jiseok’s fingers traced light patterns on your hand as he sighed softly, the weight of his thoughts pressing against the quiet room. he always did this—lingering a little longer when he thought you were asleep, letting down the walls he kept up during the day. his touch was careful, almost reverent, as if afraid to wake you, but there was hesitance in the way he held you, like he was scared to lose you. the way his fingers curled slightly against your skin told you everything his voice never did—he loved you, more than he could say, more than he dared to admit even to himself.

his breath hitched slightly, and though he didn’t speak much, the unspoken words hung heavy between you. his hand tightened around yours for a moment before loosening, as if torn between holding on and letting go. you could feel it in the way his heartbeat quickened whenever he looked at you too long, the way his lips hovered near your forehead before he hesitated, afraid of disturbing you. in these quiet moments, when he thought no one was watching, his love felt even more real—not in grand gestures, but in the quiet way he stayed.

you wanted to reach out, to tell him you weren’t going anywhere, but exhaustion kept you still. instead, you listened, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, the quiet sighs he didn’t think anyone could hear. jiseok had always been good at hiding his heart, but here, in the dim light of morning, he didn’t need to. he didn’t know you could hear the way his breath wavered or feel how his arms held you just a little tighter, as if afraid to wake and find you gone.

as he finally settled beside you, pulling you close as if grounding himself in your presence, you let yourself sink further into his warmth. you would tell him, you promised yourself. maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but soon—you’d let him know he never had to doubt. because if there was one thing you were sure of, it was this: you loved him just as much, maybe even more.