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Hao could tell Hanbin was not having it today.
The usual happy-go-lucky expression on his face was replaced by a scowl of contempt as he flipped through some shows on their shared TV, seemingly finding nothing to watch and making a performance out of giving up, flinging the remote and then himself back onto the couch.
Hao thought it was pretty rare to see Hanbin in a bad mood like this, and one of his telltale signs was the bouncing of his leg and darting his eyes to look at everything except Hao. Which was funny, because he knew Hanbin wasn’t even mad at him. He just didn’t like Hao seeing him angry.
Since this morning, when they heard rain hitting the window in tandem with the alarm they had set up to wake up together, Hanbin added to the noise by groaning and rolling over to bury his face in Hao’s chest. And that was when Hao noticed Hanbin felt a little warmer than usual, and when he went to give him a kiss on the forehead, his skin was feverishly hot. And finally, when Hao propped Hanbin’s chin up to look at his face, sure enough, he had his trademark blush on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet.
“Do you feel okay?” Hao had asked him.
His eyelids fluttered open then, sleepily squinting up at Hao. “Yeah. I just feel a bit sore from my run.”
Hao rolled his eyes. “It’s definitely not from your run, you have a fever. I told you not to go that late.”
“It wasn’t even that cold,” Hanbin whined.
“Bin.”
“Okay, maybe it was a little cold...”
Hao could see through a gap in the curtains just how eerily gray the sky was, and the raindrops streaking across the glass. “Seems like us going on that date wasn’t meant to be.”
“No,” Hanbin drew out, nuzzling his face deeper into Hao’s shirt. “I’ll feel better in no time. Come on.” But maybe the action only served to irritate his nose, and convince Hao of nothing, because all of a sudden, his body flinched in a powerful sneeze. “Damn.”
“That was gross.”
“Thanks.”
The rest of the morning was spent with Hanbin facing a series of unfortunate events, seeing as he ran out of his favorite cereal, was forced to drink foul-tasting syrup as medicine since they didn’t have any tablets, and couldn’t find matching socks to wear after their shower. His lips were a permanent pout while Hao blow dried his hair for him, which made Hao’s heart beat a little faster every time he looked at him in the mirror’s reflection. Normally he would tease him about it, but he knew right now wasn’t the time.
So when Hanbin sat on the couch, practically defeated, Hao sneaked up behind him to wrap his arms around him and kiss his neck, right on the spot he loved the most. He was still burning up.
“I really wanted to go,” Hanbin sighed. “On what other occasion would we…”
Hanbin dropped the sentence. It was a soft spot for both of them right now, seeing as they both loved quality time, but their classes were in dire need of attention and their schedules never lined up. Today was their only free day until god knows when.
Hao couldn’t think of anything he could do to cheer him up. It was a blow for him, too. But it was usually Hanbin looking after him and not the other way around. So he tried to think of something Hanbin would like in order to distract him.
“I gotta tell you something I’ve been thinking about,” Hao whispered into his ear.
When Hanbin looked up at him, leaning his head back against his abdomen, hair falling away from his forehead, Hao’s heart did a little spin. And that was when he started thinking that maybe the circumstances weren’t as bad as he thought. They hadn’t even so much as stayed at each other’s dorms for too long the past few months. Spending time like this wasn’t bad either.
Hanbin would take some convincing, seeing as how he was always the one to drag Hao everywhere. But maybe this could be a blessing in disguise.
“Come on,” Hao said, taking Hanbin’s hand. “I wanna cuddle.” Which got Hanbin to his feet immediately, because if there was one thing Hao wasn’t going to do often, it was initiate.
Hanbin quickly unmade their bed and shoved himself under the covers, making space for Hao to come in beside him.
What Hanbin didn’t know was that he also just wanted to force him back into bed so he wouldn’t overexert himself anymore. Luckily, he was more than happy to be enveloped by Hao, even though his fever was pushing 100 degrees.
“What did you want to tell me?” Hanbin asked. Hao pressed his face into Hanbin’s nape, the scent of his soap wafting into his nose. He liked the feeling of his body vibrating as he spoke. Only someone who could be this close to him got to take him in like this. Only him.
“Nothing,” Hao jested. “You smell nice.”
Hanbin laughed a little.
Only me.
“It’s your shampoo.”
Hao hummed in reply, squeezing Hanbin’s body as he proceeded to kiss behind his shoulders.
Hanbin interrupted him by turning on his other side to look square into Hao’s eyes. “Seriously, though. What did you want to tell me?”
There were times Hao remembered how intense it was to hold eye contact with Hanbin. He could remember when they first met, Hanbin as attentive as ever, smiling and making him feel the most seen he had felt in his life. It took a lot for Hao to be able to match him, but even then, if Hanbin stared at him too much like he was in love with him, Hao could do nothing but avert his eyes. Now was one of those times.
And in those times, Hao would drop his gaze between Hanbin’s collarbones, and if he was lucky, at the faded black ink etched into his skin. He’d asked Hanbin plenty of times if it hurt, which he admitted to, adding that the one on his arm hurt less. He wished he could have shared the experience with him, reminding him that there had been a time where they existed without the other, painful times, happy times…
“Hey,” Hanbin prodded. “I’m losing you.”
And Hao could breathe again. “You have me.” It was like a routine. For every time Hao got a little too lost in thought, Hanbin brought him back to Earth, to him. Back to his dark eyes asking him all the questions he wasn’t saying out loud.
“There you are.” Hanbin pressed his warm lips to Hao’s, resting there for just a moment before pulling away.
Hanbin didn’t press him anymore, instead closing his eyes and drifting in and out from a light sleep, surely induced by the fever that hadn’t broken. Hanbin didn't even tend to like sleeping—he called it a waste of time—so for him to be knocking out at noon, Hao figured he was feeling worse than he let on.
Hanbin opened his eyes about a half hour later, crossing his eyes at Hao’s fingers playing with a strand of hair that had fallen over his face.
“I was thinking about getting one,” Hao finally said, acting like he hadn’t even noticed Hanbin was awake.
“Getting what?” the boy responded sleepily.
Hao smiled a bit. He was so cute. “A tattoo.”
“That’d be hot,” Hanbin said bluntly, pulling a laugh out of Hao. “But where would you get it?”
“Dunno, that's what I'm trying to figure out. Should we match?”
Hanbin shook his head. “I know you’re just trying to make me feel better, you know.”
“I’m serious.” Hao pouted his lower lip. “Help me decide where to put it. Your tattoo placements are nice.”
A little charm never failed to work on Hanbin, even amid the haze of lingering sleep and heat.
“Okay,” he conceded. And much to Hao’s surprise, he said, “Take off your shirt.”
Maybe Hao’s expression was a little too dumbfounded, because all Hanbin did was giggle and then touch the skin right along his waistline.
“How else am I going to help? I have to be able to see my canvas.”
“O-okay.”
And it still amused Hanbin to see Hao get so flustered, even after they’d seen each other shirtless plenty of times and then some. But Hao could never get used to the butterflies fluttering in his stomach every time Hanbin looked at him.
Hanbin seemed to have other things in mind, though, considering all of a sudden he was sitting in Hao’s lap, helping him slip out of his T-shirt and pulling it over his head.
“Wait–”
“Hush.”
To deflect, Hao reached up to put the back of his hand against Hanbin’s cheek. “You’re really hot.”
Well, that came out wrong.
“I know,” Hanbin smirked.
“Ha-ha,” Hao deadpanned. “You are so...”
Hanbin leaned forward then, saying, “I know,” right before his hair brushed Hao’s forehead and his lips were on his, fingers lightly brushing his jaw.
Everything about Hanbin was so hot, currently in more ways than one. And Hao really didn’t want him to push himself too much, but of course Hanbin would be the last person to care about his own well-being. He could never sit still for too long.
“Binnie, get to the point,” Hao redirected.
“Hang on.” Hanbin seemed pensive, carefully examining Hao’s skin. “This kind of thing takes a lot of time and consideration, you know.”
“Hanbin,” Hao said firmly, snatching up the hand that started roaming across his chest. He could catch Hanbin’s drift from a mile away, and now was not the time. “Can't we do this when you're bet–”
Only Hanbin cut him off completely by planting a harsher kiss to his lips this time, Hao both caught completely off guard and also too weak to ever be able to resist. When Hanbin slipped his tongue past his lips, the heat bothered him only for a moment, ultimately deciding in a split second that Hanbin was his own person and knew his limits better than he did. So maybe, just maybe , this was okay.
“This was your idea, hyung,” Hanbin whispered against his lips, warmth tickling Hao’s face.
Hao pretty much knew it was over. Hanbin wasn't going to quit until he got his way.
And, shit, if Hao had anything to say about it, it was that he missed this. He missed the closeness, the intimacy of having Hanbin skin-to-skin, kissing beyond a brief make-out session before sleeping early because one of them had an important assignment, a quiz, an exam the next day.
So when Hanbin bent over to press his lips to his throat, he didn’t stop him.
“This doesn’t seem like helping,” Hao teased.
Hanbin smiled against him, and the only way Hao knew was because of the sensation of his lips curving on his skin. “I’ve got to rule places out, too.”
“Well, hurry it up, my consultation is tonight.”
“With this rain? And your sick boyfriend at home?” Hanbin looked at him like he was going to eat him, and a shiver went up his spine, “You’re not going anywhere.”
Just to prove his point, Hanbin tightened his legs around Hao’s waist, and moved his face up until he was behind Hao’s ear.
Hao gasped at the nice, numbing feeling that spread throughout his entire body, slowly coursing through his veins.
“Right here is an option,” Hanbin murmured.
Hao had to keep his voice from shaking. “Nowhere visible.”
Hanbin seemed to be thinking be careful what you wish for. He traced his nose down, down until he was at Hao’s collarbone, further until he was over his chest.
He didn’t move his face more, but what did start moving was his hand, coming away from Hao’s side to stroke the skin below his ribs.
It was getting hard to breathe. Hanbin was being silent, calculating, evidently trying to get a reaction out of Hao while acting like he didn’t care. Like it didn’t make a difference to him if Hao was starting to suffer in front of him.
“Definitely not your chest.” With his fingers, Hanbin pushed down the waistband of his shorts by an inch, and settled on a spot on his hip, right above the bone. “Maybe…”
Hao found himself gasping again, his mouth agape as Hanbin positioned himself between his legs, knees tucked under him as he suddenly latched his lips to the area he was focusing on.
“Hey–” He started to sit up, but Hanbin pinned him down with a free arm.
God. Hao had to fight to maintain his composure. It wasn’t often at all that he let Hanbin get away with this, and he wanted to reel him in but also take him down a notch. Today was different, because everything that happened that morning was bad luck after bad luck when it was supposed to be a fun day out, and Hao had wanted to make it up to him…
Hao then made the mistake of glancing down at Hanbin’s dangerous eyes looking up at him through his lashes, sucking on the skin over his hipbone, his own shorts riding lower than usual, and a click went off in his head.
Before Hanbin could even react, Hao dove forward and pinned each of Hanbin’s arms above his head, practically crashing their mouths together as Hanbin fell back onto the comforter. Hao had to give everything, everything not to take things further than that—Hanbin was still burning up, his face still pink—but Hanbin wasn’t doing much to alleviate the situation, given the next thing he did was make a slight whining noise into his mouth.
That’s enough, Hao’s brain kept chanting to him. It’s enough.
But Hanbin must have sensed him pulling away, given he suddenly wrapped his legs around Hao’s waist, keeping their bodies pressed together.
It was like Hao suddenly felt something primal come over him, the feeling coming up from his chest and making his face hot. But instead of acting on it like his body was urging him to, he turned away and buried his face in Hanbin’s neck.
He slowly let go of Hanbin’s arms, which were marked a faint red from how tight his grip was. And Hanbin, as gentle as ever, put them around Hao’s shoulders.
Within a moment, all they could hear was the sound of them breathing heavily.
“Hyung,” Hanbin panted. “I’m getting dizzy.”
“Idiot,” Hao directed at the both of them.
“I wish I didn’t feel like this…” Hanbin rubbed his head into Hao’s cheek. “We could’ve…”
“It’s okay.” Hao responded with a kiss on the neck. “Just don’t go on your runs that late.”
“You’re right. And I’m sorry about…” Both of them looked down, at the now-bruising mark on Hao’s hip peeking out from his shorts, still riding low.
Hao shook his head. “At least you didn’t get that carried away.”
“Well, I hope it answered your question.”
“Question?” Hao looked at him, puzzled.
“Don’t tell me you forgot.”
And then it dawned on him.
The tattoo. “Oh.”
Caught.
“I knew you were just trying to make me feel better.” Hanbin was smiling like he couldn’t believe it, with his eyes narrowed.
Which was true, yes, but it wasn’t like he expected it to lead to this.
“Did it work?” Hao teased.
“It did.” Hanbin pecked his nose. “But now you really have to get one in exchange for your dishonesty.”
“I’ll think about it,” replied Hao, to which Hanbin shook his head.
“Good. Now, get off me before I think of you with neck tattoos.” Hanbin placed a hand to his own chin, even though Hao was already standing. “Or maybe somewhere less visible, like on your a–”
“We get it!”
——————————
Despite both their wishes to sleep together that night, Hanbin’s fever had not entirely let up. Hanbin complained of the heat with Hao next to him, so there was nothing else they could really do. And Hao couldn’t afford to lose sleep when he had a 9AM across campus.
There was a brief, depressing goodbye before Hao tiptoed back into his dorm room, just next door to Hanbin’s.
He felt fine when he went to sleep.
But when he woke up, he recognized the pain in the middle of his face as a sinus headache, and a soreness in his throat that definitely meant he was sick.
Damn it… Hanbin.
He pressed his contact on his phone through squinted eyes, the light painful to look at.
“Hao?”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, I’m pretty much fine, b–”
“I need medicine.” He clicked the phone off and waited, and in moments like this, he liked having his bed against the wall connecting his room and Hanbin’s—he could hear his footsteps thump quickly against the floor, the cabinets being opened and closed as he searched for the medicine, him running back into his room because he realized it was on his nightstand.
He let himself in with the spare key Hao gave him to find him face-down in his bed.
“Don’t tell me you’re still going to class…”
“I have to.” Hao sat up a little too quickly and stretched his arm, but widely missed the syrup bottle Hanbin was holding. “Give me that.”
“Nope. You’re not going anywhere.”
And of course Hanbin would get back into bed with him (physically restrain him) because nothing else could get in the way of Hao’s perfect attendance.
“Do you want to decide on my next tattoo?”
“Oh, fuck off.”