NOW

Seungcheol's eyes widen.

The reaction is immediate. He starts sputtering and babbling nonsense, worried hands waving here, there and everywhere.

"Joke? What, what are you talking about? I would never- I swear I never said anything, and if I did I don't remember, you'd have to specify the joke in question or-ow, hey!" The captain's rambling is cut short by smack over the head courtesy of Soonyoung, surprising everyone including Soonyoung himself. He freezes, before ducking his head sheepishly.

"Sorry cap, but I don't think anyone here has time to hear you try to figure this out on your own." He glances over at Jihoon, a pleading look in his eyes, silently asking should I tell him?

Jihoon's continuous glare answers back a very definite no.

Soonyoung sighed and plonked himself back down on the couch. Meeting Seungcheol's eyes, he nods once to himself and makes his resolve.

"Okay, that's it. I'm tired of seeing both of you suffer," Jihoon gives him another look signifying a what do you mean both of us but Soonyoung ploughs on, "so let's get one thing straight. Seungcheol, what happened with you and Jihoon at Mingyu's party?"

The boy in question shifts guiltily. Reaching a hand to scratch the back of his neck Seungcheol gives his reply. "I know that, that looked bad but i swear Soonyoung- Jihoon, I didn't do anything. We were just talking, and you were a little too drunk, I'm not sure you really knew what I was saying. You kind of knocked me over? And we bumped heads, so that was sore, but really, that's it."

He ends the account looking into Jihoon's eyes earnestly. As he had told them what happened, Jihoon had found he could remember fuzzy images of what happened. Had he really said all those things to Seungcheol? He feels his cheeks grow hot at the memory. So, he didn't try and pull anything, Jihoon is almost felt relieved at the thought. He turns to Soonyoung, who was busy giving Seungcheol the glare of a lifetime. It isn't all too effective coming from him, but Jihoon appreciates the effort. Eventually he tears his gaze away from the captain and quirks a brow at Jihoon.

"Do you remember anything?" He asks. Jihoon glances at Seungcheol out of the corner of his eye, older boy biting his lip in worry, doe eyes looking ready to spill tears at any moment. It's a little pathetic. And more than a little cute. I'm too far gone, he sighs to himself.

"He's not lying."

That seems to be enough for Soonyoung.

"Right! Now that's cleared up, why did you go to of your way to find Jihoon and take him up to Mingyu's room in the first place?" Soon young asks this with a mischievous glint in his eye, and Jihoon is about to ask why the they're all still sitting here when he notices Seungcheol's face begin to redden. This appears to be the desired effect of Soonyoung's question as he begins giggling, which only causes Seungcheol's blush to go darker and reach the tips of his ears. Across the room Jihoon finds he's not the only one who's shocked, Seungkwan gaping at the embarrassed basketball captain instead of finding sharp objects to impale him with. Next to him Hansol seems somewhat less surprised, eyes widening in understanding before smothering a snigger. Seungcheol meanwhile is still struggling to put his words together.

"I-I didn't, why did you word it like that I was keeping him safe while I called you, I wasn't trying to-to-"

"Keep a cute, affectionate Jihoonie all to yourself?"

"Shut up!" Seungcheol's response isn't even heard over Soonyoung's cackling, and Jihoon simply bristles at the cute comment. Just where is Soonyoung going with this? Tired of his friend for the moment, and wanting all this over with so he can go suffer in peace, Jihoon voices his thoughts.

"Just what are you talking about?" Soonyoung's laughter dies a little as he looks from Seungcheol to Jihoon. His grin stays in place.

"How about I let wonder boy over here tell you?" Seungcheol doesn't seem to agree as he splutters some more.

"In- in front of everyone?"

"Everyone."

Seungcheol drops his head in his hands and groans. A muffled I deserve this don't I? can be heard from behind his hands before he raises his head up slightly, cheeks brighter than a sunrise and eyes darting from Jihoon to the floor to his fingernails. 

"I, um," he coughs once before rapidly spitting out, "I really like you."

Jihoon has to strain to hear it, but hear it he does and immediately freezes. 

He can't be serious.

"You can't be serious." He says it in a deadpan voice but the feelings in his heart are anything but. The butterflies might burst out of him at any moment, or he'll pass out embarrassingly in front of all his friends because there's no way Choi Seungcheol actually likes him. 

Seungcheol isn't faring any better, the blush refusing to die down now he's confessed to the entire room, and the indignant choking coming from Seungkwan at his revelation is only now registering in Jihoon's brain. But wasn't he dating him? They were always together, hanging off each other, kissing-

"What about Jeonghan?"

Seungcheol's head whips up from where it was previously hanging in mortification. He frowns.

"What about him?"

"Aren't you two dating?" As if they couldn't get any larger, Seungcheol's eyes grow wide and another fit of spluttering comes forth.

"What? No! Of course not, he's my best...friend..." A look of dawning realisation spreads over the captain's face, lips forming an "oh" of surprise. Jihoon shifts uncomfortably, feeling bewildered and, going by the exasperated look on both Hansol and Soonyoung's faces, hopelessly lost. 

The room was drowning in the worst silence of Jihoon's life.

"Seungkwan, I needed your help on that assignment?"

"Dude, what ing assignm- ow, what the ever loving fu- oh. Oh yeah, sure let's go." Still rubbing his shin where the other boy had kicked him Seungkwan troops out the apartment after Seokmin, Hansol following swiftly after.

("I have to walk my dog."

"You're allergic to dogs."

"...I'm cured?")

Soonyoung gets up too, and Jihoon is mildly alarmed because right now Soonyoung is his safety net and he can't sit here with Choi gorgeous and made-my-life-hell Seungcheol alone. His friend senses his panic and simply smiles at him, then Seungcheol, before shaking his head.

"You two are idiots." Is all he says before waving cheerily and hopping out the door, leaving the two alone.

Jihoon doesn't know fear. In fact, on most days surrounded by rowdy kids he calls his friends he