Sweet Home imagines

Alone with you- Fluff, Lee Eun-hyuk

in the apocalypse, positivity is the last thing on lee eun-hyuk's mind.

"i know you don't think so ... but," your eyes drift away, fixing onto the floor. "your happiness matters too." you sigh, finding it easier to stay sane when you don't have to look him in the eye.

in the apocalypse — his happiness is the last thing that matters. to him, what matters most is everyone else's survival. human beings are adaptable creatures, and finding ways to adapt to the hellish world you both lived in is what lee eun-hyuk felt he did best.

his hands push the hair out of his face, and it is there that he gets the courage to tear his eyes from the screen. eun-hyuk can only hope you don't notice the way his hand trembles when he turns around in his chair, only to find your gaze already locked on him.

"so," eun-hyuk starts, swallowing as he locks eyes with you. "what was it you wanted me to do?"

you perk up in your seat, the worry in your voice quickly dissipating and it feels like he can finally breathe—the smile brightening your face serving as a breath of fresh air. "it's something i had the others do too!"

"just, find one thing to be positive about everyday? it ... helps, when i check in on you."

"one thing?"

"one thing." you say, offering a small smile in the hopes of convincing him. your fingers fiddle with the edges of your jacket sleeves, the knot in your stomach growing more and more until he finally sighs.

an "okay." is whispered under his breath. nodding softly, lee eun-hyuk is weak, weak in the way he is unable to say no to you. weak in the way he is able to pride himself on being level-headed, on being able to make calm, rational decisions until it's the people he cares about—until it's you. it seems like rationality goes out the window as soon as it comes to you, and the way his heart gives in at the sight of your smile all the more confirms it.

—

lee eunhyuk finds it easy. so incredibly easy to name the things he's positive about in the apocalypse, yet in the way your eyes stare into his, a furrow in your brow as you sit so close your knees touch, he can tell you don't believe him.

it's become routine for him—and for you, to visit the security office every night. some nights, you walk in with a snack, small cakes you managed to take from the old man's convenience store, just to make sure eun-hyuk ate something. but on nights like this, where you notice he hasn't come to dinner again—you walk in with two plates, setting one down on the table.

when eun-hyuk raises an eyebrow in your direction, questioning the food next to him, you can only whisper back "i didn't want you to eat alone."

a breathy laugh escapes his lips before he can stop it, and in your presence, lee eun-hyuk is able to swallow down every bite of his food, only to see your satisfied smile when you're sure he's eaten.

the first few times, eun-hyuk was able to answer your question with ease, finding positivity in increased rations, in coming back safe, in making through another day. and the first few times, you believed him. but he was running out of things to stay and the words to admit that finding positivity in this world was getting harder, stay stuck in his head. morale is important in survival, and lee eun-hyuk wanted nothing more than for everyone to survive—maybe that's why he couldn't admit he was slowly losing hope, just like everyone else as time went on.

"we ..." he starts, tapping his pen on the edge of the desk, racking his brain for an answer. if he's stressed, he doesn't show it, wiping at his glasses with the front of his shirt. "im not sure. let me ask you, instead."