Work Text:
“Hyung, do you ever think about kissing?”
The question came out of nowhere.
Sunoo blinked, unsure if he’d heard right.
Ni-ki sat cross-legged on the other bed, his dark hair falling into his eyes, gaze fixed on the floor as if he regretted the words the second they left his mouth.
It was such an odd question — especially from him.
Ni-ki never talked about this sort of thing.
He was the type to roll his eyes at romance dramas, to laugh when the others teased him about romance.
But here he was, asking something that felt far too intimate for a late-night conversation between two people sharing a room in a foreign country.
Sunoo tilted his head, smiling a little. “That’s a random question"
Ni-ki’s ears turned red. “Just answer it.”
That only made Sunoo laugh softly. “Alright, alright. Yeah… sometimes"
He hadn’t really meant to say it out loud. But something about Ni-ki's tone made him want to be honest.
Maybe it was because, lately, there had been this strange electricity between them.
Maybe he wanted Ni-ki to know he wasn’t as innocent as he looked.
“Really?” Ni-ki looked up then, his eyes wide, genuinely surprised.
Sunoo chuckled. “Why are you so shocked? You think I’ve never thought about it?”
“I just…” Ni-ki rubbed the back of his neck, searching for words. “You don’t seem like the type.."
“What type?” Sunoo asked, leaning back on his hands. “The type who doesn’t think about stuff like that? I watch romance dramas all the time, Ni-ki. You know that.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Ni-ki didn’t answer. His eyes darted away, but the tips of his ears were still pink.
It was rare to see him like this.
Sunoo felt a little thrill at the sight. For once, he wasn’t the only one flustered.
“Why are you asking?” Sunoo asked quietly.
Ni-ki shrugged, but his voice was softer this time. “I don’t know. Just curious, I guess.”
There was a pause —
They could both hear their breathing now, slow and uneven.
Sunoo should’ve said something lighthearted, maybe laughed it off.
But instead, he just looked at Ni-ki.
He’d known Ni-ki for years.
They’d grown up together, trained together, shared rooms, laughter, exhaustion, everything even a bed. Ni-ki remembered when Ni-ki had been smaller, all baby cheeks and wide smiles. He used to fall asleep next to him during practice trips, both too tired to care whose shoulder they were leaning on.
But now… now Ni-ki wasn’t that boy anymore.
When had that changed?
When had his features sharpened like this — jawline more defined, eyes darker, voice deeper? When had his presence started to pull Sunoo’s attention so effortlessly?
“Hyung,” Ni-ki said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Do you want to try it?”
The words hit like a spark.
Sunoo blinked. “Try what?”
“Kissing,” Ni-ki said, and there was a faint, teasing smile tugging at his lips. “With me.”
For a heartbeat, everything stopped.
Ni-ki was leaning closer now, his knees brushing the edge of Sunoo's bed, the space between them shrinking by the second.
His tone was light, almost playful, but his eyes… there was something serious there, something that made Sunoo’s stomach twist in the best and worst way.
He said it like a challenge.
“You really want to know what kissing’s like?” Sunoo asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.
Ni-ki’s smirk faltered, replaced by something softer — anticipation, maybe. “Yeah,” he said after a pause, his voice low. “I think I do.”
For a second, Sunoo thought he was imagining it — the closeness, the quiet heartbeat echoing in his own ears. But then Ni-ki leaned in, just slightly, enough that Sunoo could see every detail..
the way his eyelashes trembled, the faint scar on his bottom lip, the steady rise and fall of his chest.
And that was when Sunoo realized — he wasn’t imagining any of it.
He wanted this.
He wanted him.
He didn’t think — he just moved.
The space disappeared. His hand reached out, fingers brushing the back of Ni-ki’s neck, feeling the warmth of his skin. Ni-ki froze for just a moment — just long enough for Sunoo to wonder if he’d gone too far — before their lips met.
It was soft at first. Hesitant.
A question more than an answer.
Ni-ki inhaled sharply against his mouth, eyes fluttering closed. Sunoo could feel the tremor that ran through him, the way his breath caught — and then, slowly, he kissed him back.
It was clumsy. Warm. Electric. The kind of kiss that said everything words couldn’t.
When they finally broke apart, the silence returned, louder than before.
Sunoo opened his eyes and saw Ni-ki staring at him, lips parted, a look of stunned disbelief on his face.
“You…” Ni-ki started, voice rough. “You actually did it.”
Sunoo smiled faintly. “You asked, didn’t you?”
“I was teasing—”
Ni-ki's gaze flicked down to his lips, and Sunoo felt that gaze like a touch. Then Ni-ki looked away sharply, exhaling a shaky laugh. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe.” Sunoo tilted his head, studying him. “But you didn’t hate it.”
Ni-ki gave a small, helpless laugh, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not the point"
“Then what is?”
The space between them dissolved again. Ni-ki froze as Sunoo’s fingers brushed his sleeve, tracing the line of his wrist. Every touch felt louder now—every glance, every breath.
He should have stepped back.
But he didn’t want to.
“I don’t get you sometimes,” Ni-ki murmured. “You’re supposed to be the cute one"
Sunoo chuckled under his breath. “Maybe I have another side of me"
Ni-ki’s throat moved as he swallowed hard. The tension was so thick it almost hurt. They were close enough that Sunoo could see the pulse beating at the side of his neck, could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.
He could hear Ni-ki’s breathing hitch each time he shifted.
____
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ni-ki asked softly.
“Because I’m trying to remember when you started looking like this,” Sunoo said. “When did you grow up so fast?”
"When did you get hot.. all of a sudden?"
Ni-ki laughed quietly. “You make it sound like I’m someone else"
“You kind of are" Sunoo said. “You used to fall asleep on my shoulder all the time, you know. You were so tiny. I never thought I’d have to look up at you someday"
“Do you miss that?” Ni-ki asked.
“I don’t know.” Sunoo smiled faintly. “I think I like this version of you too.”
The words hung there, warm and dangerous. Ni-ki’s expression softened, and the air between them felt like it could ignite at any second. His fingers were still on Sunoo’s cheek, his thumb brushing against his skin like he didn’t realize he was doing it.
“I keep thinking I should stop,” Ni-ki murmured. “But I can’t.”
“Then don’t,” Sunoo whispered.
And just like that, the space between them disappeared again.
This time, when their lips met, it wasn’t hesitant.
Ni-ki leaned into it, his hand sliding behind Sunoo’s neck, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepened slowly—careful at first, then bolder, warmer. Sunoo’s hands found Ni-ki's shoulders, feeling the steady strength beneath his fingertips, the way every movement drew them closer still.
The world outside their small room faded away. There was only breath and heartbeat and the soft sound of lips meeting again and again.
When they finally broke apart, Ni-ki rested his forehead against Sunoo's. Their breathing tangled in the quiet, both of them smiling a little, dazed and flushed.
“Hyung,” Ni-ki whispered, voice low. “What are we doing?”
Sunoo smiled against his skin. “Something we should’ve done a long time ago"
“You know,” he said, his voice soft but sincere, “you really are trouble.”
Sunoo laughed quietly. “I could say the same about you.”
“Promise me something,” Ni-ki said suddenly.
“What?”
“Don’t make this weird tomorrow.”
Sunoo smiled. “I won’t. Unless you do.”
Ni-ki rolled his eyes, but there was affection in it. “Deal.”
And with that, he pushed himself off the bed, stretching like he needed to shake off the weight of everything that had just happened. Sunoo watched him in silence, the ghost of a smile still lingering on his lips.
When Ni-ki glanced back one last time before turning off the light, his voice was barely above a whisper.
“Goodnight, hyung.”
Sunoo lay back on his pillow, heart still racing, staring at the ceiling.
He could still feel the warmth of the kiss on his lips.
“Goodnight,” he whispered to the dark, smiling to himself.
And somewhere between the quiet and his heartbeat, he wondered how he was ever supposed to sleep again.