“Do... I... Have to...” Jongin groaned. His wonderful cousin Jongdae was currently pulling at his sheets, insisting that it was necessary for him to accompany him and Hyoyeon out to whatever-the-hell they were going. But it was Sunday and at the ungodly hour of - he peeked at his alarm clock - eight in the morning. He tugged his blanket over his head and proceeded to curl himself up in a cocoon.

 

“Yes, yes you do.” Jongdae replied. He jumped on top of Jongin, making the latter grunt at his weight. “C’mon, I promise you’ll love me.”

 

Jongin kicked Jongdae off of him, “Nothing could ever make me love you.”

 

Jongdae clutched his chest, “Ouch! My heart-”

 

“I don’t care.” Jongin concluded as he dove underneath the comfort of his blankets once more.

 

Jongdae took a deep breath before tearing the sheets off his younger cousin. With a surprising success, Jongin tumbled out of bed with a clunk. He gave his older cousin a death glare, but the latter was already looking through his closet for suitable clothes for the day.

 

“Okay, okay, I’m up,” Jongin mumbled as he pathetically pushed Jongdae out of his closet, “I can pick my own clothes, thank you very much.”

 

“I know,” Jongdae shrugged, “But that doesn’t mean you do a good job of it.”

 

Jongin’s reply was a pillow to his face. The older of the two sauntered out of his cousin’s room, muttering how Jongin was an ungrateful little brat. Jongin just shook his head and took out whatever was first in his closet. He mindlessly dressed himself, not bothering to wonder why Jongdae would actually want him to come.

 

He finished and headed downstairs. The smell of something surprisingly pleasant hit his nostrils before he could even finish his trip down the stairs. He goes into kitchen to see Hyoyeon taking something out of the oven while Jongdae was anxiously playing a game on his phone.

 

“Um-”

 

“Oh, good morning Jongin,” Hyoyeon sang cheerfully from her spot in front of the stove, “You hungry?” 

 

He shrugged, “I guess-”

 

“Good,” she beamed, “I made some strawberry and chocolate muffins.” She placed the muffin tin haphazardly on the table. “Enjoy!” She left to go upstairs to probably get changed, Jongin deduced as he noticed she was still in her My Little Pony pajamas. 

 

Jongdae frowned, “She didn’t even bother to take them out of the tin-”

 

He received a whack on his head from his cousin, “Can you stop being spoiled for once?”

 

“Never!” Jongdae smiled. He went to get a knife and plates. He cut around the edges of the muffin for it to pop out of the tin. He gave one to Jongin and one to himself.

 

“Your sister outdid herself,” Jongin said as he took another bite, “Not bad.”

 

“She’s been trying to bake more often,” Jongdae replied, “You’re lucky she’s been trying this recipe for a while now. The last time she did it, I’m pretty damn sure she mistook the salt for sugar.” He shuddered at the memory.

 

Jongin laughed, “Well you deserved it.” His reply was Jongdae’s half-eaten muffin thrown at his head.

 

---

 

Jongin was chilling in the backseat of Hyoyeon’s car with his earbuds plugged in his ear. The two siblings were busy chatting excitedly about the wedding. They were heading for the church first; where they would meet the soon-to-be husband and wife and the people planning the actual wedding. Jongin still didn’t know why he had to come. It was a Sunday, the day of laziness. But Jongdae insisted he had to come.

 

Before he knew it, Jongin had drifted to sleep. The long minutes of the car ride lulled him into a peaceful state of mind. He dreamed about the past weekend, more specifically Friday. The thoughts of the carnival reoccurred in his mind, and Kyungsoo seemed even cuter than he remembered. The boy was a blushing and spluttering mess throughout the whole... Date. And Jongin thoroughly enjoyed seeing his face again after the first kiss.

 

“I can teach you how to kiss,” Jongin smiled, “So when a pretty girl comes around, you know how kiss her.”

 

“B-But,” Kyungsoo glanced around, “We’re both guys!”

 

Jongin raised an eyebrow, “So is that a yes?”

 

“I-I...” Kyungsoo trailed off and averted his gaze somewhere else. Jongin cupped his chin with his finger so Kyungsoo would be at least facing him. The latter froze instantly, but his chin was on fire.

 

“Step one, make sure she knows you’re about to kiss her, especially if it’s your first kiss.” Jongin stared deeply at Kyungsoo, loving how cute the latter looked nervous.

 

“Step two,” Jongin said quietly, “Make sure you are the right mood and position to do so.” He wrapped his arm around Kyungsoo’s tense shoulders and pulled him in even closer. He tried not to smile when Kyungsoo’s breath hitched.

 

“Step three,” Jongin neared Kyungsoo’s face as the older of the two shut his eyes tightly, “Draw yourself closer but not exactly touch, just to keep the anticipation high.”

 

Jongin noticed how Kyungsoo visibly flinched when his breath was on Kyungsoo’s lips. Kyungsoo was shaking slightly form all the anxious nerves. His breathing was irregular and unsteady, and Jongin thought it was extremely adorable about how nervous he was for a first kiss.

 

“Step four,” Jongin continued smoothly, “make sure your partner is relaxed. You want this to be a special moment for both of you.” Jongin gently Kyungsoo’s heated cheek with his thumb. He wanted Kyungsoo to enjoy this. He didn’t want the nerves to get in the way of the special moment.

 

“Step five, lean in close...” Jongin didn’t finish his sentence as his lips finally made contact with Kyungsoo’s. He felt the unbearable tightness on Kyungsoo’s lips.

 

“Step six.” Jongin was totally bullting the whole step one, step two stuff. He just needed Kyungsoo to feel comfortable. “Let the more experienced partner lead the way.” Jongin parted his lips slightly and gently tugged on Kyungsoo’s upper lip. He waited for Kyungsoo to respond and once he did, Jongin smiled. He could feel Kyungsoo’s nervousness, but the fact that he was actually trying meant a lot. Kyungsoo was extremely hesitant, like a child’s first time in a swimming pool. But Jongin was the patient parent. Although it wasn’t Jongin’s first kiss, for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling of something magical happening. He counted in his head for five seconds before pulling back slowly and not missing the low whimper the escaped from Kyungsoo’s throat.

 

Jongin woke up with a start. He felt his cheeks which were hotter than usual. He took out his phone’s camera and checked himself out. His cheeks felt hot, and his lips were wet. He quickly wiped off the excess saliva off his lip and sat up straighter, embarrassed that he remembered the whole scene so perfectly.

 

“Oh, Prince Charming is finally awake.” Hyoyeon cooed. Jongdae instantly began texting on his phone. Jongin’s phone vibrated in his hand.

 

From: satan’s spawn

 

dont worry. we would get kyungsoo to kiss you awake ;).

 

Jongin proceeded to kick the back of Jongdae’s seat with his cheeks pinker than normal.

 

“We’re here!” Hyoyeon squealed. They pulled up to a contemporary church. There wasn’t a big steeple with bells which was what Jongin was used to. Instead it had a rock  wall wrapping around it with windows just above it. The pathway to just get in the church was a lengthy one too.

 

“Shall we go?” She asked as she parked the car. The three of them unbuckled their seat belts and opened the door to be welcomed by the crisp air. Jongin shuddered at the breeze as the three of them headed towards the church.

 

When they opened the door, they were immediately greeted by the sunlight shimmering through the stained glass windows. Jongin stared in awe as he realized the church looked bigger than it seemed. The pews were curved to surround the altar in a circular way. The curtains billowed with the slight wind passing through the long windows of the church. The organ was on the second story, and Jongin had never seen so many pipes before.

 

His observations were cut short as he heard high-pitched squealing echo through the church. He looked to see Hyoyeon and Sooyoung running up to each other before hugging each other tightly. He watched in amusement as the two girls began speaking in “girl code.”

 

“Oh, my God-!”

 

“I know-”

 

“Like!”

 

Sooyoung flashed her ring to Hyoyeon. And they both screamed. Jongdae rolled his eyes before he was attacked by Sooyoung’s hug.

 

“My goodness Jongdae, you’ve grown up to be so handsome!” She complimented excitedly as she cupped his face.

 

He scoffed, “Please. I’ve been this handsome since I was born.”

 

Sooyoung’s face dropped, “Now only if your personality would change.” She quickly laughed and pulled the younger into a tight hug once more. Jongdae made a strangled noise in reply. 

 

Sooyoung finally let go and notices Jongin standing awkwardly near the doorway. She squeaked and instantly brought him into a crushing hug. He choked on air as he literally felt his ribs being squished.

 

“Oh, my God! Hyoyeon! You didn’t tell me Jongin was coming!” Sooyoun exclaimed as she dragged him and Jongdae down the altar to where Hyoyeon was.

 

His older cousin just smiled and shrugged, “I didn’t know you knew him?”

 

Sooyoung giggled, “Oh, it’s not me who should be that excited-” She winked at Jongin. “Kyunggie baby! I have a surprise for you!”

 

---

 

Kyungsoo jumped when he heard his noona calling his name. Currently, he was in the back portion of the church with Siwon and Joonmyun, waiting for the priest to finalize some things before the date can be official. 

 

Joonmyun chuckled and urged Kyungsoo to go before Sooyoung had another fit. The younger boy stood up and went to where Sooyoung was. He barely opened the door when it was ripped out of his grasp and immediately dragged by Sooyoung.

 

“Wh-Where are we going?” He asked quietly, trying to distract himself from the throbbing pain in his hand.

 

Sooyoung giggled as she lead the way, “I just want you to meet some friends. That’s all.”

 

“Then why isn’t Joonmyun or Siwon coming?” Kyungsoo pouted.

 

She grinned, “You’ll see.”

 

He followed her to the church’s pews as he noticed three people huddled together and chatting.

 

“Hyoyeonnie,” Sooyoung called out, “This is my baby, Kyungsoo.”

 

Hyoyeon squealed in delight as she dashed over and squished Kyungsoo’s cheeks, “Ohh, he’s so cute! I just want to eat him up. Come say hi guys!”

 

The two boys walked over and when a familiarly tan face was in his vision, Kyungsoo began to panic. He looked to Sooyoung who was just smiled. Kyungsoo desperately wanted to run away. He already could feel the sweat on his palms. He gulped audibly when Jongin flashed a smile towards him and stretched out his arms.

 

But due to his nerves, Kyungsoo froze up and backed away. He quickly turned around and sprinted back to where he was before with Siwon and Joonmyun. He heard Sooyoung call out after him, but he couldn’t look back. His face was so red by simply seeing Jongin. How could he actually talk to the boy?

 

He caught his breath as he burst inside the office of the priest where Joonmyun and Siwon were making the finalizations of the date.

 

“Kyungsoo,” Joonmyun stood up and hugged his brother, “What’s wrong?”

 

Kyungsoo shook his head, “H-H-He’s here!”

 

“Who’s here?” Joonmyun asked softly. He turned to the priest and Siwon, “Excuse us.”

 

Once they were safely out of the office, Joonmyun asked again, “Who’s here?”

 

Kyungsoo felt his face burn up at the thought of his name, “J-Jongin. Jongin’s here...”

 

Joonmyun smiled gently and pulled Kyungsoo in for another embrace, “What’s so wrong about that?”

 

“I-I can’t,” Kyungsoo stuttered, “I-I’m, I’m-” He couldn’t talk properly. “I’m-I’m afraid, s-scared.” He began to fidget with his fingers.

 

“Of what, Kyungsoo?” Joonmyun was patient.

 

Kyungsoo bit his lips, “I-I don’t want to see him.”

 

Joonmyun chuckled, “Why not?”

 

“I-I’m embarrassed.” Kyungsoo wailed.

 

Joonmyun raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

 

“We, we, we kissed!” Kyungsoo spluttered as he buried his face in his hands.

 

“So? That’s oka-”

 

“Kyungsoo!” A voice called out to him. He turned to see Jongin walking over to them with worry in his eyes. “Are you alright?”

 

Kyungsoo looked at Joonmyun with pleading eyes. Joonmyun laughed, “He’s fine-”

 

“He’s just shy because you’re here.” Siwon butted in. Kyungsoo gave his noona’s fiancé a scandalized look. The latter only laughed and followed the priest to the actual church.

 

Kyungsoo shyly looked at Jongin who only had an amused look on his face. Kyungsoo prayed his face wasn’t so red. He tried to inch behind his older brother but the latter kept Kyungsoo rooted in his spot.

 

“Oh, I think I hear Sooyoung-noona calling for me,” Joonmyun lied as he strained his hearing, “I’ll go see what she needs.”

 

“W-Wait-”

 

“Stay here with Jongin, Kyungsoo. I’ll be right back!” His brother beamed.

 

Kyungsoo panicked again. He was alone with Jongin again. And Jongin was looking absolutely handsome again.

 

“Aww, hyung,” Jongin cooed as he managed to pull Kyungsoo in for a tight hug, “You don’t need to be shy around me.”

 

But Kyungsoo couldn’t hear what Jongin was saying. The only thing he could hear was his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He was almost positive Jongin could feel his heartbeats on his own chest. He tried to take a deep breath, but immediately regretted the decision when the smell of Jongin’s cologne and just Jongin wafted through his nostrils. Kyungsoo shivered at the sensory overload.

 

Jongin chuckled, “Are you cold hyung?” He pulled Kyungsoo closer, and Kyungsoo had never felt so warm before.

 

“I-I’m okay.” He mumbled quietly. Jongin pulled back, and Kyungsoo wanted to just go back into Jongin’s arms again, but at the same time he wanted to run and hide forever.

 

“You have goosebumps hyung,” Jongin pointed out, “Don’t you have a jacket?”

 

“I do,” Kyungsoo remembered, “It’s in the priest’s office.”

 

They walked the short distance to the office before Kyungsoo stopped.

 

“What’s wrong hyung?”

 

“N-Nothing, but, um, maybe you should go back while I get the, um, jacket...” Kyungsoo suggested lamely. He grabbed his left elbow with his right hand and fidgeted his feet while biting the inside of his cheek. Jongin had to control himself to not pinch his hyung’s cheeks.

 

“Why hyung?” 

 

“O-Oh, no reason. I just... Don’t want you to be separated from Hyoyeon and the, um, other boy.” Kyungsoo said.

 

Jongin chuckled, “I just don’t want to be separated from you.” 

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened and turned around so he didn’t have to look at Jongin. He could practically feel the smirk etched on Jongin’s face right now. The younger took a few steps forward and opened the office’s door.

 

“I’ll get your jacket.”

 

“Okay- Wait, Jongin,” Kyungsoo rushed in after him, “Wai-”

 

But he was a second too late. Jongin lifted an awfully familiar varsity jacket off of the chair, “Kyungsoo... Is this the jacket I gave to you when we went on our carnival date?”

 

Date!? Kyungsoo felt the blood rushing to his ears. Jongin outstretched the jacket to get the full view, “Oh, it is.” He looked at a fidgety Kyungsoo. “Do you like wearing it?”

 

“I-I- No-” Kyungsoo stuttered. He wanted to melt to the ground.

 

Jongin only laughed and placed the jacket on Kyungsoo’s shoulders, “It looks good on you anyway. Let’s get going?” He outstretched his hand, waiting for Kyungsoo to take it.

 

“O-Oh, um, okay.” Kyungsoo quickly put on the jacket correctly and hesitantly stepped forward to grasp Jongin’s hand. When he did, he hoped that his palms weren’t sweaty.  Jongin’s hands were still warm like before. 

 

---

 

“There they are!” Joonmyun exclaimed as Kyungsoo and Jongin emerged from the back doors.

 

“We were just about to leave without you.” Hyoyeon pointed out while the two of them walked closer to the group. The priest had already left, and everyone was wearing their jackets.

 

“No! We couldn’t leave baby Kyunggie behind!” Jongdae cooed. He went over and snatched Kyungsoo out of Jongin’s grip. “That would be too cruel!” He proceeded to suffocate Kyungsoo in a tight hug, much to Jongin’s dismay.

 

Sooyoung only laughed, “Are we ready to go?”

 

Jongdae nodded, “Yep! Can I ride with you guys?”

 

Jongin growled slightly, “You can’t-”

 

“Sure,” Sooyoung beamed excitedly, “The more the merrier!”

 

“W-Wait, b-but-” Jongin began.

 

“Sorry Jongin,” Jongdae snickered, “You snooze you lose.”

 

“But-”

 

“We’ll meet at the restaurant.” Siwon reassured Jongin.

 

“Still-”

 

“Byeee!” Jongdae squealed as he pushed a very confused Kyungsoo out the church doors. Joonmyun followed with a shrug with Siwon and Sooyoung chuckling quietly to themselves. Jongin stood rooted at his spot with his mouth hanging.

 

“What did he just,” Jongin started, “That bastard-”

 

Hyoyeon only laughed heartily and slung her arm over Jongin’s shoulders, “Let’s go, little cousin.”

 

Jongin mumbled to himself as Hyoyeon dragged him to the car. He noticed everyone else squished inside Siwon’s car. He gritted his teeth at the fact the Jongdae was squishing Kyungsoo’s cheeks because those were his cheeks to squeeze. No one else’s.

 

“C’mon Mr. Jealousy,” Hyoyeon chided as she opened the door of her car, “Let’s go.”

 

Jongin plopped himself in the passenger seat and crossed his arms. Hyoyeon giggled at her younger cousin’s antics.

 

“Jongdae, that bastard.” Jongin hissed. The other car was already backing out of its parking spot. Hyoyeon only smiled and backed out, following Siwon’s car. 

 

“Why are you so upset?” Hyoyeon asked.

 

“Kyungsoo’s mine,” Jongin frowned, “And Jongdae already knows that!”

 

“Kyungsoo’s yours?” Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yes-” Jongin’s eyes widened and covered his mouth, “I-I mean-”

 

Hyoyeon laughed, “I know. Jongdae informed me yesterday.”

 

“He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone!” Jongin wailed.

 

Hyoyeon shrugged, “Well, he told me.” She looked at her younger cousin and smoothed down his hair. “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”

 

“Thanks,” he mumbled, “But I’m still pissed at your brother.”

 

She only sighed, “That’s Jongdae for you...” She trailed off and said quietly to herself, “He has a reason for everything.”

 

---

 

When Hyoyeon and Jongin arrived at the restaurant, the five other people were already seated. Much to his dismay, Kyungsoo was already situated in the booth between Sooyoung and freaking Jongdae. Jongin clenched his fists, but he shouldn’t be too angry. At least he would be able to sit across from Kyungsoo. He slid in next to Joonmyun with Hyoyeon right behind him. Siwon was the awkward one sitting in a chair at the head of the booth.

 

Jongdae leaned in closer to Kyungsoo, loving how his younger cousin was fuming, “Don’t you think Jongin looks y with his hair messed up like that?”

 

Kyungsoo glanced shyly at Jongin. He felt his cheeks heat up when Jongin ran his fingers through his hair out of frustration. Kyungsoo bit his lip and looked down. 

 

Jongdae chuckled and moved in closer, “I bet he looks even ier after having a very long night-”

 

“J-Jongdae!” Kyungsoo squeaked in embarrassment. His cheeks were surely red now. 

 

“Is my cousin bothering you, hyung?” Jongin asked as he sent a death towards the older.

 

Jongdae only held up his hand in defense and wrapped his other around Kyungsoo, “I was just telling Kyunggie how cute he is.” More blush ensued. “Isn’t he cute Jongin?”

 

Kyungsoo gave Jongdae a scandalized look, not understanding why he was doing this. 

 

“Yes, Kyungsoo-hyung is very cute,” Jongin pointed out but the venom in his voice was still there, “Now get your arms off of him.”

 

“Temper, temper.” Jongdae hummed.

 

Jongin only gritted his teeth. Hyoyeon placed her hand on Jongin’s clenched fist as a way to relax him a bit. Sooyoung only laughed lightly, “So lunch anyone?”

 

The lunch went as so: Jongdae would flirt with Kyungsoo. Jongin tried his best not to shove his cousin’s face in his food. Joonmyun was quiet on his phone. And the three adults were merrily chatting about the wedding.

 

“Jongdae-hyung, do you want to accompany me going to the bathroom?” Jongin announced as he stood up. 

 

Jongdae shrugged, “Sure.”

 

After a few seconds of awkward shuffling out of the booth and once safe away from security cameras, Jongin shoved Jongdae.

 

“The hell are you doing?” Jongin raged.

 

“What do you mean,” Jongdae played innocently, “I’m not doing anything.”

 

“Stop being so touchy with Kyungsoo-hyung!” Jongin hissed.

 

“Why should I,” the older challenged, “Why can’t I be touchy with him?”

 

“Because you know I like him!” Jongin exasperated. Immediately Jongin covered his mouth. 

 

Jongdae cackled evilly, “I knew it. Jelaousy would push you over the edge.”

 

“Wait- Did you-”

 

“You know it,” Jongdae smirked, “I can be a bad cousin, but I’m not that awful.”

 

Jongin shoved his cousin once more and covered his face, “You’re terrible.”

 

The older slung an arm around his younger cousin, “Well it worked so I guess it wasn’t that bad.” He looked towards the table and noticed the waters bringing out the food. “So lunch?”

 

---

 

“So Joonmyun,” Sooyoung began as they were in the middle of eating, “Are you planning to invite Yixing?”

 

Joonmyun blushed, “Y-Yes- I mean, o-only if it’s okay with, um, you guys.”

 

Jongin noticed Jongdae’s smile falter. But Jongdae spoke up, “Who’s Yixing?”

 

Joonmyun looked at Jongdae and smiled, “Do you remember Lay from the club?”

 

“Y-Yeah...”

 

“That’s Yixing.” Joonmyun explained giddily.

 

“He’s planning to invite him to the wedding,” Sooyoung added, “He’s been blabbing about how cute this Chinese boy is-”

 

“N-Noona,” Joonmyun wailed, “Shut it!”

 

Jongin realized the Jongdae had stopped eating and began picking at his napkin.

 

“You work at my friend’s club, right?” Siwon asked.

 

Joonmyun nodded, “Yup. Leeteuk-hyung is in charge of it.”

 

“Leeteuk...? Oh, right. Stage names,” Siwon chuckled, “What’s yours?”

 

Joonmyun looked around as if someone could be eavesdropping, “Mine’s Suho.”

 

Oh. Jongin watched as Jongdae took in a deep breath. Jongdae shook his head and smiled towards Joonmyun, “I hope he can come.” Jongin hated how fake his cousin sounded. “I can’t wait to see him again.” 

 

Joonmyun giggled, “I’m sure he’d be excited to see you too! We miss you at the club.”

 

“Y-Yeah, of course,” Jongdae’s façade was deteriorating, “I miss you guys too.”

 

“You should visit,” Joonmyun continued, “And maybe we could sing another duet! And Yixing could dance-”

 

“Yeah.” Jongdae interrupted. Joonmyun looked shocked but didn’t say anything about it. “We should.”

 

Noticing the tenseness from his cousin, Jongin spoke up, “So am I invited to the wedding?” He leaned forward and stared deeply at Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo blushed and nudged Sooyoung, “Y-You tell him.”

 

Sooyoung shook her head, “I told you you had to invite him.”

 

“B-But noona,” he hissed in a whisper as if Jongin couldn’t hear him, “Not in front of, of everyone!”

 

“Am I not invited then?” Jongin pouted.

 

Kyungsoo panicked, “D-D-Do you want to c-come?”

 

“Do you want me to come?” Jongin raised an eyebrow.

 

Kyungsoo’s face flushed, “U-Um, o-only if you want to-”

 

“It’s a yes or no question, hyung.” Jongin teased.

 

Kyungsoo looked down at his lap and fiddled his fingers, “Y-Yes... I-I want you to come.”

 

“Okay, I’ll go.” Jongin loved how Kyungsoo’s smile instantly brightened. “On one condition.”

 

“W-What’s that?” Kyungsoo frowned.

 

“We’re going as dates.” Jongin concluded.

 

Kyungsoo squeaked embarrassingly as he covered his flaming face. The whole table laughed at at how cute he looked, trying to slink down in his seat. Jongin chuckled and snapped a picture with his phone. Kyungsoo’s ear were bright red. Going as dates should be fun.

 

---

 

Jongin woke up when there was knocking at his door. He looked at his alarm clock, and it was already a few minutes after midnight. He sat up. His door was soon opened, and he noticed Jongdae standing there. His hair was disheveled and his shoulders were slumped.

 

Jongin his lamp, “What’s up hyung?”

 

He heard Jongdae sniffle and wipe his eyes with his sleeves. Jongin motioned for his older cousin to come lie down on his bed. Jongdae slowly closed the door and made his way towards his cousin.

 

“T-Turn off the light,” he murmured as he sat on the bed, “I look ugly when I cry.”

 

Jongin complied and as soon as the lights were off, Jongdae buried his face in his cousin’s chest. Within seconds, Jongin felt tears stains on his shirt. He started to rub circles on his cousin’s back.

 

“I-It hurts J-Jongin,” Jongdae sobbed into his chest, “I-It hurts so, so much.”

 

“Shh, it’ll be okay hyung,” Jongin placed his chin on top of his cousin’s head, “I’m here, it’s okay.”

 

“I-I thought I was over him,” Jongdae continued helplessly, “But- But- I’m not-”

 

“You don’t have to say anything,” Jongin held his cousin tighter, “It’s okay.”

 

“I feel so p-pathetic.” Jongdae hiccuped. “I’m c-crying over someone who was n-never m-m-mine-”

 

“Hyung, shh. Don't think about it. It’s okay to cry. Just let it all out.” Jongdae couldn’t stop his tears from falling. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.”

 

Jongin laid down but kept Jongdae’s head on his chest. He pulled the covers over them, and Jongdae snuggled in closer. Jongin wrapped both arms around his cousin as they stayed like that for the remainder of the night with Jongdae’s tears staining Jongin’s shirt and his own heart.

 

---

*{author's note}*