The Morning After (2/2)
(part 1)
JONGDAE
"Jongdae?" Kyungsoo asks as Jongdae comes out of a room, wearing only a tank top and a pair of obnoxiously yellow boxers. "You're Tao's roommate?"
Tao looks oddly discomfited at Jongdae's appearance and stops talking completely, much to Kyungsoo's surprise.
Jongdae is Kyungsoo's choirmate from uni. They used to hang out after practice and talk to each other about their lives. The most memorable conversations they had were about their love lives (nonexistent for Kyungsoo and too many for Jongdae). Not that Kyungsoo would ever admit to talking about love with anyone. After they graduated, though, and Kyungsoo became an office worker, they hadn't had time to catch up.
"Nah." Jongdae still smiles like the Cheshire Cat, Kyungsoo notes. "Not his roommate. Just a guy he picked up last night."
"What? No!" Tao’s voice is as high as Kyungsoo has ever heard it today.
Jongdae settles in beside Tao on the couch, wiggling his butt to make sure he secures the right amount of space. Tao’s glare is murderous, but Jongdae doesn’t seem to notice. "That's not what you said last night."
“I really don’t have time for your banter right now,” Kyungsoo says.
Jongdae just grins. “If you really don’t remember anything, you’ll be interested in what I have to say.”
Kyungsoo touches his temples. Zen. Zen. He is one with the air in this room. Nothing can hurt him. “All right, fine. Have at it. What did I do last night?”
Jongdae rubs his hands together gleefully. “So this is what happened…”
***
Jongdae didn’t really know Kris that well, but he went to the man’s wedding as the plus one of his favorite ex-boyfriend, Joonmyun. "I don't want to be the only single man in a room full of couples," Joonmyun had reasoned out when he’d shown Jongdae the invitation. Jongdae always did have a weakness when it came to Joonmyun’s pleading eyes, and he figured it was payment for all those times he’d asked Joonmyun to screen a date for him. Jongdae didn’t think Joonmyun had anything to worry about, though. He was handsome and charming, even if he was completely oblivious to it, or maybe that was part of the charm. As soon as they entered the ballroom for the reception, he was pulled onto the dance floor by a tall guy with a smug-looking (albeit handsome) face. Joonmyun said he was Kyuhyun, a friend of his. The "friend" shot Jongdae a dirty look as he led Joonmyun away.
Jongdae didn’t mind being left alone. He loved receptions because they were good for guy watching. Right now, he had his eye on a tall, blond-haired man with prominent eyebags. His gaze was dark and piercing (even if he was only staring into space). Jongdae thought a lesser man would have found the other intimidating, but he was Kim Jongdae and Kim Jongdae loved a challenge. He smirked, his eyes sweeping the man’s figure from head to toe. His gaze lingered on the man’s biceps, which still bulged despite the man wearing a suit. It looked like he worked out. A lot. Jongdae did a quick assessment in his head. Maybe a classic fake fainting move would be enough to get the man’s attention.
Jongdae had barely taken a few steps in the man’s direction when he stumbled on something. He looked down and saw a dove gray suit-clad figure crouched by his feet. Jongdae squinted. He would know those big eyes anywhere. “Kyungsoo?”
His friend didn’t answer him. Kyungsoo had a disgruntled look on his face, and his mouth was moving as if he were talking to himself. Jongdae, ever curious, crouched down so that he and Kyungsoo were at eye level.
"Do Kyungsoo?"
The boy didn't answer him. He was drawing patterns on the ground with restless fingers, all the while mumbling to himself. "Stupid, I'm so stupid," Kyungsoo was saying. "Why would he even like me?"
Jongdae rolled his eyes and did what he always did to get Kyungsoo’s attention back in uni: he pinched the other’s cheek. The result was instantaneous.
“Fuck,” Jongdae hissed, clutching at his arm in pain. Of course Kyungsoo’s fists were still strong. Of course they were.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Kyungsoo said. He didn’t look sorry at all. His face was very red, but Jongdae thought it looked more like the flush of alcohol rather than embarrassment.
Oh well. At least Jongdae had gotten him out of his funk. “It’s the first time we’ve met in like a year or something, and this is how you greet me,” Jongdae said. He sighed. “Never mind. Why are you on the floor mumbling like an idiot?”
A lone tear rolled down Kyungsoo’s cheek, alarming Jongdae. He’d only seen Kyungsoo cry once before. “I told you to stop watching Prince of Tennis!” he said.
“Shut up,” Kyungsoo said, as another tear rolled down his cheek. He sniffled a little. “I’m in pain.”
Jongdae put his arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “Did Sehun make you cry? Should I avenge you?”
'Why does everyone keep mentioning that brat?" Kyungsoo asked, exasperated. "Why does everything have to be about Sehun?"
Jongdae rolled his eyes and patted Kyungsoo's butt with his free hand. "Uh, because it usually is? You and Sehun are glued at the hip."
Kyungsoo fell silent. His eyebrows were so closely knit together they were forming a unibrow. Jongdae tried not to laugh. This looked like a serious situation. "Okay, fine. It is Sehun."
"What about Sehun?"
Kyungsoo's lower lip trembled and Jongdae was afraid he'd start crying again. "I'm in love with him."
Jongdae prepared himself to say, 'Duh.' Kyungsoo had always been oblivious to his own feelings, but Jongdae remembered how often Sehun would come up when he and Kyungsoo were having their love life talks back in uni.
"But he likes someone else. I'm dumb. I'm so duuuuumb." Kyungsoo's last word came out as a drunken wail.
Jongdae resisted the urge to bop Kyungsoo on the head. He didn't really want to get hit twice. "How do you know how he feels?"
Kyungsoo immediately stopped wailing and fell silent again. "I was going to confess tonight," he finally said. "It's why I'm so drunk right now." He giggled. "So druuuunk."
"Get to the point."
"I just. I really was going to confess," Kyungsoo continued, his voice much quieter now, "but when I thought I was ready to do it and I went searching for him, I saw him with Jongin."
Jongin was in all of Sehun's dance classes back in uni. He was tall and tan and moved like sin. Mmmm. Jongdae had dated him once. "I don't see how seeing them together spells doom for your love life, Kyungsoo. Sure, Jongin's hot, but..."
"They were holding hands..." Kyungsoo interrupted.
"I'm holding your hand right now. That doesn't mean anything."
"...and they were...kissing."
Silence.
"Yeah, okay, that's incriminating." Jongdae pulled Kyungsoo into a hug as the other made another drunken wail.
"Hey," Kyungsoo said in between sniffles, "do you know that Celine Dion song on Titanic? The one that goes, 'My heart will go on aaaand oooooon?' Can you sing it for me?" Kyungsoo pulled back from the hug and looked at Jongdae with pathetic eyes.
Jongdae never could resist pleading eyes. He sighed. His gorgeous blond-haired man would just have to wait a little longer.
***
There's an awkward silence in the room after Jongdae finishes his story.
"Um." Tao clears his throat. "That was...interesting."
Kyungsoo just wants to crawl into a hole and die (but before that, he'd like to strangle Jongdae with his own hands). "You were always a great storyteller," he tells Jongdae, a bit desperately. "I knew you'd make a brilliant novelist." His laugh is a bit desperate too. He should have known to trust his brain this morning when it didn't remember anything when he woke up. It was only trying to save him from embarrassment. Kyungsoo sneaks a peek at Sehun's face in spite of everything, and his heart sinks when he sees Sehun's stoic mask. He looks at the ground.
"Well." Sehun's voice sounds carefully noncommittal. "That's a relief."
"Look, it's nothing. Just forget about everything. Jongdae is the biggest liar on earth," Kyungsoo says, eyes intent on the ground.
"I'm not a liar!" Jongdae yells.
Kyungsoo ignores him, frowning as he goes back over what Sehun had said. "Wait, what? Why are you relieved?"
Sehun has the nerve to give him a tolerant smile. "You're such an idiot, hyung."
"Stop teasing me, and just tell me what you mean."
It's Sehun's turn to look at the ground. "I was starting to feel guilty about last night," he says, exhaling deeply. "I wasn't sure how I was going to tell you. And then you went and decided to do this whole thing, talking to everyone we know and trying to remember everything."
"Huh?"
Sehun finally looks at him; Kyungsoo can't read his eyes. He says: "I was in the hotel room with you last night.”
Kyungsoo's jaw drops, and he has a feeling his eyes are bulging out of their sockets. "What?!"
"Great!" Jongdae beams like he's won a competition. "We'll leave you to discuss every sordid detail together. Taozi and I haven't had much sleep, if you know what I mean." He latches onto Tao's arm and pries him off the sofa with unexpected strength.
"This is my apartment, you know," Tao whines, but he follows Jongdae willingly enough after the other whispers something in his ear.
Kyungsoo waits until the door to the bedroom closes with a click before looking Sehun straight in the eye and saying, "Explain."
SEHUN
Sehun didn’t really want to go to Kris' wedding. Sehun entered uni just as Kris was graduating, so he hadn’t gotten to personally meet him. One thing he did know for sure was that Kyungsoo had had a crush on him for two years. That was enough for Sehun not to like him. After seeing the blank look on Kyungsoo’s face when he got the wedding invitation, though, Sehun decided he would accompany Kyungsoo, even if it would hurt him to see Kyungsoo make googly eyes at someone else. The boy had always been oblivious to Sehun’s huge crush on him. It was a gift Kyungsoo had, it seemed, which extended to him freezing anyone who attempted to make a romantic advance on him. He remembered poor Joonmyun-hyung and the dent Kyungsoo had made on his credit card. At least, Sehun was Kyungsoo’s best friend. At least he had that.
***
“Now, wait just a minute. You? Have a crush on me?” Kyungsoo deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Oh, sure. That’s why you get on my nerves every day by hiding my underwear, blowing hot air into my ear, making fun of me...” Kyungsoo’s voice trails off.
“That’s so high school!” Jongdae shouts from the bedroom.
If Kyungsoo didn’t know any better, he’d think Sehun is blushing from Jongdae’s accusation.
Sehun coughs. “Like I said, oblivious. Listen first, react later, hyung.”
***
Of course, the reception was torture. They had only been there for a few minutes yet Kyungsoo’s gaze was already pinned on Kris, who was laughing with his wife at the bride and groom’s table. “If you stare any harder, Kris will melt,” Sehun commented lightly.
“What?” Kyungsoo didn’t even hear him. “I’m just proud of Kris for finally having the balls to propose his girlfriend. You should’ve seen him back in uni. He got tongue-tied around girls so much it was hilarious.” Kyungsoo smiled at Sehun. There was something uncertain about his smile that made Sehun immediately suspicious. He knew it. He knew Kyungsoo had lingering feelings for that guy. Why did Sehun even agree to come here?
Kyungsoo grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and gulped its contents in one go.
“Yah, hyung, you know what happens when you drink,” Sehun reprimanded. ‘He’s not worth this,’ he thought, throwing a glare in Kris' direction even though the other wouldn’t see it.
“It’s just champagne.”
Ten minutes later, though, and Kyungsoo was chugging down beer he got from somewhere and he was starting to look more than just a little tipsy. “Sehunnie,” Kyungsoo said, hiccuping slightly. “Sehunnie, I have something to-” Another hiccup. “I have something to tell- to tell-” Hiccup. Blink. “Kris. Yeah. Kris. I have something to tell Kris. You wait here.” And Kyungsoo took off, heading for the bride and groom’s table on surprisingly steady feet.
Sehun knew he was going to hate himself for it, but he followed Kyungsoo anyway. In hindsight, he was glad he did because Kyungsoo’s tirade about Kris' boxers was hilarious.
“Kris, you should know,” Kyungsoo said, pointing an accusing finger at the bewildered groom. “You should know that I hated washing all your boxers for you! You’ve got two big hands! What do you need mine for, huh? If I knew you from the start that you were straight, I would have left all your boxers on the floor! Unwashed!"
“I’m sorry,” Kris said, a mixture of horror and embarrassment on his face. “I had no idea you felt that strongly about my boxers.”
Krystal was hiding her laughter behind her hand.
“Krystal, you need to make sure he washes his own boxers, okay?” Kyungsoo continued, his tone serious. “It’s for your own good. Or let a laundromat handle it. Seriously. You don't want to know what I went through."
Sehun moved to tug Kyungsoo away before Kris decided to eject him from the reception, but Kyungsoo left the table of his own accord. Sehun shadowed Kyungsoo as he made his way around the room, careful not to get too close in case the other noticed him.
A menacing-looking Tao was the first to cross Kyungsoo's path, but Tao's face went from suspicious to bewildered to soft and amused in such a short span of time after talking to Kyungsoo that Sehun didn't feel all that worried anymore.
Or at least he wasn't until he saw Kyungsoo grabbing more beer cans at the drink table. "Hyung," he said, unable to resist from approaching the other boy, "you shouldn't drink any more."
"Sehun." Kyungsoo looked surprised to see him. "I was just...I need this." He waved his beer can at him. "Oh, look, isn't that Chanyeol?"
Chanyeol was waving at them from the other side of the room. He gestured for them to wait and made a quick jog to the drinks table. Chanyeol grinned when he got there, panting slightly from the effort of running.
"Geez, you're unfit, hyung," Sehun said.
"Hello to you too, Sehun. Where's Kyungsoo?"
Sehun rolled his eyes. "What do you mean where is he? He's right here."
"Nope," Chanyeol said cheerfully. "Isn't that him with Baekhyun over there?"
Sehun followed Chanyeol's gaze, alarmed. Baekhyun was public enemy no. 1. Even though Kyungsoo had made it perfectly clear from day one that he wasn't interested in being Baekhyun's friend, the other had persistently chased after Kyungsoo, teasing him until Kyungsoo hit him, annoyed. Sehun got annoyed at Baekhyun too. Because only Sehun was supposed to pester Kyungsoo.
"Whoa, looks like things are getting a liiiitle hot over there," Chanyeol said.
It sure looked like it, and what was worse was it was Kyungsoo leaning forward and into Baekhyun's space, their faces becoming dangerously close by the second. To his credit, the other boy looked surprised at Kyungsoo's antics, but he didn't look like he was going to stop Kyungsoo any time soon.
Sehun knew he had to act fast. Grabbing Chanyeol by the arm, he walked briskly to Kyungsoo and Baekhyun's side. With a quick move, he pulled Kyungsoo away from Baekhyun and shoved Chanyeol in his direction instead.
"Sehun," Chanyeol screamed as he fell forward, grabbing onto Baekhyun in an effort not to land flat on the floor. "What the f-mmmf!!"
"Sorry, hyung," Sehun said. "It's for Kyungsoo-hyung's safety."
But Chanyeol didn't answer him. He was too busy making out with Baekhyun. Both of them seemed to be into it, judging by how their hands were all over each other. When Chanyeol moaned, Sehun made to cover Kyungsoo's ears, but he was surprised when he realized the other boy was no longer there. Great. Now he was stuck with this live show and he’d lost Kyungsoo.
"Sehun, is that you?" A familiar voice distracted Sehun from his predicament.
"Jongin?"
His former classmate from dance club waved at him before giving him a warm hug. Jongin looked taller now and his shoulders were a little broader, but he still had the same smile Sehun saw him sport at uni.
Sehun allowed himself to get distracted for a while as Jongin talked about the part he'd gotten in a dance musical and how he was so excited to start. But then Jongin asked, "How's Kyungsoo?"
Sehun stiffened at the shy smile that appeared on Jongin's face. Oh no. His mouth ran dry. "He's okay. Don't tell me you still have a crush on him?" Please say no. Please say no.
***
"Jongin likes me?" Kyungsoo sounds flabbergasted.
"I told you," Sehun says. "You're about as aware as a rock."
***
"Just a little one," Jongin admitted, squeezing Sehun's hand in his. "But I figured I'd let him go."
"Why?"
"I don't really like stealing from my friends," Jongin said, shooting Sehun a knowing grin. "I only found out recently about your love for Kyungsoo."
"What are you talking about?" Sehun asked. "I could be in love with anyone. For all you know, I could be in love with you."
Jongin smirked. "You love me, huh?" And just like that, Jongin leaned forward and gave Sehun a big, slobbery kiss on the lips.
Sehun thought he heard someone yelp. That someone yelping was probably him. "Gross! Jongin, what was that for?" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Jongin shrugged. "I was just trying to prove a point. It was just as gross for me as it was for you, okay? I'm not into fish lips like yours." He offered his arm to Sehun. "Hey, wanna dance? It'd be cool to see if you've improved, now that we’re not in dance club anymore."
"Take that back about my lips, asshole." Sehun rolled his eyes. “Just because you're some big shot now doesn't mean I'm backing down,” he said and began to stretch his limbs. “Game on.”
It was unfortunate that the dance floor held many distractions, namely one Do Kyungsoo grinding against Luhan’s crotch. “Why is he grinding against Luhan-hyung’s crotch?” Sehun complained to Jongin. “Why?”
“To be honest, I don’t think you can call it grinding,” Jongin said, as he and Sehun glided across the dance floor. “It just looks like Kyungsoo’s trying not to fall over.”
But Sehun wasn’t listening. “Oh, thank god, it’s Minseok-hyung.” He watched as Minseok separated Luhan and Kyungsoo--only to get horrified when he realized Minseok was with Kris and Kris was going to take Kyungsoo with him.
“Jongin, I think-"
"Just go." Jongin shook his head and gave him a fond smile. "You always did put Kyungsoo first. I should've guessed you were into him a long time ago."
Sehun made sure to slap Jongin on the ass extra hard before following Kris and Kyungsoo out of the ballroom.
As it turned out, Sehun wasn't the only one with the bright idea of following Kris and Kyungsoo. He saw Tao watching the elevator and heading for the emergency stairwell. Sehun chose to ride the next elevator that opened and hoped he'd get to the right floor on time. He made sure to conceal himself behind a tall potted plant in front of the room Kris and Kyungsoo had entered while Tao pressed his ear against the door. The two men were arguing about something that sounded like baby dolls and teddy bears. What the fuck? Why were they talking about toys?
“I don’t know what that’s called,” Kyungsoo was saying, his voice all high and giggly, “but the blue one looks nice?”
“As a guy,” Kris replied, “do you think this one is…” Sehun tried to inch closer to the door to hear more of what they were saying, but it was no use. Any closer and he would be revealing himself to Tao.
“That lace bra looks really uncomfortable,” Kyungsoo’s voice rang loud and clear.
Sehun froze. Tao, whose ear was still pressed against the door, looked confused. Kris and Kyungsoo’s conversation continued in hushed voices. Sehun felt like he had been hiding behind the plant for hours, but in reality, it was just a few minutes.
When a red-faced Kris finally came out of the room, holding a Victoria’s Secret bag, Tao ran away as fast as he could. But Sehun didn’t have the same qualms. He stepped out from behind the plant, yelling, "Aha!"
Kris looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “You scared me. What were you doing there? Uh, Sehun, right?”
Sehun eyed the bag Kris was clutching tightly. His eyes narrowed. “What did you do to Kyungsoo-hyung?”
“N-nothing, I swear,” Kris said. “I just asked him for a favor.”
“As Kyungsoo-hyung’s best friend,” Sehun said, “I demand that you show me what’s in that bag. I need to make sure you’re not, you know, destroying evidence or something.”
Kris held the bag against his chest protectively. “I’d rather not.”
Sehun lunged for the bag with both hands. Kris yelped, and the two of them struggled as they both tried to tear the bag out of each other’s hands. The bag gave up from their combined strength, splitting open until its contents were on the floor. Sehun blinked. There was lingerie all over the floor, to be exact.
Kris looked mortified. “It’s for Krystal,” he blurted out, collecting an ice blue teddy and matching bra and panty set in his arms. “For our honeymoon.” Sehun numbly helped him place them back into the broken bag. “I was too embarrassed to choose by myself,” Kris continued, “so I asked Kyungsoo for his help. I figured, if I had to trust someone with this, it would be Kyungsoo.”
“But Kyungsoo-hyung just revealed your boxers are too dirty to handle in front of all your family and friends.”
Kris laughed openly, his teeth and gums showing. Sehun could see what Kyungsoo must have found in Kris a long time ago. “That doesn’t count. I know I can count on Kyungsoo when it comes to important things,” he said warmly.
Well, geez. How was Sehun ever going to compete with that? “I’m sorry about your bag,” he said.
“It’s okay. Just try to forget this ever happened, will you? Kyungsoo and I already have a lot of embarrassment to deal with just between the two of us.”
***
Kyungsoo is as pale as a sheet. The thought of selecting what must have essentially been Krystal's honeymoon wear makes him want to shiver. "I really didn't need to remember that."
"My ears!" Jongdae yells from Tao's bedroom. More dismayed sounds come from their direction, and then the door is opening and Tao is coming out of the room, clad in jeans and a black hoodie.
"I need to go and distract my brain," Tao says, walking briskly in the direction of the front door, past Sehun and Kyungsoo in the living room. "It's having really bad mental images of Kris-ge." He pauses to glare at the two of them. "Please be gone before I get back."
Sehun clears his throat as Kyungsoo gives in to the urge of banging his head against the back of the couch.
***
Sehun barged into the hotel room, hoping to appear all suave in front of Kyungsoo, only to find the other giggling at a frilly pink lace bra. He'd fashioned it into some sort of headband, one bra cup hanging on either side of his head. "Look, Sehunnie, I’m Minnie Mouse.”
Sehun thought he looked adorable, but that was behind the point. "Hyung, that's a bra. I, uh, met Kris in the hallway. I thought he'd already taken away all the...stuff."
"I asked if I could keep it," Kyungsoo said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror on one side of the room, his lips in full pout. Damn if it wasn't making Sehun think of things he shouldn't.
"We need to get you out of here, hyung. It's late. The reception's probably over by now." Sehun made himself inch closer to Kyungsoo, who had just jumped onto the only bed in the room.
Kyungsoo stuck his tongue out. "Look, Sehunnie, my tongue can touch the tip of my nose!"
Sehun felt his mouth run dry at the sight. He shook his head. "Hyuuung," he whined. "It's time to go home."
"Sehunnieee," Kyungsoo whined back. "I don't wannaaaa..."
Sehun sighed. There was only one thing left to do. He put his arms around Kyungsoo and lifted him up, aiming to carry him out of the room.
"Stop, you're making me dizzy," Kyungsoo said.
"I haven't even gotten us out of the bed yet!"
There was an anguished moan and a wet sound. Sehun blinked. Kyungsoo had just vomited all over his own suit.
"Oops."
Sehun wrinkled his nose at the smell. Some of Kyungsoo's vomit was already dripping from his clothes onto Sehun's arm. Ew. "I did not sign up for this," he said as Kyungsoo moaned about having a massive headache. "Who told you to drink this much, huh? You're a lightweight."
"This is all your fault," Kyungsoo said, expression grim.
"What?" Sehun spluttered. "I'm trying to help you here! You're not exactly as weightless as a pillow, you know."
"This is all your fault," Kyungsoo repeated, "so you have to take responsibility."
Sehun sighed and stared at the mess that was Kyungsoo's suit. "Fine," he said, laying Kyungsoo back on the bed. "Fine."
He ended up having to remove all of Kyungsoo's clothing that night.
***
"All of it?" Kyungsoo asks, eyes bugging out. "You had to remove all of it?"
Sehun shrugs. "It's not my fault your vomit seeped into your underwear, hyung."
"Who's the liar now?" Jongdae cackles from the bedroom.
***
Sehun made sure to wrap Kyungsoo up in lots of thick blankets while he placed all of Kyungsoo's soiled clothing in a plastic bag to give to housekeeping. He had also made the older man brush his teeth before guiding him back to bed. "The things I do for you," he told the sleeping Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo said something unintelligible under his breath, and Sehun's mouth twitched into a smile. Kyungsoo looked so innocent in his sleep, nothing like the dry-humored, straight-faced guy he was when he was awake. "Cute."
Kyungsoo's eyes opened slightly and their gazes met. "You should sleep too, Sehunnie," he mumbled. The way he called out Sehun's name affectionately made Sehun thankful that Kyungsoo got drunk for the first time that night.
"How about no? There's only one bed and you're lying in it."
Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "Just grab your own set of blankets, make sure your skin is nowhere near mine, and get in here."
Sehun could be obedient when he wanted to. He slipped in next to Kyungsoo, making sure he was covered in his own set of blankets before reaching out to touch Kyungsoo's hair.
"Don't even think about it."
Sehun slowly brought his hand away from Kyungsoo. But when he heard Kyungsoo's breathing start to even out, he pulled Kyungsoo's mound of blankets closer to his and spooned him. "I'm only saying this because I know you won't remember anything in the morning," he whispered in Kyungsoo's ear, "but actually...actually, I'm in love with you." He takes a deep breath before barreling on. "I've been in love with you for a long time."
SEHUN AND KYUNGSOO
"So," Kyungsoo says after Sehun's done recounting his story. They avoid each other's gazes, instead choosing to stare at the ground as if it's the most interesting thing ever made.
"So," Sehun says.
Kyungsoo clears his throat. "You're in love with me, huh?"
"You're in love with me too." Sehun's tone is accusatory.
"Oh yeah?" Kyungsoo challenges, annoyance mounting quickly. "You fell in love with me first."
"Well, you confessed first!" Sehun splutters.
Kyungsoo can feel his neck turning red from embarrassment. "You took off my clothes! I'm pretty sure that's a felony."
"You like frilly pink bras! That's already a crime."
"Ha, but you practically admitted you liked me wearing it!"
Sehun is still thinking of a comeback, because, damn, Kyungsoo is right.
"For god's sake, just kiss already," Jongdae says, leaning against the wall in the living room. "I can't take the tension. I'm gonna go out and look for Tao. Make sure to lock up before you leave."
Both of them blush, unable to say another word even after Jongdae leaves the apartment.
"Look, I'm sorry," Sehun finally says after 10 minutes of total silence, just as Kyungsoo says, "Can I kiss you?"
Sehun chokes but recovers quickly. "Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, if that would help you...forgive me..." His voice trails off as he realizes Kyungsoo's lips are mere inches away from his own. He gulps. Kyungsoo's eyes are dark brown, half-lidded, and serious. He cups Sehun's face with one hand, the pads of his fingers rubbing the apple of Sehun's cheek. Kyungsoo's mouth is so close Sehun can see how moist and full his lips are. Three seconds later and Sehun realizes Kyungsoo's lips are just as soft as they look. When they pull apart, both of them look dazed.
"That was..." Sehun's voice trails off.
"Acceptable, yes," Kyungsoo says. His lips are swollen from their impromptu kiss.
"Well, we can't have this end with just an 'acceptable' kiss," Sehun says, coughing into his hand. "Another?"
"Uh. Sure," Kyungsoo says, and before they know it, they've closed the gap between them.
In between kisses, Kyungsoo realizes something. "Hey, wait a second, you didn't tell me. How did I get this strange mark on my neck?"
"Oh. Probably the same way I got mine." Sehun lowers the collar of his turtleneck to show the purpling mark on his skin.
Kyungsoo's eyes widen. "Wait, what? OH SEHUN!"
THE END
BONUS: TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO
Sehun was an awkward turtle when he started studying in uni and became Kyungsoo's roommate. His high school friends had always ragged on him for having such a stoic face, but see, it wasn’t that Sehun didn’t have feelings. It was just that his face naturally had trouble forming expressions. It wasn’t that Sehun was standoffish either. He just really didn’t have anything to say to anyone, and he was fine with that, really. His friends just needed to learn that he liked to have his own space. (Also, he did smile a lot. It was just that no one was ever around to see it.)
Kyungsoo was two years his senior, a quiet journalism major with a constantly neutral expression on his face that rivaled Sehun’s. For a week, they peacefully co-existed in their room, hardly speaking a word to each other but offering small smiles in greeting whenever they caught the other. Sehun liked that the silence wasn’t uncomfortable around Kyungsoo, and he felt relaxed knowing that the other wasn’t going to judge him for not being talkative. Sehun found himself watching Kyungsoo sometimes as he read books in bed or typed a paper up on his laptop. He wondered what kind of life Kyungsoo led when he wasn’t stuck in the dorm with Sehun.
All that changed one day when Sehun heard Kyungsoo singing in the shower. Sehun was, to put it simply, flabbergasted that his roommate could hide a voice as beautiful as that from him. When Kyungsoo left the bathroom dressed in pajamas, a small towel wrapped around his neck, Sehun realized that his eyes were following his roommate, watching carefully for the moment Kyungsoo would open his mouth and speak. His gaze landed on Kyungsoo’s hair, which was wet and flat from the shower. It bothered Sehun even though he didn’t know why.
Sehun had an urge.
Before he knew it, he had ruffled Kyungsoo’s hair, wanting to find out if it was as soft as it looked, and Kyungsoo had slapped his arm in retaliation. Sehun’s face crumpled. Man, that hurt. Kyungsoo was strong. He catalogued that in his mental cupboard of all things Kyungsoo (he’d made the cupboard just now).
“Yah! Why did you suddenly do that?” Kyungsoo’s melodic voice had gone uncharacteristically high and his face was flushed with annoyance. Sehun found himself intrigued. It was the first expression Sehun had seen on Kyungsoo’s face other than the expressionless one that seemed to match Sehun’s.
“Um, hi,” Sehun said. “I’m your roommate, Oh Sehun. In case, you know, you don’t know yet. Haha.” He cringed inwardly. Way to make a good first impression.
“I know,” Kyungsoo said dryly. “I’m Do Kyungsoo. I’m a junior, so I’m your hyung, I guess. Why did you do that?”
Sehun felt himself smiling. “Sorry. I just wanted to see how you’d react. You’ve never talked to me before.”
“Brat,” Kyungsoo said, shaking his head. But he didn’t look particularly mad about it. “Don’t do it again.” He climbed into bed and started browsing something on his laptop as if nothing had happened.
But, for Sehun, it was the start of something new. He felt an odd stirring inside his chest (probably heartburn from all the chicken he ate for dinner). He suddenly had the urge to make Kyungsoo mad just to see the other boy glare at him again. He also wondered if there was something he could do to make him smile. Tomorrow, Sehun thought, as he snuggled into his blanket and stared at Kyungsoo, who was still busy with his laptop. Tomorrow he would make Kyungsoo smile.