It felt like the two of them stood there staring at the poster for ages, Seongcheol trying to come up with an idea and ultimately failing. He could feel Jeonghan shaking just slightly and he let out a sharp breath, reaching out and ripping the paper down from the locker. The sudden movement made a few people recoil and Seongcheol looked back at the crowd, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin. Instead, he kept Jeonghan’s hand in his, pushing out of the group and trying to find someone that could help.

He ended up running right into Mingyu, almost frantic as Mingyu moved to give him a high five. When it wasn’t returned Mingyu dropped his hand, brow quirked as he looked the two of them over. He saw the frantic looks, the worry, and the confusion, and he leaned close, one hand on Seongcheol’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, Seongcheol shoving the poster into Mingyu’s hands.

“Someone… Someone outed us to the whole school,” he replied, Mingyu fumbling with the paper before looking it over. He immediately frowned, reading over it and closing his eyes. He shook his head, sighing softly. “Do you have any idea who could’ve…”

“No, I mean… I just got here. And it sure as hell wasn’t me, Hansol, or Wonwoo. None of us told anyone,” he replied, Seongcheol and Jeonghan both nodding. “I don’t get why people do this…”

“Yeah…” Jeonghan said softly, still holding on to Seongcheol’s hand. There was a pause before Seongcheol turned to him, brows furrowed.

“We’ll figure out a way to fix this,” he said, Jeonghan nodding. He looked to Mingyu before pausing, taking in a quick breath. “Mingyu, stay here with Jeonghan for a second, I need to talk to someone before class starts.”

Mingyu nodded, barely able to get a word out before Seongcheol grabbed the poster and ran off down the hall. Jeonghan watched him, Mingyu resting his hand on his shoulder with a shaky sigh.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said softly, Jeonghan nodding as Seongcheol disappeared down the hall.

Seongcheol didn’t stop until he saw Joshua, running up to him and shoving the poster in his hands. Joshua simply stared at it, reading over it and flinching at the wording. He looked up at Seongcheol, who pointed at it.

“Did you put someone up to that?” he asked, Joshua’s eyes widening.

“What?” he replied, Seongcheol noticing the shock in his tone but pointing at the paper again.

“I got here and this was on my locker,” he explained, words a bit shaky. “Jeonghan told me what you said yesterday and he was near tears, and now this… Now the whole school knows and Jeonghan is freaking out and so am I and… I just wanted to know if you had anything to do with it.” Joshua stared up at Seongcheol in silence as he spoke before turning his focus back down at the poster in his hands. He shook his head.

“No,” he said softly, Seongcheol watching him with furrowed brows.

“Don’t… Don’t lie, okay?” he pleaded gently, Joshua locking eyes with Seongcheol.

“I’m not. I wouldn’t…” he started, rolling the poster up as an excuse to do something with his hands. He looked down at it. “All I said was that I didn’t agree with him… But I’ve known Jeonghan for years. Just because I don’t agree with something doesn’t mean that I would tell the whole school about it, especially something that’s personal like this. I… I would never do something like this, or tell anyone else to,” he finished, the two staring at each other before Seongcheol sighed loudly, nodding and taking the paper from Joshua’s hands.

“Right…” he mumbled, pushing his hair off of his face. “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to figure this out and… I shouldn’t have run up and accused you of something like that. Sorry, forget this happened,” he said, turning and walking away. Joshua watched him in silence, not sure how to respond until Seongcheol had already ended the conversation.

“I’m sorry,” he started, Seongcheol turning around, “that it happened like this… I’m really sorry that happened to you two,” he said, Seongcheol forcing a little smile as he nodded.

“Thanks,” he replied, taking a few steps backward and waving at the other before turning around and jogging to his first class. No one said a word to him on the way there, no one greeted him or even looked at him directly, the halls filled with sideways glances and whispers as he walked into his first class as the bell rang.

His usual seat was occupied so he took the only remaining seat in the back of the room, every eye on him as he settled into his spot and took out his supplies. He had never felt like he was both the center of attention and completely ignored until now, and every class was the same way. It continued until lunch, Seongcheol meeting Jeonghan at the door to the cafeteria and stopping him.

“Let’s just get lunch and go to the field,” he said softly, Jeonghan nodding before he looked down.

“I’m… Not even hungry,” he admitted quietly, Seongcheol watching him with a sad frown. He let out a deep breath, arm wrapped around Jeonghan’s shoulders as he turned from the cafeteria and headed to the football field. He did his best to ignore the words he heard being mumbled around them, only walking faster to get Jeonghan away from them.

“I’ll just ask my mom to make a really big dinner tonight,” he said, shooting Jeonghan a hopeful smile as they walked onto the field. They barely made it to the bleachers, Jeonghan dropping down on the first one and burying his head in his hands. Seongcheol just watched, sitting down next to him before pulling Jeonghan close. He wrapped him in a tight hug, Jeonghan resting his head on Seongcheol’s shoulder as he tried to calm himself down.

“Why would someone do this?” he asked quietly, Seongcheol shaking his head as he ran his hand up and down Jeonghan’s back in an attempt to comfort him.

“I don’t know,” he murmured in reply, Jeonghan sniffling softly.

They stayed like that for the rest of lunch, neither of them really saying a word and Seongcheol simply holding Jeonghan close to him. When the bell rang they both walked in silence again, reaching the crowd of students in the hall and taking it all in. Seongcheol looked at Jeonghan, saw the hesitation and worry written on his face, and reached down, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. Jeonghan looked down at their hands for a moment, blinking as his cheeks went read. Seongcheol just smiled.

“You’re not alone, you know. I’m here. I’m not gonna leave,” he said softly, Jeonghan biting his lip. Seongcheol could see tears threatening to fall but for the first time since they’d gotten to school that morning Jeonghan smiled, nodding.

“I know,” he said, still for a moment until he gave Seongcheol’s hand a tight squeeze. “... I know.”

They walked through the hall with stares surrounding them, both trying to ignore the eyes on them and focus on each other. When they had to separate Seongcheol gave Jeonghan’s hand another comforting squeeze, Jeonghan attempting a smile before slipping off to his next class. Like before, in this class Seongcheol ended up sitting in the back, the theme continuing all the way to history at the end of the day.

Mingyu saw them sitting in the back, frowning at them. He looked back down at his own seat, sighing before he got up. He ended up sitting in an open desk right in front of the two of them, giving them a smile as he sat down despite the looks he was given.

“Thanks,” Seongcheol said softly, Mingyu nodding. He leaned back, ruffling Seongcheol’s hair with a relaxed smile. Jeonghan grinned, watching Seongcheol chuckle and reaching over to give his shoulder a squeeze. They both laughed, turning their attention to the teacher as he started his lecture.

The class went by smoothly, Jeonghan and Seongcheol heading to the garage and talking between themselves. They were just starting to get into a more relaxed mood, thanks to Mingyu throwing notes covered in silly drawings back onto their desks throughout the class. It had been nice, someone on their side after a day full of stress. But when they got nearer to the garage Jeonghan was pushed back, someone’s shoulder colliding with his full force and nearly sending him to the ground. He caught himself, dropping his books in the process as the boy looked back at him.

“in’ ,” he mumbled, Seongcheol looking at Jeonghan before walking up to the boy. He grabbed his shoulder, turning him around so that they were facing each other and pushing him away by the shoulders.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” he said, the boy looking him up and down before laughing.

“What are you gonna do about it?” the boy asked, Seongcheol glaring at him before shaking his head. He turned around, looking at Jeonghan who had managed to collect his books. He let out a deep breath, eyes closed as he instead took a few steps away. The boy continued to call insults after them but Seongcheol ignored them, pulling Jeonghan into the garage and getting into his car.

The drive home was silent, Seongcheol watching Jeonghan at every light. He frowned, reaching over and curling his hand around Jeonghan’s lightly, noticing Jeonghan’s little smile before he turned to Seongcheol.

“Hey, can you drop me off at my house? I think I’m going to have dinner with my parents tonight. It might be good for me,” he said, Seongcheol blinking but nodding in understanding.

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” he replied with a little smile, Jeonghan nodding and letting out a sigh. He took Seongcheol’s hand in his own and let his other hand hold it as well, Seongcheol grinning and passing his house to get to Jeonghan’s. They finally got there, Seongcheol stopping in the driveway as Jeonghan turned to him. “If you need anything later, just call me, okay?” he asked, Jeonghan nodding.

There was a pause, Seongcheol just staring at Jeonghan before he leaned forward and pressed a firm kiss to Jeonghan’s lips, Jeonghan’s eyes closing as he returned it with a sigh. When Seongcheol pulled back Jeonghan stayed where he was, eyes still closed as he took in the kiss and hummed contently.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” he said softly, Jeonghan finally opening his eyes.

“Yeah,” he said with a smile, opening the door and slipping out of the car. He waved back at Seongcheol as the other drove away, unlocking his front door and walking inside. “Mom?” he called, looking into the kitchen first before heading to the living room. His mother was sitting on the couch and he took a few steps in, smile falling when he saw his mother’s stern expression. “Mom, what’s wrong?” he asked, watching as she shook her head.

“Your principal called,” she said, the color draining from Jeonghan’s face. “He said there was an incident at school today involving you and that boy you’ve been hanging around.” Jeonghan was still standing in the doorway of the living room, staring blankly at his mother. “Would you like to explain?”

Jeonghan didn’t know what to say. He just stared, eyes focused on the ground as his mother watched him. Why had his principal called? Had someone said something about them? Did someone complain or mention the poster? Did the boy that Seongcheol had pushed talk to him afterward? Jeonghan didn’t know but he was lost for words, biting his lip and still not daring to look up.

“He said it involved someone calling you names and accusing you of being in a relationship with your friend,” she continued, Jeonghan swallowing deeply, “and that it was making some students feel uncomfortable.”

There was a long silence, Jeonghan not even wanting to look up to see the accusing face of his mother staring at him. He stuttered out a few syllables before closing his mouth, unsure of how he was supposed to respond. His mother only sighed, the echoing tap of her foot on the ground further distracting Jeonghan’s ability to come up with words.

“I’m waiting,” she said, and Jeonghan could practically hear her disappointment. Jeonghan closed his eyes, shaking his head before he looked up at her.

“He… He called?” he asked, his mother nodding. “What… What do you want me to say?” he asked even quieter, his mother raising her brow.

“I want you to explain to me what happened,” she stated plainly, Jeonghan closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. He nodded in understanding, still not moving from his spot in the doorway and not knowing exactly what to say.

“Mom…” he started, head dropping down as he let out a shaky breath, “that’s what happened. Someone took a photo of me and Seongcheol at school and posted it. They called us horrible things…”

“What does that mean?” she asked, Jeonghan flinching at her tone and clenching his eyes shut.

“It means… That I’m gay, mom,” he stated, words shaky but very clear.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence between the two of them, Jeonghan not wanting to say anything else and not even daring to look up. Finally his mother spoke, breaking the awkward silence with words that made Jeonghan finally look up.

“I’m sure you’re wrong,” she started, Jeonghan raising a brow in disbelief. “Everyone has a phase, so I’m sure you’ll change your mind soon.” Jeonghan blinked at her, taking in her words before leaning forward a bit.

“What?” he asked, his mother clearing before looking back at him.

“I said that it’s a phase. I’m sure you’ll be over it soon.”

Jeonghan stared at her in confusion, not sure how to respond. What was he supposed to say? He wasn’t confused and it wasn’t a phase, but this was his mother. He was supposed to respect her but this was something he couldn’t just ignore.

“Mom, when I was six there was a boy in my class that I thought was beautiful, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know what to do,” he said, his mother clearly trying to ignore him. “When I was twelve I listened to all of my classmates talk about actresses they thought were pretty. I never joined in because I thought the actors were handsome and I felt awkward even mentioning it. When I was fourteen I faked having a girlfriend just so I could fit in and now I’m actually happy and in a happy relationship and you’re saying it’s just a phase?” His mother didn’t answer, only pushing her hair behind her ear. Jeonghan frowned. “It’s not. It’s not a phase. Mom, and I didn’t choose it. I’m gay. That’s not going to change.”

There was another uncomfortable silence, Jeonghan’s mother staring at him before she stood, Jeonghan’s eyes widening. She got close to him, eyes narrowed as she looked over his appearance.

“I should have known,” she said softly, though the words were sharp. Jeonghan pulled away slightly. “Ever since you started letting that hair grow… I’m telling your father when he gets home, I hope you know that.”

“Mom, please don’t tell him,” Jeonghan pleaded quietly, his mother cocking her head.

“How would you like me to start the conversation? Would you like me to tell him that you’re going through a phase? Or would you rather I tell him you’re not going to be giving us any grandchildren because you’re life choices are disgusting and immoral?” she asked, Jeonghan shaking his head in response. He was tearing up, closing his eyes as a few tears escaped to streak down his cheeks. “Tell me what you want me to tell him.”

“Why can’t you just support me and say it’s going to be okay?” he exclaimed, raising his voice.

“Because this is nothing I will be supporting!” she screamed back, words harsh as Jeonghan took in a quick breath. “I will not support you being with that boy and I won’t be listening to any arguments you might have in your favor. What you are is wrong, and I won’t have anything to do with it.”

Jeonghan stared at her, not knowing what to say and instead just looking at her with his jaw dropped. He had expected his mother to be difficult when it came to this, but he hadn’t expected this reaction. Instead of responding he turned, walking to his room. He grabbed a few more sets of clothes, shoving them into his backpack and trying not to cry more. His mother followed him, shaking her head in disdain.

“What? Are you going to run away to your friend’s house?” she asked, Jeonghan turning suddenly as he hoisted the back onto his shoulder.

“He’s not just my friend. He’s my boyfriend,” he snapped back, his mother looking away.

“I refuse to acknowledge that. If you go there, don’t come back until you’re ready to agree with me on the subject,” she replied, words calm and more disconcerting than when she had been yelling. Jeonghan just walked past her, ignoring her words as she yelled after him. He got on his bicycle, riding all the way to Seongcheol’s house and not even bothering to call him first. It was early enough that the whole family would be awake, and he he didn’t know what to say.

When he got to the driveway he all but threw his bike to the pavement, running up to the door and ringing the bell. It didn’t take long for it to open, Seongcheol stopping in the middle of his greeting when he saw Jeonghan standing there. He looked at him with wide eyes.

“Jeonghan, what’s-”

“They called my mom,” he cut in, Seongcheol’s stomach dropping. “They called my mom and she knows.”

That was all he managed to get out before he broke down in tears, wrapping his arms around Seongcheol in a tight hug. Seongcheol looked at him in shock, it taking a moment for him to grasp what was happening. Then he wrapped one arm around Jeonghan, holding him tightly as he pulled the other inside and closed the door.

“She… She called me disgusting and immoral… And she told me not to come back,” he said between sobs, Seongcheol leading Jeonghan over to the couch. He sat down, pulling Jeonghan close as Jeonghan gripped the back of his shirt tightly. Seongcheol watched him with furrowed brows, near tears himself and trying not to cry. His mother walked in, looking between the two of them before crouching in front of them by the couch. She rested her hand on Jeonghan’s back.

“Jeonghan, honey, what happened?” she asked, Jeonghan looking to her with tear-streaked cheeks. He shook his head, looking up to Seongcheol and resting his head on his shoulder again. Seongcheol just closed his eyes, wiping some of the tears from Jeonghan’s cheeks and letting out a little sigh.

“Can Jeonghan stay here for a while, mom?” he asked, watching as she looked between them again. She nodded, an unsure expression on her face as she turned her attention to Jeonghan. “His mother pretty much just kicked him out.”

“Oh my God,” she said, clearly shocked by the words. “Jeonghan, you can stay here as long as you need to, okay?” she offered, giving Jeonghan a little smile. Jeonghan returned it, sniffing and rubbing his eye.

“Thanks,” he replied, Seongcheol smiling at his mother thankfully as well. There was a silence, Seongcheol’s mother still rubbing Jeonghan’s back comfortingly. Seongcheol looked down, thinking for a moment before he turned his attention back to his mother.

“Mom? Jeonghan and I are dating,” Seongcheol said suddenly, Jeonghan looking up at him in shock as he shook his head. Seongcheol gave Jeonghan a squeeze, attempting comfort though Jeonghan still looked shocked that he’d said anything. “It’s gonna be fine,” he mumbled, Jeonghan staring at him for a moment before he nodded and looked to Seongcheol’s mother. It took her a moment to say anything but when she did she smiled, reaching out to rest her other hand on Seongcheol’s knee.

“I’m proud of you for telling me,” she said. “Your principal called today,” she said, Jeonghan sitting up.

“He did?” he asked, his mother nodding.

“He told me what happened, but I thought it was extremely inappropriate to discuss that not only over the phone but without you, so I didn’t want to bring anything up until you were ready to tell me yourself,” she explained quietly, both Seongcheol and Jeonghan staring at her. “It’s alright. I just want my son to be happy,” she added, offering the both a soft smile. “Seungah has been telling me all about how you and Jeonghan are like ‘mommy and daddy’ so… I’ve had a feeling for a while.” She winked, Seongcheol’s cheeks red.

“She told you that?” he asked, Jeonghan looking at him in confusion.

“What? What happened?” he questioned with wide eyes, Seongcheol looking at him and shaking his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” Seongcheol replied, biting his lip. Then he turned to his mother, letting out a shaky breath. “So… It’s okay? You’re okay with it?” he asked, his mother nodding. “And Jeonghan can still stay here?” he continued, his mother still nodding.

“Yes, it’s still fine. You two relax, okay? I’ll take care of dinner,” she said, ruffling Seongcheol’s hair. She turned to Jeonghan, hand on his shoulder. “And you make yourself at home. I’m going to explain all of this to your dad,” she added, turning to Seongcheol, “and he might be a bit… awkward at first, but I’ll make sure it will be fine,” she explained, Seongcheol nodding in understanding as she walked away.

That left the two of them in silence and Jeonghan turned to Seongcheol, fixing his hair as he smiled softly. His cheeks were still covered in slowly drying tears but the smile gave Seongcheol a bit of hope and he cupped Jeonghan’s cheek, letting out a deep breath before kissing the tip of Jeonghan’s nose.

“I owe you so much,” Jeonghan said, Seongcheol immediately shaking his head.

“No. You don’t owe me anything. I just want you to be happy,” he replied, Jeonghan blushing softly and burying his face in the crook of Seongcheol’s neck.

They sat comfortably like that until dinner, eating with easy conversation. His father kept shooting them odd glances but he said nothing, finally relaxing and joining in their talks of their days. His mother steered the conversation away from their incident at school and for that Seongcheol was grateful, the two spending most of dinner with their hands clasped tightly together under the table.

After dinner they spent the rest of the night in Seongcheol’s room, falling asleep after watching television and talking. It had been a long, stressful day, but the way it ended helped turn it around at least a bit.

When they headed to school the next day there was a small hope in their minds that it would be different, that maybe something would have happened to take the focus away from them. Unfortunately they were wrong, the day playing out almost exactly like the day before had. The two of them even ended up eating lunch in the bleachers again, Seongcheol’s mother having packed them food for the day so they didn’t even have to go to the cafeteria at lunch.

The day moved by at a snail’s pace, Seongcheol heading to the field for football practice. He was greeted in the locker room not with smiles but with the team sitting glaring at him, much like how his classmates had been looking at him in the hall. Mingyu was standing, clearly in the middle of speaking, but he stopped when Seongcheol walked in, turning and looking at him.

“What’s going on?” Seongcheol asked, Mingyu shaking his head. He swallowed deeply, frowning.

“Seongcheol… The team is trying to get you kicked out,” he said bluntly, Seongcheol’s eyes widening.

“What?” he asked, looking from Mingyu to the rest of his teammates. Mingyu just continued frowning, opening his mouth to answer. He was cut off by one of the members of the team standing.

“We talked about it and we’re just not comfortable with you being here with us,” he said, gesturing to the locker room they were sitting in. Seongcheol raised a brow, looking back at Mingyu.

“Are… Are they serious?” he asked, Mingyu nodding.

“They were passing around a petition,” he replied, Seongcheol looking at the paper that was at the front of the group. It was nearly full, only a few signatures missing, and Seongcheol frowned at it.

“We’re not comfortable changing in a room with you,” another team member said, Seongcheol just staring at him.

There was a long silence before Seongcheol shook his head, about to speak, to defend himself. That was when Mingyu stepped between him and the rest of the team, brows furrowed.

“If you guys kick Seongcheol out, I’m out, too,” he stated, Seongcheol staring at him with wide eyes and a bit of shock. He would never have expected Mingyu to do something like that but there he was, standing between him and a group of people he thought were his friends. One of his teammates snickered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Why? You don’t have to leave, Mingyu. You’re not a ,” he said. Seongcheol saw Mingyu’s muscles tensed and he watched, ready for Mingyu to punch the person who had said it, but instead Mingyu let out a sharp breath, glaring daggers at the team.

“Don’t call him that,” Mingyu said, words low and full of venom. “Seongcheol is my friend. And don’t use that word around me,” he added, his teammates laughing from their spots.

“What? ?” he asked in reply, Wonwoo and Hansol staring at Mingyu from their spots. They had never seen Mingyu act quite like this, and no one really had any idea what was going to happen. Instead of screaming and losing his self control Mingyu looked at Seongcheol before turning back to the group.

“ you guys,” he said, Seongcheol blinking. “If you’re gonna treat my best friend like that, just… You guys are s,” he added, turning to Seongcheol. “Let’s go. I quit,” he said, walking to the door. Seongcheol followed behind him, the two making it halfway down the field before they started talking.

“Mingyu… You didn’t have to quit,” he said, Mingyu shaking his head.

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, pushing his hair back off of his face. “If they’re going to treat you like that, I don’t want to associate with them.”

All of a sudden the two heard shouts behind them and they turned, Hansol and Wonwoo running up to them. They stared, both Hansol and Wonwoo stopping when they got to the two of them and Hansol letting out a sharp breath.

“We quit, too,” he said, Seongcheol looking at them in shock.

“Well… We got kicked out,” Wonwoo added, Hansol nodding.

“Apparently the coach doesn’t like it when you flick off the whole team and tell them to it,” Hansol stated, saying the words so nonchalantly that Mingyu laughed. Seongcheol just looked between the three of them, trying to understand what was really happening.

“You all… quit the football team for me?” he asked, all three of them turning to look at him. They smiled, nodding quietly.

“Yeah,” Mingyu replied, Seongcheol letting out a disbelieving sigh. The four of them walked to the garage, Seongcheol texting Jeonghan and telling him to meet him at his car so they could head home. He was there when they got there, clearly a bit confused.

“Don’t you have practice?” Jeonghan asked, Seongcheol looking at him before he shook his head.

“No,” he replied, Jeonghan cocking his head. He opened his mouth to ask for an explanation but Seongcheol just continued. “They kicked me from the team.”

“And we all quit because they were being s,” Wonwoo chimed in, Jeonghan turning to look at him. He took in everything for a moment before nodding. “It’s okay. We’ll all be fine,” he added, Jeonghan smiling at him thankfully.

He didn’t ask for a full explanation. He didn’t ask for Seongcheol to tell him everything that happened or what had caused the sudden change in the team’s mind because Jeonghan was almost certain he knew what had happened. Instead he simply settled into the passenger’s seat, turning on the radio and singing along to the music playing as Seongcheol listened to him with a smile on his face.

They spent the weekend trying to make up for the fact that they last few days hadn’t gone as well as they had been hoping. Seongcheol’s mother did everything she could to make the two comfortable, his father trying to get to know Jeonghan better each day. It was pleasing to know that Seongcheol’s father was trying his best to be at ease with the whole situation - Seongcheol knew his father hadn’t been expecting something like this but it seemed that he was actually taking a liking to Jeonghan.

One Sunday evening the two of them were near sleep, Seongcheol’s legs linked with Jeonghan’s as they relaxed. It was quiet, Seongcheol absently running his fingers through Jeonghan’s hair and Jeonghan’s fingertips trailing gently up and down Seongcheol’s back. Seongcheol smiled, kissing the top of Jeonghan’s head.

“Do you think tomorrow will be better at school?” Jeonghan asked softly, Seongcheol pausing for a moment at the suddenness of the question. Jeonghan looked up, a tired but hopeful expression on his face.

“Yeah,” he replied, words unsure but positive. He just wanted to make Jeonghan smile, to seem positive in a tough time, but he wasn’t sure of what the next day had in store. Jeonghan nodded.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he mused quietly, head resting on Seongcheol’s chest again. “Who do you think took that photo?” he continued, Seongcheol shrugging.

“I don’t know,” he responded, massaging the back of Jeonghan’s neck. Sighing in pleasure, Jeonghan nuzzled his face closer to Seongcheol’s chest, eyes closed as he relaxed in his spot. There was a pause, Jeonghan clearly thinking about something before he frowned.

“You don’t think Joshua had something to do with it, do you?” he asked, Seongcheol taking in a deep breath.

Originally he had assumed it was Joshua, but after talking to him and seeing how sincere he was Seongcheol had decided he was wrong. He had never mentioned he’d talked to him to Jeonghan, though, and instead of doing so he shifted in his spot, one hand on each of Jeonghan’s cheeks as he turned Jeonghan’s face to look up at him.

“It wasn’t Joshua,” he said matter-of-factly, Jeonghan staring at him with sadness in his eyes. “Joshua would never have done something like that, I promise,” he added, Jeonghan staring at him before nodding.

“Thanks, Seongcheol,” he replied with a little smile, leaning up. He rubbed their noses together for a moment before curling his body close to Seongcheol’s eyes closed. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Seongcheol replied, Jeonghan’s hair until the other drifted off to sleep. Seongcheol couldn’t help but think about how happy he was in a time like this, how grateful he was to have Jeonghan by his side.

In all honesty, he was hoping the next day at school would be better, that everything would have at least gone somewhat back to normal. He was wrong, however, nothing having gotten better at all. As they walked into the hall someone immediately hit Seongcheol in the shoulder, laughing and muttering under their breath as they walked away. Seongcheol could only grit his teeth and deal with it, the two of them walking to their first classes in near silence.

Classes were a repeat of the previous week, the two of them sitting in the back of all of them and trying their best to pay attention. It didn’t work, Seongcheol drawing things in the margin of his paper and Jeonghan distracted by thoughts of how the rest of the day would go.

When the bell for lunch rang the two were relieved, meeting up outside the cafeteria and walking in together. They bought their lunches, heading to their normal table and catching sight of Mingyu, Seungkwan, Jihoon, Hansol, and Wonwoo there. The five of them smiled, waving them over. Seongcheol grinned in response, starting to make their way over before someone stepped in front of them and took the spots instead.

“Sorry, there’s no room for you here,” the girl said, Seongcheol staring at her. He blinked, turning to Jeonghan and shaking his head. They were about to move to another spot at the same table when the same thing happened, a girl and a boy taking the remaining seats and pushing past them at the same time. Jeonghan almost tripped, not expecting the sudden push and barely managing to keep his balance. Seongcheol watched, brows furrowed as Jeonghan looked to him in uneasy silence. He offered him his hand, Jeonghan taking it and turning toward the door.

“Let’s just go to the field again,” Seongcheol said, Jeonghan nodding in agreement. The two of them held hands all the way out of the lunch room. Mingyu watched them leave, turning to Seungkwan with a frown and shaking his head.

By the time Jeonghan and Seongcheol got out to the field lunch was almost half over, the two simply eating their lunches. It was quiet between them today, Seongcheol simply letting Jeonghan rest his head on his shoulder as they ate. What they weren’t expecting was to hear footsteps on the bleachers, the soft thuds echoing over the empty field. Both Jeonghan and Seongcheol looked up, gazes locking with Mingyu and Seungkwan.

“We thought you two could use some company,” Mingyu said with a smile, Seungkwan nodding. Seungkwan was about to open his mouth to add on to what Mingyu had said until more footsteps followed, Jihoon, Hansol, and Wonwoo clambering up the metal steps.

“Are we too late to eat lunch together?” Jihoon asked, the five of them smiling hopefully at Jeonghan and Seongcheol. Seongcheol didn’t know what to say, Jeonghan just as lost for words as Seongcheol was.

“You guys… Thanks,” Jeonghan said, a bright smile lighting up his features. Seongcheol looked at him, taking in the happiness. He had no idea how to explain to the other five how thankful he was for this, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever know how to thank him.

But as they sat there, eating lunch on the empty bleachers on an empty field in a school that had pretty much turned its back on them, both Seongcheol and Jeonghan knew they could never ask for a better group of friends to survive their final year with.