Tap, tap.

Hansol's eyebrow's scrunched up in confusion at the noise. He turned to where the noise was and his gaze settled on a window that showed the hall. 

Soonyoung was standing outside his classroom. 

He turned his attention back to the teacher before his eyes went wide with realization. He turned back to window and sure enough, Soonyoung was still outside, just flat out staring at him expectantly.

"Soonyoung?" Hansol mouthed at him, "What are you doing here?"

Soonyoung squinted his eyes and scrunched up his nose, leaning a little closer.

"What!?" 

Hansol cringed as Soonyoung practically shouted back at him, his voice loud enough to be heard but was still muffled by the window. He turned back to look at the teacher. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice and was still, still talking. Hansol's eye twitched a bit as he looked at his watch. They were almost always dismissed late and Hansol was all too ready to bolt out the door. He turned back to Soonyoung. 

"What?" Hansol mouthed again.

"I said 'what'!" Soonyoung shouted back, putting his ear on the window now, "I can't hear you!"

Hansol cringed again and signaled Soonyoung to be quieter. 

"What!?" was Soonyoung's reply.

Hansol shook his head and repeated his question, now exaggerating each syllable, "What, are, you, doing, here?"

"Oh!" Soonyoung shouted, beaming as he finally understood, "What am I doing here'!?"

"Shhh!" Hansol said out loud this time, putting a finger on his lips and nervously glancing at the teacher.

Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky this time. 

"Yes, Mr. Chwe?" Mrs. Park was smiling at him, sending chills up Hansol's spine. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, teacher." Hansol immediately looked down on his desk, his face heating up. 

"Well, it seems like you're all ready to be dismissed." The teacher said, trying to ignore the sighs of relief from her students.

Soonyoung was by his classroom's door as soon as the teacher dismissed them, beaming at him. Hansol was surprised and a little bit creeped out by this fact.

"Hello, Vernon!" Soonyoung greeted, leaning against the doorway, "Why were you guys dismissed 10 minutes late? I was waiting since it was actually dismissal."

"Uh, you're blocking the way," Vernon commented as his classmates pushed through him, eager to escape the classroom, "And yeah, we usually get dismissed late. I'm sorry."

"Oh well, that doesn't matter now!" Soonyoung said, whether he was referring to blocking the way or being dismissed late Hansol wasn't sure. He leaned in closer as if to whisper something.

"Seungkwan will be waiting for you at the bus stop!" Soonyoung said a little too loudly, paying the stares of Hansol's classmates no mind. Hansol felt a little stupid for actually thinking that Soonyoung would actually whisper, "Have fun!"

This was followed by a violent nudge and an exaggerated wink as if he was suggesting something. Now Hansol could hear his classmates snicker, making his face blush from embarrassment. Why did Soonyoung have to be like this?

"Thank you." Hansol found himself saying anyway, lips tugging up into a smile.

And with that, Soonyoung rushed away to go do who knows what. Hansol could see him whipping out his phone and typing on it furiously, making Hansol tilt his head curiously.

"What's this?" Lee Hwanhee, one of Vernon's classmates, swung into view, "Vernon's finally making a move?"

"Making a move?" Hwanhee's comment seemed to attract the attention of Lee Dongyeol, who had stopped stuffing things in his bag to stare at Vernon curiously, "On Kwan?"

"Not really," Hansol said, not anymore fazed by the fact that the whole school seemed to know his crush, "I'm just riding the bus home with him. It's actually just because Soonyoung-"

"Shhhh," Hwanhee placed a finger on Hansol's lips making Hansol reel back, giving him a weird look. "Vernon, Vernon, Vernon. You don't have to explain. We all have our different preferences. I don't judge."

And with that, Hwanhee left with one last reassuring pat on his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah," Dongyeol said, shouldering his backpack before rubbing the back of his neck, "Don't worry about it. I personally don't mind. Honestly. See you, Vernon! Take care!"

And he left too, leaving Hansol to stand by the doorway, confused.

"Well?" Chan said as he began pushing Hansol out the door, "We don't have all day! Kwan's waiting!"

"Of course," Hansol laughed, feeling a little too happy with the mere mention of Seungkwan's name, "I'll see you later, Chan!"

A grin started to take over his face. Feeling stupid he looked down for a while, trying to hide it. He stared at his shoes the whole way while walking towards the bus stop, deep in thought.

Why was he like this? It was one bus ride home, not a lot could happen. At most they would just talk the whole way through. Little conversations like what happened in school today, how their competitions were going, or small facts about themselves. It wasn't really that much. Their conversations were nothing new. They talked through most of lunch time despite not being in the same class, so these little conversations were nothing new.

And yet, Hansol was looking forward to it. Excited, even. Contented at the mere thought of just sitting next Seungkwan. Talking, joking, laughing- man, his laugh was just adorable. Hearing that laugh would be enough, hearing his voice would be enough. Hansol could listen to Seungkwan's voice all day. Loud and obnoxious it may be at times, he loved listening to it. He would always listen to every story, every rant, every complaint, and every opinion. Just because it was Seungkwan, Seungkwan and his adorable way of explaining things. How he exaggerates words, how he would sometimes act a certain action out even if he looked weird in public, how he would sometimes follow his stories up with ridiculous sound effects, how he has a habit of making everything sound way more dramatic than they should be- not to mention his adorable facial expressions. 

And if he didn't feel like talking, it would be okay. Hansol will be contended with just staying by his side, would be contented by knowing that he was okay, alive, and breathing. Contented to know that if Seungkwan needed anything he would just be within arm's reach. 

"Man," Hansol groaned, covering his face. He was definitely screwed, all thanks to a certain Boo Seungkwan. 

Boo. 

Who gave him the right to have an adorable surname along with an adorable face, an adorable personality, and an adorable everything? Life was really unfair.

"Vernon?"

Hansol looked up from his hands to find one of his classmates, staring at him. Great.

"Are you okay?" Kim Yewon asked, clearly amused.

Hansol's cheeks heated up even more. He had a brief image of himself walking down hall and smiling like an idiot as he stared at the floor. He cringed, rubbing his neck. 

"I'm fine," Hansol said, clearing his throat, "I was just- deep in thought."

"And just what might have you been thinking of?" Yewon then leaned closer with a teasing smile, "Or should I ask- who are you thinking of?"

Hansol stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, chuckling a little.

Unbelievable.

"Alright, alright, yes I get it-" Hansol said, throwing his hands up in slight exasperation, "I have a huge crush on Seungkwan and everyone in school knows because apparently it's 'big' and 'obvious'."

"You said it, not me!" Yewon raised her hands up in surrender, giggling a little, "Heard that you've been hanging out with each other more. Are trying to make a move? How's it going so far?"

"Actually, I'm on my way to see him now." Hansol said, sounding a bit smug. Yewon had to laugh.

"Oh really?" Yewon said, amused, "Well, don't be afraid to make a move. You know why?"

When Hansol gave her a curious look, she gestured him to come closer. She then glanced from left to right, as if she was going to reveal some secret. She leaned in his ear.

"He likes you too." She whispered. 

Before Hansol could react, she squealed, loudly. Loud and high pitched enough to make Hansol cover his ears. He was then being pushed violently forward.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Run, Di Caprio!"

___________

Hansol ran out of school, sliding to a halt by the entrance. He bent forward and placed his hands on his lap, panting hard. Little fogs appeared as he panted, making him realize how cold it was. He let a shiver run through body. He stood up straighter and ran his hands up and down his arms, trying to heat up. 

His brows furrowed in concern. Had Seungkwan been waiting this long in the cold? 

Feeling guilty at the thought, Hansol immediately spun to the direction of the bus stop. Feet thumping hard on the ground until he was close enough to see two figures sitting on the bench. He skid into a halt a few feet away from, taking a moment to breathe in and out. He then smoothed out his coat and fixed the beanie he was wearing. He breathed in heavily once again before calmly walking forward trying to act casual and not like he ran all the way. 

Seungkwan had his head on Soonyoung's shoulder and had his eyes closed shut, he looked open and relaxed. Seungkwan seemed to be mumbling something to Soonyoung, with Soonyoung humming in agreement and nodding along. Hansol's footsteps slowed, sensing that something was off. He had a distinct feeling that he was walking into something private. Unsure of what to do, he awkwardly stood there and prayed that one of them would notice.

"Yeah, I guess he's pretty cool." Seungkwan mumbled.

"Pretty cool- pfft." Soonyoung said. He stopped when he saw Hansol. But instead of greeting him and alerting Seungkwan of his presence, Hansol saw a mischievous glint in his eyes instead. 

"Kwan, just admit it."

"Admit what?" Seungkwan mumbled a little more quietly.

"You like 'Jack', don't you?" Soonyoung said.

"Haven't I told you that already?" Seungkwan said, eyes still closed. 

"How much do you like Jack, actually?" Soonyoung asked.

"Ugh," Seungkwan opened his eyes to glare at Soonyoung, "I've had a crush on him ever since I was twelve, Soonyoung! I thought you already knew that!"

Hansol raised an eyebrow at that, trying to focus on the curiosity he felt instead of the slight hurt, swallowing down the emotion. 

Jack?

"Alright, alright, just making sure," Soonyoung said, grinning, "Ever since since you were twelve, huh? Still have a crush on Jack now?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Jack's certainly grown more handsome." Soonyoung said, "Hey, if Jack confessed to you, you'd totally accept, right?"

"Confessed?" Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, "That's too cheesy." 

"Oh, shut up," Soonyoung said, "You love cheesy, you'd totally accept."

"I- yeah, I'd love that." Seungkwan mumbled, resting his head once again on Soonyoung's shoulder and closing his eyes.

"Ha, yeah, that would totally be great if Jack confessed, am I right- Oh! Hi, Vernon! Did you hear any of that?" Soonyoung said loudly, surprising Seungkwan which caused him to immediately sit up and turn around. 

"Vernon!" Seungkwan exclaimed in surprise, cheeks flushed by the cold. Hansol felt guilty once again for making him wait out in the cold.

"Uh, don't worry, I didn't hear much," Hansol said. He bit his tongue.

Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask.

"Who's Jack?" Hansol blurted out. It was supposed to come out as teasing- you know, like how friends would tease each other about their crush- but it ended up sounding genuinely curious and, well, nosy.

"Jack? He's asking about Jack, Seungkwan!" Soonyoung nudged his friend, Seungkwan's cheeks getting redder. "Who's Jack, Seungkwan?"

"He's-" Seungkwan looked away, stumbling over his own words, "He's- uh. He's someone that- um. H-He's-"

Soonyoung laughed, getting up and ruffling Seungkwan's hair. He turned to Hansol with a big grin on his face.

"Don't worry, we were just talking about his childhood crush on Jack from the Titanic." Soonyoung explained. 

"Don't you have a practice to attend to?" Seungkwan shot back, glaring daggers at him.

"Practice?" Soonyoung tilted his head, "Oh yeah, right. 'Practice'. The reason why Vernon had to ride you home. Welp, I going to go attend this 'practice' now. Have fun you two!" 

Soonyoung stopped by Hansol's side and leaned in closer to his ear, as if to whisper something. 

"Don't be afraid to make a move, Vernon!" Soonyoung shouted in his ear instead, making Hansol reel back and cover his ears. He was pretty sure that anyone within the vicinity heard the outburst.

"I'll see you later- Di Caprio!"

Hansol shook his head at Soonyoung's retreating back, chuckling at the nickname. He felt stupid once again for believing that Soonyoung would actually control his volume.

"Soonyoung really can't stay quiet, huh?" Hansol joked, sitting beside Seungkwan. 

Seungkwan froze for a moment, seemingly tense.

"Something wrong?" Hansol looked over Seungkwan's profile worriedly, still feeling like something was off. 

"I-it's nothing." Seungkwan said, looking away and rubbing his hands together, trying to warm them up with his breath. 

"You're cold." Hansol stated. He observed Seungkwan. His adorable cheeks were still flushed from the cold, his nose turning a little pink too. He was still rubbing his hands together and as much as he tried to resist, he couldn't stop the shiver that ran through his body.

Hansol would have offered him his coat but Seungkwan already had one. Not to mention that that would have been totally cheesy. Hansol cringed just thinking about it. (But of course, we all know that if Seungkwan had forgotten his coat, Hansol would definitely offer his in a blink of an eye.)

His eyes drifted to Seungkwan's hands instead. 

He didn't know what was happening. He really didn't. The next thing he knew, his hands were ghosting over Seungkwan's. Slowly, he pulled the hands apart from each other, grasping both of them into his instead. He rubbed his thumbs over Seungkwan's cold fingers in an attempt to warm them up.

Hansol snuck a peek at Seungkwan. The other had a look of awe on his face, staring at their hands. The flush on his cheeks had gotten redder, now reaching up to his ears.

Adorable.

"Your hands are so warm!" Seungkwan intertwined their fingers together, his fingers sliding and fitting almost perfectly between Hansol's fingers. The thought made Hansol's stomach flutter, "How!?"

Hansol chuckled at that, giving Seungkwan a fond look. Seungkwan smiled back at him, softly and gently. Hansol was staring to feel dizzy. 

"I'm sorry that I made you wait out in the cold," Hansol confessed, feeling guilt act up again. He squeezed Seungkwan's hands as another way of apologizing, "I should have known that I was going to be dismissed late. I should have warned you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous," Seungkwan huffed, "I'm not fragile, I can take care of myself!"

Hansol's lips tugged up at the cute pout Seungkwan was wearing, "Yeah, I guess you can."

"Although, it's really sweet of you to worry," Seungkwan said, smiling at him softly, "Thank you."

"Wait," Hansol's eyes widened in realization, "Doesn't the bus leave really early? Hasn't it left already?"

"Yes," Seungkwan answered, "The first stop already left. We're taking the second."

"Oh no," Hansol squeezed his hands again, "Boo, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay," Seungkwan said, "Actually, now that I think about it, I actually have to buy something in the convenience store near here."

"Ah," Hansol said, standing up and pulling Seungkwan up along with him, "Let's go now?"

"You don't have to go with me," Seungkwan said, slipping his hands out of Hansol's hold, "You can just stay here, it will be quick."

Hansol immediately took Seungkwan's left hand into his right, effectively stopping him from running away. 

"No, I'll go with you," Hansol stated, intertwining their fingers once again, "Besides, your hands will go cold without mine."

Hansol didn't know where he got his sudden burst of confidence. He really didn't. But Seungkwan's shocked face and adorable laugh was worth it.

"Yeah, they certainly would."

__________

Hansol ended up paying for eveything. Seungkwan had protested of course, but Hansol insisted since he made them miss the first stop of the bus. Seungkwan continued to protest until Hansol squeezed his hand and suggested that he should do some catching up with the owner of the store that Seungkwan was surprisingly close to. The store's owner was short, reaching up to Seungkwan's shoulders and only up to Hansol's chest. Her eyes crinkled with age, but they only seemed to crinkle more whenever Seungkwan came into the picture. 

The old lady couldn't seem to help but smile whenever Seungkwan talked to her, much to Hansol's surprise. The lady didn't often say anything to the other high schoolers that often come in. Hansol would greet her with a "Good Afternoon" or a bow, and she would always reply with a nod. The first time she has ever smiled at him was when Seungkwan introduced her to him and when her eyes drifted down to land on their interlocked fingers. Her smiled turned a bit more teasing after that.

They had ran back to the bus stop, nearly missing it again since they had a little too much fun chatting. Plopping down on their seats, they began to munch on the snacks they got from the store.

"My sister loves these." Hansol said, pulling out a chocolate milk drink, "She always complains about being thirsty after soccer practice. Our mom always tells her to drink water but she complains that it's 'too tasteless to satisfy her thirst'. My mom will then lecture her about the importance of water while my sister will zip and pout back at her. We both know that we can never say anything while mom's lecturing."

"That's adorable," Seungkwan said, munching on some cookies, "Sofia, right?"

Hansol hummed to let Seungkwan know that he was right.

"Sofia's a sweetheart!" Seungkwan said, his tone fond.

"Yeah, she is." Hansol chuckle. Hansol knew that the two were pretty close. It was actually a little sad how Sofia had talked to Seungkwan more times than he ever did. Hansol hadn't really talked to the singer that much before, due to the fear of somehow embarrassing himself in front of his crush and ruining any chances he had. 

Sofia, meanwhile, had no problem with trying to get close to her idol as much as possible. Sofia wasn't really into singing, but she was "in love with Seungkwan's voice". (To which, Hansol had replied with an "As if!" to mock her because that was what siblings did and definitely not because he was jealous and maybe even a bit bitter, nope, shut up-) Sofia would always be seen supporting Seungkwan somewhere in the crowd. It didn't help that Seungkwan found this all so endearing that he had told her to "talk to him anytime if she wanted to". Of course, she took that to her advantage and chatted with her idol ever so often. 

At least, now it seemed like Hansol was the one who was nabbing Seungkwan's attention. He had pointed out this fact (rather smugly as well) but all Sofia did was stick her tongue out at him. 

"Do you want a taste?" Hansol asked, offering the bottle. 

Seungkwan took a sip. His eyes went wide with surprise, staring at Hansol as if he had just offered him the answer to the universe. Hansol chuckled before telling Seungkwan that he could have the rest.

"These cookies are also good," Hansol said, feeding Seungkwan a cookie.

"What is with you spoiling me today?" Seungkwan accused him in a slightly exasperated tone.

"I'm sorry," Hansol said, laughing, "I can't help it."

Seungkwan huffed but said nothing else. He laid his head on Hansol's shoulder instead.

"Don't fall asleep," Hansol warned as Seungkwan began closing his eyes, "I don't know where your house is, we might miss it."

Seungkwan only hummed in response. 

Hansol stared at the fluff of brown hair, tempted to run his hands through it. He settled for slipping his hand into Seungkwan's instead, giving it a squeeze. He laid his head on top of Seungkwan's, closing his eyes and took in a deep breathe. He accidentally got a whiff of Seungkwan's hair.

His hair smelled good. Like refreshing good. Like apple-scented shampoo good. Like, really good. 

Life was truly unfair.

"Vernon?"

"Hm?" 

"There's-" Seungkwan stuttered, "There's a-"

"There's a what?"

"Never mind. It's nothing." 

Seungkwan stuttered out, suddenly turning away to stare out the window instead. Hansol let out a little noise of protest at the loss of something to lean on. Seungkwan seemed to be hiding a blush, forgetting once again that his ears would also turn red.

"Aw, come on," Hansol said, laying his head on Seungkwan's shoulder and staring up at him, "You can't just tell me that you have something to say then end up not saying it!"

"It's nothing. Seriously. I changed my mind."

"Pleassse?" 

"It's embarrassing."

"Now you're just making me more curious," Hansol said, "Kwan, come on."

Seungkwan immediately shook his head, ears turning redder.

"Listen, would it be less embarrassing if you whispered it?"

"I guess so," Seungkwan mumbled, "But! You have to look away too!"

"Deal." Hansol said, looking away. 

"Th-there's a café near by," Seungkwan shyly whispered, his breath tickling Hansol's ear, "And my sister and I often go there to sing as like a side job and I was thinking that since you bought everything from the store, I could repay you by buying you something there? Like maybe something warm since it's so cold today but maybe you're doing something or probably busy so please don't mind what-"

"Woah, woah, slow down." Hansol laughed, turning to face him.

"I told you, it was nothing." Seungkwan said, covering his face. 

Hansol stared at him for a while, not quite believing what he was hearing. He felt a big stupid smile start to take over his face. Seungkwan peeked at him through his fingers before blushing harder and covering his face again. Hansol chuckled at the sight, feeling a blush of his own start blooming. 

"Kwan."

Seungkwan made a noise that sounded only slightly human.

"Kwan." Hansol said, laughing again. He pried Seungkwan's hands away from his face, revealing his red face. Hansol stared at him fondly. 

He had his eyes squeezed shut, so much that they crinkled. His lips were pulled into a small adorable pout.

"Is the offer still open?" Hansol asked.

Seungkwan made another embarrassed noise before burying his head on Hansol's shoulder. Hansol couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah." Seungkwan mumbled, voice low and quiet.

"Then of course I want to go." Hansol said, finally giving into his urges and ruffling Seungkwan's hair. 

Hansol could hear Seungkwan's sigh of relief and how his shoulders relaxed. There was a brief moment of silence between the two. Both of them didn't seem to mind, contented with just having the other by their side. A few more minutes of silence before Seungkwan's fingers brushed over Hansol's. Hansol stared at Seungkwan's shy fingers hovering over his, as if asking for permission. Hansol flipped his hand so that his palms were facing up. 

Seungkwan's fingers slipped in the space between Hansol's. Hansol couldn't decide if the tingling feeling that came with the contact was pleasant or terrifying. The whole experience on liking someone was terrifying, knowing that the person had the most potential to hurt you. Hansol didn't know if Seungkwan would ever hurt him, didn't know what he was able, didn't know what Seungkwan really thought of him. 

But, Hansol had time to figure that all out. They had time to figure each other out. At least just enough to know whether they could trust the other or not. Whether they would end up hurting each other or not.

And yet, as Hansol stared in amusement at Seungkwan's still flustered state, he couldn't help but think that he just might have a chance. The hand that gripped and fit perfectly in his supported this fact. Hansol also liked to believe that the uncontrollable and almost unbearable feeling that he felt in his heart, almost as if it was going to burst out flower petals, whenever he thought, saw, felt Seungkwan was a good sign.

But only time could tell. And they had time. Hansol made a promise to himself to spend these precious moments correctly. Use them to learn more about the person he was already so whipped with.

And who knows, maybe one day- even soon, he might tell Seungkwan everything he felt about him. About every little touch that made his heart flutter, every little detail he observes and treasures, every little fault he finds endearing-

Maybe one day, maybe soon, he will finally leave himself open and vulnerable for Seungkwan.

Because love, after all, is giving someone the power to hurt you, but trusting them enough not to.

🐫🐪🐫🐪

Author's note: 
Whoop whoop hello yes I've finally updated after years yes I Know 
I'm very very sorry but as usual school is mean and stuff happened so please forgive me. 
Funny story actually I was supposed to write a Valentine's Day special bUT I couldn't make it in time hahAHA so here's the fourth chapter instead 
But I'm going to write a bonus chap Btw I think that this chapter had way too much fluff in it. Don't worry, the fifth chapter (or the bonus chapter) will fix that. Nothing serious, I just want to balance out the fluff. (Please leave your opinions on what should go down? Or opinions on how I write? Thank you! -v-) Also pls correct me if you see any grammar mistakes because it's kinda late at night and yeah I still have stuff to do. I'm sorry once again

Take care, Carats! Love from the Camel Dad! 💓💓