1.

Sehun is absolutely not watching Jongin. It would be creepy and he's sure there'd be a restraining order placed in his hands so fast his head would spin if he was, which, by the way, he definitely isn't.

He just happens to find himself looking over at Jongin a few times during class. Like maybe once or twice. Or maybe ten times, but who's keeping count? He always looks away after a few seconds, anyway.

Really, he does.

Or he tries to, at least.

But I mean, can you really blame him? It's not his fault that Jongin is drop dead gorgeous, tall with sun-kissed skin and lips so full that Sehun really wants to taste and a body so fit Sehun's kind of jealous.

And it's not even all about looks; Sehun is genuinely enamored with all things Jongin. From how Jongin completely loses himself to the music during dance practice, to how the corners of his eyes crinkle up whenever he smiles that (beautiful) smile of his. Even the way Jongin tends to violently smack whoever is unfortunate enough to be next to him whenever he gets too caught up in his laughter.

Yeah, okay, so maybe he's been watching Jongin longer than he's ready to admit if he's picked up on many of Jongin's habits and characteristics. But staring is the only thing he's able to do since he's too much of a coward to actually go up and talk to Jongin like a normal person.

Besides, it's not like he's ever been caught-

…

Jongin is looking back at him.

They're making eye contact.

He's totally been caught.

Even from across the room, Sehun can see the curiosity swimming in Jongin's eyes. There also might be some hostility in them, though that could just be Sehun's insecurities causing him to imagine things, he's not sure.

One thing is for sure, though, he's definitely not imagining Jongin staring back at him still.

Sehun considers keeping Jongin's gaze, to see who breaks first, but the realization that his crush is giving him his whole attention has blood rushing to his face and he nearly topples out of his chair with how fast he turns away.

From the seat next to him, his friend Baekhyun sends him a curious glance, but Sehun waves him away, not wanting to call more attention to himself and have the professor scold him for not listening.

Sehun tries his hardest to calm his racing heart, his eyes locked onto the blank page of notes opened up in front of him, but he thinks that maybe, out of the corner of his eyes, he can see Jongin laughing at him and that only causes the heat to linger on his face long after class is over.

2.

A few weeks pass with no more interactions with Jongin, as per usual. Sehun had spent that time complaining endlessly about the fact that Jongin laughed at him that Baekhyun eventually retracted his protests that Jongin probably didn't mean it in a bad way and offered to kick Jongin's on Sehun's behalf instead.

Sehun had just smiled at his best friend in appreciation and shook his head. He was just being dramatic; it had been a while already and Jongin hadn't brought it up, so he just needed to get over it. Sure, the memory of his embarrassment is permanently seared into his mind and it'll probably rear it's ugly head at the worst of times (like when he's trying to sleep, damn it) but he'll at least spare Baekhyun of having to listen to him whine about it, since despite his generous offer to beat Jongin to his senses, Sehun can tell he's getting sick of it.

Instead, Sehun opts to focus on his studies, since he had been getting a bit behind on his assignments thanks to his little staring (admiring, really) problem.

Which is how he ends up at the library.

Completely, and utterly, lost.

Granted, he's only stepped foot inside this building like once before. And, unfortunately, that was during exam week last semester, so after learning that he's not the only one who waits till the last possible minute to study, he ended up quickly leaving after finding not one open seat.

So, he doesn't have as much experience with the layout of the place as he probably should.

And yeah, he could always ask whoever's on staff to point him in the right direction but, he's sure he can figure it out on his own.

Okay, so maybe the real reason he's not going up to the information desk is the fact that Jongin works at the library and he's currently stationed at said desk.

Sehun bites his lip once he spots Jongin sitting at the center of the first floor, his eyes, framed by black rimmed glasses, focused on the screen in front of him.

He had been hoping that Jongin wasn't scheduled to work today but alas, the world is against him. Sehun considers leaving (running away) for a few seconds but the deadline for his English paper is quickly approaching and his professor specifically stated that they needed at least three library sources for full credit, and he was currently sitting pretty at zero sources.

Which meant he had to it up and try to act like he knew what he was doing if he wanted full points.

'It's alright, Sehun. You can do this. He probably doesn't even care that you're here. Hell, he probably doesn't even know your name.' He sighs dejectedly before hoisting his backpack higher on his shoulder and focusing his gaze forward, chanting 'for god's sake, don't trip, don't trip' as he passes by in front of Jongin's desk.

Jongin doesn't even glance up from the computer once.

Sehun lets out the breath he didn't even realize he was holding in after he takes a seat at one of the available tables. He starts taking his supplies out of his bag and arranges them neatly around him, and once he's done he just sits there for a while, looking blankly around the room at the vast quantity of books, not knowing where to even start.

...

He was ed.

x

"What the hell? I've been here already!" Sehun mutters angrily, though there's no one near him, after finding himself in the Spanish section again.

This place was just too big and too complex to go at it blind, and Sehun had already wasted an hour of precious writing time.

Just as he was about to call it quits and trudge back to his table to collect his things and accept whatever grade he got, he feels a heavy weight land on top of his shoulder, literally jolting him out of his thoughts and causing a surprised squeak to escape his lips.

He hears a few shhh's from students sitting at the tables near him, and he colors before realizing that he's not alone in this section anymore and that someone was trying to get his attention. He turns slowly and the blush on his face only intensifies as he locks eyes with no one other than Jongin.

Jongin, with dark colored eyes and plush mouth and soft looking hair that Sehun desperately wants to run his fingers through. Jongin, with glasses that only made him look a thousand times hotter. Jongin, with an expectant look on his face and a smirk on his lips.

Wait... How long has he been staring? Did he say something?

"What..?" Sehun says dumbly and the smirk on Jongin's face only grows.

"I said," he begins, finally dropping his hold of Sehun's shoulder, who instantly misses the warmth and weight of it, "Your name is Oh Sehun, right?"

Sehun takes a moment to relish in the fact that Jongin actually does know his name and is voluntarily talking to him right now before he agrees with a small nod of his head, "Y-yeah."

"Well, Sehun, I'm Kim Jongin." He introduces himself, and Sehun has to bite back the "I know" that threatens to spill from his mouth.

"Anyway, I work at the information desk here at the library and I couldn't help but notice you running back and forth aimlessly like a chicken with its head cut off for over an hour and not a single book has made it back to your table. You also don't seem to be the studious type so I figured you've probably never stepped foot in here before and since you don't know the layout of the place, you can't find what you're looking for. So I thought maybe I could help you out." Jongin explains.

The smirk had long since faded and he's smiling softly and Sehun is certain that Jongin didn't mean for his words to sound harsh, but that doesn't stop the negative thoughts rushing through Sehun's mind (he only knows your name because he thinks you're dumb and makes fun of you, he pities you, he'll never like some as useless as you).

Outwardly, he laughs, "Nah, I'm good, thanks. I was just killing time. I was about to leave, actually. So I'll see you around?" He tries to seem nonchalant but he doesn't stick around to hear Jongin's reply because he's swiftly turning around and quickly making his way out of the stack of books.

' those extra points, I'm never coming back to the library.' He thinks as he's packing his bag, because yeah, he's a little bitter. But after he's done and he has had time to simmer down, he realizes that Jongin didn't actually say anything wrong. If anything, he pretty much hit the nail on the head, so why was he getting all worked up?

Maybe because he is the studious type (not really) and he definitely has stepped foot in here before, thank you very much.

Or maybe, it's the fact that it was Jongin who said all this to him. Maybe it's because he wanted to make a good first impression on Jongin but now all Jongin will associate him with is 'that dumb, weird kid with the staring problem who got ing lost in the library and wouldn't accept my help when he clearly needed it.'

Way to go, Sehun. Your one chance to actually talk to Jongin and you waste it by getting offended by the truth.

Sehun shrugs on his backpack and as pessimistic as he can be, he decides to give Jongin the benefit of the doubt, especially when he inevitably has to cross in front of Jongin's desk again to leave and the older boy looks up and gives him a small wave, and what Sehun believes to be an apologetic look in his eyes.

3.

A couple days pass and Jongin hasn't tried speaking to Sehun again.

Sehun tries to forget about the whole 'library incident,' as he's dubbed it, and he's doing a good job at it, especially when he does something else embarrassing in front of his crush to replace (more like add to) his previous humiliation.

He's not even sure how it happens, all he knows is that one minute he's talking animatedly to Baekhyun about his new puppy, Vivi, on their way to class when he notices Jongin and his group of friends walking their way. They're all laughing and Sehun wonders briefly if they're laughing at him because maybe Jongin's told them all about what happened that day at the library. It's unlikely, Jongin had seemed pretty sorry when Sehun was leaving the library, but it's not impossible, and that's what causes worry to churn in his stomach.

He picks up his pace, trying to pass the group of boys quickly and he's babbling incoherently as he tries to look anywhere but at the beautiful boy in the center.

He hears Baekhyun call out his name as he tries to catch up, but he just laughs and continues the earlier conversation, “Yeah, Vivi's the best dog ever! He's a really good listener and he loves to cuddle. Really, who needs a boyfriend? He's the only man I need in my life.”

“Sehun!”

He realizes too late that Baekhyun wasn't just trying to tell him to slow down, but also trying to warn him of the lamp post he was walking quickly towards.

It's too late to stop, though, and he smacks right into it, the impact sending him spiraling backward, his back colliding harshly with the ground. There's a throbbing that's spreading across his forehead and he clenches his eyes to stop himself from crying out in pain but they snap open seconds later when he registers faint laughter around him, and he locks onto Jongin's face above him.

.

Jongin's kneeling beside him and his face is close, too close.

Jongin breaks the gaze momentarily to look back to tell his friends to stop laughing, but then he's back to looking at Sehun, his gaze intense.

“Hey, are you alright?”

There's concern in his eyes and in his voice but all Sehun can think about is how he's managed to embarrass himself in front of Jongin yet again and he laughs forcefully.

“I'm good! Great, actually!” He blurts out and breaks the gaze quickly because he can feel his face turning scarlet, and he scrambles to his feet as fast as he can.

“Are you sure? That looked like it really hurt.”

Sehun sways a bit once he's back on his feet, but he dodges the hand Jongin tries to put on his shoulder to steady him, missing the look of hurt that flashes across Jongin's face for a few seconds.

“Baek,” Sehun calls, voice strangled. “We're late for class.” He says simply and doesn't wait for a reply before his feet start moving, and he refuses to look at Jongin as he brushes past him.

Sehun ends up with a gnarly looking bruise on his forehead, and he decides then and there that Jongin would never like a mess like him.

4.

Sehun tries his best to avoid Jongin the best that he can following his intimate moment with the lamp post, but it's hard when they have so many classes together. Sehun knew it was only a matter of time before he was forced to face Jongin again.

It happens during their last class of the day; dance class.

Now, Sehun's not a bad dancer. In fact, he's quite talented, a natural when it comes to learning steps and keeping his body in sync with the beat. All reasons why he was appointed specifically by their instructor to the school's dance team.

However, their dance instructor recently decided to switch things up on them and teach them a new type of choreography. Usually, Sehun's up to learn new dances and moves, but this new choreography is challenging his abilities. If it was a Contemporary Dance, he would've had little to no problems grasping the steps, but unfortunately for him, Performance dance isn't his strong suit.

It's not that Sehun can't do it, it's just that it's a form of dance that is out of his comfort zone. He isn't graceful or flexible enough to pirouette, or plié or do any other moves that require more gentleness and fluidity as opposed to the quick, harsh moves he's used to.

But, his spot on the dance team is on the line with their performance date closing in, so as class drags on, he struggles to keep up, tripping over his own feet multiple times and leaving steps out completely while everyone else seems to be doing just fine.

At one point, as he tries and subsequently fails to pirouette for the third time in a row, he notices Jongin walk up to their instructor and very obviously point him out. Sehun colors when they both turn to look at him and he quickly turns away and attempts to distract himself by going through the steps again. But the curiosity soon gets to him, so he cautiously looks up and watches as the two whisper to each other for a few seconds before the woman smiles and nods her head to whatever it is that Jongin has said.

Jongin throws him one last glance before taking his place back on the dance floor and Sehun has to force his mind to stop thinking about the possibility that Jongin was purposely pointing out his terrible dancing to the instructor.

But what for? Was Jongin trying to get him kicked off the dance team or something? No, Jongin wouldn't do that... would he?

When class ends, everyone quickly rushes to filter out of the room. Sehun takes his time packing his bag in order to give everyone time to leave so he can avoid being crushed by the crowd. After he feels enough time has passed, he shifts the bag over his shoulder and makes his way to the exit, eager to get home so he can take a shower and rest, but he's brought to an abrupt stop when he hears his instructor call out for him.

Sehun turns to face the older woman, and she smiles at him gently.

“Sehun, it was brought to my attention that you were having a bit of trouble with the choreography.” She says, and Sehun instantly frowns. So Jongin was criticizing him.

“I was, but I promise I'll get it down in time for the performance.” He says in an attempt to put her at ease so he could be dismissed, but the woman doesn't budge.

"I know you will because one of your fellow classmates has so kindly offered to help you out." She says and motions behind her. It's then that Sehun realizes that the room was not as empty as he previously thought it was, because as he looks around her, he spots Jongin leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile on his face. He lifts a hand to wave at him when he and Sehun lock eyes.

Sehun's eyes widen and he turns back to his teacher, a decline on his tongue, but the woman fixes him in place with a hard stare, “It was nice of Jongin to offer to do this so don't be rude, okay?”

She pats his shoulder, “You all have to be at your very best for the performance on Friday, so if anyone can help you be ready in no time, it's Jongin. Now, lock up after you're done, alright?” She pulls out a key from her pocket and tosses it to Jongin, who catches it easily.

“Try not to destroy the place, boys!” She calls out as she leaves, and Sehun finds himself alone with Jongin.

.

Sehun's breath hitches when he hears Jongin's shoes squeak against the floor as he makes his way over to him, and he steels himself for the ridicule he was sure to receive for all the embarrassing things he's done recently.

Except it doesn't come.

Instead, he feels his bag being pulled carefully off his shoulder, and he awakens from his stupor when it lands on the floor with a small thud.

He slowly looks up at Jongin, who only smiles again, "You can't dance with your bag on. Now, c'mon, let's start from the beginning." He says simply before he turns and makes his way to the sound system set up by the mirrors. He presses play on the stereo and music begins to filter through the speakers located in the room.

Sehun blinks as he tries to piece everything together. So what he saw earlier between Jongin and the instructor; Jongin wasn't trying to get him kicked off the team, he was just offering to help. But, why would he waste his time to help someone lame like him? Why?

“...-and that's why.”

The younger boy is pulled from his thoughts when he hears Jongin say something, and he realizes that the last part of his internal monolog wasn't exactly internal. Unfortunately, Sehun had been too busy questioning things in his mind that he missed the whole explanation and was only able to catch the end.

“What did you say?” He asks, trying to keep his voice steady because his heart tends to pick up speed whenever he tries to talk to the older boy.

It's only for a split second since Jongin quickly turns his back to him and begins fiddling with the stereo, but Sehun swears he sees a pink color staining Jongin's cheeks.

“I said, I'm helping you because, when it comes down to it, I'm the most experienced with Performance Dance. Not to mention that I'm the lead dancer on the team.”

Sehun winces when the pieces start to line up.

Ah, of course, that made sense. Sehun was aware that Jongin had taken ballet classes when he was younger, so him being the most experienced in the class was true. And as the leader, it was Jongin's responsibility to make sure everyone on the team with him was dancing at their very best, especially when it came down to their performances. So, Jongin wasn't really doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but more so because he felt obligated to get involved so Sehun didn't embarrass them in front of the school.

'I'm an idiot.' Sehun thinks bitterly, but he makes up his mind to not run away like he did at the library. He was obviously in desperate need of help to get the choreography down fast, so if Jongin was offering, regardless of his intentions, Sehun wouldn't turn it down.

“Oh. Okay.” Sehun mutters and nods, trying to not let his disappointment show through.

Once Jongin was satisfied with the settings on the stereo, he turns and walks over to him again, a determined look on his face. “Alright, let's start with some of your problem areas.”

*

An hour later and Sehun has pretty much everything down to a T. Jongin was actually really good at explaining things and was extremely patient. He didn't get upset or start scolding whenever Sehun messed up. It was no wonder why he was the leader of the team.

Everything was going pretty well.

That is, until Jongin suggests they practice how to pirouette since that was the last thing Sehun needed to improve on. That's when things go straight to hell.

No matter how many ways Jongin explains it, and no matter how many times Jongin demonstrates it, Sehun just can't get the hang of it. He spins out of control and ends up having to stop to fight away dizziness.

Sehun curses under his breath once his world finally stops moving, “I can't do it, Jongin.” He complains bitterly.

“Yes, you can. Just try one more time.” Jongin persists, and Sehun only pouts.

“We've been at it for over an hour, not to mention we also had dance class before this. I'm beat, and I'm sure you are too so, let's just call it quits already.”

Jongin bites at his plump bottom lip and Sehun tries so hard not to stare because, honestly, it's kinda hot.

“Let's make a deal, okay?”

This takes Sehun by surprise. He raises an eyebrow at him, “What kind of deal?” He asks, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

Jongin grins, “Give me one more chance to teach you this move and if you still can't get it after that, we'll stop, alright?”

The younger boy huffs, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. “We've tried everything and I still can't get it, so what's the point?”

Something shines in Jongin's eyes, “Not everything.” He says in a sing-song voice. “I may have some other way to teach you.” He looks at Sehun with determination, “So... do we have a deal?”

Sehun is not convinced, but for some reason, he has a feeling Jongin won't quit until he agrees, so he sighs. "Alright, fine. So, what's your new method? Lay it on me."

And Jongin does just that.

He moves swiftly behind Sehun's body and lays his hands firmly on the younger boy's waist, causing Sehun to let out an embarrassing squeak at the sudden touch.

“W-What are you doing??” He asks in a rush, and he mentally scolds himself for how high his voice had become.

“I'm trying a more 'hands on' approach," Jongin explains and he laughs at his own joke. The corniness of it and the bright sound of his laugh definitely doesn't fill Sehun up with warmth. Nope. Definitely doesn’t. (It does.) “Now, stop talking, we made a deal, so let me do this.”

Sehun can't bring himself to protest (not like he wanted to).

“First off, make sure your back is straight and your shoulders are back.” He runs his hands up the small of Sehun's back slowly and traces his spine. Sehun in a breath and stiffens instantly. The hands then cup his shoulders and gently pull them back until Sehun's posture is stable.

"Good," Jongin says, and he's so close to Sehun's ear that the boy's breath sends a jolt up and down Sehun's body.

Jongin moves in front of him and then promptly sinks down to his knees so he can easily grab a hold of Sehun's ankles, “Fifth position, remember? We did this in the beginning.” Jongin tells him and he maneuvers and turns Sehun's ankles until they're positioned correctly.

Sehun had had a bit of trouble earlier with this position because it was extremely uncomfortable and it strained his muscles, but all of Sehun's complaints die in his throat as he stares down at Jongin. His eyes trace the soft curve of Jongin's nose, down to where his top lip juts out and heat starts to pool in the pit of his stomach as he takes in their positions, but he's quickly pulled out his thoughts when he hears Jongin clear his throat. He eyes snap up and he finds Jongin staring up at him, his eyes shining and a smirk lifting the corner of the older boy's mouth.

“Uh,” Sehun supplies dumbly.

Jongin grins at this and raises up to his full height. “Your arms, first position.” He explains again as he grabs Sehun's arms and raises them directly in front of his rib cage, curving them gently. “Yeah, just like that.”

The older boy continues like this for the rest of the steps; he'd name the position before maneuvering Sehun's body himself, his hands always leaving a trail of fire on Sehun's skin.

It's torture, having the object of his affection touch him so casually yet so intimately. Sehun nearly lost it when one of Jongin's hands accidentally ran down Sehun's thigh as he explained how to do a passé position.

It all comes to a boiling point when Jongin returns to stand behind him and instructs him to try to spin three times. Sehun does, but what he doesn't expect is Jongin helping him keep steady by planting his hands on his hips, spinning him with gentle turns of his hands. It takes him by surprise and he stumbles, and the only reason he doesn't end up face planting is the fact that Jongin brings Sehun to a stop by pressing his fingers into his flesh and pulling Sehun's body flush against Jongin's firm chest, his fingers skating around to Sehun's abdomen.

Up to this point, Sehun had been successfully fighting off the uncomfortable pang of arousal that was building up inside of him, but with Jongin's warm body pressing firmly up against his, his hot breath on his neck, and his fingers gripping him tightly, he quickly succumbs.

“Jongin...”

The name unconsciously rolls off Sehun's tongue in a breathy gasp, his eyes falling closed as his head lolls back onto Jongin's shoulder.

Silence.

The fingers on Sehun's hips suddenly tighten even more.

"...Did you just moan my name?" Jongin's voice is low and somewhat hesitant. There's something else mixed in there but Sehun doesn't have time to figure out if it's disgust, or humor, or (dare he say) arousal.

No, he's too busy snapping his eyes open in horror as the realization hits him and he rips himself out of Jongin's embrace, his face burning hot with humiliation.

He purposefully ignores Jongin's question and all but bolts out of the room. He hears Jongin calling out for him in the distance, but all he can do is keep running and pray that the world would just take pity on him and open up and swallow him whole.

Sehun doesn't stop running until he's back in his own room. His lungs are burning and his hair is drenched with sweat and his heart is beating a million miles per minute and his face is probably going to stay permanently red, but he's home, he’s safe.

He's embarrassed and angry and sad and he wants to hide under his covers forever but he's sticky with sweat so he decides he can wallow in his own self-pity and hide from the world after he's cleaned up.

It's later when he's in the shower that he notices the light purple bruises that are slowing starting to form on his hips from how tightly Jongin was holding him. He pokes one curiously and he instantly winces from the dull pain that attacks his nerves. It shouldn't, but it also sends a thrill up his spine knowing he's been marked by Jongin, but it all comes crashing down when he realizes with a jolt that he left his bag at the studio. With Jongin.

.

He couldn't go back and risk facing Jongin again. Scratch that, there was no way he could face Jongin ever again.

But, what could he do? It's not like his parents would be okay with him just quitting school or asking to transfer so late in the school year.

No, he was gonna have to live with the fact that he ing moaned his crush's name in front of said crush.

...

Oh god, he was ed.

5.

Sehun decided to skip school the next day, for obvious reasons. It was easy enough for him to convince his mom to let him stay home, the thought of what happened the day before was enough to send his skin ablaze, making it seem like he had a fever. He knew he'd have to go back sooner or later, but he definitely preferred the latter.

He spends the majority of the day in bed, staring at the ceiling as the minutes tick slowly by. His phone has been going off like crazy, most likely with texts from Baekhyun asking where the hell he is, but Sehun's too busy feeling bad about himself to answer.

At around four in the afternoon, just as Sehun is about to drift off to sleep for the third time that day, he hears the doorbell ring in the distance. He stubbornly shuts his eyes and ignores it, knowing his mom would answer it.

However, the bell keeps ringing, and ringing, and ringing. Grumbling to himself, he rips the covers off himself and steps out of his room.

"Mom, there's someone at the door!" He shouts but receives no response.

“Where is she?” He mumbles, and he's about to set off in search for her but whoever is at the door has now started knocking and Sehun frowns.

His hair is in a complete disarray and he's wearing an old white t-shirt riddled with holes and he's in pink boxers and only has one sock on but he doesn't give a damn, he's gonna give whoever is at the door a piece of his mind.

Besides, it's probably just Baekhyun coming to yell at him for 'abandoning him' at school and for ignoring his messages.

“What do you want, Baek-” The words abruptly die in Sehun's throat when he fully opens the door and realizes that it's not Baekhyun on the other side.

It's Jongin.

Jongin is standing on his doorstep, looking so soft and beautiful in a white t-shirt and beige cardigan and dark blue jeans and wearing pristine white sneakers. He looks so good and it's then that Sehun remembers how he looks and his eyes widen, his arm already moving to close the door.

“Wait!” Jongin places a hand on the door and prevents it from closing completely.

Sehun curses under his breath because he can't bring him to just heartlessly slam the door on Jongin's face when the boy's done nothing wrong so he it up and opens the door a bit more, “W-What are you doing here, Jongin?” He manages to ask, his eyes firmly locked on the older boy's shoes.

“I brought your bag. You kinda left it at the studio after you... uh, left,” he hears Jongin say, and Sehun notices the black bag hanging from Jongin's fingertips. “I was going to give it to you during class, but you never showed up so...” He trails off and Sehun can't help but feel a bit guilty for making Jongin hold onto his stuff the whole day.

...

Wait a second...

Sehun opens the door fully and finally looks at him in the eyes, “How'd you know where I lived?” He asks, because, obviously, Jongin's never been to his house before.

Jongin's cheeks turn a nice shade of pink and he rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, “I might have asked your friend Baekhyun for your address.”

Sehun mentally makes a note to kill Baekhyun before another thought occurs to him.

“So, why didn't you just hand my bag over to Baekhyun so he could bring it to me?”

It's Jongin's turn to look away. “Because I wanted to talk you.” He mutters and Sehun's breath catches in his throat.

“Jongin...” He starts because he'd rather not trudge up what happened yesterday because the embarrassment is still fresh in his mind, but Jongin seems determined to get whatever he needs to say off his chest.

“I wanted to apologize if I overstepped my boundaries in any way yesterday. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and we don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to. In fact, I'll forget that it even happened, if you want me to.”

For the first time that day, Sehun finds himself smiling, “That's not how it works.”

Jongin laughs and smiles back, “Yeah, I guess you're right.”

Sehun can't help but feel a flutter in his heart at the beautiful smile on the tanned boy's lips, but he gets a hold of himself quickly, “Besides, it should be me who's saying all of that. I mean, I was the one who... made things weird.” He says, trying to address the elephant in the room but trying not to use the word 'moan' because it sounds so filthy and Sehun really really doesn't want to freak out Jongin again.

“I mean,” Jongin starts, the pink on his cheeks deepening to a red, “It did take me by surprise at first, but I gotta tell you that I actually didn't min-”

“Sehun, honey? What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting.” A voice rings from behind Sehun, cutting off Jongin's next words.

Sehun turns around and finds his mother walking towards them, “Mom? Where were you? Someone was at the door. I couldn't find you so I just answered it myself.”

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I was out back tending the garden, I didn't hear the bell ring." The older woman comes to stand beside Sehun and smiles gently at Jongin, "Why, hello there, young man. What brings you to our humble home?"

“Oh, I'm Sehun's classmate. I just came to return some things he accidentally left at school yesterday.” Jongin explains with a smile after bowing politely at her.

“Well, that's awfully nice of him, isn't it, Sehun? You should invite him in for some tea as thanks.” She says and Sehun's eyes widen.

“Ah! N-No, Jongin was just about to leave, actually.” He lies. He was still embarrassed about what occurred yesterday, and there was no way he was going to let his mother add to his humiliation. She had a bad habit of telling embarrassing stories about things he did as a child to their guests.

But apparently, his mother was intent on embarrassing him either way.

“Jongin? As in Kim Jongin? The boy on your dance team that you're hopelessly in love with? Did you know he talks constantly about you, about how amazing you are?” She blabbers, directing the last statements to Jongin, who can only gape with wide eyes and Sehun really, really wants to drop dead.

Sehun doesn't have second thoughts this time when he slams the door shut on Jongin's face, the noise loud enough to startle Jongin out of his stupor.

The older boy blinks dumbly at the door, hearing shouts inside of the house of “That was really rude of you, Sehun!” and “You're the one spilling my secrets, mom!”

And before Jongin can even move a muscle, the door is ripped open again and Sehun snatches his bag out of Jongin's hand, the door slamming back shut seconds after Sehun disappears back inside.

'Well, that was interesting...' Jongin thinks with a smirk as he slips his hands into his front pockets and begins to walk back to his home.

+1

Sehun's mom forces him to go to school the next day, not only because she realizes that Sehun is faking, but also because she's threatening to ground him indefinitely if he doesn't go to class and apologize to Jongin for being so rude yesterday.

Sehun grumbles and whines, but he's quickly silenced by a single look from his mother, and knowing he's been beaten, he trudges to his room to get ready for the day.

When Sehun arrives on school grounds, he's immediately pounced on, his body being sent forward and he would've fallen if it wasn't for his quick reaction time.

“Baek, what the hell?!” Sehun turns to yell once the shorter boy climbs off his back.

Baekhyun crosses his arms over his chest, a frown on his face, “I could say the same to you! Where were you yesterday?! I texted you like a billion times!”

Sehun rolls his eyes; he was expecting this. “I was sick.” He says simply and turns his back on him to walk towards the building.

The older boy scoffs and rushes to his side, “That's a lie. Jongin told me everything that happened at the studio so you were obviously hiding like a coward.”

Sehun stops dead in his tracks and turns to look at him, his eyes wide, “He told you?!”

"Well," Baekhyun starts, an evil glint in his eyes, "I may have forced it out of him. He came up to me yesterday after class asking if I knew where you were, and when I asked why he wanted to know, he got all flustered and so, of course, I had to mess with him a bit."

“You're an ,” Sehun shakes his head, “And you gave him my address too! Do you have any idea what a mess you've made?”

Baekhyun reacts the complete opposite to what Sehun was expecting, but he shouldn't be surprised, really. Instead of being sympathetic, the older boy's face lights up, “Ooh, what happened?” He pries, like the nosy punk he is.

A sigh leaves Sehun's lips, “What didn't happen is a better question. At first, I thought it was you at the door so I didn't think twice when I opened the door, so imagine my surprise when I see Jongin instead, looking all gorgeous and I look like utter and I wasn't even wearing pants, I was in my boxers-"

“Not the pink ones!” Baekhyun interrupts with a dramatic gasp and Sehun rolls his eyes again.

“Yes, the pink ones...” He admits grudgingly, knowing Baekhyun was quite familiar with the pink boxers since Sehun tends to wear them whenever Baekhyun stays over for a movie night.

“Keep going, keep going!” The older boy pesters and honestly, how is he the oldest between the two of them? He asks like a child the majority of the time.

“And my mom happened to come into the conversation, and as soon as she realized that it was Jongin at the door, she ran off and literally blabbed to Jongin that I was in love with him.” Sehun finishes, his cheeks aflame, and a frown on his face.

“No way, that's sounds like a plot to a badly written fanfic...” Baekhyun mutters breathlessly before his eyes widen and he looks up at Sehun expectantly, “And?? How did Jongin react?”

The frown on Sehun's face deepens, “Like he just found out that the dance program was being cut. He looked so scared, Baek.” Sehun wilts sadly. “He probably thinks I'm a freak and hates me now.

The smaller boy tuts, "He doesn't hate you, Sehun. He was probably just in shock." He reassures as he massages the taller boy's back soothingly.

Sehun pouts, “And what makes you so sure about that?”

His friend shrugs nonchalantly, “'Cause he's actually pretty nice, and he might've mentioned something during our conversation yesterday..." He trails off and then grins wickedly at Sehun's wide eyes.

“What? What did he say??”

Baekhyun childishly zips his lips, a sparkle in his eyes. “I'm not telling you, that'd be rude.”

“Oh my god,” Sehun whines, “You can't just say something like that and not explain!”

Baekhyun tilts his head and grins, “Yeah, well, you aren't supposed to ditch me and ignore my messages, but you did exactly that, so consider this as my revenge.”

Baekhyun is the worst.

“I hate you...” Sehun says, no real bite to his words.

“You love me. Now, come on, class is about to start.” Baekhyun ushers them inside, and Sehun instantly feels the butterflies in his stomach return full force at the thought of having to see Jongin in class later that day.

*

Sehun's managed to avoid running into Jongin for the majority the day. It wasn't hard, considering Jongin's been absent from all their shared classes and Sehun can't help but feel that maybe he's part of the reason why; feel that Jongin is so disgusted that Sehun has feelings for him that he can't stand to be in the same room with him.

“Don't be so dramatic,” Baekhyun replies once Sehun tells him this as they make their way to the cafeteria. Baekhyun's busy typing away on his phone and Sehun's had to push him out of the way more than once to avoid having the older boy run into something. “There's only room for one dramatic person in our friendship and that's me.”

Sehun rolls his eyes, “Yeah, you got that role completely covered.” He sighs, “But I'm being serious, Baek. I mean, there has to be some kind of connection, right? My mom blurts out to Jongin that I'm in love with him and all of a sudden, Jongin's gone M.I.A?”

“Ooor,” Baekhyun drawls out, “Maybe he just decided to ditch school and not tell anyone.” He looks up and sends Sehun a look that causes the younger to flush.

“I said I was sorry.” Sehun mumbles, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The shorter boy waves him off before focusing back on his screen, “I forgive you. Anyway, believe me! I'm a thousand percent sure his absence doesn't have anything to do with your little confession,” He pauses, “At least, not in the way you think it does.” He answers mysteriously and Sehun narrows his eyes at him.

“What does that mean?”

Baekhyun shrugs, “I'm just saying, don't let your mind automatically think of the worst case scenario. ”

Sehun frowns, “You've been acting shiftier than usual. Not to mention, you've been glued to your phone practically all day. It's a wonder how you haven't been caught by the teachers yet...” He whispers the last bit to himself in awe.

“You're hiding something, aren't you? Something besides what Jongin told you when you two talked.” He continues.

"You're smarter than you look," Baekhyun says with a grin, laughing at how Sehun's frown deepens, "But don't worry, you'll find soon enough~" The boy winks before pushing through the doors of the bustling lunchroom.

"You're infuriating, you know that," Sehun says once he catches up to the shorter boy.

Baekhyun sticks out his tongue, “It's one of my many charms.”

“Yeah, you're a real charmer-”

“Sehun?”

Sehun freezes.

He knows that voice.

That deep, beautiful voice that Sehun could listen for hours to.

That voice that belonged to the one person Sehun was sure would never want to talk to him again after all that's happened.

“J-Jongin...” Sehun starts as he slowly turns around to face the boy, nervousness settling into the pit of his stomach and making his palms and brow sweaty.

However, the breath gets stuck in his throat because when turns around completely, his eyes are immediately drawn to the item held tightly in between Jongin's fingers.

It's a bouquet.

A bouquet of gorgeous pink tulips wrapped elegantly in a white ribbon, a bow tied in the center.

“Sehun...” Jongin repeats, a little breathlessly.

Sehun manages to tear his eyes off the flowers to look up at Jongin's face, which is glowing a similar shade of pink as the tulips in his hands. He gulps dryly, “Yes?” He asks, voice quiet.

He watches with wide eyes as Jongin slowly sinks down to one knee, the flowers being up to him in an offering.

“Sehun, I really like you! Will you go out with me?!” Jongin exclaims loudly in one breath, his eyes instantly clenching shut once the words are out.

Sehun blinks.

W-What?

This can't be happening, right?

Did Jongin just confess to him? And ask him out?

In front of the whole cafeteria?

Wait.

In front of the whole-?

....

It's then that it dawns on Sehun that they're not alone. They're in the middle of the cafeteria, and, now that Sehun's paying attention, he notices that it's oddly quiet.

Sparing a quick glance up, Sehun's fears are immediately confirmed.

All of their fellow school mates have fallen quiet, watching them with curious eyes.

Sehun feels the blood rushing to his cheeks; he's never been fond of having too much attention on himself, and right now, they're literally in the center of everyone's attention.

Sehun is completely mortified. And it with cold realization that he registers the fact that he has yet to answer Jongin's proposal.

He hesitantly looks down at the other boy, whose eyes are open now, staring back at Sehun, his gaze intense.

And it's too much. His heart is thumping and pounding too intensely, his mind is going haywire and his face and body feel too hot and he just wants to get out of there and Jongin...

And Jongin is still on his knee with those beautiful flowers in his hands and it just doesn't make any sense! Sehun's awkward and weird and clumsy and Jongin could definitely do better! There's no way Jongin can like him back, this all has to be some sick, cruel joke!

Sehun's blood is boiling with rage and humiliation as he grabs onto Jongin's forearm harshly and hauls him up until Jongin's back on both feet. He spins around and pulls Jongin behind him, who struggles to keep up with Sehun's quick pace.

“Sehun!” Jongin exclaims once Sehun has dragged him out of the cafeteria, but the younger boy ignores him and continues tugging him along even further.

Sehun doesn't let him go until they're outside of the building and Sehun is sure that they're alone.

“If you were going to reject me, you should've just done it in the cafeteria. I was already embarrassed as it was, asking you out like that, so you weren't saving me any face by dragging me out here to do so.” Jongin says, voice quiet.

Sehun laughs dryly, “You? Embarrassed? Why? It's not like any of that was real.”

Jongin's eyebrows knit together, “What are you talking about? It was real!”

Sehun shakes his head defiantly, “No, there's no way you like me! Did you just ask me out because my mom blurted out that I had feelings for you so you thought I'd be easy? No way.” He crosses his arms over his chest.

“Easy? Sehun, no! That's not it!” Jongin argues desperately. “Yeah, I admit, confessing to you after hearing what your mom said might've not been the best move now that I think about it. It probably made this seem kinda sketchy... but I figured if she was telling the truth, then I had nothing to lose by confessing because I already knew you felt the same!”

Sehun freezes at Jongin's words. “W-Wait, so you're saying... you have actual feelings for me?” He asks quietly, voice shaky.

“Yeah, I am! I thought it might've been kind of obvious that I have a gigantic crush on you,” Jongin pauses, “But, judging by your face, you had no idea, huh?”

Sehun shakes his head slowly, mentally absorbing all of this information, “No... Honestly? I thought you hated me.”

“What?” Jongin's eyes grow wide, “No! Why would you think that?” He sounds almost offended, and Sehun flinches.

“I guess I just assumed?”

“But I-... I thought it was so clear. Chanyeol told me I was being really blatant, oh my god.” Jongin drags a hand over his face and exhales loudly.

“How were you being obvious? We never even really talked before.”

Jongin blushes, “Well, I was staring at you in class that one time and you saw me.”

Sehun is taken aback, “What? I thought you caught me. That's why I flipped out and turned away so quick! I even genuinely thought you were laughing at me once I turned back.”

Jongin scratches his cheek sheepishly, “I might've laughed a bit because you looked so cute all flustered and embarrassed.”

It's Sehun's turn to groan.

“Okay, well... what about the time in the library? No offense, but you were kinda rude?” Sehun flushes, “Even though what you said was absolutely true...”

Jongin winces, “I know, and I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make excuses, but it definitely didn't help that just talking to you was nerve-wracking enough for me, so I just ended up blurting out words and I didn't even realize what I was saying until it was too late.”

“Oh,” Sehun says simply, at a loss for words.

“And,” Jongin continues, “In case you need more convincing, I kind of rushed over to you when I saw you fall over that time. Chanyeol said I had this really worried look on my face, and also said I looked absolutely murderous when I turned around to tell them to stop laughing at you.”

Sehun can't help but smile a bit, seeing Jongin so desperate to prove that he does indeed like him. It's cute. Also, incredibly unbelievable.

“But you think I'm a bad dancer, right?” Sehun suddenly blurts out, catching Jongin by surprise, but this has been bothering him. “At dance practice. You told me you were just helping me because you were the most experienced and because you were the team leader.”

Jongin blushes scarlet, “...I lied.” He admits softly.

“W-What?” The younger boy stutters, “Why lie?”

Jongin absentmindedly runs a finger across one of the tulips, "Because, you weren't paying attention the first time I explained why and I was too embarrassed to repeat myself."

Sehun bites his lip, "I'm sorry, I didn't even mean to ask why back then. I guess I just blurted out without knowing while I was lost in my thoughts so I had no idea you were even talking."

"It's okay," Jongin smiles softly, "But since we're being honest, I'll tell you the real reason why. I really wanted to help you out because I could see that you were trying so hard, but you were struggling to get the routine down. And I didn't want you to lose your spot on the team for our upcoming performance because of that. You deserve to be on that stage because you're an amazing dancer, Sehun. Yeah, everyone has weaknesses but I knew you could overcome yours with just a bit more help, so that why I offered.”

The red on his cheeks darkens, "And, also because I was selfish and I wanted to spend time with you since you were kinda avoiding me."

Sehun feels his own cheeks grow hot, “Uh, yeah. I was still embarrassed that you saw me wipe out.” He laughs shyly.

Jongin nods, “I get it.”

It's quiet for a moment as they both avoid the elephant in the room.

“Uh,” Jongin clears his throat, “When I went to your house yesterday...” He trails off.

“Y-Yeah?” Sehun prods.

"Nice boxers, by the way." Jongin jokes with a smirk as if trying to ease the tension, and Sehun can't help but groan in exasperation.

"If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have opened the door looking like that.” Sehun clarifies, and Jongin laughs before he grows more serious.

“Anyway, you were apologizing because you said that you made things weird when you, uh, well, you know, in the practice room before you ran off, and I said it took me by surprised at first. Do you remember?” He asks.

And Sehun nods, because, yeah, he remembers, painfully well.

“Well, before your mother came, I was saying something else...”

Sehun racks his brain, and yeah, Jongin was about to say something before his mother entered the picture.

"I was gonna say that I honestly didn't mind that you did that because I actually sort of liked it? The way you sounded..." He stops abruptly again with a blush and Sehun feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest because, is Jongin really saying that he liked that Sehun moaned out his name?

Is this really happening?

“S-Sorry, that was a little too bold, yeah?” Jongin chuckles awkwardly, a hand rubbing the back of his head.

“I liked it.” Sehun blabbers again, and Jongin raises an eyebrow in confusion.

“W-What?”

Sehun looks away in embarrassment, “When you were helping me with doing pirouettes, I ended up losing my footing and you helped me keep my balance by holding on to me. So tight actually that I sort of ended up with bruises on my hips...”

Jongin's eyes widen, “I had no idea. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry,” Sehun says, “I just said I liked it, didn't I?”

“Oh, yeah...” Jongin whispers, just barely audible.

They're skirting around dangerous territory. There's an electric current in the air between them, so Sehun laughs to try to dispel the tension a bit.

“Sorry, I just wanted to be bold too.”

Jongin smiles.

“You're cute.”

Sehun pouts, “Am not.”

Jongin laughs, that bright, tinkling laugh that Sehun has fallen in love with , so he can't help it when he finds himself smiling back.

When he quiets down, Jongin glances down at the flowers in his hand, “I shouldn't have confessed in public like that. I know now that it was embarrassing for both of us. But Baekhyun said it'd be romantic.”

"Wait. Baekhyun told you to confess like that?" Sehun questions and the older boy nods.

“Yeah. He kinda forced me into admitting that I liked you when I asked him for your address. I didn't think he'd have any reason to talk to me again after that so I was surprised when he messaged me earlier today saying that you told him everything that went down yesterday at your house.”

“He asked if I was planning on confessing now that I knew that you felt the same way and I told him I wanted to but I wasn't sure how and he said confessing in public with flowers would be romantic and I believed him. That's why I wasn't in classes earlier; I was out trying to pick the best flowers for you.” Jongin admits shyly and Sehun inwardly groans because, of course, that would explain why Baekhyun was on his phone earlier and why he said that Sehun would 'find out soon enough.'

The little punk knew all along.

“Don't listen to Baekhyun. Like, ever.” Sehun mutters.

Jongin chuckles, “Right. But, since I already have them, do you want to know why I picked this specific flower?” He asks, and Sehun nods, curiosity peaked.

“The lady at the flower shop told me that tulips signify a declaration of love. So, I thought they were appropriate, considering the situation, you know?” He explains softly, and Sehun can feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes when Jongin holds the flowers out to him.

Sehun carefully takes them into his own hands, “They're beautiful. Thank you.”

"Uhm, do you... Do you believe me now?" Jongin asks gently as if he's afraid of Sehun's answer.

Sehun blushes, “Yeah... I do believe you, Jongin. I'm sorry I doubted you...”

The older boy shakes his head in understanding, “It's alright. I understand why you did.”

“But if the offer still stands...” Sehun begins hesitantly.

"I don't know..." Jongin says noncommittally, and before Sehun can feel crestfallen, he grins mischievously and adds, "I thought you said Vivi was the only man you needed in your life."

Sehun's ears burn in embarrassment as he face-palms, “Oh my god, you heard that?” He drops his hand and mutters, “Apparently, you're not the only one who blabbers when they're nervous.”

Jongin smiles, “That just means we're a good match, yeah? So yes, the offer still stands.”

“Then I accept,” Sehun smiles, a blush on hi face, “I will go out with you, Jongin.”

“Great!” Jongin exclaims brightly, before he smiles sheepishly, “I mean, that's good.” He says in a calmer voice, and Sehun laughs.

“Can I kiss you?” Jongin suddenly asks, and Sehun is taken aback for a second before he smiles.

“You don't have to ask, you know. Just do it.”

Jongin nods before stepping closer. Once he's in reach, he raises a hand and cups Sehun's jaw gently, thumb rubbing soothing circles on Sehun's skin, causing Sehun's eyes to flutter close.

The tip of Jongin's nose grazes Sehun's cheek tenderly before he leans in further and kisses him, eyes sliding shut as his mouth applies a firm, sweet pressure. Sehun presses back, his free hand reaching out to grip the front of Jongin's shirt, fingertips pulling and dragging the other closer as their heads tilt, the kiss deepening.

They pull back after a few more seconds, foreheads touching and breaths mingling as they try to catch their breaths.

“That okay?”

Jongin asks, and Sehun can only nod. Hell, his eyes aren't even open yet. He's still reveling in the actual feel of Jongin's lips on his own, and the fact that that this is actually happening, that he nearly misses Jongin's whisper.

“Wanna do it again?”

“Yeah.”

Then it's Sehun who's pressing back in. This time, it's fevered; a little rushed, mouths pliant and eager.

Sehun gasps quietly when Jongin's hand circles around his nape, the fingers carding through the short hair there as Jongin swipes his tongue across Sehun's bottom lip. When Jongin slips his tongue into Sehun's mouth, Jongin's other hand finds its way to Sehun's hip, fingers press firmly into skin and Sehun whines into the other's mouth before shuffling closer.

Their tongues slide and curl around one another, and when Sehun breaks away, even more, breathless than before, there's a string of saliva connecting them.

“Mmm, one more time.”

He says, and Jongin quickly latches back on.

*
When Jongin and Sehun finally decide to make their way back to the cafeteria, their clothes and hair are disheveled, matching blushes and wide smiles on their faces, and their lips are suspiciously red. Their hands are linked in between them, fingers entwined tightly while Sehun's free hand holds onto the tulips.

Sehun can feel several eyes on them once they enter the room, and a few cat calls are made at their appearance, and also a few cheers, and he can't help but flush deeper, but it's okay, because Jongin squeezes his hand comfortingly and it suddenly doesn't matter that they both embarrassed themselves in front of the whole school. He's still going to kick Baekhyun's for interfering unnecessarily. And maybe thank him for it. But probably not.