Thursday morning came too fast for Soobin’s liking. He was both expecting and dreading meeting Yeonjun. Had they really been flirting or had Soobin read the signs wrong? He found it silly, at the age of 32, to be stressing about whether or not he had flirted with his very attractive co-worker. But after rereading the messages, he couldn’t deny it, they had flirted. That brought up another question for Soobin: would they also flirt face to face? Soobin knew he probably wouldn’t but, knowing Yeonjun, the older could. That made butterflies come alive in his belly and he was surprised to discover that he liked the idea of Yeonjun flirting with him. He liked the attention and he also was sure that if he felt like it, if he felt confident and comfortable enough, he would flirt back. Soobin couldn’t wait anymore to see Yeonjun but he had to wait. Getting ready and going to school would take at least an hour. More if he kept daydreaming. So, Soobin got up and got ready at speedlight, deciding to walk to school instead of taking the bus. The sun was shining as spring was coming closer and Soobin hoped it was a good sign.

“Hi, hyung,” Beomgyu greeted Soobin when he entered the staff room.

“Hey, Beomgyu. How are you?” Soobin joyfully asked.

“I’m great. Not as happy as you are but nearly. Is it the fact that it’s Thursday that makes you this happy?” Beomgyu asked, giggling.

“He met Minhyuk hyung yesterday,” Taehyun butted in, taking Beomgyu’s cup of coffee from his hand and taking a sip. “But I’ve never seen him this happy after seeing hyungie so something else must have happened,” Taehyun added, looking suspiciously at Soobin. “Did something else happen?”

“None of your business,” Soobin replied, sticking his tongue out before making himself a cup of coffee and leaving the room.

He sipped on his coffee, feeling all giddy as he walked to his classroom. When he arrived, he took some time to look through the windows. He watched the student who were beginning to arrive, some still sleepy others very energetic as they made their way to their friends. Soobin smiled to himself. He loved looking at the kids, it reminded him of his own school experience. He related more to the sleepy students and that made him chuckle a bit more audibly.

“What makes you so happy in the morning?” a voice asked and Soobin turned around, ready to greet Yeonjun.

But he found himself unable to find any word.

Yeonjun’s hair was black. Wasn’t he blonde? What happened? And does he look hotter with black hair?

After some seconds of just staring at Yeonjun, the latter giggled.

“Cat got your tongue?” he asked, crossing the room to get right in front of Soobin. They were so close Soobin could smell a flowery scent coming from Yeonjun. “You were a little more talkative last night, weren’t you?” he asked, winking.

Soobin had been right, Yeonjun was totally flirting now but he found it difficult to reciprocate. After clearing his throat and making sure his voice would actually come out, he spoke.

“Last night, I didn’t know you had black hair,” he said, relieved that his voice sounded normal.

“Really? What would you have done if you had known?” Yeonjun asked, getting a tad closer.

Soobin smirked and, sensing an ounce of courage surging inside of him, placed his fingers under Yeonjun’s chin, tilting his head up.

“I would have asked you for a picture and told you how hotter you looked like this.”

Yeonjun’s eyes darkened as his mouth fell open and Soobin felt pride swell in his chest. Rendering Yeonjun speechless was quite an achievement, in Soobin’s opinion at least.

“I get you like it then,” Yeonjun said, his voice almost a whisper.

“I do,” Soobin replied and he knew that if Yeonjun kept looking at him like this, his eyes half-lidded and his plump lips half-open, he would kiss him. He was tempted – who wouldn’t! – but he was afraid that once he’d taste those gorgeous lips, he wouldn’t be able to stop. So, remembering that they still had a whole day of lessons to teach, he lowered Yeonjun’s head and placed a soft kiss on the top of his head.

“No matter how much I want to kiss you right now, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait,” he explained and Yeonjun took a step back.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Yeonjun replied, a smile on his lips. “See you at lunch, Soobin-ah!” he said and left, blowing a kiss to Soobin.

“Since when are you this bold, Choi Soobin?” he asked himself a few minutes after Yeonjun had left, right before the first student entered the room, greeting him.

Coming back to his senses, Soobin finished his cup of coffee and got ready for his first class.

 

HueningKai came to fetch Soobin from his classroom, practically dragging him to lunch.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Kai?” Soobin asked, laughing at the younger’s weird behaviour.

HueningKai stopped and turned to look at Soobin.

“I saw you with Yeonjun hyung this morning!” he whisper-shouted, not wanting to be heard by the few students who were making their way to the cafeteria, laughing at the teachers’ behaviour.

“And what did you see?” Soobin asked, curious as to what HueningKai could have seen instead of heard.

“You kissed!” the younger replied, a wide smile on his lips as he hit Soobin on the chest. “I saw it all from the schoolyard!”

“And how did you know it was Yeonjun hyung with me? It could have been anyone else,” Soobin calmly replied.

“No it couldn’t because you only have us as friends and you’d never ever kiss Taehyun or Beomgyu. And you’re not denying it! You did kiss!” HueningKai exclaimed, victorious.

“Sorry to disappoint but no, we did not kiss. We almost did but that’s it. Almost,” Soobin replied, resuming on walking to lunch.

“That’s a bummer,” HueningKai said, upset. “But that means you will soon, right?” he asked, hopeful.

“I guess. But why are you so excited about it? You almost seem more excited than I am – which is impossible, the only person that could eventually be more excited than me is hyung himself.”

“I’m just happy for you. But Taehyun told me there are some things you need to tell him before you go further in your relationship…” HueningKai trailed off, unsure if he was crossing a line or not.

“I should and I will but really… I realised that I’ve been wanting to taste those lips since forever, I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait once we find ourselves alone,” Soobin admitted, finding it easy to confess something so intimate to the younger for once.

Soobin had always been very honest with Taehyun and HueningKai reminded him of Taehyun but in a less tamed way. He considered him as a younger brother but they become very close this year, right after Yeonjun arrived. Apart from Taehyun, HueningKai had been the fastest to read him – even faster than Soobin himself.

“I know but you must tell him first hand. You always tell your students that communication is the key in every relationship –”

“How do you know?” Soobin asked, giggling.

“– and I think it would be kinda hypocritical of you to not follow your own advice,” HueningKai finished, earning a little punch on the arm.

“Learn some respect, geez,” Soobin said, making HueningKai laugh. “But you’re right, I must tell him.”

Suddenly Soobin noticed they were taking the stairs up and not down to the cafeteria.

“Wait, where are you taking me?” Soobin asked, dreading the answer. “Is that a trap?”

“No, Beomgyu hyung and Taehyun are waiting for us in Yeonjun’s classroom. He wanted to have a little picnic just the five of us,” HueningKai explained and when they arrived in front of the classroom, they found the door already open.

“Come in guys, the sandwiches are delish!” Beomgyu exclaimed, waving at them.

“I’m glad you could come,” said Yeonjun, appearing from nowhere right next to Soobin.

Yeonjun was shining and Soobin found himself blinded. The only thing keeping him on Earth being Yeonjun’s dark hair.

“Of course,” Soobin replied, returning Yeonjun’s bright smile. “How could I miss the chance to taste your handmade sandwiches?”

“Come here, eat all you want,” Yeonjun said, blushing as he took Soobin’s hand.

“Be careful of what you say, hyung! Soobinie eats a lot!” Taehyun teased, making the others laugh.

“Soobinie?” Soobin asked Taehyun, glaring at him.

“Soobinie hyung, sorry,” Taehyun half-heartedly apologised.

“You should stop hanging out with Beomgyu so much, he’s got a bad influence on you.”

“Who tells you it’s not the other way ‘round?” Beomgyu asked, a sick smile on his face.

“You’re creeping me out, stop!” HueningKai exclaimed, laughing nonetheless.

Soobin looked at everyone one by one, feeling so much adoration for the younger ones. But when his eyes fell on Yeonjun, all this adoration switched to something heavier, something stronger. He felt like his heart had burst and he was once again sure that he was in love with the older.

“I’m doomed,” he whispered, only for Yeonjun to hear.

“Why?” Yeonjun asked, whispering as well.

“Because you’re still holding my hand and I’m hungry,” Soobin answered, wanting to tease Yeonjun a little bit.

It was his time to start the flirting, wasn’t it?

Yeonjun lightly blushed and let go of his hand. Soobin giggled and reached for sandwich.

“I was lying,” he said, still whispering. At Yeonjun’s confused expression he smirked. “I still mean what I told you earlier, hyung.”

“I’m glad. I feel the same.”

“But I have something to tell you and it’s very important. Can we meet in your classroom after your last class?”

“Of course. Now, let’s eat or we won’t survive till then,” Yeonjun replied, smiling widely and taking a sandwich too.

Soobin exchanged a glance with Taehyun who encouragingly nodded at him, to which Soobin replied with a slight smile.

 

Soobin was nervous, waiting in front of Yeonjun’s classroom’s door. The hallway was empty, most of the students having left already. Taking a deep breath, he knocked. He heard steps coming closer and Yeonjun opened the door, looking at him shyly.

“Hey,” Soobin greeted him first.

“Hi. Come in,” Yeonjun replied, stepping to the side to let Soobin in before closing the door.

Soobin went to stand beside Yeonjun’s desk, waiting for the older to join him.

“So, you wanted to talk about something?”

“Yeah. Actually, I want to tell you something,” Soobin said, already fidgeting. “It’s a bit hard for me to tell but I really want to tell you.”

“Take your time, I have all the time in the world. We can sit down if you want.”

Soobin thought about it quickly and smiled.

“Can we sit on your desk? Face to face?” he asked, making Yeonjun lightly laugh.

“Let’s do it,” he answered, immediately getting on the desk.

Soon enough, both men were sitting facing each other, their knees almost touching. It felt more intimate than the other times they had been alone together but it might have been because of the seriousness of the moment.

“So, when I entered university, I discovered I was gay,” began Soobin, his voice just above a whisper. “I had been questioning myself for some time already when I got my first boyfriend. We were both very young and quite dumb but very in love. I gave all my firsts to this guy and after some months, I discovered he had a girlfriend. I don’t really know what happened but what I know is that I became the target of homophobic assaults. I wasn’t ashamed of my uality but it was hard to face all the physical and moral attacks. Suddenly, everyone knew I was gay and that I had a boyfriend. Same boyfriend who was with a girl so he never was affected by any of what I faced.” Soobin stopped for some time, taking his breath. It had been so long since he last told the whole story. “The thing is, at the time, I was still living with my parents. I wanted to change university but I couldn’t do it without telling them first. When they asked for a reason, I decided to come out to them. It didn’t go well to say the least. After getting insulted by my own parents, I decided to get out and go live with my aunt. Taehyun’s mom was very understanding and he never judged me for who I was. I had quite an with Taehyun but we still became very close. In my family, the only person who didn’t reject me was my brother. When I came out to him, I was in that mindset that I had nothing left to lose anyway. But, to my surprise, he told me that it didn’t change anything, that I was still his beloved baby brother. It came as a big relief and I finally could feel a bit happier.”

Soobin felt Yeonjun take his hand and looked up to meet Yeonjun’s eyes.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because I want to be in a healthy relationship with you. I want to be with you, if you also want to, and I want us to last. But this event has changed me and I still lose confidence every once in a while. I don’t just tell anyone about my uality and I don’t showcase it for everyone to see either. So, getting in a relationship, after all this time, is a bit hard for me. The last time I got in a serious relationship, it also was with a colleague and I had to change schools. That’s how I ended up here. Remember, I told you I was given the privilege to choose the school I wanted to go to? That’s because I had been fired for being gay, which was very unfair and arbitrary. I chose this school because it’s closer to my place and far away from both my parents’ house and my old school.”

Soobin stopped again and Yeonjun squeezed his hand.

“Soobin-ah…” he began but Soobin stopped him.

“Hyung. I really like you, to the point it’s very embarrassing. I’m a grown man but you make me feel like a teenager all over again, blushing and stuttering every time you look at me. But I like it. I like every single thing. Every little smile, every little glance, every little touch. And it all feels so pure to me, like a first love if I dare say,” Soobin said, blushing. “But I need you to want me too, with my flaws because I’m not perfect.”

When Soobin was done, Yeonjun was smiling brightly at him.

“You know when we were at the café the other day and I told you about my relationship with Wooyoung?” Soobin nodded. “I wanted to tell you that if there’s anyone I’d like to be more than friends with, it’s you. I want to know all about you, from what’s your favourite colour to what helps you sleep at night when you can’t stop thinking. I want to know what you hate the most and what you dream about. I want to know everything about you, Soobin-ah,” Yeonjun said, looking Soobin in the eye, as honest as ever.

Soobin was left speechless for a moment. Acting on instinct, he grabbed Yeonjun’s hand, brought it to his lips and left a soft peck on the back of his hand.

Yeonjun froze, blushing deeper than Soobin had ever seen him blush – which wasn’t a lot to be honest – and Soobin squeezed his hand, bringing it down to his thigh.

"Come be my teacher~" Yeonjun whisper-sang, making Soobin chuckle.

"Shut up," Soobin said before pulling Yeonjun closer to him and kissing him.

When they broke apart moments later, they were both beaming.

“Soobin-ah?”

“Hm?”

“Your flaws make you perfect.”

Yeonjun was definitely asking for another kiss and who was Soobin to deny him?

 

In the following days, the whole school found out about professors Choi Yeonjun and Choi Soobin relationship. Every single student was happy for them, gushing about how well they suited each other. Of course, no other teacher had anything to say about them, it wasn’t their business anyway. Usually not keen about being the centre of attention, Soobin liked how people looked at them, be it at school or in the streets.

“Soobinnie, do you know that I’m not only a music teacher?” Yeonjun quietly asked. Soobin hummed, mildly interested. “Yeah, I’m also a biology teacher.” He added, making Soobin laugh out loud.

---

Okay, so, I had as much fun writing this story as I had troubles^^ I don't usually write aged-up characters, I prefer keeping them young (thirty is not old but you know what I mean) but it was a good change for once! I am deeply attached to these characters and I don't think we'll ever see them but I still hope you enjoyed them and their story^^

Take care of yourselves and until next time ! ♥