Kris was this new kid that everyone talked about because he was that aloof new guy in the corner, good-looking and tall and smart. Everyone wanted to be friends with him and everyone wanted to date him. Kyungsoo was one of the people that wanted to date him. Problem is, they’re both guys and who was Kyungsoo to assume that Kris was gay, too? So he would always sit quietly on his seat in class and try to ignore that handsome figure five seats away, legs sprawled out on the aisle because they were too long, his dirty blond hair sticking out everywhere. Kyungsoo could feel his heart thump in his chest everytime he looked, but he couldn’t stop glancing.

Kris liked eating alone at lunch in the classroom of their English teacher who kept her door open for students who wanted to eat lunch there. Kyungsoo and his best friend Baekhyun always ate there. Always. So it was hard to just ignore Kris.

After some time, other people ate with Kris, people that Kris actually seemed to like, like that loud kid Chanyeol and that pretty boy Luhan. They all looked like they got along well and Kyungsoo was happy for Kris. Adjusting was always good, company was always good.

Kris struck Kyungsoo in the chest hard when he smiled once. He showed a set of perfectly white straight teeth and pink, healthy gums. Kyungsoo never blushed so much in his life. The more he observed(not stalked or anything, he wasn’t a creeper, okay) Kris, the more he fell in love, but at the same time, he got more and more convinced that Kris would never go for someone like him(assuming he was gay, too, which if he wasn’t, lessened his chance by about a hundred percent).

It was a surprise, a pleasant one, when Kris and him walked past each other on the hallway and Kris said a silent, “hey” in greetings to him. Kyungsoo did a double take just to make sure he was the one the taller man was talking to. He saw Kris smile at him before turning around to continue walking. Kyungsoo felt the rush of blood heat up his cheeks and ears as he continued his own walking towards the choir room.

Simple ‘hey’s became wide grins and shy brushes of arms.

Kris became more bold after that, taking Kyungsoo aback by pulling a chair beside him during lunch and listening to everything he or Baekhyun had to say. He laughed accordingly, Kyungsoo’s not sure if they were genuine, though. But his eyes smiled, so he guessed they were legit laughs enough.

And then Kris became honest…

“Would you have time to….uh….get something to drink after school…today?” he sounded extremely nervous, but adorable, not like he appeared to be most of the time. Kyungsoo smiled, a blush coming on his round cheeks, his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“Sure,” he said and the flush of delight in Kris’ eyes was all it took to make Kyungsoo’s heart beat so fast it made him giggle.

They were silent as they sat across each other, a bowl of patbingsoo in the middle of the table, its ice cream almost gone and the fruits on Kyungsoo’s side of the bowl almost gone. They were quiet, the two of them, the way they really were. They were people that didn’t need too many words to let each other know how they felt. Kris suggested the green tea patbingsoo and Kyungsoo only looked up at him surprise, because that was his favorite one, so he nodded eagerly, agreeing, and Kris chuckled before ordering it with his broken Korean.

Kyungsoo found out that Kris wasn’t exactly inexperienced in relationships. He’d had at least three girlfriends and four boyfriends thus far. Kyungsoo hadn’t had any in his life.

On their umpteenth date, on the sixth month, Kris mustered up his words and asked Kyungsoo to be his boyfriend. Kyungsoo readily said yes.

“Why in the did it take him so long?” Baekhyun asked and Kyungsoo only shrugged. Kyungsoo liked the fact that they only had casual dates for six months. He liked that Kris didn’t rush it, that he seemed to have thought about it well. He gave Kyungsoo space and time to himself and didn’t push Kyungsoo into anything, and Kyungsoo thought that Kris just might be the most thoughtful person he has ever met.

The real challenge, Kris had to admit, was to get Kyungsoo to let him touch the smaller man. Three months after their first date and he couldn’t even rest his hand on the small of Kyungsoo’s back without Kyungsoo flinching away. And the only solution was to ask him to be officially his boyfriend. That was all it took and Kyungsoo was okay with handholding and kisses on the cheeks.

But another challenge came up; Kissing him. Truly kissing Kyungsoo flush on the lips.

Kris could see the flush tinting Kyungsoo’s cheeks when he moved closer, but then the smaller man always looked away or ‘saw’ something interesting.

It was at the elevator, up to Kyungsoo’s apartment, almost a year after their first date, when Kris finally put his arms out on both sides of Kyungsoo’s head before leaning down. Kyungsoo pushed back on the mirror of the elevator and Kris sighed.

“Why don’t you just---“ he clenched his jaw before leaning forward and pressed his lips gently on Kyungsoo’s thick, soft ones. They felt nice on Kris’ thin lips, they were soft and moist and oh so sweet and when Kyungsoo didn’t move away, he pressed deeper and let his tongue peep out, brushing gently on Kyungsoo’s lips, asking to enter. That was when Kyungsoo pulled off, turning his head to the side. Kris rested his forehead on top of Kyungsoo’s head before nodding, the elevator doors opened and Kyungsoo had to go. Kris pecked his lips and, with his face almost beet red, Kyungsoo shuffled away.

It was exactly a year after their first date did Kyungsoo allow Kris to kiss him properly, their lips crashing and their tongues dancing in rhythms and beats that they created, Kris’ low bass and Kyungsoo’s smooth tenor.

It was nice, their relationship, simple, quiet, and genuine. Something Kyungsoo liked, and Kris was surprised to see himself in.