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The day was hot and humid, and their stupid school uniforms didn’t help. Who looked at all the available colors and chose black?! As Saint parked his bike and removed his helmet, he thought of Shin walking to school in the heat after dropping Chingching off at her own school. He’d be sweating, even if he denied it.
On the way to class, Saint stopped at a vending machine and bought a cold bottle of Shin’s favorite flavor of tea. For a moment, he pressed the cold bottle against his own heated neck, but then he pulled it away and scolded himself for getting his sweat all over Shin’s drink. He wiped it off with his shirt as he made his way to class.
Shin was inside already, and Saint quickly bounced over and held out the bottle. When Shin didn’t take it immediately, Saint even opened it for him before holding it out again.
“Mm. It’s hot outside. You need to stay hydrated,” he said when Shin gave him a confused look.
Forehead knitting together even more, Shin took the drink and sipped from it. Behind him, First and Thiu made teasing sounds, but Shin flipped them off without turning, and Saint didn’t give a shit what people thought about their friendship. Anyway, ever since the class started getting along, a lot of their classmates made sounds like that around Saint and Shin. It was too common to get worked up about.
Saint took his own seat and prepped for class. He fanned himself with his notebook while he figured out which workbook he’d need first. Maybe he should invest in a little portable fan for when he was delivering food on the bike. Or just to use in general.
The cold bottom of the tea bottle bumped into his cheek, and Saint turned a surprised look in Shin’s direction. His friend hummed and nudged him with the bottle again.
“But I bought it for you,” Saint argued softly.
Shin shook his head minutely. “It won’t make me happy if you faint from heat exhaustion. Just share with me, idiot.”
A broad smile broke across Saint’s face as he took the drink. “Thanks, Shin.”
Every reminder that they were friends again brought him immense joy, and Saint wondered if that would ever wear off. He hoped not. Seeing Shin every day, having casual conversations, playing around, sharing food and drinks? These were things Saint wanted to appreciate for as long as he lived.
When Saint took a long swig of the tea, Ken let out a wolf whistle. “Indirect kisses!” he announced loudly, and the twins chortled.
“Kisses?” Saint asked, handing the bottle back to Shin. He sent a confused look at Ken. “What are you talking about?”
Ken smirked. “Aw, Saint’s so innocent. How about you ask your boyfriend?”
Out of reflex, Saint glanced to Shin for help, and this sent the boys into another fit of giggles. Shin pointedly did not look at Saint, and his ears were cherry red. Saint’s eyes widened at the sight and he motioned to the bottle in Shin’s hands.
“Ai’Shin, you look red! Drink the rest of the tea,” he ordered, and Thiu nearly fell off his desk when he reached over to smack at First’s arm.
Shin scoffed. “Idiot,” he grumbled, but he drank the tea anyway.
Honestly, Saint had no idea what Ken was talking about, although it was clear he’d been trying to tease Saint. Except Saint hadn’t kissed anyone. In fact, he hadn’t kissed anyone ever... except that time in middle school when he and Shin had decided to test it out just to see what all the fuss was about.
Shin had pouted after and said it had been “alright”, while Saint hadn’t been able to think of anything else for the rest of the day. If Shin hadn’t seemed so grumpy about it, he might have asked to try again, but he didn’t want to make Shin upset.
Thinking of kisses now that they were friends again, Saint wondered if Shin had been kissing people while Saint wasn’t around. Had he dated anyone? If so, Saint wondered why they broke up. Though he tried not to be, Saint found himself jealous of the attention any potential exes had gotten from Shin, and any Shin still gave them in his thoughts.
As Ms. Jan came in to start the day, Saint called the class to order. But he missed the first round of instructions after that because he got distracted by Shin’s lips on the mouth of the bottle and wondering if Shin would ever let him test out kissing again. Just to see what it was all about, of course. That was all.
“Hey. I wanna go to the beach,” Shin said one day. They were watching Thiu win a swimming contest with First, Ken, and Knot. A small pile of snacks sat on the bleachers with them, one for each of them once the contest was over.
“We can go this weekend,” Saint instantly agreed, attention effectively drawn away from the event. “Should we take Chingching?”
Shin shook his head. “Nah. She has a school thing Mae is taking her to. Anyway,” he said with an easy shrug, “it would be nice to just get away for a bit without her. Kids love the beach, but it’s so much effort. Not relaxing at all.”
Saint frowned, imagining how sad Chingching would be when she realized they were going without her. “Aw, but she’s so cute. I don’t want to make her sad. She’s been nothing but good to me.”
Shin snorted and smiled. “You totally used her to get back in my good graces. Don’t think I didn’t notice.” He playfully shoved at Saint’s shoulder. “Using a cute kid to win brownie points. Aren’t you ashamed?”
But Saint just grinned and shook his head. “Not at all. I can’t help that she loves me almost as much as you.”
“Shameless,” Shin scolded, but his shy smile ruined the whole charade.
It was true that Chingching still remembering and liking him had been a huge help in getting Shin to trust him again. It was also true that Chingching herself had been part of the proof Saint needed that Shin still had Saint in his heart. Shin had let Saint be around whenever Chingching asked for it, had let Chingching still hug him even as Shin warned her to stay away, had trusted Saint to protect his sister. These were not the actions of someone who didn’t like Saint.
But Saint honestly just loved Chingching like his own little sister.
“Are you guys talking about Shin’s daughter or something?” Nate asked, looking up from his phone with a very confused expression. “Because we’re only eighteen but it sounds like you two have a kid.”
Shin threw a bag of chips at Nate, who caught it before it could hit his face. “Idiot!” Shin scolded. “Chingching is my little sister, you weirdo. Don’t say dumb shit.”
“Oooh, right. That makes way more sense,” Nate agreed, opening the bag and beginning to eat. The look on his face was one of honest relief. Dumbass.
Saint shook his head, laughing. “I think if any of us had a kid, we’d all know about it. And it wouldn’t be Shin.”
“Oh yeah? Who then?” Nate asked, tilting his head in thought. “Oh, maybe Ging? She’s so obsessed with getting scoops. You know those types of people always have secrets of their own.”
“You’re right!” Saint said, eyes wide and pointing at Nate. “It would totally be her, right?!”
With a sigh, Shin rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous. Stop making up rumors just because you’re bored. Someone might hear you and take it seriously.”
His words reminded Saint of how everyone had spread rumors about Shin killing someone, even though nothing of the sort had happened. Saint nodded apologetically and settled back in his seat. Then he started looking up the weather for the weekend.
“So the beach,” he said and clocked the way Shin smiled out of the corner of his eye. It made his chest flutter happily. “Saturday? Just the two of us?”
Shin’s smile turned fond, and he leaned over to rest against Saint’s shoulder. “Just the two of us,” he agreed. “It’s a date.”
That sounded perfect to Saint. Just him and Shin, sand between their toes and everywhere else too, watching the waves, or swimming out into the deep water and floating there together. Then maybe they could go out for dinner and some ice cream. The perfect Saturday.
On Saint’s other side, Nate made a gagging sound. “God damn. You two are so gross. It’s like watching Knot and K-” He cut off so abruptly that it almost sounded like he’d swallowed his own tongue. “I mean, like watching some romcom couple.”
Shin raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh yeah?” he asked and let his eyes drift over to the pool, where the race had ended and the guys were arguing about rematches.
But Saint didn’t get it. He and Shin went places together all the time, and there was nothing new about this trip either. And how did that relate to Knot and Ken? Or romcoms? He and Shin weren’t dating.
A lightbulb went off in Saint’s head and he gasped loudly. “Knot and Ken are dating?”
Across the pool, all the others looked sharply over. There was a tight moment of silence, where Nate held up his hands in a weak defense and the only sound was the cicadas in the background. Then-
“Fucking Nate!” Ken shouted.
Ken surged up from the pool, face red and wild, while Knot raced to follow him and hold him back. Nate jumped from his seat and backed away, trying to explain himself out of guilt.
And next to Saint, still leaning on his shoulder, was Shin, laughing loudly with pure amusement. Saint smiled down at him and laughed softly too. Fuck. Shin was just so damn gorgeous. Saint wanted to keep him and their weekend getaways forever. Was that too much to ask?
Theoretically, they were supposed to be studying. Shin looked studious enough, but Saint really couldn’t focus. He tried to, at first, but within ten minutes he was laying on Shin’s lap and just holding their textbook open to a random page while actually staring up at Shin’s face.
His best friend was so cute and handsome at the same time. And lazy days where they got together to just hang out were by far Saint’s favorite days. He loved sitting and watching movies or playing games, or just existing while they both played on their phones or whatever. It didn’t matter to Saint what they did, so long as they did it together.
Without putting any serious thought into it, Saint reached up and poked Shin in the cheek – his serious, studious, adorable cheek. Shin sighed exasperatedly, not even glancing down at Saint. Then he abruptly stood up, leaving Saint to bang his head on the ground without his support.
“Ow! Ai’Shin?!” Saint complained, rubbing the back of his head and squinting after his friend.
Shin went to his dresser and pulled something out of a top drawer. Then he came back to Saint, who was sitting up properly again.
“Mm. Here.” Shin held out a bracelet for Saint to take. Which he did, of course. “Since you aren’t concentrating anyway, you wanna watch a movie?”
“Hell yeah,” Saint agreed, his eyes on the jewelry. It was a basic bracelet – blue yarn or cotton or whatever they made bracelets from - but in the middle it had a curving metal plate with the word “tsunami” written on it. Tsunami like Saint’s middle school alias, like Shin’s high school gang. “What’s this for?”
Shin shrugged, settling back down beside Saint and turning on his tv. “Six-month anniversary?”
Slipping the bracelet on, Saint knit his brow and tried to think what happened six months ago. They had been friends again for almost a year, and Saint was definitely planning to celebrate that, but what was half of that?
“Anniversary?” he asked, unable to remember anything. “For what?”
Shin rolled his eyes and let out a quiet huff as he navigated to a movie list they’d made. “Typical.”
Six months. Six months. Six months of what, tho? Saint frowned and stared at his wrist. He loved the bracelet, of course. The word Tsunami was something so integral to who they were as friends. It was a name that connected them, even when they were apart. Shin, who had claimed to hate him so much, had kept the name Tsunami alive, kept it close. Saint was never going to take the bracelet off. Ever. He smiled down at it, even though he couldn’t remember what event had caused it to appear.
When he glanced over at Shin again, he spotted the same bracelet on Shin’s wrist. He let out an exclamation and pointed at the bracelet.
“Oi! You have one too!” He held his wrist up near Shin’s, grinning and laughing. “We have a couples’ bracelet!”
“Does that make you this happy?” Shin asked.
Did it-? Saint had been prepared to love the bracelet forever, but now it was so much more! Not only did they share the name Tsunami, now they had that shared connection on the same bracelet. Whenever they looked at the bracelets, they would think of each other. A blue flicker that Saint would see out of the corner of his eye wherever he went. Shin would see it too.
Chest swelling with love, Saint nodded. “I think this is the best gift you’ve ever given me,” he said honestly.
Apparently too honestly, because Shin’s ears went instantly scarlet and he pushed Saint away by his face. “Oh my god! You’re such a dog!” he complained, but a dopey smile was on his face.
Saint smiled just as dopily in return. He leaned closer, his face almost on Shin’s shoulder, his voice by Shin’s ear. “I love it,” he said.
Shin turned to him, their faces inches apart. Up close, it was hard to see all of Shin, but Saint knew the deepness of his eyes. He admired the richness of their color, wished he could fall into them forever. And Shin’s skin looked so soft, even with its little imperfections. It was perfect from Shin’s hairline, all the way down to his –
Hm. His mouth.
Saint let himself get lost, again, in the idea of kissing Shin. Ever since Ken brought up indirect kissing, Saint thought about Shin’s lips regularly. If he closed the distance now, would Shin punch him? Would that change their relationship? Did they even need a label? Couldn’t they just stay Saint and Shin forever? Couldn’t Saint get just one kiss?
Blushing, Saint pulled away and looked pointedly at the tv. He settled into his spot, keeping his eyes away from his friend. Fuck, what had he been about to do? Shin would totally punch Saint if Saint kissed him. And it would obviously change everything because then Shin would pull away! Idiot!
Beside him, Shin let out another sigh and also got settled in.
“You want comedy or romance today?” Shin asked, calm as anything.
“Uh.... Whatever you want,” Saint said, his brain too frazzled to pick.
Like the little shit he was, Shin picked a romantic comedy. It was funny and got Saint to relax within the first fifteen minutes or so, but multiple parts of the movie were soft and romantic as well. Every time the movie got particularly romantic, Saint noticed how close he and Shin were sitting. He could swear he felt the heat of Shin across the two inches between their arms. When the main couple shared an intense stare, Saint glanced at Shin and found Shin staring back at him. They, too, shared a long look and only glanced away again when the dialogue continued on screen.
Saint’s chest pounded and he absently rubbed at it. Had Shin’s eyes always been so... deep? So beautiful? He knew the answer. It was yes. Saint’s gaze had lingered too long on Shin’s eyes for years. He did so much just to get Shin to look at him, so he could see the love and care he felt reflected back at him no matter what.
Fuck.
When they laid down to sleep that night, sharing Shin’s bed as they often did, Saint stared at the far wall and realized the hard truth. He’d been telling Shin he loved him for a long time, but he didn’t mean it just as friends. He loved Shin so deeply, so completely, so absolutely that no one else compared in the whole world. Not his family or friends or anyone.
Shit. Shit, he wanted to date Shin. He wanted Shin to be his and his alone. He didn’t want Shin’s intense, beautiful stare to be directed at anyone else. Saint had known that his feelings for Shin were verging on obsessive, of course. Anyone could tell that. But this new level of longing and desire hit Saint like a truck, and he pressed his palm into his chest, then into his crotch, then back to his chest.
He was so doomed.
It was one thing to realize he wanted to date Shin. Saint could, maybe, handle that revelation on his own and not bother Shin too much with it. But the real problem was that Shin didn’t seem to get the memo about staying friends.
In class, Shin found reasons to reach out and touch Saint – handing papers out, waking him up, passing notes or food. Outside of class, Shin liked to walk so close to Saint that they were practically one person. Neither were unusual or unwanted, but now Saint was hyper aware of it. At lunch, they shared food. At dinner, Saint peeled shrimp or prepped food and Shin handed over all of Saint’s favorite parts so he had extra. On more than one occasion, Shin fell asleep on Saint’s shoulder while they studied or watched a movie.
Saint was going to lose his mind. Well, what was left of it. He could fight a dozen gang members on his own, but he had no strength against his touchy-feely best friend.
Friend, damn it. They were just friends. He had to keep reminding himself that no matter how much his own feelings had grown over the last year, Shin wasn’t looking for a romantic partner. He just wanted Saint as he best friend again.
If Saint ruined that, it would break both of their hearts.
“Hey!” Airy knocked on his desk during break and then knocked on his forehead. “I’m having a party tomorrow while my parents are out of town. Tell your dad you can’t work the noodle cart, because you’re coming. Got it?”
“Uh. Sure. Yeah, I’d love to come,” Saint said, smiling easily.
Grinning wide at his response, Airy bounced over to Thiu and First. “You guys are invited too. You can each bring a plus one. But only one, got it? Otherwise, I won’t have enough food.”
Rolling their eyes, both boys agreed. Before Airy could bounce off to another desk to continue her invites, Saint called her back.
“Hey, Airy. Do I get a plus one too?” he asked, confused why she hadn’t mentioned it.
Brow knitting like he’d asked a strange question, she said, “Duh. Of course you get one. But I didn’t think I had to mention it to you, of all people.”
Then, not explaining that at all, she moved on to her other friends. Saint didn’t know why he would be someone who didn’t need to be told, but he was glad she clarified it. Just as class was about to start, Shin and Ken walked in, drinks in hand from the vending machine. Ms. Jan was right on their heels, and Saint quickly called the class to order.
Shin slid into his seat while simultaneously depositing a drink on Saint’s desk. Behind them, Ken did the same for Knot.
“Hey,” Saint whispered while Ms. Jan began writing on the board. “Airy’s having a party tomorrow. She might forget to invite you because class started. You wanna go with me?”
Shin smiled easily. “Yeah. If you’re going, I’ll be there.”
“Great.” Saint grinned right back, then settled into his seat to pay attention – mostly – to the lesson.
He was right. Airy never invited Shin to the party. But Saint knew it hadn’t been malicious. They were all friends, after all. And when the boys arrived at the party, she welcomed them both with a knowing grin and pat them both on the back.
“Wherever Saint goes, Shin goes. And vice versa,” she said to no one in particular. “That’s what we expect of the It Couple.”
Then she popped a lollipop in her mouth and went to wrap herself around Eve across the room. Saint blushed and scratched his ear. Couple? He and Shin were attached at the hip, sure, but they weren’t -- At least, outside of Saint’s head they weren’t a couple.
Shin’s hand closed around his wrist, tugging him from his thoughts. He tilted his head curiously at Saint, like he could read Saint’s embarrassment as well as if it were his own.
“Ah, nothing,” Saint said, shaking his head.
Nodding in acceptance, Shin motioned toward the kitchen. “Wanna go find the beer? I bet she stocked some really good shit.”
“Oh hell yeah,” Saint agreed. A beer was exactly what he needed.
Ken and the twins had already discovered the ice box full of bottles when they got to the kitchen, and they were guarding them like dragons. Already tipsy dragons that were easy enough to distract. Shin teased Ken for already being tipsy when the party just started, garnering the attention of all three, and Saint slipped around them to snatch four bottles.
When Saint handed one to Shin, Ken tried to step forward to snatch it back, but he wobbled dangerously on his feet, and Knot had to help steady him. Shin giggled, which made Saint’s whole body feel right, and then they escaped the room with their spoils.
Over the course of the party, they sang karaoke and danced with their friends, they played stupid games and won stupid prizes that everyone cheered for like it was the fucking FIFA World Cup. Most people were drunk by the time an hour passed, and somehow there always seemed to be more to drink. Nate could be seen personally handing people new bottles whenever their current drinks were empty or if someone stood with empty hands too long. He was an instigator of epic proportions.
“I just don’t need anyone remembering what my brother is like tonight,” Nate confided in Saint when asked about his actions. “I don’t even wanna remember his stupid love-struck look.”
Shin smirked, his cheeks definitely warm with drink. “I think you just wanna get everyone drunk so people make dumb choices. I think you want your brother to be even more love-struck and make a move.”
Eyes wide in horror, Nate clumsily smacked Shin’s arm, flubbed his way through a denial, and then escaped to grab more drinks.
Mmm. Saint kinda liked that idea. Dumb choices. Love-struck. Making moves.
But no. He had to be strong, even when drunk.
He was two more bottles in when he saw First leaning so close to Shin they could be kissing. Jealousy rose, hot like an iron poker, into his chest. He wasn’t really clear about what happened next, but he remembered Shin’s hand in his, the sound of the party becoming muffled, the press of a warm mouth against his.
“No one else can have you,” he vaguely remembered growling. Or maybe he’d been sobbing. “You’re mine.”
He didn’t even know if he was talking to anyone else or just himself. He just knew he didn’t want to see Shin getting close with anyone. Ever. Maybe they weren’t dating, but that was fine. So long as Shin remained his in every other way. So long as he never lost Shin to someone else. Damn it.
In the morning, they all woke up in uncomfortable positions around the house and with raging hangovers. Everyone except Airy, apparently, who shuffled around handing out hang-over cures and scolding everyone for letting Nate get them so drunk. She was clearly having a good time with the whole ordeal and took extra special care of Eve.
Saint woke up wrapped around Shin in such a way that it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. They were so drunk that even detaching made their heads throb, so it took an extra-long time to extricate themselves.
The previous night was a blur of half-scenes for Saint, but he was sure that... well, something had happened. He’d kissed someone, and the only person close to him was Shin. For a minute, he worried Shin would be weird about it, but Shin acted no different than normal.
He leaned on Saint for support when his head throbbed, but otherwise he was the same as usual. Casual touches. Crass and cliche in turns. Talking about how to hide their hangovers from their parents. It was all so wonderfully.... horribly normal.
If they had actually kissed, shouldn’t things have changed between them? And if they hadn’t actually kissed, then who had Saint kissed? Why wasn’t it Shin? He wanted to kiss Shin, and he wanted it to fucking matter. Damn it.
Airy called them the It Couple, but they weren’t a couple. Why weren’t they a couple?!
Midterms were around the corner, and no one felt prepared for them. Not even Cable or Peeta, because they were perfectionists with a lifetime of academic baggage drilled into their heads. Luckily, their friend group was full of people who had a newfound desire to not fail, so they agreed to meet at Shin’s house to study. It was Cable, Peeta, Shin, First, Thiu, Eve, Airy, and Tangmay – which was a lot for Shin’s family room, but still doable.
Shin’s mom brought the group drinks and some cut fruit to share. She smiled easily, and Shin knew it was because she was happy he had friends and wasn’t fighting. He thanked her and then reminded her that Saint was going to join the study group after he finished helping his dad make deliveries. Although her smile dimmed a little, she nodded in understanding before she left.
One day, she’d accept Saint completely. Either because she chose to or because he became so commonplace that she had no choice.
About an hour into the study session slash chit chat session, the front door opened and Saint walked in, shaking his riding jacket off as he stepped out of his shoes. His undershirt was sticky with sweat, and Shin did his best to hide how sexy he thought it looked. He swallowed his urges, but he couldn’t help the way he looked Saint up and down before focusing on his face.
“Hey Saint! Welcome to the party,” First said, beckoning him over.
But Saint held up his hand to slow him down. “I’ll be there in a second.” He nodded to Shin. “Gonna steal your bathroom.”
Shin raised his chin in acknowledgement, knowing Saint meant he wanted to change clothes. “Sure. Mae’s gonna do the wash soon, so bring down the whole basket when you’re done.”
With one last nod, Saint disappeared up the stairs. When Shin pulled his eyes back down, he found his friends all staring at him with varying levels of curiosity. He flushed under their knowing looks as he replayed the interaction in his mind. The situation would only get worse when Saint came back down in a different outfit, as if he lived there. Because he kind of did.
A good chunk of Shin’s closet was filled with Saint’s clothes, including a school uniform. Saint’s toothbrush was in his bathroom, damn it. He wore Shin’s clothes on the weekends, and Chingching already called him her brother when telling her friends about him!
Before Shin could spiral much further, Saint descended the stairs in a new shirt, carrying a laundry basket. Shin’s mother gave him a genuine smile when they bumped into each other at the bottom of the stairs. He set down the basket to accept the plate she was offering him, full of fresh cut fruit just for him.
“I saved some of your favorites,” she said.
“Thank you so much, Mae,” Saint said, bowing his head.
Then she took the basket and disappeared further into the house. Saint took a moment to bite into a piece of fruit, smiling with innocent happiness. Meanwhile, Airy couldn’t take it anymore and rounded on Shin.
“Okay, spill,” she said, serious but quiet. The others leaned in to listen, but her eyes were on Shin. “What’s going on between you and Saint? You’re dating, right?”
Shit. Shin’s heart raced ahead of him as he tried and failed to come up with a good excuse. Not that he needed an excuse. They weren’t dating. Not really. At least, Saint didn’t really realize that’s what was going on.
Shin had asked Saint out officially about seven months ago, but the idiot puppy had completely misunderstood. Shin treated them like a couple, although he’d stopped trying to kiss Saint after the third time it seemed to cause Saint to internally panic. It was just Saint who missed the memo and was holding things up. Dumbass.
But he let Shin feed him, went out with Shin to get food and go to events, let Shin lay on him, shared a bed with him, and even let Shin hold his hand in public. In almost every sense of the word, they were dating, but Shin could tell from the dumb look Saint got when people made comments that Saint had no idea.
Which wasn’t fine, but it’s what Shin had and so he was gonna defend it and hold onto it forever.
“Why don’t you ask Saint?” Shin grunted and knew a blush was bound to show up on his skin soon. His face felt so hot.
“Ask me what?” Saint asked as he joined the group, plopping down beside Shin in the most natural way. No one else had taken the spot simply because they all knew that was Saint’s place.
Airy groaned. Then she motioned from Saint to Shin and back. “You two. Are dating. Right?”
“Wh-What?” Saint asked, terrible at lying about his feelings for Shin but also obviously spooked by the question.
“Come on,” Airy continued. “You hang all over each other and bring each other snacks. You’re always looking out for each other and you go everywhere together. I didn’t even invite Shin to my party, because I knew he’d be your plus one.”
“That’s-” Saint began while Shin leaned back lazily and watched the exchange with interest.
He’d tried to lay out the clues for Saint before, but Saint always dodged them. How would he react to others pointing it out?
Thiu shook his head and joined in. “She’s right. Everyone knows that you two are a pair – you can’t invite one without getting the other.”
“It’s not a problem,” First clarified. “Just... expected.”
Saint’s ears were red. “We’re best friends,” he argued weakly.
Then it was Eve who stopped eating her lollipop to chime in. “Okay, but you hold hands and sleep on each other. And don’t think we missed the couple’s bracelets.”
“Or the way you share clothes,” Tangmay said. “I love my friends, but I’m not letting them borrow my clothes every week.”
Peeta shoulder bumped Cable when she spoke, as if she were talking only to him and wanted his opinion. “Oh, and Saint calls Shin’s mom ‘Mae’, and she washes his clothes and knows his favorite fruit.”
“Well,” Cable began, uncertainly. “That isn’t so unusual for friends, right?”
Rolling her eyes, Peeta turned away from him while Eve mimed going to punch him for not sticking to the script. Shin grinned, amused by them all.
“Okay, okay,” Airy said, regaining attention. “You won’t admit you’re dating, but can you at least admit you’ve kissed?!”
“We haven’t-” Saint said at the same time Shin finally spoke up with, “We have.”
“We have?!” Saint asked, turning to face Shin with surprise on his face. “You mean in middle school?”
Shin snorted. “No, but that counts too.”
“Totally does,” Thiu agreed and Shin gave him a thumbs up for the support.
Then Shin tilted his head and stared at Saint, daring him to remember the kiss that alcohol had erased. “Did your hangover give you amnesia?”
Saint’s whole face was growing an adorable, sexy pink color. “I-! I thought I misremembered. You didn’t say anything the next day!”
Shrugged, Shin said, “Do I need to make a big deal out of kissing my boyfriend?”
“B-Boyfriend?!” Saint exclaimed, eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline. He was so fucking cute. And so fucking dumb.
Before Shin could bring up the fact that he’d asked Saint out over half a year ago, that he’d been trying to date Saint the whole time, that he was obsessively in love with Saint, Peeta suddenly clapped her hands together. Her eyes were almost as wide as Saint’s, and her voice was full of sudden understanding.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. “Didn’t Shin ask you out a while ago?” Shin pointed at her in agreement. “And Saint agreed, right?” Shin nodded, and Saint gasped.
“I did what?!” he asked.
Their friends looked curiously at Peeta too, so it wasn’t only Saint that was in the dark about the event. Peeta nodded, and Shin could see all the gears turning in her head as she thought back to what happened.
“Right. Yeah. I forgot my workbook in the classroom, so I was heading back to get it and I saw Saint was asleep on his desk, and Shin was sitting and watching him. Shin leaned over and asked if you wanted to officially go out, and you said... something about how you had already been going out, so yes.” She nodded to herself, cementing the memory.
Like a tennis match, all heads shifted to look at Saint for his response. The class president was still blushing like crazy and he covered his gaping mouth.
“That - I wasn’t -” He glanced wildly at Shin. “Shit, Shin. Did I seriously fuck this up?”
“That depends. Do you wanna be my boyfriend?” Shin asked confidently. There was a slim chance Saint said no, but Shin wasn’t an idiot. He’d seen the way Saint looked at him, how equally obsessed Saint was, and he’d been there when Saint, full of jealousy, had kissed him at Airy’s party.
“I mean, of course I do, but-” Saint snapped his mouth shut and dropped his hand. He looked right into Shin’s eyes and took a deep breath, and Shin waited patiently, giving him time to formulate his words. Finally, Saint said, “I mean, y-yeah. I’d like that.”
Shin laughed and tilted his head. “Then you didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve been dating you for seven months, idiot.”
“Oh.” Saint rubbed his hands together, a smile spreading on his lips. His fingers brushed their matching bracelets and his brows rose slightly in understanding. “Oh! Oh shit. I’m an idiot.”
“Yeah,” Thiu agreed, smirking. “Luckily, Shin already likes you like that.”
The group burst into sound, discussing the situation and how crazy it was. How had Saint not noticed Shin treating him like a boyfriend? Several of them agreed that they never would have Shin’s self-control to not kiss and cuddle their significant others. Then they started swapping stories of evidence that the two had actually been dating for the last half-a-year and weren’t just their usual level of strangely close friends.
Shin watched, amused. Finally, after all this time, Saint knew they were dating and he was okay with it. He’d agreed AGAIN to date Shin. Suddenly, Saint’s hand settled over Shin’s on the ground, gently holding on. When Shin looked over at him, Saint gave a shy smile.
“Sorry,” Saint murmured under the chaos of their friends.
Shin shrugged but he smiled too. “It’s okay. I’ve known you weren’t the smartest guy. It’s a good thing you’re tough. Gotta have skills in some area.”
“Asshole,” Saint said fondly.
“Your boyfriend,” Shin corrected smugly. Then, swallowing some nerves, he leaned in and kissed Saint. In front of his friends. In his living room.
“Oh,” Saint said afterward, his eyes half-lidded and his voice full of awe. “My boyfriend.” He grinned lazily. “Mine.”
Across the room, Tangmay gagged. “Oh my god, they’re going to be even worse.”
“Luckily, we graduate soon,” Eve agreed. “Then we only have to deal with it during group outings.”
Tangmay sneered. “Oh come on, Eve. You and Airy are just as bad!”
The group devolved again into accusations of who was the most annoying. All in all, they got very little studying done, but it was a fun evening with friends, and Shin’s boyfriend got wise, so he wasn’t complaining.
“Next time, don’t let me be the worst boyfriend,” Saint said later, when they were alone and getting ready for bed.
Shin shook his head and pursed his lips. “You weren’t the worst. Really, it made me realize you’d been treating me like your boyfriend for a long time. Minus the kissing and some physical stuff.”
Saint changed into his pajama shirt and shorts, then nodded in concession. “Yeah. I mean, I like taking care of you. In whatever way I have you, I want to make you happy. Forever.” Then he frowned. “Except I realized I’d never be happy if you got a different lover. I don’t like sharing you.”
Chest warm, Shin stepped over and kissed him. “Perfect, because I don’t like sharing you either.”
Saint grinned. “Oh man. I’ve been holding back so much, but I really don’t have to, do I?” he asked, still somehow surprised.
Man, it was a good thing Shin was obsessively in love with Saint already or the dummy might be out of luck. As it was, Shin was just pleased they were finally on the same page. He, too, had been holding back. It royally sucked to have a boyfriend who avoided your kisses while also obviously wanting to have sex with you and getting to do neither. Now, that wouldn’t be a problem.
Shin stepped closer to Saint until the taller boy had to sit on the bed to put space between them. Then Shin climbed onto his lap, looking down into Saint’s eyes as sultry and seductive as he could manage.
“Well, you don’t have to hold back anymore,” he said, carding his fingers through Saint’s hair.
Saint’s hands found his waist, slid up to his ribs, sent goosebumps across Shin’s skin. The way Saint’s pupils went large and his Adam’s apple bobbed was so damn hot. Shin was beyond ready to finally take their relationship to the next level. He leaned forward to kiss Saint and-
“P’Shin! Can I borrow your-”
Shin jumped up from Saint’s lap, tripped over Saint’s foot, and ended up on his ass on the floor. Pain shot through him, and he groaned, flopping down on the ground. When Chingching got through the door, she found Saint sitting on the bed with his hands up and her brother half-dead on the floor.
“Huh? What happened? P’Saint, you’re not supposed to let him fall, you know?” she scolded gently.
“You’re right,” Saint agreed, closing his fingers around air and lowering his arms. “What were you looking for, Chingching?”
“Oh.” She glanced around and pointed. “P’Shin’s extra blanket. Can I take it?”
“Sure thing,” Saint said and helped her collect it. She hugged him for his troubles, then left without another look at her actual brother.
“You know,” Shin groaned from the ground. “I like how neither of you asked me, the actual owner of the blanket.”
Saint smirked and shrugged. “We’re only gonna use one tonight anyway,” he said.
Shin sat up abruptly to stare intensely at his boyfriend. His. Boyfriend. Saint was staring back just as intently. Oh man. Shin licked his lips. They needed to find someplace without parents or kids or friends, because he had a boyfriend now, and there was no way they were keeping their hands off each other.
Smiling like he knew what Shin was thinking, or perhaps he was thinking the same thing, Saint reached out to help Shin off the floor. And back into his arms, where he belonged.