I wrote the chapter like two weeks ago but I've been busy. I adopted a cat (he's 4) and it's been difficult and I've been worried as hell. But today there's deployment again so here I am updating. I hope you enjot this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Bel, xx

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             "And that's how you are supposed to spin," Jinyoung finishes, both arm wide open to keep his balance but still tumbling and blinking slowly in an effort to keep Jaebeom in focus.

He just did his best interpretation of a triple spin in the middle of the street after leaving the restaurant, because he remembered that one class in modern dance he took when he was thirteen and thought that Jaebeom would totally want to see him doing the one move he could never do.

"Beautiful," Jaebeom comments, taking one step to grab the younger's man arm to stop him from falling on his bum. "But I think the dance lesson should come when you at least sober up."

"I am an excellent dancer when I'm drunk," Jinyoung mumbles, easily finding his place next to the other boy and walking together, completely leaning on Jaebeom for support.

"You didn't even drink one beer," the older boy laughs. "How can you be this drunk?"

"I haven't drunk in aaaaaaages!" Jinyoung replies. "Every sip counts for one beer. So I had six sips which means eight beers it makes sense I'm drunk."

Jaebeom laughs out loud at that and the display of perfect math skills Jinyoung is showing, but at least he is not annoyed and just looks amused, looking at Jinyoung with endearment.

"Let's get you to sober up so you can do math," Jaebeom proposes, looking everywhere for a convenience store, which is not a difficult task when there's one in almost every corner. "I can't take you home like this."

"No one will care at home," Jinyoung remarks, a bitter taste in his mouth that he is not sure if it comes from a warning that he's about to throw up, or just the resentment in the deep and dark corner of his heart.

It could be both.

Jaebeom doesn't reply to Jinyoung's words, instead he just wraps his arm around his waist and pulls him closer, which is really grounding for someone whose sight is very blurry at the moment.

They find a convenience store and while the older boy focuses on finding different things to get Jinyoung to sober up, the younger boy wanders through the store until he finds the sections of milk cartons. Without thinking he grabs a strawberry one and takes it to the cashier where Jaebeom is already ringing two cans of coffee and one of those herbal drinks that are great for hangover.

"You want strawberry milk?" Jaebeom asks when the other boy puts the product in front.

Shaking his head, Jinyoung replies. "No, this is for you."

"For me?" Jaebeom asks, staring intently into Jinyoung's eyes. "Why?"

"Because you love it and always drink it, hyung. It's your favourite and you look cute when you drink it."

The younger boy smiles so brightly, speaking nonsense because he's never seen Jaebeom drinking strawberry milk, and he has no idea why he's even blurting such thing, but Jaebeom looks shocked, frozen on the spot and if Jinyoung wasn't drunk he'd think the older boy is about to cry.

"You... how?" Jaebeom mumbles and Jinyoung only smiles broadly. "Do you... re—?"

"You always look cute, though," he interrupts, giggling and stepping close, just to lean his head on the other boy's head. Whatever he was about to ask gets buried in his mouth and he drops the subject, just paying for what the products before leading the younger boy to the outside tables to sit.

Jaebeom helps him to get seated a put the can of coffee in front of him. He immediately wraps his hands around the warm metal because even while wearing the older man's jacket, it's still cold if he's not by his side. Jaebeom sits across with the strawberry milk, staring at it so intently as if he had never seen one before.

"Jinyoungie," the older man begins. "What else do you remember?"

"About what?" He asks because now he's drunk he surprisingly remembers a lot of things. "I remember how I thought I wanted to be an actor, and I auditioned for a play but I got the understudy and felt so rejected I didn't even continue. I figured out I didn't have the energy if I wasn't even going to be on stage."

"I mean about me," Jaebeom clarifies. "Although I'll keep that story in mind to ask you more about it later. You never mentioned you wanted to be an actor."

"I thought I wanted to be one, I was wrong," he explains, raising one finger and then diving with it to the can and opening it. "About you... I remember your scarf, it was always soft and warm. I like your scarf."

Jaebeom breathes in deeply and holds it, his hands squeezing the carton so tight it looks like it's going to blow up.

"And I remember you playing with my hair," he continues but it seems his words are hurting Jaebeom and he doesn't understand. He doesn't even know what he's saying, he's not thinking and just speaking. "I remember the sunsets and rooftops with you, and you buying me hot chocolate, and the bridge."

"So you remember..." Jaebeom whispers, looking down and his voice sounds broken, so sad it twists Jinyoung's heart.

"I remember," he confirms. "What do I remember?"

The older boy chuckles, but it's dry and it carries pain, so much pain.

"It's okay, Jinyoungie. Don't worry about that for now." He looks ups and meets his eyes, and Jinyoung doesn't know if it's because everything is blurry but it looks like Jaebeom's eyes are teary. "I'm just glad a part of you remembers."

He doesn't understand, he doesn't even know what he just said and everything looks even more blurry. It's actually so embarrassing to be so drunk with so little. Out of shame he drinks the coffee as Jaebeom opens the carton and puts the straw inside, looking so cute with the pink little box between his fingers.

"I don't know why you like that," Jinyoung comments, frowning. "It's too sweet."

"I like sweet things," he shrugs.

"Gross," Jinyoung fake gags and continues drinking his black coffee, while Jaebeom just laughs.

The coffee doesn't completely sober him up, but it helps to make things to stop spinning. It's late but Jaebeom proposes to walk a bit and that certainly helps a bit more, but that doesn't mean he lets go of the older boy for support, he continues holding his hand as they walk side by side.

They end up walking by the riverside, not minding the many other people around and just enjoying each other company. Jaebeom is having a great time, laughing out loud at whatever Jinyoung is saying. Honestly, he's not that drunk anymore but he's enjoying too much making Jaebeom laugh like that and continues speaking animatedly as if he was still intoxicated.

It's almost three in the morning when Jaebeom persuades Jinyoung it's time to go back home even if the younger one wants to stay with the boy all night, talking and laughing. However he has to agree he's exhausted and his body is so heavy, but thankfully they are not too far from his home.

At first Jaebeom plans to leave him outside the building, where they met, but Jinyoung stumbles and trips while opening the door so the older man realizes he cannot leave him alone. He helps Jinyoung to go upstairs and it seems the closer they get to the door, the more tired the younger boy feels. He's almost asleep by the time they make it in front of the apartment and he gets the passcode wrong two times before finally unlocking the door.

"Go straight to bed, okay?" Jaebeom orders and Jinyoung shakes his head.

"I'm going to wait until you text me you got home." Jaebeom laughs, probable because he can barely keep his eyes open as he says that.

"Fine, I'll try to get home as fast as possible so you don't have to wait too long," he promises and Jinyoung smiles widely. "Sleep tight, Jinyoungie."

"You too," he replies. "And thank you, for coming for me and bearing with my drunk ass."

Chuckling, the older man replies, "It was no problem. I hope I can always be there for you."

"Good night, hyung," he speaks, so softly it's barely a whisper.

"Good night, Jinyoungie," the other man replies, taking a step closer. He closes his eyes, just waiting for Jaebeom to close the distance and kiss him good bye. He can hear a soft chuckle before the pressure on his lips, soft and warm but too short for his liking. "Sleep tight," whispers the other man. "Now go inside, you're so tired."

He probably says that because Jinyoung cannot open his eyes, the eyelids too heavy. He only nods and tumbling he turns around and walks inside. He's not careful and can't even worry about waking his family, that's something he'll deal with when he can think straight and is fully functional.

He manages to get to his room and takes his clothes off as he walks towards the bed, just falling on top of it like a potato sack, unceremoniously. But he meant it when he said he'd wait, so he crawls out of bed to find his pants to fish inside the pockets for his phone. He also notices he never gave Jaebeom back the jacket. He holds it in his hands, wondering how creepy it is to sleep with it.

To be honest, if he was completely sober and not as tired as he is, he'd deem that idea as ridiculous and totally creepy, putting the jacket aside. But he's exhausted, emotionally drained and still a bit drunk so he drapes it around his shoulders and uses it as blanket when going back to bed, holding the phone tightly as he waits for Jaebeom to text him.

Jinyoung is smiling, he cannot help it and it's such an odd thing. He was having a mental breakdown a few hours ago but Jaebeom changed it all. There's something so addictive and grounding in feeling accepted, in all his odd behaviours. Jaebeom makes him feel normal and that's not something he's used to. He's never met someone who didn't treat him as if he was made of glass, so easily breakable. Which he is, so fragile and easily to be thrown off. It's truly unique for him to feel for once he's not being judged.

How he wishes they had met sooner, it would've made such a difference in his life. Nonetheless, he's happy their paths crossed and for once Jinyoung is feeling such joy that makes him feel bubbly and impossible for him to stop smiling.

His phone buzzes with a new text message and his smile widens when he reads it's from Jaebeom.

I'm home, safe and sound. I hope you're sleeping —Jaebeom

Jinyoung is glad that nothing happened and with the smile still on his lip he replies.

I told you I was going to wait. I'm glad you made it home —Jinyoung

He has to delete and type again a few times because words are very tricky when you only text with one eye open.

Well now you can rest assure. Sweet dreams, Jinyoungie —Jaebeom

Sweet dreams, hyung —Jinyoung

Still smiling, Jinyoung closes the other eye and quickly falls asleep and for once it's peaceful. Maybe because of the alcohol, or maybe because he was exhausted, or maybe and most likely it's because Jaebeom.

He doesn't have dreams and it's just so good.