Look Me in the Eyes

Kyungsoo sits in his usual spot on the couch and waits. The sunlight filters in through the white drapes and casts a golden glow around the living room. His eyes brighten at the slight of a lithe figure exit the bedroom, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Kyungsoo smiles fondly at the other boy.
"Jongin ah, morning. Do you sleep well?" Jongin doesn't respond. He makes his way to the kitchen, setting kettle on the stove and taking cups out of the cupboards overhead. "You slept so late, you have to go for class." Jongin stares at the kettle a while and then whispers,
"I don't want to go..." He raps his knuckles against the counter and Kyungsoo tuts.
"You missed a whole week! Who's going to give you notes? You can dream if you think Sehun is going to. That kid pays even lesser attention than you!" Jongin sighs at the kettle.
"I'll ask Sehun for notes...."
"Didn't you hear me?! Jongin! Jong-In!!" But Jongin walks into his room, slamming the door and locking it. Kyungsoo curses, that kid was eventually going to suffer. He notices the gas and turns it off knowing Jongin would have forgotten about it. If there was one who could burn water, it would be him.
He waits for a few moments on the couch and then the bell rings, and rings once more. On the fourth ring when Jongin doesn't respond, Kyungsoo decides to call out to him but is beaten to the punch by whoever is at the door.
"Kim Jongin!! Open the goddamn door!!" Kyungsoo recognizes the voice as Tao's. There is the sound of pounding on the door as Tao continues to yell for Jongin. "Open the door you little— Aish open up or we'll break it down!!" There's a muffled yell of annoyance from Jongin's room and he emerges with a dark scowl, crossing the living room with hasty strides, knowing fully well that Tao could and would break down the door.
When he opens the door, Kyungsoo spots a glaring Tao and Kris leaning against the wall with a displeased look. Kyungsoo grins broadly at them from his seat. Tao pushes past Jongin and walks in.
"Ugh... Why do come in," grumbles Jongin closing the door behind them. Tao stands in the middle of the living room, arms folded across his chest, glaring at the younger boy.
"Why aren't you dressed for class yet?"
"I'm not going."
"Why the hell not?" Interjects Kris.
"You know why—" A flicker of understanding passes between Tao and Kris but Tao decides to interrupt.
"No we don't, so shut up and come on."
"No." Tao sighs and turns away. For a moment Jongin does a cartwheel in his head.
"Alright, let it be known that I gave him enough warning..... Gege." Kris nods and then both of them grab Jongin on either side and haul him off to his bedroom in spite of the victim's horrified screams. Kyungsoo sighs. The neighbors might call the police.
"LET ME GO!!! THIS IS ASSAULT!!!"
"Sure. Take off your clothes."
"WHAT THE HELL?! I'M SUING YOU GUYS FOR HARASSMENT!!! Also I haven't taken a shower...."
"Who cares, put on your clothes."
"YOU CAN'T JUST STAND THERE! LEAVE THE ROOM!!"
"Nothing we haven't seen before, now hurry up. Tao grab his bag." Kyungsoo snickers, under the facade of 'cool' Kris and Tao really did care for everyone. He looks at the kitchen and remembers Jongin hasn't had breakfast; so he takes out an energy bar from the secret stash he has in the cupboard and places it on the counter. Moments after he has shut the cupboard, Tao and Kris emerge from the room dragging Jongin in between them as the latter has the attitude of a defeated martyr.
"I haven't had breakfast people...." he offers weakly. Tao's feline eyes scan the room and lands on the energy bar.
"There, breakfast done." Jongin curiously looks at the bar and then at the gas before shaking his head. He gives into being hauled out, pausing at the doorway for a second to whisper, " Hyung annyeong" to the couch. Kris looks over at the couch and then shuts the door behind him.
Kyungsoo smiles at the shut door. If only Jongin looked him in the eyes...
Kyungsoo spends the rest of his day setting the room in order, throwing Jongin's clothes in the wash and keeping some ramyun packs within the younger's normal line of sight. He then sits and waits as he always does, humming songs to himself and looking at people passing by on the street. He laughs at a couple walking by, the girl swinging the arm of the much taller boy, both blushing but happy.
"Shouldn't you be in school??" He laughs but they don't hear him.
It's late evening before Jongin is back. He enters, flinging the door open, laughing like Kyungsoo hasn't seen him laugh in a long while, with his eyes creased into crescents and his whole body shaking.
But then he looks into the house... and stops.
He closes the door behind him silently.
"What happened?" Kyungsoo smiles. Jongin slips past him without a word. Kyungsoo's smile drops a little but he follows Jongin to the kitchenette where the younger grabs the ramyun and puts a water to boil.
"Sehun is an ass," he mutters after a while, letting out half a grin. Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "We went out to buy Chanyeol hyung gifts, and the idiot decided we buy hyung a hello kitty toothbrush, says we don't want to burden him and that he needs to keep his teeth shining for that creepy smile. I need to see his face when he opens it!" Jongin let's out a tiny chortle. Kyungsoo snickers. Sehun and Jongin could be very cruel when left to their own devices. Jongin begins to cut the packet of ramyun and then notices a drawer, to his lower right,  half open. He stops, and stares at the packets of ramyun poking out from it. Wasn't that where he had put them to begin with....? Taking a step back he checked top shelf. No, he had certainly never organized packets within easy reach. That had never been his style, it was more.... He takes another step back, now slipping on a dropped dishrag and falling backwards. Kyungsoo's eyes widen as he reaches out to steady Jongin and watches his arm pass through the other. Jongin manages to steady himself against a countertop but feels a cold shiver down his back. He looks around frantically behind him as Kyungsoo screws his eyes and utters a frustrated sound. Jongin moves to the couch and sits down on it gingerly, keeping an eye over his shoulder. With shaking fingers he unlocks his phone and makes a call.
"Sehun ah, it's me." Kyungsoo seats himself on the other end of the couch. "Yeah— No— Shut up and listen." Jongin eyes the kitchenette warily and continues. "There's something weird going on dude...." Kyungsoo rubs his temples with the tips of his index finger. "I mean for example this morning I could have sworn I left the gas on..... yeah but when I came back a while later it wasn't.... no, wait, and then there was an energy bar on the counter. I hadn't left that. When I came home there were ramyun packs on the top shelf.... Just like the way hyung used to leave them for me...." He looks past Kyungsoo at a photo frame behind him, with a picture of the two of them. Kyungsoo eyes it with a sad smile. "No Hun, I'm not losing my mind.... yeah I miss him, I really miss him. I wish he'd never gone on that blasted backpacking trip.... I mean hello!!! He's supposed to contact us every week!! It's been a month since we've even heard from him. I hope he's okay.... yeah I know, he has a right to his life.... I just want to know he's okay, that's all...." Jongin pauses to clear his throat, Kyungsoo rubs his misty eyes. "You'll do that? Yeah bring dinner... I don't feel like cooking... thanks...." He clears his throat yet again and then let's out a small laugh. "Sorry no, I'm not going sentimental on you, get over here fast you idiot. Bye." He grins at the receiver as he replaces it. His eyes wander over the room and come to rest on the picture.
Kyungsoo watches Jongin's eyes glaze over and his shoulders slump. He sees the other draw his knees up to his chest and rest his chin on it. If there was a time he had put his faith in Oh Sehun, now would be it. But he waits till then, watching the younger boy from a good distance, biting his knuckles to keep himself from pulling him into a hug. But finally he gives in and reaches his hand out gently to the tan boy's face, fingers almost grazing skin.
The doorbell rings. Jongin lifts his head and sighs languidly. Kyungsoo curls his fingers into a fist. He hears Sehun's boisterous chatter in the doorway. The agony of death suddenly hits him. He knows he doesn't belong here anymore, not with Jongin, no in this house, not in this life.... that mountain slop had been too slippery in the snow.... the drop too lonely. He takes a moment to look at Jongin's lean back. Then, he turns and leaves.
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A/N- what can I say, KaiSoo!Angst is my lifeblood ~