ease- troye sivan
~HOSEOK'S POV~

Mia returned from the grocery store a mere twenty minutes later, finding you and Hoseok to be curled up next to each other on the couch when she walked through the door.

"Hey, Mia," you called out to her. She sat a bunch of grocery bags down on the kitchen island before making her way into the connected living room.

"Hey, guys," she said, plopping down in a chair adjacent to the couch Hoseok was sitting on with you. "Any updates?"

"He's doing fine. Gets to come home soon, so there's need for us to drive back to Princesville," you explained, and Hoseok remained silent. The words from his conversation with Lea were bouncing around in his mind, making his stomach hurt.

He had found so much clarity after the night with you, but that one phone call made him begin doubting everything again. Was it really his fault? Or was Kai just overreacting and looking for someone to blame. Hoseok figured that the truth was probably somewhere in the middle.

"Oh okay. So what are you guys up to for the rest of the day then?" Mia pulled out her phone, "I'll text Kai again. Maybe he'll reply this time."

"I don't know. What are we doing today?" you turned to look at Hoseok. You squeezed his hand upon making eye contact. He assumed that you could see the blatant frustration and hurt in his eyes. He didn't want to sit around and wallow in his negative feelings all day. He didn't want to waste what little time he had left with you feeling guilty about a freak accident.

"Do you wanna go somewhere with me?" he asked, already knowing you'd say yes.

"Of course. Where do you wanna go?"

"Queen's bath. It's a good day trip," he suggested, again knowing you'd agree. He liked that about you; your willingness to not only try new things but to trust him as well.

"Sounds good to me."

"You guys have fun. I'm really behind on homework so I guess I'm stuck with the crazy sisters," Mia sighed.

"You'll survive," you chuckled and Mia shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Hey," Hoseok started, "I know I said this earlier, but really, try not to take Kai's silence personally or let that deter you away from him. Heck, I shouldn't even be defending him right now considering how he's treating me, but you should know that he cares about you."

"Thanks for saying that...I appreciate it," Mia smiled softly before standing up. "Seriously, you too have fun today. You deserve it," she said, leaving for her bedroom.

"Change your clothes and I'll meet you in my car out front?" Hoseok asked you nodded. He got up, beginning to head toward the front door.

"But, Hoseok," you began. He turned back around to face you.

"That was kind of you to say what you did about Kai. I like that about you."

"Like what?"

"Your ability to be warm even when you don't feel like it," you said, before slipping away into your room.

/////

The drive from Poipu to Queen's bath was a little over an hour. Talk was minimal during the car ride, but the silence was comfortable. Hoseok kept one hand on the wheel and the other holding yours for the entirety of the drive. He found your touch so incredibly comforting that he couldn't help himself. He appreciated that you were there for him at all. He felt an overwhelming emotion for you, one that he had never expressed to anyone in a significant-other kind of way.

So as you sat beside him in the car, mindlessly watching the trees pass by outside, Hoseok opened his mouth and said it.

"Y/N, I love you."

"What?" you looked completely and utterly shell-shocked as you snapped your head away from the window and toward him.

"I said I love you," he repeated himself, finding your surprise endearing rather than fear-causing.

"I-I mean I love you too, obviously, you just totally caught me off guard," you stuttered.

"'Obviously'?" He raised an eyebrow, a grin beginning to form on his face.

"Yeah, I mean, I thought I was being really obvious that I've basically been in love with you this whole time," you giggled.

He shook his head, "Okay, yeah, you've been pretty clear about your feelings. But, it's nice to hear you actually say it," he said, growing serious for another short moment. He pulled into the Queen's bath parking lot just in time. Turning off the ignition, he turned toward you.

"I love you," he said again, his eyes not leaving yours.

"I love you, too."

He kissed you then, for the first time in a little while. He had cuddled with you all night but never once touched his lips to yours.

It was crazy to him that he had only known you for a couple of months. It was strange that he was already so comfortable with you, so in love with you. It was scary that you would be leaving soon, and that the future together was so uncertain.

He broke the kiss then, a lump forming in his throat as the reality of your situation with him became overwhelmingly clear in his mind.

"What's wrong?" you frowned. Your hands were still holding his.

"I just," he pulled away from you, "I'm just scared, Y/N," he admitted.

"What are you scared of, baby?" you frowned again, reaching out to touch your hand to his cheek. He settled against your touch, not pulling away this time.

"Losing you," he said quietly. "Summer is not going to last forever and it's going by way to fast. I'm scared. I'm scared of everything that's going to change, and I'm scared that you're not going to be around anymore."

"Hoseok..."

"And I know this isn't fair of me to be upset about. It's not your fault that you can't stay."

"Hoseok, I-"

"I'm the one that confessed my feelings first, both times, so I should be the one taking responsibility for this, but dammit, Y/N, I don't want you to go."

He could tell he stunned you into silence then as you dropped your hands away from him, your eyes looking a bit wider than normal.

You sighed, another frown forming on your face. He looked closer at you, and that's when he noticed the tears forming in your eyes.

"Please don't cry," he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Get out of the car please so I can hug you," he opened his door, quickly going around to your side.

You got out of the car too, your tears free-flowing by then. He embraced you without hesitation, feeling sorry that he had upset you.

"It's not your fault, Hoseok. I'm the one that said we should take a chance and not ignore our feelings," you hiccuped into his chest.

"Why are you crying, baby?" he murmured into your ear, smoothing your hair in the soothing manner that you always seemed to like.

"Because I don't want to go, either," you stuttered, holding him a little tighter.

"You know what? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up yet," he pulled away gently, so he could see your face. He wiped away your tears with his fingers. "We still have a month. We'll figure it out, okay? The end of the summer doesn't have to mean the end of us. We're the ones that decide what our fate is gonna be," he reassured both you and himself at the same time.

You nodded weakly, sniffling and trying to hold back more tears from falling.

He kissed you for a second time, doing his best to put all of his fear and doubt in the back of his mind. He kissed you like he meant it because he did. He kissed you like you were his treasure because you were.

When he pulled away, he reminded you again, "I love you."

And you said, "I know."

"So let's just focus on us for now, yeah? The scary stuff can be dealt with later. For now, it's just me and you and amazing memories being made."

"Deal," you said, standing on your tip-toes to peck his lips one more time.

"Hoseok?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so glad I met you."

"Me, too, Y/N."

"And you know what else?" you asked.

"What?"

"I love you. And I'm never gonna get tired of saying it."

He smiled then, pulling you back into his warm embrace for just a few seconds more.