Sehun slumped on the bed, arm over his face as he sighed aloud for the nth time that day. It was already 9 in the evening and he was feeling lethargic—his day was also ing trash and he wanted to end it on a good note. “Let’s go for a drink, Yixing hyung.”

“No. We just did that last Friday, and you got so hammered I had to drag you into a taxi,” Yixing said. “Don’t even get me started on your embarrassing antics… I should’ve recorded it.”

“C’mon, it’s Thursday. You won’t even accompany me for a drink or two? How cruel! I just had my heart broken yet again and you won’t even take care of me,” Sehun sighed dramatically, sitting up as he pouted at Yixing, who wasn’t even looking at him. He sat hunched at the desk with glasses perched on his nose, frantically scribbling on his notebook.

“Hyuuuuung,” the brunet whined, tugging at Yixing’s sleeves. Yixing groaned, letting his pen fall from his fingers as he turned his head to face Sehun. “Unlike you, art major, I have tests to study for and essays to write. Sorry, Hunnie, I really don’t have the time. Now could you please let me work in peace?”

“It’s not my fault we don’t have as many as you do,” Sehun muttered under his breath as he sunk into his bed, pouting and crossing his arms. He plugged in his earphones and let the music lull him to sleep.

♡

“Good morning, Sehunnie. Slept well?”

“No, because someone didn’t want to help tend to my broken heart.” Sehun grouched. “I’m going to shower.”

Yixing sighed. “I’ll get you breakfast.” Sehun hummed in reply. He grabbed his clothes and walked out, closing the door gently to let Yixing know he wasn’t actually mad, just grumpy because it was 6 ing am.

It was funny how Yixing didn’t want a roommate at the start but had come to care for Sehun deeply. It was like they were brothers, only of different nationalities. Sehun hummed, soaping himself as he recalled meeting Yixing for the first time.

Sehun was lost in the huge campus and thankfully managed to find his way to the administration office, where someone was already conversing with the lady at the counter. Being the nosy person he was, he approached them slowly, picking up a pamphlet to mindlessly flip through as he curiously listened in to their conversation.

“I paid good money to not have a roommate. Single room dorms are so damn small,” a man complained in slightly accented Korean.

“I’m sorry Mr. Zhang, but we have no more doubles available and Mr. Oh requested for one. On the bright side, you don’t have to pay more than the usual anymore.”

Sehun perked up when he heard this. Mr. Oh? Me?

He coughed lightly, making his presence known as he walked to the counter, leaning on it. “Hi, I’m new here and I can’t find my dorm. My name is Oh Sehun. Visual arts major.”

‘Mr. Zhang’ turned to him, eyebrows furrowed in thought. He seemed to have put two and two together pretty quickly, smiling and extending a hand to Sehun. “Zhang Yixing. Finance major, and your new roommate.”

“Ah, not Korean?” Sehun guessed, his accent a giveaway.

“Chinese. Moved about 5 years ago.” Yixing affirmed.

“I’m sorry you got a roommate. And I’m sorry that it has to be me. I’m not #1 on my friends’ list of Worst Friends for nothing.”

“It’s okay, I like you already.”

Sehun snapped out of his daydream when he saw his fingers start pruning. He shut off the shower, reaching out for his towel. Drying himself, he chuckled as he remembered how he’d actually almost developed feelings for Yixing just because the man was extremely caring. Sehun was what his friends would call a hopeless romantic—always in love with the idea of love.

He was an only child, and he was privileged enough to be showered with endless amounts of love by his parents and grandparents. His grandmother used to read him fairy tales and tell him that “love is just around the corner”. (Although, now, he thinks she was just referring to that Bing Crosby song.) It didn’t help that his parents were so loving and intimate with each other, setting the perfect example of love for Sehun. It didn’t take much for him to fall for someone—just a few sweet words, caring gestures and quality time together would him in.

It wasn’t a trait he’d liked, but he couldn’t help it. He just really wanted to be in love with someone, like his parents were. He was 23 years old and all his other friends had already found their significant other, while he was stuck wallowing in self pity. His dates never lasted more than a week, saying Sehun was too clingy for their liking, too into being That Couple, too infatuated with love. It hurt him every time someone said it, but he knew it was kind of true. And he didn’t like it.

He tried to be less (emotionally) dependent on people, more nonchalant about things, but after a while he’d give up and continue looking for the one for him. If they didn’t like the way he was, he wouldn’t try to change himself anymore, and he wouldn’t try to push the relationship further. It would only hurt both parties anyway, and he learned that the hard way. But now, he’s not too sure.

Maybe it’s time to focus on my studies and stop hoping for love. Sehun put on his clothes and hastily stepped out of the shower room, accidentally bumping into someone who entered at the same time. “Sorry,” he mumbled, keeping his head down as he scurried away. “It’s okay,” a velvety voice replied from a distance.

Sehun turned around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. He knew everyone who lived in the dorms, but he didn’t recognise this guy. All he saw was the guy’s retreating back, and it would’ve been weird to go back to the shower room just to see who he was. The man looked tan—football, perhaps? Sehun pushed the thought to the back of his head, looking forward to the breakfast Yixing got him. “Please God, let it be croissants,” he prayed aloud, clasping his hands together.

♡

“I can’t ing believe you didn’t get me croissants,” Sehun complained, shooting Yixing an accusing look. Yixing smiled fondly at him. “Beggars can’t be choosers. You didn’t tell me what you wanted, so I got you the cheapest option.”

Sehun picked at his sausage bread. “Can’t believe this is cheaper than croissants.”

“You can’t believe in anything, can you? Other than love,” Yixing mused. Sehun pounded his fist on the table. “I don’t believe in love anymore,” he declared.

“I mean, I still do, but I’ve decided to stop searching for it,” he added. Yixing looked at him with an amused smile. “Really? What brought that on?”

Sehun fiddled with his fingers. “It’s one of those shower thoughts again. Maybe I shouldn’t be so hung up on finding love and just let it come to me. My grades haven’t been the best either… Maybe it’s time I grow up,” he mumbled, visibly deflating. Yixing looked at him thoughtfully and sighed.

“You are already grown up. Just because you’re a romantic doesn’t make you any less of a grown up,” Yixing chided. “But if you think that’s the right thing to do, then it’s okay. Love will find you.”

“I thought Chanyeol would really be the one,” Sehun said softly. His roommate hummed in agreement. “It seemed that way. He was the longest you’ve had, too.”

“Yeah well, that ,” Sehun muttered, stabbing his sausage bread with a fork. “I swear, every one of them just leaves in the end.”

“Why are you eating bread with a fork?” Yixing asked, stifling a laugh. Sehun shot him a withering look that said I do what I want, making Yixing raise his hands up in mock surrender. “I’d love to sit with you and talk more, but I have a class to get to. We can talk tonight. Have fun, Sehunnie!”

Sehun groaned, letting his head fall on the table.

♡

All Sehun was looking forward to was dance practice and sleep. He was in his last class for the day, trying to concentrate on what Professor Ko was droning on about, but he really couldn’t be bothered. He wasn’t very interested in art history and he only took it because it was a required course. “Ugh, hyung, please just wake me up when all of this is over,” Sehun groaned.

“And we were just talking about you starting to actually pay attention in class,” Baekhyun, his classmate, mused. Sehun rolled his eyes at Baekhyun and turned his head back to the professor.

“I heard there’s a new transfer student and he’s in your dorm,” Baekhyun said, looking at Sehun to see his reaction. Sehun glanced at him and then at his watch. 2 more minutes. “I saw someone I didn’t recognise just now, that was probably him then,” Sehun replied.

“Is he handsome? Hot?” Baekhyun asked, waggling his eyebrows. “I don’t know,” Sehun answered halfheartedly, “All I saw was his back. He has a nice voice, though.”

Baekhyun huffed. “Voice? I don’t care about his voice, I want to know how he looks like. I heard he’s really handsome! I wanna see him!”

“Oh would you look at the time,” Sehun fake gasped, “I gotta go now hyung, see you!”

“in’ drama queen! I’m crashing at your dorm later!” Sehun heard Baekhyun yell out. He waved his hand in reply, jogging hastily away from him. He wasn’t exactly in a rush to get anywhere, but once Baekhyun started talking about men, he just couldn’t stop, and Sehun wasn’t in the mood to listen.

He went to the campus cafe, opting to revise a little on the subject he disliked, and visit his friend-slash-barista while he was at it. Minseok made a mean cup of coffee—his americanos were the best, and Sehun desperately needed one.

“Hey, Sehunnie,” Minseok called out as Sehun pushed the door open. Sehun gave a small wave. “Hello, hyung. Can I get an Americano? Double please, I’m dying here,” Sehun said wryly, setting his stuff on the table nearest to the counter.

“Rough day?” Minseok asked, smiling. Sehun just sighed in response, slumping in his seat.

“Your day just started.”

“First class had Baekhyun hyung,” Sehun deadpanned. Minseok nodded his head. “Ah, I see. He talks a lot, doesn’t he?”

“Most of the time it isn’t a problem and I love talking to him, but not today. Plus, a bunch of stuff happened and submissions are coming up. I’m feeling so stressed, hyung,” Sehun rambled. Minseok listened attentively as Sehun complained about his professors and school, and couldn’t help but wonder aloud where Chanyeol was this time. Sehun stiffened at the mention of his name, going quiet.

Minseok clicked his tongue. “So I’m guessing a bunch of stuff was actually just Chanyeol?” Sehun looked away, absentmindedly doodling on his notes. “We just didn’t work out,” Sehun answered after a few beats of silence. “Again,” he added.

Minseok walked to Sehun’s table with his cup of coffee in hand, looking around the cafe before sitting down with him. They were the only two in the cafe, but it was no surprise. It just wasn’t that time of the day. “Do you want to talk about it?” Sehun shrugged. He honestly didn’t know if he wanted to talk about it, because it was no different from his other dates—it ended the same way all the others did. It just lasted a little longer than usual, and Sehun actually really liked him. Minseok stared at him for a little longer before getting up from his seat as a customer came in.

“You know I’m always a phone call or visit away when you need me,” Minseok told him. “This one’s on the house. Good luck studying, Professor Ko can be annoying but he means well.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Sehun muttered, mindlessly flipping through the notes Baekhyun so gracefully lent him, comparing it with his own. It was clear that Baekhyun studied really hard and liked this class. Meanwhile, Sehun didn’t even know if he really enjoyed his major. He tried to read through Baekhyun’s notes to the best of his abilities—or attention span, really—when someone slipped him a note.

He looked up and noticed a group of girls giggling and looking at him, one of them rushing back to the girls. “Call me,” it said, with a number written below it. He chuckled and left the note on the table, packing his things up. An hour had already passed since he entered the quaint cafe and dance practice was about to begin.

As he walked out, he overheard the girls talking to each other, apparently shocked that he didn’t accept the note because “doesn’t he date everything that walks and talks?” He stopped in his tracks, about to turn around and give them a piece of his mind before he realised that this was the first time he rejected someone. He never could turn anyone down because he believed that everyone was worth his shot at love.

His eyes met Minseok’s, whose expression told him he’d take care of the girls. Sehun nodded his head in thanks, grateful that his hyung would stick up for him even though what they said was mostly true.

He trudged to the dance studio, heaving a sigh of relief as he arrived at his safe space. He was usually the first to arrive at the studio, so he was surprised to find the door unlocked and the lights on. “Jongdae? That you?” Sehun called out.

He looked into the studio, surprised yet again to see an unfamiliar face looking back at him. The man in front of him was stunning. He was tanned and he had this glow on him that was so attractive, his silvery hair a delicate mess. His plush lips were parted in what Sehun presumed was surprise too, and his toned arms were on full display thanks to the sleeveless top he was wearing. The man froze in place just as his body was stretching forward.

Sehun cleared his throat. “Um, hi,” he said, eyes flicking across the room. He chanced a glance at the man, who gave him the brightest smile he’d seen in awhile. “Hey,” the man said, raising his hand. “I’m uh, new here.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Sehun laughed, before studying the man a bit longer. “Aren’t you the guy I bumped into this morning?” Said man squinted at him for a bit, eyes widening in realisation. “Oh, you’re that guy! Nice to meet you, I’m Jongin. Uh, finance major.”

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Sehun. Visual arts major. My roommate’s a finance major too, I think you’ll see him often,” Sehun said, joining Jongin as he warmed up. Jongin nodded his head silently. “Say, how old are you? You look like you’re my age,” Sehun asked, curious.

“I was born in 94,” Jongin replied. Sehun’s eyes lit up. “Hey, me too! But why are you transferring in your final year? Sorry if it’s a sensitive topic, you can choose not to answer my question,” he added. Jongin shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. It’s actually my third year, not fourth. I took a gap year. The college I was in before just didn’t give me a chance to… explore my potential, and your coach reached out to me and offered me a scholarship for the rest of my stay here, so I took it,” Jongin said cooly. Sehun stared at him in awe. Their coach was one of the best in the industry, and if Jongin was offered a position, he must be really good.

It seemed like Jongin had other reasons to transfer, but Sehun didn’t push it, nodding his head in understanding. “That’s cool. Coach doesn’t take people in often, you must be really good.” Jongin ran his hand through his hair and Sehun watched the strands fall onto his face, framing it so nicely. The silver-haired male smiled bashfully. “I guess. I could be better though, and that’s why I’m here.”

“Damn, if only I was as determined as you are,” Sehun muttered. Jongin laughed, and the sound was so beautiful it made Sehun’s heart flutter, but he brushed it off. He looked up as his coach entered the studio, the other dancers trickling in.

“Yunho hyung!” Jongin exclaimed. He scrambled to his feet and Sehun and the others watched as the two interacted. They seemed close, and Sehun was appalled at the informality between the two of them. Yunho was definitely not just a coach to Jongin. He was curious, but he didn’t want to pry. He stood up and greeted his coach.

“Hey Sehun, I see you’ve already met Jongin. He’s one of the best dancers I know, and I hope you can learn more from him. Perhaps one day the two of you should duet,” Yunho expressed. Jongin laughed, palm covering his mouth. “Hyung! You flatter me.”

Yunho smiled at Jongin, ruffling his hair and walking off. Sehun was shocked, to say the least. He’d never seen the coach so friendly with anyone before, much less with someone younger. “Yunho hyung is an old family friend,” Jongin said, answering Sehun’s unspoken thoughts. “But I assure you, he didn’t take me in just because of that.”

“I-I didn’t say that,” Sehun spluttered. He didn’t say it, but he had thought of it. He felt bad, but no one would’ve not questioned it. Jongin smiled at him, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “It’s okay, everyone thinks that too. I’ll just prove them wrong.”

Sehun shook his head. “I’m sure you’re really good,” he said honestly. “Coach Yunho wouldn’t accept anyone just because they are a family friend,” he added with a smile. Jongin’s grin grew wider, and Sehun felt his heart skip a beat. , that smile was intoxicating.

“Come on,” Jongin beckoned to him, “let’s dance.”

♡

“, that was exhausting,” Sehun groaned. Yixing was seated at his desk, playing a game on his computer. Sehun snorted. “Maple? Really, hyung?” Yixing flicked a glance at Sehun. “This game is amazing. Rough prac?”

“Yeah man, this new student transferred here and man he’s got some skill,” Sehun said, still in awe at Jongin’s mini showcase. Coach had asked him to introduce himself, and he danced his favourite genre instead of talking about himself. It was ing amazing, and Sehun couldn’t get over the way his body moved oh so gracefully. Needless to say, everyone was up his after that.

“Oh, Jongin?” Yixing asked. Sehun’s brow lifted. “How did you know?”

“He’s my best friend. We met in our first year of high school in dance, but I stopped dancing and we went separate ways for college, but we’re still very close,” Yixing explained, fingers skittering across the keyboard and the other hand on the mouse. “I was so ing happy when he decided to transfer here. About time.”

“You used to dance?” Sehun asked, dumbfounded. Yixing nodded his head vigorously. “Yeah, but I stopped because I didn’t like it too much.”

“I see. What did you mean ‘about time’?” Sehun prodded. Yixing groaned, slamming his hands on the keyboard. “My laptop crashed on me, again! Anyway, that’s not my place to tell.” Sehun bobbed his head in understanding. “Okay.”

Yixing sat with Sehun, legs hanging off the tiny bed. “So, how’s day two?”

Sehun sighed. “It’s pretty okay, I guess. Honestly, I’m not really affected by breaking up with Chanyeol, but by the fact that I can’t seem to last with anyone. Has it really only been a day? Seemed like forever ago.” Yixing hugged Sehun, patting his back gently. “It’s okay, really. It justs means they’re not the one! Someone will show up and stay with you from then on. Maybe not in the near future, but definitely one day.”

“Thanks, hyung. I’m still swearing off dating for now, though. My grades are so ing terrible, my parents are gonna murder me.” Yixing chuckled, shaking his head at Sehun. “You do you,” Yixing replied, clambering off Sehun’s bed to get to his own. Sehun’s phone pinged as he was scrolling through Jongin’s Instagram profile, curious about the guy.

Jongin
[10:20PM] Hey
[10:20PM] Hope I’m not bothering uuuuu
[10:20PM] Do you mind showing me around
campus tmrw? Its sat and idk if u have plans
but if u do its fine!! :)

You
[10:21PM] hey, yeah sure
[10:21PM] yixing too busy to show you around?
[10:21PM] haha

Jongin
[10:21PM] You know Yixing?
[10:23PM] What time do u wanna meet n where?

You
[10:24PM] he’s my roommate, i mentioned you
and he told me. anything is fine, just give me a
call an hour before

Jongin
[10:24PM] I see~ Ok ^^
[10:24PM] See u!! Thank u and good night :)

You
[10:25PM] good night. rest well! you did great
today, in case i didn’t stress that enough

Jongin
[10:25PM] ʕ￫ᴥ￩ ʔ

Sehun was barely able to contain his excitement for tomorrow. He was looking forward to becoming good friends with Jongin. Are you sure it’s not something else?A voice in his head mocked. He shook the thought off and went to bed with a smile on his face.

♡

Sehun woke up at 2 in the afternoon to 3 missed calls from Jongin and a few texts. He sprang from his bed, sending a quick sorry to Jongin before going to freshen up. 15 minutes was a record time for him to get ready and he would’ve been praising himself if not for the fact that he was late. He barged back into the room, phone in hand, and was pleasantly surprised to see Jongin and Yixing chatting on the floor.

“Hey,” Sehun huffed, slightly out of breath from sprinting back. “Sorry I overslept.” The pair stared back at him, both seemingly amused. “Did you run back here?” Jongin asked incredulously.

Sehun scratched his head sheepishly. “I uh, yeah,” he admitted. “Didn’t expect to see you here though.” He turned to Yixing, puzzled. “Don’t you have plans today?”

Yixing’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before his face lit up with realisation. “Ah yes, plans, that I do… I’ll see you guys later. I have to go and uh, find Minseok. I guess.” He got to his feet, taking only his laptop with him as he left the room. Jongin sighed. He stood up and gave Sehun a once-over, nodding his head. “I like what I see,” he teased, enjoying the way Sehun’s cheeks turned pink.

“I could say the same to you,” Sehun shot back. Jongin looked really good—he was dressed in a simple mustard turtleneck sweater and a pair of tight denim jeans, and his silver hair was all mussed up in a y way that Sehun could never pull off. Sehun on the other hand, was only in an old t-shirt and ripped jeans, and his hair was still damp from his shower. “Give me a sec, I need to dry my hair before we leave. I can’t go out like this.”

Jongin shrugged, plopping down on Sehun’s bed. “You could, and no one would care. You look good either way,” he said casually. Sehun looked pointedly at Jongin and the man gave him the prettiest smile. “Are you flirting with me, Kim Jongin?”

“I can’t resist,” Jongin purred, batting his eyelashes dramatically before bursting into laughter when he saw Sehun’s expression. “Come on, time to show me around.” Sehun rolled his eyes, drying his hair with his towel and he tried to ignore Jongin’s blatant staring, eating him up like he was prey. It was kind of obvious by now that Jongin was interested in him—or well, his body—unless Sehun read the signs wrong. The lustful stares and lingering touches screamed we should be more than friends but Sehun wasn’t sure he wanted to get into another relationship, much less this soon.

“Okay let’s go,” Sehun stood up expectantly, waiting for Jongin to tag along, but the latter just sat there. Sehun cocked his head, puzzled. Jongin pointed to the phone on the bed. “Do you not see or hear your phone buzzing?”

“Oh.” Sehun grabbed it and answered it without looking at the screen. “Yes?”

“Sehunnie! Let’s go out today, I’m so ing bored,” a voice said excitedly. Sehun scratched his head, glancing at Jongin. “Not today, Baekhyun hyung, I already have plans.”

“Can I tag along? Junmyeon is studying and you know how he hates it when I’m constantly pestering him just by staying in the room,” Baekhyun begged. “I’ll be good, I promise!” Sehun could hear the pout in his damn voice. He sighed and looked at Jongin.

“My friend wants to join us,” Sehun stated. Jongin just shrugged, not really minding as long as he could spend time with Sehun. “The more the merrier, I guess.” Sehun could already tell that it was the start of a boisterous friendship, putting Baekhyun and Jongin together like that.

♡

Two months passed since the two of them met, and things were going a bit too smoothly for Sehun. He couldn’t deny the growing feelings he had for Jongin, but it was too soon for him. They were spending every waking moment together. When they couldn’t meet, Jongin would be texting him. When they met, they could never take their eyes off of each other.

“What are you thinking about?” Sehun looked up, startled. Jongin was sitting at the edge of his bed dressed in a pair of black pyjamas and awaiting Sehun’s reply. Sehun shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s already 10pm, why are you here?”

The silver-haired boy pouted, scooting closer to Sehun. “It’s only 10pm. I’m here to keep you company since Yixing went back for the break. I know you can’t sleep,” he said. Sehun laughed softly, sitting up on his bed to be closer to Jongin. “Let’s order takeout. I’m hungry and the kitchen is too ing far.” Jongin nodded silently, watching as Sehun grabbed his laptop.

“Jessica Jones marathon?” Jongin asked. Sehun pretended to ponder over his choice before shrugging. “Yeah sure. You love Krysten Ritter so much don’t you?”

Jongin smiled softly, leaning on Sehun’s shoulder. HIs smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but Sehun didn’t say anything about it. “Love her to bits. Now start the show,” Jongin replied. Sehun smiled, putting an arm around Jongin as he pressed play. It wasn’t the first time they were so cuddly with each other. Things like holding hands and cuddling were like second nature to them now.

The first time they held hands, Sehun didn’t think much of it. It just came naturally. But the more they did, the more he was conscious about it. He would get flustered, try to act nonchalant about it, and fail miserably. Physical contact with Jongin always made him feel giddy.

It was bizarre, the way Jongin made him feel. He found himself constantly looking for the silver-haired dancer in the crowds. He loved the good morning texts, the hanging out, the subtle flirting. He couldn’t look Jongin in the eye without his heart going all sorts of crazy, without feeling the urge to let him know how much he meant to Sehun.

Reading Jongin’s actions well was so easy when Sehun noticed every little thing the man did. The genuine bursts of uncontrollable laughter, the lifeless chuckles when he was upset. The way his eyes lit up whenever he talked about his dogs and dancing, how he’d try his hardest to keep up with conversations even though he wasn’t interested in the topic.

And right then, Jongin was clearly upset.

Something was wrong the moment he stepped into Sehun’s room. The man was dressed in his pyjamas. Jongin never left his dorm in pyjamas unless he was going to the shower. Not to mention, his buttons were done up wrongly and Jongin didn’t seem to have noticed. He didn’t laugh when Sehun , wasn’t as excited for the Netflix marathon as he usually was, and he wasn’t paying attention to the show at all.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked carefully, not wanting to upset him anymore than he already was. Jongin looked away, sighing and shaking his head after a brief pause. “I just-” Jongin started, tears threatening to fall. Sehun closed his laptop, sitting upright and facing Jongin. He placed his hands on Jongin’s shoulders, running his hands up and down in a soothing manner.

“What’s wrong?” Jongin stayed silent, burying his head in Sehun’s chest and wrapping his arms around the man, startling him. Sehun put his arms around Jongin, attempting to console him even though he didn’t know what the was happening. He supposed Jongin needed a shoulder to cry on, though.

After several minutes of Jongin crying and Sehun awkwardly hugging him, Jongin pulled away, rubbing his eyes. Sehun wanted to wipe his tears away for him, but refrained from doing so. “Thank you,” Jongin mumbled. “Sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s okay. What’s wrong?” Sehun repeated, worried. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but-”

“It’s fine. I just- I just came back from the mall with Baek like an hour or two ago, and I saw someone I didn’t want to see. I can’t really get over it,” Jongin sniffled. Sehun frowned, his heart clenching at the use of ‘Baek’. He’d known Baekhyun since the first day of college, but he always called him “Baekhyun hyung” even though Baekhyun told him it was okay not to. Jongin and Baekhyun only knew each other for two months and they were already on nickname basis?

That’s all you can think of now, huh, the voice in his head chided. “Oh,” Sehun said, not knowing what to do with the information. Jongin ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “It was someone I dated in my previous college,” he whispered. “He never wanted anyone to know we were together, so we kept mum about it. Eventually, I got tired of being his little secret, we fought, I broke up with him after I caught him cheating on me.”

Jongin chuckled humourlessly. “He went around spreading rumours about me, also telling everyone I was gay. Turned out, his friends and our college mates weren’t very welcoming. No one knew he was my ex-boyfriend. No one knew he was gay. I bore the brunt of everything, was ousted from my frat, my so-called friends didn’t want anything to do with a loser, and no one had the decency to leave me alone. I couldn’t take it, so I left the next year.” He instinctively inched away from Sehun, afraid of how he’d react. But Sehun grabbed onto his arm, pulling him onto his lap.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Jongin stuttered. “I’m sorry that had to happen to you,” Sehun murmured, holding onto the flustered man. Thank goodness Jongin couldn’t see him blushing. “We won’t ever leave you. I won’t ever leave you.” He paused, struggling to find the right words to say. “I, uh, I’m not good with words. But you’re the best thing that’s happened to me this year,” Sehun admitted shyly, cheeks burning. “And it’s okay to be gay. Baekhyun’s gay as , in case you haven’t noticed. I like both men and women, but hey. Still gay.”

Jongin’s heart warmed up at the confession and he hugged the brunet back tightly, ignoring their cumbersome position. “Thank you. I know it’s a bit sudden, but you seemed very curious as to why I suddenly transferred, and I saw him just now—he looked like he was about to approach me but I grabbed Baek and left—and I needed someone to talk to, so...”

“You know I’ll always be there for you! So will Yixing and Baekhyun,” he added, coughing lightly as he slowly let go of Jongin, who smiled. He quickly scrambled off Sehun just as his phone rang. “Oh, the pizza’s here! We can eat all your worries away now,” Sehun exclaimed, getting off the bed. Jongin followed him, entwining their fingers, surprising Sehun. “You’re the best thing that happened to me this year, too.”

♡

“Where are you taking me?” Jongin grumbled. It was 10 in the morning—way too early for him. But Sehun had roused him at 9am, telling him to get his up and get dressed. “Somewhere fun,” Sehun replied, barely able to contain his own excitement. “Come on, quick!”

Jongin yawned, trudging after the excited brunet. He had one hour to prepare, but it wasn’t enough for him to be fully awake. “In the four-ish months I’ve known you, you’ve never woken up before 12pm. What’s the special occasion?”

Sehun turned around, looking at Jongin like he’d seen a ghost. “Don’t you know what date it is?” Jongin’s brows furrowed. “What date is it?”

“It’s your birthday!” Sehun exclaimed, smiling widely. He grabbed Jongin’s hand, leading him into a cab. “I have the whole day planned out. You’re gonna love it.”

“Oh,” was Jongin could manage. He completely forgot that it was his birthday with all the tests and practices coming up. He was touched, his cheeks warming up thinking about how Sehun had remembered and did something for him.

“Where are we going?” He asked, trying to distract himself from the fact that Sehun was still holding his hand tightly even when they were already in the cab. Sehun waggled his eyebrows, refusing to say anything. The brunet rested his head on Jongin shoulder, and they sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the journey.

Somehow, Jongin had fallen asleep during the ride. He woke up to fingers poking gently at his cheek, and a soft voice whispering at him to wake up. “We’re here, come on.”

He rubbed his eyes, still sleepy but slightly refreshed from the power nap. He got out of the cab and found himself at a- “Oh my god! A strawberry farm? For real?” He nearly yelled, suddenly wide awake.

“Yeah. it’s strawberry season, you love strawberries, it’s your birthday. So I thought, why not?” Sehun shrugged, hiding his smile. He was immensely glad that Jongin loved it. The silver-haired male didn’t have to say anything to reassure Sehun—it was all in his expression and the way his eyes lit up in delight.

“I love strawberries! I love you!” Jongin mindlessly exclaimed as he entered the farm, eager to start picking and tasting the berries. Sehun trailed behind, stuffing his hands in his pockets and smiling smugly at himself. He mentally pat himself on the back for thinking of such an amazing plan. Seeing Jongin so happy was a trigger to his own happiness.

Picking strawberries wasn’t as easy as Jongin thought it was be. He had to be so careful with the delicate fruit and pay close attention so as to prevent them from bruising, but he got the hang of it pretty quickly.

Sehun, on the other hand, just walked beside him, admiring the farm. “Don’t you want some strawberries?” Jongin asked, munching on one. “You can eat all you want, and they are so good,” he moaned, savouring the taste.

“The brunet shook his head. “I’m not really fan of strawberries.”

Jongin inhaled sharply, shocked. “What do you mean, you don’t like strawberries? You brought me here! Try one.”

“I brought you here because you like them.”

Jongin reached into his basket, picking the best-looking berry from his lot. “Try it,” he urged, attempting to feed Sehun. Sehun stared at him, unfazed, before relenting and opening his mouth. Jongin popped the strawberry into his mouth, eyes crinkling with happiness. “Isn’t it good?”

Sehun chewed on the berry for a while, deciding that it wasn’t so bad when Jongin fed him. “Yeah, they’re pretty great,” he replied, smiling.

“I could stay here the entire day,” Jongin sighed happily. Sehun panicked. What if Jongin really wanted to stay the entire day? He looked for words to say, but Jongin beat him to it.

“Do you have anything else planned, or am I not supposed to know?” Jongin asked curiously. Sehun coughed. “Uh, I actually have other stuff planned. But we could stay here if you want!” he frantically added.

Jongin burst into laughter, his basket of berries nearly falling off his lap. “Don’t be silly. Let’s pick a few more berries and then we can leave!” Sehun acquiesced, actually picking the berries with Jongin this time.

♡

“Damn, today was tiring but it was so fun,” Jongin murmured, sinking into his bed. “Thank you.”

Sehun’s lips curled up into a smile. “I’m glad you liked it. What was your favourite?”

Jongin stilled, thinking it through. “Definitely the strawberry farm. Although the ice skating came close, because seeing you in the rink was the funniest thing ever,” he laughed.

“It’s not my fault I can’t ice skate,” Sehun pouted, crossing his arms. He sat on the edge of Jongin’s bed, leaning against the wall. “I couldn’t ice skate before today,” Jongin confessed, resting his weight on his elbow as he laid in bed.

“Sehun looked at him pointedly. “You’re lying. You skate like a pro.”

“I’m not!” Jongin exclaimed, wide eyed. Sehun smiled gently at him, stifling a yawn. “Okay. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself today, this is like, the most effort I’ve put into someone’s birthday,” Sehun said quietly. “Happy birthday. I would give you the world if I could, because you deserve it.”

“Jongin blushed a deep pink, thankful that Sehun couldn’t see it in the dim light. “Stop saying such cheesy things. I might just fall for you,” he teased, chuckling.

“Mm, that would be nice,” Sehun sleepily murmured, struggling to keep his eyes open. He was so tired, he was starting to spew words without thinking them through. Jongin looked on fondly at how the brunet was trying so hard to stay awake. It was already 1am and it seemed like Sehun was awake way before he came barging into Jongin’s dorm room.

Sehun had the day planned to a T—everything was clearly thought out carefully and with Jongin’s interests in mind. He remembered every little detail of Jongin that the latter revealed, from wanting to ice skate to visiting the sheep cafe in Hongdae. All these little things that he casually mentioned, all penned down in Sehun’s head and fulfilled by the same man.

Jongin already knew Sehun was planning something for his birthday, he just forgot that his birthday was already here. And he didn’t expect it to be so extravagantly done. He sat up straighter, Sehun comfortably resting his head on Jongin’s lap. “Sleep over tonight. I’ll let Yixing know you won’t be back in his dorm,” he said softly, running his hands gently through the brunet’s hair. Sehun made a noncommittal noise, already half asleep.

He snapped a photo of Sehun, sending it to Yixing.

You
[01:32AM] look who’s sleeping like a baby already

Xing
[01:33AM] Aw, look at you two.
[01:34AM] I’m not surprised.

You
[01:34AM] surprised about…?

Xing
[01:34AM] Him sleeping so early. Poor dude was
racking his brains for forever trying to think of the
perfect date

You
[01:35AM] date, LOL

Xing
[01:36AM] Everyone thinks the two of you are
together. Don’t deny it

You
[01:37AM] Lol I wish we were. Is it too soon to say
that I really really like him?

Xing
[01:38AM] It’s never too soon for feelings. It’s
unpredictable, unexplainable and unavoidable.
[01:39AM] Go get some rest, it’s late. Good night!

“That’s code for ‘I’m gaming, please leave me alone unless you’re dying’,” Jongin mumbled to himself, looking down at Sehun, who was sleeping peacefully. He carefully moved Sehun off his lap and onto the bed, pulling the covers on him. He got up to switch the lights off and laid down beside the brunet. Looking up at the ceiling, he sighed contentedly and wished for Sehun to be the constant in his life.

♡

“Guys, let’s go to Kyungsoo’s tonight,” Baekhyun announced, barging into the room with Jongin behind him. “There’s a party going on.” Baekhyun and Jongin had gone over to Sehun and Yixing’s room to do absolutely nothing, like they’ve always done for the past five months.

Their lives were more rowdy and chaotic now that Jongin became a permanent addition to their trio—now quartet. Baekhyun and Jongin got along so damn well, Sehun was constantly left wondering why they never got together. Thinking about Baekhyun and Jongin becoming a couple admittedly made his heart feel funny, but he always pushed the feeling aside.

“Earth to Sehun,” Jongin called, pinching his side. Sehun snapped out of his reverie, belatedly realising that everyone was waiting for his input. “Um, I’m good. You guys can go ahead.”

Baekhyun immediately whined, kicking his feet in the air. “Dude, you’re no fun at all. You say that every time we ask you out for a party. Aren’t you tired of instead of having actual ? When was the last time you even had ? 6 months ago?” he asked. Sehun could feel his cheeks heat up. “ That’s none of your business, hyung!” he exclaimed as he threw a pillow at Baekhyun, who guffawed at his reaction. “I don’t even know this Kyungsoo, anyway.”

“That’s not a problem! The party isn’t even Kyungsoo’s, he’s just renting out his apartment for college parties since our dorms are so ing tiny. You can meet him though, if you want,” Baekhyun coaxed.

“Come on, Sehunnie, join us this once,” Jongin agreed, jutting his bottom lip out and clasping Sehun’s hands. Totally not affected, Sehun told himself, willing his heart to calm down. Why was his heart racing? “I can stay with you in Soo’s room if you don’t want to mingle,” Jongin added.

“Stop babying him, Jongin! I’ll tell Soo not to let him in the rooms,” Baekhyun yelled, but quietened down when Jongin shot him a look. Sehun sighed in defeat. “Fine. But if I don’t like it, I’m going home and y’all can get faced for all I care.”

“Great. Go put some decent clothes on, you look terrible,” Jongin teased, pinching Sehun’s cheek. Sehun grumbled as he got out of bed, grabbing a pair of ripped jeans, a random t-shirt and a pair of sneakers. He couldn’t care less about dressing up for a party he didn’t even want to go to. He glanced at Jongin before leaving for the bathroom, and the silver-haired male gave him a thumbs up and a cheeky grin.

Unfortunately for Sehun, he took a t-shirt two sizes smaller. “Should’ve thrown this away earlier,” he mumbled as he tossed it into the bin and walked back to his dorm, still in his ratty old t-shirt. He opened the door to 3 frowning faces. “I took the wrong one,” he explained, taking off his t-shirt as he looked through his closet. “Have you been working out, Sehun? Because damn,” Baekhyun whistled. Sehun shrugged on another t-shirt. “I have a lot of free time now anyway, so I thought why not,” he replied. “This alright?”

He looked at Jongin, who unconsciously bit his lip as he gave Sehun a once over. “You look ing amazing as usual,” he answered, nodding his head. “Come on, we don’t have all day,” Jongin continued as he stood up, giving Sehun’s a slap as he sauntered out of the room. Sehun yelped, blushing as he trailed behind, with Baekhyun and Yixing smiling knowingly behind the two of them.

♡

The party was nothing short of noisy and messy. Snacks and solo cups were strewn all over the tables, litter scattered on the floor and the music was blasting too loudly. So many people were in the damn house, Sehun was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable, but he also missed being at a party. Jongin must have sensed his unease because in the next moment, an arm had slid around Sehun’s waist, gently but firmly guiding him away from the crowded areas.

“Do you want to go up? Soo has a room for you,” Jongin asked, clearly regretting asking Sehun to tag along. Sehun shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I kind of missed this, I just need some time getting used to it again,” he admitted sheepishly. Jongin smiled softly at him, and Sehun felt like he was the center of Jongin’s world with the way the man was looking at him.

“You can uh, remove your hand now. Thanks,” Sehun laughed, mentally cooing at the way Jongin let go of him so quickly and embarrassingly. “S-Sorry,” Jongin stammered, hand raising to scratch his head nervously. “Nothing we haven’t done before,” Sehun replied jokingly. “Let’s go get some drinks.” He grabbed Jongin’s hand, pushing aside the way their hands fitted the way he liked it, and the warmth of his hands.

“What about Baek and Xing?” Jongin called. Sehun rolled his eyes as he continued pulling Jongin along. “You know how much those idiots love to party, they probably don’t even realise we’re gone,” Sehun chuckled. Jongin nodded in agreement before realising Sehun couldn’t see him. “Yeah, I guess. We can catch up with them later.”

Sehun found his way to the kitchen, letting go of Jongin as he poured two cups of fruit punch. Jongin raised his eyebrow at him, snickering. “Fruit punch, really?”

“It’s probably spiked with alcohol, knowing all these college s. Drink up,” Sehun retorted, downing his cup. Jongin shrugged before following suit and letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “Come on, I want you to meet Kyungsoo. He’s a really good friend of mine, well, Baekhyun hyung’s, but he’s now my friend too,” Jongin blabbered excitedly. “I think his boyfriend is here too, he’s a really nice person, I think the two of you would get along well.”

Sehun followed Jongin up the stairs, pushing past the crowd of drunken students. Jongin opened the door to a room and beckoned Sehun to enter. “Soo! Tickle fight, seriously?” Jongin exclaimed as Sehun looked around the room, gaze landing on the couple in front of him.

He couldn’t see their faces as they were both rolling around on the bed, laughing. The taller of the two was tickling the smaller, encasing him in his arms as the latter tried to wiggle out of his grasp. It was cute, really, until Sehun could see who the taller was. “Chanyeol...?” he faltered. Said man looked up, his smile falling of his face.

“Oh, hey Sehun,” Chanyeol muttered, sending him an awkward smile. Sehun cringed, giving him a small wave. Jongin watched as the two of them interacted, sensing that something was off. Chanyeol sat up on the bed, legs crossed. “How are you?” he carefully asked Sehun, Kyungsoo still silent and in his arms, looking curiously at Sehun.

“I’m good, thanks for asking,” Sehun muttered, looking away from the couple. He didn’t have feelings for Chanyeol anymore, but he couldn’t deny that it still hurt to see him with someone else. It felt like he wasn’t enough for anyone. Jongin frowned, grabbing Sehun’s hand.

“Hey guys, this is my boyfriend, Sehun. I just wanted him to meet Kyungsoo but I see that the two of you are occupied so there’s always a next time! Bye,” Jongin said quickly, not waiting for a response as he tugged at Sehun’s hand, dragging him out of the room. Sehun let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Nice save, I guess? You didn’t have to, but thank you,” Sehun murmured.

“It’s okay. That was some weird atmosphere in there,” Jongin joked. Sehun shook his head, not wanting to talk about it with Jongin just yet. “I feel like getting ing wasted tonight. Let’s go,” he decided, walking briskly into the crowd as Jongin struggled to catch up.

♡

Jongin was glad he only had a cup of the strange fruit punch, because Sehun was ing drunk. He watched as the brunet smiled to himself and danced—or at least tried to. Jongin sat on the couch near Sehun, not wanting to disturb him. Instead, he kept an eye out for anyone who approached Sehun and gave them warning looks if they even tried to chat him up.

He looked around for a bit before whipping his phone out, sending a quick text to Baekhyun and Yixing to let them know that Sehun wouldn’t be back that night. None of them were in any condition to drive, anyway. Baekhyun replied almost immediately, telling him that Yixing and him had already left and to make sure not to let Sehun get too drunk because he “could be… A handful”. Jongin rolled his eyes, before sending a too late.

When he looked up, some guy had his hands on Sehun’s waist, swaying along with him a bit too close for Jongin’s comfort. Sehun’s hands were on the guy’s shoulders, and he was giggling at something the man had whispered into his ear. Are they ing grinding against each other? Jongin sighed, standing up. Just one look at his phone and someone was already all over Sehun. He pried Sehun away and glared at the man. “He’s taken. off.”

“He said he was single,” the guy retorted, smirking. Jongin rolled his eyes, annoyed and tired. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Can’t you see he’s drunk? Find someone else to toy with,” he countered, carrying a whining Sehun on his back and walking away. “He was flirting with me,” Sehun bemoaned, resting his head on Jongin’s nape. His arms hanged loosely on Jongin’s shoulders as the latter climbed up the stairs. “Yes, he was.”

“Been awhile since someone showed interest in me,” Sehun slurred. “Missed that.” Jongin hummed in response, opening the door to a spare room that Kyungsoo so kindly let him use. “That’s because you don’t let anyone near you,” Jongin muttered under his breath, tenderly setting the brunet on the bed. “Can you undress yourself?” Jongin asked. Sehun nodded his head wordlessly, slowly taking off his shirt.

“Take this,” he said, throwing a shirt and a pair of boxers at Sehun as he looked away from the brunet while he undressed. He didn’t expect Sehun to undress right in front of him when the toilet was right beside them. Sehun grunted in response, changing into the boxers and throwing the shirt aside. “I’m done, you can look now,” he said, rubbing his eyes. Jongin turned around, taking in the sight before him. Sehun on the bed, looking so dangerously seductive with his hair all mussed up, only in a pair of boxers. “I- You said you were done! Put on a shirt!” Jongin spluttered, looking at everywhere but Sehun.

“You weren’t so shy hours ago when I was changing for this party,” Sehun mumbled tiredly. Jongin snorted, turning to face Sehun who was lying on the bed. “That was different. You weren’t drunk then.”

“I am not drunk!” Sehun pouted childishly, arms crossed and kicking at Jongin. “That’s what every drunk person says, babe,” Jongin mindlessly replied, eyes widening as he realised his Freudian slip. Thankfully, Sehun either didn’t notice or didn’t care much about it. He sat up, crawling towards Jongin and pulling him down on the bed. “What was that for?!” Jongin wheezed, sitting up and only to be pushed back down by a very shirtless Sehun.

Sehun crawled on top of him, hands on either side of Jongin. He leaned in, mouth dangerously close to Jongin’s. “You interrupted my time with that guy, now you’ll have to take his place,” Sehun whispered, breath ghosting over the corner of Jongin’s lips. Jongin was completely mesmerised by Sehun. All he had to do was tilt his head a little, and they would be kissing. He blinked, clearing his thoughts as he gently pushed Sehun off him. “You’re drunk. I would do anything with you if you were fully conscious,” Jongin admitted softly as he attempted to tuck Sehun back in bed.

“You don’t want me, is that it?” Sehun asked harshly. Jongin was quick to object, but Sehun rattled on, sitting up. “I knew it. No one ing wants me. Why are you so nice to me if you don’t like me? This is why I didn’t want anyone to get close to me. These kinds of things always ing happen. They treat me like royalty whenever they feel like it and then I’m trash again. I I thought you were interested, and I let you treat me like I’m your only one when the reality is that we’re just friends. This is why I ing swore off dating! you. Leave me alone. You just ruined my night.”

Jongin stared at Sehun, who was now lying on his side and refusing to look at him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he was shocked speechless by Sehun’s unexpected words. “Hey, hey. Are you alright?” Jongin whispered moments later, worried. Sehun turned to face him, tears threatening to spill.

“I used to date Chanyeol,” Sehun sniffled. “Seeing him with Kyungsoo just reminded me of how terrible of a boyfriend I am. I would go into details, but I really don’t want to at the moment.” Jongin’s heart squeezed painfully at the thought of Sehun with someone else. So he was right. Do you still have feelings for him?

“No,” Sehun said, startling Jongin.

“Did I say that aloud?” the latter asked sheepishly. Sehun nodded his head, wiping a stray tear. “I don’t like him anymore. After him though, I swore off dating, and it was just so painful to see happy couples everywhere when I was single and ing lonely. I just wanted someone who loves me. Guess I can’t have that.”

“Do you still want that?” Jongin asked curiously, leaning back on the bed with Sehun. Sehun in a breath, his mind still in a haze. “I don’t know,” Sehun admitted sleepily. “I’m too afraid to date anymore.”

“What if it was you and I?” Jongin asked, but all he got in response were soft snores. Jongin sighed.

♡

“He doesn’t even want to ing date. But like, he wants me?” Jongin asked, confused. Yixing was over at his room, lazing around because they had nothing to do. And who better to ask about Sehun than Yixing? Yixing exhaled loudly. “The two of you are ing idiots, honestly.”

“Does he want us to be friends with benefits or something? I don’t want that,” Jongin continued, speaking his thoughts out loud. “I don’t know. Sehun is a paradox,” Yixing supplied, scrolling through his Instagram feed. “He wants it, but he doesn’t.” Jongin ran his hand through his hair frustratedly. “Sometimes I just want to give up, but I feel like we could have so much more together. I’m not even sure if he likes me. He was drunk when he said it, he might have mistaken me for someone else.”

Yixing paused and shot him a look. “God, my best friend is an idiot. Drunk words are sober thoughts, my friend.”

“Alcohol is not a ing truth serum. It’s 2017, will people stop saying that?”

“Mm. Anyway, you never know ‘til you try, am I right? Communication is key,” Yixing muttered, tired of their constant confusion over each other. He put down his phone, an idea coming to mind. “Hey. I have a friend from China who’s flying over. I think you might like him.”

“Are you setting me up on a date? When you know I like Sehun?” Jongin asked in disbelief. Yixing shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be a date. I just wanted you to show him around, but you know, anything is possible.” Jongin eyed Yixing for a while before relenting. “I know you, cunning er. I’ll show him around, but I assure you Sehun is the only one I want.”

Yixing chuckled. “Okay. Anyway, I’ve been here long enough, so I’m going back to my room to see how Sehun is doing.” Jongin nodded his head, shooing Yixing out of the room. He opened his conversation with Sehun, thinking if he should bring up last night’s events.

You
[01:12PM] Hello! How are you feeling? :)

Sehunnie
[01:20PM] a lot better, thanks for asking
[01:21PM] and thank you for taking care of me
while i was drunk lol
[01:21PM] hope i didn’t do or say anything
stupid. Did i?

You
[01:22PM] Mm, not really.

Sehunnie
[01:25PM] ooooooook.

You
[01:26PM] take care of yourself! ʕ￫ᴥ￩ ʔ

Sehun smiled fondly at his phone. Apparently, Jongin had taken care of him and gotten him a room to sleep in while he was knocked out. He left Kyungsoo’s house with Jongin when he was still groggy, and continued sleeping once his body landed on his bed.

“What are you smiling at?” Sehun looked up from his phone to see Yixing leaning at their door. “Nothing,” he said, pocketing his phone and wiping the smile off his face.

“It was Jongin, wasn’t it?” Yixing guessed, chuckling. “I don’t understand why the two of you aren’t dating yet,” he said as he sat beside Sehun, facing him.

“It’s been five months. The two of you are closer than I’ve ever been to him, and I’ve known him since I moved here. If you’re still beating yourself up because you think you’re too much of a romantic, I’m telling you now that it doesn’t matter at all. And, your grades have improved tremendously too. Dating someone doesn’t equate to the end of the world,” Yixing stated.

“I’m just too afraid to get hurt again,” Sehun said softly. “What better way to prevent yourself from hurt than to keep out of harm’s way? And since when were you so supportive of me dating?”

Yixing sighed. “If you keep thinking like that, you’ll hurt even more when you have nowhere to hide from harm. Think of it as an immune system. If you never get exposed to it, your body won’t know how to deal with it,” he said, lying back.

“I’m supportive because meeting new people and experiencing relationships with them in hopes of finding true love was something you loved doing, and now that you’ve stopped, you’re just like a lifeless person. If the pursuit of it makes you happy, if the little moments of bliss make you happy, what’s wrong with it?”

“Are you encouraging me to give dating a chance?”

“I’m encouraging you to give, specifically, Jongin a chance.”

Sehun laughed nervously. “W-Why does it have to be Jongin?” Yixing raised a brow at him. “Do I really need to explain after everything I’ve just said? Everyone knows the two of you are like, head over heels for each other,” he paused, thinking. “Well, everyone except Jongin. He’s still unsure,” Yixing added.

“I know it’s not very nice of me to say this, but you have to stop being selfish. You know Jongin’s very interested in you, but you keep sending the poor guy mixed signals and it’s tearing him apart. Do something about it or distance yourself from him. I don’t want him to get hurt either.”

“I know. I’ll sort it out,” Sehun promised as he toyed with the hem of his shirt. Yixing nodded, getting up. “I have somewhere to be. But can you do me a favour?”

“Shoot.”

“I have a friend from China who’s visiting in a few days. Can you show him around?”

♡

Sehun grumbled as he got out of the taxi. Yixing had apparently made a reservation for them at a restaurant that was slightly more expensive than the brunet would’ve liked, but he was assured that the bill would be taken care of. All you have to do is dress up nicely and show my friend a good time, Yixing had told him. Sehun snorted. “Show him a good time” sounded like such a Yixing thing to say. He jogged up to the fancy restaurant in front of him, cussing when he realised he was 10 minutes late.

“Reservation for 2 under Mr. Zhang, please,” Sehun said, belatedly telling the hostess Yixing’s phone number as proof. The hostess offered a curt nod, looking down at the desk before glancing at Sehun once more. “The other party has already arrived. Please follow me, Mr. Zhang.” He glanced around the restaurant, not bothering to correct the hostess.

“Yixing sure does like overdoing things,” he murmured to himself, impressed by the restaurant’s decor. It still baffled him that Yixing made this seem like a date, but his roommate said it was because his friend wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Sehun thanked the hostess, glancing at his watch as he apologised to Yixing’s friend. “Hey, I’m sorry I’m late, I- Jongin?” Sehun spluttered. Why was Jongin here? Didn’t Yixing say he was meeting his Chinese friend? Jongin seemed equally as shocked, gaping like a fish out of water, but Sehun couldn’t help but admire how gorgeous the man was that day.

Jongin was dressed in a black button-up shirt, his first few buttons undone just enough for his chest to peek through. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, tight enough that the outline of his biceps could be seen. His silver hair was moussed and pushed back, styled in a tousled manner that was so damn attractive and Sehun couldn’t resist cursing under his breath because how the hell was Jongin real? “Sehun? Why are you here?” Jongin asked, putting the menu down and getting up from his seat.

“I, uh, Yixing asked me to be here for his Chinese friend…?” Sehun answered, confused. Did Yixing invite Jongin along too? “Wait. Did Yixing say the same thing to you?” he guessed, already knowing the answer. When Yixing said “give Jongin a chance”, he really meant it, Sehun mused as he sat in his seat.

The silver-haired man sighed, sitting down. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why Yixing did this- I think I know but- ugh, sorry.”

Sehun frowned. “Why are you apologising? It’s not like you asked Yixing to do this. Even if you did, I wouldn’t be mad.” He looked down at the menu, wondering what he should order. Yixing did ask him to eat to his heart’s content, so he was going to use the golden opportunity to eat all the expensive food he could never try on his budget. “I know why he did this,” he murmured, flipping through the menu, “order something. And then we’ll talk.”

“Uh, okay,” Jongin responded, slightly taken aback by Sehun’s nonchalance about this. He waited for Sehun to order as he took out his phone to text Yixing.

You
[07:21PM] you

Xing
[07:21PM] Hey! You’re welcome.

You
[07:21PM] you were waiting for my text weren’t u

Xing
[07:21PM] Of course. The Jongin I know would
definitely do that. Enjoy. And sort out your feelings.
Talk to him.

Jongin sighed again, pocketing his phone. He looked up, only to meet Sehun’s intense gaze. He cleared his throat as he willed himself to look at the brunet in the eye. “Uh… How was your day?”

“I was texting you the entire day ‘til just now,” Sehun deadpanned, smiling a little. He took a deep breath as he thought of what to say. “Look, Yixing and I had a little talk the day after Kyungsoo’s party and he knocked some sense into me.” Jongin nodded, urging Sehun to go on.

“I know you have some sort of feelings for me. I heard you the night I was drunk as hell, but I didn’t remember until I sobered up the next evening,” the brunet admitted. “Plus, Yixing told me. I’m sorry I’ve been leading you on, it wasn’t my-”

“If you’re going to reject me, please do it gently,” Jongin mumbled, looking down in his lap.

“What? No! That’s not what I meant.” Sehun sighed, feeling a little guilty about causing confusion. “Let me explain, and try not to interrupt me, yeah?” He teased, watching Jongin relax in his seat.

“I didn’t want to get into a relationship if love wasn’t the end point. I mean I used to date in hopes of finding love, but I just gave up after, you know. Pretty sure I told you that night. Plus, all those heartbreaks were taking a toll on my studies so I decided to just focus on school, but then you came into my life,” Sehun said, rolling his eyes.

“Cliché, I know. Anyway, so I tried just being friends with you, but then I realised that I was developing feelings for you and that was not cool with me. My heart was saying yes but my mind was saying no, and I wasn’t sure if you even wanted the same thing I did. It’s not that I didn’t want to date, I just did what I thought was best for me.”

Jongin bit his lip in thought, thanking the waiter as their food was served. “So… I’m assuming you’re… okay now? With dating? Me?” Sehun smiled shyly, digging into his food. “Yeah, why not?”

“Okay see, this is where I’m confused. After five months of dancing around each other—literally and figuratively—you suddenly think it’s okay to date?” Jongin asked, eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not offended or anything, I’m just genuinely curious what brought this on,” he added after seeing Sehun’s face contort into what seemed like sadness.

“Like I said before, the day after the party, Yixing talked to me about this and said that, I quote, ‘everyone knows the two of you are like, head over heels for each other’. Obviously, that wasn’t enough to fully convince me, but then I met Kyungsoo like two days later, and yeah… we talked,” Sehun said, laughing a little as he recalled that day.

“What? What did Soo say?” Jongin asked, setting his cutlery down.

“Enough to convince me,” Sehun smiled, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. Jongin groaned, ruffling his hair. “He probably told you everything.”

“What was that saying again? Ah yes, ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’,” the brunet laughed. Jongin rolled his eyes. He looked up at Sehun, reaching for his hand. “Does this mean you’re willing to give relationships one last chance with me?”

The brunet pretended to ponder over the question. “What makes you think you’ll be the last?” he shot back cheekily, grasping onto Jongin’s hand. The silver-haired man frowned, about to retort, but Sehun shushed him. “Just kidding. Yes.”

Jongin stood up abruptly, his mind made up. “Okay. Let’s go on a date right now,” he declared, extending a hand to Sehun.

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

♡

“Remember that time Yixing fooled us both into thinking his friend was visiting and he wanted us to show him around? God, that was hilarious,” Sehun reminisced. Jongin laughed, nodding his head. “Yeah, and it turned out that he wanted us to get together or something. Damn, was that really two years ago?”

“Yeah… Time flies. You asked me out on a date right away but we didn’t leave until we stuffed our stomachs full of that expensive meat. Yixing’s bill was a nightmare and I actually felt bad for him,” Sehun said, snuggling up to Jongin and smiling to himself. They were both in bed, enjoying the warmth that shielded them from the winter breeze.

Moving in together was a decision they made after college. It wasn’t an easy move, and had to be considered carefully, but it was shaping up nicely and they had no qualms about it. Jongin was working as a dance instructor at a nearby dance school, and Sehun was studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts while working part time at the same dance school—he didn’t like history, but he loved sculpturing and hoped to teach it some day. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something. They also had Jongin’s dogs living with them occasionally when his parents went away.

“Yixing is so rich, it probably wasn’t a problem for him,” Jongin snorted, putting an arm around Sehun. The brunet pouted. “Hey! Don’t be like that.” Jongin laughed. “Don’t worry, I actually paid him a part of it.” Sehun looked up at him, surprised. “You did?”

“Yeah, like twenty dollars. I was a broke college kid. He told me not to worry about it though.”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “Yeah, so broke that on the first date you sneaked us into the cinemas instead of paying for the tickets.”

“Wasn’t that romantic though!” Jongin deflected. Sehun smiled, getting off the bed and stretching. “Yeah, so ing romantic. What are we doing today? It’s Saturday, I feel like doing something.”

Jongin stood up, grabbing something from his drawer as Sehun walked out of the room. “We could stay in and have a Marvel marathon,” he suggested, following Sehun into the living room.

“You know I’m a DC person.”

”You used to watch Marvel with me all the time! Jessica Jones? Luke Cage? The Defenders?”

”That was when I was trying to win you over. I’ve already got you, so now we watch DC,” Sehun teased.

“The Flash, then,” Jongin prompted. Sehun pretended to think about it, before breaking into a smile and nodding enthusiastically. Jongin cheered inwardly before bracing himself for his speech. It’s now or never, Kim. He gently turned Sehun around so that they’d be facing each other, a solemn expression on his face.

“What is it, babe?” Sehun prodded, standing awkwardly. Jongin took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“It feels like we’ve been dating for centuries when really, it’s been a mere two years. Maybe I’m moving too fast, but the world seems to slow down when I’m with you,” Jongin started, getting down on one knee as he opened the small box he took from his drawer. Sehun stepped back slightly, surprised. “Will you be my last shot at love?”

“Dude, you’re so ing corny. Are you proposing to me?” Sehun asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Jongin stood up, laughing. “Yeah, I guess. I mean we can’t get married here, so this is an engagement ring. We could get married in five years, or ten. It doesn’t matter as long as I get to spend eternity with you.”

“Of course I’ll marry you, you ing dimwit! I love you so much, I love you, I love you, I love you,” Sehun exclaimed, smothering Jongin with kisses. Jongin kissed him back on the lips just as fervently, feeling like he was on cloud nine.

“Did you get those Flash references?” he asked curiously. Sehun pulled him against his chest, sighing contentedly. “Yes I did, you nerd. Have I told you how much I ing love you?”

Jongin smiled, relaxing into his hold. “Yeah, you have. Every damn day. Do you wanna hear a secret?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been in love with you since the day we met.”

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo’s talk (ft. Minseok) ♡

Sehun walked into the cafe, exhausted. It was nearly 8pm, and coach Yunho left dance practice halfway due to an emergency. Minseok was just cleaning up, not expecting any more customers in the last half hour. “What’s up, Hunnie?”

“Hey hyung. Got any coffee for me?” Sehun asked, throwing his bag on the seat beside him. Minseok looked at the counter, pausing before looking back at Sehun. “No, but I have a slice of chocolate cake left.”

“That’ll do for me,” Sehun all but sighed, banging his head softly on the table. Minseok grabbed the slice of cake from the cake stand along with a fork, bringing it to Sehun. “What’s got you banging your head on the table?”

“Something’s been bothering me for a while now. It’s about Jongin,” Sehun started, only to be interrupted by the bell, signalling a new customer. “Come on, who comes in at 8pm for coffee?” He grumbled as Minseok stood up, shaking his head at the younger.

“You, apparently,” a familiar voice replied. Sehun lifted his head off the table, surprised to see Kyungsoo standing at the doorway, arms folded. “I’m not here for coffee. I’m here for you,” Kyungsoo continued, walking towards Sehun. Minseok shrugged, walking away to get his things done. Sehun frowned. “Me?”

“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to talk to you, and I just saw you walk in here as I was walking back to campus. Hope you don’t mind. It’s about Jongin,” Kyungsoo said. Sehun poked at his cake, looking wistfully at it. “I guess the cake can wait.” Kyungsoo laughed softly, making Sehun look up. “I can see why he likes you.”

Sehun studied Kyungsoo, eyes narrowing. “Did Yixing send you here?”

“Yes, because I totally would come here, at 8pm, just because Yixing asked me to,” Kyungsoo deadpanned. “No, you idiot. Jongin’s my good friend, and you’re making him feel miserable.”

“M-me?” Sehun stammered, setting his fork down. “What did I do?”

“You know damn well what you’ve done,” Kyungsoo answered coolly. “Is he some kind of toy to you? The man worships you and all you do is lead him on. I know all about the things the two of you have done together and told each other. God, just kiss and get together already!” Kyungsoo half-yelled as he stood up, huffing. Sehun stared at him, speechless. Kyungsoo cleared his throat, cheeks tinted pink, clearly embarrassed. “Sorry. I only ever yell at Chanyeol because he’s an idiot. I’m also slightly drunk.”

“Oh,” Sehun managed. Kyungsoo sat back down, looking at his lap. “Sorry for mentioning him. I slipped.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t like him anymore. I like Jongin. I think.”

Kyungsoo looked at Sehun in disbelief. “You think? You bring him out on an elaborate date on his birthday, let him cuddle and sleep with you, hold your hand, say things like ’I won’t ever leave you’, glare daggers at Baek because you think he wants Jongin- you do all that couply with him and you think you like him?”

Sehun sat silently for a moment, processing Kyungsoo’s words. “Okay, I get it. I used the wrong word. I like him, I know I do. I just don’t know if-”

“If what? I seriously don’t know what’s stopping you. Please, do enlighten me,” Kyungsoo interrupted, borderline annoyed.

“I feel like he deserves so much more than me,” Sehun admitted softly. “And I know I can be overbearing when I’m in a relationship. Too clingy, too immature, too this, too that. God, I’m not even together with him yet and I’m already jealous whenever Baekhyun so much as goes near him. I don’t want that kind of weight put on him. And… uh…. College,” he finished lamely.

“Well, good news for you. Jongin’s just like you. Oh, and at the party, he ing made sure no one got near you and kept an eye on you while you were, what do you call it? Dancing? The two of you can be overbearing together and cancel each other’s overbearingness out,” Kyungsoo firmly said, standing up. “Two negatives make a positive. Anyway, I’m kind of in’ drunk right now, in case you didn’t know. Which means I have to go sleep this one off now.”

“And please, do yourself and Jongin a favour and figure out what is it that you want from him. Jongin doesn’t care about how clingy or immature you are—he likes you for you—yes, even with the clinginess. He loves feeling loved. He’s been sad and confused since the party because of the things you said to him,” the man added, apologising to Minseok for holding up closing as he left the cafe. Sehun looked at Minseok, who was standing at the counter, stunned that that just happened. “Who gets drunk at... 8pm?” Sehun questioned.

“Me, you er. Remember, he ing likes you. Loves, even. Don’t ever doubt that. Please, just do something,” Kyungsoo said, popping his head back in to reiterate himself. “Bye now.” They patiently waited for the click of the door before speaking. Minseok looked back at Sehun, smirking. “So, Jongin?”

Sehun sighed. “Yes, Jongin.”

“Cute.” Minseok said, switching off the lights as Sehun put his dish in the sink. Sehun glared at him. “Back off.”

“Jesus, you have a problem,” Minseok muttered, leaving the cafe with Sehun. Sehun snorted, “I’m just joking. But seriously.” Minseok gave him a look, shoving his hands into his pockets as they walked to campus. “Okay, Mr.Jongin-deserves-so-much-more-than-me.”

“He does!” Sehun whined, stomping his feet lightly on the ground. “Jongin is too pure and perfect for this world, for me.”

“Do you seriously think he cares? The dude just wants Oh Sehun the arts major, not some perfect jock. Stop thinking so little of yourself. You are all that he wants, and you are perfect in his eyes. I know it’s hard for you to accept it, but I hope you do soon, before he slips through your fingers,” Minseok chided.

“Okay. I will,” Sehun decided.

“No! You have to- Wait. what?” Minseok asked in amazement.

“Yeah, I will. Kyungsoo’s drunken speech has convinced me to just do it,” the brunet simply replied. Minseok snickered. “Are you sure it’s not because of me?”

“Yeah well, maybe just a little bit.”

“Go home, loser. Write a speech or something. Make him love you even more than he already does,” Minseok muttered, parting ways with Sehun. “Rest well. I’m rooting for you—we all are.”

“This is not love!” Sehun whisper yelled, blushing.

“Sure it isn’t,” Minseok laughed, walking away. You finally found it, Sehun. The elusive love you’ve been searching for.