The orange haired boy sighed and slid down, sitting against the door. “This is a safety hazard,” Minseok stated blandly. The pair had been locked up in the closet for about three minutes already, each not really knowing what to do with themselves.

“Everyone at this party is a safety hazard,” The other concluded. Minseok couldn’t agree more.

Through the darkness, the orange haired boy heard Jongdae begin to rustle around in the boxes he had in his closet.

“Ah-Ha!” Jongdae suddenly exclaimed, pulling something out and then running his hands along the sides of the walls. It was a few moments before the boy had found what he was looking for when a yellow and red lava lamp lit up, dimly illuminating the closet.

Fascinated, Minseok scooted closer to the light and touched it. “Why do you have a lava lamp in here?” He immediately asked.

“Why not have a lava lamp in here?”

He shrugged. “I guess you have a point,” Minseok replied, tracing the various, morphing shapes inside the light.

The pair sat in silence again and Jongdae watched Minseok, who was too distracted by the lava lamp to notice. The faint light softly outlined the other boy’s figure just enough for him to make out his face. The raven haired boy couldn’t ignore the leap in his heart whenever he looked at Minseok so content.

“Let’s play a game,” Jongdae finally decided after staring at Minseok for some odd amount of time.

“What game?”

“Truth or Dare.”

“I haven’t played that game since, like, the second grade,” Minseok frowned.

“Then what do you want to do?” Jongdae asked, “We’re probably gonna be stuck in here for at least half an hour.”

“THAT’S ILLEGAL,” Minseok shrieked.

“What are you going to do? Call the cops on my friends?” Jongdae said, laughing.

“Maybe.”

“Please don’t, they’re just idiots,” The raven haired boy explained. “They wouldn’t survive a day behind bars.”

Minseok huffed and groaned before sorting out his thoughts and finally saying, “Fine… truth or dare?”

“Truth," Jongdae said happily.

“Why do I want to punch you,” Minseok droned, not actually taking the game seriously.

“Because you show great affection using violence,” Jongdae smiled. Minseok glared at him. “Okay, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” The other boy stated flatly.

“I dare you to give me a birthday kiss,” Jongdae replied cheekily. Minseok’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

“That’s not fair!” He cried shakily.

“Yes it is,” Jongdae sang.

“No it’s not! Choose something else!”

“I can’t or that will be breaking the rules.”

“Then I’m not playing anymore,” Minseok said defiantly, turning his head away from the other and crossing his arms. He puffed up his cheeks in a pout.

“Fine, a birthday kiss or some other birthday present,” Jongdae said sadly. “Why does Jongin get to kiss you for a game and I don’t?” He added rather quietly. Minseok blushed recalling the moment and ignored that last statement.

Jongdae waited as Minseok began to fish around in his pockets for his wallet. He was just going to give the other a dollar or something to get this round over with when he suddenly felt the Rilakkuma cellphone charms in his jacket. The boy pretended not to have noticed them and continued to search for his wallet when he soon came to realize that he had forgotten it at home. It was then clear to Minseok then that he was either going to have to give Jongdae the dumb charms or a kiss.

The orange haired boy gulped nervously and quietly drew out the charms from his pocket. They were so cheesy and Minseok felt embarrassed to give them to the other but he really had no choice. “Here, I got you these but,” The boy sighed and then added very quickly, “They’re really dumb and I understand if you don’t want them, I was going to return them anyways.” He then tossed Jongdae the Rilakkuma charms and hid his face into his hands.

Jongdae picked up the charms and held them closer to the lava lamp in order to take a look at them. He turned the present around in his hands a few times before his lips drew into a thin, cat-like grin.

“Ugh,” Minseok groaned, sighing nervously and reaching out to take the items back, “Yeah, I know they’re dumb I’ll just return it, I-”

“No, no,” Jongdae quickly said, cutting the other off. Minseok sat back hesitantly and listened. “I like them a lot, they’re cute,” He smiled adoringly.

“R-Really?”

“Yeah, I love Rilakkuma how did you know?”

“The band-aids…” The other replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Oh yeah,” Jongdae laughed. Minseok found himself smiling along and his racing heart slowing steadily. He then watched as Jongdae broke the box open, carefully pulling out the Rilakkuma charms inside. He handed Minseok one and kept the other for himself before hooking it onto his cellphone. “Does this mean that we’re a couple now?” Jongdae asked cheekily and holding up his charm to the other's.

“Never mind, I’m taking them back,” Minseok said, grabbing at his phone.

“No!” He chuckled, “I’m keeping this forever!” Minseok blushed at that and retracted his arm slowly.

After a few moments of Jongdae smiling widely and Minseok melting into a puddle of embarrassment, the boy mustered up a bit of courage before asking rather nervously, “T-Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Jongdae replied.

Minseok thought for a bit, trying to figure out a way he could torture the other while trapped in this closet, before he came up with something. “I dare you to anonymously call up Baekhyun and breathe deeply into the cellphone until he gets scared.”

Jongdae snorted and Minseok tried to fight back a grin as the other pulled out his cellphone and dialed Baekhyun’s number, using the *67 extension.

As the phone began to ring, Jongdae leaned closer to Minseok and the latter scooted to him so that he could hear a little better. The two were unconsciously sitting side by side, faces pressed against Jongdae’s cellphone when they heard Baekhyun re-enter the house shouting that he needed to take this call.

“Hello,” Baekhyun finally asked.

Minseok slapped a hand over his face and Jongdae began to inhale loudly.

“What the ?” Baekhyun replied. “Hello?”

Jongdae exhaled shakily as Minseok rolled over, laughing as quietly as he could.

“Um…” The boy on the cellphone replied.

Jongdae took at least 5 more lengthy breaths when they heard Baekhyun begin to shuffle around in the kitchen.

“A-Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked warily, “Is this my mom?”

Jongdae wheezed loudly and the boy on the other end of the line dropped his cellphone out of shock. Minseok began to laugh into Jongdae’s shoulder, practically crying and the other snorted before Baekhyun could pick up his phone again.

“Baekhyun…” Jongdae whispered deeply. He then inhaled sharply for effect.

“Y-Yeah? Do I know you?” The boy cautiously asked.

“You’re…” Jongdae exhaled.

“Y-Yes?”

The raven haired boy paused and the two boys could feel Baekhyun’s terror from all the way inside the closet.

“You’re… a piece of ,” Jongdae concluded. He then hung up and burst into laughter with Minseok.

“ING JONGDAE,” Baekhyun yelled from outside. He then stormed over to the closet and screamed, “YOU TWO ARE STAYING IN THERE FOR ANOTHER SEVEN MINUTES!” Minseok and Jongdae would have been mad, but they were laughing too hard to even notice.

“He sounded so scared!” Minseok screeched.

“What an idiot,” Jongdae laughed, clutching his sides.

Baekhyun stormed away and the two boys were practically lying on each other, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

After about a minute, the pair calmed down and realized what position they were in. Minseok was leaning against the other while Jongdae had managed to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

The orange haired boy awkwardly cleared his throat and scooted away like nothing had ever happened, leaving a very sad Jongdae behind.

Minseok pressed his knees up to his chest and the other leaned back. They both stared at the lava lamp for a bit before Jongdae asked softly, “Truth or Dare?”

It was quiet for a bit as Minseok thought, until he finally replied, “Truth.”

The raven haired boy looked into the lava lamp, thinking hard about what to ask. Many things flew through his mind but one thing stood out. Why did Minseok always pull away from him? Just like now. It was confusing in a way for the other. If Jongdae even got a little bit close, the boy would instantly retract and hide back behind his imaginary walls. After all this time, has Minseok even considered Jongdae as a friend at least? Before he could think any longer, however, he found himself asking, “Do you like me?”

Minseok froze and pulled his knees closer to himself. His mind began to feel numb for no one reason and his heart felt as though it stopped beating. “Clarify that?” Minseok replied softly.

Jongdae turned to look at the boy sitting in front of him and said, “What do you think of me as? A friend or…”

The serious aura inside the closet startled the shorter boy. He avoided Jongdae’s gaze and thought about the question a little more. Minseok didn’t actually know what he considered the other. He had called him an acquaintance before, but that title didn’t really suit what Jongdae was. That boy was probably more. In all of Minseok’s life, he never had someone that made him feel like he was actually worth something. Jongdae made Minseok feel like he belonged somewhere. Heck, the boy hung out with him more than anyone ever had. Minseok felt his chest tighten and he buried his face into his knees. He treated Jongdae like compared to how he had treated him. After all these years of not having anyone and building protective walls around himself to keep his emotions safe, Jongdae was the first to try and keep knocking them down.

“Would you even like me as a friend?” Minseok whispered, staring at his feet.

“More than you could imagine,” Jongdae said with a slight laugh in his tone.

“Why?”

“That’s not fair,” The other replied jokingly, “It’s not your turn to ask yet.” He smiled. “So… we’re friends?”

Minseok bit his lip and said, “I suppose…”

“That’s not a straight answer.”

“Yes then.”

Jongdae burst into a grin and replied, “Thanks.” Minseok died on the inside.

“Truth or dare?” He said quickly.

“Truth.”

“Why do you try so hard with me?” Minseok asked.

It was then Jongdae’s turn to look embarrassed and the other was actually taken back by his own bluntness. “Are you sure you want to know?” Jongdae asked.

“Yes.” The boy insisted quickly.

“It’s a longer story than you expect.”

“We have all the time in the world,” Minseok replied.

Jongdae paused for a moment before exhaling loudly and sitting back, “Are you ready to hear the cheesiest story you’ve probably ever had to sit through in your entire life.”

“I’m all ears,” Minseok replied, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees, propping his head up. He watched Jongdae intently and the other squirmed.

Jongdae cleared his throat before cautiously moving on again, “You know… when Baekhyun mentioned years earlier today?”

Minseok nodded.

“He actually meant years,” Jongdae said. There was a pause and Minseok motioned for him to keep going. “We’ve met before that time when I first came to the diner.”

“Really?” Minseok replied. “I think I’d remember someone like you.”

“Why? Because I’m devilishly handsome,” Jongdae replied jokingly, trying to break the awkward tension.

“No, because you’re stupid and loud,” Minseok laughed and the other shrugged. The two sat in silence yet again before the other continued on with his story.

“Anyways, we met some years ago when I was in the third grade and you were in the fifth,” Jongdae explained and Minseok cocked his head to the side in confusion. “One day during the winter time, I was playing by myself because Baekhyun had gotten a cold and stayed home.” Jongdae awkwardly laughed at the memory and continued, “I was really small for my age, you probably don’t remember that. You, on the other hand, were much bigger, being a fifth grader and all.

“So that day, I was on the swings and some older guys ganged up on me, yelling at me to get off since it was ‘their territory’. I’m, as you know, pretty stubborn, so I didn’t. They, however, eventually yanked me off after some time of throwing insults at me and I knew then that I was probably going to get a good beating for that, but luckily, you came along. You were much taller than every single one of them, and probably older for all I knew. After a pretty intense stare down, you scared them off and saved my .”

Minseok was shocked by this news. He didn’t even remember any of this ever happening.

“I never got to say thank you though,” Jongdae added sheepishly. “So when Baekhyun came back, I made it a mission for me to get a hold of you, but I was too shy. Within time I figured out that your name was Kim Minseok, you were two years older than me, and that you didn’t have many friends. I would have been your friend if I had the balls to talk to you,” The boy laughed awkwardly at that and transitioned. “During the years after your fifth grade, when you transferred over to a middle school, I swore to myself that I’d show my thanks and make it up to you by saving you from something as well, but obviously… that never happened.

"When I finally got into middle school, me being a sixth grader while you were an eighth grader, I ended up following you around everywhere with Baekhyun. I tried to find times when I could swoop in and save you from something, but I always ended up backing out. It drove Baekhyun crazy,” Jongdae chuckled. “As I continued to watch over you over the months and years, however… I ended up… falling in love.” He explained carefully.

Minseok blushed deeply and Jongdae glanced at him quickly.

“I lost track of you when you graduated, however. We probably ended up going to different high schools or something,” Jongdae said solemnly, “And I was completely devastated. I tried to get into multiple relationships since I was probably never going to see you again. I think I dated one girl and two guys during that time, but none of them ever felt right. I regretted not being able to talk to you every day and it would have haunted me for the rest of my life if Baekhyun didn’t get a job at IHOP. The first day he worked there he called me at 2AM and said that he had found you, the actual Kim Minseok. The guy I’ve been in love with for over the past decade of my life. It took me a few months before I actually mustered up the courage to come in one night and talk to you, and after so many years of avoiding it, I did. And somehow, I talked to you with a new kind of confidence. I guess I didn’t want you to disappear again without you remembering me,” Jongdae concluded. It was quiet between the two after that, the boys each letting that entire story sit between them.

Minseok was in shock. All he could do was speechlessly stare down at his feet and think. He could feel the pounding of his heart in his head and he felt like he was shaking. If it weren’t for the lava lamp dimming all the colors around them, Jongdae would have seen how red Minseok was by then. The boy felt like he was on fire. Not only did Jongdae explain the reason behind everything that had driven the last few events between them, but he confessed as well. Minseok didn’t know how to handle all of this. All of his emotions were a mess and he couldn’t pick them up anymore.

The orange haired boy glanced at Jongdae, who was staring at him sincerely, and his heart melted. They were friends, right? Or did Minseok like him more than that. The boy definitely didn’t feel the same around Kyungsoo, Joonmyun, Luhan, or Baekhyun like when he was with Jongdae. But was it… love? He didn't know.

Minseok suddenly found himself pushing the lava lamp to the side so that he could scoot closer to Jongdae. It was dimmer now that the light was behind them, but Minseok could still trace every curve of the other’s face in the darkness, like he had memorized exactly what the boy looked like.

Jongdae sighed in content and Minseok leaned forward slowly, his nose barely grazing the other’s. He then felt Jongdae snake a hand around to his neck, running his thumb up and down the length between his nape and the roots of his hair. Minseok shivered at the touch and Jongdae leaned in closer hesitantly, waiting for the other to make the first move.

By then he could feel the other’s soft breaths on his lips and his heart beat quickly in anticipation. It felt nice, but suffocating. Minseok’s hands were trembling as he grabbed at Jongdae’s shoulders. He looked down at the other's lips and contemplated on whether or not he should move forward.

“Minseok…” Jongdae whispered breathily.

“Yeah?” He softly croaked back, trying to swallow back the lump in his throat.

“I love you, so much,” He said.

Minseok breathed shakily and bit his lip, “I-I—”

“HEY GUYS DID YOU—Oh ,” Baekhyun yelled when the closet door suddenly swung open.

Minseok jumped up, flailing away from the other in shock.

“Oh,” Baekhyun paled. “Oh god, Jongdae’s going to kill me.” He then shut the closet door. “Just kidding, haha you guys get another seven minutes.”

A murmur of confusion sounded from the other side and Jongdae stood up, bashing on the door. “Byun, open up.” He commanded seriously.

The door swung open again after a few moments, revealing a very sheepish Baekhyun. “I’m so sosososososo sorry,” He whispered. Jongdae sighed.

Minseok didn’t really pay attention to the rest of whatever happened because so much was running though his mind. Everything from the story to the confession to almost kissing Jongdae hit him all at once and Minseok needed to go home and rethink everything over. So he did.

A/N: AHAHAHAH I'M STILL AN these losers are never going to kiss :'DD hAHA /cue chen's best luck song
even xiuchen is mad at me lmao they're reading this like ' let us kiss already'

and jongdae's bear thing is pretty cute tho (its not rilakkuma but still... i needed to give it a brand lmao)

(i post so many chen gifs omg i swear im xiumin biased lmao)
anyways expect slower updates /cries sorry.... im starting school again (its my senior year of high school! i dont want to up haha)