Jongin is running up the stairs after Luhan, barely able to keep up with older boy.

‘Hyung!’ he rasps. ‘Slow down!’

‘We can’t afford to! Jongdae will be on our heels any second now – we need to find a good hiding spot!’ Luhan doesn’t tone down his pace, throwing his words over his shoulder carelessly. But when he glances back and notices Jongin faltering on a step, short legs unable to keep up with the older boy’s blundering speed, Luhan’s hand extends out, catching Jongin’s arm to intercept his fall.

Jongin looks up gratefully, but Luhan gives his arm a sharp tug, spurring both boys forward. Jongdae’s declaration of war resounds through the house, warning the boys that they don’t have even a split second to spare.

‘3… 2… 1! Ready or not, here I come!’ Jongdae laughs, feet padding quickly on the carpet, the Seeker springing into action.

Luhan has his fingers circled around Jongin’s small wrist, leading him into one of the doors in the hallway on the second floor. He puts a finger to his lips, forewarning the younger boy to stay silent. They slip into the bedroom, moving carefully, stealthily, and closing the door behind them without a sound.

Luhan pulls Jongin towards the wardrobe, turning the knob and stepping inside first. ‘Okay,’ Luhan whispers from his seat below the clothing rack, his voice only a breath. ‘Now you come in.’ 

‘Are you sure we should share the same hiding spot?’ Jongin reasons. ‘Jongdae will probably–‘ But Luhan pulls him in, sending the smaller boy tumbling into the wardrobe, and promptly clicking the wardrobe door shut.

‘It’s a good spot, Jongin,’ Luhan reassures, before shoving Jongin’s body weight off him unceremoniously. ‘He won’t find us anyway.’

Jongin falls to the side with an oof. The space in the wardrobe is tight, even for two scrawny prepubescent boys. Jongin is shifting, orienting himself in the dark, adjusting to the musky scent of wood, dust, and freshly laundered clothes.

‘Hyung,’ Jongin grumbles. ‘It’s so cramp– mmffdd–’ Luhan slaps his hand over the younger boy’s mouth, effectively stifling his words.

‘Shhh! Do you want to get caught?’ Luhan chatises, pressing Jongin into a corner (not on purpose of course, since the wardrobe wasn’t exactly spacious).

Luhan smells like homemade cookies, Jongin thinks wistfully, thoughts triggered by the close proximity, and his eyelashes are so long.

Jongin pinches Luhan’s side, sending the older boy into a fit of giggles.

‘Hey! That’s cheating,’ Luhan squeaks, pushing away Jongin’s culpable hands. ‘You know I’m ticklish.’

‘Uh, yeah, that’s the point, hyung,’ Jongin quips, eager fingers targetting Luhan’s stomach, ‘I know all your weaknesses!’ The scuffle continues like this, jostling each other in the constricted space of the wardrobe, the game of hide and seek long forgotten, lost between outbursts of unrestrained laughter.

It’s only ten minutes later when the rest of the birthday party attendants follow the traces of Luhan and Jongin’s voices through the hallway, finding the two boys entangled in a tickling match of the ages.

‘The game is already over,’ Jongdae stands infront of the cupboard, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. ‘But did you two want some more time alone, or…?’