"I'll see you two later then, okay?" Hakyeon called as he ran backwards, in a hurry. "Don't be a pain, Wonshikkie!"

"You're one to talk about being a pain," Wonshik called back playfully, cracking a smile and waving to his friend's retreating figure. Taekwoon only offered a small wave to their rambunctious friend and then turned to Wonshik who looked eagerly back at him.

"You're still coming over to help me, aren't you?"

Expressionlessly, Taekwoon nodded and then wondered why Wonshik sounded so nervous. It was just tutoring, and Taekwoon had only threatened him once, maybe twice. (Maybe ten or fifty times. At least Wonshik was an earnest worker, unlike Jaehwan.) Maybe it was just because exam season was coming up and the younger teenager didn't want to fail again.

The two began to walk in the direction of Wonshik's house.

, he was so nervous and he hated it. It wasn't like he hadn't been alone with his tutor a whole bunch of times before, but it just started becoming something he both dreaded and looked forward to – that anticipation was a mix that made him dizzy. He decided it was a lot like Taekwoon's presence itself these days.

To be honest, Wonshik didn't know when being so physically close to Taekwoon turned into something that made his palms sweat a little, his skin tingle just a bit, and his heart pick up a slightly faster pace. All he could remember was sitting at lunch one day and looking at his hyung (who was stuck between looking like he wanted to strangle Hakyeon or looking like he was sort of interested in the babbling) and thinking I wonder what kind of moisturizer he uses. and How did he get his skin to look so soft?

It wasn't that he was self-conscious about his own looks, but when he thought about it, there really were some people who seemed perfect – and Taekwoon was one of them. Maybe he just wanted to touch his hyung's face once, just to see if it was as soft as it looked, and that'd be that. Or it would be, if he hadn't started thinking about Taekwoon's lips that one night while staring up at his ceiling.

"Unless your parents are home, I don't think we're getting in without your key." Taekwoon's quiet reminder snapped him away from his not-so-innocent thoughts. (Thank god he did, too. It'd be really ing terrible to get a hard-on for no real reason.)

Wonshik fumbled through his pockets and brought out his key to unlock the door, and then the two of them walked inside.

"My parents aren't home, so can we work in the living room?" Wonshik asked.

With a slightly raised eyebrow, Taekwoon looked at the other. He didn't understand why he was asking when it was his house, but Taekwoon found a bit of amusement in it. He guessed Wonshik was a little like a puppy in training sometimes; always excited for things to happen or for things he wanted, but knowing that he had to ask for them. It was cute. "If you want to." he replied.

Smiling, Wonshik scampered off to the kitchen for drinks and snacks while Taekwoon took their things to the coffee table in the living room.

Wonshik didn't like working in his room because it could get too stuffy, and with its too-small feel, the brown-eyed boy didn't want to risk it. Sitting in the open living room where he could breathe and focus better on his work instead of how cool Taekwoon looked while playing football was a lot safer. Besides . . . that sort of thing wasn't okay with anyone – well, except for him and his friends.

It was a stupid thing that Taekwoon just happened to swing for the other team. Of course Wonshik was going to be really nervous around him for the first few weeks so he could let his mind adjust to the fact that no, I'm not going to do anything. You're not my type anyway, idiot. And then after a month or so, it had been fine because Taekwoon was true to his word; he never looked like he was checking out any of them, and since he wasn't an extroverted person to begin with, he never did anything with other guys around them. Taekwoon didn't flaunt how he was, and it was a new experience for Wonshik because again, that sort of thing was shunned around him.

But then when Taekwoon did do something, it was like Wonshik had this dumb sixth sense for it. Or he was just paranoid about it because of that one time he accidentally walked in on something between this guy named Jongdae and Taekwoon, and ever since then . . .

He dropped one of the plastic cups and then stared at the mess with annoyance.

"Is everything alright?" Taekwoon asked from the living room, and Wonshik grunted in reply, cleaning up the accident.

Plopping down at the table, Wonshik moved the plate of snacks and two drinks so they had enough room for their work. As soon as they decided on what subject to start with first (he hated how many of them he had a chance of failing in), Taekwoon was murmuring helpful advice with equations and word placement and prepositions while Wonshik tried his best to focus and listen.

When Wonshik would finish one thing, he would take the chance to steal glances at his tutor and think about the skin and the sixth sense, and even . . .

. . . He wondered if Taekwoon had ever done "anything" with Hakyeon. They looked like they were really close even though Taekwoon always (probably) wanted to hang their annoying dance captain from a tree and never help him get down. They had been friends since they were kids after all – and people had their curiosities. (Wonshik had his, definitely.) The thought made him scowl a little, but as he tried to decide that it wasn't any of his business, Taekwoon caught him staring and tapped him on the head with a pencil.

"Are you done?" he asked, and still a little gone, Wonshik shook his head. "You're not? Why are you staring into space then?"

The tone made Wonshik cringe and he quickly raised his hands. "No, no! I meant . . . Y - Y eah, I'm done." he tried, ducking his head a little, and then Taekwoon sighed. "Sorry . . ." he mumbled, looking down at his papers.

"Let's move on then. Was there anything you got stuck on?"

"Uh, yeah. Hang on," Wonshik looked down at his work and their session continued. The same cycle repeated and Wonshik barely noticed Taekwoon catching on to his too-long (kind of intense) stares and thoughtful (really curious) expressions between the actual work and tutoring.

Thirsty, the white-haired teenager reached for his plastic cup only to have his hand brushing up against something not-so-plastic-y. He snapped from his daze, kind of startled to see Taekwoon holding his cup protectively. "Yours is the other one." the black-haired teenager explained shortly with a motion to it, and Wonshik frowned. He then watched as the older boy took a drink and his brown eyes followed the Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down; he was gripped by the sight and still didn't look away when Taekwoon finished drinking.

"Are you alright?" Taekwoon asked, looking serious and setting down his cup.

He really should be more careful, but he couldn't stop wondering if Jongdae was the only person, and if Hakyeon had ever been another one. He was definitely not jealous (c'mon, why would he be – he didn't swing that way, and Taekwoon was just his friend anyway).

Shifting around, the curly-haired boy nodded, but then his foot brushed up against the others leg under the table and he fumbled over apologies for a minute (or five) as he settled back down and picked up his pencil again. Taekwoon wasn't having any of it; he snagged Wonshik's pencil.

"Hey!" Wonshik scowled and reached to get it back, but Taekwoon stubbornly put it by his leg and then shot him a stern look. Slightly fearing for his life, the younger teenager shrunk back slightly.

"Do you want me to leave?" Taekwoon asked.

Panic mode: activate.

"Wh – No! I can't fail my tests hyung! I seriously need you to stay and help me . . ." he pleaded, flustered and defensive.

It would also be another two days before he could sit in private with his hyung again, and he couldn't wait that long. Wait for what, exactly? To sit and stare at him and be curious and maybe fight off a problem happening down under? He honestly didn't know what he was doing here and why it started mattering so much whether or not Taekwoon did anything with Hakyeon or whatever guy – it didn't, not really. Wonshik was just curious.

Taekwoon kept staring at him and he started fidgeting under the scrutinizing gaze.

He kind of figured how gay guys did it – there was seriously only one way – but which part did Taekwoon do? He was taller than Hakyeon and Jongdae, so . . . Wonshik visibly shook his head.

"I'm leaving." Taekwoon decided, beginning to gather his things.

It took a few moments for his brain to catch up and then Wonshik scrambled to his feet as Taekwoon was already heading to the door. "Taekwoon, wait," he called desperately, but before either of them could do anything, the doorknob jiggled, unlocked, and then in walked Wonshik's mom.

She stopped short at seeing the two boys practically right in front of her and looked curiously at them, but then smiled. "Good afternoon, Taekwoon-ah." She moved out of the way. "Were you just leaving?"

Taekwoon glanced back at Wonshik who looked at him with desperate eyes.

In reply to Mrs. Kim, he shook his head (all the muscles in Wonshik's body relaxed at once; it was really weird. He was surprised he didn't fall over. He sort of wondered if Taekwoon would have caught him.) and then let the other teenager pull him back in.

"We're going to my room now mom," Wonshik announced as he started filling his backpack up. He was relieved that his mom came when she did because it stopped Taekwoon from going. It wasn't like he meant to be a dumb idiot, but now that they were going to his much smaller room, it was probably going to get worse – he wasn't looking forward to it.

The two walked down the hall to his room and then he opened the door, letting Taekwoon in first. A way-too-short second after (because he had to take a long breath to prepare himself to for sealing his fate), he followed and set his stuff down, closing the door.

As he moved around the room, he started getting nervous because he could feel Taekwoon's stare burning into his back. His skin began to tingle again and he really wished that Taekwoon wouldn't – that stare made him feel really weird and self-conscious and nervous and excited all at the same time and Wonshik couldn't take it.

He let out a deep breath and dropped down with his work again, only to realize Taekwoon didn't give back his pencil. When he looked over at the other, he flinched at how close their faces were. What the – ! When the hell did that happen?

Wonshik froze when Taekwoon's cool ( ridiculously soft ) hand pressed against his forehead and he was sure that his body temperature went up a whole twenty degrees. He stayed stiff until a frown twisted the black-haired teen's mouth and he pulled his hand back. Wonshik still didn't let out the breath he was holding and shot to his feet, deciding that wow, he was an idiot for thinking coming to his small- room was an even okay idea.

But before he could escape, Taekwoon grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down. Falling back onto his with an oomf, Wonshik stared wide-eyed at his tutor who stared (holes into his face) back at him.

"If you don't tell me what's wrong with you, this will be our last tutoring session." Taekwoon stated quietly, and although Wonshik knew it wasn't really a threat (because Taekwoon never made vocal threats, he just sort of maimed all of them without warning), the thought of never having this . . . time with him again was somehow scary. (Not to mention, his grades.)

His mind's Lil' Shikkie was panicking and running everywhere screaming ABORT, ABORT, MAYDAY, MAYDAY while wildly waving his arms, and Wonshik couldn't think straight as he stared dumbfounded at Taekwoon's smoothly calm face.

Face. Right.

Without thinking, Wonshik raised his hand and then pressed it to Taekwoon's cheek. He was completely right – the older boy's skin was as soft as it looked, maybe even softer. It was Taekwoon's turn to freeze, stunned by the sudden turn of events and wondering what was wrong with the white-haired boy as his deep stare roamed his own pale face.

"Wonshik," he murmured, like he might scare off the other teenager if he was too loud. Wonshik flinched when reality smacked him and he snatched his hand back. His face burned and he stood up again. Taekwoon didn't stop him this time as he bolted from the room.

???? • • • !