Work Text:
It was almost midnight, and the members had just gotten back to their hotel from their first day of KCON LA. Exhausted from their performances today, they all headed back to their rooms. Gyuvin had immediately flopped face-first onto the bed when he had gotten inside. He was rooming with Ricky again.
“UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I’m so tired.” Gyuvin whined loudly, his voice being muffled by the comforter.
“Do you want to take a shower first or should I go?” Ricky asked, ignoring Gyuvin’s complaint.
“I’ll go, you’ll take like two hours, Rick,”
“I won’t this time, I promise!” Ricky had started to say, but Gyuvin had already started running toward the bathroom.
—
When Gyuvin finished showering, he threw himself on his bed again and started to scroll on his phone. Initially, he had planned to go to sleep straight away, but he decided to wait for Ricky. He had something he wanted to ask him.
The two had been dating for what felt like a while now. Although, nothing had really changed between them, except for a slight increase in physical intimacy. Both of them, especially Ricky, had become more used to their frequent touches of affection. It was their own way of showing love for each other.
When they first got together, they decided to take it slow. They already had a lot on their plates, considering they were idols, and they both agreed that going too fast could hurt them more than anything.
However, Gyuvin had started feeling a bit impatient. The younger boy was filled with so much love for Ricky. He wanted to express it to him as much as he could. He would always cling onto Ricky, tease him, and reassure his love for him every day. But he recently felt that wasn’t enough. He was ready for their relationship to grow a bit further now and wondered if Ricky might be ready too. But, of course, he wanted to wait until Ricky expressed this.
Therefore, he waited and waited. Until today, when Gyuvin thought Ricky gave him a possible sign. During the Connecting Stage, Hao, Taerae, Yujin, Ricky, and Gyuvin were tasked with making lip tint keyrings for the other members. But, when the MC was asked which member they made the keyring for, Ricky had said he made it for Gyuvin, while emphasizing the fact it was strawberry flavored.
Gyuvin might have been reaching a bit when he first thought that maybe this was Ricky’s way of telling him he wanted to kiss him, but he also knew Ricky was shy. And he’d probably be too embarrassed to say it aloud, and instead would just hint at it. Hence, why he had decided to wait for Ricky to finish showering instead of sleeping right away. He wanted to ask him directly what he wanted.
Currently, Ricky, had been loudly singing Usher in the shower for an hour, even though he said he wouldn’t take long. But Gyuvin thought it was cute, so he let it pass.
While Gyuvin was waiting, he fished out the keyring from his bag and stared at it. It was strawberry flavored. Ricky’s favorite. Even though he had already showered, he decided to apply some on his lips. The sweet taste of strawberry entering his mouth.
He couldn’t deny, he was a bit nervous at the thought of kissing Ricky. But it was only natural. They had been friends for a while, of course it would be awkward suddenly kissing your best friend. The thought made him lose a bit of confidence, but he suddenly regained it again when he saw Ricky walk out of the bathroom.
“You’re still awake?” Ricky questioned.
Gyuvin couldn’t help but stare at Ricky’s black hair, which was dripping wet.
“Mhm!” was all that Gyuvin could utter out, his gaze still fixed on Ricky’s hair.
“Ah, then do you know where the hair dryer is? I couldn’t find it.”
“Yeah! Here, I’ll get it for you!”
Gyuvin hopped off the bed and skipped into the bathroom to fetch the hair dryer. The thoughts from earlier still occupying his brain.
“Can I dry your hair for you?” he asked suddenly.
Ricky was about to protest, but Gyuvin sent him a small pout, and the older eventually agreed.
Gyuvin walked over to the bed and sat down, with Ricky following, settling down on the floor between his legs. Gyuvin plugged the hair dryer into the outlet on the nightstand beside them, and lightly brushed one of his hands through Ricky’s hair, while drying it with the other.
They had done this often back when they roomed together. Back before they had even started dating. Sometimes Ricky would do it for Gyuvin, other times Gyuvin would do it for Ricky.
Now, Gyuvin was doing it for his boyfriend.
Once Ricky’s hair was dry, Gyuvin turned off the hair dryer and set it down on the nightstand. He ran both of his hands through Ricky’s hair again, and finally spit out his question from earlier:
“Hey, Kim Rick?”
“Mhm?”
“Do you want to kiss?”
At first, there was complete silence. The only sound that could be heard was the humming of the AC. Gyuvin could tell Ricky was nervous, and he was too. Both of their hearts were beating in harmony.
“Mhm…” Ricky murmured, while looking away in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks.
“…Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” Ricky said, this time more clearly.
Gyuvin was even more nervous now. Now what? He had imagined asking Ricky a thousand times in his head, but when it came to actually doing it, he had completely blanked. All he could do was gesture to the spot next to him on the bed. Ricky followed and settled down next to him. He could tell Ricky was clueless on what to do as well. His whole body was tense. Gyuvin reached his hand out to hold Ricky’s, in an attempt to ease both of their nerves.
Slowly, Gyuvin inched his face towards Ricky, closing his eyes, and lightly touching their lips together. The kiss barely lasted a second, but it sent an electrifying thrill through their hearts. When they pulled away, they both fluttered their eyes open, and were greeted with large smiles plastered on each others’ faces. Leading to a fit of giggles escaping their mouths.
“Strawberry…” Ricky whispered while laughing. Oh? Gyuvin had forgotten he had put that on.
“Mhm. From the keyring you gave me,” Gyuvin was still holding onto Ricky’s hand, and gave it a small squeeze. The action made Ricky’s mouth curve up again. They were both calmer now, their previous nerves subsiding.
And, of course, Gyuvin could never miss a chance to tease Ricky. “…Did it taste good?“
This made Ricky become flustered once again. Gyuvin adored the way Ricky’s cheeks grew to a bright shade of pink. He loved seeing Ricky like this. He loved Ricky, and he knew Ricky loved him too.
While, normally, Ricky would be too embarrassed to reply to Gyuvin’s absurd comments, this time, Ricky had managed to spit out a, “It tasted good...”
And, oh god, did Gyuvin want to shower him with kisses right now.
“Can I kiss you again, then, Kim Rick…?”
“You don’t have to ask anymore, Shim Gyuvin. It’s okay with me.” Ricky said reassuringly. The flush of pink on his face growing even deeper.
Once again, Gyuvin leaned towards Ricky and placed another light kiss on his lips. But before Gyuvin could draw away, Ricky grabbed the back of his neck, pulled him close, and connected their lips again. The sudden gesture shocked Gyuvin. Ricky was really cute.
In the end, the urge to cover Ricky’s handsome face in kisses consumed him. He playfully tackled Ricky onto the bed, and the two laughed as Gyuvin rained gentle kisses all over Ricky’s face. From his eyes, to the mole on the right side of his face, to his cheeks, to the tip of his nose, to his forehead, and finally his mouth.
“We shou-,” Ricky started to stay before being cut off by a pair of lips.
“We really should-,” Ricky tried again, only for Gyuvin to shut him up with another soft kiss.
He giggled, placing his hand over Gyuvin’s mouth. “Shim Gyuvin, it’s late. We should sleep. We have a schedule tomorrow.'' He was finally able to say.
This earned him a pout from the younger. But Ricky placed another chaste kiss to his mouth, which made the boy smile again.
“Fine…” he relented while rolling to the side of the bed and reaching to turn off the bedside lamp, before shifting back to his original place beside Ricky. The two stared at each other for a bit, beaming with love.
Eventually Gyuvin threw his leg and arm around Ricky, and snuggled his face into the corner of Ricky’s neck. Ricky wrapped his arm around Gyuvin in return.
“Goodnight, Strawber-ricky,” Gyuvin mumbled into Ricky’s neck. “I love you.”
“Goodnight, Gyu.” Ricky whispered back into his ear, “I love you too.”
The taste of strawberries still lingering in their mouths, as they drifted off to sleep in each other’s embrace.