Sungyeol tapped his fingers on his keyboard, staring down his greatest enemy - the empty word document on his computer screen. It seemed to mock him, the blank page a physical representation of his failure, taunting him in his moment of despair.

 

“I’m doomed.” He declared to himself, letting his head slam down on the edge of his laptop, past the point of being optimistic.

 

“Chin up Yeollie!” Dongwoo called from across the room. He was Sungyeol’s roommate and closest friend, and while his positive attitude was usually just the thing to lift Sungyeol’s spirits, unfortunately today it wasn’t doing the trick.

 

“But there’s no hope for me!” Sungyeol argued, merely opting to slightly turn his head to address his friend instead of lifting it off of the keyboard. “I’ve tried everything! Background noise, complete silence, food breaks, coffee, television, my bed, a chair, the couch, the floor, hell I even braved the cold out on the patio but nothing has worked! No setting has been inspiring, no location has been comfortable or motivational enough to help me write! I’ve never tried this hard or put this much effort into a damn paper, and I have nothing to show for it!”

Dongwoo walked over to him, rubbing his back as he peered at the screen. “But you have a sentence! That’s a start!”

 

“That’s not my writing, that’s just the stupid prompt! The idea that my professor must have stolen from the deepest depths of hell because it’s so damn difficult to write! Like, what the am I supposed to do with this!”

 

“I saw stars in your eyes, stars I couldn’t see looking at the sky.” Dongwoo read out loud, his eyebrows furrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Hell if I know!” Sungyeol said in exasperation, leaning back to glare at the prompt as if it had committed a mortal sin against him. “It’s for my stupid essay writing class, which I shouldn’t even need in the first place. I want to be a chemist! I want to work in a lab and do experiments and just blow up for a living! Why should I have to write essays over stupid things I’ll never care about?” He crossed his arms, his rant in full force. “Who even decided that general education classes should be a thing? We picked our majors for a reason! I picked science because the last thing I wanted to study was comprehension and grammar. Whoever made this decision is probably someone who secretly hated their job, had a vendetta against college students, and basically was just a masochist in general.”

 

They heard the front door slam, Dongwoo’s boyfriend appearing with a plastic bag full of snacks and a drink tray in hand. “What’s he whining about now?” Hoya directed the question to the shorter blonde, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before making his way to the kitchen counter to set down the goods.

 

“Hey! I am not a whiner, these are serious complaints! And since when did you get a key?” Sungyeol asked.

 

Hoya merely rolled his eyes, completely ignoring the question as he handed out the treats. Dongwoo took his fancy chocolate frappuccino with a pleased smile, while Sungyeol snatched up his Americano with a scowl.

 

“Sungyeol is just upset because he put off his term paper until the last minute, and now he can’t think of anything to write so he’s panicking. And he hates whoever decided to make essay writing a requirement for graduation.”

 

“Ah.” Hoya nodded in understanding, opening up his bag of honey butter chips and settling into the seat next to Dongwoo. “It’s really not that hard you know. We both had to take the class, even as performance art majors. I doubt your professor is expecting an amazingly written paper, he probably just wants to see that you tried.”

 

“Yes, because an empty page really screams ‘a job well done’, you know.” Sungyeol said sarcastically.

 

“Hey, we’re just trying to be helpful! If you can’t figure it out on your own and you don’t like our advice, maybe it’s time to take a more… hands on approach.” Dongwoo stated, making Sungyeol’s mouth drop open.

 

“Dongwoo, how dare you! I am a gentleman, I would never!”

 

“...What?”

 

“I’m not going to sleep with my professor just to get a good grade! Even if Professor Kim is kinda hot, he’s like… a thousand years old! And he has terrible fashion sense! I mean, the man wears leopard print and baggy tee shirts. Even if I am feeling desperate about my paper, I still have my standards!”

 

“He meant getting a tutor you idiot.” Hoya said coldly, shaking his head with judgement.

 

“...Oh.”

 

Hoya massaged his temples, wondering for the thousandth time how someone so smart could have so little common sense. “Not everyone is a good writer, and the university is completely aware of that. That’s why there’s a writing center, so that you can have the opportunity to get feedback and corrections on your paper before you have to turn them in. Dongwoo and I have used it more than once throughout the years. I’m pretty sure if you email your TA and ask nicely, he’ll be willing to meet up and discuss the paper with you.”

 

“That… is surprisingly good advice.” Sungyeol said somewhat disheartenedly, sad that Hoya had lectured him. He hated when Hoya was right, it just made him that much more smug. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.” He opened up his class roster, searching through the list for the designated TA. “Ah! There’s a green bubble next to his name, I think that means he’s online!”

 

“Send him a message! Hurry!” Dongwoo clapped in his excitement, bouncing nervously in his seat as he waited for the response. They watched on with apt attention as Sungyeol typed away on his keyboard, the taller boy chewing on his nails nervously between the exchange. Finally he shut his computer, a triumphant smile on his face.

 

“Well?” Hoya asked boredly, steadily munching on his chips as he watched the scene play out for lack of anywhere else to direct his attention.

 

“He said he’s free right now! He just finished meeting with someone else in the class, and he has one more time slot left before his office hours are over! Can you give me a ride to the writing center? Please hyung, pleaseeeee-” He pouted, posing his hands underneath his chin in an attempt to be cute.

 

“Yah, stop with the aegyo! It’s weird.” Hoya demanded, his heavy brows scrunching in distaste.

 

“But you like it when I do it!” Dongwoo argued, mimicking Sungyeol’s pose with a smile.

 

“That’s because you’re cute.” Hoya grinned, grabbing Dongwoo suddenly by the waist to pull him in for a kiss. “And beautiful. And y. And lots of other very wonderful things.” Dongwoo squealed, laughing as their lips met.

 

Sungyeol actively voiced his displeasure at the scene. “Hey, that’s mean hyung! And for your information, I am a very adorable person. And quit making out, I have innocent eyes! It’s already bad enough to have to hear you guys through the walls-”

 

“Do you want a ride or not?” Hoya cut him off, still holding a blushing Dongwoo close.

 

“Yes! Please! I’ll take the subway home, I just need to get to the writing center as soon as possible!”

 

“Fine. But you’re buying dinner tomorrow.” Hoya negotiated and Sungyeol agreed eagerly. The three of them made their way out of the apartment, teasing each other along the way. And for the first time since Sungyeol made the decision to attempt to write his final paper, he felt a glimmer of hope.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Myungsoo fixed the black frames on his face, finishing up his emails for the day. Staying on top of things had paid off, and now instead of being frazzled like most of the TAs near the end of the semester, he was feeling relaxed and prepared. He liked being able to devote his time to helping his students one on one, instead doing tedious tasks like lesson planning or grading. With only one student left for the day, it wouldn’t be long until he could head back to his flat, get out of the stuffy button up and tie to relax in his lounge wear. Maybe even a bath would be nice…

 

His head perked up when he heard a commotion near the front desk, a distressed voice ringing through the quiet space.

 

“I know I’m a little bit late, but I’m supposed to be meeting someone! No I didn’t sign up through the writing center website, I spoke to my TA directly to make an appointment. Oh hell, I was in such a rush, I think I put his number in my phone, I’m not even sure I remember his name-”

 

“Myungsoo.” He provided, walking over and extending his hand. The student looked relieved, bowing in the receptionist’s direction before turning to fully face him.

 

“Oh!” He took the offered hand, shaking it vigorously. “I’m Sungyeol! Thank you for agreeing to this on such short notice-”

 

“It’s fine, but maybe we should go somewhere more private? This is more of a quiet area.” He explained nicely, and the way Sungyeol covered his mouth in his embarrassment was kind of cute.

 

“Sorry! I didn’t know.” He said sheepishly, his eyes downcast.

 

“It’s alright Sungyeol. Let’s head to my office, then we can get started on your paper.” Myungsoo turned around without further ado, leading the way to his small cubicle. It wasn’t much, but it was secluded, easier to discuss ideas with students without having to worry about disturbing other people in the writing center. He didn’t rush Sungyeol, letting him take his time getting situated and pulling out his laptop. The student seemed to be a bit scatterbrained, his motions a bit all over the place and his sentences often left unfinished. It was actually kind of endearing.

 

“Okay.” Sungyeol said seriously, his computer and the document loaded up. He crossed his legs, balancing the small device on his thighs. “I think I’m ready to start.”

 

Myungsoo nodded at him from behind his desk, a small smile on his face as he watched the student. He quickly swiped his lenses clean, before setting them back into place. “Sounds good. I just want to make sure we are on the same page; you’re in Professor Kim’s essay writing class?”

 

Sungyeol confirmed his statement with a nod. “Yes, that’s right. Section one, for beginners.”

 

“So your experience with writing is limited?” The taller boy looked down at his shoes, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Myungsoo backtracked, not trying to make the student feel uncomfortable. “I don’t mean it in a derogatory way; I’m simply asking so I can understand the best way I can help you.”

 

“Oh, I get it.” A smile worked its way back to Sungyeol’s face, his legs bouncing as he explained himself. “I’m actually… not a big fan of writing papers. I mean, a wrote a couple in high school but they were only a couple thousand words at most. I’ve never had to write anything this in depth based off something so vague… I guess that’s why I’m feeling so lost. I’m not sure where to even start…”

 

“That’s okay; we’ll work together and come up with something.” Myungsoo stated encouragingly. “How about you show me what you’ve written so far?”

 

Sungyeol looked down at the floor again, a dark blush staining his cheeks. “Erm- about that. I kind of… haven’t written anything?”

 

“Sungyeol… you are aware that the paper is due next week?” Myungsoo said disapprovingly, peering down at Sungyeol over the rim of his glasses.

 

“I know, and I promise that I’ve been trying! The problem is just that everytime I open up the document to write my mind just goes blank. I can’t think of anything to say and that just stresses me out, and once I get stressed out it becomes harder for me to concentrate, and then it just turns into this cycle of self loathing failure and now do you understand why I so desperately need help? If I can’t figure this out I won’t be able to pass the class. Please tell me that you can figure out a way to save my grade?”

 

Myungsoo reached out on arm, patting Sungyeol lightly on the hand. “Don’t lose hope just yet Sungyeol. May I see the prompt again? Each section of Professor Kim’s class has something different to write about.”

 

“Of course!” Sungyeol turned his computer around, setting it on Myungsoo’s desk so he could read it. Myungsoo nodded as he read, his thoughts refreshed on the topic.

 

“You’re not the first student to come to me about this one, so don’t be so hard on yourself.”

 

“Thanks for telling me that… this whole week I’ve just been going crazy trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.”

 

“Well first of all, with a prompt like this, there’s no right or wrong direction. It’s open ended for a reason. ‘I saw stars in your eyes, stars I couldn’t see looking at the sky.’ What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear this?”

 

“Cheesy.”

 

“Cheesy?”

 

“Overdramatic. False. Unrealistic.” Sungyeol embellished.

 

Myungsoo laughed, shaking his head. “So I guess it’s safe to say that you aren’t a romantic.”

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that love is wonderful and amazing, but who actually says lines like that in real life? I mean, come on. If you were in a bar and a guy walked up to you saying that he saw stars in your eyes, you totally wouldn’t take him seriously!”

 

Myungsoo made a noise of disagreement, tilting his head to the side to regard Sungyeol. “I think if the right person said it to me, I would be flattered."

 

"Well, with the way you look, I'm sure you've got tons of admirers." Myungsoo raised a brow and Sungyeol sputtered, realizing too late that he had spoken out loud. "What I mean is- I'm not trying to hit on you, you're my TA and I totally respect that. I just meant in a hypothetical way that you're extremely attractive. Like, in a really noticeable way. And it's just simple logic that you would have a lot of people chasing after you. So... yeah." Sungyeol looked down at the floor lamely, mentally kicking himself for being such a spastic fool.

 

Myungsoo chuckled, turning the laptop screen  back towards Sungyeol. He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes at Sungyeol. "You've got passion, you know."

 

"Erm, what?"

 

"I can tell by the way you talk. You're passionate about life, about things you're interested in. You didn't put off the paper because of laziness or because you didn't care. You really did try, you just don't have any inspiration for the prompt. I can work with that."

 

"Really?" Sungyeol dared to look up. "I'm not completely hopeless?"

 

"Nowhere close." Myungsoo assured him, resting his chin on his hand with a smile. "I think if we can get your mind off of what you thought was the 'right answer' and focus more on your honest opinions, we can make some progress."

 

"Okay, let's do that!" Sungyeol grabbed his laptop excitedly, looking up at Myungsoo expectantly. "So how do we start?"

 

"By closing your laptop."

 

"What?"

 

"I think you've spent too much time staring at an empty screen. You need a change of scenery; and sometimes giving your mind a small rest is all you need to have a breakthrough."

 

Sungyeol laughed, closing his computer happily and stuffing it into his messenger bag. "I'm all ears! You're the expert so I'll follow your lead. Where should we go?"

 

"Where do you think? Somewhere that we can see the stars."

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Sungyeol sat down with a content sigh, nothing lifting his spirits more than a sugary treat. He snuck a peak at Myungsoo, who seemed to be just as pleased with his simplistic choice of chocolate. Sungyeol's leaned to the far opposite; a mixture of sprinkles, fresh strawberries, caramel, almonds, and whipped cream adorning his cookies and cream frozen yogurt.

 

"Happy to see that you like to indulge." Myungsoo teased, looking pointedly at the other's ice cream.

 

"Hey, you're the one who chose boring chocolate. I should be judging you."

 

"As a lit major, I'm happy to say that I enjoy the classics."

 

Sungyeol scoffed, taking a huge bite from his cup. "We should table this argument because there's no way I'll ever agree that your taste in ice cream is superior to mine." He looked around at the people milling about, getting comfortable on the bench they shared together. "Not that I'd ever complain about eating ice cream; but what exactly are we doing in Hongdae?"

 

"Research."

 

"On ice cream?"

 

"No, for your paper silly." Myungsoo corrected him, grinning into his bite.

 

"Oh! That makes more sense. But how does this count?"

 

"Think of it this way. Ever since you've been attempting to write this paper, you've been searching for inspiration internally, but the prompt definitely does have a romantic aspect to it. Aren't you single right now?"

 

Sungyeol almost blushed but then he realized that Myungsoo wasn't asking because he was interested. "I am." He kicked at the ground, a displeased look on his face. "Is my pathetic lack of a love life that obvious?"

 

Myungsoo nudged him with his shoulder, his eyes clear of judgement. "I didn't mean it that way Sungyeol. I just figured the whole 'stars in your eyes' thing would have been easy for you to write if you had a boyfriend."

 

"What makes you think it would be a boyfriend?" Sungyeol challenged, shifting on the bench to face Myungsoo directly.

 

"Would you believe me if I said wishful thinking?" Myungsoo countered, leaning in a bit.

 

Sungyeol immediately turned red, hiding behind his ice cream cup. "Stop kidding around." He demanded, although the tremble in his voice betrayed his nerves.

 

Myungsoo chuckled, snatching away Sungyeol's empty cup. "Remember that you're the one who made it a joke." He stood up, walking off briefly to find a bin to throw away their trash. Sungyeol pondered his words as he sat alone, wondering how it was possible that the more time he spent with Myungsoo, the more questions he had instead of answers.

 

"Come on." Myungsoo urged him, tugging on his arm to make him stand up. "Time for us to find you that inspiration."

 

"And where do you suggest I look?"

 

"All around you. Even if your love life isn't going the way you want it to, there's tons of couples hanging around here that are happy. Your essay doesn't have to be about you or a firsthand experience; you can be influenced by something you see, or even someone you wish you could be with."

 

"Ohhh." Sungyeol made a noise of understanding, walking in step with Myungsoo down the busy street corner. "So kind of like an upgraded form of people watching."

 

"Sure. Or we could take a hands on approach. Have you ever wanted to try something with a date that you haven't gotten around to?"

 

"Hmm." Sungyeol pondered the thought, his eyes roaming the different couples in the crowd. An idea popped into his head, and he turned a bit red.

 

"What?" Myungsoo tried to badger him, but Sungyeol shook his head.

 

"You'll totally judge me if I tell you. No way."

 

"Come on." Myungsoo complained, his voice playful. "I've given up my Friday night to hang out with you and help you with your paper. The least you could do is be honest with me!"

 

"Anyone ever told you that you've got a knack for guilt tripping people?"

 

"Again; lit major. I have a way with words. It's to be expected." Myungsoo said matter of factly, making Sungyeol roll his eyes.

 

"Alright, fine. But if I tell you, you have to promise not to laugh."

 

Myungsoo saluted him with a mischievous grin. "Scout's honor."

 

"I know it sounds really lame but... I've always kind of... wanted to get couple tees and wear them out on a date."

 

Myungsoo bit down on his lip, trying to hold in his response but failing miserably. He let out a heartfelt laugh, almost doubling over on the sidewalk with his mirth. "I'm sorry, it's just- couple tees!" He continued to laugh, making Sungyeol narrow his eyes.

 

He hit him playfully on the arm, raising his fist to threaten another attack. "You jerk! You must have been a terrible Boy Scout!"

 

"No, no, no. It's cute, really it is."

 

"Whatever."

 

"I'm serious!" Myungsoo defended himself."It's just with the way you built it up, I thought you were gonna say something inappropriate or ual. Or something inappropriately ual."

 

Sungyeol crossed his arms, biting down his reaction as the tutor chuckled next to him. “It’s not like I’m overly affectionate or anything. It’s just- in high school, I wasn’t really out. If you know what I mean. So whenever I liked someone, I didn’t really do anything about it, just kind of admired them from afar. So now, that I’m being more… true to myself, I think it would be awesome to walk down the street, hand in hand without caring what anybody thinks. And the couple tees are kind of a blaring symbol of being in a relationship so… I just kind of want to be able to experience that kind of confidence with myself and my partner.”

 

“I get it.” Sungyeol raised a brow and Myungsoo nudged him in the shoulder. “Really, I do. For some people it’s easy to admit who and what they want. But for others… sometimes they need that push. Or to meet the right kind of person, to make them get out of the metaphorical closet.”

 

“And are you still inside?” Sungyeol asked pointedly, finding a small sense of pleasure of being able to put Myungsoo on the spot. But the dark haired boy just smiled, his eyes glittering with the challenge.

 

“I was never inside of it.” Myungsoo leaned a bit closer, his voice going a bit softer. “If studying literature has taught me anything, it’s that you should be able to love whoever you want to love.”

 

“Glad to know we’re on the same page about this.” Sungyeol said with relief, the tension leaving his shoulders.

 

“Among other things.” Myungsoo gave him a half hug, patting him on his arm. “Now come on; I’ve got an idea. And I’m sure you’re going to love it.” Sungyeol barely had a moment to protest before Myungsoo was tugging on his wrist, leading him down the winding streets with quick steps. Sungyeol’s long legs allowed him to keep up, following Myungsoo without bothering to question their destination.

 

“Wait here.” Myungsoo instructed him, leaving him in the middle of a busy intersection. Sungyeol tapped his food, trying to make himself as small as possible as throngs of people walked around him. He busied himself with reading the bright lights of the little shops around them. Just as he was contemplating on leaving his post to dash over to the churro store on the corner, Myungsoo reappeared, a smile and a medium sized bag in tow.

 

“Come on.” He tugged him along again, leading him somewhere specific that only he seemed to know about. But instead of arriving at another store, Myungsoo pulled him into a secluded alley. “Think anybody can see us?”

 

Sungyeol looked around, coming to the conclusion that they were hidden away from prying eyes. “No, I don’t think so.” Suddenly a weird thought entered his brain, and he had to voice it. “Listen; if you’re actually some sort of serial killer who lures his victims in under the pretense of free tutoring and improving their grades, I got to admit that I’ll be extremely upset about this turn of events. Especially after we’ve shared ice cream and such intriguing conversation.”

 

Myungsoo chuckled deeply, shaking his head at the taller boy. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly; I’m practically harmless.”

 

“Those eyes say otherwise. Anyone ever tell you that it’s strangely nerve wracking to be the object of your stare?”

 

“I might have heard it once or twice.” Myungsoo pulled him a little further in, where it was a bit darker. “But I promise, you can trust me. Now take off your shirt.”

 

Sungyeol couldn’t stop the peep of shock that escaped his lips. “What? I know you bought me ice cream earlier, but you’re going to have to at least take me to dinner first before you start trying to get me .”

 

“Dinner’s later. Now come on, take it off. I’m going to do it too.” He loosened his tie and pulled it over his head, his hair ruffled from the movement. His hands dropped down to his buttons, time seemingly slowing down as he started to open up the shirt. Despite his body partly hidden by the shadows, it was not enough to stop the sharp tingle of arousal that went through Sungyeol’s body at seeing the exposed skin when Myungsoo finally shrugged off his button up. “Your turn.” Myungsoo said expectantly, and Sungyeol tried to clear his throat - and the dangerously dirty thoughts swimming through his head.

 

“I feel like we’re doing this backwards. Shouldn’t you at least kiss me first before we start heading to second base? I mean, I guess when you have a chest like that you don’t mind showing it off, but you know some of us don’t have broad shoulders and what appears to be subtly defined abs if my eyes don’t deceive me-”

 

“Sungyeol.” Myungsoo cut him off, putting a finger to the other boy’s lips. He stepped closer, placing a short, but sweet kiss to the taller boy’s lips. Sungyeol went stock still at the action, not even having enough presence of mind to kiss back, let alone say anything at the bold action. His eyes fell closed, his hands bunching at his sides as he tried to remember how to breathe.

 

“You’ve been kissed. And I’m taking you to dinner later. Anything else I have to do to convince you?”

 

Sungyeol shook his head dumbly, pulling his shirt off without any further protest, unable to find the courage to speak with Myungsoo’s dark eyes watching him. Once it was off he handed it to Myungsoo obediently, watching as the tutor folded it just as cleanly as his own. Myungsoo pulled out a bundle, shaking it free to reveal two sweaters. They were of matching design, a white bunny with X’s for eyes finished off with a cute red bowtie. “So… gray or pink?”

 

“Oh my god.” Sungyeol covered his mouth, trying to hide his huge grin. “You aren’t serious.”

 

“We’re standing in an abandoned alley half , and I’m holding matching clothes. This is the definition of serious.”

 

“You actually… you bought us couple tees?” Sungyeol couldn’t hide the thrill in his voice, his gaze already lingering on the pink one in particular.

 

“It’s a little chilly so I decided to spend a little extra for warmth. Couldn’t have you thinking I’m a cheap date. So… couple sweaters?”

 

“I can’t even deny that I like the sound of that. Can I have the pink one? It’s my favorite color…” Sungyeol trailed off, making grabby hands in Myungsoo’s general direction. Myungsoo laughed at his enthusiasm, rolling his eyes but tossing it to him without comment. They both pulled on their sweaters, and Myungsoo picked up the bag holding their discarded clothes from before.

 

Sungyeol went to walk out of the alley but Myungsoo’s voice stopped him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

 

“No?” Sungyeol questioned, giving Myungsoo a puzzled look. Myungsoo sighed, holding out his arm expectantly. “I’m still confused?”

 

Myungsoo laughed, moving closer to Sungyeol. “How can you forget your own wish? We got the matching outfits, so now all we have to do is hold hands.”

 

“Oh. Oh.” Sungyeol repeated, suddenly blushing. He was thankful it was dark in the alley, hoping that Myungsoo wouldn’t notice. “I mean- you’ve already done enough, you don’t have to-”

 

“I want to.” Myungsoo interrupted, holding his palm face up. “So you going to leave me hanging, or?”

 

Sungyeol reached out for Myungsoo’s hand, watching with big eyes as Myungsoo slid their fingers together. Myungsoo’s hand was soft, and somehow it managed to fit in his own almost scarily perfect, and when he smiled at the way it felt he felt butterflies flutter in his chest.

 

“Do you trust me?” Myungsoo asked, his thumb softly the back of Sungyeol’s hand. Sungyeol nodded, not confident enough in his voice to speak again. Myungsoo smiled, so hard that prominently cute dimples appeared on both of his cheeks, making the breath catch in Sungyeol’s throat.

 

“Okay. Then follow my lead.”

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Sungyeol unlocked his front door slowly, closing it as softly behind him as possible as he tiptoed into his apartment. It was late, obnoxiously late and he kind of felt like he was sneaking in after curfew. Just as he started his attempt to slip back into his bedroom unnoticed, the bright light in the kitchen flicked on. He let out a truly unmanly yelp, nearly falling on his as he jumped back in shock. Dongwoo was sitting on the counter, and Hoya was standing in front of him with his arms crossed and the typical look of judgement on his face.

 

“What the ! What are you guys doing in the dark?” He accused, his hand clutching his chest as he tried to regulate his breathing.

 

Hoya quirked his eyebrow, sparing a glance to his watch before returning his penetrating stare to Sungyeol. “What are you doing coming home at three in the morning? Wearing different clothes no less?”

 

“I don’t have to tell you anything Dad!” Sungyeol screamed, crossing his arms defiantly.

 

Dongwoo sighed, pushing Hoya out of the way to hop off of the counter. He walked over to Sungyeol, pulling him into the kitchen and pushing him down to sit on a barstool. “Ignore him. He’s just jealous that he doesn’t have a cute pink sweater to wear.”

 

Hoya mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like over my dead body but Sungyeol resolutely ignored him. He shrugged off his messenger bag, settling his weight into the counter on his elbows. Dongwoo sat down next to him, leaning on his fist as he regarded Sungyeol.

 

“Tell me how the tutoring session went! Did you finish your paper? Is that why you came home so late? Were you at the library?”

 

“Well, actually-” He ruffled his bangs, looking away from Dongwoo’s expectant gaze. “I didn’t exactly start it…”

 

“Amazing.” Hoya said dryly, shaking his head.

 

Dongwoo grimaced, his eyes looking disappointed. “But you were supposed to be working on your paper! Sungyeol, you’ve been gone for hours; what have you being doing all this time?”

 

Before Sungyeol could answer, a knock sounded at the front door. Hoya’s eyes lit up evilly, and before Sungyeol could even attempt to stop him Hoya was running over to swing open the door, a big smile on his face.

 

“Hello there! How can we help you?”
 

“I was looking for-”

 

Sungyeol forcibly pushed Hoya out of the way, standing at the door as he attempted to look suave. “Myungsoo- fancy seeing you here.”

 

A smile came across Myungsoo’s face as he leaned against the door frame. “Sorry to bother you but- I didn’t know if I should call, since you didn’t technically give me your number.”

“Oh you can call! Or use my number. Anytime you’d like.” Sungyeol bit his lip, looking down at the floor lamely. “Yeah…”

 

Myungsoo chuckled, covering his mouth cutely before regaining his composure. “Well, I feel bad for bothering you so late but I accidentally took your shirt instead of mine. I thought you might want it back and since I was already so close by-”

 

“Oh! Of course! Hold on, let me gets yours and we can switch.” He could practically feel the heat from Hoya’s laser stare as he rummaged through his messenger bag, but he resolutely didn’t meet his eyes as he grabbed Myungsoo’s shirt and went back to the door. He held it out, trying his best to look charming and sheepish. “Here- it was actually my fault for mixing them up. But thank you for returning mine.”

 

“It was nothing.” They exchanged shirts, their fingers brushing together and Sungyeol doing his best to not visibly shiver at the touch. Myungsoo straightened up in the doorway, looking charming and cool, despite the bunny sweater. “Plus, it’s the least I could do; I feel like I’m forever indebted to you after you introduced me to the deliciousness that is the churro.”

 

“Well, I couldn’t just let you go on living without enlightening you to such fried, sweet goodness.”

 

Myungsoo smiled, the dimples showing up again. “Thanks for leading me on the right path. You have a great night.”

 

Sungyeol gripped the door, returning the grin full force. “Yeah, you too.”

 

“Oh, and good luck on your paper.”

 

“Thanks. I think now I have some inspiration to write.”

 

Myungsoo pushed his hands into the pockets of his tight jeans, his eyes lingering on Sungyeol. “I look forward to reading it. See you later.”

“Bye.” Sungyeol whispered mostly to himself, and he totally did not watch Myungsoo walk away, and he definitely did not delight in the way that Myungsoo looked back over his shoulder to meet his eyes just one more time. He closed the door with a dopey grin on his face, that is until he turned around to the reality that Dongwoo and Hoya had seen the entire exchange. Dongwoo looked like he was going to hyperventilate from holding back from asking all the questions he wanted to, and Hoya looked like he had just won the lottery of material to tease Sungyeol with.

 

“Dongwoo, I think the question you should have asked Sungyeol was who have you being doing all night?” Hoya stated with an obnoxious wiggle of his prominent eyebrows.

 

“It’s not what you think-”

 

Hoya held up a hand, ticking off the evidence with each finger and a judgemental tone. “Let’s see; comes home at 3 am, wearing different clothes, accidentally leaves his original outfit with another guy, who just so happens to show up wearing a matching sweater, flimsy excuse after the date just because he wants to see you again. I mean, this story writes itself.”

 

“We did not go on a date! And everything was completely innocent!”

 

“Really.” Hoya drawled in a flat tone.

 

“Really! It was just research for my paper! He was my tutor!”

 

“Oh. My. God.” Dongwoo spoke slowly, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. “Sungyeol, you slept with your TA just to get a good grade on your paper? We were just talking about how this isn’t a good idea earlier, how could you!”

 

Hoya injected with a thoughtful tone. “Actually, this makes me like you. But only a tinier bit more.”

 

“You hush Hoya! And of course I didn’t Dongwoo! Seriously, I met up with him at the writing center and then after talking he suggested that we take a different approach. The paper had a romantic theme and since I haven’t got any action in the romance department lately-” Hoya murmured understatement and Sungyeol shot him a death glare.

 

“As I was saying, he took me to Hongdae and we people watched for awhile. And he asked me what I would want to do if I was the one on a date and next thing I know… we’re wearing couple sweaters and eating dinner on a picnic blanket and looking up at the stars and it was just-” Sungyeol sighed, running a hand through his long hair exasperatedly. “I don’t really know. At first it was about the paper and trying to find inspiration through other people. But then… it kind of just became about us. And he was smart and charming and a total gentleman the whole night and we kind of kissed but it was only for a second and only because I sort of dared him to and I’m not just really sure what any of this means.”

 

Dongwoo smiled, resting his chin on his hands adorably. “That sounds cute! This is cute! Oh my god, why doesn’t something this romantic ever happen to me?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re dating Satan?”

 

“I resent that.” Hoya mumbled and Sungyeol just narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“Well I don’t care!”

 

“Oh my god, both of you shut up. Back to this guy- Myungsoo. He sounded great and it was really nice for him to go out of his way, just to help you with your paper.”

 

“Yeah. I’m sure it’s Sungyeol’s paper that he’s after.” Hoya said disbelievingly.

 

“Yah, not everyone has on the mind all the time like you!” Sungyeol said defensively, but the other boy just leered at him.

 

Dongwoo shook his head, turning his hopeful eyes back to his roommate. “Do you think you’ll see him again? I mean, doing all those romantic things just for you… he’s gotta be into you!”

 

“I don’t know. Maybe? I hope so.” Sungyeol said quickly, biting on his lip.

 

Hoya sighed, walking around the counter mumbling. “I swear, I have to do everything around here.”

 

“Again, you don’t live here!” Sungyeol countered, shaking his fist at his hyung.

 

“Whatever.” Hoya pulled out Sungyeol’s laptop, setting it on the counter in front of them. “Write the paper. Talk about tonight, about how you tried all these new things and how special he made you feel. It works with your prompt; say that you saw stars in his eyes, and how you want you’re nervous that you won’t be able to go stargazing again.”

 

“Oh my god, that’s so romantic and whimsical and perfect.” Dongwoo squealed, latching onto Hoya’s shoulder. “See; this is why I date you! You’re so adorable.”

 

Hoya looked at Sungyeol with a smirk. “I know.” Sungyeol gagged in response, his mouth twisting into a frown.

 

“Get out of here! Your stupid face is going to ruin my inspiration!”

 

“If you insist.” Hoya pulled Dongwoo away from the barstool, who was still smiling dreamily and mumbling about things being cute. He steered Dongwoo towards his room, but not before throwing an evil look over his shoulder. “But you might want to write your paper in your room.”

 

Sungyeol looked around the kitchen, a feeling of dread coming over him. “...Why?”

 

“Because that counter isn’t exactly clean.”

 

Sungyeol jumped up with a scream, holding his laptop like it was a baby that needed to be protected. He ran to his room, throwing curses along the way, but he could still hear Hoya’s laughter ringing in his ears.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Myungsoo took off his glasses for a short second, massaging the bridge of his nose before putting them back in place. He stretched in his chair, lifting his arms up above his head and twisting this way and that. It had been a long day; grading papers nonstop for hours on end had taken its toll on the TA. But this was par for the course for the weekend after finals; grades had to be turned in and finalized within 72 hours from the last class on Friday, so it was an all out marathon for professors and TAs alike as they raced to hit their deadline.

 

Luckily Professor Kim was pretty easy to work with and he trusted Myungsoo’s judgement, so he didn’t need to be nervous that he wasn’t grading or performing to the teacher’s standards. But thankfully he had finished the majority of his classes; there was only one paper left to grade.

 

He might have been saving this particular student’s paper for last on purpose.

 

His time with Lee Sungyeol had been unexpected and unplanned, but somehow it ended up being pretty perfect. He wasn’t blind; from the first moment he set eyes on the student he had thought he was attractive. And somehow the mumbling basketcase thing had made Sungyeol even more endearing. But it wasn’t common practice for him to leave the writing center with students; in fact, he had never done so before that fateful night with Sungyeol the previous week.

 

And yet he couldn’t stop himself; from taking Sungyeol away from all the stress, from finding ways to make the boy smile and blush. At first his intentions had been pure; he thought that going around and observing other people having a bit of fun would break Sungyeol out of his unlucky spell with his writer’s block. But then he actually started having a good time, forgetting that their impromptu ‘date’ was for the benefit of Sungyeol’s paper. It felt real, walking down the street hand in hand with the pretty student wearing matching shirts of all things, eating dinner with him under the moonlight, fighting over the last bite of dessert like a real couple.

 

It wasn’t his intention to keep Sungyeol out so late, but after the food disappeared and even when the other couples sitting out on their own blankets around them had long since packed their belongings away to call it a night, him and Sungyeol just kept hanging out.

 

The conversation just flowed so easily, Sungyeol’s bright personality and loud laugh making him never want to stop listening to the student talk. Sungyeol just opened up so easily to him, telling him his secrets and his dreams. Myungsoo never once cared about science or chemistry and yet he could have sat there and listened to Sungyeol talk about thermodynamics reactions and molecular bonding theories for hours, loosely holding his hand as they stared up at the starry night sky.

 

And maybe he had purposely gone back up to Sungyeol’s apartment, desperate for an excuse to see him just one more time before letting the magical night come to an end. He hadn’t been able to get that quick peck out of his mind, even though it had been a chaste one, he had felt that spark light up between them. He wished he could have been bolder, that he could have pulled Sungyeol close for a good night kiss, that he would have asked him for a real date. Instead he had simply wished him good luck on his paper, chickening out in that last second in fear of rejection.

 

He sighed, trying to push aside his regrets and get his head back in the game. He had been so curious to see what Sungyeol would write about, the anticipation of getting to read Sungyeol’s thoughts powering him through grading the other fifty papers from his students. But now the time was finally here, and he would get to see what Sungyeol came up with.

 

His mouse moved over the screen, double clicking on Lee Sungyeol’s attached document in the course dropbox to open up the .pdf file. He printed it off, finding it easier to write out his thoughts by pen instead of typing, his favorite red inked pen tapping against his lips as he waited. It was done in a few short seconds, and Myungsoo gathered the papers together and made himself comfortable on his couch, kicking his feet up as he sipped from his favorite kitten mug.

 

He looked at the cover page of the document, a smile pulling into place at the unique style that could only belong to one person. In one glance, he knew that he had found the best paper of the bunch.

.

 

.

 

.

 

“Die you alien trash!” Sungyeol screamed out passionately, his thumbs jamming into the controller as he shot lasers at his enemies. He was playing the campaign mode on the new Halo, more than happy to be able to finally indulge in things like video games marathons and unholy amounts of junk food and caffeine in the wake of the semester being over.

 

He heard a knocking at his door, but he resolutely ignored it. He hadn’t ordered any delivery food and if it was a package, they could leave it at the door. He was in the middle of a war and he could not be bothered. But the knocking continued on incessantly, if anything getting louder.

 

“Hyungs! There’s someone at the door!” He shouted, but they did not answer. He sighed belatedly, remembering that the two of them had left for gym earlier - seriously, who works out for fun, masochists, the both of them - leaving only himself to answer the unwelcome distraction.

 

“Ugh, fine.” He grumbled to himself, putting his game on pause and stalking over to the door, throwing it open. He opened his mouth, ready to go into a full fledged rant on being interrupted in the middle of his battle, but instead nothing intelligent came out.

 

Because Myungsoo, gorgeous Myungsoo from that night who somehow managed to look even cuter with a pair of Harry Potter-esque frames on his face this time and a striped cardigan of all things, was standing in front of him.

 

“Hi.” He managed quite spectacularly, before realizing that this was probably the worst thing to ever happen. He was still wearing his headset and holding his portable Xbox controller for god’s sake, and some obnoxiously pink patterned kitten pajama pants paired with a Pokemon tee shirt that definitely didn’t match at all, and there was cheetos dust on his fingertips that he tried to subtle wipe away without Myungsoo noticing and oh my god, just kill him now.

 

“Hey. I just finished grading your paper and I wanted to deliver the results personally. I knew how nervous you were about it, so I thought I’d lessen your worries.”

 

“Oh! Okay, thank you!” Sungyeol took the offered paper from Myungsoo’s hands, his heart beating nervously; not because of Myungsoo’s close proximity or the dimples or the dark shiny hair, but because of his grade, he told himself stubbornly.

 

Yeah, he didn’t believe himself either.

 

But a bright red circled A grabbed his attention, and he squealed in delight. “Oh my god! Seriously! Seriously?” Myungsoo laughed, nodding his head. Sungyeol lost his composure for a second, throwing himself into Myungsoo’s arms for a hug before his brain caught up with him. He immediately pulled away, clasping his hands behind his back so he wouldn’t do something impulsive and silly again, but god did Myungsoo feel right in his arms and the cologne he used smelled ridiculously nice and he wouldn’t mind getting a whiff of it again.

 

Myungsoo smiled, casually straightening his glasses as he looked over Sungyeol. “Well, just so you don’t think I’m playing favorites or anything, everyone pretty much gets an A as long as they hit a certain word length and put in a solid effort. Professor Kim isn’t as strict as he likes to pretend he is. But I did write in some personal thoughts and notes in the margins; your paper was definitely an interesting read.”

 

Sungyeol blushed red; suddenly remembering that he had written his entire paper that night he got home, the words just pouring out of him when he wrote about how he wished a pretend date could be real, that he could see a certain someone again.

 

“Oh yeah?” He squeaked out, flipping through the pages quickly. He would probably read them in the privacy of his room later, with the door locked and the music from his stereo blaring so Hoya couldn’t catch him in the midst of squealing over Myungsoo’s cuteness.

 

“Yeah. There’s actually something I disagree with though.”

 

“Oh?” Sungyeol said dumbly, something that felt suspiciously like terror rising in his throat.

 

“You said that you felt like you had went on the perfect date, but I have to disagree.”

 

“W-why is that?” Sungyeol stuttered, his eyes looking down to the floor defeated.

 

But Myungsoo just smiled wider, lifting up Sungyeol’s chin with his finger so their eyes could meet again. “It’s not a perfect date unless you get a kiss goodnight.”

 

Oh. Oh. The wheels in Sungyeol’s head started turning, and he subconsciously his lips.

 

“What do you say we give it another try? That way I can do things properly.”

 

The way Sungyeol wanted to kiss Myungsoo was certainly not considered proper but there wasn’t a chance in hell that he was going to argue or turn him down so he just nodded his head dumbly.

 

Myungsoo chuckled, hiding his grin behind his hand before attempting to school his face into an acceptable look. “So I’ll come back? Tonight?”

 

“Yes. That sounds awesome, yes.”

 

“Okay. It’s a date. For real this time.”

 

Sungyeol turned pink again, continuing to nod his head enthusiastically. “Yes, I want- that. Yes.” God, he sounded like an idiot, but who could really blame him when Myungsoo was looking at him like that.

 

“Alright. I’ll see you later Sungyeol.” He stepped away, his smile taking over his entire face. Sungyeol was frozen in the door, watching him walk away, unable to believe that the situation was actually happening. Myungsoo turned around for a quick second, laughing to himself. “The kittens are cute, by the way. And I’m basically a walking, talking Pokedex so we’re totally meant to be.”

 

Sungyeol melted into the door, a ridiculously happy feeling bursting out of his chest. “Well you know, we could always stay in tonight. I could hook up the old Nintendo 64. We could play a little Pokemon Stadium. But I’m highly competitive and an extremely talented Pokemon trainer, so agree at your own risk.”

 

“It sounds great. But I’ll bring over my own controller; we can’t have you secretly sabotaging me.”

 

“You seriously have your own Nintendo 64 controller just ready to go? You’re hot and a nerd? Screw subtlety, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

 

“We’ll see if you feel the same after I kick your in the stadium later.” He winked at Sungyeol, disappearing down the stairs with a chuckle. Sungyeol was on cloud nine, not even sure if this was his real life anymore.

 

“Oh. My. God. That was freaking adorable!” Sungyeol’s head whipped around, finding Dongwoo and Hoya standing in the hallway.

 

“How long have you guys been standing there?” He asked gravely, but Hoya’s smirk was an answer in itself.

 

“Long enough to know that tonight is going to be so much fun. Better treat me nice or I might just tell him some embarrassing stories that are even worse than your outfit right now. And don’t think I forgot about you owing me dinner.” Hoya breezed past him in the doorway, just as evil as ever. Dongwoo gave him a hug, pulling him and inside and talking a mile a minute.

 

Sungyeol sighed; this was his real life alright. But at least now, despite Hoya’s neverending teasing he’d have to deal with until probably the end of his days, he’d have a cute boy coming over to look forward to.

Maybe essay writing wasn’t so bad after all.

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Thanks for reading ^^