(A/N: YES!!! I AM, IN FACT, ALIVE!!! I'm so sorry for abandoning you guys all these months but it was pretty hectic (graduated from college, mom had surgery, started a new job, all that jazz) buuuuuuut I am back for good. Expect regular updates now and remember you can always ask me questions @honeyedsunshine on twitter!!)

The place Jongin had picked for their dinner date was the Thai food restaurant they always ordered from. Naturally. Kyungsoo should’ve known. He’d shot Jongin a dirty look when they arrived; Jongin refused to tell him where they were going the whole week because it was supposed to be a “super special mystery.”

“Thai? Really?”

Jongin gave him a sheepish grin.

“It’s affordable and super yummy and we both love it,” said Jongin, but he still looked bashful, the tips of his ears burning.

“We could’ve eaten at the dorm,” Kyungsoo grumbled.

Jongin gave him an exasperated look.

“The point of this is for people to see us together, hyung,” Jongin whispered.

Kyungsoo bit his lip. Oh. Right.

“Don’t tell me you forgot,” said Jongin.

Kyungsoo flashed him a brilliant smile.

“Hyung…”

“Don’t judge me, you meanie,” said Kyungsoo, guffawing when Jongin stared at him in horror.

“That’s a record, even for you,” said Jongin, holding the door open.

“I said don’t judge,” Kyungsoo whined.

Jongin laughed. Stupid. Stupid Jongin and his stupid beautiful smile. Kyungsoo scowled at him, but he knew that would be useless. And it was. Jongin pressed a messy smooch to his cheek and grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand.

“It’s a date, hyung. You’re supposed to look happy,” Jongin quipped.

Kyungsoo scoffed.

“Is this better?” Kyungsoo asked, flashing Jongin a forced grin.

“You look like you have gas,” said Jongin, nose scrunched in concern.

“Oh, that’s gross, Jongin,” Kyungsoo grumbled, kicking Jongin’s foot.

“Are we really doing this?” Jongin asked, kicking Kyungsoo back.

“Hey!”

“You started it-”

“Would you like something to drink to start you off?” said the waitress. She was an older woman, one who knew them quite well, and she gave them an amused smile at the flush on both their cheeks.

“This isn’t over,” Jongin hissed, wiggling his eyebrows.

Stupid, stupid Jongin. Now Kyungsoo couldn’t stop giggling.

“I’ll have Thai iced tea,” said Jongin.

“I’ll-” but he had to stop; the giggles were too much. “Me too.”

“You too what?” Jongin asked.

“Two Thai iced tea?” the waitress asked; Kyungsoo nodded, hiding behind the menu.

She walked off, and Kyungsoo dissolved into giggles again. The uncontrollable type, set off only by the waggle of Jongin’s eyebrows, the goofy grin on Jongin’s face.

“Kyungsoo-”

And the giggles began again. Jongin had only rested his chin in his hand, waiting for Kyungsoo to calm down, but the incredulous look on his face was enough to encourage the bubble of giggles.

“I just- I need a moment,” said Kyungsoo. Now it was Jongin’s turn to dissolve into laughter.

“Hyung,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo sniffled, snorting when he caught Jongin’s eye.

“Have you been sleeping these days?” Jongin asked.

Kyungsoo groaned, rubbing at his cheeks. Now they hurt. Because of Jongin and his dumb antics.

“Not really,” he moaned, taking off his glasses to wipe his eyes dry.

“Maybe eating at the dorm would have been a better idea,” said Jongin, and Kyungsoo sighed.

“I’m okay, I promise,” he said, biting back another giggle.

Jongin raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t believe you,” said Jongin.

“It’s the truth,” Kyungsoo insisted.

“Alright fine. If you giggle again before the food gets here, you have to plan the next date. If you don’t, then I do,” said Jongin. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes at Jongin.

“Oh, it’s on,” Kyungsoo hissed.

Except maybe it was harder than Kyungsoo thought. They ordered their food, gave their menus to the waitress, and nursed their Thai iced teas, but Jongin kept nudging Kyungsoo’s foot under the table, or pulling a funny face, or wiggling his eyebrows, or accidentally choking on his tea. Kyungsoo bit the inside of his cheek, staring intensely at the condensation on Jongin’s glass.

“You look like you’re trying to hold in a fart,” said Jongin.

Their eyes met. Silence. Then laughter. Jongin first, of course, Kyungsoo made sure of that.

“Aha! You lost!” Jongin exclaimed, pointing a triumphant finger at Kyungsoo.

“You laughed first,” said Kyungsoo, pushing Jongin’s hand down.

“Did not.”

“Did to.”

“Just admit you lost, hyung. Nobody likes a sore loser,” Jongin scoffed.

“You? You of all people?” Kyungsoo squeaked. “You’re the sorest loser in this whole city and you know it. You fess up.”

Jongin sniffed, flicking his hair back.

“How about we just cancel this bet,” he grumbled.

“What? Oh no, you’re not worming your way out of this,” said Kyungsoo, poking Jongin’s arm with a fork. “It was your idea anyway.”

Jongin gave him a petulant pout and a shake of the head.

“Bet cancelled,” he declared.

“Bet cancelled? This whole thing is cancelled,” Kyungsoo joked.

Jongin’s jaw dropped, blinking back surprise.

“Wait no, fine, I’ll plan all the dates, hyung, I promise,” Jongin took Kyungsoo’s hands in his, holding them to his cheeks.

“I guess that works,” Kyungsoo purred, smiling at the cute frown on Jongin’s face.

“You’re lucky I love you,” he said.

And that made Kyungsoo freeze. It shouldn’t have; it wasn’t the first time Jongin had ever told him that. It wasn’t the first time, but it made Kyungsoo’s stomach roil, his throat dry. Kyungsoo the fool, he thought, for reacting so dramatically to something so simple. But Jongin was oblivious, as he always was, leaning into Kyungsoo’s hands. So Kyungsoo snatched them back, unrolling the napkin and placing the utensils on the table. Jongin looked a little startled, but Kyungsoo thanked the universe and all its machinations that the food arrived in that moment, just as Jongin opened his mouth to speak.

As was typical, Kyungsoo would steal a few green beans and carrots from Jongin’s plate, and Jongin would steal a few pieces of pineapple from Kyungsoo’s. Jongin had speared a pineapple piece onto his fork, bringing it up to his mouth lazily.

“Jaehwan is here,” he said, wrapping his tongue around the fruit.

Kyungsoo almost didn’t register Jongin’s words because if he didn’t look hot eating a stupid piece of fruit. He just stared for a bit, watching Jongin’s full lips the pineapple off the fork before he snapped out of it.

“Who?” Kyungsoo asked. He was aiming for nonchalant with an elbow propped onto the table but he missed the first time, his ears burning. Jongin leaned his head left, and Kyungsoo followed his gaze (totally not distracted by the thought of tasting pineapple on Jongin’s lips after dinner) to see Jaehwan and his latest boyfriend sitting a few tables over.

“Oh, and there’s Chittaphon and Taeyong. And Jungwoo and Yukhei. And Sooyeong and Joohyun,” said Jo