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The dorm bathroom was filled with the sound of hangers scraping across the metal rod.
Sunoo stood in front of the mirror, lower lip pulled between his teeth, the fourth outfit of the night hanging limply from his frame.
A sigh escaped him. He yanked the sweater off over his head and tossed it onto his bed in a dramatic heap.
“Nothing looks right.”
His closet door creaked as he opened it again, scanning the hanging garments like one of them might suddenly leap out and solve his problem for him. He wanted to look cute—but not too try-hard. Comfortable—but not lazy. Maybe something that would make a certain someone look. Or look longer.
He grabbed the soft lavender cardigan. It always made him feel a little delicate, a little lovely. And then he hesitated before reaching for the pleated black skirt folded on the shelf.
He held it in both hands and stared.
He hadn’t worn it in a while. Not in front of all the members. Not in front of him.
Not since he started noticing the way his stomach tightened every time Sunghoon looked at him for a second too long. Not since his feelings grew a little too real to keep pretending they were just for fun.
Sunoo glanced at himself in the mirror again. He tried the cardigan with a plain tee, the skirt fluttering around his legs as he shifted his weight. He twirled once, then stopped, suddenly feeling ridiculous.
“Too much?” he whispered to no one.
But something in him—soft and stubborn—refused to change again. He smoothed the fabric down his sides, fingers pausing at the waistband. He tilted his head and gave his reflection the tiniest nod.
He liked the way he looked. That should be enough.
Even if his heart still pounded every time he thought about sitting next to him.
Just as he was reaching for lip gloss, the door creaked open.
“You almost ready?” Sunghoon’s voice floated in, casual and quiet.
Sunoo startled, then turned toward the sound. “Yeah! Just—one sec.”
Sunghoon poked his head in—and paused.
His eyes scanned Sunoo, from the cardigan to the skirt to the soft shimmer on his lips. There was a flicker in his gaze. Not shock. Not teasing.
Something slower. Quieter.
“You look good.”
Sunoo blinked. “Huh?”
“That outfit. It’s…” Sunghoon’s ears turned the faintest shade of pink. “It suits you.”
Sunoo’s heart twisted.
“Thanks,” he said softly, lips curling into a small smile.
Sunghoon gave a short nod, and then disappeared again, leaving the door ajar behind him.
Sunoo turned back to the mirror and took a breath.
Okay.
Okay.
Maybe this was the right outfit after all.
The dorm was warm with the hum of conversation, a soft haze of fairy lights curling over the ceiling beams. Someone—probably Jake—had connected their phone to the speaker and was letting a cozy playlist shuffle on low volume. The entire group had gathered in the shared living room for a chill night in. There were snacks scattered across the table, soda bottles half-drunk, laughter echoing from every corner.
Sunghoon had claimed one of the beanbag chairs in the corner early, legs stretched out, soda can balanced lazily in his hand. He was watching the rest of the group play some chaotic card game on the floor. His eyes kept flickering over to Sunoo, who was curled up in one of the armchairs, a lilac knit cardigan slipping off one shoulder and a pleated skirt brushing just above his knees.
Sunghoon didn’t even try to stop the small smile tugging at his lips.
Sunoo looked radiant. As always.
When the game ended with Ni-ki shouting about unfair rules and Jay tossing cards into the air dramatically, Sunoo got up and wandered over, balancing a bowl of popcorn in his hands.
“Move your legs,” he said lightly, nudging Sunghoon’s foot with his own.
Sunghoon raised a brow. “Why?”
“I’m sitting.”
“There’s like—” Sunghoon gestured lazily, “—a whole couch over there.”
“But you’re here,” Sunoo said with a shrug, as if that explained everything.
And then, without another word, he stepped over Sunghoon’s stretched-out legs and settled himself neatly right into Sunghoon’s lap, cross-legged, skirt fanning out gently over his thighs.
Sunghoon choked on his soda.
His arm twitched as he caught himself just before it instinctively settled around Sunoo’s waist. He cleared his throat and stared firmly at the bowl of popcorn, like it had personally offended him.
“Comfortable?” he asked, trying to keep his voice flat.
“Mhm,” Sunoo said cheerfully, reaching for a piece of popcorn. “You’re warm.”
“You’re... wearing a skirt.”
“And?” Sunoo glanced down at him with wide, blinking eyes. “You’re the one with pants. I’m not cold.”
Sunghoon had to look away, ears tinged pink.
From across the room, Jake caught the scene and elbowed Heeseung. “Dude,” he whispered, “Sunoo just—did you see that? Right in his lap.”
Heeseung hummed without looking up. “Yeah. Bold of him.”
“Should we tease them?”
“Nope,” Heeseung said, popping a chip into his mouth. “I like my limbs intact.”
Back in the corner, Sunghoon finally gave in and let his hand settle gently on Sunoo’s hip, the fabric of his skirt soft under his fingers. Sunoo leaned back slightly into him, hair brushing Sunghoon’s cheek.
“I like it here,” he murmured quietly.
Sunghoon swallowed, then nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”
They stayed like that for a while—quiet, warm, and just a little too close to be just friends.
And then the others started pulling out the photo booth app.
“Everyone take a picture with someone!” Ni-ki declared, holding out his phone.
“Couple shots!” Jake added with a grin, already yanking Heeseung next to him.
Before Sunghoon could react, Sunoo turned a little in his lap, still seated firmly, and pulled out his own phone. “Let’s take one,” he said, voice casual.
Sunghoon blinked. “Like this?”
“Yeah,” Sunoo said, already opening the camera. “C’mon, Hoon. Smile.”
Sunghoon didn’t know how to smile. Not when his heart was thudding in his chest and Sunoo was still sitting on him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
But he did. A small one. A real one.
Sunoo leaned in, shoulder tucked under his chin, eyes bright as the shutter clicked.
Later that night, when the lights dimmed and the group thinned, Sunoo still hadn’t moved.
He was quiet now, popcorn bowl long abandoned, hands resting idly on his own knees.
“You didn’t tell me to get off,” he said softly.
Sunghoon glanced down at him. “Did you want me to?”
Sunoo looked up with those eyes—clear, full of something Sunghoon didn’t have the words for.
“No.”
A beat passed.
Sunghoon brushed a stray piece of hair behind Sunoo’s ear. “Then stay.”
And Sunoo did.
The dorm had finally quieted down.
Empty cups littered the coffee table, Ni-ki was passed out facedown on the floor wrapped in a blanket burrito, and someone had turned the music off mid-song. Heeseung and Jake had vanished to their rooms—probably after some whispered conversation and Jake’s obnoxious wink.
Sunoo stretched his arms overhead, cardigan slipping slightly down one shoulder as he let out a content sigh.
Then he turned to head toward his room.
And promptly ran straight into Jungwon and Jay waiting in the hallway like guards posted on duty.
They were leaning against the wall—arms crossed, matching smirks on their faces, like they’d been standing there specifically to ambush him.
Sunoo froze.
“What?” he asked slowly, narrowing his eyes.
Jungwon tilted his head. “Nothing.”
Jay shrugged. “Nothing at all.”
Sunoo squinted. “Why do you both sound like you’re lying?”
Jay’s smirk deepened. “No reason. Except, maybe, because someone was playing musical chairs with Sunghoon’s lap tonight.”
Sunoo’s face heated instantly. “It wasn’t like that—”
“Sure,” Jungwon said, nodding seriously. “You accidentally sat down and just… forgot to get up for two hours.”
“You looked so uncomfortable,” Jay added, feigning concern. “I mean, the way you leaned back on him and smiled and literally glowed—yeah. You were really suffering.”
Sunoo groaned and pressed his hands over his face. “You guys are the worst.”
“We’re just supportive friends,” Jungwon said innocently. “Who ship it.”
Jay gasped dramatically. “Oh my god, we’re SunSun truthers now.”
Sunoo lowered his hands just to glare. “Please stop.”
“Does Sunghoon know he’s your human beanbag chair now?” Jungwon asked.
“Or your designated boyfriend?” Jay added.
Sunoo threw his cardigan sleeve at them. “He’s not my—! He’s not—!”
Both of them ducked, laughing, and Jungwon clapped him on the back affectionately.
“Relax,” he said. “You looked happy.”
Jay nodded. “And Sunghoon looked like he’d been blessed by the gods.”
Sunoo opened his mouth to argue. Closed it. Then mumbled, “...shut up,” as he stormed past them.
But his ears were still pink, and the little smile tugging at the corner of his lips kind of gave everything away.
Behind him, Jay leaned toward Jungwon and whispered, “I give it a week.”
Jungwon grinned. “Three days.”
The door clicked shut with a soft thunk.
Sunghoon stood in the middle of his room, staring at nothing, arms slack by his sides.
His heart was still pounding.
He could still feel the warmth of Sunoo’s weight in his lap, like his body had imprinted the exact shape of him. The cardigan. The soft curve of his waist under Sunghoon’s hand. The way Sunoo had leaned back into him, casual and close and completely unaware of the chaos he’d ignited.
Sunghoon dropped face-first onto his bed and groaned into his pillow.
“Oh my god.”
He rolled over, then buried his face again. Then rolled back.
It didn’t help.
His brain was playing the evening like a film reel on repeat:
Sunoo turning in his lap. Sunoo taking a selfie. Sunoo whispering I like it here.
And the worst part?
He liked it too. He loved it. He was thriving. He was also losing his mind.
He smacked the pillow. “He sat on my lap. He sat on my lap.”
He groaned again, dragging both hands down his face like that might erase the memory. It didn’t. It just made his face hot and his hair stick up worse.
It had felt so natural at the time. Like breathing. Like something they'd always done.
Except they hadn’t.
That was the problem.
Sunoo had never sat on anyone’s lap before. Not like that. Not so confidently. Not with him.
And now all Sunghoon could think about was how soft his voice had been when he’d said, “Then stay.”
And how Sunoo had.
And now Sunghoon was supposed to just go to sleep?
Absolutely not.
He sat up, grabbed his pillow, screamed into it one more time (quietly—he wasn’t a menace), then threw himself back down.
He stared at the ceiling.
Was that flirting? Was that... more than flirting? Was that a Sunoo-level ambush disguised as softness?
He remembered the way Sunoo looked earlier that night, hesitant in the hallway in that lavender cardigan and skirt. The way he’d looked at him when Sunghoon told him he looked good.
Yeah.
He was so screwed.
He was pacing.
Cardigan discarded, makeup wiped off, skirt swapped out for pajama pants—but the panic remained firmly intact.
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and opened his messages.
Wonie:
sunoo u literally SAT ON HIM
u were on his LAP FOR LIKE TWO HOURS
that’s a long-term relationship in lap years
Sunoo groaned and typed back.
Sunito:
why did i do that
what came over me
i blacked out
i was possessed
Jungwon’s reply came fast.
Wonie:
u were possessed by ✨ desire ✨
Sunoo rolled his eyes and threw himself face-first into a pillow.
He turned back over, phone clutched to his chest, and let out a long sigh.
He opened Instagram. Stalked Sunghoon’s profile. Closed it. Opened it again.
Then hovered over his messages.
Sunghyung
No recent texts. Just a meme from two weeks ago about penguins, and a reply that said “u.”
Sunoo chewed on his bottom lip.
He shouldn’t.
He shouldn’t.
But maybe…
He tapped.
SUNoo:
are your legs okay lol
i didn’t realise i sat on you for so long
you can bill me for emotional damages or whatever
He stared at it.
Deleted the third message.
Typed a new one.
unless you liked it
Deleted that one too. Screamed into the pillow again.
Then, finally, after a moment of dizzy courage, he sent:
SUNoo:
you’re warm. it was nice.
Sent.
Immediately regretted it.
Threw his phone under the blanket and shut his eyes.
His phone buzzed once.
He ignored it.
Then again.
And again.
He blinked blearily, rolled over, grabbed it off his nightstand, and squinted at the screen.
SUNoo:
you’re warm. it was nice.
Sunghoon sat up so fast his pillow launched off the bed.
His heart stopped.
Restarted.
Exploded.
He read it again. And again. His thumb hovered over the keyboard.
Then backspaced everything he started.
Eventually, he settled on:
Sunghyung:
you can sit on me any time.
Sent.
Paused.
Threw his phone onto the floor.
Promptly dove under his blanket to scream into the dark.
Sunoo’s phone buzzed suddenly, jolting him awake from a restless half-sleep.
Incoming call: Sunghyung
He almost dropped the phone, fingers fumbling to answer.
“Hello?”
There was a pause, then Sunghoon’s quiet voice, a little unsure.
“…Hey.”
Sunoo’s heart did a strange flip. “Hey.”
Another pause stretched between them, soft and awkward.
“I got your message,” Sunghoon finally said.
Sunoo swallowed hard. “Right. Sorry if that was weird. I just—my brain wasn’t working and Jungwon was bullying me and—”
“It wasn’t weird,” Sunghoon cut in softly.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” There was a nervous laugh. “I liked it. I mean, I liked it a lot.”
Sunoo smiled despite himself. “Me too.”
“Being close to you… it’s easy,” Sunghoon said, voice low.
Sunoo exhaled, feeling some of the tension dissolve. “I thought I was going crazy.”
“Same.” Sunghoon shifted, sheets rustling. “You could’ve just come to my room. We’re literally two doors down.”
Sunoo chuckled. “I know, but then I’d have to knock and make eye contact and—”
“I’m literally in pajamas. I don’t care about eye contact,” Sunghoon said.
“Well, I do,” Sunoo teased. “I was brave once tonight. That’s enough.”
“You were really brave,” Sunghoon said softly.
Silence settled, warmer this time.
Sunoo whispered, “So… are we… like…”
“Together?” Sunghoon offered.
“Yeah.”
“I’d really like that,” Sunghoon smiled.
Sunoo grinned, falling back into his pillows. “Okay.”
“I’m a coward though,” Sunghoon added, “so… wanna sleep on call?”
“We’re two rooms apart.”
“Exactly. If I see you in the hallway, I might combust.”
“That’s a very valid excuse.”
They stayed on the line, not needing to say much. Just breathing, the quiet comfort of finally being heard and understood.
And maybe, just maybe, they both fell asleep with little smiles tugging at their lips.