Oh my gosh, why is this over 6,000 words? So there's kind of a lot happening in this chapter. There are a bunch of feelings and awkwardness and stuff. But there's no myungyeol because they're friends now and their relationship isn't all that complicated. This chapter's all about 2woo and hogyu. And it's safe to say I'm not being very subtle about the hogyu anymore. The story's probably more interesting than what I have to say, so I'll stop talking now.

i.

Dongwoo turns at the sound of his name, a smile already stretched across his face. He waits for Woohyun to catch up to him before latching onto his arm. They're just outside the school gates, where some students are milling about until they absolutely have to go into the building.

"Why didn't you wear a hat or a scarf," Woohyun asks. There's a fond smile on his face despite the slight reprimand in his voice. "I could hear your teeth chattering from a block away."

Dongwoo rests his head on Woohyun's shoulder and tightens his hold on the other's arm. "I was running late," he defends himself. He forgot to set his alarm the night before and had only woken up after one of his sisters jumped on him to tell him he'd be late. The last thing on his mind as he rushed out of the house was being warm. "But it's okay," he tilts his head up to look at Woohyun, "you'll keep me warm now."

Woohyun lets out a laugh, bringing his free hand up to rub at one of his cheeks. "Who taught you to say such cheesy stuff?"

As they start walking again Dongwoo picks his head up but keeps himself pressed close to Woohyun. Normally Dongwoo isn't this clingy with any of his friends. (Well, that's kind of a lie. He touches Sunggyu's a bit more often than he'd care to admit.) But lately he's been fighting a losing battle with himself to maintain a friendly boundary with Woohyun. It doesn't help that he's a naturally affectionate person. And the fact that he feels an ever-increasing need to be as close to Woohyun as he can be without making things weird just makes the task even more complicated. He's trying to convince himself that he's doing it for Woohyun's sake. Because he doesn't want to make his new friend uncomfortable by coming on too strong. But really he knows it's because he's never felt this way before about a friend (about a male friend). And it's confusing and a little scary. He thinks he just wants to be friends with Woohyun; he's mostly sure. But sometimes... Sometimes he's not so sure. Like when he sees Woohyun for the first time in the morning and he smiles at Dongwoo as he greets him and Dongwoo feels like he's just run a mile with the way his heart speeds up in his chest and he loses his breath. Or those random times when Woohyun pops into his head, be it his face or his laugh or something he'd said. It's safe to say that Dongwoo now thinks of Woohyun on a regular basis. He's just not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet.

Woohyun stops walking when they reach the steps leading up to the school entrance and Dongwoo follows suit. "Dongwoo," he starts carefully. He gently pries Dongwoo's arms off his own and puts a bit of space between them. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

Dongwoo feels like his heart sinks to the bottom of his stomach and rises up to his throat at the same time. He doesn't know what the question will be and he doesn't know if he's dreading or anticipating finding out. So he stays silent and gives Woohyun a nod to show he's listening.

"Well, um, I was thinking, you know, since there's no rehearsal today, maybe you'd want to come over to my house and hang out and go over our lines if you want?"

"Yes." The question is barely out of Woohyun's mouth before Dongwoo gives his answer. It comes out in a relieved rush that he's immediately embarrassed by. It's way too late to play it cool, but that doesn't mean Dongwoo won't try. "I mean, yeah, sure. I'd like that."

Woohyun brightens at Dongwoo's words, the worry in his eyes melting away. He slings an arm across Dongwoo's shoulders and ushers him up the stairs. "It's a date," he says without thinking. They both stumble on the last step as the words sink in. Woohyun looks over at Dongwoo in a panic. (Dongwoo doesn't know what his own face looks like, but he doubts it's at all reassuring.) "Not a date," Woohyun clarifies. He pulls away from Dongwoo who barely stops himself from reaching out to bring him close again. "It's just..."

Dongwoo would help him finish the sentence if he knew how he wanted it to end. Date probably isn't the right word, but he'd be a little disappointed to call it hanging out. Maybe he would be able to figure it out if he talked about it with Woohyun. But what is he even supposed to say? Hey, this is kinda new for me, but I think I might like you and it's freaking me out a little bit, is it just me? Dongwoo knows that just because Woohyun's gay it doesn't mean he's automatically attracted to him. He'd wanted to be friends with Woohyun well before the younger boy came out to him and that desire hadn't changed in the least afterwards. But as he's started to question himself and his feelings, Dongwoo's also wondered if he's alone in his confusion. He has no way of knowing how Woohyun feels and he's too afraid to ask. Especially with the possibility that it really is just him.

ii.

"Are you going to say whatever it is you obviously want to say or just keep looking at me?" After being friends with Dongwoo for so many years now, Sunggyu has developed a higher level of patience. But there is only so much he can take of seeing his friend shift nervously in his seat, turn to Sunggyu and open his mouth as if he's going to say something only to close it and turn away shaking his head.

Dongwoo slumps in his seat. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing." Sunggyu puts down his pencil and sets aside the Math homework he had been reviewing. He looks at Dongwoo, now drumming his fingers on the desk. It's a nervous habit. Never one to push, he waits for the other to find the words he wants to use.

"Okay," Dongwoo sighs. He leans across the aisle and Sunggyu takes that as his cue to move closer. His voice is quiet, but it doesn't seem all that necessary since no one is paying attention to them. "How do you know if you like someone?"

"And you're asking because you don't know?" Under the seriousness of his tone, Sunggyu can sense a minuscule amount of worry. Dongwoo doesn't respond immediately, which Sunggyu takes to mean he's considering just saying what's wrong. (Because he wouldn't be so reluctant if it was good news.) "Do you think you like someone?"

Dongwoo looks away from him. "I don't know...maybe."

Sunggyu thinks back to Dongwoo and Woohyun's awkward conversation earlier that morning. He only caught the end of it, but Dongwoo had definitely been blushing after Woohyun left. Tack on the fact that they’ve been nearly inseparable for the past month or so and Sunggyu is more than halfway sure who Dongwoo might like. He also knows why the other is uneasy with the idea.

Dongwoo has had crushes before; he even has dating experience. But that only involved girls. This—possibly liking Woohyun in a romantic, more-than-just-friends kind of way—is new and so totally unexpected. For both of them. The only reason Sunggyu had warned Woohyun about Dongwoo was because his friend isn't into guys and Woohyun, obviously, is (or at least is into one specific guy). It kind throws a wrench into things to realize that maybe he had misjudged a couple of things. Come to think about it, Dongwoo has been a bit different since meeting Woohyun. For one thing, he's much more interested in the play than he had been when Sunggyu had first suggested he audition for it. His already sunny disposition gets even brighter around the younger guy. And Woohyun seems to be his favorite topic of conversation. Sunggyu thinks about it some more and concludes that Dongwoo isn't different, but actually similar to how he usually is when he falls for a girl.

It's only mildly surprising. Sunggyu doesn't see anything wrong with his friend possibly being gay (or biual, since attraction to another boy doesn't automatically negate any past or future attraction to girls). After being friends with him for so long and seeing what an absolutely wonderful person he is, the only thing that matters is that Dongwoo is happy. And Woohyun clearly makes him happy. Sunggyu has witnessed that fact firsthand. He can only hope neither of them screws it up. But first Dongwoo has to straighten out his confused feelings and be okay with what's left.

"You can always come to me if you need any help figuring things out." They’ve never discussed this kind of thing before, but he still wants the other to know he can talk to him about it.

Dongwoo turns cautious eyes to him. "Thanks," he breathes more than says. "Maybe I will."

Sunggyu notices that the tension in his best friend's shoulders loosens just a bit. He finds himself relaxing as well to see that the other is less burdened than he had been before, even if it's only a small amount. He really hates seeing Dongwoo worried.

The bell signaling the end of homeroom cuts their conversation short, but Sunggyu gets the feeling he wasn't going to get anything else from Dongwoo anyway. Not that he minds. He has enough patience to wait for when his friend is ready to tell him everything.

iii.

It's not until Sunggyu is standing right next to Howon that the younger student notices him. Startled, Howon nearly trips over his own feet as he steps off of the treadmill. Sunggyu fights back a laugh and waits for Howon to take his headphones off before saying anything. "So this is Leg Day."

Howon's face is all red from exertion (and maybe a little from embarrassment), his breath coming out in short pants. He’s changed into baggy shorts and a thin tank top that’s stuck to his skin with sweat. He reaches over to stop the treadmill. "What are you doing here?"

"Woohyun told me you'd be here," Sunggyu answers easily. He's pretty sure Woohyun had been too preoccupied to wonder why Sunggyu would want to know Howon's whereabouts. Which works for him because he wouldn't have been able to give an answer. And he hopes Howon doesn't question him either because he still doesn't have an answer. "Honestly, I wouldn't have expected to find you here."

"Why? I don't look like I work out?"

Sunggyu follows Howon to the line of stationary bikes set up next to the treadmills. While Howon immediately starts pedaling after he's seated, Sunggyu opts for sitting sideways to face him. "No, you look..." Sunggyu pauses before finishing his sentence. He had been about to say that Howon looks good, but he doesn't want the other boy to get the wrong idea. (It's not entirely untrue, though. Sunggyu does think Howon looks good—as a strictly neutral observation, of course.) "So, uh, do you spend a lot of time here?"

There's a knowing look in Howon's eyes when he glances at Sunggyu, but he spares him the embarrassment. "I guess, although not as much as I used to." He's pedaling slowly like he's really riding a bike with his back bowed and forearms draped over the handlebars.

"And you probably play sports, too." Sunggyu scrunches his nose a bit at the thought. Physical activity isn't exactly his cup of tea.

Howon's laugh is soft and short. "You say that like it's a bad thing." His pedaling slows to a stop and he straightens his back. When he turns a bit to look at Sunggyu there's a small smile on his face. "I usually play basketball in the fall and soccer in the spring, but I hurt my ankle during the last soccer season so basketball's out for this year."

Sunggyu nods in understanding before a realization hits him. "Wait, if you're injured shouldn't you not be doing all this exercise. Especially Leg Day?"

"I was injured. I'm a lot better now. And if I want to play soccer next year it's better if I don't get lazy now."

Sunggyu hesitates on showing his concern. Would it be weird? They don't know each other that well. Are they even friends? Sure, they've talked a lot over the past few weeks even though it was mostly lighthearted teasing. But Sunggyu isn't sure if they can be considered close. Thankfully, he's saved from his predicament when Howon continues talking.

"What do you for fun?"

"Hold on," Sunggyu says, faking his incredulity. "Are you saying this is fun for you? You like getting sweaty and tired?"

"It has its perks," Howon laughs. There's a moment of silence where Sunggyu thinks the same thought pops into both of their heads. At least, if he's judging by how red Howon's ears turn. They look away at the same time and Howon hops off of the bike. He crosses the room, stretching and swinging his arms in what Sunggyu assumes must be warm-up stretches, and plops down onto one of the gym mats laid down on the floor. "You never answered the question," he informs Sunggyu as he stretches his legs out in front of him and reaches out to touch his toes.

Sunggyu takes his time joining Howon on the floor. He sits across from the other with his legs folded and leans back on his hands. "I don't know if I should tell you," he says slowly. "Then you'll want me to show you, too."

Howon sits up straight. "That just makes me more curious."

"Alright, fine," Sunggyu sighs, giving in without a fight. "I wouldn't say that I do it for fun, but I'm good at it so there's that. I can sing...sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well, I don't do it in public or anything. Just, like, in the shower or when my mom asks me to."

"And now you're gonna show me your sort-of singing, right?"

Sunggyu rolls his eyes despite the nervous flutter in his stomach from the excitement in Howon's voice. He doesn't know if Howon is anticipating him being good or bad, but he's still flustered from the attention. "I'll sing if you turn around first. I feel like I'll mess up if you're watching me." Surprisingly, Howon actually listens. He pulls his legs up and twists until his back is facing Sunggyu. The nervous feeling in Sunggyu's stomach grows. "There's this one song I've been practicing lately. I guess I could sing that." He clears his throat a couple times before finally starting. His voice is quiet at first, his tongue tripping over a few of the words. Howon doesn't laugh or even turn around and that somehow gives Sunggyu the confidence to sing louder. By the time he reaches the chorus his eyes have fallen shut. There's a small smile pulling at his lips as he sings,

When she walks, she’s like a samba

That swings so cool and sways so gently

That when she passes, each one she passes goes, “Aaah…”

Sunggyu's eyes stay closed for a bit after he's finished. He'd gotten a bit into the song and mostly forgotten where he was and who he was with. Howon doesn't waste any time reminding him.

"Why did you make me turn around if you were just going to close your eyes?"

At the sound of Howon's voice, Sunggyu's eyes fly open. The other had turned around at some point while Sunggyu was singing and now he's sitting right in front of Sunggyu (and a lot closer than before). Close enough that Sunggyu could reach out and touch him. (He doesn't.)

"You're actually pretty good," Howon says when Sunggyu doesn't say anything. He looks down at the floor, awkward in his sincerity. Most likely because he rarely gives Sunggyu sincere compliments. His ears have gone bright red again.

"Thanks." Sunggyu's voice is soft. Even though Howon isn't even looking at him he still feels self-conscious. Which is kind of ridiculous; he never gets nervous around Howon. It's usually the opposite. Sunggyu feels relaxed around Howon, more comfortable than he is with most people—excluding Dongwoo, of course. "I think I should go now," he mumbles. He's probably over-stayed his welcome. "I don't want to get in your way." As he starts to get up Howon grabs onto his arm to pull him back down and what follows might as well have been lifted from a drama script. Sunggyu's on one knee when Howon pulls on his arm which throws him off balance and sends him crashing ungraciously onto the other. Howon lets out an oomph as Sunggyu lands on top of him. They end up face-to-face, their chests pressed together (Sunggyu tries to ignore the way Howon's chest heaves under his; the way their hearts are pounding in tandem). Their eyes are wide with surprise and locked on each other.

A long moment of silence stretches between them. They’re both waiting for the other to speak or just react. Sunggyu would if he knew how. He’d never expected to be in a situation like this, especially not with Howon. But he knows they can’t stay like this. He sets both hands on the floor on either side of Howon’s head to push himself up. It’s only when he puts a couple inches of space between them that Howon takes a hold of the lapels of Sunggyu’s uniform jacket and pulls him back down. Howon stares up at him wordlessly, although his eyes seem to speak volumes. They drop down to Sunggyu’s lips and stay there long enough that Sunggyu starts expecting him to close the distance between their mouths.

Sunggyu’s heart shows no signs of slowing down. He can hear the blood rushing in his ears; feel it thrumming in his veins. And he lays frozen on top of Howon. It should be his move now. Howon’s made it obvious what he wants (or just hopes for) and now it’s Sunggyu’s turn to respond. He can either lean down and find out the answer to a question he hadn’t known he’d wanted the answer to until now, or he can get up and leave and have to face the awkwardness of seeing Howon again knowing they almost kissed. It seems like an easy decision, but it still takes Sunggyu another moment to get his body to listen to him.

Howon’s lips are soft. That’s the first thought that flits through Sunggyu’s head when he finally connects their mouths. It’s followed by a lot of other pleasant thoughts and observations about kissing Howon. And the one he likes the most is the thought that he could get used to it.

iv.

"Are you sure you're not actually an eight-year-old?" Woohyun asks Dongwoo's limp form. The latter had made a beeline for Woohyun's bed as soon as he set foot in the room. Woohyun stands at the foot of the bed, watching as the older boy wiggles around and buries his face in the pillow. (Woohyun has never been more thankful that he doesn't drool.) As if he wasn't screwed already, the sight only makes him like the other more.

"You sound like Sunggyu," Dongwoo laughs. He sits up and inches on his knees to the edge of the bed in front of Woohyun. "Come be eight years old with me," he holds out his hands for Woohyun to take.

Woohyun looks up from the outstretched hands to the other's ever-smiling face. It's really unfair. All Dongwoo has to do is look at him and Woohyun is already anticipating what he might say, however ridiculous. Woohyun is almost completely certain that the older boy is oblivious to the hold he has on him, but sometimes he wonders. At those times, it seems like Dongwoo leans much closer than necessary or pouts just a bit more or his eyes get even more puppy-dog-like. At those times, Woohyun wishes he wasn't so incredibly infatuated with Dongwoo. It would make resisting him (and not falling even more in like—or is it love?—with him) a hell of a lot easier.

"Woohyun?" Dongwoo's voice snaps him back to reality and he soon realizes he's been staring at the other boy while thinking. He blinks a couple of times before silently grabbing Dongwoo's waiting hands. Dongwoo's furrowed brows smooth out and a pleased smile spreads across his face. The look is not unlike that of a placated child.

"So what now," Woohyun asks, kneeling across from a similarly posed Dongwoo. A nervous feeling settles into his stomach. He tries not to think too much about the fact that he's on his bed with Dongwoo. In fact, he's alone in his house on his bed with Dongwoo. If he thinks too much he might do something stupid and possibly ruin their burgeoning friendship.

"Didn't you ever jump on your bed as a kid?"

"Of course," Woohyun shrugs. "But that was when I was small enough that it felt like jumping on a trampoline. I'll probably break my bed if I jump on it now."

"That sounds like something Sunggyu would say." Dongwoo slumps dejectedly on the bed. Woohyun would feel bad for ruining the other's good mood if he wasn't too busy internally squealing at how cute he looks. "Actually, he might have said that exact same thing once," he adds in a mumble.

Woohyun wonders if he should apologize, but that concern is put to rest as Dongwoo bounds off of the bed to the other side of the room. He stops in front of the large autographed poster of David Beckham taped to the wall. Sungyeol (through his father) had gotten it for him a few birthdays ago. He always brings it up whenever he wants Woohyun to do something for him. That argument had only worked the first couple of times, but that doesn't stop him from using it.

Woohyun hadn't thought Dongwoo had noticed any other part of his room besides the apparently soft and bouncy bed. "You like soccer?" His fingers trace the signature in the bottom corner.

"Yeah," Woohyun nods. "I've been playing since I was in middle school."

Dongwoo's mouth forms a perfect "O". "Wow. You must be really good, then."

Woohyun feels a blush spreading across his cheeks as he waves away the other's words. He really needs to stop getting so flustered by such simple compliments. "I'm okay," he admits modestly. "A lot of the other guys are way better."

"If you say so." He moves away from the poster and starts looking over Woohyun's not-neat-but-not-totally-messy desk. It's somehow the only part of his room that he never manages to get clean. It's a wonder he can find anything under all of the random papers and books and food wrappers. "Can I come watch you play sometime?"

Woohyun tamps down the immediate "no" on the tip of his tongue. If Dongwoo's watching him he'll either try too hard to impress him or be way too nervous to do anything. But he can't very well tell him that, can he? "Um, the season doesn't start until the spring."

Dongwoo picks up a framed picture from the desk. His eyes roam across it as he responds. "Is that a yes?" Woohyun doesn't know if the soft smile on the other's face is from the teasing tone of the question or looking at the picture. (He really hopes it's the former because that picture was taken a couple years before, in his opinion, he totally kicked puberty's . His cheeks were all chubby and he doesn't even want to think about his hair.)

"We start practicing in early spring so it's still pretty cold out."

Dongwoo looks away from the picture to give him a smile. "I'll dress warmly."

Woohyun wonders if this counts as flirting, but quickly dismisses the thought. They're friends; friends don't flirt.

"You and your brother look so much alike." Already Dongwoo's onto another topic. "But you probably hear that a lot." Still holding the frame, he plops down on the swivel chair in front of the desk and takes it for a couple spins.

Woohyun lays down on the bed, resting his head on his hands on the pillow and crossing his ankles. "Not as much as you'd think, actually." He raises an eyebrow at Dongwoo. "People usually say I'm so much better looking than him."

Dongwoo snorts, but doesn't say anything. He looks down at the picture in his hand, his fingers slowly tracing the swirled pattern on the frame. Woohyun wants to ask him what's so interesting about such an old (and unattractive) photo, but decides against voicing the question. Instead he uses the brief lull in conversation to take in this relaxed version of Dongwoo. His hair is slightly tousled from rolling around on the bed and Woohyun feels like both combing it smooth with his fingers and messing it up even more. There's a fondness in his eyes that Woohyun has noticed directed at him quite often. It makes him anxious and ridiculously happy and he can't help but feel hopeful despite their established platonic friendship.

"What about you," Woohyun asks, breaking the silence. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I have two sisters," Dongwoo nods. He sets the picture frame back on the desk. "They're both older than me and I really hope they don't look too much like me."

"It would be nice to have an older sister," Woohyun muses mostly to himself. "Or just a sister actually. Then I wouldn't have had to put up with being tortured for all those years."

Dongwoo scoffs as he leans back in the chair. "You're so lucky you only grew up with an older brother. Sisters are evil. Especially when they're older than you."

Woohyun sits up on his elbows, intrigued. "How is having a sister worse? My brother was always teasing me and stealing my stuff, especially my food. And then he'd act like we were best friends whenever our parents were around. If that's not evil, I don't know what is."

"That's nothing compared to what my sisters did to me. I probably shouldn't tell you this, actually."

Woohyun sits up fully, now even more curious. "I hope you know that by saying that I'm not giving up until you tell me."

"God, it's so embarrassing," Dongwoo laughs. "Can we just forget I mentioned it?"

Woohyun is practically bouncing on the bed. He has no idea what the other could be so embarrassed about, but now he has to know. "There's no way I'm letting this go. Just tell me. I promise I'll try not to make fun of you."

Dongwoo sighs dramatically before giving in. "They used to play dress up with me. They'd put me in our mom's clothes and smear her make-up on my face and call me their cute little sister. It was very traumatizing."

Woohyun snorts, but quickly covers his mouth to stop himself from outright laughing. He can see how embarrassing such an experience could be. He also can't help but find it immensely cute. "I would pay money to see that."

"There's no way I'm showing you those pictures," Dongwoo says while shaking his head. He stops when he realizes what he just said. "Crap. I shouldn't have said that."

The devastated look on Dongwoo's face only makes Woohyun laugh harder. He collapses on the bed clutching his stomach. "You're so showing me those pictures," he manages breathlessly.

"Why do you want to see such embarrassing pictures anyway?"

Woohyun quickly sobers up as he watches Dongwoo rise from the desk chair and make his way over to him. He can feel the nervousness well back up in his stomach. Seeing Dongwoo standing over him, the light from the sun setting outside the bedroom window hitting him just right, Woohyun vacillates between anticipating and dreading Dongwoo's next move. He's had way too many daydreams with situations like this that ended a little too well...and maybe he should stop this train of thought before things get awkward.

"It's because they're embarrassing that I want to see them," he says with some semblance of a normal tone. "Plus, you got to see that terrible picture of me." He gestures in the vicinity of his desk, the offending picture on top of it. "So then we'll be even."

Dongwoo sits on the bed facing away from him, effectively obscuring his face and the expression on it as he says, "I like that picture of you. It's really cute, especially your cheeks."

He thinks I'm cute, Woohyun thinks in a daze. He thinks my cheeks are cute. Even with all of the sincerity and affection in his voice, Woohyun wishes he could have seen Dongwoo's face as he said those words.

"Can I ask you something?" Again Dongwoo is onto something else, his blush-inducing words forgotten. He stretches himself out on the bed next to Woohyun, propping his head on one hand as he makes himself comfortable on his stomach.

Woohyun has to remind himself to breathe with Dongwoo so close. He still hasn't gotten entirely comfortable with Dongwoo's casual disregard for personal space. He wriggles slightly on his back, telling his body to relax. "I'm an open book." he's happy his tone comes out light, but his mind is still in a panic.

Dongwoo lets out a short laugh before his face turns serious. "I was wondering...when did you know you were gay? You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable," he backpedals when he sees the surprised look on Woohyun's face.

"I don't mind," Woohyun insists. He looks up at the ceiling as he recalls the first time he had realized he wasn't straight. "It was during middle school. Most of my guy friends would be talking about which girls they thought were cute and which ones might like them. And they were always comparing actresses and singers and stuff. Like, who was hotter or looked better a certain way. But I never saw what was so interesting about that. Mostly because I found guys to be more interesting to look at and compare." He glances at Dongwoo to check that the other isn't uncomfortable, even though he's the one who brought up the subject. All of the older boy's attention is focused on him. The intense look in his eyes sends a shiver up Woohyun's spine. It would be a lie to say he isn't the slightest bit flattered by the way Dongwoo's eyes seem to take in his whole body even though they're clearly fixed on his face.

"It was a bit lonely," he admits. "I felt like the only one who didn't fit in. It was probably because I kept it to myself and tried to be like everyone else. I used to think if I pretended long enough it would become true. Wow," Woohyun covers his face with both hands. His voice is slightly muffled as he speaks. "When did this turn into a shrink session?"

"Does this mean you've never talked to anyone about it before?" Woohyun notes the surprise in Dongwoo's voice as well as the whole two inches by which he's moved closer. (It's hard to miss since his bed isn't made for two.)

Woohyun pulls his hands from his face and turns onto his side, propping his head in one hand. "You can say that. When I first came out to my family and friends, they asked a lot of questions, but I've never really talked about how I felt, you know, being in the closet and stuff."

"I must be special then." Dongwoo smiles and Woohyun can feel himself melting into a puddle. He would tell the other just how special he was to him if he weren't so afraid of how Dongwoo would react. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Ask away." His attempt at nonchalance sounds a lot more convincing to his ears the second time around.

Dongwoo only hesitates for a second before asking, "Did you ever like girls—or, I guess, think you liked girls?"

"The only time I can remember liking a girl was when I was, like, five. And most of my reason for liking her was because she would always share her ice cream with me. But I guess at that age I was more concerned with eating than being in a relationship with anyone." They both laugh and Woohyun revels in the way Dongwoo's eyes curve into crescents and how his laugh is loud and happy and infectious and just him.

"Were there any guys you liked then?" Dongwoo maintains eye contact and doesn't seem flustered, but Woohyun refuses to believe it's because he's anticipating the answer. Why would he be that interested in the answer?

Woohyun fights a losing battle with the blush reddening his cheeks when the question brings to mind the first boy he had liked. The boy's face is as clear as Dongwoo's right next to him. Woohyun had just come to accept that he wasn't like his friends when he noticed there was a new student at school. Much like with Dongwoo, his first crush had given him butterflies and thoughts of him had filled his head. After months of secretly pining, Woohyun had decided to come out to Hoya and Sungyeol, his two closest friends, and was subsequently forced to admit his crush. Not too long after that, Woohyun had found that he didn't feel as nervous talking to the guy. And he didn't think about him as much or want to spend time with him for no reason. He had been surprised his first serious crush had come and gone and he hadn't experienced any of the clichéd drama that inspires sad movies and depressing songs.

"There were a few," Woohyun answers shortly. "And, no, I'm not telling you who," he cuts in as Dongwoo opens his mouth.

"I wasn't going to ask that." But he looks away, abashed. Woohyun laughs to himself and makes sure to squeal internally at how cute the other looks when he's embarrassed.

"So what were you going to ask then?"

Dongwoo takes a longer pause before answering. "Can I—" He cuts himself off with a shake of his head. For the first time since the start of their talk a blush blooms on Dongwoo's cheeks.

Before Woohyun can even think of a teasing question, Dongwoo is leaning closer and their lips are pressing together. It's not exactly how he'd hoped their first kiss would be: a bit rushed and already over by the time Woohyun's brain has registered that they're actually kissing. But the fact that Dongwoo's lips are touching his makes up for it.

Dongwoo is also the one to break the kiss. He leans away, presumably to catch his breath and gauge Woohyun's reaction. But Woohyun doesn't let him get very far before he's pulling the older boy closer with a hand on his neck and reconnecting their lips. He doesn't hesitate to capture Dongwoo's full lower lip in between both of his like he's been imagining doing. The hand on his hip must mean he's doing the right thing. That this was the reaction the other had been hoping for. The thought makes Woohyun press closer to Dongwoo, their chests touching, and he reaches his hand up to tangle in the blond hair that's even softer than he had guessed. At that, Dongwoo makes a small sound in the back of his throat. Woohyun can feel it all the way in his toes and it sends a shiver down his spine.

Although Woohyun could spend the rest of the night just kissing Dongwoo, breathing through his nose doesn't provide nearly enough oxygen. There's also the fact that they should talk about why they kissed and what it means for their friendship. So with one last nip to Dongwoo's lower lip, Woohyun puts some space between the two of them.

Dongwoo still has his eyes closed when Woohyun opens his own. He takes a moment to appreciate the peaceful look on the older boy's face. It's almost as if he were asleep. (But really Woohyun thinks he must be the one dreaming because he never thought he would get to kiss Dongwoo or that Dongwoo would initiate the kiss.)

"Dongwoo," he calls softly as he cups the other's face and caresses his cheek with his thumb. The sound rouses Dongwoo from his apparent daze and he slowly opens his eyes. Woohyun isn't sure what he sees in Dongwoo's eyes as he stares back at him. He offers the older boy a small smile to start. "So does this mean what I think it does?"

He's expecting something affirmative, like a yes. Not for Dongwoo's eyes to go wide with realization. (Of their current position, the implications of Woohyun's words, or how he really feels; Woohyun doesn't know which.) So he's left to look on in confusion as Dongwoo practically jumps out of the bed.

"Oh my God," the older boy whispers to himself. His eyes roam Woohyun's room as he stands in the center of it with a hand frozen in front of his lips.

Woohyun slips off the mattress to approach him. It's almost like getting near a wild animal; moving slowly so as not to frighten it. "Dongwoo," his voice is soft and affectionate. He has a good idea of why Dongwoo suddenly seems so freaked out. He places a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, an "it's okay" already forming in his mouth. Only he doesn't get the chance to say it as Dongwoo roughly pushes his hand away and steps out of reach.

"Don't."

The word is like a punch in the face with the cold way it snaps out of Dongwoo’s mouth. It's the first time Woohyun's ever heard him sound like that. He hadn't thought Dongwoo was capable of such biting hostility or that it would ever be directed at him. Woohyun should do something, say something, but his only reaction is stunned silence.

"I should go." This time Dongwoo sounds more like his usual self. The regret and hesitance are welcome surprises, but Woohyun is still stuck on the turn of events (them talking and then kissing and then Dongwoo pushing him away) to take full notice. So he watches, unspeaking, as the other turns and walks out of the room. The sounds of footsteps descending the staircase and then the quiet closing of the front door carries throughout the silent house.