♜

Sehun looked at Tao’s sleeping body on the bed, and pursed his lips. Tao was still wearing his black button-down shirt; now it was stained with mud, not to mention ripped. His hair was a mess from sleeping, although it had been fine when he’d come home, and his lip was cut. His knuckles were bruised. Sehun put the first aid kit on the side table and quietly snuck into the bed beside him. He leaned over his body, first cleaning the blood off Tao’s lips, then his hands, and wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Tao stirred and his eyes fluttered open. “You’re here,” he murmured. He slowly sat up, pushing himself up with his elbows.

Sehun nodded. “Yeah.” He put the first aid kit away.

“Are you mad?”

He shrugged. “Probably.” Tao squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. “You’re so beaten up, punching you myself would be a murder.”

“You wouldn’t. You love me too much,” Tao pointed out.

“I only like you for your money,” Sehun said. He pulled the covers over his shoulders and rested his head on Tao’s shoulder. Tao put an arm around him and played with his hair. “One of these days, I’m gonna hit you over the head with something and run away with it all.”

Tao laughed. Sehun continued his rant.

“You have no idea how unlucky I am. I’m stuck with a troublesome, heartbreaking, inconsiderate, provocative and insufferable millionaire, who gets into too many fights and steals from candy stores. He’s untrustworthy and independent and the worst part is, he’s good-looking, and I have serious competition in the ‘Swooping Him off His Feet’ department.”

“Stuck with me, huh?”

“And he doesn’t buy me presents at all, even though he’s loaded.”

“I bought you those shirts.”

“Yeah, well, they’re making me angry so they don’t count.”

“Whatever.” Tao poked Sehun’s cheek. “If my internal clock and the one on your wall is right, it’s Thursday night and you don’t have work.” He grinned. “So what movie should we watch?”

♜

♝

There was no doubt Kyungsoo was in an awful mood. He had already walked halfway to school on his own by the time Jongin caught up to him. He was still wearing Jongin’s hoodie, with a jacket overtop this time, and he looked too irritated to talk to, so Jongin fell into step beside him silently before assuming an opening to speak.

“What should we do on our first date?” Jongin asked.

He was ignored and so he asked again. He rephrased it for the third and fourth times asking.

“What should we do on our first date?” Jongin asked, for the sixth time.

Kyungsoo nodded, ignoring him as they walked down the streets. It was hot and sunny and he still had to walk one more block until they reached his cram school.

He stopped suddenly. “What are you talking about?”

Jongin sighed, but there was a jolt in his heart from the fact that Kyungsoo replied but also from the oblivious tone in his voice.

 “I asked you out yesterday, remember?”

Kyungsoo blinked and started walking again. “I have no memory of that. Now please,” he put his hands over his ears. “Be quiet so I can revise the metalloids.”

Jongin pursed his lips. “You nodded.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He wasn’t listening. It was an off day, then again. No one had been listening today.

They crossed the street, and Jongin explained the events of his confession the day before to Kyungsoo’s selectively deaf ears. The cram school was in sight, now.

“….boron….silicon….astatine…”

Kyungsoo didn’t even notice when Jongin slipped their hands together. They swung in harmony with Kyungsoo’s recitation of the periodic table, and Jongin listened to the sound of his voice as he talked about the elements.

“…unique conductivity….cross between metals and non-metals…”

“Hey, do you think we should go out somewhere or stay in?”

“…tellurium. Stop talking to me.” He noticed their intertwined fingers and shook Jongin off. Jongin pouted.

“I won’t. Let’s go to a restaurant.”

“No.” Kyungsoo walked a little faster, but Jongin wouldn’t let him go. “God, stop following me.” Another harsh tone. Jongin tried to ignore it.

“Then go on a date with me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know you do.” Jongin said, smiling as he skipped a little bit. “Because you blushed when I asked.”

Kyungsoo blushed again, and nodded. It was a bad habit of his. When he didn’t want to respond, he’d bob his head in agreement. It betrayed him in moments like these, when he wanted so much to just hide under a blanket. 

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