Work Text:
kun bear
Good morning Tennieeee!!
I hope you have a good day ^^
Ten smiles as he looks at the messages appearing on his phone. God Kun is SO adorable He thinks to himself. The older sends him these messages each morning as a way of letting Ten know he’s thinking of him, and it always makes Ten’s heart flutter uncontrollably. Kun is often sweet like this, and Ten feels endlessly lucky to call him his boyfriend.
Ten thinks fondly back to the first day he met Kun, when he found himself in the library across from the cutest student he’d ever seen. Ten’s Chinese teacher had recommended he get tutored by her “top student”, and Ten could do nothing but agree. When he’d first seen the chinese boy, he had this nervous energy surrounding him. The boy had fidgeted nonstop, and all but refused to meet Ten’s gaze. And it only made him more adorable. Ten remembers Kun had been dressed in a t-shirt and oversized cardigan, with round wire framed glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose. Ten remembers how badly he’d wanted to fix them for him, but refrained from doing so as to not scare the boy.
After that first session, an unlikely friendship slowly blossomed between the two. It’s true what they say about opposites attract. Ten’s own cocky and loud nature contrasts Kun’s soft quietness perfectly. It wasn’t long before Ten realized he wanted more. He wanted to kiss the dimples of Kun’s smile, wanted to caress his warm cheeks, and he wanted to call the older his. And so the friendship morphed into something deeper, and Ten had never been happier. Kun is the best boyfriend he’s ever had, and he loves him more than he’d even care to admit.
tennie
Hey baby!
I just woke up lol
I miss you so much
kun bear
I miss you tooooo :((
Are you sitting with me at lunch?
Ten’s insides curl guiltily as he thinks of how to answer the question. Ten and Kun come from different worlds. Ten is among the most popular kids at their school, who spend their time nursing fragile egos and exercising their superiority complex. His friends prefer more juvenile ideas of fun, like going to parties, drinking, smoking, and making others feel poorly. As much as Ten hates being part of that, he’s also much too afraid to let it all go. He fears rejection the way any human does, and he worries that without his status, he’d be nothing. And he knows, if his friends ever discovered he and Kun were a thing, they’d leave him, and worse: hurt Kun.
That’s why Ten is so thankful for Kun. He’s the only thing in his life that feels real, that feels right, that feels safe. His boyfriend has been nothing but understanding of Ten’s feelings, something Ten doesn’t feel deserving of but he also appreciates deeply.
tennie
I can’t today baby
But you can come to mine after school if you want?
kun bear
I’d love to!
See you at school Tennie
tennie
Okie Kunkun
I love you
kun bear
Love you too
Ten smiles one final time at his screen before getting up to get dressed.
***
“Ten? Ten!” Ten looks up to see his friend Taeyong staring at him quizzically. It takes him a second to register that they’re still in math class and he had been absently staring at Kun for the last 10 minutes. Taeyong continues to scan Ten’s face, looking for any sign of something wrong. “You’re looking at the nerd pretty intensely. Something wrong?”
“No Yongie, I’m fine.” Ten says accompanied by his most convincing smile. Taeyong hesitates for a second before nodding and turning his attention back to the board, letting the subject drop. Ten turns back to face Kun, who’s sitting by the window talking animatedly with his friend Yangyang. The latter catches Ten’s gaze and smirks knowingly, causing Ten to blush a little. Yangyang is one of the only people who knows about Kun and Ten. He and Winwin, as Kun’s best friends were obviously told about the relationship. Ten likes them both a lot, Yangyang is basically his adopted child at this point, and when he’s not hanging off Kun he likes to annoy Winwin with his skinship. Ten watches as Yangyang taps Kun and directs his attention to Ten, who merely winks at him. Kun blushes profusely at his boyfriend’s attention, giving a small wave before whipping his head back around to face Yangyang.
“Dude, what was that?” Lucas says, glancing between Kun and Ten in bewilderment.
“Just, having some fun.” Ten lies easily, smirking at his tall friend.
“...whatever.” Lucas rolls his eyes a little. “Anyways, are you coming with us to the club later?” Ten shakes his head.
“I can’t today. My mom is having friends over.”
“Again? Dude, you said the same thing yesterday!” Lucas whines.
“Sorry bro, nothing I can do.” Ten smiles. Just then, the bell rings saving him from any further explanation. He grabs his bag and all but runs out of the room to meet Kun.
He finds the older reading under their tree a few yards from the school. He smiles at the sight. Kun’s soft blonde locks glisten in the sunlight, making him look more angelic than ever. He’s swimming in the hoodie he’s wearing (which Ten quickly recognizes as one of his own), and the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles all but melts Ten’s heart. As he approaches, Kun looks up to meet his eyes and a wide dimpled grin spreads across his face.
“Tennie!!” The boy jumps up and runs to his boyfriend. Ten lets him crash into his body before enveloping him in a hug. The comforting scent of coconut and lime he’d come to love fills his nose. He peppers light kisses into Kun’s hair eliciting giggles from the latter. Kun pulls back to look up at his boyfriend with a soft gaze. “I missed you.” He says quietly.
“I missed you too kun bear,” Ten leans in to press a final kiss to Kun’s nose. “Let’s head home yeah?” With a nod from Kun, Ten grabs his hand and practically sprints home with Kun in tow.
***
“Teeeeeeennnnn~” Kun whines.
“Kuuuuuunnnnn~” Ten mimicks his boyfriend’s tone. Kun pouts angrily and it only deepens when Ten coos at his cuteness.
“Ten come onnnnnn we have to study! I don’t want to fail Chemistry.”
“You my love will not fail. I’m the one in danger of failing here.” Ten chuckles, pulling Kun into his lap. “And besides, we’ve been at it for an hour! We should take a break.” Ten let his gaze float down to Kun’s full lips, slowly easing closer until he felt Kun whack him gently with his notebook.
“Why are you always horny?” Kun rolls his eyes.
“Not my fault I have a beautiful boyfriend.” Ten breathes.
“Shut up you idiot.”
“Mmm you love it.” Ten teases, earning another light whack from Kun.
“Can we just study a little bit more?” Kun asks, making Ten huff defeatedly. “I’ll give you a kiss for each correct answer?” Ten perks up immediately.
“Now you’re speaking my language baby.” Kun smiles triumphantly before turning back to the book in his hands.
“How much salt is in the average adult human’s body?”
“250 grams.” Kiss.
“Is milk considered acidic, neutral, or basic?”
“Slightly acidic.” Kiss.
“What is the most abundant protein in the human body?”
“Collagen.” Another kiss.
“What happens whe—”
“Ok that’s enough.” Ten interjects, having grown tired of the short presses of Kun’s lips against his own. He grabs the textbook out of his boyfriend’s hands and tosses it aside, tackling the older boy onto the bed and hovering just above him. Their lips are but a breath away, and Ten can see Kun growing impatient and needy at the proximity. Ten teasingly stares at Kun for a few moments before leaning down and slotting their lips together. Kun kissed back with ferver, seemingly just as desperate for the contact as Ten. Ten pulled back a second to grin slightly and Kun immediately let out an indignant whine and pulled Ten back in by the lapels of his denim jacket. The two boys made out steadily for a few minutes before Ten slowly trails kisses down Kun’s skin, relishing in the sigh of contentment the older let’s out. Ten kisses across his collarbones all the way down his shirt before lifting the fabric to press a feather light kiss to his belly button, earning a small giggle in return. The Thai male looks up to the boy in front of him, eyes positively starry with fondness and affection.
“I love you baby.” Ten lets out. Kun’s torso shakes with his bubbly laughter.
“Love you too.”
***
kun bear
Good morning loml
tennie
Aw
Good morning my precious baby
kun bear
Hehe
I miss you lots
tennie
Not nearly as much as i miss you i guarantee
kun bear
Are you free after school?
I kinda have a craving for a blue raspberry slushie :p
tennie
Cute…
As much as i would love that, i promised tyong and the others that i’d hang out today -_-
Apparently they “haven’t seen me in years” smh, dramatic asses
kun bear
That’s ok tennie!
Some other time for sure
tennie
Im sorry kun bear :( i swear i’ll make it up to you.
kun bear
Ten there’s really no need lolol
Have funnnnn~
***
Ten find himself meeting his friends in their usual spot behind the school that afternoon, albeit a little reluctantly. Truthfully, he’d rather spend the time with Kun. The older boy has become a fixture in Ten’s life these past few months. Maybe it’s just the honeymoon phase, but Ten seems to prefer Kun’s presence to anyone else’s. Kun has a way of making Ten feel safe and cared for, and that’s a feeling Ten would love to get used to.
“Alright asshats, where should we go?” Taeyong asks from his perch upon a windowsill. All the boys immediately start yelling and arguing about different spots before Mark’s loud voice cuts through the blabbering.
“How about 7/11?” Mark hollers. Taeyong turns to his boyfriend Jaehyun and gives him a shrug.
“Sounds good to me. You all good with it?” A chorus of agreement greets Taeyong in response. “Perfect, lets go!”
Ten follows the boys but he chooses to float near the back of the pack, having no interest in whatever weird wrestling match Johnny and Mark have engaged in. Instead he opts to text Kun.
tennie
I miss you againnnnn :(
kun bear
Aren’t you out with your friends?
tennie
Yeah…
But i would rather see you :((
kun bear
Aw babe,,,
Just enjoy it! I’m sure you’ll have a great time :)
And if you don’t, you can come over to mine and spend the night for cuddles
tennie
Oh i am holding you to that
But that’s still not gonna be until like sixxxx :(((
kun bear
Oh my god Ten plz
[selfie attached]
Try not to miss me too much until then bb <3
tennie
THAT MADE IT WORSE >:((((
“Whatcha giggling at Tennie?” Ten startles at the sudden presence beside him, quickly shutting his phone off and stuffing it in his pocket. Next to him, taeyong just watches him struggle, barely trying to hide his amusement.
“Fuck off Yong.” Ten huffs.
“Ouch, is that any way to treat your best friend?” Taeyong replies in mock offense, only agitating Ten more. “Aw c'mon Ten, spill the beans! Who is he??”
“Just my lab partner Yong, no one special.”
***
“All I’m saying is that the new chem teacher can get it.”
“Lucas, you’d literally fuck a trash can so forgive me if I don’t trust you on this.” Ten chuckles lightly at Johnny and Lucas’s bickering. They’ve spent the better part of an hour at 7/11, mostly just talking and drinking their slushies. Ten sits quietly sipping his pineapple green apple “abomination” (as Kun lovingly calls it), he chuckles at the jokes being made but rarely engages past that. Though he’d hate to admit it, the outing hadn’t actually been as bad as he’d thought. He's not gonna let a change of heart rob him of Kun cuddles though.
As if reading his mind, Johnny sends a smirk in Ten’s direction. “So Tenten, you noticed any fuckable people around school?”
Ten shrugs. “Not really.” He replies nonchalantly. Taeyong flashes an equally devilish smile.
“What about that lab partner of yours? You seem pretty into him,” Taeyong wiggles his eyebrows causing Ten to roll his eyes.
“He’s just helping me with a project guys. It’s literally nothing. And I’d hardly call him ‘fuckable’.” Ten lies easily.
“Sounds like bullshi—“
Ding.
All 6 boys whip their heads towards the front door of the shop, watching as none other than Qian Kun enters. Ten only looks for a second before turning his attention back to his slushie, not wanting the other boys to suspect anything of him. Though the boys seem much more enamored with the boy himself then Ten’s reaction to him.
“Holy shit is that Qian Kun?” Mark basically screeches. Ten catches Kun freeze a little at the mention of his name.
“Yeah it is. Damn i didn’t think he knew any places in town outside the library.'' Lucas sniggers, in the least hushed whisper imaginable. Kun seems to try to shake the comment off and continue making his slushie in peace, but Ten’s loudmouth friends don’t appear to be done.
“Haha, he even dresses like an old librarian,” Mark adds. “Someone ought to inform him that sweaters haven’t been cool since the 1850s.”
Ten can see that Kun is shaking a little now, clearly bothered by the rude comments. Ten inches closer to the boy undetectably wanting to check to make sure Kun is ok
“Right? And what is that beanie? It’s literally twice the size of his head.” Ok, Mark and Lucas are dumb, but not THAT dumb. They must know that Kun can hear the things they’re saying, and that only makes Ten more angry.
“Hey there bookworm,” Ten watches in pure disgust as Johnny cage's Kun against the slushie machine with his arms, clearly scaring the poor boy. “What’s a guy like me gotta do to get into your chamber of secrets?”
“Ok fuck OFF Johnny.” Ten snarls, pulling Johnny away from Kun and stepping in front of his boyfriend protectively.
“What's wrong Ten? We were just having a little fun is all.”
“THAT was not fun. You hurt and frightened the poor guy! What has he ever done to deserve that?”
“Ten you can’t seriously be siding with this guy over us.” Mark frowns. Ten’s blood has hit it’s boiling point.
“Well actually, I am.” Ten deadpans, grabbing Kun's hand gently. “C’mon Kun, let’s get out of here.”
“What the hell?” Taeyong exclaims, disbelief written all over his face. Ten doesn’t even spare him a glance as he marches out of the store hand in hand with Kun. Ten walks Kun all the way to his house (it’s only a few blocks away). And as soon as the door shuts behind them Ten is caressing Kun’s cheek cautiously.
“You okay baby?” Kun only manages a shrug in return, avoiding eye contact with the other. Ten can clearly tell that means he’s upset. He can also see glistening tears pricking at the corners of the boy’s eyes.
“Kun bear…” Ten drawls, and Kun simply shakes his head. Ten sighs a little defeatedly. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better baby?”
“C-Can we cuddle and watch Netflix? I really don’t feel like talking yet…”
Ten can only chuckle fondly as he places his hands under Kun’s thighs and picks him up causing a small yelp to leave his lips, though he never lifts his head from Ten’s shoulder.
“Of course baby.” Ten whispers in Kun’s ear, carrying the boy in the direction of his room. He lays Kun down gently on the bed before collapsing next to him. Kun nuzzles his nose against Ten’s neck and whispers “I love you” into the skin there. Ten smiles doubly wide and returns the sentiment before grabbing the remote to turn on Netflix.
***
The opening credits begin to play as Kun snuggles himself under Ten’s arm. The younger man smiles before returning his attention to the screen, though he finds it a bit difficult to focus. The sounds of the TV fade to the background as Ten becomes consumed by his thoughts.
Specifically thoughts of the wonderful Chinese boy at his side. Ten really does love Kun. It’s still baffling that he’s able to call Kun ‘his’. The older is Ten’s opposite in most ways. Kun is reserved and shy whereas Ten can be boisterous and loud; he spends his time at libraries and cafes while Ten frequents parties and clubs. Ten often wonders what Kun sees in him. Ten would’ve never imagined he would be Kun’s type. Yet somehow, he is, and Kun loves him.
And though the blonde loves him, it’s obvious to Ten that Kun wishes they were more open with their relationship. He sees the way the boy’s eyes get sad whenever Ten refers to him as his “lab partner”. Ten wants them to be public too, but he’s still a little worried people would hurt Kun and possibly him. Their school isn’t homophobic, there are plenty of out gay couples there. It’s Ten’s status and his friends that worry him. His classmates have always been a bit...selective, when it comes to the dating lives of the higher status people. A guy of Ten’s status dating someone as quiet and reserved as Kun? Ten doesn’t want his fragile bear to be exposed to the hazing his classmates will no doubt inflict on him when they find out.
“You think too much Tennie,” Ten turns to see Kun smiling lazily up at him. “You’ve been really tense since we laid down. Anything you want to talk about?” Ten sighs and brings his hand up to play with the hairs at the base of Kun’s scalp.
“Do you regret dating me Kun?” Ten asks genuinely, eyes meeting his boyfriend’s concerned gaze. “Do you regret all the hiding and secrecy?”
“I don’t regret dating you at all Ten,” Kun says in all seriousness. “I hate that we have to hide, but you always make it worth it.” He sits up a little so he can properly look at the Thai male.
“I really want to be public with you baby. I would scream about you from the rooftops if I could.”
“Why don’t you?”
Ten grimaces a little. “I’m afraid people would hurt you. I’m afraid they’d say things about you that aren’t true.” He looks down a little in shame. “And maybe things about us that aren’t true.”
Kun’s gaze softens. “Aw bub,” He hooks his fingers under Ten’s chin gently to life the boy’s gaze back to him. “Their words don’t hurt me Ten.”
“But my friends’ did.” Ten points out. “And that’ll only get worse if we’re public. I hated seeing you like that.”
“Ten,” Kun stops the boy before he can ramble any more. “I really don’t care what people say. I responded like that because-” He pauses, seemingly a little choked up. Ten rubs his thigh comfortingly as tears fall down his cheeks.
“I thought…” Kun continues and Ten nods. “For a second, I-I thought you were going to choose them over me.” Ten looks at Kun in complete disbelief.
“Why would you ever think that?” Kun shrugs again, playing with his fingers nervously.
“You’ve known them for years Ten. We only started dating a few months ago. I figured I couldn’t compete.” Ten feels a combination of guilt and sadness claw its way up his esophagus.
“Ok I don’t know WHERE you got that idea from but listen kun bear,” Ten places his hands on both Kun’s cheeks. “I. Freakin. Adore. You. You don’t have to compete with anyone else for my affection, let alone my loyalty.” Ten breathes, “Kun, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I would be literally the dumbest person alive if I lost you because of my idiotic ‘friends’.”
Kun’s cheeks are completely covered in tears at this point, Ten’s words making him 10 times as emotional. He himself can’t find the words to describe how he feels so he simply flings his body into Ten’s arms and hopes that will suffice.
“I love you too Kun.” Ten breathes. “And if you’re sure you’ll be okay, I have something to ask you.” He pulls back to look at his boyfriend. Even with tear stains he’s the most beautiful thing Ten’s ever seen. Seeing Kun’s wide brown eyes makes Ten even more sure about what he says next.
“Will you be my boyfriend, publicly this time?”