Chapter Text
Loud knocks stir Jisung awake. He cranks his neck out of his cocoon to squint at his door, only to realize the sound is coming from their apartment door. Jisung groans, pulling up his blanket and wills whoever heathen behind the door is away.
Ji, I forgot my keys! Please, I know you’re in there!
Oh, it’s Felix! His mind supplies.
Felix, his roommate, is someone he’s never had a fight with. Ever since they shared a dorm during freshman year, they were inseparable. And Jisung would go to great lengths just to make Felix happy but leaving his soft, comfortable bed, still lingering in dreamland, to open the door is…
I’ve got cheesecake!
a small sacrifice to make for such a wonderful friend.
Jisung jumps off his bed at the mention of a sweet present, not even bothering to check his post-nap (if five hours of unconsciousness is still considered a nap) appearance. He opens the door with a bright smile and
“Cheesecake?”
Felix laughs and hands him a small box. Jisung holds it to his chest, vibrating from happiness. His little celebration dance is interrupted when someone clears their throat.
When Jisung looks up, he thought he died because there’s no way that’s not an angel. Hold up- I don’t think I’ll be accepted in heaven though…
“Ji, this is my partner for a project, Changbin. Bin, this is Jisung.”
“Hi. I’m Changbin.” The hot beefcake, no, the gym rat that Jisung wants to sit on his face, no- Felix’s friend stretches his hand out in greeting.
Jisung not wanting to be rude (and miss the chance to touch Changbin), accepts the firm handshake. Damn, I wonder how it’d feel around my n-
“Yeah, so we thought it’d be convenient to crash here.” Felix walks past Jisung, signaling Changbin to follow along.
And Jisung just stands there, not-so-subtly checking Changbin out. He’s in an all-black ensemble, just a plain shirt, joggers, and boots that are probably giving him an extra inch or two.
“Nice boots.” Jisung blurts out before he could even process his whole thought.
“Thanks.” Changbin looks down before turning to him with a smug smile. “Nice boxers.” He doesn’t wait for a reply before following Felix to their living room.
And so, Jisung is still standing there. Now bound by the horror of his (recently decided) crush seeing him in his fucking boxers- which looks more like something you’d wipe the floor with rather than something you’d wear.
Just his luck.
After that encounter, Jisung runs back to his room at the speed of light. He thrashes on his bed from the embarrassment. Still, he tries to keep his noise in check- he doesn’t really need to embarrass himself more than he already has.
Just as he was about to calm down, he accidentally casts a glance of himself in the mirror- his hair looking like a bird’s nest, his shirt more holes than clothes, and is that a trail of drool on my chin?! Jisung screams at his pillow, wishing it would restrict his airflow and stop his misery. Alas, the universe wouldn’t be that kind to Jisung.
So, he needs a plan. A plan to make Changbin think that he’s not a complete loser! Which he isn’t, most of the time…maybe, sometimes…
Either way! I will redeem myself! Right after I eat my cheesecake.
The next time Changbin comes over, Jisung is prepared to make a good impression.
Changbin and Felix are greeted by the sight of Jisung (pretentiously) doing his general physics worksheet.
“Hey, Sungie!” Felix says in a rush, running towards his room.
Jisung gives Changbin a questioning look, asking what was that all about, but the older merely shrugged. Changbin sits beside him, dropping his bag on the floor.
“What are you up to?”
“Just a few worksheets.”
Changbin looks over his shoulder. Jisung can only pray that the older isn’t interested in mathematics.
“Oh, physics? Didn’t know you were into math?”
I’m not. Jisung thinks.
“What’s your major?”
“Oh, I’m taking Music Production.”
“How’d physics come into the equation then?”
“No idea.” Jisung groans, defeated.
Changbin laughs good-naturedly. “Well, if you’re having problems, maybe I could help you out.”
“You?”
“I’m in engineering.” And there’s that cocky smirk again.
God, Jisung wants to kiss that smug- Focus.
“Hey, guys.” Felix plops down their beat-up bean bug chair with a sigh.
“Why were you in a hurry?” Jisung asks, trying to divert the conversation.
“Ah, I just needed to change, no biggie. You continue our project, Binnie?”
“Yeah, sure.” Changbin picks up his bag from the floor, and once their laptops are out, they start working.
Jisung is quiet, trying to work on his own, but he can’t help the grunts of frustration he lets out from time to time…to time. Math has never been his strong suit sue him.
After an hour or two, he gives up with a huff, setting his things on their coffee table.
“I’m gonna grab a snack.” Jisung announces. “Do you guys want anything?”
“Cola, please!” Felix pipes up.
“I’m good with Cola too.” Changbin answers.
“Cool.”
Jisung saunters off, grabbing his keys. He makes quick work of slipping on his shoes, not bothering to tie the laces when he’s just going on a convenience store run across the street.
The bell signals his arrival, and Chan, the cashier, shoots him a dimpled smile.
“Hey, Ji!”
“Hi, Channie!”
He grabs a few bags of chips and three cans of cola. Chan rings them up, and Jisung pays quickly. He thanks the man once he gives him his bag and dashes back up to his dorm.
“Honey, I’m home~”
“Welcome home, honey.” He hears Felix playing along with his joke.
He sits back down on their couch and dumps the chips on the table for them to share. The two murmur their thank you, grab a bag of chips, and quickly proceed to work. Jisung thinks he should also continue doing his worksheet. Begrudgingly he picks it up and is confused to see notes on his solutions. There are marks where he forgot to cancel out figures, use uniform labels, and even used the wrong formula. I spent 20 minutes on that!
He continues to scan the paper, finding that the formulas to use in the questions he hasn’t started are also noted. And in the corner of the paper is a little- pig? a rabbit? he isn’t sure…scribbled with a message, Fighting!
Jisung couldn’t help the smile that dawns his face. When he looks up to see Changbin looking at him with a small smile of his own, he thinks his own grin grows bigger.
Jisung thinks he at least made a good impression the last time they met, but not quite enough to get rid of that horrid first impression. So, Jisung scrambles his head for a plan to give Changbin a new image in his head.
Thirty-something minutes later, Jisung comes up with…nothing. You’d think being gay for two decades would give him ideas on how to swoon a guy, but there he is, clueless as the day he was born.
“Sungie, it’s time to eat!”
“Coming!”
Jisung lets out a defeated sigh, then it hits him. He could cook for Changbin!
Now, Jisung isn’t the best cook, but he makes some killer ramen- that’s something! And maybe it would make Changbin just how great of a husband- friend, how great of a friend Jisung would make.
So, during their dinner of mediocre take-out, Jisung asks Felix if he, by any chance, knows Changbin’s favorite food. Felix mulls it over, brows knitted as he chews through a mouthful of pizza.
“I’m not sure. I think Bin orders fried chicken a lot, though.” Felix answers hesitantly, but it’s good enough for Jisung.
Besides, there's no way he can mess up frying chicken.
“How could you even mess up frying chicken?!” Felix screeches as he tries to put out the fire threatening to burn their kitchen.
Jisung bites his nails anxiously. “I’m sorry, Lix. I got distracted and…I kind of forgot…” He looks up to see Changbin standing behind him with a sympathetic look. Still, it doesn’t lift his spirit.
Once they were sure they put out the fire, Jisung took the liberty of taking out what was left of the chicken he hoped to serve from the pan.
And so, the plate of chicken, which might as well be coal for the fire, sits on their coffee table pitifully. Jisung groans into the throw pillow they have, guilt (for Felix) and embarrassment (for Changbin) eating him.
Changbin lets out an awkward chuckle. “I’m sure it’s fine, Jisung.” He takes a pair of chopsticks in his hand and picks up a piece of chicken.
“You don’t have to, hyung…” Jisung protests weakly.
Changbin merely dusts the chicken, then takes a big bite.
Both Jisung and Felix look at him warily.
When Changbin doesn’t seem to be dying, Jisung gets the courage to ask. “Is it really okay?”
Changbin seems surprised, chewing a bit more. “Actually, it’s not as bad as I thought. Maybe just take out the burnt layer a bit more.” He answers genuinely.
At that, Felix tries one too, taking the elder’s advice to take out the burnt part of the meat. “Hmm.” He hums approvingly. “It is good.” He mumbles through a mouthful.
Jisung looks at them with a small smile, a silent thank you for appreciating his efforts.
When Jisung doesn’t make a move to eat, Changbin wordlessly holds up a piece of chicken in front of his mouth, and Jisung just stares, dumbfounded. Changbin urges him to hit with a pout, holding the food a little bit closer.
Jisung opens his mouth and takes a bite on autopilot. He chews mindlessly, the image of Changbin pouting still replaying in his head- the way he looked so cute- so adorable, so... lovable. And goddamn, maybe I don’t want to just sleep with him?