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It was quiet in the dorms, with all seven boys awake and quietly doing their own thing. Changkyun was locked away in his room, most likely binging a show that caught his interest. Hyunwoo and Hyungwon were likely asleep, deciding to catch up on missed sleep while Kihyun slipped from room to room, tidying the others' personal spaces without so much as a hum. Hoseok had left the dorm some time ago, whispering to Kihyun about going to the gym to work off some of his stress without disrupting the others, the two sharing gentle touches that were free from the prying eyes of the public and the curious gazes of their friends. Days off were rare, yet one man still radiated energy, even through the peacefulness swept throughout the building.
It didn't take long before Minhyuk tossed his phone onto the couch next to him where he sat, eyes already fluttering about to find someone to spend the day with, preferably outside of the dorm. His eyes landed on Jooheon, the younger white haired member in nothing but a large hoodie and basketball shorts, sitting at the kitchen table with a spoon raised halfway to his lips, eyes shutting every few seconds before blinking rapidly.
"Jooheonie!" Minhyuk called out quietly, attempting to catch the younger's attention without causing too much of a fuss and bothering the others. When he didn't receive a response, he stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen, the only noise being his own footsteps.
Jooheon didn't seem to notice the older's presence, half-lidded eyes struggling to stay open as his spoon slipped from his hand. He jolted awake when he heard the clash of metal against glass, when he felt cold droplets of milk hit his and, and, with red cheeks, moved to wipe his hand discreetly against the leg of his shorts. "Hm? Hyung? You're here?" He questioned, voice groggy and low.
A soft chuckle escaped Minhyuk's lips when he saw Jooheon's embarrassment, moving closer to him and raising a hand to run through his hair, gently untangling the strands. "Hey, Jooheonie," he found himself whispering, moving his lips closer to Jooheon's ear by instinct.
Responding with a soft hum, Jooheon allowed his head to lean into Minhyuk's palm, his eyes fluttering with the effort of keeping them open, barely focusing on anything within his field of view. At the moment, Minhyuk's voice was more along the lines of a lullaby to Jooheon than the wake up call Minhyuk was likely hoping for. But still, the younger tried his best to focus on Minhyuk's words, to adjust his eyes to the radiant smile so early.
"Let's go on a date, yeah?" Minhyuk chimed, a mischievous grin on his lips. His words were playful, held little meaning beyond a casual outing between the two. The word "date" between the members didn't necessarily mean what it meant to others, each of the men throwing the term around quite easily. Still, the word occasionally set Minhyuk's heart aflutter when he used it with Jooheon.
A hum of acknowledgement left Jooheon's lips, the younger's brain still left within his bed, wrapped tightly in his blankets and resting comfortably against his pillow. Somehow, somewhere in the back of his head, he could hear Kihyun's singing as he cleaned, could hear Changkyun's low murmur telling him to scoot over, it's cold and you're the warmest person right now. It took a moment before Jooheon's brain trudged away from his bed, before it pulled back the chair Jooheon was sitting in and joined him for the day.
Watching the first signs of awareness enter Jooheon's eyes, Minhyuk couldn't help but give a soft chuckle, hand carefully moving from Jooheon's hair to his cheek. He patted the younger's cheeks, leaned in close, and let his minty breath ghost over Jooheon's features. "Jooheonie, let's go on a date. Get dressed," he reiterated, thumbs now tracing gentle circles into the younger's skin.
"Yeah, okay," Jooheon replied in a low voice, waiting until Minhyuk removed his hands before attempting any kind of movement. He stood after a moment, everything moving a bit slower around him than he was used to, before he shuffled into his room.
It took a little over an hour for the two of them to read the field, Jooheon clutching a small pillow to rest his head on and a blanket while Minhyuk carried two sets of headphones. They spread the blanket out on the grass before Minhyuk decided to tease Jooheon, leaving the headphones on the blanket before his hands danced along the younger's side, tickling him mercilessly.
They played around for a while, with Jooheon carrying Minhyuk on his back while running around, and Jooheon jumping onto Minhyuk's shoulders, thighs tightly wrapped around the older's hips. Once they'd exhausted themselves, they dropped onto the blanket, sharing breathless laughter and teasing words.
As time passed, the two settled down, with Jooheon sprawled out on the blanket with his headphones on. His eyes fluttered shut, chest no longer heaving with the effort of catching his breath, and his knee swayed side to side, presumably to the rhythm of whatever song he listened to.
Minhyuk turned to Jooheon after a few moments, calling out the younger's name. He parted his lips to repeat himself until his eyes met Jooheon's closed ones, a small smile tugging at his lips. The younger looked peaceful, the sun shining against his tanned skin and making him almost glow. It was then Minhyuk felt his heart flutter, for the second time that day.
Seeing Jooheon's lips parted the slightest bit, watching his chest rise and fall slowly, all of it suddenly enchanted Minhyuk. When the love song he'd been listening to became too similar to how he felt, he pulled his headphones off, though his eyes never left Jooheon.
Conflict filled Minhyuk's head, making his heart race and his stomach churn — or was that butterflies? He decided to ignore it for now, opting to curl up beside Jooheon and let his eyes flutter shut.
When he awoke, he was greeted by the sunset. He sat up and looked around, arms stretched over his head and eyes squinted. It took some time before he was aware enough of his surroundings, bringing a hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Almost immediately, his eyes darted around in search of Jooheon, seeing the younger boy sitting up beside him, eyes trained on Minhyuk. Before Minhyuk could ask Jooheon how long he'd been awake, the younger began to speak.
"Ah, hyung? Listen, I've liked you for a while and, um..." Jooheon trailed off for a moment, ears red as he paused to collect his thoughts. "I know this seems sudden, but I only recently realized it myself. You make my heart flutter, you make my mind race. I always feel happy when you hold me. I feel at home when I'm with you." His words came out in a timid whisper by the end of his confession.
It wasn't until Jooheon described Minhyuk's exact feelings that he could pinpoint his own reactions to Jooheon's actions, his thoughts about the younger. He felt a surge of confidence as a smile graced his lips, hand reaching out to hold Jooheon's. "I like you too, I think. No, I definitely like you, Jooheonie. Thank you," he said, his words betraying his confidence as he uttered words more suitable than a young schoolgirl than an adult.
He pulled Jooheon into a hug, sitting there and hugging the younger until the sun dipped below the horizon. He leaned back for a moment, eyes gazing into the younger's earthy brown eyes, before he found himself leaning in once more, head turned the slightest bit to accommodate Jooheon's. His eyes fluttered shut, his lips brushing tenderly against plumper ones before —
"Hyung!" A voice called out, making Minhyuk sit up in a matter of seconds. Blurred eyes scanned his surroundings. The sky was still blue, his headphones sideways on his head now, with only one ear actually covered, still hearing music faintly but not registering the words. His white hair was a mess, the corner of his lips damp with what could only be his own drool. His eyes trailed to Jooheon, seeing the younger kneeling beside him with his pillow in hand.
"We should head back, right? Before it gets dark? Kihyunnie-hyung sent us both texts. He said we should get home soon," Jooheon said softly, his eyes looking at Minhyuk with concern and fondness. Those very same eyes that had looked at Minhyuk like he was the most important person on the planet, the most beautiful work of art.
Laughing nervously, Minhyuk looked down at the blanket beneath him, nodding slowly. "Yeah, just give me a second. You can go ahead, Jooheonie, I'll catch up with you," he said, hoping the younger would give him a moment to collect his thoughts, a moment to discern dream from reality.
To Minhyuk's relief, Jooheon merely nodded and stood, carefully pulling the headphones from Minhyuk's head and unplugging them before heading down the hill. It took Minhyuk a moment more to gather his bearings. Jooheon definitely did not confess to him. They definitely did not hug, and Minhyuk definitely did not get to kiss Jooheon. He let out a groan, clenching the blanket in his fish as he watched Jooheon's figure round the corner, the younger turning his head to look back at Minhyuk before offering a wave and a bright smile.
Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Minhyuk stood, grabbing the blanket and folding it up haphazardly before he jogged to catch up with Jooheon. As he stole a glance at the younger boy, watching him gaze up as clouds drifted by, Minhyuk felt his lips quirk up in a half smile, hand reaching to take Jooheon's free one and lace their fingers.
As Minhyuk watched Jooheon's ears turn the faintest shade of red, he pursed his lips, wondering if summer dreams were meant to become reality.