Work Text:
1)
"He is not saying that."
"Why not? Woohyun says it works every time."
"Yeah, let's take advice from Woohyun of all people."
"I don't appreciate your sarcasm and I'm totally telling him you're talking smack about him behind his back."
"I say the same stuff to his face. I don't think it'll matter."
"Uh, guys?" Dongwoo raises his hand despite the fact that they're actually in the cafeteria and not a classroom. Sungyeol and Sungjong both turn their attention to him. "Do I get a say in this?"
"What'd I miss?" This comes from Myungsoo, who plops himself down next to Sungyeol. His tray is laden with enough food to feed at least three football players. (Sungyeol still can't believe his boyfriend can eat that much; or that he's not as turned-off by it as he thinks he should be.) He places a quick kiss on Sungyeol's cheek before digging into his lunch.
"There's this new transfer student in Dongwoo's homeroom," Sungjong informs him. "He wants to say something to her in English since she's from America. And Sungyeol was being entirely useless."
Sungyeol squawks in offense. "Hey, I made a very good contribution." He ignores Sungjong's pointed look from across the table and turns to his boyfriend. Resting his arm along the back of Myungsoo's chair, he leans close to him and asks, "Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?" Myungsoo pauses his eating to look at him in confusion. "Well? It's good isn't it?"
There's another pause while Myungsoo swallows his food and then he replies, "He can't say that."
Sungyeol squawks again as Sungjong crosses his arms with a self-satisfied I-told-you-so smirk on his face. "Of course he can," Sungyeol argues. "It'll sound better in English, I swear."
"Please." Sungjong rolls his eyes at the idiot he calls his friend. "He could say it in Russian and it still wouldn't work."
2)
The last bell has already rung and Myungsoo is slowly opening his locker when Sungyeol sidles up next to him. He spares his boyfriend a quick glance before turning his attention back to his locker combination.
"So, Myungsoo," Sungyeol starts sweetly. "You like taking pictures, right?"
"I thought we established this a long time ago?"
Sungyeol rolls his eyes, but continues with his sugary tone. "Don't you wish we could hang out more often?"
Now it's Myungsoo's turn to roll his eyes. "Because between being next door neighbors and having brothers who are best friends, we definitely don't see each other enough, do we?"
Someone's been hanging out with Sungjong too much.
"Look, are you going to let me get to my point or are you enjoying yourself too much?"
Myungsoo makes a show of putting all of the books he needs in his book-bag and leaning on his locker door once he's closed it. He gives his boyfriend a wide smile, his dimples appearing in his cheeks. "You have my undivided attention, so please go ahead and get to your point."
"I will, but just know that I'm kicking your ass after this." The threat only makes the other's smile wider. Sungyeol rolls his eyes again and leans over to press a short kiss on Myungsoo's lips. "So you know how I'm on the school newspaper? Well, apparently we don't have a photographer anymore—something to do with creative differences or whatever—and I was thinking... You take pictures... We need someone to take pictures... You see what I'm getting at here."
"And what am I getting out of this?"
"You mean besides seeing more of my beautiful face?"
Myungsoo's smile turns teasing as he pushes himself off of his locker. "You call that a perk," he asks while shouldering his bag. "You're supposed to be trying to make me want to join your club."
"Now I'm really going to kick your ass."
3)
This is either really sweet or really sad, Sungyeol thinks to himself as he watches Howon bid goodbye to Sungjong. Howon can't be any more transparent with his feelings for Sungjong. Sungyeol can see the words written all over his face and the hearts in his eyes. The younger boy, for his part, is as cool and elegant as he is with almost everyone. But there is the touch of friendliness he reserves for the people closest to him.
Howon walks away after an awkward wave and Sungyeol and Sungjong start walking in the opposite direction. The two friends walk silently for a block before Sungjong finally says something.
"Am I a bad person?"
"Is that a trick question?" Sungyeol can't tell from the other's tone if he wants a serious answer or if he's just voicing a thought.
"I mean for the way I treat Howon," Sungjong clarifies. Sungyeol doesn't know what to make of the guilty look in his friend's eyes. If anything, he's usually the guilty one between the two of them. "I know that he likes me. Everyone knows that he likes me. And I know it must look like I'm just stringing him along. Making it seem like I might go out with him at some point. Because obviously I'm the one holding all of the cards here. But I hate the thought that I'm being unfair to him."
Sungyeol wraps an arm around Sungjong's shoulders in a small attempt at comfort. "Maybe Howon likes it that way. Or at least, it doesn't seem like he minds. Besides, almost everyone thinks you two are already together anyway. And you can't really blame them. He practically worships the ground you walk on."
Sungjong sighs. "But that's not all I want in a relationship."
"I'm sure there's more to Howon than that. Dongwoo likes him." Sungjong tilts his head in response. They can both agree that Dongwoo's opinion of someone is the most important factor. "Would you even say yes if he asked you out? Do you like him-like him?"
Another sigh escapes the shorter boy. "I don't know... Maybe? I haven't really thought about it."
"Well, you should." Sungyeol turns to face his friend as they reach the intersection where they usually part. He rests both hands on Sungjong's shoulders, summoning all of his older brotherly authority. "Figure out how you feel about him and then tell him. If you like him then stop acting like you don't and if you don't like him, then definitely don't act like you do." Sungjong nods solemnly. This might be the first time he's actually listening to Sungyeol. "But if you really do like him please tell me first so I can set you guys up. I know just the way to do it."
"God, no. You haven't even managed to get Dongwoo with that girl he likes. And you don't need to go meddling in my love life when you have your own to worry about."
Obviously, the moment was short-lived.
4)
Myungsoo had known going into their relationship that Sungyeol could be a bit weird. Being a bit weird himself, he found it attractive. But he doesn't think any amount of weirdness can explain how he finds himself crouching behind a garbage can with Sungyeol and Sungjong.
"What are we doing again?"
Sungjong shushes him while Sungyeol points down the hallway. He looks over the rim of the can to see Dongwoo and a pretty girl he's never seen before. Finally things start to click.
The three of them watch as Dongwoo and the girl talk, the two smiling at each other the whole time and cheer silently at the ear-splitting grin on their friend's face as the girl says goodbye and walks away.
"You guys can come out now," Dongwoo says loudly once she turns the corner. Sungyeol, Sungjong, and Myungsoo practically trip over each other stepping out from behind the trash can. They jump on Dongwoo to congratulate him. (Well, Sungyeol and Myungsoo jump; Sungjong wraps an arm around his shoulder once they're done.)
"She said yes, right," Sungjong asks. It's really a fifty-fifty shot. Dongwoo's the most social of butterflies and just about anyone can be charmed by his smile. But at the same time, he's using Sungyeol's advice (which was borrowed from Woohyun, of all people) so no one can blame him for being worried Dongwoo's crush would slap him in the face.
Sungyeol shoves Sungjong's shoulder, ignoring the death glare he gets in return. "Of course she said yes. Why wouldn't she?"
"She did say yes." Dongwoo's barking laughter interrupts the start of another round of petty bickering between his two tall friends. "We're going out this Saturday."
Myungsoo wraps an arm around Dongwoo's waist on his free side. His smile is as bright as Dongwoo's. "That's great, Dongwoo. I'm sure it'll be wonderful."
"And to think," Sungyeol sighs dramatically. None of his friends are surprised by his theatrics. "This was all possible thanks to me." Three loud snorts follow the statement (the loudest coming from Sungjong). "I should start a business," he muses to himself.
5)
Myungsoo lets out a whine when Sungyeol puts his hand up to block the camera lens. He places the camera in his lap and turns it over to rub at the lens with his sleeve. Of course he'd be more upset about his precious camera than his boyfriend ruining the picture.
"I'm pretty sure my face isn't the soccer game you're supposed to be photographing," Sungyeol says. He's looking out at the field like practically everyone else. Not that he's interested in the game—soccer has never been a sport that he found exciting.
"I have a lot of shots already."
"The game just started." The other is silent beside him and Sungyeol knows he's won. "Plus, I think Woohyun would be pretty upset if you didn't get any pictures of him because you wasted film on me."
Myungsoo shifts so he's pressed up against his boyfriend. "But I'm not wasting film. I'm capturing natural beauty." He punctuates the statement with a quick kiss on Sungyeol's cheek.
"Thanks for the ego boost," Sungyeol says, finally turning to smile at his cheeseball of a boyfriend. Myungsoo looks down at his lap, all shy despite being the one who gave the compliment in the first place. Sungyeol really doesn't know what to do with him sometimes. "Now can you please do your job? I promise you'll get to capture all of this beauty after the game."
6)
Sungyeol idly wonders exactly when it had gotten ten degrees hotter in Myungsoo's bedroom. He would say something about it, but then that would mean taking his mouth off of Myungsoo's. They're laying side-by-side on the younger boy's bed, feet tangled and hands roaming. They exchange slow kisses like they have all the time in the world. Sungyeol thinks he could probably stay like this forever with the taste of his boyfriend's lips on his tongue and the feel of the smooth skin of his lower back on his fingertips. His breath catches in his throat at the high whine that comes from Myungsoo at the contact.
Needless to say, they're so wrapped up in each other that they forget that the rest of the Kim household is right on the other side of the bedroom door. Their reminder comes in the form of loud knocking. They both jolt, causing Myungsoo to bite down on Sungyeol's tongue. Ignoring his boyfriend's yelp and subsequent groans of pain, Myungsoo shoots up on the bed and yanks the pillow out from under the other boy's head. He throws it over his lap as he moves to lean against the headboard.
"Come in," he calls, his heart thundering in his chest. He combs his fingers through his hair to smooth down the wayward strands.
After a second, Mrs. Kim's head pops into the room. The pleasant smile on her face drops when she notices Sungyeol squirming in agony. She takes a step into the room. "Is he alright?"
Myungsoo looks down to see his boyfriend with his hands covering his face. "Yup," he answers quickly. "He's fine."
His mother is just as unconvinced as he is, but she doesn't press any further. "And is he staying for dinner?" At her son's curt response Mrs. Kim backs out of the room. "Okay, I'm almost done," she tells them. "Just come down when you're ready."
Myungsoo nods, wanting nothing more than for his mother to just leave. And she does just that after one more (probably knowing) look at the two boys. He lets his head thump against the wall in relief as soon as the door shuts. Closing his eyes, he tries to fill his mind with images of kicked puppies and sad movies and cold places.
Sungyeol shifts next to him to lay on his stomach. He pokes at the other's thigh with a long finger. "You owe me," he says, the words coming out funny from him trying not to move his tongue. When there's no response from Myungsoo, Sungyeol lifts his head up to look at him. "What are you doing?" He pulls himself up to a sitting position, his hand brushing Myungsoo's thigh in the process. He thinks nothing of it, but apparently it means something to his boyfriend because Myungsoo stumbles off of the bed with his pillow held firmly over his lap.
"Y-you need to leave now," Myungsoo tells him. He doesn't meet Sungyeol's eyes, choosing instead to fix his gaze on the nice clean wood of his bedroom floor.
Sungyeol takes in the redness of the other boy's face and the nervous way he's biting his lip and (most obviously) the pillow he's holding. And then it clicks. "Are you—" He chokes on the rest of the words. Now he's blushing too.
"Yes," Myungsoo breathes as his eyes slide shut in embarrassment. His grip on the pillow tightens.
Feeling like his brain might implode, Sungyeol says the first thing that comes to mind. "Do you want me to—" He's cut off by Myungsoo's panicked refusal.
"No! You don't—I think it's better if you just go. I'll tell my mom something came up." He makes a distressed sound as soon as he realizes what he just said. Backtracking, he can only blush harder. "I-I didn't mean it like that."
Sungyeol snorts and snickers quietly, but a hard look from Myungsoo wipes the smile from his face. "Nope, that's definitely not funny," he says, clearing his throat. "Okay, if you want me to go, I'll go. But just know..." He pauses to stand up and take a couple steps toward the other boy. Myungsoo retreats until his back hits the curtain-covered window. "You still owe me."