It was a quiet night in the Seventeen dorm. The performance unit was at the practice room working on something, and Jeonghan, Seungcheol, Jihoon, Jisoo, Seokmin, Seungkwan, Vernon, Mingyu and Wonwoo were all sitting around the television. 

Jeonghan looked at the time. 11:30. It was rare that they had free time this early at night. Usually they were all at the practice room untill 3:00 in the morning, but they weren't hard pressed for a new song or music video at the moment.

Next to Jeonghan, Jisoo yawned. "Sorry, gang, but I'm going to bed." He stood up and stretched. "See you all in the morning."

"Kay, night," Soungcheol replied, looked up at his friend for a moment. Jeonghan and the others echoed their leader and went back to watching Spongebob with an odd amount of focus. 

Vernon, who was in charge of the remote, muted the show during a comercial break, and just like that, they all lost interest. Jeonghan flopped on his back amd sighed. He was bored. 

Suddenly, there was an explsosion of whining from Seungkwan. "I'm hungry! I'm bored! I wanna do something!"

Seungcheol shrugged. "Then get a book and some food." 

Jeonghan laughed and sat up. Seungkwan looked shocked. Jeonghan laughed harder and said, "It's the perfect solution to your problem."

"Thank you," Seunghcheol added with a nod toward Jeonghan. He returned the gesture and held his arm out for a high-five. His friend obliged, then relaxed against the couch. 

Seungkwan made a face at them then stood up. "Forget it. I'm going to take a shower."

"Good idea," Seokmin piped up. "we should probably all shower before the performance team gets back."

"You're right," Seunghcheol nodded. "You guys go in whatever order you want. I'll go last."

They all murmured amongst themselves to decide the order. Someone suggested scissor-paper-stone, but the idea was quickly shut down by Jihoon, who suggedsted they go by age.

"I think age is good," Jeonghan aggreed.

"Me too," Vernon added. 

"That's because it means you get to go first," Wonwoo snorted. 

Vernon grinned. "True."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Seungkwan protested. "I'm the one who said they wanted to take a shower!"

"You still will," Seokmin retorted, then smiled. "You'll just go second." 

Seungkwan just stood there in an annoyed silence as they all burst out laughing. Mingyu was the first to get his breath back. 

"So are we going with age order then?" He asked. Jeonghan looked at Seungcheol. 

"Sounds good. Vernon'll go first, then Seungkwan, then-"

"Yes, we know the age order, Seungcheol," Jeonghan cut him off. His friend gave him a look, but didn't reply. Jeonghan didn't have anything else to say either, so they sat there for a moment looking at each other, Seungcheol on the couch and Jeonghan on the floor, completely oblivious to the chatter of their fellow members. 

Then Seungcheol blinked, and their gazes broke. Jeonghan quickly swept his long hair back and looked at Vernon, who was whooping at Seungkwan about showering first. 

"I get to shower first! I get to shower first!" He was chanting. Jeonghan raised his eyebrows as Vernon stood up and began to prance around his sulking friend. 

"Oh, quiet," Jihoon snorted. "We all get to shower, just cause you're going first doesn't mean that the rest of us don't.

Vernon stopped his tribal dance and made a face at the singer. Jeongahn smiled and swept his hair back again. 

"Now, how about you stop gloating about showering first and actually shower, cause we all have to shower as well, you know." Jihoon cast a superior look at the young rapper. Vernon flapped his hands in an odd way, like he was trying to be a fairy while shooing away his friends. Then he grinned and left to go take a shower. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jeonghan sighed and said, "I'm bored." 

"Same," Seokmin echoed. They all sat there, not really sure what to do. Jihoon had put in earbuds and was humming along to SHINee's Veiw. Mingyu and Wonwoo had started playing hand games on the couch, Seungkwan was sulking on the floor next to Jihoon, and Seokmin was doing a chair version of Mansae. 

Jeonghan listened to the sound of Vernon rapping in the shower for a minute before leaning back against the couch. It took him a minute to realize his head was between Seungcheol's legs. But he couln't move. Not because he was embarrased, though. No, He chouldn't move because Seungcheol was playing with his hair. 

Jeonghan didn't complain. He liked it when people played with his hair. Usually it was The8 that did it. The fourth youngest member in their group was always doing something with his hands, and soemtimes, when there was nothing else for him to do, he would play with Jeonghan's hair.

But Seungcheol never did it. Well, almost never. Alot of times at fansigns, they would end up next to each other, and occasionally, Seungcheol would sweep back Jeonghan's bangs for him while they waited. 

Still, It was rarely more than that, and even rarer he did it at home. So even though Jeonghan didn't complain, it was still weird to feel Seuncheol's fingers threading through his hair. 

Suddenly, Jihoon started singing Pretty U, his earbuds still in. Seokmin stopped his chair Mansae to start singing along, and soon, they were all up and dancing terribly to their song. When they, finally finished, they all looked at each other for a moment. Than, as if they were all one person, they collapsed on the floor laughing. 

LIke all the other times when they laughed together, Jeonghan felt real happiness start to glow deep withing him. This wasn't regular happiness that you could find by simply hanging out with friends, or playing a game of basketball. This was something you could only have if you had an unbreakable bond between you and others. This feeling was like finding something you had lost, and finally found again, something that you had been missing for you entire life. 

"Well, that was entertaining!" Vernon exclaimed. Jeonghan craned his head and saw the rapper standing by the counter in his pajamas with a toothbrush in his hand. 

Still laughing, he sat up and flipped his hair over his shoulder. "And it was fun, too."

Vernon just smiled, but didn't respond, due to the fact that he now had a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth and toothpaste foaming around his lips. 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the ground. The rest of them followed suit, then Seungkwan whooped and ran off to shower. Jeonghan watched him in amusement, then sat down where Seungcheol had been before Pretty U. Vernon retreated somewhere to finish brushing his teeth, and everyone else went back to whatever they had been doing. Jihoon was now humming to Exo's Monster, Seokmin was dozing on his chair, Mingyu and Wonwooo went back to playing hand games, and Seungcheol just stood staring down at Jeonghan. He casually looked back up at his friend, pretending he didn't know why Seungcheol was looking at him. 

"You're in my spot," was all he said. 

"Well, technically," Jeonghan started. "This isn't your spot. It's merely the place you were previsouly sitting, That does not mean its yours." 

Seuncheol looked at him weirdly for a second then sighed. "I hate you, you know that?"

Jeonghan laughed as Seungcheol grabbed his ankles and moved his legs, sitting down next to him. He pulled Jeongan's legs into his lap and relaxed. Jeonghan leaned his head back against the arm of the couch and closed his eyes. He could feel Seungcheol's fingers on his ankles, which made him feel a little weird. Jeonghan swept his hair back and tried to ignore it, and before he knew it, Seungcheol was lightly tugging on his ankles to wake him up. 

"Time for you to shower Jeonghannie." Jeonghan rubbed his eyes and yawned. Looking around, he saw that Seungcheol was right. Mingyu and Seokmin were the only others in the room, and their hair was wet as they watched Spongebob. He could hear Jihoon singing in the hall and cought a glimpse of Wonwoo's pajamas as he walked by. 

"Yeah, okay," he replied sleepily, but didn't make any move to get up. 

"Come on, I have to shower too," Seungcheol said patiently, even though his words were irritated. 

"Why don't you go first?" Jeonghan asked in his own angelic way. Seungcheol sighed, then stood up. After a little irritated huff, he unexpectedly bent down and picked up Jeonghan bridal style. 

He let out a pterodactyl-like cry in surprise, and instinctively wrapped his hands around Seungcheol's neck. 

Mingyu and Seokmin didn't even blink. 

"Come on, Jeonghannie," Seungcheol huffed as he carried him towards the bathroom. "We all have to shower." 

"Alright, alright," Jeonghan consented. "I'll shower." 

"Thank you." Seungcheol turned ito Jeonghan's room that he shared with Seungkwan, Seokmin and Jihoon. 

Seungcheol threw Jeonghan on his bed and grabbed his towel and threw it at him. "Now go shower!" he commanded. 

"I said I was going to, You didn't need to throw me around!" Jeonghan huffed. "Jeeze." He grabbed his towel and brushed past Seungcheol into the hall and then to the bathroom. 

As he stood under the water, he tried not to think about Seungcheol's fingers on his ankles, or the way the rapper had carried him. 

The water had finally turned off in the shower. Seungcheol headed into his room as queitly as possible, so he didn't wake Vernon - who'd been having a rough time sleeping lately - and grabbed his towel and pajamas. 

As he came out into the hall, the bathroom door opened and Jeonghan came out, his hair wet and a towel wrapped around his waist. It was something Seungcheol had seen a hundred times, with Jeonghan as well as other members, but for whatever reason, his heart began to race when he saw the singer. 

Seungcheol felt heat rising into his cheeks and he and Jeonghan stood there looking at eachother. Averting his gaze, he mumbled soemthing about needing to take a shower, and he and Jeonghan slipped around each other. 

The hallway was wide enough for them to move comfortably around each otehr, but their arms still brushed and Seungcheol almost slipped his hand into Jeonghan's. 

Embarrassment and confusion flooded him as he ducked into the still steaming bathroom. 

"What's wrong with you, Seungcheol?" He whispered as he stood under the rushing water. "This has never happened before! You see things like that all the time, why should this time be any different?" Seungcheol sighed and finished his shower. 

As he stood in front of the mirror drying his hair, he was begginning to think it was because he was tired. But the more he thought about it, the more confused he got. He looked up at his reflection from under the towel and met his own gaze before cursing and throwing his towel off. 

"Stop it Seungcheol! Don't think about it! It's nothing." 

He told himslef that over and over again as he pulled on his pajamas and brushed his teeth, as he walked down the hall, and as he laid down, and he fell asleep telling himself that. 

Jeonghan was having a rough night. Seokmin was snoring and Seungkwan was mumbling nonsense in his sleep, keeping him up. It also didn't help that whenever he closed his eyes he felt Seungccheol's fingers on his ankles or saw his face as he looked up at him from when the rapper had carried him.

Tossing and turning, Jeonghan just couldn't sleep. He heard Jun and The8 talking in hushed tones outside his door. From what he heard, it sounded like Jun was comforting him about soemthing. Being second oldest, Jeonghan wanted to jump out of bed and ask them what was wrong, but that would probably freak them out.

 He heard Soonyoung's energetic voice as he talked to Dino while waiting for Jun to finish his shower. He heard The8 brushing his teeth. He heard Dino rapping quietly in the shower. 

Finally, the performance team retreated to their room they shared with Jisoo. As quetly as he could, Jeonghan crept out of bed ad into the kitchen, his socked feet making no sound on the wooden floor. 

He quietly filled a glass of water adn leaned against the counter trying to clear his mind. 

"Couldn't sleep?"

Jeonghan nearly choked on his water at the sound of Seungcheol's voice. After swallowing, he shook his head and said, "Nah. Seokmin's snoring again." It may not have been the full truth, but he wasn't lying. Seokmin's snoring was actually quite loud. 

Seungcheol let out a soft laugh and walked around Jeonghan to get his own glass of water. They stood there together, drinking water. It was a little awkward for Jeonghan, but whatever had been going on with Seungcheol after his shower had gone away. After a few minutes, Jeonghan began to relax, but any comfortable feelings completely disappeared when he realized Seunghcheol was looking at him. 

"Yes?" He asked him.

"Nothing, just..." Seungcheol trailed off. 

"Just?" Jeonghan prompted, not sure where the conversation was going. 

"Well, the way the moonlight catches in your hair is cool."

Thankful the conversation didn't go in a really awkward direction, Jeonghan smiled and tugged on an auburn strand. 

"To be honest, I've been thinking of cutting it," he addmitted. 

"No, I think you should leave it," Seungcheol countered. "You pull off long hair well." 

"You think?" Jeonghan was once again wary of the conversation, but he kept talking. "I mean, I've had it in a bob before. You know, for Pretty U. I liked it." 

Seungcheol thought for a moment. "That's true, not many boys can pull off that kind of hairstyle." Jeonghan didn't know wether to take it as a compliment or a statement or a compliment, so he didn't say anything. "You could cut it like that again, if you wanted. But I personally think you should leave it long." He reached out and tugged on a strand. "You look good." 

Startled, Jeonghan looked up at Seungcheol, and was taken aback by the small amount of space between them. Barely breathing, Jeonghan felt him start to lean toward the rapper, But then some small, rational, sane part of his whispered; Snap out of it, Jeonghan! and he blinked and tried to back up but found the counter digging into his back. Seungcheol immediatly sensed the tension and took a step back.

Setting his glass in the sink, he said, "You should get some sleep okay?" 

Instinct taking over, Jeonghan replied, "That's so like you. Always looking out for us." 

"I'm the oldest. It's like my job," Seuncheol replied, smiling down at him. Almost right away, Jeonghan felt himsleft drawn to the rapper, so he looked down at his hands. 

"Goodnight, Jeonghan," Seungcheol murmmured, a hint of some emotion in his voice that Jeonghan couldn't name. 

Not looking directly at the rapper, Jeonghan murmured, "Goodnight," back and moved to put his glass in the sink. 

When he turned around, Seungcheol was gone. Jeongahn let out a quiet breath, then grabbed a fistful of his hair and a pair of kitchen scissors. But he couldn't do it. As much at he wanted to hack off his hair right then and there, He couldn't bring himself to do it. With a shaking hand, he set the scissors down and leaned over the sink, feeling sick. What's wrong with me? He thought. I almost kissed Seungcheol!

Stunned and dazed, He staggered back to his room and laid down. there had to be a way to avoid getting pulled into an atmosphere like that again. Then, Jeonghan knew. He would just avoid Seuncheol. Problem solved. 

Once he was back in his room Seungcheol fell on his bed and whacked himslef repeatedly in the face with his pillow. He never should've gone in the kitchen. The Performance unit's arrival had woken him up, as the hip-hop unit's room was across from the bathroom. Once it had settled down, Seungcheol had gone to get a glass of water, but to his surprise, Jeonghan had been in the kitchen. The words had escaped his mouth before he thought about what would happen after that, and he kinda had to go into the kitchen. It would've been really weird if he hadn't. 

He never should've said anything. If only he'd just gone back to his room once he saw the singer. He wouldn't be feeling so conflicted right now. 

Had he really almost kissed Jeonghan? What was wrong with him? He liked a boy? This couldn't be happening. He'd never liked a boy before, so why was it he all of a sudden had this feeling when he saw the singer.

It was like he all of a sudden Jeonghan though. It had been happening for a while now. As teh two oldest members in Seventeen, they spent alot of time with each other, and Seungcheol always like to spend his free time with Jeonghan. 

And a few months ago, He'd had a dream where he and Jeonghan had been walking along the beach wathing everyone play in the sand and water. He had woken up feeling unnaturally happy, and that had been the day everyone had asked him why he was so upbeat. That had aslo been the day he spent his time either thinking about the dream or looking at Jeonghan. 

But this was something else entirely. He'd never had the umcomfortable feeling he'd gotten when Jeonghan came out of the shower. He'd never wanted to kiss the singer. He'd ever felt like this before. And he was scared. He lay on his back wondering what to do. Telling someone would prbably help, but at the same time, it could also blow up in his face. Maybe if he spend more time with the other members whatever this was would go away. Yeah. That sounded like a good plan. 

Seungcheol let out a long sigh. Spend more time with the other members. Avoid Jeonghan. This would work.