Letting Ten get drunk might not be a good idea.

It was a week after Ten’s 20^th birthday when Hansol and Youngho came with a big plastic bag full of beer cans. Taeyong almost kicked them out of Ten and his sharing flat, but Ten had found their college friends’ arrival first.

Being a protective roommate—or more because he didn’t want to clean up the room like last year—Taeyong seemed to dislike the idea of letting Ten drink beer. He frowned a little, showing his disagree, but Hansol patted his shoulder before he could say anything.

“Come on, Taeyong, don’t give us that disagree look. You got your first can of beer too last year, and everything was okay!” said Hansol cheerfully.

“Taeyong’s just babying Ten too much,” Youngho chimed in. “He’s just too overprotective when it comes to Ten.”

“You’re not the one who will clean the mess after this,” Taeyong quickly said when he felt Ten’s gaze fixing on him. “Moreover, we don’t know how tolerance Ten’s body to alcohol. I don’t want to have a drunk roommate, who keeps vomiting like there’s no tomorrow only because a can of beer.”

“That’s why we’ll find out!” A wide grin appeared on Youngho’s face. “Look, Ten is excited to get drunk!”

Taeyong glanced at his roommate for these past six months with the corners of his eyes, and the younger beamed a bright smile at him.

“Can I try it, Taeyong?” asked Ten in a way that could melt Taeyong right away.

, that face. How could I resist that cute face?

“Fine,” Taeyong said in the end, receiving way brighter smile from Ten and knowing grins from both Hansol and Youngho—now he regretted why he let his two friends know about his secret obsession for Ten.

So, that was how Taeyong agreed to let Ten drink beer for the first time.

*

Letting Ten get drunk was a bad idea.

“And then, he told me to clean up the room all over again when it was totally cleaaan~! He got mad when he spotted some invisible dust and it was aaall my faaault! You should’ve just cleaned this room by yourself, then, you eeer~”

Taeyong could only cover his face with his hand when Ten slurred drunkenly. His worries were proved, Ten couldn’t handle alcohol that well. It was only two and half cans of beer and he had been drunk, talking everything without thinking—practically he couldn’t think at the moment, anyway.

“ it, Taeyong, you and your mysophobia seriously got on his nerves,” Youngho chuckled as he opened his fourth can of beer—he usually needed more to get stupidly drunk, but, learning from their first party, it’d be hard to take Hansol home if he got drunk too, so he’d better stay sober this time. Along with Taeyong, he took alcohol better than the two others. Hansol had gone mad, even though his condition wasn’t as bad as Ten’s.

“Just smack him on the head if he makes you irritated, Ten!” said Hansol between his uncontrollable laughter. “Just smack him on his head and tell him to himself!”

“He always makes that scary face,” Ten murmured, hand reaching for another beer can once he finished his previous one, but Taeyong pulled it away, making him grunt. “I want mooore~!”

“No, no more drinking for you tonight,” Taeyong said sternly, holding Ten’s hand down.

“Seeee? You’re showing me that face again!” The youngest boy pouted, looking all cute with his completely red cheeks (Taeyong swore he needed to encourage himself to say no to Ten).

“I’ll keep showing you this face if you don’t stop,” Taeyong shot a glare at Youngho, “and you should stop your friend, too, and go home. It’s been late.”

Youngho looked at the still-laughing Hansol and sighed, knowing Taeyong was right. “I should say I’m grateful that my flat is only a few blocks away,” he said as he stood up, pulling Hansol along with him. “Come on buddy. Let’s go home before Taeyong burns you into ashes.”

Taeyong rolled his eyes as he watched Youngho supported Hansol’s body with his own while walking outside. He sighed once the door was close, turning his eyes back to Ten, who already gulped down a can of beer.

“I knew it,” Taeyong grumbled. “I knew I shouldn’t have let them pour even half a can of beer into your throat. Look what you’ve been right now, a complete mess.”

“Why couldn’t you stop being so annoying and enjoy the moment?” Again, Ten mumbled. He straightened his legs, cheek pressed to the wooden table. “You keep that scary face every time you’re with me, making me feel like you hate me… you make me sad, you know…?”

“You can talk to me tomorrow, when you’re sober enough to remember your name,” said Taeyong. He pulled Ten to get up, but the younger didn’t seem to want to move his .

“I remember my name! It’s Ten,” Ten sulked. “You’re not listening to me. I’m really sad… Taeyong hates me. He’s always being so cold toward me it hurts sooo muuuuch~”

Taeyong didn’t know how many times he had sighed tonight because his—lovely—roommate couldn’t stop talking nonsense. Taeyong hating Ten was nonsense, since the truth was the opposite.

“You should sleep. Come on, Ten,” Taeyong was about to make Ten get up once again, but Ten had pulled him down before he could force the younger to get on his feet. Taeyong cringed as he fell on his , cursing lowly at the sting pain.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Ten moved closer, burying his face into Taeyong’s shoulder (without knowing that his action had made Taeyong feel like bursting into rainbow dust). “I… all this time… like you.”

Time felt like freezing around them. Taeyong couldn’t help but stare at Ten, who nuzzled his head against his neck, and, oh, how he loved it when Ten’s hair tickled his skin softly.

“You’re drunk,” was all Taeyong could say; his heart beat so fast that he could even hear it.

“You smell like petrichor,” Ten muttered. “I love petrichor.”

“You smell like drunkard. I hate drunkard,” replied the older, but his tone wasn’t as harsh as his words. He even moved his hand to Ten’s soft strands. He didn’t know why he did that—maybe because he held his all feelings all the time and Ten’s confession, whether it was true or Ten really only talked nonsense, put him on his limit.

Taeyong always wanted to do those lovey-dovey things to Ten, instead of shrugging him off or giving him cold shoulders. However, Taeyong wasn’t used to fluff stuff; he always got nervous around Ten to the point he couldn’t help but give the cute guy his stoic face all the time. Maybe, just maybe, Taeyong was too afraid that Ten would find out about his feelings if he opened up to the younger.

“You always hate me,” Ten started again, “but I like you.”

It was when Ten finally raised his head when Taeyong bent down and pecked the latter’s lips. He made a small smile when he pulled away, somehow pleased to see Ten’s shocked face. The kiss didn’t even last more than two seconds, but it seemed that it managed to make Ten try his best to collect his consciousness, so he could take a grip on what had just happened.

“Don’t you want to go to sleep, Ten?” Taeyong asked, still with his slight smile on his lips. “Let’s go to sleep.”

“No,” answered the other after a few while, “I want to puke.”

The smile disappeared from Taeyong’s face.

*

Ten knew he shouldn’t have let himself get drunk.

Waking up by the worst headache he had ever had, Ten grunted. He sat up, holding his pounding head, mentally cursing as he felt like there was a mixer mixing everything inside his stomach.

But, the most horrifying thing he got this morning was that he found himself waking up in Taeyong’s bed, with Taeyong sleeping soundly beside him, the latter’s arm lingering motionlessly around his waist. He couldn’t even remember what had happened last night after he got drunk!

“Oh god, what have I done?” Ten looked at the sleeping guy in horror, still not able to recollect any moments from last night. How could he end up in Taeyong’s bed? How could he have Taeyong sleep with him (oh, of course because Taeyong wouldn’t give up on his bed—it was the only reason that Ten could think of right now)?

Taeyong suddenly shifted slightly, making Ten jumped a little. Ten bit his lower lip as Taeyong opened his eyes, feeling like vomiting even more.

“You’re awake,” Taeyong said in hoarse voice, and then he did something Ten had never thought he would ever did.

Taeyong pulled Ten back down to bed, hugging him closer.

“What… just happened last night exactly?” Ten held his breath when Taeyong inhaled on his hair.

“You got drunk before you could finish your third can and started talking gibberish,” It was obvious that Taeyong was still sleepy, but he still continued, “and then you confessed to me after Youngho and Hansol went home. After that, you vomited right on my shirt before insisting to sleep in my bed because you want to snuggle.”

Ten quickly got on his elbow, not having an idea how Taeyong could be that calm, because he, himself, felt like a thunder striking his head so hard. “I did… WHAT?”

“You vomited on my shirt,” Taeyong repeated.

“No! Not that. The other one.”

“You insisted to sleep in my bed?”

“The other one, Taeyong, seriously. I know you know what I mean!”

Taeyong looked at Ten, taking a second or two of silence, before answering, “You confessed to me.”

“I... I...” Ten really lost his words at the moment. “… okay.”

It was a disaster. He had hidden his feelings perfectly all the time, being all happy and cheerful around Taeyong despite what the latter did to him, not wanting to make Taeyong feel awkward, but now everything was ruined and it was his all responsibility. Ten felt dumb, like so dumb that he could end his life right away.

He started feeling sorry for Taeyong because he was sure that Taeyong must feel bothered by his confession, and he felt so embarrassed that he couldn’t even see Taeyong’s face. Maybe Taeyong would kick him out after this, and, oh dear, he should look for a new place to stay—

“So, I think we’re dating now?”

Ten was dumbstruck.

“We’re… what?”

Taeyong chuckled, one thing he rarely did in front of Ten.

“Look at that face, so amusing.”

Ten didn’t know what was so amusing about looking at his—he was 100% certain—red apple face. But, judging from Taeyong’s face, that guy did look amused.

“Six month after we became roommates, I can’t believe you gave me your first genuine smile in this situation.”

“But, you like me.”

Ten’s cheeks glowed even redder.

He couldn’t deny it, though.

“But, I like you.”

Maybe letting himself get drunk wasn’t that bad idea.