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changmin had told eric that it would be kind of strange if everybody saw him being carried by the younger arriving home late at night. agreeing, he helps the dancer back on his feet, letting his eyes roam across his small face, landing on his lips.
"is there something on my face?"
wow, eric. you're so obvious.
there is, well sort off. eric reaches out to gingerly take off a leaf sitting in changmin's windswept hair, lips lifting into a warm content smile, " it was just a leaf."
changmin just laughs, feeling his cheeks sting a little. hopefully, it's just the cold, and if it's not, then it's the embarrassment.
the door opens to a worried-sick sangyeon and jacob, relief washing through them, pulling the two boys inside.
the boys find themselves sitting on a sofa. changmin and eric sit next to each other, listening to their olders ramble about coming back late.
"are you guys okay? you didn't catch a cold, right?" jacob asks, worry swimming in his caramel eyes.
"we're fine, hyung." eric tells him with a smile.
"ah, really? that's good but try not to come back this late again. everybody was worried about you guys. we tried calling you but I guess your phone's battery died?"
eric can't help but laugh, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh but yeah. we're home now, so don't worry."
sangyeon knows how the two are perfectionists, especially changmin, so he keeps quiet. later, sangyeon and jacob leave for bed, telling the two to not stay up too late.
but changmin had other plans. once the apartment was quiet and dark, he rushes out of his shared room with sunwoo, and kevin, out of the building for the park lit by the lights spilling across the basketball court.
he's not going to give up. he finds himself practicing the choreography for "reveal," despite everybody reassuring him he's doing amazing, but something tells him he's not good enough, or what some people say, "he shouldn't slack off." if he was being honest, it hurt, knowing how hard he works, how much effort, time, and love he puts into practice. it just had to take over his mind.
all of his thoughts finally escape as he dances, the music losing itself within him. he isn't sure how long he's been practicing until he looks at the time on his phone, gasping, and runs back home fast.
you're okay. you're okay. it will be okay.
back home, changmin just wants his bed and sleep but the inviting warm sofa with cushions sitting there seemed like a perfect sleeping place.
he hurries over, his legs screaming, heart thundering in his ears, and sighs of relief, crashing down on the sofa.
"it will better today." he mumbles to himself. he sits up then, almost forgetting about changing and showering. when he comes back, he drifts off to sleep.
it's when three hours pass by that eric groans, ruffling his hair in distress. he sits up as he recalls seeing the older leave the apartment to who knows where. one thing he knew was that the dancer was practicing. his mind is filled with changmin. changmin, changmin, changmin is all he can think about. he's his whole world, his universe. the boy revolves around him.
fine, if eric can't sleep then he'll get out of bed and see if changmin came back home safely, at least because if sangyeon and jacob find out he was out this late again, questions will arise. in fact, eric's heart jumps when he enters the living room, finding a sleeping changmin, legs pulled to his chest, hand grasping the cushion under his head. eric releases the breath he was holding and heaves a sigh.
his heartbeat starts returning to normal if the pounding of his heart and the warmth spreading across his cheeks counts.
he sits next to him, his gaze lingering on him. eric pushes a strand of hair away from his face as a content smile blooms on his lips, mocha eyes softening.
"maybe, I should tell you, now. it's easier this way with you not awake, although you won't hear this. but if you do, I hope you won't ignore me or hate me. I don't want our friendship to break because of what I'm about to tell you." eric begins.
"This is going to sound cheesy, though we say this to each other sometimes as terms of strengthing our friendship and reminding each other over this, you know what? I'm going to say it." he mentally counts down 1, 2, 3, and then, " I love you, changmin. I don't know when I started liking you or how it happened. I just know these feelings are real. you make my day and night, you revolve around me. you're so hardworking, cool, surprising in a good way even though you're scary sometimes, but I like that about you. You're a great dancer too and I hope I can dance as well one day. You're changmin, no one else, and I only love you for who you are," eric stands up, turning to see him sound asleep before heading back to bed, trying so hard to calm down the pounding of his heart that he can even hear it in his ears. two hours pass by fast and everybody is sound asleep except for four boys for similar reasons, which will be seen why. eric figured since he can't go back to sleep, he might just lay down and relax, that is, if his heart would allow him. his heartbeat seems to pound louder every time he thinks of changmin and relaxing didn't really seem like an option tonight, or early morning.
just when he finally, finally thought of going for a walk instead of staying in bed doing nothing, he meets a wide awake changmin, raising his brow, mouth open to speak, and eric, well, eric almost screams from his sudden presence.
"you're still awake?"
why does it seem like the boy is planning some mischievous sketch? oh, well, he's like that too, but in his case, it's a whole another story.
"yeah, couldn't sleep. just going out for a walk," eric replies quickly, sliding a jacket on him, and his shoes before leaving the passageway between the bedroom's door that leads to the living room.
"oh. . . don't stay out for too long, okay?" changmin calls out to him, pondering on eric's reason for having trouble sleeping. it could be anything like practice to family-related matters, however, changmin refuses to think that's the reason. he swears there was something different about the younger from the tone of his voice and the dodging eye contact. wait, why would eric dodge eye contact with him in the first place aside from his spooky attacks or whatever they are that occurs when he's deeply upset? he wouldn't pour his frustration on his group mates, in rare cases, he would, and he'd feel guilty after, but he's thankful for the others understanding him.
"eric, why are you avoiding me?" changmin asks, watching eric turn around, the specks in his eyes glitter, and take steps towards him
eric avoiding changmin? unbelievable. everyone knows how he's attached to the squirrel boy even though he claimed juyeon as his years ago.
it's funny because he didn't fall for the thoughtful and everyone's dream guy, or boyfriend, lee juyeon.
no, eric fell for changmin.
eric fell for his strange likes and preferences, his horrifying but adorable side, his determination, kind heart, his voice, eyes, lips, everything about him.
yeah, he is avoiding him.
"you should sleep," eric tells him, reaching out to ruffle changmin's messy raven which lays across his forehead from the breeze outside. it takes him a minute to realize what he just did and his pounding heart almost drops when a smile unfolds on the dancer's lips. he starts to leave but stops, feeling a tug at his shirt. he whips his head over his shoulder, eyebrow raised, eyes searching the other's somewhat unreadable expression.
eric's gaze trails down, noticing his hoodie now hugging changmin's smaller figure, and then it hits him. shit. how will he explain why changmin's wearing his hoodie? wait—there's no need for explanation. changmin will take it off anyway. sunwoo and kevin are passed out, so there's no need for explanation, and what the hell is he getting so nervous for?
"yeah?"
"I like you."
eric's pounding heart drops, brown eyes widening, pupils dilating for a moment, and the only thing he can do is stare at changmin.
"do you . . . do you realize what you're saying?" eric says, breathing out a laugh, cheeks reddening. "you know what you're risking, right?"
eric tries one more time and when he's not getting an answer, he thinks changmin probably didn't mean it in a romantic sense at all because come on, why would changmin harbor the same feelings for him?
what happens next is totally something he wasn't expecting to happen. changmin strides over to eric with a teasing smile playing on his lips, planting a quick but heartfelt kiss on his forehead. the warm touch lingering there, spreading across his chest, and doing something to his heart.
"now do you believe me?" there's amusement in his voice but the affection sparkling in his chocolate eyes makes it so adorable and his feelings clear. the pounding of eric's heart silences and he can't speak. changmin brings his hands to cover his flustered face, hiding his grin, turning to leave, and that's when the realization hits eric but he's faster.
he catches him by his wrist, hand wrapped around his arm, spinning the dancer around to face him. eric's free hand shuts the door behind them, pining changmin against it, arms either side of his shoulder, his gaze on him intense, falling to his lips. his eyes move back up to hold the warm chocolate widened eyes of the one he loves, searching for something, just anything that would deny his feelings for him and the fact the boy harbors the same feelings, but all he sees is endearment and obviously a little bit of astonishment.
he figures, it couldn't possibly be true despite all of the unexpected events that just occurred, so he asks him, "did you by any chance hear my confession to you while you were asleep?" and if he did, oh god, what an embarrassment. he can practically feel the warmth taking over his face, the pounding of his heartbeat drum in his ears. a smile slips across changmin's face, tearing his gaze down as he recalls a memory of him laying on the sofa and the youngest sitting next to him, voicing out his feelings.
"would you be upset if I said yes?" changmin says in a quiet voice, eyes trailing up to meet eric's surprised ones.
"oh god, that's a little embarrassing," eric laughs, looking away. "but you were brave, you know," changmin tries to cheer him up, smiling fondly at him. "I like that you were brave, like really really brave and I hope you know that my feelings for you are real, " everything he wants to say right now replaces with a soft press of lips against his, moving in such tenderness and full of longing with eric's hand near his ear, another one sliding down his arm, coming to rest on his hip. an inaudible gasp leaves changmin's lips, having no time to react more once eric lifts him up against the door, claiming his mouth. this time the kiss is hot and passionate, still slow, sending little tremors over his body, eric's touch setting fire to his skin. changmin's hands work on sliding the jacket off him, which plops to the ground, and eric smiles into the kiss. changmin accidentally slips out a moan when eric deepens the kiss, biting down on his lower lip. immediately, the dancer opens his eyes, pulling away for breath, chest heaving, bringing his hands over his crimson face, surprised eyes blinking.
eric looks at him, trying to gauge the expression written on h face, worried that he perhaps went too far, "are you okay?" stupid. stupid. stupid. what kind of question is that?
changmin, flustered, looks around the living room, glances behind him, sighs, then lightly hits eric on his chest.
"someone could have heard me and we got have got caught!" changmin whisper shouts, his cheeks burning. a silly smile carves his lips, watching eric realizing, silently laughing after.
"we won't get caught unless you want to."
kevin had woken up when he heard the alarm on his phone blare, and like usual was the first one up as he quietly made his way out of the bedroom. today was another day and for some reason, he knew it was going to be a good one, not like any other day isn't. he loved helping to create the album designs, proud of his drawing skills, practicing his dance and singing. most of all, he's more than happy when he's with everybody else, feeling comfortable in their presence like it's home. he maneuvers his way to the kitchen, familiar with the route even in the dark, although there's some light spilling inside from the slow raising sun outside of the window.
"already up?" a familiar warm like honey voice startles kevin who was just trying to get a cup of coffee in the morning but the older just had to frighten him. kevin wasn't expecting anyone to be awake this early. usually, he wakes up the rest of the members and is the first one up. he catches the time on the clock that reads 6:25 am.
then, his gaze lands on the suddenly awake boy's coffee-stained white shirt with sleep still in his gingerbread eyes. he squints at the sight, apologizing, running off to get a towel, only to be pulled back by his arm, coming in contact with the taller's chest.
he feels a hand tighten around his arm gently, the interlocking of their hands, and somehow even though this is kind of normal the strange quiet but the loud beating of his heart contrasts everything, realizing way too soon that his feelings are out in the open.
"I can't sleep."
"why?"
"because of a certain moonlight boy."
and right there and then the world stops.
the coffee cup grasped in kevin's hand drops onto the hard-tiled ground, its clanging noise reverberating through the room, indicating the world has started revolving again.
kevin's not too sure if he wants that because the next second, there's a tug on his arm and he's pushed against their playful, thoughtful, loving group mate's solid chest.
"hyunjae?" kevin starts in a rather soft tone, too shocked to process anything at this point, the rapid beating of their heart vibrating in their ears.
"can we just stay like this for a minute?" hyunjae breathes out. kevin wants to say no but he doesn't want to either, trying to calm down his heart, and the smile from blooming on his lips, listening to hyunjae's heartbeat.
"yeah, we can," kevin says, finding himself smile nonetheless when hyunjae heaves a sigh, just holding him in an embrace.