Archive of Our Own ^beta

Park Sunghoon. Better known as the bane of Heeseung's existence. The only person who could get his blood boiling just by breathing. The boy in the year below who seemed sweet and innocent to anyone who met him. Yet, it was no secret that Heeseung hated Sunghoon and the sentiment was returned.

There was really no legitimate reason as to why Heeseung felt this way. Park Sunghoon was simply everything Heeseung was not. He was good at everything without even trying, he was rich, he got everything handed to him on a silver platter, he was popular, he was loved by many, and the cherry on top, he just had to be the most perfectly sculpted god of a man with the sweetest of voices as well. 

Heeseung envied him. He'd slaved for months to get to where he was, only for Park Sunghoon to waltz in with his stupid dazzling smile and perfect nose and steal his number one spot. Then Park Sunghoon had the audacity to join the dance club and start taking opportunities that their leader would've normally offered Heeseung. It wasn't fair, and he hated Park Sunghoon for it.

With a tired sigh, Heeseung allowed himself to fall backward onto the cool wooden floor of the dance room, his damp brown hair clinging to his forehead as he tried to catch his breath. It was around six in the morning on Sunday and he'd come in earlier to just let loose and blow off some steam. With exams coming up and preparing for the end of semester performances, he'd been so incredibly stressed, and what better way to get his mind off things than to do what he loved most; dance.

Yet laying here, with his aching muscles and labored breathing, he didn't feel at ease. If anything his mind was clouded with angry thoughts directed towards a certain person. A certain stupidly handsome, pale boy who'd been driving him crazy and not in a good way. He was bitter. If it weren't for him, Heeseung would've gotten to do a solo as he did every semester. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have to go through so many sleepless nights just to make sure he excels in the upcoming exams.

"You look like shit, Lee," a silky smooth voice that he despised so much snickered from behind him, breaking him out of his inner turmoil.

Great. As if thinking about Park Sunghoon wasn't bad enough, the devil himself just had to show his face and piss him off first thing on a Sunday morning. With a frustrated groan, Heeseung covered his face with his hands and mumbled, "Fuck you."

He heard Sunghoon chuckle as he shuffled into the room, the sound of him moving things around being the only indicator of his presence. Heeseung knew it'd be better if he headed back home, but he was still so unsatisfied with himself that he wanted to practice some more and he knew he would be restless until he did.

It was quiet for a few moments before Heeseung felt a presence hover on top of him. Peeking through his fingers, he came face to face with Sunghoon bent over him with a hand outstretched, his chain necklace dangling from his incredibly smooth long neck, so close that it nearly scraped Heeseung's cheek, his silky black hair bouncing slightly from his movement so that it covered his forehead in a way that he thought was pretty. Heeseung wanted to curse at himself for even having such a thought, but there was no denying Sunghoon was the prettiest boy he'd ever seen.

Great. Just great.

"Go home. You're gonna hurt yourself," Sunghoon spoke, his voice kind. But Heeseung wasn't having it. He knew better than to fall for such an act. Especially when said kindness was laced with a hint of something condescending that made him livid.

"Just say you want me to lag behind you and go," Heeseung scoffed and pushed himself off the floor, running his fingers through his damp hair as he glanced at himself in the mirror. He did look like shit. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, his hair completely drenched. His face was flushed from the effort and his muscles were quite clearly swollen from being overworked, but he didn't want to give Sunghoon the satisfaction that he was right.

"You've already done that," The other answered smugly, looking up at Heeseung with a defiant smirk. A smirk that simply looked too good on his handsome features and it simply annoyed Heeseung even further.

But there was no denying that the comment burned even if it was true. Heeseung was a great dancer, one of the best on the team, but Sunghoon was phenomenal. He moved with a grace and elegance that Heeseung had never seen before. He was captivating to watch. And Heeseung envied that.

Not wanting to agitate himself further, Heeseung turned away from Sunghoon to grab his belongings. He wasn't gonna spend another minute here, especially with his presence around and no one else to distract him from it.

"Tell Yeonjun I'm not coming to practice later," He spat, slinging his bag over his shoulder, disregarding Sunghoon's concerned eyes as he stormed out of the building. He couldn't handle his pity, it made him feel like he was being looked down on and it drove him mad.

Fuck you, Park Sunghoon.

<~>

Heeseung only managed to sit down in the booth across from his best friends before he heard a strangled, "Jesus Christ Hyung, you look like shit."

"Jay! What the fuck, that was uncalled for!" Jake hissed, smacking the back of the blond's head as he shot their eldest Hyung an apologetic smile.

You look like shit, Lee.

No, he wasn't going to think about that fucker again. At least not for the rest of the day.

Heeseung couldn't help but chuckle at his best friends, shaking his head slightly. "It's alright, Jakey. I know I don't look great."

Jay snorted, taking a sip of his coffee as he spoke, "Yeah you look like you've been run over by a tru-"

"Don't listen to him," Jake interrupted, shooting daggers at the blond who was feigning innocence by sipping his drink. "You literally look fine. A little tired, but fine."

"I appreciate that," Heeseung smiled towards the sweet Australian boy, before turning to Jay with a deadpan expression as he added, "You can suck my dick."

"When and where, baby?" Jay grinned cheekily, winking playfully at Heeseung who simply rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Filthy bitch."

Jake interrupted the bickering pair by slapping a hand over Jay's mouth and saying, "Quit being annoying, you prick. But Heeseung Hyung, did you get any rest? You've been taking on too much work."

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, woke up early to practice. I'm covering an extra shift later, I needed to make up for it," The eldest explained, sighing softly as he rested his head against his palm.

Jay swatted Jake's hand away from his face, a more somber expression replacing his typically nonchalant one as he asked, "Isn't that too much? You're gonna seriously hurt yourself if you keep going like this."

"I'll be fine," Heeseung reassured the two of them. "I'm so close to being able to pay for Wonie. I just need to push through until the end of the semester, then it'll all be fine.

The playfulness almost instantly returned to Jay's eyes at the mention of the younger boy. "Ah, the love of my life! I miss him."

Jake snorted and lightly shoved the blond as he sighed, "Stop with your dramatic shit, you're gonna drive the poor boy mad."

"That's exactly why I don't let you see him anymore," Heeseung shook his head with an expression of faux disgust, receiving a pointed look from the blond who huffed, "Which is unfair! Let's all go see him before you go to work."

"I can't tonight, but we can go tomorrow after class," Heeseung suggested, stealing a sip of Jay's drink, earning him a scowl from the boy. Although he instantly regretted that as he'd never been a fan of coffee and Jay only ever drank disgustingly bitter coffee.

"Anything for my baby," Jay nodded right away, a dreamy smile on his lips as he thought of the pretty boy who had been out of school for a few weeks now.

The pretty boy who just so happened to be Heeseung's stepbrother. Their parents got married when Jungwon was only five and Heeseung was eight. The boy was only a toddler, so he'd warmed up to Heeseung quickly, finding comfort in his brotherly presence. Heeseung loved Jungwon as if they were related by blood. The boys were each other's best friends, they slept together, ate together, did everything together. As a result, the two became inseparable. So much so that Jungwon had insisted on moving out with Heeseung when the older boy graduated, staying with him until he was finally enrolled into the same university. Not that he got to experience much of his first year anyway.

"You're disgusting," Jake sighed in exasperation, popping a french fry into his mouth with a shake of his head.

"Means a lot coming from you," Jay smiled sweetly and leaned back against the cushions before asking, "But Hyung, how are things with the love of your life?"

Heeseung's mood immediately soured, his expression twisting into one of irritation as he huffed, "Don't call him that and I don't give a shit about him."

"Could've fooled me. You talk more about him than you do anything else in your life," Jay chuckled, bringing his drink up to his lips.

"You're such a bitch today, Jongseong, jeez," Jake scolded the blond halfheartedly, turning to Heeseung with a sheepish smile. "He is right, though."

"Don't take his side, Jaeyun," Heeseung groaned, frowning at the two of them disapprovingly. 

"I'd rather die than be on his side," Jake said, an offended gasp leaving their other friend but it was ignored as he continued, "But he's right. You talk about Hoon a lot."

Hearing the nickname leave his best friend's lips made him feel bitter. It was just another reminder that Sunghoon was nice to everyone but him. Another reminder that Sunghoon saw him as something with very little value. And boy did it fuel his animosity.

"Because he's everywhere and he irritates the shit out of me," Heeseung responded with a simple shrug.

"He's really not that bad, Hyung," Jake sighed.

"To you. I can't stand looking at his stupidly perfect face," The eldest argues, receiving a confused look from Jay and an exasperated one from Jake.

"You hate him yet he's 'stupidly perfect'?" Jay asked slowly, his eyes lighting up as if coming to a realization. "Are you two secretly in a relationship?"

Heeseung paused at the sheer stupidity of his best friend's question, shooting him the most deadpan expression he could muster as Jake reached over to smack him again.

"You're so dumb it hurts," Jake shook his head, Jay's pained whines falling on deaf ears as he continued, "Anyone with eyes knows that Sunghoon is freaking stunning. You don't have to be his lover to acknowledge that."

"But Heeseung Hyung hates him, does he not? Why'd he compliment him?"

Heeseung sighed and ran his fingers through his dark hair saying, "Because it's not a compliment, it's an observation. Now finish your damn lighter fluid so we can get out of here."

"It's coffee."

<~>

Another excruciatingly slow workday.

Heeseung would rather be anywhere else than sit behind this register doing absolutely nothing for the next five hours but what choice did he have? He was the one who offered to cover the shift when his coworker asked. He was fully to blame for this situation but he didn't want to admit it to himself. Luckily, his boss was quite understanding and didn't mind him doing other things to pass time as long as he served customers well when they were here.

With a sigh, the raven-haired boy pulled the lollipop he'd been distracting himself with out of his lips as he glanced up at the clock. 6 pm, it read. He could've been at practice with his friends, but instead, he was stuck here with nothing to do.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking him out of his self-induced pity party. He popped the lollipop back between his lips and tugged his phone out, a small smile on his lips when he saw the text with Jay's name attached to it.

jongseong 🧠🤏

have fun at work <3

if you need a food delivery or smth just lmk

i can also bring drinks if you want 🤪 party at the store

Heeseung couldn't help but chuckle, a smile lingering on his lips as he typed a response. As much as Jay was a total idiot, he was an amazing friend and he loved him with his entire being. Jay was so incredibly selfless, always looking after him and Jake even though he didn't have to. Yes, he made stupid jokes and comments, a prime example being his mention of alcohol, but Heeseung wouldn't trade him for the world. He's known Jay since high school. The two were best friends for many years and they just so happened to be interested in the same studies so they ended up sticking together even to this day.

hee 😎

what a dumbass you are

but thank you I'll be fine so don't worry about it

if you do decide to visit tho I won't complain 😗

jongseong 🧠🤏

hell yeah

I'll pick up jakey from soccer then we'll be there in 10 minutes tops

hee 😎

I'll be waiting 😌

"You should smile more often, Lee. It's pretty."

Immediately Heeseung's smile dropped at the familiar voice that he hated so much. Amazing. Twice in one day. Maintaining his composure, Heeseung slipped his phone into his pocket as he glanced up at the one and only Park Sunghoon with a stone-faced expression.

"What can I get for you?" he asked, putting on his customer service voice although his disdain for the situation was as clear as day in his eyes.

"Just these," Sunghoon chuckled, an amused smirk on his lips as he slid a few bottles and a bag of chips towards the other.

Heeseung nodded and started to scan the items, his tongue toying with the lollipop to distract himself from Sunghoon's presence. He'd already ruined his morning, he didn't want him to ruin his evening as well.

"I didn't peg you as the convenience store job type," Sunghoon hummed, the comment lighting a spark of anger in Heeseung's chest.

Heeseung shoved the plastic bag towards Sunghoon, not bothering to hide his bitterness as he responded, "Not everyone's privileged enough to live off daddy's money. Your total is on the screen."

If Sunghoon was affected by the comment, he didn't let it show as he handed Heeseung his card. The older boy quickly sorted out the payment, gingerly handing him the card after stuffing the receipt into the bag. 

"Don't come again," Heeseung spoke with a tone of faux innocence before pretending to busy himself with the register.

Sunghoon, however, didn't seem to care as he stood there, his eyes burning into Heeseung's skull. But the other wasn't going to give him a reaction. Frankly, he didn't give a shit about Sunghoon's presence, he just wanted him gone.

"It's my own money."

"Good for you," Heeseung shot back, not an ounce of emotion in his voice.

Sunghoon sighed, the sound frustrated and irritated, and it brought Heeseung a small sense of satisfaction. It wasn't often that he managed to get a rise out of the pale boy and it felt great to do so.

"I'm not some kind of stuck-up brat, you know?"

"Okay and?" Heeseung asked, raising his chin defiantly as he looked up at Sunghoon from where he was sitting. But he was slightly taken aback by what he saw. The other held a strange intensity and a slight hint of hurt. Sunghoon was usually good at controlling his emotions, unlike Heeseung who reacted to everything that he threw at him.

Sunghoon huffed, an additional frustration appearing in his gaze. "I wasn't looking down on you, Lee. I was just saying because I didn't expect you to work here of all places. It's not safe."

"Oh yeah? And since when do you care about my wellbeing?" Heeseung scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sunghoon opened his mouth to answer, but he sighed and closed it, his expression hardening as he snatched the bag off the counter and stormed out of the store. Heeseung watched him go, biting his lip in concern. He thought he'd feel satisfied with seeing Sunghoon upset but instead, he felt restless. Something about seeing the hurt in his eyes just didn't sit right in his heart and stirred a strange feeling that he couldn't quite identify.

That's enough. He didn't wanna think about Park Sunghoon anymore.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he glanced up at the clock above the door. It's been a few minutes since Jay had texted and the store wasn't very far from their university anyway so they should be here any m-

"Baby, I'm here!"

Heeseung couldn't help but roll his eyes, glancing down at the door as Jay walked in with a bright grin, Jake following after him with an exasperated frown. "You're disgusting," the eldest joked, shaking his head as his two friends rounded the counter to join him.

"You both love me," Jay grinned, tugging another stool up next to Heeseung who greeted him with a gentle side hug.

"Unfortunately," Jake scrunched his nose distastefully as he leaned against the counter. "It's so empty today."

Heeseung nodded, running his fingers through his hair as he sighed, "It usually is at this time. That's why I avoid this shift."

"Understandable," Jay hummed, rummaging in his backup for a moment before setting a lunchbox down in front of Heeseung. "Here."

The eldest looked over at him in surprise. He had told him not to do anything for him, yet Jay had still put in the effort of making him a meal. "You didn't have to," he said softly, affectionately ruffling the other's blond hair, completely messing it up from his obviously purposeful tousle.

Jay scowled and swatted his hand away, smoothing down his hair as he responded, "One, you're a bitch for doing that. And two, I know for a fact you haven't had dinner and you most likely aren't gonna remember to either."

"You're not wrong. Thank you Jongseong-ah," Heeseung chuckled fondly.

"Don't mention it. Now throw away that lollipop and eat before any customers come in," Jay responded earnestly, receiving a playful salute from the eldest.

<~>

"Baby!" Jay wailed dramatically as he burst into Jungwon's room, completely disregarding Heeseung who was holding the door open for him as he sat down on the edge of the younger's bed.

The younger boy was sitting upright in his bed with his phone in hand, tubes taped to his arm that connected up to a heart monitor, and a rack holding multiple bags of fluids containing important nutrients he needed. Heeseung hated seeing him like this. His brother was always someone who shone brightly wherever he was. He always emitted positivity which thankfully never went away. However, his previously round cheeks had slimmed down, his eyes lost their usual sparkle, his skin a sickly gaunt color. It was amazing how only a few weeks could change someone so much.

Jungwon rolled his eyes, although a soft smile slipped onto his lips as he leaned over to kiss the blond's cheek. "Hi Jay Hyung," he hummed, beaming up at his older brother and Jake as they came to stand beside Jay. "Hi, you guys. I've missed you all so much."

"You act as if I don't visit every day," Heeseung scoffed with a gentle smile, leaning against the wall beside the back of the bed.

Jungwon shot his Hyung a pointed look as he hummed, "You didn't visit yesterday."

"I had work, you know that," The eldest of the four chuckled. "Your insufferable boyfriend wanted to visit but I wouldn't let him."

"Good. He would've disrupted my nap time," Jungwon responded with a teasing smile, receiving an offended gasp from Jay who whined, "You're all so mean to me!"

"I wonder why," Heeseung chuckled, Jay opening his mouth to retort but he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat from behind them. Heeseung glanced up towards the door, immediately straightening his posture when he met eyes with his brother's doctor. "Ah, Doctor Kang, it's nice to see you."

"Likewise, Heeseung-ah. Would you mind stepping outside with me for a moment?" The older woman smiled gently, although the eldest could immediately sense a slight grimness behind it. She was their family doctor. He'd seen her so many times that he had learned to read her quite well when it came to her breaking any news to him.

Heeseung nodded right away and bent to peck his brother's forehead saying, "I'll be back." He then gestured towards Jay and added, "No funny business. Let him rest. Jake, keep an eye on him, will you?"

"I'm a full-grown adult, god damn, you really have no faith in me," Jay grumbled, although no one paid him any mind as Heeseung followed the woman outside, gently sliding the door shut behind him. 

"I think you know what I'm going to say," Dr. Kang sighed once the two were alone, her false smile dissipating into a serious expression. Immediately, Heeseung felt his heart drop.

"He's getting worse, isn't he? I can see it taking a toll on him," Heeseung murmured, running his fingers through his hair, his fingers curling around his dark locks in stress.

The doctor nodded, glancing down at her clipboard for a second. "I know how hard you're working, Heeseung. But I don't know how much longer he can endure this. We've found a donor, but they're abroad. That'll be extra to the surgery cost."

"And how much is that?"

"At least twelve thousand dollars."

"Dollars?? Just for the transportation??" Heeseung asked incredulously, panic slowly settling in. "I can scrape up the surgery costs by the end of my semester, but this, how much time do I have for this?"

The doctor pursed her lips and answered, "To be safe one more month. Any longer and there's no guarantee the donor will still be available."

Swallowing sharply, Heeseung took a deep breath to calm his emotions and nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Don't overexert yourself in the process, Heeseung. He wouldn't be happy seeing you destroy yourself for him, okay?" Dr. Kang gently reminded him, patting his shoulder reassuringly. 

"I know. Thank you, doctor. I'll see you tomorrow?" The boy responded, the woman nodding before turning away, leaving Heeseung in the empty hallway, alone with his thoughts.

Distraught wasn't enough to describe how he was feeling. He felt lost. He felt like he wasn't competent enough. He didn't know what to do. He had to help his brother, there was no way he could risk his brother losing his life. But what could he do? He's considered dropping out to save money and work more hours, but Jungwon had made him swear to never ever do that and he couldn't break his brother's trust. He attempted a bank loan, but the amount he needed at the time was simply too large to be allowed, he couldn't imagine it'd be allowed now.

The boy bit his lip in frustration and allowed himself to slide to the floor, his back against the wall as he looked up at the ceiling, red hot tears pricking his eyes. He didn't want to cry. Jungwon would immediately notice if he did and the last thing he wanted was to make the boy worry. Not today and not ever.

However, maybe it was all the stress accumulating into a suffocating weight on his shoulders, but Heeseung couldn't stop the waterfalls of tears that escaped his eyes. Maybe a good cry was exactly what he needed to clear his head and rationally think of a solution.

Drowning in despair, he completely missed the warm brown eyes, watching him from the other end of the empty hallway. They were pitying and heartbroken as they watched the boy silently sob into his palms until he'd completely run himself dry. Then they held a sense of admiration and sorrow as they watched him pick himself off the floor, gently patting away his tears before donning a smile that was so clearly an act as he reentered the room with a loud, "Park Jongseong get off him, please!", loud laughter spilling out of the room as the door slid shut.

The observer quietly approached the now shut door, their eyes scanning the paperwork attached to the smooth surface with a sharp inhale, lingering on four important words.

Yang Jungwon.

Heart transplant.

<~>

Yeonjun roughly tugged Heeseung aside while the team was going over a routine, pulling him to the corner of the dance studio, a concerned frown on his face. The taller boy sighed, already expecting what his Hyung was going to say.

"I'm fine," Heeseung said, not giving the pink-haired male a chance to speak. "I'm sorry, I know I'm making a lot of mistakes, I'll get myself together I promise."

Yeonjun scoffed, leaning against the wall with an unimpressed look. "Heeseung, I don't give a shit about dance right now. I'm worried about you. You've been walking around like a god damn corpse all week."

Heeseung couldn't answer. He knew his Hyung was right. After the devastating news he'd heard the weekend prior, he took on more work hours, barely getting any rest in between that, studying, and practice. Frankly speaking, he'd completely destroyed himself and he knew that.

"Listen," Yeonjun murmured, taking a step closer to his friend as he lowered his volume. "Take time off dance, okay? Use the time to rest."

"I don't want to. Dance is the only thing that's taking my mind off things. I'll be fine, I promise you," Heeseung shook his head, Yeonjun sighing in exasperation in response.

"Then go take five right now. Go outside, take a deep breath and clear your head. You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep doing as you're doing, okay?"

"Fine."

Yeonjun pursed his lips and nodded before lightly patting his friend's shoulder, gesturing for him to go. Heeseung nodded and ran his fingers through his damp hair to push it away from his eyes before quietly slipping out of the room. Immediately, now that he was alone, he felt so much lighter since he didn't have to put on the neutral facade he's had this whole time. Not that it did much to hide his stress.

With a sigh, Heeseung left the building, taking a seat on the stairs leading up to its door. The sun was hot on his skin with not a hint of wind in the air, but he found the warmth pleasant. It was a nice distraction from the storm of thoughts that's been festering in his mind. It surprisingly made him feel more at ease.

However, the peace didn't last long. A shadow of what seemed to be an umbrella covered his head, the person holding it sighing as he said, "You'll get a heat stroke if you sit out here."

Immediately the boy felt his mood drop once again as he glanced up at the familiar face he didn't want to see. Of course that posh fucker would carry an umbrella around campus. "Why are you here, Sunghoon?" he asked tiredly. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit."

"You're never in the mood to deal with me," Sunghoon chuckled, taking a seat beside the older, the umbrella shielding the both of them from the relentless heat of the sun. "I'm not here to argue with you."

"What do you want then?" Heeseung asked, turning to look at the boy, his brows lifting in surprise when he found him already looking at him. He was especially surprised by the tender look the handsome boy was giving him. There was no denying Sunghoon was pretty, especially when he was this close. His skin was fair and flawless, decorated with a few beauty marks here and there that did nothing but further emphasize his beauty. His nose was tall and his lips a pretty pink. But what caught Heeseung off guard was the tender care in his usually cold eyes. It made his stomach erupt in butterflies. Heeseung didn't like that one bit.

Sunghoon was quiet for a moment, his eyes lingering on Heeseung's face for a moment before looking down as he murmured, "I'm worried about you."

Heeseung didn't have it in him to retort. He could see how earnest the younger was, he could hear it in his voice. "I'm fine," he repeated for the hundredth time today, looking away from Sunghoon. He wasn't used to genuine kindness from someone he considered to not even be an acquaintance. 

"You're not. Stop saying that you are when you're clearly not."

"What else can I do?" Heeseung chuckled bitterly, his fingers clenching into fists in his lap. "It's not like I can drop studying and drop work to just do what I want."

"At least ask for help. Have someone support you."

"I do. My friends are by my side. But this isn't something anyone else can help with."

"I guess so," Sunghoon sighed. The two fell into a silence, Heeseung awkwardly fumbling with his fingers. The two had never had a civil conversation like this before and it was clear they both didn't know what to say. But contrary to what anyone might believe, Heeseung didn't feel uncomfortable with his presence. Somehow, knowing that Sunghoon truly cared brought him a lot of comfort, more than talking to Jay and Jake did. It was odd, but he wasn't complaining.

Suddenly, Sunghoon stood, Heeseung's eyes following him warily as he watched him hold a hand out for him to take. "Come with me."

"You really expect me to when I have no idea what you're gonna do with me?" Heeseung scoffed, raising his chin defiantly as he met Sunghoon's still very kind eyes.

"C'mon Lee, I know we argue a lot but I've never done anything outrageous," The younger whined, his hand still out for Heeseung to take, but now he was wringing it impatiently.

Heeseung couldn't prevent the small smile that spilled onto his lips. Sunghoon was... cute. It was new. Sunghoon always appeared calm, collected, and cool no matter what he was doing or where he was. He'd never seen him act this way, not even with his closest friends. A part of him felt satisfied that he was seeing a side of Sunghoon that rarely saw the light of day.

"You're looking very uncool right now, Sunghoon-ah," he chuckled and got to his feet, the younger boy simply beaming brightly as he held the umbrella over both of their heads.

"I don't care. If it's making you smile then I'm fine with that," The pale boy hummed, his fingers grasping Heeseung's wrist. "Now come on. I know a place that makes great ramen. My treat."

Heeseung glanced down at the gentle fingers holding his arm, nodding at his words as he allowed him to drag him along. He'd be lying if he said he hated this. If anything, his heart felt warm and he was starting to see the boy he once despised in a new light.

Maybe he wasn't all that bad.

"Sunghoon-ah," Heeseung called, the other glancing over at him with an inquisitive look. "Are you going to hold onto my wrist all day?"

"Why not? Do you want me to hold your hand instead?" Sunghoon asked with a cheeky smile, receiving a dirty look in response.

"I was just thinking that you weren't that bad. I now take it back," The older teased, Sunghoon pouting over at him as he whined, "Aye, Hyung!"

Heeseung laughed, his heart swelling with warmth at the honorific. Sunghoon had never used the honorific before, an indication that he didn't respect him. But something in their dynamic had changed just in the past five minutes and truth be told, Heeseung wasn't complaining.

He unwound Sunghoon's fingers from around his wrist, taking his hand in his own instead, lacing their fingers together. "Since you wanted to hold my hand so desperately," he grinned cheekily, a sense of satisfaction filling his chest when the other boy glanced at him with wide eyes at the gesture, his cheeks turning a soft red.

"That wasn't fair," Sunghoon grumbled, although he didn't seem to complain as his fingers tightened around Heeseung's longer ones. Heeseung would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. Something about holding hands with the boy he called his enemy felt too natural. Sunghoon's hand seemed to fit perfectly in his own, his pale skin contrasting prettily against the other's tanner one, their fingers slotting together as if they were made for each other.

This is weird. It's not right.

"You started it," Heeseung shrugged nonchalantly, ridding himself of his awkward thoughts. "Now where's that ramen place? I haven't had lunch yet."

"Not far, trust me," the younger boy reassured him, now in the lead again as he dragged Heeseung after him.

The taller boy chuckled and nodded, letting Sunghoon do as he pleased. He was still trying to absorb just how fast their relationship had shifted. It was so weird. The two have been 'rivals' for at least two years now and who would've thought that all it took was one civil conversation would get them here. Maybe he never hated Park Sunghoon as much as he thought he did.

But Heeseung didn't care for the past; he liked this new side to Sunghoon and he was excited to see how things would play out from now on.

<~>

"Motherfucking Lee Heeseung!"

Heeseung scowled at Jay who had burst into Jungwon's room, practically screeching his name as if they weren't in a hospital. "Be quiet, dumbass. We're not the only ones in the hospital."

"Who cares?? I just need to know, why are people saying they saw you and Park motherfucking Sunghoon frolicking around campus holding hands???" the blond asked, standing in front of the older boy with his hands on hips, his eyes accusatory, lips parted in disbelief.

Heeseung chuckled and tilted his laptop screen downwards so he could give Jay his full attention. "Is it that hard to believe that we had a civil conversation?"

"You two have been fighting for ages. How does that change overnight?" Jay scoffed, plopping down on the bed beside Jungwon who snuggled into him but not before smacking the back of his head for yelling. He whined and pouted down at him for the smack but didn't argue, instead wrapping Jungwon in a warm hug. Heeseung couldn't help but smile. He loved the relationship the two had. They were so cute together and he liked that his favorite people on the planet were happy.

"They talked," Jungwon responded, resting his cheek against Jay's shoulder. "It's not that hard to believe. I'm more confused about the holding hands part of the situation."

"I was being difficult so he dragged me. There's really not much to the story," Heeseung shrugged nonchalantly before lifting his laptop screen once again to continue working.

"And you let him?"

"Yes Jay," Heeseung sighed, not particularly up to being interrogated when he had so much work to finish off. "Why don't you ask him what happened, hm?"

"I'm not close to him, that's a Jake thing. And apparently now a you thing too," Jay scoffed, leaning his cheek against the top of Jungwon's head.

Heeseung simply hummed in response, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he absentmindedly drummed on his keyboard, his mind drifting back to the time he spent with Sunghoon earlier today. 

The boy had been very sweet. He didn't press him to talk about anything, instead opting to be the talkative one, cracking stupid jokes and over-sharing little stories about his life. They were things that he thought were trivial, but Heeseung had listened to every story intently, unconsciously storing everything in a little corner of his mind that he didn't know he had. 

Sunghoon doesn't like mangoes… and bugs. Sunghoon loves vanilla lattes and any form of protein, mainly chicken. Sunghoon ran his fingers through his hair a lot whenever he started to ramble. Sunghoon ran his tongue over his fang-like canines whenever he was about to say or do anything mischievous.

They were little details, but they all stuck in Heeseung's mind. He didn’t particularly understand why he latched onto everything as much as he did, but he was thankful that Sunghoon, whether he intended to do so or not, had managed to distract him from his burdens and brought a genuine smile to his lips for the first time in a while.

"He's smiling like an idiot, look at him, Wonie."

Heeseung glanced up at the cuddling couple, the smile that had unknowingly materialized on his lips immediately disappearing. He rolled his eyes and huffed, "Why don't you focus on your boyfriend instead of bothering me, hm?"

Jay pretended to be hurt, clutching his head dramatically as he sighed, "Always rejecting my affections."

"You call that affection?" The eldest chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. Jungwon snorted, shifting a little in Jay's lap as he said, "If that's your definition of affection, I wouldn't have gone out with you."

"Now that's just rude," Jay gasped, frowning down at his boyfriend who simply smiled up at him cheekily.

Heeseung chuckled and set his laptop down on the couch beside him, pushing himself up onto his feet. "I'm gonna grab a drink. Does anyone want anything?" he asked, burying his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie to feel for his earphones.

The two shook their heads, Jay calling after Heeseung saying, "Take your time! I wanna make out a little before you come back!"

"Wha- No- Jay Hyung!"

Heeseung couldn't help but laugh at his brother's humiliation, but let the couple be as he gently kicked the door shut before slipping his earphones into his ears, and heading towards the elevator. The vending machine was on the ground floor. He could take the stairs but he wasn't in a rush. He knew Jungwon probably did want some alone time with his boyfriend even if he didn't necessarily want to leave them alone for too long. Maybe he'd go sit in the cafeteria for half an hour or so.

Stepping into the empty elevator, Heeseung pressed the button for the ground floor, a soft sigh leaving his lips. 

Seems like everyone else but me is happy,

It hurts more to laugh than to cry,

The song playing in his ears combined with having watched Jay and Jungwon was heavier on his heart than he expected it to be. 

I try to hold it in, I try to endure, every day,

But it’s not easy, right now, I need your hand.

He wondered if he had a partner, if he had someone who would love and support him no matter what and be there in his time of need, what would he be like now?

Contrary to how he portrayed himself, Heeseung was a hopeless romantic. He'd always dreamed of finding love at university. He wanted to find a lover who would go on study dates and picnics with him but would also stay home with him to game and cuddle all day. Unfortunately for him, those dreams were shattered once the burdens of the world started to lay themselves on his shoulders. He became too focused on work and nothing but work. But there was no denying that although he was happy for Jungwon and Jay, he got envious whenever he saw them being all lovey-dovey together. But he couldn't bring himself to hold onto his resentment when he knew how much Jay's presence comforted his brother, especially with his current situation.

It didn't take long for Heeseung to buy himself a bottle of iced tea before settling in the corner of the cafeteria, straddling the bench with his back resting against the wall. Luckily for him, the large room was empty, only one staff member manning the register but the girl was in her own world with her earphones in, not paying attention to him anyway. Quietly humming the song he'd been listening to under his breath, Heeseung leaned his head back against the wall, shutting his eyes.

But as always, the world never gave Heeseung a chance to rest. Not even thirty seconds after he'd finally relaxed, he felt a weight drop on the bench, fingers plucking one of his earphones out of his ear. Annoyed, Heeseung sighed and opened his eyes, expecting to find Jay, only to be startled by a pair of familiar but unexpected brown eyes and a swoon-worthy smile.

"You listen to TXT, too?"

"Are you stalking me?" Heeseung asked with an accusatory tone, scanning the other's appearance cautiously.

Sunghoon laughed and shook his head right away. "Listen, we may be on good terms now but we're not on stalker terms yet."

"Yet?" Heeseung raised a brow, receiving a firm nod from the other. "You're… weird."

"Thank you," Sunghoon responded earnestly, moving to straddle the bench as well so he was facing Heeseung. "Anyways, I was here for a checkup. Just a previous ankle injury. I wanted to grab food before I head home and I just so happened to see you being all moody in the corner."

Ignoring the comments about him, Heeseung glanced down at Sunghoon's ankles quickly, shooting him a concerned glance as he asked, "Oh, are you alright?"

Something in Sunghoon's eyes shifted at his question, but the younger quickly collected himself with a smile and nodded. "It's no biggie. But why are you here?"

"Just visiting family," Heeseung hummed, glancing over at his phone to check the time.

"Oh, I hope they get better soon."

"I hope so too."

The two fell silent, listening to Run Away as it played through Heeseung's headphones. The older of the two took the opportunity to properly scan Sunghoon's appearance. The boy was dressed simply for the first time since Heeseung had met him. He was in a simple hoodie and sweatpants, his hood pulled over his head to cover his fluffy hair. He resembled a sleepy kitten. Heeseung found it cute.

However, he was instantly broken out of his thoughts when warm fingers wrapped around his own, lightly toying with them. He glanced down to find both of Sunghoon's hands holding one of his own delicately between his fingertips.

"What are you doing?" he hummed, receiving a shrug in response.

"Your hands are nice," Sunghoon mumbled. "I like holding them."

Heeseung blinked at the nonchalant statement, although he didn't retract his hand, letting the other do as he pleased. "You know, every time you open your mouth you become less and less cool."

"Hey! What was uncool about that?" Sunghoon whined, giving Heeseung's fingers a gentle squeeze.

"Campus Prince Park Sunghoon likes holding hands," Heeseung teased, the other grimacing at the title.

"What's wrong with holding hands? Girls would love to know that. You should consider yourself lucky," The younger retorted, shaking his head right away.

"Okay then go hold their hands," Heeseung hummed, attempting to pull his hand out of Sunghoon's grasp. But the boy immediately held it tightly in between his smaller ones, shaking his head.

"I don't want to. I like holding yours and that's it."

Heeseung was taken aback by the comment but he didn't say anything, instead letting his hand fall slack in Sunghoon's grasp saying, "You're awfully clingy for someone who hated me."

Sunghoon immediately looked up, his eyes holding nothing but honesty as he shook his head. "I never hated you," he said softly.

Heeseung wanted to retort so badly. But seeing the gentle expression and genuine care in the other's features, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. "Then?"

"I can't explain it," Sunghoon shrugged, looking back down at their hands.

Heeseung sighed and dropped the topic, his eyes following Sunghoon's down to their hands once again. Something about seeing Sunghoon's smaller hands in his own made his heart jittery. It brought out a protective instinct in him that he didn't know he had. Sunghoon's hands looked so delicate and pretty, he just wanted to take care of them and make sure they never came under any harm.

He wanted to take care of him.

The thought surprised him. He never thought in a million years that he'd be feeling this way towards Park Sunghoon of all people. But he didn't hate it. If anything he somewhat welcomed the protective feeling, he almost wanted to act on it.

"Hoon," Heeseung called softly, the other boy's head snapping up to meet his gaze with an astonished look.

"Did you just give me a nickname??" Sunghoon asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Say it again."

Heeseung chuckled, immediately shaking his head. "It was a slip-up, you'll never hear it again."

"Please, Hyung, please?" The younger whined, shifting an inch closer to the older male.

"You're very whiny," Heeseung commented, the other glaring at him playfully before saying, "It's because you never give me what I want."

"And what do you want?"

"Call me Hoon."

Heeseung pretended to think, tapping his temple with his free hand as if contemplating. He then brought his fingers down to Sunghoon's cheek, poking him where his dimple would normally show with a firm, "No can do."

"You're no fun," Sunghoon mumbled, his cheeks turning a gentle pink under Heeseung's touch. Cute, he thought. So so cute. "But why did you call me?"

"Do you have a ride home? I could take you," Heeseung offered, although it barely took him a second before he realized how dumb of a question that was. "Ah, your driver is probably waiting on you, isn't he? Never mind, it was a stupid question."

Sunghoon seemed taken aback at the offer, but his face immediately melted into a smile, Heeseung's finger falling into the dip of his dimple when his cheeks stretched. "I hadn't yet called him to pick me up. If your offer still stands, I'd like you to take me home."

Heeseung couldn't pretend like his heart wasn't racing. He'd never seen the other smile so brightly and so happy before. Yes Sunghoon was a smiley person, but this felt different and Heeseung wanted to see it again. He wanted to be the reason Sunghoon smiled like that.

What are these feelings, Lee Heeseung? You're becoming a fucking simp.

But he didn't care.

"Cute," He murmured, nodding as he let his hand drop back onto the bench. "I'll take you home. Are you in a rush?"

Sunghoon reddened at the quiet compliment, shaking his head at Heeseung's question. "Okay," Heeseung continued. "Wait for me by the main entrance. I'll go grab my keys, alright?"

"Can I come with you?" Sunghoon asked, his eyes pleading as he gave Heeseung's fingers a squeeze. 

Heeseung shrugged at the question saying, "I was only saying so for your ankle. If you want to come along, I won't stop you."

Sunghoon rolled his eyes. "I can walk an extra two minutes. If I can dance with a busted ankle, I can definitely walk."

"Wah, Hoonie is so strong isn't he," Heeseung teased, missing the way the other was gaping at him as he stood. "C'mon then, let's not waste time."

However, the boy fucking squealed instead of getting up, his fingers tightening around Heeseung's. "Say Hoonie again! Please, Hyung, please!"

With a groan, Heeseung turned away from Sunghoon and huffed, "I'm leaving with or without you."

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" the younger laughed, getting up on his feet as he waddled along, fingers still tightly laced around Heeseung's.

Fuck. Park Sunghoon was going to be the death of him one day.

<~>

Things changed very quickly over the week that followed.

For starters, Heeseung didn't go anywhere without seeing Park Sunghoon. And he didn't mean that literally. For example, he'd be at work, just minding his business, and he'd be checking out a customer and then his mind would go, 'Oh Sunghoon would love this drink'. Or he'd be doing his assignments then his mind would conjure up an image of Sunghoon smiling and telling him to come to take a break with him. He was gonna lose his damn mind.

Not to mention that he's also quite literally seeing him everywhere. He ran into him in the halls between lectures where the boy would smile and discreetly squeeze his hand as he walked by. Sunghoon stuck to his side as if glued during dance, earning the two of them weird glances from his friends and Yeonjun. He even went as far as to join Heeseung, Jake, and Jay for lunch, dragging along his best friend Kim Sunoo who was an absolute joy to be around so they didn't mind too much. Heck, Heeseung had even taken him to meet Jungwon after one of his checkups, which was astonishing considering it'd taken him ages to introduce Jake to him.

But what changed the most, was Heeseung himself. The man who was once buried with responsibility and walked around like a shell of who he used to be, had started to regain his shine. He felt lighter every day, his smiles more and more genuine with each passing day. And he wasn't an idiot. He knew Sunghoon was the reason. The younger made him feel safe in a way no one else did. He made him feel like it was okay to have time to breathe, it was okay to care for your own well-being as well. It was strange how much of an effect Sunghoon had on him, but Heeseung wasn't complaining.

"Heeseungie Hyung, hi~!"

What's the saying, speak of the devil or whatever it was, but as if right on cue, Sunghoon waltzed into the convenience store dressed in a hoodie that was way too large on him and a pair of baggy jeans. He looked adorable and Heeseung felt his heart lurch in his chest, but he ignored it as he waved at the boy from behind the counter. "Hi Hoon."

Sunghoon beamed brightly at the nickname before disappearing behind the aisles, returning a few minutes later with two energy drinks and a lollipop. "Oh are you new here?" the younger suddenly asked, quite obviously putting on an act as Heeseung scanned his items.

The older of the two chuckled, glancing down at the items in his hand saying, "No I'm not. I've been working here for a few months."

"That's impossible. I come here all the time, I would've noticed a cutie like you from miles away," the other hummed nonchalantly, holding his credit card out for Heeseung to take.

The older boy raised a brow as he took the card, tilting his head curiously as he asked, "Are you flirting with me right now?"

"Hmmm maybe," Sunghoon grinned cheekily, his fingers quickly unwrapping the lollipop as he spoke. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing considering you of all people blush from the lightest of touches," Heeseung teased, handing the boy his card. "But it was nice seeing you. Come again."

"Who said I'm leaving? I'm hanging out with you for the rest of your shift," Sunghoon announced, quickly rounding the counter before holding the lollipop to Heeseung's lips. "For you."

Heeseung glanced down at the candy, then up at Sunghoon with a raised brow. "Thank you. But don't you have anything better to do than to stay with me?"

The younger shook his head, taking a seat on Heeseung's stool leaning forward to rest his chin against the older's stomach, a smile on his lips. "I'm happy right here."

Heeseung smiled fondly around the lollipop, his fingers lightly combing through Sunghoon silky locks. "You're cute. Cuter than I expected," he hummed, reveling in the way Sunghoon beamed up at him, his cheeks all red and adorable as always.

"I'm not usually like this, I swear," The younger protested. "I'm only like this with you."

"So you're saying I make you weak?"

"What that's- No!" Sunghoon sputtered, his face practically lighting ablaze as he shoved Heeseung away, the older breaking into a fit of laughter at the reaction.

Sunghoon was always fun to tease. The way he fidgeted when he was losing the argument, the way his cheeks reddened, the way he whined. It was all adorable and Heeseung loved being the reason he was reacting that way.

"Cute," he said once again, his fingers taking hold of Sunghoon's chin so he wouldn't hide from him. "Very cute."

Sunghoon flushed further and leaned back in the stool, attempting to escape the older's grip, but Heeseung wasn't that easy to shake off. "Why are you so evil?" the younger mumbled, receiving a cheeky grin in response.

"Complimenting you is considered evil now?" Heeseung chuckled, his fingers moving up to squish Sunghoon's cheeks instead. 

"You're so evil. I hate you now," Sunghoon mumbled through puckered lips, the other chuckling and shaking his head.

"Bullshit. If you didn't hate me when I was an asshole to you then you definitely don't hate me now," the raven-haired male hummed, turning his attention away from Sunghoon when a customer walked up to the counter.

He felt Sunghoon's fingers curling around the back of his shirt as he served the customer. Something about the other's presence while he worked was pleasant. It brought his heart a warmth it wasn't used to.

After a minute or so, the boy turned back to Sunghoon once he was done, stopping when he felt icy fingers slip up his shirt, resting on the warm skin of his waist. Heeseung's mind was screaming at him to push Sunghoon away. Heeseung was never one for unnecessary touching, but the younger had weaseled his way behind his walls way long ago that he didn't have it in him to reject him anymore. He was putty in his hands and Sunghoon knew it.

"You're really pushing it right now, Park," the other scolded halfheartedly, turning properly to face the boy who was pouting up at him, his cold fingers squeezing Heeseung's sides gently.

"Don't be so cold," Sunghoon whined. "Call me Hoonie instead."

"Mmm, no can do," Heeseung teased, moving out of Sunghoon's grasp as he added, "Also your fingers are freezing, where have you been?"

"Out," the other answered, an odd defensive look flashing through his brown puppy eyes. Heeseung was taken aback, but he didn't let it show. Sunghoon, he'd come to learn, was an open book. He never hid his happiness, sadness, or anything. He wore his heart on his sleeve and Heeseung loved it. But even so, he couldn't push Sunghoon into speaking if he didn't want to.

"Do you want to come to the hospital with me later?" he hummed, picking up Sunghoon's cold hands in his own warm ones, enveloping them completely in hopes of warming them up for him.

"Oh, are you visiting your brother?" Sunghoon asked, receiving a firm nod in response. "Then I'll join you. He's so adorable."

Heeseung raised a brow and leaned back against the counter, unconsciously running his thumbs over the tops of the other's hands as he joked, "Wow, nice to know you already prefer my brother over me."

Offended, Sunghoon shook his head at the accusation and whined, "That's not true! You're my number one, you know that!"

"How would I know~? You never tell me," the older of the two chuckled, his heart melting at the adorable pout that slipped onto the younger's lips. God, he was so cute. He was unintentionally cute too and that alone was something that made Heeseung completely weak for him.

"I hold your hand. You know I don't let anyone else do that," the boy argued, Heeseung pretending to think about it which earned him another whine, "Hyung! You do know!"

"I do I do~ Don't get upset, Hoonie, I was just teasing," the taller chuckled, letting go of one of Sunghoon's hands to affectionately pat his cheek.

"Evil," Sunghoon mumbled, his fingers once again curling around Heeseung's shirt when the other turned away from him to work.

Heeseung was running more on muscle memory than anything else as he served the small line of customers. His mind was busy dissecting his own feelings. He had admitted a few things to himself that were mildly concerning. One, Sunghoon didn't leave his mind at all times. Two, Sunghoon brought butterflies to his stomach. Three, he was wrapped around Sunghoon's finger. Four, Sunghoon was the only person who made him feel alive while he struggled. Every inch of his mind he was telling him that it was time to pull away and hide from the person who was confusing him. But his heart was telling him something that he refused to acknowledge for quite some time. 

He might have feelings for Park Sunghoon.

Having that realization while said boy was right behind him was definitely a different experience. But he knew for a fact he wouldn't act on the thought. For starters, he had no idea if Sunghoon would ever feel the same. After all, they'd only just started getting on good terms, it was too soon. But more importantly, Heeseung didn't want to risk losing the only source of true comfort and stability at this time of his life.

Distracted, Heeseung hadn't realized he'd gone through all the customers till Sunghoon tugged on his shirt, breaking him out of his mind. "Hm?" he asked, turning back around to face the boy who was looking up at him with furrowed brows.

"You were zoning out," Sunghoon mumbled, his brows creasing further with worry. "What's on your mind, Hyung?"

"Nothing serious, don't worry your pretty little head over it, okay?" Heeseung cooed, gently smoothing down the wrinkles between Sunghoon's brows with his thumb, a satisfied smile slipping onto his lips when the other flushed.

"Annoying," Sunghoon grumbled with a shake of his head.

"You love me."

"I do."

The rest of Heeseung's shift passed by in a breeze. Sunghoon completely took his mind off work with his rambles and his touches and Heeseung found himself enjoying the time rather than dreading it as he usually did. And there was no other explanation as to why but Park Sunghoon. Maybe this is why he started to fall for the boy he once considered a nemesis. 

He couldn't believe he once hated that man. Yet here they were, walking into Jungwon's room, Sunghoon's now warm fingers laced tightly with his own, his smaller frame leaning against his side. Heeseung knew he shouldn't like it. He knew he shouldn't let Sunghoon get so close. But did he care? Not one bit.

Not even when his mischievous younger brother and his equally as bad boyfriend, met his eyes with teasing smiles. He kept the younger close to his side anyway and hummed, "Hi Wonie. Hi Jay."

"Hi Hyung! and Hoon Hyung!" Jungwon beamed up at the two, dropping his head back into Jay's neck who was quiet and busy working on his laptop for once instead of making noise.

"How are you feeling today?" Heeseung asked his brother as he led Sunghoon over to the couch, taking a seat beside him.

"Fine actually. Jay Hyung was with me all day and he was actually fun for once," Jungwon teased, Jay rolling his eyes and scoffing as he lightly flicked the youngest boy's forehead. "Why am I always the subject of jokes, hm?"

Heeseung chuckled, running his free hand through his hair as he joked, "Because you deserve it. Anyways, did Dr. Kang come by today?"

Jungwon nodded. "She wants you to go up to her office. She asked me to tell you when you came."

Surprised, Heeseung paused for a moment, raising a confused brow to which Jungwon simply shrugged in response. With a sigh, he carefully unraveled Sunghoon from around his arm, pinching his cheek gently. "I'll be back. Keep an eye on Jay for me."

Sunghoon giggled quietly, and nodded, the soft sound combined with the sweet smile on his lips sending another wave of butterflies straight to Heeseung's stomach. God, he was so so cute. It really wasn't fair.

"Be nice, Heeseungie Hyung," he scolded the other playfully but nodded anyway. "But I will. Don't take too long."

"Or what? You'll miss me?" Heeseung chuckled, Sunghoon flushing in embarrassment, looking away from the older boy.

"That's-"

"Okay, that's enough, you two are more disgusting than we are," Jay interrupted the two of them, Heeseung turning to him with a half-hearted glare.

"Fuck you, Jongseong," The eldest scoffed, Jay smiling at him in response with his signature, "When and where?" that earned him a smack from Jungwon.

With a chuckle, Heeseung forced himself out of the room, leaving behind the sounds of Jungwon and Jay arguing with Sunghoon giggling at the two. Frankly, he would rather stay with them than go anywhere else, especially not to Dr. Kang's office. He always dreaded the conversations with her as he knew they'd bring nothing but bad news about Jungwon's condition. All the happiness he had garnered over the day was starting to dissipate into a sense of dread and anxiety instead.

Entering the office after being given permission, Heeseung smiled politely at the older woman, the smile quite obviously failing to hide his nerves, bowing his head as he spoke, "Good evening, doctor."

"Evening? Please it's barely four, Heeseung," Dr. Kang chuckled, gesturing for him to sit. "But don't look so scared. I've got good news for once."

Curiosity and relief flooded the boy's veins as he sat down in front of her desk, sitting on the edge of his seat. It was very rare for him to hear good news since the day Jungwon was admitted, after all, his condition was life-threatening and isn't easy to cope with. So hearing her words was both a shock to his system but an instant breath of fresh air.

"That's a relief. What is it, doctor?"

"You've been sponsored."

Heeseung's mind went blank. "I'm sorry, what?"

Dr. Kang chuckled, a fond smile on her lips as she pushed what appeared to be a letter across the desk, Heeseung picking up the paper gingerly in between numb hands. His heart felt like it was going to burst as he scanned the contents of the paper.

I'd like to cover the full costs of the surgery and the transportation. I'd also like to request the earliest possible surgery date.

Heeseung didn't know how to feel. His whole body felt numb. His mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts that held no coherency.

"When?" he managed to ask, his voice shaky with emotion as he glanced up at the woman.

"A few days ago. It's the hospital director's son. He said that he ran into your brother by chance and didn't like seeing him in that state and wanted to help," she explained, gesturing towards the paper in his hands once again. "His name and contact details are at the bottom if you'd like to talk to him."

Heeseung scanned the rest of the paper, feeling nothing but disbelief. The sponsor wasn't asking for repayment and anything in return. It was insane to him. He didn't understand how or why anyone could be so nice without an ulterior motive and it scared him. But he was ready to do anything if it meant his brother still had a fighting chance and if he had to live in debt for the rest of his life then so be it.

"This is.." he started, trailing off as he glanced up at the doctor. "I'm sorry, I just- I can't believe it."

"That's understandable. But this is a golden opportunity. I'm thankful for Sunghoon. That boy has been nothing but an absolute angel to patients, but this is new for him," Dr. Kang hummed nonchalantly, unaware of the way Heeseung froze, his heart coming to a halt in his chest at her words.

"Did you say Sunghoon??" he asked, his mind in a mild panic as he scanned the bottom of the paper, his jaw dropping in utter disbelief. Lo and behold in very familiar handwriting were letters spelling out Park Sunghoon, accompanied by a signature and a phone number he knew like the back of his hand.

It was all starting to click. Sunghoon being the son of the hospital director, of course, he'd be able to afford such a surgery. Sunghoon asking to see Jungwon almost every day for the past week. Sunghoon worrying about his intense schedule and trying to lift his burdens. He didn't have to do all of that. Yet he did and he went above and beyond.

Heeseung felt undeserving of such help. He'd spent months being a complete and total dick to Sunghoon because of his jealousy. But Sunghoon worried about him first, took the first few steps to fix their relationship, and became a valuable presence in Heeseung's life.

"You know him?" the woman asked, receiving a nod. "He's a good friend of mine," he explained, running his eyes over the paper again.

Dr. Kang smiled and carefully plucked the letter out of Heeseung's hands, setting it aside as she spoke, "I'd love to have you for longer but I've got work to return to. Why don't you go tell Jungwon the news? I'm sure he'd be happy to hear it."

Heeseung nodded and bowed his head politely as he left, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. He couldn't believe how much of an angel Sunghoon was. It didn't feel real. He was so overwhelmed with all these different emotions, yet one simple phrase was churning in his mind louder than anything else.

He likes Park Sunghoon.

There was no denying it, especially not when Park Sunghoon had swooped in like a literal fucking angel and stolen his once shattered shell of heart, picking up the pieces and gluing them together, filling it up with life again when he didn't have to.

He was completely head over heels for that boy and he didn't know what took him so long to admit it.

In what felt like seconds, Heeseung was back in front of Jungwon's room, his mind searching for one person and one person only. He only needed his presence and no one else's. Pushing the door open, Heeseung's stomach burst with what he could describe as a zoo when he met Sunghoon's once smiling but now shocked eyes.

His lips were moving as if talking to him, but Heeseung couldn't hear anything as he scanned the beautiful angel in front of him. The angel who looked nothing special in his jeans and hoodie with his messy hair, but to Heeseung he was perfect and he couldn't take his eyes off him.

He had barely realized he'd been standing like some sort of statue until Sunghoon was in front of him, his expression worried as his warm fingers cupped Heeseung's cheeks.

"You're crying, Hyung, what's wrong?" the younger murmured, his thumbs lightly brushing under the older's eyes to flick away the tears Heeseung hadn't even realized were running down his face.

I like you, he wanted to say. But it was stupid and he knew it.

"I hate you so much," Heeseung began, his voice breaking mid-sentence as more tears built up behind his eyes. Pressing his lips together in a pathetic attempt to will them away, he tugged Sunghoon flush against his chest, holding him in a bone-crushing hug. "I don't fucking deserve you. You're an angel. An absolute fucking angel."

Sunghoon was still for a moment, but his rigid muscles soon relaxed as he returned the hug, lightly pulling Heeseung's head into his neck as he murmured, "You don't deserve me because you deserve better than me."

"What can be better than you?" Heeseung chuckled, the sound more of a pathetic sob, as he buried his face in the boy's neck, nuzzling it affectionately. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Of course, I had to. I couldn't stand seeing you and Jungwon suffer for so long and since I could help, I wanted to," Sunghoon explained, his fingers curling tightly around the back of Heeseung's shirt, his other hand lightly threading through his hair. "But why are you crying?"

"I'm just overwhelmed," the eldest sniffled, taking a deep breath after speaking which almost instantly calmed his nerves. He was engulfed in the younger's clean but sweet vanilla-like scent and something about it made him melt.

"Is everything okay, Hyung?"

Heeseung glanced over Sunghoon's shoulder at his brother who was sitting upright, his cat-like eyes carrying worry that he never wanted to see.

"Yes, Wonie. Everything's fine," He answered, burying his face into Sunghoon's neck, a soft smile slipping on his lips when he felt the other shudder at his touch.

Heeseung couldn't deny it for much longer. He was whipped. And he had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

<~>

"You like him, don't you?"

Heeseung groaned and nodded, letting his head fall back against Jake's couch with a frustrated sigh. "I do. I like him a lot."

The Australian grinned, crossing his legs as he turned to sit sideways to face the boy who was currently losing his mind over his love life. "For how long?" he asked, handing Heeseung one of his many plushies to hold.

Heeseung sighed once again and accepted the plushie, burying his face in the soft teddy with a third sad sigh. It was his first day off in ages and he wanted nothing more than to stay home all day but he was simply too restless. His mind was filled with a certain boy he hadn't seen often since the day at the hospital.

Over the past week, he hadn't seen Sunghoon almost at all besides brief hugs in the halls. Not even in dance. Their practice time has been split up for their groups and because of their previous conflict, they weren't in the same group. 

Heeseung would be lying if he said he didn't miss him. He missed his cheerful laughter and his pretty smile. Sunghoon was his happy pill and he hadn't realized how much he looked forward to their time together until he no longer had it. However, the time apart was quite frankly a good opportunity for him to really think about his feelings. Initially, he had doubts that maybe it was just his immense gratitude for the boy who stuck by his side when he didn’t ask for it and saved him and his brother from a lot of hardship.

But no it was deeper than that. Heeseung liked every part of Sunghoon. He liked his beautiful puppy eyes that expressed every emotion that ran over his face as if they were TV screens. He liked his soft nose that contrasted his sharp jawline. He liked his pretty pink lips that stretched into the brightest of smiles, revealing adorable fang-like canines and dimples. He liked how tiny Sunghoon was in comparison to his own larger frame. He liked how his smaller hands slotted perfectly in his own. He liked making Sunghoon laugh, he liked the sound of his giggles. He liked listening to the boy who claimed he was an introvert ramble on and on about the littlest of things while he played with his fingers. He liked everything about Sunghoon.

He just liked Sunghoon.

“I’m not sure. But I like him. For real,” Heeseung answered his best friend, Jake beaming brighter at the confession.

“Not gonna lie, never in a million years did I expect that the day you finally found a partner it would be Hoon of all people,” he chuckled, the other rolling his eyes playfully at his words.

“Things are different now. No need to bring up the past,” the older hummed, sighing softly as his mind flitted back to the beautiful boy he’s completely enamored with. “I miss him.”

Jake snorted and ran his fingers through his hair with a shake of his head. “Do you want to see what he’s been up to?”

“You make me sound like a stalker. But no. He would’ve told me if he wanted me to know,” Heeseung chuckled and shook his head.

“Oh trust me he’ll probably be happy to see you,” Jake shook his head and pushed himself off the couch, holding a hand out for Heeseung to take. “C’mon Hyung. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

With a sigh, the older boy stood with the help of his best friend’s hand, running his fingers through his messy dark hair saying, “Dibs not driving.”

Jake groaned with a shake of his head. “It’s literally your car!”

“Okay and? I’m not in the mood to drive,” the eldest smiled innocently and tossed his keys to the other before following him out of his small apartment.

Although he wasn’t showing it, Heeseung was excited to see Sunghoon again. He’d been missing him so much more than anyone would expect. However, a part of him wasn’t fully comfortable with seeing Sunghoon in this situation. He knew the boy hadn’t told him everything about himself and he was okay with that. He was planning to wait until Sunghoon was comfortable enough to open up to him on his own accord. Yet, he couldn’t help but be curious. Sunghoon did tend to disappear for hours without warning but it was quite systematic. On weekdays, he usually disappeared from around seven in the evening to around ten. Weekends were more random so Heeseung hadn’t yet figured out that schedule. Heeseung had many theories in mind as to what he was doing, but he didn't entertain them, opting to wait until Sunghoon told him himself.

Which clearly was never going to happen as he watched Jake park at an unfamiliar building that he assumed Sunghoon was at. The building was large and weathered, with the words 'training center' painted on the front above the glass double doors leading inside.

Training center? What sort of training and why would Sunghoon be here? Didn't he have an ankle injury?

"Jake, where are we?" Heeseung asked curiously, glancing over at his friend who was busy typing away on his phone.

"You'll see. But come on. He'll be done in like five minutes and I wanna catch at least a minute," Jake hummed, quickly climbing out the car with the raven-haired boy following along.

"I hate it when you and Jay say vague shit like this."

"Love you too, Hyung."

Heeseung chuckled and shook his head but continued to follow after Jake anyway. The other seemed very familiar with the building and that confused Heeseung. He knew the two were close but it seemed like he came here often. A little too often for Heeseung's liking.

The thoughts were immediately tossed out of his mind when Jake opened a large door and the two of them were blasted with ice cold air, spreading goosebumps all over Heeseung's skin.

"Jesus Christ, why is it so cold?" the older complained, rubbing over his exposed arms with his palms. He was dressed in a tee and loose jeans as it was warm out and there was no reason for him to be wearing a jacket. He hadn't exactly expected Jake to bring him to… where even was he?

Stepping past the doorway, Heeseung's eyes widened as he took in the scenery. They were at an ice skating rink. And not just any ice skating rink, but the one used by national athletes. He'd seen it on TV a few times so he was quickly able to recognize it. But what captivated him most was the familiar side profile who was standing against the railing, talking to what Heeseung assumed was a coach.

Something about Sunghoon on the ice made so much sense. Although he was just standing there in a turtleneck and sweats, he looked like he belonged. He looked ethereal.

"Oops I think we're too late," Jake hummed, nudging Heeseung gently to break him from his thoughts. "Close your mouth, Hyung. You look dumb."

"Hanging out with Jay is changing you," Heeseung rolled his eyes playfully and pursed his lips, before finding Sunghoon once again. The boy was now climbing out of the rink before limping his way over to the bleachers to sit. Heeseung watched as he took a sip of his water, his heart lurching in his chest. Sunghoon was so pretty, so beautiful, and with his newfound feelings, he couldn't help but feel weak for him.

Without thinking, he approached the gorgeous skater and crouched in front of him, his fingers already busying themselves with the laces of his skates as he nonchalantly hummed, "Why would you do this with a busted ankle?"

Sunghoon made a strangled sound, flinching in surprise as he set his water down. "Hyung??" he yelled, the older male looking up at him with a laugh.

"Surprise?" Heeseung smiled sheepishly, looking back down at the skate he was pulling off, not really thinking about his actions as his fingers started to lightly massage the ankle that he knew was injured.

"What are you doing here? How'd you know to come here? And why the hell are you only wearing a t-shirt, are you trying to get hypothermia?" Sunghoon rambled, attempting to jerk his foot away from Heeseung as he added, "Wait my socks are sweaty, don't touch-"

"Calm down, Hoonie," Heeseung cooed, his free hand coming up to hold the frantic younger's chin, his smile turning softer when he saw how Sunghoon visibly melted at his touch. "Jake brought me. I didn't even know what was happening till we got here, hence the fit. And who cares if you're sweaty? It's not the first time I've dealt with that."

Sunghoon sighed, staying silent for a moment, most likely absorbing the situation properly. "Sorry, I just didn't expect to see you here. But it's a nice surprise! I missed you!"

"Likewise~" Heeseung chuckled, turning his attention back to Sunghoon's ankle that was clearly swollen. "But Hoon this looks worse than before."

"I may have taken a bad fall today at training-"

"Sunghoon, what the fuck!"

"It was an accident!" the pale boy whined, his signature adorable pout on his lips.

Heeseung sighed disapprovingly and shook his head saying, "You need time off."

"No can do, I've got nationals in a few months," Sunghoon shook his head as well, picking Heeseung's face up between his hands, meeting his eyes with a bright smile. "But hi, you look so pretty today."

"Says the boy who looks like a total prince. I almost fell for you right then and there."

Sunghoon flushed in humiliation, his eyes dropping to his lap. However, he didn't get a chance to respond as Jake interrupted them with a loud, "Okay! Y'all are gross! That's enough!"

Heeseung rolled his eyes and made quick work of helping Sunghoon into his trainers before moving to sit beside him on the bench. "You really are turning into Jay."

Jake gasped as if offended, but his bright grin betrayed him. "That hurt~" he joked, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Anyways, I'm heading home. You two have fun though."

"My car keys, please," Heeseung hummed, holding a hand out. "And how are you getting home?"

"A friend's picking me up so don't worry," the Australian spoke with a smile and tossed Heeseung the keys before immediately heading for the door. "Call me later, yeah?"

"Will do! Take care!" the eldest called with a wave, glancing back towards Sunghoon with a warm smile. "So you skate, huh?"

"No way, how'd you know?" the pale boy teased as he ran his fingers through his hair, causing his partner to chuckle.

“Wild guess,” Heeseung grinned, glancing over at Sunghoon’s free hand before taking it in his own. The other didn’t even bother hiding his surprise at the gesture as he gasped before lacing their fingers tightly together. Up until this point, Heeseung had never initiated any of the hand holding as Sunghoon usually beat him to it. But seeing the sparkle in Sunghoon’s eyes at the gesture was enough to convince him to do it more often.

“Are you busy today?” Heeseung spoke up, Sunghoon immediately shaking his head with a curious, “Why?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over and spend the day with me,” the older smiled, bringing his other hand up to brush Sunghoon’s bangs away from his forehead, his smile turning smug at the way the younger reddened at his touch.

But Sunghoon’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, his embarrassment long forgotten as he nodded furiously. “I’d love that! You don’t mind if I shower and change at yours?”

“Of course I don’t, my home is your home too.”

“You’re the best,” Sunghoon beamed brightly and scooted closer to the taller boy, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. Heeseung felt his heart stop. It wasn’t that proximity was new for them, they’ve held hands and hugged countless times, but this was different. It was intimate in a way that Heeseung couldn’t handle.

For the first time, he blushed.

He actually fucking blushed.

He could already hear Sunghoon squealing in his ear and asking to see it again. Just give him a moment.

3

2

1

and-

“Oh my gosh you’re blushing, Hyung! You look so pretty! Please please please, can I take a photo??”

Bingo. Too bad Sunghoon was just adorable and Heeseung secretly loved his whines.

If it were any other day, he would’ve gotten irritated and shot Sunghoon a snarky comment, but instead, he leaned over and boldly pressed the swiftest and lightest of pecks to Sunghoon’s cheeks, the touch barely there that he wasn’t sure if he even felt it. But Sunghoon very obviously felt it, his cheeks burning a bright red that Heeseung found so incredibly pretty. Sunghoon was simply too pretty. It was unhealthy for his poor heart.

“I’ll be outside, I’m freezing in here. Don’t make me wait,” Heeseung hummed and quickly escaped the rink, leaving a stunned Sunghoon behind, the boy just sitting there with a hand cradling his cheek.

Frankly, Heeseung had no idea what came over him. He was never one to be impulsive and do something like this. But he just couldn’t help it. His feelings were too strong and Sunghoon was simply irresistible.

Hopefully, the rest of the day would go smoothly without him pulling any more stupid shit.

Which proved to be much harder than he expected.

Seeing Sunghoon call for him as he waddled out of his bathroom dressed in a hoodie that he’d borrowed from him that was too large for him, a frustrated pout on his lips was simply too much for his heart to handle.

“Hyung can you help?” Sunghoon whined, holding a hairdryer in his hands. “It hurts to stand for too long but I hate leaving my hair wet.”

Heeseung chuckled fondly as he gestured for Sunghoon to sit beside him on the edge of the couch. “Poor Hoonie~” he cooed. “It’s okay, Hyung will help.”

Sunghoon flushed but didn’t argue as he took a seat, holding the appliance up for the other. “I’m not a baby, you know.”

“Yet you love it when I baby you, don’t you?” Heeseung teased, getting up to plug the hairdryer in, leaving the younger grumbling incoherently behind him. “Cute.”

“Quit it,” Sunghoon whimpered helplessly.

The older turned to face him, a bright grin on his lips. He loved teasing Sunghoon so much and seeing him all red and flustered was always a treat. Without responding, he moved to kneel behind Sunghoon, turning on the hairdryer to get to work. The living room was quiet, only the sound of the buzzing appliance circulating around them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt natural. Heeseung felt like this was just a normal part of life. Sunghoon felt like he belonged in his life. It was odd, but he didn’t care. He was more concerned about cherishing every moment with him properly.

“And done,” Heeseung announced, smoothing down Sunghoon’s now dry hair with his hands after turning off the noisy machine.

"Thank you~" Sunghoon sang, a smile on his lips as he looked up at Heeseung, the older lightly tapping his perfect nose in response.

"I'll go put this away, you think about what you want for lunch, alright?"

Sunghoon nodded and playfully saluted Heeseung, the other chuckling at his adorable gesture before heading to the bathroom.

He couldn't stop the scoff that left his lips at the state of the room. Sunghoon’s belongings were all over the place, clothes on the counter and floor along with random items. Heeseung didn't mind it very much considering he himself was a complete mess sometimes, but he couldn't believe that prim and proper Park Sunghoon was such a mess. Yet there were many things he didn't think Park Sunghoon could be that turned out to be true so he shouldn't be too surprised.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that Sunghoon-ah," Heeseung sighed in faux exasperation as he returned to the living room once he'd cleaned up after the boy. Sunghoon glanced up at him from where he was curled on his couch with a sheepish smile.

"Oops?" he offered, setting his phone aside. "I'm not usually like this, I swear."

"Are you gonna hit me with another 'you make me weak' moment?" the older chuckled and flopped on the other end of the couch.

Cheeks red with embarrassment, Sunghoon sat up and whined, "That was never an excuse! It's a narrative you started that never existed, to begin with!"

"Your face is betraying you," Heeseung teased.

"You're a bully."

"You love me."

"Not anymore."

"So you loved me at some point?"

Sunghoon reddened further, reaching over to smack Heeseung's shoulder who simply laughed and crossed his arms over his chest with a cheeky grin. The younger huffed and turned away from him, patting his face furiously as if to calm it down. With a chuckle, Heeseung scooted closer to his friend, wrapping him in a hug from behind as he cooed, "Am I upsetting little Hoonie?"

"Don't say things like that! It's so gross!" Sunghoon groaned, covering his face with his hands. Heeseung half expected him to move out of his grasp, but instead, the boy turned in his arms, peeking up at him through his fingers. "I hate you."

"No you don't, you definitely don't," Heeseung beamed, pinching his sides gently before dropping his arms and leaning back against the couch.

"How would you know?" Sunghoon grumbled, curling up to the cushions, his body so close to Heeseung's, the other could practically feel his warmth.

Ironically, his heart started to race. You'd think after initiating all this contact himself he'd be fine with them simply sitting so close together. After all, they've done it many times. Maybe it was because they were alone at home or maybe it was because the other was wearing his clothes but it felt too intimate.

Please he's talking as if he didn't fucking kiss Sunghoon's cheek earlier. Intimate my ass, he thought.

"You're basically cuddling up to me right now, no?" Heeseung hummed, lightly bouncing his thigh which Sunghoon's knees were resting against.

"Doesn't mean I love you," the younger protested, scooting closer to Heeseung so he was fully curled in his side, his head against his shoulder. Heeseung felt his heart skip a beat. Feeling Sunghoon's warmth and his weight against his side was comforting. It was like a warm hug from his favorite teddy bear. He wanted nothing more than to wrap him up properly in his arms and hold him, but that would be pushing the limits.

"Well, you also didn't slap me for kissing you earlier."

In an instant, the younger had flung himself to the end of the couch again, his face once again the color of a cherry. Something about his reaction made Heeseung feel smug. Something about it told him that he had the same effect on the younger that he had on him.

"We don't speak about that!! I thought I was gonna die of a heart attack!" Sunghoon cried, covering his mouth with his hands to muffle his volume.

Heeseung grinned and scooted closer to Sunghoon, trapping him against the arm of the couch with his arms on either side of him. "But that means you didn't hate it, did you?" he asked, raising a brow as he spoke.

Sunghoon gulped, Heeseung's eyes immediately dropping to his Adam's apple. It was such a simple reaction, but it made him more determined to pull a reaction out of him. And maybe even take the final step forward.

"I didn't," the younger admitted quietly, bringing his hands away from his face to rest them on Heeseung's chest instead. Sunghoon's eyes shined with a strange vulnerability that Heeseung hadn't seen before, but he didn't seem to hate the situation so the older didn't move away.

"Have you by any chance fallen for me, Sunghoon-ah?" Heeseung hummed, his demeanor calmer than he really felt. He didn't know how he was being this bold, but he was going to fully embrace the sudden confidence.

Sunghoon's eyes widened comically, his mouth falling open helplessly. He looked like a deer caught in headlights and Heeseung found him adorable. 

But that was enough for him to know the response. He couldn't help but chuckle, affectionately bringing a hand up to cup Sunghoon's jaw. "Don't worry about answering, I think I already know."

"You do?" the younger whispered, clearly distressed as his fingers curled around the fabric of Heeseung's shirt. "And you're not bothered by it?"

"Of course not. Because I like you too," Heeseung smiled reassuringly. "Why else would I kiss you, dumbass?"

Sunghoon turned a deep red, leaning into the older's gentle touch. He was so cute, like a little kitten. Heeseung was gonna go insane. He was so whipped, it wasn't even an exaggeration anymore.

"I don't know, I thought you were just messing with me or something," the pale skater whined, sliding his hands up to Heeseung's nape, lightly toying with the hair at the back of his head.

Heeseung was immediately putty in his hands. He loved having his hair played with and Sunghoon's hands were so so gentle and applied just the right amount of pressure, he was officially in love.

"We may have hated each other but I would never be this cruel," the older boy murmured, letting his eyes fall shut as he relished the other's touch.

Sunghoon hummed quietly before sighing, causing the other to open an eye to look at him, finding the other with a sad but earnest expression on his features. "I never hated you, I just- I don't know how to explain it- It's so stupid because I was attracted to you from day one. We just didn't get along for whatever reason and I just didn't know what to do but go along with it."

Heeseung frowned, guilt immediately eating him alive. He sat upright beside the younger boy, Sunghoon immediately doing the same, eyes more concerned as he took Heeseung's larger hands in his own. It was funny, they've held hands countless times, yet this time felt different. But it still brought Heeseung the same amount of comfort as always. Sunghoon just had that effect on him.

"There was no reason for my actions, Hoon, and I sincerely apologize," Heeseung began, meeting the younger's eyes with nothing but regret and honesty. "I'll be honest, I was jealous. You're rich, all these people love you and respect you, Yeonjun Hyung was giving you all these opportunities. Of course, it's fucking dumb of me to judge but from my perspective, you were simply getting handed everything. And I hated you for it. And I was stupid for it."

"Hyung, I don't blame you," Sunghoon spoke softly, giving his hands comforting squeezes. "I envied you as well."

Heeseung raised a brow, completely astonished. "I have nothing to offer?"

The younger seemed completely offended by the statement, letting go of Heeseung's hands to grip his shirt collar instead. "Excuse you?? Nothing to offer??? You're the best producer in our faculty, even the teachers ask you for advice sometimes. You worked so hard to get your academic skills and dance skills to the levels they're at now, it's something admirable. And your friends, you have no idea how much I envied your bond. Jay and Jakey are such amazing people. Sure I had many people surrounding me, but they all want nothing but to say that they're friends with 'Park Sunghoon' and use my money. I only had Sunoo. I've always wanted nothing more than friendships like you had."

Sunghoon paused, his grip tightening as he glanced away from Heeseung momentarily, his cheeks lighting ablaze once again as he continued, "And you're fucking gorgeous. You're tall, you have a beautiful face, your talking voice is sexy as hell but your singing voice is like an angel."

Heeseung couldn't help the laughter that escaped his lips, covering his mouth with one hand. "Don't say you liked me from day one."

"I did," Sunghoon giggled, letting go of Heeseung's now wrinkled shirt to hold onto his arm instead. "I liked you since day one and just didn't know how to act."

"Maybe we should've gotten our shit together earlier. Maybe we could've been dating by now," Heeseung teased, bringing his arm around his newfound lover's shoulders to hold him flush against his side, reveling in the way his blush darkened even more.

"I guess so."

The two descended into silence, just enjoying each other's warmth. To be fair, a lot had just transpired between them and they did need a moment to absorb everything. However, there was something Heeseung was dying to know.

"Hyung-"

"Hoon-"

Glancing over at each other, the two burst into a fit of laughter, Sunghoon letting his head fall into Heeseung's chest. It was so cute.

Heeseung thought everything he did was cute.

"You go first," the younger giggled breathlessly, sitting up in Heeseung's embrace.

"How come you don't speak about your skating career?" the older asked curiously.

Sunghoon shrugged a little, not fazed at all by the question which eased Heeseung's nerves. He'd been worried the topic was uncomfortable for him to talk about. "I don't want any pressure on me from the assholes at uni. I'd rather them think it's my father's money than know about my competitions. Lord knows they'll start showing up at my competitions and fuck with my head."

"Understandable," Heeseung nodded, patting the other's back gently. "How come Jake knew?"

"He took me to the hospital when I hurt my ankle," Sunghoon explained, nuzzling back into Heeseung's arms, the older wasting no time in cuddling him protectively to his chest. "That's how we met actually. I was walking home after that practice because I was so frustrated and needed air since I just wasn't landing my jumps. I didn't realize I was injured until I just collapsed and couldn't walk. Jake for whatever reason was near the stadium that day-"

"He plays soccer."

"Oh!! That suits him!" Sunghoon gasped before returning back to his story. "But yeah he found me crying on the sidewalk like a little bitch and helped me and yeah we've been friends since."

"You didn't have to phrase it like that," Heeseung chuckled, pecking his forehead lovingly.

"I did look pathetic though," the boy shrugged.

"Mmm if you say so~ But what did you want to ask?"

Sunghoon perked up immediately, a cheeky smile on his lips. "Can I kiss you?"

Heeseung's mind went blank. So far he'd been the bolder one in their relationship so hearing Sunghoon say something like that was jarring but very attractive.

"If you really wanted to you would've done it already," the older responded cooly, already recovered from the initial shock of the question.

Immediately, Sunghoon's shy nature returned, his face turning bright red as he smacked his lover's chest. "That's not how that works!!"

"It is when you're with me so kiss me or regret it for the rest of your life."

That seemed to be all the provocation Sunghoon needed. In one swift movement, the younger had straddled Heeseung's lap, crashing his lips against his in a sweet but passionate kiss. Immediately, Heeseung felt like he was in heaven. Sunghoon's lips were soft with a hint of chapstick that tasted vaguely of strawberries. He was hooked.

Tilting his head to deepen the kiss, Heeseung brought his hands to Sunghoon's waist, pulling him flush against his chest, swallowing the barely-there whimper the other released. 

That was too good of a sound, oh god. He wanted- no needed to hear it again.

Gently, he sunk his teeth into Sunghoon bottom lip, satisfaction filling his chest at the pretty sound the younger made as he frantically gripped his shirt, bringing him even closer which he didn't think was possible.

Sliding his hands up Sunghoon's sides, the older slowly pulled away, a small chuckle leaving his lips when the boy chased them as if desperate for another kiss.

"As nice as that was, we can't just kiss all day," the older cooed, placing his hand over Sunghoon's lips to stop him. He whined, a typical reaction, and tugged Heeseung's hand away, revealing his signature pout. 

But he looked beautiful. His eyes were sparkling as if they held all the stars of the universe in them. His face carried a soft pink flush that only seemed to intensify the longer he stared. His lips were a darker shade of pink and ever so slightly swollen.

He looked stunning.

"And what's wrong with that? If two people like each other, they can kiss and cuddle if they want to."

"You're suddenly all brave and bold, what's this~" Heeseung teased, satisfied with the pout on the other’s lips.

"Shut up and kiss me."

With a cheeky grin, he happily obliged, capturing his lover’s lips in a passionate kiss.

Who would've thought that Lee Heeseung would end up falling for Park Sunghoon; his angel who once wore a devil's disguise.