A/N: okay...um...I am so, so sorry. I've been incredibly busy lately, and I will continue to be so updates will probably be irregular for the rest of this story. But I'll try my best to update it frequently because I do love writing and writing this story! Thanks to everyone reading for sticking with it <3 I hope you enjoy!! PS you might wanna back read most of the story...I know I had to bc I forgot what was going on, lol

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Taeil never thought lounging around in his pajamas with some friends all day could actually be fun. 

Yes, Taeil needed to study, as midterms were only a couple of weeks away, but reading each word inked on the pages within his textbook was a chore. So when Yuta had popped into his room, asking Taeil if he wanted to watch an anime Yuta had been raving about together, Taeil jumped at the chance for an escape. 

And it was so nice. 

Yuta and Taeil sat on the couch in the living room, Yuta's laptop propped on the table, watching quietly. Taeil didn't realize how close he actually was to Yuta until this moment. After all, they had English class together, but he didn't notice how much time they had actually spent together when something as simple as watching TV could be so comfortable. 

Having friends was nice. 

"Oh, I forgot to tell you how good you were in that performance," Yuta said offhandedly, interrupting the high pitched yelling on the screen. 

Taeil's eyes bulged practically out of his skull as he awkwardly turned toward his friend. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, you were great in that choir thing." 

"H-how did you see that?" 

"Johnny put a video of it in the group chat." 

Taeil physically winced. He'd muted the dorm group chat after Ten and Taeyong had gotten all lovey dovey one time at three am. He must have forgotten to unmute it...but maybe that was for the best. He definitely didn't want to watch that video and ruin his good memories of the choir concert.

"Oh god..." Taeil mumbled. 

"Why?" Yuta whined. "It was really good." 

"I had the group chat muted so I didn't see him post it...ugh, I'm gonna kill him..." 

"Don't blame him, we were the ones who begged him to take a video. As soon as we heard about it we wanted to see." 

Taeil sighed and opened his phone, not even bothering to open the video and just scrolling through everyone's responses. 

And to his surprise...nobody had anything bad to say. In fact, every single of them had written something good. From Ten's all caps message littered with exclamation points to Kun's almost parental encouragement, to Winwin's sticker spam, it was all just so purely sweet. Taeil didn't to cry in front of Yuta but damn he was close. 

Taeil typed out a quick thank you in the gruop chat before turning back to Yuta. "Everyone's being so sweet."

"I mean, it was amazing. Nobody's exaggerating here. But you know, your friends are supposed to hype you up." 

"Well...it's not like I had any friends before this," Taeil responded quietly. 

Yuta grimaced and winced. "Oh...oof." He and Taeil shared a look and an awkward chuckle. "Um...I'll turn the show back on." Yuta pressed play, and Taeil leaned back on the couch. 

They only got through an episode when they were rudely interrupted by...a smell. 

Yuta made a face. "What the is that?"

"Oh my god, make it stop." 

"We should probably figure out what that is..." They both got up, paused the show, sniffed the air, and immediately regretted it. 

"I think it's coming from that way," Yuta spoke between gags, pointing towards the D-E-F room. Quickly, they found the source of the scent: room D, where Lucas was inside, crouching down by the outlets and holding a jar with suspicious looking red liquid inside.

"Dude, what's that smell?" Yuta asked as he and Taeil stood outside his doorway. 

Yukhei sheepishly turned to them. "Hey guys! I was trying to make pasta for Jungwooo when he came back from his weekend trip home. But the sauce smells a bit off." 

"A bit?" Yuta said while making a face. 

"Where did you keep it?" Taeil asked. 

"On the shelf over there." Yukhei gestured to a shelf so tall only he could reach it, littered with old receipts and unidentifiable cans. 

"Did you, um, open the jar before?" 

"I mean yeah, of course." 

Yuta winced. "And you...left it on the shelf after you opened it?" Taeil asked. Yukhei nodded. 

"And...how long has it been since you opened it?"

"Only about two or three weeks." Yuta shuddered. 

"So you're telling me that you opened a jar and left it in your room, not a refridgerator, for multiple weeks?" Taeil asked.

"Of course! I mean, you don't refridgerate jars...right?" 

Yuta facepalmed, and Taeil released a deep sigh. "Um...no." 

"Once you open a jar you put it in the fridge!" Yuta interjected. "Have you ever cooked in your god damn life?"

Yukhei grimaced with embarrassment. "Uh...oops?" 

Taeil and Yuta sighed again. "Toss the pasta sauce out immediately and please spray the room with...something," Taeil said. 

"Oh, yeah, and you should probably just order a pizza for Jungwoo," Yuta added. 

Yukhei dejectedly nodded. "Alright." 

"Have fun, man. We've gotta get away from this smell," Yuta said. He and Taeil waved and went back to the living room, flopping down on the couch. 

"That boy..." Taeil spoke with a sigh. "Let's keep an eye on him if he ever attempts to cook again."

"Or, let's just make sure he never cooks at all." 

"Good plan," Taeil answered as Yuta put the show back on. 

It was another two episodes in when Yuta paused the show, again. But this time, it wasn't from anything going on outside the TV watching session in the living room. Taeil turned to Yuta and was surprised to see him fidgeting and staring down at his lap. He'd been concentrating so hard on following along with the show that Taeil hadn't noticed his shift in mood. Nervous Yuta was something Taeil had never seen before. 

"Hey, um, can I be honest with you?" 

Immediately Taeil began to panic, but he pursed his lips and tried not to let Yuta see it. "Sure, what's up?"

"To be honest, I didn't ask you to watch TV with me just so you could see my show. I mean, I, um, wanted you to see this show, but I, like, mostly wanted to ask you about something, but I'm kinda nervous, because it's kinda stupid..." 

Now Taeil was really freaking out. "Uh, g-go ahead." 

Yuta took a deep breath. "I like Sicheng. Like....I really like Sicheng." Taeil nodded slowly; he wasn't surprised that Yuta liked Sicheng, I mean, he kinda knew that already. He was a bit surprised that Yuta was telling him directly though.

Taeil was trying to come up with a response when Yuta went off on a tangent. "Like...okay, I like him so much. He's hilarious, smart, so sweet, not to mention unbelievably beautiful, like greek god beautiful, and you think he's pretty now? He's somehow even prettier nak-" He sighed. "Well never mind. But he's perfect in every way and I just don't know what to do!" 

"What's going on exactly?" Taeil asked. 

"So...you know how in public he's all...quiet? He's still sweet, but he won't touch anyone and doesn't like to be touched at all, and he's almost...cold? When's it's just the two of us...he's nothing like that. As soon as we're alone he's just....insatiable. Runs off of the bed, locks the door, starts ripping my clothes off-"

"Yuta, I'll be honest, I don't really wanna hear about that."

Yuta shook his head. "Sorry. Well, and after....that, he's still different. He always holds onto my arm and gets our legs all tangled together, he won't stop giggling and smiling... even if we don't do anything, he's still like that. We will talk for hours at a time and not get bored. Once, Jaehyun went home for the weekend and Sicheng came to hang out in my room at, like, eight pm. We talked on my bed until literally six am the next morning. He's just so different in private." Yuta finally looked up at Taeil. "See, that's the issue. If he were like that with me all the time, I wouldn't hesitate to ask him out already. Hell, I would've done it during the first week we all met and we would've started dating quicker than Yukhei and Jungwoo. But, I can't be sure. If he liked me, wouldn't he be affectionate with me all the time? Like, what if he's embarrassed of me in public and just wants me for ? But...that's hard to believe too. He's told me so much stuff that he's never told anyone else before, and I have too. I'm just...confused. I'm so confused."

Taeil sighed deeply. He was trying to be good friend and listen to Yuta's problems, but he was confused too. "Yuta....I don't want to come off as rude or anything...but like...why are you asking me about this? I've never been in a relationship, and I'm just-"

Yuta sighed back, interrupted Taeil and looking at him with a soft expression. "Taeil, you're one of my closest friends. Of course I'd ask you about this stuff, it doesn't matter if you actually have experience or not. To be honest, the only other person I've asked about this was Ten, and that's because I thought he'd have some advice since he's Sicheng's cousin and all." 

Taeil was shocked. Yuta not only considered Taeil a friend, but a close friend as well. Taeil was just starting to get used to the idea of friends at all, but to be close with someone, close enough for them to ask you about something so deeply personal? Taeil couldn't help the little smile that bloomed on his lips. 

"W-wait...I'm one of your closest friends?"

"I mean...yeah..." Yuta responded, and Taeil panicked when he noticed the brief look of disappointment that dashed across his face. 

"No no no! I mean...I didn't mean that like that. You're one of my closest friends too, to be honest. I'm just...not used to being anybody's closest friend." 

Yuta immediately smiled back at him. "Dude, of course you are. I trust you a lot, I mean, that's why I'm telling you all of this." 

Taeil slowly smiled back, feeling his heart bloom in his chest. To be trusted and cared about by someone, even just on a platonic level, especially on a platonic level, felt so amazing. And Taeil wasn't lying when he said that Yuta was one of his closest friends too. 

"I feel so honored," Taeil answered, putting his hand on his heart. "I'm really just glad to have a friend like you." 

"Me too. You're so...sane." 

The two of them laughed at that before Yuta shook his head. "Anyways." 

"Oh, yeah, Sicheng. You wanted my advice..." Taeil spoke, running over everything Yuta told him in his head. "I mean, what do you think would happen if he said no? Do you think you could still be friends? Would you wanna still be friends?" 

Yuta sighed. "To be honest...that's a hard one to answer. Because if he wasn't interested in me like that...I'd get it, but in a way I'd feel used, you know? Like if he wanted to just be friends with benefits he should've told me at the start." 

Taeil hummed and nodded, thinking things through, then softly sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna remind you before I give you this advice that I'm...like, completely inexperienced. I've never dated or come close or anything, I've barely liked that many people, and like, I've never even been kissed. So you should be...tentative about my advice." 

"Like I said, dude, I trust you. Tell me what you think." 

"Well, to be honest...I think you should go for it."

Yuta smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah," Taeil answered with a nod. "I may not have lots of experience but I do know a bit about the way people behave. And like, all the reasons you listed for Sicheng not wanting to be so friendly in public may be true, but there may be other reasons too. He may just be shy about PDA or just shy in general. Like...that kind of thing." 

"That's true, he has talked about getting really shy before." 

"Mostly though, I think you should see where he stands for your own sake. The more time you spend with him without knowing where he stands, the more your going to get more worried about his coolness in public, and the more you're just going to fall for him. If he likes you back, then great, you can put a rest to all this worrying and go out with him. If he doesn't, then you know what kind of person he really is. You can cut off your feelings before they get any deeper. You're not sharing a room, so you can avoid each other if things are super awkward, and it's early enough that you'd even have time to salvage a friendship. So, you shouldn't put it off any longer. Anyways," Taeil said with a smile. "You two would make such a cute couple." 

Yuta was beaming at this point. "You really think so?"

"Mmh-hmm." 

"Okay then. I'll trust you and ask him as soon as possible." 

"Really?" Taeil asked with surprise. 

Yuta nodded. "I think you're right. Everything you said made sense, like finding out now before feelings get too deep, if he doesn't like me back. I mean," Yuta interrupted himself with a sad chuckle. "They're pretty deep now, but I could save myself a bit..."

Just then, the click of the lock made both Taeil and Yuta close their mouths and turn towards the front door. In walked the man himself, Sicheng wear black jeans and a small smile. Taeil looked over and saw Yuta do a little sigh of affection, his mouth upturned in that healing smile of his. The poor boy was whipped. 

"Hey guys, what's up?" Sicheng asked softly. 

"Oh, we were just watching TV," Taeil explained. 

"I thought you weren't coming home for a couple hours," Yuta spoke, and Taeil could feel him start to get more nervous by the second. 

"Club meeting ended early," Sicheng explained. Yuta gave Taeil a quick glance before turning back to Sicheng. 

"Sicheng? Could I maybe talk to you for a second?" Yuta asked, standing up from the couch. Taeil looked up at him in surprise; he didn't think Yuta was going to do it this soon. But maybe it was for the best: since Taeil was around, he could listen in on their conversation, plus if things went badly he'd be here to comfort Yuta. 

Sicheng nodded. "Sure. Jaehyun's not home so we can talk in there." He gave a little wave to Taeil before the two walked down the hallway towards room C. 

After a moment, to not seem suspicious, Taeil also walked down the hall to room A. He didn't go inside though, just stood outside the doorway so he could listen in easily. Shockingly, the walls of this dorm was decently thick, so Taeil couldn't hear everything. This was the only time he wasn't grateful for it though, imagining all the times he might've heard Taeyong and Ten or Yukhei and Jungwoo have without it. 

At first, Taeil could only make out what sounded like Sicheng and Yuta flopping onto Sicheng's bed then soft small talk, which turned into serious murmurs, only on Yuta's part. Sicheng was silent for a long time while Yuta spoke, and even Taeil was getting anxious just listening in to the extremely muffled conversation. 

All noise stopped for moment, and Taeil's heart flared. Sicheng said something Taeil couldn't make out, gently, quietly, then Taeil was sure that Yuta ing squealed. Taeil released a breath he didn't know he was holding, his whole body detensing. Thank god. 

Once he heard the muffled sounded of Yuta talking more in that happy, animated voice, Taeil felt sure everything went well. He smiled to himself and sat down on his bed, relaxing on his phone for a few minutes before he had to get up and make himself study. He basked in the second hand happiness of his friend, curious to hear just how it all went down. But that would come later, Taeil wouldn't dare interrupt them now. 

An hour or two later, the sound of people walking down the hall made Taeil sit up. Passing by his doorway was Sicheng and Yuta, wearing such soft joyous smiles that he couldn't help but grin too. 

"Hey Taeil," Yuta said, smiling with his teeth. Sicheng smiled too, bigger than Taeil had ever seen. If he glanced down a bit, he could see they were holding hands. "We're going to dinner now." 

"Have fun, lovebirds," Taeil teased. The two of them didn't even deny it, but he swore he saw Sicheng blush. 

They waved goodbye and Taeil heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. A few moments later, Taeil got a text from Yuta himself. 

it went well omg! hes ma boyfriend now! he likes me!

ill tell you everything later

thank u, rlly

Taeil grinned and typed out his own response.

it was nothing

but you have to tell me everything tmr

He locked his phone and laid it next to him, staring at the underside of Johnny's upper bunk. Taeyong and Ten, Yukhei and Jungwoo, and now Yuta and Sicheng had gotten their love story. Maybe now it was time for Taeil to get his. 

Johnny's face flashed through Taeil's mind before he shook it off. Impossible, he thought. It was impossible. But...Sicheng had seemed impossible for Yuta, and now they were a thing. Taeil sighed. He was no Yuta, and at least Sicheng was in Yuta's league. Johnny was so far out of his league that they were in different games. But...Taeil couldn't shake the thought from his mind, that it was time he got his love story.