“God guys, what the ? Why is it so hot in here? It’s ing December,” Minhyuk angrily called out, blearily looking around the room with hazy, mostly asleep eyes. He spotted his other three roommates, two awake and in various levels of activity- Changkyun actually on the floor with his back pressed against the hardwood.

“We don’t know, hyung. Just woke up and it was hot,” Changkyun said, wiping away the sweat forming on his brow. From his perch on the top bunk, Kihyun started climbing down the ladder, and, with a few amused giggles from Minhyuk, it was revealed that the boy was stark .

“I know it’s hot in here, but do you really need to take every excuse to get in front of us?” Minhyuk asked, quirking a brow as he too started stripping, slipping off his shirt. Kihyun laughed, turning around to expose his front to his roommates who had already seen it a hundred times.

“I wasn’t even sleeping in clothes to begin with, excuse you,” Kihyun said, grabbing a neatly-folded towel from the pile of laundry he hadn’t put away yet, beginning to dab away the sweat from his face. Minhyuk busted out into rancorous giggles, amused yet unsurprised by the confession. From within his, now damp with sweat, sheets, Jooheon groaned, opening his blood-shot, tired eyes and pondering the fact that he had been asleep for no more than 30 minutes but was being woken up by his childish roommates. It was hot, yes, but nothing severe sleep-deprivation can’t overcome.

“Guys. I’m tired,” Jooheon managed to force out of his mouth, eyes flickering over to his roommates, giving them unamused looks. Minhyuk was the first to acknowledge him, pouting his lower lip as he responded.

“Not like you wouldn’t have woken up from this heat anyway,” Minhyuk said, voice clearly bitter. Fanning himself to prove his point, Minhyuk jumped out from the bed, taking off his pajama pants and kicking them onto the ground. Watching him with a blank yet disapproving stare, Kihyun frowned, blinking a few times as if to say ‘Okay. Now pick it up.’

“Nah,” Jooheon said, covering his face with his hands and letting out an exasperated breath of air, wondering how he was going to get through this night. “Changkyunnie… can you go ask one of the manager hyungs why it’s so hot? I’m sure they’re feeling it too,” Jooheon asked, looking down at the shirtless Changkyun and giving him a pleading look. “For hyung~?” he added, pouting his lip and hoping that he wouldn’t have to move any more.

Changkyun smiled at the adorable expression, and got up from the cool floor, making a displeased face as he felt sweat drip down his legs. Staring thoughtfully down at his legs, Changkyun smirked, and then promptly ripped off his pants, giggling madly as he ran out of the room and down the hall. Busting out into boisterous laughter at the sight, Minhyuk and Kihyun collapsed in laughter, finding the whole situation to be terribly amusing.

Agreeing that Changkyun’s behavior was kind of cute, Jooheon cracked a small smile, and then pressed his face against his pillow, trying to fall back asleep despite his loud roommates. As if on cue, a huge clang resounded in the room, and in ran Hoseok- who, upon inspection, was also completely , sparking another round of laughter from Minhyuk and Kihyun. Officially done with the whole situation, Jooheon stumbled out of his bed, brow set in an angry grimace at their ridiculous antics.

“I’m leaving,” Jooheon explained, although he doubted that any of his roommates could actually hear them through their incessant laughter. Stumbling into what he hoped was going to be a much more peaceful room, Jooheon opened the door to Hyungwon, Hoseok, and Hyunwoo’s room and walked inside. Surprised to see both Hyungwon and Hyunwoo sitting cross-legged on the floor, Jooheon raised his eyebrows, wondering why they weren’t trying to sleep. They also had the light on, and both were at least partially dressed. A much different scene than the room he was just in, and that was good enough for him.

“Hey,” Jooheon greeted, plopping down next to the other two, groaning pleasantly at how cool the ground felt, but wincing as he felt the sweat stick to his skin. Giving their newest addition a pained stare, Hyungwon groaned, leaning against the side of Hyunwoo’s bunk.

“What’s it like in the other room?” Hyunwoo asked, his bare torso glistening with sweat in the bright overhead light. Jooheon ran a hand through his hair, and then began removing his shirt, the fabric so wet with sweat it was unwearable. He tossed it onto the floor behind him and then leaned back, eyes flickering over to Hyunwoo to answer him.

“Well, it’s just as hot, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s also complete mayhem,” Jooheon responded, running a hand down his lean, slender chest, collecting some of the sweat there with a frown on his face. Hyunwoo inhaled deeply, his eyes running down Jooheon’s body as the younger boy tantalizingly his skin. Hyungwon, who had been zoning out, was a little startled to see Jooheon was also shirtless now. God… why did everyone have to be ?

“We heard Hoseok-ah run over there, he was in here ,” Hyunwoo said, chuckling warmly, even though he felt attraction burning on his skin every time he looked at Jooheon’s stunning body. Hyungwon frowned, thinking about how Hoseok flaunted his chiseled, Adonis-like body only a few minutes ago. How was he so confident that he could do that without even a second thought? Even though he was also hot, Hyungwon was too self-conscious to even take off his top, even though the other two men in the room were also shirtless… and certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Hyunwoo’s body is incredible, to say the least. He isn’t as defined and beefy as Hoseok, but he has a thick, imposing body and a trim stomach. Not to mention his arms, which have always been Hyungwon’s favorite. He’s ridiculously attractive and had a quiet confidence in his physique that makes Hyungwon’s heart pound every time he sees him disrobed, which is every single day.

Beside him, Jooheon’s body is much different than Hyunwoo’s, but still absolutely gorgeous in every way. His torso is incredibly lean and slender- but still held on to some fat and muscle that made his body look perfectly proportioned. Jooheon didn’t work out much, but he still had enough definition to make Hyungwon’s mind go crazy every time he got a glimpse of it. He also had a tiny bit of fat on his stomach that just barely spilled over the waistband of his pants, which, to Hyungwon, was damn near perfection. 

Compared to those two, Hyungwon’s body was obsolete. He saw himself as being far too skinny and bony, and no matter how much he ate or how much he practiced dance- he’s never able to hold onto any fat or muscle at all. It was embarrassing, and even though he was often called the ‘top visual’, he knew it only was referring to his face… and not his body. 

The heat in the dorm was stifling, and Hyungwon was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and flannel pants, but he dealt with the heat and sweat to avoid embarrassing himself in front of his gorgeous bandmates. They didn’t see him shirtless or often, and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Hyungwon-hyung? Are you okay?” Jooheon asked, and, when Hyungwon looked over, was startled to see such a concerned look in his eyes. Jooheon and Hyunwoo had been watching the sadness start to darken Hyungwon’s attractive features, and were trying to figure out why he suddenly looked so down.

“Shouldn’t you take off your shirt? It’s too hot in here,” Hyunwoo urged, his eyes worriedly staring at the sweat stains on Hyungwon’s shirt- hoping that he wasn’t losing too many liquids. Hyungwon panicked, blinking several times as he shook his head.

“No, I’ll be okay,” Hyungwon urged, and Jooheon and Hyunwoo both stared at him in confusion.

“What? It’s so hot in here, I know you’re hot in that shirt,” Jooheon said, scrunching his eyebrows together in concern.

“I-I’m okay,” Hyungwon insisted, anxiety rising up into his throat. Of course he was hot, but his body was too disgusting, he didn’t want them to see him like this. Hyungwon felt tears rise to his eyes, and he looked down, cursing himself for being so easy to cry.

“Hyungwon-ah?” Hyunwoo said, his warm, deep voice trailing straight to Hyungwon’s heart. Seeing these two beautiful men so casual and confident in their bare bodies, paired with being pressured into joining them, was becoming too much for him, and Hyungwon bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I’m not going to take it off,” he insisted, but his throat was becoming constricted with heat, his face and body on fire as he realized he couldn’t ignore how the intense temperature was affecting him. 

“Why won’t you?” Jooheon asked, his voice so filled with worry that Hyungwon couldn’t help but look over at him. Seeing the honest, caring expression, Hyungwon knew he couldn’t lie any longer.

“My body… shouldn’t be shown,” Hyungwon managed to choke out, the admittance of such painful feelings forcing tears from his eyes. Jooheon frowned, immediately shaking his head, while Hyunwoo was sitting up straighter, giving his bandmate a pure and genuine stare.

“Why do you feel that way?” Hyunwoo asked, and when Hyungwon looked at him, he felt a sudden guilt, like he’d let down his leader by feeling this way.

“It isn’t attractive, not like yours or Jooheony’s is,” Hyungwon admitted, eyes flickering down. Admitting his insecurities made Hyungwon feel both pathetic and liberated. He wasn’t expecting them to say anything in reply, so when Hyunwoo began speaking, Hyungwon was taken off guard.

“Your body is flawless, Hyungwonnie, you’re so handsome,” Hyunwoo argued, trying to figure out where he would get that idea. “Its model-esque and elegant, I envy it a lot,” Hyunwoo said, and, as he thought about it more, continued. “Everything looks good on you,” he added, and Hyungwon felt his cheeks heat up. It wasn’t often that people called him handsome, especially when referring to his body, and Hyungwon wanted more, he craved that praise. Swallowing nervously, Hyungwon looked down, playing with the hem of his incredibly constrictive shirt in thought.

“I agree with hyung,” Jooheon said, and Hyungwon looked over at him, a certain eagerness in his eyes. “Your body is so graceful and pretty, I don’t know where you got the idea that you’re somehow less attractive than us,” he continued, shaking his head. In his mind, Hyungwon was one of the iest hyungs he had. “It’s definitely too hot in here, I think you should take off your top and show it off to us,” Jooheon added, his upper lip in thought. He hoped he wasn’t crossing a line with that last request, but he wanted Hyungwon to know that they really did find him good-looking, and it was dangerous to keep wearing all of those clothes. 

“We don’t want you getting sick,” Hyunwoo added, his eyes displaying how honestly concerned he was. Hyungwon was speechless, finding it hard to believe that his beautiful bandmates saw him on the same level as them. It was empowering, and Hyungwon couldn’t deny that being complimented so thoroughly felt nice.

“Should I?” he asked in a tiny voice, slender fingers curling against the edge of his shirt. Hyunwoo and Jooheon smile, nodding encouragingly and urging him to do so.

“Yes! Join us,” Jooheon says, feeling relieved now that Hyungwon was starting to perk up. His health should come first, and he has no reason to feel like his body should be hidden from them. Hyungwon slowly began lifting up the edge of his shirt, taking the sweaty garment off and revealing his slender body inch by inch. After removing it, Hyungwon set it on the ground beside him, cheeks turning pink in embarrassment. He was worried that the two would remember what his body looked like and give him disappointed stares, but that worry only lasted a brief second. What greeted Hyungwon when he looked at the two was something much different. Hyunwoo’s eyes were filled with blatant adoration, his plump lips turned up in a smile as his eyes flickered up to Hyungwon’s eyes- giving him a sweet look. Beside him, Jooheon was radiating an impressed, mesmerized vibe, his lips parted in a silent gasp as his eyes devoured Hyungwon’s torso. 

“You’re so beautiful, hyung,” Jooheon managed to say, finding it hard to think straight after Hyungwon displayed his body for them. They hadn’t seen him so exposed since the drama Hyungwon played a role in several months ago, and had almost forgotten the graceful, delicate body Hyungwon had underneath his clothes.

“But… my ribs,” Hyungwon said, his fingers moving to cover up his visible ribcage, the bones sticking out from under his skin. He was definitely not malnourished, it was just how his body looked. He’d always hated it, and thought it made him look gross. He couldn’t even stop himself from voicing his own disgust with himself, a small part of him hoping that maybe, just maybe, they were able to see past it.

“Those are beautiful too,” Hyunwoo said, and his voice was so full of confidence, so sure of his reply, that Hyungwon moved his hands down, showing off his entire upper body without hiding any of it. Hyungwon looked over at Hyunwoo, his cheeks pink and nervous, but he was starting to feel better about himself for the first time that night. Filled with a newfound courage, Hyungwon leaned back onto the balls of his hands, stretching his torso back to show off even more of his exposed skin. He looked up into Jooheon’s eyes, watching them flicker with something oddly sensual and romantic, something that made his heart race even quicker.

“You’re so attractive,” Jooheon complimented, and Hyungwon knew without a shadow of a doubt that he meant it. “But aren’t you still hot?” Jooheon asked, his eyes greedily running down Hyungwon’s body and hovering on his pants. Getting the gist, Hyunwoo glanced over at Jooheon, silently thanking him. 

“O-Oh,” Hyungwon said, realizing that Jooheon wasn’t just reassuring him like a friend would, but actually hitting on him. This realization made his stomach aflutter with butterflies, and a bead of sweat trailed down his face that definitely wasn’t from the broken heater. “I guess I am,” he replied, swallowing thickly. Jooheon smiled, and Hyunwoo exhaled deeply, both anticipating the next action that Hyungwon would do.

“Then maybe you should take off your pants,” Hyunwoo suggested, and the vibe in the bedroom took a swift turn. Hyungwon his lips, and then nodded his head, shifting around so he could slip off his loose pajama pants. He was typically more self-conscious about his upper half, and paired with the esteem-boosting compliments, he was feeling a lot more inhibited and willing to expose himself to his eager bandmates.

“Wow,” Jooheon sighed out as Hyungwon took off his pants, his long, graceful legs splayed out along the floor, only a pair of briefs left on his body. Hyunwoo gave a similarly impressed noise, both boys now solely focused on checking out their bandmate, their gazes searing into Hyungwon’s skin. Now feeling considerably more comfortable, in both his physical body temperature and self-confidence, Hyungwon smiles.

“I can’t even think of a way to describe you other than perfection,” Hyunwoo said, his tone almost apologetic. He couldn’t believe that Hyungwon could feel insecure about his body for even a second, when it was so stunning in Hyunwoo’s eyes. He wishes he could think straighter and give Hyungwon the compliments he deserved. Jooheon swallowed thickly, his mouth feeling dry. There was only one thing standing in the way of seeing Hyungwon’s entire body uncovered, and it was driving him crazy.

“I want to see the rest, hyung,” Jooheon says, knowing full and well that the only article of clothing Hyungwon could take off was his underwear. Eyes widening in surprise, Hyungwon stammers out a reply, taken aback by the forwardness.

“I-I’d be then,” he says, and flickers his gaze down, not saying yes or no to the request. Realizing that what he just said was blatantly ual, Jooheon quickly stands up, his entire body flushing in embarrassment.

“Never mind! I-I… I have to go to bed,” Jooheon says, voice trembling with awkwardness as he retreats to Hoseok’s bed, pressing his face against the pillow and turning away from the other two. Watching him with equally surprised faces, Hyungwon and Hyunwoo start chuckling, finding his extreme reaction kind of adorable. The hot atmosphere in the room begins to cool down, and all three boys realize it was from more than just the release of tension. A loud clamoring noise directs their eyes to the door right as Changkyun bursts through it.

“They fixed the heater!!” he exclaimed, clad in only a pair of briefs as he breezed through the entryway. Noticing Jooheon curled up in Hoseok’s bed, Changkyun barely shrugged, and then continued on his way to his bedroom. Eyes flickering over to Hyunwoo, now with a much lighter spirit, Hyungwon smiled, raising his eyebrows.

“Well, I guess this means we can go to bed now,” Hyungwon says, a tiny bit disappointed that they couldn’t continue their conversation in the direction it was headed… but pretty confident that this wouldn’t be the last time the three of them would get together partially clothed.

“I guess so,” Hyunwoo says, his red lips upturned in a gentle smile. Hyungwon stands up, grabbing his wet clothes, pondering the notion of putting them back on, before tossing them back onto the floor. On his way to his bunk, Hyungwon goes to turn off the light, eyes flickering between the serene expressions on Jooheon and Hyunwoo’s faces. He feels a warmth bubble up, and a sense of comfort that he’d never felt this strongly around another person, or persons. 

“Thank you,” Hyungwon says, his voice dripping with sincerity. “For making me feel better, I’m sorry if I said some really depressing stuff--” Hyungwon explained, getting cut off by Jooheon.

“You can talk to us anytime, even if it’s depressing, hyung,” Jooheon said, giving Hyungwon a serious expression. Feeling his cheeks warm up, Hyungwon nodded, his eyes gazing thoughtfully at the ground.

“We just want you to love your body the way we do,” Hyunwoo said, the statement startlingly intimate and kind. Hyungwon bit his lip, willing away the tears of happiness. It felt so good to be told that, he didn’t want this night to end so soon.

“Guys…” Hyungwon said, biting his lip. “Thank you,” he managed to stammer out, tears welling in his eyes. Noticing this, Jooheon glanced over at Hyunwoo, and an unspoken decision passed between them. Hyunwoo walked over to Hoseok’s bed, which was the biggest in the room, and sat beside Jooheon, beckoning for Hyungwon to come over.

“Come here, let’s stay together like this,” Hyunwoo offered, and Hyungwon felt his heart pound, relieved that his bandmates understood him so well. As the air in the room started to cool down to a reasonable temperature, Hyungwon turned off the light, making his way over to fall asleep surrounded by love and acceptance. <3