“Let’s move quickly. You don’t like this house? Then tell me what house you want. The place where we had the party before? It’s a bit far from the office, but if Hyedam-ssi wants it, well…”
Having sent the substitute driver and standing in front of his house, Hyedam swept back his hair while looking at Leo, who was obsessively checking that part as if fixated on moving.
Moving or whatever, I’m tired to death. Why was his body so languid these days—even when he tried not to, when he got entangled in Leo’s wordplay-like conversations, his fatigue seemed to increase two or three times. Anyway, what I want right now is comfortable and restful relaxation. Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, hurry up and open the door.
Whether he’d read his mind, though he was talking nonsense with his mouth, Leo obediently opened the door and moved his body aside so he could enter—at his actions, Hyedam didn’t refuse and entered his house. It was a space he’d been in and out of every morning just a few weeks ago.
The moment the door opened, the strong coffee scent that hit him remained the same. What had changed was that there was no bread and beverage in his hands, and the time was late at night rather than early morning.
After a few more steps inside, the door closed and the sound of him following continued.
“Te—, um… Leo.”
At the same time as calling his name, Leo’s voice that had been continuing cut off abruptly and silence followed. As if he couldn’t endure the continuing silence, Leo spoke first.
“Why did you call me?”
“I’m tired, can I rest in the guest room?”
Though he’d never been inside his bedroom further in, knowing the basic structure, Hyedam spoke while turning his body to the left where the guest room was.
“Rest in my room.”
I knew it. Saying he wouldn’t wet his lips or touch with his hands. At his words spoken as soon as they entered the house, Hyedam’s eyes rose upward. When he just looked without answering, Leo slightly raised both hands as if to claim innocence.
“It’s quieter there, and better for resting.”
As soon as he heard words that were clearly an excuse, Hyedam said with a grin.
“It doesn’t matter as long as I can lie down and sleep anywhere.”
The conversation cut off and Hyedam, who had been observing Leo’s expression in the ensuing silence, headed to the guest room. Feeling that he neither spoke to him nor followed anymore—whether his sincerity had reached him—Hyedam entered the nearest room and closed the door.
In the scent of his pheromones spreading faintly throughout the house, even though he wasn’t nearby, it felt like an illusion that he was right next to him.
“Ah, really nothing goes right. Should I go somewhere and get my fortune told? Am I in my unlucky years?”
Having ridiculous thoughts about what his birth chart was like—something he’d never believed in or been curious about in his entire life until now—Hyedam entered the bathroom connected to the room. They called it a guest room, but the size of this room and bathroom combined was larger than the studio apartment he currently lived in.
Having taken off the clothes he was wearing one by one and arranged them neatly to the side, Hyedam entered the shower booth with slow steps. After standing in the warm stream of water for a while and washing up, Hyedam saw underwear and pajamas placed next to the sink.
Did he come in and leave in the meantime? I could just throw on a bathrobe and sleep. Looking at the firmly closed door for only a moment, a hollow laugh flowed from Hyedam’s mouth as he wore the clothes Leo had definitely left.
Still, he was a healthy young man of the Republic who’d even been to the military, but when with Leo, he felt really small. And now wearing his clothes, the top where only his fingertips showed or the pant legs dragging on the floor clearly showed the difference between him and Leo.
Roughly rolling up the sleeves and pant legs, drying his hair until fluffy and returning to the bedroom, Hyedam burrowed into the large, wide bed without hesitation. His body sank into the plush mattress and the blanket that made loud rustling sounds pressed down on his body heavily.
Leo’s house. The pajamas he wears. A space where his breath naturally mixed in. Hyedam, lying on another person’s bed that should have been awkward and uncomfortable, fell asleep faster than ever before. He didn’t even have the leisure to toss and turn trying to find a comfortable position as usual or chase thoughts that followed one after another.
Leo, who entered the quiet guest room, looked down at Hyedam sleeping in a completely peaceful state and sat on the bed. How tired must he be to sleep well even without closing the curtains? Relying on the faint light coming from outside, Leo looked at Hyedam for a long while.
He hadn’t expected at all that Hyedam, without being as sharp as usual and looking languid, would obediently follow him to his house. If he’d insisted on going to his friend’s house, Leo had planned to take him to the hotel room he mainly used.
Though he’d made an expression with his eyes rising sharply looking very displeased, Hyedam was now inside his space. His lips curved up naturally at the sight of him wearing the pajamas he’d provided and sleeping soundly even though he was there.
Everything he’d said to him today was sincere. His personality wasn’t good enough to have patience, wait for him to open his heart, and maintain an appropriate distance as much as he wanted.
He’d adjusted his schedule so he could spend the day with Luna in case seeing him was uncomfortable, but in the end, it was also him who couldn’t stand it and went to find him.
Whether schedules got tangled or work overflowed, he’d pushed all those things aside and stuck with him all day. Under the pretext of buying his things, he tried to learn his tastes and bought everything he showed interest in.
His senses toward him were reacting sensitively to every one of Hyedam’s small gestures and subtly changing breaths. Feeling like he’d never be able to narrow the gap with him if he kept a proper distance with courtesy, he treated him honestly. Every time he brought up each word, Hyedam tried to cover his mouth with urgent gestures but didn’t say he disliked it.
Should he be surprised that he’d gotten this close with someone who tried to run away every time? Where did the heart that tried to only watch with his eyes and give him space go—Leo’s fingertips that had been hesitating in the air descended on Hyedam’s face.
When he rubbed his straight eyebrows, the eyebrows twitched, and when he touched his nose tip, he slightly turned his head and buried his face in the blanket. Did I bother him unnecessarily? When Hyedam’s face, which he’d been leisurely admiring, was half-covered, Leo’s fingertips shrank slightly in regret.
“I really tried not to touch even a fingertip, but this is absolutely not my fault. It’s because you’re too ugly. How can you be this ugly? So much so that even looking at you all day doesn’t get boring. So this is ugly Hyedam’s responsibility.”
Leo, who grinned as if he’d never hesitated or wavered and blamed everything on Hyedam, carefully lifted his blanket that was tightly pulled up to his neck. Picking up Hyedam who had fallen asleep wearing his pajamas, returning to his own bed, and lying down embracing him, a suppressed sigh flowed from Leo’s mouth.
No matter how much he promised not to touch even a fingertip, wasn’t he sleeping too peacefully? Just the fact that he was in his house made him tense and have his own expectations. Even knowing it wouldn’t happen, the end was miserable for someone who’d even had delusions of Hyedam coming to his bedroom first.
With arms and legs draped over his body comfortably, a small smile bloomed on sleeping Hyedam’s face. While holding him in his arms, how happy a dream must he be having to sleep well even though he was brought here as if kidnapped, unlike himself who was anxious and uneasy?
It was the first time the bread scent that drove him crazy with hunger was so heartless.
“Are you sleeping?”
Muttering lowly, Leo pressed his lips to Hyedam’s forehead and murmured.
“Are you really sleeping?”
Even when he whined while wrapping his arm around Hyedam’s shoulder and hugging him tighter, what came back was a faint gesture of tossing as if telling him not to wake him up.
“Today I proposed high wages with no labor and even said let’s live together, and you’re sleepy? Understanding everything but pretending not to know won’t cut it. And then what’s this about sleeping so comfortably in my arms?”
Leo, who had been grumbling, suddenly stiffened at the gesture that blocked his mouth.
“Ondal, be quiet.”
While Hyedam, who beautifully rephrased “shut up” with a locked voice, yawned slightly, Leo stayed still without even breathing in case he woke him up. After yawning, as if it was uncomfortable to be embraced, when he subtly released his shoulder as he tossed and turned, his body that had been half-draped over his own disappeared.
Though he was still using his arm as a pillow, he turned his back to him and lay on his side, then rolled up the blanket and stuck it between his legs—only after Hyedam’s breath settled down calmly did Leo exhale the breath he’d been holding and swept his face with one hand.
The embrace where Hyedam had been until just now felt empty, so Leo turned his body and loosely embraced him from behind. Hyedam’s fine hair tickled his nose tip.
“Sleep well.”
He didn’t know if Leo’s low good night greeting fully reached Hyedam or would scatter as empty words in the air, but it didn’t take much time for Leo’s breath, embracing his mate who gave off a savory bread scent, to mix with Hyedam’s breath.
