“They’re really loading up the work your first semester, aren't they?”

The library is full of things that Jaejoong loves. Not just rows and rows of books but also kids determined to do well in life, and kids trying to help each other pass classes, and kids brainstorming group projects after five cups of coffee. Professors come in and out to find research materials and staff roll around carts full of books to re-shelve. It’s quiet, but full of life and Jaejoong loves it.

“Mind if I take a few of these books? I’ve been looking everywhere for them.”

Everyone knows him, usually. He’s the sociology doctoral candidate that piles books on his table so he doesn’t have to keep getting up and doesn’t like to be bothered until he’s had lunch. That’s especially true now that Heechul had convinced him to be an RA last minute. (The one he’d had for the Freshman dorm had gotten arrested; Heechul hadn’t elaborated so Jaejoong hadn’t asked.) It isn’t for the entire year, because Jaejoong is too busy, but he had agreed for this first semester until Heechul finds someone else more suitable. This is his lightest semester so he doesn’t doubt he can make it work just fine. Heechul will owe him a favor and that makes it worth his time.

Jaejoong hasn’t really minded it so far. The freshies are nice and a few of them seem a little smitten with him; Jaejoong can’t really blame them. Of course, they haven’t yet had a party, so he’s reserving judgement, but still. He doesn’t have to pay rent and his former roommate Junsu had managed to find someone to take his place last minute, so no one hates him.

At the moment, though, he is quite irritated. It’s still well before lunch. And this is not his first semester.

Jaejoong has his rebuttal all planned out and he hasn’t even put down his pen yet. I am probably older than you. This is my desk—you can ask anyone here—and I need these books more than you. You may have them when I’m done.

But the words die on his lips.

Oh, this ’s a looker. He checks all of Jaejoong’s boxes and some that, five seconds ago, he hadn’t even known existed. Christ, he’s attractive. Jaejoong has to stop himself from saying that out loud.

“Freshmen shouldn’t need all these.”

Jaejoong blinks.

“I’ll just put them back on the shelf when I’m done, yeah? You can practice finding them again.”

The man winks.

Well, excuse him. Jaejoong has been in libraries his entire life, he doesn’t need practice. He knows the Dewey Decimal and the Library of Congress like the back of his damn hand. But he can’t seem to get the words out (because his brain is thinking about this ’s mouth and his face and his body, oh god,) and so the snobby upstart walks away with Jae-joong’s books and apparently thinks that Jaejoong is a freshman.

A fresher.

He had been kidding, right? Jaejoong does not look like a freshman. He’s a sociology doctoral candidate and has been in this library, at this desk, for years. Unbelievable.

“I’m not a freshman,” he finally manages to say, but the man is long gone.

Not that Jaejoong is hoping for a repeat performance, but if he sees that assuming again, he is going to get a piece of Jaejoong’s mind.

Heechul, after popping in to check on Jaejoong and his RA situation a few hours later, falls off the bed while laughing hysterically as Jaejoong tells him.

Several freshmen—actual, real ones, that Jaejoong is in charge of making sure survive their first semester of living together—come running at all the noise. They look ready to fight whatever had been causing the disturbance and seem a little upset that it’s only their Student Life Coordinator laughing his off.

“It isn’t funny,” Jaejoong sighs, shooing his younglings out the door. “Actually,” Heechul gasps, “it’s ing hilarious.”

—

Yunho: Guess what

Yunho: You’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you

Yunho: I met the most adorable freshman

Changminie: oh god

Yunho: You wouldn’t even believe it

Changminie: I knew I should have transferred with you. I already know something about this is wrong.

Yunho: He was so cute. He had books everywhere. He was trying so hard, it was adorable

Changminie: oh my god

Yunho: I want see him again. I want to buy him dinner. I want to kiss him

Changminie: ……at least make sure he’s legal? And not like…a genius 15 year old. Okay?

Yunho: I want to pin him to my bed

Chagminie: okay…good talk

—

Jaejoong has never in his life felt so ill prepared for class. He’s never had to sprint across campus. He’s always on time, always dressed well, always ready. Panic is bubbling up in his stomach and he can’t breathe, his eyes going a little misty as he curses his decision to skip the gym the last few weeks.

Get a grip Kim Jaejoong.

Because the universe hates him and God likes to laugh at him (his life is a sitcom for the angels, isn’t it? It’s the only explanation,) it’s his foot that gets a grip—the wrong grip—and he trips over his own feet, sprawling onto the grass and his books and papers and pencils go flying.

“You shouldn’t party all night.”

And of course. Of ing course, the shows up right now, when Jaejoong is spitting grass from his mouth and looks like he’d been drinking all night (rather than helping his students who had been puking all night) and is so damn tired he can’t remember all the things he’d planned out to say.

How dare he? How dare this gorgeous assume that Jaejoong is a partier? (He is, but he’s responsible, dammit. Responsible for himself and a floor of young kids that don’t yet know their alcohol limits.)

The man’s already gathered all of Jaejoong’s things and slid them back into his book bag. “Hard couple of first days, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Jaejoong finds himself saying.

The man smiles at him, patting Jaejoong’s shoulder and Jaejoong loses the rest of his sentence. Wow, the has the best smile.

“Do you have your phone on you?”

It’s the smile that makes Jaejoong hand it over. It’s clearly short circuited something in Jaejoong’s brain and now he just…stares and does whatever he’s told. It’s embarrassing and Jaejoong is definitely not telling Heechul about this. Ever.

The man taps around in it a moment, before handing it back over. “My number,” he says, before heading off in the direction Jaejoong had come. “In case you ever need me!”

Jaejoong stares.

What? What just…what?

Jaejoong stares down at his phone and gapes at the Jung Yunho-sun-bae that’s now saved into his contacts. Sunbae. Sunbae. As if. This . Honestly.

Next time, Jaejoong thinks, next time, they are going to have words.

He tells Junsu this, after heading over to his apartment to cook dinner. Jae-joong had promised Junsu wouldn’t die of hunger because of him moving out and he intends to keep it. He likes cooking, it’s a relaxing activity, and he feels much better afterwards, even if Junsu laughs so loudly and so high-pitched Jaejoong has to cover his ears.

—

Yunho: So you know the roommate I replaced? He apparently came over today to cook and I missed meeting him. But there were left-overs. They were so good.

Changminie: …are you texting me this just to brag or are there some for me?

Yunho: I’m in awe. I want to eat like this all the time. I think I want to marry him.

Changminie: Wow. What happened to freshman boy?

Yunho: Oh, I gave him my number.

Changminie: What is SNU doing to you?

Yunho: I dunno, Changminie, but I like it. I’m killing it in class. I have a cute freshman to guide and free food. It’s incredible.

Changminie: You are just texting me to be brag, aren’t you?

Yunho: …yeah. Yeah, I totally am.

Changminie: …okay. Good talk, I guess.

—

Jaejoong isn’t at all surprised when he walks out of the dorm a few days lat-er and Jung Yunho is strolling by. This is now apparently his life: Yunho only coming across him at times that might confirm he is indeed a freshman.

“Oh,” he says.

Yunho’s smile turns Jaejoong’s brain inside out. How does this gorgeous man not know him? How does he not know that Jaejoong is older? Jaejoong is the hyung here, for heaven’s sake. Why is it so difficult to just say that?

“Hey there, freshmen.”

“Don’t call me that,” Jaejoong frowns.

“Tell me your name then,” Yunho says.

“Kim Jaejoong,” Jaejoong says, instead of no, call me hyung.

“You look like you could use a cup of coffee, Kim Jaejoong. Come with me! I’ll buy.”

Jaejoong is older. Jaejoong should be the one buying coffee, but somehow he finds himself in a tiny little cafe with a cup of coffee in front of him that Jung Yunho purchased. It’s unbelievable. Jaejoong is blushing.

Yunho tells him about transferring to SNU from Yonsei because he’d had a falling out with one of the Professors. Jaejoong is shocked to learn that the Jung Yunho sitting in front of him is the same one he’d heard about on the news that had gotten a professor fired (and jailed) for some very shady activity. He says he’d been lucky to find an apartment last minute. And he loves it here! He’s learning a lot more in his law classes and is enjoying himself immensely.

Jaejoong is pretty sure that’s a come on, or perhaps even some sort of innuendo. But he’s so charmed by Yunho he ends up not actually doing anything about it. He’s just so tired and Yunho really is a sweetheart. It’s honestly kind of cute, so hey, if he’s gonna get free coffee and good company then Jung Yunho can think he’s a freshman. It’s fine.

“He’s definitely hitting on you,” Heechul says later, “this is amazing. You were so mad but now you have a crush.”

“I do not.”

“You do,” Heechul says, “and it’s hilarious but also incredible. I’m rooting for you!”

“No rooting necessary.”

“Oh, I think it’s absolutely necessary. Get that , Kim Jaejoong. You know you want it.”

—

Yunho, after rather cleverly getting a name out of his cute freshman, goes straight to Heechul. Heechul knows everyone and will have all the information Yunho requires. Information such as: does the cute freshman like men? Does the cute freshman have a boyfriend? If Yunho asked out the Very Cute Kim Jaejoong, would he get smacked in the face or would he be accepted?

Heechul sort of stares at him a second, like he’s lost for words (which is a very un-Heechul-like thing to do,) before bursting out into his obnoxiously loud laughter and clutching his stomach, like Yunho’s very important question is the funniest thing he’s ever heard in his life.

“, I need a second. Hold on.”

Yunho is mildly offended. It’s not a difficult question. Either Heechul knows Kim Jaejoong or he doesn’t. How is this funny?

“Kim Jaejoong,” Heechul breathes out slow, swiping a hand through his hair, “Tiny bit taller than me? Black hair? Birthmark on his neck? Claims a table to himself at the library?”

“Yes,” Yunho nods, thinks oh god, the birthmark.

“Oh, Yunho. Yes. I know him.”

He is, according to Heechul, definitely gay and definitely in need of a boyfriend. “Please, for the sake of my sanity, ask him out.”

“Really?”

“Really. All he’s talked about the past few weeks is you.”

And wow. Holy . Okay. That’s pretty incredible and not at all what Yunho had been expecting. But he’ll take it. Suddenly, he remembers Changmin’s text. “Wait, he’s legal, right?”

Heechul snorts. “Quite legal.”

Well, Yunho thinks, thank for that.

—

Heechul-hyung: I know something you don’t know

Junsu: ??

Heechul-hyung: Jaejoong’s crush is your new roommate

Junsu: !!!!!?!?!?!?!?

—

There’s this tiny little alcove in the library that Jaejoong goes to when he needs some peace and quiet. It smells like books and has a comfy little cushion by the window and right now it’s got a patch of sunlight streaking across it. It’s comforting and it’s all Jaejoong’s and no one else is allowed to use it when he needs it.

Except, apparently, Jung Yunho.

“Oh,” Jaejoong says.

Yunho’s sitting on Jaejoong’s cushion, in Jaejoong’s sun-light, and he looks…damn, he looks so good. But Jaejoong hadn’t been able to hold in his tears as he picked his way through the stacks, so he stands next to the corner with tears on his cheeks, and realizes he isn’t going to get to have a moment to himself before class.

“,” he says, as Yunho blinks up at him, and then breaks down.

His brain probably jumbles the order of things in his distress (because how can Yunho be staring up at him a little dumbly but also cooing in his ear and helping him sit down at the same time?) But he eventually calms down and finds himself with his face in Yunho’s shoulder and Yunho’s arms wrapped tight around him.

“Bad day?” Yunho guesses, patting his head.

Jaejoong doesn’t know why (because he should be clearing the air! He should telling Yunho call me hyung, dammit,) but he’s spilling his guts in seconds. He tells Yunho about his internship he started and that he spent the day with a family ripping itself apart because of alcoholic parents. He told him about Heechul being an insufferable and his friends being too busy to grab a drink. He told him about all the freshmen leering at him as he walked down the halls and that he is Tired. Jaejoong is exhausted and it’s not fair because he’s just trying to be a good person.

“I’m sorry. Those freshmen are s.”

“They are,” Jaejoong says. “I—wow. Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you.”

“I don’t mind. This is exactly why I gave you my number,” Yunho said, “so you could call someone and not be overwhelmed your first year.”

Too late for that. Several years too late for that. Jaejoong sighs and wipes his cheeks. He really needs to clear this up. “Yunho, look—“

“Come to dinner.”

Jaejoong’s stomach flips. “What?”

“Let’s go get dinner. My treat. To cheer you up.”

“To…cheer me up?”

“Do you want to remain miserable?”

Jaejoong does not. Jaejoong wants to make it very clear to Yunho that he shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t be buying Jaejoong food and trying to make him laugh. That’s not how things should be.

But Yunho’s packing up his work, taking Jaejoong by the hand (his hand! They’re holding hands!) and before he knows it, they’re sitting across each other at a restaurant, meat sizzling on a grill between them.

What is happening? Jaejoong thinks faintly, as Yunho lifts a piece of meat with his chopsticks and holds it out for Jaejoong to take. They’re eating together and laughing together and the truth of Jaejoong’s age slides further down his throat with every bite.

Yunho is so attractive. He’s funny and sweet and Jaejoong wants to keep him forever.

Jaejoong wants to kiss him. Jaejoong really, really, wants to kiss Yunho, suddenly.

He thinks about it as he watches Yunho pay for their meal, thinks about it as they walk back to campus, bags slung over their shoulders. He thinks about it as they inch towards the freshmen dorm.

He makes a decision before they get there.

“Yunho?”

He deliberately leaves off the honorific, if only for his own peace of mind, and charges forward before he can be called out on it. “You did cheer me up. Thank you.”

“Good. I’m glad that I—“

Kissing Yunho is a dream. The only explanation Jaejoong has for Yunho not freezing in shock (and instead dropping his bags, wrapping an arm around his waist, threading a hand through his hair, sighing against his mouth,) is that he had been thinking about it just as much as Jaejoong. Yunho had wanted it just as much. It’s a wonderful, almost unbelievable explanation. Jaejoong is sticking to it, screw all other possible reasons.

“This is a date, right?” Yunho asks, landing kisses in the vague directions of Jaejoong’s mouth, dragging his lips down to Jaejoong’s birthmark, nipping at it hard enough to make Jaejoong wonder if he’s going to have to put a bandaid over it the next morning. His mouth is warm against Jaejoong’s ear, “I really want this to be a date.”

“It’s a date,” Jaejoong sighs, pulling Yunho’s mouth back to his own, “defi-nitely a date. Anything else would be unacceptable.”

He loses track of time, only aware of the arousal sinking into his belly and everything starting to tingle under Yunho’s mouth.

They only pull away after hearing a distant catcall.

Jaejoong feels his cheeks flood with heat; Yunho cradles them, lips bitten red.

“Will there be a second date?” he asks.

“Yes,” Jaejoong murmurs, “a second and a third and a—“

And okay, yes. Yunho has the right idea. They can negotiate after they’re done kissing.

“Call me?” Yunho says, eyebrow raised, when they really can’t stand outside any longer.

“I promise.”

In that moment, lightheaded with giddiness, Jaejoong really does feel like a teenager. It’s hard to stop kissing, hard to walk away, hard to finally turn around and head into the dorm.

The freshman dorm which Jaejoong oversees.

Reality swoops back in as Jaejoong considers the fact that technically, he’s lying. Not maliciously, perhaps, but it’s no way to start a relationship, and that is what Jaejoong is after, here. Not just one night, not just a few dates. But a boyfriend. Jaejoong wants Yunho to be his boyfriend very, very badly. And for that to happen, Jaejoong needs to be honest.

Yunho is nice, Jaejoong knows, he’ll understand. Jaejoong just needs to not be tongue tied whenever he’s around and spit it out.

Jaejoong’s phone alerts him of a message and he digs it out. <

B>Junsu: I have a confession

Jaejoong: ME TOO. But you go first.

Junsu: Uhhhh so the roommate I got to replace you? You know him. So does Heechul!

Jaejoong: ??

Junsu: Actually, Heechul told me this.

Jaejoong: Now I’m scared. Just say it.

Junsu: It’s Yunho

For a moment, it feels like Jaejoong’s heart stops.

Junsu: Uhhhhh your crush??? The one u never shut up about.

Jaejoong: Don’t with me Junsu. He just KISSED ME. Don’t around.

Junsu:……u don’t waste any time do u

Jaejoong: KIM JUNSU

Junsu: [photo]

Junsu: there. Happy?

Jaejoong: I’m coming over

Junsu: oh…oh boy…

Jaejoong runs out of the door so fast he trips and nearly cracks his skull open.

—

Yunho gets off his bus feeling as though he’s floating on a cloud. God bless his former professor for being the catalyst that sent him to this school. God bless the library for being the place where he met the cutest freshman ever. God bless his lips, clearly made for kissing. God bless his birthmark, clearly made for biting. God bless God for creating the cute freshman. God bless everything.

“Uh,” Junsu says, as soon as Yunho walks through the door. “Um.”

“I’m going to take a shower,” Yunho says, because his pants are uncomfort-ably tight.

“Um! Wait!”

But Yunho’s floating on a cloud and he doesn’t think that anything Junsu has to say is as important as Yunho’s daydreaming.

—

They just saw each other, but Jaejoong refuses to wait. He doesn’t want Yunho to find out accidentally. He doesn’t want Yunho to hear it from other people. Kim Jaejoong must tell Jung Yunho his actual age so that they can move from kissing and a date to kissing and a relationship without any un-necessary drama. This is not a television show, after all, or a movie, where everyone is dumb for the sake of an overused plot device.

This is Jaejoong’s life. They’re real people and Jaejoong isn’t going to it up.

The bus ride to the apartment is a blur, Jaejoong’s anxiety ratcheting up several notches as he leaps onto the street and starts to run. He knows it’s a dumb idea, because he’s going to be out of breath by the time he gets up the hill, but he isn’t wasting a single second.

He still has a key, so he barges into the apartment, tossing his shoes blindly, and comes to stand in the middle of the kitchen, panting. “Junsu?”

The door to the bathroom creaks and Jaejoong spins and—

Well.

Yunho is in his underwear.

“Jaejoong?”

This is so embarrassing. “Um. Hi? Hi.” Wow, all of Yunho is really attractive. Jaejoong has a very hard time not staring. They’re both kind of staring. This is very awkward. But also really hot. Jaejoong is confused.

“Oh, hey, Jaejoong.”

Their gazes both snap to Junsu, who slips on his shoes at the doorway. “I was just heading out so you can talk. Let me know when it’s safe to come back!” He giggles, in his cute little Junsu way that Jaejoong used to adore but now just finds embarrassing because Junsu’s laughing at this terribly awkward situation (at Jaejoong, at Yunho,) and not at something Jaejoong can also find amusing.

“Jaejoong?” Yunho asks again, like he can’t quite believe the person he’d been kissing earlier is standing in front of him. “Uh. I’ll just. Pants. Shirt.”

Or maybe you could not, Jaejoong thinks. But Yunho does, and while that’s disappointing, Jaejoong concedes that he did come here to talk. That’s a lot easier to do dressed.

He takes a moment to breathe.

“Are you allowed here?” Yunho asks, coming back into the kitchen.

Jaejoong feels his composure die.

“Okay. What the hell? I have some things to say and you’re going to keep quiet and listen.” He doesn’t say it formally and he can see Yunho start to get mad as soon as he notices. “No. Yunho. Yunho, I am not a freshman.”

Yunho blinks. “What?”

“I’m a doctoral candidate. Look, your cluelessness was cute for awhile. You bought me coffee. You were very nice. And you…” Jaejoong takes a breath to center himself. He’s supposed to be getting a relationship out of this, not prevent one. “You kiss like a dream,” he says. He takes a step forward, lays a hand on Yunho’s arm. “I want to keep kissing you. I want to do more than kiss you, which is why I’m standing here, telling you that I am two years older than you.”

“What?” Yunho squeaks, weakly. “But you live in the freshmen dorm! You talk about freshmen all the time!”

“I’m the RA. Heechul asked me to help him out until he could find someone more permanent. I tried to tell you. I tried so many times but you’re so handsome! You kept making my knees go weak. My brain turned to mush and then you kissed me. And. I’m sorry. But I’m trying to make it right.”

Yunho gapes. “What?”

Jaejoong sighs. “Okay. Hold on. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but look.” He leaves Yunho to his goldfish impression and goes for his wallet. Yunho snatches his ID the second it’s within range and it takes a full minute of him staring down at it before he seems able to speak.

“Oh, god.”

“Yunho—“

“I’m such an idiot. I just assumed…no wonder Heechul laughed at me!”

Jaejoong sighs. “Heechul loves a good prank.”

“I’m so sorry. Oh god. Oh my god, Jaejoong. You’re my hyung. I’m so sorry! I…” Yunho trailed off. “I…You let me…”

There’s a frown starting to turn the corners of Yunho’s mouth and Jaejoong slides in to kiss each side of it. “You’re really lovely. You’re really good at caring for people, I think. I liked that. I know we just saw each other, but af-ter you left I felt guilty and I was thinking that I needed to just come clean. And then Junsu texted me a picture of you and--”

“You’re the former roommate!” Yunho says, voice rising, finger pointing, “You! You cooked! You made the food! You!”

“Um. Yes?”

Yunho goes back to his goldfish impression.

“Okay. Uh. I just…I thought why wait? Why not just…fix this. Right now.” Jaejoong feels a little uncertain as he ends his speech. It hadn’t been as strong as his brain had made it out to be.

“I didn’t know there was even anything to fix,” Yunho grumbles.

“Well. If Junsu knew and Heechul knew it was only a matter of time before one of them spilled the beans, purposefully or otherwise. And I wanted it to come from me.”

Yunho sighs. “I appreciate that. I…I’m sorry I assumed you were a cute little freshman that needed guidance.”

“I forgive you. I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you. Are we okay?”

“Yes,” Yunho says, “I think so.”

“Good. Now. Come a little closer and kiss me senseless.”

Yunho finally (finally!) smiles, and Jaejoong’s heart picks up as he presses in close, their noses brushing.

“Yes, hyung.”

—

(A week later)

Changminie: kekekeke

Changminie: kekekekekekekekekeke

Yunho: shut up

Changminie: kekekekekeke

Yunho: Changmin I swear to god

Changminie: I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU MISTOOK HIM FOR A FRESH-MAN, Mr. “I’m keeping my options open”

Yunho: this is your last warning

Changminie: I’m never going to let you forget this, you know that right?

Yunho: fine.

Yunho: [photo]

Changminie:…who is that

Yunho: wouldn’t you like to know

Changminie: YUNHO

Yunho: [video]

Changminie: he sings!!!!!!

Yunho: [video]

Changminie: OH GOD HIS HIPS

Changminie: who is he?

Changminie: Yunho?

Changminie: Please tell me his name! I’m sorry I laughed at you for two hours straight! I TAKE IT ALL BACK

Yunho: …revenge is sweet

Yunho: s u f f e r

end.