they're not really friends. sure, they probably were in the same batch, same year, same department, but never were friends in the first place.

did they knew each other?

well, most probably yes, they have the same circle of friends, their friends were each other friends, so they bound to get to know each other.

did seungcheol interested in yoon jeonghan?

probably not. probably most of his classmates and senior and junior did, but not seungcheol.

was he not his type?

well, probably yes. but to be honest seungcheol didn't know. he didn't really has a specific type or ideal type for a boyfriend.

so why he's not interested in jeonghan in a romantic way?

did he ever say he's not interested?

yoon jeonghan is a good friend. too cheeky and love to jokes too much to his liking. but he didn't hate him, he couldn't, not when behind the jokester facade lay a compassionate friend who'll cry with you while watching a tragic love stories dramas, staying with you when you're sad and need a hug, someone who'll listen to your worry no matter how ridiculous it was.

instead, seungcheol admit he had a soft spot for the younger guy.

in their freshman year, they didn't share class that often. but they met a lot when their friends hang out together in between or after classes.

in their sophomore years, they started sharing few classes together. start spending more time together, along with the other guys of course.

on their way home after midnight drinking routine,  it has become a new habit for seungcheol to walk jeonghan home. they're going to the same direction anyway, so no matter how the other guys teasing them, seungcheol would only response with chuckles or head shaking.and so did jeonghan.

did they hold hands?  nope.
did they become closer?  yep.

it's nice talking with jeonghan.  listening the blonde guy blabbering about their daily life, every little detail seungcheol didn't even realized, jeonghan saw it all.  his new found hobby of snacking chicken feet in the middle of the night or just listening to him humming to some songs seungcheol never heard before.

did seungcheol started to have a crush on jeonghan?

what's the definition of crush anyway? jeonghan was someone comfortable to be with. whether they have something to discuss or just sit side by side in silence.

seungcheol would often spent his time playing mobile game while jeonghan sleep with his head on his shoulder. seungcheol's jacket covering his body  from the wind under the shed of huge tree behind their school.

and more than once jeonghan would call him to pick him up when it's rain hard and he's stuck under the porch of convenience store. seungcheol grumbled, but he fetched him in the end. and in exchange, seungcheol would whine for the blonde to buy him snack in the middle of the night because he was hungry and too lazy to go out or leaving his games. jeonghan would pout, but seungcheol just chuckles and pull him inside his apartment. the pout was gone anyway after seungcheol let him beat him in one round of the games they played.

they're that comfortable.

"you guys need to start dating," seokmin once said in the middle of group lunch. pointing his chopsticks at seungcheol and jeonghan who sat opposite him. seungcheol blinks, but said nothing.

the other guys joining seokmin in the tease, clapping and whistling. jeonghan giggles, said nothing either, and laughed louder until he lean his head on seungcheol's shoulder. his hair is tickling him, seungcheol want to say, but he's too engrossed in the melodious laughter than he didn't bother correcting. laughing along.

3rd year, senior year, where everything start become so busy.  endless proposal, project, homework, part time. one by one their large group of friends scattered. they barely have time to hangout together anymore. from a 13 friends, slowly it become 10, then 6 then become as small as 2. it's just hard to make times anymore when real life start hitting you in the .

but somewhere in between,  seungcheol always had time to spend with jeonghan. either it's fate or just plain coincidence,  their schedule just match. in the end, they always find each other's company.

"you know what? I think we really should start dating," he said in one of the class,  absentmindedly, nonchalant, as he bite his pen with both eyes staring at the presentation one of their classmates did in front of the class. poor guy looks so nervous.

he felt jeonghan eyes at him, but he made no reaction.

"why should we?"

seungcheol took a glance to his left, where jeonghan diligently taking notes.

"why shouldn't we?"

"should we?"

"we should," seungcheol shrug his shoulders.

"give me reason,"

seungcheol return his attention back to the front. he lean back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. lips pursed.

"because it's comfortable."

"is it?"

seungcheol grins, but still not staring at the beautiful blonde.

"is it not?"

jeonghan didn't gave any response after that except for a soft humm. seungcheol didn't pry further. but when the class was over, jeonghan stand in front of his table, looking down at him who's still busy inserting his book into his bag.

"give me a better reason next time. now let's eat, you're paying of course,"

"the one who invite should be the one paying you know," he groan, but he follow jeonghan like a lost kitten. ruffling his blonde head and pulling the shorter guy closer to him. jeonghan didn't resist.

did they start dating after that? not really sure.

when you're too comfortable with someone, sometimes there's thin line between love and habit that's hard to die.

seungcheol didn't touched the topic again, so did jeonghan.

but their hangout time had somehow take a little different routine.

drinking with their other friends had changed to movie time in jeonghan's apartment. it's a petty fight at first since their taste on good movies are polar opposite. then they compromised.

 Wednesday and Friday.

why wednesday? because it's the day where both of them have short schedule, more free time in the evening.

and friday? well, it's weekend afterall

on Wednesday, it's seungcheol time to pick the movie, jeonghan would prepared the snack. on Friday, it's jeonghan's turn to pick the movie while he prepared their booze.

it's really comfortable, how seungcheol would sit on jeonghan's huge couch, with a bowl of popcorn on his lap. jeonghan sat beside him and from time to time he'd feed the other with popcorn.

did seungcheol started in love with jeonghan? he really didn't know how to answer that. 

but he enjoyed seeing jeonghan's long eyelashes fluttered close and open when he blinks. he likes to see jeonghan fell asleep next to him. he worship that smile whenever seungcheol told him a lame jokes and create a stretch on jeonghan's lips before fell into a fit of laughter from the stupidity.

then again, he didn't know who started it.

kissing.

at first it's just a coincidence when on a movie night jeonghan whisper to him to tease at the same as he turn to his right to talk. their lips brush each other.

it's just a small brush, and both of them were taken a back. and seungcheol swear, it's not him who pressed it back again against jeonghan's soft pink buds.

or is it him? seungcheol couldn't think straight at the moment.

a small Peck turn to heated kiss on the next movie night.

jeonghan pulled back so suddenly and he whined at the lost of warmth.

"it's ticklish,"

"really?"

"uh-huh,"

it's the first time tongue involved in their kiss. seungcheol dived in again, ignoring the giggles coming from the blonde haired man below him, drowning in the comfort of his own couch. swallowing the sound until there's only the sound of the TV in the room.

he doesn't realized it, when did he started head over heels.

the feeling of smaller hand in his own. he likes the feeling, gripping it and warm it inside his coat pocket when seungcheol picked jeonghan up from his part time job as a waiter in a coffee shop in the city. it took 30 minutes of walk to jeonghan's place and another 10 minutes to his own. yet he didn't mind.

and when they reached their 1St destination, they'd stand face to face in front of jeonghan's building, still not over with their conversation. it's start getting harder to say goodbye. but it's late and seungcheol would laugh and tease the younger guy who's yawning shamelessly.

"fine, go to sleep princess,"

"heh, you know me so well,"

seungcheol smile, jeonghan smile back. it's really hard, but he finally let go their intertwined  fingers. letting the slim fore finger lingering with his until he's farther enough to fully let it go.

seungcheol never thought about it further either. what to call their relationship.

feeling comfortable was enough reason to have jeonghan moved in to his place. sharing bed with him. having his clothes on the slim figure, yawning in his kitchen in the morning.

probably feeling comfortable is an understatement. because it's definitely not comfortable when his heart beats rate fluctuating high whenever jeonghan hug him from behind, mewling and called him by his nickname.

his heart and body is not comfortable when he's greeted with a morning kiss and a giggle he thought he's already fly to heaven and an actual angel welcoming him on the gate to afterlife.

okay, seungcheol probably a little bit more than head over heels.

that he thought of buying a pair of rings he saw at the jewel store near the station on his way back from office. the rings would cost him 2 months of salary, but the urge to buy it and imagining the look of jeonghan when he see it make him escalated.

seungcheol is definitely absolutely head over heels now that he finally think about it.

to see jeonghan's teary eyes and pink nose from too much crying. cheeks rosy from being shy but the sound of majestic giggles betrayed his looks.

seungcheol love it. he give the now black haired man flying kisses all over his face. over his snotty nose, his wet eyes, his high cheek bones, and his pink lips that's stretch widely.

he smile too against it. his arms holding the love of his life closer to him despite the protest because he still want to admiring the ring. seungcheol give in in the end and turn jeonghan around. opted to hugging him from behind.

seungcheol rest his chin on the man's shoulder, he tighten his hold on jeonghan's waist.

"thank you,"

"your welcome," he mumbled his words against the man's shoulder.

"I love you,"

seungcheol froze in his spot.

this is probably the first time in 8 years since they knew each other in university that jeonghan ever told him this.

he buried his face on the soft black hair. hiding from embarrassment.

"do you know that right, cheollie?"

seungcheol thought it's not a fair game. telling him he love him while calling him by nickname. he couldn't contain his grin.

"I know," he answered. eyes closed. inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry from the man's hair.

"I love you too, hannie."

yeah, seungcheol is more than definitely absolutely ultimately head over heels. or else he doesn't know what to call this feeling.

but he's willing to spend his whole life risking to explore it.