"So I have this friend—"

"And by friend you mean yourself."

Sungyeol pointedly ignores Woohyun's very true interruption. "So I have this friend," he starts over. He's sprawled on the floor of Woohyun's dorm room and hugging the stuffed bunny his friend has had since childhood. "And he kind of has a little crush on a good friend and he might have even hooked up with them a couple times—"

"No way!" The springs in Woohyun's bed squeak as he bounces up and down with laughter. "You finally got into Hoya's pants?"

Sungyeol sits up and hurls the stuffed animal at Woohyun's head. He misses, but he doesn't even notice. "I'm trying to get advice here. For a friend," he adds as an afterthought. Woohyun rolls his eyes, his laughter subsiding, as he lays down on his side. He gestures at Sungyeol to continue. Sungyeol leans back on his hands and picks up where he left off. "So anyway, we—I-I mean they hooked up and now my friend kind of wants more than that, but he doesn't know what to do."

Woohyun's silent for a moment before he asks, "Do you want me to pretend I don't know who you're talking about?"

"Alright, fine," Sungyeol sighs. He lays down on the floor and combs a hand through his hair. "Hoya and I fool around sometimes and I also really like him. Like, a lot. What do I do," he whines, dragging out the last word.

Woohyun picks up the forgotten bunny and holds it in front of his face as if he's talking to it. "You go up to him and say 'Hoya, I think I've fallen for you and your abnormally thick eyebrows. Kiss me, you fool!'" He then proceeds to have an exaggerated make out session with his old stuffed animal.

"Oh my God, you're no help at all."

|||

Sungyeol should be focused on Hoya's hands traveling up his sides along with his shirt or the older boy's heavy weight on top of him. They're in Hoya's room (where they usually hook up because Hoya's roommate doesn't even stay there anymore) and the lights are off because neither of them had felt like bothering with it when they stumbled in, mouths connected and hands groping. Instead his mind is busy trying to come up with the best way to ask Hoya out on a date. He doesn't have the courage to tell Hoya straight up that he likes him, so he opts for the more subtle route. (He figures if he words it right it can seem like they'll just be two friends hanging out.)

"Hey, uh, what are you doing tomorrow?" Sungyeol inwardly cringes at the slight crack in his voice; it's a nervous habit of his.

Hoya pauses in the middle of leaving a mark on Sungyeol's neck and pulls back so they're eye-to-eye. A streetlight casts a yellow glow through the window, illuminating half of their faces. "I switched shifts with Jinyoung so I'm off. Why? Did you want to hang out?"

Sungyeol's mouth has gone dry for a reason that has nothing to do with the rough slide of Hoya's hands on his skin even as they're in the middle of an unnecessary conversation. He his lips and clasps his hands around Hoya's neck. "I was just wondering," he says dismissively. "But we can hang out if you want." Even in the dim light Sungyeol's stomach still flips at the sight of Hoya's smile. It's the cute kind of smile where it looks like he couldn't stop it if he tried. Sungyeol pulls him down by the neck to crash their lips together and kiss the smile off of Hoya's face. In case he does something stupid. Like admit how much he likes him.

|||

"Aw, you guys are so cute." Sungyeol turns away from watching Hoya's as he walks out of the cafeteria to look at Myungsoo. The younger man has a goofy grin on his face as he finishes his third cup of vanilla pudding. "I'm a little jealous," he muses.

Sungyeol stares at Myungsoo for a moment. His friend has a tendency to zone out and say random, unrelated things. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Myungsoo rolls his eyes, but his smile stays in place. "You and Hoya. You're both acting all shy and awkward. It's cute." He peels the foil wrapper off of yet another cup of pudding and digs in.

"What?" Sungyeol thinks back to five minutes ago when Hoya had been sitting next to him and casually stealing his fries. If it had been anyone else Sungyeol would have slapped their hand away from his food, but with Hoya he’d pretended not to notice. Even when Hoya had very obviously tried to distract him so he could take more than one at a time. Sungyeol had honestly forgotten about Myungsoo while Hoya was still there. But Myungsoo had been silently observing them and drawing ridiculous conclusions.

"You don't have to hide it, you know. You can be open about dating each other."

"Uh, why do you think I'm dating Hoya?"

Myungsoo his head to the side in confusion. There's a bit of pudding on the corner of his mouth. "Aren't you?"

"We're not—it's not like that," Sungyeol mumbles, looking down at his empty tray (Hoya had finished the fries before he left). As desperately as he wishes it was true, there isn't anything going on between him and Hoya. Well, besides their occasional hook-ups. "We're just friends."

Myungsoo doesn't look at all convinced. "So friends let other friends give them very noticeable hickeys? Should I help you out with the other side?" Sungyeol sneers at the sarcasm and carefully pulls up the neck of his shirt to cover the mark Hoya had left. "Maybe you guys should talk about it," Myungsoo continues with more concern in his voice. He adds the empty pudding cup to the small pile on his tray. Sungyeol almost expects him to pull out another one, but he actually seems to be done eating.

"What if he doesn't want the same thing that I want?" That's the question Sungyeol has been asking himself over and over. He doesn't know what he'll do if Hoya's feelings for him turn out to only be physical. The thought of holding his heart out for Hoya to either accept or reject scares Sungyeol more than anything. It's the main reason why he hasn't confessed his feelings to Hoya yet.

Myungsoo reaches out to give Sungyeol's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Unless you're planning on telling him you hate him, I think it'll be okay."

"Really," Sungyeol asks, biting his lip as he looks at his friend. Myungsoo nods confidently back at him.

"He definitely likes you, too. I can tell."

|||

Hoya's wearing the shirt Sungyeol got him again. A plain gray t-shirt that Sungyeol hadn't realized was a size too small until it was too late. It had been the first thing Sungyeol noticed when they met up outside the bar. He couldn't help smiling, his love-struck brain imagining that there's an actual reason behind how often Hoya wears that shirt. He spends most of their drinking time thinking about it until there's enough alcohol in his system that he won't feel too nervous to bring it up. Hoya's just brought another pitcher of beer for them to share (it's just the two of them; their other friends are too busy being responsible adults to join in their fun) when Sungyeol decides to go for it.

"You wear that shirt a lot," he starts off conversationally. It could just be an observation; just him pointing out a fact. But the slight pause Hoya takes before refilling Sungyeol's glass doesn't go unnoticed. And Sungyeol can't help thinking that must mean something.

Hoya refills his own glass before saying anything. He glances down at his chest where the fabric of the shirt is pulled tight across his muscles. "It was a gift," is his simple answer.

Sungyeol sips his beer to hide his smile. It was actually a pretty cheap gift, but Hoya really seems to like it. "But you never wear the sweater Woohyun got you."

"No one with good taste would," Hoya counters. He has an elbow on the table as he props his head on his hand. "Only Woohyun thinks wearing clothes that don't suit you makes you look good. If you ever catch me wearing that horrendous sweater, you have my full permission to take a picture and upload it online for everyone to see what a terrible life choice I've made."

"As much as I would love to see that, I think Hell will freeze over before you ever wear that sweater."

Hoya laughs his distinct laugh of staccato ha's and they smile at each other across the table. "You're not wrong," he says agreeably.

They finish the pitcher slowly, making small talk and singing along to the songs playing through the bar's speakers. (Sungyeol tries not to blush at the way Hoya stares at him with rapt attention as he attempts to rap.) At some point Hoya's foot starts rubbing against Sungyeol's calf. Sungyeol chokes on some of his beer and Hoya cheekily asks if he has a hole in his mouth. As if he doesn't know it's his fault, Sungyeol thinks as he wipes his mouth on a napkin. He's not sure if it's supposed to be some sort of signal, but he relaxes into the steady rhythm of Hoya's shoe moving against the stiff denim of his jeans. It should be weird, or at the very least not as much of a turn-on as he's finding it to be. He watches Hoya's face as he slowly rubs his foot on Sungyeol's leg, but the older man gives nothing away.

It feels too early for Sungyeol when they finally step out of the bar. But it's probably for the best that they left when they did. He had been starting to feel a little too good from Hoya rubbing his leg; any longer and he would've had trouble standing up to leave. He's drunk enough that he doesn't think very long before he decides to jump on Hoya's back.

"Onward, my steed," he shouts as he wraps his arms around Hoya's shoulders.

Hoya stumbles, his arms moving to hold Sungyeol's thighs. His hands feel hot even through the thickness of Sungyeol's jeans. "You're too tall for this," Hoya huffs and hikes the taller man up a little higher on his back. "I should be on your back."

Sungyeol rests his chin on top of his friend's head. "But you're sturdy like a horse. And I'm skinny, so it's not like it's that hard." Hoya scoffs, but continues carrying him. Which is actually surprising considering all of the weird looks they get. Sungyeol would have expected Hoya to be too embarrassed or to just refuse to give him a piggyback ride.

"Don't fall asleep on me," Hoya warns some time later. Sungyeol had spaced out a few blocks back as he let his arms hang down Hoya's chest. They should be more than halfway to the dorms by now.

Sungyeol gently leans his head against Hoya's. He lets himself enjoy their closeness and the warmth of Hoya's back on his chest. "I can't make any promises," he sighs, already feeling tired at the mention of sleep. And true enough to his word, he does doze off a little bit. He wakes up when Hoya lets go of his legs and he almost falls on his . "You could've told me we were here first," he grumbles sleepily. He pauses mid-stretch when Hoya turns to face him. There's a light sheen of sweat on the older man's face and neck that makes Sungyeol feel guilty. (He also finds it really hot, but he's definitely more guilty than aroused.) "You didn't have to carry me all the way."

Hoya gives him a half-smile. "I'm sturdy like a horse, remember?" They're outside of the building of Hoya's dorm room, so Sungyeol assumes Hoya must want him to go up with him. There's a long pause before Hoya finally gets the words out. "Do you want to come up?"

"Just for a bit, though," Sungyeol nods. "I have a class in the morning." When he thinks about it later, he'll wonder if this is when things started feeling weird. Well, maybe not so much weird as different, but different feels weird. The trip up to Hoya's room is unusually silent. Hoya doesn't say anything teasing or start kissing him because he doesn't feel like waiting like Sungyeol has come to expect. He doesn't even touch Sungyeol until they're inside his room with the lights . His roommate's side of the dorm is empty, as expected.

Sungyeol kicks off his shoes and settles himself on Hoya's bed. He looks up at Hoya, waiting. Hoya hesitates again before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it in the vicinity of his laundry basket. (Sungyeol doesn't feel bad for ogling when it's for his own benefit. Although, he does suspect that Hoya likes being looked at more than Sungyeol likes to look.) The bed makes a small squeak as Hoya adds his weight to it, laying down next to Sungyeol rather than on top of him. Sungyeol doesn't think too much of it, especially not when their mouths finally connect and he can run his hands over Hoya's hot skin. Their kisses feel softer than usual; and slower, like they're not in a rush. Instead of Hoya's hands sliding and teasing their way across Sungyeol's skin, they're resting in Sungyeol's hair and on his hip (as if they belong there). Instead of Hoya biting at and on his lips, he lets Sungyeol control the kiss, moving his lips in response and opening his mouth for Sungyeol's tongue. They're just making out for the sake of it. And that might be hotter than any of their more frenzied experiences together.

Which is why Sungyeol worries about killing the mood when he gingerly sticks his hand into Hoya's pants. He's curious to see how the other will react and he isn't disappointed. Hoya gasps into Sungyeol's mouth and lets out a low moan. "Don't stop," he breathes, sensing Sungyeol's hesitance. His grip on Sungyeol's waist tightens as his breath comes faster.

Sungyeol uses his free hand to unbuckle Hoya's belt and his pants to give himself room. He pulls back so he can get a better look at Hoya before he starts to move his hand. Hoya groans, long and low, at the torturously slow pace Sungyeol sets. His eyes are squeezed shut and his mouth hangs open like its hinges are too loose to close properly. Sungyeol wants to tell Hoya to look at him, but his throat is too dry to make the command. He leans in again to place one kiss on Hoya's forehead and another at the corner of his mouth. Hoya tilts his head up in a silent request that Sungyeol readily obliges, connecting their mouths. Their tongues slide together messily as Hoya loses his focus and starts panting into Sungyeol’s mouth. Hoya's breath catches in his throat again when Sungyeol picks up the speed. The sound of Hoya's moan shoots through Sungyeol's body, making his blood pound in his ears. His hand starts to move a little faster without him thinking about it and Hoya gasps again. He takes in the other man's heaving chest and flushed face, the curling of his toes and clenching of his stomach. Hoya's already so close and it hasn't even been that long. Sungyeol wonders how long it must have been building up inside him. Did it start back in the bar when Hoya had started rubbing his leg? Had it been before that? Was just the thought of seeing Sungyeol, of being with him that much of a turn-on for Hoya? Sungyeol doesn't have the courage to try to find out the answers to those questions. Seeing Hoya come undone from just his hand is satisfying enough, though.

"Sungyeol, I—" is all the warning Hoya gives him before he comes with a short grunt. Sungyeol keeps pumping his hand throughout Hoya's , drawing out small moans, as he watches the pleasure pass across the older man's face. He pulls his hand out of Hoya’s pants carefully and cleans it with some tissues from the box on the desk next to the bed. Hoya is still, the only movement coming from the steady rise and fall of his chest, when Sungyeol sits on the edge of the bed after throwing out the used tissues. He has an arm thrown over his face to cover his eyes.

"Was I that good," Sungyeol jokes as he lays down on his side facing Hoya. He would understand if it had been his mouth; that's pretty mind-blowing in itself.

Hoya snorts and kicks out his leg weakly at Sungyeol. "Shut up," he says affectionately. There’s a smile on his face that could be from embarrassment. Sungyeol notes the obvious lack of a no. They end up kissing again, as languid and unhurried as before, and Sungyeol has to admit that he finds it a bit addictive. Sungyeol forgets about the class he has to be awake for in a few hours as he melts under Hoya's touch. Hoya seems eager to return the favor and does so by kissing Sungyeol until he’s breathless and then moving down his body.

It takes Sungyeol at least five minutes to come back to his senses and remember how to breathe properly. Hoya repeats Sungyeol’s earlier question back to him with a smug grin. Sungyeol begrudgingly nods, but consoles himself with the fact that he lasted a lot longer than Hoya.

"I should probably go now," he says as he zips up his pants and combs his hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it. He doesn’t actually want to leave; Hoya’s bed is soft and his legs still feel like jelly. But it’s not like he ever spends the night.

Hoya wraps an arm around Sungyeol’s stomach and adjusts the both of them so that Sungyeol’s back is pressed against his front. "There’s no rush," he mumbles into Sungyeol’s hair.

Sungyeol supposes that could be considered an invitation for him to sleep there with Hoya. The other has already made himself comfortable with Sungyeol in his arms. Obviously he wouldn’t mind. But as much as Sungyeol would like to close his eyes and drift off along with Hoya, he wants to know for sure that Hoya feels the same way about him. The night hadn’t gone quite like he’d thought it would. Hoya had been so gentle with him, almost loving, and he’s still not sure what to make of it. Of course, it had felt good; he always feels good with Hoya, both physically and emotionally. But it’s so not what they usually do. What they have is fun and simple. Sometimes it’s rough, sometimes it’s rushed. Most importantly, it’s not serious. At least, Sungyeol doesn’t think it is. But he wants it to be. And he can’t tell if Hoya wants that too or if it had just been a change of pace in their routine. So he waits until Hoya is fast asleep before he slips out from under his arm. He gets up from the bed, but can’t help leaning back down on it to place a soft kiss on Hoya’s cheek and admire the peaceful expression on his face. He pulls on his shoes and finally leaves after turning off the light.

|||

A full two weeks pass before Sungyeol and Hoya end up alone together. It's partially coincidental and partially Sungyeol's doing. He hasn't been able to shake the odd feeling that had settled in his chest the last time he and Hoya were together. It feels a lot like lovesickness (he has enough experience in that department to know), but also a bit like something else. He's cautious to call it hope when it could be for nothing. As badly as he wants to be with Hoya, Sungyeol would hate to ruin things by wanting it too much. So he keeps his distance from Hoya and tries to focus on everything else. It helps that they're both busy with school even though they aren't particularly studious. They have tests and projects and homework all in between getting up early and staying up late and working. By the time Woohyun invites Sungyeol out for some drinks, Sungyeol is more than ready for some form of stress relief.

He does embarrassing things when he's drunk, though, so he only drinks until he's fully relaxed. Woohyun, on the other hand, goes all out. He drinks until Sungyeol and Myungsoo (who had tagged along on the promise of free alcohol) have to scrape him off of the floor and drag his dead weight back to his dorm. Watching Woohyun propose to his own reflection and cry as he accepted had been hilarious, but not worth the fight he puts up when they try to get him into bed. Sungyeol is completely spent by the time he and Myungsoo leave Woohyun's room. Even though Myungsoo's room is a couple floors above Woohyun's, he walks Sungyeol to the front door of the dorm building. He makes sure the older student is okay to walk home by himself before heading back inside.

Sungyeol can still feel a good buzz from the alcohol as he walks to his dorm. The stress of the last couple of weeks has melted off, leaving him light on his feet. 

"Sungyeol."

He turns at the sound of his name to see Hoya standing behind him. An excited thrill runs through him at the sight of his friend. Hoya's only wearing his work clothes, dark pants and a t-shirt with the company's name on it, but Sungyeol thinks he looks stunning. The tinny sound of the music Hoya had been listening to comes out of the headphones now hanging uselessly around his neck and floats out into the quiet night.

"Hi," Sungyeol says when Hoya's caught up to him. His stomach flutters nervously like it's been that long since they've seen each other. They’ve bumped into each other a few times in the last couple of weeks and even hung out with their mutual friends together.

"Hey," Hoya says back to him as they start walking again. He seems happy to see Sungyeol, if the smile on his face is anything to go by. "What are you doing out so late," he asks in that quietly curious way of his. It's neither demanding nor prying.

"Woohyun decided he didn't want his liver anymore. Myungsoo and I just had to wrestle him into his bed. I think he's turning into a mean drunk, though," Sungyeol pouts as he rubs the sore spot on his side where Woohyun had "accidentally" kneed him. He wants to be offended by Hoya laughing at his pain, but Hoya's hand is also resting lightly on Sungyeol's side. Sungyeol just barely remembers to put one foot in front of the other.

Hoya's fingers move in small, gentle circles over the tender spot where Sungyeol's hand had been. His eyebrows crease in concern as he looks into Sungyeol's eyes. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Sungyeol shakes his head slowly. "It's not that bad." That doesn't make Hoya any less worried, but he doesn't press it any further. Sungyeol sighs both in relief and disappointment at the loss of Hoya's hand on his body. They walk in silence for a bit with the music Hoya had left playing keeping it from being entirely quiet between them. It's a bit like when Hoya had carried Sungyeol on his back. A comfortable sort of feeling that doesn't need words; just being next to each other is enough.

Sungyeol's just built up the courage to hold Hoya's hand when he realizes they've reached his dorm building. (He's decided to let his actions speak for him. There's no doubt in his mind he'll screw it up if he tries to actually talk to Hoya.) With his shoulders slumped in discouragement, he lets Hoya walk him up to the door of the building.

"You have that art thing tomorrow, right?" Hoya has his headphones in his hands, switching the two small buds from one hand to the other.

Sungyeol laughs softly. Obviously, fine arts isn't a top priority for his friend. "Yes, my art thing is tomorrow night. Why, are you coming?"

"Of course," Hoya smiles and Sungyeol tells himself not to blush. It's not like it's a date or anything.

"I guess I have your terrible jokes to look forward to, then."

The light shove Hoya gives him feels more like a caress. Sungyeol can't take his eyes off of the sharpness of Hoya's canines as his smile grows bigger. "Shut up, my jokes are hilarious and you love them." The atmosphere turns awkward at the mention of love. They both look away from each other, identically shocked.

Sungyeol clears his throat and reaches out blindly for the door behind him. "I should head in now," he says quietly. The thought of admitting he does actually love Hoya's terrible (and sometimes funny) jokes occurs to him. After that is the thought of going a step further and admitting he loves Hoya in general. (Sungyeol doesn't know for sure if that's what he feels for his friend, but with how much he likes him—which is a lot—it's a strong possibility.) The moment for that has passed, though. Hoya looks ready to bolt, his ears redder than Sungyeol's ever seen them. Sungyeol finally gets a hold of the door handle and pulls on it. "I'll see you tomorrow," he says as a goodbye, taking a step back.

"Wait, Sungyeol." It should be embarrassing how easily Sungyeol listens to Hoya. He freezes and waits attentively for whatever Hoya wants to say to him. It's nothing short of surprising when Hoya steps closer to him until he's looking up at Sungyeol. They stay like that for a moment and Sungyeol tries to understand what he sees in Hoya's eyes. He would think it's just a reflection of his own feelings, but he knows that's not how it works. Hoya is looking at him just the way he's been dreaming he would: adoring and happy. And just like in his dreams, Hoya leans in even further and Sungyeol's eyes flutter closed. Hoya's hand holds Sungyeol's chin lightly as he presses their lips together. It's different from any of the kisses they've shared. It's soft and sincere and probably the sweetest kiss Sungyeol's ever gotten from anyone.

He doesn't want to open his eyes in case this was all just a really elaborate dream. Maybe he did get wasted and he's actually passed out somewhere. But when he finally opens his eyes Hoya is still in front of him.

"Goodnight, Sungyeol," Hoya tells him earnestly. He takes a couple steps backwards as he gives Sungyeol a shy wave.

Sungyeol can only watch in stunned silence as Hoya turns around and walks away, sticking his headphones back into his ears. He stays standing in the doorway until Hoya's out of sight. Their kiss plays back in his mind in slow motion. All he can think is that Hoya likes him. Like, he really likes him. It’s all that he’d hoped for and it’s even better because Hoya made the first move.

|||

"Is that supposed to be me?"

Sungyeol jumps at the low voice near his ear. Holding a hand to his heart, he turns to the side to look at Hoya standing next to him before turning back to the framed painting in front of him. He wasn’t really expecting anything to change after the kiss from the night before. It would probably feel too weird if they both started acting overly nice to each other. He’s more comfortable with things staying the way they are, friendly and easy. But he’s also open to random romantic gestures and displays of affection.

"What makes you think that's you?" The painting shows a man's and thighs with a sheet artfully covering his (definitely bare) . Sungyeol had tried to make it look as realistic as possible, paying special attention to the details in the sheet and the skin.

Hoya tilts his head to the side and squints his eyes as he examines the painting. "I'm pretty sure no one else knows about that mole on my back."

"Do you even know about that mole on your back," Sungyeol snorts.

"Weren't you the one who told me about it that one time you—" Sungyeol cuts him off with a hand over his mouth. He does remember that time, but he doesn't need Hoya to bring it up while they're in public where anyone could hear. Hoya smirks at him when Sungyeol takes his hand from his mouth. "If that's me, why don't I remember posing for it?"

"Yeah, about that..." Sungyeol looks down at his shoes guiltily. "I might have taken a picture of you after you fell asleep."

"Might have?"

"Well, you were just lying there and the lighting was good, so I thought maybe I could paint you like that."

Sungyeol doesn't have to look at Hoya's face to know there's a smug grin on it. "You think I look like art," Hoya asks, nudging him slightly with his shoulder. Sungyeol rolls his eyes and chooses not to dignify that with an answer. "Am I your muse," Hoya presses further. He puts his face close to Sungyeol's and bats his eyelashes.

"You’re a lot of things to me." The response catches the both of them off guard. Sungyeol hadn't meant to say that, at least not yet. He knows there's nothing to worry about, but he still watches Hoya's face for his reaction. Hoya draws back, his eyes wide with surprise, to look at Sungyeol properly. Sungyeol continues before the silence between them goes on too long. "I know this thing between us is supposed to be fun and not, like, serious or anything, but it hasn't been like that for me. Not for a while, at least. It's still fun, of course—a lot of fun, actually, because, you know, I like having with you." He says last part of the sentence quietly, embarrassed by his own honesty. One side of Hoya's mouth pulls up slightly in amusement, but he doesn't say anything. He's waiting patiently for Sungyeol to finish talking first. "And I like being friends with you, too. But I've realized that I want to be more than that to you. Or with you or whatever." He should have asked Woohyun for more help with his confession considering the other is a linguistics major. He could've helped Sungyeol get his point across better. "My point is that I like you. A ridiculous amount if I'm being honest. I like being with you, talking to you, laughing with you—and at you. I like everything you do and just everything about you. And I know I don't have to say any of this because you really don't need the ego boost. But I don't think I'll stop talking if you don't start, so can you please say something?"

Hoya's laugh is deep as he smoothes his hands down Sungyeol's bare arms, stopping at his wrists. His bright, clear eyes hold Sungyeol's and calm him down faster than he would have thought possible. Sungyeol takes a much needed deep breath.

"I like you, too," Hoya confesses simply.

"I said all that nice stuff about you and that's all I get?"

"You made a freaking painting of me and hung it up in public. How do you expect me to top that?"

Sungyeol rolls his eyes. "Fine," he reluctantly concedes. "I guess I can accept an 'I like you'." He leans down to press a soft kiss to Hoya's cheek, mindful of the other people in the room who may or may not be paying attention to them. He's rewarded with a blushing Hoya who looks everywhere but at him. It's pretty nice when the tables have turned. It gives Sungyeol the confidence to take one of Hoya's hands in his. "Well, since you're here I might as well give you the full experience of this art thing." With their hands clasped, they start a slow walk-through of the art gallery. Sungyeol explains some of the pieces to Hoya, while the latter makes up new names for them. (Hoya insists Sungyeol's painting be called "Real-Life Adonis", but Sungyeol argues that "What An " has a better ring to it.) As promised, Hoya is full of bad jokes. Sungyeol doesn't want to encourage him, but he finds himself laughing at all of Hoya's attempts at humor. (It doesn't help that he's weak to the happy smile that stretches across Hoya's face whenever Sungyeol laughs at his jokes.) They run into Myungsoo as they're walking around and the younger boy shows them the photos he'd picked to exhibit. He puffs his chest proudly when Sungyeol and Hoya sincerely compliment his work.

Before they realize it, an hour has passed and the exhibit starts to wind down. Since his work had been featured, Sungyeol stays behind to talk to the art gallery's owner who also happens to be one of his professors. He tells Hoya to go ahead without him, but he isn't surprised to find the other waiting for him when he finally leaves. Seeing Hoya leaning against a tree by the curb ignites a spark of inspiration in Sungyeol that he carefully files away for later use. He sticks his hands in his pants pockets as he approaches Hoya.

"I would've come to your room anyway, you know. You didn't have to wait for me."

The smile on Hoya's face matches the one on Sungyeol's. "Am I not allowed to walk my boyfriend home," he asks, resting his hands on Sungyeol's waist.

Sungyeol steps closer to him and wraps his arms around his shoulders. He tilts his head to the side cutely. "I'm your boyfriend?" Hoya closes the distance between them in answer. It turns into more of a connection of teeth than lips as they both can't help smiling. There's a sappy feeling filling up Sungyeol's chest that's he's gotten used to feeling whenever he's with Hoya. His arms tighten just a bit more around Hoya as he deepens the kiss. Even after everything he’d said back in the gallery, there’s still so much more he wants to say. Now that he doesn’t have to hold back how he feels it’s like the words are sitting at the back of his throat waiting to be said. But for now he’s happy to have Hoya holding him and kissing him like he never wants to stop.

|||

Sungyeol wakes up the next morning to the familiarity of Hoya's room. It's softer in the early sunlight, but it still smells the same. He presses his nose into the pillow to bask in Hoya's scent. (It's not creepy if they're dating, Sungyeol rationalizes.) He then rolls over onto his side to look at the man next to him. Hoya's facing the wall, presenting his to Sungyeol. The same back that Sungyeol had memorized every inch of even before he decided to paint it. He runs his hand over the smooth skin. Hoya shifts under the touch, but Sungyeol can't help himself with how soft the other's skin feels. His hand slides down Hoya's back and over his hip to splay across the firmness of his abdominal muscles. Hoya makes a weird sound that might be his attempt at speaking. Sungyeol scoots closer to Hoya and kisses along the side of his neck. He lets his hand drift low on Hoya's stomach to the patch of hair right under his navel.

Hoya shifts again, his hand moving to cover the one Sungyeol has on his stomach. "You stayed." His voice is rough from sleep and he hasn't opened his eyes yet.

"You didn't think I would?" Sungyeol feels a little guilty at the slight surprise in the other's voice. But at the same time he doesn't think he can be blamed for not wanting to overstay his welcome. It's not like he had been coming over for sleepovers.

"Old habits die hard," is Hoya's response.

Sungyeol had assumed that Hoya was okay with him leaving after they were done fooling around. What else was he supposed to do afterwards; stick around for a chat about the weather? But now Sungyeol can sense Hoya's relief at having him still be there in bed with him when he woke up. He wonders if Hoya had wanted him to stay all along. That would explain a lot of the times Hoya had wrapped himself around Sungyeol as if he didn't have any intention of letting him go. Sungyeol had assumed that that was just one of Hoya's habits (a surprising one considering Hoya definitely does not look like a cuddler). Although he should have expected it, a warm fuzzy feeling still seeps its way into Sungyeol's stomach at the thought that Hoya has liked him just as much for just as long.

He drops his head against the back of Hoya's neck. It's supposed to hide his embarrassment, but he supposes Hoya can probably feel the heat from his blush on his skin anyway. "I'm not going anywhere," he promises quietly. Hoya pulls Sungyeol's arm tighter around himself in response. The morning sun starts to fill up the room as they lay together in a comfortable silence. Sungyeol lightly pinches Hoya's stomach when the other's breathing starts to even out. Hoya makes another unintelligible grunt that lets Sungyeol know he's not sleeping (though he probably wishes he was). "What are you doing later," Sungyeol asks when he's sure he has Hoya's attention. He can't see Hoya's face from where he is, but he can imagine him pursing his lips as he hums in thought.

Hoya's quiet for another moment before he answers, "You."

Sungyeol can't help laughing despite how serious Hoya sounds. He’s not exactly wrong, though. "Why don't you buy me dinner first?"

"How about breakfast?"