This just wasn’t going to work, Sungmin thought.  Every time Jongwoon so much as looked in his direction, he thought of their sleep-induced make out session and blushed.  But if they didn’t at least pretend to be together, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook wouldn’t suspect that they were dating and their poor friends might never discover their love for one another.

            Wouldn’t it be easier if he just told Ryeowook that Kyuhyun was obviously as in love with him as he was with Kyuhyun?  But then there’d be the whole denial episode or even avoidance.  There were a whole slew of problems that could arise by taking the direct route.  Besides, wouldn’t it be more romantic if they heard the truth from each other instead of an outsider, even if Ryeowook was his best friend?

            As Sungmin debated which was really the best way of making the maknaes realize they were in love, he dressed for Super Junior’s appearance on an award show.  He was buttoning his top, trying to figure out how he was going to keep his cool around Jongwoon when their kiss kept replaying in his head.  He looked up to check himself in the mirror and jumped when he realized Jongwoon was leaning on the counter, in between him and the mirror.

            “Smooth,” Jongwoon pointed out.

            “I didn’t know you were there.”

            Jongwoon flipped Sungmin’s collar up and then reached behind him for the bowtie and leaned closer as he pulled it around his neck.  “You’re completely red in the face.”

            “I’m sorry.  I just can’t help but think about this morning when you’re this close.”

            “But nothing happened this morning, remember? So quit acting shy or we’re going to start reversing any progress we made yesterday,” he said, tightening the tie and then flipping the collar back down.

            “They’re probably not even looking at us anyway,” Sungmin said, pulling on his shirt.

            “All of our nosey roommates are staring at us right this minute,” he said, glancing over Sungmin’s shoulder.  “Look.”

            Sungmin looked at himself in the mirror and pretended to play with his hair a bit and realized it was true.  “I really didn’t think they’d get this suspicious just by moving my bed into your room.”

            Jongwoon leaned into Sungmin, settling his hand on Sungmin’s waist, and whispered in his ear, “We’re off to a good start, so don’t ruin it over nothing.”  With that, he winked and walked away.

            Ryeowook was on Sungmin like butter on toast the minute Jongwoon walked away, pretending to check himself in the mirror as well.  “So, I never asked what it was like to sleep in Jongwoon’s room last night.”

            “Quiet.”

            “Really, how so?”

            “Jongwoon doesn’t snore as loud as Kyuhyun does.”

            Ryeowook grinned and lightly touched Sungmin in the arm.  “Well, I have shared a room with him enough to know that he does snore loud…unless he sleeps on his back.”

            “Really,” Sungmin said, thinking back to the last several years of sharing a room with the maknae.  “I guess I never kept track of when he did and didn’t snore to notice there was a pattern.”

            “You know, I think you and Jongwoon will make better roommates than you and Kyu.”

            “You do?  Why?”

            “Well, I think you two have more in common.”

            “Jongwoon secretly likes to cross dress too?” Kyuhyun asked, walking up behind Wook and straightening his tie. 

            Ryeowook elbowed him in the stomach.  “Kyu likes to waste all his free time playing games or watching television and Jongwoon is a bit nerdy and likes to read and hang out at the coffee shop.”

            “And how does that relate to Minnie?” Kyuhyun questioned.  “If there are any two people most alike in the apartment, it’s you and Min.  You both like to clean and cook, you both like shopping…”

            “Whose side are you on, Kyu?”

            “Side?” Sungmin questioned.  “Well, certainly Ryeowook and I are more alike and you and Jongwoon are more alike, but since opposites attract, it just goes to say that it’s easier to live with someone who is a bit different from you than just like you.  If Ryeowook and I roomed together, we’d argue over how to decorate the room.  You and Ryeowook would probably make better roommates than you and Jongwoon, for example.”

            Kyuhyun looked over at the two of them and then walked away without saying another word.  Ryeowook had a dumbfounded look on his face but when they were called to head to the stage, he simply pat Sungmin on the shoulder again and hurried out the door.  Sungmin put on his jacket and followed as the rest of the members headed out the door and down the hall towards the stage.  When he walked out the door, he was surprised to see Jongwoon waiting for him, intent on walking with him.

            “I don’t know why,” Jongwoon said, falling back from the group a little with Sungmin, “but Hyukjae keeps looking at me and smiling.”

            Sungmin looked ahead just as Hyukjae turned around and gave them a thumbs up.

            “Do you think he’s noticed that it’s working?” Sungmin asked, hopeful.

            “I still don’t think anything’s going to happen this early.  This has been completely suppressed by them for all these years, it isn’t just going to be realized in a day,” Jongwoon quietly said, walking up the stairs to the stage.

            When they reached the top and were waiting for the next round of awards to be given, Hyukjae called out Jongwoon’s name and waved him over.  Jongwoon grabbed Sungmin’s hand and squeezed it before heading over to them.  Within seconds, Ryeowook reclaimed his spot by his side. 

            “I hate wearing these suits when we’re dancing, they’re so heavy, they make me sweat.  But they do look good.  I was looking around at everyone and I thought that Jongwoon looks best in these, especially since they keep giving him the sleeveless shirts to wear.  I mean, those biceps…”

            Sungmin glanced over at the guys standing around.  “Kyuhyun looks a little better I think, because he’s so tall and he’s got a more solid body.”

            Ryeowook smiled while looking at Kyuhyun.  “Some people are just blessed with good looks, I guess.  You don’t look too bad yourself today, I thought you’d be a little beat from moving everything yesterday.  You must have slept well.”

            Ryeowook stared up at Sungmin after he said this, watching him closely.  “Ah, well—I did sleep sound—and, um…I had an interesting dream.”

            “What about?”

            “I was making out with someone,” he admitted.  “Don’t make me talk about it though, it was kind of embarrassing.”

            “Was it with someone you know?”

            Sungmin nodded.

            “Those are the best kind.  They’re even better when you wake up and can reenact the whole dream with the person you dreamt about,” Ryeowook said, taking his mic from the stage crew.

            Sungmin felt his face begin burning and distracted himself by taking his mic and chatting with the staff for a minute.  Ryeowook had a strange knack for saying things without knowing how he’d be affected by him, it was uncanny. 

            “Do you like my new shoes?” Hyukjae asked the guys while they were waiting around.

            “Another pair?” Jongwoon asked, glancing down at the sparkly shoes.  “You going to start getting rid of some of the old ones so I can quit tripping over them?”

            Hyukjae pat Kyuhyun on the chest and tilt his head in Sungmin’s direction.  “I wish they’d do something like that with my hair, he looks y with it teased and wavy like that.”

            “Me too!  They keep straightening my hair every time we perform Spy but I think it looks better with a little texture.  I thought his hair only looked good because it was blond for a while but I think it’s just the way they started styling it.”

            “And the eye liner,” added Hyukjae.

            “Yeah, the eyeliner looks hot.”

            Jongwoon’s mouth dropped open as he listened to them go on and on about Sungmin.  He was certain that Kyuhyun only had eyes for Ryeowook but it was still strange to hear him talk about how hot Sungmin looked.  Although, he reminded himself, Hyukjae did start the conversation and he was more into fashion than either of them.

            “I look too girly in eyeliner,” Kyuhyun said. 

            “What about the Perfection video?”

            “Okay, fine.  That was the only time though.  Sungmin always looks good with eyeliner.  Don’t you agree, Woon?” he asked.  Both of them turned towards him and stared.

            “Ah,” he said, glancing over at Sungmin, “Yes, he does.”

            “Oh, look,” Hyukjae said, “He’s pouting.  I don’t even think he knows he makes cute little faces like that.  I was convinced that he stood in front of the mirror for hours on end to perfect the look but I’ve seen him do it so often at the apartment, I think it actually just comes naturally to him.”

            “It’s his eyes too,” Kyuhyun said, “That’s why the eyeliner works so well for him.  The way he looks at people as if there isn’t anyone else in the room or how his eyes shine whenever he smiles.”

            “But it’s not just how he looks but how he acts and sounds,” Jongwoon threw in.  “His voice is so soft, it adds to the whole effect.  And how he says things, that almost shy way he speaks.  I mean, he doesn’t do it all the time, he was ing all day yesterday while we were moving stuff around and that’s annoying as hell, but when he’s just being himself and he’s happy, that’s definitely how he is.  It’s not an act.”

            He watched as Sungmin blushed at something Ryeowook said and then smiled sweetly as one of the staff began talking to him.  He was waving his finger around as he spoke, always the type to use his hands while talking.  As he finished his conversation, he happened to glance over in Jongwoon’s direction and their eyes met.  Instead of looking away in embarrassment, he actually waved to him, still smiling.  Jongwoon found himself slowly smiling back.

            “Isn’t that cute,” Kyuhyun said, startling Jongwoon enough to break eye contact with Sungmin and look at the maknae.  “I think he’s already grown attached to his new roommate.  Maybe you two should have been together all along.”

            “Maybe,” Jongwoon said, not knowing how to respond.

            They were then ushered onto the stage to get ready and Jongwoon was left alone with his thoughts of Sungmin’s shy smile and soft lips.