Water crashed over Hoseok’s body in refreshing, cool streams, dousing his hair and head in seconds. Despite the coldness of the shower, Hoseok didn’t feel uncomfortable, instead appreciating the sensation since he’d just finished his sparring session with Hyunwoo. They always found a way to make each practice more heated and fiery than the last, and Hoseok had found himself showering in the kendo studio to cool down more often lately. He smiled, staring breathlessly at the tiled wall of the shower room as he thought back to their latest session. 

Actions passed between them far more often than words, which made verbal conversation a rare treat. After their match ended, the two men collapsed beside each other with smiles on their faces, overwhelmed by the euphoric emotions swirling in the room as they came down from the high of a good sparring session. Hyunwoo stretched his arm across the ground, pressing his hand against the side of Hoseok’s face, and smiled, their damp skin touching. The practice room that was once filled with tension of their match completely dissipated, something sweeter and kinder now passing between them. After a few minutes catching his breath, Hyunwoo ran his fingers through Hoseok’s hair.

“I know I worked you hard today, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo said, not yet removing his hand from Hoseok’s face. “But you never fail to impress me,” Hyunwoo continued, humming low in his throat. Hoseok could feel his cheeks tinge pink, and he bit his lip, grateful for the fact that Hyunwoo couldn’t see his flustered expression. His heart pounded in his chest, and he knew that it wasn’t from their intense workout.

“Thank you,” Hoseok replied after a few seconds, his voice coming out a little strained. His eyes got cloudy as he thought of all of the other times Hyunwoo had complimented him that week, and how it seemed more frequent than it used to be. After basking in the fuzzy feeling, Hoseok stood up, quickly heading to the shower room to clear his head. 

And now, here he was: still unable to shake the love-stricken smile from his face. Hoseok shared something beautiful with Hyunwoo- a relationship that made him feel like he was truly cared for and appreciated. Even if Hoseok sometimes felt things that weren’t strictly platonic… He felt his cheeks flush for the second time that afternoon, and exhaled shakily. If only he didn’t want to kiss his sparring partner so much, maybe he’d be able to truly appreciate their friendship. 

Interrupting his thoughts, Hoseok heard the door to the shower room open and close. He quickly looked behind him, seeing Hyunwoo walking into the room with only a towel in his hand. That was odd, Hyunwoo had never joined him in the shower before.

“You seemed a little different, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo said, his voice sounding casual and slightly concerned, and he started up the shower next to him. “I didn’t say anything weird, did I?” Hyunwoo asked, and when Hoseok looked over at him, he saw a raw honesty in his eyes that made a pang of guilt shoot through Hoseok’s heart.

“Of course not!” Hoseok replied, trying to convey his sincerity as best as he could. Hyunwoo smiled, seemingly convinced with the reply. “It’s just… something I’ve been thinking about lately,” Hoseok continued, unable to stop himself from spilling his guts to his pure, kind friend. Hyunwoo hummed thoughtfully, squirting out some soap and beginning to wash himself.

“I’ve been thinking about something lately too,” Hyunwoo admitted, rubbing the suds onto his tan, curvy arms absently, his eyes flickering down to look away from Hoseok’s. “I think we’re probably thinking about the same thing,” he concluded, and Hoseok could feel his breath catch in his throat. Eagerness and excitement bubbled up, and his heart thumped in his chest at the mere possibility of his friend—

“Do you have a crush on me too?” Hoseok couldn’t even stop himself from asking, realizing with an embarrassed yelp that he’d just vocalized his entire train of thought. He faced the shower wall again, inwardly cursing at his own ditziness.

“I do,” Hoseok heard Hyunwoo reply, and his eyes widened, flipping his head back to stare up at his friend’s face, surprised to see his red-flushed cheeks.

“What?” Hoseok replied, unable to process how quickly he’d just confessed to his friend, and the fact that Hyunwoo reciprocated was shocking to him. At the sight of Hyunwoo’s warm, welcoming expression, Hoseok bit his lip, grinning widely at the influx of new sensations.

“Come here,” Hyunwoo said, opening his arms and inviting Hoseok for a hug. Rushing towards him, Hoseok crashed against his crush, enveloping him in a sweet embrace. Hearing the low, amused chuckle come from Hyunwoo’s lips, Hoseok felt his heart warm, and he rubbed his face against Hyunwoo’s plush shoulder. He was overwhelmed by the gratitude he felt toward his friend- glad that he didn’t push him away, or deny his feelings, but instead accepted him with open arms. It made Hoseok feel so loved, he felt tears well up in his eyes. After the initial wave of joy passed, however, Hoseok’s eyes widened as he lurched backwards, making a noise of pain.

“Whoa! Why is the shower temperature so high!?” Hoseok asked, staring at Hyunwoo with a slightly confused stare, wondering how he was able to withstand such a hot shower for so long. Smiling shyly, Hyunwoo moved to turn it down, gesturing for Hoseok to come back.

“I like it this hot, but I’ll turn it down if it means showering with you,” Hyunwoo said, voice nonchalant as if he didn’t just say the most romantic thing Hoseok had ever been told in his life. “I’ll wash your back too, how about it?” Hyunwoo asked, flickering his eyes over to look at Hoseok, his dark hair pressed against his forehead and cheeks still flush. Smiling, Hoseok stepped forward, pleased to find the water temperature at a decent level. He shot Hyunwoo a grateful look, and then stepped into the shower’s spray.

“I’d love to~” <3