Archive of Our Own

1.

“Yes! Suck it!” Keonho’s voice echoes around the pristine walls of the apartment’s living room, paying no mind to the future complications that come with noise complaints.

Seonghyeon screams as he watches his racer be pushed off the track by Keonho’s kart. He mentally curses Bowser in his head as his shoulder pushes against Keonho’s.

On Seonghyeon’s left, James chews on popcorn as he laughs at the youngest duo’s antics.

“Dude, get off my ass and focus on your race!” Keonho laughs once more after successfully provoking Seonghyeon, dashing past James’ Princess Peach.

Juhoon’s laugh rings around as he watches the events unfold. He shifts on his place on the floor, vaguely aware of the presence sitting on the armchair behind him. He lifts his head, just in time to catch Martin’s eyes gazing at him with some sort of wonder. Like Juhoon himself composed the universe and wrote each and every one of its beautiful verses.

Juhoon smiles at him, cheeks shaped like bread. Martin lets out a huff, a smile growing on his face.

Keonho reaches a hand to grab at the popcorn bowl, only to be faced with butter, oil, and a few stray kernels here and there. He glances at it and turns his focus back on the television screen instead.

Seonghyeon notices the movement, eyes tracing Keonho’s movements. He notices the empty bowl and focuses his eyes back on the television screen. “We’re out of popcorn already?”

Juhoon breaks his silent observation. He sits up and grabs the red bowl as he says, “We still got some more. I’ll make it.”

“Please, hyung. Thank you!” Keonho yells over his shoulder. Juhoon only hums in response.

Juhoon opens the cabinets with the familiarity of someone who’s visited their James’ hyung’s apartment far too many times, like all of the people in this room. He pops the bag into the microwave and presses the buttons with practiced movement.

“This is very easily a one-man job, if you didn’t know.” Juhoon speaks up as he arranges some stray utensils scattered around the kitchen counter. The laugh he hears prompts him to turn around and lean against the counter behind him.

“Really? I like to believe making popcorn is a two-man job, actually.” Juhoon raises his eyebrow at Martin’s nonsense. The other continues. “One person puts it in the microwave and the other brings it back out. Because it’s hot and no one would want their boyfriend’s hands to get burnt.”

Juhoon can’t help but roll his eyes at his boyfriend’s antics. You’d think he’d be a little more aware of his flirting when their friends are only a mere few feet away. Despite all his shamelessness, Martin’s cheeks flame a fiery shade of red.

“Whatever you say, Tin.”

“Yes. Whatever I say.”

Juhoon can’t help but laugh at the distracted tone in Martin’s voice, but before he could even open his mouth, his breath gets caught in his throat. Martin’s steps towards him happened in barely a blink of an eye, as he rests his hand against Juhoon’s cheek and kisses him right on the lips.

Juhoon responds immediately, kissing him back in a wave of love and muscle memory. In not a second, his eyes widen and he shakes his head as he gently pulls away from Martin’s lips.

Juhoon’s hand rests on Martin’s chest as the taller boy has the audacity to look confused. Juhoon squints his eyes as he whispers.

“They’re literally right there, Martin.”

Juhoon glances at the three boys, who are very intently focused on the television screen in front of them. Martin faces them just in time to see Seonghyeon jump up from the couch and laugh in victory.

Martin glances back at Juhoon.

“They seem pretty preoccupied to me.”

Juhoon stares at Martin’s stupid smile with a look that expresses the rhetorical question of ‘are you serious?’ in approximately zero words.

He turns his back towards Martin, only to turn off the microwave. He opens the door and stares at the bag, taking notice of the steam pouring out of it. Juhoon paused in his place, mind lingering over Martin’s words. He speaks slowly.

“I wouldn’t want to get my hands burnt now, would I?”

2.

“Hyung.” Juhoon calls out to James, poking at him to signal him to take off his earphones.

“Hm?”

“Is it okay if I eat dinner here? I didn’t think I had to edit so much on this thing, I might end up taking a while.” Juhoon asks in complete politeness, despite the absolute lack of shame between him and his hyung on usual days.

His foot taps against the floor in a restless rhythm as he hugs his other knee towards his chest, laptop resting on one of the couch’s armrests. James replies with a mirrored tone.

“Yeah, sure. Take all the time you need. It’s not your fault your building’s wifi is ass.” Juhoon throws a small smile at him, forever grateful for his friends. Before he can say anything in response, the bathroom door clicks.

Footsteps march from the bathroom towards the kitchen, stray droplets dripping on the floor. Martin opens the fridge and braces the cold pushing against his skin.

“Hyung. Can I grab a Canada Dry?” His eyes scan the refrigerator before looking towards James for approval.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Thanks, hyung.”

James hums as he watches Martin’s movements. He takes his time with his steps, walking over to the living room with one hand drying his hair with the towel hung around his neck. James looks at Juhoon once more.

“Does he have an assignment to finish too?” There’s a pause.

“Nope.” Juhoon types as he speaks.

“Ah.” James glances back at Martin. Right back to Juhoon. “Okay.”

James just nods and puts his earphones back in, rolling over to the other side as if he was closing up his own bubble. He’s willfully trapped, well inside his comfort zone of fluffy bankets and essay videos on youtube.

Juhoon pays no mind to the sounds around him, eyes reflecting the painful brightness of a word document scattered with far too much jargon. His eyes squint at the research abstract like it ruined his entire bloodline and stole his popsicle stick as a baby.

His head tilts as he tries his best to understand his groupmate’s attempt at summarizing their research. The paragraph is covered in blue as he holds his breath, trying to mentally punch away the observation that this paragraph seems far longer than it truly needs to be.

Word Count: 553

Juhoon closes his eyes, a rush of quiet flames flowing through his head. He breathes in, lungs filling with air to extinguish his own irritation.

Five hundred fifty-three words. Just about two hundred fifty-three words over the maximum count. As someone who firmly believes that shortening a paragraph is far more grueling than lengthening it, Juhoon tries to find peace in the darkness behind his eyelids.

Juhoon feels a hand on his head as he lets out a sigh. Martin’s fingers tangle themselves into his hair, soothing him in ways they both know only Martin can.

“When do you need to submit this?” Martin asks in a whisper, careful not to break the focus he knows Juhoon is currently trying to hold together with only a single piece of thread.

“The closing of submissions for the research comp is this weekend. But I’m busy on all the other days so I have to finish this by now to make sure I don’t unconsciously half-ass it.” Juhoon sucks in another breath. “And the presentation is next next week. We still have to practice and everything.”

Martin stays quiet for about thirty seconds before he speaks up.

“I know my field of work is different from yours but we all deal with deadlines. They’re a pain in the ass. But you’re strong, and smart, and more capable than anyone in this world. You got this. I’m sure of it.”

Juhoon finally looks into Martin’s eyes, heart softening at his words. “Thank you.”

Martin smiles back.

“Do you want some?” Martin brings a hand out to offer his can of Canada Dry to Juhoon. Juhoon imagines how refreshing it would feel.

“Yeah, sure.”

Juhoon watches as Martin takes a sip from the drink first, letting the taste linger in his mouth. He then brings the can near Juhoon’s mouth, face slowly moving closer towards him.

Before Juhoon could even feel the can’s coldness, Martin shifts his hand, and replaces the lingering cold of the drink with the gentle warmth of his own lips.

Martin plants a kiss on Juhoon’s lips, placing his free hand on his cheek. Juhoon kisses back immediately, eyes closing and lips moving in telepathic sync.

Juhoon is vaguely aware of Martin taking full advantage of the fact that he always immediately melts against him when they kiss. He mentally rolls his eyes, but he smiles into the kiss anyway.

He pushes Martin away after a long five seconds, before smacking him lightly on the arm.

“What was that for?” Juhoon whispers in the quietest volume possible, eyebrow lifting as he stares at his boyfriend. Disapproval. That’s what it is.

The small smile lingers on his lips. Fondness. That’s what it is.

“I just.” Martin purses his lips, trying his best not to squish his boyfriend at how cute he looks when he tries to seem mad. “I couldn’t stand seeing you stressed. I started feeling the stress creep up against me too.”

“You kissed me with James-hyung right next to us. Are you crazy?” Juhoon’s frown looks awfully convincing to Martin at the moment. His voice grows smaller in response.

“I hoped it’d take some tension off your shoulders.” Martin says, crouching down to look Juhoon straight into the eyes without forcing his boyfriend to cramp his neck up.

Juhoon continues to stare at Martin, arms crossed against his chest. Martin licks his lips, careful in his words.

“Did it?”

Juhoon can’t take it anymore. His heart is about to explode.

“Yes, it did. Now, sit down.”

Martin is quick to move, throwing himself against the couch. He tries his best to make himself smaller, pulling a knee towards his chest and keeping his limbs to himself to ensure Juhoon’s focus is no longer disrupted.

After a minute of silence and zoning out into space, Juhoon’s voice rings through Martin’s ears.

“Thank you.” For making me feel better. For trying your best to calm me down. For noticing. There are a lot of different things to say thank you for. All these words rush through Juhoon’s head, but he doesn’t say any of it.

Because Martin already understands. He knows. He knows Juhoon. Through his silence, and through his noise.

Martin looks at him and smiles.

He squeezes Juhoon’s cheek which promptly gets smacked away with a laugh.

3.

Parties have never really been Juhoon’s thing, no.

Booming speakers, blinding lights, and sticky skin everywhere. In the midst of all of that, there’s the one who only pushes themselves into a quiet corner, with only one drink in hand, no refills.

That’s exactly what Juhoon does, yes.

He wonders if anyone else would be crazy enough to agree to go to a party even when they’d rather sit home and wrap themselves up in a blanket, clutching their boyfriend like a koala.

Juhoon supposes that no one in their right minds would do so. Alas, he loves his friends and James’ apartment is like his second home, just as all the other three feel. So, he’s here. Of all places.

Juhoon almost wonders where Martin is, before catching a mop of blond from only a few feet away, reminded of the fact that it’s easier to spot his boyfriend than anything. He guesses that’s just one of the many perks of having a tall boyfriend.

He brings the red cup to his lips, leaning against the kitchen counter. He silently observes the crowded apartment, which, in fairness, is far larger than most. He spots a few familiar faces.

Jihoon, the prodigy dancer from James’ Performing Arts course, is currently burning the dance floor in figurative flames as he tuts and wacks like it’s the only thing he’s ever known. Juhoon watches in amusement, before spotting the wink Jihoon sends towards the brown-haired boy that looks like he belongs in a castle rather than a sticky college party, Choi Youngjae.

In the corner of his eye, Juhoon spots Jaehyun, Martin’s senior in the Music Production course, dropping subpar, almost ridiculous pick-up lines for another one of James’ classmates, Riwoo. Juhoon remembers in the corner of his mind, Martin mentioning Jaehyun’s huge crush on the dancer. Based on Riwoo’s wide smile and rosy cheeks, it seems to be working out pretty well for him.

At the thought of Martin, Juhoon glances back towards the crowd before him, realizing he was far too immersed in his people watching session that he had completely lost track of his boyfriend. How is it even possible to lose Martin?

Before he could get the chance to scan the place once more, a girl pops up in front of him, holding up a pitcher of what seems to be punch that carried a lot of secrets. She was tall with catlike eyes, visuals that could even seem intimidating at first glance. Suddenly, she smiles at Juhoon and yells over the deafening music.

“Do you want some more drinks?!” She holds up the pitcher, gesturing it towards Juhoon.

As a part of his own no-refills policy, Juhoon politely smiles and opens his mouth to respond with a no.

Before he could do so, a girl, slightly shorter than the one with the catlike eyes, rushes up to her and takes the pitcher from her hands. Juhoon’s eyebrows perk up in recognition.

“Hi, I’m sorry for bothering you. My girlfriend’s a little tipsy so I’ll take her away for now.” She respectfully smiles as she puts the pitcher down on the kitchen island before facing her girlfriend. Juhoon recognizes the girl to be Minju, a Vocal Performance student that Martin has worked with in the past for a song recording project.

Juhoon watches as Minju sweeps away the hair covering her girlfriend’s forehead, catching a faint “Yunah, baby, let’s sit down for now, okay?” from her voice.

As the couple walks away, Juhoon finally spots Martin once more. He greets Minju and Yunah before smiling at Juhoon.

Before Martin can even reach for Juhoon’s hand, someone crashes into Juhoon with a yelp. Juhoon blinks, his torso suddenly feeling damp. He looks down and grimaces. There’s a large red splash on his white shirt, and in the blink of an eye, he reeks of tequila.

Juhoon isn’t even mad, no. Just a bit disoriented. He genuinely thought he could get through this night without any storytime-worthy incidents. Did he forget whose party he was at?

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” The boy yells over the music, placing his cup on the kitchen counter behind Juhoon. He frantically grabs some tissues, patting it over Juhoon’s shirt. “I am seriously so sorry, man. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Juhoon almost laughs at the boy’s sincerity. “It’s okay, there’s no problem, seriously.”

“Woonhak-hyung.” Martin comes up from behind the boy, Woonhak, as stated, and places a hand on his shoulder. “Juhoon doesn’t get mad quickly, so you don’t need to worry. We can clean his shirt up on our own.”

Woonhak can’t help but seem relieved at the reassurance, wrapping the tissue up into a ball.

“I’m still so sorry, man.”

“It’s okay, I promise.” Juhoon smiles at him, trying his best to be as reassuring as possible.

“Come on, let’s clean this up in the bathroom.” Martin says, reaching for Juhoon’s hand and leading him through the crowded space.

Right as the bathroom door lock clicks, Juhoon lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. The music is faint in his ears, muffled through the walls that serve as barriers from the chaos that the rest of the apartment holds.

The bathroom is dark too, just the light from the vanity mirror reflecting shapes in Juhoon’s brown eyes. Martin grabs a clean towel from one of the cabinets and runs it under the sink.

“That was a deep sigh. Are you still alright?” Martin asks as he wrings the towel before bringing it up to Juhoon’s shirt. He looks at his boyfriend’s eyes, his own overflowing with concern.

“I’m alright, Tin. Just a bit overwhelmed.” Juhoon says, sincerity dripping in his voice. Martin’s eyebrows are still furrowed in concern.

“Are you sure? We could go home right now if you want to.” Martin continues as he wipes at Juhoon’s shirt with the towel. “I should’ve stayed with you in the kitchen. I’m sorry, lo–”

Martin’s words tangle up in his throat as Juhoon pulls his neck towards him, planting a kiss right on his lips. Martin stays still, in shock, for barely even a second before melting into it with familiar ease.

Juhoon lifts his other arm and fully wraps both of them around Martin’s neck. Martin uses his free hand to hold onto Juhoon’s waist, pulling him closer.

Juhoon pulls away first, lips still impossibly close. He speaks.

“I wanted to go to this party. I told you to go to the dancefloor and have fun. I am okay. Being a little overwhelmed won’t do anything to me. Got that?” Juhoon’s eyebrow is now raised, wanting full confirmation that Martin gets exactly what he’s saying.

Martin can’t help the way he shivers in Juhoon’s hold, the tone of his boyfriend’s voice ringing some sort of bell hidden in the crevices of his brain.

“Yes, sir.” Martin answers, eyes wandering. From Juhoon’s eyes, down to his lips.

“Good. Now shut up and kiss me.”

Martin wastes absolutely zero time as he places the towel on the counter and pulls Juhoon in by the waist. Their lips find one another as quick as lightning, and their hearts beat wildly, like rain crashing over windshields.

Martin gently walks them over towards the bathroom door, gently pressing Juhoon’s back against it.

Martin rests his hands on the sliver of skin showing underneath Juhoon’s shirt, fingers pressing gently against his waist. Juhoon’s eyebrows furrow, lips sighing at the contact. Martin smiles against his lips.

As quiet of a menace Juhoon is, he pulls his boyfriend closer, hand moving up towards Martin’s hair. He tangles his fingers into his long blond strands and gently tugs. Martin gasps, and Juhoon only breathes it in. It’s Juhoon’s turn to smile.

They’re melting into one another’s arms, Tears For Fears fading into white noise in the background. Juhoon thinks he can live like this forever.

The music continues, faint and muffled.

Everybody wants to rule the worl-–

Knocks echo through the bathroom tiles, impatience seeping through the cracks. This startles Martin, making him wrap his arms tighter around Juhoon.

Another rapping sounds through the bathroom.

“Hi there! To whoever the hell is making out in there, please do it somewhere else, I need to piss! I’ve been trying to open this door for like 10 minutes!”

Frozen in place, Juhoon and Martin’s heads slowly turn toward one another, eyes slowly widening in a mix of panic and guilt. Juhoon swallows the saliva stuck in his throat.

“Okay, let’s just fix ourselves a bit and go out there. No one will remember anything, trust me.” Martin whispers, turning towards the mirror to fix his appearance, not before grimacing at the unkempt state of his hair.

“No? Do you not realize who that is?” Juhoon says, gently directing Martin’s shoulders to make him face him.

“What? Who?” Martin blinks at him, eyes covered in absolute cluelessness. Juhoon would slap him in the face if he just wasn’t so cute.

“That’s Keonho, dumbass.” Juhoon basically whisper-yells, patiently waiting for Martin to realize the gravity of the situation. He watches as his expression turns into one of realization.

“Oh, shit.”

Juhoon closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in. Still in a whisper. “It’s bad enough that he thinks whoever’s in here is making out with someone.”

“We were, though.”

“That isn’t the point, Martin.” He glares at Martin, heart almost bursting at how handsome Martin looks when he’s intimidated by the drop of his full name.

“What are we gonna do? This apartment’s on the top floor, we can’t just crawl out the window.”

Rap, rap rap. Keonho knocks once more.

“Hello?! Please, I beg of you, let me piss!” This time, his voice sounds more desperate than anything. “And Seonghyeon’s waiting for me to bring him his drink!”

Okay, they need to act quick. Juhoon gently moves Martin backwards, grabbing the red cups left by people before them on the bathroom counter. He goes over to the toilet and pours the leftover punch over the seat and on the floor.

Before Martin can ask what he was doing, Juhoon whispers. “Okay, we’re gonna tell Keonho you had to puke, we just have to make the room smell like you’re gonna have the worst hangover of your life tomorrow.”

Martin pauses for a bit, processing the information in his head before nodding in understanding. After a second of staring out into space, he walks over to Juhoon and kisses him on the lips. Juhoon tilts his head in confusion, watching Martin’s smile grow.

“My boyfriend’s so smart.” Martin says, voice hazy like he didn’t have just two sips of that punch. Juhoon rolls his eyes but finds that he can’t help the smile that grows on his lips. Martin continues. “Okay I’m going to put a bunch of toilet paper in the trash.”

“Good, go do that.” Juhoon approves in a whisper before he raises his voice in a yell. “Keonho?! It’s Juhoon-hyung!”

“Juhoon-hyung!? Why are you taking forever! Who the hell are you making out with!” Keonho yells back, irritation bubbling up in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Martin was puking his guts out! I’m just gonna clean this up for a bit, wait a second!”

“Wait, what?! Martin puked?” Martin and Juhoon can hear the laugh from the other side of the door. “That’s so fucking funny!”

Martin stares at the door with his signature blank annoyed face, and glances at Juhoon who is trying his very best not to laugh (and is doing terrible at it).

“Okay, wipe the toilet seat and that’s it.” Juhoon tells Martin before he props him up on his shoulders, trying their best to make it seem like Martin wouldn’t pass a walk-and-turn test. “Now, time to do some acting, okay? Do it well.”

“I’m the best actor in the world, what are you talking about?” Martin says with a smirk.

“Shut up before I slap you in the face.”

Juhoon gives Martin no time to prepare as he turns the lock and opens the door, revealing a very disheveled Keonho on the other side.

“Oh my God, finally!” He yells in relief, impatiently waiting for Martin and Juhoon to fully step out of the bathroom.

“Just a warning, it reeks of alcohol in there. I didn’t want to use James’ air freshener because it might just make it worse.” Juhoon explains with his best sorry face, with Martin heavy over his side. Keonho barely even waits for them to fully exit before putting one foot into the bathroom.

“Hyung, I’m gonna be honest. I do not care. I need to piss so fucking bad.” Then, the door shuts with a slam.

Martin brings his head down, trying his best not to laugh at the whole situation. Juhoon seems to be struggling the same.

Safe to say, this night has brought upon more than just a few storytime-worthy incidents. Everybody say thank you, James’ apartment.

4.

“How the hell does James-hyung handle going to a morning class after hosting his own apartment party?” Keonho asks as he takes a large gulp out of his Pocari Sweat.

The clock reads 12:21 PM in bold red characters. The sun is pouring through the windows, the afternoon bringing in a sort of calm that was nowhere to be found under the watch of last night’s moon.

It’s quiet this time. No more confetti scattered on the countertops, or punch spilled on the floor.

“James is just miraculous like that.” Martin responds while chewing on some leftover chips from the night before. “You should get used to it.”

The four boys are scattered around the couch, exhausted, after trying their best not to have their heads explode at the sound of a vacuum cleaner. All four of them helped clean up the apartment in wonder, side by side with James who put in the effort despite his morning schedules.

Now, as the lovely hangover soup they ordered is on the way, the television speakers muffle with the lyrics of Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You as Patrick Verona dances around the bleachers for Kat Stratford.

The perfect movie for the day, in their honest opinion.

In their comfy pajamas, Martin and Juhoon are wrapped underneath a fluffy blanket, snuggled right against one another. Beneath the soft cloth, their fingers tangle into each other’s. Martin gives Juhoon’s hand a light squeeze and Juhoon looks down to hide his smile.

On the other end of the couch, Seonghyeon’s eyes are fighting to keep themselves open, his eyelids drooping against his will. He tries to zone in and focus on the movie in front of him, but all the people in marching band uniforms with brass instruments only blur into a pathetic puddle of blue and gold.

Before he knew it, his head dropped to the side, landing right atop… something. He doesn’t know. But it’s warm. It’s comfortable, it’s soft, yet sturdy. Seonghyeon doesn’t care. Or, he just physically can’t care. All the muscles in his body are melting into a sort of relaxation that his brain simply cannot resist.

Beside him, however, Keonho is far from relaxed. The moment the weight fell over his shoulder, Keonho looked over and stared at Seonghyeon’s messy brown hair like it did something baffling to him. Almost unconsciously, Keonho held his breath and stiffened his shoulders, afraid that he’d lose Seonghyeon’s warmth.

He tries his best to sit still, neck straightened as he pretends to understand what’s going on in the movie at this juncture. From afar, Juhoon catches the way Keonho holds still, spotting the movement of Keonho’s hands as he stretches his own blanket to cover Seonghyeon’s body.

Juhoon can’t help the smile growing on his lips, a sort of knowing making itself clearer to him.

Martin glances at his boyfriend, covering Juhoon’s sight with his own face. He tilts his head, curiosity seeping through his expression.

Juhoon only smiles and shakes his head, bringing his attention back to the movie.

Keonho still can’t breathe. His shoulders keep shifting, adjusting to the movement of Seonghyeon’s head, but ultimately, it keeps dropping. He can’t help but wonder how tired Seonghyeon must be, as the weight on Keonho’s shoulder keeps growing heavy.

Seonghyeon’s head slips and drops almost completely atop Keonho’s lap. He catches it in time, pushing him back towards his shoulder, but Keonho finds himself flinching at the touch.

Keonho tries to process what he just felt, concern spreading through his features. He rests his hand over Seonghyeon’s forehead and almost grimaces at the heat radiating off his skin.

At this point, Keonho shifts, moving his left arm to support the back of Seonghyeon’s head. Seonghyeon’s still leaning against his chest, head heavier than ever. Keonho reaches out to touch his arm, and is confirmed of his feverish heat.

“Hyung.” Keonho says, trying his best to twist his body as much as possible without having to move Seonghyeon in his arms. Both Martin and Juhoon hum in response. “Hyeon has a fever.”

The two older boys move in immediate response, Martin kneeling in front of them to get on their eye level as Juhoon grabs the first aid kit hidden in one of the cabinets, along with a bottle of water.

Martin places a hand against Seonghyeon’s forehead, mirroring Keonho’s actions from earlier. He rubs Seonghyeon’s arm, gently urging him to wake up.

“Mm?” Seonghyeon responds, eyes still closed, throat dry.

“Is your head feeling heavy?” Martin asks, just as Juhoon arrives right beside him.

“Mm, a little.”

“Are you having any colds? Cough, or maybe a runny nose?” Martin continues.

“He sneezed a bit earlier but I thought it might’ve just been because of the dust. He didn’t seem too off but I did notice he seemed a bit sluggish while we were cleaning.” Keonho replies for him, seeming as Seonghyeon is barely conscious throughout all of this, with the power to only nod his head at Martin’s questions.

Martin nods at Keonho’s answer. Juhoon speaks up this time. “Sean, you should drink a little water first. Your lips are dry.”

Seonghyeon nods at this, grabbing the water bottle Juhoon offered him.

“Okay, I think we just let him rest in James’ guest room for now. It’s better if we let him sleep first.” Martin concludes, standing up from the floor.

Before Martin can do anything, Keonho moves to wrap Seonghyeon’s arms around his neck, picking him up bridal style and carrying him towards James’ guest bedroom. Before Keonho goes too far, Juhoon places the water bottle atop Seonghyeon’s chest and drops the thermometer in Keonho’s pocket. Keonho nods in understanding.

“I can walk, you know.” Seonghyeon says as he tightens his grip around Keonho’s neck, voice raspy and low.

“Nope, not in that state, you won’t.” Keonho responds, pushing the door open with his foot.

Martin opens his phone and sends a message to James. They linger for a moment, Juhoon standing by Martin to check for James's response. After a while, Juhoon decides to enter the guest room. As he's about to open the door, Keonho exits, his hair a bit of a mess.

“He’s at 39°C. That’s not good.” Keonho says, words jumbling at his speed. “I told him to just rest first, and that we’ll just heat the soup up for him later. I already messaged his mom but she hasn’t replied yet.”

“Okay, got it.” Juhoon breathes in before he speaks once more. Slowly, in a voice no one can resist to follow. “Keonho?”

“Yeah?” Keonho’s chest is rising up and down, breaths uneven, and sweat can be seen rolling down his forehead.

“Breathe in and breathe out. Seonghyeon’s going to be just fine. We’ve all gone through fevers before. He’ll be all right.” Juhoon pats Keonho’s shoulders and encourages him to calm down. “Are we okay now?”

Keonho takes a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Then, he nods, “Yes. I’m okay.”

“Hey, sorry to interrupt but James said he just ran out of fever medication. He said he was gonna buy some today but he won’t be home until fiv—”

“I’ll go get it!” Keonho almost yells, speeding to collect his wallet and shoes and move out the door in lightning speed.

“Keonho, we don’t have to buy it now—”

“No, it’s better the medicine is there right when he wakes up. Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.” Keonho responds to Juhoon’s statement as he opens the door. “Oh, the food’s here!”

“I’ll get it.” Martin says, walking towards the door to grab it. “Be safe, Keon-ah!”

“Yes!” Keonho shouts back.

Martin walks back in to see Juhoon leaning against the back of the couch, shaking his head with a smile on his face. Martin can’t help but laugh.

“That kid’s so cluelessly in love, it’s kind of funny.” Juhoon starts.

“Kid? He’s only a year younger than us, baby.” Martin responds, walking towards the kitchen table to prepare the food.

“Yeah, well. Still a kid.” Juhoon says with a smile, grabbing some utensils. “But I’m seriously worried for Sean. Thirty-nine degrees is pretty high, he must’ve been so tired having to clean up earlier.”

After setting the plates down on the table, Martin goes over to Juhoon and lifts a hand to sweep away the hair around his eyes.

“Yeah, he probably was. But he’s resting now, and that’s what matters.” Martin says, voice soft and gentle.

As quiet as Juhoon may seem at times, he’s far from cold-hearted. One thing Martin discovered throughout the time that they’ve been together, is that Juhoon is very soft-hearted. The kind of soft-heartedness where seeing a baby bunny be reunited with their mother could make him cry. The kind of empathy where seeing someone tired and in pain could make him feel as if he was hurting too.

It’s one of the things about Juhoon that Martin will love forever. One, out of a million things.

Juhoon stays silent, watching as Martin’s eyes dart around his face. He sighs, heart warm for so many reasons. He watches, as Martin leans in, closer and closer.

Martin rests his hand against Juhoon’s cheek, pulling him in to meet his lips. He kisses him, soft and gentle, as the sun’s warmth embraces them.

Juhoon lets out a sigh of relief, to which Martin smiles in reassurance and rubs Juhoon’s cheek with his thumb. Soft and gentle, as always.

They exchange smiles as they pull away, Juhoon’s head going down to rest against Martin’s shoulder.

“Martin-hyung?”

Juhoon jumps out of Martin’s arms, watching as Seonghyeon rubs his eyes behind Martin, just a few steps outside the guest room, in the hallway.

Martin’s eyes are wide, nerves pulling at him, unsure if they’ve been found out. He slowly turns around, facing the younger boy. “Yeah, Sean?”

“Where’s Keonho?” Seonghyeon’s still walking a bit sluggishly, blanket wrapped over his shoulders. He looks a bit cute, honestly.

“Keonho went out to buy some medicine for you. What woke you up? Did you need anything?” Martin responds, moving closer to Seonghyeon to help him with any immediate needs.

“I, uh. Actually, I just…” The two could see Seonghyeon mentally backtracking, trying to understand himself. Why did he get up? “I think I was just… wondering where Keonho was.”

Martin can’t help but smile at his confession. “Why? Did you want him to keep you company while you sleep?”

Seonghyeon visibly pauses at the question. “Well. He doesn’t need to.”

“Yeah? I’ll let him know once he comes back.” Martin says, smile still growing on his face. Juhoon is now currently trying to keep himself busy, wiping the plates as if the dust has spread all over. “Come on, I’ll bring you back to bed.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah.” Before Martin can think of giving any context, he asks. “You didn’t see anything right?”

“Huh? No. What?” Seonghyeon blinks. He responds, eyebrows furrowing in genuine confusion.

“Nothing.” Martin brushes it off as quickly as he brought it up. Right as they enter the guest room, the front door opens.

“I’m back.” Keonho announces, setting his shoes by the door.

“Oh, great timing. Seonghyeon’s looking for you.” Juhoon says, carefully transferring the soup into a bowl.

“What? Hyeon’s awake?” Keonho asks, concern seeping through his voice.

“Yeah. He woke up, said he was wondering where you went. I think he wanted you to keep him company while he sleeps.” Juhoon continues, speaking in the tone of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.

Keonho stares at him for a second and blinks. Then, he walks right past Martin and goes straight into the guest room, closing the door.

Martin and Juhoon are left alone once more. They stare at one another, a hesitant question on the tip of Juhoon’s tongue.

“Seonghyeon said he didn’t see anything. He’s still pretty tired so he probably doesn’t remember much.”

Juhoon sighs in relief. “Okay. You read my mind.”

“Of course I did. I’m good at that.” Martin responds.

“Okay, buddy. Whatever you say. Let’s eat.”

5.

The wind wafts through the closed area, earthy scents crowding everyone’s awareness.

Juhoon can’t help but breathe it all in, the atmosphere calming his senses. His eyes are closed and his body is warm, softness creeping up his skin.

He barely sensed the movement from beside him, the quiet warmth that resonates from it. Then, he feels the soft caress of fingers tangling into his hair, a quiet request for him to open his eyes. Juhoon does so, blinking slowly and adjusting to the sunlight casting itself through the windows.

As he looks to his right, Martin’s already staring at him, one hand still clearing the hair out of Juhoon’s eyes. He smiles as he looks into Juhoon’s eyes, soft, tranquil, and fond.

Then, Martin speaks. Voice barely above a whisper.

“Your vanilla latte’s here.” He gestures towards the low coffee table. “I ordered something different for myself for a change. Do you wanna try it?”

Juhoon sits up straight, leaning into Martin’s space as he reaches for his boyfriend’s cup. He takes a sip, and immediately gets the urge to lay down and melt into a puddle. With a soft tone, he asks.

“What is this?”

“Biscoff Latte.” Martin replies, smile growing. “You’re making that face. You like it, don’t you?”

Juhoon huffs out a laugh, taking another sip of the drink.

“You can have it.” Martin reaches for the iced vanilla latte on the table and takes a sip for himself. Juhoon’s quick to shake his head.

“But this is your order.”

“You like it, so it’s yours now.” Martin said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You can’t give it back, I don’t make the rules.”

Juhoon rolls his eyes, unable to keep the smile off his lips. “You should still try it, at least.”

Juhoon holds the drink out in front of him, tilting it to urge Martin to drink from it. He waits for a moment, before Martin leans towards him, lips right by his ears.

“Can’t I just kiss it off your lips?”

Juhoon’s reaction was immediate, body shivering at the tone of Martin’s voice. It takes him a second before he moves once more. He pulls away slightly, making sure he’s properly in Martin’s view. He places the straw back in his mouth, taking another sip. He ensures that there’s evidence of the drink across his lips.

Martin visibly freezes, eyes moving from Juhoon’s eyes, down to his lips. But, he recovers quickly. He leans in, chasing the flavor on Juhoon’s lips.

He pulls away, letting the taste linger on his tongue. “Mm, it does taste good. It’s sweet.”

Juhoon takes another sip, adjusting to lean against the back of the armchair once more. He notices Martin stiffening beside him. He looks back at him, watching the way his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Juhoon follows his line of sight, looking directly through the café’s window. There, stands three young men, faces annoyingly familiar.

James, Keonho, and Seonghyeon stand directly beside their table, from the other side of the glass. They’re standing straight and still, at a seemingly shitty attempt to intimidate them.

Juhoon thinks back to when they might’ve already been standing there. How long, exactly? And then he thinks back to everything Martin and him have done the past few minutes. He turns towards his boyfriend, mirroring the widened eyes. There is only one word he can say.

“Shit.”

Martin nods in silent agreement, watching as the three boys move towards the entrance of the café. The two exchange a quick and quiet conversation.

“At this point, I don’t even care if they find out.” Martin blurts out in lightning speed. “But I will not let that be the way they find out.”

Juhoon glares at him, hand lightly patting against the back of Martin’s head. “You started it with that corny shit.”

Martin opens his mouth in disbelief. “I didn’t think you’d play along with it!”

“Don’t start shit you don’t know how to end!” Right as Juhoon whisper-yells these words, the three musketeers show up right in front of them.

“Don’t start what shit?”

“Martin started shit?”

“What shit did Martin start this time?”

Keonho, Seonghyeon, and James chimed in with their unwanted contributions to the conversation, in that respective order. James sits in the chair near the glass windows, while Keonho and Seonghyeon shove themselves into one armchair on his left. Martin stares at them with his signature blank annoyed face, as usual.

“I did not start shit, thank you very much.” Martin makes a futile attempt to defend himself. No one pays it any mind.

“So.” Keonho grabs Martin’s iced vanilla latte and sips on it like it’s his. “How’s your day?”

“Fine.” Juhoon starts as Martin rolls his eyes at the youngest. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Keonho wanted to grab a drink and we didn’t have anything better to do.” Seonghyeon replied, taking a sip of Martin’s drink as Keonho tilts it towards him.

“Have you guys ordered yet?” Juhoon asks, a pointed tone in his voice.

“Oh, shit. Right.” Keonho says, placing the drink back on the table.

“I’ll go with you.” Seonghyeon says, with no prompt. The two shuffle away in a mess of loud and tumbling feet. Martin grabs his drink back with a sigh.

“What were you guys talking about so intently here?” James started, bringing a piece of their forgotten cookie into his mouth. “More specifically, what were you guys staring at each other so lovingly for?”

Before Martin can ramble on and give a panicked reply, Juhoon starts talking, choosing to completely ignore the second question.

“I came here to take a break since I finally finished all my semester tasks. The only thing I’m waiting for is the results for the research competition.”

“Oh, yeah. I was gonna ask about that.” James takes another bite of the cookie before Juhoon gestures for him to have it all. “I heard you’d get prize money for that. And like, the organization opportunities attached to that win are huge.”

“Exactly.” Juhoon takes another sip of his drink. “But I’ll just accept whatever the results are, anyway.”

Martin lays his hand over Juhoon’ shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Juhoon looks down at the floor with a smile.

Before James can ask any more questions, the two children (in James’ terms) come strolling back towards the table. Seonghyeon huffs as Keonho sits on his lap with no warning. Keonho ignores this as he looks as if he’s ping-ponging an idea in his mind before speaking up.

“Do you guys wanna mess around and make a song in the studio?”

+1

“Keonho, don’t you dare place your filthy feet on top of my kitchen counter.” James’ voice echoes around the kitchen, accompanied by the squeaking of the spinny stool chair he’s sitting upon.

“I’m wearing socks. There’s nothing to worry about.” Keonho replies, laying down horizontally atop James’ kitchen counters. He raises his feet up high and moves them, trying his best not to fully plant his feet on the counter itself.

“Don’t place your smelly socks on it either!”

“My socks are not smelly, thank you very much.”

“Keon, just sit up.” Seonghyeon speaks up, tone level-headed but firm. He grabs some popcorn from the red bowl he’s hugging to his chest.

Keonho stares at the back of his head, sticking his tongue out as a silent response. Seonghyeon senses this, sending a glare straight back to him.

“Yes, sir.” Keonho obeys quickly, sitting up on the counter Seonghyeon’s leaning against. Keonho shifts towards his best friend, trying his best to hold onto his warmth.

The stars glimmer through the night sky, buildings not tall enough to reach them. The blinds are fully open, leaving the view fully visible in the presence of the five young men, gathered around the familiar kitchen area. The apartment is dim, only the warmth of the under-cabinet lights switched on, with the help of the city lights.

Condensation drips from the tub of ice cream atop the kitchen island, tissues scattered around it, and spoons left resting upon its lid. Juhoon places another tissue, pushing the tub further away from his criss-crossed legs covered in alien shorts.

On Juhoon’s left side, Martin sits on one of the stool chairs they moved to the back, mirroring James’ position. He grabs a nugget from the Mcdonald’s Juhoon and him offered to buy for the group.

“Ma-hyung, can you pass me the fries, please?” Keonho asks, and Martin quietly hands him the box.

“Okay, where were we?” James prompts, retracing their steps from before he was distracted from Keonho’s feet on his precious counters. He lets a spoonful of ice cream melt on his tongue.

“Jake and Sunghoon are officially dating.” Juhoon says, stating it like it’s something known to the universe. Martin holds a nugget out for him and he gladly takes a bite out of it.

“Jake? Jake from the Physics department, Jake?” James repeats, in a tone of quiet disbelief.

“Actually, I do keep seeing him around our department, always with Sunghoon-hyung.” Keonho chimes in with his side of the coin. “He’s not hard to spot. He kind of sticks out like a sore thumb in Sports Science. His vibes are different.”

“They also went on a double date with Nicho-hyung and Euijoo-hyung.” Martin joins in as well. “They just posted it earlier.”

“What? Show me.” Before James even got the question out, Juhoon has already opened Instagram, thumb pressing on Jake’s story. Juhoon hands his phone to James, taking a spoonful of ice cream as he watches James’ reaction.

It’s a picture of the two in a photobooth. The backdrop’s red, with a faint vintage filter over it. The topmost photo shows them smiling towards the camera. Below it, shows the two making silly faces. Jake is seen holding a small bouquet in the third photo, with Sunghoon pointing at him with a huge lovesick smile on his face. Lastly, the fourth photo shows Sunghoon planting a kiss on Jake’s cheek. Sweet, simple, love.

As James inspects Jake’s account, Martin seeks Seonghyeon’s thoughts. “Did you notice anything between them, Sean?”

"Eh, I don’t really know them. Music Prod’s building is far from Sports Science.” Seonghyeon says, chewing on a french fry.

“I know. You’re so far, it actually sucks.” Keonho says, shoulders hunching over himself. Seonghyeon just stares at him for a moment, cheeks flaming a light shade of red.

Juhoon and Martin watch as this unfolds, a silent, knowing look exchanged between them.

“Yo, Jju. You got an email.” James says, handing the phone back to its rightful owner. Juhoon takes it with reluctance, trying to remember which of his professors are crazy enough to send emails at midnight.

Juhoon checks on the notification, barely minding the 00:05 on the clock. He freezes, thumb hovering over the words. Martin notices this immediately, eyes watching Juhoon’s movements in pure concern.

“What? Is there something wrong?” Martin asks in a whisper, trying his best to gauge his boyfriend’s emotions.

Juhoon presses the notification with no response to his immediate surroundings. He reads it, skimming over it once. He sucks in air, trying his best to process the information.

Martin slowly takes the phone from his boyfriend’s hand, seeing as Juhoon has loosened his grip around it. He slowly reads through it, mentally preparing himself for whatever it is he has to face with Juhoon.

Beside him, he hears a stool chair squeak, three pairs of feet scrambling to figure out what the hell is going on.

Good Evening, Mr. Kim Juhoon.

We are pleased to inform you that your group has won First Place for the National University Research Competition 2026. Representing the HYBE University’s Department of Sociology, your work compellingly challenged a known existing standard, presenting a new perspective on…

Martin’s eyes lingered on the message in wonder, and back to Juhoon. Keonho audibly gasps and Seonghyeon whispers a tiny ‘holy shit’ underneath his breath. Martin can basically hear the way James opened his mouth in astonishment.

“Jju.” Martin says, watching as Juhoon zones out into the hidden beauty of James’ kitchen cupboards. He spots the glassiness of his boyfriend’s eyes and wastes no second to hug him.

Juhoon wraps his arms around Martin in response. Each blink’s effect was immediate, tears pouring out like an open dam.

“Jju-hyung!” Keonho yells, jumping up in joy. At some point, he just lets out a scream. “Holy shit!”

Seonghyeon and James yell out the same sentiments, running around the kitchen like little puppies. Martin laughs, hand slowly rubbing Juhoon’s back.

Amidst the noise, Juhoon lifted his head, Martin wiping the tears off his cheeks and wrapping his arms around his waist, spinning him around with a yelp. Juhoon scrambles to wrap his legs around Martin’s waist, securing his hands on Martin’s shoulders as well.

Neither of them can hold their excitement, as even Juhoon lets out a scream in full volume, following Martin.

The adrenaline kicks in Juhoon’s body, making him lift both his arms in a victory pose as Martin spun him around. Then, he places both of his hands on Martin’s cheeks, and kisses him square on the lips.

Martin responds immediately, quite literally melting at the touch of Juhoon’s lips. Juhoon continues kissing him, hard. The adrenaline seems to travel between them, lips moving against one another with no mind. Juhoon’s hands travel until he wraps his arms around Martin’s neck once more.

Martin lifts Juhoon higher against him, accidentally biting Juhoon’s lip. Juhoon pulls away with a yelp, a hand coming up to his lip.

“Oh shit, you okay?” Martin says, voice soft and gentle once more. Juhoon only smiles and nods.

“Ahem.” Martin and Juhoon freeze. The sound of the cough breaks through their little bubble, snapping them back to reality. The sound seemed to have come from James, fist coming up in an attempt to cover his cough.

Keonho stands on one corner of the kitchen island, furthest away from the couple, mouth hung open in pure shock. Seonghyeon, standing a few feet before him, pointed at them in a similar expression, just with a tad more amusement.

Juhoon jumps out of Martin’s arms, feet landing clumsily on the floor. Martin’s face is fully red now, warmth growing all the way down to his neck. Juhoon is seemingly red now, too.

“I knew it! You two have been suspicious as hell!” Seonghyeon points at them repeatedly, voice raising in conviction. “You guys kissed when I was sick here, didn’t you?”

“What?! You said you didn’t see anything!” Martin says, trying to keep himself busy with the popcorn bowl.

“I’m not stupid, hyung.” Seonghyeon replies. Juhoon slaps Martin’s arm, silently scolding him from sharing fake news to him.

“Wait, since when has this been going on?” Keonho asks, disbelief still freezing him in place.

“Uh,” Juhoon starts, trying his best to piece his own dignity together after choosing to almost basically make out with his boyfriend in front of his friends. “Since end of our first year.”

“What!?” Keonho and Seonghyeon yell at the same time. James only takes a bite out of a nugget.

“You guys were together before Hyeon and I even enrolled to this college?” Keonho asked, words jumbling up at the speed that he is talking.

“Wait, so have you guys liked each other since we were in high school?" Seonghyeon stops to wonder for a second. "That makes so much sense. You guys were obsessed with each other.” Martin grimaces at Seonghyeon's amazingly incriminating observations.

“Okay, yeah. Everyone calm the fuck down.” Martin starts, watching as Juhoon sucks a deep breath in and folds his arms across his chest. He observes the way Juhoon slowly gets overwhelmed with the questions, paired with the ultimate crash of adrenaline running through his veins. Martin rests a hand over his knee once Juhoon has sat down on the stool chair.

“We’ve liked each other since high school, yes. We got together by the end of our first year after I confessed my feelings with a song. We’ve been together for almost a year now, and that’s that.” Martin gives out all the general information, all while he rubs his thumb against Juhoon’s knee.

“With a song? Can we hear it?” Keonho's volume is loud, almost yelling. He gets smacked by Seonghyeon upside the head. He watches as Seonghyeon mouths to him, ‘be mindful’, as he gestures towards Juhoon.

He turns his head back towards the pair.

“It's good to know you two have each other to rely on.” Seonghyeon says with a smile, sincerity dripping from his tone. Martin smiles back.

“James-hyung, you don't seem so surprised.” Keonho points out, in genuine curiosity.

“Well. All four of you are always in my apartment. Of course I’d notice it eventually.” He responds, dipping a nugget into the tub of almost-fully-melted ice cream. “It seems you two still have a lot to realize, though.”

James gestures towards the two youngest boys of the group, to which Seonghyeon tilts his head in confusion and Keonho furrows his eyebrows. Juhoon audibly snorts at this, with Martin letting out a laugh.

As the rush slows down, and as clarity dawns on them, the group settles down into quiet chatters and laughter. The rhythm finds its tempo once more, as it pulls everyone together by the heart strings.

As the conversation moved on, and as the clock struck 2:42, Keonho suddenly jerks up in his seat.

“Oh my God.”

“What?” Seonghyeon asks from beside him, his eyes glowing with concern.

“You two went out of James’ bathroom together.” Keonho says, pointing at Juhoon and Martin.

“Woah, woah, woah, woah. What?” James says, mind gearing into place. Keonho, lovely Keonho, yells without warning.

“So you were making out!”

Juhoon tries to mentally estimate whether or not he’d fit inside the kitchen island’s utensil cupboards. Martin is genuinely considering just bolting out of the apartment. With no excuses to hide behind, their faces grew redder by the second.

“You made out inside my bathroom!?” James yells in disbelief, restraining himself from throwing some leftover fries over to their heads.

“It was a party, you should’ve expected that to happen!” Martin responds, stumbling over his words.

“So Martin-hyung didn’t actually puke?” Seonghyeon says, sparking up yells and protests from everybody in the room.

The stars were hung higher than ever, the buildings surrendering their lights to make the universe’s spots shine brighter.

Martin and Juhoon shine just as bright, their friends illuminating their hearts. It was the kind of acceptance that made them shine with no regrets, no guilt, no shame. It was the kind of love that brought them to life, that made them believe they could be themselves, free.

That love, that acceptance. That is the true kiss of mars. An inherent puzzle piece of the universe, a permanent part of their lives.

Juhoon and Martin laugh amidst the chaos, hearts blooming as one.

“So much for keeping it lowkey.”