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“That's it!”
The yelled words pierce Sunoo's ears and the following slam of the door make his eyes twitch. He stumbles backwards only to be met with two firm hands keeping him from getting too close.
“Either the two of you work this out or I'm killing you from starvation! I don't give a fuck!” They hear a faint Jungwon-ah on the other side, followed by the furious stomps of their group's leader.
Sunoo turns around in the miniscule supply closet of HYBE’s 14th floor, regretting every little bitter thing he did that got him there. It was December of 2025, Sunghoon and Riki just celebrated their birthdays. ENHYPEN is a Daesang winner. And Heeseung is still the bane of Sunoo's existence.
He's groping the wall in search of the light switch. Which Sunoo finds within 3s of searching. When the bright LED light shines in the small space, both of them squint their eyes, heads cast down and arms crossed. He's smiling when Sunoo looks up.
“Fuck you.”
“That's hyung for you, Sunoo,” Heeseung smirks, leaning back and causing a couple of cans of spray paint to fall. “And gladly.”
“Stop this!” Sunoo whacks him in the chest, his firm pec bouncing under his hand. Infuriating. He whacks him again.
“I'm not into rough play, Noo. I'm surprised you are.”
“Heeseung, for the love of both our paychecks. Can you please stop this?”
Heeseung shakes his head, pouting. His pretty bleached blonde hair moving over his forehead. Sunoo wants to bite it off his head.
Something shifted in 2025.
Sunghoon says it's the security of reaching their five-year-anniversary as the top two male act of the 4th generation. Jake says he's just finally expelled his balls. Riki says he's probably tired of pretending to not love Sunoo and is finally brave enough to call it out.
Sunoo hates all of them. Because they're probably right. In one way or another.
Initially, it was wholesome. He was thrilled to have Heeseung's attention again, especially on stage. Fans were crying. They missed them. The conspiracies were varied and someone always hit the nail in the head.
They dated after their debut. And broke up when the hate train got too bad.
Heeseung thought he was protecting Sunoo from more rumors when he walked out of his room in their first dorm, the one with the bunk beds. The one with Riki in a bunk bed, who heard it all and was the first person to hug Sunoo and promise him that everything would be alright.
Fucking pussy. Sunoo was so angry. He was so hurt.
“Don't think too far,” Heeseung touches his forehead, his index finger moving in circles soothing the crease. Sunoo whacks his arm away.
“What are you doing?” He whines, pushing his hair back with both hands and staring at Heeseung with what he hopes is the craziest of expressions. “What have you been doing?”
It started with a praise for Sunoo in a recording earlier in the year. Then his proud eyes for him during their Coachella Week 2 set. They went back to South Korea and the fridge in Sunoo's apartment was filled with his favorite beverages and ice cream. For Sunoo's birthday he had flowers delivered to the fucking studio, and take out ordered for when Sunoo got home late after meeting with friends.
He even recruited Jay to play messenger, who looked like he’d rather be swallowed by the floorboards as he stood in the doorway. "He says he’s done apologizing with words," Jay had choked out, looking physically pained by the sentiment. Sunoo had just sat there, a sheet mask clinging to his face, while Sunghoon remained a silent, steady weight reading on the other half of the mattress.
Sunghoon stepped down from their thing and Sunoo wanted to die because it was so good and of course Heeseung had to ruin that for him too.
“Heeseung,” he didn't bother with honorifics anymore. When they weren't in front of the cameras, Sunoo had very little respect for the eldest hyung. Which drove Jungwon insane because he's very righteous and feared his defiance would cause a civil war in their practice room. Except every time he called Heeseung by his name with spite spilling out his mouth, Heeseung looked like he had just received a bag of fresh red cells straight into his bloodstream. “C'mon, let's work this out.”
Heeseung nods, looking around before sitting on the floor with one knee propped up. He taps the space in front of him, where Sunoo slowly sat as he rolled his eyes. His own propped leg brushing against Heeseung's.
They didn't say anything for a while. Sunoo usually avoids giving Heeseung so much room to say some bullshit, but they have to make this work before the new year, otherwise Jungwon will kill them both. Or himself. Which is terrifying.
Sunoo hides behind his black bangs, picking up the laces from his sweatpants to have something to keep his hands busy. Heeseung didn't take his eyes off him. And when he started blushing, the heat spreading from his chest to his neck and cheeks, Heeseung huffed out a laugh that made him look up.
Which he wishes he hadn't. Because the softness in his eyes was exactly what 19 years-old Sunoo dreamt of for months.
“Hyung,” Sunoo sounded exhausted. Even the high-stakes survival show that he went through hell for didn't make him this tired. Being a member of a successful HYBE Label group, touring the world on no sleep and being away from his family had nothing on the exhaustion of waking up every day knowing he had to face his ex-boyfriend who was clearly not over him. Or worse. Who seemed to be even more in love with him then when they were together. “What changed?”
The smile in Heeseung's lips stretches for miles across his face. Sunoo leans his head to the side, resting against the steel leg of the storage unit. He wants to smile too. Because the way Heeseung's been treating him is also making him feel different from when they were younger.
“I guess we grew up,” it sounds like a question. At first, Heeseung was kinda bad at reading Sunoo. Which he thought was adorable. They were so young. Fuck, Sunoo thinks, rubbing his face and pushing his hair back again. “I know you know what I mean. I'm my own person now, I know what I want.”
“Me?”
“Deadly,” Heeseung nods and Sunoo feels the blush intensify. It doesn't make him feel weird though. Because Heeseung was blushing just as hard. “Now that we have our award, I can say that I want you more than anything.”
“C’mon, hyung. That's crazy,” Sunoo sounds exasperated. Heeseung frowns, crossing his legs and leaning on his folded thighs.
“Why? It can't be any crazier than being locked up for 3 months with a bunch of teenagers, killing each other for a dream. Or selling out multiple sixty-thousand-people shows in Japan.”
Sunoo didn't know what to say. When he bit his lip and looked away, his eyes were brought back to Heeseung when he pried his bottom lip away from his teeth with the delicate push of a thumb. It was crazy.
He exhales again, less shaky this time. He takes Heeseung's hand by the wrist and pulls it away from his face, letting it slip on top of his crossed legs. “Okay. You want me, that's fine,” Sunoo reasons, sitting up straight against the door and crossing his arms. Not to defend himself, but for grounding. “That’s flattering even. You could have anyone yet you chose me,” Heeseung meant to say something, but Sunoo stopped it by raising his hand. “But what does it mean? What does ‘Lee Heeseung of 2025’ want?”
Heeseung squeezes his leg, moving closer until his crossed knees rest on top of Sunoo's. It feels weird. It looks weird. He is taller by a few centimeters and his legs are longer. Yet he's doing his best to fit as close to Sunoo as possible.
“It means… Reclaiming 24h security for the company so we can go out to common places without feeling exposed or like we're risking everything. Scheduling a meeting with the Legal team to propose new contracts to media outlets so they will leave us alone. Going places where other idols are known to visit because the owners are known to keep prying fans away—” He has more to say, but Sunoo's slacked jaw pulls a rumbly laugh out of Heeseung's chest and he stops to brush his cheek. “It means doing things for the long run. With planning and support. Don't think you and I are the first idols to be in a relationship. Not even the first men, Sunoo. It's not a novelty. And HYBE is particularly good at providing this safety for its artists.”
Sunoo cocks an eyebrow. He heard of things. And, let's be honest, their own group has a pretty nice example of a relationship that worked out.
“It just wasn't our time,” Heesung admits with a shrug. “You terrified me with your experience and it terrified me with the risk. You deserved more time to be yourself, explore and learn more. And I deserved to learn my boundaries and understand exactly what I was looking for.”
Sunoo nods. His shoulders feel a thousand times lighter. “We wouldn't last, would we?”
Heeseung shook his head, offering his open palm to Sunoo. “It would probably hurt even worse than it did,” Sunoo agrees, slowly sliding his fingers through Heeseung's and holding their hands up, feeling the weight and if it felt different. It did. Felt lighter.
“But I gotta be honest,” Sunoo smiles shyly, turning their hands around over Heeseung's knee and watching how his fingers embrace Heeseung's. “I don't feel the same.”
Heeseung nods.
“That's ok,” Sunoo raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, it's ok. I was acting like a brat because I needed to catch your attention. Even Sunghoon tried convincing you to talk to me, but you were unmoving.”
Sunoo thinks back to their concerts in the Philippines, Sunghoon coming back to the hotel after spending the day at an ice-rink with Heeseung and Jake, slipping into Sunoo's room and kissing his neck. He started talking about how funny Heeseung-hyung was lately. How chill and laid back. “He's really an adult, Sunoo-yah. You two should grab some drinks together.” Sunoo scoffs.
“You better get out of here and scold him,” Sunoo straightens up and points in the general direction of their practice room. “Because I thought he was trying to sweet talk me into bed. He kissed my neck, hyung. We had stopped things months before. And he kissed my neck,” he deadpans and Heeseung cackles with his head cast, shaking it. “Anything that he said after that sounded like he was trying to get a reaction out of me.”
“Was I ever a foreplay topic?” Heeseung prods, pinching Sunoo's thigh and smiling when he rolls his eyes.
“You were actually,” he admits, his cheeks red as crimson. “Like,” Sunoo couldn't believe he was admitting to this, but Heeseung looks so at ease here, almost on top of him, their hands entwined. “At the beginning? Baby Sunghoon learning how to fuck? He would always mention you.”
“Oh god,” Heeseung chokes on a laugh, shaking his head and looking at Sunoo from under his hair.
“I thought it was very hot, not gonna lie. But I thought he was the epitome of hot…”
“What changed?” Heeseung steals his line with a cocked eyebrow and Sunoo smirks, pinching his chin.
“He's my best friend. And he's so annoying,” he shakes his head. “It's criminal how someone that handsome can be so awkward. I could never see us together outside of the bedroom, not unless we're best friends pissing each other off.”
Heeseung nods. That wasn't news for him. Sunghoon felt the same. In the last months they've talked at length about the awkward dynamic he and Sunoo had for over two years. It's nice to know that none of them regret it.
“You learned a lot from it, didn't you?” Sunoo tips his head back, nodding.
“So much,” he smiles. “He wanted to experience being with a boy and I wanted to forget you. That's no longer the reality.”
“What is?”
Sunoo takes a deep breath, pouting and biting the inside of his lip. Heeseung just waits. He learned that time can be their best friend when treated with the appropriate respect.
“This is scary,” he whispers, picking at their joined hands with his free hand. Heeseung still didn't say anything, his eyes unmoving from Sunoo's face. “You're making me feel like—” Sunoo paused and Heeseung lifted an eyebrow which made him smile, a small thing aimed at the floor because these were the most butterflies Lee Heeseung has ever made him feel. Ever. “Like this is something that could work out.”
“If you're willing to let me woo you. Yeah, it could.”
Sunoo laughs. Woo. Heeseung really is an adult.
“You'll have to ask my noona for permission before, though,” Sunoo jokes, tracing the veins on the back of Heeseung's hand as he shifts on his spot to get to his knees. “She hates you.”
Sunoo's sister and Heeseung were both born in 2001. She's a September Libra, he's an October Libra. She was cheering for him, Sunoo and Jungwon during I-LAND. For the Seoul encore last semester, she didn't even look him in the eye.
“Don't worry, I can handle Soomin.”
“Oh, she's gonna beat your ass,” Sunoo shuffls on his knees until he's sitting next to Heeseung and leaning his head on his shoulder.
“I'm more worried about Jungwon and Jake. Jake's been threatening me since I told him I was ready to confess.”
“That my big brother,” Sunoo mumbles, smiling up at Heeseung, who looks fondly at him.
“We're doing this, then?” he asks, resting his cheek on top of Sunoo's head.
“Uhm,” he whispers, slightly shy. Something inside Sunoo kept doing cartwheels and waving a flag with a HeeSun slogan on it. “I'm ready for you to convince me to date you, Heeseung.”
“Great,” Heeseung plants a firm kiss to his temple, sniffing down his cheek until he gets to the corner of Sunoo's plump lips, where he leaves a chaste kiss. “Now let's call Jungwon to get us out of here,” he stands up, offering Sunoo a hand and a steady arm to the waist when he stumbles.
Sunoo watches him pull his phone out of his pocket and send a million stickers to their group chat. His heart flutters when he sees Heeseung for the first time in years.
He's taller, broader. His hair falls perfectly over his sloped nose and his Cupid's bow remains the sweetest thing about his whole face. His cheeks are void of baby fat and his arms are jumping at Sunoo from under his loose t-shirt.
He looks like Sunoo's boyfriend should.
Taking advantage of his distraction, still occupied shooting foul texts to Jungwon and Jay on his phone, Sunoo leans closer and pulls his head towards him with a hand to the back of his neck. His deer eyes are the last thing Sunoo sees before sealing their lips in a firm, deep kiss.
The slip of their tongues couldn't be better. The way Heeseung's hand quickly pockets his phone so he can pull Sunoo by both hands on his waist makes him wonder how many people he's kissed in the years they've been hating each other. He must know. He wants to thank them. Because the pull of Heeseung's tongue inside his mouth drives him crazy enough to moan a bit louder than would with anyone else.
He tastes amazing. He smells like fresh bedsheets and expensive Tambourins’ cologne. His lips are soft and they glide against Sunoo's without any resistance. Sunoo pulls him even closer, sucking on his tongue and pushing one knee between his legs, dying to know if anything changed there.
Even the sound of the lock clicking open isn't enough for Sunoo to let him go. Heeseung tries, kissing him with his mouth closed but Sunoo isn't ready to let go, pushing for another bruising kiss.
“Oh, for fucks sake,” it's Jay and Heeseung starts blushing furiously.
“Unlock the door and get out, hyung,” Sunoo waves him off, brushing Heeseung's hair out of his face, tucking it swiftly behind his ear and diving for one more kiss.
“Fuck you, Sunoo. I didn't need to see this,” Jay groans and slams the door close, cursing them as he leaves.
“C'mon,” Heeseung pants, allowing Sunoo to pull his neck so he can sniff and nib at it. “I thought you needed convincing.”
Sunoo smiles, pushing their lips together and licking into the roof of Heeseung's mouth. “You're lucky you're an ace,” he smirks, a handful of Heeseung's hair in one hand, his bottom lip under the tip of his other index finger. Sunoo looks like he wants to devour him. Which he does. And although he doesn't match the feeling of wanting Heeseung more than anything, he'd be a liar if he said this modern and mature version of his ex-boyfriend doesn't populate some of his wildest dreams. Sunoo feels wanted. It boosts his confidence. It makes him reckless enough to say: “And that I'm a slut for your pretty face.”
“Sunoo!” Heeseung's reaction is immediate and his voice hits a pitch that would keep Riki busy making fun of him for days. But Sunoo realizes how serious this is when he physically recoils and plants his hands on Sunoo's hips, pushing him back and placing enough space between them.
Sunoo wants to cackle, but the red in Heeseung's neck is too violent and shatters the little fantasy he just created in his mind. He scurries forward to fix Heeseung’s hair and wipe the spit from his bruised lip, wanting to comfort him in some way. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't—” Heeseung takes his hand and squeezes, pulling him back in and holding him close with a steady hand at the small of his back. “I—” he starts blushing and Sunoo smiles, leaning both elbows on his chest to toy with his hair and ears. It's enthralling how swiftly Heeseung goes from the hottest man he's ever seen to the sweetest boy he must take care of and talk a lot about boundaries with. “I'm terrifyingly thrilled that you're willing to be a—”, Sunoo doesn't hold back anymore and cackles, kissing the side of Heeseung's mouth with the force of his fondness, “slut? For me?” he nods, willing Heeseung to continue. “Just— This hasn't changed. I'm still a weird prude kind of guy,”
“God, you're terrible,” Sunoo jokes, pulling Heesung's ear piercing enough to make him wince. “You're this pretty and talented and you're still afraid or sex?”
“Not of sex,” Heeseung points out, turning them around so they can start moving out of the closet. “Of you. Maybe of sex with you.” The tips of his ears burn red and his voice is muffled by the sounds of the surrounding office working with no clue of what just happened in that closet.
Sunoo deadpans, following him outside and keeping his distance. “Ok. So we'll take things slow.” He whisper-shouts, unable to not be a menace now that he knows how easily he can break the man in front of him.
“I'd appreciate that.” Heeseung snaps, with no bite whatsoever, just cautious of their new surroundings as they round the corner to the practice room.
“No heavy make outs for at least two months.” Sunoo skips ahead and mumbles when he's walking next to Heeseung.
“Now you don't have to make fun of me,” Heeseung whips sideways, scowling. “Just until the end of the week, maybe? Let me get used to the fact that we're no longer enemies.”
“Hmm, enemies to lovers.” Sunoo jokes, hanging on to his shoulder in laughter when Heeseung looks mortified.
“Sunoo.”