Yamapi dials the number at least ten times everyday for the next three days. On the fourth, he actually lets it ring and then hangs up at the last second. On the fifth he has Ryo find out where exactly Jin is staying, and on the sixth he buys a ticket to L.A. He knows it’s the only way he’ll ever go through with it, and he’d rather it be face-to-face. He hasn’t seen Jin in a month, and it’s inexplicable just how much he misses him.
L.A. is just as he remembers it from the last time he was there, lots of people and bright lights. It’s late when he arrives at the hotel and he wonders if Jin is even there when he rides the elevator to the tenth floor. He spends a whole of five minutes standing in front of Jin’s hotel room door before he finally, finally gets the courage to knock, and then it’s the worst feeling he’s ever experienced, waiting for Jin to answer.
He never does. Yamapi knocks again, waits another five minutes and tries one more time. By now he doesn’t know what else to do and slowly walks down the hall to the elevator, a sinking feeling in his gut. He pushes the down button, hoping to return to the lobby and find an available room, but when the elevator reaches his floor and the doors ring open, he looks up and finds Jin standing on the other side.
Yamapi’s heart nearly dies in his chest, his breath caught in his throat, and from the looks of things, Jin’s in no better shape, his eyes widening in realization of who it is staring back at him. They’re too engrossed in each other that Jin forgets to get off the elevator and Yamapi forgets to get in, and the elevator rings again, the doors start to slide shut.
They both reach out at the same time to stop it from closing, and Yamapi feels adrenaline start to rush vigorously through his veins. He swallows away the dryness of throat and manages, “Jin?”
It breaks Jin out of his spell, exiting the elevator and still staring at Yamapi as if he’s never seen him before. “W-What. What’re you doing here?” he exclaims finally.
“I…I came to see you,” Yamapi answers honestly.
“Do you have a room?”
Yamapi shakes his head. “I was hoping that…” he trails off but Jin understands and he grabs Yamapi’s hand and pulls him down the hall, and Yamapi’s skin burns with the feel of Jin’s fingers on him.
The second the door shuts behind them, Yamapi’s pulled into a tight hug, Jin’s arms wrapping around his waist and nearly knocking the life right out of him. His eyes widen over Jin’s shoulder and he stands tensely for awhile before his heart finally manages to calm down, and raises his arms to clutch onto the back of Jin’s coat.
Jin pulls away soon after, looking a little embarrassed as he walks into the room without a word. Yamapi slowly follows, still feeling winded, and stands awkwardly off to the side, unsure what to say.
Jin sits on his bed, crossing his legs under him and looks up expectantly at Yamapi, who after a long stretch of unbearable silence says the first thing that comes to mind.
“H-How’ve you been?”
Jin actually cracks a smile and Yamapi’s heart jumps at the sight. “How’ve you?” he counters.
“Good,” Yamapi says, and it’s the truth.
“You look good,” Jin says. “Your hair’s finally starting to grow back, even.”
Yamapi scowls at him, reaching up to tug self-consciously on his still short hair. “You finally cut yours, I see.”
Now Jin glares at him, and Yamapi lets out a laugh that he stops abruptly upon realizing it’s possibly the first time he’s laughed in months.
“I’m glad to see you laugh,” Jin says, pulling Yamapi out of his revelation. “Seems like your rebellion has helped.”
Yamapi quirks his lips. “Sad that we can’t say the same about yours.”
Jin just merely sticks his tongue out at him which only has Yamapi laughing again, a relaxing pleasure sweeping through his veins and taking place of the anxiety he had previously about coming here and seeing Jin again. He should have known things would just fall right back into place, teasing each other like they always have, smiling and laughing together as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened; nothing can tear them apart.
9
L.A. is just as he remembers it from the last time he was there, lots of people and bright lights. It’s late when he arrives at the hotel and he wonders if Jin is even there when he rides the elevator to the tenth floor. He spends a whole of five minutes standing in front of Jin’s hotel room door before he finally, finally gets the courage to knock, and then it’s the worst feeling he’s ever experienced, waiting for Jin to answer.
He never does. Yamapi knocks again, waits another five minutes and tries one more time. By now he doesn’t know what else to do and slowly walks down the hall to the elevator, a sinking feeling in his gut. He pushes the down button, hoping to return to the lobby and find an available room, but when the elevator reaches his floor and the doors ring open, he looks up and finds Jin standing on the other side.
Yamapi’s heart nearly dies in his chest, his breath caught in his throat, and from the looks of things, Jin’s in no better shape, his eyes widening in realization of who it is staring back at him. They’re too engrossed in each other that Jin forgets to get off the elevator and Yamapi forgets to get in, and the elevator rings again, the doors start to slide shut.
They both reach out at the same time to stop it from closing, and Yamapi feels adrenaline start to rush vigorously through his veins. He swallows away the dryness of throat and manages, “Jin?”
It breaks Jin out of his spell, exiting the elevator and still staring at Yamapi as if he’s never seen him before. “W-What. What’re you doing here?” he exclaims finally.
“I…I came to see you,” Yamapi answers honestly.
“Do you have a room?”
Yamapi shakes his head. “I was hoping that…” he trails off but Jin understands and he grabs Yamapi’s hand and pulls him down the hall, and Yamapi’s skin burns with the feel of Jin’s fingers on him.
The second the door shuts behind them, Yamapi’s pulled into a tight hug, Jin’s arms wrapping around his waist and nearly knocking the life right out of him. His eyes widen over Jin’s shoulder and he stands tensely for awhile before his heart finally manages to calm down, and raises his arms to clutch onto the back of Jin’s coat.
Jin pulls away soon after, looking a little embarrassed as he walks into the room without a word. Yamapi slowly follows, still feeling winded, and stands awkwardly off to the side, unsure what to say.
Jin sits on his bed, crossing his legs under him and looks up expectantly at Yamapi, who after a long stretch of unbearable silence says the first thing that comes to mind.
“H-How’ve you been?”
Jin actually cracks a smile and Yamapi’s heart jumps at the sight. “How’ve you?” he counters.
“Good,” Yamapi says, and it’s the truth.
“You look good,” Jin says. “Your hair’s finally starting to grow back, even.”
Yamapi scowls at him, reaching up to tug self-consciously on his still short hair. “You finally cut yours, I see.”
Now Jin glares at him, and Yamapi lets out a laugh that he stops abruptly upon realizing it’s possibly the first time he’s laughed in months.
“I’m glad to see you laugh,” Jin says, pulling Yamapi out of his revelation. “Seems like your rebellion has helped.”
Yamapi quirks his lips. “Sad that we can’t say the same about yours.”
Jin just merely sticks his tongue out at him which only has Yamapi laughing again, a relaxing pleasure sweeping through his veins and taking place of the anxiety he had previously about coming here and seeing Jin again. He should have known things would just fall right back into place, teasing each other like they always have, smiling and laughing together as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened; nothing can tear them apart.