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sunoo doesn't understand, doesn't even know what he's doing wrong.
he'd been in the lab since 2pm, and a woeful look towards the window tells him that he's been in there for at least 3 hours. yet no matter how he tries, he just can't seem to get the right result for his lab assignment.
he glances over at heeseung, his lab partner, and sees him hunched over, totally engrossed in the game of pokemon on his phone. sunoo almost forgets how to breathe. heeseung looks stupidly ethereal, bathed in the waning sunlight that streams in through the window. his blonde hair glows golden under the light of the setting sun, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth and his brow crinkled in concentration.
sunoo couldn't believe his luck when he found out he'd been paired up with heeseung. sure, heeseung was attractive, easy on the eyes, and smart (smartest in the module, to be accurate), but sunoo adored heeseung for more than that. sunoo loved with how heeseung was able to say the darndest things with a straight face, how the corners of his eyes crinkled when he laughed, and even the way heeseung unapologetically and enthusiastically stuffs his face with ramen at meal times.
sunoo finally tears his eyes away from heeseung, and another glance towards the table in front of heeseung tells sunoo that he's already done with his lab assignment for the day.
sunoo sighs, reminded of his current predicament, and resigns himself to his fate. there's no way i'm going to be able to pass this module, he thinks, and bemoans the plunge in his GPA for the semester. with another sigh, sunoo moves to repeat the experiment, hoping that he'll finally get it right- or at least get a result that's somewhat close to right.
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heeseung looked up from his phone when he hears sunoo sigh again. sunoo looked downright glum, shoulders hunched into himself as he goes through the motions of the experiment yet again. heeseung checks the time. 5.57pm. they've been here for almost 4 hours now. heeseung glances back at sunoo, plush lips forming a slight pout as he swirls some acid in a flask, eyes almost squinting in concentration. heeseung chuckles under his breath, exiting his game and stands to stretch his arms out.
heeseung rounds the bench to the opposite side where sunoo sat, immersed in his experiment and oblivious to heeseung. "hey sun, you alright?" heeseung asks, placing a gentle hand on sunoo's shoulder, careful not to jolt the younger man. sunoo still startles, unaware that heeseung had approached him until he spoke.
"i'm fine hyung, just a little frustrated that i can't get this last experiment right. i swear i've been doing everything by the book, but it's not working..." he sighs, dejection lacing his words.
heeseung hums. "how about i give you a hand and help you finish up, and then we can go get some dinner. sounds good?" sunoo gapes at heeseung with wide eyes, hands stilling and stutters, "b-but hyung, i've already made you wait so long, i can't possibly ask you to help me now," sunoo shakes his head, hair bouncing slightly. "i can't possibly trouble to more than i already have, heeseung hyung. don't worry about me, you can head off first, i'll finish up and close the lab."
heeseung laughs, shaking his head. "it's no trouble, really. rather, i'd be more troubled knowing i left my partner at the lab while i left to eat, y'know?" heeseung smiles, hoping his smile is reassuring enough for sunoo to accept his offer.
sunoo hesitates, chewing on his bottom lip. heeseung's offer was really tempting, and sunoo was eager to get his assignment over and done with. plus, he could feel his stomach starting to growl at the mention of food.
"alright," sunoo relents, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "i can't seem to get the indicator to switch to the right colour, like i'm pretty sure i followed the instructions to a tee, measured the different chemicals thrice but it's still not working!" sunoo huffs, mussing the wispy auburn bangs that covered his forehead.
heeseung rounds the table and stands behind sunoo, looking over his shoulder to read the lab worksheet. "measure out this amount of the reactant, followed by a few drops of this indicator... and titrate with the acid in the burette..." heeseung murmurs lowly, eyes flicking between the instructions on the worksheet and the setup in front of them. "ah, okay i think i know why you can't get it right. you missed the last part of step 6, see? adding this to the solution brings the mixture to equilibrium, and then you can titrate it."
sunoo blinks owlishly at the worksheet on the table, then at the flask in his hand, realisation dawning on him. he's absolutely mortified, heat creeping up his neck in embarassment. "o-oh, yeah i guess i did... sorry hyung," sunoo ducks his head, hoping heeseung doesn't see the heat he feels on his cheeks.
heeseung just chuckles, taking the flask from sunoo and says something along the lines of "it's all good, everyone has moments like these," but sunoo barely hears it over the embarrassment he feels. he wonders if it was possible to combust from embarassment, because he really felt like he could combust at any moment. ugh, what a shitty day, sunoo thinks to himself.
while sunoo was embroiled in his internal dialogue and turmoil, heeseung had gotten to work preparing a new flask. he hummed under his breath, ensuring and double checking that everything that needed to be added was indeed added. he turns his attention back to sunoo, who's still a little mopey, looking like a kicked puppy. heeseung bites back a laugh, knowing that the younger definitely would not appreciate being laughed at right now.
instead, heeseung leans over sunoo's slouched figure, effectively caging sunoo in, trying to titrate the contents of the flask with the acid in the burette. sunoo freezes under him, internal dialogue disrupted by heeseung's sudden proximity. this time, sunoo is really barely able to breathe. the deliciously warm, spicy scent of heeseung's cologne settles around him like the first snow of winter, woody with notes of tobacco and cinnamon. sunoo repressed a shiver, resisting the urge to take deep inhale of heeseung's scent.
heeseung leans forward more, chest almost flush against sunoo's back, trying to reach the apparatus better. sunoo jolts a little, the warmth of heeseung's body is scalding even through the layers of clothes between them, yet sunoo almost wants to lean back in to it.
"here, hyung, let me do it," sunoo flusters, trying to get his head out of the gutter. he takes the flask from heeseung in his right hand, positioning it under the tap of the burette and his left hand controlling the tap of the burette.
he opens the tap, allowing a trickle of acid down into the mouth of the flask before swirling the flask. however, his hand jerks, body still tense from heeseung crowding into his personal space. he feels heeseung laugh quietly above him, warm breath fanning over the tips of his ears. sunoo tries his best to force the blush away, but it's impossible with how heeseung is basically caging him in against the table.
"here, wrap your left hand around the tap like this, it's easier to control the flow this way," heeseung says softly, lips brushing the tip of sunoo's ear. he wraps his large hand around sunoo's smaller one, adjusting sunoo's hold on the tap. sunoo pulse thunders in his ears. heeseung is quite literally almost pressed up against his back. (sunoo wonders if heeseung can hear how loud his heart is beating at that moment)
"and your other hand, gently hold the neck of the flask and swirl it slowly, so you don't spill the contents," heeseung's right hand wraps around sunoo's hand, slowly swirling the flask in a circular motion. sunoo is close to giving up, about to give in to the urge to lean back into heeseung's strong chest.
heeseung continues, voice low and baritone in sunoo's ear, "it still hasn't reached the end point yet, so you can add more acid, but not too much or you'll overshoot." sunoo can feel the way heeseung's chest rumbles with his words, and isn't able to suppress the shiver that wracks his body. sunoo is barely even aware of what happening now, mind intoxicated by heeseung's scent and proximity.
heeseung stills his movement when he feels sunoo shiver beneath him. he glances down at the younger boy, but can't see sunoo's face with how his head droops down. heeseung squeezes sunoo's hand left hand lightly, thumb gently rubbing the back of sunoo's hand. "sunoo? you alright?" heeseung asks, obvious traces of worry in his voice.
sunoo's inhales shakily, trying to gather his wits again. "y-yea hyung, sorry i'm just- feeling a little tired, i guess." he feels heeseung relax a little, nodding slightly. "yea, we've been here for hours already, don't worry, though, we're almost done with yours." sunoo nods numbly, brain still offline and disconnected from his body.
heeseung resumes the experiment, sunoo's hands still grasped in his and hums a light tune. sunoo can feel heeseung swaying slightly to the melody of the tune, and finds himself relaxing a little, nerves calmed by heeseung's sweet voice.
unwillingly, sunoo feels his eyes droop, the fatigue of working nonstop for the last few hours overtaking him. sunoo tries his best to keep his eyes open, watching as heeseung skillfully carries out each step of the experiment, even with sunoo's hand in his. eventually, sunoo is unable to fend off the sleep demon, succumbing to the comforting scent of heeseung's cologne and the warmth of heeseung's body against his.
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heeseung feels the exact moment that sunoo falls asleep. the small, dainty hands in his own hands suddenly feel a little heavier, and he hears the steady breathing of sunoo below him. heeseung chuckles, lightly placing a kiss on the top of sunoo's head, and finishes the experiment.