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If you were to ask Martin how he feels about summer, he would tell you he hates it.
If you were to also ask him how he somehow ended up at a random lake in the middle of July, he wouldn’t be able to give you a straight answer either.
It all started on the last day of school. The final bell hadn't even finished ringing before the rumors of an end-of-year lake party hosted by James started spreading through the group chat. Martin had tried to back out, but Keonho wouldn't take no for an answer, dragging him along with Juhoon ( who hated the season equally as much ).
This is how Martin now finds himself at a lake in the middle of nowhere with the blaze of the 80 degree sun on his face.
As the afternoon wore on, the curiosity of exploration had eventually driven the rest of the group away from the body of water, leaving Martin behind. He had stayed out on his towel, eyes closed, letting the warmth lull him into a heavy daze.
It’s when Martin finally opens his eyes that hes not alone.
He slowly sits up from his towel on the rock he claimed, the blaze of the eighty-degree sun burning against his skin.
As he looks around, it seems that someone has sensed his movement.
For a split second, their eyes lock,
Eom Seonghyeon.
Eom Seonghyeon, the Junior who sits in front of him in Pre Calc, which is the reason for his poor performance on test days as he is too busy staring at the small of Seonghyeons back.
Seonghyeon, the one who would always join the group for lunch, filling the table with jokes and laughter alongside Keonho which made Martin's heart sing.
Eom Seonghyeon, the quirky boy Martin has had a deliberating crush on since Freshman year, when James introduced them together in the means of merging the friend groups. Martin feels like he is going to die.
No No, this is fine. He thinks to himself in hopes of calming down, Completely fine! You’ve talked to him many times, being alone doesn’t make this any diff-
Seonghyeon must have sensed the internal spiral as he then breaks the silence, bringing him back to earth. “Seems like the others ventured off.”
Martin is quickly pulled out of his thoughts by the statement, the soft hum of his voice making his mind go quiet. It's okay, just reply. Normal humans can reply to their friends. He gives a fake clear of his throat and manages a quick “Yeah.”
For a split second, Seonghyeon's expression became unreadable.
Martin's chest rises slowly. If he wasn’t going to die then, he definitely is now.
He doesn’t have any time to dwell on it, as Seonghyeon is suddenly standing up from his spot on the towel, kicking off his shoes, and diving into the water with a loud splash. Martin instinctively flinches, a few droplets of water landing on him.
Seonghyeon quickly resurfaces, wiping the water from his face and pushing his hair back. He gazes back on the rock where Martin remains, dumbfounded. His eyes widen just a bit as Seonghyeon slowly approaches him, treading through the shallow water closer to the rock Martin is perched on.
“ You coming in ? ”
At that, Martin is already subconsciously standing, hesitantly shuffling out of his slides and leaving them neatly by his towel.
He slowly dips each foot in, feeling the water rush a bit as Seonghyeon moves back a tiny bit to accommodate the space.
At 6”3, the water obviously isn’t deep, but Martin feels like he’s drowning under his gaze. Their bodies are now only a few inches apart. Martin takes the chance to look at him properly; his hair is damp, clinging to his forehead, and droplets of water trace down his neck.
With a quiet whisper, the silence is broken. “ Hyung,” Seonghyeon starts low, “ You’re pretty. ”
Martin’s breath hitches.
His eyes don’t leave Seonghyeon’s, which are sparkling as the sun’s rays shine down on them, glinting with a hint of playful mischief. He’s so handsome it makes Martin's body quiver. With Seonghyeon so close, he doesn’t know how to respond without making a fool of himself.
He opens his mouth slightly, intending to mumble a quiet thank you, but what comes out is a breathless, disjointed sigh.
At first taken aback, Seonghyeon’s eyes widened a bit. Then, he smiles. It’s the soft, sweet smile Martin has been in love with since they were freshmen. Seonghyeon giggles a bit, which has an inverse effect on Martin, making his own lips subconsciously turn upward. Martin knows he’s teasing, and he also knows he loves the way Seonghyeon acts when he plays around like this, making jokes.
He doesn't want the moment to end, so in hopes of keeping it alive, he replies.“ You’re weird “. Martin teases back. The reply earns a chuckle out of Seonghyeon. He moves even closer, until they are now only a few inches apart.
“ I’m weird? ” Seonghyeon hums.
The chirping of the birds above seems to have stopped. The only sounds left behind are their short breaths and the gentle, rhythmic rushing of the water against the shore.
“ Yeah “. It's said with a hint of uncertainty, but it hangs in the air as the rushing of the water seems to get louder.
After the confession, Martin doesn’t know what to say.
Seonghyeon subconsciously moves closer,
“ I meant what I said, “ He starts, reaching up to move a strand of blonde hair from Martin's face.
“ I think you’re pretty. “ It's said with a hint of desperation as his hand lays to rest on Martin's cheek, in hopes of getting confirmation of his feelings.
Martins breathe slows. He's speechless. Barely anything has even happened yet, and now it may never happen because he’s too weak to voice his feelings. Embarrassment floods through him and all he wants to do is sink into the water in hopes of disappearing but Seonghyeon's still looking at him and he can’t help but be pinned beneath his gaze.
And then, before Seonghyeon can even think of continuing, it's as Martin has lost all of his composure that he worked so hard to maintain. It comes about before he can even think about what he is about to say,
“I think I love you. ”
The five words come out fast, and it's as if the world has slowed down.
They are spoken as a whisper, barely there, but Seonghyeon hears them perfectly. He blinks twice, slowly turning away, still gently cradling Martin’s left cheek. And it happens all too quickly.
Seonghyeon's grip firms the tiniest bit and Martin subconsciously holds his breath.
His eyelids flutter shut as Seonghyeon slowly moves his face upward. He’s obviously hesitant, until he continues, fully bridge the remaining gap between them.
The kiss is short, chaste, almost barely there, like the brush of a wing.
But to Martin, it feels like a whispered secret. A soft confirmation that changes everything.
Seonghyeon pulls back just as quickly, his hand dropping away from Martin's cheek, his cheeks flushed.
It's astonishing. Martin can feel the way his breath quickens, his first kiss being with the first and only boy he’s ever loved.
“ I— ” Martin starts, but he doesn’t even get to finish the thought.
“ Martin, ” Seonghyeon interrupts softly, his voice steady despite the redness in his face.
“ I love you too.”
The words, now a confirmation, give Martin all the reassurance he needs. He smiles lightly as he slowly slips his hand in between Seonghyeons.