Requested by mimijjong! Thanks for requesting~

Prompt: Love at first sight. Sungyeol’s afraid to tell Sungjong that he loves him, for fear of losing their friendship. He doesn’t know that Sungjong actually loves him.

--

“Sungjong-ah! Come here, hyung has something to tell you,” Sunggyu said, beckoning Sungjong over to him with one hand. Sungyeol remained attentive, as Sunggyu’s voice sounded serious.

They were in the dorm together, as the rest of the members had schedules to do. All 3 of them had a free day, in which they could practice or laze around however much they wanted. Sungyeol obviously did the latter, and spent most of the day on the couch, playing with his phone.

Sunggyu and Sungjong visited the practice rooms, as Sungjong wanted to practice more under his leader’s sharp eye.

As Sungjong was led into Sunggyu’s room by the leader, Sungyeol turned his thoughts back onto his phone.

He was tapping endlessly on the game, biting his lips once in a while when he didn’t beat his high score.

“This game is rigged, geez…” He tapped the home screen button, giving up for a short time. The game was causing more stress than if he had schedules!

Suddenly, Sungjong burst from the room. Worry was plastered all over his face, and he walked speedily towards their joint room. Sungyeol jumped up, curious as to what Sunggyu told him to have such a large reaction. 

He matched his pace to Sungjong’s feet, walking by his side. “Sungjongie, what’s wrong? Did Sunggyu-hyung say something to you?”

Sungjong shook his head, exhaling quietly. They reached their room, where Sungyeol closed the door behind him and rested on it, as Sungjong sat down his bed.

“Sungyeol-hyung…” Sungjong began, turning to his white teddy bear and dragging it into his lap. 
He then rested his chin on it, wrapping his arms around the soft and fluffy plush toy.

“What would you do if someone told you that they like you? But you don’t feel the same?” Sungjong refused to look at Sungyeol, instead staring down at the bear.

What? Someone likes Sungjong?
But Sungjong doesn’t like them back…

Sungyeol was suddenly reminded of his own painful feelings of one-sided love. He had fallen for Sungjong ever since they saw each other, the younger boy looking ethereal and beautiful in that shabby practice room.

It had been three years, and his feelings still hadn’t changed since that day, even with their debut. He hung onto Sungjong’s every word, and he was practically wrapped around the maknae’s small pinky.

His heart ached as he thought of someone liking Sungjong as much as he did, but his feelings were softened after Sungjong told him that he didn’t feel the same as them.

Before he could answer, Sungjong spoke. “No wait, nevermind… Sorry for bothering you, hyung… I think I’ll just think about it, then…”

The younger boy then fell back into his bed, curling up while hugging the white bear.

Oh, how I wish I was that bear…

--

2009

Sungyeol was erupted out of bed by Woohyun, who had entered the room. He awoke even as Woohyun stepped as quietly as he could. “Oh, good. Get up, the new trainee’s here.”

And with that, Woohyun left the room, as quietly as he came in.

Sungyeol took a few minutes to assess his appearance, which looked rather fine if you were to ask him.
His hair was a mess, but a few sprays of hairspray could fix that. He parted his hair the same as usual and patted his face with toner.

Man, I’m becoming like Woohyun. Always caring for my face.

He slipped a few breath mints into his mouth and shuddered at the harsh minty taste. Sungyeol looked down at his sloppy appearance, as he was wearing a t-shirt with a hole in it. The shorts he was wearing had a stray string hanging from it, too. He wrapped it around his finger and snapped it off, grateful that the threads didn’t unwind further.

His phone buzzed. Sungyeol took it out from his pocket, snapping it open and scowling at the message from Sunggyu. Get out here. Did you not hear the trainee’s here?

What’s so important about him anyway? He’s just a new rookie.

His thoughts were shattered apart when he turned the doorknob, catching a sight of the so-called ‘rookie.’

He was drop-dead gorgeous.

Sungyeol’s heart palpitated as he continued to look, and his breath was caught in his throat. 

The boy was shorter than him and had an unmistakable femininity to him. He had angel-like looks, and a charming smile that made Sungyeol’s eyes widen and his heart threatened to explode.

“Ah, hello, hyung! My name is Lee Sungjong. Nice to meet you!” His voice was even more dainty and sweet, and Sungyeol’s couldn’t help but smile back nervously.

“Y-yes, yeah, me too! My name is Lee Sungyeol,” he said, trying hard to make sure his voice didn’t break from how jittery he was feeling.

Because geez, this boy was like no other person he had ever seen.

This crush would be the end of him.

--

Sungyeol laid back in his bed, not hiding how his eyes and attention was focused on Sungjong. He had been trying to confess for so long, but he hadn’t managed to muster up the courage to do so, for fear of ruining the perfect teasing friendship they had built up all this time.

“I’m back!” Myungsoo’s voice rang out from the front entrance, and Sungyeol scrambled up to see him. Myungsoo and he had always been the closest after they had endless fights during their trainee period.

He left the room with a quick look at Sungjong, who was sleeping, gentle breaths escaping from his mouth. Sungyeol ignored how his heart thumped louder after seeing such a sight.

“Myungsoo-yah!” He sharply whispered, gesturing for Myungsoo to come with him. Myungsoo merely tilted his head confusedly, before nodding. Sungyeol walked to Myungsoo and Dongwoo’s shared room, where they were to be not disturbed. 

Myungsoo placed his jacket and bag on his side of the room as Sungyeol sat on Myungsoo’s black-covered bed. “So what’s up, hyung?”

Myungsoo turned to look Sungyeol in the eyes with both amusement and worry, and Sungyeol figured he could tell his secret to the younger boy. After all, they were practically closer than brothers now.

“Myungsoo, how do I tell someone I like them?” 

Myungsoo’s face twitched with surprise. He obviously didn’t expect this kind of conversation happening between them. But then, he looked to the side and bit at his lips, before nodding in understanding.

“Ah! Hyung, you mean Sungjong-ah?” Sungyeol flinched at his name. “W-What?”

Myungsoo laughed quietly, “You mean you thought I didn’t know? You practically hang over his every word. And, you know Sungjong came to me a couple days ago asking me about the same thing, right?”

What?!

Sungyeol didn’t answer, so Myungsoo continued. “Sungjong, a couple days ago, asked me how to confess to someone without hurting their past friendship. Guess who that person was?”

Me?

Sungyeol continued to look shocked with his jaw dropped, and Myungsoo answered for him. “You, you idiot! I gave him all that meaningful advice on how to preserve friendship when it turns out you like him too!”

Sungyeol wisely ignored the rude talk from his younger, and thought over Myungsoo’s words over and over again. Sungjong liked him?

Myungsoo seemed to hear his thoughts and smacked Sungyeol jokingly on his head. “Yes, he likes you! That’s why, don’t worry about all that friendship stuff, hyung. Go for it.”

Sungyeol stood up with newly born confidence and was met with a firm nod from Myungsoo. “Good luck, hyung. You owe me for this one.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Myungsoo. I’ll make it up to you someday!” He sent a greasy finger heart and kiss to Myungsoo, who scrunched up his face in fake-disgust and shooed him away from his room.

This was his moment.

He strode over to their room with both self-assurance and painful nervousness storming in his gut. It was now or never. He swung the door open dramatically, making Sungjong rise up in confusion.

He also didn’t want anyone to hear, so he closed the door softly with a click, completely unlike how he opened it in the first place.

“Hyung? What-”

“I like you!” Sungjong’s eyebrows rose almost comically, and Sungyeol could feel his cheeks reddening to a rosy scarlet.

Sungjong seemed to be struck with silence, so Sungyeol continued to talk, ignoring his mind’s thoughts of Turn back! Turn back now!

“I like you a lot, Lee Sungjong! I know that you just got confessed to, but I can’t hold my feelings in anymore! I love you, Sungjong-ah.” Sungyeol ended his confession with that, staring into Sungjong’s eyes and trying to read his thoughts.

Sungjong’s own cheeks were turning pink, and he played with his fingers nervously, as Sungyeol attentively listened to how he would respond.

A few seconds turned to minutes, and Sungyeol grew impatient. “So?”

Sungjong seemed rattled from his thoughts, and he looked downwards and he murmured,

“I like you too, hyung…”

His heart felt like it was going to burst. Sungyeol immediately came over to Sungjong and picked him up as if he was weightless, and embraced him heartily, just like he had always wanted to.

Sungjong was warm and comforting, even as he squeaked, squirming in Sungyeol’s arms. “H-Hyung! What are you doing…?!”

Sungyeol’s smile widened even more if that was possible. “I’ve always wanted to do that, Sungjong-ah.”

Sungjong couldn’t help but smile at that and stopped struggling in his hyung’s embrace. Instead, he wordlessly wrapped his own arms around Sungyeol’s back, squeezing gently.

“Me too, hyung.”

--

After they had told the other members that they were dating, Sunggyu seemed almost distraught, but managed to smile and wish them well. The rest of the members weren’t very surprised, already noticing the budding relationship between them as the years passed. 

Myungsoo just rolled his eyes, and said, “I’m glad you did it, hyung.”
Sungyeol smiled at him and patted the younger’s back gratefully. “Just tell me if you need anything! Hyung will take care of it!”

The members left, with most giving them small smiles and reassuring words, and Sunggyu was the last to leave, with his eyes trailing on his and Sungjong’s intertwined hands.

“So, hyung,” Sungjong started cutely, smiling up at him and making Sungyeol flush for the umpteenth time, “How long have you liked me?”

“Since we first met in that practice room, back at our old dormitory,” Sungyeol responded, enjoying how Sungjong blushed heavily too.

“R-really?” Sungjong squeezed Sungyeol’s hand lovingly and looked somewhat embarrassed.

Sungyeol laughed. When he really thought about it, he wondered how he managed 3 years of the same crush without dying. “Yes, since the start.”

Sungjong smiled, looking Sungyeol in the eyes, before moving closer to press his pink lips against Sungyeol’s.

“Me too.”