Working at the hospital isn’t always as eventful as television shows make it seem. Sure there’s always a person in need of medical assistance, and there are those rare occasions where the hospital is in chaos. But other than that, it can get… well… boring.

Don’t get Kyungsoo wrong. He loves his job, has dreamed of being a surgeon since he was 10 years old. He’s become pretty famous within his hometown. There have been people who have written him lengthy letters to thank him for helping them or someone else, people who have mentioned how good he is in the work room. It’s nothing like being a celebrity performing on stage and having paparazzi following him 24/7. But his popularity is large.

Yet, working in a hospital means there’s not enough time for a social life. And that is what makes his job boring. He realizes this when his meets the chair in his office, the sound of silence meeting his ears. He picks up his pen and twirls it in his hand, thinking about how he’d much rather be out with friends or even on a date.

“Kyungsoo.” He snaps his head towards the door where Junmyeon, one of the other surgeons, stands. “Did you hear? There’s going to be a new pediatrician starting tomorrow.”

Kyungsoo isn’t one to engage in gossip. But the question of what the big deal about this new guy is all he can think of. It’s not like they haven’t had any newbies before, yet the whole day he has heard bits and pieces from all around about this guy. “And?” Kyungsoo asks, eyebrow raised. Junmyeon is smirking. He clearly wants to mention Kyungsoo’s interest, but the smarter side of him doesn’t bring it up.

“And all the nurses have been cooing over him. Apparently, Irene caught a glimpse of him and they say he’s really handsome.” Kyungsoo stares, waiting for Junmyeon to get to the point. “What? You’re not interested?” He asks, coming in closer. And of course that’s why Junmyeon’s here.

“I’m starting to regret telling you anything,” he says with a scowl.

Junmyeon shrugs. “It’s just a thought. You haven’t dated since what? Your first year here?”

“We don’t talk about that,” Kyungsoo says. He tries not to, that is. Because his first year is when he realized that being a surgeon meant that there is no room for romance. He hasn’t dated since his fiancé broke off the engagement with a dramatic ‘I can’t be married to someone I barely see.’ And so Kyungsoo has made it his goal to forget the whole thing ever happened and to focus on work and work only.

“Fine,” Junmyeon says. “I won’t bring it up again.” And so he leaves, and Kyungsoo is back to being alone in his tiny office. He rests his head on his desk, deciding to rest before he is back to work.

The new pediatrician is, in fact, handsome. Kyungsoo has to put in effort not to stare when he’s introduced. The man’s name is Jongin, Kim Jongin. He apparently transferred from some town a little bit north but Kyungsoo didn’t bother to remember those details. Instead, he looks over the details of Jongin’s face, thinking about how all the nurses are probably going to be putting more effort into flirting with this guy than working. And just like that, they part ways.

Work carries on as usual and by the time Kyungsoo is finally able to go home and sleep, he’s forgotten all about the new pediatrician. That is, until he sees the man on his way out.

Jongin is patting the head of some kid who’s holding onto his mother’s hand. And it’s a weakness of his; people with children. Jongin is so great with the kid, telling him how he did well with his shot and smiling all happily. He looks like a father.

The image is snapped from his mind when one of the nurses tap on his shoulder to make sure he’s alright. Kyungsoo nods, and when she leaves, he is back to looking at Jongin. “Oh,” Jongin says, catching him in the act. Kyungsoo quickly turns his head away and tightens his grip on the coat he’s holding, before quickly walking away.

He gets to the elevator, desperately pressing the button and hoping Jongin doesn’t see him. Just as the door opens, there’s a hand on his shoulder. “Dr. Do, right?” Kyungsoo turns around then, forcing on a smile and nodding.

“That’s me,” he says. Jongin looks even better up close. His bangs reach his eyebrows, hair colored black, and he’s slightly taller than Kyungsoo. He has to look up just to talk to him and his eyes look really nice, the lights making them shine.

“I’m Jongin, remember?” Kyungsoo nods again. The shy side of him is making an appearance and it only makes his throat feel dry. “Are you going home?” Another nod is given. Jongin flashes a smile, albeit small and just as shy as Kyungsoo feels. “Me, too. Let’s walk together?”

Kyungsoo wants to say that they probably don’t live in the same direction. He also wants to say that he drove here and he’d rather just get to sleep than have to drive a stranger home. But what does he do instead? Oh, right. He nods in agreement. Jongin’s smile widens and it almost makes giving up the extra hour of sleep worth it.

Everyone has their moments, right? Those times where they slip up and do something stupid or embarrassing. Kyungsoo has his moment when he chooses to take the bus home instead of driving, because it means he gets to sit a little closer to Jongin. (And it also has something to do with his inability to talk.) The bus isn’t all that crowded, not at this time of day. It allows for Jongin and Kyungsoo to sit comfortably without prying eyes or shoving.

This close, Kyungsoo can smell Jongin’s cologne. It’s nothing too special, at least not to others. But to Kyungsoo, the smell is amazing and sweet. He almost thinks about leaning in just to get a better whiff, but he decides it’s too weird and sticks to toying with his fingers. Jongin is quiet, staring out the window and watching as the buildings pass by. It’s an uncomfortable kind of silence that Kyungsoo is tempted to fill, if only to keep from squirming in his seat.

“So,” he starts. Jongin jerks, shocked by his voice, and turns to look at him with a soft smile. “You just moved here?” He asks.

“Yeah. I finished moving all my stuff into my apartment yesterday.” It’s a lot harder to make conversation than one would think. Kyungsoo doesn’t know what questions would be too personal or what to say about himself. Luckily, Jongin is a lot better at this than he is. “I’m still fairly new in the medical field. I wanted a place where I could settle down with my career.”

“New? That means you’re younger than me?” Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, but he supposes he should’ve known. Jongin has a more youthful look to him. In fact, if Kyungsoo didn’t know better he would think the guy is practically a teenager. But that doesn’t change the fact that he expected Jongin to be at least a year younger. Besides, Jongin gives off the feeling of professionalism and experience; like he’s been a pediatrician for years.

“Not by much! I, uhm… I started school later than most people.” He lets out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a while. And I ended up taking some time off school and after my sister got sick, I decided to be a doctor. But I’m good with children so being a pediatrician made sense…” Jongin’s lips purse like he’s thinking, and Kyungsoo can’t help but admit that he looks adorable like that. “What made you want to be a surgeon?” Jongin asks.

“It just felt right.” His laugh is nervous, too; embarrassed. “I don’t have a sad story or anything. I’ve always been interested in medicine. When studying in school, being a surgeon just felt like the right career for me. Every time I tell people that they always look at me like they expected more. Like my story is too boring.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Jongin says. He’s silent for a moment, probably thinking again. Then he speaks. “You’re interesting.”

“Me? Interesting?” Kyungsoo wants to laugh at that, but he holds himself back. “That’s new.”

Jongin looks like he’s going to pout and that should not be something Kyungsoo finds cute. It especially should not look cute on a man who is in his thirties. “You are,” Jongin argues. Then he grows shy, flashing a sheepish smile. “Earlier you were intimidating. I was worried that you wouldn’t like me or that you would look down on me since I’m new. But you’re surprisingly nice. And you’re shy. I expected for you to be arrogant.”

And that is not something new. It’s not like Jongin is the first person to have that impression of Kyungsoo. Everyone he meets say the same thing, yet he never cared before. But when it’s coming from Jongin he feels strangely upset, because that’s not the impression he wanted to give. Not with Jongin.

“Most people think I’m boring,” Kyungsoo says instead. “Nobody thinks I’m interesting. My life revolves around being a surgeon and staying at the hospital all the time. Because of that I don’t get to see friends much, or family. And so everyone just thinks I’m a boring person to be around.”

The bus comes to a stop. The few people on the bus stand and that’s when Kyungsoo is brought back to reality. He had forgotten, in the few moments he spent talking to Jongin, that there is a world around them. And it’s frightening in a sense; the fact that he can get so caught up in someone, he forgets about reality. Yet, he likes it, and he wouldn’t mind it if they slip back into that world.

Jongin must feel the same because his attention is suddenly on the window. When he stands, Kyungsoo feels the sudden urge to grab onto his sleeve and tell him to miss the stop, maybe stay a little longer. But he decides against it. “This is my stop,” Jongin says. Kyungsoo forces on a smile, hoping it won’t seem as though he’s disappointed. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?” A nod and Jongin smiles, his more sincere than Kyungsoo’s.

When Jongin leaves, Kyungsoo feels strangely lonely. He hasn’t had company in a while. He hasn’t enjoyed talking to someone as much as he enjoyed talking to Jongin. But the thought of seeing him again tomorrow is enough to send a spark of happiness through his veins. So he smiles, anticipates it, and spends the remainder of the ride watching the buildings pass by.

Kyungsoo is the one who invites Jongin to Lunch. He waits until Jongin is finished with one of his patients (and he most certainly did not watch Jongin the whole time.) And when the coast was clear, he walked up to Jongin just before he could leave. “Are you busy?” He asked. Jongin’s eyes had widened at the sight of Kyungsoo, and after informing him of the mini-heart attack he just had, he had answered “No, I’m not busy. I’m actually on break now.” To which Kyungsoo had smiled.

“Me, too. Do you want to uh… Eat together?” And the smile he was given in return had that familiar spark of happiness shooting all throughout his body.

And this is how they find themselves in the hospital’s café together. Kyungsoo sits across from Jongin at their table, trying not to feel awkward. They’re eating in silence. The rest of the café’s chatter fills in the empty air, and Kyungsoo once again struggles to start a conversation.

Jongin eats away at his food just as quietly. He hasn’t said anything other than “Thanks.” And that was only because Kyungsoo had paid for his meal. Kyungsoo tries harder to think of something, anything, to create small talk.

“Has everyone been treating you okay?” That sounded like a better conversation starter in his head. But now that he’s said it, he feels like maybe he should’ve went with something more basic. Something like “How’s your day?” or “What do you think of the weather? Pretty nice, right?” He realizes he’s overthinking only after Jongin answers, all shy but his smile sweet.

“Yeah… They’ve been nice. Especially Junmyeon.” Jongin picks at his food with his chopsticks, eyes downcast. He’s hesitating. Then he looks up and meets Kyungsoo’s eyes. “He keeps talking about you.”

Kyungsoo almost rolls his eyes at that. “Does he?” He asks, interested to hear what Junmyeon has to say. “What did he tell you?”

“Just little things. He says you’re hard working and that you look good shirtless.” If Kyungsoo was drinking anything, he’d surely spit it out at that moment. Instead he goes wide eyes and splutters, searching for some kind of response. Jongin is chuckling like he actually enjoys Kyungsoo’s misery. And what the hell is Junmyeon doing telling Jongin these things? “I think he’s trying to set us up.”

“Is he?” Kyungsoo asks, voice coming out more nervous than anything. Of course. Junmyeon doesn’t know how to give it a rest. Kyungsoo should’ve known he wasn’t going to let it go.

“I think so. He tried to hint that we have similar interests.” Kyungsoo’s laugh is incredulous. He’s going to kill Junmyeon the second he sees him. But Jongin is grinning, and he looks amused; as if the thought of Junmyeon trying to set them up is humorous.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Kyungsoo asks, disbelieving that Jongin actually likes this. But Jongin shakes his head, and shoots down the thought.

“It doesn’t. I think it’s sweet.”

“Sweet?” Shy Jongin returns then. He once again lowers his gaze to his half empty plate, looking sheepish. And honestly, Jongin should not be making Kyungsoo’s heart feel so… weird. Like he’s a teenager all over again, crushing on some guy. But it’s been a long time since he felt this way. It reminds him of his ex-fiancé, the beginning stages of their romance filled with sweaty palms, and fluttering sensations within their stomachs.

“He cares about you. He… He said that you haven’t dated anyone in a while. He thinks that you’re lonely.”

And there’s a brief thought that runs through Kyungsoo’s brain. A thought where he wonders if Jongin is here, sitting with him and talking to him because of what Junmyeon said. It was Jongin who approached him first. Kyungsoo doesn’t like being pitied and he’s quickly met with a wave of disappointment and hurt at the sheer thought that Jongin only approached Kyungsoo because he felt bad for him.

“You’re thinking too much, aren’t you?” Kyungsoo snaps out of it. Jongin is looking at him now, concern written in his expression. “I really like you.” Those words are enough to have his breath hitching. He quickly covers it by clearing his throat, trying not to think of how he’d like for those words to mean something else. Something more. “Junmyeon talked a lot about you. You sounded different from what I initially thought, and so I wanted to get to know you. I want to be friends.”

Right. Friends. “So you’re not here because you feel bad for me? Since I’m ‘lonely’?” Kyungsoo even uses his fingers as quotations. Jongin’s features brighten up.

“Is that what you think?” He laughs, like it’s hilarious. “That’s not why I’m here. You never talk to anyone here. I thought you chose to be alone because you prefer it that way.”

Kyungsoo feels relief knowing that Jongin understands him. And if they continue as friends (Kyungsoo ignores his distaste towards the label), he wouldn’t mind it.

He’s once again brought back to the real world when his alarm goes off. His break has ended, which means he has to leave Jongin. He forces down the part of him that wishes they could talk forever. Jongin flashes him a smile and announces that he also has to go, and they part ways with a semi-awkward goodbye. And Kyungsoo definitely does not watch when Jongin leaves, and he definitely does not get distracted by what Jongin had said.

Days go by and more of Kyungsoo’s lunch breaks are spent with Jongin. Kyungsoo doesn’t kill Junmyeon, but he punches the man in the stomach the second he sees him. He also glared and Junmyeon had smirked before turning wide eyed and innocent, asking what could he possibly have done to deserve such treatment. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, knowing damn well that he can’t trust the man.

It’s a month later that Kyungsoo’s time with Jongin goes from being spent during Lunch to during Dinner. Jongin is the one who enters into Kyungsoo’s office, asking him if he’d like to go to dinner. Kyungsoo spluttered, his immediate thoughts full of date, date, date. He cleared his throat when he was given a weird look and had to rid himself of that thought.

“Dinner?” He had asked. Jongin nodded, grinning wide.

“Yeah, there’s this place I wanted to show you.” Something about Jongin’s excitement sparked butterflies within Kyungsoo’s stomach. He ended up agreeing and Jongin’s “8 o’clock, don’t be late,” did nothing to ease the sensation inside.

The place Jongin took him to is an Italian restaurant. Kyungsoo had expressed in great detail how much he enjoys Italian food and Jongin had admitted to never trying the food. That night consisted of Kyungsoo translating the different meals on the menu, explaining what kind of meat was used and what the “little bow noodles” (as Jongin had called it) is.

By the time their food had arrived, Kyungsoo had slipped into his own world of Jongin. They fell into conversation, talking and laughing until their plates were empty, and their stomachs were full. Kyungsoo was the one who took Jongin home that night. He had pulled up to his house, Jongin sitting in the passenger seat for a while longer, biting his lip and staring down at his lap as he toyed with his fingers. Kyungsoo’s “Thank you,” is what snapped Jongin out of his thoughts.

“See you tomorrow?” Jongin had asked, looking at Kyungsoo with those really, really nice eyes. They’re captivating, puppy-like.

“Of course,” Kyungsoo had said. He looked away, trying to keep his heart under control.

And within that month, the two grew closer. Jongin learned that Kyungsoo learns recipes in his free time, and Kyungsoo learned that Jongin’s grandfather owns a small restaurant in his home town. Jongin tells Kyungsoo about his childhood, his family, his dog that passed away a year ago. Kyungsoo tells Jongin about his own life, his own family, and how he wants a puppy but his apartment won’t allow it.

It’s two months later that Kyungsoo realizes maybe he kind of likes Jongin.

Junmyeon is the one who points it out.

“You’re going out with him again?” He asks. Kyungsoo looks up from where he was pulling on his coat and sees him standing in his doorway. “You two might as well be dating.” The knowing smile on his face pisses Kyungsoo off.

“We’re not dating and we always go out for dinner. You know this.” Junmyeon’s face lights up, excitement all over it.

“Do you like him?” He’s really close to hitting him but he controls himself. “You two are always together when you’re not working, and every time you’re always smiling. The whole hospital has been talking about you two since you started being friendly. I’m pretty sure the nurses are betting on whether you’ve ed or not. They even have a ship name for you two.”

Ignoring Junmyeon’s words are proving to do nothing. Kyungsoo really wants to hit him.

“Jongin and I are nothing but friends. That’s it and you can tell the nurses that, too.” He leaves with that, but Junmyeon’s words stick. It gets Kyungsoo wondering and he can’t help but notice how he automatically smiles the second he sees Jongin. He wonders if he has always done that.

He’s hyperaware of how he acts when he’s with Jongin. Every time Jongin smiles, laughs, Kyungsoo notices the small bursts of warmth that hits his chest and stomach. He notices the way his lips won’t stay down no matter how hard he tries to force them to. There’s a certain kind of happiness that Jongin’s presence brings. It’s one of those “Let’s stay like this forever so I can always watch you smile and laugh like this” kind of happiness. One where he wouldn’t mind waking up and seeing Jongin lying next to him every day.

And that is when he realizes that okay, maybe Junmyeon was right. And if there’s one thing that Kyungsoo hates, it’s when Junmyeon is right. Because now Kyungsoo has a lot of emotions he needs to sort out and the only way to do that is by talking to, well, Junmyeon. Which means that he will get an “I told you so” and a lot of stupid smirks sent his way.

The thought makes Kyungsoo stab his knife into his steak. Jongin flinches and gives him a weird look that Kyungsoo brushes off with a nervous smile.

“I’m only telling you this because you’re the only person here that I can tolerate.” Kyungsoo pauses, then adds, “other than Jongin.”

Junmyeon is already looking smug, sitting at his desk with one leg over the other and his hands folded perfectly on his knee. “You may enter,” Junmyeon says and gestures for Kyungsoo to close the door.

“I’m being serious.” He closes the door and goes to sit down at the extra chair Junmyeon keeps in his office. “If you laugh at me then I’ll tell Irene that you’re the one who allowed for Baekhyun and Chanyeol to pull that prank on her.” Junmyeon glares, as if challenging Kyungsoo with a “you wouldn’t dare.” Of course Kyungsoo wins, because he would do it. So Junmyeon softens his gaze.

“Fine, I won’t laugh.” So Kyungsoo sighs in relief.

“I think I like Jongin.” He glares when he hears a snicker and Junmyeon quickly covers his mouth and gestures for him to go on. “He makes me feel happy and it’s been a long time since I last had someone make me feel that way. But… I don’t know what to do about it. It’s not like we can date.”

“Kyungsoo, are you scared?”

“I’m not scared, I’m just worried.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No?” It wasn’t supposed to come out as a question. It was supposed to sound more confident, yet he can’t help but question if Junmyeon is right or not. But of course, Junmyeon is always right. And the raised brow he receives is a reminder of this. “We work together. I already lost someone because of my work and it’ll be painful if I lose Jongin, too.”

“Scared,” Junmyeon says. Kyungsoo scowls but the look is ignored. “Look, you won’t know until you try. Don’t hurt yourself or Jongin over this. I’ve been trying to put you two together ever since I met him. He’s good with children, patient, and the fact that you two work at the same place is exactly why it’ll work. You already find time for each other, dating won’t be any different. Jongin likes you, too.”

In retrospect, Junmyeon isn’t wrong. Kyungsoo has been making time for Jongin. They’ve found ways to see each other and while there were the occasional frowns and disappointed looks when Kyungsoo gets called, they were still able to contact each other.

And sometimes it gets hard to see each other. But the smiley faces Jongin spams Kyungsoo’s phone with has him feeling less lonely.

“I hate it when you’re right,” he mutters. Junmyeon smirks and holds a hand to his ear, leaning in like he didn’t hear a damn thing Kyungsoo said.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Kyungsoo has half a mind to punch him again, but he decides against it.

“I said you’re right,” he repeats. “And wipe that smug look off your face, you look dumb.”

“You hurt me,” Junmyeon says. He holds a hand to his chest in mock hurt and that is what has Kyungsoo getting up to leave. “Tell Jongin I said hi!” He shouts as Kyungsoo closes the door behind him.

It’s late. Working at night isn’t Kyungsoo’s favorite thing and surgery can be exhausting. He doesn’t have the energy to drive home or catch a bus and instead he finds himself lying on a bed within one of the vacant rooms within the doctor’s quarters.

Outside the window, the sky is painted a dark blue. The lights of the city make finding stars a difficult task, but that’s not what Kyungsoo cares about. All that’s running through his mind is Junmyeon’s words and whether or not he should confess.

The room door opening is what catches Kyungsoo’s attention and brings him out of his thoughts. His automatic thought is to sit up, but he pauses when the door opens fully and reveals Jongin standing in the door way. His eyes are shifting elsewhere, surveying the room until he lands on Kyungsoo. His smile is sheepish, shy. “Junmyeon said I’d find you here.”

“Oh…” He sits up completely and looks around, only to see that yep, they’re alone. “You can come in if you want?” Jongin’s gaze isn’t on Kyungsoo anymore, and his expression is replaced with one that’s more thoughtful, like he’s unsure as to if he really should.

Jongin’s response is just as unsure as he looks. “O-okay,” and he walks over to sit on the bed next to Kyungsoo’s. They’re facing each other, and there’s a space between their knees. But Kyungsoo wishes they were close enough to touch. Actually, he’d prefer it if their thighs were pressed against each other, their shoulders, too.

Kyungsoo wants Jongin closer. He wants that proximity. Jongin likes him, right? That’s what Junmyeon said. It should be okay if he asks for it.

Yet, his voice gets stuck when he tries to speak. A sound slips out, the beginning of a sentence, and Jongin perks up. He turns his attention to Kyungsoo, and those piercing brown eyes shine brighter beneath lighting. Or maybe that’s something else. But whatever it is, it makes Kyungsoo’s shoulder relax and the tension escapes his bones. “Sit next to me?” he pats the bed.

Jongin hesitates on a nod before giving yet another affirmative nod. He moves to sit next to Kyungsoo and there is nothing but white noise echoing through their ears, filling the silence around them. Kyungsoo feels younger like this; the urge to scoot closer is present and pestering. He itches to move, his fingers flexing and extending as he struggles to remain seated. “Have you been busy?” Jongin asks. It’s Kyungsoo’s turn to snap his attention to Jongin and he looks up with wide eyes filled with surprise and something akin to adoration. Jongin has that effect sometimes.

“N-No,” he answers. “But I wanted to talk to you.” There’s tension in Jongin’s shoulders—the way they draw upwards obvious to even Kyungsoo’s eyes.

“Is this about what Junmyeon said?” Jongin’s eyes are on Kyungsoo now, giving him a worried and pleading look. “Because if it is, I can explain. He told me he talked to you, and-and I don’t know what he told you, but—”

Now Kyungsoo is confused. His eyebrows pinched and his mouth parted in confusion; like he wants to say something, but words won’t reach his lips. And it’s halfway through Jongin’s rambling that he interrupts. “Junmyeon spoke to you?” He asks. Jongin shuts up, his mouth closing before his expression is filled with uncertainty. Just out the corner of Kyungsoo’s eye, he can see the way Jongin’s hands clench and secure onto the blankets, knuckles locked like he is trying to hold back.

Jongin bites at his bottom lip before finally speaking. “He did. Uhm… H-He said that I should look for you, because you have something you need to say to me. I, uhm…” He stops there, drifting off like he is too afraid to say more.

Then it all makes sense. Of course Junmyeon is the reason behind this, yet Kyungsoo somehow finds it kind. If not for Junmyeon’s push, Kyungsoo would have taken too long to confess. He’s given Kyungsoo the perfect opportunity to do so, sending Jongin here and creating a reason for Kyungsoo to admit his feelings. Yet the words still don’t come easy and Kyungsoo finds himself retreating into his shell.

And okay, yeah, whatever. Junmyeon was right; Kyungsoo is scared. He’s a coward. But it’s not due to whether Jongin will like him back or not. It’s what will happen if he gets too attached, if they get too far and they fall apart. There’s a scar from his last relationship and the fear of another, the fear of losing Jongin, is too frightening. Too risky.

He smiles, nervous and shy. “I do have something I want to say.” Jongin’s looking at him with those eyes and what he’s pleading for, worried about, Kyungsoo doesn’t truly know. But he wants to erase that look and replace it with something happier, special. Okay, and maybe he wants Jongin to look at him with the same adoration he’s filled with when he sees Jongin. “I…” But words are stuck, never coming easy, and it’s frustrating. His mind goes haywire, searching for something—anything—that’ll avoid admitting the way he feels. “I wanted to ask if you’re free tomorrow for dinner?”

Jongin’s shoulders don’t lose its tension, but he relaxes enough to look comfortable. That worry and plead leaves his eyes, and they really are captivating. Kyungsoo knocks the thought out of his mind before he says something cheesy. “I am?” Jongin sounds unsure and confused, his answer coming out as a question. He eyes Kyungsoo, skeptical. “That was all?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says. He even nods in hopes that it’ll show he definitely doesn’t have anything more to say. Jongin still looks unsure, but he doesn’t speak on it.

“Oh… If that’s all then I’ll, uhm… I’ll go. You’re probably tired and—”

“No!” The word leaves his lips before he has a chance to realize. By that time, he has a hand on Jongin’s wrist, preventing him from moving any further. But Jongin was going to leave and he doesn’t want him to. Not yet. Not now. He just… He needs company. Jongin’s company. “Can’t you… Can’t you sleep here?” Jongin’s eyes are wide, filled with surprise. “I want you here with me. Next to me...”

He doesn’t know where that confidence came from. It doesn’t matter, though. The words are enough to have Jongin’s lips forming a warm, small smile.

“Okay.” Kyungsoo lays down and scoots over to make room for Jongin to join him. It’s a tight fit on a bed that’s clearly meant for one person. But Jongin’s body is warm and he fits perfectly in Kyungsoo’s arms. Kyungsoo wraps an arm around Jongin’s waist and pulls closer, not even realizing until Jongin’s breath hitches. He makes to pull away but is stopped when Jongin turns his head to look at him. “Don’t move.”

So he doesn’t. They stay like that for a while. Jongin doesn’t talk and Kyungsoo isn’t sure of what to say, either. But it’s not that uncomfortable. In fact, it’s more comforting than anything. It’s the first time they’ve ever been this close. Kyungsoo can hear Jongin’s breathing, can feel him shift every now and then to get comfortable. The occasional rustle of bedsheets is pleasing to his ears, the warmth in his arms a reminder of Jongin’s presence.

And the thing about it is… He wants them to stay like this for a long time. Maybe forever, if it were possible. The thought is something straight out of a young love kind of novel and he hates it, yet he loves it. Loves the feeling Jongin’s presence brings. He can smell him this close, can even touch him and kiss him if he wants to.

The thoughts are on loop, replaying in his mind as the only explanation for these emotions flash in bold letters. It’s there on the tip of his tongue.

Kyungsoo is an adult. He’s an adult and he shouldn’t be nervous to tell Jongin about his developing feelings. But, no matter how much he wants to say that age and experience makes this kind of things easy, he can’t. Because even after all the years of confessing and dating, confessing to Jongin makes him feel just as anxious as his first confession.

Yet he can’t hide it anymore. And that stupid Junmyeon was ing right.

“Jongin…” Jongin shifts to get a better look at Kyungsoo, twisting his upper body in a somewhat uncomfortable position.

“Yeah?”

Kyungsoo’s heart skips pace and damn, even after so many years it still happens. But Jongin’s close, closer than they’ve ever been. And the moment feels right. “I like you.” And the words. The words slide off his tongue with such ease. They feel just right. His arm tightens around Jongin without even realizing.

“You do?” Jongin sits up then and Kyungsoo joins him. They sit up properly and Jongin is smiling, but his eyes are just as wide as when Kyungsoo asked him to stay. But he’s smiling. He’s smiling and somehow it makes Kyungsoo smile.

“I do,” he confirms. Jongin’s smile widens an inch.

“I… I like you, too… I’ve liked you for a while now. I just didn’t think you’d like me back, and Junmyeon said—”

“Junmyeon is stupid,” Kyungsoo interrupts. But he knows it’s not true. That Junmyeon is a ing smartass sometimes and his ability to read Kyungsoo is what gets under his skin at times. “I’ve liked you for a while, too. I was just… scared…” There’s a second where Kyungsoo hesitates to speak more, to explain, but he decides to do so. Because Jongin needs to understand. “My first serious relationship ended because of my work. We were engaged but they didn’t like that we couldn’t see each other much. I haven’t had time to date since then. I’ve been busy with working and this job doesn’t always give me enough time to socialize. I don’t want us to end on a bad note. I was scared that you’d leave me, but… You make me feel happy and it’s been a while since I felt that. I think, for you, I’m willing to take the risk and see how this turns out.”

He half expects for Junmyeon to bust out applauding. He’d surely be proud with the way Kyungsoo just confessed all his emotions. And Jongin, with his wide smile and heart-warming eyes, is enough to make him feel less anxious. He thinks that he wouldn’t mind if this becomes a regular thing. He wouldn’t mind it if they get this close, and even closer.

“You’re so cheesy,” Jongin says and he lightly pushes his shoulder against Kyungsoo’s. He gets a glare in return. Kyungsoo can feel his cheeks start to heat up.

“I give you my sad story and you think it’s cheesy?” Jongin leaning on him comes as a surprise. But that quickly fades and he finds himself enjoying it.

“I think all that translates to you like me a lot and you don’t want me to leave. But I like you, too. And I think we can make this work. Besides… you make me happy, too. So let’s try?”

There’s no disagreement on Kyungsoo’s part. A hand moves to hold his own, a thumb resting gently against the back of his hand. “Yeah. Let’s try.” Jongin gives a sleepy smile, tired and relaxed before they finally put themselves to bed. They fall asleep in each other’s arms, cuddled close and the only thing Kyungsoo can think is how he wants to stay like this forever.

My comments: I absolutely, positively loved every second of this! Omg it's so cute >.< I could simply die. Please be sure to check out more of Hanjoooo's stories and support her. She's awesome!

Also, credits to the owner of the fanart. Unfotunately, we do not know the owners name.