Kihyun sits cross-legged on the bed, drumming his slightly-pruned fingertips against the polyester fabric of his Kappa shorts. His lips are pursed as he watches vigilantly for the door to finally open.

All but two of the other members are asleep by now. The only two awake from Kihyun are Hoseok and Jooheon, and, yet again, they’d been out late—much later than normal—working out at the hotel gym. Kihyun can’t shake the feeling that Hoseok, at least, is avoiding him. He can’t blame the older, not ever since it began…

At first, it was a pretty innocent thing.

They’d been practicing games that were bound to come up on any variety show they were invited on. They’d just gotten done with the infamous Pocky game, having successfully bitten to the very center without anyone touching lips. Kihyun had assumed that’d be the end of it. After all, that was the most intrusive game they hadn’t mastered yet…

Apparently, Minhyuk had other ideas.

He’d pulled out the thinnest piece of tissue paper ever created and announced with a wicked little grin that they’d be practicing the paper-passing game. Kihyun, of course, immediately began arguing with him, very much not liking the wicked glint to the slightly-older’s eye. After knowing Minhyuk for so many years, it’s easy for him to tell when his same-age friend is up to something.

But, he couldn’t keep up much of an argument once Minhyuk threw at him the classic “Scared of something, Kihyunnie~?” line at him. He’d glanced at Hoseok in annoyed defeat, for Hoseok had been the one closest to him. He’d been sitting at the end of the couch, squished between the arm of the couch and the arm of his most muscled hyung.

He should’ve fought more. He should’ve just told Minhyuk off and sufficiently ruined the mood in the room. Then, the others might not have felt inclined to follow the thin man’s lead. Then, what happened next wouldn’t have.

When the paper got to their end of the line, Hoseok had locked eyes with Kihyun, the light within them almost frantic. Everyone around them was cheering and jeering because of how close Hyungwon and Changkyun had come to actually kissing…

“They kissed! They kissed!” Minhyuk had been shouting, his raspy voice filling Kihyun’s mind with only thoughts of the one thing they should be avoiding as he leaned in towards Hoseok.

There was something soft and plump, warm, and definitely not paper that met Kihyun’s lips.

He’d instantly pulled back, shocked as to the unexpected result of his attempt to get the paper. He couldn’t meet Hoseok’s eyes. He could tell from the way Minhyuk was cackling what had happened.

He’d accidentally kissed Hoseok.

Sadly, that wasn’t the only time.

Two weeks later, after he and Hoseok had finally managed to work passed the residual awkwardness of accidentally macking on each other—in front of the whole group, might he add—, they’d been celebrating a first-place win. Sure, it was their second first-place win, but it felt just as sweet as the first time. They’d gone home after the broadcast, whooping and cheering all night long.

There had been drinking on Kihyun’s end, and the more he’d drank, staring at Hoseok and his sweet face, he couldn’t shake the memory of Hoseok’s lips on his…

Of course, this had driven him to drink even more to try and clear his head, but it’d ended up having the opposite effect.

They had been the last two awake, surrounded by the sounds of the others’ snores in the dimly lit living room. The glow of the television seemed to reflect against Hoseok’s pale skin, and in Kihyun’s (very)drunken state, he’d thought the older had looked… so utterly angelic.

“Kihyunnie…?” Hoseok had asked, turning when he’d realized Kihyun was staring at him.

Next thing Kihyun knew, his lips were against Hoseok’s once more.

Sadly, it doesn’t stop there.

They’ve accidentally kissed three other times while practicing the Pocky game, celebrating a successful kick-off of their world tour (sober, this time), and even while sleeping…

That had been the wake-up call, because obviously kissing someone in your sleep is a sure-sign that there’s something more than just friendship between you… right? Right, according to Kihyun.

So, now he’s sitting here, waiting for Hoseok’s return not-all-that-patiently. He huffs out a breath as he glances down at his hands, wondering just why it’d taken so long for him to realize why all this has happened, his own feelings… God, he’s made such a mess of things.

“Y-You sure, Heonney?” Hoseok asks nervously, chewing on his lip as he steps out of the elevator and into the grimy hall. Jooheon hums, nodding as he wipes at his brow with the damp hand towel.

“There’s only so many explanations for it, hyung,” Jooheon pants out, still trying to catch his breath from the workout hell he’d just gone through. “I mean… if it’d only happened the once, I wouldn’t think anything of it, but with this many times? He totally has a thing for you.” He pauses, glancing to the older as they come to his door. He tries for a sympathetic smile, patting his shoulder. “Just talk to him about it. I’m sure it’d go better than you’re thinking it would…”

Hoseok nods, pouting as he meets Jooheon’s gaze for only a second. He then wanders off, a clump of emotion clogging up his throat and absolutely refusing to move. He doesn’t want to lose Kihyun in case it goes horribly wrong, but Jooheon’s right. This conversation is unavoidable now…

Kihyun’s gaze snaps up when the he hears the key card slide into the electronic lock. He has to fight off the urge to crane his neck to watch Hoseok come in, his heartbeat quickening slightly at seeing the older finally. He’s always looked so attractive right after a workout, his tank top sticking to and outlining every little line on Hoseok’s well-defined abs and his already-short shorts hiked obscenely high up. His milky skin glistens even under these ty hotel lights, and Kihyun has to force himself to focus.

He can lust over Hoseok later. For now, they need to talk.

“Hyung,” Kihyun says, picking at his own nails nervously as Hoseok sits on his own twin-sized bed, heaving out a breath. Hoseok seems terribly interested in the swirling pattern on the beaten-down carpet, and Kihyun finds himself chewing on his lower lip as he tries not to feel guilty.

He’s done this. His own idiocy has made Hoseok so subdued, so empty of light. This is his fault.

“Hyung, we need to talk,” Kihyun says, turning to stare directly at Hoseok. The older is stiff where he sits, and he gives only a short nod. The shorter huffs out a breath, his aggravation spiking. But, he bites back his nag about how the older should be looking him straight in the eye when they’re talking. He knows that’d only make Hoseok shut down more.

“I-I know things are messed up,” Hoseok suddenly says, looking up. He meets Kihyun’s gaze, and the fear within those beautiful, familiar eyes knocks the breath right out of Kihyun’s chest. “But, please, we can fix it. Don’t tell me to go away. I can’t. I… I care about you too much to do it. And I’m thorry if that’s not how you feel about me, but—”

“Whoa,” Kihyun can’t help but chuckle, leaning towards him to rest a consoling hand atop Hoseok’s knee. “Hyung, that’s not what I’m going to say.” He’s smiling that perfect little smile that always eases Hoseok in his worst of moods. Hoseok’s completely still for a moment, but then the expression seems to work, and he’s looking at Kihyun with the brightest smile bursting with so much love Kihyun thinks the man will cry.

Then, Kihyun knows words aren’t enough. He knows he needs to show his feelings with action. Only then could he convey just how much Hoseok means to him.

He finds himself leaning forward, pressing his lips to Hoseok’s with all the intention of a man on a life or death mission. He brings a hand up to cup Hoseok’s cheek, to keep him close, to touch him, anything. He doesn’t really know. All he knows is that he’s kissing Hoseok and it feels so right…

He breaks away, eyes sparkling and a light pink coming to his cheeks to mirror Hoseok’s own blush.

“That wasn’t an accident,” he says, half-joking. Hoseok barks out a laugh so pure and relieved that Kihyun can’t help but kiss him again.

This has turned out better than he thought it would, and he definitely isn’t complaining~