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“Hm, babe? What’s up?” Yeonjun looks up from the book he’s reading, glasses slipping down his nose. He immediately pushes them up with a finger, dipping another between the pages so he doesn’t lose his spot. His lower half is covered by a thick, sky-blue blanket, pillows stacked behind his back to keep him comfortable. The bedroom is dim, save for the soft amber glow of the nightlight on their bedside table.
The aircon hums low, a chill settling into the room that makes Kai shiver. Yeonjun always keeps it like this— too cold for anyone else, but just right for him. Although he doesn’t really mind. The golden light frames Yeonjun beautifully, his sharp lines softened by warmth, and Kai can’t look away. He lingers in the doorway, drinking in the sight.
Blond hair tied half-up, stray strands loose against Yeonjun’s face, lips glossy with a layer of lip mask that catches the faint light. His beauty is unfair like this, domestic and quiet, his sharpness dulled by comfort. Sure, Yeonjun is gorgeous onstage and in photoshoots, drenched in lights and luxury. But Kai likes this version more.
The faint shadows beneath his eyes, the crease of his brows as he concentrates, the way his tongue darts out to wet his lips— little details that make Kai’s heart trip. He thinks, not for the first time, that Yeonjun has no idea how much charm leaks through the cracks when he isn’t even trying. Kai leans against the doorway, arms crossed, just… staring.
“Nothing,” he says at last, smiling softly. “Just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Yeonjun hums, his mouth quirking up, a sly curl tugging at his lips. “What? Do you have a crush on me or something? Stop staring like there’s honey dripping from your eyes. Fucking weirdo.” It’s a familiar jab. Yeonjun has always liked to mess with Kai, poke and prod until he gets a rise out of him.
In the beginning, it worked every time— Kai would puff up like a frightened cat, lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout until Yeonjun had no choice but to coax him out of it, brushing his hair back or pinching his cheeks until the sulk faded. “Aigoo. Hyung was only teasing, baby. Don’t be like that.”
Other times, Kai would get flustered, tripping over his words in a rush to defend himself, and Yeonjun would laugh until his stomach hurt, trying to soothe him after he’d gone too far. “Ah, it’s okay, Ning. I know how much you love me. You love me so much that you couldn’t help yourself when we were at mmphh—!”
But things are different now. Kai doesn’t bite as easily. He doesn’t sulk the way he used to or scramble to explain himself. Instead, he’s learned to see Yeonjun’s antics for what they are— a crooked attempt at affection, a roundabout way of saying “I love you” without actually letting the words slip. It’s one of Yeonjun’s quirks, and Kai has grown to love it— has learned to combat it, even.
So this time, instead of pouting or stammering, he only tilts his head, flashing a sweet smile. “Yeah, hyung. I have the biggest crush on you. Actually, I came here just to stare at your pretty face. Smile for me, princess? Make my visit worthwhile.” The words land like a sucker punch. Yeonjun chokes, splutters, ears going red under the soft light. His cheeks flush, his throat tightens. He jerks his book up to hide his face, ears peeking pink above the cover.
“Wh— shut up, creep! Go away.” Kai makes a wounded noise, clutching his chest in mock hurt, but the grin spreading across his face betrays him. Yeonjun’s the one losing here, and he knows it. “Ah, hyung. Don’t say things that make my heart ache. I thought you liked me too. Soobin-hyung said so. Said you were obsessed with me and my handsome face.”
That gets Yeonjun to drop the book again, scandalized and glaring, though the pink dusted across his whole face betrays his attempt at sternness. “He did not! Don’t listen to him. He lies. I— I don’t. You’re hideous. I can’t even look at you.” He crosses his arms, looking anywhere but Kai. “Hideous, huh? Then why are your ears red? Do you blush whenever you want to? Is that a superpower of yours?” Kai asks teasingly, making silly faces which aggravate Yeonjun to no end..
“They’re not!” Yeonjun covers his ears, glaring at his boyfriend. “Shut up!” Kai cackles, that familiar dolphin-like laugh that he adores. But it’s not adorable right now, it’s grating, mocking. “Red as cherries, just like that lipstick you were advertising last month.” Kai chuckles, strolling over to perch on the bed.
Yeonjun squeaks, tugging the blanket higher. “Don’t sit there! Who invited you? This is my bed.” Kai bites back a laugh. “Correction,” he says smoothly, patting the mattress. “This is our bed. And I just want to hear it properly, hyung.” He leans closer, tone light but eyes mischievous. “Hear what?” He smirks, and Yeonjun’s frown deepens. Huening Kai is by no means ugly, but he’s also starting to get on his nerves. Sure Yeonjun started it, but his boyfriend should’ve been gracious enough to let him win.
“That I’m ugly and you don’t like me. Say it to my face. Right now, babe.” Yeonjun’s cheeks flame hotter, his heart tripping unevenly in his chest. He can feel the air thinning as Kai edges closer, their noses almost brushing. Yeonjun squirms, eyes darting to his boyfriend's soft pink lips before he snaps his gaze away. “You’re insufferable.” He mutters, trying to scoot away from his boyfriend.
“C’mon, hyung. You were so confident a few seconds ago.” Kai teases, inching closer still, close enough that Yeonjun feels his warmth, smells the faint citrus of his shampoo that he absolutely loves. His pulse is embarrassingly loud in his ears. “Fuck you.” Yeonjun spits out. “Not the answer I asked for.” Kai sing-songs.
“Fine! You’re—” Yeonjun falters, heat crawling up his neck. His voice drops to a sulky mumble. “You’re not ugly. And I don’t have a crush on you because… you’re already my boyfriend.” Kai cups his ear dramatically. “Hmm? Didn’t catch that. Say it louder for me?” Yeonjun musters up all his strength to give his boyfriend the nastiest stare.
“Louder, my ass! You heard me. I'm not saying it again.” Yeonjun hurls a pillow at his head. Kai catches it, cackling. “Nope. Sounded like you said, ‘I love you, Kai, you’re the hottest man alive.’” The older male groans, his frustration reaching newer heights. “I said no such thing!” Kai shrugs, looking smug while Yeonjun is about to fall apart. It's comical, really. “Pretty sure you did.”
Yeonjun’s breath hitches as the warmth of Kai’s laughter washes over him, soft and infectious. “Get out!” He repeats, voice tighter this time, but it’s losing power already, crumbling at the edges like sandcastles against a gentle tide. "Hyung, you're so cute. I could just eat you up." Kai’s laughter isn’t mocking— it’s light, genuine, full of a happiness that feels like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky.
Dropping to his knees beside the bed, Kai leans forward, eyes locked onto Yeonjun’s with a spark that’s almost mischievous but tempered by something deeper, something grounding. It’s the look someone gives when they’re utterly amazed by the person in front of them, as if Yeonjun holds a world of wonder all on his own. The playfulness in Kai’s expression almost melts Yeonjun’s stubborn resistance, leaving a prickle of secret joy beneath his skin.
“Not until you kiss me.” Yeonjun glares and flips him off. “Dream on, bitch.” The younger male hums, unaffected.
“If you kiss me, I’ll leave. It’s as simple as that, hyung.” Yeonjun huffs, his chest rising with exasperation, thinly masking the flutter of nerves beneath. His eyes dart away, refusing to meet Kai’s steady gaze. “…Fine.” Yeonjun leans in quickly, aiming for the briefest, lightest peck he can manage, almost like a test— or a dare. The moment their lips brush, he pulls back immediately, as if startled by a sudden jolt of electricity. “There. Now out,” he snaps, trying to reclaim the cool edge in his voice.
Kai, however, only shakes his head, a slow, amused smirk curving his lips. “That’s not even a kiss, hyung. Do it properly, hm?” The teasing challenge in his tone feels like a command, and that simple shift sends Yeonjun’s breath stuttering unexpectedly. The firmness behind Kai’s words, wrapped in mischief, travels like a shiver down Yeonjun’s spine.
With a dramatic sigh, Yeonjun cups Kai’s face in his hands, the weight of the moment pressing gently against his ribs. He leans in, slower this time, letting the kiss build with a tenderness he hadn’t expected to show. His lips part against Kai’s, soft and deliberate, moving with a hesitant confidence as if testing the waters of something fragile and new. The faint sweetness of his lip mask lingers between them, a subtle reminder of intimacy, a scent that sears itself into Yeonjun’s memory.
When he finally pulls back, his chest heaves, his breath shallow and uneven. Yeonjun's heart pounds so hard he feels dizzy, as though the room has tilted just slightly on its axis. Still, his hand remains pressed to Kai’s cheek, thumb brushing unconsciously against the smooth skin, tracing the delicate rise and fall of Kai’s breath.
His gaze drifts lower, lingering over the small constellation of moles scattered across Kai’s cheek— tiny, perfect landmarks that Yeonjun’s lips ache to brush against, to memorize in kisses and whispers. He stares longer than he knows is reasonable, lost in the quiet marvel of these tiny details, dazed by the softness and the closeness. His boyfriend is warm, warmer than the sky-blue blanket cocooning his body.
"Haha, hyung." Kai’s grin only widens, sharp and knowing, like he’s caught Yeonjun in a moment of surrender. “What? What's so funny?” Yeonjun snaps belatedly, cheeks flushing hot as he tries to shove away the lovesick expression blooming unbidden on his face. He clears his throat awkwardly. “I'm just wondering why you're looking at me like that. Do you have a crush on me? Freak.” Kai says with a cocky, knowing grin on his face.
The illusion of warmth and domesticity shatters, his annoyance crashing back in like waves against a flimsy dam. “I hate you!” Yeonjun shrieks, voice cracking with equal parts fury and humiliation. His boyfriend got him again. Seriously, Yeonjun should've learned his lesson a few tries ago. “No, you don’t,” Kai sing-songs, already bolting upright and halfway to the door, grin smug and victorious.
“Fuck you!” Yeonjun roars, grabbing the nearest pillow and chucking it with all the force he can muster. Kai dodges easily, his laughter trailing behind him like smoke, and Yeonjun curses under his breath. The older male buries his face on the blanket, muffling a scream that vibrates through the seams.
Yeonjun’s chest pounds relentlessly, his heart thundering as if he’s sprinted a marathon, while his lips tingle with a buzzing heat that spreads through every nerve ending. It’s maddening— one stupid kiss has left him unraveling like this, a wildfire raging beneath his skin when the room’s cold air conditioner offers no relief at all. The heat within him feels wrong, like it shouldn’t be real, yet it blazes brighter than anything outside.
"Ugh." He groans softly, rolling onto his back, the blanket twisting tightly around his legs like a binding trap he can’t quite escape. The teasing laughter from Kai drifts faintly down the hall, sharp and relentless, echoing in his ears like a cruel taunt he knows will linger far too long.
“Hey guys, I have something to tell you. Yeonjun-hyung is being silly again!” Soobin and Beomgyu's wheezing laughter follows, carried through the hallway. The sound only stokes the fire inside Yeonjun’s chest, an irritating reminder that his unease is currently being broadcasted all over the dorm.
Just his luck.
Yeonjun kicks his feet against the mattress, burying his face in his pillow to muffle another yell, but the embarrassment and the heat won’t go away. Instead, they curl tighter inside him, wrapped up in the sound of his friends’ teasing as the night closes in around his restless thoughts.
What makes it worse— what makes it utterly unbearable— is how everything feels completely upside down now. It used to be Kai who blushed first, the one stumbling over fumbling excuses while Yeonjun watched, cool and confident, cornering him with a sly smirk. That was how things should have been, how he expected them to stay. But now?
Now it’s Kai with the smug grin, Kai tossing playful jabs that leave Yeonjun sputtering like a fool, cheeks burning hotter than ever. Yeonjun hates it. He hates that the tables have turned so thoroughly, that he’s the one unraveling, caught off guard in a way that feels both infuriating and unfamiliar.
And yet, even as this thought irritates Yeonjun to no end, his heart slams harder against his ribs— harder than before— hammering as if desperate to burst free. This rush inside his chest isn’t just sharp frustration or embarrassment. There’s something softer, sweeter tangled beneath it, a feeling he refuses to name but clings to him all the same. Because maybe it’s not that he hates losing control. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because Kai somehow makes surrender feel too good— too worth it— to resist.
“Ugh.” Yeonjun groans once more, dragging the pillow over his face in a futile attempt to smother the warmth blossoming deep in his chest. Maybe he should take his boyfriend’s advice and stop teasing him— stop pushing those buttons that Kai seems to know all too well. But with the way Kai has him completely undone— heart racing, lips aching, thoughts spinning in dizzying circles— Yeonjun isn’t sure he ever wants the teasing to end.
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