5th February, 00:35

Yoseob shifted on the couch, his now rust coloured hair falling over his eyes as he leaned forward and reached out for the remote. Slender fingers grazed against the plastic lazily, pink lips pulling down in a disgruntled pout as he groaned and tried to stretch further towards the coffee table. Narrowing his eyes, he huffed and proceeded to inch his rear just a tad closer to the edge of the couch, wincing as his feet came to rest upon the cold tiled flooring of the living room. Grasping the remote, he grinned triumphantly and straighted up with a silent cry of victory before falling back against the flattened cushions of his couch. His smile remained intact as he snuggled back into the plush and tried to regain the lost warmth, fingers pressing buttons and flicking through various channels, searching for one that might catch his attention. 

His free hand reached over to his right and dipped into the bowl of popcorn he'd microwaved earlier, grabbing a handful before lifting it to his mouth and trying, in vain, to stuff as much as he could into his mouth in one bite. Ignoring the many kernels and few popped puffs which fell onto his shirt, he absently some of the salt off his fingers, savouring the taste, before picking one of the kernels off his grey t-shirt and popping it into his mouth. He paused, gaze lingering on the television screen as he stopped on Animal Planet, a faint smirk pulling at his lips at a rather comical peacock mating dance, before changing the channel again. 

Soaps, , , cheap music, , more soaps, slapstick comedies, overrated action movies, sleazy reality shows, .

He sighed, switching the television off for lack of anything good to watch, and turned his attention to the ceiling, head falling back against the back of the couch as his gaze traced the cracks on the uneven plaster. He wrinkled his nose absently, making a mental note to call maintenance before the upstairs plumbing completely flooded and rained down into his flat. Glancing out the window, he sighed, absently scratching at his clothed inner thigh, blunt nails catching on the woolen threads of his baby pink pajama pants. His lips twisted down as he grimaced, boredom hitting down at the back of his skull with a nagging vengeance. 

His thoughts, or rather his lack of thoughts, were interrupted by the shrill ringing of his cellpone, earning an alarmed wince and a wide-eyed countenance as he looked around for his phone. Searching beneath and between the couch cushions, he frowned irritably, the annoying ringing bouncing off the walls of the quiet room. As his fingers locked around the cool metallic surface, he dug it out from the confines of his couch, fumbling with the lockscreen before sliding it open and pressing the phone to his ear, voice cracking from lack of use and tongue heavy with salt. 

"Hello?" he rasped, frowning and clearing his throat before trying again, this time sounding more like himself and less like a starved, elderly convict. 

An amused snort was the response he received, before a clear voice sounded through the line, playfulness evident in the speaker's voice, "Rough night?"

Dull shades of red and pink painted themselves across Yoseob's cheeks as he flushed in embarrassment, nearly whining in protest, "No, what?! Don't be stupid, I'm by myself!"

"I never said you were with someone," came the teasing reply, "You really do have a dirty mind, Yoseob."

Yoseob pouted, an internal groan ringing in his ears as he mentally slapped himself on the head, hissing, "Shut up, Kikwang. What do you want?"

"Tsk," Kikwang tutted, mock hurt lacing his voice as he asked, "Is that the way to speak to your boyfriend? Really? After all I've done for you too!"

The words rang in his ears, an unconscious smile pulling at his mouth as he bit his lower lip and leaned back. He liked whenever Kikwang referred to himself as his boyfriend, whenever he got childishly possessive or jealous, whenever he stubbornly steered Yoseob away from unknowing strangers who tried to flirt with him. One could say they were kind of, sort of, maybe dating; neither had any idea of when they got together, when they started dating or even what they were to each other, but somehow, there was no need for anything to be said. They acted like a couple, felt like a couple, and the burden of labelling themselves didn't seem to be something to worry about just yet, but anyone could see they were head over heels in, well, whatever it was. 

Snorting, Yoseob snuggled back into the couch, retorting, "Boyfriend? Please, I can do so much better."

"Ouch, that hurt," Kikwang whined. Yoseob could almost see the pout pulling at the younger's plump lips and he snickered.

"Good, it was supposed to," he countered, grinning. He loved these little playful banters he shared with Kikwang, the teasing jokes and pretend fights. 

"Kiss it better," he continued to whine, almost sounding genuinely hurt, and Yoseob laughed, playfully cruel. 

"You think I'll give out free kisses to you?" he smirked, taking another popcorn and biting into it, chuckling as Kikwang paused.

"Think you could give me the chance to earn it?" 

"Depends," Yoseob shrugged nonchalantly, imaginary butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he slid down the couch slightly.

"Come outside," said Kikwang, a smile playing on his lips. 

"What?" Yoseob blinked and frowned in confusion, sitting up straight, before turning his attention to the window in slight alarm. Scarmbling off the couch, he hurried over to the glass enclosed space, pushing it open, before sticking his head out of the window, jaw dropping slack as he spotted Kikwang standing out on the street below, clad in merely jeans and a thin t-shirt. Yoseob's voice was sharp and high as he clutched the phone closer, voice rising, "Yah, are you crazy?! It's like minus two degrees outside, are you ing baked out of your mind?!" 

Kikwang's laugh was bright, the sound ringing through the clear, crisp air as he threw his head back, eyes disappearing behind pretty lashes. "Come outside!" he repeated, smile wide and breaths opaque in the cold air; he waved up at Yoseob, grinning brightly. 

Yoseob blinked, lips twitching upwards despite his attempts to look stern; he couldn't help it. Kikwang's smiles and laughter were both contagious. 

Hanging up, he tossed his phone onto the couch and pulled on a jacket, not bothering to change out of his fluffy house slippers as he grabbed an extra coat and ran out of his flat, locking the door as an afterthought. Midnight romantic escapes were no excuse for security breaches and Yoseob felt broke enough lately without having to feel the need to worry about being robbed. Hurrying down stairs of his five storey apartment building, he nearly tripped a few times over his own feet, cursing under his breath as he pushed past the frosted glass doorways and ran out onto the street. His gaze roamed around, searching for the familiar brunet, before lighting up as he caught sight of him by the lamppost just down the street. Hurrying over to Kikwang, Yoseob broke into a grin and tried to hold himself back from tackling the younger in a suffocating hug, instead fighting off the urger by slapping him across the chest with the spare jacket he'd brought along, earning a wince in response.

Kikwang protested, indignant, as he stepped back and frowned, lips curved down in a pout. "Yah, what the hell, Yoseob?!"

Said male snorted and folded his arms over his chest, watching as Kikwang fumbled with the coat and pulled it on, buttoning it up. "You deserved it."

"For what?" mumbled Kikwang, looking very much disgruntled, his previous grin now replaced with a scowl as he fixed the collar of the coat and patted down the fabric. 

"For being outside in such clothes," Yoseob chided, raising an eyebrow cooly.

Kikwang opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off by Yoseob's, "And not inside my room without any clothes."

Blinking, Kikwang stared at the elder in disbelief before breaking into an amused grin, eyes lighting up in mischief and awe. "You know, you still owe me a kiss for earlier."

"You still have to earn it," Yoseob countered, head held high and a smile playing at his lips as he watched Kikwang step closer to him until their shared breaths fogged up between them. 

Kikwang grinned playfully, his hands coming to rest on Yoseob's hips as he pulled the latter closer to himself, voice soft, "And how may I do that?" 

"Surprise me," murmured Yoseob, gaze flickering towards the younger's lips before trailing back up to his eyes as he grinned, almost as if posing a challenge. He his lips dryly in anticipation as Kikwang edged closer, their lips barely a centimeter away. Kikwang's breath was warm and inviting as it fanned over his parted lips, his brown eyes bright. About to close his eyes as soon as he felt Kikwang's lips brush over his own, Yoseob was startled out of his daze as the younger suddenly stepped back with a cheeky grin, almost making Yoseob fall back at the sudden loss of physical support and warmth. "Yah!" 

Laughing, Kikwang stuck his tongue out at the elder before sliding his hands into his pockets, mirth shining in his dark eyes as he grinned brightly. "Sorry, but it felt too cliché to kiss under a street light in the middle of the night."

Taken aback, Yoseob blinked rapidly a few times before frowning and huffing as he slapped Kikwang's chest, snapping, "Idiot."

Kikwang giggled and pushed the other's hands back, chirping, "Invite me in, and I'll make it up to you."

Yoseob shook his head and scowled. "No."

"Come on," he insisted, grinning from ear to ear as he grasped Yoseob's hands and laced their fingers together. "Please?"

Narrowing his eyes, Yoseob stared at Kikwang suspiciously before reluctantly pulling out of the younger's hold and shaking his head firmly once more, earning a pout from the dark haired youth.

"Fine," Kikwang said simply, shrugging and turning as if to leave. 

Yoseob stared at the younger's back, eyes still narrowed as he fought back the curiosity bubbling up in his chest as he wondered if Kikwang would really walk all the way back home now and just leave. His gaze did not waver from the latter's retreating back, blinking in confusion as Kikwang continued walking, heading off in the completely opposite direction to where his house should be. Perplexed, he tried to shake off the itching need to find out where the younger was going, before caving into his curiosity and calling after him, "Where are you going?!' 

Pausing in his steps, Kikwang bit back a smile and glanced back, seemingly nonchalant as he shrugged and hummed, voice even as he shouted back a clear reply, "Why don't you follow and see?" And with that, he grinned to himself and continued walking ahead, knowing Yoseob would eventually follow after sooner or later. 

Blinking, Yoseob bit his lip, hesitating momentarily, before groaning and frowning as he stalked after Kikwang, arms still crossed over his chest as though he was being forced into this against his will. He followed the latter for a good twenty minutes or so, feeling more and more confused by the minute as Kikwang wove his way in and out of narrow lanes and past paved sidewalks. Just as he was about to shout out a complain about his aching feet and wet slippers, Kikwang came to a halt before a closed bookstore, his eyes and grin both mischievous as he turned around and waited for Yoseob to reach his side, hand slipping past the coat he was wearing to fumble through the pockets of his jeans before pulling out a screwdriver. 

Yoseob's eyes widened at this as he came to a stop beside his companion, jaw slack and heart racing in disbelief, voice unexpectedly loud and shrill, "You're breaking into the bookstore?!" The last of his words were semi-muffled as a hand was thrown over his mouth, Kikwang's brows furrowed in disapproval as he hissed, "Shush, do you want someone to hear you?"

Yoseob swallowed audibly and shook his head, eyes wide. Retracting his hand once more, Kikwang beckoned him over as he crouched down slightly before the yellowed, metallic sign screwed onto the wooden exterior of the quaint, old shop. He gestured at Yoseob, silently telling him to hold the plate in place as he swiftly unscrewed the already loose screws before pulling out the sign and grinning in triumph, exclaiming in a hushed whisper, "Come on, let's head back." 

Yoseob was speechless as he stared up at Kikwang, eyes still wide and lips moving silently in shock. It took him a few long seconds before he found the words he wanted to say, whispering in disbelief, "You just robbed a store."

Kikwang grinned, pleased at the elder's reaction, and shrugged. "They won't miss it; it was almost breaking off anyway."

"What if they call the police?" Yoseob whispered, trying to ignore the grin pulling at his own lips and the thrill of adrenaline rushing through his veins. 

"I'm a lawyer, remember? They can't accuse me of doing anything, unless I give them the chance to," Kikwang grinned, holding up the sign proudly, before stifling a laugh as he hugged it to his chest and grabbed Yoseob's hand, tugging him along as he half ran, half stumbled back towards Yoseob's building, dragging the elder along. It wasn't until they were up in the warmth and security of Yoseob's flat that the two paused to catch their breaths, looking up at each other before dissolving into a fit of giggles, the rush of it all still burning  underneath their skin as they held onto each other and stumbled into the living room, laughing. 

They fell onto the couch in a huddled mess of long limbs and tousled hair, their expressions mirroring each other as they grinned, cheeks flushed and lips cold. Looking down at the sign held between them, they paused, before breaking into a fresh fit of giggles. In the midst of this, Kikwang grinned and leaned forward to brush his lips against Yoseob's, once, twice, thrice, and four times until Yoseob responded and slid his eyes shut, tilting his head back to kiss him firmly. Their hands searched and grasped at each other, fingers lacing together as Kikwang leaned further into the kiss, pushing Yoseob  back into the couch. Yoseob's free hand moved up to curl itself into Kikwang's thick hair, tugging on the dark locks as their mouths moved together, lips sliding along each other. 

The kiss was warm, heavy, and needless to say, needy, as Yoseob rasped out a low moan and tilted his head back, allowing Kikwang to trace his jawline and Adam's apple with his plush lips and hot tongue. He felt hot, their close proximity not aided at all by the thick layers of clothing and jacketing between them, and he reluctantly pushed Kikwang's back, a pout pulling at his lips. "Wait, it's not comfortable like this," he whined, frowning as the metallic ends of the sign dug at his abdomen. 

Straightening up, he pushed the younger off of him and struggled with his coat, ing and sliding it off before throwing it to the side and heaving a sigh of relief as cool air once again hit his skin, lowering his temperature slightly and bringing down the colour in his cheeks. He lifted his gaze to meet Kikwang's, promptly blushing once more at the younger's disheveled appearance and red mouth. He grinned shyly, nodding down at the sign in Kikwang's hands, murmuring, "We should keep that away first."

Kikwang blinked and looked down at said object before pouting faintly and nodding as he stood up and shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall onto the couch, before holding a hand out to Yoseob to help him up. He allowed the elder to lead him to his bedroom, his gaze wandering every so often to the latter's lower back, the curve of his rear, and his long legs, before flickering back up as they stepped into the bedroom. Looking around, Kikwang broke into a grin and held up the sign, declaring, "We should hang this up on your door or closet or something!"

Laughing, Yoseob shook his head and took the sign out of his hands. "Anywhere but the door; I don't want anyone coming over and seeing a stolen name plate as the first thing on their way into my room."

"Oh?" Kikwang pouted before raising an eyebrow. "Who'd you invite into your room anyway?"

Yoseob glanced back at him, grinning slyly as he shrugged before turning around to look for a place to hang up the sign. "Oh, you know, just the occasional...friends."

Kikwang snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, "Not to be rude or anything, but you don't have many close friends."

Yoseob rolled his eyes and huffed, murmuring, "Yeah, well maybe some guy some day, okay? Or maybe a girl; why does it matter?"

Pouting, Kikwang stared  at the elder's bact before mumbling, "I don't want anyone to be with you."

Blinking, the elder scoffed and propped a hand on his hip as he turned back towards Kikwang. "Yah, isn't that a little mean? Wanting me to be alone?"

Kikwang sighed and shook his head, going quiet for a few minutes, before murmuring, "I don't want anyone to be with you in that way." His gaze was intense and serious as he stared at Yoseob, still standing a few feet away. 

The atmosphere in the room was silent, thick with an unspoken confession in their midst as their eyes sought each other out. Yoseob shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling slightly awkward, the sign suddenly feeling too heavy in his arms and his head light. He swallowed, biting his lip gingerly, and nearly took a step back as Kikwang moved closer. His heart was hammering beneath his ribs and his neck was warm with anticipation as he inhaled slowly, deeply, eyes glued to the younger's determined face. Hands shaking, Yoseob ran his tongue along his dry lips, a strange but familiar sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach as Kikwang came to a stop before him, their faces mere inches away and bodies separated only by the metal strip held between them. 

Reaching out to grasp the sign, Kikwang gently pulled it out of Yoseob's hands before carefully setting it down on the desk just beside them. He was silent as he turned his attention back to Yoseob, eyes dark yet gentle, lips set in a firm line as he hesitantly moved to take Yoseob's hands into his own. The gentleness, the unsurity with which Kikwang handled him made Yoseob's lungs collapse inwards, leaving him breathless before their lips even met. Sliding his eyes shut, Yoseob practically melted into the kiss as Kikwang pressed against him, their bodies molding together. 

Hands releasing each other, they fell back against the wall, Yoseob trapped between the cold, flat surface and the warmth of Kikwang's chest. His hand reached out to support himself, slamming down onto the surface of his desk, palm pressed flat over the wood as he tried to hold himself up, knees weak and body heavy under Kikwang's attention. Their mouths separated for quick, shallow breaths of air, before pressing together once more as Kikwang's hands moved down to the elder's thighs, lifting him up successfully and supporting him against the wall. Yoseob'd mind was on cloud nine, his skin burning with a new sort of need, his fingers aching to touch and his body aching to be touched as he moved both his hands to cup the younger's face and desperately pull him in for a heated kiss, lips pressing together and tongues running along each other, tentatively at first, and then with skilled familiarity.

Pulling back, Kikwang's voice was strained as he breathed over Yoseob's lips, murmuring, "I think I love you." 

A/N: This was very, very late. sobs ;-; And it's not as long as the other other chapters either, but it's 3 am, and sijasofim maybe tomorrow ;; next chapter will have probably, so...yay? ;-; thank you for reading, subscribing and commenting, you guys. <3