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Tangerines.
That's all that Taehyun can process while wrapped up in Kai's arms with the taller's face buried in his neck. The warm, citrusy scent curls around Taehyun head, making him weak.
Kai smells like tangerines, his brain supplies helpfully.
Being Kai's roommate, Taehyun knows very well what kinds of perfumes he uses, but having the scent overpower his senses by having him this close is a different story. Anytime Taehyun turns his head, there he is, blowing air into his ears and making him flinch. There is no escape from Kai; one minute seems to last hours.
If he wasn't pressured by Kai's wiggling eyebrows and the thousands of fans with their hypnotic virtual claps, he wouldn't have chosen Kai for this challenge. Hell, he wouldn't have chosen this challenge at all if it weren't for Kai seeking out popular opinion from the livestream comments.
God, MOA. Why?
But now here he is, forced to be reminded of the fact that Huening Kai is so massive that he can barely move with the arms around him. It would be a bit more bearable if Kai didn't make it so hard for him, if he had given Taehyun a moment to breathe.
No, Huening Kai very much enjoys this. Enjoys torturing Taehyun and having him whimper and shake in his arms, he can tell by the younger's smirk and glittering eyes. Taehyun can't wait until they're back at the dorms and he can finally give Kai a piece of his mind for this physical and emotional torture.
Taehyun watches the timer intently and breathes a sigh of relief when it finally reaches zero. Huening Kai is off of him in a heartbeat, the sadist, and struts back to his seat happily. Saying something about how good it felt.
Taehyun, on the other hand, is still quivering despite the lack of cold, the faint scent of tangerines lingering in his nose. His heart is beating a mile a second and his face feels hot, hotter than it's ever been. How can a simple hug do all of this to him? And why did he seem like the only one affected by it?
The rest of the concert, Taehyun wonders what hugging for one minute does to a person. Apparently, it affected him greatly because he can't stop thinking back to the feeling of Kai's warm front pressed against his back and his citrusy scent that made him dizzy with want.
He decides to do more research on the topic later, totally not because he doesn't want to admit that a simple back hug made his feelings for Huening Kai increase by a tenfold, but because the rational part of his brain knows that science has something to do with this.
Later that night, Taehyun sits propped up against the pillows on his bed, staring at his laptop screen.
"A full body hug where we simply hold each other is needed now more than ever in our fast-paced-distracted-by-devices crazy lives. An extended hug, a backrub, a gentle kiss brings comfort, connection, and calm to our lives. For just a brief moment, it says, 'You are the most important thing to me right now.'"
The fact that the website he's on is for marriage counseling is besides the point. Huening Kai is one of his closest friends so the same idea applies, right? Apparently hugging for that long is supposed to be a grounding experience, but all Taehyun felt as Kai hugged him from behind was flustered.
He thinks he should try it again in a different setting, just to be sure if this love guru is correct or not. He definitely doesn't just want to feel those arms around him again. He's actually curious about this, just like he is about countless other topics. Huening Kai wouldn't think anything of it, he's sure.
Taehyun jumps when said member enters the room suddenly, his black hair stringy and face flushed from the shower. He casually shuts his laptop and shoots the other a small smile.
"Not sleepy?" Kai asks.
Taehyun shakes his head. "I was waiting for you."
At that, Kai smiles prettily as he moves aside the covers on his plushie infested bed. Taehyun feels his heart skip a beat every time he sees that toothy smile. He sees it so often, especially directed at him so he doesn't know why he still has the same reaction every time.
"You shouldn't have. You need as much rest as you can get," Kai replies, "You've worked so hard today."
Praising Taehyun is another thing that Kai does often. After every concert or event, he would tell Taehyun how hard he had worked. It always makes him feel warm inside, but today, he feels like he's on fire. He's most likely blushing like a damn school girl with the way Kai laughs.
He can't possibly ask the question he's been waiting to ask Huening Kai. He's too nervous of what the other will say. What if he comes across as weird? The challenge earlier was just a fun little ice breaker for MOA, it wasn't supposed to be this deep.
But Kai is getting ready for bed and he can't just dismiss his curiosity or else he knows he'll be up all night. He needs to gain some sort of closure from this, then he can move on in peace. Hopefully.
Taehyun puts his laptop aside and stands up abruptly.
"C-Can we hug?" Taehyun stutters out before he can decide against it, "Preferably for a minute?"
Kai pauses what he's doing and tilts his head cutely, eyes wide. He walks closer to Taehyun and studies him with those warm brown eyes. He looks up for a moment, seemingly remembering something.
"Does this have something to do with your challenge earlier?"
Taehyun ignores his burning cheeks and vaguely answers, "Yes, it's an experiment."
After a moment, Kai only chuckles, likely used to Taehyun's curious antics at this point. He opens his arms as a gesture for Taehyun to close the distance, looking every bit the penguin he is.
His heart melts at the fact that Kai will never say no to him. No matter what Taehyun asks of him, Kai does it without hesitation. It's one of the things so endearing about him.
Taehyun shuffles close until his head is tilted with the effort it takes to look Kai in the eyes. He knows he isn't mentally prepared for this, especially after the fiasco with their back hug earlier, but it's now or never.
Taehyun tentatively wraps his arms around Kai's neck as he always does and presses himself close. Almost immediately, he feels large, warm hands against his lower back, pulling him in even closer. Taehyun shudders at the feeling of being encapsulated in the younger's warmth, of being held so gently.
It feels nicer than any other hug they've ever shared. It's intimate; they aren't surrounded by any cameras or members or fans. It's just them, in the comfort of their shared room, savoring each other's touch.
The tangerine scent is long gone, but when Taehyun inhales, Kai smells like he always does when they're together in their shared room, when they're about to fall asleep after a long day's work. It's fresh laundry and body wash and it's home to Taehyun. He can't help but nuzzle his face against Kai's collar to get a stronger whiff.
Kai, noticing Taehyun's enthusiasm, rubs his hands comfortingly up and down Taehyun's back. He doesn't say a word, but his gentle embrace says all that he wants to hear.
"You smell good," Taehyun hums involuntarily.
His heart is strangely heavy in his chest when Kai hugs him tighter and turns his head to whisper, "So do you."
Taehyun laughs, lump in his throat. He doesn't know why he feels the sudden urge to cry. Maybe it's because he's actually wanted this for so long and just never knew. Maybe it's because right now, he feels closer to Kai than to anyone else in the entire world.
Maybe it's because he knows that if he was ever having a hard time, Kai would be right here, arms wide open and ready to hold him tenderly just like this.
The website had been right. Taehyun feels loved. Kai's hug is making him feel like he's the most important person in the world, like he's the only one that exists for Kai. But this is infinitely different from the back hug he had received at the concert. This Kai isn't the boyish, haughty facade he likes to show during concerts when he's feeling a bit mischievous.
This is the real Kai, the sweet and tactile boy who loves plushies and egg tarts and does anything for his loved ones. This is Kai, and he's holding Taehyun like he means it.
How long has it been? Taehyun's sure they've been hugging for longer than a minute, but neither of them break away. Taehyun doesn't want to; he's content with staying tucked up in Kai's arms like this forever.
Reluctantly, Taehyun breaks out of Kai's gentle but firm hold and looks him in the eyes. His breath hitches in his throat when he sees the other's gaze filled with nothing but warmth and pure adoration.
"Sorry, it's been longer than a minute," Taehyun breathes, "but I think this experiment went well."
Huening Kai is silent, but his hand comes up to Taehyun's cheek, a delicate touch. Taehyun's heart jumps and he gasps softly. The younger brushes his fingers against Taehyun's cheek lightly, before letting his hand fall back at his side.
"I think it went well too, Taehyunie," he murmurs finally, "What are you testing?"
Well, now Taehyun has to break it to Kai. And Kai will know that their hugs have affected him deeply, that his hypothesis is correct. He wouldn't have the guts to tell him if Kai didn't seem so invested in their hug and if he isn't the kind and accepting person he is.
So Taehyun tells him: "I wanted to know if a one minute hug between two people affects how they feel about each other."
"...Did it? Affect you, I mean?" Kai asks a bit nervously.
"Yeah," Taehyun admits, "It very much did."
"In a good way, I hope," Kai chuckles, completely unaware of just how warm it made Taehyun feel both inside and outside.
"Of course," he replies quietly. "What about you?"
"I can't really describe how it made me feel," Kai murmurs, his cheeks a little pink if Taehyun is seeing right. Kai steps closer again, his eyes lighting up. "I would like to do it more often. It felt...nice."
There's something about how puppy-like and eager Kai looks in that moment that makes Taehyun feel like he's melting into a puddle right then and there. He takes the larger hand in his own and squeezes it lightly.
"I'm glad. I'd like to do it again too."
He doesn't expect Kai to sweep him up in his arms and hold him tight again, but he's certainly not complaining. Taehyun's heart is practically bursting with happiness. Kai's embrace doesn't make him feel flustered or nervous anymore. They both want this, both crave affection through soft cuddles and gentle touches.
He never knew he relied so much on physical touch with Kai until this experiment.
After they both topple onto Taehyun's bed, the latter opens his laptop to show Huening Kai his research. Kai's resting with his head in Taehyun's lap and his arms around his torso. It's unbelievably affectionate between them right now, and Taehyun would like it to stay that way all the time.
Until Kai cackles, "You're looking at a marriage counseling website."
"I know that!"