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There was a very specific kind of silence in the ZB1 dorm that signaled trouble. Not the dramatic, someone-burned-the-rice silence. No. This was the kind of quiet that came right before someone said something so ridiculous that it sent them spiraling into chaos.
That someone, today, was Kim Jiwoong.
“I swear to God,” he said, putting his phone down with the tired sigh of a man who had seen things, “if I catch one more of you making goo-goo eyes at Ricky during group meetings, I’m installing a privacy curtain between you two.”
Gunwook, mid-sip of chocolate milk, choked.
Hanbin, ever the responsible leader, looked up from the schedule. “Jiwoong hyung—”
“Don’t ‘hyung’ me.” Jiwoong pointed an accusatory finger at Gunwook. “This menace right here looked like he was about to propose when Ricky offered him a banana.”
“It was a nice banana,” Gunwook muttered under his breath.
Matthew burst out laughing. “You did stare at him for a full minute.”
“I WAS THINKING,” Gunwook groaned, red-faced, slumping dramatically onto the couch.
“You were malfunctioning,” Yujin supplied helpfully.
From the kitchen, where he was humming and slicing strawberries with terrifying precision, Ricky raised a brow. “What are you lot yelling about?”
Every single member turned to Gunwook at once.
“Nothing,” Gunwook blurted, sitting up straight and knocking over his milk. “Absolutely nothing. Love and peace and bananas.”
Ricky stared. “You’re so weird.”
Gunwook melted. Absolutely disintegrated inside. Ricky could call him an idiot with that voice, and he’d still swoon.
Later, while Ricky focused on frosting the cupcakes for Jiwoong’s “we love you but please stop threatening us” party (his words), Gunwook found himself leaning against the doorway, watching.
Ricky had his hair half-tied, cheeks puffed slightly as he concentrated. He was wearing an oversized jumper with sleeves too long for his arms. Every now and then, he’d tap frosting off his nose with his pinky.
Gunwook was in hell. Or heaven. Or whatever fluffy purgatory existed for people who wanted to hug someone so badly it physically ached.
Gyuvin sidled up next to him with the world’s most annoying smirk. “Do you need a bib?”
“Shut up.”
“You’re drooling ParkGun.”
Gunwook gave him a shove. “I’m appreciating from afar KimGyu.”
“Yeah, well, your ‘afar’ is giving stalker.”
“It's not my fault he's the cutest person to ever exist!”
“Gunwook,” Gyuvin said, full-on serious now. “You once said, ‘Ricky’s pinky finger could end me.’”
“It could.”
Gunwook tried. He really did.
He tried not to stare when Ricky talked, eyes wide and sparkly.
He tried not to freeze whenever Ricky laughed—like, really laughed, all teeth and scrunched nose.
He even tried not to lose his mind when Ricky poked his head into Gunwook’s room just to say, “You okay, bear?”
It was impossible.
Ricky was a menace. A menace who smelt like fresh strawberries and liked to wear fluffy socks with tiny animals on them, mainly cats. A menace who made heart shapes with his hands and pouted non-stop unironically. Who fell asleep during movie night with his head on Gunwook’s shoulder and then mumbled in his sleep about rainbows and unicorns.
Gunwook could not deal.
It all came to a head on a Wednesday.
A boring, uneventful Wednesday, where the sky was grey and they’d all just finished a draining schedule. Everyone was tired. Everyone wanted to sleep. Everyone, except Ricky.
Ricky, who was buzzing around the dorm’s tiny kitchen, tying his hair back and announcing, “I’m making lemon muffins. Who wants?”
Gunwook didn’t even hesitate. “Me.”
Eight heads turned.
Matthew stared at him, bewildered, “You hate lemons.”
“I’ve changed.” Gunwook just smiles back.
Taerae exchanged looks with Hao. “Since when?”
“Since love entered my life in the shape of a five-foot-something cupcake fairy.”
The others just sighed, whilst Jiwoong looked like he wanted to shoot himself.
Ricky poked his head out from the kitchen, "What was that?”
Gunwook flushed. “Nothing, Ricky! I said I love muffins. I love muffins.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Hanbin whispered.
Still, somehow, Ricky let him help.
They worked side by side. Ricky measured ingredients while Gunwook read out the recipe. Ricky cracked eggs with ease. Gunwook tried and failed, shell shards flying everywhere.
“Gunwook!” Ricky shrieked. “You just murdered that egg!”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, ears pink. “It was looking at me weirdly.”
Ricky giggled. “You’re so strange.”
He leaned over to flick flour off Gunwook’s cheek, and Gunwook actually forgot what year it was.
When the muffins were finally in the oven and the kitchen smelt like sunshine and sugar, the rest of the group filtered back in. They found Gunwook sitting on a stool, chin in his hand, gazing at Ricky like he was witnessing a miracle.
Jiwoong turned to Hanbin. “Should we be charging him rent for all the space Ricky occupies in his brain?”
Hanbin sighed. “At this point, we could pay off our rent with it.”
“Gunwookie” Hao said gently, “you know you’re not subtle, right?”
Gunwook didn’t even bother denying it anymore. “Why would I be? He’s perfect.”
“I can hear you,” Ricky said from the sink.
Gunwook grinned. “Good.”
Ricky blushed. He actually blushed.
Gunwook ascended.
They ate muffins on the floor, curled up with blankets, Ricky in the middle and Gunwook by his side. Ricky leaned against him at one point, sleepily, head resting on Gunwook’s shoulder, and Gunwook barely breathed.
“Hey,” Ricky whispered. “You’re warm.”
“You’re cute,” Gunwook whispered back.
Ricky blinked up at him. “You say that a lot.”
“Well, it’s true.”
Ricky studied him for a moment, soft and thoughtful. “You really like me, huh?”
Gunwook swallowed. “Yeah. A lot.”
Ricky smiled. “Okay.”
Gunwook blinked. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Ricky repeated, resting his head back on Gunwook’s shoulder. “Then you can hold my hand if you want.”
Gunwook very nearly passed out.
He did hold Ricky’s hand. He didn’t let go for the rest of the night.
Later, Hanbin walked into the living room to find them still curled up together, fast asleep, hands clasped like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He turned to the others. “So… they’re together now?”
Gyuvin just laughs, “I think they’ve been together. Spiritually.”
“Gunwook’s been dating Ricky in his mind since the banana incident.” Matthew grabs his phone to take a picture of the bear and the cat who are snuggling.
Taerae clasped Matthew's shoulder. “Let’s never talk about the banana incident again.”
Jiwoong just grabbed a blanket and threw it over them. “If they’re happy, I’m happy.”
Yujin stared at the peaceful scene before them. “They look like a romcom ending.”
“No,” Hao said with a fond smile. “They look like a beginning.”
Gunwook would later deny ever crying when Ricky called him his “favourite bear” the next morning.
But the others knew.
They all knew.
And honestly?
They were rooting for him.
Because if anyone deserved to be smothered in kisses, it was Ricky.
And if anyone was whipped enough to do it right — it was Park Gunwook.