Archive of Our Own

Sieun was about to settle in his shared sleeping bag with Baku when Suho suddenly video called him. His school was holding a field trip, which he didn’t enjoy much since it had him walking all day long, and students even had to put up the tents by themselves. Luckily, he was staying with his friends, so obviously Gotak and Baku did most of the things, while Sieun and Juntae just handed them the equipment. Thank God, Sieun thought. He might actually pass out if he had to deal with those after a day of over 20 thousand steps-count. 

He stepped out of the tent to pick up the call. The cool night air on the mountain hit his face. 

“Sieun-ah, how was the trip? ” Suho's smiling face appeared on the screen. 

“It was so-so.” Sieun sat down on a plastic bag outside the tent, staring at Suho. Suho was still wearing his favourite black and red windbreaker, and it seemed like he was taking a walk back home from the restaurant. It’s been a few months since he woke up and partly recovered from the coma, so he came back to his part time work—which luckily the owner, a very nice lady, was happy to have him back. However, because of his condition, the doctor didn’t allow him to drive for a while, he could only work as a waiter instead of doing delivery like he used to. His grandmother even had to lock his bike wheels with a huge lock and hid the key away, just in case he sneaked it out, knowing how reckless he was. 

“Is that a tent behind you? Camping? I thought you guys were staying at a hostel.” Suho raised his eyebrows excitedly as Sieun moved the phone for him to have a look at the whole tent and the scenery around. “Wow, that looks so cool. I wanna join too…”

“We can go later after I finish my exams.” Sieun shrugged. 

“Just the two of us?” 

“If you want.” He had watched his friends put up the tent, so as a fast learner he was, he could try to do it for Suho.

“Want? Sieunie, of course I would love to.” Suho broke a smile. Like, a huge smile, from ear to ear. Sieun had to bite back a laugh. 

“I should get back inside before Baku goes to sleep. I don’t wanna wake him up.” Sieun stood up slowly, his eyes didn’t leave the screen.

“Huh? Where are Juntae and Hyuntak? They aren’t staying with you?” 

“They are. But I’m sharing a sleeping bag with Baku. Gotak and Juntae are sleeping in their bag already.” 

“Why you and Humin? I thought Hyuntak and Humin are like… closer? I mean… You get what I mean.” Suho squinted his eyes. Seriously, why did it always have to be Humin?

“Because, obviously, Gotak and Baku can’t fit in the same bag.” Sieun was stating facts though. “Anyway. Good night, Suho-ya.” 

Suho reluctantly mouthed a small “good night” back, then he ended the call abruptly. Fine, just let Sieun go to sleep early if he cared that much about waking up Humin while Suho was walking alone out here, right? Well actually, Suho was standing at his house gate already, so it was never a big deal. 

He just did not like the idea of Sieun sleeping inside the same sleeping bag with Humin. He did not, in fact, like the idea of Sieun being alone with Humin under whatever circumstances. 

Suho still remembered the early days when he first started hanging out with Sieun's new friends. They would tag along with Sieun sometimes to visit him in the hospital, and naturally had become a group of five by the time he got discharged from that boring white place. From his first impression, Juntae was timid and kind, Hyuntak was funny and considerate. And Park Humin. 

Humin was the carefree type, always talking and laughing boisterously. In everyone's eyes, he was loyal to his friends and also very skilled at fighting, though he never initiated a fight unless provoked. Clearly, he was a wonderful person. However, Suho wasn't at all comfortable with that. Of course, a wonderful Sieun deserved to have equally wonderful friends. But sometimes Suho felt as if everything he had, Humin had as well. Crazier, Humin’s family had a restaurant, which could also be partly counted as Humin worked at a restaurant like him. What a coincidence, right? Sometimes looking at Humin, he would feel a lump in his throat because of how similar they were. He felt he was no longer that “unique” in Sieun’s world. Even worse, Humin would frequently pat Sieun’s head or put an arm around his shoulders, and even call him "princess." And what weighed on Suho's mind the most was the fact that Sieun never once rejected those gestures.

Suho didn’t understand why he would be bothered that much. Everyone was friends with each other. At first he thought that it might just be because he felt a little betrayed when he missed out so much on Sieun life — okay, maybe not that much since Sieun sent him a bunch of long texts everyday, which took him a week to finish updating—while Sieun’s new friends could see Sieun everyday, and went to all of those events that Suho could only read on the messages app. 

But then one night at the hospital, he could not sleep so he just stared at the ceiling blankly and let his mind wander. At first, it was just some shapeless random thought.

And somehow, Sieun slipped into them.

Not all at once. Just a few passing images at first. Suho thought it would fade like everything else.

But it didn’t.

The image lingered. Growing clearer. 

Before he could realized, it was no longer just another thought drifting through his mind. Sieun was all he could see. Intoxicating, completely consuming his head. 

His expressive bright eyes. His tanned skin. His soft black hair. His delicate fingers. His lips.

Those damn kissable lips. 

Fuck. 

Suho wanted to kiss his best friend so bad. 

And he was smart enough to know that’s not what friends normally thought about each other. 

— — — 

Suho waited for Sieun outside his cram school. It’s Friday night, which meant Sieun wouldn’t have class the next day, so they picked that as their “hangout day” every week, though throughout the week they would sometimes randomly meet up for dinner or sleepover. 

He waved at Sieun and offered to hold the schoolbag for him, and as always Sieun would brush him off, because eventually Sieun still saw him as someone who needed to be taken care of. Suho liked that Sieun cared for him, but he also hated that Sieun didn’t trust him.

“This week… Do we stay at my place or yours?” They walked side by side on the quiet street, the streetlights shone down, casting their long shadows across the ground.

“Mine is fine. Dad is not home again.” 

Suho was about to give some suggestions of what they should do, when suddenly, someone called them from behind. They turned around, and saw the three friends ran towards them. 

“Ayo! What is this, huh? Are you guys going on a date?” Humin laughed, threw his arms around both their shoulders.

“Date my ass.” Suho shoved him off, and he was being ridiculously annoyed that Sieun was not doing the same. He poked his tongue into his cheek in irritation. 

Hyuntak and Juntae caught up, and Hyuntak was eyeing them two. Very intensely. Suho felt that Hyuntak could look through his soul, straight into his screaming mind, which was pleading, “Please, just give us some privacy, I beg y’all”. And well, maybe Hyuntak was actually a mind reader, because the next moment he dragged Humin away from Sieun. 

“C’mon, don’t tease them. Let’s go.” He glanced at Sieun for a moment, then gave Suho a knowing smile. “See you guys.” 

God, Suho could swear that Hyuntak’s smile held far too many implications. Maybe he knew something, but hopefully not. 

And then there’s Juntae, with that innocent clueless face he always had, waving at them.

“We are going to that billiards place down the streets if you guys wanna join later!” 

Once the three of them had disappeared around the corner, Suho slowly turned to Sieun. He avoided direct eye contact for a second, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he tried to sound casual.

“Do you want to go with them? I don’t mind, really.”

“No need.” Sieun replied, his voice calm and steady. “Friday nights are our time.”

Suho chuckled, feeling plain happiness in his chest. He bumped his shoulder against Sieun’s as they started walking again, the annoyance from before completely forgotten.

— — — 

They sat on Sieun’s bed with a movie playing on his laptop. Though, Suho didn’t really quite catch the content of the movie with Sieun sitting next to him, smelling faintly with some floral soap, that lingering dampness of a fresh shower still clinging to him. He was so focused, biting his lip every time the tension of the movie ramped up. 

Again, those damn kissable lips. 

Suho had to look away, forcing his eyes back to the screen. He had to keep it together, because just one inch leaning in and he would definitely cross a line he wasn't ready to break. He sat there, caught between the cool scent of the soap and the suffocating heat of his own thoughts. And them being alone, on Sieun’s bed, didn’t make it any better. 

Then finally, the screen faded to black. The credits began to roll in silence, the flickering white text was the only thing lighting up the room. The movie was over, but Suho’s heart was still racing. 

Sieun reached over to close his laptop, carefully placing it on his desk. He stretched and yawned, his shirt riding up just enough to catch Suho’s eye before he stood up. 

"I'm sleepy." Sieun mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Let me go get your mattress."

It was their routine. Every sleepover, the extra mattress on the floor belonged to Suho, and the bed to Sieun. But tonight, the thought of that distance felt very unbearable. As Sieun stood up to head for the closet, Suho’s hand shot out, catching Sieun’s wrist.

"Wait." Suho blurted out, a bit too quickly. He rubbed his lower back, forcing a painful expression onto his face. "Actually... my back’s been killing me lately. I think the recovery from the coma is still acting up. Do you mind if I take the bed tonight?"

Sieun paused, his eyes softening with immediate concern. 

"Oh… Sure, you take the bed. I'll sleep on the mattress then. Do you need pain killers or—" 

"The bed’s big enough, Sieunie. Don't bother with the floor." Suho cut him off, his heart beating like crazy against his ribs as he looked up. "Just sleep here. With me."

“But—” Sieun hesitated. The bed was meant for one. Okay, maybe two if they squeezed. But it was definitely too small for them both, considering Suho’s broad shoulders. 

“Please?” Suho blinked, his grip tightened on Sieun’s wrist, wanting to pull Sieun onto the bed with him. 

After what felt like hours, Sieun finally sighed, more like a surrender. 

“Fine.”

The bed was indeed small for them. They turned and adjusted their positions multiple times, then settled with Sieun inside Suho’s arms, their backs pressing together. The floral scent of the soap and clean skin was back, attacking Suho’s olfaction, stronger now that Sieun’s head was right under his chin. He could even feel those soft strands of hair brushing against his face every time they shifted. 

"Do you really don’t need pain killers?" Sieun asked softly.

"My back is better already. Don’t worry. Just stay in bed." Suho lied. The pain was never even there in the first place. Fortunately, he had been recovering pretty well. It’s just that ever since he realized being a bit sick would magically result in Sieun giving in with whatever he wanted, he might play that card a little often, but not too much so the other wouldn’t be too worried. 

The room fell into a comfortable silence. Suho’s arm draped securely over Sieun’s waist, pulling him closer until there wasn't a single millimeter between them. He buried his nose into the top of Sieun’s head, inhaling that lingering floral scent. He felt safe. 

"Go to sleep, Suho." Sieun whispered, his fingers reaching for Suho’s hand and lacing their fingers together over his own stomach.

"Mm… Night." Suho mumbled, his eyes already fluttering shut.

Suho felt a wave of peace wash over him. With the scent of Sieun surrounding him and his beloved Sieun in his arms, Suho fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. For the first time in a long time, Suho’s nightmares of walking aimlessly in the dark, of Sieun beating himself up with guilt, of crossing the lines he drew didn’t come across his head. He slept soundly. And so did Sieun. 

— — — 

The friend group sat in Baku’s chicken restaurant, waiting for the food to come out. Two hours ago, Baku excitedly texted on their group chat that he now knew how to fry the chicken after practicing for a good two months, and he wanted them to be the first ones to try. Of course, they gladly accepted to be his guinea pigs, though Gotak insisted that it couldn’t be that bad—it was just fried chicken, after all—so even someone as dumb as Baku wouldn’t be able to mess it up. Unsurprisingly, that statement earned him a slight smash on the head from Baku. 

Baku brought out a huge tray of fried chicken, with different kinds of sauces and pan-chan and all. He smiled proudly. 

“It’s on the house. For real today.” 

Juntae blinked at the food. “Wow… This is actually impressive.” 

“Agree. It looks tasty.” Sieun nodded.

“Ah, even the ice-princess is satisfied? I must have done a great job, huh?” Baku laughed and ruffled Sieun's hair—which again, made Suho look away in annoyance. 

“Humin, did you wash your hands?” Suho brushed Baku's hand away from Sieun's hair. If Sieun didn’t do it himself, Suho would have to take the matter into his own hands before he exploded.

“Oh shit. Sorry Sieun.” Baku quickly wiped his hands onto his apron. “You guys eat first. Maybe post some reviews or something for promotion, why not, right? I will be right back.”

As Baku ran back to the kitchen, Suho reached for a clean napkin and pulled Sieun’s chopsticks and spoon toward himself, carefully wiping them. 

Across the table, Gotak watched for a moment, chin resting lightly on his hand. Suho finished and set the utensils neatly back in front of Sieun. 

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

Gotak tapped his chopsticks once against the table, like he was thinking. 

“You always clean the utensils before eating like that?”

Suho nodded, and started to clean his own. “Basic hygiene. I work at a restaurant too. And I would say I can’t guarantee the dishes are usually washed well enough.”

“Mm. Yeah, good habit.” Gotak chuckled. “But funny, you didn’t do mine.”

Suho finally looked up, unimpressed. “Use your own hands.”

“Of course.” Gotak said easily, already reaching for a tissue himself. “Special treatment just for a special person, I suppose.” 

Suho’s ears turned faintly pink at the remark, but he tried to keep his expression cool. "Just eat before I take your portion, Hyuntak-ssi."

Sieun, though, didn’t seem bothered at all. If anything, he adjusted the utensils slightly, like he’d gotten used to it. Juntae looked back and forth at his friends, clearly sensing the tension, decided to clap his hands together with a smile.

“Well let’s take some photos for Baku and dig in, shall we? I’m starving to death here.” 

Then, as the others got distracted with the food, Suho leaned slightly closer to Sieun, voice down low so no one else could hear.

“Hey.” He whispered. “Come to my place tomorrow.”

Sieun glanced at him. “Your place?”

“Yeah, my restaurant. I’ll make you something even tastier than this.”

“…Okay.” Sieun replied, almost too easily.

Suho leaned back like nothing had happened, but a faint smile of satisfaction lingered on his face, just enough for Gotak, who was still watching from the corner of his eye, to notice. Gotak didn’t say anything this time. He just smirked as Suho put a drumstick in Sieun’s plate. 

— — — 

The next evening, Sieun went straight to Suho’s restaurant after cram school. The restaurant was closing soon, only Suho was there to clean up the tables. He didn’t say a word, just sat down on a table near the counter and tossed his bag aside, waiting for Suho to finish. Suho was also quiet, just nodded at him as a way of saying “hi” before turning away to pull down the roller shutter and turn off the sign outside. 

"I'm the one closing the shift today. I already asked Mrs. Kim for permission to bring a friend over to eat, so you just make yourself at home." Suho put the towel on the rack, suddenly snapped his fingers. “Oh, she still remembered you though. You and… uhm. Yeah. You guys were the first friends I ever brought here.” 

Silence. The memories with that one who was their friend suddenly flooded in. Neither of them spoke. The hum of the refrigerator and the faint buzz of the lights filled the space instead. It wasn't an easy topic to navigate, given everything. It flipped their world upside down, afterall.

Suho quickly cleared his throat with a smile and headed to the kitchen. "Anyway, let's get you food. You must be starving from studying all day."

He didn’t wait for a response. He grabbed a few plates, some marinated meat, and set up the grill at the table. The familiar clatter of metal and the soft crackling of the burner filled the silence between them. He set everything down with practiced ease, almost automatic.

Sieun stayed where he was, watching without saying anything. 

As Suho began arranging the marinated meat on the hot surface, a familiar aroma drifted up into the air — the savory, sweet scent of soy sauce and garlic. Suho glanced at Sieun, catching the other boy's lips corner twitching up, forming a very subtle smile as he recognized the scent. A brief pride settled in Suho's chest. He remembered exactly how Sieun had once casually mentioned this being his favorite marinade during a past conversation, and he was glad he had brought it up. 

Soon, the meat began to sizzle. Suho flipped the meat with practiced ease until it was perfectly browned. 

“See, this is the advantage when you eat with a professional.” He cockily clicked the tongs together in the air and flashed a bright, self-satisfied grin. 

When it was done, he picked up a piece, wrapped it neatly with lettuce, holding it out toward Sieun, feeding him. 

“Come on. Say ‘Ah!'.”

Sieun didn’t move.

Suho frowned slightly. “I washed my hands. You’re fine.”

His hand with the wrapped meat hung in the air. He felt a little stupid. Maybe he could just shove it into Sieun’s mouth. Well, not really a great idea though. If Sieun didn’t open his mouth, the food might drop and stain on his white uniform. So Suho just stayed still for another few seconds. 

Then Sieun let out a short, unfamiliar sound. A sound that Suho could only describe as a laugh. He blinked.

Sieun laughed. 

Those two words in the same sentence didn’t even make sense to Suho. 

The concept felt bizarre. So Yeon Sieun could laugh. He didn’t even know that the other found humor in anything in the world, ever. He felt like the first time actually seeing Sieun smiled, back when they were at the hospital after their fight with the gang. 

Sieun looked at the wrap held out in front of him, eyes still holding a glimmer of amusement.

“You said hands make the food taste better, no?” 

Suho’s eyes widened in surprise, a soft chuckle rumbling in his throat. Well, he did say that the first time they ate here. 

"Your memory is amazing. No wonder you’re always a top student." He teased back. "But just this once, let's just go with clean hands." 

But before Suho could say anything more, Sieun suddenly leaned in. Without breaking their eye contact, he reached out, his fingers wrapping around Suho’s wrist to hold his hand steady. He didn't reach for the wrap right away. Instead, he brought Suho's thumb to his own lips and slowly licked the smear of ssamjang off his skin.

Suho’s breath hitched. The audacity to licking the sauce straight off his hand with those dark, calm eyes locked onto his sent a jolt of raw electricity straight down Suho's spine. His mind went entirely blank. A deep, burning heat rushed to his ears, and the room seemed to spin. It felt as if a bomb had gone off in his head. 

Sieun let go of his wrist, a barely noticeable smirk flashing across his face as he finally leaned forward to take the wrap into his mouth directly from Suho's hand.

Suho could feel the warmth and wetness from Sieun’s lips touching his fingers. 

Again, those damn kissable lips.

“Still tasty with clean hands though.” Sieun shrugged, started to do another wrap by himself as if nothing happened, as if he didn’t almost set Suho on fire along with the meat on the grill. “Though not as good. You were right, Suho.” 

Suho was completely paralyzed. His mind was still reeling, his pulse pounding in his ears as he stared at the boy in front of him. And maybe his heartbeat sounds just spiked by a hundred decibels when Sieun held the wrap in front of him, offering it with his usual expressionless face. Except that this time, his eyes were glinting with rare amusement. 

“Your turn.” 

— — — 

The weekend air was cool, the five of them wandered aimlessly down the street, hands stuffed in pockets. It was one of those night outs where no one really had a plan, they just ended up together. Suho walked beside Sieun as always, their arms brushing together. 

“Oh, Crayon Shin-chan bandaids!” Juntae suddenly called out as they walked past a convenience store, eyes lighting up at the display near the entrance. “It’s so cute. Should I get a pack?” 

“Why not? You better be prepared in case you scratched your knees falling for someone.” Baku casually dropped a joke. 

There was a split second of silence. Everyone was staring at Baku. 

And then Gotak lost it. A loud, unrestrained laugh burst out of him as tripped over his own foot, nearly stumbling into Baku. “That was so bad, Baku! What the hell even was that?!”

Juntae wanted to argue back with Baku, but ended up laughing so hard at the dumb joke that he couldn’t even say a word. Even Suho let out a huff, the corner of his lips tugging up before he could stop it.

The joke was not even funny. It was Baku who’s stupidly funny. 

Everyone was laughing like idiots. Everyone except for Sieun.

“Yah Sieunie? Do you ever even laugh?” Baku furrowed his eyebrows in mock dissatisfaction, though he’s still laughing with others. “I worked hard on that okay?”

Ha! He did laugh. Just not with any of you guys. Only for me. Suho grinned internally, a feeling of victory spread in his chest, so good that he didn’t even bother to be mad at Baku’s endearing “Sieunie” this time. 

“It’s not even that funny.” Sieun replied flatly. “It’s just… surprisingly odd.” 

Baku widened his eyes in disbelief. “That’s… aish. You really don’t know anything about flirting, do you? It’s an art. Maybe that’s why you are still single.” 

“Speaking as if you are taken, Humin.” Suho chuckled. “With that terrible flirting of yours...” 

The fact that Sieun was single kept bouncing back and forth in his mind. Sieun’s single, thank God he’s single. Because if he ever dated someone, Suho would be an absolute mess. He would never survive seeing Sieun with anyone else.

Baku clicked his tongue, and flashed a wide, wicked grin. 

“What if I am taken, Suho-ssi? Would you treat us to a meal?” He said lazily. “I would love some pizzas tomorrow.” 

“What?” Suho raised his eyebrows, surprised.

“Since last week.” Baku went on, like it was nothing. “Her name’s Youngmi, TMI, but gosh she’s so pretty. She’s from Bail, you know, the girls’ school.”

“Holy f—” Gotak’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ shape, definitely not overreacting. “You’re serious?”

Suho blinked, caught off guard for a second before letting out a surrendering laugh.

“Damn. That’s… actually very shocking… and great news.” He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. “Okay fair enough. Pizza’s on me tomorrow lunch then.”

Baku smirked. “Knew you’d say that.” 

Internally, Suho couldn't have been happier. The suffocating anxiety that had been twisting in his gut for the past few weeks finally dissolved. A profound wave of relief washed over him. So, Baku didn't have feelings for Sieun, and even if Sieun had any interest in Baku, it wouldn't go anywhere now. They had nothing going on between them. They never did, and they never would. Suho could finally breathe easy.

But his relief didn't last very long.

Baku threw an arm around Juntae’s shoulders, walking a bit ahead before turning back to the group with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh, and you guys know what? My girlfriend was asking about you guys. Well, mostly about Sieun.”

Suho’s steps slowed down.

“Her friend had met Sieun before at the cram school, and she said you’re her type, Sieun.” He stared at Sieun and continued. “But she was too shy to approach, so she kept asking Youngmi and I to set her up with you, maybe a double date or something.”  

The relief from a moment ago vanished, instantly replaced by pure panic and jealousy. Suho clenched his jaw, his knuckles turning white and cold inside his pocket. He glanced beside him at Sieun. Gotak slowed his pace to match with Suho's until he was walking right next to him. He let out a low, teasing chuckle, staring at Suho then subtly gestured towards Sieun with his chin. He leaned in, his words were as soft as the wind, making sure only Suho could hear him. 

“Very direct, isn't she? Take notes, Suho.”

But Suho had no energy to fight with Gotak right now. He barely even had the energy to stand still on his own feet. He felt a desperate need to cling on either of the friends beside him right now, but none of them seemed to be the good option at this point. 

Juntae blinked. “Wait, seriously? What’s she like?”

"I would say she’s good looking, and seems pretty nice.” Baku nodded his head slightly in approvement. “What do you say, Sieun?” 

All eyes drifted toward Sieun. But he didn't seem particularly affected.

“Do whatever you want.” Sieun said after a moment, his voice slow and even. “If it’s troublesome, then don’t.”

It wasn’t a clear yes. But it wasn’t a no, either.

And Sieun just kept walking steadily. As if Baku didn’t offer him a potential date. As if that information didn’t shake Suho’s entire world like an earthquake.  

Before, Suho could still gaslight himself that Sieun and Baku's closeness was just "something friends could do because Baku is touchy and didn’t know shit about boundaries." But this? This felt real. Way too real. Someone was interested in dating Sieun, and they were seriously vocal about it. Which meant it could turn into something.

Suho felt his chest tightened, painfully. He opened his mouth wanting to say something, anything, to shut down this idea, but the words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t even come up with a reasonable argument. 

They continued walking until they reached a familiar turn. Sieun slowed down, waving his hand. "I'm going to head back from here." He gestured towards a crosswalk that led away from their path.

"Already?" Juntae asked.

"Yeah. I still have some homeworks." Sieun turned away. 

Suho didn't even hesitate. He stepped out of the group and followed after Sieun.

"I'll walk with you then." Suho said quickly, a little too eager. "It's late."

Sieun stepped and looked at Suho. There was a faint flicker of something in his dark eyes. Contentment? Surprise? It was gone before Suho could be sure.

"We'll catch up with you guys tomorrow for pizza." Baku yelled behind them as Suho quickly fell into his step right next to Sieun. 

Suho didn't give a fuck about anything else. He just needed to be near Sieun, his Sieun. He needed to occupy that space right beside him before anyone else even had a chance to try. 

— — — 

The two of them walked down the same street that they had already walked together a thousand times before. Sieun was silent. It was not like he was ever talkative before. But after what just happened, this silent felt like torture. And he was walking too painfully slowly, especially considering someone who just said he needed to get home early for homework.

When they finally reached the door of Sieun’s apartment, Suho couldn’t bear it anymore. He needed to bring it up. He needed to know what Sieun was actually thinking right now. He needed to get a clear answer out of Sieun before he disappeared behind that door and ended their night in this crazy situation. 

“So… About that girl. Are you going to see her?” He bit the inside of his cheeks, preparing for whatever kind of answer he might get. 

Sieun's fingers paused midway from entering the house passwords, before he stared at Suho with his mesmerizing eyes.

“Should I?” 

Okay, that’s an answer Suho definitely didn’t prepare himself for. Again, it wasn't a yes, and it wasn't a no. The ball was now squarely in his court. Sieun blinked, standing there under the warm yellow glow of the hallway light, calmly waiting for his response.

‘Very direct, isn't she? Take notes, Suho.’ Gotak’s voice echoed in his head again. Suho swallowed hard. Well, maybe he should take some notes. 

So he shook his head, slowly and steadily.

“No. Don’t. You should not see her.” 

“Why?” Sieun raised an eyebrow. “Dating now isn’t exactly a bad idea.”

Suho's mouth went dry. 

“Then date me.” Suho blurted out before he even realized his own words. 

The sudden declaration hung in the air. He blinked. Sieun also blinked. There’s no going back now. Be direct, Suho. He reminded himself, taking a deep breath before pressing on.

“I like you.” Suho swallowed, didn’t dare to break their intense eye contact. “If you want to date someone, consider me.” 

Silence.

For a moment, Sieun just continued to stare at him.

Then, Sieun finally let out a relieved sigh, leaning against the door weakly as he closed his eyes. 

“Took you long enough.”

Suho froze. “What?”

“I was starting to think I got it wrong.” Sieun slowly stepped closer, looking up at him. “You’re terrible at this, you know that?”

“I’m what…?”

“You like me.” Sieun said softly. It was not a question. It’s a statement.

Suho nodded. He did just say that out loud.

“And I like you too, you idiot.” 

This, Suho didn’t know. And it hit harder than anything else.

Before Suho could even process it, Sieun reached up, fingers brushing lightly against his jaw, tilting his face just enough.

And then he kissed him.

It wasn’t rushed, but it wasn’t hesitant either. Firm and certain, just like Sieun always was, like how he always acted. It was like he had already decided to do this a long time ago and was only waiting for Suho to catch up.

Suho stiffened for half a second, then eagerly responded to the kiss. He wasn't about to just stand there and let Sieun remain so effortlessly in control. 

He stepped in, pinning Sieun firmly against the door frame. His large hand gripped the back of Sieun’s neck, holding him in place, his grip tightened before he even realized it. He felt those plump lips dance against his, engraving the sensation into his mind. 

So this was what it felt like. 

Sieun didn’t pull away. If anything, he leaned in, mouth slightly open as he let out a shaky breath of pleasure. Suho bit on Sieun’s lips, deepening the kiss, slowly savouring every taste of him. 

He smiled between their kisses, which was more like a laugh of disbelief.

Those damn kissable lips are definitely so kissable. 

— — — 

“Seriously, I have a question. Like, I don’t get it.” Suho cupped Sieun’s face, staring at his lips one more time before looking back to those bright eyes. “Previously, why did you always turn your back against me every time we slept together? You don’t like seeing my face or what? Because I wanna look at yours so bad…” 

They were now inside Sieun’s house. Suho, being a clingy guy and a simp he was for Sieun, insisted on sleeping together for their first night of officially becoming “boyfriends.” Gosh, that word felt incredibly satisfying to say, Suho thought. So now they were lying on Sieun’s bed, with Sieun — for the very first time — turning his face towards Suho. 

Sieun bit his lips, and Suho felt like kissing it again already. Sieun was all red and clearly shy, but he still looked up to meet Suho’s gaze. 

“Because sleeping with you gave me a boner. It’s embarrassing."

“You— I— What?” Suho’s brain hit a complete dead end. His hands, which had been so confidently cupping Sieun’s cheeks, went limp, but he didn’t pull them away. Suho’s eyes were blown wide as he tried to merge the image of the well-put-together Yeon Sieun with the confession he had just heard. Well, definitely did not look like the same person. 

“You gave me a boner. Every single time.” Sieun’s words turned into whispers, as if he regretted exposing it already. His face heated up, getting redder as seconds passed by. He tried to pull the blanket over his face, but Suho quickly pinned it down.

"Then what about now? We're not just sleeping together as friends anymore. We're dating.” Suho finally gathered his mind back. So Sieun was not as innocent as he thought. They were both insane. He smirked. “And I'm definitely not letting you turn your back to me tonight."

Sieun’s eyes flickered down to Suho’s mouth, his guard completely shattered. 

"Then you should better be prepared to stay awake." he murmured, his hand reaching out to grasp the collar of Suho’s shirt, pulling him in again.

Suho didn't need another invitation. He crashed his lips against Sieun’s, the kiss deeper and more desperate than the ones before. 

He would never get tired of these damn kissable lips.

"Believe me. Sleep is the last thing on my mind right now." Suho groaned against Sieun’s lips, giving him a teasing bite. "And for you to know, I don’t find it embarrassing at all. I think it’s fucking hot.” 

— — — 

“Do you think that will work?” Juntae nervously pressed his lips together, staring at his friends. “I mean, the girl’s not even real. What if they know we're lying?”

Gotak clicked his tongue, offered an opened bag of pumpkin snacks for Juntae. They were now sitting in the middle of the quiet basketball court, despite the fact that they informed their parents they were having a sleepover. It wouldn’t hurt having a night out like this though. 

“Well, those two normally are crazy enough, and now they are crazily in love too. That should at least set something off. Something huge.” 

“What if they are too dumb to catch it?” Baku kept dribbling the ball around the court, occasionally taking a shot. He never missed, though.

"They are not as dumb as you. Should be fine." Gotak snorted. “And if not, we make another plan.”

Baku walked over, jokingly tossed the ball onto Gotak's back.

"Shut the hell up." He pulled Juntae to his feet. "Stay away from Gotak, come here and play with me instead. He's a bad influence." 

Gotak also stood up, quickly snatching the basketball from Baku's hands and taking two steps to sink a clean layup. He watched the ball swish through the net, then turned around with a smug grin. "Bad influence? Please. I’m the mastermind in this plan." 

“You’re lucky because you two caught me with my girlfriend before I wanted to tell the whole group. Or else you wouldn’t even be able to come up with such a plan.” Baku crossed his arms, still very well pleased with the fact that he was the first one in the squad to get a partner. 

“And we’re still very mad that you didn’t update us since the first time you went on a date with her, asshole.” Gotak scrunched his nose. “I felt a bit betrayed.”

Juntae chuckled, watching the two bicker in the glow of the court's floodlights as he threw a pumpkin snack into the air, caught it in his mouth. "I just hope they figure it out. It was getting exhausting watching them dance around each other. Like, their eyes were filled with heart-shaped sparkling bubbles all the time." 

"I mean we’ll find out when they show up together tomorrow.” Baku said, tossing the ball to Juntae. 

“Or when Suho comes crying to us later tonight.” Gotak teased. 

“Please don’t fucking jinx that!” Juntae nearly screamed out before even he realized. He widened his eyes and covered his mouth in shock. 

The other two stared at him surprisingly for a moment, then broke out laughing unstoppable with a weird profound pride in their eyes.

“Gosh you just swore!” Baku wrapped his arms around Juntae's shoulders like a proud dad. “That’s new.” 

“Okay, maybe I am a bad influence then.” Gotak smiled. “Sorry not sorry.”

Later on that night, the sound of the basketball bouncing and the sound of their laughter echoed into the cool night air at the basketball court, joking around carefreely. 

Little did they know that their plan to set their friends up had succeeded even way more than what they expected.