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When Jungsu opened the door for him, Jiseok felt his heart flutter a little. His hood was pulled up over his head and a soft purple blanket was draped over his shoulders. His face, free of any makeup, was slightly red, and the dark circles under his eyes were even more apparent than usual.
Jiseok knew he should feel bad, and part of him obviously did, but a louder, more obnoxious part just found Jungsu cute. As per usual.
“Sorry to make you get up,” Jiseok apologised, leaning against the wall to kick his shoes off as he watched Jungsu crawl back into his bed. “This is why you should give me my own key!”
Groaning, Jungsu leaned his head back against the wall at the head of his bed.
“I'll consider it,” he managed to grumble before coughing. “Don't stay here long, I'll get you sick.”
Shaking his head, Jiseok sauntered into the small studio apartment.
“Nah.” He thumped his fist against his chest, smiling proudly. “I have an indestructible immune system!”
With his other hand, he raised up the plastic bag he was holding. “Anyway, Gunil sent this for you. I think it's samgyetang. Do you want me to heat it up?”
Jungsu simply nodded, his eyes slipping shut, Jiseok smiling at the sight.
Already familiar with Jungsu’s kitchen, he made quick work of pouring half of the soup into a bowl, breaking up the chicken and making sure there were no bones for Jungsu to struggle with, and heated it up. As he waited for the microwave, he kept an eye on Jungsu, making sure he didn’t fall back asleep before eating something, even though he looked like he was one step away from death. He had his eyes closed, but his near-constant sniffles let Jiseok know he was still awake.
“Do you want rice?”
Jungsu shook his head. “Don’t have any.”
“I can make you some.”
“Don’t want any…”
Jiseok really did hate to see him like this, but selfishly, he was thankful that he could be the one to take care of him. He couldn’t be more glad that Gunil had morning classes that day, only leaving him enough time to buy the samgyetang and get it to Jiseok before he had to run.
Turning away from Jungsu, Jiseok opened the cabinet next to the sink where the other usually kept his meds, only to find it full of spices instead.
“Do you not have any cold meds?” Jiseok asked, knowing fully well Jungsu was always prepared for when anyone he knew got sick, even if he rarely followed his own advice.
In the guise of a response, Jungsu just groaned.
“Seriously?” Incredulous, Jiseok turned to look at him, but he had slid down from the wall and was now half-lying sideways on the bed in a position that could not truly be comfortable.
“They’re above the fridge,” he mumbled, tugging his hood closer around his head.
The microwave then beeped, drawing Jiseok’s attention away from the search for meds. Carefully, he took the steaming bowl out, placing it on a tray with utensils, a glass of warm water and napkins before taking it out to Jungsu.
“Come on, sit up,” Jiseok coaxed him gently, putting the tray down on the table beside the bed to help him get back up against the wall.
Sniffling a little, Jungsu pulled the sheets up to his lap, smoothing them out while Jiseok turned to grab the tray again, leaving the glass on the table. He placed it down on his lap, making sure Jungsu could keep it stable, then turned back to the small kitchenette.
“Let me get your meds and then I’ll help you with the food.”
Jungsu whined a little, the cold making him petulant. “I don’t need help,” he grumbled, followed by the clanking of metal.
Whipping around, Jiseok first noticed the chopsticks on the floor, and then the overdramatic disappointed expression on Jungsu’s face. Hiding his laugh behind a fake cough, he pulled a second pair out of the cutlery drawer, then opened the cabinet above the fridge.
Or at least, he attempted to.
Huffing, he fell back onto flat feet, his height on his tiptoes still not enough to reach the handle.
“Do you have a stool, Su?”
When Jungsu didn’t verbally reply, Jiseok looked over his shoulder to see him shaking his head against the wall, his eyes closed once again.
“Okay, that’s fine.”
Without hesitation, Jiseok climbed onto the counter beside the fridge, shuffling on his knees to lean against it so he could reach the cabinet.
“Why would you put these here? Seems impractical.”
“It’s only impractical when you’re tiny,” was Jungsu’s mumbled retort. Apparently, even an illness couldn’t keep him from pointing out Jiseok’s height.
Rolling his eyes lightheartedly, Jiseok grabbed all the cold meds he could find, not wanting to have to climb up again.
Meds and a fresh pair of chopsticks in hand, Jiseok made his way back to Jungsu, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Taking the chopsticks from him, Jungsu thanked him softly, beginning to eat slowly.
With Jiseok’s help to break up the chicken further, Jungsu managed to get through half the bowl before pushing it away, insisting he couldn’t eat anymore when Jiseok tried to get him to eat more.
“Okay, that’s fine.” Jiseok nodded, taking the tray away from him, replacing it with the meds and glass of water. “Take these now.”
Jungsu scrunched up his face and shook his head. “They’re gross.”
He was looking up at Jiseok with round, pleading eyes, and Jiseok may be a sucker for anything Jungsu did, but he was determined to take care of him despite anything he had to say in protest.
“Come on. It’ll help you feel better. It’s the sleepy kind, so you can just rest today.”
Groaning, Jungsu kicked his feet a little like a child, but took two of the pills, downing them with water and a sour expression.
“I hate being sick,” he muttered, giving the pill bottle and empty glass back to Jiseok.
“I know, Su, but I’m here!” Jiseok patted his knee. “Alright, let me put all this away.”
Piling everything onto the tray, Jiseok got off the bed and made his way back to the kitchen area to put the rest of the samgyetang in the fridge and wash the dishes. There were a couple small plates and utensils in the sink which he washed too, not wanting Jungsu to worry when he was already so sick.
Jungsu was softly snoring by the time Jiseok stepped back into the main part of the room. Smiling, Jiseok approached the bed to pull the blanket back up on him, when his hood slipping off the top of his head caught his attention.
Cat ears.
A set of fluffy, cream-coloured cat ears.
Containing his gasp, Jiseok took a step back, eyes locked on the top of his friend’s head.
Ears. Cat ears.
Cat ears that twitched ever so slightly when Jiseok reached his hand near them.
As quietly as possible, Jiseok exited his apartment, then bolted out of the building.
—☆—
“Have you ever thought about how… How Jungsu is kinda like a cat?”
That caused Hyeongjun to finally look up from his guitar, giving Jiseok a look that he could only describe as confused disgust.
“No, I have never thought that,” his roommate replied. “Have you considered that, maybe, you’re just whipped?”
Jiseok huffed, continuing to fold his freshly washed clothes. “Never mind, you don’t get it.”
With a shrug, Hyeongjun turned his attention back to his fingers on the fretboard.
As Jiseok turned back to the task at hand, his mind continued to wander. Was Hyeongjun keeping Jungsu’s secret, or did he really not know?
He thought about their other friends. Jooyeon probably didn’t know, because knowing his inability to keep secrets, he would’ve blabbed the second he found out. As a fox hybrid, Seungmin could know, but Jiseok wasn't sure how close they actually were outside of just sharing the same major. Gunil, however, was particularly fond of Jungsu… And they used to be roommates. If anyone would know, it would be him.
Abandoning his remaining laundry, he sat down on his bed beside the pile of clothes, pulling out his phone to text Gunil.
—☆—
One of the many things Jiseok appreciated about Gunil was his willingness to always make time for his friends. Even if it meant meeting them in the dingy lounge area in the basement of their dorm building at a moment’s notice.
“Are you okay?” Gunil asked as he sat down on the saggy stained armchair opposite Jiseok. “What’s so urgent that you had to meet me right now?”
Jiseok had no idea how to even approach the situation. “Well… You know how Jungsu is… Kind of cat-like, right?”
Gunil frowned, tilting his head to the side. “I suppose so…?”
“Okay, listen.” Jiseok leaned forward on the small table in between them, Gunil subconsciously mirroring the position. “I saw… something. While I was at Jungsu’s place.”
Raising an eyebrow, Gunil signalled for him to continue.
“You were roommates with Jungsu for two years. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, it's you.”
Squinting his eyes, Gunil slowly leaned back in his chair. “What are you trying to say?”
Jiseok huffed, blowing his blonde bangs up.
“Okay, so… When I was at his apartment, dropping off the samgyetang, he was wearing his usual hoodie, right? But then he fell asleep and his hood slipped off his head when I went over to check on him, and I saw… His ears?” Jiseok didn’t know if it was the awkwardness or his general infatuation with Jungsu that was making his face turn red. Probably both. “It's not like I purposefully made it happen, but I saw them… So now I don't know what to do. Clearly he's been keeping this a secret, but I can't pretend like I don't know…”
Gunil nodded, his face smoothing out as his suspicions of what Jiseok had been talking about were confirmed. “Well… I would just be honest with him. Tell him what happened. I'm sure he'll be relieved he can get it off his chest with another person.”
Jiseok nodded, then frowned. “Why has he been keeping it a secret?”
“That's not my story to tell.”
“Fair enough…” Jiseok couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in his gut. “But what if he gets mad at me?”
Gunil smiled softly, tilting his head. “When has Jungsu ever gotten mad at you?”
—☆—
wednesday
gunil
Have you talked to him yet?
jiseok
no
who do u think i am
gunil
A dumbass
thursday
jiseok
are u with jungsu
gunil
Yeah
jiseok
ok im coming
nvm
gunil
What are you so scared of?
friday
jiseok
ok
today is the day
gunil
You got this!
Jiseok rarely felt nervous. He was the most outgoing of his friends, he loved to be on stage, and he was always the one chosen to be the speaker for group presentations.
As he approached Jungsu’s door, however, his hands were shaking. He hadn’t even texted Jungsu to let him know he’d be coming, out of fear that he’d say no, or worse: he’d take so long to answer that Jiseok would lose his resolve. He had to make the most of the window of courage he suddenly had.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door five times, in a rhythm he had perfected a long time ago.
The door swung open a second later, revealing a smiling Jungsu in a black beanie, blonde hair sticking out around his ears and nape.
“Jiseok, hey. What’s up?”
“You look like you're doing better.”
“I am, thanks.” Jungsu tilted his head, still smiling, before letting him in. “What brings you here? I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Um, yeah. I was on my way to Jooyeon’s, so I thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing,” he lied, stepping past Jungsu into the small apartment. “Can’t I just come say hi to a friend?”
Rolling his eyes at Jiseok’s playfully accusatory tone, Jungsu closed the door behind them. “You know you’re welcome anytime, loser.”
Looking around the small studio he had been in countless times, Jiseok felt the nerves begin to settle in. The shift in the air must have been palpable, because Jungsu frowned, trying to meet his eyes. “Jiseok, what’s up?”
“No, well… Uh…” Jiseok wrung his hands in front of him. “Can we… Can we talk?”
Jungsu looked at him with round, worried eyes, sitting down on the bed and patting the mattress beside him. “Is everything alright?”
They sat on the edge of Jungsu’s bed, facing each other. Jiseok sat facing him, pulling both his legs up and crossing them, Jungsu mirroring the pose, so close that their knees were knocking together. Holding onto his own calves, Jiseok forced himself to meet Jungsu’s eyes before beginning to speak.
“The other day, when I came over to bring you the samgyetang…”
“Yeah? Did something happen?” Jungsu frowned a little. “I don't remember much of that day, to be honest.”
“It's… Well, it's not something that happened exactly.”
“What does that mean?” Jungsu asked, understandably confused.
“It's something… It's something I saw.”
Jungsu’s face morphed from confused worry to apprehension, but he stayed silent, waiting for Jiseok to continue.
But Jiseok had no idea how to even breach the topic.
“Jungsu, listen, I don't want to beat around the bush, but I don't know how to bring this up… That day, when you fell asleep after taking your meds, I saw…” At a loss for words, Jiseok just vaguely gestured above his own head.
Jungsu's eyes widened.
“Your hood had slipped down, I swear it wasn’t on purpose!” Jiseok quickly continued. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I– it didn't feel right for me to not tell you.”
Jungsu nodded, looking down at the bed, picking at the fabric of his duvet cover. Tentatively, Jiseok reached for his hand, feeling slight relief when he interlocked their fingers with no hesitation.
“I’m sorry,” Jiseok continued. “I’m sure you have your reasons why you’ve kept it a secret. I won’t pretend like I know how you feel, but I just want you to know that it doesn’t change anything.”
Jungsu nodded, looking down.
“Thanks for telling me,” he murmured. “I’m sure you have questions.”
Honestly, Jiseok did have questions, so many questions, but he also knew this wasn’t the right time. Jungsu looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole, and he wasn’t about to put him through anything more.
So instead, Jiseok just shrugged.
“Not really,” he replied. Jungsu’s head shot up, his eyes wide. “If there’s something you want to tell me, I’m here to listen, but otherwise, all this doesn’t really change anything. I just wanted you to know that I knew.”
For the first time since the conversation started, Jungsu gave him a small smile, which he returned tenfold.
“Honestly,” Jiseok continued, “I’m just amazed that you’ve been able to keep it a secret for this long. Especially with how nosy our friends are.”
Finally, a laugh from Jungsu. Jiseok’s chest swelled with pride as he joined in on the laughter, squeezing the hand still held in his grip.
“Yeah, you’re right. I guess this was bound to happen eventually,” Jungsu agreed, nodding a little, still smiling. He looked at Jiseok and tilted his head before continuing, “I’m glad, out of all of them, that it was you who found out.”
Feeling the heat in his cheeks, Jiseok promptly looked away, blushing harder when Jungsu just laughed. He probably should say something, but all he could focus on were Jungsu’s fond expression and the way he was absently stroking his thumb over the back of Jiseok’s hand.
God, he was screwed.
“Jooyeon must be waiting for you,” Jungsu finally said. “Do you need to go?”
To Jiseok’s ears, however, that sounded like an invitation to stay.
“Nah, there’s no rush.” Jiseok looked at Jungsu, his face finally feeling normal again. “I can stick around.”
Jungsu’s grin was confirmation that Jiseok understood him correctly.
“Do you wanna get pizza then?”
An entire pizza pie and five sitcom episodes later, Jiseok was practically falling asleep on Jungsu's couch, comfy under his soft purple throw blanket.
“Hey, don’t fall asleep.” Jungsu nudged him, bumping their shoulders together. “I won’t be able to open my bed again if you do.”
Half-heartedly, Jiseok pulled a hand out of the blanket to swat at Jungsu. “I told you we should’ve just left it open. It’s not like we haven’t eaten on your bed before.”
Jungsu huffed. “Yeah, but I knew you would get under the sheets in your outside clothes.”
In the guise of a response, Jiseok just shot Jungsu a sheepish grin.
They fell back into a comfortable silence for a moment before Jungsu spoke up again.
“Hey, Seok?”
Jiseok tilted his head to look up at Jungsu, and nodded.
“Sorry I ruined your plans with Joo.”
Laughing, Jiseok turned his attention back to the tv. “I didn't have any plans with Jooyeon.”
Jiseok realised, too late, what he had let slip when Jungsu made a noise of confusion.
“I thought you said–”
Jiseok interrupted him with a groan, pulling the blanket up over his head.
“I lied,” he mumbled, the sound muffled by the fabric over his head. “I wanted to come see you all along. I just… got nervous.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to come by?”
“I was scared that I would chicken out by the time you replied to my text.”
“You could've called me.”
Jiseok groaned, pulling the blanket away from his face to give Jungsu a pointed look. “You never pick up your phone.”
Jungsu shrugged. “I do if it's you calling.”
“Oh.”
Thankfully for Jiseok, who wanted nothing more but to cover his face again, Jungsu just smiled before looking away, reaching for the remote to play the next episode.
After a moment of just their tv show filling the air, Jungsu spoke again.
“Do you wanna just stay over, then?”
Jiseok’s dorm was a ten minute walk away, along well-lit campus roads and past the 24 hour dining hall. He didn't need to stay over. He could easily just go home, and the both of them knew that.
“Yeah, I'll stay.”
Jungsu’s pyjamas were way too big on Jiseok. The t-shirt, slightly worn and only a little baggy on Jungsu, swallowed Jiseok whole, and the bottom hem of the sweatpants came under his heels when he walked. But none of that mattered when everything smelled like Jungsu’s perfume, light and comforting.
Once changed, he helped Jungsu pull the couch back into a bed and put the sheets on before clambering in, ignoring Jungsu’s playful protests.
“Let me put down the pillows first!”
“Just toss them to me!” Jiseok laughed before being hit square in the face with a pillow. Well, he deserved that one.
Once all the pillows and plushies were on the bed, Jungsu stood up straight and stretched out his back before asking, “Do you mind if I take a quick shower?”
“It's your house.” Jiseok shrugged, wiggling a little to get comfortable on the bed.
“House,” Jungsu repeated, laughing a little. “Okay, I'll be right back, then.”
Jiseok was curled up in the bed, head propped up on a puppy plushie and his phone in hand, when Jungsu emerged from the bathroom. He had a towel draped over his head, holding on to the sides of it by his shoulders, looking slightly apprehensive as he approached the bed. They had shared a bed on multiple occasions, but maybe Jungsu was feeling shy in light of Jiseok’s recent discovery.
“You okay?” Jiseok asked quietly, turning his phone face down so he could look at Jungsu. “I can sleep on the floor if you want. Or I can go home, it's not that la–”
“No, no.” Jungsu shook his head.
Jiseok pushed himself up into a seated position, tilting his head slightly to get Jungsu to keep talking.
“This is just kinda weird.”
“It’s just me.” Jiseok smiled, trying to reassure his friend. “And you. Jiseok and Jungsu. Nothing’s changed, not really.”
Nodding, Jungsu sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Jiseok with one leg hanging off the side.
“You’re right...”
Slowly, he pulled the towel off his head, leaning over to drape it over the small chair by the bed. Jiseok forced himself not to look up at his ears, instead smiling at him. He was about to grab his phone and lie back down when Jungsu spoke up again.
“You can touch my ears, if you want…”
Jiseok's eyes widened, and he sat up straighter.
"Really?!” he exclaimed, before suddenly feeling shy. "Would that be okay?”
Under the weight of the awkwardness, Jungsu laughed, his nose scrunching slightly.
“Yeah, of course. That's why I suggested it.”
Finally letting himself look at his ears, Jiseok scooted a little closer.
The fluffy ears on the top of Jungsu's head were as soft as Jiseok suspected.
Jungsu closed his eyes but tilted his head into Jiseok’s touch, making him smile to himself.
Feeling a little self-conscious after a moment, Jiseok slid his hand down the back of Jungsu’s head instead, twirling strands of blonde hair between his fingers.
“That's my hair,” Jungsu giggled softly, opening his eyes.
“Yeah, but it's soft, too.”
When their eyes met, Jiseok suddenly realised just how close they were. The air around them thickened, Jiseok’s movements slowing but never stopping as his hand made its way down to the nape of his neck. Despite his best efforts, his gaze flickered to Jungsu’s lips, but when he looked back up into his eyes, Jungsu was doing the same.
Tentatively, Jiseok leaned in closer.
Jungsu didn't move, but his eyelids fluttering gave Jiseok the green light.
Right before their lips could meet, however, Jiseok hesitated, his breath shaky against Jungsu's lips.
“Is thi—”
Jungsu grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.
Immediately, Jiseok melted into his hold. Jungsu’s lips were soft, just like everything else about him, but the pressure and urgency with which he kissed Jiseok made his head spin. With his hold on Jiseok’s face, Jungsu tilted their heads, Jiseok pliant in his hold. As if he’d let anything ruin this moment.
Jiseok felt like he was in a daze from the way their lips slotted together, only falling in deeper when Jungsu’s hands, restless, came to grip his hips, making him gasp and his fingers curl deeper into soft blonde hair.
“Jungsu,” Jiseok breathed out, barely separating from his lips, but that seemed to just spur him on even more. As their lips met again, Jungsu lightly pushed his shoulder, and he went willingly, lying back on the bed, pulling Jungsu down with him without breaking the kiss. Their chests heaving together, Jiseok wrapped an arm around Jungsu's neck, his other hand still in his hair.
If it were with anyone else, Jiseok would be embarrassed about the high pitched noise that was ripped from his throat when Jungsu nipped at his bottom lip, but instead it just made him hold onto him tighter. He had half a mind to wrap his leg around Jungsu’s waist, but the blanket in between them made it difficult to manoeuvre. So instead, he turned his head ever so slightly, letting their tongues meet briefly, teasingly.
A few moments and many kisses later, Jiseok could no longer ignore the way he was panting for air, reluctantly pulling away just enough for their lips to still be touching.
“Sorry,” Jungsu breathed out. “I— I kinda got carried away…”
“Don't apologize.” Jiseok couldn't tear his eyes away from Jungsu's lips. “Can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
Even in their haze, Jungsu seemed incredulous. “Seriously?”
But Jiseok had no intention of keeping a conversation going right now.
“Please just kiss me again.”
Thankfully, Jungsu was just as weak for Jiseok as he was for him.