "N-no! Besides, didn't you say yesterday that you're going to meet someone today?"

Mashiho didn't reply. Junkyu couldn't quite see what expression he was making because his face was flushed against his chest.

"Mashiho?"

At his call, the smaller instantly looked up and beamed at him.

"Nah!" he laughed. "I was going to meet a friend but he cancelled. Let's just cuddle, okay?"

"No!"

"Aww!"

"Don't pout! You're not winning me over with cuteness."

Despite having said that, Junkyu wasn't actually sure if he was mentally strong enough to uphold his words.

"Really?"

Oh no.

There it was. He could already feel Mashiho's hands clinging tightly onto his shirt and see his eyes watering with fake tears, lips pulling into a pout. Mashiho had some real acting skills. Junkyu still wondered why he wasn't an actor at this point yet, with his looks and all.

Crystal droplets hung on his lashes and Junkyu gulped when he opened his mouth, fully aware that he was about to begin his attack.

"Junkyu-yah," he called, voice dripped with honey and cheeks puffed up adorably. "Cuddle with me?"

Junkyu bit his lips in retort.

"Please?"

When Mashiho began to move, Junkyu held himself back from standing up and bolting out of the room because he just knew that he wasn't surviving this.

Don't do it.

Mashiho wrapped his arms around his neck as he straddled his legs.

No no no no—

"Please," Mashiho whispered. "Cuddle with me, hyung?"

Silence descended to both of them.

Mashiho blinked in surprise when he didn't get a response. Junkyu's head was hung low, face unable to be seen as his hair shadowed it hidden, making the other confused.

"Hyung?"

"Goddammit."

"What—?"

The next thing that Mashiho knew, he was already laying on his back staring up at Junkyu's face.

"This is all your fault, understand?" Junkyu declared with a pout of his own. "I'm not letting you go the whole day! Whether you eat, drink, or go to the bathroom, I'm just going to cling to you all day!"

Mashiho grinned.

"That's great, then," he said. "That's exactly what I wanted."

That's why I'm doing it, stupid, Junkyu grumbled in his mind. You don't need to look so damn grateful about it.

He was just doing it because Mashiho looked cute, anyway.

It totally wasn't because he could see the billows of sadness in the other's eyes or something like that.

( It really isn't. )

( Still, who the heck made Mashiho this sad?

Junkyu wasn't looking for a fight. He just wants to have a chat, that's it. )

He just wished this could help cheer Mashiho up.