Seunghyun's life isn't perfect, but he has a wonderful dongsaeng who he treasures dearly, a nice large cup of iced coffee with a double-shot of espresso, and although Seoul is much like a city that never sleeps, he's up and about at such an odd hour and in such a little hidden cafe that he figures he's safe not to be seen. Not that he'd care anyway. He's wearing an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms  with a casual black knitted sweater and Daesung is with him, laughing vibrantly in his usual high volume. Seunghyun just doesn't care about being judged anymore. He's past that phase, the "fat" teenage years, the rebellious kid who's ditch school and walk home without socks or shoes. He knows Daesung still cares, and that's okay, because they're idols after all. Someone needs to care, just not Seunghyun.

     The eldest has a late night date with Daesung and he couldn't be more content. This little cafe isn't too pretentious, furnished in fake leather barstools and black wooden tables with small cracks and chipped paint. There's a small window that looks out into a narrow street alleyway and its ledges are decorated in small figurines, the kind of knick-knacks that Seunghyun absolutely loves. Youth is what the eldest cherishes most, and he may be labeled as immature because of it, but he's old enough by now to disregard the labels.

     Maybe youth is what attracts him to Daesung. The blonde-haired dongsaeng is the one who laughs the most, plays around with the most. Daesung has a kind of energy in him that stores itself most humbly beneath the layers of his soft-spoken voice, the way he listens more than he tells, his modesty, and those ever-sparkling brown eyes.

     But Seunghyun has a way of peeling those layers off that none of the others have. Seunghyun is the one Daesung confides in and opens up to, Seunghyun is the name that constantly spills from his dongsaeng's full, pink lips. And Seunghyun loves it, all of it. The effect he has on him, the enthusiasm and energy that bleeds out when he's close to him. Just Daesung, all of Daesung.

~

     As usual, the heavy-fringed maknae is laughing heartily and his lips between his own sips of coffee with cream, all the while pushing at Seunghyun's shoulders over their shared cafe table. The younger's fingers always know where to jab and poke, causing Seunghyun's stomach to tighten in his own chasms of laughter. Its just that this time, Seunghyun is blinded in his happiness and doesn't notice where Daesung's hands are retreating back to until its too late.

     The top of the rapper's thighs are drenched, white-and-blue-striped flannel pants stained in a murky brown. It was a good thing the liquid wasn't scorching hot. Seunghyun would have yelped.

"Aagh! Hyung! I'm so sorry!" Daesung exclaims in obvious shock, getting up from his seat to turn over his cup of spilled coffee and hastily approach the cashier for some napkins. Seunghyun can't help but to smile at his frazzled dongsaeng.

"I'm fine," Seunghyun reassures once Daesung returns, dabbing at his stain while the younger clears the table.

"I'm so sorry, hyung," Daesung sighs. "Its not coming out, is it?"

"Its nothing," he lightly laughs.

"Lets go back to the dorm, hyung," Daesung pleads, tugging on Seunghyun's arm. "I'll volunteer to wash your laundry for you since its my fault."

The elder shakes his head defiantly while standing up from his chair, chugging at the last few gulps of his coffee and taking hold of his dongsaeng's hand.

"No laundry. Just buy me ice cream," Seunghyun replies simply in his low voice. He's all smiles, but he's serious.

"Hyung! Its really noticeable!" Daesung whines. Seunghyun merely lifts an eyebrow, pulling up the frames of his glasses.

"So?"

"You'll stand out, and then we'll get noticed and-"

"Nope, we're going," Seunghyun interrupts, tugging at the soft hands gripped in his own. Daesung only continues to complain as he's dragged down five street crossings to a local 24-hour McDonald's tucked in another narrow street. Cheap ice cream is the best for Seunghyun. He'd rather spend his hard-earned money on the finer things in life, like his wine or toy collection. Or hell, he could just spend it all on Daesung, if he wanted to.

     The restaurant only has two other customers inside at this time of the night, and they're merely college-aged students absorbed in inhaling their kimchi fries as quickly as possible to get back to work, and Daesung stops complaining at the thought of having an entire restaurant basically to themselves. Seunghyun demands that Daesung buy him a children's toy with their ice cream, and the dongsaeng rolls his eyes for once but complies.

"Well," Daesung sighs in relief,"at least no one saw us."

"Indeed," Seunghyun replies dully, still not caring. They're seated down now at a booth with red cushions, a flimsy table, and paper placemats.

Daesung can't help but to continue to stare at the elder's still very visible coffee stain at the top of his pants while nibbling at his waffle cone.

"Staring at it won't make it go away," Seunghyun lowly chuckles, flicking a plastic spoon against the table's edge in a mindless beat. A small flush warms Daesung's cheeks.

"I just still feel bad about it and--mmff!"

     Its then that Daesung squeezes his eyes shut and in his lips at an attempt to protect himself from the flicks of chocolate ice cream Seunghyun is spattering at him using his plastic spoon as a sling shot. Daesung's white hoodie now looks like a wearable canvas painting of abstract creamy brown blobs.

Daesung only continues to blush as Seunghyun pinches off sprinkles from his own waffle cone and dusts them over the dongsaeng's blonde hair.

"Hyung!" Daesung complains, but he's smiling now, and then he's laughing at the absurdity of it all, and Seunghyun has such a goofy expression on his mature face that he can't help but to join in.

"We match now, Daesunggie," Seunghyun attempts to say cutely in a higher octave. He pinches at his dongsaeng's cheeks with finger tips also covered in melted chocolate cream, leaving the younger's face a mix of flushed pink, rainbow sprinkles, and muddy brown.

"Yah! Stop!" Daesung continues to laugh before the elder spreads some cream and sprinkles on his lips, and then Seunghyun is leaning in, more and more into Daesung's personal space before pressing his lips onto his own.

It only lasts a matter of seconds before Daesung pushes him away, smiling shyly. Seunghyun smiles back in his own gentle manner, at his lips for a moment to savor the taste.

"Okay, I'll stop now," he replies. "I'll be more responsible and mature."

Daesung smiles and pats Seunghyun's shoulders as the elder flutters his eyelashes in a comical way.

"Let's go the dorm, hyung."

"Neh," replies the rapper, chewing on the last of his waffle cone for good measure. Daesung takes Seunghyun's toy and spoon away from him as they stand up from their booth to leave.

~

Yes, maybe its Daesung's youth, the grins that are so big that he loses his eyes, and the ability to be shy at one moment and outgoing the next. Maybe its the laugh that can be too loud or the myriad of expressions the dongsaeng makes beneath all that hair. Maybe its just the sugar.

But there's no doubt that the hyung loves his ever-smiling dongsaeng, and with the taste of chocolate and sugar sprinkles still on his tongue, he is reminded that that he is young, so very young, when Daesung is by his side.