xi. espressivo

soonyoung sees jihoon writing notes on a piece of paper once again. he sits down next to the boy and simply observes, admiring how the younger looks even under all of the dim lights in the room. jihoon decides to take a break after a few minutes and turns to face soonyoung.

they stay tight lipped for a little while until soonyoung reaches for jihoon's hands to hold and keep them warm. "i feel like i need to tell you something," jihoon mumbles.

jihoon watches soonyoung cock his head to one side as if he's waiting for him to speak. "i might go away for a little while. i don't know when though. but i will come back." soonyoung's eyebrows raise in surprise, "why are you going away?"

"it's a secret," jihoon says with a smile. but his smile turns upside down right away when the older starts to cry. he quickly pulls him in for a hug and assures him that he will come back and it won't be long. "think of it as a vacation, soonyoung," jihoon tells him.

"but i don't want you to go," soonyoung cries. jihoon couldn't hear him well but he has an idea of what the older is saying so he just continues rocking him slowly as tears soak his chest. "soonyoung, stop crying," jihoon chuckles a bit, "you're being such a baby, you know?"

soonyoung pulls away from the hug and jihoon continues to laugh at how the older looks like. tears rolling down his full cheeks from his cute slanted eyes, eventually falling from his chin to drench his white polo shirt. the poor boy's lips are trembling and the tip of his nose is red. "you look like a crying hamster, what a mess," jihoon chuckles and uses his handkerchief to wipe the tears off soonyoung's face.

"don't laugh at me," soonyoung struggles to say as he rubs his eyes with his hands. his shoulders are heaving and shaking like he's double breathing. jihoon shakes his head and pinches soonyoung's red nose with the handkerchief then laughs out loud when the older blows. "you're such a big baby, aren't you, soonyoung?" jihoon asks as if he's talking to a child, "now you got gunk all over my handkerchief!"

"just don't go!" soonyoung cries some more

"oh my, how dramatic. it's not like i'm going to be gone for a year, soonie. i'll be back after a few weeks then you can spend time with me all you want," jihoon tells him, "if i take you out on a date tonight, will you stop?"

as expected, soonyoung quickly nods and wipes his tears off though a few continued to drip down. jihoon smiles and places a hand under the other's chin to kiss the soonyoung's tears away. then he puts his hands on the boy's chubby cheeks at either side of his mouth like soft pink pouches.

"it's a date then," jihoon says with a smile, "now stop crying and go fix your things, okay?"