Youngjae feels as out of place as a in church, and he’s sure he looks it, too. He’s starting to regret ever thinking he could do this.

As a member of the student council, he’s of course invited to most of the parties that his peers throw, whether they be off campus or on. But Youngjae isn’t much of a partier, and this is the first time he’s ever actually accepted an invitation. He’s definitely one hundred percent out of his comfort zone.

But then he sees Himchan, laughing and joking with some other third years over on one of the sofas, and he reminds himself exactly why he’d decided to come to this party. It’s already May. Two and a half whole months of school have already passed and thus far he has done absolutely nothing about his crush except to gawk and drool from afar. Himchan will graduate in nine and a half months, and then he’ll leave for university and Youngjae will probably never see him again. He really doesn’t want to waste what little time he has left being the same spineless bother he’s always been.

So he’s at the party even though it’s really not his scene and he’s honestly not even really friends with any of the people there. But, he thinks, this gives him a reason to navigate towards Himchan. If Himchan is his only friend at the party, it only makes sense that he joins said friend.

He takes a deep breath and crosses the room to where Himchan is laughing and joking with some of his friends. He forces a shy sort of smile – when is he anything but when he’s around the elder? – and waves.

Much to his delight, Himchan actually seems excited to see him. He grins and waves Youngjae over – though that might have something to do with how much he’s already had to drink. “Youngjae!” he practically croons, shoving his friend over to make space for Youngjae on the couch beside him.

Youngjae allows himself to be pulled down onto the sofa, where he’s pressed quite close to the object of his affection. He feels like his heart might explode at any second. “H-hi, hyung,” he mumbles.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Himchan says, gesturing for one of his friends to bring a beer for Youngjae. “I didn’t think these sorts of parties were your thing.”

“I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Youngjae answers defiantly, but truthfully he is as out of place here as it is possible to be.

Himchan only laughs and presses a beer into his hands. “Drink up! You need to be on my level!”

Youngjae also laughs, but secretly he’s thinking that he will never, ever be on Himchan’s level. Himchan is a level above everyone else. Himchan is a ing god.

He’s not sure just how long he’s been sitting there on the sofa, squeezed between Himchan and his friend, forcing down some cheap beer, when some girl drunkenly suggests a game of spin the bottle. Though Youngjae – always the reserved one – thinks it’s a stupid and childish idea, he’s pretty much the only one still sober at the party and everyone else seems to think it’s the greatest idea ever.

Which is how Youngjae ends up sitting on the floor in a circle with the other party guests, Himchan on one side of him and a shirtless guy he recognizes as a third year on the other. He swallows audibly and wonders just what in the hell he’s gotten himself into.

The game proceeds rather predictably. Someone spins the bottle and then squeals in embarrassment and excitement when it lands on somebody. And, even if they protest, they still end up kissing their target.

Youngjae gets more and more nervous the closer it gets to his turn. He’s never actually played spin the bottle before, and – though he hates to admit it – he’s never actually even kissed anyone before. He doesn’t particularly want to lose his first kiss to some nameless stranger during a stupid game, but he also doesn’t want to look like a prude in front of Himchan, who he is still desperately trying to impress.

So when it gets to his turn, he takes a deep breath and spins the bottle.

It turns around and around the circle, passing face and face until it finally comes to a stop…pointing directly at Kim Himchan.

Youngjae hardly dares look, but, when he does, he finds that Himchan is grinning. “Of all the luck!” he chuckles. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Youngjae feels the room spinning and he’s really not sure he can do this. He’s been dreaming about kissing Kim Himchan for what seems like forever, and, now that he’s finally getting the opportunity, he’s not sure he can go through with it.

But Himchan puckers up and everyone is cheering for him, so he has no choice but to lean forward and press their lips together.

But it’s over almost as soon as it begins, and then Himchan is cheering and spinning the bottle for his own turn, and it lands on some busty girl Youngjae doesn’t know and Himchan is kissing her.

He suddenly doesn’t feel at all like partying, so he quietly excuses himself. Nobody really notices.

He walks back to campus slowly, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He feels hollow and empty, somehow, even though he’d gotten to kiss Himchan. He sighs. He wishes he had never gone to the party in the first place. 

Sehun s his jacket as he steps into the gym lobby. It’s Sunday afternoon and most Peritia students are enjoying the warm spring weather or finishing up last-minute homework. The gym is deserted, which is the way Sehun likes it. He’s been wound up and stressed out – between Luhan ignoring him and Junhong acting like a crazy person, he’s not even sure what his life is anymore – and he’s looking forward to sweating away some stress in one of the dance studios in the basement.

Only he discovers, when he goes down to the basement level, that the studio he was going to use isn’t empty.

He stands in the doorway for a long moment, awed as always at how Luhan’s body moves, how he seems to personify the music itself. It’s mesmerizing, and Sehun knows enough about dance by now to know that it’s not just Luhan he’s admiring but the actual dancing itself.

The song ends and Luhan finally looks up, finding Sehun standing in the doorway.

He immediately looks uncomfortable, which annoys Sehun for some reason. He’s not sure what he’s done to put Luhan so on edge, but he wishes the elder would just ing say it rather than treating him like this.

“Hey, Sehun,” Luhan says with a forced sort of casualness. “Do you need the studio? I was just finishing up.”

“You don’t look like you’re finishing up,” Sehun points out. “Why don’t you stay? We can work on some stuff together.”

But Luhan shakes his head. “Thanks, but I’ve got some homework I’ve got to finish.”

Sehun can’t take it anymore. He steps into the studio and slams the door behind him, loud enough that Luhan jumps. “What the hell is your problem, Luhan?” he practically growls. “You’ve been avoiding me for ages and I don’t even know what I’ve done!”

Luhan rubs his arms awkwardly and looks anywhere but at Sehun.

“I thought we were friends,” Sehun continues, the words tumbling over themselves now that he’s finally voicing them out loud. “I loved spending time with you, you know? But now you treat me like I’ve got the plague or something! If I’ve done something to offend you, can you just ing tell me?”

“It’s not you,” Luhan assures him quickly, in a quiet sort of voice. “You haven’t done anything, Sehun. It’s me.”

Sehun barks out a laugh. “I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean.”

“It means that I can’t ing stop thinking about you!” Luhan finally bursts out, his voice loud in the sudden quiet of the dance studio. “It means that every time I close my eyes, I wonder what your skin feels like. I think about the way you smell and I can’t even think straight anymore. I’ve thought about what your lips would taste like a million times and that ing terrifies me!”

He seems to realize that he’s said far more than he intended, and he clamps his mouth shut. But the damage has already been done.

Sehun allows the door to fall closed behind him. “Y-you like me, hyung?”

But Luhan refuses to say another word on the matter, looking down at his toes. Even though he’s older than Sehun, he suddenly looks quite young and innocent.

And Sehun just can’t take it anymore. Throwing his bag aside, he crosses the room in three quick strides and then he’s cupping Luhan’s soft cheeks in his big hands and slanting his mouth over the elder’s.

Luhan seems shocked at first, his body stiffening at the sudden attack, but then he relaxes into Sehun’s hold and melts into the kiss, his hands coming to fist the material of Sehun’s shirt.

Sehun laughs breathlessly when he pulls back. “I thought you hated me,” he admits in a whisper. “I like you so much, hyung. So ing much. And I thought you hated me.”

Luhan seems a little breathless himself. “I-I’ve never done this before…” he mumbles. “With a guy. I don’t know what to do or how to act or-or anything.”

“Me too, hyung,” Sehun assures him, pressing another soft little kiss to Luhan’s lips. “I’ve never done this before either. But, I mean if you’d like, we can figure it out together.”

Luhan blushes crimson, and Sehun thinks it might be the most adorable thing he’s ever seen in his life. “O-okay,” Luhan agrees quietly. “I think I’d like that. A lot, actually.”

And Sehun is so full of relief that he leans in and claims those precious lips once more.

“Can you believe this?” Baekhyun fumes. It’s Tuesday afternoon after their World History class, and their teacher, Mrs. Choi, had handed back their latest test. Needless to say, Baekhyun hadn’t done well. Actually, that might’ve been an understatement. He had utterly bombed the test.

Chanyeol, ever the good friend, offers some of his crisps. “You should’ve studied harder. I even offered to study with you, remember?”

Baekhyun huffily throws some crisps into his mouth. “Like you get good grades, you giant elf.”

Chanyeol just hums.

“Wait, did you get a good grade?” Baekhyun suddenly demands. “What was your score on the test?”

“I only missed one question,” Chanyeol admits, handing over his test as if to prove it. “Even an idiot like me can get good grades if they study.”

Baekhyun wrinkles his nose and shoves the test back. “Okay, I admit that you’re not as much of an idiot as I thought.” Then he sighs. “What am I going to do?”

Chanyeol takes a deep breath. Since Baekhyun always has this problem – even though he’s actually really smart, he doesn’t do well at taking tests or even studying – he’s had an idea for a while. He’s just not sure how Baekhyun will take it. “We could study together next time,” he says, forcing himself to sound casual. “You know, like make it a study date or something.”

There it is. He’s actually said it out loud. Date. He wonders if Baekhyun can hear just how loud his heart is currently hammering in his chest.

But Baekhyun doesn’t even seem to register the date part. He just sighs and shakes his head. “I think it’s hopeless. Maybe I’ll ask the class president to help me study. He always gets perfect grades.”

Chanyeol clenches his teeth. Why did Baekhyun have to be so ing oblivious all the time? But he forces himself to stay calm and says, “Well, why don’t we ditch the rest of class today and go see a movie? My treat. We can even grab dinner together while we’re out.”

But again, Baekhyun shoots him down. “Thanks, but I should probably try to do some damage control on this test. I wonder if Mrs. Choi will let me do some sort of extra credit? I’m going to go ask her.” He gathers his belongings, shoving his shameful test deep in the depths of his backpack. “See you later, Chanyeol.”

And Chanyeol is left feeling like the biggest idiot in the world – even more of an idiot than Baekhyun.